Saturday, April 18, 2009
Make your web search more visual
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There’s got to be a better way to visually find media on the web. That’s the mantra at Cooliris, a California start-up, that offers a small browser download to search for media visually, instead of just a list of links.
On Monday, Cooliris opened to the general public, with pictures and video searches presented with results on a video “wall,” just like you see at Best Buy. Instead, it uses the photos or videos from your hard drive, or a collection of clips from the Web. I’ve been playing with the plug-in, and it’s fun and addictive.
To move things along, you put your mouse over the media to find the little Coolris icon, and that opens the video wall. To go forward, you grab the middle button in the Cooliris browser. The plug-in works with Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari, but not Google Chrome.
Additionally, the plug-in, for now, only works with “approved” sites, which includes YouTube, Flickr, Google, Yahoo, Hulu, Blinkx, Amazon, Picasa Web Albums and deviantART.
Coolris says that in a world where 13 hours of new video is added to YouTube every minute, and Facebook gets more than 850 million photos monthly, a new interface is needed to help folks find what they’re looking for.
The company announced a $15 million round of funding from investors Monday, including Kleiner Perkins and DAG Ventures.
Read more...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Microsoft to cover ‘E74′ errors on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360 owners who have been hit with an “E74″ hardware error will now be covered under the console’s warranty, says an article on the Xbox Support site.
According to the article, Microsoft will cover any repairs resulting from an error displaying E74 on the television screen. Microsoft will also refund customers who paid for repairs related to the E74 failure. Here’s the full statement from the Xbox Support site
While the majority of Xbox 360 owners continue to have a great experience with their console, we are aware that a very small percentage of our customers have reported receiving an error that displays “E74” on their screen. After investigating the issue, we have determined that the E74 error message can indicate the general hardware failure that is associated with three flashing red lights error on the console. As a result, we have decided to cover repairs related to the E74 error message under our three-year warranty program for certain general hardware failures that was announced in July 2007.
This is not the first time Microsoft has dealt with hardware issues pertaining to the Xbox 360. As many readers will recall, the company extended its warranty coverage for the console in 2007 to three years following numerous reports of a hardware failure known as “The Red Ring of Death,” in which three flashing red lights appear on the front panel.
Read more...
Apple Unveils New Product-Unveiling Product
SAN FRANCISCO—At a highly anticipated media event Tuesday at San Francisco's Moscone Center, Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs introduced a new Apple product he said would "revolutionize" the process of unveiling new products throughout the world.
"In 1984, Apple introduced the Mac," Jobs said to an overflowing crowd as an image of the first Macintosh computer was displayed on a giant screen behind him. "We changed the face of the music industry with the first iPod in 2001. And in January, we showed off the revolutionary new iPhone. Today, Apple is releasing a piece of innovative new technology that will forever change the way innovative new technology is released."
Jobs introduces Jobs introducing the iLaunch, Apple's new product-unveiling product.
The iLaunch, as the new product is called, was then raised up from below the stage, prompting the audience of technology journalists, developers, and self-professed "Apple fanatics" to burst into a five-minute standing ovation.
"Get ready for the future of product introduction," said Jobs, looking resplendent in a black turtleneck and faded jeans. "The iLaunch will be able to make announcements from this, or any other stage, making human participation in generating consumer awareness almost entirely unnecessary."
The iLaunch runs Keynote-formatted presentations in high definition through a built-in projector while displaying a 3-D rotating image of the product. Voice-recognition software, Apple's most advanced to date, can recite a speech highlighting the features of the device while injecting several clever digs at competitors. Should a product demonstration experience a glitch or malfunction, the iLaunch boasts a complex algorithm that can automatically produce humorous and distracting quips.
Described in its patent filing as a "hype-generating mechanism with fully integrated Mac compatibility," the iLaunch is powered by Intel dual-core processors optimized to calculate a product's gravitas. Apple claims the iLaunch can garner the same amount of press attention as a major scientific discovery, high court ruling, celebrity meltdown, or natural disaster at 200 times the speed of a traditional media-fostered launch.
"If you want to condition the public to liken your product to the telephone and the internal combustion engine in importance, that's now possible with iLaunch," Jobs said. "And it's so easy, even an intern can use it."
According to Jobs, the innovative iLaunch not only makes product launching infinitely easier, it could forever change corporate structure itself.
"For too long, hands-on, maverick CEOs have devoted their valuable time to strutting around on stage and breathlessly describing the features of their new products, in the process encouraging cults of personality that could have a detrimental long-term effect on their companies," Jobs said. "Apple's goal within the next 12 months is to make me totally obsolete."
This comment earned the Apple CEO another, slightly longer, standing ovation.
As his presentation wound down, Jobs said there was "one more thing" he wanted to mention: The iLaunch automatically saves a significant, salient product feature for the end of a presentation, to surprise and delight audiences.
"Do you want to know what the surprise of this unveiling is?" said Jobs to the eagerly nodding crowd. "The iLaunch itself generated this entire presentation, as well as this very surprise."
Even amid fevered speculation, Apple was typically mum before the launch product's launch, and Mac rumor websites failed to predict any major details about the new offering, other than the fact that it was going to "change everything" and "be huge."
Post-launch reaction has been even more ecstatic.
"Before today, I couldn't imagine paying $12,000 for a product-unveiling product," CNET editor Jasmine France said after the presentation. "Now I can't imagine living without it."
Shortly after Jobs' address, Microsoft announced that they are working on a similar product, the Launch-O, due to debut in 2009.
Read more...
"In 1984, Apple introduced the Mac," Jobs said to an overflowing crowd as an image of the first Macintosh computer was displayed on a giant screen behind him. "We changed the face of the music industry with the first iPod in 2001. And in January, we showed off the revolutionary new iPhone. Today, Apple is releasing a piece of innovative new technology that will forever change the way innovative new technology is released."
Jobs introduces Jobs introducing the iLaunch, Apple's new product-unveiling product.
The iLaunch, as the new product is called, was then raised up from below the stage, prompting the audience of technology journalists, developers, and self-professed "Apple fanatics" to burst into a five-minute standing ovation.
"Get ready for the future of product introduction," said Jobs, looking resplendent in a black turtleneck and faded jeans. "The iLaunch will be able to make announcements from this, or any other stage, making human participation in generating consumer awareness almost entirely unnecessary."
The iLaunch runs Keynote-formatted presentations in high definition through a built-in projector while displaying a 3-D rotating image of the product. Voice-recognition software, Apple's most advanced to date, can recite a speech highlighting the features of the device while injecting several clever digs at competitors. Should a product demonstration experience a glitch or malfunction, the iLaunch boasts a complex algorithm that can automatically produce humorous and distracting quips.
Described in its patent filing as a "hype-generating mechanism with fully integrated Mac compatibility," the iLaunch is powered by Intel dual-core processors optimized to calculate a product's gravitas. Apple claims the iLaunch can garner the same amount of press attention as a major scientific discovery, high court ruling, celebrity meltdown, or natural disaster at 200 times the speed of a traditional media-fostered launch.
"If you want to condition the public to liken your product to the telephone and the internal combustion engine in importance, that's now possible with iLaunch," Jobs said. "And it's so easy, even an intern can use it."
According to Jobs, the innovative iLaunch not only makes product launching infinitely easier, it could forever change corporate structure itself.
"For too long, hands-on, maverick CEOs have devoted their valuable time to strutting around on stage and breathlessly describing the features of their new products, in the process encouraging cults of personality that could have a detrimental long-term effect on their companies," Jobs said. "Apple's goal within the next 12 months is to make me totally obsolete."
This comment earned the Apple CEO another, slightly longer, standing ovation.
As his presentation wound down, Jobs said there was "one more thing" he wanted to mention: The iLaunch automatically saves a significant, salient product feature for the end of a presentation, to surprise and delight audiences.
"Do you want to know what the surprise of this unveiling is?" said Jobs to the eagerly nodding crowd. "The iLaunch itself generated this entire presentation, as well as this very surprise."
Even amid fevered speculation, Apple was typically mum before the launch product's launch, and Mac rumor websites failed to predict any major details about the new offering, other than the fact that it was going to "change everything" and "be huge."
Post-launch reaction has been even more ecstatic.
"Before today, I couldn't imagine paying $12,000 for a product-unveiling product," CNET editor Jasmine France said after the presentation. "Now I can't imagine living without it."
Shortly after Jobs' address, Microsoft announced that they are working on a similar product, the Launch-O, due to debut in 2009.
Read more...
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Apple iphone Features
Phone, iPod, Internet, and more.
Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again.
Phone
Make a call by tapping a name or send a text with the intelligent keyboard.
iPod
Enjoy music and video on a widescreen display and shop for music with a tap.
Internet
Browse the web, get HTML email, and find yourself with GPS maps.
What’s new on iPhone 3G
3G Speed
3G technology gives iPhone fast access to the Internet and email over cellular networks around the world. iPhone 3G also makes it possible to do more in more places: Surf the web, download email, get directions, and watch video — even while you’re on a call.
Maps with GPS
Maps with GPS
Find your location, get directions, and see traffic — all from your phone. Maps on iPhone 3G combines GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell tower location technology with the Multi-Touch interface to create the best mobile map application ever.
App Store
Tap into the App Store and you’ll find applications in every category, from games to business, education to entertainment, finance to health and fitness, productivity to social networking. These applications have been designed to take advantage of iPhone features such as Multi-Touch, the accelerometer, wireless, and GPS. And some are even free. You can download them wirelessly and start using them right away.
iPhone in Enterprise
Get push email, calendar, and contacts with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.
Read more...
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