Thursday, April 2, 2009
Can the Web save the Big 3 automobile companies? Probably not, but making Web-friendly vehicles could help to sell a few more cars. Tech companies have increasingly been showcasing web applications for automobiles. Microsoft was working with Hyundai on making an in-car computing system and OnStar may be incorporating Twitter into its vehicle systems. Now Ford will be allowing owners of the Ford F-150, Super Duty, E-Series and Transit Connect trucks and vans to access the web from their vehicles through the Opera mobile browser. Opera will be the featured browser on Ford's first broadband-capable, in-dash computer.Ford is purposely installing these computers in trucks and vans to appeal to contractors, farmers, and construction workers to turn these cars into "mobile offices." Truck owners will be able to use the in-dash browser to access sales information, contact databases, job-site plans, inventory lists, calendars, e-mail, or even the weather.
But don't think about driving using your cell phone, that is far too dangerous...
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Taking steps to help expand the marketplace and improve the consumer experience for digital entertainment, Microsoft Corp. today announced that PacketVideo Corp. will include support for Microsoft PlayReady technology in its CORE multimedia platform, significantly broadening PlayReady's reach to a range of mobile device platforms. Microsoft also announced the availability of the PlayReady Service Provider Program, in addition to announcing a range of content and technology companies that join the more than 50 companies that have selected Microsoft PlayReady technology to power products and services to deliver mobile and in-home entertainment content. PlayReady is a content access technology that enables content owners and service providers to deliver virtually any type of digital content, using a wide range of business models, from on-demand streaming video and subscription to rental or download-to-own. PlayReady also provides significant improvements in ease of use for consumers looking to access, manage and sync protected content with devices.
More Microsoft news...
At CTIA 2009, Robbie Bach, head of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, ran through essentially the same news that his boss, CEO Steve Ballmer, presented about six weeks ago during the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. The company demonstrated how Windows 7 has built-in software for connecting to 3G wireless networks, showed off some of the features of Windows Mobile 6.5, and played a quick video highlighting its mobile application store, Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
The demonstrations were all geared around Bach's central theme of the "three screens:" the PC, the television and the mobile phone. Microsoft intends to make sure Windows is able to give people access to their personal data, information, and services on all three of those screens.
But Bach promised that Windows Mobile phones will be the subject of Microsoft's next big advertising push, and said the company's partners will have 10 phones running Windows Mobile 6.5 ready when that operating system arrives in the second half of this year.
*~*~*
SANYO Fisher Company (SANYO), a subsidiary of SANYO North America Corporation, today announces that shipping has started for the new, 2009 Dual Camera Xacti lineup announced in January this year.
The all-HD Dual Camera lineup for 2009 offers a variety of unique features including 1080p, 60frames per second High Definition Video with 8 megapixel photos (VPC-FH1), standard (720p) High Definition Video, up to 2 megapixel photos and 30x optical zoom (VPC-TH1) on land, or even underwater - down to a depth of 10 feet for an hour (VPC-WH1), and standard (720p) High Definition Video and 10 megapixel photos (VPC-CG10).
As part of the launch for the new lineup, SANYO has also unveiled part of its marketing plan for the 2009 Dual Cameras part of which includes a push into online communities. One highlight of the plan features SANYO's Dual Camera line in a number of videos alongside a number of Web Stars - many of the hottest names in online video culture. Some of these stars earn a living making viral videos capable of generating audiences that often surpass that of some hit TV series. Web names such as Lisa Nova, iJustine, Rhett & Link, Mr. Safety, Audrey Kitching, Brandon Hardesty and Apprentice A are creating a variety of videos typical of their style, but with a theme relevant to the 2009 Dual Camera line.
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Is gaming all about ego? Gosh I hope not!
"Most people are very narcissistic," said Electronic Arts' Wright, creator of the Sim City and Sims franchises and now last year's avant-garde Spore, onstage with Federated Media's John Battelle. "The more you can make the game about that person, the more interested, the more emotionally involved they will get."
Advancements in technology have made it possible for the customization craze of the social-networking world to permeate the console and PC gaming sectors, and that has begun to open up the industry to new users who didn't see the appeal in hardcore gaming or immersive role-playing virtual universes.
When it comes to the Wii, probably not.
"The Wii, to me, represents the idea of non-immersive gaming," he said. "When you think about the Wii...most of the entertainment is not happening on the screen, it's about watching your friend act like a doofus swinging the thing around and maybe throw it into the TV set."
Labels: auto, camera, dashboard computer, ford, gaming, Microsoft, sanyo, wii
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The rumors were true. Canon has crammed the $1500 50D's sensor and 5D-Mark-II-like 1080p video capture into an $899 entry-level Rebel. We ran it through its paces for a few hours, and it's awesome.So what we have here is almost the exact sensor from the 50D-a 15.1 megapixel CMOS with sensitivities up to ISO 12,800 at its top-end H2 boost setting. And almost the exact same HD capture from the 5D Mark II-the only change is that 1080p video is captured at 20fps, down from the 5D Mark II's 30fps.
*~*~*
On Tuesday night, a Los Angeles Times blog post pointed to an soundbite that Facebook "gaming guru" Gareth Davis produced at the GamesBeat conference in San Francisco: that the company is "looking at" offering a virtual currency to developers. The virtual goods industry, the article notes, is a $1.5 billion behemoth.
This would mean that games and other apps with a presence on Facebook could use a universal "Facebook currency" that would not only be interoperable between apps, it could also line Facebook's pockets with some extra cash. But Davis' language ("looking at") is about as ambiguous as it gets, so my advice to potentially-excited developers would be "don't hold your breath."
Late last year, Facebook switched the payment system for Facebook Gifts from U.S. dollars to "credits," making it easier for the site to charge more or less than its previous standard $1 for the virtual items.
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If you're planning on any outdoor parties, like camping out or just hanging around a bonfire, it's always nice to bring some music with you. This BoomCooler is easy to wheel around no matter where you go, although you might want to keep a tarp or something around to protect it just in case it rains. It has a built-in CD player or you can hook up your iPod to the cooler. They actually recommend for better sound using something plugged into the aux input or USB input as opposed to using the CD player.*~*~*
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's GDC keynote today has revealed that the Wii will not be on the receiving end of a new hard drive, but will instead support the SDHC memory card format. Owners of the Wii will be able to do so using the Wii Menu 4.0 by downloading content straight onto the SDHC card from the Wii Shop Channel, where up to 240 SD channels are supported. With the SDHC standard to hit 32GB in the near future anyways, it makes perfect sense to use this relatively diminutive card instead of a portable hard drive.
And a new Zelda in the works?
Nintendo's CEO Satoru Iwata took the keynote stage at GDC this morning to encourage the developer community, talk about the DSi handheld and unveil some new titles for the Wii and DS platforms including a new Zelda game called Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (working title).
Labels: boomcooler, camera, canon, digital, dsi, Facebook, nintendo, photography, video, wii, zelda
Monday, March 2, 2009
Apple is expected to unveil new Mac desktops soon. Rumors on World of Apple and My Apple Guide swirled over the weekend and continued Monday about updates to the Mac mini, the all-in-one iMac, and the Mac Pro.
Apple is expected to make the announcement of updates at a media event on March 24, similar to the event the Cupertino, Calif.-based company held last October to announce notebooks. Kodawarisan, a Japanese Web site, however, said the new Mac desktops will be announced Tuesday.
While updates for the Mac mini, iMac and Mac Pro were expected at Macworld in January, Apple didn't deliver. An anticipated change for the Mac Pro features Intel Nehalem processors.
Along with new desktops and adding the latest Nvidia graphics cards, Apple is expected to pull a rabbit out of a hat with a "pleasant surprise," sources said.
*~*~*
This has to be the craziest PC we have seen here at geeky gadgets, built by the guys at Puget Systems in cost a massive $16,000 to build.
So what exactly does spending $16,000 on a custom PC get you? This crazy PC features four quad core Opteron processors, 32GB of RAM and eight hard drives in various RAID configurations.
As you can see from the photos, the $16,000 PC features a custom water cooling system, with a massive external radiator which features nine 120mm fans.
*~*~*
Pentax has just unveiled its newest camera, the X70 Megazoom. The camera has a 24x optical zoom which makes sense since it is called a "Megazoom." The camera looks like a DSLR but is supposed to be an in-between camera-not quite a DSLR and not quite a point and shoot. It has a SLR shape and shoots pics at 12 megapixels. The camera also has a 2.7-inch display.
The X70 has some advanced controls that you may not normally use on a point and shoot like aperture/shutter priority and "high speed continuous shooting at 11 FPS." The X70 also can shoot 720P video at 15 frames per second. That is a strange amount of frames per second for a video, so you won't be replacing your camcorder with this device.
*~*~*
Advanced Micro Devices has appointed a new chairman to replace former CEO and Chairman Hector Ruiz, as it closes the deal to spin off its manufacturing operations.
AMD on Monday announced that Bruce Claflin has been appointed chairman of its board of directors. Claflin replaces Ruiz, who retired from AMD's board. Ruiz is now chairman of the board of The Foundry Company--the chip manufacturing concern that was spun off officially on Monday.
Apple is expected to make the announcement of updates at a media event on March 24, similar to the event the Cupertino, Calif.-based company held last October to announce notebooks. Kodawarisan, a Japanese Web site, however, said the new Mac desktops will be announced Tuesday.
While updates for the Mac mini, iMac and Mac Pro were expected at Macworld in January, Apple didn't deliver. An anticipated change for the Mac Pro features Intel Nehalem processors.
Along with new desktops and adding the latest Nvidia graphics cards, Apple is expected to pull a rabbit out of a hat with a "pleasant surprise," sources said.
*~*~*
This has to be the craziest PC we have seen here at geeky gadgets, built by the guys at Puget Systems in cost a massive $16,000 to build.So what exactly does spending $16,000 on a custom PC get you? This crazy PC features four quad core Opteron processors, 32GB of RAM and eight hard drives in various RAID configurations.
As you can see from the photos, the $16,000 PC features a custom water cooling system, with a massive external radiator which features nine 120mm fans.
*~*~*
Pentax has just unveiled its newest camera, the X70 Megazoom. The camera has a 24x optical zoom which makes sense since it is called a "Megazoom." The camera looks like a DSLR but is supposed to be an in-between camera-not quite a DSLR and not quite a point and shoot. It has a SLR shape and shoots pics at 12 megapixels. The camera also has a 2.7-inch display.
The X70 has some advanced controls that you may not normally use on a point and shoot like aperture/shutter priority and "high speed continuous shooting at 11 FPS." The X70 also can shoot 720P video at 15 frames per second. That is a strange amount of frames per second for a video, so you won't be replacing your camcorder with this device.
*~*~*
Advanced Micro Devices has appointed a new chairman to replace former CEO and Chairman Hector Ruiz, as it closes the deal to spin off its manufacturing operations.
AMD on Monday announced that Bruce Claflin has been appointed chairman of its board of directors. Claflin replaces Ruiz, who retired from AMD's board. Ruiz is now chairman of the board of The Foundry Company--the chip manufacturing concern that was spun off officially on Monday.
Labels: Apple, camera, pentax, puget
Saturday, March 22, 2008
What's cooler than a digital SLR camera? Duh. A 25 megapixel DSLR.Sony's 25 megapixel Alpha A900 to arrive in August or September...drool. And I think there is a clear body display even though I don't have it pictured here.
Does anyone know more about it?
Oh and also I read this morning about a generic cell phone the Chinese just made which apparently doesn't need to be charged for TWO WHOLE YEARS! With a 3-inch touchscreen, a 1.3-megapixel camera, four built-in speakers, dual-SIM card support, and a whopping 2-year long manufacturer-rated battery life, this just might prove to be "the last mobile phone you’ll ever need." It also has Bluetooth, an MP3 player, an e-book reader and handwriting recognition in both the English and Chinese language. Whoa.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Tiny Pictures is a privately held company based in San Francisco. And for something devoted to being tiny, they are certainly making BIG money.Press release for ya:
Tiny Pictures operates the mobile photo and video sharing service Radar, which lets members comment on each others camera-phone snapshots. Radar serves up 15 million mobile photos a month worldwide. Last November, the company introduced advertising in the form of public photo streams that movie studios and other companies try to get people to pay attention to. Blacked Eyed Peas singer will.i.am recently joined the company's advisory board.
As an advisor to the company, will.i.am will collaborate closely with Tiny
Pictures to promote his many creative projects through the Radar Gallery,
which offers subscription-based content in-line with Radar users' personal
content streams.
Mobile startup Tiny Pictures secured a $7.2 million series B financing from Draper Fisher Jurvetson.
In other news:
Gadget of the day is Space Station
"An extended desk organizer for laptop users with internal coiling pins conceals all the cords that usually sprawl over the desk. Hovering just 5mm above the desk, cords are free to enter or exit the hub at any point – on the side to connect a scanner, the front for an iPod, the back for a laptop or camera. An internal 4-port USB hub will keep all peripherals connected. One USB plug exits the station right where needed to connect a laptop. Just tip the front of the SpaceStation up to access the hub and cords."
Labels: camera, cell phone, mobile, tiny pictures
Monday, July 23, 2007
Hi, my name is Christy and I am not only addicted to my digital camera, but I have shared this addiction with my little boy.Braeden now has a Fisher Price Digital Camera. He can take 187 pictures in less than 2 hours. I have never seen so many pictures of feet and ants in my whole life. But he loves his little works of art and so I support this new hobby.
As for me, I have an awesome camera and as times passes, my skills become more refined. It's true. I love to take pictures and can very often be found behind the lens. I have a Kodak digital camera with amazing features and zooms. The quality of the photos are brilliant and people are always amazed.
But I also need to find a smaller digital camera. One that is easier to take on the road and put in my pocket book. Something that maybe doesn't take quite as good photos, but also isn't as clunky.
Unfortunately, when looking through the list on Ritz Camera's website, I came across the Canon Rebel XTi which is definitely clunky, but it is an SLR Digital Camera! 10.1 Mega Pixels and multiple accessories including a variety of different lens which have me feeling all types of creative. Yes, I know, I just bought a house, this is not in the budget...yet.
Moving along. The Canon PowerShot A550 Digital Camera is only 1.7 inches deep which would be perfectly compact. It still has 7.1 MP and DIGIC II Image Processor with iSAPS Technology for superior image quality. Definitely keeping this one in mind.
Do you guys have any ideas for a compact camera I could carry around comfortably? Perhaps into concerts? Hehe.
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