Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Switched On: Dash puts wireless in the driver's seat]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/27/switched-on-dash-puts-wireless-in-the-drivers-seat/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/27/switched-on-dash-puts-wireless-in-the-drivers-seat/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/27/switched-on-dash-puts-wireless-in-the-drivers-seat/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

No one would ever accuse the Dash team of low self-esteem. "What the TV did for entertainment and the cell phone did for communication, Dash will do for driving." the company's Web site crows, A more accurate analogy for Dash, though, would be what TiVo did for television, that is, give consumers a greater degree of control over the media or information they're trying to manage in a contextually relevant way.

Dash plans to achieve its five-star impact rating via a portable GPS device. The portable GPS market shifted into high gear a few years ago when Magellan offered a hard disk inside of its Roadmate 700 units. Consumers no longer had to deal with cumbersome PC downloads; street-level maps of the whole country could be pre-loaded. A year later, a gigabyte or two of flash memory is enough to include street-level maps for the United States. Magellan representatives recently noted that it plans to switch completely from hard drives to flash in the next generation. The TomTom Go 910 can even hold maps of the U.S. and Europe for those leisurely drives across the Atlantic Ocean.

Continue reading Switched On: Dash puts wireless in the driver's seat

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Switched On: Dash puts wireless in the driver's seat originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Sep 2006 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dashfeaturesgpsnavigationonpndrossrossrubinrubinsatnavswitchedswitchedonwirelessWed, 27 Sep 2006 14:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Why XM should nab Napster]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/20/switched-on-why-xm-should-nab-napster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/20/switched-on-why-xm-should-nab-napster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/20/switched-on-why-xm-should-nab-napster/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Earlier this week, Napster noted that it had hired UBS Investment Bank to explore options for the company, including a sale. The move falls in line with a comment from CEO Chris Gorog at its last earnings call that the company's management team did not have their "heads in the sand" regarding a possible acquisition.

They'd also likely want to reassure investors that their heads are not in the clouds or in the stars. However, the reasons are as clear as CD-qualtity music for having their heads somewhere between those two celestial entities -- around the orbit of two geostationary satellites called Rock and Roll that that deliver the XM satellite radio service. The partnership between XM and Napster, which turned a year old in July, has demonstrated why XM would be a suitable white knight to snap up the former pirate haven.

Napster would help XM on the path toward becoming a radio business, not a satellite radio business. Both XM and Sirius offer Internet-based streaming today and Sirius channels are available to Sprint cellular subscribers while XM's are available to Alltell customers. Indeed, both XM and Sirius must recoup the expense involved in operating satellites, but there are many examples of media companies that started out tied to specific technologies, among them AOL's software and HBO's early set-top boxes.

Continue reading Switched On: Why XM should nab Napster

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Switched On: Why XM should nab Napster originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquisitionfeaturesmergernapsteronportable audioportableaudiorossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonxmWed, 20 Sep 2006 15:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Brookstone's music box]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/13/switched-on-brookstones-music-box/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/13/switched-on-brookstones-music-box/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/13/switched-on-brookstones-music-box/#comments

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Consider companies with an affinity for cubes that offer digital audio players and you'll probably think of Apple -- progenitor of the G4 Cube and the large glass one crowning its Fifth Avenue store -- or perhaps the developers of the MobiBlu player, once the "world's smallest" that was sold exclusively at Wal-Mart for a time. But specialty retailer Brookstone also has an MP3 device that embraces the six-sided solid. Hanging it around one's neck, though, would be a feat even for Flavor Flav.

While many products exist that enable you to stream music from your PC to a stereo in another room, or to act as docking speakers for the iPod, the SongCube is one of the few shelf systems on the market that includes its own hard disk for storing music -- no tenuous streaming or PC required. Other products in this exclusive club include the aging JVC NXHD10 executive microsystem, which includes only a 10 GB drive, and Sony's NetJuke line, available only in Japan.

The SongCube's main unit is about as tall as an iPod Hi-Fi (sans iPod) and about the third of the width of one, although it's about 25 percent deeper than Apple's iPod speaker accessory -- quite compact at first glance but not, geometrically strictly, a cube. Its speakers are also unobtrusive and Brookstone even bundles speaker stands with the system. However, there's a catch. The SongCube requires the use of its floor-standing 50-watt powered subwoofer where the main power switch is located. Normally, this wouldn't be much of a drawback. However, it comes into play when loading music onto the device, as I'll discuss shortly.

Continue reading Switched On: Brookstone's music box

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Switched On: Brookstone's music box originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Sep 2006 22:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BrookstonefeaturesOnRossrossrubinRubinSongCubeSwitchedSwitchedOnWed, 13 Sep 2006 22:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: For Bluetooth, icon or "I can't"]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/06/switched-on-for-bluetooth-icon-or-i-cant/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/06/switched-on-for-bluetooth-icon-or-i-cant/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/06/switched-on-for-bluetooth-icon-or-i-cant/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

In July, I discussed the confusion that results when carriers disable Bluetooth capabilities, specifically OBEX and DUN, which were not the names of two New York City detectives on the '70s comedy Barney Miller. The column proposed that the Bluetooth Special Internet Group (SIG) step up efforts to ensure that a Bluetooth device is capable of what a consumer would expect it to do, and thus apply marketing pressure to the carriers.

That column led to a discussion with Mike Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, who noted the range of capabilities that Bluetooth has acquired. For example, relatively few consumers are aware that their Bluetooth devices can print using the wireless technology or can stream stereo music using the A2DP profile. As a result, in June the SIG developed a set of five "experience icons" that cover five Bluetooth-enabled tasks -- printing, input, headset, transfer and music.

Among the most useful in terms of carrier tampering will be file transfer, which has been blocked in the past. There's no icon for dial-up networking yet, though. According to Foley, there is still more work to do on simplifying the use of a cell phone as an untethered modem.

Continue reading Switched On: For Bluetooth, icon or "I can't"

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Switched On: For Bluetooth, icon or "I can't" originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Sep 2006 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BluetoothdunfeaturesiconsonRossrossrubinRubinswitchedswitchedonWed, 06 Sep 2006 18:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: The gist on your wrist]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/23/switched-on-the-gist-on-your-wrist/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/23/switched-on-the-gist-on-your-wrist/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/23/switched-on-the-gist-on-your-wrist/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Watch maker Fossil was among the first companies to support MSN Direct, the smart objects technology first offered by Microsoft in a number of timepieces. Earlier this year, the company, through its Abacus brand, revisited the technology in its Abacus Smart Watch 2006.

While the watch is still on the bulky side, it's slimmed down a bit and Fossil has used a sloping profile to minimize the watch's girth. In fact, the Abacus 2006 was no thicker than a workaday Seiko men's watch I purchased last year. Other improvements include more memory and the inclusion of a year of MSN Direct service. Abacus offers the watch with a metal band that nicely complements the watch's masculine design for $179, as well as a number of leather straps. Unlike nearly any other consumer product that includes Microsoft software, it has nary a trace of Microsoft branding.

Like all of the MSN Direct watches, the 2006 Abacus uses FM radio technology to communicate updates to the device. After activating the timepiece, you choose content channels from a Microsoft Web site. The content has diversified considerably from when the watch was first launched, but it's still mostly focused on the basics, including a variety of different "faces" -- two of which I found attractive, three more of which were acceptable, and several of which were just hideous.

Continue reading Switched On: The gist on your wrist

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Switched On: The gist on your wrist originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2006abacusDirectfeaturesfossilMSNonrossrossrubinrubinsmartSPOTswitchedswitchedonwatchWed, 23 Aug 2006 18:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: An image to protect]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/16/switched-on-an-image-to-protect/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/16/switched-on-an-image-to-protect/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/16/switched-on-an-image-to-protect/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

In January, I wrote about my experience with PC Mover from Laplink Software, an effective solution for migrating your applications from one Windows PC to another, even (with some caveats) when those computers are running different versions of Windows. But there is another kind of migration that PC users often face, upgrading their hard drive. Unfortunately, backup applications that rely exclusively on file-based backup can't restore a working Windows installation because they don't capture what is known as the master boot record. (Apple, incidentally, notes that Time Machine, which creates browsable, file-based backups, can be used to restore or migrate to another Mac, but that Time Machine archives themselves are not bootable.)

So, in recently upgrading a PC hard disk, I tried Acronis True Image 9, a utility that can create an "image" or exact copy of one's hard drive as well as file-level backup. TrueImage automates much of the hard disk migration process, even expanding the partition on the target drive to its maximum so that your new drive is ready to go after reinstalling.

Continue reading Switched On: An image to protect

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Switched On: An image to protect originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acronisbackupfeaturesimageonrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedontrueimageWed, 16 Aug 2006 15:49:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Time Machine restores best, not first]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/09/switched-on-time-machine-restores-best-not-first/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/09/switched-on-time-machine-restores-best-not-first/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/09/switched-on-time-machine-restores-best-not-first/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

At this week's World Wide Developers' Conference, Apple nary missed an opportunity to jest at how certain features in Vista bear similarity to those in Mac OS 10.4, recalling banners from the 2004 geek gathering enjoining the developers of Windows to "start their photocopiers." However, the copy machines at Microsoft aren't the only ones free of cobwebs. For example, a decade before Spotlight shone in Tiger, utilities such as On Locaiton provided classic Mac OS lightning-fast index-based searches. And Konfabulator, now owned by Yahoo, inspired Dashboard.

Spaces, slated for Leopard, promises to be merely the best-implemented in a long line of virtual desktops long known to Unix users and even made available as a PowerToy from those Windows wannabes. And what of Time Machine, the fourth-dimensional feature that was the WWDC showstopper? Among its predecessors are System Restore, a drably named subset of Time Machine's functionality available since Windows ME; Rewind, a classic Mac OS utility once promised for Mac OS X; and GoBack, a PC utility that was purchased by Symantec. When I first saw GoBack, the earliest of these, which debuted at a DEMO conference, I thought it was one of the most ingenious pieces of software I'd ever seen -- even without Time Machine's extraterrestrial eye candy.

Continue reading Switched On: Time Machine restores best, not first

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Switched On: Time Machine restores best, not first originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applefeaturesmacmachineonrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedontimewwdcWed, 09 Aug 2006 17:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Trading up trade shows]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/02/switched-on-trading-up-trade-shows/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/02/switched-on-trading-up-trade-shows/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/02/switched-on-trading-up-trade-shows/#comments

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

This week's announcement that the Entertainment Software Association will euphemistically "evolve" the Electronic Entertainment Expo into a more "intimate" event (a premise hard to imagine given the attire of most female videogame characters) saw the once-thriving event accompany the ranks of fallen shows like Comdex, PC Expo and the summer Macworld Expo.

The summer Macworld Expo show disappeared because IDG's events group could not reach agreement with Apple on the venue, and Apple held even greater sway over the Mac market during those negotiations than it did in the '90s, Similarly, E3 was scaled back dramatically primarily because the hardware oligopoly of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo pulled out even though Electronic Arts was also allegedly involved in the negotiations

With each demise, particularly those champions of online media have proclaimed the death of the big tech trade show in the U.S. However, at least two events focused on consumer technology have grown significantly over the past few years. DigitalLife, held in New York and developed by Ziff Davis's events group, is not only open to the public, it's explicitly aimed at it. It's timing just before the start of the holiday shopping season lets consumer technology companies prime the promotional pump. Return on investment is easy to justify as a direct marketing initiative. The changes to E3 should strengthen DigitalLife's relevance to videogame marketing.

Continue reading Switched On: Trading up trade shows

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Switched On: Trading up trade shows originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Aug 2006 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CESDigitalLifeE3featuresonRossrossrubinRubinswitchedswitchedontrade showsTradeShowsWed, 02 Aug 2006 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: The next PlaysForSure ad]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/26/switched-on-the-next-playsforsure-ad/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/26/switched-on-the-next-playsforsure-ad/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/26/switched-on-the-next-playsforsure-ad/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

At Microsoft, we know that customers appreciate the importance of choice and compatibility. If you're in the market for a new digital media player, look for the logo that ensures interoperability with a wide variety of players from our valued partners and wretched competitors such as Creative, Samsung, iRiver, Archos and Sandisk. PlaysForSure means that you won't be locked into one company's digital media player. On the other hand, isn't that worth the convenience and elegant integration you'd get with a sweet, sweet Zune player?

PlaysForSure also means that you'll have access to the widest variety of digital music stores, so you can choose from content offered by Napster and Yahoo! Music or, for an even better experience, you can take advantage of the great integration of MTV Networks' Urge with Windows Media Player 11 -- an experience so good that we'd just as soon pass on it in favor of a whole new music management application that will integrate with our own player and store. Finally, we'll have something to compete with that company that owns MSN Music. There are also a number of excellent PlaysForSure video services such as CinemaNow and MovieLink that we're going to trounce with the service supporting Zune.

Continue reading Switched On: The next PlaysForSure ad

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Switched On: The next PlaysForSure ad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featureshumormicrosoftonplaysforsureportable audioportable videoportableaudioportablevideorossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonzuneWed, 26 Jul 2006 16:59:00 EST<![CDATA[WWE to get even more realistic thanks to high-def]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/11/wwe-to-get-even-more-realistic-thanks-to-high-def/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/11/wwe-to-get-even-more-realistic-thanks-to-high-def/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/11/wwe-to-get-even-more-realistic-thanks-to-high-def/#commentsThe World Wresting Entertainment is about to get right in your face thanks to high-def programming. They have been trying to launch a high-def service for sometime now according to WestleMag.com and should launch tests real soon. There isn't a firm launch date yet but we can't wait to see those body drops and flying elbows. They look so real in standard definition that we are sure they will look great when the resolution is doubled. This new high-def programming should be available via their new On-Demand service and on their normal shows.

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WWE to get even more realistic thanks to high-def originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cabledemanddtvhdhdtvonsatellitetvwrestlingwweTue, 11 Jul 2006 10:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: A direct hit]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/05/switched-on-a-direct-hit/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/05/switched-on-a-direct-hit/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/05/switched-on-a-direct-hit/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

"Hey there. Is this place new? I've been to this mall many times and never saw it before."

"Yes, sir. Welcome to The Hewlepsmark Inkjet Printer Cartridge Experience."

"No kidding. A whole location devoted to just to printer cartridges?"

"Not just any printer cartridges. Only Hewlepsmark inkjet printers. You see, after some failed early experiences with tech manufacturer-direct stores from Gateway and Microsoft, the past few years have seen Apple, Sony, Nokia, Palm, Nintendo, and now Pioneer move forward with their own retail stores. Even Dell and Samsung are using their own retail space to showcase their products. Soon we're bound to see Coby Corner, Craighead, and jWINdow Shopping. It's all the rage.

"So, we thought, as one of the world's premiere printing companies, why not develop an environment where we can really reinforce the brand identity and provide a showcase for our great variety of inkjet colors, the best printer cartridge shopping experience possible. We also have weekly seminars, like the one next Wednesday about the link between third-party refill kits and gingivitis."

Continue reading Switched On: A direct hit

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Switched On: A direct hit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jul 2006 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cartridgecomedydirectfeaturesonparodyprinterretailrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonWed, 05 Jul 2006 15:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Pondering PC 3.0]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/21/switched-on-pondering-pc-3-0/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/21/switched-on-pondering-pc-3-0/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/21/switched-on-pondering-pc-3-0/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

microsoft logoThe Xbox 360 is already considered by some to be the best product that Microsoft has ever produced. That's not surprising as it's been among the few where the software giant has controlled "the whole widget" -- choosing the processor, designing the hardware, and developing not only the operating system and user interface, but a host of licensing standards, services and infrastructure supporting Xbox Live.

In short, with the Xbox 360, Microsoft has proven that it can play the architect, succeeding at the vertical integration game that Apple has traditionally nailed with the Macintosh and iPod. Microsoft hasn't reached market share dominance with the Xbox 360 as Apple has with the iPod, but on the other hand the Mac market - while profitable for Apple -- still has a small share of the PC marketplace despite its integration advantages.

If Microsoft can succeed at producing its own videogame hardware and is widely rumored to be working on its own branded portable media player, could it succeed at, say, its own PC hardware -- that is, going beyond the keyboards and mice that it sells very successfully today? To do so, Microsoft would have to produce a personal computer that broke with today's GUI conventions and Windows application compatibility.

Continue reading Switched On: Pondering PC 3.0

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Switched On: Pondering PC 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3.0featuresMicrosoftOnPCponderingRossRossRubinRubinSwitchedSwitchedOnWindowsWed, 21 Jun 2006 15:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Taking control to another dimension]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/07/switched-on-taking-control-to-another-dimension/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/07/switched-on-taking-control-to-another-dimension/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/07/switched-on-taking-control-to-another-dimension/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

 

If you purchase a Novint Falcon later this summer, your geekier friends may feel an unusual mixture of amazement and envy when they first see it. Where, they will wonder, did you score that Star Wars prop? When you break it to them that your new input device was not actually used in the iconic science fiction movie (despite sharing part of its name with Han Solo's ship), they may be a bit disappointed, but only until they use it

The Novint Falcon is one of the most promising PC interface peripherals to come along in years. The forward-facing base of the device resembles a cone from which sprouts three robotic arms that protrude and meet at a small vertical mount near its center. The mount can accommodate a variety of different controllers, one of which is a small doorknob-like grip. Novint explains, however, that others might include, for example, a trigger.

Continue reading Switched On: Taking control to another dimension

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Switched On: Taking control to another dimension originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3DFalconfeaturesNovintOnRossRossRubinRubinSwitchedSwitchedOnWed, 07 Jun 2006 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Adult high-def content hits Japan via VOD]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/05/adult-high-def-vod-content-hits-japan/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/05/adult-high-def-vod-content-hits-japan/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/05/adult-high-def-vod-content-hits-japan/#comments
High definition is a big hit over in Japan. We all know that. But soon all those digital boxes over there will be able to receive, via video-on-demand, porn. Oh and it is going to be high-def adult content that will be delivered right to their HDTVs. This service is set to go live in July and will offer its customers 1080i picture with 5.1 audio all for the low, low price of 400 yen. ($3.5)

So um, would anyone like this service over in the States? Come on, be honest.

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Adult high-def content hits Japan via VOD originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jun 2006 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adult contentAdultContentdemanddtvhdhdtvjapanonotapollsporntvvideovodMon, 05 Jun 2006 09:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Baby steps toward intelligent apparel]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/31/switched-on-baby-steps-toward-intelligent-apparel/http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/31/switched-on-baby-steps-toward-intelligent-apparel/http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/31/switched-on-baby-steps-toward-intelligent-apparel/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

For years, futurists have considered a world in which nearly everything one touches or even wears is intelligent and connected. With such a vision in mind, it's easy to poke small holes - eyelets, if you will - around the Nike-Apple "iPed" system announced last week; neither company jumps into partnerships very often. The system that the hardware and footwear giants trotted out works with only one form factor of iPod, albeit Apple's most popular and one that is well-suited to running.

The dock-connector receiver that picks up the sensor's signal protrudes from the nano and may cause problems for some carrying cases. In addition, the NikePlus online service, while slick, has no integration with dotMac, Apple's set of online services that have been a sleeper story since all the online excitement around the iTunes Music Store surfaced. And, finally, the "PowerSong" feature sounds like the kind of device that has magically reinvigorates cartoons, like spinach for Popeye, clapping for Tinkerbell or breakups for Nick Lachey. Indeed, the partnership will probably do little to move the needle of Apple's iPod market share in the short run. Most runners who have been in the market for an MP3 player probably purchased an iPod anyway, and competition for real-time data tracking as it exists in Garmin's Forerunner GPS watch is a relatively small market for now.

While the partnership will translate into more differentiation for Nike (I can see the rise of the show-modders now, cutting holes in their Dr. Scholl's to order to accept the Sports Pack transmitter), both companies suggest that these are the early days of a longer-term collaboration. Perhaps the next component will be a power fork. Dip it into a serving of mashed potatoes and it signals your iPod to play the verse of Old McDonald that describes an oink-oink here and an oink-oink there.

Continue reading Switched On: Baby steps toward intelligent apparel

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Switched On: Baby steps toward intelligent apparel originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 May 2006 20:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresonportable audioportableaudiorossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonWed, 31 May 2006 20:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Pandora's Box (Part 2)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/03/switched-on-pandoras-box-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/03/switched-on-pandoras-box-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/03/switched-on-pandoras-box-part-2/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Last week's column discussed Slim Devices' elegant Squeezebox hardware, its versatile but complex server software, and SqueezeNetwork, the companion online service through which the hardware accesses the Pandora music recommendation service. Pandora is considered by some to be a "Web 2.0" site -- the blanket term we're all aware of referring to a startup that generates more RSS than revenue.

But Pandora's recommendation engine is the best I've tried. Unlike many others, it doesn't rely directly on the purchase behavior or music ownership of other people, be they friends or fellow customers. Rather, it leverages data from the Music Genome Project, a collaboration begun in 2000 to classify music via its attributes. In fact, some criticize Pandora for being "too good" at matching a song's style, and while there is a case that Pandora should include a control for how strictly it should match a given song or artist, users can at least create up to 100 different channels and diversify them by adding names of songs or artists to the mix.

Pandora can offer a depth of detail as to which musical attributes it chose when recommending a song. However, it doesn't seem to account for at least some important factors, such as the qualities of a singer's voice. Pandora offers a free tier of service, but access via SqueezeNetwork requires a subscription, which costs between $3 and $4 per month. The low subscription price is worth it for at least a few months, but Pandora needs to greatly expand its catalog to keep subscribers interested. Fortunately, Squeezebox owners get a three-month trial of the premium service, a $12 value.

Continue reading Switched On: Pandora's Box (Part 2)

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Switched On: Pandora's Box (Part 2) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 May 2006 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featureshome entertainmentHomeEntertainmentonpandorarossRossRubinrubinsqueezeboxswitchedswitched onSwitchedOnWed, 03 May 2006 19:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Pandora's Box (Part 1)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/26/switched-on-pandoras-box-part-1/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/26/switched-on-pandoras-box-part-1/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/26/switched-on-pandoras-box-part-1/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Slim Devices' Squeezebox and Roku's SoundBridge series are the two best products in the point-to-point digital media receiver market for music. Unlike the AirTunes functionality in Apple's AirPort Express, both products allow you to navigate libraries at the point of listening and neither requires you to turn on your television to hear music as multimedia offerings from a number of other companies. Operating over standard Ethernet or WiFi networks, the third-generation Squeezebox surpasses the sleek industrial design that marked the company's freshman effort, and retains the line's reputation for excellent sound quality when used with capable speakers. The bright vacuum fluorescent display that has long characterized the device illuminates a surprisingly effective and intuitive interface, although the dearth of navigation cues in its two-line presentation can sometimes result in disorientation.

The minimalist appearance of the Squeezebox is actually a facade for a complex array of options. It's actually a client for two content sources -- SlimServer, the browser-accessible open-source server that can run on Linux, Mac OS X or Windows XP, and SqueezeNetwork, a set of Web-based content options. Much of the device's versatility can be chalked up to these sources. SlimServer, for example, has a plug-in architecture that allows the use of iTunes libraries, graphical screensavers, an alarm clock, and what may be the least fun Tetris clone ever created. It also has a large number of arcane configuration options for the advanced user.

Continue reading Switched On: Pandora's Box (Part 1)

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Switched On: Pandora's Box (Part 1) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Apr 2006 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresonpandorarossrossrubinrubinslimserversqueezeboxswitchedswitchedonWed, 26 Apr 2006 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Why Adobe should cook the books]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/06/switched-on-why-adobe-should-cook-the-books/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/06/switched-on-why-adobe-should-cook-the-books/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/06/switched-on-why-adobe-should-cook-the-books/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Now that Adobe has finished applying the magic eraser tool to its longtime graphics rival Macromedia, it needs to enter or create new markets to continue growth beyond its dominant position in professional publishing. With the recent focus on what is admittedly the nascent e-book market, Adobe is looking at a unique window in which it could step up and become a market leader. However, it had better hurry, because Microsoft is getting tired of staring at the walls when it comes to this market.

The recent interest in e-books is due to the commercialization of electronic ink, which enables thin, crisp, paper-like monochrome (and soon color) displays that require a fraction of the power needed by LCDs. While their refresh rate makes them prohibitively slow for any kind of animation, they are the best technology for the medium developed to date and have attracted the attention of Sony and iRex, a spinoff of Philips.

Electronic ink is the kind of disruptor that has allowed opportunistic companies to seize markets. Sony, for example, capitalized on the CD-ROM with the original PlayStation and entered the digital camera market via the floppy disk with its first Mavica cameras. Apple, of course, leveraged the 1.8-inch hard drive with its first iPod.

Adobe is, in fact, already in the e-book business. but it is not providing a complete solution, which would require an end-user device. Sony's Reader will support the display of PDFs, but the electronics giant will use its own proprietary format and its own online service for distribution of content. The e-book market -- like the online music and video markets prior to the entry of Apple -- is so immature that it's just waiting for a company to step up with an integrated solution.

Continue reading Switched On: Why Adobe should cook the books

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Switched On: Why Adobe should cook the books originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Apr 2006 02:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobee booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-inke-readerE-readersebookebookselectronic inkElectronicInkfeaturesonpdfpublishingreaderross rubinRossRubinsony readerSonyReaderswitchedswitched onSwitchedOnThu, 06 Apr 2006 02:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: The contractor and the architect]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/08/switched-on-the-contractor-and-the-architect/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/08/switched-on-the-contractor-and-the-architect/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/08/switched-on-the-contractor-and-the-architect/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

With months before "universal" versions of key applications are available, Apple should have probably released a revamped consumer notebook before its new MacBook Pro; perhaps a more radical redesign awaits the venerable iBook. However, Mac users willing to delay some peak performance gratification have quite a treat ahead of them. The MacBook Pro is the finest computer Apple has ever released. Beyond the sleek, inviting form that enabled the PowerBook G4 to set the bar for elegant laptop design, the new computer boasts one long-awaited addition -- an integrated camera for videoconferencing -- and one ingenious lifesaver in the breakaway MagSafe power connector.

Ephemeral concerns about running Windows aside, Apple's entry onto the Intel platform may have many potential switchers scratching their confused crania. Is Apple's design prowess simply attributed to designing "the whole widget" as the company says? Is it as simple as minimalism or even restraint? Those are all factors, but a stronger influence is the difference of philosophies and perceived roles between Microsoft and Apple.

Continue reading Switched On: The contractor and the architect

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Switched On: The contractor and the architect originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>architectcontractorfeaturesMacOSonrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonVistaWindowsWed, 08 Mar 2006 16:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: When you wish upon a star]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/01/switched-on-when-you-wish-upon-a-star/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/01/switched-on-when-you-wish-upon-a-star/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/01/switched-on-when-you-wish-upon-a-star/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

To: All Disney staff
From: Executive Committee
Re: Organizational Changes

As many of you are aware, Disney recently acquired Pixar, which has resulted in changes to our corporate governance. After extensive consultations with our revised Board of Directors, we would like to share the following announcements, starting with changes to our trademark animated characters:

Mickey Mouse has long been Disney's most recognizable ambassador. However, our Board now feels that the two suspender buttons on his shorts are too confusing; Mickey will henceforth be a one-button mouse. Mickey's mouth will also be enhanced with a blue tooth and rolling your finger across his spherical nose will enable 360-degree scrolling freedom. Pulling on Mickey's tail will no longer hurt him; it will gracefully detach using patented magnetic connector technology.

Mickey's companion Minnie Mouse has also been incredibly popular, and today we're announcing that she will be replaced by a new model, nano Mouse. Nano Mouse is a half the size of Minnie Mouse, thin enough to be on the cover of Vogue, can use many of Minnie's accessories and - please note, animators - will not be permitted to skip.

Each year, millions of families come to our renowned theme parks to interact with our beloved costumed characters. However, our Board feels that the haphazard way in which they circulate the grounds is inefficient. Now children will be free to visit one of their animated pals at the snow-white Goofy Bar, where they will be able to receive attention in real time. Goofy's face has also been redesigned in a way that, our attorneys advise us, bears only coincidental resemblance to our former CEO Michael Eisner.

Continue reading Switched On: When you wish upon a star

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Switched On: When you wish upon a star originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appledisneyfeaturesmergeronpixarrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonWed, 01 Mar 2006 17:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Bringin' da noise brings in da funk]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/22/switched-on-bringin-da-noise-brings-in-da-funk/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/22/switched-on-bringin-da-noise-brings-in-da-funk/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/22/switched-on-bringin-da-noise-brings-in-da-funk/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

At next week Photo Marketing Association show, all eyes will be on the viewfinders, LCDs, and output of digital cameras. As growth of these cameras slows in the U.S. within the next few years, though, manufacturers need to continue to increase their appeal. One feature that has improved dramatically in the past few years is digital video capture. Many digital cameras can now capture 30 frames per second of digital video until they fill their storage media, and conserve space with advanced codecs such as MPEG-4 used by Kodak and DivX used by Pentax. Legacy limitations such as not being able to zoom while recording video are also starting to fade to black.

The expedience with which consumers can now capture high-quality digital video clips with their cameras is spurring a wave of digital video sharing services such as Google Video and YouTube, where consumers can share their amateur porn precious memories. Paradoxically, though, in this online video renaissance, the previous champion video capture device -- the camcorder -- has been left holding the accessory bag. While increasingly popular DVD-based units have greatly simplified the path to playback on the television, they've done little to bridge the online gap or shrink the size of the devices. Here slim flash memory-powered digital cameras have a great advantage.

Continue reading Switched On: Bringin' da noise brings in da funk

Switched On: Bringin' da noise brings in da funk originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2006 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camerasdigitalfeaturesnoiseonrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonWed, 22 Feb 2006 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Burning love]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/08/switched-on-burning-love/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/08/switched-on-burning-love/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/08/switched-on-burning-love/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Baby, on this Valentine's Day, I want you to remember that our love is as rare as an Xbox 360 on a retail shelf and as deep as Gizmondo Europe's debt. You know I'm someone who appreciates the best that life has to offer -- as long as it's offered at a reasonable price. When I rolled up in my Kia Amanti ("the Kimmer," as i like to call it), put that sweet chunk of cubic zirconia on your finger and read you the love poem I'd written on my Brother GeoBook personal digital notebook, I knew you'd be mine forever.

This year, I wanted to get you something romantic, something sophisticated and something substantially under $25. I thought candles might be nice but, as you and my parole officer know, I am not allowed within 30 feet of a blunt object since the incident regarding the $399 notebook at Wal-Mart last Black Friday. So I considered getting you a Philips Aurelle LED candle. The key to the LED candle is a light source that flickers to approximate its fiery counterpart. I bet the LED candle story is a lot like the one that led to the development of Post-It notes, you know, where the engineer developed a weak adhesive for which no one could find a use. "Hey, Klaas, I can't get this darn LED to stay lit!"

The Aurelle candles are available with a choice of three frosted glass candle holder cups -- in round, square and triangular shapes -- for about $20. The amber lighting units have rechargeable batteries and, in an interesting twist, several of them can be charged simultaneously from the same charger by daisy-chaining them together magnetically. Could anything symbolize our love more than multiple hook-ups? Unfortunately, though, it's relatively easy to see the metal contacts even in the cups, which compromises the effect. And, baby, I need the look to be right when I'm putting out my best Chinette for you.

Continue reading Switched On: Burning love

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Switched On: Burning love originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2006 17:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AurellecandlescomedyDayfeaturesLEDonPhilipsrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonValentine'sWed, 08 Feb 2006 17:53:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Where's Windows' welcome wagon?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/01/switched-on-wheres-windows-welcome-wagon/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/01/switched-on-wheres-windows-welcome-wagon/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/01/switched-on-wheres-windows-welcome-wagon/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:
Intel inside Apple logo
"[O]ne of life's most perplexing decisions - whether to buy a Macintosh or an IBM PC - can now be made with the greatest of ease." This hyperbole appeared in a 1985 ad for a pricey contraption called MacCharlie, a PC clone enclosure into which the original Macintosh slid, offering -- as the ad noted -- "the best of both worlds." MacCharlie, named in the days when IBM's PC business was represented by a Chaplain impersonator, was offered by Dayna Communications, a company that would enjoy a good run as a cross-platform solutions company before being purchased by, of all companies, Intel.
    
What had wrought this monstrosity? When Apple developed the Macintosh, it made a decision that would have long-term implications. Choosing Motorola processors over those from Intel meant that the Mac couldn't run DOS or Windows-based software at anywhere close to the speed of contemporary PCs. Sure, there had been a long history of slow software-based emulators dating from at least the first version of SoftPC for the Mac in 1988 and even a hardware solution that Apple offered with its Power Macintosh 6100/66 DOS Compatible in 1995, but it was hard to escape the realities of binary compatibility. The little ends did not justify the means.

Even with technology working against it, though, Apple had long sought to reach out to PC users through means such as encouraging popular ports (much fanfare preceded the sour notes of Lotus 1-2-3 for Mac), supporting PC-formatted media and eventually file extensions, promoting Microsoft Office for the Mac, adopting (or popularizing) PC standards such as IDE, USB and DVI Even in the post-iMac era, Apple launched its Switcher campaign with mixed success. Today, Apple's Windows outreach efforts focus primarily on its retail stores, where it can showcase the Mac's approach and ecosystem in person to the iCurious.

With Apple switching to Intel processors over the course of the year, though, one of the biggest traditional roadblocks to switching will be removed. Once some technical details are worked out, Mac users should be able to run at least Windows Vista at native speeds in a dual-boot configuration, or perhaps even Windows XP or Vista at nearly native speeds using virtual machine technology. You'd think, after tilting at this Win mill for over 20 years, Apple would open its arms to Windows users like prodigal sons.

Continue reading Switched On: Where's Windows' welcome wagon?

Switched On: Where's Windows' welcome wagon? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2006 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ApplefeaturesintelonrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonWindowsWed, 01 Feb 2006 16:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: A moving experience]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/25/switched-on-a-moving-experience/http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/25/switched-on-a-moving-experience/http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/25/switched-on-a-moving-experience/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

As PC penetration inches closer to saturation in the U.S., more PCs sold every year are replacement units. Upgrading should be a joy for consumers. Who wouldn't want improved speed and expanded capabilities? Instead, however, receiving a new PC is bittersweet because of the chore of migration. Worse, the more consumers have taken advantage of their PCs by installing applications, the bigger a hassle migration is.

Windows provides support only for migrating files and settings, not applications. A couple of years ago, I'd tried a popular commercial product that promised the same. Not only was I stuck with reinstalling all the programs, but it failed to transfer certain Outlook Express email accounts and Palm Desktop data. It was the most horrendous jerky movement since Elaine danced on Seinfeld.

Last year, though, I was intrigued when LapLink Software introduced PCmover. I tried out the product migrating a server and it worked pretty well. However, it wasn't much of a test. There were only a few programs that needed to be transferred to the new computer and no personal data or e-mail. About the only program that complained was iTunes, which worked on the new PC, but warned that it needed to be set up again to work properly with the new PC's CD burner.

Continue reading Switched On: A moving experience

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Switched On: A moving experience originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featureslaplinkmigrationmoveronpcrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonWed, 25 Jan 2006 15:49:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Enter the lay tricks]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/18/switched-on-enter-the-lay-tricks/http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/18/switched-on-enter-the-lay-tricks/http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/18/switched-on-enter-the-lay-tricks/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

The scene: A hotel room on a rainy night. Pentius and Duo face each other near large, comfortable red chairs that look like leftover props from Pee Wee's Playhouse, yet no one is filming a Radio Shack commercial.

"Pentius! It's an honor to meet you!"

"Please, have a seat, Duo. The honor is mine. I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like a noob in the middle of a large computer store. You're here because you feel something that's eating at you that you can't explain. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"What is..." (squinting at the badge on Pentius's computer) "V eleven v?"

"It's pronounced 'vive."  Do you want to know what it is?"

"Actually, there's this E! True Hollywood Story about "Who's The Boss" that I -"

"VIIV is the hype that surrounds the industry. You can see it in every computer magazine, in Intel's booth at CES, in keynotes from Microsoft. Soon it will be in your living room, your bedroom, anywhere you have an Intel-based desktop. Duo!"
   
"Yes?"

"Were you listening to me or staring at that big pile of co-op funds from Intel?"

"I was, uh... OK, so this vi'iv thing? What is it again?"

Continue reading Switched On: Enter the lay tricks

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Switched On: Enter the lay tricks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jan 2006 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>comedyfeatureshumorintelmarketingmatrixmedia pcmedia pcsmediapcmediapcsonparodyrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonviivWed, 18 Jan 2006 20:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On turns one: The Maven]]>http://www.engadget.com/2005/10/26/switched-on-turns-one-the-maven/http://www.engadget.com/2005/10/26/switched-on-turns-one-the-maven/http://www.engadget.com/2005/10/26/switched-on-turns-one-the-maven/#commentsEvery Wednesday Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, an opinion column about consumer technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. Today's Switched On's first birthday, so as a present we gave Ross his very own banner. Wish Switched On a happy birthday, why don't you?

Once upon a midnight madness sale I sauntered, steeped in sadness,
Through the shiny piles and aisles composing my computer store.
Suddenly there came a rapping. "Skeet skeet skeet." Had I been napping?
Energy, it had been sapping from my soul for weeks or more.
Yea, those loathsome customers had chilled my being for weeks or more.
Back-to-school had drained my core.

Soon the winds would bring the winter - time to sell each mouse, each printer.
"Profit!" said I, "Thing of evil? Nah," applying Avacor.
For while came the rare exception, money flowed from deep deception.
Ignorance would find reception warm throughout each corridor.
From these fools I'd find the dollars flow down every corridor.
Idiots I did adore.

There I saw him, by the mobos, dressing like those unkempt hobos -
Greasy hair atop the fat and pimples that adorned each pore.
Mannerisms quite absurd, he stood there mumbling, looking nerdy,
Yet I could not find the word he brought to mind inside the store.
In that squalid rust of malice did he slither through the store,
Saying naught and nothing more.

Fate approached him as a customer who seemed at once to trust him.
"Are these cameras any good? I've never shopped for one before."
Glasses thick, stubble unshaven, spewing trivia like Cliff Clavin,
On he went, this crazy maven bragging of his Slashdot score.
"If you read my blog, you'd know my postings rate above a four.
'Funny' and 'Insightful' are the words you'd see with five or four."
After which she fled the store.

Then a man who lacked acumen caused his targeting to zoom in.
"Windows spyware drives me nuts. Removing it is such a chore.
"This Mac mini sure looks swell so buying it would end my hell, no?"
"Apple's switching to Intel so I would wait a year or more
"And you'll want new software too if you don't wait a year or more."
Quoth the maven, "Leave the store."

Continue reading Switched On turns one: The Maven

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Switched On turns one: The Maven originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Oct 2005 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversarycomedyfeatureshumormavenonravenrossrossrubinrubinswitchedswitchedonWed, 26 Oct 2005 14:30:00 EST