Why Your Computer Sucks
Today is not only the day after the Super Bowl, it’s also National Clean Out Your Computer Day – the day was created by the Institute for Business Technology as a way to remind PC users about all of the clutter on their systems.
Regardless of the day’s motive, it’s pretty clear that computer users are just as much packrats as they are in their homes. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average American adult has more than 1,800 digital files. Instead of cleaning up our systems, Americans are likely to just go out and buy a new system, rather than fix or maintain the one they have. Vendor iolo technologies, maker of the System Mechanic PC tune-up software, says the average computer’s lifespan is about 30 months. Read more
Review: Star Trek Online boldly goes somewhere familiar
Star Trek Online (by Cryptic Studios, about $50, plus $15 monthly subscription, with a $300 lifetime subscription also available) is the latest entrant in the MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) gaming world, joining fantasy-themed games such as World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online. Instead of a Tolkien-esque world populated by Orcs and goblins, players in Star Trek Online head to space to take on the Borg, Klingons and other species based on the popular science-fiction universe of television and films.
The game borrows from the MMO template – you create an avatar, give them a character class, you go on quests and build experience in order to get more items and to go on more difficult quests, all the while exploring the game world in different locations. In addition, you can interact with others who are also playing the game at the same time, and you can team up with them on individual quests, eventually forming a guild with like-minded players.
In the Trek world, this means you are creating a member of the Federation (with different species options like Bajoran or Vulcans in addition to humans) or a Klingon, character classes become members of the engineering (think Scotty), Science (think Spock) or Tactical (think Sulu or Chekov or any of the doomed red-shirted security officials). Quests become missions assigned by Starfleet Command (or, one assumes, the Klingon High Council), and your experience builds up to the point where you can be promoted in rank. Difficult quests that require a group become Fleet Actions.
If you’re thinking, “Hey, I want to be like Kirk or Picard!”, don’t worry – every player in the game is the captain of their own ship, in addition to being one of the other character classes. So, in effect, you can be a doctor (healer) and yet still captain a ship. Read more
Super Bowl Shuffle Reunion?
I'm not sure anyone really wanted to see this, but Boost Mobile has decided to hold a "Super Bowl Shuffle" reunion with some members of the 1985 Chicago Bears, which of course crushed the New England Patriots in the 1986 Super Bowl (which would make this the 24th anniversary, not 25th).
Anyway, the company is offering some video teasers for the event, which will occur at halftime during this year's "big game" on Feb. 7. The official site launches tomorrow.
How to solve Rubik’s Cube without peeling the stickers
Happy birthday to the Rubik’s Cube, which was launched in 1980 (invented in 1974, but licensed by Ideal in 1980) and began a craze of goofy kids like yours truly (I was 11 or 12 at the time) trying to impress people with their cube-solving skills.
For most people, "solving" the cube meant mixing up the cube and then peeling the stickers off and re-attaching them to claim a victory. Not so for me – I vowed I would learn how to solve it, and I did, eventually, with the help of a "solve the cube" guide from Ideal. The solution even worked on one of the knockoff cubes that came out, because my family couldn't afford to buy the original.
So, 30 years later, if you hand me a mixed up cube, I can solve it. I can’t solve it in 15 seconds like the people that eventually made it onto "That’s Incredible!" (or was it "Real People"? I forget), but I can solve it within 15 minutes.
The Rubik’s Cube people have also made solving easier – they recently launched a "You CAN Do The Rubik’s Cube" program that includes in-school lesson plans for math teachers on how the cube can be used to teach memorization, sequencing and problem solving skills for kids in grades 3 through 12.
In addition, they have a YouTube page, which offers seven videos that give you the steps needed to solve the cube. There’s also a Facebook page and regular Web site. If you don’t want to watch the videos, you can download a PDF with written instructions.
So, cube-a-philes, get out there and solve!
Bluetooth headset puts voices in your head
Aliph, makers of the Jawbone Bluetooth headset and NoiseAssassin noise cancellation technology, today launched the new ICON line of headsets. The new headsets allows users to customize the voice that the headset uses to inform owners of things like battery life, caller ID name and other information. The ICON headset line of six designs is now on sale for $99.99.
Through the use of Jawbone’s MyTalk platform (currently in beta), users can choose from six different voices, ranging from the Hero (manly man voice) to the Bombshell (sultry female voice), along with the Rogue, the Thinker, the Ace and the Catch (Click here to listen to the voices). Another MyTalk feature lets users customize an easy access button, linking directly to services such as free directory assistance, voice dialing or voice-to-SMS.
The headset includes NoiseAssassin version 2.5 with wind reduction, includes improved audio clarity and volume features, offers up to 4.5 hours of talk time (depending on the user’s phone), and more than 10 days of standby time.
CES! Where the "stars" shine!
The Consumer Electronics Show always brings out the geek attendees, but celebrities also make appearances, whether as spokesmen/women for a vendor, or just roaming the halls. Check out the IDGNS video covering the world of celebrity at the show.
Speech recognition that doesn't suck
I had a chance to sit down with Richard Mack from Nuance Communications at CES 2010, and he showed me their two iPhone apps, Dragon Search and Dragon Dictation, which lets you dictate and search Google and other Web sites with your voice. If you've ever been hesitant on the speech recognition technology based on earlier experiences, watch this video to see how far its come. After doing this video, I immediately downloaded the apps.
CES: Kensington iPhone accessories about power, power power
At CES 2010, Kensington showed off iPod and iPhone accessories for your car that support GPS navigation and provide power for the gadgets and your notebook. Even the addition of a USB port on my notebook charger makes me a bit more productive.
Podcast predictions for 2010
Possibly lost in the shuffle last week with all the Consumer Electronics Show coverage was our series of Prediction Podcasts. Here's a bunch of podcast interviews that we posted, all with experts predicting what we can expect this year:
Predictions: Smartphone Trends for 2010
Smartphones in the enterprise are here to stay. Discover five predictions on enterprise smartphones from Zenprise's Ahmed Datoo, who talks with Keith Shaw about increased device theft, unused devices wasting money, and the decline of corporate-liable smartphones. (16:47)
Predictions: Cybercrime in 2010
As part of our series of prediction podcasts for 2010, Mike Paquette from Top Layer Security joins us for his fourth annual look back at 2009 predictions and gives us his 2010 predictions in the realm of cybercrime, which include the end of the trusted Web site and botnets getting worse. (18:49)
Predictions: Security Nightmares in 2010
Continuing our series of prediction-related podcasts for 2010, Ken Pappas from True North Security talks with Keith Shaw about the nightmares for IT that could occur this year, specifically in the health care and financial sectors. (14:00)
Predictions: Network Priorities for 2010
Concluding our prediction podcasts for 2010, Keith Shaw talks with Andrew Rubin, CEO of Cymtec Systems, about the big trends in networking for 2010. Find out where IT should spend its bandwidth for the year. (18:53)
CES: Toshiba rundown of some new notebooks
Toshiba gives me a quick rundown of some of their new netbooks and notebooks, including my favorite - the latest Qosmio gaming notebook.
CES: Plastic Logic's QUE e-reader is all business
I first experienced Plastic Logic at the DEMO conference, and the result of that work was announced at CES, the QUE e-reader, which not only can read e-books and magazines (it will be sold through Barnes & Noble), but also offers business users additional document and presentation viewing, as well as annotation ability and BlackBerry synchronization of document attachments. The price may seem high for some, but I think business users will find some good value in the device.
CES: Samsung's 3D TVs, thin displays and e-readers all impress
At CES in Las Vegas Samsung unveiled a strong lineup of products, including a 3D home entertainment system, LED TVs with screens as thin as a pencil and e-readers.
CES: Fly a helicopter with your iPhone!
I've seen a bunch of remote-controlled helicopters and toys before, but this was the first one that combines two of my favorite technologies: Wi-Fi and the iPhone.
The "device" getting a lot of attention at CES this year was the AR Drone, from France-based Parrot. Users control the helicopter via an iPhone and Wi-Fi connection, and a camera lets you see what the copter sees.
CES: HP gets touchy with new mini netbooks
Get your fingers moving! HP's Mike Hockey talks about new HP mini notebooks running Windows 7 and with touch-screen enabled features. Check out the funky lunchbox-like handle near the end of the video as well.
CES: I touched a Nexus One! Eeeeek!
Part of the lure of CES is getting excited over devices that you've never seen before, or seeing something that's truly innovative.
Or, in the case of Google's Nexus One smart phone, something that is hyped to the level of Apple status, to the point where just being near one gets you giddy as a school girl.
Such was the case last night at the Pepcom Digital Experience event, where officials from Google and Nexus One were on hand to show upon the masses their "Superphone". Press droolers were five deep, waiting and elbowing their way to see if they could get close to the phone that can save us all from gadget boredom.
But alas, dear reader, I found a shortcut. My friend, Keith Nowak, who represents HTC, was also at the event, and he had a Nexus One to show, so we did this quick video, and I was able to at least touch the device for a few seconds. From my brief contact with the Google Nexus One, I noticed that the screen looked really nice and the interface looked fun. But I won't know more until the nice and generous people at Google (hello, Google? Help a reviewer out? Anyone? Anyone?) can send us a review unit.
CES: Microsoft puts focus on gaming
During Microsoft's CES keynote on Wednesday night, the biggest news didn't come from CEO Steve Ballmer, but from Robbie Bach, president of the company's entertainment and devices division.
CES: Cisco pushes "experience" of video
There's probably a good reason why I don't go to many vendor keynotes where a CEO or other executive gets up on stage, talks vision for a few minutes, introduces other executives, and then does a demo showing off some new technologies. There's no give-and-take, chances for questions or otherwise any way to challenge the vision that was just given to you.
That said, I attended Cisco's press event at CES on Wednesday, where CEO John Chambers spoke about Cisco's video vision (for example, Cisco says by 2013, 90% of all Internet traffic will be video), as well as some demonstrations of home telepresence scenarios. (see video)
CES: USB 3.0 is wicked fast
This morning, I got a chance to speak with Seagate about its new USB 3.0 gear - a starter kit that includes cable, an PCI Express adapter and new Black Armor hard drive. Not only can USB 3.0 provide a 3x performance boost over USB 2.0 (reality, not theoretical), the speeds are almost equal to that of an internal hard drive.
For users who find themselves frustrated at long data transfer times across USB (for transferring large amounts of music or video files), this is a welcome update. The video shows more:
CES: Klipsch merges LED light with wireless speaker
At CES audio company Klipsch showed off a device that combines a speaker and LED light.
CES: Mobile TV coming to US in 2010
Some of the first gadgets capable of tuning into free, local mobile TV services are getting their unveiling this week at CES.
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