Thursday, October 23, 2008

T-Mobile G1 now available

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/428210959/

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Now that T-Mobile's systematic discrimination against non-T-Mobile customers (how dare they?) has come to an end, we can all exhale, pull out our credit cards and get to maxin' out the plastic. That's right -- the Android-powered G1 is now available for sale from T-Mob's website to all comers, though we're only seeing the black and bronze models listed at the moment and both are tagged with an ominous "extremely limited availability" label which tells us they probably won't be there long. $179.99's the price on two-year contract, and if they do sell out online, don't sweat it just yet -- sweep your local stores today.

[Thanks, Elisha]
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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

fit-PC slim: very small, otherwise no great shakes

source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/21/fit-pc-slim-very-small-otherwise-no-great-shakes/


Remember the fit-PC slim we told you about last month? The folk at Extreme Tech have just had a sit down with the little bugger and found a very small machine that's really only noteworthy for its size. Of course, that alone is impressive: at 4.3 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches it's some 40% smaller than the original fit-PC, yet somehow it makes room for twice the memory (512MB) of its predecessor, WiFi (optional) three USB ports and VGA. But unless you really, really prize the miniscule form factor, you may just want to give this one a pass. According to the review, the device performs pretty much as you'd expect from a 512MB Windows XP machine (the 500MHz AMD Geode has no real problems running Firefox or OpenOffice, but larger apps are going to give you some grief) and some of you might not appreciate the lack of SATA and digital display support. Still curious? Hit the read link for the full review.

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New HDPC from MIU offers sleeker shell and Intel Atom-power

source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/22/new-hdpc-from-miu-offers-sleeker-shell-and-intel-atom-power/

New HDPC from MIU offers sleeker shell and Intel Atom-power
When it was introduced two years ago, the premise of the Hybrid Dual Portable Computer was simple: mobile OS up front, Windows XP below, andugly all over. The most recent refresh was a big visual improvement, but MIU apparently isn't done, teasing another new version that looks far sleeker and packs an Intel Atom processor inside, though exactly which hasn't been revealed. Beyond that, this pocket-wunderkind offers the same bevy of features as before, obviating the need for a separate nav system, PMP, e-book reader, netbook, and even in-car rear-view camera monitor. It'll make phone calls too, and with GSM, GPRS, and CDMA connectivity, you're pretty well guaranteed to be able to check your mail anywhere. No information on price or availability just yet, but hopefully the former stays close to the current version's $500 and the latter extends to somewhere in North America.

[Via Pocketables]

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Innovation vs. Litigation


Source: http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=131858

Why Brands and Social Media Have a Legal Challenge

Posted by David Armano on 10.20.08 @ 11:30 AM


Take a good look at the "curve" visual that goes along with this post. Look familiar? It should.

Increasingly, as I talk to folks from a variety of large brands and companies, I'm seeing an interesting shift. Not only is there a desire from individuals within large corporations, brands and businesses to leverage social media in some capacity, but increasingly there's an interest in going beyond "viral." After my talk at the the Web 2.0 Conference in New York, an individual who worked in the health-care sector approached me. He said something along these lines: "I believe in everything you just said and I think there is tremendous opportunity for my company to participate in social networks, but each time we try to initiate something, our legal department shoots it down." 

Though sectors like health care are especially sensitive, I've heard similar tales from others. And yet there seem to be some examples of big brands that get out there and participate in social networks despite the risks. Dell, one of the more well-known case studies, has been doing it for years, through blogs, communities it's created and by jumping into a number of networks. Zappos has taken to extending its customer experience across social channels such as Twitter. Whole Foods has a useful presence on Facebook, where one of its representatives is active in the discussion boards, not only alerting members to promotions but also encouraging them to share recipes. Is legal asleep at the wheel of these companies? 

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User Contribution Systems

The concept of user contribution isn’t new. But the companies I’ve just mentioned – both the internet highfliers and the old-economy behemoths – have actively created something I call a user contribution system. That is, they’ve created methods for aggregating and leveraging people’s contributions or behaviors in ways that are useful to other people.

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