Mobile phone at the 1988 winter Olympics

The photo shows skier Frank Piccard using a mobile phone during the 1988 winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Early cellular phones like this were called “brick phones.” They were the size of a brick and nearly as heavy.

Mobile phone, circa 1922

Photo shows Chicago Police experimenting with a radio telephone using a frequency just above the AM radio band.

Federal court jurors told stop tweeting

A federal court policy-making body has finally caught up with technology by proposing that judges clearly inform jurors they must not electronically discuss cases they are hearing.

It's standard procedure to inform jurors to remain mum and not conduct any research about the case until a verdict.

Recent gadget use by jurors has forced the hand of the Judicial Conference of the United States, the policy-making body of the federal courts.

The Judicial Conference released the following instructions to the federal judiciary in late January:

You may not communicate with anyone about the case on your cellphone, through e-mail, Blackberry, iPhone, text messaging, or on Twitter, through any blog or website, through any internet chat room, or by way of any other social networking websites, including Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and YouTube.

More here.

Kids respond to the iPad

What comes after iPod iPhone and iPad?

Digital guitar has touch pad instead of strings

The Misa digital guitar has no strings to strum or pluck.

Instead of strings it has a touch-pad that enables the player to instantly adjust the sound of the guitar by where he or she places fingers.

(click on picture to see video)
PC World says:

The Misa guitar is actually an advanced type of MIDI controller that is powered by a 500MHz AMD Geode CPU and runs Linux under the hood (but don't worry; you don’t need Linux to use the guitar).

The Linux firmware code is open source, which allows programmers to modify it to their liking.

More here.

Low-tech radios helpful in Haiti after quake

When cell phone coverage and Internet failed, some Haitians turned to amateur radio to communicate.

In the brutal aftermath of Haiti's earthquake, Jean-Robert Gaillard turned to his low-tech radio for solace and for a lifeline.

When the earthquake hit, the 57-year-old from Petionville, Haiti, found most of his normal lines of communication -- his cell phone, the Internet, even his ability to walk down the street and talk to someone -- severed by the disaster.

But Gaillard used a neighbor's generator to power up his radio and connect to a handful of amateur radio enthusiasts in the United States -- many of whom were eagerly listening to radio static for calls like his.

Unlike many other people in Haiti, Gaillard was able to contact family members in the United States soon after the January 12 earthquake hit to tell them he had survived.

In those first hellish moments, that connection seemed like a miracle.

Link

Need help finding a gift for the geek in your family?

Do you have a geek in your family and don’t have the faintest idea what to get him/her for Christmas? A report by Mike Elgan at the link below may just what you’re looking for.

Elgan says real gadget fans are impossible to buy gifts for. They have everything, know everything and are very picky about which devices they choose to use.

New:
If a gadget was available last holiday season, it's not going to be a great gift this holiday season. Geeks don't want old-and-busted. They want new-and-hot.

Advanced:
As a general rule, great gadget gifts have more compute power than NASA used to land men on the moon. And the closer you get to Space Shuttle technology, the better.

Unnecessary:
Practical, useful gifts are no darned fun. The best gadget gifts are items nobody needs, and are maybe even utterly pointless.

Challenging:
Gadget geeks don't want to just wind something up and passively watch it do something. They want to tinker, modify, experiment. It's great if the gift works right out of the box. But make sure it can be used for arbitrary, unanticipated purposes.

Empowering:
Every gadget geek secretly wants to be Batman. We're just regular people, but through personal technology want to be given super powers. X-ray vision. Super strength. Invincibility. All make desirable gifts.

Uncommon:
Novelty is huge for gadget geeks. If any friend, family or co-worker already has one, game over. It's got to be so unique that your tech-savvy gift receiver has never even seen one before.

Link

Head warming tunes with iHat headphone beanie

Now you can get an iHat for your iPod or other MP3 player.

The Headphone Beanie lets you enjoy your tunes in any weather, whether you're speeding down the slopes or waiting at a bus stop.

Link here and here.

Many in U.S. want laws against texting while driving

A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found that nearly all Americans say sending a text message while driving should be illegal, and about half say texting while behind the wheel should be punished at least as harshly as drunken driving.

Ninety-seven percent support the prohibition of texting while driving, an unusual level of agreement for any topic. Eighty percent also support a ban on talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving.

Why zero in on texting while driving when there are dozens of other ways for a driver to be distracted besides cellphone use?

Some people can text without looking at the keypad. Their response to an anti-texting law would be: you’re not my BFF so MYOB.

It is not uncommon to see a driver with a newspaper or magazine propped up against the steering wheel.


What about applying lipstick or other makeup while driving or anything else that requires a lot of time using the rearview mirror?

And what about the girl on busy I-5 in Los Angeles scooting past you with her foot propped up on the steering wheel while painting her toenails as she puffs away on a cigarette? That’s when you realize you’re not back in South Dakota on Route 281 between Redfield and Aberdeen.

Do we need separate laws covering all possible driving distractions? Can’t they all be prosecuted under our present careless driving laws?

Link

3-D movies may come to home TV’s next year

A CNN article at the link below reports:

Three-dimensional images are expected jump out of movie theaters and into living rooms by next year.

Sony and Panasonic say they will release home 3-D television systems in 2010; Mitsubishi and JVC are reported to be working on similar products.

The report compares 3-D transition to the switch from black-and-white to color television and the shift from standard- to high-definition images.

ESPN is test-recording some sporting events in 3-D, using cameras with two sets of lenses, which would make football players appear to jump out of home television screens during live 3-D broadcasts.

And, although television makers haven't released specifics, the price of 3-D TV -- which requires a new television, broadcasting content and 3-D glasses -- is not expected to be substantially higher than some high-definition televisions on the market now.

We wonder if there will be a 3-D TV format war much like the recent Blue-Ray vs. HD DVD war or the 1980’s Beta Max vs. VHS war.

More of the 3-D television story here.

iPhone app unlocks and starts car without key

Who needs a key?

A California company Tuesday will announce an iPhone application and car receiver that will enable users to lock, unlock and remotely start their car with the phone rather than the car's key fob.

The Viper SmartStart is the latest example of automotive electronics functions migrating into Apple iPhone and other smartphones, including turn-by-turn directions or locating the closest gas station.

Such ideas are a challenge for automakers and aftermarket suppliers for whom advanced auto electronics have been highly profitable.

More here.

Using an iPod for first time

An Afghan man and a boy listen to music on earphones from an iPod given to them by German ISAF soldiers during a long term patrol in Yaftal e Sofla, in the mountainous region of Feyzabad, east of Kunduz, Afghanistan. New York Post photo.

Face scanner test

This lady is testing the three-dimensional (3D) face scanner used to register individual details of passengers at the SAC Siemens airport centre in Fuerth near Nuremberg, Germany.

The scanner represents the latest technology available from Siemens for all airports and official areas where interior security is required.

Woman watches burglars in her house on webcam

Imagine watching burglars ransacking your home on a security webcam.

Jeanne Thomas was sitting at her desk at work when she decided to check the security camera that she installed in her home. The Thomas home had been burglarized before, so she installed a monitoring device where she can watch a live video feed of the camera in her home.

When Thomas decided to pull up the feed of her house Wednesday morning, she couldn't believe what she saw. There was someone inside her home, someone she didn't know.

Thomas picked up the phone and called 911. Police later arrested Curtis Williams, 20, and Steven Morales, 19.

Link to the story here. A video of burglars in her house can be found here.

Circuit City to close 155 stores

Circuit City has announced plans to close 155 of its more than 700 U.S. stores in 28 states.

As the lights go out at about 20 percent of Circuit City's stores, the company is hoping that by closing hundreds of stores and cutting thousands of jobs it can survive consumers who are reluctant to spend and vendors less eager to give it credit.

Could bankruptcy be just around the corner for the nation's No. 2 consumer electronics retailer heading into a holiday shopping season that could determine its future.

Link

Read a book on a handheld with Sony Reader

The Sony Reader has a 6 inch (measured diagonally) screen. It accepts a memory stick duo up to 8GB or a SD card up to 2GB. It has a USB connection and uses a lithium ion battery.



The case measures 6.9 inches x 4.8 inches x 0.3".6 inches.

It displays PDF and Word files, and plays MP3 files.

This reader can hold thousands of titles. The excellent high-contrast screen rivals that of printed page and is easy to read in bright environments.

An on-line review of the Reader says:

1. Downloadable titles are expensive and only available through Sony's online store

2. AC adapter is an optional accessory (you charge the PRS-505 by connecting the included USB cable to your computer)

3. Desktop software isn't available for Mac owners.

4. PDF files are hard to read because they're reduced to fit the screen and you can't magnify (zoom) them.

5. Though diminished, some lag issues remain when flipping pages; no support for Audible audio books.

The Reader is priced at about $300.

A review by Engadget is here.

Report: technology can be ‘berry’ addictive

A study of 6,500 traveling executives, done by Sheraton hotels, found that 35 percent of them would choose their PDA over their spouse.

Of all the possible things that can come between spouses, you can now add BlackBerrys -- or more precisely -- BlackBerry addiction to the list.

The study reveals BlackBerry's are becoming -- among other things -- the 800-pound gorilla in the bedroom.

"It can actually ruin relationships," said Dr. Susan Bartell, a psychologist and relationship expert. Bartell said couples should be interfacing more, but with each other.

"People are so focused on their PDAs, they're not focusing on what might be going wrong in their relationships," Bartell said.

Link

Apple tops Google as Silicon Valley king

A report at the link below says the success of Apple’s iPhone fuels huge surge in share price while a fall in online advertising hits Google's profits.

The sleek, touchscreen iPhone (pictrued) has proved so lucrative for Apple that the electronic gadgets manufacturer has unseated Google to become the most valuable company in America's cradle of technological innovation, Silicon Valley.

Queues outside Apple's stores are commonplace since the phone's launch a year ago as shoppers line up to get their hands on the prized device.

Apple's predominance amounts to a shift in the balance of power in the hi-tech world. The company has repeatedly been able to eclipse rivals with its distinctive, easy-to-use designs. The iMac and the iPod continue to be firm favorites among computer buyers and music fans.

Link

Don’t be caught dead without your iPhone

Ever wanted to be buried in an iPhone coffin?

A company called Creative Coffins can fulfill your desire. Really.

Link