ipod shuffle

Bush signs tougher anti-piracy law

2008-10-13T14:54:00.017-07:00

Bush signs tougher anti-piracy law
US President George Bush on Monday signed the PRO-IP Act into law, increasing the federal government's attempts to crack down on copyright violations and other intellectual property infringement in the country. The Act will bring in a cabinet member dedicated to improving copyright protection and also increases punishments for both basic copyright violations as well as physical counterfeits....

GBTV #441 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-13T14:54:00.015-07:00

GBTV #441 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
In an interview with CIO Magazine, Steve Balmer said they're working on porting the Zune software to Windows Mobile.

Sony's eBook reader, the PRS-700, was announced today. It'll have a touch screen, allowing you to "flip" pages with the swipe of a finger. It'll be available at the end of October.

Wii Speak is a new channel on the Wii. With a Wii mic, and you and three other people can voice chat.

The Nerd Girls are a group of women with the goal of encouraging girls to embrace science, technology, engineering and math. You can join their community at www.nerdgirls.com.

PrintWhatYouLike.com lets you print exactly what you want from a webpage, minus all the ads and extras that take up so much paper.

Don't forget about the State Fair of Texas meetup on Sunday, October 5th!

You can save money on domain name registrations and renewals from GoDaddy.com with discount codes GB1, GB2 and GB3. For an explanation of each code, click here. **Editors note: We were supposed to put a list of domains names that were registered with my promo codes, but we kind of forgot, so that segment is there for your comedic pleasure. :)

MacBreak 05: There is a Need for Panic

2008-10-13T14:54:00.013-07:00

Leo and Emery show you how to use Transmit, the award-winning FTP software from Panic Software. Read More

GBTV #0385 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-13T14:54:00.011-07:00

Drobo released an SDK today. Developers can build apps to make Drobo do more after joining the Drobo Developer Community.

Fontstruct is a free, Web-based app for future typography rock stars. I want the creator of the next Helvetica to be a GeekBrief.TV viewer.

GoLive2 is releasing a Wiimote inspired series of controllers for PC gaming and they're calling them Stix.

Philippe Starck designed a small wind turbine that might generate 20% to 60% of the energy needed to power a home. I skeptical, but definitely interested.

149 Series Mitsubishi HDTVs will include 16-point speaker systems that simulate 5.1 surround sound. Read More

Billings 3 prices reduced until November 30th

2008-10-13T14:54:00.009-07:00

Billings 3 prices reduced until November 30th

Filed under: Software

Marketcircle, the company behind Billings (which I mentioned in some depth recently), knows that a freelancer (or small business) needs every advantage they can get to survive in this economy. Sympathetic to the plight of the individuals on "Main Street," they're offering Billings 3 for $20 off the usual price, and upgrades for $10 off until November 30th. If you'd benefit from time tracking and high-quality invoices but weren't ready to drop $59.95 to get there, see if $39.95USD sounds a little better.

If you've already purchased or upgraded to Billings 3, you're not excluded from the party. Emailing a proof of purchase to Marketcircle will get you a voucher for the difference, redeemable for anything else in their store. See AJ's blog post for directions. Prices have also been reduced in the U.K., Canada, Europe and Australia with slightly modified numbers based on exchange rates. Stop by the Marketcircle store for details.

Continue reading Billings 3 prices reduced until November 30th

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MacBreak 158: MacBreak WWDC: Savant

2008-10-13T14:54:00.007-07:00

Alex shows us what Savant is doing to automate our home entertainment systems. Read More

Study shows 43% of college women prefer Macs

2008-10-13T14:54:00.005-07:00

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Cult of Mac, Apple Financial

"Hi, I'm a Mac. And I'm a PC." -- You've probably heard those words more than a few times. Apple has been airing the "Get a Mac" commercials for a few years, and from the looks of it, the ads have been fairly successful. But has it really helped spread the word that Mac is better?

iPhone Savior recently surveyed seven college women at a school in British Columbia (Canada) and found that almost half of them said they preferred a Mac over a PC. They note that their research on the subject was ended early due to "several unfriendly encounters with campus security."

Numbers don't lie ... and Apple has the numbers (quite literally) on their side. Recently, Apple's market share jumped to almost 8.2% for notebook users. That's just amazing (especially for such difficult economical times).

Please note: The iPhone Savior survey is very limited in statistical terms of population, and because of this, the data is probably skewed slightly. We should also note that before you take a poll on a college campus, make sure you're a student or have clearance from the proper school officials. That being said, feel free to take part in our own poll on this issue.

View Poll

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GBTV #0371 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-13T14:54:00.003-07:00

GBTV #0371 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
QIK.com, the camera streaming service announce support for two Windows Mobile phones.

Sanyo upgraded the Xacti to include a 300fps Slow-motion feature.

The HDD Stage Rack now supports two SATA drives and connects via eSATA or USB 2.0.

LocatePC phones home when a PC is stolen.

Superlame is a free Web app that lets you add cartoon balloons to your photos.

I'll be live with Woopra President, John P. Saturday, June 7th at 12 PM Pacific time on CaliLIVE.tv.

Microsoft sues DHL over Xbox train derailment

2008-10-13T14:54:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Gaming, Transportation

You know who Microsoft hates? No, not Apple. It really hates DHL. Apparently, the delivery service has hit the folks in Redmond where it hurts: in the Xbox. It seems that 21,600 consoles were totally messed over by "impact damage, wetting, pilfering and shortage" when one of the company's freight trains derailed en route to Long Beach, California. The big M claims that DHL refuses to compensate for the lost goods, and has filed a complaint at a US District Court in Seattle, calling for $2 million in damages and stating that the shipper "negligently breached its duties as a common carrier, handler, bailee, warehouseman, agent, or in other capabilities." Harsh words, but really, who's to blame for this mess? Next time we suggest going with G.O.D.

[Thanks, Andrew S.]

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GBTV #0386 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-13T14:53:00.001-07:00

GBTV #0386 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
We're giving up DV tapes in our production flow with the Firestore FS5 release.

Matt, or Multiple Account Twitter Tweeting, is the first service I think I might continue to use to post my tweets to multiple accounts. The only downside that I've found is that posting isn't immediate.

AT&T is working to make purchasing the iPhone 3G seem as complicated and unpleasant as possible.

My t-shirt was provided by Allmightys.com.

MacBreak 154: MacBreak Studio: The Job Chain

2008-10-09T17:45:00.001-07:00

Alex brings back Brian Gary to show us how we can save time by linking jobs in Compressor. Read More

American Airlines to block airbourne porn

2008-10-09T17:44:00.017-07:00

TEXAS - American Airlines says it will filter an in-flight internet service to block pornography sites, reversing course after complaints from flight attendants and passengers. American said it was working with technology provider... Read More

Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD gets reviewed, all 15x of it

2008-10-09T17:44:00.015-07:00

Filed under: Digital Cameras

With a zoom this long, it has to be good, right? Evidently that's absolutely correct, as the critics over at PhotographyBLOG adored what the FinePix S2000HD was packin'. The camera wasn't the sharpest nor most evenly exposed megazoom they'd ever seen, but given the respectable asking price ($269), it was still deemed a winner. More specifically, reviewers found the image quality to be "perfectly acceptable given the build and asking price," and while the video wasn't true HD, it still trumped that of most rivals. In the end, the relatively compact 10-megapixel cam was seen as a perfect option for those not ready to splurge on a DSLR and a decent zoom lens, notching a very admirable 4 out of 5 overall rating.

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GBTV #0415 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-09T17:44:00.013-07:00

GBTV #0415 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
IFA 2008 is taking place in Germany and Philips Electronics announced enough beautifully designed products to fill a weeks worth of briefs. I picked my top three favorites:

Cinema Ones an all-in-one home theater system that includes an upscalling DVD player, CD player, an iPod dock, a five channel amplifier, six speakers and a subwoofer.

The Phillips DVD Home Theater System provides 9.1 surround from four towers, a dedicated center speaker and a subwoofer.

The NP2900 Network Music Player streams music from a PC or Internet radio stations over your home's wireless netork.

Sony's DSC-T500 (I always like to imagine the DSC stands for Daily Source Code) Cyber-Shot point and shoots 720p video.

Amit Goffer, an Israeli engineer created ReWalk. ReWalk is a robotic exoskeleton that makes it possible for paraplegics to walk.

GBTV #358 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-09T17:44:00.011-07:00

I've been a little bus obsessed for the last couple of days. Our lease is up on May 21st. Our plan has been to downsize and move into a small apartment for the summer while we finish planning The Big Trip. Even though we won't be ready to hit the road, we're really anxious to get the bus and start geeking it out for the trip.

Times is an RSS feed reader for Mac that is beautiful. It creates a Newspaper-like context for news delivered via RSS. It isn't a static experience though. Times takes advantage of Core Animation to make reading the news an enchanting experience. When you click on a headline, the page folds down to reveal the text of the story. A featured called Shelf lets you organized stories into stacks. You can download it from here and try it for 14 days. It's the one newsreader I've found that's worth paying for.

The PC Decrapifier is a freeware application that removes all the trialware nonsense that comes pre-installed on a new PC.

Evernote is an extension of your brain. Clips from Web pages or photographs you take with your phone camera can be sent to your Evernote database where the information is searchable. It's very cool. Lycos Cinema is a social video viewing experience. You pick the video, invite up to 10 friends and the video is synced to everyone watching at almost the exact same time. A chatroom gives viewers a way to talk about what they're watching. The big downside, though is the very limited supply of interesting content.

The conversation about prerolls and Beck's Beer is on my blog, iCali.tv. Read More

Boris FX releases Continuum Lens Flare Unit

2008-10-09T17:44:00.009-07:00

Boris FX releases Continuum Lens Flare Unit
Boris FX has released the Continuum Lens Flare Unit, a new plug-in for Adobe CS3 and CS4, as well as Apple's Final Cut Studio 2. The program simulates the streaks and spots of light that end up on film due to reflections inside of a camera lens. Flares can be added either to a source image, or else a completely synthetic creation. Special filters are provided, meanwhile, which allow users to creat...

Over half of 2009 cars will offer iPod connectivity

2008-10-09T17:44:00.007-07:00

Over half of 2009 cars will offer iPod connectivity
For customers wanting a car that communicates with their iPod, 2009 is going to be a good year to shop for a new car. Over half of the 2009 model-year cars sold in the US will offer at least optional support for Apple's iPod, according to research by iSuppli. The trend reflects automakers� desire to increase sales by offering popular technological features. iSuppli notes that American consumers ha...

Protopage: Ajax-Driven Personal Pages

2008-10-09T17:44:00.005-07:00

Ajaxy personal pages with newsreaders are gaining traction and usability. Protopage is a free service that is astonishing easy to use and doesn't even require registration. (If you create a page and wish to make it persist at an easy-to-remember URL, you must register. But it's still free.) Floating information panels can be dragged around the screen, and there are three basic types: RSS reader; sticky note; and link panel. As far as I can tell there is no way to add a photo to a page, which is a shame. Protopage also provides a default search panel with keyword boxes for Google, Yahoo!, Dictionary.com, and Wikipedia.

Overall a simple product, but the RSS panel does allow OPML uploads, and you can fashion more than one panel for extra sorting power. All colors and backgrounds are customizable with sliders and drop-down menus. You can add pages to your Protopage space, and make those pages public or private individually. A mechanism for inviting friends is furnished, but there's no integrated social action here. You share you page by giving someone the URL, and, of course, friends can build link panels with each other's addresses.

Perhaps the funnest application of Protopage would be to share a password, and get a group together to build a space. Protopage would be an entertaining environment in which to assemble news, links, and notes. Conversations could transpire on the sticky notes. More widgets are needed to bring this thing to life, though. Give it a calendar and photo uploading, and Protopage would start to rock.

Permalink�|�Email this�|�Linking�Blogs�|�Comments

MacBreak 11: Nicecast

2008-10-09T17:44:00.003-07:00

Alex Lindsay and guest Kenji Kato show you how to broadcast audio from your Mac using Nicecast.
Read More

GBTV #0413 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-09T17:44:00.001-07:00

GBTV #0413 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Shelfari is a social network and virtual bookshelf for book lovers. The Josh and Shelfari announced today that the site was acquired by Amazon.com.

Canon announced several new cameras a two new all-in-one printers today.

InsideTrip.com is a travel site that finds flights based on price and then uses a slider to adjust the price based on flight quality preferences you might have.

Panasonic has three new Plasma displays with 1TB DVRs built in.

The Navigon 7200T is the next GPS system I want to try. It looks like it has some really nice graphics.

First Blackberry Storm commericals air on CBS

2008-10-07T16:27:00.007-07:00

First Blackberry Storm commericals air on CBS

Filed under: Cellphones

Get ready, Blackberry fans. After weeks of leaks and goofy internal videos, it looks like the Storm's finally a-comin' -- the first ads for the RIM's touchscreen wonder aired on CBS tonight. We're on the lookout for a better video, but even at this low res we can't help but notice how chunky this thing looks -- but we're totally willing to trade some heft for some sweet, sweet copy / paste action. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Jerry]

Continue reading First Blackberry Storm commericals air on CBS

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Apple introducing new manufacturing process, MacBook 'Brick'?

2008-10-07T16:27:00.005-07:00

Filed under: Laptops

The Apple rumor mill has really cooked up a doozy this time. According to 9to5mac -- a site with a fairly good track record -- Apple's next big thing isn't just a laptop or an iPod... it's an entirely new manufacturing process. If you believe the site's sources, an as-yet-unannounced event on October 14th will herald in a new iteration of the MacBook dubbed the "Brick," but the big news won't actually be about the laptop. Apparently, Apple has created a brand-new process to sculpt casings for products out of aircraft-grade aluminum, using a system that carves the pieces out of a single block of metal using "3D lasers" and water-jet cutting. The new technique will supposedly allow for seamless components which require no bending or folding, won't use screws to join together, are ultra-light but also "super strong," and will enable the company to rapidly prototype and produce new designs. Of course, not a single word of this is confirmed or even acknowledged by Apple, though we have been hearing whispers of the "Brick" for a few weeks now. Ultimately, everyone should approach this news with extreme skepticism, but if these rumors get magically transmuted into reality, there's no telling what kind of new gear Apple might have up its sleeve.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Sanyo's laser could bring 12x Blu-ray burners and 100GB discs

2008-10-07T16:27:00.003-07:00

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Storage

While Sony and others compete with Blu-ray burners of a paltry 8x, Sanyo's looking ahead with a new laser that could enable write speeds of up to 12x. More impressively, the 450 milliwatt diode (twice that of current burners) could read and write through four 25GB layers. If you're not so good at math (it's okay, we had to break out the calculator) that means discs of up to 100GB burned in 10 minutes or less! But don't go running down to your local Blu-ray emporium looking for double-digit speed drives just yet; new standards will be needed for discs that big and drives that fast, which could mean a year or two before production begins. If speculation of Blu-ray's impending demise is to be believed, that may be cutting things a bit close.

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GBTV #0394 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-07T16:27:00.001-07:00

I noticed I was bending to the will of some iPhone critics and restraining myself from talking much about iPhone 3G. Since GeekBrief.TV is primarily about what excites me in the world of technology, I realized why I was so willing to hold back on the show. I'm not exactly excited about the iPhone 3G. I like it. There isn't really anything I don't like about it other than it's tied to AT&T. The thing that excites me most about iPhone is the 2.0 software and the App Store. I've been doing mini reviews and tips on my blog at www.iCali.tv all week.

I mentioned the Voodoo Envy a few shows back. LaptopMag.com showed off an awesome feature of the Envy. It's called IOS, or Instant On Operating System. It's powered by Splashtop and it gives users instant access to important applications while the full OS boots up in the background.

Code Tech is a WYSIWYG editor browser-based code editor by Zachary Carter that comes in the form of a Firefox plug-in. I'll definitely be using it.

A couple weeks ago my obsession was camera switching for live streaming video. Mike Versteeg is meeting that need with VidBlaster. Now my obsession is home automation and a number of GBTV viewers pointed me toward Savant Systems. It's unique in the world of Home automation because it's built largely on Mac hardware. I'm going to work on getting a Savant guy on Geek Brief Radio to talk about what they're doing. Alex Lindsay featured the system On MacBreak #158. Read More

Royalty rate stays the same, iTunes Store still open

2008-10-02T18:29:00.017-07:00

Royalty rate stays the same, iTunes Store still open

Filed under: Apple Corporate, iTS

The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board decided today to keep rates the same for digital music stores, kneecapping Apple's threat to shut down the iTunes Store rather than operate at a loss.

The three-member board kept the royalty rate at 9.1 cents, and mandated a 24-cent rate for ringtones. The board has never before established mechanical rates for digital files.

"We're pleased with the CRB's decision to keep royalty rates stable," said an unnamed Apple spokesman.

The popularity of Eddy Cue's statement that Apple would shutter the iTunes Store apparently had an effect on the board. "Sure it was posturing," said a music industry source, according to CNET. "I don't think Apple would have gone out of business but a statement like that from the biggest music retailer is going to carry some weight."

[Via CNET.]

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GBTV #0402 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-02T18:29:00.015-07:00

GBTV #0402 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
I asked for video of Microsoft's Sphere at the Research Faculty Summit. Todd Bishop provided it.

Dell's Studio Hybrid Desktop PCs provide a design alternative to the Mac Mini. You get your choice of 6 color sleeves or a bamboo sleeve.

Brando released the SATA HDD Multimedia Dock, which lets you connect it to a TV. It's a great price for a media center, even if it is a little unattractive.

Slydial gives you the option of calling someone and going straight to their voicemail so you don't have to talk to them. People like Louise and Neal are going to love this!

I keep talking about Bacon Tech, and now we have some real bacon tech. The Wake 'n' Bake Alarm Clock will actually cook your bacon in the morning and wake you up happy. Cali's Shirt Courtesy of Brew City Online
Cali's Necklace is a NeoCube

MacBreak 140: NAB 2008: Plug-in Pavilion

2008-10-02T18:29:00.013-07:00

MacBreak 140: NAB 2008: Plug-in Pavilion
Alex checks out what's going on at NAB's Plug-in Pavilion this year.

GBTV #353 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-02T18:29:00.011-07:00

GBTV #353 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Despite the fact that I introduced the show as Brief #352, it's actually #353.

Microsoft's attempt to acquire Yahoo reminds me of something that would happen in sixth grade, except instead of passing notes, the two companies keep passing Press Releases. Yahoo didn't respond to Microsoft's deadline for an answer and Mark Andreessen >analyzed the situation

Apple upgraded the specs on the iMac, but everyone is really just waiting for the announcement of a 3G iPhone. The expectations are reaching frenzy status.

Geoff Smith launched a new Web service called RingtoneFeeder.com. It's a subscription service that automatically installs a new original ringtone on the iPhone via iTunes every week. Each ringtone is an original Geoff Smith production. Subscriptions are $1.98 a month or $19.98 a year. There is a free sample feed available at Ringtonefeeder.com for anyone who would like to see how it works.

Festo created a giant indoor flying object that floats through the air like a jelly fish in water. I cant tell what AirJelly's ultimate purpose could be, but it's beautiful to watch. It uses a combination of helium and an electric motor powered by lithium-ion polymer batteries.

Nokia sets Comes With Music price, signs EMI

2008-10-02T18:29:00.009-07:00

As a companion to news of the 5800 XpressMusic touchscreen phone, Nokia today also kicked off the formal launch details of its Comes With Music service. The company now plans to ship the inaugural, modified 5310 XpressMusic on October 16th and will sell it exclusively through Carphone Warehouse for 130 pounds ($230). As promised, the handset will come with one year of unlimited access to music a...

Pimp your Pod

2008-10-02T18:29:00.007-07:00

Pimp your Pod
My ancient, formerly shiny 20Gb iPod might be a little scuffed and is not as swish as a new iPod Touch - but thanks to a bunch of free applications and utilities, I've managed to resuscitate it, giving it functionality I never knew...

MacBreak 164: macbreak: True 3D in Motion

2008-10-02T18:29:00.005-07:00

MacBreak 164: macbreak: True 3D in Motion
Alex brings in Mark Spencer to demonstrate how you can make a true 3D object in Motion.

Not quite 'The Brick,' but fun anyway

2008-10-02T18:29:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Video, Mods

It's many bricks, technically: Lego Bricks. Students at the San Francisco Art Institute used 2,588 bricks to build an enormous Mac Pro case.

The design wasn't without its problems -- partway through the movie, three "Lego engineering catastrophes" forced the addition of a support beam under the middle of the case, presumably to support the weight of the hardware inside.

The exterior design isn't the only thing impressive about it: On the inside, it's a Mac Mini that's FireWire-linked to a PC Hackintosh. Nice.

The case was submitted for the 2008 MacMod Challenge.

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Nokia 5800 XpressMusic hands-on

2008-10-02T18:29:00.001-07:00

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

She's arrived at last, the 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia's tardy entry into the (modern) touchscreen phone space, and we've gotten some quality face time with the device. Appropriately nicknamed the Tube, the device has a number of Nokia peculiarities that could appeal to certain sensibilities, but probably won't be taking a big bite out of existing touchphone market share -- at least in the S60-phobic United States. Let's dig in, shall we?

Gallery: Nokia 5800 XpressMusic hands-on

Continue reading Nokia 5800 XpressMusic hands-on

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GBTV #417 (small) | CEDIA Expo #1 repost

2008-10-01T14:35:00.011-07:00

CEDIA Update #1 covers the Triad InWall Silver/4 Omni Sconce Loudspeaker. It's a speaker system and LED light source in one.

You can save money on domain name registrations and renewals from GoDaddy.com with discount codes GB1, GB2 and GB3. For an explanation of each code, click here. Read More

NASA turns 50: Why aren't we on Mars yet?

2008-10-01T14:35:00.009-07:00

President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958, partially in response to the Soviet Union's launch of the first artificial satellite the previous year. NASA's 50th birthday is... Read More

Netflix API to launch, iPhone app possible

2008-10-01T14:35:00.007-07:00

Netflix API to launch, iPhone app possible
Movie rental site Netflix is set to release an Application Programming Interface (API) that will allow developers to integrate content into applications, according to ReadWriteWeb. The API will open up access to 100,000 movie titles and TV episodes on DVD and allow users to access their Netflix accounts. Developers will initially be able to access data through REST API, JavaScript API, and ATOM fe...

NEC readies pro 19-inch, 24-inch LCDs

2008-10-01T14:35:00.005-07:00

NEC this morning expanded its MultiSync EA screens for higher-end home and pro users with a pair of slightly smaller models. Headlining the updates, the 24-inch EA241WM has the same 1920x1200 resolution as the 26-inch flagship and finds room for a full pivoting display as well as hidden, chin-mounted stereo speakers, a carrying handle and a four-port USB hub. The panel has a now-typical 1,000:1 ...

HP takes on MacBook with dv3500t

2008-10-01T14:35:00.003-07:00

HP takes on MacBook with dv3500t
HP on Wednesday rolled out its first 13.3-inch home user's notebook and its first more direct challenge to the same-sized MacBook and to Sony's VAIO SR. The dv3500t is one of HP's first systems outside of special editions to focus on style and comes in a unique bronze pattern that extends through to the keyboard. The company also gives it features that have either been off-limits or uncommon to ...

MacBreak 83: Minute: Quick Dock Configuration

2008-10-01T14:35:00.001-07:00

Kenji shows us some handy shortcuts for accessing dock parameters. Read More

GBTV #0393 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-01T14:34:00.007-07:00

TuneUp is an app for Windows iTunes users to keep iTunes clean and organized.

The Hacked OH! *#% Flash Drive make geek 2GB or your data safe in a completely unique way.

The HomeSeer HomeTroller is an energy efficient home automation appliance that can controll your lights, appliance, climate, security, telephones, irrigation, window shades and home entertainment equipment. Thanks to AutomatedHome.co.uk for the heads up!

N-Gage has a FIFA football game that's free through August, but only in certain European countries.

PS3 pricing will drop to $400 for the 80GB version in September.

Lyndsay Williams from Girton Labs is working a project called SenseSurface. It makes it possible to use physical knobs on a fluid display. Read More

GBTV #0369 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-01T14:34:00.005-07:00

GBTV #0369 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Asus is pretty good with the cute names. Their new tiny desktop PC will run Linux or XP and they're calling it the Eee Box B202. It'll be available in the States in July.

Western Digital has a new WD Scorpio Black 2.5 inch SATA hard drive for notebooks that's 7200 RPM. It's supposed to be available today, but we couldn't find it anywhere.

JBL's Control NOW speakers are specially shaped to be mounted at 90 degree intersections like corners and ceilings.

The iClooly is a little desktop stand that makes an iPod Touch look like a tiny little iMac.

SawStop is billed as "The World's Safest Table Saw" and based on the Weenie video they use as a demo, I think they're right.

Vodafone contest shows UK BlackBerry Storm

2008-10-01T14:34:00.003-07:00

The UK�s biggest mobile phone provider, Vodafone, has confirmed it will carry the upcoming BlackBerry Storm smartphone from RIM by launching an online competition to win the handset. Those who wish to enter the contest are required to register and leave their contact information to get updates on the phone. The Storm will feature a large 3.5-inch, 480x360 touchscreen with a haptic interface, built...

GBTV #0354 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-10-01T14:34:00.001-07:00

GBTV #0354 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Monday night, I thought gmail was down so I tweeted. I got plenty of responses from other gmail users that lead me to think I was the only single person on the interwebs having and issue. @quecojones shot me a link that I immediately bookmarked. The site, downforeveryoneorjustme.com, answers that very important question: Is [insert the name of a Web site here] having a major problem or am I delusional?

Page2rss.com is another recently bookmarked Web site that turns a non-RSS enabled Web page in to RSS enabled content. I tried it with a T-Shirt company I like. If it works, I should see an update in my feed reader when they add new shirts.

In prep for William the former Geek Brief Intern's 21st birthday, we were searching for Wii news and we came across MiiSculptures.com. You can upload a picture of your Mii and they'll turn it into a little sculpture for $75.

Wireless HDMI technology will soon be available in the Sharp X-Series of HDTVs. Japan will get them first. The rest of the world will have to wait.

Viewzi is a visual search engine that is really fun to use. The invitation code, "geekbrief" will get a couple hundred of us into the semi-public beta. I really like Viewzi, except for the Video x3 feature. I'd like to know what you think.

Press shots of Verizon's BlackBerry Storm surface

2008-09-29T20:30:00.013-07:00

Press shots of Verizon's BlackBerry Storm surface

Filed under: Cellphones

So you've already seen what RIM's BlackBerry Storm looks like in Vodafone garb, but if your feeble mind just can't envision what it'd look like with a Verizon logo on there, feast your retinas on this. A few new press shots of the VZW Storm have swooped in, though there's nary a surprise to be found. Still, we know you enjoy gawking, so hit the read link for a few more angles. As for a hard release date? Puhlease.

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DXG and Geotate team on geotagging video camera

2008-09-29T20:30:00.011-07:00

Filed under: Digital Cameras

We're still waiting for geotagging to go mainstream on consumer-level still cams, but Geotate isn't waiting around in its quest for location-aware domination -- it's teamed up with DXG to develop the first geotagging video camera we've seen. The camera itself isn't anything special -- it's just another average DXG HD cam, based on the DVH586 -- but the geotagging is powered by Geotate's Yuma software, which does most of the heavy lifting on the server at import, so we'd expect it to be pretty robust. No word on pricing or availability, but we're assuming it'll fall in line with the rest of DXG's lineup on the cheaper side.

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Pocketpedia takes your media collections onto your iPhone

2008-09-29T20:30:00.009-07:00

Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch

While there are plenty of media collection/organizer applications for the Mac -- some well-known and glamorous, others quietly utilitarian and functional -- fans frequently swear by the merits of Bruji's 'Pedia suite for books, DVDs, music and games. Armed with a barcode scanner or your iSight, you can quickly and easily catalog all your media, manage your lending habits and wishlists, collect tips and walkthrough links for your games, export to a website, pull data from Amazon or other sources -- even browse your catalogs in the Finder via QuickLook. The individual organizer apps (Bookpedia, DVDpedia, etc.) are only $18US, and you can get the bundle of all four for $49 if you want.

Now Bruji has taken the obvious and exciting next step with Pocketpedia for the iPhone and iPod touch [App Store link], allowing you to create collections on your device or sync up from your Mac and take your catalogs with you. Having your DVD rental wishlist with you at the store sounds like a great idea; plus, you can quickly access reviews online if you're having trouble deciding what to rent or buy. Pocketpedia is a free download from the App Store, and will work just fine in standalone mode if you don't have the Mac apps to sync with. If only it could do barcode scanning from the iPhone's camera... *sigh.*

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GBTV #0371 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-29T20:30:00.007-07:00

AAPL down sharply after two ratings cuts

2008-09-29T20:30:00.005-07:00

Filed under: Apple Financial

Bad day for Big Rainbow: RBC Capital's Mike Abramsky and Morgan Stanley's Kathryn Huberty cut their ratings and price targets on Apple stock, both citing weakness in consumer spending on PCs.

AAPL was down 17.38 at 110.86 (-13.58%) as of this writing: a 20-minute-delayed chart is above.

Abramsky's price target on AAPL shares is now $140 (down from $200), while Huberty's is lower at $115 (down from $178). Huberty also notes Apple will struggle because the company "does not play" in the sub-$1,000 laptop market.

In a slim bit of good news, Abramsky raised his estimate of the number of iPhone units sold during the fourth quarter to six million, up from five.

AAPL's price during the trading day has been its lowest in over a year.

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SimpleTech adds 1.5TB Pro, 3TB Duo Pro drives

2008-09-29T20:30:00.003-07:00

SimpleTech adds 1.5TB Pro, 3TB Duo Pro drives
SimpleTech announced it has added to its line-up of Pro Drive and Duo Pro Drive external storage media on Monday by launching the 1.5TB Pro Drive and the 3TB two-drive RAID 0/1 Duo Pro Drive. Either new drive sports four built-in interfaces, including an eSATA connection, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. Thanks to eSATA, users can transfer files at up to 3Gb per second in peak conditions....

GBTV #0390 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-29T20:30:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning to a flurry of activity in the tech world. The iPhone 2.0 software had been unofficially released, and the App Store was in iTunes. I downloaded some apps quickly before heading to the airport to pick up Dave Peterson.

Some of my favorites were PhoneSaber, AIM, Super Monkey Balls and HoldEm.

Seagate released their first 1TB hard drive.

Belkin's BreakFree incorporates a Magsafe adapter with 1/4" TRS cables, and the FlyWire streams HD video across the room to your flat screen across the room.

My iPhone line plans are at www.icali.tv Read More

SimpleTech adds 1.5TB Pro, 3TB Duo Pro drives

2008-09-29T20:29:00.005-07:00

SimpleTech announced it has added to its line-up of Pro Drive and Duo Pro Drive external storage media on Monday by launching the 1.5TB Pro Drive and the 3TB two-drive RAID 0/1 Duo Pro Drive. Either new drive sports four built-in interfaces, including an eSATA connection, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. Thanks to eSATA, users can transfer files at up to 3Gb per second in peak conditions....

MacBook tablet the cure for falling Apple?

2008-09-29T20:29:00.003-07:00

Apple's shares have taken hits as markets tumble all over the place, led by the US. The basic tenet of hard times is that people stop buying stuff, or they look for cheaper stuff. Buying stuff is good, says President Bush - he's addressed... Read More

Motorola getting friendly with Android

2008-09-29T20:29:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

When a major player like Google comes up with a new mobile operating system that's better than the competition and is totally free, you would certainly expect handset manufacturers to be interested. But there's interested, and then there's interested. After lingering for nearly a year in the former category Motorola is now firmly moving to the latter, hiring and headhunting in an effort to build up a 350-person group entirely focused on development of Android phones. The company was one of the original members of the Open Handset Alliance, but seems to have waited for the release buzz from HTC's G1 before diving in head-first. There's talk that Nokia (and its "real phones") may be feeling the vibrations too, allegedly forming an internal team to do the same -- on the down low.

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MacBreak 82: Minute: Lite Switch

2008-09-25T17:43:00.005-07:00

MacBreak 82: Minute: Lite Switch
Merlin shows us Lite Switch, which adds a bunch o' nifty to the application switcher.

Fear the Bloomberg Bozo

2008-09-25T17:43:00.003-07:00

Fear the Bloomberg Bozo

Filed under: Humor, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store

One of my Denver-area buddies, fellow Apple consultant J. Charles Holt of PEBMAC, was checking the Bloomberg Mobile iPhone application (click opens iTunes) this morning to see how the market was doing. What he found in the app is something downright weird -- Bozo the Clown. Charles originally posted this find on MacRumors.

Being the skeptic that I am, I followed his instructions, took a screenshot of the app's opening screen. As you can see from the image below, there doesn't appear to be anything odd with the picture:

At certain angles it does appear that there is something in the leftmost monitor. Charles sensed this, brought the photo into Photoshop, and did a bit of work with the Brightness / Contrast feature. (see the results on the next page)

Continue reading Fear the Bloomberg Bozo

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iTunes to host unsigned tracks from Pure Play

2008-09-25T17:43:00.001-07:00

iTunes to host unsigned tracks from Pure Play
Apple has signed a deal which should see over 1.5 million new songs added to the iTunes Store, reports say. The company has forged an agreement with Pure Play Music, a site which specializes in hosting artists that are otherwise unsigned. The site currently lists a roster of over 6,000 artists from around the world, who operate under a set of non-exclusive rights agreements....

RIM earnings up, 6.1m BlackBerries miss target

2008-09-25T17:42:00.005-07:00

Research in Motion today reported one of its better quarters in memory with earnings of $495.5 million over its summer quarter, which ended in August. The figure is a significant 72 percent spike versus the same three-month timeframe a year earlier and is credited primarily to the momentum from the company's expansion into mainstream-oriented phones, which included early sales of the BlackBerry B...

Sling Media starts shipping $300 Slingbox PRO-HD, Canada to get it soon

2008-09-25T17:42:00.003-07:00

Sling Media starts shipping $300 Slingbox PRO-HD, Canada to get it soon

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

You already witnessed our unboxing and hands-on with Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD, and if you're anxious to know when you can grab one of your own, how's about right now? Sling has revealed that its $299.99 high-def box can be purchased this very instant from its website and other B&M retailers, and for Canadians feeling a touch left out, take heart -- you all will be able to purchase the unit "in the coming weeks" for $329.99.

Gallery: Slingbox PRO-HD unboxing and hands-on

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Sony intros VAIO CR / SR bundles in support of breast cancer research

2008-09-25T17:42:00.001-07:00

It's crazy to think, but October is merely days away. That also means that Breast Cancer Awareness month is just around the bend, and Sony's being ultra proactive by announcing two new pink laptop bundles to support breast cancer research. First up is the Cosmopolitan Pink VAIO CR pack, which features a 14.1-inch LCD, 1.3-megapixel camera, Core 2 Duo CPU, Bluetooth, a built-in DVD burner and a matching case / mouse. If that's a tad large and / or underpowered for your tastes, you can check the Glossy Pink VAIO SR, a 4-pound rig with a 13.3-inch LED backlit display, up to 320GB of HDD space and a "Switch" mode that gives users the ability to toggle between high performance and power saving modes on the fly. The two bundles start at $870 and $1,399, respectively, though you can CTO them both 'til your wallet cries uncle.

Gallery: Sony intros VAIO CR / SR bundles in support of breast cancer research

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7 Online Resources To Help You Improve Your Writing

2008-09-23T19:42:00.005-07:00

Although language relies on certain rules, a story requires more than simple definitions to unfold. Look at this example to see how a simple sentence can be rewritten word by word to turn into a whole paragraph. Certainly this is not art and it contains a considerable amount of redundant and superficial information. However, its creation [...]

Although language relies on certain rules, a story requires more than simple definitions to unfold. Look at this example to see how a simple sentence can be rewritten word by word to turn into a whole paragraph.

Certainly this is not art and it contains a considerable amount of redundant and superficial information. However, its creation did require imagination. The thing is, whether you’re writing a diary, a blog or a column for a magazine, writing remains a creative process.

Now creativity can be an issue. Among writers a complete lack of ideas is called writers block. But most often it is not that bad and all that is missing are the delicate details. The internet actually is a valuable source for ideas. On the other hand, people who are creative are not necessarily great writers. They may be lacking the basic knowledge of how to properly construct and present a story. The following tools should prove very helpful in releasing mental breaks and becoming a better writer.

1. StumbleUpon

Stumble Upon is a great place to start in case you have no idea what to write about, since you can randomly stumble recommended websites. When you need cues for an existing story idea though, you can filter for a specific topic by searching for keywords. Extensions for both IE and Firefox are available.

2. 911 Writers Block

This tool is provided by the WEbook publishing company. It is intended to overcome blocks in fiction writing. There are nine different dials ranging from settings, characters, entrances, over verbs or how to kill a character to endings. You can browse through all suggestions and save the ones you like best. Later you can view all your saved cues and delete ones you are not going to use.

3. one word

If you cannot get your head around a story or a topic, give it a break. But rather than switching on the TV or taking a nap, you should give your brain a refreshing workout. At ‘one word’ you will be given a word and sixty seconds to write about it. If you’re bold enough, you can submit your thoughts or read what others had to say.

Unfortunately, the words are not random, new ones are added every couple of days, and the purpose of the site in fact is to collect spontaneous thoughts on various topics. Nevertheless, the 60 seconds timer in combination with a book to select a random word will work just as well. Just don’t submit it. But keep writing!

4. Cliché Finder

A source for overused metaphors and as such nothing that you would want to overuse. However, you may discover just the right expression to get a message across.

5.Language is a Virus

When required to complete a piece, don’t ever waste time not writing. Instead, try to find more and more random inspiration. One great resource is “Language is a Virus” which provides some interesting tools, for example the “Haiku-a-Tron” pictured on the left, a “Slice-n-Dice” text cutter, the “word by word (nonsense)” translator, a character name generator, and a number of articles and further resources.

Whatever you do, if you absolutely cannot continue writing, at least read or try to gather inspiration in the lively world.

6. Better writing

Critical ingredients to good writing are spelling, grammar, and correct use of words. Oxford Dictionaries’ website AskOxford has a very valuable section dedicated to better writing.

7. UsingEnglish

While it is difficult to get everything right even for native speakers, it is a huge challenge to master the English language as a writer when it is your second language. Sometimes it is necessary to go back, recapture, and simply study the language. UsingEnglish can provide great assistance in finding English idioms, understand phrasal verbs or studying irregular verbs.

For more resources regarding the English language I will refer you to a post from earlier this year by Shankar: 30+ Online Resources to Expand your English Vocabulary.

What do you do to overcome a block to your flow of writing? Do you have any online gems to share?

More from MakeUseOf.com :

- MakeUseOf Directory : Read about up-to 5 truly useful web apps on a daily basis.
- MakeUseOf ‘Geeky Fun’: - Fun Geeky Pics, Cartoons and Videos.

(By) Tina is a regular MUO author. In her offline life she's a PhD student interested in unraveling signaling events that determine cartilage and bone development.

Tags:English, How-To, internet, language, Lists of tools, online resources, vocabulary, writing

Yahoo Searchmonkey expands with playable music tracks

2008-09-23T19:42:00.003-07:00

Yahoo Searchmonkey expands with playable music tracks
Back in June, I wrote about how Yahoo was attempting to turn the search engine concept on its head with its Searchmonkey platform. This involved giving the searcher more information on the page and making the results more relevant, accurate, user-friendly and visually appealing. Well now Yahoo is going one step further by [...]

Back in June, I wrote about how Yahoo was attempting to turn the search engine concept on its head with its Searchmonkey platform. This involved giving the searcher more information on the page and making the results more relevant, accurate, user-friendly and visually appealing.

Well now Yahoo is going one step further by introducing the ability for users to listen to full length music tracks inside Yahoo search results. Before you get all excited and sell your iPod on eBay, there is a limit though (as always). You can only listen to 25 free songs per month. Any more than that and you have to sign up for the Rhapsody Service which costs $12.99 a month.

But this is still very useful if you are doing search engine queries for a singer / band and you are wondering if you have the right person or the right song. Or if someone recommends a singer / band to you and you want to listen to a sample of their music. You can now listen to some songs inside the Yahoo search results. If you stay within that 25 songs per month limit, it won’t cost you a thing.

To try it out, just enter the name of a singer or a band into Yahoo. Being a newly introduced feature, it doesn’t have songs for everyone at the moment. They have songs for my favourite band, U2, but not for my girlfriend’s favourite, Runrig. But I entered some big names into the search engine - Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and they had songs for them. But surprisingly, there was nothing for Eric Clapton. What a scandal! :-() But give Yahoo a bit of time and I’m sure they will eventually have songs for everyone.

If there are songs available, you’ll get a box identical to the one above. If you see the song you want to play, just click on it and a player will open at the bottom of the screen :

Click on the “play” button and the song will start. Easy.

I am constantly amazed at the developments of Search Monkey and at how fast Yahoo Search is developing. If Google doesn’t start changing and developing their search pages for the semantic web, they’re going to get seriously left behind! They should stop making internet browsers (which they’re not really that good at) and instead concentrate on developing their search engine (which they are REALLY good at). What do you think?

More from MakeUseOf.com :

- MakeUseOf Directory : Read about up-to 5 truly useful web apps on a daily basis.
- MakeUseOf ‘Geeky Fun’: - Fun Geeky Pics, Cartoons and Videos.

(By) Mark O'Neill is a blogger, professional freelance writer and the editor of Make Use Of. Check out his personal blog at BetterThanTherapy.net

Tags:Cool Web Apps, Google, music, search, semantic, Yahoo

MacBreak 41 Macworld 2007: Andy Ihnatko

2008-09-23T19:42:00.001-07:00

Leo discusses the Macworld Keynote with Andy Ihnatko from the Chicago Sun Times. Read More

MacBreak 138: NAB: Lite Panels

2008-09-19T15:38:00.001-07:00

Alex stops by the Lite Panel booth. Read More

GBTV #0338 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-15T06:27:00.001-07:00

GBTV #0338 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Neal and I spoke at WordCamp Dallas on Saturday. Matt Mullenweg, the very young founder of WordPress was there so we chatted a bit about the origin of WordPress and features on the new 2.5 release. WordPress.com is a free, hosted blog network. WordPress.org is where you can download the open source application to install on your own Web server. Matt's personal blog is http://ma.tt.

Friday App Store Deals

2008-09-15T06:26:00.011-07:00

Filed under: iPod Family, Deals, iPhone, App Store

It looks like developers are really catching on to the "give it away or lower the price to drive up user rankings" game. Here are a few last-second deals that you'll want to check out at App Store.

Cro-Mag Rally
Pangea has dropped the price on its premiere racing game down to just $1.99. This sale is for a limited time, and while it affects the other Pangea titles as well, Cro-Mag offers the best deal of the bunch.

Poptiq
Poptiq delivers personalized video streams to your iPhone or iPod touch. Over time, it customizes itself to your likes and dislikes, so you don't have to wade through videos that aren't to your taste. You can download a free copy of Poptiq until September 25. Read more at the Poptiq website.

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RSS and AJAX: A Simple News Reader

2008-09-15T06:26:00.009-07:00

RSS and AJAX: A Simple News Reader

OK, so the idea is definitely interesting. RSS and Ajax ??? a match made in heaven? That, really depends on its usage.
(more…)

3 Steps to Regain Your Privacy in Google Chrome

2008-09-15T06:26:00.007-07:00

3 Steps to Regain Your Privacy in Google Chrome
Google’s new browser Chrome is causing quite a stir, especially among people worried about privacy and security. As I have mentioned in my previous article about Chrome, every installation of Chrome receives a unique ID number, which is submitted to Google, for example when the browser is updated or when the program crashes. In order to [...]

Google’s new browser Chrome is causing quite a stir, especially among people worried about privacy and security.

As I have mentioned in my previous article about Chrome, every installation of Chrome receives a unique ID number, which is submitted to Google, for example when the browser is updated or when the program crashes. In order to present personalized suggestions while the user is typing into the Omnibox, Google relies on an outside database. To feed the database and make these personalized suggestions possible, all entries are logged in combination with the user’s IP address.

Although Google claims that the ID and logs from the Omnibox are stored anonymously and are not being used to create user profiles that may reveal browsing habits and personal interests, doubts remain. As a matter of fact, users do not have any control over what the gathered information is really being used for. Trust is good, control is better.

Here are three things you can do, to gain more privacy when working with Chrome.

I. Change your default search engine

Go to >Customize and control Google Chrome >Options >Basics tab and select another search engine under >Default search.

II. Disable the suggestion service

Next to the >Default search engine click the >Manage button. In the Search Engines window uncheck the box at the bottom of the list that says “Use a suggestion service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar”.

As you may see in the screenshot above, Chrome has imported all my search engines from Firefox.

III. Remove the unique browser ID

There are two ways. Either you do it manually or you use a tool. Tech Yard has a thorough walk through on changing the ID manually, and preventing Chrome from re-assigning an ID later on. Tech Yard also recommends the tool Google Chrome Anonymizer, which provides a new exe file to be used to launch Chrome to create an anonymous session.

Alternatively, you can use UnChrome from Abelssoft. However, the tool is only available in German at this point. Since the file path in both XP and Vista is definitely different compared to the English version of the operating system, it may not work.

Latest news has it that Google now wants to save the user IP for only 24 hours.

On a different note you should know Google has released a new version of Chrome to fix at least two security holes. If you see version 0.2.149.29 in the About section, the update was installed successfully - automatically and without you knowing. Very comfortable. Again this is taking responsibility and control away from the user, which can be both a good and a bad thing. I remain sceptical. How about you?

More from MakeUseOf.com :

- MakeUseOf Directory : Read about up-to 5 truly useful web apps on a daily basis.
- MakeUseOf ‘Geeky Fun’: - Fun Geeky Pics, Cartoons and Videos.

(By) Tina is a regular MUO author. In her offline life she's a PhD student interested in unraveling signaling events that determine cartilage and bone development.

Tags:Browser, Chrome, Google, privacy

Sony adds video podcast support to PSP

2008-09-15T06:26:00.005-07:00

The Sony PSP is definitely moving way beyond video games these days. Then again, I suppose there are number of people thinking that it had to happen thanks to the Apple iPod’s success.
(more…)

WordPress 2

2008-09-15T06:26:00.003-07:00

After rumors met silence from the WordPress.org site, an official announcement has finally been posted: WordPress 2.0 has been released. I haven't yet tested it (though I trust WordPress, I wouldn't dare upgrade before backing up my databases and WP folders), but I haven't seen (substantial) reports of migration problems. WordPress 2 is named "Duke," and documented upgrades include a WYSIWYG entry-writing interface (it's about time!) and inline image uploading (it's asbout time!). There is also some kind of Ajaxy-sounding drag-and-drop of interface elements. WordPress has done amazingly well to date, thanks largely to its (relative) ease of installation and operationsl quickness--both selling points when compared to Movable Type, in particular. The program's geekiness, while appealing to many users, probably holds it back from more widespread use. The new WP2 features make it sound ready to rock in a bigger arena. Here is the announcement and download page.

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MacBreak 24: Remote Control

2008-09-15T06:26:00.001-07:00

MacBreak 24: Remote Control
Emery Wells and guest Ben Durbin show you how to control other computers remotely from your Mac using VNC.

Reminder: Talkcast 10 pm ET tonight

2008-09-15T06:25:00.005-07:00

Reminder: Talkcast 10 pm ET tonight

Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts

Last week's talkcast featured a spirited debate between Christina and Erica on the App Store, with Robert and me playing referee. You can listen in via the Talkshoe page, or download the show in iTunes / via RSS.

Join us later tonight at 10 pm ET for this week's show, hosted by Mike R. and featuring the gang as we dive into the new features of iTunes 8 and the latest news on the iPod touch revamp and nanochromatic iPod nanos.

You can join the conversation on TalkShoe by using the shiny browser-only client; you can also use the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client that we all know and love. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. You can also listen in on the Talkshoe page or call in on regular phone or VOIP lines: dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077. Hear ya soon!

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Tower activists urge MPs to change law

2008-09-15T06:25:00.003-07:00

Urgent law change is required to stop cellphone companies forcing towers upon communities wherever and whenever they want, MPs were told yesterday. Sue Grey, of Ban the Towers, told the select committee considering the group's... Read More

iTunes 8 triggering blue-screens in Windows Vista

2008-09-15T06:25:00.001-07:00

iTunes 8 may be causing "blue screen of death" crashes within Windows Vista, according to various users. Some visitors to Apple's support forums complain that when they attempt to plug an iPod or iPhone into a PC, their systems crash immediately, forcing a reboot. iTunes is believed to be responsible mainly due to the timing of the crashes, and a Vista error message, referencing an Apple-supplie...

Tower activists urge MPs to change law

2008-09-14T10:17:00.001-07:00

Lenovo's ThinkPad X301 gets reviewed

2008-09-13T20:06:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Laptops

We all know the X300 was fairly widely praised, though that price tag was mighty prohibitive. Still, if you've got the coin to play around with ultrathin ultraportables, the X301 is a welcome upgrade. According to Laptop Mag, the Centrino 2 platform and built-in DisplayPort made an "already excellent machine even better." Most of the basics from the X300 are still here, but critics couldn't help but swoon over the new inclusions. Regrettably, the battery life was said to be an hour or two short for their liking, so it sounds as if you'll want to factor in an extra pack if you're the type who strays from power outlets. Hit the read link for the full rundown, just don't expect anything out of the ordinary.

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MacBreak 151: NAB: Tidbits Part 2

2008-09-13T20:06:00.001-07:00

Alex checks out a vocal booth, a helicopter, and a couple of Kiki's. Read More

Mac 101: Using your Windows keyboard

2008-09-13T06:59:00.005-07:00

Filed under: Switchers, Mac 101

If you switch frequently between a Mac and a PC, chances are you have to deal with a Windows keyboard from time to time. Thankfully, this can be easy with third-party utilities, or even features already built in to Mac OS X.

For most switchers, the hardest part about learning to use a new Mac is dealing with your muscle memory. For example, if you're really used to typing Control + C to copy something, Command + C means using your thumb instead of your pinky to perform the operation.

In System Preferences, you can click Keyboard and Mouse to change how your modifier keys (that is, Control, Command, Option and Caps Lock) work. Click the Keyboard tab, and then click the Modifier Keys button at the bottom of the window. You can map the Control key to the Command key (and vice versa, if you prefer) to help ease you in to Mac key commands.

Continue reading Mac 101: Using your Windows keyboard

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Sony intros $1,000 Blu-ray notebooks

2008-09-13T06:59:00.003-07:00

Sony intros $1,000 Blu-ray notebooks
Sony today continued a spate of notebook introductions by introducing a pair of the least expensive Blu-ray capable notebooks available. The 15.4-inch VAIO NS replaces the NR and upgrades the budget notebook with options that Sony has normally reserved for its mid-range or higher systems; helped in part by newer Intel 4500 integrated graphics that help offload video decoding, the NS can be equipp...

China Blocks FeedBurner RSS Feeds

2008-09-13T06:59:00.001-07:00

Wow, perhaps China is feeling a little paranoid here? I mean, what else would be the reason for blocking FeedBurner?
(more…)

App disqualified from App Store because it 'duplicates iTunes functionality'

2008-09-13T06:58:00.013-07:00

App disqualified from App Store because it 'duplicates iTunes functionality'

Filed under: Developer, App Store

An iPhone developer who created an app that manages and plays podcasts says the app was disqualified from the App Store because "it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes." That's right, iTunes for the desktop.

This opens up unsettling possibilities for other developers. There are many applications that duplicate the functionality of Apple software for both the desktop and mobile devices. For instance, there are many calculators that duplicate the functionality of Calculator. Twitterrific has a small browser built in, duplicating the functionality of Safari. NetNewsWire duplicates some RSS reading functionality in Mail for Mac OS X.

There's a well-defined slippery slope here. While Apple is within its rights to accept or reject any app into the App Store for whatever reasons it sees fit, its communication with the developer community leaves a lot to be desired. (We talked a little about this on last Sunday's Talkcast.) Even though the developer says he followed all the rules, there's still a chance that an app will simply fall ill of Apple's fickle fancy.

Will this latest move by Apple chill relations with developers? Or are the upsides still too great to ignore? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment.

Thanks, Mike!

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New suede cases announced for new iPod touch, Nano

2008-09-13T06:58:00.011-07:00

Computer bag and case maker WaterField Designs has announced iPod Suede Jackets for the new iPod Nano and iPod touch models released Tuesday. The new cases, offered in black only, are custom-fitted to the dimensions of the new iPods, can double as a screen cleaner and are available with or without a rear mesh pocket. They are available for pre-order now and will ship September 16....

Sony's VAIO NS packs Blu-ray for $1000

2008-09-13T06:58:00.009-07:00

Sony's VAIO NS packs Blu-ray for $1000

Filed under: Laptops

Sony's string of new VAIOs continues today with the NS series, slick little numbers that can be ordered with a Blu-ray drive under that magic $1000 price point. The 15.4-inch laptops come in blue silver and white and all run Vista Home Premium with special Sony media features on 2GHz T5800 Core 2 Duo processors and integrated X4500 graphics, with prices starting at $650 for 3GB of RAM and a 250GB drive. Release date is unclear, but Sony's got them up on its web site, so we're guessing it'll be soon.

[Via Electronista]

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MUO Games - The Best Places for Flash Games

2008-09-13T06:58:00.007-07:00

Flash was originally created (and also broadly used) for website design. It didn’t stay with that though, as Flash also proved to be a great platform for animations and web games. Throughout the years, tons of sites have risen, offering an overload of Flash content. We will be discussing a few of these sites today. More [...]

We will be discussing a few of these sites today. More precisely, the best places for good and free flash games that play right out of your browser. What more do you want?

Newgrounds

Newgrounds is one of the most popular flash ‘portals’ around. It was also one of the first I discovered, about 8 or 9 years ago to be exact. There was a time I visited Newgrounds everyday, utterly addicted to the movies and games. I started making my own things some time after (like stop motion movies and a very crappy dress-up game). After that, I decided to leave it to the pro’s.

You’ll be amazed by the quality of the work. I am too, everytime I visit.

Newgrounds’ system allows everyone to submit their flash content. Then it’ll receive ratings from other users and be deleted if it’s not good enough. The best submissions will reach the frontpage or the daily top five.

Check out the games section here.

Albino Blacksheep

Albino Blacksheep is another huge flash site. It started a few years after Newgrounds, originally as a music orientated website. Over the years it grow towards other media, like flash. Now it has a user-base that’s almost similar to that of Newgrounds.

Albino Blacksheep works also completely of user-submitted content. In their help pages, they’ve included the image below, explaining the Albino Blacksheep flow.

Besides a recently renovated interface, they also feature a Wii Games page. On this page you’ll find flash games that are carefully selected and adjusted, making them playable using the Wii browser.

Take a look at the Albino Blacksheep games section for a wide variety of great games.

Armor Games

Armor Games is both a flash game directory and a game sponsor. People can submit their flash games after which they’ll be reviewed and checked to see if they’re appropriate for the website and possible sponsorship.

You’ll often see games sponsored by AG on other sites like Newgrounds or Albino Blacksheep, but they also post all games they sponsor on their own website.

Check out the Armor Games website for a directory of the highest quality.

Zylom

Zylom is a great place to go if you want to train your brain. This Realgames project hosts over 200 fun and free games. This might not seem much compared to Newgrounds or Albino Blacksheep, but that’s mainly because they don’t work with a user-submitting system.

Though they aren’t flash games, they are also playable right out of your browser.

Take a look at the Zylom website here.

And You?

We at Make Use Of are interested in your opinion.

What flash websites do you prefer? What flash games do you play? Have you played Alien Hominid yet? Anaksha perhaps? And while you’re at it, check out the other comments as well.

More from MakeUseOf.com :

- MakeUseOf Directory : Read about up-to 5 truly useful web apps on a daily basis.
- MakeUseOf ‘Geeky Fun’: - Fun Geeky Pics, Cartoons and Videos.

(By) Simon is a student from Belgium who wastes his time relaxing, gaming and surfing the net. He would tell you to check out his blog, only he doesn't have one (yet)!

Tags:Cool Websites, flash, Games

Panasonic intros 1st Micro Four Thirds camera

2008-09-13T06:58:00.005-07:00

Panasonic chose Friday to break new ground with the launch of the Lumix G1, the first known production camera based on the Micro Four Thirds pseudo-SLR system. The absence of the traditional mirror and a smaller lens mount produce a 12.1-megapixel camera which is both the smallest and lightest to carry swappable lenses but which still has the sensor size and focusing abilities of a more typical D...

MacBreak 08: Automator Life Poster

2008-09-13T06:58:00.003-07:00

MacBreak 08: Automator Life Poster
Leo and Automator guru Sal Soghoian show you how to use Automator and iPhoto to create a poster-sized collection of your photos.

Nuclear bomb blueprint shared on internet - UN warns

2008-09-13T06:58:00.001-07:00

Nuclear bomb blueprint shared on internet - UN warns
Libya received the blueprint for a nuclear bomb electronically, raising "serious concern" about the spreading of such sensitive material via the internet, the head of the UN nuclear agency has reported. In a report which effectively...

GBTV #381 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-12T20:29:00.011-07:00

GBTV #381 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Today's Brief comes to you from a hotel room that looks like a grandma's house. Tnkgrl solved the problem of why MacBook Air super drives only work with MBAs and she explains how to get one working with any Mac or PC on her blog, tankgrl.wordpress.com.

SmugMug has a new service for unlimited storage of any type of file. The service is called SmugVault and it's built on Amazon Web Services. Storage costs pennies per GB.

D-Link dropped an update for their DNS-323 NAS. The update turns it into a PC-free BitTorrent machine. They also released a new router, the DIR-628, that is dual-band. The 2.4GHz channel is for regular network traffic and the 5.4GHz channel is for media distribution.

The Boy Genius Report got a tip that the iPhone will go on sale at 8AM on July 11th.

SlashGear says JVC will release the world's thinnest 1080p LCD HDTV in July.

Tomorrow we're having a bus inspected. I'll be providing updates on Twitter and live video from Qik.

Cool Websites and Tools (edition #174)

2008-09-12T20:29:00.009-07:00

Cool Websites and Tools (edition #174)
Check out some of the latest makeuseof discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For even more app reviews subscribe to makeuseof directory. Want to submit your application to MakeUseOf directory ? See how here. (1) 80sMusicVids - Over 1000 classic music videos from [...]

Check out some of the latest makeuseof discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For even more app reviews subscribe to makeuseof directory. Want to submit your application to MakeUseOf directory ? See how here.

(1) 80sMusicVids - Over 1000 classic music videos from the 80’s that you can watch online. If you’re a child of the 80’s, this definitely worth a look. Read more: 80sMusicVids - Best Classic Music Videos From 80’s.

(2) Anjo.to - Search for videos on a number of popular video sharing sites like Youtube and download videos you like in desired video format (.flv |.3gp | .mp4 | .mp3 | .avi | .mov ). Read more: Anjo.to - Convert & Save Online Videos to Computer.

(3) Kissa.be - Pretty cool 3 in 1 web app that integrates 3 useful features in one website. These are URL shortener, email ‘mailto’ link protector and a tool that helps you overcome max. character restrictions on sites like Twitter. Read more: Kissa.be - Shorten Long Links & Protect ‘mailto’ Links.

(4) Overlay.TV - Web-based video editing tool that lets you grab any online video (such as from Youtube) and easily add things like animations, text, video recordings, hyperlinks etc. Read more: Overlay.TV - Add Text, Clip Art and Hyperlinks to any Web Video.

(5) Postcard.fm - Send cool postcards to friends or anyone else you care about. Upload a picture and mp3 file of your choice, add your message and get a fully personalized e-card that you can send to any email address. Read more: Postcard.fm - Send Customizable Audio & Image E-cards.

(6) RoundMyCorners - Add basic effects such as round corners, reflections and background colors to your images. So if you don’t know how to make rounded corner images in Gimp or Photoshop then this is the tool you need. Read more: RoundMyCorners - Make Pictures with Round Corners.

(7) SoundWound - Newly launched wiki comprehensive wiki style community-powered website for music. Get info about musicians, bands and artists. See artist profile, discography, timeline, images, related YouTube videos, notable events & trivia, related websites and so on. Read more: SoundUnwound - Wikipedia for Music.

(8) ThreatExpert - Want to find out more about that virus, trojan or infected file you discovered on your PC. Simply upload the file to ThreatExpert.com, and get comrehensive behavioral reports for almost any kind of threat (virus, spyware, mallware, etc.) it may contain. Read more: ThreatExpert - Analyze PC Viruses, Worms, Trojans, etc.

(9) TravelMapGenerator - Select countries of your choice and generate a world map with selected countries highlighted. Highlight the countries you have been to, map the countries you want to visit etc. The map can be then shared with anyone you want. Read more: TravelMapGenerator - Highlight Countries & Create Shareable Maps.

(10) UmbrellaToday - Online rain forecast tool where users can input a zip code and find out if it is going to rain in that area today. You can also setup SMS alerts to your mobile. Read more: UmbrellaToday - Get SMS Alerts for When It Might Rain.

These are just half of the applications that were added to our directory in the last 3-4 days. To keep up-to-date on all directory additions subscribe to MakeUseOf Directory here. To subscribe via email click here.

More from MakeUseOf.com :

- MakeUseOf Directory : Read about up-to 5 truly useful web apps on a daily basis.
- MakeUseOf ‘Geeky Fun’: - Fun Geeky Pics, Cartoons and Videos.

(By) Aibek, the guy behind MakeUseOf.

Tags:Cool Websites

Behind the Scenes Of Songbird - An Exclusive Interview

2008-09-12T20:29:00.007-07:00

We’ve previously covered Songbird on Make Use Of when Mark wrote about it as an iTunes killer back in January. I then wrote my own article six months later presenting my own favourite Songbird extensions. Since then I’ve been following the development of Songbird with a great deal of interest and was excited when Songbird [...]

Since then I’ve been following the development of Songbird with a great deal of interest and was excited when Songbird 0.7 was released a few weeks ago.

This release introduced a great new UI, more features and significant performance improvements, all very welcome additions.

With Songbird on track and cranking up the pace for a version 1 release by December I decided to contact the Songbird team for an interview about their project. Rob Lord is the founder and CEO of Songbird and took the time to answer these questions about Songbird:

Perhaps you’d like to describe the team behind Songbird. I believe a number of you have been involved in previous media projects?

Hi Laurence, thanks for the interview. Yes, our Pioneers of the Inevitable team includes key developers from media players including Winamp and the Yahoo! Music Jukebox.

What do you think about development in other media players? With 4 main choices for consumers (iTunes, WMP, Media Monkey and Winamp) and each with a pretty unique market, things seem to have slowed down in the last couple of years. Apple only releases a new version of iTunes when they have a new product to peddle and Microsoft with their newest OS.

Our perspective is that the traditional desktop media player feature list is complete, thus there has been little innovation in desktop media players for years. However, what happens when a desktop media player is connected to the Web is an unexplored and intriguing opportunity. Songbird re-architects the traditional desktop media player to go there. Songbird is an open, customizable desktop media player that is built to play the Web.

Songbird has an incredible amount of potential. Have you been getting much interest or support from significant online companies such as Amazon? Without an iTunes/iPod lock yet still supporting them I would assume companies would be jumping on an opportunity like Songbird =)

Songbird has attracted a lot of attention from consumer electronics companies, especially handset makers, and media retailers/service providers. We’ll be making announcements as the partnerships are ready to launch.

We hear everyday from device makers that they want to focus on their devices. We hear everyday from digital media retailers, subscription, radio, video, recommendation, locker and other service providers that they want to focus on their services. Yet everybody - users, developers, device makers and service providers - wants those devices and services to work together with software. But only Apple offers a credible integrated service + software + device experience. Songbird is the solution for all those who benefit from open, customizable media player software. Songbird is the open solution for service + software + device integration.

That said, Songbird isn’t yet ready for everyone. If a user needs full feature parity with traditional desktop media players or has never installed a Firefox add-on, Songbird isn’t ready for them yet.

Songbird is based on Mozilla and not Firefox itself as I initially assumed. Can you explain what this means? Do improvements in Firefox, such as FF3 and 3.1 become part of Songbird? Does the Songbird team work with the Firefox team?

Songbird, like Firefox, is built from the Mozilla platform. So, yes, new Firefox features and enhancements are inherited by Songbird. Also our team provides testing, fixes and patches back to Mozilla.

What’s the best song you’ve ever discovered through Songbird?

So much to choose from! A Ratatat remix from the Gorilla vs. Bear music blog comes to mind.

What feature do you miss the most personally when using Songbird? CD ripping and burning?

CD Rip/Burn isn’t an issue for me because I ripped my CD collection years ago. I’m 99% pure digital now. Key for me is support for my iPhone 3G so I can leave my older iPod behind. FYI, CD Rip/Burn is on our roadmap.

What Media Software did you use before Songbird?

Winamp was for many including me the seminal MP3 player. Winamp was first to go big in the 90s with skins, plug-ins, EQ, visualizations, etc. and its community responded with thousands of extensions – the kind of vital community we see supporting Firefox today. In the last five years, I found myself recommending iTunes to others for its relative simplicity — and found myself using it for the solid service + software + device integration.

The approach for Songbird is almost a ‘make-your-own’ media player, even more so than Firefox is as a browser. By that I mean the Songbird Media player includes only the most basic functions and almost all new features, device support and codecs are all added via extensions. It’s a great idea as users can avoid having any features they’ll never use (such as iPod support when they don’t have an iPod), however will the most popular extensions eventually become part of Songbird, or are you keeping the system like it is?

You nailed our thinking. Like Firefox, Songbird will offer a baseline of what ever media player user needs and then offer customization via add-ons to your specific media player preferences. We’re experimenting with including highly requested add-ons, such as Last.FM integration, in the first-run bundle.

Does using Songbird make you more attractive to the opposite sex?

Works for me and my lady. Try playing the Groove Salad channel via SHOUTcast for best results. YMMV. ; )

Tell us your five favourite extensions.

Hard to pick as there are over 250 Songbird add-ons currently – and they are all specialized features. We’re very grateful to all the individual Songbird add-on developers that have embraced Songbird and the Songbird community.

Rather than pick favorites, here are the add-ons with the widest appeal based on downloads:

Wikipedia - artist biography of the currently playing artist.
Mashtape - a mash-up of Flickr photo, YouTube vdeos, Last.FM bios of the currently playing artist.
MediaFlow - Like iTunes Coverflow, view you music library by flipping through album art.
Last.FM Cover Fetcher - retrieve album art from Last.FM for your music library.
Last.FM Recommendations - artist recommendations from Last.FM based on currently playing artist.

Songbird have also been cool enough to provide us with a Songbird T-shirt to give away! To win this just comment below and tell us the craziest place you’re going to wear it (When you get the shirt we expect a photo proving it - and we’ll publish it! So no bare bottoms please!)

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR : MUO employees are not eligible to enter! This one’s for the readers!

More from MakeUseOf.com :

- MakeUseOf Directory : Read about up-to 5 truly useful web apps on a daily basis.
- MakeUseOf ‘Geeky Fun’: - Fun Geeky Pics, Cartoons and Videos.

(By) Laurence John was born naked, screaming and utterly helpless at some point in the last century. With the help of talented programmer and fellow MUO author Wez Pyke, Laurence is working on a new Blog; extendably.com, check it out!

Tags:giveaway, interview, music players, open source

GBTV #359 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-12T20:29:00.005-07:00

GBTV #359 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
This Brief was meant to be up hours ago, but we had a computer crash just before a meeting. We had to re-edit after we got home tonight. Twitter friend, @Lindsay25 turned us on to The Great American Road Trip project. It's three guys driving through the lower 48 in 5 days. They charted a route that is only 7500 miles. Their journey started on Sunday and ends Friday, May 9th. Using mobile broadband, they've blogged about the trip all week.

Tivoli Audio announced and Internet radio called NetWorks. It streams audio via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

PicLens is a free broser plug-in that turns browsing photos and video online into an immersive 3D experience. You can download the plug in from here, and you can learn how to make your Web site Piclens ready here.

The Kuro Plasma Displays by Pioneer have black levels that are five times deeper than last year's models.

Friday night (May 9th) at 9PM EDT, Neal and I will be on Ustream.tv/calilewis live from New Jersey talking about the status of the Big Trip. Come by and join the chat.

Poll: Is firmware 2.1 actually boosting your signal?

2008-09-12T20:29:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Cellphones

So, you've gone and updated to that new "big fix" firmware 2.1 -- but is the Kool Aid as delicious as you've been promised? On our end, we're certainly seeing noticeable improvements on lagging keyboards, app switching / opening (particularly with contacts and text messages), moving through menus / scrolling, application installation and iTunes syncing, but has Apple solved the big issue? The software update page boasts of a "decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls," and while that might make you think you'll see the proverbial "more bars in more places" (and you probably do), it's likely related to another change in this update, namely, "improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display." We know that a lot of you are seeing apparent improvements in signal strength, but is that a matter of updated icons, or a reflection of some crazy voodoo Apple performed on the phone's radio? We're leaning towards the former, but we'd like to hear what you have to say. So what's the deal? Is the iPhone 3G seeing actual reception improvements, or is it just cosmetic? Let us know in the poll below.

View Poll

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GBTV #361 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-12T20:29:00.001-07:00

On Brief #361, I talk to My Home 2.0 Guru #2, Brian Albert. He's the craziest person I've ever put on The Brief. He showed me some of the projects he's built over the course of his life, and I try to convince him to call himself a geek. Read More

Apple: NBC's pricing hasn't changed

2008-09-12T20:28:00.007-07:00

Apple: NBC's pricing hasn't changed

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, Video, iTunes

Here's the final humiliation for NBC in the whole contest between it and Apple -- while one of NBC's execs claimed that Apple made some concessions to the network to get Peacock content back in the iTunes store (after it was unceremoniously pulled last year over pricing arguments), Apple just plain says that's not true -- there were no concessions, and NBC crawled back on its own.

Sure, it's a little high school of Apple to call NBC out like that, but it's not like NBC has been gracefully handling the whole thing either -- execs have whined and moaned the whole time that they don't like the iTunes model, and even threatened to go to Amazon for good. But in the end, making Apple's money won out over making no money at all. Even though NBC brass are still convinced that Apple is giving them ground on pricing (and on the pricing of DVD movies), Apple says that's not the case -- the pricing structure has been the same all along.

At any rate, it's the consumer that wins -- no matter what Apple's prices are, at least NBC content is back in the iTunes store for those willing to pay for it.

[via Daring Fireball]

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Geek Brief Radio | Copy and Paste for iPhone

2008-09-12T20:28:00.005-07:00

Interview with Zac White about bringing Copy and Paste to the iPhone via OpenClip.org Read More

GBTV #0333 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

2008-09-12T20:28:00.003-07:00

GBTV #0333 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
The D.O.J. today gave the O.K. to a merger between XM Satellite Radio and Sirius.

South Park Studios is making every episode of South Park available for streaming on their Web site.

Quanta Computer and OoVoo are joining together to bring HD video chat to HDTV and they promise a product this year.

The Tape Project is a company that makes reel-to-reel tapes available to audiophiles for a lot of money. Here's the Tape Project catalog.

Of all my t-shirts, none are currently knife-proof. My Oyster Shucking video suggests that it could be a potential problem. Nihon Uni T-Shirts ARE knife proof to an extent, but they cost $500 each and do not protect against stabs.

Steve Jobs defies health rumours at iPod launch

2008-09-12T20:28:00.001-07:00

It has been the talk of the blogosphere for months. Occasional bursts of speculation even sent Apple's shares plunging. So when Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive and genius-in-residence strolled on to a San Francisco stage yesterday,... Read More

iTunes 8 generating problems with AirPort Express?

2008-09-10T17:45:00.001-07:00

Apple's newly-released iTunes 8 may be causing problems for owners of AirPort Express routers, complaints on Apple forums suggest. Accounts mention the software displaying error codes when trying to use the AirTunes option, used to stream music wirelessly to remote speakers. Once an Express is connected to distant speakers, iTunes normally allows users to pick a particular set of audio outputs....

MacBreak 16: Black and White

2008-09-10T17:44:00.017-07:00

Leo Laporte and guest Mikkel Aaland show you how to use Adobe Bridge to get fine control when converting images from color to black and white. Read More

MacBreak 28: 4 New Mac Gems

2008-09-10T17:44:00.015-07:00

Leo Laporte is back with Jonathan Seff and Jason Snell to introduce you to four must-see Mac utilities. Read More

QuoteSmart tool organizes quotes, sayings, etc.

2008-09-10T17:44:00.013-07:00

WorqSmart today announced its newest tool, QuoteSmart, that allows users to organize quotes, sayings, or other similar information. The program comes loaded with over 6000 quotes, but allows for personal additions. Notes can be added to content, which is organized or searched by author, title, or text. Selections can be printed, emailed, or researched further with buttons for Wikipedia, Google, Am...

ipod shuffle

Bush signs tougher anti-piracy law

GBTV #441 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

MacBreak 05: There is a Need for Panic

GBTV #0385 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

Billings 3 prices reduced until November 30th

MacBreak 158: MacBreak WWDC: Savant

Study shows 43% of college women prefer Macs

GBTV #0371 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

Microsoft sues DHL over Xbox train derailment

GBTV #0386 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

MacBreak 154: MacBreak Studio: The Job Chain

American Airlines to block airbourne porn

Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD gets reviewed, all 15x of it

GBTV #0415 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

GBTV #358 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

Boris FX releases Continuum Lens Flare Unit

Over half of 2009 cars will offer iPod connectivity

Protopage: Ajax-Driven Personal Pages

MacBreak 11: Nicecast

GBTV #0413 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

First Blackberry Storm commericals air on CBS

Apple introducing new manufacturing process, MacBook 'Brick'?

Sanyo's laser could bring 12x Blu-ray burners and 100GB discs

GBTV #0394 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

Royalty rate stays the same, iTunes Store still open

GBTV #0402 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

MacBreak 140: NAB 2008: Plug-in Pavilion

GBTV #353 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

Nokia sets Comes With Music price, signs EMI

Pimp your Pod

MacBreak 164: macbreak: True 3D in Motion

Not quite 'The Brick,' but fun anyway

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic hands-on

GBTV #417 (small) | CEDIA Expo #1 repost

NASA turns 50: Why aren't we on Mars yet?

Netflix API to launch, iPhone app possible

NEC readies pro 19-inch, 24-inch LCDs

HP takes on MacBook with dv3500t

MacBreak 83: Minute: Quick Dock Configuration

GBTV #0393 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

GBTV #0369 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

Vodafone contest shows UK BlackBerry Storm

GBTV #0354 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

Press shots of Verizon's BlackBerry Storm surface

DXG and Geotate team on geotagging video camera

Pocketpedia takes your media collections onto your iPhone

GBTV #0371 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

AAPL down sharply after two ratings cuts

SimpleTech adds 1.5TB Pro, 3TB Duo Pro drives

GBTV #0390 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

SimpleTech adds 1.5TB Pro, 3TB Duo Pro drives

MacBook tablet the cure for falling Apple?

Motorola getting friendly with Android

MacBreak 82: Minute: Lite Switch

Fear the Bloomberg Bozo

iTunes to host unsigned tracks from Pure Play

RIM earnings up, 6.1m BlackBerries miss target

Sling Media starts shipping $300 Slingbox PRO-HD, Canada to get it soon

Sony intros VAIO CR / SR bundles in support of breast cancer research

7 Online Resources To Help You Improve Your Writing

1. StumbleUpon

2. 911 Writers Block

3. one word

4. Cliché Finder

5.Language is a Virus

6. Better writing

7. UsingEnglish

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I. Change your default search engine

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