A Trendy Blog about cutting-edge consumer Electronics, Technology News and Gadget Reviews Online

Majority of species to disappear in 21st Century?

2009-07-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

Two-thirds of the world's species may disappear in the 21st Century and "a great majority" of them may be gone before they are even identified by human beings due to climate change and increasing human activities, a biologist from the United States has warned.

"Currently, several thousand species are lost every year and very soon the number could rise to more than 10,000," President of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Peter Raven said.

Species on the Earth were disappearing at a rapid rate due to habitat destruction, climate change and a wide spread of invasive alien species caused by expanding human activities, Raven said in his keynote speech at the 23rd International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) in Beijing.

China, thanks to its large territory, numerous mountain ranges and rich tropical ecosystems along the southern border, boasts about one-eighth of the world's total species of eukaryotic organisms, said Raven.

"But China's biodiversity is being destroyed at least as fast as in other parts of the world," he was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

To prevent the rapid loss of world species, he proposed that information on the species be collected and disseminated as fast and as much as possible to raise public awareness on wildlife protection.

Soon, UAVs to replace commercial planes

2009-07-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

magine an eerie experience on board an unmanned aircraft, which may soon fly side-by-side with piloted passenger planes.

Well, your imagination may soon come true -- thanks to a team of scientists who is carrying out an experiment which, if successful, would make flying machines buzz about without any incident and without direct control inputs from any human.

Inside the laboratory in Seattle, the scientists watch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) airborne, swarming around the shed, their pre-determined altitudes and collision avoidance mechanisms already programmed in, using advanced algorithms that could ultimately spell the end of piloted aircraft.

The algorithms developed in the lab will soon be put to the test in the skies above Kingaroy in southern Queensland in the world's first ever trial of unmanned aircraft inside controlled airspace, the Courier Mail reported.

Small UAVs will fly in the same airspace as larger piloted planes to prove that the unmanned aircraft can operate safely alongside more traditional, human flown craft, the team from University of Queensland and aviation giant Boeing said.

Even inside the Boeing lab, the engineers fly up to a dozen small, four rotor UAVs simultaneously to test their theories and to establish the ground rules for safe unmanned flight in crowded airspace.

According to Boeing's new Australian research chief Bill Lyons, the aim is clear. "To allow (unmanned) systems to operate at least as well as human piloted systems."

However, senior Boeing engineer John Vian said the major challenge for unmanned aircraft operating in controlled air space is safety.

"We don't know how these systems will develop. For these systems to be viable they have to be reliable and totally autonomous. We develop the technology, how it is applied is up the customer," Dr Vian said.

Camera coming to the iPod Touchby quickpwn

2009-07-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

TechCrunch was recently told by one of it’s sources in Asia that Apple has “placed an order for a massive number of camera modules of the type they include in the iPhone. These are inexpensive cameras, in the $10 range. And the size of the order, our source says, means they can only be used for one thing - the iPods”.

MacRumors is taking this rumor a step further and posting screenshots of what appears to be an iPod Touch 3G case with a hole for the camera. What’s even more interesting is that MacRumors has also posted a picture of an iPod Nano case that has a hole for a camera as well.

While I don’t think there will be a camera coming to the iPod Nano, it does seem reasonable for Apple to add it to the new iPod Touch. I predict that Apple will not only add a camera, but they will also upgrade the processor and graphics chips, and also double the RAM of the iPod Touch 3G.

Apple usually launches new iPods in the month of September so it won’t be too long until we find out whether or not this rumor is true. I’m hoping this rumor is true, having camera on the iPod Touch would be really useful to a lot of us. What do you think? Leave a comment below.

What’s new in iPhone OS 3.1 beta by Quickpwn

2009-07-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Apple recently released iPhone OS 3.1 beta firmware and SDK to developers. Unless you’re a developer I recommend you to not download this firmware and wait for the final 3.1 firmware to be released. Apple hasn’t announced when iPhone OS 3.1 will be released, but I will make a post here notifying you once it’s out!
Here are some new features that have been discovered in iPhone OS 3.1 beta so far:

The baseband has updated to 5.08.01 - ultrasn0w users should not use the iPhone OS 3.1 beta, otherwise their iPhones could be permanently locked!
iPhone 3GS - When you’re trimming your videos you now have the option of saving the original video by tapping the “Save as copy” button.
Voice Control is finally working over bluetooth now!
When you move your icons around the iPhone vibrates
MMS is enabled by default but does not work for AT&T users
The AT&T profile is updated to 4.2
Improvements to OpenGL and Quartz
There’s now a VideoEditorController API - Allows third party apps to call up video editing UI
Video picker API

I’ll update this post as more features are discovered!

HTC Hero to arrive on 21st July?

2009-07-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Holding out for a Hero to the end of July

T3 has been hot on the trail of the HTC Hero's release date since we had our first hands-on experience last month. Not just because of our commitment to bring you the hottest news, but because we all want one for ourselves.

HTC and exclusive networks Orange and T-Mobile are remaining tight lipped, but the first chink of light has emerged from the retailer Cleverkit, which claims it will have the phone in stock by Tuesday 21st July. SIM-free and unlocked for £439.

Could this be the release date for HTC's third and best Android phone incarnation to date? We knew we'd be able to get our paws on the phone, boasting HTC's new 'Sense' UI, sometime in July, but here is the first inkling of an actual date.

The HTC Hero follows on from the success of the T-Mobile G1 and the HTC Magic, but is the first handset to take the Android software and innovate beyond the bare bones and the results are something to behold.

Check out our video hands-on to see for yourself why we couldn't be more excited about this nailed-on iPhone killer.

Happy Birthday Apple App Store celebrates first year in 2009

2009-07-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

A hip and 'appening year.

It's hard to fathom how iPhone and iPod Touch users ever survived without it, but Apple's all-conquering App Store is celebrating its first birthday this weekend. So, Happy Birthday!

The journey began when Apple opened its doors to third party developers with the SDK launched around the time of the iPhone 3G. In just 12 short months the store has gone from 8,000 initial apps to a monumental 56,000 active apps, notching up a billion downloads in the process.

What's even more astonishing is the ability to almost completely mange one's life through the App Store, with transport, GPS, fitness, finance, gaming and social networking apps constantly coming to our rescue.

Follow The Queen and The Royal Family on Twitter

2009-07-12T16:56:00.001-07:00

One is amused by tweeting, isn't one

"One is bored of the same old thing every day. Out walking the Corgys, Charlie coming over for supper later. Love, Liz II xoxo."

The Royal Family has embraced the social networking revolution by signing-up to Twitter to allow fans of the Monarchy to keep up with the latest goings on at Buck House.

The @BritishMonarchy account will spread the word about Royal engagements, such as state visits and charity work. The first tweet told of Prince Charles' opening of the 7/7 bombings memorial in Hyde Park, London.

While its not expected that Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales will be updating the mircoblog themselves, their Royal Highnesses have been informed of its existence.

Toshiba TG01 only Orange exclusive for three months

2009-07-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

TG01 available across the board this autumn

Orange may have got the jump on its rivals when it became the exclusive launch partner for the Toshiba TG01 smartphone, but other networks won't have to wait long to get their mitts on the WinMo handset.

The TG01, hailed as the world's fastest smartphone, is available to buy now with Orange, but the network will only have dibs for the next three months. So come October, the likes of O2 and Vodafone may be releasing the super-thin handset with the 3.7-inch touchscreen.

That's if the interest remains high enough.

Toshiba has been criticised for its choice to run the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, which has been roundly condemned as dated and un-user friendly. Even with WinMo 6.5 available as a free download later this year, it's unlikely to completely solve the issue.

The exclusive TG01 announcement was hailed as a revival for Orange, along with news that it will be retailing the LG Watch Phone this August. The network has promised "at least three market-leading devices by the end of the year."

Nintendo wary of Project Natal arrival for Xbox 360

2009-07-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

Nintendo says Sony and Microsoft have jumped on the motion control bandwagon.

Nintendo has vowed that it must continue to offer Wii gamers a more immersive experience or risk being left behind by Xbox 360's Project Natal controller-free technology.

President of Nintendo America, Reggie Fils-Amie says that the company will "have to move on" to the next level if it is to continue to compete at the highest level with Microsoft and Sony.

He says: I'm not sure when their products will come to the market, but I can tell you by the time that happens, we will have to continue to move on."

Mr Fils-Amie also claimed that Sony and Microsoft are essentially jumping on the bandwagon by capitalising on Nintendo's vision for motion sensing control.

"My take on it is that they are now seeing the opportunity that we saw. What they have shown and discussed inherently is not new news to us. So for us what we see is two competitors who are looking over their shoulder at what we've been able to do, and are trying to participate."

Nintendo already has the rather strange, pulse-reading Vitality Sensor on the way, which may key into Wii Fit and other health and fitness games. The Wii Motion Plus controller, which tracks movements with greater accuracy, is on sale from Monday.

iPhone 3G & iPod Touch 2G 3.0 Final Official Firmware Release

2009-06-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Download .rar files & Extract to folder.
2. Open iTunes 8.2 (or Download the Latest iTunes 8.2 and install)
3. Connect iPhone, Backup if necessary (contacts, pictures, etc.)
4. Go to summary tab of iPhone, on PC hold shift and click restore button.
5. Select the extracted firmware you downloaded from this post.
6. Done! Sit Back and let it do its thing....

Note: You do not need to be signed under a Developers account. Anyone can upgrade to this 3.0 Firmware.

Note: You cannot use this firmware with quickpwn or any other jailbreak/unlock software yet. So far its not jailbreakable. Soon Very Soon! Stealth and Dev Teams are working on it as this post goes up. This is the official firmware that only updates to 3.0

DOWNLOAD LINKS:

iPhone 3G 3.0 Final Release

http://rapidshare.com/files/245677864/iPhone1_2_3.0_7A341_Restore.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245680710/iPhone1_2_3.0_7A341_Restore.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245679104/iPhone1_2_3.0_7A341_Restore.part3.rar

iPod Touch 2G 3.0 Final Release

http://rapidshare.com/files/245670280/iPod2_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245676213/iPod2_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245674709/iPod2_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part3.rar

If u want 200MB file then Download from below:

iPhone OS 3.0
http://rapidshare.com/files/245627669/iPhone1_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245624795/iPhone1_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part2.rar


iPhone 3G OS 3.0
http://rapidshare.com/files/245642744/iPhone1_2_3.0_7A341_Restore.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245639760/iPhone1_2_3.0_7A341_Restore.part2.rar

iPhone 3G S OS 3.0
http://rapidshare.com/files/245643191/iPhone2_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245641385/iPhone2_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part2.rar

iPod Touch 1G OS 3.0
http://rapidshare.com/files/245644845/iPod1_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245642125/iPod1_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part2.rar

iPod Touch 2G OS 3.0
http://rapidshare.com/files/245644759/iPod2_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/245642423/iPod2_1_3.0_7A341_Restore.part2.rar

Download iPhone OS 3.0 Build 7A341 Software Update Ftp Links:

Download iPhone 2G Firmware 3.0

Download iPhone 3G Firmware 3.0

Download iPod Touch Firmware 3.0

Download iPod Touch 2G Firmware 3.0

Here are the Url's:

iPhone 2G Firmware 3.0

http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-6580.20090617.XsP76/iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw

iPhone 3G Firmware 3.0

http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-6578.20090617.VfgtU/iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw

iPod Touch Firmware 3.0

http://pfd.apple.com/ProtectedAsset/iPodTouch/061-6579.20090527.Xde3T/iPod1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw?downloadKey=1245345757_90c89d7c03d1843e05508328bcf51819

iPod Touch 2G Firmware 3.0

http://pfd.apple.com/ProtectedAsset/iPodTouch/061-6581.20090527.PiKu7/iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw?downloadKey=1245345757_e359c513da44b53b53f7aa2174319b84

Ketai H001 3D phone launches in Japan

2009-02-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

Content that hits you straight between the eyes

We'll be honest with you, the Ketai H001 handset is almost certainly not heading to the UK. But it does offer a glimpse into the future of phones.

Produced for Japanese mobile operator KDDI, the handset features a 3.1-inch hinged screen from Hitachi that's able to display games, video and images in real-life 3D. And with a built-in 1Seg receiver, a constant stream of 3D TV is just a click away (although you might have to don a pair of silly specs to get the full benefit).

Aside from that, there's a 5MP camera, plenty of media storage and E-Wallet support, should you want to use your mobile as a credit card. We're excited, there's no denying it. Mobile phone makers of the world, don't let us down.

ASUS introduces the AiGuru SV1 videophone

2009-02-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Get some eye-to-eye contact

Video calling has yet to make its mark in the majority of homes, but with more kit like the ASUS AiGuru SV1 videophone on the market, who knows?

No need for a computer here, this standalone device offers it all, including a 7-inch display, built-in webcam, speaker, microphone and Wi-Fi connectivity. All you need to do is make yourself presentable, smile and get yourself a Skype account. It might save you a few quid too, with unlimited video calls for free to other Skype users, as well as free voice calling with those same Skypers.

There is one obvious flaw in this video goodness - you'll need a healthy group of video-friendly friends to contact to make the AiGuru SV1 pay its way. But with 'more than 25% of Skype-to-Skype calls' being video-based right now (according to Skype figures), there's every chance that yours mates are already at it behind your back.

Look out for the AiGuru SV1 in February, priced at £219.95.

Microsoft promises fresh Zune models in 2009

2009-02-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

More models, good. More availability, better.

Microsoft has revealed that new Zune models are coming this year. The iPod rival hasn’t had an overwhelmingly impressive run in life and struggled especially over Xmas, but they’re solid, sensibly priced players. Microsoft obviously still hopes to turn the tide on Apple somehow, and a new model wouldn’t go amiss.

Details on what we can expect from the “next generation of Zune innovation” are still scarce. All we know is that Microsoft is planning hardware and software updates. That’s a pretty clear indication that a new model is on the cards, though whether it will be a radical departure from the current Zune design is still an unknown.

One idea being floated about is a Zune touchscreen. Apple’s touchy feely iPod Touch fits into a clever niche between its iPhone and more traditional iPod models, but for a personal media player it’s relatively weak in the storage department. A Zune Touch with decent amount of memory could just give Microsoft an edge.

On the software front, Zune’s marketplace has been well received by users, so we’d expect Microsoft to build on that. The player’s WiFi connection also begs to put to more interesting applications, and Microsoft’s already had a go with the Zune’s unique wireless music sharing function. A few more ideas like that wouldn’t hurt.

With some analysts calling for Microsoft to abandon the Zune project entirely, it’s nice to see that it’s not giving up that easily. But we’re still a little peeved that Microsoft hasn’t let the underrated device outside North America, and is showing no real indication of doing so in future. We heard that increasing market share becomes a lot easier when you actually sell products to people.

Robots Have a Sex Life? (NSFW)

2008-12-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

Michael Sullivan has a thing for robots, sex and stop-motion animation. His ongoing film project, The Sex Life of Robots, shows animated bots practicing moves that seem to be ripped right out of a twisted, industrial Kama Sutra.

Sullivan fabricates his robot "actors" out of Barbie dolls, G.I. Joe action figures and other toys. His procreating pornobots were originally going to star in a robot war movie.

"It was going to be all violence, all the time," says Sullivan in a video interview with Wired.com (above). But then he decided to make love, not war.

As usual, on-screen sex turned out to be far more controversial than on-screen violence ever would have been. A teaser clip for The Sex Life of Robots got yanked from YouTube.

"Somebody's mom complained, you know, because they didn't want their kid watching, you know, some robot stick his dick in a horse's butt," Sullivan said.

Clips of The Sex Life of Robots and an exhibition of some of Sullivan's risqué robot sculptures are now on temporary display at Manhattan's Museum of Sex.

Solar Hybrids Soak Up the Sun

2008-12-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

Solar pioneer Greg Johanson set a world record for the fastest speed in a sun-powered car way back in 1986. That car, Sunrunner, has since been retired and its solar array relegated to some California rooftop, but Johanson is still building cars fueled by the sun. Now you can too.

Johanson and the guys at Solar Electrical Vehicles will slap a solar panel on just about anything, and they've developed a DIY kit for the Toyota Prius that he says provides up to 20 miles of range and boosts fuel economy up to 29 percent. The company is testing its first solar energy system exclusively for hybrids in four "PV Prius" prototypes and a "PV Highlander."

"Designing solar modules to be hooked up to cars has always been one of Greg Johanson's pet projects," company spokesman Billy Bautista tells us. "He has now finally developed that idea, and SEV hopes to be making sales deliveries by early next year."

SEV is working with Kyocera to develop the solar modules, which are fabricated from fiberglass and sold as kits you install with help from an instructional DVD. A DC-DC converter connects the module directly to the nickel-metal hydride battery in your Prius.

The system can generate as many as 1,300 watt-hours a day, enough to give your solar Prius a solar-power range of 5 to 8 miles, according to the company's white paper. Couple that with the NiMH battery and you're looking at an all-electric range of up to 20 miles, the company says. That's enough to boost fuel economy 17 to 29 percent.

SEV knows the kit's $3,500 asking price is a decent chunk of change — particularly when gas is somewhere around a buck-sixty a gallon — but it hopes to continue refining the technology with an eye toward making it more affordable. As it stands, SEV realizes the kit will probably appeal only to hard-core greenies. "Production costs were raised due to the recent economic downturn," said Bautista. "So right now, we're focusing on catering to the environmentally friendly."

And the PV Prius is nothing if not environmentally friendly. The solar conversion extends battery life and cuts CO2 emissions by at least 9,000 pounds over the life of the car, the company says.

SEV is working with Ford to develop solar modules for its hybrids and hopes to strike a deal with General Motors to design one for the Chevrolet Volt. It also is trying to get the government to offer tax incentives so customers can break even on the cost after two or three years.

Rumor: New Mac Mini Coming to Macworld 2009

2008-12-17T06:34:00.001-08:00

Apple will launch an upgrade to its low-end desktop, the Mac Mini, at January's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, according to an Apple corporate employee who contacted Wired.com.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous (to keep his job), could not disclose details about the Mac Mini other than its upcoming announcement at Macworld Expo, which begins Jan. 5. That's where CEO Steve Jobs traditionally launches major products during his famous keynotes (assuming he does indeed show up).

An upgrade to the Mac Mini is long overdue: The product hasn't seen a refresh since August 2007, and Apple computers normally have a life cycle of roughly six months. This long period of silence led many to speculate that Apple was going to drop the Mac Mini from its product line. However, Apple has shown no signs of discontinuing the product. It's also noteworthy that although Apple has been quiet about Mac Mini sales numbers, the diminutive desktop appears to be selling quite well. For example, the Mac Mini has been among the top 5 of Amazon's best selling desktops; it currently stands at No. 3.

Though our source confirms there will be a new Mac Mini announced January, it's unlikely this will be Apple's big product launch at the show. (Last year's major Macworld announcement was the MacBook Air; the year before that was the iPhone.) However, speculation about Apple's next major Macworld launch has been surprisingly quiet, so word about the Mac Mini is the most we have so far.

Here's what Wired.com believes will be in the next Mac Mini, based on trends seen in Apple's latest products:

Similar to the MacBooks, the Mac Mini will sport a silver enclosure composed of a block of aluminum.
Some internal parts will be PVC-free, and combined with its size and low power requirements, Apple will tout this as the "greenest Mac ever."
For video output, the Mac Mini will use the DRM-crippled DisplayPort for connectivity, which Apple is offering to manufacturers for a no-fee license.
It'll have a CD-DVD slot loader (i.e. Super Drive). There will be no Blu-ray player, because Steve Jobs believes the format is a "bag of hurt."
It'll ship with 2 GB of RAM, expandable to 4 GB — up from the current 1 GB, expandable to 2 GB. (The aluminum case should make expanding RAM easier than in the original Mini.)
It'll ship with at least a 160-GB hard drive.
The Mac Mini will come in two options with different processor speeds: a 2.0-GHz Core 2 Duo and a 2.3-GHz Core 2 Duo (up from 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz).
Like the higher-end MacBook and MacBook Pro, the 2.3-GHz Mac Mini will ship with an Nvidia video card, making this higher-end model a decent gaming device.
The 2.0-GHz Mac Mini will ship with an Intel video card, perhaps the GMA X3100 graphics card found in the low-end, white MacBook.
The slower model will cost $500, and the faster model will cost $700 ($100 less than the current Mac Minis), in light of the recession.

World's First Computer Rebuilt, Rebooted After 2,000 Years

2008-12-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

A British museum curator has built a working replica of a 2,000-year-old Greek machine that has been called the world's first computer.

A dictionary-size assemblage of 37 interlocking dials crafted with the precision and complexity of a 19th-century Swiss clock, the Antikythera mechanism was used for modeling and predicting the movements of the heavenly bodies as well as the dates and locations of upcoming Olympic games.

The original 81 shards of the Antikythera were recovered from under the sea (near the Greek island of Antikythera) in 1902, rusted and clumped together in a nearly indecipherable mass. Scientists dated it to 150 B.C. Such craftsmanship wouldn't be seen for another 1,000 years — but its purpose was a mystery for decades.

Many scientists have worked since the 1950s to piece together the story, with the help of some very sophisticated imaging technology in recent years, including X-ray and gamma-ray imaging and 3-D computer modeling.

Now, though, it has been rebuilt. As is almost always the way with these things, it was an amateur who cracked it. Michael Wright, a former curator at the Science Museum in London, has built a replica of the Antikythera, which works perfectly.

In the video from New Scientist below, Wright shows how the machine works.

In short, Antikythera's user interface is deceptively simple, operated by a simple knob on the side. This conceals the intricacy within, amounting to a complex mathematical model, tracking the movements of planetary bodies and incorporating a series of submechanisms to account for the eccentricities of their rotation.

A dial on the faceplace featured the Greek zodiac and an Egyptian calendar; pointers showed the location of the moon and the five planets known at the time. On the machine's back, an upper dial shows a 19-year calendar (matching the solunar cycle) and the timing of upcoming Olympic games. A lower dial shows a 76-year cycle (when the Olympic and solunar cycles coincide) and indicates the months in which lunar and solar eclipses can be expected.

According to New Scientist, this is the first working model of the Antikythera computer to include all of the device's known features. And, like the original machine, it has been built of recycled metal plates. That's right: The Antikythera mechanism is not only the world's oldest computer, it's also the world's first green computer.

Laptop Pillows for Tired Notebooks

2008-12-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

As you would imagine, here at Gadget Lab we get a lot of crap gumming up our inboxes, which we then mine for the precious nuggets of gold that we bring to you, our faithful readers. This morning, I found these laptop pillows waiting for me.

At first sight, I rubbed my hands and cackled in anticipation of the hatchet job I would perform on these soft, plush laptop trays. "Look!" I would scream, "See how your computers will melt, MELT I say, sitting atop a fabric cushion!" I would have then attempted a rather pained pun on the words insulate and insult, which – after a few cigarettes and a little consideration – I would have mercifully dropped from the copy.

However, these lap-cosies are not all bad. They may be soft, but the buttons on the "Button Pillow" (left) and the open construction of the "Log Pillow" allow some air flow, possibly more than a harder surface that remains closer to the computer's hot underside.

Constructed variously from hemp, buckwheat (for the stuffing) and other organic fabrics, they also offer some bonus points for the hippy-minded, and the Log even deconstructs and can be built into an uncomfortable-looking triangular pillow.

The prices, though, are high. At $80 each, you might want to try out my alternative, free method. An aluminum baking sheet and a couch cushion. Comfort and cooling in one.

Analyst Predicts Apple Netbooks for Macworld 2009

2008-12-17T06:30:00.003-08:00

An analyst is betting Apple will introduce a pair of netbooks in January, even though Steve Jobs just two months ago said he wasn't ready to.

"I don't have any inside information," said Ezra Gottheil, a Technology Business Research analyst, in an interview with Computerworld. "This is just by triangulation."

Gottheil backs his speculation by noting the declining state of the economy as well as the booming success of inexpensive netbooks. These factors combined will force Apple to introduce a netbook as soon as January at Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Gottheil says.

However, Gottheil's guess comes as nothing new. Using the same reasoning (i.e., the collapsing economy and the low cost of netbooks), some analysts were predicting that Apple would unveil a netbook at its special notebook event in October. But Jobs proved them wrong when he introduced only a refresh for the MacBook family and a new LED cinema display.

Jobs even explicitly said during an October earnings call that he felt the netbook category was too "nascent" for Apple.

"We'll wait and see how that nascent category evolves, and we've got some pretty interesting ideas if it does," said Jobs, during a question-and-answer session.

While it's true Jobs doesn't rule out the possibility of an Apple netbook in the future, I would consider that quote as hinting at plans farther down the line -- not as soon as January. Jobs is a tricky man, but releasing Mac netbooks just two months after saying he isn't ready to would make the CEO come off as a liar.

The rumors have been quiet about what exactly Apple's major launch will be at Macworld Expo. The only solid idea we have for Macworld is that a new Mac Mini is coming, according to an Apple corporate employee who contacted Wired.com. But that hardly sounds exciting enough to be the big item of the event.

So what's going to be the highlight of the show? Your guess is as good as ours (and Gottheil's). We'll continue to dig around and see what we can come up with.

Jobs Won't Appear at Macworld — 2009 to Be Apple's Last Show

2008-12-17T06:30:00.001-08:00

Apple announced Tuesday that Macworld 2009 will be the last Macworld show the corporation will attend. Steve Jobs won't be appearing, either, which once again raises questions about the CEO's health.

"Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers," Apple said in a press release.

Apple said Jobs would not appear Jan. 6 for his traditional keynote to announce new products at the show: Philip Schiller, Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, will take the CEO's place. This should come as a surprise to Apple fanatics and investors alike, who will, without a doubt, bring up discussion about Jobs' health: The CEO is a pancreatic-cancer survivor. He made his last public appearance Oct. 14 to unveil new MacBooks.

"Whoa, the end of an era," tweeted Bruce Evans, better known as "Snaggy," co-author of the popular web comic Joy of Tech.

Reacting immediately to Apple's announcement, another fan published a humorous press release saying Apple had canceled Christmas.

In the weeks before Macworld Expo, Apple's annual trade show, the tech media is filled with predictions about what product Jobs will unveil in his keynote address. Consumer-tech web sites live-blog the speech as it happens, generating their biggest traffic of the year. And the next day, practically every media outlet covers the announcements. Harvard business professor David Yoffie has said the introduction of the iPhone resulted in headlines worth $400 million in free advertising.

In fact, part of the joy of being an Apple customer is anticipating the surprises that Santa Steve brings to Macworld Expo every January.

Apple is pulling out of Macworld as its retail stores grow rapidly: The corporation has expanded from just two stores in 2001 to 240 retail locations worldwide to date. Before the proliferation of Apple stores, Macworld Expo was Apple's major outlet to make contact with the public and give exposure to its products. Since the Apple brand has become so popular, the company has been scaling back on trade shows, which is why Apple plans its final appearance at Macworld for 2009.

Though Apple is backing out, host IDG World Expo said Macworld already still plans to return for another show in January 2010.

"We're on track for a terrific show this year with strong attendance numbers and nearly 500 exhibitors showcasing their products at this January's event," said Paul Kent, general manager of IDG World Expo. "We look forward to many successful years of Macworld to come."

Macworld Expo was first held in January 1985 in San Francisco, and was subsequently hosted twice a year on the East and West coasts. Apple pulled out of the East Coast show in 2003, effectively killing it, though it struggled on for a few more years. Apple cited the same reasons for bowing out then: Growing traffic at its retail stores. Macworld sister shows are also held in Paris and London, but the Tokyo show ended in 2002.

Since 1997, Macworld has drawn huge attention, thanks to Jobs, who took to the stage to introduce new products. And as Apple has grown, so has Macworld Expo: After the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, the show saw a nearly 20 percent increase in attendance, according to IDG, and a further 10 percent increase in 2008.

Apple's move could appear troubling for IDG, the company that owns the Macworld conference as well as the publication that goes by the same name. In addition to Macworld, IDG World Expo also produces the E3 Media gaming show, LinuxWorld and the DEMO tech conference.

"On the one hand, it's quite a surprise," said Dan Moren, an associate editor at Macworld magazine. "I think we've all started to think that Macworld and Steve would be there forever, even despite the questions about his health. On the other hand, the way they lay it out in their press release makes sense from a business perspective.... I'm certainly disappointed by the decision, though I can understand why they're doing it."

Cheap Deals Drive Blu-ray Black Friday Sales

2008-12-17T06:29:00.001-08:00

The extensive adoption of the Blu-ray format wasn't going to happen without some serious deals. And it looks like the perfect muddy bath that is the economic recession and the yearly Black Friday deals finally made it happen.

Consumer's diligent search for the cheapest Blu-ray players during Black Friday led to the best sales in the format’s history, market analysts at DisplaySearch are reporting this week.

According to their findings, consumers bought about 147,000 Blu-ray players in the week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday (not including PS3s). The average price of the Blu-ray players sold was a bit over $200, almost exactly half of the average price of the players from a year ago. So it definitely paid to wait out the Blu-ray-HD DVD format war that was going on at this time last year.

But the most revealing stat is this one: 85% of all the Blu-ray players sold were from Sony and Samsung, both of which finally gave in and offered quality players at low prices ranging from $180 to $200. The majority of the players they sold were the cheap ones.

This shows consumers are more comfortable investing in a young format with brands they know, but are also savvy enough to discern appropriate price values. But it's bad news for lesser-known companies that positioned their even cheaper players as a better alternative. When there's only an $70 difference between the cheapest Sony and a cheap Magnavox Blu-ray, they tended to go for the larger name.

But it's not like every player being sold is a Blu-ray – they only accounted for 25% of video players sold during the week. Sales of DVD players, at about $40 each, also tripled regular sales.

This is a reflection of the main problem Blu-ray has faced in the last few months and one we highlighted two months ago: In the minds of many people, Blu-ray is still not a profound improvement over DVDs and they see no reason to move onto a new format.

Still, according to DisplaySearch research director Paul Gagnon, Blu-ray player sales will go up to 5.31 million in 2009, from about 700,000 in 2007. That's a huge jump that will only be facilitated by the only fact that really matters: format adoption is a reflection of the price, and the bigger the drops by big-name companies, the closer we get to the burial of the DVD.

Sharp Kills Its Zaurus PDAs

2008-12-17T06:28:00.002-08:00

Remember the Zaurus? In the early 1990s Sharp introduced a new line of Personal Digital Assistants or PDAs called Zaurus that went on to become a big hit among consumers especially in Japan.

Though initially based on a proprietary operating system, Sharp soon offered Linux-based versions of the PDA. The last model of the Zaurus, the SL-C3200, was released in 2006 and since then it has been all quiet.

With smartphones getting better and now smaller netbooks being all the rage, Zaurus was clearly headed for the deadpool--only Sharp is making it official now.

If you have one of these Zaurus oldies hold on to it. You may want to show it off at the antiques roadshow in a couple of years

Vudu Reveals Open-Source RIA Platform, But is it Enough to Survive Heavy Competition?

2008-12-17T06:28:00.001-08:00

In something of a surprise announcement earlier today, streaming video hardware-maker Vudu released a standards-based platform for its set-top box.

It's a daring attempt to bring the expertise of web-based third-party developers to box-based ‘consumer appliances.' We know what they’re thinking: Hey, it worked for Apple's iPhone with the App Store didn't it?

Vudu's RIA (Rich Internet Application) project combines the powers of open-source development to a hardware machine that already did some cool things, like up-converting video to HD quality. The goal of the RIA is to create a facile TV portal for web-based content, something a few other companies have tried with mixed results.

Vudu says that the first set of web applications available are a few "casual games," access to Flickr, Picasa, and YouTube, as well as an on-demand TV option with more than 120 channels, including major networks like NBC and CNN. However, the full RIA won’t be open to developers until later next year.

Edward Lichty, executive VP for Vudu says the new service will be the best way to connect to web services via the TV: “Vudu RIA enables us to quickly open up huge libraries of Web-based content to TVs," while noting that by using Vudu’s high-end user interface and control navigation, as well as its patented TruFilm video render technology (which is quite good), it will offer the best full-media option.

Only recently, Vudu pumped up its regular service by offering movies at 1080p, lowered the price of the box, increased their HD library, and started giving out a $200 download credit to new users.

If all this sounds like a company desperately trying to stay relevant, you're right. Still, these options might not be enough for the company to move back to the front of the pack.

Last year, the Vudu box achieved critical acclaim due to the innovative tech that borrowed from web-based sharing models of the past: the box stores a tiny piece of each movie on its hard drive, and then sends the bit out to other users when called upon. This allowed quality video to download quickly, and the ease of use of the UI was also a step ahead.

This year, however, has led to a significant buzz-drop due to heavy competition. Roku's Netflix box and the AppleTV grew their service by focusing on improved download speeds, better prices, and most significantly, better content deals.

Yes, the Apple TV streams media from networked Macs (and Windows PCs), allows you to rent movies and TV shows, and has access to YouTube videos and Flickr, but it's the funnel-like access to the large library offered by the iTunes store that made it an attractive option. At the same time, this also proved limiting. Many file types couldn’t play on the box, and prices for iTunes HD movies fell a bit on the pricey side.

The Roku, on the other hand, used the large subscriber base of Netflix to roll out a quick launch and its quality movie streaming (instead of downloading) was the 'the textbook definition of a simple setup.' Combined with a nice $100 price, the box quickly became popular.

However, using the Roku means you are still tethered to the limited streaming options made available by Netflix (only 10% of its overall lineup), and you can't access other net apps.

Why Apple Quit Macworld Expo, Forever

2008-12-17T06:27:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, our own Brian X Chen wrote about Apple's abandoning of the the Macworld Expo, the yearly (and sometimes twice-yearly) Mac exhibition which has run since 1985. The show has traditionally been a launchpad for new gadgets and geegaws, and is characterized by some rather hysterical speculation in the preceding months. But why has Apple quit the show, and does it really matter? We take a quick look at the causes and effects of this surprise divorce.

Smarten up with the Hugo Boss mobile phone

2008-12-17T06:23:00.001-08:00

Tailored touchscreen for fashionistas

Don't fancy Prada? Well, maybe Hugo Boss is more your style - the Hugo Boss mobile phone that is.

Now available in mainland Europe, the Hugo Boss mobile phone is a collaboration with Samsung, offering a finish as black as the suits in the window, as well as a 2.8-inch touchscreen, a 5MP camera, HSDPA connectivity, an MP3 player with tunes 'tailored' by Hugo Boss (we'd guess chart-based R&B , but we could be wrong), an FM radio, microSD slot and the option to customise your interface.

Worried your work colleagues can't see your flashy new handset all day? No problem - an accompanying Boss Bluetooth headset will make sure they know you've spent big. And you'll have to spend, with the phone only offered sim-free, priced around the 500 Euro mark. Which means around £500 in the current economic climate.