Monday, October 13, 2008
GBTV #0413 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Shelfari is a social network and virtual bookshelf for book lovers. The Josh and Shelfari announced today that the site was acquired by Amazon.com.
Canon announced several new cameras a two new all-in-one printers today.
InsideTrip.com is a travel site that finds flights based on price and then uses a slider to adjust the price based on flight quality preferences you might have.
Panasonic has three new Plasma displays with 1TB DVRs built in.
The Navigon 7200T is the next GPS system I want to try. It looks like it has some really nice graphics.
MacBreak 39 Macworld 2007: Keynote Rundown
Leo, Alex and Merlin discuss the Macworld 2007 Keynote announcements.
GBTV #425 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
The Nano predictions were right, curved screen and all. Apple also updated the iPod Touch to make it thinner, with a contoured back. Both have the new Genius technology that will suggest songs and playlists.
iTunes 8.0 is now out. The Grid view is fantastic! TV shows will now be offered in HD for $2.99. Oh! Oh! Oh! NBC is back in the iTunes Store. Read More
AMD: DOJ ends probe on GPU price fixing
Adobe demos Photoshop CS4's content-aware scaling
Filed under: Beta Beat, Graphic Design
In a QuickTime screencast, Adobe's Russell Brown demonstrates content-aware scaling, a feature of Photoshop CS4, due to be released this month.
A lower-resolution YouTube demo from Lynda.com is available here, if you don't want to download a huge QuickTime movie. The content is different, but you'll get the idea.
Adobe licensed an algorithm that senses "dead" areas in photos, and resizes the image to avoid squashing or stretching every object.
In the video, Brown demonstrates resizing an image of four golfers, interactively removing space between and around the golfers, but leaving the golfers' proportions correct. He also demonstrates resizing a Volkswagen bus, making it a more "economical" size, but automatically keeping the wheels round.
For those looking for a compelling reason to upgrade to Photoshop CS4, this might be it. If not, what is? Let us know by leaving a comment.
[Via Swissmiss and Michael Sippey.]
MacBreak 115: Macworld 2008: MacHeist
Future of Mars mission up in the air
FCC expected to recommend unlicensed white space spectrum use
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
The back-and-forth between mainstream carriers and external mega-corps may finally be coming to an end, with the almighty FCC expected to make a pivotal determination regarding the use of white space in short order. For those unaware, white space refers to the freed spectrum that will become available when broadcasters move completely to digital TV next February, and there's been a heated debate between carriers (who typically "fear" unwanted interference by unlicensed use) and tech companies like Google who see this as a great opportunity to bring wireless services to rural areas (for instance). According to a new report from Reuters, the FCC is expected to weigh in at any moment, and it'll "likely" recommend the unlicensed use of the spectrum. The advice will be based on reports generated from years of data collection, but we're all stuck waiting in tense anticipation until it's released. Anytime now, FCC...[Via phonescoop]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Dave and Tim
It looks like we have another attempt at getting two sour parties to play nicely together here. I can’t hold it in any more… I’ve battled it out with Dave Winer, that’s well documented. However, deep down inside I always knew that he’s a really a good guy and that he’s brilliant on many levels. I’ve [...]
It looks like we have another attempt at getting two sour parties to play nicely together here.
I can’t hold it in any more…
I’ve battled it out with Dave Winer, that’s well documented.
However, deep down inside I always knew that he’s a really a good guy and that he’s brilliant on many levels. I’ve spent more and more time one-on-one, or in small groups, with Dave over the past year and I’ve grown more and more fond of his brutal honesty, insights, and sensitivity. That last part is key, he’s a sensitive guy. People are constantly hitting him up and getting very personal with him. One time I was at an event (Gnomdex), and this guy interrupts a conversation the two of us were having and gets within three inches of Dave’s face and he starts to really give it to Dave. The guy is busy telling Dave what he thinks and what he needs to do. It was really aggressive and obnoxious, and Dave had to ask the guy to step back and we both had to explain to him that he was barging in on the discussion. I realized that’s Dave’s life a large part of the time. Folks just getting up in his face and he doesn’t like–he’s a sensitive guy. Of course, Dave doesn’t have a filter and he calls b.s. by default–that’s his DNA. It’s what’s great about him, but it’s also created this massive stand off where Dave is hitting Tim O’Reilly up every day on his blog…. Source: calacanis.com
MacBreak 95: Image Editor Roundup
Saturday, October 11, 2008
GBTV #424 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Scientists at CERN have been working on the Large Hadron Collider. It's a 17 mile ring with the initial intention to test the theory of how mass happens. Some scientists are worried that the experiment will cause the world to end. I'm not worried. We'll be live on Ustream, watching the CERN webcam while the experiment takes place. Join us if you can!
When: Wednesday the 10th CERN Webcam: http://webcast.cern.ch Our Live Stream: Ustream.tv Times: 7:00 AM UTC 3:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time 2:00 AM Central Daylight Time 1:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time 12:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Tomorrow there's an Apple event called "Let's Rock". Kevin Rose says we'll see this Nano announced, and iTunes 8.0. I'm skeptical about the nano. I'm reading how Apple develops hardware, and I can't see this version getting through. We'll be live on Ustream.tv during the event.
When: Tuesday the 9th Where: Ustream.tv Time: 10 AM Pacific (5 PM GMT)
Plastic Logic is introducing their electronic reading device today. It's the size of an 8.5x11" piece of paper. The goal is provide publishers with more flexibility for business documents. It'll go on sale next year.
RealDVDis a new Windows DVD ripping application that will copy the entire contents of your DVD...special features and DRM included. It's similar to my favorite Mac DVD ripping application called Drive-in. Drive-in is now available for purchase from Flip4Mac. RealDVD will be released soon.
. These applications are legal due to a precident setting case involving Kleidescape. The judge in that case said "Nothing in the agreement prevents you from making copies of DVDs. Nothing requires that a DVD be present during playback." We'll see how this develops in the future!
New-look Google Reader Is Stunning!
A Google based RSS reader. Sounds sort of strange to me, but then most of the stuff Google is doing these days generally is.
Google Reader, Google’s web-based RSS Aggregator, has had a re-design and I am impressed. It now has a look n’ feel very much like Gmail, which I believe is a pointer to this product being prepped for mainstream promotion - and/or merged with Gmail. Probably a bit of both, as a standalone RSS Reader is always going to be needed. You’ll recall that the new Yahoo Mail Beta has RSS integrated into its email experience - and the reason for that is quite simply to reach the 250 Million odd people that have a Yahoo Mail account. What better way to make RSS a mainstream experience than to integrate it into the web email platform. So I expect Google to follow suit…. Source: readwriteweb.com
iPod software now lets you read more RSS items

A favorite shareware program of mine that adds all kinds of information to your iPod has raised the number of RSS feed items it can handle. Pod2Go, which has been a Mac product for a while, but just recently introduced a Windows beta as well, now lets you view 100 items or articles per RSS feed that are converted into iPod notes for later reading while on a plane or anywhere else. Essentially, you can turn your iPod into a PDA. Previously, you could only view up to 30 news items per feed.
The software comes with more than 1,000 built-in feeds to choose from. You also can add your own RSS or Atom feedst. If you're running NetNewsWire on your Mac, Pod2Go automatically lets you select which feeds you want to include from that program. It does the same thing with Safari's RSS feeds. However, the software doesn't support RSS feeds that require authorization.
But the software doesn't stop there. It also provides information about the weather, movies, stocks, lyrics, horoscopes (if you believe in those silly things), driving directions and gas prices. The Mac version also lets you sync with address book contacts, iCal calendars and other items. It also has a backup feature and a launcher so you can start any program when Pod2Go syncs. There's a 15-day free trial. After that, the software costs $15. Right now, the Windows version is free until the beta ends.
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Asterope pits iPhone owners against androids
USBfever ships new iPod touch, Nano screen protectors
USBfever has launched four new screen protectors for the iPod touch second generation and fourth generation iPod nano. The Anti Glare Screen Protector for iPod touch 2G and Anti Glare Screen Protector for iPod nano 4G provide silicone coated protectors that are bubble-resistant, self adhesive and washable. They are oil and fingerprint resistant, with an anti-bacterial surface and do not use glues ...
GBTV #353 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Despite the fact that I introduced the show as Brief #352, it's actually #353.
Microsoft's attempt to acquire Yahoo reminds me of something that would happen in sixth grade, except instead of passing notes, the two companies keep passing Press Releases. Yahoo didn't respond to Microsoft's deadline for an answer and Mark Andreessen >analyzed the situation
Apple upgraded the specs on the iMac, but everyone is really just waiting for the announcement of a 3G iPhone. The expectations are reaching frenzy status.
Geoff Smith launched a new Web service called RingtoneFeeder.com. It's a subscription service that automatically installs a new original ringtone on the iPhone via iTunes every week. Each ringtone is an original Geoff Smith production. Subscriptions are $1.98 a month or $19.98 a year. There is a free sample feed available at Ringtonefeeder.com for anyone who would like to see how it works.
Festo created a giant indoor flying object that floats through the air like a jelly fish in water. I cant tell what AirJelly's ultimate purpose could be, but it's beautiful to watch. It uses a combination of helium and an electric motor powered by lithium-ion polymer batteries.
Boris FX releases Continuum Lens Flare Unit
Boris FX has released the Continuum Lens Flare Unit, a new plug-in for Adobe CS3 and CS4, as well as Apple's Final Cut Studio 2. The program simulates the streaks and spots of light that end up on film due to reflections inside of a camera lens. Flares can be added either to a source image, or else a completely synthetic creation. Special filters are provided, meanwhile, which allow users to creat...
MacBreak 33: The Distracted Mac
MacBreak 17: Quicksilver Tips
Wireless freeloaders and how to deal to them
Wireless networks - what's not to like? Personally I'm a huge fan of anything that frees me from the stuffy confines of a dark computer room and lets me vege in the lounge or lax out on the lawn with my laptop. Unfortunately, as I...
Thursday, October 9, 2008
MacBreak 29: The Road to 1080p, Part 4
Alex Lindsay provides a behind-the-scenes update on how MacBreak is shot.
AAPL hits 52-week low again, makes up for it
Filed under: Apple Financial
In a rollercoaster day on Wall Street, Apple shares closed up a scant $1.07 today, landing at $98.14, after a broad market sell-off this morning related to anxiety surrounding global financial markets.
AAPL once again hit a 52-week low of $87.54 per share around 10:45 Eastern this morning. However, shares regained momentum in a closing-bell rally, finishing up nearly half a percent.
Apple shares bucked the trend of many tech stocks today: Microsoft, Google, Dell, HP, and AT&T all were less fortunate, losing between two and five percent of their value.
Shares were modestly higher in early after-hours trading.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsMotorola's Q11 gets official: WinMo 6.1, WiFi, 3MP camera
Filed under: Cellphones
Not that Motorola's Q11 comes as any big surprise, but it's nice to see the Windows Mobile 6.1-packin' smartphone get all official on us. Now boasting its very own dedicated page on Moto's website, the Q11 comes to us with quad-band GPRS / EDGE (no 3G, for whatever reason), a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash, 64MB of RAM, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 2.1, a 320 x 240 resolution display, integrated GPS and a multimedia player with support for all sorts of file formats. You can also expect up to 450 minutes of talk time and up to 195 hours in standby, but you won't be able to wrap your paws around it until December. As for carriers and pricing? Patience, friends, patience.[Via UnwiredView]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
First Look: i. TV brings schedules, trailers to your iPhone
Filed under: iPhone, App Store
There are a lot of App Store submissions and works-in-progress that trigger anticipatory drooling here at TUAW (Sling Mobile! Sling Mobile!), among them the program guide and movie finder i. TV; we first saw it a few weeks ago and I've been checking every day to see if it's shipped. Now you can download this free tool from the App Store and see for yourself what's so exciting. (The promo video on the i.tv site borrows heavily from Apple's 1984 ad and the Apple TV intro, so clearly there's an effort to brand this app as 'revolutionary.')The heart of i. TV (App Store link) is a TV listings browser, which connects to the free data feed from the i.tv site (registration is required), including synopses and cast info. You can select your zip code and programming provider (the app currently supports US and Canadian TV listings only) and the current schedules are there at your fingertips; you can rate, review, filter or flag shows as favorites and optionally share your feedback with other i.TV users.
Along with the TV content, the movies section of the app lets you browse by title or by nearby theaters, and watch streamed trailers of your selected films. Trailers and previews of TV shows are also included. The UI is clean and the app is easy to navigate; I was able to find show listings quickly for several series.
As cool as the initial version of i.TV appears to be, the development directions are exponentially cooler. Future versions of the app are planned that will include remote DVR programming (ooh!), IR blaster integration (yes!), DVD rentals (ahh!), movie ticket purchases and even the ability to watch full TV shows streamed from the programming source (hmm.).
Note that there is another app with a similar name, ITV, which provides French television listings and goes for $2.99 US.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Engadget Podcast now supports AAC and Ogg feeds!
Well now, it appears that the Engadget Podcast has been given its own version of 2.o0 status in a sense. Take a look for yourself…
Hurrah hurrah! To all our Engadget Podcast listeners who’ve suffered through the months without an AAC or Ogg feed, we thank you — and we’ve heard your complaints. As we mentioned earlier this week, we’ve got our feeds sorted for the three major audio formats, so you can now have our show dropped in via RSS in your choice of MP3, enhanced AAC, or Ogg Vorbis. iTunes subscribers’ feeds will automatically be switched over to enhanced AAC (or you can subscribe to the AAC feed directly if you don’t want to use iTunes but want our enhanced AAC podcasts).
So, as soon as our feeds are re-cached and re-crawled by RSS, we’ll throw up our latest podcast for today and get the show on the road. In the mean time, we apologize if for some reason your shows start re-downloading as we’re retooling our feeds. Thanks for listening, everybody…. Source: Engadget
Read MoreTuesday, October 7, 2008
MSI's 10-inch Wind winds up in Best Buy
Filed under: Laptops

Continue reading MSI's 10-inch Wind winds up in Best Buy
Permalink | Email this | CommentsRobot rabbit reads RSS feeds out loud
Truly, who can say no to a talking rabbit that not only undestands RSS, but shares it aloud with others? The Nabaztag Smart Rabbit wants to multiply in the U.S. The new device, introduced in June to the U.S. market, uses a Wi-Fi connection and text-to-speech software to read things like RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, e-mails [...]
Truly, who can say no to a talking rabbit that not only undestands RSS, but shares it aloud with others?
The Nabaztag Smart Rabbit wants to multiply in the U.S.
The new device, introduced in June to the U.S. market, uses a Wi-Fi connection and text-to-speech software to read things like RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, e-mails and weather reports out loud.
The creator of the plastic rabbit, Violet, seems to have taken the idea of the Ambient Orb and run with it. Instead of just changing colors in relation to the data fed into it, as the Orb does, the Nabaztag rabbit actually talks to you, becoming a verbal companion to your personalized Internet.
“We started three years ago…with a Wi-Fi lamp, but people seemed more interested in verbal information,” Olivier Mével, co-founder of Violet, said in an interview. “It meant for us this new kind of object connected to the Internet–not only an object that could display information, but also objects used to communicate with SMS (Short Message Service), phone and chat. It was also an emotional messenger. You can send love messages or whatever to whomever you want.”… Source: CNET
Reminder, talkcast tonight at 10 pm ET
Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts
Two weeks ago, the talkcast featured me, Robert & Dave tackling caller questions in a freewheeling "Ask TUAW" hour of fun. We didn't answer them all but we certainly tried our best. Subscribe in iTunes, or use a different feed reader. (Note: We were informed that the 'itpc://'-style link to the show was causing a spontaneous iTunes launch for users on Vista with Firefox 3, so we're using a Phobos-style link now. If you've seen unexpected iTunesage when browsing pages with itpc links on them, let us know.)After a week's break due to Talkshoe tech difficulties, we're back. Join us later tonight, Sunday October 5 at 10 pm ET for this week's show. Got dish, rumors or wishlists? Swing by and chime in.
MSI's 10-inch Wind winds up in Best Buy
Filed under: Laptops

Continue reading MSI's 10-inch Wind winds up in Best Buy
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