Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Cellphones: Samsung WEP500 Quarter-Sized Bluetooth Headset Available Now
Samsung's just announced the availability of their tiny quarter-sized WEP500 Bluetooth headset for the US. It's definitely small—weighs less than 9 grams and is the size of about a quarter—but suffers in low battery life because of it. 3.5 hours talk time and 80 hours standby time isn't fantastic, but it does have 2 microphones and noise reduction, which still isn't standard in Bluetooth headsets for some reason. All this can be yours for $119, and an extra $119 when you lose the first one because it's so miniscule. [Samsung]
Posted by Augustine at 6:06 PM
Water: IBM to Monitor the Hudson River with Solar-Powered Underwater Vehicles
IBM is gathering some goodwill points by partnering up with a nonprofit to help monitor a 315-mile stretch of the Hudson River. They're going to be using a combination of sensor-laden buoys and solar-powered robotic underwater vehicles numbering in the hundreds. The vehicle, which sort of looks like a yellow sting ray covered in solar panels, will monitor things like the rivers temperature, pressure and pH levels. With this info they hope to be able to analyze the amount of pollutants in the river and better asses the risk to marine life. First things first, change the solar vehicles' color from yellow to murky brown. That way it will blend in with the Hudson a little better. [TreeHugger]
Posted by Augustine at 4:17 PM
AT&T Brings Back Cingular Orange to "Mobilize" Brand
Augustine: TRULY, TRULY unbelievable waste of money. Do they (or their agency) really think orange will help drive sales, get new customers, increase customer satisfaction? Why not simply bring call centers back from India, better train support staff, end anti-customer policies like "you lose all your roll-over minutes when you make any change to your plan, including adding a line" and let your customers tell others how super-great you are.
After spending an ungodly amount of money to kill Jack and mutate the Cingular brand into the "new AT&T," they've decided that Cingular's orange palette offered a "younger, edgier and more contemporary style—all attributes closely associated with wireless." But clearly not AT&T. So, they're rebranding. Again. Look for Death Stars set against the new "primary corporate color," orange, and a series of commercials directed by Wes Anderson coming your way as of—yesterday. Wow, I feel AT&T tickling my cutting edge sensibilities already. [AT&T via Broadband Reports]
Posted by Augustine at 3:19 PM
NYT: August Ads Drop -3.2%
The New York Times (NYT) ad business is still dwindling away, but the rate of decline actually moderated slightly in August. And thanks to a circulation price hike, overall revenue increased 0.6%.
Overall, the story remains the same. The Times' impressive web business is partially offsetting continued declines in the print business, but only partially (because it's only about 10% of the company). Revenue per web user is still far below revenue per print reader--so, over the long term, unless revenue per web reader increases significantly, the company is screwed. On the positive side, the New York Times itself is hanging in there, and the web business showed a nice acceleration. Our detailed monthly trending spreadsheet here. Release here. Details after jump.
NYT: August Key Points
- Revenue at the online newspaper properties rose 28%, a nice acceleration from July's 19%
- Offline ad revenue decline accelerated to -10% from -8% in July
- About.com rev increased slowed to 27%, but newspaper online revs accelerated significantly.
- National advertising rose again, up a strong 9%!
- So did circulation revenue! Up 4%!
- New England (read: Boston Globe) ad revenue dropped 9%, vs. 5% in July
- Regional ads dropped 12% (vs. 11% in July)
- Classified ads dropped a dismal 20%, a major deterioration
- TimesSelect paying subs who don't get the print paper crawled up to 226,800 from 225,000.
- Web uniques to all the company's properties hit a nice 44.2 million, up 11% from 39 million last year (a slower y/y gain).
- Revenue per web user appears to have increased modestly to about $0.60 a month ($8 a year).
Don't Miss: Running the Numbers: Why Newspapers are Screwed NYT Debt Outlook Cut to "Negative" By Moody's Death By Month: Tracking the Newspaper Industry's Decline Great Ad Share Shift: Google Sucks Life out of Old Media
Posted by Augustine at 3:06 PM
If You’re Not A Model, Don’t Bother Reading This
from TechCrunch by Michael Arrington
Heard of ModelsHotel? Its a hot new social network that you have absolutely no chance of joining. That's because the site, founded by Jesper Lannung, is for the models only - enabling "models to stay in touch through a gated community."
To get in you have to be a professional model and invited by the site or by other members. Once you're in, you can do standard social networking stuff - post pictures, videos and profile information, and find romantic matches so you can have beautiful little photogenic spawn together.
They're a year old but have been off our radar until this evening when the Wall Street Journal did a profile on them. A choice quote:
Models spend a lot of time in isolation, traveling from casting to casting, often in cities where they don't know anyone else. But like Shannon Rusbuldt, a 22-year-old model with Elite Models, many fear exposing themselves to unwelcome solicitations from wannabe photographers, agents and suitors. Mr. Lannung, who is represented by Ms. Rusbuldt's former agency, persuaded her to join by assuring her that his site is similar to other social networks, "but without the creepy people."
Poor models. It's good that they have a place to hide from the creepy people (i.e., the rest of the population).
The site may actually be a bit too selective though. 2,000 people have tried to join over the last year, says Lannung, but he's rejected half of them. That makes for a pretty thinly populated social network. MySpace, by comparison, adds well over 100,000 members daily. Still, high end advertisers are said to be targeting the site to get access to those 1,000 trendsetters. The company is now trying to raise $1.5 million in venture capital, which I honestly hope they raise so that I can continue to make fun of them (and their VCs) before eventually depositing them in the Deadpool.
If you're hot but not quite model material, check out Darwin Dating, another obnoxious site that is focused on matching up beautiful people on dates. Their tagline? Online Dating Minus Ugly People.
Posted by Augustine at 10:24 AM
Microsoft Patents "Stealthy Audio Watermarking"
Microsoft has been granted a patent for "stealthy audio watermarking," which is just a slick way of saying inaudible digital watermarks directly embedded in the audio of a file, allowing the owner to be traced. Apparently, in their version of the tech, the watermark's scattered throughout the file so it's more difficult to pull out or tweak and it's able to be compressed while remaining intact. You'd think they'd worry about actually selling music before trying to tie it down, though.
Posted by Augustine at 9:58 AM
Labels: audio watermarking
Magicians innovate without IP law
Intellectual property scholars have begun to explore the curious dynamics of IP's negative spaces, areas in which IP law offers scant protection for innovators, but where innovation nevertheless seems to thrive. Such negative spaces pose a puzzle for the traditional theory of IP, which holds that IP law is necessary to create incentives for innovation. This paper presents a study of one such negative space which has so far garnered some curiosity but little sustained attention - the world of performing magicians. This paper argues that idiosyncratic dynamics among magicians make traditional copyright, patent, and trade secret law ill-suited to protecting magicians' most valuable intellectual property. Yet, the paper further argues that the magic community has developed its own set of unique IP norms which effectively operate in law's absence. The paper details the structure of these informal norms that protect the creation, dissemination, and performance of magic tricks. The paper also discusses broader implications for IP theory, suggesting that a norm-based approach may offer a promising explanation for the puzzling persistence of some of IP's negative spaces.Link (via TechDirt, thanks Sean Ness!)
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Lego Towers: Architect makes Scale Model of Housing Proposal in Lego
This is a 1:50 scale model of Lego Towers, a proposed housing development for Copenhagen &mdash made of Lego. Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group, this time-lapse video was shot over five weeks. Photos, plus how many bricks were needed to make the model, are after the jump.
Two hundred and fifty thousand. [Bjarke Ingels Group via Dezeen]
Posted by Augustine at 11:29 PM
Labels: lego scale model
Digital Cameras: Unlock RAW Mode on Point and Shoot Canons
Some low-end Canon cameras actually share more than just the name and some internals with their high-end Canon DSLR brothers. They share DIGIC II image processing chips, which can support RAW format and some various other advanced features, and can be unlocked by getting a CHDK firmware onto the camera. The suite shouldn't destroy you phone like replacing a phone's firmware, but it's not going to enhance your pictures to DSLR levels either—most of that comes from the lens. [Linux via Wired via BBG]
Posted by Augustine at 11:28 PM
Toshiba: Toshiba's TDP-EX20U projector, which only
Toshiba's TDP-EX20U projector, which only needs to be three feet away from a wall or screen to project a 60-inch image. just got WiFi. [Gadgetress]
Posted by Augustine at 11:27 PM
Lamp: Troja Arc Lamp
how do you market LED lighting? not be sticking them inside the bodies of incandescent light bulbs -- per Seth's "purple cow."
The Troja Arc Lamp is so gorgeous it's practically edible. The huge, arcing lamp is designed by Germany's hansandfranz studio and uses hundreds of individual LEDs in an adjustable aluminum frame to create a soft, unobtrusive glow. There is no information yet as to whether the Troja Arc will be available any time soon (or at all), the only thing that's known is that it's a must-have if you're a brooding, warehouse-living artist with obscene amounts of space and a flare for the dramatic. [HansandFranz via TechnaBob]
Posted by Augustine at 11:21 PM
Labels: led lighting
NTP shows fall 2007 lawsuit fashions, sues AT&T, Sprint, Verizon
Posted by Augustine at 11:17 PM
Labels: ntp, patent lawsuit
it was impossible to NOT share this one
"Do not use if you are a woman."
"Sleepwalking, and eating or driving while not fully awake, with amnesia for the event, have been reported."
"[In a small number of people] your skin and the whites of your eyes turn yellow."
"This product is harmful to humans if swallowed. Avoid contact with skin."
"Some patients tried to end their own lives. And some people have ended their own lives." (Hint: While Paxil also has been linked to an increase in suicidal thoughts in some children/teens, that's not what we're looking for here.)
"The most common side effects following injection include temporary eyelid droop and nausea."
"Serious risks include decreased sweating."
"Babies born to mothers who have taken [this drug] in the latter half of pregnancy have reported complications, including difficulties with breathing, turning blue, floppiness, stiffness, irritability or constant crying."
"Vision changes, such as seeing a blue tinge to objects or having difficulty telling the difference between the colors blue and green." Also, "An erection that won't go away."
"Gas with oily spotting, loose stools, and more frequent stools that may be hard to control."
Posted by Augustine at 10:45 PM
Master Chao: Chinese virtuouso flat-pattern designer
It turns out there are still things where Craft, and I use it with a capital "C" here, matters-it's where CAD tools haven't brought about the ability to simulate out our mistakes before we build them. The creation of a flat pattern for textile goods is a good example of a process that requires a Craftsman. A flat pattern is the set of 2-D shapes used to guide the cutting of fabrics. These 2-D shapes are cut, folded and sewn into a complex 3-D shape. Mapping the projection of an arbitrary 3-D shape onto a 2-D surface with minimal waste area between the pieces is hard enough; the fact that the material stretches and distorts, sometimes in an anisotropic fashion, and the fact that sewing requires ample tolerances for good yields makes it a difficult problem to automate. On the chumby, we add another level of complexity, because we sew a piece of leather onto a soft plastic frame. As you sew the leather on, the frame will distort slightly and stretch the leather out, creating a sewing bias dependent upon the direction and rate of sewing. This force is captured in the seams and contributes to the final shape of the device. I challenge someone to make a computer simulation tool that can accurately capture those forces and predict how a device will look at the end of the day.LinkYet, somehow, Master Chao's proficiency in the art of pattern making enables him to very quickly, and in very few iterations, create and tweak a pattern that compensates for all of this. It's astounding how clever and how insightful the results can be. And really, the point of this particular post is to introduce you to a person whose old-world skills -- absent computers, all done with cardboard, scissors and pencils -- has likely played a role in the production of something that you have used or benefited from in the course of your life.
Posted by Augustine at 10:22 PM