Category: Tech

According to a survey conducted by BlackFriday.com, Apple’s iPad and Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360 will be the hottest items for this year’s Black Friday event. 91 percent of survey respondents believe Black Friday 2010 will be at least as big as 2009, and nearly 60 percent believe it will be bigger. While the iPad and Xbox Kinect top the list, the iPhone 4, HTC Android phones, Amazon’s low-priced Kindle, and Sony and Samsung 3D TVs will also be sought-after items. You can get these items from this website.

From a categorical perspective, deals in electronics remain the most popular category for Black Friday shoppers in 2010. Black Friday staples like laptops, televisions, camcorders, movies, music players, and video game consoles remain popular, but newer electronic products are expected to join the mix this Black Friday shopping season. In particular, e-book readers, smart phones and new video game motion-sensing technology may capture much of the attention.

Due to record-low prices, big retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon can expect the usual suspects as their bread and butter: gaming consoles, digital cameras, digital camcorders, netbooks, flat-screen monitors, and Blu-rays. Because Apple doesn’t do discounts, “smart marketers” may use Apple products like the iPad or new iPods as contest prizes to drive traffic.

Even with the mixed reviews it’s been receiving, it looks like the Xbox Kinect is going to have a good year. Check out BlackFriday.com for the full list of products consumers are buzzing about.

It wasn’t too long ago that we saw Jay-Z, Mikhail Prokhorov, and a huge Gowalla logo plastered on the side of a building overlooking Madison Square Garden. Nevermind that New York is home to location-based service Foursquare. Now, Jay-Z is partnering up with Bing to give fans a taste of the rapper’s upcoming book Decoded.

The campaign is being run as a global scavenger hunt. Pages from Decoded will be scattered around the world (mostly in New York) for people to find. Each location will be related to specific content featured in Bing Maps and Bing Entertainment. Each day, 5 to 10 new pages will be revealed. If you want to join the hunt you can go to Bing.com/Jay-Z.

“Pages will be placed in locations related to the content, so that’s everything from high profile advertising like billboards to very very unique placements such as swimming pools and pool tables, and even high-fashion designer clothing racks.” Bing spokeswoman and communications director Lisa Gurry

The website is a huge flash-based Bing-powered world-map where you can answer clues to get closer to the location of a page. For example, the first clue I got was “Jay came from flat broke, now he lets the dough stack. Head to the hood where they don’t raise rats.” Of course, I gave the answer “Marcy Projects,” which I absolutely didn’t need to go look up on Bing. This narrowed my search and gave me another clue:

Pretty engaging off the bat and I’ll probably dig deeper as soon as I figure out where “the Ave where girls sought dudes to trust” is. This is only half of the fun, though. There is also the part where you leave your house in search of these physical pages of the book that are scattered around your city.

The main question that popped up in my mind as I read about this McgeheeSchool.com campaign was: Why isn’t a location-based service involved? Sure, you could sit at home and dig up pages online but, for those who actually leave the house, there are physical pages of Decoded on the loose.

Whenever you find a page, you can text a special game code from the page in order to get credit. This enters you into a drawing to win a signed copy of the page you found. You also get entered to win two tickets to see Jay-Z and Coldplay in concert in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve. You would think a service like Foursquare or Gowalla would have fit right in.

via Mashable

Microsoft Leverages White Space For Huge WiFi Hotspot

Converting all television signals to digital has brought about some interesting opportunities. Because digital signals require less space, there are now gaps in the spectrum of available radio waves. This has opened the door for companies like Microsoft, Google, Motorola, Sprint Nextel, and Dell to push for access to these “white spaces.”

“White spaces technology could free new unlicensed radio frequencies for consumers in every community and generate investment in innovation, much as we observed with Wi-Fi,” wrote Dan Reed, VP of technology strategy and policy at Microsoft, in a company blog. Deploying new communication technologies, he said, would “create opportunities to more efficiently manage congestion and offload capacity onto other spectrum bands to deliver higher quality, more robust services for government, business, and consumer use.” — InformationWeek

Microsoft’s white space system provides “White-Fi” network access to most of the 500-acre campus using two transmitters. To duplicate this coverage area using standard Wi-Fi, you would need thousands of routers.

HTC Sense Evolves. Threatens Google.

HTC has announced the latest version of their Sense UI and stress that it is not simply a skin for Android, but a “holistic experience filled with moments of delight.” Many Android users may disagree there, but HTC is still planning to take things to the next level. They’ve created HTCSense.com (which doesn’t yet work) as a MobileMe-like companion to the Sense UI. It will allow you to backup your SMS and email, locate your phone, do a remote wipe, and many other interesting features.

HTC Sense is replacing core functionality of the Android OS, which may be a problem for Google in the long run. They stress that it’s not a Google phone, but an HTC phone. At this point, the two are still playing nice, but it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Especially given how Google handled Skyhook.

via SlashGear, ArsTechnica

Sketchy Groupon Deal Highlights Flaws

The very features that have propelled Groupon to success could also be its downfall. The site allows you to get awesome deals based on the volume of users that buy it. A recent Atlanta photography deal from Dana Dawes stated “$65 for a one-hour photo shoot, a DVD of the images, an 8×10 print, and 20% off additional prints.” One Groupon user said that it ” cannot be physically fulfilled by a true professional photographer” and that “it is physically impossible for a pro photog full time to do 1,000 sessions in a year and that’s why people is choosing to use photo boots for their events now a days or at least that’s what people are saying.”

The problem is that, while these deals help drum up business for mom and pop shops, they can easily get overwhelmed. In this instance, Groupon had to issue refunds. Not only do customers end up dissatisfied, but some businesses end up taking a loss because they over-extend themselves. While Groupon does allow advertisers to place limits on the number of responses to a deal, it seems this feature is not being used effectively.

via TechCrunch

At an exclusive event yesterday, Twitter revealed a complete redesign for Twitter.com. The new design takes things in a different direction and gives many third-party clients a run for their money. We also heard a few stats that bear repeating.

In the beginning, it was important to emphasize the content creation aspect of Twitter. Now, with the ridiculous number of users that have joined the service and the thriving ecosystem that has grown up around Twitter, content creation is no longer the focus. Meaning users no longer need to tweet to gain value from Twitter. They are seeing 90 million tweets per day, 25% of those tweets contain links and 90% of that content is public.

To leverage this treasure trove of content, the interface has been redesigned to focus on content consumption. Each tweet may be only 140 characters, but the included links add another level of depth. Location and context also add deeper meaning to a simple tweet.

The most important new feature here is the ability to click on an individual tweet and dig into the information it holds. A separate pane opens up showing just about any detail imaginable. Partnerships with DailyBooth, DeviantART, Etsy, Flickr, Justin.TV, Kickstarter, Kiva, Photozou, Plixi, Twitgoo, TwitPic, TwitVid, USTREAM, Vimeo, yfrog, and YouTube allow Twitter to show media inline right on the site. Of course, there is still data about the tweet that Twitter already holds and that will be shown as well. Clicking a tweet will also bring up things like the conversation that led up to the tweet, who has retweeted it, people mentioned in the tweet, and location of the tweet on a map.

While Twitter.com still remains the most popular destination for people to interact with Twitter, there is no reason they couldn’t push that percentage higher. This new site redesign looks like a step in that direction. If Twitter.com keeps innovating, there will really be no need for most third-party clients.

They have added embedded media, infinite scrolling, and other details. The new design is fast and responsive. They have even added keyboard shortcuts to make navigating your timeline a snap. If that’s not a trick to get us geek interested, I don’t know what is.

The new design will be rolling out over the next few weeks. The screen shots are compelling, but it remains to be seen if this will be enough for people to ditch their web and desktop Twitter clients. I also wonder if they will be adding any additional functionality to their mobile site.

via Twitter, FastCompany

Google pulled an Oprah today at Google Zeitgeist, giving away 600 geeky gift packages to lucky attendees. The packages included 6 months of DISH Network service, a Sony BRAVIA HDTV with Google TV, and complimentary Best Buy Geek Squad installation. A pretty sweet package, but one has to wonder if most of these attendees need the Geek Squad’s help.

Zeitgeist is an attempt to bring together the “leading thinkers of our time” from all walks of life and all professions. The goal is to “explore the ideas and phenomena that affect our social, economic, political and cultural surroundings.” What better way to get the public at large excited about Google TV than to give the product away to a bunch of smart and influential people.

Assuming Google TV delivers, they should get a lot of good press and word of mouth coverage. According to Google, their much-anticipated free TV service goes live this fall. It completely undercuts Apple’s recent $99 Apple TV launch and it’s pretty hard to go lower than free.

While we haven’t seen an official launch date for Google TV, it looks like Best Buy may once again have spilled the beans via a leaked document. According to Engadget, an internal Best Buy document puts the Google TV launch date at October 17th, having been pushed back from October 3rd.

This places the launch right at the beginning of the new TV season premiers and just after Apple’s TV launch. Probably not a coincidence. We will also be going into the holiday season as Thanksgiving approaches, so it seems logical to make Google TV available in October.

It’s not confirmed, but it seems very likely this date is correct. Google giving away Google TV service to 600 people “from business leaders to statespeople, renowned writers and bloggers, professors and publishers, inventors and humanitarians, activists, and musicians” only seems to support an upcoming launch date.

With so many tech savvy people checking out Google TV, we should see some interesting insights into the service in the coming weeks.

In a recent email to developers, it looks like Verizon is intent on becoming frenemies with Google. Having just launched the Samsung Fascinate with Bing as the default search engine with plans to make Bing the default on all devices, they have now decided to launch their own app store. They already had a V CAST Apps tab in the Android Market app, but this new store will be a complete replacement.

Verizon Wireless has opened Android submissions for V CAST Apps! We are preparing to launch V CAST Apps across our industry-leading lineup of Android handsets, and we want to give you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

Many of the hottest Android phones out there come from Verizon. You would think that Google and Verizon would be partners, but it looks like Verizon is looking to take Android and step out on their own. This is one of the scariest issues with Android being an open platform.

First, you have carriers putting skins on top of Android like HTC Sense and MotoBlur. These delay upgrades to the underlying operating system and fragment the user experience. Then, the carriers start bundling their own useless bloatware with their phones. You can’t even uninstall these apps. Now, we see Verizon taking an open system and turning it into their very own Apple-like app store.

Verizon even takes shots directly at Google in their message to developers:

• Get the visibility you deserve, not just a quality-crushing algorithm!
• As you know, merchandising your Android app through other channels can be a challenge – Your applications are billed directly to the Customer’s Bill; No credit cards, PayPal, etc.

It’s well known that the process for buying apps is a little convoluted. It’s also known that finding apps in the Android Marketplace can be a challenge. It remains to be seen what this move really means. Is Verizon really going to create their own separate ecosystem for their customers or are they simply the testing grounds for a more advanced and useful Android Marketplace? Have Verizon and Google drifted apart, or is this part of a greater plan to advance Android?

via Android and Me, Silicon Alley Insider, TechCrunch, The Next Web

Wal-Mart definitely has clout when it comes to getting deals with the wireless carriers. Since last year, they’ve been the exclusive seller of the Verizon-based Straight Talk service. They’re also trying out a similar service called Common Cents from Sprint. Now, they will be teaming up with T-Mobile USA to bring Wal-Mart Family Mobile.

Straight Talk and Common Cents are both prepaid plans. According to Greg Hall, vice president of merchandising at Wal-Mart U.S., “there’s a perception among customers that prepaid service doesn’t offer access to the best phones or the best network quality.” I would definitely agree with him here. Family Mobile will combat this perception by being introduced as a postpaid plan.

The only similarity between Wal-Mart’s plans and a traditional postpaid plan is the fact that you pay the bill at the end of the month. There will be no credit checks, early termination fees, or contracts. Unlimited calling and texting will start at $45 per month for the first line and $25 for each additional line for the family.

“What we saw was an opening in the marketplace for really bringing family savings and a family plan and T-Mobile was a great partner there.” — Greg Hall

Interesting to note about Wal-Mart Family Mobile is that it undercuts T-Mobile’s own prices. Leave it to Wal-Mart to make one of the cheapest carriers even less expensive. T-Mobile still feels they are benefiting from the deal, though. Chief operating officer Jim Alling says that Wal-Mart putting their brand name on the service is a “”tremendous endorsement.” Even as it undercuts T-Mobile’s postpaid prices, the new service still gives T-Mobile an extra revenue stream based on customers it probably couldn’t reach before.

Starting today, you can choose between five phones on the service. The Motorola Cliq XT will run $249, giving customers an option for a full-fledged smartphone. This is something severely lacking with most prepaid services. You can also grab a Nokia for $35.

There is still a prepaid piece to the service. The Family Mobile plan includes a small amount of data, so you can use a prepaid pool to pay for addition data usage for your family. For example, $40 will get you 1GB of data to share between all lines. While this is almost double what some contract customers pay, you get to carry your balance over from month to month.

via Engadget, AP

Today, at 8am PST (11am EST), YouTube will begin testing their very own live streaming video platform. The test will be conducted today and tomorrow on a limited trial basis in conjunction with four of YouTube’s partners: Howcast, Next New Networks, Rocketboom and Young Hollywood. This move could put YouTube in direct competition with Ustream, Justin.tv, Vokle, Livestream, and others.

YouTube has already done live video in the past: “From U2 to the Indian Premier League to the White House to E3, we’ve worked closely with our partners to give you a front row seat to a wide array of live events.” What makes this move different is direct integration into YouTube channels and working directly with a broader range of partners.

Should the current champions of streaming video be worried? That remains to be seen. YouTube seems to be taking things slow and steady at this point. While I’m sure they have the infrastructure to support live streaming video for a large number of users, it will still take time to roll something like that out. It’s also unclear if that’s even the goal. Ultimately, Google+YouTube is looking to make a profit. While I doubt they could see much return on the average person doing a live show, they might be able to squeeze a few dollars out of someone in their partner program. These partners are usually more polished and already have a following.

The testing phase includes a “Live Comments” module, which will allow broadcaster and the broader YouTube community to communicate in realtime. This initial test will run today and tomorrow and, based on their results, they will “evaluate rolling out the platform more broadly to our partners worldwide.” There goes that word “partners” again. Even if this thing goes live on a larger scale, it looks like it will still be on a limited basis. It’s not impossible to become a partner, but there are some basic criteria you must meet:

Applications are reviewed for a variety of criteria, including but not limited to the size of your audience, country of residence, quality of content, and consistency with our Community Guidelines and Terms of Use.

You can only watch the live streaming trial on YouTube’s website, no embedding available yet. Check the schedule below for programming details.

via YouTube Blog, TechCrunch

WaterAid America & megree are working together to bring awareness to the impact of lack of clean water has globally.
4000 children die each day due to illnesses from lack of clean drinking water.

National Geographic published a special edition in April 2010 on water.

Tina Rosenberg a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and Lynn Johnson an award winning photo journalist wrote the article “The Burden of Thirst.”

megree has partnered with bloggersunite to help put an end to these unnecessary losses to human life.

To help raise money and build 5 clean water wells, Megree is featuring the photos from National Geographic’s “Burden of Thirst article” for sale to raise funds for WaterAid’s work.

These photos are available exclusively online with megree until October. On September 23rd, photo journalist Lynn Johnson will host a special evening at the Soho Gallery in New York City to raise funds and awareness for WaterAid. Preview the photos exclusively on megree and join this cause by visiting www.megree.com/e/3

If you are unable to attend and would like to help, please make a small donation now and add the widget and a post, if you can to your blog.

Amazon Buys Amie Street

Four years ago, Amazon helped fund Amie Street, an online music store. Now, they are shutting the service down. Amie Street didn’t really take off as they’d hope, with a variable pricing model that didn’t catch on and only partial support from the major labels. It ended up being a place for indie artists rather than mainstream stars. As Amazon folds Amie Street’s customers into their existing base, the Aime Street team will focus on their online streaming radio service Songza. via AllThingsD

Google Voice Widgets for Android

Google just released two new home screen widgets that will make your interactions with Google Voice much easier. Not only are they useful, but they are compact and kinda pretty. The first is the Google Voice Inbox widget. It shows you most recent voicemails and text messages. You can flip back and forth through the items and tap to open the application.

The second is the Settings widget. It gives you quick access to:

• Launch Google Voice
• Compose a Text
• Change your dialing preferences – your phone can use Google Voice in four different ways
• Turn on Do Not Disturb – send all calls to voicemail

via Google Voice Blog

Google’s Bucky Balls Doodle Costs Visitors Money

This past weekend, Google celebrated the 25th anniversary of the discovery of the buckminsterfullerene with a special doodle. An interactive and rotating bucky ball graced the search home page. According to ZDNet, some Google users were up in arms about the new doodle. Why? because it was using up all their CPU, causing their laptops to overheat, and driving up their electric bills. Who wasn’t complaining? The maker of the Bucky Ball desktop toy, who raked in $250k in sales because of the doodle.

Just a few days later, Google not only put up a seemingly more complicated “balls” doodle, but also launched Google Instant search. Those poor computers have probably all burst into flames by now. Of course, we know the real point of these latest doodles is to highlight how far the Web has come.

The Craigslist Adult Section Saga

After huge amounts of pressure, Craigslist shut down their Adult section. First, in clear protest, they simply replaced the link with a big CENSORED logo. Now, it’s as if that entire section never existed. Not only does this raise questions about free speech, but some say the removal of the Adult section is a loss for victims. Danah Boyd writes that Craigslist serves as a “public perch from which law enforcement can watch without being seen.” By removing the Adult section, we lose a valuable resource in helping those being victimized.

Windows Phone Coming Oct 11th

According to Pocket-lint, “multiple sources” have confirmed that Microsoft will launch its new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, on 11 October 2010. Microsoft will use New York as it’s stage and broadcast the launch around the world. This news comes from “senior figures within the industry,” known and trusted by Pocket-lint. Not feeling Android? iPhone just not what you’re looking for? Looks like your prayers may be answered on 10/11. Keep an eye out.

Seesmic Desktop has always been in the running for top Twitter client, but their latest release goes well beyond a simple interface for Twitter. After about a year of development, they have released something that is powerful, extensible, and nice to look at. Seesmic Founder Loic Le Meur describes the new Seesmic Desktop as the first “platform for platforms.”

When Seesmic acquired Ping.fm, I had hoped it would be for the better. While Ping.fm lets you broadcast your message across the entire social web, Seesmic Desktop 2 now makes it easy to listen as well. You can aggregate all of your social media activities in one place with the ability to respond and interact with what you see. This has been attempted in the past, but never executed very well.

Seesmic Desktop 2’s power lies in their app store. Developers can download an SDK and develop plugins for SD2 which may appear in its online marketplace. Besides standard services like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Buzz, users can now access Google Reader, YouTube, Techmeme, Formspring, and more right inside the SD2 interface.

Not only can plugins give you access to new feeds of data, but they are also capable of changing the existing interface. For example, the Klout plugin adds tiny icons within your feed that lets you check anyone’s Klout score without skipping a beat. Picture Previewer lets you preview images online with an option to click through and see the full image.

Using Twitter’s Stream API, SD2 pulls in your tweets in realtime. No more refreshing, delays, or floods of tweets. Desktop notifications make sure you don’t miss anything. There are now 40+ plugins in the marketplace for you to play with. Everything is free at this point, but Le Meur says developers will have the option to charge some time next year.

If you’re primarily on the move and use your mobile most of the time, don’t fret. Le Meur says many of these features will soon be available on Android, iPhone, and Windows 7. Of course, because the user interface is Silverlight, Windows 7 will come first.

Take Seesmic Desktop 2 for a spin and tell us what you think. What plugins or features are missing? What makes it most useful to you?

via TechCrunch, ReadWriteWeb