tech - hawg
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
  Cylindrical web browsing

Browse the internet on your favorite cynlinder.
The device connects to the Internet and fetches Flash, image and text files based on certain time-varying constraints as well as users' keyword search queries. It then shows the fetched information on the cylinder display and reads relevant text information with a synthesized voice.
 
  Japan airs ads promoting use of...ads?
Worried that digital video recorders are sucking away their precious ad-showing-time, tv stations in Japan are airing commercials reminding the Japanese public the importance of commercials themselves. So let me get this straight, let's make more ads no one will watch to hopefully get them to watch more ads? Brilliant!
 
  Chinese companies hawk copycat digital audio players
Ticking off LG, Samsung and iRiver (and probably any other digital auido player makers), imitation digital audio players from Chinese companies are beginning to flood the Korean market place. Cheapskates rejoice everywhere.
 
  The Hummer laptop for those who need to overcompensate (ie. not me ;)

This Hummer branded VR-1 (based on the GoBook VR-1 semi-rugged computer from Itronix) comes with a Centrino Pentium M chip, an 80GB hard drive and 512MB amongst other goodies. 512MB isn't Hummer-hardcore! More like, Jeep-level. 6-8GB of RAM would be more like it but I guess this'll do.
 
  Verizon's music service gets delayed
Originally schedlued to debut late this year (in time for the holidays), Verizon has pushed back their cell phone music download service into early next year.
 
  BBC hops into the 21st century
The BBC plans to let users to download BBC tv and radio shows for up to a week after they had orignally aired. They hope to have their "MyBBCPlayer" ready by 2006.
 
  Google goes old school
Testing their marketing clout, Google buys up some magazine ad space to resell to their advertisers.
 
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
  Cell phones don't increase tumor risk...maybe
Researchers have finally conluded that cell phone use over a ten year period does NOT increae your chances of getting a tumor in your neck/head but it might if you use your cell phone like, a lot. Is that the "conclusive" results? Cell phones don't cause cancer, unless they do? Is someone intentionally hiding something here *cough*NokiaSonyEricssonNexteletc..*cough*. Sorry, choked on some bs there for a minute.
 
  Microsoft integrates tougher DRM into Vista
Microsoft is going to be putting some roadblocks in Vista to keep hackers (and thus, regular users and rightful owners) from access certain aspects of the operating system. Hollywood cheers, Microsoft cheers and consumers take it in the rear.

For the first time, the Windows operating system will wall off some audio and video processes almost completely from users and outside programmers, in hopes of making them harder for hackers to reach. The company is establishing digital security checks that could even shut off a computer's connections to some monitors or televisions if antipiracy procedures that stop high-quality video copying aren't in place.
 
  Intrigued by the Mac Mini? Give one a test drive

Apple is offering a 30 day trial period to aspiring Mac Mini owners. Buy from their online store, give it a shot for 30 days and if you don't like it (like, really don't like it and aren't just going to return it for the money...right!?!) they will take the Mini back and give you a full refund. Must be all that iPod money.
 
  MSN buys VoIP company from, where else? San Fransico
MSN has acquired, for an undisclosed amount of course (money is naughty), San Fran based VoIPers Teleco hoping to add more communication type services to their list of products they offer the public. This is good for them and all but it's the price of poker they have to pay to keep up with Yahoo and Google.

MSN’s instant messenger offering already has voice chat, which allows people to talk from one computer to another. A VoIP offering would be an improvement because it would allow consumers to make cheap calls to landlines and cell phones through their computers.
 
  Laptop Sleeves for the hip
For the progressive fashion types come the Rebe Laptop Sleeves. Not so much for protecting your laptop (weak padding) as for the "does it match my shoes" set.
 
  Fingerprint door lock

Keep the bad in and the good out (wait a tic...that's not right) with this biometric fingerprint doorlock. For the affordable-for-everyone price of $699, this lock enables you to lock and unlock your door with the touch of your finger. I'm a lot less likely to lose my finger than my house keys so I rejoice.
 
  Racial bias in AP pictures, black people loot, white people "find"?

Some interesting Associated Press pictures have been popping up. The images of black people looting were described as so while the pictures of white people were described as either them "finding" these store items or them "looking through their shopping bag" implicating some a bias of sorts to depict the darked toned people as comitting crimes and the white people, not so much.
 
  More SonyEricsson Herminoe pics

Are these pics real? Seems like it since SonyEricsson has their mobile panties in a bunch and is allegedly forcing sites to take the pics down. We're probably way under their radar so enjoy these fine (somewhat) SontEricsson Herminoe pics...while we have them :)
 
  The incoming IT aid to combat Hurricane Katrina damage
NetworkWorld has a story up on the technology and infrastructure systems the Red Cross will be bringing to the Louisiana (and neighborhing) area to help them provide aid to the Hurricane Katrina victims.
 
  GM bulding car that practically drives itself
The public probably won't see anything for a few years (supposedly to go into production in 2008?) but General Motors is testing a car that has advanced crusie control features that use the break and accerlation pedals to keep the car a certain distance from all objects.
The car has automatic cruise control of the sort fitted to many expensive cars such as Jaguars and BMWs. These use either radar or infrared beams fitted to the front of the car to measure the distance to the car in front. That distance is kept constant by automatic acceleration and braking.

But conventional automatic cruise control fails at speeds of less than 30kph (20mph). To circumvent this problem, the new car uses lidar—short for “light detection and ranging”—a measuring technology similar to radar but which uses laser beams rather than radio waves to measure distance and determine the speed of other vehicles. As light waves have shorter wavelengths than radio waves, the technology works at shorter distances and lower speeds. Indeed, the prototype has a distance-keeping system that will brake to a standstill, and move off again when the car in front moves.
 
  re: Hurricane Katrina: How you can help
Blogger Stavi Kramer posts a "what we can do to help" entry on her blog, calling any and everyone to action. I don't think anyone expected Katrina to do this much damage but it has and people need help.
 
  The Sony Vaio R media goliath

The Sony Type R is built for multimedia phreaks. You can even burn SACDs with it fer crying out loud. The Sony Type R comes with 1GB of RAM, a 256MB GeForce 6600, a tv tuner and 329GB of space.
 
  popgadget gets a redesign

Popgadget does the woman thing and gets an extreme makeover. I dig the new diggs.
 
  Baby monitors for the technically inclined

The Swann's Wireless Baby Monitor comes witha wireless camera, an LCD monitor and a microphone. Just in case the young'un decides to speak his first words.
 
  Cingular to sell an iTunes phone
Looks like Cingular has reached an agreement with Apple to sell music thru iTunes on a Mototrola cell phone. We'll see soon enough since Cingular is expected to have the phone out in time for the holidays.
 
  Thin clients are so hot right now
Mircrosoft blogger, the Scobelizer (Robert Scoble), disses on the think client a few popular bloggers disagree. The thick client will not last (not even for the 10+ years Scoble thinks WinFS will add to the thick client life span) because having to install software on your machine can be a pain and a user will almost always go for the thin client if they can get the same functionality. I got a fever and the only medicine is more thin clients!
 
  Creative ships the Zen with a virus
Creative has shipped approimately 3,700 Creative Zen Neons with the W32.Wullik.B@mm worm. They release a press release to help the poor suckers who may buy one. Meanwhile, Apple takes a break from minting money with their iPod to laugh profusely.
 
Monday, August 29, 2005
  WinFS beta is out now...
We I said soon, I meant like in-the-next-10-minutes-soon. WinFS beta bits are up and it will be available on windows XP. Go Microsoft.
 
  Comeback of WinFS?
Is there still a chance that Microsoft's next generation file system, WinFS, will make it into Longhorn? Possibly so says Mary Jo Foley. Her contacts have told her that the beta is being finished up and could be making the rounds, at least internally, very soon.
 
  Working covertly at Apple
Ron Avitzur had to keep sneaking into Apple to finish his graphing calculator that is still included on all Mac sold even today.
I used to be a contractor for Apple, working on a secret project. Unfortunately, the computer we were building never saw the light of day. The project was so plagued by politics and ego that when the engineers requested technical oversight, our manager hired a psychologist instead. In August 1993, the project was canceled. A year of my work evaporated, my contract ended, and I was unemployed.
 
I was frustrated by all the wasted effort, so I decided to uncancel my small part of the project. I had been paid to do a job, and I wanted to finish it. My electronic badge still opened Apple's doors, so I just kept showing up.
 
 
 

 
 
Saturday, August 27, 2005
  Has Google peaked as a comapny?
I doubt it but Robert Cringely seems to think so.

But what if everyone is mainly wrong? What if search and PageRank and AdSense are Google's corporate apex. Most companies would be content with that, but Google isn't supposed to be like most companies. But what if they are? I hear a lot of talk about Google doing deals for video and music distribution, but where are those deals? So far it is all just talk.


He then also goes on to say that Apple is Microsoft's biggest threat.

Here's where I go out on a limb, but I think Microsoft's clearest threat still comes from Apple, though not the way most people expect. Yes, Apple is about to take Microsoft to the woodshed when it comes to Internet movie distribution. Yes, Apple already super-dominates the music player market where Microsoft doesn't even really exist. But the real jewel is one Microsoft has to lose, not gain -- the PC platform, itself.



in other news




More web 2.0 ajax goodnes coming next month from Microsoft? Start guessing.

A blogger gets sued over what is in one of his post's comments. Ouch.

Adobe (John Nack from Adobe more specifically) wants all of the "killing" to stop.

Californian pleads guilty to attempting to defraud ebay car buyers but taking their money but never delivering the cars.
 
Friday, August 26, 2005
  Angry iPodders win case against Apple
If you are an owner of a first, second or third generation iPod, you may be able to get a replacement battery or a $25 or $50 cash/credit from Apple. Losing this case and having to redeem and/or shell out replacement batteries and cash could cost Apple up to $15 million dollars.
 
  Download books at your local library
Libraries are beginning to offer audio downloads of some of their book via their websites. You download and listen to the book for a few weeks until the file "comes due" and the encryption kicks it, rendering it unplayable.
 
Thursday, August 25, 2005
  Jason Calacanis to Google haters...quit yer b!tchin
Seems to be a lot of Google hating going on these days (don't hate the playa, playa hata, hate the game!). With how big they've become, people are calling them the next Mircosoft and claiming that Google is making it harder for everyone else. Whatever. Found of the weblogs inc network, Jason Calacanis, comes out swinging in favor of Google. He basically tells everyone to get over their hangups. If you find yourself blaiming Google for your entrepreneurial troubles, maybe you should just give up and work for THE MAN for the rest of your life...

We’re Gladiators in this business. Real entrepreneurs fear NOTHING. If we get thrown in the ring with 12 opponents who are twice our size we don’t look at it as sure defeat—we look at it as the opportunity to show the world how quickly we can overcome odds other people see as insurmountable.


In tech-ish news..

You need to check out the latest Superman video diary. It's the shizz and a bag of fizz. You'll see some of the acutal footage they showed at ComicCon and even hear Superman himself speak. Geekgasmic...

Hollywood goes after more P2P-ers, this time filing 286 suits against people they've tracked down from log files obtained from companies shut-down earlier in the year.

IS VoIP provider Vonage planning an IPO?

The Nokia 6682 gets reviewed and basically it's great and all but not use-it-all-the time-as-your-main-phone great.

Motorola plans to put child-tracking mobile phones so you can see if your child really is doing homework with a friend or doing "home work" with "a friend".

Bloomberg says the Nokia CEO should think about selling Nokia since they aren't as hot as they used to be.

Protect your and yours from "harmful microwave radiation" spewing out of that reactor in your backyard with the ElectroSmog detector.

Backed by their $70 million bank account, Amp'd mobile wants to sell techie-mided 18-34 yr olds a mobile device that will do it all. You'd think with $70 mil they'd be able to put up a decent site? Guess not. That is unless they're covertly doing business as "the weather classroom". Snekay guys.

I fyou like your flash USB devices to come in the form of cute little figurines (and you like badly designed flash websites), you'll dig mimoco.
 
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
  Sony to beef up cellphone comics in Japan
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc is going to be making 300+ mobile phone manga comics available over the next year. Which is (right now at least) more than double the amount of their competitors. These comics won't be your regular read-flip page-read comics, they'll have a layer of interactivity,
 
The manga frames are specially formatted to fit on tiny mobile phone screens. Pop-up frames and vibration during action scenes add to the drama. Cell-phone comics with preprogrammed sound effects are also coming soon, said Toppan Publishing spokesman Katsunori Onishi.
 
  Google's turn to be the bad guys
Looks like people's perception of Google is starting to change . You mean that as a company that has started out small and then blew up big with their IPO has changed in some way? No...not my Google. They're so innocent...innocent like a fox!
 
  Google's not first with the sidebar
Microsoft might have beat Google to the punch with their own sidebar available to MSN premium users. It doesn't look as kewl and I couldn't find much information on plug-ins but it seems like Google is playing speedy catch up, making sure they have better versions of products that their competitors have out or plan on releasing. Could a Google operating system be far behind?
 
  Integrate Skype into your website
Skype has recently released two new intitatives, SkypeNet and the SkypeNet API. SkypeNet lets you show your Skype availability on your website or in your html e-mail. The SkypeNet API gives developes access to Skype's IM and presence systems so there could theoretically be an application that will integrate AOL IM, Google IM, Yahoo IM, MSN IM and Skype. That'd be kewl.
 
  Toshiba and Sony fail to reach resolution to DVD format issues
Talks between Sony and Toshiba in regards to the their difference in new DVD formats (Sony is all about the Blu-ray while Toshiba is pro HD DVD) have broken down and Toshiba has no plans on restarting them. So look forward to having to choose between devices that support one or the other for the next few years or at least until the public decides who the winner will be and who will go the way of Betamax.
 
  Goodbye Palm, hello HP
Om Malik reviewed Hewlett Packard's Mobile Messenger HW 6500 and basically calls it the new smartphone king.

 

I am planning to use this devices as a constant companion for on-the-go email, instant messaging, and other tasks that forced me to carry laptop around. A few RSS reader suggestions have come my way, and once I settle on one, it would be a good way to stay on top of news. I am still looking for a blogging client, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find one. With 1.3 megapixel camera built into the device, which makes it a nifty way to take photos for moblogging. I have already installed an IM client and find it easier to respond to IM messages with the keyboard, than with a phone.

 

 
  Phonepurr makes vibrations
Send your friends, good vibrations via SMS with the free Phonepurr. It's officially supposed to help you relax and relieve stress. I'm thinking it can relieve a whole lot more than just stress...zing!
 
  Google's IM service foreshadowing Skype buyout?
That's what tribeworks seems to think at least. Google did just recently announce they're are planning to sell $.2 billion worth of stock which gives them a huge stockpile of cash to work with and Skype did just turn down a $3 billion offer from <s>tech wunderkids</s> News Corp. The logic is, Skype would give google a major advantage in the VOIP game as well as provide them with a potentially large ad-based revenue stream.  
 
  Get your own house guarding robot
Sold by Takashimaya (for $2,600) and built by Tmsuk Co. Ltd. (both Japanese companies) comes the Roborior. The robo house guard can protect your house while integrating seamlessly into your stylish home decor. If you home decor works with will some greys and round shapes that is. The Roborior also watches your home,
virtual guard dog that can sense break-ins using infrared sensors, notify homeowners by calling their cellular phones, and send the owner's cell phone videos from its digital camera.
 
  Old school style'd Crosley Traveler Turntable
For all the djs with a retro funk sense of style comes the Crosley Traveler which lets you play up to six records sequentially. Can't be a skinny dj though, this sucker weighs in at 18 lbs.
 
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
  Sunblades for the too cool for sun glasses crowd...

For the so-gip-it-hurts crowd. These sunblades will make you too cool to even look at yourself. They're perfect for keeping the sun from hitting your eyes at a certain angle, and that angle only...
 
  The Sony Ericsson Hermione

It actually does exist! The world catches a glmipse of the long rumor'd 3G UTMS, 2 megapixel camera having Sony Ericsson Hermione thanks to the fine folks at mobilemag.ch.
 
  Google talk is available...now!

Google just can't stop. Google Talk is already live. You can chat and call your friends apparently from anywhere in the world. Jam.
 
  Google's instant messaging software a reality?
Google continues their attack against your desktop. Looks like "Google Talk" might be coming as soon as this week. Sounds like might integrate well with their just re-launched "Google Desktop" search software. We'll keep you posted.
 
  Us Government pays $18 million for a PDA
Not just any PDA though. General Dynamics has been contracted by the NSA (National Security Agency) to design and develop a PDA that even good ole James Bond would be fond of. The PDA is supposed to be very secure, providing secure voice and data communications and access to the government secure network. I'm sure it'll be able to self detonate and all that good spy-type stuff too.
 
Monday, August 22, 2005
  Mac mini gets mini clone HD

Mac enthusiaists "Princeton Technology"(why wouldn't they be to create something like this?) have created an external hard drive specifically for the Mac Mini. Dubbed the PHD-MM, the models in the series come in 160GB ir 250GB sizes and connect via USB2 or firewire. That's right, USB2 for all you Mac mini haters out there. Don't let the Mac bubble look fool you. This external hard drive goes both ways, it works on Mac and PCs.
 
Thursday, August 18, 2005
  Yahoo's music service to stay at $4.99 for now
Yahoo is going to keep their digtial music subscription service at $4.99 to hopefully convince massive amounts of people to switch from their $10-$15.00 Napster and Rhapsody-like services. Looks like they plan marketing it more aggresively in hopes that their service becomes the digital music standard.
 
  Add bounce to your ounce with a Mickey Mouse cell phone

Heck, I would use it. The shiny, masculine one and not the pink girly one of course. Too bad these official Mickey Mouse cell phones are only available in Hong Kong. Why can't we get any Disney love? I would flip out for a tigger phone.
 
  Yahoo is about to launch new VoIP service
Yahoo is set to lauch their anti-Skype VoIP product within the next two weeks. Even though Skype has 30 million users, they don't have the brand recognition or visibility of Yahoo and that should make it easier for Yahoo to compete.
 
  Rumors fly about Nokia's N91 getting iTunes
A Finnish news daily reports that Nokia is planning on using iTunes to power their music goodness on their N91 series music phones. The cell phones are scheduled to ship in the fourth quarter. Nokia later comes out and denies the whole shebang but alludes to the possiblity of using iTunes later on: <blockquote> 

"There is no commercial agreement between Nokia and Apple to integrate iTunes into the N-series devices," said Kari Tuutti, spokesman for Nokia's multimedia division. "But since this is based on a computer platform, anybody -- including Apple if they so wish -- can very easily develop this kind of application and offer it to consumers, via the Internet for example."

</blcokquote>
 
  DHTML inventor writes about AJAX
One of the inventors of DHTML, Scott Isaacs, wrote two articles on AJAX and some issues he and his team at MSN came across and how they resolved them. The articles are Why AJAX is so 1999 pt.1 and (are you ready?) Why AJAX is so 1999 pt. 2.
 
  Family Guy blog
Being probably the only tv show I still try to watch, and still only catch one or two shows every few weeks since I'm so friggin busy, I came across the Family Guy blog and thought it was worthy of a mention on the keeper of all blogs cool and important that is tech-hawg.
 
  Scobelizer vists Google
Microsoft blogger robert scoble pays a visit to Google to chat about their Blogger plugin for Word . He apparently had a good time but due to the NDA he signed he can't go into specifics. 
 
  Abobe joins the blogsphere
Adobe has now officially opened their blog. I'm a bit surprised that they hadn't jumped into the supisiously warm pool of blogging earlier but hey, get in where you fit in.
 
  Google snatches up Android
Google quietly buys mobile software makers Android, co-founded by Andy Rubin. Rubin has a bit of history in the mobile space. He started mobile device maker Danger Inc but relinquished his CEO title shortly after launching the company. Nobody really knows exactly what Android was up to but the team is smart so they should integrate very nicely into Google's plans for mobile domination.
 
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
  Toshiba releases perpendicular storage hard drives first
Toshiba let rip (i.e. has begun to ship) their new 40 gigaytes in 1.8 inches hard drives before everyone else ( spare SDK perhaps?). Expect to see the new slim drives in an upgraded  version of your digital audio player of choice pretty soon.
 
  Japan Quake causes radioactive water spillage
Even though no one was near and the radioactive water didn't leak outside of the compound, I couldn't help but think that the radioactive water birthed Godzilla and he will begin to wreck havoc any minute now...
 
  Steve Wynn chats up his Wynn hotel
Steve Wynn chats up his $2.7 billion Vegas hotel, the Wynn hotel, to the team at Wired and boasts that his hotel is THE most complex structure ever built . How can he make that claim? Well, he stuffed his hotel with a plethora of technial goodies and prowess. Get this, the Wynn hotel is the first hotel in the Vegas hotel industry to combine the room key and the casino frequent-player card in the same piece of plastic. Well I'll be...Wynn is right!
 
  Xbox 360 pricing and launch models confirmed!
Check out the details on game-hawg.
 
  More details on iBook-gate
More details are coming out about the iBook stampede that resulted in damaged children strollers, frightened old people and all around craziness. You can catch video of the 6-8 security guards they had working the door and some short interviews here. Turns out that the 4 yr old laptops didn't seem all that worth it to some due to all the carnage it caused but hey, a $1,000 laptop for $50? I bet that most of the people will just sell them and get something they really want.
 
  Sprint Nextel to launch music service
Sprint Nextel (how about Sprintel?) is set to launch an iTunes like music service to run on their mobile phones . They figure that peolpe are already paying $2 a pop for ringtones, why wouldn't they want the whole enchilada for the same (or maybe a little higher) price? Customers that memory card slots or Bluetooth enabled phones will also be able to load up the music they already own, provided they didn't get it from iTunes. No word on if you will be able to transfer the songs from your cell phone to your PC though.
 
  New Internet Worm wreaks havoc
Corporate America needs to work on how long it takes them to patch their servers. A variant on the Zotob worm that appeared recently has infected computers and networks at big media houses CNN, ABC and the New York Times. Microsoft released a patch for this exploit last week but the malicious coders were able to get their worm out before network admins could apply the fix to their company's servers. Malicious hackers - 1, Your IT dept - 0.
 
  Need to send out 30 million e-mails?
BlueArc, with their Titan storage system, and IBM, with their CommuniGate servers, have set a new record for SPECmail performance. They were able to send out 30 million e-mails, or 12,500 per minute, in a single day.The previous record was held by Sun Microsystems. This basically means that large ISPs can use setups like this to handle large amounts of data and storage instead of clustering a larger number of smaller servers together.
 
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
  Dirt cheap Apple iBooks cause an iRiot

The Henrico County school system had a surplus of iBooks (about a 1,000) that they decided to sell for the drool inducing price of $50.00 a pop. The sale went down at the Richmond International Raceway with the doors opening at 7 am. People started lining up at 2am in hopes of snagging a cheap iBook but when the sale began, it didnn't seem to matter when or where you stood in line. All hell broke loose. Old folks got trampled and baby stollers got crushed and apparently, one woman was so excited, she wet herself. She didn't want to lose her spot in line. Madness.
 
  Why buy a book that didn't have a beta version?
After the recent Ruby on Rails book, Agile Web Developement with Rails, was made available in pdf beta form, marc from O'Reily Radar wonders why he should buy books in the fututre that don't go thru the public editing that gets done via the beta process.
 
  People don't like .xxx
Citing the 6,000+ letters and e-mails they have recieved so far, Michael Gallagher, assistant commerce secretary for communications and information, wants ICANN to not begin issuing .xxx sites just yet. Why they couldn't bring this ups months ago is beyond me.
CANN board members were scheduled to consider the proposal later Tuesday at a meeting in California, but an ICANN spokesman noted that the proposed administrator of the domain, ICM Registry, had already agreed to a one-month delay.

Backers of the site argue that use of the .xxx extension would be voluntary, but would create a clearly identifiable area of the Internet that could be blocked for certain users.

ICM chairman Stuart Lawley said the company agreed to the delay to allow ICANN to hear all views but added that he was "disappointed that concerns that should have been raised and addressed weeks and months ago are being raised in the final days before the board is scheduled to approve the agreement negotiated with staff."
 
  Power your Cell Phone with your urine?
Ki Bang Lee coming straight out of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore, has developed techonology that can test your urine and power the testing device all from the same chip.
Testing urine can reveal the identity of illnesses, and the new paper battery could allow the sample being tested to also power the diagnostic device, Lee says. It could be a useful power source for cheap healthcare test kits for diseases like diabetes, and could be used in emergency situations to power a cell phone.
Good thing the cell phone use is only for emergency since I don't think a lot of people would spring for a device that houses their own urine that close to their head. Ick indeed.
 
  Free nationwide Wi-Fi access courtesey of Google?
Could Google be trying to build a natiowide WiFi network that would be free for everyone? They could be. Business 2.0 lays out the evidence of Google's plans to Natiowide internet access dominance of which includes the fact that Google has been buying up unused fiber-optic cable lines as well Google's teaming up with San Fran WiFi spot maker startup Feeva (I got a feeva and the only perscription is free WiFi! sorry, i had to). What's unique about Feeva is that they use proprietary technology to be able to tell where each user of their free WiFi network is connecting from. Google may be able to use that technology to server up location specific ads based on where users of their free nationwide WiFi network are. That only would bring them loarge amounts of business from consumers and businesses looking to advertise. The word is Feeva is readying more free hotspots in California, Florida, New York, and Washington. Google's response? From Google mouthpiece Nate Taylor:
We are sponsoring [Feeva] because [it is] trying to make free Wi-Fi available in San Francisco, and this matches Google’s goal to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible. We don't have anything to add at this point about future plans." To which we speculate: Today San Francisco, tomorrow the world.
 
  We have our first RSS subscriber!
This ones for you man (or woman)!
 
  Sprint lands deal with the NFL
Sprint is poised to become a major sports content player, having sponsored now two of the most televised american sports (if you can call racing cars in a circle for a few hours a sport, zing!). Sprint is now the NFL's official wireless sponsor while Nextel (part of Sprint since they've merged) is a major sponsor of NASCAR. This deal Sprint has landed with the NFL basically gives them the right to stream game clips and highlights to their customers. There hasn't been any pricing details confirmed for Sprint's customers yet but more details should leak sooner or later.
 
  Amazon hops on crowded web mapping service train
Amazon is throwing their hat into the somewhat crowded online maps service area. They do plan on doing something different and making their product unique. Amazon will be providing street level photos instead of the standard satellite-view fare. They already have $15 million photos in their database which covers 22 cities so far. This could take off for Amazon and really establish them as a budding new web techonology superstars. See how Amazon innovated while Microsoft duplicated? Yes Microsoft's service is pretty much the same as Google's. Goolge's is a touch better since their satellite pictures are actual somewhat up to date.
 
Monday, August 15, 2005
  Security Cameras begin popping up in Manhattan
Driving the civil libertarians nuts, surveillance cameras have begun appearning en masse in Manhattan to the tune of 4000+ so far.


New digital audio player, the iAudio M5, from Cowon plays the popular audio formats (mp3, wma, ogg) and even comes with a text viewer function that allows you to read e-books and other text content.


Nokia's 3G-able dual-camera-having mobile phone, the Nokia 6680, gets reviewed. The verdict? It's a good phone but could have used an fm radio and a bigger keyboard.


An experiment in click-free interface design. Nice.


Get some details on the upcoming Treo 700.


Wikipedia gets into viral marketing. The bbc put up an article on a ficitonal charatcer from an alternative reality type game they're running. Everyone seems to think this is some horrible missue of Wikipedia but I'm not so concerned. If anything that characters page could become a landmark in itself.


DTV is a new, free and open-source platform for internet television and video.
Who's going to watch tv now?


Feel like you're back in your mother's womb.


Google maps make it easier to Geotag.


Break a bone (or two)? You may be able to get'em fixed with chemically treated carbon nanotubes in the fututre.


Commerical real estate mapping tool built on MSN Virtual Earth.
 
Sunday, August 14, 2005
  iPod vending machine
From the scobleizer comes word of an iPod vending machine.
 
  Flickr-type video service
YouTube brings you some web 2.0 goodness. They're being billed as the flickr of video. Nice and fun. Easier to use than Google's video service.
 
Saturday, August 13, 2005
  Google to team up with Apple's iTunes?
Looks like Google might be teaming up with iTunes to offer some kind of music searching service.
 
Friday, August 12, 2005
  End of week updates
Have had much time to post lately so here are some highlights from recent surfing...

Four million households now create their own movies masterpieces via digital camcorders and more afforable digital editing software.


The Sprint and Nextel merger is now complete. Look for updated branding at a Sprint or Nextel store near you within the next month or so.


I'm all about the Sony Ericsson Walkman phones. Sony Ericsson's W800i gets reviewed and the consensus is the phone is just simply the best music phone out there so far. We'll see how it fends off Motorola's Rokr and Nokia's N91 mobiles.


From Microsoft's support site: "Error Message: Your Password Must Be at Least 18770 Characters and Cannot Repeat Any of Your Previous 30689 Passwords". Now was pa55wo7d my 26756th password or my 26757th?


3d web browser from Japanses company NTT.


Lots of money being thrown at blogging lately, including a chunk of change to be used to buy Technorati possibly.


In response to Google's recent CNET News.com hating, ZDnet apologizes to Google for using their search engine to search adn gather data.


Digg is the new Slashdot.


The LifeStraw filters the water you drink through it while you are drinking through it. If a way is found to mass produce these cheaply, LifeStraw can possibly saving millions of lives in under-developed countires where disease from drinking unclean water is a major killer.


Microsoft invented the iPod?


Pics of TiVo's well-known secret download service, that has yet to be released, have begun to surface.


Google halts their ambitious "make all texts from these great libraries internet searchable" project due to all the b!thcin and moaning from physical book publishers.


The rotary dial phone watch makes you retro chic.
 
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
  Apple Might Mouse review

The pc capable (something I didn't know) Apple Mighty Mouse gets reviewed and the general consensus is that the $50 peripheral is pretty cool. Sleek as all other Apple products and equally sexy, the Mighty Mouse gives Mac users access to some scroll-wheel and mutli-button like functionality PC owners have been using for years. With the Mighty Mouse, Apple has made pretty much everything about the personal computing almost too sleek and well designed to use comfortably. I feel like I'm harming pieces of art. Zut Alors!
 
  iMojo's iPod Shuffle sweats

The absorbant stretch cotton terry-cloth made iMojo iPod Shuffle sweat armbands were designed to hold your iPod Shuffle on your forearms. Keeping them just far enough away to be out of your hair but still easy to reach. You can get the one black and one white two pack from iMojo for $18.95.
 
  Verizon launches their own prepaid service
Verizon has launched their own version of a contract-less, prepaid service. Dubbed "EasyPay", their service gives you a set amount of minutes each month that looks kind of like their normal montlhy call plans. Their first plan gives you up to 350 anytime minutes, unlimited IN calling (calling to other Verizon customers), and unlimited nights and weekends all for $50. Their $70 plan gives you up to 700 anytime minutes in addition to the unlimited nights and weekends and the unlimited IN calling.
 
Monday, August 08, 2005
  Nokia unleashes Mobile Search on unsuspecting mobile owners
A bit dramatic eh? Nokia has released their Mobile phone specific search engine which is basically an application you download and utilize on your mobile (i bet it works best on a Nokia) phone. They have demos and all sorts of search goodnes on their new search site.
 
  Yahoo! search indexes more than Google
Yahoo! (via their Yahoo! search blog) let the world know that they now have more 20 billion documents and images included in their search engine index database. Google has 11.3 billion. Ouch. While size isn't all that indicative of quality, this gives Yahoo more clout in their battle to have better PR karma than Google does. They're hoping to take Google's darling of the web crowd crown and this gives them some chest-thumpin clout. I wonder how Google will respond.
 
Sunday, August 07, 2005
  iTunes in Japan puts up big numbers
How the Japanese love them some iTunes. In just four days after Apple launched their iTunes Music Store in Japan, iTunes Japan has passed the 1 million downloads mark. It took the iPod-filler service a week to reach those numbers here in the states. Seems like the fact that they are selling their audio wares 50 yen cheaper than everyone else might have something to do with it. Also mentioned in the article which I hadn't known about before is that the iTunes music service in the United States accounts for 82 percent of all legally downloaded music. Nice.
 
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
  Motorola's iTunes phone launching this month
In an article on usatoday.com about how the record industry is making some nice coinage with all the ringtone selling going on, There's a little blurb about the Motorola E790, which is affectionately known as the Motorola iTunes phone. Apparently it's coming out this month.
 
  Mobile Gambling device

Here's a picture of a mobile Gambling device (HP even, I hope they don't plan on using that device to print anything!) that has a game a roulette playing on it. These are the devices I blogged about earlier
 
Cell phones, Gadgets, DVRs and DAPs. All around Tech-coolery....

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