CybersView

Current.TV

2007-09-17T22:39:00.000-06:00

Al Gore didn't invent the internet, but it sounds like he might be trying to re-invent the online TV experience. With his Emmy win last night, CurrentTV got a shot in the arm. I've personally not seen the new network channel, but some reports just say it's boring. lostremote.com
Current.com is not up yet, but current.tv is.

Apple hits the fans with new iPods

2007-09-05T23:37:00.000-06:00

Nano Nano! Steve Jobs and Apple have announced their new generation of iPods. We've got some great choices now, which all include price cuts. Now the iPhone is only $399.

iPod touch (touch screen, Wi-Fi & music downloads at Starbucks stores)
iPod nano (now with video, in either 4 or 8GB models)
iPod shuffle (1GB = 240 songs)
and of course, the original iPod classic, with expanded capacity of 160GB (that's 40,000 songs!)

Sources:
store.apple.com
money.cnn.com
blogs.zdnet.com

Apple phones home Sept.5

2007-09-01T04:05:00.000-06:00

Rolling Stone has a good article about the upcoming press conference with Apple about iTunes. The new iPhone and iPods will probably be revealed too. Has EMI released The Beatles digitial catalog to iTunes finally? We'll find out September 5th, when Apple phones home.

Source: iLounge.com

Sky in Google Earth

2007-08-25T01:26:00.000-06:00

Spectacular Images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, exploding stars and faraway galaxies are just a mouse click away now through Sky in Google Earth. Users will need to download the latest free version of Google Earth to access the new features, but it's really worth it.

Sky in Google Earth is produced by Google through a partnership with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, the science operations center for Hubble.

Source: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter

Net Video Cameras

2007-08-20T23:19:00.000-06:00

I wanted to get into video, but not into debt, so I shopped around for an introductory type video camera. Both of these models list under $200.

The Flip Video camera is great because it's lightweight, very portable, and records up to 60 minutes of video. File output is .AVI type, which tends to be large, so you have to keep the record time down, especially if you want to upload to YouTube. But the camera itself is great, very simple to operate, and has a built-in USB connector for fast uploading to your PC. The only drawbacks I found were poor video quality in low light situations, and it really goes through double AA batteries fast. One set of batteries lasts about one weekend of shooting.
www.theflip.com

Now Sony has a new camera coming out in September. It's the MPEG4 Net Sharing Camcorder, model NSC-GC1 with 2.4-inch SwivelScreen™ LCD and SteadyShot® Picture Stabilization System. Features include:
Lithium Ion battery (recharge instead of buying batteries)
USB 2.0
MPEG4 file format
4X Digital Zoom
High resolution 123K pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles.
Memory Stick® and Memory Stick PRO™ Duo Media4 Slot (up to 8GB capacity)
Capture MPEG4 video OR 5 Megapixel Still Images (2592 x 1944) directly onto Memory Stick media. YouTube will never be the same!
www.sonystyle.com

iPhone Problems

2007-07-02T09:01:00.000-06:00

That appears to be the headline of the day and only 3 days after it's release.

To be fair to Apple, it should probably be AT&T iPhone activation problems.

There does not seem to be a lot of actual iPhone problems, but rather a slew of problems based on AT&T not being ready for the amount of activations.

It will be interesting to see if and when Apple can get the iPhone on other carriers.

iPhone Hits & Misses

2007-06-30T04:30:00.000-06:00

The iPhone finally made it's debut Friday, and had early shoppers lined up for days to get the new wireless device. Initial reports are good so far...

Reuters reports thousands of faithful fans first to buy new iPhone.

Wired Blog Network shows the iPhone unboxed.

CNN Money...will it live up to the hype?

engadget iPhone Q & A

There are always exceptions when a new product rolls out to the public...
read www.applegazette.com

www.apple.com/iphone

Happy Birthday Computer

2007-06-15T06:16:00.000-06:00

In 1951, the first commercial computer, Univac I, was unveiled.

The first UNIVAC was delivered to the United States Census Bureau on March 31, 1951 and was dedicated on June 14th that year.[1] The fifth machine (built for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission) was used by CBS to predict the result of the 1952 presidential election. With a sample of just 1% of the voting population it correctly predicted that Eisenhower would win. The UNIVAC I computers were built by Remington Rand's UNIVAC-division (successor of the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation, bought by Rand in 1950). Source : WikiPedia

It is amazing to think how far computers have come since that day. To most that is a long time ago, but in the scope of history, it is just a fragment of time.

News and information sources.

2007-06-13T13:19:00.000-06:00

AR&D has an interesting post and graph on how Americans are getting their news.

No real surprises but it is clear that Television News and Newspapers are both in a world of hurt if they don't figure out new ways of reaching their audience.

Something else they may want to consider is updating their web sites, especially local news stations. Most the sites I have checked out are considerably outdated and slow due to being bloated with advertising.

Google Trends - Hot Trends

2007-06-08T10:57:00.000-06:00

Google Trends has been a very helpful tool since it was released. And now the new Hot Trends is probably even more helpful.

With Hot Trends you can see the what is Hot Today at (close to) real time from Google searches being performed.

The real benefit is that you can see results from News, Google and Blogs at one glance.

Do not confuse this with the most popular searches on Google. Hot Trends has a little more going on in the background algorithm to find those searches that deviate from the basic stuff to a more unique search.

... It's a new feature of Google Trends for sharing the the hottest current searches with you in very close to real time. What's on our collective mind as we search for information? What's interesting to people right now? Hot Trends will tell you. At a glance, you'll see the huge variety of topics capturing our attention, from current events to daily crossword puzzle clues to the latest celebrity gossip. Hot Trends is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

...For each Hot Trend, you will see results from Google News, Google Blog Search and web search, which help explain why the search is hot. ...

...If you want to look further back, you can also see what queries were hot on a particular day. ... If you don't know why, maybe you'll learn something...

Hot Trends aren't the search terms people look for most often -- those are pretty predictable, like [weather] or [games] or perhaps [myspace]. Yes, [sex] too. Instead, the Hot Trends algorithm analyzes millions of searches to find those that are deviating the most relative to their past traffic. And the outcome is the Hot Trends list.

Source : Official Google Blog: What's hot today?

Netflix

2007-05-30T08:18:00.000-06:00

I had my doubts on this one, but, after reading Mike's post about Netflix and talking to him I had to give it a try. So far, it has been great.

In just a couple weeks we have the system down to a science.

Monday: I drop the movies in the mail on my way to work.
Tuesday: Mid-day I get an email that they have been received, shortly thereafter I get an email telling me the next 2 movies available in my queue are being processed.
Wednesday: The movies arrive in the mail and we have until Sunday to watch them and get them ready for the next round.

Netflix is saving me time and money not to mention making it a lot easier to keep reviews up to date on CybersDVDs.com (shameless plug).

Google and FeedBurner

2007-05-23T14:20:00.000-06:00

According to TechCrunch the rumored purchase of FeedBurner by Google has been confirmed. Now this makes sense, especially considering the release of the Google AJAX Feed API last month.

For a year now Google has had Mark Lucovsky and team churning out some very nice AJAX tools. Starting with the Google AJAX Search API this time last year they have progressively stepped up to the plate with enhancements and new tools.

They have shown a real desire to get creative and functional at the same time with AJAX.

Here is a pretty impressive list of applications they have created over the last year:

Google AJAX Search API

Google Maps API

Google Map Search gadget

Video Bar

Google Video gadget

support for Custom Search Engines

Google News bar

support for Book Search

Blog Bar

inclusion of YouTube Video

Google AJAX Feed API

Slide Show Control

CNN Debuts "News To Me"

2007-05-20T17:34:00.000-06:00

CNN debuted their new social media program today, "News To Me". At first it looked as though they were just going to show videos and stuff from the web without any commentary, but the program looked pretty good. It appears that some in the Main Stream Media are starting to realize the value, or at least the inevitability of the blogosphere and social media.

"News To Me" is the world as YOU see it. Your videos, pictures and stories showcased in an original, fast-paced and interactive show debuting on Headline News on Saturday, May 19. "News To Me" is your show, so send your videos and pictures.
Source : CNN - Send an I report

Note: It does not show up on the schedule as an independent program which is disappointing to us DVR/Tivo junkies.

Grocery Shopping in a Digital World

2007-05-13T13:59:00.000-06:00

Do you take advantage of technology while grocery shopping?

Technology is not just for the Internet, and there are some real benefits to some of these shopping cards.

The Kroger chain has developed a very nice system. By signing up for their Plus card system customers receive several benefits.

Daily savings on items.
Accumulated annual savings posted on receipts.
Targeted coupons based on your purchases.
Fuel discounts at selected stores.

The one that really stands out now is the Fuel card. It is nice getting gas for 10 cents less than all the surrounding stations.

At stores located in Memphis, Little Rock, Jackson, TN and Jackson, MS you can earn 10 cents a gallon off of gas at our Kroger Fuel Stations by purchasing $100 or more of groceries. The more you purchase the more gas you can buy at 10 cents off. Please see the stores for complete details on how to reduce your gasoline price per gallon. Source : Kroger - Plus Card

New Google Analytics

2007-05-08T12:46:00.000-06:00

Google has announced the release of the new Google Analytics interface. The new enhancements are very nice for long term views, but lack in the daily arena. Interesting to note that the default graph uses Visitors instead of Pageviews. With all the Web 2.0 interfaces pageviews are definitely going to fail as a good metric.

In the 30 minutes or so I have had to play with the new release I have yet to find a way to see todays data graphed and that is a real downfall in my opinion. The data is there, you just can not get a graph of one day.

Mountain View, Calif. - May 8, 2007 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced a new version of its powerful web analytics solution, Google Analytics™. The new version of Google Analytics was unveiled today at the EMetrics Summit taking place in San Francisco. Google Analytics, a free enterprise-class solution, enables executives, marketers and website owners to understand how their users interact with their website and help increase online business. Google has completely redesigned the product and enhanced the feature set through new email reporting, customizable dashboards, improved map displays, and plain language descriptions to make important information more accessible.

Source : Google Press Center: Press Release

Offical Blog Post from Google

Search EngineLand has an in depth post with some screenshots at Google Analytics Launches New Version With New UI & Features

CEA Surveys US Households

2007-04-30T22:11:00.000-06:00

There's an interesting article from Media Center PC World, quoting a study by the Consumer Electronics Association. It says the average U.S. household owns 25 consumer electronics and the average adult spends $1,200 a year on these products. Gee, I spend that much on my cell phone alone!

The article continues with the top five most owned products; TV, DVD player or recorder, VCR, cordless phone and cellular phone.
Source: www.mediacenterpcworld.com

So do I fit the average profile? Let's count 'em up and see...
3 cell phones
2 TV's
2 PC's
2 monitors
2 external hard drives
2 flash drives
2 sets of external speakers for PC
telephone with digital answering machine
surround sound speaker system for TV
component stereo system
DVD player
DSL modem
Cisco router
scanner
printer
VCR
iPod
Total = 25
Yep, I'm just an average guy.

Google Web History

2007-04-23T22:31:00.000-06:00

Google's new Web History enables you to:
View your web activity
Search the full text of pages you've visited
Get personalized search results

With Google Toolbar you can:
Search smarter with instant suggestions
Access your bookmarks from any computer
Add custom buttons to search your favorite sites

Please Note: you need to install the Google Toolbar with PageRank enabled, which sends information about these web pages to Google and associates it with your Google account. See Google Web History to learn more.

Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office & Home

2007-04-18T21:18:00.000-06:00

Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 11:29PM
To: All
From: Mike
Subject: Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home (Knopf)

USA Today has a great article about David Shipley and Will Schwalbe, authors of the new book Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home (Knopf.)

The two longtime friends, both professional editors, came up with the "survival guide for the digital age," after comparing notes on email and how it's used and abused. They make a good point that we all use email, and sometimes live and die by it too. So a practical guide for it's use is just a natural thing.

"Never forward anything without permission, and assume everything you write will be forwarded," and "Never forget a Cc has the power to publicly shame someone, whether that's your intention or not."

They say one thing everyone wants, but no one has invented, is a "panic button," a short delay after hitting send, like the kind TV networks use to bleep obscenities.

"Think before you send," says Shipley. Send email you would like to receive," says Schwalbe.

They've also set up a website to collect "bad emails," at Thinkbeforeyousend.com.

Source: www.usatoday.com

Microsoft Expression Web page editor

2007-04-13T02:44:00.000-06:00

PC Magazine gave Microsoft Expression Web page editor a pretty good review. The software just finished a long public beta testing, and the final version of the new web editing package is finally available.

Expression Web is the first up-to-date web page editor that creates modern CSS and XML based web pages out of the box. It replaces the familiar FrontPage web page editor, the last version was 2003, and is no longer supported by Microsoft. It does keep some of the best features of FP, like a similar menu structure and the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) design views. It's standards-based approach supports CSS, RSS, and point-and-click control over XML data sources.

I started searching for a full version of Microsoft's Expression Web editor to install after the beta expired in December, but it was virtually unavailable until now. I've been a long time FrontPage user, starting in '98, but it's been such an ordeal using and troubleshooting this program, then getting used to the beta and having it time out on me and disable itself, that I'm considering switching to DreamWeaver.

Both web editor packages have several versions that are bundled with other nifty applications that enhance your web building experience, so shop around if you're in the market for a cool web page building program. Expression Web will also be available in these different flavors: Expression Blend, Expression Design & Expression Media.

Online @ www.microsoft.com/expression

50 Best Tech Products

2007-04-09T21:13:00.000-06:00

PC World has an interesting article on the 50 best tech products of all time. Some of these names sure bring back memories. Plus it shows just how fast technology is moving along. Let's take a look at their Top 10...

#1 Netscape Navigator, first introduced in 1994, popularized the world wide web browser (based on Mosaic)
#2 Apple II Computer, the original personal computer, first appeared in 1977
#3 TiVo HDR110, introduced in 1999
#4 Napster, also introduced in 1999
#5 Lotus 1-2-3, introduced in 1983, was the PC's first critical application
#6 Apple iPod, which debuted in 2001, now commands a 73% market share of the music player market
#7 Hayes Smartmodem, in 1981, introduced the first 300-baud modem
#8 Motorola StarTAC, 1996, was the first clamshell design cell phone
#9 WordPerfect5.1, introduced in 1989, was one of the last DOS based applications
#10 Tetris, introduced in 1985, was one of the first puzzle based games to cross over computing platforms from PC to MAC to GameBoy.

Source: www.pcworld.com/article

Google Voice Local Search 1-800-GOOG-411

2007-04-07T16:44:00.000-06:00

Now you can search for a local business with just your phone. The automated system is completely voice prompted, so you just say the name of the business or a general category, to get a listing. The search results are numbered, so you can say or press the corresponding number, just like selecting a link on a web search. Then it connects you to that company phone number.

This new service is called Google Voice Local Search and it's still in the experimental stages. When I tried it, the system worked great. I gave it both a company name, and a general category, and it found nearby matches by name and physical location. It's free from Google Labs.

To try this service, just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone. More Info @ labs.google.com/goog411

TXU Power Play

2007-04-05T22:59:00.000-06:00

The TXU Electric utility is making headlines again. Just last week they were slapped with $210 million in fines after an investigation accused them of manipulating the electric market to increase their profits.

The Public Utility Commission said this abuse of the market cost consumers $70 million and earned the TXU utility $20 million in extra profits. TXU is the largest power generator in Texas, and is alleged to have inflated their prices during 2005, which caused electricity prices to rise 15.5 percent during that summer.

Now TXU is claiming that if they really have to pay this huge fine, they may not be able to continue to operate some of their older power plants, causing some interruption in power for some customers. This kind of corporate power play just makes me sick. The big bully is pouting and is threatening to take away his toys.

A month ago a buyout offer was announced to acquire TXU Corp. for about $32 billion. This sure gives me something to think about the next time I pay my electric bill.

Comcast continues to grow

2007-04-03T23:52:00.000-06:00

The largest cable operator in the U.S., Comcast has announced their plans to purchase another cable company, Patriot Media and Communications, for $483 million.

Comcast had previously announced it would take control of fifty percent of Insight Communications, which is the ninth-largest cable operator in the country, located in Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

Also noteworthy...Comcast Set To Pass Vonage As Leading VoIP Provider...

Moffett expects Comcast to continue to show dramatic growth: he says the company will increase the number of homes with access to its phone service by more than 10 million in 2007, “equal to almost three Cablevisions in a single year. Source: blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily

CyberStalking

2007-03-31T10:43:00.000-06:00

CyberStalking seems to have jumped to the forefront of the blogosphere lately. The Kathy Sierra incident was certainly an eye opener for most bloggers over the past week. Some bloggers in support of Kathy responded by taking time off, such as Robert Scoble, others like Blog Bloke posted their ideas on how to help yourself in such a situation.

Seems there is not much talk about the law in regards to this subject. And in fact it is not clear where exactly the law comes in to play.

However, in Jackson, Mississippi this past week 3 young people were arrested for CyberStalking, and in Mississippi it carries a felony charge with prison time of up to two years and a $5,000 fine.

Is this a state by state issue?

Seems strange a crime that can certainly be global is put on the shoulders of the local law enforcement.

Follow Up Links:

CybersEye

2007-03-31T02:00:00.000-06:00

Nellie took this cool time exposure of me at the computer. Nice 3D effect with the screen. - Mike