No wonder people were going crazy to get their PS3! 

(Or someone else's for that matter.)

According to reports, Sony may not have hit its reduced target for the number of machines available at launch.

Now 400K units may seem like a lot, but just ask Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft how many of those big bad boy gaming units they can sell when they're hot!

Can't imagine there are too many PS3's left out there to purchase ...

Reminds me of Beanie Babies ...

... Cabbage Patch Kids ...

... Talking Elmo ...

... and all of those other holiday toy shortages.

Remember when computers had floppy drives?

Well, yes, some still do, but the generation of CDs and then USB storage devices has made them largely obsolete.

Now, the ubiquitous USB flash drive has undergone the latest step in its evolution -- transforming into the U3 smart drive. It doesn't look any different than what we've come to expect from this tiny little wonder, but it's what's inside that makes them smart:

• Carry and access your files easily (OK, that's not new)
• Keep your data safe and secure (Yes, but how so?)
• Comes with pre-loaded software (Now, that's interesting)
• Hundreds of software titles available (What?)

Backed by flash drive manufacturers SanDisk and msystems (and now supported by many other companies), U3 is an innovative “smart” drive platform that transforms the traditional, data-storing USB flash drives into tiny, little personal computers. (How so?)

Now, with U3, users have the ability to load their U3 smart drives with popular Windows applications, personal preferences, computer settings and files. U3 smart drives provide businesses and consumers alike with a convenient, portable, personalized computing solution.

Now, how about this? U3 has OpenOffice and ThinkFree Office presentation programs, which are compatible with PowerPoint so I can save a PowerPoint file on a U3 smart drive, open and edit it using the ThinkFree Office presentation program and then reopen it in PowerPoint once it's back on a computer with Microsoft Office.

How about ease of use? Using a U3 smart drive is simple. You simply plug it into any PC’s USB port to access personalized e-mail programs, Web browsers, productivity tools, antivirus programs, multimedia applications, music and games. (Like I said, hundreds of downloadable apps.)

When you unplug the U3 smart drive from the computer, you take your personal information with you -- safe and secure.

And talk about security -- you can password protect the entire drive so if it's ever lost or stolen, the data inside stays inside. (Sort of like that Las Vegas saying, eh?)

(And remember when headlines to stories made sense? )

www.u3.com

Hey, hey, hey as Fat Albert used to say, we've now got all three new gaming systems out on the market -- granted, they all had their own unique paths to get there!

So what do you think? What's your thoughts on the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Which one will be the winner in the marketplace?

What's the best feature of each?  What's the worst?

The phone lines (I mean the blog lines) are open -- let's hear what you've got to say.

The OPPO Digital LT2007 20-inch LCD-TV DVD Combo Player is an interesting "combination" device, combining a 181-channel TV tuner, VGA input for PC/laptop video support, built-in DVD player, 5-in-1 USB Memory Card reader, component ports, built-in speakers, and a remote control -- all in a small, elegant, and stylish design that is perfectly suited for kitchens, dorms, dens, or other rooms with limited space. Oppo sent me a review unit to check out and put through the paces.



For my first test I inserted the DVD movie Cellular into the front-loading DVD slot. Similar to cars' in-dash DVD/CD players, the DVD player automatically "catches" the DVD disc as you insert it. Using the ultra-thin remote control, which actually uses a thin watch battery, I was able to easily navigate the DVD menus and start the movie. The video quality was very good on the LCD display, though the screen is 4:3 aspect ratio, so the widescreen Cellular movie was letterboxed. This 4:3 aspect ration is my first "room for improvement" - I'd like to see them offer a 16:9 LCD screen since most DVDs these days come in widescreen format. While the DVD is playing you can capture the current frame and replace the logo screen. A bit of feature-fluff, but hey, I'm a gadget freak, so the more features, the merrier! Also, the DVD drive plays standard DVD-Video, DivX, CD, HDCD, WMA, Kodak Picture CD, as well as DVD-R/+R/-RW/+RW recordable DVDs.


For my next test, I hooked up the included USB 5-1 Memory Card reader which supports SecureDigital, MultiMedia Card, Memory Stick, SmartMedia, CompactFlash. Next, I inserted my CF card which had both photos, DiVX videos, mpeg videos, and MP3s on it. From the remote control I switched the source to the CF card and was able to browse the folders on the CF card. I was able to start an MP3 music file and as the song was playing I could browse the photos and start a slideshow. The MP3 music would continue playing while the photos were browsed or in slideshow mode - a nice feature. Next, I tried playing Journey - Who's Crying Now.mpg, a live concert MPEG video in my video collection and it played flawlessly.

Next, I hooked up a laptop to the VGA input on the back of the unit. The LCD screen was very crisp (as expected), however I noticed the screen resolution displayed 800x600 even though the laptop was set to 1024x768. Thus, part of the Windows Desktop was obscured, such as the Windows XP Start Menu until you move the mouse and pan around the screen.
(Note: I switched to 800x600 resolution on the laptop for the photo below, so you can see the Start menu on this photo:)

Moving the mouse around would cause the LCD to "pan" around and I was able to get to the Start menu. I tried to change the resolution to 1024x768 but soon learned that 800x600 is the maximum resolution on this 20" screen. This is a bit surprising since I have never seen such a large screen only handle 800x600. I'm not sure if it was a cost decision to only do 800x600, but it certainly seemed odd. Similarly, the Component video inputs accept 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i HD video signals, however, all signals are scaled to the 800x600 resolution display capability. Composite and S-Video inputs are also included for connecting VCRs, camcorders, etc. I should point out that 800x600 is fine for the built-in TV tuner since DV NTSC resolution (DVD) is only 720x480. In fact, I was very impressed with the DVD quality as well as the 181-channel TV tuner video quality, but still would have liked to have seen 1024x768 supported. Nevertheless, this combo device will most likely be used in kitchens, dens, and other small spaces "more as a DVD player and TV" rather than a computer monitor. As such, this TV/DVD combo this is a great product with a really cool stylish design that almost looks like Apple designed it. Most importantly the Oppo OPPO Digital LT-2007 has a small footprint due its integrated LCD, speakers, and DVD player that won't clutter your countertop or table -- and at just $599, this is a bargain for the amount of features you get.

Pros:
- Integrated DVD player
- Memory card Reader with Photo Slideshow
- Plays DivX, and MPEG videos
- Plays mp3 files
- Elegant, small, and combines TV/DVD/PC monitor all-in-one

Cons:
- VGA maximum resolution (800x600)
- 4:3 aspect ratio not optimal for DVD playback
 
Specifications:

TV:

• Enhanced Definition Television (EDTV) with high quality 20.1" flat-panel TFT LCD screen.
• 800 x 600 pixel resolution, 500:1 contrast ratio, 450 cd/m² brightness, 4:3 aspect ratio.
• Tilt screen with adjustable angle.
• 181-channel NTSC tuner with automatic station searching and fine tuning.
• Last Channel Recall feature for quick switching between channels.
• Closed captioning capability.
• MTS/SAP decoding for true stereo sound and Secondary Audio Programs.
• Digital 3D comb filter for enhanced picture resolution and sharpness.
• Component video input capable of accepting 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i HD video signals.
• Composite video and S-Video inputs for universal compatibility.
• VGA input for use as a computer or game monitor.
• 2 stereo audio inputs for PC and video.
• 3W x 2 stereo speakers built into the base.
• Headphone output.
• Automatic shut-off sleep timer.

 
Built-in DVD Player:

• Slot-loading DVD player built into the TV base.
• Progressive scan and true digital connection to the built-in TV for best picture quality.
• Multi-format digital video/audio/picture playback supporting DVD-Video, DivX® video format, XviD, Audio CD, HDCD, WMA, Kodak Picture CD and more.
• Versatile media compatibility supporting disc types such as CD-R/CD-RW, DVD-R/DVD-RW, and DVD+R/DVD+RW.
• Official DivX® Certified product
• Plays all versions of DivX® video (including DivX® 6) with standard playback of DivX® media files
• Digital audio output supporting Dolby Digital and DTS for surround sound playback.
• USB interface for flash memory or external device expandability.
• Composite video and stereo audio output.

 
Connectors:

• Cable/Antenna input (F Type connector): 1
• Component video input (YPbPr/YCbCr): 1 group (3 connectors)
• S-Video input: 1
• VGA input: 1
• A/V input: 1
• PC audio input (for VGA): 1
• DVD A/V output: 1
• DVD coaxial digital audio output: 1
• USB port: 1
• DC power input jack: 1
• Headphone output: 1

 
Accessories Included:

• User manual
• Remote control and battery
• Power adaptor and AC power cord
• A/V cable (3 RCA to 1 mini-jack): 2 sets
• Stereo audio cable (2 RCA to 1 mini-jack)
• Coaxial digital audio cable (1 RCA to 1 mini-jack)
• 5-in-1 USB flash memory card reader and USB cable (SecureDigital, MultiMedia Card, Memory Stick, SmartMedia, CompactFlash)

When Sony bought CBS way back when, they also bought the famous CBS "Eye," which sought of looked like a black eye.

I bet they didn't think they'd be using that symbol outside of the music or television business, but this year has been one big black eye for Sony -- notebook battery problems, PS3 production problems and now violence and mayhem over the PS3 launch.

Looks like the good folks of Boston aren't taking Sony's launch problems as a "normal course of doing business." Instead, the city plans to bill Sony for the police needed to quell a ruckus at the Sony Style store in Beantown.

Maybe Sony could have "gifted" every mayor of every major U.S. city to get on their good side?

 

Hard to believe it's been 21 years since Microsoft launched Windows in 1985!

Lots of blogging on this one today.

It was a big deal back in 1985 with a big launch. I do think they did expect it to turn into a software franchise, don't you?

BTW, did any of you sleep outside to be the first to get your copy of Windows?

(See, this zaniness is not limited to the launch of new video gaming systems (see Xbox 350, PS3 and Wii ...)

Now we have former Senator John Edwards (no, not the "otherworldly" guy we see on TV) reportedly asking one of his staff members to see if he could get a hot, new PS3 from Wal-mart for his family.

Sound bad?

How about making it even worse that Edwards was criticizing the big W for unfairly treating its employees at the same time?

Seems to me that Sony could have handed out PS3s to every member of Congress (that's 500 or so) and theoretically reduced its lobby/legal presence in DC to $0 for at least a couple of months.

Add a couple more directed to key "influentials" (say state governors) and then those bills might have been reduced even further.

Meanwhile, I wonder what the Republicans have been doing ...

As if standing/sleeping on lines waiting to shell out big bucks to be the first on your block to own the brand spanking new Sony PS3 today wasn't enough, according to published reports, people are getting robbed and shot!

(And I'm talking about in wild and wooly Connecticut! Tough place ...)

Now we all love our gadgets, but come on now ...

What did James Brown say about "Living in America" ...?

 

I surrender! I surrender! Just as Captain Kirk begrudgingly surrendered the Enterprise, as of today I have surrendered my corporate email account to the spammers. Spammers can have my email address, which has become completely overwhelmed with spam. As of today it will bounce back as 'System Undeliverable' and I have chosen a new tmcnet.com email address. Sure my friends, contacts, and all my Web signups will be caught up in what some may deem a draconian tactic, until they find my new email, but that's it - I’ve had it! Enough of the spam!

I have had the same corporate email account since the Internet started to take off in 1994. Thus, I have had the same email address for nearly 13 years which must be in just about every spam list you can think of. I get nearly 500 spam emails per day, which has rendered my corporate email account a productivity killer instead of a productivity enhancer. You're probably thinking I'm exaggerating with my 500 email claim, since everyone loves to bitch/whine , as well as exaggerate about how much spam they get.

And so I have included proof via a screenshot below that includes every single spam from yesterday (Thursday) totalling 465 emails. Click the screenshot for a full image that will measure 504 x 6649 pixels. That's a mighty big graphic height-wise (6649), so when you first load the full image you'll have to Zoom in just to read the text.




Even though I have deployed anti-spam measures on the Exchange Server (GFI MainEssentials) to tag spam, it’s only ~95% accurate, which means some spam gets through as well as false positives that get lumped in with hundreds of other spam I still have to sift through. I’m also using DNSBL (DNS email blacklists) which catches a lot of spam, but not all.

In addition, I also have iHateSpam antispam software installed on my mail client as well as my own custom Outlook email rules. This means I have 4 anti-spam Maginot lines of defense against spammers -- and still it is not enough. Just as the French’s Maginot Line was easily overwhelmed by the Germans, resulting in France’s quick surrender, my anti-spam Maginot line is no match for the spammers blitzkrieg attacks.

My email productivity has gotten worse over the years due to the exponentially increasing spam. It’s much worse than the productivity that it hurts -- receiving tons of spam affects your entire mood and morale. I dread going into work in the morning and having to sift through hundreds of spam emails. It is truly frustrating. My Irish stubbornness often kicks in and I take the battle against the evil spammers personally. Thus, I try and do battle against the l spam onslaught by periodically checking email at night when I am home. This way at least my morning Inbox is more manageable. and I haven’t started my work day ticked off that it took me 30 minutes to sift through all my email. But when my work bleeds into my personal life for unproductive work such as sifting through spam – then enough is enough. On occasion I have seriously considered leaving TMC just so I could have a clean email address and start fresh. It's that frustrating to me.

And thus, I have surrendered my email address. Yes, I know I am "cutting and running". So? Let the evil spammers have their way with my email account, I just don’t care any more. Let them waste their own treasure and bandwidth fighting over my non-existent email – see if I care. Oh and by the way, I think President Bush needs to add spammers to his Axis of Evil list – seriously. If President Bush were able to solve the worldwide spam problem his ratings would soar.

Well, I have a new email address and I'm loving it. Ahhh, no blitzkrieg of spam. No more hammering the Delete key in frustration. A nice clean Inbox. It’s truly a liberating experience.

To quote William Wallace from BraveHeart…
F R E E E D O M !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Note: Below is an embedded WAV file containing the Star Trek Surrender snippet, then a delaying playing of the famous Braveheart 'freedom' quote. Doesn't always work in Firefox)

Google finally launched their click-to-call feature, which is available from Google Maps. Rich has the scoop and he gave me the head's up on the news and he has a detailed write-up, including who is powering the termination - namely VoIP, Inc. Nice scoop, Rich!

The above screenshot is a test call I made called the famous Pepe's Pizza in New Haven. Best of all, the call is FREE!

The official Google Blog has more.

Update:
Techcrunch also talks about this news. In one part Techcrunch says "The calls are powered by Google Talk and Skype"

How is this powered by Skype? According to Rich, Google's click-to-talk is powered by VoIP, Inc. not Skype. Now I realize that Skype and Google announced a deal, which I wrote about, in which they planned to interoperate. In addition, as I analyzed this deal back in August, "It is interesting that there is a caveat in the press release - Google is the exclusive text-based advertising provider for eBay outside the United States. Apparently, as part of this deal, Skype/eBay can continue to use Overture or other ad networks within the U.S. but must use Google for advertising outside the U.S. This sounds to me like Skype/eBay negotiated hard with Google and threw Google a "bone" by agreeing to use Google exclusively outside the U.S."

So I'm still not clear why would Google even need Skype. They certainly don't need the Skype client for Google Maps click-to-call, since this is a web-based application that connect 2 legs of the call. They don't need Skype for the termination, since Skype technically isn't a termination company - Skype partners with termination service providers, i.e. Level3. So why can't Google with all its capital negotiate directly with VoIP termination service providers? Of course, it is highly probable that the Google Maps application uses the Skype API and initiates two SkypeOut calls and the two are conferenced together. Perhaps since Skype terminates so many minutes they are able to negotiate great rates and were able to pass those savings onto Google. But if that is the case, then that doesn't explain where VoIP, Inc. fits into all of this.

So many questions... Will report when I find out more.

Confused by gadget babble?

(As from the Tower of Babel.)

Don't worry, be happy.

In today's Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg offers a lesson in decoding the tech language for gadget shoppers.

(Language should not be a barrier.)

(Just what we need as "the holiday shopping season" looms up ever larger ahead.)

Now we have news that Best Buy is reportedly forcing web sites that list their "Black Friday" sales to take down that information.

Remember that "Black Friday" is the big day-after-Thanksgiving- sale-day for all things gadgets -- actually all things period.

(I feel that Crazy Eddie urge coming on again. You know, the "insane prices" thing.)

Makes me want to burn my "Reward Zone" card ...

Oh and if you're looking for some Black Friday deals on Amazon, check this out!

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Friday-After-Thanksgiving-Sale/

Hotmail apparently is experiencing a major outage. The message I got at 9:44am ET was:

Server too busy.
We are experiencing higher than normal volume and are therefore unable to service your request at this time. Try one of the following:

In your browser, click Refresh
In your browser, click Back, and try again
Wait a few minutes and try again
 We apologize for this inconvenience.

This is the first Microsoft Hotmail outage that I have seen in quite some time. Guess I'll be using my GMail account this morning.

Further, if you go to www.live.com, Microsoft's highly touted site, you also get this error message. I just went to wwww.microsoft.com and some of the images loaded very slowly. I then headed over to www.msn.com and some of the links are very very slow. DDOS attack on Microsoft? I'll report when I find out more.

Here's the text copy/pasted from my browser:

Server Too Busy

And here's a screenshot. Click for larger version.



Update: 9:56am
It appears that www.live.com is back up, however, Hotmail still gives the same error message.

Update: 2/26/08 - 10:30am - another outage
Another Hotmail outage. I was in the middle of checking for an important registration email too.

Got a cell phone, become a video star -- why not?

Musician Rob Dickinson’s new video, “Oceans,” is the first music video created solely on a Nokia Nseries multimedia computer, the N93. (You can call it a cell phone, too.)

Directed by Mike Hodgkinson, “Oceans” is the second single off Dickinson’s debut solo album, entitled Fresh Wine for the Horses. (Bad title.)

The “Oceans” music video was shot by Hodgkinson on the Nokia N93, a 3.2 megapixel cameraphone with DVD quality video and Carl Zeiss optics.

Why not indeed?

As a reward to my loyal blog readers, I was able to request and get a 20% discount on any Internet Telephony Conference & Expo registration plan for readers on my blog. Don't say I don't ever do nuttin' for ya. Rich may also offer the same thing on his blog, but you read it here first.

Simply visit this special promo link and you will automatically receive a 20% discount on any of TMC's ITEXPO conference plans.
 
I can't believe ITEXPO East 2007 is just 10 weeks away, and with the holidays those 10 weeks will go by a lot faster than usual. I should mention that the 20% discount is good until December 15th.
 
The entire program is now posted online, as is the full brochure. Here is a link to the brochure:

Some Brief Highlights for ITEXPO East 2007:

• Unified Communications
• VoIP Security
• Disaster preparedness/recovery
• IPTV
• Regulation

Finally, it's worth mentioning that ITEXPO is collocated with IMS Expo.