K.J. Hardy
Category: Video Games
Posted by K.J. Hardy on Fri, May 16, 2008 at 4:37 PMHeadband. Check. Laced-up sneakers. Check."Wii Fit." Check. That's right, boys and girls. We snagged a "Wii Fit," Nintendo's upcoming offering in the world exercise gaming. We'll review it in Tuesday's paper as well as in the Health section of this site. Initial thoughts after 23 minutes of game play? I usually beat every game I play. This might be the first to beat me every time I play. See you Tuesday ... if I survive.
Tom Gromak
Support a hometown doodler
Nine-year-old Connor Pogue of South Lyon needs your votes. The 4th-grader is one of 40 finalists -- out of 16,000 -- in this year's 'Doodle for Google' contest.
Doodle 4 Google is a competition in which K-12 students from across the country are invited to reinvent Google's homepage logo. This year, the web-search giant asked U.S. kids to doodle around the theme "What if...?"
Connor's design won for grades 4-6 in a six-state Midwest region. If his design earns the most online votes after the judging closes on Sunday, he could earn a computer lab for Sayre Elementary in South Lyon, where he attends school.
Connor's drawing is on the tab labeled grades 4-6. It's also pictured here. Go to the Doodle for Google site to vote. Select the "vote" link, then the "Grades 4-6" tab to find it.
K.J. Hardy
Category: mobile telephones
Posted by K.J. Hardy on Wed, May 7, 2008 at 12:16 PMPressing my buttons
There has been one major causality in the iPhone era that seems to be apparent now more than ever: Buttons. With the popularity of touch-screen cell phones flooding the market, mobile phone makers seem set on eliminating buttons from their devices.
While I never expected a rotary dial gizmo to go cellular, I never thought the button would be an endangered species. I mean touch screens make sense as phones are now expected to serve as cameras, camcorders, music and video players, gaming devices, GPS navigators, voice recorders, calculators, alarm clocks, watches, Internet surfers and, believe it or not, still make telephone calls.
But there's something about losing buttons off the phone that I find problematic. It's too hard to use a touch screen without looking at -- cough, while driving. And don't suggest Bluetooth headsets ... they don't fit everyone comfortably (I've tried using five kinds). You have to watch yourself type -- a ninth-grade typing class no-no. And there's something personal about pressing a button and feeling response in the movement of the key. I can only imagine what touchscreen keyboards will be like in mainstream application.
All of this leads me to supporting Verizon's just-released enV2 - a mobile device covered in glorious buttons. Its full QWERTY keyboard snuck in-between its clamshell design is truly a comfort in the world of the iPhone. It's only slightly larger than a credit card, thick as a candy bar and still has all the versatility you need to do dozens of functions.
Tom Gromak
WSU students take top prize in Microsoft Imagine Cup
What can you do with a digital camera? A lot, if you're Melissa and Jennifer Hui, two Wayne State sisters and students who took the top prize in the photography competition at the 2008 Microsoft Cup in Los Angeles.
Their photo essay project transported viewers to the cradle of the world's ecosystem -- rain forests -- and depicted how technology is being applied there to try to slow global warming and deforestation. As winners, they have advanced to the Imagine Cup World Finals in Paris from July 3 to
8, and will receive $5,000, a two-page color spread in American Photography magazine and a display of pictures on the Imagine Cup micro site of PopPhoto.com.
Melissa is a junior in the Biological Sciences program and Jennifer is a freshman in the Biological Science program and is working towards a minor in Economics at WSU. Melissa is a graduate of Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, Mich. and Jennifer is a graduate of the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Both competed together in last year's Imagine Cup and finished as World Top 20 Semi-Finalists in another digital media invitational.
"This year, with our respective majors focused in life sciences and biology, we were motivated to tackle the topic of environmental sustainability with a perspective in tropical rain forest conservation by use of monitoring technologies," said Melissa. "I personally wanted to reach the roots of an on-going global environment crisis."
Microsoft's Imagine Cup encourages young people to apply their imagination, their passion and their creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world - today. Now in its sixth year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a global competition focused on finding solutions to real world issues.
"The Microsoft Imagine Cup is a wonderful learning opportunity for our students, and we are proud that the Hui sister team were invited to compete, and even more proud of their ultimate win," said Dr. Robert Thomas, dean of WSU's College of Liberal Arts and Science.
Read more about the students' win at Wayne State's web site. Or learn more about the Microsoft Imagine Cup.
Tom Gromak
Get a bundle of Mac software and help a bundle of good causes
Mac users can get a steal on a dozen pieces of software and help ten charities at the same time by taking advantage of the latest MacHeist bundle.
The $49 package -- representing more than an 80% discount from normal prices -- features twelve top pieces of Mac shareware: iClip, CoverSutra, Cha-Ching, Overflow, Awaken, Xslimmer, DEVONthink Personal, WriteRoom, Wallet and three Pangea games: Enigmo, Bugdom 2, Nanosaur 2.
MacHeist will be donating 25% of net sales to ten participating charities, including Action Against Hunger, AIDS Research Alliance, Alliance for Climate Protection, Direct Relief International, Humane Society International, The Nature Conservancy, Save the Children, Save Darfur, Prevent Cancer Foundation, and World Wildlife Fund. Previous MacHeists have raised $700,000 for charity.
The current deal runs for 30 days, ending at midnight on May 12. Find more at MacHeist.com.
Tom Gromak
And the battle over piracy rages on
Tech blog tweaktown.com has received word from one of its readers that a recent Windows Vista update takes out an exploit hackers have used to 'activate' pirated copies of the Microsoft operating system.
This just a week or so after word of the Paradox OEM BIOS Emulator spread across the net like wildfire. That hack worked its magic by allowing your computer to essentially pretend it was made by one of several vendors who had struck deals with Microsoft that kept the annoying activation 'feature' at bay. Other hacks may also be affected.
Read more at TweakTown. Then ponder whether Microsoft's efforts are worth it.
I'm still convinced that Microsoft owes the widespread adoption of Windows to two factors: IBM's early dominance as the computing platform of choice, and the ease with which one could acquire and install Windows on those products -- even if one chose to do it illegally.
I know more than a few folks who have, since Vista, jumped ship to Apple, either by buying a Mac or installing an OS X hack on compatible, off-the-shelf Intel hardware.
Tom Gromak
GoDaddy as censors? Have you seen their ads?
The Internet firm with the raciest television advertising has seen fit to appoint itself a censor of the internet, shutting down a site potentially critical of cops after police from across the country complained.
As reported at Wired.com, GoDaddy.com, a webhosting provider, unceremoniously and without warning pulled the plug on RateMyCops.com, a site that had gathered some basic data on officers and departments from across the country. It promised a one-stop spot for citizens to talk about the way their local law enforcement officials operated.
Why is this important? Because cops -- like lawyers, politicians, doctors, car salesmen, etc. -- have their share of bad apples and even worse policies. Take my co-worker, who was shafted with a ticket for failing to stop for a Royal Oak crosswalk after an officer there tailgated him and straddled lanes so as to blast the squad car's headlights into every mirror -- all during a snow squall. The practice seemed designed to intimidate a driver into making a mistake.
It's the kind of practice that should be discussed, and why sites like RateMyCop are important. Apparently the officers didn't think so. They bombarded GoDaddy with complaints, and the webhost acquiesced, shutting down the site with just minutes notice. It remains down as of today (March 12).
I can understand a web host closing down a site that conducts an illegal business or sells an illegal product. But that should be the limit. A host should be a conduit, and that conduit should be free and open, not subject to the censorship whims of its administrators.
I've hosted my own personal domain and e-mail on GoDaddy for years. Since their practices offend me so, perhaps it's time I censor them and take my dollars elsewhere. If they haven't shut me down already simply for expressing this criticism.
Tom Gromak
$99 all-you-can-call was -- and is -- a great deal
Last week, Verizon announced it would offer A flat-rate monthly cell plan. Then AT&T matched it. Despite all their trumpeting, neither was first. Nextel gave me an unlimited, $99 bill as a promotional tease nearly seven years ago.
I remember it like it was yesterday. Fresh off a lousy experience with AirTouch (remember them, with their 'snazzy' StarTac flip phones?), I was enticed at first by Nextel's push-to-talk technology. Oh, and I liked how a co-worker's Nextel phone alerted him to incoming calls with silent vibration, not a ring.
But what sealed the deal was that introductory calling plan that spanned my initial 2-year contract period. And it was made even sweeter when I pored over the details of my bill -- 800 minutes one month and 1500 the next and 1100 the month after that -- and calculated what it would have cost me on a standard per-call plan.
It was the best monthly bill I ever had. Until it ended. As typically happens, my cellular service went into the tank (I lived in downtown Detroit at the time, and apparently the influx of hockey fans was too much for the system. I'd find myself unable to make or receive calls just before Red Wings games began).
Two jumps later, I'm now with AT&T as a result of them gobbling up Cingular. The iPhone hasn't tempted me, but unlimited calling might do the trick. How about you?
In case you missed it, read more about it here.
Tom Gromak
Bigger iPhone. Bigger price tag. Bigger temptation.
Apple's gone and done it. After thoroughly convincing myself I'd never want an iPhone because 8 gigabytes just wasn't enough storage, they've upped the ante to 16. Now that it holds more than my Nano, the slick phone is far more appealing.
That's not to say it's perfect. It's still limited to a single carrier -- AT&T -- and to a fairly slow wireless web technology. And we're still weeks or months away from a time when outside developers will be able to create applications for the device and you'll be able to install them (at least without hacking your phone and risking turning it into a brick).
Still, there's lots to like. Check it out at Apple.com.
Tom Gromak
Got some retro-tech? It could win you a prize
Still running that old wringer-washer in the basement? Have you eschewed a laser printer because your letterpress still works 'just fine?' Then APWagner.com wants to hear from you.
The online appliance parts and repair sales site is holding a search for North Americas Oldest Appliance. The contest has six categories and each will have a winner. The grand prize winner with the Absolute Oldest Appliance will win Three Brand New Whirlpool Appliances plus $1,000 in Cash. There will also be winners for the Oldest Refrigerator, Oldest Range, Oldest Dryer and Oldest Washer.
Contestants wishing to enter should submit a 2 minute video of themselves and their appliance --working or not -- to apwagner.com. Dont have an old appliance? Its ok. The company says you can send a video with your newer appliances. The craziest video entry received on apwagner.com will receive Three Brand New GE Appliances plus $1,000 in Cash! Only a few entries for this category have been received.
Video submissions will be judged on originality, creativity and age of the appliances. All winners will be announced on April 7, 2008.
