internet, technology and more...

How the Iphone will affect the World

2007-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Apple HDTV Coming to Your Living Room

2007-01-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

Apple today premiered Apple TV, an easy to use and fun way to wirelessly play all your favorite iTunes content from your Mac or PC on your widescreen TV, including movies, TV shows, music, photos and podcasts. Using Apple TV's stunning new interface, anyone can quickly browse and view their entire collection of digital media from across the room using the simple and intuitive Apple Remote. Apple TV easily connects to almost all modern widescreen televisions, and will be shipping in February for just $299.

"Apple TV is like a DVD player for the 21st century - you connect it to your entertainment system just like a DVD player, but it plays digital content you get from the Internet rather than DVDs you get from a physical store," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Apple TV plays the same iTunes content that users enjoy on their computers and iPods, so now they can even watch part of a movie in their living room, and watch the rest later on their iPod."

Apple TV has a 40GB hard drive to store up to 50 hours of video, 9,000 songs, 25,000 photos or a combination of each and is capable of delivering high-definition 720p output. Apple TV is easy to connect to a broad range of widescreen TVs and home theater systems and comes standard with HDMI, component video, analog and optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort 802.11 wireless networking, Apple TV can auto-sync content from one computer or stream content from up to five additional computers right to your TV without any wires.

The seamless integration of Apple TV and iTunes lets users choose from over 250 feature-length movies and 350 TV shows in near DVD quality; four million songs, 5,000 music videos, 100,000 podcasts and 20,000 audiobooks. Users can enjoy their favorite music on a home entertainment system and view slideshows of their photo albums on a widescreen TV. Apple TV makes it easy for users to explore their entire media collection with an easy to use and intuitive new interface. With the Apple Remote, consumers can easily browse through their favorite movies, TV shows, music and photos from up to 30 feet away.

Pricing & Availability

Apple TV, which includes the Apple Remote, will be shipping in February through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $299 (US).

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XBox Live for Windows Vista

2007-01-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

Now for a perfectly good reason to update to Windows Vista, at least if you're a 360 owner. Microsoft has just announced that by this summer, Xbox Live will be launching on Windows Vista.

"Windows Vista marks the biggest investment from Microsoft around Windows games since Windows 95, making games easier, safer and more fun to play on the PC," said Microsoft's Bill Gates as part of his key notes during the start of this week's CES. "For consumers, we believe gaming is one of the top reasons to upgrade to Windows Vista."

In line with this announcement, The Live for Windows will be hosting many similar features from Live service, like the Friends list feature. Given the stuff we've seen moving to Vista like Geometry Wars and XNA, we'll be waiting for more news to come our way as the CES warms up. And hopefully, we'll see Vista's yet to be conceived OS-tan make its debut.

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Macworld Expo 2007: preview photos

2007-01-09T04:52:00.000-08:00

McDonald's switches to fairtrade coffee

2007-01-08T06:14:00.000-08:00

McDonald's is looking to improve its reputation and demonstrate its ethical side by signing a £1 million deal to buy fair trade coffee from South and Central American farm co-operatives certified by the Rainforest Alliance. The company will pay approximately £900,000 to more than 3,000 farmers across South and Central America for 800 tonnes of coffee.

For a company that sells 143,000 cups of coffee in its 1,200 British outlets daily, it is a move that could definitely have a positive impact on local communities and farmers. In fact, as McDonald's plans on rolling out the initiative across the rest of its European outlets, the move could in time be worth as much £50 million to coffee farmers.

Being in the fast food industry, companies such as McDonald's have had a tough time maintaining a positive reputation, leading many of them, including McDonald's to introduce more healthy lines of products.

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Can Diet Soda Make You Gain Weight?

2007-01-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

(from CBS)
For many people there's only one real reason to drink diet soda.

"Because it's got no calories and, yeah, you try to watch your weight," says Raymond Tomczak.

But, as The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay reports, some experts are now saying diet soda may be doing the exact opposite: making them gain weight.

Epidemiologist Sharon Fowler, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, presented research data on soda consumption to the American Diabetes Association.

"What we saw was that the more diet sodas a person drinks, the more weight they were likely to gain," she says.

That finding was a big surprise, but it reflected what nutritionist Melainie Rogers saw in her work with obese patients in New York.

"When we would switch them on to diet soda off regular soda, we weren't seeing weight loss necessarily, and that was confusing to us," Rogers says.

But why would diet soda make some people gain weight? There are only theories at this point but it may be as simple as people consciously eating more because they think they can.

Khristianne Corro says, "If I'm having one of those pig out days, then yeah, I figure maybe it'll balance it out a little bit."

And Tomczak says, "I'm drinking the diet soda and you know let me have that hamburger and fries, instead of just the hamburger alone."

Researchers say physiology may also play a role.

"When I put anything to my stomach that's not water then my stomach responds by increasing the gastric acid secretion," Fowler says. "Does that increase my sense of hunger and does that drive me to eat more?"

If diet soda really doesn't take the weight off, it wouldn't be the first time a diet product failed to perform as expected.

"You know, much the same as when we went through the fat free craze, people overate – not because there was anything wrong with the products, but they overate," says Rogers, the nutritionist. "So we're wondering are we seeing a similar phenomenon with the diet soda."

There are still plenty of questions that researchers need to answer. For instance, are these results associated with all artificial sweeteners? Or just certain ones?

And of course, it's all just a theory until larger controlled studies can be done, but the early findings are fascinating.

In the meantime, there are alternatives for people who are trying to lose weight.

There's juice and water or coffee and tea. Dr. Senay says the one thing to take away from this is moderation. Whatever you put in your mouth, don't overdo it. A diet product won't really help you lose weight if you're still getting too many calories from other foods.

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Microsoft and Ford bringing "Sync" to cars this year

2007-01-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

As expected, it's been announced today that the Blue&Me system originally debuted with Fiat in Europe is finally coming to the States by way of Ford, but not without a name change: "Sync." The setup offers integration with Bluetooth-enabled phones and music players via both A2DP / AVRCP and USB 2.0 connections - and yes, the iPod's and zune's right there at the top of the compatibility list, despite Microsoft's involvement. Other nifty (and potentially driver-distracting) features include the ability to have text messages read aloud, voice recognition for control of both phone and music functions, and phonebook transfer. Best of all, the system's upgradeable - primarily for compatibility with future players, but it also leaves the door open for additional functionality down the road. Look for the Sync to get synced on twelve model year 2008 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles with availability starting later this year.

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Bush defends mail access law

2007-01-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

The White House on Thursday defended a policy that allows the government to open mail without a warrant, despite criticism that the crime-fighting tactic might lead to privacy breaches.

Bush administration and U.S. Postal Service officials said citizens' mail remains constitutionally protected from unreasonable search and seizure. But White House spokesman Tony Snow said the government needs the power to inspect mail in emergencies.

The mail controversy erupted Wednesday after a report in the New York Daily News that on Dec. 20, President George W. Bush attached a so-called signing statement to a new postal law. The statement grants the government the authority during emergencies to bypass a law forbidding mail to be opened without a warrant.

Snow said Bush was reiterating authority the government already has under the law.

Postal Service spokesman Thomas Day concurred. "The president is not exerting any new authority," Day said.

Snow didn't say what emergency circumstances might warrant inspections of the mail.

Privacy-rights advocates expressed concern that the administration could loosely define emergency situations to include looking at mail sent by or delivered to people who might wrongly be included on the government's terrorist watch lists.

The American Civil Liberties Union said such "deliberate ambiguity" is troublesome.

It "raises a red flag because of President Bush's history of asserting broad powers to spy on Americans," ACLU director Anthony Romero said.

Others accused Bush of making an end-run around the Constitution and Congress.

"This opens the door into the government prying into private communications," said Jonathan Hafetz, a lawyer at the Brennan Center for Justice. "It's something we associate with a totalitarian or police state."

In Congress, where Democrats took control of both houses Thursday, some lawmakers expressed unease about the practice.

"Every American wants foolproof protection against terrorism," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

"But history has shown it can and should be done within the confines of the Constitution. This last-minute, irregular and unauthorized reinterpretation of a duly passed law is the exact type of maneuver that voters so resoundingly rejected in November."

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Rumor - Will Mac Pros Move To Eight Cores?

2007-01-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

Some analysts are predicting that Apple may announce a Mac desktop that suports eight processors at the Macworld next week. Industry watchers say Apple is sure to update its line of desktops and laptops. Will the company go quad-core? Some analysts say it might even work in two quad-core processors to give a Mac desktop the power of eight processors.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they start shipping Mac Pros with eight cores," said John Welch, a Unix/open source administrator at Kansas City Life Insurance and a Mac industry analyst who will be speaking at MacWorld Expo 2007. "They could have two quad cores in them. They've got the basic architecture now. They can do this. It would be really cool. You never get in trouble for releasing a faster computer."

Right now, the Mac Pro is running a dual-core Intel Xeon processor. An upgrade could be in the works since Intel is working on quad-core processors.

Bob LeVitus, a tech columnist for the Houston Chronicle and a speaker at MacWorld Expo, also says he wouldn't be surprised if the next generation of the Mac Pro had two quad-core processors.

"It would make sense," says LeVitus, who also is the author of Mac OS X for Dummies. "They've already got the architecture. The chips are designed to go in those sockets. The design is the same." LeVitus, though, says that kind of power most likely would not come cheap. He would expect that kind of horsepower to come with a price tag of $4,000 to $5,000.

He also says there would be a solid market for it. "For the video jockeys and the Photoshop guys and the guys doing big editing jobs, eight processors would be way better than four," he points out.

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Think Traffic is Bad in Your Town? Try China.

2007-01-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

The M25, central London, the Autobahn...if you thought these roads were traffic-congested then take a look at this picture.

Hundreds of cars queue aimlessly for the chance to actually get to their destination in Xiamen, south China.

The country has experienced a massive increase this year in the sale of cars, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

DailyMail

LG announces 20 new LCDs for CES 2007

2007-01-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

We're beginning to wonder just how much floor space LG has reserved at CES. Beyond its plasmas and other high profile launches, the company has announced a lineup of 20 LCD HDTVs to go on display next week, including nine 1080p models. There are five different lines of products coming, in our opinion headlined by the LY3D series, featuring 47-, 52- and 57-inch 1080p LCDs with TruMotion Drive 120Hz panel technology for clearer moving images and improved wide color gamut, displaying up to 92 percent of the NTSC spectrum. Next is the LB5D series of panels, which at 37-, 42-, 47 and 52-inch sizes bring 1080p resolution, 3 HDMI inputs and USB Media Host capabilities to the table. The next level of panels are the LB4D line, which include TruMotion Drive for 120Hz refresh, and combine that with a third HDMI input and USB Media Host for streaming pics and music.The 47-inch model will be 1080p, but 32-, 37- and 42-inchers should all come in at 720p. LG's LC7 line of LCDs range from 26- to 47-inches and include only the base features of the HDTVs shown, a 5,000:1 contrast ratio, LG Simple Link HDMI control, XD Engine scaling of low res signals and TruWide Viewing Angle tech. Last and, literally, least is the LS7D series measuring at 20- and 23-inches, small widescreen LCDs with integrated ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuners. From the leastest to the mostest, LG says we can expect overall even slimmer flat panels and glossy black finishes to make sure things look good even when the TV is off.

source.jar

Fedora shifts course: no more "Fedora Core"

2007-01-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

Red Hat's engineer and Fedora Project board member, Bill Nottingham, announced on the Fedora developer's list on Jan. 4 that, "There will be no more releases of Fedora Core or Fedora Extras." Instead, Core and Extras will be merged together.

"Starting with Fedora 7, there is no more Core, and no more Extras; there is only Fedora. One single repository, built in the community on open source tools, assembled into whatever spins the Fedora community desires," wrote Nottingham.

Fedora Core is, as the name indicates, the central part of the operating system. Fedora Extras was a software package collage that complemented Fedora Core. For example, the Linux kernel and the Apache Web servers were clearly Core elements, while games and hardware specific tuning widgets were considered to be perfect for Extras.

Exactly how Red Hat Inc. and the Fedora Project will merge Core and Extras has yet to be worked out. "There's a lot of work to be done, and we're looking for help. What's left of the Core Steering Committee is going to work with the Fedora Board and FESCO to figure out just how this new combined repository is going to be governed and managed," said Nottingham.

These integration problems aren't slowing down the release plans for Fedora 7 however. Fedora 7 Test 1 Release is scheduled for Jan. 30. If all goes well Fedora 7 will be released to the general public on Apr. 26.

This new release will include a live CD version of Fedora, WiFi improvements including firmware support, encrypted file systems support, and overall performance improvements.

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Brazilian court orders YouTube shutdown

2007-01-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

A Brazilian court has ordered the closure of YouTube following the site's failure to completely remove a video showing Ronaldo's ex-missus and her new boyf indulging in a bit a of beach rumpy-pumpy, Reuters reports.

Model Daniela Cicarelli sued YouTube after the offending film proved a smash hit among Brazilian YouTubers. She and squeeze Tato Malzoni last year "filed to force YouTube to take the video down and demanded $116,000 in damages for each day the video remains up". Although YouTube did indeed remove some copies, other users reposted it and the whole sorry exposure dragged on for months.

Finally, Cicarelli and Malzoni filed another suit in December "requesting that YouTube be shut down as long as the video is available to users". A Brazilian court agreed and a judicial clerk today said that it had "ordered the popular video sharing service ... to be shut down until it removes a celebrity sex video from its site".

This is likely to prove difficult to enforce, Reuters notes, since YouTube is based the US. No-one from owner Google was available to speak to the agency today.

In the interests of investigative journalism, and to save readers the bother of going and tracking it down themselves, we selflessly viewed the footage several times and can confirm it involves some hot ice cream-sucking action followed by what appears to be a semi-subaquatic Cicarelli riding Malzoni's visibly-armed torpedo. Accordingly, we can confirm it's NSFW, should you fancy doing a bit of investigative journalism yourselves.

The Register

Traditional Chinese Gold and Silver USB Drives

2007-01-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

This set of gold and silver USB drives is meant for the rich computer geeks who love to flaunt their wealth in style!

Both drives are made from 30 grams of the respective metals with a purity of 99.9%. The luxury USB keys are created by Beijing Zhongshi Boda Company and Lenovo, and combine digital technology and traditional Chinese culture with a pattern shaped like a pig, engraved on one side of the casing as 2007 is the year of the pig according to the Chinese lunar calendar. The USB drives are also engraved with four Chinese characters “Jin Zhu Tian Fu” which represents “may the gold pig bring you good fortune” on the reverse side.

The Chinese gold and silver USB drive set is available in limited edition of 9,999 sets with each set selling at $1,280 in Beijing, China.

Source

Google Maps API - Top API of the Year

2007-01-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

According to ProgrammableWeb, Google’s Maps API accounts for 51% of the 1,404 mashups listed there in 2006, follow by Flickr, 10%.

Source

Xbox 360 is Xmas best-seller

2007-01-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

One period that can always make a difference when it comes to sales is the Winter holiday season and everyone is interested in being top dog when Christmas comes. The holidays recently ended have seen a massive next-generation battle as all the big players had something to offer. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all had a console for the living-room floor and although Microsoft's Xbox 360 has already caught one Xmas, it wasn't until 06 that it could really test is muscles.

A US market analysis for Christmas 2006 recently released by IDC has suggested that the Xbox 360 was on top with about 2 million consoles sold. A pretty close second was the Nintendo Wii wiith 1.8 million units and third place has been taken by Sony's next-gen, the PlayStation 3 with just 750,000 units sold. While the PS3 still suffered from stock shortages and the Wii was virtually sold-out, Microsoft's Xbox division can take a moment to congratulate themselves on these great numbers that come more than a year after the initial release. Good job.

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Web Trend Map 2007

2007-01-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

The Trend Map shows all the big players, the current Internet trends and how they’re connected.

Click on the image for a large view.

Source

Research firm predicts Sony success, but not market dominance

2007-01-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

A new report by Research and Markets predicts the PlayStation 3 will have sold around 75 million units by 2010.

Entitled "The Transforming Global Videogames Market: The Emergence of Next Generation", the company claims the PS3 will win the next console battle, although it will not enjoy success similar to victories in the past.

"The console is not expected to dominate as much as its predecessor, the PS2, due to late launch issues in the PAL region and the early lead of Microsoft's Xbox 360," states the report.

The abstract for the research does not offer predictions for the installed base of Nintendo's Wii or Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Source

Girl go wild over Wii!

2007-01-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Fan girl Leah Abdenours goes wild over Nintendo's Wii.

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Google New Year's Logo

2007-01-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

A new comemorative logo...

Previous years:

Microsoft's strategy

2006-12-31T07:52:00.000-08:00

Check out the strategy of Microsoft in building its industry Empire!
Click on the image for a large view.

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Inkless Metal Pen

2006-12-31T07:26:00.000-08:00

How about an inkless pen that writes indefinitely on almost any paper? The Metal Pen, an 8 cm stainless steel writing instrument with a screw-on top, does exactly that. The pen's solid metal 'nib' consists of a metal alloy that leaves a mark on most paper types. On conventional photocopying paper, the pen makes a precise line that looks as if it were made by a pencil, but one that doesn't smudge and can't be rubbed out.

The origin of this writing technology goes back many hundreds of years to a drawing method called Metalpoint. During Classical times, metal styli (sharp, pointed writing, marking, or engraving instruments) were used to inscribe materials such as wax and clay. From the Middle Ages, Metalpoint began to be employed for drawing. When the tip of the stylus was made of silver, the technique was known as Silverpoint. During the Renaissance, use of Silverpoint was frequent and many "Old Masters" such as Leonardo, Raphael, Durer, Holbein, Rembrandt, and Rubens made use of it in their sketches.

The pen is a modern version of Metalpoint containing an unspecified alloy. Unlike a pencil, the pen requires no sharpening and lasts a very long time. The writing result, however, seems to be somewhat light. Still, for about $30, as a backup marker or drawing tool that doesn't, run, dry out, or need sharpening, and leaves a precise, permanent, fade- and smudge-proof mark, or simply as a novelty, it should prove a worthwhile buy.

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How Windows Live Messenger actually works?

2006-12-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

Oh it’s really rather simple once you look at it from all the right angles! Here’s a nice little visual representation of the “Messenger Relay” system of which sends and receives all your messages. I’ve basic’d it down as much as I can because it does get tricky in places. Click the image to view a larger shot.

1. The user starts the session by double clicking a contact.
2. The user’s Windows Live ID credentials are sent across to the Windows Live ID Credentials server for further verification
3. The information is passed through a incoming only firewall to the dispatch server. This is the first point of connection for the message being sent.
4. Depending where the user is in the world, a connection will be made to the local notification server. There are main ones in Singapore, Dublic, Redmond and Reading. This keeps the connection between the two users alive, and keeps things updated such as user status, chat requests and email notifications from Windows Live Mail/Hotmail.
5. The message itself doesn’t go near the notification servers - it is passed onto the switchboard server which is the where all the messages and files are exchanged. The user starting the chat can talk to one user, whilst using another switchboard session to talk to someone else, and another switchboard session for someone else still - without even knowing it. Invitations, file transfers and video/voice chat are also sent through here.
6. The information is then relayed back through an outgoing firewall and checks the user is still online. If the user is offline by the time the message is ready to be received, then it’ll bounce back and be saved on the switchboard session until the user logs back on again. If they are online, they will receive the message.

This is all done in the space of around 2 seconds - most of the time your message will be sent at least twice around the world, in the space of 2 seconds. Not bad!

Source

Ads on bus, bus and bus!

2006-12-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

Bruce Wii

2006-12-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

China’s Internet population reaches 132 Million

2006-12-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

China’s population of Internet users has risen by 30 percent over the past year to 132 million, a state news agency said Friday. The figure was up from 123 million at the end of June, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing the government’s China Internet Network Information Center. It said the number of Chinese customers with broadband access has grown to 52 million.

The rapid rise in Internet use has propelled growth in China’s online commerce, advertising and games industries, the Internet agency said. China’s communist government encourages Internet use for business and education but tries to block access to material deemed subversive or pornographic.

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Orkut Under Construction for 18 Hours

2006-12-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

Orkut, Google’s social networking site, has been “under construction” for the last 18 hours. It has been known for sometimes now for their outage, but the one like this, 18 hours, probably the first time in the orkut history.

I will guess they are doing a security upgrade, and something unexpected happened...

googlified.com

Amazon.com Announces "Best of 2006 List"

2006-12-29T06:03:00.000-08:00

Amazon.com today released its bestselling products in 2006.

Bestselling Products

The following is a list of the bestselling products on Amazon.com in 2006 by total units sold:

Books: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don't by Jim Collins
Music: Taking The Long Way by Dixie Chicks
DVD: Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Software: World of Warcraft
Electronics: Apple iPods (various)
Home & Garden: Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid
Health & Personal Care: Pampers Cruisers (various sizes)
Grocery: Senseo Douwe Egberts Dark Roast Coffee Pods
Computer & Video Games: Nintendo DS Lite - Polar White
Automotive: Sylvania DOT-it Self-Adhesive Bright White LED Light
Apparel & Accessories: Levi's(R) 501(R) Button Fly Jeans
Shoes: Rockport Men's Clarksdale Oxford
Sports & Outdoors: Razor A Kick Scooter
Jewelry: 14k White Gold, Round, Diamond Stud Earrings
Watches: Bulova Women's Diamond Bezel Chronograph Watch
Beauty: Bare Escentuals Get Started Kit
Baby: Contoured Changing Pad
Toys: Radica 20 Questions

source: Amazon.com