WD offers 4TB My Book Studio Edition II hard drive (Macworld.com)

Endeavour's crew arrives at KSC - WDBO Radio

iNews880.com

Endeavour's crew arrives at KSC WDBO Radio By Dave Wahl @ June 9, 2009 9:09 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) The next shuttle launch is only a few days away. Just before midnight on Monday, the seven astronauts for STS-127 arrived at the cape, flying a shuttle training aircraft. Crew 'so ready' for Saturday space shuttle Endeavour launch The News-Press Late to bed, late to rise for shuttle crew WTTE msnbc.com - Slashdot - Media Newswire (press release) - WESH.com all 118 news articles

Reassessing the Apple Tax - PC World

Telegraph.co.uk

Reassessing the Apple Tax PC World Macs are often criticized for the high price of their hardware. This so-called Apple tax is the premium that Apple computers usually cost over comparably equipped PCs. What's up with Apple's laptops? ZDNet Apple's future in mobile computing CNET News Macworld - Twice - eWeek - bit-tech.net all 246 news articles

Bird Flu Survives in Landfills

Intersections Inc. Launches BreachCenter.com

Opera Mobile 9.7 Beta Goes Live for WinMo Phones Only - DailyTech

Soft Sailor

Opera Mobile 9.7 Beta Goes Live for WinMo Phones Only DailyTech Opera Mobile 9.7 beta may have a few rough edges, but it brings some attractive features like server-side compression, Flash, and Google Gears to Windows Mobile phones. Opera Mobile 9.7 beta lands Register Opera Mobile 9.7 beta: Not what we expected CNET News ChannelWeb - eWeek - Mobile Burn - VNUNet.com all 70 news articles

America’s Next Top Superphone? Palm Pre or iPhone 3G S?

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

We are all nut jobs.  We spent 2 hours yesterday hearing Apple ramble through Mac updates, Exchange protocols and App demos all to hear, “we’ve a new standard bearer - the iPhone 3G S.”  Finally, we get word that this new phone look almost identical on the outside and all the changes are internal.  So now we know the competitors for America’s Next Top SuperPhone.

Let’s start with the flaws.  In the end, we’re deciding against the pitfalls of one, versus the pitfalls of another.  For the Palm Pre, the biggest flaw seems to be the quantity of 3rd party applications.  There just are not that many going and the store itself is in beta.  Not ready for prime time.  It took Apple a year to figure out that 3rd party apps would be a big deal, but Palm’s got to fight the latest Apple, not Apple-two-years-ago.

Were you a bit disappointed with the new iPhone too?  I’ve come to expect to be “wowed” by Apple and frankly that just isn’t happening.  Worse still, the thorn in Apple’s side seems to be AT&T whose name was left off many of the super-fun things you can do with the new iPhone thanks to network issues.  Heck, the event itself brought down AT&T network in San Fransisco to a crawl. 

Note to AT&T: when the technorati is going to gather, beef up the network.  It makes you look silly that your partners event brings down the device they made and sell to you exclusively.

We could talk about video (iPhone 3G S has it, Pre doesn’t) or memory (8GB for Pre, 16GB for iPhone at same price) or physical keyboard or camera flash; but which do you put more faith into: 50,000 apps vs. few for Pre or Sprint’s “We Try Harder” network or AT&T’s “we’ll get our act together in the fall”? 

As an iPhone owner, I have little desire to upgrade to the “S.”  The Pre however still has my attention.  Anyone else feeling the same?

For more specifics in the battle, read this: [PC World]

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

AVID Joins to the Texas Instruments MCU Developer Network

Wireless keyboard features magical multitouch trackpad

Behold the future (of keyboards). New from far away lands comes this $69 wireless slim keyboard with “Smart TouchPad.” See that touchpad in the lower right corner there? It’s a multitouch trackpad that switches to a ten-key number pad — like magic!

The multitouch feature registers a series of two- and three-finger presses for scrolling, zooming, window switching, tapping, and more. The entire keyboard is less than 3/4 of an inch thick and includes 18 hotkeys for launching various programs. The wireless USB adapter snaps into the bottom of the keyboard if you want to travel with it. Might make a good keyboard for a Media Center PC or for people who prefer trackpads over mice.

USB 2.4GHz RF Entertainment Slim Keyboard with Smart TouchPad [Brando]

California To Move To Online Textbooks

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Nokia To Pre-load Qik On S60 Phones

With all of the collaboration going on between Qik and Nokia over the past few months, it seemed like it wouldn’t be too long before Nokia went ahead and put the live mobile video broadcasting service onto handsets right out of the box. Sure, enough: Beginning with this morning’s release of the North American N97, Qik will come preloaded onto all Nokia S60-based phones.

This is exactly what we thought had happened months ago with the Nokia 5800, though we later found out that, while Qik did make an appearance on the device, it was simply an icon that led to a download page. This time around, Qik comes installed and ready to go.

This is a fairly significant win for Qik; beyond all the technical hurdles involved with streaming live video from a mobile phone, one of the most challenging things is getting people to use it. Nokia’s been featuring Qik pretty prominently in their Ovi Store, and the aforementioned preloaded download link are nice - but convincing people to make the leap, download the app, register an account, and broadcast their lives seems like a tough sell. Remove one of the steps, and it becomes slightly less so.

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

Serena Software Offers Best of Both Worlds: Enterprise ALM and Agile Development Support with New Version of Dimensions

TSMC Selects Synopsys Galaxy Implementation Platform for Integrated Sign-off Flow

InQuira and IBM Launch 'The Corporate Knowledge IQ Challenge'

Game Crazy Extends Exceptional In-Store Experience to Consumers' Finger Tips

Dimension Data Americas Wins Five Awards at Cisco Partner Summit 2009

New RSA Research Uncovers Growing Security Risks as Businesses Rush to Adopt Emerging Web and Mobile Technologies

BT Opens International Telepresence Video Conferencing Centers

EV Group Completes Wafer Bonding Portfolio With the Launch of Its New Generation EVG501 R&D System

Clarcon-produced skin products recalled

Apple iPhone: It's All About the Apps

Source: Gizmodo | 9 Jun 2009 | 12:50 pm

The Nokia N97 hits Nokia Stores for $700 today

We knew it was coming and sure enough, the Nokia N97 is now available for $700 at Nokia Stores everywhere. 700 bones will net you Nokia’s flagship touchscreen device, unlocked and ready to make iPhones jealous everywhere. Well, maybe not the last part, but it’s still a solid device and worthy successor to the N95/N96.

But if the price still seems high - it is - wait until a carrier like T-Mobile or AT&T picks it up and subsidises the price. Who knows when that will happen or what carrier will pick it up, but chances are it’s coming. Other markets should get access to what Nokia calls a Mobile Computer shortly.

The Nokia N97 hits Nokia Stores for $700 today

We knew it was coming this month and sure enough, the Nokia N97 is now available for $700 at Nokia Stores everywhere. 700 bones will net you Nokia’s flagship touchscreen device, unlocked and ready to make iPhones jealous everywhere. Well, maybe not the last part, but it’s still a solid device and worthy successor to the N95/N96.

But if the price still seems high - it is - wait until a carrier like T-Mobile or AT&T picks it up and subsidises the price. Who knows when that will happen or what carrier will pick it up, but chances are it’s coming. Other markets should get access to what Nokia calls a Mobile Computer shortly.

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

Four Reasons Why iPhone Owners Hate AT&T

Source: Gizmodo | 9 Jun 2009 | 12:38 pm

HP Artist Edition 2 Notebook PC

This is the $949 Pavilion dvoz Artist Edition 2 notebook PC, with a design inspired by the surroundings in Okinawa. It won first place in a HP design contest, but the press release doesn't identify the artist.

Welcome To Tech Inciter (PC World)

Mock Climate Treaty Sets Sky-High Goals For UN Summit

Pleo Robot Dinosaur Back From Extinction

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Logitech V220 kisses gunmental gray goodbye

Logitech is among the best maker of mice (its poor Mac support notwithstanding) but designs tend toward gray, black and the occasional flash of plastichrome. These new V220s, $30 notebook size models with no extra buttons, make a more colorful presentation--so long as you like blues and reds.

British hacker too ill for U.S. trial: lawyer (Reuters)

Malaria Researchers Turn to Mosquitoes To Fight Disease

What Internet Ad Slump? P&G Pours Money Into the Web [MediaMemo]

Last week I noted that Internet ad spending had dropped 5% in the first three months of the year, and wondered when Web ads might rebound. Here’s a data point for optimists in the “soon, real soon” camp: Procter & Gamble (PG), the world’s biggest marketer, is pouring more into Web ads than ever. Last quarter it increased its spending on Internet display ads by nearly 150%.

Those numbers, from ad tracking service TNS, via Ad Age, are similar to outlays from rival Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). Both companies are now spending about 4% of their ad bugets on online display — the boring banner ads on Yahoo (YHOO) and Time Warner’s AOL (TWX) that everyone loves to complain about.

The numbers don’t include other Web categories like video and search. But as much as some of us (ok, me) like to chatter about video sites like YouTube and Hulu, Web video is still a tiny ad market. And  consumer packaged goods companies like P&G and J&J,  who who bring you everything from toothpaste to diapers, have traditionally had less use for Google (GOOG) than other marketers.

These still aren’t huge numbers in the grand scheme of things: For P&G, that amounts to about $26.9 million in the first 3 months of the year; for J&J, $15.5 million.

Cisco Says Internet Video to Explode [Voices]

Internet traffic will increase fivefold over the next five years, driven in large part by a jump in the amount of video transmitted across the network, according to Cisco Systems (CSCO).

The finding highlights a study of the demand on communications networks between 2008 and 2013 that the computer-equipment maker plans to release Tuesday. Along with the study, Cisco is also releasing an application that lets people track how much bandwidth their day-to-day activities consume, and another one for iPhone and BlackBerry owners that tracks how fast the devices connect to the Internet from different locations. (You can download the apps here.)

By 2013, Cisco expect Internet traffic—in this case a broad category that includes delivery of content to televisions and mobile phones—to reach about 56 exabytes per month, up from about nine exabytes per month in 2008.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Noir Bosch meets Ren n Stimpy

Erotica Beastia (Thanks, Sam!)


Source: Boing Boing | 9 Jun 2009 | 11:40 am

Students who went on strike over CCTVs in classroom speak

It turned out that our entire class was angry or confused over the cameras. Out of a class of 18 students, 17 felt uncomfortable with the idea and decided to boycott the room until the issue, and the students, were addressed. This was a difficult decision as we were three months away from exams and we had five lessons a fortnight in the room. The student body was supportive and a petition gained over 130 signatures from the sixth-form...

Many users suggested that cameras were a good idea because they could be used to keep an eye on bullying and student behaviour, we were accused of been "narcissistic megalomaniacs" angry at "being nabbed for our churlish troublemaking". This stereotypical and frankly ignorant view ignores the fact that Davenant Foundation School produces some of the best exam results in Essex. Violent behaviour among pupils is simply not an issue, making the justification for putting cameras in our classrooms more surprising.

Adults are often quick to define the youth of today as stereotypical troublemakers and violent offenders - generalisations which are prompted by the media - when in fact the majority of students at our school are as responsible and arguably better behaved then the majority of adults. Some commentators insinuated that we overheard adults talking about rights and repeated it. That notion isn't worth the space it was typed upon. We are A-level politics students who have been studying civil liberties as part of the curriculum for the last two years...

Eroding standards in schools and deteriorating discipline are down to a broken society and the failure of the education system. The truth is that we are whatever the generation before us has created. If you criticise us, we are your failures; and if you applaud us we are your successes, and we reflect the imperfections of society and of human life.

This Year’s Pre? Or Last Year’s iPhone? [Digital Daily]

Palm (PALM) picked a hell of a day to launch the Pre. 2 days before Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference. 2 days before the unveiling of the iPhone 3G S, a new version of Apple’s (AAPL) iconic handset that runs twice as fast as its predecessor, shoots video with an improved 3 megapixel camera and boasts longer battery life and greater storage. And worst of all, 2 days prior to the announcement of a new $99 price point for the iPhone 3G, a disruptive move that puts the device in reach of far more consumers and allows Apple to position last year’s iPhone as a competitor to this year’s Pre (and BlackBerry Storm, etc.). And unlike this year’s Pre, last year’s iPhone comes with iTunes, a robust developer ecosystem, access to 50,000+ apps and soon iPhone OS 3.0.

And that may bode ill for a hard-to-come-by upstart handset that’ll set you back $199 after a $100 rebate. Certainly, a $99 iPhone 3G is a very compelling proposition. Said CL King & Associates analyst Lawrence Harris, “Apple’s strategy appears to be designed to take advantage of the current limited availability of the Palm Pre. It is clear that Apple intends to maintain its leadership position in the smartphone market, given its decision to cut prices.” 

Clear too that Palm’s decision to roll out the Pre this past Saturday was folly and has not only left the company’s most important product release in years washed away in a deluge of Apple coverage, but allowed a powerful rival with a lot of market buzz to undercut the price of its bet-the-company handset within just days of its launch.

Palm Pre breaks Sprint sales records, sells an estimated 50,000

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

It seems that at least the executives from Sprint Nextel have deemed the Palm Pre a success.  According to some estimates, the Palm Pre sold anywhere between 50,000 and 100,000 units in the first two days.  Of course, these numbers are just estimates, and to break that down a little bit more, JP Morgan has given the estimate of 50,000 while the WSJ has suggested the higher number of up to 100,000.

Either way though, the launch broke the current sales records for Sprint.  Tim Donahue, vice president of business marketing for Sprint, would not discuss specific numbers but did state that,

“We experienced our best one day of sales and single weekend sales for any phone we’ve launched in our history,” he said. “We sold out of the device over the weekend in most of our store locations. And it happened at a much faster rate than we had planned on. “

All-in-all, even breaking the sales record aside, these numbers seem pretty decent.  Especially when you consider the original iPhone sold 146,000 units in that first weekend and that AT&T is a larger carrier.  Of course, while they seem to have had a great opening weekend, which seems a little sweeter considering many phone geeks could have been waiting for the Apple announcement before committing to a purchase.  Now we have to sit back and see if it continues to sell well.

Read [CNET]

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

Compete: Facebook US Traffic Nearing Google, Yahoo

Web analytics firm Compete has released its data for the month of May, and as Justin Smith over at InsideFacebook has already pointed out, US traffic to Facebook.com has increased by nearly 8% to 82.9 million unique visitors last month, with Facebook Connect sites generating an additional 65 million uniques. That means that, according to Compete, a total of 113 million people in the U.S. interacted with the Facebook service. The data also shows MySpace is (still) steadily decreasing compared to the beginning of the year, while Twitter growth seems to have flattened all of the sudden.

While it is interesting to see how the hot social networks stack up in terms of traffic, I thought I’d also take a look at how well Facebook is doing compared to other Web giants like Google.com, Yahoo.com and MSN.com. To my surprise, Facebook appears to have become a real challenger to these Internet juggernauts, who are relatively old compared to the social network that started out in 2004 as a university student-only service and only really opened up to the public in September 2006.

Evidently. this is only one way to look at things. First, Compete does not always provide spot-on traffic estimates (data from comScore suggested Facebook had yet to surpass MySpace in US traffic back in March) and second it’s hardly fair to compare these websites as they all serve different purposes and audiences. But the picture painted here is that Facebook has unmistakingly grown up to become one of the most popular Internet destinations on the planet, both in terms of registered users (well beyond 200 million at this point) and in terms of received traffic. And we’re still talking about a privately-held (albeit massively funded) company that has come this far. No wonder its valuation is surging.

Then there’s our model of the true value of social networks, which gave Facebook a clear lead as well.

For comparison, Compete pegs Google to have received a total of 145.5 million unique visitors in May, ahead of Yahoo (135.5 million) and MSN.com (97.5 million), which means Facebook has already overtaken the MSN website and is nearing the former two. It’s important to note that all four sites show a significant increase in U.S. traffic since the beginning of this year, but Facebook is definitely on the steepest growth curve here. In January 2009, total traffic to Facebook was somewhere around 68.5 million uniques, which means the May number of 113 million represents a 61% jump, mostly thanks to the successful spread of the Facebook Connect service.

If these trends persist, expect Facebook to come out on top of the Compete charts well before the year ends.

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

'Guerrilla drive-ins' turn nostalgia on its head

Source: Gizmodo | 9 Jun 2009 | 9:35 am

Futurama Rumored To Return On Comedy Central

avajcovec points out a brief note on Collider.com that Comedy Central has ordered 13 new episodes of Futurama. Quoting: "Though still technically a rumor at this point, word is that 'Futurama' production offices have already opened and that casting is about to move forward. This should be a welcome surprise to fans of the show who have already gone through the series' cancellation and resurrection as direct-to-DVD movies."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Jun 2009 | 9:26 am

YouTube Video Streams Top 1 Billion/Day

We’ve been hearing for some time (starting with an ex-Youtube employee) that the number of video streams per day reported by Comscore, Nielsen and other metrics services way under-report on Youtube’s total video streams.

It’s hard to compare apples to apples, though. Recent Comscore data says Google/YouTube streams just under 7 billion videos per month in the U.S., up from around 5 billion/month late last year. That’s about 225 million streams a day, which still puts them well above all the next major competitors (MySpace, Hulu, Yahoo, Viacom, Microsoft, etc.). Nielsen says Google/YouTube streams 5.5 billion videos/month in the U.S.

But the real number of streams/day, we’ve now confirmed from Google, is above 1 billion/day worldwide. That matches what we’ve heard from other sources. That pretty much means everyone on the Internet, on average, is watching one YouTube video per day.

Google hasn’t commented on this in the past, and we can’t figure out exactly why. It may have to do with ongoing litigation and the desire to keep exact numbers quiet. Or it may be that they don’t necessarily want analysts to have deep insight into YouTube’s true cost structure.

We’ve spoken to Comscore about this casually in the past, and they’ve noted that their estimates are based on available data, and that data doesn’t involve direct access to YouTube servers. Some companies choose to give Comscore deep access, others don’t. The data quality suffers accordingly.

But one thing is clear. Comscore thinks the total online video space is around 17 billion monthly streams in the U.S. We now know that YouTube alone serves that many video streams every fifteen days or so worldwide. Time to revise those numbers up - if YouTube has 40% of the online market share for video like Comscore says (it may actually be much higher market share, another reason Google may not want this data out there), that means the total number of video streams on the Internet is approaching 80 billion/month, a heady number.

We’ve approached MySpace and Hulu, the no. 2 and no. 3 online video services, for their exact streaming numbers. So far, no response.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 9 Jun 2009 | 8:36 am

Launch On TechCrunch, Get Bought By Google

I still love the story of Writely, a product we wrote about way back in 2005 when TechCrunch was just a little tike.

The company got a lot of attention as one of the first Ajax-powered “online Word” products. An acquisition by Google came just a few months later, and Writely formed the foundation for what is now Google Docs.

Cofounder Sam Schillace is now an engineering director at Google. He was profiled by the Wall Street Journal today: “Serial entrepreneur Sam Schillace had been writing software professionally for 16 years when one of his ideas caught Google Inc.’s attention. Within seven months, Mr. Schillace had sold his online word-processing program to the search-engine giant, where it spawned Google Docs. Now, he oversees engineering for Google products including Gmail, Picasa and Reader. Mr. Schillace spoke with reporter Elizabeth Garone; edited excerpts follow.”

He also says in the interview: “TechCrunch [then a tech-review Web site, now a network of tech sites] and then Google found us as we were testing Writely live. We were almost immediately in the middle of a press and investor/acquirer storm.”

Of course Writely would have done well and been acquired anyway. But we love that he remembers the small part we played in launching the service. If you’ve got an awesome idea baking, make sure we hear about it first. And the timing for TechCrunch50, coming up in September, may just be perfect for you. We want to put you in the middle of a “press and investor/acquirer storm,” too.

And for people who are thinking of starting a company of their own, Sam has some advice for you: “Never start a company just to start it. You start a company because you have an idea that you think will be great for some customer — and great ideas are always worth doing, even in a tough market. It’s also the case that many big companies are started during downturns and benefit from the added focus and discipline that’s necessary. So it might actually be the best time to start a company, if it’s the right idea and it’s done well.”

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

Source: TechCrunch | 9 Jun 2009 | 8:35 am

Orphaned Tweets [Voices]

After examining some 300,000 Twitter accounts, a Harvard Business School professor reported last week that 10 percent of the service’s users account for more than 90 percent of tweets. The study dovetails with recent analysis by the media research firm Nielsen asserting that 60 percent of Twitter users do not return from one month to the next.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 9 Jun 2009 | 7:12 am

Key Not: Why the Jobs-less Apple WWDC Signals Trouble [Voices]

Wow, there’s two hours of my life that I won’t get back anytime soon. Today’s epic bore of a keynote address at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference signals the problem that Steve Jobs has created as the designated showman/face of Apple.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 9 Jun 2009 | 7:06 am

Can Computer Nerds Save Journalism? [Voices]

Word to those who think the Internet spells the end of traditional print media: “hacker journalists” have arrived to save the day. (Read “The State of the Media: Not Good.”)

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 9 Jun 2009 | 7:03 am

Songkick Aims To Make A Database Of Every Concert Ever — And It’s Well On Its Way

When Songkick was born in 2007, it had an interesting goal: To perfect concert recommendation. Plenty of services do music recommendation, but the idea of recommending concerts you might like based on things like music you’re interested in and you location, was an interesting one. Now, with a few others in the space, including the similarly named Livekick, Songkick is embarking on a new tiny challenge: To create a giant database of every concert ever performed by every band, and to make the entire experience more social.

To be clear, Songkick is still very much focusing on concert recommendation, but its site is now much deeper than that. Beginning today, you will be able to enter in the name of a band and a city in which you’ve seen a show you’ve seen in the past, and Songkick will scan its databases for that show. If it’s there — and there’s a pretty good chance it is, given that the site already has 1 million concerts in its database — you can click on the “I was there” button, and it will be added to your Songkick profile. Each of these concerts has its own Songkick profile page, that acts as a wiki of sorts. Any user can add photos from that show, ticket stubs, set lists, write a review of the show and a host of other things.

And if a show isn’t there, you can add it. That’s a key part to all of this: Songkick wants to have every concert ever performed in its database, and it’s going to need its users to help make that possible. It’s done a huge chunk of the work with a million shows going back to a Bob Dylan show at the home of Karen Wallace in May 1960, but there is more to be done.

The overall idea is to extend the experience of going to a concert beyond the actual show. And to make it more social. Maybe you’ll see that you’ve been to a bunch of the same shows as someone else, and you’ll add them as a friend on Songkick, and you’ll probably run into them in another show. More importantly for the social aspect on the site, Songkick now allows you to track not only bands and venues, but people as well. So if you find someone with similar tastes in music or a friend, you can be alerted when they say they’re going to go to a show. It might also be interesting to track people of influence like music journalists or executives using the site, Songkick co-founder Ian Hogarth tells us.

Obviously, as is the case with any social site these days, Songkick information can be sent out to Twitter and Facebook. And while Songkick doesn’t yet integrate with something like Facebook Connect to port your social graph over, Hogarth envisions something like that happening in short order. Though he warns that you probably won’t want to track everyone you’re friends with on Facebook because Songkick is also about personal music preferences — which is a nice way of saying that a lot of your friends probably have crap music tastes. This is something I know to be true.

Still, the giant concert database is the most interesting element of this update. Hogarth at one point explained it as being like the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) for concerts, but didn’t want to limit it as just that because the service really offers so much more in terms of recommendations and social elements. Still, that’s a pretty good way to describe it as I’m finding myself using the database in a similar way. You know when you look up a movie on the IMDb and then you click on an actor to see what else they’re in, then you click on that movie? The same type of rabbit hole exists on Songkick when you start looking up concerts.

In terms of monetization, the company has some interesting ideas. Right now, the company uses the affiliate model for tickets to upcoming shows it sells through its site. But with this new database, there are some other options including obviously placing advertising on the site, which should happen soon, Hogarth notes. Another more interesting idea is to create a way to sell merchandise from past concerts you were at, or just went to. Imagine being able to buy a recording from last night’s show, for example. Or maybe a t-shirt at a slightly discounted price because no one would buy them for $40. That could be pretty cool.

Songkick was a Y Combinator company and raised an Angel round of funding back in March of 2008 and a Series A in December. The company has 14 people now working for it.

CrunchBase Information

Songkick

Information provided by CrunchBase

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

Source: TechCrunch | 9 Jun 2009 | 6:57 am

Fake Chinese antimalarials sold in Nigeria with "Made in India" lable

There's a whole geopolitical story lurking here: Indian trade reps sending stern diplomatic letters to the Chinese embassy over fake drug sales in Nigeria:

Last week, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria issued a press release stating that a large consignment of fake anti-malarial generic pharmaceuticals labelled `Made in India' were, in fact, found to have been produced in China.

New Delhi has registered ``strong protest'' with the Chinese mission and China's foreign trade ministry, according to sources in the commerce ministry.

Chinese passing off fake drugs as 'Made in India'


Source: Boing Boing | 9 Jun 2009 | 6:45 am

BB Video: Miles O'Brien on Technology Questions in The Air France Disaster

(Download MP4)

In today's episode of Boing Boing Video, space/aviation/tech reporter Miles O'Brien speaks with me about the role of technology in the recent Air France crash.

He answers a number of questions posed here on Boing Boing by commenters on our previous episodes: how "black boxes" work, why they're not built to float, whether they would be more effective if they streamed data constantly while in use, and whether more training in the "lower-tech" aspects of piloting could have helped.

Since we taped this two-way conversation on Friday, recovery teams off the coast of Brazil have recovered some 16 bodies, and wreckage from the crash.

Here's a snip from his latest blog post about the disaster, over at True Slant.

The Air France 447 mystery may never be solved beyond a shadow of doubt, but there are some telling, tragic clues to consider based on what we know about the airplane systems and the extreme weather and aerodynamic conditions it encountered before it went down a week ago.

First, a bit of aerodynamics: The doomed Airbus A-330-200 was flying ever so close to its maximum altitude - in a zone pilots call the "Coffin Corner". It refers to the edge of so-called "flight envelope" of an aircraft. At this altitude, the air is much thinner and that significantly narrows the swath of speed at which the airplane can safely operate.

Read the whole post: "The 'Coffin Corner' and a 'Mesoscale' Maw." And speaking of True Slant, check out these two articles about the recently-launched site, a rare refuge for hardcore journalism in these hard times: Washington Post, and Associated Press.

If you're interested in this story -- or in aviation and space news in general -- you really should also follow Miles on Twitter to see his thought-stream unfold in real time.

Previously:

• BB Video - Diving into Space: Miles O'Brien in NASA's Neutral ...
• Boing Boing Video: Welcome, Miles O'Brien! - Boing Boing
• BB Video - Miles O'Brien Reports: An Astronaut Climbs Everest ...
• Miles O'Brien Blogging the Air France Crash: The Search for Black ...
• BB Video: This Week in Space, with Miles O'Brien - Boing Boing
• Miles O'Brien: The Hubble Constant - Boing Boing
• CNN Closes Space/Tech/Environmental Reporting Unit; Miles O'Brien ...

---

Sponsor shout-out: This week's Boing Boing Video episodes are brought to you in part 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 "will influence the blueprint for an actual notebook PC built by ASUS with Intel inside."


Source: Boing Boing | 9 Jun 2009 | 6:41 am

Paris Hosts the Second Hacker Space Festival

zoobab writes "Hackers from all over Europe will meet at the end of the month (27-30 June) at the second Hacker Space Festival in Paris. The four-day schedule includes conferences and workshops on: Metasploit, HostileWRT, FPGA for beginners, ICT disaster recovery, software patents in Europe, Hadopi, and many other topics. The future of Hacker Spaces will also be debated. The event will be hosted by the first French hackerspace, /tmp/lab, located in an industrial zone on the outskirts of Paris."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Jun 2009 | 6:34 am

Smallest microwave is just a prototype

What is being billed as the world's smallest microwave promises new convenience for consumers but so far it's just a prototype, British industry analysts said. The portable microwave can be powered through a link to a USB port on a laptop computer, The Daily Mail of Britain reported Monday.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 9 Jun 2009 | 5:55 am

Fees waived for US marrow donation signups

Help Emru Heal Someone sez,

Beginning June 8, the first 46000 people to sign up to the National Marrow Donor Program in the United States can do so for free. While there are ways to register for free or at a lower price during the year, you often have to know the ins and outs, and it is uncommon to be able to register online and get a kit sent directly to your home at no charge. For those who are eligible, the most daunting part of considering becoming a donor are the unanswered questions and misconceptions of the registration, matching, and donation process (which is why I have linked to the NMDP's FAQ).

Here are some things you may or may not know:

-Over 70% of people will not match someone in their family and will search for a registered stranger to be found as a match.

-In most of North America, you can register using a simple cheek swab test to determine your profile.

-Most people will never donate, because it is very hard to find a match, but the procedure is low-risk and not lengthy.

-Your ethnicity plays a large role in determining a match. Many people are in underrepresented donor pools, but no one is guaranteed a match.

-2 in 10 patients with active requests will find an unrelated match.

FAQs about Joining the Registry (Thanks, Tamu!)

Previously:

• Seeking marrow donor for animation writer/blogger Emru Townsend ...
• Marrow donor drives in San Francisco and Boston - Boing Boing
• Free marrow-donor kit and registration - Boing Boing
• Restaurant lays off waitress who shaved head for cancer charity ...
• Journo's last wish is for more marrow donors - Boing Boing
• Stem-cell trachea transplant was endangered by EasyJet: "your cell ...

Source: Boing Boing | 9 Jun 2009 | 5:23 am

How The Different Mobile Data Syncing Services Stack Up

As the phones in our pockets become our second computers, it will become increasingly important to sync data between the two. Not just emails, but contacts, calendars, photos, music, apps, browser bookmarks, files, and more. Nearly every Web phone out there comes with at least some sort of rudimentary syncing app. Apple has MobileMe, Nokia has Ovi, Palm has Synergy, Blackberry has Internet Services, and Microsoft has My Phone. An open-source competitor to all of these is Funambol. The startup evaluated all of the syncing services and scored them based on criteria such as how many kinds of data each one supports, cost, usability, and number of supported devices. (Full study embedded at bottom of post). It came up with a score for each out of a maximum of 40. Naturally enough, Funambol scored the highest, but if you throw that out you end up with the list below (with accompanying scores).

Source: MobileCrunch | 9 Jun 2009 | 4:45 am

Tweets That'll Get You Fired From Celeb Ghost Twittering

Michael_Phelps Playin hackey sack, listenin to reggae, thinkin about last night's Phish concert, and eatin Doritos.

iamdiddy Kicking off 36-hour tantric sex session!
6:29 AM Apr 16th from Web

iamdiddy Nevermind.
6:30 AM Apr 16th from Web

David Lynch G2G, Two and a Half Men is on.

aplusk KILLER! Just saw my wife in Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" video. She TOTALLY looks the same 25 years later. AWESOME!!!

juliaallison Just had a funny thought, but I'd hate to bore you with it.

kevinrose Man, VCs are so effin GULLIBLE!!!

AKGovSarahPalin Didja know Levi is also a kind of pants?

maddow @billoreilly We still on to go see Fireproof 2night?

johncmayer @LucyJuicy25 @EscortGirly @FoxxxyLooks @SexyXYZ @EasyLizzy @SwissMissyMiss What's up? #JenniferAnistonRevenge

samantharonson There are so many hot guys at this party.

andersoncooper There are so many hot guys at this party.

waltmossberg Totally love my blinged out pink RAZR!

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

Fetish: Mechanized Floor Lamp Puts on a Brilliant Light Show

The problem with most lamps is they don't do anything fun. But this light is a performer, with rising and falling lenses that change the lighting from a wide wash to focused spotlight. You can even put it on autopilot pulse.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

Bullion and Bandits: The Improbable Rise and Fall of E-Gold

Florida oncologist Douglas Jackson gave up his medical practice to pursue the crazy dream of creating a digital currency independent of any nation, and backed by gold and silver. Libertarians and computer criminals were thrilled, but the U.S. government was determined to stop him. And it did.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

Robot Sidekicks: Sci-Fi's Long Line of Nuts-and-Bolts BFFs

Rookie filmmaker Duncan Jones—son of former space oddity David Bowie—has made a futurist sci-fi flick. Moon, out June 12, stars Sam Rockwell as a lunar helium miner on a three-year mission with no one to talk to but a robot. His robomensch, Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey), is the latest in a long line of nuts-and-bolts BFFs that range from priceless to worthless.

Solid Gold >>> to >>> Scrap Metal

R2-D2 Star Wars 1977

T-800 Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991

Bishop Aliens 1986

Bender Futurama 1999

Marvin The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 2005

C-3P0 Star Wars 1977

The Iron Giant The Iron Giant 1999

Bumblebee Transformers 2007

Bubo the Owl Clash of the Titans 1981

Robby Forbidden Planet 1956

B9 Lost in Space 1965

Twiki Buck Rogers in the 25th Century 1979

Klyton Robot Holocaust 1986

Alpha 5 Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers 1993

The Roboz Riptide 1984

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

June 9, 1928: Across the Vast Pacific, by Air

Two Australians and a couple of Yanks become the first aviators to successfully fly across the Pacific Ocean, making the trip from California to Australia in a mere 13 days.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

Video: Amon Tobin Mashes Found Object Sounds, Field Recordings in Gritty Score for 'Infamous'

Amon Tobin and the Sony Music team use found objects and field recordings to create the dark and grimy videogame score for Infamous.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 9 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

Fetish: Mechanized Floor Lamp Puts on a Brilliant Light Show

The problem with most lamps is they don't do anything fun. But this light is a performer, with rising and falling lenses that change the lighting from a wide wash to focused spotlight. You can even put it on autopilot pulse.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 9 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

Mozilla To Launch "Build Your Own Browser"

angry tapir sends in a piece from Down Under which begins "Mozilla is readying a program that will allow companies to build their own customized browsers based on the next version of Firefox, which will be out in a few weeks. ... Through the Build Your Own Browser program, which will start sometime soon after Firefox 3.5 is released at the end of June, companies can use a Web application provided by Mozilla to specify certain customizations for the browser, such as bookmarks to certain sites or corporate intranets or portals. ... The bulk of enterprises still use Internet Explorer if they mandate a browser for company use, because Microsoft provides provisioning and installation software for IE that makes it easy for enterprises to control browser settings and install across all corporate desktops, said Forrester analyst Sheri McLeish. Mozilla has not historically done this, but something like the Build Your Own Browser program is a good start to encourage enterprises to use Firefox over IE."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Jun 2009 | 3:46 am

Computers Key To Air France Crash

Michael_Curator writes "It's no secret that commercial airplanes are heavily computerized, but as the mystery of Air France Flight 447 unfolds, we need to come to grips with the fact that in many cases, airline pilots' hands are tied when it comes to responding effectively to an emergency situation. Boeing planes allow pilots to take over from computers during emergency situations, Airbus planes do not. It's not a design flaw — it's a philosophical divide. It's essentially a question of what do you trust most: a human being's ingenuity or a computer's infinitely faster access and reaction to information. It's not surprising that an American company errs on the side of individual freedom while a European company is more inclined to favor an approach that relies on systems. As passengers, we should have the right to ask whether we're putting our lives in the hands of a computer rather than the battle-tested pilot sitting up front, and we should have right to deplane if we don't like the answer."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Jun 2009 | 2:06 am

iPhone Users Angry Over AT&T Upgrade Policy

All is not sweetness and light in the wake of the Apple WWDC kickoff announcements, especially concerning the evolution of the iPhone. Reader Hugh Pickens writes: "AT&T will offer the new iPhone 3G S when it debuts later this month at a cost of $199 and $299 for the 16GB and 32GB models, but only to new customers and those who qualify for the discounted price. AT&T subscribers with an iPhone 3G who are not eligible for an upgrade — those not near the end of their two-year contracts — will have to pay $200 more — $399 for the 16GB model and $499 for the 32GB model. 'This is ridiculous and slap in the face to long-time loyal iPhone customers like me who switched from T-Mobile and the only reason was the iPhone,' writes one unhappy iPhone customer. 'We have to mount a vigorous campaign to change this policy. Call your local AT&T and ask for the manager and complain. Send e-mails and post in forums everywhere.' The issue is spurring heavy debate on support discussion forums, with some customers supporting AT&T. 'The option you have is to honor the contract you freely committed yourself to,' says one forum member. 'If you want to upgrade early then you will have to pay full price with no subsidy discount. You can't blame anyone but yourself for your predicament.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 9 Jun 2009 | 12:29 am

Light-years ahead? I don’t think so.

FROM APPLETELL - Until the moment that the lights dimmed and Phil Schiller walked on stage, the rumor mill was still hard at work. Video calling, more RAM, and FM transmitter, and an illuminating logo were all there.  But Apple seemed to keep things simple with the update.
MORE »

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 9 Jun 2009 | 12:19 am

iPhone 3GS Will Cost an Extra $200 for 3G Upgraders

Current iPhone 3G owners on the AT&T network will have to pay a higher price if they wish to upgrade to the next-generation iPhone.

The fine print in Apple’s iPhone comparison web page states the following:

For non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB).

However, AT&T told Wired.com that current iPhone 3G owners wishing to purchase the iPhone 3GS will have to shell out $400 or $500, respectively, for an “early upgrade.” Not quite as pricey as what’s stated in the fine print, but still, $200 extra is a pretty big chunk. AT&T’s press kit displays the chart below for the pricing structure.

On the other hand, owners of the original iPhone will be able to upgrade to the handset for the advertised cost. I know I’m getting one, since mine drowned about six weeks ago.

Want more on the new iPhone? See Gadget Lab’s full summary of the WWDC 2009 keynote.

Updated 5 p.m. with a quote from Apple’s iPhone comparison web page and a price chart from AT&T.

See Also:

• 4 Reasons Apple Should Share the iPhone With Verizon
• What to Expect From Apple at WWDC 2009
• Apple Posts WWDC Details; No Mention of Jobs
• Expect Next iPhone Hardware, Software in Early July
• Rumor Round-Up: Everything We’ve Heard About the Next iPhone
• Analyst: No New iPhone at WWDC 2009
• Jobs ‘On Track’ to Return to Work; WWDC Speculation Ticks Up

Image courtesy of Apple

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 11:40 pm

Why the iPhone needs to get off AT&T and TomTom lied

Section: Communications, Accessories, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Computers, Wireless, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation, Web

With the many announcements that took place today at WWDC, I’m pretty shocked about the whole tethering, MMS, and TomTom thing.  First of all, really AT&T?  You are going to wait until late Summer to unveil MMS?  A feature that many cell phones, including Palm Pre already feature?  That’s just a slap in a face to users who still want to stick with the iPhone. 

Not to mention you don’t want to have to anything to do with tethering on the iPhone, as of yet.  Maybe you are waiting until the end of the summer to unveil that also?  By then, I’m sure many potential customers will have made the jump to the Palm Pre. 

Anyway, MMS is a feature that many iPhone users have been lamenting over for a while now, and when the 3.0 software was announced, many users were able to sarcastically rejoice.  In fact, 29 other carriers will be ready to support MMS from the iPhone as soon as the software is launched, however, AT&T will delay this.  Why?  Only AT&T knows.  Originally, it was thought tethering would not be offered from AT&T, and users would have to seek tethering service from other carriers. 

However, according to Engadget, AT&T will support tethering for the iPhone, but at an undisclosed time.  For argument’s sake, let’s say the Palm Pre and iPhone 3G and 3GS are exactly equal, other than carriers.  I think more people would be inclined to enlist with Sprint just because these features will have already been supported and Sprint is a much more stable carrier.  I have talked with many iPhone users, and they claim service is spotty, many calls are dropped, and the 3G speeds are very slow at times. 

As for TomTom, props on creating an app for the iPhone, but how come you couldn’t tell me back in March you had plans for the iPhone?  Back in March I had contacted Navigon, Garmin, and TomTom to see if they had any plans for a GPS app for the iPhone.  They all pretty much replied with the same, simple answer. 

However, looking back on their answers, TomTom had stated “We haven’t made any formal announcements thus far, but I will let you know if anything should change.”  In retrospect, it kind of seems like they had plans for the iPhone but did not want to release it to the public.  In any event, if the price for the app is appealing enough, I’m sure many users would love quality GPS on their iPhone. 

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 8 Jun 2009 | 11:01 pm

Real Racing: electrifying gameplay, jaw-dropping graphics - a must-buy

WOW. I can’t put my iPhone down. Seriously — I’ve stopped writing this review two three times now to go back and play another race in Firemint’s recently debuted Real Racing. With truly electrifying gameplay combined with jaw-dropping graphics, Real Racing provides a rich, gripping and realistic experience for anyone who is blessed with the chance to play it. Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration — but you get the point. If you’re into racing games, buy this game; you won’t regret it.

Real Racing represents exactly what Steve Jobs meant when he said “is the best portable device for playing games on - and a whole new class of games.” I can’t stop talking about how good Real Racing is - my roommates are downright sick of me shoving this game in their faces.

So what’s so good about Real Racing? Everything. The controls are superb–so exact that I don’t think a racing wheel could provide more precise handling. The graphics are stunning (just watch the promo video). And, I can see myself replaying this game over and over and over and over again.

One of the many great things about this game is that it is perfect for those who suck at racing games and racing game purists alike. Why? Racing game virgins will find that the auto-accelerate and brake assist functions are perfect for allowing the player to get used to the controls without having to worry about too much at once. Sound too easy? No worries — if you turn the brake assist all the way down and eliminate the auto-accelerate, you are fully in control.

The controls are simple and intuitive: turn the iPhone left or right to steer (just like a steering wheel). Press your right thumb anywhere on the right side of the screen to accelerate, and your left thumb anywhere on the left side of the screen to break. You don’t have to hit a specific spot — which is perfect because when you’re furiously trying to wind your way through the gorgeous tracks Firemint has made for you, the last thing you want is to accidentally step off the gas.

Did I mention the gameplay is gripping? Realistic? Electrifying? Add another adjective to the list: inspiring. As you race against the other drivers, you don’t realize they are computerized. They will relentlessly ram you, cut you off, and block your path. If I had to say just one thing that I loved about the game, it was the thrilling experience of colliding into the other cars while racing around a turn, only to get thrown in the other direction by another racer.

Buy it. No, really, stop reading this and just go buy it. There is a great career mode (I only wish it was longer and had more tracks) in which you play a series of tournaments, each with 3 races. You get points for placing in the top 4, and the tournament recognizes a gold, silver and bronze medalist based on the cumulative points received in the tournament. There is a C, B, and A division in career mode, so the difficulty increases as you unlock harder divisions for each tournament. I found the career mode in and of itself to be more of a backdrop to the supremely incredible amazing gameplay, which is both a testament to the quality of the game but also to the lack of true ingenuity in the career mode. I think if there’s one place Firemint could have improved, it is definitely in making the career mode more fun and interesting. You can’t upgrade your cars nor is there a continuous plot line, so the career mode felt more like a series of tournaments than a truly cohesive game mode.

That said, there is multiplayer support. I’m waiting to test the local multiplayer (which, if well-executed, would make this the best iPhone game I’ve ever played), but I did get a chance to participate in the online multiplayer. Firemint has set up online leagues through a service called Cloudcell, which allows you to compete against players all over the internet. In less than a few weeks, the game’s inevitable popularity will undoubtedly bring thousands of players online. In these online leagues, each player uploads the best time they’ve raced by a pre-defined deadline and there is a leaderboard showing who in the league has uploaded the fastest times. Personally, I don’t find this to be a huge draw to buy the game, but I also don’t need any additional convincing.

Real Racing is a fast-paced, heart-pumping, realistic racing game that truly takes advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities. Using the accelerometer to create precise handling and the graphics engine to provide rich graphics, Firemint has managed to create a game that will become an instant hit. I would not just recommend buying it, I would say that if you didn’t, you’d miss out on possibly the best racing game the iPhone has to offer.

What we like:

• Gameplay. It is just too good. You put it down unless your boss rips it out of your hand and threatens to fire you if you don’t get back to work.
• Graphics. About as good as it gets when it comes to in-game graphics on a handheld device. Real Racing is like the Megan Fox of the super small screen.
• EVERYTHING. I cannot imagine having more fun playing a racing game on any device this small. If you still haven’t bought an iPhone, play this game. You’ll want one.

What we didn’t like:

• Career Mode. It could be more interesting and more engaging.
• Nothing else. We usually try to come up with 3 positives/negatives for each game, but I just can’t for this one. Sorry, folks.

UPDATE: I finally got to test out multiplayer support. I am speechless. It was easy to set up and the two iPhones were talking to each other in real time. You press a few buttons and wham! you’re battling it out against your neighbor in a rich one-on-one (or more) race. It was a great experience, and I am thoroughly impressed by the speed of the connection between the two iPhones (there was no lag). Firemint has multiplayer on the iPhone all figured out.

Screenshots:

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 8 Jun 2009 | 10:53 pm

Making a 130-megapixel camera from a flatbed scanner and an old camera lens

What do you get when you combine an old Epson flatbed scanner, a 50mm Canon lens, and a little elbow grease? A 130-megapixel camera perfect for shooting ridiculously high-rez photos of your desk.

The project is the work of this fellow, an amateur photographer with a lovely eye for light.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 8 Jun 2009 | 10:44 pm

AT&T Taking Pre-Orders for iPhone 3GS

Though Apple’s next-generation iPhone won’t be hitting stores for a few more days, AT&T is already taking pre-orders for the device.

AT&T’s brick-and-mortar retail stores are already accepting pre-orders for iPhone 3GS, and pre-order forms will be available soon at AT&T’s iPhone web site, the company said in a press release Monday. AT&T will be processing the pre-orders on a first-come, first-served basis.

Apple announced the iPhone 3GS on Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Shipping June 19, the smartphone will be available in two models: a 16GB configuration for $200 and a 32GB configuration for $300. Other hardware enhancements include a faster processor, a digital compass for more sophisticated GPS navigation and a video camera, among other changes. See Gadget Lab’s coverage of the WWDC 2009 keynote for more details.

Press release [AT&T] (Thanks, Seth!)

See Also:

• 4 Reasons Apple Should Share the iPhone With Verizon
• What to Expect From Apple at WWDC 2009
• Apple Posts WWDC Details; No Mention of Jobs
• Expect Next iPhone Hardware, Software in Early July
• Rumor Round-Up: Everything We’ve Heard About the Next iPhone
• Analyst: No New iPhone at WWDC 2009
• Jobs ‘On Track’ to Return to Work; WWDC Speculation Ticks Up

Image courtesy of Apple

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 10:38 pm

WWDC: Apple announces the iPhone 3Gs, now with video

FROM APPLETELL - One of the most highly anticipated announcements at this year’s WWDC was the iPhone. As usual, Apple has delivered and announced the iPhone 3Gs where the “s” stands for speed.
MORE »

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 8 Jun 2009 | 10:17 pm

Wiimbledon 2009 set for June 27 at Barcade in Brooklyn, help us raise money for sick kids

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 8 Jun 2009 | 10:13 pm

China says all new PCs must be sold with web blocking software

Section: Computers, Security, Web, Websites

China has announced that it will demand that all new PCs sold in that country come with web filtering software included.  The government said it is necessary to control pornography on the web and protect its citizens from “unhealthy” information on the Internet.  Manufacturers will have to pre-install the blocking software or include it on a CD with the system.

While the “Green Dam Youth Escort” program only blocks pornographic sites for now and can be turned off or uninstalled, there is widespread concern that the program could spread its wings and block political content and other kinds of information.  China is known for the strict control it has over its citizen’s net access.

Last week, China banned the Bing search engine.  Other sites on the banned list included YouTube, Twitter, and Hotmail.  Some bans were added in anticipation of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests.  The Chinese government laid down an iron fist and censored or downright blocked almost all coverage and memorials.

Dell said it would only install the software if it blocks just porn sites, not other content on the web.  Lenovo and HP had no comment.  This is something to really keep an eye on, and hopefully it won’t become a mass censorship tool.

Read [PCWorld]

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 8 Jun 2009 | 10:12 pm

AT&T: Lack of MMS, Tethering Support for iPhone Is Not Network’s Fault

Judging from the number of “boos” in the audience, the biggest disappointment at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday was related to AT&T’s inadequate support for the iPhone.

Specifically, iPhone owners on the AT&T network will not be able to use multimedia messaging immediately when the new iPhone 3.0 operating system lands June 17. Also, Apple did not list AT&T among the carriers who will be supporting internet-tethering service for the iPhone.

AT&T would not disclose why it could not immediately support MMS or tethering. However, an AT&T spokesman told Wired.com the reason was unrelated to AT&T’s 3G network.

“We plan to offer a tethering plan, but don’t have an announcement to make at this time,” the spokesman said. “We absolutely will offer MMS on iPhone 3G S and iPhone 3G with 3.0 upgrades in late summer once we complete some system upgrades that will ensure our customers have the best experience with MMS. These upgrades are unrelated to our 3G network.”

It’s clear why so many in the audience felt disappointed: They were most likely AT&T customers, seeing as AT&T is the exclusive iPhone carrier in the United States. While 22 international carriers will officially offer iPhone tethering, and 29 carriers will immediately support MMS, AT&T customers eagerly awaiting iPhone 3.0 will be forced to wait a bit longer to experience the full powers of the OS.

If it’s not network-related, we’re unsure what else it could be. Any theories, readers? Add your thoughts in the comment section below.

Want the full story? See Gadget Lab’s coverage of Apple’s WWDC 2009 keynote.

See Also:

• 4 Reasons Apple Should Share the iPhone With Verizon
• What to Expect From Apple at WWDC 2009
• Apple Posts WWDC Details; No Mention of Jobs
• Expect Next iPhone Hardware, Software in Early July
• Rumor Round-Up: Everything We’ve Heard About the Next iPhone …
• Analyst: No New iPhone at WWDC 2009
• Jobs ‘On Track’ to Return to Work; WWDC Speculation Ticks Up: WSJ …

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 10:06 pm

iPhone 3G S: World's Best Phone Saddled to World's Worst Carrier

The new iPhone 3G S looks like a fine upgrade: For $300, it offers twice the storage, twice the speed, and a new camera with autofocus and video capabilities. But that price is only available if you're a new customer to AT&T. According to Apple's Buy iPhone 3G page's fine print [emphasis mine]:

For non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB). Visit www.wireless.att.com for eligibility information.

Fortunately, that doesn't apply to yours truly, a customer for two years since the launch of the first iPhone (and who renewed his contract last year for the 3G): For me, AT&T is happy to provide a 32GB iPhone 3G S for the low, low price of just...$499.

It is typical for phone providers to offer new-phone prices for customers, provided they sign another two-year contract. Strangely, many of the AT&T customers in an uproar on Twitter are finding that it may be even cheaper to cancel an AT&T contract, pay the early termination fee, and sign up for a new two-year contract to get the iPhone 3G S.

Coupled with the fact that two of the major new features of the iPhone 3.0 operating system—the ability to tether the iPhone to a laptop as a modem and MMS—will not even be available until the end of summer. (AT&T has said they'll support tethering soon, but haven't said when.)

It's a good day for Sprint, though—they might want to bump up that Pre advertising around the June 19th iPhone 3G S launch date.

Image: Rschappo2002

Update: Sam Diaz:

But MMS requires carrier support and Apple is proud to say that 29 carrier partners in 76 countries - whose corporate logos were displayed on the big screen - are ready to go. Then, in almost a bit of a whisper and certainly more of an after-thought, it was mentioned that AT&T would support MMS in the U.S. later this summer. Immediately, the crowd erupted in laughter.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 8 Jun 2009 | 9:54 pm

Want to upgrade to an iPhone 3G S? Don’t want a contract? Here are the final prices

A lot of numbers are being thrown around right now, and just about everyone wants to know: if I already own an iPhone 3G (or if I dont, and I just don’t want a contract), how much is this new one going to cost me?

Here they are, folks. The final numbers, straight out of AT&T’s mouth:

New customers, or for those eligible for an upgrade:

• 16GB iPhone 3G S - $199
• 32GB iPhone 3G S - $299

“Early Upgrade” (Current iPhone owners who aren’t scheduled for their 2 year upgrade yet):

• 16GB iPhone 3G S - $399
• 32GB iPhone 3G S - $499

No contract, No commitment price:

• 16GB iPhone 3G S - $599
• 32GB iPhone 3G S - $699

What do you think - is your wallet already open and ready for the beating?

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 8 Jun 2009 | 9:22 pm

Haynes Manual for Apollo 11 Lunar Module

Since manufacturers starting making cars which are pretty much non user-serviceable, we imagine that Haynes, maker of car-repair manuals, has been struggling for trade. Make no mistake — those books are fantastic if you have an older car. I used to own a Morris Minor and over the years I tore pretty much every part of it down and rebuilt it. Thanks to my Haynes manual, the car continued to run and I only had a very small box of leftover parts afterwards.

The lates Haynes offering might be about as useful as a manual for taking apart the Tesla’s exhaust system*, but we love it nonetheless. It is a workshop manual for the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, along with the priapic Saturn V rocket that got it off the Earth.

The book deviates from the plain how-to-with-diagrams format and adds a history of the machines along with details of the space-suits and other critical systems. All this for just £18 ($28). The best part? I can cross my Dad off the Christmas present list already. My space-nerd brother, too.

Product page [Haynes]

*sarcasm alert

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:48 pm

Game Predicts Kindergarten Achievement

Early childhood development researchers have discovered that a simple, five-minute self-regulation game not only can predict end-of-year achievement in math, literacy and vocabulary, but also was associated with the equivalent of several months of additional learning in kindergarten.Claire Ponitz from the University of Virginia and Megan McClelland of Oregon State University assessed the effectiveness of a game called the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) task, which is a new version of the Head-to-Toes task developed by researchers at the University of Michigan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:45 pm

WWDC: iPhone 3.0 update, release date

FROM APPLETELL - At this year’s WWDC, Apple spilled some more information about the highly anticipated iPhone OS 3.0 announcement.  Among them was the announcement that the iPhone 3.0 software will be available June 17th, about a week from today!
MORE »

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:44 pm

Be Bold With Broadband, Wired.com Readers Tell Feds

The feds are working on a national broadband plan and Wired.com readers have some thoughts, some very big thoughts that got officially filed Monday. Can they compete with filings from some of the nation's richest companies?

Source: Wired Top Stories | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:43 pm

New sensor to speed genome sequencing

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:25 pm

Cardboard Gadgets Inspire Rainforest-Destroying Lust

Kyle Bean’s wonderful design project is supposed to be a comment on runaway consumerism. Named Disposable Technology, it is a “response to our consumer relationship with technology and obsolescence”, representing the throwaway culture of gadgets by constructing their likenesses in plain, worthless cardboard.

Nice try, Kyle, but you messed up. These cardboard clones are amazing: Far from making us meditate on the wastefulness of technological progress, they make us wish that somebody would actually make a cardboard camera or corrugated computer. Muji would be the obvious choice for this — the company already makes cardboard speakers. And the environment would benefit, too. After all, who’s going to miss a few more trees?

Product page [Kyle Bean via Design Crave]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:16 pm

Study: Rural epidemics most dangerous

A U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:10 pm

As If

(2) Requires new two-year AT&T wireless service contract, sold separately to qualified customers; credit check required; must be 18 or older. For non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB).

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:05 pm

AT&T on iPhone 3G/3G S tethering, MMS, availability, etc.

We’re trying to get through all of this Apple iPhone related news as fast as possible so just bear with us.

To start, AT&T will offer tethering, but there’s no official announcement on that just yet.

On the MMS front, AT&T will offer MMS on the iPhone 3G S later this summer once system upgrades have been completed. These upgrades are unrelated to the 3G network, says AT&T.

If you’re itching to get the iPhone 3G today then you’ll have to wait until 5PM ET to pick up the $99 8GB model.

You can pick up a 16GB 3G model for $149 while supplies last. Data plans for the iPhone remain the same as before. No changes regardless of which model you end up purchasing. Sucks for anyone who just got a 3G and want to upgrade because it’s going to cost a pretty penny, but there’s “early upgrade” pricing as well.

And here’s some financial jargon from AT&T:

AT&T reaffirmed its financial guidance for 2009 that targets wireless service OIBDA (operating income before depreciation and amortization) margins in the low 40% range. AT&T’s cost of customer acquisition for iPhone 3G S and the newly priced iPhone 3G are expected to be very similar to the costs associated with the original iPhone 3G.

AT&T customers with integrated devices like iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S offer attractive ARPU’s (average monthly revenues per subscriber) and low churn rates. In the first quarter, AT&T’s iPhone activations totaled more than 1.6 million, more than 40 percent of them for customers who were new to the company.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 8 Jun 2009 | 7:58 pm

Research Shows Animal Mating Choices More Complex Than Once Thought

When female tiger salamanders choose a mate, it turns out that size does matter - tail size that is - and that's not the only factor they weigh.Findings of a Purdue University study show that animals make more complex decisions about choosing mates than once thought.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 8 Jun 2009 | 7:41 pm

Weatherization funds awarded four states

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 8 Jun 2009 | 7:36 pm

Bees trade energy for safety in winds

Harvard University scientists have determined some bees brace themselves against wind and turbulence by extending their hind legs while flying. Wind is a universal part of life for all flying animals, Assistant Professor Stacey Combes said.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 8 Jun 2009 | 7:20 pm

New iPhone 3GS: 3MP Camera, Video, Compass and Voice Control

Amongst many announcements at the WWDC in San Francisco, the big one has finally been revealed. Apple has unveiled a new iPhone, called the 3GS. The new model will come in two sizes: a 16GB model for $200 and a 32GB model for $300. The big surprise is that Apple won’t be killing off the current iPhone — the 8GB iPhone 3G will stay on shelves and sell for just $100.

The 3GS brings some differences under the hood — faster hardware means faster software, and performance should be around twice as fast across the board. On the outside, there is little to distinguish this from the current iPhone 3G.

The big news is the new camera, a 3MP autofocus camera which will also shoot 30fps video. Autofocus is big, and means that you’ll be able to takes pictures up close without them blurring to nothing — a boon for anyone wanting to scan barcodes, for example. Focusing is done by tapping on the screen where you want the picture to be sharp. You choose between still and video within the camera app itself by flicking a switch. There’s also auto-macro, auto-white balance and better low-light performance. The video isn’t anywhere near HD, but the VGA clips are coming through that same auto-focus lens so they should look okay. You can also edit the videos in-phone and then send them on their way.

The other new hardware feature is a compass, which comes with its own compass app. If you’re using the Google Maps application, you can have the phone automatically orient the street-plans for you.

The new iPhone features voice-control. Not just for speed dialing contacts but also for controlling iTunes — for instance you can request a Genius playlist by saying “Play more songs like this.” We’ll see how well that works — it could be either fantastically handy or just end up making you look like a crazy street-person talking to yourself. Finally, support for the Nike+ running shoe dongle is now built-in, just like the iPod Touch. Available June 19th. Read all the details on our Live Blog of the WWDC 2009 Keynote.

Product page [Apple]

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 7:20 pm

Palm Pre apps are already starting to roll in

Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile

One of the main complaints from new Palm Pre owners is the lack of apps for the phone.  However, announcements have been already made from several developers about impressive apps designed for use with the Pre.  Two highlighted applications includes the WHERE and Photobucket apps.

WHERE is a location based application that allows users to find different content based on where they are. WHERE highlights local content including weather, news, movie times, restaurant recommendations.  You can also perform selective searches through WHERE and find out things like where to find the cheapest gas.  WHERE will also have the ability to integrate with the Pre contact and calendar data.

Photobucket also has a new app available to Pre users.  Photobucket will be pre-installed on the Pre and will permit users to send and upload photos directly from the phone.  You can send any photo taken on the phone to a Photobucket album and shared through the website.  You can also open a new Photobucket account directly through your Pre. 

Site: [Palm Pre Apps]

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 8 Jun 2009 | 7:14 pm

Official: The iPhone 3G S

Here it is, kiddies: the latest iPhone. Just one year after Apple announced the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3G S has been announced. There is much to love in this update including larger storage options, a faster CPU, HSDPA support and a better camera all for the same price as the current set.

The OS should now run faster thanks to a 50% bump in CPU speed; it now runs at 600MHz. The system memory has doubled to 256MB as well.

Apple didn’t forget about the camera - well, sortof. The iPhone 3G S did get an upgrade in that department too, but it’s only with a 3MP camera. It does finally support auto-focus, but it’s still not up to par with other flagship smartphones. Plus, this iPhone can now shoot video at 30 FPS with auto lighting and auto focus.

The new hardware will come in both 16GB and 32GB options with black and white models available in both sizes. These options will be available in July for $199/$299 respectively. Battery life has improved as well and Apple is claiming that the iPhone 3G S will go 15- to 20% longer on a charge. But no, the battery still isn’t usre replaceable.

The new hardware is welcomed, but the 3.0 software has also been updated with a new feature set. You can now tether - yes, tether - the iPhone via USB or Bluetooth to either a PC or Mac on 22 carriers worldwide; sorry, AT&T isn’t one of them. Speaking of AT&T, MMS will be available sometime this summer through an update. Or so they say.

But at least users can now rent and buy movies right from the iPhone. That’s a win, right.

Anyway, a new feature that most will love is the Find My iPhone. It’s a service for MobileMe subs that, well, finds your lost iPhone and displays its location on a map. It could be a great way to keep track of your spouse too. When activated, you can message your iPhone with a number to call and it will sound a tone even if the phone is on silent. Or you can remotely erase all of the data on the phone.

All these software updates also apply to older iPhones as long as they are loaded with the 3.0 software pack available worldwide on June 17, 2009.

Apple has kept the price point of the current options. So the 16GB will run $199 with the 32GB fetching $299; both are on-contract prices of course. Phil Schiller didn’t mention if current iPhone owners in an AT&T contract will be able to upgrade without penalty, so expect the official word from the carrier soon. AT&T did just that last year when the iPhone 3G was announced.

Expect the lines to start forming now ’cause the new iPhone 3G S will be available on June 19, 2009 in the States with the rest of the world getting on July 9, 2009. The iPhone 3G gets its $99 price starting today though.

Update: Remember how last year AT&T let current iPhone owners upgrade without penalty. Yeah, not going to happen this time around.

From the iPhone product page down in the fine print:

Requires new two-year AT&T wireless service contract, sold separately to qualified customers; credit check required; must be 18 or older. For non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB).

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 8 Jun 2009 | 6:54 pm

GM's 'Reinvention' Starts With $25M Battery Lab

The struggling automaker opens what it says is the largest battery testing facility in the United States, and believes the lab will make it a leader in electric vehicle technology.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 8 Jun 2009 | 6:36 pm

Human Ear Inspires Universal Radio Antenna

A low-powered radio chip, modeled on the human ear, can receive any radio signal.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 8 Jun 2009 | 6:30 pm

Stockholm Court: Pirate Bay Judge Unbiased

A Stockholm court defends the judge in the Pirate Bay case, saying he was not biased despite holding membership in pro-copyright groups.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 8 Jun 2009 | 5:35 pm

T-Mobile hacked with the customer data up for sale?

Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile

If you are a T-Mobile customer, you may want to start worrying a tad.  It seems there are claims from hackers that they have wormed their way into T-Mobile network, and ripped off customer information including confidential and financial documents. 

The hacker’s post on insecure.org tells their side of the story.  Now…obviously if this is true, and not just some wannabe’s scrambling for their fifteen minutes of “ha-ha we scared you” fame, this is really not a good thing.

They claim to be auctioning off the stolen data to the highest bidder, since apparently they went to T-Mobile’s competitors first and didn’t make the sale. 

If it is true, this isn’t the first time something like that has happened to T-Mobile.  Back in 2005, Nicholas Jacobsen accessed their network without authorization, and reports say he was able to access 16 million subscribers information. 

The hackers weren’t kind enough to tell how they accomplished their attack, but code was posted to attempt to show they the breach did in fact occur.  T-Mobile told Chanel Insider the following in response to the claim.

“The protection of our customers’ information, and the safety and security of our systems, is absolutely paramount at T-Mobile. Regarding the recent claim, we are fully investigating the matter. As is our standard practice, if there is any evidence that customer information has been compromised, we would inform those affected as soon as possible.”

T-Mobile hasn’t given any sort of update confirming or denying since this statement was posted.

I’m sure the folks at Apple are loving this timing.  Their carrier for the iPhone is still in one piece. (Well, hopefully..until we hear otherwise).  With the whole big sha-bang is WWDC, this so wouldn’t have helped them any if the hackers had picked AT&T/Cingular.

Keep it here for more updates as they become available.

via:  channelinsider

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 8 Jun 2009 | 5:12 pm

BIG PIC: Giant Jellyfish Taking Over Oceans

Giant jellyfish take over parts of the oceans as human activities offer opportunities.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 8 Jun 2009 | 5:03 pm

Air France Tail Found

A large tail section from the crashed Air France jet is found in the Atlantic.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 8 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

Apple Debuts Aggressively Priced iPhone 3GS, MacBooks

By Brian X. Chen and Priya Ganapati

Apple delivered several major announcements in rapid fire Monday, including iPhone and MacBook upgrades, significant price cuts and an in-depth look at its next-generation operating system.

The most anticipated announcement was the iPhone 3GS smartphone, successor to Apple’s popular iPhone 3G. The “S” stands for speed, referring to the performance boost of the new iPhone — up to two times faster than its predecessor, according to Apple.

Other items that inspired “wows” from the audience revolved around price. The current iPhone 3G is remaining in the lineup with a $100 price tag — down from $200. Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Apple’s next-generation Mac OS, will cost $30 for current Leopard users. Also, Apple upgraded the hardware of its MacBooks and lowered their prices by hundreds of dollars.

“The OS wars have finally begun,” said Mike Gartenberg, technology strategist and vice president of Interpret. “The bar has been raised once again. Apple is very well positioned in the PC space for consumers, and we can expect Apple to begin its first major onslaught in the business market.”

Traditionally, Apple has focused its Worldwide Developers Conference on software, as the event is devoted to training developers to code for Apple platforms. However, this year’s sold-out event included a heavy load of hardware-related news tailored toward impressing consumers, demonstrating that Apple is at no loss for communicating to its fans after choosing to abandon the Macworld Expo trade show.

“WWDC is the only real, public venue for Apple now,” said Tim Bajarin, principal analyst with Creative Strategies. “It’s their only opportunity to talk to their larger community.

The big star of WWDC was iPhone 3GS, whose improvements are internal, as the overall physical design remains the same as its predecessor’s. The 3GS introduces a digital compass for improved GPS navigation, enabling the iPhone Maps app to display directions based on which direction a user is facing. Another major addition to the handset is an improved, 3-megapixel camera, which includes autofocus, auto-white-balance and video-recording capabilities.

A less-expected new feature of iPhone 3GS is a voice-control interface. By loading an app, users will be able to dictate commands to perform various tasks, such as calling a contact or playing a song in the phone’s iTunes library.

Looking ahead, the iPhone 3GS includes support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA — a faster, next-generation network standard that many carriers plan to adopt. The 3GS will cost $200 for the 16GB model and $300 for the 32GB model.

Apple is aiming to i-vangelize as many consumers as possible by offering its current iPhone 3G smartphone for $100 beginning today. Gartenberg said this price cut is significant because it will force rivals to devise new solutions to compete.

Though the new iPhone 3GS does not come with a new look, it will still attract early adopters, Bajarin said. The price drop on the current iPhone 3G to $100 should also help expand the company’s market share in the smartphone segment. The revamped lineup of phones should help Apple pull ahead of competitors like the newly launched Palm Pre and the BlackBerry phones, Bajarin said.

“Apple is staying in the same price point as its earlier iPhone 3G, which is where all its volumes were,” Bajarin said. “Right now they are just giving buyers a range of pricing options for their phones.”

“With all the new features, the iPhone is really a Mac in a pocket,” he added. “The difference between the iPhone now and the Pre or the BlackBerry is night and day.”

Apple also slashed prices across its MacBook line. Its 15-inch MacBook Pros now start at $1,700 — $300 less than before. Previously called MacBooks, the 13-inch unibody models now also sport the  MacBook Pro name, and they start at $1,200 — down from $1,300. Additionally, the MacBook Air received an upgrade and dropped to $1,500 (from $1,800).

Apple’s aggressive pricing for its MacBook line and the price drop on its lightweight MacBook Air will not compromise much on its profit margins, Bajarin said.

“They are not favoring market share over profitability in a big way,” he says. “They have already taken the pricing curve down on the unibody and chipsets, so they are building on those lower costs.”

Showing no mercy, Apple also announced a low price tag for its next-generation Mac operating system, OS X Snow Leopard. Priced at $30 for current Leopard users, the OS will sport a number of refinements. But it is still based on the earlier Leopard version’s code base, Bajarin said, which means Apple can afford to give it away for a lower price.”

The iPhone 3G and new MacBooks begin selling today with their new price tags. The iPhone 3GS is shipping June 19 — two days after the launch of the iPhone 3.0 operating system. September is the scheduled release for  Snow Leopard.

Gadget Lab covered today’s announcements live from the Moscone Center, where Apple made them as part of its Worldwide Developers Conference. Scroll down for the blow-by-blow and more photos.

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

12:05pm Looks like we’re wrapping up.

Some stats about WWDC: 129 sessions, 147 hands-on labs, 1,000 Apple engineers are here to help devs.

And we’re done. Stay tuned for some follow-up news stories on Gadget Lab!

12:02pm Now they’re playing a new iPhone 3GS ad.

12:00pm In addition, iPhone 3G is staying in the market at $99

3G for $99 starts today

iPhone 3GS ships June 19

Will roll out to 80 countries over the next two months

11:57am Battery life has improved as well. Apple reports 3GS now has 9 hours internet surfing on Wi-Fi (compared to 6 hours on the 3G)
12 hours of 2G talk time up from 10 hours.

Environmental soapbox: iPhone 3Gs has arsenic-free glass. It’s BFR-free, a mercury free LCD (sorry no OLED), PVC-free system.

Price: $199 for a 16GB model and $299 for a 32GB.

It’ll come in black and white.

11:56am Next, built-in digital compass. (So far all of our predictions have been right)

Compass app is integrated into Maps, which orients to the direction you’re facing

Next, support for Nike+. Go on your run, gets your iPhone to talk to the sensor in your Nike +.

Next, Encryption. All data is encrypted so it’s protected.

Encrypted iTunes back ups and instantaneous remote wipe.

11:55am Call Scott Forstall for example will find and call him.

You can also choose to call his work or home by saying “work” or “home”

You can even say something like Play songs by The Killers or Play playlist Workout

You can ask iPhone What’s playing now? And the iPhone will speak back to you the song artist and title.

“Play more songs like this” will create a Genius playlist.

11:51am For video, simply go into the camera app and you’ll see a switch that lets you toggle between video and photo. 30FPS with audio.

All the camera’s functions will work with video camera: Auto-focus, etc.

Oh you can also trim the videos by tapping.

Next, Voice-control interface.

The commands you can make are scrolling by so you know what to say.

11:50am The 3GS is ready with 7.2Mbps HSDPA support for next-gen networks.

Improvements to Camera. 3-megapixel autofocus camera. Also: Auto-focus, auto-white balance, auto-exposure. Also low-light sensitivity is improved. Auto-macro. Macro photo of something as close as 10 cm away. Best thing about this camera: It also captures video.

11:48am New phone! iPhone 3GS

“The S stands for Speed. This is the most powerful, fastest iPhone we’ve ever made.”

2.1x faster with launching message, loading SimCity 2.4x faster, viewing an Excel attachment 3.6x faster. Loading NY Times — 2.9 times faster. All these speed tests running against iPhone 3G.

It has the same design as the iPhone 3G

11:47am He choses a graph of how ahead Apple is with its App Store. 50,000 apps versus Android’s 5,000 apps. BlackBerry barely broke 1,000. Palm has 18.

11:45am Now Phil Schiller is coming back on stage. Here we go. He’s talking about the iPhone 3G.

He calls the 3G “The phone that has changed phones forever.”

“2/3 of all mobile browsing is done on an iPhone or iPod touch,” Phil says.

11:42am OK we’re done with demos. Will we hear about a new iPhone now?

No, not yet. More iPhone 3.0 details: Free for all iPhone customers. $9.95 for iPod Touch. It will be available worldwide June 17.

(Just like we thought — wouldn’t be announced today.)

11:38am Final demo: Line6 (digital guitars and amps) and Planet Waves (made the iPhone app ChordMaster). They’re working together on an app.

They’re on stage with an electric guitar. Using the accessory framework you can connect an iPhone to the Line6 amp and then you can choose different amp effects! This is exactly what we were asking for in our Dongleware wishlist.

Some examples: Turn an electric six string into an acoustic 12-string. Another neat trick: You can change the tuning of the guitar strings without even touching the guitar strings. (WTF?) Tuning app will let you adjust each string.

11:35am ZipCar (urban car rental agency) is up next. Some “woots” in the audience.

Luke Schneider of Zipcar is on stage. He’s demoing the Zipcar iPhone app. Scenario: Jonathan is picking up his friend, but he doesn’t have a car.

He taps the Zipcar app to instantly find a Zipcar location. Then a map pops up and he can search, pan and zoom into Zipcar locations all around the city. Tapping on a location presents location information.

From there on he can choose a car! Shows the price, car info, and he can set the amount of time he needs it for.

Forgot where he parked? He can also hear where his car is by simply tapping a horn icon on the iPod and an unlock icon unlocks the car.

Wow.

11:29am Co-founder Neil Young (not the musician) is on stage. He’s showing a game called Star Defense, a tower-defense strategy game that takes place across 3D planets. You defend a 3D globe against alien ants and other creatures.

They’re adding a store to buy an expansion pack. $3 buys you an entirely new galaxy, another 100 new hours of gameplay.

Also, push-to-play challenges that allows you to play head-to-head with other players who send invites.

The game will cost $6.

Wayne Grant of Pasco is up next. An educational iPhone app for collecting, displaying and analyzing science data. It’s called Spark.

Selected a graph that depicts when a balloon bursts. Scott Forstall is performing a demo. Their balloon inflater doesn’t appear to be working.

Crowd is laughing at them. If it worked, the app’s graph would show the pressure increasing then dropping because the balloon expands.

Sad demo. The graph is showing a flat line. Spark is launching this fall.

11:27am TomTom has also created an accessory, the TomTom carkit.  It will securely dock your iPhone, attach it to your windshield. You can rotate it to use iPhone in portrait or landscape.

It also includes a microphone for hands-free calling and listening to your music. It also powers your iPhone as you drive.

Next up is game dev Ngmoco.

11:25am Peter-Frans Pauwels, cofounder and CTO of TomTom, is on stage. TomTom uses GPS to give you the best route depending on the time of day based on traffic and other factors.

It also gives you vocal, turn-by-turn directions

@markmcc says: “Very long demo section here — some good looking iPhone 3.0 applications. TomTom showing their turn-by-turn GPS!”

11:24am Next up is TomTom. Portable navigation company.

11:22am ScrollMotion is on stage demoing its Iceberg store, where you can buy and download books and magazines.

You can also read the downloaded media within Iceberg

You can also copy text and e-mail it. Could come useful for students wishing to e-mail passages from books.

11:17am Dr. Cameron Powell of Airstrip Technologies is coming on stage.

He’s talking about a medical iPhone app called  AirStrip CC.

He can live-monitor a person’s data (heart rate, critical care unit information) on the app. That’s amazing.

Solves the problem of bringing any data to any doctor anywhere on the iPhone.

11:16am An Audi R8 is spinning around on the screen. In the game you can open up the car stereo and choose songs from your iTunes library. (iPhone 3.0’s new media access allows this.)

11:13am A few devs are coming on stage to demo what they’ve done with iPhone 3.0.

Mark Hickey of Gameloft is on stage. He’s announcing a 3D racing game called Asphalt 5.

11:12am Next, Accessories. (We called this dongleware. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/04/accessory-power/) Companion software apps can talk right to the accessory.

This will work wirelessly via Bluetooth or plugged in to the dock connector.

Next, Cocoa Touch control to allow you to embed Google Map service right into your application.

11:10am Scott is moving on to iPhone 3.0’s 1000 new APIs. Example: In-App purchases. That’ll open doors to magazine subscriptions, game devs to add levels.

Business terms are the same: Dev gets 70%, Apple takes 30%.

One caveat: This will only work for paid apps, not free apps. No selling stuff within free apps.

11:08am You can even send the phone a message saying “this is a lost phone” and force it to play an alert sound, whether or not it’s in silent mode.

If your phone really is lost or stolen, you can send it a remote wipe command which will delete all your data.

This will erase all your contacts, mail, everything. If you ever find the phone again, plug it in to iTunes and restore from backup.

11:07am Moving on to Languages. A multi-lingual user can tap on a globe button and switch to a different language. We’re adding support for even more languages in iPhone OS 3.0. Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, Korean and Thai. We now support more than 30 languages in iPhone 3.0, Scott says.

Every one of these languages has a portrait keyboard and a landscape keyboard.

Moving on to “Find My iPhone”

If you lose or misplace your phone, it can be somewhat traumatic. They’re showing a 30 Rock clip. Tina Fey lost her phone, and someone found her phone with her nude pic. The guy who found it is offering it back for $3000

For situations like this that Apple created Find my iPhone.

If you lose or misplace your phone, you can log in to MobileMe in any web browser and it will show you on the map where your phone is.

11:06am Next, Safari. We’ve got great improvements to Safari. Faster performance. Auto-fill for example to easily log in to your web sites. Support for HTTP streaming audio and video.

11:04am “It is a seamless experience.” Once you turn on tethering on your phone, there’s no need to run any other app. This also requires carrier support — 22 carriers around the world that will support this in iPhone 3.0.

AT&T is NOT on board with tethering.

Crowd is laughing.

@markmcc says: “AT&T should be embarrassed. If the company were capable of that. What a completely lame company.”

11:03am Moving on to Tethering. Allows you to share your iPhone’s internet connection with your computer.
This will work with Macs and PCs. Works wired over USB with the same cable that came with the phone, and also it works wirelessly over Bluetooth.

11:01am Next, you can also rent videos through the iTunes app on the iPhone

Next, Parental Controls. A parent can limit their child to only viewing say, G and PG movies. Likewise you can limit your child to only running apps on the App Store that are age-appropriate.

10:59am It brings with it 100 new features. (Read our previous report on iPhone 3.0: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/03/liveblog-apples/)

A few examples of features: Cut, copy and paste. Undo support — shake gesture you can undo your last action. Also, support for Universal Landscape mode throughout apps.

Talking about MMS again. Send and receive photos, contacts, map locations

MMS requires carrier support. 29 carriers around the world will support MMS at the launch of iPhone 3.0. AT&T will be able to support

MMS later this summer.

Later this summer?! Geez, AT&T is behind.

Crowd is booing

10:57am @markmcc says “iPhone app video drives home what a huge advantage this dev community is over something like Pre.”

10:55am Now we’re moving on to iPhone 3.0, the next-gen operating system.

10:50am Some developers are saying they’re traveling around the world while making games. Success of their iPhone apps allows that.

10:48am Now we’re moving on to the iPhone. Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iPhone software, is coming on stage

The free iPhone 2.0 SDK has been downloaded more than a million times by developers, Scott says. There are now more than 50,000 apps in the App Store.

40,000,000 iPhones and iPod Touches have been sold.

On April 23, App Store surpassed 1 billion apps downloaded. Scott is thanking the users and the developers.

They’re showing a video of iPhone success stories.

Some developers are saying they’re traveling around the world while making games. Success of their iPhone apps allows that.

This is a long ass video.

10:44am Just like that you have all your Exchange e-mails, folders, to-dos, everything immediately. And you can still use OS X features such as Spotlight to search the messages.

Something cool: You can drag an Exchange contact into an event in your iCal. Easier way to enter contact information for people you’re meeting, for example.

The price? $130 retail. $30 for current Leopard users. If you have several machines, you can get a family pack for $49.

Snow Leopard will be shipping September. And today Apple is making a near-final version available for developer preview

That about wraps up Snow Leopard.

10:42am They’re demoing Exchange support now. Opening Mail, adding an account, typing in an Exchange password and Mail automatically discovers your company’s Exchange servers.

10:40am Now, Open CL. C-based language that automatically optimizes your hardware configuration. It’ll be open source.

Moving on to Microsoft Exchange. They’re building Exchange support into Snow Leopard. It’ll work through Mail, iCal and Address Book.

It’s as easy as filling in your e-mail address and password and you’re set up with Exchange in all three apps.

10:38am Apple’s solution is Grand Central Dispatch. Built-in support for multi-core across all of Snow Leopard.

High-level libraries will make it really easy to program for. Apple is providing the tools.

Leopard Mail for an example: When Mail is busy, it uses more threads to take advantage of more cores. But when Mail is idle, it gives all those threads back to the system. Overall you get a big win in performance and responsiveness.

10:37am Bertrand is back on stage talking about the advantages of 64-bit mode. Long story short: It’s super freaking fast.
Moving on to multi-core processors. A challenge of multi-cores is how to take advantage of them, how to program them.

10:34am @markmcc “Safari 4: Cover Flow view of browsing history. Flip through pages you’ve seen. Plus full searching of history.”

10:33am Full spotlight search of the Safari content — even the text in the pages.

Moving on to QuickTime 10. It’s been reengineered. Playing a family video — once you move your mouse cursor off the video screen, the window bar and playback controls fade away, move back and they reappear.

More controls: You can also select trim and get a visual timeline of the video. Choose in and out points and there’s your edited clip

“Those are a few of the many many touches to Snow Leopard.”

10:32am Safari 4: Snow Leopard ships with the final version of Safari 4. “It is the fastest browser on any platform.”

Google Maps loads really quickly with the nitro-JavaScript engine.

Top Sites: You get an intelligently laid out panoramic view of all the sites you visit the most

10:30am He’s starting with Dock and Finder. Preview thumbnails are beefed up. You can step through PDFs and even view videos without opening them.

Exposé: Now with Dock Exposé you can click and hold an application and see all the windows for that application

10:25am Craig Federighi, VP of Mac OS engineering, is coming on stage to talk more about refinements.

10:23am Also, Chinese characters are hard to type, but now with Snow Leopard you can draw the characters on the multi-touch trackpad.

Mail is even faster now.

Apple’s Safari 4 browser is shipping for Leopard, Tiger and Windows.

Safari 4 will also be included in Snow Leopard. There’s a couple extra features for Snow Leopard: Crash resistance. Browser plug-ins are a primary cause of crashes. Snow Leopard will prevent this.

Another feature with Snow Leopard: Even more speed. 50% faster JavaScript performance

10:22am Some examples: Exposé has been built into the dock. Also, installation of Snow Leopard is up to 45% faster. And when you install Snow Leopard, you recover up to 6GB of disk space.

10:21am Lots of refinements across board. New technologies and Exchange support. Serlet is saying 90% of OS X’s 1000+ features have been refined.

10:20am Bertrand Serlet, head of Apple’s OS X team: “You have the same old technologies. DLLs. The registry. Disk defragmentation. No end user should ever have to go about that.”

“We love Leopard. We’re really happy with how it’s turned out…. So we decided to come out with Snow Leopard to build upon Leopard. The challenge we set for ourselves was to build a better Leopard.”

10:18am “We’re really proud to say this is the world’s greenest lineup of notebooks.’

Segue: “Good hardware deserves great software.”

The topic is OS X Snow Leopard

Apple is dissing Vista and Windows 7.

10:16am The MacBook Air gets an update too. 1.86GHz for $1499 — $300 less expensive than before.

If you want the SSD config, the 2.13 GHz MacBook Air is $1800 — $700 less than previous config.

Phil’s saying all of the MacBooks meet the EP gold standard for environmentally friendly design.

10:15am 13-inch starts at $1199.

For 13-inch “MacBook Pro”: $1199 you can get the 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo; 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo for $1499.

10:13am 13-inch MacBook is getting the battery upgrade too. And supporting up to 8GB memory.

And it’s getting a FireWire 800 port! They’re reviving it!

They’re calling it a “13-inch MacBook Pro” now.

10:11am It’s starting at a lower price — $1700. $300 less than before.

$1699 it starts with 2.53GHz. $1999 you get the 2.66GHz. the 2.8GHz is $2299.

17-inch is also getting a bump too– 2.8GHz processor, for $2500.

They’re all shipping today.

10:10am The rest of the specs remain the same, except for the express card slot is being replaced by an SD card slot.
Processor and memory changes: 3.06 GHz intel core 2 duo processor for the 15-inch MBP. And up to 8GB RAM.

10:06am Phil is talking about Macs. He says notebooks are the hottest sellers. He’s recapping what Apple did with the MacBooks starting with the MacBook Air — the unibody. He’s announcing an upgrade to the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
It’s going to include the same battery as the one in the current 17-inch MacBook Pro

7 hours battery lifeMost notebooks can only last 300 recharges. The lithium polymer batteries will last 1,000 charge cycles.

10:00am Schiller says OS X users have grown to 75 million users thanks to the popularity of the iPhone.

Phil Schiller is on stage welcoming everyone. “We have an amazing week planned for you…there’s over 5200 developers from 54 countries around the world.”

John Hodgman is on the screen. A new Mac ad. Hodgman is talking about a billion iPhone apps sold and stumbling over his words. Then Justin Long appears and says, “Hello I’m a Mac, and what PC was trying to say was have a great conference.”

Dimming the lights. We’re starting!

They’re playing that annoying song on the iPhone “there’s an app for that” commercials.

They’re telling us to turn off our cellphones and paging devices. The conference will begin in a few minutes!

We’re seated and Apple is welcoming us to the event. The crowd applauds.

The Gadget Lab liveblog team of Brian X. Chen, Jon Snyder, Mark McClusky and Priya Ganapati is seated and set to go. It’s showtime!

Don’t forget to follow @gadgetlab for live tweets courtesy of Priya Ganapati. And follow @markmcc for additional commentary.

Check back here 10 a.m. PDT Monday for Wired.com’s live coverage of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2009. Yours truly will be live blogging the keynote, accompanied by staff writer Priya Ganapati and photographer Jon Snyder.

Prefer your news through Twitter? Priya will be tweeting juicy bits of the keynote on the Gadget Lab Twitter account. What are you waiting for? Follow us now!

Meanwhile, keep up with all our WWDC-related news. We’re anticipating an exciting Monday, aren’t you?

See Also:

• What to Expect From Apple at WWDC 2009
• Apple Posts WWDC Details; No Mention of Jobs
• Expect Next iPhone Hardware, Software in Early July
• Rumor Round-Up: Everything We’ve Heard About the Next iPhone …
• Analyst: No New iPhone at WWDC 2009
• Jobs ‘On Track’ to Return to Work; WWDC Speculation Ticks Up: WSJ …

Photo: Adam Jackson/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 4:58 pm

Mac Virus In MOMA Permanent Collection

What’s the difference between a Mac virus and a Windows virus? One: You can’t get the Mac virus unless you pay for it, and two, the Mac virus is actually in the permanent collection of the MOMA in New York.

The virus, as you may have guessed, is not a real virus. Named the “Newton Virus”, it is in fact more of a trick to play on co-workers. Copy it onto a USB drive and hook it up to a Mac. The software runs and the screen appears to dissolve before your eyes, menubar and icons tumbling towards the ground in a topsy-turvy heap. Like most Mac software, Newton Virus is very intuitive. Tip the machine and the Mac’s accelerometer sends the debris towards the bottom, whichever side of the screen that happens to be.

The virus, first demonstrated (a proof of concept?) last year, is now available in two flavors: a $5 screensaver and a $7 “install to USB” version, or you can buy both for $10. There is no demo, so if you are, like a “friend” of mine, trying to find a version to test out for review, you might find yourself in the rather odd situation of  trawling the wet, filthy underbelly of the internet, actually searching for a virus to “infect your computer. This is, somehow, very wrong.

Product page [Troika]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 4:55 pm

Feedbag: How Sardines Can Save the World

Listen to a podcast about some of the most unusual stories of the week.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 8 Jun 2009 | 4:23 pm

SLIDE SHOW: How We've Changed Antarctica

Even though Antarctica is mostly inhabitable for humans, we've left our mark.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 8 Jun 2009 | 4:00 pm

Shake, Rattle and Roll: Camera Mount for Bikes

The Fat Gecko from Delkin is a video camera mount which clamps onto your bike’s handlebars and lets you shoot as you ride. It’s billed as lightweight, rugged and can remain attached for quick-releasing the camera.

On paper, it looks fantastic. So, what’s the problem? The problem is that you can do exactly the same using an old bike reflector, a machine bolt and five minutes of your time. The home-made mount, which we covered last month, appears to be every bit as functional as the Delkin widget, only it costs a few cents instead of $65.

The one advantage of the Fat Gecko is that it seems strong enough to hold a higher-end camcorder or DSLR. These are also exactly the expensive kind of cameras that you don’t want to strap to a shaking, rattling bike as it rocks its way down the mountainside. Sure, you could mount it on a road-bike and take it for a spin around the silky-smooth velodrome but that’s not going to make a very exciting movie. What we need is some kind of proper, shock-absorbing mount that also weighs almost nothing. Only then will we get a Rendezvous for bikes. Also, Delkin, would it kill you to put a slightly bigger product picture on your page?

Product page [Delkin. Thanks, Bob!]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 3:44 pm

Machu Picchu Described as Pilgrimage Site

Machu Picchu is described not as a city, but as a pilgrimage destination.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 8 Jun 2009 | 3:30 pm

Live Blog: Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2009

Live coverage of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2009 begins at 10 a.m. PT. Live blogging courtesy of Brian X. Chen and Priya Ganapati, accompanied by photographer Jon Snyder.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 8 Jun 2009 | 3:26 pm

Retro-Styled Olympus Camera Photos Leaked

It looks like Olympus is on the cusp of releasing the hot Micro Four Thirds (MFT) compact camera shown in prototype form in September last year. This photo, leaked onto the Japanese site OM User. The styling certainly fits in with the retro mockup, and also looks a lot like an old half-frame 35mm camera from Olympus, the Pen, which celebrated its 50th birthday last week.. The name, though, has changed to E-P1.

Thankfully for spec-watchers, the top plate shows a lot of information. First, the thumb-operated dial gives easy access to all the usual modes (manual, aperture priority, shutter priority and program) along with lame-o scene modes (beach, romantic lighting for animals, etc.), art filters and movies. The expectation is that this camera will shoot 1080p, but that’s just rumor at the moment.

Over on the left of the photo we see that this camera is meant for photographers, not just snapshooters, as there is a dedicated exposure compensation button. We also see a light marked SSWF, which is probably an indicator lamp for the Supersonic Wave Filter, Olympus’ dust reduction system. Onto the lens, we see that it has a respectable maximum aperture of ƒ2.8 and the equivalent focal length of 34mm (times by two, remember?). It may also have a manual focusing ring, which would be amazing. It would be even better if there was an actual optical viewfinder to look through.

That it follows the Pen’s stylings is significant, if only in nerdy kind of way. The MFT sensor is one half the size of a 35mm frame (and a slightly different shape, too). The Pen eked 72 shots out of a 36 exposure roll of 135 film by using the same trick. I’m pretty excited about this camera. If it can bring DSLR handling and image quality to a tiny package, it could be the Leica M of the 21st century, and as Olympus has a special event in London scheduled for June 25th, we may not have long to wait.

Top side pic of E-P1 [DP REview Forum]

See Also:

• Olympus Readying New Micro Four Thirds Cameras
• Olympus, Panasonic Plan Assault on Fortress of Pretentious …
• Adapter Puts Leica Lenses on Micro Four Thirds Cameras
• Olympus Boss: ‘Twelve Megapixels is Enough’

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 8 Jun 2009 | 2:55 pm

Disclaimer | About

World : News Archives | Business | Entertainment | Sports | Technology | Science | Marketplace Audio

India : News | Business | Entertainment | Sports | Telugu |

Blogs : Humor pages | Norkay's Blog | Kids Stories | Indian Recipes | Database Tech Blog

Sundries : World Video Clips | Songs Clips | Indian Video Clips |