Switched On: Making book with ePUB

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

The ePUB standard, developed by Adobe, allows consumers to purchase books at a variety of digital stores and use them on a wide range of compatible devices without the manufacturer having to explicitly support them. That may sound a bit like the PlaysForSure initiative that Microsoft tried mounting to challenge the iPod but ultimately shifted away from (at least for MP3 players) in favor of the Zune, but ePUB has a better shot than PlaysForSure did.

First, unlike PlaysForSure, which was playing catch-up to the already dominant iPod, ePUB is appearing relatively early in the market; it need not break anyone’s “stranglehold.” Second, after attracting the support of Sony, the format achieved a significant coup with the support of Barnes & Noble, which noted last week that it was “excited” to be supporting the format in its forthcoming Nook e-reader.

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Switched On: Making book with ePUB originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile officially unveils $99 Even More, $79 Even More Plus plans and equipment installment option

Right on schedule with the whispers, T-Mobile lifted the veil off of its new price plan tier structure, Even More and Even More Plus, and from the looks of it all those leaks were pretty much spot-on. The traditional Even More plan is a two-year commitment and discounted phone, with unlimited individual prices starting at $59 per month and going up to $99 if you want unlimited messaging and text, too. Even More Plus scrapes the device discount but offers unlimited individual prices at $49 for voice / $79 for everything. It looks like the only major differentiator is the subsidized handset, but here’s where the numbers don’t add up: even with the steep $350 discount on myTouch 3G, factoring in that $20 premium would pay for the phone during the 18th month, leaving six months and $120 of extra payments left that have no obvious justification to us. Additionally the FlexPay / equipment installment plan is now available, letting you break up the cost of your phone into interest-free monthly bills. It seems Even More’s subsidized phones are offered over four installments (e.g. $37 per month for the $150 MyTouch 3G) while Even More Plus’ is two installments (e.g. $25 per month for the same device at the $500 full price). Our initial takeaway from the price tiers is that T-Mobile is doing what it can to drive its consumers away from the traditional and over to the non-traditional (for US, at least) Even More Plus plan, but hey, we’re not gonna argue over a beneficial contract-free plan, even if monthly phone payments keep us paying the company for at least 20 months. So T-Mo, any other Project Dark surprises in the cards? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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T-Mobile officially unveils $99 Even More, $79 Even More Plus plans and equipment installment option originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear ships out to virtual big-screen lovers

Vuzix’s $249.95 Wrap 310 is probably the least hideous / heinous of the video eyewear options on the market today, and while it’s still take a few bottles of Jack to get us to rock these with a smile, those who are just high on life can now make a set their own. In case you’re forgotten, these things provide a virtual 55-inch screen in front of your eyes, and there’s support for iPod / iPhone connections as well as basic sources such as DVD players and the like. And hey, there’s also the possibility that these could be used in augmented reality applications in the future, so feel free to considering this some sort of futuristic investment. Just like those Y2K preparedness tapes you bought in ’99.

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Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear ships out to virtual big-screen lovers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visually See The PageRank Of All Links On Your Site

This article was written on November 21, 2006 by CyberNet.

The Google PageRank is a ranking of websites on a scale from 1 to 10 with only a few prestige sites able to earn the perfect 10. Google only updates a site’s PageRank a few times a year and when they do people get excited to see if their sites are going to get ranked any higher. I check it every now and then but since I don’t have the Google Toolbar installed I will normally use this online checker.

PageRank Checker

Every page on your site isn’t going to be ranked the same though. If you don’t want to check all of the pages individually you can use this Visual PageRank Checker that will give you a hand in doing the work. It still won’t check every single page on your site but it does check every single link on the URL that you supply to it and displays it just as if it was on your site. Sites that link to a different URL other than your own are still checked but they are marked with an “EX” on the end of the image to represent an external site.

While you are at that site feel free to browse the other assorted developer tools that they have to offer. I did notice that if you don’t create an account they limit you to 5 queries per hour. With how much CPU usage that Visual PageRank Checker must take up along with the other tools this is certainly a fair limitation…especially since the accounts don’t cost anything to create.

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America’s (newest) largest solar plant set to go live in Florida

If all goes well, this 25-megawatt solar plant in Florida won’t be America’s largest for long, but it’s not like we’d pass up the opportunity to let this $150 million facility bask in its own glory (and the sun, if we’re being thorough) while it can. The Desoto facility is just one of three solar projects that Florida Power & Light is spearheading, and judging by the proximity of this one (in Arcadia) to the 75-megawatt facility planned for nearby Charlotte County, we’d surmise that the two are linked in some form or fashion. President Obama is expected to show up rocking a set of Kanye glasses underneath a welder’s mask when the plant is fired up this Tuesday, and while it’ll only provide power to “a fraction” of FP&L’s customer base, it’ll still generate around twice as much energy as the second-largest photovoltaic facility in the US of A.

[Thanks, Yossi]

America’s (newest) largest solar plant set to go live in Florida originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ukraine war memorial given eternal LED torch, cell antenna

An eternal flame that once blazed via good old fashioned science has now been given a new lease on life thanks to modern technology. This Cherkassy, Ukraine war monument, erected in honor of fallen World War 2 soldiers, had been sitting extinguished given the price of natural gas after the fall of the Soviet Union. Now, though, the bowl has been gifted with a LED marquee simulating a flame, which covers up its alternate use as a cell tower. Sure, beauty’s in the eye of the beholder and we’re fairly certain this hasn’t been accepted with universal approval, but if you ask us, and admittedly we’re biased, the more LEDs the better.

[Via Hack a Day]

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Ukraine war memorial given eternal LED torch, cell antenna originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s all-business ThinkPad SL510 gets reviewed

Lenovo’s ThinkPad SL510 is just one of many new lappies hitting the market with Windows 7 in tow, but unlike most of the consumer-oriented machines, this pup is aimed squarely at that fellow over there looking mighty uncomfortable in the suit. Their test version, which included a 2.53GHz CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD and a $1,024 price tag, was found to be a real champion in terms of performance. The machine itself starts at just $520, and while the upgrades here definitely had an impact, they were also pleased with the multitouch trackpad, overall typing experience and bundled business tools. The only knocks? The “bulky, staid design” and low screen resolution, but something tells us a few of you won’t see the former as a negative. Hit the read link for the full skinny.

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Lenovo’s all-business ThinkPad SL510 gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beastly HDX 18 no longer available from HP, dv8 to blame?

We fully understand that the market for 18.4-inch gaming laptops is a niche one, so we suppose this all makes sense from a business perspective, but still — we can’t help but shed a tear. HP’s beastly, benchmark-smashing HDX 18 (and HDX 18t) has been forcibly removed from the outfit’s website, with even cached links leading to a customization page turning up “Sorry!” portals. The marginally smaller HDX 16 remains alive and well, but it seems as if the 18-inch dv8 is your only option now when selecting a larger-than-life lappie from the folks at HP. Gotta keep keepin’ on, we guess.

[Thanks, pyro92005]

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Beastly HDX 18 no longer available from HP, dv8 to blame? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Releases Minor Update For Windows Defender

This article was written on April 14, 2006 by CyberNet.

Microsoft Releases Minor Update For Windows Defender

Microsoft has released a minor update to its Windows Defender antispyware system. The update includes some changes to the user interface, 64-bit support, and improved real-time protection. They have updated Windows Defender to ensure that it will monitor the Operating System’s key files and make sure they do not get infected.

Microsoft has been doing a very good job with their antispyware software and have acquired many users from the testing phase of Windows Defender (originally named Windows AntiSpyware). They are aiming to protect millions of Windows users by incorporating Windows Defender with the final release of Windows Vista. It looks like they could be giving Ad-Aware a run for their money.

Windows Defender Download

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Southwest builds first ‘green plane,’ Ma Earth shows her gratitude

Southwest Airlines may not own a plane with a headrest infotainment system, but it’s still far and away the most enjoyable commercial flight you’ll find in the US of A (save for Virgin America, naturally). Granted, we’d like to see in-flight WiFi offered on a few more of its flights (read: 100 percent of them), but hey, we’ll take free checked bags and friendly employees any day of the week. We’ll also take fuel savings and environment stewardship, both of which Southwest is aiming to give us by creating the planet’s first “green plane.” By utilizing recyclable InterfaceFLOR carpet, weight-saving seat covers and life vest pouches, a lighter foam fill in the seats and aluminum (as opposed to plastic) seat rub strips, the newfangled Boeing 737-700 ends up some 472 pounds lighter than a conventional one. The savings? 9,500 gallons of jet fuel per year. We’re not sure when the bird is expected to take her first voyage, but here’s hoping a few others are hatched in the near future.

[Via DailyFinance]

Read – Southwest press release
Read – China View’s fuel calculations

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Southwest builds first ‘green plane,’ Ma Earth shows her gratitude originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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