Cool toys and Gadgets

Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

Who would have predicted this: 16 months after its introduction the iPhone is #1 in sales in the US displacing the RAZR, beating Windows Mobile in smartphone sales and still going strong.  Now, we learn there is no bubble of interest in the iPhone applications that can run on the phone, demand continues to grow.

“It’s unbelievable,“ says Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster. “It’s a differentiator. We think in ‘09, it’s going to be a $1 billion market place and Apple will probably take about 30 percent of that. There’s virtually no operating expense for them. They just approve the apps. It increases our confidence that” Apple can make these numbers.

For those slow at math like me, that is $300 million Apple will make off the app store by doing nothing than keeping the electricity on for the servers to hum.  If I were Steve Jobs, Apple’s #1 man, I’d sit next to the servers and laugh demonically.  Maybe he does that, I won’t judge.

But what intrigues me is the community Apple is building around the phone.  Lately, big businesses are creating iPhone apps to reach customers.  Obama had his iPhone app (I’ll refrain from suggesting it is what won him the election).  If everyone and everything is on the iPhone, why get any other phone?

And this could lead to my very favorite thing: car integration.  Yes, the BMW has iPod integration, but I want to dock my iPod on the dash, charge/play/talk/navigate etc. all on the iPod all at the same time.  All these users and infrastructure could give folks the inclination to help integrate the iPhone into our car.  I am tired of the wires, hokey docks, too few cigarette lighters, blah blah blah.

This stone is rolling and continues to pick up steam.  It is only going to go faster if Wal-Mart really does have a $99 iPhone up its sleeves.

Read [CNBC]

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

Section: Peripherals, Storage

With the advances in technology meaning things are smaller and more valuable people are always looking for new ways to stop things from getting lost, and stop them from getting nicked.  Memory sticks certainly fall into this category: it is now far too easy to lose your new tiny memory stick, and if you are that sort of slimy person, it is also very easy to take them off your desk and copy all your valuable documents.  Bring in the CurrentKey: the height of USB stick disguise and poor puns.

The main idea behind these USB sticks is “acts” like coins, sitting nice and safe in the coin section of your wallet out of harms way and unlikely to get lost (as you always know where it is).  But if you were to twist it the snazzy rotation system brings out a USB stick capable of holding up to 8GB of work, music or whatever else you keep on your memory stick.

Originally a European company LaCie are now one of the world market leaders for computer peripherals who specialize in practical solutions for both the general public and professionals.  This is obviously aimed more at the public market (no where near geeky enough for a computer technician) along with many of their brightly colored not-easily-lost USB “solutions”.

This really is a neat product: designed to look like Euro coins (as the image suggests) they will fit in very well in any purse with the bronze (4GB) and silver (8GB) versions. T he only problem?  If you are in a rush you may end up giving someone one of these instead of a coin, which will be a fairly expensive mistake (admittedly not one your are likely to make in America) but the nice little USB logo and number indicating capacity is a bit of a give-away.

It is also not the sort of thing that a passing opportunist is going to take; I know that USB thefts are not very common, but I have heard of them and if you store valuable data (such as credit card details) there is definitely a motive for people to steal them.  However I doubt that anyone will steal a small foreign coin that is on your desk, so perhaps this is an advantage.

The only problem is the price, in a day where you can get 4Gb for around $8 the $20 and $30 price tags seem a little high, but I suppose that is the price for style and practicality, something that this little number has in buckets.  The pun (CurrentKey - Currency) isn’t that bad either so overall this is a solid piece of consumer orientated design, something we all want to see.

Source [UberGizmo]

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

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile, Originals, Columns, Who's On Crack, Features

This is where we call out the tech moves that seem odd, out of touch or just plain straight up smokin’ crack.  This week sees posturing, positioning and flat out insanity. 

Here’s what I am calling out this week as whack:

• AT&T wants Symbian on every phone?
• Sprint points out Instincts weaknesses for us
• Verizon gets all paranoid about Omnia’s pricing
• Nokia’s nutty new entry

AT&T’s one OS world

Sure, supporting all these OSes isn’t easy.  Your tech’s knowledge has to be limited by all the myriad of OSes they’re supposed to know. News came today that you blue-sky-guy says Symbian would be good choice for a company-wide one OS to offer and support.  But consolidating down to one OS?  And you think Symbian is that OS?  Really?

Whispering sweet nothings into Symbian’s ear isn’t going to get you anywhere.  Stop worrying about a Nokia take over of the US market, that train isn’t leaving the station.  A much better idea, at least in my mind, is to convince Apple to license its software onto other devices.  Hitch your train to that engine, crackheads. 

Sprint says, “Hey, did you know the instinct couldn’t support your work calendar?“

Sometimes, all that is needed is an email to customers.  Something quiet in the night that says, “hey boys, go here and download this and you get Outlook Calendar support, sweet huh?“.  But no, you had to go and issue a press release telling everyone our out-of-the-box expectation of calendar syncing was off.  Thanks for pointing this out, as I’ve not made fun of the Instinct in a while.  I feel better now.  iPhone killer? LOL.

Get the Verizon Omnia price ticker gadget on your desktop?

I watch the stock market.  I watch the price of light sweet crude.  And now, I am watching the daily price of Verizon’s Samsung Omnia.  This thing is more volatile than a barrel full of gasoline next to a Sony laptop.

Jump beside me in the way back machine, we travel back to 2008, a cloudy November day, the 25th if you are taking notes.  The shiny Omnia is introduced at $249.99 after a lame $70 mail in rebate.  Now, as we are chased by the bizarre inhabitants of November 25,  we land on Dec 2nd of the same year.  Here we find the same Omnia, now priced at $199 after the same lame mail in rebate.  Nervous much?

Did you wake up, presumably strung out, in December and say to yourself, “Holy cow!  Have you heard about this economy stuff?  And this Apple phone, who knew about that?  Quick, slash the price before these phones end up at Odd Lot!“  Lay off the dope.

Nokia disappointments with the N97

I believe we all keep expecting someone else to “get it” with phone software and it clouds are judgment and/or enjoyment of an otherwise snazzy phone.  The new Nokia entry is beautiful, well-built with lovely screen resolution.  But.  And then things start flowing.  The biggest “but” is Nokia refuses to update its OS for the touchscreen times. 

HTC gets it.  Their Windows Mobile skins walk the line of needed Active Sync support mated with something actually functional and close to fun to use.  But not Nokia.  And the N97 is a bit brickish.  Keep at though, your getting warmer.  Appletell’s Josh Holat, while espousing his love for Apple’s device sums up his look at the N97 with:

“Although companies like RIM and Nokia can try to beat out Apple, I don’t see it happening anytime soon, that’s for sure.“

That’s my list for this week.  Let me know in the comments what crazy things I missed and stay off the crack kids.

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

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Reviews, Web, Downloads

We all know how important it is to back up your data, and what can happen if you don’t.  Twice this year, I’ve had computer failures, first a dead hard drive, and then a fried motherboard.  Fortunately, since I back up my data regularly, the damage was minimal.  So yes, backing up your data is crucial, but it can also be a hassle. 

Microsoft Vista has a built in back up tool, but it doesn’t always do the job well.  It doesn’t allow you to really pick and choose what you want to back up, and it backs up a lot of junk you really don’t need, like all the built in software that came with your system, which no one needs a back up of! 

Fortunately Siber Systems has come to the rescue with GoodSync.  This marvelous program automatically backs up your data and syncs it between laptops, servers, desktops, and portable drives, all with just a few clicks!  Continued after the break.

Once you’ve downloaded and installed the program, open it, and choose the drives you want to sync, like your C: drive and a flash drive.  Click the Analyze button and Goodsync will show you the directories and files on both drives.  Simply choose the files you want to sync, click Sync and GoodSync does the work for you.  Your data is now backed up. Goodsync also offers an auto setting that allows you to schedule regular synchronization jobs so that your data back ups are always current.  And since GoodSync is bidirectional, it’s easy to restore the data you’ve backed up should you ever need to.

Goodsync is also great for syncing data between your laptop and desktop, so when you travel you’ll always have your data at your fingertips.  Goodsync is fast and doesn’t take up much memory.  In addition to PCs, servers, and portable drives, it also syncs to Windows Mobile and Pocket PC devices, making it a snap to move files between your cell or PDA and your desktop.  Click here for a full list of Goodsyncs key features.

Goodsync is available here. You can download a free trial or Goodsync Pro for just $29.95.  It runs on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista and is also available for XP and Vista 64bit systems.  I’ve been using it for about 2 weeks now and it’s been flawless.  No slowdowns, hangs, or stability issues. It is truly a useful and quality product!

Read [Goodsync]

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

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

Man, would I have loved to be in the crowd at the Symbian Partner Conference when AT&T’s Director of Next Generation Services, Roger Smith, stated the telecom’s lofty goal of having the company’s smartphone offerings on the same operating system.  You know what is coming: he said Symbian is “a very credible and likely candidate” to become that one operating system.

Symbian who?

Symbian, which garners 45% or so of the worldwide smartphone OS market, owes much of its success to Nokia.  The platform is stable, works well, and is loved in Europe.  As of late, Symbian was purchased by Nokia and is committed to going open source. 

iPhone effect

Other news this morning from Bloomberg states Apple’s iPhone is recession-proofing AT&T thanks the steady line of new customers for the device.  The company is expected to be the only carrier to post accelerating growth this quarter as companies hunker down for the economic storm.  While AT&T has announced layoffs, subscribers are not detered from obtaining these luxury phones.

“People still want those iconic devices and are willing to pay up for them,” said Will Power, analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co..  “Look at wireless and consumer behavior generally, this also applies to the lower- income demographics.”

Additionally, iPhone buyers are among the industry’s most wanted customers, those that pay 1.6 times what the average customer pays for phone and data services.  In a time where carriers are running out of new customers, they are looking to steal or hold onto these higher-paying customers.

Sucking up?

Perhaps Mr. Smith was sucking up the Symbian crowd?  Certainly a unified OS would make AT&T’s life easier.  One OS to support would be a welcome task to AT&T’s customer support team who currently deal with Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Apple, and then the home brew jobs from Pantech, Samsung and lots more.  Is it possible AT&T could narrow that list down to just one?

Perhaps, but at what cost?  When you remove consumer choice, demand will typically lessen.  Unless other carriers adopt similar rules (and who wants to be the first?), AT&T’s dream of one OS is just pie in the sky thinking.

Source: [Bloomberg]

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

You’ve heard the rave reviews about the Logitech Harmony line’s computer-programmable remote controls. Some consumers, however, are understandably turned off by using a computer interface to do anything—especially if it requires downloading software. On a bad day, it can be a real pain. Thankfully, Universal Remote Control offers a remote with similar functionality to Logitech’s models with their new URC Digital R50. The major difference is that all the codes you need to ensure compatibility with the various components in your system are already programmed into the device, obviating the need for computer as middleman. In a word: Woo-hoo!

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

Photograph by Kim Dow

Scott Wade of San Marcos, Texas, thought he could do better than write "Wash Me" on the backside of a dusty car. He started drawing caricatures. His father was a cartoonist of sorts and had taught him to draw funny faces. It was Wade's idea to make a dirty car window his canvas.

"For the last 20 years living on a dirt road," he says, "there's always dirt on my car."

With the sun baking it, the dirt takes about two weeks to form a stable work surface. Wade began, like anyone else, by using his finger, and then tried popsicle sticks. To introduce shading, he decided to use brushes. Over time he developed a range of techniques, which included using plants and rubber paint-shaper tools.

Wade particularly likes the dirt of central Texas, where crushed limestone mixed with clay serves as a road base.

"It makes the perfect dirt," he says. "It's very light-colored and the contrast is great against the dark shadow inside the car."

As he got more requests to create his Dirty Car he realized that he had to figure out how to dust up a car himself. Now, he can prepare a car in minutes using a light coating of oil and pyro-lite, a less toxic alternative to fuller's earth.

At the Austin Maker Faire in 2007 (& 2008), Wade dusted up his Toyota and created Monsters from the Movies, featuring the Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman. The next day he painted a tribute to Willie Nelson that included Waylon Jennings. "After a good rain," he says, "it appears to wash off, but in a couple days it comes back in a ghostly form."

Recently, he was asked to draw Biff Henderson for the David Letterman show. In addition to portraits, he enjoys dusting up the old masters. "I have this grandiose idea of parking cars all the way up the ramp of the Guggenheim Museum and painting in dirt reproductions of the pieces that are on the wall next to it."

>> Dirty Car Art: dirtycarart.com

From the column Made on Earth - MAKE 14, page 23 - Dale Dougherty.

Following up on the previous post covering Make: Tokyo Meeting 02, here are more photos and info from this event. This time there were over 60 presenters and over 1,200 people in attendance (twice as many makers and guests as the first Make: Tokyo Meeting). This time the meeting featured makers from Tokyo and beyond, showing a growth in the event as well as the DIY community that Make: Japan seeks to bring together.

The Make: Tokyo meetings, although in their early stages, are quickly becoming one of the premiere arenas for makers in Japan to display their creations. Because there are relatively few other arenas for makers to display their work in a large, interactive setting, it will no doubt continue to be an attraction for creative people in Japan and beyond.

The event was kicked off with an opening speech by sci-fi novelist H. Nojiri on the future of DIY. Throughout the day there were a total of 18 presentations at ~20 minutes each, as well as full-on workshops on Arduino, electronics for crafters (using Craft's Fashioning Technology book), and LED Throwies, as well as many other mini-workshops conducted at the maker booths. MTM 02 also featured a Making Things Talk publication panel discussion by Shigeru Kobayashi, A. Kubota, and Takumi Funada. This panel coincided with the very recent publication of the Japanese translation of Making Things Talk. Appropriately, the event showcased a lot of work by students from site hosts Tama Art University, IAMAS, etc. who utilized physical computing technology such as Arduino and Gainer in their projects.

This Make Meeting also saw the presence of more craft-related makers.

"Don't sit on me!"

The Teslasizer (Tesla Coil + Synthesizer), made by high school student Hidehito Kikuchi.

Rachel Hobson @ CRAFT writes:

Jeffery Ruddell over at CraftStylish has done it again! All of his paper projects leave me swooning, but - honestly - often leave me feeling a little intimidated. His latest project, though, is right at my speed and would actually be fun to tackle with my kids. He's made a gorgeous snowstorm garland that uses two very simple supplies: dental floss and white circle stickers from the office supply store. This makes me want to try the same idea with colored circles to string around my tree...

This application is a free reliable file splitter that lets you split your large files (like Self-Extracting archives, (more…)