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Monthly Archives: June 2006

Creating a Rumor: Gates to join Scoble?

Posted on June 15, 2006 by Jeremy Toeman

So it’s all over the news already, Bill Gates is stepping down from his post at Microsoft in 2008.

 

Now last week, Robert Scoble left his position at Microsoft to go join, uh.. some podcasting company or something. Here’s a link to Scoble blogging about Gates leaving as well.

Robert Scoble

What if, and I’m just musing here, but what if Gates is joining Scoble???  I think it would look a little something like this…

Gates and Scoble on a beach 

Posted in General | Leave a comment |

The Introduction Bandwagon

Posted on June 15, 2006 by Guest Contributor

Ahoy catz! I’m Emily. Not much to say, but I thought I’d put in a couple lines advertising my appearance as seems to be the trend. I’m not as tech-savvy as I’d like. My take on this stuff will be much more average consumer perspective. I’m not sure if any of my musings are tech-minded enough to appear here, but when they are, I’ll certainly share.

Actually, I just finished watching Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. Roooooobots. Not sure I knew what was going on most of the time, but the CG was very polished. Obviously we’re quite a ways off from “gyroids” or “sexaroids” or even androids. Not up to cyborgs yet either, but there are some people doing interesting things with/to their bodies. Does anyone read Questionable Content? When can I have a Pintsize of my very own? *sigh*

Posted in No/Low-tech | Leave a comment |

Since it seems to be introduction day…

Posted on June 15, 2006 by Guest Contributor

… I thought I would introduce me. My name is Tim (as the byline vaguely suggests) and I’ll be posting on a regular basis. My tech obsessions have no known bounds so you’ll see stuff from every category from me. I particularly love talking about a cool new web service or things like what the world will be like when Google has everything ever written/recorded/discussed in its databases (this actually doesn’t scare me too much – feel free to tell me I’m nuts).

I pre-apologize for the wordy posts – I just like to get it all in there, you know? Cover my bases. My humor can be a little dry and nerdy too so poke fun at will!

And I too have a little web-based service that you may have never heard of, or may have forgotten about: Time Cave. Anyone remember this one? Here’s the gist of the free service:

The idea is simple: drop an email message into Time Cave and tell it when to come out. It’ll stay there for as long as you’d like, within reason. (We wouldn’t want stalactites to dissolve it.) So for days, weeks, months, or even years, Time Cave will hold onto your message. Once the message’s time comes, it’s speedily sent on its way back toward you (or whomever you addressed it to).

Use it as a free reminder service or just to send your future self a kind note. Want to make sure you don’t forget something, whether it’s an appointment or an ideal? Time Cave can help.

I dropped a message in about 3 or 4 years ago but have since changed my email countless times so I have no idea if they stuck to their promise. I just today scheduled an email to myself for June 15th, 2010. I figure this is a good long term test.

I’ll comment on this post when I get the message [hey, you never know] so be sure to bookmark this page if you don’t think you’ll remember to check back. Talk to you in 4 years…

Posted in General | Leave a comment |

Please allow me to introduce myself…

Posted on June 15, 2006 by Guest Contributor

… I’m a man of poverty and poor discernment.

…yyyyeah. It just doesn’t flow, does it?

Regardless, I’m Akela. You may remember me from such blogs as ‘Spirochete Spotlight’ and ‘Soy Sauce Roundup’. This may, however, be the first time you’ve met me, in which case, Hi! I’m happy to join the Live Digitally site, where I hope to entertain, annoy, and perhaps, if you’re very lucky… educate. ‘Cause, you know… there’s nothing that says ‘fun’ like education.

For my inaugural post, I’d like to point to a nifty web-based service that not all of you may know about: yousendit.com.

Yousendit.com is a site that allows you to send attachments of up to 1 gig in size to anyone with an email account. You pick the file, send it off, and your target receives a message in their inbox stating that they have a file waiting. They click on the provided link, the file downloads, and everybody’s happy. Registration for the site is free, and offers Standard and Secure options for delivery. Best of all, they don’t seem to care what you send, though prudence dictates that one be somewhat reserved in your file naming. Sign up now, before they decide to start charging!

Posted in General | 1 Comment |

Hello hello…

Posted on June 15, 2006 by Guest Contributor

Since you will probably be seeing a lot of me over the next little while, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Merv and I will be guiding you through my thoughts and opinions over a lot of things techie. My rambling posts will vary between the good old days of technology (well, for me the good old days mean the 80’s and 90’s), to the plethora of crap available now and, of course, my expectations for the future. Bare with me though as I try to get a hang of this thing.

Any questions, please feel free and I will answer them in the least sarcastic way that I can.

Merv

Posted in General | Leave a comment |

The Wheels on the Bus

Posted on June 14, 2006 by Guest Contributor

go round and round. Theeeeee TV on the bus goes ad ad ad, ad–logo

Ok, Transit Television has been around since 1999, and it’s not exactly the newest media trend, but I was reminded of it riding a city bus yesterday, so I thought I would reminisce.

Flash back to 2003. I just started college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, acquired my university bus pass, and was learning the relevant routes. I noticed that some of the vehicles came equipped with monitors that not only had a map (which was USUALLY in sync with the actually drive) showing the upcoming stops, but also showed I Love Lucy, news, weather, word puzzles, and even recipes, sometimes all in Spanish!

This was TNN (the Transit Television Network) and Milwaukee was the second city (after Orlando, where the company is based) to get it. Since then Chicago, Atlanta, Norfolk, and Los Angeles have all been hooked up, and San Diego is getting its first taste this year. With all the money to be made from advertising to a “captive audience” with “attractive demographics,” what public transportation system can resist?

I can’t say it was all bad. Sometimes the bus DID get boring, and it was nice on occasion to zone out to one of those games where you watched letters fill in a word like “crocodile” or “vacuum” and tried to guess it before the time ran out. Sometimes the recipes sounded good; sometimes the news was enlightening, and sometimes the old TV shows made me laugh.

On the other hand, there were days when I just wanted a quiet ride home, and anyone who rides a city bus knows that’s hard enough as it is withOUT constant TV babble. It made it difficult to focus on a book, and headphones had to compete to drown out the commercials. Even looking out a window got tough, because there were always screens talking at me, wanting me to turn and look. It just felt a little invasive sometimes.

If you didn’t have reading material or some video games, it was an ok distraction. I just don’t like the fact that it’s forced on passengers. The volume never goes down and it doesn’t get turned off unless it’s just not working (which was the case at least a couple times. It’s fed via Wi-Fi, and sometimes it would inexplicably freeze).

I’m tempted to say, “Enjoy your relatively silent buses while you can!” but that seems a bit harsh. I think it just gets me that the whole point seems to be advertising money. Most people are plenty capable of entertaining themselves on a commute and if they are anything like me, they will be a little resentful of competition from TV commercials.

Posted in General, That's Janky | Leave a comment |

Dump your iPod and open Pandora's Box?

Posted on June 14, 2006 by Guest Contributor

Pandora LogoI’d hang on to it if you’re one of those ubermobile folks out there. If you’re like many people though that listen to music primarily in front of a desktop or laptop [insert picture of me with headphones here], you might find Pandora a very useful substitute for your music collection or shabby (at best) Internet radio options.

Pandora isn’t intended to replace your music collection though. It exists to complement it and help it grow. And from what I’ve seen, it does a darn good job.

Pandora is similar to an Internet radio station in the sense that you listen to music over the Internet.. and that’s where the similarity stops. Pandora does something much better than any radio station because it plays the kind of music that you want to hear and it’s fantastic at it! Radio stations (AM/FM, XM, Sirius, Internet, etc.) are channel-based that play music from particular genres. What Pandora does is allow you to enter an artist or song and a custom streaming music station is created for you that plays music similar to that particular artist or song, helping you find music that you’ll love that you may have never heard of before.

I know, I know, you’re saying “yea right, they play music in the same genre, no wow-factor there” or “sure – but I’ll just get the typical barrage of top 40, sponsored music no matter what I choose.” I can confidently say “Not so!”

Continue reading →

Posted in General | 4 Comments |

Getting my blob on

Posted on June 13, 2006 by Jeremy Toeman

Blobber logoSaw an interesting Web tool recently called blobber (yup, www.blobber.com), which (like all Web 2.0 “technologies” is of course just in beta right now) allows people who visit the same site to interact with each other, chat, and see “information and alerts … in real-time”.  Which I think is important for all our readers.

The only real negative comment I have at present is I find their interface for setting up what should be an extremely simple tool is overly complex.  I had to cut and paste just a single line of HTML into my Web site to activate it, but 10 minutes of reading instructions later and I still have no idea how to do any useful customization.

I honestly have no idea if this is a good idea or just wasting a little time, but it took me all of 14 seconds to incorporate it into the site.  And now I have the key to Internet success, you know, chat.

Updated: Blobber is now gone from the site.  It wasn’t working well when it did work, and ‘crashed’ too many times for me. 

Posted in General, Web/Internet | 2 Comments |

If you're going to AIM, aim Classic

Posted on June 12, 2006 by Guest Contributor

Triton just isn’t worth it, unless you’re willing to put up with a nearly constant deluge of commercials. It was annoying enough when they were added to Classic, but this upgrade is beyond obnoxious, sometimes showing the same clip two or three times in a row!

The Triton demo does highlight some pretty cool features, but the only one that I will really miss is the tabbed chat window. It seems like maybe they’ve taken a cue from Firefox, and that is an awesome move. The only other thing that seemed really new (and not just tempting, like the “huge” file transfer allowance) is AIM Phoneline. This service, for $9.95 a month, allows users to call quite a few places using their AIM Digits, and it’s free to receive incoming calls. That said, Yahoo! Messenger offers a similar deal with a different pricing scheme (and you can a much wider range of places, including Tokyo!).

Maybe what I’m really saying is: use Yahoo! instead! No commercials, a comparable feature set, and who knows? Maybe someday they’ll tab the chats into one window as well. For the people (myself included) who still want to groove with their AIM pals, I highly recommend sticking to the Classic version.

Posted in General, That's Janky | 6 Comments |

Girl's Gadget Report: Vinyl Killer with Swarovski Crystal

Posted on June 12, 2006 by Guest Contributor

Vinyl KillerA new very chic eyeful for those who appreciate music and still love listening to records is now available. Actually, this one was created by Razyworks for those who aren’t afraid to be extravagant and pay great attention to details. I’m talking about the Swarovski version of the Vinyl Killer.

The Vinyl Killer is the world’s smallest self-running record player. This device churns out music by “driving” around the record with a needle that is situated underneath the bus. The music plays as the needle moves over the record while the bus encircles it.  No turntables are required, and you can enjoy your records no matter where you are!

The device features a built-in monitor and an amplifier with speaker. A 9-volt battery is required for operation.

Vinyl Killer crystal-styleThis special Swarovski version is encrusted with Swarovski crystals. Keep in mind that this is a limited edition, so you’d better hurry to if you want to get one.  This series of the Vinyl Killer is made for those who are into fashion and style and earn enough to afford this cute thing.

I think it’s more about style and prestige than functionality. This is a chic item for those who understand and appreciate the finer things in vinyl life.

It will cost you $520. It’s available at http://www.razy-works.com/shop/shop_e/shop_e.html. 
The Weekly Girl’s Gadget Report is brought to you by http://www.gadget4girls.com/

Posted in General, Product Announcements | 1 Comment |

Slappa Velocity Pro Spyder review

Posted on June 11, 2006 by Jeremy Toeman

At the Tokyo Subway stationSlappa is a company who provides cases promising to protect your CDs, DVDs, laptops, and (of course) iPods.  One of their lines of laptop cases is called the Velocity Pro, a well-lined backpack designed to carry laptops, small and large (up to 17″ screens).  I’ve tried it out on my recent 5-week trip to NYC, Toronto, London, Tokyo, and Beaverton, Oregon (one of these things just doesn’t belong), and, to save you the rest of the read, it’s a pretty good laptop case.  If you’re interested in the why, read on… Continue reading →

Posted in General, Product Reviews | 3 Comments |

An hour in Akihabara

Posted on June 10, 2006 by Jeremy Toeman

Akihabara is Tokyo’s “electronics town”. Prior to about 2001 or so it was about the coolest place in the world to go look at gadgets, as it was often the only place to find really interesting stuff. With today’s globalization, it’s definitely lost some of its allure, but is still a must-see spot in Tokyo. Heck, even my wife got a kick out of it! Here’s a fun assortment of photos I took in my extremely rapid stop at Akihabara last week…

Personal washing machine
In-store demos actually show the insides of these machines and how they work. Of course you can only wash one sock at a time.
Akihabara Subway stop
Here I am at the Akihabara subway station
Taito in Akihabara
Remember Taito? Anyone? Cool 80s video games… Well, they seem to be alive and well in Akihabara!
Welcome to Akihabara!
More English here than anywhere I saw in Japan!
Sega building
How can Sega even afford the lease anymore?
(also if you look in the background of the picture you’ll see a reflection of Ishimaru – I like the effect here)
Ishimaru
Ishimaru is a “middle tier” store in Akihabara
Panasonic styled headphones
These Panasonic headphones have replaceable ear buds and retractable cables – nice.
Panasonic headphones
These Panasonic headphones have replaceable ear buds and retractable cables – nice.
Lots of shiny MP3 players
Despite the popularity of the iPod, Akihabara stores are full of tiny shiny mp3 players to choose from. After which, everyone inevitably picks the iPod…
DVD v HD-DVD
One of the better in-store demos I’ve seen, both displays had the same DVD playing, with the obvious quality difference of the HD player. And with titles like “The Brothers Grimm” I’m sure people were rushing out to buy the players!
AirEdge equipment
AirEdge is a company offering various 3G connectivity options
Vodafone Aquos demo
When the Japanese do mobile TV, they do it widescreen – check out these Aquos branded phones from Vodafone
The biggest PPC around
I don’t think it’s perfectly clear from this picture, but this thing is bigger than the PPC6700. From AirEdge/Willcom, this is one big honking Windows Mobile PPC phone!
Vodafone Aquos demo
When the Japanese do mobile TV, they do it widescreen – check out these Aquos branded phones from Vodafone
Electronics in Laox
Laox is the 2nd biggest store in Akihabara, behind Yodabashi. It has a bit of a K-Mart feel, but is a good stop.
MD Player, we hardly cared
I know it was big in Europe (it is huge in Belgium), and maybe Japan too, but at the end of the day, MD was lame, and good riddance. But, Laox still has a shelf full of the things…
Hello iKitty?
While not commonly known, it’s actually illegal in Japan to run a store with no Hello Kitty products. This doll/gadget has built-in speakers (in the feet) and … uh.. hmm..
Simple Shimon
This portable media player is nicely sized, and plays all the ‘popular’ video formats, like xvid.
Small Panasonic mp3 player
Oh, so shiny!
Make your own retro radio!
I think this one is pretty cool. Not sure if I’d pay $700ish for it, but it’s a cool idea.
Bose mini-store
Inside Laox Bose has their own store where they show their tiny speakers that sound awful or their really really big headphones that sound good but weigh 14 pounds
HD Vacuuming!
Panasonic brings you full 1080p vacuuming with their new HD unit
Foot Massage Machines Experience Corner
Love the concept, love the sign.
Xavix workout demo
I really like the idea of video games that have exercise themes (note: I like the idea, but I don’t want one), Xavix has a full working in-store demo
Rodeo machines
Get your bronco workout in the convenience of your home… ?
Blood Pressure Machines
I think this is where Tom and Katie picked theirs up
Laox floor map
Shows you which floor on Laox to find your rodeo machine
The wire store
Right across from Laox is a store with all sorts of wires and cables, they’ll even make your own custom cable there!
Downtown Akihabara
Another view of the buildings in Akihabara
Yodabashi
A recent addition to Akihabara is this giant-sized Yodabashi store
His and Hers laptops?
Aww, so cuuuute
Mebius media PCs
Someone’s still trying to push keyboards in the living room… ugh.
AirEdge 3G laptop
Seems similar to the new EVDO units we have in the US
External hard drive aisle
I guess a lot of people are buying these things here…
Customize your dog sweater
If you haven’t found a way to thoroughly embarrass and spoil your pet yet, well, here’s the answer. Print your own design then clothe your lap-dog with this kit!
Got Mouse?
Yep, all mice.
Designer mice
I hadn’t heard of marimekko before, but I thought these were a little distinctive…
Disney mouse
My wife thought this Disney-themed mouse was the ‘pick of the litter’ (so-to-speak)
USB-powered gizmos
Fans, lights, vacuums, cup warmers – if you have USB, you can do just about anything now!
Replacement power supplies
Yodabashi sells generic power supplies for virtually any laptop
Networking department
Lots of routers and ADSL modems on display in Yodabashi
Sushi memory drives
Yep, we’ve seen em before, but the display was nice. I especially like the touch of putting them under glass
Digital Polaroid?
This kids camera allows you to take pictures and instantly print them on customized little papers, some with different designs too.
Stalking corner
Need a telescope? Binocular? Yodabashi’s got it!
Digital camera cases
Last I checked the local Best Buy has about 3 different varieties… Yodabashi has… more.
Canon display
I like Canon cameras. That’s it.
XX-in-1 adapters
8-in-1? got it. 11-in-1? got it. 13-in-1? got it.
Selecting memory is so easy
Just follow the simple chart and display
Escalators
Not sure why, but I’ve enjoyed taking escalator pictures recently.
Kiddie remote
This is the best way to train your children how to use a remote control, a skill they will need much later in life.
Bravia display
They sure do look nice
Yodabashi floor map
When you get to Yodabashi, just go to the 7th floor and take the escalators down from there.
Yodabashi in sunlight
In a rare sunny moment, here I am outside of Yodabashi
Cute MP3 players
Small cubes and other tiny non-competition for Apple
Disney MP3 players
Sigh, couldn’t Walt have inspired more in his team?
Avox MP3 player in dock
Never heard of it, but it’s iPod-white, so it must be good.
Sharp (no, we didnt copy iPod)
See, it’s red! Sharp’s iPod non-knockoff
Panasonic mp3 player
I like the form factor AND the blue, but I’m sure Panasonic has otherwise messed up this small mp3 player
MP3 players on display
Yodabashi has about 400 different MP3 players to try out. And then you go buy an iPod (you know, to stand out from everyone else)
Bathroom portable TV
For all those times you’ve dropped your TV in the bathtub, fret no longer, thanks to this portable Casio unit
Yodabashi Audio/Video floor
Yodabashi has all your stereo and home theater needs
Rodeo Boy!
Yes, that’s right, it says Rodeo Boy. How do you get to the Alamo? Practice, practice, practice.
Passo toilet seat
The Japanese sure love their toilet seats. At $900, this Passo unit even has a built-in iPod dock! (just kidding, but it IS $900!)
Yodabashi Toilet Demos
Yes, the title is accurate, these are demos of high-tech toilet seats in Yodabashi. I wonder if anyone else has used “toilet seat” as a Flickr tag before?
Be the train driver!
Perfect fun for all the kids. My favorite part is the screen shot of the ‘fun’ game (red circle added for effect)
Peanuts Jam with your music
This is somewhat neat, this little kit has your favorite Peanuts characters playing along with your music. Not sure what you need it for, but, hey, there’s Linus!
Kenwood Little Jammer
Another kit to play along with your music, just in case you are bored of a peaceful looking mantle.
On my way to Akihabara
In the Tokyo metro system, just 15 minutes away from Akihabara!
Posted in Gadgets, General, Mobile Technology, Networking, Travel | 6 Comments |
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About

Jeremy Toeman is a seasoned Product leader with over 20 years experience in the convergence of digital media, mobile entertainment, social entertainment, smart TV and consumer technology. Prior ventures and projects include CNET, Viggle/Dijit/Nextguide, Sling Media, VUDU, Clicker, DivX, Rovi, Mediabolic, Boxee, and many other consumer technology companies. This blog represents his personal opinion and outlook on things.

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