May 03, 2006, 11:48 PM PDT
New cell phone software at OnHollywood
Posted by: Rafe Needleman

There will more new and newish products on display at the OnHollywood conference Thursday morning, including a few interesting cell phone utilities. One of the most important, I believe, is VoiceIndigo, a podcast client for cell phones. It enables your phone to download the podcasts of your choice overnight. Then you can listen to them during your workout or commute (preferably with headphones or an earpiece). I can't wait to try this, because I often forget to plug in my iPod each night and am left with day-old 'casts on my bus ride to work. There's a special bonus feature, too: Users will be able to place a one-button phone call to a number encoded in the podcast. This could be great for leaving feedback and for making podcasts even more like talk shows.

We'll also see Moonstorm, which places coupons on your cell phone. The idea is that if the cell phone knows where it is (either because you entered in your zip code or because it's GPS-enabled), it can display relevant promo coupons on the screen. So if you're walking past a Starbucks, your phone will know it and offer up a coupon for free extra foam with your latte, or something. It's the location-based service we've all been waiting for--or fearing, depending on your point of view. And the coupon business is very big. And I hate clipping coupons.

Finally, Soonr, a product that lets you access your PC and its files from a cell phone, will, according to TechCrunch, show a utility that will let you use your cell phone to connect to your PC to place phone calls via your PC's Skype client. Very neat trick. It will be great for heavy Skype users who don't want to leave their Skype buddies behind when they step away from their PC. (Alternatively, Pocket PC users can use Skype's own Skype for Pocket PC, which connects to the Skype network directly, not via an intermediate PC).

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May 03, 2006, 6:31 PM PDT
Favorite new media start-ups
Posted by: Rafe Needleman

It's start-up overload here at OnHollywood. There are dozens of interesting technology/entertainment companies presenting, and most of them are impressive. I just served on two judging panels--one on music delivery companies and one on content sharing. Here are my verdicts for the coolest companies in these sessions:

Music: Of MusicGremlin (which I wrote about previously), MusicIP, PumpAudio, and PassAlong, the awards goes to...PumpAudio. This is a service for TV, film, and advertising producers who are looking for music to go with their videos. The producers upload their video and then can select from a wide variety of music. They get a preview of the music and video running together and can try multiple tracks until they find something they like. Once they've made a selection, they can buy a license to use the music in their productions.

The music comes from independent artists and people at indie labels looking to make a few bucks by licensing their tracks.

It's not a complex business. It is not trying to match the universe of all music to the tastes of all consumers. It's a business matchmaking engine, and with its clear focus, it's a compelling story.

If you've produced music and have ever wondered how to get it some commercial airplay, check it out.

Sharing: There are some intriguing products here, including Kaneva and OurStory. There was also an incomprehensible presentation by Guba. My award goes to the video aggregator Revver, which allows people who make video clips to publish them onto a system that inserts relevant advertising into them. The user then gets a cut of the ad revenue. With videos now being distributed far beyond the sites where they were initially uploaded (anecdotal evidence: I've seen a dozen YouTube videos in the last week but have not been to the mothership YouTube.com site at all), it makes a lot of sense to try to make money from this distribution. It's a hit business, which means that 99 percent of the videos posted won't make a dime for anybody, but if there had been an ad engine on the Star Wars Kid video, for example, it probably would have paid for his college education.

There's a clear theme in my selections: I'm interested in companies that help people make money from their content. The big media sites are making a ton of cash selling ads against consumer-created videos and personal pages. It's only fair that the people who contribute the content have the potential to share in the wealth.

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May 03, 2006, 4:59 PM PDT
Are you sitting comfortably?
Posted by: Kevin Massy

Here is one of the key questions that well-heeled car shoppers ask themselves when they are about to lay down a small fortune for a new car: How many power seat-adjustment settings does it have? Our research shows that anything less than double figures just doesn't cut the mustard. So who is in the driver's seat when it comes to cabin comfort?

At the--ahem--low end of the spectrum are the new Jaguar XK and the 2007 BMW 530xi, which both offer barley-passable, 10-way front-seat adjustment. The 2006 Audi A6 Avant goes two better, offering 12-way power driver- and front-passenger seats, followed by the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550, which boasts 14 different seating-position options.

Taking it up a notch (or two, to be exact) are the 2006 BMW 760Li and Bentley's 2006 Continental Flying Spur, which each offer admirable 16-way power seats. But the manufacturer leading the field is none other than that paragon of automotive luxury and comfort itself: Volkswagen. That's right, according to the car's spec sheet, drivers of the 2006 VW Phaeton enjoy 18-way front power seats, which leaves them sitting pretty at the top of the heap. Is there no luxury brand to unseat them?

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May 03, 2006, 3:49 PM PDT
MPAA needs to pay for shareware
Posted by: Tom Merritt

Oops! The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) today proudly unveiled its latest study of losses to piracy. However, if you want to look at the data summary PDF, you are greeted with a watermark warning that reads, "Created by eDocPrinter PDF Pro!! Buy Now to Create PDF without Trial Watermark!!" I understand the need to get the numbers out quickly, but I hope the MPAA intends to pay the creators of the software the money they rightly deserve. I estimate eDocs losses at about $39 for that piece of software.

Update 4:34 p.m.: The watermark is gone now when you visit the link. So either it was an error, or the MPAA did the right thing.

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May 03, 2006, 3:34 PM PDT
The Internet is for porn (and so are DVDs)
Posted by: Molly Wood

Entertainment bigwigs are looking to the porn industry to help determine who'll win the battle between Blu-ray and HD-DVD. A Gartner analyst, plus the director of IT operations at E! Entertainment Television, both say that the porn industry's momentum will help decide a winner--just as it did for VHS, and in much the same way it drove adoption and technological development on the Internet. Who knew we had porn to thank for so much?

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May 03, 2006, 3:08 PM PDT
FCC approves two unannounced BlackBerrys
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

Come and get it! Phone Scoop is serving up the latest dish on a pair of unannounced BlackBerrys. Apparently, the FCC has approved two new GSM devices modeled after the BlackBerry 7130e for Verizon Wireless: the 7130c for Cingular and the 7130g, most likely for T-Mobile. Internal photos show a very sleek and more rectangular device with Cingular branding and the SureType keyboard found on all 7100-series models. Other details include Bluetooth 2.0, a speakerphone, EDGE support, world roaming, and a mini-USB port. There's no official announcement from RIM yet, but we'll keep you posted.

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May 03, 2006, 2:47 PM PDT
2007 Volkswagen Passat Wagon first impressions
Posted by: Wayne Cunningham

The 2007 Volkswagen Passat Wagon came in today and, on our initial spin, proved to be a capable, fun car with tons of room inside. VW sent us one with the Value Edition trim level and one option package that includes a power sunroof, a six-CD in-dash changer, and XM radio. This edition keeps the price down to $28,430, but we would have really liked to see a more teched-up car. Two options that VW offers that didn't come on our test car were navigation and the premium Dynaudio sound system. I'd love to try out the Dynaudio stereo, although the standard version that came with the car sounded very strong. The base system has eight speakers, with three in each front door, and gave a nice, full sound. When cranked up, with the bass at the max as well, it did start to distort but was overall impressive for a standard system. As in other VWs we've seen, the bass, treble, balance, and fader controls are simple knobs at the bottom of the stereo, allowing for quick and easy adjustment. The CD player also handles MP3s, and the standard stereo LCD has enough room to show artist and track information. In fact, the stereo interface is well designed to handle both XM Satellite Radio and MP3 CDs. Two rocker switches on the sides make it easy to navigate through folders/categories and tracks.

Our test car didn't come with navigation, which isn't even an option for the Value trim, but it did have the red LED multi-information display between the tachometer and speedometer, a nice feature that VW brought over from Audi. Without the navigation, this display is relegated to showing compass directions and trip computer info. The car also uses VW's characteristic keyless fob, which has to be pushed into a slot in the dash to start the engine.

I was impressed with this car's get-up-and-go. It uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo that puts out 200 horsepower. A 280-horsepower, 3.6-liter, six-cylinder is also available. The turbo boost kicks in seamlessly. The engine works very well with the six-speed automatic, giving adequate acceleration when punched in normal drive mode. In Sport mode, the tires make a satisfying squeal on a fast launch. There's also a manual selection mode, which actually holds the gears pretty high up through the revs. The engine uses VW's FSI direct-injection technology, which sprays fuel directly into the cylinders. Gas mileage is rated at only 22mpg in the city, which is probably due to the turbo, but it goes up to 31mpg on the highway.

For a wagon, it corners pretty well. The car looks reasonably small on the outside, but the inside is capacious. The cargo area behind the rear seats is very big, but fold down the rear seats down and it's positively huge. As a surprising touch, the rear hatch is power-operated, even at the Value trim level. Although the power hatch is neat to operate, I think VW could have put that money into something else on the car, such as a standard sunroof, Bluetooth, or even to lessen the price of the navigation option. I mean, it's not hard to open the hatch on a small wagon. The car feels well built, as if VW is seeking to combat past quality problems by overbuilding hinges and hatches. The hood and doors all close with a satisfying solidity, while plastic interior hatches and drawers also feel like they're in it for the long haul.

So far, I like this wagon quite a bit. It would work great for an all-around car, with plenty of room to haul people and cargo. It also offers a fun, sporty feel for ripping around town. On our first spin, I thought it felt almost like an Audi.

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• See product information for 2007 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
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May 03, 2006, 2:46 PM PDT
High-tech parking meters let you pay by cell phone
Posted by: Wayne Cunningham

Duncan Solutions is advancing the art of parking-meter design with its mPark mobile-payment parking service. These high-tech meters will let you pay by cell phone and are smart enough to send a text message when the meter is about to run out of time. You can add time to the meter without having to run out and plunk more change in. The company also makes parking meters that take credit cards. The mPark system is currently deployed in Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, and Yonkers.

There is a downside, however. The meters will obey parking restrictions, such as not letting you feed it over the maximum time you're allowed to use the space. Duncan Solutions also makes AutoCite X3, a Windows-based handheld device that lets parking-control officers monitor these smart meters to find out which ones have run out of time. AutoCite X3 even tells the officer the history of parking tickets on any given car. Duncan Solutions seems to be enabling a high-tech arms race in the world of parking.

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May 03, 2006, 1:12 PM PDT
Too fast, too furious: new in-car GPS
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

One of the fastest-growing areas of consumer electronics has to be portable GPS devices. It seems like just as we're finishing up a review on one model, the company has already announced its successor. But we're not complaining, as the manufacturers continue to add useful tools to these systems beyond the standard navigation features. Here is a sampling of the latest devices from various companies:

Garmin StreetPilot 2820: Building on the StreetPilot 2700 series, the 2820 adds Bluetooth connectivity to this high-end system for hands-free calling. The new functionality lets you pair your Bluetooth-enabled phone with the 2820, as well as make and receive calls using the phone's contact list; plus, you can dial numbers for any of points of interest (restaurants, hotels, and so forth) in the system's database. The StreetPilot 2820 has a built-in MP3 player, comes with preloaded maps of North America, and can receive real-time traffic information via an optional FM RDS-TMC traffic receiver or an XM NavTraffic receiver. The 2820 is expected to ship in June for $1,099.

Magellan RoadMate 3000T/3050T/6000T: This trio of GPS devices marks a new venture for Magellan. Sporting sleeker and more compact designs, the 3000T, the 3050T, and the 6000T focus on ease of use, multimedia functions, and traffic services. The flagship model, the 6000T, includes Bluetooth functionality, as well as a built-in traffic receiver and text-to-speech guidance. All three models have an integrated battery, a photo viewer, a music player, and Magellan's SmartDetour feature. The 3000T ($599) is expected to ship soon, while the 3050T ($649) will be available in June. The 6000T will be available in July, but pricing has not yet been set.

Navman iCN 750: Navman has done something unique here. Its iCN 750 features NavPix technology, which lets you navigate to destinations using pictures. With the 750's 4-inch touch screen, you simply select the picture of the desired location, and NavPix will determine the best travel route. Pretty cool, no? Of course, we'll reserve final judgment until we get it in for a test-drive. The Navman iCN 750 is expected to ship in May for $799.95.

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May 03, 2006, 12:56 PM PDT
Forbes finds fewer supersafe cars in 2006
Posted by: Kevin Massy

With all the new investment in car technology over the past 12 months, can it be that we're actually getting less safe on the roads? That's the message from Forbes in its newly published list of the market's safest autos for 2006, which this year numbers only four models, compared with five in 2005.

The 2006 fab four are the Acura TL, the Honda Civic, the Saab 9-3, and the Volvo S80.

According to Forbes, these four were the only models to get the top ratings for accident avoidance from Consumer Reports, as well as the highest official crash-test ratings. In a truism of the auto world, Forbes notes, "Sex appeal can translate into big sales volume, but safety technology almost never does."

One car we just reviewed that combines sexy and safe is the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550, but its sales volume might be low for other reasons: about 105,000 of them.

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