The Roomba Discovery is the second version of iRobot’s robotic vacuum cleaner. Twice as powerful, quicker charge time, self-charging home base, intense cleaning mode, and larger dust bin are just some of the new features. $250 from the iRobot Store. There is also a special page for current Roomba owners….
Category Archives: Gadgets
Bridging the Internet and the TV
Today’s announcement from TiVo regarding downloaded Internet content available on a personal video recorder got me thinking about how independent content authors now have the same path to the end consumer as Viacom, Disney, and General Electric. As I read the New York Times article profiling the new TiVo service, RSS enclosures came to mind. Microsoft might still use IPTV, but other software manufacturers can build support for RSS enclosures into their software with little overhead. What does this mean to the average user? Average users are able to push content to targeted subscribers. It could be the latest video…
AirPort Express with AirTunes
Bring iTunes to your home stereo system with AirPort Express. The AirPort Express can be used as a wireless bridge, and has a USB port for your printer. $129 retail….
No More Sony Clies
Brighthand: “Sony announced that it will no longer develop and sell Clie handheld models to the United States market”…
Open wireless access point
Micah Joel of Salon promotes open wireless networks for his own personal security. “By making my Internet connection available to any and all who happen upon it, I have no way to be certain what kinds of songs, movies and pictures will be downloaded by other people using my IP address. And more important, my ISP has no way to be certain if it’s me.” I am still torn. I use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) Personal encryption at home. I live in an apartment building and others may be able to benefit from my wireless connection. Should I open my…
T-shirt television
Brand Marketers of San Francisco introduced the marketing world to moving image advertising on a t-shirt at E3 and Wired NextFest over the last week. Hollywood Reporter profiles the new technology. The t-shirts are embedded with 11-inch monitors and four stereo speakers and can play any type of media. Fox plans to use the devices to promote its upcoming movie, “I, Robot.” (via BoingBoing)…
NY Times : New Way to Combat Online Piracy
Sabra Chartrand of the New York Times: “University of Tulsa professor and a former graduate student of his won a patent for software that analyzes and monitors illegal music swapping on file-sharing networks, and then systematically inserts decoy files into the mix.”…
Xbox Live for $20 a year
Microsoft has a special offer for Xbox Live. A 12-month subscription is only $20, and for $10 more you receive a headset and the full version of Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. I ordered the Xbox Live 12 Month Starter Kit, currently on backorder….
Nike MP3Run
Nike has a new $299 MP3 player with 256MB flash memory and Bluetooth. ZDNet profiles the Nike MP3Run. It includes a special pedometer you attach to your shoelaces and your data is stored on the flash memory. “While you’re running, you can press a button to temporarily silence the music while a synthesized voice tells you how far you’ve run and at what pace. When you’re through with your run, you connect the player to your PC, and your time and distance are uploaded to the Training section of Nike’s running site, where a training log allows you to track…
My new PowerBook
I just sold my Compaq TC1000 Tablet PC and bought a 1.5Ghz 15-inch PowerBook. So far I am satisfied with my purchase. I wanted a computer to hold all of my work. I had a Tablet and a desktop machine and I was never sure which one had the data I needed. A desktop replacement laptop seemed like the perfect response. Size matters. The TC1000 has a 10.4-inch screen. The quality of the screen is a bit cloudy, a result of protecting the surface from pen scratches. I wanted a bigger screen. Choosing an OS. My desktop PC is…