Users of Quickbooks for Mac are discouraged from applying the most recent software update. Upon applying said update, users are experiencing a glitch that states “not enough free disk space.” If the users clicks OK, then all desktop files are erased. If you find yourself in this position, you must force quit Quickbooks to avoid deletion of your desktop files.
If you have Quickbooks and have not yet updated, hold off until a fix is implemented.
The Inquirer today writes that the 360 makes up one-third of the HD DVD player market. A recently released report speculates that 750,000 HD DVD players are currently in homes and that 269,000 of them are of the Xbox 360 add-on variety.
It still remains unclear whether HD DVD or Blu-ray is winning the war, but it boils down to several factors. Blu-ray is the better technology, but HD DVD is more affordable and thus more accessible. Studios seem split down the middle in terms of what to support, which is the biggest hindrance to the consumer. That’s the thing that really needs to be settled before a single format wins out. Once a format manages to lure the brunt of the studios, that format will win for the simple fact that content is king and the player with the most titles wins by default.
I recently purchased a Toshiba HD-A2 for $99 for the simple fact that I needed a new DVD player. Its support of HD DVD is an added bonus.
Intel announced today that it had developed a single chip to handle signals for WiFi, WiMAX and DVB-H. The chip measures just 24-millimeters^2 and consumes only 79mW.
While DVB-H is more or less irrelevant in the States, this chip could still be significant. And considering the capability to stick three radio receivers onto one die, Intel could feasibly rip DVB-H out and add some wireless technology relevant to North America.
At any rate, I’d expect to start seeing devices with this thing in it sometime next year.
Want a Steelcase Leap Chair? Sure you do. Why? Because it’s awesome, as our review earlier this year irrefutably proved.
Steelcase is running a contest right now asking entrants to describe their most uncomfortable office experience — by drawing a pictograph in a fancy web applet. Don’t worry though, your inability to make an amusing picto won’t be challenged too roughly as the winner will be drawn at random.
Kotaku’s Mark Wilson took issue yesterday with the varying ages of Xbox LIVE users, concluding that the service needs age matching. Wilson’s point is a valid one. As I shamelessly squander all of my tangible real life relationships playing Call of Duty 4 (CoD4), I’ve frequently noticed that the tinny sounds piping through my (probably toxic) Xbox headset belong to ‘people’ about a decade shy of buying a beer.
And sometimes, when not fueled by scotch and pharmaceuticals, I question whether those voices should be on the receiving end of my own tinny, but endless stream of obscenities and taunts as I’m knifed in the head by e1itegamer007 for the 30th time. In the end, I’ve never cared enough to think about it beyond the game, but maybe there is a solution.
Perhaps, as Wilson, Xbox LIVE could also match players according to age. It’s simple enough. One extra field to add to the matching critera. LIVE account could, maybe, prevent the pedos from harvesting a lobby of young gamers, but who knows?
This is new territory. Kids have always like games and adults these days are less embarrassed to admit that they play games. They both have equal claim to the territory, so how should things be segregated accordingly? And how can we prevent little Joey from accepting a bus ticket from choadwasher9? Answers people.
“Wooooo Widespread Panic jam for the environment!.”
Greenpeace, that bastion of left-wing enviro-propaganda, has issued a statement condemning the makers of gaming consoles for not taking enough measures to reduce the toxic burden of their products. During a rare break from “jamming out to Dave Matthews Band,” the RIAA of the environment sent angry patchouli scented letters to the likes of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, for producing products only slightly less volatile than toxic sludge.
“Game console manufacturers are lagging way behind the makers of mobile phones and PCs who have been reducing the toxic load of products over the past year,” says Zenia Al Hajj, Greenpeace’s toxic avenger (pictured below).
It went on to cite the fact that game consoles aren’t following the parameters set forth by the Restrictions of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) initiative. But seriously you guys, pollution is bad. Peak oil. Global Warming. Scary face.
The RCA Jet Stream is a basic DAP intended for use while exercising. To that merit, it includes a pedometer and a BMI measurement utility of debatable accuracy (I’m just big-boned). As a standalone unit it is, rather vanilla.
Perhaps sensing this conundrum, RCA opted to include Kleer wireless headphones, the same technology that I gushed about at CES this year, proclaiming it my “best in show” product (a proclamation that bears little-to-no consequence, but there it is). So let’s look at this thing in two parts, the device and the headphones. Read More
As Doug recently reported, Eye-Fi is 2GB SD device with a built-in WiFi transceiver. Like many of you, I hadn’t heard of the device until earlier this week and then, like so many things, it was seemingly everywhere.
Mike Galpert of Aviary Twittered about it’s brilliance, friends were chattering on about it, people were trying to trade sexual favors to try it, etc. Fortunately, I was able to get my hands on one and maintain my chastity (at least what’s left of it). Read More
D-Link announced today that it has begun shipping the next increment of its Xtreme N Gaming Router. The DGL-4500 comes complete with GameFuel technology which is essentially a QoS system that is optimized for game traffic.
The device uses the latest Draft 802.11n standard and promises wireless transfer speeds up to 300Mbps. It also supports Gigagabit ethernet, for those of you who can deal with wires. D-Link also claims that the device is further optimized with a high-performance CPU that could, conceivably speed things up somewhat. Read More
Nearly a year after I first reported on WildCharge, the induction based charging device, we receive word that a version of the product is now available for purchase. Using a charging pad and an induction strip that is placed on the device to be charged, WildCharge revives devices seamlessly, thus avoiding the cumbersome dilemma of having to plug in a cord.
I know this glimpse of that this glimpse of the future sounds like something torn from the pages of a smutty Sci-Fi magazine, but it’s true, and it can be yours today for around $50. That is, of course, if you’re still using a RAZR, which I’m guessing at least a few people are, since there were like 13 billion sold.
The problem, as I see it, is that the demographic of people who would be using WildCharge have surely moved on to more sophisticated phones (like the KRZR). I like the idea WildCharge, but I question your implementation. Get that iPod adapted out stat and then we’ll talk (me on my demon iPhone and you on your RAZR).
Following months-and-months of hinting and speculation, Palm confirmed the existence and availability of the Centro. The new device is in a new candybar case, that features a fully functional QWERTZY keyboard and touchscreen.
The Centro is powered by a 312MHz Intel XScale processor and it utilizes Palm OS 5.4.9 — not WinMo, which should make a lot of you happy. It will be available exclusively (at least for now) under Sprint, which means that it features acceptably fast EV-DO mobile broadband.
Like all Palm devices, the Centro has threaded messaging and access to a host of programs and peripherals. Dave Zatz of Slingmedia, for instance, says that Sling anticipates that SlingPlayer will soon be fully supported by the Centro. So there’s that.
Anyway, the Centro will be available soon for $99.
Sling Media will formally announce tomorrow morning its new Slingbox place-shifting media device — an announcement that will come fresh on the heels of the proposed EchoStar buyout of Sling Media. Dubbed the SOLO, the new unit will fit between the starter AV unit and the high-end Pro model. The ambition of this new device is to deliver higher quality features for a more reasonable price.
I’ve had the opportunity to check out a pre-production unit for the past few days and I’m ready to report my first impressions. Read More
Halo 3 has been available for over 24 hours now and it’s difficult to turn anywhere without seeing something written about it. It’s generally your standard “Halo 3 will make Microsoft $1846183746387461863″ fare in the media and from fans its “ZOMG HALO 3 IS THE BEST THING SINCE JESUS.”
In the interest of culling the fold of useless comments, I’ve narrowed it down to the best two comments about Halo 3 currently available on the Internet. Read More
Logitech recently unleashed a torrent of speakers and iPod docks that have furthered strengthened it’s already excellent array of devices. I’ve had the opportunity to experiment with a couple of the systems, and I definitely like what I’ve heard. Read More
John Biggs just sent me a frantic Skype to look into Cognitive Code, a company he just discovered at TC40. After looking over its offerings, I’m forced to say that I’m sharing his excitement, albeit skeptically.
Cognitive Code is the developer of SILVIA (Symbolically Isolated, Linguistically Variable, Intelligence Algorithms), a conversationally adept AI. Its technology can be embedded into a multitude of products and can interpret an expansive amount of data. SILVIA supports variable input that allows it to understand meaning on a context-sensitive conceptual level. It has a dynamic output range that allows it to learn and utilize dialects and idioms. The software can also function in multiple languages and on multiple platforms. In 2008, Cognitive Code will launch Pocket SILVIA, a mobile platforms port of the complete runtime core of Pocket SILVIA.
The impressive element of this technology lies in its embeddability. Imagine, for instance, that SILVIA was embedded in a robot with sight and movement capabilities. Ordering it to “go get a red block” would send it on a search for a red block and it would then return to you with a block. Theoretically, anyway.
I’m always skeptical of technologies like this, despite the fact that I know they’re coming. Have we really progressed this far? Check out the Cognitive Code descriptions of SILVIA and let me know what you all think.
Update: The Patent Monkey kids just dug up the patent information filed by Cognitive Code CTO Leslie Spring while he worked for Sony. The technology from the Sony patent is inline with the SILVIA technology presented by Cognitive Code.
Having gone through about eight years of college, I tried all sorts of methods of “better” note taking. Some actually delivered on their promises to make my life easier, but most simply overcomplicated things and turned out to be more hassle than they were worth.
Collected here are a few options that, if used diligently, will make your life as a student (or anyone who takes a lot of notes) easier on the whole. Read More
Ever order something Online because it’s a great value, only to discover that, for all the resulting grief, you would have been better off just purchasing it in a store? That’s the experience I’m having right now. With Amazon of all places.
That’s right, Amazon.com, that great bright beacon of modern commerce has left an $1,800 TV order in complete and utter ruin. Read More
In its charge to be the most boob-friendly company in the Silicon Valley, Belkin has announced yet another pink product to benefit Breast Cancer research. Belkin today announced a handful of breast cancer aware, pink and brown cases for the iPod Nano.
For each case sold, Belkin will donate $2.50 to (with a minimum guarantee donation of $255,000) support Komen for the Cure, the leading Breast Cancer group. It’s a good cause, so buy one for your mom or something.
As a lighthearted aside from all the iPod news banging about today, I thought you Internet people might appreciate a little animated tribute to the the Internet phenomenons that get us all out of bed in the morning. It’s called “Internet People!” Enjoy.
It’s been awhile since we took a look at anything ergonomic, so I figured it was best we picked up where we left off. In our last installment of Adventures in Ergonomics, we viewed a slew of chairs made to make your back happier. While this go round isn’t quite as ambitious, the product we’re looking at is a component of no less importance. Read More
If you were wondering how Google Maps would function onboard a Virgin America flight, Virgin and Google have put together a lighthearted little video demonstrating the service. If that doesn’t pique your fancy, then perhaps I should add that it also features a low-rider plane with spinners and hydraulics. Yea I knew that’d get you.
Welcome to TechTravels, an ongoing feature set celebrating the techiest travel options available. In celebration of Virgin America’s first flight from Los Angeles to New York City, which takes off any minute, VA will be the first piece considered. I had a chance to fly the new airline last weekend from JFK to SFO and it was quite the experience. Like the increasingly popular JetBlue, Virgin America intends to defeat the flying dinosaurs through the implementation of lower fares and better amenities. Read More
Users of Quickbooks for Mac are discouraged from applying the most recent software update. Upon applying said update, users are experiencing a glitch that states “not enough free disk space.” If the users clicks OK, then all desktop files are erased. If you find yourself in this position, you must force quit Quickbooks to avoid deletion of your desktop files. 
Read More
Intel announced today that it had developed a single chip to handle signals for WiFi, WiMAX and DVB-H. The chip measures just 24-millimeters^2 and consumes only 79mW. 
John Biggs just sent me a frantic Skype to look into 
