Source: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1813626064/bctid677686312001?src=mrss
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Real Doc Dispenses Prognoses for Fantasy Team Jocks
Stephania Bell was your run-of-the-mill fantasy football fan. Now she's ESPN's official fantasy sports injuries analyst.
CrunchGear Week in Review: Hop Edition
Weekend Giveaway: An iPad From Fuze A Chair Made Entirely Of The Cracks Between The Cushions Review and Video Unboxing: The Jawbone Jambox New Japanese Piggy Bank: Rubik?s Cube Bank Requires Brain Power Tea Candle Lava Lamp From Mathmos: Why Not? I Always Wondered How Kuribo?s Shoe Worked
Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/11/08/week-in-review-hop-edition/
Sweet Rides for Holiday Speed Demons
No matter whether your gearhead sweety prefers two, three or four wheels — or none at all & mdash; Wired has the hookup on what's hot. 
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/NeyVjBSfZd4/
Monday, November 29, 2010
Daily Crunch: Step Into The Body Shot Edition
Body Scanners That Don?t Keep Pictures Apparently Keep Pictures Sony Announces HandyCam NXCAM, An E-Mount Super-35 Sensor Camcorder Using The Kinect To Make Any Surface Multi-Touch Review: Barnes & Noble NookColor Codemasters Joins Growing List Of Companies That Hate Pre-Owned Games
Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/11/17/daily-crunch-body-shot/
Sophos Sees Macs OS Infected With Windows Sludge
Anti-virus firm Sophos shows that while Macs may be under increasing malware threats, most of the sludge its anti-virus software found targeted Windows systems - Apple users aren't out of the woods.
Source: http://feeds.informationweek.com/click.phdo?i=f5ae2965021b881a098381f7bdbadc9f
IBM's Blue Gene/Q supercomputer tops Green500 list
While China can take pride in topping the list of the world's most powerful supercomputers, IBM has been given another recognition: building the world's most energy-efficient supercomputer.
The next-generation prototype of IBM's Blue Gene, Blue Gene/Q, has topped the latest iteration of the Green500, a ranking of supercomputers by their power efficiency, released today at the SC2010 conference in New Orleans.
Online Egg Timer is another slick, stylish timer
Along with pornography, it seems that online egg timers are a driving force for change and innovation on the Internet. I'm not sure there's any other way to explain the proliferation of egg timers. Granted, people may be using these timers for more than just eggs, but this burgeoning market segment never ceases to amaze and surprise me. My latest find is simply called Online Egg Timer, which is a great name for SEO.
The interface is dead-simple and very friendly, and it sports a friendly URL format as well. You can just go to www.online-eggtimer.com/90/120/240 to instantly start three timers: one for ninety seconds, one for two minutes, and one for four minutes.
Granted, the URL format could have been a tad friendlier if it allowed for other time units too, like CD allows for /2h4m15s. But Online Egg Timer does have one alarming advantage over CD: it emits a very loud ringing sound once the time is up.
Filed under: Internet, Utilities
Online Egg Timer is another slick, stylish timer originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/20/online-egg-timer-is-another-slick-stylish-timer/
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Organisms In Avida
A software platform for artificial life, running their genomic instructions. Eventually they evolve to flash in synchrony, like fireflies. Credit: David Knoester & Philip McKinley.
Source: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1813626064/bctid686857888001?src=mrss
Say good-bye to the Mac OS, hello to MiOS
Mac OS X is running out of numbers -- 10.7 Lion is due next summer -- and I'm betting we'll never get to Mac OS X 11.
Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize/say-good-bye-the-mac-os-hello-mios-456?source=rss_mac
Aluratek Brick IPhone/iPod Alarm Clock
Aluratek's Brick is an iPhone/iPod-docking clock radio that packs big sound for its size, but leaves much to be desired when it comes to the overall experience.
The black Brick is aptly named-it's a dense block weighing four pounds and measuring 9.6 inches wide, 3 inches tall, and 6 inches deep at its deepest point. Though the Brick's not perfectly brick-shaped, its footprint is small. It sits on four rubber feet, though two of those feet fell off review unit shortly after I removed the Brick from its box.
The top of the Brick displays a large "The Brick" logo and hosts a dock cradle, using Apple's Universal design, for iPods and iPhones. Included is a cradle adapter for use with the iPod nano (all versions, according to Aluratek). Docking and removing my iPhone was painless.
The front of the Brick sports a small, blue-backlit LCD clock. The backlighting shuts off after a minute, but touching any button on the unit or its remote illuminates the display again. Directly below the clock face are four very tiny and identically shaped, round buttons: Volume Up, Volume Down, Source, and Standby. That last button functions as a power button, though there's also a hardware power switch on the back of the system that shuts off the entire unit-including the time display.
Also on the back, directly underneath that power switch, is the port for the Brick's included AC adapter. On the opposite side of the back are three ports: an 1/8-inch (3.5mm) stereo line-in jack for connecting an alternate audio source, a 1/8-inch (3.5mm) video-output jack for watching iPod- or iPhone-hosted video on a TV, and an FM-antenna port for connecting the included antenna wire. Each of these three jacks is covered with a small rubber cover that didn't strike me as being very sturdy-I wouldn't be surprised if one or more eventually came loose.
The included infrared remote sports a grid of buttons, including Volume Up, Volume Down, Mute Play/Pause, Back, and Forward, along with iPod/iPhone menu-navigation controls. A Source button (which mirrors the Source button on the front of the Brick) lets you cycle through the three possible sources: FM radio, the iPod/iPhone dock, and the auxiliary input. Finally, there's a quartet of buttons devoted to setting the clock, setting the alarm, snoozing, and changing the alarm tone. Yes, this means that if you lose the remote, you can never set the clock or use the alarm again.
Setting the alarm itself is painless with the remote in hand: Once you've hit the Alarm button, you use the volume controls to adjust your wake-up time. The alarm feature is barebones, though-you can set just a single alarm, and the Brick doesn't support weekend modes or other fancy alarm features.
FM reception in my home seemed fine, as stations came in clear. You can store up to 20 presets using the remote, though, again, you must use the remote to recall any of those stations. Annoyingly, you can't navigate directly to a given preset; instead, you're forced to scroll up and down through your saved stations.
During my initial evaluation of the Brick, focusing on features and design, I came away unimpressed thanks to the rubber feet that fell off; the tiny, identical buttons; the limitation of being able to use the clock only via the remote. Then I tested the system's audio performance. Packed into the Brick's case are left and right 21mm tweeters and 34mm midrange drivers, powered by 4 Watts per channel, along with a downward-firing, 88mm "subwoofer" on the bottom with a 15-Watt amp of its own. The sound produced by this array hits you-forgive me-like a ton of bricks. It's not just capable of getting very loud with minimal distortion. The audio it generates is impressively clear and rich. For the Brick's price and size, the audio it generates is simply amazing.
Macworld's Buying Advice
Reviewing the Brick was tricky. I can't give the product my full endorsement, since I came away disappointed with multiple tangible issues. But if audio is your primary concern, and you're looking for a swell-sounding, reasonably priced iPod/iPhone dock, the Brick certainly satisfies the ears. Just be aware of its design flaws.
Source: http://feeds.pcworld.com/click.phdo?i=e4116f3d21c5fb51e2e8515f94244ec5
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Sprouty is a bare-bones personal budgeting application
Mint is pretty much the behemoth of personal budget management. But it's also a tad complex, and it's very American. If you happen to live outside the US, you probably won't be able to use all of Mint's options.
Sprouty is no Mint-killer; it doesn't seem to have any such aspirations, either. It's a very, very simple budgeting application that feels intentionally international: I could not find a single currency symbol.
It's as bare-bones as it gets: First, you tell it approximately how much money you make. From that information, it builds a tentative budget for you - how much you might be spending on health, housing, utilities, food, transportation, and a myriad other areas. The numbers (and areas) are merely suggestions - you're supposed to tweak them for your own situation.
Once you're all set up, you can start logging your expenses. Logging an expense couldn't be easier: You set the date, enter a description and some tags, and then the sum. Sprouty's Overview screen then shows you how you're doing on the various areas of your budget, each represented as a progress bar.
It's very basic, and doesn't aim high. If budgeting seems kind of scary, this is one application you might want to try. The only thing I'd like to see is a mobile client.
Filed under: Web services
Sprouty is a bare-bones personal budgeting application originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/25/sprouty-is-a-bare-bones-personal-budgeting-application/
Top ultraportable laptops
What's in an ultraportable? Think netbook on the outside, and real laptop on the inside. The small form factor means forgoing a DVD drive, and making due with a small screen and narrow keyboard. If that's a small price to pay for light weight (just 2 or 3 pounds, in some cases), then an ultraportable may be just what your doctor ordered. In the top models, you'll find capable CPUs, gobs of RAM, excellent video, and even gamer-level performance, combined with better battery life than a full-size laptop (even 7 hours or more).
Source: http://www.infoworld.com/t/laptops/top-ultraportable-laptops-903?source=rss_hardware
FCC Aims to Bring 911 Into the Modern Era
With a catchy title -- "Broadband NextGen 911" -- U.S. Federal Communications Commission and Department of Transportation officials want to bring emergency services into the age of technology with more than just a three-number telephone call. "Today's 9-1-1 system doesn't support the communication tools of tomorrow," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Tuesday.
Behind the Scenes of AT&T's Distaster Response Team
How do you get communications up and running after a natural or man made disaster?
Source: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1813626064/bctid648526227001?src=mrss
Friday, November 26, 2010
Memorable tech troubles from ghosts of holidays past
Part of the fun of the Off the Record blog is that the stories are submitted by InfoWorld readers. Because of the variety of authors, every story has a unique takeaway and its own way of describing the lesson learned from a memorable incident from the IT profession.
Sometimes, what makes an IT experience most memorable are the circumstances surrounding it.
Search Insurgents Pair Up Against Spam ... and Google
Two creative, new search engines are sharing anti-spam methods in hopes of gaining some of Google's loyal users. Their efforts show that search innovation isn't dead yet or solely owned by Google and Microsoft.
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/64pl3JGeIOg/
BuildorPro Wants To Bring HTML/CSS Editing To The Cloud ? We Have Invites
Web designers have to deploy their finished work in a web browser so perhaps it makes sense to move the design tools themselves to the browser too. That's the thinking behind BuildorPro, which claims to be the first browser-based, web design and development environment with built in HTML/CSS tools. Or, for seasoned web designers out there, think Coda or Espresso but in the cloud. The app, from the London-based startup Buildor, is currently in closed invite-only Beta but we have 300 invites to give away.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/kx9J9gsgbEQ/
Judge Bars 'Fair Use' Defense in Xbox-Modding Trial
A California man charged with violating the DMCA by installing mod chips in Xbox 360 consoles won?t be allowed to claim "fair use" at his trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/K8WrELSEm0U/
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Daily Crunch: Climber Edition
I Always Wondered How Kuribo?s Shoe Worked Bitplay ?Bang!? Lamp Lets You Gun Down The Lights Video: Wall-Crawling Robots From Japan Next Batman Movie?s Lack Of 3D & ESPN 3D Doubt Signs Of A Struggling Technology? Logitech Revue With Google TV: The Official TechCrunch Review
Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/11/02/daily-crunch-climber/
HootSuite Rolls iPad App
Dashboard lets users connect multiple social media sites from one URL.
Source: http://feeds.informationweek.com/click.phdo?i=30c8b351adee156c204f8da266d4095c
Acer Puts Two Touch Panels On 14" Iconia Notebook
Is it the holy grail of notebooks? It might be. Companies have contemplated dual-screen laptops for years now, and Toshiba even went so far as to produce a limited edition one earlier in the year. The Libretto W105 was definitely a unique product, and it looks like Acer has drawn inspiration from that in their newest device, the Iconia. This is a new 14" machine that does away with a keyboard in favor of yet another 14" display. That's two displays in one laptop, with the bottom one serving as the keyboard when
Source: http://hothardware.com/News/Acer-Puts-Two-Touch-Panels-On-14-Iconia-Notebook
Camtasia 7.1 giveaway and video review
Personally, I think TechSmith's Camtasia is the best screencast recording and editing suite available for Windows today. It's an extremely capable application, and one of its only potential drawbacks is the price - at $300, this is not a cheap piece of software. This is where the giveaway comes in!
TechSmith recently released Camtasia version 7.1, with several interesting new features. Since this is a screencasting application, I figured that the best way to show it off would be by recording a screencast. So I've created an 8-minute review that showcases some of the new features, and you can watch it after the jump. Here are some of the highlights:
- New callouts: There are several new types of callouts to draw viewer attention to where you want it, including animated "motion callouts."
- Shortcut key callouts: Camtasia now remembers what keystrokes you pressed while recording the video, and it can automatically show this in special callouts (shown in my review).
- A new playhead control: This new control makes it easier to select portions of the video. I've explained, in detail, how it works.
There are several other highlights, but I don't want to spoil any surprises. TechSmith has provided us with 10 licenses to give away to Download Squad readers, so go ahead and watch the video, and then leave a comment to take part in the giveaway!
Continue reading Camtasia 7.1 giveaway and video review
Filed under: Video
Camtasia 7.1 giveaway and video review originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/15/camtasia-7-1-giveaway-and-video-review/
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Oneword.com helps get your creative juices flowing
Writer's block is a drag. You just sit there staring at the full-screen, distraction-free editor that you spent forever tweaking so it would be just right. You're all set up to write, and ... nothing comes. Blank. The cursor blinks, the clock ticks by, and everything you can think of just seems trite and boring, like a stereotype of a story rather than the story you wish you could write.
Of course, I'm not talking about myself! Consider this a general comment on the human condition. I just found something that might come in handy if you ever find yourself in a similar situation: it's a neat little Web service called oneword.
As you might expect, oneword gives you just a single word, and then it has you write about it. What's not implied in the name is that you get just 60 seconds to do this. One word, 60 seconds, go!
It is a pretty invigorating experience. I couldn't not write, really. Once your time is up, a small form pops up where you can email your text to yourself.
The service is free, and you can also open an account so that you don't have to keep filling in your email and can access a few other features, such as "word ups" - a way to give and receive feedback for pieces of writing.
Oneword.com helps get your creative juices flowing originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/19/oneword-com-helps-get-your-creative-juices-flowing/
Social Nation Offers a Clear Guide to Management in the Network Age
Social networking began as a fascination of the young on college campuses, but it has grown to embrace all age groups all over the world. It's a phenomenon with a potential that's barely been scratched, especially in business. Barry Libert, though, would like to see that change, and he's ready to show companies how to do it.
Green Lantern Theatrical Trailer
A test pilot (Ryan Reynolds) is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe. In blackest night, Green Lantern will shine.
Source: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1813626064/bctid680254055001?src=mrss
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
RSS Live Links for Chrome lets you monitor news feeds in real-time
Not everyone uses Google Reader; some people (a dying breed, perhaps) like to consume their RSS feeds locally, using a desktop feed reader. Firefox has long had a Live Bookmarks feature that gave it some of those "desktop feed reader" powers: Live Bookmarks understands RSS, and it can always show you a list of a website's most recent headlines.
RSS Live Links brings just that sort of functionality to Google Chrome, along with a nice extra feature: instant notifications.
Whenever one of the feeds you've subscribed to updates, you get a nice sound effect (a human voice going "Boing!"), the icon shakes, and an unread count appears. When you then click the icon, you can see a list of the unread items in each feed, and hover over them to see a preview. Naturally, clicking an item opens it in a new tab.
This is a powerful add-on; it has a very rich configuration interface, with no less than 20 different options (I counted!). You can also configure the color scheme, select one of several different notification sounds, and customize it in a myriad other ways. Slick!
Filed under: web 2.0, Browsers
RSS Live Links for Chrome lets you monitor news feeds in real-time originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google Sued Over Gmail Content Scanning
The complaint objects to Google's automated e-mail scans and delivery of advertisements without compensating e-mail senders.
Source: http://feeds.informationweek.com/click.phdo?i=bca472eac0307e9f9dfd8c697df37f85
Newswall is an artsy feed reader application
Apparently, Apple isn't the only company being emulated these days. Newswall is a feed reader that seems to be heavily influenced by Microsoft's tile-like Windows Phone 7 interface (Metro).
Newswall displays a long list of tiles, each with a striking image, and each tile represents one news item from an RSS feed. When you hover over an item, a bubble with a synopsis pops up. Clicking an image pops up a lightbox with a larger copy of that image -- and when you click an item's title, the whole interface "folds down" into a thin bar at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to read the original item in longer form. Note that this "longer form" is not necessarily the complete text of the item. Sometimes you'll see a Read more link which takes you to the original website.
Newswall is available as a downloadable application, but it's meant to be running on a Web server: you need to have at least a local server for it to work. It's not something I would use as a primary reader, but it can certainly add a bit of flair to someone's day.
Newswall is an artsy feed reader application originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/13/newswall-is-an-artsy-feed-reader-application/
Apple: Master of miracles
I really wonder if Steve Jobs had all of Apple's master plan thought out back in 2003 or so. He is truly a genius if he did. The thought process is so surreal:
Source: http://www.infoworld.com/t/mobile-platforms/apple-master-miracles-632?source=rss_mac
Monday, November 22, 2010
MSI Introduces AMD-Based 15.6" FX610MX Notebook
MSI's family of notebooks just continues to get bigger and bigger. The company has one of the largest and most diverse groups of laptops to date, and it seems like a new member is born every week or so. This week is no different, as the FX610MX has made its debut in the company's F Series. It's a 15.6" midrange machine, designed to handle both gaming and multi-media for power users who are constantly on the go. It manages to maintain a sleek, understated design while still packing quite the arsenal underneath.
Source: http://hothardware.com/News/MSI-Introduces-AMDBased-156-FX610MX-Notebook
The Threat To Microsoft's Server Business
Microsoft's Server and Tools Division has been a steady and consistent producer for the company over many years. Yet there's a potential danger looming for the company that could put a big dent in that business -- and it's coming from hardware.
Source: http://feeds.informationweek.com/click.phdo?i=da61e7d6a0e789f322aae528867a33dc
Wiseguys Plead Guilty in Ticketmaster Captcha Case
Three operators of a ticket scalping agency have pleaded guilty to charges that they illegally used computer scripts to bypass Captcha -- the squiggly letters and numbers websites display to prove a visitor is human -- and automatically purchase thousands of tickets from Ticketmaster and other vendors to resell them.
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/31l4_ld6xZI/
Expect more Apple in your future
As a longtime Windows and Office guy, getting used to the influx of Apple products and concepts -- not to mention problems -- has left me scrambling. Clearly, we're witnessing a tectonic shift.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Senators Wave Body Scanners Through at TSA Oversight Hearing
The threat of terrorism weighed heavily on United States senators holding an oversight hearing on the Transportation Security Administration Wednesday. The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation was looking into the TSA's use of aggressive screening procedures for air travelers, including the use of thorough pat-downs and scanning machines capable of seeing through travelers' clothing.
Samsung Prepping Google TV Powered HDTV
The world's largest television maker is expected to announce the Internet-enabled sets at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
Source: http://feeds.informationweek.com/click.phdo?i=95276856a96effcd0813f02e79ac0910
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