Tom's tech blurbs

FIFA World Cup 2010 in 3D

2010-05-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

According to an article in the German tech site Heise, broadcast of some of the World Cup games in German cinemas has been canceled. Some say, the resolution in which the games are broadcast is not good enough due to the format used.

EPSN still will be broadcasting games in 3D.

Non-Latin Web domains

2010-05-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

it's the first step to make the web truly world wide.

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) now allows for web domains to contain non-latin characters. Arab countries are the first to have so called country codes in Arabic script.

New Swiss Army Knife with Ultra Secure USB Stick

2010-04-05T10:25:00.001-07:00

TechNewsWorld posted a story about the new Swiss Army Knife with Ultra Secure USB Stick.

How secure? Try a finger print reader and thermal scanner! Not good enough? Try a self destruct mechanism if tampered with! Cool! Q would be proud!

Sneak Peak at IPhone OS 4 coming this Thursday ...

2010-04-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

According to Apple there will be a sneak peak at the IPhone OS 4 this coming Thursday at 10am.

Rumor has it that the OS will have better multi-tasking funcionality than the previous OS, which only supported core apps to run in the background.

Brian Chen, a Wired Labs Blogger posted that the rumors hint to a new multi-tasking feature based on Apple's Expose being used.

larger Blu-Ray capacity through new standard ...

2010-04-05T02:47:00.000-07:00

The new Blu-Ray standard will allow for 128 GB/100 GB capacity for write-once/rewritable discs.

These new capacities can be reached by incorporating 3 to 4 layers in a disc.

The new standard will reach the market in the next few months, but will also require new hardware to play back or record.

GChat to allow file transfer

2010-04-05T02:35:00.000-07:00

Google Talk will allow File Transfer. You can now send unlimited files to your contacts in the chat service.

Sharp 3-D screen for new Nintendo game system?

2010-04-05T02:17:00.000-07:00

Sharp introduced their new liquid crystal display that enables the user to see 3-D images without the use of special glasses.

This started speculations that Nintendo will use this technology in their next game console 3DS.

Connection people at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games

2010-02-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

An event like the Olympic Games, Summer or Winter, is obviously an organizational nightmare.
With the 2010 Winter Games happening in my back yard, I figured I should write something about the IT side of things in regards to the Games.
VANOC has partnered with Nortel and Bell Canada to supply the 2010 Winter Games with a communications network and support.
The article gives you a rough idea on how much work and time it took to install all the equipment needed to make this all-IP network work.
1000's of km of wire reaching 15 different venues, 1000's of mobile phones, push-to-talk phones, radios and VOIP phone and fax lines, repeater cells and more.
About 3000 people worked 100,000 hours to test all the equipment before the start of the Games to asure the 35,000 requests for telecommunication could be met.
Hats-off to Andy Platten the vice-president of technical infrastructure for VANOC for making it all happen.

huBox gadget

2010-02-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

The huBox is a combination of USB Hub, SD Card Reader and Storage Box.
Designed for the home user or student, this is a simple device that encompasses 3 things mostly used at your workstation.

never enough usb slots for all your devices
a card reader to move all those 100's of pictures you snapped of your kids or of college buddies
a place to put your usb sticks or SD cards so you wont lose them (my kids have access to my workstation, so everything goes missing ... )

No price point yet, but it will be available soon at geekstuff4u.com

The more Eco-friendly office

2010-02-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this article whilst browsing through wired.com.
It is true, and I am speaking from experience, that the office environment tends to be a little bland. Staring at off-white walls, those ugly ceiling tiles and you're standard office furniture every day, makes a guy (or girl) just not wanna come to work.

What's wrong with adding a little color to the work place, especially if its green?
Eco-friendliness and work place ergonomics and design should go hand in hand, to make your cubicle more inviting and green.

Google 'eco-friendly work place' and you'll find several more examples on what you can do.

Fuji Finepix Z300 to be release in Japan

2009-06-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Fujifilm Japan will release its newest marvel into the Japanese market next week.

The F300 is a 10 Megapixel camera with 5.7x optical zoom, 31 MB internal memory and a 3" touch screen. It supports SD and SDHC cards and records video at 30 frames/s.

Gundam merchandise

2009-06-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Akihabara News reports on the release of the new Zippo designs for the 30th Anniversary of Gundam.
Gundam of course being the hugely popular metaseries of Japanese Anime involving robots.

filling your tank with poo ...

2009-01-31T09:39:00.000-08:00

The city of Oslo is converting 80 of their city transit buses to biomethane, which is collected from human waste. The idea sounds gross, but is part of Norways very ambitious plan to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

The biomethane will be collected from 2 of the cities sewage treatment plants and pumped into the city buses starting September.

Wired News reported on this story.

Windows 7

2009-01-07T20:54:00.000-08:00

... from the omg! department.

Microsoft is releasing the beta version of Windows 7 to the average joe for download from the servers. So i guess this means all of us in the tech field, having anything to do with support should have a busy day as of... lets say mid morning!
I can't wait on this one really.
I can only tell you, what I have told everyone else really desperate to try the "best OS in the universe".. please wait at least until the 2nd service pack before you make the switch (by then they should have worked out the major bugs); and definately be prepared to do the ol' format and reinstall for a while .. :)

Minoru 3D Webcam

2009-01-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Minoru 3D Webcam ...looks an aweful lot like WALL-E, and will make you make touch your screen in amazement when talking to friends on your fav messenger client.

It's a simple concept really. combine the images of 2 cameras to make one 3 dimensional image.

It's being sold in the online store, and as of early 2009 also in your fav electronics retail store for roughtly $90.

I guess it's a neat gimmick, and it does work as a regular 2D cam ... but why??

unless it does holographic projections, i won't be lining up at no store the night previous to the release date!

My ten favorite Windows programs

2009-01-05T23:58:00.000-08:00

This story is by Ed Bott, a ZDNET journalist, talking about his ten favorite windows programs of all time (that he can't live without).
Some of them (the programs) I use also.
Worth checking out.

Probook.ca

2009-01-05T23:33:00.001-08:00

Hi folks!

I got an email from a guy named Jonathan Kleiman on Xing the other week (sorry Jonathan, i have been procrastinating), about a website called probook.ca. Jonathan is the founder of Probook.ca.
It's a free site for professionals in Canada (well of course not only Canada, it is the Internet after all).
It's defiantely a good alternative to services like Xing (which charge for their premium services).

Go check it out, get an account (it's free, i got one) and start networking. It's the only way you get anywhere these days.

Sony BRC-Z700 robotic cam

2009-01-05T23:23:00.000-08:00

what i would give to have one of these!
too bad this cam runs for $3800.
check out the specs (i provided the link), pretty sweet.
maybe i'll start writing santa a letter now ...

Microsoft services to arrive on Blackberry

2008-05-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

Microsofts web-based e-mail and live messenger services are set to arrive on the Bold, 7000 and 8000 series of Blackberry later this summer.

Existing Blackberry users will be able to download the applications aswell.

You can get the full story on TechNewsWorld.

First Space Lawyer to graduate ..

2008-05-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

A student at a University in Mississippi, will be the first ever to receive a space-law certificate in the U.S..
Any future space lawyer might have to deal with issues ranging from the
fallout over satellite shoot-downs to legal disputes between astronauts onboard the International Space Station. The expanding privatization of the space sector may also pose new legal challenges.

You can read the full story at space.com.

Rogers to bring IPhone to Canada

2008-04-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Apple has confirmed that Rogers will be the official IPhone carrier in Canada.
The IPhone will be available for Canadian customers later this year.

You can read the full article here.

Here comes Chumby!!

2008-04-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Chumby is a Linux-based device that streams widgets, looks similar to an alarm clock and it's squishy like a bean bag.
The Chumby would connect to a wireless Chumby network, enabling the user to listen to internet news, podcasts, check sports scores and much more.
You can buy one at the Chumby store for US $179.99.

For a full list of features and pictures go to the Chumby site.

Asimo Robot to conduct Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO)

2008-04-26T00:41:00.000-07:00

Honda's ASIMO Robot will perform "Impossible Dreams" to open a special concert in Detroit on May 13. With this performance, Honda hopes to draw attention to DSO's music education programs.
You can find the full article at Akihabara News.

biggest PC fan ever!!

2007-06-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

from the homebrew computer club department!
i found this article on a 30 cm (1 ft.) PC fan, on the Akihabara News website.
I am still looking for the safety warning about wearing gloves and safety goggles. :)

Microsoft's Photosynth

2007-06-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

developed by MS, Photosynth allows the user to make 2-D still pictures of an object into a 3-D environment. Online demos are available here.
Wired also has an article about it here.

.. an I-Pod for every occasion ...

2007-06-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

from the ridiculous department! As this article on the Wired Gadget Blog shows, people must be getting desperate for money. An IPod toilet paper holder?? Wonder if they ship that with a can of lysol. yuck!

Best Places to work in IT

2007-06-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Computerworld.com has published an article on its website in regards to the best and worst places to work in IT.
Quicken Loans and University of Miami are on the top of the Best list.
Computerworld.com is also about to release the worst of list soon.

back from holidays .. ready to blog!

2007-06-11T12:17:00.001-07:00

Late last night, my family and I returned from our vacation from Europe. Other than being a few pieces of luggage short and completely out of touch with the news, I am pretty well rested.
I actually enjoyed being away from the computer for a while ( I think i checked my e-mail 5 times in the 7 weeks I was gone). Within the next few days I will start updating this blog again.

Hope to see you here soon!

VoIP use in other countries ...

2007-04-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

I have recently read an article about the VoIP use in Argentina, and I was surprised; almost jealous! The VoIP use in a business setting is over one third and rising.

It will probably surprise most people, since most will think of Argentina as a 2nd world country. Their phone system is surprisingly good (compared to some nations in Africa) and supports high-speed data transfers.

This shows that foreign countries are trying hard to compete with the western world nations, with the aid of modern technology.
Now I'd just wish, businesses here would get their act together and jump on the band wagon.

I personally use VoIP, since most my family lives overseas.

U.S. to put Internet Router into Space

2007-04-13T01:26:00.000-07:00

The U.S. military plans to test an Internet router in space, in a project that could also benefit civilian broadband satellite communications.

The 3-year IRIS (Internet Routing In Space) project will be managed by satellite operator Intelsat, while Cisco will provide the software for the on-board router.

After testing is complete, the satellite will be available for commerical use.
You can find the entire article at the ITworld.com website.

The new and better solar panel design ...

2007-04-13T01:06:00.000-07:00

or is it? The Georgia Tech Research Institute has unveiled it's latest design in solar panels.
Instead of a traditional flat panel, the new design is three dimensional, with an array of tiny nano-towers that add surface area and trap more sunlight, thus increasing the current produced 60 fold.
"But current is only half the equation. To generate electricity, a cell has to churn out voltage as well." as the article on the International Business Times states.

Still some work to be done, but they are going in the right direction.

Tom's Hardware sold!

2007-04-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Tom's Hardware, one of my favorite web sites (see links) was sold over the weekend to an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed price.

Omid Rahmat, CEO of Tom's Publishing LLC released the following statement to The Inquirer:

"TG Publishing, the publisher of Tom's Hardware Guide, has been sold. We expect the deal to close this month, and will make an official announcement at the appropriate time. We believe that there are some very exciting times ahead for the company, and that our readers have a lot to look forward to. I hope that I can share our expectations with you shortly."

Lets hope so ...

Billboarding of PC's by manufacturers

2007-04-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Walter Mossberg, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, recently wrote an article about Sony and other computer manufacturers disrespecting customers by billboarding their PC's with useless and unwanted trial software.

He was really upset, after buying a brand new laptop from Sony and finding it cluttered with crippled trial software several DRM-locked DVD movies wasting Gigabytes of disk space.

This shows that useless crap installed on todays PC's are really only there to satisfy the manufacturers advertisers.
The solution: buy a Mac or a Linux box.

Baby Airplane Spoon

2007-04-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

I am sure everyone that has, or had small children has used the Airplane game to get their child to eat their favorite mush, at one point or the other.
Now you can do it in style with the Baby Airplane Spoon sold at Drinkstuff.com.
I might just get one of those for my kids. :)

First IPod virus

2007-04-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

The Kaspersky Lab, has discovered the first IPod virus named Podloso, according to an article on the own web site.
The virus, which is more of a proof of concept program and does not pose a threat for your favorite MP3 player. In order for the "virus" to work, Linux has to be installed on the IPod and the file has to be installed by the user.

City-wide wireless broadband in Seoul

2007-04-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

Residents of Seoul have now been completely covered in a new wireless high-speed Internet blanket installed by KT, the countries biggest telecom provider. The system will deliver bandwidth speeds of up to 50 Mbit/sec to fixed and mobile devices moving at speeds of up to 120 km/h, with the aid of WiBro technology. This service will require special hardware, but since the Asian market gets all the cool goodies and gadget before we do (or if we even get them), I bet it won't be long before everyone there will be wired and hot-synch.

You can find the original article on the Tech.co.uk site

Butterfly concept cell phone

2007-04-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

Gizmodo has an article on a new concept cell phone designed by a 15 year old Korean student.
Take a look at these images and judge for yourself:

The phone looks similar to the Samsung K5 MP3 player. It's a slider, but unlike most phones it slides horizontally instead of vertically.

It's interesting to see where the design ideas are going. I am still waiting on the Star Trek Intercom badges. :)

I'll "Fixya" .....

2007-04-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

I was recently refered to a site I had never heard of, called Fixya.com.

The site offers solutions for problems with any kind of electronic product imaginable. From your fridge to your new HDTV and camcorder, there seems to be problems and the solutions for them.

Just like SupportFreaks.com, the site I am "affiliated" with, Fixya.com is manned by a horde of geeks, retired specialists and fellow users that provide their solutions to your problems, for free!

Ever wonder why your microwave oven makes that funny noise, or your ice cube dispenser won't crush your ice? Go to Fixya and find the solution.

WEP insecurities

2007-04-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

Once again, it has been show that WEP keys are completely insecure.

"Using our version, it is possible to recover a 104 bit WEP key with probability 50% using just 40,000 captured packets. For 60,000 available data packets, the success probability is about 80% and for 85,000 data packets about 95%. Using active techniques like deauth and ARP re-injection, 40,000 packets can be captured in less than one minute under good condition. The actual computation takes about 3 seconds and 3 MB main memory on a Pentium-M 1.7 GHz and can additionally be optimized for devices with slower CPUs."

Text copied from the original article posted on the University of Darmstadt web site

This is some pretty scary stuff. Lets hope your Wireless ISP uses WPA1 or WPA2.

Panasonics new HD Camcorders

2007-04-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Panasonic will release it's new HD Camcorders in Japan at the end of April.
The HDC-SD3 and HDC-DX3 models will be in the moderate price range (around $1000 US).
They will feature 1080i resolution, H.264 capability and your choice of recording media.
Both models are scheduled to be release in the US in the summer.

WTO to rule against the US again ... what's the point??

2007-04-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

My frustration level rose once again when I read this story on online gambling.
US law enforcement officials determined that any work done for an online gambling company is a criminal act, even it takes place in a country that allows online gambling.
There has been an ongoing conflict between the U.S. and the island nation of Antigua surrounding Internet gambling. The WTO (World Trade Organization) has sided with Antigua on two occasions, and has accused the U.S. for its failure to abide by a decision against it.

This seems to be common policy for the U.S. government. The Softwood Lumber Dispute between Canada and the U.S. comes to mind. An independent NAFTA panel has ruled several times against the U.S., and they still have not returned duties collected, which amounts to billions of dollars.

... Just gets my blood boiling!

from the "wow" department ... wireless power

2007-03-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

A company called Powercast, has developed a technology that allows the user to transfer power without the aid of wires. The possible applications for this kind of technology are endless. Everything from cell phones to surgically implanted pacemakers. The entire idea is based on an "old" technology we are all familiar with - RF (radio frequency).

Imaging all the RF we will be bombarded with if this idea takes of. I'll start making a hat out of tin foil now. :)

just in time for easter

2007-03-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

yet another attempt to boost sales with a holiday oriented product.

Advanced MP3 players is selling an mp3 player enclosed in a chocolate easter egg.

The egg contains the Inovix IMP-11 player with 128MB storage, 8-hour battery life, UMS-compliance, built-in microphone and USB plug.

It's available for $40.

Grand Paradiso available for testing

2007-03-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

Firefox 3 (Codename: grand paradiso) is available for download for testing purposes.
The browser will include several new features, including offline web application functionality.
Go to the Mozilla web site to find out more about the current status of Firefox 3.

Open Office 2.2 released

2007-03-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

The open source software packages was released in it's new version just a few days ago.
The Open Office community claims that with recent updates to its software, it is a real alternative to Microsoft's recently released Office 2007.

setback for CERN institute

2007-03-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

Magnets that steer the particle beam in the Large Hadron Collider, located at the CERN Institute, have failed catastrophically.
Fortunatelly no one was hurt, and no rifts in the space time continuum were opened. :)
This is however a huge setback for the institute.
CERN has released this article.

Floating MP3 player

2007-03-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

no more reaching for the stereo remote in the bath, or worse .. dropping it in the bubbles.
Introducing the JVC XA-AW33 floating MP3 player by JVC Japan. This digital audio player will float in your tub and incorporates a speaker that vibrates, which will cause ripples in the water.
Since i like to rip my music files at a high bit rate, the 256 MB internal memory does not impress me much though. It connects via USB and is powerd by 4xAA.
This is another flaw. The power pack should be rechargeable via USB.
This "floater" will be available in Japan only for almost 20,000 Yen (US $170).

The Symbol of Consumerist Excess

2007-03-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Home decor or a symbol of consumerist excess? ... you decide.
The Bar code Doormat would probably be the perfect gift for the person that has everything (Donald Trump perhaps).
It's $24, made from recycled truck tires.
Too bad you can't choose your own bar code. That would have made it a unique item.

UK Government having problems with their own security ..

2007-03-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

The Government of the United Kingdom is known, for what seems to be an infringement of the civil rights, in order to protect its citizens. CCTV cameras on street corners and secure passports.
The latter doesn't seem to work out for them.
According to official government reports, of the 16,500 fraudulent passport applications received last year, 10,000 were actually approved.
Dhiren Barot, the most senior Al-Qaida terrorist ever capured in Britain, managed to get his hands on 2 of these passports, while serving a life sentence in prison!

bootleg DVD sniffin' dogs?

2007-03-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Malaysia, as we all know, is a haven for bootleg DVDs. So Malaysia took two dogs out on loan from the MPAA, that are specially trained to sniff out poly carbonates, used in the discs manufacturing process.
Supposedly these dogs sniff out 1 million bootleg discs a month!

The bootleggers supposedly put out a contract on the dogs lives, who disappeared into hiding, and are now treating their fake products with chemical sprays to fool the animals.

What a story! 2 animals that could be used to help people or prevent terrorist attacks are being used to prevent you from getting an early copy of the latest Hollywood blockbuster. (please note my sarcasm)
What a waste! Especially in a country that has enough problems with terrorist activity!

Wi-Fi proof paint

2007-03-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Em-Sec Technologies has issued a press release saying they have successfully tested it's "Coating Solution", which when applied, prevents RF signals from penetrating.

The water-based system acts like an EM barrier, which would protect your Wi-Fi network at home or in the office from intrusion.

Em-Sec already sells products that use RF-proof fabrics, like cell phone holsters and laptop bags.

Food and Fresh Water, we take it for granted ...

2007-03-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

There are several companies that deal with 3rd world problems such as malnutrition and contaminated drinking water. Two such companies are Nutriset and WaterSheer.

Nutriset deals with the malnutrition part of the problem. The French company has developed several different food supplement products to feed the severely malnourished, including a "Nutella" like paste who's ingredients include all the nutrients and proteins needed.
Unfortunately the last time I checked, their web site wasn't up. I hope it's only temporary.

WaterSheer is a company that deals with contaminated drinking water. They have several products on the market, not necessarily developed for the 3rd world market, including the "Sulis", a lightweight filter attachment that fits on most water bottles.

from the "useless" department ....

2007-03-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Yod'm 3D (Yet anOther Desktop Manager 3D) is just what it says ... yet another desktop manager with a cube effect. turn the cube every-which direction to switch to a different application.

I think we are already using something like this. It's called tabs and it uses less system resources!!!

Bittorrent Download & Share Center

2007-03-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

This $85 stand-alone device lets you do 24/7 non-stop sharing while freeing up your computer for other purposes. Put it on the network and hook up a USB drive and you're ready to go.

You can find all the details at the Procare website.

back to blogger again ....

2007-03-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

Sofar, I have been using myspace.com as my blog portal (booh!), and honestly I am getting sick of it. Since I started out on blogger, I decided to go back to the roots and start writing here again.
Wonder if I can import my blog from myspace.com?