Nokia Internet Tablets to get Ubuntu and Qt ports
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/277323521/
Filed under: Handhelds
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Friday, April 25, 2008
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Sharp-Willcom D4 UMPC With Intel Atom Centrino, Vista Hits the States on June 20th [Umpc]
Blockbuster's Prototype Stores Look Like Best Buy [Blockbuster Stores]
• Opening up at 6 a.m. for people to rent stuff on the way to work and not watch it until they go home, thus perhaps losing the desire they had to watch that movie in the first place
• Selling cappuccino or fountain drinks (like at 7-11)
• Giving away free Wi-Fi and Rock Band play sessions on a 62-inch TV.
• "Offering new technology for watching movies, reading books or shooting video at a Blockbuster." We're not sure what this means, but it's probably selling gadgets like Best Buy.
Good idea? Bad idea? It's hard to say right now. On the one hand, Blockbuster employees these days don't actually know anything about movies and don't roam the aisles helping you find something you'd like. They're just there restocking shelves and ringing you up, both jobs that could be done much better by a computer connected to a robotic arm. [Dallas News]
$100 femtocells to be sold by AT&T?
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/277406332/
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
Forest Fire âClear Cutâ Robot
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/276845569/
Yep, this is exactly what you think it is. The forest fire prevention robot by Jordan Guelde is an advanced robot designed to clear large areas of foliage from around a forest fire to help stop the flames from spreading. Traditional back burning would certainly be cheaper and possibly less lethal to surrounding wildlife, but complete with and array of hubless motors, and integrated fuel system of its back this robot is a hell of a lot cooler. Unfortunately this version is intended for entertainment design rather than the production line, but with the help of Governor Schwarzenegger maybe the production line is possible?
Designer: Jordan Guelde
Get wet with style
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/277248029/
So as I was gazing longingly at this bathtub design called “Sorgente” by Lenci Design for Teuco, I realized that I was schooled on the difference between a bathtub and a hot tub. A bathtub is obviously for bathing, and a hot tub is obviously for more recreational use and relaxing. Barely a difference here right? Well Teuco does not see too much of a difference either and has married the two with their latest creation. Highlighted by a seamless sunken profile and fitted with 8 Hydrosilence whirlpool jets, the tub's function is super quiet to ensure a tranquil experience. You can also enjoy the benefits of a control panel or remote control operation, underwater lighting, a magnetic headrest, and a pull-out shower with a flexible hose. It fills automatically and treats the water with its internal filtration system. Plastic battleships not included.
Designer: Lenci Design [ Via: Trendir ]
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tips for success in a Web 2.0 world
Web 2.0 has been described as "lots of video," "cool user interfaces that use javascript," "social networking," "word of mouth." Google, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, etc. have been used as examples, as have countless other companies and terms, correctly or incorrectly. But what really is the essence of this new wave of websites rising from the ashes of the first web implosion? And what are the implications for advertising and marketing? Web 2.0 versus Web 1.0
Web 1.0 was about the tools which made getting information online easier -- HTML, website creation software, standards, internet connections, etc. This led to an explosion of information online and generated the estimated several hundred billion web pages online today. Web 2.0 is about organizing, filtering and prioritizing the vast amounts of information so that the information becomes more useful, timely, and relevant. Web 2.0 was born out of necessity in the current "age of too much information." It also has profound implications for advertising since advertising messages are part of the clutter and people have accustomed themselves to tuning everything out until such time they are interested in researching something for themselves. Modern users' high expectations
Web 2.0 sites, which include Google, YouTube, Facebook, etc., have collectively set extremely high expectations among users. These "modern users" are impatient -- they want their information right now; they are intolerant -- if a site disappoints or frustrates them, they won't come back, and they are vocal -- they tell their friends about good sites and about bad ones too. In their quest to cut through the clutter and find the information they want, they demand speed, collaboration, and trust. Implications for modern advertising and marketing
The diverse sites of the Web 2.0 landscape have set an extreme bar of expectations among modern users -- i.e. consumers. This fact has profound implications for advertisers and marketers who are fighting for these consumers' attention (to sell them something) in this "age of too much information." Advertisers must therefore satisfy the three key dimensions of modern users' high expectations: Notable quotables
Chris Anderson: "Users are seeking more specialized and less generic products -- the "long tail" of retail -- and they are going online in this quest. The beauty of this is that we can observe what they value, what excites them, and what they talk about." Malcolm Gladwell: "There are enough technologies, services, communities and information online that we have passed an important tipping point in the age of information -- the shift of power from advertisers to consumers. A single user post on Consumerist.com got amplified to the point that a telecommunications giant publicly announced the removal of an anti-customer clause in their terms and conditions." Seth Godin: "Consumers are empowered with information, technologies, services and peers to tune out all 'interruption media' until such time they want something; and, even then, they get their information not from traditional advertising and marketing messages, but rather from trusted sources who act as filters that help them cut through the 'noise.'" Esther Dyson: "Modern users are getting ever more cognizant and savvy about their personal information and who has access to it and how it is used. While traditional advertising pushed the boundaries of privacy in its quest for more information in order to do better targeting, trust and privacy are paramount to the modern user. In the next evolution of advertising, who will be able to achieve perfect targeting (to the level of the individual) while respecting and protecting that individual's privacy?" Dr. Augustine Fou is SVP, digital strategist at MRM Worldwide.Original Article: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/19108.aspPublished: April 23, 2008MRM Worldwide's digital strategist outlines three key considerations for keeping up with the new online consumer.
Sony's DMX-NV1 Bravia Internet Video Link now available
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/276199655/
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Negroponte Moots Windows XP Version of OLPC--Is It a Case of So Long, Sugar? [Olpc]
With Windows XP already available for the XO on an SD card, the news that future OLPC machines may have Windows XP, with Sugar running on top, may dismay the non-profit brigade. But with no support for the latest versions of Flash—a staple on many educational websites—the XO may not be catering to its supposed target audience.
If Windows XP does become the XO's operating system, then a substantial reworking of the laptop will be in order. Currently just 1GB of internal memory is available, and XP needs around 1.1GB. Sticking a larger SSD inside the machine will just pump up the price, making the XO even further out of reach of those who need it. [ComputerWorld]
Intel Mash Maker Launches Without Chips on the Side
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OmMalik/~3/275463549/
Intel’s Mash Maker application, which launches today, isn’t exactly a new idea; Yahoo Pipes and Microsoft’s Popfly are similar. But Mash Maker marks the first time Intel has launched a software effort with no hardware attached. Presumably you can run Mash Maker on a computer with an AMD inside without melting your motherboard.
I was super skeptical at first and frankly, still am. According to Robert Ennals, senior researcher at Intel Research Berkeley and the architect for Mash Maker, the goal of Intel Research is to make the computing experience better. He said Intel Research and Intel Capital are the only divisions at Intel who have the freedom to think outside the PC box, as it were. Fine, Intel launched Mash Maker to make the Internet a better place. Does it?
Jeff Klaus, marketing director for Intel Mash Maker, said it is more useful than Pipes or Popfly because it not only allows users to make mashups, but also allows those who have downloaded the Mash Maker client to see which previous Mash Maker mashups might improve their web surfing experience. This way users of Mash Maker can benefit even if they don’t know how to create mashups. As one of the biggest complaints I have about Pipes is the difficulty I have using it (yes, it’s a me-centric complaint), I have to think there are others who could benefit from this.
In the meantime, I’ll watch with interest as Intel moves outside of its chip-centric world. A few years ago it made the decision with its Intel Capital venture investing arm to look not just for companies that could eventually sell more Intel chips, but also those that might make for a good return. In 2007 it started investing in seed deals, especially consumer-facing startups, as part of that expanding mission.
As for selling more chips, programs such as Mash Maker may not directly influence buying decisions, but by making the computer easier to use, Intel makes them more important and thus, more necessary. And by associating its brand with a fun application, Intel is achieving brand recognition in a much more sophisticated way than its dancing bunny-suited guys back in the 90s.
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