Source: Gizmodo | 10 Dec 2008 | 2:40 am

RadioShack's $100 NetBook Costs $1,500 Over Two Years

RadioShack is advertising a $100 netbook that, according to the fine print, will cost 15 times that amount over two years.

That's because in order to purchase an 8.9-inch Acer Aspire One netbook for $100, you have to commit to a 2-year broadband plan with AT&T. The plan costs $60 a month, which comes out to paying $1,540 over two years.

Engadget discovered the promotion in a RadioShack ad. Dell and HP are offering similar broadband deals with some of their netbooks as well for about the same rates. Kind of blurs the line between smartphones and netbooks, doesn't it?   

Photo: Engadget

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 10 Dec 2008 | 2:31 am

Google updates search index with old magazines

Source: Gizmodo | 10 Dec 2008 | 2:20 am

Facebook’s fbFund Names Winners of $225,000 Grants

Facebook has just named the five winners of $225,000 cash grants from the second round of its fbFund, a joint venture between Facebook, Accel, and Founders Fund meant to cultivate and reward excellent applications on Facebook Platform. The winners: GroupCard, Kontagent, MouseHunt, Weddingbook, and Wildfire.

 

GroupCard - GroupCard allows users to create online cards that can be signed by an entire group of friends and then printed out. Users enter their messages, along with any photos they’d like to include, and then choose a font that mimics realistic handwriting. Once all of the messages have been compiled, users can have the card printed. The result resembles the group cards that are often passed around offices for birthdays, but can include friends and loved ones from around the globe. Printing options include large posters, photo books, and downloadable PDFs which users can print from their own computers.

 

Kontagent - Kontagent offers a powerful analytics platform for Facebook developers, offering far more metrics than Facebook’s own backend does. Included metrics include demographic information like user gender, user engagement times, and A/B testing. For our preview coverage of the site, check out the TechCrunchIT post here.

 

MouseHunt - A rich game that involves hunting mice. Though there are numerous games on Facebook, this one is much richer than most of them. Rather than using shady and irritating viral tactics to spread through the community, the game is relying on good word of mouth, and the results so far have been promising - the developers say that a whopping 40% of its users return on a daily basis.

 

 

Weddingbook - A social network within Facebook for couples looking to set their wedding plans. The site offers features meant to help each couple’s friends (who are informed of tentative plans and can help make suggestions), and also offers a section where couples who don’t necessarily know each other can offer tips and advice.

 

Wildfire - Allows companies to create their own branded promotions on Facebook with a minimal amount of effort (campaigns can also be simultaneously run on MySpace, Bebo, and standalone websites). Facebook’s consumer voting application used to vote on the application process was actually created by Wildfire (Facebook assures us they had no influence on the outcome).

 

fbFund was announced by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at last year’s TechCrunch40 conference. According to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg the company received over 600 applications within a month of opening this round to submissions. In October the company announced 25 finalists, each of which received $25,000 and was invited to showcase their applications today at Facebook’s Palo Alto headquarters at an event attended by venture capitalists, Facebook executives, and members of the press.

Today’s winners were in part determined by voting that took place on Facebook, which received over 180,000 votes from 88,000 users worldwide. During the event’s keynote presentation, Sandberg emphasized the importance of Facebook Platform and its 670,000 developers to the social network, explaining that the company simply doesn’t have the resources to build enough features and applications to suit the site’s 130 million users.

Facebook also says that the third round of fbFund will be announced in early 2009.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Source: TechCrunch | 10 Dec 2008 | 2:15 am

FCC Commissioner Lauds DRM, ISP Filtering

snydeq writes "Ars Technica's Nate Anderson and InfoWorld's Paul Venezia provide worthwhile commentary on a recent speech by FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate (PDF), in which she praised DRM as 'very effective' and raised a flag in favor of ISP filtering. Anderson: 'Having commissioners who feel that the government has a duty to partner with and back educational classroom content from the RIAA; who really believe that ISP filtering is so unproblematic we can stop considering objections; and who think that universities worry about file-swapping because tuition might be raised to pay for the needed "expansion of storage capabilities" (huh?) isn't good for the FCC and isn't good for America.' Venezia: 'Leave the ISPs out of it — it's not their job to protect a failing business model, and a movement toward a tiered and filtered Internet will do nothing to stem the tide of piracy, but will result in great restrictions on innovation, freedoms, and the general use of the Internet. There's nothing to be gained down that path other than possibly to expand the wallets of a few companies.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 10 Dec 2008 | 2:10 am

Helping Your Data Decamp to a Mac [The Mossberg Solution]

With the holidays fast approaching, plenty of shoppers are heading toward their local Apple stores with plans to buy a new home computer. Amid all this excitement, it’s worth taking time to consider how to transfer content from the old Windows PC to a shiny new Mac.

Apple (AAPL) has promoted this PC-to-Mac switching concept heavily over recent years — particularly with its “I’m a Mac” commercials, which bluntly compare the Windows and Mac operating systems. Windows Vista has been a source of consternation all its own, and some people have opted for the Mac rather than risking problems with a Vista PC. Apple recently reported that about 50% of the people buying Macs in the Apple stores are new to the Mac.

If you buy a new Mac from the Apple store, staffers there (”Geniuses,” as they call themselves) will transfer your files over to the new machine free. This process takes place in the store, though Apple says it generally isn’t a “while you wait” task. If you buy a Mac elsewhere, such as online or at Best Buy (BBY), Apple stores charge $50 for this transfer.

But some people aren’t comfortable with the idea of handing a computer filled with their personal files over to a stranger. If this is the case for you, some other viable options include copying your old PC’s data onto a portable hard drive or onto discs that are compatible with the new computer. If several home computers are networked, files can be transferred onto a drive accessible by all the machines.

This week, I tried yet another method, copying data from a Windows machine over to a new MacBook using a special transfer cable from Belkin International Inc. The aptly named Switch-to-Mac Cable plugs into USB ports on two computers. It came out a month ago and is available for $50 at places like Best Buy and Apple stores. Like other transferring methods, it moves only files and not programs or applications, such as Microsoft Word (MSFT). (Windows applications can run on a Mac using programs like Boot Camp, Fusion or Parallels.)

I tested the Belkin Switch-to-Mac Cable by transferring data to a new Apple MacBook from my two-year-old Lenovo ThinkPad X60, which runs Vista. (Most people will transfer from an older PC that doesn’t run Vista.)

After installing the software included and connecting the transfer cable to both the Mac and Windows PC, short, on-screen prompts walked me through the steps for copying data from one computer to the other. On one instructional screen, I checked boxes to indicate what I wanted to transfer, including documents, pictures, music, videos, Internet Explorer bookmarks, desktop wallpaper and desktop files. Here, I could also opt to transfer a custom folder as well as personal information from Outlook like email, contacts and calendar.

I liked Belkin’s simple approach, including unintimidating software and a straightforward cable with a glowing, white indicator. But the files didn’t all properly transfer from my Windows laptop to my Mac. Most notably, the software prompted me to move files on my desktop, but the cable moved only five of the 23 selected files stored there.

Also, I use Mozilla’s Firefox as my default browser, but Belkin doesn’t move Firefox bookmarks to the Mac. Still, my Internet Explorer bookmarks moved over into Safari, Apple’s browser. Belkin explained that it left out Firefox transfers, instead focusing on programs like Safari that come installed on Macs. Even without a cable, Firefox itself will export bookmarks to be moved to the Mac in just a few simple steps.

I had no problems transferring everything else, and things like photos and music moved to the Mac appeared there in logical places. For example, photos stored in the “My Pictures” folder on my Windows PC automatically moved over to iPhoto on the Mac and retained their original folder labels in iPhoto.

In most cases, newly transferred files were clearly labeled on the Mac in folders marked “Windows PC.” After my initial transfer, I used the cable for additional transfers, and the data moved in those follow-ups were labeled “Windows PC-2″ and so on. When my email, contacts and calendar transferred from my Windows Live Mail desktop client, I wasn’t sure where this data had moved within Apple Mail because I didn’t see a “Windows PC” folder. A Belkin representative explained that files transferred to Apple Mail are stored in an “Import” folder.

If your transfer doesn’t work perfectly the first time, try moving stray files into a folder that transferred successfully in a previous attempt. I did this with some of my desktop files when they didn’t move over and it worked, albeit with an extra step.

Over the phone, I walked through numerous troubleshooting scenarios with Belkin to figure out why my desktop files didn’t transfer over to the new Mac, but nothing helped. Belkin said it hadn’t seen my desktop transfer problem in its tests.

I was frustrated to find that Belkin doesn’t offer much in the way of detailed instructions for users, such as a FAQs Web site or troubleshooting steps for common hiccups. Its simplicity is an asset, but when performing an important task like transferring data, I’d rather have the option of knowing more than less. Belkin says it plans to add more help for users in the future.

As its name indicates, the Belkin Switch-to-Mac Cable isn’t designed to transfer data from one Mac to another, nor from one Windows PC to another. Nor will it transfer data from a Mac to a Windows PC. Additionally, all hidden directories and system directories are ignored, as are all files with the following extensions: .exe, .com, .dll, .scr, .ini, .db, .lnk.

Not tested was a competing product from Detto Technologies, the $50 Move2Mac, which comes in two versions: One enables transfers from older PCs without USB ports, the other enables transfers from PCs with USB ports that are running Windows 98, Millennium, 2000 or XP — but not Vista, which the Belkin enables.

If you’re moving away from a Windows PC, Belkin’s Switch-to-Mac Cable is one tool that can make this transition easier.

Edited by Walter S. Mossberg

Write to Katherine Boehret at mossbergsolution@wsj.com

Source: All Things Digital | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:52 am

Bacon cheeseburger tops 'unhealthy' list

A U.S. health advocacy group says Jack in the Box's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger tops the list of worst cheap eats.
Source: Gizmodo | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:40 am

Contest: We’re giving away $50 dollar gift cards all week

When Virgin Mobile acquired Helio, they also acquired a fat stack of 50 dollar Prepaid AmEx cards that were originally intended for Helio promotions. I assume it was kind of like finding a $20 in a pair of pants you haven’t worn in a long time, except it was a whole bunch of pieces of plastic worth $50 each. Rather than filling the Virgin Mobile offices with PS3s, they figured our readers might be able to use some of them to make Christmas just a wee bit more exciting. The only catch? They expire at the end of 2008, so you’ll have to find something to spend them on quick (as if that’ll be difficult.)

Over the next 7 days or so, we’ll be giving them all away to our lovely readers. Some contests (like the one below) will be comment contests. For others, it might be a good idea to keep an eye on our Twitter feed. It’ll be different every time, so stay sharp - expect one or two contests each day.

Find out how to enter the first contest after the jump.

The first contest: We’re doing our part to put smiles on a few faces in the midst of economic downtown, so return the favor. Use the comment box down below to tell us what you’re doing to save money this holiday season - funniest one (as picked by the MobileCrunch/Crunchgear staff) wins. No, they don’t have to be honest. Putting off upgrading from your old and busted RAZR? That’s cool. Want to tell us that you’ve shaved all of the neighborhood cats to make a line of fur coats for babies? Even better. Contest 1 ends tomorrow at 2 pm PST.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Source: MobileCrunch | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:30 am

S&P Returns and the Remarkable Case of 2008

Ed. Note: Boing Boing's current guestblogger Clay Shirky is the author of Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. He teaches at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU, where he works on the overlap of social and technological networks.

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This is a graphic of the Standard and Poor's stock index's annual returns, placing every year since 1825 in a column of returns from -50% to +60%. As you can see, it is a rough bell curve, with 45 of those 185 years falling in the +0-10% column. There are only 5 years each in the 40-50% and 50-60% return columns, and, through 2007, there were only one year each in the -31-40% and -41-50% columns. You can see where 2008 to date falls.

(UPDATED: From DailyKos, via Greg Mankiw.)

Source: Gizmodo | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:20 am

Short-haul truck drivers face cancer risk

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:13 am

Scientists release green travel guide

The Union of Concerned Scientists Tuesday released a first-of-its-kind consumer guide on travel options. The travel guide compares the environmental effects of a range of domestic travel options, including motor coaches, trains, planes, cars and sports utility vehicles, a statement released by the scientists said. Vacation travel can generate a surprising amount of global warming pollution, said report author Jim Kliesch. He said a family of four flying first class from Chicago to Orlando, Fla., via Houston could emit substantially more carbon dioxide than the sum of the parents' weekday commutes over an entire year.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:11 am

So Much for Being Recession-Proof, Electronic Arts Warns [Voices]

By Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron’s, Tech Trader Daily

Electronic Arts (ERTS) this afternoon warned that its revenue and earnings for the March 2009 fiscal year would be below the guidance it provided on Oct. 30. The old forecast was for non-GAAP revenue of $5 billion to $5.3 billion, and non-GAAP EPS of $1 to $1.40 a share. The company said it will not provide any updated guidance for FY ‘09 before it reports FY Q3 results in February.

The videogame company said that the revised expectations are primarily the result of lower than expected sales in North America and Europe.

Read the rest of this post

Source: All Things Digital | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:08 am

Umbuster is part umbrella, part knuckleduster

It used to be that a gentleman could arm himself with a sword cane, ready to whip his blade out at the first sign of unseemliness. Since parliament has banned anything that may be sharpened to a point, defense of oneself has become a more subtle skill.

Some gentlemen learn the unarmed arts, but in the face of villainy, stronger means are occasionally required. Hence the Umbuster, an umbrella combined with knuckledusters.

After some few years the non-product continuously known as The Umbuster has formally graduated from solid-world prototype to a bespoke-produced and purchasable boxed goods. Each handle is individually CNC cut in a 5 hour process by the enduring Mr Liu. The umbrella itself is provided by the good Guy de Jean of France. And finally packaged in the boxes designed with the good Snorri Már Snorrason here in Reykjavik Proper.

At €225, it's not for dilettantes. A firm drilling at your local Baritsu academy prior to deployment is strongly recommended.

Product Page [Umbuster]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:02 am

Next-Gen Dashboards Teach Leadfoots How to Hypermile

Ford, Honda and Nissan are leading the way, but experts say it won't be long before everyone's offering high-res dashboard displays that will make us more efficient drivers.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:01 am

Life with Netflix on a TiVo

Section: Video, Content, DVD Players/DVRs, Gadgets / Other, Household, Lifestyle

I’ve been playing with Netflix on my TiVo Series3 DVR for about a day now and it has been quite good.  The HD video content is fantastic and looks like you are watching a recording off of your TiVo.

I have run into some hiccups with “Watch Instantly” on the TiVo.  At first, I was not getting any sound.  Hitting rewind or fast forward solved the problem.  Then, I found out that the 30 second skip does not work on Watch Instantly.  Hitting that button takes you to the end of video.

Occasionally, I have had to reconnect to the TiVo service in order to access the “Video On Demand” feature.  That involves going into Messages and Settings, then the Phone and Data Connections, and then hitting the Connect to TiVo service option.  I find it strange that the error message that tells you how to reconnect does not just have the option to connect right there.  If you can tell me how to reconnect, why not provide a link?

It is definitely worth the effort since the HD video quality has been excellent.  The Netflix graphics are slightly different than the TiVo so you know you’re using Netflix and not watching a recorded program. 

However, I think that the Roku is still probably the best deal out there because you only have to pay for the box and the Netflix service instead of having a TiVo bill or an annual Xbox Live Gold membership fee. 

Read [Netflix Blog]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 10 Dec 2008 | 1:00 am

Nokia: Calculating in “The Survivorship Premium” [Voices]

By Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron’s, Tech Trader Daily

Goldman Sachs analyst Tim Boddy today upped his rating on Nokia (NOK) to Neutral from Sell, asserting that emerging market risks to the story are now better understood, earnings estimates and guidance are now more realistic, and products risks “are starting to reduce.” In a research note, Boddy asserts that while macro uncertainty remains high, “Nokia’s ’survivorship premium’ is likely to expand if the outlook worsens further.”

Read the rest of this post

Source: All Things Digital | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:52 am

Today on Offworld

Today on Offworld, we watched the new Arkham Asylym game trailer, which made us long for Batman in BioShock's Rapture, found out Disney games filter obscenities via a locally stored copy of puerile Urbandictionary.com definitions -- as a plain text file, and played the new LucasArts-esque Strong Bad game: Dangeresque Roomisode 1: Behind the Dangerdesque. We also saw a delicious looking version of Katamari Damacy, found a new game based on your grandmother's favorite Love Is... comics duly disquieting, saw retro Mario and Duck Hunt remakes in EA's Boom Blox, heard about Sony's lawyers going after data-scraping LittleBigPlanet social site Sackbook, and pieced together desire for a Tetris bracelet. Finally, we heard that Eskil Steenberg's unbelievably gorgeous painterly MMO Love was nearing alpha, considered the irony of a game blocked from store shelves by Nintendo about to make a new appearance on the DS, heard about how Dune II took inspiration from the Mac desktop, and, most amazingly, saw a new LittleBigPlanet user created level that lets people play a clockwork and magic game of Reversi.

Source: Boing Boing | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:47 am

Today on Offworld

Today on Offworld, we watched the new Arkham Asylym game trailer, which made us long for Batman in BioShock's Rapture, found out Disney games filter obscenities via a locally stored copy of puerile Urbandictionary.com definitions -- as a plain text file, and played the new LucasArts-esque Strong Bad game: Dangeresque Roomisode 1: Behind the Dangerdesque.

We also saw a delicious looking version of Katamari Damacy, found a new game based on your grandmother's favorite Love Is... comics duly disquieting, saw retro Mario and Duck Hunt remakes in EA's Boom Blox, heard about Sony's lawyers going after data-scraping LittleBigPlanet social site Sackbook, and pieced together desire for a Tetris bracelet.

Finally, we heard that Eskil Steenberg's unbelievably gorgeous painterly MMO Love was nearing alpha, considered the irony of a game blocked from store shelves by Nintendo about to make a new appearance on the DS, heard about how Dune II took inspiration from the Mac desktop, and, most amazingly, saw a new LittleBigPlanet user created level that lets people play a clockwork and magic game of Reversi.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:45 am

Ike's effects back Texas eco-research

Hurricane Ike reconfirmed one Texas researcher's idea: Interfering with Galveston Island's natural elevation hurts the island's sand dunes and marsh flora. Ike reconfirmed the basic idea I've had for several years, Rusty Feagin, ecosystem scientist with Texas AgriLife Research at Texas A&M University, said in a news release.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:33 am

Tag Your House With UV-based Temporary Grafitti

A spray can that releases the power of ultraviolet LEDs instead of paint could be the graffiti artist's version of the smokeless cigarette.

The reason? Both try to accurately duplicate the visual and psychosomatic reaction you get from using the original harmful devices.

Random International's Glow Grafitti spray cans are modified with ultraviolet LEDs at the tip of the cap that 'paint' images on light sensitive surfaces. The 'paint' produces a temporary digital image effect rendered in real time. RI's patented light sensitive surfaces change their graphic properties (such as their contrast) under exposure to the UV light. In order for the gadget to work, you have to use the special canvas.

Because the light emitted isn't that powerful, the grafitti fades almost instantaneously. Still, I would not recommend that you try 'painting' your friends when trying it out.

The RI design house has created several of these type of digital paint gadgets. All are based on a design that previously linked electro-mechanical solenoid valves in the head of a paint roller to a computer that informed the valves with data to create the image.

As an example application, they 'painted' a wall with the roller device, and suddenly, a rendered face appeared in the space (see second video below).

Unfortunately for the cities that are most affected by grafitti, this gadget likely won't stop the perpetrators, even if they get addicted to it.

Just like the removal of harmful tobacco in fake cigs never completely cures the urge.

The Glow Grafitti bundle is available for about $50 in the UK. Check out a video of the Glow Graffitti can after the jump.

See also:

• Gun Camera Adds Graffiti to Other People's Photos

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:30 am

Hong Kong orders 80,000 chickens killed

Authorities in Hong Kong Tuesday ordered about 80,000 chickens killed after discovering dozens of birds had died of bird flu at a nearby farm. CNN reported that the order requires all chickens within about a 2-mile radius of the farm where the dead chickens were discovered Monday to be culled. We have discovered up to 60 dead chickens in that farm.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:27 am

Two coral finds link Atlantic, Pacific

The discovery of two species of coral once thought to be extinct provide an important link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, U.S. scientists said. The U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:23 am

Botnets As "eWMDs"

John Kelly writes "The current issue of Policy Review has a paper by an American computer scientist and the recent Permanent Undersecretary of Defense for Estonia. Drawing on the Estonian cyber attacks a year and a half ago, as well as other recent examples, they argue that botnets are the major problem. They propose that botnets should be designated as 'eWMDs' — electronic weapons of mass destruction. The paper also proposes a list of reforms that would help to limit the scale and impact of future botnet attacks, beginning with defining and outlawing spam, internationally." Many of the proposed solutions are common-sensical and won't be news to this audience, but it is interesting to see the botnet threat painted in such stark terms for readers of the Hoover Institution's Policy Review. For a more comprehensive overview of cyber-security threats, listen to NPR's interview with security experts on the occasion of the release of a new report, "Securing Cyberspace for the 44th Presidency," which recommends creating a cyber-security czar reporting to the President.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:21 am

Precious metal may yield cancer treatment

A precious metal never used in a clinical setting is being developed as a next-generation cancer treatment, British researchers report. University of Warwick researchers are working with the metal, osmium, which is related to platinum and is used to treat cancers as part of the drug cisplatin, the university said in a news release. The Department of Chemistry researchers are seeking partners to help develop osmium through more extensive biological tests. While cisplatin is successful treatment, it isn't useful for all kinds of cancer, said professor Peter Sadler, adding, It is also quite a toxic therapy, which can produce side effects and, from a clinical point of view, cells can also become resistant to platinum. Osmium has shown promise in treating several different types of cancer cells, including ovarian and colon cancers developed and tested in the laboratory. Sadler and post-graduate researcher Sabine van Rijt are working to develop compounds using osmium, which they said might lead to the development of drugs that could be combined in therapies with existing drugs. The compounds we have been developing are very promising, van Rijt said.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:18 am

Google Tests ActiveX Alternative (PC World)

PC World - Google has released new software designed to let Web developers write more powerful programs that can work directly with an operating system, rather than having to be run through a browser.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 10 Dec 2008 | 12:13 am

Gift Guide: Smart phones for work and play (AP)

AP - Navigating all the "smart" phones out there and picking one for yourself can be tricky, and purchasing one for someone else can be even more daunting. But with plenty of feature-packed options available this holiday season, ranging from the consumer-friendly iPhone to the more business-oriented BlackBerry Bold, chances are you can find a phone that's a better gift than a reindeer sweater.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 9 Dec 2008 | 11:36 pm

Aussie Censorship "Live Trials" Won't Be Live

Xiroth writes "In what could be the first step to backing down on the plans to censor the Australian Internet, Communication Minister Stephen Conroy has made it known that the live trials of the Government filter will not, in fact, be live, instead being downgraded to a closed network test. Given that this would provide no further information than what Government tests have already provided, this may prove to be a face-saving measure before the plan is quietly scrapped. Nonetheless, concerned Australians are encouraged to attend protests planned for this weekend to ensure that the Government gets the message."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Dec 2008 | 11:32 pm

Sun's Mickos: I'm OK With Monty's MySQL 5.1 Rant (PC World)

PC World - Michael "Monty" Widenius, original developer of the open-source database MySQL, put a damper on Sun Microsystems' recent release of MySQL 5.1 with his now-infamous Nov. 29 blog post trashing the company's decision to give the update a "generally available" designation.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 9 Dec 2008 | 11:21 pm

A Tasteless Mod: A Computer Mouse Made of Mouse Bones

We've seen some pretty weird gadget modifications, but this computer mouse made with actual mouse bones takes the cake for "most stomach-turning" steampunk mod ever.

Blogger Daniel Pon felt like modding his five-button computer mouse, and luckily he "had a whole rodent skeleton sitting in a box."

He details the lengthy process step-by-step in his blog. In summary, he used a combination of wood, brass and mouse skeleton to construct the body; a lot of cutting, bending and welding was involved. The project took about 22 hours spread over a week and a half. All the parts including the mouse cost about $50.

Now I really regret eating that Subway sandwich last night.

The Paradox Mouse! Custom Computer Mouse [Daniel Pon via Laptop Mag]

Photo: Daniel Pon

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 9 Dec 2008 | 11:19 pm

Twones: A Social Music Feed (500 Beta Invites)

The more that music moves online and is consumed in streams from multiple sites, the harder it is to keep track of what you listen to across the Web. A startup from Amsterdam called Twones is trying to make sense of all the noise. It acts as a social music feed of everything you and your friends are listening to, as well as a library of your favorite songs. It is in private beta, but the first 500 TechCrunch readers to enter the code “tc_inv08″ here will get an invite.

The first thing you do when you sign up for Twones is install a Firefox add-on that keeps track of every song you play across 20 music sites and services, including youtube, myspace, imeem, last.fm, iLike, hype machine, mixwit, seeqpod, skreemr, and deezer. On Macs, it also records what you play on iTunes.

Every song you listen to then is displayed in your personal music feed. As you add friends, you can see what they are listening to as well. And for each song, you can add a comment, recommend it, or put it in your library. When you click on an individual song ling, you get taken to a dedicated page for that song with a YouTube video, Flickr photos, Twitter mentions, a list of similar artists from Last.fm, links to albums from that artist on Amazon, and a list of all your Twones friends who have listened to that song.

The only thing that Twones is missing is the music. Other than embedded YouTube videos, to actually play a song you have to click through to the original music service where it was streamed from in the first place. Twones is more about trying to capture the musical meta-data of the Web, socializing around music, and organizing it. The service would be a lot more compelling if you could also play songs without clicking away, and create playlists, etc.

It is a lot easier to get excited about music if you can hear it. If they can figure out how to embed more music directly in the site, Twones could be a hit.

Twones Video Demo from Twones on Vimeo.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Source: TechCrunch | 9 Dec 2008 | 11:18 pm

Sony Ericcson hops on Android Bus

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile

Two bits of probably unrelated data came out today: HTC is kicking butt thanks to T-Mobile’s G1 and Touch Diamond phones and Sony Ericcson (SE) confirmed they are going to make a Google Android OS based phone.  Unrelated?  Maybe, but probably not.  Phone makers are scrambling to bring up sales in a plateauing market that is proving software, and not necessarily design, owns the day.

What’s a Walkman?

Still believing their Walkman brand has relevance in today’s marketplace,

“We believe Sony Ericsson can bring a wealth of experience in making consumer focused multimedia handsets with new user experience to the Alliance drawing on the successes of the Walkman and Cyber-shot sub-brands.“ said Rikko Sakaguchi, CVP and head of Creation and Development at Sony Ericsson.

App store for me please

SE hopes to bring the Android 3rd party application fun to their phones and drive sales.  As estimates roll in that Apple will bank $300 million dollars just in the 30% they collect for “operational costs,“ other manufacturers want to give their users functionality they didn’t have to come up with and push through the telecoms.  This approach allows manufacturers to let the market decide and pay for functionality they desire. 

This is a good move for SE and proof that manufactures see the test fire of the G1 as a success and something to emulate.

Read [SonyEriccson]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 9 Dec 2008 | 11:02 pm

Student Sues Principal Over Suspension for Facebook Remarks

A Florida student is suing her high school after being suspended for "cyberbullying" after she posted unfriendly statements on Facebook about her English teacher. The case, one of more than a dozen similar ones across the United States, highlights the legal challenges facing courts and schools as they grapple for campus civil order and free expression in an online world.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Dec 2008 | 10:59 pm

Censorship Group Removes Wikipedia Blacklisting

A British internet-watchdog group removes Wikipedia from its watchlist. The Internet Watch Founation blacklisted the online encyclopedia after it discovered it linked to Virgin Killer, a 1976 Scorpions album cover that shows a naked young girl.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Dec 2008 | 10:58 pm

Polaroid cartridge as iPhone stand

Polaroid is a victim of the digicam revolution, but its artifacts already speak to the ages. Patrick Ng's iPhone stand, made from part of a used cartridge, is a perfect instant in using the old to enhance the new.

Gallery [Patrick Ng's Photoset] Thanks, Mark and George!

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 9 Dec 2008 | 10:56 pm

Bjarne Stroustrup On Educating Software Developers

jammag writes "Bjarne Stroustrup, creator of C++ and a professor at Texas A&M, weighs in on the problems in today's CS programs. In particular, Java (there's too much of it), the quality of graduates (companies aren't happy), and the need to balance the theoretical and the practical (long overdue). Not pulling punches, Stroustrup even talks about high schools — 'High schools could teach students to work hard at something (just about anything), to search out information as needed, and learn to express their ideas in writing and orally.' He finishes by giving advice to working developers: 'Serious programming is a team sport, brush up on your social skills. The sloppy fat geek computer genius semi-buried in a pile of pizza boxes and cola cans is a mythical creature, best buried deep, never to be seen again.'" Read on for more choice quotes from the quotable professor.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Dec 2008 | 10:46 pm

Amazon giving away “The Dark Knight” with purchase of DVD or Blu-ray

Section: Video, Content, Video Providers, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Websites, Online Music/Video

If you picked up “The Dark Knight” from Amazon.com, you’ll get to watch the movie using Amazon Video on Demand for free after you redeem a promotion code.  The VOD version usually costs $14.99.

The offer (which is only available to US residents) ends on Christmas, December 25, 2008.  The video will not be accessible online after June of next year, but you can download it to your TiVo or Windows PC.

If you bought the DVD or Blu-ray edition, you already get a digital copy included with the movie.  The additional Amazon Video on Demand version is a nice little bonus.  While the quality is not amazing, it’s nice to have access to the movie online.

Go to [Amazon]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 9 Dec 2008 | 10:17 pm

Rapper Records Entire Music Video With iPhone

A rap artist apparently liked the iPhone's mediocre camera enough to record an entire music video out of it (above).

GOSHone claims his project is the "first music video shot on an iPhone." That's a bold claim, but I can't say I've seen anything else like it.

And heck, compared to most independent YouTube videos, it's pretty damn good. The artist says he used an app called Cycorder, which only Jailbroken (i.e., hacked) iPhones can run.

YouTube [via TUAW]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 9 Dec 2008 | 10:16 pm

DNSSEC Advances in gTLDs; Bernstein Intros DNSCurve

coondoggie writes "Seven leading domain name vendors — representing more than 112 million domain names, or 65% of all registered names — have formed an industry coalition to work together to adopt DNSSEC. Members of the DNSSEC Industry Coalition include: VeriSign, which operates the .com and .net registries; NeuStar, which operates the .biz and .us registries; .info operator Afilias Limited; .edu operator EDUCAUSE; and The Public Interest Registry, which operates .org." The gTLD operators are falling in line behind government initiatives, which we discussed last month. In light of these developments, Dan Bernstein's push for DNSCurve might face an uphill slog. Reader data2 writes: "Dan Berstein, the creator of djbdns and daemontools, has created his own proposal to improve upon the current DNS protocol. He has been opposed to DNSSEC for quite some time, and now he has proposed a concrete alternative, DNSCurve. He has posted a comparison between the two systems. His proposal makes use of elliptic curves, while DNSSEC favors RSA. He uses a curve named Curve25519, which he also developed."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Dec 2008 | 9:58 pm

Paulo Coelho: “MySpace Is My Wife, Facebook Is My Mistress”

I had the absurdly awesome opportunity to attend a small MySpace-organized private lunch with author Paulo Coelho this afternoon in Paris before he spoke at the Le Web conference. Coelho, who has sold 135 million copies of The Alchemist, announced his new movie project, The Experimental Witch, in partnership with MySpace. He’s pictured to the left with MySpace COO Amit Kapur, who was also at the lunch.

The movie is based on his book The Witch of Portobello and it marks the the first time he has granted movie rights for any of his creations. Hollywood producers have been clamoring for years to make a film version of The Alchemist, but so far he has declined.

The Experimental Witch project invited MySpace users to contribute original video and music content. 6,000 entries were submitted and 15 winners were selected for the final film, which is currently in production.

Coelho is an unabashed MySpace fan, he told me today. He has been active on the site for three years and has over 38,000 friends there. He says MySpace is among his favorite websites, and says that it is a great way to connect with fans.

But I also asked Coelho if he uses Facebook, and what he thinks of it. He said that he loves Facebook too. When I pressed as to which site was his favorite, he said “I love MySpace like a wife, I’ve been there for a long time. But Facebook is my mistress.”

Coelho’s website is here. He also updates a personal blog daily here, where he links to a site that has pointers to pirated copies of all of his books. When I asked him why, he says it’s because it helps sell more books. People like to read a little of the pirated versions, he tells me, but then they buy the book.

Since he’s one of the best selling authors of all time, who am I to disagree.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Source: TechCrunch | 9 Dec 2008 | 9:48 pm

Kindling Hopes To Spark Your Company’s Best Ideas

Kindling, the first web product from New York-based design and tech firm Arc90, is looking to help business share ideas more effectively. The site offers a Digg-like system for voting on ideas, allowing team members to hit a ‘+’ or ‘-’ next to each project or idea, with the most popular ones floating to the top. Users can also indicate if they’re going to complete a project, which makes Kindling double as an effective task manager.

To help give each vote some significance, Kindling caps the total number of votes that can be submitted by each user (the default is 10, but the administrator can allot more). As projects are completed or ‘fade’ out of the system for not getting enough votes, these points return to the user and can be redistributed. The service is $5 per user, per month, with a flat rate of $99 for non-profit and educational organizations.

Kindling isn’t particularly novel - we’ve seen similar apps from IdeaBlob, Kluster (covered here), and a handful of others. And most large businesses will likely turn to more robust products like those offered by 37Signals for task management. But for basic idea management Kindling is very well done, with an intuitive and attractive interface that lacks any distracting frivolous features, and may be appealing to smaller businesses and organizations.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Source: TechCrunch | 9 Dec 2008 | 9:42 pm

Microsoft Surface Gets Doctors' Notice

President-elect Obama's upcoming health care plan probably doesn't include buying up hundreds of Microsoft Surface computers.

But if he really wants to improve the patient-doctor relationship, the enthusiasm a few Texas doctors are showing for the dynamic touch screen suggests his team should consider it.

In a recent demo by Texas Health Resources, a health care provider in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, doctors and administrators brainstormed potential medical applications for Microsoft's surface computer. By the end of the event, over 100 concrete ideas had been unveiled and doctors were apparently giddy with the possibility that their ideas, if implemented correctly, could help them improve their interactions with their patients.

Texas Health Resources currently operates thirteen hospitals throughout the state and has signed a deal with Microsoft to build practical and innovative functions for the multi-touch screen.

Among the useful tools they came up with was the ability to share detailed images like MRIs, EKGs, radiology reports, and X-rays within seconds and could be incorporated in three-dimensional model that accurately reflects a person's condition.

The fact that the display is multi-touch and visually dynamic also suggests that patients will be more involved in their diagnosis and could 'touch' their way throughout a personalized version of their own body. Of course, there are those who might find that level of detail creepy. And there's always the question that in order to implement it, the right software needs to be developed.

Plus, there's the whole dirty touch screen problem, even though the company assures that the Surface is easily disinfected.

But using a screen that's also an innovative computer will allow physicians to prepare full-bore presentations, and more information is usually more useful than harmful. Using video of a coronary procedure to show exactly what is going to happen instead of trying to understand the often impenetrable medical-technical jargon should be a good thing.

The doctors were in universal agreement that any presentation should be accessed by a patient outside the hospital, through a private network. Ideally, the doctor could transfer the relevant info on the Surface through a USB port to your iPhone and you could be happily checking out your spleen on the way home.

So do you readers think this is a good idea or is the application and potential security risks not worth it? Let us know in the comments.

See also:

• Microsoft Shows Off Surface in Sheraton Hotels
• First Look: Microsoft Milan Surface Computer -- A Table That Knows What's On It

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 9 Dec 2008 | 9:37 pm

Gadgetell Review: Pioneer XMP3 portable XM radio

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Satellite / HD Radio, Gadgets / Other, Household, Lifestyle, Reviews, Features

Quick Review

What is it? 

• The Pioneer XMP3 (Model: GEX-XMP3) is a portable XM radio that costs $249.99

What’s cool:

• Wide variety of channels
• Superior sound quality when compared to FM radio
• Intuitive menus
• Simple design
• Recording and bookmark features

What’s not cool:

• Internal antenna is weak
• Poorly designed layout on remote control

The Crux:

• XM is to your radio what cable is to your TV.  The service offers lots of very specialized channels and the sound quality is much better than your standard FM radio.  Pair the XM Radio service with this portable XM unit and you’ve got a nice office or home radio provided you can get a signal.

This is a guest post by Merlyn Akhtar.  Merlyn Akhtar is a tech-savvy person who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty with hardware.  One of the first upgrades she performed was installing a 2X CD-ROM drive in a PC in her early teens back when Prodigy was an awesome ISP.

Out of the Box:

This unit comes with lots of goodies.  In addition to the main unit, you get a dock, which has a line out and antenna in for the included external antenna, charger, remote control, in-ear ear buds, and RCA cables.  The portable radio is small, about the height and width of your standard clamshell-style cellphone and it feels light in the hand.

Design:

The main unit is lightweight and has a familiar navigation wheel design.  The antenna stub is a bit chunky, which distracts from the otherwise clean design.  The headphone jack and microSD card slot are conveniently located along the top.

There are 5 dedicated buttons, including one for the menu system, keypad, and options.  The navigation wheel encircles the XM (select) button and has 4 dedicated buttons of its own for play/pause, forward/rewind, and record.  Most people will find it to be a very familiar layout.

The included dock is basically a charging station and the only means for using the external antenna, which is about as big as the main unit.  The dock also has a line out so you can listen to the XM-goodness on your favorite set of external speakers.

Interface

You can browse channels by scrolling with the wheel or by pressing the keypad button which brings up a menu to enter a channel number. 

You can also schedule XM recordings so you never miss particular radio show.  “My Music Library” is where you access recorded XM programs/music, mp3s/WMAs, and audiobooks from your microSD card. 

The XMP3 features Auto Recording which records up to 30 hours of music from the five channels you listen to the most.  You can set the channels yourself or just let the radio figure it out.

To get from submenu to submenu, you have to use the scroll wheel (the arrow keys on wheel won’t work).  You can click the Options button while listening to XM programming which displays a menu.  You can access TuneSelect for an artist or a song which alerts you whenever that artist or song is playing on another channel.  You can bookmark the song, mark a channel a favorite, and view programs for your current channel.

The Remote

The included remote works well within line of sight, but it is a bit awkward to move from wheel control on unit to button control on remote.  The “Back” button is placed in bottom right hand corner, but “Select” button is in the top-middle.  This is a poor layout considering these two buttons are frequently used when navigating the menu system (can really hurt your thumb if you’ve got small hands).

Audio Quality and Reception

When I could get a signal, the sound quality was good.  The equalizer has nine presets.  There is no option to customize an equalizer setting.

I found the signal poor when I was at home using just the radio’s internal antenna.  The radio has an antenna signal utility that is really helpful when setting up the unit with the external antenna.  Reception was much improved using the external antenna, though I had to wander around the room a while to find the right spot to set it down. 

I tested out the radio on my morning commute on the MetroNorth train (lower Hudson valley to NYC).  Lower Westchester had good to very good (1 to 2 bars out of 3) signal reception.  There was little to no signal by mid-Westchester, even when I brought the dock with me and had the external antenna.  In Queens, NY, I had to use the external antenna to get a viable signal in a building.  There was a very good to excellent signal in Manhattan and the Bronx.

I was initially excited when I took the radio on the train, but was greatly disappointed by the poor signal reception.  I’ll stick with my dedicated MP3 player for my music on my commute. 

Wrap up

The Pioneer XMP3 player is an interesting device.  It can serve as your normal music player if you bring along a microSD card.  The recording feature is also handy when there is no signal.  The design could use another revision to integrate the antenna a little bit better.  The antenna sticks out like a sore thumb on this relatively clean design.  $249.99 seems a little steep for something like this.  The price will likely be a barrier to most who are just curious about XM.  For those who already love satellite radio, this is a very pocketable solution.

This device will appeal to XM enthusiasts, but probably won’t win over the masses yet.

Product Page [XMP3 Radio]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 9 Dec 2008 | 9:22 pm

IWF Backs Down On Wiki Censorship

jonbryce writes "The Internet Watch Foundation, guardians of the Great Firewall of Britain, have stopped censoring Wikipedia for hosting what they considered to be a child porn image. They had previously threatened to block Amazon for hosting the same image." Here is the IWF's statement, which credits the Streisand Effect for opening their eyes: "...in light of the length of time the image has existed and its wide availability, the decision has been taken to remove this webpage from our list. Any further reported instances of this image which are hosted abroad, will not be added to the list. ... IWF's overriding objective is to minimize the availability of indecent images of children on the internet, however, on this occasion our efforts have had the opposite effect."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Dec 2008 | 9:10 pm

Hubble Finds CO2 on Extrasolar Planet

The Hubble Space Telescope detected carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet using its infrared camera and a planetary eclipse. The same technique could be used to detect the byproducts of extraterrestrial life.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Dec 2008 | 8:36 pm

Plastic As A Conductor

Image Caption: A plastic-metal hybrid as a granulate or a strand. In the next step the conductive material can be plasticized (softened) again and applied as a printed circuit board. © Fraunhofer IFAM
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 9 Dec 2008 | 8:31 pm

Rich Nations Must Pledge Emissions Cuts To Achieve 2020 Goal

The U.N.'s top climate official said on Tuesday that the United States and other rich nations must pledge specific targets by the end of next year for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to win agreement on a U.N.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 9 Dec 2008 | 8:25 pm

NASA Gets Inside Pilots' Heads to Make Them Safer

NASA is testing whether neural imaging technology can tell pilots when they're being mentally overloaded, which could lead to improvements in flight control systems.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Dec 2008 | 8:17 pm

Africa's Rift Valley: Geothermal Gold Mine

New technology reveals huge potential for geothermal power in East Africa's Great Rift Valley.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 9 Dec 2008 | 8:03 pm

T-Mobile Likely To Introduce 8-Megapixel Cameraphone

For shutterbugs T-Mobile is fast becoming a treasure trove of sophisticated cameraphones.

On the heels of the 5-megapixel Motorola Motozine ZN5 phone launched last month, T-Mobile is likely adding another powerhouse to its portfolio.

Samsung's 8-megapixel phone called 'Memoir' could be available on T-Mobile network soon, say reports. It will also be the first cameraphone at that high resolution available in North America.

Details on the phone are scarce with just some blurry photographs of the alleged device hitting the Internet. The phone is expected to have 3G but no Wi-Fi suggest the reports. It is also likely to be a touchscreen phone with a user interface similar to Samsung Behold.

But what's clear is that with 'Memoir's' introduction it looks like the megapixel race is coming to cameraphones now.

Photo: TmoNews

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 9 Dec 2008 | 7:59 pm

G1 and Diamond push HTC to record profits in November

Curious as to why Sony Ericsson (and 13 others) might have hopped on board with the Open Handset Alliance? Take a look at the November numbers of HTC, the folks behind the only Android handset currently on the market, and it all becomes clear.

This morning, HTC is announcing that they managed to pull $528.57 million in profit during the month of November. That’s right around 10.8% higher than October, and an ultra impressive 22.1% better than they did in November of 2007. According to Digitimes, a significant chunk of the revenue growth stems from sales of the HTC Diamond and, more notably, the Android-powered G1.

Now, the HTC Diamond could coast by on looks alone. The G1? Yeah, not as much. Without aesthetics on its side, the draw here has got to be Android. Interest in Android drives the sales, and the royalty-free licensing keeps it from dipping into profits. It’s win win - and after posting a $32 million dollar loss for Q3, that probably sounds pretty good to Sony Ericsson

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Source: MobileCrunch | 9 Dec 2008 | 7:58 pm

BLOG: Celestial 'Swan Lake'

A new image shows what happens when ripples of gas crash into star-forming areas.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 9 Dec 2008 | 7:34 pm

Facebank eats coins

Behold the frightening Facebank. Its rubbery lips drool when you wave coins in front of its motion-sensitive eyes, and articulate to devout them when fed. Designed by Takada in Japan, it's the perfect gift for anyone who works in the U.S. automobile industry.

Don't miss the video:

Face Bank from Dynamism on Vimeo.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 9 Dec 2008 | 7:13 pm

iPhone Turntable App Will Land You in the Nuthouse

A new application turns the iPhone into a turntable that scratches really obnoxious music to piss off your friends.

Called Re<ords 001, the app features a dynamic turntable that you can backspin, scratch and pause. You can even pick up the needle and drop it on a different track while the record is spinning.

Unfortunately you're limited to the songs included in the app, and they sound like something you'd rock out to while on acid in an insane asylum (video above). I'd like to see the developer make this app work with our iTunes libraries. (There are other similar DJ iPhone apps out there, but I haven't found one that works very well.)

Re<ords 001 costs $2 in the App Store. Japanese company Delaware (sound off the irony alert) coded the app.

Download Link [iTunes via DVICE]

 

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 9 Dec 2008 | 7:13 pm

LG Shows First Modem Chips For 4G Phones

Faster cellphones based on 4G wireless technology are set to become a reality soon. LG has developed the first handset modem chip based on 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology standard, a move the company says is a significant step towards creating a market-ready 4G phone.

LG's latest 13 mm x 13 mm modem chip can theoretically support wireless download speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 50 Mbps. T

"The modem chip is the most crucial component required to create a viable 4G handset with LTE technology, the leading candidate to become the fourth generation mobile phone technology standard," said LG in a statement.

LG showed the the chip at its research lab in Korea with real world wireless download speeds of 60 Mbps and upload speeds of 20 Mbps. The fastest phones currently on the market use HSDPA technology and download at a maximum speed of 7.6 Mbps, said LG.

That means with LTE technology, users can download a 700 MB movie file in less than one minute at the theoretical speed of 100 Mbps. LTE technology would also allow consumers to simultaneously stream four HD movies without any buffering, said the company.

Expect the first LTE mobile phones to hit the market in 2010. 

Photo: LG LTE chip/LG

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 9 Dec 2008 | 7:12 pm

Desktop-Speaker Gems Issue a Sonic Boom to Your Bank Account

Crystal-clear speakers that cost 1,000 dollars? Yes! Harman Kardon is hoping these other-worldly desktop giants find a home in the office of a serious audiophile. Just don't crank 'em up too loud, mmmkay?

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 9 Dec 2008 | 6:45 pm

LG ups the (4G) ante with successful LTE trial

LG has upped the ante in the hyper-competitive 4G arms race after successfully testing the world’s first (functioning) Long Term Evolution (LTE) cell phone chip. The 13×13mm integrated circuit exhibited impressive data speeds in its initial trial, topping out at 60Mbps downstream and 20Mbps up.

Still in its planning stages, the Third Generation Partnership Project intends LTE (successor to GSM/UMTS) networks to compete head-to-head with wired broadband, offering a “true” high-speed wireless alternative. Other goals include improving wireless efficiency, lowering costs, and providing for better integration with open standards.

Looks like LG and Co. are off to a solid start, especially when considering that LTE chips are theoretically capable of even higher data transfer speeds. Now we just have to wait patiently for US mobile carriers to roll out their respective 4G networks…in the next couple of years.

[via MobileBurn]

Crunch Network: TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies

Source: MobileCrunch | 9 Dec 2008 | 6:42 pm

Android Gets New Supporters

Open Handset Alliance, the consortium that is supporting the Google developed Android operating system, has some new fans.

Fourteen new members that comprise both telecom service providers and handset makers among others have decided to join the Alliance in a sign that the newly introduced platform may be gaining momentum.

The new entrants include ARM, Asustek, Garmin, Huawei Technologies, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Vodafone.

So far only T-Mobile has introduced an Android device, the G1 from HTC, in North America. Meanwhile, Motorola has said it will launch handsets based on Android OS next year.

"New members will either deploy compatible Android devices, contribute significant code to the Android Open Source Project or support the ecosystem through products and services that will accelerate the availability of Android-based devices," said the Alliance in a statement.

Translation: Expect more Android-based devices in the market especially from companies like Sony Ericsson and Garmin that are trying to compete with larger handset makers.

Garmin especially could do with some help from Android. The company is yet to launch its much-delayed GPS-centered phone, Nuviphone. Garmin has said the phone is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2009 though there have been few updates or sightings of the phone at trade shows.

Android could potentially give Garmin a better platform to take on rivals such as Motorola, Nokia and Apple.

Photo: (Hysterical Bertha/Flickr)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 9 Dec 2008 | 6:37 pm

Sony axes 8,000

Sony is to lay off 8,000 workers, according to the AP.

Sony Corp. is slashing 4 percent of its worldwide work force, reining in spending and shutting plants as it tries to ride out a looming worldwide recession that is battering Japan's export-reliant manufacturers. Tokyo-based Sony, which is cutting 8,000 of its 185,000 jobs, said Tuesday it will shut five or six plants — about 10 percent of its 57 factories. Sony also plans to reduce its electronics investments by about one-third by the end of March 2010, although it did not give specific numbers.

That 8,000 people can be such a tiny proportion of a company indicates how hard it is for Sony to maneuver: if you include joint ventures, it employs nearly a quarter of a million people. The cuts will save it $1.1bn and take two years to enact.

Such immense scale lends itself to dark humor: "Sony lays off Rolly division," etc., but it's an expression of problems that Sony's faced for a decade or so: how to become leaner when jobs are for life.

Sony to cut 8,000 jobs, 4 percent of work force [AP]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 9 Dec 2008 | 6:36 pm

White HTC Touch Diamond appears just in time for Christmas, unless you actually want to buy it

If there was ever any doubt that a White HTC Touch Diamond was in the works, let said doubt be cast away. Sometime earlier this morning, snowflakes began falling across HTC’s front page (kind of like a 1996 Geocities website, except classy. They should add a guestbook for us to sign.), underneath the headline “Wishing you a more connected holiday season”.

Sitting at the very core of this display was the White HTC Touch Diamond. While that puts it in stone as being legit, it doesn’t offer any solid insight as to when it’s going to be available in the US. In fact, seeing as the HTC Touch HD is up there too (and we’re certainly not getting that), it doesn’t necessarily mean the US will be getting it at all. First reports said October, which has come and gone. Keep your eyes peeled.

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

Source: MobileCrunch | 9 Dec 2008 | 5:57 pm

Android Rising: Sony Ericsson, Vodafone, and 12 Others Join Open Handset Alliance

Android just got stronger. The industry consortium behind the Google-developed mobile operating system, the Open Handset Alliance, just added 14 new members, including ARM, Garmin International, Sony Ericsson and Vodafone. The other new members are AKM Semiconductor, ASUSTek Computer, Atheros Communications, Borqs, Ericsson, Huawei Technologies, Omron Software, Softbank Mobile, Teleca AB, and Toshiba.

When the Open Handset Alliance was announced a year ago, it launched with 34 partners, including T-Mobile, HTC (maker of the G1 Android), Qualcomm, Intel, Samsung, Motorola, Sprint Nextel, and NTT Docomo.

Nokia, AT&T, and Verizon are still sitting on the sidelines. Their loss.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Source: MobileCrunch | 9 Dec 2008 | 4:35 pm

Sinus-Laden Dino Skulls Reveal Hotheaded Life

Did dinos suffer from sinus infections? A new analysis of several skulls suggests so.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 9 Dec 2008 | 4:07 pm

Apple Unlikely to Sell $99 iPhone, Netbook or Tablet

Apple's PC market share continues to grow, even as the iPhone is killing its competitors. Even "expensive" MacBooks are doing fine in a shaky economy. That means Apple has little reason to undercut its own successful product line.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 9 Dec 2008 | 3:50 pm

Extra Second to Be Added to 2008

The Earth is slowing down, so timekeepers will add a second as the year ends.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 9 Dec 2008 | 2:56 pm

Found: Milky Way's Sweet Spot

Scientists find sugar molecules floating in space. What does it mean for the search for life?
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 9 Dec 2008 | 2:36 pm

Number of Eggs in a Nest Depends on Climate

Research explains why some birds lay one egg in their nest, while others lay more.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 9 Dec 2008 | 2:12 pm