The Federal Department of Transportation wants to hold a summit to evaluate the perils of texting and talking while driving. While many states have already made their own laws, this is the first time the issue has gone national.
The NY Times Bits blog says that Transportation Secretary David La Hood will announce plans for the September 15th summit on Tuesday, which will address methods of "combating distracted driving." This conveniently lines up with the US Senate's recent introduction of a bill to outlaw texting while driving, which is the first such effort on a national level. [NY Times Bits]
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Q: What does an ailing electronics retailer need to get back on top? A: King Kong-sized keyboards...Microsoft should buy Palm—or maybe that's dumb...Jay-Z's Auto-Tune attack makes people yearn for Auto-Tune...
You already know that Radio Shack is most likely going to make the all-too-1990s decision to rename itself "The Shack." (Didn't Pizza Hut or somebody do that, only to regret it immediately?) What you didn't know is that they'll be debuting their newly rad-ified ID with a coast-to-coast party, linking two giant keyboards for maximum party-osity. Forget TV-B-Gone—where's Frucci with his giant Cheeto when you need him? [Engadget]
PC World's David Coursey lays out a reasoned argument why Microsoft should buy at least 49% of Palm right now (and retain the newly recharged Palm brand). It's a nice read, and I agree that "Zune and Windows Mobile...are going precisely nowhere" at the moment. Still, it doesn't make business sense. Microsoft, currently in a bit of a slump before Windows 7 takes off, shouldn't buy into a company that Coursey himself admits is currently at its hottest. I'm no financial planner, but that seems like the opposite of a good deal. Besides, Windows Mobile 6.1 and 6.5 may seem like nothing special, but phone developers tend to work a bit into the future—Microsoft probably already has prototype capacitive-touch HTC phones running WinMo 7 with a Zune 3.0 interface. Right Microsoft? Right??? [PC World]
Everybody knows that HOVA has it in for Auto-Tune, but did you know that his rant, "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," has stimulated sales of the very same Antares computer software that makes grown men sound like Cher, and Katie Couric sound like sex? It's true—I read it in the New York Times. [NYT]
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I'm assuming not. But I do suspect it's something you'd all like to see. It happens to be your lucky day.
Follow this Rube Goldberg contraption's humble bowling ball origins as it moves from folding chairs, to flaming ladders, then to a boot rigged to a pipe, where it finally falls into the crotch of our rotund, adolescent, fully-suspecting subject.
Look, none of us here are noobs when it comes to watching testicle-smashing follies, so you know what to do—sit back, crack open a fresh Brawndo and laugh. [Break via Boing Boing]
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I've been told that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so the next time I'm trying to charm a Star Wars fan, I'll present him with some tasty treats in this Death Starcookie jar.
Not only is this the cheapest Death Star around at only $49.99, but it will also "double as a festive ice cooler or candy bowl at your next Star Wars soiree." Available for pre-order now and shipping September 2009 it should melt the hearts of even the cruelest Sith Lords. [Star Wars Shop]
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The last time we looked at the Ares I-X, we only got to see the tip of what will be one of the world's biggest rockets, but now it's nearly done and right on schedule for a Halloween launch. [NASA]
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Intel halted shipments of their fancy new 34nm, X-25M and X-18M SSDs to retailers because a data corruption bug occurs when you set a BIOS password, then try to alter that password in any way.
According to ComputerWorld, when you change the password, then reboot, the drive becomes inoperable and you can't access your data. Intel is holding shipments until they can issue a firmware update, and get the hardware back on track—which they expect to happen in the next couple of weeks. [ComputerWorld via Slashdot]
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San Francisco and Supermayor Gavin Newsom announced plans to take the pollution-mired Hunter's Point Shipyard and build a $20 Million, 80,000-square foot UN Global Compact Center, which will serve as a "climate change think tank and green tech incubator."
Construction on the building will begin in 2011, and finish in mid 2012, serving as office space for the Global Compact, as well as house a conference center. The city also hopes the center will encourage other sustainable resource-oriented orgs to populate around the area as well.
And if you remember previously, Hunter's Point was home to child pranksters who would go around turning off the power switches on San Francisco's hybrid buses. This latest announcement seems all too appropriate. [Inhabitat]
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•Chairman of the Obama campaign's technology-policy advisers, which wrote a report championing an open Internet, among other initiatives. •Chief of Business Operations at IAC/InterActiveCorp and member of the board of directors of Expedia, Hotels.com and Ticketmaster. •Co-founder of Rock Creek Ventures, which invests in digital media and e-commerce companies. •On the board of digital media companies Motley Fool, Web.com, and Beliefnet.
All-in-all, it seems like Genachowski is the kind of person that gets things done. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come at the FCC—things like increased efficiency and pro-consumer policies. Dare to dream. [Silicon Valley Insider]
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Apple thwarted Google's effort to release Latitude—which allows your control-freak friends to know where you are at all times—as an iPhone application. You can only update it manually using a web page, which makes it not-so-useful. Until now.
Developer Nat Friedman thought the same as you did (something along the lines of "f*cking stupid Apple morons"), and spent the weekend writing a script called playnice. The script will get the iPhone's location information from MobileMe, then sends it to Google's Latitude. Obviously, it only works if you are a MobileMe user, making it less useful for the rest of the mortals who are not willing to pay more dollars to Steve and his minions. [playnice via Nat Friendman]
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In-game ads in a game you paid for that you play on a console that you also paid for are sleazy. But when those same ads actually slow down the game you're trying to play? That is absolutely inexcusable.
The latest WipEout HD patch, when downloaded on the PS3, adds in ad content courtesy of Double Fusion. Before the patch, the load time before a race was about eight seconds. Now, while an ad plays, that load time increases to a whopping 19 seconds.
This is the sort of bullshit that users need to make a big stink about if they don't want it becoming the norm. So what can you do? Well, start by making plans to not buy WipEout HD until this is fixed. If you already own it, start yelling at them until they listen. Seriously, you already paid for your game. Don't take this crap. [Joystiq]
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Great news if you are Karl Lagerfeld: The new Parasync iPod and iPhone dock—which is the size of a sheet of paper—will allow you to synchronize iTunes content with 20 (yes, twenty) Apple iDevices, as the video shows:
The dock uses only one USB cable, and it has been certified by Apple to work natively with iTunes. [Parasync]
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According to China Daily, China's criteria for selecting their astronauts is so stringent that it precludes candidates with scars, cavities or even simple bad breath.
Apparently the stench can be a real morale buster when you're quarantined by the vacuum of space.
The criteria were reportedly leaked by a representative from No 454 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, one of five hospitals putting 100 potential Chinese astronauts through 100 grueling mental and physical tests that, if passed, qualify them as "super-human beings" (as one hospital rep puts it). Of course, these gods among men might just floss twice a day and hit the elliptical on the weekends. And eat lots of parsley. That's a good trick, we hear. [Sina English via Pop Sci]
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With all the gadgets we report on, it's hard to keep track of which ones are shipping or when they'll be available. We've put together a list of gadgets, some we've reported on and some we haven't, that are shipping today.
• The Prince of Darkness is back to promote yet another somewhat lackluster phone. The Samsung Solstice, which goes on sale today, features 3G connectivity, an MP3 player, video and audio streaming, preloaded games, Bluetooth and a microSD memory card slot supporting up to 16GB. You can get your hands on one for $99.99 after rebate with a two-year contract...but for about the same price, I don't see why you wouldn't buy an iPhone? [Samsung]
• Pre-orders for the Always Innovating Touch Book are finally shipping out! If you were smart enough to pre-order this hybrid netbook/tablet, you may be receiving yours soon. Just to refresh your memory, these units come with a 8.9-inch touchscreen, an internal USB 802.11 b/g/n adapter, Bluetooth, a TI OMAP3530 CPU, 512MB of memory, and 8GB of storage on an SD card. If you still need to order one, pricing hasn't changed, so they're $299 for the tablet, $399 with keyboard. [Always Innovating]
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It may not be a sure thing, but in the world of fishing, this RC Chum Boat is as close as you will get without draining the lake or blowing the fish out of the water.
This mini RC boat can travel where larger boats can't—delivering a payload of feed to attract fish and/or deliver a bated hook with a floater up to 950 feet away. It also features an LED light under the stern to attract fish and a sonar fish finder that will send data to the backlit LCD on your remote control. However, if you want to spend more time getting drunk in the boat and less time working for your fish, keep in mind that this RC boat won't come cheap. It will set you back around $726. [Pro Idee via OhGizmo]
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The LEAF may be compensating for the lack of a tailpipe with 30 minute "quick charges" and the ability to go for miles and miles on a single charge (100 miles to be exact), but hey, it's eco-friendly.
Nissan's quick to separate its newest vehicle from the pack by detailing that the smiling face formed between the car's headlights isn't the only friendly thing about it:
Unlike internal-combustion engine (ICE) equipped vehicles, Nissan LEAF's power train has no tail pipe, and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. A combination of Nissan LEAF's regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to deliver a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles) on one full charge.
Surprisingly, charging the LEAF doesn't take all eternity and you can be ready to go in less time than it takes to get a sunburn in the Florida sun:
Nissan LEAF can be charged up to 80% of its full capacity in just under 30 minutes with a quick charger. Charging at home through a 200V outlet is estimated to take approximately eight hours - ample time to enable an overnight refresh for consumer and car alike.
We'll know more about pricing of this zippy little thing as the LEAF gets closer to being on the market (around late 2010), but it's expected to qualify for an "array of significant local, regional and national tax breaks and incentives in markets around the world." Saving money and the environment? Maybe this eunuch of a car is worth it after all. [Nissan]
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A "industry executive familiar with Netflix's plans" speaking with Multichannel News claims that Netflix will soon extend Watch Instantly to the iPhone and the Wii.
We have been hearing rumors about the Wii for quite some time, but the iPhone? Naturally, Netflix did not comment on the rumor, but if it did happen on the iPhone, you can damn well bet that it won't be available on 3G. After all, we have already been down this dark, dilapidated road with the SlingPlayer. [Multichannel News via Zats Not Funny]
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Say you're Gary Koepke, co-founder of Modernista, the ad agency behind those horrendous crazy lady Palm Pre commercials. And say the whole internet notices that your commercials suck. What do you do then? You start BSing even harder, that's what.
We weren't trying to creep people out, but one thing I have learned now in this digital age is people can be as rude as they want as long as they don't have to look you in the face.
Mr. Koepke, the only reason we haven't told your face that your Pre commercials are horrible is that we haven't seen your face.
The Pre is probably being talked about more than other phones right now because of the marketing and advertising, and that's a good thing.
The Pre is being talked about more than other phones because it's the first decent iPhone competitor and, simultaneously, one of the fiercest gadget Hail Marys in recent history. That's the good thing.
Could the ads work harder to show exactly how the phone works? Yes, but we knew it would be polarizing people to have a woman not shout at them and tell an interesting story.
These ads are not stories, unless the story is a crazy chick talking gibberish on national television—which most of us would consider too unlikely a premise to suspend our disbelief—and we're a site that can go on about Batman for days on end.
It's a very different look and feel for this sector. There's nobody involved in an iPhone ad, and 'Your life is on BlackBerry' - isn't that great? Instead of having a life? We wanted a middle ground between those two places - what about the people who want a really great smartphone?
People who just want a really great smartphone are just people. Not crazy people.
I'd also like to add that getting people to talk about your commercials does not make them good, nor does it strengthen a brand. Apple could portray a monkey defecating on an iPhone in their next commercial. And trust me, the whole world would be talking about the event. But does that commercial make you want to buy an iPhone? No. [Advertising Age via BGR]
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Well hey, maybe it's time to start paying attention to olde tyme projektor machines again: Vivitek's upcoming H1080FD will spit a full 1080p image at whatever size you want, for just a thousand dollars.
The H1080FD burns at 1800 lumens of brightness with a 5000:1 contrast ratio, with HDMI, composite, s-video and component ports. The chip is standard TI stock—the S450— and the entire package is unlikely to get videophiles too sweaty. But that's not the point—the point is that for just a $1000, you can get a 1080p, semi-portable projector that'll throw an image—assuming it's not terrible—that's equivalent to a truly huge TV, without looking like pixelated garbage. At $2,000 just less than a year ago, the 1080p prospect was exciting; at $1000, it's fantastic.
The company's a bit of an unknown quantity to us, but the h1080FD's ultra-high-end LED brother, the H9080FD, sounds pretty fantastic. I'd wait on the reviews for this one—it ships in August—but if it can deliver decent image quality, it might be time to rethink your staunch allegiance to flatscreens. [Vivitek]
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This is a world you have never seen before, a world normally hidden under miles of water...the landscape of the ocean bed. Click to learn more www.natgeotv.com/draintheocean
Dealzmodo starts the week off right with a huge selection of great bargains. For gamers, we have not one, but two amazing XBox 360 deals. And any Suda51 fans should check out the terrific price on the DS port of Flower, Sun and Rain.
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According to GV Mobile developer Sean Kovacs, an iTunes Store support representative claims that Apple removed the app following an AT&T request. Identified as Raymond C. in the chat screenshot, he apologized for "this unfortunate removal of a great application."
Yea unfortunately at the request of AT&T GV was removed from the App store. I am truly sorry for the inconvenience and frustration on this unfortunate removal of a great application.
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This is a world you have never seen before, a world normally hidden under miles of water...the landscape of the ocean bed. Click to learn more www.natgeotv.com/draintheocean
The phrase "app store" has quickly become the most annoyingly buzzy term of the summer—who doesn't have one nowadays? Up until about four seconds ago, if you answered "OS X" you would've been right.
A desktop app store is fundamentally different than a mobile one, especially a closed system like the Apple's, since users are already accustomed to finding and installing their apps piecemeal. Desktop app stores are a convenience—not a necessity or a mandate—an idea which IDFusion seems to have taken onboard with App Bodega.
Ignoring the twee interface (a storefront, see!?!) App Bodega will feel familiar to anyone who's used one of the many Linux application front-ends, like Synaptic. Those same people will also tell you that those programs are incredibly useful, and make life much easier when it comes time to download a new app from an unfamiliar category.
Moving beyond the strictly free Synaptic model, Bodega will let developers sell their apps, though they won't take a cut—the entire project will be, at least for now, advertising-supported. [CNET]
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FCC tests have revealed that an upcoming Garmin GPS device, the nuvi 1690, will feature GSM/GPRS/EDGE support. Presumably, this connectivity would be for updates like real-time traffic.
The problem, of course, is that monthly fees will most likely be part of the deal—monthly fees that many GPS users are probably not willing to pay. Still, the nuvi 1690 appears to be on its way, for better or worse—although pricing and a release date have yet to be announced. [Electronista]
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Biografias was created by artist Alicia Martin using 5,000 books. Eventually, we'll probably be seeing physical books used more for art like this than for reading. Sigh. [Urban Prankster]
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I used to be excited about iPhone turn-by-turn navigation, but the Pull-Navi system (straight from Tokyo University of Electro-Communications' crazy folks) is way better. It comes with a stylish helmet and will yank on ears until they look like Dumbo's.
For those that just can't be bothered to glance at a map or screen in order to figure out where to walk, Pull-Navi is perfect because it takes advantage of reflex:
The ear navigator, called Pull-Navi, has six helmet-mounted motors to pull the wearer's ears forward, backward, left, right, up and down. The designers say people follow its lead almost instinctively - pull left and they turn that way; pulling both ears forward or backward at the same time makes them speed up or slow down; and tugging up or down heads them up or down stairs.
Does this vaguely remind anyone else of how horses are guided? [Japan Times]
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This is a world you have never seen before, a world normally hidden under miles of water...the landscape of the ocean bed. Click to learn more www.natgeotv.com/draintheocean
As it turns out, Epson ink cartridges make for one sweet-looking lamp. This handmade item is not cheap at $200, but that's a bargain for anyone that doesn't have 8 super-expensive K3 cartridges lying around. [Etsy via Engadget via DVICE]
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And so, the the great WiMax rollout continues. On September 1st, 10 new midsized markets across Idaho, Washington and Texas will get WiMax Clear service. Is your crappy town ready for FOUR GEE!?! Let's see:
Clearwire Communications, LLC, an operating subsidiary of Clearwire Corporation, (NASDAQ: CLWR) today announced the official launch day of CLEAR™ 4G service in Boise, Idaho; Bellingham, Wash.; and eight markets throughout Texas, including: Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Killeen/Temple, Waco and Wichita Falls will occur on September 1, 2009.
For the vast majority of you who don't live in one of these places, take heart—even if these aren't your small-to-mid-sized cities, they are still small-to-mid-sized cities. In other words, the Wimax rollout is moving along in earnest, which is absolutely a good thing.
This according to a pair of posted-then-pulled product pages on J&R, which pegged the prices for the leaked PRS-300 and PRS-600 readers at $200 and $300, respectively. Plus, and a few more HOT HOT HOT e-reader hardware specs.
The PRS-300, followup to the PRS-505, is the attention-grabber here on account of its low price; spec-wise, neither reader is going to strike fear into Jeff Bezos' heart. Neither will have any kind of wireless connectivity, base storage on both (without clear indication that there'll be an SD slot) is 512MB, and both the 5-inch and 6-inch screens display at 600x800 pixels. The main distinguishing factor, aside from size, is that the PRS-600 has a touchscreen with an onscreen keyboard, ostensibly for note-taking and searching.
But the e-reader race has never been about hardware, so much as just about breaking into mainstream consciousness: the Kindle, for all its name recognition, isn't that popular, either as a purchase or as a subject online—our Kindle posts don't do the traffic that posts about a new phone, gaming device or even TV might garner. They're expensive and single-purpose, and you have to spend even more on intangibles before you can even use them. To really take off, they need to be cheap, and approachable. If Sony can pair a decent, $200 reader with its bulging free ebook library, it might be onto something. [Hi-PDA via Sony Insider]
The guys at PhotoReview have unveiled four new Nikon Coolpix digicams, including the S1000pj—the first to include a built-in digital projector. This backs up earlier rumors about the camera formerly known as the VP650.
The Coolpix S1000pj is the first digital camera with a built-in projector that lets users project photos or movies clips on any flat surface at up to 40 inches in size. A handy projector stand is included, as is a remote control that can be used to operate the projector, release the shutter, and more. This model features an effective resolution of 12.1 megapixels and a 5x Zoom-Nikkor lens with 28mm (equivalent) wide-angle coverage, along with a similar image stabilization system to the Coolpix S640.
Although a release date is still up in the air, the S1000pj is expected to drop sometime in the near future for an RRP of $699. Check out PhotoReview for details on the entire lineup. [PhotoReview via Nikon Rumors]
Here's how to make enemies quickly in your workplace: build a homemade crossbow capable of taking someone's eye out from 25 feet away. I will admit that this thing looks pretty badass, however. [Flickr via MAKE]
The stripped-down Chrome experience is slowly bulking up as it beats the path to full-fledged OS: Data syncing will hit the developer release of Chrome this month. Bookmarks now, but it's designed for more data later. And it's push.
That means anything you do in one browser will show up immediately in all your other Chrome browsers, no actual syncing required, like with Xmarks. Add a bookmark. Delete one, it's shows up instantly. You'll also be able to get to your bookmarks in any browser through a web app by logging into your Google account. Ars says that the sync framework's designed to scale to handle other types of data.
Honestly, though, a data syncing framework from Google—even a tiny one—just makes me think of one thing: The long-rumoredGDrive online storage with full data sync and backup powers. Which would make Chrome OS a lot tastier. Mmmm. [Google via Ars]
Most building demolitions are precisely planned and controlled. When they aren't, a factory in Cankiri, Turkey, does a barrel roll through the streets. Oops! [Boing Boing]
Thousands of "the worst families in England" are being put in "sin bins," or subsidized housing outfitted with closed-circuit cameras. The cameras will be used to ensure that children do their homework and go to bed on time. Holy shit.
The justification for this action is that if kids have structured upbringings, they won't get sucked into street crime and drugs. And because the housing is subsidized, the government isn't technically putting cameras in private homes; these are public homes.
But still, the precedent this sets is terrifying. This is the definition of a nanny state, a government that doesn't trust its citizens to live their lives autonomously so it sticks its nose into every little aspect of them for their own good.
Really, I think this can all be traced back to the Children's Secretary, Ed Balls. I mean, obviously Mr. Balls was mocked mercilessly as a child for his hilarious name. But really, Balls, do you have to take it out on the children of Britain? [Daily Express via Gadget Lab]
You'll have to sign up for a 2 year Sprint contract, but LetsTalk's $99 sale (via instant discount and mail-in rebate) ain't bad at all. Meanwhile, Amazon now has an off-contract Pre for $500—$50 less than Sprint, and $250 cheaper than Best Buy.
Amazon is also selling the Palm Pre with 2 year Sprint contract for $200. That's the same price as Sprint, but Amazon isn't making you jump through mail-in rebate hoops. [via Slashgear and Engadget]
The gadget: A direct followup to the excellent Zi6 HD pocket cam, the Zi8 adds a 1080p 30fps mode, a lithium ion battery, image stabilization, HDMI-out and a mic jack. It's restyled too, and less pudgy.
The price: $180
The verdict: Kodak's first foray into pocket camcorders set them ahead of the pack, at least for a while—a trick they've pulled off again with the Zi8. They've stolen back the top spot not with video quality—though it is impressive—but with a few obvious features that, until now, hadn't trickled down to this price point.
Click for gallery
First though, the core improvements: This Zi's undergone a full hardware redesign which, once you peel the ugly, feature-touting sticker off the front, feels more modern, more solid, and more, well, designed than its lumpy predecessor. The screen is way, way sharper, which makes the whole camera, despite its similar interface and button layout, truly feel like a new piece of hardware. HDMI output works instantly and smoothly, and the microphone-in jack pulls concerts and noisy environments into the Things The Zi8 Can Do list. The hard, flip-out USB plug has been replaced with a rubberized flexible one, which makes life easier for situations where you don't have much clearance on a USB port. Oh, and the battery—a Li-Ion slab replaces the old model's rechargeable AAs.
The Zi8's ballyhooed feature is its 30fps 1080p video recording, which, along with a new 5-megapixel photo option, joins the 720p (30fps and 60fps) and WVGA video modes of the Zi6. The added resolution is technically impressive, sure, but it's also sort of excessive, and mostly unnoticeable. People have a hard enough time distinguishing between 1080p and 720p video when it's professionally produced and displayed on a high-end screen; the Zi8 is still very much a pocket camera, meaning that the video isn't quite crisp or vivid enough to gain much from the added pixels. Cameras like this are meant for uploading quality-sapping video sites—something the Windows-only software makes dead-simple—not Blu-ray discs.
That's not to say the raw video quality is bad—far from it. It's noticeably better than the Zi6, and a new, larger sensor boosts quality at all resolutions, especially in low light. Again, this is still a pocket camcorder, so expect some noise in dimmer situations. That said, the noise is subtle and tolerable, and a far sight less crappy than most of its direct competitors.
The reason the Zi8's video really stands out is image stabilization. This is a much bigger deal than it might sound, because it accomplishes something that might not be immediately obvious: it cuts down on shimmering—that queasy rippling effect you get whenever you move a cheap camcorder too quickly. It's still there, but with less microtwitches and jitters, it's way less apparent. In addition, the Zi6's macro mode makes a reappearance on the Zi8, but it' a lot more usable, since its field of focus has grown since the Zi6, which only gave you an inch or so of leeway before things got fuzzy. On top of it all, the Zi8's lens is wider. Some people might miss the extra optical zoom a little bit, but I found the wider angle much easier to film with. The photo mode is acceptable, but not at the level of even a entry-level point-and-shoot, and prone to blurry shots, since the record button is a little stiff, and you're usually not holding the camera in an especially stable way. But in fitting with the ethos of this whole genre of device, it'll usually do just fine.
The takeaway here is that the Zi8, though still firmly a budget camcorder in terms of both price and image quality, is a device you'll be comfortable relying on in more situations than the old model, or for that matter, any other pocket cam on the market today. You'll worry less about how well-lit your subjects are; about just how macro you want to go; about keeping your hand steady enough to make your footage not look like frantic cellphone clip from a disaster scene; about how loud your surroundings will be. It's not going to replace a real camcorder in all situations, nor is meant to—but for a lot of people, it'll be more than good enough. At $180, that's nothing to smirk at. [Kodak]
Sharp, clean video in bright lighting, respectable video in low light
By most measures, HTC looks like a company that should be cleaning up: they own the market for Android phones, the press watches their every move, and they've got popular handsets on nearly every carrier. So what's all this about?
"This," in case your index finger is tired, is an announcement from the company that they expect their 2009 earnings report to show a decline in revenue, despite expectation for a 10% increase. It might sound surprising, but it's matter a perspective. To a lot of us, HTC bears the scent of a lean up and comer. That's not at all what they are, which is why this all makes sense:
HTC is the world's largest maker of phones using Microsoft Corp.'s operating system, in terms of shipments... "The outlook has softened for the second half of the year, with June being the turning point for HTC as it faced a lot of competition from Apple," said Yuanta Securities analyst Vincent Chen.
The company's trying to play this off as a matter of product delays "lower than expected" contract orders and the like, and analysts are pointing to other companies entering the fledgling Android space, but internationally, HTC lives and dies by Window Mobile. It's not the greatest position to be in, and one they're trying to move from, but as far as 2009 goes, that's their story. [WSJ]
Apple's just gone public with an announcement that Google CEO Eric Schmidt is stepping down from the Apple board of directors to avoid, ahem, "conflicts of interest." To be fair, things must have been getting pretty awkward over there.
That's not to say that Schmidt left over a tussle in the App Store, but that little shitstorm could've been a reminder that, as much as Apple and Google have worked together over the years, they are competitors in all kinds of markets, from online services to cellphones to browsers to, soon, OSes. On this, the brief press release doesn't mince words:
Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple's core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric's effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest.
Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple's Board
It's hard to tell if this "mutual decision" was kind of thing where Schmidt just saw the big picture and said "Hey y'all, it's been real," or if the rest of the board told him to pack his bags, but either way, it seems like the inevitable is happening, and Google's entering a whole new stage, full of flamewars and fanboys, taunting blog posts and constant controversy. Pick your side; this should be fun.
Put this one strictly in the rumor basket, but if the apparently loose-lipped product manager at iRiver's Australian distributor is to be believed, the Korean company has the iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle, and even Arrington's CrunchPad firmly in its sights.
Accordingy to Current.com.au, Danny Bejanoff of local distributor C.R. Kennedy says that iRiver hopes to launch an Android-based iPod Touch rival next year. Dubbed the K2, the device would have a 3.5-inch display, touch screen, Wi-Fi, built-in browser, accelerometer, Bluetooth, and even a digital TV tuner. The catch? Apparently the project is not yet 100 percent signed off.
Bejanoff went on to say that he also hopes to soon test a new iRiver e-book reader and Internet tablet. Is a three-way Web TabletBattlemodo between iRiver, the possible Apple tablet and the CrunchPad looming? Did Current.com.au get Bejanoff drunk for that interview? If so, I'm Australian, why wasn't I invited?
Experts warn that smoking doubles the chance of going blind in old age, so why not increase your odds with Kipkay's crazy (though admittedly awesome-looking) BIC-lighter hack. How-to video after the jump.
Hot on the heels of KIRO 7's investigation into fiery iPods, The Times reports that the father of a girl who's iPod exploded was offered a full refund, but only if they signed a confidentiality agreement. He refused.
According to the report, the Liverpool man feared that he or his daughter could be sued if they were to ever talk about the incident, even inadvertently.
It all began last month when the man heard a "hissing noise" and thought he "could see vapor" after dropping his 11 year old daughter's iPod Touch. He threw it out the back door of his house and "within 30 seconds there was a pop, a big puff of smoke and it went 10ft in the air." [The Times]
As Radio Shack refocuses its image to encompass more cellphone sales than radio parts and other somewhat, shall we say, dated merchandise, there's apparently some renaming coming soon to go along with it.
Basically, word on the street and on Wikipedia (it must be true!) is that "The Shack" signage and other marketing could be gracing storefronts later this year.
Thoughts? I'm weird, so the first thing I thought of was a clam shack. I'm also hungry. [Engadget, Wikipedia]
The Federal Department of Transportation wants to hold a summit to evaluate the perils of 
This is a world you have never seen before, a world normally hidden under miles of water...the landscape of the ocean bed. Click to learn more 
Perhaps I spoke too soon in referring to 
The LEAF may be compensating for the lack of a tailpipe with 30 minute "quick charges" and the ability to go for miles and miles on a single charge (100 miles to be exact), but hey, it's eco-friendly.
A "industry executive familiar with Netflix's plans" speaking with 
Biografias was created by artist Alicia Martin using 5,000 books. Eventually, we'll probably be seeing physical books used more for art like this than for reading. Sigh. [
I used to be excited about 
This according to a pair of posted-then-pulled product pages on
You'll have to sign up for a 2 year Sprint contract, but LetsTalk's 
Sharp, clean video in bright lighting, respectable video in low light
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