IMO.IM Is The Best IM Web Service You’ve Never Heard Of

With all the talk about Meebo adding support for Facebook chat yesterday, I took notice of a message in our tips inbox today about another instant messaging aggregator service that I’d never heard of before adding support for Skype chat. IMO.IM is its name, it’s still in alpha stage (whatever that means), and it’s actually pretty neat.

First, the good. IMO.IM is simple, web-based service that doesn’t require you to register, comes with a desktop version for Windows and supports multiple languages. It can handle text, voice and video conversations on the most important instant messaging services including Windows Live Messenger / MSN, AIM / ICQ, MySpace, Yahoo Messenger, Jabber, Gtalk as well as - and correct me if I’m wrong but I think this is a first - Skype. I tried using the service on my iPhone (no app, just browse to the website) and it worked seamlessly.

Update: Nimbuzz also supports Skype chat.

The bad? No Mac or Linux desktop application and no Facebook chat (yet), but that’s about the only things we could come up with for an otherwise awesome little product.

According to this blog post, IMO.IM has some other great stuff in the pipeline, including text to speech and vice versa functionality in all languages, face and object recognition, smart advertising, 3D emoticons and avatars, offline access, and more. Consider me subscribed to that blog to learn when those features become available.

Also worth noting is that IMO.IM was co-founded by Georges Harik, one of the first 10 employees at Google and manager of several of its early products. He’s also an active angel investor; he invested in our competitor Venturebeat so he’s lucky to get written up here at all (please note the sarcasm), and a handful of other internet startups which you can check out in his Crunchbase profile. Also, FriendFeed co-founders and also ex-Googlers Paul Buchheit and Sanjeev Singh are listed as advisors to IMO.IM.

Surprised that they haven’t enjoyed more buzz so far.

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

Gates unleashes skeeters at technology conference - WLNS

Telegraph.co.uk

Gates unleashes skeeters at technology conference WLNS - 5 hours ago Entertainment News from AP AP - February 6, 2009 4:33 AM ET LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - Bill Gates is responsible for a host of bugs at a California high tech conference. Melinda and Bill Gates on Making a Difference BusinessWeek Gates spreads malaria message with mosquitoes CNET News PC World - InformationWeek - ChannelWeb - BBC News all 457 news articles

Report: NEC to Pull out of European PC Market (PC World)

RIAA Lied To Congress About New Filesharing Suits

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The Downloading Rug

Do not check your connection, your internet is fine. What is not fine is this rug from artist Richard Hutten. Intended to make you recall those fond days of dialup, to me it just looks unfinished, like the weaver stopped working at some point.

If you do like it, I’m sorry to tell you that it’s not available for sale, and probably never will be. It was created as a contest entry and is a one off piece.

Happy downloading!

[via Apartment Therapy]

Verizon’s Buy One Get One Free BlackBerry sale begins February 6

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

Beginning tomorrow (February 6) Verizon Wireless is going to be running a promotion that will let you score a free BlackBerry—yup, I did say free.  Of course, there is a slight catch here, the sale is BOGO or buy one get one, which means that you will have to purchase one BlackBerry at full price to get one (of equal or lesser value) for free.  But, all things considered that sounds like a sweet deal.

The promotion is scheduled to begin on February 6 and run until March 31.  As for the pricing and details. The BlackBerry Storm will be priced at $199, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 will be $79.99 (after a $70 debit card), the BlackBerry 8830 Global will be $99.99 (after $70 debit card) and the BlackBerrry Pearl 8130 will be $19.99 (after $100 debit card).

Finally, they will also require a two-year agreement (for each BlackBerry).

Via [BGR]

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

Techrigy Hits 1 Billion Conversations–Think Google Alerts On Steroids

Government 2.0: The Rise of the Goverati [Voices]

Everyone knows how well Barack Obama’s presidential campaign made use of new media to raise money and market the candidate. We also know how big a role social technology played during inauguration week, from handheld flip HD footage appearing on network TV to people reporting on Twitter about what they liked and disliked. After President Obama took office, spirited debates proliferated in the blogosphere about whether or not whitehouse.gov is Web 2.0-enabled and what the role of President Obama’s CTO might be. But one striking trend has largely flown under the national radar: the rise of the goverati.

What is the goverati? It is made up of people with first-hand knowledge of how the government operates, who understand how to use social software to accomplish a variety of government missions, and who want to use that knowledge for the benefit of all.

Read the rest of this post

Did Ad Standards Kill the Online Ad Business? [Voices]

In 2001, the last time the Internet ad market crashed, the biggest publishers figured one thing they could do to make the best of things is to make it easier for marketers to buy ads on Web sites. They created standard sizes for banner ads and other formats, through the Interactive Advertising Bureau. That way, an ad created for one site could easily be run on others.

Now some publishers, at least, think that those very standards are now at the root of the industry’s current problems.

When I met up with Charles Tillinghast, the president of MSNBC.com, the other day, he was just coming back from an advertising sales call. So I started by asking how business was going.

Read the rest of this post

How Apple TV can score at the big 3.0 [Voices]

Steve Jobs’ Apple TV hobby, the box that brings iTunes content into the living room, is getting ready for its third revision. What will the company do to leverage the recent spurt of interest in the device and boost sales even further? Here’s what the company will and won’t do to push Apple TV.

Read the rest of this post

Journalists Still a-Twitter About Social Media [Voices]

Journalists are obsessed with Twitter. Obsessed. They use it, talk about it, analyze it, deconstruct it, reconstruct it, love it, hate it, capitalize on it, become experts on it, monetize it, argue about it, and become micro-famous on it. They are mesmerized with what it is and they are as giddy as Tom Cruise on Oprah just thinking about what it could be.

Last Wednesday, MediaBistro held a panel discussion titled, “Journalists and Social Media: Sources, Skills, and the Writer.” The panelists included NYU professor and PressThink author Jay Rosen, NPR senior strategist Andy Carvin, BusinessWeek.com community editor Shirley Brady, and Daily Beast columnist Rachel Sklar. The four journalists discussed which social networks they liked best, their top concerns for the industry, and what they saw as the future of journalism. The main topic of conversation, however, was (of course) Twitter.

Read the rest of this post

Social networkers want TV airtime [Voices]

Social networkers are looking to score some airtime, with 36 percent of them wanting to access their networks via TV screens, according to an ABI Research survey released Thursday.

The survey of more than 1,000 households found that younger consumers are most interested in chatting and messaging with friends while watching TV. Middle-aged adults want a more passive experience, such as the ability to check on status updates via their TV sets. And those over 50 are most interested in knowing what their friends are watching.

“Just as video entertainment is moving fluidly across various screens, so is social media,” Jason Blackwell, a senior ABI Research analyst, said in a statement. “We’ve seen that consumers find increased value through shared entertainment experiences and want to explore and deepen these experiences through communities of interest, and that’s what’s social TV will ultimately do.”

Read the rest of this post

Daily Crunch: Flowery Outburst Edition

Valentine’s Day love from Agent18
Someone finally designs soft foam saloon furniture for in-home bar brawls
Review: Health Energy Potion
Video: This is a steam-powered R2D2, your new God
USB powered plasma heart for that special someone

Maker's Notebook Hacks

Spread Your Love, Save the Earth and Your Money This Valentine's Day With Free Ecards

The Nokia E75 shows itself, courtesy of some leaked images

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile

While this is far from the first of the leaked images that we have seen of the E75 from Nokia, these latest are of pretty decent quality.  Feature wise, the E75 seems to be pretty nice.  After all, at first glance you can see the nice slide-out QWERTY keyboard as well as the overall good look with the black front that is bordered by a shiny chrome finish.

Otherwise, the E75 will feature a 2.4-inch display at 240 x 320, Wi-Fi, assisted-GPS, a microSD card slot, a 3.2-megapixel camera, a standard 3.5mm audio jack and is running S60.  Additionally, the E75 is pretty slim at just 0.56-inches thick, which considering the slide-out keyboard is not bad.

As for a release date, that is still unknown, however we are hoping that Nokia will officially announce the E75 at Mobile World Congress.

Read [sohoa]  Via [Crave]

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

SinoHub to Present at Roth Capital Partners 21st Annual Growth Stock Conference

Indian matchbox art

Matchboxes from the Subcontinent (via Core77)

Google Chrome to get extensions in May

Section: Web, Web Browsers, Google

Despite the fact I love the speed that Chrome offers, I just cannot move away from Firefox without having those extensions I have come to need.  Well, it seems that Chrome may be getting extensions sooner than later.  A discovery made by Nicholas Moline shows that Google will be having a conference on May 27 and one of those sessions is called “Developing extensions for Google Chrome.“

Now, while the session is scheduled and will take place on May 27 it does not indicate whether the support for extensions will come before or on May 27.  Personally, I hope that this session will show people how to develop for something that is released and available for use, however either way it looks May is looking promising.

Now, we can only hope that developers will come with the newly added support.  Also, and just in case anyone is listening, the one that I really cannot live without is Foxmarks, maybe we can get a Chromarks.

Read [Nicholas Moline]  Via [Google Operating System]

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

Youth hostel in a jumbo jet

In December 2007, Sigtuna authorities granted a building permit for establishing Jumbo Hostel at the entrance to Arlanda airport. In January 2008, the aircraft was moved to a construction site parking where the first phase of the conversion has begun with the dismantling of the old interior, new paint and new decorations for the rooms. 450 seats are taken out and the plane is sanitized in its entirety. The hostel is built like any house, subjected to the same demands on climate control and isolation. It adheres to all common energy standards. Heating is achieved with an air-air inverter.

Summer 2008 the plane was towed to its final destination at the entrance to Arlanda where it was placed on a concrete foundation with the landing gear secured in two steel cradles. Here, Jumbo Hostel are a spectacular landmark as a portal to Arlanda offering a view of the landing strip. No visitor to Arlanda will miss the new hostel!

House of Lords damns British surveillance society

Lord Goodlad, the former Tory chief whip and committee chairman, said there could be no justification for this gradual but incessant creep towards every detail about an individual being recorded and pored over by the state.

"The huge rise in surveillance and data collection by the state and other organisations risks undermining the long-standing traditions of privacy and individual freedom which are vital for democracy," he said. "If the public are to trust that information about them is not being improperly used there should be much more openness about what data is collected, by whom and how it is used."

The constitution committee makes more than 40 recommendations to protect individual privacy, including the deletion of all profiles from the national DNA database except for those of convicted criminals and a call for the mandatory encryption of personal data held by public and private organisations that are legally obliged to hold it.

But the report is silent on proposals from Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, for a "superdatabase" tracking everybody's emails, calls, texts and internet use and from Jack Straw, the justice secretary, to lower barriers on the widespread sharing of personal data across the public sector.

UK Conservatives Slammed Over Open Source Stance

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Autonomous aerial drones for less than $500

Now this project has gone pro. Our first commercial autopilot, the Arduino-compatible ArduPilot, has been released and our goal of taking an order or two of magnitude out of the cost of an autopilot has been achieved: it's $24.95!

Combined with a RC plane, this makes it easy to build a complete UAV for less than $500, which is really kind of amazing. As exciting as that it is, it's also sobering to know that a technology that was just a few years ago the sole domain of the military is now within the reach of amateurs, so we spend a lot of time educating our community on FAA regulations and safe and responsible flying (always under 400 feet, stay within line of site, pilot always able to regain control).

XKCD explains the baseball metaphor for sex

Base System

Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound 5 digital music player, with MOTS technology

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Speakers, Computers, Wireless, Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous, Robots/AI

With computer hard drives becoming bigger and bigger, it is easy to amass a big music collection, and never have to worry about deleting any music.  The problem is that there are so many songs you like, you often forget which are good, and which are bad.  If only there was some technology that is more advanced than shuffle in the sense that it plays very related music.  Enter Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound 5 with MOTS technology. 

MOTS in a nutshell

Other than a word that sounds like the popular applesauce company (Mott’s); it is actually a special piece of technology that allows the BeoSound 5 to play music that is really similar in several components to the last played song.  More of the Same, or MOTS, basically scans every song in your music library and finds similar songs based on sound, dynamics, and rhythmic aspects.  Essentially, it does a lot more than just group songs based on genre.  In fact, Bang & Olufsen wanted MOTS to be as advanced as it can, so they teamed up with the Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence, or OFAI.  Their line of work specializes in Artificial Intelligence that isn’t limited to bio-informatics or robotics, so it can be applied to music classification. 

Now, to get started you just have to select a song and then MOTS will do the rest in terms of creating a playlist that revolves around that one song.  Bang & Olufsen claims that MOTS will help you find long and forgotten music that you once enjoyed.  If MOTS works well, it could definitely be the deciding factor in purchasing this product, because I, personally, would love to have a software that could find similar music to what I am playing right now, because I definitely forgot a lot of music that I like.  Also, in case you want to compile your own playlist, you can and then after that, MOTS will take over and add more, related songs. 

Bang & Olufsen tested their MOTS algorithm first with a computer, and after they were pleased with the results, they moved on to a certified panel of judges to make sure they got exactly what they envisioned from the MOTS technology. 

BeoSound 5

Moving on from the MOTS aspect of the digital music player, let’s see what special features it comes with and whether it is worth the hefty price tag it carries.  The BeoSound 5 isn’t exactly portable, so Bang & Olufsen could add a nice sized screen, without having to worry too much about portability.  The BeoSound 5 boasts a sexy 10.4 inch LCD display, with an intuitive aluminum wheel and a few buttons located on the side of the device. 

It also comes with something called the BeoMaster 5, which is essentially a tiny black box that is located near the device, but placed out of sight, which contains all of the necessary hardware components such as hard drive and Internet connections.  The BeoMaster 5 contains a 500GB hard drive, which can hold 20,000 songs in lossless WMA format.  The BeoMaster 5 has Internet connections as it comes with ethernet cables, however, it is not networkable.  The ethernet capable is mainly used to receive Bang & Olufsen updates as well as getting music from Internet radio sites.  At this time, Bang & Olufsen do not have a partnership with prominent sites such as Pandora.  It can be hooked up via USB port, but this would only be used to transfer songs onto the device. 

Pricing

With all nice pieces of technology, the thing that everyone hates reading about is the price tag.  The BeoSound 5 is set to be shown off in all of their stores by February 2009, and is also going to be available for purchase around that time.  For a 3 year service plan, the MSRP is $5900.  This includes the BeoSound 5 and the BeoMaster 5.  Now, if you want to purchase a floor stand, table stand, and wall bracket, that will cost you $500, $250, and $100, respectively. 

I’m not sure how realistic it is to purchase one of these for your homes just yet.  I do imagine, however, something like this becoming popular in doctor’s offices, dentist offices, etc., because those are places where customers have to wait a long time and it would be nice to have this type of a jukebox. 

We were able to get some hands-on time with the device, as well as several pictures.  Check out the gallery and video below. 

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

USB Steering Wheel Adds Some Formula 1 to Racing Games

Gear Gallery: Media Streamers, Two-Wheeled Screamers, Pocket-Sized Beamers

Kodak’s Theatre HD's raison d'être is straightforward: to shuttle the contents of your PC directly to your television using ethernet or Wi-Fi. Pictures, videos, podcasts, music or any other digital content that may be living on your hard drive (as long as it's not squelched by some DRM straightjacket) can be whisked away by this tiny little box to your television with little to no fuss.

What really sets the Theatre HD Player apart from the rest of the field is how immaculately it performs its tasks. Once you've downloaded Kodak's EasyShare display software, everything is pretty much taken care of. Have a hard drive filled with extra content? No problem. Simply hook it up to one of the player's USB ports and you're ready to go.

WIRED: Intuitive UI coupled with a handy RF remote makes setup and playback of multimedia a Zen-like experience. Wealth of connectivity options: component, HDMI, optical or RCA audio, dual USB ports. Transforms crappy YouTube video into semi-watchable content.

TIRED: Requires Kodak EasyShare software to get the streaming party started. No Mac compatibility (for now). Pricey, especially for a device without a hard drive. Needs more internet content.

$300, Kodak

Read our full Kodak Theatre HD Player review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Skidding in at 53 pounds (on the lighter side for this category), Ohm's mountain bike-inspired geometry and its nine-level power-assist and regeneration system make it a smart, nimble and efficient two-wheeler.

On pavement and trail the BionX power plant, mounted on the rear hub, employs a unique sensor technology that is constantly adjusting the level of assistance it gives you based on the terrain. Encountering some mushy road? More power is delivered to the gears. Gliding down paved asphalt? The juice is dialed back. And if your thighs are flushed with lactic acid on a sheer hill, a flick of the trusty thumb throttle cracks the whip and the motor totally takes over, no pedaling required. But for all this innovation and comfort, you will, however, have to part with a spouse-enraging $3,450. Is it worth it? Well, it is a ton of fun.

WIRED: Excellent Shimano parts mix with disc brakes and RockShox suspension fork. Lockable battery compartment hides space for mobile phone, wallet, media player and your other little stuff. Regeneration mode gives extra on-bike battery life. Comfortable suspension seat post. Four- to six-hour charge time.

TIRED: Throttle position needs to be improved for optimal bike handling. Price steeper than any hill the bike can handle.

$3450, Ohm Cycles

Read our full Ohm Cycles XS700 review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

For about $300 more than the average netbook, the UC7807u offers a scintillating array of grownup specs. Intel 2.0-GHz Core 2 Duo CPU? Check. 250-GB hard drive? Yep. 3 GB of memory, a glossy 13.3-inch display, a slot-loading optical drive and ports galore (three USB and an HDMI)? You betcha! Best of all, with its fetching brushed aluminum chassis, no one will mistake this for a budget notebook.

Unfortunately, the UC7807u also has all the telltale signs of some obvious corner cutting. Forget about gaming. Due to Intel's torpid integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics card, even moderately intensive titles won't run properly. But our main beef with the UC7807u is the feeble 6-cell battery which clocked in at a disappointing 3 hours, 25 minutes — a full hour shorter than most other notebooks in this category.

WIRED: Recession-worthy price. Built like a tank. Slick, touch-sensitive volume and multimedia controls.

TIRED: Tips the scales for a notebook in this category. Battery drains faster than an ATM at a strip club. Epic fail on the tiny circular touchpad. It's cramped and serves no discernable purpose. Onboard speakers spit out tinny, distorted sound. HDMI, but no Blu-ray?

$800 as tested, Gateway

Read our full Gateway UC7807u review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

It's no wonder this watch ran away with my heart; for the competitive runner or multisport athlete seeking a personal best in 2009, the Polar RS800CX is the required training device. Because of incredibly robust desktop software, tracking of obscure performance metrics, and a wide variety of add-on sensors, the RS800CX can help you measure, analyze and improve nearly every aspect of your training program.

WIRED: Offers better heart-rate monitoring than your average hospital. Incredibly customizable from in-watch display, to software interface, to training programs. GPS and barometric altimeter combined with location tracking mean you'll never wonder where you wandered. Extensible pods make watch more sport-versatile than Lance Armstrong

TIRED: Even beer goggles won't pretty up this ugly watch face. May need to hire a coach anyway — just to teach you how to use the PC-only desktop software.

$500, Polar

Read our full Polar RS800CX MULTI review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

The pocket rocket we've been packing in our pants recently (full name: Optoma DLP EP-PK-101 Pico Pocket Projector) is one of the first mini projectors to hit the market. It's also one of the best, even though a number of flaws spill from the tiny device.

Styled like a '40s-era Zippo, the piano-black portable feels more natural in the hand than a lot of cellphones. But it's not size that matters to us, it's the video components! The projector is comprised of a combo-rig LED lamp and a DLP chip (courtesy of Texas Instruments) that sets the resolution at 480 x 320 pixels with a range output of 9 lumens. Yes, we know this is low compared to full-bodied projectors like Benq's gargantuan MP512 ST 2500-lumen projector but for something this small, it's remarkable.

WIRED: Perfect projector for parties. Rectangular lens creates wide image that keeps the image from stretching. Fine picture quality, 8-96 inches. Startup time > 4 seconds. Dead-sexy hardware.

TIRED: Lithium-ion batteries die after 2 hours' use; how are we supposed to watch our Battlestar marathon? Battery recharge time 4 frakkin' hours. Suck-tastic speaker. Unless you have a video-out adapter, you can't project Office docs from your PC. Projector gets hot enough to fry bacon after running 30 minutes.

$400, Optoma

Read our full Optoma EP-PK-101 Pico Pocket Projector review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Are you the schlemiel who's always dropping his cellphone or camera at parties? Or maybe you're the schlemazel who always gets the drink spilled on him? Either way, if you're looking for a camera to fit a clumsy or accident-prone lifestyle, the shockproof, waterproof, and cold-resistant Stylus 1050 SW can take the beating from fumbles, faceplants or full-speed crashes, and still keep clicking.

About the size and shape as a pack of smokes, the 1050 is equipped with an accelerometer letting you tinker with settings by tapping on the top and the sides. This lets you do useful stuff like turn the flash on and off with a gloved mitt or preview pictures with one hand while you fend off a tiger shark with the other.

WIRED: Shockproof to 5 feet and waterproof 10 means you can bang it on the edge of the pool as you fall in with no harm done. Tap feature lets you change settings without futzing with buttons, and the camera can handle alpine frigidity with aplomb. Comes with a microSD adapter for greater media versatility.

TIRED: Lens cover slides more easily than Ricky Henderson. The battery is easily inserted backwards, making you think it's dead or the camera is malfunctioning. Weak zoom and poor macro ability; this camera could use a bifocal upgrade.

$300, Olympus

Read our full Olympus Stylus 1050 SW review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Touted as the thinnest and lightest BlackBerry yet, the Curve 8900 has some much-needed upgrades over its predecessor, but also some disappointments.

Wi-Fi is hot and easy to set up, the camera got a bump to 3.2 megapixels, the 16 GB MicroSD storage can hold up to 20 hours of video, and the high-res screen is fantastic in any light. On the other hand, callers were hard to hear, documents were difficult to create, and RIM's revamped proprietary browser is good for surfing the Internet but isn't as smart about automatically resizing webpages as the browsers on competing smartphones.

WIRED: Slick, sexy design mashes the best of the Bold and Curve 8830. Brilliant, high-resolution screen is one of the best we've seen on a RIM device. Full HTML-rendering on websites. 3.2-megapixel camera is even better when paired with video-recording capabilities; 3.5mm headphone jack means no clumsy adapters. Near 5-hour battery life is most impressive.

TIRED: 3G is MIA. Despite the powerful 512-Mhz processor, the software still lags. New website and software don't perform as well as they should. Phone quality was mixed and loud speakers fail to compensate for somewhat distorted music playback.

$200 with a two year contract, RIM

Read our full RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

This handset (which arrives in some of the most gorgeous packaging I've ever seen a consumer electronic encased in) is almost laughably banal in its actual construction. A silver slider with wide-spaced keys, it posses a passing resemblance to the Nokia 5200, albeit with a larger (2.2-inch) screen. But, once you switch it on and start using it, things begin to get interesting.

The operating system orbits around Facebook synchronization. Basically you take the phone online, pair it with your Facebook account, and all of your various Facebook applications become active on the mobile. Your Facebook address book syncs up with the phone's address book. Events from your Facebook calendar become part of the phone's calendar. Take a picture with the 3.2-megapixel camera, and you can automatically upload those shots to a Facebook album.

WIRED: Brightly hued, easy to use, easy-to-sync OS pairs perfectly with your Facebook account. Skype integration is thoughtful. Thoughtfully spaced keys make texting, entering URLs rather pleasant. Camera takes photos that are sharp enough to be a profile picture. Extremely cheap for an unlocked device.

TIRED: Humdrum hardware punctuates novel OS. Not offered in the United States ... yet. Battery life is clinically depressing when surfing the web, using Skype.

$112 (estimated), Three

Read our full INQ1 Facebook Phone review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

HP has been tinkering with touch tech for a couple of years. But they have yet to nail the bull's eye with a machine that mixes mature hardware with a haptic interface that feels like more than just a half-assed effort. So, we were cautiously optimistic with the TouchSmart tx2z. The good news? As HP's first multitouch convertible tablet, it's got a lot of potential.

Converting from notebook to tablet proved painless, thanks to a solid hinge and the included pen. After swinging the 1280 x 800 screen around (and folding it back), we found two goodies. First, using the pen automatically disables the touchscreen (to prevent palm-related havoc), and second, HP included an active digitizer for handwritten input. This made reckless activities like e-mailing while strolling around the block surprisingly easy. Even jotting down quick notes using a finger (instead of the pen) gave us minimal hassle.

WIRED: Fully baked as both a touch and tablet device. Travels well with its compact and stylish chassis. Includes quick keys for rotating screen orientation. Mini media remote and pen conveniently hide away in chassis. Altec Lansing speakers strike decent balance between volume and clarity. Extra goodies aplenty: biometric security, webcam, dual headphone jacks, 802.11n compatibility and 5-in-1 card reader.

TIRED: Bloated OS hinders performance of otherwise decent specs. Occasionally laggy switches between notebook and tablet mode. No multitouch love for the trackpad. Terrible viewing angles and weak visibility in direct sunlight. Fan sounds like a leaf-blower at a My Bloody Valentine show.

$1550 (as tested), HP

Read our full HP TouchSmart tx2z review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Nero's LiquidTV TiVo PC looks like a TiVo and acts like a TiVo, but, brother, it ain't no TiVo.

Actually, the package makes your PC act like a TiVo by adding a USB TV tuner and the same TiVo software that drives the set-tops. You also get a for-reals TiVo remote and an IR receiver so you can command content from the couch.

Ironically, that's where you're gonna get pissed. The remote can't launch the software, so you'll have to physically walk over and mouse it open. The remote can be programmed to turn your TV on and off, but it can't put your PC in standby mode or wake it up again. If you do that manually, the IR receiver fails to wake up with the rest of the system.

WIRED: Includes a one-year TiVo subscription, and after that it's a cheaper-than-set-top $99 per year. The software can auto-convert recordings to iPod or Sony PSP format. Integrates with any TiVo boxes you already have. Extra storage is just an external hard drive away.

TIRED: The remote lacks necessary PC controls. Not measurably better than Windows Media Center — which, incidentally, is free. The tuner supports ClearQAM, but the software doesn't, so forget digital channels unless you hook up the antenna.

$125, Tivo

Read our full Nero LiquidTV TiVo PC review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

USB Steering Wheel Adds Some Formula 1 to Racing Games

Gear Gallery: Media Streamers, Two-Wheeled Screamers, Pocket-Sized Beamers

Kodak’s Theatre HD's raison d'être is straightforward: to shuttle the contents of your PC directly to your television using ethernet or Wi-Fi. Pictures, videos, podcasts, music or any other digital content that may be living on your hard drive (as long as it's not squelched by some DRM straightjacket) can be whisked away by this tiny little box to your television with little to no fuss.

What really sets the Theatre HD Player apart from the rest of the field is how immaculately it performs its tasks. Once you've downloaded Kodak's EasyShare display software, everything is pretty much taken care of. Have a hard drive filled with extra content? No problem. Simply hook it up to one of the player's USB ports and you're ready to go.

WIRED: Intuitive UI coupled with a handy RF remote makes setup and playback of multimedia a Zen-like experience. Wealth of connectivity options: component, HDMI, optical or RCA audio, dual USB ports. Transforms crappy YouTube video into semi-watchable content.

TIRED: Requires Kodak EasyShare software to get the streaming party started. No Mac compatibility (for now). Pricey, especially for a device without a hard drive. Needs more internet content.

$300, Kodak

Read our full Kodak Theatre HD Player review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Skidding in at 53 pounds (on the lighter side for this category), Ohm's mountain bike-inspired geometry and its nine-level power-assist and regeneration system make it a smart, nimble and efficient two-wheeler.

On pavement and trail the BionX power plant, mounted on the rear hub, employs a unique sensor technology that is constantly adjusting the level of assistance it gives you based on the terrain. Encountering some mushy road? More power is delivered to the gears. Gliding down paved asphalt? The juice is dialed back. And if your thighs are flushed with lactic acid on a sheer hill, a flick of the trusty thumb throttle cracks the whip and the motor totally takes over, no pedaling required. But for all this innovation and comfort, you will, however, have to part with a spouse-enraging $3,450. Is it worth it? Well, it is a ton of fun.

WIRED: Excellent Shimano parts mix with disc brakes and RockShox suspension fork. Lockable battery compartment hides space for mobile phone, wallet, media player and your other little stuff. Regeneration mode gives extra on-bike battery life. Comfortable suspension seat post. Four- to six-hour charge time.

TIRED: Throttle position needs to be improved for optimal bike handling. Price steeper than any hill the bike can handle.

$3450, Ohm Cycles

Read our full Ohm Cycles XS700 review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

For about $300 more than the average netbook, the UC7807u offers a scintillating array of grownup specs. Intel 2.0-GHz Core 2 Duo CPU? Check. 250-GB hard drive? Yep. 3 GB of memory, a glossy 13.3-inch display, a slot-loading optical drive and ports galore (three USB and an HDMI)? You betcha! Best of all, with its fetching brushed aluminum chassis, no one will mistake this for a budget notebook.

Unfortunately, the UC7807u also has all the telltale signs of some obvious corner cutting. Forget about gaming. Due to Intel's torpid integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics card, even moderately intensive titles won't run properly. But our main beef with the UC7807u is the feeble 6-cell battery which clocked in at a disappointing 3 hours, 25 minutes — a full hour shorter than most other notebooks in this category.

WIRED: Recession-worthy price. Built like a tank. Slick, touch-sensitive volume and multimedia controls.

TIRED: Tips the scales for a notebook in this category. Battery drains faster than an ATM at a strip club. Epic fail on the tiny circular touchpad. It's cramped and serves no discernable purpose. Onboard speakers spit out tinny, distorted sound. HDMI, but no Blu-ray?

$800 as tested, Gateway

Read our full Gateway UC7807u review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

It's no wonder this watch ran away with my heart; for the competitive runner or multisport athlete seeking a personal best in 2009, the Polar RS800CX is the required training device. Because of incredibly robust desktop software, tracking of obscure performance metrics, and a wide variety of add-on sensors, the RS800CX can help you measure, analyze and improve nearly every aspect of your training program.

WIRED: Offers better heart-rate monitoring than your average hospital. Incredibly customizable from in-watch display, to software interface, to training programs. GPS and barometric altimeter combined with location tracking mean you'll never wonder where you wandered. Extensible pods make watch more sport-versatile than Lance Armstrong

TIRED: Even beer goggles won't pretty up this ugly watch face. May need to hire a coach anyway — just to teach you how to use the PC-only desktop software.

$500, Polar

Read our full Polar RS800CX MULTI review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

The pocket rocket we've been packing in our pants recently (full name: Optoma DLP EP-PK-101 Pico Pocket Projector) is one of the first mini projectors to hit the market. It's also one of the best, even though a number of flaws spill from the tiny device.

Styled like a '40s-era Zippo, the piano-black portable feels more natural in the hand than a lot of cellphones. But it's not size that matters to us, it's the video components! The projector is comprised of a combo-rig LED lamp and a DLP chip (courtesy of Texas Instruments) that sets the resolution at 480 x 320 pixels with a range output of 9 lumens. Yes, we know this is low compared to full-bodied projectors like Benq's gargantuan MP512 ST 2500-lumen projector but for something this small, it's remarkable.

WIRED: Perfect projector for parties. Rectangular lens creates wide image that keeps the image from stretching. Fine picture quality, 8-96 inches. Startup time > 4 seconds. Dead-sexy hardware.

TIRED: Lithium-ion batteries die after 2 hours' use; how are we supposed to watch our Battlestar marathon? Battery recharge time 4 frakkin' hours. Suck-tastic speaker. Unless you have a video-out adapter, you can't project Office docs from your PC. Projector gets hot enough to fry bacon after running 30 minutes.

$400, Optoma

Read our full Optoma EP-PK-101 Pico Pocket Projector review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Are you the schlemiel who's always dropping his cellphone or camera at parties? Or maybe you're the schlemazel who always gets the drink spilled on him? Either way, if you're looking for a camera to fit a clumsy or accident-prone lifestyle, the shockproof, waterproof, and cold-resistant Stylus 1050 SW can take the beating from fumbles, faceplants or full-speed crashes, and still keep clicking.

About the size and shape as a pack of smokes, the 1050 is equipped with an accelerometer letting you tinker with settings by tapping on the top and the sides. This lets you do useful stuff like turn the flash on and off with a gloved mitt or preview pictures with one hand while you fend off a tiger shark with the other.

WIRED: Shockproof to 5 feet and waterproof 10 means you can bang it on the edge of the pool as you fall in with no harm done. Tap feature lets you change settings without futzing with buttons, and the camera can handle alpine frigidity with aplomb. Comes with a microSD adapter for greater media versatility.

TIRED: Lens cover slides more easily than Ricky Henderson. The battery is easily inserted backwards, making you think it's dead or the camera is malfunctioning. Weak zoom and poor macro ability; this camera could use a bifocal upgrade.

$300, Olympus

Read our full Olympus Stylus 1050 SW review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Touted as the thinnest and lightest BlackBerry yet, the Curve 8900 has some much-needed upgrades over its predecessor, but also some disappointments.

Wi-Fi is hot and easy to set up, the camera got a bump to 3.2 megapixels, the 16 GB MicroSD storage can hold up to 20 hours of video, and the high-res screen is fantastic in any light. On the other hand, callers were hard to hear, documents were difficult to create, and RIM's revamped proprietary browser is good for surfing the Internet but isn't as smart about automatically resizing webpages as the browsers on competing smartphones.

WIRED: Slick, sexy design mashes the best of the Bold and Curve 8830. Brilliant, high-resolution screen is one of the best we've seen on a RIM device. Full HTML-rendering on websites. 3.2-megapixel camera is even better when paired with video-recording capabilities; 3.5mm headphone jack means no clumsy adapters. Near 5-hour battery life is most impressive.

TIRED: 3G is MIA. Despite the powerful 512-Mhz processor, the software still lags. New website and software don't perform as well as they should. Phone quality was mixed and loud speakers fail to compensate for somewhat distorted music playback.

$200 with a two year contract, RIM

Read our full RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

This handset (which arrives in some of the most gorgeous packaging I've ever seen a consumer electronic encased in) is almost laughably banal in its actual construction. A silver slider with wide-spaced keys, it posses a passing resemblance to the Nokia 5200, albeit with a larger (2.2-inch) screen. But, once you switch it on and start using it, things begin to get interesting.

The operating system orbits around Facebook synchronization. Basically you take the phone online, pair it with your Facebook account, and all of your various Facebook applications become active on the mobile. Your Facebook address book syncs up with the phone's address book. Events from your Facebook calendar become part of the phone's calendar. Take a picture with the 3.2-megapixel camera, and you can automatically upload those shots to a Facebook album.

WIRED: Brightly hued, easy to use, easy-to-sync OS pairs perfectly with your Facebook account. Skype integration is thoughtful. Thoughtfully spaced keys make texting, entering URLs rather pleasant. Camera takes photos that are sharp enough to be a profile picture. Extremely cheap for an unlocked device.

TIRED: Humdrum hardware punctuates novel OS. Not offered in the United States ... yet. Battery life is clinically depressing when surfing the web, using Skype.

$112 (estimated), Three

Read our full INQ1 Facebook Phone review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

HP has been tinkering with touch tech for a couple of years. But they have yet to nail the bull's eye with a machine that mixes mature hardware with a haptic interface that feels like more than just a half-assed effort. So, we were cautiously optimistic with the TouchSmart tx2z. The good news? As HP's first multitouch convertible tablet, it's got a lot of potential.

Converting from notebook to tablet proved painless, thanks to a solid hinge and the included pen. After swinging the 1280 x 800 screen around (and folding it back), we found two goodies. First, using the pen automatically disables the touchscreen (to prevent palm-related havoc), and second, HP included an active digitizer for handwritten input. This made reckless activities like e-mailing while strolling around the block surprisingly easy. Even jotting down quick notes using a finger (instead of the pen) gave us minimal hassle.

WIRED: Fully baked as both a touch and tablet device. Travels well with its compact and stylish chassis. Includes quick keys for rotating screen orientation. Mini media remote and pen conveniently hide away in chassis. Altec Lansing speakers strike decent balance between volume and clarity. Extra goodies aplenty: biometric security, webcam, dual headphone jacks, 802.11n compatibility and 5-in-1 card reader.

TIRED: Bloated OS hinders performance of otherwise decent specs. Occasionally laggy switches between notebook and tablet mode. No multitouch love for the trackpad. Terrible viewing angles and weak visibility in direct sunlight. Fan sounds like a leaf-blower at a My Bloody Valentine show.

$1550 (as tested), HP

Read our full HP TouchSmart tx2z review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Nero's LiquidTV TiVo PC looks like a TiVo and acts like a TiVo, but, brother, it ain't no TiVo.

Actually, the package makes your PC act like a TiVo by adding a USB TV tuner and the same TiVo software that drives the set-tops. You also get a for-reals TiVo remote and an IR receiver so you can command content from the couch.

Ironically, that's where you're gonna get pissed. The remote can't launch the software, so you'll have to physically walk over and mouse it open. The remote can be programmed to turn your TV on and off, but it can't put your PC in standby mode or wake it up again. If you do that manually, the IR receiver fails to wake up with the rest of the system.

WIRED: Includes a one-year TiVo subscription, and after that it's a cheaper-than-set-top $99 per year. The software can auto-convert recordings to iPod or Sony PSP format. Integrates with any TiVo boxes you already have. Extra storage is just an external hard drive away.

TIRED: The remote lacks necessary PC controls. Not measurably better than Windows Media Center — which, incidentally, is free. The tuner supports ClearQAM, but the software doesn't, so forget digital channels unless you hook up the antenna.

$125, Tivo

Read our full Nero LiquidTV TiVo PC review.

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

Today's Playmates Are More Like Anime Figures Than Real Humans

How to Comfort an Axed Coworker

Review: QB PASS ATTACK and X’s & O’s FOOTBALL for the iPhone.

What else have you got going on while you’re “taking the Browns to the Super Bowl”, if you get my meaning? A Newspaper? Popular Mechanics? Why not multitask and play some mobile games! And what better way to start my “Gaming on the Throne” review series than to mention two future mobile football classics for iPhone, brought to you by Skyworks Interactive: QB PASS ATTACK and X’s & O’s FOOTBALL.

Here are the descriptions straight from Skyworks:

QB PASS ATTACK features three sound tracks, state of the art iPhone 3D graphics, and two addictive game modes, Classic and Progressive! In Classic Mode, score as many points as you can within 60 seconds by throwing the football through the scoring holes. Hit the close receiver and score 7 points. Hit the receiver further downfield and score 30 points! In Progressive Mode, score as many touchdowns as you can in four “60-second” quarters. Each pass will be counted as a down and an onscreen display will mark your progress down the field with each throw. If you come up short on fourth and inches, it’s back to your own 20 yard line, but if you can hit the far receiver when the scoring hole is lit, it’s an instant touchdown!

In X’s & O’s Football, fight your way offensively downfield to score as many touchdowns as you can in four “60-second” quarters. Playing as the coach, quarterback, and receiver you’ll have to be at the top of your game to earn every first down. Come up short on fourth down, and you’ll be hitting the showers.

As coach, first select the play from the playbook and set your receivers to run a variety of passing routes such as the curl, deep out, and post. Then as quarterback, set your players in position, hike the ball and choose your receiver. Time your pass carefully to get the ball right into your receiver’s hands, and then control the receiver to run downfield for a touchdown! Once the receiver has the ball, you can tilt your iPhone/iPod touch to control his movement to the goal line! Use the accelerometer to adjust the running direction by tilting up and down, and adjust the speed by tilting right and left

My thoughts?

QB PASS ATTACK was a great “no brainer” game. No strategy, no planning, no experience necessary. Just try to “flick” footballs through one of two holes in a backdrop, as fast as you can. While the skill required is definitely more Greg Brady than Tom Brady, the iPhone touch screen interface makes it really fun and realistic (gravity, tilt-control trajectory). It is reminiscent of many a carnival/bar game you may have played. I found it addictive.

X’s & O’s FOOTBALL is a little different. It’s five-on-five, head to head football against “the computer”. You pick routes, make passes—it’s way better than Coleco Electronic Quarterback. This game is more intense and takes a little longer to get the hang of, but is equally fun and passes the time before you know it.

Both have nice sound design, thoughtful graphic detail and at $1.99 each, are great to have in your iPhone for a moment’s respite… wherever that may be.

The Bottom Line: Recommended.

Intel and AMD to power PS4, Xbox 720, and WiiII?

A little creative thinking over at the Inquirer has led them to suggest that Nvidia may get left out in the cold come the new generation of gaming consoles. Intel and AMD are set to split the spoils between them, leaving Nvidia (in its glory and its ego) to play with the PC market, which, as we are constantly being reminded, is dying.

It seems that there’s some bad blood between Sony and Nvidia, and some insiders have said that the GPU contract has gone over to Intel. Kind of puts the lid back on Nvidia’s can of whoop-ass. Similarly, Microsoft may be switching to AMD GPUs for grudge-related reasons. The Wii2, or WII, or Wiii, or Twii, will likely be sporting AMD hardware because ATI has been Nintendo’s partner for a while.

Add into this the fact that AMD is probably making rock-bottom bids right about now due to the fact that if they don’t make some money they’re going to be counting their stock’s value in pennies — on their hands. I’d certainly like to see a comeback like this.

Get an Acer Aspire One for $239.99 with free shipping

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Netbooks

Looking for a nice low price on a netbook and not wanting to hit up the used market?  Well, the deals seem to be showing up, and the latest is an Acer Aspire One for just $239.99, and that comes along with free shipping.

The model that is being offered features an 8.9-inch display at 1024 x 600, 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD.  Additionally, it is Onyx Black in color and running Linpus Linux Lite.

It would be a little nicer a deal if the Aspire One was running Windows XP, but if you are just looking for a netbook to do a little web surfing with, this will do the job perfectly fine.  Also, at $239 there is bound to be less buyers remorse.

Product [NewEgg]  Via [CrunchGear]

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

J & B, Still on the Rox

Review: Casio Oceanus Super Chronograph

Casio has an image problem in the US. Known as a great source of cheap digital watches, sometimes people forget that they also have a line of high-end models as well. When you say Casio people usually think of the G-Shock, or the often-mocked Databank. They think geeky, not classy — but Casio does both.

Personally, I prefer analog watches. Digitals are great, they are accurate, but they have absolutely no soul. I’ll take an analog that loses a few seconds a week, but has some personality, over a square black digital any day. And while it might be a bit of an anachronism in this day and age, I prefer to wear a watch over checking my phone for the time.

My current daily wear has been a Citizen Navihawk, but the Oceanus might just be replacing it.

Functionality
Casio has really pulled out the stops on the Super Chronograph. It’s light, the crystal is extremely tough, it’s astoundingly accurate (since it syncs itself every night with the atomic clock), you never have to replace the battery and it’s got personality. The case design also features some subtle electric blue accents. The logo on face is blue, the base of the hands are blue, and there’s even a thin blue line of metal right between the chapter ring and the bezel. It’s light, and very comfortable. As far as functionality, you’re really not losing anything with this watch. As with most high end digitals, the Super Chronograph has a stopwatch, countdown timer (both using the additional second hand) an alarm, and world timezones.

What I liked
Since the case and band are made of titanium the case has almost no weight to it (99 grams according to Casio), and the fit is extremely comfortable. One of the most remarkable things about the entire Oceanus line is that they’ve put in some seriously geeky features, but still keep that style that you’d see in other high end watches like Tag Heuer or Seiko.

What I didn’t like
There are couple of issues that came up with the Super Chronograph. As a word of warning, do not expect to be able to just pick this thing up and use it. It’s not like any other watch with this feature set. You will need to read the manual to figure out how to set the time zone, and adjust the other features to your needs.

I also had some issues with the band. I took it to my favorite jeweler to have it adjusted, and it took him about 15 minutes to get the band size changed. Also, the illumination on the hands is a bit weak. While initially it is extremely bright it fades quickly, and after about 15 minutes is difficult to read. This is surprising since I’ve owned other Casio’s that had no problem with the hands staying bright for hours.

In conclusion
If you’re a watch lover, go find a local jeweler that carries this brand. You might have some trouble finding them, but it’ll be worth it for a comfortable, high quality watch that delivers some very nice features. Expect to pay about $900.

Source: Gizmodo | 6 Feb 2009 | 3:30 am

Bill Gates releases mosquitoes on audience

Section: Tech News

Since leaving as the head of Microsoft last year, Bill Gates seemed destined to leave a low profile life as he pursued his philanthropic interests.  However, yesterday, Gates caused a media frenzy by deciding to release a swarm of mosquitoes on audience members at the Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference.

Gates used the mosquitoes as part of his lecture on the importance of preventing malaria. He brought a jar of live mosquitoes on stage and then proceeded to open the jar.  Gates was quoted as saying, “I brought some.  Here I’ll let them roam around.  There is no reason only poor people should be infected.”  It took him several minutes until he assured the audience that the mosquitoes were not infected with malaria.

This past September, Gates announced that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would provide $168.7 million to the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, an organization that hopes to develop a vaccine.  Maybe he hopes to bring in more awareness by threatening to infect technology hotshots, politicians, and Hollywood stars, all who were present at the event.

Read: [Fox News]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 6 Feb 2009 | 3:24 am

X-Men trilogy finally coming out on Blu-ray, pre-order now

 After The Matrix and Lord of the Rings, X-Men is the must-have nerd trilogy of the decade and it’s finally going to be available on Blu-ray. Amazon is already taking pre-orders for the April 21, 2009 release if you feel ready to fork over your $55.99. ($79.99 MSRP) But come-on, you know you are going to have this trilogy sitting proudly next your hand assembled X-Men models anyway so go ahead and pre-order it already.

THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES IN HIGH - DEF

X-MEN TRILOGY

BLU-RAY COLLECTION

For The First Time All Three Action-Packed, Super-Powered Adventures

Available On Blu-ray Disc April 21st
From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

BD-Live Offers Exclusive Preview To Highly Anticipated Film X-Men Origins: Wolverine

CENTURY CITY, Calif. – One of the most critically-acclaimed comic book franchises of all time claws its way onto Blu-ray Disc (BD) when the X-Men Trilogy arrives April 21st in North America from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Red Dragon), the X-Men saga – X-Men, X2: X-Men United and X3: The Last Stand – chronicles the ongoing battle between humans and mutants and their attempt to coexist, from their humble beginnings at Xavier’s School For The Gifted to the ultimate showdown against those that wish to “cure” them. Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart; “American Dad,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) must lead the well-known mutant heroes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman; Australia), Storm (Halle Berry; Monster’s Ball) Cyclops (James Marsden; 27 Dresses) and Rogue (Anna Paquin; The Piano) to fight against evil villains and use their powers for the good of mankind.

In a studio first, the discs include a BD Live feature that will allow fans to purchase advance tickets and gain access to exciting never-before-scene footage to the highly anticipated upcoming film X-Men Origins: Wolverine debuting in theatres May 1st. Boasting superior picture and sound quality for the ultimate viewing experience, the X-Men Trilogy set is loaded with deleted and extended scenes, cast and crew commentary, making-of featurettes and much more. The set also includes movie cash towards the new theatrical release as well as the studio’s upcoming blockbusters Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Night at the Museum: Escape from the Smithsonian.

The X-Men Trilogy – X-Men, X2: X-Men United and X3: The Last Stand will be available for a suggested retail price of $79.99 U.S. / $89.99 Canada. Additionally each will be available individually for the suggested retail price of $34.99 U.S. / $37.99. Prebook is March 25.

Source: Gizmodo | 6 Feb 2009 | 3:00 am

CPSC delays lead testing rule

The U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:56 am

/C O R R E C T I O N -- Isilon Systems/

In the news release, Isilon Systems Announces 2008 Fourth Quarter and Annual Financial Results, issued earlier today by Isilon Systems over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the table entitled "Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets" was inaccurate.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:50 am

Italian Red Lights Rigged With Short Yellow Light

suraj.sun writes with an excerpt from Ars Technica which brings to mind the importance of auditable code for hardware used in law enforcement: "It's no secret that red light cameras are often used to generate more ticket revenue for the cities that implement them, but a scam has been uncovered in Italy that has led to one arrest and 108 investigations over traffic systems being rigged to stop sooner for the sole purpose of ticketing more motorists."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:42 am

BB Video: How's Your News? Comedy/News by Disabled People, Produced by South Park's Matt + Trey.

Flash video embed above, click "full" icon inside the player to view it large. You can download the MP4 here. Our YouTube channel is here, you can subscribe to our daily video podcast on iTunes here. And here are the archives for Boing Boing Video.

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About a year ago, Boing Boing's video production crew was having our weekly content pitch meeting and my colleague Jolon brought up a video project he'd been following called "How's Your News." It was a news program in which the presenters are people with physical and mental disabilities. Some have Downs Syndrome, others cerebral palsy, and so on.

We didn't get around to producing a BB feature, but then just this past weekend, I met with Matt Stone and learned that he and fellow South Park creator Trey Parker are producing a version of How's Your News as a new MTV series. It debuts this Sunday, February 8.

He kindly offered to allow us to take a sneak peek at the first few episodes, and cut together an exclusive preview. That is today's episode of Boing Boing Video.

Matt explained that he and Trey are mostly hands-off with regard to the creative and editorial process on the MTV series, they're more like "godfathers" on the television project. HYN creator and director Arthur Bradford and the correspondents are pretty much in charge. It sounds like MTV has handled the project admirably, too.

When I first saw the internet version, I remember first feeling a little guilty or awkward for laughing at people with disabilities on-screen. But when I watched the MTV episodes in entirety with the BBV crew, I started to feel like I knew these people, and was more comfortable with it the more I watched. Maybe part of the lesson here is that people with disabilities are real people. They don't need me to feel "precious" or "protective" about them. It is okay to laugh with them, and when they are being funny in a comedy series, it's okay to laugh at them, too. Not as people to be pitied, just as people.

Matt Stone tells Boing Boing,

One of the first things that Arthur Bradford said about doing How's Your News as a TV show was that he absolutely didn't want to pitch the show to Lifetime or PBS or anyplace else where you would EXPECT a show like this. He wanted to fly into the center of the sun and have the show on MTV. The How's Your News crew is about redefining expectations and the show is by far their best work. It is my favorite show on television beside South Park....

Heh. And I asked Arthur Bradford to share some words with us, too. He says:

I think the big question everyone has about our TV series goes something like this "Does this show really belong on MTV? Aren't all those kids going to laugh for all the wrong reasons?" I have so many thoughts about that I don't know where to begin, but let me just say that I think this line of questioning does a sort of disservice to both people with disabilities and the kids who watch MTV. People with disabilities don't really need a bunch of watchdogs looking out for their "best interests". They are most often able to do this themselves and I can assure you our cast is extremely proud of the work they did on this show, as are their families. And the kids who watch MTV are much smarter than we are giving them credit for. They deserve something like this, a show that doesn't assume they can't decide things for themselves.

We had a lot of fun shooting this series. Everywhere we went people would stare at the bus and come up and talk to us. For me, as the director, it was often exhausting and sometimes stressful, like when one of our reporters would have a seizure or shit their pants in the middle of shooting something important. Both of these things happened more than I'd like to recall. But it was overall a pretty magical experience and the fact this this show is now going to air on primetime and be available to so many households across America is something we should all rejoice in. It's a small miracle, really. We're like that guy on the British American Idol, Paul Potts, the car phone salesmen who got up there and shook everyone up with his passionate opera voice. He was pure genuine desire and authenticity without the annoying gloss and it was great to see him break through. That's what you'll see on How's Your News: pure, unpolished gems.

And about Jeremy, the HYN correspondent waving to you in the video frame above and in the middle of the trio below (photo), Arthur says:

Jeremy Vest is one of our greatest reporters. He is so eager to talk to everyone and he would not even know how to be a fake douchebag like so many people we see on TV. My favorite moment with him was on the red carpet at the Grammys when he blew off all the big pop stars like Rianna and Slash because really wanted to talk to the guy who did the voice for Kermit the Frog. He literally refused to talk to Slash because he was so concerned that Kermit would leave before he got the chance to say hello. For Jeremy, meeting that muppet was the biggest thrill of the night, that and meeting Wolfgang Puck.

Here's more on the MTV series, which you can catch on-air starting this Sunday, February 8. Notorious crankypants critic Tom Shales at the Washington Post gave it a good review. I'm looking forward to it.

Source: Boing Boing | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:20 am

Gmail Adds Support For Multi-Pane Viewing

A new feature in Gmail Labs just launched, giving users the ability to simultaneously view multiple panes in Gmail without having to open another browser window. For users that frequently label their messages and have saved searches, this is a huge upgrade that will make Gmail even more efficient.

Since launching, Gmail users looking to view search results or a subset of their labeled messages saw their results take up their entire browser window. Now, you’ll be able to do multiple things at once.

To enable the feature, first activate Gmail Labs for your account, then enable “Multiple Inboxes” from the list of Labs options (you’ll have to scroll down a bit to find it). The term Multiple Inboxes is a bit of a misnomer - you can’t actually show messages from other accounts, but that could still come in a future Labs release.

To set up your panes, go to the Gmail Settings menu and select “Multiple Inboxes” (once you’ve enabled them). From there, you can create up to five different panes. Creating a pane seems to be a little counter-intuitive - you’ll need to manually enter the Gmail ‘code’ of your label (for example, “label:friends” would display a list of messages tagged with the friends label). But the system is also flexible, as it allows you to combine multiple attributes into a single pane (for example, “is:drafts OR is:starred” would show messages that are either drafts or starred).

Google first launched Gmail Labs last June, giving Googlers a way to showcase the results of their 20% time. Labs apps have included everything from a version of the classic game Snake to features like SMS chat, Gadgets, and even Mail Goggles, meant to keep intoxicated users from sending drunken Emails that they’ll regret in the morning.

For more, check out Google’s blog post on the new feature here.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:15 am

Come work with Laguna (and us) at TechCrunch

We like to say that TechCrunch isn’t a job, it’s a calling, and certainly there are a lot of great reasons to work at TC. Truth be told, Laguna (Michael Arrington’s chocolate lab) is one of our favorite perks. She’ll have you well trained in frisbee 2.0 and the latest catch API in no time flat.

Seriously, we’re growing and hiring and we’d love to hear from you if you want to help TechCrunch change the world. We need:

• Developers (2): We don’t just report the news, we build products that change the media landscape. CrunchBase is one of our first successes. We have more projects in the pipeline. Rails developers preferred, but raw talent and drive most important to our team.
• Sales Directors (2): TechCrunch is the largest technology blog network, reaching over 5 million uniques and 15 million page views / month. We are expanding our direct sales effort with online and event-related sponsorships. Separate positions sought for focus on each start-ups and agencies/brand.
• Conferences & Events Director: TechCrunch hosts about a dozen events a year. Roundtable sessions, networking MeetUps, big conferences (such as TechCrunch50) and awards ceremonies (Crunchies.) Plan events for 200 - 2,000 people and be in the center of the tech community.
• Executive Assistant: If you love to be involved in a million projects, and love attention to detail, and want to keep us organized, this job is for you.
• Bookkeeper (part-time/contractor): We’re growing and profitable, so our financials are fun to do.
• CrunchBase Analyst: Great opportunity for a recent college grad to break into the start-up scene by researching and writing about new start-ups. Broad exposure to the start-up, VC and technology landscape.
• CrunchBase Interns (6): College sophomores through seniors are invited to join us as CrunchBase interns. It’s a great way to learn about technology start-ups from the inside. We need a commitment of 5 hours a week and keen interest in covering new products.

Also, we’re finally looking for proper office space. If anyone has 2-3,000 square feet of space to sublet in the Palo Alto area, please ping me, heather [at] techcrunch [dot] com.

Photo credit: thank you netzkobold. It’s a favorite.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:13 am

Video Review: Health Energy Potion

Health Energy Potion is a tiny 1.69-ounce energy drink that resembles a health vial from a video game. And sure enough, the drink promises “to add +160 to gamers’ HP.” Video and review after the jump...

Source: TechCrunch | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:10 am

Lenovo CEO steps down

Section: Tech News, Computers

The CEO of Lenovo, William Amelio announced his resignation today as his three year contract with the company comes to a close.  Insiders speculate that the resignation stems from the company’s stunning $97 million loss for the third quarter.  This number is a dramatic comparison to Lenovo’s $172.6 million profit in the same quarter the previous year.

Amelio will remain with the company until September 30 as a special advisor while Yang Yuanqing takes over the CEO position.  Yang Yuanqing had filled the position previously until 2005 when he was appointed head of the chair.

Last month, the company had announced that they would be laying off 11 percent of its workforce.  Lenovo contributes a market shift toward entry level personal computers, aggressive pricing, and currency fluctuations had adversely affected Lenovo’s gross margin.  The company has plans to go through several stages of restructuring in order to save money and recover during the recession under the leadership of Yuanqing.

Read: [CNET]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:03 am

Feb. 6, 1959: Titan Launches; Cold War Heats Up

1959: The United States successfully test-fires its first Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile. The threat of global nuclear holocaust moves from the plausible to the likely.

The Titan I was not the first ICBM: Both the United States and Soviet Union had already deployed ICBMs earlier in the 1950s (the Atlas A by the Americans, the R-7 by the Russians). But the Titan represented a new generation, a liquid-fueled rocket with greater range and a more powerful payload that upped the ante in the Cold War.

The Titan that the U.S. Air Force successfully launched from Cape Canaveral 50 years ago today featured a two-stage liquid rocket capable of delivering a 4-megaton warhead to targets 8,000 miles away. A 4-megaton detonation, puny by today's standards, nevertheless dwarfed the destructive power of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan.

The Titan's range meant that, firing from its home turf, the United States was now capable of hitting targets in Eastern Europe, the western Soviet Union and the Soviet Far East.

The first squadron of Titan I's was declared operational in April 1962. By the mid-'60s, five squadrons were deployed in the western United States.

The missiles were stored in protective underground silos, but had to be brought to the surface for firing. The Titan II, which began appearing in large numbers during the mid-'60s and eventually supplanted the Titan I, would be the first ICBM that could be launched directly from its silo.

Today, ICBMs can be launched from silos, from mobile launchers and, most effectively, from submarines.

The prototype for all ICBMs was the A9/10, a missile developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The A9/10, which never advanced beyond the testing stage, was designed to attack American cities on the East Coast as part of "Projekt Amerika."

Although that weapon was never deployed it led directly to the development of the V-2 rocket, the first ballistic missile ever used in warfare. The man behind both the A9/10 and V-2 projects, Wernher von Braun, came to the United States following the war, when the both the Americans and Russians began scooping up useful German rocket scientists. Von Braun would play a central role in both the U.S. nuclear-weapons and space programs.

Developed as a vehicle for delivering nuclear warheads to targets thousands of miles away, the Titan, like the Atlas before it, also proved effective as a launch platform for NASA. The Titan II was used extensively during the Gemini program, before being replaced for Apollo by the far more powerful Saturn V.

The Cold War is now history, and various treaties have led to the reduction of nuclear arsenals in both the United States and Russia. But the ICBM is still around, and still lethal. All the so-called nuclear countries have them, and North Korea may have recently joined the club.

Source: Various

Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Feb 2009 | 2:00 am

At TED, walking among the digerati (CNET)

CNET - The day started with a soothing performance by Deepak Ram, master of the bansuri, an Indian wooden flute. But the meditative state didn't last long as day two of the often mind-blowing TED got under way. (In case you aren't familiar with TED just click here.)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Feb 2009 | 1:30 am

SEO At the Enterprise Level–A Major Flop

When I hear SEO, I think of brilliant quantitative guys shut-up in an apartment somewhere running A/B split tests and writing link-bait. Search Engine Optimization is the way companies make it easy for customers to find their website using Google. Because search engines don't publish their algorithms, SEO is a reverse-engineering guessing-game. The very nature of SEO--unknown, constantly changing, and unethical spam tactics--seems diametrically opposed to enterprise culture. So I interviewed Stephan Spencer, president and founder of Netconcepts. (Major clients include Cabela's, HSN, AOL, SuperPages.com, Zappos, and Discovery Channel, among others.) What's your experience with large enterprise and SEO?

When it comes to SEO, enterprise companies don't seem to care or are clueless or both.

Source: TechCrunch | 6 Feb 2009 | 1:14 am

Review: 'Fanboys' Might Have Been Funny 'A Long Time Ago'

The Star Wars comedy with a troubled past finally makes it to the big screen. Unfortunately, it's a one-way road trip to the land of nerd clichés.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Feb 2009 | 1:00 am

Coherent, Inc. to Present at Thomas Weisel Partners Technology Conference

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:48 am

Space station may continue to 2020

Russia's leading spacecraft maker RSC Energia said an agreement has been reached to continue using the International Space Station until 2020. Vitaly Lopota, president of the company, said Russia, the United States, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency have reached a verbal agreement to extend the use of the orbiter, RIA Novosti reported Thursday.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:47 am

Playing violent video games has risks: study (Reuters)

Reuters - Among young college students, the frequency and type of video games played appears to parallel risky drug and alcohol use, poorer personal relationships, and low levels of self-esteem, researchers report.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:45 am

How to Get RC33 On Your G1 Without the Wait

If you’re a G1 owner and are anything like us, you’ve been checking your handset every 20 minutes for the last two days in hopes that it’s finally your turn to bask in the light of the latest update, RC33. It’s not the Cupcake update folks are so anxious to get their hands on - but its got voice search and Latitude, and that more than justifies the patch for us. Fortunately for those of us dying to play with the latest and greatest, some brilliant beings managed to sniff out the official update package. Armed with little more than an SD card, you can be enjoying RC33 in under 10 minutes.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:44 am

All-Electric Motorcycle Promises 150 MPH

A former Tesla Motors engineer and a one-time motorcycle racer promise to begin selling the world's fastest production EV next year.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:38 am

How to get RC33 on your G1 without the wait

If you’re a G1 owner and are anything like us, you’ve been checking your handset every 20 minutes for the last two days in hopes that it’s finally your turn to bask in the light of the latest update, RC33. It’s not the Cupcake update folks are so anxious to get their hands on - but its got voice search and Latitude, and that more than justifies the patch for us. Fortunately for those of us dying to play with the latest and greatest, some brilliant beings managed to sniff out the official update package. Armed with little more than an SD card, you can be enjoying RC33 in under 10 minutes.

Note: You must currently be on RC30 for this to work.

Mandatory warning: Updating firmware can be a delicate procedure, so continue at your own risk. Always back up everything. Make sure to check the hash or otherwise verify a firmware’s source. Whenever possible, download it directly from Google (as you will in this tutorial). Make sure that your battery is charged so as to keep it from fizzling out mid-update, and that you don’t have the G1 plugged into USB during the actual update process.

1. Grab the RC33 update from Google here.

2. Rename it from signed-PLAT-RC33-from-RC30.f06aa9b3.zip to update.zip, and place it at the root (the very top directory) of your Micro SD card. (If you added the file to your microSD card by connecting the handset to your computer via USB [rather than using a dedicated microSD card reader], make sure to unmount it and disconnect the USB cable now.

3. Turn off your G1, then turn it back on by holding the Home+End keys until you see an icon popup after the T-Mobile G1 logo.

4. From the icon screen, open the keyboard and hit Alt+L. This allows you to see what’s going on during the update.

5. Press Alt+S to begin the update. Remember, the update needs to be in the root of the Micro SD card and needs to be named update.zip.

6. Once it finishes, follow the onscreen instructions and press Home+Back to finish.

7. The G1 will reboot a few times to flash different parts of the firmware.

If all went well, you should now be running the latest update, RC33. To make sure all your hard work wasn’t for nothing, hit Menu > Settings > About Phone > scroll to Build Number. You should see RC33 in there somewhere. Congrats!

Notes:

• Some microSD cards don’t seem to play friendly with this process. If you have trouble with one card, try another..

RC33 download link obtained via the always ingenious xda-dev community.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:34 am

A Tour of San Francisco Artist Carl Pisasturo's Electromechancial Wonderland

San Francisco artist Carl Pisaturo creates a 400-square-foot installation of kinetic and light art. His wonderland of handcrafted objects includes such visual treats as a pair of "slave" robots and a transmutoscope.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:03 am

Wired Video: Artist Creates Electromechanical Eye Candy

Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood of San Francisco is a little workshop that opens its doors rather infrequently to the outside world. But when it does, it is an electro-mechanical wonderland.

Called Area 2881, after its address, it is a 400-square-foot installation of kinetic and light art housed in an hardware store from the early 1900s.

The Willy Wonka behind it, Carl Pisaturo is an applications engineer by day at Stanford University. When he's not at work, Pisaturo spends his time fashioning the most elaborate objects -- an upper body robot with humanoid range of movements, a 3-D photograph viewer and a strobe illusion device that he calls a transmutoscope.

"I wanted to create a living environment of kinetic sculptures," he says.

The transmutoscope, for instance, has a series of slightly different but similar looking cylindrical objects arranged in a circle on a a rotating disk. When strobe lamps fire in sync with the object positions, the transmutoscope pulsates. The cylinders appears stationary yet contracting and expanding.

Other Pisaturo creations include two electro-mechanical robots he calls "slave robots" that can be handled using an external controller, and a three-motor Tilt-a-Whirl-type carousel based on an amusement park ride.

Pisaturo has posted detailed material, design and electrical notes for his creations on his website.

Each sculpture can take months to finish, with all parts custom-made by him."Fully custom mechanical objects with lighting can take a long time," says Pisaturo who does the machining for the metal himself, "from three months to two years in case of the slave robots."

The Area 2881 studio isn't for walk-in tourists. Every few months, Pisaturo has an open house in the evening to let those interested come see his objects. Most of them are self-explantory, he says. Pisaturo rarely gives personal guided tours but made an exception for Wired.com when we visited last week.

The art is not a way for him to make money. "Rather it's a money sink," he says. And it doesn't come cheap. It takes more than a few thousand dollars to buy one of his mechanical beauties.

In this video, Pisaturo shows us his best creation, the slave robot that has an almost humanoid upper-body motion.

Credits: Producer - Annaliza Savage, Editor - Fernando Cardoso
</p>

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:03 am

A Tour of San Francisco Artist Carl Pisasturo's Electromechancial Wonderland

San Francisco artist Carl Pisaturo creates a 400-square-foot installation of kinetic and light art. His wonderland of handcrafted objects includes such visual treats as a pair of "slave" robots and a transmutoscope.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:03 am

Microsoft Smartphone Rumors Gain Steam (PC World)

PC World - Rumors that Microsoft will launch its own smartphones have gained steam again, with one analyst predicting that the device may be introduced at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in two weeks.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Feb 2009 | 12:00 am

BlackBerry-maker settlement approved (AP)

AP - The co-executives of BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion will pay the brunt of about $77 million Canadian (US$62 million) in fines and restitution to settle allegations they participated in a practice known as stock option backdating.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Feb 2009 | 11:56 pm

LEGO minifig motorcycle helmet

Supposedly via Design Boom, but I can't find the original. Update: Brandon found it. It's work of designer Sebastian Errazuriz.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 11:36 pm

Pocket Shark: The Pen of Death

This $7 marker is made of grivory, which is some sort of reinforced plastic. The intention is to create a pen that is also a capable weapon.

Adage Fail: The makers failed to get through their pitch without saying "The pen is mightier than the sword."

Furthermore:

They also sell spears and polypropylene sticks, injection-molded to resemble rattan canes.

Pocket Shark [Cold Steel via Awesomer OhGizmo, etc.]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 11:17 pm

MIT Researchers Create a Cheap "6th Sense" Device

thefickler writes "MIT researchers have combined a mobile projector with a webcam and mobile phone to create a device that draws information from the environment. For example, the gadget recognizes products on store shelves and can provide product and price comparison information. The sixth-sense device was cobbled together from common parts costing just $300. While the gadget is not being primed for mass release, it represents a forward-thinking way of blending technology with our environment."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 5 Feb 2009 | 11:17 pm

The Ark: Mobile hot tub and sauna on a trailer

This trailer, known as "The Ark", is a sauna and hot tub built by Vernon Albert to be rented as a "mobile Roman bath". He apparently had a hard time getting it insured. [via Kalle Hoffman's Sauna Building FAQ]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 11:07 pm

The Wall Street Journal Lays Off 14; Dow Jones Newswire Untouched [MediaMemo]

Here are some of those cost-cutting measures Rupert Murdoch was talking about during today’s News Corp. (NWS) earnings call: The Wall Street Journal is laying off 14 people in its editorial group, managing editor Robert Thomson announced this afternoon.

This could have been worse: An earlier report from Portfolio.com floated the possibility of 50 jobs lost, though it suggested that some of that could be through attrition. This Web site is owned by Dow Jones, which also owns The Journal; I wish all my colleagues good luck.

Here’s the memo:

——-
Dear Colleagues,

It is obvious to you all that we are in the midst of an unprecedented economic downturn. We are also in the midst of an unprecedented increase in our readership, in print and online, but a precipitous decline in print advertising revenue has forced a close examination of our structures and of our costs.

Over the past couple of months, teams have been reorganized at The Wall Street Journal and we have lost 11 journalists through attrition. Unfortunately, it has been necessary today to restructure several other teams at the cost of an additional 14 positions. The number, while regrettable, has been kept to a minimum because department heads have been vigilant in controlling costs and in maximizing our use of existing resources.

There are no plans for lay-offs at Dow Jones Newswires, where our international expansion is continuing, most recently through the launch of a Spanish-language venture and in India, where we are creating a new reporting team to take advantage of that country’s economic development. And we will continue to hire journalists for the Journal for projects of strategic significance.

At the Journal, we are closing the New York-based Fashion and Retail group, though we will maintain coverage and reassign some editors and reporters to other bureaus. Other groups losing a position include the Los Angeles and Boston bureaus, along with the New York-based Law, Health and Real Estate groups, and the Library.

There is no doubt that Dow Jones is in a far stronger position than our competitors and that the global influence of the Journal and Newswires is growing significantly, so there are genuine reasons for optimism. But we also must be realistic about the current trading environment and continue to reduce costs while maintaining the world’s highest standard of journalistic quality and integrity.

Yours,
Robert

Source: All Things Digital | 5 Feb 2009 | 11:01 pm

Constant compressions critical to CPR

A Norwegian study suggests interrupting chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation reduces the chances of heartbeat return after defibrillation. University of Stavanger researchers said they discovered that for every second of a pause in compressions, there is a 1 percent reduction in the likelihood of success. Kenneth Gundersen, who led the study, said he and his colleagues quantified the effect of compression interruptions on the probability of a return of spontaneous circulation. We analyzed data from 911 interruptions and found that every second without the blood perfusion generated by chest compressions has a negative impact on the estimated probability of (return of spontaneous circulation), said Gundersen. The American Heart Association last year suggested the mouth-to-mouth component of CPR was unnecessary.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Feb 2009 | 11:01 pm

White Electronic Designs to Report Q1 2009 Financial Results on February 11, 2009

PHOENIX, Feb.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:50 pm

DemandTec to Present at the Pacific Crest On-Demand Conference

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Feb.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:50 pm

Earthlink: Why Haven’t They Bought AOL’s Dial-Up Unit? [Voices]

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

Earthlink (ELNK) is an odd company: it continues to generate more and more cash from the terminally ill (and steadily shrinking) dial-up Internet access business. Its coffers are bursting at the seams. Judging by the company’s valuation, the Street doesn’t see a whole lot of value in the core business. But there certainly is intrigue over the cash–including whether the company will eventually buy the AOL dial-up access business.

This morning, Earthlink posted Q4 revenues of $216.1 million, right in line with the Street at $216.2 million. But the dial-up Internet access provider posted profits for the quarter of 25 cents a share, falling short of the Street by 13 cents. Note, however, that results include a $78.7 million noncash impairment charge, partially offset by a $56.1 million tax benefit. Revenues dropped 23.4 percent from a year ago.

Read the rest of this post

Source: All Things Digital | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:49 pm

Daston Corporation Joins Google Apps Authorized Reseller Program

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Daston Corporation today announced it has been selected as an enterprise reseller of the Google Apps(TM) suite of communication and collaboration tools.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:32 pm

Wired slams Vaio P

Following positive write-ups from others, Wired's Brian X. Chen takes a more skeptical approach to Sony's Vaio P.

It's a far more capable device than most netbooks, which justifies its price (twice that of most netbooks), Sony officials say. And boy, are they wrong.

Best line: "The idea of carrying one of these things in a coat pocket screams 'nerdy douche.'"

I think he hates it.

First Look: Sony Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC [Wired:Gadget Lab]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:31 pm

The Case For Supporting and Using Mono

snydeq writes "Fatal Exception's Neil McAllister argues in favor of Mono, asking those among the open source community who have 'variously described Mono as a trap, a kludge, or simply a waste of effort' to look past Miguel de Icaza and Mono's associations with Microsoft and give the open source implementation of .Net a second chance, as he himself has, having predicted Mono's demise at the hands of open source Java in 2006. Far from being just a clone of .Net for Linux, McAllister argues, Mono has been 'expanding its presence into exciting and unexpected new niches.' And for those who argue that 'developing open-source software based on Microsoft technologies is like walking into a lion's den,' McAllister suggests taking a look at the direction Mono is heading. The more Mono evolves, the less likely Microsoft is to use patent claims or some other dirty trick to bring down the platform."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:29 pm

First Look: Sony Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC

Sony refuses to call its latest 8-inch mini note — the Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC — a netbook. Why? It's a far more capable device than most netbooks, which justifies its price (twice that of most netbooks), Sony officials say. And boy, are they wrong.

If by "capable" they mean "stuff you can get done with it," then you're going to need to learn a lot of hot keys. Because the worst part of this netbook (yes, I called it that) is its mouse. It's a pointing stick. A device this puny is hard enough to use in the first place, and poking a piece of rubber to make selections is just God-awful annoying. And for clicking, there are two wide, silver buttons beneath the space bar; they're positioned so awkwardly you're going to pray you never have to right-click.

I don't exaggerate when I say this netbook's small. The 8-inch LED screen displays a high 1,600 x 768 resolution. That's impressively sharp, but it means onscreen type becomes extremely small, so even if you have 20/20 vision, you'll be squinting often to double check what you type. And the netbook weighs a pound and a half — small enough to stuff in a blazer pocket. (Let's face it, though: The idea of carrying one of these things in a coat pocket screams "nerdy douche.")

Other than stifling your productivity, the Lifestyle's slow performance won't help much either. This netbook ships with a 1.33-GHz Intel Atom processor — not the standard 1.6-GHz Atom in other netbooks. (For some reason, Sony treats Japan with faster processor options.) We ran some benchmarks on the Lifestyle, and it's pretty damn sluggish. For example, in our iTunes conversion test the Lifestyle took about 19 minutes to convert 25 tracks. By way of comparison, the MSI Wind U120 took 11 minutes to complete the same test. Did I mention the Lifestyle ships with Vista? That's probably making its performance even worse.

The keyboard isn't great, either. It's nice and roomy, but the keys themselves feel very flat and unnatural to type on. The right Shift key is extremely small, something that many consumers hate about other netbook keyboards.

And did I mention the Lifestyle starts at $900? The base model includes a 60-GB hard disk drive; the middle model ships with a 64-GB solid state drive for $1,200; and the top-of-the-line Lifestyle costs $1,500 with a 128-GB solid state. All models ship with a maxed out memory capacity of 2 GB of RAM. That's pretty pricey compared to netbooks, which cost $400 on average.

Don't get me wrong: The Lifestyle is a truly beautiful device — a worthy highlight at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The cooler part about the netbook is it ships with a built-in GPS device, a 3G modem and Wi-Fi, meaning you'll be able to connect to the internet practically anywhere. Other bonuses include a multimedia card reader (Memory Stick Duo and SD) and noise-canceling headphones.

Still, that's a lot of money, and good looks and ultraportability aren't everything in the technology world. Surely, some of you travelers out there will like this thing — maybe if you purchase a separate Bluetooth mouse. Otherwise I don't see this being a good device for professionals or the typical consumer.

We'll post a full review soon after completing benchmarking and battery testing. Don't get your hopes up for battery life, though: The Lifestyle ships with a 2-cell battery compared to the standard 3-cell in netbooks.   

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:11 pm

First Look: Sony Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC

We're not fans of Sony's latest 8-inch netbook, the Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC. Here's a rundown of why.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:11 pm

First Look: Sony Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC

We're not fans of Sony's latest 8-inch netbook, the Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC. Here's a rundown of why.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:11 pm

Controversial College Gossip Site Goes Offline

The popular campus gossip site JuicyCampus.com is the latest victim of the economic downturn, according to the site’s founder.The controversial site that one college official recently called a "virtual bathroom wall" of hateful and degrading speech was offline Thursday, much to the relief of administrators and many students nationwide.Erika Lowe, vice president of the student government at Western Illinois University, which had been working with administrators to block the site from campus computers there, said she was happy the site was offline.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Feb 2009 | 10:10 pm

Apple Says No to Throwing Shoes at Bush on iPhone

Many laughed at the sight of a reporter chucking his shoes at former prez George W. Bush — but Apple didn't find it funny enough to approve an iPhone app reenacting the incident.

Apple recently rejected MyShoe, an app that uses the iPhone's accelerometer to virtually heave a shoe at a cartoon Bush, according to Mashable.

Mashable claims receiving a copy of the rejection letter, which says Apple "determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store because it contains content that ridicules public figures."

The iPhone App Store's terms of service says applications may not contain obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content. However, the developer, based in Pakistan, told Mashable he felt the move was a "huge discrimination against public opinion, as major portions of the world reject Bush's policies on Iraq and attacks on Pakistan.”

See Also:

• Apple Imposes NDA For App Store Rejections
• Android Welcomes App Store's Rejects With Arms Wide Open
• Rejected: 'Pull My Finger' iPhone App

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:59 pm

Zilog Announces Third Quarter Financial Year 2009 Earnings Call

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:57 pm

Black Wolves the Result of Interbreeding With Dogs

Genetic studies of wolves with black coats reveal that they got the coloring from dogs thousands of years ago. The fur color may have a benefit, which is unusual because advantageous are usually passed fomr wild to domestic species, and not the other way around.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:45 pm

White Space Plan Would Reuse TV Spectrum

An anonymous reader writes "A collection of companies including Microsoft, Google and Motorola are teaming up for a new white space wireless network plan. The White Spaces Database Group, as it will be known, plans on formulating a plan to create, govern and maintain a wireless broadband network on abandoned analog television spectrum. When the spectrum is finally vacated in June, the group hopes that system in place which will allow for the creation of an open wireless broadband network which will be accessible by any device. The FCC officially approved keeping the spectrum open back in November, despite staunch opposition from telco firms."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:41 pm

Liquid Immersion Kits Target PC Performance Junkies

Gaming junkies know the best way to extract high performance from your computer is to have liquid coolant keep it from overheating.

While expensive desktops do that, it is difficult for those who want to build their own machines to get that.

That's why Hardcore Computer, a firm created by two gamers, says it is launching a kit that will help users build their own liquid-cooled machines.

Called the Reactor Total Liquid Submersion PC kit, the package includes a tank, custom-built chassis, heat exchanger, pump, motherboard, power supply and Core Coolant cooling fluid.

Heat generated by electrical components is a major limiting factor in the performance of computers. Excessive heat can lead to system instability and even melt some components. That's where liquid submersion cooling steps in. It allows for active components to maintain low temperatures even they are overclocked.

Hardcore Computer claims its coolant mixture absorbs ten times more heat than air. The company launched its first product, the Reactor range of desktops last fall. The systems came with processors from the Intel core 2 family, Nvidia graphic cards and has its components fully submerged in coolant. The machines can be pretty pricey ranging from $3000 to $5900.

“DIYers and modders en masse have expressed interest in getting their hands on a Reactor,” Al Berning, CEO, Hardcore Computer said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to offer enthusiasts an opportunity to build their own."

The PC kits are priced at $2,040. Hardcore Computer says it will integrate customers PC components at no additional charge for a limited time.

See also:
Wired Review of the Reactor Extreme PC

Photo: Reactor desktop

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:39 pm

Steampunk Plasma bell jar sculpture by Lisa Snellings

David K. writes:

Lisa Snellings, who has done amazing artwork for years (including pieces for Neil Gaiman that have inspired a number of his short stories) has a great work of art on eBay right now, that is a Victorian steampunk scene with a plasma ball, done in the Victorian style complete with framing bell jar. Well worth checking out!It is indeed. $750 at the moment but for once seemingly worth the price. But if that's still too much for you grousers, you can buy similar real working vacuum bell jars for around $120, or ornamental ones for $45. Brain and plasma not included.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:27 pm

News Corp. Misses Estimates, Huge Write-Off, Lowering Guidance: Murdoch Says It’s Worse Than He Thought [MediaMemo]

Even though analysts had been moving their estimates down at the company’s urging, News Corp. still underperformed the consensus for its quarterly earnings report card. And the company is recording an $8.4 billion write-off related to its TV and newspaper businesses. (News Corp. is the owner of Dow Jones and this Web site.)

Quote from CEO Rupert Murdoch: “Our results for the quarter are a direct reflection of the grim economic climate. While we anticipated a weakening, the downturn is more severe and likely longer lasting than previously thought. As a result, we have been taking actions to preserve a solid level of operational profitability and a strong balance sheet without sacrificing future growth. We are implementing rigorous cost-cutting across all operations and reducing head count where appropriate. We believe our businesses are well positioned to withstand a lengthy downturn and to emerge stronger as the current economic situation improves.”

News Corp. (NWS) knocked down guidance for the rest of its fiscal year (which ends this summer) again: Last fall it had said it would expect operating income to drop to the low- to mid-teen range for FY ’09; today it says it’s planning on a 30 percent decline.

Excluding the write-down, the company posted earnings of 12 cents a share on revenue of $7.9 billion; Wall Street had been looking for 19 cents and $8.39 billion, respectively. Including the charge, the company lost $6.4 billion, or $2.45 a share.

Murdoch’s comments about things being worse than he thought should be more worrisome than similar quotes we’ve heard from other media CEOs. That’s because Murdoch has been one of the most bearish of moguls since last spring. And last fall, he began guiding down expectations again.

But the market seems to be taking all of this in stride, and News Corp. shares were up slightly in aftermarket trading. Either investors are relieved that things aren’t worse or they are encouraged by Murdoch’s remarks, which were peppered with both pledges to cut costs and an optimistic refrain that things will get better one day.

Here’s the breakdown of the company’s operating performance–note the huge drop in the company’s TV business (click to enlarge):

MySpace/Fox Interactive Media falls under “other.” Here’s some more info on that from the release: “The decline in FIM operating results was driven by increased costs associated with the growth in unique users, international expansion, the launch of MySpace music and new features, as well as lower subscription revenue at IGN.”

Update from the call: FIM revenues of $226 million are down three percent year-over-year, due to lower subscription rates at IGN, the game-centric business News Corp. bought around the same time as MySpace in 2005. The good news: MySpace ad revenues are flat compared to last year, which is pretty good, considering the rest of the Web.

Asked about his views on the Web as an ad medium in general, Murdoch gave a nuanced but fairly mainstream take: It’s great to sell search ads, but the rest of the online ad business is plagued by an “almost infinite increase in inventory” which keeps pushing rates down. On MySpace: “In the social-network area, we’re getting 80 to 90 percent of total revenue, but that is not a particularly relevant number….We need to find new ways to monetize our huge audience.”

The breakdown on the write-off:

$4.6 billion on “indefinite-lived intangibles (primarily FCC licenses)”
$3.6 billion of goodwill
$185 million on “Newspapers and Information Services fixed assets”

Still reading? Then you should know that Murdoch still doesn’t want to buy the New York Times: “I’ve got no interest. I’ve got no desire to be an even bigger public enemy. Or target.”

Source: All Things Digital | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:12 pm

Asus 7-inch Netbook Modded Into Tablet

Converting a notebook into a tablet is one of the toughest — and most impressive — mods out there. Over in Mobile01forums are some pictures (above) of a 7-inch Asus Eee PC 701 netbook turned into a tablet, and it looks pretty sweet.

Keep in mind that this type of mod requires installing a touchscreen, cramming all the guts into a different case and then figuring out how to tweak the software to work like a true tablet. This one even has buttons on the side for launching applications and controlling the cursor.

See Also:

• Cheap, Easy-to-Mod NetBooks Are a Hacker's Paradise
• Tablet Hackintosh on Dell Netbook

Mobile01 Forums [via Liliputing]

Photo: Mobile01 Forums

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:09 pm

Your Phone Has Just Committed an Illegal Operation and Will Now Shut Down [Digital Daily]

“Microsoft is not doing a phone.”

That was Redmond’s terse denial of a report that it is preparing to launch a branded cellphone in the second half of this year. Put forth by analysts from Broadpoint.AmTech, the report speculates that the device would tightly integrate hardware and software, much like Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, and that Microsoft (MSFT) may uncrate it at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month. Below, the note in its entirety:

Checks suggest MSFT working on its own smart-phone

MSFT Smart-Phone Launch? Multiple industry sources are telling us that MSFT is planning to launch a smartphone. We are told it will be a 2H launch. We do not see this as landscape changing, much like their Zune launch. There are however more established competitors in the smartphone space (RIMM, AAPL, HTC, NOK) and interesting contenders (GOOG, PALM). The Zune effort certainly did not change the iPod/ iTunes trajectory, but may have taken some share from weaker players including those using Windows DRM.

While not landscape changing, one take-away is a confirmation that a vertically integrated model of hardware and software (AAPL, RIMM) is proving to be the preferred model. This follows NOK’s acquisition of Symbian (and SYNC, NVT, etc).

We find MSFT’s strategy as a bit puzzling–may be frustration that the Windows Mobile product is not getting the mind-share / market share with RIMM, AAPL and even Google Android stealing the thunder. We suspect MSFT may alienate some of their existing Windows-Mobile customers who will now compete with them in hardware.

Smart phones matter. We read MSFT’s own entry into the smart-phone category as confirmation of the importance / growth opportunity of Smart Phones. Reference our smart phone / net book discussion from late last year which discusses the clash between the PC industry and Cell Phone industry.

There could be an announcement at 3GSM. We will be attending MSFT’s analyst event at the show in Barcelona on Feb. 16th. There is also an analyst event in New York Feb 24th.

[Image credit: ZuneScene]

Source: All Things Digital | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:00 pm

How to Shoot (and View) 3-D Photos

Want to make a 3-D camera and viewer? Area 2881 artist Carl Pisaturo shows you how.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 9:00 pm

MySQL Co-Founder Monty Widenius Quits Sun

BobB-nw writes "Michael 'Monty' Widenius, the original developer of the open-source MySQL database, has left Sun Microsystems and is starting his own company, Monty Program Ab, he said in a blog post Thursday. Widenius and Sun had a slightly rocky relationship since the vendor bought MySQL last year for $1 billion. In a much-discussed November blog post, he trashed Sun's decision to give MySQL 5.1 a 'generally available' designation, saying it was riddled with serious bugs. Meanwhile, Monty Program Ab will be 'a true open-source company,' with only a small number of employees who 'strive to have fun together and share the profit we create.' The company will work on the Maria project, a storage engine Widenius and others developed, he wrote.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 5 Feb 2009 | 8:56 pm

Young Butterflies Trick Ants Into Raising Them

Pupae of a certain butterfly exude a scent that mimics ants so they can beg for food.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Feb 2009 | 8:35 pm

Found: Wolves in Dogs' Clothing

At least some of today's wolves inherited traits from ancient dogs, research finds.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Feb 2009 | 8:13 pm

Verizon going BOGO for BlackBerry

Any chump can have one BlackBerry. But you, you.. you’ve got bigger dreams. You want to rock the pair, to tote the twins. You want two BlackBerry handsets. Beginning tomorrow, Verizon wants to make that happen - so they’re giving you a second BlackBerry for free. Buy one, get one!

Surprisingly, they’re not throwing in a “Wait, wait, except for the Storm” exception here. You’ll need to pick up new contracts for each device, but you’ll be saving between $49.99 and $200 bucks up front. Plus, you get to have two entirely separate conversations at once! Everyone will think you’re awesome and want to be your friend!

Promotion Details:

• Runs from February 6th to March 31st
• Any BlackBerry Verizon offers is eligible for the deal
• Each handset requires a 2-year voice/data plan

But wait, there’s more! Not really.

[Via BoyGeniusReport]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Feb 2009 | 7:30 pm

Bones Reveal Harsh Life of Colonial America

The remains of early settlers reveal a tough life in colonial America.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Feb 2009 | 7:23 pm

Samsung N20 advances on U.S.

Conquering Europe presently with its promises of extravagant battery life, Samsung's NC20 will hit U.S. shores in a few months. The cost is edging skyward, however: $575, converting from the British price. Those guys get rear-ended on electronics prices so badly, however, that this could work out to as little as $23 in the states. [via Crunchgear]


Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 7:12 pm

Crossing the Atlantic in a pedal-powered submarine

Having accidentally invented a prototypical blade that — thrown into a swimming pool — essentially swam by itself, machinist/inventor Ted Ciamillo crated the Lunocet, a carbon-fibre tale for divers that doubles the record swimming speed of even the Olympic swimming champion for ordinary paddlers. But he's not stopping there. Rather than just inventing the blade, Ciamillo is using is to power a pedal-powered miniature submarine, and he plans to paddle it across the Atlantic later this year.

It's a wet sub, which means that Ciamillo will need to use a wet suit, snorkel and scuba diving gear, since the interior of the sub will be flooded with water. And experts are skeptical that he'll make it even halfway, short of being a nigh-invulnerable superman.

But his submarine does have one very cool perk: it has the lowest disruptive impact on the thirty foot surface of the ocean than any submarine yet.... a surface which scientists know surprisingly little about. Marine biologists are pumped, hoping that Ciamillo will discover many heretofore unknown species that might otherwise be scared away by churning blades or slashing rudders. And wonderfully enough, they specifically cite the strange species of the giant cephalopod.

Across the ocean in a pedal-powered submarine [New Scientist]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 6:28 pm

2009: Year of the Snapdragon?!

It seems like only yesterday (although technically, it was 48+ hours ago) when Qualcomm’s Snapdragon remained a mythical (mobile technology) beast, yet to be discovered by the modern (handset manufacturing) world.  However, all that changed after Toshiba shocked the cellular industry by unleashing Snapdragon from its proverbial cave with its TG01 announcement.

In traditional medieval fashion, as soon as word of the newly-found monster spread, more (snap)dragon-slayers have stepped up to the challenge of making the new creature their own. According to “market sources in Taiwan,” HTC has its own plans to release a Snapdragon-based device in 2Q09.

As reported by DigiTimes, HTC joins more than a dozen other eager dragon-slayers mobile manufacturers who have “signed up” with Qualcomm to utilize this new, powerful mobile platform including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Acer, Asustek Computer, Quanta Computer, and Foxconn International Holdings, to name a few.

In yet another nod to the (now) almighty Snapdragon (for the record, I know snapdragons are actually flowers and not mythical monsters, but that wouldn’t allow for this post to be one big metaphor of intensity, would it now?), the same Taiwanese sources also noted that HTC will release Snapdragon-based products before launching any of the Intel Atom-based devices it has already been developing.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Feb 2009 | 6:13 pm

Yet another Samsung phone leaks: the C6625

Jeez - at this point, saying something like “when it rains, it pours” would almost seem rude. The number of Samsung phones leaked prior to MWC has now leapt out of “countable on two hands” territory, with details of an 11th previously unheard of Samsung phone, the C6625, making their way onto the tubes.

Unlike all of the past leaks, this latest pre-announcement isn’t so much a “leak” as it is a slip-up. Mobile reseller Expansys pushed the product page live a bit early, and some eagle eye stumbled across it. Rockin’ a 2 megapixel camera, 2.6″ 320×240 screen, and a 2 megapixel camera, it’s looking a whole lot like a slightly higher spec’d Samsung Ace. It’s not available yet, but it looks like it’ll go for roughly $365 once it starts shipping.

Full specs after the jump.

Samsung C6625 Specs:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard
• Dimensions:
- 113.6 x 63 x 11.6 mm
• Weight: 107.7g
• Battery:
- Talk Time: 420 mins
- Standby Time: 300 hrs
- Capacity: 1300 mAh
• Display:
- 320 x 240 pixels/2.6 inch
• Network:
- GSM: 900/1800/1900 (Tri-Band)
- WCDMA: 2100 (Single-Band)
- HSDPA (3.6Mbps)
• Camera:
- 2 mega-pixels
- 4 x Digital Zoom
• Video:
- 25fps Video Recording (QVGA)
- Supported formats: MP4, 3GP, H.264 & WMV
- Video Streaming
• Music:
- Supported formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ & WMA
- FM Stereo Radio (RDS)
- Windows Media Player Sync
• Ringtones:
- Monophonic
- Polyphonic (64)
- MP3
• Messaging:
- SMS
- MMS (with video)
- E-mail (POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, MS Exchange)
- Instant Messaging (MSN)
• Memory:
- Phone Book (unlimited)
- Dialled Calls (30)
- Missed Calls (30)
- Received Calls (30)
- 100MB (internal)
- microSDHC (external)
• Call Features:
- Hands Free
- Caller ID
• Connectivity:
- Bluetooth (2.0)
- GPRS Class 32
- HSDPA (3.6 Mbits)
• Navigation:
- AGPS
• Security:
- Remote Lock
- Device and memory card encryption
- Remote Wipe
• Features:
- Office Document Viewer (Word, Excel & PowerPoint)
- PDF Document Viewer

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Feb 2009 | 5:42 pm

Snow Leopard to include GPS-like CoreLocation framework

According to developers with access to the latest pre-release distributions of Snow Leopard, the OS now includes CoreLocation, which is the same framework that allowed the first iPhone to roughly triangulate its position without a GPS unit. That should open the way for some cool iPhone-like apps on MacBooks and MacBook Pros... perhaps even ports of stuff like recipe and friend finger applications that have gone over so well. Good stuff. Considering GPS chips were as inexpensive as $5 two years ago, it wouldn't be terribly surprising to see a GPS-equipped MacBook in the near future.

Apple's Snow Leopard to Include Location Multi-Touch Tools [Apple Insider via Gadget Lab]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 5:41 pm

Agent valentine discount code

Here's a 40% off discount code for Agent 18's online store, applicable on their FlowerVest iphone and iPod cases: AgentValentine.


Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 5:16 pm

Deep Sea Web Camera to Monitor Climate Change

A deep sea observatory will monitor how climate change affects marine life.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Feb 2009 | 4:30 pm

Did Dam Trigger 2008 Sichuan Quake?

Some Chinese scientists blame a man-made dam for last year's devastating quake.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Feb 2009 | 4:30 pm

iPhone Earrings made with Fimo

If I were a giant, I'd just spear the real things and use those. As mere people, however, we're forced to consider instead these cute replicas from Barb Feldman's Etsy store, made from art clay. Technabob spotted it, and a few more like it.


Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Feb 2009 | 4:18 pm

Canada, Mexico Sully U.S. Skies With Ozone

Canada and Mexico are at least partly to blame for ozone woes in the U.S.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Feb 2009 | 3:30 pm

Cows With Names Make More Milk

Being treated as an individual helps a cow let down 500 extra pints a year.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Feb 2009 | 2:30 pm

'Green Magic' Protected Child Mummies

An infant mummy is found buried with an emerald amulet.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Feb 2009 | 1:50 pm

Acme i8910 Samsung superphone spied

The Mobile World Conference is almost here and the pre-show leaks are flowing nicely. The Acme i8910 Samsung phone will hopefully make a MWC debut and if the leaked specs are correct, it’s going to make a huge splash.

Rumored specs:

• 8MP camera
• GPS
• HDMI-out
• WiFi
• DivX and DNLA
• 8GB and 16GB models

Of course the expected OS and pricing/availability wasn’t leaked. It could be a custom UI overtop of WinMo 6.1 or maybe even Android. Only a few days to go before MWC.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Feb 2009 | 1:19 pm

Windows Mobile 6.5 coming soon, WinMo 7 later this year

We have already seen what 6.5 screenshots of the next WinMo refresh, but now we have a roadmap of the mobile OS. It seems that manufacturers will get the 6.5 update in April and those devices should hit consumer’s hands the following September. WinMo 7, however, should be released to manufacturers in November followed by devices in April 2010. Hopefully the upcoming release of 6.5 is special enough to keep our attention cause the mobile platform is dying and we can only imagine what the open source Android will evolve into a year from now; not to mention Palm’s webOS.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Feb 2009 | 12:57 pm

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