Microsoft Changing Users' Default Search Engine

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Symantec Releases Norton 2010 Betas (PC Magazine)

Levertigo laptop bag for 13-inchers

Be.ez's new Levertigo bags are nice shoulder slung models made of recycled materials, out today for 13" laptops like you know what. Reminder: we're holding a be.ez competition and haven't had a lot of entries: show us your fancy laptop customizations/art and win a case. [Be.ez]

The EU does away with a cell phone tax

Section: Business News, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers

Recently, the EU was in discussion about a possible cell phone tax in Europe, which would pretty much affect everyone who wished to purchase a phone.  Of course, big cell phone manufacturers such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson protested such a tax because their sales would fall. 

Currently, the EU is based in Sweden, and after a vote was held in a meeting yesterday, it was clear what the public wanted.  The vast majority of the EU members voted for duty-free cell phones.  As you can imagine, cell phone sales are already falling in Europe due to bad economic times, and a higher tax would have only further plummeted sales.

Back in December, the EU searched for a way to differentiate these “multi-functional devices” we call cell phones.  They came up with two pretty broad categories - cell phones with TV reception, and cell phones with GPS navigation.  Basically, any phone with TV receivers would have been slapped with a 14% tax, while phones with GPS navigation would have been slapped with a 3.7% tax. 

All major cell phone manufacturers are happy with the EU’s decision and I’m sure the citizens of Europe are as well.  Whether cell phone sales turn around any time soon remains to be seen. 

Via [Reuters]

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

Raul Gutierrez: new limited-edition photo print set released

For the past fifteen years, I have been making pilgrimages to the deserts and mountains of China's western borders, focusing on Tibetan and Uyghur communities. These remote frontier regions are laced with contested geographies where religious and cultural legacies confront powerful economic and political transformations.

In these far away places, I look for way stations between cultures where one can see the past and future simultaneously. Seeing these changes over such a short time is a perspective that is at once disorienting and tragic. I try to make images that show these things, or at least some of the emotional truths behind them, because I know each time I return everything will be almost unrecognizable.

Source: Gizmodo | 2 Jul 2009 | 10:54 pm

Dice Reports Murky Waters For Tech Jobs

After months of dismal unemployment numbers, this morning’s continued growth in the unemployment rate from 9.4% in May to 9.5% for the month of June reinforces the fact that the U.S. is still very much in the midst of recession. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today that employers cut 467,000 jobs in June, compared to 322,000 jobs in May. Unfortunately, the tech industry is still feeling the heat of the recession, with the rate of available jobs not improving much from the past few months, according to technology jobs site Dice.com.

Tom Silver, senior vice president of Dice.com, told us this morning that Dice.com is reporting a 44% year-over-year drop in job listings for the month of June. May’s year-over-year decline hovered around 45%. And Silver also points to a rise in the Department of Labor’s unemployment rate for the “Computer and Mathematics sector,” (the area best associated with the tech sector). June’s unemployment rate for the tech sector almost tripled year-over year, from 1.9% in June of 2008, to 5.4% in June of 2009. While Silver says that the tech job market is certainly better than during the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, the number of job opportunities have remained stagnant over the course of the past few months.

According to the TechCrunch layoff tracker, layoffs in the tech sector may be slowing down, which we reported in May. Layoffs are still taking place—the tracker has increased by 10,000 lost jobs over the past two months to a total of 340,000 individual layoffs. But there is a marked difference in the pace of layoffs from late 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, when layoffs were increasing by 100,000 every few weeks For instance, it only took three weeks for cumulative tech layoffs to go from 200,000 to 300,000 in February and five weeks for layoffs to go from 100,000 to the 200,000 mark before that in January.

Though companies are cutting back and limiting hiring for the near future, Silver says that there are still certain jobs within the tech sector that are in demand. Developers who are skilled in the areas of virtualization and IT security are among those in high-demand. And Silver maintains that tech companies are always in need of talented and skilled programmers. But for all the marketing and business development folks out there, demand usually picks up in line with the economy.

You can check out CrunchBoard for tech job listings.

Photo Credit: Flickr/Lisa Brewster

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

Source: TechCrunch | 2 Jul 2009 | 10:51 pm

DOJ Confirms Google Antitrust Investigation

An anonymous reader points to Digital Daily, writing "Looks like the fireworks have begun early in Mountain View. On Thursday afternoon, the Department of Justice officially notified Google that it is investigating its book deal for violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 2 Jul 2009 | 10:42 pm

Mac News Briefs: BenVista releases PhotoZoom Pro 3 photo enlarger (Macworld.com)

Macworld.com - BenVista has released the latest version its photo enlargement sofware, PhotoZoom Pro 3.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 2 Jul 2009 | 10:30 pm

Climate change causes sheep in Scottish herd to shrink - Los Angeles Times

Brisbane Times

Climate change causes sheep in Scottish herd to shrink Los Angeles Times Researchers have concluded that rising temperatures have made it easier for scrawnier sheep to survive, thus reducing the average size of animals in the herd. The average weight and size of sheep on a remote island have been falling in small but steady ... The Case of the Shrinking SheepNew York Times Climate change is shrinking sheepBBC News Could a warming world lead to pocket-sized sheep?CNN International TIME -Fort Worth Star Telegram -Science News all 183 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 2 Jul 2009 | 10:21 pm

The Infamous 2009 LimeWire Pizza Fiasco

July 1, 2009 - the day the music wars started in earnest. Last night the guys from Dovecote Records, a small music label based in New York, were hanging out at their local bar. Employees from file sharing startup LimeWire showed up to have a party. There was confusion over the ownership of some pizza, and a riot almost ensued.

From the Dovecote Blog:

Woman: “Who the FUCK are you? And why are you eating our pizza?”

Kosuke and Paul look confused.

Kosuke: Are you joking? Is this a joke?

Woman: No this is definitely NOT a joke. I want to know who you are and why you’re eating our pizza.

Kosuke: Well our friend came in and told us there was free pizza at the bar. We are. So. Sorry. It was a misunderstanding.

Woman: (with unbridled entitlement) This is a company party our CEO is here and you STOLE our pizza. Are you from out of town? Because let me tell you, NOTHING is free in New York City. Nothing is free… well maybe except for the condoms in Times Square.

Paul and Kosuke continue apologizing. They offer to pay for the two slices.

Woman: (didactically snobbish) We don’t want your money. No. Enjoy the pizza, but you can’t steal other people’s things. You can’t take what’s not yours

Again the duo continues their apologies. Kosuke tries to turn the situation around and befriend them.

Kosuke: What company do you guys work for?

Woman: We work for Limewire.

Kosuke’s eyes go wide. Anger festers in his pupils.

Kosuke: Oh ok. Well I work at a record label so fuck you. You’ve stolen from us enough. (Bites pizza. Begins to walk away.)

Then things really got out of hand. One of the Dovecote guys grabbed a whole pizza and tried to run away with it. A Limewire engineer pursues and pours beer on him:

Paul’s anger builds. He stands up. Puts his bag on runs out the door, taking an entire pizza box with him. Matt T., a software developer at Limewire, tries to stop Paul by grabbing him and pouring beer all over his shirt, backpack, laptop, and pants.

We usually side against the labels on just about everything, but in this case we’re with Dovecote. Limewire is a mess and everyone knows it.

Whatever happens in the future with the battle between users and labels, we know one thing. July 1, 2009, the date of the Infamous 2009 LimeWire Pizza Fiasco, was when it wasn’t just about words and lawsuits any more. On that day, the music wars turned humorously physical.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 2 Jul 2009 | 10:08 pm

Knowledge Computing Corporation (KCC) Announces Its Merger With i2

TUCSON, Ariz., July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- KCC, the premier provider of crime-fighting solutions to leading edge law enforcement agencies nationwide, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with i2, the premier provider of visual analysis software.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 2 Jul 2009 | 10:08 pm

Enthusiasts Convene To Say No To SQL, Hash Out New DB Breed

ericatcw writes "The inaugural NoSQL meet-up in San Francisco during last month's Yahoo! Apache Hadoop Summit had a whiff of revolution about it, like a latter-day techie version of the American Patriots planning the Boston Tea Party. Like the Patriots, who rebelled against Britain's heavy taxes, NoSQLers came to share how they had overthrown the tyranny of burdensome, expensive relational databases in favor of more efficient and cheaper ways of managing data, reports Computerworld."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:56 pm

Larry King "interviews" Paul Krassner

Ever the happy prankster, Paul Krassner "met" with Larry King for an interview.

This video was made to promote Paul's new book: Who's to Say What's Obscene: Politics, Culture & Comedy in America Today.

A mock interview between Paul Krassner and Larry King by Andy Thomas. (Thanks, Doug Rushkoff!)


Source: Boing Boing | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:41 pm

Tour de Tweet: Follow Lance and the Boys Online

The Tour de France begins Saturday, July 4, in Monaco. Here's how to follow the three-week bike race using streaming audio and video, Twitter, Google Earth and other online tools.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:30 pm

Hammering: Men more accurate than women

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:21 pm

Dallas security guard facing charges for installing malware on hospital computers

Section: Computers, Security

A Dallas security guard charged with hacking the computer system of the hospital he worked for was busted by a fellow hacker, but didn’t help his case when he posted videos of his exploits on YouTube.  Jesse McGraw, known by the hacker name GhostExodus, posted videos to YouTube in which he claimed to be breaking into a major corporate building, and as the “Mission: Impossible” theme played in the background, he was shown installing malware on several computers.  In actuality, McGraw was in the hospital he worked at.

“He’s a security guard at the hospital, but he’s pretending to infiltrate a corporate office and he’s running around with a hoodie on over his security guard uniform and installing botnet software on a hospital computer all to the Mission Impossible music,” said security researcher Wesley McGrew. “[You] can’t make this stuff up.”

Wesley McGrew is the one who busted Jesse McGraw after another member of McGrew’s hacker group, the Electronik Tribulation Army, bragged to him about the hospital hacking and tried to take credit for it.  McGrew investigated and eventually discovered that McGraw was the one responsible.

McGraw was either auditioning for “America’s Dumbest Criminals” or was overly full of himself and made the mistake of thinking he was invincible.  His blunders included typing on the computer he used to install malware on the hospital’s network and then putting on gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints, wearing a mask to hide his identity but then holding up a fake FBI ID to the camera that had his picture on it, and of course, posting everything to YouTube!

The FBI said McGraw intended to use the malware to launch a massive DDoS attack on July 4th, the day after his last day of employment there.  Some of the malware was installed on computers that held sensitive patient data and on the system that controlled the hospital’s heating, air conditioning and ventilation.  He’s now facing felony charges of computer intrusion.  If convicted he’ll likely have plenty of time to think about finding a new hobby!

Read [PCWorld]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:16 pm

Microsoft’s Bing To Include Twitter Search Results

Microsoft is including some “tweets” from prominent Twitter users in search results generated by its new Bing Internet search engine, the AFP news agency reported.However, Microsoft does not intend to index all of Twitter and make it searchable.  Rather, it will include "some of the more prominent and prolific Twitterers from a variety of spheres,” the company said.Some analysts view Twitter as the wave of the future for Web searches, due to the real-time nature of its user-generated messages of 140 characters or less.Twitter's messages are not currently searchable on Google, the leading Internet search engine, and Twitter does offer a search feature of its own.  Nevertheless, a number of 3rd party developers have created applications that allow users to sort through the messages on the site.“There has been much discussion of real-time search and the premium on immediacy of data that has been created primarily by Twitter.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:10 pm

NASA'S Fermi telescope finds 16 pulsars

NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope -- able to identify pulsars by gamma-ray emissions -- has provided data for two studies, U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:08 pm

First Fully Programmable Gesture-Recognition Glove, Cheap

Al writes "The AcceleGlove from AnthroTronix, is the first fully programmable glove that records hand and finger movements. Other gloves — like 5DT's Data Glove, which is used primarily in virtual reality — normally cost $1,000 to $5,000, but the AcceleGlove costs just $499. The AcceleGlove comes with software that lets developers use Java to program it for any application they wish. AnthroTronix initially developed the glove with the US Department of Defense for robotic control but it could also be used in video games, sports training, or physical rehabilitation."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:07 pm

First solid-state quantum chip is created

A U.S.-led team of physicists says it has created the first rudimentary, solid-state quantum processor, moving science closer to building a quantum computer. Yale University scientists said they also used the two-qubit superconducting chip to successfully run elementary algorithms, such as a simple search, demonstrating quantum information processing with a solid-state device for the first time. Our processor can perform only a few very simple quantum tasks, which have been demonstrated before with single nuclei, atoms and photons, Yale Professor Robert Schoelkopf said.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:05 pm

Fake Steve

'Steve, while hospitalized in Tennessee, fired several hospital employees who could not satisfactorily answer the question, "What do you do here?"'

FSJ.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:05 pm

Yahoo Product Head and CTO Ari Balogh Speaks! [BoomTown]

In BoomTown’s bold quest to annoyingly stick a Flip digital video camera in the face of every Yahoo senior exec, this week I worked the last nerve of its CTO and EVP of Products, Aristotle “Ari” Balogh.

Actually, the 45-year-old Balogh is a very calm and pleasant man, especially considering the huge responsibility that has been foisted on him by CEO Carol Bartz to rejigger how Yahoo (YHOO) makes its products and services and deploy its technology in a more efficient, centralized and most of all, innovative manner.

It is actually a process that was started under the previous leadership, especially President Sue Decker.

But now, after a number of reorgs, a wide swath of Yahoo is under Balogh’s purview–from search to open initiatives to product development to trying to fix Yahoo’s big problem of never quite getting its innovations out the door.

To explain all this, Balogh sat down with me twice–he is clearly a glutton for punishment–to talk about where Yahoo stood as it sought to dig itself out of its long slump and reemerge as the potent Internet force it once was.

While he successfully avoided the questions about Yahoo’s talks to do a search and advertising partnership with Microsoft (MSFT), he did talk about his view of its new Bing search service (well done, but can it scale?–which is an engineer’s favorite schoolyard taunt).

He also addressed the bigger question of how Yahoo can stay relevant in the fast-changing Web 2.0 world.

To Balogh, copying trendsetters like Facebook is not the answer. For example, he noted that Yahoo is more a place where consumers do “one-way” follows of things important in their lives rather than wanting another social-network service (which Yahoo has tried and failed at, actually).

“We’re not going to be another social network,” said Balogh flatly, agreeing that that boat has already long sailed without Yahoo on it with a significant product–Yahoo famously failed to buy Facebook, well before Balogh arrived in early 2008 from VeriSign (VRSN). “But we can be a place where people make and manage the important connections they have.”

How this will all play out is one of the most interesting questions in Silicon Valley because–even after all the turmoil–Yahoo remains one of the largest sites on the Web.

About 500 million monthly unique visitors enter its homepage and course through its vast site constantly, from its search pages to its massive email and instant-messaging services and its popular suite of content sites.

No one says Yahoo is not big–what everyone says is that it has missed many major and critical Internet trends as it has become mired in a management morass and external battles.

Now, with new leadership in place, observers are waiting to see what’s next.

In this regard, it is important what Balogh thinks since he is perhaps Yahoo’s only person who even closely resembles a Web product visionary now that former CEO and co-founder Jerry Yang has stepped aside and Bartz has taken up command.

While he typically shies away from the spotlight, he is not bashful about talking about Yahoo’s infamous lugubrious development process.

“We have pockets of great technology that we have to really put back together into a coherent infrastructure,” said Balogh. “We have to get the basics right and focus on those core daily experiences that make Yahoo extraordinary.”

That is easier said than done, especially when changes impact so many consumers and, of course, the bottom line. Choosing what key trends to attack is harder for a large public company like Yahoo, which has a lot to protect in its current businesses.

“There will always be a battle between new ideas and monetization,” said Balogh. “The question is how much do you push that line back and forth?”

That fine line will surely be tested with the rollout of its new homepage in the fall, a long project that has been codenamed “Metro.”

“It is not a radical departure, but we have given users more power to do what they want and also serve as the best of Web versus that is already inside of Yahoo,” said Balogh of the new homepage. “With technology, it is always a push-pull.”

Here’s my video interview with him, talking about all this and more:

Source: All Things Digital | 2 Jul 2009 | 9:05 pm

SafeSourcing(R) Celebrates First Anniversary

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeSourcing(R), the one-stop e-procurement shopping center developed by retail professionals for retail professionals, celebrates its first anniversary and its worldwide expansion.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:52 pm

Another Sumatran Elephant Found Dead

Environmental group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said Thursday that an elephant calf has starved to death in Indonesia, which makes this the eighth endangered Sumatran elephant to have died since May.WWF spokeswoman Syamsidar said the calf is thought to be an offspring from an elephant that was poisoned to death recently during a growing conflict between animals and people over land and forest resources.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:47 pm

DOJ Confirms Antitrust Investigation Into Google Book Settlement [Digital Daily]

Looks like the fireworks have begun early in Mountain View…

The Justice Department probe of the Google Books settlement is heating up. On Thursday afternoon, the agency officially opened an investigation into the deal, which would allow the search sovereign to make millions of books available online.

“The United States has reviewed public comments expressing concern that aspects of the settlement agreement may violate the Sherman Act,” wrote William F. Cavanaugh, a deputy assistant attorney general. “At this preliminary stage, the United States has reached no conclusions as to the merit of those concerns or more broadly what impact this settlement may have on competition. However, we have determined that the issues raised by the proposed settlement warrant further inquiry.”

The move is the strongest sign yet that the DOJ may block the settlement, which critics claim would grant Google (GOOG) a monopoly on orphaned works–copyrighted texts without an identifiable copyright holder. The notification, included below, is the first time the DOJ has confirmed the investigation publicly and said that it is indeed looking at possible violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Odd that the letter was filed this week inasmuch as the “fairness hearing” that will determine whether final approval is given to the settlement is still months away. Clearly, Google’s recent public relations offensive claiming the company is just as vulnerable to competition as anyone else hasn’t had much effect.

Reached for comment, Google spokesperson Gabriel Stricker offered the following statement:

“The Department of Justice and several state attorneys general have contacted us to learn more about the impact of the settlement, and we are happy to answer their questions.

It’s important to note that this agreement is non-exclusive and if approved by the court, stands to expand access to millions of books in the U.S.”

2009.07.02 Order _ DOJ Letter -

Source: All Things Digital | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:41 pm

Penguin Parents Won't Chip In to Help Handicapped Spouse

Penguins, famous for the lengths they go to to protect their eggs and rear their young, may not be the most supportive couples around. When one member of a penguin couple is handicapped, the other doesn't step in to pick up the slack.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:30 pm

Reintroduction Of A Once Extinct Butterfly In Britain

What Europe can learn from the successful reintroduction of a once extinct butterfly in BritainIntelligent countryside management could improve the survival chances of animal and plant species threatened by climate change.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:25 pm

Judge Tentatively Dismisses Case Against Lori Drew

An anonymous reader writes "According to Wired, 'A federal judge on Thursday overturned guilty verdicts against Lori Drew, and issued a directed acquittal on the three misdemeanor charges.'" A similar story in the L.A. Times notes that "The decision by US District Judge George H. Wu will not become final until his written ruling is filed, probably next week." Update: 07/02 21:15 GMT by T : For those not following, Lori Drew's three convictions sprang from charges of online harassment of Megan Meier, a Missouri teenager whose suicide was linked to Drew's actions.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:23 pm

Second Life Data Offers Window Into How Trends Spread

Do friends wear the same style of shoe or see the same movies because they have similar tastes, which is why they became friends in the first place? Or once a friendship is established, do individuals influence each other to adopt like behaviors?Social scientists don't know for sure.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:19 pm

Plants' Internal Clock May Improve Climate-change Models

The ability of plants to tell the time, a mechanism common to all living beings, enables them to survive, grow and reproduce.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:16 pm

Studying Locusts To Find New Treatment For Stroke and Migraine

A similarity in brain disturbance between insects and people suffering from migraines, stroke and epilepsy points the way toward new drug therapies to address these conditions.Queen's University biologists studying the locust have found that these human disorders are linked by a brain disturbance during which nerve cells shut down.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:10 pm

Desert ruhbarb eyed by scientists

Israeli scientists say they have discovered the self-watering mechanism of the Negev desert rhubarb, which harvests 16 times more water than other plants. Researchers at the University of Haifa-Oranim said the desert rhubarb grows in the mountains of Israel's Negev desert, where average precipitation is particularly low.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:07 pm

Integrated Optical Trap Holds Particles For On-chip Analysis

A new type of optical particle trap can be used to manipulate bacteria, viruses and other particles on a chip as part of an integrated optofluidic platform.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 2 Jul 2009 | 8:03 pm

200-Year-Old Cipher Finally Cracked

Attila Dimedici writes "A code expert just cracked a code used by a friend of Thomas Jefferson in a letter written to Jefferson some 200 years ago. This code is fairly easy to crack using a computer, but extremely difficult without one. I think it would have been much harder if the author had not included an indication as to what code algorithm he used in the letter accompanying the coded message."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 2 Jul 2009 | 7:46 pm

NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker: The Full D7 Interview [BoomTown]

Jeff Zucker runs one of the world’s leading media and entertainment content companies, which is also being caught in the throes of a major shift, due to the impact of the Internet over the last decade.

In this onstage interview with me at the seventh D: All Things Digital conference, Zucker talks about the state of the television business; the changing advertising market; the impact of Hulu, an online premium video joint venture the GE (GE) unit NBC launched with News Corp. (NWS); and precisely what he meant when he said that the Web was turning “analog dollars into digital pennies.”

Here’s the video of the full D7 session (the video does not include a short intro video done by NBC’s “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon, which includes a ribald joke about Zucker marrying Courtney Cox):

Source: All Things Digital | 2 Jul 2009 | 7:37 pm

Hail to the red, white, and blue gadgets

Section: Video, Computers, Gadgets / Other, Household, Lifestyle, Imaging, Camcorders, Digital Cameras, Peripherals, Storage

With Independence Day fast approaching here in the States, I thought it would be a nice time to have our own red, white and blue display.  Of gadgets, of course.  Ready for some bright, fun toys?  Here’s a rundown of five I found.

1. The ScandiPhone

This thing has apparently gotten great reviews from almost all the people that have used it on the shopping sites I checked out.  Although, even I have to admit, I’m a tad confused by the shape and “how?” of it all.  But, regardless, if you are looking for a funky addition to a room, in an “I’m not shy” design and color, this may be for you.

It has push button dialing, auto redial, and you just plug it in to a regular phone socket.  Those who get annoyed by tangled cords won’t have that problem anymore with the ScandiPhone.  Size-wise, you are looking at a 4 inch base, 8.5 inches high (7 of which is the handle).  Comes packaged in gift box for an MSRP of $61.50

2. Flip UltraHD Camcorder (120 minutes)

These things are great in my humble opinion.  I used a Flip to film “You Tell Gadgetell” and was wondering how well it would actually work being so small, and seeming (to be honest) to look more like a toy than a real camera.  I loved it.  One total perk is how you can just pop it into your computer by the attached USB to quickly and easily download your images. The video quality is actually really pretty good; although granted, the sound leaves a little bit to be desired. (Although I wasn’t working with this one, the latest Flip). 

It features one-touch recording as well as digital zoom.  Very simple to use, I doubt you’ll need the manual.  It’s ready to go as soon as you power on (mine worked right out of the box).  It records 120 minutes of HD video on its internal 8 GB of memory, no tapes or memory cards needed.  MSRP - I found it at Amazon for $177.50 with free shipping.

3. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

The Lumix DMC-ZS3 came out a bit earlier this year.  If you are looking for a decent camera, comparable to a Canon Power Shot, this may work for you.  It has 10.1 megapixels, 12x Optical zoom, and a 3 inch LCD display.  The lens in a long and wide-angle zoom, which comes in a compact camera body.

They moved the shutter and the mode locations on the Lumix, with the shutter now on the left of the mode.  The dial lets you switch back and forth between camera and movie modes.  The downside of this camera is that there aren’t many manual controls.  But, if you are an auto-shoot type person, this obviously won’t bother you.

You can find the Lumix DMC-ZS3 at dell.com for $399.99

4. Blue Sky/Flag mousepad

Show your patriotism with this mousepad.  The scene shows a gorgeous blue sky with a flag waving off to the right.  Personalization is available.  The site guarantees the mousepad to be “beautiful, durable, and original.”  MSRP - $11.99

5. Statue of Liberty Flash Drive

For the person who wants to really show his country’s spirit, is the Statue of Liberty flash drive.  The drive is accurately scaled at 330:1 and starts at 2GB.  AES-256bit security is integrated into the drive, which also includes password protection.

When not in use, the USB connector can be covered with the base, and the Statue of Liberty can stand on your desktop.  MSRP - $34.88 (with free shipping)

There you have it, five gadgets that will help you to show your red, white, and blue spirit, just in time for the 4th of July.  Have fun playing with your new toys, and keep it safe this holiday. 

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

Solar Racing Champs Roll Out New Car

S&T Bancorp to Webcast Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call

SouthernLINC Wireless Calls for Southern Heroes Nominations

And for You, Mr. McNamee? Ah, Yes–The Boiled Crow Sandwich. [Digital Daily]

“You know the beautiful thing: June 29, 2009, is the two-year anniversary of the first shipment of the iPhone. Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later.”

– Palm investor Roger McNamee

Palm (PALM) seems to have satiated pent-up early demand for its new Pre smartphone, constrained supplies be damned. In a pair of investor notes issued today, analysts at Pali Research and JP Morgan say that sales of the Pre have tapered off to a point where supply and demand are roughly in parity.

“We have concluded our 3rd round of channel checks for the Pre,” writes JP Morgan analyst Paul Coster, who notes that demand for the handset is hovering at about 40,000 per week. “The gap between supply and demand has closed at Sprint and BestBuy stores, waitlists are eliminated or down, and most stores now have Pre devices in stock.”

Pali Research analyst Walter Piecyk also surveyed the Pre landscape and reached a similar conclusion, though he sees the slowing of sales as a bit more pronounced. “We believe that Palm Pre sales have slowed over the past week for Sprint to under 40,000 from 50,000-60,000 last week,” he writes. “…We suspect that if sales continue to moderate, Sprint would increase its marketing budget for the product. The marketing budget behind the product has been somewhat limited to date compared to the marketing push that Apple does.”

Indeed. And let’s not forget that Apple (AAPL) has a new handset on the market that’s been selling quite well. Makes you wonder if this ebb in demand for the Pre is somehow related.

Guess it’s looking like Palm investor Roger McNamee’s hyperbolic predictions about iPhone-to-Pre conversion aren’t going to quite pan out.

Judge Overrules Jury, Acquits Lori Drew in MySpace Cyberbullying Case

New Blog Search tools: Feeds, Hot Queries and Latest Posts

Facebook Hopes To Generate More Relevance With New Privacy Settings

HTC Hero soars through the FCC

Well, that’s a surprise. Rumors had pointed at Sprint to be the home of the Hero here in the states - but there it sits in the FCC database, packed to its big ol’ chin with AT&T-friendly 850/1900Mhz bands.

[Via EngadgetMobile]

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

Solar Gard car window film blocks sunlight, not Wi-Fi

According to a company selling the solution, traditional window film doesn't just block visible and UV rays from the sun, but also catches the 2.4GHz radio waves that carry data in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Solar Gard, a new window film from Bekaert, forgoes the typical metalized particles for a—ahem—"nanotech" formula that provides up to SPF 285 protection from the nasty spectrums, but lets your data pass through unmolested.

If you're interested (and want to get some real-world pricing), you can find an installer who uses Solar Gard at the product website.

Lunar Probe Sends First High-Res Images

We Drive BMW's Electric Mini E

Apple Patents Hint at Tactile Feedback, Fingerprint ID for Future iPhones

Recent Apple patents hint at new features that could appear in future iPhones. Most interesting is a patent detailing haptic tactile feedback for iPhone — that is, the ability for users to feel the virtual keys they’re pressing on the touchscreen.

The idea of haptic tactile feedback is such: The iPhone’s vibrations would simulate the vibrations felt when typing on a physical keyboard, so when you’re typing you can “feel” the edge of each key. This would eliminate the need to look at the screen while typing.

Another patent explains fingerprint identification on the iPhone. Not in the traditional sense to secure your iPhone (although it could probably be used for that, too) but rather fingerprint IDing as an input method to play music and navigate the iPhone menu. For example, a fingerprint from the index finger would trigger the Play and Stop buttons in the iPod. And a fingerprint from the middle finger would trigger fast-forwarding in the iPod. Pretty neat idea, huh?

A third patent covers how a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader would work on iPhone. RFID tags are generally used for tracking items such as library books; thus, an RFID reader would more likely have business applications. Apple suggests using an RFID antenna placed in the touch sensor panel.

See Also:

• Experimental Touchscreen Has Physical Buttons That Can Pop Up …
• Pulsing Touchscreen Tech Spells Out Braille
• iPhone Keyboard Worse Than QWERTY?
• Software Allows iPhone Users to Type Without Looking
• Wired 14.05: The RFID Hacking Underground
• RFID-Enabled Phones Could Let Credit Card Companies Track Users …
• RFID Tags Track Path and Condition of Nuclear Materials

Haptic Feedback, Fingerprint Identification, and RFID Tag Readers in Future iPhones? [MacRumors]

Susquehanna: Microsoft Bing Success Unclear [Voices]

By Tiernan Ray, Blogger, Barron’s, Tech Trader Daily

Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Marriane Wolk has scoured the Internet for intelligence on Microsoft’s (MSFT) new search engine Bing, and come up with the conclusion that the appeal of the new service, and its staying power, is uncertain. “The long term verdict for Bing and its ability to drive sustainable share gains (post Microsoft’s ~$100 million advertising spree) is still a long way from being determined,” she writes. Wolk quotes market share data from StatCounter showing that Bing has gained half a percentage point of share in Internet search since it appeared. She also found 13,000 news articles on Google news since the service came out.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Microsoft Pulls Projectile-Puking Promo [Digital Daily]

Bomb-Detection CEO Named New Darpa Boss

Buy Me A Shuttle-Bike Kit, Please

I don't speak Italian, so I don't know what these folks are saying. But I'm not certain that really matters. These kits, which fit in backpack, can be used to create a pedal-powered boat out of a bicycle. It comes with a rudder and two inflatable floaties you pump up &mdash get this &mdash via pedaling. The Shuttle-Bike technology dates back to 1992 and has been available for purchase since at least 2003, and yet I've never seen one in person, even in San Francisco.

I want one.

Boing Boing Video review: Sigma DP2 camera

Should you buy the Sigma DP2? Only if you're in love with the sensor. While it's definitely a better choice than its predecessor and is not without its manual charms, its high price puts it in range of DSLRs and other cameras that come without as many limitations.

Looking through a glass viewfinder is such a treat, though—too bad it doesn't seem to actually line up very well with the actual pictures.

If you'd like to download my talking-at-the-camera review that's embedded above, here's a link to a direct MP4 download.

Below, a slideshow of unretouched images from the DP2. (They were shot in RAW, but uploaded to Flickr in JPG, as Flickr does not understand Sigma's RAW format.)

UnPirate: Free Fraps alternatives for capturing screenshots

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Web, Downloads, Web Apps, Features, Originals

When you buy Fraps, you are probably purchasing the software as a way to capture screenshots.  With Fraps, you don’t have to copy and paste into another application as a way to capture a screenshot.  You will instead set up one touch copying, which will automatically name and save the file.  Check out these free alternatives for your screen capturing needs.

Get the free and similar Jing program

Jing is a free online download that is simple to use and can capture screenshots instantly with a single button press, much like Fraps.  Simply assign a hotkey for the program, such as F11.  Jing allows you to not only share screenshots, but short movies as well and embed them into your email, websites, or chats.  [Jing Download]

Edit and capture with iQuick Screen Capture

If you want to not only capture online screenshots, but edit them as well, you can download iQuick Screen Capture. You can save images as a BMP, JPG or GIF file.  Editing capabilities include the ability to crop, resize, add text or include shapes.  You can also capture screenshots in ten different ways with the free program: full screen, active window, object, region and more.  [iQuick Screen Capture Download]

Zap and paste your screenshots with Zap Grab

Zap Grab will appear in your Windows launch bar.  Simply click on the icon and then click on the area of the screen that you want to capture.  Once you have captured the screenshot, you can paste it into any program.  It is probably the easiest program to use and can be downloaded quickly to be used instantly.  The one main drawback is that you must have Windows Vista installed in order for the app to operate.  [Zap Grab]

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

Today on Offworld: war-driving for treasure, cloud gaming, Dylan in The Sims

Today on Offworld we took an extensive look at Treasure World (above), the just-released DS game that turns the ubiquitous cloud of Wi-Fi signals around you into collectible treasures -- it's easily one of the most magical game experiences we've had in a while, and expands into an equally amazing array of synced up social-site achievements, and, of all things, a mini-music tracker that lets you compose by arranging your scalped booty.

Elsewhere we looked at the first live demo of cloud-gaming service Gaikai, which shows Spore, World of Warcraft and Mario Kart being played, in-browser, from a server 400 miles away, and Microsoft's just-launched Kodu, the 21st century LOGO-like Xbox 360 game that teaches principles of programming logic with simple sentence-structure syntax and lets you build and share up to 4-player minigames.

We also stumbled across Crazy Planets, a new Worms-like Facebook game that makes a fighting unit out of you and your friends, and watched the first tech demo video of Robotology from N+ developers Metanet, which, eventually, will be a parkour/grappling hook mashup of Mario Galaxy, Shadow of the Colossus, and Umihara Kawase (!), and, finally saw Bob Dylan's hard-livin' invade The Sims.

Microsoft Gags on Puke Ad [MediaMemo]

Microsoft’s first series of Web video ads for Internet Explorer 8 didn’t seem to garner much attention. But its latest one did: It features a married couple, an unspeakable porn site and a lot of vomit.

If you liked the “Mr. Creosote” sketch in “Monty Python’s Meaning of Life,” you’ll like this one. And if you didn’t…well, you’re like many other folks, some of whom complained loudly enough to get Microsoft (MSFT) to yank the ad, though it still lives in Google’s (GOOG) YouTube.

Microsoft’s explanation for the spot, and its removal, via an email to CNET:

We make a point of listening to our customers. We created the … video as a tongue-in-cheek look at the InPrivate Browsing feature of Internet Explorer 8, using the same irreverent humor that our customers told us they liked about other components of the Internet Explorer 8 marketing campaign. While much of the feedback to this particular piece of creative was positive, some of our customers found it offensive, so we have removed it.

A reminder: These spots are not the work of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the high-profile ad shop that gets associated with most of Microsoft’s marketing work these days. They’re from Indiana-based Bradley and Montgomery and they’re directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, for whom I’ve already professed my admiration.

These were Goldthwait’s first commercials, though, and it will be interesting to see if he gets another shot. And in retrospect, he did hint that this might be coming when he talked to Techflash after the first of his browser ads hit the Web last month:

Well, the folks at (Bradley and Montgomery), the agency that wrote ‘em, I would have to credit them with my involvement, and also Microsoft. I think they were trying to do something that was a little less mainstream, and I think that’s (what led to) my involvement. Normally the corporate world is very frightened of hiring the dude from Police Academy to direct their stuff, so I’m flattered and I was really happy. There’s a couple more coming up, too, so I’m actually looking forward to those being released, because I think they’re a little more nutty in tone.

Want to see for yourself? Have at it. But don’t complain to us afterward.

iPhone 3GS Launch AT&T’s “Best-Ever Sales Day” [Internal Memo] [Digital Daily]

It took Apple (AAPL) and AT&T (T) 74 days to sell the first million iPhones back in 2007. This year it took just three. No wonder AT&T is crowing about first-day sales. In an all-hands memo to employees this week, the carrier, which sold “hundreds of thousands” of iPhones during its pre-order process, said first-day sales of the 3GS were off the charts. The memo, below.

iLaunch day 2009 was one for the record books, as AT&T customers scrambled to get their hands on the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

Here’s a look at some of the milestones we achieved:

• Best-ever sales day in our retail stores
• Second-largest traffic day in our retail stores
• Most transactions processed via our IT systems in a single day
• Most upgrade eligibility checks in a single day
• Largest order day in att.com history
• Largest features sales day in att.com history

On this year’s launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008’s iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008–all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008’s launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours.

[Image credit: Gizmodo]

Startup Aims to Be the Kayak.Com of Ticketing [Voices]

By Marisa Taylor, Tech Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

About a year ago, Canadian Internet entrepreneur Justin Hartzman was planning to visit Las Vegas with some friends, and was trying to decide which shows and concerts the group should see. “After about 400 or 500 emails back and forth,” he says, he realized he needed a Web site that would aggregate all of the events in a certain area and during a specific set of dates. And thus the idea for TicketFlow was born.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker game drawing eBay interest

FROM GAMERTELL - Jackson collectibles are suddenly a hot market, including his star turn in the Sega Genesis game Moonwalker.
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Vegans Have Lower Bone Density

Verizon succumbs to the pressure, offers BlackBerry Tour to everyone

I think the image is pretty self explanatory.

VZW via BGR

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

RIM Gains Mobile Browser Share [Digital Daily]

A noteworthy metric in the latest mobile browser share report from StatCounter: RIM’s BlackBerry has been making some meaningful gains in the world-wide mobile browser market. According to the research house, which tracks page views by browser on mobile devices and the desktop, RIM (RIMM) has boosted its share of the market quite a bit since the beginning of this year. Between January and May, BlackBerry mobile Web share rose from 4.9 percent to 6.9 percent in May.

Impressive growth, though RIM’s still got a way to go before it catches up with its rivals. Opera continues to hold the top spot with a share of 25.4 percent, followed by Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone at 20.8 percent, Nokia’s (NOK) 19.3 percent and 14 percent for the iPod touch. Note as well that Android continues to flat-line, though presumably that will change with the release of new devices using the OS.

iPhone App Prices Fluctuate As Developers Adjust To OS 3.0; Nav Apps Gain Pricing Power

Hands On: Kata 3N1 Camera Backpack

It’s time for another camera bag review, but with a few differences. First, it’s our first camera backpack review. Second, I actually bought this bag for myself to use, and have given it a good workout over the last month or so. And three, I’ll give you the conclusion right now: If you’re in the market for a camera backpack, buy the Kata 3N1 (three in one. Get it?). It’s not too expensive, it has some great features and it comes in three sizes. Better still, it looks good. So good that the lady even said the rain cover looks cool, and you know how she normally hates nerdwear.

To find out why, read on. Warning: Lots of pictures.

The name 3N1 comes from the three different strap configurations. This bag is the 3N1 20, the middle-sized model. Here it is in standard backpack mode. Even fully loaded this is comfortable enough to wear for hours without feeling it. You can see the padded back, under which the straps can be slid when not in use, and the two hip pads (color coded, more on that in a moment). There is also a thin but effective enough waist strap.

Here the straps are crossed. You can also opt for a sling configuration which just uses one shoulder. Either way, from here you can swing the bag around from back to front and access the main section through the side pockets. If you’re using the red strap (right shoulder) you should pack your camera on the side with the red hip pad.

Pull the clip and open pops the pocket. Both zippers pull open as you do this.

This is what you see. That’s a Nikon D700 with a large-ish lens and metal lens hood, and there’s plenty of room. This is the exact orientation you’ll find when you have slung the bag around to your front. You can get at your camera in a few seconds.

Also inside the pocket is this pouch, which velcros into place and can hold memory cards. It’s handy, I guess, but there are better places for the cards.

This is the same compartment when empty. The yellow inserts can be put almost anywhere, but in practice you can’t stray too much from the standard layout if you want to use the bag as it is meant to be used. The flash is a huge SB900, which runs all the way through the bag but fits fine.

And here is the almost standard layout. If the flash were smaller I would have space at the top to add another lens, and there is in fact a spare yellow divider I’m not using here. Look close and you’ll see a small lip at the bottom of the opening. This is enough to stop things falling out.

These are the side pockets on the upper section. They expand with a dart in the zipper section and have a mesh pocket inside. You can slip in filters or, as in the picture above, something bigger like a flash diffuser. The outside of these pockets is padded.

This is possibly the best part of the whole bag. It’s a zippered section up top which can be used for anything you like, including more lenses and other kit. But because it is separate it’s ideal for all the other junk you don’t want to mix with the camera gear: Cellphones, notebooks, headphones, books, anything. There is an internal zipper so the compartment can be joined to the rest of the bag, but if you’re that short on space buy the bigger model.

This strap lets you mount the bag on a trolley to roll it along, but the bag is so light there’s really very little point.

Finally, the rain cover, which folds into an integrated pouch and doubles as a handy bit of padding for small lenses. The bright yellow color is smart, too, keeping you visible in dull gray weather.

To sum up, the 3N1 is probably my favorite bag I have. It works well for storage and lugging lots of kit but is also very easy to work out of, and that top section means I don’t have to carry my personal junk elsewhere. It’s comfortable and very light when empty, especially in comparison to the Lowepro bags we’ve tested, which are so well padded as to be heavy.

Downsides? A small chest strap would be nice, although in crossover mode it would get in the way. A mesh water bottle pocket on the outside would also be welcome, as would a few extra strips of velcro on the inside for attaching dividers. But these are small gripes. Like I said, if you’re looking for a backpack camera bag, you won’t go wrong with this one. $100.

Product page [Kata]

See Also:

• Hands-On with LowePro’s Quick-Action Toploader Bag
• Make It: Stealth Camera Bag
• Hands On With Lowepro’s ‘Stealth’ Camera Bag
• Three Of The Best Camera Bags You Can Buy
• Hands on With the Lomo Sidekick Camera Bag

Mystery of Salamander Limb Regrowth Solved

Video: Propellerheads "Record" audio suite

Old news to those that make music, perhaps, but new to me: Propellerheads, the people who make the delightful sequencer Reason (which I will someday actually buy instead of using the demo for a few days then getting scared to drop hundreds of dollars) are launching "Record", a companion recording suite that more than addresses what I've always found to be Reason's most glaring oversight: the inability to actually record analog instruments or vocals without another piece of software.

Which, I guess, it still does take another piece of software, but at least it's all be part of the same suite now. Since I'm still using Garage Band for most of my projects but have run my head up against its limitations finally, I may have to bite the bullet and get Reason and Record when it comes out of beta.

I especially love the part of the above overview video where they essentially teach guitarists how to convince their band vocalist why the software will help them sound more totally rock.

Archos bringing Windows 7 tablet to US, actually dates Android device

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware

It won’t be very surprising when we start seeing announcements of netbooks carrying Windows 7 as the release of the OS draws closer.  Although, it seemed more likely to see a netbook announced with the OS before a tablet, despite the multi-touch features in Windows 7.  However, Archos decided to announce its tablet is coming to the US before anyone could get their netbooks announcements out of the way.

We’ve actually seen the Archos 9 PCtablet before when it was announced several weeks ago.  However, now we know that is will actually be coming to the US sometime this fall.  The tablet itself is almost fully controlled by touch, though it also has an optical trackpad and some shortcut key along the side of the device.  It will run on the standard netbook/small computer Intel Atom chip running at 1.2 GHz which should be able to handle Windows 7 decently well.  There’s also included Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, no TV tuner like the European release, and no word on any other hardware components.

That wasn’t the only announcement Archos had, however.  With all the talk of non-smartphone Android devices, we have yet to actually hear anything about them, until now.  Archos has announced that it will be launching its Android mini-tablet at a special event on September 15th.  The device will have 3G phone features, which presumably include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3G module in addition to 500 GB of storage, 7 hours of battery life, and even built-in flash support.  Of course that all sounds nice, but also sounds potentially expensive.  We’ll have to wait and see what Archos brings with this mini-tablet, and how it will compare to the HTC Hero and its Sense UI.

Read [Electronista]

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BLOG: Return to the Moon? Yea or Nay?

Solved: Why Blind Faults Make Big Quakes

The cracktop cometh

There is a brewing engineering problem with the next generation of ultra-thin netbooks: cheap plastic cracks after a while when it is molded into the required shapes. Brooke Crothers writes:

"Early production units being built in plastic, with the bottom case being plastic, are cracking," said Broadpoint AmTech analyst Doug Freedman, in a phone interview, referring to discussions he had with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and and original design manufacturers (ODMs). Typically ODMs don't market under their brand name but supply devices to OEMs, which then slap on their own brand.

To upgrade them means they won't be cheap anymore: nice plastic and metal is expensive, resulting in Vaios and Adamos and MacBook Airs.

A few iPhone patents for you: Karaoke, fancy haptic feedback

Oh, patents. Companies file you all the time, often coming to nothing, yet you still mystify us for some reason. A few iPhone-related patents have been floating around the Internet this morning; they’re sure to interest you for dozens of seconds. Take this one, which describes a karaoke application.

But that’s merely a game, and a dumb one at that. These two, however, describe something a little more “important.” There’s fingerprint identification, which would identify your fingers individually for a more accurate user interface experience. That is, only your index finger would be able to press the “contacts” app; if you accidently touch it with your middle finger the app wouldn’t activate. That type of thing.

Then there’s an improved version of haptic feedback. Apple would slap a bunch of actuators across the iPhone’s screen. Then, as you slide your finger around the screen, you’d be able to “feel” the different area of the screen. The top half is more bumpy, while the bottom half smooth as silk.

But again, patents are filed all the time. I wouldn’t lose sleep over any of this.

via 9-to-5 Mac

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

O2 confirmed as Palm Pre carrier in the UK, again

While it was reported in late May by the Guardian that O2 had all but locked up the Palm Pre, the UK rag is once again claiming that O2 will be the exclusive carrier for the webOS device. Earlier rumors that Palm would announce a carrier next week seem to be holding water according to this report by the Guardian. It seems that you’ll be able to pick up a Pre at your local Carphone Warehouse as well. We’ll just have to wait and see.

via Guardian

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

Apple remains silent on apparent iPhone 3GS overheating issue

FROM APPLETELL - Many iPhone 3GS, users are reporting overheating issues with the device, which is apparently dramatically affecting battery life.
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Review: ColorSnap for iPhone by Sherwin-Williams

So I’m going through my twitter stream a while back and I see several links from some former colleagues of mine, pointing to a new iPhone app called ColorSnap, by Sherwin-Williams. So what right? There are a million (ok, fifty thousand) iPhone apps out there—what’s so interesting about this one?

Well, two things. One, it was developed by my former employer, Resource Interactive, for whom I have the utmost respect and must also disclaim. Two, it is a tool of sorts, which I seem to be more interested in these days rather than just games or social networking. I wanted to check it out.

How it works.
You use ColorSnap to take a picture of anything (a room, an object, whatever). After the image is selected and zoomed in to the right spot in the application view finder, you move your finger over that image and a small square-shaped magnifier follows your finger around and shows a detail view of the color in that part of the photo. Once you find a color with which you are satisfied, you press the “palette” button and it identifies the primary paint color you have just selected and offers two secondary colors that go with it. For example, if you have a dominant object in a room, like a giant red leather couch, you could use this tool to find some supportive secondary colors for the walls and furniture surrounding it.

In my case, I took a photo of the drab, tan filing cabinet above my desk at the office and ColorSnap suggested both Leisure Blue and Repose Gray as complimentary colors for my cubicle. Leisure Blue at the office? Oh the irony. This is great though! I am going to suggest to my bosses that a Leisure Blue leather love seat and a Repose Gray Teutonic wool rug be added to my cubicle. Hey, I asked Sherwin…I’m just sayin’.

Anyway, you can save that color set into the ColorSnap library and can also use the iPhone’s location services to automatically find the nearest Sherwin Williams store (or also search by old-school zip code, if you want), and then go and get your paint.

Initial impressions.
As a former employee of the place that built this app and in an attempt to remain impartial, I think I test drove ColorSnap harder than I normally do when testing apps and frankly the results were impressive. No crashes. No hang time. It really seemed simple and solid in use. But I still wanted something else impartial to base at least some of my measurements against. So I decided to also measure the app against the DotMobi Web Development Guide’s Mobile Strategy section as well.

Paraphrasing from the guide—successful mobile websites and apps should successfully answer the following questions:

1. “Why should it be mobile?”

2. “How does your audience benefit from a mobile presentation [of content]? What tasks will they accomplish with your mobile content? Does the immediacy of mobile help the user?”

Well, the first thing I ask myself about all iPhone apps these days is this: is it really useful or is it a bandwagon agency/dev shop move to prove competency in order to get into the mobile development game? With this application there is clearly a use that it fits and it’s not just eye candy. With regard to the question of “why should this tool be mobile” the answer is that painting is usually location specific and this tool helps people easily make color decisions, from place to place. Essentially, ColorSnap is a dynamic swatch book that also helps users pick out complimentary paint colors.

As far as benefits, ColorSnap’s mobile form factor is perfectly suited for being able to quickly move from location to location (say, in a house or apartment), choose and save color schemes for that place, compare them and then find the closest place to buy them, as paint. Its main benefit is that it streamlines that whole process without the clutter of unnecessary features. It is simple and clear and at a glance you immediately know how to use it. That gives the app depth and clarity. Just as one would take a portable set of color swatches through a room, ColorSnap is a natural-feeling alternative. Couple this basic use with the iPhone’s screen real estate and top-notch color depth you can see why it is a great choice of platform for this kind of tool. And besides, how many people have had advanced color theory training anyway? (Ok, bad example since half of all iPhone owners are probably flaky designer types). Um, well… who really wants to carry a laptop or a dusty color wheel around with them from room to room to process colors?

Is it lacking anything?
Color can be subjective and the app makes no bones about the fact that light source, individual perception or other factors could affect the results and therefore the color you see on the screen may not be a 100% accurate match to the paint suggested. A color-calibrated, exact-match, pigment analyzer it is not. But for “ballparking” your painting plans, ColorSnap really can help you make some basic color decisions and is a convenient tool for giving you a reasonably accurate palette of complimentary color schemes. In fact, my only gripe with the app at all is that I wish it skipped the short intro sequence when you launch it, but that’s just me. It is probably part of the loading sequence.

The Bottom Line.
ColorSnap is a useful and casual tool to consult when picking out color schemes for any painting project. Ultimately, rely on your own good sense when making your final decision on color (or your significant other’s if you are colortastically challenged), but this tool can help you get close and offer sound color suggestions. It’s fun to use too. Sherwin-Williams and Resource Interactive hit one out of the park with their development of ColorSnap for iPhone!

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Microsoft Pink phone runs like Windows ME?

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile

The rumored and oft-denied Pink phone by Microsoft is gaining some credibility of actually existing.  According to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley (no relation to Axel Foley, I asked), Microsoft has leaked some key information that not only says Pink is real but is going to wow an awful lot of folks.  Years ago, Microsoft divided its Windows unit: NT to focus on business and ME to focus on consumers.  There is every reason to believe it will try something similar for its Windows Mobile vision.

First, Ms. Foley’s claimed rumors:

• Pink will use the same ad agency that the Windows Mobile team uses.
• Pink will be based on Windows Mobile 7, but won’t look like it.
• Pink will be later than Windows Mobile 6.5
• Built by Motorola or Sharp, expect a device targeted at Sidekick users with that Zune UI everyone seems to like (or at least not hate)
.

To me, this project smacks of a Seinfeld episode:  “OK team, we are in trouble in mobile OS land, so I want you to do the exact opposite as the Windows Mobile 7 team.”  Personally, I think it is a good idea to try some rebranding for the Windows Mobile team.  The WinMo name gets dragged through the dirt and something fresh would be very nice to see coming out of Redmond.

The Danger purchase would make sense if Microsoft was bent on dividing its WinMo operation into business and consumer divisions as well.  The division would likely be a shell UI difference, but might go a long way in differentiating their product as Apple and BlackBerry offer one OS to serve all markets.  In light of Android’s open and no cost availability to manufacturers, MS has to pull something pretty cool here to make a dent.  The Pink phone is expected to be that cool.

Will we see Zune integration?  Xbox game porting?  Hopefully we’ll learn more soon.

Read [ZD Net

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Inflatable Tower Promises Easy Access to Space

Child Porn App Disappears from iTunes App Store

BeautyMeter, the app which managed to sneak “child pornography” onto the iPhone, has been pulled from the iTunes App Store.

The application lets users upload pictures of themselves and then other people vote on their face, body and clothes (or lack thereof). The internet was set afire yesterday when it appeared that a 15-year-old girl had uploaded a snap of herself, clearly showing nipples and “partially nude at the bottom” as our own prudish Brian Chen put it yesterday. Probably as a direct consequence, the application is no longer available for download.

The problems for Apple are clear. By setting itself up as a guardian of the store, Apple can’t win. Any time a controversial application is approved, or non-allowed elements are snuck into an application post-approval, Apple is blamed. If these apps are pulled ahead of time, Apple is called out as an evil censor.

In this case, we think that nudity is the only problem. First, if the photo in question was uploaded by the girl herself, who is committing a crime? Second, I have friends who have browsed enough porn sites to know that the ages are almost always revised down. It might say 15 on the page, but that doesn’t mean that it’s true.

See Also:

• Porn Comes to the iTunes App Store
• Child Porn Is Apple’s Latest iPhone Headache
• Apple: No Porn Allowed in iPhone’s App Store
• E-Reader iPhone App Rejected Because Users Can Download Kama Sutra …

Eco-Friendly Fireworks Offer Safer Pyrotechnics

Bottleclip Keeps Stylish Cyclists Hydrated

Matthias Ries has come up with an ingenious solution for carrying water bottles on bikes, especially for the accessory-phobic fixed-gear rider. The Bottleclip is a standard sized screw cap and a snap-on clip combined into one small plastic chunk. Screw in almost any normal PET water bottle and it hangs from the top-tube of the bike. It might not be quite as convenient as grabbing a bottle from a proper cage, but it is a lot easier to fit and won’t spoil your fixie’s lines when not being used.

It’s simple and cheap looking enough to find its way onto a counter-top display in your local bike shop. We’d like to see a version which could also hold a D-lock to the frame as you ride.

Matthias Ries: New Work [Design Boom]