Raghu's NetLog

Zoomr >>> Flickr

2007-02-01T14:02:00.000-06:00

Lately, there has been lots of criticism on Flickr mainly because of Yahoo! ID sign in enforcement. People have been looking for alternatives to Flickr and possibly those offer much more. I did too. My search was over when I found Zooomr. Yes... it's lot like Flickr with much more to offer. Try it and you will agree

Apple sues it's fans

2005-01-05T16:00:00.000-06:00

Apple sues Think Secret; Product rumors confirmed? (MacMinute)

In its latest lawsuit to prevent product leaks, Apple has sued the publisher of Mac rumor site Think Secret and other unnamed individuals, alleging that recent reports on the site contain Apple trade secrets. CNET News.com is reporting that in the suit, which was filed Tuesday in the Superior Court of Santa Clara County, Calif., Apple identifies specific articles, indicating that at least parts of those reports (such as "headless iMac" and "iWork") are true. "Apple has filed a civil complaint against the owner of Think Secret and unnamed individuals who we believe stole Apple's trade secrets," Apple said in a statement. "We believe that Think Secret solicited information about unreleased Apple products from these individuals, who violated their confidentiality agreements with Apple by providing details that were later posted on the Internet."

I would say this is bad move by Apple. Apple fans are known to be fanatic. And suing them by Apple itself is worse.

CES 2005: New Gadgets

2005-01-05T11:41:00.000-06:00

PCWorld.com - CES 2005: Photos From the First 24 Hours (PCWorld)

We are going to see some cool gadgets at Consumer Electronics Show. Though the show starts on thursday, PC World has managed to get pictures of some gadgets that going to be present at the show. Among all of them, I like Lexar's JumpDrive most. It's sleek and the 1GB one costs just $135. That's a bang for the buck.

Now VoIP Phone with Wi-Fi

2005-01-04T13:13:00.000-06:00

Vonage UTStarcom F1000 VoIP Phone (Gizmodo)

This is going to be really cool piece from Vonage. It presents this handset from UTStarcom that lets Vonage subscribers log onto any Wi-Fi network and make calls. I'm not sure how much price is Vonage going to put on it. But if it is anywhere close to $50, it's a deal. Specs are good too - 80 hour standby time and about 4 hour talk time.

iPod in car

2005-01-04T10:49:00.000-06:00

Apple's iPod rocks car-stereo makers (Y! News)

There are hundreds of accessories for iPod now. One of the most important accessory for anybody who has a card and iPod is a car charger and some plugin to listen to music too. But the problem everything is little clustered once you put all the accessories to the iPod in car. So, car manufacturers and stereo makers and coming up with best possibilities to reduce the cluster and take advantage of iPod market. Well, who is not doing that apart from few biggies like Microsoft, Napster and Real. Who cares about these guys, anyway.

Do we need to adjust leap second aftermath Tsunami?

2004-12-30T14:39:00.000-06:00

Sumatran quake sped up Earth's rotation (Nature.com)
The tsunami disaster has changed the Earth's rotation rate too. According to the report, the disaster shaved millionths of a second off planet's day. According to Tom O'Brian, head of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology's Time and Frequency Division in Boulder, Colorado, which runs an atomic clock:

"I would be stunned if there was any change in the rotation rate that would necessitate addition or subtraction of a leap second."

Leap second is a second of time, as measured by an atomic clock, added to or omitted from official timekeeping systems annually to compensate for changes in the rotation of the earth.

How many radios do you have on your cell phone?

2004-12-30T10:59:00.000-06:00

Multiple radios boggle cell phone design (CommsDesign)
Today's cell phones come with multiple radios. It should have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IrDA, FM radio and what not. Among these, bluetooth has become de-facto standard for many people.

"There are simply too many wireless standards around. Just to get a technical understanding of how they are different and how you might market them to a user is difficult," said Jaap Haartsen, a chief scientist in the mobile-platforms group at Ericsson in Sweden.

Read the entire article from CommsDesign. There are quite a few interesting points.

Source: Om Malik on Broadband

Help Tsunami Victims

2004-12-30T08:12:00.000-06:00

I have been blogging about this tragedy in my Indialog. There are lots of resources online where you can donate and help the victims. The death toll is already close to 200,000 though the official numbers are currently about 112,000. Tsunami has changed the map of South Asia in most parts. Om Malik has compiled a list of organizations that are helping the victims. Visit his post and go through the list and please donate whatever you can through any organization.

How can you watch Times Square fete?

2004-12-28T10:21:00.000-06:00

CNET reports that MSN is going to webcast the whole event from start to finish. So, if you can't make it to the Times Square to watch what is famed to be locale's 100th New Year's Eve celebration, this is best wat to watch it, unless you have TV, which makes sense. The telecast at MSN portal will start at 5 PM and finish at 11:15 PM, Central Times.

Motorola MPx Review

2004-12-24T19:33:00.000-06:00

Motorola MPx (HowardChui.com)

This is one of the phones that I was waiting for eagerly. MPx is not released yet for consumers. Before reading this review, I was trying to decide between Motorola MPx, Motorola Razr and SonyEricsson S700i. But, I took MPx off of my wish list after reading the review. My primary reason for looking forward to this phone was it boasts all the wireless technologies. But, I guess performance wise MPx is inferior to HP's 6315. I guess the manufacturers are yet to make these smartphones top of the line. May be, the next generation ones will promise that. But, now as for me, I'm lingering between Razr and S700i. I'm more inclined towards S700i as it has 1.2 MP camera. I'm totally impressed by Razr except for it's VGA camera.

Make Firefox faster

2004-12-23T17:40:00.000-06:00

The tips mentioned here are awesome. If you have broadband internet, you definitely wanna follow these tips and enhance your Firefox experience.

Sony out of Plasma

2004-12-19T19:20:00.000-06:00

Sony is loosing money in Plasma TV really. Panasonic and Toshiba are winning the market share. But, concentrating on LCD doesn't make any sense. LCD is always inferior to Plasma. Well, TV doesn't mean Sony anymore.

Source: Y! News

Real Time Traffic Conditions on Y! Maps

2004-12-16T08:19:00.000-06:00

Yahoo Maps Offer Live U.S. Traffic Conditions (Y! News)

Yahoo launched real time traffic conditions for traffic through out the U.S. It can be accessed at http://maps.yahoo.com/traffic. Though it looks primitive, I think it is very helpful. It could be a big thing in time.

Cellphones Onboard

2004-12-11T01:09:00.000-06:00

The New York Times > Technology > Cellphones Aloft: The Inevitable Is Closer (New York Times - Subscription Required)

How great it would be to kill time onboard with your cellphone. But, it's not going to be roses for everybody as the report mentioned.

"For some people, the idea of being able to pick up their phone is going to be liberating; for some it's going to drive them crazy," said Addison Schonland, a travel industry consultant at the Innovation Analysis Group in La Jolla, Calif. "Can you imagine 200 people having a conversation at once? There's going to be a big market for noise-canceling headphones."

That's right, I think if this thing is implemented, the market for noise-canceling headphones will be huge. I will definitely go for one. Not Bose though, they are overpriced.

Google Suggesting your query

2004-12-10T22:19:00.000-06:00

Google Suggest (Google Blog)

I think this is a neat idea by Kevin. All you have to do is start typing your search in the query box and Google suggests the queries for you in return. What makes it amazing is that along with the query suggestion, number of results are also displayed along with it in runtime. That's Google for you.

Old Wine, New Bottle = SprinTel

2004-12-10T20:17:00.000-06:00

Sprint-Nextel Deal Talk Sparks Concern (Y! News)

Sprint buying Nextel - that's big news. This will leave only 4 major players along with Verizon Wireless, Just coupled Cingular+AT&T and T-Mobile. If this deal happens, T-Mobile will be a distant fourth player. The future doesn't seem to be good for them, especially after they put off 3G Wireless implementation for 2 years.

Samsung will be on top of the world at the end of 2008

2004-12-09T19:44:00.000-06:00

BBC NEWS | Business | Samsung to build tallest building
Samsung, after a 11-month long bidding process, started working on World's tallest building, Burj Tower, in UAE. It's a 800-metre high and 160-floor skyscraper. That is about 291 meters longer than the current tallest tower, Taiwan's 509-metre TFC 101 building.

Source: Gizmodo

iPod in 2004

2004-12-07T10:35:00.000-06:00

The iPod Year in Review 2004 (iPodlounge)

Jeremy Horwitz at iPodlounge.com has written an excellent article on iPod's trend in 2004. I gotta agree with him about iPod photo. I really don't see how photos fit into lifestyle of most of the people out there. May be Apple has big plans for future, but for now iPod photo don't see any following like other models. And yeah, iPod mini's price should see a decline by atleast $50 to better the sales that it has right now. I thought Apple would do this for the holiday season, but I think they don't see any reason to do that right now as the demand is still strong. But, I think if they can reduce that price, whatever percent of people buying those iPod clones, will definitely go fo mini.

Now, Firefox gets support from Copernic

2004-12-07T10:24:00.000-06:00

Copernic Desktop Search for Mozilla Firefox (Search Engine News Journal)

Firefox is widening its affiliates. Now, Copernic joins the group as well. Personally, I prefer Copernic Desktop Search to Google's. It's so much better. Now, the Copernic guys "listened" to one complaint that I had, supporting Firefox.

VoIP among top searches

2004-12-07T10:13:00.000-06:00

Om Malik on Broadband: VoIP is the shizzle

Om Malik at Broadband reports about a news article that VoIP is the top internet related search on web. I say internet related because other top searches above VoIP are Harry Potter, Pokeman, Oprah and iPod - they are entertainment based, not exactly internet related. I do firmly believe that next year is going to be big for VoIP.

iTunes Canada cheapest

2004-12-02T13:46:00.000-06:00

Canadians get iTunes on the cheap ( CNET)

According to CNET, Canadians are getting each song for just about 83 cents, 16 percent less than the cost in the US. Even better for them, they are paying about a Canadian Dollar less compared to those in Britain. Hmm, seems like the credit card companies in Canada will get their customer base increased if people find a way to get the billing address over there.

MSN Spaces reviews gets as bad as they can be

2004-12-02T10:53:00.000-06:00

I think this is enough for not to use MSN Spaces - Blogging services by Microsoft. If that's not enough for you, read this.

Video cell phones and VoIP to make splash in 2005

2004-12-02T08:35:00.000-06:00

Top 6 technology trends for 2005 (Rediff.com)

Rediff.com listed top 6 trends listed by Red Herring. Though none of these are new, I think they will have more impact the coming year. The list includes: The end of Moore's Law, Medical devices that do more than save your life, Videos, photos and music on your cell phone, Mini fuel cells, Internet telephony, and The digital living room. Among all these, I would say Videos, photos and music on cell phone and VoIP are bound to make big.

iTunes in Canada

2004-12-02T08:02:00.000-06:00

Apple Launches iTunes Music Store in Canada
Apple launched iTunes Music Store in Canada the same day it announced a delay in it. Regardless, it is a great news for Apple fans in Canada. They have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The response can be no less than overwhelming.

Source: MacMinute

Bloglines in 6 new Languages

2004-12-01T13:15:00.000-06:00

Bloglines Languages
Bloglines has comeup with 6 new languages - Spanish, japanese, Chinese (Traditional), French, German and Portuguese.

iTunes still aloof to Canada

2004-12-01T12:50:00.000-06:00

iTunes not ready to sing 'O Canada' (CNET)
Seems like Apple is still under disagreement with music companies over in Canada. Not sure when they plan to go live now. Apart from that, CNET reports that Apple plans to open up a store in Toronto by the middle of next year.

Google releases integrated product for all it's softwares

2004-11-27T13:15:00.000-06:00

Google Software Downloads
Google has put up Software Downloads page where you can download and install five of it's different softwares available - Google Toolbar, Google Desktop Search, Picasa Photo Organizer, Google Deskbar and Gmail Notifier(BETA) . Even better, it has included single suite including all these five softwares where you can do search from any application. That's pretty cool. Surprisingly, Hello is left out as of now. Hopefully, it will join the family.

Source: InsideGoogle

Get juice to your iPod from Sun

2004-11-22T14:10:00.000-06:00

Solio
Next time when you go to Death Valley or Grand Canyon, don't worry about looking for a power outlet to charge the iPod. The Sun is enough to provide the necessary juice. Solio from Disruptive Technology is a great accessory for iPod for those who can't rely on power outlets. It can provide enough juice to play the iPod for upto 9 hours. Solio can be charged through a power outlet or directly from sunlight. Well, the power outlet will be European, so I have to rely on sunlight or buy an adapter to use here in US. But, this is a great accessory. It gives enough juice to play iPod for up to 9 hours. But, I couldn't figure out how this thing will be connected to iPod yet. Can't find any pics.

Source: Gizmodo

iPod : Apple :: Treo : PalmOne

2004-11-22T10:29:00.000-06:00

Store trots out Treo (CNET)

Seems like PalmOne wants to concentrate on Treo line to generate more revenues. Apple did the same thing, concentrated on iPod and even publisized the new iMac as - from the makers of iPod. Seems like PalmOne guys took a clue from Apple and started concentrating on Treo line.

Google becomes Scholar

2004-11-18T13:34:00.000-06:00

Google today release beta version of Scholar Search.

Google says, "We recognize the debt we owe to all those in academia whose work has made Google itself a reality and we hope to make Google Scholar as useful to this community as possible. We believe everyone should have a chance to stand on the shoulders of giants."

Even without scholar search, I use Google search alot for any publication. So, I think the seach results will be more refined now. When you do a scholar search, the results list the authors name, publication and the year of publication. So, I think this is the major difference on how the search result is rendered.

Good article on P2P sharing

2004-11-17T16:54:00.000-06:00

Collect some free MP3s here Perspectives CNET News.com
Here is one of those articles on CNET that I like everybody to read. There really are some websites (like garageband.com) where some bands would like to share their music and want people to download.

Yahoo! Mail storage is now 250 MB

2004-11-15T07:20:00.000-06:00

Yahoo takes on spam, boosts e-mail storage (CNET)

Though not as much as Google, Yahoo! is now offering 250 MB for it's mail storage up from 100 MB for it's free accounts. I think that's enough for most of the people out there. Apparently, Yahoo! didn't want to be behind Hotmail in storage area. Hotmail is offering 250 MB (I have no clue if anybody got this, but not me... I'm still using only 2 MB for my spam).

GMailing a Group

2004-11-12T11:24:00.000-06:00

Creating a Pseudo Address Group! (GMail Tips)

So what if Google didn't put the feature where you can send an email to a group.... there's always a work around. Take a look at how you can send an email to a group. It is simple.

Source: digital media | minute

iDrops for your iPod - No prescription necessary

2004-11-11T22:19:00.000-06:00

PodShop | iDrops

How do you name an accessory for iPod? Simple, put an "i" (don't forget the case) infront of whatever it is supposed to be. That's what every manufacturer seems to be doing. Take a look at yourself - iSpeaker, iCar, iMount, iMotion, iStand, iThis and iThat.... The list goes on... Now, we have iDrops. Eyedrops are for your eyes and iDrops are for your iPod. Only this time, you don't need any prescription to buy this. You don't even need an iPod to buy this, coz it can be used for your iBook, eMac and iMac. I'm not sure why can't it be used for Vaios or Latitudes, but they are not listed on the product page.

Source: iPodlounge

Microsoft still 'Searching'

2004-11-11T09:55:00.000-06:00

A List Of All The MSN Search Beta URLs (InsideGoogle)

Microsoft left this gap in their monotony ruling. They curse themselves for this. Google became big just because of search. Now, Microsoft wants to catch up with the search market that is ruled by Google. Yahoo is trying very hard to reach masses. But, Microsoft was left way behind. Now, Microsoft launched it's latest search engine in beta. Nathan from InsideGoogle has been following with this development every minute. I felt like it has become InsideMicrosoft since last night. Anyway, in his latest post, he listed out all local MSN search betas. I'm not into Yahoo for searching, let alone Microsoft. I just want to Google around.

Update: Nathan started InsideMicrosoft seeing this post. Well, that was kinda flattering. InsideMicrosoft is just like InsideGoogle except that it covers Microsoft. You can get everything about Microsoft from his blog.

Gmail goes POPs

2004-11-10T17:49:00.000-06:00

Gmail offers free POPs(CNET)

So, now that GMail is going POP3, who wants to use it? I don't. The interface is lot better in GMail. I don't see any reason to use desktop clients for my GMail.

Pocket-size Sony PC

2004-11-10T09:49:00.000-06:00

Will pocket-size Sony PC take on iPod? (CNET)

Though it looks impressive enough with rich features like 512 RAM, 20GB, Wi-Fi and just little over 1 pound, I bet it's not going to create any market uproar. Not everybody is interested in products like these.

Clusty Toolbar for Firefox

2004-11-09T15:00:00.000-06:00

Clusty Toolbar for Firefox

Vivisimo joins Bloglines to provide add-ons for Firefox. The new Firefox is not even a day old, and it's finding affiliates already. Vivisimo brings Clusty toolbar, which is also a popular search engine. I like the Mini-Mode that saves toolbar space. According to Vivisimo, "Mini-Mode lets users maximize their screen space by allowing the Clusty Toolbar to reside on the same line as the address bar. Mini-Mode shrinks the Clusty Toolbar down to a single button next to the default Firefox search box. Users can then toggle Mini-Mode instantly, without restarting the browser". Sound good, right?

Bloglines comes with Firefox Center

2004-11-09T09:27:00.000-06:00

Bloglines Firefox Center

Bloglines is my favorite RSS aggregator. After using NewsDesk and Sage, I find Bloglines to be the best. Now, Bloglines gets much more integrated into the new Firefox 1.0 with Bloglines Toolkit and LiveLines. Livelines is much like Firefox's Live Bookmarks. If you are using Bloglines as your RSS reader and Firefox as your default browser, then you definitely want to use these extensions.

Firefox 1.0 is finally here

2004-11-09T09:02:00.000-06:00

Mozilla releases Firefox 1.0 (CNET)

So, Firefox is finally fully qualified 1.0 after being 1.0 PR and 1.0 RC for a while. The PR version has seen about 8 million downloads. So, no wonder the full version will have much more download by the end of the year. In the mean time, if you are new to firefox, take a look at this article about Ten Extensions to Enhance Firefox from ExtremeTech. They talk about the most often used and much needed extensions like Adblock, Image Zoom, FoxyTunes, Gmail Notifier, Image-Show-Hide,Web Developer, fireFTPWebmailCompose etc.

Update: I just realized whey Firefox homepage is much different from what it used to be. The new home page is www.google.com/firefox. Seems like Google is much thrilled to see Firefox coming out. Now, hopefully they integrate all their products into Firefox.

Bluetooth's Future

2004-11-08T19:04:00.000-06:00

Bluetooth chews on future plans (CNET)

Seems like Bluetooth has a very bright future in terms of features. I particularly liked, "In 2006, the specification is scheduled to support multicasting, or the ability to send a single message to several devices. That would let a CD player send music to multiple headphone sets, for example".

Apple's Spotlight looks pretty impressive

2004-11-08T18:39:00.000-06:00

Apple - Mac OS X - Tiger Preview - Spotlight

Spotlight, Apple's Desktop Search Engine in Tiger, is lot better than few desktop searches out there. I use Copernic Desktop search on windows. I like it alot. Better than Google's. Both Copernic and Spotlight have almost same features and searches for files in a similar way.

Source: InsideGoogle

Bose SoundDock review at iPodlounge

2004-11-06T09:44:00.000-06:00

Bose SoundDock (iPodlounge)

Picture Courtesy: iPodlounge
I'm really impressed by Jeremy's review of Bose SoundDock. He doesn't really go for Bose Hype that many reviewers do. Based on his review and the comments, seems like SoundDock show good promise and is worth only for those who doesn't want to settle for anything less than a pleasant music. But, as Jeremy mentioned, it doesn't offer alot compared to JBL's Creature II which costs less than one-third the price of Bose's SoundDock (SoundDock costs $299 and Creature II costs $99 - available for about $62 online). As Jeremy mentioned, "Considering that the SoundDock's $299 price tag could literally purchase a second iPod, and that a superior-sounding (and equally non-portable) alternative under most circumstances is available in JBL's less expensive system, it's hard for us to award the SoundDock our highest recommendation without substantial qualification".

hiPod Phone

2004-11-03T21:40:00.000-06:00

Source: iPodlounge

Froogle using UPC or ISBN on Google SMS

2004-11-03T15:09:00.000-06:00

Google SMS: "Sample query for product prices"

Google SMS has been enhanced with couple of Froogle capabilities. Now, you can search by ISBN or UPC. I think this is a good improvement, if not revolutionary. The search could be targeted to the right product.

Source: InsideGoogle

Windows on Treo. What's the truth?

2004-11-03T14:37:00.000-06:00

palmOne Responds to the Pocket PC Rumor (PalmInfocenter.com)

Yesterday, lots of websites and discussion groups discussed about PalmOne coming up with Windows Treo and PalmSource shares even falling due to this speculation. But now, PalmOne spokesperson came out and say:

We believe that the folks at Needham misunderstood our palmOne execs: no one from palmOne expressed the sentiments attributed to us, either at our October 5 Securities Analyst meeting or in the individual analyst meetings that followed.
It's a well-known fact that palmOne has attracted a large and loyal customer base delivering products that employ PalmOS, and that we are committed to a multiyear contract with PalmSource that includes a $40 million minimum annual commitment. We have often said that the PalmOS today has the best combination of power, ease of use, user interface and flexibility to innovate on top of the OS.

Of course, the company is open to evaluating products using additional operating systems if doing so would grow the marketplace or otherwise meet customer needs that currently are not addressed. This is nothing new. In fact, it was part of the rationale for the spin-off -- so that both companies could create their own futures.

This doesn't sound clear. He neither completely deny the rumor nor accept it. Well, I personally wouldn't even go close to treo if it is windows.

Source: pocketnow.com

iPodlounge bring Buyer's Guide 2004

2004-11-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

iPodlougers really worked hard to bring this Buyer's Guide. It shows lots of effort. It contains reviews of almost every iPod accessory available today and on top of it, it even has iPod Photo review. What can anybody ask for when such a great product is available for free. The download file is available from iPodlounge website. But they request anybody to try to download from the additional links provided and if not successful then download from their site. This is so to reduce the bandwidth demand. If you have an iPod or even considering to have one, then you must download the file and go through it.

Firefox captured 3% share even before the official release

2004-11-01T21:05:00.000-06:00

Study: Firefox still gaining on Internet Explorer (CNET)

Seems like Firefox is well poised to reach 10% target by the end of 2005. Even before the official release, the browser share has reached 3%. Internet Explorer is seeing steady decline ever since Firefox has catched up since this summer. The New York Times Ad campaign has already raised $250,000. This is simply awesome.

Source: Inside Firefox

Now, Yahoo! wants to do Desktop Search

2004-11-01T20:05:00.000-06:00

Yahoo Works on Desktop Search, CEO Says Staying Put (Y! News)

Seems like Google and Yahoo wants to do the same thing these days. Google launched search via SMS, Yahoo launched search via WAP. Both searches are mobile, though using different medium. Now, after Google launched Desktop Search, Yahoo also wants to join the battle. We will have to wait and see how strong Yahoo's version would be compared to Google.

A9 Toolbar now officially available

2004-11-01T13:35:00.000-06:00

A9 search engine from Amazon, which uses Google search, has made available it's toolbar for Firefox. This is probably a first toolbar for Firefox available apart from Firefox people. But, I don't see any particular use of A9 except that it saves the search history and is accessible anywhere internet is available.

Source: CNET

Wanna become an electronic person?

2004-10-31T13:59:00.000-06:00

Enter The High Tech Lifestyle: SCOTTeVEST TEC Sport Coat and Hidden Cargo Pants Review (Gear Live)

Here is something that will make your "portable" electronics so portable that you become a being fully equipped electonically. The $360 valued SCOTTeVest and Hidden Cargo Pants will take almost any portable device "hidden". Explore yourself and make your own opinion on these.

Source: Slashdot

No Google Desktop Search for Mac

2004-10-31T07:50:00.000-06:00

Google desktop for OSX misreported by Reuters and others? (Boing Boing)

Looks like many news agencies mis-quoted Google CEO Eric Schmidt regarding GDS for Mac. Tim O'Reilly, the questioner also claims that the response was not the way Reuters and others reported widely. This is what he reported on his website: "This is Tim O'Reilly. I'm the one who asked Eric the question at his talk about whether we'd expect a Mac version of Google desktop, and I have to say I didn't read his response at all the way the Reuters reporter did! He was fairly equivocal, saying that it was a hard problem, requiring a whole separate project, not just a port, because of the differences in the operating systems. He made no announcement of actual plans to deliver the product, or even that Google was actively working on it". Boing Boing reports that Schmidt ended his reply by pointing out that as a matter of policy, Google does not "pre-announce" products. That's right. I don't recall Google pre-announcing any of their products anytime. They didn't even pre-announce their intentions of any acquisitions too.

Source: InsideGoogle

Only tabloid for Times

2004-10-30T15:38:00.000-05:00

The Times, which is Great Britain's most influential daily newspaper has surprised everybody by deciding to go only in tabloid format from monday for all editions. According to the Times editor Robert Thomson, "The launch of the compact has transformed the fortunes of the newspaper". Times has introduced tabloid version in parts. They decided to go for only tabloid version after the successful run. According to BBC, sales of the paper have gone up by 4.5% since publishing a broadsheet and tabloid version. I really want to see a tabloid edition here in US. I know not many people are for paper news any longer whey we are getting all the latest news on internet as it happens. I only use newspapers for garage sales.

Google fixes the hole in GMail too fast

2004-10-30T10:22:00.000-05:00

Google plugs hole exposing Gmail mail-boxes (InfoWorld)

According to Nathan Tyler, Google spokesman, "Google was recently alerted to a potential security vulnerability affecting the Gmail service. We have since fixed this vulnerability, and all current and future Gmail users are protected,". The problem was that an attacker could take the cookie file that was created when the victim logs into GMail account and use that cookie file to log onto victim's account from any computer bypassing the password. This means that the attacker can use the victim's account even the password is changed.
But, the good news is that Google has fixed the security flaw. Google was pretty fast in fixing the flaw.

Source: theofficeweblog

Google takes first step towards Mac

2004-10-29T20:52:00.000-05:00

Google Plans Desktop Search Tool for Apple PCs (Y! News)

Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said Google wants to release it's latest offering Google Desktop Search for Apple Computers too. He didn't set any date for this though. But, I think if Google really does that, it would be their first tool that could be used on a Mac.

iPod for Halloween

2004-10-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

Source: Gizmodo

iPod Photo carries the audio defect from regular 4G iPods

2004-10-29T15:16:00.000-05:00

iPod Photo manifests audio defect (iPodlounge)

Seems like this audio problem is present in all the 4G iPods - regular, Photo and may be U2 (this is not confirmed yet). Though iPodlounge people reported this to Apple and submitted the defective units, why Apple hasn't confirmed this yet and didn't fix it is anybody's guess. Rio was quick to respond to Carbon's audio defect. Apple should seriously fix this issue since iPod has become the biggest revenue source for them and they can't afford to loose this ground.

San Francisco joins other major cities for Wi-Fi Program

2004-10-28T22:20:00.000-05:00

San Francisco to Expand Wi-Fi Program (Y! News)

Lots of city governmnets are launching ambitious Wi-Fi projects in the recent times. Philadelphia was one of them that made headlines some time back. Now, SF City Mayor wants every San Franciscan to have access to free wireless Internet service. The city already has a public Wi-Fi center in the major shopping area Union Square.

Excellent Review of Tungsten T5 at BargainPDA

2004-10-28T17:38:00.000-05:00

PalmOne Tungsten T5 Review (BargainPDA)

BargainPDA has posted a comprehensive review of PlamOne's new Tungsten T5 Review. I'm pretty pleased by the reviewer and his observations. Personally I feel that the biggest drawback in this model is Wi-Fi. PalmOne should have integrated Wi-Fi with Tungsten. As AdamaDBrown mentioned, "All PocketPCs at the T5's price, and in fact many below it, feature WiFi wireless networking, as well as other desirable features like removable batteries". The only positive thing I see in T5 is it's memory. The user accessible memory is whopping 255 MB. And damn! it's too expensive for what it offers. Dell's Axim is definitely a good deal. For the same price, you get integrated Wi-Fi and dual memory slot. I definitely agree with AdamaDBrown in his conclusion, "they are competing with HP and Dell. Or, perhaps more accurately, HP and Dell are competing with each other, and PalmOne is taking the crossfire. At this rate, PalmOne is either going to be forced out of the high-end market altogether and end up making Zires and cell phones, or they have to fire back with something big. And I don't think the T5 is it".

Think small with Think Outside's Bluetooth Mouse

2004-10-28T17:15:00.000-05:00

Think Outside has introduced Stowaway Travel Mouse which is bluetooth enabled. This can be used with any computer enabled with bluetooth and also any PDA and smartphone with bluetooth capability. Though it may seem little bit odd to use a mouse for PDAs, I think it's quite convenient. Instead of trying to use a touchpad or arrow keys, you can now use a mouse for PDA too. The cost is little bit on high end - $80. It is scheduled to ship sometime this fall. Think Outside is offering free shipping if pre-ordered by October 31st.

Source: Gizmodo

Technology Review congratulates Apple users for getting virus

2004-10-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

Hackers Target Apple? Congratulations! (Technology Review)

Eric Hellweg at Technology Review has an interesting article explaining why Apple users should rejoice for getting virus to their computers. Some Apple users discovered a virus program called "Opener" last week. It was actually fixed by Sophos, an anti-virus company, three days later. But, here is an interesting comment from him, "this program is a milestone in computing history because the Apple community is finally large enough that it has drawn the attention of the hackers".

Gateway wants to compete with iPod Photos

2004-10-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

Gateway to tap out photo, MP3 player beat (CNET)

Within two days Apple announced iPod photo, Gateway announced their own version dubbed as Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox.The capacity and price is same as iPod Mini (4 GB and $249). The screen resolution is 128 X 128. Obviously it supports only Windows PC. The size is little bigger than iPod Mini but with little less weight. Gateway is taking preorders now and shipping from November 15.

Yahoo! takes on Google in mobile search

2004-10-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

Yahoo Search, Now on Your Cell Phone (Yahoo! Search blog)

Not too long ago Google announced Google search via SMS. Now, Yahoo! also went mobile, but via WAP. So, if you don't have WAP service, you are out of luck. Not that I'm a Google fan, but, search via SMS is smarter compared to search via WAP. But, there is cost involved with SMS because each text message would cost, both incoming and outgoing. Whereas, WAP is unlimited for most plans. Either way, it's good to know that search is coming out of computers and going mobile.

Now, Cheat Sheet for Googling

2004-10-27T18:49:00.000-05:00

Google Help : Cheat Sheet

I think there are few things that I didn't know before I saw the Cheat Sheet. They are actually quite useful. You definitely want to check those out.

Colored Socks for iPods

2004-10-26T16:14:00.000-05:00

Seems like Apple is coming up with some funky stuff for iPods. They released a set of colored socks for iPod. They will be in combination of six different colors priced at $29.

Source: MacMinute

iTunes Music Store in Canada in November

2004-10-26T16:10:00.000-05:00

Apple Launches EU iTunes Music Store

As noted earlier today, Apple launched European Union version of iTunes Music Store with each song costing €0.99. Also, I think the Canadian iTunes fans are finally getting what they have been waiting for. iTMS Canada is coming in November.

The wait is over - iPod Photo is finally here

2004-10-26T13:56:00.000-05:00

Apple has released iPod photo in two storage capacities - 40 GB and 60 GB. They cost $499 and $599 respectively. The display offers 220x176-pixel resolution. It can display 25 full-color thumbnails at a time. The syncing is done using iTunes itself. The new version 4.7 is ready for this purpose. It works for both Mac and PC. Apart from the photo version, the best next thing is the battery life. The photo iPod can run up to 15 hours where as the regular iPod has battery life of 12 hours.

Apple releases U2 iPod Special Edition

2004-10-26T13:38:00.000-05:00

Apple today released U2 iPod Special Edition available for $349. They released It functions no different from regular iPods except that the looks are different. The U2 iPod is black which will definitely stand out among other iPod users. Also, it comes with an exclusive U2 poster. But, the headphones are still white though I would prefer a black one to match the iPod color. As an extra special treat, it includes an iTunes Music Store coupon you can use to get $50 off your purchase of The Complete U2. As unique as the iPod itself, this digital boxed set brings together an amazing 400 U2 tracks.

Canada still missing from iTunes Music Store

2004-10-26T12:40:00.000-05:00

Nine new iTunes Music Store countries revealed (MacMinute)

Apple is adding nine new iTunes Music Stores - Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Noticeably, Canada is still missing from the list. I wonder why the country so close to US is being neglected. I'm sure the should be some business problem for Steve Jobs to launch one for Canada, but he should atleast come out and explain why is it so. There are so many iTunes fans in Canada eagerly waiting for iTunes store.

Will Treo 650 replace Treo 600?

2004-10-26T10:16:00.000-05:00

Does the palmOne Treo 650 Replace Treo 600? Not Exactly (BargainPDA)

abaxter has a nice article at BargainPDA about Treo 650 on why it is just not a replacement for Treo 600. I'll have to agree with PalmOne guys in that they addressed lots of issues that their users have. Treo 600 was becoming inferior to other handhelds from Blackberry, Sonyericsson P910 and to some extent T-Mobile's Sidekick. Even Windows mobiles have become big competition to Treos. They were having lots and lots of features compared to Treo 600. Now, Treo 650 is a good answer from PalmOne guys. The only thing it doesn't have is Wi-fi. I don't think that is a big business problem, though I personally feel they should have released both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi versions to cover more users. Bluetooth was the biggest lacking feature in Treo 600. And there were some rumors that Sprint will remove this feature in Treo 650. But, that's not the case. Even better, Sprint is the first carrier to release Treo 650. Well, I don't like Sprint, so I don't care. Actually, I'm not going to buy Treo 650. But, I have some soft corner for Palm OS, mainly because I have Windows.

Third birthday for iPod

2004-10-24T09:11:00.000-05:00

Happy 3rd Birthday iPod (iPodlounge)

Yesterday was third anniversary for the world's greatest jukebox - iPod. How soon it became an icon for digital music and how so many companies are really thinking about this business is anybody's guess. I think there was only one other company that changed the way people get entertainment and that was Sony with it's walkman. Now, walkman has become a passe and may be iPod will become one too, but nobody can neglect the way Apple is relishing iPod's success in full breath. Let me extend my wishes to Dennis Lloyd for his success on one-stop iPod source website iPodlounge.com. He will be enjoying third anniversary for his website in two weeks.

GoogHelper - Launch any type of Google search on PPC

2004-10-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

GoogHelper from Two Peaks Software

GoogHelper is a FREE utility that helps you quickly launch various types of Google searches on your Pocket PC. Since it is a standalone application, it can be mapped to any of the buttons on your device, or added to various "quick launch" utilities you may be using. GoogHelper can be a great time saver for wireless Pocket PC users who frequently use Google to look stuff up.

Source: Pocket PC Thoughts

Get buying advise for Autos, Digital Cameras and PDAs

2004-10-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

My Product Advisor

My Product Advisor is a good buying guide if you plan to buy a car, digital camera or PDA or smartphone. The buying guide is nicely arranged and I think it took care of almost everything that you would like to consider when buying any of these. The results were pretty accurate for me. Check yours.

Source: pocketnow

Google Desktop Search plugin for Firefox

2004-10-16T10:18:00.000-05:00

Google Desktop Search in Firefox via Mycroft

Danny Dawson came up with a Mycroft Plugin for GDS. According to him, it requires slightly more work to install than the standard Mycroft plugin (three short steps instead of one). In Firefox, GDS displays 100 results by default per page as opposed to 10 that the standard GDS shows. Click on the link above to get the files.

Source: Web Development News

Some concerns addressed about Google Desktop Search

2004-10-16T09:53:00.000-05:00

InsideGoogle: Digital Life: How Google Desktop Works, And How It Will Work (InsideGoogle)

Nathan Weinberg at InsideGoogle had a chat with Marrissa Mayer, Google's director of consumer web products regarding GDS functionality. Some of the important points are:

Right now, GDS can read Hotmail and Yahoo Mail pages right now, but not GMail since it is heavy on Javascript. According to Marrissa, "We should be able to search Gmail in the next few weeks".
While PageRank doesn't apply to your computer, Desktop does make use of nearly every other method of determining keyword relevance Google uses, from titles to bold text.
Google Desktop Index maxes out at 2 GB.
"For now Desktop is only for one user on the computer... the other person can't install it". If you use multiple usernames, only one can install and access the data while the others are plum out of luck. Obviously, they are working on fixing this as soon as possible.

Go ahead and read the complete article. Thanks to Nathan.

Google Desktop Search is also Spyware

2004-10-15T18:11:00.000-05:00

Google Desktop Search: Security Threat? (PC World)

Tom Spring writes, "using GDS, I was able to bypass user names and passwords that secure Web-based e-mail programs and view personal messages sent and received on public PCs". Hmm.... that's something to be concerned of. But, I think Google is not concerned about this. Marissa Mayer, Google's director of consumer Web products, says "this is not a bug, rather a feature". It that's a feature, I think that's really a bad feature. But, actually, you could configure GDS such that it does not index web pages or specific domains. Tom continues, "On one computer alone I was able to access no less that 10 personal e-mails that had been sent using password-protected Web-based e-mail accounts". Check out the PC World article for user comments. You will definitely find useful information so that GDS shall not spy on your personal data.

Source: Slashdot

Men lose after Four successive wins in "Apprentice"

2004-10-15T17:43:00.000-05:00

So, finally men lose. Actually, I think I'm not surprised at this. Right from the designer, clothing and price, they were beaten by women. I got the feeling that they are going to loose when they made total chaos during fabric selection. Women made a thumping victory by gaining three times the sale that of men. That was huge.
Firing John was correct. He should have brought Wes to the board room. That was the biggest mistake on his part. I liked Trump's post-firing comments for this episode, "I think John is outstanding, I'll have to tell you. I hate firing people that are that good".
Tailpiece: I think Carol is better when she is not laughing. She just can't laugh good enough, she is not used to.

Lycos Circles - Share With Your Favorite Circles Of People

2004-10-15T01:11:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't have mentioned about Lycos Circles in my Blog if not for it's great features. First off, I never used any service from Lycos. I really didn't like any of those. They all look crappy. But, Nathan Weinberg from InsideGoogle has somehow got hold of this great Integration Product and put up a review in his Blog. The review is pretty comprehensive and it makes you really start thinking about Lycos, if you are like me.
Circles makes it easy to share things, discuss, stay in touch and make plans by bringing your favorite people together. You can share whatever you want, with whomever you want, and you control who sees what. You can even reach out and meet new people that share your interests. Circles is in beta right now and shows lots of potential for growth. It has eight types of things that you can share - Text, Photos, Websites, Clips, Invitations, Cards, Prediction and Poll.
I would like to quote Nathan about the best part of his review, "Circles is Lycos's central interface now, a "structured, centralized interface". It is exactly what Google wishes they had; a base on which to place everything. Google has many disparate products that don't work together; Gmail doesn't work with Desktop Search, Google Images doesn't work with Picasa, and Google Groups doesn't work with Blogger. Lycos has solved every one of those problems, and now has an interface that will only get more powerful as time goes by". Honestly, I can't agree more. Go ahead, and read his review.

Atomic clock on your wrist

2004-10-14T23:47:00.000-05:00

I like the clock on my computer and my wrist watch to show accurate time as precise as possible. The system clock on my computer is always synced to Internet Time Server of National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). And there are few wrist watches that get synced to NIST's Atomic Clock in Boulder, Colorado. Now, scientists at NIST have taken portable time keeping to new levels of accuracy with the creation of the device, which is driven by inner workings barely bigger than a grain of rice. CNN says the complete working watch would be the size of cube-size and would run on just 73 milliwatts. So now we can expect such a small chip to be integrated into cell phones and handhelds to get the devices synced to the Atomic Clock.

Archos and Dell unviels iPod Mini competitors

2004-10-14T22:27:00.000-05:00

Archos joined the group of competitors to compete against iPod Mini. It announced Gmini XS200 which is comparable in size to Apple's iPod Mini. But the killer is the capacity. Whereas iPod Mini has 4GB capacity, Gmini has 20GB..... that's 5 times. Gmini costs $250, same as iPod Mini.
Dell has also unvieled it's Pocket DJ 5 that offers 5GB storage, but costs $50 less than both Gmini and iPod Mini. Both the players supports MP3, WMA and WAV formats.

Source: CNET

GMail Hack for Firefox: Hide Text Ads

2004-10-14T21:26:00.000-05:00

Remove Text Ads from GMail (Digital Media Minute)

Digital Media Minute has come up with a Firefox hack that allows you to hide the text ads in GMail. It is a simple 2 line code that you enter in userContent.css. They advice you to get ChromeEdit extension before you enter this, though in my view it is not needed (If you have already created this file from Firefox help page for web content display). Note that you might be violating the Google TOS for GMail. So, use at your own risk. Personally, I don't mind Text Ads. They are least intrusive compared to Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail. Sometimes, they don't even appear.

Source: Web Development News

"Mini" Apple Stores

2004-10-14T20:04:00.000-05:00

Apple Unveils New "Mini" Retail Store Design

Keeping up with the tradition from iPod to iPod Mini, Apple plans to start Mini Stores. According to Apple, each Mini Store will have a stunning all-new design featuring stainless steel walls and seamless white floors and ceilings. Apple will open its first six mini stores this Saturday at 10 a.m. in Palo Alto, CA; San Jose, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Tukwila, WA; Bridgewater, NJ; and Rockaway, NJ.
The new Apple mini stores feature:
* Apples full line of portables plus the new iMac® G5 desktop computers;
* Apples full line of iPods;
* an assortment of the best third party products to help customers get more out of their iPod® or Mac®;
* the Genius Bar, where anyone can get their questions answered by an Apple Genius; and
* on-site repair on all Apple products, including next day turnaround for customers with a ProCare service card.

Source: iPodlounge

Is Small really better?

2004-10-14T19:40:00.000-05:00

Smaller Can Be Better (Except When It's Not)(The New York Times)

New You Times has an excellent article where it talks about how small various gadgets are getting smaller and smaller. I personally do like small things that are portable. Though they are little bit difficult to handle initially, by using them regularly, I could get hold of them. Personally, portability is very important for me.
Though they were critical of most gadgets, the article mentions Apple's iPod Mini as an excellent case of a "marriage of form and function that makes a lot of sense". Hmm... can't agree more.

Source: pocketnow

Google Desktop Search - My Wish fulfilled, but I'm not happy

2004-10-14T19:08:00.000-05:00

Ever since I was using Copernic Desktop Search Engine that I posted some time ago, I really started appreciating the features. It was like I could search for anything that is on my computer in seconds. Then I began to think since this is a search feature, why Google didn't think of it in the first place. I love Google, I can't imaging doing a search without Google. I wished, really wished and hoped Google to come up with this kind of software so that I can search for anything on my computer.
And today, it was like my wish was fulfilled. Google launched Google Desktop Search. As soon as I saw this in Google weblog, I immediately uninstalled Copernic and installed Google. I couldn't be much happier. But, my happiness was shortlived. I'm really really unhappy about Google version. First off, it runs inside browser. So, you have to open up the browser to start searching. The URL will be something like http://localhost:xxxx/&s=xyz&q=. They type of files it searches are TXT, HTML, DOC, XLS, and PPT formats (Office 2000+). So, no PDF files and other kind of files. Copernic is very good in this aspect. It searches for all kinds of files. Not only that, it even shows preview of these files. On top of that, Copernic supports even video files. This is missing in Google's.
Google only supports AOL Instant Messages files. Well, I wonder how many people are still using AOL. But, the biggest downer is Google only supports web pages viewed in IE. I'm off of IE. There are so many people using Firefox now, and still growing, somehow Google doesn't think the same way. But, I'm sure somebody at Firefox will definitely come up with a supporting extension.
But, actually the way Google does searching is very different the way it should be. Take for example Copernic. It doesn't search for files. It actually filters. The files are already listed, it filters the files according to your search. This way you can find the files in seconds. The Google's way will be almost like the regular windows search, in my opinion. I think I'm disappointed with Google for the first time. You really have to try Copernic Desktop Search to see what I'm talking about and appreciate it. It supports almost all file types - docs, audio and video unlike Google that doesn't support audio and video. Looks like I'm about to download Copernic again.

Source: Google Blog

Google wants a reflection of it in the East

2004-10-13T14:43:00.000-05:00

Google Founders on Hiring Trip to India (Y! News)

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wants to tap Indian market by recruiting "extraordinary talented entrepreneurial people who want to make a big change in the world". They realized that they were too late to understand the potential of Indian market. Brin told "One approach we are taking is that Bangalore is where we run a mirror exactly of what we have in the United States in terms of development". Right now, they have two offices set up in India earlier this year - at Bangalore and Hyderabad. The founder of Google News, Krishna Bharat, is busy hiring potential candidates in Bangalore. But, I hope they maintain the same working culture that they have in Mountain View, CA in India too.
According to the founders, "Researchers in Bangalore will work with their counterparts in Google's U.S. offices to conceptualize new services and develop software. This includes developing search engines that will present results based on speech input or drawings, ones that will work in more languages than at present, personalizing search results to suit individual preferences, and new features for Google's new e-mail service".

Netscape's original browser press release

2004-10-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

Netscape's original browser press release (CNET)

"Netscape is the first Internet tool that lets the average user with a 14.4 kb modem work with the Internet interactively," said Todd Haedrich, principal of Point of Presence Company in Seattle. "It's fast, simple and elegant. The resources that Netscape Communications provides for its novice users in Netscape, such as the Internet directories, rival any other site on the net for their quality and depth. Netscape will help bring more people on the Internet than any program since the original NCSA Mosaic."
Check out how they entered into internet arena with a big bang what was totally pushed into ground my Microsoft.

GMail Bugs list is out

2004-10-13T09:40:00.000-05:00

Gmail: Help Center

Google listed a good number of GMail bugs under different catagories. I'm not sure if they are working on all these bugs. Note that you must be logged in to view full bug details.

Source: InsideGoogle

Apple responds to Microsoft's "Closed" comments

2004-10-12T23:27:00.000-05:00

This is related to my earlier post about Microsoft's statement that Apple is closed system. I said that people do have choice and they chose iPod. Now, Apple responded with similar statement "Ninety-two percent of customers buying hard-drive based music players are choosing iPods, and over 65 percent of customers buying any type of portable digital music player including flash-based players are choosing iPods". iPod is still anybody's choice even with so much choice. Microsoft and Real Networks can only attempt to win over iPod, they can't succeed. That's for sure.

Source: MacMinute

Comprehensive list of Dell Axim X50 and X50v Reviews

2004-10-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

Dell Axim X50 and X50v Pocket PC reviews roundup (Engadget)

Visit Engadget for most comprehensive list of review for X50 and X50v. That should be enough for anybody I guess.

Source: Pocket PC Thoughts

Want to see Apprentice 2 Finale live?

2004-10-12T16:57:00.000-05:00

Win a trip to The Apprentice 2 Live Finale (The Apprentice Blog)

The Apprentice Blog reports that both QVC and P&G have come up with contest for a chance to witness the Apprentice 2 Finale live on December 16th. QVC's contest is pretty simple, just go to their site and make an entry. The deadline is on October 17th. The P&G's contest is REALLY a contest. It is "your innovative launch event" idea, in under 100 words, for Crest Whitening Expressions - Vanilla. The deadline for P&G is on October 15th. I'm not talking part in either contest.... I'll rather watch on TV.

Microsoft enters into music service officially

2004-10-12T16:45:00.000-05:00

Microsoft officially launches music service (CBSMarketWatch)
MSN Music Service, which was running "beta" until now since September 1st, is officially launched today by Microsoft. "attunes has done a great job of helping to elevate the [digital music] market," said Christine Andrews, lead product manager of MSN. "We're different because Apple is a closed system. If you want Apple, you have to use the iPod. A lot of people want choice and we offer that." What choice he is talking about? People do have choice and people chose iPod as their music player. CNET reported "Research company The NPD Group said in a report released Tuesday that various versions of the iPod accounted for 92.1 percent of the market for hard drive-based music players, up from 82.2 percent a year ago. Players from Creative Technology and Digital Networks North America's Rio were a distant second and third, with 3.7 percent and 3.2 percent of the market, respectively". Apple has perfect companion to iPod in iTunes. And all other crappy players are going to have a perfect crappy companion in MSN Music Service. Way to Go!!!

Source: MacMinute

Technology sites float with Axim X50 reviews

2004-10-12T15:45:00.000-05:00

I think today almost every technology site is busy with Axim X50 and X50v. Their traffic is so much that their servers were unable to take load and some of them were even down for sometime. PocketPC Thoughts even put a post saying, "Our server is creaking and groaning because we're getting absolutely slammed at the moment - so things will be slow to load. Please be patient with our sorely overwhelmed server". Almost all the sites dedicated to PocketPC have put up review by now. Continue to read for their comments on these beauties.
According to pocketnow.com, "The X50 is a perfect dual-slot successor to the X30 Pocket PC, and the Axim X50v gives me serious reason to leave my HP iPAQ hx4700 on the shelf. Besides the fact that the battery life is poor, I find the Axim X50v to be the perfect day to day Pocket PC. When using it, you won't find yourself wishing you had another feature or better performance, and that's a really nice thing".
According to Brighthand, "If there's one thing Dell does well, it's give you a lot of bang for your buck. The X50v is $499, a whopping $150 less than the iPAQ hx4700. As I mentioned before, the X50v has a smaller screen that its chief competitor, and the iPAQ has some additional features, like a trackpad, flipcover, and larger battery. But anyone thinking about a VGA Pocket PC must think hard about the X50v. It's a solid device and an excellent value". I agree with these guys, the price is the best thing in X50v. iPAQ is easily out of my wallet.
CNET surprised me with same day review. Normally they are slow in coming up with reviews compared to device only dedicated sites. Anyway, CNET were not too happy with X50 because of, understandably, the battery life and performance.
According to BargainPDA.com, "Dell has managed to create competitors for two of the most popular models of PocketPC in one fell swoop, and on top of that imbue them with a new operating system, faster processors, and larger batteries. And as the final clincher, the high-end unit is pretty close to the Holy Grail of the current PocketPC world: a small, fast unit with dual slots, dual wireless, and VGA, all for $500". Like I said, the best thing I like in X50v is it's price.
Chris Leckness at Aximsite.com mentions, "This is the part of this review I have been dreading to report. While the VGA screen is superb in comparison to QVGA Screens on any other device I own, the color is not as vibrant as the color on the iPAQ HX4700". Though he continues, "I do not think the difference in the 2 brands is a breaking point for the X50v, I just thought it was worth noting". Well, I don't think I too care that much about the difference. I'll vote for $150 price difference between the two though.
According to Pocket PC Thoughts, "Despite the minor niggles I have with some of the design decisions they made, the X50 is a strong performer and a great value for the price, especially when compared to the over-priced offerings from HP. As much as I liked the speed of the X30, I never liked the way it felt in my hand and always longed to go back to the iPAQ 4150 that I gave to my wife to use. The X50, while being a big bigger than the 4150, feels good in the hand and has everything I need: WiFi, Bluetooth, gobs of ROM space for program storage, and both a CompactFlash and Secure Digital slot". They didn't review X50v yet, that was the review of midrange X50.
PDAGeek was the first one to get their review online. According to them, " I think Dell hit the ball out of the park with these new X50 machines due to the inclusion of dual wireless functionality, dual expansion slots, fast processors, and ample memory--all in an extremely comfortable and classy form factor. It is amazing to see what Dell was able to pack into a device like the X50v and still price it at $499. At $150 less than the iPAQ hx4700, Dell is definitely serious about the Windows Mobile market. With the X50 running at $399 I don't see how palmOne can compete, since the T5 lacks Wi-Fi and a second expansion slot. Even if you want to spend less, the X50 Entry model still includes Bluetooth, a fast 416MHz processor, and is priced at $299". Need I say more about this?
Among all these reviews, I liked pocketnow, PDAGeek and Pocket PC Thoughts, in that order. They are comprehensive and have most pictures online and they do even compare with other devices pictorially. Get busy with these reviews.

Source: VGA Pocket PC

iPod rivals compete among themselves

2004-10-12T15:20:00.000-05:00

Onslaught of rival players threaten iPod dominance (MacMinute News)

MacMinute lists the iPod competitors which, I should say looks shaky on the first read. But, honestly, I don't think anyone of them will threaten iPodmini. More than beating the iPod, they are going to compete among themselves because the only people who want to even consider one of them is the one who don't want to buy an iPod. Otherwise, there is no point to even consider them as an option. Some do good look from specs, but they don't show promise like iPod.

Can't wait for Longhorn's WinFS? Try Copernic Desktop Search

2004-10-12T13:16:00.000-05:00

Longhorn, new OS from Microsoft, is not due to release for atleast 2 years. And it may not even come with the most talked feature, WinFS. Using WinFS, you can search for any files on your desktop in seconds, unlike the search program that came with Windows Operating Systems until now. So, if you can't wait for that long, try Copernic Desktop Search Engine for PC. Right now, it is free, but Copernic plans to offer a paid version with advanced features in future.

Source: InsideGoogle

New iPod ads feature U2

2004-10-12T11:42:00.000-05:00

Apple - iTunes - TV Ad - U2 Vertigo

Apple has got two new iPod ads - one 30-second QuickTime video and the other 2 minute video that's only available in iTunes Music Store. Although the ads follow the same format as before, members of U2 are clearly visible as they sing and play their instruments.

Source: Yahoo! News

Google results are almost half when searched from the Firefox search bar

2004-10-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

Client Parameter Makes Google Report Fewer Matches (SearchEngineWatch)

Here is an interesting find. If you do a Google search from the search bar within the Firefox browser, the search results are cut down by half, or even less than half sometimes. According to the article, it has to do with the client parameter that goes along with the search string. When a search is done from the search bar, the string &client=firefox-a is added along with the search string, and this is the culprit. Not only Firefox, ANY client parameter will reduce the search results by half. "Why would Google's clients/partners hit less than the entire Google database? In the past, search providers have done this to save burden on their servers. Rather than query the entire database, only a portion might be hit -- and that portion might be deemed good enough", says Danny Sullivan. Search for "Firefox" from the search bar gave me 2,250,000 results, where as the same search from the Google website gave me 5,310,000 results - more than half.

Source: Webstractions

New iPod mini competitor from Virgin Electronics

2004-10-11T23:30:00.000-05:00

Now, Virgin Electronics is coming up with iPod mini competitor. Rio Carbon still is my best choice among iPod mini competitors. Virgin's doesn't impress me at all. I thing I like in this one is integrated FM tuner and Dual stereo headphone jacks. It uses 1.0" 5GB Seagate hard drive. It is compatible with only Windows 2000 and XP, though Virgin says Mac supporting is coming soon. The price is $249.99. You know what's their caption? "Plays MP3's and FM radio. It's 1GB more than 4".

The Beauty comes out

2004-10-11T23:07:00.000-05:00

Official Dell Axim X50v Pictures, Specs (Gizmodo)

Here it comes.... The official picture of Dell Axim X50v. The official release is tomorrow. But, the pics have been released at PocketFactory with official PDF document today.
According to Gizmodo, "There are two models with three different processor speeds624MHz, 520MHz, and 416MHzno huge surprise there. The Axim X50 and the X50v will differ mainly in their screens, with the former sporting a 3.5-inch 240 by 320 pixel QVGA screen, with the latter rocking a 480 by 640 VGA screen. Wi-Fi is standard on the X50v and optional on the X50, and Bluetooth 1.2 is built-in. Both have CompactFlash Type II and SDIO slots, and run Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Pocket PC with Media Player 10 Mobile".

Google founders were supposed to meet Manmohan Singh?

2004-10-11T17:34:00.000-05:00

IndiaDaily - Google founders'' meeting with PM called off

I didn't know that. Didn't make to any major news headlines too. But, the news seems to be interesting..... They quoted D Frost, spokesperson from Google in US as "They are in India. The founders visit their offices worldwide". But, they also seem to contact Krishna Bharat, Google's head of Bangalore R&D centre to ask "whether their visit to India has been called off". But, then he apparently seems not to take any query.... quite understandable, doesn't want to answer such silly questions.

Source: InsideGoogle (Don't forget to check this out)

Turn your camera phone into personal barcode scanner

2004-10-11T14:55:00.000-05:00

Optical Intelligence for your mobile devices (Scanbuy)

I don't know if this technology is already there, atleast in Japan. But, you can actually turn your camera phone into a personal barcode scanner. This technology is by Scanbuy's Optical Intelligence, which reads and translates barcodes on-devices through the use of low-cost CMOS imager based digital cameras. It is also available for PDA with integrated camera and Webcams. The software is currently available for Symbian UIQ, Series 60 and palmOne Treo.

Source: Geekzone, mobile forums