CrunchGear » Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com Gadgets, gear and computer hardware. Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:27:32 +0000 en hourly 1 Video: Watch Me Swipe The Time Inc. Tablet http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/12/02/video-watch-me-swipe-the-time-inc-tablet/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/12/02/video-watch-me-swipe-the-time-inc-tablet/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:30:25 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=127357 Earlier today, I got a look at Time Inc’s new digital magazine concept. While I was there I captured some of the demo on video. Actually, Sports Illustrated editor Terry McDonnell was kind enough to shoot the video above while I played with a prototype version of the tablet mag showing an SI issue on an HP tablet computer with a touchscreen. You can see how quickly the digital magazine lets me swipe through pages and photo slides, and get a general idea about some of the navigation elements. When you tap on a page, a navigation wheel pops up with different sharing options and ways to call up additional information, live stats, photos, and videos. The voice explaining the features belongs to David Link of the Wonderfactory, who did much of the conceptual design.]]> Earlier today, I got a look at Time Inc’s new digital magazine concept. While I was there I captured some of the demo on video. Actually, Sports Illustrated editor Terry McDonnell was kind enough to shoot the video above while I played with a prototype version of the tablet mag showing an SI issue on an HP tablet computer with a touchscreen. You can see how quickly the digital magazine lets me swipe through pages and photo slides, and get a general idea about some of the navigation elements. When you tap on a page, a navigation wheel pops up with different sharing options and ways to call up additional information, live stats, photos, and videos. The voice explaining the features belongs to David Link of the Wonderfactory, who did much of the conceptual design.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/12/02/video-watch-me-swipe-the-time-inc-tablet/feed/ 0 Time Inc’s “Manhattan Project” Is A Tablet Magazine http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/12/02/time-inc%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%9cmanhattan-project%e2%80%9d-is-a-tablet-magazine/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/12/02/time-inc%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%9cmanhattan-project%e2%80%9d-is-a-tablet-magazine/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:28:43 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=127268 The magazine business is hurting just like all print publications. And even if their Websites are popular, they generate one tenth the ad revenue of the print side. Since last summer, Time Inc has been working on a “Manhattan Project” to create a digital magazine for the new breed of color tablet computers soon to come to market. (Condé Nast is also working on a similar concept). Today, I got a sneak peak at a demo of the tablet magazine designed for Sports Illustrated. The demo was shown on an HP table computer with a touchscreen, but it could easily be ported to an iPhone or an Apple iTablet, whenever that becomes available. The idea is to create something so beautiful and fluid that readers will actually want to pay for it. The cover takes up the full screen and you tap it to show a table of contents with thumbnails of the actual layout, which you can rearrange to read in any order you like. To flip through the pages you swipe with two fingers, and you can also tap to get a navigational timeline at the bottom. There is also a navigation wheel which lets you share stories via email, Facebook, or Twitter, favorite a story, go to related videos or photos interviews, other articles, or stats such as live scores.]]> The magazine business is hurting just like all print publications. And even if their Websites are popular, they generate one tenth the ad revenue of the print side. Since last summer, Time Inc has been working on a “Manhattan Project” to create a digital magazine for the new breed of color tablet computers soon to come to market. (Condé Nast is also working on a similar concept). Today, I got a sneak peak at a demo of the tablet magazine designed for Sports Illustrated. The demo was shown on an HP table computer with a touchscreen, but it could easily be ported to an iPhone or an Apple iTablet, whenever that becomes available. The idea is to create something so beautiful and fluid that readers will actually want to pay for it. The cover takes up the full screen and you tap it to show a table of contents with thumbnails of the actual layout, which you can rearrange to read in any order you like. To flip through the pages you swipe with two fingers, and you can also tap to get a navigational timeline at the bottom. There is also a navigation wheel which lets you share stories via email, Facebook, or Twitter, favorite a story, go to related videos or photos interviews, other articles, or stats such as live scores.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/12/02/time-inc%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%9cmanhattan-project%e2%80%9d-is-a-tablet-magazine/feed/ 0 Time Revisits Techland http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/11/16/time-revisits-techland/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/11/16/time-revisits-techland/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:51:43 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=124490 Time Inc just launched a new technology blog called Techland, headed up by one of our former CrunchGear editors Peter Ha. Time magazine’s senior tech writer Lev Grossman is also a contributor. Techland covers the intersection of gadgets and geek culture, and is aimed at a mainstream audience. Some of the debut posts cover the movie 2012, Samsung’s new Android phone, and a recap of Apple’s legal victory over clone-maker Psystar. It’s a crowded field, but the appetite for gadget culture is seemingly endless.]]> Time Inc just launched a new technology blog called Techland, headed up by one of our former CrunchGear editors Peter Ha. Time magazine’s senior tech writer Lev Grossman is also a contributor. Techland covers the intersection of gadgets and geek culture, and is aimed at a mainstream audience. Some of the debut posts cover the movie 2012, Samsung’s new Android phone, and a recap of Apple’s legal victory over clone-maker Psystar. It’s a crowded field, but the appetite for gadget culture is seemingly endless.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/11/16/time-revisits-techland/feed/ 0 How To Throw A Windows 7 Torrenting Party Without Getting Arrested http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/10/22/how-to-throw-a-windows-7-torrenting-party-without-getting-arrested/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/10/22/how-to-throw-a-windows-7-torrenting-party-without-getting-arrested/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:00:25 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=119966 Today is Windows 7 launch day, and everyone is having a party. In fact, Microsoft's helpful Windows 7 launch party prepping video is already an instant Internet classic. But there's more than one way to have a Windows 7 launch party. The Funny or Die spoof video above shows you how to have a Windows 7 torrenting party, and even gives tips for how not to get arrested. (Warning: there are a few f-bombs at the end). Windows 7 can be so much fun! But what's with the British accents?]]> Today is Windows 7 launch day, and everyone is having a party. In fact, Microsoft's helpful Windows 7 launch party prepping video is already an instant Internet classic. But there's more than one way to have a Windows 7 launch party. The Funny or Die spoof video above shows you how to have a Windows 7 torrenting party, and even gives tips for how not to get arrested. (Warning: there are a few f-bombs at the end). Windows 7 can be so much fun! But what's with the British accents?]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/10/22/how-to-throw-a-windows-7-torrenting-party-without-getting-arrested/feed/ 0 Google Gives The Ultimate Holiday Gift: Free WiFi On Virgin America Flights http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/10/19/google-gives-the-ultimate-holiday-gift-free-wifi-on-virgin-america-flights/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/10/19/google-gives-the-ultimate-holiday-gift-free-wifi-on-virgin-america-flights/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:26:25 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=118983 Google is going to make a lot of frequent flyers, and Virgin America, happy this holiday season. As a gift to people who fly on Virgin America's WiFi-equipped planes, Google will be footing the bill for everybody on board between November 10, 2009, and January 15, 2010. For Google, this is a smart marketing move because it generates tons of good will among everyone who flies Virgin America. But Google is really giving a gift to Virgin America in the form of yet one more incentive to fly its planes over competitors'. Will American Airlines and others with WiFi on board have to respond with their own freebie giveaways? I hope so. ]]> Google is going to make a lot of frequent flyers, and Virgin America, happy this holiday season. As a gift to people who fly on Virgin America's WiFi-equipped planes, Google will be footing the bill for everybody on board between November 10, 2009, and January 15, 2010. For Google, this is a smart marketing move because it generates tons of good will among everyone who flies Virgin America. But Google is really giving a gift to Virgin America in the form of yet one more incentive to fly its planes over competitors'. Will American Airlines and others with WiFi on board have to respond with their own freebie giveaways? I hope so. ]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/10/19/google-gives-the-ultimate-holiday-gift-free-wifi-on-virgin-america-flights/feed/ 0 Deep Green, The Pool-Playing Robot http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/17/deep-green-the-pool-playing-robot-2/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/17/deep-green-the-pool-playing-robot-2/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:38:28 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=112984 You’ve heard of Deep Blue, the IBM computer that bested Gary Kasparov in a chess match a decade ago. Now, there is Deep Green, a robot that plays pool. And by the looks of this demo video, it can’t lose. As Delicious founder, and now-Googler, Joshua Schachter points out, it is “only a matter of time before one of these kills a person.”]]> You’ve heard of Deep Blue, the IBM computer that bested Gary Kasparov in a chess match a decade ago. Now, there is Deep Green, a robot that plays pool. And by the looks of this demo video, it can’t lose. As Delicious founder, and now-Googler, Joshua Schachter points out, it is “only a matter of time before one of these kills a person.”]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/17/deep-green-the-pool-playing-robot-2/feed/ 0 Nokia And Microsoft Make An Unholy Alliance To Bring Office Mobile To More Phones http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/12/nokia-and-microsoft-make-an-unholy-alliance-to-bring-office-mobile-to-more-phones/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/12/nokia-and-microsoft-make-an-unholy-alliance-to-bring-office-mobile-to-more-phones/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:33:14 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=106445 Microsoft and Nokia announced a broad ranging alliance this morning which will bring Microsoft Office and other productivity software to a Nokia phones. The agreement marks "the first time Microsoft will make Office for non windows mobile phones," says Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop. There are 200 million Nokia smart phones out there, and Microsoft wants its software on all of them eventually. But initially, the alliance is targeting enterprise customers and will be integrated into Nokia's E Series business phones. The Microsoft software and features that will be ported to Nokia phones include:]]> Microsoft and Nokia announced a broad ranging alliance this morning which will bring Microsoft Office and other productivity software to a Nokia phones. The agreement marks "the first time Microsoft will make Office for non windows mobile phones," says Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop. There are 200 million Nokia smart phones out there, and Microsoft wants its software on all of them eventually. But initially, the alliance is targeting enterprise customers and will be integrated into Nokia's E Series business phones. The Microsoft software and features that will be ported to Nokia phones include:]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/12/nokia-and-microsoft-make-an-unholy-alliance-to-bring-office-mobile-to-more-phones/feed/ 0 The summer of smartphone love http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/06/04/the-summer-of-smartphone-love/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/06/04/the-summer-of-smartphone-love/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:35:26 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=93353 Can you feel the tingling in the air? If you haven't found it already,you will. This is going to be the summer of love. I am talking, of course, about smartphone love. The serenades have already begun for the June 6 launch of the Palm Pre. Next week, Apple will reveal it's next iPhone (you know MG is going to get one). Blackberry might come out with its second Storm by summer's end. And the lovefest will continue throughout the year with launch after launch of new Android phones as well. It will be practically nonstop. I hope you can handle it. ]]> Can you feel the tingling in the air? If you haven't found it already,you will. This is going to be the summer of love. I am talking, of course, about smartphone love. The serenades have already begun for the June 6 launch of the Palm Pre. Next week, Apple will reveal it's next iPhone (you know MG is going to get one). Blackberry might come out with its second Storm by summer's end. And the lovefest will continue throughout the year with launch after launch of new Android phones as well. It will be practically nonstop. I hope you can handle it. ]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/06/04/the-summer-of-smartphone-love/feed/ 0 Palm Pre to come with Twitter Search and iTunes Sync http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/28/palm-pre-to-come-with-twitter-search-and-itunes-sync/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/28/palm-pre-to-come-with-twitter-search-and-itunes-sync/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 21:45:19 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=92290 The Palm Pre will be Twitter friendly. In a demo of the Palm Pre at the D7 conference a few minutes ago, Twitter search was showcased as one of its universal search options (along with Google and other search engines). Other features shown in the demo included the ability to sync the Pre to iTunes, download music over the air from the Amazon MP3 store, run multiple apps at the same time, and integrate third-party apps with other apps on the device such as the calendar. For instance, if you buy a movie ticket through a Fandango app, it can make an entry on your calendar.]]> The Palm Pre will be Twitter friendly. In a demo of the Palm Pre at the D7 conference a few minutes ago, Twitter search was showcased as one of its universal search options (along with Google and other search engines). Other features shown in the demo included the ability to sync the Pre to iTunes, download music over the air from the Amazon MP3 store, run multiple apps at the same time, and integrate third-party apps with other apps on the device such as the calendar. For instance, if you buy a movie ticket through a Fandango app, it can make an entry on your calendar.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/28/palm-pre-to-come-with-twitter-search-and-itunes-sync/feed/ 0 Kindle notes and highlights come to the Internet http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/26/kindle-notes-and-highlights-come-to-the-internet/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/26/kindle-notes-and-highlights-come-to-the-internet/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 13:20:27 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91601 About a half hour ago, Amazon opened up a new feature on the Kindle: the ability to read your notes and highlights on the Web. Readers have always been able to make notes and highlight text on the Kindle itself. Now those annotations appear on your account at http://kindle.amazon.com. Once you sign in, you can see all your notes. While this opens up all sorts of possibilities, Amazon is taking a very conservative approach. You can't share your notes with others. You can't even edit them in your browser. All you can do is read them. That makes the feature little more than a Web archive of your notes and highlighted text snippets. It is a convenient feature, but why not enable sharing? Why can't I share an excerpt with my friends on Facebook or Twitter (with the beginning of a quote and a short link)? ]]> About a half hour ago, Amazon opened up a new feature on the Kindle: the ability to read your notes and highlights on the Web. Readers have always been able to make notes and highlight text on the Kindle itself. Now those annotations appear on your account at http://kindle.amazon.com. Once you sign in, you can see all your notes. While this opens up all sorts of possibilities, Amazon is taking a very conservative approach. You can't share your notes with others. You can't even edit them in your browser. All you can do is read them. That makes the feature little more than a Web archive of your notes and highlighted text snippets. It is a convenient feature, but why not enable sharing? Why can't I share an excerpt with my friends on Facebook or Twitter (with the beginning of a quote and a short link)? ]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/26/kindle-notes-and-highlights-come-to-the-internet/feed/ 0 Daimler takes a 10 percent stake in Tesla Motors http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/19/daimler-takes-a-10-percent-stake-in-tesla-motors/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/19/daimler-takes-a-10-percent-stake-in-tesla-motors/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 15:13:38 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=90580 Silicon Valley electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors got another shot in the arm today from German auto giant Daimler, which took a 10 percent stake in the company and expanded its partnership with Tesla to equip future Mercedes-Benz vehicles with electric lithium-ion batteries. Mercedes has been testing Tesla's batteries in a fleet of 100 smart cars, and is already moving into limited production. But with this agreement, Mercedes now expects to roll out its first battery-powered Mercedes-Benz in 2010, and offer battery-powered vehicles for all of its models by 2012. The amount invested was not disclosed, but even more valuable to Tesla is the vote of confidence from one of the world's leading auto companies. In a press release, Daimler proclaims: "Tesla is the only production automaker selling a highway capable electric vehicle in North America and Europe."]]> Silicon Valley electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors got another shot in the arm today from German auto giant Daimler, which took a 10 percent stake in the company and expanded its partnership with Tesla to equip future Mercedes-Benz vehicles with electric lithium-ion batteries. Mercedes has been testing Tesla's batteries in a fleet of 100 smart cars, and is already moving into limited production. But with this agreement, Mercedes now expects to roll out its first battery-powered Mercedes-Benz in 2010, and offer battery-powered vehicles for all of its models by 2012. The amount invested was not disclosed, but even more valuable to Tesla is the vote of confidence from one of the world's leading auto companies. In a press release, Daimler proclaims: "Tesla is the only production automaker selling a highway capable electric vehicle in North America and Europe."]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/19/daimler-takes-a-10-percent-stake-in-tesla-motors/feed/ 0 Steve Jobs on the value of stock options http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/04/26/steve-jobs-on-the-value-of-stock-options/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/04/26/steve-jobs-on-the-value-of-stock-options/#comments Sun, 26 Apr 2009 07:19:27 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=86380 On March 18, 2008, Steve Jobs was deposed by the SEC during its investigation of Apple's stock option backdating scandal. The deposition was never made public until Forbes published it on Friday, after obtaining it through a Freedom of Information Act request. (Full deposition embedded below) Jobs explains his reasoning for why he asked the board for mega grants of options for both himself and his top executives, but claims ignorance of the mechanics of how that was done after the board approved the grants themselves. (It was the falsifying of board minutes for a meeting that never occurred, not the backdating per se, that got Apple's former general counsel Nancy Heinen into hot water with the SEC—this deposition was for a case against her). There aren't too many revelations on the legal front in the document. But the document provides the first detailed account of the incident from Steve Jobs himself in his own words. What comes through in the deposition is how Jobs sees himself and his' fierce loyalty to those who work for him. For instance, after selling NeXt to Apple in 1997, his initial reason for acting as a consultant was to get "some of the NeXt people into some jobs where they could help Apple." He himself was reluctant at first to take on the CEO role at Apple because he didn't want the people at his other company, Pixar, to "think I was abandoning them." Then when it came time to reward his "ultra key" executives with one million options each, two of them were from NeXT. While he was taking care of his top lieutenants by trying ti "surprise and delight them with what a career at Apple could be", he was "hurt" that Apple's board didn't do the same for him. So he had to have a little talk with them about swapping his 20 million then-underwater options for 7.5 million new ones, which they did. I've excerpted some of the juicier bits from the deposition after the jump. ]]> On March 18, 2008, Steve Jobs was deposed by the SEC during its investigation of Apple's stock option backdating scandal. The deposition was never made public until Forbes published it on Friday, after obtaining it through a Freedom of Information Act request. (Full deposition embedded below) Jobs explains his reasoning for why he asked the board for mega grants of options for both himself and his top executives, but claims ignorance of the mechanics of how that was done after the board approved the grants themselves. (It was the falsifying of board minutes for a meeting that never occurred, not the backdating per se, that got Apple's former general counsel Nancy Heinen into hot water with the SEC—this deposition was for a case against her). There aren't too many revelations on the legal front in the document. But the document provides the first detailed account of the incident from Steve Jobs himself in his own words. What comes through in the deposition is how Jobs sees himself and his' fierce loyalty to those who work for him. For instance, after selling NeXt to Apple in 1997, his initial reason for acting as a consultant was to get "some of the NeXt people into some jobs where they could help Apple." He himself was reluctant at first to take on the CEO role at Apple because he didn't want the people at his other company, Pixar, to "think I was abandoning them." Then when it came time to reward his "ultra key" executives with one million options each, two of them were from NeXT. While he was taking care of his top lieutenants by trying ti "surprise and delight them with what a career at Apple could be", he was "hurt" that Apple's board didn't do the same for him. So he had to have a little talk with them about swapping his 20 million then-underwater options for 7.5 million new ones, which they did. I've excerpted some of the juicier bits from the deposition after the jump. ]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/04/26/steve-jobs-on-the-value-of-stock-options/feed/ 0 iPhone makes up 50 percent of smartphone web traffic in U.S. http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/24/iphone-makes-up-50-percent-of-smartphone-web-traffic-in-us/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/24/iphone-makes-up-50-percent-of-smartphone-web-traffic-in-us/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:06:21 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=80355 The iPhone now accounts for 50 percent of mobile Web traffic from smartphones in the U.S., according to an AdMob Mobile Metrics report released this morning. Over the past six months, the iPhone has taken share from Blackberry and Windows Mobile. In August 2008, the iPhone made up only 10 percent of mobile Web traffic from smartphones. During the same time, Blackberry's share has gone from 32 percent to 21 percent (with the Curve and the Pearl coming in stronger than the Storm), while Windows Mobile has taken an even bigger hit, declining from 30 percent to 13 percent. Palm is also down to 7 percent from 19 percent six months ago. The only other smartphone operating system that is showing gains in mobile Web usage is Android, which has captured a strong 5 percent share just three months after launch. The gains shown by the iPhone and Android show what is possible when phones are built with fully capable browsers and support a rich array of Web apps. On a worldwide basis, smartphones running on the Symbian OS (mostly from Nokia) still dominate mobile Web traffic with a 43 percent share. But that is down from 64 percent in August. The iPhone has gone from 4 percent to 33 percent of mobile Web traffic on a worldwide basis. All the other mobile operating systems are down as well.]]> The iPhone now accounts for 50 percent of mobile Web traffic from smartphones in the U.S., according to an AdMob Mobile Metrics report released this morning. Over the past six months, the iPhone has taken share from Blackberry and Windows Mobile. In August 2008, the iPhone made up only 10 percent of mobile Web traffic from smartphones. During the same time, Blackberry's share has gone from 32 percent to 21 percent (with the Curve and the Pearl coming in stronger than the Storm), while Windows Mobile has taken an even bigger hit, declining from 30 percent to 13 percent. Palm is also down to 7 percent from 19 percent six months ago. The only other smartphone operating system that is showing gains in mobile Web usage is Android, which has captured a strong 5 percent share just three months after launch. The gains shown by the iPhone and Android show what is possible when phones are built with fully capable browsers and support a rich array of Web apps. On a worldwide basis, smartphones running on the Symbian OS (mostly from Nokia) still dominate mobile Web traffic with a 43 percent share. But that is down from 64 percent in August. The iPhone has gone from 4 percent to 33 percent of mobile Web traffic on a worldwide basis. All the other mobile operating systems are down as well.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/24/iphone-makes-up-50-percent-of-smartphone-web-traffic-in-us/feed/ 0 Done deal: Cisco buys Pure Digital (Flip Video) http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/19/done-deal-cisco-buys-pure-digital-flip-video/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/19/done-deal-cisco-buys-pure-digital-flip-video/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:49:14 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=79463 Earlier this month we reported that Cisco Systems had acquired Pure Digital Technologies, the makers of the popular Flip Video cameras. Today, Cisco officially announced the deal, which was for $590 million in stock. (We had the price at "north of $500 million). Pure Digital will become part of Cisco's consumer business group, which includes Linksys home routers and set-top boxes from its acquisition of Scientific-Atlanta. Cisco is calling the Flip cameras a new form of "visual networking," whatever that means. In reality, the Flip is built for the YouTube generation. It is designed to take videos and immediately upload the to the Web. (Its output is a handy USB stick that flips open and plugs in directly to a computer). In other words, it is a device that encourages activities that consume a lot of bandwidth. As a networking company, Cisco wants you to use as much bandwidth as possible.]]> Earlier this month we reported that Cisco Systems had acquired Pure Digital Technologies, the makers of the popular Flip Video cameras. Today, Cisco officially announced the deal, which was for $590 million in stock. (We had the price at "north of $500 million). Pure Digital will become part of Cisco's consumer business group, which includes Linksys home routers and set-top boxes from its acquisition of Scientific-Atlanta. Cisco is calling the Flip cameras a new form of "visual networking," whatever that means. In reality, the Flip is built for the YouTube generation. It is designed to take videos and immediately upload the to the Web. (Its output is a handy USB stick that flips open and plugs in directly to a computer). In other words, it is a device that encourages activities that consume a lot of bandwidth. As a networking company, Cisco wants you to use as much bandwidth as possible.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/19/done-deal-cisco-buys-pure-digital-flip-video/feed/ 0 Fennec (Firefox Mobile) shows off its Beta http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/18/fennec-firefox-mobile-shows-off-its-beta/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/18/fennec-firefox-mobile-shows-off-its-beta/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:08:52 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=79337 The mobile version of the Firefox browser, Fennec, is now officially in beta. It works only on the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, but developers can also download it onto their computers. The Fennec browser is designed to make maximum use of the limited screen space available on mobile phones and tries to do everything possible to minimize typing. It incorporates the Firefox “awesome bar,” which acts as both navigation and search bar. Start typing in a URL or search term and it auto-suggests web pages based on your past Web surfing habits. Various searches, including Google, YAhoo Answers, and Wikipedia, are one click away via links at the bottom. The browser also remembers all your passwords, just like Firefox. It supports Flash. And add-ons can be created for the mobile browser. The user interface takes some zooming and panning concepts which were previously previewed by Mozilla Labs. Each Web page expands to fill the entire screen, but moving the page to the side reveals different controls, including bookmarks, back and forward buttons, tabs, and different tools.]]> The mobile version of the Firefox browser, Fennec, is now officially in beta. It works only on the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, but developers can also download it onto their computers. The Fennec browser is designed to make maximum use of the limited screen space available on mobile phones and tries to do everything possible to minimize typing. It incorporates the Firefox “awesome bar,” which acts as both navigation and search bar. Start typing in a URL or search term and it auto-suggests web pages based on your past Web surfing habits. Various searches, including Google, YAhoo Answers, and Wikipedia, are one click away via links at the bottom. The browser also remembers all your passwords, just like Firefox. It supports Flash. And add-ons can be created for the mobile browser. The user interface takes some zooming and panning concepts which were previously previewed by Mozilla Labs. Each Web page expands to fill the entire screen, but moving the page to the side reveals different controls, including bookmarks, back and forward buttons, tabs, and different tools.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/18/fennec-firefox-mobile-shows-off-its-beta/feed/ 0 Pay-for-play comes to Internet radio http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/08/pay-for-play-comes-to-internet-radio/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/08/pay-for-play-comes-to-internet-radio/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:49:18 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=77131 When it comes to promoting new music, pay-for-play schemes are generally frowned upon. The practice, which involves music labels or artists paying radio stations to play their songs in heavy rotation, dates back to the beginnings of terrestrial radio. It got so bad in the 1950s that Congress had to intervene, but it keeps rearing its head in new forms. Now, pay-for-play has hit online radio. Jango, a music streaming service which claims 6 million monthly listeners, is selling paid placement to labels and artists through a program it launched last week called Jango Airplay. For as little as $30, a band can buy 1,000 plays on Jango. Each song has links to buy the song at Amazon or iTunes. Given the scandalous history of pay-for-play on terrestrial radio, it is not surprising that people are skeptical about whether it is a good idea to bring it to the Web. Matt Rosoff at Cnet sums it up:
This tarnishes the entire service with a distinct air of "suck".
]]> When it comes to promoting new music, pay-for-play schemes are generally frowned upon. The practice, which involves music labels or artists paying radio stations to play their songs in heavy rotation, dates back to the beginnings of terrestrial radio. It got so bad in the 1950s that Congress had to intervene, but it keeps rearing its head in new forms. Now, pay-for-play has hit online radio. Jango, a music streaming service which claims 6 million monthly listeners, is selling paid placement to labels and artists through a program it launched last week called Jango Airplay. For as little as $30, a band can buy 1,000 plays on Jango. Each song has links to buy the song at Amazon or iTunes. Given the scandalous history of pay-for-play on terrestrial radio, it is not surprising that people are skeptical about whether it is a good idea to bring it to the Web. Matt Rosoff at Cnet sums it up:
This tarnishes the entire service with a distinct air of "suck".
]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/08/pay-for-play-comes-to-internet-radio/feed/ 0 Forget about those leaked downloads, listen to U2’s entire new album on MySpace Music http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/02/20/forget-about-those-leaked-downloads-listen-to-u2s-entire-new-album-on-myspace-music/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/02/20/forget-about-those-leaked-downloads-listen-to-u2s-entire-new-album-on-myspace-music/#comments Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:30:17 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=73769 I'm not sure if this was moved up in response to leaked copiess of U2's newest album, No Line On The Horizon spreading across the Internet, but the entire the album will be streamed for free at MySpace Music. The player in U2's MySpace Music page featires a single, but if you click on the top album in the sidebar, you can hear the entire thing. MySpace says that the entire album will be streamed from February 20 to March 3, with links to pre-order it. This is akin to Radiohead offering a free download of their album In Rainbows for a limited time, except without the download. It is good marketing, at it helps the band try to keep control over distribution. Although, that Bittorrent cat is already out of the bag. (The unreleased album leaked out and has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times by fans who just can't wait for U2's perfectly planned release schedule.]]> I'm not sure if this was moved up in response to leaked copiess of U2's newest album, No Line On The Horizon spreading across the Internet, but the entire the album will be streamed for free at MySpace Music. The player in U2's MySpace Music page featires a single, but if you click on the top album in the sidebar, you can hear the entire thing. MySpace says that the entire album will be streamed from February 20 to March 3, with links to pre-order it. This is akin to Radiohead offering a free download of their album In Rainbows for a limited time, except without the download. It is good marketing, at it helps the band try to keep control over distribution. Although, that Bittorrent cat is already out of the bag. (The unreleased album leaked out and has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times by fans who just can't wait for U2's perfectly planned release schedule.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/02/20/forget-about-those-leaked-downloads-listen-to-u2s-entire-new-album-on-myspace-music/feed/ 0 Gmail Goes Offline With Google Gears http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/28/gmail-goes-offline-with-google-gears/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/28/gmail-goes-offline-with-google-gears/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:35:08 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=68600 Until today, one of the biggest drawbacks of Gmail is that you could not go through your emails when you were offline. Today, that changes. Gmail is finally going offline. Google is rolling out a Google Gears version of Gmail that will be available to users starting today in Gmail Labs.]]> Until today, one of the biggest drawbacks of Gmail is that you could not go through your emails when you were offline. Today, that changes. Gmail is finally going offline. Google is rolling out a Google Gears version of Gmail that will be available to users starting today in Gmail Labs.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/28/gmail-goes-offline-with-google-gears/feed/ 0 Apple calls off dogs: Papermaster can now work for Lenovo http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/27/apple-calls-off-dogs-papermaster-can-now-work-for-lenovo/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/27/apple-calls-off-dogs-papermaster-can-now-work-for-lenovo/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:21:29 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=68476 When Apple hired away Mark Papermaster from IBM as its new senior vice president of hardware engineering for devices, IBM struck back with a lawsuit attempting to bar him from switching jobs. Citing his non-compete clause, IBM convinced a judge to order Papermaster to stop working at Apple until the dispute was resolved. Well, now he can finally go make future iPods for Apple. The two companies have settled out of court. It kind of makes you wonder why companies even bother with non-compete clauses in employment contracts, especially when they are overly broad. More often than not, they are not worth the paper they are written on. ]]> When Apple hired away Mark Papermaster from IBM as its new senior vice president of hardware engineering for devices, IBM struck back with a lawsuit attempting to bar him from switching jobs. Citing his non-compete clause, IBM convinced a judge to order Papermaster to stop working at Apple until the dispute was resolved. Well, now he can finally go make future iPods for Apple. The two companies have settled out of court. It kind of makes you wonder why companies even bother with non-compete clauses in employment contracts, especially when they are overly broad. More often than not, they are not worth the paper they are written on. ]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/27/apple-calls-off-dogs-papermaster-can-now-work-for-lenovo/feed/ 0 Video: Steve Jobs Giving His First Big Demo http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/24/video-steve-jobs-giving-his-first-big-demo/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/24/video-steve-jobs-giving-his-first-big-demo/#comments Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:23:56 +0000 Erick Schonfeld http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=67844 Twenty five years ago today, on January 24, 1984, Steve Jobs gave the first on-stage demonstration of the Macintosh computer to a packed auditorium. The technology was much different then, but it was the same Steve Jobs: a masterful showman able to make the latest jumble of electronics seem like it was capable of magic. Enjoy.]]> Twenty five years ago today, on January 24, 1984, Steve Jobs gave the first on-stage demonstration of the Macintosh computer to a packed auditorium. The technology was much different then, but it was the same Steve Jobs: a masterful showman able to make the latest jumble of electronics seem like it was capable of magic. Enjoy.]]> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/24/video-steve-jobs-giving-his-first-big-demo/feed/ 0