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Decrying the Excessive Emulation of Reality In GamesAn editorial at GameSetWatch makes the case that game developers' relentless drive to make games more real has led to missed opportunities for creating unique fictional universes that are perhaps more interesting than our own. Quoting: "Remember when the norm for a video game was a blue hedgehog that ran fast and collected rings and emeralds? Or a plumber that took mushrooms to become large, and grabbed a flower to throw fireballs? In reality they do none of those things, but in the name of a game, they make sense, inspire wonder, and create a new universe. ... We’ve seen time and time again that the closer you try to emulate reality, the more the 'game' aspects begin to stick out. Invisible walls in Final Fantasy, or grenades spawning at your feet when you go the wrong way in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 are examples of kicking the player out of that illusion of reality, and letting them know that yes, this is a game, and yes, the rules are designed to keep you in the space of this world, not the real world. In reality, as a soldier I could disobey my orders and go exploring around the other side. I could be cowardly and turn back to base. Games shouldn’t have to plan for every eventuality, of course, but it’s not so hard to create universes that are compelling but where the unusual, or even simple backtracking, is not so unfeasible."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2010 | 4:10 am A Trojan Horse Arrives In The Internet-Connected TV Room It's not the norm for a startup based in London's Silicon Roundabout (yes, it's our little bit of the Valley) to be in the hardware business, let alone the highly competitive world of consumer electronics. But that's precisely the position that 3view find themselves in.
The company's Internet connected set-top box, which marriages the worlds of over-the-air broadcast television and Internet TV (IPTV), is poised to compete directly with TVs and set-tops from the likes of Sony, Pioneer, Sharp, Humax, Pace and others, and to some degree, the online video and media playback capabilities of Microsoft's XBox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 game consoles.
Source: CrunchGear | 30 Mar 2010 | 4:03 am Is it time to switch to third-party software support? (InfoWorld)InfoWorld - When the economy is bad, businesses hold off on buying new enterprise apps and instead try to prolong the life of the ones they have. But there's still the significant expense of vendors' support contracts. Third-party support contracts may be the answer to reducing that cost.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 30 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am Apple Offers ‘Personal Setup Service’ to All iPad Customers
When you go down to the Apple Store to pick up your iPad this weekend (or anytime in the future), there will be people on hand to get you started. Apple employees will help people setup their email, download “their favorite apps from the App Store” and “host special iPad workshops to help customers learn more about this magical new product” [sarcastic emphasis added]. Will this bring the sure-to-be-busy Apples Stores to their knees this weekend? Unlikely. The people buying iPads sight-unseen are you and I: nerds who will be scouring the iPad’s darkest corners to find out just what it can do. We don’t need help signing on to Gmail. In the coming months, though, as more and more regular people buy the iPad, Geniuses will take the place of the geeky family member (also you and I). Normally, we spend a day with moms and dads when they get a new machine, getting it all ready to go. Now we don’t have to. It brings up one question, though: can you use an iPad without hooking it up to a Mac or PC first? It’s clear what Apple is doing here. Your grandmother should be able to buy an iPad and leave the store with it ready to use. This is why all the complaint about multitasking and cameras doesn’t matter: if you’re moaning about that, then the iPad isn’t for you. iPad Arrives This Saturday [Apple] Photo: John Snyder/Wired.com 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:59 am Europe’s Biggest Publisher Disses The iPad, Embraces The WePad
Source: TechCrunch | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:58 am Facebook Files For “Developer Garage” Trademark
Facebook has lately been ramping up efforts to obtain registered trademarks in the United States and other countries and regions for a number of products and services it offers or intends to offer in the future. Fresh off the heels of applying for a trademark for Credits, its virtual payment system, the company is now attempting to gain exclusive rights to the use of the term “Facebook Developer Garage”. In case you’re not aware, Facebook Developer Garage events are developer get-togethers hosted all over the world, which are being described as “a place to explore, get gritty, tinker, experiment, and test out ideas for Facebook Platform”. Interestingly, Facebook filed for a trademark in three separate classes, only one of them including “sponsoring and organizing online and live exhibitions and events in the field of software development”. I’m not sure if that means Facebook intends to use the term ‘Developer Garage’ for more endeavors in the future or if they’re simply covering all their bases, but here are the descriptions of the two other classes the company applied a trademark for:
Trademark applications for ‘Facebook Developer Garage’ were filed in the U.S. on the 24th of March, and in Europe on the 29th of March. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: Gizmodo | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:31 am RCA Airnergy Now Called AirPower, Shows Off New Designs But No DetailsBy Evan Ackerman Remember the Airnergy WiFi power harvester that we showed you last January at CES? You know, the thing that charges your gadgets out of thin air that several commenters pointed out was...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:28 am Raising money to advertise against the Digital Economy Bill on vote-dayStop The Digital Economy Bill (Thanks, Jim!)
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:05 am Raising money to advertise against the Digital Economy Bill on vote-day38 Degrees is running a fast fundraiser to raise £10,000 to run ads against the Digital Economy Bill in the UK. Parliament has refused to schedule a full debate on this controversial, 24,000+...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:05 am Apple's iPad To Hit Stores This Week - WBUR
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:05 am Chunghwa Telecom Reports Operating Results for Fiscal Year 2009TAIPEI, Taiwan, March 30 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (TAIEX: 2412, NYSE: CHT) ("Chunghwa" or "the Company"), today reported its
Source: Gizmodo | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:33 am US-Australia Tensions Rise Over Net Filterdaria42 writes "Tensions between the US Government and its counterpart in Australia appear to be rising over Australia's proposal to filter the internet for objectionable content. The US government has raised its concerns over what it sees as potential censorship directly with the Australian Government. However, last night, Australia's Communications Minister Stephen Conroy denied he had had any approach from US State Department Officials."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:32 am Geneva atom smasher set for record collisionsThe world's largest atom smasher was ready to start a new era of science on Tuesday, but problems delayed scientists seeking to collide the first beams of protons to learn more about the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:26 am Stock futures signal rise; Apple, Verizon eyed - Reuters
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:22 am YouTube's Original Sin [Voices]By Farhad Manjoo, Technology Columnist, Slate.com Google (GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt regularly uses about 30 different computers at work. Although his company has made it easy for people to organize their e-mail across different computers—not to mention to save every single e-mail they’ve ever received—Schmidt has a very hard time pulling up old messages. That’s because he rarely saves anything; after he reads an important message, the CEO sends it straight to the trash. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:22 am The State of the Internet Operating System [Voices]By Tim O’Reilly, Founder and CEO, O’Reilly Media Ask yourself for a moment, what is the operating system of a Google or Bing search? What is the operating system of a mobile phone call? What is the operating system of maps and directions on your phone? Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:16 am Google Street View's Hidden Cast of Characters [Voices]By Jemima Kiss, Blogger, The Guardian A true badge of geek pride is to have been immortalised by the Google (GOOG) Street View camera. Mashable has found another ten gems, including Paddington Bear outside the British Museum, a mad scientist experimenting with his ‘love laser’ in his garage and one of Brighton’s notoriously aggressive seagulls, immediately post-grab. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:12 am How Web Writers Get Held Responsible for the Lawyers, the Sales Guys and Even the Coffeemaker [Voices]By Christopher Conklin, Contributor, The Awl After Henry Blodget fired editor John Carney from his role as the editor of Clusterstock last week, some clearly felt that Blodget, the Business Insider cofounder and CEO, owed an explanation. Blodget and Reuters finance blogger Feliz Salmon got into a Tweet-spat, which culminated in Blodget serving up something like a master class on New Media Economics Friday evening. Blodget was direct, laying out the numbers behind running a web site. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:07 am Elavon Streamlines Merchant Acquiring Services Using Intellect(TM) GUBSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:04 am Elavon Streamlines Merchant Acquiring Services Using Intellect(TM) GUBFRANKFURT and CHENNAI, India, March 30, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Polaris Software (POLS.BO), a leading Financial Technology company, announced
Source: Gizmodo | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:01 am Dell's OptiPlex 980 - First Desktop to be Awarded New TCO Certified Designation for Environmental and High Performance DesignSTOCKHOLM, March 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- TCO Certified, the worldwide eco- and performance label for ICT products, announces the release of a new certification for desktop computers: TCO Certified Desktops 3.0.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:00 am Dell's OptiPlex 980 - First Desktop to be Awarded New TCO Certified Designation for Environmental and High Performance DesignSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:00 am Award-Winning Architects To Showcase Their Housing Plans in OpenSim (Update, Added Interview with the Developers)Very interesting news via the Arch Network: A group of award-winning architect/design studios called Hometta are about to launch "H-Town," a virtual world showcase of their real world building designs...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:51 am What Would it Take to Build a True “Serendipity-Maker”? [Voices]By C.W. Anderson, Assistant Professor of Media Culture, CUNY What if we created a “ChatRoulette for news” that generated content we tended to disagree with — but was also targeted toward our regular levels and sources of news consumption? How hard would it be? For the last 24 hours or so, the Twitter-sphere has been buzzing over Daniel Vydra’s “serendipity maker,” an off-the-cuff Python hack that draws on the APIs of the Guardian, New York Times, and Australian Broadcasting Corp. in order to create a series of “news roulettes.” Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:50 am EMI music licensing talks falter with Sony: report (Reuters)Reuters - EMI Group Ltd is struggling to reach a deal to license its catalog of recordings, with Sony Corp on the verge of pulling out of discussions with the British music company, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:47 am Apple may be working on iPhone for Verizon: report (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:47 am Boxcar Opens Up Its iPhone Push Notifications. And Soon, You Can Monetize Them
What I mean by closed system is that Boxcar only serves up notifications for a select few services, such as Twitter and Facebook. But with its new Provider feature (and API), anyone can tap into the Boxcar platform to enable Push Notifications through the service. This step has been in the works for a few months creator Jonathan George tells us. But it comes just weeks after a competitor, Notifo, started offering the same thing. However, unlike Notifo, Boxcar subscriptions and settings are easily managed from within the iPhone app itself, rather than having to visit a site to manage things. And there’s another potentially huge benefit. Beginning in Q2 2010, Boxcar is going to open up these provider notifications to be monetized. What this means is that third-parties can charge customers for the ability to get Push Notifications and Boxcar will share the revenue from the in-app purchase as a 50/50 split. It’s worth noting that this would work only for one-time purchases, and not for subscriptions. Still, this is potentially a nice way for third-parties to make some money without having to worry about building an maintaining their own Push Notification system. Unlike Notifo, Boxcar plans to review all services that want to use the providers feature to maintain some order. And, as Boxcar notes:
While the service currently only works for the iPhone, the plan is to launch an Android app within the next 90 days. After that, Windows Mobile support should come along. But even without those other platforms, Boxcar is doing just fine. So far, the service has pushed over 100,000,000 Push Notifications to date. You can find Boxcar in the App Store here. It’s a free download.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:43 am Coley's World: Exploring Lunamaruna, a New Cartoon City WonderlandColeMarie Soleil sees Second Life's arts scene from her unique point of view What happens when you mix Dr. Seuss, Van Gogh, and Antoni Gaudi? You might get Second Life builder Scottius Polke. His creations...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:40 am Only rare "supertaskers" can balance driving, cellphone useA study that simulated driving with cellphone use has found that a tiny fraction of the populace can handily "supertask" and complete both tasks without impairment. The authors of the study would like...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:39 am Haptic Gaming Vest Simulates Punches, Shots, StabbingAn anonymous reader writes "IEEE Spectrum reports that University of Pennsylvania researchers have developed a Tactile Gaming Vest that smacks and vibrates as players get shot in a game based on Half-Life 2. Four solenoid actuators in the chest and shoulders in front and two solenoids in the back give you the feeling of a simulated gunshot. In addition, vibrating eccentric-mass motors clustered against the shoulder blades make you feel a slashing effect as you get stabbed from behind. If this kind of vest could be linked to a movie while you watch it, the experience would be that much more exciting. Or as one of the creators put it, 'every time Bruce Willis gets shot, you feel it.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:30 am Sorry, Members Only – Keynoir’s New Take On Group Buying A new take on the group-buying bandwagon launches today, but this one will attempt to address the information overload about offers, known as "voucher fatigue", while incentivising local businesses. Keynoir is described as a "private buying club meets Woot", in reference to the tech site which made its name by having just one offer on one decent product a day. The startup even includes aspects of the old Letsbuyit.com.
But this is not a trivial play. Keynoir has already secured £1.3m of investment from PROFounders Capital, investor Jan Riem and Index Ventures (including Dominique Vidal). Serial entrepreneurs Paul Birch and Andrej Henkler participated. Vidal and Sean Seton-Rogers from PROfounders will be joining the board.
The founders are Philip Wilkinson (founder of the UK's first price comparison engine which later became Kelkoo), Glen Drury (ex-MD Kelkoo Europe and VP Yahoo), and Jan Riem (technology deal maker). It launches in London this week , and plans to exand across the rest of the UK and Europe by the end of the year.
Source: TechCrunch | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:11 am UPDATE 1-Proximagen loss widens; says strong position in 2010March 30 (Reuters) - Britain's Proximagen Neuroscience Plc posted a wider full-year loss as research and development costs rose, but said it entered 2010 in a strong position.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:07 am Adaptec MaxIQ(TM) SSD Cache Performance Solution Increases Performance for Japan's Largest Server FarmMILPITAS, Calif., March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Adaptec, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADPT), the global leader in I/O innovation, today announced that its MaxIQ SSD Cache Performance Solution has been implemented by A.T.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:01 am Ironworks Consulting Helps BioSignia Handle Almost 300% Increase in Site Load on 'The Biggest Loser Know Your Number' WebsiteSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:01 am Adaptec MaxIQ(TM) SSD Cache Performance Solution Increases Performance for Japan's Largest Server FarmSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:01 am Ironworks Consulting Helps BioSignia Handle Almost 300% Increase in Site Load on 'The Biggest Loser Know Your Number' WebsiteRICHMOND, Va.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:01 am Daily Crunch: Burst Bubble Edition
AquaAntics Water Bomb Factory is genius, should win an international peace award
Source: CrunchGear | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am Interest Builds in Apple Ahead of iPad's Launch [Voices]By Dan Gallagher, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares set an all-time high Monday as investors look ahead to the launch of the iPad tablet computer at the end of the week. Apple shares hit $233.87 in morning trading on the Nasdaq stock market. By midafternoon shares had eased to $232.13, up half a percent on the day. The stock has risen about 15 percent since the company introduced the iPad at a media event in late January, and has more than doubled from its level at this time last year. The iPad goes on sale in the U.S. Saturday at prices from $499 to $829, depending on memory and options. Apple says the device will be sold online through its Web site, at its retail stores and at most stores owned by Best Buy Co. (BBY), its retail partner for the launch. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am `Fab Lab-ulous' Opportunity for Almost Anyone to Make Almost AnythingMANCHESTER, England, March 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK's first Fab Lab (http://www.fablabmanchester.org) has opened in Manchester - bringing innovation to the people - in a hi-tech community mini-factory. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/manufacturinginstitute/43206/ Fab Labs give everyone, from young children through to entrepreneurs and businesses, the capability to bring their ideas and inventions to life. The first UK `Fab Labbers' have already made a `Sky Baby' folding travel carry cot; a `Crackit Bat' ultra-light beach cricket bat and model wind turbines.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am NetDragon Websoft Inc. to Host 4Q and Fiscal Year 2009 Results Conference Call on 16 April 2010Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am Bluestar Silicones Launches a New Range of Products for Solar ApplicationsSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am Savvis Expands Range of Cloud Infrastructure Solutions in the UKST. LOUIS, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Savvis, Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am Savvis Expands Range of Cloud Infrastructure Solutions in the UKSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am `Fab Lab-ulous' Opportunity for Almost Anyone to Make Almost AnythingSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am Maine Rejects Radiation Warning Labels on Cell PhonesA Maine lawmaker's bid to label cell phones with cancer warnings has failed. PC Mag reports. Back in December, Rep. Andrea Boland, a Democrat, announced that she was prepping a bill that would require...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 12:55 am Google says mobile service in China partially blockedAccording to The Financial Post, Google Inc., after shutting its Internet search engine in China last week, said its mobile services in the country are being partially blocked. The services delivered...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 30 Mar 2010 | 12:50 am Aha! Google Buzz Is A Black Hole — Its Traffic Must Be Inferred
Earlier today, I reported that Google Buzz, Google’s new social sharing service, was sending less traffic than FriendFeed, a service which has been a ghost town in recent months. It turns out there’s probably a good explanation for this. You see, in January, Google started defaulting all Gmail traffic to the HTTPS (secure) version of its domain. Previously, it was defaulting to the regular HTTP (unsecure) domain. As a result of this change, all traffic referrers are scrubbed before being picked up by services like Google Analytics. I didn’t realize the change would cause such a scrubbing, but it makes sense. Google’s Matt Cutts pointed it out earlier (in Buzz, appropriately), and looking at our logs, it does, in fact, appear that in January (when the change was made) traffic from the mail.google.com domain plummeted. This was before Buzz ever existed. This is interesting because it means that Google Buzz is essentially a social service that you can’t track the effectiveness of for your own site. Of course, given that so much of Twitter is run through its API, measuring Twitter traffic by the twitter.com domain is also flawed. Still, looking over the overall numbers, it would seem that aside from a rise in referrals from the usual suspects (Twitter.com, Facebook.com, etc), we haven’t seen a huge bump from some unknown anomaly out there — which, you’d assume, would be Buzz. So I’m still not convinced that it’s actually sending a lot of traffic our way. But, admittedly, it’s hard to know for sure, because like a black hole, its existence must be inferred. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 30 Mar 2010 | 12:49 am Jackpotjoy Launches a New and Improved Site!LONDON, March 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Jackpotjoy, Gamesys' flagship site and one of the country's largest online soft gaming operators, have just launched a complete new look and feel to their seven-year-old site - and the reality is more than just a makeover.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 30 Mar 2010 | 12:45 am Oh Looky! It's Video of Bloody Jesus! (Nevermind the Facts)(Image at left is how ABC News illustrated the story I'm criticizing. Really). Guys, you don't come here to hear me rant, do you? Do you? Especially on topics entirely orthogonal to my stated mission of...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:48 pm Coal fuels much of Internet "cloud," Greenpeace says (Reuters)Reuters - The 'cloud' of data that is becoming the heart of the Internet is creating an all-too-real cloud of pollution as Facebook, Apple and others build data centers powered by coal, Greenpeace said in a new report to be released on Tuesday.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:41 pm Philip Pullman on censorship and free speech -- pithy and wonderfulPhilip Pullman, addressing an audience at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, was asked about whether his latest book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, was offensive. Here's his reply: "It...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:32 pm Philip Pullman on censorship and free speech -- pithy and wonderfulPhilip Pullman, addressing an audience at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, was asked about whether his latest book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, was offensive. Here's his reply: "It was a shocking thing to say and I knew it was a shocking thing to say. But no one has the right to live without being shocked. No one has the right to spend their life without being offended. Nobody has to read this book. Nobody has to pick it up. Nobody has to open it. And if you open it and read it, you don't have to like it. And if you read it and you dislike it, you don't have to remain silent about it. You can write to me, you can complain about it, you can write to the publisher, you can write to the papers, you can write your own book. You can do all those things, but there your rights stop. No one has the right to stop me writing this book. No one has the right to stop it being published, or bought, or sold or read. That's all I have to say on that subject." The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (Thanks, Brian!)
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:32 pm Robot sederIn celebration of first night of Passover this evening, I present to you this now-classic video of a robot seder. (Thanks Lissa Soep and Zahavah Levine!) UPDATE: Apparently the people who own the song...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:32 pm Robot sederIn celebration of first night of Passover this evening, I present to you this now-classic video of a robot seder. (Thanks Lissa Soep and Zahavah Levine!) UPDATE: Apparently the people who own the song used in this video have a thing against robots, resulting in a copyright infringement claim and takedown of the previously embedded clip on YouTube. UPDATE #2: Glenn Lambert kindly points us to other copies of the video here and here! Source: Boing Boing | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:32 pm Former MySpace Exec Teams With Yahoo Rock Star For New Startup
He spent a few months in Hawaii recharging, and then moved his family to Silicon Valley. Since January he’s been working on a new startup, he says, and he’s teamed up with Ori Zaltzman, the former Chief Architect of Yahoo Boss. That’s enough of a team to make things really interesting. Particuarly Zaltzman’s deep infrastructure background. Katz isn’t saying what the new startup will do. When pressed he said “consumer Internet.” When pressed further he said “social infrastructure product.” He says he’s not saying anything else until the fundraising is closed. “Fundraising? What VCs are you talking to?” “No comment.” Etc. My goal is to find out all about the new startup, and share it with you, before Katz wants me to. But until then that’s all I’ve got. This is now the third startup to spring from the loins of former MySpace execs. Back in March 2009 a trio of MySpace execs – COO Amit Kapur, SVP Steve Pearman and SVP Jim Benedetto – left to begin working on a new startup called Gravity. And MySpace cofounder and former CEO Chris DeWolfe recently unveiled MindJolt. All look promising. Perhaps more promising than the company they left behind.      
Source: TechCrunch | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:31 pm Much-awaited Apple iPad hits US on Saturday (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:29 pm EU Demands Canada Gut Its Copyright and Patent LawsAn anonymous reader writes "Late last year, a draft of the European Union proposal for the intellectual property chapter of the Canada — EU Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement leaked online. The leak revealed that the EU was seeking some significant changes to Canadian IP laws. Negotiations have continued and Michael Geist has now obtained an updated copy of the draft chapter, complete with proposals from both the EU and Canada. He says the breadth of the demands are stunning — the EU is demanding nothing less than a complete overhaul of Canadian IP laws including copyright, trademark, databases, patent, geographic indications, and even plant variety rights."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2010 | 11:28 pm ACLU prevails: US Fed Judge invalidates gene patent
United States District Court Judge Robert W. Sweet has invalidated Myriad Genetics's infamous "breast cancer patent" -- a patent on genetic mutations that cause breast cancer, which Myriad has exercised in the form of a high lab-fee for analysis on samples (Myriad threatens to sue any independent lab that performs the analysis).
The suit was brought by the ACLU and the Public Patent Foundation, who argued that US Patent and Trademark Office was wrong to grant patents on genes, as these are not patentable subject matter. The judge agreed, saying that gene patents are patents on a "law of nature" and called the isolation of genes and filing patents on them "a lawyer's trick that circumvents the prohibition on the direct patenting of the DNA in our bodies but which, in practice, reaches the same result." Which sounds to me like a precedent against all patents that rely on isolated genes. Of course, this isn't over: the pharma/biotech stalwarts interviewed in the linked NYT piece are talking appeal, and I'm sure they'll try to go all the way to the Supreme Court. I think that the problem here is in the untested idea that imparting exclusive rights to the genome will incentivize more research than allowing anyone to build on discoveries in the genome. It's clear that some exclusive rights provide an incentive so some people to do work. But these exclusive rights also scare off people who have good ideas but are worried about being bankrupted by someone who beat them to the patent. Combined with that is the natural abhorrence many of us feel at the thought that genes might be patented. Genes aren't a good subject for propertization. Your genes aren't even yours -- you didn't create them. Your parents didn't really create them, either. You're your genes' steward, as are we all, and so many of us have a strong intuition that when someone else claims to own something from our genome, they're being ridiculous, or evil, or both. Myriad Genetics, the company that holds the patents with the University of Utah Research Foundation, asked the court to dismiss the case, claiming that the work of isolating the DNA from the body transforms it and makes it patentable. Such patents, it said, have been granted for decades; the Supreme Court upheld patents on living organisms in 1980. In fact, many in the patent field had predicted the courts would throw out the suit.ACLU Challenges Patents On Breast Cancer Genes: BRCA Judge Invalidates Human Gene Patent (Thanks, Gimpy!) (Image: Dna rendering, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from ynse's photostream)
Previously:
Source: Gizmodo | 29 Mar 2010 | 10:40 pm US judge strikes down patent on cancer genes (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 29 Mar 2010 | 10:18 pm Following in Tencent QQ's Footsteps, Mobile Community mig33 Proves There is Real Money in Developing MarketsSINGAPORE, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past six months, mig33, the world's largest mobile community, has rapidly broadened its offerings into social entertainment, including the launch of social games, user-owned groups, gifting and, most recently, avatars.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 29 Mar 2010 | 10:01 pm March 30, 1848: Niagara Falls Runs DryYou wake up one morning, and it's quiet. And the river is dry. And the falls are bare. Is it the end of the world?
Source: Wired Top Stories | 29 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm Mr. Know-It-All on DVD Longevity, Co-Worker Integrity, Name NonconformityHow long can you expect your DVDs to last? Don't burden yourself with useless plastic. Instead, send all those episodes of Lost into the cloud.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 29 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm Dude Totally Re-Creates San Francisco With ToothpicksAn obsessed Northern California surfer and Frisbee player toils for 3,000 hours over decades to build a 9-foot-tall, 20-pound simulacrum of San Francisco -- out of 100,000 toothpicks! Take a tour of the toothpick town.
Source: Gizmodo | 29 Mar 2010 | 9:59 pm Teleku Takes On Twilio, Helps Developers Integrate Telephony Services Into Web Apps
So how does Teleku differ from Twilio? It’s a matter of flexibility, according to founder (and sole employee) Chris Matthieu. He says that when you use Twilio, it’s an all-in-one deal: you write your code in Twilo’s easy-to-use syntax called TwiML, which is then sent to Twilio’s telephony services in the cloud that are hosted on AWS. That’s great (and may be even preferable to some people), but with Twilio you can’t port your application to a cheaper service should one become available. With Teleku, you can write your code using TwiML, or you can use Teleku’s own simplified telephony scripting language, called PhoneML. Your code is then sent to Teleku’s servers, which translate it into industry standard (but harder to write) VoiceXML. Matthieu says you can use that code on any of a variety of established telephony providers, including Voxeo and Plum Voice, and it will also work with enterprise systems that rely on VoiceXML. Matthieu says this gives Teleku users a few advantages: first, they can swap between various providers if they find a better rate. And he also says that Voxeo and other telecom services have better optimized their servers than AWS has to work with voice traffic, and that they offer a few features that Twilio doesn’t yet, like speech recognition. Finally, Teleku offers a wizard for building web-enabled telephony services for people who don’t have any coding experience at all. This allows you to select actions from a dropdown menu, like “Play”, “Speak”, and “Transfer” (you then fill in text dialogs to instruct the application what to say or what number to transfer to). You can drag and drop these actions depending on what order you’d like to execute each action. Watch the video below for a complete demo of the wizard. Teleku is offering two pricing models: first, an ‘all-in-one’ package similar to Twilio’s that uses Voxeo as to handle its telephony services. This costs three cents a minute, which is the same as Twilio. For users that want to use Teleku in combination with a provider other than Voxeo, Teleku doesn’t charge on a per-minute basis. Instead, it adopts a web-service API model, charging on the number of calls rather than the call length. Teleku is still a small operation, but Matthieu says he’s already had early acquisition talks with potentially interested buyers. All of that said, Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson contends that there are some tradeoffs that come with Teleku’s flexibility. He explains that applications ported to these other services won’t always translate properly (he says this is one of the benefits of using Twilio’s all-in-one model). He also says there are some features that Teleku doesn’t offer, like 2-way SMS. But he says Twilio isn’t necessarily opposed to the concept of portability, and that Teleku validates Twilio’s easy-to-use approach to telephony scripting (he also notes that 37signals has started integrating Twilio into some of its products).
Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 29 Mar 2010 | 9:59 pm Scarface, re-enacted by children as a school play (or not)
Finally, LinkedIn Gives Its Professional Crowd A Native Blackberry App
The LinkedIn app for BlackBerry is as feature-rich as its iPhone cousin. You can visualize your feed of network updates, search across direct connections and the entire LinkedIn network, access any of your connections to get get profile information, and message contacts. You can also access your LinkedIn inbox, send and accept invitations and see all of your messages. And the app will suggest new connections to you. LinkedIn has been working with RIM to develop a native application that leverages the phone’s technologies. Users can integrate their LinkedIn connections with their devices’ address book, and view the profile of any contact directly on a device. LinkedIn invitations and messages will show up in the BlackBerry device’s inbox. Users can also view the LinkedIn profile of the sender of any email they receive. And users can view the LinkedIn profile of an attendee of a meeting on their BlackBerry devices’ calendar. There’s no doubt that the LinkedIn app for BlackBerry will be popular; especially considering the significant use of the device in professional environments. LinkedIn has been consistently upgrading its platform over the past few months, adding two-way integration with Twitter as well as opening up its API to developers. LinkedIn also recently unveiled a significant integration with Microsoft Outlook, allowing users to access parts of their LinkedIn accounts from Outlook. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 29 Mar 2010 | 9:57 pm Ratmobile kit and mushroom puzzle in the Boing Boing Bazaar! 
Andrew and Michele (aka Xylocoopa Design) are selling several lovely laser-cut items in our Boing Boing Bazaar at the Makers Market. Above is their Build-Your-Own Ratmobile Kit, $18.95, which unlike the above specimen comes unpainted and unfinished. Just add glue! And at left is the Mysterious Mushroom Puzzle, available for $38.95. The engraved shrooms only fit into the 6" square in one configuration. Each piece is based on a real species of fungus. Source: Boing Boing | 29 Mar 2010 | 9:40 pm Hutaree suspect is fond of gel shoe insoles (He's gellin' like a felon!)MSNBC host Rachel Maddow may have ID'd a Hutaree arestee: "Found on the Hutaree militia site, 'The End of the World as We Know It' Man. When the apocalypse comes, TEOTWAWKI Man recommends using insoles &mdash 'Gels or what-have-you' — and generally taking care of your feet." Oh dear, I imagine REM isn't any happier about the appropriation of their song title than the Sisters of Mercy will be about providing the soundtrack to the widely circulated Hutaree Jesus-jihad video.Source: Boing Boing | 29 Mar 2010 | 9:40 pm Brewing Up a Stink [Voices]By Nitrozac and Snaggy
Source: All Things Digital | 29 Mar 2010 | 9:34 pm Google CEO's compensation for 2009 falls 52 pct
|
 Digital Spy | Nintendo DSi XL, for Some Eyes Only BusinessWeek Here's the deal: If Nintendo's standard-issue DSi doesn't make you cross-eyed scanning tiny fonts or pixel-headed critters, there's no reason to bother with the company's just-released DSi XL. None whatsoever. It's just a bigger, ... Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway on the new DSi XL handheld Nintendo DSi XL Review: Nintendo DSi XL is easy on the eyes |
Battlefield 1943 is now the quickest game in Xbox LIVE’s history to reach 1 million games downloaded. But PC gamers don’t care. We want to play Battlefield 1943, too. It is after all a remake of classic PC game.
The official BF:1943 blog states this,
Soon our PC fans will also be able to get in on the action that Xbox 360 and PS3 users have been enjoying since July 2009.
Now “soon” could mean tomorrow or four months from now, but at least it’s something. Hopefully we’ll be commanding Tiger tanks and P-51 Mustangs with modern graphics real soon.
The new Facebook for webOS application that launched earlier this month brought a massive overhaul and a laundry list of needed improvements, but it lacked one thing that users have been clamoring for since the beginning: notifications.
webOS’ notifications system is one of its greatest strengths, allowing alerts to pop up on screen in a way that is unobtrusive while still allowing the user to quickly jump to the relevant screen if desired. An alert-heavy application like Facebook going sans-notifications definitely dampened the experience a bit.
Well, Facebook notifications are coming. In fact, they’re already here, if you’re willing to dabble with Beta software.
Palm has just released a beta version of Facebook v1.1.4 to their developer community, with notification support being the flagship feature. They also took the opportunity to patch up a few bugs that have sprung up since the launch of the new app, and to tack on a few new features like keyboard shortcuts and making the news feed automatically refresh when you re-open the Facebook card.
Not a developer? Don’t sweat it. Though you won’t find this in the official App Catalog just yet, Palm doesn’t seem too picky about who they’re sending it to from the beta download page.
This rather nifty electronics sculpture was created by Artist Steve D’Angelo, as a homage to the classic arcade. This is what I think all synthesizers should look like.
In a post tinged with just a hint of spite, Apple pundit John Gruber has responded to today’s WSJ report of a forthcoming pair of new iPhones, one of which they say is headed for Verizon. His reaction? “Lame.”
The reason it’s lame, says Gruber, is that it lacks details. Details which Gruber has. Maybe.
Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>
Consider the iPad OS locked, loaded, and ready to go. A few hours after the first few iPad shipments have trickled into the shipping warehouses, Apple has just released iPhone SDK 3.2 in it’s GM (or “Goldmaster”, a fancy industry way of saying “absolutely final. Like, seriously, seriously final.”) form.
Read the rest at MobileCrunch>>
In a post tinged with just a hint of spite, Apple pundit John Gruber has responded to today’s WSJ report of a forthcoming pair of new iPhones, one of which they say is headed for Verizon. His reaction? “Lame.”
The reason it’s lame, says Gruber, is that it lacks details. Details which Gruber has. Maybe.
Gruber lists a handful of specs, but does so in such a way that it’s not at all clear if he’s claiming the specs are the real deal or just the type of specs that would be expected from a real, non-”lame” scoop:
And they have no actual details of the next-generation iPhone. Nothing. Not the A4-family CPU system-on-a-chip. Not the 960 × 640 double-resolution display. Not the second front-facing camera. Not even the third-party multitasking in iPhone OS 4. All they have is that there’s going to be a new iPhone this summer, period.
There’s certainly nothing too crazy there. A4 CPU? Sure — Apple probably didn’t build that thing solely for the iPad. A 960×640 display (with a resolution double quadruple that of the iPhone’s current 480×320 display) would allow all apps to perfectly fill the screen in a 2x drawing mode, ensuring compatibility and eliminating a major fragmentation issue. A front-facing camera has been rumored since before even the first generation iPhone, and I’m pretty sure The New Kids On The Block were still huge when the multi-tasking rumor came around. Still, he never outright claims that these are indeed specs that have been leaked to him.
He certainly implies it, though. In a response to a tweet saying “I love how @gruber “casually” slips all the iPhone inside info he has into a post criticizing the WSJ,” Gruber responds simply:
“Not all.”
Tricky, Gruber. Very tricky.
Researchers at North Carolina State Univeristy have created a method to allow for full screen electronic Braille displays. Current Braille displays show one line at a time, severely limiting the value of the display. This will create a matrix of Braille readouts on a larger scale.
The researchers have developed a concept called a “hydraulic and latching mechanism,” which would allow the development of such a display system. The mechanism would be made of an electroactive polymer that is very resilient and inexpensive, when compared to current Braille display technologies. “This material will allow us to raise dots to the correct height, so they can be read,” says Dr. Peichun Yang, a postdoctoral research associate at NC State and co-author of the paper. “Once the dots are raised, a latching mechanism would support the weight being applied by a person’s fingers as the dots are read. The material also responds quickly, allowing a reader to scroll through a document or Web site quickly.”
Thoe whole system sounds very steampunk with tiny Braille pixels (brixels?) popping up and down in rapid succession. However, it could allow for more interesting and richer text interfaces for the blind. One researcher, David Winick, wrote “The last 20 years of computer technology have been relatively inaccessible – and today’s common mobile computing devices, from smart-phones to digital navigators and iPads, have been completely nonexistent – to blind people, because the display technology for the blind has not kept pace.”
Editor’s note: What does the iPad have to do with cloud computing? Glad you asked. In this guest post Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of salesforce.com, explains how liberating the iPad will really be.
The first piece of software I ever wrote was on the TRS-80 Model 1. It was called “How To Juggle”, and it had 4K of memory. It was my version of “Hello World”, what every programmer first writes on a new piece of hardware. CLOAD Magazine purchased it for $75, they distributed it to their subscribers on a cassette (there weren’t disks for the TRS-80 yet). It was 1979. I was 15 years old, and I was a software entrepreneur. I still am.
Just five years later, I was an intern at Apple writing some of the first native assembly language on the Mac and working in a building called Bandley 4 with a pirate flag on the roof. Guy Kawasaki hired me to help developers write software on the Mac without using its predecessor, the Lisa (something that had been required when the Mac launched). My first example of how to write for the MDS 68000 development system manifested itself in a video game called “Raid on Armonk.” It was an allusion to IBM’s headquarters. They were the anti-Mac and we clicked and destroyed them. (Turns out they eventually clicked on themselves.)
I’m sentimental this week, and thinking about the past, because I have seen the future. The future is not a Mac, or even a PC. Its father created a lot of the computers I’ve loved: Apple IIe, Mac, and iPhone. There have been others I have loved, even some PCs and yes, my Blackberry, but none of that matters anymore. Looking ahead, I am energized, a door is opening, and we are all going to walk through it. We’ll soon enter a new world of computing accelerated once again by the industry’s creator Steve Jobs, and amplified by someone conceived after the PC, Mark Zuckerberg.
The future of our industry now looks totally different than the past. It looks like a sheet of paper, and it’s called the iPad. It’s not about typing or clicking; it’s about touching. It’s not about text, or even animation, it’s about video. It’s not about a local disk, or even a desktop, it’s about the cloud. It’s not about pulling information; it’s about push. It’s not about repurposing old software, it’s about writing everything from scratch (because you want to take advantage of the awesome potential of the new computers and the new cloud—and because you have to reach this pinnacle). Finally, the industry is fun again.
Last week I gave presentations to more than 60 CIOs in various meetings throughout America’s heartland. My message to them: We are moving from Cloud 1 to Cloud 2, and the iPad is the accelerator. Many of them haven’t even made it to Cloud 1—some are still on mainframes. They are working on MVS/CICS, or Lotus Notes, and they have never heard of Cocoa, or even that there is now HTML 5. This is unacceptable. The next generation is here. The iPad that shows us what now is really possible—and that we all need to go faster. Unfortunately, some CIOs would rather retire than go faster.
Cloud 1 ————————————->Cloud 2
Type/Click———————————->Touch
Yahoo/Amazon—————————–>Facebook
Tabs——————————————>Feeds
Chat——————————————>Video
Pull——————————————->Push
Create—————————————->Consume
Location Unknown————————->Location Known
Desktop/notebook————————->Smart phone/Tablet
Windows/Mac——————————>Cocoa/HTML 5
What’s most exciting is that this fundamental transformation—cloud + social + iPad—will inspire a new generation of wildly innovative new apps that will change entire industries. Take health. We have all been waiting for the health application that will revolutionize how we share and communicate with our doctors, and help us make better health care decisions. The apps we have seen as first generation EHR/PHR just have not cut it, and now with ObamaCare there is no killer app to accelerate through the new EHR reimbursement program. The shift ignited by the iPad will allow the proliferation of these new missing apps, and automate the industries and professionals left behind by the last generation of technology. Now, no industry will be left behind.
It was on TechCrunch in late February that I first suggested that the enterprise software industry has to move forward and posted an article, “The Facebook Imperative.” In 1999, I was obsessed with the question, “Why isn’t all enterprise software like Amazon.com? And in 2010, the question evolved: “Why isn’t all enterprise software like Facebook?” This week we will have the answer to that question in our hands with the iPad. It’s a more productive, easier, and fun way to work and live. The iPad shows us the old world is no longer good enough. We’ll need new software with a new UI.
Our industry has gone through many shifts, but ultimately, the big ones have always been about software, not hardware. Now, we are seeing a simultaneous software and hardware revolution. The key apps we use in productivity, collaboration, communication, entertainment, education, and even health, will all be rewritten to take advantage of the new capabilities. This will result in a new generation that looks more like Facebook on the iPad than Yahoo on the PC. Our industry is changing. We all need to step up to meet this change head-on or we will leave an incredible opportunity behind.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Buying a flash unit can be expensive, but here’s a cheapskate alternative that will do the job, at least for a while. Plus, you’re recycling a disposable camera into something reusable, and saving all those bits from the landfill. Besides, once you use all of the flash out of one disposable camera, you can always build another one to replace it, and recycle the first one.
So this is a bit of a project to be honest. You’re going to need a wireless flash trigger (easily found on eBay), and a few other basic tools. Basically you’re going to strip is down, replace the mechanical release with an electronic one, and then put the whole thing back together in a way that you can plug the wireless trigger into the camera. For complete instructions on how to do this project, hop over to Instructables for the step by step solution.
Consider the iPad OS locked, loaded, and ready to go. A few hours after the first few iPad shipments have trickled into the shipping warehouses, Apple has just released iPhone SDK 3.2 in it’s GM (or “Goldmaster”, a fancy industry way of saying “absolutely final. Like, seriously, seriously final.”) form.
There’s not much here for us meager iPhone users to worry about; most of the recent changes have all been iPad-focused, and this specific one is presumably (please let us know if we’re wrong) oriented around last minute bug fixes and code clean-ups. If you’re a developer who hasn’t submitted their iPad app yet, be sure to start testing against this build immediately – if it’s submitted after today and not up to snuff against 3.2GM, you’re instantly denied.
I’m going to be big about this and not get all giggly. It’s basically an incontinence sensor for folks who, through no fault of their own, can’t tell when they’ve wet themselves.
Consisting of a sensor that fits inside the SIMPants (again, not making this up or laughing), the SIMBox has a SIMstrip that senses wetness and goes to the SIMserver that connects to the SIMsystem Manager. It then sends text messages or will page the nurses or assistants or the hospital’s loudspeaker system.
As carers are often unable to immediately respond to events, the software will display a summary log of alerts and manual observations can also be entered. The final bladder chart includes all observations in one easy-to-read report.
On completion of the 3-day assessment, the SIMsystem™ Manager produces shift, daily and 3-day reports that may be used by carers for the development of continence care plans.
In a way, this is the perfect gadget: it gives a person back their dignity instead of taking it away. I hope when I’m at this point someone will get an SMS when I need to be changed.
Got a T-Mobile Cliq? Feeling lucky? Be sure to stick around T-Mobile’s community forum today at around 6 PST. According to our buddies over at TmoNews and this screenshot they obtained, 1,000 quick-fingered Cliq users will be getting early access to a software update that the rest of the Cliq-bearing public won’t see until next week.
It’s not a massive update, so don’t get too excited — we’re not talking about a bumpgrade to Android 2.1 or anything. That said, the purported changes coming in this next are certainly welcome. Straight from the screenshot:
So how do you get it? Keep slammin’ that manual update button on your device a few minutes before 6, and be sure to keep an eye on T-Mobile’s forum for updates. Of course, you could also just wait until next week and let everyone else be the guinea pig.
About a month ago, I noticed that several of the major camera companies were putting out some rugged, waterproof, and generally durable cameras, something I’ve always said is a very good thing. Everybody carries around their camera as if it were a three-hundred-dollar egg — why aren’t they sturdier? So now we’ve the fully ruggedized cameras from Casio, Fujifilm, and Olympus, along with the new Playsport pocket camcorder from Kodak. I’ll be subjecting to the usual image quality tests, and also checking their purported rough-and-tumble character.
Panasonic couldn’t get theirs out to me in time, but I guess four is enough. We’ll get the TS2 later.
So, all of these cameras (big version of header image here) are waterproof and shockproof to various degrees. I’m headed out to Volunteer Park to give them a good time. I don’t feel like diving 30 feet into Lake Washington to test the Olympus, though, so a dip in the duck pond is going to have to suffice.
The first review (and the omnibus video) should be going up tomorrow, and then I’ll do a roundup and comparison at the end of the week.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
 Daily Caller | Why Java could thrive at Oracle CNET When Oracle announced its intention to acquire Sun Microsystems nearly one year ago, one of the prime areas of consternation for developers was what would happen to the Java programming language. Perhaps putting some of those fears to ... Sun's IBM-mainframe flower wilts under Oracle's hard gaze Oracle spent $1.05M lobbying in last 2009 quarter What does the future hold for the Java Community Process (JCP)? |
By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
Early adopters of Windows 7 are “very satisfied” with the program, but nearly half of consumers surveyed said they saw no reason to upgrade from Windows XP, according to two reports released Monday by Forrester Research (FORR)
The report on Windows 7 users could be good news for Microsoft as it tries to improve customer satisfaction after problems with Windows 7’s predecessor, Vista. But Forrester points out that Microsoft still has “hurdles to leap” in getting people to upgrade.
Windows launched in October of last year and showed strong early sales. The survey used in both Forrester reports was conducted in December and gives a further indication that consumers see Windows 7 as an improvement. More than 80 percent of early adopters rated their satisfaction with the operating system as a 4 or 5 on five-point scale, compared with less than 75 percent for Windows systems overall.
Read the rest of this post on the original site
The rumor mill is churning today as news of a CDMA iPhone running on Verizon will be manufactured by Pegatron in China while a whole new AT&T model, made by Foxconn, will also drop in the summer/fall timeframe. the Journal notes that the two new devices will be exactly the same except, obviously, the CDMA version will lack a SIM card.
We’ve seen weird leaks of an iPhone 4G screen – something longer than the current iPhone screen with a front-facing camera – but nothing concrete. We also need to take this with a grain of salt. Asian manufacturers enjoy talking up their connections with certain companies because it gives them a slight boost in the equities markets, so this could be a pump and dump.
Giz notes that this would bring 90 million people into the iPhone’s grasp, giving Apple a huge edge. Given popular opinion, AT&T numbers will probably deflate as well. Just don’t expect to roam internationally on your iPhone anymore. Here’s hoping Verizon can keep the networks up better than Cingular++.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
As many would expect, Apple is developing an iPhone upgrade to debut this summer, according to The Wall Street Journal, but more surprising is the rumor that a Verizon iPhone is in the works as well.
WSJ cites sources who were briefed on a CDMA-compatible iPhone being manufactured by Pegatron, a Taiwanese manufacturing subsidiary of Asus. CDMA is the standard used on Verizon phones.
The sources said Pegatron was scheduled to mass produce CDMA iPhones in September, but a release date was not made clear.
Whispers of a Verizon-compatible iPhone have made the rounds since last year. However, this report lends the rumor more credence, as it was co-written by WSJ’s Yukari Kane, who accurately broke the news on Steve Jobs’ liver transplant and was also correct about some key facts regarding the iPad prior to its official unveiling. Some have speculated that Apple has performed controlled leaks through WSJ reporters, including Kane.
Update 5 p.m. PT: Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has posted a sarcastic response criticizing Kane’s story for its lack of detail while incidentally listing what he’s heard will be in the next iPhone: an A4-family CPU system-on-a-chip, a 960-by-640 resolution display, a second front-facing camera and third-party multitasking in iPhone OS 4.
See Also:
Photo: Jami3.org/Flickr
If you’re one of the many scientists and researchers using a PlayStation 3 as a cheap alternative to a supercomputer, you’ll want to steer clear of Sony’s latest firmware update.
Sony will offer a software upgrade on April 1 that will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was available on PS3 systems prior to the slimmer models. The feature allowed users to run Linux on the console. Now, Sony says “security concerns” have forced it to remove the functionality.
Users who get the latest OS version will lose access their older data after the update, says a Sony spokesperson.
The PlayStation 3 has emerged as a favorite among researchers looking to create homebrew supercomputers on the cheap. When clustered, the PS3’s Cell processor — developed by Sony, IBM and Toshiba — can rival the power of a supercomputer, say some researchers.
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Physics Professor Gaurav Khanna, for instance, created a step-by-step guide to building a supercomputer using the PS3 that could potentially reduce the cost of general computing research.
Stanford has a Folding@home initiative where PS3 users can sign up to use their machine as part of a distributed computing project that simulates protein folding.
PS3 users not choosing to upgrade to the latest version will pay a price. They will lose the ability to sign into the online PlayStation network, chat or play Blu-ray discs that require the latest version of the operating system.
But if you are trying to model the effect of gravitational waves or molecular dynamics, you probably won’t miss those features much, anyway.
See Also:
Photo: (William Hook/Flickr)
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
 TG Daily | AMD Partners Promise Quick ROI For Magny-Cours Server Swaps ChannelWeb Advanced Micro Devices has what it thinks will be a game-changing new x86 server platform and judging from the list of computer makers preparing to ship systems based around AMD's new Opteron 6100 series microprocessors, ... AMD Intros 12-Core Opteron Processors AMD Opteron 6100 What AMD 12-Core Opterons Mean To Your Business |
During an earnings call last year, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg said it was up to Apple to bring the iPhone to his network. “This is a decision that is exclusively in Apple’s court,” Seidenberg said. “Obviously we would be interested if they thought it would make sense for them to have us as a partner. And so we will leave it with them on that score.”
Well, it looks like Apple (AAPL) may have decided it does make sense to have Verizon (VZ) as a partner, because The Wall Street Journal reports that the company is working on two new iPhones, a fourth-generation model and another designed for a CDMA network like Verizon’s.
Sources tell The Journal that Pegatron Technology, Apple’s manufacturing partner for the CDMA device, is scheduled to begin mass-producing the new iPhone in September, though it is not yet clear when or on whose network the company intends to launch it. The publication says the new model “appears” to be designed for Verizon Wireless. But other carriers use the CDMA standard–Sprint (S), for example.
That said, Verizon certainly seems a likely candidate, as the carrier would immediately give Apple access to about 80 million new customers. But rumors of an Apple-Verizon deal for the iPhone and the iPad have been circulating for quite some time and none have ever panned out. Which is not to say they won’t pan out this time, just that The Journal has not yet been able to confirm that they will.
A Verizon iPhone would, of course, be bad news for AT&T (T). As I’ve noted here before, a move to nonexclusivity in the U.S. would likely have some negative impact on the carrier’s subscriber base.
[This post was clarified and updated with new details at 2:45 pm PDT]
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Google
AdMob’s new report featuring data from February of 2010 depicts many new trends, some predictable and others a little shocking. Basically, smartphone traffic has increased by 193% in a year and Internet-capable devices (such as netbooks, e-readers, and handheld video games with WiFi) have increased in the web traffic by 403% in about a year. It seems people are accessing the Internet from normal feature phones less and less and are generally shifting towards smartphones and/or carrying Internet-ready devices.
If we take a look at specifically the smartphone trends in the United States, the Apple iPhone and Google Android phones are about neck and neck with the traffic share. RIM, webOS, and Windows Mobile are literally at the bottom looking up at Android and the iPhone. In terms of global smartphone traffic, the iPhone is well ahead of the competition by maintaining about 50% of the market share, while Android has overtaken a shrinking Symbian.
In terms of Internet-ready devices, the iPod Touch accounts for much of the traffic registering in at about 93% and with the Apple iPad almost in the hands of the Apple faithful, Apple will only grow in its traffic share. If more and more Android phones become available in the United States, I would not be surprised if one day in the near future Google Android overtook the iPhone OS, but globally, the little green Android still as a while to go.
Read [AdMob] Via [Ars Technica]
Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Goodbye “fan.” Hello “like.”
That’s the message Facebook is passing along to its advertisers today. In a move that’s both minor and telling, the social network is replacing its “fan” buttons with “like” buttons on ads that direct users to big brands’ “fan pages.”
“Fan pages” are an increasingly big part of Facebook’s business. They’re in many ways a throwback to the branded sites AOL (AOL) set up in its heyday, giving the brands a chance to stake out real estate in the heavily trafficked social network. Brands can set them up for free, but are encouraged to buy Facebook ads promoting the mini-sites.
So what’s up with the verb change? A couple things:
For more on why fan/brand pages matter to Facebook and its advertisers, see this interview I conducted last year with Buddy Media’s Mike Lazerow.
Below is a mock-up of what the new “like ads” will look like when the change rolls out (click to enlarge), followed by the guts of the letter Facebook is sending to ad agencies today. Below that is a FAQ sheet the social network is also distributing.
Whenever possible we want to try to give you advance notice on changes that may affect your advertising campaigns or Facebook strategy. I am reaching out today to give you a heads-up on an upcoming change to Facebook. This will go live in a few weeks, so until then, please keep this information confidential.
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the user experience, increase engagement and promote consistency across Facebook, we are changing the language we use when people connect to your Brand Pages. People will soon connect with your Brand Pages by clicking “Like” rather than “Become a Fan.” People already “Like” their friends’ status updates, photos and links everyday. In fact, people click “Like” almost two times more than they click “Become a Fan” everyday.
“Like” offers a simple, consistent way for people to connect with the things they are interested in. These lighter-weight actions mean people will make more connections across the site, including with your branded Facebook Pages.
I believe this will result in gaining more connections to pages since our research has shown that some users would be more comfortable with the term “Like”. The goal is to get the most user connections so that you can have ongoing conversations in the news feeds of as many users as possible.
The core functionality of Pages will not change. For instance, your Pages will still have distribution into your fans’ News Feed and you can still call the people who “Like” your Page, “Fans”-your Fans are still your Fans.
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile
For about a week now, Motorola MILESTONE users have been able to download and install the 2.1 Android update using their computer. The main problem using a computer is time and the hassle involved. Users would have to plug their phone into the computer and install using the USB cable. A much faster and efficient method is Over-The-Air (OTA) which has been made available today in select locations. Within a few short minutes and a simple restart of the MILESTONE you will be running the latest Android version.
Android 2.1 features nine home screen panels (for those who love cluttering the home screen with apps), a native camera app, Facebook app, Quickoffice, and overall increased performance. Motorola will probably begin rolling out the 2.1 OTA update to many other European and Asian countries, but until now, only some have it. Unfortunately for us Americans, there is still no exact date when Droid users can expect the elusive 2.1 update.
Via [GSM Arena]
Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
LSDs inventor Albert Hofmann called it "medicine for the soul." The Beatles wrote songs about it. Secret military mind control experiments exploited its hallucinogenic powers. Outlawed in 1966, LSD became a street drug and developed a reputation as the dangerous toy of the counterculture, capable of inspiring either moments of genius, or a descent into madness. Now science is taking a fresh look at LSD, including the first human trials in over 35 years. Using enhanced brain imaging, non-hallucinogenic versions of the drug and information from an underground network of test subjects who suffer from an agonizing condition for which there is no cure, researchers are finding that this "trippy" drug could become the pharmaceutical of the future. Can it enhance our brain power, expand our creativity and cure disease? To find out, Explorer puts LSD under the microscope.National Geographic Explorer: Inside LSD (Thanks, Xeni!)
 UberGizmo (blog) | AdMob Reveals Android to be Apple's Biggest Smartphone Competitor DailyTech Google-owned ad firm AdMob claims that 4.3+ million Americans want an iPad. (Source: PC World) A new market research survey [PDF] reveals some growing trends, as well as some surprises. Market research and advertising firm AdMob (which is owned by ... Apple, Google Rivalry Boosting Mobile Web 2.0 Growth: Report Report: Apple to Introduce New Targeted Advertising Format Rumour: Apple 'iAd' mobile ad platform coming soon? |
and phone icons 
to start video and voice chats with your friends or the group chat icon 
to add additional friends to a text chat. If you've never used video or voice chat before, all you need is a webcam and microphone attached to your computer and a small plugin application available for free at www.google.com/chat/video.
FROM APPLETELL - If you’d like to occupy your time while waiting for your iPad to arrive, take a look at some of the accessories you can pick up soon from Booq.
MORE »
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You don’t see The Stig driving and texting, do you?
A new study from the University of Utah suggests that a very small percentage of people are able to drive safely while using a cellphone. The actual percentage, 2.5 percent of the population, isn’t high enough to affect policy, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Well, kinda.
The study looked at 200 undergraduates, and had them carry out one task, simulated driving, while subjecting them to a second task, listening to a cellphone conversation involving numbers and memorization.
97.5 percent of the kids couldn’t do both effectively—the second task overwhelmed their ability to carry out the first task.
Of course that means 2.5 percent can do both effectively. Meanwhile, 95 percent of people think they’re a part of that 2.5 percent group.
Yes, I just made that last stat up, but when you consider that, at any given time, some 10 percent of U.S. drivers are on the road while on their phone, and that nearly 30 percent of all traffic accidents last year were caused by cellphone-using drivers…
Just don’t drive and use your phone at the same time. I really don’t see why this is such an issue.
You can read the entire study here (PDF).
Apple on Monday said its new iPad, due for release Saturday, will be landing in Best Buy stores in addition to Apple’s retail locations.
The news about Best Buy could give hope to eager customers who missed the opportunity to pre-order an iPad to receive it by the April 3 launch. Apple’s website states that iPads pre-ordered today will ship by April 12, indicating that supply of the device will be extremely tight this weekend.
However, camping outside Best Buy might not be worth the effort, as the chances of obtaining one look slim. The Unofficial Apple Weblog’s Michael Rose received screenshots of an internal memo from Best Buy, which states each store will only carry five units of each iPad model (16GB, 32GB, 64GB), or a total of 15 iPads.
What’s more, four iPads must be marked “Not for Resale” and set aside as demo units, the memo states. That means only 11 iPads will be sold at each participating store, if Best Buy sticks to the game plan in the memo. So if you missed the cutoff date for pre-orders, the least frustrating solution would probably be to wait an extra week, or play with a demo unit at Best Buy if you’re aching to touch one.
Press Release [Apple]
See Also:
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Amazon’s decision to reduce difficult-to-cut-through plastic shells and boxes stuffed with foam as part of its “frustration-free” packaging initiative introduced last year has helped consumers and the environment.
But sometimes the idea can backfire, as some shoppers discovered. Amazon customers who bought a two terabyte Western Digital hard disk drive from the company’s website were shocked to find their disk arrive wrapped just in a bag and secured with some “cardboard hoops.”
And not surprisingly, the hard drives were either dead on arrival or failed in a few days.
“I just got this hard drive. Guess what. DOA,” writes Sung M. Choi on Amazon’s website. “I heard clicking sounds and now I have to send it back. All this due to their lack of safe packaging. What were they thinking with their weak packaging?” Other Amazon users too have complained on the site that they were horrified to find the product wrapped similar to a book before being sent out.
The Western Digital disk drives themselves seem to be well-reviewed, gathering four out of five stars on the website. An Amazon spokesperson says the company is aware of the problem and removed the product from its frustration-free packaging category a few weeks ago.
See Also:
Photo: (Scoobay/Flickr)
The good word of the rumor mill said we’d be hearing about Push-to-talk on the Verizon BlackBerry Tour soon, and sure enough: ol’ VeeZeeDub has just made it official.
The Push-to-talk application should land in the Tour Application Center on March 30th, at which point anyone lookin’ to get in on the fun can add PTT service to their plan for 5 bucks a month. There appears to be some sort of 90-day trial available to anyone activating a new BlackBerry plan – but chances are, long-time BB users will be able to get in on the deal if they ask real nice.
Once activated, the convenience key becomes the “push” button referenced in “push-to-talk”. Now go! Go and act out your wildest dreams of being a contractor with important things to say into your walkie-talkie phone!
Section: Web, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Google
A recently released extension for the Chrome browser may be one that netbook users are looking for. The extension is called Chrome Antialiasing and zoom 85% and comes sporting a simple description;
Antialiasing and display magnification are set up to 85%.
That said, the description may be simple, but what the extension does is pretty welcomed. Well, welcomed for those that may be using displays that max out at resolutions in the ballpark of 1024 x 600. What the extension does is automatically set the zoom level to 85%, which in the end should make your 1024 x 600 resolution 10-inch (or smaller) display a little more useful. And it should do it without much effect on the users eyes. Of course, there is always the option to do this manually as you surf and as you need.
Read [Chrome] Via [Liliputing]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Washington Post | Egypt Finds Pharaonic False Door to the Afterlife ABC News CAIRO (Reuters) - Archaeologists in Luxor have uncovered a 3500-year-old false door belonging to the tomb of a Pharaonic official, the Ministry of Culture said on Monday. The red granite door was built to provide a passage for the spirit to the ... Ancient door to 'afterlife' found in Egypt Door to afterlife from ancient Egyptian tomb found Door to the Afterlife creaks open in Egypt |
Browsing the iPad App Store: A Video [By @viticci] from Federico Viticci on Vimeo.
With the iPad launch still days away, a developer appears to have leaked a video showing the iPad App Store.
Multiple independent reports over the weekend included purported screenshots of the iPad App Store. Those screenshots match the images in the screencast above, lending credence to the video’s authenticity. Posted by MacStories, the video appears to have been made by a developer with special privileges to access the App Store through the iPad’s software development kit and emulator.
As expected, the iPad App Store closely resembles the UI of the iPhone’s App Store. From the video, we can extract a few key tidbits:
A brand new “In the Spotlight” section utilizes Apple’s Cover Flow interface to showcase highlights in the store. We’re guessing those are Apple staff’s picks for what they feel is interesting — and if that’s the case, expect developers to be more sycophantic than ever in their effort to win Apple’s affection.
Developers are pricing iPad games a bit higher than iPhone titles. The iPad game Flight Control HD, for example, is listed for $4.99; the iPhone version costs $0.99. And the iPad game Flick Fishing HD costs $2.99 — $2 more than Flick Fishing for iPhone.
This is just an early sample, and prices are subject to change based on market reactions, but it’s interesting to note that some game developers appear to be experimenting with the price bubble. $0.99 was an extremely popular (and successful) price point for many iPhone apps and games. Perhaps the standard price point for paid iPad apps will be around $2.99? We’ll see soon enough.
Many developers appear to be titling their apps and games to tout their iPad compatibility. Some app titles are tagged with “for the iPad,” and some games are tagged “HD” or “XL” to denote their iPad-ness.
That raises the question of whether iPad apps will be difficult to discern from the 150,000 iPhone apps in the store. A screenshot published by App Advice suggests that iPad apps will have their own separate section. But in most of the screens shown here, iPad apps seem to be sprinkled among iPhone apps, which may exacerbate the issue of overcrowding in the App Store.
Update: MacStories has posted a second video revealing more details about charts, categories and switching to iPhone apps in the store, viewable below the jump.
Browsing the iPad App Store, Part II: Charts, Categories, iPhone Apps from Federico Viticci on Vimeo.
See Also:
Here’s what we know: Come March 31st, all Sprint retail employees will be huddled around their computers, tuning into a meeting we’ve heard called “top secret”, “mandatory”, and “company-wide”.
Here’s what we don’t know: What its for. Even the retail managers don’t seem to know whats up. The current theory is that they’ll be discussing the EVO 4G (hopefully with some new details thrown in, like pricing and release date), and/or whatever changes are necessary (i.e. plan pricing) for their first 4G phone. Sprint doesn’t generally pull everyone away from the sales floor for nothing (that’s what memos are for), so lets hope it’s something worthwhile.
What do you think it is? Let us know in the comments below.
[Thanks as always, Joecrack305!]
Real or fake? It’s a question often asked in the San Fernando Valley, and it’s been thrown around quite a bit lately with respect to videos purporting to show off the WP7S interface. Here is yet another such video, showing the interface on an HTC Touch Diamond. If, indeed, this is fake, may I ask why? Why put the effort into making such a video? Use your video-making talents for good, not evil.
The second Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7 last month, the same question began pouring in en masse: “Will this run on my current Windows Mobile 6.5 device?” Microsoft was quick to crush everyone’s hopes , saying that no WinMo 6.5 devices were up to snuff. “But what about the HD2? That things like brand new and crazy powerful! Surely it must be upgradeable!”, said the masses. “Nope!” responded Microsoft. Then some pundit insisted the HD2 would be upgradeable (his insiders said!), then Microsoft denied it again, rinse/repeat/etc.
While everyone else has been asking a bunch of silly questions over and over, it seems that a group of hackers have managed to get the job done. Unless this is a seriously well-executed series of fakes, you’re looking at an early, early build of Windows Phone 7 on the HD2.
Is it perfect? No. But for a freshly started project on a brand new, beta OS running on unauthorized hardware, I’d say its a damn good start. I can’t even begin to fathom how this was possible without some serious leakage out of HTC or Microsoft — but you know what? I’m not asking questions. Check out the videos below for some pretty convincing evidence that this is all legit.
[HTCPedia Via Redmond Pie]
Section: Audio, Portable Audio
It looks like the Buy From FM functionality that is found on the Zune lineup is bringing in some potential trouble for Microsoft. This of course steps into the world of patents which means its time for the lawyers to earn their paychecks. But that said, Edward Yavitz of Rockford, Illinois is claiming that he is holding two patents that cover a users ability to tag a track playing on the radio and make it available for purchase. According to Yavitz, he approached Microsoft in 2006 and has been holding these patents since 2002. In the end though, this will come back to the lawyers and most likely it will also take some decent amount of time to work itself out.
That said, I do question some of the motives of Edward Yavitz, while he may be right, some of his statements would make me question his real motives. Yes, by real motives I mean money. Yavitz mentioned that he has gained a total of 36 patents over the years, and that these dealing with the buy from FM functionality have another 10 years to run. Of course, it also seems as if he may not have learned the rule about using lots of caps in emails.
“THIS IS ALL POSSIBLE AND PATENTED ... SO IPOD and Google CAN’T DO IT, but Microsoft can, if you take the time to talk to me,”
Read [Datamation]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones
So much for the HTC HD2 not being upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 Series. Well, in all honestly I think most were aware that the HD2 could be upgraded, but that Microsoft feels it will not qualify because it is missing a hardware button. That said though, it looks like some enterprising mobile phone geeks have done it—they have ported Windows Phone 7 Series to the HTC HD2. And it seems that have done it pretty successfully. Given up for evidence, and for your pleasure is a few images as well as two videos.
According to the story, the HTC HD2 is running an early build of Windows Phone 7 Series, and almost everything is working. The one catch so far seems to be in the graphics driver. Granted a graphics driver that is failing to work nicely could be a big deal, but it was noted as running, and just being choppy and laggy. Otherwise the Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and all of the other important features are intact.
As for that bad graphics driver, that will hopefully be fixed soon. It was noted that a first beta will fix that and it should be coming soon.
Via [Redmond Pie]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Business News, Computers, Software / Applications
Google and Microsoft compete on many fronts in the tech world, and Google Apps is gunning for Microsoft’s stronghold of the office computing industry. Google Apps is just a blip on Microsoft’s radar at the moment—it generates only $50 million per year—but it’s a blip that has to be closely monitored according to the Wall Street Journal and Silicon Insider.
Google Apps represents a potential threat to Microsoft’s core business of selling office-oriented software. While Google hasn’t stolen much of Microsoft’s market share, it has been used as a leveraging tool by consumers looking for better deals. Apps’s incredibly cheap price also serves as a way to entice companies seeking cost-cutting measures. There are less people who will purchase Office licenses and Exchange-related services if they can get similar services from Google that are much cheaper and “good enough” to meet their base needs.
Microsoft has already put certain changes in motion in order to stave off more Google adoption. Office 2010 includes more support for web usage, collaboration between remote users, and even ad-supported versions of Word and Excel that are web-based. These steps are clearly a move to slow the tide of Google Apps, which now has more than 50 million users.
There has already been evidence that Google is making headway in the business solutions field. The most notable case was the City of Los Angeles “going Google” and letting the company handle its email and other services. How will Microsoft respond if Google is able to keep attracting big name clients and small businesses alike?
Read [WSJ] Via [Silicon Alley Insider]
Full Story » | Written by Andrew Kameka for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
V-Moda’s cellphone-compatible earbuds annoyed me the second I squeezed them into my ear canals. Then, bit by bit, they grew on me, until now they’re the favorite set of headphones I’ve been testing in Gadget Lab’s Spanish bureau.
The Remix Remotes are noise-isolating earbuds, the kind that cut down on external sound by sealing your ears with their silicone O-rings. They also have the three-button inline remote that’s getting more common, and include a microphone in the torpedo shaped pod. Paired with iPods and iPhones, you can make calls, voice-control your device, skip, play, pause and change volume. The specs are good, and the product is well-made. So what was the problem?
First, I have never liked this style of earbud. Drilling the silicon plugs into your ears until you gag is uncomfortable and inconvenient. Next was the boom that accompanies such a tight fit, with every touch of the cable sending shockwaves deep into my cochlea. Third, the controller, while easy to use, always seemed to disappear down my shirt front. It might not be fair to blame all this on the earbuds, but even so, as the week wore on, these annoyances disappeared, one by one.
First, V-Moda puts an extra-large set of silicon plugs in the kit. Once I switched to these, the buds became comfy, and I didn’t need to drive them into my brain to keep them in place. When this was fixed, the boom seemed to disappear, too, and this (along with the disappearing remote) was fixed by a small clip that hooks the cable to a collar. This is, sadly, detachable, and I detached it permanently somewhere in the city, never to be found again.
The remote itself sits on the center cord, where it splits off to the ears. If you’re used to the Apple ‘buds that put the switch on the right cord by your cheek, the fumbling to find this one can be off-putting. You get used to it, though, and the advantage is that the little torpedo is always in the same place, regardless of which way you wear the ‘buds.
Speaking of right and left, it is almost impossible to tell which is which. L and R are engraved in tiny lettering under the silicon covers. V-Moda does give you two sets of plugs, in gray and in black. Use one of each and you have color-coded earphones.
A couple more points: The metal construction doesn’t drag on your ears, and the Kevlar-reinforced cables feel pretty strong. The plug itself, covered in gold, has the cable angled at 45 degrees, which is nothing new. What I really like, though, is the metal stud on the back. This lets you push the plug in without pressing on any essential parts.
On to the sound. The Remix Remotes don’t sound as good as similarly-priced over-the-head phones, but that’s sort of not the point. With their solid construction, tangle-resistant wires, a handy remote and comfortable ‘buds, these are the headphones you’ll usually take out with you. They sound way better than Apple’s stock earbuds, too, with a decent attempt at making a stereo picture and full tones for the human voice (they’re great for podcast listening). If you want to listen to lossless jazz recordings, these aren’t for you. If you want something (fairly) affordable that you’ll use, and that will last awhile, then go ahead. You won’t be wowed, nor will you be disappointed. $100.
Remix Remote [V-Moda]
Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video
The Zune.net website has been updated, or at least changed and is now referencing a 64GB Zune HD. The new mention is listed right on the main page and sitting aside the links for the overview as well as the 16 and 32GB model Zunes. Unfortunately a click on the Zune HD 64 link takes you to a “page not found.” Not much else to say here, but it looks like a 64GB Zune HD is in the works. Of course, this is not all that shocking. It seems to be a Zune HD with more storage and most likely will come sporting the same specs and same form factor as the current Zune HD lineup. Still, I suppose this is good news for someone.
Read [Zune HD 64 (page not found link)] Via [Engadget]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
What could possibly be handier than a do-it-all Leatherman multi-tool? How about a Leatherman keychain fob? The Leatherman Style is a $20 tool with five functions: knife, scissors, nail-file, screwdriver (flat and Philips heads) and tweezers, all of which pack down into a keychain-friendly stainless-steel body. It sounds perfect for keeping your variously sprouting crops of facial hair in trim, and for paring back those cracked, yellowing nails. Just remember not to keep your keys with you when boarding a plane.
The Leatherman Style will be available mid-may, along with the $25 Style CS, a larger but still keychain-able tool coming in at three-inches long. It is pretty much a Skeletool-lite, and adds a carabiner and bottle-opener to the mix. At these prices, it is inexcusable for any self-respecting geek not to have one.
Leatherman Style [Leatherman via ToolGuyd. Thanks, Stuart!]
Style CS [Leatherman via ToolGuyd]
Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Netbooks
The 10 inch Asus Eee PC T101MT netbook is ready to make a European and American debut. Starting in April, the higher spec’d T101MT model will be available in Italy for 499 Euros. This model features a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive, Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth technology, integrated webcam, and GMA 3150 graphics. The American version will feature the same specs except only 1GB RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. However, it will only cost $499, which is about $165 cheaper than the European model.
One of the main features of this netbook is the fact that it can operate as a tablet with a simple swivel of the screen. Designed to be used as a portable computer for quick web and desktop apps access, it can double as a tablet, similar to the Apple iPad.
Read [Liliputing]
Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Twitter is aflame with reports that the iPad has started to ship. Emails to customers from Apple include tracking numbers for the shipments, which are coming via UPS. We don’t imagine that anyone is likely to get their iPad early, but you never know: with the hundreds of thousands of pre-orders, mistakes could happen. Those who have pre-ordered should be pleased that all is going according to plan, and that they can wake up this weekend to a shiny new toy.
This isn’t the first time Apple has teamed up with UPS to get a new device to waiting fans. When the iPhone 3GS shipped last year, Apple commanded UPS to hold on to the packages until launch day, even if they were sitting there, ready and waiting in your local branch like gifts under a Christmas tree.
And remember, anyone nerdy enough to have pre-ordered a $500 device they have never even seen, let alone touched, is nerdy enough to post pictures and stories online as soon as they can. Fingers crossed, then, for early news. If not, Saturday is only five days away.
Have we at Gadget Lab received our pre-order email advisory? Hell no! We’re sending intrepid reporters to the Apple Stores in New York and San Francisco to pick up the machines in person and check out the launch day vibe. We have reserved a couple though – we’re not that stupid.
iPad Shipping [Twitter]
Photo: Jonathan Snyder / Wired.com
Chopping down trees, filling them with words and pictures and sending pushy salesman out to offload them on the never-never to hicks and social climbers seems plain weird these days, and Britannica, the encyclopedia people, seem to get that. After seeing its business withering, the 32-volume set of books shrank onto CD-ROM, then jumped to the internet. Now there is one more way to avoid filling your bookshelves with the $2,500, Renaissance Binding 2010 Encyclopædia Britannica: An iPhone app.
In comparison to the dead-tree edition, the iPhone version, concise though it is, looks cheap at $25. It comes loaded with 30,000 articles and 800 pictures (including maps). It is also a svelte 22MB in size, and easily navigable thanks to proper search (it gives nearby suggestion for misspellings). It even has a fun looking “on this day” feature. Best of all, though, is that now we really do have a Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Britannica should ‘fess up to this and send a free towel to anyone who buys the app.
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia 2010 [iTunes]
| World : News Archives | Business | Entertainment | Sports | Technology | Science | Marketplace Audio |
| India : News | Business | Entertainment | Sports | Telugu | |
| Blogs : Humor pages | Norkay's Blog | Kids Stories | Indian Recipes | Database Tech Blog |
| Sundries : World Video Clips | Songs Clips | Indian Video Clips | |
Push Notifications on the iPhone are great, but they can be 
My bad — maybe.
MySpace’s former GM International 
Back in fall 2008, we covered the 
As a professional social network, LinkedIn hasn’t ignored the mobile interests of its 
