It turns out that the wars between Google and Bing over real-time search turned out to be a great revenue boost of $25 million for Twitter. Twitter has been notoriously known for being a company that has drawn in investor money but has never been able to return the favor in profit. Now, that little boost from Google and Bing has allowed them to squeeze out the first profit ever at the end of 2009.
Biz Stone, one of the co-founders of Twitter, did not make an official statement regarding the rumored profit margin, but did send an e-mail saying:
“We’re thrilled about the partnerships we’ve formed this year and we’re looking forward to opening Twitter even more in the future,”
Now, investors can breathe easier now that the first step has been made. With the new year just around the corner, the next step for Twitter is growing the profit and creating new ways of monetizing its popular microblogging service.
Italian blogger Vincenzo Cosenza has put together a map of the most popular social networks in world for a second time now. These statistics are based on the most recent traffic data as taken by Alexa & Google Trends for Websites.
Facebook is the obvious winner of English speaking countries and is continuing to advance on the rest. Many parts of Europe and South America are also under Facebook’s influence as well; and of the countries in Africa that have any statistics at all, they all point towards Facebook. The only continent that seems to be resisting the onslaught of North America’s network of choice is Asia. But that might not last for long as evidenced in India where previous top network Orkut has been overthrown where it usually has a strong following.
It seems Facebook’s biggest competitor is Russia’s Vkontakte.ru. Though, what looks like a competition could easily melt into an alliance. Vkontakte is mostly owned by Digital Sky Technologies which in turn also has a large stake in Facebook. So in the future, these two could become a the first superpower in the social-networking world.
The funny part, in my opinion, is that once popular MySpace is no where to be found on this map. Apparently, MySpace is only dominant on the island of Guam; but it is my guess that that won’t last much longer.
Since Motorola had such a hit with their first Android device, the DROID, on Verizon wireless, it’s not surprising that we would see another Google powered device coming from them. This new device, titled the Motorola Opus, has now been spec’d out:
3.1″ HVGA 320×480 capacitive touchscreen display
3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
Accelerometer
Proximity sensor
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth
microSD card slot
2.5mm headset jack
Home, Menu, Back, Speaker buttons are capacitive buttons with haptic feedback
iDEN PTT & PTX
Android LBS which is integrated into the iDEN GPS engine
"Enterprise email"
Plastic-molded housing with some rubberized texture finishes
58mm in width, 118mm in length
100g weight
512MB Flash / 256MB of RAM
64k and 128k iDEN SIM card support
A-GPS
Motorola dual-mic technology noise-canceling for noisy environments
Flash Lite v3.1.x
Some of the preloaded apps include: corporate email client with ActiveSync support, MOTONAV navigation app, barcode scanner, and document viewer.
While this is not a particularly amazing device spec wise, I think that’s what they are shooting for. With the high-range device covered by the DROID, they can now focus on releasing a cheaper device for a more average user.
With CES approaching, we are starting to see a multitude of different gadgets and technology being released. From the Nexus One, to tabletstabletstablets, they just keep coming in.
Now, LG has announced their newest 1080p TV. This TV is not just another 42”. It is currently the worlds thinnest 42” LCD TV coming in with a thickness of 2.6mm or .1-inch. The TV has a 120Hz, LED-backlit display and weighs only 8.8lbs. So if you can carry a small child, you could potentially carry this thing. Sadly, their are no specs as to what this TV includes but we only have to wait 2 more weeks to see LG’s special booth that will feature their Extreme Slim LCD products.
Leaked pictures of Motorola’s new Android Tablet have been surfacing on the web lately. Previously known as the “Sholes Tablet”, the XT701 will feature a 3.7-inch touchscreen display, with a 854x480 resolution, and will be powered by a Cortex A8 processor.
Other features include a 5-megapixel camera with autoflash and focus, GPS, FM radio, WiFi, Bluetooth, and support for 3G data. The most notable part of this tablet, to me, is the mysterious lump on the bottom-right of the tablet. This lump holds 3 buttons for camera control. I guess they didn’t want to put physical buttons on the side for this? Instead they just add a tumor onto the side of the tablet…
The XT701 is only confirmed for a China release but if it ever does come to the states, it will most likely feature Android 2.0 with an assortment of Google applications.
When the Nook was first shipped out to reviewers and customers earlier in the month, there were a lot of complaints. There were issues with the e-ink display’s refresh rate, the touchscreen was slow at best, laggy more often than not among others. Barnes & Noble unofficially said an update would be out soon to right those issues, and today it made good on that promise.
The 1.1 update has been pushed to all Nooks connecting to the network. To get the update, just go to “the daily,” or “Check for new B&N content” in “my library.” The update takes a few minutes to download, install and reboot. There are some definite improvements over the 1.0 firmware, even if there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking. The refresh rates on the e-ink display are a bit faster, though still a bit slow. The touchscreen seems much improved, with less lag and more responsiveness, potentially getting rid of having to double tap, only to realize you clicked through two menus because it wasn’t responding fast enough. The reading screen has also been improved. The top of the screen now has the time and battery icon, with the bottom having the progress bar it had before, and the page count which was previously on the top of the screen.
Again, there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking here, but it certainly seems to be a big improvement over 1.0. Hopefully 1.2 can make the refresh rates even faster, though for those without a Kindle to compare it to, the current refresh rate should be fine. Its nice to know Barnes & Noble is updating the device while its still only in the hands of a few people. By the time most people receive it now, they won’t even know what 1.0 was like unless they read some reviews.
In an episode of ABC’s Better Off Ted, research conglomerate Veridian installs a new motion-detection system that is incapable of detecting black people. Rather than spend money to fix the problem or create a new system, the company hilariously decides to hire minimum-wage white men to follow its black employees and set off the motion-detector on water fountains, doors, elevators, and restrooms.
I doubt HP will come up with an equally humorous solution for the inability of its face-tracking technology to recognize black people. In a classic case of life imitating art, the HP MediaSmart computer’s face-tracking technology does not follow black faces as easily as it does white faces. As you can see in this video below, the camera does not respond to the movements of an employee who calls himself “Black Desi,” but it faithfully pans to show “White Wanda” move left, right, forward, or backward.
HP has responded to the video on its website by making the following statement:
We are working with our partners to learn more. The technology we use is built on standard algorithms that measure the difference in intensity of contrast between the eyes and the upper cheek and nose. We believe that the camera might have difficulty "seeing" contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting. While we work on this, take a look here for more information on the impact of lighting on facial tracking software, and how to optimize your webcam experience: http://bit.ly/7HsZHD
Though Desi half-jokingly calls HP computers (the actual device, not the company) “racist,” this whole fiasco is comically bad. You’d have to imagine that HP and its partners went through quite a bit of research and testing to get this technology onto the market. Didn’t anyone at some point think that maybe a black person might be interested in buying this product?
Maine State Representative Andrea Boland has introduced a bill that would mandate cellphone makers to put a warning saying cell phone use may cause brain cancer on all phones sold in the state. The warning would have to appear on both the phone itself and its packaging.
Boland insists that many studies have proven a link between cancer and cellphone use exists but in reality, scientists have not be able to prove one exists. The studies she references came from self proclaimed "electromagnetic radiation watchdogs" Their study made some alarming statements:
“Science has shown increased risk of brain tumors from use of cell phones, as well as increased risk of eye cancer, salivary gland tumors, testicular cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia,” the report read. “The public must be informed.”
It should be noted that neither the World Health Organization nor the National Cancer Institute agree with the study, nor do several other organizations. They all say no conclusive evidence exists. One thing experts do agree on is that more research needs to be done and a firm consensus reached.
In the meantime, if you'd rather be safe than sorry, use the speakerphone or a headset or if you can't, try to avoid long calls. Don't sleep with your phone under your pillow and turn it off when not in use.
What do you think about this issue? Leave a comment with your thoughts!
Ford is trying so hard to have its Sync take off and become mainstream. For the first couple of years I was like any other person and said, “Cool feature, not gonna go out of my way to buy it.” A lot of people agreed with me too that Sync was just not a selling point for Ford. But now that Sync is rolling into its next generation it will be interesting to see what new features they will add to try and revive the American car industry.
The first feature that we heard of got me really excited when I heard about it. A Wi-Fi hotspot on the go. So now when you are on those 12 hour treks across the country you can have Wi-Fi. But wait. Can’t you already do that with a MiFi? And on top of that you have to provide a 3G modem to use on Sync’s new proprietary service.
Wham! Turn off to me. That sounds like Ford trying to make a quick buck on a few naive consumers.
In November 2009, Verizon had been applauded for launching two new Android running phones, the HTC DROID Eris and the Motorola DROID. The latter of the two seems to really have hit a spot with Verizon customers as it is steadily making Android a lot more popular within the United States and worldwide.
One of the latest smartphones from Verizon features comparable specs and pricing to the iPhone 3GS, thus having earned the title “iPhone-killer” on the Verizon network. How many phones have been giving that title and actually could contend against the iPhone? Not many, unfortunately. AdMob has some interesting statistics about the Android traffic in November, and who supplied much of the traffic. Android smartphones have generated a 37% increase in November, and the Motorola DROID accounts for 25% of that growth. Such high usage by DROID users places the Verizon smartphone fifth highest in the United States passing Android cousins such as the HTC Hero, HTC myTouch 3G, and Motorola CLIQ. As early as six months ago, the T-Mobile G1 (the pioneer of Android phones) generated all traffic usage of Android phones coming in at 92%. However, as of November, it only accounted 37%, and consider how many users the G1 has accumulated in all the time it has been available.
In terms of worldwide usage of Android phones, the Motorola DROID had 22%, followed closely by the HTC Magic at 21%, and the HTC Hero at 9%. From October to November, Android saw an increase in requests from 20%-27%, catalyzed by robust marketing campaigns on Verizon’s and Motorola’s part. While the T-Mobile G1 still had the most usage in November, the Motorola DROID was second. Within a few months, it looks like Motorola with its DROID could easily become the top Android phone in the United States.
Motorola seems to have found a nice combination of hardware and design in the DROID. And Verizon finally picked a winning phone and stuck an affordable and competitive price tag on it.
FROM GAMERTELL - If you need a last minute gift for a PS3 owner, head to Amazon and pick up an Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Dualshock 3 controller bundle. It’s $59.99 and in stock, and there are shipping options available to ensure it arrives before December 25, 2009. MORE »
Verizon has responded to the FCC's inquiry regarding their decision to double their ETF to a whopping $350 and their explanation has many shaking their heads in disbelief. Turns out that Verizon considers that fee to be covering just about every facet of their operation!
“The ETF is not limited to the recovery of the wholesale cost of the device over the life of the contract,” Verizon told the FCC. “The ETF partially compensates Verizon Wireless for all the costs and risks of providing service, which include advertising, commission, store costs, and network costs.”
Yep, that's right. Verizon uses ETF fees to pay for its advertising, its stores, the cost of providing support, and more. But wait a minute-if the ETFs pay for all that, what do with all the money their customers pay each month for their plans and services? Isn't it that cash flow that is supposed to cover the cost of doing business while the ETFs cover the subsidizing of the phones? Not according to Verizon.
The FCC has not responded yet but it will be interesting to see how they feel about Verizon's reasoning for charging such an outrageous ETF.
Intel released their new series of “entry-level desktop” processors this week. Two of the new chips are the N450 for netbooks and the D410 and D510 for nettops. Whats new? They’re smaller and more efficient. Sadly, they really aren’t more powerful.
The small size is a result of integration of the graphics and memory controller into the processor. As a result, the smaller processors mean even smaller netbooks and nettops. So if your hands were already too big for your netbooks, get ready to learn how to type completely with your pinkies. You can only get so small until it becomes unnecessarily small.
In terms of comparisons, the N450 is 60% smaller and 20% more efficient when compared to its predecessor. And the D410 and D510 are both 70% smaller and 50% more efficient compared to their predecessors. But none of the three have a change in power significant enough to mention. The N450 still has a 2GB max to its DDR2 memory. Pricing and availability will be announced at CES according to Intel.
Most people blow their Christmas wishes on cameras, HDTVs, world peace, etc, but not me. What I want this year, is a treat from the folks at Apple. I want them to copy Palm.
Yes, yes, the iPhone is a marvelous creation. Everything (perhaps save actual phone calling) works well. Even the limited multi-tasking is something I can live with. What is missing and needs attention is something Palm has nailed with their webOS.
Palm, who still gets snickered at as they strive to find hardware as elegant or polished as their software, perfected notifications. The Palm Pre and the Pixi both, are an absolute joy to keep tabs on incoming communication. by comparison, the iPhone looks like wastebasket with crumpled paper scatter around it.
Palm’s method sends an unobtrusive small bar on the screen’s bottom that contains incoming notifications. From texts, to emails, to calendar appointments and invitations, these items get a small icon and wait patiently for you to be ready to deal with them. They are present, but avoidable if needed.
Apple’s notification is not so user friendly. “In your face and deal with it now” is the iPhone way, and once closed, the notification is gone, can’t remember if it was a text or email that came in? Ha ha, too bad sucker -start opening apps to figure it out.
Palm’s bottom bar notification allows users to get a bit more info on the the notification before heading off to respond. The effort is clean, clear and comforting that something isn’t being missed or forgotten.
Android does something similar to Palm and while surely a step up from Apple, fall short in my view. The Android solution is a top bar that is pulled down in classic Android fashion that contains your notifications. From here notifications can be deleted out of existence. I don’t find this to be a better solution to Palms. The top bar is busy to begin with, so the notifications there don’t grab my attention the way Palm does and for me, that is the whole point of notifications.
Both Palm and Android do a better job at handling notifications than the iPhone. Santa, if you are listening, please fix the iPhone. And if Apple is listening, please don’t force my hand with a Windows Mobile comparison. Santa is watching.
Following GM’s announcement of making your car a moving hotspot, Ford announces similar options to their next line of vehicles.
Beginning in 2010, Ford will begin giving Sync-equipped vehicles WiFi. Uconnect, the name of this option, will turn your car or truck into rolling WiFi hotspot. So, if you need to finish sending some emails that apparently more important than your life, then your set!
Now, when I was getting my first car, I wanted to get one of those $300 touchscreen radios so I could impress my friends. My parents wouldn’t let me get it because they said I had too many distractions already and I didn’t need any more. So now, if you buy a Sync equipped vehicle, you have the option of surfing the web while flying down the highway.
Now, you may say, “Greg, why would I buy my child a Sync equipped car anyway?” Well concerned parent, Sync offers some options that are made to appeal specifically to parents of new drivers. Probably the most notable one is Ford’s “smart key”. This key has an embedded chip inside that allows parents to put parental controls on their children’s car. Some of things you can control are the maximum volume of the radio and the maximum speed of the car.
So when you get your son or daughter a Sync-equipped car thinking they will be a safer driver, think about this. Your child is driving down the freeway at the preset speed of 55. People are passing them because the speed limit is 65. So they decide to whip out their netbook and surf the web for ways to override the key’s internal chip so they can drive faster. What do you think is going to happen?
Now, I’m not saying it’s a bad idea. Just be careful with it.
Given that we have seen Bell steadily lower slash the price on the Palm Pre, it seems safe to believe that it must not be selling all that well. Of course, the sales of the Palm Pre with Bell began back in early August at a normal price of $199.95 CAN, but beginning in early November the price cuts began.
The price was first cut in half, then in half once again, and now with no where else to go, Bell Canada has begun to offer the Pre for free. Basically, this means that those willing to commit to a three year agreement with Bell Canada can now get a Palm Pre for free.
Less than 6-months time to go from $199.95 to free. Yup, it must be selling wonderfully.
Sprint has announced the BlackBerry Curve 8530 is now available to purchase. The phone is a low end entry into RIM's line of wildly popular smartphones, and is targeted at consumers rather than businesses. It comes with WiFi, GPS, a 2MP camera, and instead of the former trackball, a new optical trackpad. It's also sporting RIM's latest OS, 5.0.
“BlackBerry Curve 8330 has been a tremendous success for Sprint. BlackBerry Curve 8530 continues that legacy with the addition of several important features that make it a winner for both entertainment and productivity,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint Senior Vice President of Product Development.
The 8530 will be available in black, red or purple and can be purchased from Sprint's website, telesales or stores. It's available for $49.99 after a $100 mail in rebate and with a 2 year contract. It's a nice upgrade from the original Curve and the fun colors should make it popular with consumers.
The Curve is also available from Verizon and GSM carrier T-Mobile.
It seems that HTC is aiming to make lots of Canadian early adopting Android users very unhappy this holiday season. Yup, unfortunately they have confirmed that neither the HTC Dream or the HTC Magic will be receiving the upgrade to Donut.
This news was confirmed by way of the HTC website, which simply read that;
“HTC is not currently planning any Android 1.6 upgrades for Rogers Dream or Magic. Android 1.6 was only made available for "Google"-branded devices such as the G1. It is not available for HTC-branded products such as the Dream or Magic, which use Android 1.5.”
Of course, the real kick in the pants came in the last part of that statement, which read;
“We believe that Android 1.5 is a stable and reliable software platform that delivers a terrific user experience.”
And as someone who has used both Android OS 1.5 and 1.6 I can confirm that 1.5 is stable and reliable, but can also confirm that there was some nice improvements and additions in Android OS 1.6. And I am sure they will be missed, but on the flip side there is a great community behind Android, and its one that offers many third party ROM’s.
The Kodak Zi8 is an impressive solution for someone who wants to capture priceless memories and goofy moments without busting their holiday budget. Consumers can spend less than $200 on this pocket HD camcorder and capture 1080p HD footage that’s probably better than the last camera they purchased.
What’s in the box?
The Kodak Zi8 package contains the camera, a battery, wall charger, guide, and an HDMI and A/V cord to connect to a television. The Zi8 connects to computers via the built-in USB plug stashed inside the camera’s casing. An SDHC memory card is noticeably absent, but Kodak does include a flier with a 20% discount on any accessory for people who register at Kodak.com
The Good
Image quality ranks as the most important feature when I select a camera, and the Kodak Zi8 scores highly in that category. The camera takes 5MP stills that aren’t very good, but it excels when recording video. The Zi8 features four shooting modes – 1080p, 720/60fps, 720, and WVGA – that allow videographers in the making to choose which format best suits their needs. Low light situations aren’t fantastic but video quality is passable in these instances. Overall quality is strong in reasonable lighting settings, and playback is smooth on the web and HDMI-equipped TV’s. The Zi8 complements that quality with a built-in microphone that produces surprisingly clear audio. Several of my recordings on the device were clearly audible, but users can produce even better sound with a secondary mic plugged into a microphone jack.
The Bad
The camcorder is appealing because it has a simple, idiot-proof method of producing high-quality video. However, there are a few design flaws that get in the way of that. The latch to load and remove SDHC cards feels cheap and likely to break eventually. The Zi8 also has a plastic casing that is prone to leave smudges and fingerprints covering the device.
Zooming in or out is done by pushing a knob up or down, which is unfortunate considering that the same knob starts and stops recordings. Apply too much pressure in either direction and the video will stop recording prematurely. The cherry on this sour cake is that there’s also a recording indicator that cannot be turned off. The bright red light can be distracting to your subjects and reflect off screens, mirrors, and some glass.
The Bottom Line
The Kodak Zi8 produces a great image that rivals any pocket HD camera on the market, but buyers will have to put up with some annoyances that could sway them to other camera options. The lack of flash memory requires users to purchase an SDHC card (preferably a class 6 8GB or higher card) in order to comfortably film and transfer files. That’s an additional cost that Flip Mino or Ultra users do not have to suffer. However, the Zi8’s ability to support up to a 32GB SDHC card provides up to 10 hours of recording time, provided the user has an extra battery on hand.
Someone who places an emphasis on image-quality but doesn’t like the Flip series will be wise to take a chance on this camera, especially if they plan to spend extensive time filming. While the Zi8 lacks the physical polish and cost-effective recording method of the Flip line of cameras, Kodak matches its competitors quality and can record for longer periods of time. Anyone who purchases or receives this camera for the holidays will face additional costs to maximize the experience; however, the Kodak Zi8 is strong enough for most users to overlook its flaws and love its features.
FCC listings, some love them and some hate them. Personally, I love them but can understand the hate because they tend to leave us with not much more than a few images and lots of speculating.
Of course, there is always the exception to the rule and it seems the XPERIA X10 is just that, the exception to the rule.
This listing not only shows off the XPERIA X10 in a decent amount of images, but it also offered up the complete 40-page user manual. Which that in itself is strange, not because its available in the FCC listing, but because geeks always seem more interested in user manuals that appear online in a leaked form as opposed to the ones that always show up in the box with said gadget.
Oh well, hit the read link below to check out the listing and also to download and read the manual. That is, if that is your sort of thing.
Social media is a powerful thing and we all take a part in it. Facebook, being one of the most recognizable ones, has just proven how influential it can be.
The UK Christmas Number 1 is a highly revered award by musicians everywhere. And for the last 4 years, this title has been dominated by the X Factor winner that year. This year, X Factor winner Joe McElderry was set to win the title. But this year, Jon and Tracy Morter had something else in mind. They wanted to break that chain and make Rage Against The Machine’s Killing in the Name of number one this year.
So they went to Facebook and made a group called Rage Against The Machine For Christmas No.1. The group left all sorts of different links on how to purchase the songs through various vendors. And with nearly 1,000,000 members, Killing in the Name of, a 15 year old song, managed to oust Joe McElderry for UK Christmas Number 1.
On another note, the Facebook group claims to have raised half a million pounds through the page as well. If you wish to help this fund, they provide a link to donate towards. But this along with RATM’s win, shows how much power social media sites such as Facebook have.
FROM APPLETELL - In some cases, $99 for Data Rescue 3 may be a small price to pay for the priceless pictures and files lost. In others, a simple reformat may be the solution. MORE »
Leaked pictures of Motorola’s new Android Tablet have been surfacing on the web lately. Previously known as the “Sholes Tablet”, the XT701 will feature a 3.7-inch touchscreen display, with a 854x480 resolution, and will be powered by a Cortex A8 processor.
Maine State Representative Andrea Boland has introduced a bill that would mandate cellphone makers to put a warning saying cell phone use may cause brain cancer on all phones sold in the state. The warning would have to appear on both the phone itself and its packaging. 
Ford is trying so hard to have its Sync take off and become mainstream. For the first couple of years I was like any other person and said, “Cool feature, not gonna go out of my way to buy it.” A lot of people agreed with me too that Sync was just not a selling point for Ford. But now that Sync is rolling into its next generation it will be interesting to see what new features they will add to try and revive the American car industry. 
Verizon has responded to the FCC's inquiry regarding their decision to double their ETF to a whopping $350 and their explanation has many shaking their heads in disbelief. Turns out that Verizon considers that fee to be covering just about every facet of their operation!
Intel released their new series of “entry-level desktop” processors this week. Two of the new chips are the N450 for netbooks and the D410 and D510 for nettops. Whats new? They’re smaller and more efficient. Sadly, they really aren’t more powerful.
Most people blow their Christmas wishes on cameras, HDTVs, world peace, etc, but not me. What I want this year, is a treat from the folks at Apple. I want them to copy Palm.
Following GM’s 
Given that we have seen Bell steadily 
Sprint has announced the BlackBerry Curve 8530 is now available to purchase. The phone is a low end entry into RIM's line of wildly popular smartphones, and is targeted at consumers rather than businesses. It comes with WiFi, GPS, a 2MP camera, and instead of the former trackball, a new optical trackpad. It's also sporting RIM's latest OS, 5.0.
It seems that HTC is aiming to make lots of Canadian early adopting Android users very unhappy this holiday season. Yup, unfortunately they have confirmed that neither the HTC Dream or the HTC Magic will be receiving the upgrade to Donut. 
Social media is a powerful thing and we all take a part in it. Facebook, being one of the most recognizable ones, has just proven how influential it can be. 
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