Droid's December Boom: AdMob Metrics Show Android Platform's Growth

4chan Presents: YouTube Porn Day (NSFW)

It looks like 4chan has found its first major target of 2010. In a message sent to what is presumably a huge amount of undisclosed receipients, 4chan is announcing that this coming Wednesday, January 6, is going to be a very special event: YouTube Porn Day.

The move comes in response to one account, Lukeywes1234, being suspended by YouTube. Apparently this was just a regular YouTube user who caught the eye of 4chan and they proceeded mass follow him and make tribute videos to him — like these (and the one below).

I’ll let you read on the poster above for what they’re asking you to do for this special day. We’re not condoning this, we’re just as confused as the rest of you.

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4chan Presents: YouTube Porn Day (NSFW)

Second Life to Allow First Life Identities in 2010 (Thus Revising a Fundamental Premise of Second Life Itself)

Lenovo's IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Tablet Laptop - Techtree.com

Techtree.com

Lenovo's IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Tablet Laptop Techtree.com While everyone is tightening up seat belts for the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2010, Lenovo is already here with its new ThinkPad lineup update. Lenovo has unveiled a unique laptop IdeaPad U1 Hybrid that incorporates features of a multi-touch ... Lenovo adds swivel and touch to its next-gen Atom NetbookCNET News Lenovo unveils IdeaPad U1 HybridThe Money Times First capacitive multitouch netbook tablet, Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t, arrivesZDNet (blog) PC Magazine -I4U -Digitaltrends.com all 31 news articles »

New Pi Computation Record Using a Desktop PC

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Anonymity, Self-Reference & Q&A: Formspring.me's Winning Combination for the Social Web

JPMorgan Forecasts A 10.5 Percent Rebound In U.S. Display Advertising in 2010

JPMorgan Forecasts A 10.5 Percent Rebound In U.S. Display Advertising in 2010

In the advertising industry overall, revenues generated by direct and brand advertising are roughly split 50/50. But in the online world, where direct advertising is represented mostly by search and email ads and brand advertising by graphical display ads, the split is closer to 70/30 in favor of direct ads.

Last year, with the economy down, the display portion of the U.S. online advertising industry had a particularly rough time. Total revenues in 2009 were down 5.2 percent to $7.5 billion, estimates JPMorgan analyst Imran Khan in a new Internet industry report. But he forecasts that in 2010 U.S. display advertising will rebound 10.5 percent to $8.3 billion, buoyed by a rising economy and actions to reduce the glut of display ad inventory for higher quality sites and content.  For instance, both AOL and CBS are making moves to remove their premium ad inventory from ad networks where prices get beaten down to the lowest common denominator.

As the industry moves away from plain-vanilla CPM ads—which lead to banner blindness—and towards a variety of better-performing ad formats (including sponsorships, behavioral targeting, and more timely display ads), that should help lift revenues as well.

Khan expects U.S. search advertising to grow an even brisker 13.2 percent pace in 2010 to $16.6 billion, after virtually flat 0.8 percent growth in 2009.  To get a sense of the disparity in the economics between display and search advertising look at JPMorgan’s estimates of display RPM (revenue per 1,000 impressions) and search RPS (revenue per 1,000 searches).  The average display RPM is forecast to be $1.92 this year, while the average RPS is forecast to be $70.14.  Which side of that equation would you rather be on? Which has the most upside?

In mobile advertising, both display and search are puny compared to text messaging ads.  Total U.S. mobile advertising for 2009 is estimated at $2.6 billion, up 62 percent.  But $2.3 billion of that was from text messaging.  Only 178 million was mobile search, and $140 million was display (both up 80 percent last year).  In 2010, mobile advertising is forecast to grow 45 percent to $3.8 billion, with the breakdown being $3.2 billion SMS advertising, $253 million mobile display, and $321 million mobile search.

One of the biggest reasons to be hopeful about the outlook for the continued growth of the Internet advertising industry is that when you look at the time U.S. consumers spend on the Internet versus the amount of ad dollars which go there, the proportions are out of whack.  As recently as 2008, U.S. consumers spent 38 percent of their media consumption time on the Internet (29 percent if you exclude teens and young adults), but it attracted only 8 percent of advertising dollars.  Whereas consumers spent 37 percent of their media consumption time on TV, which captured 32 percent of advertising dollars.  If you believe that time is money, advertising dollars should continue to flow towards the Internet.

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

Report: Apple to Buy Quattro Wireless Ad Company for $275m (PC World)

DuPont mySurface iPhone App Lets You Bring Their Entire Countertop Collection Home

Apple Said to Plan Tablet PC Introduction This Month - BusinessWeek

New Zealand Herald

Apple Said to Plan Tablet PC Introduction This Month BusinessWeek Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc., seeking to win a larger share of the market for handheld computers, is planning to unveil a tablet PC this month, according to a person familiar with the matter. The device is scheduled to go on ... Speculation grows about Apple tablet, which could land in MarchUSA Today Report: Apple To Ship Long-Rumored Tablet In MarchChannelWeb $1000 Apple Tablet Unveiled In January, Landing In March?TrustedReviews Apple Insider -CNET News -Economic Times all 721 news articles »

Rumor: Verizon orders 400,000 Palm handsets

Guide to shooting smack published by City of New York

The City of New York spent $32,000 on 70,000 16-page fliers showing how to safely inject street drugs. If this campaign saves one life, it's a bargain. The experts that the NY Post selected to be quoted in its article don't seem to agree, however. Most favor the abstinence-only approach.

"What we do not want to do is suggest that there's anything safe about shooting up narcotics," said [Bridget] Brennan, the city's special narcotics prosecutor. "No matter how many times you wash your hands or how clean the needle is, it's still poison that you're putting in your veins."

UPDATE: Boing Boing reader haineux posted the link to a PDF of the pamphlet. Haineux wrote:

For those that can't read it, the pamphlet includes:

• Pointers to resources and other info for quitting

• Commonsense info to avoid ODing

• What to do if someone ODs

• How to avoid getting AIDS and Hepatitis

• Commonsense info to avoid other problems

It does not contain step by step instructions on how to use drugs, and the accompanying drawings are unlikely to be confused with glamorizing the lifestyle.

Heroin for dummies


Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 11:23 pm

Guide to shooting smack published by City of New York

Rumor: Verizon orders 400,000 Palm handsets

Someone’s gotta help Palm out. After the somewhat lukewarm response to the Pixi and the Pre, it’s rather surprising that Verizon would decide to place a big order. Word is though, that’s exactly what they did.

The rumor on the street is that Verizon just ordered 400,000 handsets from Palm. Since Palm has a keynote scheduled for the 7th at CES, perhaps Verizon knows something that the rest of us don’t. Analysts are predicting upgraded handsets and an update to the webOS, but Palm is pretty good at keeping leaks to a minimum, so we’ll probably have to wait until they or Verizon make it official.

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

EVE Online Battle Breaks Records (And Servers)

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Leakage: Six new cameras from Panasonic

Nothing official yet, but this looks like a pretty good leak. Panasonic loves to do this kind of thing, announcing several cameras at once to distract from the other manufacturers.

Obviously someone made a mistake and leaked this, but it’s bound to happen now that CES is here. No word on pricing or availability yet, but when we see the official release we’ll let you know. And without further ado:

Lumix FP3:
4x Zoom, 3.0″ touchscreen LCD, 14.1 MP, and HD video.

Lumix F3:
4x zoom, 12.1 MP, Face detection, and HD video.

Lumix FH3/FH1:
12.1 MP, 5x zoom, HD 720p video

The original rumor came out of Asia, and was dug up by Photo Rumors.

Honoring Science and the Arts

Final Fantasy creator working on an iPhone game

Final Fantasy creator working on an iPhone game

Legendary RPG creator Hironobu Sakaguchi is working on a new game for the iPhone. In case you don’t recognize the name, he helped create a few games you might of heard of: Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, Xenogears, and Final Fantasy.

Sakaguchi-san announced that he was working on a new game via his company’s blog, stating that the new game would be coming in 2010 and that it’s going to be a “blockbuster.” And that’s about all – the blog post didn’t really disclose any details that we can actually use, but given the list of games the man helped produced odds are it’s going to rock.

[Via TUAW]

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

Google May Introduce Its Own Android Smartphone at Event Today - BusinessWeek

BBC News

Google May Introduce Its Own Android Smartphone at Event Today BusinessWeek Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc., seeking to wrest consumers from Apple Inc. and Research In Motion Inc., is poised to unveil a mobile phone that uses its Android software at a press event today, analysts said. ... Google's Nexus Arrives Today?Techtree.com Google Moves to Keep Its Lead as Web Goes MobileNew York Times Five Predictions for Google's Nexus OnePC World CNET News -Reuters -V3.co.uk all 860 news articles »

Intermediate Black Hole Implicated in Star's Death

Skype Video Calls Go High-definition (PC World)

The Pricing Smoke Around The Tablet Fire

Just when you thought everyone was all talked out about the Apple Tablet, there comes more news. But today’s news is both odd and interesting for a few reasons.

The big news today comes from a Wall Street Journal article which definitively states in the title: Apple to Ship Tablet Device in March. You’d think WSJ would be opposed to using such a title unless they were sure that it is accurate. But early in their own story, the two authors note that “the device’s ship date hasn’t been finalized and could still change.” Still, I guess that’s forgivable if the company’s current plan is to ship in March. Regardless, this would seem to be yet more fuel to the fire that the device is actually real, and is coming soon. But things get a bit stranger as the article goes on.

The article as it appears now has been rewritten from when it first appeared earlier. I know this because I read both versions, and a simple Google search turns up a number of sentences and phrases that are no longer in the story, but are being quoted by multiple other sites and blogs. It’s not uncommon for blogs to write something quickly if there is a breaking story, and then flesh it out and perhaps even alter it a bit later, but again, this is the WSJ, and not their blog — this presumably is an article that will run in the paper tomorrow morning. Still, they had one version, and then changed it.

So what changed? Mostly it has been fleshed out more, but the wording of a few passages have been altered as well. For example, originally the article had this line in it:

Analysts currently believe an Apple tablet will be priced at about $1,000, possibly including a subscription to a nationwide Wi-Fi wireless service.

That line, which originally was featured prominently (high up) in the story, no longer exists. Instead, farther down we get this new wording:

A key factor for the tablet’s success will be price. Yair Reiner, an analyst for Oppenheimer & Co., said in a research note last month that the tablet would be priced at about $1,000, citing sources. One challenge: Apple’s MacBook laptops start at $999.

And below that, we get:

Richard Doherty, director of technology consulting firm Envisioneering Group, said such a price could include a subscription to a nationwide Wi-Fi wireless service such as those run by AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, which provide Internet access at thousands of hot-spots such as airports, hotels and restaurants.

It would seem that the WSJ wanted to make it more clear that it was specific analysts, and not them, suggesting the $1,000 price tag and the nationwide Wi-Fi idea. And that’s understandable since literally dozens of blogs and traditional media outlets are reporting right now that the WSJ is stating the price is “about $1,000″ with some also noting the WiFi idea as coming from WSJ. And it’s hard to blame any of these sites, since that’s exactly how I read it originally. And tweets like this, from the main WSJ account, didn’t help:

Exclusive: Apple to unveil a 10- to 11-inch tablet later this month for about $1,000. Shipping in March.

Nor did the one from their community Twitter account:

Word is out – Apple to Ship Tablet Device in March, priced around $1,000

You’ll notice the main WSJ Twitter feed tweeted the story again, presumably after it was altered.

Here’s what I’m wondering about all of this: Is Apple itself behind some of this information?

Of course, there’s no real evidence to prove this, so this is all speculation, but hear me out for a minute. Back in June, you may recall that the WSJ broke the story about Steve Jobs’ liver transplant. The news sent shockwaves around the tech community because Apple had done such a good job of keeping it a secret despite the fact that Jobs had to go live in Tennessee for a few months to get it done. And the timing of that story was suspicious, to say the least. The news broke on June 19, a Friday, at night no less, after the stock market had closed for the weekend (leaving the whole weekend for investors to settle down and realize that Jobs was now okay). It also broke two months after the actual transplant had occurred. Oh, did I mention it also broke on the day of a huge and hugely successful new launch for Apple: The iPhone 3GS? Yep. Curious.

And guess who was the lead author on that article? None other than Yukari Iwatani Kane, the lead author of this latest article as well.

So, why would Apple leak some information now? Well, there are a few possibilities. First, Google is holding a big event tomorrow that is presumably for its new Nexus One Android device. The device is widely considered to be the best Android phone yet, and brings the platform closer in terms of hardware to Apple’s own iPhone. The rivalry between those two camps continues to grow, and undoubtedly Apple would have no problem stealing some headlines and buzz away from its frenemy.

Second, CES starts this week. Normally, Apple would be attending the Macworld Expo around now and holding a keynote event to unveil some new products which in recent years have almost completely overshadowed CES. This year, Apple will not be participating in Macworld for the first time, and the event has actually been moved to a later date. Apple is also expected to hold its own event later this month (to presumably show off the tablet), but leaking some of this news now continues the tradition of overshadowing what its rivals are doing at CES.

Third, and most importantly, Apple leaking any information about the tablet in the weeks leading up to the event helps to set expectations — and if they’re doing that, they’re meaning to set them realistically, or maybe more likely, low. The amount of hype surrounding the tablet right now is incredible. About the only thing you can compare it to is the hype leading up to the iPhone three years ago. And this may be getting even bigger. If it gets too big, and Apple underwhelms with what is announced, it will obviously look bad for them.

While it’s certainly possible that the WSJ decided “about $1,000″ was a good price to quote from analysts, there are at least as many people out there suggesting the device would be more like $600 – $800 — a price that would be much more attractive to consumers. With that in mind, and going along with my little thinking-out-loud-speculation here, I don’t think it’s impossible that Apple could have nudged WSJ towards the $1,000 predictors to temper expectations a bit.

The fact that the wording was odd, and it seemed like the WSJ itself was saying the thing would be “about $1,000″ is even better. It’s in people’s minds now that this is how much it will be, and they can ponder that for a few weeks leading up to the event. That way, if the device actually is around that price, people will have been prepared for it when it’s officially announced. It will put the product’s features back into the spotlight, rather than the price, which will have been already known.

Let’s remember, above all, Apple loves its high margins. If this tablet device is really as great as many of us are expecting, it has got to be expensive to build. Apple is not going to sell a device at low margins, they’re just not going to do it. So I certainly would not rule out a $1,000 price tag depending on what it costs to make.

These next few weeks, analysts and pundits will go on and on about how a $1,000 tablet will be a total failure. Of course, they’ve been saying that about iMacs in a time of cheap PCs, MacBooks in a time of cheap netbooks, iPhones in a time of cheap cellphones, etc, for a long time now. Apple has a great track record of defying those rules. Even at $1,000, I would not bet against this device. And if there is any truth to this WiFi subscription service idea (which, again, is a bit odd that WSJ would randomly mention), the thought is that it would be baked into the price of the device — something which Apple would undoubtedly play up. This is similar to how Amazon bakes the cost of wireless service into the Kindle (which has been selling very well despite what many to believe a price tag that is too high).

That said, Kane’s statements in her video follow-up to the article are interesting as well. She notes that “the price could come down really quickly if Apple decided that that’s what they wanted to do.” This is of course what happened with the original iPhone in 2007. Apple launched it at $600 but shaved a few hundred dollars off the price just a few months later to spur sales. And that seems to suggest that Kane, for whatever reason, really believes the device will be around $1,000. Are we really to believe she’s that confident in one analysts’ guesswork?

And there is a flip-side to all of this: Again, going along with my scenario, maybe Apple pointed towards the $1,000 price to set expectations very low in the weeks leading up to the event. That way, if they announce the device at $800, the public will erupt in applause, overjoyed that it’s not $1,000. Classic under promise, over deliver.

This is of course all just speculation, but I’m not so sure it’s that far out there. Certainly, I wouldn’t put any of the scenarios I laid out past Apple, which has a masterful hand when it comes to manipulating the media.

One more thing: A lot of sites are also re-reporting the WSJ saying the tablet will be 10 or 11 inches, with some even saying it could come in both sizes. What they actually said was that it would be 10 to 11 inches. Again, in the video, Kane makes this more clear. That presumably means the tablet will come in one size that is between 10 and 11 inches.  Though who knows what they’re talking about with the two different possible finishes. Maybe one aluminum and one plastic, like the various stages of the iPhone and Macs? Hopefully, all of these things will be answered at the end of this month.

[photos: flickr/tombothetominator and myuibe]

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

Google poised to take wraps off new mobile phone

Source: Gizmodo | 4 Jan 2010 | 10:01 pm

Jan. 5, 1943: G.W. Carver Bites the Dust He Enriched

The son of a slave saves agriculture in the old Confederacy. The South shall raise again.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 10:00 pm

Testing a Pre-Release, Parallel Firefox

Firefox, in its official version, still lacks support for multi-threading (running on different processors), though Chrome and Internet Explorer 8 both have this feature. A Firefox project called Electrolysis is underway to close this gap. A blog author tested a pre-release version of Firefox that loads different tabs in parallel, and he chronicles his findings, including a huge speedup in Javascript vs. Firefox version 3.5 (though the pre-release still lags Chrome in many of the tests).

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 4 Jan 2010 | 9:56 pm

Denied AdMob, Apple Buys Competing Ad Platform Quattro Wireless For $275 Million

We’re hearing that Apple is buying mobile advertising company Quattro Wireless for $275 million. This jives with reports earlier this evening of a deal between the two companies. Our source says that there was initially talk of a $400 million pricetag, but that has since come down. We’ve also heard that Microsoft may have been very interested as well.

The news comes only two months after Quattro competitor AdMob was snatched away from an Apple acquisition at the eleventh hour by Google.

The move is at once unsurprising and strange for Apple. Unsurprising, because Apple has ventured into this territory before with its negotiations with AdMob and has made it clear that it wants a cut of the soon-to-explode mobile advertising sector. At the same time, this is wholly unfamiliar territory for Apple. The company has long focused on selling high quality devices and the polished software that accompanies it. Yes, it distributes a vast amount of media through iTunes, but it is almost never involved with actually creating this media. Nor does it typically have a sales force selling advertising.

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

Source: Gizmodo | 4 Jan 2010 | 9:30 pm

Samsung outs the IceTouch and MyFit PMPs

We’re sure to see a ton of small portable media players this week at CES and these from Samsung are just two of them. The Samsung MyFit is aimed at fitness junkies, while trendy kids will probably opt for the IceTouch. They both are candybar-type devices and playback media, but that’s where the similarities end.

The MyFit is a fitness machine — well, not really a machine, more of a fitness gadget. It features monitors that measures stress and fat levels, along an accelerometer to track calorie burned during the workout. The device also comes equipped with a fitness manager and a calorie intake guide for those mid-day snack attacks.

The IceTouch, however, are for those that are already beautiful. These are the kids that will appreciate the sleek, glass look of the transparent AMOLED touchscreen and would never think of actually getting sweaty while holding it. This 16GB PMP can playback various video files, has an FM radio, and can even function as a portable storage device.

Too bad Samsung doesn’t care enough to release the pricing details for these models yet. The company wants to play the PR game and wet out taste buds with the specs and then issue another release later on to announces that info. Fun.

Samsung Introduces Award-Winning MP3 players with Innovative Transparent Touch AMOLED Display and Customized Wellness Applications

IceTouch features the world’s first transparent AMOLED touch-screen display, and MyFit features the world’s first wellness management technology with body fat and stress level measurements designed to help users get fit and stay in shape

LAS VEGAS – January 5, 2010 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled two MP3 players designed for the media savvy and those concerned with managing their personal well-being.

The IceTouch (YP-H1), featuring the world’s first 2-inch, full color, transparent Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) touch-screen display, functions as a DVD-quality video player, studio quality audio player, an ultra-portable photo album, an FM radio and even a portable storage device.  The MyFit (YP-W1), which features the first wellness-promoting technology, helps users monitor stress level, fat thickness, calorie intake and burn, and exercise effectiveness. Both players received a 2010 CES “Innovations Honoree” award and will be on display at the Samsung booth #11026 during the International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 7 – 10, 2010.

“In the world of MP3 players, companies need to continuously innovate and redefine the user experience, and we think we’ve done both of those things with the IceTouch and MyFit products,” said Reid Sullivan, senior vice president of Audio/Video and Digital Imaging Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Whether a consumer is looking for a multimedia device that offers unprecedented video playback quality or a multipurpose player they can use to help them get into shape when they go to the gym, Samsung has a solution to meet the needs of the consumer.”

IceTouch 16GB Transparent AMOLED Touch-Screen MP3 Player

In addition to the full-color transparent AMOLED touch screen, the IceTouch features a high-performance CPU and Samsung’s own “TouchWiz Sweep” interface, which is designed to provide a comfortable grip and give users new options for interacting with their player.

Audio purists will appreciate the device’s new 5.1-channel sound enhancement technology and support for the MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AAC, M4A, WAV and MP3HD audio codecs, and video hounds will love being able to playback MPEG4, WMV, H.264, Xvid and Divx files. The player also continually analyzes and adjusts audio levels to reflect the producer’s intended sound.

The AMOLED screen casing is constructed using a dual-injection molding process and tempered glass and results in a smooth, durable and scratch-proof surface that is aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to the touch. The IceTouch, which comes in white, can also be individually customized through separately sold color skins in pink, blue, purple and gray.

MyFit Wellness Promoting MP3 Player

As the world’s first portable media player to integrate wellness management tools, such as stress and body fat levels and customized workout guides, MyFit helps users achieve wellness while enjoying their favorite music tracks.  MyFit transcends basic playback of music and videos and enters the realm of wellness information and monitoring. Its unique features reflect the functional and stylistic nature of music enthusiasts while incorporating important applications and information for a fully-customizable device that encourages a healthy lifestyle.  Music can be collected into a jogging playlist and a simple Tapping Control Jogging mode makes it easy to change to the next song without interrupting a workout.

Breaking ground with the world’s first fat and stress sensors located on the top of the player, MyFit measures a user’s wellness indicators and contains an exercise management program to keep people on target with their fitness goals. A built-in accelerometer automatically tracks calories burned while jogging, and users can record their caloric consumption per meal with the included food calorie database. Additional wellness applications built into the MyFit include a water intake manager and smoking cessation utility.

But more than helping to make consumers healthier, MyFit is a full-featured portable music player that features an FM radio tuner and Samsung’s DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology, which helps to overcome the inefficiencies and limitations of compressed audio files and generate a more realistic stereo sound. Media playback includes high quality compressed and lossless audio formats, such as MP3, WMA, OGG, and AAC, as well as MPEG4 and WMV video formats.

The IceTouch and MyFit will be available in the first half of 2010 with 16GB and 8GB storage capacity, respectively.

Source: CrunchGear | 4 Jan 2010 | 9:20 pm

ContourHD firmware update extends configuration options

Just a quick PSA: if you’re rocking a ContourHD, you should head over and update the firmware. The configuration options available on the ContourHD 1080p (mic volume, EV +/-, autofocus mode) are now available for your 720p version. If Peter convinced you to buy one back before the 1080p was available, now you will no longer feel left out from our exposure value changing parties.

Source: Gizmodo | 4 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

Exclusive: Apple to Buy Quattro Wireless for $275 Million [BoomTown]

Apple is set to announce that it has acquired Quattro Wireless for $275 million, several sources confirmed.

The announcement of the acquisition might come as soon as tomorrow, upping the ante in the mobile advertising business significantly.

Google (GOOG) recently forked over an astonishing $750 million for Silicon Valley’s AdMob, a Quattro competitor, which Apple (AAPL) had also made a bid to acquire.

Both innovative start-ups are aimed squarely at the fast-growing market to advertise on smartphones, such as Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android devices.

In fact, the search giant will unveil the Nexus One tomorrow, mobile phone powered by it Android operating system software, which Google designed and will sell on a Web site instead of via telecom companies.

Waltham, Mass.-based Quattro has raised close to $30 million from two main venture investors–Highland Capital Partners and Globespan Capital Partners. Founded several years ago, its clients include Ford (F), Disney (DIS) and the National Football League.

Competitors in the space are many still, despite these big acquisitions, including Millenial Media and Jumptap, both of which are now clearly in play to other players from telcoms to other device makers to big Internet companies.

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment to BoomTown about the deal and email inquiries to Quattro have not yet been returned.

Source: All Things Digital | 4 Jan 2010 | 8:37 pm

Skiff's Innovative Big-Screen E-Reader to Debut at CES - PC World

CBC.ca

Skiff's Innovative Big-Screen E-Reader to Debut at CES PC World Editor's Note: This report has been updated to clarify that only the Skiff display is flexible. The Hearst publishing company's e-reader strategy will take a big step forward at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, when the unique Skiff ... Skiff and Sprint Launch Skiff E-ReaderPC Magazine E-reader has more size, flexibilitySan Francisco Chronicle Slim, Large Screen E-Reader Skiff to Debut on SprintWired News Ars Technica -Afterdawn.com -TopNews United States all 89 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 4 Jan 2010 | 8:32 pm

CSI has nothing on Mr. Brain

It’s always great fun to watch shows like CSI enhance video surveillance footage. Sometimes it’s the most entertaining part of the hour-long show. But those clunky systems used by American police forces have nothing on the ChineseJapanese [Editor's note: nice] equipment featured in the video above. This shit is amazing. It could probably read the serial number on the Hubble Telescope.

Source: CrunchGear | 4 Jan 2010 | 8:28 pm

Kepler telescope discovers five new planets, all bigger than Earth - Washington Post

Telegraph.co.uk

Kepler telescope discovers five new planets, all bigger than Earth Washington Post In their search for a planet that looks like Earth -- comfortably bathed in sunshine in a pleasant solar system where life would be easy come easy go -- astronomers keep turning up the strangest things. They've found a planet with the ... Five New Planets Found; Hotter Than Molten LavaNational Geographic Kepler scientists find five very hot planetsUSA Today NASA's Kepler spots 5 planets in its first 6 weeks of dataArs Technica InformationWeek -Scientific American -Computerworld all 428 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 4 Jan 2010 | 8:16 pm

Game maker Electronic Arts sticks with Woods (AFP)

AFP - Electronic Arts Incorporated is sticking with embattled golfer Tiger Woods and plans to roll out an online game featuring the world number one this month.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 4 Jan 2010 | 8:02 pm

'Google phone' fever high on eve of Android event (AFP)

AFP - Google is expected to step into the mobile arena Tuesday with its own Nexus One smartphone in a direct challenge to Apple's heavyweight iPhone handsets.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 4 Jan 2010 | 8:01 pm

ATSC-M/H Demodulator IP Core for Mobile DTV by Iberium Communications

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Iberium Communications, Inc., a leading provider of digital television (DTV) demodulation intellectual property, announced that it is developing an ATSC M/H demodulation core for the North American and Korean mobile DTV markets.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 8:01 pm

HP Patents Bignum Implementation From 1912

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The authors of GMP (the GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library) were invited to join Peer-to-Patent to review HP's recent patent on a very old technique for implementing bignums because their software might infringe. Basically, HP's patent claims choosing an exponent based on processor word size. If you choose a 4-bit word size and a binary number, you end up working in hexadecimal. Or for a computer with a 16-bit word and a base-10 number, you use base 10,000 so that each digit of the base-10,000 number would fit into a single 16-bit word. The obvious problem with that is that there's plenty of prior art here. Someone who spent a few minutes Googling found that Knuth describing the idea in TAOCP Vol. 2 and other citations go back to 1912 (which implemented the same algorithm using strips of cardboard and a calculating machine). None of this can be found in the 'references cited' section. Even though the patent examiner did add a couple of references, they appear to have cited some old patents. The patent issued a few months ago, was filed back in October of 2004, and collected dust at the USPTO for some 834 days."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 4 Jan 2010 | 8:01 pm

Electronic Arts standing behind Tiger Woods (AP)

AP - Electronic Arts Inc. said Monday it will stand behind Tiger Woods — at least for the release of a new online golf game featuring the embattled athlete.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 4 Jan 2010 | 7:54 pm

Iomega Helps You Clone Your System—And Play Media, Too (PC World)

PC World - Nearly two years have passed since Iomega and EMC (known for its data backup software) joined, and Iomega's latest offering reflects the company's current emphasis on integrating the hardware and software experience. Iomega's new v.Clone, introduced here at CES, aims to simplify software virtualization by making it simple for users to clone their PC and use it anywhere.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 4 Jan 2010 | 7:37 pm

CES 2010: Inspired Instruments to show off You Rock Guitar usb string guitar controller

FROM GAMERTELL - Named the You Rock Guitar, this is an honest-to-goodness string guitar that plugs into your computer. For $20 more you can get a GameFlex cartridge that adapts the guitar to be used as a controller for consoles games…
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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 7:22 pm

Lenovo’s U1 is a netbook with removable tablet

Everyone’s all excited about that Freescale gizmo, but it looks like it may have competition. The Lenovo U1 has a similar convertible design, though with a slightly more rounded look. It’s also different in function: when docked, it runs Windows 7 on the dock’s low-power Intel processor, but once detached it uses an ARM CPU to run a lightweight Linux distro. Not sure how it’s going to handle the segue if you’ve got work in progress and need to dock it, but I’m sure Lenovo has that handled.

Here are the specs, broken down into tablet and dock portions:

Tablet:

• 1.6 pounds
• 1GHz Snapdragon processor
• 512MB DDR1 RAM
• 16GB SSD

Dock:

• 3.8 pounds (with tablet attached)
• Intel Core2 Duo U4100 processor
• 4GB DDR3 RAM (max)
• 128GB SSD

One other major difference: the U1 starts at a thousand dollars. I get the feeling Freescale might be the more attractive proposition to most people. We’ll see ‘em both at CES, though, so we’ll let you know.

[via PC Magazine]

Source: CrunchGear | 4 Jan 2010 | 7:12 pm

Blogger's Twitter Account Implicated in TSA Leak Case

A TSA agent who subpoenaed a blogger for information on who leaked an airport screening order composed a Twitter message to attempt to nab the leaker, according to a source. The blogger published it, raising questions about the ethical obligations of bloggers.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 7:00 pm

Ahmedinejad's website hacked?

Austin Heap blogs that the official website for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has been pwned. Right now, ahmadinejad.ir displays a rambly greeting that references the untimely deaths of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Patrick Swayze. Nobody puts Iran in a corner! (via Cyrus Farivar)


Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:57 pm

Dating site nukes 5,000 overweight members

"Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded." And with that, BeautifulPeople reportedly nuked 5,000 members it deemed "fatties."(thanks, Antinous)


Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:53 pm

IBM to Show Smart Home Devices (PC World)

PC World - IBM is pushing for intelligent homes as Internet-connected household devices get access to more online content and services, company officials said on Monday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:50 pm

New HourTime Episode: Enjoy Now!

A new HourTime watch podcast for your edification. Admit it. You really like it. Right?

Guys? Right?

Download MP3 Subscribe in iTunes

Source: CrunchGear | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:49 pm

White House calls for regulators to increase wireless Internet access in US - Washington Post

CNET News

White House calls for regulators to increase wireless Internet access in US Washington Post The Obama administration called Monday for federal regulators to provide more spectrum for wireless high-speed Internet services, saying mobile broadband would bring competition to DSL, cable and fiber broadband providers. ... DOJ Recommends FCC Quickly Free up More SpectrumPC World Justice Dept Urges More Spectrum For Wireless BroadbandWall Street Journal US Justice Department urges FCC to free spectrumReuters ABC News -CNET News -Broadcast Newsroom all 200 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:41 pm

SnapTax From TurboTax Will Let You File Your Taxes From Your iPhone (If You Live In CA)

Nobody likes doing their taxes, which is why an upcoming iPhone app from Intuit called SnapTax is so genius. As you can see from the exclusive sneak peek demo video below, the app lets you snap a picture of your W2 form with your iPhone and automatically fills in your tax return. The app uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology to translate the images into words and numbers, which it then uploads into a light version of Intuit’s TurboTax software. The tax filers then correct any mistakes, enter additional data not on the W2 (such as interest income), answers a few more questions, and they are done. They can even file electronically from their iPhone.

The app should be available in the iTunes store in mid-January, and will cost $9.99. It is only for people who file simple tax forms, such as the 1040EZ, which is about 70 percent of Americans who file taxes. “I think we are more limited by the iPhone numbers than the EZ return numbers,” says TurboTax product manager Barry Saik. Although, this year the app will only work for California residents, who will serve as Intuit’s beta testers. Next year, versions will be available for many more states (TurboTax files both federal and state tax returns for users, and uses the same information to fill them out).

The OCR technology works better on newer 3GS iPhones than on 3G iPhones because they have more sensitive camera lenses. The app is about 80 percent accurate on 3GS iPhones versus 60 percent accurate on 3G iPhones, according to Intuit. The app takes you through all the data it captures and lets you correct any inaccuracies. And as you go along, you see your refund (or tax owed) tally up with each step. If only they could do this for people with more complicated taxes (people with mortgages, kids, and businesses). What if you could take a photo of every receipt and taxable event throughout the year, and then add your W2 and other tax statements at the end of the year, and be done? Hopefully, this is a first step in that direction.

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Source: TechCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:30 pm

Mio Internet Tablet with 3G capabilities

Section: Communications, Smartphones, Computers, Mobile Computers

Recent rumors about the Apple Tablet and Freescale’s design of a low cost tablet demonstrate the industry’s revived interest in tablets.

Haleron Technologies introduced the Mio iLET (Internet TabLET) featuring an Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz processor and a multi touch screen. The operating system used in conjunction with this capacitive touch screen is the new Windows 7 OS. This 10” tablet boasts a built in SIM driven GSM Quad Band Unlocked Cell Phone, which means that you can place and receive calls on the tablet through a bluetooth headset. The tablet has 3G connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth, 160GB hard drive, 1.3 megapixels camera, three USB 2.0 ports, one SD/MS/MMC/ms-pro card reader, one VGA port, one ethernet port, one DC-in connector, one microphone connector, and one earphone connector. A 3-cell 3500 mAh battery can provide up to 3 hours of runtime, and a 6-cell version up to 6 hours. I am a little disappointed that the iLET does not come with a built-in GPS.

While the device is currently out of stock (It will be available on 15.1.2010), the order form provides a selection between a standard SATA drive or an SSD. There appears to be no extra charges if you wish to switch the hard drive to the 160GB SSD version. Haleron claims that the tablet is shipped unlocked, which means that you will not be tied to any cellphone carriers. You can even use the cellphone feature of this tablet in other countries.

Tablets like this are really blurring the lines between smartphones and netbooks. Some people may call them oversized smartphones, and then there are people who believe that the full potential of tablets are yet to be revealed.

Read [Haleron Technologies] Via [Liliputing]

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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:11 pm

Pearl Jam Gives A Song Away For A Tweet

Regular readers may know my affinity for Pearl Jam. The band, which released a new album, Backspacer, last year had a series of promotions with MySpace to promote the album. Now they’re turning to Twitter for some more.

The band has teamed up with the digital media house Culture Jam to launch a new site that easily allows you to tweet about about the Pearl Jam song “Just Breathe.” This site is actually a simple application that gets your Twitter credentials via OAuth. In exchange for the tweet, you’ll receive a code that will allow you to download the song on iTunes for free. Specifically, it’s a live version of the song that was recorded at Austin City Limits this year.

This free song isn’t without a slight catch. Not only will you obviously have to send the tweet, but in small print on the site, you’ll see that by tweeting the message you will also automatically follow the @pearljam account on Twitter. Of course, if you’re tweeting this, you’re probably into Pearl Jam, and won’t mind following the account.

On the site, there is also a way to buy a digital copy of the single and you can enter to win a limited run copy of the new album on White Vinyl LP (there are 15 of them available).

Culture Jam does these types of promotions for a number of musical acts. The use of Twitter in this regard is smart because there is a very low barrier to entry. As we discussed yesterday, a growing number of brands and venues are using Twitter to trade free goods and deals for promotion on the service.

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Twitter

iTunes

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Source: TechCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:07 pm

Kepler Finds Five More Exoplanets

Arvisp was one of several readers to send news of five new exoplanets discovered by the Kepler space telescope. In addition to the new "hot Jupiters" — the easiest targets to find — Kepler's early data has turned up some oddities, including something that is too hot to be a planet and too small to be a star. And one of the exoplanets is so fluffy that "it has the density of Styrofoam." The real news is that Kepler works as designed, and the scientists running it are fully confident that it will find Earth-like planets in some star's habitable zone, if they are out there to be found. Here is NASA's press release.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:06 pm

Fetish: Sneak Up on Dust Bunnies With Toshiba's Sleek, Quiet Escargot Vac

With its ultracool look, convenient size and serious sunctioning power, the Escargot vacuum makes cleaning a little less sucky.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:00 pm

Japanese Photographer Bends Electricity to His Will

Award-winning photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto sends up to 40,000 volts of electricity through film to a metal table. The process captures furry whorls that call to mind vascular systems and geologic features.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:00 pm

Fetish: Sneak Up on Dust Bunnies With Toshiba's Sleek, Quiet Escargot Vac

With its ultracool look, convenient size and serious sunctioning power, the Escargot vacuum makes cleaning a little less sucky.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:00 pm

Anthropologist Wade Davis speaks at Long Now Foundation, January 13

Anthropologist Wade Davis is National Geographic's "Explorer-in-Residence," and deservedly so. His books about indigenous cultures are more exciting and stranger than any Indiana Jones adventure. I became a fan after reading his book about voudon and zombie culture in Haiti, called The Serpent and the Rainbow (skip the awful movie with the same name -- it bears almost no resemblance to Davis' book).

Davis has a new book, called The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World, and he's going to give a talk about it at the Long Now Foundation On January 13. It will be hosted by Stewart Brand.

(Above, Wade Davis at TED, talking about "the Elder Brothers, a group of Sierra Nevada indians whose spiritual practice holds the world in balance.")

Wade Davis at Long Now

Previously:

• Wade Davis: an Inuit elder and his shit knife - Boing Boing
• The Best Zombie Story of the Year - Boing Boing

Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:54 pm

Will Apple Buzz Overshadow CES (Again)? [Voices]

By Andrew LaVallee, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

The Consumer Electronics Show starts Thursday and will feature thousands of technology vendors clamoring for attention. They’ll have their work cut out for them.

The Apple (AAPL) tablet, an Internet-connected, touch-screen device, has dominated the tech blogosphere in recent weeks, even though it hasn’t been formally announced by the secretive company. The Journal reported that Apple is in talks with TV networks for a related subscription service, and outlets have also discussed the possible component makers that will work with Apple.

Apple watchers expect the company–maybe even Steve Jobs, who has been closely involved with the tablet’s development–to unveil the tablet in three weeks (Jan. 27, according to All Things D), and while Apple won’t be at CES, you can bet that attendees and exhibitors will be talking about it.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:40 pm

Windows Mobile Bug Dates Messages from 2016

Windows Mobile users are facing an unexpected New Year’s surprise. A software bug has struck smartphones running the Microsoft operating system so all messages received starting January 1 are dated 2016.

Phones running versions 6.1 or 6.5 of Windows Mobile are reportedly affected. Microsoft and the handset makers haven’t responded yet with a fix for the bug. We are still waiting for a comment from the company.

The Windows Mobile bug is similar to the once-feared Y2K problem where computer programs had to be rewritten to ensure they interpreted the “00″ date tag as year 2000, instead of 1900. Windows Mobile had 11 percent share of the global smartphone market in the third quarter of 2008. But it has been losing ground to competitors such as Apple with the iPhone OS and the Google-designed Android operating system. In the fourth quarter, Windows Mobile’s market share declined to 7.9 percent.

The latest Win Mobile bug is an annoyance to its users. Because messages are incorrectly dated, they get lost in the inbox and conversation threads don’t show up appropriately. Outgoing messages, though, are dated correctly.

There is a temporary solution. An unofficial patch tries to use the phone’s clock rather than the one used by the SMS gateway to date the  messages correctly.  Meanwhile, users of Windows Mobile based smartphones on T-Mobile’s network say they haven’t faced the problem.

See Also:

• How Microsoft Blew It With Windows Mobile
• Windows Mobile 7 Delayed Until Late 2010
• Verizon Drafts Developers Into Mobile Software War on Apple
• BTW: Microsoft See Windows Mobile Sales up 50% This and Next Year

Photo: (Tim Dorr/Flickr)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:35 pm

Mobile Ad Impressions On Android Double Since October

Mobile ad network AdMob has just released its latest stats tracking the rise of Android, and it’s clear that Google’s mobile platform is quickly gaining steam. AdMob writes that between October and December, the number of ad requests worldwide from Android devices increased a whopping 97% to over 1 billion ad requests. In other words, the number of requests from Android devices doubled in just two months.

Much of the growth was clearly driven by the release of the Motorola Droid. Before the Droid’s launch, HTC devices accounted for 98% of Android requests. In December, that fell to 56%, with 39% from Motorola (which also offers the CLIQ) and 5% from Samsung.

Some more stats from AdMob’s latest post:

• Increased device diversity: In December, 7 devices generated more than 3% of requests each: the Motorola Droid, HTC Dream, HTC Magic, HTC Hero, Motorola CLIQ, HTC Droid Eris, and the Samsung Moment. This is up from only 3 devices in October (HTC Dream, HTC Magic, and HTC Hero).
• Droid Invasion: The Motorola Droid is already the leading Android handset in the AdMob network and generated 30% of requests in December.
• US leads Android adoption: 90% of Android traffic was in the US in December, up from 84% in October. Top countries by requests are the US, UK, Germany, France, and Canada, respectively.

Of course, AdMob is not exactly unbiased any more — the company was acquired by Google in November. That said, as the largest mobile ad network, it certainly has a wealth of relevant data.

Look for Android to get another big push tomorrow, when we’ll likely see the release of the Nexus One.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:20 pm

Android Phone Demand Up 250%, iPhone Down

CWmike writes "A 'monstrous' jump in demand for Android-equipped smartphones has turned the market upside down, according to a retail pollster. Of the people who told ChangeWave Research in a mid-December survey that they planned to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days, 21% said they expected to purchase an Android phone. That number represented a 250% increase over the 6% that pegged Android as their mobile OS of choice when ChangeWave last queried consumers' plans in September. 'That change rivals anything that we've seen in the last three years of the smartphone market,' said Paul Carton, ChangeWave's director of research, adding that the sudden surge in consumer interest in Android had 'roiled' the market. 'This is an indication that Android has finally caught consumer interest,' added Carton, who cited the recent advertising campaign for the Motorola Droid smartphone as the reason why interest in Android has skyrocketed. Android's leap translated into good news for Motorola and HTC, the most prominent makers of Google-powered handsets, with the former reaping most of the benefit. Motorola's share of smartphone purchases in the next 90 days shot up from 1% in September to 13% in December. Carton tagged the company's Droid as the reason. '[It's] the first increase for Motorola we've seen in three years,' Carton said." Here is the ChangeWave report.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:17 pm

Staying on script: iTalk Recorder Pro for iPhone and iPod touch

FROM APPLETELL - For the creative writer, there’s little worse than sitting in front of the computer at the end of day and thinking, “What the hell was that brilliant idea I had in the car?” Enter iTalk Recorder Pro.
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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:09 pm

The mysteries of Venn diagrams

Above, a Venn diagram I made visually depicting every combination of Dwarf from the fairy tale. Not included: Snow White.

The other day I was tying to make some multi-set Venn diagrams with polar symmetry, which it turns out is harder than you'd think and has ties with prime number theory. It's an obscure but important area of combinatorics. Everybody knows a 3-set one (n=3), and I made a 5-set one with ellipses (pictured to the right). After that, I was stumped. That led me to a great web section maintained by Professors Frank Ruskey and Mark Weston. The Dwarf diagram at the top is based on that work, with Sleepy a little more opaque so you can see the shape. Ruskey and Weston display lots of lovely diagrams, including the elusive n=7 minimum vertex Venn diagram and the remarkable n=11 Venn diagram.

A Survey of Venn Diagrams


Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:04 pm

An Inside Look At A Twitter Style Guide: 140 Characters

We’ve all seen Twitter grow into the company that it is now, but what was it like when it first started — back when it was still called Odeo, and Twitter wasn’t in existence. As we know, Twitter was spun off from Evan William’s company Odeo, into what we know now as Twitter, the social networking service where you post short messages in 140 characters or less.

Dom Sagolla was one of the employees who worked at Odeo, transitioned to Twitter, and was subsequently laid off in the early days of the company. He recently wrote the book 140 Characters, which is mainly a style guide for the super-short form writing, and a concise field manual that will help you be more effective when communicating in small spaces, like on Twitter. The book also has a foreword from Twitter creator and Square CEO, Jack Dorsey. Sagolla is also using Square to sell his book on the go with his iPhone as well.

Sagolla is the founder of DollarApp, an iPhone development company that makes applications for $0.99. He is also the co-founder of iPhoneDevCamp, an international iPhone development conference which is coming up on it’s fourth conference this year.

What’s interesting about the book is that it comes with a companion iPhone application developed by Sagolla’s company, DollarApp. [iTunes link] The application lets you read the book on your iPhone, as well as a comment on the book via Twitter.

I’ve read the book now, and I have to say — it’s a really interesting read. It goes in depth about different styles on Twitter, and how different styles really affect the way we read tweets. For example, different styles go from comedy tweets that entertain, all the way to drama and poetry. For instance, @TheEllenShow is known for her one-liners.  These different styles reflect on how different users tweet, and distinguish themselves from others.

Oh, and I found out one of my tweets is quoted in the book! You can get on the app on the App Store today, and buy the book on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Borders and of course, online.

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Dom Sagolla

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Source: TechCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:00 pm

Suicide food logo -- Pekingeend Duck

Another mouth-watering food product label from the Suicide Food blog: A mama duck serving her plucked baby on a platter. It's even better when you pretend the mama is shedding a tear.

Other winning graphics from Suicide Food:

Happy pigs board truck to slaughterhouse.

Flirtatious fish enjoys mustard bukkake.

Pig doesn't seem to mind knife and fork in its back.

Headless plucked chickens try out Kama Sutra positions.

Pekingeend Duck


Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:57 pm

SocialToo Attempts To Go Viral With Twitter-Based Affiliate Program

SocialToo, a startup that lets you manage your personal connections on Twitter and Facebook, has launched an affiliate program to allow users to reap a profit from referring other users to the service. For each type of service you refer people to join on SocialToo, the startup will pay you 20 percent of the cost of that service via PayPal-powered TwitPay, right through Twitter.

SocialToo, which launched a universal Facebook to Twitter posting feature earlier this year, provides tools for managing your Twitter and Facebook accounts such as auto-following, auto-unfollowing, auto-messaging, along with daily stats surrounding new follows and unfollow and the ability to conduct surveys from followers. Its plethora of features are ideal for marketers and brands who want to learn the most they can from those they follow. SocialToo’s features range anywhere from $5 for following back everyone who follows you to $25 to unfollow everyone who you’ve ever followed before.

Using Twitter-based payment system, TwitPay, users can Tweet and share links with friends on Twitter, Facebook, blogs or websites. Here’s what the message and link will looks like:

Catch up following those that follow you on Twitter: click here

When someone clicks the link, they’ll be taken to SocialToo, but a special, customized overlay will pop over the main page welcoming them to SocialToo with the referring user’s Twitter profile image next to the welcome message. The will tell the visitor about the type of service the referrer has recommended and will invite them to provide their screen name and enter the purchase process. For every affiliate link where a user purchases a SocialToo service, affiliates collect 20 percent of the fee.

At the end of each month, SocialToo will send out a payment to each affiliate via Twitpay. It’s fairly easy. This is definitely an interesting idea to get viral growth but the affiliate program is sure to raise some eyebrows in the Twittersphere. Sponsored Tweets from Ad.ly, a platform that links up high-profile advertisers with Twitter users to disseminate marketing campaigns (and produce a revenue stream for Twitter users), have been criticized as a viable advertising model. Advertising in your stream and then monetizing off of other users could be construed in a negative way.

Tweetbucks and even Amazon also allow users to collect affiliate fees from their Tweet streams.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:50 pm

Video: Assembling the Score for 'God of War III'

Recorded at Skywalker Sound and remotely in Prague, the God of War III videogame score is one of Sony's biggest productions. Watch how it was pieced together.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:45 pm

INTERPOL Granted Diplomatic Immunity In the US

ShakaUVM writes "A couple of weeks ago without any fanfare or notice in the media, President Obama granted INTERPOL full diplomatic immunity while conducting investigations on American soil. While INTERPOL has been allowed to operate in the US in the past, under an executive order by President Reagan, they've had to follow the same rules as the FBI, CIA, etc., while on American soil. This means, among other things, the new executive order makes INTERPOL immune to Freedom of Information Act requests and that INTERPOL agents cannot be punished for most any crimes they may commit. Hopefully the worst we'll see from this is INTERPOL agents ignoring their speeding tickets." Update: 01/05 02:57 GMT by KD : Reader davecb pointed out that the referenced article, in fact, says pretty much the opposite.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:35 pm

Decision Looms on iPhone Hack - Wired News

CNET News

Decision Looms on iPhone Hack Wired News The geek masses are anxiously awaiting the unveiling of the next wonder gadget at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week. What's more, Apple is expected to drop the tablet bomb in San Francisco this month. ... BMW launches free M Power iPhone applicationCNET News FutureTap Reflects On "Where To?" iPhone App Acquisition, Talks NumbersWashington Post My Favorite 14 Apps of 2009New York Times (blog) ABC News -Inquirer -The Guardian all 198 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:23 pm

3 Idiots: Bollywood blockbuster is equal parts cautionary tale, maker manifesto, portrait of India

Over the holidays, I kept spotting tweets from Indian and non-Indian friends alike gushing about 3 Idiots. The just-released Bollywood blockbuster has broken box office records throughout India. I'm no expert in Indian cinema or popular culture, but figured so many happy pings couldn't be wrong, so I ventured out for a screening (at an otherwise struggling art-house theater which was this night *packed* with a cheering, Hindi-speaking crowd). Verdict? Yup, it's awesome, and the tech themes may make this accessible for those of you who otherwise might not make the leap to watching Indian films.

@robinsloan said it best: "It works as fun movie AND a portrait of India today AND a maker manifesto." The film is a cautionary moral tale about about aspiration at all costs, and a social commentary on India's educational system. The hacker-protagonist played by Aamir Khan preaches DIY tech education as an empowering journey to world-changing knowledge, not a shallow means to upwardly mobile ends.

Bollywood movies somehow manage to cram in more sheer total stuff than US pics. This one's no exception: there's a hot "wet sari" scene, a bathroom dance number with aerial toilet steadicam shots, a climax of of parental drama that involves comparison shopping between laptops and SLR cameras, an obviously fake rubber baby, and beautiful Himalayan scenery. Blogs, webcams, and aerial surveillance drones glide effortlessly through the script. Not once, but twice, a homemade penis-electrocution hardware hack serves for comic (and bladder) relief.

If you're reading this and you speak Hindi, none of this is news: by various metrics, Idiots was the most-anticipated (and is now the most-successful) Indian film in some time. But for Bollywood noobs, I can think of no better first door to open. The film is in Hindi and English, with English subtitles. Yes, you'll miss out on some of the layered humor in the film's ample Hindi puns, but there's so much else going on you'll be fine.

Producer Vinod Chopra reportedly plans to make the entire film available for download and viewing online, for free, this March. Chopra is quoted in the Economic Times, a business publication out of India:

I'm providing this facility for those who can't see it on big screen and watch pirated movies. I just want them to discourage pirated prints. They just need to wait for 12 weeks and after that they can legally download the movie and watch it. Tomorrow if there is a facility to watch movies on mobile phones, the film will be available there but in appropriate time.

Bonus inside baseball round: the film is loosely adapted from elements of Chetan Bhagat's book Five Point Someone: What Not to Do at IIT. There's a big off-screen drama exploding around contract and credit rights between the author and 3 Idiots producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and director Rajkumar Hirani. The filmmakers' side of things is presented in this YouTube response video (!), but even more noteworthy: yes, Internet Hitler has an opinion, too.

Embed below: short promo version of "Zoobi Doobi," a silly and infectious musical number from the film that pays homage to over-the-top Bollywood love stories (and if I'm not mistaken, Singin' in the Rain.) Caution: earworm!

MP3 version of soundrack: Amazon. (Music by Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal & Sonu Nigam.)

3 Idiots is currently playing in theaters throughout the United States (and worldwide).

Related/required reading:

1) Robin Sloan's thoughts on 3 Idiots

2) "State of the World 2010," notes from Bruce Sterling on why you should follow Bollywood stars on Twitter (item D in the list).


3) Here's the film's Wikipedia entry [CONTAINS SPOILERS].


4) This Variety review cracked me up, for one line only: "Crossover potential is zero." [CONTAINS SPOILERS]

Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:22 pm

Tech writer defends junkets

NYT tech writer David Pogue writes that junkets are OK because it's pre-approved by his editors. NYTPick contends that his appearances nonetheless contradict New York Times ethics rules which see others fired for lesser infractions. Fake Steve Jobs' own thoughts on these issues, however, get to the point in a manner neither subtle nor safe for work.


Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:15 pm

FX Bridge Reaches One Millionth Foreign Exchange Option Milestone

ATLANTA, Jan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:08 pm

Skiff and Sprint to show largest ebook reader at CES

Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks

Those who have an ebook reader like the Kindle or Nook, or even those who have looked into getting one, know that current ebook readers have a problem with magazines and newspapers.  The layout can’t be reproduced well on the smaller screens.  With its new ebook reader, Skiff looks to be the first to take on that issue with a reader that is large enough to handle just about any layout.

The Skiff Reader looks to be the largest ebook reader when its shown off this week at CES.  The Skiff Reader will have a large 11.5-inch touchscreen, with a resolution of 1600 x 1200, which is sharper than a lot of laptops.  The screen itself is “foil-display” which is based on a flexible stainless-steel foil rather than the typical glass base.  It will have Wi-Fi and Sprint 3G to connect to a new Skiff store.  The store will focus mostly on larger formats like magazines and newspapers, though books will likely be available.

There are no announcements as to the price and release of the Skiff Reader, though hopefully we’ll find out more at CES later this week.  The reader looks to be a good answer to the problem of reading magazines and newspapers, though it might become easily lost in the shuffle.  Many companies have come out to say they’re working on that very issue, and most seems to have color displays.  Maybe if the price is low enough, and there’s more content available for it than other devices it might succeed, though with rumors of the Apple iSlate, it seems fairly doubtful.

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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 3:55 pm

Constitutionality of RIAA Damages Challenged

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "In SONY BMG Music Entertainment v. Tenenbaum, defendant has filed a motion for new trial, attacking, among other things, the constitutionality of the jury's $675,000 award as being violative of due process. In his 32-page brief [PDF], Tenenbaum argues that the award exceeded constitutional due process standards, both under the Court's 1919 decision in St. Louis Railway v. Williams, as well as under its more recent authorities State Farm v. Campbell and BMW v. Gore. Defendant also argues that the Court's application of fair use doctrine was incorrect, that statutory damages should not be imposed against music consumers, and that the Court erred in a key evidentiary ruling."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 4 Jan 2010 | 3:54 pm

Mad's Mort Drucker on cartooning

Ever since I could read, I have admired Mort Drucker's work in Mad. He's the guy who drew the wonderful movie and TV show parodies in the magazine. Until today, I had no idea what he looked like, or what his voice sounded like. Thanks to the magic of the YouTubes, now I know!

It's always interesting to see how an artist sets up his studio, and in this video, we get a good look at Drucker's workplace.

Mort Drucker, world famous caricaturist and humorous illustrator best known for his work in MAD magazine has made an exclusive, never before seen tutorial film about his process and life experiences. Presented and interviewed by Stephen Silver. To watch the 2 hour and 15 minute film go to www.schoolism.com and click on "The Masters Series" banner located on the bottom. The film will debut starting January 20th 2010.

In the Studio with Mort Drucker


Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 3:53 pm

Freescale’s $200 Design Shows Tablet Possibilities

While gadget enthusiasts wait for the fabled but possibly $1,000 tablet from Apple, cheaper alternatives are possible, says Freescale Semiconductor.

The company has created a tablet reference design featuring a 7-inch touch screen and has a a form factor that is approximately a third the size and volume of a typical netbook. The idea is to help PC manufacturers create a device that uses the company ARM processor and is priced at less than $200.

“Freescale’s new tablet is optimized to support common online activities including social media, high-quality audio and video playback and light gaming,”says Henri Richard, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Freescale. “We believe the tablet will emerge as a popular form factor for the next generation of smartbooks.”

Freescale’s tablet design offers instant-on functionality and all-day battery life, says the company. It plans to show some prototypes running the Android and Linux operating systems at the Consumer Electronics Show later this week.

The tablet includes a i.MX515 processor that uses ARM Cortex A8 technology, 512 MB memory, 4 GB to 64 GB internal storage, a 3-megapixel camera and an accelerometer.

The device also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and support for 3G connectivity. The tablet has a web browser with Flash player, PDF and image viewers, a mail client, RSS reader, office suite, handwriting utilities and widgets for Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, weather, text messages and other applications.

Freescale says products based on the design could hit retail shelves in the summer of 2010. But that’s only if some of the Taiwanese PC manufacturers buy the idea.

Photo: Freescale smartbook designs/Freescale

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 3:40 pm

DARPA Kick-Starts Flying Car Program

coondoggie writes to share that DARPA is finally trying to make good on the promise of flying cars for our future with the new "Transformer" (TX) project. "DARPA said the vehicle will need to be able to drive on prepared surface and light off-road conditions, as well as support Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) features. The TX will also support range and speed efficiencies that will allow for missions to be performed on a single tank of fuel. DARPA said the TX will 'provide the flexibility to adapt to traditional and asymmetric threats by providing the operator unimpeded movement over difficult terrain. In addition, transportation is no longer restricted to trafficable terrain that tends to makes movement predictable.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 4 Jan 2010 | 3:11 pm

New cameraphone sensor to take terrible, terrible 1080p video

I’m sure this is a very grand advance in miniaturization, but I’m afraid the results may be of questionable quality. Omnivision has announced a new sensor for mobile phone cameras that will take 14MP photos and do 1080p video at 60FPS. As far as I’m concerned, this is bad news. Cameraphone lenses are slow and of very low quality, and the tiny sensor size means both bad low light performance and bad clarity due to insanely small pixel pitch.

And the video will have to be low bitrate to accommodate the lack of storage on most phones. 1080p video at 1Mbps? It’ll be like watching an HDTV smeared with vaseline. Why not make your sensor or phone do something useful, like take good pictures in low light, or do high-speed video?

Phone-camera hybrids like the Idou are still pretty rough. Let’s focus on getting the devices right, then we can add resolution if it’s really necessary, all right?

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 3:10 pm

Apple Event Slated for Jan. 27 [Digital Daily]

[ See post to watch video ]

Source: All Things Digital | 4 Jan 2010 | 3:00 pm

Five new expoplanets discovered by NASA's Kepler telescope

Hot Jupiter, y'all! No, really: NASA's Kepler space telescope has discovered its first five new exoplanets, all significantly larger than Earth, and called "hot Jupiters" because of their high masses and extreme temperatures.


Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:54 pm

Gamertell Review: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Endgame novel by David Michaels

FROM GAMERTELL - Splinter Cell Endgame is the second half of the story for Splinter Cell Conviction. Here’s how it stands up…
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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:41 pm

Blocking Inflammation Receptor Kills Breast Cancer Stem Cells, U-M Study Finds

Scientists at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have uncovered an important link between inflammation and breast cancer stem cells that suggests a new way to target cells that are resistant to current treatments.The researchers identified a receptor, CXCR1, on the cancer stem cells which triggers growth of stem cells in response to inflammation and tissue damage.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:37 pm

Alliance for Digital Equality Elects Mayor Manuel A. Diaz and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors as Vice Chairman

About the Alliance for Digital Equality - The Alliance for Digital Equality is a national non-profit consumer advocacy organization that serves to facilitate and ensure equal access to technology in underserved communities. The Alliance also serves as a bridge between policymakers and minority individuals in order to help the public understand how legislative and regulatory policies regarding new technologies can impact and empower their daily lives. For more information on The Alliance for Digital Equality, please visit www.alliancefordigitalequality.org.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:27 pm

New Exoplanet Hunter Makes First 5 Discoveries

A spacecraft designed to find Earth-like exoplanets has found its first new worlds. But don't get your hopes up yet -- the initial crop features hot Jupiters, not Earth analogs.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:23 pm

Mount Airy Casino Resort Introduces SmartPlay(TM)

MOUNT POCONO, Pa., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Say goodbye to the industry standard buffet pass and hotel room comp when it comes to premium player rewards.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:20 pm

Foodchannel.com Announces Top Food Trends of the Decade

CHICAGO, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The Food Channel® (foodchannel.com) editorial staff has compiled a look back at the last decade in food, giving a perspective on the top flavors, biggest foods, food influences and top food stories.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:14 pm

Decision Looms on iPhone Hack

As gadget envy begins this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, federal regulators are set to rule on whether to sanction iPhone jailbreaking.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:12 pm

Suite101.com celebrates the new year (and a new site design) with contest for a new company tagline

Online magazine www.suite101.com invites submissions for taglines that describe the site, and offers prizes including $1000 cash for top taglines as selected by Suite101's community of 8,000 writers. VANCOUVER, Jan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:10 pm

Nurse Home Visitation Program Reduces Girls' Potential Criminality Later In Life

Girls whose mothers were visited at home by nurses during pregnancy and the children's infancy appear less likely to enter the criminal justice system by age 19, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals."Preventive interventions for parents of young children that improve parental competencies and the early learning environment of the child hold considerable promise as a means of reducing health and developmental problems across the life course and associated costs to government and society," the authors write as background information in the article.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:09 pm

Analysis Of Microbes, Immune Response Featured In Cold Spring Harbor Protocols

Metagenomics, the study of DNA isolated from samples of naturally occurring microbial populations, is rapidly growing.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 2:00 pm

Sypris Test & Measurement Acquires Davis Calibration

ORLANDO, Fla. and BALTIMORE, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Sypris Test & Measurement (STM) and Davis Calibration today announced that STM completed the acquisition of Davis Calibration.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:55 pm

Solar-Powered Irrigation Significantly Improves Diet And Income In Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

Benin demonstration sitesTo address the lack of data, Burney and her colleagues monitored three 0.5-hectare (1.24-acre) solar-powered drip irrigation systems installed the Kalalé district of northern Benin. The systems, which use photovoltaic pumps to deliver groundwater, were financed and installed by the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), a nongovernmental organization."As with any water pump, solar-powered pumps save labor in rural off-grid areas where water hauling is traditionally done by hand by women and young girls," the authors said. "Though photovoltaic systems are often dismissed out-of-hand due to high up-front costs, they have long lifetimes, and in the medium-term, cost less than liquid-fuel-based pumping systems."Solar-powered pumps also can be implemented in an easily maintained, battery-free configuration, they added, "thereby avoiding one of the major pitfalls of photovoltaic use in the developing world."In November 2007, the research team began a close collaboration with local women's agricultural groups in two villages in rural Benin. In Village A, which draws surface water from a year-round stream, researchers worked with residents to install two identical solar-powered pumping systems. In Village B, which relies on groundwater irrigation, water was pumped from 25 meters (82 feet) below the surface. Each solar-powered pumping system was used by 30 to 35 women affiliated with an agricultural group. Each woman farmed her own 120-square meter (1,292-square foot) plot. The remaining plots were farmed collectively to fund group purchases and expenses.The researchers also chose two control villages for comparison with Villages A and B. Women's agricultural groups in the control villages continued to irrigate by hand, allowing for comparison of the solar-powered drip irrigation systems to traditional methods. "Household surveys were conducted in both treatment and control villages upon installation (November 2007) and following one year of garden operation (November 2008), and included detailed questions concerning consumption and agricultural production, as well as other socioeconomic, health and general questions," the authors wrote.Striking resultsThe results were striking. The three solar-powered irrigation systems supplied on average 1.9 metric tons of produce per month, including tomatoes, okra, peppers, eggplants, carrots and other greens, the authors found. Woman who used solar-powered irrigation became strong net producers in vegetables with extra income earned from sales – significantly increasing their purchases of staples and protein during the dry season, and oil during the rainy season. During the first year of operation, the women farmers kept an average of 18 percent by weight – 8.8 kilograms (19.4 pounds) per month – of the produce grown with the solar-powered systems for home consumption and sold the rest in local markets."Garden products penetrated local markets significantly," the authors found. "Vegetable consumption increased during the rainy season (the time of greatest surplus for the women's group farmers) for the entire four-village sample of households."Survey respondents also were asked about their ability to meet their household food needs. Seventeen percent of the project beneficiaries said they were "less likely to feel chronically food-insecure. In short, the photovoltaic drip irrigation systems had a remarkable effect on both year-round and seasonal food access," the authors said.Nutrition and sustainability
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:53 pm

Radiofrequency Ablation Safe And Effective For Reducing Pain From Bone Metastases

Image-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a minimally invasive cancer treatment which can be performed in the outpatient setting, significantly reduced the level of pain experienced by cancer patients with bone (osseous) metastases, limiting the need for strong narcotic pain management, and supporting improved patient frame of mind, according to results of an American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) study published online in the journal Cancer.Each year in United States, more than a million new cancer cases are diagnosed.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:46 pm

Head-To-Head Studies Identify Best Treatment Regimen For Hep C

Peginterferon alpha-2a may yield higher response rate than peginterferon alpha-2bIn patients with chronic hepatitis C, treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a (PegIFNα2a) plus ribavirin (RBV) better suppresses the virus to undetectable levels in the blood than treatment with peginterferon alpha-2b (PegIFNα2b) plus RBV, according to two new head-to-head studies in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are frequently treated with a combination of peginterferon, either PegIFNα2a or PegIFNα2b, and RBV In fact, this combination, which is the treatment of choice, has increased sustained virological response (SVR) rates from less than 20 percent to more than 60 percent.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:38 pm

Cell Phones Zoom In On Air Pollution

A project out of the University of California, San Diego, aims to combine artificial intelligence, sensor technology, cell phones, and innocuous crowd-sourcing to monitor air quality on a hyperlocal level. The nascent system is called CitiSense and is being developed ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:38 pm

Samsung aims high in 2010

Section: Business News, Peripherals, Displays/Projectors

With a reported sales figure of 2.6 million LED LCD TV in 2009, Samsung has high expectations for its LED LCD TV sales this coming year. Samsung expects a whopping 10 million LED LCD TV sales in 2010. Having said that, we can reasonably expect attractive deals from a whole line of LED LCD TVs that will be churned out by Samsung this year. This piques our interest of what Samsung has in stores for us for the CES 2010. Samsung expects to release 8 series of LED LCD TVs in 2010 (3 series in 2009), with screen sizes ranging from 19 to 65 inches. With that wide range of series and sizes, it is likely that Samsung may be able to achieve their goal after all.

For those of you who are clueless, LED LCD TVs are backlit by LCDs instead of the traditional cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL). This result in thinner, brighter and higher energy efficiencies as compared to traditional LCD TVs. Previously, LED LCD TVs are among the higher end LCD TVs and they had high price tags. Hopefully, Samsung’s move will eventually drive down LED LCD TV prices this year.

Read [NASDAQ] Via [CrunchGear]

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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:31 pm

Yucheng and NTT DATA Establish E-Banking ASP Joint Venture

BEIJING and TOKYO, Jan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:30 pm

InfoLogix Announces 1-for-25 Reverse Stock Split

HATBORO, Pa., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- InfoLogix, Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:30 pm

New Finding May Help Baby Boomers Get Buff

New research in the FASEB Journal shows free radicals damage mitochondria in our muscle cells, resulting in age-related muscle lossIf you're an aging baby boomer hoping for a buffer physique, there's hope.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:22 pm

Reducing Some Water Flow Rates May Bring Environmental Gains

In landscapes that humans have modified extensively, restoring natural water flows can cause ecological harmConservation projects often attempt to enhance the water-based transport of material, energy, and organisms in natural ecosystems.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:20 pm

Mobile Homes Provide Satisfaction, Drawbacks For Rural Pennsylvania

A majority of Pennsylvania's mobile home residents say they are overwhelmingly satisfied with their homes despite problems like construction quality, social stigma and financing associated with them, according to Penn State geographers."The fact that there are problems associated with living in a mobile home was not a surprise to us," said Destiny Aman, graduate student in geography.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:16 pm

Earnings Help Predict The Price Of Credit Default Swaps, Study Finds

Overexposure to credit default swaps (CDS) – a market-traded form of investment insurance – are believed to have contributed to last year’s financial meltdown.Trying to understand how CDS prices are determined, a team of researchers concludes that earnings have a major impact and in turn, CDS prices can seriously affect the economy.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:11 pm

Video Boxes, ‘Notbooks’ and E-Books to Dominate Gadgets in 2010

As the economy sputters back to life, gadget makers are preparing a whole raft of hardware for you to buy in 2010.

Some of it will even be worth purchasing.

Among the highlights: set-top boxes and TVs that will let you kiss off the cable company, 3-D televisions, increasingly powerful device “platforms” enhanced by massive app stores, e-book readers, a new crop of netbooks, and tiny projectors crammed into everything from cameras to netbooks.

Many of these devices will be on display at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas, where more than 110,000 members of the electronics industry will gather to show off their wares and give the world a preview of what gadgets are coming out this year. It’ll be the second straight year of declining attendance for CES, where attendance topped 130,000 last year, but it’s still a major event in the gadget world. And Wired’s Gadget Lab team will be there, bringing you the highlights from the show, complete with photos and video.

“CES has been hit by the one-two punch of the general economic travails and the demise of Circuit City, which has led to further retail consolidation,” says Ross Rubin, an executive director at The NPD Group. However, Rubin says, it’s still a big show — and there will be lots there to appeal to gadget lovers.

It’s unlikely that there will be a single standout star of the show, the way the Palm Pre was at last year’s CES.

“It is such a vast show that it is rare that one product ’steals’ it the way we might see at a small technology conference such as Demo.”

And then there will be the tablets. Most industry observers, including Gadget Lab, expect Apple to release a tablet device, possibly called the iSlate or iGuide, sometime in 2010. Other major manufacturers, including HP, Dell, Intel, Nokia and HTC have been rumored to be working on tablet-style devices. Smaller companies including Fusion Garage, Notion Ink and ICD have announced plans for tablets in 2010. And many publishers, including Wired’s parent company, Conde Nast, are already working on the software to display e-magazines and other content on tablet devices.

But don’t expect much news on the tablet front this week. Whether their products aren’t ready yet or they’re just waiting for Apple to make the first move, most companies rumored to be working on tablets haven’t let any details slip yet (and they aren’t expected to say much more in Vegas, no matter how many martinis we ply them with).

Until then, we’ll have to content ourselves with imaginary visions of what an Apple tablet might look like — like the one above?

Read on to find out what we do know about the biggest gadget trends of 2010. – Dylan Tweney

Illustration: Courtesy Gluepet

So Long, Cable Company

Historians may look at 2010 as the year that gadget technology finally destroyed the cable companies. And it’s the rise of internet video that is making this happy day possible.

If you’ve seen an episode of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long then you know that the web is actually a decent place to get high-quality, original content — much of it free. As anyone with a high-speed connection and a faint knowledge of Google will confirm, in addition to the aforementioned Dr. Horrible, you can easily check out snippets of 30 Rock on Hulu, take in full episodes of The Office on ABC.com, or watch the latest episodes of The Daily Show on Comedy Central’s site.

TV manufacturers have noticed this trend, and have rapidly made web-connected TVs de rigeur. We noticed this trend a few months ago, and the latest crop of web-ready TVs that will be announced at CES 2010 will push the trend even further. Expect streamlined user interfaces, thinner LCD displays and lower prices. And most importantly, more models to pick from. Big-name TV makers like Samsung, Panasonic, Sony and Vizio will offer web connectivity over a larger line of their products. We’re calling it: If a TV can’t access the internet directly in 2010, it might as well be sitting next to an exhibit of Neanderthals at the Natural History Museum.

When the free video grows a little tiring, for-fee services, led by Netflix, will save the day. The Xbox 360, the PS3 and a vast smattering of Blu-ray players all have the capability to stream media from Netflix’s catalog directly to a TV. Click a button, watch a movie. It’s that simple. And the majority of Blu-ray players, gaming consoles and media devices released in 2010 will have Netflix streaming capabilities.

The final stone atop cable TV’s pyramid? Video-streaming appliances like the Boxee Box. On it, you’ll be able to watch any piece of non-DRM-restricted media on the internet, share movies or TV shows with your pals, and stream videos cached on your computer’s hard drive. And then there’s the Sony PS3 (read on for our take on that).

For lack of a better word, we’ll call these multifeatured, internet-connected, media-streaming set-top boxes “video boxes.” Expect them to pop up everywhere in 2010.

Unless you like paying exorbitant prices and enjoy terrible service and smarmy service reps, there’s very little reason to keep your cable provider this year. – Daniel Dumas

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pm

Video Boxes, 'Notbooks' and E-Books to Dominate Gadgets in 2010

From 3-D televisions and e-book readers to smartbooks and pocket projectors, we bring you the gadget trends that will loom large in 2010.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pm

Video Boxes, 'Notbooks' and E-Books to Dominate Gadgets in 2010

From 3-D televisions and e-book readers to smartbooks and pocket projectors, we bring you the gadget trends that will loom large in 2010.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pm

Appletell reviews the GameHandle for iPhone and iPod touch

FROM APPLETELL - Tunewear has imperfectly but efficiently addressed the issue of iPhone and iPod touch gaming control comfort with the GameHandle.
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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 12:46 pm

Slim, Large Screen E-Reader Skiff to Debut on Sprint

E-readers are likely to get hotter with the next generation of devices sporting color screens and large displays expected to launch through the year.

One of the first products to announce its arrival is the Skiff e-reader, a lightweight device with a 11.5-inch full flexible touchscreen that makes it the largest e-reader on the market, beating the 9.7-inch display Kindle DX.

Unlike other e-readers designed for reading mainly books and PDF files, the Skiff is optimized for newspaper and magazine content and will use Sprint’s 3G network to offer wireless connectivity. The device will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week. The company hasn’t announced availability and pricing for it yet.

Electronic book readers are a emerging yet fast growing category of devices. Since the launch of Amazon’s Kindle in 2007, a slew of new devices have entered the market. About five million e-readers were sold last year, estimates research firm iSuppli. Though the Kindle DX is the only e-reader with a screen size larger than the standard 6-inch available in the U.S. currently, more plus sized e-readers are set to hit the market. For instance, Plastic Logic’s Que will have a 8.5-inch by 11-inch screen.

At over a quarter-inch in overall height, Skiff’s display will have a resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels.  It weighs just over one pound and offers a week of average use between charges, says the company. The device will have both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Like all other e-readers, Skiff uses the black-and-white display technology developed by E Ink. But the underlying electronics that power the display has been developed by LG. LG has used a sheet of stainless-steel foil for the back of the display, instead of the glass layer that is the the foundation of most e-paper displays available currently. The result is a thinner device that is less likely to break.

Skiff’s touchscreen will help users navigate newspapers, magazines, books and other digital content they purchase through the Skiff Store–its own e-reading service. Readers can expect to see visually appealing layouts, high-resolution graphics and other design qualities that would enrich the reading experience, says the company. After all, Skiff has strong roots in the print media. It’s parent company is Hearst, which publishes magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Popular Mechanics and Smart Money.

See Also:

• Barnes & Noble Unveils Kindle-Killing, Dual-Screen ‘Nook’ E-Reader …
• Nook E-Reader Gets Hacked to Run Apps, Browser
• Roundup: E-Reader Gift Guide
• Dual-Screen Device Combines E-Reader, Netbook
• Stanza v2.0: The iPhone’s Best E-Reader Just Got Better

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 12:35 pm

Author of Torture, Spy Memos Was Just Doing His Job

Former Bush administration official John Yoo maintains he has no regrets about authoring memos that authorized the United States to commit torture and to conduct warrantless surveillance.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 12:30 pm

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Google Nexus One

Google’s upcoming Tuesday press conference is likely to mark the debut of the Nexus One, the search company’s own Android-based smartphone.

Nexus One should showcase the latest generation of the Linux-based open source Android operating system. It’s also the first phone that is expected to be directly marketed by Google, setting higher expectations for the phone.

Here’s what we know about the phone so far.

Hardware

The Nexus One was designed by HTC, which has a close relationship with Google. HTC created the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, and has released at least five Android handsets since the operating system launched in October 2008.

Though packed in a big, white box with the Google logo printed prominently, the Nexus One clearly shows the stamp of HTC’s design sensibilities. Photos show a device similar to the HTC Droid Eris phone with its trackball and four buttons at the bottom of the phone.

The Nexus One has a 1-GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 3.7-inch 480 x 800 display, 512 MB of of RAM and an expandable 4-GB microSD card, says Engadget. The 1-GHz processor alone should make the Nexus one of the fastest smartphones available currently.

By contrast, the Palm Pre has a 600-MHz Texas Instruments OMAP3430 processor and the Motorola Droid runs a 550-MHz Arm Cortex A8 processor.

The Nexus One doesn’t lack in the bells and whistles either. It has a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi connectivity, accelerometer, compass and proximity sensors. The phone is also reportedly extremely thin — slimmer than the iPhone and HTC’s Droid Eris.

Operating System

Nexus One will run Android 2.1, the latest version of the operating system. That is a step up from the Droid’s Android 2.0.

Android 2.1 will likely be snappier and have an improved user interface. Among the enhancements are a new widget for weather and news, a power control widget and a redesigned media gallery, says HTC Source, an unofficial site that tracks HTC news. It also includes support for multitouch, but that’s a feature that’s reportedly missing in the Nexus One.

Still the 2.1 version has largely consisted of “bug fixes.” At this point, we hope there’s more to the latest version of the OS than what we know so far.

Pricing

The Nexus One will be available on the T-Mobile network. Leaked documents suggest that the device  will retail for $530 unlocked (though according to Engadget, it will not work on AT&T’s 3G network). The subsidized price of the Nexus phone will be $180 and customers will have to commit to a two-year contract. T-Mobile is expected to offer just one monthly plan for the phone — $80 for 500 minutes, free weekend and in-network calls and unlimited text messages and data.

The phone could start retailing as early as Tuesday through either T-Mobile or the Google website.

Overall, the Nexus One seems underwhelming. Sure, the phone is likely to be sleeker and faster than its peers, but there’s little to suggest that it will set a new standard for smartphones. Unless Google has a few surprises up in its sleeve — either in pricing or device capability — the Nexus One could get lost in the flood of Android devices currently hitting the market.

See Also:

• Rumor: Google Nexus One $530 Unlocked, $180 With Plan
• Nexus One Hardware Details Revealed
• Google Nexus One Phone Likely to Launch Jan. 5
• Nexus: Did Google Dream of Electric Lawsuits?
• Strapped to Android, HTC Takes a Dizzying Ride to the Top

Photo: Cory O’Brien

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 12:14 pm

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Google Nexus One

The Google Nexus One is expected to make its debut Tuesday. Meanwhile, here's everything we know about the HTC-designed phone, from its hardware to its operating system and pricing.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 4 Jan 2010 | 12:14 pm

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Google Nexus One

The Google Nexus One is expected to make its debut Tuesday. Meanwhile, here's everything we know about the HTC-designed phone, from its hardware to its operating system and pricing.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 12:14 pm

Rumor: Palm Pixi to go Pink?

As any long time MobileCrunch reader (hey, they exist!) ought to know, we’ve got a bit of a soft spot for pink phones. I’m not really too interested in carrying one (nothing against’em, it would just clash with my depressingly grey-hued wardrobe), but I like to keep a careful eye on them as they surge in popularity right around February 14th of each year. This time around, it looks like Palm might be hopping on the brightly-colored bandwagon.

Engadget just scrounged up this shot of a Sprint inventory screen. The gem is right in the middle of the list: “PALM PIXI PINK”. While not entirely damning, it’s a pretty good sign that our friends out in Sunnyvale are preppin’ a pink Pixi (Pinkzi?) just in time for the Holiday of Hallmark love.

Whatd’ya say, folks – would you rock a pink Pixi?

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Source: MobileCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 12:10 pm

Winter System Freezes the North, Chills the South

2010 has kicked off with record snowfall in the Northeast and freezing temperatures as far south as Florida.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 11:45 am

Secret Service Admits Third Uninvited Person Attended Indian State Dinner

For weeks we've been hearing about how Tareq and Michaele Salahi crashed the Obama administration's first State Dinner. Now the Secret Service admits that a third, as of yet unnamed, person who was not on the White House guest list ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 11:43 am

Unnamed Sony Ericsson QWERTY phone spotted in the wild [Updated]

I’ll go ahead and say it: the fact that this unnamed, mostly undetailed Sony Ericsson touchscreen/QWERTY handset is running Symbian S60 5th Edition rather than Android is a travesty.

We only know that it’s running 5th Edition because of the one leaked shot you see above — and outside of that, we dont know a whole lot. It’s obviously packin’ a touchscreen above a fairly monstrous QWERTY keyboard. As GSM Arena points out, this looks a whole lot like a previously leaked Sony Ericsson handset called the Kurara, which didn’t have a keyboard. What the Kurara does have, however, is an 8 megapixel camera and 600Mhz processor — so if Sony Ericsson’s going for the whole one-with-keyboard-one-without twinsies idea here, we can probably expect something similar from this unnamed piece of kit.

Update: According to SEMC, the handset we’re looking at is called the Kanna and features a 3.2″ 360×640 display, Wi-Fi, 8.1 megapixel camera, and shoots video in full 720p. They say it ought to be announced on February 14th at Mobile World Congress.

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Source: MobileCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 11:30 am

Google to pay for US Spotify users, $3-$4 each?

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile

According to TechCrunch, Google offered to cover the $3-$4 per user cost to integrate Spotify, the hugely popular music service, into Android 2.1.  Spotify has been absent in the US market pending talks with the big music labels.  Google hopes the create an iTunes alternative in Spotify.

TechCrunch goes on to mention,

“the two companies sketched out a plan where Spotify’s excellent Android application would be build into the 2.1 version of Android and would launch in the U.S. with the Google Nexus One phone on January 5.” 

The music labels are moving away from a free sample in order to hopefully gain album sales.  Spotify insists on free music for their listeners.  We don’t see the labels changing their mind and Spotify seems set in their ways.  It isn’t clear that Spotify would set precedent with Google by allowing them to pay for music.  Surely, European labels would be looking for some kind of payment as well.

Google has announced an Android event January 5.  We’ll know then what is really going on.

Read: [TechCrunch]

 

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 11:17 am

Video: iPhone hacked to support the Magic Mouse

Those gifted gents over at the BTStack might just be too clever for their own good. First they blow our minds by sneaking Wiimote support onto the iPhone, and then tickle our productivity-loving souls by hacking in Bluetooth keyboard support. It’s a bit awkward to be typing away on a physical keyboard, only to have to reach over and poke the screen whenever you want to do something – wouldn’t it be nice to be able to use a mouse instead?

Yes, yes it would. And the BTStack guys agree.

It’s still a private project, so it’s not quite ready for the likes of you and I quite yet – but if this video is any indication, it’s working like a dream. And hey, don’t bother me with that “At this point, you might as well be carrying a netbook!” nonsense. This is magic, folks. Magic.

Via Engadget

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Source: MobileCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 11:02 am

"Angel" the Golden Retriever Tussels with Cougar, Saves Boy's Life

Eleven year-old Austin Foreman has already had a very lucky 2010. He was in his back yard on Saturday evening gathering firewood when his golden retriever, Angel, came in between him and a charging cougar. As the dog and big ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 10:35 am

Reminder: You can now cancel your Sprint contract and not pay an ETF

Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile

As I mentioned back in December, Sprint has made a change to the contract terms and users should be able to cancel without having to pay an early termination fee.

The change means that users, should they choose not to cancel, will have to pay an extra $0.20 cents per line. According to the details;

Regulatory Charge/Ts&Cs Changes
Effective 1/1/10, the Regulatory Charge will increase to $0.40/line.

This change went into effect a few days ago (on January 1, 2010) and means that you will have 30 days to call up and cancel. Of course, just make sure you do not pay your bill and then decide to cancel, because a bill payment will mean that you are agreeing to the new terms.

Personally, I am planning to cancel, or at least try. But that is going to have to wait a few days until I return from CES.

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 10:22 am

Flight School Trains Pilots Who'll Never Fly

Basically, it's like "Top Gun" except the pilots never leave the ground.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 10:10 am

Tiny Dinosaur Creates Paleontology Puzzle

If a dinosaur is small, how can you tell whether it died young or was just tiny? This question has puzzled dinosaur experts studying the 3.3-foot-long dino Lesothosaurus diagnosticus, but the mystery may have just been solved. ("A" shows the ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 9:45 am

Largest Saqqara Tomb Discovered

An Egyptian team led by Dr. Zahi Hawass, chief of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, has unearthed the largest tomb yet discovered in the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, also known as the "City of the Dead." Filled with skeletons, coffins ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 4 Jan 2010 | 9:44 am

Freescale Smartbook Tablet for under $200

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation, Lifestyle

Freescale may be on the verge of setting a new trend, somewhat like when ASUS began the netbook fad a some time in 2008. Freescale has just designed a tablet that can be manufactured at a cost of $199. However, manufacturers may inadvertently price it differently according to their own customizations and changes. They claim that the design can enable manufacturers to market the product in as low as 6 months.

This tablet is reported to sport a 1Ghz ARM Cortex A8 design and six other co-processors inside (FPU, DSP, img processing, 2D graphics, 3G graphics, HD video decode). It has a 7” resistive touch screen. If manufacturers see fit, they could install a better capacitive touchscreen, but that would undoubtedly drive up the costs. It has various connectivity features, among them are an optional 3G modem, 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1. Storage solutions include a 4-64GB internal storage, a microSD slot and 512MB RAM. It also features GPS, USB, audio ports, SIM card, speaker, microphone, 3-megapixel webcam, 1900 mAh battery, accelerometer and light sensor. This sounds a little too good to be true for a sub-$200 tablet, but then again not all features may be incorporated into the tablet to keep the price low. According to Freescale’s own tests, it can run for up to 12 hours with WiFi and the display on 80% brightness.  This places the tablet somewhere between smartphones and netbooks, but the important question is how will consumers respond to this new category of product?

Via [Ubergizmo] Via [Gizmodo]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 4 Jan 2010 | 9:18 am

Star Trek Wetsuits: ‘Dammit Jim, I’m a Doctor Not a Surfer’

These Star Trek wetsuits might - at best - produce some kind of infinite loop that could power the world with perpetual energy. At worst, they may be as dangerous as keeping the pasta next to the antipasta at the salad bar.

Consider this: Bronzed, tousle-haired and muscled surfers are hot. They might be dumb, but hunky eye-candy wins out and the ladies love a surf-dude. On the other hand, “Star Trek” is almost shorthand for “adult virginity”, and the skinny nerd inside is more likely to resembled the whining Sheldon from Big Bang Theory than the lithe Jan-Michael Vincent in Big Wednesday. Combine these opposites by putting a surfer in a Star Trek wetsuit and you have a whirling impossibility, a paradox that could power the universe.

The suits are made to be used in the water, not just as novelty costumes and come in “Command Yellow”, “Science Blue”, and “Engineering Red”. We would advise you to avoid the red uniform for obvious safety reasons. The price for this wonderful wetsuit? An illogical $470.

RDT Star Trek: The Original Series Wetsuit [Roddenberry via Oh Gizmo!]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 7:13 am

Kleiner-backed GOGII Releases textPlus for Android

Why pay for text messaging anymore when you can send texts for free? That’s the message GOGII is trying to send to users via its textPlus application, which has been wildly successful on the iPhone with over 3.2 million downloads.

As with many other successful iPhone applications, textPlus is moving to Android and bringing free texting along with it.

UPDATE: As noted by some commenters, this is a US-only application.

I’ve used textPlus for the iPhone and it’s a solid experience. You can easily send a message via the ad-supported application. The receiver of the text message gets a message from “60611″ indicating it is from gaganbiyani (my username on GOGII). Instructions are included in that text on how to reply to me directly. A major advantage of textPlus is in group conversations: you can create a text group (say, your friends in NYC or your poker buddies) and send one message that goes out to all your friends. Since it saves the group for future use and allows users to “reply all,” its a lot more effective than the standard texting platforms.

For Android, the process is smoother since it is a more customizable operating system. This is one of the many apps that benefits from using background processes (which the iPhone doesn’t support), because you can be notified as soon as you get a text message via textPlus. Furthermore, Android will probably see a great year in 2010, and it is a logical choice for GOGII to leverage Android as it grows as a company.

TextPlus for iPhone has proven to be extremely sticky, especially for teens and pre-teens, according to Co-Founder Austin Murray. They see a huge spike in usage on the weekends and a lot of their users are iPod Touch owners who presumably don’t have smart phones or unlimited texting plans. Murray told me that they are sending over 2 million texts per day and the average unique user spends over 250 minutes per month with textPlus.

GOGII was originally funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers’ iFund for $5.2M and recently raised a $8.2M Series B round led by Matrix Partners. The founders – Austin Murray, Scott Lahman, and Zachary Norman – previously founded Jamdat mobile, which had an IPO and eventually sold to EA for $680 million.

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Source: MobileCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

Weeks after Marrying Pinch Media, Flurry Gets in Bed with comScore and Starts Revenue Machine

Flurry Analytics has been real busy this holiday season. They recently merged with Pinch Media to create the biggest (in terms of user base) mobile analytics platform on the market. Today, Flurry is announcing a partnership with comScore, Inc. to provide mobile analytics for comScore clientele. This will provide Flurry with a fresh new revenue stream and comScore with the ability to stay relevant with their analytics offerings to existing clientele.

Essentially, comScore, inc. has a large sales force and existing relationships with big brands that pay comScore to provide them with analytics. These analytics come primarily through panel data, in which comScore uses a sampling of users as a way to determine web traffic and usage data. By selling Flurry’s SDK to clients, comScore can remain relevant by providing mobile analytics on top of their existing web analytics package.

Flurry wins because comScore’s sales force will sell Flurry’s data analytics software, generating an initial revenue stream for Flurry. According to VP of Marketing Peter Farago, clients will pay comScore to have Flurry’s SDK installed on their applications, and Flurry will make a revenue-share for each client. ComScore is adding reporting and charting software on top of Flurry’s analytics. Flurry is traditionally free for developers, but comScore is going to charge clients to use Flurry because of the additional reporting and charting they add.

In general, this is part of a larger push by Flurry to take revenue generation seriously. Sources within the company have told me that this is one of two revenue initiatives they are working on (the other being AppCircle, which is in private beta). Though they downplayed the revenue value of the deal, it is clear that it is a major draw for Flurry. Another major draw is access to comScore’s high profile customer list and sales force. In this way, Flurry doesn’t have to create a large sales force to sell its product to big brands and companies, but still gets a cut of the revenue generated from the opportunity.

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Source: MobileCrunch | 4 Jan 2010 | 5:00 am

Pocket Wizard Fixes Reliability Issues With Tin-Foil Hats

Pocket Wizard makes radio-frequency remote controls for camera flashes. These off-camera strobe triggers are the choice of professionals as they have a reputation of being bulletproof, firing the speedlight every single time, over and over and over.

That is, until PW got fancy and started adding support for more advanced auto-flash modes, those that let the camera and flashgun talk back and forth to create perfect exposures from afar. The Canon-compatible FlexTT5 units were suffering from radio interference when used with certain Canon speedlights, limiting the range and reliability of the system. Now, Pocket Wizard has come up with a fix.

Has the company issued a recall, or promised to send out re-engineered units that are less sensitive to interference? Nope. Instead, it will send owners of the FlexTT5 a tin-foil hat for every unit they mistakenly bought.

The hats are gussied-up somewhat with a fancy name: AC5 Soft Shields. As there is a lack of pictures accompanying the press release, we are left to guess that these free “fixes” are little more than the DIY version pictured above, a quick wrap of aluminum/copper sheeting whipped up by Flickr user Daniel Aqua.

Better news for those who paid around $420 per receiver/transmitter pair, Pocket Wizard will, in “mid to late November” (yes, in ten months) take another $30 of your cash for the plastic, umbrella-mountable AC7 RF Shield. And remember, you’ll need one for every flash you buy. Way to go, PW.

AC5 Soft Shield Available to U.S. FlexTT5 Owners at No Cost [Pocket Wizard via DIY Photography]

DIY RF shield for flash (Photo): Daniel Aqua/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:46 am

Magnetic Cup-Holder Turns The Street Into a Diner

Alexandra Pulver has a mission: to turn the streets into a dining room, an impromptu spot for a quick lunch which has many of the conveniences of a real eating place. Exhibit-A, the magnetic cup holder.

Alexandra’s blog, Pop Up Lunch, features bento-boxes that fold out into lap-trays and gadgets to transform fire-hydrants into tables. But it’s the magnetic coffee holder that we like the most, comprising a simple felt sleeve loaded with strong, rare-earth magnets. The sleeve can thus clamp to any nearby ferrous surface and the cup can be kept safe while you munch on your bagel.

Leaving aside the problems with a society that treats eating an inconvenient fuel stop, something to be done on the run instead of having fast, no-nonsense service in cheap an ubiquitous bars, this is a rather neat hack, wonderfully simple and yet arguably more spill proof than a diner table.

It’s also practically free, and easy to make yourself. Although if you have the time and energy to remember to carry one of these with you, that time might be better spent sipping a small, flavorful espresso in a cafe rather than mindlessly slurping down a quart of tasteless brown water.

Coffee Cup Holder [Pop Up Lunch via Lifehacker]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:24 am

CES 2010: Samsung Joins Rangefinder Fray With Large-Sensor NX10

Samsung has jumped the CES 2010 gate and announced a new, rangefinder-style camera a couple days before the gadget-fest begins. The NX10 joins the Olympus Pen and the Panasonic GF-1 in a growing segment, made up of cameras with large, DSLR-sized sensors in mirror-less, compact bodies.

Samsung’s advantage is that its 14.6MP sensor is bigger than those of the competition, using a full APS-C sized chip - roughly 28.4 mm diagonally - instead of the Micro Four Thirds, which offers just 8mm. It also has a built-in viewfinder, unlike its rivals, although as it is electronic and has just VGA resolution, you might wish Samsung had saved the space and made a smaller body.

And it is a chunky camera. Samsung has opted to make a small DSLR-style camera rather than squeezing a large sensor into a compact camera like Panasonic and Olympus. Other features to be found inside are 720p video (MPEG4, with H.264 compression), a 3-inch OLED screen, a claim to faster autofocus (these cameras all use contrast-detection autofocus, so are slower than DSLRs), and that’s about it. Samsung clearly didn’t get the memo that the megapixel race is over — even on a big sensor, the camera only goes up to a pedestrian ISO 3200.

The NX10 will ship with three new lenses, based on a brand-new lens mount (35mm-equivalent sizes in brackets): a 30mm ƒ2 (42.6mm) pancake, a 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6 OIS (27.7-84.7mm) and a 50-200mm ƒ4-5.6 ED OIS 77-308mm.

We don’t know who’ll be buying these. The size advantages over a DSLR are real, but not that big. Prices are to be announced, probably at CES this week.

Samsung NX10 Preview [DPReview]

See Also:

• Panasonic Micro Four Thirds 'Rangefinder' with Leica Lenses …
• Olympus EP-2 Comes Out Early, Almost No New Features
• Olympus Pen E-P1

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 4 Jan 2010 | 4:01 am

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