I’ve tried several Internet-based movie services such as Vongo, Movielink, Netflix and Amazon Unbox. Each has its own pluses and minuses and require a Windows PC in some way (though now you can get some movies from Unbox directly through a TiVo). VUDU’s device and service beats them all with its excellent interface, great video and audio quality, ability to immediately view movies, large—and good—selection of content and no subscription fee. It’s not perfect, but it’s damn close.
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I was so tempted to use “Nano Killer?” in the headline, but A) I hate that sh*t and 2) realistically Apple is the only one capable of killing the iPod in any of its incarnations. That said, awhile back I got a chance to play around with preproduction models of the NWZ-A810 (after the jump) and NWZ-S610 (right) and they are pretty solid competition against offerings from Apple, Creative and iRiver.
First off, Sony ditched its own proprietary formats, opting instead to support secure WMA, as well as non-secure AAC and MP3 music formats, plus JPEG files for photos, and the AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profile and MPEG-4 video codecs. They’re also certified PlaysForSure devices for use with Yahoo! Music, Napster and the like. And even though it comes bundled with Microsoft Windows Media Player 11, they’re independent of any player; all files can be loaded by drag and drop.
Second, instead of bogging them down with gimmicky features and a crazy GUI, Sony kept them fairly basic and instead concentrated on the LCD and audio quality and battery life. The interface is a standard icon-based grid menu system, similar to what you’d find on an average cellphone. There’s a nice search feature to help you quickly get through large collections and about the fanciest feature you’ll find is the ability to view video horizontally giving you a wider screen. Sony’s claiming 33 hours of music playback for both players, with video at 8 hours for the A810 and 9.5 hours for the S610.
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We just heard from Skype with an official comment on what caused the service interruption today and what they’re doing to fix it.
“Apologies for the delay, but we can now update you on the Skype sign-on issue. As we continue to work hard at resolving the problem, we wanted to dispel some of the concerns that you may have. The Skype system has not crashed or been victim of a cyber attack. We love our customers too much to let that happen. This problem occurred because of a deficiency in an algorithm within Skype networking software. This controls the interaction between the user’s own Skype client and the rest of the Skype network. Rest assured that everyone at Skype is working around the clock — from Tallinn to Luxembourg to San Jose — to resume normal service as quickly as possible.”
Oddly enough, one of our nicknames for John is “deficient algorithm.” If you want to keep up on the the repair process, you can check the company’s blog.
We know LAPTOP magazine likes it some head-to-head action (and really, who doesn’t?), but while it usually does face-offs with gadgets, the staff’s not afraid to put software or services in the ring to bloody each other up. This week, it’s put together a throw-down between Google and Yahoo! to see which one you should be using as your homepage. The editors judged both in 10 categories: Search, e-mail/calendar, maps, IM/voice, video, music/games, photos, personal start page, mobile, and secret weapons.
It’s pretty back and forth for most of the story (Yahoo! wins points for entertainment and e-mail/IM, while Google takes tops in search, maps and secret weapons) and though I won’t spoil the outcome for you, I’m sure you can guess who wins in the end. They do, however, neglect to judge either on the usability of the companies’ names as sexual innuendo. (I think it should go to Yahoo! for its usage being eminently more flexible/adaptable.)
Google vs. Yahoo [laptop mag]
Until yesterday, I hadn’t used a photo kiosk since the year 2000. At that time all the kiosk had was a flatbed scanner and maybe a floppy and/or CD-ROM, but I don’t remember (dude, it was seven years ago. Back off!). I was given the opportunity to test out the newest kiosk from Kodak yesterday—the Kodak Picture Kiosk G4—and while most of the things it does I can do at home, there was something about the process of playing with my pictures on the kiosk that was easier and more fun than doing it on my computer.
For starters, there are slots and drives for just about every modern media type: USB flash and hard drives, CD/DVD, all manner of flash cards and floppies, and there’s a flatbed scanner. What’s more, you can send pictures from a cellphone or other mobile device by Bluetooth or IR directly to the kiosk. There are lots of options from simple prints of various sizes to collages and calendars with selectable borders to the cheesiest of greeting cards. You can do some minor edits, too (color correction, crop, brightness, contrast, etc. etc.).
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So if you were shopping for a network-attached storage drive and were on the fence about which to get, Buffalo’s added a little sumthin’ sumthin’ to tip you in their favor: Web access to your digital files. Now you’ll be able to access all your files stored on either the 1, 2 or 3TB TeraStation Live NAS devices from any Web browser.
The device includes its own dynamic DNS server so users simply log onto www.buffaloNAS.com, enter their user name and instantly have access to all of their files. Additionally, they can access their device by going to www.buffaloNAS.com/theirusername. Because there is no need to download software, set-up is a breeze. Web Access uses UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) and requires no firewall configuration for seamless communication between the TeraStation Live and any web browser.
That sounds like a good time to me. Perfect for letting your friends and family have at your digital media. Remember: Sharing is caring.
BUFFALO TECHNOLOGY ADDS EASY REMOTE ACCESS TO ITS TERASTATION LIVE NAS DEVICE
At first glance, and really, every glance thereafter, the Laptop Desk 2.0 from LapWorks doesn’t appear to be much of anything; basically, it’s two pieces of corrugated plastic attached in the center by a couple hinges. But that simplicity goes quite a long way towards protecting your lap from the heat of your notebook, while it’s also capable of acting as an ergonomic stand. The company’s heat reduction claims are modest for the device, however, it also acts as insulation from the bottom of your notebook lowering your chances of getting “hot legs.”
It’ll add a little weight and bulk to your travels at 1.4 pounds and 0.6-inches thick, but if you frequently find yourself without a desk or table to work on, you won’t mind making room for it in your laptop bag. It’s even worth the $30 investment if your notebook doesn’t leave your home because of it can be used multiple ways.
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I’ve often dreamt of throwing a cholesterol-testing party, but it’s just too expensive and then you have to wait for the results! But not anymore thanks to the CardioChek! The CardioChek Self-Test System, made by Polymer Technology Systems (PTS), lets you effortlessly test your cholesterol levels (total, HDL, calculated LDL and triglycerides) as well as glucose and ketones in four steps.
The $99 palm-sized device gives you a result in about a minute and with just two buttons and a basic menu system, it’s pretty straightforward to operate. This is good since there’s little documentation with the product or on the PTS Web site (though there is a training video and user guide), but if you need to monitor cholesterol levels regularly on your own, CardioChek is an accurate, inexpensive option.
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Thumbplay, purveyor of fine mobile-entertainment downloads (ringtones, games, videos, etc. etc.) is looking to get a little outside help from Flash developers. They’re having a Thumbplay Widget Festival in conjunction with Flashforward2007 being held in Boston on September 19-21, 2007, and are looking for someone to create the ultimate Flash-based widget to help pimp their mobile-content selection.
Just “dream up, build and submit” your best widgets (totally don’t send them your crappy ones) or any other set of tools that use the entire Thumbplay catalog. Registering alone gets you an early look at Thumbplay’s Developer Program and access to Thumbplay’s entire library of content.
A brief summary of the contest ins and outs after the jump.
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If you’ve ever been to a trade show or a convention, you probably noticed that the main way vendors try to get your attention is with giant signs, hot women and swag. These are all things I’m not opposed to, but with everyone doing the same thing, it’s hard to get noticed. Impact Unlimited specializes in giving companies an edge out on the floor using a host of unique technologies. And with CES 2008 about five months away, there are a few of their tricks I wouldn’t mind seeing on the floor of the LVCC.
The video above for example shows their gesture control interactivity that uses a small camera to sense different hand movements letting visitors rifle through content (like all of Samsung’s DLP TVs and their features for instance) and have a little fun while they do it. And though it’s tough to see, the woman giving this demo isn’t touching the screen at all.
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A couple days ago, our own John Biggs got an iPhone and immediately started forwarding e-mails to the rest of us from the device. John’s not known for writing much in his e-mails in general, so when the forwarded mail started arriving with the signature “Sent from my iPhone” it was all the more noticeable. And for some reason I got angry at the sight of those four words.
The iPhone still has an exclusivity to it. In fact, John’s the only CG staffer that has one as well as our Audiofile writer Mike Kobrin, and they’re both loaner review units. Was it jealously then that I felt and not anger? Perhaps a little, but this was beyond simple gear envy. More over it was the pomposity of the statement. It’s like saying “I have $500 for an iPhone and you don’t, so suck it!” (It’s true, I don’t.)
Here’s the problem I’m having, though: For years I’ve received e-mails with the signature “Sent from my BlackBerry” and have never once gotten bunched up about it. I really can’t afford one of those either, but I never took owning one as a status symbol. More like something some poor bastard got saddled with because their job expects them to be constantly reachable. I also took it as an excuse for the brevity of e-mails, as if to say “I care so much about getting back to you that I’ll send you this brief e-mail now and get more in depth with you when I’m on something that requires less thumb dexterity.”
However the iPhone, at least for the time being, is a statement of status. (Something we, the tech writers of the world, no doubt added to with the constant and continued coverage of it.) And I didn’t take the “Sent from my iPhone” as an excuse for brevity, I took it as “Look at me! I got an iPhone!”
So what say you, readers? Am I just jealous of the iPhone haves ’cause I’m an iPhone have-not or is it truly obnoxious to receive an e-mail signed “Sent from my iPhone?”
UPDATE: In case you want to adjust that iPhone signature. (Courtesy of tuaw.com. Thanks Les!)
If you’re on Sprint/Nextel, have one of their 12 GPS-enabled phones and you often find yourself wandering around in the great outdoors (and not just hanging out in men’s bathrooms at the park, Nicholas), the Trimble GPS app bundle is worth the $6.99 a month. The package hooks you up with three of the company’s mobile GPS solutions: AllSport GPS, Geocache Navigator and Trimble Outdoors. The combo is pretty fantastic letting you monitor your fitness goals, use your phone for geocaching and navigation and outdoor trip planning, mapping and GPS navigation. Hit the jump for more details on the apps or click here.
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I love me some History Channel and now I can love it on my phone, in public. A&E Television Networks and MobiTV, Inc., announced the launch of A&E Mobile and The History Channel Mobile available through the MobiTV service on participating mobile carriers throughout the U.S. And before you say, “who the hell would want to watch this stuff on a little cell phone screen?” the answer is me, I would. I kill a lot of time waiting for meetings by watching video clips on my phone, and I can’t be the only one viewing this stuff.
Content will include clips from The History Channel’s Dogfights and Modern Marvels as well as Dog the Bounty Hunter and Criss Angel Mindfreak from A&E Network.
MobiTV
That is, of course, if you owned and operated a data center with 10,000 of the drives. But even if you don’t, the GreenPower family of drives cut the amount of power needed significantly. According to Western Digital a typical 1TB drive uses 13.5 watts while the GP hard drives cut that by more than 5 watts, so nearly half the power.
You’ll be able to buy a WD Caviar GP 1TB hard drive this month inside WD’s My Book external storage devices (a great place to have something that saves power since you typically leave these on all the time). More versions for desktops, entertainment and network applications will follow in August. Those looking for a low-power drive for notebooks, the company’s Scorpio drives are already available. Read more about the GreenPower drives.
If you’ve never seen Synaptics MobileTouch technology in action, pop over to their site and watch the demo video. But basically it takes all the fun touchpad technology you find on laptops using the company’s products and applies them to smaller mobile devices — in this case, the Huawei U550 flip phone.
The backlit three-button MobileTouch interface acts as the MP3 player controls on the exterior of mobile allowing you to play, pause, fast forward and rewind music. Yeah, it’s a pretty simple use for the technology, but like I said, check out the demo video and you can get a better idea of all that’s possible with the touch-sensitive surfaces Synaptics creates.
Anxious to get your hands on some wireless USB products? Yeah, me neither. But the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) thinks you should be as they’re very excited about certifying the first six consumer products with their Certified Wireless USB logo. (And I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fee they get to charge for said certification.)
You can look forward to seeing the Certified Wireless USB logo on product packaging and/or hardware this back-to-school and holiday seasons on products from Dell (the Inspiron 1720 notebook), on D-Link’s Wireless USB Adapter (DUB-1210) and four-port Wireless USB Hub (DUB-2240), IOGEAR’s kit — they packaged the hub and adapter into one package — and two Lenovo ThinkPads, the T61 and T61p.
Kingston made two announcements today. The first is the availability of a 4GB miniSDHC card that can be picked up with different speed ratings. The best of these is the Class 6 card with a minimum sustained data transfer rate of 6MB per second, which if it holds true would be nice to have in your cell phone or other mobile device. I have an older Kingston miniSD card in my phone and transferring anything to it is painfully slow. Unfortunately, my phone doesn’t support miniSDHC, so make sure your device does before you run out and pick one of these up. The 4GB Class 6 miniSDHC will sell for $66, the Class 4 for $64 and Class 2 for $62.
The other announcement was about the availability of a $19.99 eMusic edition of the company’s 1GB microSD card that includes a USB reader and comes preloaded with 10 songs and an eMusic trial subscription for 50 additional free MP3 music tracks. (That’s 25 more free songs than the regular trial subscription.)
Kingston Technology
Hey folks, back on July 6 we wrapped up a contest for TeleNav’s GPS Navigator service awarding two lucky readers a Bluetooth GPS receiver and 3 months of TeleNav service. People entered. We picked winners. And then we promptly forgot to ever mention the winners. Our bad.
As you may recall, the contest involved coming up with a creative way to use the service’s location-sharing features. Winner #1 was Rob D. who participated in a cross-country race on scooters last year and believed TeleNav would’ve been perfect to keep tabs on the 30 or so people involved.
Having this service would have allowed other people to see the 30 of us stretched out across the country, who was in the lead, who was last, etc. Also, if someone were to break down, they would be easier to find, which could be life saving if someone were stuck on the side of the road at night.
Winner #2 was Shayna F. who suggested using the service for one of our favorite pastimes at CG: Sticking it to the man!
Spare the masses one more “boycott big oil and don’t buy gas on XX day!” spam err email; let’s all share our locations and price of gas and start a revolution!
Thanks to everyone who participated and to TeleNav for the prizes. Now, check out our new contest.
Despite what others might say, over the weekend I broke down and upgraded to Windows Vista Ultimate. I hit a couple driver-related snags, but was able to recover no problem. However, while I’ve been testing systems for months now with the OS on it and I know my way around Vista, I was dreading the upgrade. That got me thinking: What would my dad do (who’s pretty tech savvy, but a tad short on patience) or some completely normal non-tech-savvy person who’s heard about all the Vista beauty, but is afraid of the cost and possible inconvenience the upgrade might cause? You could always drag it into a CompUSA or let the chuckleheads at Best Buy do it while they steal your amateur pr0n and music. Or you can let YourTechOnline.com take over your system remotely and watch their every move.
The Canadian-based company offers all kinds of tech support options, but for $139.99 they’ll take over your PC and determine its Vista compatibility, figure out your backup requirements, start and verify the backup, format the hard drive and install Vista, verify the install, and finally get to restoring your stuff. You’ll have to supply your own copy of Vista, of course. Not a bad way to go if you’re not the DIY type.
YourTechOnline.com
Having spent much of the past 10 years living in tiny apartments, I’ve often considered getting a folding bike, but most of them require way too much origami-like folding, don’t fold enough, or are impractically sized for regular use, especially for a large, human adult. The Di Blasi Folding Tricycle—the R32—however, is none of these things. Billed as the world’s only true folding trike, the entirety of the bike collapses into itself in basically two steps creating a compact 28×11x25-inch mass. (There’s a demo video of the bike being folded up after the jump.)
All this folding loveliness doesn’t come cheaply, though. The R32 sells for $1,495, and there’s an electric version—the R34—that goes for $2,695. Both are available in red, dark gray, blue, ivory, and orange and the company also makes folding motorbikes and two-wheelers. Check ‘em out.
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The biggest downside to Amazon’s Unbox service for TiVo—other than the painfully slow download times and the inability to start playing a video while it’s still downloading—is that you have to go to your computer to order a download to use on your TiVo. Today, Amazon and TiVo announced that this is no longer necessary, as you can now rent or buy Unbox videos directly through your TiVo interface.
You’ll need to setup a personal identification number, or PIN, to enter each time you make an Unbox purchase from your TiVo DVR (you know, to keep the kids from slowly loading up your hard drive with crap). Then, on your TiVo go to “TiVo Central” and select “Find Programs,” “Download TV & Movies,” then “Amazon Unbox.”
Earlier today we mentioned something about Xbox 360’s seemingly having a higher failure rate than all the other consoles out there. Lo and behold, Microsoft Corp. answered back by expanding the global Xbox 360 warranty coverage to 3 years from date of purchase for a general hardware failure. This is apparently indicated by three flashing red lights. The company is also retroactively reimbursing people for repair expenses, which is pretty cool.
What scares me, though, is one particular sentence they used in their announcement:
Having identified a number of factors which can cause general hardware failures indicated by three red flashing lights on the console, Microsoft has made improvements to the console and is enhancing its Xbox 360 warranty policy for existing and new customers.
“A number of factors?” I mean, I know stuff goes wrong — it is after all a computer — but it seems like they should have cut that “number” down to a “few” by now, no?
Read the open letter to the Xbox community.
Oh Verizon Wireless, this is how you fight back against the iPhone-and-AT&T-the-old-Cingular juggernaut? With two new LG Chocolate phones? For shame, Verizon, for shame. But, if you’ve got a contract you aren’t willing to break for a shiny new iPhone, there are worse options than picking up a Chocolate. And on July 9 you’ll have a choice of two new colors: Black Cherry and Blue Mint.
The new models are apparently “slimmer and sleeker” as well, and feature a vibrating touch keypad (for the ladies) and a special new Nav Wheel with Trace Motion lighting. But probably the best part — it’ll only set you back $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new 2-year agreement. Much more reasonable than the cost of that “other” device if you’re only looking for a phone that doubles as a good music player.
So you rushed out and upgraded to Vista Ultimate or paid extra for it with your new PC as soon as you heard about how great it was because it was gonna have a buncha Ultimate Extras?! No, probably not. But maybe you were pleased to find out that a series of add-ons were available only to Ultimate users. Well a couple of those add-ons haven’t been released as quickly as Microsoft thought, particularly the Windows DreamScene Extra, which was shown off a lot during the January 2007 launch and allows you to use an .mpeg or .wmv video file as your desktop background. Microsoft’s Director of Windows Vista Ultimate, Barry Goffe, publicly apologized for not keeping customers up to date on the delay, and then announced a further delay to the end of the summer.
We will not ship the last two Extras showcased in January (Windows DreamScene and the remaining 20 Language Packs) until they meet the high quality bar required by our enthusiastic customers—and we believe that we can achieve that bar by the end of this summer.
More Extras are planned for the next couple years, but like most future technology products Microsoft “cannot identify dates or provide details at this time.” Guess you’ll just have to sit there and be patient now that they have your money. Read the full statement.
Thanks SammyP!
If you have a Scientific Atlanta 8300 series digital video recorder from your cable company, maybe you noticed it’s got an eSATA port on it. Well Western Digital announced something last week that you’ll want to plug into it: My Library Video Edition DVR Expander. The $199 500GB external drive lets you add up to 60 hours of high-definition or up to 300 hours of standard-definition digital TV storage to your cable box.
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