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SafetyWeb Acquires Odojo In Battle To Monitor The Youngsters
In June SafetyWeb announced a $8 million funding round from Battery Ventures with First Round Capital, and the company has raised a total of $8.75 million. This appears to be a technology acquisition, and only one Odojo employee, an engineer, will be joining SafetyWeb. Founder Mike Stemple will join SafetyWeb as an advisor. Odojo’s technology will help SafetyWeb identify specific dangers by category, such as “drugs,” “sex,” “suicide,” “anorexia,” “hate,” etc. This is a space we’ve begun to cover more deeply. Parent anxiety over exactly what their kids are up to online means there’s lot of potential cash for anyone that gives them at least a basic level of monitoring. Last week we covered SocialShield, a less well funded competitor. And the New York TImes also took a look at the space yesterday. Expect intense competition over parents willing to pay a few dollars a month for some peace of mind.      
Source: TechCrunch | 4 Jul 2010 | 4:00 am Google Voice Fans Start Petition for a Desktop Client - eWeek
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 4 Jul 2010 | 3:38 am Finally, A Decent Facebook Welcome Tab Creator For All
It took only two days since my last post for word to reach me that someone is about to release a new product (the same product that I was hoping someone would create), which will make individuals and/or brands lives a lot easier under Facebook‘s roof. I can already hear you thinking, man, Facebook Pages again? Yes. Again. But there is a reason why we’re talking about them constantly. Beside the obvious point that these tools can actually help you create a Page with no hassle and easily market yourself on the platform, there are signs of a new trend that we need to pay attention to. Today, Facebook Pages look alike for the most part. That might be because people don’t have time to invest in them, nor have the qualifications to create an immersed page, or maybe they simply don’t care. But if you own a brand, you should care. Making a page by yourself is not that hard, but it involves some basic HTML familiarity, and many people don’t want to be hassled with any of that. While Facebook only seems to care about what is beneficial for them, they aren’t really concerned about ease of use for their members. Yet the usage of this service is growing day after day, and still their feature list stays pretty much the same. Here and there, you can see some fine-tuning design-wise, and little things are added, but overall, you can’t do much when it comes to marketing your brands inside Facebook. Not if you’re a small business anyway. I believe Facebook creates such boundaries whenever they feel at risk of turning into the next MySpace, but there is still a long way before it comes to that (if ever) and to be honest, MySpace wasn’t bad at all (back in the day). Only now, in hindsight, do we realize that we have something that looks much better and fits this era with Facebook. However, it is limited by “tabs.” I don’t understand why Facebook won’t allow us to customize at least one tab as we wish? Meanwhile, should we be surprised that more and more services are trying to give us that ability to customize a Facebook page? These services are born out of a need. It started with Tabs applications such as: Twittertab, Flickrtab, YouTubetab, Picasatab, and many more. But you can’t as easily find a service that allows you to create a ‘Welcome tab’ with such freedom. But don’t worry, I believe we are about to enter a new Facebook page creators trend, and it is only a matter of time before we see more services like RootMusic around soon. But first let me introduce you to a new service that simply allows you to create a ‘Welcome’ or ‘About’ tab without any Static FBML knowledge, or too much work. Enter Thailand-based Pagemodo, which allows anyone to create a Welcome page through a nicely done generator that is very simple to use.
This time I don’t really need to explain how to create the page because it is really fairly easy. Once you log in with your Facebook account, you’ll be able to create a new page where you’ll be taken to a self-explanatory editor to help you achieve your page tab. You can choose between two layouts, and start your page (or tab if you wish) creation. Just enter all the information needed. You can add pictures, change the colors & font, and more. Finally, you’ll be asked to choose a Tab – ‘Welcome’ or ‘About us’ (more tab names are coming) And install it on your Facebook page. If you have more than one page, you can create a tab for each, and come back to edit them whenever you want through your account at Pagemodo. According to Pagemodo, they will always offer a free version so that everyone, even very small organizations, can create custom pages, but these free ones will of course include their footer and might limit some advanced features that only the paying users will get, such as Add Google Analytics, custom tab-names, limited edition layouts (so they can get a unique layout), etc. Currently, Pagemodo is working on a simple payment solution, so people can at least start removing the footer and get an “early bird” discount. I already explained the value of such pages in my earlier posts, but I’ll quickly explain again: When you set a ‘Welcome’ tab to be the first thing that new visitors land on, you have the ability to place whatever you want under this tab and explain your brand better. The main thing about all these pages is that the companies can customize these pages, so they match company colors, display the company logo, etc. With services such as the one offered by Pagemodo, they can. This is your opportunity to attract new visitors – simple as that. You can choose to leave it the old and boring way, or take a few minutes to create a new page for your company. The rest is up to you. Moreover, the service is free so I don’t really see any reason to not test/use it. All things considered, I believe it’s a win-win proposition. Like I’ve said previously, I believe this is just the beginning for these kind of platforms and as long as Facebook doesn’t offer users the tools to customize their own pages, we are going to see more of these tools popping up like mushrooms. If you already have some design & code skills, my first guide might make more sense to you. But if you don’t, I encourage you to try this service, share your insights and feedback, and help them build a better platform. Or you can give others like Likeable, Involver, or Vitrue a try. Just know that they are nothing like Pagemodo (see example). In most cases, you need to send them graphics and then they will set one of their own designers to create a page. And of course, you’ll need to pay. Make no mistake, I’m in favor of paying for good products, but I prefer to take full control of the product I’m using. And so should you.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 4 Jul 2010 | 2:53 am Apple admits iPhones' signal bars give incorrect readings - Los Angeles Times
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 4 Jul 2010 | 2:52 am Long-Necked Lamps - The Griaffa Lamp Also Doubles as a Walker (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The Griaffa Lamp from LIJMBACH, LEEUW & VORMGEVING is the product of the minimalist design world colliding with the animal kingdom. The results aren't for everybody, people. The...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 4 Jul 2010 | 2:50 am Segway Shopping Carts - The Z-Cart from Mete A. Mordag Makes Shopping Hassle-Free (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Pushing a shopping cart just became easier thanks to the Z-Cart. This innovative shopping cart from designer Mete A. Mordag features increased storage and an electric motor. This amped-up...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 4 Jul 2010 | 2:20 am Rainproof Camera Protection - The DLSR Camera Bag is the Perfect Rainy Day Accessory (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) This DLSR camera bag is the perfect addition to a rainy adventure. It's the worst when the rain starts, but documenting every aspect of your fun is essential. A Japanese designer had...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 4 Jul 2010 | 1:30 am Retro Game Sneakers - The Nike Street Fighter Pack Brings Shoryuken to the Streets (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Gaming nerds and sneakerheads are going to flip for the new Nike Street Fighter Pack. The dreams of millions of gamers just came true. Chun Li and Ryu are the most iconic characters...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 4 Jul 2010 | 1:10 am Drug-smuggling subThis 30-meter long submarine, used to smuggle huge amount of cocaine, was was seized in Ecuador yesterday. Apparently, a drug trafficking outfit built it in the middle of the jungle. From CNN:"Ecuador authorities seize drug-smuggling sub"
 Source: Boing Boing | 4 Jul 2010 | 12:57 am Customizable Shoe Tongues - The Adidas Nizza Hi Tech Lets You Have Two Styles With the Same Shoe (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Designers seem to be finding stranger and stranger ways to add zippers to shoes. Case in point, the new Adidas Nizza Hi Tech. These shoes feature a zippered-up lace cover that lets...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 4 Jul 2010 | 12:50 am Funny Art Furniture - Los Carpinteros Creates Thought-Provoking Installations (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Cuban art collective Los Carpinteros specializes in some pretty funny art installations. The artwork includes everything from roller coaster couches to a filing cabinet with a far-reaching...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 4 Jul 2010 | 12:20 am Oil Means More Arsenic In Seawateroxi writes "Besides the oil already spilling into the Gulf of Mexico at the rate of up to 60,000 barrels daily, a group of British scientists says one can expect to see elevated levels of arsenic as well. The research, published in the journal Water Research, showed that oil prevents naturally-occurring arsenic from being filtered out of the water by the sediment on the ocean floor."
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Source: Slashdot | 4 Jul 2010 | 12:06 am British Banking Shoes - The Converse Jack Purcell Pound is a Super Royal Shoe(TrendHunter.com) The British pound finally makes its footwear debut on the Converse Jack Purcell Pound. This shoe takes a 3D design of the five pound note and puts it all over a Converse Jack Purcell...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 4 Jul 2010 | 12:00 am Hardware, software and services I useMy latest Locus column, "What I Do," is a pretty thorough inventory of the apps, OSes, hardware and services I use on a day to day basis: From time to time, people ask me for an inventory of the tools...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 3 Jul 2010 | 11:38 pm Hardware, software and services I useMy latest Locus column, "What I Do," is a pretty thorough inventory of the apps, OSes, hardware and services I use on a day to day basis:From time to time, people ask me for an inventory of the tools and systems I use to get my work done. As a hard-traveling, working writer, I spend a lot of time tinkering with my tools and systems. At the risk of descending into self-indulgence (every columnist's occasional privilege), I'm going to try to create a brief inventory, along with a wish/to-do list for the next round.What I Do Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 11:38 pm Remarkably frank Lysol douche adThe message in this Lysol douche ad: use it or you will be so utterly repulsive down there that your husband will lose all sexual interest in you and your marriage will fall apart and it will all be your...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 3 Jul 2010 | 11:36 pm Remarkably frank Lysol douche ad The message in this Lysol douche ad: use it or you will be so utterly repulsive down there that your husband will lose all sexual interest in you and your marriage will fall apart and it will all be your disgusting fault. Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 11:36 pm Artistic Raccoon Eyes - The Barlow Fall '10 Lookbook is for the Edgy Tomboy (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The Barlow Fall '10 lookbook screams "Edgy, cool girl, wear me!" Wearable and fashionable, this line will for sure be a staple for hip fashionistas everywhere. Barlow is designed...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 3 Jul 2010 | 11:30 pm ICANN Approves Internationalized Chinese Domain Namesphilalethiac writes "Millions of Chinese language users will soon be able to access the Internet using Chinese script following a decision today by ICANN's Board of Directors to approve a set of Chinese language internationalized domain names."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 9:03 pm Chase iPhone app launches support for mobile deposits (Appolicious)Appolicious - A few months ago, a bank teller at my local Chase (JPM) branch was chastising me for not having the Chase Mobile app on my iPhone. He told me that I’d better download it because an update was in the works to let customers deposit checks into their Chase accounts via a photo. The teller wasn’t pulling my leg; the financial giant just released an update for iPhone that includes mobile deposits.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 3 Jul 2010 | 9:00 pm Tibetans' genes have quickly adapted to high altitude - Los Angeles Times
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:42 pm Is Apple in Antenna Denial? (PC World)PC World - On Friday Apple released a letter admitting the iPhone 4 has problems, but insisted they are due to a signal-strength formula that is "totally wrong" and not caused by the antenna design. Since then the news has saturated tech blogs, Apple support sites and message boards -- and it seems like most people aren't buying Apple's explanation.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 3 Jul 2010 | 6:45 pm World's Tiniest Radiometer To Power Medical ScannerBuzzSkyline writes "University of Texas physicists have built the world's smallest radiometer. The minuscule radiometer is only 2 millimeters across and operates on the same principles as the common light-driven toy, which consists of spinning black and white vanes in a partially evacuated bulb. The researchers attached a mirror to their tiny radiometer and used it to rapidly scan a laser beam. Their hope is that they will be able to incorporate the radiometer into catheters to drive scanners that produce medical images of the interiors of blood vessels and organs. The devices would replace micromotors in conventional catheter-based scanners, eliminating the need to run potentially risky electrical currents into the body."
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Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 6:11 pm Got a spare $35k? Buy a real Tron light cycle
You can customize the bike with whatever color you like (but there’s only 1 of each color being made, so hurry), the wheels are hubless, and you can pick between gas or electric engines. The cool thing is, this isn’t going to be like the Batpod either, where only one man in the entire world can ride it without killing himself, this is a real, functioning motorcycle. Hit up the Ebay auction for all the details, and if you actually buy one please send us pictures.
Source: CrunchGear | 3 Jul 2010 | 5:42 pm World Cup Prediction Failurespdcull writes "We all read on Slashdot about the investment banks using their massive computer power and clever modeling techniques to predict the FIFA World Cup outcome. Now that Goldman Sachs's, UBS's and Danske Bank's favorite, Brazil, has been eliminated, and with JP Morgan's England long gone, the question that begs to be asked is: can we really trust these guys to predict the financial markets any better than they did World Cup?"
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Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 5:07 pm An iPhone Lover’s Take On The iPhone 4
Regular readers will know that recently I’ve liked to state my bias in the title of my mobile device reviews: I love the iPhone. Some will call that being a fanboy, and that’s fine. But really, it’s just my opinion that the iPhone is hands down the best mobile device out there. If there were a better one, I would use it. But there’s not. So I use the iPhone. And that’s the angle I take towards these mobile device reviews. It’s simple: if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Well, one finally has: iPhone 4. Yeah, if you hate these types of reviews, you’re really going to hate this one. Before I dive into specifics, I’ll say right away that the iPhone 4 is easily the best mobile device I’ve ever used (notice I didn’t say phone, more on that later). But a lot of you probably already thought you knew I was going to say that. The more interesting question may be: how does it compare to the other iPhones? Or, perhaps even better: is it worth it to upgrade? The short answer is yes. In my view, iPhone 4 is the biggest leap forward that any iPhone has taken yet over the previous generation. It’s not really any single thing that makes me say that, but it’s the combination of changes to the hardware. The screen is much better. The camera is much better. The video quality is much better. The form factor is much better. The device is faster. It can do more at once (thanks to double the RAM). The battery lasts noticeably longer. And, of course, it has FaceTime. The main upgrade of the iPhone 3G from the original iPhone was the 3G chip which brought faster download speeds. The main upgrade of the iPhone 3GS from the iPhone 3G was the CPU speed increase and the video-taking capability. All of those were nice upgrades. But again, the iPhone 4 offers much more from a hardware perspective. And that makes it worth the upgrade from an older iPhone, as well as worth an outright purchase if you’re new to the platform. I wrote down my initial thoughts about the iPhone 4 after playing with it for about 20 minutes after the WWDC keynote in June. This time, I wanted to play around with the device for an entire week, using it as much as possible before I wrote up a full review. Now I have, so here it is.
The Screen The element most played up by Apple during the WWDC keynote was the iPhone 4′s screen. And rightly so, it’s fairly amazing. The so-called Retina display offers 960×640 pixel resolution at 326 pixels per inch. And it has a great 800:1 contrast ratio. Those specs make it great for both reading text and for watching video content or looking at pictures. The screen is so sharp that when you’re looking at it, it almost looks as if you’re looking at a sticker overlay that they may put on a display unit at an electronics store. It looks more like you’re looking at a printed out picture than an electronic display. But here’s the curious thing about the screen: More than a few people I showed it to thought it looked great, but wondered what was exactly so different from the previous iPhone screen. Part of that is because the previous iPhone screen was already good. But then I showed it to them side-by-side with the iPhone 3GS screen and they were blown away. If Apple really wants to emphasize the screen, I recommend they do the same thing in Apple Store. Of course, then they may have a hard time selling the iPhone 3GS. But when you do put them side-by-side, it’s easy to see just how much sharper text is on the iPhone 4. And just how much better colors appear. If you bring both close to your eye, on the old one you can see the pixels. On the new one, you can’t. Just look at the picture below — I don’t think I have to tell you which is which.
As I said, previous iPhones already had pretty solid displays, but they had since been passed up by the screens on a few Android devices. For example, I love the Nexus One’s screen, which is 800×480. But the iPhone 4 now destroys that. And, as a bonus, you can actually see it in daylight (which the Nexus One’s use of OLED makes very difficult). The Speed The iPhone 4, which uses Apple’s A4 chip just like the iPad, is definitely faster than the iPhone 3GS. However, the most part, it’s not noticeably faster in the same way that the iPhone 3GS was noticeably faster than the iPhone 3G. But it is in some cases, such as photo manipulation. One of my favorite apps is one called CameraBag (you can find it here for $1.99). On the iPhone 3GS, it can take several seconds to apply various filters to pictures in this app. On the iPhone 4, the same tasks take about a second. Likewise, some games are noticeably faster, even those not yet optimized for iOS 4 or iPhone 4. Also, the few lags that previously existed in things like typing are now gone as well. When you’re on WiFi, browsing the web can actually seem like a faster experience than doing so from a desktop computer. This is undoubtedly mostly thanks to the proliferation of iPhone-optimized sites. But still, for getting at raw information, the iPhone is now faster in quite a few cases, I’ve found.
On top of the new chip, another factor in the speed boost is like the 512 MB of RAM now included in the device (double what it was in previous iPhones — and double what is even included in the iPad!). But more than speed, this helps with the iOS 4′s new multitasking capabilities. In the week I’ve been using the iPhone 4 with iOS 4, I haven’t noticed the device having to quit any app I’ve loaded that takes advantage of fast app switching. Of course, that’s sort of the point, you’re not supposed to notice this. But with the iPhone 3GS running iOS 4, I have noticed a few times when an app has to restart when I switch back to it. But the biggest speed difference for the entire device has to be the vast improvements to upload speeds. I like to send pictures I take from my iPhone to Flickr via email. On the iPhone 3GS, this takes a while, as each picture tends to be a little over a megabyte in size. On the iPhone 4, sending these pictures is so much faster — and that’s despite the files being much larger (thanks to the new 5 megapixel camera). This upload boost is thanks to the iPhone 4′s use of High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), a 3G data protocol which can boost upload speeds by as much as 10x. If you do a lot of media uploading from your phone, this alone may make the new iPhone worth it. The Antenna While we’re on the subject of connectivity speeds, there’s no point in beating around the bush any longer — you likely want to know about the antenna issues of the iPhone 4 that have been widely reported. At first, during regular use, I didn’t notice anything abnormal about the device with regard to its connection. Of course, I also live in San Francisco where AT&T offers up shitty connections as standard practice. Then I started reading all the reports and decided to see if I could get the signal to drop myself. Sure enough, I could. I even tried it on a second iPhone 4 in a different area — same result. When wrapping your palm around the lower left corner of the iPhone 4, at least on the two devices I tried, the reception bars definitely start to drop. I also tried making calls and using data while doing this. In both cases I was able to push the connection to failure when I would shove the iPhone into my left palm. Calls would drop and data would stop. When I released from that specific area of the phone, things would start working again. But then I decided to try something out. I did the same thing with the iPhone 3GS — and guess what? Same results. Granted, it is much hard to push the connection to this point of failure on that device, but it can be done (by wrapping your hand around the entire bottom of the phone, where the antenna resides). Interestingly enough though, when I would do this on the iPhone 3GS, the signal would degrade, but the bars wouldn’t fall. Perhaps this is why no one noticed this issue on the iPhone 3GS but they are noticing it now (though other videos show the bars falling on the iPhone 3GS as well).
Yesterday, Apple finally issued an official response to this antenna issue. The basic gist? It’s a software bug. More precisely, they claim that the iPhone software currently incorrectly shows signal strength to be better than it is. A software update is supposedly going to “fix” that. Of course, that’s not really a fix at all for the actual signal, it’s just a fix for being misleading about it in the first place. This seems to go against Apple’s earlier suggestion that you hold the phone a different way or use a case (both of which, of course, imply there is something to the idea that the design of the new device impacting the signal). That said, I spent last weekend in Lake Tahoe which has areas of decidedly better AT&T service than San Francisco. There, I didn’t notice the same falling bar issue, even when I held it in the corner (it would sometimes drop one bar, but not more). Others have noted this as well — when you’re in an area with good service, the bar loss doesn’t seem to be an issue. When you’re in an area with bad service, it is an issue. So more accurate software should at least solve the bars being high enough to drop in the first place. But all that being said, there is still clearly something to this notion that holding the phone in the lower left corner degrades signal quality. My tests show it, dozens of other tests have shown it as well. And Apple even somewhat acknowledges it, saying this is an issue with all cell phones to some degree. Here’s my take on this (and while I’m no expert, this seems to be pretty common sense): Apple’s software update should alleviate some concern about the signal drop by being more accurate in the first place. But the signal drop when holding the phone is very real — again, just as it is on other devices like the iPhone 3GS. The fact that the iPhone 4 is the first phone with the antenna on the outside of the phone, I have to believe must exacerbate this issue. And this combination of software plus hardware issue is why we’re all talking about this for the first time. But at the end of the day, all that matters is this: does the device work? While that’s a more complicated question for me to answer than it should be because I happen to live in an area with notoriously bad AT&T reception, the answer is yes. In regular use (so, not holding the device a certain way to try and get it to fail) the iPhone 4 seems to perform the same with regard to data usage as the iPhone 3GS did. Without all the hubbub over the signal issue, I don’t think I would have noticed a problem (aside from day one when AT&T’s network was clearly getting slammed harder than usual). As for call quality, I think the iPhone 4 is actually a bit better, believe it or not. I’ve been to at least three spots where I couldn’t make a call before, and now I can. This lends some credence to the idea that the iPhone 4 actually has a better antenna than the previous iPhones, despite the fact that it’s now exposed and seemingly more susceptible to signal degradation. I have also tried using the iPhone 4 with the new bumpers Apple sells for the device, and it definitely seems to help the lower left corner issue. It’s too bad these things coast $29.99 a pop. I know Apple’s current stance is not to give these things away, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t start doing it if the software update isn’t as effective as they hope. The Design All this antenna talk is the direct result of something else: design decisions Apple made for the iPhone 4. Ultimately, they may regret the exterior antenna choice, but it’s hard to argue with the overall package. The iPhone 4 is easily the best piece of mobile hardware I’ve ever laid my hands on. In my initial thoughts (again, after playing with the device for about 20 minutes), I noted that the iPhone 4 made the iPhone 3GS feel a bit like a toy in comparison. Well, if the iPhone 3GS feels like a toy, most other smartphones out there feel like toys from the 99 Cent Store compared to iPhone 4. It’s just at a whole different level. I happen to have 10 other recently popular cell phones laying around my apartment (dating back to the Motorola RAZR — the phone I used right before the original iPhone). I decided to pick each up just to see how they feel compared to the iPhone 4. It’s kind of a joke. Some feel okay (the EVO and Nexus One), but nowhere close to the iPhone 4. Some feel pure amateur by comparison (the Palm Pre and the myTouch 3G). And some feel like I’m holding a Zack Morris or Gordon Gekko-style brick (the G1). In fact, the best of the bunch was the original iPhone with its aluminum back, in my opinion.
There has never been an iPhone that feels more solid, looks so symmetrical, and has buttons that feel so right. I’m sure someone will tell me there’s a phone out there that’s crafted at least as well (perhaps in one of the European countries). But I have no doubt that if such a device exists, it’s one that 99.99% of us will never see or use because it probably costs thousands of dollars. That may be the most impressive thing about the iPhone 4 — it’s priced to move at just $199 (or $299 — both after AT&T subsidy, obviously). No other phone in that price range can touch the iPhone 4 in terms of design and build quality. Not by a long shot. That’s actually the other thing that saddens me about the bumper — it just makes the device feel (and look) cheaper. That said, the bumper is very useful when setting your device down flat because it provides some room between the all glass back and whatever surface it’s on. This glass is supposedly extremely strong, but that doesn’t mean sticky substances can’t muck up say, the back camera. The Camera Speaking of the camera, it’s a thing of beauty. Maybe you’ve heard Apple’s marketing talk that “it’s about more than megapixels” — coined because the iPhone 4 has a 5 megapixel camera while rivals like the EVO have an 8 megapixel one. Well, it’s not actually just marketing talk, it’s absolutely true. I have both devices and the iPhone 4′s camera is definitely better the EVO’s. And that’s just in quality — as previously mentioned, the camera software on the EVO seems to be buggy and often has issues saving pictures. I haven’t had an issue once on the iPhone. The EVO also makes it hard to switch between the back and front camera on the device. On the iPhone 4, it’s a one-click process right there on the screen. What most impresses me about the iPhone 4′s camera though is its ability to shoot in low light. In that regard, it reminds me much more of my Canon S90, than any other camera phone I’ve ever used. The iPhone 4 includes an LED flash, and it works fine, but I’m tempted never to use it because this thing is so good in low light. (See: the picturea below taken with the iPhone 4.)
Just as impressive as the still camera is the iPhone 4′s ability to shoot HD video (720p). This matches the EVO and other Android phones in terms of quality and it also brings it up to par with the stand-alone Flip HD cams. The quality of HD videos taken with the iPhone 4 is excellent. There are some stability issues if your taking the video while walking, but standing still, things look amazing (see: below).
FaceTime The other big element of the iPhone 4 Apple is playing up (and, in fact, the only element they’re playing up in commercials right now) is FaceTime. Yes, I know, other phones have done video chat for some time now. But the fact that seemingly everyone is talking about mobile video chatting for the first time with this release says just about all you need to say. As a technological demo, FaceTime is impressive. It really is one-click-and-it-works provided both parties have iPhone 4s are are connected to WiFi. There’s nothing to set up, nothing to configure. You hit the button and it works. As a real world usable technology, FaceTime is profound. It’s one thing to do demos for your friends. It’s another when you make your first real FaceTime call. There you are, somewhere in the world, face-to-face with someone else, someplace else in the world. Once the initial cool factor wears off, it’s like your in the room with them. And Apple is ingenious to play this up in their commercial (below).
But what’s even crazier about FaceTime is that Apple says they will open source the technology — something which Apple doesn’t often do. If third-party developers choose to utilize it, it could be really interesting. Android During Google I/O this past year, Google didn’t beat around the bush: the updates they were making with Android 2.2 were aimed squarely at the iPhone. The problem that Android as a platform faces (with regard to challenging Apple) is that they don’t have the control over the software + hardware mix in the same way that Apple does with the iPhone. Yes, they may have taken charge of the design the Nexus One — and that is still, in my mind, their best phone to date — but they don’t have the type of industrial design expertise that Apple does in-house. And it seems unlikely that they ever will unless they change strategy. Android now brings a lot to the table — plenty of things that the iPhone doesn’t offer such as WiFi hotspot creation, true voice search, and tight Google Voice integration. From a technological and spec sheet perspective, Android is impressive — and it continues to get more so. But from a regular consumer and practical perspective, iPhone remains the device to beat. There are just so many things you can do on the device with such ease that are kind of a pain in the ass on Android. It doesn’t appear that Apple is letting Android phase them — they still focus on quality over quantity. But that doesn’t mean the moves Google is making with Android don’t alter Apple’s selective areas of focus for the iPhone. And I think it’s great that there are two companies playing off each other in that regard. They’re pushing one another to continue to innovate. And that means all of us, as consumers, win. From a hardware perspective, iPhone 4 rises to the challenge brought by many Android devices in the year since the iPhone 3GS launched. And it surpasses those devices. It offers a better screen, better camera, better speed, and better battery life than any Android device. But I have no doubt that much of that will again change in the next year, as Android continues to rapidly iterate. And then iPhone 5 will come out, and we’ll be having this discussion all over again.
Conclusion + One More Thing In conclusion, if you said you were buying a phone today, I would absolutely tell you to get the iPhone 4. Are there antenna issues? Yes, but they don’t adversely affect the overall experience to the point where I wouldn’t buy this phone over all others. And in fact, in normal day-to-day usage they don’t seem to adversely affect the iPhone usage that I’m used to at all (and that’s not so much a statement in favor of Apple as it is a statement against AT&T). That brings me to the caveat. And it’s a big one. Since the initial launch of the iPhone there have been rumors about the device coming to Verizon — but those rumors are now louder than ever. The current ones suggest a January 2011 launch date for such a pairing. If I 100% knew that was the case, there is no way I would recommend anyone to buy the iPhone 4 right now. But, just as was the case last year, I simply don’t know that right now — and I’m not sure anyone besides Apple really does (including both AT&T and Verizon). Basically, buying the iPhone 4 right now is a several hundred dollar bet that it won’t launch on Verizon in 6 months. It’s a gamble. But there is a silver lining if you choose to make the bet. Even if the Verizon iPhone does launch, it should help the iPhone on AT&T, because there will undoubtedly be defectors by the thousands (if not more). Those users switching will ease the strain on AT&T’s network and could actually render it usable at all times again. It really could be a win-win. Speculation aside, the iPhone 4 is the smartphone to beat from this point going forward. It will be fun to watch Android try to answer and see if they can dethrone the king before iPhone 5. Leading up to iPhone 4, Android has kept inching closer, but this latest device from Apple is the biggest leap forward the product line has taken yet. It’s going to be hard to beat.
Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 3 Jul 2010 | 4:45 pm Can "hair of the dog" really alieviate a hangover?I saw that headline in my RSS feed and was immediately intrigued. Sadly, the answer is, "Nobody knows." But it's a sad answer with an interesting reason behind it. Turns out, hangover cures are one of those things that have never gotten much attention from science, according to the Good, Bad and Bogus blog. And, apparently, that's because doctors view hangovers as a complication of excessive drinking, rather than a medical problem in, and of, itself. Treating hangover is controversial because there's already a cure, according to an editorial in Current Drug Abuse Reviews: Don't drink so much. Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 4:20 pm Nuke the oil spill?
Why don't we just detonate a nuclear bomb on the Macondo oil well, and seal the Deepwater Horizon spill that way? I keep hearing this suggestion in comments here and in conversations out in the real world. Frankly, whether it's plausible or not, that tactic isn't ever likely to get an OK. But a few good stories have been written about the nuclear option recently and, for the sake of armchair speculation, there's a couple of facts we should keep in mind: Nuclear bombs have been used to seal leaking wells before, but the situations aren't analogous. Those successful detonations were used on leaking gas wells, located on dry land. If tactics that can stop a surface gas leak could naturally be applied to deepwater oil leaks with a high chance of success ... well, we'd probably have this thing stopped already. The explosion would happen deep under the seabed. Nobody's talking about just detonating a bomb underwater. Instead, the idea is to drill a hole near the broken well and drop a bomb down that. The goal of an explosion isn't to cap the top of the well, but to pinch it off further down.This fact matters, because underground detonations are much less of a threat—from a radioactive fallout perspective.
Consider the source. Who are the most public proponents of nuking the oil spill? Mostly aging engineers from the U.S. and Russia who were part of 1960s efforts to use nuclear bombs in peaceful ways—like blasting through mountains to make highways, and quickly "digging" huge canals. The U.S. scrapped its plans for nuclear-assisted infrastructure development because of concerns over the rather obvious ecological impacts of surface explosions. (I like to imagine scientists waking up in the morning with a horrible hangover, looking at their notes from the night before, and making a bunch of frantically apologetic phone calls.) The Soviet Union, on the other hand, had no such qualms. They nuked their own country peacefully at least 124 times between 1958 and 1989. Almost every instance is described as a success, but, as you might expect, outside sources say that the full truth hasn't really been reported. Reuters: Should BP Nuke Its Leaking Well?
Image courtesy Flickr user Coso Blues, via CC Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 4:08 pm Otters help their elderly (sometimes)
The Human. Nature. blog had a neat story about Giant Peruvian Otters offering help to elderly members of the otter community.
Why does this matter, besides, of course, the obvious cuteness factor? Writer Hannah Holmes says it's an example of animals doing something that was once thought to be a behavior exclusive to humans—namely, caring for individuals who are no longer productive members of the group. Otters take care of their grandmas. At least, you know, 1/4th of the time. Image courtesy Flickr user pierre pouliquin,via CC. Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 4:06 pm The Secrets of the Chaocipher Finally Revealednickpelling2 writes "In 1918, John F. Byrne invented a truly amazing cipher system, called 'The Chaocipher', that fitted inside a small cigar box, could be operated by a ten-year-old, yet produced practically unbreakable ciphertext (arguably even stronger than the Nazi Enigma machine). But now, thanks to the efforts of Chaocipher fan Moshe Rubin and the generous gift of Byrne's cryptographic effects by his daughter-in-law Pat Byrne to the National Cryptologic Museum, the secrets of the Chaocipher are finally starting to be revealed — it's a great story. To accompany Moshe Rubin's excellent textual description of the Chaocipher, I've posted a 30-second animation of the Chaocipher in action to YouTube, just in case anyone wants to see the most devious cipher of the 20th century in action (sort of)."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 4:01 pm US largely ruling out NKorea in 2009 cyberattacks (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 3 Jul 2010 | 3:49 pm Analysts say criminal charges against BP are "inevitable"Whether that leads to actual convictions, who knows. But this Bloomberg article has some interesting analysis on one legal avenue for prosecution that could actually lead to punishment for BP, as a company, and top executives, including Tony Hayward, rather than simply focusing on the employees directly in charge of operations at the Deepwater Horizon site.
Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 3:33 pm US spill panel to hold public meeting July 12-13WASHINGTON, July 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. presidential panel to probe the cause of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and recommend new rules to prevent future disasters will hold its first public...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 3 Jul 2010 | 3:22 pm Spectral Imaging Reveals Jefferson Nixed 'Subjects' for 'Citizens'Jamie points out this excellent piece, well timed for America's Independence Day, that says spectrographic evidence has established that the one word Thomas Jefferson fully blotted out from an early draft of the Declaration of Independence was not "resident," or "patriot," but rather "subject." This, he replaced with "citizen."
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Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 2:59 pm BGR: Apple Is Wrong, That Steve Jobs Email Exchange Was Real
Now BGR has posted a followup story maintaining that the email exchange was real, save for that one misattributed message, and they’re basically calling Apple’s PR team liars. In the post, BGR founder Jonathan Geller details how he had the relevant Email headers analyzed and has looked through Burford’s Google Apps account himself (with permission). And he says that despite what Apple claims, the emails check out. He also mentions that Burford asked for “a nominal fee of a couple hundred dollars” for the emails in question — a fact that doesn’t help his cause, but Geller is confident that they’re real nonetheless:
So why does this matter? Given how much attention has been paid to this story, you’d expect there to be some major news involved. In reality, the email exchange itself wasn’t terribly significant: a frustrated customer was upset, and Jobs responded in his typical measured, succinct fashion. Apple has since issued an official (albeit, not terribly convincing) statement explaining the antenna issue away. What is interesting is the allegation that Apple PR lied on the record to multiple press outlets about the authenticity of the story. It’s not unusual for PR teams — especially Apple’s — to ignore or give vague or even misleading statements to the press. But it would be crossing a line to give a statement that is demonstrably false. We’ve reached out to Apple PR to ask them if they have a response to the new BGR piece. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 3 Jul 2010 | 2:23 pm Better living through green chemistryPetrochemical production makes up as much as a 1/4 of the oil use in some parts of the United States. And, it's fair to say, we're every bit as addicted to plastic as we are to gasoline. But alternatives are on the way. And, if pilot programs are any indication, sustainable versions of these chemicals might be easier and cheaper to make than their petrol-based cousins. Great example: 1,4‐butanediol, or BDO. According to an article on Grist, this compound is used to make everything from skateboard wheels to sneakers. Now, a company in California has successfully pilot-tested a method of making it using engineered microorganisms that consume sugar and water and expire BDO. Finally, poop you do want on your shoes. Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 2:01 pm Android vs. iPhone 4 Signal Strength Bars Comparisonthisisauniqueid writes "In the light of the clamor over the iPhone 4 Grip of Death, AnandTech recently reverse-engineered the signal-strength-to-bars mapping for the iPhone 4. Because Android is open source, we can determine the corresponding mapping for Android in combination with the 3GPP spec referenced in the source, allowing the signal-strength-to-bars mapping for both Android and the iPhone 4 to be plotted on the same axes. This shows that the iPhone 4 consistently reports a higher percentage signal strength (as defined by the fraction of bars lit) than Android GSM devices at the same signal strength."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 1:53 pm Motorola Droid Next to Get Android 2.2 Update. What About Everyone Else? - PC Magazine
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 3 Jul 2010 | 1:40 pm Information On Philips' "Coffee" Machine?RogueWarrior65 writes "In the early 1970s, I was fortunate to discover the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto. For the Gen Y'ers out there who never knew a world without computers, to Gen X'ers, this place was the future. Computer technology was just beginning to be exposed to the world and this museum had the coolest exhibits around, most of which were interactive. One of the exhibits was a machine reminiscent of an old vending machine. On its face was a large circuit board with lights that spelled out the word 'coffee.' There were several dials and a button which when pressed, would cause the machine to speak the word. The knobs adjusted various inflections and tonal qualities of the speech. Feeling nostalgic, I inquired of the museum about this exhibit. Was it still there? If not, was it in storage somewhere and could I purchase it. I was told that the machine was developed by Philips Electronics but the exhibit was no longer in their collection. Then I asked Philips about it and was told that no, they have nothing in the archives, no schematics or parts list. A Google search is came up empty as well. Does anyone have any more information on this gadget?"
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Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 12:50 pm Russians trace Progress docking abort to interference - CNET
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 3 Jul 2010 | 12:47 pm Yackety Sax + Global Thermonuclear WarI'm back in my hometown of Lawrence, Kansas this weekend. At lunch today, a friend pointed me toward this mashup of the Yackety Sax and "The Day After", a cautionary tale about nuclear war with the Soviet Union, filmed in Lawrence and Kansas City in the early 1980s. I'd like to dedicate this post to Leah Shaffer and the Sunflower House Alumni Association. Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 12:42 pm Draft of Declaration of Independence named subjects, not citizens
Hyperspectral images of a draft of the Declaration of Independence reveal that it originally used the word 'subjects' instead of 'citizens' at a critical juncture. After writing "our fellow subjects," author Thomas Jefferson scrubbed it out and replaced it with the familiar alternative.
To the Library of Congress, whose Preservation Research and Testing Division analyzed the document with the latest high-resolution camera equipment, it illustrates an important moment: "when [Jefferson] reconsidered his choice of words and articulated the recognition that the people of the fledgling United States of America were no longer subjects of any nation, but citizens of an emerging democracy."
The Library of Congress often discovers unusual things while examining ancient artifacts. Especially maps and documents, where modern tech sees what the naked eye can't: corrections, changes, and severely faded or damaged elements. 
The correction is in the part of the declaration concerning grievances against King George III. "It had been a spine-tingling moment when I was processing data late at night and realized there was a word underneath citizens," said scientist Fenella France, who revealed the correction at the LoC's labs, in a press release. "Then I began the tough process of extracting the differences between spectrally similar materials to elucidate the lost text." According to the Library, the correction was suspected in the past--similar language exists in state constitutions--but not demonstrable until now.  Photos: Library of Congress. Source: Boing Boing | 3 Jul 2010 | 12:17 pm New 'Twilight' film eclipses box office rivalsLOS ANGELES, July 3 (Reuters) - The latest "Twilight" movie sailed past the $100 million mark during its third day at the North American box office, and was forecast to approach a record-breaking $200...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 3 Jul 2010 | 12:13 pm Many Popular Windows Apps Ignore Security Optionseldavojohn writes "The latest versions of Microsoft Windows have some good security options available — now if only they could get their most popular third-party applications to use them. A report from Secunia takes a look at two such options — DEP and ASLR — and Brian Krebs breaks down who is using them and who is not. A security specialist noted, 'If both DEP and ASLR are correctly deployed, the ease of exploit development decreases significantly. While most Microsoft applications take full advantage of DEP and ASLR, third-party applications have yet to fully adapt to the requirements of the two mechanisms (PDF). If we also consider the increasing number of vulnerabilities discovered in third-party applications, an attacker's choice for targeting a popular third-party application rather than a Microsoft product becomes very understandable.' Among those with neither DEP or ASLR: Apple Quicktime, Foxit Reader, Google Picasa, Java, OpenOffice.org, RealPlayer, and AOL's Winamp. While Flash player can't implement DEP, it does have ASLR. Google Chrome is the only popular third-party application listed with stars across the board." It's worth noting that several apps highlighted in the Secunia research paper have added support for those security options in recent patches, or are in the process of doing so. Examples include Firefox, VLC, and Foxit Reader.
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Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 11:43 am ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc. Continues Employment Initiative Efforts Through Public Service ProgramsSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 3 Jul 2010 | 11:18 am Hillary Clinton helps with Chelsea's wedding plans online (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 3 Jul 2010 | 11:16 am Poor Vision? There's an App For Thatnecro81 writes "Researchers at MIT's Media Lab have developed a smartphone app that allows users to measure how poor their vision is (myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism) and receive a corrective prescription. The user peers through a $2 optical adapter at the screen of a smartphone. The app displays lighted bars, and prompts the user to adjust the display until the bars line up. Repeating this with bars in different locations and orientations allows the vision distortion to be determined to within about 0.4 diopters using a Nexus One. The iPhone 4, with its higher-resolution display, should be able to improve that to 0.28 diopters. This could have broad application in the developing world, where experienced opticians and diagnostic equipment are hard to come by."
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Source: Slashdot | 3 Jul 2010 | 10:35 am Meet the Makers: Q&A with Keith Ahern, CEO of Mogeneration (Appolicious)Appolicious - Location: Sydney and Brisbane, AustraliaSource: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 3 Jul 2010 | 10:30 am FaceTime and Why Apple’s Massive Integration Advantage is Just Beginning
Editor’s note: Guest author Steve Cheney The success of iPhone 4 has been astonishing to witness, despite the antenna issues, proving once again that Apple has a unparalleled ability to differentiate around design and integration, not simply “features.” Perhaps the best example of this so far is FaceTime, Apple’s take on video-calling. FaceTime makes video-calling on the Android-based Sprint HTC EVO look silly, because the EVO awkwardly requires users to sign up and download a third-party app, then launch it every time they want to talk. Normal people simply won’t do this. Apple eliminated this friction by innovating at the confluence of hardware and software—hit one button mid-call and the feature just works. It really is amazing (yes, I am channeling Steve Jobs). But FaceTime is just a teaser of Apple’s deep integration capabilities. Below the surface of hardware / software, Apple is on the cusp of differentiating on a much deeper level, a result of its strategy to vertically integrate at the component level. The advantages of integrating so deeply are subtle but incredibly powerful. Feature Bloat in Components Benefits Apple: I recently discussed why innovation in mobile is happening at an unprecedented pace. One primary driver is incredible component innovation. But this rapid innovation—which is good overall—causes a negative byproduct: “feature bloat.” The HTC EVO, which crams in 4G wireless, epitomizes this best (sorry, but mobile 4G is not ready for primetime, and I firmly believe Apple won’t even include it on next year’s iPhone 5). The temptation for companies to differentiate via features is a virtuous cycle: component vendors (Broadcom, TI, Qualcomm) compete aggressively based on integration levels. Handset OEMs like HTC push vendors to release features prematurely, and they make component decisions based on availability of bleeding edge (but often buggy) technology. This leads to a “kitchen sink” mentality, which conflicts with customer development frameworks, ironically driving a maximum feature set. Pressure from handset OEMs is a driver, but component vendors also tend to use competitive analysis to shape their marketing requirements. Steve Blank made some excellent insights into why this leads to feature bloat. The poor reviews of the HTC EVO are proof that—though alluring—additional features don’t always speak to consumers. Especially when they kill your battery overnight. Apple thinks much differently about adding features. While the HTCs of the world “differentiate” blindly based on available technology, Apple innovates only when it can create a superior, well-integrated user experience. Right now this virtuous cycle of feature bloat is accelerating in system-on-chip (SoC) development for the reasons I outlined above. And Apple is poised to sidestep it by vertically integrating and producing chips which mirror its minimalist product strategy. Supply-Chain Transparency is an Enormous Unspoken Benefit for Apple: Perhaps even more powerful is an unspoken advantage afforded to Apple’s SoC designers: vertical integration gives them explicit knowledge of what’s happening across the entire component ecosystem and value-chain. How? Every component vendor in the world visits Cupertino to share its “secret” roadmap—despite the fact that Apple now competes in SoC development. The dangling carrot of an Apple design win simply outweighs any aversion to sharing. This transparency from other chip makers is extremely powerful, since handset OEMs plan several generations out (e.g. Apple is undoubtedly in concept stages with iPhone 6 and the A6). Apple can learn Broadcom’s chip plans and mull over whether to bring portions of the digital logic related to GPS and WiFi on to the A6. New technologies like NFC for payments—bring in-house or purchase discrete? There are dozens of permutations, each with design challenges, benefits, and risks. By extracting data from suppliers, Apple’s chip team has a feedback loop into product planning. All of this collective wisdom adds up, helping Apple decide what to roll-up, buy, license, or outsource. Imagine seeing your competition’s entire feature roadmap, and then planning your own SoC strategy. It’s like seeing your neighbor’s wife naked, and deciding afterward whether you’re interested, even though you’re already married. Cisco has used a similar vertical integration strategy to its benefit in the enterprise for many years (Broadcom and Marvell pitch Ethernet fabrics despite the fact that Cisco builds its own switch chips). But in mobile, Apple is the only company who owns all three elements of the value-chain—hardware, software and chip components (outside of Samsung). Nokia divested its component division to STMicro, and Ericsson and Motorola spun off theirs as well. As multicore ARM-based chips accelerate, and as software / hardware integration becomes more of a differentiator, Apple engineering teams will out-innovate competitors at the intersection of these three levels (again, antenna issues aside). It’s much more difficult for Google, Motorola, and others to cross-pollinate information from their own independent silos. In tomorrow’s smartphone wars, this transparency into the entire mobile value-chain will give Apple an incredibly powerful advantage. This strategic implication wasn’t lost on Steve Jobs when he made the decision to vertically integrate and compete with the giants in the semiconductor world. Fact is, Apple is a company run by brilliant strategists and user experience designers, not engineers. They know that deep component, hardware, and software integration gives Apple an enduring advantage as mobile platforms evolve. Which is why Apple will undoubtedly produce more devices and features that become huge hits like iPhone 4 and FaceTime. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 3 Jul 2010 | 10:17 am Steve Jobs' iPhone 4 Emails Are Fake, Says Apple - eWeek
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 3 Jul 2010 | 10:09 am Report: HP cutting Palm personnelSection: Business News, Communications, Computers  As with any acquisition, it is almost inevitable that people will lose their job and it usually happens to the company being absorbed. Basically, HP and Palm hire people to do the same job, such as legal personnel, HR, IT, marketing, etc. and there is no need to keep so many people who do the same job on the payroll. As a result, many Palm employees have lost their job as the integration between HP and Palm continues to take place. Yesterday marked the official acquisition and beginning of HP and Palm joining forces. According to All Things Digital, the company hasn’t released any specific numbers but rumors indicate the number of jobs lost are somewhere in the double digits. In this tough economy, job losses are never a good thing and we can only hope those unfortunate individuals will find a new job soon. An optimistic spokesperson for Palm had this to say about the turn of events:
Via [AllThingsD] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 3 Jul 2010 | 9:43 am Spain to cut subsidies to renewable energy producersThe government of Spain, a world leader in the renewable energy, said it has reached agreements with producers to slash subsidies for wind and solar power. The premiums for wind energy...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 3 Jul 2010 | 9:10 am My brush with the good life: Wearing a $77,000 watch
In the literature of watch geekdom we often bump up against watches that cost well into the six figures, some even in the seven. I take a populist stance on the purchase of watches and encourage the intelligent watch collector to purchase what they can afford or, better yet, save up for a nice watch they can wear forever. I also, for the most part, scoff at any watch over, potentially, $20,000. A few weeks ago I went to the JCK show in Las Vegas, a strange trade show for jewelry manufacturers where I learned a few interesting things. There I was given a glimpse at the real underpinnings of the jewelry world and came away with a few insights. First, most jewelry is literally marked up 100 percent. That $5,000 wedding ring? It cost the shop $2,500 or less. That gold ring for $400? It probably cost $50 to make and sold to the jeweler for $150. The second thing I learned is that the difference between expensive and ludicrous can quickly be crossed when when talking about highly engineered, bespoke wristwatches and that, when wearing a $77,000 on the subway, you often concern yourself not only with not scuffing the watch against a metal pole but also with the possibility of being stabbed for the hunk of steel and precious metals on your wrist.
The watch in question was the MB&F Horological Machine 3. It’s a handmade horological novelty with separate minutes and hour hands – in those little domes – and a date window next to the rotor. If you turn it on its side it looks like a little happy frog. The rotor itself is 22K rose gold and therefore worth more than my car. These sorts of watches are owned by the rich and the super-rich alike. One prominent customer works for one of the major firms in the valley while Sultans and Oligarchs are also a target market. Generally, they make only one or two of these watches and they’re rare by dint of their scarcity, their engineering, and their materials. First, we need to answer the question as to what makes this watch, among all other watches, special. The watchmaking world is a stratified place. On the low end you have Swatch and Timex and the like. Prices between $10 and $1,000 usually indicate a lower-end brand using mass-produced movements and assembled by robots. Then you have a dead zone between $1,000 and $8,000 populated by the mid-range purveyors like Omega, Tag Heuer, and the like. These guys sell watches the way computer manufacturers sell PCs – you’re basically always buying the same thing but you get a little value-add (or perceived value-add) to jack up the price. Every watch in this range has exactly the same movement, using an ETA or Valjoux mechanism inside. Then you have the manufacture watches that are ostensibly made by hand from stem to stern. These range in price from $10,000 to about $40,000, depending on complexity and materials. Then you have something like the MB&F HM3. This is essentially a custom piece with a very limited run. Built for very rich collectors, think of this as a piece of artwork you wear on your wrist instead of hanging on your wall. It is, in a sense, condensed wealth and an investment although, in another sense, it is ostentation defined. I had a blast wearing it and you sort of understand the lure of a $77,000 watch when you strap it your wrist. First you can tell the world “Hey, I’m wearing a freaking $77,000 watch” but there’s so much more. For example, it’s an excellent conversation starter (“Did you notice my $77,000 watch?”), a fun way to meet girls (“I’m wearing a $77,000 watch. What’s your name?”) and an excellent way to smuggle drug money out of Panama without carrying cash – you simply convert your cash into a watch and carry it over the border! Watches of this pedigree and price are rare and wonderful things. This watch was designed and made in a way that is absolutely impossible to do on a budget and everything about it, from the crystal to the case, is first rate. Is it absolutely my cup of tea and, were I not a watch journo, would I buy one? Probably not this specific model (I like more complications). However, to quote Ferris, “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.” Needless to say when I shipped this thing back I felt the weight of 77 big ones slip off my shoulders but I did, for a few brief moments, grill my FedEx delivery guy about how quickly and quietly he could get this back on his truck and out of my life.
Source: CrunchGear | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:37 am Intel's Cure for Home Energy Management: Answering MachinesIntel may have come up with a way to solve one of the most pressing problems with home energy management consoles, and the solution harks back to the early '80s.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:35 am HTC HD3 Windows Phone 7 leak is an awesome phoneSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones
If the latest leak is to be believed, the HTC HD3 smartphone running Windows Phone 7, then we have a phone that will be strong competition to the iPhone 4 and any super Android phone. The leak comes by way of a Chinese blog, and fortunately, the picture tells all the details. A common gripe of the HTC EVO 4G and the Motorola Droid X is that the screen is too big for people with average sized hands. Unfortunately, the HD3 touts a 4.5 inch AMOLED display with 1200 x 800 resolution, which make those with abnormally small hands quiver with fear. However, if you like big screens, the HTC HD3 has some more goodies such as a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, 1080p HD video playback, 720p HD video recording, 8MP camera, and 1GB of RAM. Here is the complete list of specs as noted on the picture of the HD3.
After the unfortunate Kin news, Microsoft fans need something to look forward to in Window 7 Phone’s, so let’s hope the HTC HD3 is the real deal and not some mean hoax. Check out some more pictures below. Read [PCOnline] Via [MobilitySite]   Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:33 am iRig Lets You Rock Out On Your iPhone
The AmpliTube iRig combo for the iPhone is kind of like the Rockman except WAY cooler. WAY, WAY, WAY cooler. We first told you about it a couple of weeks ago. I finally got my hands on one and while it’s been reviewed once or twice since that time, I thought I’d give you my view on it anyway since it ships this week – July 6 to be exact.      
Source: TechCrunch | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:21 am What Does Kin's Fate Say for Windows Phone 7? - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:16 am What Does Kin's Fate Say for Windows Phone 7? (PC World)PC World - Microsoft dropped a stunner on the tech world this week by terminating Kin, its social media-centered phone for teenagers.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:16 am Review: I dig the iRig
The AmpliTube iRig combo for the iPhone is kind of like the Rockman except WAY cooler. WAY, WAY, WAY cooler. We first told you about it a couple of weeks ago. I finally got my hands on one and while it’s been reviewed once or twice since that time, I thought I’d give you my view on it anyway since it ships this week – July 6 to be exact.
AmpliTube is the amplifier modeling software that runs on the iPhone. It looks and sounds as good as you could expect for something this small and portable. The interface design is pretty great. Seeing all the stomp-boxes on your iPhone screen, complete with working LEDs and tactile knobs and controls, is a fun and natural way to conceptualize the effects. The tones they produce are pretty realistic too. Heck, just having a guitar tuner on board is a nice feature to note.
The software also lets you transfer songs to the app over wifi from any host computer on that wifi network. Once you transfer a song over, you can play along or set sections to loop. The loop triggering is pretty intuitive and works well. Come to think of it, if I had to sum up the AmpliTube iRig combo in one word, that would be the word I would choose – intuitive. You don’t have to read one instruction manual or download a single PDF to figure out how to use AmpliTube for iPhone. Just plug your guitar or bass in and start fiddling with it. In no time you will have some serious guitar fuzz flowing past your little eardrums. To get a sense of how this thing works and sounds in a real situation, I recorded some of its tones and compiled them into the video below (just skip to the middle, if you want to hear the effects only and not my commentary). Sure, a few of the buttons are a little small, but over all IK Multimedia did a pretty bang-up job with this little setup. The total price of $60ish (iRig plus full version of AmpliTube) may seem a tad steep if you are a casual or infrequent player, but if you are a songwriter or serious guitarist who is tracking little ditties all the time, I’d say this duo is worth the full price just for its small footprint. Rocking out on your back porch was never so easy my friends.
Source: CrunchGear | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:15 am The Macalope Weekly: Au revoir! (Macworld.com)Macworld.com - Itâs goodbye Kin, goodbye porn via Flash, goodbye 3G reception bars, and goodbye Macalope as he heads off for some well-earned vacation!Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 3 Jul 2010 | 8:00 am The REAL first video shot on an iPhone 4As you recall, some guys did a music video entirely on an iPhone. They claimed to be the first. However, these guys claim they are first. Who’s right? Who cares? The music is pretty good and the video is funny. Also, what kind of name is Doctor Pants? And who drinks sarsaparilla anymore? Click through to see a making-of video.
Source: CrunchGear | 3 Jul 2010 | 7:48 am High-Tech Car Lets the Blind DriveResearchers at Virginia Tech and have partnered with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) for an upcoming demonstration of a prototype vehicle equipped with new technology that allows a blind person to independently drive a car.The custom Ford Escape prototype, which uses non-visual interface technology, is scheduled for a public demonstration as part of the pre-race activities at the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 29, 2011. A blind person, who has yet to be selected, will drive the prototype on a course near the famed Daytona International Speedway, and will attempt to simulate a typical driving experience.“Three years ago we accepted the NFB Blind Driver Challenge to develop a vehicle that can be driven by a blind person. The challenge was not the development of an autonomous vehicle that could drive a blind person around, but rather the creation of non-visual interfaces that would allow a blind person to actually make driving decisions,” said Dr. Dennis Hong, Director of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at Virginia Tech.Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the Baltimore-based NFB, praised the development, saying the demonstration would “break down the wall of stereotypes and misconceptions that prevent our full integration into society by showing the public that the blind have the same capacities as everyone else.”“Virginia Tech has accepted our challenge to apply non-visual interfaces to the task of driving, which has always been wrongly considered impossible for blind people,” Dr. Maurer said.The vehicle’s non-visual interfaces use sensors that allow a blind driver to maneuver the car based on information transmitted to the driver about his or her surroundings. These include factors such as whether or not another car or object is nearby, out in front or in an adjacent lane.“We are not trying to build a technology alone. We are trying to build a technology that can be combined with an intellect to do things that neither could do alone,” Dr. Maurer said.Many blind people consider the idea of ever driving a car impossible, but scientists hope the initiative could help challenge such long-held assumptions."We're exploring areas that have previously been regarded as unexplorable," Dr. Maurer told the Associated Press. "We're moving away from the theory that blindness ends the capacity of human beings to make contributions to society."The NFB announced its plans for the vehicle demonstration during a news conference on Friday in Daytona Beach, Florida.Dr. Maurer began thinking about building such a vehicle about ten years ago when he founded the NFB’s research institute."Some people thought I was crazy and they thought, 'Why do you want us to raise money for something that can't be done?' Others thought it was a great idea," he said. "Some people were incredulous. Others thought the idea was incredible."The new vehicle originated, in part, from Virginia Tech's 2007 entry into the DARPA Grand Challenge, a contest funded by the U.S. Department of Defense to develop driverless vehicles.Virginia Tech took third place in the competition, having built a self-driving car that used sensors to detect traffic and avoid hitting other vehicles and objects.On the heels of their success, the team responded to an NFB challenge to help build a car that could be driven by a blind person. The researchers began by conducting a feasibility study using a dune buggy equipped with sensor lasers and cameras that acted as the “eyes” of the vehicle. A vibrating vest directed the driver to accelerate, slow down or turn.Impressed by the results, the NFB urged the team to continue their work, which will be demonstrated next January in Daytona. One of the non-visual interfaces on the new custom Ford Escape is called DriveGrip, which uses gloves with vibrating motors on areas that cover the driver’s knuckles. The vibrations let the driver know when and where to make turns.Another interface, known as AirPix, is a tablet about 4 inches by 5 inches in size with multiple air holes. Compressed air flowing out of the device informs the driver of his or her surroundings, effectively creating a map of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle. It also tells the driver whether another vehicle is in a neighboring lane, or whether there is an obstruction on the road.Dr. Hong, a Virginia Tech mechanical engineering professor who led the research, said the interface technology could not only someday help blind drivers operate a vehicle, but could also help make conventional cars safer.He said the researchers hope to someday turn the new technology into a consumer product. However, "this is not going to be a product until its proven 100 percent safe,” he said.Advocates for the blind say it will likely be a while before the idea of blind drivers is widely accepted, and years of testing will be needed to prove the new technology is safe and effective.The latest prototype is part of a more comprehensive mission to change the way people perceive the blind.Mark Riccobono, executive director of the NFB's Jernigan Institute, said when people see him out with his 3-year-old son, they think his son is guiding him."The idea that a 3-year-old takes care of me stems from what they think about blindness," Riccobono told The Associated Press. "That will change when people see that we can do something that they thought was impossible."Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 3 Jul 2010 | 7:40 am David Livingstone Letter Deciphered After 140 YearsA letter written by famed 19th century explorer David Livingstone, which has been illegible for nearly 140 years, has finally been deciphered, a British university said Friday.The letter was written by the explorer who told of his despair at ever leaving Africa alive. The deciphering of the letter, using state of the art imaging techniques, helped researchers paint a picture of a man traditionally labeled as a bold Victorian hero, revealing the self-doubt that plagued the explorer in one of his darkest hours. “I am terribly knocked up but this is for your own eye only,” wrote Livingstone to his close friend Horace Waller. “Doubtful if I live to see you again.” Livingstone was a national hero when he set out to find the source of the River Nile in 1866, but by the time he composed his four-page letter he was at the lowest point in his professional life, according to Debbie Harrison, researcher at Birkbeck University in London. The explorer was stranded in the village of Bambarre, in present-day Congo, in February of 1871. He was no where near his goal, as most of his expedition either died or deserted him, and he was suffering from the effects of pneumonia, fever, and tropical eating ulcers -- a nasty condition that eats flesh.Livingstone, a crusading abolitionist, also had to seek refuge from Arab slave traders while he waited for help from the outside world. He remained bedridden for weeks on end. He read the Bible several times and even began hallucinating.Supporters of Livingstone were mad with worry as nobody had heard from him in years. As Livingstone recovered, search parties were sent out into the interior to discover his fate. He was eventually found near the eastern shore of the massive Lake Tanganyika by journalist Henry Morton Stanley. Stanley’s memorable quip, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” was immortalized by their encounter.But Livingstone refused to leave Africa. He wished to continue his obsessive quest to find the source of the Nile. Livingstone succumbed to illness in May 1873 at Chitambo, in what is now Zambia.It is not really known how Livingstone’s letter made it out of Africa, although experts believe it may have been carried out by Stanley, who would have taken it back to Waller. The letter disappeared for nearly a century before surfacing again at an auction in 1966.By then, the letter was indecipherable. Out of paper and low on ink, Livingstone took pages from books and newspapers and wrote on them using pigments improvised from the seeds of local berries. A century later, the pigment had nearly faded to the point of invisibility, making it much more difficult to decipher Livingstone’s disorganized handwriting.A team of academics and scientists analyzed the fragile paper and carefully drew out the original text recorded almost a century-and-a-half earlier. The university said the newly revealed letter projects an image at odds with the fearless hero depicted by Waller, who heavily sanitized Livingstone's writings before they were published posthumously.“It's an opportunity to rewrite history,” said Harrison. “It's giving us a new way of looking at Livingstone. He got depressed, he did think he’d failed at times. But he never gave up ... It makes him human.”Harrison said that while Livingstone was “very politically incorrect in his writings and his ramblings,” his friend was “very concerned to maintain that image of Livingstone as a saintly martyr and to suppress anything that might have offended Victorians.” The letter was published Friday and is part of an 18-month project to produce a new edition of the diary Livingstone kept between 1870 and 1871.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 3 Jul 2010 | 7:25 am Swerving Minivan? 50% of Moms admit to texting while drivingSection: Communications, Cellphones, Mobile
“This survey clearly shows that moms are a serious part of the problem. Not only are they putting themselves and their families at risk, they are teaching their children a very deadly habit,” said CEO David Bohan. The survey was conducted in late May on 585 moms over 18, have at least two children at home. Out of those with a texting plan, 49% admitted reading or responding to a message while driving with their kids in the car. Read: [BusinesWire] Image credit: Time Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 3 Jul 2010 | 7:20 am How Giro Made Lance Armstrong's $15,000 Custom HelmetGiro made a 3-D scan of Lance Armstrong's head and then built a custom helmet, optimized not only for his body, but for the conditions he'll likely face in the Tour de France. With exclusive Wired.com video.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 3 Jul 2010 | 7:05 am How Giro Made Lance Armstrong's $15,000 Custom HelmetGiro made a 3-D scan of Lance Armstrong's head and then built a custom helmet, optimized not only for his body, but for the conditions he'll likely face in the Tour de France. With exclusive Wired.com video.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 3 Jul 2010 | 7:05 am Dear Mr. President: Immigration Reform Won’t Be Enough To Stop The Brain Drain
Just last week, there were two notable visitors to Silicon Valley—Russian President, Dimitry Medvedev, and Chile’s minister of Economy, Juan Andres Fontaine. President Medvedev wanted the brilliant Russian-born and -educated programmers who write some of the Valley’s most sophisticated software to know that they are welcome back home and that he is setting up a science park for them. Minister Fontaine wants to turn Chile into a tech hub and is following my advice on how to make this happen: by attracting immigrants; building a diverse culture that encourages risk-taking and openness; and creating networks of mentors. Over drinks (some excellent Chilean wine), the minister told me of a new program that Chile is piloting to lure bootstrappers. Chile will grant $40,000 and provide some really cheap office space and accommodation to budding entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world. All they have to do is to build their products in one of the most beautiful locations on the planet. Chile is betting that once these entrepreneurs get there, they will never want to leave. China is also doing all it can to get its scientists and engineers to come back home. It is spending billions of dollars to establish research institutes and build technical capacity. Returnees to China are now powering its most significant scientific breakthroughs. For example, according to the Washington Post, at the National Institute for Biological Sciences, which is responsible for half of the peer-reviewed publications in China, all of the key scientists are returnees from the United States. I witnessed on my recent trip to India how much things had changed there, as well. At Startup Saturday, which has become a regular hangout for tech entrepreneurs in Delhi, I gave a talk to a group of about 100 company founders. I was surprised at how similar they were to the techies I know in Silicon Valley: they are building the same types of products; have the same interests; ask the same questions; and, like their Valley brethren, complain that venture capitalists won’t give them the time of day. I learned that more than one-third of these entrepreneurs were returnees from the U.S. They went back for the same reasons that my research had highlighted: they missed their family and friends and saw greater opportunities in India than in the U.S. Now they are invigorating the entrepreneurial ecosystem back home.
The U.S. immigration debate will no doubt going be contentious and get bogged down in the issue of providing amnesty to people who entered the country illegally. The reality is that, no matter how long the debate takes or how it concludes, the poor and unskilled will still be here. But the educated and skilled professionals—who could be creating new jobs and making the U.S. more competitive—won’t be here. They will, instead, be boosting the economies of other countries. The U.S. will need not only to change its immigration policies to welcome skilled immigrants, but also to keep those who are already in the U.S. And it will have to do what countries like China, Singapore, and Chile are doing: send its scouts out to find and recruit the best talent in other countries. Editor’s note: Guest writer Vivek Wadhwa is an entrepreneur turned academic. He is a Visiting Scholar at UC-Berkeley, Senior Research Associate at Harvard Law School and Director of Research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University. You can follow him on Twitter at @vwadhwa and find his research at www.wadhwa.com.      
Source: TechCrunch | 3 Jul 2010 | 7:00 am Google to launch Google Music and Android 3.0 together in fall/winterSection: Audio, Portable Audio, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Web, Online Music/Video, Google
It looks like Google Music and Google Android 3.0 will be launching simultaneously sometime in the fall/winter of 2010. Gaurav Jain, Android Product Manager, confirmed this news to Israeli newspaper Calcalist. Apparently music is in integral part of the next Android version and that is the reason the two Google services will be launched together. Jain’s translated statement is:
Aiming to compete with Apple’s music streaming service, Google wants to launch a Music service that centered around streaming. The Apple service will be based off Lala, whom they acquired earlier on. Rumors indicate that Apple plans to release their latest software sometime before the end of the year. According to BGR, Apple’s service includes the following:
Will Google’s new Music service be able to compete with Apple’s product? Only time will tell, but hopefully we will learn more about this as we get closer to the Holiday season. Via [Calcalist] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 3 Jul 2010 | 6:11 am Eli Lilly CEO says open to smaller acquisitions -paper* Buys could be in biotechnology, diagnostics, animal healthSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 3 Jul 2010 | 5:41 am Wait, Me Too! I Am Also Secretly A Deep Cover Russian Spy
They weren’t particularly good spies, apparently. They were directed to gather information on nuclear weapons, American policy toward Iran, C.I.A. leadership, Congressional politics and many other topics. But at least two of them chose to pursue these goals by working at tech startups. But statistics don’t lie. Based on recent espionage data we’ve rigorously gathered (from the NYTimes article), fully 18% of all Russian spies also work at tech startups. Amazing. It seems mathematically improbable to say the least that two of the people accused of being Russian spies are in our relatively small tech community. One is Anna Chapman, who was recently pitching her startup NYCRentals.com to just about anyone who’d listen. The other spy (lol) who is also a tech startup employee is Tracey Foley:
When Foley wasn’t throwing those very loud parties, Foley pursued her spy career by working as a field agent for Seattle-based Redfin, a real estate startup we’ve covered often. Foley’s job consisted of showing people houses for sale when a lead agent was taking a long lunch or something.
But what Kelman is really saying, of course, is “HFS, how cool is it that one of those spies worked for us! Redfin FTW!” I mean it’s not like he now has to worry about thinking up interesting anecdotes at cocktail parties for the next twelve months at least. He’s all set. I just wish someone at TechCrunch – me for instance – was actually secretly a deep cover spy. Blogger by day, but at night I throw on a tuxedo and zip off to North Korea in a stealth jet to kick some serious communist butt. And then get the girl(s) and take off in the rogue nuclear submarine I just stole. My God, the links we’d get once I was finally arrested would be worth millions. And the book and movie deals…priceless. err, sorry, back to my point. Which I do have one I think. And it’s basically this: WTF?      
Source: TechCrunch | 3 Jul 2010 | 2:23 am
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The vessel utilized twin screws and was diesel electric-powered, the agency said. It was about 30 meters (98 feet) long and nearly 3 meters (nine feet) high from the deck plates to the ceiling. It has a periscope and an air-conditioning system.
Earlier this week, Boy Genius Report 
Anybody out there remember the 
According to a new survey from Bohan Advertising that surveyed nearly 600 moms, almost 50% admitted to texting while driving. Most anti-texting programs focus on teens, but clearly moms are a big part of the problem. The news was released today to hpefully affect moms choices while traveling over the holiday weekend.
In a speech at the American University last Thursday, President Obama highlighted the incredible economic rewards that America has gained from its immigrants. He spoke of new waves of immigrants—from places like Ireland, Italy, Poland, and China—challenging the generations before them, and consequently being subjected to “rank discrimination and ugly stereotypes”. Yet the immigrants kept coming to America. That’s because it was the only land of opportunity. The President wants lawmakers to fix the immigration system so that America can remain globally competitive. But I don’t think it’s that simple. America is no longer the only magnet for the world’s best and brightest. Fixing immigration policy is an important start, but it won’t be enough to stop 
The returning techies aren’t only building tech companies. After completing his MBA at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Ritesh Bawri built a very promising product that could capture a customer’s real-time purchase intent. He had VCs lined up to provide funding but decided not to pursue this because he saw an even greater opportunity back home, in India. Among his father’s business interests was a cement business that produced $10 million a year in revenue. Ritesh knew that, with India’s need for infrastructure, there was almost unlimited potential for growth. But this would require rethinking production and distribution methods, importing new technologies from the west, and building the logistics infrastructure to consolidate the materials supply chain. Ritesh returned home in 2003 and raised about $110 million in financing from financial institutions and private equity funds to purchase assets and build plants, and revamped the cement business’s operations and strategy. His bet paid off. His company, 
Some of India’s best and brightest won’t even consider moving to the U.S. Ashish Sinha started his career in 1999 at one of the first successful tech companies in India, called Aztec software. Later, he worked for Ketera, IBM, and Yahoo, in India. He was offered several opportunities in the U.S., but believed his career would progress better in India. In 2007, Ashish started India’s TechCrunch—a site called 
“On Monday, federal prosecutors accused 11 people of being part of a Russian espionage ring, living under false names and deep cover in a patient scheme to penetrate what one coded message called American “policy making circles.””
Redfin CEO 
