Microsoft Comes Clean About Critical Windows Home Server Bug

Microsoft released more details about a critical bug in its Windows Home Server software (spotted last week) that has the capability to corrupt data on storage devices that run the WHS software. On Saturday it told Computerworld magazine that a bug could corrupt the data stored on systems that were under an "extreme load."

Windows Home Server is an operating system used by many hardware makers such as Hewlett-Packard, Iomega, and Gateway. These hardware manufacturers have planned or have already released storage devices based on the Windows Home Server operating system.

Microsoft representatives told Computerworld it is being proactive about alerting users to potential data corruption problems. Gregg Keizer, Computerworld reporter quotes Todd Headrick, the product planning manager on the Windows Home Server (WHS) team who said the Home Server has to be under an extreme load while doing a large file copy. Headrick added that the flaw comes into play only in instances when the file server's cache is full and the user is editing a file previously saved to a shared folder.

Microsoft's release of Windows Home Server was delayed several times before its final release. In August '07 HP said it had to delay the release of its MediaSmart Server because Microsoft needed more time to make fixes and make small improvements to WHS operating system.

Although Microsoft never officially gave WHS a launch date, Microsoft senior product manager Joel Sider said in July the first hardware wave would probably hit in late September or early October. In January, when Microsoft unveiled WHS at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it said the software would roll out "in the back-to-school-ish time."

HP was the first company to release hardware based on the WHS software in its MediaSmart Server line in November 2007. Microsoft says it's working very hard to develop a fix to this problem. In the meantime Microsoft is advising its customers not to edit files stored on the Windows Home Server with the following programs:

Windows Vista Photo Gallery
Windows Live Photo Gallery
OneNote 2003
OneNote 2007
Outlook 2007
Microsoft Money 2007
SyncToy 2.0 Beta

Harvey Electronics Files for Bankruptcy

I must admit I was saddened by the news that regional consumer electronics retailer Harvey Electronics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. I grew up in the northeast region that was Harvey Electronics' turf (New York and New Jersey), and always appreciated being able to shop there for the gear that was a cut above what you'd find at mass-market retailers (like the now-defunct The Wiz and Crazy Eddie). I find it ironic that in the past four years, the company has seen declining sales and losses. During that same period, some would argue has seen a boom in consumer audio-visual purchases.

That said, I have to wonder if Harvey is a victim of the consumer electronics industry becoming more mass-market than ever before. Just as a dedicated computer retailer like CompUSA had to throw in the towel, I'm thinking about whether a specialty shop like Harvey--which wasn't quite the same as true custom installer, but offered a fair amount of high-end equipment nonetheless--is finding it harder to attract consumers in an era defined by Internet sales and guidance by Best Buy Blue Shirts.

What say you? When it comes time to buy your electronics gear, what kind of store do you gravitate towards?

Hackers Exploit Bhutto Assassination

The tragic assassination of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has prompted malware authors to jump into action. Security experts are reporting a number of incidents where hackers have tried to con the curious into downloading a video of the assassination which delivers malware instead, according to the security experts at McAfee Avert Labs Blog.

Just hours after Bhutto's assassination, McAfee reports, supposed videos of the act were being advertised on the Web. But there was a catch for those seeking to view the Web clips. In order to view the video the curious were prompted to download a new high-definition codec which was required to playback the video (see image above). The codec was instead malware looking to damage computers and steal information. No video was ever displayed.

It's sad to see a tragedy like Bhutto's assassination and doubly so with malware authors trying to cash in on it. The video decoys are reportedly making their rounds on the Web with mentions of the video posted in blog comment fields and links to fake videos showing up high in Google search results, according to McAfee.

This exploit is detectable by antivirus software by the names of Puper, VBS/Psyme or Generic Downloader.c depending on what version. If you don't know whether or not your system is up-to-date, it's likely not. So update it now.

Sony Halts Rear-Projection TV Production

Sony says it will stop manufacturing rear-projection TVs stating the business is just not profitable enough anymore. Sony joins Hitachi and and Seiko to become the third major electronics company to back out of the rear-projection TV business.

Stealing market share from rear-projection TV sales is liquid-crystal-display TVs which are making big and bulky rear-projection TVs look downright antiquated. Sony says rear-projection TV sales plummet by 50 percent in 2007 compared to 2006. Growing 50 percent in sales, within roughly the same time period are sales of LCD TVs, Sony reports. Sony says it will stop production of rear-projection TVs in February.

Eliminating rear-projection production and sales could have a significant impact on future Sony products. Sony has openly said that it will be putting focus on the existing LCD and plasma technology, as well as looking towards the future, which is OLED displays .

Being able to focus all research and development as well as production on flat-panels has the potential added benefit of dropping costs of the current flat panels.

Never having to carry a heavy rear-projection TV while moving is something that everyone can smile about. Now bring on the OLED, my new LCD is just looking for a reason to become obsolete.

Don't Fool Yourself, Playing Wii Tennis Won't Keep You Fit

Think working up a sweat playing Nintendo Wii Tennis is a substitute for exercise, think again. Wii jocks will have to hit the treadmill like everyone else if they want to stay fit.

According to a study by the British Medical Journal, while the Wii provides more activity than passive videogames it is still no replacement for getting some good old fashioned exercise.

Wii is unlike other video game consoles out there. A standard videogame only requires players to move their thumbs and index fingers, whereas the Wii actually requires players to move their hand or occasionally their entire arm to interact with the game. The Wii console has done much to get couch potatoes off their duff and playing video games ? but apparently not enough.

For the British Medical Journal study boys and girls between the ages of 13-15 were selected to play both an Xbox 360 game (Project Gotham Racing 3) and Wii games (Wii Sports). Later the Journal would compare calories burned by the kids while playing each of the games.

The results were unsurprising. The Wii used on average 51 percent more energy than playing a sedentary Xbox 360 game. The Wii Sport game Tennis demanded the most energy from study participants with an energy expenditure of 750 kilo joule (a kilo joule is an international system unit for measuring energy). Wii Boxing expended 730kj and Wii Bowling at 700kj. By comparison, playing Xbox 360 games had a mean energy expenditure of 450kj ? a measurement just slightly higher than resting (300kj).

For me, a lifelong console game junkie, the study results didn't surprise me. It's a big "duh" that playing Wii uses more energy than a standard videogames. I also was not surprised when the study looked at real world sports like tennis and compared it to playing Wii Tennis.

One thing did catch my attention in the study, however. According to the study actual bowling uses only slightly more energy than Wii Bowling.

Sorry to break the bad news to all you folks whose New Year's resolution was stay fit by playing more Wii Sport games.

Google Reader Update Violated Privacy, Critics say

When Google updated its Google Reader program earlier this month it expanded the program's features allowing users to share items with Google Chat "friends." Soon after the update Google was blasted by Google Reader users who felt Google shared too much with others.

Google has since modified its sharing feature to appease critics.

This Google SNAFU isn't on par with the Facebook data sharing fiasco, but there are some similar lessons to learned.

Google Reader is a Web-based RSS reader that allows people keep tabs on blogs and news feeds that they subscribe to. With Google Reader you can view subscriptions in one central location. For some time now Google has allowed you to share news feeds and blog posts you were viewing with friends. To do this you would select a "share" option on the Google Reader item in question.

But with its most recent update Google allowed anyone you had chatted with online using Google Chat, Google's instant messaging service, to see all your Google Reader feeds. Naturally that means you could view the feeds of those you've chatted with as well.

In response to the new feature many in the Google Reader blogosphere expressed outrage expressing concern that some feeds were never intended to be shared. After all no one would argue a Google Reader news feed to a 12-step program might be something a private person would want to keep private.

Google responded to criticism quickly giving users more control over what they shared and with whom. But in the world of blogs the damage had already been done.

Google tripped up because it's trying for the umpteenth time to muscle into well established turf - this time it is social networking. What better way to facilitate connecting with friends than sharing personal interests? In this case the personal interests were Google Reader feeds and the answer was wrong!

Google's move is one that mirrors other attempts by the search engine behemoth. Google wants to be your handset and wireless provider, as well as being the next Wikipedia, and the next big social networking platform.

Just as with Google, when Facebook tried to step up its advertising game its inexperience in advertising showed and it tripped up badly.

Granted the Internet landscape has changed completely from back in January 2002, but perhaps Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO should heed some of his own advice. PC World asked Schmidt in 2002: What have you learned from the mistakes of other search engines?

Schmidt's 2002 reply: "One was not to go public too soon. In other words, build a real business. Another was to stay very focused on search. Search companies, which I won't mention by name, tried to do so many things at the same time, they forgot all about search. They either missed the next revolution of search or they created an opening for a Google to enter."

We all know the Google stock success story. I'll let you know in a year if I've got a gPhone in my pocket and if Google is still my browser's start page.

Blu-ray Site Hacked By Enthusiast

I've seen a lot of back-and-forth among fans of both sides in the format war, but this one bit takes things to a whole new level of fervor. Last Friday--just in time for the final pre-holiday shopping crush--the official Blu-ray Disc site was hacked to send visitors to the official Web site of arch-rival format HD DVD.

According to a Blu-ray Disc Association representative, the group's own investigation into the hack reveals that it appears to be the work of a talented enthusiast who's an HD DVD proponent. The BDA says it discovered the hack within an hour after it happened on Friday; within another hour, the site was back up as normal.

This is the latest manifestation of the fervor and vitriol I've seen over the past months among the fanboys and home theater enthusiast-types who post on the many audio-visual boards. While sharing information online is a great resource for active and passive participants alike, I can't help but wonder how this will play out as the format war progresses and, presumably, one side becomes the dominant force. Things have gotten unnecessarily nasty before; is more of that in store before this war is done?

Report: Apple to Reduce Hearing Damage with iPod Volume Control

Apple is reportedly working on a new iPod feature that automatically regulates volume levels to make sure you don't damage your hearing with excessively loud playback, according to the The Daily Mail.

In patents filed by Apple, The Daily Mail reports, the company is developing technology that allows an iPod's volume to gradually reduce itself after prolonged listening at high volumes. The feature will determine how much time was spent between listening sessions to the iPod and then will gradually decrease or increase the volume to the desired "safe level."

The volume control feature is likely based on research from the Mayo Clinic which found that prolonged listening to loud music on portable media devices can damage hearing. In 2006 Apple even faced a class-actoin suit filed against it for its lack of audio protection in U.S. iPods, as compared to the European models that were required to limit sound levels at 100 decibels.

Apple does deserve a quiet applause for responding to these growing concerns. But I've grown up with everyone around me telling me to turn down my darned music. Once my iPod joins into the mix telling me what's too louch things have gone too far.

Track Santa Online

Kids have been squinting at the sky for a glimpse of Santa Claus for decades. For the past several years, they've been able to turn to computer tools.

The sky-watchers at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a cooperative venture of the United States and Canada, will observe its 50th anniversary in 2008. This December, as it has for most of its existence, the service will also offer high-tech tracking of Santa's journey around the world.

As you can learn on NORAD's special Santa-tracking site, it all started in 1955 when a Colorado radio station mistakenly broadcast as a Santa "hotline" a phone number that was actually for NORAD predecessor the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). Military staff on duty obligingly told the kids who called that they'd check their radar for Santa's progress.

Today, a toll-free number and Website are available for a new generation of Santa-watchers. In fact, NORAD has upgraded the site significantly with a sophisticated Santa-tracker based on Google Earth.

Kids impatient for time to pass can also learn about Santa lore (in six languages) and click around a map of his North Pole Village, peeking into shops and finding games and puzzles in such operations as Mrs. Claus' Alphabet Soup Kitchen and the Reindeer Training Academy.

Tracking Santa requires you install Google Earth, but from there the app runs independently, following the jolly one around the globe. You can click on videos of earlier sightings and also click to learn more about the various places he's already been. (NORAD's site makes it clear to concerned taxpayers that the bulk of this service comes with the help of corporate sponsors).

As of this writing, Santa and his team of reindeer (led by Rudolph, his red nose glowing) is still cruising across Eastern Europe. Here's a shot, but check it out for yourself at NORAD Santa. And Merry Christmas from PC World!

IE Bug Fix for a Bug Fix

Internet Explorer 6x users, take note: Microsoft has posted a downloadable workaround for some IE crashes.

It seems these crashes started happening after users installed the newest security update (Which Microsoft describes in its December 11 Security Bulletin MS07-069 as a "critical update"). Your Windows XP system may have installed the fix as part of the routine updates.

So you might want to revisit the Microsoft Download Center to get the fix for the fix. Microsoft doesn't explain much, but says the update "resolves an issue." If you have issues, the innocuously named IE fix KB946627 might keep IE6 surfing properly.

Wii Shortage Blame Game: Don't Just Blame Nintendo

You can blame this year's Nintendo Wii shortage on, well, Nintendo. But consumer frustration over the shortage of Wii consoles is compounded by resellers and retailers who are using the Wii drought as a marketing tool and way to make money.

Blame the Resellers

In 2006, people made a lot of money selling Wii consoles on eBay. There were some gamers I know who bought the Wii for themselves, but decided to make a quick buck by selling their Wii instead of keeping them. Others bought the Wii just to resell it for a substantial profit.

But in 2007 the reseller market has matured in ways that Tony Soprano might be envious of.

I've heard of people who have made a fulltime job out of reselling Nintendo Wiis. Just search for "Wii resellers" on Google or check eBay to see what I mean. There are loads of Web sites and Wii dealers on eBay selling the Nintendo console for at least twice the MSRP of $250 the unit sells for at retail stores such as Best Buy.

I've heard of some resellers stalking UPS drivers that deliver Wii shipments to retailers. Why? so they can get a jump on the stores that have fresh Wii inventory. Other Wii resellers make friends with the inventory managers at stores just to get first dibs on a Wii.

Reselling may sound like an easy job on paper, but it isn't. One reseller told the Web site Consumerist he received death threats from frustrated buyers wanting to buy a Wii at a reasonable price.

Blame the Retailers

Retailers have also done plenty to frustrate potential Wii customers.

The retailers' role in 2006 was fairly simple. Sell the units as they came in.

In 2007 retailers approach to selling the much in demand Wii changed. It seems the retailers themselves began to exploit the Wii hype using questionable marketing tactics. According to an anecdotal report posted to the Web site Consumerist, at one major electronics retailer, an employee repeatedly walked through the store with a Wii in hand, while another employee made an announcement over the public address system that it is the last Wii. The process was repeated every 15 minutes with numerous Wiis, according to the account.

One year after the release many stores like Best Buy, Target, EB Games and even the Nintendo Store in New York City still have consumers waiting in line outside the store for hours to be the first to buy Nintendo Wiis when limited shipments come in. Of course retailers could lessen the Wii spectacle by issuing rain checks to those customers wanting to buy a Wii in advance of a store receiving new ones. But perhaps the media attention of those Wii lines is worth more to retailers than making the lives of would-be Wii customers more convenient.

I should point out, one enlightened retailer Gamespot has issued a rain check system allowing customers to pre-order and pay for Nintendo Wiis. That eliminates the need for waiting in line outside the store.

I'd like to propose some new rules for retailers and resellers when it comes to selling the Nintendo Wii. First, retailers must take down all those Nintendo Wii marketing signs, marquees, and huge in-store Wii promotions until they get more Wii consoles in stock. As for resellers, please just stop creating artificial scarcity by buying up every single Wii when they go on sale.

Okay, I know that's not going to happen.

Lets just hope Nintendo opens up more production plants and Wii resellers turn their attention to scalping Hannah Montana concert tickets instead.

Study: Wired Teens Changing Communication Norms

In this age of MySpace, instant messaging, cell phones, and email do teenagers still have time for face-to-face human interaction? According to a study (PDF) by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the answer may be no.

Pew found among teens with access to multiple forms of communication (be it text messaging, online chat, and cell phones) only 35 percent listed personal human interaction as an everyday means of communication. That makes face-to-face communication the second least popular option for communicating among wired teens. The only thing less popular than face-to-face communications was email with only 22 percent of teens saying they sent an email daily.

Cell phones are a teenager's main method for communicating with 70 percent of Pew survey respondents saying it is their primary means of communicating with peers. Next it was SMS text messaging with 60 percent of teens saying it was how the communicated with friends.

The Internet is close behind with 54 percent of teens saying they sent an instant messaging daily to a friend. Forty-seven percent listed social networking sites as how they communicated with friends daily. The landline phone is still alive and kicking with 46 percent of teens they used it once a day.

For my money, nothing will replace actually meeting people in person. Sure virtual communication can be more convenient. But emoticons can only do so much in a text or instant message.

The Pew study Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online (PDF) was based on a survey conducted between Oct. and Nov. 2006 by the Princeton Survey Research Associates International.

Apple, Think Secret Settlement Is a Mistake

Chalk one up for Apple's lawyers. These savvy individuals have managed to use Apple's deep pockets to pay off one of the greatest Web sites for Apple rumors and information, Think Secret. As of today, Think Secret has officially closed its doors.

Think Secret's rise to fame took a major leap in December 2004 when it accurately predicted the release of the Mac Mini, iPod Shuffle, and iWork productivity suite that were unveiled at the MacWorld Expo that following January. It was quickly apparent to Apple that Think Secret's editor, Nicholas Ciarelli, who used the pen name Nick dePlume, had insider contacts and Apple slapped a lawsuit on ThinkSecret claiming a violation of trade secrets.

Nearly three years later, the two have reached an undisclosed settlement that "results in a positive solution for both sides." We know that Ciarelli did not reveal his sources, and he agreed to no longer publish Think Secret, but the other details of the settlement are unknown.

"I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits," Ciarelli says in a press release.

Ciarelli deserves recognition for not throwing his insider source or sources under the bus to save himself.

The loss of Think Secret has massive implications in the Apple community, which has exploded over the past year. Since its launch in 1998, Think Secret was never 100-percent accurate with its predictions--but it created a buzz effect throughout the Web. Applenova, the official Think Secret message board, still thrives with 11,000 active members, 26,000 discussions, and 200 to 300 members viewing the message boards at any given time.

Today you can walk through an airport or sit in on a college lecture hall and see more glowing Apple logos than ever. Think Secret can't take all of the credit for the Apple explosion, but the buzz it created didn't hurt Apple, even if the company thinks otherwise.

As a Mac user myself, but more so as a newshound, it saddens me to see Think Secret go.

Oh, and Ciarelli, if you are listening: Any final word about an Apple tablet?

Closer Look: Firefox 3 Beta 2 Release

Developers at Mozilla worked overtime and released a new beta version of the Firefox browser days ahead of schedule. The Firefox 3.0 Beta 2 became available to developers yesterday who will comb over the release looking for bugs and ways to improve the code before the browsers final release expected early next year. Here is a story on the news.

This latest Firefox release does have some new features not included in the first beta release. However at its core this Firefox release is nearly identical to the previous release which I wrote about last month.

Continue reading "Closer Look: Firefox 3 Beta 2 Release"

Apple iPod Touch Teardown Shows Tech Sophistication

When the Apple iPod Touch first debuted in September, it was easy to label it as an iPhone without the phone. It was less-expensive, slimmer, and was missing some of the software and components of its cellular sibling.

Today iSuppli released its teardown analysis of the iPod touch, and the results revealed that that initial impression is largely correct. The iPod Touch and the iPhone share about 90 percent of their internal components. At the heart of both units: Samsung's video and applications ARM microprocessor. The iPod Touch also has built-in Wi-Fi and a 3.5-inch multitouch display.

Where the two models diverge is in the efficiency of the internal components. The iPod Touch's internal design is optimized for its slimmer shape, according to iSuppli's analysis. The components are packaged in an innovative way to conserve on space. The iPod Touch also gets away with using just one Printed Circuit Board instead of the two found on the iPhone; and, it relocates the touch-screen circuitry to the PCB from the touch-screen module itself (as the components are configured on the iPhone). The iPod Touch also uses a different set of components for the iPod's touch's Wi-Fi connectivity.

Do Not Call Registry: Closer to Permanent

Apparently a few too many telemarketers called the homes of easily agitated congressmembers because new legislation aims to greatly improve the already exceptional Do Not Call Registry that reins in those pesky telemarketers.

The existing Nation Do Not Call Registry is an opt-in service that gives phone owners a choice whether to receive telemarketer calls. Since its launch in 2003, consumers have registered 145 million phone numbers. But the original Do Not Call list requires renewal every five years for every registered phone number. This is ostensibly to keep the list as accurate as possible.

The Senate this week passed The Do Not Call Improvement Act of 2007, vastly improving the registry by not requiring any kind of renewal. The House passed a nearly identical bill on December 11. Bill sponsor Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) says he expects the Act to quickly move to the White House for Presidential approval before the October 1, 2008 deadline, when the DNC registry will begin to be wiped clean as part of the original guidelines.

This isn't the only bill to hit the telemarketers where it hurts. The Do Not Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007 gives the Federal Trade Commission the power to assess telemarketers operational fees to maintain the registry. Currently, the FTC can collect fees only through the end of 2007. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the FTC will collect $107 million over the next five years.

The FTC will likely also be quick to jump on violators of the DNC registry. In November the FTC fined several companies $7.7 million for violations, including big names like DirecTV and Craftmatic. If you think a telemarketer has violated the act by calling your registered number, be sure to file a complaint at the DNC Web site.

Here's to peace, quiet, and nobody questioning our happiness with current insurance, long-distance telephone, cable, or magazine subscriptions!

Ink Stink: HP and Staples Accused of Breaking Antitrust Laws

Within a year the cost of replacing the inkjet cartridges for your printer can easily add up to more than the actual cost of the printer. Any consumer who is unaware of the total cost of ownership of a printer typically throws a tizzy when they do the math.

That's why people like California resident Ranjit Bedi have turned to third-party ink cartridges such as those sold by Staples that can cost significantly less than what Hewlett-Packard, Epson, and Lexmark charge.

But what happens when your local office superstore stops selling your favorite inexpensive ink? Bedi decided to sue. He filed lawsuit against HP and Staples in a U.S. District Court in Boston alleging HP paid Staples more than $100 million to stop selling lower-priced printer cartridges for HP printers. He contends both firms broke antitrust laws in collaborating on the sale of replacement ink-jet cartridges.

In the complaint it's alleged that HP charges around $8,000 per gallon for its ink. When news agency Reuters asked HP and Staples to comment on the suit both declined.

I'm no lawyer and don't claim to have a firm grasp on the case in question. But without a smoking gun I'd say Bedi is going to have face the sad reality OEM inkjet cartridge replacements are just bloody expensive.

That's not to say there aren't ways to save. Here are some tips PC World came up with in our story The Cheapskate's Guide to Printing.

Apple iPhone Coming Soon to Japan?

According to reports by Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, Apple is apparently in talks with Japan's top mobile wireless carriers to bring the iPhone across the Pacific.

Word is that Steve Jobs has met with NTT DoCoMo, which leads the Japanese market, and with Softbank, the number three player in Japan. In either case, it appears that Apple may be gunning for an exclusive arrangement, as it has worked out with American and European carriers. Reuters is saying that Apple wants 10 percent of iPhone service revenues.

That Apple is looking to expand into Asian markets makes perfect market sense. Japanese consumers already rely heavily on mobile phones and services for everyday communications and tasks. According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly 100 million Japanese are glued to their mobiles (and update hardware every two years, no less).

Another point in the iPhone's favor: Apple is already much loved in Japan, where an Apple store has a prominent location on Tokyo's Ginza (seen above), and on a recent trip I saw more tell-tale iPod earphones and players than I saw any other music device.

As much opportunity as I think the iPhone has to take Japan by storm, I do have to wonder how Japanese consumers will respond to its slick, non-clamshell design. The vast majority of phones I saw in Japan recently were hefty flip, or clamshell, models. I don't doubt that the iPhone's simple, graphical interface will be a big hit, but the lack of buttons and a flip design may give some users pause.

Then again, if the trendy iPhone can do everything existing wireless models can do and more--and do so in a slimmer, more stylish package--I fully expect that the iPhone will be a hit in Japan, too.

Playstation 3 Adds Blu-ray Profile 1.1 Support

Back in October, Sony Computer Entertainment confirmed it would offer a Playstation 3 update that would allow the gaming console to support Blu-ray's impending spec requirements, dubbed Blu-ray Profile 1.1 (and formally called Blu-ray Bonus View). At the time, Sony wouldn't commit to when it would offer the upgrade, but the simple fact that it would was significant news to the 2.7 million Playstation 3 owners.

Sony has come through on its promise today, with its announcement that firmware 2.10's availability. The firmware adds Picture-in-Picture support for viewing supplemental content on-demand (just as you can with HD DVD), and adds support secondary audio and video streams--useful for interactive features.

The company has not announced BD-Live support as yet, but based on the PS3's specs, the console should have no problem meeting the hardware requirements for BD-Live (ethernet connection, at minimum 1GB of persistent storage).

According to stats from the Blu-ray Disc Association and Video Business, if you include Playstation 3 among the pool of Blu-ray players in homes, then 2 million Blu-ray players now support Blu-ray Profile 1.1. Among standalone players shipping today, only LG's Super Blu BH200 and Panasonic's DMP-BD30 currently support Profile 1.1.

The Profile 1.1 support is the big news with this update. However, two other notable improvements also came along for the ride: the PS3 now can handle DivX and VC-1 video.

Vonage Woes: 2007 was Tough Year for the VoIP Firm

Vonage is facing some customer complaints over a multi-day outage this past weekend. But that's the least of its worries. On Friday telecommunications equipment maker Nortel Networks filed a lawsuit against Vonage in a U.S. District Court in Delaware claiming that it violated nearly a dozen patents.

This past year has been a rough one for the voice over Internet protocol company. I have to say, the long-term outlook is getting bleaker for the firm as it faces a seemingly endless stream of lawsuits.

At this point Vonage's lawyers should be experts with patent infringement lawsuits after the dealings with patent lawsuits filed by AT&T, Sprint-Nextel and Verizon. Those patent fights alone cost the broadband telephone company a grand total of $239 million, according to reports.

It's been a sad tumble for Vonage after bursting onto the scene as one of the most promising VoIP firms out there. Oh, how quickly things have changed. 2007 has been particularly bad with the resignation of CEO Michael Snyder, plans to cut 1,800 jobs and non-stop barrage of lawsuits.

If anything is more telling of the life of Vonage, it's the stock prices. It opened up on the NYSE at $17 per share and will likely end the year less than $2 per share.

One of the shining moments for 2007 was when Vonage proudly announced the development of two work-arounds for the three VoIP patents Verizon was suing over. This was until this past weekend when the multi-day outage hit a number of users and the Nortel lawsuit loomed over the collective head of Vonage. One Vonage user posted the outage was an "extreme situation" at the site Broadband Reports where many other Vonage customers swapped weekend outage stories.

The biggest problem facing Vonage is its inability to keep up with its competitors. Many broadband providers like Comcast, Time Warner, and Cox offer a digital telephone service and the convenience of bundling services such as Internet access, cable TV, and phone services. Other VoIP solutions like Skype eliminated the need for proprietary equipment, like Vonage requires.

I'm not a betting man, but if 2008 goes anything like 2007 did I'd be surprised if the company can make through 2009. My fingers are crossed Vonage can turn its bad run around. If for no other reason I would hate to see its brilliant TV commercials vanish.

Dash Express Two-Way GPS Now Available for Pre-Order

It was almost a year ago when we first told you about the Dash Express, an Internet-connected in-car GPS unit that may be the future of travel. The most touted feature of the Dash Express is its two-way communication that allows multiple units to communicate with each other sharing information about traffic conditions. Much to the excitement of road warriors, the Dash Express will finally be available in 2008, with pre-orders being accepted.

This GPS unit is almost cynical in a way. While another person may be stuck in a traffic jam 10 miles up the road, the Dash Express connects to the Dash Driver Network, which is a real-time database of all other Dash Express owners and their currently location, speed and more. Using this kind of information the Dash is capable of recognizing upcoming traffic jams and provide up to three different routes around the jam.

Continue reading "Dash Express Two-Way GPS Now Available for Pre-Order"

Updated FireWire Specification to Challenge USB 3.0

Get those lighters ready, a comeback tour is currently in the works for the under-appreciated and seldom used FireWire interface. FireWire was once a big name rockstar, featuring Apple's backing and high-speeds, but the PC revolution of the past decade has slowly pushed FireWire into retirement, allowing USB to reign supreme.

The 1394 Trade Association recently announced a new FireWire standard capable of quadrupling the speeds of the previous FireWire 800 standard, to 3.2 gigabits per second. New FireWire gear based on the spec will be available in 2008, according to 1394 Trade Association. Sticking with an often intimidating and confusing numbered name, the new S3200 standard is looking to kick USB to the curb for dominance in cabling.

Pros and Cons USB and FireWire

Both FireWire S3200 and USB 3.0 have advantages and disadvantages.

USB 3.0 does have the higher speed. It also includes a familiarity with the general consumers that was built up thanks to the success of USB 2.0. It also doesn't hurt that nearly every major computer accessory and peripheral released in the past few years supports USB.

On the other hand, to take advantage of new speeds and features of USB 3.0 consumers will have to upgrade their USB ports and cables. This is where S3200 is trying to one-up USB 3.0. S3200 will operate on the same cables and connectors from the prior FireWire standard.

A lot of the other beneficial features with FireWire could have a significant impact on the battle, especially now that the average consumer is a lot more familiar with computer peripherals that use USB or FireWire. Some of these features include a peer-to-peer architecture, meaning that the computer could be eliminated entirely from some common digital tasks - for example hooking up a scanner directly to a printer. Also because FireWire is capable of providing much more power than USB this could eliminate unnecessary power adapters for peripherals such as external hard drives and alike.

Will the familiar sounds of the USB interface hold strong? Or will the FireWire be able to win away the crowds with its rocking technology and convenience? Only time will tell on 2008's Battle of the Cable Standard.

Go Ahead Google Yourself, Everyone is

(PC World contributor Scott Nichols looked into a study that says people are increasingly turning to Google to find out about themselves. Here is what he found.)

Have you Googled yourself lately? According to a survey (PDF) by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, there is a good chance you have.

The survey, released Sunday, found that 47 percent of Internet users have searched for themselves through Google - up from 22 percent in 2002. Only 3 percent of those searching for themselves on Google claim to do it on a regular basis, with 22 percent claiming to search for themselves "every once in a while." A majority of 74 percent said they have searched for themselves once or twice.

Another interesting tidbit from the Pew survey is 53 percent of Internet users have Googled someone else?s name. Reasons include reconnecting with past friends (36 percent), searching about a coworker (19 percent) or a job applicant (11 percent), or even finding information about someone they are dating (9 percent).

Not included in the survey is the statistic that approximately 100 percent of those who read about the survey will Google their own name just to see what all the fuss is about. I of course did, and was both disappointed and relieved to find no information about myself.

While it's nice to know Google gawkers can't pull up anything on me if they tried, there's a strange emptiness to not having a digital footprint.

Perhaps I shouldn't care what people find out about me on Google. Apparently people don't worry about it.

The Pew survey found that 60 percent of Internet users are not concerned with how much information is available online about them. A similar number of online adults (61 percent) claimed not to limit the amount of personal information they reveal online, while only 38 percent claimed to have taken extra precautions to limit that information.

Verizon Wireless Announces Palm OS Based Treo 755p

The Palm operating system may be losing ground, but it's not dead yet. Today Verizon Wireless updated its lineup of Treo cell phone-PDAs with the Treo 755p, an EVDO smartphone based on version 5.4.9 of the Palm operating system. Sprint has had the 755p in metallic red and blue since last spring; Verizon's version is a metallic dark bluish-green. Here are a few images from Palm's press kit:

The 755p is the thinnest and, at 5.6 ounces, most lightweight version of the business-oriented Treo line, but it's still larger (and more expensive) than the sporty, 4.2-ounce Palm Centro, another EVDO smartphone that Sprint introduced two months ago. (EVDO, the 3G technology that both Sprint and Verizon use, moves data at 400-700 kilobits per second.)

However Sprint still has an exclusive on the Centro, and Verizon Wireless' only Palm-based EVDO Treos--the 700p, available with and without a camera--are relatively heavy (6.4 ounces) and look rather clunky with their stubby antennas.

Verizon apparently felt it needed a more up-to-date Palm-based smartphone, and the 755p does come with a full complement of features, including a 1.3-megapixel camera; a mini-SD card slot that supports up to 4GB of storage; Pocket Tunes for music playback; Bluetooth support for both wireless headsets and use of the phone as a modem; support for voice dialing (an extra-cost Verizon service); and Documents to Go for viewing and editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

What's somewhat puzzling is Verizon's pricing: Even after an instant online rebate for signing the usual two-year contract, the 755p will set you back $400 (or $350 after a mail-in rebate). On Sprint's site, however, it looks like I can get the 755p for $250 if I sign the two-year agreement--no mail-in rebate required. (The Centro, with all rebates, comes to $100--but it definitely feels less sturdy than a Treo.)

I did notice one small difference in the specs for the Sprint and Verizon versions: Sprint's site says its 755p models have a 1500mAh battery, while Verizon's 755p specs list the battery as a slightly more powerful 1600mAh. Note, however, that the older, fatter 700p uses a more powerful 1800mAh battery. Note also that Verizon at this writing still charges $400 for the older model, although a mail-in rebate brings that down to $250.

Moby Gives Music Away to Indie Filmmakers

Electronic musician Moby just handed the DIY-video generation a fantastic Christmas gift.

As every aspiring filmmaker knows, it's pretty hard to get a decent soundtrack for a low-budget (or no-budget) film. Moby, whose album Play topped the charts in 1999 -- and incidentally had songs appearing in just about every commercial you could think of -- has decided to license 70 original pieces of music for free to "independent and non-profit filmmakers, film students, and anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film, video, or short." These days, that includes pretty much anyone with a Sanyo Xacti and a YouTube account. Commercial filmmakers can also use the music, provided that any proceeds are donated to the Humane Society.

Aspiring Tarantinos need only sign in at mobygratis.com to download the music they need.

"Jackass 2.5" Reshuffles Release Windows

New technologies have played havoc with the movie industry's release windows -- the gap between a movie's theatrical release and its appearance in other media -- since the days of the rental videocassette. Recent years have seen more radical experiments, from 2929 Entertainment's attempt at releasing movies on the big screen, DVD, VOD and TV simultaneously in late 2005 to NBC/Universal's "Battlestar Galactica: Razor" compressed release schedule, in which the feature-length side story was screened theatrically in some cities last month, aired on the Sci-Fi Channel five days later, and then appeared on DVD and Amazon Unbox two weeks after that.

Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment and MTV New Media are looking to upend not just the release schedule, but the release order of "Jackass 2.5," the third feature-length outing in which Johnny Knoxville and crew do things people really shouldn't try at home. The 64-minute film will launch on December 19 on blockbuster.jackassworld.com, where it will be available for free viewing for two weeks. It will then move on to for-pay distribution on DVD and via Apple's iTunes and Unbox.

Continue reading ""Jackass 2.5" Reshuffles Release Windows"

Google Takes a Crack at Wikipedia with Knol

Google is gunning for Wikipedia with a new service called Knol that aims to capitalize on the growing popularity of social encyclopedias. The Google Knol (defined as a "unit of knowledge") project is in closed trials right now with no word on when it will be open to the public to try.

(Click this image for a look at what a Google Knol entry looks like.)

According to a recent blog posting about the Knol project by Google we know a bit about what to expect. From what I can tell Knol shares a lot of the same traits as the pre-existing types of social reference pages such as Wikipedia, Squidoo, and Mahalo. As with these other services Knol users have the ability to create a page on any topic with information, pictures, links and more. It's in the details where Google is looking to one-up the competition and justify its existence.

What Makes Knol Unique

Google's primary focus on Knol will be with the authorship of each page. The original creator of each page will have a miniature profile on the page and will be given a wide variety of options to control the page.

Continue reading "Google Takes a Crack at Wikipedia with Knol"

First Look: Google Toolbar 5 for IE

Google's browser toolbar has been a trusted surfing companion of mine for years - blocking pop-ups and giving me easy access to nifty search tools. I hate to say it, but I've grown so accustomed to the toolbar I take it for granted. But with Google's latest update, Google Toolbar 5 for Internet Explorer released this week, I'm appreciating it a lot more again.

For reasons only Google knows, it has released an update to its toolbar exclusively for IE and neglected to update the Firefox version of the Google Toolbar this time around. Google's update to the IE toolbar is not major. From what I can tell most of the new additions serve as hooks by Google linking you to its growing stable of online services such as Google Calendar, YouTube, and Google Product Search (aka Froogle).

One new IE feature, called Google Gadgets, gives you one-click toolbar access to a variety of Google destinations such as YouTube and third-party content from partners like The New York Times. Another new addition called Google Notebook is essentially a Web clipping tool that allows you to collect text and images and save the content to your Google account online. Another new IE toolbar feature, a Web auto-fill tool that automatically populates Web forms, is one that Firefox users have had for some time.

I took a look at Google Toolbar 5 for IE and here are my first impressions.

Google Gadgets

This is the most robust of the new features. Now the IE toolbar includes a link to Google's Toolbar Button Gallery. Here you can pick from dozens of custom applications, or Google Gadgets, in the form of buttons which you embed directly into the Google IE toolbar. They remind me a lot of Firefox Extensions.

Continue reading "First Look: Google Toolbar 5 for IE"

Google Adds Eight Cities to Street View

Can't get enough of virtually cruising your favorite cities in America via Google Street Views? If not, there is good news. Google has added eight new cities to its growing list of U.S. locations that allow you to browse and explore 360-degree panoramic views of highways, streets, and cul-de-sacs.

With this weeks additional cities Google now offers Street Views of 23 cities. Cities added this week include Boston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Detroit, and Providence. Google's last Street View addition came in October.


View Larger Map

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RIAA Targets "Shared Folders" and CD Ripping

A court case involving the Recording Industry Association of America and and an alleged illegal file swapper has re-sparked an old debate and raised new concerns over what consumers are legally allowed to do with the music they own.

At issue in the Arizona court case of Atlantic v. Howell is whether or not consumers are breaking copyright laws if they rip a music CD and save the digital files to a "shared folder." Shared folders are the folders that peer-to-peer file swapping programs such as Kazaa use to download and upload files from.

What many find controversial in the Atlantic v. Howell case is a legal assertion by the RIAA that if a "sound recording" is ripped to a computer and stored in any kind of a shared folder, that sound recording becomes "unauthorized." Many in the blogosphere interpret this to mean that ripping CDs is seen as "unauthorized" by the RIAA. Others argue that the RIAA is just putting a fine point on the fact that ripping CDs to a shared folder -- used by a peer-to-peer program -- is tantamount to swapping the files illegally.

One point is made clear throughout documents filed by the plaintiff in the court case Atlantic v. Howell and that is the RIAA believes that the act of making copyrighted material available via a "shared folder" is enough to constitute the "right of distribution." In other words, putting copyrighted material in a shared folder is just as bad as actually sharing it with another individual.

Because I'm not a lawyer I will wait for the RIAA to un-parse its ripping position before I claim to completely understand what its' exact position is on "shared folders." But if the RIAA is set on defending this statement absolutely then serious questions are raised.

"Shared folders" means one thing in the peer-to-peer world when you are talking about programs such as BitTorrent, KaZaA and Limewire. But if the RIAA is referring to any "shared folder" than that is an entirely different story.

Everything from home storage devices such as the HP MediaSmart Server allows you to put files in a shared folder. So also do network management programs such as Network Magic have shared folders as does online storage services such as Windows Live SkyDrive service. Heck, with both Windows XP and Vista you can create shared folders that are either accessible via a network (home, school, or work) or to anyone on the Internet.

If the RIAA is going to define these types of "shared folders" as off limits for our music libraries it could be in for some intense criticism.

Nokia Prepares for Fisticuffs with Google

Not many companies are thrilled about throwing down the gauntlet with technology kingpin, Google. But Nokia already has its gloves on and is ready to go when it comes the wireless handheld market. Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, chief executive for Nokia, recently shared some not-so-kind words about Google and its recent venture into the mobile industry with the Android platform and the Open Handset Alliance.

Much like Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and Symbian's Nigel Clifford, Kallasvuo is still shrugging off the Android platform and Open Handset Alliance calling it just an "announcement," which the International Herald Tribune said was laced with sarcasm.

These recent words could be due to the fact that Nokia was snubbed on the invitation list to the 34-party Open Handset Alliance that is growing daily, or it could be due to the fact that the worldwide mobile giant is seeing through the Google fluff to only realize that similar projects have been in development for Nokia for years.

It is apparent that Nokia is ready to combat whatever Google has to throw with its open platform by its recent purchase of Navteq and its development of a music service, enterprise solutions and Internet services. One of the most significant differences is that Nokia is buying companies and dumping cash into development, while Google is releasing an open platform hoping the applications and services build themselves with the help of a strong developer community and large alliance of companies.

It may not be great for the companies involved, but nice and healthy competition is just what the mobile industry needs, at least for the consumers. Win or lose, the wars being waged between Google and the field will only create better handsets and better applications to run on said handsets.

Ask Boosts Privacy, Allows You to Erase Search Tracks

Ask.com is casting another stone against the Goliath(s) today with a new service called AskEraser that promises to make searches more private. Ask is currently the fifth most used search engine behind Google, Yahoo, AOL, and Microsoft, according to ComScore.

Ask.com is hoping protecting user privacy will be a springboard to gain on its competition. It might just work, considering search engines have come under fire over privacy issues. Questions about how anonymous users of search engines really are surfaced in 2006 when AOL released data for 650,000 users, which resulted in a lawsuit. Things have since boiled over into a full-fledge privacy brawl with privacy activists such as the Center for Democracy and Technology expressing deep concern over whether the data search engines collect about customer search habits is too much.

Major search engines have taken some steps to make searching more anonymous. The AskEraser is the latest attempt by a search engine.

A Good Start

After trying out AskEraser I liked it, but was not feeling like I had found privacy nirvana. The link to turn the AskErase service on and off is clearly visible on all Ask pages and was very simple to use.

Searches with AskEraser enabled and disabled appeared to be identical in results. Some services from Ask do require the AskEraser to be disabled, like homepage skins and the MyStuff feature, but the ease of turning AskEraser on and off did not create any significant conflicts.

Even though it isn't visually apparent that the searches are more secure and private, it is nice knowing that if I ever need to perform a secure search, that option is available. Hopefully this addition will also encourage other search engines to release similar services, but Google has already said that no such service is being developed.

That being said, be well aware that Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and others don't actively release your search logs, but know that somewhere, in a server facility somewhere, everything you search for is saved. A little scary, eh?

Dell Shows Its First Tablet PCs

Dell announced last spring that it would enter the tablet PC market later in the year, and earlier today, PCW Editor in Chief Harry McCracken and I got to see one of the first Dell Latitude XT tablets in a briefing with Dell executives. Dell says it will begin taking orders for the Latitude XT--a convertible 12.1-inch notebook with a capacitative touchscreen--in the next few weeks.

Here's what the Latitude XT looks like as a notebook...

... and as a tablet (all images courtesy of Dell's press kit).

As usual, Dell brings its own spin to a product category that others pioneered more than five years ago with a special version of Windows XP. (Dell's tablets run either Windows Vista Business Edition, Windows Vista Ultimate Edition--both of which integrate tablet features--or Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005.)

First, there will be two versions of the Latitude XT: A lightweight (under 4 pounds) version with an LED-backlit LCD screen, and a slightly heftier version that uses a CCFL LCD screen optimized for use outdoors. Either way, Dell says, the Latitude XT is still one of the most lightweight tablets to incorporate capacitative technology (i.e. it detects and responds to variations in pressure).

Additionally, Dell's tablets incorporate multitouch technology--the same type of technology that enables all the cool fingertip tricks on the iPhone. However the tablets do not ship with applications that use the technology; Dell expects third-party software developers to produce such apps down the road.

Dell will offer its customers a range of configuration options including single-core or dual core ultra-low voltage Intel processors; several types of hard drives (40GB/80GB 4200 RPM; 120GB 5400 RPM; or 32GB/64GB solid-state drives); 1GB, 2GB or 3GB of RAM; and a slew of wireless options including draft-802.11n Wi-Fi and several integrated EV-DO modules.

You don't get to pick your graphics, though; all Latitude XT's will use ATI Radeon X1250 UMA integrated graphics, which makes me worry for people who go for the minimum 1GB of RAM.

Dell says prices will start at an expensive-sounding $2499, but good touchscreen digitizer technology doesn't ever come cheap. We'll look forward to getting a unit in for hands-on and benchmark testing.

Hands On: LG BH200 Blu-ray and HD DVD Player Works Smoothly, but Slowly

LG Electronics' highly anticipated second-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD video player is now shipping. My first impressions of this player in action are mostly positive: The player does its job in properly decoding both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. But my early use of the player yields one initial, albeit significant, complaint: The player is pokey--at startup, when identifying whether you've inserted a Blu-ray or an HD DVD disc, when changing chapters, or when navigating disc menus. (Update 12/11/2007: As I've moved through more discs during my hands-on testing, I've noticed that some discs have more pauses during navigation than others--and some have no issues at. I have not noticed a pattern as yet to these behaviors.) Stay tuned for more impressions (or read our review of LG's latest dual-format drive technology, in the second-gen GGW-H20L).

The BH200 notably rights its predecessor the BH100's transgressions by fully implementing the HD DVD spec, which means you can properly and seamlessly view the fancy menus and extra content on an HD DVD disc. Furthermore, this player is the first to ship that supports the recently implemented Blu-ray Bonus View picture-in-picture functionality (part of what was once widely referenced as Blu-ray Profile 1.1).

According to LG, this player also has the hardware necessary to support Blu-ray's Internet-connected content, BD Live, when such content surfaces sometime next year. Not unexpectedly, though the player is what LG calls "BD Live-ready," it will require a firmware update in order to play BD Live content.

Although the $999 BH200 certainly busts down the barriers between Blu-ray and HD DVD, LG is charging a high premium for the convenience of having both formats in one box. That premium feels particularly high in a season still reeling from $99 HD DVD (granted, those models were only capable of 1080i, not 1080p output, as the BH200 is) and $350 Blu-ray Disc players. Already, Samsung has said its own dual-format player, due out this month, will be priced at $799. Given how volatile player prices have been lately, I won't be surprised to hear of a price drop on the BH200 soon after its introduction.

LG's Tim Alessi, director of product development, says the company is watching the pricing situation. "We still believe there's a convenience factor that will justify that premium. How much that premium will be remains to be seen."

LG Jumps Into GPS Fray With LN790 Digital Navigator

GPS is all the rage these days--both among holiday shoppers and among manufacturers looking for a piece of the pie. The latest entrant: LG Electronics, which is now shipping its LN790 Digital Navigator.

This premium $449 GPS features a slim design, Bluetooth connectivity, and a bright, 4.3-inch touch screen display, in 16:9 aspect ratio. The unit comes preloaded with maps for the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada, provides turn-by-turn navigation, and offers real-time traffic information in 50 North American cities via optional subscription. Navtek supplies both the traffic data and the millions of points-of-interest entries.

The Bluetooth connectivity lets you use this device as a speakerphone for hands-free calling. Plus, the multipurpose, multimedia-capable LN790 handles music, photo, and video playback.

Social Networking Site Imeen Inks Deal with Universal

It's a great day to be a frugal music fan. Today social-networking site Imeem announced a deal with Universal Music Group to allow its users to listen to the music of Universal artists for free. Imeen members won't be able to download tracks, but will be able to stream songs and music videos on their Imeen personal pages.

This continues with the ever-evolving trend of artists and labels releasing music for free, in one way or another.

I find Universal's move particularly surprising given the company's previous dealings online. Recently NBC Universal created quite the ruckus with Apple over how much profit Apple received from NBC content being sold on iTunes. Universal Music Group (UMG) also sued one of the most popular social-networking site, MySpace, for copyright infringement over songs posted on personal MySpace pages.

Imeem is a bit different than MySpace because the focus of this social-networking site is primarily centered around sharing media. Many features are integrated into the service that allows users to easily upload and post music, videos, photos and more. It is also a big gathering point for unsigned bands and artists.

UMG is the last of the four major label groups to join up with Imeem, and it's easily the biggest. Beck, Kayne West and Bon Jovi are just a few of the numerous big name artists under UMG.

The deal will allow Imeem to carry full-length song and music video by UMG artists. In return Universal will receive a percent of Imeen's advertising revenue earned each time a user plays one of its artists' songs or videos.

Much to the pleasure of all -- maybe minus the musicians -- free music may be the
future, especially after seeing Radio's successful experiment and other initiatives for the music industry to embrace the online, free-driven music industry.

What EBay Tells Us about Pop Culture in 2007

(PC World contributor Nino Marchetti spotted a story about eBay's take on 2007 pop-culture -- here is what he found.)

How should we measure pop culture in 2007? Should it be the weekend movie box office numbers? Or maybe by what products Apple, Google, and Microsoft marketed the heaviest? Well the folks at eBay think they have found an accurate way of gauging what fascinated Americans most in 2007.

The online auctioneer has rated what obsessed its' customers the most in 2007 by examining the volume of items sold in categories such as celebrity scandals, blockbuster films, tech gadgets, and best-selling books. The complete list is online if you'd like to check it out yourself.

In the category of "Hot, Hard-to-Get Tech" eBay reports Apple's iPod (not iPhone) was the top-dog in 2007 when it came to gadgets - with 2,781,243 iPod-related items sold on eBay.

Runners up in the tech category include:

* 532,390 Nintendo Wii-related items sold
* 272,852 Sony PlayStation 3-related items sold
* 158,132 Apple iPhone-related items sold
* 96,508 Guitar Hero-related items sold
* 63,851 Microsoft Xbox 360-related items sold
* 50,182 Halo 3-related items sold

Other interesting 2007 pop-culture footnotes include:

An impressive 34,345 Britney Spears-related items sold this year on eBay, beating out Paris Hilton commerce at 27,377 items, and Lindsay Lohan at 8,099.

Lastly, forget Harry Potter, says eBay. Transformers-related items beat out the boy sorcerer, selling over 442,000 items compared to Potter's over 344,000. Most Transformers fans apparently took to robot action figures - some 71 percent of related sales comprised this type of product.

ISP Tracks Customers and Targets Ads

(PC World contributor Emily Price spotted a story about an ISP that tracks its customers' Web movements to better target online ads to them -- here is her take on the story.)

Should a company that knows your every move on the Web also be able to provide you with advertising?

The Wall Street Journal published an interesting report about a Louisiana-based phone/Internet service provider named CenturyTel that has decided to expand its business by getting into online advertising. What makes advertising scheme interesting is that CenturyTel plans to provide highly targeted ads to its customers online by tracking where they go online and what they do.

The Journal reports CenturyTel will be working with the company NebuAd to collect information about what their customers do while online. NebuAd will then take the information it collects about CenturyTel customers? surfing habits and allow advertisers to reach CenturyTel customers with extremely well targeted online ads. Both CenturyTel and NebuAd share in advertising revenues, according to the report.

Having ads provided by an ISP certainly raises privacy issues. Unlike existing online advertising programs that use "cookies" technology to "recognize" online visitors when they return to select Web sites or companies such as Google which provides advertising based on what you're looking at right now, CenturyTel would know everything you've ever done online using its service.

Continue reading "ISP Tracks Customers and Targets Ads"

Cell Phones to Replace Paper Boarding Passes

(PC World contributor Scott Nichols looked into reports your cell phone could soon serve as an airline boarding pass -- here is what he found.)

What do an MP3 player, a GPS navigation system, digital cameras, e-mail, video games, and browsing the Web have in common? They are things you can do on a cell phone other than talk. Well, here's another to add to the list: airline boarding pass.

According to a story I spotted at USA Today's Web site, Continental Airlines says it will begin allowing customers to substitute paper boarding passes with a cell phone-based boarding pass system.

For the next three months Continental will test the system out of the Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. It won't be the first, according the news report. Since September Air Canada has been using the system and allowing user to board aircrafts with their cell phone or PDA - sans a paper pass.

The Paperless Boarding Pass program, as it's called, was devised by the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA says the chief advantages of the cell phone-based boarding passes are that they are harder to forge than the paper equivalent and that they will reduce the number of lost paper boarding passes it has to deal with.

Here is how the program works: The airline sends a message to the air traveler's cell phone at time of check-in. Next, when passengers go through a security checkpoint or boards their plane instead of pulling out a paper boarding pass all they have to do is present their cell phone and the electronic boarding pass message they received at check-in. The message, which includes a cryptic code, is scanned by a TSA agent using a handheld scanner.

Here is my question: Does anyone actually still use their cell phone to call people anymore?

TiVo Boosts Broadband Services

TiVo would like to remind you its' hardware is a lot more than just a digital video recorder (DVR). At least that's my take on two days of new feature announcements made by Tivo. These announcements include the introduction of services that have less to do about skipping commercials and more to do about accessing online content through TiVo boxes.

Today it announced broadband connected TiVo users can use the TiVoCast feature (part of the standard TiVo service menu options) to access music videos and other content such as artist documentaries from the Music Choice network. The Music Choice network option, TiVo says, is live today content is expected to grow "significantly" in the next few weeks.

Yesterday TiVo announced it would be teaming up with Photobucket and Google's Picasa to enable TiVo subscribers to view and share their digital photos right on their television set. TiVo subscribers will not only be able to access their pictures, but also of those of their friends and family. Previously TiVo had a partnership with Yahoo Photos that only allowed you to access your own personal Yahoo Photos' account. Yahoo has since shuttered its Yahoo Photos and now offers the Flickr photo service.

Xbox Live Dashboard: Now With More Dash

(PC World contributor Scott Nichols checked out the Xbox 360's fall update -- here are his observations.)

The much-hyped fall update for the Xbox 360 Dashboard has finally arrived, and overall it's pretty nice. Highlights are a streamlined menu system, cheap access to classic games, community-building functions, and streaming video -- read on to find out what I learned when I checked them out.

Most improved is the Marketplace blade, now with only four main menu items: Spotlight, New Arrivals, Game Store, and Video Store. Game Store and Video Store function in much the same way as before the update, so here's new stuff. The Spotlight is an interesting item, as it allows you to browse through the few (currently four) most popular downloads in categories such as Demos, Xbox Live Arcade Games, Game Videos, Movies, TV Shows, and Music Videos. The new category of Free Stuff looks to be mostly advertisements. Some gamer pictures and dashboard themes go along with each ad, but a Gears of War contest listed with the "I Am Legend" content is a positive indication that more contests are on the way, and that they'll show up here.

Once you're in the Spotlight option, it is easy to cycle through the categories by simply pressing right or left. No more need to back out of a menu to select a new category and force the system to load each new list. And on the subject of loading, each list seems to load faster after the fall update. Menus are quick to load and close. It's only minimally quicker than before, but if you're like me and search through everything, then it's a noticeable and appreciated difference.

This ease of use carries over to the new Arrivals option. It has three new categories: Game Content, Themes and Gamer Pictures, and Xbox Originals--where you can download games from the original Xbox for a fee of 1200 Microsoft points (about $15 in real money). Big names like Halo, Crimson Skies, and Fable are available on day one, but so are more family-friendly titles like Crash Bandicoot and Fuzion Frenzy. Most notable, though, is inclusion of Psychonauts and Indigo Prophecy, two games that were critically acclaimed despite poor sales. This is a positive indication that Microsoft is trying to actually provide the best games from its previous system, rather than just the best-selling games.

Also new: DivX, Xvid, and Neural Digital-compatible videos now run on the Xbox 360. This means movie previews can stream directly to your system, which is a nice addition. Parental controls now have a family timer, so parents can set daily and weekly limits for playing games on certain gamer profiles. If the child tries to play past the allotted time limit, the system shuts itself off. Gamer profiles are expanded to include a name, location, and bio information in addition to the previously available motto. Most likely this feature will be abused with use of inappropriate names, but to those that actually use the feature, it's a nice little extra toward Xbox Live community-building. Also stepping toward community-building is the Friends of a Friend feature, which lets you browse through your friend's friend list to find more people to play with. This can be turned off in the privacy settings, but like the expanded profile information, it helps build a stronger and more connected online community for those who use it.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the fall update. Menus are quicker and easier to search, streaming video is available, and I can easily expand my friend list with the Friends of a Friend feature. As with almost anything released for the Xbox 360, some complain that the update causes a system crash or freeze. I experienced no such problems, but the possibility exists. However, assuming all goes well, you'll find the update a nice improvement that expands and streamlines the Xbox Live experience.

AT&T Hangs Up on Pay Phones

(PC World contributor Melanie Zoltan took a look at today's news about AT&T's plan to phase out of the pay phone business. Here is what she found)

Clark Kent may be forced to start looking for a new place to change into Superman. AT&T announced today it is selling off its pay phone business, according to news reports.

AT&T says it will sell 65,000 pay phones, in prisons and in public places, within its original 13-state area before the end of 2008, according to an Associated Press report.

Over the years the number of pay phones have steadily declined thanks to the rise in cheap cell phones that come with relatively affordable service plans. According to the AP 1 million pay phones are still in existence?down from 2.6 million in 1998.

Despite the pay phone's decline there are some that argue pay phones still remain relevant and important to public safety. The Chicago Tribune quotes Mike Simon, the president of Express Telephone Systems, a pay phone provider, who says pay phones are especially important in "emergency situations when cell phone networks suffer major disruptions or overloads..."

I think Superman would agree.

Pepsi to Give Away 1 Billion DRM-Free Songs

Here is a reason to switch from Coca-Cola to Pepsi: Pepsi is giving away one Billion DRM-free digital music files from Amazon's music store. The promotion is expected to be announced during Super Bowl XLII on February 3, according to Billboard magazine which has the full scoop.

Of course there is a catch, as you might have guessed. Pepsi is reportedly putting codes on five billion Pepsi bottle caps. To redeem bottle caps for music, Billboard says, Pepsi drinkers will have to enter codes found on the inside of five bottle caps to redeem one song.

That's a lot of gas for one song if you ask me. That would be 65 bottles of Pepsi to download The Best of Bruce Springsteen album from Amazon which has 13 tracks.

Microsoft and Mozilla Squabble Over which Browser is Most Secure

Which browser is more secure Internet Explorer or Firefox? We all have our opinions, but rarely do we get a chance to hear Microsoft and the makers of the Firefox browser, Mozilla, debate the issue. On Friday Microsoft Security Strategy Director Jeff Jones released a study "Download: Internet Explorer and Firefox Vulnerability Analysis" that proclaims Internet Explorer 7 is safer than Firefox (Did we expect a Microsoftie to tell us anything else?). The report can be accessed through Jones' blog.

In the study, Jones argues, because Microsoft releases new versions of its Web browsers less frequently and continues to patch older IE browser releases for longer periods of time, IE users are safer from security vulnerabilities than Firefox users.

"Over the past 3 years, supported versions of Internet Explorer have experienced fewer vulnerabilities and fewer High severity vulnerabilities than Firefox," according Jones' report.

He points out Microsoft released IE 6 in August 2004 and IE 7 in October 2006 and that both versions of IE are currently supported by Microsoft. Jones slams Mozilla for halting support on older versions of Firefox, instead directing users in many cases to simply upgrade to a newer version. He gives the example of Firefox 1.5 which Mozilla stopped supporting in May 2007, according to Jones. Mozilla dropped the ball, he argues, because it was only 2 months after a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (RHEL) shipped with Firefox 1.5 bundled with the OS.

Soon after the RHEL5 release Mozilla reportedly urged users to upgrade their Firefox browser to avoid a "severe vulnerabilities."

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Cowon Q5W: This Portable Media Player has Huge Ambitions

If you're in the market for a hi-end portable media player this holiday season here is one more to consider: the Cowon Q5W which officially went on sale today.

The Cowon Q5W packs a lot into a little package and is actually more comparable to an ultra-portable mobile computer than a mere pocket-sized multimedia player. Specs on the Q5W include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support and a 5-inch touch-sensitive LCD display. It runs the Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 Professional OS, sports an AMD Alchemy Au1250 600MHz processor, measures 5.46 x 3.48 x 0.79 inches, and weighs 13.4 ounces. The QW5 comes in either a 40GB ($550) or 60GB ($600) hard drive sizes.

The Q5W promises to do more than it's competitions (Zune, iPod Touch, and Sansa (video review) boasting a host of features that make other portable media players seem downright boring.

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