One Man Battles Apple

So this is a story Wired News covered in December. It's about a guy who modified an iPod and tried to sell it on eBay, but Apple threw a fit and had eBay take the auction down. Technically that is an infringement of his consumer rights, free speech etc. So to stand up for his rights he is up and at it again, this time taking the auction to his own site. I did the follow up story on his fight and from talking to him I can say this guy isn't vindictive, he just knows his rights and wants to show what Apple can and can't do. Check out his modified iPod below.

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posted by: DigiDave

Internet Radio To-Go

Remember in the 80's when people would hoist big boom boxes on their shoulder listening to their favorite artist on tape? That look could come back with the InFusion portable Internet radio. The size of a mint box this little guy only needs to be close to a wireless hot spot and instantly you will have access to every radio program on the Internet. It might not look tough hanging on your shoulder, but maybe they will make a jacket with a cool patch to let it hang from in the near future.

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posted by: DigiDave

Jef Raskin passes away

Jef Raskin, author of The Humane Interface and the chief GUI designer for the original Mac, passed away this weekend at the age of 61.

For those of you unaware of his accomplishments, here is a small list:

• Creator of Macintosh computer at Apple Computer, Inc.
  
• Author of The Humane Interface
  
• Former Chairman and CEO, Information Appliance Inc., Palo Alto, California
  
• Contributing Editor for: WIRED, Forbes, MacHome Journal, Dr. Dobb's Journal
  
• Has sat on several dozen panels, over three dozen boards, and published literally hundreds of works.
  
• Check out his C.V. here

I had the privelege to listen to Jef speak on a panel about 4 years ago, and he was, for lack of a better word, fascinating. Jef was the first person I ever heard speak who loved the Mac user interface (remember, he did create it), yet was ready to tear apart its faults. His visions for better user interaction models have truly inspired works of mine, and it is a shame to hear of his passing.

Read more at Cnet

Jef's home page

posted by: LD Editor

Open Source Argument

For those of you who don't know what Open Source is, check Wikipedia, an open source encyclopedia here. I promise it's a subject matter that is important and will fascinate anybody who thinks they live digitally. So, I found the recent boycott announced by Open Source giants like Lawrence Rosen, Bruce Perens, Lawrence Lessig, Richard Stallman, Mitch Kapor, and Eric Raymond to be noteworthy. Apparently 29 notable open source advocates have a problem with some new possible policies of OASIS, an open source project itself. In an open letter (no pun intended) these Open Source pioneers call for a boycott of OASIS. I'm fascinated by these kinds of actions within the open source movement, because it continues to be a movement that governs itself without an actual governing body.

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posted by: DigiDave

Flat Screen

Trusted Reviews has taken the time to test out the LG Flatron L1740P, a 17 inch flat screen monitor. Check out their full review here. The long and short of it, this screen can walk the walk but can't talk the talk. There is no USB port, and the stand has "limited functionality," which is code for "the display doesn't pivot easy." Hey, I'm all for design but not when it gets in the way of quality.

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posted by: DigiDave

Apple Tivo

There is a lot of talk about Apple buying TiVo. The digital TV recording company is definitely starting to hurt on the stock market and Apple is ridding high from their iPod sales, so a merger would make sense. Phillip Swann at TV predictions has some interesting analysis, however, as to whether the two media giants would really be a good match for each other. Mergers are like starting long term relationships; you can't just jump in there unless there is chemistry first.

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posted by: DigiDave

Digital Intellectuals

All of us from time to time like to sit down and wonder how all these digital devices and gizmos effect human society. I'm sure there is a class, with a very enticing academic name, at every major university covering the subject. Well I came across a blog today called World Changing which has a side thread I found very interesting. They discuss echem "participatory panopticon," which they describe as "the notion that the evolution of networked mobile personal cameras (i.e., cameraphones) will trigger big changes in how we interact with each other both individually and socially." So while this posting doesn't have any news or products behind it, I know there are a lot of intellectuals out there who like to read/think about how our culture is redefining itself and this link takes you to an interesting discussion of just that.

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posted by: DigiDave

Opera on TV

Opera, the oft forgotten Web browser needs to find an edge. Gizmodo recently reported on one of their new angles. Using Opera Software you can control your DVD player using just your voice. Speak slowly into the mic and you'll never need a remote control again. If they license the software right it could save Opera from being remembered as "that browser that wasn't as cool as Firefox."

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posted by: DigiDave

Got the Munchies

So this is just too good to not write about. Sony has included an option into its Everquest II game that lets players order Pizza Hut while they are playing the game. Talk about direct marketing. Just type in the command "/pizza" and you will be on the Internet ordering some pepperoni to your house. "Chris Kramer, spokesman for Sony Online Entertainment, said he believes this is the first time a game accepts orders for real-world items." It could lead to a new generation in game advertising too.

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posted by: DigiDave

Finding the Shooter

Last night there was a shooting by my house. Made me wish we had the gunshot-detection devices that are in place all over Chicago. These recorders are set up around the city and triangulate the noise from a gunshot to alert the police where it occurred. But gunshot detection is also going private with PDA's that will automatically alert the police when and where a gunshot is detected. Last night, after the police showed up (30 minutes later), I wished I had a gunshot detector of my very own.

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posted by: DigiDave

Cell Fashion

Now I've never been one to pay attention to my clothes. Every friend, girlfriend and relative can attest to that. But I do notice trends when they pop up, and cell phones have definitely become a new medium for fashion trends. Baby Phat fashion labels for phones are at the top of the heap. Want one. Too bad, there website shows they are plain out of stock right now. But there are all kinds of routes to go with this fad. At this level your phone isn't just about calling but is a statement. Another one tearing up the charts is Motorola's Razr V3. Take your time before you buy one of these bad boys, they don't come cheap.

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posted by: DigiDave

World of Warcraft

Trusted Reviews recently took a look at the newest MMORPG game World of Warcraft. It sounds like everything you want from a MMORPG game, including consequences of the choices you make. Everything from how you spend your time in WoW to what race of character you start the game with changes your experience. If there is one thing I know about MMORPG's, it's that you better be ready to spend lots of time on it if you expect to make it far in the game. This new WoW, if it is anything like its predecessors, probably creates a fantasy environment to do just that.

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posted by: DigiDave

IPod, The Book

PeachPit Press specializes in computer how-to books. So at first I was a little surprised to see a book on iPods from them, but then I realized how brilliant it was. There are probably thousands of people out there who bought an iPod for music, not even knowing its full potential. You'd be amazed how many suite and tie people use the iPod to store business files, even power point presentations. If you got an iPod and want to know how to harness its full potential, this is probably the books to get. At $18 it seems like a reasonable investment to me. Now I haven't read the book, but knowing PeachPit standards it's probably pretty clean and informative.

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posted by: DigiDave

Pay by Phone

There has been plenty of chatter about it for some time, paying for meals, clothes and gas with your cell phone. CNN wrote on it just about a year ago. And yes, they are at it again today. At least now they are keeping their predictions more realistic. In Japan people will start using their cell phones as train tickets, bypassing certain gates with a scan of their phone. It will be a little bit longer before we find credit cards implanted in cell phones, but this is definitely a step in that direction.

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posted by: DigiDave

News Search: Beyond Google

The Web is host to millions of different sites that do thousands of different things. From getting the best directions to ordering groceries, you can do it all on the Web. Here is a new site that makes catching up on the news interesting again. It's called 10 by 10. I wrote an article on Jonathan Harris (the creator of Ten by Ten), for Wired News, check it out. Ten by Ten lets you use visuals to scour the top headlines every hour on the hour. Information architecture is changing because of creative artists like Harris who are getting a hold of the Web.

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posted by: DigiDave

Surf the Web While Biking

I am a big fan of biking, so I got a kick out of the Magicbike, a mobile WiFi hotspot that gives free internet connectivity wherever you take it. The makers of Magicbike describe it as "perfect for setting up adhoc Internet connectivity for art and culture events, emergency access, public demonstrations, and communities on the struggling end of the digital-divide," something for the modern urbanite. Seems like a good idea right. My guess is, however, that no matter how many locks you put on this bike the second you take your eye off of it will be the last time you see it.

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posted by: DigiDave

Monkey Brains

The BBC reported on a monkey who controls a prosthetic arm with his mind today. What's funny is that this blogger covered the story a few months ago. Unfortunately, I never got a link to Gizmodo for it. The technology itself is very interesting, almost the beginning of telekinesis. Using electrodes implanted in the brain the monkey can move a robotic arm as if it were his own. In the picture below he is feeding himself using the robotic limb. It could help paraplegics or victims of car accidents/war who lose their arms. Check out my coverage of the story, let me know how it compares to the BBC's.

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posted by: DigiDave

Walking Robots

These three stooges of robots have been all over the place today. Their trick? They walk in a very humanlike way. Unlike Asimo, who uses motors and sensors to walk, these guys use as few motors as possible and rely on gravity to move and balance, just like humans do. The energy cost of making a roboButler just went down.

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posted by: DigiDave

News From the 3GSM Conference

At Phone Scoop they have a reporter at the 3GSM, a mobile phone conference going on in Cannes France. They have a good story on how Kineto has developed since last year's conference. Their technology allows for easy voice and data roaming between cellular and WiFi (or bluetooth) networks. This way you can use the phone via a WiFi router when you are at home or work (or a free WiFi cafe), but still have the convenience of a cell when on the go. As you might have guessed, Phone Scoop concludes that their technology is taking off.

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posted by: DigiDave

The New Yellow Pages

A9 a subsidiary of Amazon recently finished their new online version of the yellow pages. What's new? You get full visuals of what you look up and can walk a camera up and down the street. A good friend of this blogger was actually one of the drivers who went around getting video for the project. He went to Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Miami with cameras pointed out his windows all while linked up to a GPS device. Apparently security is so high in D.C. that you can get pulled over and searched for having a GPS device hanging on top of your car. Don't worry, my friend can still get commercial flights. Below is a picture of one of my favorite pizza spots in San Francisco courtesy of A9's Yellow Pages.

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posted by: DigiDave

Burn Like a Pro

Nero has buddied up with LightScribe to add a little flavor to their CD/DVD burning technology. Now, after you are done burning the CD, turn it over and LightScribe will etch a silkscreen quality label for the cover using the same lasers that burns the data. Your love mixes will break more hearts, your garage band's CD will look cooler than ever and you'll never need a sharpie again.

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posted by: DigiDave

Nokia and Microsoft

The Seatle Times reported on new developments this week between Nokia and Microsoft. The Finland phone maker has agreed to make to put Microsoft's music-player software into its handsets. Microsoft will scratch Nokia's back too, introducing standards for digital music compression and piracy protection in its Media Players for personal computers.

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posted by: DigiDave

iPod's Enemy

Trusted Reviews has put up their thoughts on the new iRiver H10. While they give credit to the little player's 5GB of capacity they are skeptical whether the MP3 player can rival the omniscient iPod where it counts, marketing.

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posted by: DigiDave

Firewall for Small Business

The Sonic Wall TZ 150 is boasting itself as the world's first small business firewall solution. It provides anti-virus and intrusion prevention from worms, Trojans and other computer nasties in an easy-to-use box. Although there is a subscription cost, most small businesses would prefer the safety that this little guy offers.

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posted by: DigiDave

SBC vs. Netflix

Netflix has successfully taken down Blockbuster Video with its mail order movies. It's next big step as the new movie rental giant on the block is to try renting movies through a downloading service. Unless of course SBC gets to it first. The story from MSN details all the possibilities. We aren't sure who will end up on top, but it will definitely be the final death blow to movie rental stores that don't get with the times.

No, this is not a paid ad. Just thought we at Live Digitally would spice the post up with a quick image.

posted by: DigiDave

Trusted Reviews: ViewSonic VP171b

At Trusted Reviews they took a moment to check out the ViewSonic VP171b. It's the latest LCD from the British manufacturers ViewSonic and at £240, Trusted Reviews calls it a good buy. The most notable upgrade is the 8ms panel down from 16ms, making the response time twice as fast.

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posted by: DigiDave

Movies on the Go

Sony's PSP, coming out March 24th, will include a new patented media format, Universal Media Disc (UMD), which will make new movies available for the PSP monthly. Starting in April Sony Pictures and Home Entertainment will release "XXX," "Hell Boy," "Resident Evil 2" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico." The PSP will cost $250 and plans to have a plethora of movies made available to customers.

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posted by: DigiDave

Chip in the Carpet

A new carpet from Intelex has made some buzz in the blogosphere. The "thinking carpet" can do everything from sound security or fire alarms, open doors or even regulate humidity. In case of an emergency, LED modules light the way to safety.

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posted by: DigiDave

Win Free iTunes

This is the second time Pepsi has had a free itunes contest and the second time MacMerk has found a way to ensure victory. From January 31st until April 6th 2005, drinking Pepsi could give you free itunes downloads. But for those of us who don't want to leave things to chance, there is a way to cheat.


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posted by: DigiDave

DVD Writer Review

The new NEC ND-3520A DVD Writer just got a rave review at none other than Trusted Reviews. They seem pretty happy with the user friendliness, speed, and ability of the writer work with several formats. Trusted Reviews breaks the DVD writer down to the basics, how are the specs and is the performance any good? "NEC has really pushed the boat out with the specs of ND-3520A and it really does represent a huge leap forward in DVD writing."

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posted by: DigiDave

Reading for Geeks

Cult of Mac by Leander Kahney is a must read for any Apple obsessed geek (you know who you are). Kahney has been following the digital subculture for Wired News in his blog by the same title and recently came out with a collection of stories about his favorite and zaniest cult worshipers.




"The Macintosh is more than a computer, it's a way of life. This book is about what it is to be a Macintosh person. It gives insight into the greatest love and loyalties of any product of our era."
--Steve Wozniak, Apple Cofounder
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posted by: DigiDave

Blog Television

Here is something to keep you busy next time you are bored at work. Blog Television www.blogtelevision.net scours over 5 million blogs daily to find videos for your entertainment. "We find the videos that people are talking (read:blogging) about." Catch up on clips from the Daily Show that were on past your bedtime, or just view that silly flash video that everyone is raving about. Once again the net proves it can simplify our entertainment needs.


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posted by: DigiDave

Executive Pen

The Executive Pen from Platinum Pen is a three in one device that lets you store data on its flash drive, place it in your pocket and dump it out on another computer with its USB Port.



You can store 512 megabytes, but don't forget it can also be used as a pen. At $50 you won't want to limit your yourself to simple doodles.
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posted by: DigiDave

Welcome to The LDB

The LDB is the LIVEDigitally Blog, a real-time, up-to-the minute web site bringing you the latest product news, gossip, announcements, pictures, and anything we can find!

posted by: LD Editor