Archive for August, 2007
Quality Issues Delay Foleo — No One Cares
Posted by Joe on August 22, 2007 · Comments Off
Palm’s Foleo subnotebook has been delayed due to “software bugs” that keep it from syncing with Palm’s own Treo phones. Not good news for a device already under heavy criticism.
[via Engadget]
UPDATE: ok, one guy cares.
Filed in: SL
Freakonomics, Economics, And Feeds
Posted by Joe on August 22, 2007 · Comments Off
The Freakonomics blog is no longer offering full rss feeds, thanks to a partnership with the New York Times:
As much as people like to say that “information wants to be free,†content does not like to be created for free. In order to pay all the writers, editors, photographers, graphic artists, technologists, and the few dozen other kinds of folks who create and curate the Times’s content, most of which is free on the web (and perhaps all of which soon will be), the Times sells ads on its site.
It’s a great point — content providers go to great pains to monetize [...]
Filed in: SL
MSN Search Gets Some Lipstick
Posted by Joe on August 22, 2007 · Comments Off
Microsoft has launched a new interface for its search services, called Tafiti:
Tafiti, which means “do research” in Swahili, is an experimental search front-end from Microsoft, designed to help people use the Web for research projects that span multiple search queries and sessions by helping visualize, store, and share research results. Tafiti uses both Microsoft Silverlight and Live Search to explore the intersection of richer experiences on the Web and the increasing specialization of search.
It’s certainly a rich interface, but there’s a learning curve that casual surfers [...]
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Video Ads Come To YouTube
Posted by Joe on August 22, 2007 · Comments Off
Google’s YouTube site will begin showing advertising “overlays” in some videos today:
YouTube’s new ads involve a semitransparent, animated overlay that appears at the bottom of videos during the first 20 seconds of play and then disappears after 10 seconds. Consumers can close the overlay before it goes away or click on it to launch an ad, currently a video of any length or a flash-animation ad that can link to a Web page. The click-to-play ad pauses the video in a kind of voluntary commercial break, and the video resumes when the ad ends.
In one example provided by YouTube, [...]
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Google Says Sorry For Mis-handling Video Refunds
Posted by Joe on August 21, 2007 · Comments Off
Google is taking steps to mitigate the public relations damage done when they decided to pull the plug on videos purchased from the Google Video DTO/DTR program, and only offered a “checkout credit” as compensation. From the official Google blog:
We’re giving a full refund — as a credit card refund — to everyone who ever bought a video. We’ll need you to make sure we have your most recent credit card information, but once we know where to send the money, you’ll get it.
You can still keep the Google Checkout credit that you’ve received already. Think [...]
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Wal Mart Goes DRM-Free
Posted by Joe on August 21, 2007 · Comments Off
WalMart.com is offering MP3 music downloads without copy protection for 94 cents each:
Wal-Mart announces the launch of “DRM-free” MP3 music downloads, now available online at http://www.walmart.com. At only 94 cents per track and $9.22 per album, the new MP3 digital format delivers value, convenience and the ability for customers to play music on nearly any device, including iPod(R), iPhone(R) and Zune(TM) portable media players. Wal-Mart is one of the first major retailers to offer MP3 digital tracks with music content from major record labels such as Universal and EMI Music.
Wal [...]
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Wevent.com Introduces Event Based Networking
Posted by Joe on August 21, 2007 · Comments Off
Wevent.com is a new event based social network, currently in private beta. Wevent takes a new approach to social networking, focusing on events instead of individuals. The idea is to look at the activities that friends do together and the places they go as a basis for networking. Features include social photo sharing, event invitation and management, shared events networking, and a lot more.
Here’s how Andy Hin, one of the founders, explains the new service:
Say you have a group of friends you go on a camping trip with. Before, if you wanted to find photos of the trip, you’d see [...]
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UTRACK: Track Your Videos, Annoy Your Friends
Posted by Joe on August 20, 2007 · Comments Off
UTRACK Movies is a free online system for keeping track of your movie collection. Most formats are supported, from VHS to Blu-ray. The site features a huge searchable database, so users don’t have to manually type in all the details for the hundreds of movies they own. Movies can be organized into categories, and you can allow others to view your collection.
UTRACK lets you enter friends into your account, and keep track of who’s borrowed which of your movies. And if you turn on notifications, your friends will even receive an automated email message when they’ve had your [...]
Filed in: SL
Asus EEE Available Next Month Starting At $199
Posted by Joe on August 20, 2007 · Comments Off
News on the ultra-light and ultra-affordable Asus EEE PC continues to trickle out. DigiTimes is reporting that the much-anticipated unit will begin shipping in September, in a variety of configurations:
The Eee PCs will be available at US$199, US$239, US$349 and US$369 depending on specifications, with the model priced at US$349 targeting the mainstream, said the sources, noting that the first-round shipments will be mostly of the mainstream model.
It looks like a $199 model may be available after all, despite earlier reports that the unit would start at $250 – $300. However, it also looks [...]
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Paramount And Dreamworks Drop Blu-ray Support
Posted by Joe on August 20, 2007 · Comments Off
Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks Animation have announced plans to release movies exclusively on HD DVD, dropping support for the competing Blu-ray format:
Movies Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment Including Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Animation SKG, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films to be Released Exclusively in HD DVDExclusive Program To Begin with Release of “Blades of Glory,” Followed by “Transformers” and “Shrek the Third,” Films Representing More Than $1.5 Billion in Combined Worldwide Box Office.
I don’t [...]
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MyYearbook.com Success Story
Posted by Joe on August 20, 2007 · Comments Off
I want my kids to be internet entrepreneurs.
Catherine Cook, the 17-year-old co-founder of MyYearbook.com, hatched the idea for her now-thriving online yearbook site when she was a sophomore in high school. Now, in little less than two years, the site is making millions in annual revenue from advertising, Cook said, and attracts more than 3 million monthly visitors, according to research firm ComScore. (In 2006, it raised $4.1 million in venture funding from U.S. Venture Partners and First Round Capital.)
MyYearbook.com is a great idea for a site, and Ms. Cook deserves her success. I wonder what’s [...]
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Save $100 On iPhone At Apple Store
Posted by Joe on August 20, 2007 · Comments Off
The Apple store has refurbished iPhones in stock. The 4GB device is just $399, and the 8GB is $499 — saving buyers $100 on either phone. Shipping is free.
[via iLounge]
Filed in: SL
WaPo Highlights Hackers Turning iPhones into Smartphones
Posted by Joe on August 20, 2007 · Comments Off
Mike Musgrove in the Washington Post takes a look at the iPhone hacking efforts that are rapidly adding functionality to Apple’s locked down device. Apple makes it far harder than it should be, and many of the hacks are beyond the average user, but it’s awesome to see the hacker community chip away at Apple’s arrogant decision to lock out third party applications — and to see all this hacking get mainstream media coverage. Who knows, maybe someday iPhone users will even be able to “cut & paste”.
Filed in: SL
Free eBay Tools Reviewed
Posted by Joe on August 19, 2007 · Comments Off
The Auction Software Review has a roundup of free eBay tools:
Last week I had seven awful looking Gnomes sitting in my garden, but with the free tools I was able to:
* Target my eBay listing to the most effective category, at the best time of day, with the keywords buyers are most likely to be searching for.
* Understand what kind of listing is the most effective in the market.
* Find a title for my listing that would give the best impact.
* Get an idea, in advance, of what fees I would be paying, and what my profits might be.
* Easily create a listing that effectively promotes [...]
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Bye Bye Blog
Posted by Joe on August 19, 2007 · Comments Off
I’ve dumped Gizmodo from the crowded feed list in my reader (Google Reader, natch). The writing just doesn’t hold up anymore, at least from some of the frequent posters. Additionally, other blogs cover the gadget space very capably — especially Engadget and relative newcomer Crunch Gear. There’s still a lot of overlap in my feed reader, but dumping feeds you’ve followed for years isn’t easy. Then again, it’s really hard for me to read over a thousand posts a day. Tough decisions must be made!
Filed in: SL
The Trouble With Contextual Advertising
Posted by Joe on August 18, 2007 · Comments Off
Oops: A Harley-Davidson ad with the tag line “No-one ever wished they’d stayed in more” appeared next to a news story about murdered Harley-rider Gerard Michael Tobin on the Motorcycle News web site.
Filed in: SL
iPhone Hardawre Problems At PopSci
Posted by Joe on August 18, 2007 · Comments Off
iPhone hardware troubles cropping up:
I’m sending my iPhone back to Apple for repair this weekend for the second time, after only a month and a half or so of total ownership. My first piece suffered the dead-zone problem along the bottom edge of the touchscreen, and now last night, my brand-new replacement phone’s earpiece speaker conked out for no apparent reason after only a few weeks of use. This in itself is notable—that the iPhone seems to be suffering from some isolated but pretty serious manufacturing defects in its infancy.
Filed in: SL
Faster Than Light? Not So Fast!
Posted by Joe on August 17, 2007 · Comments Off
Two German physicists are claiming to have devised an experiment in which Photons travel across a distance of up to one meter at a velocity greater than the speed of light. That seems to be an obvious violation of Einstein’s theory of special relativity. And breathless headlines across the internet are declaring that it’s true. For example: “Germans Break The Speed Of Light” , “Scientists break speed of light in lab test” … and my favorite, “Experts do the ‘impossible’ by breaking speed of light.” Apparently, “Expert”, [...]
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Local Newspapers Days Numbered
Posted by Joe on August 17, 2007 · Comments Off
This still surprises some people:
News audiences are ditching television and newspapers and using the Internet as their main source of information, in a trend that could eventually see the demise of local papers, according to a new study Wednesday.
Using printing presses and door-to-door delivery to distribute time sensitive news just doesn’t make sense anymore — even when the news is local. I’ll take today’s news, thanks. The fact that local tv stations and newspapers have web sites make the printed newspaper itself sorta redundant.
Filed in: SL
Your Free Music Downloads
Posted by Joe on August 17, 2007 · Comments Off
Wired’s Listening Post shines some light on YourFreeMusicDownloads.com:
A new free music site with the ominous name “YourFreeMusicDownloads” claims to offer free, open MP3s in exchange for a user filling out a survey. However, the survey involves divulging your mailing address, phone number, email, and credit card information. Oh, and you have to pay $5 in order to complete the survey.
So it’s just another crazy “fill out offers to get free stuff” site, only instead of a free iPod you get a few MP3s worth about a buck each.
YourFreeMusicDownloads certainly [...]
Filed in: SL
Happy B-Day, CD
Posted by Joe on August 17, 2007 · Comments Off
The world’s first CD was manufactured at a Philips factory near Hanover, Germany, 25 years ago today. Fosfor Gadgets has the deets.
Filed in: SL
Asus EEE update — More Money For Less Storage
Engadget is reporting on an unverified forum post stating that the Asus EEE will be available in late September for $269-$299 with just 2gb of storage. That may still be a good deal ($200+ cheaper than Palm’s upcoming Folio), but the EEE is definitely a little less attractive if this is true. Yeah, I still want one, just with a bit less enthusiasm.
Filed in: SL
Shuttle OK To Land
Posted by Joe on August 16, 2007 · Comments Off
Great news:
NASA decided Thursday that no repairs are needed for a deep gouge in Endeavour’s belly and the space shuttle is safe to fly home.
Filed in: SL
Palm Centro — Qwerty For Tiny Fingers
Posted by Joe on August 16, 2007 · Comments Off
Palm’s upcoming Centro (aka Gandolf) smart phone sounds great, except for the keyboard that’s apparently unusable:
The Centro has possibly the tiniest QWERTY keyboard I’ve ever seen. It’s infinitesimal: it’s actually impossible to type on this thing with two thumbs. The keys on the model I tried were little clear rubbery bumps, below a cursor pad and the usual Palm OS quick application buttons. Seeing me get frustrated trying to puzzle out letters on this tiny thing, a Sprint rep stepped in to say that it was for the “youth market” – in other words, [...]
Filed in: SL
Truveo Video Search Site Goes Live
Posted by Joe on August 16, 2007 · Comments Off
AOL launched a new version of video search site Truveo.com today. Truveo is billed as a one-stop destination where consumers can find a wide range of video from across the Web, including user-generated video clips and professionally produced video from leading media brands. The new site is based on the Truveo video search technology that AOL acquired in 2006. From the press release:
“Over the past year, there has been an explosion in the amount of professionally produced video that’s available on the Web,†said Timothy Tuttle, CEO and Co-Founder of Truveo and Senior Vice [...]
Filed in: SL
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