Technology Madness

Search your iPhone – new built-in feature: Spotlight search

As we all know; Apple is coming out with new OS for iPhone, version 3.0. Apple has unveiled a few features aimed more at consumers, including copy and paste, stereo Bluetooth and spotlight search. (Search? you mean search - search)
How ironic it is– Apple is proudly announcing this as a prime feature where it suppose to be there from day one when they introduced iPhone. Don’t you think so?

Anyway, so there’s this thing called ’search’ which lets you search the content of all your emails metadata (not the text of email, just metadata, like, from, to, subject etc), contacts, calendars and anything in your iPod library.

How get a spotlight search?
(1) From Home (desktop) screen, flicking on right will bring up the new Spotlight search home screen. Start typing it, result will populate at the bottom. Tapping on search result will directly take you there or launch an application
(2) Assuming that you are at ‘Home’ screen, Click ‘Home’ button of your phone again. This leads to Spotlight search screen
(3) On ‘Home’ screen, just above below navigation bar, you will see magnifying glass icon; try to tap on it will lead to Spotlight search screen

Spotlight search

I am sure it’s must have feature for iPhone but wonder why it took so long to get here. Are we captive audience of Apple or what?

The new OS will be available “in the summer” (Prior to Sept 22?), and will be free to iPhone 3G and original iPhone owners. There will be a $9.95 cost to iPod touch owners.

Via [iPhoneFreak and Gizmodo]

Top holiday MP3 and media players gift

1) Apple 8 GB iPod Touch

This one is very obvious. Think of Apple’s iPod Touch as an iPhone minus the phone. The ultra-crisp 3.5-inch touch-screen is equally at home playing movies or browsing the web, thanks to built-in WiFi.

2) NU Dolphin Swimmer MP3 Player (1G) - Waterproof

Strip down, suit up, and start swimming to your favorite workout music with the Dolphin Swimmer, a waterproof MP3 player that attaches to your swim goggles. There’s even a thermometer strip for checking water temperature.

3) Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player Black (2nd Generation)

Microsoft bangs one out of the park with its second-generation Zune. The Zune’s 80 GB hard disk holds up to 20,000 songs, and a built-in FM radio keeps you in touch with live broadcasts

4) SanDisk Sansa Connect 4 GB MP3 Player (SDMX8N-4096K-A70)

Besides its ability to play your MP3 music, the Sansa Connect also taps into CD-quality Internet radio thanks to built in WiFi. Hear a song you like? Forget writing down the artist and title – just download it directly to the Connect.

5) Creative Zen 4 GB (Black)

It’s simply called the Creative Zen and looks like a compressed and flattened version of the Vision:W. Considering that it was only recently launched and there’s also rumor of a 32GB version coming soon.

Apple leopard line is ridiculous

Drove by the Apple flag ship store on 5th Avenue in NYC last night.  At 8.00 PM there were still about 50 to 100 people on line in the pouring rain.  A little crazy but I guess some people have to be the first to get Leopard.

Video: In line to buy Leopard at the Roseville Apple store

Video: The Mac faithful line up for the official kick-off of the new Mac OS at the Apple Store in Northbrook, Illinois on Friday, October 26th, 2007.

Video:

This is the line right before 6 at the Apple Store in Columbia, MD

Video: This was the line for the release of Leopard at the Apple Store in Bluewater Shopping in the UK.

The week dollar must make it really, really cheap for Europeans and Brits to buy computers here, unpack them for the trip home, so they don’t have to claim them on customs forms, and claim they had them already when entering the USA if ever stopped at customs.

Via [Google Finance- AAPL and YouTube]

Starbucks to Give Away Free iTunes Songs

As reported on Billboard.biz, Starbucks Corp. plans to give away 50 million free digital songs to customers in all of its domestic coffee houses to promote a new wireless iTunes music service that’s about to debut in select markets. This is good strategy for Starbucks to see more coffee, latte and frappuccino. But does this short term stunt make a big difference to their bottom line?

From October 2nd to November 7th at more than ten thousand Starbucks locations, customers may receive “Song of the Day” cards redeemable on the iTunes Store for Mac or PC (www.itunes.com) for a complimentary song hand-selected by Starbucks Entertainment. Throughout the promotion, Starbucks will give away 1.5 million downloads on iTunes per day for more than 50 million free songs during the life of the promotion. I am not sure that user has to purchase any coffee from store in order to get song card or not? Also, not sure its validity period either. There were some glitches on the west coast, but overall the promotion was well received.

The first song will be Bob Dylan’s “Joker Man.” To read the full story, click here. 

Additional Headlines

• Apple-Starbucks promotion kicks off with some glitches and free music

  On Tuesday, Starbucks launched a promotion that ties iTunes to the popular java house in a rather unique way. Starbucks

• Court says California Disabled Rights Law applies to the web

  Marilyn Hall Patel, a U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California judge, issued two landmark decisions Monday, in

• eBay opens beta testing for desktop application

  San Dimas, the codename for the desktop application developed by eBay Inc., was officially released into public beta this week

• PC Doctor launches Blog and Forums for PC health and tech talk

  PC-Doctor Inc., known for tools used in PC hardware during design, manufacture, support, and service, recently announced that they have

• Samsung and Bang Olufsen team up for iPhone killing

  Samsung is known for their phones and Bang Olufsen is known for audio.  Together, they have teamed up for the

Short recap of the Apple’s new products

Here’s a short recap of the new products:

• iPod Shuffle:
  • New colors
  • No increase in storage

• iPod Nano:
  • Nick named on tech blogs as the “Fatty” because of its new form factor
  • Now plays video on a 2″ screen
  • CoverFlow and a new “enhanced” interface
  • New colors
  • No increase in storage

• iPod Classic:
  • Essentially the iPod with Video
  • All metal instead of plastic
  • Huge amounts of storage with the new 160 GB model
  • CoverFlow and a new “enhanced” interface

• iPod Touch:
  • Dubbed the iPhone without the phone (not quite)
  • Looks like the iPhone
  • Same interface as the iPhone
  • Huge 3.5″ screen
  • Meager storage amounts of 8 GB and 16 GB
  • Built-in WiFi
  • Built-in Safari web browser
  • Multi-touch interface
  • Wireless iTunes Music Store
  • Free WiFi with Starbucks partnership

• iPhone:
  • Dubbed the iPod with a phone
  • See the iPod Touch features above
  • Phone capability (currently tethered to AT&T)
  • Speakers
  • Microphone
  • Bluetooth (hobbled only in mono)

New Zune 2.0 - Monday, May 07?

After “MSFT buying YHOO rumor”, according to ilounge.com: Big announcement is going to happen sometime tomorrow about new Zune (2.0?), most likely the flash-based one the company’s been hinting at for a while. It’s a bit early for Zune Phone, so I’m thinking this should be the flash-based Zune.

I think the main problem with Zune 1.0 was it’s a little too fat compared to the Apple. So what do you guys expect would be an ipod killer?

- flash player

- thin

- wifi

- Less weight

- Cheaper

- support some games

- may be a phone

feel free to add more in the list. Meanwhile enjoy this Zune pictures.

via [crunchgear, ilounge, gizmodo]
zune microsoftipod

TitBits from CES 2007

Put even more media in your media network

“This very morning, Steve Jobs made some revolutionary promises about what Apple is going to do for you.”

Register: CES’ top ten weirdest gadgets

“From the company that brought you the Roomba vacuum cleaner comes a robot designed for students, geeks and other ‘bot lovers to create their own programmes. See it in action here fetching beer [It’s actually a Pepsi. -ed.] from the fridge or even being controlled by a hamster. Genius.”

Nothing Up My Sleeve: Expo news for home automators

“I’m starting this place to keep track of product announcements of interest to home security and automation enthusiasts. I’m starting out with just two, but I’ll update this as more come to my attention. If you’re aware of any, please leave a comment.”

CNET News: Microsoft releases January patches

“Three are listed as ‘critical,’ the company’s highest risk rating, and one is listed as ‘important,’ the next step down.”

Between the Lines: The iPhone fallout - Winners and losers

“The impact of Apple’s iPhone, rolled out at Macworld by Steve Jobs, is going to have a lasting impact on the tech industry beyond today’s big splash. Here’s a look at the winners and losers.”

CES 2007: Star War’s R2D2 robot - A complete mobile entertainment system -

A complete mobile entertainment system in the form of an R2D2 robot, this baby will play radio, CD, MP3, WMA and most other music formats, project DVDs, games and photos onto your wall or ceiling and move around the floor whilst doing so…

Take a look at $2,500 worth of fanboy dreams in action at CES in Las Vegas

via [www.nikkor2d2.com/]

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Nano-like MP3 player, only 6.9mm thick

OPPO has this iPod nano-like MP3 player. This new MP3 player from OPPO
will features a OLED display, CYPRESS touch-sensitive buttons and it is
only 6.9mm thick. No further information is available

Via IMP3

Icoo offers up pico ipod stroller. Will the madness ever end?

First comes wife/husband, then comes baby, then comes an iPod in the baby carriage! ha ha…
We’ve blogged about crazy iPod-mad accessories before, but it’s been a while, so let’s revisit the concept, shall we? The point of an iPod combined with a stroller is not to tune out your screaming kid - got that? The point is to entertain the kid. I think. I hope!

This stroler is more like for mom/dad than for a kid. Or are you going to plug its earphone to baby’s ear? O god! Leave them alone! Its pure madness, of course on mom/dad’s part.

The hood (or canopy, if you prefer) has a built-in iPod dock, volume controls and speakers so you and your baby can rock out while you run your errands. Other details are scarce, but it will be available in both black and white and it looks like the same thing that RockStarBaby was showing off a few months ago. Based on the prices I found for other i’Coo strollers, I’d say these will probably go for about $300 USD. Ouch!

May be its targeted for zip code: 90210

Via [read]