Is iRobot's ConnectR, Connecting with their Customers?

[Image courtesy of iRobot]

posted by: Andrew Harris

Ok I'll admit, I'd rather have a robot clean my gutters, but iRobot's newest launch is...well sort of hard to picture. Apparently, Tele-presence isn't just a simple video chat anymore. With this bot you can rove around, talk, manipulate the camera view, zoom in and out, and basically creep up on people to listen and observe them remotely. Alright...so iRobot’s intended purpose is the much more market appropriate application of keeping in touch with loved ones whilst away, this seems somewhat benign, but suitable as well. I personally think they'd sell more if it was marketed as a "fidelity keeper". However, the bot is a bit conspicuous and most assuredly makes a racket. The fact that it has a speaker on it for two-way communications isn’t very Bond’ish either, maybe a bit Dick Tracy. Although heavy breathing can be creepy, it's not very well suited to be a spy-bot (trust me they have one in development). But, if you can’t stand the idea of missing those special in home moments like junior's first steps or the dog pooping on the floor, from the floor's perspective, than this is the bots for you...enjoy.

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Amazon MP3 Dumps DRM

[Image courtesy of Amazon]

posted by Andrew Harris

Competing directly with the iTunes' market share, everyone chasing those guys, Amazon today announced the public beta release of "Amazon MP3". Offering up 2 million downloadable songs, half are being priced lower than itunes at $0.89 each, the rest at $0.99, full albums will be offered at between $5.99-$9.99. Amazon's most competitive feature of the new offering, besides higher bitrates, is the lack of copyright restrictions. So you can play Amazon MP3 music purchases on any machine, player, or device that can read MP3. ("Oh and apple takes a hard right hook to the jaw")...some indie labels will be breaking the ties that bind and going DRM free for the first time with Amazon.

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Samsung YP-P2: an iPod Alternative?

[Image courtesy of Samsung]

Posted by Andrew Harris

Well, as an apple user so I'm a bit bias...I, however, will remain impartial in order to provide the most objective comparison. Will the Samsung YP-P2 live up to its new nickname "iPod Killer"? The reasons for this menacing moniker are: the lighter weight (2.8oz vs 4.2oz), more battery time (35hrs vs 22hrs [audio]), plus the unopposed features of an FM receiver, and the big'ens...smaller size and Bluetooth connectivity. Samsung has optional Bluetooth earphones and speaker accessories as well. The Samsung PMP offering also uses "EmoTure" touch technology, apparently this reacts to your emotional state in some way, not sure how it does this. Some reviewers are liking it to a "really cool click wheel". The 8GB Model sells for $250 which is a bit cheaper than iPod. Just as with Apple, Samsung has already began shipping the units to early orderers. So choose sides and pick your poison, though in the end it's a bit like comparing "apples" and oranges.

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Blaupunkt Banks on the Digital-Savvy User

[Image courtesy of blaupunkt]

Posted by Andrew Harris

So you finally transferred all those CD’s from your rack to your computer and that portable music player is full already…don’t lose some music to get some music, just add to your portable music collection. With Blaupunkt’s Melbourne SD27 you can rock out to your portable player and SD/MMC card too. No need to burn those pesky antiquated CDs. SD/MCC is the way to record and share your eclectic MP3 or WMA playlists. Music mixes are always a fun permanent record of a time, a place, and your emotional state...at the time they were produced. Inexpensive media cards make this kind of recording quick and affordable. Blaupunkt Melbourne SD27’s SD/MMC card reader can also play very high kilobytes bitrates, up to 320, giving you the CD quality without the hassle. This Blaupunkt deck head integrates fully into your car audio setup with four channel pre-outs for your amp, tel/navi input, and optional Bluetooth and USB module for your phone, media players or even a hard drive for those cross country road trips.

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Early buyers receive iPod Touch

posted by Andrew Harris
Last night, this reporter attended a house party in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Where I witnessed a startling sight an iPod touch user happily plugging away at the browsing capabilities of the sleek thin device. I watched and wonder 'way too thin to be an iPhone plus there's no speaker or ear piece. This has to be an iPod touch, but how, I thought that it didn't ship tell later next week' so I ask the guy, Dave he later old me, how he got it?,"IT came today, I ordered as soon as it was announced."
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This is Not Your Dad's Walkman®

Posted by: Andrew Harris

Maybe, it's just my ornery old self, heading into middle-age, but the moniker "Walkman®” congers up images like Crazy Eddies’ electronics stores and the beginning of the fitness craze. These days Sony Walkman® has gone through some ups and downs, from the debunked Minidisc, to the unleashing of the market swarming iPod. It goes undisputed that Digital music is it. Steve and company would like you to believe that theirs is the best, if not only, option for you and your digital media savvy on-the-go lifestyle. Not true. Sony has come out the box with their Sony Walkman® NWZ-S610/A810 Digital Media players, basically Sony’s answer to the iPod Nano’s new video capabilities. The Sony Walkman® NWZ-S610 is equipped with a 1.8 LCD and the NWZ-A810 flaunts 2.0in LCD, both display in 320x240 resolutions at 30fps with clarity and brightness. Plus no more proprietary audio format Sony's "Connect" service is dead (thank you). Instead the player supports WMA, AAC, and MP3 on the audio end and JPEG, AVC, MPEG-4 on the display end. Need to convert formats? Sony's offering a free-ware converter to users. As far as uploading the thing you can use "most" subscription services and it is DRM compliant. Non-DRM content is uploaded via Windows Media Player; the unit comes with the latest version. The Sony Walkman® NWZ-A810 series player has an integrated FM tuner, 8hr video battery time, while the Sony Walkman® NWZ-S610 series players give you a 1.5hr more play time due to the smaller display. They both have a staggering music play back battery life of 33hr and are available in 8, 4, & 2 Gigs. The size of the Sony player is bit larger than the nano...it makes up for it in it's ability to transfer content both ways (without a hack), this far outweighs a small size difference. Plus "It's a Sony".

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Denon HDMI S-302/S-102

posted by: Andrew Harris
Those crafty folk over at Denon introduce S-series HDMI receivers ($999-$1699 MSRP), built on Denon's close to one hundred years of innovations in sound technology and usability. These two Denon 2.1-channel surround sound DVD home entertainment systems deliver 1080p video.In addition to that, the S-302 up-converts analog to 1080p digi, so even playing an older disc that isn’t HD-DVD you'll get, delivered by Denon, that HD experience. In the S-102 this feature is a bit different it only upscales the video to 1080p instead of a conversion. Imagine this is as being a bit like blowing up a smaller resolution image to fit the HD screen, however, the price reflects this small shortcoming. Both players use interlaced to progressive video conversion for digital output, this high precision Digital Analog Conversion may cause you to neglect the rest of your life...use with caution.Back to Blog!

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Sangean WFR-20 Wifi Internet Radio

posted by: Andrew Harris

Sangean newest Wi-Fi radio offering is quite the workhorse of a device. You're able to customize the "My Stations" option using your PC, which is a good thing, because it will be a lot easier to search the 6000 Internet radio stations and 21242 ondemand feeds the Sangean WFR-20 Wi-Fi Internet Radio can tune into.It will also play your music collection from your computer, but sorry those itunes...tunes don’t work here Stevie. The radio it is non-DRM compliant (“Use of a UPnP server may increase compatibility, but is not a guarantee.”[via Sangean]) on the other hand it offers a bevy of readable audio formats MP3/WMA/AAC/WAV/AIFF/FLAC/REAL and uses Windows Media Player to interface with the PC.

Just want to listen to the radio without even looking at a computer screen? The Sangean WFR-20 Wi-Fi Internet Radio as a standalone player is great for that too. Additional, you can plugin your mp3 player, or what have you, to the line in socket and use headphones if you’re in a considerate mood. No Wi-Fi at the home or office, don’t fret, you can hard wire this radio right to your modem. All these options are housed in a black acoustically tuned cabinet, that exudes style and functionality.

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Yamaha's new desktop, is it speaker, or speakers

Posted by: Andrew Harris
These incredibly gorgeous pieces of sound technology, the Yamaha NX-U02 USB speakers and the Yamaha NX-B02 Bluetooth speakers, are a richer aural experience than an aesthetic one. Really though, these all in one package pieces include sophisticated sound resonance and tuning technology. Not to forget, Yamaha's Twin Swing Radiator Bass technology that gives you that bass kick in the back your looking for. These enhancements produce a fuller sound using less of your outlets, USB or battery (Bluetooth), and desktop space. Yamaha boasts 20W(2x10w) in the USB powered sound system. Are you short on USB ports? But boy, that Bluetooth sure doesn't get used, than grab the Bluetooth version, which also will hard wire to your MP3, not as powerful but more versatile. Just one question left, when do they ship?

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Powerpacked Mini Speakers

posted by: Andrew Harris

Have you ever wanted to sport a boom box on your shoulder like the B-boys of old, instead of your ipod?

You know you like that whole 80’s retro look. Ok, so the beastly ghetto blaster is a bit passé, fair enough, but the idea of broadcasting your music (aka noise) to the dismay of your elders has a lasting appeal.

Luckily, AudioSource has the cure fur what ales ya...your lack of portable amplifying power. Whether your aim is to break-dance in the park or annoy the guy across from you at work, AudioSource Db5 compact speakers are here to help.

These little guys pack a wallop, great to connect to your laptop, iPod, CD player, or any device with a standard 1/8" output socket. It’s a self contained unit that folds up to protect the speakers during transport, and small enough to easily fit in a pocket, tote, or laptop case. AudioSoucre Db5s amplify via four AA, or the included USB power cable. I tried these puppies out for myself and was impressed by the sets sound, design, and style, and for like 25 bucks what would stop you...except maybe the complaints from the other break-dancing crews in the park, asking you to turn your noise down.

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Femtocells, Sprint's last ditch effort

I should get off the subject and go about my business, but this femtocell thing is intriguing. It uses your home broadband to place calls and connect to the internet via WiFi. Sprint has invested lock, stock and barrel in this new technology, so if it fails they are pretty much done. Other U.S. carriers have eaten away at their market share steadily for years. Femtocells HAVE to be their saving grace.

Theoretically the femtocells will revolutionize the way we use our phones, the AIRAVE is the first American market test, if this thing catches on…well the traffic jam could be significant. To begin with what kind of voice quality can we expect? With all the other traffic on the net something is bound to get lost in the mix. Will the internet be able to handle an influx of millions of voice packets flying around? Privacy concerns enter in to the femtocell equation as well. Are these concerns well founded? It’s too soon to tell.

Ultimately, the convenience of femtocell may outweigh most concerns. The ability to travel between countries without paying roaming or swapping SIMs is a big draw. The company that is developing the chip technology is the Bath, England based PicoChip. Ubiqusys, the main vendor in England, promises “speed and coverage” are the hallmarks of femtocell.

The odd thing about the femtocell is the carriers still expect you to pay for using the multimedia data transfer, why anyone would pay extra just to have this content on your phone is beyond me, if the market it right, people will. Eventually, there maybe no need to invest in expanding wireless cell coverage through towers, instead the beefing up of the internet’s infrastructure will become the priority.

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Sprint PCS' Airave, Cost Shifting?

The Sprint network may have been the first network to go "all digital", but being an innovator in any industry your company is going to bare the brunt of the research and development cost. The payoff, being the leader and getting first crack at the new market share your product or service created.Then others follow your lend, add to your findings, and make the product or service better. It's the heart of capitalism, competition. Sprint coverage is getting out done by most major carriers. Other carriers, for one thing, are much more apt to deny you a service contract if your credit is bit smudged.

It would seem Sprint's solution to lack of network infrastructure, is YOU. Airave by Samsung is Sprint's newly announced add on to help you get a signal...as long as your high speed internet connection is up and running. Airave uses the internet to place calls thus helping to ease those overage charges and nasty dropped calls. When the signal from your Airave is out of range it seamlessly jumps back to the Sprint tower. This servers two purposes: first, if they sell enough of these units it may enable Sprint to take a reasonable sized chunk out of the cost of keeping up with growing network demands, secondly it will enable Sprint users to place calls in buildings that insulate there Sprint handsets from the tower's signal.

If you factor in the unit cost vs. the amount you can save by reducing you overage charges, or changing to a lower tier plan, the Airave makes an underachieving wireless carrier a bearable bargain.

"Starting today, Sprint customers in select areas of Denver and Indianapolis will be able to purchase the Airave at area Sprint stores for $49.99. Sprint plans to make the Airave available later this year to customers in the remainder of Denver and Indianapolis, along with Nashville, and to customers nationwide in 2008."
[via Sprint]

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iRobot Loses Military Bid

Posted By: Andrew R. Harris
Cyborg soothsayer, iRobot, having shipped 800 of it's tactical Pacbots for deployment in the "War on Terror" was certain of future Pentagon contracts being awarded to them. They weren't the only ones betting on this prospect. However assuming the Pentagon will follow a logical course of action is a dangerous line of thinking, at anytime; but especially during times of war. Robotic FX Inc. was given the Pentagon contract, a $279.9 million deal for bomb detecting robots. Upon news of the contract deal iRobot stock IRBT took a expected dive this morning down $-5.22, or 22%.
[via Barron's]

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1st Google Moon, then Sky, now X-PRIZE?

posted by: Andrew R. Harris Google is, and has been for at least a decade, licensing images and data (among others things) in huge quantities. In the process, compiling massive amounts of information from all aspects of the human experience and presenting them in apps and databases that are excruciatingly usable. Their enterprises have been lauded for there intuitive, and user friendly interfaces. Now the super corp. has a new button for that marvel of modern satellite imagery, Google Earth. It’s a sweet addition... called Google Sky featuring a stitched together compilation of space imagery from observatories all over the world. The Hubble space telescope is featured prominently here (finally it’s good for something besides eating money) it's deep space images are incredibly detailed and beautiful. Google Sky images make previously scattered information now easily accessible to anyone who wants to download the free application. A pay version, Google Earth Plus is available for map heads. The 20 dollar pack lets you connect Google Earth with your GPS for real time location display or import any geographically linked data and display it in the app.; $400 gets you pro, this upgrade allows for faster connection speeds, higher res printing, and leasing rights for business presentations and such (among other things).
I recently spoke with an astrophysicist from Columbia University who informed me that astronomers around the world will be accessing and exchanging data directly with Google making Google integral in the pursuit of a greater understanding of the universe around us. Google Sky, just as in Google Earth, will also include regular Joe's photos of the night sky, Google hopes that this open source data collection will yield astronomical discoveries from unlikely sources, mainly folks like you and I. This seems to be a doctrine of sort for the folks at Google who have made no secret of there ambitions in space extrapolation. Now Google is offering a $30 Million incentive with the Lunar X-PRIZE for the first privately funded and launched moon rocket. The rocket must carry a robot up to the moon preform some Google designated tasks and relay data back, in order for the prize to be claimed. This type of corporate sponsored innovation has the inherent benefit of incubating industry leaders through condensed prize-driven competition rather than open market driven competition. Google's initiative will result in accelerated innovation.

Official Google Blog: Fly me to the moon

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Robotic Techs Revamp iRobots

Were you the type of kid who would take apart and correctly put back together the toaster oven? Or maybe you rewired the blender to have an extra special speed for making that wood pulp you used to in your homemade paper projects. Well times have changed for kids these days, the old Rector set no longer moves by human muscle power alone. You can't just be mechanically inclined anymore. Programmable robotics are becoming a pervasive part of early childhood development. So what recourse are the adults left with these days except to steal some alone time with their kids favorite robotic recreation set; hardly, if you have a hankering for some electrical, robotic, and mechanical engineering you could just hack your Roomba or Scooba iRobot or get the hackers version, the iRobot Create, which is capable of anything your imagination can dream up and you and your brain can figure out, provided of course that the task involves the iRobot running along on the floor. How about this dot matrix based poster maker robot[Wyatt]. Complete with an extra wide vertically mounted sharpie that slides back and forth in order to write the letters which, of course, are really just a series of marker dots. Undoubtedly, it's easier to hand write your poster, or print a banner on your non dot matrix printer...but where's the fun in that. Creativity and technical knowhow enjoy a harmonious dance, when adaptations such as this are created. Now, with the FCC just last year approving the WiFi module for the iRobot, any number of programming commands can be given on the fly. So do something to satiate your creative appetite while wrestling with the technical challenges of programming. "Techies" pick your task and re-designate and re-program your own iRobot.

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