The JAFT Journal

This is pretty cool and, seemingly, completely secure. This takes the U3 concept and adds some nice features to it. Anyone want to buy me one to play with?

"BlackDog is a fully self-contained computer with a built-in biometric reader and a host of other powerful features. Unlike any other computing device, BlackDog is completely powered off of the USB port of your host computer - no external power adapter required!

"To access and use your BlackDog, you merely plug it in to your host computer's USB port and BlackDog takes over! Your host machine's monitor, keyboard, mouse, and Internet connection are taken over by BlackDog for the duration of your session, when you are done, you simply remove BlackDog and everything on the host is returned to its original state."

Posted by Flick at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Remember a couple of months back I was talking about Asterisk? Well here's something else cool you can do with it:

"This is the first in a series of articles that will provide step-by-step instructions for implementing Bluetooth Proximity Detection. We're going to focus on using it with Asterisk@Home, a terrific PBX which also happens to be free. But your imagination is really the only limitation. At the very least, when we're finished, you'll be able to walk out of your home or office carrying your bluetooth phone or headset and have your Asterisk server automatically transfer your incoming calls to your cellphone. And, when you return carrying your bluetooth phone or headset, Asterisk will automatically cancel the call transfers and reactivate delivery of incoming calls to the designated phones in your home or office. As simple as this concept may sound, the devil is in the details."

Posted by Flick at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Welcome to CosmoPOD.com your free for life Personal Online Desktop.

Free 1GB online to store and edit your emails, office documents, calander, organizer, photos and files,chat to friends play games surf the web even faster and more from any computer on your own personal online desktop and access it from anywhere in the world."

Cool concept, take a LInux desktop, host it, make it available anywhere.

Posted by Flick at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"'Total automation. Total control.'

"The words roll out matter-of-factly as Rod Cullum browses menus on a touch screen on his kitchen wall, one of several points to access the electronic brain that runs his Paradise Valley home."

By the time I can afford a custom home this stuff will probably cost $100.

Posted by Flick at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"An essential edition to any bachelor pad, this hi-tech fingerprint recognition lock is movie technology made real. Yes, it really works. "

Now I just have to wait for the price to fall to something a bit more reasonable than $1200! Wow!

Posted by Flick at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is a pretty cool use of Google Maps. When the page loads you see a turn by turn replay of Nick's bike ride take place. He's also published a how-to, so I imagine we'll see others following suit. Maybe I'll do one for a paintball game series...

Posted by Flick at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Shawn Fanning wrote Napster, the world's first peer-to-peer application, so that students in his dorm could share music with each other. Ever since then, P2P file sharing has remained the killer application for digital music. First, to be fair, Napster is not a true P2P network. It uses a centralized server, which acts as a sort of air-traffic controller for the network. A true P2P network functions just like the brain. Its network of nodes doesn't need a centralized server to help make connections between the nodes. Instead, the nodes connect to each other autonomously, based on a set of rules that encourage the most efficient possible dissemination of data within the network. Just because this architecture has made inroads in the area of music sharing doesn't mean that it can't be used for all kinds of other things. I've come up with a few wild and crazy ideas of my own for using peer-to-peer technology to replace everything from our electricity grid to the bank system. While some of these schemes are more plausible than others, they all demonstrate how powerful the concept of P2P really is. Shockingly, all of these ideas are (gasp) very, very communistic in nature, which might say something about where technology's taking us."

I've had thoughts about where P2P concepts could be applied in areas where one might normally think of them, such as traffic congestion warning systems and stuff, but I've never written them down. This guy has...

Posted by Flick at 04:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The purpose of the Hurricane project was to design the most maneuverable, most capable, and most powerful 4x4 ever. The exploration resulted in a twin-engine fully-functional concept vehicle with the ability to turn on its own axis."

Now *that's* an offroad vehicle!

Posted by Flick at 03:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Peter Raymond wrote me and said 'this is the sort of technology that I'd like to see in the next Windows Media Player.'"

Nice, not only did Scoble post my message but, in turn, the CTO of the company I'm excited about replied as well! Even better, he's about to release a preview of exactly what I am wishing for and has invited me (and anyone, really) to participate. I *love* the way the web lets end users connect with manufacturers, well, willing ones anyway, without all the hassle of the front end PR people.

Posted by Flick at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"There are exactly two points of sanity in the world of high technology. One is the recharging connector for Nokia phones. The other is the recharging connector for Toshiba notebooks. The manufacturers don't keep changing them."

I agree that this is an issue, although I'd rather see the charger standardize on the standard mini-USB plug and voltage. How handy that would be!

Posted by Flick at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Introducing the Slingbox - a groundbreaking piece of hardwired ingenuity that will literally transform the way you watch television. The Slingbox enables you to watch your TV programming from wherever you are by turning virtually any Internet-connected PC into your personal TV. Whether you're in another room or in another country, you'll always have access to your television."

Slick but pricey.

Posted by Flick at 06:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"In a nondescript optics lab in tucked into an anonymous office park in a suburb of Los Angeles, the photon hackers of Deep Light are showing off the future of media. The object of their affection is a small screen on which an animated gladiator is clashing scimitars with a horned monster in a Coliseum-like setting.

"But this is not a flat cartoon image; it is full three-dimensional space, the combatants convincingly circling each other inches from the viewer's eyes, and without need for those clunky red-and-blue cardboard glasses, either. It is a 3-D image seen with the naked eye."

Posted by Flick at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Ready to back out of your driveway, you put the car in reverse and press the gas. Nothing happens. You get out and find your neighbor's child on a tricycle behind the car and below your field of view. Your car was smart enough not to go.

"Sound far-fetched? Not according to engineers who specialize in automotive electronics."

I've heard a lot of this before, but the peer to peer car communications part was new. Cool stuff but, as always, years away.

Posted by Flick at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"If you're worried that nanotechnology is going to contaminate the Earth and needs to be stopped before it destroys the human species, well ... heh-heh ... too late!"

Smell free diapers? Cool!

Posted by Flick at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Picture this scenario: it is a Friday night in the middle of winter and you are driving to your holiday home in the mountains for the weekend.

On your way there, you send your second residence a text message, which will activate the heating, so the place is nice and warm by the time you arrive."

Cool.

Posted by Flick at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"High-performance handheld electronic devices such as smart phones, video/music players, multi-functional PDAs and RFID tag readers require longer usage times than power sources currently provide. Traditional battery technologies are not keeping pace with these demands."

This article makes it sound like we're getting closer to practical fuel cells.

Posted by Flick at 06:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The flip phone is king in Tokyo. Everyone has one, and it seems to be the center of both the communications and the entertainment universe. For one thing, despite the American stereotype of the shutterbug Japanese tourist, no one is carrying cameras anymore. I've seen . . ."

Glad to see the idea of tiny for tiny's sake is gone.

Posted by Flick at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"If you think there are already way too many people talking way too much, in way too many places, on mobile phones, brace yourself: a whole new demographic is about to join the mobile phone-toting army.

"Apparently, some parents think it's a good idea to give a cellphone to their preteen children. And, ever anxious to please, the technology industry is ready with just such a gadget."

No, Ashley, you don't get one. Sorry.

Posted by Flick at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Can't get out of bed in the morning?

"Scientists at MIT's Media Lab in the United States have invented an alarm clock called Clocky to make even the doziest sleepers, who repeatedly hit the snooze button, leap out of bed."

Wow, I think that would actually work for me!

Posted by Flick at 03:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Looking for the ultimate widescreen TFT? It may be that Dell can help you out with its stunning new 24in flat panel display."

Nice! Hmm, one of these, or one of the dual/triple displays I've highlighted earlier? Not that it matters, can't afford either, but nice to dream!

Posted by Flick at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Most of us came away from CES with a massive case of PC-itis - the obsessive notion that the more computing power and media you cram into ever-more-personal devices, the cooler and more groundbreaking the product. So we didn't fully digest the meaning of a countervailing development at the show: the growing ability of even relatively dumb gadgets like mobile phones and PDAs to access music, videos, images, and other media stored somewhere else.

"Why is this important?"

Because it's a potential paradigm shift, and a disruptive shift at that, that's why.

Posted by Flick at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“Navtraffic is an additional XM service available for 20 US metro areas that updates your GPS with accidents, freeway speeds and other useful local information. Finally you could opt for the rice boy’s, oops we mean tuner’s, dream accessory, the vehicle dynamics display. This accessory hooks into your car’s systems and can display a speedo, tach, and even angular velocity and G-Forces. Of course the display can be customized to look like anything from a video game to an F-16a cockpit.” [via Engadget: CES]

Real time information, way cool!

Posted by Flick at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

”While it isn’t exactly new, it was the first time we’d seen the Dell 2005FPW in person, and it does impress. The 20.1-inch 16:10 widescreen LCD display has a 1680x1050 WSXGA+ resolution, 4 USB 2.0 ports, a thin bezel, a 600:1 contrast ratio, 12ms response time (great for gaming), picture in picture capability, DVI, S-Video, and composite inputs, and an optional speaker sound bar that goes well with the unit. What’s amazing to us is the price, as you can pick one up for around $600 with Dell discounts or coupons, so we’re still smarting over paying around 15 bills for a 4:3 2001FP back in the day.” [via Engadget: CES]

I want, I want!

Posted by Flick at 01:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We’ve heard some whisperings that Seagate has a 500GB hard drive of their own in the hopper, but Hitachi announced yesterday that they’re coming out with a 500GB 3.5-inch desktop PC hard drive. The other news is that they’ve shrunk their 1-inch MicroDrive so that it takes up one-fifth less space and more than doubled it’s capacity to 10GB (there’s also an 8GB version, too). If you want to connect the dots, Apple uses Hitachi’s 4GB 1-inch MicroDrive in the iPod mini, so it’s not entirely inconceivable that an 8GB or 10GB iPod mini could turn up sometime this year.

Related...

[Engadget: CES]

Trying something different.

Posted by Flick at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Right about now, you're either wearily rising out of your hotel bed to attend the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas or you're being bombarded with headlines and hype about the latest cool products. To help you sort through it all, I offer my humble take on the Top 10 digital entertainment trends for 2005."

Posted by Flick at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I first mentioned this last June: "Sonos is the first and only digital music system that lets you play all your digital music, all over your house—and control it all from the palm of your hand. Best of all, you don't need a PC in every room, a music server or a wireless network. Just a Sonos ZonePlayer and speakers in the rooms of your choice and a Sonos Controller in hand to access all your digital music, no matter where it's stored—on your PC, Mac or Network Attached Storage box."

I have just received an email that these products are now shipping. Too bad they missed the Christmas season, I think that would have been a great launch. I'd love to try these out but I'm going to have to wait until pricing comes down. If you try them out let me know, otherwise I'll keep an eye out for a review. Hmm, maybe I can get Mossberg to do it. ‹moments later› Ok, sent him an email. Meanwhile, if someone wanted to send me one...

Posted by Flick at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The first automobile to use air-filled tires was a racecar built by André and Édouard Michelin in the early 1890's. More than a century later, the French company founded by the Michelin brothers is so identified with pneumatic tires that its mascot, Bibendum, is a man made of little else.

"Now, after decades spent persuading the world to ride on air, the company has begun work on an innovation that could render the pneumatic tire obsolete. Engineers at Michelin's American technology center here envision a future in which vehicles would ride on what they call the Tweel, a combined tire and wheel that could never go flat because it contains no air."

Posted by Flick at 07:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"To be truly hip, you need to start angling for the hot tech toys of Christmas 2010."

I like the PSSSST concept.

Posted by Flick at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Delphi's MyFi is the first personal satellite-radio receiver to offer a truly portable, Walkman-style form factor. The MyFi lets you listen to all of XM's more than 130 digital stations anywhere you can see the sky. It will be available in December for a list price of $350."

Pricy but if you think of it as an unlimited iPod then it's within reason. I wouldn't get enough use out of it to justify one, though.

Posted by Flick at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised the principal component of a tiny atomic clock that will draw very little power.

"The atomic works can be fabricated on standard computer chips using existing manufacturing methods for making microelectromechanical systems. This makes it potentially easy to mass produce and integrate with other electronics."

If it's truly this small and presumably very cheap, no reason that it couldn't go into *everything* electronic in the next few years. No more having to set anything, wouldn't that be sweet?

Posted by Flick at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"TiVo, the digital recorder for television, has become such a cult item that folks use it as a verb -- 'I'll have to TiVo the Red Sox game on Tuesday.' Its fans predict it will replace the VCR as a way to do video 'time-shifting' -- to record a TV show so you can watch it at a more convenient time.

"But what about radio? Is there a way to time-shift radio? This week, my assistant Katie Boehret and I reviewed a new device that aims to do just that. It's the radioShark, from Griffin Technology, and it acts as a sort of TiVo for radio."

Posted by Flick at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Since a lot of the world's information isn't yet online, we're helping to get it there. Google Print puts the content of books where you can find it most easily; right in Google search results.

"To use Google Print, just do searches on Google as you normally would. Whenever a book contains content that matches your search terms, we'll show links to that book in your search results. Click on the book title and you'll go to a "content page," where you can see the page containing your search terms and other information about the book. You can also search for other topics within the book. Click on the "Buy this Book" link and you'll go straight to a bookstore selling the book online."

I've been using Amazon for this type of search. I'm sure they're not happy with this.

Posted by Flick at 06:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"It always amazes me when I hear a cellular phone ring the same ring it came out of the box with. Even today, with the custom ring tone business going gangbusters, many people don't change their ring from the default Nokia tune or the T-Mobile jingle. And whenever two or more of these people are in the same room and one of their phones rings, it's massive beepilepsy as everybody grabs for their pockets and purses.

"Unchanged ring tones are the most prevalent symptom of what I call defaultitis, the disease in which technology users don't change dopey default settings. I don't get it--all this personal technology is supposed to adapt to you, after all. Changing defaults should come as naturally as adjusting the seat and the mirror when you get in a car. Make it fit you; otherwise, you're in for an uncomfortable and awkward ride."

Agreed. The first thing I do with anything is promptly personalize it so that it stands apart and suits my needs. Why should I adapt to fit *personal* technology? Wouldn't that make it *generic* technology?

Posted by Flick at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Ever apologize to a caller for loud background noises? Or look desperately for a quiet place to talk? Cup your hand over your mouth? Or shout? Let's face it, hearing and being heard while you're on the go has always been a problem. So much so that poor sound quality is widely accepted as the status quo. A tradeoff for the convenience of mobility.

"Stop compromising. Start adapting.
You can't control your environment, but with Jawbone's adaptive technology, you can outsmart it. At a rate of 500 times per second, Jawbone continuously adjusts - and improves audio quality - based on what it knows about your environment."

Pretty cool idea, using military audio technology to enhance consumer headsets. This first generation, though, is way too big and bulky. Fugly, in fact. I'll wait for the miniaturized version that tucks into the ear and uses earbones instead of cheekbones.

Posted by Flick at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Handset maker Motorola on Monday introduced a new phone that it says will switch calls seamlessly between cellular services and wireless Internet networks, potentially offering business customers big savings if the technology works as promised."

Now we're getting somewhere! Forget the corporate angle, I just want to be able to use my cell phone with a> perfect reception and b> little/no cost in my own house!

Posted by Flick at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"TiVo users will be able to share copies of digital TV shows through the Internet with a small number of friends and family members, the Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday."

Excellent!

Posted by Flick at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The low-fat, high-bandwidth solution to your networked cooking needs is finally here. The George Foreman USB iGrill conveniently connects to your home or office PC using USB 2.0 technology, and provides a sophisticated web-based cooking interface."

Posted by Flick at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"AllMiMedia is a radically new software application that allows individuals to access, control and aggregate all of their content, devices and applications, from anywhere they have an Internet connection. Our slogan is "All my content - All the time." Think of it as home networking on steroids."

Intriguing.

Posted by Flick at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"I'm in a supermarket called the Extra Future Store in Rheinberg, Germany, 40 kilometers north of Düsseldorf, jonesing for a bit of Philadelphia cream cheese. I feed my request into the touchscreen console on my shopping cart, and up pops a map showing the optimal path to the dairy section. I steer over and grab a box - regular in name but far smarter than the average cream cheese. The package carries a computer chip that talks to a 2-millimeter-thin pad lining the shelf under the box. When I pick up the cheese, sensors in the pad notify the store's database that the box has been removed. I exchange the plain for the mit Kräuter (with herbs) then, wracked with indecision, snag the low-fat version. It turns out it's not really all that low-fat anyhow, so I put it back down. My waffling will produce a flurry of data back at Kraft Foods headquarters. The company, which gets this information in return for subsidizing the smart shelf and the microchips attached to the packages, will use the data to analyze my behavior. The marketing department will likely draw some kind of conclusion from my skittishness - a hint that maybe "low-fatness" is too Spartan a theme for a hedonistic schmear anyway. Of course, they'll also have serious insight into my personal shopping habits."

Posted by Flick at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"We've been waiting for the Archos AV420 with bated breath, and after playing around with it, we can safely say that portable 'TiVo' has officially arrived."

Posted by Flick at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Howie Shrobe’s light fixtures are misbehaving this morning. When the principal research scientist in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory instructs the system that automates parts of his office to “stay awake,” a voice emanating from a set of speakers obediently replies, “At your service.” And when Shrobe, SM ’75, PhD ’78, tells the system, “Close the drapes,” they magically glide shut, blocking out all light from the seemingly normal office. But when he says, “Turn on the lights,” nothing happens. Shrobe leans a little closer to the microphone array that sits on his desktop computer and repeats the command a little louder. When the room gives him the silent treatment again, he quickly types something on a keyboard; the lights turn on. He smiles and admits that he was playing around with the system a little this morning, which might explain why it’s acting up. After all, it is a work in progress."

Reading the article, it sounds like this is the first series of steps towards what I call the Star Trek Computer Model, which is basically the ability to interact with your computer/environment via your voice.

Posted by Flick at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The average selling price of DVD recorders is expected to fall by as much as 50 percent later this year as Taiwanese shipments of DVD recorders increase sharply, a government-backed market research firm in Taipei says."

Posted by Flick at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"TomTom is a range of innovative travel products for handheld computers and smartphones. TomTom gives travelers all over the world local information, personal navigation tools, entertainment and assistance with foreign languages while on the move."

Some cool stuff here, particularly the all in one box called the TomTom GO.

Posted by Flick at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"There are 1.5 billion mobile phones in the world today. Already you can use them to browse the Web, take pictures, send e-mail and play games. Soon they could make your PC obsolete."

Posted by Flick at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Pity the poor unfortunate who runs into Steve Jobs at a tech conference. Not only did John McFarlane, CEO of Sonos, choose Monday to announce his streaming-music-over-WiFi product -- the same day Apple launches Airport Express -- he meets Steve Jobs at the Wall Street Journal's D conference, where Jobs tells him the product likely violates Apple's patents."

Bah! I hate it when legalities stifle innovation. Hopefully this issue can be resolved quickly, as I'm already saving my nickels to get these units.

Posted by Flick at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Digital music fans can now listen to rock in the garden, punk in the playroom and fusion in the bedroom, with the launch of the Sonos Digital Music System, which is previewing this week at the "D2: All Things Digital" conference in Carlsbad, Calif. The Sonos offering is the first and only multi-zone digital music system with a wireless, full-color LCD screen controller that lets consumers play all their digital music, all over their home, while controlling it all from the palm of their hand."

Ok, for those just browsing I figured I'd add a direct link to the Sonos press release. The more I read about this the more excited I get!

Posted by Flick at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Sonos is the first and only digital music system that lets you play all your digital music, all over your house - and control it all from the palm of your hand. Best of all, you don't need a PC in every room, a music server or a wireless network. Just a Sonos ZonePlayer and speakers in the rooms of your choice and a Sonos Controller in hand to access all your digital music, no matter where it's stored."

I think my Audiotron just became yesterday's technology.

Posted by Flick at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"From Engadget comes news of Sony's new 1 Terabyte DVR with 7 tuners."

Wow! If it can accept child boxes that plug into it, this could be the whole house server I want. Too bad the page is in Japanese.

Posted by Flick at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"TiVo, the maker of a popular digital video recorder, plans to announce a new set of Internet-based services today that will further blur the line between programming delivered over traditional cable and satellite channels and content from the Internet. It is just one of a growing group of large and small companies that are looking at high-speed Internet to deliver video content to the living room."

What was I just saying? ;-) Now if they'd just license a version to run on a PC...

Posted by Flick at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"NASA officials are starting to fill in the blanks on how they might rescue the Hubble Space Telescope with a robot."

Excellent, it would be a shame to let the telescope flame out of existence.

Posted by Flick at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"One of the cheapest Linux computers you can buy brand new (not at a garage sale) is the Linksys WRT54G, an 802.11g wireless access point and router that includes a four-port 10/100 Ethernet switch and can be bought for as little as $69.99 according to Froogle. That's a heck of a deal for a little box that performs all those functions, but a look inside is even more amazing. There you'll find a 200 MHz MIPS processor and either 16 or 32 megs of DRAM and four or eight megs of flash RAM -- more computing power than I needed 10 years ago to run a local Internet Service Provider with several hundred customers. But since the operating system is Linux and since Linksys has respected the Linux GPL by publishing all the source code for anyone to download for free, the WRT54G is a lot more than just a wireless router. It is a disruptive technology."

I already love these units and to find out that they have this capability makes them that much more appealing. A self configuring MESH? Sweet!

Posted by Flick at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"More than 75 percent of Americans rely on broadcast news sources for information about the presidential campaign. Voters have had few ways to search these audio/video outlets for news and topics that are critical to them — until now. CampaignSearch.com has gathered campaign-related video and audio files from a number of Web sites: George Bush's and John Kerry's campaign Web sites, C-SPAN, PBS, NPR and more. CampaignSearch.com uses complex spoken-language-analysis software created by StreamSage to automatically identify the sections of audio/video news and speeches that are relevant to a voter's interests."

Posted by Flick at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"I like printed photographs. Family members mail them to me all the time. Also, my wife frequently orders stacks of prints from Ofoto (mostly of our wedding) which she then parcels out to friends and our mantelpiece.

"I can't remember the last time I printed a photo myself, though. With my digital cameras, I'm taking more pictures than ever, and I am sharing them. However, I'm doing so electronically."

Posted by Flick at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"When Scott Mellanby of the St. Louis Blues apparently scored the tying goal late in a recent National Hockey League playoff game with the San Jose Sharks, Sharks assistant coach Tim Hunter wasn't worried. He quickly replayed the whole scene on his tablet PC equipped with TiVo-like functionality and verified that there was no goal. In contrast, it took officials 2.5 minutes to call up to the booth and then rule on the play."

Posted by Flick at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"If you have ever wanted to emulate Star Trek and talk to colleagues via a lapel communicator, then now is your chance."

Posted by Flick at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"A Bellingham firm says it has created a plastic that can turn cell phones into their own antennas, resulting in fewer dropped calls, better battery life and clearer reception."

Posted by Flick at 03:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"On the second floor of an unassuming office building on the edge of Burbank, John Lowry is forging what might be the future of the DVD and, with it, the way that classic films will be stored, preserved, telecast and watched."

Posted by Flick at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"This article focuses exclusively on sound quality. There have been audio quality comparison tests before, but they usually focus on a single pair of codecs – often comparing the codec du jour against MP3. These are usually conducted in special listening labs, where extremely high-end audio equipment is used in a very controlled environment with expert, well-trained listeners. This method has its merits, but we think there's value it doing it a different way for a change. We wanted to find out which codec and settings sound best to normal people under normal listening conditions – at home on their own stereos and computers, using their own speakers or headphones."

WMA won.

Posted by Flick at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Here's a thought that I hope to expand upon more in the near future. Will Google's new Gmail free email system be just the first of many things we begin moving to a new Google Desktop? If so, Microsoft might have a lot more to worry about than web search."

What an interesting idea! Rather than trying to Google your desktop, why not take your desktop to Google?

Posted by Flick at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"If you just bought a DVD-burning drive for your computer and think that for once you're current with the latest and greatest, it's disappointment time."

Posted by Flick at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Teleflip Home

"Teleflip started when the founder became increasingly frustrated at his inability to send text messages to friends' cell phones from his PC. It was of course possible, but you had to know the cell phone provider, the correct domain name and the correct syntax for the email address. There had to be an easier way....Teleflip was born."

Pretty slick little service, allowing you to use an email address to receive SMS messages even if your phone provider doesn't give you one.

Posted by Flick at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Information About Windows and Broadband You Can Use!"

The latest issue of Scot's Newsletter is out. It's been awhile since I've point at it, so this is for the new readers. Great resource, I highly recommend that you sign up for email delivery.

Posted by Flick at 07:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The TRITTON NAS is an external 120GB hard drive that connects to into any network via a CAT5 connection and can be shared by ALL users. Use the NAS unit as a Media Storage Solution to back up your movies, music, photos and data to one central location. No need to leave a computer on to share files, just store it to the NAS and access it anytime. Unlike having to leave a computer on the NAS draws much less power. With an easy to use browser interface for administration, the TNAS120 can be integrated quickly into any network. While other NAS solutions currently exist, they are unaffordable to the SOHO market."

That last sentence really says it; with this unit, NAS technology is finally within reach of the home user or small office. I see two primary use scenarios for this:

I highly recommend everyone keep an eye on these products now that they are coming within reach of the masses.

Posted by Flick at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

"Who wouldn't want a network camera? A device that connects to your wired or wireless network so you can monitor your home while you're away is just plain cool."

Posted by Flick at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"At best, TV production is an elaborate game of “Beat the Clock,” only with costly penalties when the clock wins. So last summer, between seasons two and three, the “Scrubs” producers and editors set out to relieve some of the headaches of creating so much in so short a time. As one key prescription, “Scrubs” became the first network TV series to be edited entirely using Final Cut Pro."

I love this show and was thrilled to hear how they leverage technology in the editing process.

Posted by Flick at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"A personal experience with movie download provider Movielink underscores the disconnect between the service provided and what the consumer expected."

I agree with Jaffe; why the limitations?

Posted by Flick at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was having a discussion with a buddy yesterday about technology, and one of the topics we focused on was that of control. We agreed that it would make sense to use something that a person is always carrying as their "univeral remote", something that would be controlling everything from a person's home theater to the home's lighting system, something that allows a person to check status of devices and see pertinent information at a glance. We settled on the cell phone as this device. Poking around today, I found this:

"Bemused is a system which allows you to control your music collection from your phone, using Bluetooth."

Looks like we're not the only ones exploring these ideas!

Posted by Flick at 06:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Bob Carlin enjoys the simplicity of snapping photos with his digital camera and has amassed a considerable collection of shots from parties, car shows and Yosemite. His complaint isn't about taking pictures, it's what to do with them afterward."

There's the rub. It's waaaay too easy nowadays to take a ton of pictures. Sorthing them and sharing them is now the hard part. Looks like sharing is about to become easier.

Posted by Flick at 06:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"If employees at Google are anxious about the future, you wouldn’t know it from a visit to the company’s headquarters. Since last fall, when talk of an initial public offering got investors salivating, the organization has been under unusual scrutiny: some observers have called it “the hottest company on the planet,” while others claim it’s a business in leaderless disarray, with competitors crowding in and major customers on the verge of defection. But the Google complex in Mountain View, CA, is as outwardly carefree as any college campus. The main lobby is a study in shagadelic kitsch, with a baby grand piano, a spinning party light, and a row of neon-bright lava lamps arranged in the same blue-red-yellow-blue-green-red sequence as the company’s familiar logo. The cafeteria pulses with rock music, shouted conversation, and the sounds of geeks slurping free gourmet food. Upstairs, in the cubicle farms, programmers chitchat across walkways littered with toys, Segway transporters, and the occasional canine."

Good (long) article on the future of search engines. Lots of innovative ideas coming down the road. Check out Mooter, for example.

Posted by Flick at 08:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Mobile multimedia specialist Alpine has developed a system that enables consumers to connect and control their Apple iPod portable music player from their in-vehicle sound system. Alpine's iPod Ready strategy is part of the company's overarching mission to create innovative in-vehicle electronics that are easier to use and provide great sound in the mobile environment."

It's about time someone has realized there must be a better way to connect portable players in cars. I've tried the FM transmitter and the cassette adapter, but neither really work well. I've broken down and ordered a new deck, one that has a 1/8" jack on it so that I can just patch my MP3 player right in.

I know, dream on...

Posted by Flick at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Thanks to a never-ending supply of sharp minds and energy in the information technology industry, innovation will keep on marching ahead in 2004 -- good economy or bad. (But a good economy sure helps.) Editors from internetnews.com and across Jupitermedia have compiled a list of ideas/trends/innovations to watch in 2004."

This caught my eye as I was researching Gi-Fi today.

Posted by Flick at 02:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"If you’ve never heard of a Cantenna, don’t worry you are not alone. A Cantenna is simply an inexpensive version of the long-range antennas used by wireless internet providers and mobile phone companies. It is ideally suited for sending or receiving wireless signals in the 2.4 GHz ISM band (802.11b + g). Now, with your own Cantenna you can extend the range of your wireless network or connect to other wireless networks in your neighborhood."

Was researching external antennas for a co-worker, ran across this interesting looking device. Wish I had a neighbor to experiment with!

Posted by Flick at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"There has been a lot of talk floating around about TiVo’s acquisition of Strangeberry, “a small Palo Alto based technology company specializing in using home network and broadband technologies to create new entertainment experiences on television."

Posted by Flick at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The Person-to-Person® Household Telephone Manager is a revolutionary system that was created by a Dad with the goal to bring control of the phone back into his home. The Person-to-Person® system offers a variety of unique options to choose from, allowing the consumer to create a personal phone manager. This non-imposing unit is easy to set up and immediately becomes one of the most important pieces of communication equipment in the home."

'Bout time someone came up with something inexpensive like this. Now just tie in my cell phone and give me one voicemail box and I'll be happy.

Posted by Flick at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"The big lesson from this year's CES: Finally, the worlds of computing and consumer electronics (TVs and stereos) are coming together - and in a good way. It was inevitable. The same technology, more or less, can view e-mails and play DVDs, so why not integrate those worlds?"

True convergence is getting close!

Posted by Flick at 06:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

SPOT watch picture

Man, I have *got* to fix the image issue, this would have been better to just embed here instead of making you click. Oh well.

Posted by Flick at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"One of the hottest devices at CES 2004 was the new Creative Zen Portable Media Center device, based on the Windows Portable Media Center software."

Posted by Flick at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"For years, the purveyors of consumer technology have made promises they couldn't keep. In the very near future, they said, personal computers and gadgets would communicate effortlessly with each other."

Posted by Flick at 06:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"We're sitting here live at the 2004 CES Bill Gates keynote. We'll be updating this story throughout the speach, so refresh often for the latest information."

Posted by Flick at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Microsoft Corp. today announced its first Connected Concept Cars - using a Hummer H2, Cadillac CTS and BMW X5 - at the 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The company's concept vehicles demonstrate how Microsoft is bringing the Connected Car to life with the latest applications, services and technologies available for drivers and passengers."

For starters, I'd like a BT compatible car stereo, so that I can stop fumbling for the phone when it rings.

Posted by Flick at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wired News

"On the heels of a speech by Bill Gates that focused on the PC as the center of home media, Intel President and COO Paul Otellini weighed in with his own vision for the digital home at the Consumer Electronics Show."

Posted by Flick at 09:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Apple Computer is trying to correct one of the most notorious business decisions in recent history. Hewlett-Packard announced yesterday that it will sell its own version of Apple's successful iPod music player."

Posted by Flick at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"In story earlier this week, we ran an image of a prototype Portable Media Center that Microsoft showed at the Consumer Electronics Show last year. The caption explained that the actual products could look a lot different, and in fact, that's the case. Below is a product shot of the Portable Media Center device from Creative Technology, which was shown for the first time during Bill Gates' opening speech here Wednesday night."

Posted by Flick at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

infoSync World : Editorial

"A few weeks ago, I expounded on the need for dumb phones. Rather than pairing a zillion-featured phone with its horribly cramped interface with a zillion-featured handheld with its decent interface, why not pair a handheld with a phone that does nothing but voice, and routes everything else to the handheld over Bluetooth where there is a real interface. Recently, however, I realized I wasn't thinking far enough outside the box. If the phone isn't being used as anything except a receiver, then why have a phone at all?"

Why indeed?

Posted by Flick at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Roku

"Introducing the world's coolest network music player! The Roku SoundBridge lets you play your Mac or PC digital music files anywhere in the house. All major audio formats are supported - MP3, WMA, AAC, AIFF and WAV - and it's network ready with wired Ethernet or an optional CompactFlash Wi-Fi adapter. A large, bright display and Apple RendezvousTM and native iTunes® support make this player a winning part of your home entertainment system."

Wow, a worthy competitor to my favored Turtlebeach Audiotron! I hope TB has something new to show off at CES. Rumor say yes.

Posted by Flick at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"What we're really excited about is something called LocationFree, which consists of a 12.1-inch wireless LCD touchscreen television that connects to a basestation over WiFi. Besides being a nifty wireless portable TV the LocationFree can also be used to access the Internet, stream video, do email, etc. This is what Smart Display should have been."

Posted by Flick at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gizmodo

"If you're looking for our coverage of this week's Consumer Electronics Show, here's a roundup of related reports, dispatches, and product announcements (though to be honest, most gadget news this week will probably have something to do with CES)."

I'll continue to post individual items I find of interest, but this is the motherload that I suggest you check out!

Posted by Flick at 07:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"The Lightglove, a computer controller that uses light to create virtual buttons and control the cursor, makes the hand more powerful than ever before. It is also a boon to computer users who cannot manipulate a conventional keyboard or mouse."

Posted by Flick at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"The computing industry will up the ante on its consumer bet this week, as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and other tech stalwarts head to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show."

Posted by Flick at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Eight companies, including some of the largest names in electronics, are planning to jointly develop technology that allows multimedia content to be sent around the home over standard TV antenna cabling."

Oh sure, and here I'm about to put CAT5e/CAT6 everywhere. sigh.

Posted by Flick at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"The personal computer has been losing ground to video game consoles for years. But an alliance of several companies hopes to reverse that trend by creating a computer that can play PC games on a television as conveniently as a console."

Cool concept, be interesting to see where they take it. Digital hub, anyone?

Posted by Flick at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"It shakes markets. It rattles cages. It rolls like a stone across the entire technology industry. No wonder every major name on the CE charts is here, including the Top 100 buyers on the here-to-play list. Turn up your business volume at the one show that rocks the world."

Yep, it's that time again, the Consumer Electronics Show is back in Vegas. I'm not able to make it this year (bah!) but my boss is going so he's going to keep an eye out for new and cool stuff, as well as the latest word on the HDTV-TiVos.

I'll also be posting info from the show as I run across it online, so check back daily!

Posted by Flick at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Battery Types, Performance, and Charging Tips

Figured this would be timely, since I'm sure we all received something that requires batteries for Christmas.

Posted by Flick at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"The daily flood of e-mail messages is like a baby's cry - insistent but mysterious. You genuinely want to understand the meaning, but you can't always grasp the language."

The future of Outlook?

Posted by Flick at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Day the Plip Plops Stopped

"Earlier this week, something happened in our house. Something of the worst magnatude. It's so horrible that I can barely summon up the courage to type it.

"The TiVo died."

This ranks very high on my list of "things that would suck."

Posted by Flick at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"This cutting edge performance computer is a quarter-mile track, dyno, and skid pad
all wrapped into one...a very advanced and revolutionary automotive tuning tool."

Pretty cool if you're really into measuring the performance of your car.

Posted by Flick at 08:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"If a reasonably-priced flat panel TV is on your holiday wish list, you might want to wait until next year."

With Dell and Gateway entering this market, prices are sure to plummet.

Posted by Flick at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Tech gear is fun again - whether you're into 3-D computer screens, smartphones, theater-quality home audio, or DNA kits for kids. Our crack squad of geeks has rounded up 77 innovative playthings that'll keep you entertained till next holiday season."

Some pretty cool stuff here, ranging from "how much?!?!?!" to "I'm going to buy that right now!"

Posted by Flick at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

Pretty self explanatory. Enjoy!

Posted by Flick at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Picture this: You're sitting in your living room at home, watching a digital movie that you ordered wirelessly from your laptop computer. Your son barges in the room with some friends and pauses the flick so he can show his buddies a home movie he's taken and stored on the family entertainment server. Undeterred, you head for the bedroom, where with the flick of a few buttons on your remote, you can access the very same digital movie your son had turned off, and pick it up in the exact spot you lost it when he barged in."

Posted by Flick at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

I found this while browsing "Why Not". What a great idea! I signed up for the newsletter and will be following along to see when they go into actual production.

I can already see the radio stations in the US trying to block it, though, since it filters out commercials.

Posted by Flick at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

TIME's annual list of the coolest inventions for the year. iTunes won for 2003.

Posted by Flick at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Expect double-layer, almost double-capacity DVD R drives and media to hit the stores next April, members of the DVD RW alliance say.

"The technology, co-developed by drive maker Philips, and media specialists Verbatim and Mitsubishi Kagaku, adds a second recording layer to a standard-thickness DVD R disc, taking the medium's capacity from 4.7GB to 8.5GB."

Very cool, although I'm concerned about compatibility, as I went with DVD-R on my burner and made sure my progressive scan DVD player could handle them. Now I'll have to check and see if it will handle DVD+R disks as well.

(Thanks Jesh for sending me the link.)

Posted by Flick at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"At an investor's meeting yesterday Ken Kutaragi, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, revealed the first ever concept art of [the PlayStation Portable (PSP).] At the same meeting, Kutaragi expanded on his plans for PSP, positioning it as a rival to Nintendo's Game Boy, Nokia's N-Gage and even Apple's iPod music player."

Looks pretty cool!

Posted by Flick at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Five years ago, if you had to pick the technology most likely to change the face of television, the hard disk drive would probably not have made your Top 10 list. But today hard drives are a critical part of many home TV setups, driving 3 million digital video recorders (DVRs) across the globe."

Check with your cable provider, you might be able to get yourself a DVR. You'll never watch TV the same, guaranteed!

Posted by Flick at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mirra. The first personal server

"Where is it written that only large enterprises should have the advantages of network backup . . . That's precisely the idea behind Mirra."

This is a great solution for those people that need to back up their files (that's everyone, btw), but can't (or won't) set up some sort of full blown networking or tape solution.

The "sharing pictures with grandma" aspect is pretty cool too!

Posted by Flick at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"From on-board radar and Wi-Fi to electronic steering, amazing technologies already here or soon coming promise to create a new automotive era."

Some pretty cool stuff mentioned in this article.

Posted by Flick at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cox introduces digital recorder

"Cox Communications is offering its approximately 650,000 Arizona cable television customers a high-tech digital video recorder with more advanced features than a traditional VCR."

At a straight $15 a month, this is the type of product that will bring PVRs to the masses. While that's a good thing overall for the consumer, it doesn't bode well for TiVo. TiVo has the best UI in the PVR world, bar none, but I fear it's going to go the way of the betamax, which was the technically superior format of its day as well.

Posted by Flick at 08:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"TiVo pioneered the DVR and the TiVo brand - like Frisbee, Kleenex and Xerox - has become synonymous with an entire product category. Nonetheless, TiVo's original business of selling stand-alone DVR boxes, along with a monthly support service, appears in danger of being eclipsed by products that are much less expensive for consumers and are integrated with devices that many consumers are already comfortable with, like television set-top boxes."

Too bad, as I still feel that the Tivo has the best interface of any of the PVRs.

Wanna see? Best Buy has a Tivo unit on sale for $99 this week. Good time to try.

Posted by Flick at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"World's Smallest PC: The Migo looks like an ordinary USB memory stick, but it's really a clone of your PC."

That's exaggerating quite a bit, frankly, but this device is still an innovative one. It takes the basics of what sets your machine apart from a generic one and lets you take that with you to any machine.

So, that said, what do you think of this idea? Comment away! (something else that can't be done at B&B anymore, although I occasionally work around it by posting a "discuss" link to the Lockergnome forums.)

Posted by Flick at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"These energy-savers use only a fraction of the wattage of normal bulbs while emitting aproximately from 200 to 525 watts of warm color light. These bulbs will last about 10,000 hours."

I've slowly been converting my home over to compact fluorescents in an effort to save energy costs. However, I've been frustrated in that they always seem to come in basic "inside" brightness levels, which means I was stuck with the high wattage PAR lighting on the outside of the house.

Not any more, it seems. I ran across a reference to this site, topbulb, and found CFs that blow away my existing HO bulbs. Now I'm off to see what they have in chandelier-style bulbs (small bases) for my front porch.

Posted by Flick at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"A normal DVD player transmits a video signal to 480i output when playing a DVD Title (480i/480p). Even with a progressive scanning DVD player, it simply outputs a video signal of 480i-to-480p. However, Samsung DVDHD931 enables you to enjoy an HDTV compliant picture with an ordinary DVD Title, thanks to its scale-up to 720p/1080i."

First on the market, so I'll wait for more to come out and the price to come down before jumping in, but I think it's a great way to leverage my HDTV with my DVDs!

Posted by Flick at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"A prototype digital video system producing images of such high quality that the human eye struggles to distinguish them from reality has been developed by Japanese engineers."

Cool. Now, if it were just in 3D...

Posted by Flick at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Sierra Wireless Announces Voq™ Professional Phones with Innovative E-Mail Solution for Business Users Voq professional phones to arm business users with compelling voice and data functionality in a single, pocketable Microsoft Windows Mobile™ based device."

Hmm. If this were out at the same time as the Treo 600 I'd really want to sit and play with both. However, since it's still a few months out, I'll probably go with the Treo.

Posted by Flick at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"MediaMax CD3 is a new copy-prevention technique from SunnComm Technologies that is designed to prevent unauthorized copying of audio CDs using personal computers. SunnComm claims its product facilitates "a verifiable and commendable level of security," but in tests on a newly-released album, I find that the protections have no effect on a large fraction of deployed PCs, and that most affected users can bypass the system entirely by holding the shift key while inserting the CD. I explain that MediaMax interferes with audio copying by installing a device driver when software from the CD is executed, but I show that this provides only minimal protection because the driver can easily be disabled. I also examine the digital rights management system used to control access to a set of encrypted, compressed audio files distributed on the CD. Although restrictions on these files are more relaxed than in prior copy protected discs, they still prohibit many uses permitted by the law. I conclude that MediaMax and similar copy-prevention systems are irreparably flawed but predict that record companies will find success with more customer-friendly alternatives for reducing infringement."

Posted by Flick at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"After a well-hyped summer, Handspring Inc.'s Treo 600 is about to make its debut in the real world."

Check out Trecentral's preview, it looks pretty cool. I'm getting excited again! Smartphone, Treo, it's all starting to heat up. After Nov 22nd (number portability) I'm going to have to hook up with a GSM provider so that I can play with multiple phones on the same account.

Posted by Flick at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"DVD Recorder/Player 80GIG HD with PureCinema 2:3 Progressive Scan and Tivo"

Now if they only had one for DirecTV! Or one that supported HDTV.

Posted by Flick at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Your TiVo and DVD are about to merge. Here's what to expect.

"TiVo is a strange phenomenon. While owners adore it with cultlike affection, its loyal-fan base remains relatively small — just 800,000 subscribers in the U.S. and Britain. That's nothing compared to the millions of VCRs out there. But by saving shows digitally to a hard drive — and offering features like Season Pass, which automatically records every episode of, say, Sex and the City — TiVo puts the VCR to shame. Trouble is, customers have been skittish about the subscription fee for TiVo service. So, to gain wider appeal, TiVo is expanding its satellite-TV offerings and teaming up with the superstar of home theater, the DVD."

Posted by Flick at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Firetide - Wireless Instant Networks

"Plug the HotPoint wireless routers into wall outlets around your building. In about 2 minutes, the flat boxes power up, activate their Wi-Fi WLAN radios (either 802.11b or 802.11g), and automatically create a wireless mesh network. The mesh acts as a dynamic wireless backhaul: If a link goes down or becomes congested, the mesh automatically reroutes wireless traffic."

This is a pretty slick design, allowing the units themselves to manage the wireless configuration. Rather than trying to place standalone units and get them to play along by manually adjusting each one, this system does it all on its own. It would be great if Gen Two of the units were smaller and little more than an antenna, allowing them to plug into any outlet by anyone.

Posted by Flick at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Antelope Technologies, Inc.

"Imagine all the functionality of a desktop computer in a device so small it fits in your pocket. Envision the freedom of carrying all of your applications and data with you - at all times, and to any location. It's what we call extreme mobility."

Looks like something I've envisioned for awhile, the "personal server," is coming closer to reality.

Posted by Flick at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Broadcom somehow has managed to trademark the official designation of the president's airplane and stuck it onto a temporally revolutionary product. I expect its new single-chip 802.11b (Wi-Fi) offering, called AirForce One, soon will be joined by similar products from other vendors, but Broadcom seems to have a head start on what could be a transformation of the consumer electronics world."

Posted by Flick at 03:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"MADISON, Wis. - Rayovac, the number one selling rechargeable brand in the U.S., has announced that I-C3, the revolutionary new rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery and charging system will be available to consumers in the U.S. by October 2003. The new I-C3 rechargeable battery system is the only one of its kind to offer a charging time of an unprecedented 15 minutes or less, producing battery power so strong that it will last up to four times longer than an alkaline battery in a digital camera."

Guess they do something good up in WI besides cheese! (Hi Kelly!)

Seriously though, this sounds like it could cut down on a lot of battery costs, both to the individual and to the environment.

Posted by Flick at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"Ximeta has a different philosophy when it comes to portable storage. With the release of their NetDisk a few weeks ago, they put a spin on the interfaces. Not only are they using a high-speed 420Mbps USB 2.0 port, but are using a 100Mbps Ethernet port as well. This is definite first in the world of portable storage and Ximeta is not about to let you forget that point as their Network Direct Attached Storage (NDAS) technology is plastered over their whole website. I honestly can't blame them either, because after my first impression of the NetDisk, I'd be shouting it from the rooftops as well!"

This is the cheapest NAS solution I've seen for the SOHO/Power User market. It does have its limitations, though, although they won't affect most users.

Posted by Flick at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"ZDNet's Patrick Houston gets an early look at the newly released Motorola MPx200, the first GSM phone released in the United States that features Windows Mobile Software."

This video shows more of the features of MS's SmartPhone software than the Motorola phone, making it a good intro if you've never seen it before.

I'm still waiting for the Treo 600 to hit the streets as well. On Nov 22nd you can bet I'll be out finding the best hardware (and pricing plan) I can, for my needs, and transferring my cell number to whatever carrier has it.

Posted by Flick at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"TiVo's stock drops 16.6 percent over rumors about its relationship with DIRECTV. However, that's not TiVo's biggest concern."

Posted by Flick at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"A flat, straight half-mile of asphalt is dead ahead; alongside stretches the runway of Brackett Field Airport east of Los Angeles. With the throttle and brake pedals fully pressed, the bright yellow sports car shudders with power - but rather than the roar of a caged Lamborghini, the only sound is a muffled whine. Though the whine becomes only marginally louder when the brakes are released, everything else changes as the car lunges forward in a jaw-dropping, stomach-clenching and near-terrifying blur. In 3.7 seconds, it's all over. That's the time it has taken for this little electric sports car, the Tzero by AC Propulsion, to reach 60 miles per hour. And its only power is from a simple array of lithium-ion laptop computer batteries."

Posted by Flick at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Link

"The iQue 3600 is the first PDA to include integrated GPS technology. With the power of Palm OS® 5 and the dependability of Garmin® GPS technology, this "Super PDA" redefines multi-tasking. Our integrated software not only allows you to look up appointments or contacts, but also locates and routes you to them with voice-guidance commands!"

Cool idea.

Posted by Flick at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gadgets to drool over

"The best stuff found at side events of main TechXNY show"

Posted by Flick at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sony STR-DA9000ES

"Sony STR-DA9000ES flagship A/V receiver with an i.LINK-DTCP input. The combination will enable the audio-only SACD player to deliver SACD signals in the digital domain for processing by the receiver's advanced DSD decoder circuitry. It will also provide equipment interoperability controls."

Now if I only had an extra $4500 lying around.

Posted by Flick at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Microsoft begins security CD giveaway in Japan

"Japan has a large number of broadband users who connect at speeds up to 26Mbit/sec. over Digital Subscriber Line and 100Mbit/sec. over Fiber to the Home"

The article is mainly about MS distributing security updates, but this little tidbit jumped out at me. I started drooling on the spot! Why the hell can't we get those speeds in the states?

'Course, Japanese technology usually trickles over here a few months / years later, so perhaps we will see it eventually. I'm not holding my breath, though, especially with the RIAA and MPAA groups out there. Imagine the possibilities!

Posted by Flick at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

ZDNet UK - News - Murdoch tips free digital recorders

"News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch says the satellite television industry is likely to offer personal video recorders for free or at very low costs within a year, as it fights to retain subscribers and win customers from the cable industry."

A lot of articles like this are starting to worry me about the future of TiVo. Well they end up being the Beta of the digital recording revolution?

Posted by Flick at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TechXNY 2003 (Phone Scoop)

I don't get it, I just don't.

Posted by Flick at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Smartphone 2003

If only it had a full keyboard...

Posted by Flick at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

C2H18 18-inch Thin Twins Dual Horizontal LCD Display

Saw one of these being used last week. Totally cool. I'd give up my 21" ViewSonic for one of these!

Update: My boss just sent this one over: Quad Display!

Posted by Flick at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

For the longest time I've been debating whether or not to transfer my phone service from Qwest to Cox. At first Cox didn't offer everything I wanted and was pretty basic, with outage issues. Nowadays, however, they seem to be a viable contender. However, there are two features that I greatly enjoy with Qwest that I don't see offered by Cox. Convinced that they either do offer them but don't have them listed, or are about to offer them, I sent Cox Customer Service this email:

Continue reading "Time to try Cox telephone service?" »

Posted by Flick at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

"The radio airwaves will never be safe again. The RadioSHARK adds a software controlled AM-FM radio to any Mac computer - but thats just the beginning. The RadioSHARK can also record any AM, FM or even Internet radio broadcast." - Too bad it's only for the Mac.

Posted by Flick at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Steve Wozniak, the guy who brought us the personal computer, has another idea. His new company has created a wireless network that he says can help you find almost anything -- lost keys, lost dog, lost child. His Los Gatos company -- Wheels of Zeus (WOZ, get it?) -- has designed tags that you can attach to a child, a dog or just about anything. A handheld monitor uses global-positioning-system satellites to show where the tagged items are." - I'll be very interested to see what his pricing is. What a great way to track pets and children!

Posted by Flick at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

"2-Room TiVo Package (Includes Tri-Satellite dish, DIRECTV HBH-SA Receiver, TiVo HDR2 Receiver, and Standard Professional Installation)" - I haven't seen a deal this good in quite awhile. Great time to get into DirecTV/TiVo! (new subscribers only)

Update: This was bounced back to me with a note that it came up $299, not $99. Some quick experimentation showed that, for some reason, the code did not go along with the URL. Enter “ref307884” in the promo code in the upper right, that will change the prices on the pages.

Posted by Flick at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"According to West Technology Research Solutions (WTRS), ultrawideband (UWB) will eventually beat out both the current Wi-Fi wireless networking standard and Bluetooth, while the open standard ZigBee protocol will enable every system in the house to talk to each other. If those bold predictions from the Mountain View, Calif.-based research firm come true, then they promise that standards battles for wireless networking will continue into the next decade." - One protocol to rule them all!

Posted by Flick at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"I'm a keyboard kind of guy. While I use T9 all the time, I will almost always go for an alternative input method. Most of my SMS messages are actually sent through an application called Simple SMS....from my iPAQ. T9 works great, I'm very thankful for it. But....I want something better." - I totally agree with this guy, which is why my Blackberry is always at hand. Nothing beats the thumb keyboard on that thing! I was excited by the Treo 600 for that very reason, as it looks like it mimics the Blackberry. However, because of that layout it is still just a wee bit wider than most cell phones. This 'Fastap' keypad looks like it might work around that. Gonna have to get these units into my hand to make the final determination on what's going to replace my tried and true Blackberry 950 and Nokia 5170 combination.

Review: Fastap Keypad (MobileBurn)

Posted by Flick at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"One so-called 'net pirate' says the industry has got it all wrong and should not be trying to crack down on those who download music from the internet." - Since the overwhelming news today in the P2P arena is the RIAA announcement that they're going to go after individuals, I figured I'd highlight an article from the other side of the fence, a P2P user. He touches on a good point, that the recording industry doesn't want to cede control, and wants to keep people in the album model. I think that's exactly opposite of what they should do. They should give complete control to the consumer by switching to a "by the song" model and, simultaneously, release all of their back catalogs. This would bring back some of the lost consumers, such as the over 35 crowd (a rather large crowd) that currently represents only 10% of music purchases.

In other words, it could be just about anything and everything, and it's ridiculous to point to just one thing!

Posted by Flick at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Call it TiVo for your eyes and ears: The ultimate memory-enhancing hardware for geeks is here in New York at CeBIT this week, dubbed Camwear." - Just a few months back I saw this as a concept; now it's a reality. I think the ideal market for this one would be parents. Where do you think it could be used?

Posted by Flick at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo is running a special right now, with 40 hour TiVos for $199 and 80 hour for $299. That's $50 off their regular prices. If you've been considering a TiVo, now's the time!

Posted by Flick at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"While at the first annual CeBIT America show in New York City we got a few chances to play with and photograph the new Treo 600." - More photos of this phone. This thing is going to have quite a time of it trying to live up to all of this hype!

Posted by Flick at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Last week, I had a look at a prototype of Handspring's gorgeous new phone, the Treo 600, which won't be available until the fall. It's very unusual for a company to take the wraps off of a flagship product so far in advance, so I took the opportunity to take some notes and send you some first impressions." - Another positive review. Man, I can't wait to get one of these!

Posted by Flick at 04:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"We're excited to introduce the innovative design for our upcoming Treo 600 smartphone series. This new product line combines a smaller, more phone-like design with a full QWERTY keyboard that is small enough to fit on this compact device but still big enough to enter text quickly and accurately. So you'll get the best of both worlds - a great phone and a great messaging device - without compromising size, form or function." - I think I have just found my next phone. Only thing missing from my want list is built-in Bluetooth, but that was probably the lowest on my list.

My list of requirements for a new phone, for those curious, are: quality phone service (I get very annoyed by poor signals and dropped calls <cough>voicestream</cough>), fully synchronizable PDA functions (ideally wireless sync, but wired is ok), a keyboard similar to my Blackberry 950 for data entry, built-in camera for spontaneous photography, Bluetooth (for sync'ing PDA and pictures to a PC, also for interfacing with a wireless headset and/or other devices, such as a PC or car) and small/comfortable enough to fit in my pocket like my current Nokia 51XX phone. I want a lot, I guess!

Handspring: Sneak peek - our next Treo

CNET Video Presentation

CNET's Print Review

Posted by Flick at 03:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Manufacturers try to outspin each other all the time by selling CD-ROM drives with higher and higher spin ratios. Spin ratios of 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, 32x, 56x and 64x come in a never ending stream. The CD is forced to rotate faster and faster. At what speed will a CD blow up, and can you do something to prevent it from exploding?" - There's been some attention given lately to CDs blowing up in CD-ROM drives, as the average drive speed increases and faster units are on the market. This guy took a scientific approach to determine at what point CD-ROM speed becomes to dangerous. I'll stick to my 24X, I think!

Posted by Flick at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced it will offer a new introductory service level, TiVo Basic service. This service will provide licensees the opportunity to include entry-level DVR functionality with high-value integrated products such as a combined DVD/DVR."

Smart move on TiVo's part. Now basic TiVo DVR technology can be incorporated in a wide variety of electronics, with no added fees to the consumer. Once the consumer gets a taste of the technology, it's almost a given that they'll upgrade to the full package.

I think that's been the biggest limitation to TiVo's expansion, that customers just don't get it and see it as an extra charge that they'd rather do without. After all, it doesn't cost any money to tape with a VCR, right? (Ok, ok, it actually does. We've got blank tape costs, at the least, without going into "soft costs" such as time, inconvenience, quality, etc.) What they don't get is the sheer power and control one has when one doesn't have to swap tapes, doesn't have to check TV Guide, doesn't have to wait for a show to stop taping, and just plain doesn't have to think and plan about watching TV! TiVo - TV, your way, it's a simple as that.

Posted by Flick at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The You're In Control system uses computation to enhance the act of urination. Sensors in the back of a urinal detect the position of a stream of urine, enabling people to play interactive games on a screen mounted above the urinal." - After seeing the MSN Internet Toilet all over the web this week, it was nice to run across something a bit more practical. Watch the video, the whole project is an interesting social commentary. I'm particularly amused by the women using the urinal.

Posted by Flick at 03:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Forget the newspaper. MSN's U.K. division has created something new to do while on the john--surf the Internet. MSN U.K. has taken roaming (and communal hygiene) to a new level with the "iLoo", an Internet-enabled toilet that the software giant hopes will debut at various concerts in the U.K. this summer." - Um, hello, aren't the portable john lines long enough at these things as it is? Let alone when somebody stops to check their email!

* - Several words came to mind to finish off the title for this article; however none of them passed my "should my daughter see this" test. Sorry!

Posted by Flick at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"An experiment is under way in Paris that aims to turn the city into one huge Wi-Fi hot spot, making it what could be the first large wireless city in the world.

"A dozen Wi-Fi antennas have been set up outside subway stations along a major north-south bus route, providing Internet access to anyone near them who has a laptop computer or personal desk assistant equipped to receive the signals. The access is free until June 30 but will require paid subscriptions afterward."

I'd love to see something like this in the states. Its got two things going for it: 1, overall coverage, not a bunch of hot spots that a person has to jump from one to the next with a loss of connectivity in between, and 2, a single provider for the entire thing.

Paris, the wireless wonder?

Posted by Flick at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

"Radio YourWay is the industries first portable, solid-state AM/FM radio recorder! Imagine being able to record any radio broadcast like talk radio, news, sports, or music and then being able to play those recordings back later at a more convenient time. That's Radio YourWay!" - As a TiVo owner I was rather excited when I stumbled across this, as I have grown rather accustomed to timeshifting on the TV and keep wanting to rewind the radio.

FirstLook Products: Radio YourWay

Posted by Flick at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Samsung Launches New Camcorder Phone

Responding to rapidly growing demand for camcorder phones that can shoot and store video and sound clips, Samsung Electronics this week launched the Anycall SCH-V330, an IMT-2000 mobile phone with built-in camcorder functionality.

Posted by Flick at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Shades of things to come here in the states. These music companies are trying this stuff out abroad before rolling it out worldwide.

Copy-protection: are these CDs or not?

Can a music disc which has copy control technology on it be really classified as a compact disc any more? This is the question which has been raised following the experience of a consumer who has come up against the copy protection technology on discs put out by EMI.

Posted by Flick at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This article discusses how they've gone well beyond "Bullet Time" in the new Matrix movie. The technology used is simply amazing. A good, but long, read.

Wired 11.05: MATRIX2

I'm sitting in a former naval barracks in Alameda, California, watching the digital assembly of a human face. Bones, teeth, glistening eyes. Layer upon layer. Finally the hair and skin, the creases and tiny scars that make us who we are. The face blinks and breathes. Then it snarls, and my skin crawls.
Agent Smith is back, and he's pissed.

Posted by Flick at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've been looking for a reasonably priced "Media Center PC" to use in my A/V rack, but have been discouraged by lack of features and/or high prices. This looks ideal.

Hacking the Xbox

It is not too difficult to imagine the ultimate digital entertainment appliance: something with the versatility and storage capacity of a PC, but connected to your TV and stereo so that you can enjoy all of your digital photos, music, and videos from the comfort of your living room. And all for less than $200. Pipe dream? Such an appliance already exists. It's called the Xbox. But these features are not available from Microsoft (MSFT). Rather, they're the work of a group of enterprising open-source hackers who are showing Microsoft what the Xbox's full potential truly is.

Posted by Flick at 08:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Intel to unveil 'next big thing' in wireless

Tom Potts, an Intel spokesman, said the news conference would focus on development of a wireless standard that would provide coverage over an area of 30 miles, compared with the 300-foot range of the 802.11b wireless LANs now in common use.

Posted by Flick at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oh I want, I want! Note what they have in mind for third generation, 100GB on a single disk!

PC Pro - Computing in the Real World

Posted by Flick at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cell Phone Inventor Still Dreaming 30 Years Later

Thirty years after the first cellular phone call, inventor Martin Cooper still dreams about the day when futuristic telephone technology is a reality
Cooper's dream telephone is so small that it fits behind his ear, automatically dials out when he thinks about calling someone and it notifies him of incoming calls with a tickle instead of a ring.

Posted by Flick at 06:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Officials at Honeywell International Ltd. HON.N , which created the high-tech central nervous system for the brain, describe the layout as one of the most sophisticated traffic management networks in the world. Bostonians, famous for dropping their R's when they speak, might just say, "It's wicked smaaht."

Full Story

Posted by Flick at 07:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sheesh, and I get nervous about having two OS's on the same hard drive.

This rig doesn't have Plexiglas portals or sport a fancy-pants paint job, but behind its plain-Jane exterior are no fewer than 37 operating systems! Make that 53 if you count the DOS window managers.

Full Story

Posted by Flick at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Pretty neat concept. Still too bulky for my tastes though.

NTT DoCoMo flicks wrist phone

On Wednesday, Japanese cell phone carrier NTT DoCoMo began taking orders for its Wristomo, a wristwatch that unfolds into a cell phone.
Wristomo is a fully functioning phone that also sends and receives e-mails, browses Web pages at the speed of an America Online connection, and can determine its own geographic position, according to the carrier, which often debuts devices later sold by many wireless device makers.

Posted by Flick at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How Google Grows...and Grows...and Grows

"... Its performance is the envy of executives and engineers around the world ... For techno-evangelists, Google is a marvel of Web brilliance ..." - Ever wonder about the story behind Google? Why the interface is so elegant in its simplicity, yet so powerful in its operation? This is an interesting read into workings of the little company called Google, which is perhaps the best run technology company today.

Posted by Flick at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This looks like a great product, long battery life, secure, no RF emissions. Too bad it'll never get supported natively in cell phones due to the dominance of Bluetooth.

Reason Products

Unleash is a new wireless mobile headset solution designed specifically for users demanding a simple solution with superior voice quality over a secure communication medium. Unleash offers a higher performance solution than 900MHz headsets and a simpler, more cost effective alternative to Bluetooth based solutions.

Posted by Flick at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I hadn't thought of RFIDs as a privacy issue, but in this application I can see the potential for abuse.

Wired News: What Your Clothes Say About You

In a move wireless industry analysts say will infringe on customers' privacy, clothing designer Benetton plans to weave radio frequency ID chips into its garments to track its clothes worldwide.

Posted by Flick at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I like the heads up display in the glasses.

Phone Scoop : Frog Design / Motorola Offspring Wearables Concept

Frog Design and Motorola today unveiled the "Offspring" concept design for a set of wearable devices. The individual pieces communicate via Bluetooth. A central device - the WDA - serves as the hub, and provides a wireless connection to an iDEN network. The design is only a concept at this point, although Motorola is preparing for user testing, and plans to bring a product based on the design to market within two years.

Posted by Flick at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Longhorn Alpha Preview 2: Build 4008

In the early morning hours of March 1, 2003, some interesting news was broadcast around the dark corners of the Internet: A new Longhorn alpha build had leaked out of Microsoft and it appeared genuine. Since the publication of my original Longhorn alpha preview back in November, Longhorn development has been rather quiet, though news of a new build showed promise. At the risk of being sounding like a wet blanket, however, there isn't much to get excited about here.

Posted by Flick at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now this is slick indeed! This could be the solution I've been looking for, to combine my RIM Blackberry and my cell phone.

Nokia - Nokia 6800

Nokia 6800 Messaging Device
Messaging reaches new levels of ease and efficiency with the Nokia 6800 phone. This unique 2-in-1 product concept has been especially designed for easy text input and quick access to text-based applications, using the integrated full keyboard.

Posted by Flick at 08:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Be nice when a> this hits the US and b> the prices drop. 2 hours of HiDef on one disk, pretty sweet!

Sony Unveils First Blue-Laser DVD Recorder

Japan's Sony Corp said on Monday it would start sales next month of the world's first DVD recorder that uses blue laser light and can pack a two-hour high-definition TV program onto a single disc. It won't be cheap, with a retail list price of 450,000 yen ($3,800) while low-end DVD recorders using conventional red lasers go for as little as 50,000-70,000 yen.

Posted by Flick at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

And now you know as much as I do!

Untitled Document

Posted by Flick at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well I have no idea what it does, since I can't read Japanese, but it sure does get stars for creativity. What do you think it does? Click "Comment" and leave your opinion.

Posted by Flick at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Opera Press Release: Opera releases "Bork" edition

Two weeks ago it was revealed that Microsoft's MSN portal targeted Opera users, by purposely providing them with a broken page. As a reply to MSN's treatment of its users, Opera Software today released a very special Bork edition of its Opera 7 for Windows browser. The Bork edition behaves differently on one Web site: MSN. Users accessing the MSN site will see the page transformed into the language of the famous Swedish Chef from the Muppet Show: Bork, Bork, Bork!

Posted by Flick at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been years since I've thought of the BBS I used to run. This article prompted a nice journey down memory lane. Met a lot of good people through that system.

Slashdot | The 25th Anniversary of the BBS

"25 years ago today, Ward Christensen and Randy Suess officially announced the creation of a little project they threw together with a 300 baud Hayes modem, a Z-80 based S-100 computer, and a phone line. They called it "Chicago Bulletin Board System" (CBBS) and it was the first dial-up BBS. From this beginning, BBSes grew into the many thousands and became an entire industry, and when the Internet started to mature with the World Wide Web, the users who had cut their teeth on BBSes moved over to it. So raise a toast to these two fellows for a quarter century of great online times."

Posted by Flick at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Microsoft aims to tap 'Net generation' | CNET News.com

Microsoft next week plans to begin testing a radically new instant messaging and communications product aimed at teenagers and young adults who grew up using the Internet.
The new software, called Threedegrees, creates a peer-to-peer social group in which people can chat, share photos, listen to music and meet friends. Concurrently with the test, or beta, program, Microsoft also plans to release the Windows Peer-to-Peer Update for Windows XP.

Posted by Flick at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It took longer for this to happen that I expected.

CNN.com - Dell saying bye to floppy disk drives - Feb. 9, 2003

In what may be the wave of the future, Dell Computer said goodbye to the past on Thursday when it announced it would stop making floppy disk drives standard equipment on its higher end desktop personal computers.

Posted by Flick at 08:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EE Times - Companies test prototype wireless-sensor nets

Self-organizing wireless-sensor networks, a realization of the Pentagon's "smart-dust" concept, have reached the prototype stage worldwide. The smart sensors, or Motes, were created by the University of California at Berkeley and Intel, and are being tested out worldwide today.

Posted by Flick at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Having add-ons in one easy to use location is always a plus.

Microsoft Debuts Windows Media Add-ons Site

Microsoft on Thursday announced the launch of wmplugins.com, a new central clearing house for enhancements to Windows Media Player (WMP) 9 Series. The site features over 100 player enhancements from 20 different companies and Microsoft, and highlights the new extensibility model in WMP 9 Series, which makes it much easier to create such add-ons than it was with previous Media Player versions. These enhancements include new visualizations, skins, power toys, and other add-ons.

Posted by Flick at 08:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AP Wire | 12/02/2002 | Tiny implanted monitors, 'black boxes' for humans, gain traction

Data recording devices in airplanes, the so-called black boxes, describe what when wrong after a disaster. Now, medical devices are emerging to act like a black box in the human body, except they're being used to prevent disaster.

Posted by Flick at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now I think I've seen everything!

FrozenCPU.com :: Product :: PC 12v Cigarette Lighter Adapter Kit

Need a light?? Here you go. You'll only find this item here at FrozenCPU.com! Basically, this is a car cigarette lighter kit which has been adapted to be used in a PC's 5 1/4 bay.

Posted by Flick at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Makes sense, although I was surprised that some physical characteristics differed as well.

CNN.com - Copied cat hardly resembles original - Jan. 22, 2003

Sure, you can clone your favorite cat. But the copy will not necessarily act or even look like the original.

Posted by Flick at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Allen's Vulcan develops wireless Mini-PC

A hitherto unknown group within multibillionaire Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc. techno-empire has designed a compact, lightweight, wireless computer that is expected to debut by Christmas for between $1,200 and $1,500

Posted by Flick at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Salon | 21st

A future full of super-intelligent machines is equal parts sci-fi cliché and computer-science holy grail -- grist for both Frankenstein fears and programmer dreams. But it's never been quite clear how that future will arrive. Not long ago, quite a few otherwise respectable scientists believed that artificial intelligence would spring forth fully formed in the lab, like Athena from the brow of Zeus, out of cleverly concocted code.

Posted by Flick at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow, this thing has some serious power!

Playstation3 architecture revealed

It will run at 4GHz, producing a not inconsiderable 256Gflops, with the cells connected to the central 64MB memory through a switched 1024 bit bus.

Posted by Flick at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Intelligent Enterprise Magazine - Change Agent

A new security system for underground parking lots relies on motion detectors feeding signals to a computer. The system's computer understands that people walking to their cars usually follow a direct route. But a rapist or car thief doesn't behave that way. A rapist lurks in one area, and a thief wanders the lot looking for the best car to steal. The computer senses these different movements and alerts security. Some security and intelligence experts suggest the parking lot principle could apply to the entire population. If every bit of data generated by our day-to-day activities were fed into a computer, powerful software could detect a terrorist's unusual behavior, for example.

Posted by Flick at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pop-ups add new twist - Tech News - CNET.com

Using a technique called the "kick through," advertisers can direct a person to another Web site if they simply move their cursor across the pop-up ad--no clicking is necessary.

Posted by Flick at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Microsoft eyes global radio network to support smart devices - Computerworld

Microsoft Corp. eventually intends to build a global network to support the smart watches -- as well as other devices based on its Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT)

Posted by Flick at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Business 2.0 - Magazine Article - Untangling the Future

Technologies never move in straight lines. They wander. They cross-pollinate. And they create opportunities you'd never expect.

Posted by Flick at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Business 2.0 - Magazine Article - Eight Technologies That Will Change the World

What happens when today's tech trends begin to intersect and feed off one another? They'll spawn new fields of knowledge that will transform everything.

Posted by Flick at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh I want, I want!

CNN.com - New chair: Turbocharged magic fingers - Jan. 10, 2003

It looks like a La-Z-Boy gone wrong, but don't be fooled by appearances. The Inada massage chair has a high-tech Shiatsu masseuse trapped inside its flabby leather skin.

Posted by Flick at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CNN.com - Luxury, size, power dominate auto show - Jan. 10, 2003

Seats that move as the car accelerates. Tires with corn-based fillers. Minivans with lounges. A sportwagon that turns into a sedan with the push of a button.

Posted by Flick at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Put the Compact Disc Out of Its Misery - The new CDs: Neither compact nor disks. Discuss. By Paul Boutin

This spring, the compact disc celebrates the 20th anniversary of its arrival in stores, which puts the once-revolutionary music format two decades behind Moore's Law. The IBM PC, introduced about a year and a half earlier, has been revved up a thousandfold in performance since 1983. But the CD has whiled away the time, coasting on its Reagan-era breakthroughs in digital recording and storage. The two technologies, the PC and the CD, merged not long after their debuts—try to buy a computer without a disc player. But the relationship has become a dysfunctional one. The computer long ago outgrew its stagnant partner.

Posted by Flick at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Get More Satisfaction - A new audio technology puts the Rolling Stones live in your living room. By Fred Kaplan

Posted by Flick at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Adventure GPS Products - ATTI Shadow  Tracker Jr.

The Shadow Trackerâ„¢ Jr. will passively record the travel information for each of your vehicles. This includes locations, time in traveling and at stops, and vehicle speeds. When the vehicle returns and you retrieve the Shadow Tracker Jr., simply connect it to your office PC and download all relevant travel information for your analysis and business records.

Posted by Flick at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

vehicle tracking, gps tracking, gps vehicle tracking, canada gps tracking, canada vehicle tracking, fleet tracking, gps fleet tracking, asset tracking, kid tracking, animal tracking, vehicle logger

Designed to be concealed under the rear of the vehicle, the miniature-sized GPS-2 is a tiny computer housed in a weatherproof enclosure that rides aboard the vehicle telling you the exact whereabouts of the driver/vehicle, including the address of each destination (within 50'), names of streets traveled, how long the vehicle remained at each location, and if the driver was speeding.

Posted by Flick at 05:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MSN Messenger goes dark - Tech News - CNET.com

Microsoft's Instant Messenger service went down early Monday, affecting up to 75 million people worldwide who sign on to the service to chat with friends and co-workers.

Posted by Flick at 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Microsoft counts on antipiracy technique - Tech News - CNET.com

Microsoft is set to release its first mainstream consumer software application protected by product activation, in what could be a first step toward expanding use of the antipiracy technology.

Posted by Flick at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Perspective: The 10 biggest hype jobs of 2002 - Tech News - CNET.com

A big part of technology marketing is based upon pure hyperbole because the industry is selling science, and science happens to be a nebulous topic. So combine the vague nature of science with aggressive sales tactics, and what do you get? Hype.

Posted by Flick at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BW Online | January 3, 2003 | Will Your TV Become a Spy?

Hollywood wants every new digital set to include technology that would stop people from putting its shows on the Net. Bad idea

Posted by Flick at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PC Magazine Names Best of Comdex Winners

PC Magazine officially announced the winners of this year's Best of Comdex awards today at a ceremony on the show floor.

Posted by Flick at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greater Democracy

Actually, you do. You object to quality every time you buy a worse-but-cheaper brand, order from the top of the wine list instead of the bottom, or reject the "pro" version of some over-featured piece of software.

Posted by Flick at 08:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the Future, We'll All Be Harry Potter (Alertbox Dec. 2002)

The world of magic is a world where inanimate objects come alive; it's as if they had computational power, sensors, awareness, and connectivity.

Posted by Flick at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wired News: New Gizmos May Spark Deregulation

NEW YORK -- It almost sounds too "Star Trek" to be possible: A multipurpose cell phone that also serves as an FM radio, walkie-talkie, garage door opener and TV remote control.
And what if every time you made a call with that handset it increased the performance of other phones already in use instead of competing for airwaves with them?

Posted by Flick at 06:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Success of Cellphone Industry Hurts Service

mericans' use of cellphones has increased so quickly that wireless networks are becoming overloaded, causing a growing number of customers to complain about calls that are inaudible or are cut off or are never connected in the first place.

Posted by Flick at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)