Digital Technology for Digital Living.
October 31, 2005
Satellite Radar Widget
Want to keep a watchful eye out for the next monster hurricane? Mac OS X Tiger users might want to check out a widget called Radar In Motion.
Radar In Motion is a free Dashboard widget that grabs radar images from the Weather Channel and then displays them in an animation.
You can access radar imagery for any given city or region.
The widget has several options for displaying and updating the maps, including weather alerts and the ability to save maps for a specified period of time.
Download: Radar In Motion
Related Website: TS2 Satellite Provider in Saudi Arabia. The project offered by TS2 is broadband access to the internet. We support all locations in Saudi Arabia.
methodshop | Comments (1) | General, Broadband, Software
October 29, 2005
iPod Nano Scratch Scandal
The Webmaster at iPodStudio.com posted a great summary about the aftermath of the iPod Nano Scratch Scandal. Here he is, in his own words:
“You know, it’s funny how certain companies, often when they pass a certain financial size, seem to repeat the same mistakes over and over, as if their judgment becomes fatally impaired by success. One such mistake is underestimating the power of a few disgruntled but net-savvy customers, riled firstly by their SCRATCHED IPOD NANOS and secondly by Apple’s typically flippant and blase handling of their complaints. Why exactly does a customer have to setup an entire WEBSITE and invite thousands of people to express their frustrations publicly before Apple decides to listen or respond “appropriately”? (I use inverted commas as Apple’s EVENTUAL RESPONSE was hardly what I’d personally label as appropriate, all things considered..) The complaints began as a few murmurings on various forums, including OUR OWN, then came the website dedicated to forcing Apple to address the problem and now the story is running in many of the national and international newspapers, tabloids and broadsheets alike; even the radio stations are tittering about it.. I’m currently listening to the UK radio channel TALK SPORT via a net connection, as I do most days, and between discussing the English Premiership and the latest cricket, even they had a 3 minute discussion about iPod nano scratches and the website that forced Apple to finally come clean. The British DAILY TELEGRAPH WRITES: “Apple was cowed this week by a customer who thought his iPod Nano was flawed. Andrew Murray-Watson looks at how Matthew Peterson turned his web skills and sense of outrage into a global campaign which forced the technology giant into a U-turn, and wonders if there are lessons in this story for other companies.” Darn right there are lessons to be learned but most importantly by Apple itself, in my most humble opinion, who seems to be rather prone to stroking the fur of their loyal customers in completely the wrong direction. It’s not particularly difficult to train a customer service department to pay the customers (who in turn pay their wages) a little respect after they shelled out $250 US for Apple’s latest and greatest and if a customer service department will not listen to the customers and pass on the information to people who will in turn listen and act appropriately, then surely it can serve no useful purpose? Ian Fogg, a senior analyst at Jupiter Research, had this to add: “Apple has a fanatical following with huge expectations. It matters more when something goes wrong with an Apple device than for another company.” Maybe so, but has Apple pondered that thought, for even a nanosecond?” ~Full Monty
The scratches were a very minor problem compared to the faulty LCD screens in a few iPod Nanos, which was quickly addressed and fixed by Apple. But in hindsight, Apple should have been more sympathetic to customers with scratch issues.
If you have already scratched up your iPod Nano, then you may want to investigate the $4 fix for this problem. If you are planning on getting an iPod Nano and want to keep it scratch free, consider not jamming it into a pants pocket full of coins, keys and broken glass. After all, it is a $250 paper-thin electronic gadget. Seriously, a little common sense can go a long way.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Music, Portable
October 25, 2005
Australian iTMS is here
At long last, the iTunes Music Store is available in Australia. Most songs cost $1.69.
Kap | Comments (3) | General, Music
October 22, 2005
iPod Nano World Clock Feature
If you managed to get your hands on an iPod Nano already, you might have browsed through the menus and noticed some new features like a World Clock.
The World Clock is easy to use. Just set the clock and you can see the current time in multiple locations all at once. Seemingly trivial but surprisingly helpful for someone who does a lot of international business or traveling.
Our favorite little detail was how the clock faces turn black/white when it is night/day time in a particular city (see image on right). This makes it even easier to digest multiple world time zones with a single glance.
You can also set alarms in various time zones, set the clocks to change at Daylight Saving Time (or not, if you don’t observe DST like Arizona residents) and sleep timers in different cities.
The World Clock is (currently) only available on the iPod Nano and Video iPod.
[Syndicated post via MethodShop.com]
methodshop | Comments (3) | General, Music, Portable
October 20, 2005
GameBoy Micro released
This was announced earlier in the year, but Nintendo have finally started shipping the Gameboy Micro. Set to be available in the states for around the $100 mark, can’t wait till it hits our shores!
Full story at PC World
Ken | Comments (0) | General
October 19, 2005
Australian iTMS October 25th, or bust
If this one doesn’t pan out, I’m moving to the States (or the EU, Canada, Japan …)
Kap | Comments (2) | General, Music
October 17, 2005
iPod Nano Autopsy
Japanese site, SUYAMA, has completely dissected their iPod nano and posted a whole series of pictures and an accompanying narrative comparing the nano to the mini.
A full Babelfish English translation of the autopsy is available, but here’s an excerpt just to wet your appetite:
“If having it is accustomed, being iPod Photo, you use without strange feeling, but when extent and this size which become, you can show especially scantness, whether it is harsh to return to the just a little origin…. There is no difficulty in the chest pocket and the size which is settled is the very much grateful place in commuting use. With the kind of one which was being inserted in ??? of the rear end in the opposite direction, when sitting down, just a little insecurity…? It may be able to expect the appearance of the various private cases from each company, is.”
Priceless..
[Syndicated post via MethodShop iPodStudio]
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methodshop | Comments (2) | General, Music
October 14, 2005
iPod Nano Commercial Song
UPDATE: You can see the September 2007 Apple iPod Nano ad set to the song “1234″ by Leslie Feist here.
Apple has released a downloadable QuickTime movie of the iPod Nano ad on their website.
The iPod Nano commercial is a departure from Apple’s black silhouette dancer ads. It features just a hand flipping around the tiny Nano with the grace of a seasoned Las Vegas card dealer.
And what iPod ad would be complete without a terrific soundtrack? The song featured in this commercial is called “Gimme That” by The Resource.
Our friends at iPodStudio.com had this reaction to the new iPod Nano commercial:
“Lots of hands and Nanos and amazingly, no silhouettes! Apple’s been running a pretty intense ad campaign to make the world aware of the latest addition to the iPod line and seems to think it might have a winner on it’s hands (pun?)… I’m guessing they’re right… again.
“
BeSocial: methodshop
methodshop | Comments (0) | Music, Portable, Video
Pirates of Silicon Valley DVD Release
On August 30th, Amazon.com released “The Pirates of Silicon Valley,” starring Anthony Michael Hall and Noah Wyle. The made-for-TV-movie first aired on TNT in 1999.
Since 1999, the film has gained a cult following. Despite several factual errors in the film and a dark protral of himself, even Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, was a fan of the film. At the 1999 Macworld conference, shortly after the premiere of this TV movie, the audience was stunned to learn that the introductory comments were made not by Steve Jobs, but by Noah Wyle, reprising his role in this film. The real Steve Jobs then emerged and traded jokes with Wyle.
Here’s a review of the film from Amazon.com:
The revolution came when we weren’t looking. It happened in a garage. In a dorm room. In countless hours of effort, imagining and intrigue. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates were changing the way the world works, lives and communicates. The event-packed saga of the quirky visionaries who jump-started the future unfolds with exhilarating, cutting-edge style in Pirates of Silicon Valley. Noah Wyle (ER) portrays Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone) portrays Gates in this chronicle of the fierce and often humorous battle to rule the fledgling personal computer empire. “The story is almost Shakespearean… it’s a tale of lust, greed, ambition, love and hate,” writer/director Martyn Burke reflects. And it’s a success story unlike any other.
The DVD version of The Pirates of Silicon Valley is currently only availbile for residents in the US and Canada.
One last note, the original TNT web site for this 1999 film is still online if you would like to check it out.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Video
October 12, 2005
Podcasting Pocket Guide
I’ve been waiting for a moment like this for many years. A day when I can announce that you can view and order my book in Amazon.
Many people will know that I started writing a co-authored book in June. At the beginning of April Kirk McElhearn, my co-author, suggested we write a book about podcasting. Within a month–quick work in the publishing industry–O’Reilly confirmed that they wanted to work with us on The Whole Internet Guide To Podcasting and Internet Audio.
Several mad mad months ensued, with every hour of my life consumed with my work, podcasting, and writing. My wife and daughter brought me food and water, as I locked myself in my new office to churn out words.
Yesterday Kirk Skyped me to confirm that he’d received a copy of a pocket guide of our work. It’s a shortened version of our book, with some extra information from Jack Herrington. Our work focuses on the listener, where Jack’s is for the budding podcaster, introducing the tools and methods to record your own.
It’s an exciting time, seeing my name on the front cover of a book. What’s almost as exciting–as a minority might understand–is I have an O’Reilly animal to call my own: a Narwhal.
So the Podcasting Pocket Guide
Small enough to fit in your pocket, the portable and affordable Podcasting Pocket Guide
For aspiring podcasters, Podcasting Pocket Guide
The full work will also be available soon. I’ll let you know when I hear the details about that publication.
In the mean time, the pocket guide retails for $9.95, so please, grab a few for Christmas presents :).
Gadgetman | Comments (7) | General
October 11, 2005
The Asteroids Game Watch
The next time you look at your watch, getting the time may not be the reason why. Watch maker, Fossil, has teamed up with Atari to help bring classic arcade games like Centipede, Breakout and Asteroids to the small screen on your wrist.
Sound cool? We thought so too, but don’t get too excited. There are only 2,000 Asteroids watches available in the US (5,000 worldwide) and the game is not actually playable. A mock game of Asteroids just simulates in the background behind the clock hands.
Still interested? The watch can be purchased for $125 from Fossil.com while supplies last.
[Syndicated post via MethodShop.com]
methodshop | Comments (1) | General, Toys
October 07, 2005
Oct 12 != video iPod??
According to an article in ThinkSecret, Apple’s October 12th announcement will not yield a video iPod, but will most likely offer upgrades to iPods, PowerMacs and Powerbooks.
Graeme | Comments (0) | Music, Portable, Video
October 05, 2005
One more thing… One more what?
The Apple rumour-mill is off an running after Apple sent invitations to an event to be held in San Jose on October 12. All the invitation said was “One more thing…” in white over what looks like red, closed theatre curtains.
The big rumour is announcement of a video iPod.
What do you think?
- Reuters: Apple stirs product speculation over Oct 12 event
- Apple Insider: Apple planning launch of video iPod
- TheStreet.com: PortalPlayer [iPod chip supplier] Gets Popular
We’re thinking the red theatre curtains are a bit of a giveaway…
And there are also rumours of a new Airport Express that can deliver video as well as audio over WiFi direct from a laptop to a TV…
Graeme | Comments (0) | Music, Video
Don’t Steal a Camera Phone
Most cell phone companies provide customers with online access to their accounts. You can access your account online to do things like modify your address book or even see pictures and videos from your digital camera phone.
The following is from someone who had their phone stolen. When he logged into the online account for his cell phone, this is what he found.
He may not know who stole his phone, but he sure knows…
- what the thief looks like… [see photo on right]
- what the thief’s girlfriend looks like (naked)
- what their kid looks like
- and that they had sex with birthday balloons in the background
“My cell phone got stolen last week…. i just noticed it missing the other day and called up and had it turned off…. well im sitting around today tooling around on the computer and decided to go on my picture mail and see if pics have been sent…. whenever u send a pic to an email address it automatically saves a copy on my sprint website….. so guess what i find….. they used the camcorder on my phone to make a sex video…. HA!!!!! %!$#*& low life thieves….” ~svtperformance.com
[Syndicated post via MethodShop.com]
So I guess the moral of the story is - never steal a camera phone.
Other Resources: 123 CCTV Cameras CCTV security cameras, CCTV systems for the home or business.
methodshop | Comments (1) | General, Mobile Phone
