Category: Internet
May 1, 2008
Infochaining the Social Net for Personal Productivity
Yesterday at lunch I demonstrated for a colleague a rather ridiculous, Rube Goldbergian reminder mechanism consisting of Web 2.0 information management and communication tools.
I called Jott and told it to contact Sandy with a message to feed the parking meter in 30 minutes. A half hour later, Sandy sent my Twitter account a direct message, which ended up arriving to my phone via text message. I also had an email message waiting for me, just in case.
Sure, it's absurd to do something like that for a task so trivial as reminding yourself to refresh a parking meter, but it does demonstrate how amazingly interconnected these mobile/web tools are becoming.
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Internet
and Mobile & PDAs
and Technology
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April 28, 2008
As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm now on Twitter [CRA1G]...feel free to add me to your follow list.
p.s., I've added a Twitter feed to the menu-bar (on the right side of GearBits' main page), but I'm not yet sure it'll be a permanent addition.
Posted by Craig in Internet
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Consume or Produce: Reflections on an Earlier Post
Eugenio just read one of Clay Shirky's recent articles, Gin, Television, and Social Surplus, and said it reminded him of a piece I posted here a little over three years ago:
The Great Decision: Consume or Produce
January 29, 2005Every time I sit down at a PC and every time I walk into my office at work, I'm struck with a fundamental decision: consume or produce.
I'm talking about information. Any minute can be reasonably and justifiably spent either consuming information, such as reading research papers, news sites, emails, blogs, etc., or producing new information, such as writing my own papers, putting up blog entries, leaving comments on blogs (hint, hint), composing an email, and so on.
Some people are very content to be primarily, if not entirely, consumers. They feel little or no need to share their knowledege, opinions, and thoughts with others. Some are more biased in the opposite direction, churning out an unending stream of content. ...
What's particularly serendipitous about Eugenio's note is that I recently signed up for Twitter and have been trying to figure out it can be the most useful as a communication tool. Twitter, as you likely know, is much more about production than consumption -- it makes creating and distributing tiny bits of information almost frictionless, thereby further increasing the load on us as consumers.
This is still an issue I struggle with every day. I doubt I'll ever resolve it.
Posted by Craig in Internet
and Other
and Popular Media
and Society / Politics
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April 23, 2008
U-verse multicasting collides with ISPs
I am no network expert, but I've dabbled in streaming content over computer networks at work. So I find it interesting to know how the various cable/phone/satellite companies get their digital goodness delivered to my house. Unique solutions, like this AT&T solution, pique my curiosity.
This wikipedia article summarizes the architecture:
Unlike traditional offerings from U.S. cable companies, video is delivered over IP from the head end to the consumer's set-top box. Broadcast channels are distributed via IP multicast, allowing a single stream (channel) to be sent to any number of recipients.
Multicasting rocks. This BBC radio page sums it up pretty well:
It's similar to Broadcast. If you think about your Digital Radio it's tuned into a specific station, it picks up data that has an identifier saying 'this is for the station you want', we just have to put one copy of the station on transmitters. Whereas Unicast is a lot more like us having to call each listener on the phone and play-back the station you request.
In the past I've mentioned to Craig that if my ISPs finally support multicasting to my home, then radio stations, like woxy, wouldn't have to pay a gazillion dollars for their internet bandwidth.
Multicasting isn't without it's share of complexities, of course. The U-verse details came to my attention when Comcast reportedly stated problems with U-verse multicasting traffic spilling out onto their network.
Posted by Bob in Internet
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April 20, 2008
Have Fun Tweaking Your Gmail Email Address
I was perusing the Official Gmail Blog and found this gem of a tip: Google ignores periods and anything after a + in your email address, so you can use these characters to provide yourself with infinite custom email addresses that all route to your current account. Here's what they say:
• Append a plus ("+") sign and any combination of words or numbers after your email address. For example, if your name was hikingfan@gmail.com, you could send mail to hikingfan+friends@gmail.com or hikingfan+mailinglists@gmail.com.• Insert one or several dots (".") anywhere in your email address. Gmail doesn't recognize periods as characters in addresses -- we just ignore them. For example, you could tell people your address was hikingfan@gmail.com, hiking.fan@gmail.com or hi.kin.g.fan@gmail.com.
So, spammers, please send me a note at craig.froehle+i.hope.you.die@gmail.com ;-)
Posted by Craig in Internet
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April 3, 2008
In Defense of Email
Over at Gizmodo, I came across this entry musing about the pervasiveness of text messaging (apparently not written by a European):"...I began to wonder about the phenomenon of text messaging as a whole. Sometimes it seems that it would make more sense to call or send an email, but that crap is for old people."
Perhaps I'm mistaken in believing the merits of email should be obvious and that nobody can honestly believe that texting is superior for all, or even most, occasions. So, I thought I'd put together a brief table outlining what I consider the advantages of each technology:
Near-instantaneous delivery |
Delivery can be delayed |
A clear advantage for texting | |
Included in all phones |
Increasingly common |
Not as much of a difference as even a year ago | |
| Good mobile email clients are no harder to use than most Texting interfaces | |||
160-character limit |
What can't email do? |
Attachments, long messages, and rich text are all things email does easily but that texting doesn't do well, if at all | |
no long-term storage |
email archives are forever |
Some messages you don't care about referencing in the future, but can you be sure when you send it that you won't care? | |
$0.10+ apiece when not bought in bulk |
Free with any Internet service |
Some may find this contentious, but I pay extra for texting on my cellular account whereas email is just part of my overall Internet connectivity fee |
I think the biggest drawback I see to texting is the whole temporal retention issue. I rely extensively on my ability to search through my emails, both professional and personal, sometimes going back years to look up something. In contrast, I don't know anyone who saves their text messages for even more than a few months. I asked a classful of college seniors how long they kept text messages on their phones. Less than 10% keep them longer than a week!
Do I txt? Yep, everyday, but I still use email a lot more. I'm not going to pull the "age = wisdom" card and claim that "old people" (per the Gizmodo story) use email more because they're wiser (I'm not even sure I'd be considered "old"), but my perception is that email offers a lot of advantages that texting just can't match right now.
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Internet
and Mobile & PDAs
and Phones
and Society / Politics
and Technology
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April 1, 2008
Bringing Social to the Desktop: The Buddy Bar
The sheer power of social computing had me wondering how I could best capture some of these new technologies in my everyday life. What occurred to me was that I spend a lot of time sharing: links, stories, photos, videos, etc. Sure, there are lots of tools for sharing these days. Sites like Digg and the sharing feature in Google Reader are just two examples.
But those tools rely on my friends/colleagues to use those same tools, go to those sites, or interface with them in some other new way. No, what I'd really like is a sharing interface that spans multiple media and methods. My idea for that is...the Buddy Bar:
Basically, the Buddy Bar combines (some of) the functionality of an IM client, an email client, a photo/document-uploader app, and blog interface. Here's how I envision it working:
1) You add some friends to your Buddy Bar. You include their name and all contact info you have for them: phone number(s), email address(es), IM/Twitter IDs, and so forth.
2) Simply clicking on a friend opens up an IM dialog. Buddy Bar would be service agnostic, so it would use whatever IM service your friend used.
3) Drag and drop a URL onto your friend's avatar would send it to your friend via one of the predetermined methods you set up for him/her (e.g., email, IM, etc.).
4) Dragging and dropping a file would generate a pull-down menu for you to send that file via one of the various methods you set up for that friend. For example, drop a JPG and the menu might include
• Email
• Email
• IM
• MMS
• Flickr
• Webify*
*Webify could be to upload it to a web space under your control and send your friend a URL to that location.
Drop a Word file and you might get a different set of options:
• Email
• Email
• IM
• Google Docs
• Webify*
5) Select some text from a webpage or document and drag that over to your friend's avatar and you'd get a similar drop-down for methods of delivery.
6) Drop something big on their avatar (e.g., a 200MB home movie file) and it could initiate a Torrent invitation to your friend.
7) Right-click a friend and you get options for audio/video chat, invite to room, ping, and other options.
You get the idea. Basically, it would be an automator for distributing content and managing communication with those in your private social network. I think it could also be very handy for people who work in a distributed environment and constantly need to share info (extra functionality could be built in if it was being used in an intranet setting).
One thing Bob mentioned is the chance for abuse. "Stop sending me this crap!" was his actual comment, IIRC. So, you'd have to have some sort of content/contact moderation much like you have in good IM clients, but with better discrimination based on the type of content being offered.
Anyway, I'd love to see something like this developed. Anyone know of an app/service that accomplishes even most of this?
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Internet
and Society / Politics
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March 31, 2008
Google Docs Now Goes With You Offline
Google's wonderful Docs suite (browser-based alternatives to the core Microsoft Office apps) now lets you work on your documents while offline.
Check out this Google Docs Blog entry and the little video. It looks pretty easy...can't wait to try it out.
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Internet
and Technology
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March 17, 2008
Hello Verizon, may I introduce you to GPL?
I'm a techie that spends most of my days in the the software world. I sometimes deal with litigation concerns. So this little news update caught my eye, "Verizon settles open source software lawsuit." It seems that a hardware device manufacturer, Actiontec, supplies a FiOS router to Verizon and the device had shipped with some code that it didn't properly license. The code in question was some software, called BusyBox, which is released under an open source license (in this case, GPLv2.)
I actually have an Actiontec FiOS router in my house.
Except for the flaky wireless access point, it does a great job serving up my FiOS internet with phenomenal uptime. I do find myself disappointed that the Actiontec folks didn't concern themselves with the rules of open source.
I haven't dug deep enough to know if Actiontec was sued as well, but they will have to play by the rules and post their own code online. Now, perhaps, I can add some neat features to my Actiontec router at home!
It is interesting how Verizon got caught in the mix here. Not that I know what happened, but you might assume that they picked a hardware supplier and didn't fully check out the suppliers development processes. It almost makes me feel sorry for Verizon.
I'll admit that the fact that I like my FiOS internet makes me more than a bit subjective in this case. :)
If you didn't know, the BusyBox developers are a smart bunch. Their little utility helps you turn some ordinary hardware devices into an interactive computer. (I've recently run BusyBox on a DNS-323 network storage device to improve its ftp support.) It supports a wide range of useful unix commands on a command prompt (for you Windows folks out there, imagine being able to open a Windows command prompt or "dos box" on you wireless router and do a dir command.)
Posted by Bob in Computing
and Industry
and Internet
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March 8, 2008
What Hot Wheels Should Do with the Web
My daughter and I decided that we wanted to play cars. She was there in her fairy princess outfit running a Hot Wheels car along the floor and it occurred to me that we didn't have any track! When I was a kid (in the 70s), Hot Wheels track was about as ubiquitous as Lego pieces and army men, so it seemed imperative that we go procure some track immediately.
So, we went out to the store and I was shocked and dismayed at how Hot Wheels has devolved over the years. Sure, they offered several track kits, but none of them actually had much track. They had these complicated, automated moving ramps and claw things that picked up the cars and smacked them into each other. The most track I could find in any set was a mere 14 feet! Plus, they didn't sell just track...the only way to get some was to buy one of these kits.
This pales in comparison to how it used to be, when you were able to buy sets with tons of track AND you were also able to purchase separate "Track Packs" of 10-20 pieces and those little purple connectors.
So, I checked eBay. Of course, tons of people were selling old kits like what I remembered. The problem was (a) they were charging an arm and a leg for them (one guy wanted $40 for 40 feet of track), and (b) the shipping charges were even worse (another $20 for UPS ground?!). I'm sorry, but $60 for some Hot Wheels track is just ridiculous.
So, I had an epiphany. Hot Wheels should harness the power of the web to recapture people's imaginations. Currently, the only interactive feature Hot Wheels has is an online personalized database of all the cars you've collected. Whee. No, what I have in mind is a bit more invigorating:
The Hot Wheels Track Set Online Design Studio
Imagine a browser-based tool that lets you assemble parts of track sets that Hot Wheels sells into your own custom track setup. You could drag and drop all the 2-foot pieces you want, add a couple of 90-degree banked curves, toss in an inline accelerator, put in a full loop, and then reconnect back to where you started. The system would automagically calculate all the connectors you need and give you a price quote. Then, if you decided to purchase it, Hot Wheels would assemble your custom package and ship it straight to you.
An interesting extension of this would be if you could take advantage of some of today's gaming technology and actually test out different configurations by running virtual cars through your newly designed track. Finding out that you need a bit more elevation drop (and thus more track) for your design to work would be quite useful to ensure that people aren't disappointed by what they've designed. Plus, Hot Wheels could give each person a list of cars they own that is compatible with the track they've designed. Furthermore, imagine if you could share the tracks you've designed with other people; think Cafe Press for Hot Wheels.
I don't know about you, but I think this would rock. With all the quality issues Mattel has had recently, they're going to have to differentiate themselves on some other dimension, and offering customized Hot Wheels track sets might be just the ticket. Plus, think how much added press and brand-building could be accomplished by an online tool like this. Seems like a decent idea to me.
Posted by Craig in Industry
and Internet
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March 2, 2008
WikiHow: Great Place for Everyday Tips
I just stumbled upon a site that looks like it's been around forever (how'd I miss it?): WikiHow. It bills itself as "The How-To Manual that You Can Edit."
My first encounter with WikiHow -- the random link that introduced me to the site -- was this entry: How to Organize Empty Food Storage Containers and Lids It basically recommends the same sort of system we've adopted here at our house, but gives pictures and step-by-step instructions. Very nice!
So, anyway, check it out and see what new stuff you learn. And then give some of your knowledge back by editing it.
Posted by Craig in Internet
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February 15, 2008
Discovery Channel's Dinosaur Viewer is Excellent
The Discovery Channel's website continues to have just awesome stuff. If you're a dinosaur fanatic as I was as a kid (OK, still am), then you'll get instant thrills out of their Dinosaur Planet "Dino Viewer"
It offers everything from profiles to 3-D rotating views to size comparisons (making it simple to tell just how easy it would have been for any given dino to eat or squish you) to rendered animations of the animals in motion (example shown) and all sorts of other nifty info. If you have little kids, I guarantee they'll get a kick out of this.
Posted by Craig in Internet
and Science & Nature
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February 14, 2008
I'm Going to Miss the 'Old' Web
I was reading a bit on the Discovery Channel website this morning and one of their links took me to a webpage hosted by the US National Park Service. The contrast between the highly professional Discovery Channel webpage and the old-fashioned page on the NPS.gov website just astounded me. Take a look:
Screen capture of the Discovery Channel webpage
Screen capture of the NPS.gov webpage
That NPS webpage is so plain and fundamental -- so old-fashioned -- it gave me a real sense of nostalgia. And we're only talking about memories from a decade or so ago!
I was introduced to the World Wide Web back in August of 1994 when a friend (hi, Mitch!) and I attended a PC User's Group meeting (we weren't members) that was giving a live demo of this new branch of the Internet (I'd used email and Gopher before in school, but nothing on the WWW). The pages were so alive and rich, I remember thinking at the time. This NPS page looks exactly like the WWW that teemed and thrived in those initial years; early HTML standards hand-coded with text editors. How simple, how quick-loading! Of course, then we moved into the whole flaming, spinning logo era and innocence was lost.
Anyway, pardon my reminiscing. I thought I'd post these screen caps because in a few years, it will be more and more difficult to stumble across a page that has none of the pretense/sophistication that more contemporary tools like Javascript and CSS enable.
Posted by Craig in Internet
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February 5, 2008
Competition is Good...Unless It's Not
Microsoft's recent play for Yahoo!, an effort to advance its online advertising market share and more effectively dominate the entire world compete with Google, got me thinking back a bit to those interesting days in the late 90s when Microsoft was having to defend its monopoly status in the operating system market. A couple of graphs and quotes might be helpful, here.
So, according to Microsoft, the market on the left is just fine and doesn't need any intervention, whereas the market on the right has no compelling "number two competitor" and would benefit from some consolidation.
I think that's called wanting to eat your cake and have it at the same time.
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Industry
and Internet
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January 4, 2008
GearBits' Predictions for 2008
As has become customary around the changing of the calendar, here are GearBits' official predictions for 2008.
1) Blu-Ray Wins the Format War
Yep, I'm going to pick a winner and it's going to be Blu-Ray. The one-two punch of Warner Brothers's move to Blu-Ray exclusivity (from its Switzerland-like neutrality of supporting both formats) later in 2008 and Apple's announcement that BD will be the only HD format available in its products will cement HD DVD's demise. And none too soon. I don't really care which wins...just make it snappy so that prices on players and media can plummet, thanks.
2) Google's Android Shakes Up Phone Industry
For a while now, the cellphone industry has been fairly static. A few smartphone and mobile OS makers have generally tussled for market share, but the overall industry has been pretty evolutionary. Google's entry will prove to be a watershed moment, with open source finally making a big impact in the handheld space (and no, I don't consider the Zaurus to be a big deal...sorry). Actual handsets running Android will be announced, if not available, before the end of 2008.
3) Palm Supports Android
This is more of a hope than an actual prediction, as I just don't know whether the egos at Palm will let the company do the right thing and admit that their next-generation OS (which has been under development since 2004!) will be a viable contender against Android (which has essentially the same technical details but scads more developer support). But, if cooler, more rational heads prevail at Palm, they'll announce that they're plans will be to produce at least one Android-based product (probably to come out sometime in 2012 :-/ ).
4) Microsoft's HD Photo Replacement for JPEG Image Standard Goes Nowhere
I'm not saying it's a bad idea technically; I'm just saying that JPEG is so entrenched now that replacing it would be about as reasonable a thing to try as would be replacing MP3 with any of the multitudes of better formats. JPEG, like MP3, isn't great, but it's adequate (at least for consumers) and ubiquitous. We'll still be saving all our photos in JPG (and maybe RAW) at the end of 2008...and likely long after that.
5) Subnotes Will Explode in Availability (and Maybe Popularity)
I've always been a fan of tiny, sub-3-pound laptops, but I think 2008 will see a huge number of these clamshell devices come out of every corner of the consumer electronics space. The Asus EeePC and the OLPC XO Laptop are two examples. While Microsoft had a good idea in its UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC) concept, the hardware was just never executed all that well. Frankly, I think a 7" touchscreen for Windows is just too difficult. But, going with the traditional clamshell design and using cheaper and/or smaller technologies (e.g., flash memory instead of a HDD) will bring us a raft of interesting (and some good) designs at <$500 price points. Bring 'em on! And I think we'll start to see a lot more people toting these things along that traditionally avoided laptops for whatever reason (cost, weight, etc.).
6) The GPS War Heats Up
TomTom, Nokia, and Garmin will exchange hostile fire over the GPS market due to convuluted agreements regarding mapping data as well as market-share for hardware. Products will continue to decline in price and improve in functionality, and >50% of cellphones will have some form of GPS functionality available on them. I guess that's two predictions in one...oh well.
7) DRM Hits Choppy Water
2007 saw some movement away from DRM (digital rights management), especially in the music industry, but I expect we'll see similar initiatives in all areas of media. DRM has been proven again and again to be little more than an expensive technological boondoggle, and the leading innovators at the consumer media interface (e.g., Apple, Amazon, and Google) will make some headway into reversing the trend of more encumbrance for our media. The RIAA and MPAA will continue to fight it...they know how to do nothing else...but economic results will start to demonstrate that DRM actually hurts profitability.
8) Major Tech Stocks End 2008 Up Significantly
These are bound to be wrong, but what the heck...nobody pays me for stock tips. I think Apple will end 2008 at 235, Google will be at 960, and Microsoft will finish the year at 50. As for other stocks, iRobot will end up at either 46 or 12 (can you tell I'm a cynical shareholder?), IBM will show tepid growth to 112, and RIM, hurt by the continued weak US dollar and facing increasing competition, will struggle to match its 1-year high of 127.
9) I Buy a New Laptop and Am Disappointed
My Panasonic CF-W2 is now three-and-a-half-years-old and I'm starting to cringe every time I turn it on (my luck with hard drives makes me skeptical of many living past their 4th birthday). I've been looking at possible replacements (e.g., Toshiba R500, Panasonic W7, maybe the Lenovo IdeaPad U110 or the rumored Apple subnote) and so far every single one has some significant trade-offs. So, I expect I'll get one and it will turn out to be not significantly better than my aging Toughbook. You'd think in nearly four years that two grand would buy something markedly superior. We'll see...
10) Major Changes in Automotive Industry Announced
While the car business makes actual change only very slowly, we'll see some huge announcements in 2008 that will fundamentally change the future of that industry. Things like record oil prices, an increasing attention to sustainable/green technology, and significant ownership changes will substantially change the competitive landscape. Make no mistake; Toyota will continue its ascent and eclipse GM as #1 car-maker in the world. But, we will see several major announcements that will start affecting actual consumers in 2009 and beyond.
So, I'll check back in about 12 months to see how I fared. In the meantime, what do you think will happen?
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Gaming
and Home A/V
and Industry
and Internet
and Other
and Phones
and Photography
and Popular Media
and Science & Nature
and Society / Politics
and Technology
and Wireless
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December 28, 2007
Most Popular Media on Peer-to-Peer Networks
Wired has an interesting article that shows the media (recording artists, TV shows, and movies) most popular on the P2P networks (i.e., BitTorent). I was surprised...surprised by (a) two of my favorite shows were on the list, and (b) I'd heard of nearly nothing on the music list. I guess aging has its consequences, eh?
Anyway, here are the lists (for the full details, check out the Wired story):
Top Songs of 2007
1. Shop Boyz - "Party Like A Rock Star"
2. Akon - "I Wanna Luv U"
3. Sean Kingston - "Beautiful Girls"
4. Mims - "This Is Why I'm Hot"
5. Akon - "Don't Matter"
6. T-Pain - "Bartender"
7. Soulja Boy - "Crank Dat Soulja Boy"
8. Justin Timberlake - "My Love"
9. DJ Unk - "Walk It Out"
10. Jim Jones - "We Fly High"
Top Music Artists of 2007
1. T.I.
2. T-Pain
3. Akon
4. 50 Cent
5. R. Kelly
6. Lil Wayne
7. Justin Timberlake
8. Fergie
9. Ludacris
10. Snoop Dogg
Top Movies of 2007
1. Resident Evil: Extinction
2. Pirates of The Caribbean: At World's End
3. I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
4. Ratatouille
5. Superbad
6. Beowulf
7. Transformers
8. American Gangster
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
10. Stardust
Top TV Shows of 2007
1. Heroes
2. Prison Break
3. Top Gear
4. Smallville
5. Desperate Housewives
6. House, M.D.
7. Lost
8. Grey's Anatomy
9. 24
10. Dexter
Posted by Craig in Industry
and Internet
and Movies & Books
and Music & Audio
and Popular Media
and Society / Politics
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December 18, 2007
2007 Google Zeitgeist is Up
Google's end-of-year web search summary has been posted. Check it out.
Posted by Craig in Internet
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October 24, 2007
Gmail Gets Major Storage Space Increase
I just noticed that Google has given me a gift of about 1500 additional MB of Gmail storage. Yesterday, I had ~2800 MB. Here's part of a screenshot:
Might this have anything to do with their recent addition of IMAP service? Hmm...
Posted by Craig in Internet
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September 18, 2007
The Original Emoticon :-) Turns 25
CNN has an interesting story on the origins of the smiley emoticon :-) that is now ubiquitous.
However, I'm still waiting on Strunk & White to nail down how it should get used with punctuation. ;-)
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Internet
and Society / Politics
and Technology
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July 5, 2007
Sick of Messing with Wi-Fi at Home? Consider a Wired Network
For the past four years, I've relied on 802.11g Wi-Fi to get our router's Internet connection up to the second floor office where this web-server and our main PC both live. When we first moved into this house, I had come to the conclusion that there was no way I could route Ethernet cable from the first to the second floor (and across the width of the house) without doing something that She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed would find objectionable.
So, after trying out three routers and countless Wi-Fi adapters looking for adequate range, reliability, and speed, I sunk into the belief that I was destined to put up with wildly fluctuating network speeds (often bouncing between 1 and 8 mbps realized throughput), intermittent connectivity loss (e.g., temporary wireless interference), and a generally unsatisfactory level of network performance.
Then, for no good reason, last week I revisited the idea of having an electrician run Cat-6 from where our router is to the upstairs office. I had always assumed it was prohibitively expensive, but figured getting an estimate couldn't hurt.
Wow! I was simply amazed when the job was done and I was no poorer than had I bought a new 802.11n router and PCI adapter for one computer. For a couple hundred dollars, we now have Gigabit Ethernet connecting our entire network. Granted, the Internet connection still trundles along at 3 mbps, but file transfers within the network (e.g., LAN backups and media copying) are blindingly fast.
So, if you're sick of mucking around with Wi-Fi for networking desktop PCs and other devices that don't move around a lot within your home, consider having an electrician give you an estimate on running some Ethernet cable. You may be surprised at how cheap it actually is (might be less expensive than buying some faster Wi-Fi gear and it's a LOT faster, reliable, and more secure). Make sure to get Cat-6 cable installed so you can be sure to take advantage of the new networking standards coming down the pike in a few years. You don't want to have to go about replacing wire inside your walls, and the better cable is only a few cents a foot more expensive (ours was 30 cents a foot).
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Internet
and Technology
and Wireless
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April 3, 2007
The Futurist a New and Terrific Indie Music Blog
WOXY.com, that phoenix of Internet radio stations, recently launched The Futurist, a top-drawer indie/alternative music industry blog.
What separates The Futurist from the other entries in the music blogosphere is that it uniquely combines the insights of experienced DJs and music professionals with the level independence unmatched by professional blogs hindered by corporate oversight (such as one might have at a ClearChannel). Most music blogs are either the efforts of individuals, so they're uneven and/or highly biased, or are corporate efforts, so are subject to the whims of accountants, lawyers, and advertising/marketing initiatives. The Futurist so far appears to be none of those.
So, go check it out:
Posted by Craig in Internet
and Music & Audio
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March 11, 2007
Browser Shares at GearBits.com: Firefox is HUGE
I just checked the Browser Share figures for GearBits (and my personal site, craigfroehle.com, which makes up a teensy fraction of all logged traffic) over the past month and wow! At roughly a quarter of all visitors to GearBits, Firefox's figures are enormous here, especially when combined with Safari, compared to larger averages (some of which, for example, put IE still at 80% or more overall share). GearBits' readers must be a rather intelligent group! :-)
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Industry
and Internet
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January 19, 2007
The Death of eBay
It seems that 2007 may be the year eBay's undisputed reign as king of the secondary market begins to crumble.
Until recently, I was a fairly satisfied eBay user. Like many, I found their fees to border on the usurious, but since transactions nearly always went through and the most buyers were found there (as any economist will tell you, the bigger the pool of buyers, the better the seller's price will be), I continued to sell things there. Not a lot...a printer here and an antique something-or-other there...maybe 40 items over 8 years.
But recently, as I've begun documenting in another post, scammers are starting to make it nearly impossible to execute a high-value transaction on eBay. Electronics, especially, seem targeted by scam artists who, once they win an auction, ask you to ship it to Nigeria or some other suspicious destination.
What eBay clearly needs is a better authentication system and a way for sellers to screen their bidders more effectively. But, I seriously doubt eBay will do that. Despite charging sellers a final value fee, which is essentially taking a commission on the sale, eBay is quite clear that it wants nothing to do with the actual transaction that follows the sale. Sure, it will engage its PayPal subsidiary to help transfer funds, but given that PayPal, or PayPal phishing attempts, are now an effective tool for these same scammers, that doesn't help much.
So, I predict that something will arise fairly soon as a viable competitor for eBay. Let's hope it is better at building secure communities.
Update (3/3/07): MSNBC has an interesting article detailing the recent upsurge in eBay scams and how little the company seems to be able to do about it. I think we're witnessing one of the biggest, fastest devastations of an industry leader ever.
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January 2, 2007
GearBits' Predictions for 2007
As per tradition (OK, for at least the third time), here are my predictions for the upcoming year, 2007:
1) Apple's iPod continues PMP domination
Thought I'd start off with a safe one. Yep, I don't think too many would argue that the iPod is poised to remain the de facto standard in portable media players. Given that the #1 seller in Amazon's electronics category during the 2006 holiday season was the iPod by a significant margin, and given that accessories for all other PMPs combined amount to about 1/100th of what's available for the iPod, there's really no doubt that newcomers will have a hard time challenging the king, despite any technical advantages.
2) 802.11n gets ratified and gear floods to market
802.11n, the next generation of that family of wireless networking standards, has been forever in getting off the ground. 2007 should see its final certification, opening the gates to loads of networking hardware compliant to the new standard.
3) Film cameras all but disappear from electronics stores
While you'll still be able to find cheap disposables, it will become nearly impossible to find any mainstream electronics retailer selling more than one or two token models. $99 digital cameras from recognizable brands will become commonplace.
4) Nintendo tops Sony and Microsoft as gaming overlord
Not a big leap here, but Nintendo, through its Wii and DS lines, will lead all brands in game unit sales in 2007. Sony will retain the crown of technological leader (and work though its Blu-Ray production issues), and Microsoft will continue to play the spoiler in the industry.
5) TiVo is acquired
If this prediction was good enough to be wrong in 2006, then it's good enough for 2007 as well.
6) Google launches the GooglePhone
Google, in partnership with some handheld maker and/or carrier, will launch a branded QWERTY smartphone that natively runs its main offerings (e.g., Gmail, Google Docs, Google Maps, Google Talk, etc.). Maybe I'm predicting this purely out of desire -- I so want such a device -- but I do think it will happen eventually.
7) eBay sells Skype
You heard it here first. Or maybe you didn't. Either way, this is a long-shot prediction, but I think Meg Whitman is smart enough to realize that Skype is worth more to eBay when it's owned by somebody else.
8) Palm brings Jeff Hawkins back to reinvent Treo line
The current Treo line is getting a bit long in the tooth (not to mention the now-ancient Palm OS, which Palm just repurchased the permanent rights to) and its sales are likely getting pinched by slimmer, more aesthetically appealing (while not as functional, but a lot of people by phones based on looks...kind of like how they pick boy/girlfriends in college) offerings from Motorola and others. So, since Palm doesn't seem capable of designing anything anyone wants to buy on its own, the company will announce that Jeff Hawkins is coming back to help lead the development of the next-generation Treo. And many will ask, "What took you so long?"
9) HD-DVD and Blu-Ray persist; nobody cares
More devices will be available at cheaper prices, but sales of both players and media will continue to be tepid. Not only is renting becoming the dominant mode of DVD acquisition, but the current quality of standard dual-layer DVDs is perfectly adequate for 99% of the population. Maybe in a few years, the proliferating 1080p sets will drive people to want high-def movies, but it won't be as rapid an adoption rate as the original DVD was.
10) Robots become sentient, destroy all of humanity
On a related note, iRobot's stock price will double in 2007 as a result of strong sales and the announcement that a first-gen AI will take over as President and CEO.
Have a good year, everyone!
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January 1, 2007
Revisiting My Predictions for 2006
Since I made a series of
1) Google Launches All-in-One Suite
I've been expecting this for some time, as have other folks, I'm sure, but I think 2006 will definitely see this announcement. Google will, I predict, launch a converged, multi-purpose, browser-based work environment -- lord knows what it'll be called, maybe GoogleDesk or something like that. Anyway, it will incorporate and integrate many of the disparate services that Google currently offers plus add a few. GoogleDesk will integrate Google search, Gmail (plus an enhanced contacts management function), Google Maps (auto-mapping of contacts, natch!), Blogger (for publication/hosting of created content), a new mini-suite of document tools based on the OpenOffice standard (so you can create word processor documents, spreadsheets, and presentation files), GoogleBase (the use of which will become more obvious with time), and Google News (of course). All these will be wrapped up in a browser-neutral (although I wouldn't be surprised for Google to cozy up to Mozilla to enhance Firefox with some special goodies), Java-based interface. Personally, I eagerly await this.
Kinda, sorta true. Google's offerings did indeed multiply in 2006, with Google Documents and a raft of other new and enhanced online services popping up. Technically, they haven't all been integrated into a single UI, but given they all work in a single browser session, that's pretty close.
2) The HD-DVD/Blu-Ray war ends...Blu-Ray wins
Yes, Sony will finally be able to claim a victory in the format wars. After so many failed attempts at ruling the world (cue Pinkie and the Brain theme) -- Betamax, minidisc, all the various flavors of Memory Stick, etc. -- Sony and friends will edge out the HD-DVD group and Blu-Ray will become the de facto format for HD content. That is, until something better comes along almost immediately, but hey, that's a prediction for next year.
The war ain't over, but I think most people who follow the industry would agree that Blu-Ray, despite Sony's floundering on the PS3, has more behind it than does HD-DVD at this point. It will likely take a few more years for the winner to become obvious -- until then, consumers will just be faced with more options they couldn't really care less about. After all, normal DVD looks pretty good on an HDTV and more people are choosing to take their video with them on the go; high-definition is the least of concerns for the joe wanting to watch Family Guy on his iPod.
3) The Linux-based replacement for Palm OS comes out
To limited acclaim in the West, it is immediately adopted by a significant number of Asian companies for its cheap, flexible architecture. The number of devices (almost entirely phones) running it by the end of 2006 will be around 10 in Asia and zero (maybe 1 or 2) in the West (US + Europe).
Wrong. Well, ALP (Access Linux for Palm) was released, but I've yet to hear of any actual adoption, so I'll just have to chalk this up to pure optimism.
4) Nokia will launch a Linux phone
Following the nascent success of its Linux-based 770 Internet Tablet, Nokia launches its first phone using a Linux-based OS. It mimics the S60 in look and feel. It does well, but not markedly so, causing much speculation and debate around the web about whether Nokia is abandoning S60 entirely.
Nope, didn't happen.
5) Democrats regain control of US Senate, make gains in HOR
The margin won't be enormous, but the Senate will once again be in the familiar (and, arguably, beneficial to the electorate) position of being led by the party not in control of the White House. More negotiation will result in 2007 and something a wee bit closer to "democracy" will return to the US shortly thereafter. Still a long way from acceptable, but closer.
Pretty much right on the money. In fact, you might say I underestimated their gains. Looking forward to a government much more balanced by checks and balances than it has been lately.
6) Windows Vista will launch, Apple users yawn
Windows Vista (launched in early Q4) will excite few, especially in the corporate ranks, due to the combination of a lack of "must-have" improvements and unattractive licensing structures offered by Microsoft. The 17 or so flavors of Vista will also leave consumers puzzled over which version is best for them and ultimately wait until they replace their hardware to upgrade. Given that processor speeds aren't increasing much and hard drives are getting easier to replace, there will be fewer changing out their PCs. Microsoft faces a tougher year than usual next year regarding financials; Windows Mobile and Xbox divisions still not profitable (but closer).
Sounds like a pretty accurate description of what actually happened.
7) Digital/HDTV makes big inroads
2006 will be the year of the migration to HDTV. Falling HDTV set prices (especially DLP and LCD), plus an exciting bounty of converging digital content, will usher in a period of rapid adoption that will continue into 2007. Content providers will actually start getting significant numbers of complaints when they broadcast non-HD content on their HD channels, leading to fewer programming lapses.
For the most part, yup. The sales of HDTVs were so large this holiday season that they actually affected the profitability of several large electronics retailers. So I guess it's clear that HDTV is taking off as expected. What remains to be seen is whether the broadcasters actually start paying attention now that HD viewership is climbing into significant numbers.
8) Satellite radio subscribership grows, but limited
Sirius and XM will continue to gain subscribers, but neither will top 10 million by the end of 2006. Someone will launch a mySatelliteRadio service that lets users listen to their personal music collections via satellite receiver (think MP3.com's old model applied to satradio). The RIAA will eat it for lunch, with a few hundred new downloading lawsuits for dessert.
XM had less than 8 million subscribers at the end of 2006 and Sirius had about 6 million, with the latter growing more quickly. Both are growing more slowly than the companies had predicted (and promised to investors), so that part of my prediction is absolutely spot on. I haven't heard of anything like the mySatelliteRadio service being launched, but given that many satellite receivers now enable playback of MP3 files, the two music sources are definitely getting closer.
9) TiVo is acquired
I don't know by whom, but I think this will happen within the next 12 months.
Ahem, no.
10) Resurgances of sci-fi/fantasy TV shows
The recent success of Battlestar Galactica and Lost, and the big money that the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises generate cause network television studios to start prepping more science fiction and fantasy content. A friend of mine thinks I'm daft to predict this -- we'll see. If not next year, then 2007. Or not.
Not exactly, at least not on the major networks. They are still heading towards the safe-and-familiar lines of reality/unscripted programming, dramas, and situation comedies. Alas, none of those are in space or in a castle somewhere. Too bad.
So, in the end, I had 5 predictions true or mostly correct, 4 that were mostly or completely wrong, and 1 that was unclear. Stay tuned for my predictions for 2007...
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December 15, 2006
Firefox Browser Adoption Continues to Grow
ABC News is reporting that Firefox's share of the browser market as of December 7th grew to 10.7%, up from under 10% in less than two months.
Try Firefox now (it's free).
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September 26, 2006
ClearSync 1.0 Launches Today
The new ClearSync 1.0 is officially launching today, so go check it out if you are interested in shared PIM (calendars and contacts) accessible via Palm OS handhelds and Treos, browser, and PC desktop applications.
According to the ClearSync website, here's what the service/software allows you to do:
Create and Edit
* multiple calendars, shared and private.
* contacts with name and contact info.
* from PC or Palm handheld PDA.
Share
* your calendar and contacts with others.
* selectively, controlling who can view and who can edit your calendars and contacts.
View
* calendars one at a time, side-by-side at the same time, or merged for an integrated view.
* calendars by day, week, or month.
* contacts organized by category.
* on your Windows PC - See screen shots.
* on your Palm handheld - See screen shots
* on any platform with a web browser (e.g. Mac, Linux) - See screen shots.
Sync
* updates all members' calendars and contacts on all their devices, no matter where the edits were done.
* using your one-button Palm sync, the way you always have.
* from PC using one-mouse-click sync.
Access
* calendars and contacts from office or home.
* using wireless laptop or wireless Palm handheld to sync changes while around town or on the road.
Backup
* of calendars and contacts means if you have a PC failure or lose your handheld, you lose no data.
Subscribe
* to public calendars such as U.S. Holidays and NBA schedules . See list of public calendars.
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July 14, 2006
Congresscritters and the Internet
These are the kinds of people making laws to govern the Internet in America.
Thanks for the lesson, Ted Stevens (R-AK)...suddenly, Al Gore doesn't seem so far out.
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July 6, 2006
Get ClearSync to Share Contacts and Calendar Data
ClearSync, the service that lets folks share their calendars and contacts data with others, has recently relaunched (it was once upon a time called WeSync) with many improvements.
In a nutshell, ClearSync handles your calendar/datebook data and contacts/address data on your Palm OS device or Windows desktop and lets you selectively share those data with others. Those "others" can either view (and edit, if you so choose) your data on their Palms or Treos or desktop PCs (Windows only), or they can use their browser (virtually any OS) to view (not edit) your calendar and contacts.
The screenshot to the right is one of the calendar views on a high-res Treo -- it lets you see one calendar (e.g., your own) side-by-side another calendar (e.g., your spouse's). These get updated every HotSync or, if used on a wireless device, wirelessly via direct connection to the ClearSync server.
This type of setup is perfect for busy couples, business partners, and other pairs and groups needing to coordinate across corporate lines or outside of a business setting (e.g., softball teams, Boy Scout troops, bowling leagues, bridge clubs, extended families, etc.).
Give it a look-see...www.clearsync.com.
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June 27, 2006
1-Month Spam Count: 759
Well, for a 30-day period, ending today, I deleted no spam/phishing emails on my Gmail account. Total after a month is 759, or an average of 25.3 spams a day.
I received 825 valid emails in that same period, or roughly 27.5 per day. So, spam made up 47.9% of email entering my Inbox in the last month.
While I'm appalled at the 759 number, I'm actually surprised it's below 50% -- I had expected higher.
And Gmail's spam filter works quite well. I'd estimate that only roughly 50 of the 759 spam messages, about 7%, weren't appropriately flagged and filed automatically.
Thanks, Gmail.
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May 19, 2006
Google Notebook
Constantly finding new tidbits of info, great links, and what-not on the web and wanting a way to keep it all nicely organized? The new Google Notebook extension for the Firefox browser is an excellent tool. With a single right-click in Firefox, you can save web content to your own private Notebook area, which is fully searchable. Give it a try.
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May 14, 2006
The Lie of 'The Shrinking World'
Nearly every day, we hear statements to the effect of "the world is getting smaller." This, of course, is a metaphor for how access to places on the planet we'd previously only read about is getting easier, faster, and more trivial. But it's a lie.
For a while, the world did indeed seem to shrink. In the early part of the 20th century, radio brought us sounds from remote places. Then, with the rise of film reels in the 1930s and 1940s, and television in the 1950s and 1960s, we saw images of these far-flung locations, distant events, and foreign peoples. The 1970s and 1980s brought us cable television and greatly expanded real-time news coverage, which seemed to bring these distant things just that much closer, both in space and time.
Then, we got us the Internet and the World-Wide Web. In the mid- and late-1990s, we were all about connecting each other even more tightly. Email made it trivial to get text messages to each other. We could send photos, which closed the distance that separated us. CUSeeMe and other video/web-conferencing apps enabled us to see each other in real-time, too, making it seem like we were just in the next room. The world did indeed seem like it was growing smaller by the moment.
But then we got the big idea that we didn't need to be constrained by the physical universe. People began inventing alternative, purely digital existences. They started out as MUDs (multi-user domains, or dungeons) and then grew both in sophistication and scope. And they also started generating a whole lotta content that existed only on the web. We moved beyond merely putting images of paintings in the Louvre on the museum's website -- we had started creating art that had no physical counterpart.
Sure, the Internet/Web was referred to as "cyberspace", suggesting that it had some otherworldly dimensions. But for the most part, we used it merely as a reflection of this tangible world we exist in every day.
These online worlds -- the Sims, the WoWs, the Second Lifes -- combined with the social networking spaces -- MySpace and Facebook, as two examples -- are effectively now making the world a bigger place. All this new content -- the what, the where, and the when -- is creating more "space" that we can, and often feel compelled to, explore.
While our ability to communicate with each other improves in both synchronicity and richness, the amount of space -- both physical and virtual -- is increasing at a faster rate than our communication can keep up with. The upshot is that we are getting more and more overwhelmed by the possibilities of how -- and where -- to spend our time. And this will only continue as new virtual spaces multiply, grow, and become increasing sophisticated.
What are the social implications of this? I've some ideas, but we'll definitely all be surprised as the specifics play out. Should be interesting, to say the least.
Posted by Craig in Internet
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May 11, 2006
Google Trends Yields Interesting Insights
Google Trends is a relatively new service from Google. In a nutshell, it gives timelines of search traffic for user-selected terms in a line graph format with news volume underneath. Overall, it looks very much like a stock chart.
Here are some interesting comparisons (try to guess which choice will come out on top before you click each link):
Apples and Oranges (finally!)
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1,000th Post on GearBits
Back when I started GearBits in March of 2003, I had no idea what to expect -- would this be around in a year? Two? What would it morph into?
Well, despite a short hiatus in 2004, GearBits is still here, and this is the 1,000th post published on this site.
Granted, posts can be sporadic -- this isn't my occupation, after all -- but I think folks are still finding things of value here on the site.
And, as I originally promised, the posts here on GearBits have strayed a bit from technology into politics, science, society, travel, and other topics. But the category post counts show that technology-centric topics still remain the majority (Mobile & PDAs and Computing are the most populated)
I'd also like to thank Mitch, Ken, and Sam for their early contributions -- co-blogging was a lot of fun. Maybe someday I'll scrounge up some friends with a wee bit more time on their hands for another go at that model.
So, will GearBits be around for another 1,000 posts? You got me...we'll just have to wait and see. :-)
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April 17, 2006
CNN.com Video In Need of Programming?
I saw this sequence of pieces on CNN.com's "Top Stories" online video feed:
Imagine if two stories about deadly crimes and accidents bookended an upbeat piece about hats on your nightly news...people would simply freak.
Just like "Shuffle" on your MP3 player can't generate a mix as pleasant as a skilled DJ can, random sequencing of news video isn't going to lead to the best possible viewer experience. Maybe CNN.com needs some human programming oversight of some sort.
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April 13, 2006
Prosper.com: You, Too, Can Be a VC (or "Loan Sharks Go Online")
In an interesting twist on an old business concept, Prosper.com appears to be trying to do to financial loans what ebay did for auctions. It calls itself "People-to-People Lending," where those who need loans can set up profiles and those with funds to loan out can review their options.
So is it an innovative new business model making an end-run around traditional bank lending, or is it just a way for loan sharks to gain some economies of scale?
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Google Launches Shared Calendar
As predicted, Google has launced Google Calendar, a free, web-based calendar service integrated with Gmail, etc. that you can share events among your friends (as long as they have a Google account).
So far, it looks like a nice app. Of course, it could be more full-featured, but for a beta launch, it meets my expectations.
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April 11, 2006
KittenAuth Test - New Approach to CAPTCHA
I hate most CAPTCHAs ("Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart" per Wikipedia) -- bizarre, twisted fonts on eye-bending backgrounds make it difficult, if not impossible, for this human to read the text. Below is just one example:
So it was with excitement that I read about KittenAuth Test, a new approach to CAPTCHA that relies on image cues instead of text.
Essentially, KittenAuth Test puts up a grid of images, some subset of which belong to a common descriptor or category -- clicking on those common images authenticates the user. One example, keeping with the name of the test, would be kitten photos interspersed with non-kitten images, as this example shows:
Merely clicking the three kitten photos in any order authenticates the user.
This is definitely an improvement. No typing, no wondering "is it an 'l' or a '1'?", and it's fun (well, almost). Plus, the images could easily be customized to reinforce the theme or subject of the website much more consistently than traditional CAPTCHAs. I hope this enhancement energizes the authentication community to move beyond those dreadful warped-text CAPTCHAs that nobody particularly likes.
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March 31, 2006
Gizoogle
Combining the usefulness of web search with the pointless humor of jive translators yields Gizoogle.
Gizoogle "GearBits" and you end up with something like this: "I'm a big fan of biznoth tha old-schoo` MechWarrior/Bizzle games n tha new Battlefield 2 FPS tizzle EA Games launched last year. So naturally I'm stoked by EA Games' latest product preview/teazer fo` its upcom'n Battlefield 2142. Battlefield 2142 looks ta be a futurizzles combinizzle of infantry, vehicle, wata/aircraft, n battlemech combat, chill yo."
Check out Gizoogle (Thanks, Bob!)
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March 8, 2006
Google Calendar 'CL2' Screenshots Leaked
TechCrunch has posted some screenshots of what look to be a very compelling calendaring app from Google. It's said to be tightly integrated into Gmail, and further supports my belief that Google will launch an integrated suite of desktop productivity (e.g., office apps) and PIM (personal information management) tools by the end of 2006. Maybe a bit later, but it's definitely on its way.
One feature I cannot wait to get is widespread PIM-sharing.
And I, for one, welcome our Googly overlords.
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January 17, 2006
GoDaddy.com Commercials
In case you want to see what all the uproar is about, check out the GoDaddy.com commercials on Google Video.
Too racy for the Super Bowl?
I dunno...the halftime show two years ago was pretty funky.
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December 29, 2005
GearBits' Predictions for 2006
Gazing into my crystal (liquid crystal, of course) ball, the haze clears and 2006 looms large. Here is what the future holds for us in the coming year:
1) Google Launches All-in-One Suite
I've been expecting this for some time, as have other folks, I'm sure, but I think 2006 will definitely see this announcement. Google will, I predict, launch a converged, multi-purpose, browser-based work environment -- lord knows what it'll be called, maybe GoogleDesk or something like that. Anyway, it will incorporate and integrate many of the disparate services that Google currently offers plus add a few. GoogleDesk will integrate Google search, Gmail (plus an enhanced contacts management function), Google Maps (auto-mapping of contacts, natch!), Blogger (for publication/hosting of created content), a new mini-suite of document tools based on the OpenOffice standard (so you can create word processor documents, spreadsheets, and presentation files), GoogleBase (the use of which will become more obvious with time), and Google News (of course). All these will be wrapped up in a browser-neutral (although I wouldn't be surprised for Google to cozy up to Mozilla to enhance Firefox with some special goodies), Java-based interface. Personally, I eagerly await this.
2) The HD-DVD/Blu-Ray war ends...Blu-Ray wins
Yes, Sony will finally be able to claim a victory in the format wars. After so many failed attempts at ruling the world (cue Pinkie and the Brain theme) -- Betamax, minidisc, all the various flavors of Memory Stick, etc. -- Sony and friends will edge out the HD-DVD group and Blu-Ray will become the de facto format for HD content. That is, until something better comes along almost immediately, but hey, that's a prediction for next year.
3) The Linux-based replacement for Palm OS comes out
To limited acclaim in the West, it is immediately adopted by a significant number of Asian companies for its cheap, flexible architecture. The number of devices (almost entirely phones) running it by the end of 2006 will be around 10 in Asia and zero (maybe 1 or 2) in the West (US + Europe).
4) Nokia will launch a Linux phone
Following the nascent success of its Linux-based 770 Internet Tablet, Nokia launches its first phone using a Linux-based OS. It mimics the S60 in look and feel. It does well, but not markedly so, causing much speculation and debate around the web about whether Nokia is abandoning S60 entirely.
5) Democrats regain control of US Senate, make gains in HOR
The margin won't be enormous, but the Senate will once again be in the familiar (and, arguably, beneficial to the electorate) position of being led by the party not in control of the White House. More negotiation will result in 2007 and something a wee bit closer to "democracy" will return to the US shortly thereafter. Still a long way from acceptable, but closer.
6) Windows Vista will launch, Apple users yawn
Windows Vista (launched in early Q4) will excite few, especially in the corporate ranks, due to the combination of a lack of "must-have" improvements and unattractive licensing structures offered by Microsoft. The 17 or so flavors of Vista will also leave consumers puzzled over which version is best for them and ultimately wait until they replace their