Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

The wrappings come off a couple of cool applications this week:

Even though Google Sky was first to allow wannabe astronomers to surf the heavens from their computers, Microsoft Research’s Worldwide Telescope is getting some good reviews for ease-of-use and the sheer wonder of its visuals. The app, previewed at the TED Conference in February, is now public and uses images from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, among other sources. Sorry, Mac users aren’t invited to this sky party; this window on the galaxy is Windows only.

You like to watch. Admit it. You know you do. Uh...we are talking about live car chases on local TV, right? If you live in the Chicago area, you can now watch those who do the watching of vehicular perps around the Loop. AirFox Live is the Fox affiliate’s website for its chopper video, streaming live from a number of cameras on the helicopter. The nice bonus is live GPS tracking on a map. I’m linking to the AirFox Live site but I first read about this on the Lost Remote website, which does an excellent job of tracking technology developments within the news business.

Read [Worldwide Telescope] Read [AirFox Live] Read [Lost Remote]

Stefan over at IntoMobile has a very interesting post on what is ahead for phones/carriers as new phones begin casting nets into the net and begin to pull in more and more content from the net.  His view seems to be at odds with what I see: this is an amazing time to be alive and into tech.

His view
Stefan sees the manufactures of devices calling the shots, picking platforms, picking the spec and building the phone to it.  The problem here is the manufacturers are usually not the ones figuring out how to charge for it all.  Carriers have trained consumers to expect it for free - a very hard habit to break.  Their “unlimited” plans, Stefan would contend, are short-sighted and will make it tough to add on features that otherwise customers would want to pay for.

In the new world services are built for virality and terms like monetization are on the bottom of the todo list. This new way of thinking is not being fully embraced by the old rulers in their respective kingdoms, but more importantly it is causing the people to become accustomed to everything being free or supplemented by advertising. 

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A mobile phone company ad slogan, “it’s all about the network” is being taken to heart by identity thieves.

We’re not just talking about the cellular networks that allow you to send text messages, surf the web and shop from your handy mobile device; if a Los Angeles Times story is any indication, social networks are becoming prime real estate for sleazy personal information harvesters, spammers and just plain mischief-makers.

Some examples: MySpace users who didn’t know they were facilitating the spamming of friends; fake log-in pages for social sites capturing user IDs and passwords; widgets for dressing up profile pages hiding malware for stealing financial information.

Then there are the incidents that fall into the creepy category, according to the non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center, based in San Diego.

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Yesterday, the mighty (or once mighty) Jerry Yang, CEO of Yahoo! wrote a blog post entitled, “Ok, so now what?”.  The post was what you would think a CEO might write about his actions under the Microsoft microscope and hopes for a bright future.  One of the fun thing about blogging is the response it invites.  The response Mr. Yang got is rather interesting:

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I have seen the iPhone, and all the BlackBerry’s and other smart phones. Then I have heard the cold, dead polyphonic ringtone of my phone with its barely audible Casio keyboard cover of “Superstar”, mocking me. I bought my phone a mere eight months ago, just after the dawn of the iPhone, choosing it for its sleek size, and a consumer review which noted its superior battery life and technical bells and whistles. My phone is an excellent phone, and I could care less.

I want a phone that does everything else, maybe even magic. A phone that takes crystal clear pictures, develops them, and prints them in a matte finish. I want a phone that plays music-actual music, an instrument perhaps the oboe. A phone that plays videos of Bigfoot, The Lock Ness Monster, and proof of Alien life. The “Magic Super Amazing Phone” surfs the web utilizing a touch screen that touches back (delightfully tickling you, nothing else…dirty mind). This phone will not only let me access my email, but automatically interpret what I wish to write back in response and also access my regular mail always blocking junk mail and junk credit card offers. And it is not only compatible with Bluetooth, but Blue Fairy. A tiny blue fairy that whispers in your ear, and grants wishes.

My phone should basically be able to thoroughly thrash your phone. Grinding it to bits and pieces and recycling them. My phone is very green conscious. Now I know that no such phone presently exists, but I am issuing a call to all inventors, create this “Magic Super Amazing Phone” and buyers will come, oh yes they will come. Until that point though I will have to suffer, at least for the length of a very iron clad two year contract.

OK kids, get off the Kool-Aid.  AT&T, no matter how cool (or lame) you think they are, is not going to subsidize the second coming of the phone that made people sleep in streets to be first in line to get it.  There are probably a lot more than four reasons, but these four make a pretty solid case.

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Leaves have taken color, trees filled with luster and shape again. There’s a smell to spring that is unmistakable, and a hunger to venture out beyond our own borders that cannot be ignored. For those explorers who answer the call, the road sings. A car, the company of good friends, and a destination that has yet to be determined, the iconic American journey. The road trip is an entity that hasn’t evolved, hasn’t been exploited or stripped of its romance yet. Even now as we tie ourselves to cell phones, MP3 players, GPS, laptops, and PDA’s the road trip remains unvarnished, and true.

It remains that way now through our dedication to its principles, rejecting our newly instilled primal urge to be connected to every inch of this world. In it’s embrace we must run away from the comforts technology has provided us. That means using a radio, being guided by a paper map, and hiding from email, text messages and the like for a short breath of untethered freedom. An exercise more in rediscovering something organic and true, then a Thoreau like abandonment of controlled civilization.

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The Amazon Kindle, while having been released way back in November 2007 somehow feels like a brand new release. I guess when an item sells out within days and remains out-of-stock for about five months it is bound to seem like a new release when it comes back in stock again.

While the Kindle has already been reviewed many times around the Interwebs, I wanted to share my thoughts and feeling towards the Amazon Kindle. Mainly because I feel its overpriced and expensive at $399, but at the same time its (at least in my opinion) well worth the money.

The Kindle would be great for someone who travels often, because it would provide them an easy way to carry multiple books or purchase a new book should they finish, or decide they do not like the one they had thanks to the always connected book store, I do not fit into that category, but can still find the value, let me explain.

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The GPS, the 21st century version of the compass. Invaluable to weary travelers who feel the air suck out of there lungs when they are unaware of the location of the nearest Starbucks. The technology, created by the US military and released to the public in the mid 1980’s by Presidential decree has blossomed into a top holiday gift and dashboard staple. Perfected with the discontinuation of selective availability in 2000 which helped to refine the systems accuracy, and thus enhance its marketability. Companies like Garmin and Tom Tom have lead the market with these tech must haves.

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The courtship began in December with heady bids, chocolate kisses, and flowers. Blockbuster, the movie rental leader was set to hitch Circuit City to it’s star. Making its overtures public on Monday with an offering reportedly worth nearly 1 billion dollars. There were talks of crossing platforms with Circuit City renting movies and Blockbuster selling home electronics. And a day later there were talks that it would never happen. According to published reports, questions about how Blockbuster, a company valued at less then their initial offer to Circuit City would finance such a deal arose. My guess was late fees (I swear I returned that copy of A New Hope and I will fight those charges to the death!) but apparently the pot just didn’t have the gold. So in this post possible merger world how will these companies survive?

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