Source: Gizmodo | 15 Jan 2009 | 8:00 am

STMicroelectronics Rides the Crest of the Coming Motion-Sensing Consumer Wave

Market analyst iSuppli ranks ST No.1 in consumer and portable applications of motion-sensing chips: - games controllers and smart phones fuel massive 118% growth in 2008 - ST jumps from No.4 to No.1 with revenues more than twice those of its closest competitor GENEVA, Jan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jan 2009 | 8:00 am

New Zealand thief nabbed after Facebook posting (AFP)

AFP - Old fashioned sleuthing got some help from new technology when New Zealand police nabbed an incompetent thief with the help of Internet networking site Facebook.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 15 Jan 2009 | 7:28 am

Reverse phone number lookups offer a way to find phone owner names

Section: Web, Websites

Researching phone numbers and phone owners online is far more common than some might think.  Every day, hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals use the web to try and track down information about unknown phone numbers that show up on peoples’ caller ID.  Some people are taking the initiative to act as their own private detectives, checking up on potentially errant spouses or wild and out-of-control teenagers.  Others are trying to find an address for an old friend or trying to check to see if a phone number they found from another source is still valid. Luckily, some of these questions can be answered using a search engine or the white pages.

Unfortunately, these resources are tragically unable to provide information about cell phones, which creates a huge gap in the availability of phone number information.  There are, after all, hundreds of millions of cell phones in the United States alone, meaning that there’s a large chance that the number you’re trying to lookup isn’t accessible through public resources.  An alternate solution can be found using a reverse cell phone search service. 

Cell phone lookups are specialized queries that match a person’s name to a phone number and are provided exclusively by internet-based services.  This means that you can trace a cell phone owner from the comfort of your home computer.  Of course, when many people become reticent when they hear the phrase “internet search.“  This is because most people are well aware of the difficulty associated with performing effective internet searches when it comes to the specific task of searching for people online.  But while it might seem like it has to be hard to find out information about cell phones, the truth is that almost nothing could be easier.

To perform a reverse phone lookup all that is needed is to narrow down a service you’re comfortable with from a long list of reverse phone search services available online. From there, your search is reduced to two easy tasks: copying the unknown 10-digit phone number into the designated search box and pressing enter. Reverse phone lookups use huge, private databases of phone numbers to provide a quick and reliable way to trace cell phone owners.  The best part of this type of service is that it doesn’t take any longer than a normal search engine query to deliver results.

It is also important to remember that you have the right to opt your personal information out of these databases if you wish to retain your privacy. Opting out takes nothing more emailing the service and requesting that your name and number be removed.

Full Story » | Written by Sponsored Post for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 15 Jan 2009 | 7:27 am

News from a Red Cross Worker In Gaza

(Editor's note: post updated below with notes, related factchecking, and news citations. This is a complex story, and many readers have understandably strong feelings about wanting to ensure accuracy and fairness.)

A Boing Boing reader writes:

I do not take sides, as the Gaza civilians are victims of both Hamas and the Israelis. FYI my nephew works for the ICRC in Gaza, and therefore has first-hand knowledge of what's happening on the ground. Here is a summary of what he said in a recent phone call to his family.

- He's holding on in a bunker with metal shutters, he cannot bail out because he is responsible for too many people looking up to him, but 4 ICRC expats have left because of physical/mental exhaustion, and his Palestinian colleagues (Red Cross/Red Crescent) are equally exhausted, plus they have to get back to their families at night and organize survival (assuming their home hasn't been destroyed yet.)

- He has to organize the evacuation and taking care of the dead and wounded (100 yesterday.)

- The Israeli army deliberately intimidates, and aims at humanitarian groups, and they did shoot at an ICRC ambulance convoy three days ago, nearly killing a driver.

- Everything is demolished, and sometimes the ICRC has to use donkey carts because it is the only way to get through, and get at the dead and wounded. The Israeli army refuses to help.

- Palestinian kids are traumatized mentally, and forever.

- Both sides [Hamas & Israelis] have turned mad.

- The media doesn't always tell the truth. For instance, the supposedly phosphor bombs are only a rumor, and nothing is confirmed. My nephew thinks that they are only lighting devices, but that they can burn people.

- Norwegian doctors based in Gaza have denounced Israel's use of phosphor bombs, but there is no substantiated evidence.

- There were talks about having humanitarian planes taking wounded Palestinian kids to Europe for care-taking. That is not the solution: those kids are traumatized to start with ("terrorized" as my nephew put it,) they only speak Arabic, they are better kept with their families. There are great doctors in Gaza, but the long Israeli-enforced apartheid and subsequent shortages limit their ability to work. The best thing to do is to send doctors in the immediate area, i.e. setting field hospitals in Rafat on the border with Egypt, or on the border with Israel with doctors who speak Arabic.

- The ICRC president came for one day to motivate the Gaza team, and said that this conflict was ICRC's worst since the Solferino battle, which prompted Henri Dunant to create the Red Cross (Wikipedia reference).

- The (reduced) IRC team in Gaza has enough food, water and electricity reserves for the time being, but they have to work with constant bombardment/shelling, i.e. no sleep. They think that they are doing a great job, but don't have much hope for the future of the Gaza people.

Previously: Al Jazeera Releases Gaza Video Archive Under Creative Commons License

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Update: A brief editor's note here, to address some readers' concern that this post might imply an editorial position that human rights violations are being committed by only one side in the conflict. The head of the ICRC issued a statement last week calling for Hamas to cease targeting civilians, also, and there are reports Hamas fighters have hijacked ambulances or aid convoys for use as military vehicles (I am looking for verifiable reports, will add notes as I find). Regarding the submitter's comment that "The Israeli army deliberately intimidates, and aims at humanitarian groups, and they did shoot at an ICRC ambulance convoy three days ago, nearly killing a driver" -- we will note, for context, that there are reports of similar violations by Hamas fighters. I cannot find news reports or ICRC statements substantiating the ambulance attack, but will continue to look, and I welcome discussion in the comments thread. See update below. Here is a related report, and here is a news item about the Israeli military's use of white phosphorus (also referenced above) in combat. This NYT story today also addresses the conflict within Israel about civilian losses, and conduct in war. This item addresses the current civilian death toll on both sides.

Update 2: Regarding the submitter's note about a recent incident in which an ICRC ambulance convoy was shot, news reports indicate that it happened within the past week. Here are several news links related to this story:

* Red Cross restricts Gaza operations after coming under attack
* Gaza: le CICR n'escortera plus les ambulances palestiniennes
* Ambulance Trip from Gaza a Harrowing Ride
* Gaza: the challenge of reaching civilians in need
* Gaza "no place for civilians": ICRC
* Aid groups report way into Israel is deadly

According to broadcast reports, an ICRC representative confirmed that the organization had secured safe passage with the Israelis for this aid convoy, and that they routinely follow protocol by slowing down or stopping at checkpoints. This incident, in which the convoy was apparently fired on by Israeli military forces, underscored the need to re-clarify that understanding with the Israeli military forces.
And regarding the submitter's note that there is no evidence phosphorus bombs are being used on Gaza targets -- there is evidence now. Link 1, Link 2, Link 3.

Source: Boing Boing | 15 Jan 2009 | 7:16 am

Garmin rolls out BaseCamp trip manager

Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

Garmin has introduced a new application for owners of their navigational systems.  BaseCamp will allow users of the program to easily transfer information about their trip between a computer and select Garmin outdoor GPS systems.  With this utility, you can manage your trips by recording different tracks, routes and waypoints.

This application is ideal for hikers and outdoorsman that rely on Garmin devices to navigate while on their outdoor adventures.  With BaseCamp, the user will be able to pull up 24K and 100K topographical maps in either 2D or 3D.  In addition, maps can be rotated in all directions instead of merely pointing northwards and the current elevation level. 

If you want to view the scenery of a particular location, you can bring up a picture by clicking on a map icon or view your location via Google Earth.  The utility will come standard with new TOPO U.S. 24K DVD and TOPO U.S. 100K DVD products.  If you own the TOPO 2008 version, you’ll be able to download the utility for free through the Garmin website later this year.

Site [Garmin]

Source: Gizmodo | 15 Jan 2009 | 6:30 am

See if someone has read the e-mail you sent with the new BigString app

Section: Web, Web Apps

“What email? I didn’t get any email?”  Have you ever been fed that line and wonder if the person is telling the truth?  Unless you have the same type of e-mail program, it is unlikely that you can check whether they have read an e-mail or not.  Expect for that to all change now that the BigString Corporation has launched their universal e-mail tracking service.

The current version works with a person’s Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook, AOL, and BigString e-mail accounts.  The service will allow you to either trace a single e-mail or all of the e-mails that you send.  It’s easy to use and requires only that you select the “Track Email” option prior to sending.  To check the status, users will log on to a secure tracking website and see their data, including how many times the e-mail was read and from what IP address. 

The download is free or you can select a premium version for an annual fee of $39.95.  With the premium version, you won’t need to log on a site to check status.  Instead you can receive automatic text, e-mail or desktop alerts that inform you of the e-mail’s status.

Company Site: [BigString]

Source: Gizmodo | 15 Jan 2009 | 6:16 am

Tata Interactive Systems Records Good Growth in 2008, Acquires Major Clients Amidst Global Slowdown

MUMBAI, January 15 /PRNewswire/ -- - Global Learning Solutions Provider, Tata Interactive Systems Entered 2009 on a Positive Note, Continuing its Positive Growth Trend and Acquiring Major New Clients in Europe and North America. Amidst the global slowdown that has impacted bottom lines across sectors worldwide, learning leader Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) continued its positive run in all its markets globally.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jan 2009 | 6:15 am

HOWTO Remember to refill the diaper bag

Here's a nice parenthack for remembering to re-stock the diaper bag when you get home -- and it'd work for any kind of kit-bag:

So, when you put a extra shirt or pair of pants into the diaper bag for those on-the-go changes, wrap them with a rubber band. First, it keeps your bag neat and it's easier to rummage around in there. Second, when you take the rubber band off to use the garment, put it on your wrist. That way, when you get home, you say to yourself, "what's this rubber band doing on my wrist?" You have a reminder to put new clean clothes into the bag!

How to remember to restock the diaper bag after you get home

Source: Boing Boing | 15 Jan 2009 | 6:09 am

Wingsuit base jumpers are human flying squirrels -- video

Here's a longer, even more breathtaking version of the wingsuit videos that went around a couple years ago. If you want to see daredevils turning themselves into flying squirrels and soaring through the air, look no further.

Wingsuit base jumping (via William Gibson)

Source: Boing Boing | 15 Jan 2009 | 6:08 am

Video: “Objectified” documentary shows secrets of industrial design

Ever wondered what happened behind the scenes when your IKEA table was being designed or what was going through Jonathan Ive’s head when he penned the design for the original iPod? Well then you have to see this.

Its a new documentary called “Objectified.” It covers the industrial design behind big names such as Muji, IKEA, Apple, Flip Video, and BMW. I think it will open our eyes to the people that design what we see and interact with daily. The world premiere will be at South by Southwest in Austin and a world tour will follow. If you live in San Fransisco, Chicago, New York or London, you might even be able to catch a special preview screening.

Check out this trailer and visit their site for more info.

[via The Next Bench]

Source: CrunchGear | 15 Jan 2009 | 6:03 am

Free downloads of the new Boom Comics series: Hexed #1

Doktor Tchock sez, "Boom Studios is giving away another full issue #1 via myspace, ala last year's North Wind digital/instore simul-release. The new mini Hexed has some nice artwork by Warren Ellis-approved Emma Rios."

Chip from Boom adds, "Last year, we were blamed for destroying the comic book industry when we gave away issue #1 of NORTH WIND. This year the only criticisms we received is not letting store owners know sooner so they could stock up on more copies. What a difference a year makes."

MARK WAID invites you to read the entire first issue of HEXED for FREE!

Source: Boing Boing | 15 Jan 2009 | 6:03 am

Star Wars retold by someone who hasn't seen it

Bonnie sez, "Everyone has at least one friend who has seen parts of the Star Wars original trilogy but can’t quite tell you every plot point in order. Joe Nicolosi recorded his friend Amanda as she retells the story from the tiny amount she’s seen with hilarious results."

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) (Thanks, Bonnie!)

Source: Boing Boing | 15 Jan 2009 | 5:58 am

Mario and Luigi: warrior plumbers tee

Matt sez, "The guy behind one of my favorite web comics, Dr McNinja, did this awesome tshirt design wherein Mario's world is de-cartooned and amped up. Yoshi is a scary dinosaur with a monstrous tongue, goombas look like acid visions of mushrooms and the piranha plants have shark-like teeth."

Warrior Plumbers T-Shirt (Thanks, Matt!)

Source: Boing Boing | 15 Jan 2009 | 5:57 am

Amy Poehler lands sidekick for NBC comedy (Reuters)

Reuters - Upright Citizens Brigade player Aubrey Plaza has landed a co-starring role on UCB alumna Amy Poehler's upcoming NBC comedy series.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 15 Jan 2009 | 5:45 am

Biometric Passports Agreed To In EU

An anonymous reader writes "The European Parliament has signed up to a plan to introduce computerized biometric passports including people's fingerprints as well as their photographs, despite criticism from civil liberties groups and security experts who argue that the move is flawed on technical grounds. (Back in 2005 Sweden and Norway began deploying biometric passports.)"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Gizmodo | 15 Jan 2009 | 5:30 am

Acer’s new TravelMate, touts docking capabilities

Section: Computers, Laptops

With CES less than a week over, the tech world still seems to be pushing releases.  Maybe in response to the poor holiday sales the industry saw, maybe not.  But one thing is for sure, Acer’s new TravelMates hit the streets with some strong features for both the average home user as well as the business user.

Acer’s new TravelMate 6593 and TravelMate 6493 have a large variety of options available.  Both come with Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology as well as a modest integrated Intel 3D graphics accelerator.  Additionally, the TravelMate 6493 has a 14.1-inch screen while the TravelMate 6593 has a 15.1-inch screen.  Both offer the Acer GridVista for displaying up to 8 display windows on one screen simultaneously.

Other options include the availability of up to 4 gigs of RAM, the Acer Crystal Eye webcam, and Acer Video Conference Manager Software, Acer Bio-Protection digital imprint reading solution, and Acer FingerLaunch for added security.

The new TravelMates from Acer can also be directly incorporated into the Acer ezDock II and ezDock II+ docking stations.  The docking systems also come with, according to the press release, “an innovative plug-n-play solution allowing instant connection of multiple devices in one simple operation and the ability to dock TravelMate notebooks without having to reboot.”

Source: Press Release

Full Story » | Written by Eric Brown for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 15 Jan 2009 | 5:26 am

Salesforce.com Launches The Service Cloud, A Customer Service SaaS Application

These days, when I have technical question, I reach for Google long before customer service.
What if customer service could reach for Google? Salesforce.com just launched a new customer service application called Service Cloud. The new application, built on a SaaS model, tries to capture the crowdsourced pools of knowledge floating across the internet and use them for commercial customer service. Traditional on-premise contact center technology is disconnected from the experts and knowledge found in the cloud. Yet so many customer service questions are already answered online in forums, Facebook, Google, Amazon, or others. And even more answers are sitting on your personal Instant Messaging history, e-mail history, or corporate intranet. The Service Cloud includes plugins to each of these environments.

Source: TechCrunch | 15 Jan 2009 | 5:03 am

Match.com Launches Free Online Dating Site DownToEarth.com

World's Largest Online Dating Company Expands Portfolio DALLAS, Jan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jan 2009 | 5:00 am

Appletell reviews Banner Deluxe for iPhone, iPod touch

FROM APPLETELL - Banner Deluxe is one of those apps for the iPhone that might cause you to scratch your head and wonder to yourself, “Why?“  I’m still wondering myself… MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 15 Jan 2009 | 4:40 am

Funniest Condom Ad I've Seen All Year (for Durex, by Superfad)

This is not okay for kids to watch, but it's potentially safe to sneak-watch at work. Durex: Get it On. YouTube, and here it is at the designers' site with hilarious "out-takes." (Via Clayton Cubitt, thanks Susannah Breslin!)

Source: Boing Boing | 15 Jan 2009 | 4:22 am

Ears-On with the $50,000 Gemme Audio Phenix Green Gem loudspeakers

Even at over 2 million square feet, the Las Vegas Convention Center isn’t big enough to pack it all in during CES. With everyone around the world battling for a spot to hawk their wares at the world’s biggest electronics show, many showfloor “extensions” spring up around Vegas. Like some crazy geeked-out version of Diagon Alley, these extensions may not get as much foot traffic from the general public, but often contain some of the craziest stuff the show has to offer.

Located 31 floors above Vegas at the Venetian hotel was an entire suite dedicated solely to one thing: the Gemme Audio Phenix Green Gem Loudspeakers. This ain’t your Daddy’s speaker set, oh no. Well, unless your Dad is absurdly rich. In which case, stop reading this article and lets go hang out on your yacht.

Now, I’m just a lowly gadget blogger. On the spot in Vegas, I didn’t have time (or the hardware) to throw down a series of On-Axis and Off-Axis frequency response tests, or to measure the Impedance magnitude variation. In fact, I don’t even know what the hell that all means. What I do know, though, is that this set sounds incredible - and coming in at $37,500 and up (the one we demoed would set you back $50,000), they better.

Each set comes as a trio: the 12-cubic feet bass enclosure with 2 15-inch drivers (600 watts, rated at around 100 dB per watt), and a pair of Soprano mini-speakers, each with a 6-inch “ultra low mass” midrange driver and an Alnico (Aluminum/Nickel/Cobalt magnet) powered tweeter. The entire thing is built by hand in New York, order by order.

It’s easy to hate on premium products like these (”Wtf, is it held together by unicorn hair and dragon scales?”). It’s well out of my price range, but that in no way means I can’t drool over them. If you’ve got the cash to drop on these, hit up the company - at this price, I’d expect that they’d be down to set up a time to give you a demo of your own.

Source: CrunchGear | 15 Jan 2009 | 4:18 am

Nikon raising prices on lenses; buy before Groundhog Day

Looks like we’re going to be seeing price increases of about 10% on Nikon glass come February 1st. Although a reason was not really given (it’s not even confirmed by Nikon yet), it makes sense after prices were raised in other countries. Japanese exports are down and consumer spending is dropping as well; I guess Nikon is thinking that if someone is going to spend $6000 on a lens, they’re probably willing to spend $6600. Plus the dollar is weak, and without price adjustments the US would get too great a bargain compared to the EU and elsewhere (if my econo-sense is correct).

You can view a list here, but the rule of thumb appeared to be about a 10% increase across the board, give or take a bill.

A commenter there who claims to work at Nikon also claims that glass manufacturing sales are down, which translates to higher prices, though which of the factors mentioned has had the greatest effect is anyone’s guess. I’m going to go with “butterfly flapping its wings in Jeff Goldblum’s trailer.”

Source: CrunchGear | 15 Jan 2009 | 4:17 am

Archos announces the Archos 10 netbook and gives us some hands-on time

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Netbooks

Archos has become the latest company to join an already crowded netbook market, but fortunately they have some plans that are going to hopefully differentiate themselves from the competition.  I first learned of the Archos 10 during CES, and was fortunate enough to get a little hands on time with the netbook, and also get some information firsthand.

To begin with, the specs on the Archos 10 are fairly similar to what we are seeing on numerous other netbooks, however Archos seems to be aware of that and will be attempting to make an impression with the software, but more on that in a minute.  The Archos 10 will feature a 10-inch display with a 1024 x 600 resolution, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and be running Windows XP Home. 

Additionally, the 10 will also have a 1.3-megapixel webcam, three USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, SD card reader, microphone-in, audio-out, Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and have an option for either a 3-cell or 6-cell battery.  Finally, in terms of specs, it will weigh in at 2.7-pounds and measure 10.15 x 7.44 x 1.1-inches.

Now getting back to that software, this is where they intent to stand out from the crowd and if you are at all familiar with the rest of the Archos products you should be expecting a nice multimedia experience.  They are basing the software on three categories: Ready to Connect, Ready to Work, and Ready to Play.  It seems they should have put together enough to win over plenty of consumers.

First up, “Ready to Connect” means items such as Skype and Windows Live Messenger will be pre-loaded.  Next is “Ready to Work” which includes items such as Outlook Express and Windows Live Mail, Lotus Symphony and BitDefender AntiVirus 2009.  Finally, the “Ready to Play,“ which seems to be the most exciting category, offers items such as Archos Media Club access, eMusic access, vTuner and a photo editor called Xnview.

Additionally, the purchase of an Archos 10 will give you a $50 credit towards the Archos Media Club and an initial 50 downloads from eMusic with another free song every day for a full year.  Hey, at an average of $0.99 per track that is over $400 in free music alone.

Bottom line, while this may be “just another netbook” it is refreshing to see that they are taking a software approach to set them apart.  I was also told that this is just their first entry and we can expect to see more in the future. With a seemingly good first model, I look forward to seeing what they have to offer on future models.

As for pricing, expect to pay $399 for a 3-cell model and $449 for a 6-cell model.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 15 Jan 2009 | 4:11 am

At Guantanamo, 20% (or more) of Detainees are on Hunger Strike, Being Force-Fed

About one-fifth of the people being held at Guantánamo Bay are on hunger strike. According to a report in the UK Times newspaper, they are starving themselves as a form of protest to attract the attention of Barack Obama, who has said he plans to close the facility -- but has not said when or how. Most of the hunger-strikers are being force-fed through tubes.

Of the 248 inmates inside the detention facility, 44 are refusing food — but 33 of those are receiving nutrition with tubes that are forced up their noses and into their stomachs. On election night, according to one official, news of Mr Obama’s win spread across the prison facility even though no inmates had access to television that evening, and chants of “Obama! Obama! Obama!” erupted throughout the complex.

Human rights groups claim the total number of hunger strikers is higher than officials say. Gitanjali Gutierrez, a lawyer for the New York-based Centre for Constitutional Rights, says that more than 70 men held at the US base in Cuba are refusing to eat. She cited reports from visiting lawyers.

According to one official, most inmates are now well informed about what is happening in the outside world through a combination of watching Arabic news programmes and meetings with civilian lawyers and the International Red Cross, who are allowed to visit the facility. Most are aware of Mr Obama’s pledge to close the prison, which received its first inmates seven years ago this week. Asked why so many were on hunger strike and why the number was increasing, an official said: “This is the seventh anniversary of the arrival of the first detainees, and a week today is the inauguration of a new president. Hunger striking is an acknowledged form of protest.”

One in five Guantanamo Bay detainees is on hunger strike (Times Online UK, via @mkapor)

Source: Boing Boing | 15 Jan 2009 | 4:08 am

Google Axes Dodgeball, Jaiku, Video and More

At Google, when it rains, it pours. In the wake of announcing its first round of layoffs this afternoon, Google has released several blog posts detailing the upcoming shutdown of a number of services (compiled here by Danny Sullivan). Included among the upcoming closures are: Google Notebooks, Google Catalogs, Dodgeball, Google Video, Google Mashup Editor, and future development of Jaiku (though the service will live on).

Below we’ve summarized the upcoming changes:

Jaiku is currently being ported to Google App Engine, and will be released as an open source project on Google Code. However, while there will be no further development from Google, it will continue to stay online.

Dodgeball, which allows users to share their current locations using SMS messages, will be discontinued entirely though Google has yet to establish a timeframe more specific than “a couple of months”.

The Mashup Editor (which is in private beta) is being replaced by App Engine. (Click here for Google’s post on Jaiku, Dodgeball, and its Mashup Editor).

Google Notebook will continue to function for current users, but will no longer accept new ones. However, existing users won’t be able to use the browser extension, which makes the service significantly less useful. Among Google’s suggestions for replacements are SearchWiki, Google Docs, Tasks (Gmail), and Google Bookmarks.

Catalog Search was meant to demonstrate Optical Character Recognition, and fit the bill nicely. Now it has fallen out of favor as attention has shifted to Google’s Book Search.

Finally, Google Video will have its upload capabilities disabled in a few months, though users will still be able to watch content that’s already in the system. This has been a long time coming, as Google Video has largely been considered redundant following Google’s acquisition of YouTube in 2006.

It’s unclear at this point if this is the start of a new trend: has Google slashed all it’s going to in the upcoming months, or are the future of its less popular products in doubt? Knol, Google’s Wikipedia competitor, has largely failed to catch on. And what about Grand Central - the advanced telecom service that has a devout fan base, but still hasn’t been released to the general public?

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

Source: TechCrunch | 15 Jan 2009 | 4:07 am

Meraki and One Economy Team Up to Bring Broadband Access to More Than 100,000 Low-Income Families Globally

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jan 2009 | 4:01 am

Steve Jobs goes on medical leave, Apple fans cry

Section: Tech News

So by now you’ve probably heard - Steve Jobs is taking a medical leave, and plans to return in June.  According to the memo that was just released, Steve does not focus on the fact that he has medical problems, but rather the fact that his health issues are a distraction to him and everyone around him.  Additionally, he states that his health issues are more “complex” than he originally thought… and lets be honest, he doesn’t look too well in the picture above taken in 2009 by Reuters.  At this time, shares have fallen nearly 7-8%, and we can likely expect AAPL to drop more when the market re-opens tomorrow morning.

Apple COO Tim Cook will be filling the big man’s seat at the table for now, facing challenges like getting the media to look past Steve Jobs’ health, and launching the new products and services announced at Macworld by Phil Schiller.

Steve, from the team here at Gadgetell, we hope you get better soon.  You can read the whole media advisory below:

January 14, 2009
Apple Media Advisory

Apple CEO Steve Jobs today sent the following email to all Apple employees:

Team,

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Steve

Via [Appletell] and Via [Silicon Alley Insider]
Read [Apple Media Advisory]

Full Story » | Written by Doug Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 15 Jan 2009 | 3:57 am

Trying To Find White House Missing E-mails

Gov IT writes "A federal court ordered on Wednesday all employees working in the Bush White House to surrender media that might contain e-mails sent or received during a two and a half year period in hope of locating missing messages before President-elect Barack Obama takes over next week."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 15 Jan 2009 | 3:14 am

Rumor: BlackBerry 8900 pricing revealed

After over 6 months of rumbling around the rumor mill, the T-Mobile-branded BlackBerry 8900 is almost upon us. We’ve got purported release dates (January 19th for corporate users, February 11th for the general public) and we’ve had the specs for ages, so there was really only one thing left: the pricing. ‘Till now, of course.

According to BlackBerryRocks, the 8900 will be priced accordingly:

• No Contract: $499
• 2-year contract: $199.99 (After $300 instant rebate)
• 1-year contract: $249.99 (After $250 instant rebate)

While these prices are said to only reflect pricing for corporate customers, they should be pretty dead-on for the general public outside though the 1-year contract option might not be offered.

[Via BerryReporter]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 15 Jan 2009 | 3:02 am

Misys and HCL to Integrate Loan Origination Tool and Strengthen Front-to-Back Loan Solutions for Wholesale and Commercial Banks

NOIDA, India and LONDON, January 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- - New Solution Will be Targeted at Institutions With Loan Origination Needs and Positions Misys and HCL as the Leading Providers of STP Solutions for Commercial Lenders A new technology solution for banks originating commercial loans is to be brought to market as a result of an extended alliance between Misys plc (LSE: MSY), the global application software and services company, and the HCL CapitalStream Lending Group, a division of HCL Technologies which provides straight through processing (STP) solutions for lending operations. Despite the instability in financial markets, commercial and wholesale banks are still demanding front-to-back integrated solutions which enable straight through processing of commercial loans to boost efficiency and improve risk management.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jan 2009 | 3:00 am

Keebler pulls peanut butter crackers

Kellogg is pulling Austin and Keebler peanut butter crackers off U.S. store shelves while it investigates the source of the peanut filling. The U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jan 2009 | 2:37 am

PC shipments decline worldwide in 4Q (AP)

AP - Global shipments of personal computers posted their first quarterly decline in six years during the last three months of 2008 as consumers and businesses alike gripped their wallets in fear of further economic turmoil, a technology research group reported Wednesday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 15 Jan 2009 | 1:59 am

Facebook Blows A Whopper Of An Opportunity

Burger King, through their insanely creative advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky (see their recent Burger King perfume launch), launches a Facebook application that encourages users to remove Facebook friends. Sacrifice ten of them and you got a free Whopper. 233,906 friends were removed by 82,771 people in less than a week.

Facebook is overjoyed, right? What a great example to show the Madison Avenue agencies on how a big brand can get real engagement from users. This is the future of advertising. Or it could have been, if Facebook hadn’t shut it down, citing privacy issues:

We encourage creativity from developers and brands using Facebook Platform, but we also must ensure that applications follow users’ expectations of privacy. This application facilitated activity that ran counter to user privacy by notifying people when a user removes a friend. We have reached out to the developer with suggested solutions. In the meantime, we are taking the necessary steps to assure the trust users have established on Facebook is maintained.

Did anyone talk to the sales department before pulling the trigger on this? All that happened is the user being dissed got a message telling them, which helps the application spread virally. Without that feature the app is far less powerful. There is no real privacy issue here, just a policy decision by Facebook that people shouldn’t be notified when you remove them as a friend.

Facebook consistently tell users they can’t do things in the name of privacy, despite the fact that those users know full well what they are up to.

Unless investor and partner Microsoft makes them do it, of course.

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Source: TechCrunch | 15 Jan 2009 | 1:35 am

Motionbox Raises $6 Million Series C For Its YouTube Alternative

Video sharing site Motionbox has just closed a $6 million Series C funding round led by Constellation Ventures, with Canaan Partners and SAS Investors also participating. Alongside the funding, Motionbox is also announcing that its founder and CEO Chris O’Brien will be assuming the role of Chairman of the Board and EVP of Strategy and Corporate Development, with former COO Josh Grotstein taking the reins as CEO.

Motionbox is similar to YouTube in that it allows users to upload and share their videos on the web, but it includes a more robust suite of privacy settings that make it better suited for sharing clips with a select group of friends rather than the whole world. The site offers a free version with standard video sharing options, as well as premium memberships that allow users to upload an unlimited number of videos, with no time limit restrictions. Motionbox’s site also lets users order their videos on DVD and in paper flipbooks, which can recreate brief scenes.

The site recently got a boost from AOL, which recommended Motionbox to as an replacement for its recently-shuttered Video Uploads service.

Crunch Network: MobileCrunch Mobile Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.

Source: TechCrunch | 15 Jan 2009 | 1:22 am

The Unmanned Air Force

coondoggie writes "How important have unmanned aircraft become to the US military? Well how's this: the Air Force says next year it will acquire more unmanned aircraft than manned. Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman Seip this week said the service is 'all in' when it comes to developing unmanned systems and aircraft. 'Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft,' the general said. 'I think that makes a very pointed statement about our commitment to the future of [unmanned aircraft] and what it brings to the fight in meeting the requirements of combatant commanders.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 15 Jan 2009 | 1:10 am

Jobs' hiatus thrusts quiet exec into the spotlight (AP)

AP - Steve Jobs proved his technological genius long ago. Now Tim Cook will provide some insight into whether Jobs was smart enough to groom an executive who can keep the shine on Apple even when Jobs isn't around.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 15 Jan 2009 | 12:57 am

From The Ad Targeting At Its Finest Department

Either this is a stock ad and a coincidence or this is a fine example of ad targeting gone wrong. At least it’s something to lighten the mood as Steve Jobs takes a break for health reasons. Thanks for the tip Fabian.

Crunch Network: MobileCrunch Mobile Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.

Source: TechCrunch | 15 Jan 2009 | 12:53 am

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. Schedules Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2008 Earnings Release and Conference Call

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jan 2009 | 12:14 am

Ricardo Montalban Dead At 88

DesScorp writes "Ricardo Montalban, immortalized as Khan in the Star Trek franchise, is dead at age 88, passing at his Los Angeles home. Montalban had a long and successful career on television and film. The voice of Rich Corinthian Leather is silenced, but we still have the memories."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 15 Jan 2009 | 12:05 am

Pierre Omidyar Is Getting His Ginx On (Co-founder Status Confirmed).

Pierre Omidyar left eBay long ago to become a billionaire philanthropist and angel investor, but he is taking on an operational role in a new startup called Peer News. It operates a Twitter app called Ginx currently in “private pre-alpha.” That means nobody but Pierre and a few pals are supposed to know about it. But Dan Primack at PEHub found an SEC filing indicating that Peer News has raised about $2 million, and it lists Omidyar himself as part of the executive team. He is also an investor.

I have been able to confirm separately that Omidyar is indeed a co-founder of the company along with Randy Ching. Peer News is based in Honolulu, where Omidyar lives, and is geared at making it easier for people to share news links through Twitter.

Ginx is a news sharing service built on top of Twitter. Ginx uses your Twitter username and password for login credentials. I haven’t seen a demo, but you can piece together what it is by seeing how Omidyar is using it on Twitter. Ginx operates as a Twitter client (some of Omidyar’s Tweets are labeled “from Ginx”), but more importantly it is also a URL shortener. My guess is that it is a browser add-on that lets you easily share articles you come across the Web with your Twitter followers without leaving the page.

But it goes beyond that. Most shortened URLs take you back the the original page that was referenced. If you click on one of the shortened Gink links in Omidyar’s Twitter feed, however, it will take you to a page on Ginx.com that is essentially another Webapge re-framed with a Ginx toolbar on top. For instance, the Ginx link in the Tweet below takes you to this Ginx page. But the original page is still getting credit. If you click on the “X” on the toolbar, it goes away and the URL reverts to the original one.

Right at the top of the Ginx page is a toolbar with the original Tweet and a reply button. This appears designed to allow a conversation to occur directly around the article or information being shared without having to go back to Twitter or fire up a Twitter client. That seems mildly useful. It’s what else Ginx will do with all of this data that will determine whether how valuable it will be. Marshall Kirkpatrick at ReadWriteWeb thinks the service will track popular news on Twitter and match people with similar interests.

Keep an eye on this one.

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Source: TechCrunch | 14 Jan 2009 | 11:09 pm

South Carolina Seeking To Outlaw Profanity

MBGMorden writes "It looks like in an act that defies common sense, a bill has been introduced in the South Carolina State Senate that seeks to outlaw the use of profanity. According to the bill it would become a felony (punishable by a fine up to $5000 or up to 5 years in prison) to "publish orally or in writing, exhibit, or otherwise make available material containing words, language, or actions of a profane, vulgar, lewd, lascivious, or indecent nature". I'm not sure if "in writing" could be applied to the internet, but in any event this is scary stuff."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 14 Jan 2009 | 11:07 pm

Apple After Steve

Mr. Jobs is taking a well-deserved breather from Apple. We here at CrunchGear hope he gets well soon, and think he's doing the right thing: few jobs are more important than one's own health, and certainly not being the CEO of a company that makes computers and portable music devices. And while Steve is taking care of Steve, Apple can take care of Apple. I think Steve's respite will be a good thing for Apple in the long run.

Source: TechCrunch | 14 Jan 2009 | 11:03 pm

Nostradamical Opens Its Prediction Market. Outlook Hazy.

We all love to prove that we’ve been granted the gift of foresight, either through our wealth of knowledge or more fantastical means, like The Force. In the last year or so major websites have been trying to capitalize on this by introducing “prediction markets”, which allow readers to make guesses about upcoming events ranging from hot news items to celebrity gossip, and also generally significantly increase page views and engagement.

Today sees the public launch of a new prediction site called Nostradamical (named after the well-known seer) which is emphasizing the social nature of making predictions. Users initiate predictions in articles similar to brief blog pots, where they can include videos, photos, and text describing why they think something will happen and why it is important.

Once a prediction has been created, other users can leave their own thoughts and use a Digg-like voting system to raise the most interesting predictions to the top, and can also syndicate their predictions to FriendFeed and Twitter. Users that are the most accurate gain points (called ‘Future Minutes’), and can rise in ranking on a 7-level pyramid.

Nostradamical has a fairly attractive and intuitive interface, and some users may enjoy the emphasis on community. But I think the likely winners in this space will be the ones that can integrate into other sites - prediction markets seem like more of an added feature than a standalone community (Nostradamical is going to offer applications on social networks to expand its reach). And the site is getting a late start: it is up against some more established companies like HubDub (which just annouced a new founding round) and Predictify, both of which are already appearing on the websites of some major content providers.

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Source: TechCrunch | 14 Jan 2009 | 10:36 pm

Jobs Announces Leave Of Absence

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs announced Wednesday that he would take a medical leave of absence through the end of June.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 14 Jan 2009 | 9:25 pm

Prehistoric Reptile Had Hearing Like Modern Birds

Image Caption: A model of Archaeopteryx lithographica on display at the Oxford University Museum. Courtesy Wikipedia
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 14 Jan 2009 | 9:15 pm

New Study Challenges Theory Behind Methane Production In Plants

New research is challenging the recent finding that plants could be a major source of the atmosphere's methane levels.A study from 2006 suggested plants could account for almost half of the global production of the greenhouse gas, yet a UK-based team has found that under normal conditions, plants just convey methane from the soil to the air without actually producing it.The research suggests identifying sources of methane is key for climate control, as the gas is about 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its warming effect.Scientists say methane levels have remained stable for almost a decade, but over the last two years signs show that concentrations have begun to grow again, which according to some observers presages an era of faster-rising temperatures.The Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, published the research that sparked the debate almost exactly three years ago.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 14 Jan 2009 | 8:16 pm

Thief caught red-handed with $90,000 worth of laptops and Sony Ericsson prototypes

Okay, first three rules of stealing: A) Don’t steal, B) Don’t steal from your employer - not only are they the hand that feeds, but they’ve got your name on all kinds of lists, and C) Don’t friggin’ steal limited run prototypes that only certain people have access to.

When a bunch of junk went missing from the Sony Ericsson labs in Lund, Sweden earlier this week, police got to sleuthing. After checking in to a number of direct Sony Ericsson employees, someone thought to look into the contractors Sony Ericsson had brought around lately. Sure enough, the trail lead back to a contractor in a neighboring Scanian city, where police found over $90,000 USD (or 750,000 kronor) worth of stolen laptops and Sony Ericsson cell phones, a number of which were unreleased prototypes. The man, who has yet to be named, was arrested for “aggravated theft”.

[Via Mobilfeber, Thanks Wille!]

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Source: MobileCrunch | 14 Jan 2009 | 8:10 pm

Mini-CD-Rs go floppy

CD-R discs that come in the shape (but not the feel) of vintage floppies. They're those obnoxious mini-CDs, though, so they only hold 200MB... which is, at least, 138.89 times more data than a real floppy can hold. As mini-CDs, make sure not to cram these into your SuperDrive. 4 will cost you $28, which is just outrageous unless you're looking for a novel way to distribute your chiptunes.

FLoppy Disc CDs [Design Boom via Technabob]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 14 Jan 2009 | 8:06 pm

Compulab Exeda smartphone dual boots Android and Windows Mobile

Compulab's Exeda smartphone is a crazy little device: a squared QWERTY with a 3.5-inch sun-readable VGA touchscreen, a 520MHz Marvell CPU, 128MB of RAM and the ability to pick between quadband GSM / GPRS, CDMA, and 3G UMTS. There's even an Ethernet port! But where it gets really cool is it dual boots OSes: Android, and if you're crazy, Windows Mobile 6.1 can be accessed with a reboot. Very neat, but no price yet: we'll find out in March.

Exeda [Official Site via Engadget]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 14 Jan 2009 | 7:41 pm

Experts Urge Comprehensive Changes To Global Emissions By 2050

The Worldwatch Institute released a new report on Tuesday that advises sweeping changes must be made to limit global emissions by 2050.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 14 Jan 2009 | 7:31 pm

Possible Mammoth Tusk Found on SoCal Island

A complete tusk believed to belong to a mammoth is uncovered off the Calif. coast.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 14 Jan 2009 | 7:29 pm

Japan says Sharp produced the best cell phone of the year 2008

It’s not really a representative poll but the geeky readers over at Keitai Watch [JP] at least say Sharp’s absolutely awesome Aquos Fulltouch 931SH is the best handset Japan got last year. And I agree. Over 12% of all the 3,000 geeks asked gave their vote to the 3.8-inch handset with the gorgeous 1024 x 480 touch screen.

The Japan-only device, which is offered by Softbank over here, features the world’s highest resolution. It comes with 3G (Japan recently canceled 2G support), a 5.2-megapixel camera with image stabilizer function, a One-Seg digital TV tuner, Bluetooth with A2DP, a media player, an accelerometer, and a microSD expansion slot.

Read the rest of this entry >>

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 14 Jan 2009 | 7:20 pm

Avian Dino Ancestor Heard Like an Emu

A new 3-D image of Archaeopteryx's inner ear suggests it heard like modern-day emu.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 14 Jan 2009 | 7:08 pm

Breaking: Apple C&D's Wired Gadget Lab over OS X-on-netbook tutorial

Wired's Gadget Lab blog is being sued by Apple for posting a tutorial on how to hack OS X Leopard to allow it to be installed on a MSI Wind netbook.

According to the author of that guide, Brian X. Chen, on Twitter:

Just found out Apple is suing Wired for my video tutorial on hacking netbooks to run Mac OS X. One hell of a way to start off the day.

Ars Technica's Clint Ecker then asks if Chen (and other Conde Nast writers) are allowed to discuss it publicly, or cover it as news.

Chen's Twitter response (since deleted):

Probably. We're supposed to favor radical transparency here, right?

It certainly doesn't look like it. The video to the guide in question has already been pulled and replaced with a random stream of CES 2009 videos. The YouTube mirror has been pulled as well.

More details as they become available, but smooth move, Apple. At the very least, you just guaranteed a fuckload more people are going to start reading Gadget Lab. Wired, don't wuss out.

Update: Just spoke with Leander Kahney, managing editor of Wired.com, who gave us an official "No comment." Looks like hatches are being battened. - Joel

Update: According to other sources at Wired, it appears that Chen mistweeted: Wired has simply been hit with a cease-and-desist... which it appears, from the outside, to be complying with in panicked haste. - John

Update: Wired.com has confirmed to BBG that is not a lawsuit, but a complaint from lawyers representing Apple with regard to the articles and videos in question. Wired.com plans to mull the complaint before deciding on a response. - Joel

Update: Although Wired has still pulled the video, Gizmodo snagged it before it was taken down and is now hosting it. - John

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 14 Jan 2009 | 6:45 pm

Cenozoic Evolutionary History Of The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Recent sequence stratigraphy, facies distribution, and tectonic study of 92 remnant basins in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau reveals the Cenozoic evolutionary history of the plateau.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 14 Jan 2009 | 6:43 pm

No evidence yet of Singulair suicide risk

The U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 14 Jan 2009 | 6:27 pm

Stanford To Create $100m Energy Research Institute

Stanford University announced on Monday it plans to establish a $100 million research institute with the sole purpose of studying energy related issues.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 14 Jan 2009 | 6:07 pm

Royal Mail stamps highlight classic British gadget design

The Royal Mail's latest line of stamps celebrating "classic British design" are just delightfully, gorgeously mundane. Some of the entries are so well designed that it's easy to forget they were designed at all. Absolutely loving them.

British Design Classics stamps by Royal Mail [Dezeen]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 14 Jan 2009 | 6:03 pm

Sony sues Datel over PSP tool

Last week, Sony CEO Howard Stringer delivered a CES keynote in which he announced that open technology had won. A week later, news emerges that Sony is cracking down on third-party add-ons to the Playstation Portable.

Left hand, meet right hand!

It's upsetting because the PSP is very nearly a perfect handheld everything, caged into a pointless and futile battle with Nintendo by the company's own lack of imagination.

Photo: Kankie.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 14 Jan 2009 | 5:58 pm

Neanderthal Weaponry Lacked Projectile Advantage

An early human invention may have sealed the fate of Neanderthals.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 14 Jan 2009 | 4:47 pm

Obama Makes NASA Pick

A retired Air force General has reportedly been asked to lead NASA.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 14 Jan 2009 | 4:47 pm

SLIDE SHOW: Clues to a Brutal Culture

Despite archaeological finds, the ancient Nazca people remain an enigma.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 14 Jan 2009 | 4:33 pm

NASA Wants in on Suborbital Space Rides

NASA is taking proposals from researchers for rides on commercial suborbital ships.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 14 Jan 2009 | 2:56 pm

Nazca's Trophy Heads Culled From Own Culture

Analysis of heads recovered from the Nazca culture show they were taken as sacrifices.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 14 Jan 2009 | 2:25 pm

Apple dismounts from high horse, approves 3rd Party Browsers

Whoa! Has Apple just changed its mind on one of the lamest policies plaguing its App Store?

In the weeks after the App Store submission process went live, a number of developers got a big smack in the face from Cupertino. After spending hundreds of hours developing their wares, they were turned away for offering features too similar to Apple’s own offerings, or “duplicate functionality”. The outcry was instantaneous and deafening; it’s one thing to have pride in your work, but to essentially ban competition is ridiculous.

Over the past 24 hours, it appears that a shift in this policy may have occurred. With Apple offering their own Mobile Safari browser on the iPhone, most expected that alternative browsers would never see the light of day. At the time of writing, at least 4 such browsers have suddenly been given the greenlight.

Ranging from free to $1.99, the now-approved browsers are: Edge Browser (Free), Incognito ($1.99), Webmate ($0.99), and Shaking Web ($1.99).

Is this an indication of an App-Store-wide policy change? We certainly hope so. Competition is good for everyone. Speaking of competition: Hey Skyfire and Mobile Firefox, the race is on.

[Via MacRumors]

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Source: MobileCrunch | 14 Jan 2009 | 1:56 pm

Dell set to unleash killer smartphone?

The smartphone market used to be reserved just to business types and nerds, but now everyone wants an iPhone or Palm Pre; Dell likely wants a piece of that action and might have a smartphone ready. It could be unveiled as soon next month at 3GSM or the Mobile World Congress. But does Dell have the goods needed to make a killer smartphone that stands out from the cool kids?

The Palm Pre made a huge splash last week at CES, partly due to the sleek looking form factor which is a large departure from the Palm Treo or Centro stodgy form factor. Dell would have to find the same mojo ’cause design matters these days. A great OS (more on that later) doesn’t mean squat if it’s loaded on grey box-type phone.

Thankfully, Dell picked up the driving force behind the Motorola RAZR back in 2007 and slapped the title President of Consumer Business on his nameplate. Hopefully, if Dell does indeed have a smartphone coming, Ron Garriques will be able to steer the huge PC maker in the right direction in terms of design and also away from the Windows Mobile Platform.

Windows Mobile is dying a slow death. It’s still one of the most popular operating systems on mobile devices, right behind Symbian in terms of install base, but hopefully Dell isn’t betting it all on the antiquated platform. What a Dell smartphone really needs is a solid Android or Symbian UI for the smartphone, but chances are Dell will turn to Microsoft’s deep coffers.

Dell and Microsoft have a long history together and they both need an ace in the latest smartphone marathon. But unless Microsoft has recoded Windows Mobile into a stellar system, this phone would be simply cast aside in favor of a better OS no matter how good the hardware happens to be.

So, here’s hoping that Dell does have a non-Windows Mobile smartphone ready to drop and that it’s competitively priced too. Oh, and on a good carrier.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 14 Jan 2009 | 1:39 pm

Offerpal coming to the iPhone within weeks

Contrary to stories of overnight fortunes and money-printing fart machines, making money with an iPhone app can be tough. Thus far, your primary options are to charge for it (risky, unless your app is amazing or you manage to pull in a decent amount of coverage), or to place advertisements in the app (which, depending on your users, ad placement, and app usage could work out to big money or barely enough to be called pocket change).

Offerpal Media thinks they’ve found the answer to monetizing iPhone applications. Built around the same system they have in place for development on Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, and a number of other platforms, end users are able to participate in a variety of offers (from online surveys to product trials) in exchange for virtual currency. Users spend this currency on in-app goods, and the developers get paid.

Offerpal will be looking for partners to help them fine tune the system over the next 6 weeks, at which point the program will launch into beta. Each partner application will face a vetting process which, once they’ve opened the doors a bit more, CEO Anu Shukla says should take “around 24 hours.” Though the integration is a bit complex in its current state, Offerpal says they are moving toward a much simpler drag-and-drop integration method.

Just as traditional ads don’t work for all applications, I imagine that such a system might be a hard sell within certain apps - not all of them have a use for a virtual currency system. With a bit of creativity on the developer’s end, however, this might work out to a good chunk of change from an otherwise profitless application.

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Source: MobileCrunch | 14 Jan 2009 | 1:15 pm