Digital Technology for Digital Living.
August 29, 2008
Solar Powered Bonsai Tree Can Charge Your iPod and Mobile Phone
Recharge your cellphone, iPod, iPhone and camera with this USB solar powered bonsai tree by French designer Vivien Muller.
Thanks to 54 tiny photovoltaic panels, the iBonsai (we just made that name up) will store energy in a hidden battery during the day, allowing you to recharge your gadgets even at night.
Hate wire clutter? Who doesn’t. The bonsai charging tree cleverly hides all wires and plugs under the tray.
Need to slim down the tree’s berth so you can fit it on your desk? No problem. You can rotate each part individually and produce an endless number of different shapes. It’s like metal adult LEGOS.
The iBonsai Tree is decorative, good for the environment and sexy. It’s also just still a concept, so sorry. You can’t buy this yet. Hopefully Vivien will sell his concept and get the tree mass produced soon.
[Via methodshop]
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
August 25, 2008
Kevin Rose says New iPods Coming Soon
Is Digg.com founder and Diggnation star Kevin Rose abusing his Apple contacts? This past weekend Kevin blogged about some new stuff being released by Apple next month including new iPods and an iTunes update.
According to Kevin, Apple will announce the following within the next few weeks:
- the iPod nano will take on a slimmer, more rounded look
- the iPod Touch will get an update with a new 2.1 operating system
- Prices of the iPod line will drop to differentiate the product from the iPhone
- iTunes 8.0 will be a major new release with several additional features
- Further out Apple is planning to add Blu-ray support to Mac OS X
Why would Rose risk exposing his Apple contacts by announcing this information? And why now? Rose mentions his Twitter account multiple times in his blog post and urges people to “follow” him on Twitter to get more information. Perhaps Rose is bitter that Barack Obama took the top slot away from him on Twitter earlier this month.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
August 19, 2008
Obama Out Twits McCain
While John McCain is still learning how to use email (we’re not kidding), his U.S. Presidential competition has completely mastered the micro-blogging service Twitter.
This month, American presidential candidate Barack Obama dethroned Kevin Rose from Digg.com and became the most popular person on Twitter. According to Twitterholic, a website that measures the “followers” of Twitter accounts, Barack Obama has over 58,000 followers.
Obama’s closest Twitter competitor is Kevin Rose with 56k followers. Robert Scoble, CNN Breaking News and Leo Laporte help round out the top 10.
Someone not in the Twitterholic top 10… John McCain. In fact McCain isn’t even in the top 100. The only serious McCain Twitter account we found has a little over 1,000 followers. A truly pitiful showing for someone who is running for president.
Here’s a 101 primer on Twitter and tips on how to explain it. If someone who personally knows John McCain is reading this, please print the article out for him (because you can’t email it to him yet).
Tutorial: How to Explain Twitter to Your Grandma
And if you are feeling wild, you can follow @methodshop on Twitter here.
methodshop | Comments (1) | General, Social Networking
July 16, 2008
ROCKETON MMOG Interview
Steve Hoffman and Eric Hayashi are certainly well-rounded interactive entertainment executives. Their bios are full of so many impressive entertainment and gaming companies that it will make your head spin. Combined, Steve and Eric have worked at Vivendi Universal Games, Virgin Interactive, Infospace, Hasbro Interactive, Sega and Atari.
So what did Steve and Eric do with all that experience? What was the culmination of this vast interactive knowledge? In 2007, Steve and Eric joined forces with Naomi Kokubo and co-founded ROCKETON, a new type of multiplayer social experience that spans the entire web.
Instead of having to go to a separate site or use a specific application like Second Life, ROCKETON turns the entire Internet into a virtual world for browser based avatars. Think of ROCKETON like Second Life + PMOG with a twist of Facebook and a dash of StumbleUpon. It’s a Web 2.0 evolutional twist on virtual reality.
MethodShop was lucky enough to get some time with Steve and Eric and grilled them pretty hard about ROCKETON. A link to the full interview is below. Enjoy.
Interview: ROCKETON’s Steve Hoffman and Eric Hayashi
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
July 14, 2008
iPhone 3G Launch Problems
The long awaited iPhone 3G was released on Friday, July 11th. But what should have been a happy and joyous day for iPhone fans, ended up being an exercise in frustration for many.
AT&T’s insistence on trying to activate the phones in store taxed Apple’s authentication server (more info) and caused lines to move at a snail’s pace or sent buyers home with a phone only good for making emergency calls. During last year’s iPhone 1.0 launch Apple had everyone activate their own phone at home through iTunes.
Worse yet, AT&T outlets were allowed to sell far fewer phones that Apple Stores, forcing them to turn away customers who waited hours to get their hands on one.
The iPhone 3G line outside the Manhattan Apple Store on 14th Street at 12:52PM. Estimated wait time was ~4 hours. (Photo credit: MethodShop.com)
Earlier this week, Apple also had problems with the relaunch of their data service now called MobileMe (it was previously called iTools and .Mac). The MobileMe service is designed to synchronize a user’s personal data across devices, including the iPhone, but many users were denied access to their accounts this week, including Frank Accarrino.
“I’ve been trying to upload pictures from iPhoto to my .Mac website for the past few days but it’s offline. I can’t even get to my Mac mail. I bet Steve Jobs is pissed right now,” Frank told MethodShop.com.
Apple is usually known for flawless product launch events. Let’s hope Apple solves these network issues for next time. It’s estimated that 1 million iPhone 3G models were sold in the U.S. this weekend.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
July 01, 2008
Digg.com Launches New “Recommendation Engine” Feature
Digg is rolling out a new recommendation engine this week. The new feature’s goal is to help users discover content from like-minded individuals amid the clutter of the 16k+ stories submitted to Digg.com each day.
You know how when you are browsing Amazon.com and the site suggests related products based on what you are viewing and what you’ve already purchased? This new Digg feature works kind of the same way. It analyzes your previous “diggs,” or stories you’ve voted for, then lets you know what other users with similar tastes have recommended.
If you want to know more, Digg execs Kevin Rose and Anton Kast go into detail about how it works on the Digg blog.
Rose will also probably explain the new feature during his next Diggnation podcast.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
June 17, 2008
Loopt Coming Soon to the iPhone 3G
Wish you knew where your friends and family were at all times? Have you heard of Loopt yet?
Loopt is a mobile phone application that enables users to spy on see the location of their friends on an interactive map (see image below). The application also allows you to message friends in your general area and setup automatic alerts to notify you when friends are nearby.
In the last few months, Loopt has published several BlackBerry versions of its software for all major American cellphone carriers including T-Mobile, AT&T, Alltel and Sprint. Loopt also demonstrated an Alpha version of their software for the 3G iPhone at the 2008 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). You can sign up to be notified when the full iPhone version of Loopt is released here.
If you have a Jailbroken iPhone, then the function and features of Loopt might sound similar to Twinkle. Twinkle is a native Twitter client for the iPhone that pairs your GPS location with your Twitter posts. Twinkle also gives you the ability to add images to your Twitter Tweets.
But whether or not you use Loopt, Twinkle or Twitter.. it’s not any fun unless all your friends are also using the service.
methodshop | Comments (2) | General
June 14, 2008
Developers and Consumers Get Ready for Apple’s iPhone App Store
A massive new online business is scheduled to launch on July 11: Apple’s App Store - an online hub for third party iPhone and iPod Touch applications.
Beginning later this month, developers will begin to upload apps to the store accessible by iPhone users or to a new section of the iTunes Store, sharing revenue from app sales with Apple in a 70/30 split. These apps will be in addition to the 1,700-odd apps already developed for the iPhone’s Safari web browser.
One of the games people are looking forward to playing is Super Monkey Ball. Sega’s Ethan Einhorn showed off Super Monkey Ball on stage at the WWDC. According to Einhorn, after 8 weeks of development, the developers have created 110 stages.
The new 3G, GPS-enabled iPhone should open up a world of possibilities for clever developers in the realms of gaming, entertainment and enterprise applications.
In related news, the AOL Radio app for the iPhone won for Best Entertainment Application at the 2008 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), providing users free access to over 350 online radio stations (including 150 local CBS radio stations) and more than 200 AOL Radio channels.
Other WWDC iPhone App winners:
Best iPhone Game:
Enigmo by Pangea SoftwareBest iPhone Social Networking App:
Twitterrific by the Icon FactoryBest iPhone Productivity App:
OmniFocus by the Omni GroupBest iPhone Healthcare & Fitness App:
MIM from MIMVista
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
June 10, 2008
AMD Turion Ultra notebook platform
AMD Turion Ultra notebook platform
AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) launches its next-generation mobile processor - the AMD Turion Ultra notebook platform.
AMD state that the new processor is the first real opportunity to capitalize on their US$5.4 billion acquisition of graphics company ATI in July 2006.
A successful launch of the new AMD platform is seen by some as a turning point for AMD to take advantage of ATI’s graphics expertise and Intel’s failure to deliver its new laptop system.
By AMD’s own admission, it’s been a challenging time for the company as it attempts to go head to head with Intel and increase its market share which grew to 18% in 2007. Despite the current financial climate, the mobile computer market has become a key battlefield for chip makers. AMD sees mobile success as critical to its future growth; in 2007, AMD notebook sales grew by 53% compared to Intel’s growth of 33%. Overall laptop sales grew 37% worldwide from 2006 to 2007, particularly in emerging markets such as Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Africa, which has experienced 67% and 45% growth in sales respectively.
But it is the home entertainment market that could be key for AMD and also signal the death of the home desktop PC, as laptop power and graphics become increasingly sophisticated. Personal laptops now outsell home desktops, with 83% of people in Europe stating they use their notebooks for entertainment alone, such as HD gaming, HD DVD, streaming live TV and accessing the internet. AMD have tapped into this entertainment-driven market with specific features that enable the user to experience high quality graphics without draining the battery life of the notebook - enabling a mobility not previously seen before.
Click video below to watch Alberto Macchi, Managing Director, AMD Europe join spokespersons leading computer manufacturers including Acer and Packard Bell to discuss the exciting new platform…
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | Geek
June 04, 2008
iPhone 3G and WWDC Announcement Predictions
There’s no doubt that an iPhone update is imminent. But while nearly everyone has agreed on that, nobody knows anything definite about the specifics… except that the new iPhone will be compatible with the Microsoft Exchange email services. There’s a link on the main Apple.com iPhone page where you can apply to be a beta tester.
In regards to the iPhone, here’s what we know today:
- Apple.com lists the iPhone as “Currently Unavailable.” Stock is so low that you can’t buy it. Usually a good sign that a new model is coming out soon.
- Apple continues to make iPhone sales deals across the globe. Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Australia were all announced with the last few months.
- A 3G settings screen was found by hackers in the latest firmware update for the iPhone.
- The new iPhone will most likely be unveiled during Steve Jobs’ keynote speech at Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) on June 9th.
- AT&T is prohibiting retail-store employees from taking vacations between June 15 and July 12, claiming that they’re expecting a “heavy selling period”. They implemented a similar policy last year for the iPhone launch.
- AT&T executives have said numerous times that all of their smartphones (the iPhone is one of the) will support 3G networking soon.
- The Apple Stores have been out of stock of the iPhone for weeks. And people are forming daily lines outside Apple stores that still have a few iPhones in stock.
And according to MethodShop.com, here are some rumors about what Steve Jobs might announce at the WWDC on June 9th
methodshop | Comments (1) | General
June 01, 2008
Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes
iTunes is much more than a digital music jukebox. It’s capable of handling many different tasks involving digital media. Some of iTunes’ most popular features include buying music and vidoes online, burning CDs, and syncing files with your iPod or iPhone.
But one of the lesser known functions hidden within iTunes is the ability to convert audio files.
Why would you need to convert an audio file? Converting audio file types can be useful in many different situations. Here are a few examples:
- You have an AAC file in iTunes that’s not compatible with your Zune that can play MP3 and not AAC files.
- A WAV file needs to be emailed to a client for approval but it’s too big. You need to convert the file to an AAC so it’s small enough to easily send via email.
- You are making a music video and want to use a song you got online as the soundtrack. However, the editing program won’t import the song because it doesn’t support MP3 or AAC.
- You need to remove the DRM (Digital Rights Management) from an AAC song you purchased from the iTunes Store (see step #7).
Many programs that convert audio files into different formats are pretty complicated and usually cost money. But not iTunes. iTunes is simple, fast and best of all… free.
Tutorial: Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
May 23, 2008
New Weezer Video Features YouTube Celebs
The band Weezer posted their new music video called “Pork and Beans” on YouTube. The video features a huge collection of “internet stars” from Tay “Chocolate Rain” Zonday to Chris “Leave Britney Alone” Crocker. Weezer even plays in front of a huge deluge tribute to “Coke + Mentos“.
Weezer’s new self-titled “Red Album” comes out June 3rd, 2008.
methodshop | Comments (0) | Video
May 22, 2008
iPhone Line Forms Already at Apple’s 5th Ave Store
“This morning I had to go buy another copy of OS X Leopard (my original copy got scratched). As I walked closer to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue I was somewhat surprised to see a line of about 50 people waiting in line. The 3G iPhone announcement isn’t rumored to happen until June 9th right? Are these people going to wait in line for over 2 weeks or do they know something we don’t?
I asked the security guard by the Cube what was going on and he said it was for the iPhone. That’s all he knew and he very was annoyed at me for asking him about the iPhone line. I’m doubt I was the first person to ask.
Still confused I walked downstairs and bought my copy of Leopard. Before I left the Apple Store, I asked Jessica, my cashier, if the people outside were waiting for the new 3G iPhone. She cryptically said “They are waiting to buy an iPhone. We will sell them whatever phones we have in stock.” She was kind of pissed off too.
For some reason the majority of people waiting in line were Chinese. I was later informed by a friend that to get around iPhone quantity restrictions (one one per person), you can pay people (usually from Chinatown I guess) to buy you extra iPhones and even hold your place in line.
I wonder how many of these people will still be in line on June 9th.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
May 12, 2008
iPhone 3G Settings [pic]
Still doubt that the 3G iPhone is coming soon?
This settings screen with a 3G toggle switch (see image) was found in the latest beta release of the iPhone’s 2.0 firmware.
Why would you want to turn off 3G? Because 3G drains cell phone batteries very quickly. In this screenshot, Apple has included a toggle setting to turn 3G off, and use AT&T’s slower but more battery friendly EDGE network instead. Probably a very useful feature if you are almost out of juice.
When can we expect to see a 3G iPhone and how much will it cost?
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
April 30, 2008
Who really wants a Macbook Air
Who really wants a Macbook Air
I just had to share this ;-)
No words, just a simple demo of why one product is better than another.
Oh, and the answer to Who really wants a Macbook Air - is ME (despite the video)
Once an Apple Fan, always an Apple Fan!
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | General
April 21, 2008
Raw Meat iPod Cover
A Japanese company called Solid Alliance is selling an Apple iPod cover that’s designed to look like RAW MEAT. It comes in a cellophane-and-Styrofoam package just like meat does. We’ve reviewed plenty of iPod/iPhone cases before, but this one gets bonus points for originality. I wonder what my dog will think.
iPod… It’s what’s for dinner?
More info at rakuten.co.jp and therawfeed.com
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
April 04, 2008
Nexcopy USB Flash Drive Duplicator
The USB Duplicator by Nexcopy is an interesting product to say the least. Granted it wouldn’t apply to the average consumer, but it does have it’s place. In addition, I would say USB flash drives are the #1 most under-rated promotional item business’ have missed out on, so I can see why this product is coming to marketing. Get your company logo branded on there, load her up with data, sales material, promotional videos, tutorials…I could go on and on…
Even if a customer deletes the data off the flash drive, the company logo is still branded on the device. Always in the customers face, always reminded them where they got the drive.
Maybe it’s the process of data loading the information onto the drive on why flash drives haven’t become more popular with companies for handing out information. It’s a very viral gadget. The USB duplicator is an obvious choice for making such a life, much easier. The Nexcopy USB duplicator is a 20 target system and the company says a 5 minute mpeg video (about 30MBs) can be copied in about 40 seconds. This means the USB duplicator can churn out [estimated] 1,200 drives in about 1 hour. I’ll have to back that number down considering swapping the drives, the OS identifying the drive etc. But even so, the USB duplicator turns a miserable task into an easy process.
USB music albums are becoming a much bigger hit these days as well, and having a USB duplicator to make your album definitely speeds up the process from a hub and copy-n-paste. I know you can put the following information onto a CD or DVD, but for the groupies, something unique like a flash drive is just ideal. Putting your band video, back story interviews, lyrics etc. onto USB is a new way to give a bands fans something unique. The other advantage with making a USB album is increasing a bands margin on selling promotional items. Your 20% margin is a lot more in dollars with a $25 USB drive than a $10 T-shirt or $7 CD.
So again, the USB duplicator concept isn’t for the masses, but is a great idea for the select few. Speaking of which - are you [or someone you know] part of the select few? If so check out the USB duplicator from Nexcopy.
Source: GetUSB.info
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
April 02, 2008
Rickrolling Mania Sweeps Across the Internet
Have you been “Rickrolled” yet?
1980s pop star Rick Astley is now making headlines again after years in obscurity thanks to millions of Web surfers being Rickrolled by pranksters. Webmasters and bloggers are purposely redirecting unsuspecting Internet users to a video of Astley performing his hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”.
How does a Rickroll work? It’s basically a bait and switch. Let’s say I make a link that says Sexy Paris Hilton Video and you click on it. Instead of actually seeing Paris Hilton, you’d be directed to a Rick Astley music video. That’s a “Rick Roll”.
Tuesday YouTube decided to get in on the joke. Several links on the YouTube homepage purposely “Rick Rolled” users. Why? Tuesday just happened to be April Fools’ Day.
The act of Rickrolling has even evolved beyond cyberspace. Pawl Fisher, a student at Eastern Washington University (EWU), recently “Rick Rolled” a March basketball game at his school. Here’s the clip:
So what has this done to Astley’s record sales? They are way up. Even his iTunes sales are up. His record label is trying to get a re-release of Astley greatest hits album out not only to keep up with demand but to obviously cash in on the Rickrolling craze. Astley recently spoke to the LA Times and called the phenomena “bizarre” and only hopes that his daughter receives no embarrassment over it.
Personally I think it’s one of greatest phenomena ever to sweep the Internet. By the way, the error page for MethodShop is a “Rickroll”.
So the next time you randomly click on a link and see a short guy with red hair wearing a black shirt and a tan trench-coat singing… congratulations, you’ve been Rickrolled.
methodshop | Comments (1) | General, Video
March 17, 2008
China Now #1 Internet Market
The United States is no longer the nation with the largest number of internet users. China overtook the US last month in users for the first time, according to the state-run China Internet Network Information Center.
Researcher BDA China Ltd. estimates there are now over 220 million internet users in China, compared with 217.1 million in the U.S. Online ad revenue continues to lag in China, however, totaling $1.3 billion in 2007 compared to e-Marketer estimates of $21.4 billion in America.
Maybe it’s time for me to start promoting the Chinesse translation of my blog.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
Beer OS - Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Every year on March 17, we honor Saint Patrick (circa 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland. Whether or not you choose to celebrate the holiday by wearing green, eating Irish foods, imbibing Irish drink (usually Guinness), or attending parades, we wish you a safe a happy holiday.
Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day… even computer operating systems. So as you raise your glass to St. Patrick this year, try to pretend your beer was a computer operating system. It might go a little like this…
Macintosh Beer
Considered by many to be a “light” beer. All the cans look identical. When you take one from the fridge, it opens itself. The ingredients list is not on the can. If you call to ask about the ingredients, you are told that “you don’t need to know.” A notice on the side reminds you to drag your empties to the trashcan.
DOS Beer
Requires you to use your own can opener, and that you read the directions carefully before opening the can. The can is divided into eight compartments of 2oz each, which have to be accessed separately. A lot of people keep drinking it after it was discontinued.
Windows 3.1 Beer
Was the world’s most popular beer in the mid-1990s. Looked a lot like Mac Beer’s. Requires that you already own a DOS Beer. Claims that it allows you to drink several DOS Beers simultaneously, but in reality you can only drink a few of them, very slowly, especially slowly if you are drinking the Windows Beer at the same time. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, a can of Windows Beer will explode when you open it.
Windows NT Beer
Windows NT beer could only be purchased by the truckload. This caused most people to have to go out and buy bigger refrigerators. The can looked just like Windows 3.1 Beer. Touted as an “industrial strength” beer, and suggested only for use in bars.
Windows XP Beer
Tastes like Windows 2000 beer but comes with a pretty dress. It opens sometimes without asking and if you leave a case of it open for awhile, it might explode all over your basement. Oh best of all, sometimes Windows XP Beer likes to open your front door and let people in to hang advertisements all over your house and steal your credit card number.
Windows Vista Beer
Windows Vista Beer looks a lot like the newest Mac Beer but tastes more like Windows XP Beer. Most people will probably keep drinking Windows XP Beer until their friends try Windows Vista Beer and say they like it. Many people try Windows Vista Beer, then spit it out and spend hours trying to put Windows XP Beer back into the same can.
UNIX Beer
This very heavy beer comes in 32oz cans, and has been around for years, rumor has it that it was originally brewed as a hoax by a couple of bored workers, only for them to find that some people actually liked the stuff. It tends to be drunk only by freaks or eccentric academics, often with beards; and drinkers of it do not like drinkers of any other beer. In its basic form it doesn’t look particularly impressive, but with the addition of a magic ingredient named “X”, it can be converted into an all-singing all-dancing beer on a par with the others. Many other varieties exist, with a huge range of flavors and (often unpronounceable) ingredients. Mac Beer has many of the same ingredients as Unix Beer.
OS/2 Beer
Tasted like a mix between Unix and DOS Beer. Allowed you to drink several DOS Beers and a Windows 3.1 Beer simultaneously, but slowly. You never saw anyone drinking OS/2 Beer, but the manufacturer (International Beer Manufacturing) claimed that 9 million OS/2 Beer six-packs were sold. The best place these days to find a an OS/2 Beer is inside an old ATM machine.
Amiga Beer
The company went out of business, but their recipe was picked up by some weird German company, so now this beer is an import. This beer never really sold very well because the original manufacturer didn’t understand marketing. Like Unix Beer, Amiga Beer fans are an extremely loyal and loud group. When this can was originally introduced, it appeared flashy and colorful, but the design never changed much over the years, so it looked dated in its later years.
VMS Beer
Requires minimal user interaction, except for popping the top and sipping. However cans have been known on occasion to explode, or contain extremely un-beer-like contents. Best drunk in high pressure development environments. When you call the manufacturer for the list of ingredients, you’re told that is proprietary and referred to an unknown listing in the manuals published by the FDA. Rumors are that this was once listed in the Physicians’ Desk Reference as a tranquilizer, but no one can claim to have actually seen it.
methodshop | Comments (0) | Software, Geek
