iTunes replacement? seem to be from OSS!! or SONGBIRD to sing iTunes.

They say it is firefox for music according to CNET news site.
If digital-music veteran Rob Lord wanted to court controversy with his new open-source start-up, he probably couldn't have done much better than to compare Apple Computer's iTunes software to Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser.
Apple's iTunes is "like Internet Explorer, if Internet Explorer could only browse Microsoft.com," Lord said. "We love Apple, and appreciate and thank them for setting the bar in terms of user experience. But it's inevitable that the market architecture changes as it matures."
An Apple representative declined to comment.
Among the online music giants and players, Microsoft's Media Player accounts for 45 percent of all PC music playing, Apple's iTunes captures 17 percent, and the rest fall off sharply from there, according to U.S. statistics from the NPD Group.

iTunes replacement? seem to be from OSS!! or SONGBIRD to sing iTunes.

They say it is firefox for music according to CNET news site.
If digital-music veteran Rob Lord wanted to court controversy with his new open-source start-up, he probably couldn't have done much better than to compare Apple Computer's iTunes software to Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser.
Apple's iTunes is "like Internet Explorer, if Internet Explorer could only browse Microsoft.com," Lord said. "We love Apple, and appreciate and thank them for setting the bar in terms of user experience. But it's inevitable that the market architecture changes as it matures."
An Apple representative declined to comment.
Among the online music giants and players, Microsoft's Media Player accounts for 45 percent of all PC music playing, Apple's iTunes captures 17 percent, and the rest fall off sharply from there, according to U.S. statistics from the NPD Group.

Case Mods and weird Gadgets

If you thought your case mod was great, check these out. I don't think I will have such gadgets for my computers. My mods, gizmos and gadgets go inside the case. All my cases are at least two years old but insides, I got to tell you in another geemodo story. Anyway just say they are top!
The story features 10 most weirdest case mods but if you go through the track backs and comments, you will find more. Some might be self promotion. But if you are reading this then you do have time in hands! So why not see what other case modders do! Happy Holidays!
By the way I thought WMD was cool! Which is the top right corner. But you might think this is cool, below! Which is the number one on the given site.

ATI All in One 2006 reviewed by Anandtech

If you have ever played with or used ATI All in One video cards, rejoice. The card, X1800 XL A-I-W is the ATI's X1800 XL version of the All-In-Wonder. But instead of reading my harangue, head over to anandtech and read the whole article.

PSP to Big Screen is here

Although I promised not to publish anything about sony gadgets, I thought I would publish this as it is from another company and many of you have PSP's in your hand.
The Blaze PSP to TV Projector has been available in shops since December 19th. Manufactured by Fire International the gadget will beam the screen on your PSP to almost any TV, LCD, Projector or Plasma screen with AV connections.
This innovation requires no modification to your handheld and clips neatly on top of the PSP.
In a Press Release Managing Director of Fire International, Jason Cooper said:
"The PSP to TV Projector offers users the first opportunity to view their PSP content on the screen of their choice. From the feedback we have received from PSP owners, the ability to use their console via the TV was undoubtedly the No. 1 product on their wish lists. Unique titles such as the PSP only GTA: Liberty Stories is a typical example of an "exclusive to PSP" title that can now be enjoyed on the big screen"
If you want to buy one this is the place to go.
You can see a demo here

Hand Cranked $100 Laptop enters Manufacturing

Remember the article Geemodo: Hand Cranked Notebook! I wrote a few weeks ago! Now the MIT Media lab has chosen a manufacturer. Horay, Some power chip at INTEL that said these kids "don't need gadgets, (Mind you, this was said to an audience in Sri Lanka, where buying an Intel based laptop would cost somewhere around 120,000 Rupees. The country has (I am getting frustrated by the minute about these corporate baggies who think the world is their two B***s)1.3 million people earning less than $1 a day!
But look at their dedication to education!

Indicator	Year	Sri Lanka	South & South-East Asia (R-1)	World	Source
Gross primary school enrollment ratio, male (I-43)	1998-2002	111	102	104	UNICEF, 2005
Gross primary school enrollment ratio, female (I-43)	1998-2002	110	88	97	UNICEF, 2005
Gross secondary school enrollment ratio, male (I-43)	1998-2002	72	51	66	UNICEF, 2005
Gross secondary school enrollment ratio, female (I-43)	1998-2002	77	39	61	UNICEF, 2005

And here what this guy, a moron, by my personal opinion, has to say;
""Mr. Negroponte has called it a $100 laptop--I think a more realistic title should be 'the $100 gadget'," Barrett was quoted as saying at a news conference in Sri Lanka." Read the specs of the gadget moron!

I am sure these kids will appreciate something, anything that will help them learn. I like to see what Mr. Barrett has for these kids. Xmas Balls? Please not yours, they lack content.
I checked google news about The $100 laptop production being awarded to Taiwanese Quanta. But no one brave enough to actually give a link to MIT Media Lab, May be for the fear of those centerino ads being lost? Or am I paranoid?

Anyway the production will go on and those children will get their gadgets so they can learn well and design chips for Mr.barrett later on.
You want one of these? you have a long wait but until then, you can go here to get info on how to make one!

Hoping Microbots and NASA funding

For the past several years, NASA has been encouraging scientists and engineers to think outside the box, bring out gadgets or gizmos that will help further the advancement of science and to come up with ideas just this side of science fiction. One of the projects that received funding earlier this year was a collaboration between Dr. Penelope Boston and Dr. Steven Dubowsky to develop "hopping microbots" capable of exploring hazardous terrain, including underground caves.
If you want to travel to distant stars, or find life on another world, it takes a bit of planning. That's why NASA has established NIAC.
NIAC provides funding on a competitive basis. Only a handful of the dozens of proposals submitted are funded. Phase I funding is minimal, just enough for researchers to flesh out their idea on paper. If the idea shows merit, it then may get Phase II funding, allowing the research to continue from the pure-concept to the crude-prototype stage.

Read more here or get download a pdf.

You have links to these sites too where you find similar type of gadgetry and more information on sience fiction level science;
Slime Team Website
The Mysterious Lives of Caves
Biomes, Inc.
Cave Slime
Touch-Sensitive Cyborg
Machines That Make-Out
Walking Tall Like a Human
Remote Control Insects
Unstoppable Creepy Crawlers

Sony DRM ROOTKIT, Suncomm, EFF new removal tool, yet the consumer problems don't go away.

After writing about Sony rootkit stuff, here, here, here, and here, the first post, I thought I could forget about writing about it and continue doing my normal stuff. But the gadgets, gizmos and toys have to wait it seems.
After all the court cases, theories of breaking IPOD and Itunes, Sony problems still linger. Now their patches are requiring patches. These products should not have been there in the first place and now consumers have to go on patching their computers, just to get some work done!
By the way Sony has released a rootkit uninstaller, you don't have to use the web based uninstaller they earlier offered. But with the trust I have in Sony, let researchers do their work first before trying to use it.

Well, windows updates, spyware updates, virus updates and now add sony patches update to your list. How about other music publishers? I think these researchers will continue to watch for these rootkits. And I will continue writing about them.
By the way in the form of boycotting Sony, I have guided myself to get an Olympus Digital camera (Review coming soon) instead of a Sony cybershots, HP computer for my friend, instead of Sony PC, Samsung DVR in place of Sony. So Sony, start counting, these small numbers add up.

Skype in a USB stick!

This could be good news for all the Skype fans, Now they can carry the account and contact info on a USB drive. Also it might be able to defeat the Skypekiller; VOIP IP Telephony: How to kill a Skype� / remove Skype� installs from your network!. I have not tested this and have to rely on press information for now. Read more and find links at VOIP IP Telephony Blog.
VOIP IP Telephony: Phone in a USB Stick called PhoneDrive! maybe we can call it Skypedrive!!

Car gadget for speed freaks!

Otto- driving companion™ reinforces driving focus and provides drivers with an opportunity to drive with extra care, and to potentially save money from speeding fines, crashes, increased insurance premiums, and increased license fees.

Persen Technologies Inc. (PERSENTECH)
announced today that it has added Ottawa to its list of major municipalities where its marquee road safety product, Otto- driving companion™, will operate. Two additional municipalities will be added shortly further extending its geographic market base.

OttoTM is a device designed to promote safe driving by completing existing roadway signage. OttoTM provides a driver of a vehicle with immediate feedback of their driving behaviour on every road within a municipality, principally real-time speeding notification. OttoTM also alerts the driver to the driving environment using voice prompt and visual alerts on approach to potentially hazardous intersections, school zones, Red Light Camera enforced intersections, Pedestrian Crosswalks and Deer Crossings.
Read more and pictures here..

VOIP IP Telephony: Cingular HSDPA Phone announced! See and talk at the same time!

#G network os out, get your HSDPA gear out or find out more from the link.
VOIP IP Telephony: Cingular HSDPA Phone announced! See and talk at the same time!

Itunes tunes to NBC

Apple Computer Inc., in a bid to repeat its digital music success in the world of videos, is adding 11 television shows from NBC Universal to its online iTunes Music Store.

NBC Universal is the second major television network to offer its content on Apple's online store. Walt Disney Co. was the first media giant to jump on board when Apple said in October that it would start selling television shows, music videos and short movies from Pixar.

The videos can be viewed on the computer using iTunes software or on the new video iPod.

Ardvark'd, Documentary film on software creation!, is out!!

"Aardvark'd: 12 Weeks with Geeks," has been released!, and after following many a links I even found out about complete cost of the project and projected profits.
Links traveled, the start, the coffee break, oh I remember that, I knew this guy too! [I think about five years ago, I directed some of my customers to this site, to explain why they should use version control in software development! If you are a software gadgeteer, remember to bookmark this link.] and finally the clip.
The Software project,New York-based Fog Creek Software creating a product from scratch to shipping was documented by director Lerone Wilson. It is now done, both the software the interns created and the film. Software is a twist in remote computer support, lets two users connect each other online for tech support. Find about the company and software here. I have glanced at this project on and off during the summer, initially found on this site.
Well if you want to be an intern for summer 2006, better hurry!
The film, Ardvark'd, (see a clip here, if you are unable to see use wmv here) is also shipping, in DVD format. I will get a copy! Just because of the people involved.
Here is a short list;
Intern:..........................Tyler Griffin Hicks-Wright
Intern:..........................Benjamin Pollack
Intern:..........................Yaron Guez
Intern:..........................Michael Lehenbauer
CEO Fog Creek Software:..........................Joel Spolsky I like his style
Creator VisiCalc:..........................Dan BricklinOne of the first software application I used created by this guy!
Founder ViaWeb:..........................Paul Graham
President Fog Creek Software:..........................Michael Pryor
Fog Creek Software:..........................Elizabeth Gordon
Fog Creek Software:..........................Brett Kiefer
Fog Creek Software:..........................Ben Kamens
Fog Creek Software:..........................Dmitri Kalmar
I hope you at least see the clip.

One of the Best of gadgets you can give that young person you know!

Slashdot article where I got the news, had to say this and it says all!
"Are you a Linux user? Are you a parent? If so there is something that the two have in common. Edubuntu is a newly released fork of the Ubuntu Linux distribution. It is targeted at children from the ages of 5-12 years old. There are lots of games and even kindergarten appropriate activities for children. The developers and supporters of Edubuntu have developed a Manifesto which lays out the intent and objective of this open-source and freely distributed OS development effort. The current stable version is Edubuntu 5.10 'Breezy Badger', the same as Ubuntu 5.10's alias. Edubuntu comes complete with installations for x86 and AMD64 architecture. Edubuntu will be a nice addition to your home-network."

You can dowload the ISO image from here. Select the correct image that you want.If you want to burn the disc image from Ubuntu, right-click on the CD image and click on "Burn to disc". If you're using Nero CD burner in Microsoft Windows, or K3b in KDE, you can select the burn ISO CD image option, and select the edubuntu cd image file.

If you need further information you can goto the Community and Wiki sites.


At the Edubuntu site shows the manifesto;
* Edubuntu will always be free of charge, and there is no extra fee for the "enterprise edition", we make our very best work available to everyone on the same Free terms.
* Edubuntu includes the very best in translations and accessibility infrastructure that the Free Software community has to offer, to make Edubuntu usable by as many people as possible.
* Edubuntu is released regularly and predictably; a new release is made every six months. You can use the current stable release or the current development release. Each release is supported with security updates for at least 18 months.
* Edubuntu is entirely committed to the principles of free and open source software development; we encourage people to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.



The current release is;
Edubuntu 5.10: The Breezy Badger

Edubuntu is suitable for both desktop and server use. Edubuntu 5.10 also includes a built-in Linux terminal server. The current Edbuntu release supports Intel x86 (IBM-compatible PC) and AMD64 (Hammer) architectures.

Edubuntu includes more than 16,000 pieces of software, but the core installation fits on a single CD. Edubuntu starts with the Linux kernel version 2.6 and Gnome 2.12, and covers every standard desktop application from word processing and spreadsheet applications, educational software (such as GCompris and the KDE education suite) to internet access applications, web server software, email software, programming languages and tools and of course several games.
© 2005 Canonical. Canonical, Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Edubuntu are registered trademarks of Canonical Ltd.

Tinkers of WRT54G Gadget Be happy, Linux version still alive

Even I bought and returned the (in)famous V5 of WRT54G, because I could not mess around with it. So I got a WRT54GS. That is going to be my plaything, I thanked myself by getting it on Thanksgiving weekend. I will let you know how it goes.
linksys has not killed the Linux version, they are still producing it in lesser quantity, under the name "WRT54GL". So you can still load all those third party software on it, join message boards devoted to it and spend next half century, improving your WI-FI VOIP and any other gadgets and Gizmos that uses wireless technology.
The news was on Slashdot and Linux devices today and I am sure news made many a gadgeteers happy.
According to the articles,
LinkSys's director of product marketing, Mani Dhillon, said LinkSys made the switch because, as a more deeply embedded system, VxWorks allowed the company to halve the amounts of Flash and RAM in the device, while retaining similar functionality. Apparently, reducing memory-related BOM (bill-of-materials) costs more than offset the costs of licensing a proprietary OS, given the WRT54G's extremely high sales volume. "We sell literally hundreds of thousands per month," Dhillon said.

The new, VxWorks-based WRT54G "series 5" models have 2MB of Flash, and 8MB of RAM, compared with 4MB of Flash and 16MB of RAM in the earlier, Linux-based versions. Although the "series 5" devices offer Linux hobbyists less elbow room to load alternative firmware (assuming they could get around the bootloader to install it), it seems likely the hacker community will rise to the challenge.

Linux hackers and hobbyists have long hot-rodded their WRT54Gs, adding features such as Radius authentication, bridge capabilities, VoIP QoS (voice-over-IP quality-of-service), and so on. The L model will continue to offer 4MB of Flash, and 16MB of RAM, in order to support the various freely and commercially available alternative firmware images for the devices that depend on those memory capacities.

This is not a simple hacker toy, Wi-Fi Planet has published a story about turning LinkSys's ubiquitous, Linux-based (versions 1-4) WRT54G into the functional equivalent of a $600 enterprise router, by installing community-developed firmware that adds features such as Radius authentication, WPA2 encryption, VoIP QoS features, and integration with WiFi hotspot management systems.

Crab Nebula, The best Image yet!

If your gadgets and Gizmos include a telescope, Then you would certainly like this. The image was a product of Hubble Space telescope. And it is a composite of several images taken in 1999 and 2000. The time I was so attached, mentally and workwise to the Hubble Telescope. Too bad that it will not be up for very long.

The new image released will help researchers better understand the phenomenon that created the nebula—a supernova explosion. The blast, which signaled the death of a star 6,500 light years from Earth, was seen by Japanese and Chinese astronomers in 1054.
More info and larger images, here and here.

IP enable your Grandfather (Cuckoo Clock!)

Now you can network, IP enable your grandfather, ah clock! Only if it is cuckoo. I learned about this Gadget to make at we-make-money-not-art.com via MAKE:blog. I think it a great idea. From the website "Cuckoo IP is a voice messaging system. The clock's answer phone can be dialed from mobile or landline. Leave a voice message, select a time for the delivery of it. At that time, the cuckoo will emerge from the clock and broadcast your message."
Picture is from we-make-money-not-art.com