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Would You Like A $49 Electronic College Textbook With Lifetime Updates?

Posted: 24 May 2011 05:00 AM PDT


Nature, the folks who brought you the free life sciences learning community Scitable, are today announcing “Principles of Biology”, a college level electronic textbook. Building upon the cross-platform success of Scitable, the new textbook offers a variety of fully interactive features, including quizzes and assessments, an online gradebook for instructors, and more. Perhaps most notable in this era of nickel-and-dime upgrades and in-app purchases is that this text will be continually updated with top-notch content from Nature’s editing team at no additional cost to anyone who has purchased a copy. “Our interactive textbooks, since they are "born digital", are designed to capitalize to the maximum degree on the progressive possibilities which digital media opens up for the education space: new distribution models, new learning models, new pricing models. Our textbooks are designed to make students active rather than passive learners throughout the learning process,” says Vikram Savkar, SVP & Publishing Director at Nature Publishing Group.

Many of my college texts costs substantially more than $50 used, and they were used for only a couple of classes. Since I graduated college, I haven’t cracked a single one of the (few) textbooks I kept. I brought this point up to Savkar, and his response was illuminating.

Isn’t that because you can’t easily search a textbook? It’s quite time consuming to dig through your old boxes, dust off a book from ten years ago, and flip through a few hundred pages to find the tidbit you were looking for (only to discover that it’s now out of date). What if searching your old textbooks were as easy as typing a term into Google? And if you had the confidence that someone behind the scenes was keeping them up to date and rigorously high quality? I think you’d find that you would refer to many of your textbooks over time. You’d hear a news story about genomics, for example, but no longer remember exactly what it is, do a quick search on your Nature platform, and within a half an hour be back up to speed.

Savkar went on to highlight medical students, graduate students, and similar people who need to refer back to their textbooks on an on-going basis for several years. “I believe we’re moving into an age when textbooks can be lifelong tools, rather than short-lived supplies for one college class,” Savkar said.

$50 for a lifetime of up-to-date vetted content is a bargain, if you ask me, and I think many students (and their parents) will recognize the value to purchasing such a text. But the reality is that anything of perceived value will be made available for free online, somehow. Nature seems to have taken this into account, and has worked to reward the people who purchase the book.

There is some DRM, but the most important part of the anti-piracy strategy we've chosen for this program is ensuring that the real product, in its home context, is so effective that there is a significant disincentive to break the rules. For example, we integrate assessments into every page of the textbook, and those assessments feed directly into the online gradebook that instructors will use to keep tabs on their students' progress. Without purchasing full access to the digital product, students won't be able to feed into the gradebook, which should dramatically undermine their ability to get a passing grade. Similarly, we make it very easy for instructors to customize the interactive textbook while they are adopting it, which means that any pirated version floating around won't help students to be aligned with their own class. Perhaps some people will take the time to find ways to get around the rules. But at the same time the relative ease of use of this product will be, I believe, very appealing to a generation that's grown up online, and will be a strong selling point of the program.

The “Principles of Biology” textbook isn’t an e-book of the sort you’d buy for your Kindle or Nook. Nor is it an app you’ll download for your Android or iPad. It’s a web page you’ll read in your browser, but every effort has been made to make it clear that this is much more than “just” a web page. Nature has “deliberately chosen a browser-based approach because we believe it's a powerful solution to the full range of students' needs.”

In the first place, because it's browser-based it will natively be accessible on essentially any internet-enabled device; no one will ever have to wait for us to roll out an app for whatever new device they have just purchased. (We do have to ensure that our mobile website adjusts itself to each device's form factor, but that is still more efficient than creating a new app for each device.) In the second place, a browser-based book is more accessible to screen readers and other devices that disabled students rely on. Third, for the basic purchase price we will give students lifetime access to the material . . . and our editorial team will keep the content current as the state of science evolves, so that even after 5 years the former student, when returning to the textbook, will find that it's completely up to date. Lifetime access is difficult to picture for many kinds of app-based books, because of how rapidly the underlying technologies and devices will evolve; whereas a browser-based solution has a good likelihood, in our opinion, of being accessible decades from now. Fourth, because all of the content and data for the book is stored in the cloud, access is not locked to a particular machine, or even to any set of machines. Students can use the interactive textbook from any machine they happen to be at, so long as they remember their user name and password, with no new set-up.

I asked Savkar whether the interactive online textbook was planned concurrently with their Scitable site, and he confirmed that it was. Scitable offers a variety of peer-to-peer and social functionality that isn’t really pertinent to a traditional textbook. The social features were removed from “Principles of Biology”, and features for an instructor-led environment were added, like assessments and an online gradebook. More than that, though, great attention was paid to ensure that the interactive features of the text worked as well as possible on all platforms that could support them. This means HTML5, rather than Flash, for superb iOS support.

We spent quite a lot of time in 2010 enhancing the Scitable platform, as you point out, so that all content displays usably on all mobile devices, from tablets through smartphones and down to simple flip-phones. Principles of Biology inherits all of this flexibility, and therefore will be consumable from a broad range of devices from the first day. One new area of focus for the platform for the roll-out of Principles was adding robust support for HTML5 interactives, ensuring that even the most complex interactive simulation is completely accessible from the iPad. There are many more such interactives pound for pound in Principles than in Scitable, so this was an essential enhancement for this launch, and Scitable in turn will inherit it.

The online gradebook piqued my interest, specifically because many universities today have significant investment in course management software (things like Blackboard and Desire2Learn). How would this new text integrate with existing digital gradebooks, if at all?

We do plan to enable integration with most major course management and learning management platforms by the end of the year. Faculty will be able to get the benefit of our content (lessons, supplements, and assessments) while working within their familiar campus tools. But our gradebook is a pretty rich and useful toolkit for faculty who want to continually tailor their teaching approach to the strengths and weaknesses of their students. I believe that a healthy portion of our adopters will choose to use the textbook from nature.com.

“Principles of Biology” will be available September 1 for $49, and Nature already has a three-year deal for it to be the text for classes at Cal State University LA, Chico, and Northridge. I’m very eager to see where this precedent leads, and what advancements come for college (and high school!) textbooks in the years to come.

Like A Double Rainbow, MOG Comes To Sonos

Posted: 24 May 2011 03:00 AM PDT

If you’re a Sonos fan you’ll be happy to know that MOG, the music streaming service that competes with sites like Spotify, Rdio, and Pandora, has just hit the list of Sonos sources. It is, in short, a double rainbow of music goodness. They’re offering all Sonos users 14-day free trial and new users can get 20% off Sonos bundles with MOG access. You can check it out here.

The service is available now and costs $9.99 for the “primo” streaming subscription.

SONOS AND MOG TEAM UP TO BRING HIGH-QUALITY
LISTENING EXPERIENCE TO THE HOME

All US Sonos Customers offered 14-Day Free Trial

Limited time offer to save 20% on Sonos and MOG bundle

SANTA BARBARA, Calif and BERKELEY, Calif – May 24, 2011 – Sonos, the leading developer of

wireless music systems for the home, today announced another step in providing access to all the music on

earth with the addition of the MOG music service to the award-winning Sonos music experience. Beginning

today, Sonos customers can enjoy a high-quality, on-demand listening experience from MOG all over their

home. All Sonos customers in the United States will receive a free 14-day trial of MOG on Sonos.

Plus, Sonos and MOG have teamed up to offer a special bundle with a Sonos S5, Sonos ZoneBridge and

one-year MOG subscription – saving music fans 20% on their purchase. For more information on this

limited time promotion, visit www.sonos.com/MOGBundle.

"Our goal at Sonos is to provide music lovers with access to all the music on the planet," said John

MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. "By offering MOG to our customers, we're providing an incredible, high-

quality listening experience in the living room or any room of the home."

"Sonos products are absolutely best-of-breed and their customers expect great sound, whether they are

accessing their own music library or streaming music from a service like MOG," said David Hyman, CEO

of MOG. "Our goal is to make it fast and easy for music lovers to listen to any song they want from virtually

anywhere—in the car, on the computer, on their phone, and now in any room with Sonos."

With MOG's award-winning music service on Sonos, music fans can enjoy the following features in any

room of the home:

High-quality audio: MOG on Sonos features the highest quality audio streams at 320kbps.

MOG artist radio: Customize radio stations on the fly by choosing true “artist only” radio or a full mix of

•

similar artists.

On-demand music: Unlimited, anytime, ad-free listening to any artist or full album from MOG's 11-

•

million song library.

Simple searching and browsing, designed for the palm of the hand: MOG provides simple

•

navigation of albums and artists, and easy browsing of New Releases, Chart Toppers, Editors' Picks

and playlists created by recording artists for instant playing right from any Sonos Controller.

MOG offers all new and existing Sonos US customers a 14-day free trial after which users can upgrade

to MOG's Primo subscription plan for $9.99 per month. Simply go to www.MOG.com/Sonos to register for

the free trial. MOG Primo provides music fans with unlimited access to MOG on Sonos, with additional

access online at MOG.com, and through the MOG app on iPhone and Android phones, all via a single MOG

account.

iRemoTap: Power Strip with Built-In Wi-Fi (Video)

Posted: 24 May 2011 12:07 AM PDT

Japan-based Ubiquitous has developed [JP] a power strip with a built-in Wi-Fi module. Dubbed iRemoTap, the strip allows you to do two things: you can track which of the connected devices consumes how much energy on a PC or cell phone in real-time, and you can turn on or off each of these devices remotely.

If energy consumption of a connected device in your household exceeds a pre-set level, the iRemoTap can automatically send out an email or tweet so you can take action. It works a little like the Energy Literacy Platform, which is also made by a Japanese company (we reported in December).

The iRemoTap is just a prototype at this point – but an early sign that the Internet of Things is upon us.

This video (in English, shot by Diginfonews in Tokyo) shows the iRemoTap in action:

Daily Crunch: Black Box Factory Edition

Posted: 24 May 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Apple Responds To Lodsys Trolls: “Stop Bothering Our Developers”

Posted: 23 May 2011 02:59 PM PDT

Never get into a fight with people who have more expensive lawyers. Lodsys, the patent trolls trying to make people license a dubious feature based on in-app sales, received a letter from Apple’s wolverine-like lawyers asking them to cease and desist asking for developers for money. They write:

Because I believe that your letters are based on a fundamental misapprehension regarding Apple’s license and the way Apple’s products work, I expect that the additional information set out below will be sufficient for you to withdraw your outstanding threats to the App Makers and cease and desist from any further threats to Apple’s customers and partners.
…
Therefore, Apple requests that Lodsys immediately withdraw all notice letters sent to Apple App Makers and cease its false assertions that the App Makers’ use of licensed Apple products and services in any way constitute infringement of any Lodsys patent.

I suspect this won’t be the end of the story. However, it is a strong and forceful letter by a traditionally strong and forceful legal team and we can assume that this will convince most developers not to cave when/if they receive a Lodsys letter.

BY EMAIL AND FIRST-CLASS MAIL

May 23, 2011

Mark Small
Chief Executive Officer
Lodsys, LLC
[Address removed]

Dear Mr. Small:

I write to you on behalf of Apple Inc. (“Apple”) regarding your recent notice letters to application developers (“App Makers”) alleging infringement of certain patents through the App Makers’ use of Apple products and services for the marketing, sale, and delivery of applications (or “Apps”). Apple is undisputedly licensed to these patent and the Apple App Makers are protected by that license. There is no basis for Lodsys’ infringement allegations against Apple’s App Makers. Apple intends to share this letter and the information set out herein with its App Makers and is fully prepared to defend Apple’s license rights.

Because I believe that your letters are based on a fundamental misapprehension regarding Apple’s license and the way Apple’s products work, I expect that the additional information set out below will be sufficient for you to withdraw your outstanding threats to the App Makers and cease and desist from any further threats to Apple’s customers and partners.

First, Apple is licensed to all four of the patents in the Lodsys portfolio. As Lodsys itself advertises on its website, “Apple is licensed for its nameplate products and services.” See http://www.lodsys.com/blog.html (emphasis in original). Under its license, Apple is entitled to offer these licensed products and services to its customers and business partners, who, in turn, have the right to use them.

Second, while we are not privy to all of Lodsys’s infringement contentions because you have chosen to send letters to Apple’s App Makers rather than to Apple itself, our understanding based on the letters we have reviewed is that Lodsys’s infringement allegations against Apple’s App Makers rest on Apple products and services covered by the license. These Apple products and services are offered by Apple to the App Makers to enable them to interact with the users of Apple products-such as the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and the Apple iOS operating system-through the use or Apple’s App Store, Apple Software Development Kits, and Apple Application Program Interfaces (“APIs”) and Apple servers and other hardware.

The illustrative infringement theory articulated by Lodsys in the letters we have reviewed under Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 7,222,078 is based on App Makers’ use of such licensed Apple products and services. Claim 1 claims a user interface that allows two-way local interaction with the user and elicits user feedback. Under your reading of the claim as set out in your letters, the allegedly infringing acts require the use of Apple APIs to provide two-way communication, the transmission of an Apple ID and other services to permit access for the user to the App store, and the use of Apple’s hardware, iOS, and servers.

Claim 1 also claims a memory that stores the results of the user interaction and a communication element to carry those results to a central location. Once again, Apple provides, under the infringement theories set out in your letters, the physical memory in which user feedback is stored and, just as importantly, the APIs that allow transmission of that user feedback to and from the App Store, over an Apple server, using Apple hardware and software. Indeed, in the notice letters to App Makers that we have been privy to, Lodsys itself relies on screenshots of the App Store to purportedly meet this claim element.

Finally, claim 1 claims a component that manages the results from different users and collects those results at the central location. As above, in the notice letters we have seen, Lodsys uses screenshots that expressly identify the App Store as the entity that purportedly collects and manages the results of these user interactions at a central location.

Thus, the technology that is targeted in your notice letters is technology that Apple is expressly licensed under the Lodsys patents to offer to Apple’s App Makers. These licensed products and services enable Apple’s App Makers to communicate with end users through the use of Apple’s own licensed hardware, software, APIs, memory, servers, and interfaces, including Apple’s App Store. Because Apple is licensed under Lodsys’ patents to offer such technology to its App Makers, the App Makers are entitled to use this technology free from any infringement claims by Lodsys.

Through its threatened infringement claims against users of Apple’s licensed technology, Lodsys is invoking patent law to control the post-sale use of these licensed products and methods. Because Lodsys’s threats are based on the purchase or use of Apple products and services licensed under the Agreement, and because those Apple products and services, under the reading articulated in your letters, entirely or substantially embody each of Lodsys’s patents, Lodsys’s threatened claims are barred by the doctrines of patent exhaustion and first sale. As the Supreme Court has made clear, “[t]he authorized sale of an article that substantially embodies a patent exhausts the patent holder’s rights and prevents the patent holder from invoking patent law to control postsale use of the article.” Quanta Computer, Inc. v. LG Elecs., Inc., 553 U.S. 617 (2008).

Therefore, Apple requests that Lodsys immediately withdraw all notice letters sent to Apple App Makers and cease its false assertions that the App Makers’ use of licensed Apple products and services in any way constitute infringement of any Lodsys patent.

Very truly yours,

Bruce Sewell
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Apple Inc.

Government-Mandated Black Boxes In Your Cars? Why Not?

Posted: 23 May 2011 02:15 PM PDT

At first, the idea of a federal-level requirement for electronic “black boxes” for your cars sounds a bit Big Brother-ish. But in fact, many cars already include such devices, and there is confusion resulting from different data recording methods, law enforcement needs, and so on. Some may see a slippery slope ending in dash cameras and GPS logging, but others see the potential for vastly increased safety and standardized legal limits for that kind of data.

Wired considers the question in depth here – but whatever the benefits, this is guaranteed to be a controversial subject.

WSJ: AT&T, Verizon Ambiguous About BlackBerry PlayBook

Posted: 23 May 2011 01:55 PM PDT

Just a few days after the BlackBerry PlayBook's one-month birthday, the nation's top two carriers are still pretty ambiguous in their adoption of the device. AT&T has yet to approve the BlackBerry Bridge app, which turns the tablet into a portal to any BlackBerry smartphone. Meanwhile, Verizon still isn't convinced it should carry the RIM tablet, at all.

In response to a Wall Street Journal inquiry about Verizon's stance, Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney noted that "nothing has changed," and offered no time frame as to when the decision would be made. Back in March, before the PlayBook's launch, RIM included Verizon on its list of carriers to offer the 7-inch slate. Also on that list were AT&T and Sprint, despite the fact that none of them have begun selling the tablet.

While Verizon hangs out on the fence, AT&T still hasn't approved RIM's BlackBerry Bridge app. Without it, the PlayBook loses some of its most important functionality, including email, calendar, and contacts applications. More importantly, without the Bridge app, the tablet can't tap into a cellular connection, and must then depend on Wi-Fi. On the app's approval progress, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said, "we're still working on it."

AT&T now faces the question of whether or not the Bluetooth connection forged with BlackBerry Bridge should incur a normal tethering charge. "The principle is to make sure [the BlackBerry Bridge app] works well for our customers and whether it should be considered tethering," said Siegel.

This BlackBerry Bridge mess has been a particularly poignant topic of debate since the device's launch, with most deeming the product somewhat half-baked. Grumbling of that sort should come to an end soon, though, as RIM is expected to release a newer model of the PlayBook with a network connection, and native email, contact and calendar apps. With a handful of strong Android tablets on the market and Apple's iPad absolutely dominating the tablet race, RIM has certainly struggled in this sector.

[via WSJ]

Kogeto Dot Panorama iPhone Add-On Spotted: TechCrunch Disrupt New York

Posted: 23 May 2011 12:24 PM PDT

 

Wandering around here at TechCrunch Disrupt New York, we came across a particularly interesting iPhone 4 add-on from Kogeto, in collaboration with Kickstarter. It's called Dot, and it will totally change your perspective on mobile video, literally. The Kogeto Dot is a panoramic lens that captures 360-degree video, without sacrificing style or portability. This add-on from Kogeto comes in a number of pastel colors and is small enough to tuck away in a purse, or even keep in a pocket.

The Kogeto Dot comes with a complimentary iOS application that un-distorts the video for watching, sharing, or real-time web broadcasting. There seems to be a minor distortion issue as of now, but that should get cleaned up if/when the product hits its funding goal. Most everything about this add-on is pretty impressive at a first glance, although I've found myself questioning ease-of-use. If the iPhone has to be face-down to shoot 360-degree video, there's no way to catch a glimpse of the video until after recording has stopped. That may not make much of a difference in some cases, but it's hard to imagine shooting video without the ability to watch it.

The founders are asking for minimum pledge of $1 on Kickstarter and $98 snags your very own Kogeto Dot. That may seem steep compared to lower-quality, cheaper panorama add-ons, but it's ultimately your decision whether or not the price tag outweighs the perks.

IMG_3063 IMG_3062 IMG_3068 IMG_3070


Sony Revises $850 Million Profit Prediction To $3.2 Billion Loss

Posted: 23 May 2011 11:58 AM PDT


When it rains, it pours. Sony, in the midst of repeated hacks and still staggering from the earthquake in Japan, has subtracted some deferred tax assets from the bottom line, leading to a massive ~$4 billion downward revision of its yearly income through March.

It’s important to note that this isn’t all, or even mostly, attributed to the highly publicized PSN hacks. The great majority of the loss comes from a Japanese tax-related re-valuation that has ended up landing some new tax liabilities on their laps. But it couldn’t have come at a worse time, as this normal cost (having to do with other losses and obscure tax code things) is hitting Sony at a low water mark for income.

The current estimated costs of the PSN breach are at around $170 million, but that’s very preliminary. The quake has cost them over $600 million already (though insurance should cover about a quarter of that), and they estimate that will grow to $1.8 billion by the end of 2012.

What does this mean? Well, they’ll be revealing more information on forecasted income on the 26th, so this is kind of incomplete information. But it means that Sony is at the very least not rolling in cash at the moment, for what that’s worth. Will it result in a delay of the PS4 or a slow roll-out for their Qriocity and tablet ecosystems? Too early to tell, though those are multi-year projects and will probably weather these losses, major though they are.

More information can be found at Sony’s earnings reports area. Some information is in the report itself, some is in the slides accompanying it.

The Acer Iconia Tab A500 Is Now Available At Office Max

Posted: 23 May 2011 11:41 AM PDT


I’m an Acer Iconia Tab fan. It’s a solid Honeycomb tab for a fair price and now it’s available nationwide at Office Max. The 10.1 tablet hit OfficeMax.com today and will soon be at all of the 900 retail locations as soon as possible for the manufactured retail price of $449.

OfficeMax Expands Selection of Tablet Computers With New Acer Iconia Tab A500

– OfficeMax to offer the new 10.1-inch Acer tablet computer at OfficeMax.com and in-stores nationwide –

NAPERVILLE, Ill., May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — OfficeMax® Incorporated (NYSE: OMX), a leader in office supplies and services, today announced that the company is expanding its selection of tablet computers by adding the new Acer® Iconia Tab A500 in all of its more than 900 retail locations nationwide and through OfficeMax.com. The new Acer Iconia Tab A500 will be available at OfficeMax for $449.99 (1) starting today. The new Wi-Fi enabled tablet PC computer is Acer America’s first 10.1-inch tablet running the Android™ 3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system. Applauded by PCWorld for its unique inclusion of both a USB port and microSD Card slot, its support for Dolby® Mobile audio and its custom home screen widgets that help organize applications, the new tablet computer from Acer offers new user-friendly features for users on-the-go.

“We are excited to offer Acer’s new Iconia Tab A500 in all OfficeMax’s retail locations and online,” said Ryan Vero, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer for OfficeMax. “Its light-weight, slim design and exceptional operating platform is designed for customers who prefer a smaller-sized tablet. The power, speed and versatility behind the Iconia Tab create an enjoyable user experience.”

The new Acer Iconia Tab A500 tablet PC features a 10.1-inch multi-touch screen that provides accurate finger-tip control for personal access to applications, games and entertainment. The tablet computer also provides an enhanced level of performance with its NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 mobile 1GHz dual-core processor and integrated GeForce™ GPU that enables customers to enjoy HD gaming, 1080p video and faster browsing, as well as running multiple applications, digital media playback and flash-based sites, games and applications.

Built for usability on-the-go, the Acer Iconia Tab A500 features a slim and modern aluminum design, with a system weight of 1.69 pounds and measuring 0.52-inches thin. It also includes forward and rear-facing cameras to capture videos and photos as well as conduct video conferencing. To learn more about the new Acer touch screen tablet PC, please visit www.acer-group.com.

Video: Obama’s Unstoppable Presidential Limo Met Its Match

Posted: 23 May 2011 11:06 AM PDT


Where ever Obama goes, so goes a fleet of vehicles including several identical armored limos. One of those recently breached itself on a parking ramp during the President’s trip to Dublin proving that while it can withstand most every attack save a nuclear bomb, it’s not unstoppable. Point of interest, this limo isn’t the new super limo creatively named The Beast. Judging by the Cadillac’s front fascia, it appears to be one from the Bush era. Click through for the fun video.

Entourage Edge Dual-screen eBook Reader Is Dead And Gone

Posted: 23 May 2011 09:34 AM PDT

We had high hopes for the Edge dual-screen ebook reader last year but it looks like said ereader is now dead. We were actually quite excited. After all, our own Scott Merrill wrote:

The enTourage eDGe is a functional, easy-to-use device that currently defies formal classification. It's primarily going to be useful to academics and people who spend a lot of time in books, but need more convenience than that offered by separate e-book reader and laptop. It has some warts, but offers surprising value in a first-generation device.

Well, all that’s over now as the device has been discontinued and Entourage is sending people to the Google Book store to pick up their last purchases. Engadget is reporting that these folks may be building a new tablet ereader but this odd chimera is, for right now, dead as disco.

Product Page


Comcast Xfinity On-Demand Now Streaming To The iPhone, iPod touch

Posted: 23 May 2011 09:10 AM PDT


Comcast just rolled out a major update to its seven month old Xfinity iOS app that brings streaming access to the Xfinity on-demand library just like iPad users have had for several weeks. This opens up a massive database of streaming content for iPhone and iPod touch. But there’s a catch here. Only users that pay for Comcast’s digital TV service for their home will have access to the service.

The revamped app also has access to more shows. There are now 6,000 hours of content from 25 programmers available through the iOS app. Plus, just as before, the app can also change the channel and manage a user’s set-top boxes. Get it free here.

Read More

Livescribe Releases Connect, Puts Ink In The Cloud

Posted: 23 May 2011 09:04 AM PDT

Livescribe smartpens allow you to record and send the ink you draw or write on paper. They also record the surrounding audio so you can sync the audio with the drawings, something that’s great for students, reporters, and anyone who goes to meetings regularly. For a while, they had little apps that could run on the pen including a very cool piano app that allowed you to draw a piano and then play it on the page.

Now, however, they’ve added an interesting new feature: Livescribe Connect, a system that allows you to send entire pages to multiple recipients including Twitter users, Facebook, Google Docs, and various other cloud services. We got a quick hands on and were able to talk to the company about future plans.

How does Connect work? Well, you draw or write something and then draw an underscore. You then write a one or two word command (“Twitter,” “email joe@joe.com”) and then select a portion of the page or a set of pages. Then, when you sync the pen via USB those pages automatically go to the people or accounts in question.

The major concern is that the Pulse pen isn’t wireless yet so the utility is somewhat limited. However, it looks like a wireless pen is in the offing and the features and dead-simple interface make up for some of those shortcomings.

Erick and I hung out with the Pulsonian Commander, Jim Marggraff, on Fly Or Die a few weeks ago and got to talk about the new product.

The Echo Smartpen costs $99 for the 2GB version and, although the pen requires special paper you can download and print your own pages or purchase special notebooks that work with the pen.

Screen shot 2011-05-23 at 10.26.12 AM Screen shot 2011-05-23 at 10.25.59 AM
Product Page


Transformer Overclocked To An Unstable But Still Awesome 1.4GHz

Posted: 23 May 2011 08:36 AM PDT


The Transformer runs the modest 1GHz Tegra 2 platform, but that clearly isn’t enough. More power, right, Clarkson? Some clever folks over at XDA recently outed a custom kernel that bumps the clockspeed to 1.4GHz. It’s just too bad that this particular kernel with its super-speed chip leaves the Transformer unstable and therefore a bit useless for most. However, for those out there that actually want to use their tablets, there’s another custom kernel that increases the clock speed by 20% to a stable 1.2GHz. [XDA via Liliputing]

Hulu Plus Is Now Streaming On TiVo Premiere

Posted: 23 May 2011 08:13 AM PDT


It’s about damn time. TiVo Premiere already has an impressive list of proper streaming apps: Netflix, Blockbuster, Amazon and several other smaller services. Now Hulu Plus is on the list, which will serve up all the 16 and Pregnant you can stand for $7.99 a month after TiVo’s 6-month complementary trial ends.

Hulu Plus Launches on TiVo Premiere

Adds Instant Streaming of Thousands of Hours of Current TV Hits and Classic Programming to TiVo's Unique Solution Combining Cable Programming
with the Best of Web Entertainment

ALVISO, Calif. – May 23, 2011 – TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in advanced television services, including digital video recorders (DVRs), for consumers, content distributors and consumer electronics manufacturers, announced that beginning today Hulu Plus™ is available via subscription* to TiVo® subscribers with retail TiVo Premiere boxes.

In celebration of Hulu Plus on TiVo Premiere, TiVo and Hulu will give six months of free Hulu Plus service to newly purchased TiVo Premiere DVRs. A free trial of Hulu Plus is also available to current TiVo Premiere customers. Visit www.tivo.com/hulu to learn more.

With the recent addition of hit shows from Comedy Central, and MTV including The Colbert Report and The Daily Show alongside popular hit shows from ABC, FOX and NBC like Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, Glee, Family Guy, The Office and 30 Rock, TiVo further extends its lead as the only one-box solution that integrates in one easy-to-use user interface the full complement of programming made available to users through their existing cable or fiber optic provider alongside the ever-increasing choice of broadband and on-demand offerings.

"Hulu's mission is to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium video content when, where and how they want it. To that end, we are thrilled that today we are opening up the Hulu Plus experience to TiVo Premiere users," says Andy Forssell, SVP of Content Acquisition and Distribution for Hulu.

Hulu Plus joins other top broadband content providers such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, and BLOCKBUSTER to offer TiVo Premiere subscribers the ultimate choice in entertainment programming, all easily accessed by TiVo's elegant user interface and iconic peanut remote control. Hulu Plus programs are easy to find by title or by browsing Hulu Plus's network listings and genres.

TiVo's SVP and General Manager of Content Services and Media Sales Tara Maitra added, "I've watched with great admiration as Hulu has built an impressive business by offering up some of the world's greatest entertainment content on demand. As the world's first smart DVR, TiVo Premiere brings the best entertainment from cable and the web together in one place, with one easy-to-use remote and simple search features for one truly Brilliant TV experience."

According to recent figures from Santa Monica, Calif.-based research firm Interpret, the number of people who said they streamed a TV program increased to 41 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. The number of TV programs streamed per respondent reached nearly nine episodes in the last three months of 2010, up 37 percent from 6.41 programs streamed in 2009.

In addition to the top hits of today, Hulu Plus offers one of the largest catalogs of television content on a streaming platform to subscribers in the U.S., including full series runs and numerous back seasons of dozens of classic shows like The X-Files, Law and Order: SVU, Arrested Development, Saturday Night Live, Miami Vice, Ugly Betty, Quantum Leap, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Roswell and Ally McBeal.

*Separate subscriptions to Hulu Plus and the TiVo Service are required to access Hulu Plus on TiVo Premiere DVRs. Broadband connection required to access Hulu Plus.


Kobo Introduces New Touchscreen E-Reader, Drops Original Model To $100

Posted: 23 May 2011 07:34 AM PDT


Kobo launched as a Borders-based alternative to the Kindle hegemony, and while their e-reader was perfectly decent, I wouldn’t say it was feature-competitive with Amazon’s latest. They’ve announced today a new device that may not match the Kindle (or its rumored tablet successor) on all fronts, but it’s at least distinct and definitely worth looking at. Yes, a touchscreen e-reader for a reasonable price is finally available.

One of the fundamental issues with nearly all e-readers is having to navigate by d-pad or keyboard while the slow e-ink screen refreshes. The new Pearl displays have mitigated that inconvenience, but it’s still unintuitive and sluggish. The Plastic Logic touch e-reader we got all excited about a couple years back proved to be too rich for its own blood, and while Sony has been touting its touchable e-readers for years now, they’ve been expensive, stylus-based, or both. This Kobo eReader Touch is $130, which I think is more than competitive.

The new one has an improved processor, the newer Pearl E-Ink screen, and now has a built-in dictionary, invokable via a long-press on a word. Touch is an infrared solution handled by zForce, and covers most of the basic gestures – swiping, zooming, and holding. The UI is still limited by the low refresh rate of the bistable display, but that’s a limitation shared by most e-reader competitors. Design is simple and it is, like all e-readers, thin and light.

More good news: the old Kobo e-reader (above) will be dropped to $100, potentially a magic price point for impulse purchases, though one Amazon felt was a little too low. It’s a competent device for a great price, though of course for maximum selection and features (sharing, annotation, 3G) the Kindle may be worth the extra $16 or $40. Barnes & Noble is also expected to unveil a new device tomorrow, which may offer further competition.

We’ll have a full review as soon as we get our hands on one. If you can’t wait, they should be available at Borders and Best Buy in June, or for pre-order today.

Always Optimistic HP Says “Touchpad will be better than number one”

Posted: 23 May 2011 07:27 AM PDT

HP’s upcoming tablet, the Touchpad and not the PalmPad in case you missed the memo, will be better than number one. You could call it number one plus. That’s exactly what HP’s European head recently stated at a conference in Cannes and this silly quote is now spreading around the gadget blogosphere.

The Touchpad will likely be a great; HP doesn’t make bad hardware. It will likely be solid, reliable and well built. That’s not good enough, though. Look at Honeycomb tablets right now. Most of those, especially the Xoom, fits that description yet it can’t find a footing in the still-niche market. It’s all about the ecosystem and I’m very curious how HP thinks the Touchpad will overtake the iPad and the App Store.

What’s HP supposed to say? “We’re comfortable being number two.” No, HP is the leader in PCs and shouldn’t be underestimated.

HP scooped up Palm in a billion dollar plus purchase, which good or bad, was an easy way to gain major experience with slate devices. Along with the Palm personal, HP bought webOS, which became the company’s first modern in-house operating system. This move put HP on the same level of control that Apple and RIM have over their products. They own the Touchpad’s hardware and software development, which might give the Touchpad an edge over at least the Honeycomb tabs.

HP’s to-do list is rather large and overtaking the iPad shouldn’t be the first bullet. No, HP first needs to attract developers, show the world how the $599 Touchpad is different, attract developers, get 3rd party accessory makers on board, and attract developers to the tablet market’s fifth operating system. What was that? Developers, developers, developers.

Japan Gets 52-Inch Naked-Eye 3D TV With Full HD Resolution

Posted: 23 May 2011 06:58 AM PDT

Nissho Electronics in Japan announced [JP] the BDL5231-3D2R today, a 52-inch glasses-less 3D TV that boasts full HD resolution. Dutch electronics venture Dimenco Displays, founded by four former Phillips employees, has provided the 3D technology.

The TV has the following main features:

  • LCD panel with full HD resolution
  • 60Hz refresh rate
  • 2,000:1 contrast ratio
  • 700cd/m2 brightness
  • 8ms response time

The BDL5231-3D2R is scheduled went on sale in Japan today, carrying a hefty price tag of $20,850.

Asus Takes To Facebook To Tease Its Next….Tablet Or Phone

Posted: 23 May 2011 06:45 AM PDT

It’s a trap! A PR trap. I’ll bite. Asus just posted a teaser images on its official Facebook page of some unknown device. The trick here is that while it’s clearly a slate device, the company is purposely not saying if it’s a phone or tablet. In fact that’s seemingly the point of the Facebook page in that it asks that exact question. “Break The Rules: Pad Or Phone?

Asus has always made products that fell squarely in the good enough bucket. That’s still the case although as with any massive CE company, Asus has the resources and personally to make beautiful products when the marketing flacks win over the bean counters. Dell’s Ademo XPS notebook was a great show of force for them. Asus needs a truly sexy tablet, not a phone, but rather a beautiful tablet that shows the world Asus can make a true iPad competitor hence the prominent AsusDESIGN branding.

It seems Asus’ will slowly roll out teaser images on its Facebook page until it’s official unveiling at Computex TAIPEI 2011 next month. The embedded images here came from TechInStyle which scale makes me put my money on that this product is a tablet of some sort. No one cares about phones anymore.


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