Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, October 24, 2008

Parrot intros Specchio WiFi photo frame with NFC

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/430086481/

We were hoping WiFi photo frames would be a bit more ubiquitous by now, but Parrot's not waiting around on one lonely wireless standard -- it's introducing the Specchio frame with WiFi and Bluetooth NFC for getting photos to the screen. We've seen NFC in a few mass-transit trials here and there, but only Parrot seems to be really pushing the data aspects of the tech, so it'll be interesting to see how it holds up -- the idea is that you'll take pictures on your phone and simply hold it against the frame to transfer them. Nifty -- just like the frame display itself, which looks like a metallic mirror when switched off. Hm, this might be the first digital photo frame we're actually interested in -- too bad it'll cost $500 when it goes on sale next month.

P.S.- Parrot, have some dignity with these press images, will you? The iPhone has an ass-useless Bluetooth stack and you know it.

[Via Digital Picture Frame Review]

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PlayStation Home hacked, the search for backup exploits begins

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/430113644/

Filed under: Gaming

Hackers, like life, will find a way. Sony knows that all too well thanks to the PSP, but so far the PlayStation 3 has stood strong in the face of legions of nerds trying to find a way to exploit it. A potentially major breakthrough may have been made, though, as well-known PS3 hacker StreetskaterFU (we've no idea what he's going for with that name -- really) has managed to decrypt the beta client for Sony's PlayStation Home service. Curious devs can now poke around in the files looking for a way to exploit the newish in-game XMB functionality, potentially allowing homebrew apps and game backups without hard drive swapping. There's no guarantee it will lead anywhere in the end, but you don't care either way, right? Our upstanding readership would never participate in such heinously illegal activities.

[Thanks, James]

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Toshiba's NB100 netbook photographed in the wild

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/430327675/

Filed under: Laptops

Oh sure, you've seen a brief glimpse of Toshiba's NB100 (a pre-production unit, at least) at the company's own Mobility Conference, but things just feel a little different when the spotting goes down in the wild. The LXF Team was lucky enough to get their camera on Tosh's UK-bound rig, and while nothing was tremendously shocking, it was called out for boasting a "boxy, but sturdy construction that looks like a shrunk-down 'serious' laptop." Check out a finalized unit beside an equally cute Aspire One in the read link below.

[Thanks, Mike]

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SNL does multitouch comedy to perfection with CNN's 'Magic Map'

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/430333162/

Filed under: Displays

Saturday Night LIve's Fred Armisen takes CNN's "Magic Map" to its logical -- and hilarious -- conclusion. What would happen if New Hampshire got moved down to Mexico? Two more pics after the break, and video hopefully coming soon.

Update: Country... we've got video.

Continue reading SNL does multitouch comedy to perfection with CNN's 'Magic Map'

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

MySpace Music Signs IODA, Gains 6,000 Indie Labels And 50,000 Artists

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/JZX2Abk1-KM/

MySpace Music continues to sign key music deals - today they announced the addition of the no. 2 independent music aggregator, IODA, to the platform. Orchard, the no. 1 indie aggregator, has been on board since the launch.

IODA brings music from 6,000 labels and 50,000 indie artists like Cake, Billie Holliday, Ray Charles, The Stills, Tokyo Police Club and Broken Social Scene.

MySpace now claims to have more than 2 million indie music tracks.

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