April 04, 2006, 10:05 PM PDT
Bluetooth iPod around the corner, maybe?
Posted by: James Kim

It's been an unbelievably dull period in the iPod rumor circle of late. But that just makes the next rumor juicier. Stuff Magazine UK writes that Apple is on the cusp of launching a Bluetooth-enabled iPod (yes, we've heard this one before). The source of this info? A U.K. retailer.

What happened to the video iPod? I think I'd want that rather than a Bluetooth iPod. Transferring music wirelessly and invisibly or listening using wireless headphones (such as these) is appealing, sure, but I have my hopes up for a wide-screen iPod, which seems to have a life of its own. Perhaps the next iPod will be both.

More resources: Bluetooth iPod on the horizon?

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April 04, 2006, 6:04 PM PDT
MySpace for your small business
Posted by: Rafe Needleman

Every small businesses should have a Web site, right? But if you run your own business, how do you create a site in the time you have between dealing with customers and fretting over your accounts payable? There are decent small-business site-building tools from a few companies, including Yahoo and Interland (now Web.com), and there's also well-established player Homestead, which has just updated its small-business site builder. I think it's worth checking out.

Using the company's new Lite SiteBuilder tool, I created a five-page site for my business--journalism--in literally 10 minutes. For a 10-minute site, it looks quite good. It was especially easy to create because Homestead has several templates for journalists, as well as more than a hundred other categories, from Animal Breeding to Vegetarian Restaurant, each with several good layout options. The editing system is AJAX-based and runs within a browser (unlike Homestead's previous site-building tool, which requires a download). For my site, all I had to do was point it to a picture of myself on my PC and enter in some text. It was also very easy to get the site to display my blog, which I host elsewhere, simply by giving the design tool the coordinates of my blog's RSS feed. The site building and hosting service (with custom domain name included) runs from $10 to $50 a month, depending on options and extras.

Also new is Homestead's search engine marketing service, Searchlight. It'll place ads for you on the major search engines and guarantee you qualified traffic at about $1.50 a click. It's a hefty markup on what you would pay if you went direct to the engines, but if you don't have the time to become a SEM expert, you may find it a fair trade.

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April 04, 2006, 3:08 PM PDT
Samsung's YM-P1 is not coming to the States
Posted by: James Kim

Just heard that Samsung's gorgeous and promising YM-P1 PVP won't be coming to the United States after all. Announced at CES, the do-it-all device features a 4-inch wide screen, compatibility with a boatload of formats (including OGG, WMA DRM, MPEG-4, and DivX), and video recording. It also looks and feels really nice. Or rather, it looked and felt really nice.

A spokesperson for the Korean company said that "Samsung is revisiting its portable media center strategy."

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April 04, 2006, 2:33 PM PDT
A personal motorized raft...just in time for summer?
Posted by: Jasmine France

Well, I wish there were some indication that summer is just a couple of months away, but here in San Francisco, it's just rain, rain, rain. Ugh. But I digress. For those of you lucky enough to live in warmer climes, there's the Excalibur Electronics Motorized Inflatable Pool Lounger. This nifty personal raft--which looks quite comfy, actually--has two mini built-in motors that you can control with the two joysticks located in the arms of the raft. The Lounger costs $149.95 and runs off 12 D batteries (not included). Yeah, I know this has naught to do with digital audio, but I couldn't help myself--this press release made me long for warmer days. Sigh.

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April 04, 2006, 1:23 PM PDT
San Francisco Zoo launches podcast
Posted by: Jasmine France

Yesterday, the San Francisco Zoo announced that it will begin a monthly podcast called "Behind-the-scenes." Listeners will be treated to details about the zoo's animals and exhibits, as well as information about upcoming events and news about the park's education and conservation efforts. The first podcast is entitled "Welcome to the San Francisco Zoo" and provides a brief overview of the park as well as insights into the current conservation programs (pictures of cute animals included!). For more information or to subscribe to the podcast, visit the SF Zoo's Web site.

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April 04, 2006, 1:19 PM PDT
Can mind reading make people like you more?
Posted by: Molly Wood

A research team at the MIT Media Lab (home of all things awesome) has developed a mind-reading device to help improve social interactions. The device, based on an OQO handheld, a tiny wearable video camera, an earphone, and a small vibrating device, doesn't literally read minds, but it does read and analyze the facial expressions and nonverbal cues of other people. The researchers are hoping their Emotional Social Intelligence Prosthetic will help people with autism with their social interactions, because they'll be better able to interpret social cues. Personally, I can think of quite a few not-at-all-autistic people who could benefit from a device like this. I'll take 20!

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April 04, 2006, 1:11 PM PDT
First Amendment: 1; politically expedient moral platform: 0
Posted by: Molly Wood

A federal judge in Michigan has knocked down another law restricting the sale of violent video games, calling it, you guessed it, "unconstitutional" and in violation of the First Amendment's freedom of expression guarantee. The ruling adds to similar decisions from the 7th and 8th circuit courts of appeal, and federal judges in Washington, Illinois, and California. Part of the reason for the repeated rulings? The utter lack of definitive evidence on a link between violent video games and violent behavior. Luckily, the Senate has OK'd a huge study aimed at eventually justifying video game laws across the country. It's an odd feeling, you know, the fact that our lawmakers have issued a blank check to a study that they're hoping will allow them to skirt right around the First Amendment. Very odd, indeed.

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April 04, 2006, 11:30 AM PDT
Intel iBooks in June?
Posted by: Michelle Thatcher

Apple will begin selling Intel-based iBooks in June, according to a report from financial news network AFX News Limited, which is available on Forbes.com. The story is light on details, save one: the new iBooks will feature a 13.3-inch display. Is this the wide-screen iBook we've all been waiting for?

I also can't help but wonder how Jobs & Co. will christen the new laptops: iBook, MacBook, or something else entirely? Leave a comment and let me know what you think Apple's new 13.3-inch laptops will be called.

(From Digg.com)

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April 04, 2006, 10:58 AM PDT
All steamed up
Posted by: Wayne Cunningham

Green Car Congress reports on Cyclone Technologies' update to the steam engine, which could be a practical power plant for cars. The Cyclone steam engine has been engineered for efficiency and, according to the article, delivers 3 horsepower for every inch of displacement, double that of the average gasoline engine. And unlike the behemoths of yesteryear, these steam engines are compact. The article makes them sound pretty clean, since steam is used to push the cylinders, but there still has to be some kind of fuel to heat the water. Also, with operating temperature of 1,200 degrees and pressure of 3,200psi, the engine would probably be very dangerous in a crash or during a failure.

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April 04, 2006, 7:58 AM PDT
Google Music Store on the horizon?
Posted by: James Kim

According to a Forbes report, Google is close to launching its own music store, which would offer the music industry yet another option to combat iTunes' pricing inflexibility. From the article:

"The music industry is broadly unhappy with the fixed pricing and lack of subscription options at the market-leading iTunes Music Store and likely to support alternative services," wrote the analyst in a recent report.

It's interesting how the music industry isn't too joyous about the iTunes Music Store (and Steve Jobs behind it), despite the fact that it is by far the most successful legal source for music to date. At this point, the music industry's focus should be on the consumer experience (read: non-device-centric DRM).

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