Mar 24

5-in-1 Connection Kit Gives the iPad the Ports You Wish It Had

Posted in: ipad, ipad 2, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

iPad Connector Kit

One of the most common complaints about the iPad is that it just doesn’t have enough ports. There’s no SD card slot, there’s no way to connect your camera without buying Apple’s adapter, there’s no USB port for charging, there’s no data port for external devices, the list goes on. Now with the 5-in-1 Connection Kit for iPad, you can have it all. 
The kit includes one dongle that supports the original iPad and the iPad 2, supports iOS 4.0 and higher, and features a component video port, an SD card reader, a MicroSD card slot, a Micro USB slot for charging your iPad, and even a USB port for data input and supported devices like a keyboard. 
What’s the catch, you ask? Well, just because the port is there doesn’t mean that iOS will recognize every device connected to it (specifically for USB keyboards.) The component video port offers lower quality video than Apple’s own HDMI dongle, and there’s nothing to say that future firmware updates won’t completely break this dongle’s compatibility. Also, the product description notes that it’s unwise to plug in more than one item at the same time. 
Still, if the iPad’s lack of ports is just something you can’t get over, this 5-in-1 Connection Kit can be yours for $44.99 retail. It’s worth a shot if you don’t mind the price and don’t want to drop the cash on multiple dongles from the Apple Store.
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Mar 24

Netflix Offering 3 Percent Credit for Streaming Outage

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, netflix, Today's Chili, videos

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Netlix is offering a 3 percent credit for the its recent streaming outage. On Tuesday night, due to what Netflix called a “rare technical issue,” customers encountered problems streaming movies and TV with the Netflix service for a period of an hour and 40 minutes.

To make up for all that lost viewing time, Netflix has decided to provide a small credit to its customers (something it’s done before for other outages). The 3 percent credit is available to customers with a $7.99 a month, streaming-only subscription. That means Netflix is giving them $0.23 off their next bill if they redeem the offer in the next seven days.

While $0.23 seems tiny, it definitely adds up, seeing how Netflix announced that is surpassed 20 million subscribers back in January. Still, what will you do with that $0.23 credit? It won’t buy much.

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Mar 24

Sushi Restaurant Offers Geiger Counter to Test Food

Posted in: Japan, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili, Weird News
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The hottest new dining accessory in Taiwan’s sushi restaurants this season? The Geiger counter, apparently. Peony, a fancy Taipei restaurant, now has a handheld radiation detector on-hand, so diners can inspect food before digging in. The restaurant picked up the device after diners expressed concerns over leaking nuclear reactors in Japan following the recent 9.0 earthquake.

“When the disaster struck Japan, our owner was very concerned about the subsequent problems,” said restaurant owner Wang Fang-pin. “After we were briefed about the Geiger counter, we purchased it right away. This way our customers can put their minds at ease, and I think it is necessary to safeguard them.”

The owners assure everyone that the sushi is already safe, having been vetting by the property authorities, prior to serving–not to mention the fact that it doesn’t come from the affected area. The Geiger counter, it seems, is more about peace of mind. It’s also a gimmick that will likely stir up interest and play upon the fears of an understandably nervous public. 
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Mar 23

Microsoft Begins Windows Phone 7 “NoDo” Update

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, mobile, Today's Chili, windows phone 7

Winrumors - WP7 Update

Windows Phone 7 users, the moment you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. After fits and starts, Microsoft is finally beginning the wide-scale rollout of its first major update to the mobile platform, including the ability to copy/paste, startup and shutdown speed improvements, faster app access to phone memory so your apps launch faster, and more. 
The update, called “NoDo,” has already begin hitting some WP7 phones, according to a post at WinRumors. Un-branded Windows Phones will get the update first, and while Microsoft says they’ve released the update to wireless carriers to push to carrier-branded phones, it’s up to them to release or block the update from their users.  Unfortunately, that means that most North American WP7 owners will have to wait until their carrier pushes the update down to them. 
The update also includes some improvements to phone performance over Wi-Fi, updates to the on-board Outlook client, and an update to the Windows Phone Marketplace so users can more easily search for and find the apps they want to install. Considering some of the previous issues carriers have had with Windows Phone 7 updates, it would make sense if they’re a little hesitant to open the floodgates, but with WP7 owners clamoring for it, it’s just a matter of time.
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Mar 23

Facebook Banning 20,000 Underaged Users Daily

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili
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Facebook’s bouncers are working hard to ensure that no one under the age of 13 is allowed on the site. According to the social network’s chief privacy adviser, Mozelle Thompson, Facebook attempts to cut off underaged kids before they sign up, but those preemptive safeguards aren’t always successful. 

Thompson told Australian parliament, “There are people who lie. There are people who are under 13 [accessing Facebook]. Facebook removes 20,000 people a day, people who are underage.” Even with all of the safeguards in place, however, Thompson added, the vetting process is “not perfect.”

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Mar 23

Lady Gaga Visits Google

Posted in: Google, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili, YouTube
lady gaga google.jpg

Alliteration seems to have been the driving force behind yesterday’s Google Goes Gaga event, which saw the pop superstar once known as Stefani Germanotta stopping by the software company’s Mountain View headquarters. Lady Gaga took the stage in front of a packed house of Googlers, for an interview with the company’s VP of consumer products, Marrissa Mayer. The singer told the crowd her plans to direct the video for the song “Judas” for her forthcoming record, Born This Way. 

Of course, Gaga and Google have a special bound (aside from similar sounding names)–the pop star was the first person to reach one billion video views on Google-owned YouTube, back in October (a mark soon matched by Web darling, Justin Bieber). 
On her way out, Gaga tweeted, “Just left Google, what a genius team,” posted the above image with co-founder and soon-to-be CEO, Larry Page. Video of the Gaga interview after the jump. 
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Mar 23

Firefox 4 Downloads Surpass IE9

Posted in: Internet Explorer, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili
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Microsoft may have gotten a head start with its latest browser, but after less than a day of availability, the new offering from Mozilla already has more downloads–all of this according to the latest numbers from Web analytics site, StatCounter. 

According to the numbers, Firefox 4 has an impressive (well, relatively) 1.95 percent share of the global browser market, having surpassed Opera 11, Firefox 3, Chrome 9, and, most notably, the most recent version of Internet Explorer. IE 9, which was released to the world on March 14th, has taken 0.85 percent of the global market.
Of course, overall, Internet Explorer is still in the lead, thanks to strong showings by IE 8, 7, and even 6. And, as TechCrunch points out, IE isn’t Windows XP compatible, which no doubt took a sizable chunk out of its potential downloaded base–the outdated operating system still has a pretty large install base. 
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Mar 22

Firefox 4 Released, Available for Download Now

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

Firefox 4 - Download

Mozilla has officially released Firefox 4 to the masses, the long-awaited update to the browser that re-ignited the browser wars. It’s no conincidence that Mozilla chose now to unveil Firefox 4: competition is heating up from the likes of Google’s Chrome and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9, both of which have seen major updates in recent weeks. 
Still, for their rapid growth, Firefox has already come in at well over 1.7 million downloads (as of this writing) and is still racking them up. Firefox 4 Beta users won’t notice many changes in the app, but people upgrading from Firefox 3.6.x will notice a drastically changed and minimized UI that puts the tabs at the top of the window and moves the URL bar into each individual tab. They’ll also notice the navigation bar reduced to back/forward buttons, which have been placed next to the URL bar. 
Firefox 4 also introduces Firefox Sync, which allows you to save your open tabs, bookmarks, passwords, search history, and more to the cloud where they’re accessible from multiple systems. Firefox 4 also sports some performance improvements, like a new Javascript engine and hardware acceleration, designed to improve the overall browsing experience. The new version even allows you to finally install extensions and add-ons without having to restart the browser. 
Firefox 4 is probably the last big milestone release the Mozilla will do: the company has committed itself instead to smaller updates and releases over shorter periods that are less disruptive to users, much like Google’s approach to Chrome. You can download Firefox 4 now, and check out Mozilla’s tour of its new features at the same time.
 
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Mar 22

Amazon Shuts Down eBook Lending Service Lendle

Posted in: ebooks, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

Lendle - Down

One of the major arguments around buying paper books instead of electronic copies is that you can always lend or borrow a paper book to or from your friends when you want to. 
A few months ago, Amazon unveiled a similar feature for books purchased through the Kindle Store, which allowed Kindle book buyers to loan a title to a friend for 14 days. Barnes and Noble has a similar feature for books purchased for the Nook. From that feature, Lendle, a social network and lending service that connects Kindle book owners with people interested in borrowing a title from them, was born. 
Now, Amazon has revoked Lendle’s API access, effectively shutting the service down because – according to Lendle – they don’t “serve the principal purpose of driving sales of products and services on the Amazon site.” Lendle and its users are upset to say the least, but Amazon’s eBook policy makes it clear: when you buy a book from the Kindle store, you’re essentially “renting” the book from Amazon – you don’t entirely “own” the book, and Amazon reserves the right to change how you can use the book when they choose to. 
Still, its unlikely that Lendle, its users, or any other similar services will find much sympathy from Amazon on the matter. The eBook argument is analgous to digital music: as much as customers say that the ability to preview, demo, or try out content makes them more likely to buy it, companies that sell that content see those features as a gateway to lost sales instead. 
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Mar 22

Apple Sues Amazon Over “App Store” Trademark

Posted in: amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili
amazon app store angry birds.jpg

Apple has never been particularly hesitant when it comes to sending in the lawyers. The company is already in the midst of a high profile legal battle with Microsoft over the latter company’s use of the term “App Store” (“The vastly predominant usage of the expression ‘app store’ in trade press is as a reference to Apple’s extraordinarily well-known APP STORE mark and the services rendered by Apple thereunder,” et al.). So when Amazon opted to launch its “Appstore” (no space) it was sort of playing with fire (or, perhaps, exploding iPods). 

And like clockwork, Apple filed suit against Amazon late last week, issuing a statement reading, in part, “We’ve asked Amazon not to copy the App Store name because it will confuse and mislead customers.” 
Amazon has continued with its plans, launching the Android app store, in spite of threats. The company is really talking about the whole thing, either, refusing to comment on pending litigation. Microsoft, on the other hand, fired back in January, stating that the trademark (filed by Apple in 2008) was a generic term. 
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