Technology and Time

"Unlocked" iPad Won't Work on T-Mobile 3G

2010-01-27T18:39:00.000-06:00

When Apple says AT&T exclusive, they mean AT&T exclusive.

In a twist of the knife familiar to iPhone owners, the iPad won't run on T-Mobile's 3G network, even if you put a T-Mobile "Micro SIM" into it.

The reason, as usual, has to do with frequency bands. Apple advertises the iPad as running on UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100 Mhz. T-Mobile's HSDPA network runs on the AWS band, at 1700 Mhz. No AWS band, no T-Mobile 3G.

The iPad will run on T-Mobile's EDGE network, which delivers speeds of about 120-200 kbps/sec. But that's pretty slow for Web browsing, as anyone who's had an iPhone stuck in EDGE mode knows.

Of course, T-Mobile users get the Google Nexus One, which won't work on AT&T's band. Until someone starts building chipsets that support both HSDPA bands - I haven't seen many of those yet - Americans are just going to have to remain used to their one-carrier phones.

Report: Liquid Diamond Flows on Neptune and Uranus

2010-01-24T18:46:00.000-06:00

It could be like the 1848 Gold Rush--except for diamond, and on another planet.
Discovery News reports that oceans of liquid diamond, complete with solid diamond icebergs, could be flowing on both Neptune and Uranus. The research, first reported in the journal Nature Physics, found that diamond behaves just like water when freezing or melting, with solid forms floating on top of liquid forms, the report said.

What's interesting about this is that diamond is very difficult to melt. It's very hard, and tends to turn into graphite at very high temperatures. That graphite is what melts in the end, the report said. When researchers liquefied the diamond at super-high pressures similar to those found on Uranus and Neptune, and then reduced the temperature later, solid pieces of diamond began to appear that didn't sink.

Diamond oceans--already theorized numerous times in the past, but even more likely in light of this latest research--could also explain the orientation of Uranus and Neptune's magnetic fields, the report said. We won't know the composition for sure without either sending spacecraft there, or simulating the conditions here on Earth; both of which require oodles of money.

And for the record, I was joking about a new Gold Rush. Because that's all we need: Richard Branson in his SpaceShipTwo flying to Neptune and sticking a flag in its (gaseous) surface.

NASA’s Puffin Is Way Cooler Than a Jetpack

2010-01-22T03:12:00.001-06:00

The engineers at NASA have combined every one of our geeky transportation dreams into a single little vehicle called the Puffin.

It takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane. It can cruise at 140 mph and, with a boost mode, hit about twice that. Oh — and it’s electric.

If that sounds too good to be true, it is — for the moment. But give it time. NASA unveiled the concept today at the American Helicopter Society meeting in San Francisco.

The tilt-rotor Puffin has a flight system similar to the V-22 Osprey, but instead of carrying a bunch of Marines and their gear, the Puffin carries one person in the prone position. The rotors are nearly 7.5 feet in diameter and the aircraft has a wingspan just over 13 feet. Thanks to carbon composite construction, the Puffin weighs in at less than 400 pounds including the lithium phosphate batteries.

The Puffin is designed to stand on its tail, which serves as the landing gear (check out the video). Once the Puffin transitions to horizontal flight, the pilot can cruise at more than 140 miles per hour. Hit the boost mode and this bird will do nearly 300 mph. The projected range is 50 miles on a charge. Yeah, that’s not much, but using electricity means the Puffin’s powerplant won’t be limited by air density. NASA says it should be able to climb under full power to around 30,000 feet before the battery pack would be depleted enough to require coming back down.

So why call it the Puffin?

“If you’ve ever seen a puffin on the ground, it looks very awkward, with wings too small to fly, and that’s exactly what our vehicle looks like,” Mark Moore, an aerospace engineer at NASA Langley Research Center, told Scientific American. “But it’s also apparently called the most environmentally friendly bird because it hides its poop, and we’re environmentally friendly because we have essentially no emissions. Also, puffins tend to live in solitude, only ever coming together on land to mate, and ours is a one-person vehicle.”

No word on when the Puffin will make its first manned flight, though NASA plans to finish a one-third size demonstrator by March and see how well it transitions from cruising to hovering. But it’s safe to say that if this bird flies — and that’s a very big if — we’ll no longer be dreaming of having our own jetpack.

Conan O'Brien leaves NBC for $45 million deal

2010-01-21T11:21:00.006-06:00

NBC's late-nightmare is over. The network announced Thursday (Jan. 21) that Conan O'Brien will leave "The Tonight Show" and NBC.

O'Brien is expected to tape his last "Tonight" on Friday (Jan. 22).
NBC and O'Brien agreed to a $45 million deal wherein Conan receives $33 million under the condition that he not return to television for eight months.

There is also no provision that says his $33 million will go down by the amount of his new television deal, as was previously speculated. The rest of the $45 million will go towards the severance package for his "Tonight Show" staff members. Jay Leno will return to hosting "The Tonight Show" after the Winter Olympics.

The official deal comes after almost two weeks of sturm und drang about the future of O'Brien and Leno, and to at least some degree of the network as a whole. NBC said Sunday, Jan. 10 that the prime-time "Jay Leno Show," which had pulled weak ratings and damaged affiliates' local news numbers, would end, and network chairman Jeff Gaspin floated a plan to give Leno a half-hour show at 11:35 p.m., pushing "The Tonight Show" to just after midnight and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to 1 a.m.

Two days later, however, O'Brien released a statement saying he didn't want to move to midnight. "I sincerely believe that delaying 'The Tonight Show' into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting," he said. "'The Tonight Show' at 12:05 simply isn't 'The Tonight Show.'"

That kicked off a round of sniping that played out in the two hosts' monologues -- as well as those of David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson -- intense negotiations and lots of reports about when O'Brien would be doing his last show.

Negotiations dragged on as NBC and O'Brien's camp hammered out details, with reports of "it'll be done tomorrow" trickling out for almost a week.

Now it's done and Conan O'Brien will receive $33 million for seven months' work. Not a bad deal, though we'd wager he still feels pretty raw about the whole thing.

Microsoft Sues TiVo over Video Patents

2010-01-21T06:58:00.002-06:00

Microsoft on Wednesday filed suit against TiVo in a California District Court, accusing the company of violating several patents regarding video programming.

Microsoft claims that components of TiVo's set-top box products, subscription services, and software infringe on Microsoft-held patents for a "system for displaying programming information" and a "system and method for secure purchase and delivery of video content programs."

"We remain open to resolving this situation through an intellectual property licensing agreement, and we have initiated discussions to engage TiVo in negotiations," Kevin Kutz, Microsoft's director of public affairs, said in a statement.

TiVo said the Microsoft suit is simply a means to defend AT&T in a separate case.

In August, TiVo filed a patent suit against AT&T and Verizon in a Texas District Court, accusing them of infringing on patents related to its digital video recorder (DVR) patents. TiVo pointed to AT&T's U-verse service as one of the infringing products.

On Friday, Microsoft filed an intervention complaint in that case, stating that TiVo's case against AT&T involves Microsoft as well.

"U-verse is a subscription service provided by certain subsidiaries of AT&T Inc. As part of the television subscription, a U-verse subscriber is provided with a set-top box with certain digital video recording and playback functionality," Microsoft wrote in its complaint. "The set-top boxes run Microsoft software known as Mediaroom. [TiVo's] accusations of infringement by AT&T Inc. therefore implicate Microsoft software and technology."

"Microsoft's recent legal actions, including its decision to seek to intervene on behalf of its customer, AT&T, and its recent complaint against TiVo in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California do not bear on whether the AT&T products and services that are the subject of TiVo's complaint infringe the patents asserted by TiVo," TiVo said in a statement. "Rather these actions are part of a legal strategy to defend AT&T. We remain confident in our position that AT&T will be found to infringe on the TiVo patents asserted."

Sony delays PlayStation 3 motion controller

2010-01-20T18:31:00.001-06:00

Sony has pushed back the release of its highly anticipated motion controller for its PlayStation 3 console until the autumn of 2010.

The controller, which tracks a player's body movements to play a game, was planned to go on sale in spring.

The delay will mean that it will launch around the same time as Microsoft's hands-free games controller, known as Project Natal, for its Xbox 360.

Both are seen as rivals to Nintendo's popular system for its Wii console.

Although demand for Nintendo's game's machine has slowed recently it still dominates console sales.

It has sold more than 56m units worldwide, compared to Microsoft's Xbox 360 which has sold 39m units and Sony's PS3 which has sold around 30m units.

Nintendo's console was the first to have a mass-market motion-detecting controller, allowing the gamer to control the onscreen action with body movements rather than controlling a joystick.

Sony's device is similar to Nintendo's controller. A camera sits on top of the TV and detects the motion of a coloured orb attached to the end of a wand held by the player.

It will be available in North America, Europe, Japan and other Asian countries. Sony has not confirmed its cost.

Unlike its rivals, Microsoft's Natal does not use a controller. Instead, a series of sensors allow the gamer to control the action using gestures, movement and speech.

It will be available in November this year.

Aliph Jawbone Icon sets new bar for Bluetooth headsets

2010-01-20T04:58:00.001-06:00

San Francisco's Aliph was already considered among the best, if not the best, Bluetooth headset maker with its Jawbone line of headsets.

But the company is pushing the envelope with its new Jawbone Icon devices, which are not only great looking and sounding, but they're intelligent in a way that Bluetooth headsets have never been before.

Jawbone Icon comes in six designs that range from functional jewelry to smart looking business accessory. Jawbone Icon comes with a dedicated on-off switch, along with a talk button and Jawbone's signature voice activity sensor, which senses when you're talking and activates its NoiseAssassin noise-canceling technology.

But the real magic happens inside. The devices actually sport an operating system that can allow it become a platform for applications. Now they're not iPhone like apps but they are useful short-cuts bringing you services through what used to be a somewhat dumb piece of hardware.

Using Aliph's new MyTalk website, which is in beta, you can connect your Icon to your computer via USB and program it with an app that lets you do things like call Free 411 or use Jott, the note-taking service. Or you can listen and post to Facebook and Twitter using your voice. From MyTalk, you can also set what kind of voice you want to hear on your Icon.

There are six different voices that give you caller ID or what your remaining talk time is. You can also set your volume level on your Icon so that it can normalize the voice levels you hear, so all your inbound sounds stays within a certain range. This is sort of necessary because there is no volume rocker on the Icon.

Jawbone Icon also has some nice iPhone integration so when you pair it with an iPhone, you can see a battery meter for your Icon headset. That's actually really useful because it's often hard to know when your Bluetooth headset is almost dead and needs charging.

The sound quality is great on the Jawbone Icon. Most people won't even know you're on the headset.

Aliph is trying to make buying and using a headset a frictionless proposal. Right now, it's not the case for many consumers. They might have bought a headset to comply with California's hands-free law but many find they're not turning to their headset that often.

Jawbone Icon helps address some of those problems. I like the On-Off switch, which tells me clearly if the device is ready to go. And the battery status updates, whether through the Icon's voice service or on the iPhone, really helps me know when to charge it up. That's another barrier for consumers, who can't discern their battery life and then turn to a dead headset, which only discourages them even more.

Perhaps the nicest surprise is that the Jawbone Icon sells for $99. Maybe a little steep for some but it's got the most features and best performance of any headset around.

Undersea Internet Cables Could Detect Electromagnetic Tsunami Signals

2010-01-19T21:43:00.001-06:00

Tsunamis may be detectable with underwater fiber-optic cables, according to a new detailed model of the electrical fields the moving water generates.

The charged particles in the ocean water interact with Earth’s magnetic field to induce voltage of up to 500 millivolts in the cables that ferry internet traffic around. With relatively simple technology, those voltage spikes could serve as a tsunami-warning system for nations that can’t afford large arrays of other types of sensors.

“What we argue is that this is such a simple system to set up and start measuring,” said Manoj Nair, a geomagnetist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who led the research. “We have a system of submarine cables already existing. The only thing we probably need is a voltmeter, in theory.”

The salt in ocean water makes it a good electrical conductor. Positively charged sodium and negatively charged chlorine ions in the solution are free to move. In a large movement of ocean water, these ions are carried across the Earth’s magnetic field creating an electrical field.

Decades ago, Bell Labs researchers revealed that the movement of ocean water after the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake created “a large-scale motional electric field” that was detectable by an underwater cable. But the work wasn’t followed up because alternative technologies were available that could take better measurements.

Rich countries like the United States can install sea bottom pressure arrays like those used by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. These directly detect the motion of large amounts of water.

But some countries can’t afford to install and maintain those arrays, so it could be critical to have a lower-cost alternative.

Nair’s work, which will be published in February’s Earth, Planets and Space, quantified the physics of this lower-cost alternative by building a model of the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. He and his team showed that the voltages induced in the submarine cables would be large enough to measure.

It’s a major step towards turning this speculative idea into a real system, and he stressed that other groups would have to confirm the results of their model through observations.

“We treat this as a novel idea that we’re putting forth, but it still needs to be taken seriously and verified by other groups,” Nair cautioned.

For Microsoft and Xbox, Focus Shifts From Game to Video

2010-01-19T06:04:00.002-06:00

Executives at Microsoft are fond of saying that its subscription gaming service, Xbox Live, should be thought of as a cable channel.

They want Xbox to be seen not merely as a gaming machine for teenagers, but as a media portal for parents and grandparents, too. The company is even producing shows for users: it is in the middle of the second season of "1 vs. 100," an interactive version of a game show that was on NBC.

The content ambitions do not end there. Microsoft has held in-depth talks with the Walt Disney Company about a programming deal with ESPN, according to people close to the talks, who requested anonymity because the talks were intended to be private.

For a per-subscriber fee, ESPN could provide live streams of sporting events, similar to the ones available through ESPN 360, a service that is available from some high-speed Internet providers. Microsoft could also create some interactive games in association with ESPN, the people said. One of the people said the deal was not imminent. The companies declined to comment.

Already, video game consoles are putting a new emphasis on the video, rather than the game.

The roughly 20 million monthly members of Xbox Live can surf Facebook, browse an online mall of movies and TV episodes and, if they pay, watch Netflix.

"It's 20 million connected living rooms," said Marc Whitten, the general manager of Xbox Live.

Similarly, users of the Sony PlayStation can tune into BBC shows and see Weather Channel updates, as well as stream Netflix. Last week, Netflix extended its streaming service to the Nintendo Wii.

Among the many companies that want to transport the on-demand qualities of the Internet into the living room--the over-the-top model, in industry parlance--the console makers have a significant head start. Nearly 60 percent of American homes now have at least one console, according to the consulting firm Deloitte, up from 44 percent three years ago.

"For both of the big guys, it's about extending the value of the hardware platform," said Mike McGuire, a vice president for the research firm Gartner, referring to Microsoft and Sony. "The devices are hooked to TVs and have broadband connections, and there are more and more opportunities to license movies and TV shows and deliver them in over-the-top models."

Microsoft said this month that it had sold 39 million Xbox 360 consoles around the world. About half sign into Xbox Live each month. At that size, "it starts to feel like a cable network," said Mark Kroese, who oversees Xbox advertising sales for Microsoft. The company does not specify how many members pay for access to premium services like Netflix; basic functions of Xbox Live are free.

The company says it regularly counts more than a million concurrent users--and topped out at 2.2 million at one point during Christmas week last month. That compares favorably to some of the top channels on cable, like TBS and the Cartoon Network, which reach about one million viewers at any given time, according to the Nielsen Company.

The comparisons are crude at best because many of Xbox Live's users are playing games rather than watching video. No third-party measurement exists, because ratings companies like Nielsen do not yet track the service fully.

But there is no doubt that consoles are expanding their domain, something that is evident in Whitten's vision of the service: "The entertainment you want, the people you care about, wherever you are."

The addition of Netflix in late 2008 was an important step into the entertainment arena for Xbox, and perhaps a precursor to Microsoft's current talks with Hollywood producers.

Without releasing specific numbers, Whitten said the streaming movies and TV service were "very, very popular," including in his own household.

Whitten said Microsoft wanted to be a bigger player in television and film viewing. He declined to comment on the conversations with Disney but said more than once that "there's going to be a ton of experimentation around business models and rights."

"Our goal is, really, how can we get as much content there as possible," he said.

Disney is not alone in showing an interest in the console market. Many companies sell TV episodes and film rentals through Microsoft's online store, and Web video ventures are clamoring to have a place on the service.

Console makers have a long way to go to be considered replacements for cable subscriptions, but, at the very least, they could put a dent in the time spent viewing traditional TV.

The interactive game show "1 vs. 100" drew well over 100,000 concurrent users at times during its first season last year, according to Microsoft's internal data. During the second season, which began in November, two-hour TV-style trivia competitions are scheduled on Tuesday and Friday nights. A voice-over announcer, shown onscreen as an avatar, provides live color commentary.

Like the defunct NBC show, the game has a contestant, "The One," and a "Mob" of 100 other players. Members of the audience can watch passively or play along, improving their odds of being picked to play for prizes. Unlike on the live-action TV show, every player on Xbox is represented by a cartoonish avatar.

Dave McCarthy, a general manager at Microsoft Game Studios, said the scheduled TV-style shows provided a guarantee that "you're a part of something bigger."

Beyond the game show realm, Microsoft also exclusively shows "The Guild," a sitcom that it bills as "Seinfeld" meets video game culture. It stars its creator, the actress Felicia Day, and is sponsored by Sprint.

For advertisers like Sprint, online communities like Xbox Live are another arena to pursue consumers. Within "1 vs. 100" there are 15- and 30-second commercial breaks like on TV. Those spots account for about 15 percent of the service's advertising revenue; most of the rest comes from ads on Xbox Live navigation pages, like display ads on Web sites.

In November, Nielsen started to track "1 vs. 100" play and ad views. The pilot program "is the tip of the iceberg," said Gerardo Guzman, a director for Nielsen Games; eventually, he hopes to generate TV-style ratings.

Kroese said Xbox advertisers were "very interested in being able to compare the media buy on Xbox to other media buys they do."

Microsoft says nearly half of Xbox Live members use its entertainment content; the rest mostly play multiplayer games. But it expects that more of its users will try the entertainment side and the line between them will blur further.

"I don't think there's a real difference between a game and 'Lost.' Or a game and 'American Idol.' They're all ways we spend our leisure time," Whitten said.

Over time, he predicted, "these narrow swim lanes--games, music, movies, etc.--will dissolve."

NASA Cuts Price for Retired Space Shuttles

2010-01-19T05:18:00.002-06:00

NASA on Friday slashed its multi-million dollar price tag for museums looking to acquire one of its three space shuttle orbiters after they are retired later this year. The due date for the reduced payment, which dropped by almost one-third, was also advanced to be six months earlier than previously announced.

Interested educational institutions and science museums will now only owe the space agency an estimated $28.8 million - down from the $42 million set in December 2008 - if they are chosen to receive either shuttles Atlantis or Endeavour. Discovery, the oldest of the orbiters, has been promised to the National Air and Space Museum, although the Smithsonian will still need to pay the same fee.

The lower price comes as a result of NASA releasing the shuttles' recipients from having to underwrite the "safeing" of the vehicles, preparing them to be safely exhibited. The museums will still need to pay for ferrying the orbiter atop the agency's modified Boeing 747 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to a U.S. destination airport.

While updating its formal Request for Information (RFI) to museums, NASA also revised its schedule for transferring the orbiters to begin six months earlier than previously stated in 2008.

As such, the earliest NASA will announce the final homes for Atlantis and Endeavour will be in July 2010, giving the selected museums approximately a year to fundraise and erect the required indoor housing for the orbiters.

NASA has set a Feb. 19, 2010 deadline for institutions to reply to the updated request in order to be considered to receive an orbiter.

In the interim, NASA is continuing to ready Endeavour to fly the first of five remaining shuttle missions to complete the International Space Station. STS-130 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 7 on a 13-day mission to deliver the third and final connecting node for the orbiting outpost.

Metal Gear Movie Dead

2010-01-18T18:07:00.002-06:00

Metal Gear Movie Dead, Producer says film adaptation not happening.

The movie won't be happening, at least in the foreseeable future, according to producer Michael De Luca.

He told -->Collider: "I don't think it's going to move forward because I got the sense that there may not be enough of a coordinated will at this point on the side of certain parties to see a movie get made."

He explained that Konami is concerned about a duff movie hurting the image of the game series. "The franchise being as big as it is kind of helps the movie. I'm not sure the movie does the same thing for the game."

De Luca added: "The videogame companies are very protective of their property and there are certain things a studio requires freedom-wise to market and distribute a movie effectively in a global marketplace and sometimes getting those two things to match up is really hard -- it was just kind of impossible to get the agendas to match up."
So that seems to be that for a MGS film for the time-being, but if Prince of Persia or another game adaptation makes money this year, then perhaps Konami might have a change of heart.

Glory for Avatar at Golden Globes

2010-01-18T06:36:00.001-06:00

Blockbuster sci-fi epic Avatar has been named best film drama at the Golden Globe awards, boosting its chances of further glory at the Oscars in March.

Its director James Cameron was also honoured at the event, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep won the best actress prizes, with Jeff Bridges and Robert Downey Jr taking home their male equivalents.

Ricky Gervais hosted the event, the first of 2010's major Hollywood awards. Presented each year by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Globes often indicate who and what will go on to receive Academy Awards.

Television shows are also celebrated at the gala, where prizes are divided between dramas and comedies or musicals.

Cameron's double victory was a vindication of the 55-year-old's faith in his ambitious and costly computer-generated fantasy.

His best director prize also saw him triumph over his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, nominated in the same category for Iraq drama The Hurt Locker.

"This is the best job in the world," he said as Avatar was named best film. "What we do is make entertainment for a global audience."

The Canadian film-maker previously won a Golden Globe for directing Titanic, which went on to win 11 Academy Awards in 1998.

But he steered clear of the self-aggrandising language of his "king of the world" Oscar acceptance speech, heaping praise upon Bigelow, and addressing his actors in Na'vi, the language created for his blockbuster film.

As Cameron accepted his prizes, it was revealed that Avatar had remained top of the US box office for a fifth week.

Worldwide takings for the film now stand at $1.6 bn, setting it on course to top Titanic's $1.8 bn haul this week - which would make it the top-grossing film of all time.

3D, Gaming, Pico Projectors Rocked Computer Electronic Show

2010-01-18T00:30:00.001-06:00

One of the bright spots of CES 2010 was the projector scene. Home theater, gaming, and and 3D projectors were abundant. So were pico projectors, which are getting brighter, higher resolution, and adding innovative flourishes.

Although the televisions being shown at CES generated most of the 3D buzz, we were pleased to also see the introduction of several 3D-ready projectors, for both home-theater and educational use. The ViewSonic PJD6531w is a 3,000-lumen DLP projector capable of either 2D or 3D operation. It's designed for tabletop use, but can also be mounted on a ceiling for use in a classroom or meeting room. Along with the pico projectors mentioned below, Optoma announced the first two models in its GameTime projector line. Both the GT360 and GT720 are 3D-ready and optimized for use with gaming platforms, the GT360 for the Nintendo Wii and the GT720 for the Wii, Microsoft Xbox, and Sony PlayStation. Optoma plans to launch half a dozen additional 3D-ready projectors in the first six months of 2010.

Now, on to the picos. Microvision demoed the production version of its long-awaited ShowWX, the first laser pico projector we've looked at. It still has some kinks to iron out, but laser projectors have one big advantage over other technologies: you don't need to focus them, ever, due to the nature of collimated laser light.

3M and Optoma each came out with their third-generation pico projectors. 3M showed off its MPro150 Pocket Projector, building on its predecessor, the MPro120, by offering both built-in memory and micro-SD card slot, 15 lumens of rated brightness, and a suite of applications for business and recreational use. Optoma countered with a pair of pico projectors, the PK201 and PK301, both with 854-by-480 native resolution (a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio). The PK201, which Optoma sees as a companion for mobile devices, is rated at 20 lumens in bright mode, 10 lumens in standard mode. Optoma bills the PK301 as a business tool, a projection companion for netbooks, and cites a brightness of 50 lumens when using AC power, 20 with battery power. Even 20 lumens are considerably brighter than previous-generation models.

Favi Entertainment is also introducing a 50-lumen business pico projector, the Favi RIOLED-Q, and a consumer counterpart, the RIOLED-V. The latter is a WiFi-enabled model that uses Linux to run Web apps; the company sees it as a hybrid projector/media player.

HD resolution for pico projectors is still a dream, but may not be far off. Syndiant, a maker of hi-res microdisplays for pico projectors, teamed with Foryou Multimedia Electronics to demo a prototype 1,024-by-600 shirt-pocket-sized projector, designed for use with relatively high-resolution devices like laptops.

One accessory that created a lot of buzz at CES is the BlackBerry Presenter. When plugged into a projector or monitor, this dongle lets people run a PowerPoint presentation directly from their BlackBerry smartphone.

We're looking forward to testing and reviewing the BlackBerry Presenter and several more of these projectors as they become available. We're hoping that their reality lives up to their promise.

Detroit auto show: Tesla touts its ambitious product goals

2010-01-17T18:50:00.000-06:00

Enthusiasts have taken a quick shine to the Tesla Roadster, but the nifty two-seater is not truly a harbinger of things to come from the California electric carmaker.

Tesla's goal is to make more mainstream cars, though it admits that's far from reality. The company's future product plans include two more models that could build volume and expand it beyond its current status as a producer of niche sports cars.

The Model S, an eye-catching sedan, is due in about two and a half years. A third car, which would perhaps be the most affordable, could arrive about five years.

“The roadster is really a stepping stone,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the Detroit auto show. He compared the Roadster with early Porches and said he hopes it will become a collector's item.

Musk said the Roadster could sell 700 to 1,000 units a year, while the Model S could reach 20,000 annually if things go well. The Model S will also be available through leasing.

“The strategy has always been to get to mass-market electric cars,” Musk said.

The company did click off a milestone recently, producing its 1,000th car, which it displayed at the Detroit auto show. It will be auctioned for charity, with three in the Detroit area among those to benefit.

Musk touched on a range of subjects during his media briefing. He also said:

-- Daimler, which has a stake in Tesla, has been a “benign and benevolent partner,” offering access to its supply chain and other support.

-- A team of 18 Tesla employees made the trip to Detroit for the show, taking turns driving a white Roadster Sport. The car, which was a bit dirty after the trip, was also at the company's display and traced the route through Phoenix, San Antonio, Chicago and other stops en route to Detroit.

--There are currently two running prototypes of the Model S, but the company hopes to have 20 or 30 by the end of the year.

Are Facebook Private Items Private? Not Really

2010-01-17T14:49:00.001-06:00

One of the big security stories of last month was that Facebook changed their privacy tools to give users more control.

One of the main changes was that users could, when posting an item, use granular control over who could see it, down to the point of specifying users who can and can't. Click the nearby image for a full-size example of the Custom Privacy dialog box.

But now F-Secure shows that private items are, at least in some cases, public.

I followed their example and created an image and set custom privacy, in the settings shown above, to "Only Me". The meaning is unambiguous: Nobody should be able to see this but me.

But go back to your wall and click on the time you created the image (such as "5 minutes ago")

See the address at the bottom, that's a publicly accessible URL through which anyone, even a non-Facebook member, can view the image. Take a look here:

I tried this with videos, events and links, and it didn't do the same thing, so perhaps this is a bug only in pictures. So thanks to F-Secure and good eye guys; I don't think Facebook privacy is completely phony, but this is definitely a bug in it.

Leno and NBC Strike 1 Hour 'Tonight' Deal

2010-01-15T16:54:00.005-06:00

Leno and NBC Strike 1 Hour 'Tonight' Deal
Jay Leno has made a new deal with NBC, which gives him "The Tonight Show" from 11:35 - 12:35.

As we first reported, under the contract Jay had been working under, he was guaranteed the 10 PM hour. By moving him to 11:35, NBC was in breach of his contract and needed to negotiate a new deal, that is now done.

So Conan O'Brien is out, and Jay is restored.

Ubisoft: New Assassin’s Creed, Shifting Focus to 360/PS3

2010-01-15T03:25:00.001-06:00

The next Assassin’s Creed game will feature online multiplayer and be available by March 2011, Ubisoft said Wednesday.

In a press release detailing the company’s earnings projections, the publisher said that “a new episode” in the series (the numeral III was not used) will be released in the next fiscal year, which runs until March. Other big titles during the 2010-2011 window include Rayman Raving Rabbids 4, Driver, Ghost Recon, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and the recently delayed Splinter Cell: Conviction.

In general, Ubisoft said it would release more games for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the upcoming fiscal year, saying that the consoles promise “sustained sales growth in games for gamers.”

Meanwhile, about games not for gamers — that is, casual titles — Ubi said that it would release fewer Nintendo DS games due to slowing sales on the handheld. Ubi said that it expects its casual game sales to be down 50% for the current year — although it pointed out that this is in spite of the fact that sales of casual games on Wii, particularly its new game Just Dance, have been “relatively robust.”

Ultimate Ears Builds a $1,350 Custom Earphone Pair

2010-01-15T02:11:00.005-06:00

Wow. I thought the UE10, at $1,000, was expensive. The new Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors from Ultimate Ears, however, earn their price.

First off, they're aimed at pros and prosumers -- so they are good enough to be Bono's on-stage in-ear system, but there's no reason avid fans can't save their pennies and use them as the ultimate iPod earphones.

Like previous Ultimate Ears custom models, the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro requires a visit to the audiologist, who will fill your ears with goo that quickly dries and forms the basis for your custom mold. This goo mold gets sent to Ultimate Ears' headquarters in Irvine, Calif., where it's used to build your custom pair.

So why the price increase? Um, each ear-piece has six -- SIX -- drivers. In other words, there are six different speakers dividing up the entire frequency range, each one fine-tuned to accurately deliver what it's assigned to. Your iPod earbuds have one really lousy driver per ear.

The whole kit comes with a rugged
aluminum "roadie box," and the noise isolation provided by these babies
is far more effective than any active noise cancellation on the market.
If the noise isolation is too intense for you, you can pay another $50
(Why not? You already dropped $1,350!) for a more open, "ambient" version. The Ultimate Ears 18 Pro ships in February, so you have plenty of time to sell the LCD TV you bought for the Super Bowl and buy these with the refund.

Toshiba puts Cell processor in a TV

2010-01-14T22:10:00.001-06:00

The Cell is the microchip that powers the Sony PlayStation 3, and it's a unique and very powerful processor that's responsible for the PS3's impressive graphics capabilities.

Now the chip is finding a home inside a television, courtesy of Toshiba, which showed off its slate of upcoming Cell-powered TVs at CES 2010.

The setup is complicated, to say the least: The Cell resides not in the panel itself but in a set-top box separate from the TV set. The box then connects wirelessly to the television. The breakout box also includes a DVR and other media server features, including a terabyte hard disk, internet video connectivity, and a host of connections to services like Netflix and Pandora. It's even got a DVD player built in.

Why drop a Cell in here? According to a story in TWICE, the Cell chip is 143 times faster than the processors in the typical LCD TV, which means viewers can expect to see a better, crisper picture no matter where the image is coming from. It can also adjust brightness levels dynamically in 512 different zones on the screen, will adjust color temperature to match room lighting, and can convert any 2D content to 3D in real time, without additional equipment (except, of course, for standard 3D goggles).

There was no immediate word on pricing. Availability is set only for "later this year."

Toshiba has been a huge, if inexplicable, fan of the Cell chip for years. Most recently it experimented with putting a Cell processor in a laptop. That plan ultimately didn't pan out, though, and Toshiba killed the Cell-powered line after about a year.

I saw several of Toshiba's Cell TVs in person at CES and wholly agree that they look great... but are they 143 times better than your typical LCD TV? Not hardly, but as content sources improve in resolution and features (the 3D angle could be a biggie), perhaps we'll see the Cell difference in action.

Detroit auto show: Volkswagen reveals New Compact Coupe

2010-01-14T21:10:00.002-06:00

Volkswagen has gone public on plans for a coupe variant of the next-generation Jetta with the unveiling of a near-to-production-ready concept on Monday at the Detroit auto show.

Dubbed the New Compact Coupe (NCC), the new two-door presages the look and mechanical layout Volkswagen plans to adopt on a new front-wheel-drive model to be built at its Puebla plant in Mexico as part of ongoing plans to further penetrate the U.S. market.

Conceived primarily for North America--which does not receive the Volkswagen Scirocco, owing to the high cost of importing it from Palmela, Portugal, where it is assembled alongside the Eos--Volkswagen says a production version of the NCC could also be sold in other key markets as part of the sixth-generation Jetta lineup, which will also include a similarly styled sedan and wagon.

All three future Jetta models are expected to share the same edgy styling and detailing revealed by the NCC. However, the upcoming coupe is set to boast its own unique front-end design, a faster windshield angle, frameless doors and widened tracks in a move similar to that used by BMW in differentiating the 3-series coupe from its four-door sedan sibling.

"We didn't just want to put two doors on a Jetta. Buyers expect more from a coupe these days. The changes are subtle, but they help provide the NCC with its own visual flavor," said Klaus Bischoff, head of Volkswagen brand design.

At 178.5 inches in length, 70.1 inches in width and 55.6 inches in height, the NCC adheres closely to the dimension of today's Jetta. But with a rear track that has been lengthened by more than an inch and a slightly lower ride height, it boasts a more planted stance that is further enhanced on the Detroit show car by 19-inch alloys shod with 235/35 section Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.

The NCC's drivetrain provides the first clues to how Volkswagen plans to add a gasoline-electric hybrid option to selected volume selling front-wheel-drive models, including the Golf and the Jetta, from 2014 onward. At the heart of the new two-door is the German carmaker's popular Twincharger engine. The transversely mounted supercharged and turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder delivers 150 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.

The direct-injection unit is supported by a brushless electric motor integrated into the gearbox within the left-hand side of the engine bay. With 27 hp and 103 lb-ft, it draws electricity from a 1.1 kilowatt/hour lithium-ion battery housed in the floor of the trunk to boost the NCC's overall output to 177 hp and 280 lb-ft.

Channeling the combined outputs to the front wheels is a specially adapted version of Volkswagen's latest seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The wet-sump unit, engineered to handle up to 500 Nm of torque, has been modified to include automatic stop/start and brake-energy recuperation.

Volkswagen has engineered its new hybrid system to allow electric-only propulsion, albeit for short distances only owing to the small capacity of the battery. In electric mode, the gaoline engine not only shuts off but is also disengaged by the clutch to reduce mechanical drag in a so-called "coast down" mode.

Volkswagen isn't revealing how much the system weighs but claims the NCC will hit 62 mph from standstill in 8.1 seconds on the way to a top speed of 141 mph.

CES 2010 Recap: The 5 Biggest Trends

2010-01-13T21:18:00.001-06:00

1. Ford Sync, Audi MMI, Kia Uvo: Best in Show
Ford rocked forward with a new version of Sync (photo top) with Bluetooth, USB music connector, voice input, three ways to access the Internet from every seat in the car (laptop aircard, cellphone data stream, WiFi in your garage or rest area), and rocker switches on the steering wheel using the same layout as the game pad or cellphone rocker you already know how to use. Audi, tucked away in the nVidia booth, showed its next-generation MMI, or multimedia interface (photo above) with an iDrive-like control wheel and an Alps touchpad so you can enter text one character at a time, such for a destination; sometimes two or three characters are all you need for a unique destination name (A-L-B in New Mexico would take you to Albuquerque). Audi's MMI display uses an nVidia chipset to keep the screen updated intantly. Microsoft with its Windows Automotive area showed Ford Sync cars and others using similar technologies such as Fiat's Blue & Me, the precursor to Sync. And Kia showecase Uvo (pronounced YOO-voe, as in "your voice"), fruit of the Hyundai-Kia-Microsoft partnership. This was the newest, hottest, most clearly useful technology of CES.

2. 3D TV: Triumph of Vendor Hope Over User Reality?
Everybody showed off 3D TV, where two slightly overlaid, slightly out of-register images take on three dimensions when you don a pair of special goggles. But will 3D be must-see TV? If you saw Need for Speed in 3D (also in that nVidia booth), you know it's a winner for gaming on PC monitors and maybe on big TVs. I've been around a couple racetracks and, seeing them in 3D, it's almost like being there minus the smell of overheated brakes. 3D also works for porn, which I didn't see being demonstrated at CES, and it wasn't for lack of investigation on my part. 3D probably works for specialty videos and spectacular movies (Avatar). But for mainstream TV? We have a dozen friends over to watch the Super Bowl; there, 3D glasses would get in the way of what's more a social than TV-watching event. Plus, BYO would have to include 3D goggles, not just beer, if company came over. On the other hand, if 3D comes as a no-extra-cost feature of higher-end TVs, and mostly the TV is used for traditional programs, it's something worth having. HDTV was a big thing; 3D isn't quite in that league.

3. eBooks Approach Critical Mass
eBooks are coming. Lower prices will help. There will be enough material soon, especially as Amazon sells book-plus-eBook combos. The problem remains: Users want color, especially for school textbooks. They also want long battery life, which means monochrome systems, and they'd like screens to update faster. This is almost ready for prime time.

4. Overabundance of iPod / iPhone cases
You couldn't walk more than two booths in the Las Vegas Convention Center's South Hall without running into a purveyor of cases for Apple iPods and iPhones: hardshell, softshell; plastic, silicone, neoprene; solid color, silkscreen, dye sublimation. There must be 10 times as much iPod case production capacity as there will ever be demand. There was similar optimism and excess, just not wretched excess, among makers of sub-$50 Bluetooth earpieces, booster batteries for cellphones and iPods, and universal transformers. Half the vendors will be gone in a year, or selling something else.

5. Long Decline of Aftermarket Car Audio Continues
Automakers build in more and more electronics. There are very few cars left with easily replaced DIN and Double-DIN radios. Order a new car with premium audio and the speakers and amps are pretty good, too. All of which meant: fewer car AV booths, smaller AV booths, and fewer booth babes. The species isn't extinct, though.

O'Brien Pulls No Punches Against NBC

2010-01-13T01:17:00.002-06:00

On 'Tonight Show,' Conan O'Brien Jokes About Network Tension, Jay Leno Moving Back to Old Time Slot, Destination Unknown for Conan O'Brien

Hours after releasing a statement that he will not do "The Tonight Show" if his new airtime is 12:05 a.m., late night comedian Conan O'Brien took to the airwaves pulling no punches. After receiving more applause than usual, O'Brien urged his fans to settle down, quipping that "I may not have that much time."

His employer, NBC, had planned to unceremoniously oust the host from his 11:35 p.m. ET time slot come February to make room for a Jay Leno program.

"My name is Conan O'Brien and I may soon be available for children's parties," he announced.

He then reminisced about watching the "Tonight Show" as a child. "I remember watching Johnny Carson and thinking, someday I'm going to host that show for seven months," he said.

But O'Brien, seemingly uninterested in currying favor with NBC, let one of his staff writers, Deon Cole, deliver some of his harsher barbs. In a racy bit, Cole compared O'Brien to a prostitute and the network to his pimp.

"Is your job making people happy before they go to sleep?" Cole asked O'Brien. "Has Charlie Sheen ever been on your couch?"

Verteran NBC newsman Tom Brokaw was O'Brien's first guest of the evening and started by comparing himself to the crazy old uncle who gets wheeled out to a family reunion without realizing a feud was brewing.

"I also understand your anger and I wish you only happiness in your life," Brokaw told O'Brien. "It's hard for me to imagine you not a member of the family."

In the statement released today, the late night comedian did not make clear whether he plans to stay with NBC. In the wake of releasing his statement, the Internet rallied around O'Brien, turning him into a trending topic on Twitter, with fans voicing support for "Team Conan."

Below, the full text of O'Brien's statement.

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over "The Tonight Show" in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my "Tonight Show" in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the "Tonight Show" to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the "Tonight Show" has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the "Tonight Show" into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. "The Tonight Show" at 12:05 simply isn't the "Tonight Show." Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the "Late Night" show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of "The Tonight Show." But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the "Tonight Show," I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.

Yours,

Conan

NBC to Pull the Plug on Leno's Prime-Time Show

2010-01-12T23:39:00.002-06:00

NBC executive confirms Jay Leno's nightly prime-time show ending next month.

PASADENA, Calif. -- NBC decided to end the Jay Leno experiment when some of its affiliates started talking about dropping the nightly prime-time show, its top entertainment executive said Sunday.

NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin said Sunday that Leno's nightly prime-time show will end with the beginning of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 12. NBC wants Leno to do an 11:35 p.m. show each night, a return to his old time slot, Gaspin said.

Gaspin said despite lower ratings for NBC at 10 p.m. compared with last year, the network was making money off the show.

But affiliates were upset that the show was leading fewer viewers into their late news programs, costing them significant advertising revenue. Some affiliates told NBC in December they would go public soon about their complaints if a change wasn't made, or even take Leno's show off the air.

"The drumbeat started getting louder," Gaspin said.

Gaspin has proposed moving Conan O'Brien's "Tonight" show to 12:05 a.m., and Jimmy Fallon's show would start an hour later. But the late-night hosts had not agreed to the move. Gaspin said he expected NBC's late-night situation to be cleared up by the start of the Olympics.

Asked if O'Brien and Fallon expressed anger at his proposal, Gaspin said both men were professional and understanding when they talked.

"Beyond that, it was a private conversation," Gaspin said.

Detroit auto show: Honda debuts production CR-Z hybrid

2010-01-12T18:34:00.000-06:00

Two concept versions and more than two years later, Honda's CR-Z was finally shown in production form at the Detroit auto show.

The sporty two-seater hybrid coupe retains the basic shape of the original concept first shown at the 2007 Tokyo auto show, but it features a shorter wheelbase and a longer front overhang to meet crash standards.

At the heart of the CR-Z is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with Honda's Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology. The result is a combined peak output of 122 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque (123 lb-ft for continuously variable transmission models).

The CR-Z will be the first hybrid available with a six-speed manual, which is the standard transmission. A CVT with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters is optional. Preliminary fuel-economy estimates are 31/37 mpg city/highway for the manual and 36/38 mpg city/highway for CVT-equipped cars.

New to the hybrid system is a three-mode drive system that gives drivers the choice between Sport, Econ and Normal driving modes. For spirited drives, Sport sharpens engine throttle and steering response and the electric motor assist. Econ adjusts engine and electric-motor settings for optimal efficiency and reduces the air conditioning's load on the engine. Normal provides standard settings for steering, engine response, motor assist and air conditioning.

The interior features three-dimensional instruments with a blue color scheme. Depending on which drive mode is used, the inner ring of tachometer illuminates differently (red for Sport, transitions between blue and green for Econ and blue during Normal mode).

When the CR-Z goes on sale in late summer, it will be available in base and EX trims. Base models include stability control, a six-speaker audio system with USB connectivity, power windows, locks, remote keyless entry and cruise control. EX versions add xenon headlights, fog lights, a 360-watt premium sound system, Bluetooth, leather-wrapped steering wheel and center console with an armrest. Navigation is available on the EX.

Sony Could Increase Blu-ray Capacity By 33 Percent

2010-01-12T03:14:00.001-06:00

Sony appears to be readying technology that would increase the capacity of Blu-ray discs from 25 Gbytes to 33.4 Gbytes, an increase in capacity of just over 33 percent.

Nikkei Electronics Asia quotes a source at Sony that says the partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) signal
processing would continue to use the blue-violet laser (at 405 nanometers) currently used by the existing Blu-ray technology.

The problem, according to the story, was determining the error rate of the Blu-ray media, which currently is assessed using jitter. The new technique uses a method called i-MLSE
(Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation) , which both Sony and Panasonic jointly developed in a paper presented in October.

Sony plans to propose that the Blu-ray Disc Association adopt i-MLSE, which would open the technology up for widespread adoption. The story doesn't speculate on how this might affect Blu-ray media prices, or how quickly the technology could be implemented into Blu-ray readers don't appear to be the hot sellers that DVD burners once were. However, the additional capacity could easily be used by additional featurettes and other content accompanying Blu-ray movies.