Tech Bits
Getting caught up on all my Tech reading:
This I can’t wait to see. Apple has really been innovating in the past decade and have influenced so much in consumer electronics as well as personal computers. This slim notebook rumor is virtually guaranteed to come true (as Apple can’t hide it’s stuff anymore) but what I really want is a new Apple Newton!
Sure, you’ve had the space of a few minutes without Apple rumors, but be honest with us: it felt lonely, didn’t it? Well don’t worry, because the rumors are back… with a vengeance. According to 9to5mac (who recently nailed news on the iPod nano), Apple is readying a new line of black and silver aluminum laptops, which might be the slimmer MacBook Pros mentioned previously. Details are, of course, totally speculative and entirely unconfirmed, but it sounds like the systems will be considerably thinner and lighter than current models, will have screens that reach further to the edges (which apparently suggests a smaller footprint), have keyboards in the vein of the new Apple Bluetooth models, and are set to be priced “extremely aggressively.” In addition, the report says that there is “something strange about the touchpad,” which could mean we’ll be seeing some sort of multi-touch functionality, or it could mean nothing at all. We’ll keep you posted on what the mill has to say.
Check out the new form factor of UMPC coming out now. It looks like a souped up PSP!
We caught a peek of Asus‘ R3 UMPC / MID yesterday, but it got shown off in a little more detail today during a presentation on Adobe’s AIR platform. No word on which variation of Intel’s Menlow platform it’ll be sporting, but it looks like the device will have a 4.8-inch screen with 1024 x 600 resolution, a fingerprint reader, webcam, and built-in GPS.
Online web apps are getting smarter. This one lets you convert audio and video file formats online.
YouconvertIt is a new web-based file conversion service. Like Zamzar, YouconvertIt lets you upload audio, video, image, or document files and convert from one format to another. Just select the file from your computer to upload, select your target format, and the web service will send you an e-mail when your new file is ready to download. Unlike Zamzar, YouconvertIt doesn’t appear to have a file size limit (although that may change), and currently has no advertising (which will definitely change). Oh yeah, and you can convert units like miles, kilometers, inches, and feet.
Learn a new language with the new Mango Beta.
The first Free enterprise language learning course available on the Internet. Eleven of our courses are now available in our beta release. Each course has 100 lessons available.
Free iTunes downloads at Starbucks? Time to get a coffee.
Beginning October 2, when you order your double latte, you can get a free “song of the day” iTunes download card at Starbucks. The coffee giant is giving away 50 million downloads to promote its new “Now Playing” service which displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment, and allows customers to buy and download songs or albums directly to their device.
More free iTunes goodness - this time from Fox.
Apparently it’s free internet TV week. First NBC announced it would be launching a free video download service. Then ABC announced it would stream free episodes through AOL. And now Fox is offering free downloads of series/season premieres of 7 shows. You’ll be able to download the episodes from Apple’s iTunes store. The episodes are commercial free, and the goal is to build buzz for the Fox programs.
Uh oh. Here comes the beginning of the end of something big - like consumer choice. That’s why I roll my own PVR.
EchoStar Communications, the company behind the Dish Network satellite service has agreed to buy Sling Media for $380 million. Sling Media is the maker of the popular Slingbox place-shifting device.
UPDATE: See what I mean? The monopoly returns - and it only means that the cool innovative native slingbox innovation will no doubt be eroded into a one-size-fits-all offering that limits choice.
And finally the ultimate birthday gift - a toy tank. Adult tank!
If you are ready to reenact Rommel’s campaign in North Africa, vandalize any wall in sight or look like Atom Ant, here’s the Paintball Panzer. At 3.4 x 4 x 6-foot it’s not comparable with the 17-tonne FV432 paintball tank after the jump, but I would love to have this mini-me version anyway.
Popularity: 11% [?]
