Daylight Savings Time 2007 Update

The Windows Mobile website reports on the Daylight Saving Time 2007 Update...

Congress has changed the dates for Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the United States starting in 2007. These changes could cause clocks and Microsoft Outlook calendar appointments on Windows Mobile-powered devices to display incorrect times for March 11 – April 1, 2007 and October 28 – November 4, 2007 and again in subsequent years.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) will now start three weeks earlier (2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March) and will end one week later (2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November.) Canada has adopted similar DST dates.

Previously, Daylight Saving Time began the first Sunday in April, which would have been April 1, 2007. Under the new law, DST will start on the second Sunday in March, that will now be March 11, 2007 .

Previously, DST ended on the last Sunday in October, which would have been October 28, 2007. With the new law, DST will end on the first Sunday in November, which will now be November 4, 2007.

The change goes into effect this spring, thanks to a huge federal energy bill that passed in 2005. Congress hopes this will add extra hours of daylight to reduce our national energy consumption.

Read more at...www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile

Digital Ethnography

Cool video about Web 2.0. I like it because it's using standard everyday things we use like notepad, viewing the source, google, etc., but in a new way and with purpose. Linking humanity together and using the net's enormous amount of data to serve everyday people.

Video created by Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University. Nicely done and not too long, so it holds your attention. Good pacing too. I think the average attention span online is about 15 seconds, if that long.

The Professor's profile on YouTube says his videos explore mediated culture, seeking to merge the ideas of Media Ecology and Cultural Anthropology.

The Professor's Blog: mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg

Yahoo Pipes

RSS Feeds help us stay informed in an organized way.

Now, there's an interactive feed aggregator from Yahoo called Pipes, which allows you to manipulate those feeds into a more powerful, relevant and hopefully, more useful tool.

Some of the most frequently run Pipes so far include Google Video Search, Microsoft Live News Search and del.icio.us flavored web search.

http://pipes.yahoo.com/

Browse a complete list of Pipes modules here.

Read more about Pipes at O'Reilly radar BLOG...
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/02/pipes_and_filte.html

Cell Phone Roving Bug

Here's another story that makes you wonder about high technology and the way it's being used, or abused.

NewsTarget has learned that the FBI has developed a technique that can remotely activate a nearby cell phone's microphone, thereby turning it into a listening device. The "roving bug" technique was approved by U.S. Department of Justice officials for use on members of an organized crime family in New York that was getting increasingly suspicious of tails, wiretaps or other traditional surveillance techniques. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that the technique was legal, stating that federal wiretapping law was broad enough to cover the monitoring of conversations occurring near a suspect's cell phone.

The new method works whether the phone is on or off, because many phone models cannot be truly powered down without removing the battery. Some models, for example, will turn on from a powered-down state when an alarm is set.
Source: www.newstarget.com

Another article noted that cell phone providers can install a piece of software on any phone from a remote location, allowing microphone activation, without the owner's knowledge. In addition to activating a mic, the software can also stop a display from indicating a call in progress, taking away another method by which a cell phone user could tell his phone had been compromised.

According to counter-surveillance consultant James Atkinson, models from Nextel, Samsung and the popular Motorola Razr are particularly vulnerable to these remote software downloads. Some sources say that security-conscious corporate executives make a habit of removing their cell phone's battery when the unit is not in use.

This is not the first time the FBI has commandeered built-in microphones as listening devices. In a 2003 lawsuit, it was discovered that the FBI was able to activate the microphones of automotive systems such as OnStar and listen to passenger conversations without the speakers knowing. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the practice was not legal, but only because the technique prevents the system from being used in an emergency.

Source: www.newstarget.com

attendio.com

Attendio is a new social events service that automatically connects people to local events to match their interests. The user community continually adds relevant local events, reviews, and recommendations to their website and user's calendars.

The free Attendio service (still in beta) launched online on February 1st, beginning with local events for the San Francisco Bay Area. The service is rolling out to additional cities across the country throughout 2007. Coordinated with the launch of Microsoft's new version of Windows, Attendio is also featured in the new Windows Vista Calendar, and debuted at the DEMO 007 conference in Palm Desert, California.

The unique VIP "Recommenders" provide an insider's view on all the "hot" events across all categories at any time. Some early VIP's are Adam Duritz of the band Counting Crows and Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind.

"Attendio just sounded like a cool idea to me," said Adam Duritz, lead singer for the Counting Crows. "After all, there are so many great cultural events taking place all the time in the Bay Area and New York. It seems like I spend half the space on my own blogs recommending theatre and films and bands and events at Cal I think people should go out and see. Attendio seems an obvious way to get the news about that stuff out there so everyone can enjoy them as much as I do."

Users can also designate their friends as "Recommenders" to easily share information on interesting and worthwhile events. For example, music lovers can automatically see what albums or concerts their blogger friends recommend.

Within a few clicks, Attendio users set up their own personalized profile, and request that events automatically populate their personal calendar through popular programs, including Apple iCal, Microsoft Outlook, Windows Vista Calendar and Google Calendar.

Source:
www.demo.com
www.attendio.com
www.netvibes.com
media.prnewswire.com

DEMO 07 Conference

Headlines that caught our (Cybers) eye...

Wii News Channel Goes Live

Windows Vista Finally Arrives

The 17th annual DEMO 07 conference takes place January 30th through February 1st in Palm Desert, CA. It will showcase 68 consumer-oriented and enterprise computing innovations including video email and messaging, video ringtones, a GPS with wireless control, IM photos directly to the desktop, and software that tracks plagiarized blog content.

TechDeals.net

TechDeals.net looks to have some great deals listed...here's just a few examples...

Hanns-G JC-199D 19-inch LCD Monitor for $99.95

Buffalo 250GB External USB 2.0 Hard Drive $69.99

Sandisk Sansa E260 4GB MP3 Player $129.99

Kingston ValueRAM 2GB DDR 400 PC3200 $139.99

Apple Macbook Pro 15.4" Core Duo Notebook $1399

Western Digital 250GB IDE Hard Drive $49.98

Online: www.techdeals.net

Google CSE adds statistics

Google has added statistics to the Custom Search Engine (CSE) control panel.

Effective Jan 22, 2007.

"...information such as overall traffic to your search engine and popular queries is now available. And you can view this info by day, week, month..."

Source : Google Custom Search: New statistics page

Gibson Signature Series Les Paul Standard flash drive

Mini flash drives are all the rage today. Prices have dropped and storage capacities have gone up. They're just about the handiest thing you can have as a computer accessory. Some even have style, but Gibson Guitars has topped them all with their latest entry into the consumer electronics market.

The coolest product so far is their Signature Series Les Paul Standard flash drive. It's a miniature replica of Gibson's world famous guitar, but it's really a 1GB USB2.0 flash drive. And it comes with it's own USB extension cable to hook up to your computer, which is a nice touch when a USB port is not within easy reach. Plus the drive has it's own case.

Gibson Audio also offers:
DVD Recorder - DVD+/-R Double Layer, DVD-RAM, Up To 8.3GB per DVD DL Disc
500GB External Hard Drive - USB2.0 - 500GB Maximum Storage - 7,200 RPM - 8MB Cache
GSL-3 Center Channel Speaker
GSL-2 Tower
3150 Joule Surge Protector
3240 Joule Surge Protector
7.1 A V Receiver
Digital Audio Fiber Optic Cable
HDMI Cable
CD-R Media
DVD-R & DL Media

Source: www.gibson.com/Products/Audio
Press Release: Gibson introduces consumer electronics at CES 2007

Beginning a new Wiki wave

Recently Mark Cuban announced the formation of a new Wiki for his beloved Dallas Mavericks.

Is this the start of a new trend with Wiki's?

It just might be.

For a Wiki to work it takes a topic that is changing and evolving along with a base of people who are passionate about the subject matter. And that pretty much describes any professional sports team in the United States.

Only time will tell, but it just may be a wave we start seeing played out across the Internet.

Netflix Streams Movies Online

Netflix, the online movie rental service has announced their newest service. Streaming movies over the internet to your computer. They said the new feature will be available to subscribers over the next six months, with about 1,000 movies and TV shows instantly available, at no additional cost. Of course, Netflix continues to offer DVD's by mail via their regular subscriptions.

No large video file to download, either. Netflix will be using real-time playback technology that will allow video to stream to your computer, so you don't have to wait for a download, or a DVD in the mail. Yes, you'll have to install the usual internet browser applet the first time you use it, but the company says your movie will start playing in as little as 15 seconds after loading.
Note: Their new service only works on Internet Explorer right now.

Now you're going to need some good bandwidth...one megabit per second is required. Three megabit will give you DVD quality. Service is based on your existing subscription. The entry level 5.99 a month plan gives you online movies for six hours a month. The full 17.99 a month plan gives you 18 hours a month online.

It's always important to get the content providers on your side, and most of the major and indie studios are onboard. NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema and indie studio Lionsgate.

They will be competing online for the first time with iTunes, Yahoo, Amazon.com, Google Video, and YouTube.

Sources:
CNN$Money @ money.cnn.com
Robert Scoble's blog @ scobleizer.com

Nokia 6131 NFC phone pays for itself

A new technology known as Near Field Communications or NFC, allows you to make payments and share information. NFC is similar to RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, but only works at close range.

Nokia has integrated this technology into a new cell model, the 6131 NFC phone, which works like MasterCard's Pay Pass. Proximity Payment.

Because you have to get so close to use them, these NFC readers operate like the smart ID cards we carry to read the scanners at the front door of your business or the gate at your apartment. Even more security can be added, in the form of a simple code that has to be input at the time of the transaction.

Nokia showed this off last week at CES. It sounds like a great idea. The new technology can also be used to read NFC enabled business cards and scan the information to your contacts, or scan in a phone number from an advertisment. The phone maker is testing the new system with both Visa and MasterCard, but don't expect to see this phone in the US for some time.
(read more)

Win A Dell XPS 710 H2C Gaming System

Dell is giving away five of their new gaming systems, along with a widescreen 27 inch monitor. Their new XPS 710 H2C is paired with a 2707WFP widescreen 27 inch monitor that was introduced at CES last week.

Enter to win @ dell.eprize.net/imagination

Also check out the Dell/Futuremark Performance Shootout; they're giving away up to a 30-inch widescreen monitor to the 3 fastest system scores submitted. To enter, download the 3DMark06 benchmark, run it on your system, and submit your scores. Performance scores will be posted at www.dellcommunity/gaming.

1st prize: Dell 3007WFP-HC30 30-inch widescreen flat panel
2nd prize: Dell 2707WFP 27-inch widescreen flat panel
3rd prize: Dell 2407WFP 24-inch widescreen flat panel

Dell also launched their new gaming site last week, that gathers all their game news & reviews together. Check it out at: www.dell.com/gaming

Dell also has their customer feedback site open @ direct2dell.com.

Google Social Reader

Google Reader has become a favorite RSS Reader. Now they could easily become the Social Reader king of the Internet.

Google Reader gives you the ability to Share items that you read with the rest of the world. These Shared items can be viewed at a native page on Google Reader or added to your site with a little javascript. (See our Shared items in the right sidebar.) You can also subscribe to others shared items and see what they are reading. It is very interesting to see what your favorite writers are reading. One of my personal favorites is Robert Scoble.

Now, lets get the next killer social site.

If Google would take these items and create a Social Reader where the collected shared items are listed by most shared and tags we could see what articles are actually the most popular in the blogosphere.

How about it Google?

Wow Factor PCs

Dell's XPS M2010 made a big impression at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. The radical design folds up like a laptop, but uses less desktop space. 20.1-inch widescreen with 802.11a/b/g WiFi. With this kind of system, you just have to include all the extras.

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.33GHz
• 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 Memory
• 256MB ATI® Mobility RADEONTM X1800 Graphics Card
• 8x DVD/CD Burner (DVD+/-RW)4
• Hard Drive SATA 240GB RAID array across two backup drives
• High Definition Audio (HDA) with 8 speakers & subwoofer
• Integrated 1.3 megapixel web cam and microphone for video instant messaging
• WindowsXP MediaCenterEdition2005

www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx

For the Power User: Dell XPS710 30-inch flat panel with updated Core 2 Extreme QX 6700 quad-core processor. Default video card 1GB 7950 GX2 graphics card upgradable to two NVIDIA cards in SLI mode or two ATI XTX 1900 cards in Crossfire mode. Running WindowsMediaCenterXP. Big power in a big tower.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsdt_410?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

HP TouchSmart PC MediaCenterhttp://blog.pcmag.com/blogs/miller/archive/2007/01/12/1694.aspx

Sources:
www.dell.com
www.hp.com

The Best of CES 2007

cnet.com reviews the Best of this year's CES.

LG debuted the world’s first DVD player that supports both Blu-Ray and HD DVD! LG really does stand for "Life's Good!"Warner Brothers Studios announced it's own hybrid video disk, called Total HD, which will play on both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray drives.

Harman Kardon rolls out their mobile media manager Drive + Play 2.

Sony Ericsson W950i Walkman Phone:
3G - advanced digital music player with music management software -
4GB internal memory - built-in FM radio - stereo headset - USB cable
2.6 inch touch screen display - send email with integrated Opera8.0 web browser.
http://www.sony.com/ces/index.php

Wired.com talks about how everything gets connected. It's the year for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Gadgets In Vegas: Hi-Tech Goes Wild @ CES

Cool. Wireless TV.
HP MediaSmart TV has 801.11a/b/g/n WiFi adaptors & Ethernet ports.

Here's a neat idea...HP's new PC design with a wide 19-inch flat screen that tilts up to allow access to the integrated printer in back. But the print out comes out in front. Very smart design, now where's the specs?

Motorola O ROKR Bluetooth enabled headset built-in to a pair of Oakley sunglasses.

Sling Media announces their Clip + Sling which uploads and shares video clips from TV. They've partnered with CBS to develop a video community like YouTube, but with a focus on legal high quality content.

Cisco and Apple argue over the iPhone name. Oh, c'mon, both companies stand to make a fortune over this new phone, if everything works the way it's hyped to do. Sign your agreement and get over it already.

Google Earth4 goes 3D.

Finally, a portable keyboard that goes anywhere! The i.Tech Virtual keyboard. Laser and infared technology combine to project a full size QWERTY keyboard onto any flat surface.

Best of Innovations Honored this year @ CES

Sources:
www.engadget.com
www.gizmodo.com
www.crunchgear.com
www.on10.net
scobleizer.com

Apple iPhone More Than Just iTalk

MacWorld & CES ~ New Technology For A New Year.

The Apple iPhone will finally ship this June and it's a beauty! It's thin, sleek, and simple to use, thanks to it's 3.5 inch screen with multi-touch display. It looks like you can just scroll right through the menus with just a point and tap, and no stylus or button wheel to mess with. Nice navigation. Bloggers are going nuts covering it, so there's plenty of reviews, photos and video.

It can also be called a widescreen iPod, but it does so much more than just play your music. iPhone’s multi-touch display and the OS X Safari web browser may just finally put the wireless web in our hands. It also includes built-in Google and Yahoo! Search so you can instantly search for information, just like on your computer. iPhone also includes Google’s useful and innovative Maps service, so you can view maps, satellite images, traffic information and get directions, all from iPhone’s amazing easy-to-use touch screen interface.

Apple Inc. has totally moved into mobile technology with the iPhone, which follows their market share of iPods and MacBooks. It's kinda pricey to start at $499, but this device may just tip the scales from Blackberry back toward the Apple. 4GB is $499 and the 8GB $599 available in June in the US, and later this year in Europe. Cingular Wireless is the ISP.

Good looking specs too:
3.5 inch screen with 320 x 480 @ 160 ppi resolution
GSM Quad-band Wi-Fi (802.11), Cingular EDGE & Bluetooth2.0
4.8 ounces at 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches
Battery Life up to 5 hours on talk, video, web browsing, and up to 16 hours on audio playback.

It was a busy day...

Microsoft Home on the Vista

Microsoft: A new Vista on every desktop

Sony K750i MP3 Phone

RealNetworks and TiVo combine to share access to the Rhapsody music services

AsusXG Station External PCI-Express Graphics - MacWorld Expo - Nokia MultiMedia Phones

Sources:
www.engadget.com
www.gizmodo.com
www.crunchgear.com
www.on10.net
scobleizer.com

Ford and Microsoft to Sync up?

I have to admit that my first thought was about the old GM and Microsoft joke when I heard that Ford Motors and Microsoft are going to work together on an in-car wireless phone and data system

There are several versions of this joke, but, some of the highlights are:

• For no reason at all, your car would crash twice a day.
• Every time they repainted the lines on the road, you would have to buy a new car.
• Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left-turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, and you would have to reinstall the engine.
• When your car died on the freeway for no reason, you would just accept this, restart and drive on.
• The airbag would say 'Are you sure?' before going off.
• Occasionally, for no reason, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grabbed the radio antenna.
• Every time they introduced a new model, car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
• You would press the 'start' button to shut off the engine.

That Dodge Charger sure is a good looking car!

Year of the Cell Cam?

What does 2007 hold in store? It could be a big year for personal technology, like cell phones with cameras. That technology might just drive changes that businesses didn't see coming.

Dr. Martin Illsley, director of the European research labs for tech consultancy Accenture, says: "camera phones will allow customers to communicate with businesses via pictures in addition to phone and email. Consumers will be able to complain more easily by snapping the offending incident or object."

Greater documentation of faulty goods or bad service could be a downside for business, but a boon for consumers fed up with the lack of quality merchandise and customer service.

However, the smart companies will find new ways to harvest this new information and put it to good use. Businesses are already looking for ways to tap into net communities and online interest groups, to create recommendations consumers will trust.

Source: BBC News

Subscribe to a story, not just a blog

When there is a particular story that you have an interest in, the best way to stay current is by subscribing to the story and setting up email alerts.

1. Subscribe to a BlogSearch for the topic
2. Setup an email Alert

As an example the story about the Helicopter being used in Jackson, Mississippi has some special interest for me, so I subscribed to "Jackson Mississippi Helicopter" in BlogSearch and then setup an email Alert with the same topic. In this case I set the type to "Comprehensive" and the timing to "As it Happens".

One more option is to use the Google AJAX Search API which you can configure to return results from where you want. With one click you can search for "Jackson Mississippi Helicopter" and see Blog, Web, News and Video results.

Now I can sit back and watch the story come to me.

Only the Sony

Sony has some really great notebooks and now has a sub-model the size of a PDA.

Sony VAIO UX280P Micro PC VGN-UX280P

Intel Core 1.20GHz processor
Windows XP Professional
533MHz Front Side Bus
Integrated Wireless LAN & WAN with Cingular Wireless
Integrated Bluetooth
LCD 4.5" wide SVGA touch screen
40GB Hard Drive
1GB Memory PC2-3200 DDR2 SDRAM
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator w/128MB memory
USB2.0
Memory Stick Media Slot supports optional memory stick media

In fact, their entire catalog is great.

Source: Sony Style@ www.sonystyle.com

Live Lynching?

Is the Internet going to send us back 100 years?

How long will it take for the hanging of Saddam Hussein to make it to one of the main Social sites that broadcast video?

Hussein is scheduled to be hanged in the next couple of days and it is certainly likely that this event will show up, if not live, very quickly thereafter on the Internet.

A Social Rant

As usual Mark Cuban speaks his mind, and in typical fashion his rant about Google and YouTube goes on for over a 1000 words and then he hits the nail on the head near the end of the post.

When a forum is open to everyone, eventually everyone shows up and the original attraction of the forum is lost. Someone has got to take responsibility for any open social network or the network will die.

Source : Mark Cuban - http://www.blogmaverick.com

Having run several forum sites over the years this is a well described problem I have seen firsthand. And it is obviously infecting a lot of the Social networks. It is the main reason I have not been able to fully enjoy a lot of the social sites.

And it is a "catch 22".

• Everyone wants an open environment, but when a system is totally open without controls there are going to be people who take advantage of this and cause problems.
  
• And if a system is monitored and policed, then everyone complains about censorship. Well you can't have both.

Social has more to do with having relationships with others who are like minded, and less to do with a place that is open to a free for all of abuse.

Does your SEO know about the SEI?

For 20 years I have been told to make it "idiot proof", and being a programmer I would invariably spend extra time on the error handling only to find out that this was not the same as "idiot proof". This is also where the phrase GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) came from.

Now there is a lot of talk (blogging) about what is wrong with the SE's, maybe it is more about the SEI (SE Idiot) and the SEU (SE User)?

Look at some of the top searches listed out there.

www.google.com
www.msn.com
www.yahoo.com

And if you run any type of site where a celebrity is part of your site you can be guaranteed that there are searches for www.personsnamehere.com, with all types of misspellings and character assassinations.

Some examples:

A common search for Britney Spears might look like this....

www.britneyspears.com
www.britney spears.com
britknee spears.com
britneys ears.com

Now, let's be real clear about this. People doing searches like this are NOT idiots, they are just a little ignorant on the way things work and ignorance is something we all have in common, we are just ignorant about different things.

Ignorant = lacking in knowledge or training

Did you learn how to read without training, how about writing?

So maybe we need to spend more time on SEE (SE Education) and work to turn the SEI and SEU into an SEP (SE Pro).

Legend:
SEI (SE Idiot)
SEU (SE User)
SEP (SE Pro)
SEE (SE Education)

Negative buzz, positive results?

There is an old saying "any publicity is good publicity, as long as they spell your name right", and as much as you may think the way things work on the Internet are a far cry from the old brick and mortar ways of doing business, some things may never change.

In the last couple of weeks, there have been two cases of what may be considered bad press, giving good results.

1. Google Drops the SOAP - The negative aspect of Google deprecating their SOAP API has certainly drawn a lot of attention to their AJAX Search API.
   
2. Wikisaria - First there were the reports that Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales was partnering with Amazon to create a search engine to do battle with Google. Then we learn that this was being reported wrong. Now, how much traffic has been generated for Wikisaria and the rest of the story?

These reports may not have been produced for this purpose, but, there is no doubt that the negative sides are certainly driving positive results in each case.

Note : Is this the final stop on the Wikisaria romp around the blogosphere?

Wikiasari

It's interesting to see all the blogging going on about the reported new search engine called Wikiasari that is a collaboration between Amazon and Jimmy Wales (founder of Wikipedia).

However, if you go to http://www.wikiasari.com there is a message posted today by Wales that clearly states the role of Amazon.

Reporters and bloggers note: Amazon has nothing to do with this project. They are a valued investor in Wikia, but people are really speculating beyond the facts. This has nothing to do with A9, Amazon, etc. Help me out, spread the word. I am looking for a community of people to continue the development of wikiasari and so on. Discuss here. Join the mailing list. ----Jimbo Wales 23:24, 23 December 2006 (UTC)
Source : http://www.wikiasari.com

Another key fact is that the domain name Wikiasari was registered in November of 2004, so this is not just something that has happened overnight.

Based on most reports it seems that Mr Wales believes we can have a better search engine if we rely on each other to make judgements on the value of pages instead of using algorithms generated by computers. This should be an interesting topic to monitor over the next few months as the first quarter of 2007 is being reported as a potential launch date.

Digital Camcorder for Video Blogging

With all the video blogging and podcasting going on it appears to be a good time to look into the Digital Camcorder options. At first glance it appears there are only 2 million choices.

If you are Podcasting or creating a Video Blog how about sharing some of your wisdom? Maybe a good post on your blog about how you create your program.

For now, here is the Top 25 Most Popular Digital Camcorders according to Amazon. Each link will load our search page and display information from Blogosphere, Internet, News and Videos sources.

Pure Digital PSV-352
Pure Digital PSV-351
Canon Elura 100
Sony DCR-DVD405
Sony DCR-DVD505
Sony HDR-UX1 AVCHD
Sony DCR-DVD105
Canon ZR500
Sony DCR-HC26
Sony DCR-SR40
Sony DCR-TRV280
Sony DCR-HC96
Sony DCR-DVD305
JVC GR-D350
Aiptek DV5900
Sony DCR-DVD205
Samsung SC-D363
Sony DCR-HC36
Sony HDR-SR1
Aiptek MPVR
Canon HV10
Samsung X210L
Sanyo Xacti HD1A
Panasonic VDR-D300
Aiptek DV3100

Share your Feed reading

A good friend has begun referring to me as CyberGoogle instead of CyberCoder claiming that all I talk about is Google stuff. Although I do not believe that is entirely true, I certainly must admit that Google has my attention with most of their tools.

Case in point is the Google Reader. I jumped right in with Google Reader when it first became available, and just as quickly shelved it and went back to Bloglines. After the last major upgrade I thought I would give it another try, and I have been using it since.

One of my favorite features is the Shared items feed that you can create allowing others to see what you are reading. I have posted my shared items in the sidebar with the javascript code supplied. It is very interesting to subscribe to others shared items and see what they are reading. This has also led me to subscribing to sites that I had never seen before.

If you use Google Reader, do everyone a favor and let them know it with a link to your shared item feed.

They are available as a page at https://www.google.com/reader/shared/00656704731855016255 (and there's a feed too)

Google Secret Sauce

Why so much Google?

It's easy..... they listen.

Recently Robert Scoble interviewed Mark Lucovsky and they touched on a lot of the reasons so many developers love Google.

The interview revolves around Mark's work with the Google AJAX Search API and how they have produced a solid working product in a short time.

The Google secret sauce:

• Develop for both beginning and advanced developers.
• Give the code to the developers without restrictions.
• Listen and respond.

And this is exactly how the AJAX Search API has progressed. In the interview Mark talks about how a self proclaimed "hick programmer from Mississippi" requested the video bar one day and Mark was able to take the idea and deliver a working product by early the next morning.

That type of relationship between a company the size of Google and an individual programmer goes a long way to building great products.

Links:

Robert Scoble interviews Mark Lucovsky

Google Ajax Search API

Update : Google Code - Updates: Beyond the SOAP Search API

Search the Solar System with Google & NASA

Google in space...boldly searching where no engine has before? Google's new partnership with NASA's Ames Research Center will share the enormous global information the space agency has with the average internet user.

We've already had an out-of-this-world experience with NASA's World Wind, which allows you to zoom in from satellite altitude into any place on Earth, leveraging high resolution LandSat imagery to experience visually rich 3D, just like you were really there.

I like Google's philosphy to share this immense data about our planet and solar system online with the average person, using simple web controls anyone can use. Visualize Google Earth expanding into the solar system!

Imagine a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons of Mars," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin at Headquarters in Washington. "This innovative combination of information technology and space science will make NASA's space exploration work accessible to everyone."

Official NASA Press Release @ www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2006/06_96AR.html

GooglePhone

Until now if we used the phrase GooglePhone it usually referred to using Google Talk over IP. But according to the blogosphere there appears to be a new Google Phone on the horizon.

It has been reported that Google is in talks with Orange about a mega deal to bring a Google branded phone to the market. This seems like a logical step for Google. With the transformation of cell phones from simple verbal communication devices to handheld mini computers, Google could give us the tools to bring the phone to life over the Internet.

If Google uses it's same philosophies for the phone that it has used on the Internet we may finally get an affordable means of searching and browsing from our little handheld friends.

Sources :

The future for Orange could soon be Google in your pocket | World | The Observer

mobile.newsthis.com · Googlephone Coming Soon?

Top Digital Cameras and Phones used on Flickr

This is probably the best endorsement for a digital camera or camera phone I have seen.

Instead of digging through the reviews just check out this list at Flickr. They have compiled the following from their extensive uploads.

Most Popular Cameras in the Flickr Community

• Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
• Nikon D50
• Canon EOS 20D
• Nikon D70
• Canon EOS Digital Rebel

Popular Point & Shoot Cameras

• Canon PowerShot SD400
• Canon PowerShot SD450
• Canon PowerShot S2 IS
• Canon PowerShot A520
• Canon PowerShot SD300

Popular Cameraphones

• Sony Ericsson K750i
• Nokia N73
• Nokia N70
• Sony Ericsson K800i
• Sony Ericsson W810i

Link :Flickr: Camera Finder

Microsoft Zunes In

The Zune Makes Waves @ YouTube...www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQg0JNaKeVM

Engadget did a full review of the Zune @ www.engadget.com/2006/11/15/zune-review/

DVR - Scientific Atlanta 8300HD

This has to be my favorite device right now. Based on the fact that next to my computer it is the device I count on the most to deliver daily information.

I use Time Warner cable and purchased a new HDTV for my wife and I as an early Christmas present. HDTV is the only technology device she has ever shown an interest in, (next to the Refrigerator with a TV in the door).

Ok, back to the DVR. As we have 2 teenagers and we work different schedules the DVR has been the best option to record our shows so we can actually sit down together and enjoy them. So far we have been pleased with the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD.

The next step is to expand the capacity with a SATA drive so we are not rushed to watch something just because we have recorded so much.

Wii Will Rock You

Wii Fi

Wii Search

Wii Drum Machine Video on YouTube

Wii Remote Synthesizer

Have A Sharper Image

The Sharper Image website has an impressive array of hi-tech gadgets and gizmos, any of which would make a great gift for him or her...

Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Headphones let you listen to your iPod, computer, TV or stereo up to 30 feet away

The Ultimate Human Touch Massage Chair offers 8 preprogrammed massage sessions to soothe and rejuvenate sore muscles

Ionic Breeze air purifiers let you breathe easier indoors

Sharp 32 inch Aquos Liquid Crystal HD TV presents LCD technology in clear, high-resolution widescreen images in true 16:9 aspect ratio

Bose SoundDock Digital Music System charges your iPod as you listen to clean, undistorted sound

Magellan Prestige RoadMate Portable GPS system features 4GB hard drive, detailed street-level maps of all 50 states and Canada, with built-in microphone, speaker, 3.5-inch color LCD screen and integrated Bluetooth connectivity.

Cingular Blackberry Pearl

Cingular just introduced the Blackberry Pearl, which combines a full-featured phone with a camera, media player, calendar and email. It's the smallest Blackberry yet and only weighs 3.1 ounces. But it packs alot of features into one little handset, and it's the first Blackberry with a camera.

Cingular also offers two cool services with this model. Their Push to Talk network service allows availability icons and quick group calling, so close contacts are just a push button away. The TeleNav GPS Navigator requires an optional Bluetooth GPS receiver, but the service allows 3D maps that turn, move and stop, just like in-car navigation systems. And it can be used either in the car or on foot.

Cingular

RIM Research In Motion

You Witness News

It appears that Reuters is catching on to the Blogosphere. First they started syndicating blogs through the BlogBurst service and now they are partnering with Yahoo to create a "citizen journalism" portal. All you need is a camera phone to become a paid journalist.

Yahoo! News - You Witness has launched and gives people the opportunity to upload photographs and videos to be considered for syndication through Reuters and the Yahoo News (You Witness News) service.

Reuters Link: Yahoo partners with Reuters on eyewitness pictures | Tech&Sci | Internet | Reuters.com

NY Times Link: Have Camera Phone? Yahoo and Reuters Want You to Work for Their News Service - New York Times

Hi-Tech Text

Over a million text messages are sent every day...and email number into the billions. All these awesome hi-tech tools developed from over twenty years of technology research and development are available at our fingertips.

And what is it being used for? So kids can send text messages, LOL, BRB, IMHO. They can text one handed from their cell phone faster than most people can type email with both hands on a full sized keyboard.

Funny...a text message gets a quicker response than a phone call these days.

Cingular's New Samsung BlackJack SmartPhone

Sprint Power Vision Phone by Sanyo

Google Talk: Get connected not just communicate

We love Google talk because we don't just talk, but we're communicating live. We may not actually talk for minutes, because we're both working on a draft, a post, or something else - the point is, it's more productive communication because we're at our computers and we're both using hands free headsets, so we can talk and type at the same time.

Sending links, text and graphics back and forth is a snap using the the Chat window. Anything in the chat window is also saved in each of our Gmail accounts so retrieving items at a later date is very easy.

CybersView from the Eye & the Ear of the Beholder

We love personal technology and it's influence on entertainment. All these "gee-whiz" gadgets that impact our high-or low-tech lives can really enhance our lives or just make things complicated. We want to know the real deal, cut through all the "geek-speek" nonsense, and translate the keywords into simple english that we can understand.
Thus, CybersView.com is our personal look at personal technology and entertainment, from a critical viewpoint, or CybersView from the Eye and the Ear of the Beholder.

Some Recent Stories:
Bose Headphones @ Sharper Image
Most Innovative Digital Cameras @ PC Magazine
Peter Gabriel Filter Playlists @ blog.wired.com

Nike+ iPod Sport Kit - Nano or NoNo?

Nike calls it Nike Plus. Some students are calling it scary. We're just calling attention to it, because it's new, it's cool, and it could affect our lives, both postive and negative. We believe in knowing all the facts, good and bad, so we can make the best choices in life.

The Nike+ iPod nano sport kit fits a sensor into your sports shoe and uses your iPod nano to track your jogging or workout movements. Pretty nifty new use of existing technology, but students have already raised big security concerns. There are ways to hack and track someone using the RFID technology, but of course, you can just turn off (deactivate) the sensor from the Nike iPod sport kit.

Tune Your Run @ www.apple.com/ipod/nike

View video @ www.nike.com/nikeplus

Read more at Wired.com/news/technology

Welcome

Welcome to CybersView.

The basic principle of this blog is to write about technical things that affect our daily lives. We love gadgets, but, we love gadgets we can afford even more!

We also love DVDs, Movies, Music, Television and a host of other common things that everyone can enjoy. From Celebrities to Politics, we hope to cover it all.

We hope you will tune in and subscribe to CybersView.