June 2006 Archives

What with MP3 players, iPods, CD players, cell phones and all kinds of other gadgets, it seems like just about everybody is wearing earphones these days!

It may seem like a weird analogy, but the same adage about treating your feet to the best goes the same (at least for me) with earphones (or headphones as they used to be called).

With that in mind, it's hard to beat Shure's i3c Integrated Sound Isolating Earphones + Mobile Headset (some name!).

What makes these earphones work so well is Shure's long heritage in audio, especially in the very demanding professional audio industry. Wideband Microdriver Technology provides an extended frequency soundstage, and the VoicePort microphone filters out background noise and minimizes wind, ensuring every call is loud and clear.

Designed for on-the-go audio purists, the i3c gives me the convenience of either listening to music or answering a call on my mobile phone (via the bug-like device below). Standard versions work with portable audio players and most cell phones. The dual connector versions allows me to plug into both a portable audio player and a mobile phone, while a single connector version is available for use with the Treo 650 and 700W.

Let's get into the technology a bit.

The i3c's in ear design works like an earplug to block background noise naturally. This enables me to listen comfortably at lower volumes, even in loud environments. Unlike bulky headphones that utilize active noise cancellation technology, no audio artifacts are introduced to affect my listening experience. Sound isolating earphones are also much smaller and don't require batteries.

Outside noise is reduced by 30-37 dB, so no matter how noisy it gets on the train or at the airport, I can always hear my music or your conversation.

The i3c's speakers are constructed with the same studio-grade components as Shure's award-winning E Series Earphones, delivering an extended frequency range that allows me to hear all of the music, while the VoicePort Inline Microphone is acoustically tuned to filter out background noise and minimize wind noise-ensuring so that callers hear me clearly even in the noisiest situations.

MSRP: $209.00

www.shure.com 

Not too surprising to find out that no other group of consumers will have as profound an impact on the media business over the next 10 years as the "Millennial Generation," today's 9- to 28-year-olds. (This from Frank Magid, president and CEO of Frank M. Magid Associates, at the annual Promax conference in New York City.)

Today, this group numbers 79 million, one million more than the Baby Boomers in this country, and have grown up using multiple media platforms at the same time. Millennials consume 20 hours of media a day, but that is all done within 7 hours of clock time.

(As any parent who has seen their kids emailing, IMing, iPoding, watching TV and doing their homework at the same time will easy know.)

All of this will affect the future opportunities that we all will have to consume media (do we ever get too full?)

www.mediaweek.com

For more on Millennials, head to www.millennialsrising.com.

 

Can't be too much joy in the land of Apple Computer with recent reports from PC Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.

Apparently, following a shift in suppliers, updated versions of Apple's iPod nano will ship in the fourth quarter instead of the third quarter, while the release of the wide-screen video iPod also may be pushed back from the fourth quarter into early 2007.

(Hate those product delays, especially at holiday shopping time.)

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal has a fascinating report about Apple's focus on product secrecy, even about its own employees and customers. 

Reminds me of a Silicon Valley saying: "Only the paranoid survive."

(Now who said that?)

Dell has announced plans to provide free recycling of any Dell-branded product for consumers around the world as part of its new global recycling policy. (Does Dell have a windmill farm, too? But I love this graphic.)

"We have a responsibility to our customers to recycle the products we make and sell," said Michael Dell, chairman of Dell. "Our direct relationships with consumers allow us to offer this easy and free service and we encourage others in our industry to do so as well." 

Currently, Dell offers consumers no-charge recycling of any brand of used computer or printer with the purchase of a new Dell computer or printer. This service includes home pick-up of the used computer at no charge.

Under its new policy, Dell will provide consumers no-charge recycling of any Dell-branded product, regardless of whether a replacement product is purchased.

Plans call the service to become available in the U.S. by September and globally by November. It is currently available in Europe.

Dell's U.S. consumer recycling offer is available at http://www.dell.com/recycling.

For died in the wool greenies, Dell's new global recycling policy can be viewed at www.dell.com/environment.

Don't call me vending machine crazy, but now Coke is testing a new interactive vending machine called "Cokefridge," according to recent reports.

(You know I have been blogging about vending machines and interactive kiosks a bit -- much watch that!)

Shown at a recent conference in Paris, the machine is capable of delivering downloadable ringtones and games as well as taking digital photographs of customers framed against a Coke logo.

Do you think they might try to sell soda, too (like the "old school" machine at left), or is this a way to get around the new rule by many schools that only "healthy snacks" will be sold from on-school vending machines?

 

Vonage announced their oft-rumored USB "VoIP-on-a-stick" product today. Nothing new here, Mplat has a similar product called Mplat FlashPhone F2K that I wrote about. Unlike the Vonage V-Phone which is limited to Vonage, the Mplat device not only comes standard with Skype software but it's also compatible with MSN, Google Talk, and other VoIP services. Prices for the Mplat device start at about $40 for the 128MB unit and $80 for the 512MB model. VoiceStick also has their USB "VoIP-on-a-stick" product that has been out for awhile. It's unclear how much memory is on the USB-based V-Phone and if Vonage allows you to install third-party applications, like say Skype?

As Russell Shaw points out, who is going to pay $40 just to make a VoIP call when you can just pick up the phone? Sure the $40 gives you a turnkey VoIP solution (embedded Vonage software) that you can simply install into someone else's PC and then be "good to go". But are you really "good to go"? Does this PC have a microphone or headset? Unlike the Mplat, I don't believe the V-Phone has a builit-in mic, but I'll have to confirm that.

Why a user wouldn't simply download and use the Vonage softphone client instead of paying $40 is beyond me. Although, you have to pay $9.99/month for 500 softphone minutes, but you do get the added benefit of gaining access to your SIP credentials for use in other SIP devices.

I wrote back in February that a source informed me that Vonage would be opening up their SIP credentials which would enable third-party softphone clients (and SIP ATAs) to connect to the Vonage service. This was supposed to happen at the end of 1Q, but that didn't happen. Instead Vonage launched their failed IPO and now have their shareholders to answer to. They certainly aren't going to open their SIP credentials now (for free), since that would negate the need to pay $9.99/month for the softphone client and upset already irate Vonage shareholders. Now that Vonage is a public company, I wonder if their first SEC filing will include a breakdown of not only the number of subscribers, but the number of paying softphone client users as well. They may have had to disclose that information already as part of the IPO process. I'll have to go look. But in summary, nothing to see here. Move along...

There is a new release of Skype for Linux v1.3 (in beta) that was announced today. It's been awhile since Skype released a new version for the Linux operating system (last year in fact). One of the highlighted features includes support for the ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) sound system, which Jaanus points out is one of the most requested features by the Linux community. X11 API was added, and the "latest-greatest" emoticons as well as flags are supported in this release. Mood messages were also added. It doesn't appear the Linux Skype client supports videoconferencing still. Bummer.

Video game goliath Electronic Arts has recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Mythic Entertainment, which vaults it into developing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs).

Mythic is recognized worldwide for revolutionizing the online gaming space with the awardwinning Dark Age of Camelot (pictured) and is currently developing Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning under a license agreement with Games Workshop.

The net net: The growing importance of online gaming as a revenue-producing space, as more and more companies look to monetize the Internet.

Is that a good thing?

Even if you don't do too much traveling, this a must-have digital camera accessory!

(Works with other gadgets, too.)

Digital Foci's Memory Card Travel Case organizes and protect your valuable flash memory cards with smart stackable slots that let you hold as many as eight memory cards of all different types: CompactFlash I/II, MD, SM, MMC, SD, miniSD, MS, MS Prod, MS Duo and xD card.

(Do we really need all of these formats?)

• The stackable slots actually let you hold four memory cards of the same format and as many as eight memory cards of different formats in the pre-cut hard rubber lining.

The combination of the brushed aluminum casing and the molded hard rubber lining (that keeps the cards from sliding around once they're inside the case) provides maximum protection. 

 (And yes, I have dropped this case to test that the cards are actually protected ...)

Besides protecting your memory cards from damage, the case also helps protect you from misplacing or losing memory cards (pretty easy when they are all so small and in all sizes and shapes of cases).

Price: $19.95

www.digitalfoci.com

Marvell Technology Group has acquired Intel's XScale processor division. As a gadget-lover this is absolutely shocking since the Intel XScale chips are used in PocketPCs, handhelds, mobile phones and other embedded devices and gadgets. The popular Treo and Blackberry devices also use the XScale chipset.

Intel has been one of the leading innovators of providing  low-power consumption chipsets, continually pushing the edge of battery life and performance in small embedded devices. Intel has one of the largest R&D budgets in the IT world and some of the most sophisticated labs. Intel selling the XScale processor division for $600 million will certainly give Intel a much-needed cash boost, but they may have just mortgaged their future earnings. Both the Blackberry and Treo have been a resounding success. Certainly Windows Mobile 5 smartphones like the Motorola Q are also selling. So why Intel would abandon a growing market seems a bit odd. Marvell also will acquire the 1,400 people currently employed by Intel and they state they will retain most of these employees.

I hope Marvell continue to improve the XScale processor and will dedicate plenty of R&D dollars to that end. Perhaps Marvell will do even better than Intel in improving the performance specs on the XScale chipset. Only time will tell.

JAJAH today announced free phone-to-phone calls to almost anywhere. The JAJAH Free Global Calling Plan applies to both landline and mobile phones to many of the most-called places in the world.  

JAHJAH uses a unique method of initiating the call. You go to a website, enter in your phone number and the number you wish to dial and JAHJAH dials both legs of the call and connects the two. I believe once you register on their site, it remembers your phone number, so you may not have to enter your phone number unless you are on the road or at a different phone, but I will have to test JAHJAH myself to confirm.

The JAJAH Free Global Calling Plan applies to land line and mobile calls to and within: the United States; Canada; China; Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.  The plan also applies to landline calls to and within: Australia; UK; Germany; France, Italy and most other European nations. 

There is a slight catch though. JAJAH’s Free Global Calling Plan applies only when both call participants are registered JAJAH users.  But hey, if you can make free calls to friends, family, etc. why not have them register? In countries where free phone calls are not available, or if someone is calling a non-JAJAH member, calls are then subject to JAJAH’s rates, usually less than 3 cents a minute. Registration is free, and no pre-payment is required. 

I found this tidbit from JAHJAH quite interesting where they are relying on user's "honesty" to not abuse their free phone service:

In place of complicated user agreements, JAJAH has created a system that depends on the JAJAH community adhering to a “fair use” policy, which simply asks people to try to keep their calls within a reasonable amount of minutes.  To this end, JAJAH will monitor the number of hours per individual user per day to assure that no single person damages the overall service.

Of course, it is obvious this is a bit of a marketing gimmick to get users to try and use their service and hope their service have some "stickiness" that keeps customers using their service. Still, free calls using your regular phone is great - assuming you have a web browser handy.

So where's the business-model you ask? Well, according to JAHJAH, they are counting on the community to use other paid services as well to help make this program work. Jajah believes they can "earn" money by providing added value services that the community finds useful and are willing to pay for. Other services like the occasional scheduled call and text messaging, for example, will help Jajah pay the bills. Although I am not sure how scheduled calls and text messaging is enough to offset the costs of free calls being terminated by JAHJAH. Perhaps they have some other paid applications they neglected to tell me about. Surprised they don't inject a 15 second audio ad before getting the call or something.

Now here'a a really good idea for summer fun in the sun (and water) -- Allsop's Splash Pack DriPod!

(And the way it's been raining in the Northeast, this might work well ...)

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

Whether we’re talking cassette walkmans, CD players or iPods, portable music allows us to create a soundtrack for nearly every moment of our lives.

Until now the only concern has been our electronics surviving the elements: the sand at the beach, the water out in the bay or the splashing by the pool. Well, now those moments in nature can have their soundtrack, too.

The Splash Pack is an air-tight case for your iPod. Protect it from water, sand, Jell-o or anything else nature can throw at you. And unlike those hard cases, the Splash Pack lets you adjust the volume, jump to the next song or browse your music catalog while keeping your iPod sealed and protected.

Price: $19.99 (large); $14.99 (small)

www.allsop.com

The Arcadia Project is calling itself the very first fully community-funded and community-assisted PC game ever attempted to be built from the ground up!

A company called Stormcloud Creations will build Arcadia: Guild of Heroes (aka The Arcadia Project), which will enable pre-order users to play actual builds of the game and suggest ideas as its being created.

The project is in the beginning stages now, with several builds already having been released.

The game itself is a management game with a role-playing game sensibility. You can recruit heroes, view detailed stats on their abilities, age, birthday, height and weight.

Build a party of adventurers and send them on dangerous quests in search of riches. Characters age, mature over time and retire.

More info for the game related aspects of the project and pre-order links are available at: http://www.stormcloudcreations.com/arcproject.htm

Entrance into the project is $19.95, and this gives any user a full version of the game when released and full access to the private forums during the complete development cycle.

In 2004, I had a blog post titled Jive Talking (Bee Gees song), about a company called Jyve. Well, I haven't written about Jyve in quite some time (two years). It appears Jyve (Skype plugin) and Click&Buy enable experts in any field (techie, writer, web designer, etc) to charge for their expertise using the Skype network. This is similar to Ether, which was in closed beta until just a few days ago when it launched.

Using Jyve along with Click&Buy, entrepreneurs can make more money through Skype by charging customers in locations throughout the world for their expertise. In theory you can even use this for "adult voice conversations" similar to U.S. adult-oriented (i.e. sex) 900 numbers. Jyve was recently awarded the Voice Services Award from Skype at the eBay Developers Conference for its ability to help people make money by using Skype.  

Click&Buy can be used for many different payment methods - from micropayments to large monthly subscriptions.  Jyve uses Click&Buy as a metered payment system as opposed to pre-paid. The payment system tracks the total cost of a lesson or a consultation in real time and allows consultants the ability to bill their customers to the precise minute after the conversation is over.

Click&Buy uses the latest in Web 2.0 technologies in communicating with its merchants.  The company sends secure SOAP and XML feeds, which then automate the billing process for the merchant.  The merchant, i.e., consultant, will make a request from their server to their server, asking for billing records and demographic information.  The SOAP service is free and is usually charged as an extra service from other payment providers. 

So how does this compare with Ether?

Well, according to Click&Buy there are two fundamental differences:
 
1) Ether calls both parties at a set scheduled time.  With Jyve the buyer of the consultation calls the consultant.
 
2) With Ether you and the other party agree on a set amount of money and time before the call.  However, with Jyve and Click&Buy's payment system, the call could go for less than the planned call and the person on the other end pays for the actual time.  He or she doesn't pre-pay and instead uses a post-paid model.

IPEVO plans to soon launch a conference system for Skype called IPEVO Xing. IPEVO Xing is a USB conference phone that is designed to work exclusively with Skype. Xing will be launched with a free trial of Skype-certified Convenos Meeting Center, a fee-based collaboration/sharing software solution, which will enhance the meeting experience.