Why Obama’s Flickr Photos Aren’t in the Public Domain [Voices]

The White House is making unprecedented use of consumer web technologies but those technologies aren’t always well suited to fit the government’s needs. They aren’t always well suited to fit anyone’s needs - but maybe if Obama leans on them a little bit things will change.

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moot [Voices]

Back in the ’80s, I was known for being reclusive, often shying away from media attention. It’s perhaps ironic that the Internet phenomenon of Rickrolling should bring my video for “Never Gonna Give You Up” to a new generation. But that’s one of the great things about the Internet.

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Most-Searched Term On Microsoft’s Live Search is … ‘Google’ [Voices]

Microsoft’s Live Search revamp apparently cannot come soon enough. Hitwise data shows that the most commonly searched term on Live Search over the last four weeks has been ‘Google’, accounting for 1% of all queries. Number two? ‘Yahoo’.

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Twitter Is Dominated By Males. Quick: What Does That Mean? [Voices]

The majority of people who send text messages on Twitter are male, according to a study released by Nielsen Mobile, a mobile market research company.

The study which studied usage of SMS during the fourth quarter of 2008, found that some 57 percent of Twitter users are men, while only 45 percent of users of Predicto, another texting community are male.

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Attribution Lacking (Or, the day a Dutch newspaper stole my grandmother) [Voices]

It was October 25, and I suppose it was the middle of the night, given the time difference between the Netherlands and Virginia, when a Dutch newspaper nabbed my grandmother.

Let me start at the beginning.

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Quicken helps budget-minded iPhone owners (AFP)

AFP - Intuit is offering iPhone owners free Quicken software designed to help them live within their means during these tough economic times.

Zend PHP framework accesses Amazon cloud (InfoWorld)

Daily Crunch: 2009 H1N1 Flu Edition

Cute, handmade iOwl cord manager
Aquawall Wandaquarium is the fish tank of slow death
Cool face masks for these swine flu times
Want: Nintendo mouse
CrunchQuestion: Do you have sweaty palms? Have you tried Iontophoresis?

Stardock Declares Victory Over Demigod Piracy

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Fujitsu is in bad shape, posts $1.1 billion net loss

Fujitsu is having some serious problems. The company today announced in Tokyo (press release in English) it swung into a net loss of a whopping $1.1 billion in net loss in the fiscal year that ended March 31. Sales fell 12% to $46 billion in the same time frame.

Fujitsu booked a net profit of $480 million in the previous fiscal year. The company specifically blames weak sales of computers, HDDs, electronic parts and microchips for gadgets for the new numbers.

Three things are especially remarkable. First, Fujitsu sales nosedived from October to December in particular. Second, the company said in January net loss will not exceed $200 million (who is doing the accounting work there?). Third, the company sees a brighter future as early as the current fiscal year, expecting sales of $48 bilion and a net profit of $200 million.

Bloomsbury edition of Lessig's REMIX goes CC

REMIX now ccFree

Fly An R/C Plane With an iPhone

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Shatnerquake: bizarro novel about every Shatner character sucked into reality to hunt down William Shatner

It's the first ShatnerCon with William Shatner as the guest of honor! But after a failed terrorist attack by Campbellians, a crazy terrorist cult that worships Bruce Campbell, all of the characters ever played by William Shatner are suddenly sucked into our world. Their mission: hunt down and destroy the real William Shatner.

Buy Shatnerquake


Source: Boing Boing | 1 May 2009 | 5:41 am

Kids' Diplomacy board made out of a pizza box

I just got back from chaperoning a high school trip to Costa Rica. While there, some of the kids put together a make-shift Diplomacy game out of a pizza box top. Playing gave the kids and me fun lessons in leadership and negotiation.

Can't see the video? Click here

Android app uses G1 compass as a metal-detector

Here's a little Android mobile phone app that turns your handset into a metal-detector, using the compass as a magnetometer. Not super-accurate or sensitive, but possibly useful for grubbing in the beach looking for your car-keys.

Use Your G1 As... A Metal Detector? (via Waxy)


Source: Boing Boing | 1 May 2009 | 5:35 am

US Trade Rep lies about Canadian piracy

Now, you may say that the US has no business telling Canada what sort of copyright laws it should have, and you'd be right.

But as Michael Geist points out, the idea that Canada is a pirate nation is just wrong -- even using the US copyright lobby's own numbers, Canada is a model citizen.

Not only is Canada not even remotely close to any other country on the list, it has the lowest software piracy rate of any of the 46 countries in the entire Special 301 Report. Moreover, it is compliant with its international IP obligations, participates in ACTA, has prosecuted illegal camcording, has the RCMP prioritizing IP matters, has statutory damages provisions, features far more copyright collectives than the U.S., and has a more restrictive fair dealing/fair use provision.

Why neutrality is more important than connection speeds

This talk is a 30,000-foot view of why our work is important. I'm going to argue that the Internet is the main value creator here - not our ability to digitize everything, not high speed networking, not massive storage - the Internet. With this perspective, maybe you'll you go back to work with a slight attitude adjustment, and maybe one or two concrete things to do.

In the big picture, We're building interconnectedness. We're connecting every person on this planet with every other person. We're creating new ways to share experience. We're building new ways for buyers to find sellers, for manufacturers to find raw materials, for innovators to rub up against new ideas. We're creating a new means to distribute our small planet's limited resources.

Let's take a step back from the ducts and splices and boxes and protocols. Let's go on an armchair voyage in the opposite direction -- to a strange land . . . to right here, right now, but without the Internet.

Intuit releases Quicken Online Mobile for iPhone

Source: Gizmodo | 1 May 2009 | 4:10 am

Review: Star Trek the movie

In one word: Amazing. J.J. Abrams did a phenomenal job that appeals to both new and old fans of the sci-fi series. You will not be disappointed. I have a man crush on James Tiberius Kirk.

May 1, 1884: Everything's Up to Date in Windy City

Microsoft Offers Secure Windows ... But Only to the Government

Mr. Know-It-All on Conspiracies, Crossword Protocol, Scared Children

My brother swears that the twin towers were felled by explosives placed there by the FBI. I've presented him with reams of evidence to the contrary, but he hasn't wavered. Will he ever see the light?

There's hope, but your cogent arguments are unlikely to hasten any shift in your brother's thinking. In fact, your strenuous efforts at dissuasion could end up reinforcing his views. Some research suggests that when confronted with evidence that contradicts closely held beliefs, people tend to cling even more tightly to their convictions. The more you challenge him, the more your brother may suspect you're hopelessly naive—or worse, actually participating in furthering the conspiracy, as either a dupe or an agent of a government out to stymie truth-seekers.

Keep in mind that your brother's belief in a large-scale conspiracy may be a coping mechanism. The human brain has evolved to find patterns, which is useful when avoiding saber-toothed tigers but less so when confronted with opaque and complex events. Patrick Leman, a psychologist at the University of London who specializes in conspiracy theories, says people tend to be terrified by the fact that a few bad apples can profoundly alter the course of history. We prefer to believe that we live in a stable world where major events have understandable causes. The whole "9/11 was an inside job" theory helps many people sleep at night.

And so what? If your brother is wasting countless hours in his basement writing single-spaced, all-caps letters to the government, you obviously need to intervene. But if his 9/11 opinions aren't causing him to neglect his kids, spouse, or personal hygiene, let him be.

I recently noticed a week-old, half-finished crossword puzzle on my mother's kitchen table. I filled in a few answers—no big deal. But Mom went ballistic. What's the protocol on helping out on crosswords?

Crossword diehards don't view what you did as helping. Rather, they consider it an egregious invasion of privacy. Once the first box is filled in, a crossword is deemed the property of the person who started it. Those property rights never expire. Ever.

Crossworders jealously guard their boxy turf because they believe that outside assistance, no matter how minor, will taint their achievements. "One of the reasons we like crosswords is that they let us have an intellectual triumph on a small scale," says Amy Reynaldo, who runs the popular Diary of a Crossword Fiend blog. "For someone else to swoop in and rob you of that triumph—oh, it's simply not done."

Reynaldo insists you apologize at once, groveling as much as possible. And the next time you have the urge to help out with a crossword, ask for permission—even if the puzzle dates back to the Hoover administration.

I took my 6-year-old son to a magic show where a woman was sawed in half, then reassembled. The boy freaked out, and I can't convince him that it was all an act. How do I calm him down?

You can try to explain to your son that magic shows are akin to movies laden with special effects, and that the bifurcated woman experienced no more pain than a CG Harry Potter baddie. But kids tend to trust their eyes over the sensible words of adults, so a purely verbal approach may not be the way to go here.

And therein lies an opportunity to do some world-class parenting. George Schindler, dean of the Society of American Magicians, recommends you swing by the library and pick up a primer on simple tricks (or check out this month's How To). Learn a few sleights of hand, like making a coin disappear, and then teach them to your son. Once he realizes that anyone can "vanish" solid objects, he should begin to understand that illusion is a craft, not sorcery. Before you know it, he'll be begging you to take him to another show.

Need help navigating life in the 21st century? Email us at mrknowitall@wiredmag.com.

Gear Gallery: Near-Perfect Laptop, Nifty Camcorder, Pretty Plasma

It's not quite a netbook, not quite an ultralight PC. Whatever it is, Samsung's NC20 is a dazzling feat of engineering: an extremely usable 12-inch laptop with epic battery life, impressive specs and a downright mystifyingly affordable price tag.

But the NC20 doesn't make depressing tradeoffs to achieve those scores. Battery life is three hours, 40 minutes (22 percent longer than the S10) and weight is just 3.3 pounds, comparable to the Asus Eee PC 1000H. All that and you get a 12.1-inch LCD, too, instead of the usual 10.2-inch netbook display.

WIRED Everything a netbook should be: Offers the best performance available from a computer this portable and inexpensive. Very usable keyboard. Good quality audio. Includes three USB ports, 1.3-megapixel webcam, and SD card slot.

TIRED LCD could be a touch brighter and quality sharper. Chassis design is a bit boring.

$550, samsung.com

Read our full Samsung NC 20 review.

Check Wired.com's latest Product Reviews, updated daily.

Pure Digital's Flip has proven that it's possible to build a super-small flash memory camcorder and offer it up for fewer than two hundred bucks. But there are tradeoffs with going small and cheap, like optics and battery life. Canon takes a completely different tack with its newest solid-state cam, the Vixia HF S10, which delivers some fantastically brilliant moving pictures, but at a stiff cost.

Out in the field, auto focus and auto exposure were both very impressive in a wide range of situations, from the intense brightness of the beach to shady and contrasty venues. Every camera suffers indoors, thanks to low light, and everyone complains about it, but the S10 did a credible job with low-light shots and it's clearly better than previous cams of this ilk.

WIRED Improved audio quality. Big, bright lens. Speedy processor. Lots of creative control options. More intuitive menus than previous generation Canon camcorders.

TIRED Loose lens cover noisier than cutlery caught in a garbage disposal. Still images come off looking a bit overexposed.

$1,300, canon.com

Read our full Canon Vixia HF S10 review.

Check Wired.com's latest Product Reviews, updated daily.

Dry your eyes, plasma junkies. The untimely demise of Pioneer's Kuro line doesn't mean you'll have to forgo those deliciously deep blacks and theater-perfect colors for long. In fact, even as the last of the Pioneer Kuro Elites make its way into a few lucky U.S. homes, a new lineup of HDTV sets are already poised to seize the plasma king's vacant throne.

Key to this plasma's visual appeal is its integrated THX mode. In addition to blessing various audio components, the home-theater ninjas at THX began bestowing plasma and LCD certification a few years back. Each set is subjected to approximately 400 individual tests, ranging from evaluations in signal processing to luminosity. Basically, the idea behind G10's THX mode is to recreate the precise color gamut filmmakers use during the in-studio post-production process.

WIRED Mind-boggling blacks with tons of detail. THX mode is a godsend for movie buffs. Integrated SD card slots transform your plasma into a giant digital photo frame. Amazing color saturation.

TIRED THX mode is bit dim for brightly lit rooms. Ethernet connectivity is nice for VieraCast, but Wi-Fi would've been better. Three HDMI ports (two in the back, one on the side) don't cut it. More power-hungry than LCD TVs. Where's the PiP?

$1,300, panasonic.com

Read our full Panasonic TC-P42G10 Viera G10 Series Plasma review.

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The PogoPlug is a device, which looks like a supersized AC adapter, plugs into almost any external hard drive (even a USB stick) and then pumps that content onto the web, giving you access anywhere in the world you can get an internet signal — including your iPhone.

But the PogoPlug isn't without the occasional snafu and annoyances. Only image files are available for preview. PDF, Word documents or even HTML files have to be downloaded before viewing. Worse yet, when we unhooked the device, it caused our PC to crash twice in a row. We're still not entirely sure if this was due to a glitch in the PogoPlug or in Windows.

WIRED Easy to use. Simple setup. Great utility: I must be able to access my collection of LOLcat photos from anywhere. The iPhone app is solid software.

TIRED No wireless mode ... yet. Poor security — it's a wise idea to keep those tax returns or bank documents off the PogoPlug. Computer crashes are deeply flummoxing. The iPhone is currently the only mobile device that supports remote access.

$100, pogoplug.com

Read our full Cloud Engines PogoPlug review.

Check Wired.com's latest Product Reviews, updated daily.

NatureMill's Pro edition is an indoor composter we can pretty much dig. Using minimal electricity, a small motor turns a heavy-duty mixing bar, heats the mixing chamber (no sunlight needed) and powers an air pump that works with a carbon air filter to help reduce smell (each filter lasts four to five years).

Just add starter dirt, drop in some sawdust pellets to combat odors and dump your food scraps in. NatureMill recommends that you cut organic material into 4-inch bits before plopping it in. We didn't, but aside from the motor making some gnarly noises, it didn't seem to affect compost production. NatureMill's Pro version also features some automatic activation. We were able to leave ours sitting for weeks without pushing the button even once; it mixed and heated itself just fine.

WIRED Stainless steel mixing bar made short work of uncut banana peels. Relatively small and exceptionally lightweight = easy to stash and transport. Foot pedal eliminates lid touching. Mighty Morphin' Power Saver: only draws 5 kwh a month (roughly 50 cents on an average electric bill). Not as much of an eyesore as it could be and it's available in a range of colors (including, you guess it, green).

TIRED Little to no stench — until top opens (that's hard to remedy, and burger/fish/salad remnants smell worse than a dead wildebeest doused in Eau D'Bile). Polypropylene housing is light, but may not last forever. Disposable carbon filters reduce smell, but also cut down on the green factor. Regular maintenance (scraping the mix chamber walls) isn't fun.

$400, naturemill.com

Read our full Nature Mill Indoor Composter — Pro Edition review.

Check Wired.com's latest Product Reviews, updated daily.

You can get away with a lot if you're beautiful. Such is the case with the new Porsche Design P'9522 phone. In some ways, it's a wonderful and capable cellphone, but in most others, it's dumber than the gorgeous block of aluminum it was machined from.

Someone forgot to include e-mail — an absence that had us trying to mar the Porsche phone's scratchproof screen with claws of rage. Unfortunately, that screen is tough, so the P'9522 will be lauded and drooled over — despite our many gripes with it.

WIRED Gorgeous. Touchscreen interface is easy to understand, if limited and frustrating. Preloaded ringtones include the roaring engines of the 911 GT3 and Turbo. Its 5-megapixel camera has autofocus and captures clean, vivid images. LED flash doubles as a flashlight. Unlocking the phone with its fingerprint scanner is very MI5.

TIRED Fingerprint scanner is also very POS: Who thought it would be a good idea to use fingerprints to access a device you're likely holding in one hand while juggling multiple other tasks? Preloaded ringtones include bad German techno. Touchscreen is deeply frustrating. Seriously — no e-mail?

$800, porschedesign.com

Read our full Porsche Design P'9522 Phone review.

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Weighing just 140 grams, the handset offers some of the best optics we've ever found crammed into a cell phone: sharp, noiseless pics (3,264 × 2,448 pixels) and decent image stabilizer punctuate video capture that puts full-figured handicams from 2008 to shame. You can even shoot VGA at 30 fps or QVGA at a whopping 120 fps (yes, 120!), including slow motion footage in 1/4 and 1/8 speeds.

Amazing, sure, but not a picture perfect phone. The i8510 functions almost exactly like a standard point-and-shoot, except for the zoom button, which is placed inexplicably, and awkwardly at the bottom of the device.

WIRED Beaucoup codecs, including — wait for it — DivX! 2.8-inch screen excellent for playback. Intuitive photo/video editing suite. Equally intuitive navigation. Automatic lens cover. MicroSD slot good for 16 GB (enough for aspiring Scorseses to go epic). All the usual smartphone suspects: 3G, Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth, accelerometer, GPS. Decent earbuds with ample cord. 3.5mm audio jack. Most excellent: TV-out capability.

TIRED Side-mounted headphone jack makes phone harder to pocket. Optical control pad is a tad sensitive (between us and you — we don't want to hurt its feelings). Most bogus: Metal shell retains enough scratches to fill a DJ Shadow album. A little on the clunky side. Most bogus: Flash needs to be brighter.

$500, samsung.com

Read our full Samsung i8510 INNOV8 review.

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As the successor to Logitech's G11 and G15, this huge hunk of plastic comes with gaming hardwired in its DNA. Like its relatives, it has a blocky aesthetic that harkens to the days of the Model M. There are, however, a handful of very modern flourishes that make this latest G-board a distinctly modern marvel.

In the end, the G19's main drawback is the same one that has plagued fancy keyboards since the days of yore: It's freaking huge. That swiveling LCD? It actually requires a tiny onboard Linux computer to run, which in turn requires its own power source. Should you choose to make use of the two self-powered USB ports, you'll potentially have more wires shooting out of this thing than your computer.

WIRED More customizable than a box of Legos. Two self-powered USB ports. Dedicated D-pad and menu keys let you control LCD directly from the keyboard. Convenient cable management lanes carved into bottom of unit lessens clutter … slightly. Choose-your-own-color adventure with adjustable backlighting. Keys are pleasantly clicky and responsive.

TIRED Limited desktop space? This is not your keyboard. Price tag to match gargantuan footprint. Requires power brick to run. After its novelty wears off, built-in LCD becomes more of a distraction than a useful tool.

$200, Logitech.com

Read our full Logitech G19 Keyboard review.

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Want to catch the last episode of Battlestar Galactica while hanging out in the local java joint? Going to download a season of The Simpsons for viewing on the plane? Giving an impromptu screening of your vacation photos at a friend's house? The Mini 10 is your machine.

But there are infuriating shortcomings to the Mini 10. The trackpad is one of the worst we've seen. Dell's decision to integrate the buttons underneath the pad itself makes using it both unpredictable and challenging. When you click on a button, the cursor may hit the target, wiggle off a centimeter or two, or teleport off into a remote corner of your screen. While it got easier to use after a week of practice, our advice is to invest in a cheap travel mouse.

WIRED Bright, responsive screen. Integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam. Not gunked up with crapware. HDMI-out port shows charming, if unwarranted, optimism about the netbook's video capabilities. Light weight: Just 2.6 pounds.

TIRED Infuriating trackpad with integrated buttons hidden underneath. Excessively glossy screen produces distracting glare. Windows XP is starting to look pretty tired. What, no solid-state option? Despite the HDMI port, the netbook can't deliver HD video without fits and starts.

$470 (as tested), dell.com

Read our full Dell Mini 10 Netbook review.

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The new 370Z upgrades come in the form of a sexy body with a hood, hatch and doors of lightweight aluminum and a chassis significantly stiffer to reduce performance-robbing flex. To make up for the beefier chassis, Nissan's engineers pared more than 225 pounds from the rest of the car — even the audio system lost 3.5 pounds — and the result is a car that weighs 88 pounds less than the previous 350Z.

Every model gets the same 332-horsepower V6, an engine that makes this Z the quickest yet with a zero-to-60 time of 4.6 seconds. That kind of performance, however, is contingent on your skills as a driver. If you don't posses Lewis Hamilton levels of talent don't fret. The Z's abundant power and excellent handling will let you think you do.

WIRED Insanely easy to drive, insanely quickly. You'll run out of nerve before you run out of grip. Rev-matching transmission makes heel-toe shifting more obsolete than a gramophone.

TIRED Rev-matching transmission makes heel-toe shifting more obsolete than a vinyl record. Tympani-like tire roar, piccolo-like exhaust note. Hummer-sized blind spots make lane changes a gun-it-and-go-for-it leap of faith. Fake brushed-aluminum interior bits don't fool anyone.

$33,970 (as tested), nissanusa.com

Read our full Nissan 2009 370Z review.

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Using the BookReader is simple: Just plunk a novel on the platen, punch a button and you're relaxing to the dulcet sounds of Jill, a computerized voice with a voracious appetite for literature. All the menus read themselves off when you mouse over them, and they have keyboard shortcuts, which is useful if you have reduced vision. Jill is pretty good at recognizing words. We tried out several books, including one heavy with medical jargon, and she held her own with just a few exceptions.

Useful as it is, we could not help noticing that the BookReader seems to be slightly undercooked. A few of the buttons don't really do anything, and you can't customize the dictionary to alter Jill's interpretation of commonly used, but horribly flubbed words, acronyms or numbers. The unit seems to be terribly overpriced as well. Plustek wants $600 for the BookReader, despite the fact that the OpticBook only costs $250 — and has its own text-to-speech function.

WIRED Reads books to you at the push of a button. Platen glass goes right to the edge to accommodate books without strain. Turns text into MP3s for portability. Includes several accessibility features to help the visually impaired.

TIRED The included software lacks polish and seems rushed. Squat, ugly looks make it seem at home in a cubicle farm. The reader voice may not screw up often, but when it does, it's a doozy. High price nears gouging territory.

$600, plustek.com

Read our full Plustek BookReader V100 review.

Check Wired.com's latest Product Reviews, updated daily.

Apple's newest Shuffle (almost 50 percent smaller than previous Shuffles) could easily be mistaken for a stick of Trident, features no buttons, and pimps voice-identification technology. But even given its apparent readily consumable stature, there are a few features on the Shuffle that are a bit tough to swallow.

The biggest gripe on the 4-GB Shuffle we tested is definitely the control set. First off, it's completely counterintuitive; Apple says you can easily use it without looking. We still don't have the hang of it after a few days of testing. What's worse, if you have a decent set of earbuds (say, a pair of Shures or Ultimate Ears) you're totally hosed — you'll have to endure the 'buds that come with the Shuffle or pick up specially made third-party headphones. Our recommendation? Pick up a new Shuffle only if you're prepared to deal with proprietary headphones and ambiguous controls.

WIRED Thumb-drive size. Can double as a tie clip. Battery life lasts for 12 freaking hours. Short USB sync cord is sexy. Yes, we'll admit, it's another beautifully designed piece of hardware from Apple. Battery bonked out after 11 constant hours of blasting Thunderstruck on loop.

TIRED Proprietary headphones required. Control set awkward to use, hard to get used to. So small, it nearly gets lost in the packaging it comes in.

$80, apple.com

Read our full Apple iPod Shuffle 3rd Gen review.

Check Wired.com's latest Product Reviews, updated daily.

Rather than foam, gel or compressed-air cushioning, the soles on Newtons have a series of "actuator lugs" just below the ball of the foot. The lugs are designed to help encourage you to land on your forefoot, to protect that part of the foot, and (best yet) to propel you forward. When you land, the lugs push into hollow chambers in the midsole. This cushions your landing, and helps make it comfy to land midsole or forefoot rather than on the heel as you might be accustomed. As your foot moves forward, these lugs then essentially lever out, and as you lift your foot, they return the energy by pushing up and out in the same direction as your stride. Newton claims this makes them more efficient than traditional foam or gel soles that simply absorb energy but don't return it.

WIRED So cozy they're like a Snuggie for your feet. Actuator lugs get you off your heels better than a La-Z-Boy. Lightweight at 10.2 ounces. Designed for all stride types. Stomps cold weather like global warming, and keeps out the drizzle for shizzle.

TIRED Not waterproof. Worse on single-track trails than a skateboard. $175??? OMG, for that much money I could just pay somebody to run for me.

$175, newtonrunning.com

Read our full Newton All Weather Trainer review.

Check Wired.com's latest Product Reviews, updated daily.

The Firebird features a hybrid design — using 2.5-inch hard drives (two 320-GB models) and dual graphics cards originally designed for laptops — but powers it all with a desktop CPU and desktop-sized DIMMs. As with a laptop, wireless is built in, but the power supply is not: To save on wattage, HP breaks out the (enormous) power adapter instead of integrating it into the box.

As cool as the Firebird is on the whole, it isn't without some foibles. The inclusion of an ExpressCard slot is on the baffling-to-useless side, and the external power supply (it's huge) is more annoying to deal with than it sounds. But our biggest gripe is that the Firebird's streamlined shell means it includes no front-mounted ports at all, not even a single USB slot for your thumb drive. Seriously HP, even the Mac Pro finds room for that.

WIRED Amazingly quiet and conscientious in its power consumption. Outstanding design; belongs on top of the desk, not beneath it. Solid all-around performance at a fair price.

TIRED No front USB port. Curvy design means you can't put anything on top of the case. Functionally locked down, with no real upgrade path.

$2,100 (as tested), hp.com

Read our full HP Firebird 803 review.

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I shouldn't love this truck. I should hate it. I purposely do not own a car, and this all-black behemoth represents everything I hate about SUV culture: conspicuous consumption, insensitivity to our rapidly shrinking world and crowded cities, middle finger raised at global warming.

You could slap a cold fusion generator under Big Poppa Cadillac's hood and the first two issues would still apply, but I was kind of wrong about that last one. Have you ever seen Godzilla vs. Megalon? Where Godzilla fights on behalf of the people of Japan against a giant rhinoceros/cockroach? Sure, Tokyo's favorite monster still smashes a bunch of buildings and steps on some people, but he's trying to be good. Same goes for this Hybrid Chromedaddy.

WIRED Decent pickup for a motorized bomb shelter. Combined ABS and regenerative braking system do a terrific job of hauling the beast down from speed. Trick motorized step makes it easy for shorties to climb into your rolling condo.

TIRED Thing has a car phone. No, not Bluetooth, but an actual phone built into infotainment system. (It's actually just Onstar, but there was no other option for hands-free calling.) What is this, 1989? Cadillac — God love 'em — uses the fact that this is a hybrid as an excuse to bling up the truck even more: Hybrid badges are plastered on every hard surface, on the sides of the door, even the windshield. —Joe Brown

$74,085 (as tested), Cadillac.com

Read our full Cadillac Escalade Hybrid review.

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The Kindle 2 is zippier, with pages turning 20 percent faster (yes, you can tell the difference). It has more memory (2 gigabytes, enough for storing more than 1,500 books onboard). And it flaunts a more powerful built-in battery: Amazon claims that the Kindle lasts four to five days with the wireless on (we got 4.5 days in our first test) and up to two weeks with it off. After a week of limited wireless, my meter is around 50 percent. Amazon also says that after 500 charges, it will hold 80 percent of its original juice. That means that most users won't have to replace the battery (a $60 procedure) for about a decade or so.

Looking over the horizon, it's clear that Amazon's biggest competitor in selling digital books will be Google, whose recent agreement with publishers and authors will make it the virtually exclusive seller for millions of books in copyright but not in print. But right now at least, the Google and Amazon formats aren't compatible: I was unsuccessful in getting a PDF of a public-domain book downloaded from Google to appear in readable form on my Kindle.

WIRED The best e-reading system on the market. Welcome improvements to aesthetics, more functional industrial design, better graphics and longer battery life. Sleeker than the original: One-third of an inch thick and 10 ounces.

TIRED Quite expensive. Book content shackled with DRM. Interface is improved, sure, but it could be even better.

$360, amazon.com

Read our full Amazon.com Kindle 2 review.

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The iWOW adapter from SRS Labs promises to coax more "immersive" sound from your iPod, and it actually delivers — provided you're listening to the right kind of music. Setup is easy: Snap on the slick little 1-inch extension, plug in some spendy headphones, press a button, and you do indeed get a fuller sound with more depth — especially if you enjoy songs like Sting's "Fragile," a track hand-picked by SRS to highlight the effect.

But when iWOW was applied to songs that were heavy on low-end thump or had multilayered sound (Exhibit A: Beck's "Cold Brains") the iWOW performed more like iMeh. At top volume, bass beats splintered, while at lower volumes tracks sounded muddled and crowded. SRS claims the device "dynamically locates and restores audio detail" and creates a more natural sound. We're not buying it — most of the audio we threw at the iWOW was punctuated with a subtle hiss and fuzzy bass.

WIRED Relatively small adapter. Snaps easily onto your iPod and lends some oomph to certain tunes.

TIRED The effect is nearly lost when using ear buds, the device won't work with older generation iPods, and music that already has a fair share of bass sounds muffled.

$70, srslabs.com

Read our full SRS Labs iWOW Adapter for iPod review.

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Leaps ahead of other cam phones, the Memoir's not limited to the 8 megapixels it captures. In shooting mode, the touchscreen has shutterbug controls — zoom, brightness, timer and flash — that float around the image. And just hitting the shutter will take you into camera mode. The Memoir includes a 1-GB microSD to augment the phone's 100 MB of storage (and it's an easy-access slot, rather than hidden under the battery).

But for all its convenience, the Memoir simply isn't a competitor for even the lowliest of dedicated cameras. First off, it's pokey: slow to focus, slow to snap and very touchy when it comes to movement. And though it touts a 16x digital zoom, it has no optical-zooming option.

WIRED Cool touchscreen and accelerometer helps you shoot or view pictures. Compact, pocket-friendly shape, even for hipsters in painted-on jeans.

TIRED Vampiric light sensitivity makes for washed-out shots. Slow to focus, shoot and recover. E-mail functions are even slower. The screen is hard to see in sunlight. Lens cover doesn't close all the time, so the lens can get dusty.

$300 (with 2-year contract), t-mobile.com

Read our full Samsung Memoir.

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From the outside, the 1000HE doesn't look much different from other netbooks. But it's the machine's heart — the brand new 1.66-GHz Atom N280 processor — that makes it faster, stronger, smarter than its opponents.

Intel claims the silicon slab boosts computing power across the board, especially HD video playback — something that has been woefully horrid in past machines using Atom processors. It's not lying. This is the fastest netbook we've tested (by about 7 percent) in our benchmarks. And HD video playback was noticeably smoother and devoid of chop.

WIRED The first netbook to feature the new Atom N280 chip. MMC and SD media reader slots. Attractive, pearly finish. Decent 1.3-megapixel webcam.

TIRED At 3.1 pounds, it's one of the heaviest puppies in the netbook litter. Lame keyboard.

$400 as tested, asus.com

Read our full Asus Eee PC 1000HE review.

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The R50 is remarkably easy to set up and use. As you program each component into the remote using the setup wizard, you test a few controls to make sure it has the right code. The remote instantly recognized all our components, and it took us about 10 minutes to get the AV rig up and running. As part of the setup, you name each component, which then appears as an icon on the screen: in my case, a Sony HDTV, Yamaha amp/receiver, Squeezebox, Oppo DVD player and Soundmatters speaker.

WIRED Cool, reddish backlight perfect for nighttime navigation. No computer or web connection needed for operation. No charging cradle required.

TIRED No user manual means gizmo novices might get lost in setup. $150 price point isn't super pricey, but then it's not the cheapest universal remote out there.

$150, universalremote.com

Read our full Universal Remote Digital R50 review.

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Like other watches in the 25-year-old G-Shock line, the MTG-1500 is forged with Mr. T levels of toughness: It can easily survive being banged clumsily against tabletops or whacked against a surfboard in a wipeout. And it's water-resistant to 200 meters. But unlike most other G-Shock watches, which are primarily plastic, the MTG-1500's body and band are stainless steel, with a few tasteful black plastic accents.

We half expected to find the MTG-1500 lacking in minor features. Surprisingly, it didn't. It's got a stopwatch mode, dual time-zone support, five different alarms and a countdown timer. Free abundant sunlight or bright artificial light recharges the battery as you wear the watch. Once fully charged, the battery should be able to power the watch for 6 months without additional light.

WIRED Handsome, two-toned steel-and-black styling doesn't blare "nerd," "Swatch-wearing poser" or "too lazy to take off my gym watch." Self-syncs with superaccurate official time stations. Gives you an excuse to say "solar" and "atomic" in the same sentence.

TIRED Digital display too small and can be obscured by watch hands. LED provides uneven illumination in the dark. $500 can buy a timepiece that's much fancier, albeit not atomic.

$500, casio.com

Read our full Casio G-Shock MTG-1500 review.

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The skinny on this countertop unit is pretty straightforward: It's the touch-based kitchen computer that won't put you out of house and home. Don't go rushing out to cash in that 401(k), though — despite a recession-friendly price, the Eee Top still feels a little light in the loafers.

The glossy white, semi-opaque keyboard and mouse look stylish out of the box, but after extended handling their light, plastic-y build became annoying. The slim chassis sat solid on our countertop, while the bright, 15.6-inch screen and the integrated speaker bar make up the majority of the Top's sleek profile. Rounding out the device are six USB ports, memory card reader, 1.3-MP web cam and integrated Wi-Fi. We were pretty bummed at the lack of an optical drive, though.

WIRED An all-in-one for the Top Ramen set. Quick, responsive touch interface. Compact design has integrated storage for both keyboard and stylus. Integrated 802.11n and gigabit ethernet ensure throughput thrashings. One-touch shutoff button for hiding porn er, convenience. Runs whisper-quiet.

TIRED Underpowered for heavy web video. A wired keyboard and mouse — on an all-in-one?!? Heats up after extended poke/prod sessions. Anemic 160-GB hard drive. Even a cheapy, noisy optical drive would've been nice. No battery means no mobile computing.

$600 (as tested), asus.com

Read our full Asus ET1602 Eee Top review.

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This camera is about the size and shape of a pack of chewing gum, and weighs just 0.68 ounces. It records videos at 352 x 288 pixels, encoding them in the 3-GP format used by many cellphones (the videos can be played on your computer using most media-player software, including QuickTime and RealPlayer).

But the MovieStick is oozing with design flaws. The pinhole-sized lens is located on the long side of the device, rather than the short end, limiting your ability to go truly undercover. Add to that a confusing series of lights that supposedly indicate when the cam is charging, turned on or recording, and you end up with more than one inadvertent video of the floor.

WIRED The smallest video camera we've seen yet. Simple to set up and use. Makes you look like a double agent.

TIRED Location of camera lens makes it hard to go covert. No internal storage or memory card included. Recorded video is shakier and blurrier than outtakes from The Blair Witch Project.

$120, swannsecurity.com

Read our full Swann Micro-VideoCam Recorder review.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Gear Gallery: Near-Perfect Laptop, Nifty Camcorder, Pretty Plasma

It's not quite a netbook, not quite an ultralight PC. Whatever it is, Samsung's NC20 is a dazzling feat of engineering: an extremely usable 12-inch laptop with epic battery life, impressive specs and a downright mystifyingly affordable price tag.

But the NC20 doesn't make depressing tradeoffs to achieve those scores. Battery life is three hours, 40 minutes (22 percent longer than the S10) and weight is just 3.3 pounds, comparable to the Asus Eee PC 1000H. All that and you get a 12.1-inch LCD, too, instead of the usual 10.2-inch netbook display.

WIRED Everything a netbook should be: Offers the best performance available from a computer this portable and inexpensive. Very usable keyboard. Good quality audio. Includes three USB ports, 1.3-megapixel webcam, and SD card slot.

TIRED LCD could be a touch brighter and quality sharper. Chassis design is a bit boring.

$550, samsung.com

Read our full Samsung NC 20 review.

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Pure Digital's Flip has proven that it's possible to build a super-small flash memory camcorder and offer it up for fewer than two hundred bucks. But there are tradeoffs with going small and cheap, like optics and battery life. Canon takes a completely different tack with its newest solid-state cam, the Vixia HF S10, which delivers some fantastically brilliant moving pictures, but at a stiff cost.

Out in the field, auto focus and auto exposure were both very impressive in a wide range of situations, from the intense brightness of the beach to shady and contrasty venues. Every camera suffers indoors, thanks to low light, and everyone complains about it, but the S10 did a credible job with low-light shots and it's clearly better than previous cams of this ilk.

WIRED Improved audio quality. Big, bright lens. Speedy processor. Lots of creative control options. More intuitive menus than previous generation Canon camcorders.

TIRED Loose lens cover noisier than cutlery caught in a garbage disposal. Still images come off looking a bit overexposed.

$1,300, canon.com

Read our full Canon Vixia HF S10 review.

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Dry your eyes, plasma junkies. The untimely demise of Pioneer's Kuro line doesn't mean you'll have to forgo those deliciously deep blacks and theater-perfect colors for long. In fact, even as the last of the Pioneer Kuro Elites make its way into a few lucky U.S. homes, a new lineup of HDTV sets are already poised to seize the plasma king's vacant throne.

Key to this plasma's visual appeal is its integrated THX mode. In addition to blessing various audio components, the home-theater ninjas at THX began bestowing plasma and LCD certification a few years back. Each set is subjected to approximately 400 individual tests, ranging from evaluations in signal processing to luminosity. Basically, the idea behind G10's THX mode is to recreate the precise color gamut filmmakers use during the in-studio post-production process.

WIRED Mind-boggling blacks with tons of detail. THX mode is a godsend for movie buffs. Integrated SD card slots transform your plasma into a giant digital photo frame. Amazing color saturation.

TIRED THX mode is bit dim for brightly lit rooms. Ethernet connectivity is nice for VieraCast, but Wi-Fi would've been better. Three HDMI ports (two in the back, one on the side) don't cut it. More power-hungry than LCD TVs. Where's the PiP?

$1,300, panasonic.com

Read our full Panasonic TC-P42G10 Viera G10 Series Plasma review.

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The PogoPlug is a device, which looks like a supersized AC adapter, plugs into almost any external hard drive (even a USB stick) and then pumps that content onto the web, giving you access anywhere in the world you can get an internet signal — including your iPhone.

But the PogoPlug isn't without the occasional snafu and annoyances. Only image files are available for preview. PDF, Word documents or even HTML files have to be downloaded before viewing. Worse yet, when we unhooked the device, it caused our PC to crash twice in a row. We're still not entirely sure if this was due to a glitch in the PogoPlug or in Windows.

WIRED Easy to use. Simple setup. Great utility: I must be able to access my collection of LOLcat photos from anywhere. The iPhone app is solid software.

TIRED No wireless mode ... yet. Poor security — it's a wise idea to keep those tax returns or bank documents off the PogoPlug. Computer crashes are deeply flummoxing. The iPhone is currently the only mobile device that supports remote access.

$100, pogoplug.com

Read our full Cloud Engines PogoPlug review.

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NatureMill's Pro edition is an indoor composter we can pretty much dig. Using minimal electricity, a small motor turns a heavy-duty mixing bar, heats the mixing chamber (no sunlight needed) and powers an air pump that works with a carbon air filter to help reduce smell (each filter lasts four to five years).

Just add starter dirt, drop in some sawdust pellets to combat odors and dump your food scraps in. NatureMill recommends that you cut organic material into 4-inch bits before plopping it in. We didn't, but aside from the motor making some gnarly noises, it didn't seem to affect compost production. NatureMill's Pro version also features some automatic activation. We were able to leave ours sitting for weeks without pushing the button even once; it mixed and heated itself just fine.

WIRED Stainless steel mixing bar made short work of uncut banana peels. Relatively small and exceptionally lightweight = easy to stash and transport. Foot pedal eliminates lid touching. Mighty Morphin' Power Saver: only draws 5 kwh a month (roughly 50 cents on an average electric bill). Not as much of an eyesore as it could be and it's available in a range of colors (including, you guess it, green).

TIRED Little to no stench — until top opens (that's hard to remedy, and burger/fish/salad remnants smell worse than a dead wildebeest doused in Eau D'Bile). Polypropylene housing is light, but may not last forever. Disposable carbon filters reduce smell, but also cut down on the green factor. Regular maintenance (scraping the mix chamber walls) isn't fun.

$400, naturemill.com

Read our full Nature Mill Indoor Composter — Pro Edition review.

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You can get away with a lot if you're beautiful. Such is the case with the new Porsche Design P'9522 phone. In some ways, it's a wonderful and capable cellphone, but in most others, it's dumber than the gorgeous block of aluminum it was machined from.

Someone forgot to include e-mail — an absence that had us trying to mar the Porsche phone's scratchproof screen with claws of rage. Unfortunately, that screen is tough, so the P'9522 will be lauded and drooled over — despite our many gripes with it.

WIRED Gorgeous. Touchscreen interface is easy to understand, if limited and frustrating. Preloaded ringtones include the roaring engines of the 911 GT3 and Turbo. Its 5-megapixel camera has autofocus and captures clean, vivid images. LED flash doubles as a flashlight. Unlocking the phone with its fingerprint scanner is very MI5.

TIRED Fingerprint scanner is also very POS: Who thought it would be a good idea to use fingerprints to access a device you're likely holding in one hand while juggling multiple other tasks? Preloaded ringtones include bad German techno. Touchscreen is deeply frustrating. Seriously — no e-mail?

$800, porschedesign.com

Read our full Porsche Design P'9522 Phone review.

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Weighing just 140 grams, the handset offers some of the best optics we've ever found crammed into a cell phone: sharp, noiseless pics (3,264 × 2,448 pixels) and decent image stabilizer punctuate video capture that puts full-figured handicams from 2008 to shame. You can even shoot VGA at 30 fps or QVGA at a whopping 120 fps (yes, 120!), including slow motion footage in 1/4 and 1/8 speeds.

Amazing, sure, but not a picture perfect phone. The i8510 functions almost exactly like a standard point-and-shoot, except for the zoom button, which is placed inexplicably, and awkwardly at the bottom of the device.

WIRED Beaucoup codecs, including — wait for it — DivX! 2.8-inch screen excellent for playback. Intuitive photo/video editing suite. Equally intuitive navigation. Automatic lens cover. MicroSD slot good for 16 GB (enough for aspiring Scorseses to go epic). All the usual smartphone suspects: 3G, Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth, accelerometer, GPS. Decent earbuds with ample cord. 3.5mm audio jack. Most excellent: TV-out capability.

TIRED Side-mounted headphone jack makes phone harder to pocket. Optical control pad is a tad sensitive (between us and you — we don't want to hurt its feelings). Most bogus: Metal shell retains enough scratches to fill a DJ Shadow album. A little on the clunky side. Most bogus: Flash needs to be brighter.

$500, samsung.com

Read our full Samsung i8510 INNOV8 review.

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As the successor to Logitech's G11 and G15, this huge hunk of plastic comes with gaming hardwired in its DNA. Like its relatives, it has a blocky aesthetic that harkens to the days of the Model M. There are, however, a handful of very modern flourishes that make this latest G-board a distinctly modern marvel.

In the end, the G19's main drawback is the same one that has plagued fancy keyboards since the days of yore: It's freaking huge. That swiveling LCD? It actually requires a tiny onboard Linux computer to run, which in turn requires its own power source. Should you choose to make use of the two self-powered USB ports, you'll potentially have more wires shooting out of this thing than your computer.

WIRED More customizable than a box of Legos. Two self-powered USB ports. Dedicated D-pad and menu keys let you control LCD directly from the keyboard. Convenient cable management lanes carved into bottom of unit lessens clutter … slightly. Choose-your-own-color adventure with adjustable backlighting. Keys are pleasantly clicky and responsive.

TIRED Limited desktop space? This is not your keyboard. Price tag to match gargantuan footprint. Requires power brick to run. After its novelty wears off, built-in LCD becomes more of a distraction than a useful tool.

$200, Logitech.com

Read our full Logitech G19 Keyboard review.

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Want to catch the last episode of Battlestar Galactica while hanging out in the local java joint? Going to download a season of The Simpsons for viewing on the plane? Giving an impromptu screening of your vacation photos at a friend's house? The Mini 10 is your machine.

But there are infuriating shortcomings to the Mini 10. The trackpad is one of the worst we've seen. Dell's decision to integrate the buttons underneath the pad itself makes using it both unpredictable and challenging. When you click on a button, the cursor may hit the target, wiggle off a centimeter or two, or teleport off into a remote corner of your screen. While it got easier to use after a week of practice, our advice is to invest in a cheap travel mouse.

WIRED Bright, responsive screen. Integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam. Not gunked up with crapware. HDMI-out port shows charming, if unwarranted, optimism about the netbook's video capabilities. Light weight: Just 2.6 pounds.

TIRED Infuriating trackpad with integrated buttons hidden underneath. Excessively glossy screen produces distracting glare. Windows XP is starting to look pretty tired. What, no solid-state option? Despite the HDMI port, the netbook can't deliver HD video without fits and starts.

$470 (as tested), dell.com

Read our full Dell Mini 10 Netbook review.

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The new 370Z upgrades come in the form of a sexy body with a hood, hatch and doors of lightweight aluminum and a chassis significantly stiffer to reduce performance-robbing flex. To make up for the beefier chassis, Nissan's engineers pared more than 225 pounds from the rest of the car — even the audio system lost 3.5 pounds — and the result is a car that weighs 88 pounds less than the previous 350Z.

Every model gets the same 332-horsepower V6, an engine that makes this Z the quickest yet with a zero-to-60 time of 4.6 seconds. That kind of performance, however, is contingent on your skills as a driver. If you don't posses Lewis Hamilton levels of talent don't fret. The Z's abundant power and excellent handling will let you think you do.

WIRED Insanely easy to drive, insanely quickly. You'll run out of nerve before you run out of grip. Rev-matching transmission makes heel-toe shifting more obsolete than a gramophone.

TIRED Rev-matching transmission makes heel-toe shifting more obsolete than a vinyl record. Tympani-like tire roar, piccolo-like exhaust note. Hummer-sized blind spots make lane changes a gun-it-and-go-for-it leap of faith. Fake brushed-aluminum interior bits don't fool anyone.

$33,970 (as tested), nissanusa.com

Read our full Nissan 2009 370Z review.

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Using the BookReader is simple: Just plunk a novel on the platen, punch a button and you're relaxing to the dulcet sounds of Jill, a computerized voice with a voracious appetite for literature. All the menus read themselves off when you mouse over them, and they have keyboard shortcuts, which is useful if you have reduced vision. Jill is pretty good at recognizing words. We tried out several books, including one heavy with medical jargon, and she held her own with just a few exceptions.

Useful as it is, we could not help noticing that the BookReader seems to be slightly undercooked. A few of the buttons don't really do anything, and you can't customize the dictionary to alter Jill's interpretation of commonly used, but horribly flubbed words, acronyms or numbers. The unit seems to be terribly overpriced as well. Plustek wants $600 for the BookReader, despite the fact that the OpticBook only costs $250 — and has its own text-to-speech function.

WIRED Reads books to you at the push of a button. Platen glass goes right to the edge to accommodate books without strain. Turns text into MP3s for portability. Includes several accessibility features to help the visually impaired.

TIRED The included software lacks polish and seems rushed. Squat, ugly looks make it seem at home in a cubicle farm. The reader voice may not screw up often, but when it does, it's a doozy. High price nears gouging territory.

$600, plustek.com

Read our full Plustek BookReader V100 review.

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Apple's newest Shuffle (almost 50 percent smaller than previous Shuffles) could easily be mistaken for a stick of Trident, features no buttons, and pimps voice-identification technology. But even given its apparent readily consumable stature, there are a few features on the Shuffle that are a bit tough to swallow.

The biggest gripe on the 4-GB Shuffle we tested is definitely the control set. First off, it's completely counterintuitive; Apple says you can easily use it without looking. We still don't have the hang of it after a few days of testing. What's worse, if you have a decent set of earbuds (say, a pair of Shures or Ultimate Ears) you're totally hosed — you'll have to endure the 'buds that come with the Shuffle or pick up specially made third-party headphones. Our recommendation? Pick up a new Shuffle only if you're prepared to deal with proprietary headphones and ambiguous controls.

WIRED Thumb-drive size. Can double as a tie clip. Battery life lasts for 12 freaking hours. Short USB sync cord is sexy. Yes, we'll admit, it's another beautifully designed piece of hardware from Apple. Battery bonked out after 11 constant hours of blasting Thunderstruck on loop.

TIRED Proprietary headphones required. Control set awkward to use, hard to get used to. So small, it nearly gets lost in the packaging it comes in.

$80, apple.com

Read our full Apple iPod Shuffle 3rd Gen review.

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Rather than foam, gel or compressed-air cushioning, the soles on Newtons have a series of "actuator lugs" just below the ball of the foot. The lugs are designed to help encourage you to land on your forefoot, to protect that part of the foot, and (best yet) to propel you forward. When you land, the lugs push into hollow chambers in the midsole. This cushions your landing, and helps make it comfy to land midsole or forefoot rather than on the heel as you might be accustomed. As your foot moves forward, these lugs then essentially lever out, and as you lift your foot, they return the energy by pushing up and out in the same direction as your stride. Newton claims this makes them more efficient than traditional foam or gel soles that simply absorb energy but don't return it.

WIRED So cozy they're like a Snuggie for your feet. Actuator lugs get you off your heels better than a La-Z-Boy. Lightweight at 10.2 ounces. Designed for all stride types. Stomps cold weather like global warming, and keeps out the drizzle for shizzle.

TIRED Not waterproof. Worse on single-track trails than a skateboard. $175??? OMG, for that much money I could just pay somebody to run for me.

$175, newtonrunning.com

Read our full Newton All Weather Trainer review.

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The Firebird features a hybrid design — using 2.5-inch hard drives (two 320-GB models) and dual graphics cards originally designed for laptops — but powers it all with a desktop CPU and desktop-sized DIMMs. As with a laptop, wireless is built in, but the power supply is not: To save on wattage, HP breaks out the (enormous) power adapter instead of integrating it into the box.

As cool as the Firebird is on the whole, it isn't without some foibles. The inclusion of an ExpressCard slot is on the baffling-to-useless side, and the external power supply (it's huge) is more annoying to deal with than it sounds. But our biggest gripe is that the Firebird's streamlined shell means it includes no front-mounted ports at all, not even a single USB slot for your thumb drive. Seriously HP, even the Mac Pro finds room for that.

WIRED Amazingly quiet and conscientious in its power consumption. Outstanding design; belongs on top of the desk, not beneath it. Solid all-around performance at a fair price.

TIRED No front USB port. Curvy design means you can't put anything on top of the case. Functionally locked down, with no real upgrade path.

$2,100 (as tested), hp.com

Read our full HP Firebird 803 review.

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I shouldn't love this truck. I should hate it. I purposely do not own a car, and this all-black behemoth represents everything I hate about SUV culture: conspicuous consumption, insensitivity to our rapidly shrinking world and crowded cities, middle finger raised at global warming.

You could slap a cold fusion generator under Big Poppa Cadillac's hood and the first two issues would still apply, but I was kind of wrong about that last one. Have you ever seen Godzilla vs. Megalon? Where Godzilla fights on behalf of the people of Japan against a giant rhinoceros/cockroach? Sure, Tokyo's favorite monster still smashes a bunch of buildings and steps on some people, but he's trying to be good. Same goes for this Hybrid Chromedaddy.

WIRED Decent pickup for a motorized bomb shelter. Combined ABS and regenerative braking system do a terrific job of hauling the beast down from speed. Trick motorized step makes it easy for shorties to climb into your rolling condo.

TIRED Thing has a car phone. No, not Bluetooth, but an actual phone built into infotainment system. (It's actually just Onstar, but there was no other option for hands-free calling.) What is this, 1989? Cadillac — God love 'em — uses the fact that this is a hybrid as an excuse to bling up the truck even more: Hybrid badges are plastered on every hard surface, on the sides of the door, even the windshield. —Joe Brown

$74,085 (as tested), Cadillac.com

Read our full Cadillac Escalade Hybrid review.

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The Kindle 2 is zippier, with pages turning 20 percent faster (yes, you can tell the difference). It has more memory (2 gigabytes, enough for storing more than 1,500 books onboard). And it flaunts a more powerful built-in battery: Amazon claims that the Kindle lasts four to five days with the wireless on (we got 4.5 days in our first test) and up to two weeks with it off. After a week of limited wireless, my meter is around 50 percent. Amazon also says that after 500 charges, it will hold 80 percent of its original juice. That means that most users won't have to replace the battery (a $60 procedure) for about a decade or so.

Looking over the horizon, it's clear that Amazon's biggest competitor in selling digital books will be Google, whose recent agreement with publishers and authors will make it the virtually exclusive seller for millions of books in copyright but not in print. But right now at least, the Google and Amazon formats aren't compatible: I was unsuccessful in getting a PDF of a public-domain book downloaded from Google to appear in readable form on my Kindle.

WIRED The best e-reading system on the market. Welcome improvements to aesthetics, more functional industrial design, better graphics and longer battery life. Sleeker than the original: One-third of an inch thick and 10 ounces.

TIRED Quite expensive. Book content shackled with DRM. Interface is improved, sure, but it could be even better.

$360, amazon.com

Read our full Amazon.com Kindle 2 review.

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The iWOW adapter from SRS Labs promises to coax more "immersive" sound from your iPod, and it actually delivers — provided you're listening to the right kind of music. Setup is easy: Snap on the slick little 1-inch extension, plug in some spendy headphones, press a button, and you do indeed get a fuller sound with more depth — especially if you enjoy songs like Sting's "Fragile," a track hand-picked by SRS to highlight the effect.

But when iWOW was applied to songs that were heavy on low-end thump or had multilayered sound (Exhibit A: Beck's "Cold Brains") the iWOW performed more like iMeh. At top volume, bass beats splintered, while at lower volumes tracks sounded muddled and crowded. SRS claims the device "dynamically locates and restores audio detail" and creates a more natural sound. We're not buying it — most of the audio we threw at the iWOW was punctuated with a subtle hiss and fuzzy bass.

WIRED Relatively small adapter. Snaps easily onto your iPod and lends some oomph to certain tunes.

TIRED The effect is nearly lost when using ear buds, the device won't work with older generation iPods, and music that already has a fair share of bass sounds muffled.

$70, srslabs.com

Read our full SRS Labs iWOW Adapter for iPod review.

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Leaps ahead of other cam phones, the Memoir's not limited to the 8 megapixels it captures. In shooting mode, the touchscreen has shutterbug controls — zoom, brightness, timer and flash — that float around the image. And just hitting the shutter will take you into camera mode. The Memoir includes a 1-GB microSD to augment the phone's 100 MB of storage (and it's an easy-access slot, rather than hidden under the battery).

But for all its convenience, the Memoir simply isn't a competitor for even the lowliest of dedicated cameras. First off, it's pokey: slow to focus, slow to snap and very touchy when it comes to movement. And though it touts a 16x digital zoom, it has no optical-zooming option.

WIRED Cool touchscreen and accelerometer helps you shoot or view pictures. Compact, pocket-friendly shape, even for hipsters in painted-on jeans.

TIRED Vampiric light sensitivity makes for washed-out shots. Slow to focus, shoot and recover. E-mail functions are even slower. The screen is hard to see in sunlight. Lens cover doesn't close all the time, so the lens can get dusty.

$300 (with 2-year contract), t-mobile.com

Read our full Samsung Memoir.

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From the outside, the 1000HE doesn't look much different from other netbooks. But it's the machine's heart — the brand new 1.66-GHz Atom N280 processor — that makes it faster, stronger, smarter than its opponents.

Intel claims the silicon slab boosts computing power across the board, especially HD video playback — something that has been woefully horrid in past machines using Atom processors. It's not lying. This is the fastest netbook we've tested (by about 7 percent) in our benchmarks. And HD video playback was noticeably smoother and devoid of chop.

WIRED The first netbook to feature the new Atom N280 chip. MMC and SD media reader slots. Attractive, pearly finish. Decent 1.3-megapixel webcam.

TIRED At 3.1 pounds, it's one of the heaviest puppies in the netbook litter. Lame keyboard.

$400 as tested, asus.com

Read our full Asus Eee PC 1000HE review.

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The R50 is remarkably easy to set up and use. As you program each component into the remote using the setup wizard, you test a few controls to make sure it has the right code. The remote instantly recognized all our components, and it took us about 10 minutes to get the AV rig up and running. As part of the setup, you name each component, which then appears as an icon on the screen: in my case, a Sony HDTV, Yamaha amp/receiver, Squeezebox, Oppo DVD player and Soundmatters speaker.

WIRED Cool, reddish backlight perfect for nighttime navigation. No computer or web connection needed for operation. No charging cradle required.

TIRED No user manual means gizmo novices might get lost in setup. $150 price point isn't super pricey, but then it's not the cheapest universal remote out there.

$150, universalremote.com

Read our full Universal Remote Digital R50 review.

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Like other watches in the 25-year-old G-Shock line, the MTG-1500 is forged with Mr. T levels of toughness: It can easily survive being banged clumsily against tabletops or whacked against a surfboard in a wipeout. And it's water-resistant to 200 meters. But unlike most other G-Shock watches, which are primarily plastic, the MTG-1500's body and band are stainless steel, with a few tasteful black plastic accents.

We half expected to find the MTG-1500 lacking in minor features. Surprisingly, it didn't. It's got a stopwatch mode, dual time-zone support, five different alarms and a countdown timer. Free abundant sunlight or bright artificial light recharges the battery as you wear the watch. Once fully charged, the battery should be able to power the watch for 6 months without additional light.

WIRED Handsome, two-toned steel-and-black styling doesn't blare "nerd," "Swatch-wearing poser" or "too lazy to take off my gym watch." Self-syncs with superaccurate official time stations. Gives you an excuse to say "solar" and "atomic" in the same sentence.

TIRED Digital display too small and can be obscured by watch hands. LED provides uneven illumination in the dark. $500 can buy a timepiece that's much fancier, albeit not atomic.

$500, casio.com

Read our full Casio G-Shock MTG-1500 review.

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The skinny on this countertop unit is pretty straightforward: It's the touch-based kitchen computer that won't put you out of house and home. Don't go rushing out to cash in that 401(k), though — despite a recession-friendly price, the Eee Top still feels a little light in the loafers.

The glossy white, semi-opaque keyboard and mouse look stylish out of the box, but after extended handling their light, plastic-y build became annoying. The slim chassis sat solid on our countertop, while the bright, 15.6-inch screen and the integrated speaker bar make up the majority of the Top's sleek profile. Rounding out the device are six USB ports, memory card reader, 1.3-MP web cam and integrated Wi-Fi. We were pretty bummed at the lack of an optical drive, though.

WIRED An all-in-one for the Top Ramen set. Quick, responsive touch interface. Compact design has integrated storage for both keyboard and stylus. Integrated 802.11n and gigabit ethernet ensure throughput thrashings. One-touch shutoff button for hiding porn er, convenience. Runs whisper-quiet.

TIRED Underpowered for heavy web video. A wired keyboard and mouse — on an all-in-one?!? Heats up after extended poke/prod sessions. Anemic 160-GB hard drive. Even a cheapy, noisy optical drive would've been nice. No battery means no mobile computing.

$600 (as tested), asus.com

Read our full Asus ET1602 Eee Top review.

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This camera is about the size and shape of a pack of chewing gum, and weighs just 0.68 ounces. It records videos at 352 x 288 pixels, encoding them in the 3-GP format used by many cellphones (the videos can be played on your computer using most media-player software, including QuickTime and RealPlayer).

But the MovieStick is oozing with design flaws. The pinhole-sized lens is located on the long side of the device, rather than the short end, limiting your ability to go truly undercover. Add to that a confusing series of lights that supposedly indicate when the cam is charging, turned on or recording, and you end up with more than one inadvertent video of the floor.

WIRED The smallest video camera we've seen yet. Simple to set up and use. Makes you look like a double agent.

TIRED Location of camera lens makes it hard to go covert. No internal storage or memory card included. Recorded video is shakier and blurrier than outtakes from The Blair Witch Project.

$120, swannsecurity.com

Read our full Swann Micro-VideoCam Recorder review.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Color Scheme: Decode the Encrypted Message

	Can't read the colored text below? You'll have to translate it. The good news is that we've given you detailed instructions. The bad news is that they're hidden in the colored text below. So once you've solved the puzzle, you'll learn how to solve the puzzle! Here's a little something to get you started: Words in the same color all follow the same rule, and one of the words in the first sentence is really word. Click here for the answer key.

Dan Katz is a mathematician whose creations have appeared in the MIT Mystery Hunt, including his signature Duck Konundrums.

	Answer: As the paragraph will tell you (once translated) the color of each word determines how it has been transformed:

Fanboys Unite: Apple Profiles Twitter

By far the two companies I’ve written about the most recently are Apple and Twitter. This is to the delight of some people, and the absolute horror of others. And now I’ve got something that will really whip up the fanboys and enrage the haters: Me writing about Apple writing about Twitter.

Yes, Apple has a new business profile of the micro-messaging service that it put up today on its site. The headline may just say it all, “Twitter. Triumph of humanity.” But it’s actually a fairly in-depth look at how Twitter uses Apple products to conduct their business. “Pretty much everyone here at Twitter uses a Mac,” says Alex Payne, Twitter’s API lead, in the video that accompanies the profile.

Specifically, the profile is pretty much like a series of talking points about why the Mac is great for business (as you might expect in such a profile). The profile delves into OS X and how it offers just about everything Twitter needs from TextMate to Keynote. And if Twitter team members really need to boot Windows for testing purposes, they just use VMware. Also brought up is the idea that Macs are more secure than PCs. And that MacBook Airs and iPhones has given employees a new state of mind about working on the go.

“Historically, people thought about the Mac as something for entertainment or graphics, but now they see the value of the Mac as a serious business tool. The same is true of Twitter,” the profile says at one point.

But there are a few interesting tidbits. One is that the profile claims Twitter gets “heavy use” out of Numbers and Pages — two pieces of software in the iWork suite that are much less popular than their Microsoft Office counterparts, Excel and Word. Another talks about the synergy between Twitter and Apple — how the keynote address at MacWorld was a big moment in early Twitter usage history. And how Twitter is now driving a lot of development for both the Mac and iPhone with third-party clients.

The profile also claims that many of the team’s software engineers “were attracted to Twitter as an employer because of its bent for the Mac.” And that one of the reasons the office space is littered with Macs is because they are more environmentally friendly than their PC counterparts — a message Apple has been pushing heavily recently.

A quote from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone wraps up the profile, “Twitter is a minimalist communication tool that is very powerful. The Mac is the same way. It offers beautiful design, simple elegance, and a system that’s incredibly flexible and powerful to use.”

I can hear it now. The fanboys will let out a collective, “Awwww” — while the haters scream, “Get a room.”

[via Daring Fireball]

[photos via Apple]

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

US Says Canadian Copyright As Bad As China's, Russia's

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Archos adds Archos 2 to their online store

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video

Several weeks ago, Amazon had leaked the Archos 2 and the Archos 4.  At the time, the Archos 2 was available for pre-order on Amazon and some basic information on the device was provided.  Today, Archos makes it official by offering the MP3 player on the site, and rumor has it that another color may be added to the mix. 

In case you don’t remember what the MP3 player is all about, here are some quick specs.  It comes with a 1.8 inch LCD screen, audio recorder, microSD expansion, FM radio tuner, and comes in either the 8GB or 16GB model.  One of the mediocre features of the device is its pathetic battery life.  Many MP3 players these days sport battery lives up to 20 hours plus.  The Archos 2 can run for 12 straight hours when playing audio, and only 4 when playing video.  Any MP3 player today should have around 20 hour battery life, it would make the device that much better. 

On a more interesting note, Archos Lounge is reporting Archos to add a purple Archos 2 to the lineup.  On their store website, no such MP3 player is featured, but you never know.  In terms of pricing, the 8GB model in black & white will be available for $59, while the 16GB model is available for $99. 

Read [Archos] Via [Archos Lounge]

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

Drought-fighting plant gene isolated

Source: Gizmodo | 1 May 2009 | 2:00 am

StumbleUpon’s Ebay Spinoff Valuation: $29 Million

Earlier this month we reported on eBay’s spinoff of StumbleUpon, a company it owned for a little less than two years. Ebay bought the company for $75 million in May 2007. Unknown until now, though, was the spinoff value of StumbleUpon. According to a source close to the transaction, it was $29 million.

New investors Sherpalo Ventures, Accel Partners, and August Capital joined StumbleUpon founders Garrett Camp and Geoff Smith in purchasing the company back from eBay. Outside investors put in 85% or so of the $29 million, we’ve been told, with Camp and Smith making up the rest.

eBay was paid $25 million in cash for StumbleUpon and retains a 10% interest in the spun off entity. $4 million remains in the company to fund operations.

StumbleUpon’s revenues are estimated at $5 million - $10 million annually.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 May 2009 | 1:46 am

Cute, handmade iOwl cord manager

Finally, a DIY project that seems fairly simple to do: take a piece of wood, cut several holes in it, and make it look like an owl. Then wrap your portable MP3 player earbuds around it. Isn’t it cute?!

In fact, it’s so easy to make that our own Matt Burns took the time out of his busy day and made one himself. The original concept was created using acrylic, but wood seems to have been sufficient to get the job done.

Oh, and here’s Matt’s owl:

Source: Gizmodo | 1 May 2009 | 1:30 am

iPhone App Developers Threaten To Sue Apple Over Late Payments

We’ve reported in the past on how Apple has not only been late on payments to iPhone app developers, but has also neglected to pay some developers for their app sales at the store entirely. We thought that perhaps our post might call Apple’s attention to the problem. Apparently, developers complaints have gone unheard at Apple and now they are so upset that some of them are threatening to sue Apple for breach of contract.

As we wrote earlier, Apple’s delay in payments is affecting some developers but not all of them. Some are being paid but other developers are claiming no payment from Apple for sales and continued poor customer support from Apple. You can read the complaints on the developer forums here and here.

Apple’s contract, which is embedded below, says that payment will be made to developers within 45 days of the end of the month. Developers are claiming that there are massive delays in payments for as early as last fall and are not being paid the amount of money that the developers are in fact due from sales. One developer, who hasn’t been paid since November 2008, forwarded us an email chain between Apple’s App Store finance team and himself. An Apple employee, who was responding to the developers complaints, wrote that the developer’s continued emails about the late payments was “bordering on harassment,” and claimed that the finance team receives thousands of emails a day and couldn’t get to his right away. Another developer on the forum says that he hasn’t been paid since September and is owed close to $7000 for sales.

It’s not clear how serious these threats are. After all, it is a forum and it’s a lot easier to vent and make empty legal threats in an anonymous forum. But it appears that despite the media reports, developer complaints, emails, and calls surrounding the delays in payments, Apple has not corrected its system at all. It’s definitely cause to wonder what is going on with Apple. Didn’t Apple just post its best second quarter earnings in the history of the company? We also recently wrote about Apple’s seemingly unfair refund policy, which puts developers at a clear disadvantage. And Apple owes a lot to iPhone app developers-the App store just reached 1 billion app downloads thanks to those very same savvy developers who have created useful and creative apps.

As we wrote in the past, Apple is in danger of alienating developers and giving them reasons why they shouldn’t be developing for the iPhone (on the forums, a few developers said they may even give up on the App store)—namely, they’re at the mercy of Apple, which is making a habit of taking its developers for granted.

iPhone app contract - Get more Information Technology

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Source: TechCrunch | 1 May 2009 | 1:25 am

Web Searches In Gmail Now Feature 100% Less Leaving

I can’t stop drooling over Gmail Labs. It’s simply a great idea for expanding a product, without forcing all users happy with the current one to upgrade to features they don’t want. And tonight may be the best Gmail Labs feature yet: Google Search In Gmail.

Yes, it may sound lame or obvious, but it’s a pretty kickass feature. Once enabled, it puts a Google Search widget in the left side toolbar of Gmail. From there, you simply input a query into the search box, and it will pop up the results in an overlay window at the bottom — the same type of window it users for IMs and Tasks. It will show you the top three results in this box automatically, or you can click “more” to expand the box. You can also pop the results out into their own window.

Yes, you’ve been able to search Google from within Gmail for a long time, but when you do so using the main search bar in Gmail, it opens another whole browser window for the results. That’s cumbersome. This keeps me right in Gmail and allows me to save multiple queries that I may need again later. And there’s another nice feature. Hovering over any of the results gives you a drop down menu that permits you to send the results to other people via email or IM.

It’s seriously getting to the point where I can almost do everything I want to do on the web within Gmail thanks to these Labs widgets. Don’t think Google doesn’t realize that either as it continues to becoming more of a social player on the web.

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

Source: Gizmodo | 1 May 2009 | 1:00 am

Scientists find soft tissue in T. rex bone

A team of researchers led by a North Carolina State University scientist has found soft tissue on a dinosaur skeleton. The team was led by Professor Mary Schweitzer, who in 2005 found soft tissue in the fossilized bone of a 68-million-year old Tyrannosaurus rex, The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer reported Thursday. The findings will be published this week in the journal Science. As was the case with the T.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 May 2009 | 12:50 am

Should Google Be Paranoid About Losing The Android Name?

The name “Android” is at the very core of Google’s mobile initiative. It’s even successfully gotten people to move away from calling the devices “Google Phones” or “GPhones,” something which seemed impossible prior to the unveiling. But Google may be in serious trouble of losing that name — or at least having to pay a hell of a lot of money to keep it.

Erich Specht, a man who runs a small Midwestern data company, applied for and was granted a trademark on the Android name in 2002, according to Forbes. Google? Well, it tried to trademark the name in 2007, shortly before its massive Android PR blitz — but it was rejected a few months later. Still, Google pushed forward with trying to gain legal rights over the name, but its appeals were again and again rejected, and its trademark application was apparently suspended last November.

So what does that mean? Well, Specht is seeking $94 million from Google (and all the other members of the Open Handset Alliance) for infringing on the Android name. He’ll be in court next week, and Google will have 60 days to respond to him. Given Google’s rejections by the Patent and Trademark Office, this things seems to reek of a high-priced settlement, in which Google gets to keep using the name while paying Specht something substantially less than the $94 million. But, it’s not quite that cut and dry.

You see, Specht actually owns the trademark on the name “Android Data” rather than just “Android.” But in the filing, it apparently describes “data” as merely a descriptive word, something which Specht’s lawyer is obviously playing up. In the past, Google tried to play the card Specht didn’t really care about the name and dissolved the company at one point, but that didn’t work. Still, if it can prove that people will clearly know the difference between the Android mobile software and Specht’s small company, Google may have a shot to get the case thrown out.

Something else to think about: Maybe Google is actually lucky that there aren’t as many Android phones on the market right now as it may have liked. It could save them a pretty penny if it does come to a settlement.

But regardless, just as it’s trying to ramp up the Android platform with dozens of new devices on the way, and a new 1.5 Android software update just out the door, Google cannot be happy about having to deal with this right now. And actually, this is all a bit like deja vu. If you recall in 2007, right after it unveiled the iPhone, Apple was greeted with a lawsuit from Cisco, which owned the rights to the name. The two sides quickly settled — but those were two big companies, not one big company and a little guy.

Remember Google, don’t be evil.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 May 2009 | 12:41 am

The DS lite isn’t dead yet, Nintendo is releasing a DS lite bundle in time for Mother’s Day

FROM GAMERTELL - A new green DS lite bundle is being offered to celebrate Spring. It’ll be out May 3, 2009, and may make a nice Mother’s Day gift. It comes with a lime green DS lite, Personal Trainer: Cooking and a DS carrying case.
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 May 2009 | 12:28 am

White tea contains anti-obesity substances

BioMed Central's Nutrition and Metabolism journal published the results of a study at Beiersdorf AG that found that an extract of white tea inhibits the growth of new fat cells and and breaks down the fat in existing fat cells.

After treating lab-cultured human pre-adipocytes with the tea extract, the authors found that fat incorporation during the genesis of new adipocytes was reduced. According to Winnefeld, "The extract solution induced a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the growth of new fat cells, while also prompting existing adipocytes to break down the fat they contain."

White tea -- the solution to the obesity epidemic?


Source: Boing Boing | 1 May 2009 | 12:23 am

Study: Africa genetically diverse

A 10-year study of African population genetics has determined the continent is the most genetically diverse in the world, researchers said Thursday. The team headed by Sara Tishkoff, a geneticist at the University of Pennsylvania, determined that modern humans evolved in southern Africa on the border between Namibia and South Africa.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 May 2009 | 12:20 am

McAfee profit beats Street view, shares rise (Reuters)

Reuters - McAfee Inc , the No. 2 security software maker, reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by new software modules and partnerships with PC vendors.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 May 2009 | 12:18 am

Six HD Pocket Camcorders Side-by-Side - PC World

The Tech Herald

Six HD Pocket Camcorders Side-by-Side PC World Senior Editor Tim Moynihan takes a look at six HD, YouTube-friendly pocket camcorders from Creative, Kodak, Sony, and Pure Digital, including the brand new Flip UltraHD. CNET News Daily Podcast: What Pure Digital says about Flip copycats CNET News Flip Ultra HD offers sharp images in tiny package KARE USA Today - Macworld - ChannelWeb - NewsFactor Network all 71 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 1 May 2009 | 12:15 am

The Wolfram Alpha Demo Returns, This Time With Actual Footage Of The Service

Yesterday, days of hype culminated in the unveiling of the Wolfram Alpha search engine, which made its debut at a presentation put on by Harvard University’s Berkman Center. Unfortunately the resulting video footage turned out to be an exercise in frustration (or boredom). Not because it was uninteresting, mind you, but because we couldn’t see the apparently innovative search engine that creator Stephen Wolfram was talking about.

Apparently someone has had a change of heart over the media squeeze, because the Berkman Center has posted a new version of the video (or at least 10 minutes of it), this time with footage of the service.

This portion of the video includes a number of queries, including calculating the GDP of France (which results in a graph of the GDP over time) and the number in Internet users in Europe, generating a relevant histogram. During a query for the weather in Lexington, Massachusetts, the search engine generated a plot of temperature over time, including a prediction for the near future. A query for $17/hour produced a table of the same conversion at different scales (though it is difficult to make out in the video).

The engine looks awesome for science students and researchers. A search for 5M H2SO4 produced a calculation determining how much of each reagent would be needed to make it (basic chemistry, but handy nonetheless). It looks like it can handle a variety of similar calculations, like determining the current state of a chemical at various pressure and temperature conditions, complete with phase diagram.

The next query shows off how the engine can be used for health issues. A search for LDL 180 (a measure of your ‘bad’ cholesterol) displays a graph depicting how that figure stands relative to the general population. Wolfram then shows how the engine can perform the same task for a different age range.

All in all, I’m impressed. Granted, this doesn’t look like any kind of Google replacement, at least for general search terms or news. And as Danny Sullivan pointed out, these could have been terms handpicked because they performed well on the engine. But I’m excited nonetheless, and look forward to trying it out for myself.

Thanks to Ali Abuhassan for the tip.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 May 2009 | 12:15 am

I Wish More People Bcc’d Us On Their Confidential Acquisition Emails

Yesterday myYearbook CEO Geoff Cook reached out to FunAdvice President Jeremy Goodrich to talk about a possible acquisition. Based on certain assumptions, Cook said, he’d be prepared to offer $125,000 cash up front, $25,000 in consulting fees and $125,000 in MyYearBook stock.

Goodrich emailed Cook back and bcc’d us with his response: no deal. I asked Goodrich, who I don’t know, why he copied us on the email string. His response: “I won’t do that again, I thought techcrunch would find it interesting.”

Interesting indeed. I wish all startup founders did this. The email string is below, with some contact information removed. I’m sure Cook is thrilled.

Sorry, you were bcc’d on the email.

I won’t do that again, I thought techcrunch would find it interesting.

Best,
Jeremy Goodrich
Co-founder, FunAdvice

On 4/30/09, Michael Arrington wrote:
why am I cc’d on this?

On Apr 30, 2009, at 3:42 PM, Info Funadvice wrote:

Hi Geoff-

First, we’re sincerely flattered that MyYearBook would be interested in acquiring FunAdvice.com. I’m writing this under the assumption this is a real offer and not some prank.

In point of fact, our March numbers were far higher than compete would suggest - 3.7 million visitors and 3.4 million uniques…as we see you are a “quantified” publisher, I find it odd, but interesting, that you would mention our compete stats rather than the much higher quantcast numbers (which are pretty close to reality, for our US audience).

As we have grown 300% year over year (yes, you read that correctly) comparing April, 2009 with April, 2009…well, your valuation would seem to massively underestimate the value of FunAdvice. Based on Answerbag’s acquisition by InfoSearch Media (later re-sold to Demand) and the sale of faqfarm.com to Wiki.Answers…and, of course, Yedda by AOL…well, let me put this another way.

On Quantcast, it shows that your *monthly* uniques are about 2x our size:
http://www.quantcast.com/myyearbook.com (those are your real unique numbers…correct?)

In any event, your revenue estimate was off by a factor of ten…so, unless we could start talking from the same frame of reference…then, I’m not sure we can move forward with a serious acquisition
discussion.

Best,
Jeremy Goodrich
Co-founder & President, FunAdvice
http://www.funadvice.com/my/thedude

On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 3:26 PM, wrote:

Jeremy,

I’ve been following funadvice.com and think you’ve built out a
great site on a low budget, which is a tremendous achievement.

I’m not sure if you would entertain an acquisition discussion, but it appears to me, based on compete.com data, that funadvice.com has 1.3M uniques and 4.2M pageviews in March. I’m not sure what your revenues are, but I would infer about $4200 per month.

If those basic assumptions are in the right ballpark, we’d be
prepared to offer, assuming we understood traffic sources enough to feel traffic would not plummet on your exit:

• $125,000 Cash Up Front
• $25,000 Cash After Successful Migration of Funadvice to our servers (would expect 3 mos or less) as a consulting fee
• $125,000 in Stock in myYearbook based on the valuation of our last round.

Please advise if you would be interested in such a deal. We have the budget to make only 1 such offer this quarter so I would appreciate a response in the relatively short term, as I only have 1 offer outstanding at any given moment.

If you’d like to speak more, I can be reached at 609-xxx-xxxx.

Sincerely,
Geoff Cook

CEO, myYearbook

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 May 2009 | 12:12 am

Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change, by Bonnie Burton

Our friend Bonnie Burton Burton has a terrific new book out called Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change. In it, Bonnie explains the "mean girl" syndrome, and why even nice girls sometimes can be mean to other girls. I'm saving it for my daughters.

Written for all teen girls, this insightful book discusses different types of girl-on-girl cruelty, why it happens, and how to deal with it. With details on various forms of abuse common between girls—including betrayal between friends, cyberbullying, hazing, and the silent treatment—this useful guidebook will help teen girls understand why they show aggression to each other, cope with difficult situations, gain confidence, and work together as teams, while also suggesting when to get help from adults when situations get out of hand. It includes quotes and inspirational stories from famous role models who have had firsthand experience with girl meanness, such as Jane Wiedlin, founding member of the Go-Go's; Jenny Conlee, bandmember of The Decemberists; and Tegan, bandmember of Tegan and Sara.

Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change


Source: Boing Boing | 1 May 2009 | 12:10 am

Pulling the Plug on Plasma (PC Magazine)

PC Magazine - Plasmas are better than LCD HDTVs. So why doesn't anyone want to make them anymore?
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 May 2009 | 12:00 am

LoTR Fan Film — The Hunt For Gollum

stevedcc writes "This weekend sees the release of The Hunt for Gollum, a Lord of the Rings fan-film. It'll be available on the web for free. The BBC are running an article about the making of the film, with a budget of £3,000 (spent mostly on costumes and make-up). There were 160 contributors involved, many over the internet." I hope it lives up to the trailer (linked from the BBC story); the finished film is approximately 40 minutes. memoryhole supplies links to YouTube for both the full trailer and a second trailer. Reader jowifi adds a link to NPR's story on the film, writing, "NPR discussed the legality of this type of creation with EFF lawyer Fred Von Lohman, who said it's not clear if such a production violates the copyright for Tolkien's work."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:57 pm

Review: iPWR Backup Battery for iPhone and iPod

Short version: The iPhone may be good at a lot of things - but one thing its definitely not known for is its good battery life. It definitely has better battery than some devices (we’re looking at you, T-Mobile G1), but it still pretty terrible. If you’re a heavy user, you’ll want a backup battery - but there are oh-so-many of them to choose from. Which one’s the right one for you? If you’re carrying an iPhone and an iPod or two, the iPWR backup battery is a solid pick.

Longer version: Rather than piggybacking onto the back of the iPhone like the Mophie Juice Pack or FastMac iV, the iPWR extends out from the bottom? The obvious downside to this is the added bulk, adding right around 2.5 inches to the length of your phone. However, this form factor has its advantages: unlike the backpack-style packs, the iPWR can charge both iPhones and iPods (5th Gen, 3rd Gen Nano, Classic, or Touch). With the capacity of the iPhone still rather limited, I’d imagine that a ton of folks are still carrying around an iPod with the bulk of their libraries en tow. For these folks, the iPWR should work swimmingly.

Coming in at 1800mAh, it’s one of the more powerful batteries on the market. On a single battery charge, we were able to recharge our iPhone battery to 100% one and a half times.

On an odd side note: we’ve seen this exact same battery pack sporting at least one other brand. We’re not sure if there’s a factory out there rebranding these things, or what.

What we like:

• Comes in black or white, trimmed in silver to match the iPhone.
• Charges via miniUSB. We’ve always got our laptop, and we’ve always got a miniUSB cable, so there’s no extra cable to bring along and lose.
• At around 2.5×2.5 inches, it’s small enough to throw into a backpack pocket and forget about until the need arises.
• Retractable miniUSB cable included in the box. It’s a small thing, but retractable cables have a special place in our heart.

What we don’t:

• No indication of remaining charge percentage on the battery. There’s a light to indicate that it’s either fully charged or dead, but there’s no way to tell if its got 90% left or 5%. If I’m going to be leaving this thing in my battery for backup purposes, I need to be able to make sure it’s got a good amount of juice left.
• For folks who only care about the iPhone compatibility, it’s a whole lot of added bulk.

At right around 55 bucks through most online retailers, it’s the cheapest 1800mAh iPhone battery we’ve seen thus far. It’s about 25% cheaper than the Richard Solo 1800, though it lacks the LED flashlight. If you’re looking for a no-frills backup battery that does the job for just about any iProduct you throw it at, the iPWR backup battery won’t do you wrong.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:54 pm

The Recession’s Effect on Entrepreneurship [Voices]

How has the recession affected entrepreneurship? So far, it’s helped to drive it up.

That’s according to a new studyfrom the Kauffman Foundation, a Kansas City-based organization. The study, out Thursday, found that an average of 320 out of 100,000 adults created a new business each month last year even as the recession took hold, up from 300 out of 100,000 adults in 2007.

That pattern is similar to the last downturn earlier this decade, when entrepreneurship levels also rose during the tech bust.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:49 pm

Record Amount of Supercomputer Time Means New Science

The Department of Energy plans to release 1.3 billion supercomputer processing hours to the scientific community in 2010. That means scientists can tackle difficult new questions about astrophysics, climate, fuels, diseases and more.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:30 pm

Verizon Busy Calling On Apple, Microsoft - ChannelWeb

Ars Technica

Verizon Busy Calling On Apple, Microsoft ChannelWeb - Jennifer Bosavage By Jennifer Bosavage, ChannelWeb Verizon's got a number of pots on the fire in the mobile phone business. It seems Verizon is not only in talks with Apple, but also Microsoft. AT&T's iPhone Dilemma BusinessWeek Verizon Possibly Playing Microsoft Against Apple For Phone Deal PC World InformationWeek - Register - Afterdawn.com - CNET News all 1,024 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:09 pm

Xobni Coming To The Blackberry (Leaked Pic)

It's been just one month since email startup Xobni got an investment from the Blackberry Partners Fund, which brought its total B round up to $10 million, and already it has a working prototype for an upcoming Blackberry app. Xobni executives were showing off the app at a Mobile Meetup in San Francisco last night, and the screenshot above found its way into my inbox (which is "xobni" spelled backwards, you know). The app was working, and could be released sometime this summer, according to my source. The photo above shows the app on a Blackberry Bold, and appears to be showing off its contact search functionality. You type in a few letters, and it returns the contact information for every match in your inbox (even people who you haven't necessarily added to your address book yet). I wonder what else it can do.

Source: MobileCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:03 pm

Windows 7 RC Rush Crashes MSDN, TechNet Pages

CWmike writes "Microsoft Developers Network (MSDN) and TechNet paid subscribers were supposed to find the 32- and 64-bit editions of Windows 7 RC available for download today. But in a snafu reminiscent of the problems Microsoft had in January when it tried to launch Windows 7 Beta, the download pages for the release candidate were inaccessible, despite numerous attempts over an hour-long span up until about noon Eastern. TechNet and MSDN subscribers were not happy. 'Man, this stinks,' said a user identified as Lyle Pratt, on a TechNet message forum at 10 a.m. ET. 'I can't believe we can still bring MSDN to its knees!' said John Butler, a Microsoft partner. 'Surely, they should be able to deal with this? Not a good advert for Microsoft.' The Windows 7 RC is slated to be available for public download next Tuesday, May 5. Meanwhile, Microsoft said today that the RC would operate until June 2010, for 13 months of free use — a significantly longer time than it did with Vista's previews."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:03 pm

Alliance Board Member Walter E. Massey Elected Chairman of Bank of America

ATLANTA, April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) Chairman Julius H. Hollis today offered congratulations to ADE Board Member Dr. Walter E.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:02 pm

Apple Turning To Chip Design For Its Innovation - InformationWeek

TweakTown

Apple Turning To Chip Design For Its Innovation InformationWeek - Antone Gonsalves Apple's plans for all this design power are likely to revolve around video and power consumption, and will boost the company's desire for secrecy. Reports Say Apple May Manufacture Its Own Chips Slashdot Apple Dips Into Chips ChannelWeb FierceWireless - gizHQ - USA Today - Computerworld all 197 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:57 pm

Xobni Coming To The Blackberry (Leaked Pic)

It’s been just one month since email startup Xobni got an investment from the Blackberry Partners Fund, which brought its total B round up to $10 million, and already it has a working prototype for an upcoming Blackberry app. Xobni executives were showing off the app at a Mobile Meetup in San Francisco last night, and the screenshot above found its way into my inbox (which is “xobni” spelled backwards, you know).

The app was working, and could be released sometime this summer, according to my source. The photo above shows the app on a Blackberry Bold, and appears to be showing off its contact search functionality. You type in a few letters, and it returns the contact information for every match in your inbox (even people who you haven’t necessarily added to your address book yet). I wonder what else it can do.

Xobni, which is a plug-in for Outlook that incorporates data from various social networks, currently does not have a mobile client. But the company has hired a small team of engineers to work on mobile apps, with Blackberry being the first device to get one.

Not only is there the connection with the Blackberry Partners Fund, but I’ve been told in the past that there is about 50 percent overlap between Xobni users and Blackberry owners. (There must be an Outlook-Blackberry mental axis out there). So it makes sense to go after the Blackberry first. But the startup cannot afford to ignore the iPhone. Can it?

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

Source: TechCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:48 pm

Q1 Mobile Phone Shipments Frankly Just Awful [Digital Daily]

The econalypse is playing hell with the mobile phone market. Handset vendors world-wide shipped 244.8 million units in the first quarter of 2009, 15.8 percent fewer than the 290.8 million units shipped during the same quarter in 2008. That’s the word from market intelligence outfit IDC, which said the decline was particularly ugly due to weak end-user demand and currency volatility. The lone bright spot in the report: a four percent increase in shipments of smartphones, which have so far defied the recession.

“That the worldwide mobile phone market started off 2009 with a year-over-year decline highlights just how much the economic recession has affected all industries, including the wireless market,” Ramon Llamas, IDC senior research analyst, said in a statement. “The market continues to adapt to the new economic reality with both vendors and retailers exercising caution to remain profitable. In some cases, this has meant holding less inventory, or even reducing headcount. Fortunately, new features and demand for phones will help the market resist the financial pressure. We expect to see further year-over-year declines worldwide, even as some regions show signs of improvement.”

Source: All Things Digital | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:39 pm

WhitePages Bringing Their Mobile App To BlackBerry Devices

Good news, BlackBerry users! Never again will you need to kludge around in your browser just to dig up a number or determine who’s behind the number that just called. Following the success of their iPhone and Android applications, WhitePages will soon be announcing the upcoming availability of a native BlackBerry application.

It’ll still be a few days before the app makes its way to the BlackBerry App World, but we’ve been tinkering with a pre-release copy for a few days now.

The Major Features:

• People Search: Being as this is the first thing anyone thinks of when you mention WhitePages, this one’s pretty much mandatory. Pictured above.
• Business: Search by business name or category. Their business database seems relatively exhaustive and up to date.
• Reverse Search: Know a number, but don’t know who owns it? Punch it into reverse search, and they’ll dig through their database to try and pin it on someone.
• Company: As far as we can tell, this feature is making its mobile debut in their BlackBerry app. By searching through “a number of public and proprietary data sources”, Company search allows you to find the contact information for people who work at a specific company. Company name and last name are required. We tested it with a few major chains (Starbucks, Blockbuster) and it functioned as expected, listing their position within the company (where available) and contact information. A bit creepy, but equally useful.
• Recent Results: Even if you’re outside of signal range, you can look through the details for a number of your most recent searches.

Due to a limitation of the BlackBerry OS, one feature we’ve grown fond of in their Android application won’t be making an appearance: real-time CallerID for incoming calls. They’ve worked around this as best they could, adding a quick link to the reverse search function from within your BlackBerry call log. Highlight the number, hit “Search WhitePages”, and it’ll do the heavy lifting. It’s not nearly as handy, but it’s the best they can do within their boundaries

They’ve integrated the application into the OS in other ways, as well. From within any listing, you can initiate a call, add a contact, send the details via email, or get directions via the built-in BlackBerry Maps application.

The application seems rock solid overall, and does just about everything you might expect - or, at least, it does everything the iPhone port does (plus an extra trick or two). Unlike the iPhone app, however, the BlackBerry version won’t be free. Fortunately, it’s not going to be too hard on the wallet; at $6.99 for 6 months, the per-month cost comes in at under $1.17. This app has just been submitted to the BlackBerry App World, so it should be available within the next few days. Initial availability will be limited to the BlackBerry Bold, though versions for the Storm, Curve, and Pearl will be released shortly thereafter.

Be sure to check out the full image gallery and video demonstration below.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:31 pm

Rumor: A UMD-less PSP could be announced at E3

FROM GAMERTELL - 1Up has unveiled a rumor that the next version of the PSP will be unveiled at E3 2009 by Sony. The new version will allegedly have no UMD, comes with either 8gb or 16gb of built in memory and still only have one analog joystiq.
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:18 pm

Win 'Star Trek: The Original Series' on Blu-ray

Enter Wired.com's random drawing for your chance to win some classic sci-fi. Prize packages include the new Season 1 Blu-ray set of the Enterprise's maiden television voyage, plus two "best of" DVD packages.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:18 pm

Facebook fights "phishing" scam (AFP)

AFP - Facebook Thursday said it has blocked a link at the heart of a "phishing" scam being used to dupe members into revealing passwords to accounts at the social networking website.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:15 pm

Hospital Equipment Infected With Conficker

nandemoari writes "Recently, the Conficker/Downadup worm infected several hundred machines and critical medical equipment in an undisclosed number of US hospitals. The attacks were not widespread; however, Marcus Sachs, director of the SANS Internet Storm Center, told CNET News that it raises the awareness of what we would do if there were millions of computers infected in hospitals or in critical infrastructure locations. It's not clear how the devices (including heart monitors, MRI machines and PCs) got infected. Infected computers were running Windows NT and Windows 2000 in a local area network (LAN) that wasn't supposed to be Internet accessible, but the LAN was connected to one with direct Internet access. A patch was released by Microsoft last October that fixes the problem, but the computers infected were reportedly too old to be patched."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:13 pm

Digital Ally Reports First Quarter Operating Results

SECOND QUARTER RESULTS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM FIRST QUARTER LEVELS, AS SHIPMENTS OF DVM-750 SYSTEMS ACCELERATE AND COMPANY TARGETS EXPANDED MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:07 pm

Everything's Coming Up Roses at The Fresh Market Online

Specialty Grocer's Online Market Celebrates Mother's Day with Roses and Special Bouquets GREENSBORO, N.C., April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- A stunning bouquet of roses is the perfect way to show mom how much she is loved and appreciated on her special day and every day.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:01 pm

Meeska Mooska MousekaHulu [Digital Daily]

Source: All Things Digital | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:55 pm

Bankruptcy Might Finally Bring Fuel Efficiency to Chrysler

Chapter 11 lets Chrysler reorganize, and the resulting marriage to Fiat means smaller, better cars are headed our way.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:45 pm

Wheelchair operates by power of thought

Spanish university scientists have developed a wheelchair controlled by the power of thought, promising to transform life for people with severe disabilities. The wheelchair, developed at the University of Zaragoza, has a laser sensor and a screen that displays a real-time, three-dimensional virtual reconstruction of the wheelchair's surroundings.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:42 pm

Google just put ninjas into your iPhone

I don’t generally check to see what’s new in apps when I’m prompted to update, but I’m glad I did. The latest Google app update put a ninja into your iPhone. We’re all doomed.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:41 pm

Verizon Statement on Nomination of FCC Commissioner

WASHINGTON, April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama has announced his intention to nominate South Carolina Public Service Commission member Mignon Clyburn to be a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:40 pm

Citizens for a Digital Future Launches in North Carolina to Promote Access to New Technologies and Better Service for Consumers

Coalition supports policies that enable innovation RALEIGH, N.C., April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Citizens for a Digital Future (CDF), a national coalition whose members support and advance public policies that encourage broad deployment and robust enhancement of broadband and digital technologies, launched in North Carolina.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:28 pm

ARIN Letter Says Two More Years of IPv4

dew4au writes "A reader over at SANS Internet Storm Center pointed out a certified letter his organization received from ARIN. The letter notes that all IPv4 space will be depleted within two years and outlines new requirements for address applications. New submissions will require an attestation of accuracy from an organizational officer. It also advises organizations to start addressing publicly accessible assets with IPv6. Is ARIN hoping to scare companies into action with the specter of scarce resources? This may be what's needed to spur adoption since there appears to be no business case for IPv6 deployment."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:23 pm

Some Disetronic insulin pumps are recalled

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a recall of Accu-Chek Spirit insulin pumps due to a potential malfunction. The FDA said Disetronic Medical Systems Inc. is recalling pumps with serial numbers from SN02119552 through SN10006093.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:21 pm

AOL names yet another head of online ad business (AP)

AP - AOL, the struggling Internet unit that Time Warner Inc. is likely to spin off, said Thursday that it will put a new executive in charge of its online advertising business — making him the fourth person to hold that title in little over a year.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:18 pm

Paving the way for a Verizon Prenis?

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

Ninjas?  Blurrycam-Man?  Renderings?  Forget them.  I’ve got something better yet: absolute conjecture.  Follow me on this.

Palm can feel the garlic-y-sweaty breath of death on its back.  Survival mode kicks in like plane crash survivors in the Andes.  They know who Sprint is and hitched their cart to them for a long six months.  Somewhere there is a contract that says, “we grant Sprint the exclusive right to sell the Pre (gotcha!) for a period of six months…”.  They did it for Sprint’s advertising dollars as they needed someone to foot that bill.

Then on to prong two of the Palm “3 Ways to Win plan” (also fictional).  Palm will show some love to AT&T via the hit Centro webOS follow up, dubbed EOS (Every Ounce of Sales).  AT&T feels the love of stealing some of Sprint’s webOS thunder and gets an update to a pretty-good seller.  Palm gets high volume/low margin sales so it can continue to make payments.  Done.

Now, their third prong is the phallic Palm Prenis.  Verizon is top dog, el jefe, honcho, in the US and needs a decent touchscreen phone that can actually compete with the iPhone.  With Sprint, AT&T and Verizon all getting customers on the webOS, we’ll see an explosion of 3rd party apps that we haven’t seen, well, since the iPhone.  Palm desperately needs customers so developers will come; Palm can’t get them without the big 3 pushing their phones.  With the Prenis, Verizon has a competitor, something to crow about, a rocket in it’s pocket, if you will. 

The Prenis completes the scene for Palm: cheap entry, business entry and lifestyle phone: EOS, Pre, Prenis respectively.  Palm is thinking survival here, it can’t pick and choose like money-in-the-bank-Apple.  Survival mode says you build something for the big ones and get them out there. 

Why is the Pre taking so long?  A fighter doesn’t sign up for a fight if he only has the first punch ready.  He gets the 1-2 punches flowing then follows up with the death blow.  The death blow here would be the Prenis.  Insert witty comment here.

[Editor’s note: JG has apparently lost his mind.  It was last seen in a red convertible heading to South of the Border in Dillon, South Carolina]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:13 pm

LeapFish(TM) Integrates Real Estate Values, Local Business Listings and Reviews, and Web Traffic Analytics in its New Search Platform

CyberHomes--More than 100 million property, ownership, sales, and mortgage records, covering more than 85% of the United States population.Yelp--Covering 24 city editions, Yelp helps people find businesses, events, special offers and other listings, with reviews from over 5 million Yelp users.Compete.com
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:12 pm

Astronomers discover unusual dwarf galaxy

A U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:02 pm

S1 Corporation Reports First Quarter 2009 Results

Revenue Increased 7% in the First Quarter Compared to the Same Period in 2008 Reaffirms Full Year 2009 Guidance NORCROSS, Ga., April 30, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- S1 Corporation (Nasdaq: SONE), a leading global provider of customer interaction financial and payment solutions, today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2009: Total revenue for the first quarter of 2009 increased seven percent to $58.3 million from $54.7 million in the first quarter of 2008.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:00 pm

Yucheng Formally Adopts New Revenue Segments

BEIJING, April 30 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Yucheng Technologies Limited (Nasdaq: YTEC), a leading provider of IT Solutions to financial service providers in China, today announced that it will formally adopt the reallocation of the revenue segments for its 2008 Annual Report and all financial statements going forward.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 9:00 pm

Give yourself horse legs

Seattle artist Kim Graham made herself a pair of horsey legs, and now she's making more to sell. They'll cost you about $1000 with the optional spring loaded hooves.

Digigrade leg extensions (Via TYWKIWDBI)


Source: Boing Boing | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:57 pm

Jim Corfman, Warren Harmel and Barkley Stuart Elected to Alliance Distributors' Board of Directors

NEW YORK, April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliance Distributors Holding Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:57 pm

Potential depression drug target is found

U.S. scientists say they have identified an acid-sensitive brain protein that might become a new drug target for the treatment of depression Investigators at the University of Iowa led by researcher Matthew Coryell and Dr.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:46 pm

Coming up: BBG explores heat

Check back tomorrow to see what we've been, uh, cooking up...

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:45 pm

Klingons Cut From Final Star Trek XI Movie

darthcamaro writes "Classic era trek was all about Kirk kicking the Klingons' tails. But the new Star Trek XI movie, the reboot, will not have any spoken Klingon in it — a travesty that has some fan sites up in arms already. 'We actually had a sequence that ended up getting cut from the movie that took place on Rura Penthe, in a Klingon prison,' Star Trek co-writer Alex Kurtzman said, explaining the deletion. 'And there was definitely Klingon spoken in the movie, and it ended up getting cut.' Frakkin' Federation ..."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:32 pm

Canada urges emergency programs review

The Canadian Center for Emergency Preparedness says it's encouraging people to review their emergency preparedness programs due to the swine flu outbreak. The CCEP said it recommends Canadians implement safe health practices similar to those applied during the regular flu season.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:31 pm

NASA approves May 11 space shuttle launch

The U.S. space agency says it's completed a readiness review of space shuttle Atlantis and approved its launch to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials said the launch for the STS-125 mission has been set for 2:01 p.m.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:25 pm

Review: A week with the Plantronics Voyager Pro

Last Thursday, Plantronics introduced their newest bluetooth headset, the Voyager Pro. It has signal processing software that enhances incoming audio and dual mics with a stainless steel screen, acoustic gore vents, and tiny electronic filters that cancel out wind noise. Buttons for muting and adjusting volume are on the headset, too, so you don't have to fumble with your phone while talking. It's gotten great reviews so far, including a CNet editor's choice award. I, too, spent a week with the Voyager Pro--making phone calls on it while working at my desk, running in the park, and watching my friends surf at the beach in Pacifica.

The best thing about it compared to the dinky bluetooth headset I was using before is that the batteries lasted all week--I never turned it off, and probably got a good 3-4 hours of talk time on it. The design is simple, neither elegant nor tacky. The Voyager Pro swivels at two points--the over-the-ear piece can be rotated to fit the right or left ear, and the mic piece is adjustable too, which is nice. The sound quality is as good as everyone else says it is--crystal clear in most environments, except at the super-windy beach, where I had to duck into the car to finish my call.

I never really did like the over-the-ear earpieces, though, because it takes a couple extra seconds to put on and it also makes things like sunglasses and hair bands fit slightly awkwardly. Personally, I prefer Plantronics' Discovery 925 because it's prettier and I can just stick it on my ear when I need it--but I could see how a dude in a suit who is on serious phone calls all day with clients and bosses would prefer the more professional-looking and engineered-for-better-sound-quality Voyager Pro.

Costs $100.

Product page [Plantronics]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:19 pm

Ancient Persian tablets are digitized

University of Chicago scientists they've digitally recorded thousands of ancient Persian tablets that tell an unusually detailed story of the Persian Empire. Researchers from the university's Oriental Institute, led by institute Director Gil Stein, said the tablets present texts in impressed cuneiform characters, while other have inked texts in Aramaic.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 30 Apr 2009 | 8:14 pm

Palm Eos: The Successor to Palm Pre?

Palm Pre will be the first device to feature the new webOS from Palm

Palm is yet to release its much-awaited Palm Pre phone but there are already reports of another device in the works running the same operating system that Pre is based on.

A new phone from Palm called the Palm Eos is likely to debut on the AT&T network, says Engadget. Palm Eos will run webOS, the new operating system first shown on the Palm Pre earlier this year.

Palm hasn’t commented about Eos but the phone is seen as the successor to Pre. The candy bar style Eos will be slim (about 10.6 mm thick) and will have a 2.63-inch display. It will also be a quadband GSM/HSDPA phone with 4GB storage and a 2 megapixel camera.

The Eos could be priced at $349, excluding a rebate. Check out Engadget’s photo of the Eos.

Without the slide-out keyboard of the Pre, the Eos looks similar to the BlackBerry Bold.  The pre-rebate pricing on the Eos seems high for now but if Palm can work with the telecom carrier to bring that down for consumers, it may have a worthy successor to its inexpensive and successful Centro smartphone.

See also:
Palm Pre May Launch in May; Rumor Machine Goes Into Overdrive
Six  Reasons Why the Palm Pre Is Special
Palm Unveils Its Long-Awaited Smartphone, the Pre
Video: Hands-On With the Palm Pre
New WebOS Is Palm’s Secret Sauce
Up Close and Personal With the Palm Pre

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 30 Apr 2009 | 7:31 pm

Africans Have World's Greatest Genetic Variation

A new study helps narrow the location in Africa where humans first evolved.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 30 Apr 2009 | 7:18 pm

Pet Trade Introduces Diseases, Costs

Invasive species, often introduced as pets, increase risk to diseases and lead to heavy costs.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 30 Apr 2009 | 7:03 pm

Jump back! Palm’s got a second device coming out this year?

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle

My, oh my!  Isn’t Palm hitting the the headlines lately?  And this time, it doesn’t even have to with the whole “Pre vs. iPhone” hoopla.  Instead, it seems that Palm has got another rabbit up their sleeve.  A new device?

According to what I hear, they are working on another device that might be coming out as early as this Fall.  Now, with a release date just a few months after the Pre, there is obviously no way it’s going to be a next generation device.  Nope, this one is supposedly a “mini-Pre”...smaller than the original, and targeting a new crowd.

Now, while this whole “mini-Pre” is just rumor yet at this point, Palm has said before that there would be more than one device using WebOS, so…it’s not a total shocker. 

Some maybe general stuff about the original Pre you may or may not already know.  It is said to cost a little less than $140 to make, although it is going to sell for around $300 after rebates.  That much talked about multi-touch screen accounts for about 24% of its cost to build.  There are going to be 375,000 units available, when they are gone, they are gone.  (for then anyway).  Sprint Nextel has supposedly instructed shops to put a “Sold Out” sign on their doors. 

How this new baby is gonna run price-wise compared to the Pre?  The rumor is a $99 price point (after rebates and etc.).  Not too shabby. 

via: techcrunch

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 30 Apr 2009 | 7:02 pm

Disney Scores Sweetheart Hulu Deal

Disney is on the verge of acquiring a chunk of the wildly popular Hulu service and will use it to stream full episodes of ABC television shows. Disney apparently got a great deal, giving your local cable provider even more cause for concern.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 30 Apr 2009 | 6:45 pm

Pure Digital makes cute pocket cams, but which should you buy?

Pure Digital kicked off a revolution with a cheap, dead-simple-to-use pocket camcorder. I bought the Ultra when it launched. The pop-up USB was inspired, and it was fun to capture videos of my pug blinking.

Yet with every newer, flashier iteration, Pure's product line has continued to stray from what made its first offering such a success. I reviewed both the Mino and the MinoHD for Wired, and grew increasingly skeptical. First they traded low prices for Apple-like design lines and a smaller footprint. Then, by the time they added HD resolution, the Flip couldn't top the picture quality of pocket cams sold by competitors for $50 less.

Nobody hits it out of the park on their first or second at bat, especially in consumer electronics. Pure did, miraculously. But the company's latest offering isn't a homerun (last baseball pun, swear). It feels like an identity crisis. The UltraHD adds 720P, 8GB of storage and an HDMI port to the Ultra, but now they're back to pushing big and clunky?

It's hard to force lightning to strike twice. But with four Flips to choose from, it's even harder to explain to your grandmother which camera to buy or why. And I'm not certain even Pure could tell her.

[image via Flickr]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 6:45 pm

Mazda Sends Hydrogen RX-8s to Norway

The Scandinavian country is rolling out a hydrogen highway, and Mazda's building the cars that will use it.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 30 Apr 2009 | 6:30 pm

iPhone 3G case shootout: Dermis, Speck, Moshi, and Contour Design

FROM APPLETELL - I’ve lately started the embrace the whole “less is more” ideal of iPod case design. I’m tired of the bulk and the color that strip the iPhone of its identity. Knowing that, here are a few iPhone 3G cases I’ve been using for the past few months.
MORE »

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Source: Gadgetell | 30 Apr 2009 | 6:12 pm

iPhone Sweeps JD Power Consumer Smartphone Ratings — Except In Battery Life

The latest 2009 JD Power Consumer Smartphone Satisfaction Study numbers are in. And the winner is ... the iPhone. Apple's device nearly swept every category, with top marks in operating system, features, ease of operation, physical design and overall satisfaction. In fact, the only device it didn't receive the highest marks in was "battery aspects." Looking at the chart, all of Apple's rivals in the smartphone field were middling. HTC, Motorola, Palm, RIM and Samsung had mostly 2 or 3 stars across the board where Apple had 5. LG faired second best with 4 stars across the board expect for operating system, where it got 3.

Source: MobileCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 6:09 pm

I am not an elephant! I am a light fixture! I am a lamp!

Daan van den Berg scanned Ikea's LAMPAN lamp, infected the form with a digital "elephantiasis" virus, then ran out the result on a 3D printer. [Next Nature]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 5:30 pm

Palm EOS: Is this the Mini-Pre?

It looks like all it took for details of Palm’s post-Pre phone to begin spilling out was for us to break the news of it yesterday. Just hours after, a blurry shot of the handset was out. Now, before the next day is even half way over, a decent shot and a full list of purported specs have made their way out.

We’re getting conflicting reports of what this thing is codenamed. Some are calling it “Pixie”, while others are calling it “Castle”. As for it’s official name, it’s currently believed to be called the “Palm EOS”, which seems like a horrible name compared to “Palm Pre”. Looking like the oh-so-gorgeous offspring of a Centro and a Pre, all we know is that we’re aching to touch it.

Engadget managed to obtain the shot above, along with these purported specs:

• Dimensions: 10.6×55x111mm
• Weight: 100 grams
• 2.63″, 320×400 capacitive touch screen
• 4GB of internal memory
• Tentative price of $349 before rebates. Our sources are indicating that the target price point is $99 after all is said and done.
• 2MP camera, fixed focus, with flash
• Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP and EDR, USB 2.0 via micro USB
• 1150mAh battery, removable
• SMS, MMS, built-in IM client
• A-GPS
• WAV, MP3, AAC, AAC+ ringtones, MPEG4, H.264, H.263 video playback.

All signs and sources point at this one heading to AT&T. That’s good news for AT&T customers not looking to switch to Sprint just for webOS/Pre - but bad news for Sprint, who was likely counting on just that.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 5:27 pm

Cupertino's tablet netbook: just a concept?

Illustrated by MacFormat's Adam Benton, this mockup strikes me as convincingly conservative -- but only if you accept the proposition that Apple would make it at all. I've been imagining something similar, but even smaller.

The Apple Netbook [Mac Format]
Rumor - Media Pad Could be Apple's Newest Device Hit [Cult of Mac]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 5:18 pm

Guard your pod!

Photo: Jim Barton

they're welcome 2it [Kennington Fox's Flickr via Cult of Mac]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 5:15 pm

Speaking with Sony Europe about their greenest TV

Section: Video, HDTV, Gadgets / Other, Green, Features, Interviews

Earlier today, the folks at Sony Europe and Gadgetell conducted an interview over Twitter.  Sony Europe has introduced what they are calling their greenest TV ever.  The Sony Bravia WE5 has some unique features that appeals to energy conscious people such as the “Presence Sensor.”  The sensor actually checks if anyone is watching the television.  If the TV determines that no one is watching, the screen will go black.  The television will turn back on once you come back.  If you leave for a long enough time, the television automatically goes into standby mode. 

It’s a pretty cool idea even if you aren’t the most granola hippie.  Why should the picture be on if you’re not in?  Plus by saving energy, you’ll see a lower electricity bill.

Thanks for doing this twinterview. What makes the Sony WE5 the greenest ever television?
The WE5 has a few key green features - energy efficient HCFL backlight using 50% less power, presence sensor and energy saving switch

Could you explain how exactly the Presence Sensor works? Will the TV turn off if I’m too still in the room?
[The] presence sensor detects both heat & motion so the TV knows if you are watching it.  If you leave the room the picture will switch off.

Why HCFL instead of LED for the backlight when others have gone with LED?
LED uses less power than CCFL, but HCFL is using 50% less power so much more efficient backlight for the same picture quality.

Will all of your televisions be following the WE5’s lead—will all Sony TVs become greener?
All Sony TVs/products are designed to be as eco-aware as possible; all new BRAVIAs have Eco Features & onscreen manuals.

Will moving in a green direction in TV production benefit Sony as a company during a leaner economic period?
People are more cost & eco aware, WE5 will save energy & cut your bills - at least €300 over 10 years.

Could you expand on which Eco Features will be available Bravia-wide?
Most Bravias have light sensors which adapt brightness, power saving modes & operating power.

Where can people go to find out more about the WE5?
The best place is to check out the Sony website which contains a WE5 video, which is also on YouTube.

Learn more: [Sony Bravia WE5]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 30 Apr 2009 | 5:15 pm

Ding! Cupcake is done! Android v1.5 now hitting handsets in US and UK

After four long months,the Android v1.5 “Cupcake” update has finally been made available to the masses in the UK and USA. As April 29th came to a close, the first reports of update notifications came trickling in, and they’ve continued throughout the morning.

As usual, it’s not hitting every handset at the same time. Don’t panic if you’ve yet to see the prompt - you’ll probably see it within a day or two, tops. This one’s a big one, so look forward to some exploration. You’ll have video recording, stereo bluetooth, onscreen keyboards, live folders, new widgets, a brushed up browser, and a slew of performance upgrades and bug fixes to check out. Be sure to drop a comment and let us know when it hits your handset!

(Our favorite part: Though “Cupcake” was originally just an internal moniker for the development branch, the name has become official enough that it’s in the update notification.)

[via Phandroid]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 5:12 pm

NASA Scales Back New Space Capsule

NASA's new space capsule, Orion, will now house a crew of four, not six.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 30 Apr 2009 | 5:03 pm

Dancing Birds Feel the Beat

Some birds can boogie to the beat in almost-perfect tempo. How do they do it?
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 30 Apr 2009 | 4:43 pm

BB Video review: Tricaster, and the Future of Live Video Online

(Download MP4, or watch on YouTube.) In today's episode of Boing Boing Video, we review the Tricaster, a compact device that facilitates high-quality live internet video broadcast production for a lot less dough than the equivalent amount of traditional TV production gear.

A number of web video productions are now using the Tricaster, including Leo Laporte's TWIT.tv, and Mahalo's newly launched Kevin Pollak chat show. I visited the Kevin Pollak set this week to view the device in action with BBV editor Wes Varghese and Richard Metzger. Metzger has also been experimenting with live-to-hard-drive production (= tape his interview show using the Tricaster, then it's ready to go as a produced piece without a lot of editing.).

What interested me most about the device was the possibility of changing the economics of live video online. The Tricaster costs about $10K, and just renting a satellite truck full of switching gear and engineers for conventional live production costs a hell of a lot more - like, start adding zeroes.

So, the possibilities I see are much like the possibilities we began to see for web video 10 years ago, when digital video cameras suddenly became a lot more affordable, and video editing software became cheaper, more widely distributed, and a lot easier to use. Bottom line: more live video, in more of it the hands of people who wouldn't be producing live video otherwise.

Newtek, the company that makes the Tricaster, loaned Boing Boing Video a review unit and we're going to be doing some experiments soon.

Below, and after the jump, some screengrabs from backstage video I shot on the Kodak zi6. The featured guest on this installment of the Kevin Pollak show was Jon Hamm of Mad Men. Diggnation/Totally Rad Show/Project Lore star Alex Albrecht was also in the house, as was George Ruiz of ICM, who shot some nicer photos here. Kevin Pollak show crew notes: Alex Miller was running the TriCaster. Kenny Chen was the floor director, Josh Negrin is sitting next to Alex at the Mac Pro and Jason McIntyre is sitting at the 2 iMacs.

RSS feed for new episodes here, YouTube channel here, subscribe on iTunes here. Get Twitter updates every time there's a new ep by following @boingboingvideo, and here are blog post archives for Boing Boing Video.

(Special thanks to Philip Nelson of NewTek, to Jason Calacanis, and to Boing Boing's video hosting partner Episodic.)

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Sponsor shout-out: This Boing Boing Video episode is sponsored by WEPC.com, in partnership with Intel and Asus. WePC.com is a site where users come together to "share ideas, images and inspiration about the ideal PC." Participants' designs, feature ideas and community feedback will be evaluated by ASUS and "could influence the blueprint for an actual notebook PC built by ASUS with Intel inside."

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Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 4:31 pm

Exclusive Preview: Gamepark’s GP2X Wiz handheld game system

FROM GAMERTELL - Korean company Gamepark Holdings Co., Ltd.,  has released the GP2X Wiz handheld game system and… what, you though Nintendo’s DSi was the only new handheld on the block? Check out Gamertell’s preview of this Linux-based handheld game system…
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 30 Apr 2009 | 4:31 pm

Hulu gets Disney-fied; Disney buys chunk of Hulu

Section: Business News, Video, Content, Web, Online Music/Video

Disney has bought a 30% piece of Hulu.  Hulu began as a joint venture of News Corp. (owners of Fox) and NBC.  Disney owns ABC, ESPN, and plenty of other networks.  It looks like it is just a matter of time before Disney programming hits Hulu. 

This makes Hulu a bigger threat to both Sling and Joost with this addition.  For an all-in-one solution, Hulu is looking stronger.  The only major network not directly on Hulu is CBS. 

What kind of influence will Disney have on Hulu?  If it is anything like ABC.com, we’re looking at HD video.  ABC’s video sites require you to click a link to continue to watch whatever program you chose.  Hopefully, that will not be the case for Hulu. 

Looks like the Hulu experiment is working out pretty well. 

Read: [Mashable] 

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 30 Apr 2009 | 4:00 pm

Evidence of Water Found on Saturn Moon Enceladus

Ice volcanoes on Enceladus are probably rooted in a subsurface sea of liquid water.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 30 Apr 2009 | 3:23 pm

Apple Quietly Recruits Chip Designers for In-House Tech

Apple is rounding up an army of chip designers, which means the company will be able to develop exclusive features for its gadgets and better guard secrets from rivals.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 3:00 pm

Apple Quietly Recruits Chip Designers for In-House Tech

Apple’s recent hiring spree of chip designers reveals the company may be about to exert even more control over the components that go into its products.

The company may go so far as manufacturing computer processors in-house, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cites only anonymous sources to bolster its claim that the internally designed chips will appear in products no sooner than 2010.

The publication also cites profiles on professional networking site LinkedIn, which lists more than 100 Apple employees with past expertise in chips at companies such as Intel, Samsung and Qualcomm.

These recruitments, coupled with Apple’s 2008 acquisition of PA Semiconductor, serve as strong evidence that the company is moving toward chip design for its hardware, including iPhones and iPods and possibly Macs. Such a move would reduce Apple’s dependence on Intel, which manufactures processors for current Mac computers, and Samsung, which provides an ARM-based microprocessor for the iPhone.

Apple has always kept a tight rein on its suppliers, going so far as acquiring them when necessary to ensure consistent access to critical components. Apple has enough clout that it was even able to negotiate with Intel — a far bigger company — to develop a smaller version of the Core 2 Duo processor for the MacBook Air.

By acquiring in-house semiconductor talent, Apple opens several options: It could more easily customize chips and chipsets from suppliers like Intel, giving Apple hardware unique features (and perhaps raising additional, hardware-based barriers to hackintosh clones — generic PCs running OS X). It could develop its own graphics processors for the iPhone and iPod touch, giving them more serious gaming chops. It could create more compact system-on-a-chip processors that would enable future iPhones (or iPhone-like devices) to be even smaller. Or, in the most ambitious case, it could develop its own CPUs.

In November, Wired.com also speculated that Apple was moving toward in-house chip manufacturing when the company hired former IBM executive Mark Papermaster. Papermaster was a key player in developing the PowerPC chips used in previous-generation Macs.

With control over processor production, Apple will be able to design exclusive features for its gadgets and better guard its secrets from rivals.

Though in-house chip manufacturing would enable Apple to tighten control over its products, technology strategist Michael Gartenberg said it’s unlikely the corporation will produce its own processors for Mac computers. He explained the move would be risky for Apple, as it would cost billions of dollars, and it would be difficult to compete with Intel.

“People have lost fortunes competing with Intel,” Gartenberg said. “It doesn’t make sense [for Apple]. You’d have to get to a point where Intel simply wasn’t able to meet Apple’s needs in any shape or form.”

Rather than producing computer chips, it’s more likely Apple is hiring chip designers to produce custom chipset variants for future products, which could offer special audio and graphic enhancements exclusive to Apple gadgets, Gartenberg speculated. He added that chip experts can also loan advice on manufacturing and design processes to create smaller, thinner and lighter gadgets.

Updated 12 p.m. PDT: Added comment from technology strategist Michael Gartenberg.

See Also:

• Apple’s Core Could Soon Include In-House Chips
• Apple Acquires Obscure Processor Company — Lightning Fast iPods …
• Apple Scrambling for iPhone Flash Chips
• Apple and Intel: Still Best Friends Forever

In Major Shift, Apple Builds Its Own Team to Design Chips [WSJ]

Photo: blakie/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 30 Apr 2009 | 2:58 pm

Cuttlefish at Risk From Desalination Plant

A desalination plant may pose a threat to populations of the giant Australian cuttlefish.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 30 Apr 2009 | 2:53 pm

Rumored Palm webOS handset snapped by Mr. BlurryCam

I think that’s a phone, no wait, it’s a stapler, no wait, it’s a ham sandwich. That right there is actually the next Palm webOS handset, according to A Boy Genius tipster who really needs a better camera phone.

Honestly, there is no way to confirm whether this is the phone that Michael Arrington’s source was talking about, but at least the form factor seems about right for a Pre-Mini and follows the company’s low-cost Centro styling. But then again, that pic could be the Lock Ness Monster herself, and we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 30 Apr 2009 | 2:40 pm

New Toxin Detected in Forest Fire Smoke

Scientists discover a new pollutant emitted from forest fires that can alter human DNA.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 30 Apr 2009 | 1:14 pm

New MediaSmart box cuts price (and corners)

Monolithic in design and simple in principle, HP's latest MediaSmart home server, the LX195, runs Windows HS and has a single 640GB hard drive, gigabit ethernet, a 1.GHz Atom CPU and just 1GB of RAM. Though the specs are unimpressive, it's only $390 and has 4 USB ports--consider it intermediary between high-end local backup and low-end NAS.

HP launches a lower price Windows Home Server, the MediaSmart LX195 [CrunchGear]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 1:10 pm

Hands-On with the Knog Frog Bike Light

Relax, lean back in your comfortable chair and join me on a journey. Imagine, if you will, that you own a beautiful, brake-free fixed-gear bicycle. The exquisite paint-job, iridescent in the shimmering sun, is rivaled only by the clean lines of your ride. From front to back, there is nothing to distract the eye as it rolls across the smooth geometry, free of superflous lugs and holes, or even reflectors.

Imagine now that you need to take this bike out at night. You want to be seen, of course, but you also want to be seen. Permanently fixed lights are, naturally, out of the question, as ridiculous as wearing a hair-mussing helmet. Even removable lights need unsightly brackets. What to do? You need a hipster lamp, something that the Bike Snob calls the Hipster Cyst. It is the Frog, from Aussie company Knog.

The Frog is a bright, weather sealed LED lamp in a silicone casing. The built-in strap stretches around bars and frames and hooks back on itself. I found a set at my local bike-shop for €11 ($16) apiece, for once actually less than the €12 list price. At this price, they’re a little above the cheapest lamps, but nowhere near the top end.

The best feature of the Frog is its size. The tiny lamps are hardly bigger than the button-cell and LED within. The switch is concealed and you turn things on and off by pressing the top of the light. One press for “on”, another for “flash” and one more to switch off. Flash is probably the best of these, as it is both eye-catching to other road-goers and stretches battery life from 80 hours to a maximum of 160 hours. That’s around two and a half months if you ride two hours every single night.

The frogs attach to any part of the bike, although for the pictures I just put them on the top-tube where they hang like little one-eyed vampire-bats. You stretch the loop around and slide it into the hook. It’s easy enough not to be annoying — good news when you have to take the lights off to stop them being stolen. I haven’t been out in a good downpour yet (and without fenders, I’ll be leaving the fixie at home and taking the Dutch bike anyway) but the case seals the lights well enough for all but the worst rainstorm. The only openings are for the LED itself and a gap underneath the case to remove the unit for battery replacement.

The main concern with any light is visibility. The Frogs are bright, although Knog has some multi-bulb alternatives too. I took these shots against the balcony in daylight, if that helps you to visualize the output. I’ll put it this way. I first switched one on inside a fairly bright bar, pointing at my eyes, and got major retina-burn.

Problems: They pick up dust. You can see how much in the photos. Also, the LEDs stay white until switched on, so I’d recommend buying front and back in different colors to avoid confusion, unlike me.

I like these little lights. We’ll see how much I still like them if those battery-life claims are exaggerated, though. Until then, I will not be looking to have my Hipster Cysts removed.

Product page [Knog]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 30 Apr 2009 | 1:09 pm

Energizer-branded Wiimote charger up for pre-order

This Energizer-branded inductive WiiMore charger lets you juice up the sticks without removing their sheaths. It's $50.

Wii Energizer 2x Induction Charge Station [Amazon]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 1:05 pm

$10 Wii Soap

Nintendo Wiimote Wii remote replica soap [Digitalsoaps@etsy via Gizmodo via Gadget Venue]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 30 Apr 2009 | 1:00 pm

New Flip Ultra and UltraHD Now Official

Flip has announced two more low-cost, single-purpose camcorders. Both of these cameras are as simple as those which came before, although the Flip lineup itself is started to get crowded to the point of confusion.

First is the Flip UltraHD, previously seen turning up on a customer’s doorstep before being announced. The $200 UltraHD comes with a 2” LCD, the signature flip-out USB plug (which can be used to charge the double AA-sized battery-pack), 720p video and a real HDMI-out port. That battery pack can be removed and two regular AAs can be slid in there in case of emergencies. Finally, the memory has grown from 4GB to 8GB, enough for two full hours of shooting.

The new little brother is the Flip Ultra. This shares the big screen and the rechargeable/replaceable battery (you’ll need to spring for the actual battery though, as it’s not included). It has a smaller 4GB of memory and of course only runs SD video-out, but will still record two hours worth of footage at 640×480. The Ultra comes in at $150. It also comes in more colors: black, white, yellow and pink against boring black or white for the HD.

Available now.

Press release [Flip]

Product page [Flip]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 30 Apr 2009 | 12:04 pm

Adobe CS4 Icons as Cushions

Say what you like about Adobe’s Creative Suite icons, they’re nothing if not distinctive. When these plain colored boxes with simple letters first showed on the CS4 beta, we thought that the icons were beta versions too. But these elemental logos were the real thing.

Now, you can have a periodic plushie, your favorite CS4 application rendered as a cushion. Better still, even the full suite is cheaper than the real thing, at just $80 instead of over a grand, and individual cushions are a reasonable $15 each — that’s about the same price as an Ikea cushion, only without the stressful visit to the store.

Product page [My Suite Stuff via the Giz]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 30 Apr 2009 | 11:08 am

Drawdio: A Pencil That Lets You Draw Music

Drawdio is a mashup of drawing plus audio. First, watch the quite jaw-dropping video.

Done? Good. The original Drawdio, from MIT hipster Jay Silver, was a ripped-apart electronic toy bought in Bangalore, India. The “harmonium” was then modded to play when a circuit was completed.

The latest Drawdio works in the same way — a circuit is completed by touch. You can hook it up to a faucet and then touch the water, or even complete the circuit with the graphite in a pencil, literally drawing the music. This is where the name came from.

The best part? (there’s always a best part)? You can make your own. Schematics are available for download and you can go the super lo-fi breadboard route or use the diagrams to print your own circuit. Pencils not included.

Product page [Drawdio via the Twitter]
Schematics, kits [Drawdio]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 30 Apr 2009 | 10:47 am

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