“We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.” Palm CEO Ed Colligan, commenting on then-rumored Apple iPhone, 16 Nov 2006

“Apple is slated to come out with a new phone… And it will largely fail.” Michael Kanellos, CNET, 7 December 2006

“The only question remaining is if, when the iPod phone fails, it will take the iPod with it.” Bill Ray, The Register, 26 December 2006

“Apple will likely have a tough time convincing application vendors to build specialized clients for the iPhone until the volumes are there, and the volumes could be limited by the lack of third-party applications – a Catch 22.” Jack Gold, J. Gold Associates, 10 January 2007

“The iPhone is nothing more than a luxury bauble that will appeal to a few gadget freaks.” Matthew Lynn, Bloomberg, 15 January 2007

“Five hundred dollars? Fully subsidized, with a plan? It is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a keyboard which makes it not a very good email machine… So, I, I kinda look at that and I say, well, I like our strategy. I like it a lot.” Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, 17 January 2007

I am not sure how it will stand against Sprint’s Wimax (when it successfully launches) and its phones, which I am looking forward much more than over-hyped Apple iPhone.” Bhaskar Chitraju, Indews Broadcast, 18 January 2007

“iPhone may well become Apple’s next Newton.” David Haskin, Computerworld, 26 February 2007

“Apple should pull the plug on the iPhone… What Apple risks here is its reputation as a hot company that can do no wrong. If it’s smart it will call the iPhone a ‘reference design’ and pass it to some suckers to build with someone else’s marketing budget. Then it can wash its hands of any marketplace failures… Otherwise I’d advise people to cover their eyes. You are not going to like what you’ll see.” John C. Dvorak, 28 March 2007

Let’s take a break, and a trip down memory lane, back to January 9, 2007:

“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I’d prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.” Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, 30 April 2007

“How do they deal with us?” Ed Zander, Motorola CEO/Chairman 10 May 2007

“Apple begins selling its revolutionary iPhone this summer and it will mark the end of the string of hits for the company.” Todd Sullivan, Seeking Alpha, 15 May 2007

“What does the iPhone offer that other cell phones do not already offer, or will offer soon? The answer is not very much… Apple’s stated goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008 seems ambitious.” Laura Goldman, LSG Capital, 21 May 2007

“We Predict the iPhone will bomb. Which means that when the iPhone comes, Digg will likely be full of horror stories from the poor saps who camped out at their local AT&T store, only to find their purchase was buggier than a camp cabin.” Seth Porges, The Futurist, 7 June 2007

“The forthcoming (June 29) release of the Apple iPhone is going to be a bigger marketing flop than Ishtar and Waterworld combined. Because its designers forgot Platt’s First, Last, and Only Law of User Experience Design (“Know Thy User, for He Is Not Thee”), that product is going to crash in flames. Sell your Apple stock now, while the hype’s still hot. You heard it here first.” David S. Platt, Suckbusters!, 21 June 2007

“God himself could not design a device that could live up to all the hype that the iPhone has gotten.” Harvard computer science professor David Platt, 25 June 2007

I guess it pays to make professional-sounding predictions. Those prophesies embellished with colorful metaphors made me cringe even more. Again, to be fair, this is all about hindsight, and the smugness it confers. Also, I can’t imagine Steve Ballmer cheering Apple on anyway—nor Palm actively trying to make the Pre work with Apple’s iTunes.

See Also: The iPod Dealt With a Lot of Hate During It’s Debut

Post from: The Gadget Blog

Brazillion website Zumo managed to get their hands on one of the new Dell Mini 3iX’s in Brazil earlier Tuesday afternoon. What they got to play with was a phone that:

• Has a completely button-free face giving it a very sleek look.
• Has a 3 megapixel camera with flash, autofocus, and video.
• Other basic utilities such as 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a microSD card slot.

But what was most surprising is that this Android-based phone does not have the Android Market on it to download apps. Confirmed by Scott Schillington, director of retail for Dell Latin America, their is no Android Market despite it being an Android phone. And because Android is an open-source project, Dell can put a modified version of it on their phone.

Instead, Dell wishes for users to download applications direction from the developers instead of through the Android Market. This move might be in an effort to show more appreciation for the developers of these apps which, in the past, has been mostly absent.

Dell states that this phone is different from the one released in China which did not include 3G or Wi-Fi and sports a slightly different design. They also state that this phone will possibly be available in Brazil during the first quarter of 2010. No word on price or when this phone will go to other places but we can assume sometime during 2010.

Read [Zumo] Via [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Last night Facebook hit the 350 million users milestone. That is the equivalent of every single person in the United States owning a Facebook account and then roughly 40 million people elsewhere. To celebrate, Zuckerburg did two things:

1. He posted an open letter on every user’s homepage stating how thankful he is for the support of Facebook over the years.
2. He updated the privacy policy.

This update will remove the regional networks feature of Facebook. You know, the cities, states, or countries that you would join so that everyone in them could see your data. This update has been a long time coming as the main issue surrounding Facebook is the privacy of its users.

The new privacy plan of Facebook will also dumb things down (for the better) for the users. After implemented, users will select whether they want friends, friends of friends, or everyone to see their profile.

The new update is supposed to hit within the next couple of weeks and will require that all users of Facebook to update their privacy status to fit the new model.

Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Drool-worthy specs follow:

The two-piece wall consists of a huge LED media facade (at the top), and a multitouch information-wall (at the bottom), and impresses by its physical size, as it totals a surface of about 425 square meters, equaling more than 6000 computer displays.

The interactive interface emerges out of 34 million pixels generated by 15 high definition projectors, supported by sound produced by 30 directional speakers. The multitouch capturing itself is based on laser technology, also called Laser Light Plane Illumination (LLP). This means more than 80 users can simultaneously get informed about news and activities around the ringworld.

What does all that hardware provide? Apparently a dynamic information kiosk for anyone wanting to learn more about what’s up at Nürburgring. To be fair, my source doesn’t conclusively declare the display as the largest multi-touch screen in the world. And I couldn’t find any information on how user-friendly and responsive Nürburgring’s display is. So, for those who were lucky enough to visit the venue, or know of any larger multi-touch display, feel free to hit the comments below.

Source

*As of December 2, 2009

Post from: The Gadget Blog

Sony’s stretching into the security market with an alternative to the fingerprint scanner, the FVA-U1 USB Vein Authentication Device?. You’re a beautiful little snowflake just like everyone else and Sony is taking advantage of it now. This USB connected system uses the vein patterns in your finger as a unique identification token. Many of Sony’s laptops contain fingerprint scanners, and while those provide an infallible method of identifying a human being, they are easily defeated and confused. You leave your fingerprints everywhere. Fingerprint security is something akin to having a 256-bit strength password and chiseling it on the bottom of your shoes. In contrast, vein patterns are purportedly as unique as fingerprints and are contained within the skin and not available for easy interception.

Sony vein reader is based on their Mofiria technology, which was unveiled earlier this year as a very low power identification device suitable for institutional use or low power mobile use (e.g. cell phones). This mini-USB version is the first piece of hardware released based on Mofiria. Sony is pitching this as more than just a personal security token, but hoping it will be adopted by large corporations by releasing an SDK for public consumption. The SDK opens the device up for developers to customize and obscure their security systems. Sadly the FVA-U1 is similar in cost to already available vein scanners at $350, and won’t be released until December 18th.
Permanent Link

Featured Reviews & Articles

• Samsung DualView TL225 Digital Camera Review
• Logitech Anywhere MX Notebook Mouse Review
• Novelty Flash Drive Round-up
• Archos 3 Touchscreen PMP Review

USB 3.0 & Wireless USB

• nVidia Blames Intel for USB 3.0 Slowdown
• Super Talent USB 3.0 Flash Drive
• Sharkoon USB 3.0 Hard Drive Dock
• Buffalo 12x USB 3.0 Blu-ray Burner
• StarTech 2-port USB 3.0 ExpressCard
• Imation Pro WX 1.5TB Wireless USB Hard Drive
• Atlona AT-HDAiR Wireless USB HDMI Adapter

Other Top Stories

• The Beatles USB Limited Edition USB Album
• The Official OpenOffice Mouse
• Bluemic THX-certified USB Mic
• Nexcopy USB Scrub
• HP, DisplayLink Make USB-powered Thin Clients
• Klipsch ProMeda 2.1 Wireless USB Speakers
• B&W MM-1 USB PC Speakers
• Thanko USB TV Toothbrush Sanitizer
• Morgan Freeman Bets on Movie Rental on Flash Drives
• Smartfish “Swiveling” Ergonomic Mouse
• USB Hand Grenade Flash Drive
• PogoPlug – Second Generation
• ROCCAT Apuri USB Hub with Mouse Bungee
• First USB Subwoofer (No Speakers Bundled)
• Razer Imperator Gaming Mouse
• Chrome OS on a Flash Drive
• Creative 3rd Gen. Vado HD Camcorder
• USBInsert – USB Drive Ads in Paper Ads

Permanent Link

New contest: Win a pair of Xmi X-mini MAX II portable speakers!

Gallery: C6.BlackforceOne – Chevrolet Corvette C6 inspired by Air Force One

Check out the gallery below of the finely tuned C6.BlackforceOne. The design team LOMA-Performance, based in Germany were inspired by the military Boeing Air Force One which carries the President of the USA. The BlackforceOne is a limited edition (25-unit production) Chevrolet Corvette C6 which boasts a twin-turbocharged V8 engine generating an unbelievable 783hp. This atypical supercar will get you from 0-60mph in just 3.4-seconds with a top speed of 205mph. Pricing-wise, the C6.BlackforceOne will cost €190,000.

[via Serious Wheels]

C6.BlackforceOne

The name of this vehicle is a show in itself: C6.BlackforceOne. It is clearly reminiscent of the legendary Boeing Air Force One of the United States president – doubtless no accident by tuner LOMA-Performance. Yet when the C6.BlackforceOne available in Stealth matt black, Eurofighter matt grey and White Storm matt white (other colours on request) comes thundering round the corner, it is soon clear that it more than deserves its name – and has far more to offer than just an exciting label…

No less than two metres from outside wheel to outside wheel, the C6.BlackforceOne is based on the “normal” Corvette (original width: 179cm) and not on a Z06 or ZR1 model. This means around ten centimetres more on each side and creates a real masculine feel. LOMA-Performance makes no effort to disguise the source of the additional width – indeed clearly and stylishly displays the carbon fibre wheel arch extensions and carbon fibre side skirts available with or without visible screws: the ultimate racing look. LOMA has installed a carbon fibre front lip and rear diffuser with integrated LED reverse light alongside the extensions, also in carbon fibre. The optional LOMA-Performance rear spoiler with a carbon fibre finish is easy to fit and detach. Circular daytime running lights are an eye-catching feature of the headlights. The front lip, rear diffuser and daytime running lights are incidentally available for all C6 Corvettes, including the Z06 and ZR1.

794 PS with bi-turbo charging

The bi-turbo engine conversion is, however, exclusive to the C6.BlackforceOne and raises an incredible 794 PS from the V8 engine. 675 PS still reach the rear axle after transfer via a LOMA-Performance carbon fibre sports clutch, highly durable carbon fibre drive shafts and an overhauled gear unit; skilled hands are certainly needed at the wheel of the high-speed Corvette. It should hit 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds to furious roars from the LOMA Cup Sport Superlight exhaust unit and reach 330km/h. “Only” 330km/h? Yes, that’s right, because LOMA believes in good acceleration in all situations rather final speed as a status-symbol, and has adjusted the C6.BlackforceOne accordingly.

A propos adjustment: coilover suspension is fitted beneath the body to allow separate adjustment of pressure and rebound damping. Even the stabilisers are adjustable. An extra 8 centimetres’ tread at the front and all of 14 centimetres at the rear ensure the C6 really hugs the road.

The impression of sheer unlimited curve speed is of course also down to the Michelin Sport Cup high performance tyres in the dimensions 275/30R19 and 335/25R20 mounted on 10 x 19 and 12 x 20-inch shining black OZ Racing Ultraleggera HLT alloy wheels.

Racing technology for the road

LOMA-Performance can install a carbon fibre/ceramic brake unit from Mov’it for brutal deceleration to match the brutal acceleration. This is an impressive 15.5 kilograms lighter on the front axle and 10 kilograms lighter on the rear axle than, say, ZO6 brakes.

In the interior, too, the team headed by Managing Director Mario Radosavljevic have been hard at work creating a great ambience with both technical and luxury features. The door panels, for example, are finished in carbon fibre and sections of the cockpit are covered with Alcantara. C6.BlackforceOne customers can choose from 300 different types of leather. The sports steering wheel – 34 centimetres in diameter with Alcantara – is smoothed off on the underside; the refitted seats with shoulder rests are only half as thick as their series equivalents. Special foam ensures these ultimate sports seats are still comfortable and great for long journeys.

All electrical functions have been retained as has full airbag functionality.

Limited Edition

C6.BlackforceOne production is strictly limited to 25 vehicles. All are numbered and come with a full guarantee. LOMA provides an additional 12-month guarantee for the spectacular engine tuning. The prices for a complete vehicle start at 190,000 euros.

Those who want to experience the monster live will find it at the Essen Motor Show from 28 November to 6 December (Hall 6, Stand 215).

New contest: Win a pair of Xmi X-mini MAX II portable speakers!

OS Xbox Pro casemod runs Windows 7, Mac OS X and Ubuntu

Just the video of the entire casemod process already deserves a mention on this blog. Will Urbina, a modder has created an “OS Xbox Pro” using the original Xbox dev kit, in addition he has put into his new PC some of the best bits of hardware resembling that of Mac Pros. It is absolutely ballistic! The OS Xbox Pro has a 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550s, an NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT card, 8GB of RAM, an 16GB solid state drive, and four traditional hard drives.

As you will see in the video, it boots to Windows 7, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Ubuntu. Unfortunately for Xbox fans, no, it doesn’t play Xbox games anymore, its just the case that he wanted! All this was within a budget price of $1500, that’s incredible.

Check out the video below, if you’re planning on doing something similar this holiday season, be prepared, as it could take awhile!

Check out more of Will’s mods here…