Wow, seems like the mobile industry is really booming over the last few days. Today, we are seeing some big news come from Samsung and T-Mobile in the form of an 8mp touch screen device, dubbed the Memoir.
Google, LG, Asus & Garmin Making News While Microsoft Disappoints
There is so much going on in the tech world, I literally could not decide on one topic for this post, so consider this an overview of today’s events.
The 2008 Darwin Awards
Hi All,
This is off topic but a good laugh. I’m not sure if this stuff is true but still its funny.
1. When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach , California , would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.
And now, the honorable mentions:
2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat-cutting machine and, after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef’s claim was approved.
3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.
4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn’t discovered for 3 days.
5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.
6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer… $15. [If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?]
7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he’d just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.
8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, “Yes, officer, that’s her. That’s the lady I stole the purse from.”
9. The Ann Arbour News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti , Michigan , at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn’t open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren’t available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away. [*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER]
10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home’s sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying that it was the best laugh he’d ever had.
-Aryeh
Toshiba Comes, Sees, and Conquers
As I woke up this morning, I was happy to discover that the entire Web (OK, at least all the geek sites that I visit first thing in the morning) was covered with a story about a truly amazing new cellphone. I was pretty surprised that this new cellphone does not originate in the Apple kingdom, not Palm, not Samsung, not even Nokia.
Perfecting Twitter
The topic of this post is a sensitive one, how to improve Twitter. The reason it is sensitive is that Twitter is already hands down the most addictive and enjoyable website on the current worldwide Web, and talking about its imperfections, even though there might be a few, is like discussing what would make Vanilla Haagen Dazs ice cream even better.
Next iPhone Makes Me Forget All About Pre
Seems like Apple has been reading its customers’ feedback, if I am judging by the latest rumors on the Web. The long list of missing features for the iPhone will not be as long very soon, if these rumors are true.
New Design
Hi Guys,
We are working on the new design. Going to be under maintenance over the next few days.
Should be really cool when we are done.
-Aryeh
The Future of Online Video
I am not sure if something else like this exists, but it is a pretty cool concept, which I think could totally dominate the online video space. The possibilities are endless, just think about a company using interactive video to market their product, I have some pretty awesome ideas.
-Hillel
My Favorite SuperBowl Commercial So Far…
I haven’t had time to watch them all but here is a goody.
Apple’s In-Ear Headphones- A Winner
I was recently approached by an old friend of mine (when I say approached, I mean by email of course. Who talks in person nowadays?), who had just purchased the Apple in-ear headphones, which I posted about when they were announced. At the time, I was under the impression that they were not worth the money, to which employees of Apple inc. commented that I was wrong, and they are actually fairly priced compared to other headphones in their class. Anyway, I just received the review, and it is a good one folks. Seems like Eli knows a heck of a lot more than me when it comes to audio quality. So with no further ado, the in depth review of Apple’s flagship accessory, the in-ear headphones.
-Hillel
The Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic:
A Review by Eli Ungar-Sargon
When I bought my new Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I felt the usual rush of excitement that only an Apple product can elicit. I love buying Apple technology and the company has earned my trust by consistently producing best-in-class products. On the other hand, my experience with Apple-made accessories has not been so rosy.
While the ubiquitous white Apple headphones that come with every iPod have evolved over time, they’re still not very good. They fall apart after a couple of years and their sound is not really fit for serious listening. Sure, they get the job done, but the sonic range that these ear-buds can reproduce is so limited that music ends up sounding muddy and unclear. Given this fact, it’s not surprising that the 3rd party market for iPod headphones has thrived. Apple saw this happening and in 2004 decided to try to get a piece of the higher-end headphone market by releasing their “In Ear Headphones”. Like a good Apple sheep, I bought them and I’m sorry to report that they were a total disaster. Not only did they have the most bizarre frequency response of any headphone I’d ever listened to, but they didn’t fit properly in my ear.
To make matters worse, their strange shape prevented them from achieving a tight seal, which is what an in-ear headphone must do in order to effectively reproduce those deep lows. In the end, I invested in a pair of pricey in-canal Shure headphones and let me tell you, going from stock iPod headphones to the E4cs was like moving from box wine to a ‘95 Chateau Margaux. My ears were happy until I bought my first iPhone.
While I loved the convenience of having my iPod and cell phone in one device, the Shures did not offer two key features that now came standard with the iPhone ear buds. Apple built into the new buds a clicker and a microphone that made answering calls while listening to music a breeze. That convenience won out for me and I found myself back at square one listening to music through the stock ear buds. But like an Economy flier who finally gets a taste of First Class, I yearned for better sound. What I needed was a solution that would allow me to enjoy the quality of the E4cs and the convenience of the mic/clicker at the same time. Enter the new Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic.
The first notable difference between Apple’s original foray into the world of higher-end headphones and its latest effort is price. The original in-ear headphones sold for $39 while the new pair go for $80. The second difference is that the new headphones fit really well. Apple clearly learned from their past mistakes in this arena and I’m happy to report that the new ear buds actually stay in my ears. The clicker works as well as the stock iPhone clicker, though it is somewhat larger in order to accommodate the new volume controls which, as of the writing of this article, only work with the latest generation of iPods. In addition to allowing iPhone owners to answer calls, the mic also allows iPod Touch owners to make recordings and use Voice Over IP services from the App Store.
But what about the sound? Has this Economy flier finally made his way back to First Class? Not exactly. For the price, the quality of the new Apple headphones is hard to beat. They produce a rich sound and even provide an impressive amount of noise attenuation. Unfortunately, they can’t hold a candle to my old E4c’s. Part of this has to do with the fact that the E4c’s are in-canal headphones and so produce a better seal and superior noise isolation, but part of it is just plain old frequency response. The Apple headphones seem to have a strong emphasis on the mids and highs while the E4c’s produce more satisfying lows while maintaining an overall balanced sound. My only other criticism of the new headphones is their build quality.
Apple used the same gauge of wire that the stock buds come with and I can see them fraying after a few years of daily use. Having said that, the new Apple In-Ear headphones are a big step up from the stock buds in terms of sound quality and they come with that fantastic clicker/mic. If you have an iPhone or any of the latest generation iPods and you’re looking to improve your listening experience without spending an arm and a leg, this product offers great value. Walking around with my new headphones, I may not be back in First Class, but it sure feels like Business.
Another Peek at the Pre
Palm’s VP of design apparently did not read our blog yesterday, as he seems extremely confident and calm in this video of him showing off the Pre. Either that, or he has a really good poker face, and he thinks Apple will flinch first. Yea, that is more likely than him not reading the best tech blog on the Web.
-Hillel