Gadgetell

Amazon launches AmazonWireless, a new place to purchase cell phones

Natesh Sood — 2009-07-10T00:02:24+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Web, Websites

Today, Amazon launched a new website called “AmazonWireless” that aims to sell cell phones at affordable and competitive prices. Basically, they want to offer cell phones and plans to ease the shopping experience and to not have customers worry about rebates.

In addition, the beta AmazonWireless will have guaranteed free two day shipping, which is a nice gesture from Amazon. AmazonWireless aims to help both customers who are looking to upgrade, or ink a new contract. Essentially, they have created a system that will help you find the phone you want easily and efficiently.

I can’t imagine Gadgetell readers having this problem, but sometimes cell phone spec details contains crazy technical terms, and Amazon emphasizes the fact they took away all that jargon, making it easier for the casual customer. Also with mail in rebates out of the picture, customers don’t have to worry about forgetting to submit the rebate.

Since the website is still in the Beta stage, AmazonWireless only contains around 130 phones. All of these phones are either on the Verizon network or the AT&T network. I imagine they will expand to cover more carriers and phones shortly. Furthermore, you can sort through phones by brand, carrier, color, prince, or a specific feature.

Since this website is a product of Amazon, I expect it to be fairly popular - once it expands to most carriers, anyway.

Read [AmazonWireless]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

China blocks Twitter and Facebook

Sue Walsh — 2009-07-09T22:00:41+00:00

Section: Web, Web 2.0, Websites

Just two weeks after blocking most all Google services, China has blocked Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube (which had already been sharply restricted) following ethnic violence and civil unrest there. In the province where 140 people have been killed and 800 injured in clashes between Uighurs and authorities, the government cut mobile phone service and internet access.

While China is known for its insistence on blocking its citizens’ internet access, it’s speculated that this latest move was done to prevent a video like that of Neda Soltan, the young woman who’s violent death at the hands of Iranian security forces was captured on video, spread rapidly across the internet and became a symbol for the opposition.

On Tuesday, Web2Asia’s George Godula wrote: “As of today 8pm Chinese time Facebook seems not to be accessible from most parts of China Mainland anymore. On the China Telecom connection of our Shanghai office the service vanished at around 7:45pm. Friends in Hong Kong are reporting that they can still access the website.”

Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are becoming increasingly popular ways to communicate about critical issues and hot headlines. When Michael Jackson died traffic on both sites became so heavy both suffered outages and slow load times, and Facebook reported that 6,000 status updates a minute were posted during his funeral on Tuesday. Twitter has also been so crucial to Iranians during the recent protests there that the State Department requested they cancel their scheduled downtime for maintenance to protect communications in that country.

As I’ve said before we should all count our blessings that we live in a country where citizens have the freedom to organize, attend and document protests without fear of prosecution and where they alone can decide what to view online.

Read [FastCompany]

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Chrome OS not a concern for Intel, say they welcome the competition

Robert Nelson — 2009-07-09T20:40:45+00:00

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Web, Google

Earlier this morning I highlighted the current list of launch partners for the Chrome OS from Google and as I mentioned Intel was not on that list. Of course, Intel may have been left off because they have already given their support for another netbook operating system—Moblin. However the announcement of the Chrome OS does not appear to be making Intel nervous.

For those unfamiliar, Moblin is a recent newcomer into the netbook OS market, they are currently at v2.0, which is still being listed as a beta. According to the Moblin.org webpage:

“Moblin is an open source project focused on building a Linux-based platform optimized for the next generation of mobile devices including Netbooks, Mobile Internet Devices, and In-vehicle infotainment systems”

According to recent statements from Michael Chen, director of Intel’s embedded sales group and ultra mobility group in Asia-Pacific:

“Intel doesn’t see Google Inc.‘s new operating system built around its Chrome browser as a threat to Moblin”

And furthermore, they are actually looking forward to the competition because it “will drive up more innovations and that’s food for consumers.” Sounds great, and what a way to make some fans, by coming off as they are playing nice. Of course, it would also appear as if they are looking towards Chrome OS as another way to sell a few more Intel chips. So, in this case it seems Intel will have something to celebrate even if Moblin does not beat Chrome OS in the long run.

That said, Moblin is still in beta and Chrome OS is still a long time out, which means at this time both have a long way to go.

Read [Morning Star] Via [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Netflix comes to Sony TVs, PS3 left out

Jodie Andrefski — 2009-07-09T18:09:02+00:00

Section: Video, Content, HDTV, Video Providers, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Websites

Netflix is adding another partnership to their stable. Sony is coming aboard, planning to offer Netflix as a movie-streaming service for its Bravia line of Internet-capable high definition TVs, as well as their older TVs that are compatible with the “Internet video link” module.

Sony hasn’t done anything too earth-shattering on their own in the digital field lately, so this move at least shows they still want to stay in the game, even with rivals. And Netflix is certainly continuing to expand their market, little piece by little piece. No, this isn’t going to knock any major new numbers their way in terms of new subscribers, but when other services are streaming on a box, they want their name there as well. Previous deals for Netflix have included partners like Microsoft, TiVo, Samsung, LG, Vizio, and more.

The Sony Internet Link for their Bravia TVs first showed up as a $300 box. Ouch. Then it began being built into some of the later TVs. So, this fall, if you have a Bravia box, or an Internet-ready Bravia TV, and a Netflix account, you are good to go to stream any movie from the Netflix library. This does include HD movies by the way.

Guess who is missing from this brand spanking new Sony/Netflix partnership? The PS3. The reason being that Microsoft’s XBox 360 is still the exclusive loved-game-system of Netflix, although that romance surely won’t last in it’s monogamy forever. After that, I’d expect some courting to be going on with Sony and Nintendo. Well, we can always hope.

Read: [businessinsider]

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OneRiot release public API for realtime web search

Shawn Ingram — 2009-07-09T15:29:42+00:00

Section: Web, Web Apps, Websites

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the “real time web” or the “social web,” and how through services like Twitter and Digg search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing are becoming less relevant in finding up to date information. A few search engines have noticed this and have begun to produce real time results in line with social networking sites. Having to travel to the websites to view them defeats the purpose, which is why OneRiot is releasing an open API.

OneRiot is a real time search engine that crawls Twitter, Digg, and other social networks to find the most up to date (or second) information for searches. The API will allow OneRiot’s searches to be embedded in any number of applications, whether they be web apps or Twitter/social network desktop clients. The API will allow for realtime search results which functions similar to Twitter’s search, but there’s also what OneRiot calls PulseRank, which is an algorithm for “PageRank for the realtime web.” Possibly more interesting is the fact that it also has a trending topics list, which not only covers Twitter, but Digg and other social sites as well, which can prove interesting. What makes it nice is that, at least as of this writing, there are no hastags that don’t really mean anything (hashtags are both a blessing and a curse, and can be annoying at times).

OneRiot’s API release comes just after Twitter announced that it has a total of over 11,000 apps built with its API, which is quite impressive. If OneRiot can get into at least half of them, it would surely be good for them. While the merits of a real time search engine can be greatly argued, it must be at least better than Twitter Search. With Eventbox and bDule integrating OneRiot today, it’s certainly a start.

Read [OneRiot]

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Bing booming! Passes Twitter, CNN

JG Mason — 2009-07-09T13:27:41+00:00

Section: Web, Web Browsers, Websites, Google

Microsoft’s new entry in the search game Bing is still climbing the charts and now owns position #13 on the most popular websites in the US. According to Compete.com, Bing has surpassed Twitter, CNN and Digg in visitors leveraging a decent marketing campaign that combines offline and online components. Could Bing be a real player?

Maybe. David Pogue of the New York Times espouses how successful Bing is at sifting through the data to bring you what you probably are searching for. “Once you hit Enter, however, you can’t help noticing Bing’s more concerted effort to get you answers faster. To minimize the clicking, the hunting, the dead ends.” Pogue ends his comparison piece with, “if you value your time, you should give Bing a fling.” Pogue does point out that Google is ensconced in our habits and has more than enough time to respond, but respond it must.

Want to see for yourself what all the Bing hubbub is for yourself without missing your Google? Try Bing vs Google. This cool site gives you one search box but then brings you to a split screen with Bing on the left and good old Google on the right. The results are interesting and honestly have me thinking I might use this full time as it gives me the best of both worlds at the moment. It is fun and feels experimental; who doesn’t love an experiment?

Can Bing really give Google a run? Search is always in flux and this war is far from over.

Source: [Mashable] and [NYT]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Google unveils Chrome OS launch partners

Robert Nelson — 2009-07-09T11:05:34+00:00

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Web, Google

Before we continue to get all hyped up on Google Chrome OS, we must remember that it is not going to be available until the second half of 2010, which means we still have a year to wait and at this point we only have a few facts in regards to features.

That said, over on the official Google Chrome Blog, a few details about the companies that Google will be working with have been unveiled. Given that, I am slightly more interested—at least in learning more.

Anyway, according to the list, it looks like Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Toshiba have been named as partners so far. Basically, it looks as what I would have expected given the push to be on netbooks, with the notable exception of Dell and Intel. Of course, I am sure this list could still be added to in the future.

And finally, yes, Google Chrome OS will be free (and no I have not read anywhere that it is going to be ad-supported).

“Yes – Google Chrome OS is an open source project and will be available to use at no cost.”

Read [Google Chrome Blog]

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Rumor: Next PSP might include a quad core chip

NEWS — 2009-07-08T23:38:04+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - If you believe a Google translation of a rumor on a foreign language web site, the next PSP may utilize four cores which would give it more processing and graphics power than the original Xbox console.
MORE »

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Amazon drops $60 off Kindle 2, now priced at $299

Natesh Sood — 2009-07-08T23:23:21+00:00

Section: Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Web, Websites

Amazon has the Kindle 2 listed for $60 cheaper than previous prices, it now ships for $299, as opposed to $359. For some, $299 is still a pretty steep price to pay for an e-book reader, especially when a smartphone can perform a similar function. However, to others $299 might just be the price deal they were looking for and are now ready to pull the trigger on the enticing device.

The 6 inch Kindle 2 can hold up to 1,500 books and has the ability to download a book in less than 60 seconds without being connected to a PC. At 10.2 ounces, it is a portable device that features 3G connectivity, without the monthly fees and yearly contracts.

It will be interesting to see if the Kindle 2 comes down more in the future, or if this is the final price cut.

Check it out [Amazon]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

McFarlane’s makin’ more Halo toys

NEWS — 2009-07-08T22:00:04+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - McFarlane Toys recently announced the second wave of Halo Odd Pod figures, its San Diego Comic-Con figure and a small slew of other Halo-themed figures and figure-related products.
MORE »

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LG demos HD video recording concept phone

Shawn Ingram — 2009-07-08T21:15:51+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones

While LG is currently is currently teasing us in the US with the next Chocolate, it is busy teasing those over in Warsaw with a fantastic-sounding concept phone. The phone looks to combine the best features of some of the newer Samsung and Sony Ericsson, and even some cues from the iPhone 3GS.

The phone, dubbed the GC990, looks like an LG branded iPhone with a few extra buttons at first glance, which makes sense, only so many ways to make a touch screen phone. From the back, however, it looks more similar to a point and shoot camera complete with a 12.1 MP camera. The phone should be able to take photos as fast as any camera, with “zero” shutter lag, and can even geotag the photos once taken.

If you’re in love with your iPhone 3GS for the touch focus capabilities, the GC990 has that as well. It can even shoot video like the iPhone 3GS, except it’s more like the Samsung i8910 Omnia HD in that the video can be recorded in 720p at 30 fps, quite impressive for a phone. There’s also the mundane Wi-Fi with DLNA, GPS, and TV-out to go with the 3.2” touch screen.

While the GC990 looks very nice, that’s about all it’ll do for us right now. LG is very clear that the GC990 is strictly a concept unit showing off what it’s trying to bring to market. Perhaps all these features will be coming, but not all in the same phone for right now. The GC990, given the 12.1 MP camera, 720p and most likely included media application, will need a ton of storage space which would probably cause an issue for LG if all these features were to be in the same phone. Although, the 32GB that the iPhone 3GS might suffice, with the option for added storage of course. Maybe, just maybe, if we ask LG enough the GC990 will come to market as a prohibitively expensive, yet awesome flagship phone.

Read [GSM Arena]

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Pandora (and other internet radio) to stay afloat…for now

Jodie Andrefski — 2009-07-08T19:30:05+00:00

Section: Web, Web Apps, Online Music/Video

For a while it was starting to look rather iffy as to whether or not Pandora, as well as internet radio in general, was going to be able to continue, or die a sad death. The cost of keeping it afloat was simply getting too high in the face of the streaming rates for Internet radio. But now, artists, record labels and webcasters have finally come to an agreement, according to Pandora’s Tom Conrad.

“Pandora is finally on safe ground with a long-term agreement for survivable royalty rates,” Conrad says.

So, what does this long-term agreement consist of? SoundExchange agrees to a 40-50% reduction in the per-song-per-listener rate, or Pandora giving up a 25% share of its US revenue, whichever is higher. The new agreement runs through 2015.

But, that’s not all and the rest of it is where it affects the users. Because the rates are still higher than they can apparently easily handle without other changes, they are starting to implement a fee for usage for some users. They say this will only affect 10% of the user base.

What it boils down to is, if you use Pandora more than 40 hours a month, it will cost you $0.99 to continue using the service and go to unlimited. If you choose to do this, you are not signing up for a self-renewing subscription of any kind. Each time you do so is a one-time thing. If you already use Pandora One, which is the pay version of the service, you are already in the clear, and already have unlimited (ad-free) listening obviously.

Emails have been sent out to listeners that seem to be in danger of going over the 40 hours based on their usage history, letting them know about the upcoming changes. (Thanks to GTell’s Natesh Sood for this alert!) Pandora also let current users know in the email about the options that would be available to them should they go over the 40 hour cap.

Pandora is still hoping to be making a profit by this time next year, and hoping that these changes might assist in the goal of seeing them get there. “It’s a great outcome. Expensive, but I think we can still be profitable next year. These are workable rates,” Conrad says.

Not all Pandora users are as happy about the upcoming changes as Pandora seems to be. In comments posted around the web I’ve been reading mixed reactions to the news. “Lex” states “geez.. people are so naive. If you know the details, the deal itself is horrible. Why would Pandora stick in a 40 hour listener cap otherwise? Everybody cheered the Imeem deal at first too, look where they are now. safe ground indeed”

And where the complaints really have start to have some merit is the fact that come 2015, it seems all hell may break loose with this new little deal that is making everyone all happy now. Because it may be that the crafty little deal Simpson worked up for SX does a whole lot for SX and not so much for Pandora. Quoted from the SX agreement:

Bundled Services: The rates for commercial webcasters providing bundled, syndicated, subscription services are to be the same as the rates agreed to by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)

rates for
2010 0.0016 per performance
…
2015 0.0025 per performance

So feasibly, come 2015, Pandora may be stuck with fees they can’t afford to pay, and have to get rid of the Pandora One and the $0.99 subscription services, and users are gonna get slammed. Bye-bye Pandora. All in all you’re just another brick in the wall.

Read: [techcrunch]

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Recession-O-Rama: Great deals on HP laptops

Adam Berger — 2009-07-08T18:00:08+00:00

Section: Computers, Desktops, Laptops, Features

We’ve partnered up with LogicHP.com to bring you today’s Recession-O-Rama deals. The website focuses news, deals, reviews, and discussion on everything HP Laptop, Desktop and Printers. How about $$$ off a range of HP notebooks and desktop computers?

HP Pavilion Desktop PC or All-in-one Touchsmart

Configure a rockin Core 2 Quad, Core i7 or Phenom II Quad Core with Blu-ray and other powerful features. All system purchases with Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate Edition will get free upgrade to corresponding Windows 7 version on its release.

HP Pavilion e9110t

HP Home & Home Office Store is offering LogicHP’s 30% coupon code for customizable new HP Pavilion e9110t Core 2 Quad 2.33GHz Desktop PC configured over $999. Plus, get FREE 6GB RAM Upgrade, FREE 640GB Hard Drive Upgrade, FREE 15-month NIS subscription ($49 value), FREE shipping and FREE HP DeskJet Printer ($70 value) after mail-in rebate. Base price for our recommended configuration of the HP Elite e9110t starts from: $999.99 - 30% off using LogicHP’s coupon code = $699.99 shipped.

HP Pavilion Slimline s5150t Desktop PC

HP Home & Home Office Store is offering LogicHP’s 30% off Coupon Code for the new HP Pavilion Slimline s5150t Desktop PC when you customize it over $999. HP is also offering a FREE upgrade to 640GBHard Drive, FREE HP DeskJet Printer after paper-less rebate and FREE shipping to your door. Our recommended configuration base starts from $999.99 - 30% off using LogicHP’s coupon code = $699.99 shipped free.

HP Pavilion dv6t

HP Home & Home Office store is offering up to $424 off in savings plus LogicHP’s $30 off Coupon Code HP Pavilion dv6t 16-inch (16:9) Widescreen Laptop. Plus, get FREE upgrade to 4GB RAM from 2GB, FREE upgrade to 320GB Hard Drive, FREE HP DeskJet Printer ($70 value) after mail-in rebate and FREE shipping. Eligible for free upgrade to Windows 7. Available in Espresso Black or Moonlight White ($25 upgrade). Base configuration starts from $799.99 - $30 off coupon - $150 instant savings = $619.99 plus Free shipping.

HP Pavilion G60t

HP Home & Home Office store is offering up to $309 off instantly on customizable HP Pavilion G60t 16-inch Notebook using $100 instant discount, $10 stackable coupon and FREE upgrades. Includes, FREE upgrade to 3GB RAM, FREE Upgrade to 250GB HDD, FREE shipping, and FREE HP DeskJet Printer ($70 value) after mail-in rebate. Eligible for Free Windows 7 upgrade with purchase of this computer. Starts from $579.99 - $100 instant savings - $10 off Coupon Code = $469.99 plus Free shipping.

HP Pavilion dv4t Laptop

HP Home & Home Office store is offering up to $419 in savings including $30 Coupon Code for HP Pavilion dv4t Laptop. Plus, get FREE upgrade to 4GB RAM from 1GB ($100 value), FREE 320GB Hard Drive upgrade, FREE HP DeskJet Printer ($70 value) after mail-in rebate, and FREE shipping ($29 value). Plus eligible for Free upgrade to Windows 7. Our recommended configuration for HP dv4t deal: $729.99 - $150 instant savings - $30 off Coupon Code = $549.99 shipped free.

Full Story » | Written by Adam Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The Koobface worm pops up on Twitter

Heather Wood — 2009-07-08T17:17:00+00:00

Section: Computers, Security, Web, Web 2.0, Websites

The Koobface worm has now surfaced on Twitter with the latest variation attempting to create as much havoc as possible. The newest code can allow criminals to access a person’s Twitter account and post their own tweets. These tweets are used as a way to spread the worm and infect your followers if they open the malware.

The hackers are using the recent death of Michael Jackson to lure users by posting tweets like “My home video :); michaeljackson’ testament on youtube and Watch my new private video! LOL :).” Over the past month alone, Koobface has popped up on Twitter three times more frequently than the previous month.

Koobface is not new to the social networking scene with appearances on Facebook, Hi5, MySpace and Friendster. Multiple variations have been released since its initial appearance in 2008. One of the main reasons that Twitter site is an easy target for the worm is the lack of security features found on other social networking websites, like CAPTCHA challenges or the requirement of a valid email address.

Read: [ZDNet]

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Net manages to stay afloat during Jackson funeral service

Sue Walsh — 2009-07-08T15:11:42+00:00

Section: Web, Web 2.0, Websites, Online Music/Video

Michael Jackson’s funeral was the most watched daytime program in history and quite probably the most watched program ever worldwide. The service, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was broadcast all across the globe, and for those who couldn’t get to a TV, it was streamed live on the net. Unlike the day the news of his death broke, the net was not brought to his knees.

Although there were reports of slowdowns and a few scattered outages, for the most part the net was able to shoulder the burden. CNN reported 11 million unique visitors, 72 million page views and over 750,000 concurrent streams of the funeral. Twitter suffered yet another outage as users were unable to view or post tweets for a brief time. Many Facebook users complained of slowdowns and random errors, most attributed to CNN’s use of Facebook Connect. The service reported that as Jackson’s funeral got underway, 300,000 users were logged in and posting roughly 6,000 status updates a minute. The pop icon’s Facebook fan page now has nearly 7 million fans,which is a good million more than President Obama’s.

Don’t expect traffic to return quite to normal just yet. With the cause of Jackson’s sudden death still unknown, possible criminal charges pending against his doctors, and a custody fight for his children shaping up, the hunger for all things Michael isn’t likely to ebb anytime soon.

Read [News.com.au]

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Palm Pre has trouble going metric. WTF?

JG Mason — 2009-07-08T13:10:07+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile

No, the Palm Pre can do the conversion from gallons to decaliters just fine, it is the conversion from CDMA to GSM that seems to be giving the company fits. Back at CES, I was given a private word that the two devices would ship simultaneously and take the world by storm. But according to this announcement (“in time for the holidays”) by Palm, the two are not even close. My math says Palm will release the Pre by December 11th.

Why December 11? Easy. Following the roadmap and marketing effort Palm laid out in the states, the company seeks to feed on iPhone customers whose contract is up. The iPhone 3G, the real player in the UK where everything is 3G, launch day contracts are up on December 11th, 18 months after the original launch day of July 11. Palm will plead its case to UK mobilists (just coined a new word and I am off to go hashtag it on Twitter) who might be looking for something a little different.

Why launch in two stages? Simple: Apple did. Palm’s sales plan is to track Apple at the end of contract terms for each market. Why waste your time yelling about something folks are not interested in buying? Palm seems to reason the Pre’s isn’t impressive enough to stage an outright coup to get users to pay up their early termination fees plus new hardware costs, or it just lives in the real world and wants to maximize its payoff potential.

Interestingly, Palm’s statement of “before Christmas” is dangerously close to the end of the supposed 6 month exclusivity Sprint has on the device. That has me wondering if that has any bearing at all in delivering a GSM phone. Perhaps a bulk run in Asia and two boats sail: one for Europe the other for AT&T in the US? Wishful thinking, I am sure. What do you think? Will this intro spur the US bound GSM version or are we left to wait it out?

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Happy birthday, App Store!

NEWS — 2009-07-08T12:22:32+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - It’s hard to believe it, but it has already been one year since Apple released the App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
MORE »

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Google officially announces Google Chrome OS

Robert Nelson — 2009-07-08T11:00:02+00:00

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Web, Google

It seems as if Google is trying to shake things up, first they remove the beta tag from Google apps such as Calendar, Docs, Gmail and Talk and now they have unveiled their latest project—Google Chrome OS.

“Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems.”

Yes, you read that correctly, Google is planning to release an operating system based on their Chrome web browser. First things first, Google Chrome OS is not yet available, instead we will have to wait a while as it will not be available for consumers until the “second half of 2010,” which means we have to wait at least a year.

Anyway, assuming we can deal with having to wait (of course, really we have no other option) here is a little of what we have to look forward to. To begin with, Google Chrome OS will be open sourced and be able to run on both x86 as well as ARM chips. It seems as if Google Chrome OS is going to be the true cloud based operating system. According to the few details given “the software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.” Basically, users will be relying on web apps, and in terms of new applications, those can be written using, as Google puts it, “your favorite web technologies.”

So far it was noted that Google is currently working with “multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year.” Basically the details given were pretty light, however they did address the possible overlap of Android.

“While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.”

Sadly, though, even after a nice long post announcing Google Chrome OS on the Official Google Blog, I am still left wanting a little more of something. Maybe it is in the details, or due to the lack of anything in terms of images or screenshots. Bottom line, while interesting sounding, it sounds like we are going to have to wait a while longer before we get anything more because unfortunately, we can expect “more updates in the fall.”

Read [Official Google Blog]

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Shields Up!: Malware and the recession

Sue Walsh — 2009-07-08T00:38:21+00:00

Section: Computers, Security, Features, Originals

Security experts have found a silver lining in the recession: it’s hitting cybercriminals hard too, leading to a drop in malware. That’s right; there really are hard times all over. A German security firm has released a report showing a 30% drop in unique malware signatures and says it’s no holiday lull.

“The black economy operates according to demanding economic criteria: supply and demand define business. The global economic crisis has not left the e-crime economy untouched,” says G Data’s Ralf Benzmller in an official release.

“Following on from dumping prices for the sending of spam, the downturn has now reached the writers of malware code. Order books for this particular branch of the industry seem currently to be falling back. Therefore we expect a stagnation in new malware figures for the current month.”

If the company’s findings are true, it’s likely the drop in malware could continue. It’s not all good news though. The lack of money may mean cybercriminals won’t have the means to create new Trojans or botnets, but it also means that cheaper forms of cybercrime, namely spam, are likely to rise.

Scareware attacks may also increase as cybercriminals look for more cost effective ways to make money, and phishing will also continue to rise as scammers find new ways to trick people into giving up their personal information.

Malware itself isn’t going anywhere. Despite the recession it’s still profitable. Malware attacks targeting breaking news and special events show no signs of slowing down, as the recent attacks that sprung up quickly after the sudden death of pop icon Michael Jackson. Social engineering attacks will also rise as criminals try to cash in on the ever increasing popularity of sites like Twitter and Facebook.

The silver lining is there, but there are storm clouds all around it, so don’t relax. Keep your anti-virus software up to date, make sure your spam filters are strong and working properly and remember, common sense is a cybercriminal’s worst enemy!

Read [PCWorld]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The world’s gone topsy turvy: Google Apps out of beta, VLC hits 1.0

Iyaz Akhtar — 2009-07-07T23:30:05+00:00

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Web, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Online Music/Video, Google

The unthinkable has happened: progress. Google apps like Google Calendar, Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Talk are no longer in beta. Gmail had been in beta for over five years. What exactly has changed now that these things are out of beta? Apart from a new graphic without the word “beta,” not much, if anything at all. Google Apps is getting some new features, but that’s for enterprise users.

Also, in the world of software, VLC finally hits version 1.0.0. Originally released in 2001, VLC is the swiss army of video players. It’s free, open source, cross platform, and plays almost anything thrown at it. Not all operating systems are getting 1.0, but the newest iteration of VLC is available for OS X, Ubuntu Linux, and Windows. VLC 1.0 has new HD codecs to decode things like Dolby Digital Plus and Blu-ray Linear PCM.

To pick up a new copy of VLC head on over to the VideoLan.org site. To get the non-beta versions of Google’s various apps—maybe clear your cache and hit reload until you no longer see “beta” on the graphic.

Download: [VLC]
Read: [Official Google Blog]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Latest LG Chocolate to feature a 800x345 resolution?

Natesh Sood — 2009-07-07T21:19:20+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers

If these rumors turn out to be true, the newest LG Chocolate should be a pretty slick phone. The LG Chocolate is slated for an August unveiling, so not many details about the new phone are available, but LG will probably leak some features between now and then. However, Tweakers is reporting the resolution of the phone, which will definitely make the phone interesting, to say the least.

The screen resolution is rumored to be 800 x 345 indicating a 21:9 aspect ratio. Such an aspect ratio has been featured in a Philips 56 inch Cinema HDTV. Under the Black Label series, the LG Chocolate will bear the BL40 model number and contain a 5MP camera, run on LG’s own OS, and utilize the Obigo browser. No word on whether WiFi and GPS capabilities will be featured in the phone.

Again the aspect ratio and resolution are just rumors at this point, but it will be interesting to see what other details LG leaks before the official August unveiling.

Read [Tweakers]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Gadgetell Guide: Should I buy headphones or earbuds?

Natesh Sood — 2009-07-07T20:07:07+00:00

Section: Audio, Accessories, Headphones, Features, Originals

A MP3 player is only as good as its headphones or earbuds. With that in mind, it is very important to decide whether headphones or earbuds are the way to go when listening to music. For me the difference between using headphones and earbuds is relatively simple. However, for others, deciding which to use can be a difficult process. Based on my personal experiences, I will break down the pros and cons of each.

Headphones: Pro

Headphones are typically bulkier than earbuds, but the sound quality is much greater than earbuds. If I want clear, rich sound quality I would opt to use headphones as they are designed to be of better quality and some come with noise canceling technology. Now, they are also more comfortable as the cans are typically coated with padding to keep your ears feeling comfortable. They fit snuggly over or behind your head, so they will not fall off easily, which is a big plus. I can’t run with earbuds as they almost always fall out, so I have to use headphones when running. To me, that makes me more likely to purchase headphones over earbuds.

Headphones: Con

I alluded to the fact that headphones are bulkier than earbuds, which is true. They are not as portable as earbuds and usually come with a carrying pouch. It is not a big inconvenience, but I enjoy keeping earbuds in my pockets for quick access. Good quality headphones also stick out since they are much bigger than decent headphones. If you take a look outside or on the subway, chances are most people are using earbuds over headphones due to portability factor.

Earbuds: Pro

If you purchase an MP3 player, chances are it comes with a pair of earbuds so you can listen to music right away. For example, Apple ships their own earbuds with every iPod, but many people end buying a new pair due to lack of quality. Personally, I don’t have too much of a problem with the Apple earbuds, as they are small and can fit easily inside my pocket. There are higher quality earbuds designed by manufacturers that feature noise canceling technology, similar to headphones.

Earbuds: Con

Unless you are buying high end earbuds, chances are they lack quality that can be found in similarly priced headphones. They are much smaller and can’t pack the same features as headphones. In addition, they are designed to fit outside your ear canal or directly inside, which poses a danger to your hearing. Most earbuds don’t feature any noise canceling technology, so we often blast our music to reduce outside noise. This is a big no-no as it can cause permanent damage to your ear drum.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for sharp sound quality combined with comfort, headphones may be the way to go. However, if you are looking for style combined with portability, earbuds may be the way to go. I own a pair of headphones as well as several earbuds. When running, I typically use headphones as they don’t fall off, but when going outside either for school, with friends, or just walking around, I carry earbuds with me as they are smaller and more portable. If you are still conflicted, evaluate when and where you’ll be using your music player and that ought to help you make a decision.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to let me know below.

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

iPhone OS 3.1 beta: what’s new

NEWS — 2009-07-07T20:06:08+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - Last week saw Apple release the iPhone OS 3.1 beta to developers. The update sees numerous bug fixes alongside some welcome new features to further enhance the iPhone experience.
MORE »

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Your social security number may not be as secure as you think

Jodie Andrefski — 2009-07-07T19:13:42+00:00

Section: Computers, Security, Web, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Websites

We all know to keep our social security number private, and not share it with the masses, right? After all, if the wrong person gets a hold of it, that could be a very bad thing. Our social security number (SSN) is like the magic little key to our financial world, and other critical parts of our lives. It can open or close doors for us. And if misused by another, like in the case of identity theft, it can break us.

Well, what if that number is not as secret and secure as we would like to think? What if there were a way for wily would-be hacker/thieves to steal our SSNs and have a field day with our identity? And no, I don’t mean just through the old break into an institution and get their records method. Nothing as blase as that. I mean actually being able to figure out what your SSN is, based on your date of birth and where you were born, using a specific algorithm. Yes Virginia, it is possible.

Two researchers at Carnegie Mellon University discovered this nifty little technique. And it works with a rather amazing degree of accuracy, especially considering that the two practices (which were created by the federal government) that it relies on were created to actually prevent the ability of schemers from being able to create a fake SSN. Well, they don’t have to create a bogus one anymore, they can just take a real person’s number.

The first thing it relies on is what is called the Death Master File. The government makes this file publicly available, and it shows the SSNs of any deceased individuals. This gave researchers material to analyze how the assignment of SSNs related to date and state of birth.

The second thing is that the handling of SSN assignments has been centralized and documentation has been provided on the procedures. So, it is clear and known now that the first three digits are based on the state where the SSN was originally assigned, and that the next two are what is called a group number. The last four are random. Now, since the late 80’s, there has been an initiative in place called the “Enumeration at Birth”, which tries to make sure that everyone gets their SSN very soon after birth, hoping to cut down on fraud.

This second program is what really made the difference in the research, as it kind of pointed to SSN numbers being related to date of birth. So, the researchers used the Death Master File to break up the data from the states (the first three digits), then ordered them by date. They then looked for statistical patterns within that data.

There were some patterns before the 1990s in the numbers given for region and group number, but, after that, with rare exception, it was clear that there was an obvious pattern of sequential order used for almost all SSNs. If you live in a less populous state, the pattern is even easier to determine, although the last four digits were still tougher to figure out. Although even that could be guessed with a lower degree of accuracy with the algorithm the scientists came up with.

Using this algorithm, they were able to get the first five digits of the number right for those born before 1988 seven percent of the time. You may think, well, that isn’t too bad, it’s only 7 percent. Yeah, but it went up to a success rate of 44 percent for those people assigned a SSN after 1988, and if you happened to live in a smaller state like Vermont, the success rate was over 90 percent.

They still need the last four digits though. They were only able to get that right 0.1 time within 10 tries even after 1988, although again with smaller states they did better. However, this still doesn’t give total peace of mind. Because many credit card verification companies allow up to two digits of the SSN to be wrong as long as the date and place of birth are accurate. They do this because they allow for illegible forms. They also allow for several failed verification attempts per IP address before they go and lock it out and blacklist it. So, based on this, the authors of the algorithm estimate that a bot of about 10,000 machines could obtain identity verification of younger residents of a smaller state at a rate of 47 a minute. That’s frightening in my opinion.

The botnet master would just need access to birth information, which many commercial services will gladly provide for a price. Or, social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are a well-spring of just such information for free. Just another reason to keep your personal information off of those sites. You never know who might be reading, or why.

Read: [arstechnica]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Watch Michael Jackson memorial service live online today

Heather Wood — 2009-07-07T16:30:43+00:00

Section: Web, Websites, Online Music/Video

If you weren’t one of the few to get your hands on a ticket voucher for the Michael Jackson memorial service, you may be wondering where to watch coverage of the event. Several news outlets and social networking sites will provide continuous live streams throughout the day. The actual memorial will begin at 10:00 AM Pacific Time at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

CBS News will be broadcasting the Michael Jackson through their partnership with Ustream and is also allowing discussions of the event through their Twitter page.

Hulu will be starting its live feeds at 9:30 AM while CNN and Facebook have partnered to provide online coverage of the memorial (you can see the embedded player below). CNN will also have several hosts covering the event online, including Anderson Cooper and Larry King.

MySpace is allowing users to gain access to a live feed provided by AEG, the owner of the Staples Center and the producer of the now canceled comeback tour for Michael Jackson.

The Fox News and ABC News websites will also be providing commentary and live footage today.

Over 1.6 million people registered for the event, but less than 20,000 ticket vouchers were given out. Performers expected to appear at the event include Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, and Mariah Carey.

Read: [Mashable]

Full Story » | Written by Heather Wood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Sony finally announces a real netbook, the Vaio W

Shawn Ingram — 2009-07-07T15:16:10+00:00

Section: Computers, Laptops, Netbooks

When Sony released the Vaio P, it was sure to point out that the Vaio P was not a standard netbook. Sony, like Apple, hated the “race to the bottom” that is the netbook market. It stubbornly pushed the Vaio P as a small laptop; while it was nice looking the device, it had a bit of a learning curve and ran sluggishly with Windows Vista. That was before Sony stared posted big losses. Now it looks like Sony is finally willing to take on that race to the bottom.

Sony’s real entrance into netbook market comes in the form of the Vaio W. It looks similar to any other Vaio laptop just in a 10-inch netbook size, though if you take the Sony Vaio graphic off the cover you’d be hard pressed to tell which company produced it. It comes complete with standard netbook specs, 1.6 GHz Atom, 1 GB RAM, 160GG HDD, Bluetooth, etc.

The only change from the norm is the screen which boasts 1366 x 766 resolution compared to the normal 1024 x 600, making it theoretically capable of showing 720p video full screen without any zooming. In true Sony fashion, the SD card slot also accepts Sony’s propriety MemorySticks, which should surprise nobody.

While it’s not surprising that Sony is actually entering the netbook market, it would have been nice if it tried to push the Vaio W further. Sony likes to be a luxury brand, similar to Apple. It normally doesn’t follow the rest of the industry until it’s ready, or it can make it just a but nicer. The Vaio W doesn’t really do anything different, and for the price of $500 all you’re really getting is the Sony brand and a slightly higher resolution screen. This would have been a nice netbook about this time last year, but now it just looks like a money grab.

Read [Wired]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Fickle students fleeing Facebook? Gram and Gramps show up

JG Mason — 2009-07-07T13:18:33+00:00

Section: Web, Web 2.0, Websites

According to Facebook’s estimates, student numbers on the site are declining while parents and grandparents are showing up to the party. Overall, Facebook’s numbers have grown substantially over the past six months, from 42 million users in January of ‘09 to almost 72 million in July, a 70% upswing.

Student numbers are declining: high school users are down 16% and college 21%. Even college alumni are down 15%. Yet the 18-24 year old growth is shown positive at 4.8%; not huge, but not a double digit decline. So what is going on?

Other bloggers suggest parents and grandparents using the site are to blame for the disinterest from the kids. Istrategylabs, who saved this data six months ago and provided the comparison, blames the kids feeling crowded out by bossy adults as well.

I am not sure. The numbers don’t necessarily reflect that. I think the bigger question is, why are students not identifying themselves as students? I know I consider removing that info from my profile as there are a lot of old girlfriends left in my wake I don’t want necessarily finding me. There is nothing wrong with staying in the shadows, right? Perhaps these kids hang back so there not so easily searchable?

The numbers say the mature market is skyrocketing: 55+ is up 513% in the past 6 months. That is an impressive number and ought to ease Facebook’s anxiety about any loss in student numbers. After all, students are typical cash poor while their parents and grandparents can pay to keep in touch. Sounds like the makings of a sustainable business plan.

If the naysayers are right, where are these students going for their social networking needs?

Source: [IStrategyLabs] via [ReadWriteWeb]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

GSM Palm Pre now official, heading to O2, Movistar “in time for the holidays”

Robert Nelson — 2009-07-07T11:16:41+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

Palm has officially confirmed the release of a GSM Palm Pre, except many of the details are still not yet announced. So far, we can tell you that the Pre will be available with O2 in the UK and Germany as well as Movistar in Spain. As far as a release date, that was left simply as being available “in time for the holidays,” and as you may expect with such a vague release date, they have not yet announced the pricing.

Of course, the press release offered the specs for the Pre, which as you may have also guessed is not much of a surprise aside from the obvious. In the meantime, I am still waiting for the chance to be able to purchase an unlocked GSM version of the Pre.

Read [MSN Money]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Magellan announces new Maestro 4700 with 4.7 inch display

Natesh Sood — 2009-07-06T23:32:40+00:00

Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

Recently, Magellan announced a new GPS for their Maestro lineup, the 4700. This new GPS comes with many features designed to make traveling easier and more efficient.

To begin with, it features a color 4.7 inch touch screen, Magellan’s OneTouch UI, voice commands, Bluetooth connectivity, and AAA partnership to give users roadside assistance if need be. In addition, Magellan preloaded the device with many other unique features.

Its OneTouch Favorites Menu allows you to search through favorite destinations, and navigate around the town using its database of POIs. Remember to program popular routes or places for quick guidance. As previously mentioned, it features Bluetooth so users can make hands-free calls while driving. A neat feature within the GPS is the fact that the microphone comes with noise canceling technology to cut down on annoying noise from traffic, etc.

Be sure to use Predictive Traffic when driving as it will help search for any traffic jams and navigate around any problems. The partnership with AAA serves another purpose as you can navigate through their TourBook Guide as well as the POI database to find interesting places.

The POI and TourBook Guide is laid out in an easy-to-understand manner. Finding your car can be annoying if you parked in a mall or a large facility. The GPS features a “Find Your Car” application that will remember where you parked and can navigate to your car. With 3D Landmarks, you can better understand the map because it would be more realistic looking.

According to Amazon, the GPS is available for pre-order now, and it will start shipping July 15. It is selling for $299.

Read [Magellan Press Release]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

ZAGG picks up Sony Walkman pioneer

Iyaz Akhtar — 2009-07-06T22:18:10+00:00

Section: Business News, Audio, Portable Audio

ZAGG, the company that makes a variety of portable electronics accessories like headphones and its very popular invisibleSHIELD, just picked up some wisdom. Their Board of Directors will be joined by Mr. Shu Ueyama. You may not know his name, but you will probably know his work.

He was behind the branding of the Sony Walkman back in 1979. Don’t forget that before the Apple iPod, the Sony Walkman brand was king. The name “Walkman” was pretty much the generic term for a tape or CD player. Mr. Ueyama also has some other impressive credentials such as being the personal advisor for Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson and was the representative for Lady Margaret Thatcher for ten years.

Right now, ZAGG is far from a household name, although their invisibleSHIELD is quite popular in geek circles. We’ve tested out some of their headphones and they’re pretty good. With the addition of Mr. Ueyama, ZAGG will be able to expand its market by using his connections. Don’t be surprised to see ZAGG products prominently displayed in Virgin Megastores sometime soon.

Company site: [ZAGG]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Wife of British spy chief makes Facebook blunder

Sue Walsh — 2009-07-06T21:15:35+00:00

Section: Computers, Security, Web, Web 2.0

This sounds almost unbelievable but it’s true. Lady Shelly Sawers created a Facebook account for herself and filled it with family photos, info about her children and where her family lived, and other assorted tidbits of personal information.

Why is it unbelievable? Because her husband just so happens to be Sir John Sawers who just got a new job as the head of MI6, Britain’s equivalent of our CIA. Not too smart to be posting large amounts of personal and identifying information when your husband is more or less the chief spy for the United Kingdom!

What made the blunder worse was that Lady Sawers ignored all the privacy tools Facebook provides to its users and left her profile completely public, which meant the info was available to anyone who happened to wander by.

When the media alerted the British Foreign Office of the Lady’s account it was abruptly and immediately deleted from the service. Neither Sir Sawers or his wife have had any comment on the matter.

The moral of the story? Don’t put anything on your FB page you would be uncomfortable seeing on the front page of the New York Times, and use the privacy tools they offer to keep your page private and secure.

Read [Cnet]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Internal projectors coming to the iPhone/iPod touch?

NEWS — 2009-07-06T20:06:00+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - A company involved with manufacturing the iPhone, Foxconn, is rumored to be developing its own micro projection system that could feature in the next generation iPhone or iPod touch.
MORE »

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Samsung breaking Intel’s rules with their new netbook

Jodie Andrefski — 2009-07-06T19:17:25+00:00

Section: Computers, Netbooks

It seems that Samsung is going all wild and daring with their upcoming netbook offering. It’s going to be Nvidia Ion platform based, with an Intel Atom N-series CPU and an 11.6-inch display.

By having the screen be that size, Samsung breaks Intel’s restrictions on netbook panel size, which maintains that they must be 10.2-inches or smaller. The rebels. Lenovo also broke the rules when they launched their 12-inch Intel Atom N270-based netbook last month. Lenovo also used the Nvidia Ion graphics chipset.

As a slap on the hand for breaking the rules, Intel has canceled the vendors’ preferential pricing for the Intel Atom N270 CPUs, sources revealed. Intel would not comment on the situation, citing “customer confidentiality,” but they did say that “it has long been pro-competitive.”

Hmmm…now is Intel actual doing all this punishing because of screen size or because of the whole competition to Intel’s own low-power graphic chipset that is sometimes used in netbooks, and here the Nvidia Ion was used instead in these machines?

Come on, it’s a netbook. It’s a difference of not even an inch and a half in Samsung’s case. Let’s find bigger things to argue about, kids.

Read: [digitimes]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Traveling to Florida? Avis wants you to rent a car with a TV

Iyaz Akhtar — 2009-07-06T18:10:46+00:00

Section: Video, Content, Gadgets / Other, Transportation

Way back during January 2009, Avis was talking about bringing television to your car using AT&T CruiseCast. Well, the time has come and the service is now available in Florida starting today. What does it cost to get the kids in the back to shut up and watch Hannah Montana? $62.65 per week or $8.95 per day. You can pick up one of these television equipped cars at any of the following airports: Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, or West Palm Beach.

AT&T CruiseCast has a bunch of different channels including AccuWeather, Cartoon Network Mobile, Discovery, Disney, ESPN Mobile, and Lifetime. That is not the complete list, but you can see that CruiseCast has a variety of content partners that ought to keep any backseat passenger entertained for minutes.

Read: [Press Release]

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Best Buy to start selling electric vehicles

Heather Wood — 2009-07-06T17:15:19+00:00

Section: Business News, Gadgets / Other, Transportation

Best Buy has now entered into the electric vehicle market by offering customers the chance to buy electric motorcycles, scooters, and Segways. These products have slowly been introduced into various Best Buy locations since the spring. Over twenty west coast Best Buy stores now carry these products.

To expand even more on their electric vehicle inventory, Best Buy plans to start selling the Brammo Enertia this month. The Brammo Enertia is a compact electric motorcycle with the ability to charge in less than three hours. It gets approximately 373 miles per gallon of gasoline and can reach speeds as high as 50 miles per hour. It also has an on board web server. The bike retails for close to $12,000 so it is unlikely that Best Buy will bring in big bucks from the venture.

The CEO of Best Buy has stated that the new electric vehicle line is the company’s chance to further diversify their product line and to offer consumers the chance to access the latest technologies.

Read: [CNET]

Full Story » | Written by Heather Wood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Internet Explorer loses 11.4 percent market share in four months

Shawn Ingram — 2009-07-06T15:11:20+00:00

Section: Web, Web Browsers

The past month has seen a lot of Internet browser upgrades. Just about every major browser has been updated recently, each getting faster, supporting newer standards and adding features that might now seem standard. Given that, each browser underwent an upgrade, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see the numbers for the market share to fluctuate a bite, but ultimately they stay roughly the same. The good news is that hasn’t happened.

Internet Explorer, much to the dismay of web developers, has long been the reigning leader in market share, with over half of all measured users using Microsoft’s built-in browser. With the added pressure of others such as Firefox 3.0 and 3.5, Safari 4 and Chrome 2 it looks like Microsoft could be having trouble keeping that lead. Since March 2009 IE across all currently used version (going back to even IE6) has lost 11.4 percent of the market share to the other competitors. What’s unclear, however, is how the numbers break down since the latest version of the other main three are all added together in one “Other Browsers” measurement. It’s more likely that Firefox 3.5 is the leader among them.

While Internet Explorer losing market share is a big deal, there’s also the fact that Firefox 3.0 alone has 26.7 percent of the market share according to the StatCounter stats. It’s a bit interesting that among all the talk recently of trying to get as many people as possible using WebKit browsers, that Firefox is in the lead. Though it isn’t surprising, given that even those who aren’t the least bit tech-savvy know to use Firefox. Either way, the more browsers that fully support the latest standards like HTML 5, the better.

Read [TechCrunch]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Healthcare via 160 characters at a time: SMS

JG Mason — 2009-07-06T13:25:06+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Mobile

Cell phones often bring people anxiety, foster email addition and prevent users from feeling “away from it all.” But now, the simple cell phone is becoming the vehicle for quality healthcare in rural places thanks to one inventive Stanford student, Josh Nesbit, and SMS capabilities.

The idea is rather simple, a laptop with a GSM modem resides in the “hub,” the area’s hospital. Volunteers in the field get the phones and submit symptoms via SMS. Using free software called FrontlineSMS which is an open-source software program that enables large-scale, two-way text messaging between the phones and the laptop, the doctors can respond with treatment instructions.

A six month pilot program was performed in Malawi where doctors are scarce. Instead of spending over 1000 hours traveling from one area to another, doctors were able to attend to more patients, spend more time in their clinics and patients were treated faster.

We provide tools, not solutions or programs. It’s up to local partners to apply these tools. By empowering clinics to run their own mobile health initiatives, we’re fostering sustainable projects based on need as well as assets.

Clearly, the world needs more bright kids who can use today’s technology to thwart the planets woes. Kudos to Nesbit for his efforts.

Company page: [FrontlineSMS] via [IntoMobile]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

ABC content hits Hulu starting today

Iyaz Akhtar — 2009-07-06T12:22:57+00:00

Section: Video, Content, Web, Web 2.0, Websites, Online Music/Video

We knew that Dinsey bought a piece of Hulu recently, but we didn’t know when they would start putting content on the site. Wonder no more because Disney’s ABC content is up on Hulu starting today. First up is “Grey’s Anatomy.”

ABC’s video player was always distinct from a lot of other network sites as it required you to watch an advertisement then click to continue watching your program. Now that ABC content is on Hulu, you can watch the video like any other Hulu video—passively.

The resolution tops out at 480p on Hulu, whereas higher quality HD video is available at ABC’s network site. If you want higher resolution video, hit the network site. If you want decent video without having to click to continue, Hulu’s now an option.

Read: [Hulu Blog]

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AOL shuts down CompuServe Classic once and for all

Robert Nelson — 2009-07-06T11:10:26+00:00

Section: Computers

With a name that comes back like a blast, or maybe more like a nightmare from the past, CompuServe is back in the headlines. My nightmare of CompuServe came in the form of horrible dial up moments and hourly charges back in the early to mid nineties, but there was a CompuServe even before that in the form of an email service.

On top of that, the email service was what most would consider a strange form of email today, and served up usernames that if chosen today would seem like it was coming directly from a spammer. The accounts were numeric and had an address that would have went something like this; xxxxx.xxxx@compuserve.com.

Anyway, getting back to the point, AOL, the current owner has killed off CompuServe. Of course, that brings up another point or more accurately a question; CompuServe was still alive? Of course, the CompuServe that I knew and mostly hated was dwindled down to nothing by the end of the late 90s after it was purchased and not welcomed by AOL.

So, if you knew CompuServe was still around and kicking, then RIP to CompuServe. Otherwise, just move along, because we already know there are plenty of spam-like email usernames from the numerous other providers such as AOL, Hotmail and even Gmail.

Read [Basexblog] Via [Wired - Beyond The Beyond]

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Hot gaming news for the week of 6-28-2009

NEWS — 2009-07-05T21:14:31+00:00

Section:

No need to scour the interwebs for hot gaming news, Gamertell‘s already done that for you! Here’s a look at this week’s top stories…

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »