Take up your bed and walk

'Take up your bed and walk' is not only appearing in the Bible, but is a reality for many people who are paralyzed. Israeli Amit Goffer was paralyzed in a car accident in 1997. After spending many years confined to a wheelchair, he came up with an idea of how to make the impossible for possible for many people who are paralyzed. He invented robotic pants which have sensors allowing the wearer to go up stand, walk, and even climb stairs. After years of clinical trials, the pants will be offered in rehabilitation centers both in Israel and US. These novel pants, the ReWalk, allows the user to stand up and lean while using crutches for stability. The ReWwalk has the benefit of preventing problems common to paraplegics such as pressure sores, and urinary, digestive, circulatory, and cardiovascular problems. However, ReWalk will encounter stiff competition from similar products that offer paraplegics mobility for the first time in years. Many universities and medical research facilities such as Tibion Corp has a bionic leg while. Ossur of Iceland gives a patient a bionic knee prosthesis that allows amputees walk. The ReWalk has a price tag of $100,000 while the price of the unknown medical devices is unknown. However, the rewards are more than physical such as a man being told he looks tall for the first time by his three year old daughter. IT is beginning to revolutionize and improve the medical field by allowing those who are disabled to walk about being told they wouldn't by innumerable doctors, therapists, and technicians.

Deep Packet Inspection

I recently was informed that companies such as Hindsight Inc. were going to start offering isp's deep packet inspection again. To those that don't know, deep packet inspection is like cookies but much worse. Deep packet inspection allows a company to analyze and collect all data going into or coming out of your computer. This includes emails, user names, passwords, and live chatting. They can look at all this information and then target you with ad's of products that they think will interest you. These ad's are very specific not only to who's using the computer, but to how they are using it. They offer different ad's if you are getting on with a single objective or if you are just surfing out of boredom. The companies say that they will not use the full power of the technology and that they won't sell your information. Do you really think if someone had the power to move a mountain he would just throw a rock. They will use the full extent of this technology to get all the information they can from you. Then they will sell this information to make millions of dollars at our expense.
I know that if my isp provider sends me an email telling me they are starting this then they are losing a customer instantly.

Google Voice Application

According to Cnet.com, the Google Voice Application has been launched after more than a year of intense negotiation and bartering with Apple Inc. It appears as if Apple and Google are trying to break into the burgeoning VoIP market. For the application to work, one simply logs into with his or her Google credentials. After that select a phone number from one's contact list assuming one has set up your Google Voice Account. Four screens display a dialer, contact list, and the application settings. There is an inbox which lists voice mails, text messages, allows one to view a voice mail transcription, or replay a voice message. One can reach or call someone by either searching for the person's name or phone number. Also, one can arrange one's contact lists by people who are frequently called. Push notifications, accordin to Cnet, are some important features that appear when one receives a new voice mail or a text message is missed. However, the Goole Voice Application has some flaws. When two people are using this device simultaneously, each person can hear the other person's voice messages. One can receive multiple alerts about missed calls or messages which can adjusted in the Settings menu. Google Voice has this odd habit of using unknown local numbers to route phone calls and messages quicker as opposed to Google Voice Numbers. The Google Voice App has potential to break new ground, but needs to work out the quinks before fully launching into the market Steve Jobs wants to dominate.

Amazon's New Gift System

On Episode 1348 of CNET's Buzz Out Loud, the hosts discussed a new idea created by Amazon concerning items purchased as gifts on their website. The new system, currently known as the "bad gift defense system," will act as an innovative way to convert unwanted gifts into things you actually want. According to the hosts, people will be able to receive gifts from other individuals through the Amazon website, and then choose to convert the item into something else. It still seems a little unclear how the actual "conversions" will work, whether an item can be replaced by items of similar value, or any unwanted item will be converted into a gift card to be used on another purchase. A unique feature to the system includes Thank You e-cards that will be automatically generated upon receiving gifts. Users will also be able to customize settings and have the opportunity to auto-convert gifts from specific individuals.

Although the system has only been patented and not yet produced, I believe this is an extremely innovative idea that can be useful, especially in light of the fast approaching holiday season. Amazon already has a large share of the online shopping market, but this new system will most likely generate more business. Shopping for others can be one of the most difficult tasks, but now any mishaps or unwanted gifts can be converted online into something more desirable. I think this is a great example of a very tech-savvy company leveraging their skills and resources to generate more business.

Google admits to WiFi sniffing!!!

Is it just me, or aren't the google streetview cars supposed to take pictures of peoples houses and not personal WiFi data from the residents. Listening to Buzz Out Loud episode 1336, I found out that Google got over 600 gigs of WiFi data from their street cars. Google says that it was a the fault of one of their WiFi programs in the cars that was not supposed to be included in the car in the first place. At first, they said that it was a bunch of bits and pieces of data and they were just going to delete it. After further review, it seems they collected over 600 phone numbers and over 700 email headers and passwords. On top of that, they now say they are not going to delete the data because of ongoing investigations in the UK and Canada. Doesn't Google already collect tons of data through cookies and such and don't they have access to millions of Gmail accounts without needing to use streetview cars to get it. I don't believe Google to be evil and wanting to steal all this information to use against us. But this kind of mishap does lead me to believe them as stupid, and isn't stupid with power just as bad as evil?

A netbook with for the future

Apple has done it again. It has launched a MacBook Air. It is very thin and very light for one to carry. It is an eleven inch version. It has higher rates of resolution. It has a widely spaced computer which places less strain on one’s fingers. It has a much wider touch mouse pad which one can use more than one finger. The computer also has two USB ports which is an upgrade from the previous MacBook. It also has a 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and invidious 320 graphics. The graphics are adequate for basic games. It contains an SSD drive which is soldered right on to the motherhood. It has 30 days of standby time if one doesn’t. Another advantage is the use of a feature called instant on. When the computer is shutdown, Macs are somewhat quick to boot up and it is somewhat shorter than typical PCs. There are some drawbacks to this netbook that Apple created to appease its followers who wanted an inexpensive netbook. There also some drawbacks since the computer’s price is $999. It’s SSD is soldered onto the motherboard. If the computer is dropped, the computer is broken. It’s functions keys are much smaller in length and width. The function keys are more distant than the regular keys on the keyboard. The screen is much smaller. Overall, the computer is pretty good if one wants to buy a new computer.

Galaxy Tablet Creating Competition

On the most recent episode of CNET's Buzz Out Loud (Ep. 1333), the price for the new Samsung Galaxy was revealed. The Samsung Galaxy, when released, will start at a price point of $599. This is much lower than the speculated price of $1000. Several of the commentators feel this new tablet may be able to compete with the iPad due to several of its features. The Galaxy will be offered through Verizon, but no contract will be required for service. The Galaxy will run off of the Android operating system, giving it the ability to readily access several applications and similarly related Android features. Unlike the iPad, the Galaxy will be able to run Flash software, come equipped with a front-facing camera, and have an HDMI port to allow for easy connection between other HD capable devices (such as an HDTV). Verizon also announced it would be offering cheaper data plans starting at $15. Although the iPad already has a strong hold on the tablet market, the Galaxy may be the right product to start taking unsatisfied customers looking for a feature-rich product. It is still unknown whether the overall performance will be able to compete with that of the iPad tablet, but early reviews show a similar battery life and vibrant display. I believe for the tablet market to truly take off, data plans need to become more affordable and interchangeable with phone plans, while customers are given the option to move between service providers. The iPad, along with the new Galaxy, may lose out on potential customers by aligning with specific service providers and limiting their options (not to mention forcing them to pay for additional data plans with limited data provided).

AT&T=Unicom?

Anytime most people think of china's technology, they think of the worlds best hackers and a technological utopia. Well for those of us here in the United States who are fed up with AT&T's iPhone service, we have a sympathetic ear to cry in. In china, the carrier for the iPhone is a company called Unicom. According to Bloomberg Buisnessweek October 11-17, they are probably just as bad as AT&T. Does this sound familiar? Chinese customers are complaining of dropped calls, spotty coverage, and lousy customer service. This state owned company is the only one with the 3G network that works with the iPhone. The problem is that they are a distant second to the better communications company China Mobile. "Everyone hates them" is what Paul Wuh of Samsung Securities says. Unicom's service is so bad that many iPhone users in china alter their phones and lose access to many features just to go with another company. People buy an iPhone and sign up with China Mobil. Then they take their China Mobil sim card and trim it down to fit into the iphone. With China Mobil's slower 2.5G network, most of the most data heavy apps will not work but that is a small price to pay for much better service. Is it me or is Apple trying to give away market share. It would seem with other companies come out with similar phones, Apple would try to start getting out of the one service provider only contracts they have with the iPhone and start branching out to other networks. I believe that if i owned stock in Apple, I would be selling as soon as other companies started putting comparable phones out on the market. And another beef I have is why can Apple do a little better research on who has the best network. Why do you build a phone like the iPhone and give it to the worst carrier in the country? It's like building the worlds best car engine and putting it in a Pinto's body. Now to give Unicom their due, over the past three years they have spent $22 billion to improve their network. I bet that is 3 times what AT&T has spent. It still makes you wander why a company like Apple who is starting to lose their competitive advantage sill thinks they can dictate the market.

The iPad faces competition

CNET attended an annual conference that BlackBerry holds in San Francisco called the BlackBerry DevCon. At this event, Mike Laziridis, president and Co-CEO of Blackberry, unveiled the BlackBerry PlayBook. At this conference, Laziridis showed the crowd this device which could knock the Apple iPad off of the pedestal that Steve Jobs has it on. The BlackBerry PlayBook is sleek, light, and provides one major advantage that the iPad lacks. The iPad is big and bulky, and is very inconvenient for one to handle. The PlayBook's features include dual core processing, support for 1080p HD video playback, and rear-facing and front-facing cameras. The rear-facing camera has 5MP while the front-facing camera has 3MP. The PlayBook offers one the ability to take photographs and record high definition videos. The video formats include H.264, MPEG4, and WMV as well as 1080p HD resolution. BlackBerry's latest invention has the OS as its phones and can support a wide range of applications including the Adobe Flash 10.1, Java, Open and Adobe Air. The PlayBook doesn’t require a user to have BlackBerry phone to use the many services it can provide. If one does possess a BlackBerry smartphone and a PlayBook over Bluetooth to securely access e-mails, notify contacts, and monitor and update one's calendar since the PlayBook features an 802.11 Wi-Fi connection. The PlayBook's battery power is equal to that of the Apple iPad in spite of the fact of the numerous applications both devices are equipped with. This PlayBook’s memory is unknown, but CNET has mentioned that 16GB and 32GB labels were marked on the device. The prices is assumed to be between $500 and $1,000. Not knowing the memory capabilities and price of the PlayBook could help and hurt its future profitability. It can help BlackBerry because the new device can stimulate the interest of one who loves the latest technological gadgets which can make one’s life convenient. However, not knowing information on the PlayBook’s memory capabilities and price could cause interest to diminish especially if another company creates an even better device that offers better functionality at an even more appealing price. In spite of all of this, BlackBerry’s PlayBook is a unique and wonderful device that is likely to very successful and can give the iPad a run for its money.

The Value of New Movie Releases

According to CNET's Buzz Out Loud, Episode 1316, several major movie production companies (including Sony and Disney) are in discussion with TV providers to start a new rental service for recently released movies. Current On-Demand services for cable and satellite companies offer 24 hour movie rentals for approximately $3.99-$4.99. The movies made available On-Demand usually coincide with their respective DVD release dates, which arrive about 4 months after the movie has left theaters. The new plan being tested by the movie production companies is making new movies available immediately after their run in theaters; the current window being tested is somewhere around 30 days after it has left theaters, although some people have claimed they are trying to have movies available as quickly as the following day.

Although this sounds like a great idea, the price tag being attached for this service seems to be fairly high. The current testing price for this service is ranging from $24.99 to $30. For some customers, especially large families, this could be a great deal; there would be no travel expenses, no need to pay for eating out at a restaurant, or any of the expenses once you arrive at the theater (tickets, snacks, or the non-monetary expense of missing parts of the movie and being in a crowded theater). On the other hand, if you could simply wait for the movie to be released, a customer could OWN the movie for the same price the studio companies are asking for a rental. I believe there are people who would be willing to pay the premium for this shortened-release window, but in the end, the price point may be too high for most consumers to seriously consider this option.

Is Intel stealing from the poor?

Intel has sunk to a new low. It's not like they don't already have the monopoly in computer chips as it is, but that's not good enough. They are trying to prey on the computer illiterate to make an extra buck. According to Buzz out loud episode 1312, Intel is selling low end to mid grade computers with chips that have features disabled. This is nothing new. People who are computer savvy have long been able to take the chips that Intel puts out and overclock them to preform better. Of course, this take someone who knows a pretty good deal with computer hardware. I consider myself to know a pretty good bit and I feel a little overwhelmed when trying to overclock my pc. Well Intel has discovered a way to cash in on our lack of computer savvy. They are selling cards for $50 that we can purchase and go to the Intel website and download software to unlock some advanced features in the chips they are putting in these low/mid grade systems. This is a slap in the face to many everyday computer users. The main question being asked is why sell me something that has the ability to do this much but limit it to do less and make me have to pay more to get the full benefit of it. To Intel's defense, they are probable just trying to give low end users a chance to overclock there chips without having a computer guru to do it for them. The problem is this is like selling someone a sports car with a v8 engine but telling them they have to buy an extra package to unlock the last 2 cylinders. Another good point brought up buy apcmag.com is how are the retailers going to handle returns. More than likely they will only take a return if the card itself has not had the covering on the code scratched off. But what about the people that buy the upgrade and can't see a visible difference in how the computer responds. Don't these people deserve a refund? But then again, once the chip has been unlocked how do you re lock it? For now, these pc's are only being sold at Best Buy. I wander what the pitch line for the card is? "Would you like to buy a 3 year extended warranty? Also, do you want to buy this $50 card so that your computer can run to its full potential?" That's going to be a hard sell. I fell Intel is opening up a can of worms that may see many low end computer users learning who AMD is.

http://apcmag.com/intel-to-sell-unlocking-cards-to-add-features-to-your-pcu.htm

The Dell Aero Is A Dud

Dell has attempted to break new ground by releasing the smartphone called the Dell Aero. The Dell Aero is a sleek phone with a 3.5 inch diagonal screen and weighs only 104 grams. It's lightweight and presents itself as the go to device for individuals who are not interested in other smartphones that dominate the market. Bonnie Cha, the senior editor of CNET, has tested the Aero and was left with more frustration and confusion rather than satisfaction. The phone may it less susceptible to damage compared to the Apple iPhone, but has setbacks. The navigation buttons are not on the top or bottom on the front like other phones. Dell may have tried to differentiate itself by doing this, but has hurt Dell actually. The navigation buttons on the side making navigating through the Internet or one's contact list more difficult rather than easier. It is unclear whether Dell issued prototypes to customers, but if so, not alot of potential customer feedback was used. If prototypes were used, customer feedback on the product's unique design, the issuing of surveys, might have helped the phone be easier to use. Many companies' new products fail because the consumer is the last to know, their opinion is undervalued, and are left with a substandard product. Dell should be applauded for its foray into the smartphone market, but it should try to redesign the Aero by making in more user friendly as opposed to being different from the ordinary smartphone. Dell should hit the drawing board immediately if it wants to increase its market share in an area which is dominated by its competitors.

Ping: Apple's Attempt at Social Networking

One of the minor announcements coming from Apple's latest PR conference was the development of Ping. This new feature available on iTunes is an attempt to bring social networking to their popular music software program and have people share their music with friends. Jobs and the rest of the Apple team said they had high hopes for Ping and its potential impact for users. According to CNET's Buzz Out Loud (Episodes 1300 and 1301), however, there are already several issues facing this new feature.


Several blog posts from the online version of the Wall Street Journal and the technology driven blog All Things Digital (URL's at bottom) have pointed out some of the early flaws with the network. One of the key features originally advertised by Jobs and Apple was the ability to connect your Ping account with Facebook. This was a move that many believed would be a key selling point and get people interested in using Ping. Right before the launch, however, the two sides could not reach an agreement and "Facebook Connect" features were lost.

The loss of Facebook meant a huge loss in real social networking functionality for Ping. Ping is extremely limited in networking features, as people are unable to find their friends or favorite iTunes artists, have no typical "homepage" or "wall" for sharing, and can only comment on things they have liked (artists, songs, or albums). The biggest issues has been the lack of security features. Since the launch of Ping, spammers and phishing scams have been covering most of the comment sections, most notably offering free iPhone's and iPod's (which is hysterical). These phishing and scam attacks present a unique challenge for iTunes, as every account is tied to credit card information, unlike other social networking sites that only require basic personal information.


When you couple this with the recent iPhone issues, it seems Apple has fallen out of touch with their customers. It appears their newest business model is "let's design anything we feel like, regardless of quality, because we can get people to use anything we make." Apple needs to change their current path before public perception concerning their company slowly begins to change.

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/09/03/ping-proves-problematic-for-some/

http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100902/facebook-blocked-api-access-to-ping-after-failure-to-strike-agreement-so-apple-removed-feature-after-launch/

Apple screws up again!!!

I have been following the ongoing saga with the iPhone 4 through web articles and podcasts. You would think that after the horrible job Apple did with not having enough phones at the time of release, they would at least make sure the phone worked properly. Shawn Wu of Kaufman Bros. estimated before launch a decrease from 9 million sold this year to 7.5 million. Apple is still making tons of money off this phone which leads me to my next problem with them. It seems that the iPhone 4's antenna does not work properly. If you hold your hand over the lower left portion of the phone, the signal drops significantly. According to a Bloomberg report, the knowledge of this problem was known before launch all the way up to Steve Jobs himself. Of course, Apple denies knowing anything about this. What is worse, they are trying to tell you that the signal bars are just misdisplayed showing more bars than you actually have. For example, if it shows 4 bars, you may only have 2. I even heard on Buzz Out Loud episode 1262 that they are saying this has been a problem with iPhones for the last 4 years. Sounds like they are saying their phone works fine, its just AT&T has crappy signal. How must AT&T feel? I guess the real kick in the pants is that all this antenna mess can be fixed with a $40 rubber case or "bumper" as I have heard it called. You would think Apple would be mailing these to everyone who bought an iPhone 4. Nope! I heard on Buzz Out Loud that Apple's customer service actually told sales people that they are not allowed to give away the cases and that people must buy them. It looks like Apple falls flat on their face again.