Do I even need to explain that a video entitled "One Laptop Per Third World Noob" might be a bit tasteless? Sure, I chuckled at the stick figures and the lewd child pornography references, but I'm also a terrible person.

The video comes from "the twisted minds" of the Upright Citizens Brigade, so you can blame or applaud them for it. I'll be here feeling guilty for giggling. [UCB Comedy]

Source: Gizmodo | 1 Feb 2010 | 7:20 pm

Microsoft introduces the new SideWinder X4 gaming keyboard

Section: Computers, Hardware, Gaming, Peripherals, Mice / Keyboards

If you are a hard core gamer, then you probably already know having all of the high end peripherals are necessary, such as a good mouse and keyboard.  Today, Microsoft announced the latest addition to their lineup of gaming keyboards, the SideWinder X4, which boasts anti-ghosting technology.  Essentially, many keys can be pressed at once and all of them will register, allowing players to use complex combos. 

The Applied Sciences Group is responsible for the new technology in Microsoft’s latest product.  The keyboard can register up to 26 different keys being pressed at once, just to give you some perspective on how well the anti-ghosting technology works.  Players can associate one key with a combination, called macro recording.  If you keep pressing that single button, the combination saved will continue to occur.  Similarly, automatic macro repetition will repeat the same macro as many times as you wish.  In addition, users can switch between different profiles with ease, in case you switch between different games throughout the day.  The backlighting is also customizable to your specific needs.

It is set to be available sometime in March 2010 for $59.95, it will be available on Amazon for pre-order sometime this week as well.

Read [Microsoft]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 7:12 pm

Apple's iPad Will Be the Death of the Mobile Web - PC World

The Age

Apple's iPad Will Be the Death of the Mobile Web PC World Who needs an iPhone if you have an iPad? And who needs the mobile Web if you don't have an iPhone? Achieving Steve Jobs' long-held dream of creating a tablet device as cool and useful as the one we've seen for years on science fiction shows now appears ... See Apple's iPad announcement--in adjectivesCNET A Little Chip Designed by Apple ItselfNew York Times Chinese Tablet Manufacturer Wants To Sue Apple Over iPad DesignITProPortal Wired News -PC Magazine -msnbc.com all 476 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 1 Feb 2010 | 7:02 pm

Review: Booq Mamba Shift L laptop backpack

Short version: An excellent backpack for bloggers or the Batman. It has a ton of pockets and compartments, lots of space, a padded laptop section, and a water-resistant exterior. Its main flaws: no good spot for a big camera, and no readily accessible outside pockets.

Features:

• Laptop compartment fits up to 17″
• About a gazillion sub-pockets
• Water-resistant outside
• Wide-mouth cargo section for easy access
• MSRP: $149.95

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Roomy, lots of pockets for thermite, batarangs
• Sleek and understated design

Cons:

• No good place for your DSLR and lenses
• Few outside pockets
• Expensive!

Full review:

At the end of Bag Week, we had just received the Booq Mamba Shift, and I didn’t want to give it a rush review. We were about to head to CES, and I thought that’d be a great place to put the thing through its paces anyway — so I did, and it performed admirably with some minor caveats. Before anything else, though, here’s the video tour of the thing that I put together, so you know what I’m talking about.

So I won’t waste your time with descriptions — you can see for yourself above and in the pictures just how it looks. I want to add the result of some hands-on time with the thing.

Basically, it’s great. CES is a madhouse and not only are you trucking around the convention center for miles at a time, but whatever bag you’ve got is going to be a mess of cables and devices. Luckily, the wealth of smaller, well-laid-out pockets on the interior of the bag made separating my card readers, generic cables, power adapters, 3G modems, and all that stuff easy as pie.

There’s a ton of padding and the straps are comfortable. No complaints there. The backpack itself is very well put together, having very few seams to unravel or edges to catch on things. The counterpoint to that is that there are very few outside pockets, so if you like having a water bottle or point and shoot within reach, you’re out of luck.

The main trouble I had with it was that it was not at all optimized for camera gear. The bottom of the cargo pocket is quite narrow, and had trouble fitting my Rebel XSi, which anyone can tell you isn’t a big camera. Furthermore, the pockets are obviously designed for separating small items from one another, not for carrying anything bulky — so if you want an extra lens around, it too will have to sit in the undefined middle space. Obviously this isn’t a problem if you’re not a photographer, but the result for me was that I had to carry my camera separately most of the time.

There’s also the issue of price. $150 is a lot to pay for a backpack, though the Mamba Shift L is both large and high-quality. So it’s not that you don’t get what you pay for, but whether you’re willing to drop the cash in the first place. Personally, I might save $50 and go with the Boa Squeeze.

Conclusion

The Booq Mamba Shift L is a terrific backpack for anyone who carts a laptop around a lot, but doesn’t need room for a camera. The L of course means it’s the large version, so if you have a smaller laptop it might be worthwhile to wait for an M to come out.

Booq Mamba Shift L

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Feb 2010 | 7:00 pm

Apple Issues (Another) 27-Inch iMac Screen Fix

As you may have heard by now, many of Apple’s new 27-inch iMacs are more like iLemons. While the systems themselves are fine (and fast) there have been a ton of reports about problems with the screens (including mine and at least one other TechCrunch writer). Apple issued an update on December 21 that did not fix the problem for most of those users. Today, they have issued another update — so far, so good.

While the December 21 update was titled “27-inch iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0,” this new update is called “27-inch iMac Display Firmware Update 1.0.” A slight variation, but a big one, as this apparently is altering the display firmware itself rather than that of the graphics card. This update is also about half the size of the previous one. As with the other update, this takes a few minutes to install.

Earlier today, it was reported that Apple was halting production of the 27-inch iMacs until it could solve the issues afflicting the line. Aside from the screen flickering issue, other iMacs apparently have a yellow-tinting problem. As reports of troubles kept piling in, indications were that Apple was seeing long wait times for the devices, which some attributed to popularity, while others attributed to these problems.

The Apple Discussions forum on the topic now has some 271 pages (up from 191 a couple weeks ago) of comments/complaints and over 500,000 views (up from 400,000 a few weeks ago). It has more views than all the other threads combined — by far. Apple still has yet to say officially what the problem is with the product, and why the original update didn’t fix the issue. Hopefully this update will once and for all.

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:48 pm

Slacker Radio now available for webOS

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

Slacker had originally announced that a webOS version was in the works, and some had even seen a demo during this past CES. Well, in a little bit of good news for those sporting a webOS handset—that app is now available.

The app, which became available earlier today is currently listed as a beta, and is at version 0.9.4. Users can find and download the Slacker app in the official App Catalog.

As always, there are two listening options available, either listen for free and listen to an ad every so often, or upgrade to the Slacker Plus account which costs $3.99 a month (billed annually).

One drawback is the lack of ability to cache music for offline listening, but aside from the BlackBerry app that is becoming the norm as the iPhone/iPod touch and Android app also lack the ability to cache. Annoying, but certainly not a reason to turn me away from Slacker.

Read [Slacker Forums] and [PreCentral]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:42 pm

Hear With Your Teeth

Conventional hearing aids use air conduction to turn up the volume on the sound traveling to the ear. But a new device from Sonitus Medical, turns up the volume using bone conduction. The SoundBite has two parts: a removable part ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:40 pm

A Business Case for the Apple iPad (PC World)

PC World - Last Wednesday, Apple introduced the long-fabled Apple tablet to the world.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:33 pm

Taking analog to a new level: the 01 wristwatch

As much as I love digital watches (and watches that take some work to read), there is something comforting about an analog dial. And the 01 watch takes analog dials to a whole new turning disk level.

What is a turning disk dial? Well essentially, instead of hands your watch has two dials that turn, indicating the hour, minute, and sometimes even the second (but not in this case). Turning disks have been around for quite a while, but it’s rare to see them used in a contemporary timepiece. There are three models of this rather unusual timepiece; it’s available in black, brown, and white faces, all three with leather straps for $170 each.

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:30 pm

JooJoo Tablet PC Promised by End of February (PC World)

PC World - Fusion Garage's JooJoo tablet PC is expected to be in consumer hands by the end of February, when it will likely give some indication as to the public's interest in tablets such as the Apple iPad.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:14 pm

Report: Google to Open App Store for Business Software (PC World)

PC World - Google may open as early as March an online store to sell third-party software that complements its Google Apps collaboration and communication hosted suite, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:10 pm

Many wired Chinese unfazed at possible Google exit (AP)

AP - A world without Google? They can imagine it just fine in China. After all, it's not like losing "World of Warcraft."

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:08 pm

Boingo Unlimited gives you unlimited Wi-Fi access for $9.95 a month

Section: Communications, Broadband Cards, Mobile, Computers, Wireless, Gadgets / Other

I seem to take free airport Wi-Fi for granted, mainly because I live in the Tampa area and Tampa airport serves the Wi-Fi up for free. I do however understand that many are not quite as lucky and have to pay.

Anyway, Boingo Wireless is currently offering the Boingo Unlimited plan for just $9.95 a month, which according to GottaBeMobile is 50% off their normal price. Sounds like a good deal to me.

As far as what you will get for your 10 bucks a month, well unlimited Wi-Fi of course. But a little more specifically, you will be able to get online at any of the 125,000+ hotspots across the country.

Read [Boingo] Via [GottaBeMobile]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:02 pm

Review: Cyber Snipa Silencer gaming mouse

Short Version: While the Silencer is a welcome change from the eternal round of Razer, Logitech, and Microsoft mice, it doesn’t show the level of refinement those companies now include in their mice. I hope for more from Cyber Snipa in the future, but the Silencer just can’t stand up to the competition.

Features:

• Aggressively molded right-handed shape
• Robust macro editor
• Four customizable DPI settings
• Removable weight and grips
• MSRP: $54.99

Pros:

• Side grips are nice (it could have more)
• Mode and DPI switching is instantaneous

Cons:

• Tracking is unreliable
• Button placement could be better
• Configuration is limited, unintuitive

Full review:

It’s hard out there for a mouse. The competition is so good and so numerous that unless you bring something really new to the table, you’re going to be either outclassed or buried. For the Cyber Snipa Silencer, it’s a little bit of both. That’s not to say it’s a bad mouse &mdsah; those are increasingly rare these days — but even at its relatively low price of $55 you can find many mice that school it in various ways.

Form

Perhaps the standout feature of the Silencer is its form factor. It’s large and molded in an aggressive right-handed shape, much more swoopy than the Imperator or G500. It is of course impossible to know whether a mouse will fit your hand until you try it out, but in this case you can be sure of two things: it’s not ambidextrous, and it’s meant to take up your whole hand. The trouble is that, due to its extreme shape, it really only provides one way to hold it. The Xai design, at the very opposite end of ergonomic theory, attempts to place as few restrictions on you as possible. They’re both legitimate approaches to designing a device like this, but the downside of a specific-grip design is that if your hand doesn’t fit it exactly, you’re SOL.

In my case, it wasn’t a particularly good fit but if my hands were slightly smaller it’d be just fine. I can’t ding them for not making their mouse the exact size I require. The removable grip is great, although there are only two to choose from, and neither offers a drastically changed mousing experience.

The button placement is a little more problematic, though. The main buttons and scroll wheel are just fine, clicky and hard to miss. But the thumb buttons are trouble. They look like any other buttons on a gaming mouse, but there is in fact a little ridge right below them that interferes with my pressing the buttons — not least because it’s the same shape and a quarter inch away. I suppose it’s meant to be a little physical cue for where the buttons are, but it really does nothing to help and usually gets in the way. The buttons themselves are squishy and the shape is counter-intuitive; you never feel like you’re pushing them in the right way.

Performance

Tracking was a bit of a mystery. The Silencer has a “lift” button, which essentially focuses the laser sensor, a “feature” notably absent in every other mouse on the market. When you put the mouse on a surface, be it mousepad or table or what have you, you need to jiggle the mouse around with the lift button down, and it calibrates itself. If you forget to do this or somehow mess it up, the mouse will track extremely badly. Not that we’re all switching mousing surfaces every few minutes, but it does raise questions as to the reliability of the sensor. Once calibrated, I found it was reliable, but not on my cloth mousepad. Click the thumbnail at right to see how it performed on three different surfaces.

Configuration is straightforward but limited. Razer and others offer a pre-made set of actions to assign to buttons as well as the means to create your own. I had to create my own double-click macro, which is easy enough, but what if I want media functions or Windows functions like minimize active window? Also, while you can change the color of the profile LED, you can’t turn off the extremely bright red light on the base of the mouse. It pulses constantly and brightly, which is distracting if you’re trying to watch a movie or have a romantic evening.

Conclusion

I look forward to more from Cyber Snipa, but the Silencer has too many problems that are easily correctable, and which aren’t present on competing mice. Pass on this one, but don’t count them out.

Cyber Snipa Silencer

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:00 pm

Personal View: What iPad Means for Future of Computing

The iPad is the first computer made for every type of user, and that will change everything.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:00 pm

Personal View: What iPad Means for Future of Computing

The iPad is the first computer made for every type of user, and that will change everything.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:00 pm

IE 8 Is Top Browser, Google Chrome Is Rising Fast

An anonymous reader points out that the latest Net Applications numbers show that MSIE 8 has become the world's most-used browser, taking over from IE6, which has been hit by the decline in the use of Windows XP. PCMag.com emphasizes another angle on the numbers, which is that Chrome is the fastest-growing browser. Firefox's market share has stalled just below 25%. Chrome is now in third place, ahead of Safari. The Guardian's article reminds: "There's no guarantee that NetApps' numbers are accurate, and they are very unlikely to be correct to two decimal places. However, they do appear to be a good indicator of market trends."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:58 pm

Southwest In-flight Wi-Fi Coming Next Quarter (PC World)

PC World - Southwest Airlines has ordered equipment for an in-flight Wi-Fi service and will start deploying it on planes in the second quarter of this year.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:50 pm

SaberHacer.com Selected as a Finalist by the Los Angeles Business Journal in the First Ever Latino Business Awards

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- SaberHacer.com, a leading provider of educational and guidance video content specifically for U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:50 pm

Pre-order your Alienware M11x right now

Got a hankering for Alienware’s 11-inch ultra-portable like everyone else? Well then head over to Dell’s site where you can spec out your very own M11x right now with your choice of Core 2 Duo CPUs, up to 8GB of Dual Channel DDR3 memory, Verizon or AT&T mobile broadband and either a spinning hard drive or a 256GB SSD. It’s really not that hard to jump the M11x’s base $799 price north of $2,000. Whatever options you pick, the notebook won’t ship until March 1, 2010 though so don’t get that excited yet. You still have a few more days before your gaming addiction will hit a whole new level. [Dell via Engadget]

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:44 pm

LeapFrog to Webcast Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Financial Results on February 11, 2010

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: LF) today announced that it will webcast its fourth quarter and full year 2009 results conference call on Thursday, February 11, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (5:30 a.m.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:43 pm

Google Chrome steadily becoming more popular; Windows 7 as well

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Web, Downloads, Web Browsers, Google

Good marketing campaigns can do wonders for the product.  Case in point with Google Chrome and Microsoft Windows 7, as they both became more popular in the month of January.  According to Net Applications, Chrome managed to gain popularity in terms of web browsing by stealing popularity from Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.  In January, Google Chrome had a 5.20% usage share, which increased from 4.64% in December.  IE had 62.18% in January, decreasing from 62.69% in December, and Firefox had 24.41% in January decreasing from 24.61% in December. 

I’m not sure if you noticed or not, but our Editor Robert Nelson certainly has, Google had been pushing an intensive campaign for Google Chrome all through late December and January.  Interestingly enough, the most popular browser has become IE 8, which passed IE 6 with percentage usage of 22.31% and 20.07%, respectively. 

Windows 7 increased to 7.51% in January from 5.71% in December, and in terms of global usage, it has reached 10%.  Mac has only slightly increased from 5.11% in December to 5.13% in January.  Linux practically stayed the same at 1.02%.  It is worth noting Net Applications probably isn’t the most accurate representation of browser usage because it uses data from 40,000 monitored websites, featuring 160 million unique visitors, and bases it on country population to calculate the appropriate percentages. 

Via [ZDnet]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:31 pm

World of Warcraft headphones get pricing, details

Creative is finally giving up some details on the World of Warcraft headset that they showed off at BlizzCon and CES. The price is a bit higher then we’d all like, with an MSRP of $159.99 for the wireless version, and $119.99 for the wired version. They do look cool though, I like the choice between the Horde and Alliance artwork lit up on the sides.

I tried these out at CES for a few minutes, and they have a good feel to them. Sound quality is acceptable for general computer and gaming use, but they definitely aren’t audiophile level. Given the amount of time spent on a raid, I think I’d probably recommend going for the wired version, instead of the wireless. The wireless version does use a rechargeable battery, and according to Creative you can charge it while using the headset. Of course, we don’t have an actual release date yet, but you can pre-order them on Amazon. MSRP on the wireless version is $159.99, and the wired version is $119.99. For the Horde!

From the press release:

Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset Features
• Two sets of interchangeable headset lenses with 16 million color LEDs, featuring Horde and Alliance artwork
• Custom World of Warcraft-themed voice presets that allow you to alter the way you sound to other players
• Interface software designed to look and feel similar to the in-game interface
• Advanced uncompressed wireless technology
• THX TruStudio PC™ audio technology — the result of years of collective experience and research by Creative and THX, which delivers the fullest audio experience for games, movies and music
• Works on PC and Mac
• Cushioned earpads and light, flexible headband reduce listening fatigue during intensive gaming
• Rechargeable battery, recharges even while in use

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:30 pm

Rumor: Apple Has Another Tablet In The Works. More Like A Mac Than An iPhone.

In the movie Contact, when revealing to main character Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) that there is actually a second space travel machine that was being built at the same time as the first one, but in secret, S.R. Hadden (John Hurt) says, "why build one when you can have two at twice the price?" Apple, it seems, may have the same line of thinking. By now, we've all seen the iPad and know just about everything about it that we possibly can. But did you know that the secretive company may actually be hard at work on a second device already? Now, before I say anything else, take this information with a grain of salt. While it originated from a good source, it was a second-hand source. Meanwhile, I've corroborated some the main details with another source, but not some of the smaller ones. That said, from what I'm hearing, Apple is pretty far along on work on second tablet device. A bigger one. And this one may be much more like a Mac than an iPhone.

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:23 pm

PaperKraft site offers plenty papercraft creations for gamers

FROM GAMERTELL - These artists take colored paper or printed patterns, add a few well-placed folds and creases and turn them into 3D masterpieces. Some even offer patterns for you to make them at home…
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:20 pm

iPad Killer. [Voices]

By Nitrozac and Snaggy

Source: All Things Digital | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:20 pm

Report: Google planning app store for businesses - CNET

The Hindu

Report: Google planning app store for businesses CNET Google is preparing an online store in which it will sell third-party business software to Google Apps customers, according to a report. The Wall Street Journal says that Google's store could arrive as early as March with the works of ... Report: Google to Open App Store for Business SoftwarePC World Google prepping an app store for enterprisesVentureBeat WSJ: Google to launch app store for selling third-party business softwareTopNews United States V3.co.uk -The Hindu -The Money Times all 82 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:15 pm

Military's Robotic Pack Mule Gets $32M Boost

coondoggie sends word that Boston Dynamics, maker of the BigDog robot we have been following for a while, has just been awarded a $32M DARPA contract to produce robotic "pack dogs" for the military. "What kind of robot will automatically follow a leader, carry 400 lbs. (182 kg) of military gear, walk 20 miles in all manner of weather, and go 24 hours without refueling? Well, we might soon find out as DARPA has awarded a $32 million contract to build its Legged Squad Support System (LS3) which uses sensors and a GPS to walk along with soldiers across all manner of terrain in any weather without pulling any muscles."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:14 pm

Yahoo keeps AP in its content corner with new deal (AP)

AP - The Associated Press has signed a licensing deal with Yahoo Inc. that gives the news cooperative a steady stream of revenue at a time less money is flowing in from newspapers and broadcasters.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:12 pm

Rumor: Apple Has Another Tablet In The Works. More Like A Mac Than An iPhone.

In the movie Contact, when revealing to main character Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) that there is actually a second space travel machine that was being built at the same time as the first one, but in secret, S.R. Hadden (John Hurt) says, “why build one when you can have two at twice the price?” Apple, it seems, may have the same line of thinking.

By now, we’ve all seen the iPad and know just about everything about it that we possibly can. But did you know that the secretive company may actually be hard at work on a second device already? Now, before I say anything else, take this information with a grain of salt. While it originated from a good source, it was a second-hand source. Meanwhile, I’ve corroborated some the main details with another source, but not some of the smaller ones. That said, from what I’m hearing, Apple is pretty far along on work on second tablet device. A bigger one. And this one may be much more like a Mac than an iPhone.

Before the iPad was revealed last week, rumors circulated for a long time that Apple might be working on two different sizes for the screen of the device. Some had the device as small as 7″, others were saying it would go up to 10.6″. (The actual size of the iPad is 9.7″.) But the information we’re hearing is that Apple is thinking much larger for another version of the product, maybe all the way up to the 15.4″ size that it currently uses for one version of the MacBook Pro. If you think that would be way too big for an iPad, we’re also hearing that this other tablet would be quite a bit different from the one revealed last week. Namely, it could run a version of OS X much closer to the traditional version that runs on Macs.

If there is any truth to that, we could learn something as soon as Apple’s WWDC event this year, which will likely take place in June (just as it does every year). Apple typically uses the event to show off its new iPhone hardware, but it is first and foremost an event for Mac platform developers, and the past two years have seen OS X as a major component. This included two years ago when Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) made a surprise appearance and developers got a very early peek. There is already talk that WWDC 2010 could bring a similar peek at OS X 10.7. If there are some significant multi-touch components to OS X 10.7, you can expect the rumors to start flying about this new device that I’m talking about (or possibly touchscreen iMacs).

As usual, you should also note that Apple likely has a ton of projects in various stages that never see the light of day. It seems certain that at points they were playing with different sized screens for what became the iPad. But one of our sources here puts this new tablet as being released within the next year.

While everyone is still debating the uses of the iPad, a larger tablet would probably have a completely different set of uses. For example, it would likely be meant to be more of a straightforward laptop (or desktop) replacement. As such, it would almost undoubtedly come with some sort of external keyboard/stand just as the iPad offers as an accessory, but it would probably be a more integral part of using the device. When undocked, maybe you could use the thing just as you would an iPad (which is to say, holding it or placing it in your lap and using your fingers to manipulate its screen). And maybe while docked, you would even use a bluetooth mouse or touchpad device attached to the keyboard to interact with it.

Based on various patent filing and the general trend of multi-touch enabled devices (Magic Mouse, MacBook trackpads, etc) that Apple has been releasing, it seems that Apple is definitely trending in the direction of touch computing as the future of computing. A larger tablet device could serve as a nice transition device between the traditional laptop and this new type of computing. And just as the iPhone has prepared many of us to naturally use the iPad, the iPad may do the same for this new tablet.

And while a larger screen tablet would undoubtedly cost more than the iPad, Apple would have a lot of room to price it if it really was meant to be a laptop-replacement. If that’s the case, anything north of $1,000 wouldn’t seem unreasonable, unlike it would have for the iPad.

That said, for that type of price, people are going to expect a machine that is as powerful as a laptop. We’re also hearing that Apple would likely use an Intel chip (just as it uses in traditional Macs) in such a device rather than its new custom-made A4 chip. The problem with that would be power consumption. A larger screen plus a power-hungry chip would likely lead to a battery life well below the stated 10-hour limit for the iPad. Still, if they could bring something like that in with around around 5+ hours of battery, plenty of people would be happy. And Apple has made a lot of advancements in the past couple of years with getting battery life on its laptops well above industry averages.

In terms of weight, the iPad is 1.5 pounds, while the MacBook Air is 3 pounds (with a 13.3″ screen). If Apple could remove all the unnecessary parts of the MacBook Air (like the keyboard and trackpad), it could probably keep a device pretty close to the 2-3 pound weight even with a larger screen. But given such a large screen, it would almost undoubtedly have to come with some kind of case to put it in so as not to damage the screen when in transit.

In terms of what OS X applications could or would support multi-touch integration, that’s hard to say. Safari is an easy and obvious one, but others would have to be completely reworked for this. But as we saw during the iPad keynote, Apple didn’t need too long to do that with its iWork suite of apps. Third-party developers would likely get a good set of tools from Apple to update their apps as well. Again, take this all with a grain of sale, but look for clues in OS X 10.7.

[image: Steve Burg]

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:57 pm

Southwest Airlines ready to begin rolling out in-flight Wi-Fi

Section: Communications, Broadband Cards, Computers, Wireless, Gadgets / Other, Transportation

This is certainly not the first we have heard in regards to Southwest Airlines rolling out in-flight Wi-Fi, however it does seem they are past the thinking stage and ready to move forward.

Basically, it looks like Southwest is planning to start by installing the equipment on 15 planes per month and later increase that to 25 per month. In the end though, they are estimating that “by early 2012” they will have Wi-Fi on more than 540 planes.

As far as the service itself, that will be provided by Row44, however pricing is still being worked out. According to Dave Ridley, who is Southwest’s senior vice-president for marketing and revenue management;

“We’ll have a decision on price in the second quarter of 2010, rest assured that, just like our fares, it will be a great value. You can count on it!”

Sounds good, but there are plenty of people that think the fares are high, so we will have to wait and see what the public thinks about the Wi-Fi pricing. And until then, there are other airlines already offering in-flight Wi-Fi.

Read [Chicago Tribune] Via [The Consumerist]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:52 pm

My God, Google News Is Full Of Stars

Maybe the single most useful feature of Gmail for me is how you can “star” items to highlight them to come back to later. In Google Reader, this starring feature also exists and is hands-down the best feature of the service. Today, Google News added the same feature, and it’s also awesome.

Now, I’ve never been a big fan of Google News. In fact, I think it’s pretty awful in many ways. But this is a great addition. Much like with Google Reader, I can now scan through Google News and pick out the stories I want to save to read later simply by clicking on the empty star icon to the left of the headline. Even better, by using these stars, Google News is actually able to better tailor its news surfacing experience for you. When there is new news about a headline you previously starred, Google News will bold it for you, making it easier for you to find on a quick scan.

There are a couple of downsides to this feature. Sadly, you can only star the story that Google News deems to be the most important in the cluster (that it places first). Clicking on a more detailed view removes the option to star any articles. Also, they say that you can only keep track of your last 20 starred items in the new Starred area — that seems pretty low. Also odd is that if the cluster changes after you star it (meaning a different story rises to the top), it appears to also change in your starred items area.

Still, this makes Google News much more interesting to me already.

[image: MGM]

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:50 pm

High-Throughput Analysis Of Gene Regulation, DNA Synthesis In Cold Spring Harbor Protocols

Mapping DNase I hypersensitive sites has long been the standard method for identifying genetic regulatory elements such as promoters, enhancers, silencers, insulators, and locus control regions.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:39 pm

Children Of Spanish-Speaking Moms Watch Less TV

Young children of Hispanic mothers whose dominant language is Spanish spend less time in front of the TV than children whose mothers speak mostly English, according to research led by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and published in the February issue of Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.Although the study was not designed to answer why the children of Spanish-speaking mothers watch less TV, the researchers believe it might be a reflection of a cultural perception of the value of television.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:30 pm

AMD Publishes Open-Source "ATI Evergreen" Driver

Several readers have written to tell us that AMD has published their code to support the Radeon HD 5000 "Evergreen" graphics cards on Linux in an open-source driver. Unfortunately the driver isn't quite as complete as some might hope. The current offering doesn't promise 2D (EXA) acceleration or 3D support. "The DDX driver supports mode-setting on the Evergreen/R800 series GPUs with VGA and DVI connectors while the DisplayPort connectivity is still not working right, according to AMD's Alex Deucher who had written most of this code. These new AMD graphics cards have been around since September while there was no open-source support at that time. In December just before Christmas there was Evergreen Shader documentation that was made publicly available and around that time it was confirmed via our forums that initial VGA mode-setting was working with Evergreen internally on unreleased code. Since then the digital connector support has been added in and this code has finally cleared AMD's legal review. The revised target was to publish this code by FOSDEM, which is this weekend so AMD did hit the target this time."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:28 pm

Chegg Warns Rival BookRenter.com It Owns The Trademark To Being No. 1

Who exactly is the market leader in textbook rentals is no longer just an academic debate. Online textbook rental service Chegg recently sent its rival BookRenter.co a lawyer letter (embedded below) demanding that it stop using the phrase “#1 In Textbook Rentals” on its Website. That is Chegg’s marketing slogan, and it even registered the phrase as a trademark in 2008.

But how can a company trademark being No. 1, especially in a nascent market that is evolving rapidly? In addition to Chegg and BookRenter, bigger players such as Barnes & Noble are getting into the textbook rental game. Chegg’s trademark isn’t going to do it much good in fighting off such encroachments. And even if Chegg is the biggest online textbook renter, the offline book rental market is much bigger with companies like Follett dominating.

BookRenter.com CEO Mehdi Maghsoodnia stands his ground and says Chegg doesn’t have a case. To begin with, there are many ways to define “#1″: customers, revenue, selection, service. “We have the largest selection of textbooks in the U.S.,” claims Maghsoodnia, referring to the inventory of 3 million textbooks that BookRenter can rent out by tapping into partner inventory such as Amazon. Chegg operates its own warehouses, but it claims to offer “more than 4.2 million titles” and has rented out more than 2 million books to students so far. BookRenter.com says it serves 5,000 universities in the U.S.? Okay, Chegg claims 6,400. BookRenter says its revenues are growing 400% annually? Chegg tops it with a claim of 600% growth. Needless to say, none of these assertions are backed by any audited financial statements.

The point is that this market is growing fast and Chegg wants no one to question its undisputed number-oneness. Maghsoodnia concedes that in terms of customers and revenues, Chegg is probably five to seven times bigger than BookRenter, which recently passed 100,000 customers. And Chegg certainly has more capital. It has a massive war chest from raising $144 million over the past few years, whereas BookRenter.com only recently raised $6 million. But Maghsoodnia points out that estimates of the total online textbook rental market are $200 million, out of a $7 billion overall market. So for any online player to claim to be #1 in all textbook rentals is laughable. The fact that Chegg is trying to assert its trademark on such a dubious claim, he says, “tells me they are a lot more nervous than their advertising shows.”

Regardless, he doesn’t think Chegg can defend its trademark claim on such a common phrase, unless it could establish some sort of secondary meaning in the eyes of the public. At least that is what his lawyers tell him. In the meantime, he is thinking of changing the language on his Website just a little bit to, “We’re Numero Uno in Textbook Rentals!”

Chegg Letter To BookRenter.com

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:25 pm

Kick-ass papercraft Pac-Man can be yours

FROM GAMERTELL - This all-paper Pac-Man 3D creation by Matthew Hawkins will set you back $300 but, hey, it’s pretty dern cool and signed by the artist…
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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:19 pm

Intel and Micron Double Flash Storage Capacity With 25-Nanometer NAND - PC World

PC World

Intel and Micron Double Flash Storage Capacity With 25-Nanometer NAND PC World Intel and Micron have reached a new breakthrough in NAND flash production. The 25nm NAND flash process will enable the manufacturers to double current flash memory capacity, or squeeze the same memory into half the space, ... Intel, Micron Unveil 25-Nm NAND Flash ChipeWeek Intel, Micron to Shrink NAND Flash to 25 nmPC Magazine Intel, Micron to announce world's densest flash memoryComputerworld FOXBusiness -Register -Wall Street Journal all 139 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:13 pm

Remember When Webvan Went Public? Good Times…Good Times. [Digital Daily]

Sand Hill Road, your day of reckoning is here. The National Venture Capital Association posted its latest Venture Capital Index today and it’s not much to look at (see table below; click to enlarge). Why? Because a decade has passed since the dotcom bubble, and the Index’s 10-year figures no longer reflect that era’s distended returns.

Their presence is sorely missed. Consider this: Ten-year returns slid to 8.4 percent in the third quarter from 40.2 percent a year ago.

That’s a significant fall–no, it’s a horrific fall. And it’s only going to get worse, as the dotcompost that’s been nourishing the Venture Capital Index leeches out once and for all and the effects of the IPO drought that the industry has been suffering through these past few years begin to be truly felt.

“It has taken a full decade after the technology bubble burst for the venture industry to fully realize the impact of that era and its aftermath,” NVCA president Mark Heesen said in a surprisingly candid statement. “The significant returns created by the robust exit markets of the late 1990s have carried the industry for a long period of time.”

No longer. “The new reality is much more somber for many venture firms,” Heesen continued. “There are still healthy returns to be made in venture capital, but until the venture community sees a more vibrant exit market we do not expect marked improvement overall.”

[Image Credit: Audiophile & Synergy Industries]

Source: All Things Digital | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:09 pm

Argonautes: A Big Turn-Off For Proteins

Johns Hopkins scientists believe they may have figured out how genetic snippets called microRNAs are able to shut down the production of some proteins.The issue, they say, is important because the more scientists know about how genes — the blueprints for proteins — are regulated, the more likely they are to figure out how to use that information in treating or preventing diseases linked to such regulation, including cancer.In both computer and test-tube studies using fruit-fly protein, the Johns Hopkins researchers intensively studied a fairly large protein called Argonaute because it is known to bind to microRNA and ultimately shut down protein production."The question was how it did it," says Rachel Green, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor of molecular biology and genetics in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.Previous studies have been inconclusive about the mechanism by which microRNAs bound to Argonautes prevent the production of protein from a given gene.In this study, the team discovered that when an Argonaute binds to a microRNA, it then binds more tightly to a messenger RNA thereby sequestering the message from the translation machine known as the ribosome where protein production happens.Their research appeared in January in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.The team set out to characterize Argonautes first using computers to compare their shapes and structures with other proteins.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

Size Certainly Matters With Nintendo's DSi XL

An extra inch of screen real estate takes Nintendo's newest portable from mere novelty to drool inducing "must have."

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

Size Certainly Matters With Nintendo's DSi XL

An extra inch of screen real estate takes Nintendo's newest portable from mere novelty to drool inducing "must have."

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

Humble Garden Pea Helps Kew Scientists Develop 'Cool,' Noninvasive Diagnostic Test Of Seed Quality

Scientists from Kew's Millennium Seed Bank in the United Kingdom and the University of Graz, Austria, have developed a rapid, new method to diagnose seed quality non-invasively and in real time.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:48 pm

Appletell reviews the CorePack Fly and AftPack laptop bags from Speck

FROM APPLETELL - Speck wants to make sure you’re making a statement with their CorePack Fly Messenger Bag and AftPack Notebook Backback, but not at the expense of functionality.
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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:44 pm

Using Windows 7 RC? Pay Up Or Auto Shutdown Warned

CWmike writes with a warning that free preview copies of Windows 7 in the wild will start nagging users to pay up in a couple of week until ultimately shutting down the PC altogether in a month. "Microsoft unveiled the schedule for Windows 7 Release Candidate's retirement in May 2009, when it issued the early look to the public. At the time, it said Windows 7 RC would expire June 1, 2010. Before that date, however, users are to receive warnings of the impending end. Starting on Feb. 15, Windows 7 RC will display notices every few hours that the machine will periodically shut down beginning on March 1. As of March 1, PCs running Windows 7 RC will automatically shut down every two hours. Those shutdowns will come without warning."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:44 pm

Greenplum Positioned in the Visionaries Quadrant of the Magic Quadrant for Data Warehouse Database Management Systems

SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenplum, the pioneer of Enterprise Data Cloud(TM) solutions for large-scale data warehousing and analytics, today announced it has been positioned by Gartner, Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:42 pm

What the iPad Means for the Future of Computing

When I picked up my iPhone over the weekend, I had an epiphany. I was using the LinkedIn app to confirm an invitation to connect, and it hit me: This is the future of mobile computing, the mobile web — the mobile experience.

No, I’m not saying the LinkedIn app is the future per se (that’d be silly), but rather the overall concept of it. The LinkedIn iPhone app is, in my opinion, better than the actual LinkedIn.com website. Same goes for the Facebook app compared to Facebook.com.

Gone are their busy, tab-infested UIs. In their stead are beautiful bubbly icons screaming “Touch me!” We no longer have to squint or click around in search of the feature we’re trying to access: The button is right there in that simple interface for us to tap.

The Facebook and Linkedin apps are two key examples of popular services whose iPhone apps outdid the websites they were trying to “port.” They’re two gems glistening brightly for the future of mobile.

Now that we can have experiences like these on a bigger touchscreen, with the iPad and the horde of tablets that will follow it, we can expect computing to become much easier than what we’re accustomed to today.

That’s not to say everything will have to be an iPad app. iPad owners aren’t going to be the only ones to benefit from Apple’s invention.

The iPad opens a path for an improved web experience for everyone. As soon as the iPad and its competing slates are in people’s hands, we’ll see a host of websites tailoring their content for touchscreen tablet browsing, and it’s going to be far more pleasant than the web experience we’re used to today.

Have you seen Flickr’s mobile website lately? Or YouTube’s? They’re both far friendlier, simpler and to-the-point than their original websites, and they’re plenty functional.

I’m awfully jaded about monotonous browser tabs, puny headlines and boring boxes all over the place, aren’t you? The iPhone and the iPad give web developers an excuse to break free from traditional user interfaces.

As a side effect it’s also pushing developers to ditch old, outdated web standards, such as Adobe Flash, and embrace newer ones like HTML5. Thank goodness, because we’ve been needing a change.

Cleaner, friendlier, intimate UI may sound like a step backward, but it’s not. There are huge implications.

We all learn how to touch with our fingers before we figure out how to type or click a mouse. Often when we think about computing we overlook children and the elderly, and the iPad is going to be the first computer to eliminate the social divide.

The iPhone was the first phone that a Luddite could figure out in seconds and a hacker could tinker around with for endless hours. In an analogous way the iPad is going to be the computer a toddler can play games with and learn, and the same computer your grandma uses to send e-mails, browse the web and edit photos.

If you think about how a computer like this will impact people sociologically, suddenly the iPad is far more than a larger iPod Touch, as many have described it. It’s the computer for everyone: an idea Apple has been working toward for years.

That doesn’t mean the iPad will be the only computer for everyone and destroy every PC on the market, because that’s not even remotely likely. But it will introduce a significant new category.

For anyone plugged in to tech history, the idea of the child-friendly, super-lightweight computer is actually reminiscent of Xerox pioneer Alan Kay’s 40-year-old concept of the Dynabook (pictured in sketch above). I’ve been chatting with Kay about the iPad, but he’s waiting to provide his official comment on the device until he’s had a chance to try it out.

Tablet naysayers have anticipated Apple’s tablet would be a failure because of form factor, ergonomics and UI. But they missed out on the bigger problem: Nobody has cared to create content (be it web or native applications) for tablets — until now.

Say what you will about Apple, but Steve Jobs’ company is a market shaper, and the iPad is the only tablet that could shove the computing world in a new direction.

Apple has shipped over 75 million iPhones, and the iPhone OS continues to dominate mobile web traffic. Meanwhile, the App Store has served 3 billion downloads and claimed 99.4 percent of the mobile-software market.

Content developers need to see these kinds of numbers to have faith in investing in a new platform.  At this rate, we’re all heading with Apple into the future of computing, and it’s looking quite bright.

See Also:

• Why 2010 Will Be the Year of the Tablet
• Hands-On With the Apple iPad
• Apple's iPad Tablet: Full Coverage
• Apple Change Quietly Makes iPhone, iPad Into Web Phones
• IPad Books Are US-Only
• Apple iPad Raises the Stakes for E-Readers
• Apple iPad's Display Is More Like a TV Than a Laptop
• Ten Things Missing From the iPad

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:39 pm

Microsoft to introduce Zune Phone with Windows Mobile 7 at MWC

If there is one rumor that tends to come and go and agonizes Windows Mobile fans, it’s the one about a Zune phone. Although it’s not officially confirmed, Gizmodo has it on good word that Microsoft will be introducing a Zune phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year. More specifically, it will be a Windows Mobile 7 phone with Zune features and capabilities, so it’s not a Zune phone, per se.

Giz says their source confirmed that “the Zune Phone presentation at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress 2010 is 100% confirmed.” Details are scant, but the new phone is said to have an Nvidia Tegra series chip, 480×272 screen, HDMI out and weighs in at a lightweight 2.45 ounces. We’re certainly looking forward to what Microsoft has in store for MWC and hoping that WinMo 7 takes off on some killer hardware.

[Via MuyComputer]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:30 pm

Core Services Extends OAUG Three-Star Partner Sponsorship

UNION, N.J., Feb.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:23 pm

Review: 'Planet Hulk' Is Full of Sound and Fury, Signifying Whatever

In the new straight-to-DVD animated film, Marvel's green behemoth gets blasted to a gladiatorial planet, where he proceeds to smash foes in the space coliseum. But does Hulk really work as a savior figure?

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:22 pm

Vaccine-Autism Doctor Guilty of ‘Dishonesty and Misleading Conduct’

Andrew Wakefield, the doctor whose research sparked international concern over whether or not childhood vaccines cause autism, was found guilty by a British panel of acting unethically in his research on autism. Wakefield was the lead author a small-scale 1998 ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:16 pm

Predicto Community's Mobile Votes Forecast Nominees in Expanded Oscar Field

NEW YORK, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in 67 years, there will be ten Best Picture nominees at the Oscars. This major change to the Academy Awards has everyone abuzz, including the mobile community at Predicto Mobile, a digital content service owned by Snackable Media.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:13 pm

"Calvin and Hobbes" Creator Bill Watterson Looks Back With No Regrets

With fifteen years separating us from the last appearance of "Calvin and Hobbes" on the comic pages, reclusive artist Bill Watterson gave a rare interview reminiscing about his legacy. "The only part I understand is what went into the creation of the strip. What readers take away from it is up to them. Once the strip is published, readers bring their own experiences to it, and the work takes on a life of its own. Everyone responds differently to different parts. I just tried to write honestly, and I tried to make this little world fun to look at, so people would take the time to read it. That was the full extent of my concern. You mix a bunch of ingredients, and once in a great while, chemistry happens. I can't explain why the strip caught on the way it did, and I don't think I could ever duplicate it. A lot of things have to go right all at once."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:02 pm

YouTube 'Phantom' Critic Now Reams 'Avatar'

The hilarious dude who slapped down Star Wars with a 70-minute review of The Phantom Menace takes aim at James Cameron's sci-fi epic. Among the swipes: Blue Na'vi warrioress Neytiri is designed to be a "perfect sexual-fantasy creature for nerds."

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

The Start Project Gets Start-Up Stars as Advisers, Including Stone, Sacca, Mullenweg [BoomTown]

A new Silicon Valley business incubator called The Start Project has recruited a high-profile group of entrepreneurs as advisers, which it announced today on its Web site.

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, former Google (GOOG) exec and angel investor Chris Sacca, as well as Whiskey Media’s Mike Tatum and Jeffries & Co. Managing Director David Liu, have all agreed to help the company’s start-ups before and during their creation.

The Start Project is the brainchild of serial entrepreneurs Narendra Rocherolle of 83 Degrees, who co-founded a range of companies, and Josh Felser of Spinner and Crackle.

Polaris Venture Partners is also involved, lending office space in San Francisco and possible investments in whatever innovative ideas bubble up, with a first-look option.

“We can do a lot of stuff, such as pairing a CEO with an adviser with an amazing track record,” said Rocherolle in an interview with BoomTown. “It’s kind of a Justice League for start-ups.”

The Start Project’s description of itself on its Web site reads:

“The start project is a collaborative effort to bring great ideas to market. While the founders have a history of successful exits (over half a billion dollars), they are now focused on the initial stages of business creation including: idea generation, software development, product vision, team building, and investment.”

Source: All Things Digital | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:57 pm

Foursquare Adds More Rewards [Voices]

By Lauren Goode, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

The popular location-based app Foursquare is now offering more incentives for users to join.

Today, Foursquare inked a deal with Bravo TV allowing Foursquare players to win badges, special prizes, and the chance to participate in sweepstakes when they visit more than 500 Bravo locations. The locations are being defined as “show-related locations”, which may call to mind Real Housewives hotspots or “Shear Genius” haircutting salons.

According to Tristan Walker, head of business development for Foursquare, the company is currently working with almost 500 venues to offer incentives in the form of reward points and coupons to users that frequent a location.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:49 pm

ITC^DeltaCom, Inc. Commences Offering of Senior Secured Notes

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ITC^DeltaCom, Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:48 pm

YouTube experimenting with HTML5-based video player

Section: Web, Online Music/Video, Google

In an attempt to move away from flash-based video players, YouTube is currently having an opt-in beta for the upcoming HTML5-based video player. You can join the beta by clicking here. Only Google Chrome, Apple Safari (version 4+) and Microsoft Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame installed (Get Chrome Frame) are supported right now.

There are couple of limitations on this early version of the HTML5-based video player, though. Videos with ads embedded in them are not supported, but they will play on the flash-based player. Fullscreen viewing is not supported. Also, if you’ve opted in to other test tube experiments, you may not get the HTML5 player (Feather is supported, though). Here’s a demonstration of the new YouTube HTML5 video player. You can watch it if you don’t mind listening to German.

Read [Youtube] Via [TechEBlog]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:34 pm

Cyber Criminals Target Social Networks

When it comes to virtual communities, the biggest orchards often have the most bad apples.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:29 pm

New Hearing Aid Uses Your Tooth To Transmit Sound

kkleiner writes to share a new device from Sonitus Medical that transmits sound to the inner ear via the teeth and jawbone. Dubbed "SoundBite," the device captures sound using a microphone in the ear and transmits to an in-the-mouth device that in turn sends the sounds through the jaw. "There are other hearing aid devices that utilize bone conduction. Most, however, use a titanium pin drilled into the jaw bone (or skull) to transmit sound to the cochlea. SoundBite seems to be the first non-surgical, non-invasive, easily removable device. While they are likely years from retail production, Sonitus Medical plans on having SoundBite ITMs fitted to each individual's upper back teeth and fabricated fairly quickly (1 to 2 weeks). A complete system is planned to include two ITMs, 1 BTE, and a charger. In the wider world of cochlear implants, SoundBite may only be fit for relatively specialized use. Still, the ability to easily upgrade or replace individual components makes the device competitive. A similar device could be adapted to provide audio for a personalized augmented reality system. Perhaps the Bluetooth headset of the future will involve actual teeth."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:21 pm

Helinet Brings Live Aerial Video to Cops’ Smartphones

Remember the helicopter footage of the police chasing OJ Simpson in his white Ford Bronco on Los Angeles’ Interstate 405? Now imagine being able to watch that on your smartphone–instead of your TV set–and even tilt, zoom and pan the camera to get different views, similar to what you would do with Google Earth.

A new mobile technology product called HT 4Sight promises to bring live, encrypted video feeds direct from air crews to smartphones on the ground. Initially, the product is being targeted at law enforcement and security officials.

“Usually aerial images are sent to a command center and then attached to a voice feed,” says Ron Magocsi, chief technical officer of Helinet, a company that got its start by offering aerial charter services. “But now everyone has a cellphone and we wanted to find a way to distribute these images easily so you can get it wherever you are.”

Footage shot from helicopters is popular with law enforcement and TV stations. But, so far, that feed has been directed to a ground station where it is viewed on a PC or re-broadcast to TV sets. Poor cellphone connectivity and the lack of bandwidth have held back efforts to offer live streaming video on smartphones.

Helinet says it has developed a solution to that problem. All that’s required in the smartphone is a software client that can be installed in the phone by syncing it to the computer. I saw a demo showing live video on an HTC smartphone at my desk in San Francisco. The video was streamed from the city of Ontario, California in near real-time.

“What you are seeing is virtually no breakups in a video feed that is coming from an airborne platform,” says Magocsi.

Here’s how it works. Helinet uses a gyro-stabilized high-definition camera system from Axsys that is mounted on a helicopter. A camera operator can either control the camera system directly or set some co-ordinates for the camera to lock on to.

The resulting live video stream is compressed from 1.5 Gbps (gigabits per second) to 18.3 Mbps (megabits per second) and then sent from the aircraft to the ground.  On the ground, it is de-compressed back to the 1.5 Gbps HD stream.

Microwaves are used to downlink the data stream  from the helicopter to a ground station. A directional antenna that is set pointing to the ground station transmits HD images up to 120 miles away with no loss or breakup.

Once the data stream is received on the ground it is decompressed and then down-converted from HD to standard definition video. The video is also cropped so viewers can see it on their phone without significant distortion. Ultimately, this video is streamed via the internet using the JPEG 2000 compression standard.

“For viewers, what this means is that when they are accessing the video, they are accessing our server through the internet,” says Magocsi.

What makes all this remarkable is that it happens in near real-time. “We work with customers that can’t have any delay,” he says.

The initial downlink of data introduces a 100-millisecond delay and additional processing could add up to a second or two.

Viewers can use either cellular or Wi-Fi networks to view the video feeds. And they can monitor up to four live video feeds on a single device. This kind of multi-casting also allows for hundreds of viewers to log in simultaneously to watch a feed.

Helinet is focusing on offering the technology to security officials so they can respond better to crisis situations because of their ability to access real time intelligence anywhere. But it’s easy to see how the idea can work for sports broadcasts and other specialized events.

For now the technology is available for BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices only, says Helinet.

Photo: (UNC-CFC-USFK/Flickr). Photo illustration: Helinet

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:09 pm

Android-powered Motorola Devour for Verizon gets one step closer to retail

Step-by-step, Motorola’s next Android phone for Verizon, the Devour, is inching itself onto the shelves. First came the rumors, then came the spy shots, and now..

This. Unearthed by the dudes over at AndroidCentral, it was initially reported to be the world’s first look at the Devour retail box – but something just didn’t seem right with that. It was too big (compared to the minimalist, slim packaging of the Droid), and too.. advertise-y.

Its much more likely that what we’re looking at isn’t the retail box, but the box for a pre-release demo unit shipped out to Verizon store managers as a sneak peak. There may very well be a Droid Devour tucked within that cardboard cage, but the box probably won’t look anything like that if you pick one up for yourself.

With demo units being shipped and the handset already sittin’ comfortable in Verizon’s inventory system, we can’t be more than a few weeks from launch.

[Via Phandroid]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:07 pm

Aldrin: 'Mars is the Next Frontier for Humankind'

Buzz Aldrin fields questions at a Hollywood premier in 2008. Today he has issued a public statement on the realities of spaceflight (Ian O'Neill) This certainly isn't a surprise, considering Buzz Aldrin has been advocating manned missions to destinations other ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:04 pm

Be Careful What Your Bumper Sticker Says

A federal appeals court backs the Bush administration's policy of excluding people from public presidential speeches whom the White House thinks don't support the president. In the case just decided, two people were removed from a Bush speech based on a bumper sticker on their car that said, "No More Blood For Oil."

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm

Pentagon's Black Budget Tops $56 Billion

The Defense Department releases its $708 billion budget for the next fiscal year, and much of the proposed spending is fairly detailed. But about $56 billion goes simply to "classified programs," or to projects known only by code names. That's the Pentagon's black budget.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 1:57 pm

Chart Shows Winners, Losers in Obama's Science Budget

In this graphic, we chart the nearly across-the-board increase in scientific research funding proposed by President Obama's administration.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 1:45 pm

Samsung to show a bada phone at Mobile World Congress?

Fun Fact: if you were to run a Google Image Search for “bada” at the time I published this post, you wouldn’t find a single image relevant to Samsung’s up and coming bada operating system until the third page, otherwise known as “that page that no one goes to because they gave up hope of finding the image they wanted after page 2.”

Maybe that’ll change once Samsung shows off a smartphone running the operating system – which, if this statement from ol’ Sammie themselves is any indication, might be as soon as two weeks from now.

In a post on the bada blog from earlier today, Samsung (very briefly) sheds some light on some of the User Experience features of the OS. What we care about, however, is the like that wraps it all up:

The distinctive UX features of bada let the developers to deliver the user convenience which could be experienced in applications showcased with the new bada smartphone at MWC this month.

Unless we’re dealing with a bit of mistranslation here (which, of course, is entirely possible) it sounds like Samsung just disclosed that they’ll be showing the world’s first bada-powered phone at Mobile World Congress — which, for the uninitiated, goes down in just 2 weeks time. We’ll be in Barcelona bringing back all the news from Mobile World Congress as it happens – so if bada makes an appearance, expect to see it here.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 1:08 pm

Tropical Storm Oli Forms In The Southern Pacific

The twelfth tropical cyclone in the Southern Pacific Ocean has formed today, February 1, 2010, and because of its proximity to the Fiji islands, it has been dubbed "Oli." The GOES-11 satellite passed over Oli early this morning and captured an infrared image of the storm's clouds.GOES-11, or the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and provides visible and infrared satellite imagery.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 1:06 pm

Native American Plant Domestication Paved Way for Turkeys

Today at Discovery News you can find out how Native Americans domesticated turkeys, not just once, but twice, well over 1,500 years before Christopher Columbus and other Europeans set foot on American soil. Native Americans were hardly starved for food. ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 1:03 pm

Native Americans First Tamed Turkeys 2,000 Years Ago

The turkeys we eat today ultimately descended from breeds raised by the Aztecs.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 1:01 pm

Nexus One slated to arrive in AT&T 3G flavor

When the Google Nexus One was announced early last month, Android fans went giddy with excitement, especially since there is an option to buy it unlocked. The only downside was that if you wanted 3G service, you were limited to T-Mobile’s decent, but smaller network. AT&T users are still out of luck and limited to EDGE speeds on the handset, but according to documents filed at the FCC, the Nexus One will support the 3G bands used in North America. That means AT&T, Rogers, Bell and Telus customers can enjoy the Nexus One in all its glory (whenever the Canadians manage to get their hands on the device).

If you’re at the point where you’re about to break down and accept suffering with EDGE, hold out just a little longer. We all knew it would be inevitable, but a Nexus One with WCDMA I, II and V (2100, 1900 and 850 respectively) should be coming sooner than later.

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Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 12:40 pm

Adults Need Less Sleep as They Age

Older adults not only need less sleep, but they're also more likely to feel well rested.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 12:35 pm

Haiti Earthquake A Reminder That Disasters Are Preventable

Image Caption: Damaged buildings in Port-au-Prince. Courtesy Marco Dormino/United Nations (Wikipedia)
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 12:01 pm

HTC releases Droid Eris source code

HTC’s been pretty good about celebrating the open-source spirit of Android. Whenever they release a new Android device, the source code for whatever goods they added on top of the stock firmware comes pouring in before too long.

It took just a bit over two months, but HTC has just released the code bundle for the Verizon Droid Eris. “Great! What does that mean for me?” you wonder.

If you aren’t a developer, not a whole lot – at least not directly. In the long run, however, it’s good for everyone. These source code packages give people that are far more hardcore than yours truly a deep view of everything that makes Android tick, which can lead to everything from the discovery and destruction of nasty bugs to HTC’s much-loved Sense user interface getting ported to devices that wouldn’t otherwise have it.

If you’re the tinkering type, you can find the source for the Droid Eris (and a bunch of other HTC devices) over at HTC’s Developer Center.

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Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 11:22 am

After 18, Family Influence Still Key To One's Ethnic Identity

The formative years don't stop at 18 according to a new study that found the actions and lifestyle of the family continue to influence whether young adults embrace their ethnicity and take pride in their roots.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 11:19 am

Managed Wolf Populations Could Restore Ecosystems

New animal tracking techniques suggest the public may accept small, managed populations of wolves in parksResearchers writing in the February issue of BioScience propose reintroducing small, managed populations of wolves into national parks and other areas in order to restore damaged ecosystems.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 11:15 am

'Prairie Potholes' Vulnerable To Warming Climates

Image 1:  A northern pintail drake stands in a nearly dry prairie pothole in north-central South Dakota. Such scenes may become more common in the prairie pothole region in a future drier and warmer climate, as recent research indicates that fewer wetlands will be available for waterfowl. Credit: Lawrence Igl, U.S. Geological Survey Image 2: A prairie wetland at Ordway Prairie near Aberdeen, South Dakota. Credit: W. Carter Johnson (South Dakota State University), U.S. Geological Survey
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 11:05 am

Samsung looks to mass produce 3.3″ AMOLED touchscreen displays

Standard, boring LED screens: your days are numbered! Samsung announced today that it will begin mass producing AMOLED displays with touch functions built right in. The displays will be 3.3″ WVGA touchscreens that will be, thanks to the AMOLED technology, much thinner than your average touchscreen display on current phones. The beauty of this technology is that it produces thinner, brighter and more vivid displays because it doesn’t require the additional touch input layer on top of the screen. Samsung managed to place a touch sensor over the mirror display and made it evaporate, leaving just a 0.001mm thick sensor over the display.

Thanks to this method of manufacturing displays, Samsung can happily claim to be the world’s first in creating an AMOLED display with touch function. Now we can look forward to thinner devices, the vividness of AMOLED screens and, because it doesn’t need a backlight, much longer battery life. A Samsung rep says, “Through mass production, we want to make this touch embedded AMOLED panel number one in the LCD and AMOLED market.” Well, getting a head start and being the world’s first certainly puts Sammy in a position to be where it wants.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

Video: MacBook Air Knockoff Runs Mac OS X

Chinese knockoffs are often awful compared to the products they ripped off, but I have to admit the MacBook Air counterfeits I spotted last week actually look attractive. Thinner than the average netbook? Check. Bigger screen? Check. But of course, I wondered if they were hackable to run Mac OS X. It turns out they are, as demonstrated in the video above.

What’s more, they cost about $325 — a heck of a lot cheaper than Apple’s $1,500 subnote. That is, of course, if you’re able to even find one and are willing to risk entering your credit card number in a shady wholesaler website, which we wouldn’t recommend. If anything, it’s at least fun to look at.

Via Liliputing

See Also:

• New iPhone Knockoffs Are Nearly Indistinguishable From Original …
• Chinese iPhone Knockoffs Described With Hilarious Engrish
• Say Hello to Wired.com’s Fake Chinese iPhone — the HiPhone …

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 10:59 am

Is Human Spaceflight Running Out of Time?

Not under construction: The Ares I will likely be sidelined (NASA) Now the rocket booster smoke is clearing, it's becoming clear that NASA's direction for manned space exploration has been re-routed. The much feared "5-year gap" between the Shuttle getting ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Feb 2010 | 10:54 am

DNA To Protect Marine Life

In an effort to save endangered marine animals from poachers, scientists in Taiwan plan to use DNA from whales and dolphins to convict the illegal hunters.Poachers often try to hide their tracks by cutting off the heads, tails and fins of the animals.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Feb 2010 | 10:50 am

One part Android, One part Pre: Alcatel’s upcoming Android slider caught on video

Take the Palm Pre. Smash Android on to it, add a few buttons, and maybe tone things down in the “Good looks” department a bit. Know what you’d get? Probably not – because this is the first time we’ve seen it.

We’re not sure where they were lurking when they found it, but the gents over at Frandroid spotted this Pre-esque handset and were nice enough to bring pack photos and video galore.

Packed inside this lil’ slider is a 600Mhz CPU, 802.11 b/g, EDGE, 3G, GPS, Magnetometer (Compass), 2 megapixel camera, and an accelerometer. While those specs are none too earth shattering, what is impressive is the price target; according to the original source, they’re trying to get this thing out there at a price cheaper than the HTC Tattoo, which goes for right around 300 bucks before contract and subsidies. If this thing comes stateside, we could be looking at the first killer Android phone for the lower end.

[Via IntoMobile]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Feb 2010 | 10:19 am

Wrapping up our Free Holiday WiFi program

In November, we officially launched our Free Holiday WiFi gift. 54 airports, one airline and many millions of connected WiFi users later, our two-month Free Holiday WiFi sponsorship ended on January 15. We're happy to have made this year's holiday travel season just a bit easier for the millions of people who logged on and connected at our participating airports and on Virgin America flights.

Though some airports will no longer have free WiFi, we're excited that Burbank, Seattle and most recently, Boston airports have all decided to offer free WiFi all year.

In the spirit of the season, passengers connecting to the networks donated over $250,000 to Engineers Without Borders, One Economy Corporation and Climate Savers Computing Initiative. With Google's matching donation, the three charities received over $500,000 in total.

Finally, Edward Doan of Austin, Texas won the grand prize of ten Virgin America tickets, a Motorola Droid from Verizon Wireless and a Canon SX200 digital camera. You can view a complete list of winners on the contest site.

Posted by Jeff Aguero and Missy Krasner, Product Marketing Managers
Source: The Official Google Blog | 1 Feb 2010 | 10:09 am

New Wacom Tablet Goes Wireless

Wacom’s new Intuos graphics tablet comes with something new, and something missing. The OG tablet-masters have launched the Intuos 4 with a brand new tip sensor in the pen, and at the same time Wacom has cut the cable, making the tablet completely wire-free, hooked up instead via Bluetooth.

The new tip sensor uses electro magnetic resonance (EMR) to do its business, and what that translates to for the artist is a smoother pressure curve, whichgices a more accurate rendering of how hard you press, and starts with almost zero pressure when you begin a stroke. Tablet users will be familiar with the difficulties of drawing very light strokes. In numbers, this doubles the resolution of previous pro-models, with 2048 pressure levels instead of 1024.

The $400, 8 x 5-inch tablet uses Bluetooth to connect, and charges over USB. As is usual with Wacom, you get a bunch of configurable hard-switches so you can stay away from the keyboard. Now these have little displays next to them to remind you just what function you set. There is also a “touch ring”, for scrolling or zooming. There is also a five button, wireless mouse that can be used atop the pad should you need it.

The Intuos 4 wireless will be available in “a few weeks”.

Intuos 4 [Wacom]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 9:05 am

Five Apps We Can't Wait to See on the iPad

With the iPad, 'casual' computer use will just increase. And since the iPhone already has a lot of apps that are better, fuller featured and easier to use than their desktop equivalents, and since all should 'just work' on your shiny new iPad, albeit at original size in the middle of a big. black screen, or scaled up to fit.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 1 Feb 2010 | 8:52 am

Peugeot Concept Bike Channels Tron

These days, the Peugeot brand is associated more with fixed-gear conversion of old road bikes (those old Peugeot racing frames are well made and good looking) than with modern design. But this hot concept design, the B1K, could mark either a return from Peugeot. Or they could just be the dreams of a fevered employee.

The info is limited to these pictures, and as ever with a bike concept they have some clever features sprinkled onto a fundamentally flawed design: It’s hard to improve on the classic double-triangle frame for holding the essentials - seat, wheels, pedals and handlebars - where they need to be.

What we like here is the handlebar, which puts you in the same position as you would ride a Tron light cycle. On the other, uh, hand it has no bar on which to rest your hands whilst riding more upright. Otherwise, it looks all wrong. The seat could just as easily sit atop a post, and the hubless wheel at the back seems to do nothing but put a strain on one edge while requiring beefy brackets to hold it there.

The chain-less drive might work, but again, why bother when the chain-driven bike is such an efficient vehicle already? Finally, what’s going on with those tires? Are they really held on with string, or do performance bikes need little cozies to keep their poor feet warm these days?

Gorgeous Peugeot B1K Concept Bicycle [Bike Rumor]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 8:18 am

5 Apps We Can’t Wait to See on the iPad

Many of you have an iPhone or an iPod touch. And as Gadget Lab readers, you probably also have a notebook of some kind. And despite the notebook being way more capable than the little handheld, we bet you use the iPhone more and more for checking e-mail, tweeting and a large part of your web browsing.

With the iPad, this “casual” use will just increase. Why bother pulling out a laptop when you have the tablet with you almost always? Unless you are rendering video files in the background, we can’t think of much that would need an old-style computer.

The iPhone already has a lot of apps that are better, fuller featured and easier to use than their desktop equivalents. Tweetie (a Twitter client) for iPhone does way more than Tweetie for the Mac, in a much more elegant way. All of the current iPhone applications should “just work” on your shiny new iPad, albeit at original size in the middle of a big black screen, or scaled up to fit. Better will be the tweaked, iPad-specific versions that should be around for the launch in two months’ time.

Here’s a list of applications we can’t wait to see on the iPad.

NewsRack

NewsRack (formerly Newsstand) is our favorite RSS reader for the iPhone. It walks all over the previous RSS king, NetNewsWire (in both Mac and iPhone forms) because it is both richly featured, very fast and easy to use. It works in concert with Google Reader.

NewsRack is so good that I can start my working day in bed with a cup of coffee and my iPod touch, triaging news stories and shuffling them off to e-mail to cover later (I could use Google Reader’s “star” function, but the desktop NetNewsWire still doesn’t support this).

NewsRack is one of those applications that couldn’t have existed without the iPhone, and I’m very excited to see how it’ll be improved for the bigger iPad. Just the addition of bigger pictures and less scrolling would be enough, but a pop-up feed list would make it better than any desktop reader out there. Bonus: Imagine the gorgeous NewsRack view (right) on the big screen.

NewsRack [OMZ]

Newsstand: Probably the Best iPhone News Reader [Gadget Lab]

Instapaper

We’ve written a lot about Instapaper here. I love it and so does our esteemed editor, Dylan Tweney. Why? It does one thing, and it does it so simply and well you don’t even notice: Click a browser bookmarklet when you find any article you’d like to read later, and it’ll be saved. Fire up the Instapaper iPhone app and, after a few seconds syncing, you have all your saved articles ready to read offline.

The real trick is that all the crap has been stripped away, all the links and ads and navigation, leaving you with nicely formatted text and scaled, in-line pictures. It doesn’t take much to see why we want this on the iPad, and according to the developer, Marco Arment, he is already working on an iPad-optimized version.

Instapaper, not iBooks or anything else, is the thing that will turn your iPad into the ultimate, personal, newspaper.

Instapaper [Instapaper]

Instapaper: A $5 App That Justifies Your iPhone Purchase [Gadget Lab]

Stanza

Another old Gadget Lab favorite, Stanza, is an e-reader application. It doesn’t have the eye-candy of the iBooks app (yet) but when you’re reading a book, that doesn’t matter at all — all you want is text.

Stanza has the ability to read and organize books from many different sources, from the legit to the more underground. It even supports various forms of ePub DRM to keep the publishers happy.

The one problem with Stanza is that it is for the iPhone, and the screen, for some at least, is too small to be comfortable. The iPad fixes this immediately, and if the current owner (Amazon) decides to update the app for Apple’s new device, Stanza could be the go-to default e-reader for iPad owners outside of the United States, who will not be allowed to use Apple’s iBooks.

Stanza v2.0: The iPhone’s Best E-Reader Just Got Better [Gadget Lab]

Kindle for iPad

We know, we know: another reading application. This kind of reveals my thinking about the iPad — I’ll be doing a lot of reading on it. Kindle for iPhone should scale nicely for the iPad, although of course a native version would be welcome.

What’s that you say? If I want a large-screen Kindle, why not just buy the DX? Because it costs only ten bucks less than the iPad, and does a whole lot less (Kindle PDF support is still a joke, for example, and the video is awful). And by using the iPhone or iPad Kindle app, it is a lot easier to trick Amazon into believing you are in the United States so the company will deign to sell you its full catalog.

How to Get the iPhone Kindle App Outside the U.S. [Gadget Lab]

Lightroom

Here’s our left-field, wishful thinking choice, and probably something that will never happen. Lightroom is Adobe’s excellent photo-editing application, and a rival to Apple’s Aperture.

With the news that the iPad will work with a camera-connection accessory, we immediately thought that the iPad would make a wonderful tool for photographers. At the least, you could upload pictures mid-shoot to check them on the large screen and make a quick back-up.

But if the iPad’s photo app is as bad as iPhoto, that’s pretty much all you’ll want to do until you get back to your “real” computer. We want a Lightroom Lite, which would sync to your main catalog at home, but give you all the Lightroom organizing and image-tweaking tools out on the road.

The touch interface is perfect for photo editing. It’s all sliders and zooming, after all. With some creative re-thinking, I can’t see that there’s much in Lightroom that couldn’t work on the iPad. Other than the fact that it’s from Adobe, and that it uses Adobe’s own RAW converter, not Apple’s. Also, $200 is steep for an App Store listing.

Adobe Adds Speed, Flickr Integration to Lightroom 3 [Gadget Lab]

This is my wish-list, and with the exception of the last item, these are already certain to appear. What about you, Gadget Lab reader? What current or imagined apps do you want to see? Tell us what and why in the comments.

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 6:49 am

Chinese ‘iPad’ Maker Threatens to Sue Apple for Plagiarism

A Chinese company is claiming that its iPad knockoff is in fact an original design that has been copied by Apple. The P88 has been on the market in China for six months. It’s easy to recognize: It looks just like a big iPhone.

Xiaolong Wu, the president of the Shenzhen Great Loong Brother company that makes the P88, gave an interview to Spanish national newspaper El Mundo. If the iPad comes to China, he says, “We won’t have any choice but to report them,” because “it will certainly affect our sales.” The charge? Oddly, El Mundo reports the crime as “plagiarism,” although we assume it means IP or copyright infringement.

Wu says that Apple has not only copied the concept of a multitouch tablet, but also the design of the case and screen bezel. And pre-empting our obvious criticism, that the P88 is just a large-scale iPhone or iPod Touch rip-off, Wu says that “they have nothing to do with it, as they have completely different functions.”

As you can see from the picture above, Wu is being rather generous when he describes the P88 and the iPad as “completely identical”. The specs tell a different story. The 10.2-inch screen isn’t multitouch (it uses resistive touch), the P88 uses a hard-drive (250 GB), has an Ethernet port, a 1.3-MP webcam and Intel 945GSE chipset (likely to be paired with an Atom CPU, not listed) with a gig of RAM. It also runs Windows.

The kicker, though, is the battery life, low even for a keyboard-less netbook, which is what this is. Without the power cord you get just 1.5 (claimed) hours.

The whole story is ridiculous, and most likely a cheap play for publicity. Anyone confusing the two products deserves the P88. What is clear is that the Chinese company squeezed a (very bad) netbook into an oversized iPhone-style case and claimed to have some kind of ownership of this design. Good luck, Mr. Wu.

And one final thing. How much do you think this “cheap” Chinese copy might cost? It is $525. Oops.

‘Made in China’ vs Apple: ¿Quién copió a quién? [El Mundo]

Tablet PC P88 [HKJulong]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:17 am

Chinese 'iPad' Maker Threatens to Sue Apple for Plagiarism

A Chinese company claims its iPad knockoff is, in fact, an original design that has been copied by Apple. The P88 has been on the market in China for six months. It's easy to recognize: It looks just like a big iPhone.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 1 Feb 2010 | 5:17 am

Cup-Light Throws its Own Image At The Wall

Martin Neuhaus’ Becherlicht (cup-light) is a kind of rear-projection wall or table-lamp. In the off position, it looks like a plastic cup on a stick, next to a tiny box. When you switch it on, the box shines a halogen light on the cup and casts a colorful shadow onto the wall.

This projection looks just like a rather old-style standard lamp, a virtual stick and shade that would look at home in your grandmother’s over-flowery living room, right next to the plastic-covered sofa.

The concept is “available” in multiple milkshake colored hues (the cups themselves are actual cups), and features on extra mystery component. In the diagram you can see the nerve-center of the lamp, labelled as “Hi-Tech”. This, my friends, is the retro-lamp of the future (or it’s just a mis-labeled transformer). We may never see this in the shops, so go hunt in the kitchen for a colored glass and make your own.

Becherlicht [Martin Neuhaus via Oh Gizmo!]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 4:38 am

Stephen Colbert Already Has iPad, Is Cooler Than Jay-Z

Who was the biggest star at the Grammys yesterday? For us nerds, the clear winner was Stephen Colbert, who pulled an iPad out of his (presumably specially tailored) jacket pocket and flashed it to the crowd.

Colbert, who also won a Grammy (for some Christmas Album, if you care), was presenting an award, and pulled out the iPad to read off the list of nominees. He of course showed off: “Jay-Z, did you not get one of these in your gift bag? Am I cooler than you?”

Some things never change, though. Colbert called out “Honey, does this make me look cool?” The answer? An embarrassed shrug. But we love you, Stephen! You’re our favorite geek. We’re also totally jealous.

Stephen Colbert Whips Out iPad at Grammys [Cult of Mac]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Feb 2010 | 3:43 am