Source: Gizmodo | 23 Apr 2009 | 2:30 am

Review: an hour with Griffin's TuneFlex AUX

Griffin's TuneFlex solves a problem: the iPod Touch and iPhone's lack of physical controls, which matter when attention is best given to the road ahead. A base unit plugs into the ciggie lighter and the stereo's auxiliary input, while a remote control (play/pause, FF and rewind) attaches to the steering wheel.

It works well enough, with two minor drawbacks. First, it's big and cumbersome enough that you might want to not bother with the steering attachment, and just leave it knocking about in the console. Second, the base station caused en error to popup on our first-gen iPhone, which complained that it wasn't compatible. It worked perfectly, however, after the warning was dismissed. Apart from that, it's perfect.

It's also compatible with normal iPods, should you just want a fancy recharching mount or remote.

At $80, though, it seems expensive given what little it does, even if it does it very well.

Product Page [Griffin]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 23 Apr 2009 | 2:29 am

Unboxing and Ears On with the Aliph Jawbone PRIME

We just deboxed the brand new Jawbone PRIME, and figured we ought to share some of our first impressions.

First off, on the box itself: this thing would make Cupertino’s finest hot under the collar. Coming in at $129 bucks, we didn’t expect this thing to come in a plastic baggy or anything like that, but they still managed to impress us. It slides, it opens, it carefully cradles all the little pieces perfectly in place. We take things out of boxes all damn day, and this box is up near the top of the list.

Read the rest of this entry >>

Source: CrunchGear | 23 Apr 2009 | 2:03 am

Unboxing and Ears On with the Aliph Jawbone PRIME

We just deboxed the brand new Jawbone PRIME, and figured we ought to share some of our first impressions.

First off, on the box itself: this thing would make Cupertino’s finest hot under the collar. Coming in at $129 bucks, we didn’t expect this thing to come in a plastic baggy or anything like that, but they still managed to impress us. It slides, it opens, it carefully cradles all the little pieces perfectly in place. We take things out of boxes all damn day, and this box is up near the top of the list.

The earpiece is nearly identical to the Jawbone before it. It weighs the same (roughly 10 grams), and is exactly the same in its size and shape (read: by no means the smallest, but pretty dang tiny) - with one small difference: they’ve added a slight groove to the face of the earpiece right above the primary button. The buttons on the Jawbone 2 and Jawbone PRIME lay beneath a layer of plastic. On the last model the entire face was flush, making it horribly difficult to find the invisible button while wearing the headset. The new groove makes it a whole lot easier.

The review unit they sent us was one of the limited edition EARCANDY models. “Drop Me A Lime” Green, to be exact. Not exactly the color I would have picked for myself, but I can see where they’re going with this; the color is blindingly vibrant (pictures don’t do it justice), with a sheen that makes it look (fittingly) pricey in the right light.

I’ve got drawers full of Bluetooth headsets, and I can honestly say that the last Jawbone was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever worn. The Jawbone PRIME tops it. They’ve removed the need for the wrap around earloop, providing earbuds (small, medium, and large) that keep the headset snug in your ear. I greatly prefer the new earbuds. I shook my head around like a wet dog, and the thing didn’t budge.

We’ll spend the next few days testing sound quality and writing up a full review. So far, we’re liking everything we’re seeing.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 23 Apr 2009 | 2:02 am

Aliph announces Jawbone Version 3: Jawbone PRIME

We teased you (and ourselves) a bit earlier with our miniature box of mystery, opening up the floor to anyone who wanted to guess what was inside. Though you guys made some great guesses, we can honestly say that it’s not a Palm Pre, Sidekick LX, or the next Android phone. In fact, it’s not a phone at all.

Tucked inside that small cardboard box and rushed to MobileCrunch HQ this morning was Aliph’s latest and greatest Bluetooth headset, the Jawbone PRIME. They’ve brought over everything that made the last one worth while (the killer noise reduction, fashion-friendly look, and itty-bitty form factor), and improved it across the board.

Jawbone PRIME Features:

• NoiseAssassin 2.0: NoiseAssassin already rocked at cutting out all the crap last time around, but they’ve tweaked things to reduce noise in environment 6-9dB louder. That may not sound like much, but remember: decibel ratings are logarithmic. That’s somewhere around a 10x improvement.
• Acoustic Voice Activity Detector (AVAD): The Jawbone series has always relied on a small nub (called the Voice Activity Sensor) that touches your face to detect vibration. On past models, noise reduction and overall call quality would drop fairly sharply if this nub lost contact with your face. AVAD detects if the nub is still touching - if not, it enables a back-up noise reduction method which performs “as good or better than any other noise cancelling headset”.
• Wind Reduction: Wind + Headsets = suck. With most headsets, just stepping into a mild breeze makes it sound to the person on the other end like you’re beating eaten by some sort of demon. Jawbone PRIME takes two different audio signals, the two electret microphones (which, when up against wind, is still good at the high frequency signal) and the Voice Activity Sensor (which has the low frequency stuff down), and then combines the best parts of both on the fly. According to Aliph, this is “the beginning of Jawbone’s journey toward silencing wind.”
• Up to 4.5 hours of talk time
• Standby time of 8+ days
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0
• Multipoint: Switch between up to 8 Bluetooth devices on the fly.
• Weighs roughly 10 grams

Like its predecessors, the Jawbone PRIME will launch with an MSRP of $129.99 in three colors: black, brown, and platinum. Additionally, they’re releasing a limited edition Jawbone EARCANDY line, which is essentially just the PRIME decked out in 4 ultra-bright colors: “Yello?” Yellow, “Frankly Scarlet” Red, “Drop Me A Lime” Green, and “Lilac You Mean It” Purple. Pre-orders begin tomorrow at Jawbone.com, and units will start hitting the shelves by May 2nd, 2009.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 23 Apr 2009 | 1:59 am

Biden Promises 'Right Person' As Copyright Czar

Hugh Pickens writes "Vice President Joe Biden lauded Hollywood at a gala dinner in Washington, assailed movie piracy, and promised film executives that the Obama administration would pick "the right person" as its copyright czar. Biden warned of the harms of piracy at the private event organized by the Motion Picture Association of America in the sumptuous, newly renovated Great Hall of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. "It's pure theft, stolen from the artists and quite frankly from the American people as consequence of loss of jobs and as a consequence of loss of income," Biden said, according to a White House pool report. Biden addressed President Obama's forthcoming decision about who will be named the intellectual-property enforcement coordinator, better known as the copyright czar. Under a law approved by the U.S. Congress last October, Obama is required to appoint someone to coordinate the administration's IP enforcement efforts and prepare annual reports. Copyright industry lobbyists sent a letter to the president asking him to pick someone sympathetic to their concerns, while groups that would curb copyright law sent their own letter (pdf) urging the opposite approach. We "will find the right person for intellectual property czar," Biden said."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 23 Apr 2009 | 1:54 am

US adviser says cybersecurity must be joint effort (AP)

AP - The challenge of protecting the government's computer networks is too big for any one agency to handle alone, a top adviser to President Barack Obama said Wednesday. That suggests the administration doesn't intend to consolidate control of U.S. cybersecurity under a single department like the National Security Agency, as some have feared.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 23 Apr 2009 | 1:24 am

Computer Buyers Have to Consider System Upgrades [Personal Technology]

If you’re shopping for a computer now, there’s an added factor to consider. Later this year, both of the major computer operating systems, Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard, will be replaced with major new versions: Windows 7 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard. And that affects what PC hardware you should choose.

So, in this annual spring computer buyer’s guide, I’ll pay particular attention to buying a machine for the new OS you may soon want.

This guide covers both laptops and desktops and is aimed at average users doing typical tasks. It doesn’t apply to hard-core gamers or video, audio or photo professionals.

Cost: Prices on Windows PCs have plummeted. You can buy a Windows desktop for under $300, without a monitor, and a low-end, full-size Windows laptop for around $500. If you are willing to settle for a so-called netbook — essentially just a small, cheap laptop running the aging Windows XP operating system — you can get a decent one for $350, or less. Even Apple, which has resisted this cut-rate trend, is offering modestly lower prices or higher specs for the same prices as before.

Timing: Despite the bargains, you may want to wait to buy, if you can, until the new operating systems emerge. That’s because it’s usually easier and cheaper to buy a new machine preloaded with a new OS. You don’t have to pay extra for the new OS or hassle with performing the upgrade. Neither Microsoft (MSFT) nor Apple (AAPL) has set a date for their new OS releases, but both are likely by the holiday buying season.

This is especially true if you are thinking of buying a Windows Vista machine. Vista is slow and filled with annoying nag screens. Based on my tests of its prerelease, or beta, version, Windows 7 will be a huge improvement.

Windows vs. Mac: Apple’s hardware is beautiful and durable, and its OS is faster, easier and more stable than today’s Windows. Plus, the Mac isn’t susceptible to the vast majority of malicious software. Windows 7 will narrow this gap considerably, but Snow Leopard could keep Apple ahead, depending on how it turns out.

But Apple computers cost more upfront. The cheapest Mac desktop, the bare-bones Mac Mini, costs $599. And the cheapest Mac laptop is $999. So, if price is your top priority, buy a Windows PC. If speed, ease of use and stability matter more, buy a Mac.

Upgrading: Microsoft promises that upgrading a Vista machine to Windows 7 will be a straightforward process, preserving all of your files, programs and settings.

It’s a different story for Windows XP. Upgrading from that OS will be a cumbersome, multi-step process, requiring users to offload their files, wipe out the old operating system completely, and then reload the files and reinstall their programs. This is a particular problem for buyers of netbooks, nearly all of which come with XP.

In addition, Microsoft’s version of Windows 7 for netbooks, called the Starter Edition, is crippled. It can run only three programs at any one time, and won’t allow any customization of the desktop or the use of Windows 7’s snazzy graphical features. Microsoft says netbook owners also will be able to run the main Home version of Windows 7, at extra cost, but given the weak processors and graphics chips on netbooks, the experience may not be optimal.

Apple, which doesn’t make netbooks, claims Snow Leopard will be an easy upgrade on all currently available Macs.

Memory: Neither company has released the official specs for the two new operating systems, but both are likely to require a minimum of 1 gigabyte of memory. Such specs are usually understated, so I strongly recommend 2 gigabytes, even on cheap machines.

Graphics: In the new operating systems, adequate graphics chips will be more important than ever, because the computers will offload some tasks typically performed by the main processor onto the graphics chip. So, if possible, spring for what’s called a discrete graphics processor, which has its own memory. If you can’t afford this, look for an integrated graphics chip, which shares your main memory, that’s as powerful as possible. One example is the Nvidia 9400.

Processor: Microsoft and Apple say current processors will work fine with the new operating systems. The best bet is a dual-core processor. Some bargain machines use an older single-core model, which is OK for light-duty use. Netbooks, and even some laptops and desktops, come with a much wimpier processor called the Intel (INTC) Atom, which struggles at some tasks.

Touch screens: Windows 7 will include the ability to perform many multitouch gestures on the screen. But this will require a special type of touch screen, different from the ones on most tablet PCs today. A few current models, like Hewlett-Packard’s TouchSmart desktop, support this, but not many. So, if you’d like to use multitouch on Windows 7, ask to make sure your PC can handle it.

The bottom line: Don’t buy more machine than you can afford, or need. But protect yourself by getting one that can be upgraded to the new operating systems.

Find all of Walt Mossberg’s columns and videos online, free, at the All Things Digital Web site, walt.allthingsd.com. Email him at mossberg@wsj.com.

Source: All Things Digital | 23 Apr 2009 | 1:02 am

Syncing to an iPhone on MobileMe [Mossberg's Mailbox]

Here are a few questions I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability.

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I saw your column last week saying Apple’s MobileMe now does a better job of syncing contacts, calendar items and email. But will it allow me to sync to my iPhone directly from my company’s corporate calendar, address books and email?

MobileMe is meant for consumer data, not corporate data. Essentially, Apple’s own servers act like a company’s servers in order to bring corporate-style push syncing to consumer data that isn’t kept on corporate servers. To sync your corporate contacts, calendar items and email to an iPhone, you would use a different built-in option in the iPhone: Microsoft Exchange. Assuming your company’s IT department certifies the iPhone as an acceptable device, and your company uses Exchange, as many or most do, you can use an iPhone to perform instant two-way syncing of corporate contacts, calendar and email. It works just like a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile phone in this scenario. I have tested this, and found it worked well.

Is it possible to sync a Treo or BlackBerry using MobileMe? If not, how can I transfer my Treo contacts and calendar items to the iPhone?

While MobileMe is agnostic when it comes to computer platforms, working on both Windows and Macintosh computers, it is single-minded when it comes to handheld devices. It synchronizes data only to Apple’s own iPhones and iPod Touch devices. It doesn’t work with the Treo, the BlackBerry, or any other smart phone or handheld device beyond those made by Apple. One simple way to move contacts and appointments from Treo to iPhone is to use Outlook as an intermediary. First, sync your Treo to Outlook. Then, just plug your iPhone into your PC, launch iTunes, and sync the iPhone with Outlook. The data from your Treo should then be on the iPhone. MobileMe isn’t required.

I can’t find the location of the files contained in my Personal folders in Outlook that contain my contacts and saved emails. Can you help?

To find the location of the single combined Outlook data file that contains your email, contacts and calendar, follow these steps. First, select “Data File Management” from the File menu. A window will open showing the name of your data file, which includes its location on your hard disk. Click the button to the right that says “Open Folder,” and you will be in the folder that contains this file, with the file’s name or icon highlighted. Outlook data files use the extension “pst” at the ends of their names.

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Source: All Things Digital | 23 Apr 2009 | 12:52 am

How Apple hoses App Store reviews

FROM APPLETELL - One way in which the App Store fails is in restricting updates, and limiting the ability of the programmers to respond to customer comments. And is it just me, or are App Store commenters beginning to approach YouTube-levels of idiocy?
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 23 Apr 2009 | 12:46 am

BlackBerry app looks to handle podcasts better than iTunes: PodTrapper

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Communications, Smartphones, Mobile

If you dig podcasts and are saddled, er, I mean choose to carrying around a BlackBerry, then check out this new app called PodTrapper.  The app promises to automatically download podcasts for you as well as control playback on your BlackBerry smartphone.  Best of all, the app has a free 30 day trial available.

The app was written by Marcus Watkins, a guy who just got fed up with hauling around his BlackBerry plus another device to listen to podcasts.  The app is now in version 2.0 and Watkins believes his app is ready for prime time.  The app includes support for downloading podcasts OTA via cell service (most carriers), WiFi or via its desktop application.  The app does helpful things as well, such as remembering where you left off and features a podcast browser.

If the 30 free trial is enough to sway you, the app costs just $9.99.  The developers site features step by step, screen by screen instructions for downloading the app, installing, and setting up the options to make you a podcast pro.

Product page: [PodTrapper]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 23 Apr 2009 | 12:43 am

MySpace CEO Departure: The Email To Employees

Here’s the email that Jonathan Miller, News Corp.’s CEO Digital Medial, sent to all Fox Interactive employees about the departure of MySpace cofounder and CEO Chris DeWolfe. DeWolfe is gone. Cofounder Tom Anderson will apparently stay on but not as President and will no longer control product.

The press release went out an hour ago, and given that internal emails inevitably leak, there’s little additional information here. But at least Miller is giving DeWolfe as graceful an exit as he can.

To FIM Employees:

I am writing to share the news that MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe will be stepping down from his executive role in the near future. He has agreed to serve as a strategic advisor to the Company and will remain on the board of MySpace China.

In addition, I am currently in discussions with MySpace President Tom Anderson regarding his role within the organization.

I want to take this opportunity to thank them both for their incredible contributions to the Company, and for pioneering one of the greatest social media revolutions of our time. I wish Chris nothing but the best in any new endeavors and, like many in this industry, am eager to witness his next innovations.

I understand the importance of having a dynamic, inspiring and innovative management team, and am dedicated to ensuring that MySpace continues to benefit from the highest levels of passion and enthusiasm.

I also want to thank everyone across FIM for giving me the opportunity to work with all of you. With MySpace, IGN, Photobucket, Fox Audience Network and our Digital Publishing Group, this is an exciting collective of properties and I’m enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead.

I hope to meet and work closely with many of you over the weeks and months to come.

Best regards,
Jonathan Miller

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

Source: TechCrunch | 23 Apr 2009 | 12:38 am

NYPD computers targeted by international hackers (AP)

AP - New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says international hackers try at least 70,000 times a day to gain unauthorized entry into the computer system of the nation's largest police force.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 23 Apr 2009 | 12:15 am

It’s Official: MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe Steps Down

No more speculation or leaks, it’s official. As we wrote yesterday, MySpace cofounder Chris DeWolfe will shortly be leaving the company. He’ll remain on board as a strategic advisor. The press release is below.

News Corp. is also signaling that cofounder Tom Anderson is staying on board, albeit in a new role - even last night we heard that he was a goner.

Whoever the new CEO is, we’ll know soon. News Corp. PR is leaking to their subsidiary press outlets that Owen Van Natta is the prime candidate, but at least a couple of other people are still supposedly in the running. If Van Natta, a former Facebook exec, takes over, the investors that backed him at Playlist are going to want an explanation. He took over the CEO role there less than six months ago.

Chris DeWolfe to Step Down as CEO of MySpace

Will serve as strategic advisor to Company

Los Angeles, CA, April 22, 2009 - MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe and News Corporation’s Chief Digital Officer Jonathan Miller, announced today that, by mutual agreement, Mr. DeWolfe will not be renewing his contract and will be stepping down in the near future. Mr. DeWolfe will continue to serve on the board of MySpace China and will be a strategic advisor to the Company.

Additionally, Mr. Miller announced that he was in discussions with Tom Anderson, MySpace’s president, about Mr. Anderson assuming a new role in the organization.

“Chris and Tom are true pioneers and we greatly value the tremendous job they’ve done in growing MySpace into what it is today,” said Mr. Miller. “Thanks largely to their vision, MySpace has become a vibrant creative community with 130 million passionate followers worldwide. It is an enormously successful property and we look forward to building on its achievements with a new management structure we’ll announce in the near future.”

“In a little under six years we’ve grown MySpace from a small operation with seven people to a very profitable business with over 1,600 employees,” said Mr. DeWolfe. “It’s been one of the best experiences of my life and we’re proud of, and grateful to, the team of talented people who helped us along the way. We thank them, as well as the MySpace community for making our vision a reality.”

“From the very beginning, our driving passion has been simple - to create and foster a platform where people across the globe can not only meet and interact, but share music, videos, thoughts and ideas,” said Mr. Anderson. I look forward to working with Jon. I love this business, and look forward to its next chapter.”

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

Source: TechCrunch | 23 Apr 2009 | 12:00 am

The French Come Calling For Wikipedia (Orange Strikes Mobile Deal)

France Telecom’s Orange, one of the biggest mobile phone operators in Europe, has partnered with Wikimedia to provide Wikipedia content through co-branded channels on Orange’s mobile phones and web sites. Through a revenue-sharing arrangement, the non-profit Wikimedia foundation will get a cut of some of the advertising dollars (or Euros) generated by its content.

Orange will create specific Wikipedia content channels on Orange’s web and mobile portals. Orange will also develop widgets to help customers access Wikipedia content directly from Orange’s portals. Initially, the Wikipedia content and widgets will only be provided to customers in France, Spain, the UK, and Poland but will be rolled out to the rest of Orange’s European footprint at a later point.

It seems like a good deal for Wikipedia. Orange’s reach is widespread-Orange has 122 million mobile customers, including 26.7 million users that use a broadband wireless connection. Orange says that two-thirds of mobile devices on the market in Europe are web enabled. Wikimedia has dabbled in the mobile space, creating a mobile formatted site. And there are a few iPhone Wiki apps (note, not made by Wikipedia) that let you browse Wikipedia, including ones made by WikiPock (which also donates a portion of its revenues to the Wikimedia Foundation), Powerset, WikiTap, and WikiMobile.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 23 Apr 2009 | 12:00 am

The French Come Calling For Wikipedia (Orange Strikes Mobile Deal)

France Telecom’s Orange, one of the biggest mobile phone operators in Europe, has partnered with Wikimedia to provide Wikipedia content through co-branded channels on Orange’s mobile phones and web sites. Through a revenue-sharing arrangement, the non-profit Wikimedia foundation will get a cut of some of the advertising dollars (or Euros) generated by its content.

Orange will create specific Wikipedia content channels on Orange’s web and mobile portals. Orange will also develop widgets to help customers access Wikipedia content directly from Orange’s portals. Initially, the Wikipedia content and widgets will only be provided to customers in France, Spain, the UK, and Poland but will be rolled out to the rest of Orange’s European footprint at a later point.

It seems like a good deal for Wikipedia. Orange’s reach is widespread-Orange has 122 million mobile customers, including 26.7 million users that use a broadband wireless connection. Orange says that two-thirds of mobile devices on the market in Europe are web enabled. Wikimedia has dabbled in the mobile space, creating a mobile formatted site. And there are a few iPhone Wiki apps (note, not made by Wikipedia) that let you browse Wikipedia, including ones made by WikiPock (which also donates a portion of its revenues to the Wikimedia Foundation), Powerset, WikiTap, and WikiMobile.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 22 Apr 2009 | 11:55 pm

Panasonic HDTVs with Viera Cast Add Amazon Video on Demand - NetworkWorld.com

Straits Times

Panasonic HDTVs with Viera Cast Add Amazon Video on Demand NetworkWorld.com By Melissa J. Perenson , PC World , 04/22/2009 Panasonic's Viera Cast-enabled HDTVs just got more interesting. Viera Cast expands its offerings today with the availability of Amazon Video on Demand on select current and future TVs. Video-on-Demand available in HD via Amazon TG Daily Amazon Offers Video On Demand Content in HD eWeek ChannelWeb - CNET News - PC Magazine - New York Times all 210 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 22 Apr 2009 | 11:50 pm

New Mega-Botnet Discovered

yahoi writes " According to the DarkReading article, 'Researchers have discovered a major botnet operating out of the Ukraine that has infected 1.9 million machines, including large corporate and government PCs mainly in the U.S. The botnet, which appears to be larger than the infamous Storm botnet was in its heyday, has infected machines from some 77 government-owned domains — 51 of which are in the US government. Researchers from Finjan who found the botnet say it's controlled by six individuals, and includes machines in major banks.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 22 Apr 2009 | 11:48 pm

Foodista Raises $550,000 From Amazon And Other Angels

Amazon is now an angel investor in a company led by one of its former employees. Foodista, which is trying to create an authoritative wiki for recipes, raised a $550,000 series A funding from Amazon and a group of local Seattle angel investors. CEO and founder Barnaby Dorfman was formerly a vice president at Amazon’s A9 search engine, before he left in 2006.

Foodista is targeting the growing ranks of food bloggers to contribute recipes and use Foodista as a marketing vehicle to find new readers. To that end it has organized the first International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle in May, which is already sold out (Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl is keynoting).

As I described Foodista in my initial review:

It is a Wikipedia for food. Each recipe can be collaboratively edited and improved. Scrumptious photos for each dish are pulled in from Flickr, and descriptions are pulled in from Wikipedia itself. You can add or remove ingredients, see the edit history, or add a comment to each page.

The site is built entirely on Amazon Web services (EC2, S3, and Simple DB) and every ingredient, recipe, technique, and cooking appliance is treated as structured data that links to every other mention of that same item on the site, which makes exploring a lot easier. The site’s traffic still barely registers on many measurement services, but is showing some traction.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 22 Apr 2009 | 11:41 pm

It’s Official: DeWolfe Out As MySpace CEO, Co-Founder Tom Anderson Also Moving Aside [MediaMemo]

As All Things Digital reported earlier today, MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe is stepping down from his post, but will stay on board as a “strategic advisor” to the company. MySpace owner News Corp. (NWS) didn’t name a successor to DeWolfe, but we believe the company is close to bringing Owen Van Natta, the former COO at Facebook and current CEO of Project Playlist, in as a replacement.

News Corp. also said that it is in talks to move aside Tom Anderson, DeWolfe’s longtime partner, from his position as President. Here’s the memo.

Chris DeWolfe to Step Down as CEO of MySpace

Will serve as strategic advisor to Company
______________________

Los Angeles, CA, April 22, 2009 - MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe and News Corporation’s Chief Digital Officer Jonathan Miller, announced today that, by mutual agreement, Mr. DeWolfe will not be renewing his contract and will be stepping down in the near future. Mr. DeWolfe will continue to serve on the board of MySpace China and will be a strategic advisor to the Company.

Additionally, Mr. Miller announced that he was in discussions with Tom Anderson, MySpace’s president, about Mr. Anderson assuming a new role in the organization.

“Chris and Tom are true pioneers and we greatly value the tremendous job they’ve done in growing MySpace into what it is today,” said Mr. Miller.  “Thanks largely to their vision, MySpace has become a vibrant creative community with 130 million passionate followers worldwide.  It is an enormously successful property and we look forward to building on its achievements with a new management structure we’ll announce in the near future.”

“In a little under six years we’ve grown MySpace from a small operation with seven people to a very profitable business with over 1,600 employees,” said Mr. DeWolfe.  “It’s been one of the best experiences of my life and we’re proud of, and grateful to, the team of talented people who helped us along the way.  We thank them, as well as the MySpace community for making our vision a reality.”

“From the very beginning, our driving passion has been simple - to create and foster a platform where people across the globe can not only meet and interact, but share music, videos, thoughts and ideas,” said Mr. Anderson.  I look forward to working with Jon.  I love this business, and look forward to its next chapter.”

Source: All Things Digital | 22 Apr 2009 | 11:34 pm

AT&T preparing employees with information about Pre

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

As we get closer to the Pre launch (whatever day that may be), AT&T has fired out an internal memo citing many biased facts about the Pre when compared with the iPhone.  To me, this serves two reasons.  One, AT&T wants their employees to be knowledgeable about the Pre so they can persuade customers to go with the iPhone.  And two, it means the Pre is going to be launched soon, otherwise why would they send out of a memo if the Pre is months off?

The interesting part is how the memo bashes the Pre.  For example, it states the Pre has an “unproved App Catalog app store”, while the iPhone has over “25,000 available apps” and “almost 1 billion apps downloaded.”  With those few statements, they are trying to prove to their employees the iPhone’s app store is definitely better than the Pre, which is yet to be determined at this point in time.  In terms of the touch screen, the Palm Pre “Touchscreen control gestures not intuitive” and for the iPhone, “Patented Multi-Touch screen” and “Fast and responsive navigation.” That seems pretty biased to me.  It goes on to talk about a few more aspects of each phone in a neatly setup compare and contrast chart.  See the picture above, or the link below for additional points of comparison.

Since I like to support the underdog, I hope this gets the Palm Pre staff upset and more motivated to knock the iPhone off of their lofty throne.  In a more optimistic view, it means that AT&T recognizes they have a real competitor coming soon and they are trying to prepare for the Pre.  It will be interesting to see how Palm responds, if at all. 

Read [Pre Central]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 22 Apr 2009 | 11:26 pm

Globe Telecom Launches Fixed-Mobile Convergence Solution Powered by Acision

MANILA, Philippines, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- - Acision Flexible Charger and Acision Location Gateway Deployed to Substantially Increase Usage of Voice Service Acision, the world's leading messaging company, and Globe Telecom, a leading telecommunications company in the Philippines, have launched the world's first fully convergent solution that works across both fixed and mobile networks for post-paid subscribers.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 11:01 pm

F-Secure Suggests Ditching Adobe Reader For Free PDF Viewers

hweimer writes "Yesterday at RSA security conference, F-Secure's chief research officer recommended dropping Adobe Reader for viewing PDF files because of the huge amount of targeted attacks against it. Instead, he pointed to PDFreaders.org, a website maintaining a list of free and open source PDF viewers."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:42 pm

Earth Day 2009: Green-themed apps for your iPhone, iPod Touch (Part 2)

FROM GAMERTELL - Here’s the second and sexier of our two-part list featuring Earth Day, green and other earth-i-themed goodies in Apple’s App Store.
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:30 pm

We just got a mysterious box of mystery! What’s inside?

It’s not all that rare for us to get deliveries around these parts. Hell, we’re on a first name basis with the FedEx man. That said, it’s pretty uncommon for us to get packages that we’re not supposed to pay too much attention to until a few hours after it’s delivered, but such is the case with this one. So what’s inside?

Update: We opened it

Hell if we know - honestly, we haven’t opened it yet. We’ve got a call set for later this evening to talk about it with the folks who sent it, and an embargo on all related details till around 7 PST tonight. Until then, it’s a mystery - even to us.

Any guesses? Here’s what we know (and can say) so far:

• It’s not from Apple, so no - this isn’t the next iPhone (Hah! Like Apple would trust us to keep that a secret).
• It’s 9″x3″x5″
• Box weighs just over 1 pound.
• The box hails from San Francisco

Take your best guesses. If anyone nails it dead on by the time we open it up, we’ll mail them a mystery box with a few things we’ve got laying around the office.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:18 pm

Apple: We're Sticking With AT&T for the iPhone

Apple on Wednesday said it has no plans to discontinue AT&T's exclusive rights to carry the iPhone in the United States.

Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook expressed confidence in AT&T as its exclusive U.S. partner, despite Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster's suggestion that the No. 1 reason consumers resist buying an iPhone is because of AT&T.

"We believe they're the best wireless provider in the U.S.," Cook said of AT&T during Apple's quarter-two conference call. "They put the full force and weight of their company behind it. We're very happy with the relationship we have and do not have a plan to change it."

Though the terms of Apple's contract with AT&T remain a secret, many sources have said AT&T's exclusivity over the iPhone expires in 2010. Excited by this rumor, many consumers have been discussing the possibility of the iPhone being available for the Verizon network. Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg last week speculated that a deal with Apple will be more likely when Verizon rolls out its 4G network next year.

However, Cook on Wednesday suggested it was unlikely for Apple to work with Verizon anytime soon. He explained Verizon's network is on the CDMA standard was limited, and AT&T was a better choice because it utilizes the widely used GSM network.

"We chose from the beginning of the iPhone to focus on one phone for the whole world," Cook said. "CDMA doesn't really have a life to it after a point in time."

This news will undoubtedly disappoint some Verizon customers who are itching for the iPhone but refuse to switch to AT&T.

"I would buy two iPhones in an instant if they were available on Verizon," commented reader "MikeE" in a recent Gadget Lab story. "I will never change to AT&T. I have been using Apple products since 1984 but the iPhone is missing."

For more on Apple's second-quarter earnings report, read Epicenter's report.

See Also:

• 4 Reasons Apple Should Share the iPhone With Verizon
• AT&T Seeks to Extend iPhone Deal to 2011: Report
• AT&T Beefs Up 3-G Network Ahead of Next-Gen iPhone Launch ...

Photo: Jason-Morrison/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:18 pm

Star Wars cupcakes look a little chewy

Megpie made these awesome Star Wars cupcakes.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:08 pm

Apple: Want A Netbook? Try An iPhone Or iPod Touch (For Now)

During its earnings call today, Apple COO Tim Cook (who is leading Apple day to day with Steve Jobs out on medical leave) fielded a question about netbooks. The market for the small notebooks is red hot, yet Apple hasn’t entered the field yet. Cook attempted to explain why, and Apple’s thoughts on the trend for the future.

Notably, he reiterated Apple’s stance that netbooks, as they exist today, are basically crap. He called their keyboards “cramped,” and their hardware “junky.” “This is not something we would put the Mac brand on,” Cook said. He believes that if people want a small, very portable computer, they should perhaps look at the iPhone or iPod touch. That comment will likely make a lot of people annoyed, but if you think about it, with the increasing numbers of things that those devices can do (and will be able to do with the upcoming 3.0 software), it’s not an entirely ridiculous thing to say.

More importantly though, Cook made it very clear that Apple is watching the netbook space closely to see the consumer response to it. “If we find a way where we can deliver an innovative product — then we’ll do that,” Cook noted. He went on to say that Apple has some “interesting ideas” for new products, and that the upcoming product pipeline is “fantastic.”

There are no shortage of rumors that Apple is already hard at work on a netbook, a tablet — or both. Today’s comments really seem more so than ever to be Apple stalling by downplaying current netbook offerings by other companies. While both Cook and Jobs have said in the past Apple was looking into the market, today Cook seemed to indicate pretty clearly that we can expect something from Apple in the future. And you can be sure it will be more than a new iPhone or iPod touch.

[image via Gizmodo]

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

Source: TechCrunch | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:04 pm

Lawsuit by Clearwire Subscribers Alleges Misleading Advertising and Unlawful Early Termination Fees

WASHINGTON, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- A lawsuit was filed today against Clearwire US, LLC ("Clearwire") seeking certification of a class action on behalf of Clearwire subscribers.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:04 pm

Art Deco keyboard

Jeffrey Stephenson, maker of extraordinary wooden PC enclosures, writes in that Datamancer's turned 20th century.

My friend Richard Nagy (aka Datamancer) is famous for his Steampunk creations. Well, I think the Steampunk fad may have run its ourse. He has come over to the dark side and created an Art Deco keyboard.

And what a beauty it is!

Datamancer Deco Keyboard [Datamancer]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:01 pm

Earth Day 2009: Green themed apps for your iPhone, iPod Touch (Part 1)

FROM GAMERTELL - You know with so any applications in Apple’s App Store there has to be a few Earth Day themes things to download. Here’s a look at the apps available that we could find. (With the rate the App Store is growing, expect this to be outdated before you finish reading… MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 22 Apr 2009 | 10:00 pm

KeyToss Announces the Most Advanced Hotel Booking Service on the Mobile Web

Other new mobile travel tools include Maps, Currency Calculator, and Flight Status by Route ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- KeyToss, a fast-growing mobile web business, is introducing a new hotel reservation service targeted at travelers as well as other mobile websites. The consumer service, available today at http://h.keytoss.com, enables mobile users to search for hotels and make reservations online using a rich set of tools not yet available on any other mobile website.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:56 pm

Calypso Systems Unveils 'School First' Foundation

Be Heard|School Grant will provide school-wide sound-field reinforcement systems to three K-12 institutions WOODBURY, Minn., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Hear Me! Hear Me! Calypso Systems, a leading developer of multimedia technology solutions for K-12 classrooms, announced the formation of the Calypso School First Foundation (CSFF).
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:55 pm

Trivia: We spill a lot of gas on our lawnmowers

In a review of the Lehr Eco Trimmer, a weed whacker that uses (sadly proprietary) propane canisters for fuel instead of gasoline, comes this disheartening bit of trivia:

Most impressive to me is the fact (vetted by the EPA), that American homeowners spill 17 million gallons of gasoline annually in their uncoordinated attempts to fuel lawn and garden equipment.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:53 pm

Designing DNA Circuits To Brew Tastier Beer

Al writes "Researchers at Boston University have developed a way to predict the behavior or different DNA segments and make synthetic biology a little bit more reliable. James Collins and colleagues have built libraries of component parts and a mathematical modeling system to help them predict the behavior of parts of a gene network. Like any self-respected bunch of grad students, they decided to demonstrate the approach by making beer. They engineered gene promoters to control when flocculation occurs in brewers yeast, which allowed them to finely control the flavor of the resulting beer."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:51 pm

FDA to allow non-prescription Plan B

The U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:48 pm

ANSI Certificate Accreditation Program Chooses ASTM International Standard for Accreditation Process

WASHINGTON, April 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Certificate Accreditation Program (ANSI-CAP) has announced that it has selected ASTM E2659-09, Standard Practice for Certificate Programs, as the standard against which certificate programs will be evaluated for potential accreditation.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:35 pm

SureWest Communications to Report First Quarter 2009 Results on May 6

ROSEVILLE, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Leading independent communications holding company SureWest Communications (Nasdaq: SURW) will release financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2009 after the market closes on Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:31 pm

Swedish Pirate Party Doubles in Size After Bay Verdict

Membership in the copyright-reform party explodes after four men connected to The Pirate Bay are sentenced to prison. With elections in June, are the pirates about to board the European Parliament?

Source: Wired Top Stories | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:30 pm

Video: Puzzle Master Talks Brainteasers in Wired's Mystery Issue

Wired's May issue is filled with puzzles by some of the biggest names in the biz. Lone Shark Games founder Mike Selinker, who helped compile the brainteasers, clues you in on what you'll find.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:30 pm

MTS Reports 2009 Second Quarter Financial Results

- Sharply lower demand in worldwide capital spending drove orders decline - Revenue declined four percent; income from operations declined 16 percent - EPS decreased 42 percent due to lower Sensors volume and higher tax rate - Balance sheet remains strong with cash at $99 million - Focus on long-term strategy remains unchanged while managing through challenging economy EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MTS Systems Corporation (Nasdaq: MTSC) today reported fiscal second quarter earnings per share of $0.44, a decrease of 42 percent compared to second quarter fiscal 2008, on net income of $7.5 million. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020430/MTSCLOGO) "The company's second quarter results reflect the deepening impact of the global recession in our markets," said Laura B.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:30 pm

Scientists to discuss asteroid impacts

The European Space Agency says scientists are getting ready for an international meeting to discuss preparations for a near-Earth flyby of asteroid Apophis. The first International Academy of Astronautics Planetary Defense Conference will be held in Granada, Spain, next week.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:28 pm

Biofuel crops can pose invasive pest risk

A University of Hawaii study has raised concerns about the impact of unregulated planting of biofuel crops and their potential invasiveness. The research, conducted by the university's Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, raised concerns about biofuel crop impacts on Hawaii's environment.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:19 pm

Kindle 2 build cost is $185.49

Section: Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

A new report has revealed that the build cost for Kindle 2, Amazon’s popular e-reader is $185.49. The E Ink screen’s cost makes up most of that at $60.  The other major expense is the built in wireless card, which costs almost $40.

Before people start screaming that Amazon is greedy for pricing the device at $359, which is $173.51 more than what it costs them to make it, let’s remember users get free wireless internet service using Sprint’s EVDO network.  I have a data plan and wireless card with Sprint and I pay $60 a month for the service.  You also have to factor in advertising/marketing costs, shipping, licensing, the software, and other expenses.

I really doubt Amazon is actually making a $173 profit on each e-reader sold.  The $359 price is still a bargain, especially when you compare it to some other e-readers like the Rex Iliad, which has models that start at $599 and go up to a whopping $859!

Bottom line?  If you are an avid reader, the Kindle is still a great buy.  Most books are cheaper than the paper version and there is a wealth of free and low price (and I mean low-I’ve gotten some books for as little as a penny!) books available for the device as well.  As with any device, its worth to you is what determines whether its price is worth paying.

Read [PC World]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:16 pm

Study shows how ants choose the best home

British scientists fitted rock ants with tiny radio-frequency ID tags to determine the process by which ants select a new home. University of Bristol researcher Elva Robinson and colleagues gave the ants the choice of a nearby poor nest or a good nest located farther away. The researchers found the colonies selected the superior site although it was nine times farther away than the alternative.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:16 pm

A Cyber-Attack On an American City

Bruce Perens writes "Just after midnight on Thursday, April 9, unidentified attackers climbed down four manholes in the Northern California city of Morgan Hill and cut eight fiber cables in what appears to have been an organized attack on the electronic infrastructure of an American city. Its implications, though startling, have gone almost un-reported. So I decided to change that."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:02 pm

AsiaInfo Reports First Quarter 2009 Results

BEIJING and SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- AsiaInfo Holdings, Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:00 pm

Arctic Fossil Explains How Seals Evolved

Image 1: Life reconstruction of Puijila darwini swimming in crater lake. Credit: Mark A. Klingler/Carnegie Museum of Natural HistoryImage 2: Skeletal illustration of Puijila darwini. Credit: Mark A. Klingler/Carnegie Museum of Natural HistoryImage 3: Reconstruction of skeleton showing preserved bones in dark grey. Credit: Mark A. Klingler/Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 22 Apr 2009 | 9:00 pm

SIIA Spring Conferences in San Francisco to Highlight the Impact of Technology and Innovation on Global Economy

Members of the media are invited to attend the entire two-day event series. To register, or for more information, please contact Eileen Bramlet, Vice President for SIIA Communications, at: EBramlet@siia.net or Beth Dozier, public relations contact, at bethdozier@rationalpr.com.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:59 pm

To Do This Summer: Build a Tiny House

In this recession, companies aren't the only ones who should be downsizing. Trading in a McMansion for less spacious accommodations may not be your decision, but if it has to happen, you might as well make sure your new abode is humble -- and cool. But even if you're just looking for a shabby-chic tool or writing shed, you can dream bigger, er, more interesting...

Basic resources, plans, and workshops after the jump...

[image via Tiny House Blog]

That's the Igloo Satellite Cabin. Pretty nifty.

Only requires assembly.

But why not go for the gold and create the mini-house of your dreams?

You can pay any number of these companies to create a basic set of plans. One option that appeals to the lazy guy in me is to get someone to build the timber framing for you, then just fill in the blanks. Kind of like paint-by-numbers, only with a lot more sweat. And possibly blood and tears.

Or you can swipe any number of the free plans and PDFs posted to Tiny House Design. (all you have to do is agree to hang a CC license logo in the window*). I'm not going to advocate you build a "Earthbag" house, mainly because it involves living amongst dozens of dirt bags, but go ahead if that appeals to you. [insert joke about deep V-neck tees here]

If you want more guidance than a book, photos and web links. Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed hosts $200+ one- and two-day workshops across the country that are supposed to be helpful, especially for beginners (via This Tiny House).

Here's one guy who learned to build a "tiny house on wheels" and swears by Tumbleweed (note: it is not me).

Upcoming Tumbleweed Workshops:

• Vancouver, BC - May 9 & 10


• Boulder, CO - May 30 & 31


• Chicago, IL - June 6 & 7


• New York, NY - June 13 & 14


• Indianapolis, IN - July 11 & 12


• Washington, DC - Aug 8 & 9


• Seattle, Washington - Sep 12 & 13


• San Francisco, CA - Oct 10 & 11

*No you don't. I made that up.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:55 pm

ESA announces 'Fly your Thesis' program

The European Space Agency is offering European students the chance to conduct experiments in microgravity by taking part in the Fly your Thesis! program. The program enables university students to participate in a series of parabolic flights on the Airbus A300 Zero-G aircraft. Fly your Thesis! requires each team of students to design a scientific experiment to be performed in microgravity as part of their master's or doctoral thesis or research project.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:54 pm

Massive 'Botnet' Hits US, UK Government Computers

Security experts say malicious hackers have taken over almost two million PCs globally, including machines inside UK and US government departments, BBC News reported.Finjan Security said it traced the giant network of remotely controlled PCs, known as a botnet, back to a gang of cyber criminals in the Ukraine, adding that several PCs inside six UK government bodies were compromised by the botnet.The Cabinet Office, which is charged with setting standards for the use of information technology across government, said it would not comment on specific attacks due to security reasons, according to the spokesman.The spokesman said it was government policy to neither confirm nor deny if an individual organization had suffered an attack.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:53 pm

Cyber Criminals Industrialize to Increase Effectiveness

Hackers are becoming service providers, running temp agencies to supply crooks with disposable subcontractors to buy merchandise with stolen credit cards. And, for a fee, they'll install another criminal's malicious code on your machine.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:53 pm

Apple approves of British nannies

Taking tight control over what gets on the iPhone and iPod Touch doesn't come without consequences. After all, everything approved is there because of a decision that someone at Apple made.

Bear this in mind next time you head to the App Store, where you can't swear, can't compete with Apple, and can't sell racy novels, but where you can shake a baby to death for fun! [CNET]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:48 pm

1.9-million-PC botnet uncovered

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:20 pm

Giant 'Blob' Found in Outer Space

A strange, gaseous "blob" has been spotted amidst the signals from the early universe.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:20 pm

"Good Enough" Computers Are the Future

An anonymous reader writes "Over on the PC World blog, Keir Thomas engages in some speculative thinking. Pretending to be writing from the year 2025, he describes a world of 'Good Enough computing,' wherein ultra-cheap PCs and notebooks (created to help end-users weather the 'Great Recession' of the early 21st century) are coupled to open source operating systems. This is possible because even the cheapest chips have all the power most people need nowadays. In what is effectively the present situation with netbooks writ large, he sees a future where Microsoft is priced out of the entire desktop operating system market and can't compete. It's a fun read that raises some interesting points."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:18 pm

Earth's major rivers have low water levels

A U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 22 Apr 2009 | 8:13 pm

Review: A day with Peek Pronto

Improvements abound in Peek's latest email-only handheld, the Pronto. It has push email, can check up to 5 accounts, and is now compatible with Microsoft Exchange. It can now view PDF files and Word documents, has an improved search function, and can send and receive unlimited text messages through Peek's SMS gateway.

Best of all, its cheaper: the no-contract handset is only $80, and the $20 monthly subscription falls to $16.67 if you buy four months of service. The original Peek is now an impulse-buy $50.

Otherwise like the original -- a slim machine that does not make or receive phone calls -- it has a straightforward user interface, a superb QWERTY keyboard, and accessible controls.

Given the basic hardware, only so much is possible performance-wise. Speed improvements are touted, but deleting emails is still frustratingly slow, and it only downloads then in small batches. It's best not to leave it off for any length of time if you get lots of email.

The monthly subscription is the cheapest way to get decent unlimited email in your pocket. Peek sold lifetime subscriptions with the original, at Costco, and savvy shoppers will be waiting for a similar deal.

Though the focus on simple email is what makes it special, the client could do with more features. Without folders or IMAP, you can't organize email well enough to use it for information management or planning.

Though some might rankle at being stuck with just one application, it's fun to discover what's possible with email and text messages alone: Twitter and Wordpress both let you post with it, while Ent will serve maps, local searches and movie times on demand. Fans maintain a list of useful text-based services at the Peek forums.

The Pronto refines what was already a good device and makes it cheaper, but still lacks the oomph and feature set that would make it a complete (rather than merely budget-friendly) alternative to a smartphone's email services. For people who want on-the-go email but don't want contracts with expensive data plans, though, it's a complete no-brainer.

Peek Pronto Mobile Messaging Device (Grey) [Amazon]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 7:40 pm

Rep. Harman Becomes New Civil Liberties Defender

California Congresswoman Jane Harman deplores wiretapping abuses Tuesday, asking how an innocent American like herself could be caught on tape. But her defense of the government's secret spying over the last seven years suggests she already knows the answer.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 22 Apr 2009 | 7:30 pm

AT&T trains its staff to be Pre assassins

It seems that AT&T is getting ready to poison the Pre well by providing its staff with a damning comparison between the upstart Pre and that phone of phones, the iPhone. When was the last time you saw such a preemptive strike against a phone? I don’t think even the G1 got this kind of consideration. Let’s see what AT&T has to say about Sprint’s comeback kid.

Like the guys at Pre Central, I’m not going to take the time to debunk every claim on the list. Some are certainly legit (the iPhone certainly has a bigger screen and is indisputably constructed from metal), but some are questionable (calling out webOS as unintuitive before it’s even out — Classy) and some are ridiculous (drag and drop music is a bad thing now?).

On the whole, though, I will say it’s a kind of a low and misguided blow. AT&T might end up highlighting the useless or expensive parts of the iPhone (”Oh so I can use it in Spain? How much does that cost?” or “Doesn’t the glass screen make it more likely to crack?”) at the same time as they give the Pre a lot of cred just by protesting too much against it.

[via Electronista]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 22 Apr 2009 | 7:20 pm

The Nokia 1100 is selling for over $30,000 - to hackers

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Computers, Security

If you happen to have an old Nokia 1100 that was made in a certain factory in Germany lying around the house, you may be able to say “Show me the money!”  Well, if you wanted to sell to hackers that is.

It seems that there are claims the phone can be hacked to allow illegal online banking transfers, which is making the amount some folks are willing to spend for one quite high.  Up to a little over $32,000 in some underground forums.  Yeah….you read that right.  All for a phone that ran about a hundred when it was first introduced on the market in 2003.

Nokia says they don’t know why the 1100 is selling for so much now, and maintains their phone isn’t flawed.  In an emailed statement, the company said that “We have not identified any phone software problem that would allow alleged use cases.”

The reason it seems to be in such hot demand is that it allegedly can be reprogrammed to use another person’s phone number.  “Big deal,” you might say.  Actually, this is kind of a big deal. 

This allows the phone to also receive text messages, which then leads to online banking transactions and fraud.  This can happen because in some countries, the banks send mTAN (mobile Transaction Authentication Number) to a customer’s mobile phone.  This mTAN has to be plugged into a Web-based form to do transations like….transfer money to another account.  The number, which is kind of like a special passcode, can only be used one time.

And the nefarious have become quite good at getting their virtual hands on usernames and logins for online bank accounts.  They can do it by email phishing or by simply hacking into computers. 

Previously, European banks had issued a list of TANs, and some banks used any TAN from that list to complete a transaction.  Big shocker when phishers began getting those numbers off of people.  Then banks asked for specific TANs (still from the list).  Fraud continued.  In 2005 they brought about the mTANs which only work for a specific requested transaction and for a short period of time.  Because of these restrictions, the bank website is saying the mTAN is useless to a hacker.  “The mTAN is valid only for the requested transfer and only for a short period.  It thus has no value for a fraudster.”

Unless, of course, that hacker could also get a hold of the mTAN.  Which the Nokia 1100 hack is alleged to permit.  But, Nokia still insists it knows nothing of an 1100 software problem that would allow call spoofing.  Their response is that the phone’s SIM card has security measures separate from the actual phone.

The company said that they are aware of commercial services that say they can provide caller ID or phone-number spoofing services, but say in those cases the providers acts as a proxy between the recipient and the caller.

However, Sean Sullivan, security advisor with security vendor F-secure says differently.  He claims it is in fact possible for multiple phones to be running on a provider’s network using the same phone number.  He says that the last phone using the network will be the phone that receives the inbound messages.

“So if this particular Nokia 1100 can be modified to spoof the victims phone number, it should be possible to become the primary handset—at least long enough to receive the TAN,” Smith said.

It isn’t clear how the technical modifications are being made at this point.  But, just recently a woman in Finland offered to sell her Bochum-made Nokia to Frank Engelsman of Ultrascan, who’s company will examine and test it to see if “the TAN interception can be replicated”.

In the meantime, portablegear.nl, wrote how they put up a fake ad selling the Nokia 1100 on an online marketplace.  The had plenty of takers offering to come and pick it up immediately.  Although the offer price wasn’t near what it is said to go for on the underground market, they had offers for over $700.

Over 200 million phones were produced in the 1100 family.  And the funny part?  I actually am one of the people with this phone stuffed in an old junk drawer.  But Nokia isn’t talking on how many of those were made in Bochum.

via: pcworld

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 22 Apr 2009 | 7:14 pm

Green Box Makes Eating Pizza Environmentally Awesome

The Ninja Turtles can be green in more than one way with this awesome idea of an environmentally friendly pizza box. It's so simple and brilliant: One half of the box breaks into four squares, which can be used as plates. The other half of the box has a crease running down the middle, and two triangular pieces can be ripped off to easily fold this part into a storage container for leftovers. The Green Box is made from 100-percent recyclable material; it reduces waste of dish-washing detergent, disposable plates, aluminum foil and plastic wrap.

Freaking radical, dude. Eco Incorporated holds a patent for the Green Box and hopes to sell it to pizza businesses. Check below the jump for a video of the Green Box in action. 

Product Page [Eco Incorporated]

Photo: Eco Incorporated

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 22 Apr 2009 | 6:58 pm

PBS streaming Nova online

PBS is now streaming several of its fantastic programs online for free, including that science program you always mean to watch, Nova.

Terrorists and others who live beyond the United Flotilla: Can you see these programs?

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 6:54 pm

LG Creates American Idol for Phone Design

Fancy yourself as the next Jonathan Ive or Frank Nuovo?

Here's a chance to prove that.

LG, Crowdspring and Autodesk have kicked off the 'Design the Future' event to audition for ideas on what a mobile phone should look like in the next few years.

The idea is to let users design a concept phone that could become part of the LG portfolio. "We’re not looking for a long list of specs or phone ideas that already exist," says the competition web site. "We’re looking for a cool new concept or big idea supported by usage scenario illustration."

Entrants will have to use the Autodesk Sketchbook Pro software to design their concept phone. The competition will pick 43 entries as finalists and there's some good prize money available for the winners: $20,000 for the first place,  $10,000 for the second place and $5,000 for the third place. More details of the competition are here including judging criteria. And yes, feasibility of design is a factor.

The deadline to submit their entries is June 7 and the winners are expected to be announced a month later.

Photo: LG Muziq (nino63004/Flickr)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 22 Apr 2009 | 6:39 pm

Earth Day 2009: Green gaming roundup

FROM GAMERTELL - Gamers can think green, too, ya know.  Gamertell rounds up some of the Earth Day events going on in the gaming world including a few green-themed games.
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 22 Apr 2009 | 6:39 pm

Video: Freak tries to swallow the iPod Shuffle

Jesus Diaz convinces sword-swallower Heather Holiday to try to down the iPod Shuffle.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 6:37 pm

Socked glowing crystals create surprisingly un-blingy ceiling lamps

This is the most indulgent yet elegantly beautiful room lighting design I've seen in a while--it's a series of hanging mesh sacks of varying lengths with Swarovski crystals in them. The creators are actually longtime chandelier designers Diller Scofidio + Renfro--they presented this at a Miami design show last winter. [via Yanko Design]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 6:26 pm

Fossil Offers Flipper Evolution Link

How did the seal get its flippers? A new fossil from the Arctic offers clues.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 22 Apr 2009 | 6:20 pm

CTIA joins GSMA in support of a “Universal Charging Solution” for mobile phones

Earlier today, CTIA-The Wireless Association announced its support for the “Universal Charging Solution” (UCS) for mobile phones (developed by the Open Mobile Terminal Platform industry standards group) “to celebrate Earth Day.”

CTIA joins the GSMA, which announced its endorsement of the Micro-USB-based universal mobile charger solution back in February.

According to the press release:

[T]he UCS aims to reduce energy consumption and enhance the customer experience through the adoption of a single “one-charger-fits-all” solution for new wireless devices by January 1, 2012. The UCS will use the Micro-USB format as the common universal charging interface, and use energy efficient chargers in compliance with U.S. “Energy Star” requirements for external power adapters that will provide an estimated 50% reduction in standby energy consumption.

“Earth Day serves as a great reminder that the wireless industry and all of us have a role to play when it comes to taking care of our planet. We recognize the need and the responsibility we have to help create a low-carbon economy, and the initiative to adopt a ‘Universal Charging Solution’ is an important step in the right direction,” said Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association.

It’s too bad they didn’t go with with Mini-USB over Micro-USB, seeing as lots of people have dozens of the former cable laying around. However, in the end, it’s still rather refreshing to see initiatives like this gain momentum…manufacturers and industry giants working together to solve problems instead of trying to go it alone (read: Sony Betamax / ATRAC, Apple’s proprietary dock-connector, etc), especially as the world continues to shrink.

Even the auto industry has apparently learned to cooperate. What say you, other gadget makers? How about a universal charger for all things electronic?!

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 22 Apr 2009 | 6:02 pm

$360 Amazon Kindle 2 Costs $186 to Build Says iSuppli

Amazon's Kindle 2 e-book carries a price tag of $360 but it costs the company far less to build, says research firm iSuppli.

A teardown analysis of the Kindle 2 puts the device's price tag at $185.49 for materials and manufacturing costs. Components alone cost $176.83, and the rest stems from manufacturing expenses and the battery, says iSuppli. The bill of materials cost does not include cost of intellectual property, software, royalties and licensing fees.

The combined manufacturing and materials costs represent 51 percent of the Kindle 2’s retail price.

Amazon launched an updated version of the Kindle, the Kindle 2, in February this year. The Kindle 2 is slimmer and claims longer battery life than its predecessor but is based on the same E Ink display technology.

Not surprisingly, the display accounts for the biggest chunk of the device's cost. iSuppli estimates that $60 or 41.5 percent of the materials bill is a result of the E Ink display.

The next most expensive component in the e-book reader is the wireless broadband module provided by Novatel Wireless. The $39.50 module accounts for 27.3 percent of the materials cost of the Kindle 2.

In the first-generation Kindle, the wireless functionality was provided by an integrated chipset that was part of the main printed circuit board, says iSuppli . In the second-generation device, the wireless functionality is separated into a module and is no longer part of the core chipset.

The move makes Kindle 2 easier to design and gives Amazon greater leverage while negotiating with suppliers, says the research firm. 

Other components in the Kindle include Qualcomm's single-chip baseband processor and Freescale Semiconductor's multimedia application processor.

iSuppli teardown of Kindle 2

See also:
Kindle 2's Fuzzy Fonts Have Users Seeing Red
Wired Review of Amazon Kindle 2
Kindle Readers Ignite Protest Over E-Book Prices

Photo: Kindle 2 (Zack Klein/Flickr)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 22 Apr 2009 | 5:47 pm

Owls Getting Redder as Climate Warms

Like living thermometers, some owls are turning a deep shade of red as the climate warms.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 22 Apr 2009 | 5:20 pm

Geek Out for Earth Day: 7 Gadgets to Green Your Lifestyle

The Great Recession has been a bad trip for everyone. But look on the green side: Our collective need to shrink bills is giving birth to some of the grooviest eco-friendly gadgets yet.

Tech manufacturers big and small have gone into overdrive with their environmental campaigns, rolling out products as part of a massive "greenwashing" movement. These gadgets cover a wide array of environmental issues — from energy usage to gas efficiency to waste management. And dig this: Some of these gadgets actually do help you be kinder to Mother Earth.

In celebration of Earth Day, here's a list of far-out products you might get to green your lifestyle. It's like, green power, man!

Kiwi Fuel-Saving Device
What better way to reduce your carbon footprint than turn it into a game? That's what the Kiwi does to your car. The device plugs into your car's on-board diagnostic II (OBDII) port to collect driving data. Then, the Kiwi screen, which you'd mount in a convenient place, displays a "Kiwi Score." By adjusting your driving style to obtain the highest possible score, you achieve the best gas mileage. At $290, it's pretty pricey, but hey — gas ain't cheap either; over the course of a few months this should help regular commuters save a good amount. (ThinkGeek, $290)

Mode All-in-One Recycling Center
If you're a responsible recycler, you might as well reward yourself by making life easier. Mode's all-in-one recycling center contains multiple compartments to sort and store your recyclables for you. There's even a built-in junk mail slot to collect your roommate's annoying J. Crew catalogs that are normally left strewn around the common space. Another cool feature is a digital reminder that illuminates to alert you of recycling pick-up days. Did we mention it holds up to 13 gallons of recyclable materials? That's some heavy responsibility. (Mode, $250)

Noon Solar Bags
Here's a way to reduce electricity bills and maybe even look cool: Greenloop's Noon Solar bags (right). Composed of biodegradable materials, each bag contains a flexible solar panel on the outside, which connects to a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack hidden in a pocket. The bags also include adapters for you to plug your iPod, USB-powered device or cellphone into the battery pack to keep your gadgets juiced while you bask in the sun. (GreenLoop, from $330 to $500)

What's Fresh iPhone App

While you're busy saving the planet, let's not forget to keep your body healthy, too. If you have an iPhone handy, an app called What's Fresh will tell you which fruits and vegetables are in season in your area. And if your produce of desire isn't in season in your city, the app will point you to the nearest location where it is. (Mobile Simplicity, $1)

BlueLine Innovation's PowerCost Monitor
We've seen plenty of energy monitors, but what's cool about BlueLine's PowerCost Monitor (right) is it tracks your electricity consumption and converts it into something everybody can understand: Dollars and cents. Here's how it works: You wrap a transmitter on the glass meter outside the house, and the collected data is wirelessly sent to a receiver on the monitor. The gadget gets a real-time feed of how much your electricity is using — and how much it costs. (Blue Line Innovations, $120)   

Digitize Your Documents With Evernote
I can't wait until the day we cease killing trees by printing out documents. Evernote brings us a large step closer to that paperless dream. The app can capture and store and information such as itineraries, business documents, shopping lists and so on. Here's the best part: You can share the information with any other Evernote user. The beauty of Evernote is it's cross-platform, so you won't be left out so long as you own a Mac, PC, iPhone or a Windows Media smartphone, among other devices. (Evernote, free)

Purely Anion's Energy-Saving, Air-Cleaning Light Bulb
The Purely Anion light bulb (right) cares about the environment as much as your mental health. The fluorescent bulb reportedly lasts two years and contains a built-in negative-ion generator, which removes air pollutants, such as cigarette smoke, dust, or your roommate's patchouli. The negative-ion generator also removes positive ions, which the manufacturer says can cause depression, fatigue and irritability. (PurelyProducts, $19) 

Monster Cable's Vampire-Power Killer
Environmentalists coined the phrase "vampire power" for electricity wasted by plugged-in gadgets on standby mode. Monster Cable's MDP900 power-outlet management system addresses that issue. Plugging a device, such as a computer, into the main control outlet turns it into a master gadget of sorts. When that gadget is turned off, all the other electronics plugged in — such as peripherals — shut down, too. Not a bad idea, huh? Just don't plug your alarm clock into this. (Monster, $130)

Photos: FredArmitage/Flickr, ThinkGeek, GreenLoop, Blue Line Innovations, PurelyProducts

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 22 Apr 2009 | 5:14 pm

Go green this Earth Day with the new Edison energy saving app

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Gadgets / Other, Green

Verdiem has released the launch version of Edison, an energy monitoring PC application that works on both Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems.  Edison is an easy to use app that once downloaded lets you know how much energy you are using on your PC.  It is absolutely free and only requires that you provide your email address prior to download.

You can perform numerous functions through the Edison application. You can set different PC usage times: work and non-working PC hours.  You can set up different functions to take place during your non-working hours, like powering down your hard drive or putting the PC in power save mode.  Once you set your different preferences, Edison will provide you with an estimate of your energy, CO2 and money savings.

If you are unsure of what settings to choose, Edison will provide you with recommendations in order to achieve your desired level of energy savings.  At any time, you can change your preferences.  Edison can be your solution to being more green without spending money on expensive applications or devices.

Site: [Verdiem Edison]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 22 Apr 2009 | 5:08 pm

Leaked: LG enV3 VX9200 to have a 3 Megapixel camera

There’s nothing really inherently exciting about a shot of the back of a phone. To be honest, there’s not really anything about the LG enV3 that gets us excited But if you look real close at the picture above (obtained by PhoneArena), you’ll see one previously unleaked gem.

See it yet? Directly to the left of the camera lens: “3.0 Mega”. Unless that’s the enV3’s secret robot name, it looks like the enV3 will sport a 3 megapixel camera. Look a bit north, and we can also see that the enV3 will feature “Intelligent Shot”, the same image analysis software they’re slapping on the upcoming LG Viewty Smart.

The enV2 had a 2 megapixel camera, and the enV3 has a 3 megapixel camera. Want an 8 megapixel camera? Wait for the enV8.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 22 Apr 2009 | 5:02 pm

Geek Out for Earth Day: 7 Gadgets to Green Your Lifestyle

In celebration of Earth Day, Gadget Lab rounds up a list of gadgets that will aid you in greening your lifestyle — from gas usage to electricity consumption to the food you eat.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 5:00 pm

Kenya's Wildlife in Steep Decline

Kenya's giraffes, warthogs and impalas have dwindled by as much as 95 percent.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 22 Apr 2009 | 2:30 pm

'Drowned' Spiders Come Back From the Dead

Marsh spiders enter temporary comas to survive drowning, research shows.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 22 Apr 2009 | 2:30 pm

Lab Breakthrough Brings Instant-On Computers Closer

Scientists have found a way to add ferroelectric capability to silicon, the first step towards creating a transistor that would make instant-on computers a reality.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 22 Apr 2009 | 2:00 pm

Hefty, Ostrich-Like Dino Found in China

A newly found dino weighed over 1,300 pounds, had a beak and looked like an ostrich.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 22 Apr 2009 | 1:30 pm

SLIDE SHOW: On Earth Day, a Bird's-Eye View

Earth-observing satellites offer a fresh window to the planet's changing landscape.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 22 Apr 2009 | 12:00 pm