Zune Y2K9 Bug

Seems like the good ol'days of the 1999-2000 year change bug.
Back then, nothing serious happened, but it looks like this year thing are going to be different... at least for some Microsoft Zune owners, whose devices have been freezing inexplicably on this last day of the year.

For now, the problem seems to be affecting just the 30Gb model, but we'll know more about it in the upcoming days (or should I say... next year?)

The bug is being called: the Y2K9 bug (inspired in the Y2K bug)

... Some also say this is nothing but a viral marketing campaign - but if it is, I don't think it's such a good idea to divulge that their products freeze at the end of the year - bur, coming from a company that has shown us just that... time and time again... who knows?
(I just noticed the "wow" reaction is the same on both videos! - Maybe Microsoft really is right when they say Windows delivers a "WOW" experience after all! :)

R2-D2 Dance Party

In the last day of the year (with the extra leap second and all) nothing better than let some voice controlled R2-D2's have some fun:

Have a happy 2009!

Optical Touchscreens

Touchscreens are "hotter" than ever, and Quanta says it has the solution for large scale multitouch systems: using cheap cameras.

Instead of the capacitive or resistive screen used in conventional touchscreens, Quanta uses two cheap cameras on the corners of the screen, allowing the multi-touches to be recognized - a system that's will be compatible with the upcoming Windows 7.

According to them, as screen sizes go up so will the cost savings associated with this system.
I'd really like to try this system, as I can quickly imagine a couple of finger placement that would hide another finger from the two cameras field of vision; and I would like to see how it handled that. But I'm sure they would have thought of that as well... wouldn't they?

Heat Powered LEDs

You've probably seen electronic candles using LEDs; but watching a LED powered by a candle, that's an entire different story.

This system uses waste heat from any source to create electric energy, which - as you might imagine - would be extremely helpful in a world where most of our machines and equipment (from the CPU inside your computer to the engine powering your car) create an insane ammount of wasted heat.

But even stranger, is the heat-to-sound energy transfer shown on the following video.

Asus Eee Keyboards

Looks my wireless media center keyboard will soon be replaced...

Just check these new wireless Asus Eee keyboards.

 

 

They even have a matching remote control for your media center.

via [gizmodo]

Apple readying Gestures for iPhone

It looks like Apple is finally understanding there's still a lot to be done to make iPhone's touch keyboard even better - and the trick is... it just requires a software update.

No matter how good it may be (although some people will never get used to it) there are still lots of things that slow you down considerably: things like deleting an entire word, or phrase, etc.

But there are rumours that indicate that Apple may be about to introduce multi-touch gestures to the iPhone in a coming update.

These gestures wouldn't affect anyone not enabling it - but they would sure be appreciated by all those that spend a lot of time typing on their iPhones.
With its multitouch capabilities there would be a lot of different gestures you could use... maybe a couple of them could even implement the much needed/desired copy-paste!

Also, I would suggest Apple to do something about the annoying lag that makes the keyboard take a couple of seconds to show up sometimes. As they're bound to know, user experience is all about "instant feedback", and for something as important as a keyboard - that thing better show up instantly whenever we're expecting to type something. Even 1 or 2 seconds feel like an eternity when waiting for it...

Nanoparticled Teeth

You may think that nanoparticles and teeth don't mix... but you'd be mistaken.

Thanks to a semiconductor polishing technique, a professor says it's possible to make the teeth so slick no bad bacteries can stick to it.

Well, here's something I (and many more millions of people) wouldn't mind seeing put into action as soon as possible!

Microsoft extends XP till May 2009

Although Microsoft states there are millions of Vistas being sold - no doubt that number is largely inflated by all the "forced" sales you get when buying a new computer - even if you'll immediately downgrade it to Windows XP, or even a free Linux-based OS.

Maybe this will help explain why Microsoft has once again extended Windows XP final date to May 30th, 2009.

... a time where you'll probably be able to skip Vista completely and go directly to the new and improved Windows 7.

Merry Christmas 2008

It isn't exactly a "secret"... but...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

Wish you all the best... and lots of presents! :)

Christmas Tree Projector

Want to transform your Christmas day into a more modern light and sound show?
Well... here's something you can easily do with a single projector.


TreeWaxHD from klipcollective on Vimeo.

Animoto arrives at the iPhone

Remember Animoto, that online service that turns a few photographs into a professional-looking music video?

Well, now you can do it wherever and whenever you feel like it on your iPhone.

Yes, that's right... you can dazzle your friends at a birthday party, christmas, etc.

Just snap as many interesting photos as you as can, and let animoto take care of the rest. And when you play it back on the TV... I guess some of your friends will be tempted to get an iPhone as well. :)

Get it for free at your nearest App Store.

via [AppShopper]

Popcorn Hour A110 - now with WiFi .N

My favourite media player, the Popcorn Hour A110 (sorry, portuguese links - you can autotranslate it using the google link in there) just got even better. Though I've been very happy with it - they even added DTS downmix recently - there was one thing missing: WiFi.


Sure, 1TB internal storage is a lot - but most of the time its boring to copy stuff over just to watch it downstairs... away from an ethernet connection.
Also, streaming 1080p content over WiFi .G isn't enough for high bitrate movies, so... the ideal would be to have a WiFi .N (up to 270Mbps) connection to it.

Well, maybe it's our Christmas present... Popcorn Hour now has a WiFi.N USB dongle: the WN-100.
So, every A100/A110 can now definitely be considered the best there is, allowing you to watch HD movies and TV series no matter where you are, over ethernet, using its internal hard drive, or over WiFi.

Google Earth New York 3D

It's amazing to see how much we've accomplished in such a short amount of time...

Do you remember seeing Google Earth for the first time? How much time did you waste just roaming around the globe?


And when they introduced 3D buildings... it got even better.

In 2007 this is what New York looked like in Google Earth:

Today... this is what you get:

No, it's no photo, it really is how it looks in Google Earth...

Amazing!

... and to imagine just a few decades ago, all I had to play were a few heavy atlas books and some plastic globe earth maps.

OS X Netbook Compatibility Chart

It isn't a secret some netbook users have been using Apple's Mac OS X in their computers. However, more often than not, something isn't properly recognized: whether it's WiFi, Bluetooth, Audio, etc.

So, if you're really looking for the best netbook to run OS X, which one should you choose?
Well, it's easy... once you have this OS X  Netbook compatibility chart to assist you:

Your best options are the MSI Wind and the Dell Mini 9. In fact, MSI has even released some semi-official drivers for WiFi to work correctly on OS X... how about that?

More info and instructions at Boing Boing Gadgets.

Gmail with PDF viewer

At last, if you receive an attached PDF in an email, you can now see it from within Gmail itself without downloading it first and using an external viewer.

Unlike the previous "view as HTML" option, the PDF now renders correctly as you'd expect it to be.

Undistorted Wide Angle Security Camera

Whenever we talk about wide angle security cameras, one thing springs to mind: those dreaded fisheye images. But, Tenebraex is working on a new system that will enable us to have undistorted panoramic images.

It will make this:

Become this:

The concept isn't really new: instead of a single camera with a wide area lens, they use an array of low cost cameras to capture different angles.

Of course, everything must then be analyzed, processed, and finally stitched together to provide the high quality end-result, but as you can see... it's worth the trouble.

They even say such system is cheaper than a traditional motorized camera, and some even say this can soon find its way into the automobile market - I sure wouldn't mind having that.

As a side note, Tenebraex has some other interesting products in their portfolio: full-color nightvision systems, anti-reflection filters, and even some color-blind helping software (Eyepilot).

Microsoft Seadragon arrives to the iPhone

Remember that amazing infinite zoom technology from Microsoft Labs, called Seadragon?
Well, you can now play with it on your iPhone.
Besides the existing photosets, you can add new ones via Photosynth or RSS feed.
Available now, for free, on iTunes.



via [148apps]

TwitterGadget for Gmail

If you can't stay away from Twitter and Gmail, how about twitting directly from Gmail?

That's what you can do thanks to Google Labs gadgets and TwitterGadget.

USB to NAS Adapter

This sure will come in handy.

This USB-NAS adapter from Addonics allows you to easily transform any external USB storage device into a NAS.

Meaning, you'll no longer need you PC turned on to share your external HDDs on your network. You just plug a couple of drives into your network and you'll have instant sharing throughout your house.

And best of all, it costs just $55 USD.

Atlas of the True Names

Have you ever wondered where names evolved from?
I often find myself trying to dig through the origins of names and the like...

Well, if you're like me, then you'll certainly love to have this True Name's Atlas that shows the hidden meaning behind the places we all know and love.

For instance, did you know Chicago actually comes from "Stink Onion" and Cameroon is called the Land of Shrimps due to the Portuguese word for shrimp (Camarão)?

You'll find all that  and much more in this nice sugestion for a Christmas present.

iPhone - Man's Best Friend's Best Friend

No, it's not a typpo, the title's exactly how I meant it

Jt's just that Stephen Meyers remebered to use his iPhone as a universal controler to keep tabs on his dog at home - as well as being able to treat him from afar.

With some hardware modules from IObridge, and using WebcamXP for streaming the video, the entire project took just a couple of hours.

That's the perfect example of what you can accomplish using off-the-shelf components and using it in a creative way.

Copy Paste on the iPhone with Pastebud

It looks like we'll finally be able to do copy-paste on the iPhone, thanks to Pastebud.



It's a very clever answer that allows us to copy-paste text between webpages and email.
And thanks to the use of javascript and webservices, you don't even have to download or install anything.

While Apple doesn't implement this highly requested and useful feature (just try to SMS someone a 20 digit reference you have stored in an email or note) we'll have to make do with these "hacked" copy-pastings.

Google Chrome 1.0 is out of Beta

It may sound strange, but it's true: Google Chrome is now available in it 1.0 non-beta version. (Consider Gmail, that has always been in "beta" up until now - and will most likely continue to be for... ever?)

Now all we need is for the plugin architecture to be ready for 3rd party developers to begin developing for it. I'd certainly welcome an ad-blocker and a webdeveloper plugin.

Google Updates Streetview

Ok, this isn't exactly new, but in case you missed it...

Although quite useful, a lot of people still had a hard time using the streetview feature of Google Maps (and don't get me started on how awkward it is to use it on the iPhone.) That's why Google recentely revamped their streetview interface.

Now, the streetview "pegman" is always conveniently (and logically) placed at the highest zoom level location.

You can either zoom to it, or drag it around as usual. While dragging, you're now also offered a small preview of streetview whenever you hover a place for a few seconds.


You can also thank the mixed map/streetview mode, which comes in handy to learn where you have to turn when following directions.

You'll also like to hear (or not) that streetview coverage has been greatly expanded, and now covers most of the US.

Top Gear Fiesta Beach Assault Test

I know this isn't quite something you'd expect to read about here - but you have to see this.

In the last Top Gear show, one viewer sent them an email telling how sad he was because they didn't do proper car tests like before.
So, they decided to do one... using the new Ford Fiesta.

... as you'd expect from Jeremy Clarkson, their test really ended up being... unusual. As it included finding out how your car behaved if you were behing chased by baddies in a corvette inside a shopping mall (yes, you're reading that right) and - who else would be able to come up with this? - how it handles during a beach assault with the Royal Marines.

Sixense TrueMotion 3D

Just because Nintendo Wii is currently the reference in motion based entertainment - and not only, their Wiimote is curretnly used in countless other projects - it doesn't mean other companies can't try to improve this kind of technology.

Just check this TrueMotion 3D system from Sixense. It uses a magnetic system allowing to track both hands with millimeter precision and a reponse time of just 10ms.

Gmail gets To Do List

If, like me, you constantly forget about what you have to do; you've probably learned to use several methods to remind you of stuff. Things like post-it notes stuck on your monitor, SMS remainders vis Google Calendar... and now - at last - a "To Do list" in Gmail!

I now there were several other add-on scripts for Gmail, but this time it's official... well, almost.

"Almost", because this is one fo those experimental features you have to enable in the Labs section in your Gmail.

You'll then get a new "tasks" link next to your existing contacts, where you'll be able to manage your tasks.

... you can even create a new task when you're reading an email.

There's no more excuses to forget something you have to do.

iPhone as Number Keypad

If you have your iPhone handy, how about using it as a numeric keypad to input numbers into your MacBook?

That's what NumberKey does, and - while it isn't free - it will certainly please everyone stuck with entering numeric data into their laptops.

vLingo - Voice Recognition for the iPhone

Although there are over 10,000 Apps for the iPhone available at the App Store, most of them aren't worth a thing. Thankfully that isn't the case with vlingo.

If you recall Google Search for the iPhone recently introducing voice recognition to search for stuff without typing,  this vlingo takes the concept even further...

For starters, it completely replaces Google App by allowing you to search for anything on the web (using either Google or Yahoo) by simply saying:
web search "whatever I want to search"

Of course, it does more.
Just say:
find italian restaurants
to see what's available near you, on the map.

If you're into social websites, like Facebook and Twitter, you'll be pleased to know that you can now update your status without typing a word. Just say it:
Twitter This voice recognition posting is really awesome.

And last - but not least - it also handles voice dialing.
Just say:
call John at Home
or
call John at the Office

A must have app that should have come with the iPhone right from the start!

I hope they can improve this great App even more, by adding emailing capabilities (emailing while driving would be awesome!) and maybe some text-to-speech verification to allows us to review what we just said to ensure it was properly recognized (so we wouldn't even have to look to check it got it right.)

Nokia Home Control Center

Here's a video showcasing  Nokia Home Control Center. Using Z-wave, Zigbee, and other popular home automation protocols, it will allow you to control your home from your Nokia cell phone.

Windows 7 to Have new Boot Logo

It looks like Windows 7 is going to have a revamped boot sequence animated logo.



Considering the tweaks being made for the startup sequence to be as fast as possible, let's hope we won't have to see this logo for long.

Google Reader gets Facelift

Google's online feed reader Google Reader has been remodeled - and it may not please everyone. Their motto: square is the new round.

If you're a fan of the rounded web 2.0 look you'll find it a bit odd to revert back to a "square" design.
(I must confess, even I found it a bit weird in the first couple of minutes... but it didn't take long for me to adapt and actually prefer this new and streamlined reader.)

Check the "before" and "after" shots:

 

(before)

 

(after)

As you can see, instead of fooling around with rounded corners and background colors, the new look sets focus where it should: on the information itself.

But that's not all: you can now minimize sections to save screen area, and - finally - you're able to choose whether to show/hide unread counts.

Unfortunately, you can't sill collapse/minimize your tags. (Which is something I've been asking for since the start. I hate having a long list of tags that take all that space... maybe next time?)


I must admit, I've liked this new look so much that using Gmail with its "old" rounded look has now become annoying... and, if I can say so: oldfashioned!

Is this the beginning of a new trend that will lead us back to the "square" sites?

True GPS Navigation Arrives to the iPhone

At last!
One of the major disappointments of the iPhone 3G and its GPS was the inability to replace your existing GPS navigation unit.

Sure you won't get lost with your iPhone, however there was no way to have it working like you TomTom or Garmin units with turn-by-turn directions.
This has mostly to do with the terms of use of Google Maps that explicitely prohibit this kind of use (most likely so they don't get sued should someone get lost because they lost Internet connection.)

People knew Telenav was already working on this, and even TomTom has rumoured to have their software running on the iPhone... however, it seems they'll both be beaten to market by XRoad which is about to launch their G-Map for the iPhone this month. (Keep your eyes open in the App Store.)

The maps are downloaded from the Internet and stored in your iPhone, meaning you won't require any kind of Internet connection to navigate wherever you please.

Now...I just wonder how much longer it will take for the other companies to jump into the bandwagon and start launching their GPS navigation Apps.

MSI Wind with New CPUs and Hybrid SSD/HD

While some begin to doubt the popularity of the netbook concept (mostly those who don't quite get it isn't supposed to replace a full laptop/desktop computer for full-time working) MSI is about to make its interesting MSI Wind even more... interesting.

... and I'm not talking about cosmetic details ...

After the U120 with 3G, we're about to get the new U110 and U115 with newerer Intel Atom Z530 CPUS, which are even more efficient than the regular Atoms.
But it doesn't stop there; some models will come with WiFi Draft-N (something alreday present on some Eee PCs from Asus) and, perhaps more interesting, an hybrid SSD/HD system. With the faster SSD being used for the OS, and the traditional hard drive for larger data storage (up to 250GB.)

via [gizmodo]

Apple Recommends Antivirus

I don't know if you know that expression: "when Hell freezes over"... but it sure has been freezing cold lately.

Particularly when you consider Apple's own recommendations, telling you should run - not just one, but several - anti virus programs on your Mac.

So, although one of the most advertised features: "Macs need no Anti-virus" is about to be put to rest.

Although an Operating System might be more or less secure than others, the truth is *every* OS has its own security flaws. The real issue is: how many people are trying to find it, how many people are trying to take advantage of it, and how many people are working on fixing it?

Windows still represents the largest percentage of the computers out there, and as such it's a primary target.

As other OS's become more popular, they'll too become a more interesting target for attackers, and these people will try to make the most out of each OS weaknesses.

In this scenario, an open-source OS like Linux may have the added advantage of quicker security patches being released - but make no mistake: any outdated and unpatched system is as vulnerable as the rest.

Besides, no matter how "secure" an OS is, nothing prevents its owner from installing a "internet accelerator program" - which is reality will be a virus or malware program.

So, as weird as it may sound... maybe antivirus programs may soon become as popular in Linux as they're in Windows right now.

Zoetrope Project - the 4D Web

This Zoetrope project looks promissing...

What about if you could not only navigate through the web using the regular links, but using "time" as well? (Henche the 4D reference in the title.)
What if you could select part of a web page and see how it looked across time itself?

That what Zoetrope makes possible...



[Projecto Zoetrope]