TechDigi

MacBook Pro really was PC World's fastest tested laptop... until the Phantom-X

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:49:00 +0000

So there's a bit of grumbling on the internets that PC World, like, totally sold out and lied about the MacBook Pro being the fastest Vista laptop they ever tested (presumably just so they could get mentioned in that new Apple commercial, right?) shortly before the staff went cow tipping and passed out drunk in a public park. The reality is PC World apparently hadn't tested a laptop faster than the MacBook Pro at the time, and it wasn't until weeks later they tested the Eurocom D900C Phantom-X, which handily bested Apple's lappie by a broad margin. At least that's what PC World's editor Harry McCracken told us, but then again we did hear he recently got an Apple tat and is planning a hostile takeover of Macworld magazine in '08.

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Apple Store 14th Street press review

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:48:00 +0000

We got a chance to preview the new Manhattan Apple Store this morning before the official unveiling tomorrow at 6PM. The store is nicely situated on W. 14th St. and 9th Ave., and while Apple did its best to blend into the existing early 20th century architecture, it's still a hard one to miss. The store itself is lacking the glass elevator of its 5th Ave. counterpart, but makes up for it with an epic three story glass staircase. It's the second-largest Apple Store in the US, with a full floor dedicated to service -- the genius bar can handle about 30 customers per hour. There are 175 employees total, and the store will be open until midnight every day of the week. We asked Ron Johnson, Apple's Senior VP of Retail, about how the growth of Apple into kiosks at other retail establishments such as Best Buy is impacting Apple Retail, and he responded that there's "plenty of room" for both, since Apple just had its best quarter ever in Mac sales and at Apple Stores simultaneously. He did say the ratio of new stores is going to move a bit more in the international direction, since there's a lot of room to grow there. We also asked about Genius Bar wait times, and he assured us that it's something Apple monitors constantly and continues to add staff to address.

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Wii demand skyrocketing, still

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:46:00 +0000

While Nintendo having trouble meeting demand for the Wii is hardly news, it looks like those supply problems now have the company reconsidering its advertising plans, with some ads in the U.K. apparently already pulled. According to Marketing Week, Nintendo says that's being done in order to "take a responsible stance this Christmas and not fuel demand." In their place, Nintendo will reportedly be running more ads for the DS, which it seemingly has no trouble cranking out (the Wii ads will then return in full force in early 2008). No word if the advertising drawback will also extend to North America, but it certainly seems like there's enough shortages to go around.

Another accessory: Remote Nunchuck

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Google Docs usage continues to rise

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:41:00 +0000

Google Docs and Spreadsheets has hit a bit of a growth curve since June. About 1.6 million people used the Web-based service in October, compared to 635,000 in June, according to Compete. That is a nice jump, but 1.6 million is still a marginal number compared to the desktop productivity apps (on just about every PC) that it is trying to replace. But, hey, it is still early days.

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Jobs to deliver Opening Keynote in MacWorld 2008

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:10:00 +0000

In a shocking turn of events, IDG World Expo officially announced today that Steve Jobs will in fact headline next year's MacWorld San Francisco conference, with his opening keynote address set to go down at 9:00AM sharp on January 15th. Exactly what that keynote will entail remains a mystery, of course, although we've certainly heard plenty of rumblings on the matter. Whatever it is El-Jobso has in store, you can be sure we'll have by-the-minute coverage of it, so mark your calenders and watch this space, or not.

via Engadget
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iPhone Applications from Google

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:02:00 +0000

We heard a rumor that Google was going to launch a new interface for users accessing the site via an iPhone in the next few days. But an anonymous tip let us know it actually launched without any warning or announcement this evening.

If you visit Google.com from an iPhone, you now get a menu of services to choose from - home (search box), Gmail, Calendar, Reader and More (docs, sms, goog-411, news, photos, blogger and notebook). It’s basically all of the core Google services, accessible from a single easy to use menu.

Live Documents = Online Version of Office 2007??

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:58:00 +0000

Live Documents, the startup founded by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia that said it was going to war with Microsoft with its online Office suite wasn’t kidding, with screenshots showing that the service is a nearly perfect clone of Microsoft Office.

Digital Inspiration was the first to find screenshots of the yet to be released Microsoft Office killer, and if it wasn’t for the Live Documents bar at the top of each shot you’d swear you were looking at Office 2007; soo much so that I’m at least a little bit skeptical on the scoop; I’m not saying that they are not real, but it wouldn’t be hard to mock up shots like this.

Presuming the shots are real the question then becomes whether the service is legal. Other sites have previously suggested (not in this case) that layouts can not be copyrighted, but I’m sure once Microsoft sees a complete clone of their Office package they’ll be wanting to test this theory in Court.

Android fever: Verizon joining Open Handset Alliance?

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:39:00 +0000

In a recent chat with clients, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster did a little name dropping regarding Google's Open Handset Alliance, casually mentioning in passing that Verizon "is a member." Hold up there, chief; last time we checked, that isn't the case. Among US national carriers, only T-Mobile and Sprint have publicly thrown their hats into the Android ring, so we're not sure whether Mr. Munster knows something we don't (which is entirely possible) or whether he's just a little confused. For what it's worth, we can understand why he'd be confused in light of Verizon's recent commitment to open its airwaves to all comers -- the initiative appears to share much of the same spirit as the OHA's charter, after all -- but by the same token, Google's intention to snap up 700MHz bandwidth would seemingly pit the two juggernauts against one another. We'll have to wait and see whether Big Red's name magically appears on the Alliance's member list, but if it does, the pressure's gonna get pretty high on AT&T to cave, eh?

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Wii Fit hits Japan today

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:37:00 +0000

Doesn't Nintendo know we've got a bit of a weight problem going on over here Stateside? The company just released its highly-anticipated Wii Fit in Japan today, which will most likely sell like gangbusters, while simultaneously symbolizing the death of the hardcore gamer in Nintendo land to a small portion of the faithful not completely won over by Miyamoto's latest charming contraption. Unfortunately, the Wii Fit won't crossing any oceans until early next year. Nintendo's official Japan street date for Wii Fit was December 1st, but it seems that at least a few online shops are disregarding that pesky fact.

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Social Lending Company: Zopa

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:29:00 +0000

U.K.-based peer to peer lending startup Zopa is gearing up for their U.S. launch. Reports of the launch have been circulating for some time (WSJ), but now it seems only days away. The service will be available at us.zopa.com, but is currently under password protection.

How Zopa works

Social Lending is a smarter, fairer and more human way of doing money. It's like borrowing and lending with your friends and family - except there are thousands of people you can lend and borrow with.

Both lenders and borrowers get better rates, because Social Lending is more efficient than the traditional banking model. Banks have massive overheads, with thousands of employees to pay and hundreds of branches to maintain. So they have to take large margins on the money that passes through them.

An online marketplace where people meet to lend and borrow has huge cost advantages – which is why Zopa members get a fairer deal when it comes to their money.

Toshiba plants carbon zero scheme

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:00:00 +0000

Considering that (practically) every other mega-corp on the planet is doing something related to environmental conservatism, Toshiba is making sure it's not left behind. Consequently, the outfit has crafted the Carbon Zero Scheme, which allows customers (or philanthropists) to donate £1.18 ($2.43) in exchange for Toshiba "offsetting the lifetime carbon footprint of one's laptop." Interestingly, you don't actually have to purchase a new machine in order to participate, so you can still squash the guilt you're currently feeling as you gaze at the LCD of your five-month old, non-offset lappie. For each donation, the company will plant trees in a dedicated area in Cumbria, and you can supposedly rest easy knowing that you've done a small part to look after Mother Earth.

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Google unveils GPS-less handset locator technology

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:53:00 +0000

If your smartphone came with a built-in GPS receiver, you can choose to just overlook Google's latest technology, but if your mobile is among the 85-percent (or so) out there lacking an integrated GPS module, listen up. The search giant has revealed new software (dubbed My Location) that enables non-GPS-equipped phones to be pinpointed within three miles of their actual location. Google is claiming that it can provide "neighborhood-level" data, and that pressing "0" while in the app will enable users to skip the task of entering in a starting address when looking up directions. Notably, the system is not set up to collect phone numbers or any other personal details, and for those still paranoid, it can indeed be switched off. Currently, the tracking database still has a few gaps to be filled -- namely locales in Europe and all of China / Japan -- but Google could very well use the location data to eventually provide targeted ads to those who use it.

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Toyota reveals super realistic driving simulator

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:55:00 +0000

Toyota's ultimate goal is to eliminate all traffic deaths, and while that might be a bit of a pipe dream at the moment, the company seems to think its latest driving simulator should help it in that noble cause. It's supposedly the world's "most true-to-life" driving simulator in the world, and is meant to help develop new safety features. Housed in a warehouse in Japan, the system features a 360-degree screen and some quite impressive tilting mechanism, allowing Toyota engineers to assess how drivers perform under certain conditions while avoiding all that nasty mangled metal.

What if Gmail Had Been Designed by Microsoft?

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:44:00 +0000

By Philipp Lenssen

Today I want to ponder the question: what if Microsoft, not Google, had created Gmail? What would be the differences in that web mail client for users today? What if we apply some of the same design rules that brought us Hotmail, for instance?

To start, here’s the current Gmail homepage after you log-in:

First of all, we need to rebrand the application name to something longer. Let’s call this Windows Live Gmail, and add some of the visual elements connected with Windows. Also, as in Hotmail, there needs to be less space for the email subjects to make place for a reading pane, which is full of verbose explanatory help text*:

*Not shown in the screenshot, we’ll also throw in a security measurement that will prevent you from clicking on links in emails, unless you discovered the switch to mark a mail as safe. Another security measurement we’ll add is that you won’t be able to log-in with just username anymore but are required to enter the full username@gmail.com. Furthermore, we will change the browser URL from http://gmail.microsoft.com to the more professional looking http://by114w.bay114.gmail.live.com/mail/mail.aspx?rru=home.

For another design iteration in our inbox, we will need to camouflage the checkboxes next to the messages by putting a mail icon on top of them. Also, we need to break up messages from conversation threads into their individual parts. Furthermore, this version of Gmail needs to change from context-aware text ads to context-unaware graphic banners, which we’ll require to carry at least one clip art. Gmail currently has a chat box which I don’t use and thus find annoying, so I think we can build on that and expand it to a more full-featured chat widget, replacing the labels box. We’ll also adjust the spam filter slightly to show a couple of more bulk mails in the inbox:

There’s still not enough banner space available though, so let’s add a top row for ads and move the rest a bit more down. Also, to go back to the real Microsoft spirit, the inbox will now carry a maximum of 2 MB of messages – that was the amount Hotmail offered when Gmail was released with 1 GB in April 2004. Also, Microsoft-style, the actual start page of this service will not be the inbox, but a “welcome” splash screen. Please imagine the ads blinking at this point:

Somehow, this still misses part of the Microsoft feeling – the current design is just too bright & light, and it doesn’t have enough glamor. I’ll darken the colors a bit and add some smooth shades. Also, admittedly, Hotmail is a bit slower than Google’s competing service, so we’ll add some “loading” messages. Usually there’s less focus on unclutteredness with the Redmond guys, so we’ll add some MSN news bits and “special offers” where space is left. Plus, to increase user lock-in, let’s get rid of the “sign out” link. I’m also putting less emphasis on search, moving the box to the bottom right and replacing it with a dog:

Voila, we’re done... that was easy! Your potential, their passion. Coming up tomorrow: “What if Microsoft had designed Windows Vista.” Stay tuned!

Insert Your 3D Avatar into Movies

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:50:00 +0000

If you like putting yourself into movie clips with JibJab, you’ll like this new product from Gizmoz, too.

Unlike JibJab, which takes a still 2D image and moves only the mouth up and down, Gizmoz has developed proprietary technology to create a 3D facial image and includes various expression changes as well as lip syncing.

Their basic product, which allows users to create talking avatars, launched in May 2006.

Users can now take their avatar image and insert it into a number of video clips. More clips will be added over time, and Gizmoz is also in the process of licensing video from Hollywood movies and other professional content. Founder Eyal Gever actually showed me a clip over a year ago that had my face on a James Bond clip from Casino Royale. I felt pretty cool that day.

New Phones from Motorola and Blackberry availabe at Sprint

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:48:00 +0000

It's not like you didn't know this day was coming, but Sprint users eagerly awaiting the actual release of Motorola's Q9c / i335 or the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 can quit sitting on their hands. That right folks, as of now, all three of the aforementioned handsets are available on Sprint, and while we're sure you're up to speed on all the specs, here's the down low on prices. After a two-year agreement and mail-in rebate, the i335 will run you $49.99, while the Q9c demands $149.99 and the Pearl 8130 rings up at $199.99. Take your pick -- the trio is on sale now online and in Sprint stores everywhere.

via Engadget
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Rock Xtreme 770 notebook with GeForce 8800M GTX

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:46:00 +0000

NVIDIA's recently rolled out GeForce 8800M GTX has already made its way into a laptop, specifically Rock's Xtreme 770 and Alienware series, specially updated to integrate the new chip. The 770 features a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, a 7200RPM 200GB HDD, 2GB of RAM, a 17-inch 1920x1200 display, and that all important GeForce 8800M GTX graphics card. The new card is certainly no disappointment, kicking the 8700M by a factor of two in most gaming benchmarks (although that also says a lot about the 8700M's lackluster performance.) The bottom line with the 8800M GTX is that it enables acceptable performance in Crysis at reasonable resolutions, which is more than can be said of most desktops. However, you might want to hold off until the GPU reaches lappies other than the Rock Extreme 770, which costs £2,199: that's over $4,500 at the current exchange rate.

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Amazon Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:26:00 +0000

It is not as clunky as the FCC picture made it out to be, but it still has an odd retro feel. A mod, over-sized, calculator from the 1970s comes to mind. It is much lighter than a book and comfortable to hold. The large, gray panel on the back covering the battery and SD-card memory slot is rubberized and engraved with letters and symbols from different alphabets throughout the ages, a subtle reference to the tablets that held the first written words.

In conclusion, it looks "quite" ugly but it is white. So what? Because iPod is white too and it is one of people's all time favorite. We'll see.

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Stanford Class’ Facebook Application Surpasses 1 Million Installs

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:20:00 +0000

Dave McClure has been teaching a class on Facebook applications at Stanford over the past semester. The class is made up of about 50 students who teamed up to produce 25 applications. We got a look at the applications earlier. Today we received word that one of them, KissMe, has crossed 1 million installs as of 6:30pm this evening. Another app, Send Hotness is likely to break 1 million in the next few days. It’s pretty amazing considering a lot of professional apps barely register.

KissMe - kiss your friends, basically by inviting them to use the application. Apparently this is the most popular application of the whole class in terms of the number of users it has (100,000).

Send Hotness - figure out your ten hottest friends; invite your friends to help you with rankings. You must invite at least ten people to see the rankings.

via Techcrunch

LG's Venus now available at Verizon

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:07:00 +0000

LG VX10000 QWERTY Voyager and LG VX8800, AKA Venus, slider are official. The dual-display Venus (2-inch main on top and 1.49-inch haptic VibeTouch touchscreen below for navigation) is up and dancing on Verizon this morning for immediate availability. Same $200 fee after online discount and 2 years of your life inked in blood that we already saw on pre-order. The Voyager with its 2.8-inch VibetTouch, external touchscreen (and 2.8-inch internal) is still on track for its 21st launch for $300 plus 2 year contract. Don't worry, we'll remind you come Wednesday.

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Amazon Kindle is coming!

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:05:00 +0000

Although the article doesn't contain much more information about the Amazon Kindle that we hadn't seen before, Newsweek's cover story on the device is the first official confirmation that the device exists. Featuring an interview with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the article lays down the feature set -- $399, 6-inch E-ink screen, no backlight, EV-DO "Whispernet" on Sprint for over the air book purchases -- and the company's vision for digital books replacing "the last bastion of analog." Books will go for $9.99, and users can even subscribe to newspapers and "select blogs" for monthly fees. Also news is that the Kindle gets 30 hours of battery life, and can fully recharge in only two. One thing's for sure, this is looking way more compelling a package than previous attempts at the eBook idea.

[Thanks, Alex]

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WSJ: Google Preparing $4.6B to Bid for Wireless Spectrum

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:09:00 +0000

$4.6 Billion. That's the number Google is preparing for rights to the 700MHz wireless spectrum according to the Wall Street Journal. Even more, if that's what's required to get a chunk of that sweet-spot frequency for consumer electronics. Citing "people familiar with the matter," Google is planning to make the offer alone, without any partners, relying on their own cash and possibly some borrowed money. To illustrate how serious Google is taking the matter, the WSJ reports that Google is already running an advanced wireless network under a test license from the FCC at its Mountain View campus. Why? In order to gain the knowledge necessary to run a national carrier. You know, just in case they win the auction and decide that that is the business model they wish to pursue. The FCC deadline for declaring intent to bid is December 3rd. A date Verizon, AT&T and others are watching very, very closely.

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Vista SP1 beta goes out to testers

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:07:00 +0000

The fall air certainly seems to have put a spring in the step of OS devs everywhere, and Microsoft's getting in the fun too, releasing the first release candidate of Vista SP1 to beta testers today. Although there don't appear to be many new features on top of what we've already seen, SP1 appears to be well-received, with testers reporting better laptop battery life, faster networking, and improved wake-from-sleep speeds. There's still no word on when the final release of SP1 will hit, but if you're in Microsoft's tester program, SP1 RC1 is available online now.

via Engadget
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Asus denies 10-inch Eee PC

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:08:00 +0000

Well, it looks like German Asus spokesman Holger Schmidt may have jumped the gun slightly when he seemingly confirmed that the company would be shipping a 10-inch Eee PC sometime in 2008, as Asus has now shot back and denied any imminent plans for such a device. It's far from an outright denial, however, with Asus reportedly telling EeeUser.com only that, "there are no plans for 10-inch at the moment," and that, "We will have 8G with the same form factor and 7-inch screen size as the Eee PC 4G now." Of course, it's entirely possible (even likely) that "at the moment" doesn't mean all of 2008, although it also seems that the 7-inch Eee PCs will have the spotlight to themselves, at least for a little while.

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Sony PS3 Sale Doubles after Price Cut

noreply@blogger.com (David Choi) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:03:00 +0000

After the introduction of the new 40GB model and $100 price cut on the existing 80GB model, Sony PS3 recently sales more than double. Congratulations! Well. It's only a week of data. Still, it needs to get better to catch up to the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

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