-
Amazon Yields to Authors' Criticism of Kindle Audio
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2009 Comment (2)Amazon said it will modify its new Kindle 2 E-book device to let authors and publishers decide if it can read a particular work aloud. Kindle's text-to-speech feature had come under fire from authors who said it trampled on their rights to sell audio versions of their books.
There was nothing illegal about the feature, Amazon insisted: "No copy is made, no derivative work is created, and no performance is being given." Instead, the feature will "introduce new customers to the convenience of listening to books and thereby grow the professionally narrated audiobooks business."
Maybe. But the Kindle made audio a little too convenient, and cheap.
-
Windows 7 Lives Up to Hype, Spotlights Vista Neglect
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2009 Comment (7)Microsoft seems to be racing to get Windows 7 into the market, and it should. I've been running the test version of Windows 7 for about a week, and I can vouch that it lives up to the early, buoyant reviews. The system seems solid and adds useful features.
It also spotlights Vista's failings.
Most of Window 7's new features deal with the user interface. They make Windows easier to use and more efficient. The software, for example, makes it quick and easy to find and "peek" at a specific window among the sometimes dozens that I'll have open at a time. That "Aero Peek" is a big hit with me and other testers.
-
EyeClops Mini Projector Breaks $100 Barrier
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2009 Comment (1)Palm-size Pico projectors are hitting the market in a sudden wave, able to cast a large image on a nearby wall or ceiling. Most are in the price range of $300 to $500.
Now toy-maker Jakks Pacific has announced a $99 model. The EyeClops Mini Projector can cast a 70-inch image and run 10 hours on D-size batteries. Or it can run off an included AC adapter. I expect this thing to only work in the darkest rooms. We've also no details on resolution.
Then again, it's aimed at kids as young as 8 who probably aren't videophiles, anyway, with a discerning eye for pixel detail. And they'll love the big picture.
-
Netflix Stream-Only Subs Could Foretell Fees for Everyone
Tweet Share on Facebook February 26, 2009 Comment (4)Netflix is likely to offer streaming subscriptions soon that would be separate from its disk-based subs. The new plan would have to be ultra cheap to compete with Netflix's other offerings, says Brennon Slattery at PCWorld:
...is a stand-alone streaming option worth it? Only if it's cheap. For $15 a month, you can get two movies simultaneously with unlimited reloads and the streaming service. If Netflix offers streaming alone for $5 a month, I think it'd be worth the dough. Otherwise users might as well stick with the slightly more expensive plans that have everything included.
-
LG Versa Phone Adds Detachable Keyboard
Tweet Share on Facebook February 26, 2009 Comment (36)LG has an innovative answer to the touchscreen or keyboard debate: The Versa touchscreen phone from Verizon Wireless will have a detachable keyboard that you can leave at home.
Without the keyboard, the phone looks like a slim, iPhone-like model with only a few hardware buttons on its face. The phone then slips into a folding case that adds the keyboard, some protection and some bulk.
-
iPhone Knows: One Charger May Not Be Smart for Smartphones
Tweet Share on Facebook February 26, 2009 CommentA number of bloggers have questioned if a single charger for cellphones is a good idea. The industry settling on a common connector would simplify life for consumers. But Kit Eaton at Fast Company points out the Micro USB standard has its limits. It isn't as fast and flexible as the iPod connector, which may explain why Apple didn't join the pledge, he says:
...smartphone makers may well end up incorporating both a micro USB adaptor, and a proprietary one for specialist data transfers to their devices. That'll require at least an extra lead or two in the box, losing some of the environmental benefit, and placing a constraint on product designs.
Sigh. It's never easy.
-
Obama vs. Jindal as Wordle Sees Them
Tweet Share on Facebook February 25, 2009 CommentWordle is a fun site that turns text into "word clouds" that give greater prominence to words that appear more often in the original text. Lots of versions posted today from last night's speeches, but here is a simple one of President Obama's (click on it for a larger version):
And a comparable one from the response given by Gov. Bobby Jindal:
-
Apple Safari Speed Can't Beat Firefox's Ease
Tweet Share on Facebook February 25, 2009 Comment (5)Apple has released an update to its Safari Web browser for testing. Reviews are generally upbeat on the changes, and Safari at least comes close to its claim as the fastest browser. ZDNet says Safari is wicked quick, rendering some Web elements 42 times faster than Microsoft's Internet Explorer:
...our benchmarks confirm Apple's Safari 4 browser...is the fastest browser on the planet. In fact, it beat Google's Chrome, Firefox 3, Opera 9.6 and even Mozilla's developmental Minefield browser.
-
Depeche Mode Launches New iTunes Pass
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2009 Comment (3)Apple launched a new music sales format called iTunes Pass that wraps extras with an upcoming album by Depeche Mode for a premium price. For an extra $9 on top of the album's price of $10, fans will get added singles and video exclusives in the weeks leading up to the band's release of Sounds of the Universe.
The offer is yet another experiment in digital delivery as the music industry struggles with declining CD sales. Performers like Nine Inch Nails have given music away to promote their work, others like Radiohead let fans choose how much to pay for a download. Most of the experimentation has been done by bands independent of labels, while Depeche Mode's is in concert with its studio, EMI Music.
It's an effort "to better understand music consumers and help create stronger connections between fans and artists," said an EMI executive.
-
Audio: Cameras Are Getting Smarter
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2009 CommentCamera makers are worried because their market is getting saturated. Just about every U.S. household that was going to buy a digital model has one. Sales were slowing even before the economy tanked.
New cameras add smarts and speed
Subscribe to Tech Trends by David LaGesse
I spoke this weekend with WTOP about how camera makers are responding. They are getting smarter, and so are their cameras.
They had to move beyond the megapixel race, which was becoming a yawner. The leap from 10 to 12 megapixels, or even 8 to 10, doesn't seem nearly as dramatic as from 3 to 5 megapixels. Manufacturers are hoping we'll buy cameras that not only have lots of pixels, but also help us make better use of them.
