Friday, February 22, 2008

Show #70



[Download Show #70 as MP3]

News
  • Facebook Can Ruin Your Life
    • It's pretty scary what people can do with random bits of information you give out on the internet
    • Anyone that can access it, can potentially use it against you.
    • You may THINK "what's the big deal- i'm just sharing this with my friends?" WRONG.
    • stuff that used to be private is now being investigated by law enforcement, attorneys, employers, schools
    • Besides some of the obvious no-no's like bad-mouthing your job or colleagues, small things you THINK are harmless may offend someone else or change the way they see you and work with you
    • court cases- in sexual assault cases & DWI suspect- a VICTIM & a CRIMINAL- both having their personal lives on trial
    • scholarships pulled for pictures found
    • I think it's wrong. I think it's completely wrong BUT the fact IS: it's happening anyway. I wouldn't want to work for a company that did that or go to a school that did that but it's not guaranteed to be avoidable
    • So I've had a disclaimer at the bottom of my facebook page FOREVER stating that "nothing stated in my page may be held as truth"... does that do ANYTHING for my privacy? Assuming I'm not bad mouthing my current job...
    • Although- where do they draw the line? WHO says what's good for a company and bad? Unless I'm the Public relations representative why should it matter if I constructively criticize the company and state my opinions in a non-aggressive or non- derogatory manner?
    • If lawyers can use your information in child custody or marital cases.. what about smokers who tell their insurance companies they DON'T smoke? Will they start seeking out pictures of their clients, smoking in bars and such?
  • Yahoo's Digg Competitor
    • Buzz
    • Feb 26th
    • Digg anyone submits, here only Yahoo's advertisers can publish
  • Sony Hints at downloadable PS2 games on PS3
    • Now this has NOT been formally announced but sony is HINTING that:
    • PS2 games may become available to download from the playstation network, that can be played on the PS3
    • the technology and software ARE available to make the full-length original PS2 games compatible on the PS3, but Sony has not confirmed whether or not this will happen
    • will fix problem of backwards compatibility
  • Marvel Online Digital Comics
    • Instant Web Access to Comics
    • Launched November 13, 2007
    • 2700+ comics currently available and growing
    • Only software needed is Adobe Flash Player 6.0
    • Same as paper comics.
      • Better for older ones re-colored and digitized.
      • Made from the files that were sent to the printers
    • Publishing issues every week (20 per week, according to publisher rep)
    • page back and forth just like a paper comic
    • Smart panel mode or 2 page mode. Autoforward available.
    • Users can request their favorites (Shiar Empire series for me)
    • Wait period for newer comics (30 day period?)
    • widely successful and not going anywhere
    • 4.99 / month w/ year subscription or 9.99 a month
    • There is a 250 title free library for a limited time
    • How will this affect the comic stores in the long haul?
Web Picks
 Gamer's Corner

Geek Out

Create Plucker files that you can then read on your phone

    • GUI Desktop Client - Allows you to create Plucker documents in a GUI environment and also contains the parser
    • Viewer - App installed on your Palm or Mobile Hand Device
  • Install the viewer
    • Comes in .cab format for pocket pcs
    • Copy cab to mobile device and just click it on the mobile device to install
  • Install the Desktop client on the desktop
    • Choose your language
    • If you own a palm, the software comes with hotsync. PocketPC must set up a folder to sync within activesync
    • Select your output folder for the files that are being created
    • Create your channel (tons of options here)
      • URL -there's a standard library, like slashdot or set your own. Make sure the page is small-device ready
      • Local Files - HTML, txt, or image files
      • For URL: Go over to your "limits" tab and make sure your depth is set appropriately. Might be wise to check "ignore links to a server that is different"
      • Set a schedule in your schedule tab that you want it run on.
    • Set up your sync (hotsync or activesync) to synchronize changed files to a specific folder on your mobile device
  • You can also just copy the files over from the output directory to the mobile device
  • The Files created are .pdb files and use a sort of compression (zlib) to be created.
  • Go into your mobile device program (Vade Mecum for pocket pc) and set your location of the files that were either copied or synced in the "libraries" tab
  • Suzy's Wierd Addition: Why Scientists Love Game Consoles
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Saturday, February 16, 2008

Show #69



[Download Show #69 as MP3]

News
  • Hellotxt.com Mobile Coupons
    • A couple of weeks ago we talked about the concept of micro-blogging
    • There are several micro-blogging sites available Twitter (the most popular, but has the least features), Jaiku (less popular than Twitter, but with more functionality), and Pownce (lots of functionality, small user base)
    • If you have accounts on all three, how do you post to all 3 without having to go to three different websites?
    • HelloTxt.com helps with this. You sign up for an account, feed it your micro-blogging sites info, and you can then post updates from one place to several micro-blogs (more than just the 3 mentioned above)
    • One of HelloTxt.com's biggest failings, is the lack of a mobile interface; a way to update from your phone.
      • Well they now have a mobile version of the website that is currently invite only.
      • We don't have invites yet, so if you have some that you can send our way, please do by emailing us (theshow@powerofinformation.net)
  • New Firefox 2.0.0.12
  • Polaroid Closing Instant Film Factories
    • In an effort to keep up with the latest technology, Polaroid is cutting alot of jobs this year
    • After a 25-30 percent drop in sales each year, the company known for instant film finally gave up on instant film.
    • But now they can put more into their digital cameras, tv's, dvd players, and portable cell-phone printers (w/ zink) to stay competitive, and keep the company alive for years to come
  • Microsoft Offers to Buy Yahoo, Yahoo Rejects
    • About a week and a half ago Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo! for 44.6 billion dollars
    • The offer was made as a half cash/half stock deal
    • Microsoft figured Yahoo was ripe for the taking because Yahoo has not been performing well lately. With a revolving door of CEOs and other high profile positions, Yahoo has not really had a solid plan of action for over a year. Microsoft also thought that the buyout would help both companies compete against their number one competitor, Google who has owned the search engine market since it pretty much made its first appearance.
    • This is the second time that Microsoft has attempted a partnership with Yahoo. Back around this time last year, Microsoft and Yahoo were in talks to form some form of partnership between the two companies. However talks quickly ended with no real explanation given.
    • This past week, Yahoo officially reject Microsoft's offer. Some analysts are saying that Yahoo wants more cash (around 56 billion dollars) before they'd be willing to sell. So this rejection might not be the end of the Microsoft/Yahoo talks
    • However, they seem to be looking elsewhere, current articles are point to AOL as a potential partner and even Google has supposedly gotten into the game. Is Yahoo looking to sell or are they simply looking for a way to get back on their feet?
    • And to top things off, Microsoft has told Yahoo that the talks are not over yet. Rumors abound that if Microsoft can't the the Yahoo Board of directors to play ball, they'll take their case to the Yahoo! stock holders. Will Microsoft throw more money at Yahoo in hopes they'll sell?
  • Netflix Picks Blu-Ray
    • Netflix will promote Blu ray over HighDefinition- but because of low hd sales, netflix does not fear that this decision will significantly impact sales or rentals
    • This just adds one more huge supporter of BluRay on top of the five hollywood studios already supporting blu ray
    • HD has the support of only two hollywood studios and are now outsold by blu ray in disks AND players
    • Extra: Best Buy to Promote Blu-Ray over HD-DVD & already carry blu-ray EXCLUSIVELY in all but 250 stores
  • Duke Nukem Forever...finally here?

Web Picks
  • Beam-It-Up-Scotty
    • Send files to your cell phone
    • Try it with a:
  • GMail Tips
    • One more reason I should switch
    • anything close to your name will get to you
    • can vary your email to filter you mail into different folders
    • Track/Block Spammers
    • when you sign up- give them your name plus the site address@gmail so that you can block it whenever you want
  • Anywhere.FM
    • Desktop Uploader
    • WMP / Winamp / iTunes

Geek Out
  • TrueCrypt 5.0 Released
    • Lots of bug fixes
    • Major Update: Encrypt an entire disk
    • Encrypt a system partition with pre-boot authentication
    • OSX version & GUI for Linux version
    • New SHA-512 algrorithm
14 Valentines Day Gifts Guaranteed Not To Get You Laid
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Friday, February 8, 2008

Show #68



[Download Show #68 as MP3]

News
  • Suzy's back
  • Couchville.comCouchville.com is going away
    • iPhone / iPod Sync with SnapStream's Beyond TV v4.7
      • No Subscription Fees. Ever.
      • Skip commercials and other parts of TV shows (ReplayTV)
      • Search for shows on actor, director, or title
      • Burn DVDs of your TV recordings*
      • New! Automatically sync recordings to iPod, iPhone or Apple TV*
      • Intelligent Program Guide resolves conflicts
      • Record HDTV from free, over-the-air or Clear QAM digital TV signals
  • What other DVRs are out there?
    • We've all heard of TiVo
      • Costs?
      • Pros
      • Cons
    • Scientific Atlanta (Time Warner / Comcast)
      • Cost
      • Pros
      • Cons
      • A side note: Comcast customers could be seeing the Tivo interface soon. The TiVo interface has already been rolled out to some Comcast customers in the Northeast markets.
  • [Derek] What about TV and Movies OnDemand
    • Apple TV / iTunes
      • Costs?
      • Pros
      • Cons
    • Netflix
      • Costs?
        • Monthly Fee
        • 1 dvd @ home | 2 max/mo | 2 hrs/mo | $4.99
        • 1 dvd @ home | Unlimited Movies / Hours | $8.99
        • 2 dvd @ home | Unlimited Movies / Hours | $13.99
        • 3 dvd @ home | Unlimited Movies / Hours | $17.99
        • 4 2
      • Pros
      • Cons
    • Joost
      • Costs?
        • FREE
      • Pros
        • Lots of content to choose from
        • The library continues to grow
        • Even though there are commercials, they are short and sweet (at most 20 seconds) and only show between programming
      • Cons
        • Sometimes the quality is degraded due to the peer-to-peer nature of the system
Smarten Up
Geek Out
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Friday, February 1, 2008

Show #67



[Download Show #67 as MP3]

News
  • Gartner Research says HD-DVD's resistance is "useless"
    • Gartner, the fat lady of research firms, is singing HD DVD's swan song this morning. Gartner believes that Toshiba's price-cutting may prolong HD DVD's life a little, but the limited line-up of film titles will inflict fatal damage on the format. He goes on to call the recent price cuts "useless resistance" in avoiding the inevitable. Gartner expects that, by the end of 2008, Blu-ray will be the winning format in the consumer market, and the war will be over. With 5 of the 7 major studios now backing Blu-ray exclusively, Gartner's certainty on the subject doesn't appear to be much of a stretch.
    • WMV HD
  • Pownce Launches
    • Pownce, a micro-blogging website launched last week.
      • What can Pownce do?
        • Keep your friends and "groups" updated on your latest happenings
        • Send pictures, files, & events
        • Pownce offers a $20/year premium plan that offers you more space for files & photo storage (up to 100MB)
      • What can you not do with Pownce?
        • Have it update your status from RSS feeds (like Jaiku)
        • Post from third party applications
        • Receive mobile updates (IM or SMS)
    • What is micro-blogging?
      • Micro-blogging is about the "what are you doing RIGHT NOW" mentality. What has your attention, what are you focusing on?
      • Think of it like a constant instant messaging status that you update whenever you change your focus
    • Why would you micro-blog
      • Micro-blogging is a great way to keep your friends up to date on what's going on with you
      • If your friends are all on the same service, then they can choose to be updated via IM or mobile phone with your updates. Ensuring they know what club you're at, or what restaraunt you're headed to.
    • Other micro-blogging websites
      • Twitter
        • Simple and easy to use. Does not offer a ton of extra features (none really)
        • Awesome development API so people have made tons of Twitter "helper" applications
      • Jaiku
        • As easy to use as Twitter but offers some items that Twitter does not
        • Add RSS feeds that relate to you (your blog, podcast, flickr, del.icio.u s) and have your Jaiku status updated when those feeds are updated
  • How about updating multiple sites?
  • Sony/BMG download cards for sale at Best Buy
    • On a recent trip to Best Buy I noticed an endcap that contained gift-card like cards featuring Sony/BMG artists available for purchase
    • I take this to mean that Sony/BMG has gotten those cards in stores now.
    • The cards look nifty, they basically have the album artwork on the front and a barcode on the back.
    • Sony/BMG DRM-Free downloads are also available from Amazon's Mp3 Store

 Gamer's Corner
  • WoW Hits the big 1 "oh" (10,000,000 subscribers)
    • MMORPG Competition in 2008 (Wired)
    • Blizzard also clarified what the company means by “subscriber” further underlining the credibility of the 10 million figure. (For instance, the number doesn’t include unused pre-paid cards)
    • It should also be noted, the game’s first expansion, The Burning Crusade, was the best-selling PC game of 2007, holding the record for fastest-selling PC game of all time--nearly 2.4 million copies flew off store shelves in the first 24 hours it was available.
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Saturday, January 26, 2008

Show #66



[Download Show #66 as MP3]

News
  • Sun Buys MySQL
    • (Sun / NASDAQ: JAVA) The acquisition accelerates Sun's position in enterprise IT to now include the $15 billion database market. Today's announcement reaffirms Sun's position as the leading provider of platforms for the Web economy and its role as the largest commercial open source contributor.
    • LAMP
    • The Price? 1 billion dollars, with a "B", or nine zeros -- in total "consideration"
    • MySQL development community standing behind the purchase
    • However the sector is not:
      • Potentially a disaster for the entire sector.
      • In perspective:
        • It's the most competitive and biggest threat to Oracle Corp., if for no other reason than it's cheaper, and in many applications, more practical.
        • It's used extensively by the open-source community and is the engine that runs almost all the blogging software -- including the successful WordPress, which is used as the blogging-content back end for the New York Times, among other large commercial enterprises. Google Inc. (GOOG) and Yahoo! Inc (YHOO) use MySQL.
        • Sun has an awful track record with its acquisitions.
      • From a different perspective:
        • You have to wonder why MySQL was sold in the first place and who orchestrated this deal.
        • If anyone actually knew that MySQL was up for grabs, I expect that Google, Yahoo and certainly Microsoft Corp. would have been interested.
        • There should have been a publicized bidding war resulting in a much higher price than $1 billion
        • Part of this silence stems directly from the fact that MySQL is a Swedish company, and heaven forbid the Swedes announce their intentions or do anything that would appear flamboyant or be interpreted as (gasp) bragging!
      • Conclusion:
        • Oracle probally wanted to buy MySQL to kill the product
        • They can't pull that stunt off alone, it would be too obvious, especially to European Union regulators.
        • Sun and Oracle have been strategic partners for years.
        • Sun cannot actually afford to spend a $1 billion on a company producing a mere $60 million in revenue and working outside its core competencies.
        • So who can afford it? Oracle, that's who. This deal stinks from top to bottom.
      • Good News:
        • The only good news is that since MySQL is an open-source initiative, an immediate development fork will occur with a new open-source relational database appearing within a year or two, based on aspects of the original code.
        • The original MySQL will simply vanish over time, along with Sun's billion. Exactly how painful this transition will be for current users of MySQL remains to be seen.
          As far as anything good happening from the Sun acquisition, I don't see it, except for the shareholders of Oracle.
  • Rock Band & Guitar Hero Drive Digital Song Sales
    • http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1934632220080120?rpc=64
    • 2.5 million songs downloaded
    • and rock bands only been out... what 2 months now?
    • over 5 mill sold for guitar hero 3 since early november
    • BUT took four months to sell 1 million regular music tracks
    • basically most americans would rather pay more for a game than a song
  • Yahoo Throws Some Weight Behind OpenID
    • Yahoo! Implements OpenID
    • Public Beta January 30th
    • Today only 120M OpenIDs, with Y! joining their 250M that number is roughly 3X more
    • Plaxo and JanRain will start allowing the new OpenID signins Jan 30th
  • This Tech Job's Paycheck is a Steal...Literally
  • Wikipedia Gets Videos
    • I have not used Wikipedia enough to know they didn't have videos before but I can't imagine them ignoring the boom of video on the Internet
    • There are plenty of things that are more easily described using a video instead of just written information or printed pictures
    • Wikipedia is working with a video service called Kaltura to make this happen...You can check out a demo site at wiki educator .org
    • plus eventually these videos can be created and edited by anyone
    • so the site will remain truly collaborative
  • Picnik Flash Image Editor
    • Cool Flash-based (that means in your web browser) image editor
    • Tweak your photos
    • Add special effects

Techie Educational Materials
  • WikiEducator.org
    • WikiEducator is a dynamic and exciting community of educators who believe passionately that learning materials should be free and open to all.
    • And it's FREE, our favorite price.
  • O'Reilley Sufari
    • An eBook library focused on IT professionals and programmers
    • O'Reilly, Pierson, Microsoft,
    • $23.99/mo or $252.99/yr for a 10-slot virtual bookshelf*
    • $42.99/mo or $472.89/yr for unlimited access*
    • To subscribe or see current rates, you should go here.
  • Books 24x7
    • $695/yr*
      • AnalystPerspectives
    • $459/yr*
      • ITPro
      • EngineeringPro
      • HospitalityPro
      • BusinessPro
      • FinancePro
    • $90/yr*
      • OfficeEssentials
    • To subscribe or see current rates, you should go here.
*prices shown are at time of press

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks
  • Get your Yahoo! Mail in a standard e-mail client
  • iPod Nano circa 1970s a.k.a. Nanoscope (Hardware / Gizmodo)
    • Remember those old slide viewers?
  • CarTorrent
    • I didn't have enough time to cover this as much as I wanted to on the show
    • Toyota and BMW are backing this project
    • The wireless network would allow moving vehicles within 100 metres and 300 metres of each other to connect and create a network with a wide range. The network would then allow drivers to download information from internet access points simply by driving by, and then share that information with other cars on the road.
    • By far the most essential aspect of this network, though, is that it is not subject to memory, processing, storage and energy limitations like traditional sensor networks. Instead, it relies on the resources of the vehicle itself, along with those vehicles around it.
    • Under the scheme, cars would be able to use their onboard radios to exchange three categories of information: safe navigation (such as reporting on icy road conditions, traffic jams and possible collisions ahead), content distribution (locally relevant information, advertisements and videos of upcoming attractions) and urban surveillance (collecting information which could be used later by police for forensic investigations).

    • With costs currently estimated at around $500 per car for the implementation of the equipment required to connect to the network, drivers probably won't be clamouring to get the kit. Drivers enamoured with high-tech features will immediately embrace this technology. Probably a sizeable fraction of the population will be reluctant to embrace the technology at first. That, of course, could present a problem for the growth of CarTorrent: for as anyone who has tried using BitTorrent will know, there's no point in being the only person on a peer-to-peer network. Being the first car to use CarTorrent will be an expensive and pointless exercise. But like a telephone - and the internet - it's the sort of technology whose benefits will multiply rapidly as long as more people use it.

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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Typing Speed Winners - keybr.com

Looking for the last show's notes? Show #65


Power of Information Animated keybr.com Capture
Grand Prize: Me! (no errors, ~95 wpm)


Winner: Raynstarr (1 error, ~59 wpm)


Runner-Up: Bob the Code Builder (1 error, ~48 wpm)

Take a look at the show this contest was from, Show #64

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Monday, January 21, 2008

Show #65



[Download Show #65 as MP3]

News
  • Universal Won't Support HD-DVD Exclusively
    • The end of the war is near: Hollywood insider Daily Variety has confirmed that Universal will no longer exclusively support HD DVD. Following Warner's defection to Blu-ray and reports on the clause that allows Paramount to publish Blu-ray titles too, the end of Universal's exclusivity deal may be one blow too many for HD DVD. However, Universal is not going to stop publishing movies in the latter format
    • According to Variety "Universal is committed to a series of HD DVD promotions in coming months." At this time, only Universal and Paramount support the format but no longer exclusively. Sony, Disney, Fox, Lionsgate, Warner, New Line and HBO are all behind Blu-ray. Variety also argues that, with all those studios behind the format, retailers won't dedicate "premium shelf space to a dying format."
  • Sony/BMG to Sell DRM-Free Tracks Through Amazon
    • Last week Michael told you that Sony was going DRM-Free
    • He also told you that they would not be selling those tracks online
    • Well Amazon has announced that they will have Sony/BMG tracks in their Mp3 Store by the end of January
  • Melinda Gates Gives Rare Interview
    • Now this is incredibly interesting because it highlights Melinda's accomplishments and sort of stacks her up next to Bill
    • When most people think of Bill Gates they think "most successful" or "highly intelligent" and with that sort of status- its easy to overshadown anyone.
    • But Melinda has done more than just be at his side and raise his children
    • The article shows how she has been a driving force in Bills life, filling the gaps where he was lacking; and even though they already have a foundation worth over 35 billion, they are both now spending more time than ever on philanthropic work (mainly because of her)
  • Music Industry's Last Stand Will be a Music Tax
    • It is becoming more and more difficult for the music industry to ignore the basic economics of the their industry: unenforceable property rights (you can’t sue everyone) and zero marginal production costs (file sharing is ridiculously easy). All the big labels have now given up on DRM. They haven’t yet given up on trying to charge for their music, but it’s becoming more and more clear that as long as there is a free alternative (file sharing), the price of music will have to fall towards free.
    • But before that happens, the music industry is going to make one last stand to preserve their “bloated bureaucracies.” And that is going to be a call for a music tax to create guaranteed revenues.
    • Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor called for it this past week, saying “I think if there was an ISP tax of some sort, we can say to the consumer, ‘All music is now available and able to be downloaded and put in your car and put in your iPod, and put up your ass if you want, and it’s $5 on your cable bill.’”
    • Michael's Article on Trent Reznor's Saul Williams experiment can be found here, Trent Reznor, NiggyTardust, & the ISP Music Tax
  • FCC looks into Comcast "delaying" BitTorrent Traffic
    • What is BitTorrent?
      • Its a software, a protocol, and the name of a company
      • Started in 2001
      • BitTorrent is a method of distributing large amounts of data widely without the original distributor incurring the entire costs of hardware, hosting and bandwidth resources. Instead, when data is distributed using the BitTorrent protocol, each recipient supplies pieces of the data to newer recipients, reducing the cost and burden on any given individual source, providing redundancy against system problems, and reducing dependence on the original distributor.
      • There are many programs that you can use to download torrents, here is a pretty comprehensive list.
    • Started in November by Net Neutrality Advocates
    • The Federal Communications Commission has officially opened a pair of rule-making proceedings over network management in the wake of the discovery that Comcast occasionally blocks some BitTorrent and other traffic (Comcast calls it "delaying"). The proceedings are not unexpected, seeing as how FCC Chairman Kevin Martin promised an investigation last week at the Consumer Electronics Show.
    • What can you do? If you're interested in weighing in on the rule-making proceeding, you can use the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (referencing WC Docket no. 07-52). The deadline for submitting comments is February 13, 2008, and replies are due on February 28.
  • While I'm at it: Comcast charging for service changes
    • $1.99 to add or change service!
  • Free Cell Phones from MySpace
    • MySpace is launching a free, ad-supported cell phone through its parent company News Corp.
    • The hope is to gain more advertising for mobile web sites. Fox will also be offering specialized mobile phones with versions for FoxSports, the gaming site IGN, AskMen and other local TV affiliates, as well as Photobucket , which will come later. With existing branded-options through At&T and Helio, MySpace has long been interested in gaining a large mobile audience. Now that the numbers have reached a good height, it’s only natural that an ad-supported mobile phone would be the next step for the large social network. Not to mention, MySpace is getting an early-mover advantage here over companies like Google.
    • MySpace Mobile Optimized thanks to partnership with T-Mobile
      • Back in October 2007
      • A custom version of MySpace: a new user interface that offers a centralized location for accessing new messages, friend requests and comments on the home page.
      • Navigation simplified.
      • Optimized for use on the Sidekick.
  • MacWorld 2008 Announcements
    • Numbers Game
      • iPhone
        • 4 million iPhones sold
        • 19.5% of Smartphone market, second only to RIM
      • iTunes
        • around 4 billion songs sold total to date
        • 20 million songs in one day (Christmas Day) new one-day record
        • 125 million TV shows sold
        • 7 million movies sold
        • way above competitors but did not meet expectations
    • New "Time Capsule" Airport Extreme with "Server Grade" hard drive (500GB & 1TB at $299 and $499), this is primarily so Time Machine (the automatic backup software in OSX 10.5) will work better on laptops
    • New iPhone updates, Google Maps with Location, Web Clips (think of Opera's Speed Dial function), and Lyrics. SMS Multiple people and customize your home screen
    • New iTouch Apps: Mail, Stocks, Notes, Weather, and Maps (20$ upgrade for existing users)
    • iTunes Movie Rentals with ALL major studios on board (Touchstone, Miramax, MGM, Lionsgate, Newline, FOx, WB, Disney, Paramount, Universal, Sony all on board)
      • Over 1000 movies (available 30 days after DVD release)
      • Watch anywhere (Macs, all current iPods, and iPhone)
      • Rules: 30 days to start watching, 24 hours to finish
      • Prices: Library titles: $2.99, New Releases: $3.99
      • Launched this week in the US, International coming later in the year
      • Firmware updates to iPods and iTunes forthcoming
    • New Apple TV released, no computer required
      • Rent movies on the Apple TV
      • DVD quality AND HD + Dolby 5.1
        • HD rentals are $4.99. 100 titles today
      • Podcasts = audio and video
      • Photos from Flickr & .Mac
        • Photo "Screensavers"
      • Sync with iTunes is still available
      • Music can be bought from the device as well
      • For existing Apple TV users, the software is a free upgrade and will be available in about 2 weeks
      • Apple TV price drop: entry price is now $229
    • Fox Movies introduces DVDs with iTunes compatible copies
    • New Notebook line: MacBook Air (aka "World's Thinnest Notebook")
      • The thickest part of the MacBook Air is thinner than the thinnest part of the Sony. It fits inside a envelope
      • Steve Jobs showed one on stage during the keynote and man is this thing small
      • 13.3 inch widescreen display
      • iSight is built-in
      • MacBook-like keyboard, but with an ambient light sensor
      • Multi-Touch Trackpad
      • 1.8" hard drive
      • 1.6Ghz default with a 1.8 option
        • Intel shrunk the Core 2 Duo by 60% for this device
        • "Thick as a nickel and as wide as a dime" - Paul Otellini, CEO of Intel
      • 2GB RAM Standard
      • 80GB standard drive or 64GB SSD ("pricey but fast")
      • 1 USB 2.0 port, Micro-DVI, Audio Out, 802.11n + Bluetooth 2.1/EDR
      • No optical drive, but a Superdrive accessory is available for $99. THere is also some software that allows you to "borrow" a Mac or PC's optical drive. Not sure how that works but I'm sure we'll see some reviews in the coming weeks
      • 5 hours of battery life
      • Price: $1799, shipping in 2 weeks
Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks
Security & Privacy
Gamer's Corner
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