<img src="http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/editor, the situation was particularly dire.) Since then I’ve been very “don’t let this happen to you” when I talk to people about backing up their files. The number of digital media files alone on my computer skyrocketed over the past few years and to lose that stuff would be devastating. You likely feel the same way about yours. To that end, I decided to throw down some rules to follow to setup a successful file backup routine. → Read More
at the Times. It was essentially a free international number that terminated in Iowa and then connected you to international numbers anywhere around the world. We used it quite a bit until they yanked it. → Read More
GadgetUniverse has an interesting product up. It’s a visor mounted DVD player with FM transmitter and apparently allows your bored passengers to enjoy red hot work-out porn from the comfort of your Impala’s bucket seats. At $299.95, it seems a little iffy but the 7-inch device can play DVDs, VCDs, and MP3 disks as well as SD cards. It also has a TV tuner and a touch screen. Pretty impressive list of features for such a slim device. Product Page → Read More
As far as Sony goes, we’ve always appreciated its Discman and Walkman line of products. But when the iPod strolled in, Sony sort of started to suck in the DAP department. So it really should come as no surprise that Sony is releasing the CPF-IP001 iPod Docking Station. Just a basic docking station, the device comes with two 5-watt speakers and a 15-watt subwoofer, making it a bit louder than most dual-speaker iPod docks. But wait, what’s that? – let me see that box for a second, Sony. Oh! There’s no “Made for iPod” logo on the side! Guess you suck. If you have $250 and a PS3, I think you’ve found yourself a dock made in heaven. It’s available now. Sony CPF-IP001 iPod Docking Station [Mobile Whack] → Read More
Here’s a nice in depth look at the i7. The swiveling touch screen is pretty enticing and the UI seems pretty easy to navigate. Enjoy! i7 Porn [Techfresh] → Read More
First reported in the blogosphere last November, the speaker allows the user to adjust volume or tune the built-in FM radio simply by moving their hand within the vicinity of the device. The 10-inch tall gadget features two 0.7-watt speakers that can be powered with batteries, AC or USB. The speaker also displays three colorful background lights. The e-Revolution Motion Speaker is now available for about $120 on AudioCubes. e-Revoltion Motion Speaker [AudioCubes] → Read More
http://embed.break.com/MjE4NjA0 There aren’t much details about this chair, but one commenter believes it is made out of a massive amount of flexible cardboard. Evan Ackerman over at OhGizmo! describes it as “a bunch of interlocking two dimensional chairs that can accordion out to whatever length you want, slinky style.” Regardless, I want one just to woo the ladies, who can be heard ooing and aahing in the background. Slinky Chair Video [Break via OhGizmo!] → Read More
What the heck? HD VoIP is apparently the latest marketing scheme by Canadian telco Iristel. Apparently it adds CD quality voice calls to standard VoIP which is, to put it lightly, about as useful as… I don’t even know. Sounds essentially like bullshit. Generally, friends, VoIP is fairly low quality simply because it can be. If you want high quality VoIP get a nice headset and download Skype. It’s not like your telephone can reproduce the wonderful glottals of Mariah Carey through a tinny speaker and ’50s-era amplifier. Iristel Launches First High Definition (HD) VoIP Service in Canada [TMCNet via TheVOIPGirl → Read More
Are you done with her? Did she make that “snort snort” noise in the bathroom one too many times? Is her hair slightly off-color and won’t match your new speakers? Does she want to talk about your “cheating” again? Well, drop her like a bad habit and resell her engagement ring at a tidy profit. Yes, friends, the Internet has finally found a way to turn heartache and deep emotional ties into a financial transaction — something that the world’s oldest profession has been doing for years. Created by Joshua Opperman, a young man who discovered he could only get a third of his ring’s value at resale, this website brings the jilted and the soon-to-jilt together. And we thought ingenuity is dead here in the U.S. IDoNowIDont.com via Thrillist → Read More
Sling Media now is accepting beta applications for the PalmOS. The requirements are that you have a Treo 700p (or in some cases, a Treo 680, Palm TX, or Treo 650), a Sling Box and an unlimited data plan. The application is long (it takes about 10 minutes to complete) and the first wave of tests will begin Feb. 5. Watch out for the disclaimer: Sling Media can’t be held responsible for your family, friends, and coworkers feeling utterly ignored… please watch responsibly. Sling Media beta application [Sling via Mobile Whack] → Read More
Ouriel Ohayon, editor of TC France, is celebrating his site’s 1st birthday today and had his readers create some excellent celebratory logos. We don’t often highlight the other members of the esteemed TC family, but Ouriel is doing a bang-up job and now that his site is on to solid foods and is almost walking, we’re just tickled. TechCrunch France → Read More
Someone with too much time on his hands and not enough money to buy the Nintendo Wii decided to remake the look and feel of the OS on his computer. The results are pretty astonishing, especially the video of the Wiimote being used in conjunction with the screen. Now if he can only get it to play Wii games :-p. The fake OS also is available for download. Wii OS [via Digg] → Read More
The 3GSM Conference is just around the corner and Nokia recently submitted what seems to be a swiveling music phone with the FCC. We’re not too sure what series this phone will fall under but it seems it will be the successor to the 3250 but we won’t know for sure until March 16 when the confidentiality request will expire, or at 3GSM. According to Phone Arena the new Nokia will be quad-band GSM and tri-band UMTS with HSDPA enabled. The only picture that was submitted shows the bottom 1/4th will swivel and the back of the phone has a play/pause/camera button. The report also states it will have Bluetooth, GRPS and EGRPS. We’ll see soon enough, hopefully sooner rather than later. Swivel Music Phone [Symbian Guru via Gearfuse] → Read More
When we first wrote about Go2Web20 on its release in September 2006, it was a side project of Israeli founders Orli Yakuel and Eyal Shahar. They thought it would be a nice way to show off their passion for Flash and keep a directory of new web startup logos and basic information. The site proved to be so popular that the two have kept working on it, adding new companies and products (there are nearly 800 now). They’ve also changed the user interface substantially and have added Ajax components to the site. If anything, this is a fun site to just click around on and read about startups. Logos can be sorted by date added or alphabetically. Clicking on a logo brings up basic information at the bottom of the page, and companies can also add their own code (a video, RSS feed, widget, etc.). The site is also taking advertisers for the first time (we are advertising on the site to support this project). Information on advertising is here. → Read More
I’m Almost Ready for My Close-Up (Sleepy Thoughts on Video You Didn’t Demand) Philipp Goedicke Now Vista’s out. It’s great [1]. Or trash [2]. New Shuffles hit the floor [3-5]. But YouTube beckons with some cash [6]. Wake up, you’re on in four. [7] Show off new products from all sides, Tell others what you see [8-13]. If you made it, beam with pride [14]. Wake up, you’re on in three [15]. Or take some clips from other shows, Like Bill Gates’ interviews [16, 17]. (But don’t expect some cash for those.) Wake up, you’re on in two [18]. Post games [19, 20] or people playing games [21, 22], Or ad-campaigns, undone [23], Or weddings, now no longer lame [24]. Wake up, you’re on in one [25]. So pose in your Jack Bauer gear [26], Take pictures in HD [27]. The censor’s ready [28], camera’s here. “[BLEEP] off, don’t bother mii.” [29] → Read More
Plazes, which is based in Zurich and Berlin, is announcing its first institutional round of financing this morning. They raised €2.7 million, or about $3.5 million, from Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures. We first profiled Plazes on June 11, 2005 (the day this blog started). It’s evolved significantly since then, obviously, but the core idea is the same – Plazes tracks your physical location and shows you other Plazes users and places nearby. Plazes also integrates with Skype, has a widget to place on websites that shows your current location and other information, and a SMS service to find out the current location of your Plazes friends. I spoke with founder Felix Petersen earlier this evening. He says Plazes continues to see “strong growth” and has 40,000 active users currently. Those users are “predominantly users from the US (40%), followed by Germany, UK, Netherlands, Canada and Switzerland.” A thousand or so users are online at any given time. → Read More
If you happened to wander onto the Google campus last Sunday, January 28th, you might not have been surprised to notice a flurry of activity around building 40, even on a Sunday night. But you would have walked in on an incredible sight. An entire auditorium filled with hundreds of people mingling around and stopping by colorful booths where friendly and enterprising 12 year girls explained their wares and encouraged you to buy their hand-made sparkling picture frames for $10 or scented soaps for $2. It was the Girls’ Middle School Entrepreneurial Night, hosted by Google. One after the other, ten teams of 3-5 seventh grade girls presented their Powerpoint on stage to a panel of Silicon Valley judges and an audience of 400 parents, teachers and students. The students’ goal: to raise $100-250 from a venture capitalist to fund operations until May. The judges: successful entrepreneurs like Diane Greene from VMWare and Christine Comaford-Lynch from Mighty Ventures, and experienced investors from Bay Partners, InterWest, Kleiner Perkins, Versant, and TA Associates. As many of us asked each other in amazement, how old were you when you made your first presentation to 400 people? How old were you when you raised money for your first venture? These girls presented with aplomb and humor. The audience laughed heartily when Grace Kagle, from Bubble Trouble, explained the compelling market opportunity for their scented soaps and bath salts as being “anyone who likes to take baths and be clean.” The team I funded, One Stop Pet Shop, started with a team jingle and then explained that they picked pet products because they were passionate about pets, they wanted to differentiate from the other teams selling products primarily for girls, and people make purchases for pets as though they’re “an equal family member.” Hence the 100% margins on the $8 water bowls and $3.50 dog treats that were flying off the booth table! Of course, nurturing twelve year old entrepreneurship takes more than one evening. With an army of volunteer business coaches and parents directed by Ann Tardy for the past few years and ably taken over by Tracy Greene this year, GMS’ Entrepreneurial Education program is a full-year course for the seventh grade where the girls spend the first half creating their business ideas, writing 8-10 page business plans and preparing to present on funding night. These concise plans are complete with business and → Read More
San Francisco, CA
