Tech Updates

Missed Church? Download It to Your IPod.

2005-08-30T13:13:00.000+08:00

By TANIA RALLI
Published: August 29, 2005
NY Times

Kyle Lewis, 25, missed going to church one Sunday last month. But he did not miss the sermon.

Mr. Lewis, who regularly attends services of the National Community Church in Alexandria, Va., listened to the sermon while he was at the gym, through a recording he had downloaded to his iPod. Instead of listening to the rock music his gym usually plays, he heard his pastor's voice.

"Having an iPod is a guaranteed way to get the sermon if you're going to be out of town," Mr. Lewis said, adding that he listens to the pastor's podcast at least once more during the week, usually while driving to work, even during weeks he makes it to services.

The Rev. Roderick Vonhögen has 10,000 listeners.

Read article: Missed Church? Download It to Your IPod

Wakamaru Bot at Your Service

2005-08-27T21:38:00.000+08:00

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pretty soon, a robot named Wakamaru may become a fixture in the homes of elderly Japanese who have no one else to look after them.

The robot, which recently wheeled around to greet guests at the Embedded Systems Conference, is still in development. But it has the potential to replace a human caretaker in Japan, where robotic technology is embraced and the graying of the population has left many young people wondering who will care for their parents.

Read article: Wakamaru Bot at Your Service

Your Mickey Phone

2005-08-26T21:39:00.000+08:00

Source: AkihabaraNews

New Canon cameras

2005-08-25T13:38:00.000+08:00

This could be good news for photography enthusiasts. Canon has released three new digital cameras.

The big 5D, a 12.8MP D-SLR fits between the 20D and the 1Ds MARKII. As with all D-SLR's, you can either buy the body on its own or get a complete pack with a CANON EF LENS 24-105mm 1:4 L lense. The good news is that this unit boosts the performance of the 20D, but the bad news is that the lenses of the 20D and 350 are not compatible with this 5D...

The IXY DIGITAL 700, a 7MP camera with a 2.5" LCD, an SD card slot and 3x optical zoom (7.7-23.1mm 1:2.8-4.9).

The Canon IXY DITIGAL 60, that has a 5MP sensor, 3x optical zoom, a 2.5" screen and a 5.8-11.4mm 1:2.8-4.9 lens.

Source: Akihabaranews

Google to Offer Instant Messaging and Voice Communications on Web

2005-08-24T16:22:00.000+08:00

By JOHN MARKOFF
Published: August 24, 2005
NY Times

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 23 - Google, the Internet search innovator, will make its first direct challenge to the broader communications industry on Wednesday when it introduces an instant-messaging and voice communication service for personal computers.

The program, Google Talk, will allow its users to exchange text messages and converse through their computers with others at remote locations. Other instant-messaging services offer similar capabilities, but Google said the appeal of its system would come from its voice quality, based on audio technology it has developed.

Read article: Google to Offer Instant Messaging and Voice Communications on Web

Related article:
MOST WANTED; Popular Demand

Bluetooth audio headphones

2005-08-24T13:25:00.000+08:00

Even if Bluetooth is not the hottest technology in Japan, there are
manufacturers that believe in it. Princeton is one of them and they
prove their love for Bluetooth by unveiling the BTST-9000D, a
Bluetooth audio headset with audio adapter. It is Bluetooth 1.2
compatible and has a battery life of 6h in use and 320h in standby.
the design is quite mediocre though, so it's not with products
looking like this that the Japanese will be converted to the Bluetooth
technology...

Source: Akihabaranews

A Pink Telephone

2005-08-23T13:36:00.000+08:00

If pink works for you then this pink phone might be just what you're looking for.

Source: Akihabaranews

New Partner for Yahoo Is a Master at Selling

2005-08-16T10:41:00.000+08:00

If you're an entrepreneur looking for new markets, you may want to check out a site called Alibaba.com. Here's an interesting article from NY Times I stumbled upon regarding this Internet company.

By DAVID BARBOZA
Published: August 15, 2005

HANGZHOU, China, Aug. 13 - Everything you hear about Jack Ma is improbable. But today, he looks like one of China's smartest high-tech entrepreneurs.

Yahoo's far-reaching deal with him on Thursday has turned his company, Alibaba.com, into the largest online operation in China, where Internet use is growing at an explosive pace.

Jack Ma learned technology as necessary, often on an improvised basis.

Ryan Pyle for The New York Times

Read full story: New Partner for Yahoo Is a Master at Selling

iSHAVER, the USB... well, shaver

2005-08-12T20:38:00.000+08:00

Another Thanko Japan product announced by ASCII24. If your dream is to shave AND play Doom 3 at the same time, look no further, this is your new toy. Spend 30 EUR and look no longer like a hermit but like a fresh, clean geek

Source: Akihabaranews - iShaver

The vacuum cleaner of the lazy geek

2005-08-11T20:26:00.000+08:00

Now, here's a vacuum cleaner for busy people or lazy geeks.

At 350 EUR this vacuum cleaner by Sanyo only needs a new filter
every six years! Also, the filter just requires a paper tissue and it
needs to be washed once a year! How's that for convenience?

This is the end bit, quite special because you use it to clean futons.

Source: Akiharbanews

The passing of an Inventor, Jack Kilby

2005-06-25T10:28:00.000+08:00

Jack St. Clair Kilby, inventor of the integrated circuit -
the microchip - some 45 years ago at Texas Instruments (TI)
passed away June 20, 2005, in Dallas, following a brief
battle with cancer. He was 81.

Jack Kilby is the recipient of two of United States' most
prestigious honors in science and engineering. In 1970, in a
White House ceremony, he received the National Medal of
Science. In 1982, he was inducted into the National Inventors
Hall of Fame, taking his place alongside Henry Ford,
Thomas Edison, and the Wright Brothers in the annals of
American innovation.

In 2000, Jack Kilby was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics
for his part in the invention of the integrated circuit.

He holds more than sixty U. S. patents.

A television program in 1997 said about the integrated circuit
and Jack Kilby, "One invention we can say is one of the most
significant in history -- the microchip, which has made possible
endless numbers of other inventions. For the past 40 years,
Kilby has watched his invention change the world. Jack Kilby —
one of the few people who can look around the globe and say to
himself 'I changed how the world functions.'"

What an achievement.

Also read:
There was a time when real heroes were selfless...HoustonChronicle

EM-750RW 512Mb (MP3 player)

2005-06-11T20:10:00.000+08:00

From Akihabara News Japan
10-06-2005 08:33

The big MP3 god offers us a chance to discover a nice player,
the EM-750R, available in 512Mb and 1Gb versions. Those
of you that always want more in the palm of their hand, have
a look at this mini-MP3 player that does a maximum number
of things. Review of the EM-750RW... (Akibaharanews)

Google Mapping San Francisco in 3D

2005-06-10T20:30:00.000+08:00

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
June 9, 2005, 12:22 PM

Google has undertaken the task of mapping San Francisco: in 3D.
According to a report in SiliconValleyWatcher, a specially
designed truck is currently traversing the city, equipped with
lasers and digital cameras in hopes that it will be able to create
a realistic three-dimensional model of the city.

Read article ... BetaNews

The new Casio EXILIM, the EX-S500

2005-06-10T16:06:00.000+08:00

By Akihabara News Japan
Posted on 10-06-2005 06:29

This very small (90x13.7-16.1x59mm) and light (115g)
EXILIM digital camera has a 38-114mm lense, and Casio
managed to make it super sensible too (1600 ISO, must be
a first to our knowledge on these types of digital cameras).

Source: http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_9702.html

Microsoft Cuts Deal with Indonesia over Piracy

2005-06-10T14:28:00.000+08:00

June 9, 2005 12:00PM

Under the deal, up to 50,000 computers running illegal software
will be legalized at a dollar each. In exchange, Indonesia will
promise to purchase authorized Microsoft merchandise in the
future and launch a major crackdown on a pirated software.

Read more...(NewsFactor.com)

iTunes more popular than P2P services

2005-06-09T13:38:00.000+08:00

By Scott Fulton
June 7, 2005 - 17:21 EST

Port Washington (NY) - According to an analyst report released
this morning, iTunes--Apple Computer's music download service
--surpassed all but one non-commercial peer-to-peer (P2P) file-
sharing service, with regard to the total number of songs
downloaded in March 2005. Read more...(Tom's Hardware)

Source: Tom's Hardware

Low-priced DVD recorders from BenQ and Lite-On IT to boost sales

2005-06-08T17:22:00.000+08:00

Jimmy Hsu, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DigiTimes.com
[Tuesday 7 June 2005]

Following Wal-Mart’s recent introduction of an inexpensive
DVD recorder, BenQ and Lite-On IT have introduced models
priced at US$99-129, and the companies plan to tout the new
products to gain ODM/OEM orders as well as boost their
orders for loaders (component kits) of DVD recorders,
according to the two makers.

BenQ has begun shipments of the DVD recorders primarily
for sale under its own brand, which currently average 10,000
units a month, said associate vice president Alpha Tsai.
However, the company still competes for ODM/OEM orders
from international brands or system integrators from the retail
channel, Tsai indicated. In addition, BenQ targets Chinese
makers of DVD players as main clients for loaders of DVD
recorders, with the company expecting to deliver 100,000
units a month in the second half of this year, Tsai added.

Lite-On IT has shipped its DVD recorders to Philips, Wal-Mart
and Sanyo Electric on an ODM/OEM basis. The company also
began to ship small volumes of DVD recorder loaders in the
fourth quarter of 2004 and expects the sales volume to increase
largely beginning next quarter.

Protop Innotech, another maker of DVD recorders in Taiwan,
hopes to deliver loaders in large volumes next quarter.

Source: Digitimes.com

America Online offers unlimited email storage, 2 GByte AIM mail

2005-06-08T11:22:00.000+08:00

By Wolfgang Gruener, Senior Editor
June 6, 2005 - 12:09 EST

Dulles (VA) - Size still matters when it comes to email storage.
In a race that Google launched with its Gmail service 13 months
ago, America Online is the first large provider that offers
unlimited email space to its paying subscribers. Users of the
instant messenger AIM also get their own email inbox - with
2 GByte storage capacity.

Adding value to its online service remains America Online's
most efficient in weapon in defending itself against growing
competition from dial-up and broadband Internet service
providers (ISPs). After adding virus and spyware protection
over the recent months, the company throws unlimited email
storage space and a new email service for its instant messenger
into the battle for market shares.

The 22.2 million paying customers of America Online (AOL)
now can save and store an unlimited number of e-mails,
attachments and folders on AOL's servers, according to an
announcement made on Monday. The offer affects all - primary
and secondary - email accounts. According to the company,
there are 80 million AOL email accounts in use today. New is
also a feature that allows AOL subscribers to log in with up to
seven screen names at the same time and from multiple
locations.

Previously, this feature was only available to members
accessing AOL over a high-speed Internet connection. Even
non-paying AOL users will be able to take advantage of the
new email strategy. The provider launched a web-based e-mail
service called AIM Mail. The service integrates spam and virus
protection as well as 2 GByte of storage and lets users use their
AIM screen name as their e-mail address. The service is being
made available to AIM users today via an updated version of the
AIM 5.9 software.
Other improvements to the current AIM service include quick
access to AIM Mail, an expanded Buddy List for up to 400
buddies and store more contact information on each one, as well
as twice as much writing space for more creative "Away
Messages". AIM Mail email accounts will have the extension
"aim.com".

Source: Tom's hardware

Playstation 2 shipments top 90 million units

2005-06-05T12:33:00.000+08:00

By Wolfgang Gruener, Senior Editor
June 3, 2005 - 10:52 EST

Tokyo - Next-generation game consoles already are knocking
on our doors, but Sony's Playstation 2 is still selling like hot-
cakes. The company announced that it has shipped more than
90 million units since it went on sale in March of 2000.

Microsoft aims for the top-spot with its upcoming Xbox 360.
But kicking Sony from the first rank will be not an easy task,
considering sales figures of the Playstation 2 (PS2) released
today. According to Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI),
the PS2 passed the 90- million mark on June 2 and is well on
its way to surpass the original Playstation, which has sold more
than 100 million times to date.

Compared to its predecessor, the PS2 is selling in an accelerated
pace. The 90-million mark was reached 27 months quicker.
A major contributor to the success was the introduction of the
slim-line PS2 in November of last year, Sony said. Global
shipments of PlayStation 2 included 36.5 million units in
North America, 32.5 million in Europe and 21.0 million in Asia,
according to the company. Despite the fact that the PS3 will
begin shipping in 2006, Sony said it will continue publishing
software titles for the PS2. More than 5000 are available
today with shipments having reached more than 800 million
units.

According to Sony, 252 million units were sold in 2004 alone.
While a release date of the next Playstation has not been
officially announced, game developers and distributors are
indicating that the console will go on sale on May 1, 2006.

Related stories: Playstation 3 to debut in May of 2006?

Source: Tom's Hardware