technickel

Mozilla strikes again

2005-12-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

It's here! Firefox 1.5, the final version, is available for download and consumption. But what's all the fuss about? Well, if you haven't tried Firefox, you're certainly missing out. Let me count the reasons: tabbed browsing, RSS feeds, live bookmarks, open-source software, customization, skins, extensions, HTML standards-compliancy, built-in popup blocker...

Okay, I'll stop drooling. Honestly, if you're still using Internet Explorer, it's time to get with the times, especially with this great, stable release with improved speed, reliability, menu user interface and features. Firefox 1.5 has already had more than 2 million downloads, and more are on the way.

Still not convinced? Okay, check out 1337tech.org's review and technical analysis of the browser. It shows its improved speed, new features, and compares it to the 'Net's other best browser, Opera. But seriously, if you're not using Firefox (or Opera, for that matter), you just lost some major geek cred. Enhance and secure your online experience with a superior browser.

TiVo's last stand

2005-11-28T21:09:00.000-08:00

TiVo seems to have become more of a verb than a product identity. A lot of people (myself included) say they "TiVo" stuff on TV, when they don't actually own the specific product. Now that local cable companies offer personal digital video recorders (DVRs) for cheaper than TiVo can, the stock and company have taken a serious tumble.

But they're not going down without a fight. Recently, TiVo announced plans to allow users to take programs off their set-top box and onto personal video playing devices, such as the iPod or PSP. That's caught the attention -- and not in a good way -- of major TV studios, which are allegedly contemplating legal action against the company.

But, in news that may please advertisers (and those of you who love commercials), TiVo also announced a new ad-searching feature, that will allow viewers to search for and watch specific advertisements on demand.

Xbox 360 launch day

2005-11-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I tried valiantly to snag an Xbox 360 tonight. Unfortunately, there were lines wrapped around the building at Best Buy, Target and Rhino Games before I could even get there. And Wal-Mart had people waiting there all day. Looks like Microsoft has what they want: this year's must-have toy.

Let's just hope people weren't trying to buy a 360 because of Best Buy's advertisement that claimed the system burned CD's and DVD's (it doesn't).

Of course, Sony had to try to take away at least some of Microsoft's thunder on launch day. The CEO of Sony announced a general pricing point (between $300 and $400) for the Playstation 3, whenever it manages to launch. That dispels rumors that the PS3 was going to cost gamers upwards of $500.

Either way, if the buzz for the 360 can carry past tonight, Microsoft has a great jump start on the competition with their second foray into console gaming. Sony will be in unfamiliar territory -- playing catch-up.

Time's best inventions

2005-11-18T05:16:00.000-08:00

Think innovation is hard to come by these days? Then check out Time's best inventions of 2005. No flying cars yet in the automotive department, but some really cool aerodynamic vehicles and space-age looking things that will probably never see the light of day.

Perhaps the most obtainable item on the list is Sony's Playstation Portable, the uber-chic geek item of the year for many. I'm not sure if proprietary UMD movies and a short battery life constitute it being on the list, but it's an impressive machine nonetheless.

As for my favorites, the Power Tap wins from a personal standpoint -- fill up your beer in the shortest time possible. But for the more important, might-save-lives category, the LifeStraw is the hands-down winner. It's a straw that filters and cleans water as the person sucks it through. Even better, it can be made for only $3 a straw. This could obviously save lives in the developing world, as well as provide hikers and outdoors people with a safe way to find and drink water.

360 degrees of hype

2005-11-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's second foray into the world of home video game consoles, the Xbox 360, is only a week away. As the noise surrounding the launch gets louder, Microsoft has added to the buzz by releasing tidbits of information on a regular basis. This past weekend, it revealed the full list of backward-compatible games, coming in at just over 200. While that number is more than many expected, some are still disappointed. The problem for Microsoft lies in the fact that the Xbox 360 is running on an ATI-built chip, while the original Xbox ran on an Nvidia chip. This requires the 360 to emulate the original Xbox architecture, rather than play the software natively. Microsoft also provided an informative Q&A on the subject, for those unfamiliar.

But really, the "Catwoman" and "Barbie Horse Adventure" games make the cut, yet no Splinter Cell? No Star Wars: Battlefront?

But there's good news: Since the emulation is all done through software and requires the "Pro" Xbox 360 with a 20 gigabyte hard drive, updates to the emulation code will be made available through a free download. Because of this, Microsoft can (and will) add the ability to play additional old games on the 360... as soon as the company figures out how to make the games run, that is.

Sony's 'rootkit' controversy

2005-11-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago, the Internet community got into an uproar after news surfaced that Sony-branded music CDs installed potentially malicious software on users' computers. The type of software installed is known as a 'rootkit,' and while the software does not have bad intent, it can be manipulated by others for purposes of destruction. A good, basic explanation comes from CNet's excellent FAQ on the debacle:

A rootkit is a powerful piece of software that takes over control of a computer at the most fundamental level. In computer terms, it establishes "root" access, which is similar to administrative access, instead of access for just an ordinary user. It can potentially prevent a computer user from detecting its presence or from performing certain tasks on their own PC.

And so, lo and behold, two weeks later, the first exploits are out on the Internet. Unfortunately for users at risk, uninstalling Sony's software may kill your computer and force you to reformat your entire hard drive. As a result, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is 'considering litigation' against Sony on behalf of affected users. Sounds to me like Sony has some trouble on their hands.

MySpace terror "attack"

2005-11-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

Ah, the Internet. You have to take the good with the bad. It's great that information can travel so quickly in this virtual world, but it's also dangerous if given to the wrong hands. Like teenagers.

Two high school students in San Antonio used the popular social networking site MySpace to broadcast a threat to students of their high school. The message stated that two boys were planning on showing up to school with guns.

Whether or not the threat was intended to be real, only 400 of the school's 3,000 students showed up the date posted on MySpace. And nobody showed up to school with guns, either.

Did the students get the attention they wanted? If they were hoping to cause fear and disrupt people's lives, they certainly did a good job of it. Let's hope the authorities can work with MySpace to catch the culprits.

Microsoft goes 'Live'

2005-11-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

Finally acknowledging Google as a major competitor, Bill Gates unveiled the 'live era' of software this week. This means new Web-based services will complement already established Microsoft software, such as Office. For example, someone would be able to use the components and features of an Office product entirely online, without the software natively installed on their system. This seems to be Microsoft's way of acknowledging that making consumers buy multiple copies of software for the computers in your house and at work is a bit frustrating.

In addition, it rolled out its new Web portal (strikingly similar to the Google portal, which has been around for awhile). If you use Microsoft branded products for your email, instant messaging and such, it could be a pretty useful resource. But, unfortunately for Gates and company, the opening hours weren't without problems and the initial reaction is tepid, at best.

Online video on the rise

2005-10-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

In less than three weeks, Apple's iTunes store has put up impressive numbers for video sales, reportedly topping 1 million. Perhaps more notable, though, is the fact that these sales were done with a small number of TV shows and music video clips. Imagine what kind of sales iTunes could do if it boasted a full-sized video library.

And on a somewhat related note, Comedy Central unveiled its plans for an online-only series of TV "stations" that provide content on-demand. "Motherload" will have five channels, titled Originals, TV Shows, The Daily Show with John Stewart, Comedians and Cult Classics. It's great to see that Comedy Central will be offering original content online, and not just repeats of TV broadcasts.

Is the corporate TV world finally starting to embrace the Internet? I think it's safe to say that if iTunes continues to turn out positive numbers and Comedy Central's Motherload is a success, more companies will certainly turn to the Web.

God's not down with blogging

2005-10-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

A principal at a Catholic high school in New Jersey has told students that they have to close their personal blogs, or face suspension. That includes personal sites on Xanga.com, Myspace.com, Livejournal.com and the like. The principal's reasoning? He's protecting the students from online sexual predators.

Aside from the fact that I don't think it's possible for the school to know whether or not a student has a blog (you're not required to give your real name), this is ridiculous. Sexual predators? They're high school kids, I think they can look out for themselves.

Just another example of good intentions gone bad. It's unfortunate when those with power don't have a lick of sense about how technology works or what its purpose is.

$100 billion of Google

2005-10-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Google's total market value closed above $100 billion - yes, billion, with a 'B' - Monday afternoon. It is now the fastest company to achieve that status, and sits in a league, according to Red Herring, that includes only about 20 other U.S. companies. Investors cite Google's "AdWords" and their higher click-through rate, when compared with typical graphical banner ads, as the chief reason for the company's success.

Of course, having the best search engine on the Internet doesn't hurt much. Not to mention all of the other great services offered by Google.

Does Google's recently unveiled free WiFi Internet service in downtown San Francisco show where Google will go next? Can Google avoid being labeled as a Microsoft-like tyrant, or can it stay within the good graces of the Internet community? With the company growing larger and larger, one has to wonder.

Skip class with podcasts

2005-10-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

"Podcasting," or independent radio-type programming available for download on the Internet, has seen amazing growth in the past year. Thanks, in part, to Adam Curry's Daily Source Code, Podcasting is the next heir to the blogging phenomenon. And now Curry has his own program on Sirius Satellite Radio, called the PodShow. Podcasting has hit the mainstream.

But here's a new take on podcasts: Why not download class lectures in MP3 format? This is a great idea for professors to record their lectures and post them weekly on a Web site with an RSS feed. I think it would be of great help to students.

And since a lot of larger classes at big universities have downloadable or streaming video of lectures, sounds like a good time to start considering videocasting, with Apple's new video-enabled iPod.

iPod frenzy

2005-10-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

Haven't had enough iPod news lately? Less than a month after announcing the flash-based iPod Nano, Apple called the press back for "one more thing," as they called the event. Rumors of a video iPod have lingered for years, and now it's finally true: While still a music-centric piece of technology, the new iPod features a larger, color screen that plays videos. Cool.

But the big news? Apple struck a deal with ABC and Disney, and has begun selling single episodes of hit TV programs on iTunes for $1.99 apiece. It's about time TV companies started to embrace the online world.

But with the limited availability of high definition channels in smaller TV markets, I can't help but think that the low-quality images put out by the iPod video will look awful on a big-screen television, via the product's new TV-out feature. I won't pay $2 for a low-quality copy of a show, but give me high-def video at around $5 and you've got a new customer, Apple.

Blockbuster of a mistake

2005-10-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

File this one in the "bad business decisions" department: Variety has revealed that Blockbuster could have bought mail-based movie renting giant NetFlix for $50 million and didn't. And guess what NetFlix's estimated market value is now? $1.4 billion, according to the article.

Renting movies is big business, as Hollywood has found out recently, and Internet mailing services such as NetFlix have been blamed for lower-than-expected returns at the box office. Meanwhile, in the rental market, Blockbuster now finds itself attempting to play catch-up with NetFlix, which will have 3.5 million subscribers by year's end, according to the article, compared with Blockbuster's 2 million. Imagine how different things could be if Blockbuster had bought NetFlix when it wasn't even a blip on the radar - or much of a hit on Blockbuster's pocketbook.

Art imitating life... and death

2005-10-07T03:45:00.000-07:00

The virtual plague that hit popular massively multiplayer online RPG World of Warcraft has been making the rounds in the news for weeks now because of how unique it is. For the uninformed, a virtual virus that was intended to only kill a few who were fighting a monster managed to find its way back to civilization in the game, killing off thousands of game players' characters and in-game non player characters. The situation was a cool-yet-frightening example of how online worlds can mimic the real world, and can given an example of a very probable real-world scenario.

The story has cracked into the mainstream media now, with NPR doing a story on how scientists could use virtual worlds to see how such scenarios could play out in real life. Who'd have thought that an online game could shed life potential social and scientific disasters?

Danger-ous Move?

2005-10-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

In a move that is sure to make the RIAA cringe, the band Harvey Danger just released their album totally free on their Web site. As they clearly say, no digital rights management nonsense, no "streaming" files, no 30 second clips - this is the full album and cover art, even available in three varying quality formats.

The band is also offering a copy of the album for sale on the site and in stores, which includes a bonus disc. The band's hope, obviously, is that people will enjoy the album before purchasing it and sharing the music with friends.

Sounds good to me. I've always thought that bonus discs with extra content are big selling points for albums, especially in the age of online piracy. There's no sense in fighting technology that has already established itself.

Wiki-journalism

2005-09-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

If you're not familiar with Wikipedia, where have you been? It's a user-defined encyclopedia where anyone and everyone can add or edit content at will. Sounds like an experimental social disaster in the making, but surprisingly, it works quite well.

Esquire magazine's A.J. Jacobs was writing an article on the brilliance of Wikipedia, and he ended up having a pretty clever idea of his own: Write a crummy article, post it on Wikipedia and let the users rewrite it.

The result? It's a pretty good read. It's also well-written, clever and informative. The 'Wiki' experiment proves to be successful, yet again. Check out the article for yourself.

Hasta la Vista

2005-09-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Microsoft just launched the Windows Vista preview page in promotion of their upcoming operating system, set to replace Windows XP. And the big news?

Fast On and Off: A Windows Vista computer starts and shuts down as quickly and reliably as a television, typically within 2 to 3 seconds. Windows Vista processes login scripts and startup programs and services in the background so you can start working right away.

Since the new file system got scrapped from Vista, it's become more and more clear to myself and others that Vista could be more along the lines of the scorned Windows ME than the stable successor, XP. I'm sure Macintosh and its new Intel-based machines will be watching very closely.

Free ticket to the Opera

2005-09-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

My second-favorite browser, Opera, made a surprising move this week - it's free. The browser was formerly ad-supported, with an integrated banner ad in the previous "free" version of the browser. Users who wanted to rid themselves of the ad could pay an upgrade free to get the full version.

So why the switch? Wouldn't an ad-free browser mean no profits? Not if Google played a part in the decision. See, Google pays Opera for people who use the built-in search feature in their browser. Apparently Mozilla Firefox, my current browser of choice, has a similar deal. But Firefox has always been free.

Interesting moves on the part of both Opera and Google. It will be interesting to see if the change makes Opera stake a larger claim in the escalating browser wars.

Who wants AOL?

2005-09-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Remember a few years ago when America Online was so big, it merged with Time Warner? Crazy times. And while the whole "AOL Time Warner" deal might seem like a terrible one in retrospect (just ask Time Warner), rumors are flying about their pending sale. But who's going to step up?

The New York Times was talking last Thursday about everyone's favorite software giant, Microsoft, making a bid. But now CNET reports that Google could beat the big MS to the punch. And why, do you ask? The $380 million in revenue Google gets from AOL every year.

Microsoft's goal in all of this is probably to expand their Web horizons. Despite making msn.com the home page for every Internet Explorer browser, it's still not the most popular Web site on the 'Net (that title goes to Yahoo!) - which must be a major disappointment for Bill Gates and company. Merge MSN with AOL's Web portal, however, and the story may be different.

If the reports are true, somehow I don't think this will be the first time we see a scuffle between Microsoft and Google. As for now, let's see how this AOL deal plays out.

Gaming overload

2005-09-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

The last 24 hours have proved to be quite informative for videogame fanatics. The Tokyo Game Show (Japan's E3 equivalent) kicked off yesterday with the announcement of the Xbox 360 launch dates in America, Europe, and Japan. And that would be Nov. 22, Dec. 2, and Dec. 10, respectively.

I'm still debating whether or not I want to pick one up. $400 is a bit steep for a console.

But the big news of the event thus far is the debut of the Revolution controller, which can be seen here, via IGN. For those of you who haven't been following, Nintendo has been telling fans for months that the new controller to their upcoming console, codenamed Revolution, is so revolutionary (imagine that!) that it couldn't be shown off to the public, for fear that other console makers might steal their ideas. Gamespot defines the controller as similar to a TV remote control, but adds that Nintendo says it's a work in progress. And IGN points out the controller's formerly well-guarded secrets: 3D pointing and tilt sensitivity capabilities.

Very, very interesting. Not what I was expecting. But as with any controller, I can't really form an opinion on it until I get to touch it myself. But I will say that the 3D pointing capabilities could potentially be great for first-person shooter games, which, until now, have worked best with the PC's mouse-and-keyboard combo.

Retro Active

2005-09-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Wow. You know it's bad when something makes me feel old.

But that's just how I felt when I was forwarded to the Browser Emulator (via dejavu.org). It re-creates Web sites as they would have been displayed in Netscape Navigator 1.0, Internet Explorer 2.0, Hot Java, and even Mosaic (Netscape 0.9b). To no one's surprise, it's difficult to find a site that displays properly. But if you've been on the 'Net as long as I have, it'll give you a feeling of nostalgia.

Gosh. I remember running a 2400 baud modem in our 386 system with a 200 megabyte hard drive. We had Prodigy BBS service before it even connected to the Internet. When the Internet finally hit Prodigy, you had to pay something like a dollar per minute to connect to it. I even remember leaving the computer on for two days to download an upgrade to Prodigy's software.

I think, back then, our computer ran on coal. And I had to walk uphill both ways to school.

iTuned Out?

2005-09-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Apple's got a "big" announcement tomorrow (Wednesday) regarding the new line of iPods. As has happened before (much to the dismay of Steve Jobs), the secret is out.

Apple's not just launching one new product, but two, according to Kevin Rose.

New Products:
- Cingular will announce an iTunes compatible phone - the "Rocker"
- New 2GB ipod called the "Nano" - it will sport a color screen and will be much smaller and thinner than a mini. Price = $199

ThinkSecret goes even further, claiming the iPod Mini will move to a flash-based hard drive, and will sport a color screen.

Yawn. While the Mini news is exciting, as a flash-based MP3 player will have a better battery life than a hard-drive based player, we've been hearing buzz about the iTunes phone for months. And the Nano? As if Apple needed another MP3 player on the market, with the 1GB Shuffle and 4GB Mini. Apple already has a commanding market share in a market that's already over-saturated with choices. Jobs and Apple should focus on replacing current, outdated MP3 players (like they're doing with the Mini) instead of cornering a non-existent portion of the market. Really, who was holding out for a 2GB player?