Android Software Keyboard on G1

Huawei Android phones confirmed for Q3 2009

From Unwired Review -

CNET has reported that Huawei will launch one or more Android phones sometime in the third quarter of 2009 in Australia. Pricing was unavailable but it should hopefully be close the AUD299 Kogan Agora.

Free WiFi for Beijing's urban and rural areas by 2011

From Danwei -

Per Beijing Business Today, the Information Technology Office has announced Beijing will have free access to WiFi in all of its districts within three years. WiFi was available during the July Olympics earlier this years, via CECT-CHINACOMM, covering the Second and Third Ring Roads, the CBD, on Financial Street, around Zhongguancun and Wangjing’s Economic and Technological Development Zones. However the signal was not good.

T-Mobile G1 Apps Turn On Data Roaming By Themselves

According to Engadget T-Mobile has offered an official response regarding the huge data roaming bills of some users as reported here.

T-Mobile Statement:

T-Mobile is committed to delivering the best experience in wireless to our customers. If a T-Mobile customer would like to use their T-Mobile G1 while outside the country, they should contact Customer Care before they leave to ask that the WorldClass feature be added to their service at no additional charge. If they choose, customers can also disable data roaming on the G1. This can be done by going through the following steps: Home Screen > Menu > Settings > Wireless Controls > Mobile Networks > Data Roaming.

Some third party applications available for download on Android Market require access to the internet and have the ability to turn on data roaming when in use. Customers are informed whether an application will use this feature prior to downloading, but should also be aware when traveling outside the country.

Meaning some of the apps are turning on data roaming by themselves. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

JinPeng E1181 has detachable spy camera

From Engadget -

While the JinPeng E1181 doesn't really scream quality it has some nifty features including a 3-inch stylus-based touchscreen, number buttons, and an incredibly great detachable wireless digital camera. The 2 megapixel spy cam can transmit a continuous stream of images to the phone over some unspecified RF technology from up to 30 feet away, and hooks back into the phone for charging.

QIGI i6 Android Phone

Kogan Agora Pre-selling Now

Australia-based Kogan is now pre-selling its unlocked Agora Android phone line, the AUD299 Agora and the AUD399 Agora. Actual delivery will start January 29, 2009. Specs include:

Operating System	Android ™
Google Mobile Functions	Google Search ™, Gmail ™, YouTube ™, Google Maps ™, Google Talk ™, Google Calendar ™.
Display	2.5-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 262K QVGA (320 X 240 pixel) resolution
Device Control	5-Way Central Navigation Key
Keyboard	QWERTY keyboard Keyboard backlighting
Connectivity	Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Audio	Built-in microphone and speaker Headphone output Ring tone formats: MIDI, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, PCM
Video	Video formats supported: MPEG2 H263, H264, MPEG4, AVI
Mail attachment support	Viewable document types: JPEG,GIF,WBMP,MIDI,AMR,MP3,WAV
Dimensions (HxWxD)	108 mm x 64 mm x 14.8 mm
Weight	130g
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Capacity: 1300 mAh
Talk Time	Up to 400 minutes
Standby Time	Up to 300 hours
Processor MHz	624 MHz
Memory	256 MB On-board + 128 MB Flash microSD™ card expansion slot
Network	UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Kogan Agora product page here.

Cyborg insects

ASUS' 12-inch bamboo laptop gets a price

From Engadget -

Asus will make its 12" bamboo laptop available at the Taiwan IT Month exhibition on Saturday, where it will be on sale for NT$59,900, or just over $1,800. Specs details are not available as yet but we can expect a minimum solid configuration.

T-mobile G1 multitouch proof

Uploaded by ryebrye

"This video shows a modified fingerpaint program that draws circles under two fingers simultaneously, and tracks the fingers as they move across the screen. This video demonstrates very basic possibilities, but proves the multitouch capabilities beyond any doubt. For a write-up on how this hack was done, visit http://ryebrye.com/blog/
"

zzzPhone goes Android

From Crunchgear -

zzzPhone has announced their latest version now supports Android, making it what appears to be the second Android phone in existence. The company has two of them in China right now and is taking orders for their $119 base model. You can add Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, pico-projectors, television tuners.

Samsung Flexible OLED @ FPD international 2008

Uploaded by JPNtackle -

Asus to Launch IMac Rival

From CIO -

Asus will launch its Eee Top, an all-in-one PC built into a monitor similar to the Apple iMac on Thursday at a news conference in Taipei.

Previously called the Eee Monitor, Asus has listed two models in its website. Both models come 15.9" touchscreen, 1.6GHZ Atom, 160G byte HD, 1G byte of DRAM, Wi-Fi 802.11n, a 1.3-megapixel Web cam, two 4-watt speakers and several ports and Windows XP. However the ET1603 is also equipped with an ATI HD3450 graphics card while none is specified for the ET1602.

Pricing and availability are not yet known, but the make-up of the devices suggests a low price tag.

Toshiba's 500GB laptop drive is ready for the Christmas ball

Per Engadget Toshiba will be shipping its 9.5-mm, 2.5-inch 3Gbps SATA 500 GB by December. Specs include 1.4 watt idle power draw, 5,400rpm spin, and 25dB.

The G1's Deepest, Darkest Secret: Hidden Multitouch

From Gizmodo -

Some #android IRC channel and RyeBrye members were able to re-enable some commented-out code in the phone's touchscreen driver and activate its multitouch capability. While HTC has released previously released its Diamond with hidden multitouch, this one is more intriguing in that it is possible the flourishing dev community and open software might develop some app for this capability.

First USB 3.0 Device Set to Debut Today

From Gear Log -

Symwave has announced it will demonstrate the first-ever USB 3.0 Physical Layer (PHY) device, the Quasar, this week at the SuperSpeed USB Developer's Conference in San Jose, CA where the specs for USB 3.0 will be released. The Quasar will work with "sync-and-go" devices like external hard drives, media players, etc. at 5Gbps, or 10 times faster than USB 2.0.

Canonical bringing Ubuntu to ARM-powered devices

From Engadget -

Canonical has joined forces with ARM to "bring the full Ubuntu Desktop operating system to the ARMv7 processor architecture (targeting the Cortex-A8 and Cortex -A9 in particular) to address demand from device manufacturers."

Target release date is April 2009.

Dealzmodo Hack: Get Some Use Out of Your Useless Old PC

Gizmodo has compiled a list of very useful hacks for your old PCs. Samples include turning them into gOS-based Internet browsing machines, a vintage 486 into a router, and others into media centers or servers.

ASRock Instant Boot

Wi-Fi on Wheels Is Steady, but Has a Speed Bump

From All Things Digital -

WSJ's Walter S. Mossberg reviewed the Autonet Mobile router service offered via Chrysler and others. The service provides internet connectivity inside a vehicle via a ruggedized router hard-mounted (read - non-movable) in the trunk or rear cargo space that receives cellpbone signals.

The service worked well for basic Internet tasks such as email and web surfing but was not fast enough for streaming video. The company however claims steady connection even while the vehicle is mobile. Tested speed ranged from 100-500 kbps, with average of 400-450 kbps.

The service requires a minimum one=year contact, purchase of the $499 router, a $35 activation fee, and installation costs of $50 to $75. Autonet’s service starts at $29 a month for 1GB data, a premium plan (5GB) costs $59.

You can watch the video here.

Globots

GPhone Is 10% Cheaper To Build Than 8G IPhone 3G

Per CNN Money, an iSuppli study has determined the G1, made by HTC Corp of Taiwan, costs only $144 as compared the 8G iPhone 3G's estimated $160 bill of materials (previously estimated at $174.33). The difference is attributed to the G1's not having a multi-touch display nor as much memory.

And while iSuppli is well-known for physically tearing down the units it analyzes, it did not conduct an actual teardown of the G1. The study also included only component and material costs and not software, research and development or manufacturing costs,

Clothes Pin and Memory Stick, Why Not?

From Yanko Design -

poor.pl has developed a simple but functional clothes pin and USB memory stick combo. Being as simple as it is, it needs no further instructions or explanation. :)

Google Seals Up Android 'Jailbreak' in Automatic Update

From Gizmodo -

According to Google -

"We’ve been notified of this issue (Jailbreaking of Android) and have developed a fix. We’re currently working with our partners to push the fix out and updating the open source code base to reflect these changes."

- meaning Google has adopted an Apple-like vigilance and sealed the vulnerability that allowed Android phones to be 'jailbroken', and users should see the fix (update RC30) pushed to their phones over the air during the next few days.

Mintpass unveils mintpad: Tiny WinCE 5.0 multimedia device with WiFi

iRiver breakaway group mintpass has announced its first product, the mintpad. The 3.2 ounce 3.08" x 2.51" x0.60" unit is part MP4 player, part surfing device, part-chat, and part e-Post-It Note taker.

The last function is its revolutionary feature - it enables users to quickly scribble notes/drawings and wirelessly send it to other mintpad users.

The device is expected to sell at $156.

mintpad is founded by the former CEO/founder of Reigncom (iriver's parent company) and a group of ex-iriver key employees.

Other details here.

LG to launch 13.3" premium notebook XNOTE P310 Series

From AVING USA -

LG Electronics has launched its 13.3" premium Centrino 2-based XNOTE P310 notebooks in Korea. Features include an aluminum finish with black rose pattern, LCD display with LED back light, 3GB DDR3 memory, 2GB of Turbo Memory, 320GB HDD and NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT.

Windows 7 "Aero Shake" Demo

Android G1 Jailbroken Already

From Gizmodo -

Koush of the xda-developers forum has posted an easy way to start telnet on the device, log in as root and get full system access and read and write. In other words, instructions to jailbreak the G1.

Unlocked T-Mobile G1

Microsoft SecondLight

Microsoft researchers demonstrate SecondLight, a new variation of the company's Surface technology, at the Professional Developers Conference in L.A.

Skip Gmail's Body-less Message Prompt Using (EOM)

From Lifehacker -

A useful tip from the Offical Gmail Blog for people who like to send subject-only messages: add (EOM) or to the end of your subject line to skip Gmail's prompt confirming if you want to send the message without any text in the body.

Android web browser

Android offers Google Maps' Street View

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5342734282625873491#
Post Options

Android is a Gmail-reading powerhouse

Game-Changer: Google Phone Will Revive Motorola, Force Apple to Slash Prices

From Yahoo! Finance -

Scott Bleier, president of CreateCapital.com, believes the Android phone is a game-changer and will force Aple to dramatically lower iPhone prices in order to keep its market share. Apple has recently accnounced blockbuster salesof the iPhone with its App store also surpassing 200 million downloads.

In addition, RIM will be launching its much-delayed Bold on Nov 4 via AT&T.

T-Mobile G1 Now Available

T-Mobile Press Release -

BELLEVUE, Wash.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the national availability of the highly anticipated T-Mobile G1 with Google, the first Android™-powered mobile phone. The T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a rich mobile Web experience, dozens of Android Market applications, and popular Google products that millions have enjoyed on the desktop, including Google Maps Street View™, Gmail™, YouTube™ and others.

Beginning today, consumers can purchase the phone in select retail stores across the country and online at http://www.T-MobileG1.com.

“During the past month, we’ve seen unbridled excitement for the T-Mobile G1 and the positive impact it will have on the mobile lives of our customers,” said Denny Marie Post, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “In fact, among those T-Mobile customers who have pre-ordered the phone, roughly half have traded up from a basic handset, illustrating the leap many consumers are taking to a rich, accessible mobile Web experience. Its design, functionality and value make the first-of-its-kind T-Mobile G1 a truly approachable device for the masses.”

With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the T-Mobile G1 is the first phone to offer access to Android Market, which hosts unique applications and mashups of existing and new services from developers around the world. Customers can find and download a wide range of innovative applications—from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping—to personalize their phone and enhance their mobile lifestyle. Even better, for a limited time, the dozens of applications available on Android Market are available free-of-charge for T-Mobile G1 users.

“With new, high-value applications constantly being added to Android Market for customers to discover, the T-Mobile G1 is the phone that grows with you,” said Post. “And as the Market continues to grow and evolve, the possibilities are virtually endless.”

Customers can purchase and carry away the T-Mobile G1 at T-Mobile retail stores and select third-party stores in major cities where T-Mobile’s 3G service is currently available. T-Mobile 3G service is currently available in 95 major cities across top population centers. For a list of cities where T-Mobile 3G service is available, please visit http://www.T-MobileG1.com/3G.aspx or see T-Mobile’s Personal Coverage Check tool, available online at http://www.T-Mobile.com/Coverage. All T-Mobile stores across the country will have demonstration devices on-hand and can assist customers with ordering the device for delivery at a later date.

T-Mobile is working to ensure that customers have a great experience harnessing the power of their new T-Mobile G1. Specifically:

* T-Mobile has established a collaborative online forum dedicated to the T-Mobile G1 (http://forums.T-Mobile.com) where customers can ask questions, share tips and get helpful information.
* All T-Mobile retail stores will open early at 8 a.m. on Oct. 22 to give everyone the chance to experience and purchase or order the T-Mobile G1.
* T-Mobile G1 experts will be on-hand at retail stores to demonstrate the phone and answer any questions.

For more information on the T-Mobile G1 in the U.S., please visit http://www.T-MobileG1.com.

Notes: Additional charges may apply to features and services. 3G service may not be available in all locations. Price and availability of device subject to change; taxes and other charges may apply.

Experimental Firefox 3.1 Build Gets Awesome Multitouch Gestures on Macs

From Gizmodo -


Firefox has an experimental build (pre-beta 2), courtesy of Mozilla's Edward Lee. What makes it special is that it allows you to use some of MacBook's fancier touch gestures, like three-finger swipes, in Firefox. In fact, it uses all of the majors—swipe, twist and pinch—in awesomely intuitive ways. No word yet though on whether these will be implemented into the final build of 3.1.

Visiting Thanko's Tokyo Mecca of USB Weirdness

Gizmodo visited the Thanko store in Tokyo's Akihabara district and came away with lots of photos of the unique USB products. Thanko is well known as source of USB devices, both common and weird, odd ones including heated mittens, the USB lock, the USB microscope, the USB neck tie cooler, to name a few.

Don't Buy The G1 Sales Figures

Informationweek's Marin Perez is contesting reports claiming T-Mobile has sold 1.5 million preorder units of the G1. According to him, all these reports are based on a The Motley Fool article which states 1.5 million G1s were sold through preorder and another 2 million allocated for retail sales. And while it is true T-Mobile sold out its preorder alloment and re-upped, the 1.5 million figure was made up. In fact, neither T-Mobile, HTC (the OEM) nor Google has confirmed this, something which they would have loigcally done if the sales figure were true.

You can read Marin Perez's article here.

MS Oahu survey: affordable consumer-version of the Surface computer, hypothetically

From I Started Something -


Microsoft recently conducted a marketing survey on a hypothetical multi-touch computing device codenamed “Oahu." This, of course, has generated some interesting thoughts on the possibility of MS planning a consumer variation of the Surface computer.

Per the survey, Oahu is a flat screen that sits horizontally like a table top. You can interact with Oahu by touching the screen, with more than one person being able to interact with Oahu at the same time. You and others can move objects on the screen with your hands and touch icons to open up programs, games, or music. People using the device can also use their fingertips to expand and shrink objects on the screen. Oahu is on with no waiting time to start up. Oahu can come as a freestanding table, placed into a piece of furniture, or built into a countertop.

More details here.

Google: We're Fresh Out of Androids

According to The Motley Fool T-Mobile has pre-sold about 1.5 million G1 Android phones already and is readying another two million for retail sales.

The first batch was sold through pre-orders from existing T-Mobile subscribers, forcing T-MObile to another a bigger batch from HTC, which also sold out, for a total of 1.5 million.

Illustrated Guide to Smartphone OSes

Gizmodo has a neat comparison guide of operating systems for smartphones - namely, Android, Blackberry, iPhone OS X, Windows Mobile, Palm Garnet, and Symbian. If you are the type who buys mobile phones based on the software rather than features you probably won't use, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

CrunchGear previews the HP HDX16 laptop

Amazon Kindle 2 appears to be on its way

From Boy Genius Report -

Photos of Amazon’s Kindle 2 have been leaked and the new model looks pretty good. As seen the photo above, the now smaller buttons are - On the right, from top to bottom: Home, Next Page, Menu, a joystick (instead of the scroll wheel), and Undo. On the left side, there’s Previous, Page, and Next Page. Next to the sliding sleep button, there’s a headphone jack, and on the right side edge, volume up/down buttons. The backside of the unit is mostly metal with the speakers at the bottom. Charging is now via a mini USB cable. Display size is approximately the same as the original. Overall the unit is thinner, a little wider, a little longer and has a slightly heavier feel, but it feels much sturdier. It still uses EV-DO for downloads.

Downside is the battery appears to be non user accesible. The SD card slot has also disappeared.

You can check out more photos and details here.

G1 Pre-Sale Madness: T-Mobile Triples Production, Sells Them All

From Gizmodo -

Per T-Mobile:

Given the great anticipation and the heavy pre-sale demand for the T-Mobile G1 with Google, we nearly tripled the number of phones initially available for delivery on our Oct. 22 launch date, and have sold through them all. However, to accommodate additional T-Mobile customers who want to pre-order a device, they now have the opportunity to place a pre-order through Oct. 21, for delivery at a later date. Also, people can still pre-register on the T-Mobile G1 Web site to be notified prior to launch where they can purchase the device beginning Oct. 22.

The T-Mobile G1: Almost perfect

From CrunchGear -

The recent introduction of the iPhone 3G and the follow-up launch of the T-Mobile G1 appear to define an epic paradigm shift with mobile phones now accepted as small computers. The G1 is particular offers a platform for multiple amazing things, all arrayed to the user in a non-trivial way. It is the future smartphone. It is where Symbian should have been two years ago and it’s the wall Windows Mobile will slam into in the next year. If it becomes popular, Google will essentially connect all of us (and control all of our inputs and outputs). If it fails it will encourage a new group of geeks to build upon it, turning Android into something like BSD to Apple’s OS X. Either way, it’s a win win for everyone.

The caveat is now educating and convincing casual smartphone users that this and an Android phone (and what it offers) is what they want.

Samsung's freakishly large Haptic 2 touchscreen phones

From Engadget -

Judging from the photo above, Samsung's Haptic 2 seems to be quite an oversized unit although it looks similar to the i900 Omnia. The new Haptic 2 features DMB television, 4GB (SCH-W550 or SPH-W5500, about $600) or 16GB (SCH-W555, about $690) of storage, integrated mobile banking, and improved 3.2" touchscreen and an updated TouchWiz UI now sporting 50 widget applications and user defined vibration tones.

Motorola shows off X24 WiMAX concept module for cars

From Engadget -

Leading into the WiMAX World Conference next week, Motorola has unveiled its X24 concept module for cars. While the device is designed specifically with advanced automotive telemetry in mind, there are possibilities for in-car entertainment and other applications. The chipset at the heart of the X24, the WTM1000, will be marketed for use in a broad range of consumer devices.

Is No Desktop Syncing Good or Bad For Android?

From Gizmodo -

One of the most puzzling things with the T-Mobile G1 is the fact that there would be no desktop app to sync your data. While you will be able to sync you contacts and calendar info remotely out of the box, you need to store all of the data on your Google account. That means letting Google have copies of your personal info. But the good news is that third party developers will undoubtedly solve this problem very quickly.

HTC T-Mobile Google Android - Video 1

Google Android demo

Uploaded by scottlet -

Google Android demo at Google Developers Day, 16th September 2008

New York offers RFID-embedded driver's licenses

From Crave -

New York has started offering enhanced driver's licenses (EDLs) embedded with RFID. New York is also the second state to offer IDs that can be shown at the border in lieu of a U.S. passport. The RF identification chip in the EDL will be able to be scanned by authorities to identify citizens entering the state from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean. Intercontinental travelers will still need to produce a passport to enter the country. The new EDLs will be available at a $30 premium over the standard $50 licensing fee.

Compulab's Fit-PC Slim

From Linux Devices -

CompuLab has introduced a tiny fanless PC using 4-6 Watts of power. The Linux-ready "Fit-PC Slim" measures 4.3 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches (110 x 100 x 30mm), but includes a 500MHz AMD Geode LX800, Ethernet, VGA output, WiFi, and a 2.5-inch HD option.

3M Announces MPro110 Micro Projector

From AboutProjectors -

3M has announced its micro projector MPro110, weighing just 0.3 lbs and less than an inch high, will be released at the end of September. The MPro110 uses LCoS display technology to display VGA (640 x 480) resolution. It also uses an LED lamp, which means no fan noise and images up to 50 inches diagonally will be bright enough to be seen in a well lit room. Connections include VGA and composite, meaning you can connect it to media players as well. The MPro110 is expected to retail for about $359.

Hitachi Launches a Trial of GazoPa

Hitachi Launches a Trial of GazoPa, a Similar Image Search Service

GazoPa Selected As TechCrunch50 Venture Project

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT)(TOKYO:6501)(hereafter “Hitachi”), announced today that it has launched a trial of a similar image search service called GazoPa as an invitation-only beta at TechCrunch50 conference in San Francisco. GazoPa was selected as a finalist at the conference.

GazoPa is a web image search service that uses features from an image to search for and identify similar images. In conventional image search, users do not find results of image searches to be as accurate as those of web page searches. This is often because some images do not have metadata, some have incorrect metadata, and some are difficult to describe with words. Therefore, keywords are not sufficient as the only conditions for image searches.

With GazoPa, users can overcome the limitations of metadata, and word descriptions. GazoPa enables users to search for similar images using characteristics such as a color or a shape extracted from the image itself. GazoPa even enables the use of users’ own photos, drawings, and images found on the web, as search keys to locate similar images from the GazoPa database. Not only does GazoPa support photos but also searches video thumbnails. Unlike video sharing websites that use keywords to search, users can search for videos using images.

GazoPa enables searches at high speed even for large quantities of image data. GazoPa currently searches 50 million images crawled from the web within one second. Since GazoPa crawls the web continuously, it will soon be capable of searching more than 100 million images.

As the number of digital camera and camera phones increases steadily to exceed 1 billion worldwide, the number of digital images that are captured by digital devices also increases dramatically. It therefore becomes more and more important to search for a needed image from a large quantity of images in a short time. GazoPa overcomes the limits of keyword searches and introduces a new world to image searches.

For detailed information about GazoPa, please visit its website at http://www.gazopa.com

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TOKYO: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 390,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2007 (ended March 31, 2008) consolidated revenues totaled 11,226 billion yen ($112.2 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials, logistics and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About TechCrunch50

Founded in 2007 by leading technology blog TechCrunch and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis, the TechCrunch50 conference provides a platform for early-stage, and frequently unfunded, companies to launch for the first time to the technology industry's most influential venture capitalists, corporations, angel investors, fellow entrepreneurs and the international media. Companies are selected to participate exclusively on merit. TechCrunch50 is supported by corporate sponsors Google, Microsoft, MySpace, Salesforce, MSN Money, Symantec, Thomson Reuters and Yahoo!, as well as venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital , Mayfield Fund , Clearstone Venture Partners , Charles River Ventures , Founders Fund, Perkins Coie and Fenwick & West .

Solar-powered E-book Reader

From Ubergizmo -

Snippy is an ebook reader which uses solar energy and also transparently links to other Snippys in the area via Bluetooth to share content. The 800×600 6" diagonal high reflectivity screen used in the device offers 166ppi resolution at 16 gray levels.

Ghostbusters is first film to be released on USB stick

From Custom PC -

While the entertainment (music/movie) industries have been considering USB flash drives as a distribution medium for a long time now, PNY and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment went ahead with a deal that enables PNY’s new 2GB USB flashdrive to have Ghostbusters pre-loaded.

The movie comes with a form of DRM that allows users to download it to their computer but will require the USB drive plugged in for playback.

Google co-founder expects Chrome for Android

From CNET -

Google co-founder Sergey Brin expects the company's new browser Chrome will make its way to Android, the company's mobile phone operating system and software suite. While the two were developed largely separately, Brin said a subsequent version of Android will probably pick up a lot of the Chrome stack.

Chrome and Android's current browser both already employ WebKit, an open-source project for the process of interpreting the HTML code.

Google Chrome, Google’s Browser Project

Google Blogoscoped has spilled the beans on Google's open source browser, Google Chrome.

The browser project is based on the existing rendering engine Webkit It will include Google’s Gears project and a JavaScript Virtual Machine called V8.

Other features include special tabs on the upper side of the window; an address bar with auto-completion features; some kind of “speed dial” feature similar to the one of Opera; and a privacy mode.

Amazon Confirms Student Version Of Kindle

From TechCrunch -

Amazon has confirmed that they are planning to target colleges and universities with a new version of the Kindle, one with a larger screen more suitable for textbooks. Textbooks are a $5.5 billion annual market, and most publishers now offer electronic versions of their textbooks but there is still no compelling device to read them on.

Samsung's 1.8" 120GB Glossy USB Drive Spotted in China

From Everything USB -

Samsung has announced new 1.8" USB hard drives in glossy black enclosures the size of a credit card. The 4200-rpm drives draw less than 1.4W and need just 300mA from a 500mA USB port, making power consumption only one-fourth that of a 2.5" drive.

Price (China retail) are rather steep - the 40GB goes for 1099 RMB (USD161); 60GB for 1299 RMB (USD191); 80GB for 1599 RMB (USD235), and the 120GB model for about 1999 RMB (USD293). In comparison, a 320GB USB 2.5" drive is now below USD120, but of course, that will never fit in your wallet.

‘Branded community’ leads to trademark morass

Jennifer Leggio of ZDNET Blogs received a letter from Rob Frankel of i-legions after she used the term "branded community" in a blog post on enterprise communities. It read in part -

"You probably don’t know about us (...TOTALLY different and way more effective, but that’s another story), so I need to make you aware: The term Branded Community® is a Federally registered trademark of ours. Your company should not be using the term at all without our express written consent. The article in this link is an example of your unauthorized use of the term...Please refrain from using the phrase in any other current or future materials..."

As Leggio wanted to be "better safe than sorry" she immediately changed "community" to "environment" and consulted her company's lawyers. It turns out Frankel has a trademark registration on "branded community" for advertising services. But they also confirmed the use of the text was "descriptive fair use of words in the English language." In fact, per Google, companies, analysts, journalists and marketing bloggers have used the term "branded community" upwards of 10,000 times. CNET’s legal team also concurred.

That irony is that i-legions is promoting Rob Frankel as "the best branding expert on the planet." Wouldn’t "the best branding expert" know any better?

Well, Jennifer admitted the letter sounds more like a sales pitch mixed with legal jargon. And considering that before the controversy, i-legions wasn't exactly a household name. Now it is being blogged about, albeit in a negative way. Still if you subscribe to the notion that any publicity is good publicity, then Frankel would, indeed, be considered a branding expert.

Either that, or it would be just another case of someone dooming his own company.

Designers on quest to build $12 computer

From the Boston Herald -

MIT graduate students Derek Lomas, Jesse Austin-Breneman and other designers are trying to design a computer loosely based on the Apple II that Third World residents can buy for USD12.

Open-Mesh offers mesh-network WiFi extension for $49

From Slash Gear -

The Open-Mesh Mini-Router not only extends Wi-Fi coverage but allows you to run a couple of networks concurrently, (e.g. one is open for guests while the other is WPA-secured for personal use). It even can be configured in a variety of bandwidth throttling and firewall options. The Open-Mesh Mini-Router retails for $49. Alternatively, since it’s all based on an open-source project called ROBIN, you can flash a compatible router yourself should you be feeling technical.

Source article here.