June 13, 2006, 11:25 PM PDT
Three sites that tell stories by using places
Posted by: Rafe Needleman

At the Where 2.0 conference, execs from three companies in a row got up and presented their view of the next consumer publishing phenom (or so they hope): geo-focused consumer content. Each of these companies has launched a site that collects stories associated with peoples' relationships to places.

Platial is a "user-created atlas," in the words of cofounder Di-Ann Eisnor. Users can create maps showing their adventures through cities, their favorite travel spots, and so on. One popular user-created map is a trail of tears: Stories of longing, missed connections, and tragic breakups attached to particular locations. Eisnor calls the personal collections "autobiogeographies." The most popular item, though, is a collection of places related to the TV show Lost (although the location of the Lost island is fictional, there are numerous backstories attached to real locations; the collection also tracks filming locations).

A cool new feature on Platial is location-based aggregation. On a single page related to a city, Platial shows its own user-demarked locations, plus events, videos, and photos (from Eventful, YouTube, and Flickr, respectively) that have been tagged with the location. It's a mini gazette of any chosen location, and you can subscribe to it in RSS or view the items overlaid onto Google Earth.

43 Places, presented by Josh Peterson, is a site that collects the travel dreams of its users. Its major function is to let users say, "I want to go to X," and find others who've already been there and what they have to say about or recommend at the location. This site has very good focus. It should really partner with Triporama.

Finally, there's Wayfaring, cofounded by CNET general manager Mike Tatum. It's competitive with both of the above sites. (I can't evaluate it any further due to our policy against reviewing products CNET has an interest in.)

Are people ready for yet another type of site where they tell stories? Aren't MySpace, YouTube, Blogger--and all of their competitors--enough? Although I think the general public is still digesting blogs and the MySpace phenomenon and isn't quite ready to jump into these geo-story sites, this concept makes sense. New and different types of story sites can succeed, because there a many different ways to tell stories.

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June 13, 2006, 5:32 PM PDT
Retractable A/V cables from Philips
Posted by: John P. Falcone

Like a good political campaign manager, product managers and public relations specialists like to keep press events "on message." So you can imagine the chagrin of the good folks at Philips when the product that most enthralled me at their Times Square line show today wasn't their Blu-ray player, wall-mountable home theater in a box, cordless Skype phones, or Portable Media Center. Sure, they were all cool, but the undiscovered gem of the Philips line--the thing I couldn't wait to run out and buy--was a set of retractable A/V cables.

Of course, everyone's seen similar PC accessory retractables for business travel--phone lines, Ethernet cables, USB cables--but this was the first time I'd seen them in an A/V context. There were two versions: the DVDP01 ($15) is targeted at portable DVD players--3.5mm miniplugs on one end, standard RCA A/V plugs on the other--while the $13 DVDP07 offers just the red, white, and yellow RCA plugs on both ends. Even if you're not taking gear on the road, these self-retracting cables seem like a great idea for anyone (like me) with a couple of drawers full of tangled cables. No, they're not the next iPod, but they're useful and cheap--a combination that's all too rare in the realm of consumer electronics.

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June 13, 2006, 4:56 PM PDT
Toyota to work on plug-ins, double its hybrid lineup
Posted by: Kevin Massy

After years of dismissing the concept of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), Toyota looks like it is finally warming to the idea. According to a statement published today on the carmaker's Japanese corporate Web site, Toyota "will advance its research and development of plug-in hybrid vehicles (which can be charged from an external power source and provide electricity) and is currently working on a next-generation vehicle that can extend the distance traveled by the electric motor alone."

This represents a change of tack from Toyota, which has led the field in hybrid-car technology through models such as the 2005 Toyota Prius and the 2007 Camry Hybrid but has opposed PHEVs on the grounds that they are less convenient than cars that charge themselves up as they go along.

In other hybrid-related news, Toyota said Tuesday that it is planning to double the number of its hybrid models in an attempt at hitting its target of selling 1 million hybrid cars annually by 2010. One of these will be the redesigned Estima Hybrid minivan, which Autoblog profiles here. Toyota also revealed plans to launch 100 percent ethanol-powered vehicles for the Brazilian market in 2007. In a press conference, Masatami Takimoto, Toyota's VP of technology development, said that the Japanese carmaker saw hybrids as "the core technology in the 21st century."

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June 13, 2006, 4:51 PM PDT
More details on the Philips BDP9000 Blu-ray player
Posted by: John P. Falcone

The Philips BDP9000 Blu-ray player will be available for $1,000 in the third quarter of 2006, according to the company. The player had been glimpsed at January's Consumer Electronics Show, but the announcement at the company's Holidays in June event was the first official confirmation of the player's price and availability, both of which are right in line with competing models from Sony and Panasonic. Detailed specs and features weren't available, but the BDP9000 has the basics covered--1080p output via HDMI, backward-compatible with DVDs, and upgradable firmware. One notable change was the look of the player: originally shown in a somewhat exotic silver/chrome housing, Philips has opted for a more conservative black look (the lavender tinge of the accompanying photo is a result of the unusual lighting at the Philips event).

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June 13, 2006, 4:13 PM PDT
A ring tone many adults can't hear
Posted by: Nicole Lee

Several young students have caught on to a recent trend: a ring tone that only they can hear and most adults can't. Dubbed the Mosquito, the noise stems from an antitheft technique in the United Kingdom, where it was used to deter youth crimes such as shoplifting. The idea is that most adults lose the ability to hear high-pitched sounds as they grow older, so this tone will reach the ears of only the young. Some enterprising unknown must have then copied this high-pitched tone and made it into a ring tone, which was then distributed to students in the United Kingdom and spread around on the Internet until it eventually reached U.S. shores. Teenagers who have downloaded the ring tone could then send and receive text messages and hear alerts without the knowledge of most, if not all, their school teachers.

But beware: Many adults may still have the ability to hear the tone--I know I could. You can click this link to see if you too can hear this alarmingly high-pitched sound.

Source: CNET News.com

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June 13, 2006, 12:27 PM PDT
The V gets V Cast Music
Posted by: Nicole Lee

Finally, V Cast Music has made its way to an updated version of Verizon's flagship V phone, otherwise known as the LG VX9800. The new V will keep all the features we liked about it before, such as the 1.3-megapixel camera, EV-DO support, and the built-in MP3 player, but now V Cast Music has been added. Another feature new to the V is Verizon's VZ Navigator voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions--a welcome service to those of us who get lost every once in a while. It's currently available from Verizon for $149.99 with a two-year contract, or $199.99 with a one-year contract.

Source: Verizon and Engadget Mobile

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June 13, 2006, 11:20 AM PDT
Lego Star Wars and 20 other games now Xbox 360-compatible
Posted by: David Rudden

Microsoft has added 21 new games to its list of Xbox1 titles that are compatible with the Xbox 360. It's by far the largest update to the list yet--the first update in December had 6 Tom Clancy-themed games while the most recent one in March (recent is a relative term here) had only 3. Fans of 2002 summer action flicks, take note: both Minority Report and Spider-Man made the cut. Score! Here's the full list:

4x4 EVO 2

Amped 2

Bad Boys 2

Big Mutha Truckers

Doom 3

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

Fatal Frame

FlatOut

Grabbed by the Ghoulies

Intellivision Lives!

Lego Star Wars

Minority Report: Everybody Runs

MLB SlugFest 20-04

The Punisher

RalliSport Challenge 2

Silent Hill 4: The Room

Spawn: Armageddon

Spider-Man: The Movie

Star Wars Battlefront

State of Emergency

Zapper

Our full list of backward-compatible games on the Xbox 360 will be updated with this information soon. As for our list of the best backward-compatible games? That one's standing pretty safe after this round.

Source: MajorNelson.com

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June 13, 2006, 11:00 AM PDT
Eight critical security patches from Microsoft
Posted by: Robert Vamosi

Microsoft has released its June 2006 security bulletin, which includes 12 updates; 8 are listed by Microsoft as critical, 2 are moderate, and 2 are important. Four of the critical update bulletins affect all versions of Windows, including a new cumulative update for Internet Explorer. One of the critical updates is specific to Windows 98, 98 SE, and Me editions. Two of the critical updates this month are specific to Microsoft Office. The eight critical patches fix twenty-one individual flaws within Windows and Office products. Given the large number of critical updates this month, if you haven't downloaded recent security patches for your PC, you should do so now. All Microsoft security patches for Windows and Office software are available via Microsoft Update or the individual bulletins detailed below.

MS06-021: Critical

Entitled "Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (916281)," this advisory affects all versions of Windows and all versions of Internet Explorer 5.01 through 6. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-022: Critical

Entitled "Vulnerability in ART Image Rendering Could Allow Remote Code Execution (918439)," this advisory affects all versions of Windows. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-023: Critical

Entitled "Vulnerability in Microsoft JScript Could Allow Remote Code Execution (917344)," this advisory affects all versions of Windows. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-024: Critical

Entitled " Vulnerability in Windows Media Player Could Allow Remote Code Execution (917734)" this advisory affects all versions of Windows and all versions of Windows Media Player 7.01 through 10. The advisory does not affect Media Player 6. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-025: Critical

Entitled " Vulnerability in Routing and Remote Access Could Allow Remote Code Execution (911280)," this advisory affects Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP1 and SP2. The advisory does not affect Windows 98, 98 SE, or Me. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-026: Critical

Entitled " Vulnerability in Graphics Rendering Engine Could Allow Remote Code Execution (918547)," this advisory affects Windows 98, 98 SE, and M. This advisory does not affect Windows 2000 SP4 or Windows XP SP1 or SP2. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-027: Critical

Entitled "Vulnerability in Microsoft Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution (917336)," this advisory affects Microsoft Word 2000, 2002, 2003, and Word Viewer 2003. It also affects Microsoft Works Suites versions 2001 through 2006. This advisory does not affect Microsoft Word for Mac. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-028: Critical

Entitled "Vulnerability in Microsoft PowerPoint Could Allow Remote Code Execution (916768)," this advisory affects Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, 2002, 2003, and Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac 2004. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-029: Important

Entitled "Vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange Server Running Outlook Web Access Could Allow Script Injection (912442)," this advisory affects Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Pack 3 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP1 and SP2. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-030: Important

Entitled "Vulnerability in Server Message Block Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (914389)," this advisory affects Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP1 and SP2. This advisory does not affect Windows 98, 98 SE, and Me. Exploitation could allow a remote attacker to elevate user privileges on vulnerable PCs.

MS06-031: Moderate

Entitled "Vulnerability in RPC Mutual Authentication Could Allow Spoofing (917736)," this advisory affects only Windows 2000 SP4. This advisory does not affect Windows 98, 98 SE, Me, or Windows XP SP1 or SP2. Exploitation could allow a remote attacker to spoof a trusted network source.

MS06-032: Moderate

Entitled "Vulnerability in TCP/IP Could Allow Remote Code Execution (917953)," this advisory affects Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP1 and SP2. This advisory does not affect Windows 98, 98 SE, and Me. Exploitation could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable PCs.

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June 13, 2006, 9:46 AM PDT
Toronto or San Jose: where am I, anyway?
Posted by: Rafe Needleman

I'm at the Where 2.0 conference in San Jose. Unfortunately, the Loki location-finding software on my laptop, which I raved about in a previous blog post, thinks I'm in Toronto. Probably the conference team picked up its Wi-Fi access points from an office or event in Toronto and shipped them down here. At any rate, it's ironic, given the topic of the conference, but more importantly than that, for a few moments, Google thought I was in Canada and sent me to the Canadian version of the site (www.google.ca) when I tried to search. It was no big deal, but it shows you how location data applies to things you don't always think of as location related. And the potential downsides to poor location data can be serious. Imagine if I had some emergency-response product that thought I was in Toronto instead of San Jose--or if I was on a VoIP phone that was registered to a different location, and then I dialed 911.

Bad geo data tends to self-correct as users notice their applications are reporting the wrong location and send in updates, and an interesting project, OpenStreetMap, will help geolocation data correct even more quickly. This project lets its GPS-equipped users record their location traces (geek alert: it's like AttentionTrust, but for the physical world). There are, of course, privacy issues with this (just like there are with tools that track where you go on the Web), but overall, the more people report where they are and where they've been, the more accurate maps and location-finding data will be available for everybody. This consumer-provided geographic data could become an important part of the growing economy for location-based products and services.

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