Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, November 30, 2007

Comcast Getting 100Mbps Cable Modems Next Year, Fiber Scared?

from Gizmodo by Matt Buchanan

Comcast confirms we'll see the rollout of DOCSIS 3.0—the next-gen data over cable standard allowing bandwidth of 160Mbps down and 120Mbps up— starting next year, with 20 percent of its footprint expected to be blanketed in bandwidth goodness by the end of 2008. Even though Comcast isn't saying where it'll fall, markets where there's FiOS are probably going to continue having all of the fat pipe fortune—competition is good for people in those areas, bad for the rest of us. Now for the real bad news:

The upstream magic—where cable is so sorely gimped right now—is going to remain hobbly, at least at first. And it's not 'cause Comcast is incompetent (for a change). As "a reflection of the status of upstream channel bonding technology" we won't see upstream on steroids until deep into 2008 or even 2009. Consequently, while downstream's getting a Rosie O' Donnell plumping with initial offerings in the 20-50Mbps range—what Verizon's offering now—upstream speeds still aren't going to stack up, dulling the competitive edge DOCSIS 3.0 was supposed to bring against fiber.

That means The Flash is going to stay ahead of Quicksilver for the foreseeable future, since by 2009 Verizon's GPON-based FiOS will probably cover the majority of its footprint, allowing them to flip a switch to out-juice whatever cable's got by then. [Broadband Reports]

Google Takes a Lesson From Digg?

from Gizmodo by Mark Wilson

Taking a lesson from Digg and similar sites, Google Labs is testing out a new reader response interface for search results (with only a select few users for a limited time). Essentially, your normal search results are enhanced with "like it" and "don't like it" buttons that would tweak the order of said results on your list. And you can also add URL results that you would have liked to receive given your search premise. Google explains:

When you search for the same keywords again, you'll continue to see those changes. If you later want to revert your changes, you can undo any modifications you've made.

But your poor tastes/opinions won't screw everyone.

The system only works within browser...for now...meaning that your opinions will not affect other users. Of course, if such a system were deployed in a widespread fashion, we're guessing Google would aggregate data trends to alter search results over time for better relevance.

And would such a system be better? What do we trust more, man or machine? Or sweatshops full of children adding "Nike.com" to every query result? [google via theregister]

Zonbu's prepping subscription laptops for 2008

from Engadget by Paul Miller

The Zonbu Mini is about to get a portable friend. Zonbu has just revealed its Everex-built Zonbu Notebook, which will be hitting the market in Q1 2008. The $279 upfront pricetag is quite a bit heftier than the $99 Mini, but the subscription fee remains the same at $14.95. Specs are quite the improvement on the Mini, with a 1.5GHz VIA C7-M processor, 60GB HDD, DVD-RW / CD-RW drive, VIA Chrome9 HC integrated graphics, WiFi and a 15.4-inch 1440 x 900 display. Zonbu claims up to three hours of battery, and of course all those "hassle-free" promises and managed Linux software of the original. In a world of $399 Eee PCs and cheaper Black Friday bargains, a $279 laptop with a hefty subscription fee might not seem like such a steal, but it's not hard to see the appeal for a first-time PC buyer, and it certainly bests the Mini. The best news is that if you're willing to put up with some beta software, Zonbu is selling the Notebook as of today for those risk-taking luddites out there.

College course via mobile phone being offered in Japan

from Engadget by Joshua Topolsky

Finally, your greatest and weirdest dream can be realized. Besides being able to check your Facebook account, email your girlfriend, call your Mom on the holidays, or play a Java version of Golden Axe, you can take a college class via your mobile phone. The questionably named Cyber University in Japan has begun offering a mobile class on the "mysteries of the pyramids," but instead of a typical PC's display of text, images, sound, and video, the mobile version offers a streaming Power Point presentation on the topic. The university -- 71-percent of which is owned by Softbank, a mobile service provider -- has 1,850 students, and offers almost 100 courses, though only one is available for phones. Sakuji Yoshimura, head of Cyber University, says that the technology will allow those with jobs or who have disabilities greater access to education. "Our duty as educators is to respond to the needs of people who want to learn," he said -- then went on to add, "Even if the course is interrupted by an SMS."

Update: Did we say Golden Axe? Because we meant Wonder Boy . Whoops.

Blockbuster in talks with mobile makers for video on the go

from Engadget by Sean Cooper

Apparently Blockbuster Video is wooing mobile device makers in an attempt to make mobile video content consumption a little easier on the consumers. While no names were specifically mentioned, Blockbuster CEO James Keyes did say that they were in talks with virtually all major handset manufacturers. We've no clue how the vids will be delivered if this gets off the ground, but wouldn't be too averse to downloading flicks on the device if the file size -- and data tariffs -- could be kept sane. Mr Keyes went on to say that he's started watching films on his BlackBerry thanks to a little technical help from a Blockbuster employee and from Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research in Motion. Of course, we're sure the technical help mentioned didn't have anything to do with DVD Decrypter and the illegal copying of DVDs, right guys?

California school district getting 1,000 Asus Eee PCs

from Engadget by Joshua Topolsky

Students in California's Fresno Unified school district have a little something to be excited about this week, as officials have just invested $650,000 in 1,000 Asus Eee PCs, set for classroom deployment over the next few weeks. The concept is to use the miniscule laptops alongside good, old-fashioned textbooks, with each student being given the chance to create a "digital portfolio" of essays, drawings, and whatever else they can get away with. The computers will remain in roughly 60 classrooms, and will be shared by students -- but some worry they'll hinder the learning process by distracting pupils. Says Stephen Lewis, a geology professor at California State University, Fresno, "Teaching and learning is a person-to-person business. Are we moving toward a remote-control classroom?" We're not sure what he means by that... then again, we drifted off half-way through his statement to watch a video of that dog on a skateboard.

Google unveils GPS-less handset locator technology

from Engadget by Darren Murph

If your smartphone came with a built-in GPS receiver, you can choose to just overlook Google's latest technology, but if your mobile is among the 85-percent (or so) out there lacking an integrated GPS module, listen up. The search giant has revealed new software (dubbed My Location) that enables non-GPS-equipped phones to be pinpointed within three miles of their actual location. Google is claiming that it can provide "neighborhood-level" data, and that pressing "0" while in the app will enable users to skip the task of entering in a starting address when looking up directions. Notably, the system is not set up to collect phone numbers or any other personal details, and for those still paranoid, it can indeed be switched off. Currently, the tracking database still has a few gaps to be filled -- namely locales in Europe and all of China / Japan -- but Google could very well use the location data to eventually provide targeted ads to those who use it.

[Image courtesy of TracyAndMatt, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Cowon Q5W goes on sale in US, shows off its premium skills

from Engadget by Nilay Patel

We knew the Cowon Q5W was coming to our fair shores this week, but now that it's here, we've got some fresh details that make that $549 pricetag seem downright reasonable. You're still looking at a 5-inch 800 x 400 touchscreen and Windows CE, but Cowon has really thrown down the gauntlet with codec support, including DivX, XviD, AVI, ASF, WMV9, MPEG4, OGM, Ogg, FLAC and APE -- and the browser supports Flash. There's also a "pen mode" for the interface and an optional WinCE Office Viewer that might let you actually get some work done. To top it all off, the entire UI appears to be skinnable, and Cowon says a version with GPS will also hit next month. Damn, looks like our love affair with the Archos 605 WiFi is over.

PS. Check the Cowon America product page for some of the best machine translation pickup lines we've ever seen.

[Thanks, Gibran]

Verizon and Vodafone to launch LTE trial in 2008

from Engadget by Thomas Ricker

The decision to move to LTE for their next-gen network is old news. However, Vodafone and Verizon's coordinated trial set to launch in 2008 is most definitely new. Suppliers will include Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia-Siemens, and Nortel with devices anticipated from the usuals (LG, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson) in addition to non-traditional consumer electronics companies looking to get a foothold on the nascent wireless broadband service. Presumably the latter is a nod in the direction of Verizon's suspect, Open Development initiative announced earlier this week. No word on dates or locations but we'll certainly let you know how this trial network, with a theoretical 100Mbps download and 50Mbps upload capability, unfolds.

Objet Geometries set to unveil multi-material 3D printer

from Engadget by Joshua Topolsky

CAD fans, prepare to get stoked. Objet Geometries -- a "world leader" in photopolymer jetting -- has announced that it will debut a system capable of producing 3D parts and assemblies made from different materials in a single build. The device, known as the Connex500, utilizes the company's "PolyJet Matrix," which can create 21 composite materials and seven separate model materials. "The Connex500 opens a new chapter for the 3-D printing and rapid prototyping industry," said Adina Shorr, CEO of Objet. The machine is capable of producing both rigid and flexible material, and can create polypropylene-like surfaces. Honestly, the process the Connex500 uses is pretty complicated stuff, but you really only need to understand one basic fact: you will never again be missing a piece from your chess set. Hit the read link and get all the technical details on your next pricey purchase.

Mobile phone subscriptions hit 3.3 billion

from Engadget by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones

Just last month we heard that there were some 2.68 billion mobile accounts currently active in the world, but a new study by Informa has found that there are actually 3.3 billion subscriptions. This number is somewhat significant considering that it's approximately half of the world's population, but alas, not half of all Earthlings actually own a cellphone. Researchers found that 59 countries had mobile penetration over 100 percent, suggesting that some individuals actually accounted for numerous mobile subscriptions. Sure, the figures here could be picked apart in a myriad ways, but why not just raise your handset to commemorate hitting the big three point three? You are one of them, right?

[Image courtesy of W3]

A TV Style Video Player for Watching Your Favorite Web Videos

from Digital Inspiration by Amit

If you love watching videos on the web, World TV is one service that you should bookmark.

Contrary to the name, World TV it is not about watching TV channels online, rather it lets you play your favorite web videos in a proper TV kind of environment.

You also get a full screen video player and can easily flip through videos using the onscreen controls.

watch videos online

You begin by creating a playlist of your favorite web videos that could be residing on any video sharing websites like YouTube, Blip, Daily Motion and more.

If a site is not supported, just type the direct URL of the FLV video file in the World TV editor.

Each of your web TV channel gets a unique URL that can also be changed if you like. Plus you can brand the video player with a custom background and your logo that will link to your own blog or website. Brilliant.

worldtv.com | My Channel | Thanks Scoble

world tv channel

Related: Watch YouTube in Full Browser Window

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Play Nearly Any Media File with MPlayer for Windows Mobile

from Lifehacker by Kevin Purdy

Windows Mobile 5 & 6 only: Free open source media player MPlayer, long known to Linux fans for its format friendliness and streamlined operation, has been ported in somewhat rough fashion to Windows Mobile-powered smartphones. While that means formats like RealAudio/Video, Ogg, M4A and others are playable, users are reporting that the program is a monster when it comes to processor use (which also makes it a battery killer) and has only the most basic "open file" functionality. But if you've got a low-quality file or a powerful phone, it could make for a nifty toy to play with until it gets fixed. MPlayer is a free download for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 phones only.

Mplayer port for Windows Mobile [via Download Squad]

Golden Triangle Suggests How People Scan Google Search Pages

from Digital Inspiration by Amit

This visual heat map suggests how web searchers ~~navigate~~ scan the search results shown on Google pages and which areas on the Google web page tend to get the maximum attention.

The areas highlighted in red are noticed by almost Google user but the visibility decreases drastically for search results that show up below the fold (i.e., search results at position 5 or below).

Like the letter “F”, human eyes read the content at the top in a horizontal manner and then travel vertically along the left side of the results.

Most of the Google ads in the right sidebar largely go unnoticed (compared to the top organic search results) while the reverse is true for the horizontal Google ad unit placed at the top of search results - it probably offers the highest conversion rate for advertisers.

Full details of this Google Eyetracking study is available on Eyetools.

Related: How to Draw Heat Maps

Live Documents To Take on Google Docs and Microsoft Office

from Digital Inspiration by Amit

Sabeer Bhatia Hotmail Sabeer Bhatia, who sold Hotmail to Microsoft in 1997 for around $400 million, has now challenged the cash cow (read Office Suite) of the same company that made him a millionaire.

Sabeer has launched Office Live Documents - an online+offline Office suite of programs similar to Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

live documents screenshot Like Zoho Office or Google Docs, Live Documents lets you create, edit and share Office documents in the web browser.

All your edits are automatically synchronized with all other copies of the documents.

And if you own a copy of Microsoft Office, you can download a Live Documents ~~toolbar~~ desktop client that makes it easy to upload documents from your Office programs to the Live Documents cloud (very similar to Office Live Workspace).

Other than uploading documents online, this Live Docs desktop client will also synchronizes all changes made to a document - either on the browser or on the desktop within Microsoft Office - to ensure that the most up-to-date document is available on both platforms.

Live Documents is done in Flex so should work on any system that has the Flash plug-in. Overall, Live Docs sounds like a good concept but they are definitely up against some heavyweights notably Google and Microsoft.

Request invite for Live Documents here. Official site: live-documents.com

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)