ipod vs zune

GBTV #0413 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-13T12:54:00.007-07:00

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

2008-10-13T12:54:00.005-07:00

MacBreak 39 Macworld 2007: Keynote Rundown
Leo, Alex and Merlin discuss the Macworld 2007 Keynote announcements.

GBTV #425 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-13T12:54:00.003-07:00

Microsoft announced an update to the Zune. The most exciting of the features is the ability to tag songs from the FM radio to buy over WiFi or later when you're connected to your computer.

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

2008-10-13T12:54:00.001-07:00

Late last week, the US Department of Justice officially told chipmaker AMD it has ended its antitrust investigation into the company's pricing and marketing practices and will not take any action, AMD announced on Monday. The subpoenas were issued at the end of 2006 for AMD and ATI Technologies, which was purchased by AMD earlier that year, as well as competitor NVIDIA. As the top two add-in graph...

Adobe demos Photoshop CS4's content-aware scaling

2008-10-13T12:53:00.011-07:00

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.]

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MacBreak 115: Macworld 2008: MacHeist

2008-10-13T12:53:00.009-07:00

Kendra Arimoto gets details on the MacHeist Bundle at Macworld. Read More

Future of Mars mission up in the air

2008-10-13T12:53:00.007-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Will Nasa's flagship mission to Mars fly next year? The space agency could decide as early as Friday whether to cancel, delay or proceed with plans to launch a nuclear-powered, SUV-size rover to the red planet. Nasa... Read More

FCC expected to recommend unlicensed white space spectrum use

2008-10-13T12:53:00.005-07:00

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]

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Dave and Tim

2008-10-13T12:53:00.003-07:00

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

2008-10-13T12:53:00.001-07:00

Leo Laporte and Alex Lindsay explore the features of image editors for your Mac. Read More

GBTV #424 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-11T00:16:00.013-07:00

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!

2008-10-11T00:16:00.011-07:00

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

2008-10-11T00:16:00.009-07:00

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

2008-10-11T00:16:00.007-07:00

Niklas Wahrman has released Asterope, a space-based action game for the iPhone and iPod touch. Players have to fight off an android invasion of Earth, using touchscreen controls to fly a spaceship; the "asterope" of title is used to lock onto asteroids for navigation. The game contains over 10 levels, and has an arcade mode for quick games. Asterope costs $4, and is available now at the iTunes App...

USBfever ships new iPod touch, Nano screen protectors

2008-10-11T00:16:00.005-07:00

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

2008-10-11T00:16:00.003-07:00

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

2008-10-11T00:16:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-11T00:15:00.005-07:00

Merlin Mann is back to show you how to free your Mac from visual clutter. Read More

MacBreak 17: Quicksilver Tips

2008-10-11T00:15:00.003-07:00

Merlin Mann's back sharing more productivity tips with Leo using Quicksilver. Read More

Wireless freeloaders and how to deal to them

2008-10-11T00:15:00.001-07:00

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...

MacBreak 29: The Road to 1080p, Part 4

2008-10-09T12:49:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-09T12:48:00.005-07:00

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.

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Motorola's Q11 gets official: WinMo 6.1, WiFi, 3MP camera

2008-10-09T12:48:00.003-07:00

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]

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First Look: i. TV brings schedules, trailers to your iPhone

2008-10-09T12:48:00.001-07:00

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.

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The Engadget Podcast now supports AAC and Ogg feeds!

2008-10-09T12:47:00.001-07:00

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

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

2008-10-07T11:04:00.011-07:00

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

Filed under: Laptops

We knew it would be going down, but the formal announcement has finally been made: MSI's Wind will soon be gracing store shelves at Best Buy. As early as "right now" if you're lucky enough, the 10-inch netbook can be procured at your local BB (no word on Future Shop), and we're told that it'll pack a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, Windows XP Home Edition, a 10-inch WSVGA (1,024 x 600) display, GMA950 graphics set, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 120GB hard drive, 3-cell battery (sigh...) and a black or white motif. You might expect to just snag one real quick like for $399, but don't expect to leave without being hassled for one of those Product Replacement Plans. Fun, fun! Full release is after the break.

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

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Robot rabbit reads RSS feeds out loud

2008-10-07T11:04:00.009-07:00

Robot 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

2008-10-07T11:04:00.007-07:00

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.

You can join the conversation on TalkShoe by using the shiny browser-only client; you can also use the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client that we all know and love. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm tonight. You can also listen in on the Talkshoe page or call in on regular phone or VOIP lines: dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077. For those calling in without Talkshoe IDs, you can "request to talk" by dialing *8.

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MacBreak 121: Macworld 2008: Panic Software

2008-10-07T11:04:00.005-07:00

MacBreak 121: Macworld 2008: Panic Software
Merlin Mann chats with the guys from Panic Software.

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

2008-10-07T11:04:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Laptops

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

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See rugby underwater

2008-10-07T11:04:00.001-07:00

See rugby underwater
New technology LCD TVs have been getting lighter, small and cheaper. Now they're getting waterproof as well. According to their manufacturer, Gineico's range of waterproof LCD TVs have not only been specifically designed to withstand...

GBTV #356 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-07T11:03:00.007-07:00

Yamaha Key Between People, Disklavier Mark 4, Movies available on iTunes immediately, Starbucks transitioning to AT&T

Full iTunes Store en route to Russia for 2009?

2008-10-07T11:03:00.005-07:00

Full iTunes Store en route to Russia for 2009?
At least some Russians could finally have normal access to the iTunes Store in 2009, reports say. While Macs, iPods and now iPhones are on sale in the country, Apple's online media storefront has been conspicuously absent, with the exception of the App Store. Music and/or video could be coming soon through an unusual deal with one of Russia's iPhone carriers, writes RBC Daily....

AOL, Yahoo to merge by October's end?

2008-10-07T11:03:00.003-07:00

AOL and Yahoo have revived and even accelerated merger talks and may be ready to strike a deal by the end of October, say alleged sources of TechCrunch. The claimed proposal would have Yahoo pick up all of AOL's content business as well as a $2 billion cash infusion in exchange for a one-third Time Warner stake in the resulting company....

Code Line intros iPhone color identification app

2008-10-07T11:03:00.001-07:00

Code Line has released a new iPhone/iPod touch application, designed for critical color work. Color Expert provides users with tools that help identify and capture colors. Users take a picture containing a desired color, tap on the color specifically, and are then provided with a series of pallets based on it. Color Expert also features tools that allow users to fine-tune their choices, such as a ...

T-Mobile still taking G1 pre-orders, but you won't get it on October 22

2008-10-06T09:59:00.003-07:00

T-Mobile still taking G1 pre-orders, but you won't get it on October 22

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

So the good news is that T-Mobile has decided to keep right on taking pre-orders for the G1 through October 21, just one day before the handset's official launch. The bad news, though, is that it doesn't mean you'll be getting your Android on come October 22. Turns out that the initial allotment of G1s set aside for pre-orders is now sold out completely, and any names taken between now and launch will be allotted phones being shipped "at a later date." It's not clear if a "later date" means a week, a month, or a decade after the 22nd, but for the sake of everyone involved, we hope its the former.

Update: T-Mobile's site says that pre-orders taken from here on out will be delivered "as early as November 10," so it looks like you early birds are going to have a nice little period of exclusivity. Thanks, everyone!

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Review: Sony Walkman S730 series

2008-10-06T09:59:00.001-07:00

Review: Sony Walkman S730 series
After years of insisting on little-used proprietary formats and software, Sony has recently been mending its ways: the company's latest Walkman players have virtually become champions of cross-platform standards (including the Mac), beautiful design and the no-fuss interface. The S730 promises to be an evolution of an already solid formula, especially with its active noise cancelation feature, bu...

MacBreak 79: Minute: Sogudi

2008-10-06T09:58:00.011-07:00

MacBreak 79: Minute: Sogudi
Merlin shows us Sogudi, a browser navigation accelerator for Safari.

GBTV #0379 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-06T09:58:00.009-07:00

GBTV #0379 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Kaleidescape released two new movie players. The 1080p upscales stand definition DVDs to deliver a viewing experience that rivals Blu-ray. Information about the Kaleidescape court case is here and a review of the player is here.

The Aztech WL850MS HD Media Streamer uses wireless N to stream 1080p video wirelessly over your home network.

The Cuisipro Ice Cream Scoop & Stack produces 3.75 oz., perfectly cylindrical scoops.

Rogers Wireless may match AT&T pricing for the iPhone, including the data plan.

Popgadget has a tip for skipping voice mail greatings when you call mobile phones.

XBMC is a cross-platform media center application that works on OSX, Windows, Linux and Xbox. It's my favorite application for the Mac that I've come across this year. Thanks to everyone who recommended it.

GBTV #0368 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-06T09:58:00.007-07:00

GBTV #0368 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Griffin Technology has been busy. They released an updated iTrip AutoPilot with SmartScan that works with iPhones and iPods. The PowerDock 2 we saw at Macworld is now available and Popgadget says the PowerDock 4 will be out in July.

RickMacMerc introduced me to Animation-ish, a D.I.Y. Animation application.

PopularMechanics has a step-by-step guide to installing Linux on a PS3.

Dean Kamen has done it again. This time his team has developed a robotic arm that is controlled by thought.

Windows Live Writer Blog This for RSS Bandit

2008-10-06T09:58:00.005-07:00

Windows Live Writer Blog This for RSS Bandit
How’s this for a bit of a surprise – Windows Live Writer and RSS Bandit, playing together. The uptake of Windows Live Writer can be seen not only by the number of plugins that spring up for itself but also by the plugins that make it usable in other applications. The Firefox extension Blog It with Windows [...]

How’s this for a bit of a surprise – Windows Live Writer and RSS Bandit, playing together.

The uptake of Windows Live Writer can be seen not only by the number of plugins that spring up for itself but also by the plugins that make it usable in other applications.
The Firefox extension Blog It with Windows Live Writer was one of the first to enable the Blog This functionality Internet Explorer users with the Windows Live Toolbar can enjoy out of the box.
And now comes Blog This for RSS Bandit.
RSS Bandit is a popular feed reader (what are feeds?) which by default can Blog This with w.bloggar (a desktop blogging client) and post to�del.icio.us…. Source: Windows Live Writer Plugins

BlackBerry Bold on US hold

2008-10-06T09:58:00.003-07:00

NEW YORK - A delayed top-of-the-line BlackBerry phone from Research in Motion is still undergoing testing by AT&T Inc., and RIM's co-CEO implied that the carrier wants to avoid the chorus of complaints about performance... Read More

MacBreak 39 Macworld 2007: Keynote Rundown

2008-10-06T09:58:00.001-07:00

MacBreak 39 Macworld 2007: Keynote Rundown
Leo, Alex and Merlin discuss the Macworld 2007 Keynote announcements.

GBTV #427 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-06T09:57:00.003-07:00

The Ikonoskop A-cam dll Digital Motion Picture Camera (what's with the supercalifragilisticexpiladocious long name?!) captures footage without compression. It shoots in 1920x1080 and you get 12 minutes of video on an 80GB memory cartridge.

Peek is a device meant to do one thing. Email. It's $100 and $20/month for unlimited use. David Pogue's review is here.

Panasonic announced the Lumix DMC-G1, the worlds smallest and lightest Digital Interchangeable Lens camera.

Hulger VoIP handsets are the most elegantly designed handsets I've ever seen. It's plug and play, works for both Macs and PCs and each one is handmade to order.

If you haven't already figured this out, iTunes 8 allows you set specific settings for each individual podcast. Very nice feature!

In Brief #427, I explain the difference between our iTunes formats. Click the following links if you'd like to change your subscription to a format that better fits you. You can also click here for a description of each format.

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Small You can save money on domain name registrations and renewals from GoDaddy.com with discount codes GB1, GB2 and GB3. For an explanation of each code, click here. Read More

Report: Apple computer sales could slow for holidays

2008-10-06T09:57:00.001-07:00

Report: Apple computer sales could slow for holidays
A report by market research company ChangeWave suggests that Apple could be facing hard times for computer sales through the holidays. The company performance for the past quarter has been good, with 23 percent of survey respondents who purchased a computer in the past 90 saying they bought a Mac notebook, and 17 percent a desktop. The report expects Apple to meet its projected numbers for sales b...

MacBreak 40 Macworld 2007: Jason Snell

2008-10-02T18:27:00.009-07:00

MacBreak 40 Macworld 2007: Jason Snell
Leo discusses the Macworld Keynote with MacWorld Editorial Director Jason Snell.

Nokia: iPhone did "big favor" for industry

2008-10-02T18:27:00.007-07:00

Nokia: iPhone did "big favor" for industry
Apple's entry into the mobile phone space was a "big favor" to the cellphone business by shaking it up, Nokia chief Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said Thursday. The executive notes that Apple's roughly 14-month presence in the market has produced a "credible competitor" that has led phone buyers to expect more from devices, pushing Nokia and others to improve their hardware and software. The Finnish comp...

Luminair 1.1 for iPhone adds XY focus controls

2008-10-02T18:27:00.005-07:00

Synthe FX has announced the latest version of its lighting control software for the iPhone and iPod touch, Luminair 1.1. User can now use the touch pad to control XY focus for pan/tilt functions on moving fixtures. The app is designed to control, view, and manage DMX lighting fixtures and consoles from the mobile device interface....

FeedLounge is Ajaxian answer to desktop RSS readers

2008-10-02T18:27:00.003-07:00

I plopped down five bucks this week to try the beta of FeedLounge, an elegantly designed online alternative to such storied desktop RSS readers as FeedDemon and NetNewsWire. In fact, it's hard to tell the difference, at first glance, between FeedLounge and an offline reader like FeedDemon. (The three screenshots show the same feed using different views.)

Of course, the main problem for FeedLounge's developers is convincing folks that they need to pay $5 a month for what Bloglines and NewsGator are already providing on the Internet for mostly free (NewsGator does have some paid versions of its service). Still, it's an impressive feat and it was worth the Lincoln to see what Ajaxian technologies can do for the RSS-reading community.

My first task was inputting a list of about 900 feeds via an OPML import. Rather than handling it all it once, FeedLounge provides a notice that it will incorporate the feeds in batches until they're all there. This apparently keeps their servers from dogging everytime someone like myself comes along with a gigantic OPML file.

I can't tell if all my 900 feeds are in the system. And I'm not going to count them to find out. :) But it looks like they are, and they even maintained the folder structure I brought over with me when I exported the RSS feed list from FeedDemon. Still, FeedLounge isn't without its growing pains: the servers were down for four hours yesterday "due to the database server becoming non-responsive to write operations." Like any Web-based app, you're taking a crap shoot on whether the servers will be up when you need to access the service. And in this case, you're paying moola to use the service.

I felt the purveyors were a little grouchy with me on two occasions, but I can understand that with a new start-up that has has taken 12-hour days to complete. The first was my fault: I had a payment bounce back in PayPal and so I went in and paid them $5 for the first month. They returned my money and told me they could only accept money through their automated system. Fair enough, on hindsight. But it was a waste of my time to do this. The second issue was that I sent them a support request directly to their e-mail address and they didn't care for that, pointing me to the support forums. But he did answer some of my questions in the e-mail reply.

I haven't had a chance to try out the service enough on a daily basis to make an informed decision on whether it's better than other options. But I did find one extremely irritating action that the owners don't seem interested in changing. Whenever a RSS feed is malformed, a warning appears on each and every feed: "Invalid Feed! This item is from an invalid feed. You may want to contact the owner of the feed to let them know." This is extremely irritating and I haven't seen it elsewhere, except occasionally on FeedDemon when a RSS feed is poorly written that it can't be read.

Overall, I'd say it's worth the $5 to try the service for a month and see if it's for you. They also have a trial, but it's limited to 50 people at a time and may be hard to use. I think that FeedLounge is a good example of what we can expect from Web-based applications that closely imitate -- and possibly improve upon -- their desktop cousins. Still, I won't be uninstalling my FeedDemon, NetNewsWire and other RSS readers (yes, I have a lot) anytime soon.

Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�Linking�Blogs�|�Comments

Cool Websites and Tools (edition #180)

2008-10-02T18:27:00.001-07:00

Check out some of the latest makeuseof discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For even more app reviews subscribe to makeuseof directory. Want to submit your application to MakeUseOf directory ? See how here. (1) Budurl - New URL shortener that offers advanced [...]

Check out some of the latest makeuseof discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For even more app reviews subscribe to makeuseof directory. Want to submit your application to MakeUseOf directory ? See how here.

(1) Budurl - New URL shortener that offers advanced tracking features like the ability to see where the link was clicked and how many times it was clicked in the past 24 hours or 7 days and real time statistics. Read more: Budurl - Url Shortener With Advanced Tracking Features.

(2) CIRT Default Passwords - Large list of default passwords for all kinds of gadgets and electronic devices. Did you ever try changing settings on some gadget but couldn’t do it because it required some password. Next time look for the password on CIRT.net. Read more: CIRT.net - Lookup Default Passwords for Electronic Devices.

(3) HazelMail - Here is a nice little web app to send postcards anywhere in the world, right from your PC. HazelMail lets you design your own postcard online and then mail postcard to a designated address for a flat postage fee of $1.5. Read more: HazelMail - Design Postcards Online & Send Anywhere.

(4) Onionmap - Interactive 3D maps of popular tourist attractions around the world. Check must-see locations in Amsterdam, New York, Beijing, San Fransisco, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Las Vegas, London, Madrid and Paris. Read more: OnionMap - Interactive Maps Of Popular Tourist Attractions.

(5) SeeMyWhere - This free little tool for your mobile phone lets you share your real-time location with others. Very easy to setup. Once installed you’ll have a private webpage that will automatically display your whereabouts. Read more: SeeMyWhere - Share Your Real Time Location With Others.

(6) SemantiFind - Search suggestion toolbar for your web browser that makes it easier to find what you’re looking for when searching on Google. It gives you logical recommendations as you type the search query. See screenshot.

(7) Splicd - This web app can take any Youtube video and cut out only the part you want from it. It also gives you a link that you can use to share that video part with others. Read more: Splicd - Crop and Cut Parts from YouTube Videos.

(8) Teenormous - Another t-shirt search site which scours through different t-shirt vendors like Busted Tees and Think Geek and shows you the available results. It has the options to search through keywords and browse t-shirts by color. Read more: Teenormous - Site For Searching T-Shirts Online.

(9) Unnecessary Knowledge - It’s like a StumbleUpon for information and facts which may or may not be true, but certainly entertaining. You can thumb up or down a fact and it then moves to the next fun fact. Read more: Unnecessary Knowledge - Entertaining Facts For Your Leisure Time.

(10) UsernameCheck -Check the availability of your favorite username across 45 popular user-powered websites. In case you want to make sure you have registered your preferred username on popular social media sites this is the website you need. Read more: UsernameCheck - Check Username Availability on Popular Sites.

These are just half of the applications that were added to our directory in the last 3-4 days. To keep up-to-date on all directory additions subscribe to MakeUseOf Directory here. To subscribe via email click here.

(By) Aibek, the guy behind MakeUseOf.

New subscriber? Get your freebies at MakeUseOf Downloads. Enjoy!

Tags:Cool Websites

MacBreak 48 Macworld 2007: iPod Accessory Roundup

2008-10-02T18:26:00.009-07:00

Kendra shows us more fun iPod accessories from the Macworld Expo. Read More

Surfin' Safari, ignoring IE

2008-10-02T18:26:00.007-07:00

Surfin' Safari, ignoring IE

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Internet

Bloggin' buddy Jeff Gamet over at The Mac Observer provided an analysis of Web browser market share today that showed Apple's Safari gaining while Microsoft Internet Explorer's piece of the proverbial pie is still getting smaller.

The numbers, reported from Market Share, show a slight increase for Safari from 6.37% of the browser world in August to 6.65% in September. On the other hand, Internet Explorer started with 72.15% of the market, and ended September at 71.52%. While that change seems infinitesimal, readers should note that IE's share has been steadily dropping over time.

Firefox actually dropped in market share during September, down from 19.75% to 19.46%. Google's Chrome browser, which first appeared in September, has only grabbed 0.78% of the market so far.

What does this all mean? Not much, when looking at just one month of data. However, the long-term trend is indicating that Safari and Firefox continue to gain market share steadily at Internet Explorer's expense.

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Not quite 'The Brick,' but fun anyway

2008-10-02T18:26:00.005-07:00

Filed under: Video, Mods

It's many bricks, technically: Lego Bricks. Students at the San Francisco Art Institute used 2,588 bricks to build an enormous Mac Pro case.

The design wasn't without its problems -- partway through the movie, three "Lego engineering catastrophes" forced the addition of a support beam under the middle of the case, presumably to support the weight of the hardware inside.

The exterior design isn't the only thing impressive about it: On the inside, it's a Mac Mini that's FireWire-linked to a PC Hackintosh. Nice.

The case was submitted for the 2008 MacMod Challenge.

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MacBreak 50 Macworld 2007: MacTank

2008-10-02T18:26:00.003-07:00

Merlin chats with the developers of MailTank and MailTemplate. Read More

RSS 2 PDF for Flickr Users

2008-10-02T18:26:00.001-07:00

RSS 2 PDF for Flickr Users
Needing to convert RSS to PDF? Then I may have one good option for you. Check out RSS 2 PDF. It’s a Flickr requirement that your photos must be made PUBLIC. To return a PDF based on a Flickr Newsfeed, enter information for a particular user on Flickr (such as yourself) AND / OR optionally enter [...]

Needing to convert RSS to PDF? Then I may have one good option for you. Check out RSS 2 PDF.

It’s a Flickr requirement that your photos must be made PUBLIC. To return a PDF based on a Flickr Newsfeed, enter information for a particular user on Flickr (such as yourself) AND / OR optionally enter Tags separated by commas.

You can also leave the user fields blank and just enter keyword(s) in the Tag field to create a PDF from popular Flickr Tags !

The resulting PDFs are limited to 10 photos because the Flickr Newsfeeds themselves contain only ten photos. You can also visit any webpage on�Flickr.com offering a Newsfeed and use one of our RSS2PDF Bookmarklets…. Source: RSS 2 PDF

MacBreak 14: Automator Photoblog

2008-10-01T09:13:00.001-07:00

Leo and guest Sal Soghoian show you how to create an automated photo blog using Automator and iWeb.
Read More

GBTV #0413 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-01T09:12:00.009-07:00

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. Read More

Sharp LC-65XS1U-S and LC-52XS1U-S X-Series AQUOS LCD HDTVs eyes-on

2008-10-01T09:12:00.007-07:00

Sharp LC-65XS1U-S and LC-52XS1U-S X-Series AQUOS LCD HDTVs eyes-on

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

While we knew these new Sharp Aquos HDTVs were coming, we had no idea how thin and bright they were in person. Today at CEATEC 2008 Sharp officially announced its LC-65XS1U-S (65-inch) and LC-52XS1U-S (52-inch) AQUOS LCD HDTVs right at CEATEC Japan's opening bell. The displays' 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 1080P panel are nice and all, but we now know they measure in at a super gaunt 2.28-cm (0.9-inch) depth and are outfitted with a 2.1-channel, three-way five-speaker system that Sharp jointly developed with Pioneer. Meanwhile, Sharp boasts some serious energy savings with the new displays, promising a 26% reduction in power consumption. Expect them to hit stores in Japan October 15 in limited numbers for an undisclosed (read: 'spensive) price. Check the emaciated photos in the gallery if you're so inclined.

Gallery: Sharp Aquos XS1

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MacBreak 95: Image Editor Roundup

2008-10-01T09:12:00.005-07:00

Leo Laporte and Alex Lindsay explore the features of image editors for your Mac. Read More

GBTV #0394 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-01T09:12:00.003-07:00

GBTV #0394 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
I noticed I was bending to the will of some iPhone critics and restraining myself from talking much about iPhone 3G. Since GeekBrief.TV is primarily about what excites me in the world of technology, I realized why I was so willing to hold back on the show. I'm not exactly excited about the iPhone 3G. I like it. There isn't really anything I don't like about it other than it's tied to AT&T. The thing that excites me most about iPhone is the 2.0 software and the App Store. I've been doing mini reviews and tips on my blog at www.iCali.tv all week.

I mentioned the Voodoo Envy a few shows back. LaptopMag.com showed off an awesome feature of the Envy. It's called IOS, or Instant On Operating System. It's powered by Splashtop and it gives users instant access to important applications while the full OS boots up in the background.

Code Tech is a WYSIWYG editor browser-based code editor by Zachary Carter that comes in the form of a Firefox plug-in. I'll definitely be using it.

A couple weeks ago my obsession was camera switching for live streaming video. Mike Versteeg is meeting that need with VidBlaster. Now my obsession is home automation and a number of GBTV viewers pointed me toward Savant Systems. It's unique in the world of Home automation because it's built largely on Mac hardware. I'm going to work on getting a Savant guy on Geek Brief Radio to talk about what they're doing. Alex Lindsay featured the system On MacBreak #158.

Toshiba's Dynabook NX laptop is sleek, not terribly cheap

2008-10-01T09:12:00.001-07:00

Toshiba's Dynabook NX laptop is sleek, not terribly cheap

Filed under: Laptops

Hot on the heels of its NB100 netbook, Toshiba is launching another little new laptop -- a 12.1-incher known as the Dynabook NX. The diminutive model comes equipped with a 1280 x 800 display, a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, up to 3GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD or 160GB standard hard drive, 802.11b/g/n, and a handful of the expected ports. No solid word on price, though Akihabara News is speculating the HDD version will run you about €1200 (or around $1736), while the SSD model will clock in at a hefty €1930 ($2793). The laptop is due out in late October, so if this sounds like your cup of tea, you might start saving the pennies right now.

[Via Akihabara News]

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GBTV #382 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-01T09:11:00.001-07:00

GBTV #382 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
We're on our way back home from the Bus inspection and this is one last show show in a hotel room.

ICANN will begin allowing vanity domain name extensions next year for a hefty fee.

NeoCubes are now shipping.

Bluraymods.com announced the first region-free Blu-ray DVD player.

HP Labs has a new idea in private Beta. MagCloud is a print-on-demand magazine service that makes it possible for anyone to become a magazine publisher.

Yes! I've seen the Terra Wind Amphibious RV! :) Uncrate featured it today.

Give Your Presentations A Boost With ZoomIt (Windows Only)

2008-09-29T20:28:00.003-07:00

Give Your Presentations A Boost With ZoomIt (Windows Only)
Sometimes the words ‘Microsoft software’ conjures up an image of a gigabyte sized bloated package. But Microsoft too sometimes goes against the grain and some of the tools available from the “Sysinternals Lab” prove that size doesn’t really matter. One example is ZoomIt. What would a bundled app of 145KB have to offer? Some [...]

Sometimes the words ‘Microsoft software’ conjures up an image of a gigabyte sized bloated package. But Microsoft too sometimes goes against the grain and some of the tools available from the “Sysinternals Lab” prove that size doesn’t really matter. One example is ZoomIt.

What would a bundled app of 145KB have to offer? Some nifty help if you look at it closely. Imagine you are giving a PowerPoint presentation to a roomful of people. Perhaps you need to get your point across with a chart but the guy on the fourth row can’t make it out. With a click of a mouse you can now zoom in and focus on that part of the screen with the important information and then zoom back out. You save your audience the pain of squinting.

Plainly speaking, ZoomIt gives you three tools to play around with.

Zoom (zoom in on any area of your screen)
Draw (draw on your screen, whether zoomed or not)
Break Timer (to countdown till a break is up)

�

Zoom : Screen Magnifier for Windows

As a screen magnifier, I think this tool is the best free one out there. It does show quite a high level of magnification which can be seen clearly from a long distance. The screen can be panned around to the desired area of focus. The entire operation can be controlled by a toggle keystroke and/or the mouse.

Draw : Freehand Drawing Tool

The freehand draw function serves as a great presentation aid. Of the three features, this one is the richest. Use the mouse to circle or highlight any part of the display. Then, with a simple push of the E (’E’ for Eraser, maybe?!) key, the drawings are erased again. You can erase all the drawings or just the last one.

Or just use the screen like a white or black sketch pad to give an impromptu drawing or a typed remark. Or just have fun by drawing some simple shapes like circles, rectangles or ellipses. Change the width or color of the draw pen. To further enhance its appeal, you can combine the zoom function with the draw to give your presentations the savvy edge.

Break Timer

After the first two tools, this one is more of an anti-climax. It just acts like a countdown timer rolled into an alarm clock. You can get bit of a reminder help from it if you configure it to play sounds when the break time is up.

Inside the 145 Kilobyte Package

The first time you click the ‘exe’ file, it presents a simple configuration screen. The three functions (the ‘type’ function makes it four actually) are well explained with default hotkeys. Of course, it also allows you to specify your own. The program sits unobtrusively on the tray and all features are easily accessible with a right click.

ZoomIt is a free download, does not require Microsoft validation and is installable on all versions of Windows.

(By) Saikat is a techno-adventurer in a writer's garb. When he is not scouring the net for tech news, you can catch him on his personal blog(www.grafittisplash.blogspot.com)ruminating about the positives in our world

New subscriber? Get your freebies at MakeUseOf Downloads. Enjoy!

Tags:alarm, drawing, Microsoft, Powerpoint, presentations, timer, zoom

Windows Live Writer Blog This for RSS Bandit

2008-09-29T20:28:00.001-07:00

How’s this for a bit of a surprise – Windows Live Writer and RSS Bandit, playing together. The uptake of Windows Live Writer can be seen not only by the number of plugins that spring up for itself but also by the plugins that make it usable in other applications. The Firefox extension Blog It with Windows [...]

How’s this for a bit of a surprise – Windows Live Writer and RSS Bandit, playing together.

The uptake of Windows Live Writer can be seen not only by the number of plugins that spring up for itself but also by the plugins that make it usable in other applications.
The Firefox extension Blog It with Windows Live Writer was one of the first to enable the Blog This functionality Internet Explorer users with the Windows Live Toolbar can enjoy out of the box.
And now comes Blog This for RSS Bandit.
RSS Bandit is a popular feed reader (what are feeds?) which by default can Blog This with w.bloggar (a desktop blogging client) and post to�del.icio.us…. Source: Windows Live Writer Plugins

Track Your Short URL Links With tr.im

2008-09-29T20:27:00.015-07:00

Track Your Short URL Links With tr.im
It’s incredible how many different URL shortening services have cropped up in the last few years. With the rise of microblogging, any way to save characters really makes a difference. In fact, without services like TinyURL, there wouldn’t be any way to put most URL’s in a single tweet, let alone add text to describe [...]

It’s incredible how many different URL shortening services have cropped up in the last few years. With the rise of microblogging, any way to save characters really makes a difference. In fact, without services like TinyURL, there wouldn’t be any way to put most URL’s in a single tweet, let alone add text to describe the link.

Despite the diversity of URL shorteners out there, none of them are quite like tr.im. The easiest way to explain tr.im is to walk you through the process of shortening a URL with it. First of all, take any URL you like. For my example I’m going to use the front page of MakeUseOf.

Obviously if you want to send your link to a friend or post it on Twitter, you’re going to need to condense it into a smaller package. Heading over to tr.im will present you with a text box for your URL.

Notice at the bottom there is a check box for whether you want tr.im to compose this link into a Twitter post. This is because tr.im allows you to either make a separate tr.im account or simply use your pre-existing Twitter account. If you choose the latter, you’ll have all the same user benefits of having an account, but tr.im will also send your links on to Twitter, per your preferences. Tr.im also accepts Identi.ca accounts as well.

When you’ve put in your URL, there is a little box available to you for extra options. You can try to select a unique identifier for your tr.im link. For ours I went with “MUO.” Fortunately it was available. Next you can select a privacy code. I couldn’t figure out what that was supposed to be for the life of me, but it completely disabled the first demo I tried to use it with. The instructions fail to come up when clicked, so no help there. Lastly, you can add some search terms to your link, but this is another mystery option.

Finally, when you click the “tr.im!” button, your link will be trimmed according to your selections and from there you can post it wherever. The story doesn’t end there, though. As I mentioned before, the link can then be made into a tweet for Twitter or Identi.ca. There are several sets of preferences that allow you to adjust how that works. Also, you can choose whether the link will go directly to the target address or go to an intermediary page so your friends can be sure it’s not a dangerous link.

The last and most interesting feature of tr.im is the stats tracking for each link. As you can see, each of my tr.im links has been clicked a different number of times and has a date attached to it for easy categorization. It looks like the link that has been clicked the most is http://tr.im/3ii, a link for contributing to the two charities I am trying to raise funds for. I love the ability to track the links you make because largely when you make a link you actually want people to click it (whereas many links are just for reference). Tr.im also includes a handy pie chart to display where the clicks are coming from.

Overall I plan on using tr.im in a limited capacity. All the microblogging tools I use already include link shortening, so that characteristic isn’t lacking in my digital life. The main thing I want from tr.im is the link tracking. Often I put up a link on Twitter and I want to know how many people actually clicked through to see what it was. Not only does this help me structure my teasers on Twitter more effectively the next time, but it is yet another metric to see where my traffic is coming from.

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(By) Jimmy Rogers is a biology major at George Mason University and an avid freelance tech blogger. Check out his blog, Mason Tech Beat.

New subscriber? Get your freebies at MakeUseOf Downloads. Enjoy!

Tags:Cool Web Apps, free, link tracking, stats, Twitter, url shortening

Nissan shows off bumblebee-inspired, crash-avoiding robot "car"

2008-09-29T20:27:00.013-07:00

Nissan shows off bumblebee-inspired, crash-avoiding robot "car"

Filed under: Robots, Transportation

Nissan's already hard at work on some crash-avoidance systems for regular, human-driven cars, but it looks like it's not stopping there, with it now also showing off its BR23C robotic "car," which apparently takes its inspiration from the humble bumblebee. That comes in the form of the BR23C's laser range finder (or LRF), which acts like a bee's compound eye to detect obstacles up to two meters away within a 180-degree radius. When combined with the slightly mysterious crash avoidance system, that apparently lets the car react "instinctively" the split second it detects an obstacle and maneuver accordingly. Of course, as you can see above, Nissan doesn't seem to be quite ready to test the system with any human passengers just yet, but the company has some big plans for the future, with it aiming to cut its rate of car crashes in half by 2015 compared to its stats from 1995.

[Via Autoblog]

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Ukrainian iPhone due on October 3rd?

2008-09-29T20:27:00.011-07:00

The Ukraine should finally receive the iPhone later this week, the Russian financial paper Kommersant is said to claim. Reports say that the phone will launch overnight between October 2nd and 3rd, and be carried by MTS, with the possibility of more sales through KievStar. This information has not been confirmed by Apple's distributor for the region, Pro Turbo Service, but the company does say i...

Manage Your Life with Free Online Time Management Tools

2008-09-29T20:27:00.009-07:00

In addition to offering a wealth of information, the internet also provides us with a ton of tools. Are you taking full advantage of them? For example, how well do you manage your life? Are you well organized, do you easily remember birthdays, deadlines and appointments? Should you struggle with these tasks, don’t worry, most of [...]

Should you struggle with these tasks, don’t worry, most of us are. Fortunately, you are free to change things and make your life a little easier. Here is what you can do to organize your life and reduce the amount of things you have to remember:

Routine

The first and most difficult task is to adopt a couple of key habits. This is crucial since no tool will ever help you if you don’t communicate with it. Whether you’re using a file-o-fax or an online calendar system, none of these tools were built to read your mind.

1. Write everything down - immediately!
If you’re lucky, you already own a portable device that will synchronize with your computer. If not, get used to carrying pen and paper.

2. Integrate the tools into your daily routine.
Both checking and updating them needs to become a routine task. The good thing is you get to choose when and how often you’ll communicate with your tools! And you don’t have to use them all at once. It all depends what works best for you. Just start - now!

3. Hang in there!
This is a pretty universal habit. In the context at hand it means the following:

give the tools time to work, invest some time and effort to make them work for you
resist your inner temptation to slack off
develop a genuine interest in the tools you are using, learn about them, improve your usage of them or find out about different tools that may work better for you

�

Tools

If you are able to get into the routine described above, you will soon have a lot of free time to fill. However, I have to warn you: relying on any of the following tools means you will depend on technology like never before.

1. Evernote

With Evernote you can collect, sync, search, archive, and share information. The main interface is a website. The desktop client is available for Mac and Windows, further clients support the iPhone, the iPod Touch, Windows Mobile devices, and there is a bookmarklet for your browser.

One of the coolest features is Evernote’s ability to search for words inside of pictures. This makes it a very valuable tool for efficient archiving. On top of that it offers a free option and it’s independent of Google - so far.

Back in April Shankar wrote a thorough review of Evernote.

2. Stickies
If you are the type of person who works best with visual reminders, I recommend Stickies. It works a little like Post-It® notes, but stickies sit on your PC desktop.

Stickies can be fully customized and they can adopt many functions other than holding notes. For example, they may be attached to a website or document, so they will only show in connection with these; network support allows for transfer of notes between machines, for example between computers within a TCP/IP network; and alarms may be set for each note.

I should mention that 3M, the creator of the original Post-It® notes, offers a similar desktop application, however the free version is very limited!

3. I Want Sandy
Sandy is an assistant that you communicate with by eMail. No software, easy to access and easy to program. Sandy relies on keywords in your eMail to her. When you CC someone in your eMail to Sandy, she will get in touch with them for the specific tasks contained in that eMail. Sandy promises she will synchronize with your calendar. At this point she supports Google Calendar. If you like, you can also chat with Sandy through Twitter.

Earlier this year Mark wrote a review about I Want Sandy. For him she didn’t work with Google Calendar, but it looks like the plugin was updated and it worked fine for me.

4. Google Calendar
I already mentioned it in connection with Sandy. As a calendar it does a great job, but I found that it works much better for me when I can access it from my desktop. If you’re already using Thunderbird, see how you can integrate Google Calendar into Thunderbird.

And with GooSync, which is listed in our directory, you can sync Google Calendar with your mobile phone, the Blackberry or the iPhone.

5. Google Mail
While we’re talking about Google, Google Mail can not be missed. Great tool to archive and search mail or documents. If you are actually using the web interface of GMail you should find out about all the plugins and tools that are available for it. If you’re using Firefox, you can integrate Google Calendar with GMail.

6. Remember The Milk
Remember The Milk is a very efficient task manager. First of all it is compatible with a wide range of applications and devices, including Google Calendar, GMail, Twitter, Blackberry and the iPhone or iPod touch. It can send reminders to your eMail, your mobile phone, and many different instant messengers. While for example I Want Sandy is very basic, Remember The Milk offers some great extra features. Create lists or task clouds; integrate maps to make tasks that require you to leave the house more efficient; publish your tasks and lists, share them with your contacts or send out reminders.

A worthy rival to Remember The Milk may be TODOIST, which was tested and reviewed by Daniel.

It goes without saying that there are only two essential tools you need: a calendar and a reminder tool in case the calendar’s reminders aren’t sufficient. I would also recommend a good archiving system.

My personal combination is Google Calendar with Thunderbird because I do not need to rely on mobile devices and usually have instant access to my laptop.

Which ones do you choose and how are you combining them? Tell us in the comments.

(By) Tina is a regular MUO author. In her offline life she's a PhD student interested in unraveling signaling events that determine cartilage and bone development.

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Tags:archive, calendar, note taking, productivity, synchronization, task manager, to-do list

Samsung intros H.264 vidcam with new noise reduction

2008-09-29T20:27:00.007-07:00

Samsung intros H.264 vidcam with new noise reduction
Samsung unveiled the replacement for its SC-MX20 digital media camcorder, the VM-MX25E, which also uses the H.264 codec to encode videos, allowing them to be uploaded straight onto YouTube or Apple�s portable devices, including the iPhone and video-capable iPods. The camera can record onto SD memory cards, with Samsung claiming 8 hours of 640x480-pixel, DVD quality video can fit on a 16GB memory c...

How To Set Up Your Own WampServer

2008-09-29T20:27:00.005-07:00

How To Set Up Your Own WampServer
There once was a great cat, named the WAMPUS cat. However, this article is not about that cat. This article is about a server. A great majority of websites are run by a trio of services - Apache, MySQL and PHP. Apache is the web server, which handles browser requests and sends the information across [...]

There once was a great cat, named the WAMPUS cat. However, this article is not about that cat. This article is about a server. A great majority of websites are run by a trio of services - Apache, MySQL and PHP. Apache is the web server, which handles browser requests and sends the information across the internet to your browser. PHP is the programming language that many sites are written in - this creates dynamic content which in turn is sent to Apache, which sends the data to your browser. And finally, MySQL is the database which stores the information for programs. PHP is used to access this database.

It is a tried and tested trio which works phenomenally well. Usually to gain access to this trifecta, you need to purchase hosting, and this hosting is usually run in a far away datacenter running on a Linux server. However, not many people know that it is available locally, and for Windows as well. You can use these services for running your own applications, and also for locally testing software you are writing, before uploading code to a production server.

WAMP stands for Windows Apache, MySQL and PHP. Compare this to LAMP, which is Apache, MySQL and PHP on Linux.

There are several ways to get these services running locally. Each service, by itself, has Windows installers. That being said - once the programs are installed, you need to know how to configure the services. That may not be simple unless you happen to be a system administrator.

We are going to focus on WampServer. In my experience, using WampServer is the fastest way to get up and running. Wikipedia has a nice list of all Wamp servers.

Step 1

Download the latest WampServer. As of the writing of this article, it includes Apache 2.2, PHP 5.2 and MySQL 5.0.

Step 2

Run the installer. It will warn you to uninstall WAMP5 1.x if you have installed that already. You can use the defaults and it should install without problem.

Step 3

Start the services. You will see a small icon in your taskbar. Left click on it (right clicking does not display the right menu) and select “go online”. The icon will then make a little animation, and your services will be online. You can view your homepage by going to http://localhost/.

Thats it! Wamp is now running. You are ready to install your application, or start learning some PHP! The public website directory is ‘c:\wamp\www\‘.

Any directory you create in this directory, shows up as a ‘project’ on the main index page.

Advanced Settings

PHP Customization

Depending on which type of program you want to install onto your server, you may require additional extensions that are not loaded by default. There are a whole variety of PHP extensions you can load that come built in, but disabled. Left-click on the Wamp menu, go to PHP->PHP Extensions and click off the extension you would like to reload.

You can also edit the configuration file, php.ini through the menu. Edit anything you need, and save this file. The most common edit is the memory_size, but there are many options you can tweak to your liking.

After making any changes to php, make sure you reload apache. I’ve learned the hard way that changes aren’t automatically pushed to the server, until it is reloaded.

Apache Customization

For you advanced tinkerers out there, you can tweak the apache configuration files to your heart’s content. Make sure after making any changes, to reload apache.

MySQL Customization

Depending on your project, you may need to create a database in MySQL. This can be done through phpMyAdmin, which is handily included within the WAMPServer install. By default they include no password on the root MySQL user, which is not the best thing for security reasons. I would recommend changing this password. phpMyAdmin can be reached via the Wamp Menu, or via the url http://localhost/phpmyadmin/

In Summary:

Don’t let the fun stop there. Install a blog and start experimenting with PHP and templates. Run your own Wiki. Run your own music server. The howtos on how to install some neat programs are coming in some future articles.

One of the greatest things about running a home apache server, is that you can use it in combination with a VPN (Hamachi) to access your server anywhere in the world, securely. You can even change your setup to host pages to the outside world, if you so desire.

There is no limit to what you can do! OK, maybe it won’t cook you breakfast in the morning - not yet anyway!

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or need help with the install!

Dave is an IT Manager by day and technology consultant by night. He is interested in all things internet, but especially interested in security, history, and networking. He lives near Philadelphia with his family. You can follow Dave on twitter.

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Tags:apache, hamachi, How-To, lamp, mysql, php, server, VPN, wamp

MacBreak 91: Studio: Multicam Editing Essentials

2008-09-29T20:27:00.003-07:00

MacBreak 91: Studio: Multicam Editing Essentials
Steve Martin shows us how to sync and edit footage from multi-camera in Final Cut Pro.

MacBreak 16: Black and White

2008-09-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

MacBreak 16: Black and White
Leo Laporte and guest Mikkel Aaland show you how to use Adobe Bridge to get fine control when converting images from color to black and white.

Found Footage: Apple sounds "song"

2008-09-25T17:40:00.009-07:00

Filed under: Found Footage

Some might argue that the Apple sound effects found in the "Sound" preference pane can get a little annoying over time. However, a YouTube user has turned those "annoying" tweets and chirps into somewhat of a song.

The song project, created in GarageBand, is available for download from the creator's website. While there, you can also download an m4a audio file of the song -- who knows, this might make a really good iPhone ringtone!

Of course, this guy isn't the first to pull such a stunt, as a Windows version has existed for a while. Now, if you want that on your iPhone, we've got to talk.

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GBTV #435 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-25T17:40:00.007-07:00

GBTV #435 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Vincent Laforet's short film that we mentioned yesterday is online at Canon. He used the 5D Mark II to shoot the film. The behind the scenes footage is online at SmugMug.

We've all been waiting to see a real live phone built on Android, an open source platform. Today, T-Mobile, HTC and Google showed us the G1. It doesn't have multi-touch, but it has a physical keyboard and a trackball. More pros/cons in the show.

Sony announced the VAIO TT, an ultraportable notebook with Blu-ray included. Anyone know what the "TT" stands for? Leave a comment below.

Eye-Fi got an update. It's an SD card that automatically uploads your photos to your computer or a photosharing site like SmugMug. The update makes uploads faster.

Microsoft applied for a very interesting patent. They're calling it "Mobile Device Collaboration". The idea is that you and your friends can all lay your phones side by side and aggregate resources for one large display, surround sound, extra battery life, and more.

You can save money on domain name registrations and renewals from GoDaddy.com with discount codes GB1, GB2 and GB3. For an explanation of each code, click here.

Poll shows our readers track dozens, hundreds of RSS feeds

2008-09-25T17:40:00.005-07:00

The results of our poll on how many RSS feeds you follow are in and they suggest that most people read more than 100 feeds. A total of 40 percent follow up to 100 feeds, while 8 percent read 120 to 129 feeds and 7 percent read 210 to 229 feeds. The largest group by far, comprising 12 percent of votes, reads 390 or more feeds! (There were more than 159 potential voters,but we had a technical problem that prevented many readers from voting in the poll. You can read about many of their RSS habits in the comments section of the original post.)

Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�Linking�Blogs�|�Comments

GBTV #0415 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-25T17:40:00.003-07:00

IFA 2008 is taking place in Germany and Philips Electronics announced enough beautifully designed products to fill a weeks worth of briefs. I picked my top three favorites:

Cinema Ones an all-in-one home theater system that includes an upscalling DVD player, CD player, an iPod dock, a five channel amplifier, six speakers and a subwoofer.

The Phillips DVD Home Theater System provides 9.1 surround from four towers, a dedicated center speaker and a subwoofer.

The NP2900 Network Music Player streams music from a PC or Internet radio stations over your home's wireless netork.

Sony's DSC-T500 (I always like to imagine the DSC stands for Daily Source Code) Cyber-Shot point and shoots 720p video.

Amit Goffer, an Israeli engineer created ReWalk. ReWalk is a robotic exoskeleton that makes it possible for paraplegics to walk. Read More

Dell's tiny M109S pocket projector gets hands-on treatment

2008-09-25T17:40:00.001-07:00

Dell's tiny M109S pocket projector gets hands-on treatment

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

It's one thing to hear 3.46- x 4.12- x 1.46-inches. It's another thing to see how giant someone's hand looks beside Dell's absolutely minuscule M109S pocket projector. Based on a hands-on session with a near-final prototype of the pico-PJ, the cats over at Popular Mechanics were mighty impressed with what they saw. They noted that "colors were a little more washed-out than a top-end home theater projector," but given the size and the manageable $499 price tag, it still managed to wow. Peep the in-action video in the read link.

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Hedge fund in push to get rebels on telco board

2008-09-25T17:39:00.009-07:00

US hedge fund Elliott International is pulling out all stops to get its rebel nominees on to the Telecom board of directors at its annual meeting next Thursday. Elliott has contacted shareholders calling them to vote for "the two... Read More

PocketMac for iPhone adds Entourage and Lotus Notes sync

2008-09-25T17:39:00.007-07:00

PocketMac for iPhone adds Entourage and Lotus Notes sync

Filed under: Software, iPhone

Information Appliance Associates has released a new version of PocketMac for iPhone. Long a mainstay of BlackBerry / Mac integration, the new PocketMac allows iPhone users to sync their contacts and calendar info to Entourage, Lotus Notes or Meeting Maker. It works by using iCal and Address Book as a go-between, syncing Entourage, etc. with each of them. The actual iPhone syncing is via the standard iCal / Address Book channels, but PocketMac ensures than any changes made on the iPhone migrate back to Entourage, etc.

In addition, PocketMac will back up the iPhone's call log and SMS messages to your Mac. It sounds a little round-about (using iCal and Address Book as middlemen) but if your company is wedded to Entourage, Lotus Notes, or Meeting Maker it could be very handy.

PocketMac for iPhone is $29.95; it does not appear that a demo is available.

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MacBreak 21: Renamer4Mac

2008-09-25T17:39:00.005-07:00

MacBreak 21: Renamer4Mac
Emery Wells and guest Kenji Kato show you how to easily rename large groups of files using Renamer4Mac.

Judge declares mistrial in RIAA filesharing case, sets aside $222,000 verdict

2008-09-25T17:39:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We always thought that the RIAA's first-ever filesharing trial victory against Jammie Thomas was a little suspect since the labels weren't required to prove that Thomas even had Kazaa installed on her machine or was the person using the account in question, and it looks like the court agrees -- it's just declared a mistrial and set aside the $222,000 judgment on the grounds that simply making copyrighted works available for download does not constitute copyright infringement. That's a huge decision -- the "making available" theory is the basis for most of the RIAA's legal arguments -- and it means that the RIAA will now have to prove the unauthorized transfer of each song it wants to collect damages on at the new trial. We'll see what effect this has in the broader sense -- we've got a feeling we're in for a slew of appellate decisions on both sides of the "making available" debate -- but for now it looks like the good guys are finally starting to score some points.

[Via ZDNet, thanks JagsLive]

Read - Wired article
Read - Decision [PDF]

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Sling Media starts shipping $300 Slingbox PRO-HD, Canada to get it soon

2008-09-25T17:39:00.001-07:00

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

You already witnessed our unboxing and hands-on with Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD, and if you're anxious to know when you can grab one of your own, how's about right now? Sling has revealed that its $299.99 high-def box can be purchased this very instant from its website and other B&M retailers, and for Canadians feeling a touch left out, take heart -- you all will be able to purchase the unit "in the coming weeks" for $329.99.

Gallery: Slingbox PRO-HD unboxing and hands-on

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PocketMac for iPhone adds Entourage and Lotus Notes sync

2008-09-25T02:18:00.011-07:00

Filed under: Software, iPhone

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Slingbox PRO-HD unboxing and hands-on

2008-09-25T02:18:00.009-07:00

Slingbox PRO-HD unboxing and hands-on

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

We were told that Sling Media was getting ready to ship the Slingbox PRO-HD, and looky here -- one just showed up, looking just slightly less imposing than in the press photos. The $300 box isn't a huge departure from previous Sling gear apart from the inclusion of component and coax digital audio inputs and outputs, but combined with the just-released Windows SlingPlayer 2.0 software, it's the first Slingbox that can stream HD video. Setup with our TiVo HD was painless, and after some quick configuration we were watching pretty nice-looking 1080i video on our desktop, complete with the new ability to pause and rewind up to 60 minutes back. We did notice that the audio and video had some sync problems -- and when we tried connecting the older Mac SlingPlayer client the video looked great for SD but the audio sync issues made it almost unwatchable. Given how rock-solid our other Slingboxes have been, we're certain Sling will sort this out eventually, but it's something to keep in mind before you drop three bills right off the bat.

Apart from that, there's only so much left to say about the Sling experience that's particularly new: the integrated program guide is extremely nice and much appreciated but not earth-shattering, and the new Sling Accounts single-sign-on system is handy but probably should have been implemented from the start. We're not harshing the product, mind you, it's just that the Sling system is so solid at this point (or will be, if the audio issues are resolved soon) that there's simply not much to say -- if you're in the market and have the cash, this is the box to buy. We'll save the detailed blowout for the SlingCatcher -- we'll be honest, we're dying to get our hands on that thing.

Gallery: Slingbox PRO-HD unboxing and hands-on

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Horde of Orcs updated, Flick Bowling released by Freeverse

2008-09-25T02:18:00.007-07:00

Horde of Orcs updated, Flick Bowling released by Freeverse

Filed under: Gaming, Software, iPhone, App Store

Two big updates from our friends at Freeverse in the past few days. First off, Horde of Orcs, their extra-shiny (and funny) version of Desktop Defense, has gotten a big update to 1.1.4, and now features an in-game news system, two new maps, more helpful in-game tips, and "major performance improvements." That last note is of most interest to us -- I had a little trouble getting the game running smoothly on my mini, and can't wait to try again and see how it runs now. You can pick up the full version of the game for $24.95 over on Freeverse's site, or try out a free demo there.

And even more exciting, Freeverse has released another iPhone game: Flick Bowling brings the iPhone's touchscreen interface to one of my favorite games (after all, I did grow up in the very city that hosts the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame). With a bunch of different characters, locations, and even a choice of bowling balls to choose from, odds are that Flick Bowling is probably the best bowling game on the iPhone (though it may only one of a few, if not for long). The app is available in the App Store right now for $4.99. Once again this is a place where a demo would help us, but until Apple gets its App Store game back together, it's all or nothing. If you do decide to take the plunge, let us know how it is.

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Proposal: Two Minor Specification Edits

2008-09-25T02:18:00.005-07:00

Looks like the RSS Advisory Board felt like some changes were in order. Here, take a look for yourself…. The following RSS Advisory Board proposal has been made by Rogers Cadenhead and seconded by Matthew Bookspan and Greg Smith. Under the advisory board charter, the board has seven days to vote on it. Interested parties can comment [...]

Looks like the RSS Advisory Board felt like some changes were in order. Here, take a look for yourself….

The following RSS Advisory Board proposal has been made by Rogers Cadenhead and seconded by Matthew Bookspan and Greg Smith.

Under the advisory board charter, the board has seven days to vote on it. Interested parties can comment on the proposal on the mailing list RSS-Public.
Proposal

The current RSS specification contains two minor issues I’d like to resolve.

1. The docs element refers to an outdated URL for the specification instead of the current URL.

For as long as the board operates,�http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specificatio… will be the permanent URL of the current version of the spec. The domain name is the property of the board, so it can move to a new host as needed in the future…. Source: rssboard.org

MacBreak 22: The Uncluttered Desktop

2008-09-25T02:18:00.003-07:00

Leo Laporte and guest Merlin Mann show you how to clear your desktop from distractions using Finder MenuShade and Sprited Away. Read More

First Look: Summizer, Twitter trends on your iPhone

2008-09-25T02:18:00.001-07:00

First Look: Summizer, Twitter trends on your iPhone

Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch

Summizer (iTunes link) is an app for following trends on Twitter. Similar to a few web apps, it searches Twitter for keywords and allows you to save searches to watch for updates. It's small, simple and elegant. Use it to find out who's talking about what, or even who's talking about you. If you've ever used Twitter's tracking feature (currently disabled), you already know how this works.

The startup screen shows any trends you've added as saved searches, with a blue dot signifying new updates with those words. The first item in the list is always "Trending Topics," which shows the most common topics on Twitter at the moment. When you click a saved search or any "trending" word, you get a list of tweets containing that word or phrase. Touching a tweet reveals options for that tweet: you can always go to the user who created the tweet and see what else they're talking about, but if the tweet contains an @reply or a link, you get additional options for viewing either (links open in the built-in browser).

As with most of my favorite apps, Summizer is well-crafted and serves a single purpose with finesse. The $2.99USD pricetag might be at the high-end of the price range for a single-shot utility, but if you're a trend-watcher, it's a small price to pay; having a finger on the pulse of Twitter can be a great way to stay a step ahead of the game.

As Devil's advocate, I have to mention that some other apps, such as the Pro version of Twittelator ($4.99USD - iTunes link) can store searches and handle actual Twitter usage as well; often at the expense of the aforementioned elegance.

Looking for the iPhone-optimized TUAW page? Bookmark http://i.tuaw.com/ in Mobile Safari for the best iPhone experience.

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Hawaii's 3rd Apple Store ready to roll

2008-09-25T02:17:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Retail, Apple

As if life in Hawaii isn't pleasant enough, Apple is going to make it just a bit sweeter by opening another retail store this weekend.

Apple Store Royal Hawaiian will open on Saturday, September 27th at 10:00 AM. This store is located in The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, at 2301 Kalakaua Ave. next to The Cheesecake Factory (mmm ... cheesecake). Get your full travel directions here. This will be Hawaii's third Apple Store.

Let us know if you visit this store and share your photos and stories. If the Kahala store opening is any indication if what you can expect, it's definitely going to be fun.

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Sony's 11-inch VAIO TT: world's lightest Blu-ray laptop

2008-09-23T19:12:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Laptops

It took a few ~~days~~ hours longer than expected, but Sony's VAIO TT is here. And it's sexy. This 11.1-inch beauty features a sub-1-inch thick, 2.87-pound chassis made from carbon-fiber, and Sony claims it's the lightest notebook on the planet to pack Blu-ray capabilities. Arriving in a variety of configurations, the VAIO TT is available with an XBRITE-DuraView LCD, Intel's Centrino 2 technology, an HDMI output, dual channel 256GB (128GB x 2) SSD setup with RAID, Sprint WWAN (EV-DO Rev. A) and Windows Vista running the show. The Fall-bound TT -- which will arrive in premium carbon black, silk black, champagne gold and crimson red outfits -- will start at around two large, with the Blu-ray model going for $2,700 and the SSD edition demanding $2,750. There's no direct mention of a battery life figure, which scares us just a tad, but you can dig into the full release just after the break.

Gallery: Sony's 11-inch VAIO TT: world's lightest Blu-ray laptop

Continue reading Sony's 11-inch VAIO TT: world's lightest Blu-ray laptop

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Big bung theory - Hadron Collider breaks again

2008-09-21T22:23:00.001-07:00

Big bung theory - Hadron Collider breaks again
The secrets of the Big Bang will have to remain secret a little longer. The Large Hadron Collider, which took 20 years to build and cost $10 billion, will not be able to unravel the mysteries of the universe for at least another...

Forums: MacBook upgrades, 2.1 bugs, app cleanup

2008-09-21T22:22:00.017-07:00

Forum roundup: Recently MacNN forum goers began to discuss what upgrades they could possibly expect to see in the new MacBook lineup. Bugs in the new 2.1 software upgrade are the topic of conversation in this thread. After zealously downloading too many apps, one forum member started a thread looking for thoughts on cleaning up non-essential apps without permanently deleting them. Outrage over...

Teens' homemade cellphone porn getting 'extreme'

2008-09-21T22:22:00.015-07:00

Teenagers are increasingly spreading around homemade porn on their mobile phones, a new youth ABC talk show investigation reveals. Walkley award-winning journalist Steve Cannane has been busy investigating issues affecting young... Read More

GBTV #429 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-21T22:22:00.013-07:00

You could have watched every episode of GeekBrief.TV and not know that we have a helicopter fixation. Radio Controlled helicopters, actually. The Wow Wee Bladstar Flame Indoor Flyer has built in sensor detection to help it avoid obstacles.

The HTC Touch 3G site is live, but hidden. It certainly wants to be an iPhone killer with touch and zoom features. You can also shoot video with the 3.2 megapixel camera. If the site is still playing hard to find when you read this, click here.

Crave underwent a site redesign, and today they posted a link to TechRadar.com's Ultimate Guide to Motherboards. I highly encourage those who are just casually interested in technology and don't consider themselves to be all that tech savvy to read it.

Seagate announced their Fall 2008 Lineup of FreeAgent external hard drives. The Go Portable is supposed to be the slimmest external drive available. The Free Agent Desk Drive is for Macs, and comes in 500GB, 1TB or 1.5TB.

The Expressionist BASS speakers are cone shaped, stereo speakers with 4" subwoofers.

I blogged yesterday welcoming new viewers. Click on the BBC featured GeekBrief.TV on their show. We're honored. You can see that show here. Read More

GBTV #0372 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-21T22:22:00.011-07:00

GBTV #0372 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
It's not usually my nature to be snarky about a person, but on Brief 372, I make an exception.

Yesterday, Peter Ha from CruchGear posted a video from TheStreet.com, and I had to bring it to your attention. In the video, Gary Krakow, apparently an old-school tech journalist, is asked what Steve Jobs needs to do to get the iPhone competitive in a corporate environment. His answer is crazier than anything my favorite Mr. Cranky Pants, John C. Dvorak has ever said about Apple.

RSS/Copyright Debate

2008-09-21T22:22:00.009-07:00

Is RSS syndication honestly a threat to copyrights and those trying to protect them? It’s beginning to look that way. In the past few weeks, I’ve gotten several fresh calls, four in fact (some out of the blue, some from people I know well) about RSS, aggregation, and copyright issues. I think the matter continues to [...]

Is RSS syndication honestly a threat to copyrights and those trying to protect them? It’s beginning to look that way.

In the past few weeks, I’ve gotten several fresh calls, four in fact (some out of the blue, some from people I know well) about RSS, aggregation, and copyright issues. I think the matter continues to have traction and importance. Two follow-ups:

- I never managed, somehow, to see a very fine reply from Nathan Yergler to a post of my own a few months ago. I had proposed a series of 5 licenses specific to syndicated online sources. (I understand that Nathan works for CC in a technical job but was not writing as a CC employee.) His sense is that there is a need for more explicit licensing of citizen-generated content, but that CC licenses (and other things, like full copyright and the public domain) already cover the five variants that I had in mind. It’s a nice argument. I have to think about whether I agree in full — there are reasons why CC Attribution 2.5 may not get the job done in full for all users, say — but if he’s right, then we’d need no new licenses, but just a campaign to get people to know about the options and to use them in ways that reflect their desires related to aggregation and re-use of their content. (Apologies, Nathan, that I’m just getting to reply now, but I managed to miss it the first time; it was a strong argument.)…. Source: blogs.law.harvard.edu

The Anatomy of an RSS Feed

2008-09-21T22:22:00.007-07:00

So what the heck makes up an newsfeed, anyway? Seriously, is it all that complicated? Ah, that might actually surprise you.

RSS has become the standard data format for communicating news, updates or any other type of information that a company or individual wants to syndicate to a large audience. The name is an acronym that stands for Really Simple Syndication, which is an XML format that consists of designated elements that are consistent for all RSS feeds and conform to the XML 1.0 specification. These elements need to stay consistent to allow for a standardized data format that RSS aggregators can then consume. In this article we’ll take a look at the elements in this structure…. Source: WebReference

iPod software now lets you read more RSS items

2008-09-21T22:22:00.005-07:00

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No video, no problem for artists on YouTube

2008-09-21T22:22:00.003-07:00

ATLANTA - When Ludacris' manager wanted to create buzz for his client's upcoming CD, he went directly to YouTube.com. But instead of releasing a flashy video for Ludacris' song Let's Stay Together , Chaka Zulu just uploaded the track... Read More

New Optimus Aux shots show a sexier vision

2008-09-21T22:22:00.001-07:00

New Optimus Aux shots show a sexier vision

Filed under: Peripherals

Yeah, barebones shots are fun and all, but we're never ones to turn down some cleaned-up press renders. The newly-redubbed Optimus Aux (farewell, Pultius) has had its keys scrunched together for optimum hotkey action, and we've got a shot of the rear port configuration after the break, in addition to a comparison to the Maximus to round things out nicely. Face it, Art Lebedev loves you very much. Also, your wallet.

Continue reading New Optimus Aux shots show a sexier vision

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ipod vs zune

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