Archive
Archive for March 31st, 2010
There is obviously a lot of excitement around the iPad. Kleiner Perkins is doubling its iFund to launch more companies around the new device. And everyone from existing iPhone app developers and media companies is rushing to create iPad versions of their apps. As the screenshots leaked to us below show, you can add Gowalla to that list. I’ve confirmed the screenshots are real with CEO Josh Williams.
But why would you want geo-location check-in app on a huge iPad. It’s bad enough to have to pull out your iPhone every time you enter a restaurant or some other public gathering place. Pulling out the iPad will be much more conspicuous.
The bigger screen, however, does open up new possibilities for seeing calling up full menus at a ballgame, for instance, or photos that other people uploaded to Gowalla from that very same spot. A bigger screen is just better no matter what the app. Will Foursquare launch on the iPad as well?
Camping Mat of the Future Only Lets Sand Go Through It in One Direction
The amazing Multimat from CGear is a lightweight camping mat that uses a patented multi-weave technology so that sand and dirt fall through the mat but can’t come back up the other way. Great for camping on sand and dirt- if you’ve ever tried camping in sandy conditions you know it gets everywhere.
The Multimat was originally designed for military use to be placed under helicopters as a landing pad that wouldn’t get covered in debris every time a chopper took off or landed. The mat uses durable rip-stop fabric with UV stabilizers to keep it from degrading in the sun. It costs about $100 for a 6 by 8 foot tarp (the smallest of the 4 available sizes) and comes in a drawstring carry bag.
Watch this video of a hunky Australian guy demonstrating how it works:
Available at retailers in Australia (this one has it online, others may too) via gear diary
We’ll soon live in an age when netbooks have both CPUs and GPUs and it will be grand. Unicorns and rainbows will dance off of our screens in harmony — and Internet Explorer might become relevant again. The video after the jump shows what IE9 is capable of when a next-generation NVIDIA Ion GPU is paired with an Intel Atom CPU verses a standard netbook with an Atom all by itself. The differences are obvious and makes a solid case for Internet Explorer. But most of us will probably visit the International Space Station before setting IE as our default browser even if it renders graphics faster. [via liliputing]
Once again, someone has imitated the futuristic science of Minority Report to create a gesture-based computer. In this case, these developers from MIT decided to use black gloves, similar to the ones that Tom Cruise wore at the beginning of the film.
You can see the video of the Glove Mouse after the jump. According to the vid, it took less than $100 of technology in order to make the Glove Mouse work. It has an LED on the back of the index finger, then a low resolution webcam to make it act as a cursor.
I have to admit, I don’t remember Tom Cruise’s computer having two hands that act as cursors, but I honestly can’t think of a better way to interface with a computer using two hands. You will note how the user can expand and focus in on a map of MIT.
This Glove Mouse is designed by Tony Hyun Kim and Nevada Sanchez, and they have been working on this project for some time. They have even won MIT’s George C. Newton Project Prize in 2009.
I suppose this will eventually lead to computers where the user has a pair of gloves instead of a mouse, and I wonder if this will save us some time when we run certain applications. This should probably be the goal of a Glove Mouse.
Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Glove Mouse brings both hands into your interface copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
I love my wife and kids, but sometimes I just want to line them up and smack ‘em all at one time. I bet all of you know exactly what I mean. One of the things that used to drive me crazy was that I was the only one in the house who could figure out how to press a button on the remote and choose an input to change from cable to the PS3.
Thankfully, before I went crazy or started running around smacking family members with the remote, I found the Logitech Harmony One. The sweet remote lets you set up activities that change inputs and all for you with the press of a button. The downside is that the Harmony remotes tend to be expensive.
Logitech has unveiled a new remote today called the Harmony 300. This remote lacks the LCD screen and activities functions of its big brethren, but is cheap. The 300 will replace four remotes and can be yours for $49.99 (USD). It also uses a cloud programming system that promises to be very easy. I say spend the extra $50 bucks and get a Harmony remote with activities, otherwise you are still going to have to change the inputs for someone in your house.
Netvibes CEO Freddy Mini announced today that the startup founded five years ago has finally made it to profitability. The site has seen a lot of changes since then. It began as one of the original Web 2.0 personalized homepages, became a distributed widget platform, changed CEOs (when founder Tariq Krim stepped down in 2008 to start Jolicloud), then started appealing to enterprises, brands, and advertisers with intranet offerings and social media dashboards.
I chatted with Mini today, who says that the company is profitable on a net income basis. He won’t go into details on revenues, but the company has 40 employees and two offices. Just to cover salaries, it’s got to be pulling in a few million dollars a year. Mini did break down the revenues by product line, however:
Netvibes for Enterprise: 50%
Netvibes Premium Dashboards: 40%
Widget Distribution: 10%
The enterprise version, which accounts for half of the company’s revenues, lets employees customize their intranet homepage with a mixture of company and personal widgets. Think iGoogle for businesses. The dashboards are more for advertising and PR agencies, who can use them to push media on an opt-in basis to interested consumers. Netvibes also recently launched a Dashboarding Guide, which is a “dashboard of dashboards,” says Mini. It pulls together different monitoring and analytics tools (such as Google Trends, Compete, Yelp, Hootsuite, and Trendrr) all into one dashboard.
The consumer-oriented homepage now has 3.5 million visitors a month, and Netvibes continues to improve that experience with its new realtime stream reader Wasabi, but that the paying customers are businesses.
I suppose that all of us don’t like to be away from our e-mail for a prolonged period of time, myself included. However, if I just knew that I didn’t have a lot of e-mails to check, I might be able to enjoy my time away from my computer.
As you can probably tell from this photo, this is a DIY project. Chris and Madeline Ball posted their work on the MAKE website, and have succeeded in their quest of showing the world just how much email that the wearer is getting.
There is a video after the jump so you can see how it works. You can see that it uses an Arduino Lilypad controller, connected to an Android device, which wirelessly syncs with a computer to light up how many emails that you have.
Some of you might have noticed that it uses a binary numbers (exponents of the power of 2) in order to show the number of e-mails, which means you have to add these numbers up to get the correct amount. The max it will show you is 127 emails. If you have that many after a few hours, then man, you are just way too busy.
I honestly don’t know why you can’t just get yourself a data plan on your mobile phone and check your emails that way. Still, if this couple can figure out a way to mass-produce this shirt, then it could be the latest fad.
Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ See your Inbox on your T-Shirt copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Hey! You there! Do you want to see a new Super Mario Galaxy 2 trailer? No, not an old one—a new one! Well here you go~!
Following Kleiner Perkins’ iFund “Doubling Down” event today, I got the chance to speak with iFund managing partner Matt Murphy. Simply put, Murphy, who also managed the first iFund, thinks the opportunity with the iPad will be huge — potentially bigger than the first iFund. Obviously, Kleiner wouldn’t pump another $100 million into the fund if it didn’t believe that, but Murphy offered some insight into the firm’s thinking.
While much of the focus has been on what the iPad will do as a consumer device, Murphy makes the case for how well it should work as a revenue-generating machine for the companies developing for it. He noted that of the 14 companies that are currently a part of the iFund (3 of which are in stealth mode), four of them are already profitable just two years after the fund’s launch. He attributes this to three main things: the freemium model, Apple’s payment structure, and micro-payments.
One of those profitable companies is Shazam, the mobile music discovery service. The service noted today that it has seen over 15 million downloads on the iPhone (and iPod touch). Most of those are downloads of the free version of the app, but that free version has served as a gateway drug of sorts to get users hooked and eventually buying the premium version with more features. At $4.99, that paid version, Shazam Encore, is cheap enough that many users feel it is well worth the price.
Perhaps more importantly, it’s so easy to download thanks to the App Store’s built-in payment structure. It’s one click, and the app is yours. And Murphy thinks we’re on the verge of an explosion in in-app payments thanks to that structure.
One company, Booyah, which makes the popular location-based game MyTown (which we’ve covered quite a bit), is making good use of these in-app payments, Murphy notes. While the app is completely free, it allows users to buy upgrades within the game for small fees (ranging from $0.99 to $9.99). This is starting to take off, according to Murphy.
He notes that while free apps on the Facebook platform convert users to paying customers at a 3% to 5% conversion rate, the iPhone is seeing that conversation in the 12% to 15% range. That’s a massive difference. And Murphy attributes it to the way payment ideas are presented in apps in combination with Apple’s easy payment structure that happens behind the scenes (the App Store tied to your credit card). When you see a new cheap feature in an app, “for $0.99 i’ll try that out,” Murphy notes. Those purchases are an afterthought.
And the iPad will simply be an extension of all this, with the added potential benefit of even more in-app immersion. That’s what he sees as the iPad’s big benefit over the iPhone. ”We want someone who cracks the code on a more immersive experience,” Murphy says.
And it’s important to note that this new iFund isn’t iPad-only. Before the end of this year, Murphy says there will be some 100 million devices running the iPhone OS (currently, there are around 75 million), Kleiner will continue to look at all types of companies doing both iPhone and iPad apps to invest this money into.
So what is he particularly excited about with regard to the iPad? Murphy reiterated John Doerr’s excitement about potential healthcare uses for the iPad and notes that they’re looking at one company in particular now that could come into fruition relatively soon (he wouldn’t say what it was). He also says that education is a potentially huge market for this new device.
When I asked about the buzz surrounding old school media companies coming to the iPad, Murphy said that he was reluctant about some of the companies being hired to work on these solutions because it’s not long-term defensible. That said, there is at least one pure content play in stealth mode that Kleiner has backed with the fund. It involves a well-known entrepreneur, but Murphy wouldn’t say anymore.
I asked why, given the success of the first iFund, Kleiner was “only” going with another $100 million for the fund? Why not go higher? Murphy noted that it’s likely just a starting point. For example, the original $100 million funded companies have seen some $330 million more pumped into them from outside the fund (yes, this is a bit skewed by Zynga, which just raised a massive $180 million new round). Murphy notes that this second iFund could be gone in as little as 12 months. It all depends on the quality of the companies sprouting up around the iPad (and continuing to sprout around the iPhone).
Finally, I asked Murphy about an area both him and I are excited about: location. Murphy notes that three of the 14 iFund companies, Pelago (the makers of Whrrl), Booyah, and Shopkick (makers of CauseWorld), are location-based at their core. He went on to note that all the companies in this space are doing exciting things with check-ins because it’s ultimately important data. “Foot-streams are more valuable than click-streams,” Murphy notes, taking a line from Whrrl’s playbook.
But Murphy notes that each of these companies is still searching for the Holy Grail: highly targeted location-based advertising. Once you understand that someone goes to Starbucks at a certain time everyday, you start to understand their behavior, and then ads become really interesting, he notes.
In terms of the iPad, Murphy wonders what uses people will come up with with regard to location. After all, it’s not a phone that you have in your pocket, and you probably won’t be taking it to dinner (unless you’re really rude). Again, he thinks a company like Booyah, with its heavy game element that will drive the immersion idea could come up with some cool things. But he feels there will be new types of apps that give you a different reason for why you check-in with the iPad.
In general, even within Kleiner Perkins, the iPad seems to be the undiscovered country. And that’s breeding a lot of excitement. Among the partners, there is no doubt that it won’t be long before there’s the first huge app for it. But it’s hard to base that off of pitches without the device itself out there. “You won’t know it until you see it,” Murphy says.
I recently had my mouth examined by a dentist, and I was fortunate to get one with years of experience. I always wondered who are the patients for the starting dentist.
Fortunately, the dentist-in-training will have more at his disposal than a frightened grin with this 5-foot tall Japanese robot developed by Showa University and robot maker Tmsuk. This robot, named Hanako Showa, has very realistic movements of its eyes, head, and tongue. It even has a place for saliva, so its mouth will have to be sucked out just like a real patient.
Hanako can also behave in a realistic way such as saying “Ouch! It hurts!” and turning its head. I can only assume that the novice dentist must apply some fake Novocaine. Then the dentist can ask the patient “are you OK?” I am assuming the robot will respond affirmatively if you’re doing it right.
By the way, Hanako will produce a vomit response if the dentist touches her uvula, and I’m told touching her robot breasts is also a big no-no. I don’t really know what it will do if you accidentally brush up against her…anyway, I guess it teaches future dentists to be sensitive to female patients.
Apparently, over ninety students at Showa University have performed examinations on Hanako. The developers plan on making many Hanakos, and selling them to dental schools.
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Hanako Showa: The robot dental patient copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Bluetooth headsets, although very practical , still, in my opinion, haven’t received the widespread acceptance they deserve. Perhaps it’s the fact that they’re just another battery that needs charging, perhaps people just forget them or perhaps it’s there size. With many states introducing laws that require drivers to use some sort of hands free device when using their phone in their car it’s time people got behind owning and using a Bluetooth headset.
If size is one of the issues that’s been keeping you from using one the SmallTalk Mini Bluetooth Headset from Mobile Fun is just what you’ve been looking for.
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I have no doubt that many of our readers have watched Planet Earth and possibly the newer Life, perhaps the two grandest nature documentaries ever made. If so, you probably caught yourself wondering “How the hell did they get that shot?” — perhaps during the mating dance of the birds of paradise. The “diaries” which accompanied the show revealed a few of the secrets, one of which was the immense amount of time spent by the camera guys in what they call hides: camouflaged shelters from which they can shoot without worrying about being spotted, and in which they may often stay for hours, days, or even weeks at a time.
This English Russia article shows a few interesting ones — for more information I’d check the nearest National Geographic or bird photography website. Hides can be as simple as a few sticks and a tarp with duff on it, or a semi-permanent shelter with stove and cot overlooking a seasonal breeding spot. There are some great pictures at the article, though unfortunately no credit, so you’ll have to investigate using TinEye or Google-fu.
Sharkoon now has a black edition of its popular FireGlider gaming mouse. Gamers will love that the mouse comes with a soft black surface and boasts seven buttons, six of them programmable.
Some other features include a scroll wheel that you can finely adjust and special grip areas for the best possible hold. There is also on-board memory for macros. The DPI range is between 600 and 3600, with a frame rate of 7080 fps and it can implement accurate accelerations up to 20 G.
The FireGlider Black Edition Gaming Mouse sells for about $33.
Yesterday Judie and I posted our sad tale of woe after speaking to UPS and both being told that there is no Saturday shipping in our areas. I could understand Judie’s situation since she is in a totally rural area but I am in New Jersey! It didn’t make sense that I would not be included in the Saturday delivery of the iPad. But the UPS customer service rep was specific and clear. And no matter how I asked the question I always got the same response- NO SATURDAY DELIVERY. I even emailed Mr. Jobs to ask about it (twice). I did not hear back.
This morning I decided to give UPS another quick call and double check…
This is what I was told.
Let me check some of the information on here for you
Thank you
No problem
The company specifically said when I ordered it but it delivers on April 3. But I have some questions about whether or not they’re doing Saturday delivery where I am.
What I’m showing here is that if the company informed you that it will be delivering on April 3. Then it will be delivered on Saturday, April 3.
Let me ask you a question about it because I had called UPS yesterday and spoke to someone and, I’m asking the questions a little differently today, but they told me there was absolutely, positively no way that I was … [visit site to read more]
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Look if you haven’t given up on cassette tapes by now, you probably never will. But if you ever want to let that old cassette player rest in peace, then the Novak Cassette to Digital Converter is what you need to transfer your old cassettes into digital formats.
The device couldn’t be easier to use. Just insert a cassette tape, hit “record,” and you’re off. You now have digital music in either MP3, WAV, or WMA files. The Novak Cassette To Digital Converter also has a USB port and a built-in speaker.
Go on, take the leap. Get with digital already. It won’t hurt. I promise.
Google has acquired a company that has created a new process for highly efficient isotope separation, we’ve confirmed from multiple sources. The primary use of this technology, say experts we’ve spoken with, is uranium enrichment.
Enriched uranium is a necessary ingredient in the creation of nuclear energy, and one source we’ve spoken with at Google says that this is part of the Google Green Initiative. The company will use the new technology to enable it to design and possibly build small, mobile and highly efficient nuclear power generators. “Google has already begun building an enrichment plant,” says a high ranking IAEA source.
As GreenBeat points out, “Google finally decided to launch a dedicated unit of the company for designing and building its own solar panels, wind turbines, energy efficiency devices, etc. So far, its green efforts have been pursued by separate projects within the company. Nuclear is an obvious next step for the company.”
GreenBeat first broke the story (first titled Google Has A Big Alternate Energy Announcement Forthcoming) after seeing multiple tweets about the impending announcement.
But other sources we’ve spoken with say Google has no real intention of pursuing nuclear energy, despite the fact that the company has promoted the use of alternate energy sources for years.
Of particular concern is the fact that the company Google acquired is based outside of the U.S., and little is known about the new enrichment technology they’ve developed.
Nuclear power generation is a highly regulated industry. And enriched uranium is a particularly sensitive topic and creation and distribution of the substance is highly controlled.
Enriched uranium can also be used for nuclear weapons production, which is why the industry is so highly regulated.
Says one source: “The story Google is putting out there is that the new technology will be built for clean energy production. But all of the research and development they’re doing in this area is being conducted outside of the U.S., and the enrichment facility is also outside of the U.S.”
And more chillingly: “It would be trivial for anyone with this technology to build a nuclear weapon.”
Google, which has been shaken by its inability to counter Chinese censorship and hacking efforts, may be engaging in enrichment research as part of a new effort to simply protect itself from outside threats.
One source pointed out that if Google were its own country, its revenues would place it at 74th on the list of countries sorted by gross domestic product. “The U.S. government clearly won’t protect Google from China, so Google is taking the logical step of protecting itself with a physical deterrent.”
To be clear, most of this is speculation. All we’ve confirmed is that Google has acquired a company with a new enrichment process and that they have begun researching small, nuclear portable generators. But there is real evidence here that Google may be working on something much more sinister to counter the China threat. More as this develops.
Those aliens from Space Invaders have now set their sights on seasoning food at the dinner table. Probably because food doesn’t shoot back like we do.
Spice invaders if you will. Too bad they are not for sale yet. As soon as they become available, I’m buying like fifty of these and lining them all up on the table so I can play a 3D game. I’ll shoot them one at a time and watch the salt and pepper spray out of their alien bodies.
Alien bastards.
It can be said that Motorola just got its groove back. The Droid is probably one of the best phones out there, followed by the Devour, and they’re constantly releasing a few good models every few weeks, which is better than some manufacturers can say. They’ve hit on a strong formula: build a nice phone, put Android on it, sell a few hundred thousand. Repeat. While the CLIQ XT isn’t Motorola’s best phone, it follows Moto’s not-so-secret recipe without shaming the chef.
Read the rest of this entry at MobileCrunch >>
This might shock you, but when you aren’t at your computer stuff is still going on. Like email. You are still getting them and they are piling up. This shirt will show you how many emails you have waiting for you, but it’s mostly just to display to others how important you are.
They say that the shirt is comfortable, but I don’t know. It requires a single AAA battery. It was created by attaching an Arduino Lilypad controller into a simple T-Shirt with LED indicators showcasing a variety of options.
Okay, you have mail waiting for you. You are important. We get it. Go answer it.