Twenty-six year old Fouad Mourtada of Morocco, who was serving a three year prison sentence for impersonating the Moroccan king’s younger brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, on Facebook, has been granted a royal pardon, says the BBC. He was originally arrested in early February 2007, and sentenced on February 25. CNN and BBC, which have covered the story, have focused on the “appalling” human rights conditions in Morocco and the untouchable status of the royal family. But what I wanted to know was how he was arrested in the first place (noting some similarities to the Yahoo/China situation from 2004). The Moroccan government must almost certainly have had the assistance of Facebook in identifying Mourtada. When I asked Facebook about this last month they would not comment specifically on the situation. → Read More
http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?umid=191059 We’ve heard much romormongering about the Guitar Hero for DS controller, and now here it is. It’s, well, minimalist, comparatively speaking. It’s much like the Guitar Hero fretboard we have now, with the strum action taking place on the touch screen, which is cleaver, but this still looks unwieldely. I preferred the telescoping mock-up we saw awhile back, but I guess this will have to do. Exclusive Reveal: Guitar Hero DS [IGN] → Read More
[photopress:scaled.IMGP6010.JPG,full,pp_image] I just got back from checking out the zzzPhone and I can say without a doubt that it’s real. It’s definitely not a scam, but the first generation ran into some problems with the manufacturer and they don’t work stateside. I’m told the newest generation is on its way very soon. Maybe within a month. The OS is still uncertain and could be Symbian or Windows CE. Android is also in the works as well as Skype for the upcoming model. An interesting tid bit on the zzzPhone is that there are eight different motherboards to accommodate the customization that’s making the zzzPhone so enticing. Another really cool feature, at least, on the old model is the inclusion of a 20-minute internal backup battery. That’s right, it works without the removable battery for up to 20-minutes. We should be getting a demo unit in the coming weeks of the US-compatible version. Stay tuned. [photopress:scaled.IMGP6011.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6012.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6025.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6024.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6023.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6022.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6021.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6020.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6017.JPG,thumb,pp_image] → Read More
Facebook has taken steps to limit application spam numerous times in the past. One of the recent steps they took was to specifically limit the number of daily invitations that users could send out to others – going from a hard cap of 20/day to a variable rate that takes into account the rate of declines by recipients. All of these steps are designed to limit the barrage of messages that the average Facebook user gets asking them to add applications. The details of the rules seem fairly trivial, but they have a big impact on the third party developers trying to build a business on Facebook. And remember that Facebook isn’t simply doing them a favor by letting them on the platform – OpenSocial gives these developers other options to get access to users. And remember that Facebook invited these devlopers with open arms, even setting up a fund to provide investment capital. So when developers noticed that CBS seems to be playing by different rules than everyone else they were understandably irate. CBS’ March Madness facebook application, which is being promoted as “The Official Tournament Brackets On Facebook,” allows users to invite up to 100 friends per day. Competitors must play under the existing rules – three that I checked out had a limit of just 18 invites/day. Facebook and CBS announced a partnership around March Madness earlier this month. The pools all close Thursday at noon, so application developers are scrambling to try and add users. Facebook seems to be playing favorites with CBS based on a revenue relationship. This isn’t the first or even the second time Facebook has shown a willingness to prioritize their own interests over those of their developers. Now, it seems, they may be open to trading revenue for special treatment, too. I have an email in to Facebook for comment, and will update this post with any response. CrunchBase Information Facebook Information provided by CrunchBase → Read More
Canadian social networking site Capazoo has fired most of its staff and is heading to the Deadpool. We first wrote about Capazoo in December 2007 where we noted that it paid users to participate, but only if they paid a membership fee then referred other users in a classic pyramid scheme structure. According to local media reports, Capazoo fired its entire development team (60 people) late last week with the one remaining sysadmin to keep the site itself running. Capazoo’s head office has a for rent sign in the window. Besides a terrible business plan, a family dispute hasn’t helped, with brothers Michel Verville and Luc Verville fighting in court for control of the company. And just to keep the soap opera going, there are also accusations that the brothers embezzled money from the company; one figure being mentioned suggests $2 million is missing. Capazoo’s $25 million was initially listed as only being “private funding” but more recently National Lampoon became an investor. Update: this from a source familiar with the company: The big issue was fraud amongst the founders who were taking 10% commissions on all funds raised. They did the first round ($8 million) at $72 million pre-money from a bunch of athletes and non-sophisticated angels at $100k-$200k chunks. Most of them didn’t know that management was taking 10% commission themselves (despite owning all the common) for all funds raised. They then raised another $5-10 million (conflicting rumors) at a $132 million pre, while still taking commissions. The two brothers took almost $2 million out of the company before reaching more then 10K users and ballooned the staff to 130 staff before starting to do layoffs. Capazoo joins the TechCrunch Deadpool. CrunchBase Information Capazoo Information provided by CrunchBase → Read More
Another day, another Apple knockoff. Meet the Hiphone, a clone from Hong Kong. It sure looks like an iPhone, and is packaged like an iPhone, but it apparently isn’t anything like the iPhone. I’ve used this phone before. It’s a quad-band GSM phone that comes unlocked, feel free to add your own SIM, but it’s got Satan’s touchscreen. Stick with the original, kids. → Read More
The Stash Card is a novel idea, but I wouldn’t keep anything valuable in it like the manufacturer suggests. The rest of the suggestions work out quite nicely. It’s only $8. Why not? Product Page [via jkontherun] → Read More
[photopress:2008_03_19T105500Z_01_NOOTR_RTRIDSP_2_SCIENCE_CLARKE_DEATH_DC_1.jpg,full,center] You read the headline right. How they’re related, with the exception of geek culture, I’m not sure. But apparently this is happening. 1917 – 2008 Yesterday, the worlds of science and science fiction lost one of their true visionaries, the inestimable Arthur C. Clarke, author of seminal works like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Rendezvous with Rama. Through the writings of Mr. Clarke, all these worlds are yours. It isn’t easy to overstate Mr. Clarke’s contribution to increasing the public’s fascination with science and technology. In fact, Mr. Clarke’s imaginative fiction, profoundly insightful futurist thinking and boundless optimism played no small part in shaping the formation of our company, Geek Squad. Out of the deepest respect for Mr. Clarke, Geek Squad personnel will be observing a moment of silence this evening at 20:01 military time. Many thanks for your understanding. The sky is filled with one more star tonight. Me, I just poured a little out for my homie. → Read More
[photopress:arlenxm.jpg,full,center] A decision, one way or the other, on the proposed XM-Sirus merger should be reached by the end of the month. So says Sen. Arlen Spector, the ranking [Republican] member on the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Pat Leahy is the chairman of the committee, it should be noted.) He made an appearance on the Howard Stern Show earlier today and tried to explain why no decision has been made just yet, well over a year since the merger was first announced. → Read More
Gartner Research, in a stunning reversal, says that the iPhone is great for business, at least when firmware 2.0 hits. Their reasoning? Well, Steve said it was so. “In its initial release, the iPhone was, with few exceptions, an Internet tablet with browser-based applications as its main offering, however, the release of firmware 2.0 changes that, enabling enterprises to develop local code and create applications that do not depend on network capabilities,” said Ken Dulaney, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “The iPhone will thus match up initially in several segments against its main smartphone competitors — BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Symbian Series 60.” As a distinguished blogger, I will have to agree with Ken’s assessment, made just in the nick of time. I expect fleets of iPhones to begin shipping in the next few days as IT companies totally retool their email, VPN, and file systems to work with the iPhone as seamlessly as Windows does with WinMo. It’ll be hard, but if Gartner says it then it must be so. Analysts recommend iPhone for enterprise use [InfoWorld] → Read More
Don’t slip in it. Sony Ericsson is blaming component shortages and slowing demand for problems in their sales channel. My take on this news? Demand for Sony Ericsson phones is slipping, not overall demand. SE dumped a polished turd and some minor turdlets at CTIA this year and their phones are complex enough to scare people away yet not powerful enough to gain business converts. Nokia and Blackberry are eating their lunch on the low and high-end models and, along with Motorola, they keep rehashing the same stuff — Cybershot? Come on. RAZR XASS921? WTF? — every season. I used to be a big S-E supporter. The P910 was a beast and outperformed the Treo in almost every way. The UI was great, the performance was incredible, and the product was tough. Fast forward to their recent announcements and they’ve completely left entry level phones to Nokia and high end phones to just about everyone else, leaving them with expensive smartphones aimed at average consumers that no one wants to buy. Even the T-Mo Dash is better than some of the pap coming out of S-E. Sony Ericsson Warns: Mobile Phone Demand Softening [Barrons] → Read More
[photopress:strapwrap.jpg,full,center] There are a few jokes in the tech blogging community on what DLO’s acronym stands for, as the company tends to focus on iPodish products, like skins, or “Docks, Like, Only”. But DLO is my favorite maker of iPod cases, and the latest edition, the StrapWrap, is pretty awesome. It’s a sleeve that you attach to the strap of your laptop case or man purse or colostomy bag strap that holds your iPhone or iPod, and that’s all it is. It’s got a handy cable pocket for the headphones and looks stylish enough, if in a simple way. You should be able to find it at retailers soon for about $20. StrapWrap [Product Page] → Read More
It’s a big day for hot chips. No, not them. Researchers at MIT have created a tiny chip that is so efficient (it uses 0.3 volts, half as much as Intel’s “Atom”) that it could conceivably be run on body heat or movement alone, eliminating the need for a battery in the case of, say, an encrypting unit for in-body electronics sharing information. Sounds overly specific at first, but think of how many people have pacemakers or monitoring devices in them running down a battery. At this point it’s still just a proof-of-concept, but the creators see it on the market five years down the line. Team Develops Energy-Efficient Microchip [MIT, via DailyTech] → Read More
Wired has a long, long story about a strange, strange company: our favorites, Apple. The piece is actually quite good and offers a bit more than the average “iPod good, but they sell nothing else” line most reporters use when they basically can’t get anyone at Apple to talk to them. Leander Kahney does a good job of seeing Apple for what it really is: an intense marketing machine producing cool products in a commoditized marketplace. → Read More
[photopress:endorsement031908.jpg,full,right] We’re endorsing the George Foreman Grill today. This is how I spend my spring break. Before using the GFG, I didn’t know how to cook. After using the GFG, I still don’t know how to cook! Is that the fault of the grill, or the fault of my own faulty upbringing and complete lack of ambition? I’m gonna guess it’s my fault; the grill was cool. Being that it’s 2008, I’m sure most, if not all, of you have seen the GFG advertised on TV. Some of us may have sat down for the entire half-hour infomercial, largely out of a lack of anything better to do. I say that because, given that, there’s no reason to explain exactly what the GFG is and does. Briefly, it’s a small, cramped NYC apartment-friendly grill that cooks food quickly. There’s no built-in Bluetooth nor does it feature haptic technology in any capacity. → Read More
Sharpcast has been holding their heads down over the last four years working on a technology that promises to solve a basic need: that of accessing your files no matter which device you’re currently using. Today Sharpcast finally takes the lid off SugarSync, a consumer product that promises to automatically synchronize data across desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, and even televisions. This release comes a year after the company announced the first version of a photo application that could sync photos across devices. SugarSync is the all-purpose syncing system, previously dubbed “Hummingbird”, that was anticipated back then. Turns out the photo app was just a proof of concept. While the photo app required users to change their behavior by giving up other apps like iPhoto and Picassa, SugarSync syncs files from the file system level. Once users download, install and configure the SugarSync client (available for both PCs and Macs), they don’t have to use any SugarSync-specific programs to edit and organize their files. As long as these files reside in folders that have been configured for synchronization, they will be kept up-to-date with not only Sharpcast’s cloud storage but all other synced computers as well. Make a change to a file on your PC and that file will be instantly updated on your laptop as well, assuming both devices are turned on and connected to the internet. You’ll also be able to access these synced files through the web browser wherever you go. If this sounds like FolderShare, Mozy or Dropbox (which I raved about last week), that’s because there’s a good deal of overlap between the four. Except for the backup-focused Mozy, all of them can be used to sync files across devices. But they do differ in substantial ways. Files on Dropbox have to be placed in a particular folder, whereas with SugarSync you can choose to sync any areas of your hard drive. Sharing files with others is also currently much easier with Dropbox, although SugarSync says it has plans for comparable sharing functionality. And file versioning is absent from SugarSync, while it’s available with Dropbox. As for FolderShare, it requires all devices to be turned on whereas SugarSync does not. SugarSync perhaps differs most from these other solutions by supporting the syncing of files to mobile devices and TV sets. If you have a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device, you can install an application that → Read More
Like the new Hulk movie, the new Street Fighter movie is attempting to revitalize a pop culture franchise tainted in the movie industry by a less-than-stellar debut. I really doubt a movie based on a fighter can rise that much above the rest, but if it’s even nearly as awesome as Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, I’ll be satisfied. Check out the lineup: Kristin Kreuk plays Chun Li. She looks a little more Eskimo than Chinese, but she’s hot so nobody will complain. Michael Clarke Duncan plays Mike Bison— I mean Mike Tys— I mean Balrog. Neal McDonough plays M. Bison (née Vega if you’re in the know) Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas, if that is his real name, plays Vega. (?) Chris Klein plays Charlie Nash, who looks pretty weak. We’ll see if these pretty-boys and pretty-girl can live up to the legend of the original. Star-Studded Cast Announced for Capcom’s Live-Action Street Fighter Movie → Read More
[photopress:wd4000yr_inside.jpg,full,center] Western Digital has increased the size of its single platter for dual-platter drives to 320GB, giving these drives a total of 640GB. “That’s not a large capacity drive!” you say. And you’re right, but dual-platter drives aren’t about capacity, they’re about performance and price. Spinning at 7200RPM, the drives are fast, up to 3Gb/s sustained transfer. These aren’t for large-library media buffs. These are for hardcore video editors, encoders, and server applications. And damn if they aren’t sexy. WD® MAXIMIZES TWO-PLATTER 3.5-INCH HARD DRIVES TO 640 GB CAPACITY POINT [Press Release] → Read More
There was a big to-do yesterday with the release of the GeForce 9800 GX2, the dual-GPU supercard from Nvidia. Reviews were cautiously positive, but Bit-Tech had a mysterious problem: constant overheating. They did some testing and found that on some nForce 700 mobos (in their tests, the Asus Striker II), the placement of the nForce 200 chip made for a hot pocket of up to almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit/90 Celsius. The card itself has a higher tolerance than the mobo and the entire system was shutting down because of this design flaw. So, before you lay down that $600 for a GX2, check your motherboard and see if the placement of the chip is going to be a problem. See the illustration above or the link for more information. XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 Review [Bit-Tech] → Read More
There is nothing worse than waiting for a mobile browser to fire up on your mobile phone (especially if it’s AT&T). That is why mobile apps customized for your phone still tend to deliver a better experience than going through the browser. Anyone building mobile apps knows this. Cut out any unnecessary steps and lag time, and the usage of your mobile app will go up. The folks on the Google Mobile team live by this rule and have been working hard to make their mobile apps faster (for search, Gmail, Maps). (More at MobileCrunch) Below is a chart from Google showing how usage of Gmail on the iPhone took off once latency issues were resolved. What is true for the Web is doubly true for a mobile phone. Slow me down, and I’ll bail on your app. Building custom apps lets developers tweak their performance to each device. The downside is that consumers have to open up a new app for anything they want to do on their phone. There are only so many apps most people are able to juggle between (even on a full-sized computer, I use no more than five or six applications on a daily basis). What we need is a general-purpose app to access the Web from mobile devices that is also fast. What we need is a better mobile browser. Or faster mobile networks. Or both. As fast as the mobile version of Gmail is, it is still not fast enough. I have it on my Blackberry. Google nailed the mobile interface, the search, and the address auto-completion. It is a much nicer interface and more fully-featured than my Blackberry mail. But I hardly ever use it because my Blackberry mail is much faster. The native Blackberry feature already fetches all of my Gmail messages for me and I don’t have to launch it as a separate application. It is just always on, always updated. That is how all mobile apps should work. Of course, Blackberry has the advantage of being able to build its device around this particular app. If you are going to have to launch an app to access the Web, you should have to do it only once. → Read More
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