September 28, 08 by Daniel Foster
Apple has committed to work with the state of Massachusetts to make its iPod music player and iTunes software usable by the blind. Using the same VoiceOver technology found in Leopard, those with vision impairments will be able to access the iTunes store, create accounts, and pay the same exorbitant prices for songs we do.
Apple understands iTunes is useless for the blind if they can’t use an iPod, so they’ve updated the 4G Nano to include spoken menus and audio navigation set up through iTunes. This is all well and good, but it sounds like our friend Helen Keller is still out of luck.
Source
July 30, 08 by Daniel Foster
Yesterday Dell unveiled it’s latest in a long line of desktop computers, the Studio Hybrid. Catering to the green crowd, the system offers energy-efficient computing in several cool colors. Starting at $499 and a little bigger than an external hard drive, it is both priced and sized to compete with Apple’s Mac Mini.
Read the rest of this entry »
July 08, 08 by Daniel Foster
First introduced in January 2005 by Apple, the iPod Shuffle has been popularized as Apple’s attempts to reach to the low-end market. In reality, the Shuffle is just the stunted half-brother of the iPod Nano, lacking a screen and any real features for that matter. Though the postage-stamp sized MP3 player has received quite a bit of fanfare for its compact size, who would buy something so crippled and stunted? The answer is no one. Additionally, competition in the low-end market from the likes of Creative and changes in the iPod line Apple will make in the coming months give the Cupertino company good reason to change their ball game. Consequently, Apple will drop the Shuffle from their line and replace it with something with more features by the post-holiday season.
Read the rest of this entry »
July 07, 08 by Daniel Foster
Seth Wientraub over at Computer World has a mostly speculative article about the future of the iPod line. For those who haven’t been paying attention to the news, Apple recently bought up a batch of 50 million 8 GB NAND memory chips from Samsung. This leads experts to conclude that some sort of iPod upgrade is down the line. After all, what else would Apple do with 50 million memory chips, rub them together and brag about how their large order also forced Samsung to cut supply of memory to its others customers?
Read the rest of this entry »
June 22, 08 by Daniel Foster
Planning on getting in a car accident soon? Most people never think it will happen to them, but tragedies on the road are an everyday occurence. Many of these tragedies are the result of a person becoming trapped in a burning or flooded car. One product, however, hopes to change the lot of many accident victims. Known as the Life Hammer, it is designed as an escape tool for motorists stranded in their cars. Weighing just a few ounces and built of the high quality materials in Europe, the Life Hammer can break through car windows and seat belts quickly, a feat few tools by themselves are capable of.
Though I don’t own a Life Hammer myself, friends of mine who have bought one have yet to regret their purchases. One told me he felt much safer about crossing a certain bridge to work everyday, while another explained that while the Life Hammer set him back a few bucks, it’s a small price to pay if it saves his life or the life of a fellow motorist.
The Life Hammer can be had for $14.95 at Amazon. A few dollars from your wallet is easy to replace, but the life of a loved one isn’t.
June 21, 08 by Calandra Leslie
Employers who have their Internet and cellular access outsourced will now need to have clear contracts governing privacy expectations when it comes to employee text-messaging and e-mails.
Read the rest of this entry »
June 21, 08 by Calandra Leslie
The Intempo Rebel not only lets you listen to music over the radio, but it also downloads it straight to an SD card and removes unwanted intermissions and commercials. Read more about this interesting new gadget after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
June 19, 08 by Calandra Leslie
It all seems like one giant anti-climax. Firefox Download Day reminds me of the countless New Years Eve parties I have been to where one expects the best party on Earth, and it turns into some mediocre dinner party where everyone is waiting for midnight. So seems to be the hyped release of Firefox 3’s Download Day.
Read the rest of this entry »
June 17, 08 by Calandra Leslie
Kensington Computer Products Group announced that at the end of this month they will be releasing ShareCentral, a USB peripheral sharing device that will allow sharing of up to five USB peripheral devices between any two computers.
Read the rest of this entry »
June 15, 08 by Calandra Leslie
According to Reuters, Microsoft has offered to pay $1 Billion to Yahoo for its search business, a move that would have given the Internet giant an additional $1 Billion extra in annual revenue. Instead, the long-time search engine and email provider has opted to parter up with Google in a relationship that is going to permanently change Yahoo.
Read the rest of this entry »
