End User

The Curious Case of Mass Zune Fail

Remember back in the waning days of 1999, as the globe held its breath in anticipation of massive computerized infrastructure failure thanks to the Y2K bug. Happily, our civilization survived. But today a new bug unexpectedly reared its head and crashed seemingly every model of the original (now discontinued) 30 GB Microsoft Zune digital audio player. Call it the Zune2K8 bug. Ars Technica reports that Zunes began restarting and locking up at their boot screens around midnight Pacific time last night, and that it seems to be tied to the Zune 3.x firmware. Matthew Miller over at ZDNet's Mobile Gadgeteer blog has heard from a reader that it might be related to this year being a leap year. If you really, really need to get your OG Zune working again for rocking the social tonight, Gizmodo has posted a DIY fix that requires a bit of noodling with the hard drive. But Microsoft is on the case and I'm sure a new firmware release will be out in the next few days.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Boxing Day Edition

A happy Boxing Day to all (or, if you're in South Africa, glad tidings on this Day of Goodwill) as you get acquainted with your new gadgets. If you've received new Apple gear--from iPhone and iPods to Apple TV and hard drives--check out the various So you just got a ... -- now what? posts over at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (aka, TUAW) for hints on how to get the fun started. And if you're looking for some cool new software to try out, the folks at MacHeist are doling out some free software as presents (including 1Password). Now, let's get to some more collected tidbits of Apple-y goodness from the festive week that was...

• The big surprise of the upcoming Macworld Expo may have been leaked this week, with renderings of silicone case molds for a more diminutive iPhone nano hitting the Web. Further amping up the speculation are photos captured by an AppleInsider reader who found knock-offs of the rumored phone already hitting the markets in Thailand (seen in the bottom row next to the RAZR in the photo below, via of TUAW).

  

• In other rumors, it's looking like we'll see upgraded iMacs at Macworld as well as a Mac mini, which elicited this very cool concept mock-up from Brazilian designer Victor Anselme (via Cult of Mac).

  

• If you're a new Mac owner this holiday season, and you're wondering whether to buy AppleCare's additional two years' coverage, both TUAW and I agree--it's worth the investment. I haven't had anything as serious as a logic board crap out on me, but I've had lots of little things crop up, and I've been quite happy with Apple's coverage and fast turnaround (of course, your mileage may vary, but that's been my experience).

• New iPhone owners might want to pick up the app version of David Pogue's iPhone: The Missing Manual to have all the tips and tricks right at hand. And if you're wondering what applications are essential, check out these lists from Gizmodo and Macworld. Gizmodo also adds its 10 essential games (to which I'd add Real Soccer 2009). By the by, the apps that get the most attention on my iPhone are NetNewsWire, Facebook, Black and White (an Othello-like game), Wikipanion, and OmniFocus.

• It's official: Walmart will be selling the iPhone starting on December 28 (via Ars Technica).

• Mac-using Blackberry owners of recent models (including the Storm, Flip, Bold, Pearl and Curve) can now test out a preview version of BlackBerry Media Sync, which synchronizes music from iTunes to your Blackberry--though you'll only have access to non-DRM'd song files (via Ars Technica).

• Mac Rumors discovered a new patent application from Apple called Swipe Gestures for Touch Screen Keyboards that would allow for simple finger gestures like swipes to the left or right to control basic functions of text editing.

• Boxee, the social media center, will be opening up its alpha software to the public on January 8 (up till now, you had to ask for an invitation). If you're considering Boxee as an addition to the Apple TV (I am, but I just haven't had time to do it), The Gadgeteer blog has a blow-by-blow account of the installation process done on Christmas day (now that's some hard-core geekdom).

• While it's rather stereotypical for artists to be Mac users, Cult of Mac notes that M.I.A. (aka, Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam), the British/Sri Lankan rapper who rode high on the charts with "Paper Planes" (featured in both the Pineapple Express trailer and in a scene from Slumdog Millionaire), roamed the globe collecting many of the samples found on her album Kala from recordings done using her MacBook Pro and Apple's Logic Studio software.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Stay of Execution: XP to Continue Shipping Through May

OEM system builders selling computers with installed copies of Windows XP, originally slated to stop shipping on January 31, 2009, have just gotten a little breathing room.  Microsoft has extended the deadline to ship licenses for XP through May 30st, 2009.

What that means is that customers shopping for computers will have a little bit longer to get their hands on an XP machine if they're reluctant to buy a computer with Windows Vista on it.  Vista has come a long way since its first service pack but it still faces entrenched resistance due to its lack of compatibility with a lot of legacy hardware. 

Some are speculating that Microsoft is extending this deadline to ease the overlap into the release of Windows 7, slated to drop in mid-2009, rather than risk losing Vista-averse customers in the downtime between XP's demise and Windows 7's arrival.

Read the full story here.

--Aric A.

Sony Finally Scraps the Clamshell Packaging

Amazon.com has already taken steps to limit the effects that nearly indestructible plastic packaging has on the environment, as well as consumer's hands, teeth and muscle with their Frustration-Free packaging program. And according to a recent posting on the Sony Electronics Blog, Sony is planning on doing the same. Sony's clamshell design of packaging does what it is designed to do, that is maximize product visibility while protecting the product from damage and due to the packaging's size, shoplifting opportunities, but it is so hard to open that sometimes it seems like a pair of tin slips should be included. As much as I like the idea of an entirely pristine device when I fire it up for the first time, I'm sure the same effect can be created with less waste and effort.

Hopefully Sony will be following through with this change soon and I don't see why they wouldn't since retailers seem to want it. Yet although the blog posting noted earlier "declares death to the clamshell," as far as details of this death go, all Sony really states is that "...we will have a new alternative to announce soon..." I'm sure they mean it, but as the holiday gift giving season kicks into gear be sure to keep your cutting device of choice at the ready. If you are lucky, you will be needing them and for the last time.

Check out the viral video Sony put together as a promise of easier openings to come:

--Tom Milnes

Bites from the Apple: The Invisible Man

Naming Steve Jobs as its Newsmaker of the Year, Technologizer asks, "is there another individual in tech who could make headlines by not showing up at a convention to unveil new products?" Since Tuesday's announcement that not only would Phil Schiller be replacing Jobs at the Macworld Expo's keynote but that Apple would be pulling out of future Expos, the gadgetosphere has been beside itself in hand-wringing commentary and the expected speculation about whether Jobs' health has played a part in this major shift in Apple communications and relations with its fan/customer base. Here's a quick sampling of some of the chatter that's been going around:

• Valleywag has the backstory of how the news finally leaked out, with some commentary on the health angle:

  (W)hy would Jobs take the stage again? He'd have the fit of his jeans and the flushness of his cheeks debated on blogs in the kind of minute detail that used to be reserved for a new Apple laptop. Showing up in the wrong condition might be as bad for Apple as not showing up at all.

• CNBC's Jim Goldman reports that his Apple sources say that "Jobs' decision was more about politics than his pancreas," with the emphasis being on control or rolling out product releases (a meme that's being echoed by other industry analysts).

• Tom Krazit at CNet believes this is a turning point not just in how Apple markets its products, but to whom it markets to:

  Apple's newest legion of fans--teenagers and young professionals--are not going to wander around San Francisco's Moscone Center in January soaking up the scene when they can simply wait for the products to appear online or at the nearest Apple Store, or follow the coverage on their favorite blog.

  But he also warns that "there's no substitute in business for the human touch, and Apple will need to make semi-regular public appearances to keep its machine humming."

• From a business standpoint, Rob Griffiths at Macworld magazine "gets it" but ultimately thinks "it's one of the worst things to happen to the Mac community in many years," opining that the bonhomie and camaraderie of Mac-heads coming together from across the globe will be lost--as will the ability of small developers to make a splash with attendees.

• Ars Technica reports that Mac user Lesa Snider King is trying to convince attendees to stay silent during Phil Schiller's keynote address to send their Apple a message of quiet rage. But Ars replies (cue the drum roll), "Phil Schiller may not be able to get much of a reaction out of the crowd anyway (zing!)."

But the best commentary of the week comes from Tonya Engst of TidBITS (personal tidbit: a former officemate of mine from my Microsoft contractor period), who writes A Mother's Letter to Apple about Macworld Expo:

Frankly, you are acting every ounce a spoiled child and you're hurting people's feelings. Who do you think made your iPod a success? And your iPhone? Was it strangers? No. It was your Mac family. We were the ones who moved all the iPods into more prominent locations on the shelves in Target. We were the ones who got all our friends hooked on listening to podcasts. And, we were the ones who stuck with you through thick and thin, sometimes even jeopardizing our own careers, while you were mired in indecision and doubt in the late 1990s.

But enough of the Steve Jobs sturm und drang, let's get on with more Apple-y goodness from the week that was following the break...

The Most Sobering iPhone Accessory '08: iBreath Breathalyzer

Maybe this post is a little premature since the inevitable "Best, worst, weirdest of 2008" are little more than a week and a half away, but here goes.

Now, I know that once a device gains a sufficient install base the sobering reality is that the flood gates open up to accessories galore. The iPod is of course iconic and the iPhone has certainly made its impact on the market this year and will only continue to pick up steam in 2009, but really, an iPod/iPhone breathalyzer? All accessories have their uses and most will seem, if only to their target audience, to have worth, but who is the target audience here? problem drinkers who are also loyal Apple customers? Granted, the iBreath also serves as a FM Tuner--hopefully not while driving under the influence--and although it is designed to draw power from a user's iPod or iPhone, it can be powered by an included 12-volt cigarette adapter, so the product is not necessarily attached to Apple. The real weird thing though is the advertising online seller davidsteele.com employs. According to their product page the iBreath is: "This season's must-have accessory, that celebrities are clamoring for," and "Makes a great gift." Yeah, kind of like a gym membership or a brand new scale for your wife is a great gift. Also, nothing addresses the seriousness of keeping it safe behind the wheel like a soundtrack full of beats. There's just a little too much fun in the video below, but then again Gizmodo seems to like it. No tongue and cheek at all here I'm sure. Anyway, if this somehow fits into the lifestyle of someone on your list, freedom from DUIs/roadway carnage, but with club beats are only $79 away.

--Tom Milnes

Sony's Denials of PSP2 Development Are Probably True

It hurts me to say this, but it appears that Sony's denials of the development of the PSP2 over the last few days are probably accurate. Sony's response to the rumors in a nutshell, in two words, according to John Koller, Sony's Director of Hardware Marketing, "Completely unfounded." My pain over this stems primarily over the fact that I am still using my first generation PSP and had hoped that I'd be able to skip over anything between it and the next generation. Silly, but true.

The rumor that a PSP2 was in the works for the near future gained credence through comments on Euro Gamer that "developers are already working on games." But games for what Euro friends? There is a new PSP in the works, the PSP 4000, but that is just the latest iteration in the current PSP hardware line, due out next year. I find it hard to believe that the 4000 series won't contain new functionality, but it almost certainly will be more than anything else an attempt by Sony to distance itself from the interlacing issue/feature that turned off many customers who purchased the PSP 3000. Another possible factor in the confusion over the PSP 4000 and a possible new PSP handheld line has to do with the direction that Sony has been moving in with the PSP. Since the beginning, the PSP's proprietary UMD media has been an issue since it can only be used in the PSP. To deal with this Sony has been working for sometime on integrating the PSP with the PlayStation Network (PSN) for game an movie downloads, which works pretty well. And specifically to the confusion, Sony has been pushing developers to develop games specifically for the PSP with an eye towards the platform's digital download future. I've a feeling that these are the games that Euro games comments really refer to.

Eventually, of course there will be a PSP2, not for a while though, and it certainly won't be the fan-created piece of fiction pictured above. This image has been making the rounds online for months and has only fanned the flames of the PSP2 rumor. You gotta admit it looks pretty sharp and couldn't help but be attractive, especially to cheapskates like myself hoping to avoid having to buy into an outdated piece of hardware.

--Tom Milnes

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 Announced

NVIDIA half-unexpectedly announced their GeForce 295 video card today. While the existence of this card has been known for a little while now, they have officially unveiled and confirmed several specifications on the card, while keeping some under wraps, most likely to be unveiled at CES early next year. Like the GeForce 9800 GX2 before it, the GTX 295 will have 2 GPUs sandwiched together on two PCBs into one card.

So far it looks to top the current king of the hill (Radeon 4870X2) in most but not all benchmarks. The GPU uses a full 240 stream processor count like the current GTX 280, except it is being built on a 55nm process. This allows the card to utilize much lower power requirements and run cooler. The drawbacks so far is that memory interface is 448-bit lower than the GTX 280's 512-bit memory interface. The GTX 295 will still use GDDR3 memory, but each core will have 896 MB of memory to itself for a total of 1792 MB. The target price is rumored to be about $499.99 and target availability is sometime in Q1 of 09.

Engadget has done a good round up of all the sites that have first looks on the card.

--Ken H.

People-Powered Computing with Easy Energy's Yogen Max

I'm sure that 2009 will be packed with must-have gizmos, but if I had my choice the one that I'd most like to get a hold of it would be Easy Energy's Yogen Max. 

Although there is pretty scant information available on this device, apparently it is designed to be just what it looks like, a human-powered energy source for your laptop, consisting of a foldable footpedal that plugs directly into your laptop, and/or perhaps other devices that it can be suited to work with. So, you say I might be able to stick with my light, but not very long-lasting battery and never have to worry about running out of juice as long as I'm willing to tap-tap-tap? Hmm, who wouldn't be for that? All I have to say is why hasn't anyone come up with this idea already. Unfortunately Easy Energy's Website says next to nothing about the product, beyond a flash demonstration. Yet, according to a recent Endgadget posting, Easy Energy has completed a working prototype, so this is looking for real. Also, Easy Energy CEO Guy Ofir, in a Coolest Gadgets posting, says of the product, “This unique product will allow for the complete charging of a laptop anywhere in the world, inside or outside, wired or not.” The key words for me here are 'complete charging.' If he is claiming that a full charge can be produced this should sell itself.

It may seem a little goofy at first to think of walking into the local cafe, lining up a latte and busting out your little orange wah-wah power pedal, but if it works, is light and compact and is affordable, I'm sure you won't be the only one pedaling away across the WWW and beyond. And just think of the workout your calfs will get. Like I said, this little power pack is high on my list of '09 must-haves. Lets hope that prototype makes it to production.

--Tom Milnes

Microsoft Pushes a Critical IE7 Update Wed 12/17

Windows users of course have long since resigned themselves to the monthly updates that Microsoft pushes out. "Why the heck is it that my computer went from a lively gimp, to a spasmatic crawl? Oh, it's just Microsoft patching the patches in its patches.

Well, it looks like tomorrow millions across the world will experience a departure from your regularly scheduled programming--we've already had our monthly update--as Microsoft releases what they are calling a critical update to Internet Explorer 7. This time it is in response to the AZN Trojan possibly holding the door for downloader functionality, that has been taking advantage of holes in IE since the beginning of December to infect computers with various malware. According to Dave Marcus, director of security research and communications for McAfee's Avert Labs (as noted in a piece today on cnet) IE users can potentially get infected in two ways. First, when they visit sites that have intentionally loaded the malware on their site, or secondly by visiting a legitimate site, that has tainted script running in the background. In either case, the holes in Internet Explorer leaves user's systems open to attack. Most of the damage to computers thus far has seen in China, but since IE7 is now running on most computers in the world, Microsoft is trying to head off the problem with a world-wide patch party. A word to the wise, although Microsoft is treating this as an IE7 event, it has admitted that all versions of IE may be vulnerable. Kind of a lame reason to update to IE7 if you haven't already, but there it is. Do what you will.

Cnet reports that the patch will be released at 10 a.m. Pacific Time Wednesday 12/17. Anyone who wants details straight from Microsoft can sit in on their webcasts tomorrow. See info on that here. Either way, make sure those boxes are set to auto-update.

--Tom Milnes