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Technology News on Saturday, November 22, 2008MSI Unleashes Second Wind Netbook
The second version of the popular MSI Wind netbook is due to hit U.S. stores for the holiday season. The specifications are as follows:
Not much has changed from the previous model. The main difference is that the standard configuration ships with 160GB (as opposed to 80GB in the older Wind), and there's an option to add a 3.5G modem. Other than that, MSI slightly altered the appearance of the netbook: The older Wind was all white or all black with rounded corners; the new one has straight edges and is all white with black accents. The company hasn't announced an official price yet, but a spokesman said the Wind U120 will be "significantly under $600." The current U100 model is selling for roughly $400, and I think we can expect to see a similar price tag. There isn't an official release date, either, but MSI said the netbook will hit stores sometime mid-December. See Also:
Photo: MSI 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 10:58 pm Guitar Hero Robot Plays Videogame With Electronic Precision
Guitar Hero kicking your butt after one too many beers? Maybe it's time to automate your gameplay — with a robot guitar god, the Cythbot. The Cythbot combines a camera with a vision processing system and pneumatic fingers to create a robot that can play the popular Guitar Hero videogame by itself. The Cythbot is not a humanoid robot but instead a collection of components cleverly patched together to create an automated device that can read the notes flowing on a screen and play them — mimicking what a gamer would do with the game. Since its launch in 2005, video game publisher Activision's Guitar Hero series has become a blockbuster hit. The game comes with a guitar-shaped peripheral that players have to strum in sync to the notes flowing on a screen. Players are judged based on the accuracy with which they hit the notes. The Cythbot does the same. Here's how Cyth Systems set up the robot: First, a camera from Pixelink looks at a screen to analyze the notes that are flowing in. It is also hooked up to a compact vision processing system, which is hooked up to a box called the Configurable Signal Conditioning Enclosure (CA-1000) from National Instruments. The CA-1000 is capable of digital signal processing and can increase the level of the input signal up to 24 volts. The stepped-up signal is used to operate the pneumatics for the guitar. The pneumatic fingers hover over the Guitar Hero peripheral, which is housed in an aluminum box frame. The guitar peripheral has also been modified to include a Wiimote inside it. Two large displays connected to the system show the notes flowing through the screen from the game and indicates which ones are being hit. Cyth Systems relied on the light intensity of the pixels, rather than the color of the five basic notes, to guide the device's pneumatic fingers. "If that light intensity value exceeds a predetermined threshold we know we need to hold down that key and actuate the strum bar after a predetermined delay," explains Ivan Gagne, systems engineer with Cyth Systems in this video, "while the note travels down the screen to the bottom play line." The idea was to demonstrate Cyth Systems' expertise in integrating different systems, says Andy Long, senior director for the company. So far the Cythbot, which can play both in solo and compete mode, has been able to hit pretty high levels of accuracy of up to 98 percent, says Long, though typically it is in the 75 percent to the 80 percent range. "The reason we can't get to 100 percent is that the pneumatics are not fast enough on certain notes," says Long. Compare that to one of the best Guitar Hero players in the world, who has a 97 percent accuracy level. That makes the Cythbot the Deep Blue of Guitar Hero — the ultimate system to beat. Deep Blue, a supercomputer from IBM, played the memorable 1997 chess match against then-world champion Garry Kasparov. The Cythbot robotic system is on a world tour of its own. It's a big attraction at many industry conferences focused on robotics and systems engineering and made its latest appearance earlier this week at the Robo developers conference in Santa Clara, California. Here's a video of the Cythbot playing Guitar Hero 3:
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:58 pm Multi-Cam Video Feed Almost Steals Kevin Rose's Master Password for Digg
The video distribution and storage network BitGravity is launching a net-based UI today that allows fans of the popular tech show Diggnation to choose from five different, simultaneous video feeds. But in the process of setting up the system, a little problem came up that could have blown up in the face of the growing company. According to BitGravity CTO Barrett Lyon, one of the cameras they'd set up was placed above co-host (and Digg founder) Kevin Rose and ended up recording his administrative passwords for the Digg website. When they realized their mistake, the BitGravity crew immediately removed the overhead camera and pared down the number of cameras to five. To us, this is another example about why it's hard for content providers to determine how much they should share with their audience and how much access the user should expect in return for their business (even if it's free). We think they should have left the camera up there for just a few seconds and then see what would have happened in Digg. Chaos, infiltration, and mass hysteria? What's wrong about that? Well, plenty. But in this case, more access to video is definitely better. BitGravity's multi-camera interface uses five coexisting video streams that viewers can pick between, while other angles stream below. Lyon told us that the key component of the feed is the API application that is built into the CDN and structured on top of their live video streaming software. The API-CDN combo allows their consumers (in this case, Diggnation's parent company Revision3) to search within video streams using time codes, allowing the video to smoothly stay in sync with the continuous audio of the participants. The first multi-cam Diggnation broadcast is pre-recorded, but Lyon said his company is capable of pushing out the video in real-time.
Using a Canon HP30 camera, he synchronized the feed with GPS and placed the camera on the roof of his car, but the resulting video came out less than stellar. The lenses of the camera vibrated and, as we saw in an early preview, the quality of the video was very fuzzy and even dark. So they'll probably work on that before using it, but in our first try, the change between feeds was pretty smooth. One potential problem with the extra feeds is that some viewers may not have the top high-speed connections to handle them. Also, a few more camera angles doesn't mean they'll deliver better content than the extra information available on HD feeds on TV, or even other techy/cultural shows. But the team at BitGravity thinks this shouldn't be much of a problem. Lyon has his eyes set on a larger prize: "We're having fun with this Multi-view for now, but if the UFC calls, or if the NFL calls, and they want to incorporate this system, we'd love to explore that." We'd check that out, but only if they put a camera on top of the coaches' head. Can you imagine the freakout?
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:45 pm Nerdy Instrument Creates Crazy Noise in a Beaker
Product Page [Bleep Labs] See Also:
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:29 pm Nokia's Point and Find Phone Interface Moves Closer to Reality
For months Nokia has been working on Point & Find, a new technology that allows users to simply point their camera phones at a banner and get more information on their device. Now the company says it is ready to launch the service "very soon." Nokia says it will make Point & Find available as a public beta starting with a movie service. The service will allow users to point their cellphone cameras at a movie poster and get information about the movie on their phone such as show times and trailers. It will also include the ability to book tickets. "There is a lot of physical media out there--billboards, posters, restaurant menus, building--they could turn into a doorway for more information," says Philipp Schloter,general manager for the Point & Find program. "This makes the connection between the digital and the physical world." It's also part of the company's quest to find ways for people to do more with their cellphones going beyond the traditional keypad interface, says Nokia. Point & Find works by comparing the image in the viewfinder with a set of image properties in a database and the user's location. The technology came out of Nokia's 2007 acquisition of a company called Pixto. Nokia is looking to partner with companies to extend the idea. For users it means they could walk down the street and point their camera at a restaurant banner and get the menu on the phone or buy with a point and click through their phone. "Companies can define where a picture will go and what it is about," says Schloter, "and that content can reach users easily." The technology could be a step ahead of 2D-barcodes or QR codes that are popular in Japan because it is more intuitive and capitalizes on the ubiquity of camera phones and Nokia's position as one of the market leaders. Point & Find will initially be available only to Nokia phones but it will ultimately be extended to all camera phones with basic GPS capability, says the company. See a demo of Nokia's Point and Find technology Also see: Future Phones to Read Your Voice, Gestures Photo: Nokia N95 (stevegarfield/Flickr)
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:15 pm Gadget Lab Video: A Samsung SLR and the BlackBerry BoldThe Samsung DX20 is a new digital SLR from ... wait, Samsung? Actually, this camera is a collaboration between Samsung and Pentax, and it accepts Pentax lenses -- so if you've got a lot of those, it's definitely worth taking a look at. Unfortunately it had some problems with dynamic range and image stabilization, keeping us from recommending it solidly. Danny Dumas and Jon Snyder review the phone in the first half of this week's video podcast. After that, Danny and Bryan Gardiner tackle the BlackBerry Bold -- the best traditionally-styled BlackBerry to come down the pike in a long while. It's not the long-awaited BlackBerry Storm, but if you're a RIM fan and don't mind using AT&T as your carrier, it's worth a look. This week's video podcast was produced by Annaliza Savage and edited by Fernando Cardoso, with camera work by John Ross. It's a little bit over 7 minutes long.
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:10 pm New MacBooks Take Big Performance Hit With Battery Removed
Apple's new MacBooks are mighty speedy, but they suffer from a huge performance drop if you remove the battery and use the AC adapter as the sole source of power. Gearlog's Zach Honig discovered that the MacBook sees a 37-percent drop in speed when running without a battery. Honig benchmarked a 2.53 GHz MacBook Pro using a multiprocessor test called Cinebench R10. With the battery present, the MacBook Pro turned in a score of 5,549. Without the battery, it scored 3,504. While this may appear to be a minor issue -- since most people keep their batteries in their MacBook -- Honig pointed out that some like to remove their batteries and run off the AC in an effort to extend the battery's life cycle. Also, eventually all batteries reach the end of their life cycles, and if you're running the MacBook off the AC, you'll see a significant plunge in speed. Apple acknowledges the issue at its support site. The reasons?
Makes sense. But a 37-percent drop seems an awful lot, doesn't it? Personally I don't mind much: I run my MacBook Pro with the battery normally, and I'll just buy a new battery when the time comes. That big number is the interesting part here. Apple Notebooks Take Huge Performance Hit Without Battery [GearLog] Photo: William Hook/Flickr
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 8:41 pm Mini WiiMote Shines Mario Kart In Your Face
Those keychain flashlights and laser pointers are more annoying than they are useful. But at least Nintendo's Wiimote projector would look kind of cool when your friends shine it in your eye. Resembling a Wiimote controller, the keychain measures 2.25 inches long, and it beams an image of Super Mario Kart characters on the wall. Imported from Japan, the keychains are available at ThinkGeek for $6. Product Page [ThinkGeek via Technabob] Photo: ThinkGeek
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 8:13 pm Roundup: What We Know About iPhone 2.2
As we already reported, the major new features are the addition of remote podcast downloading as well as enhancements to Google Maps. Other than that, a few fixes here and there, such as reducing the number of dropped calls, so Apple claims. Here's the less obvious stuff included in the update:
We'll continue to update this story throughout the day with more discoveries. Did we miss anything? Feel free to point it out in the comments below.
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 6:35 pm iPhone 2.2 Launches, Adds Podcast Downloader and Street View
Apple late Thursday night released a major software update for its iPhone operating system, introducing features such as remote podcast downloading and Google Street View.
Apple also made major changes to the Google Maps app, which is now capable of displaying Google Street View, a mode that provides a 360-degree view of thousands of locations taken with cameras mounted on Google's cars. Also new to the Maps app are the abilities to look up walking and public transit directions, view addresses of dropped pins and share location via e-mail. In addition to new functions, iPhone 2.2 decreases dropped calls and set-up failures, according to Apple. Other fixes include better sound quality for voicemail, improved Safari performance and enhancements to the Mail application. Thursday's release validates a few rumors and leaked screenshots floating around about the update a few weeks ago. And no, there isn't yet copy and paste. Updated Friday, 11 a.m. PDT: Check out our round-up of everything we know about iPhone 2.2, which includes features unmentioned by Apple.
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 21 Nov 2008 | 7:00 am The Naked VC: Tim Draper Unveils His Investing Secrets for Astia [BoomTown]
Last night, I was the master of ceremonies, as I have been for several years, at the laudable annual Astia Awards Dinner, which celebrated venture capital firms who support women-led companies. And VC Tim Draper really went above and beyond in showing–quite literally–his support for his female entrepreneurs. The San Francisco-based non-profit does work to accelerate funding and growth of early-stage women-led businesses in life sciences, high technology and clean technology, with chapters in Silicon Valley, London and New York. The NVCA member firms honored at the show, which is sponsored by Deloitte and Fenwick & West, by Astia for making the most investments in companies with a woman CEO were Draper Fisher Jurvetson, InterWest Partners, Prolog Ventures and Redpoint Ventures. In addition, Allan Will, founding managing director of Split Rock Partners, received the Deloitte Leadership in Mentoring Award for encouraging female CEOs in technology-based fields. Other award winners this year included: Anu Acharya, founder and CEO of Ocimum Biosolutions, who got the Life Science Innovator Award; Diane Greene, founder of VMware, who was awarded the Technology Innovator Award; and Pam Marrone, founder and CEO of Marrone Organic Innovations, who received the Clean Tech Innovator Award. But it was Draper who stole the show, held at the de Young Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. He could not attend, but made his presence known by doing a video in which Draper sings very badly, but with incredible enthusiasm. But before he starts crooning, Draper takes off an article of clothing for every woman-led company he funded. Let’s just say, while he should be proud of his investments in women CEOs, it would have gotten very dicey if DFJ had done just one more. But see for yourself–or, more correctly, see a lot of Tim Draper, in this video: Source: All Things Digital | 22 Nov 2008 | 3:27 am Storm Chasers: Long Lines at Some Verizon Stores for RIM’s Much-Discussed New Touchscreen BlackBerry [Voices]By Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron’s, Tech Trader Daily The debut today of the Research In Motion (RIMM) BlackBerry Storm, the company’s first touchscreen phone, has drawn long lines at some Verizon Wireless stores, according to Reuters and other news reports. At some stores, people lined up by the “hundreds.” Reuters notes that more than 200 people had waited at a Verizon store in midtown Manhattan early Friday, but that many were turned away after it ran out of phones less than an hour after it opened at 9 a.m.; according the report, “angry customers caused a ruckus and police came to restore order.” Source: All Things Digital | 22 Nov 2008 | 12:02 am Walt Discusses the BlackBerry Storm on Fox Business [Mossblog]On Fox Business News today, Walt discusses how the new BlackBerry Storm phone measures up to the Apple iPhone and the Google G1. Source: All Things Digital | 21 Nov 2008 | 10:11 pm Huffington Post Raising More Money for Post-Election Run? [MediaMemo]
I’ll update if I get any more info, or any kind of response from founder Arianna Huffington or her people. A source “close to the company” informs Silicon Alley Insider that the reports are “stupid and false” and “wrong across the board”; Huffpo cofounder Ken Lerer is an investor in SAI (see lengthy disclosure below). That said, the size of the round and the valuation both sound plausible. And they reflect the rocket ride the site has been on for the past year or so (someone who should know better allowed the New York Times to float a $200 million estimate earlier this year, but no one takes that seriously). ComScore pegged the site’s traffic at 4.5 million unique visitors in September 2008, up from 800,000 the year before. Meanwhile the DrudgeReport, the site’s conservative counterpart/model, was at two million. Both sites will claim their traffic is much higher, because that’s what every Web publisher says when confronted with outside numbers (this one included). But by any count, it has gotten very big very quickly. The big question is whether Huffpo can sustain even a fraction of that growth rate in the aftermath of the election (and sell ads, too, though that’s another matter). Huffpo’s standard answer to that question is that that only 50 percent of its traffic comes from political stories. And indeed, there is plenty of real estate dedicated to topics like Lindsay Lohan’s love troubles, and those of Madonna, as well. And here’s a page called “Sex.” Guess what it’s about? But there are lots of sites that can tell you about those topics–and indeed, Huffpo is primarily in the business of aggregating that stuff in an eye-catching way, not creating original content. And while the Huffpo people are absolute wizards at optimizing the site for search engines, and maniacally focused about tweaking the site in real time for optimal click-throughs, it really will be hard to sustain growth without political fervor. If you had to bet on political Web sites that will grow for the next four years, you’d be better off placing a wager on sites that cater to conservatives/Republicans/etc. for the same reason that nonprofits of that ilk will raise more money during the same time–anger and frustration are great animators. Recall that conservative talk radio really exploded once Bill Clinton took office–and yes, this augurs well for Fox News, owned by News Corp. (NWS), which owns this Web site. (And while we’re at it, I most recently worked at Silicon Alley Insider, which has a loose distribution relationship with HuffPo. Phew.) One hopeful note: New politics/stats/forecasting site 538.com, using an admittedly crude measurement, says both HuffPo and Drudge have been able to keep their post-election audiences. Source: All Things Digital | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:44 pm Cisco: Job Listings Drop 93 Percent in a Week [Voices]By Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron’s, Tech Trader Daily Cisco (CSCO) is apparently following through on its plan to reduce hiring. Aaron Rakers, an analyst at Wachovia Capital Markets, does a weekly check on job listings for the companies he covers, and this week came across a “startling reduction in listings” by Cisco. In a research note this morning, he points out that the total number of listings has dropped 93 percent in the last week, from 1,830 openings a week ago to only 128 today. He notes that there were 2,678 jobs listed at the beginning of October. Listings for jobs in the U.S. and Canada fell to 52, from 675 a week ago. European listings dropped to 28, from 311. Asia/Pacific jobs fell to nine, from 162. Emerging markets openings fell to 36, from 643. Source: All Things Digital | 21 Nov 2008 | 7:10 pm Buffett: Unemployment Going Past 8 Percent [MediaMemo]
FBN is describing the chat as an “exclusive,” which is true in the sense that it is the only one running an interview with Buffett at 4 p.m. Eastern today–he tends to be fairly visible these days. Still, there’s some good stuff here, and not all of it is depressing. Excerpts follow: On Unemployment: “There are going to be more people unemployed…but I’m not worried about how we come out in the end. I mean, I’m not worried about five years from now. Five months from now, can be very painful…it will be considerably higher…. It will happen eventually [surpassing 8%], and we will go on to new heights, but it will not turn around by mid-year next year.” On Berkshire Hathaway’s Stock Plummeting: “No, it doesn’t make any difference. I mean, if you don’t own it on margin, you own a business…. I look to the business to determine my results. I’ll say it’s happened to me three other times in my life, too. It happened when it went from 90 to 40 back in 1974, and it happened in 1987. It went down 50 percent in 1998 to 2000. I mean, I hope I live long enough so it happens a couple more times to me.” On the Auto Bailouts: “I would drive a deal like I would drive myself if I were buying a business. And I think, I would say there’s plan A or plan B. And if you don’t want to do it this way, you know, then…take bankruptcy. “I would make the CEOs buy in. I would say, you know, the United States government is willing to put in X dollars, but we’re going to have you put in a certain percentage of your net worth right along with us. We’ll give you more upside, but you’re going to lose if we lose.” On the Future of Goldman Sachs: “Their businesses are all tough now, but they’re going to get around it…. This time, the institutions got very, very leveraged, and when the whole world tries to be leveraged at one time, I mean, there is a lot of pain that goes around. But you know, the Goldman’s of the world, they’re going to be around. Some of them needed, I mean, not Goldman specifically, but some of them needed the help of the TARP.” On the President’s Role in the Bailouts: “I think really only the president can do that effectively. I think it’s very difficult for the Congress, where you’ve got 535 people where each–you know, one guy has a plan for Chrysler and somebody else has another–and I think that–and you have to have somebody who can deliver, who can say, if you do these things, we will come up with a solution. But if you don’t have a business solution, they’ll just be putting money in every year for the–you know, as long as the federal government’s around.” On Being the Next Treasury Secretary: “Well, I haven’t been asked. And I won’t be asked. But the answer is I wouldn’t give up my job. I’m glad to help in any way I can, but I would not do it. “So I think, you know, we’ll know in a few days, perhaps, who the Treasury secretary will be. And we’ll go from there.” On President-Elect Barack Obama: “I think that Barack–I think that Hillary would have made a good president too, and I think Barack will make a terrific president. I think he’s the right person for this time…you need a strong, decisive, smart leader, who can communicate very well with the American people at a time like this. They need somebody they believe in, and I think that he has the qualities that are right for this time.” On Selling Investments: “…I do sell stocks. Not very often…if we’re going to put the money in the Goldman Sachs preferred or the General Electric preferred, the Mars-Wrigley deal, to some extent, if we have the money around we’ll use the money that is in cash. But I like to keep a lot of money around, so I will sell some things if I need to sell them in order to buy something else…. We don’t sell businesses, though. Businesses we own we keep.” On His Next Investment Pick: Not right now. But that could change tomorrow. Both GE and Goldman Sachs happened on a phone call I got in the morning and I said yes. It was–that’s that, something like that. On Henry Paulson: “I think it’s a very, very tough situation. There are no silver bullets here. It’s not like some one idea or three ideas that’s all of a sudden going to turn around the economy and the markets. We are in a negative feedback cycle. It’s going to last for a while. I don’t know how long it’s going to last…. And I don’t think I could have done a better job, and I don’t think most of the congressmen could do a better job…. I think that putting the capital in the various financial institutions, probably you’ll get more mileage out of that dollar spent than in the mortgage repurchase program.” Source: All Things Digital | 21 Nov 2008 | 5:33 pm Half a Billion in Online Donations? Yes, We Can [Digital Daily]
The Washington Post reports that some three million donors made a total of 6.5 million online donations to the campaign. The average online donation was $80, and the average donor gave more than once. “You looked at the money being raised online in the same way that you looked at the crowds who came to the rallies,” Joe Rospars, the director of Obama’s new media department, told the Post. “You were constantly surprised at the number of people who were coming out to see him, [and when it came to online donations] people exceeded our expectations as to what they were willing to do.” Astonishing. Seems a comprehensive online presence–one that spans microblogs, social networks and video sites–really does have its benefits, when it comes to political campaigns…important ones, anyway. Source: All Things Digital | 21 Nov 2008 | 4:31 pm OMG New GNR on MySpace! Oh…Nevermind [MediaMemo]
That appears to be the conclusion that visitors to GNR’s MySpace page, where the album is being streamed in its entirety, have reached. Lots of people are showing up at the page, which encourages them to preorder the album, which goes on sale exclusively at Best Buy (BBY) on Tuesday. But few of them are sticking around to actually listen to the whole thing. Glenn Peoples at Coolfer has actually plotted out the song-by-song streaming results. The numbers in Glenn’s chart, below, are a day or so old at this point, but they’re directionally accurate: Only about 20 percent of the visitors to the page are sticking around to hear the whole album.
What to make of that? Probably an Occam’s Razor answer: People check out the page out of curiosity, hear the first few songs (the title track plays automatically when you load the page), and decide they stink. More charitable answer: Web music fans in 2008 just don’t listen to entire albums, period. Glenn makes a nod toward this by noting that people who have checked out the MySpace page for the new Paul McCartney album also flit away after a track or two. Perhaps News Corp.’s (NWS) social network just isn’t the place to stream more than a couple songs. (News Corp. is the owner of Dow Jones and this Web site.) But I’m going with the first explanation: These may be Guns N’ Roses songs, but they’re not good Guns N’ Roses songs. Remember those? Here’s one, from way, way back in 1991, which as I recall was the tail end of the band’s heyday. Would you like a professional reviewer’s take on the new album. No problem: Chuck Klosterman takes a crack at it in The Onion. And while we’re addressing all things Axl, a question for MediaMemo readers: Does anyone remember “White Trash Wins Lotto,” the excellent GNR-meets-Gilbert & Sullivan production from about a decade ago? I can still remember the songs, but can’t find them anywhere. Any help, either in comments or via email, much appreciated: peter@allthingsd.com. Source: All Things Digital | 21 Nov 2008 | 4:08 pm iPhone Cut-and-Paste Apparently Withheld Out of Spite [Digital Daily]
Notably absent from this latest firmware update: landscape SMS, MMS support and, of course, cut-and-paste–whose continued absence Apple (AAPL) apparently views as a feature. Source: All Things Digital | 21 Nov 2008 | 2:03 pm Need Any More Proof Why Microsoft Wants to Back Up the Money Truck to Verizon Wireless? [BoomTown]
Here is an amazing chart from a story in The Wall Street Journal recently about mobile phone search preferences, which says a whole lot about why Microsoft (MSFT) is so eager to hand a pile of money over to Verizon Wireless (VZ) to become the default search on its many devices. Well, as in the PC market and on social-networking sites, because of–wait for it–Google (GOOG), of course. According to another Journal story recently: “Under the terms now being considered, Microsoft would share revenue with Verizon from ads shown in response to cellphone Web searches, with guaranteed payments to the carrier of approximately $550 million to $650 million over five years, or roughly twice what Google offered, these people said.” Why so much of a premium, especially since the widgetization of smartphones makes it easier for all players to compete? The chart tells the tale:
Please see this disclosure related to me and Google. Source: All Things Digital | 21 Nov 2008 | 1:30 pm Peek email-only handset is Wired's gadget of 2008
Peek, the thin email-only handset with a full keyboard, is Wired's gadget of 2008. From Peek's Amol Sarva: Wired Magazine has had a huge impact on me over the years; I remember the first issue I ever saw. I remember dreaming of doing something that might merit them writing about it. I liked it a lot, too: see us buff it good. Real good. If you don't have a BlackBerry, or otherwise don't want a smartphone with an expensive contract, its super. There are just two serious issues: (1) deleting email is slow, making busy or spam-infested account management a pain, and (2) it does not have IMAP. But it does have instant messaging, thanks to a recent firmware upgrade. 
The story isn't up yet at wired.com, it seems: you'll have to catch it on the stands, the old-fashioned way! Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 22 Nov 2008 | 4:14 am Behold the Meat Cannon of PhiladelphiaHow fitting that on a day where Joel looked up "irrumatio" in the dictionary, we get a pitch for "The Hot Dog launcher, possibly the greatest gadget ever." After years of R&D, not to mention hundreds of packs of premium grade hotdogs, Hatfield has perfected a meat cannon that can propel a warm, juicy dog from the infield to the nosebleed section - in the blink of an eye. There's more on the launcher at grillthegoodness.com. Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 10:04 pm An MP3 player in the shape of a nut Attention: Nextar has developed an mp3 player contrived to resemble a peanut. It comes in five colors, costs $20 for a 1GB model or $30 for 2GB, and is to be found at Staples and Kmart.
I can think of a few things it resembles more than a peanut. MA588 [Nextar] Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:56 pm Coupon sharer wins lawsuitJohn Stottlemire of Mountain View, Calif., discovered that by simply by cutting out part of the codes entered into Coupons Inc's software, one could generate extra printable coupons. When he told people about this product flaw, the firm sued him, under the absurd premise that he had circumvented digital copyright protections in their software. The silliness of the claim is such that without even hiring a lawyer, he forced it to drop its case. "I defended myself in federal court against a company who solicited the services of two separate law firms," Stottlemire said. "And in my opinion, I kicked their ass." As the case was dropped, the question remains as to whether or not changing a URL or other code, to find or generate "unauthorized" results, amounts to circumvention of a digital lock. Coupon Hacker Defeats DMCA Suit [Wired: Threat Level] Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 8:22 pm Rotato Express, an automatic vegetable peeler
Potato Express is a delicate-looking kitchen gadget that, given a vegetable to embrace, strips it of its skin. Rotato Express automatically peels potatoes, fruits and other vegetables in seconds. Puts an end to thick peels and waste. Simply skewer potato on bottom spike and lower the top spike. Then, push the button to start peeling - automatically stops when complete. Skin peels off in one continuous piece. Ultra safe design with no need to hold or touch while peeling It's cheap, too, at $30. But it's also sold out. Boing Boing Gadgets is solicitiing suggestions for unusual things to attempt to peel with it. ROTATO EXPRESS [Taylor Gifts via RGS] Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 8:01 pm Bulldog clip iPhone stand
Instructions are available at instructables for Rich Sipe's cleverly minimalist iPhone stand, but you shoud figure it out for yourself. It's a puzzle! How To: iPhone Binder Clip Stand [Cult of Mac] Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 7:47 pm Leaf keychain contains secret speaker
I'd want Bird Electron's gorgeous leather leaf keychain even if it didn't have an inbuilt speaker. Product Page [Bird Electron via Akihabara News] Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 7:33 pm A splash of paint for Dell's netbook
Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 just went to the art gallery and came home with a new paint job courtesy of Tristan Eaton. As the first big shop to do this, Dell seeks to underscore its transformation into a PC design haus: Sony, for example, doesn't even have a Netbook out, yet. Tristan Eaton designed his first toy -- for Fisher-Price -- at age18, and has since become a driving force in the world of “designer toys.” He was the head designer for the influential Kidrobot brand and designed some of its most influential “art toys,” including Dunny and Munny. He currently is the President and Creative Director of Thunderdog Studios, a New York-based designer toy brand and creative agency. Eaton joins Mike Ming, Joseph Amedokpo, Bruce Mau and Siobhan Gunning as contemporary artists reinterpreting the PC for a new generation. How long until print-on-demand laptops? Someone make it happen! Or something in green. Dell Adds Eye Candy to Inspiron Mini Mix with Cherry Red, Pretty Pink and Tristan Eaton Designs [Dell via Crunchgear] Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 4:48 pm My Racer, a Korean handheld gaming console
One of these days, we'll do a colossal roundup of budget gaming consoles like Korea's MPGIO My Racer, which has a 320x240 pixel display and plays Adobe Flash lite files. It comes with a subway map, MP3 player and personal info basics. It's 90,000 Won, about $70. Something like this, able to play real Flash without sputtering, would have a lot of potential in the U.S. if served by a solid application store and sold at a similarly throwaway price. MYRACER [Aving] Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 4:24 pm iPod cigarette case fits Marlboros, cloves, magic jay bones alike
A fantastically carcinogenic use for an old iPod: turn it into a cigarette case. This is a lot cooler if you smoke [Tulip Society] Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 4:17 pm Michael Moore on Bailout of US Auto MakersMichael Moore was a recent guest on Larry King talking about the auto bailout. Moore's terrific documentary, "Roger & Me," targeted the auto companies in 1989 while they closed plants and laid off workers. Moore tells Larry King that in the movie when the GM representative said that 30,000 people could be laid off in Flint, he thought it was a joke. Years later, it came true. Moore says he's conflicted, as many of us are, about what to do. He doesn't have any confidence in the leaders of this industry.Moore doesn't want to see the loss of more jobs in the US auto industry. He also doesn't trust the current management teams that got them into this mess. Hard to argue against either position.
I don't know if I can go so far as Moore to believe that the government could do a better job running these companies. However, it's clear that this manufacturing capacity could be a great asset if applied to an overhaul of the US transportation system.
Embedded video from CNN Video
I liked Michael Moore as the bumbling everyman in Roger & Me and I've liked his movies less and less as they've become strident setups. I was happy to see Moore in this interview get back to something like his old self. It's somehow personal again.
Since this interview, the CEOs of the Big Three had a humbling day on Capitol Hill, unable to defend their use of separate corporate jets to bring them to the hearing and more importantly, unable to articulate what they would do with the money they're asking for. They've supposedly gone back to Detroit to work on a proposal and muster the courage to go back to Washington in December.
Source: Boing Boing | 22 Nov 2008 | 1:59 am Obama might get rid of daylight saving timePresident-elect Obama wants to get rid of daylight saving time in the United States to conserve energy.Turns out, according to two academics on the NYT Op-Ed page, there is little scientific proof that this reduces energy consumption. It also turns out that this practice could be wasteful, a bit annoying, and a lot of people, including Obama, want to get rid of it.I hate DST. It throws me and my kids out of whack for a couple of days. I hope Obama gets rid of it. too.
Obama Looks to Axe Daylight Time Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 10:30 pm Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan MP3s
Aquarium Drunkard posted MP3s of the terrific recordings that two of my favorite songwriters, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, made together during three 1969 sessions. Several tracks were are even quadraphonic mixes. The Dylan/Cash Sessions (Thanks, Mark!) Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:58 pm Article about backyard chicken owners
LoHud.com has an article about the pleasure of keeping chickens in your back yard. I agree with the people interviewed in the piece -- I bought my chickens (above, click for big) for eggs and fertilizer, but it turns out their primary benefit is amusing me and my family. I love spending time with them. Chicken owners liken it to having their very own widescreen TV in the backyard, with an always-looping Chicken Channel. Chickens are curious and very involved in their surroundings, following humans and dogs and cats around the yard and seeking attention, even a backrub.Backyard chickens find new popularity in suburbia Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:56 pm Shepard Fairey poster at Women In Games Intl. auction
Tomorrow is the Women In Games International's celebrity auction where you can big on such items as Shepard Fairey's Civilization Revolution posters signed by strategy game pioneer Sid Meier. Brandon has the details over at Boing Boing Offworld."WIGI shows off celebrity auction wares" Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:51 pm Turkey head salt and pepper shakers
Guy Michael Davis made these turkey head salt and pepper shakers. The seasonings come out their nostrils. His former studiomate, Katie Parker, told me that "all (the molds for) his animals come from either 'freshly dead' specimens or from freeze-dried taxidermy." They're $65 dollars on Etsy. Turkey Salt and Pepper Shaker Set Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:45 pm iPod as cigarette case
Someone has converted an old iPod into a cigarette case. "This is a lot cooler if you smoke" (Offworld.com, where you can comment too!) Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:27 pm Glue Society's surreal installations and films
Australian artists/pranksters/makers The Glue Society create surreal installations and performance pieces in the great outdoors. For example, they've built a chair rainbow on the frozen tundra, transformed a beach into a sunning paradise for sex dolls, and transformed Google Earth imagery into biblical scenes. Hi-Fructose's site features a selection of The Glue Factory's work, including videos. "What's New With The Glue Society" Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 8:57 pm Jim Woodring originals at Comic Art Collective
(JIVAS, by Jim Woodring, $1,200.00, 13" x 9.5"; watercolor and gouache on Fabriano Artistico paper; 2008.)
Artist Jim Woodring has a few pieces left for sale online at the Comic Art Collective.
Jim Woodring art Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 8:56 pm New Report: CIA lied about missionary plane shot down over Peru
The CIA Inspector General John Helgerson just issued a damning report that says the CIA lied about and covered up its involvement in a drug interception program with the Peruvian Airport. In 2001 the Peruvian Air Force used information the CIA gave them to shoot down a small plane loaded with US missionaries, causing the death of Veronica Bowers and her infant daughter Charity.
My prediction: no senior-level member of the CIA will be fired, punished, or imprisoned because of this. For one thing, they're untouchable. For another, the CIA needs all the people they have to run their own drug operations. New Report: CIA lied about missionary plane shot down over Peru Source: Boing Boing | 21 Nov 2008 | 8:50 pm 'Guitar Hero' Robot Takes on VideogamersA robotic system using vision recognition and pneumatic fingers can play the blockbuster Guitar Hero game with accuracy going up to 98 percent.Source: Wired: Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 9:58 pm Roundup: What We Know About iPhone 2.2As is often the case with Apple updates, iPhone 2.2 contains a bunch of hidden Easter eggs. We've compiled a list of everything we know about the update.Source: Wired: Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 6:35 pm iPhone 2.2: Podcast Downloader and Street ViewApple late Thursday night released a major software update for its iPhone operating system, introducing features such as remote podcast downloading and Google Street View. Remote podcast downloading enables users to download audio and video podcasts onto their iPhones with the iTunes app over a wireless connection.Source: Wired: Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 7:00 am Pentax Optio W60: Rugged, Waterproof Aqua-Shooter Performs on Land, TooSubmariners and landlubbers will love this easy-to-handle, waterproof Pentax. The 10-megapixel cam is built for abuse, is good in the water down to 13 feet and has a wide-angle zoom lens.Source: Wired: Gadgets | 21 Nov 2008 | 5:00 am Larry Lessig Defends Copyright, Loves Charlie Rose RemixesThis guest post is written by Matt Rutherford, Web Strategist and technology producer for Charlie Rose. Matt focuses on the macro themes affecting the internet and the wider world.
In particular, Lessig speaks out against the abolitionist movement growing against copyright:
A reform of copyright is clearly overdue. We require a new form of regulation that takes into account the ease and speed of digital distribution and appropriation. Every week, books cross my desk clamoring for this change - some of which are certainly worth reading. And as Lessig explains on the show, it’s counterproductive to continue to criminalize kids for |
Half a billion dollars. That’s what Barack Obama raised online in his 21-month campaign for the presidency. Astonishing, considering total donations for the president-elect’s campaign were around $660 million. 
Apple rolled out 
In an intimate interview with Charlie Rose on PBS tonight, and available