CyberNet News » Gadgets

Why Our Computers Are Not Fully Wireless

Pieter — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:32:24 +0000

Wireless everything… It’s one of those clichés that usually come to mind when talking about the future of technology. While wireless has seen plenty of success with the invention of the mobile phone and WiFi networks, our computers still have a truckload of wires attached to them. Why is it that many of us still prefer wired mice and keyboards? And, more importantly, what could be done to resolve these issues?

We’ve got your keystrokes
Ever thought about how your wireless keyboard communicates with your computer? Your keystrokes are sent to the receiver so that your computer knows what you’re typing. But what if a hacker builds a custom-made receiver with a signal amplifier to record keystrokes from random keyboards in reach? Your passwords could get stolen without you ever knowing it. Just imagine what would happen if our monitors were wireless…
Possible solution: the industry should do for wireless peripherals what WEP/WPA did for wireless networks.

Battery inconveniences
Every once and a while, you have to replace the batteries in your wireless peripherals. If you’re sitting one foot away from your computer, it may not be worth the hassle of changing the batteries in your wireless mouse when wired mice are satisfied with plain old USB juice.
Possible solution: now that we’re advancing in wireless power transmission research, we may be able to get rid of those batteries sooner that we think.

It’s not green
Wireless communication needs extra power, even if the transmitter and the receiver are close to each other. Obviously, this is not eco-friendly. You can often find information about your device’s energy consumption on its back or in its manual.
Possible solution: while making devices more efficient can help, this only works to a certain degree. We may have to wait for energy to become greener before this problem can get ironed out.

Wireless signals cause cancer. No, they do not. Yes, they do.
There’s a lot of debate about possible health issues with our increasingly wireless lives. Contradicting studies have proved and rejected theories about wireless signals being a cause of cancer. The sad thing about this is that the only thing we can do to solve this dispute is wait for about twenty years to see how wireless technology has impacted our health. Then we’ll finally know if wireless is indeed the new tobacco.

[image via Flickr]

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Let’s Talk About Your Old Gadgets…

Ashley — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:02:33 +0000

It’s probably safe to say that the majority of you have been gadget collectors for as long as you can remember. If that’s true, it’s also probably safe to say that somewhere in your home, there’s a stash of old gadgets and random accessories that you just can’t seem to part with, just in case you might need them some day. When this happens, you end up with drawers full of electronics, or in our case, plastic bins simply labeled “electronics.”

Whether you put your old gadgets in drawers (checkout a collection of the “10 Messiest Gadget Drawers over at Gizmodo) bins, or boxes, we’re thinking some of you probably have some common items. So, let’s talk about your old gadgets and what’s included in your “stash.” Off the top of my head, here are some of the gadgets/accessories you might find if you pulled out one of our electronics bins:

Random cables/connectors/etc.
Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC
Old Texas Instrument graphing calculators
A classic Sony Walkman
Sega Genesis Game Console
Remote controls
Extension cords
and the list goes on…

Your turn! If we were to pull out your stash of old electronics gadgets, what would we find?

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WWDC 2009 – iPhone Price Drops, New iPhone 3GS, New MacBooks, & More…

Ashley — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:51:41 +0000

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicked off yesterday and missing from the event, of course, was Steve Jobs. In his place was Phil Schiller to give the keynote filled with some major announcements. While Schiller did a decent job, he is certainly no Steve Jobs.

We’re skipping the fluff and getting right down to what you want to know. Here’s a list of the major announcements:

NEW iPhone 3GS introduced – the S stands for “speed”
iPhone 3G 8GB for $99 – the 2009 iPhone price drops are among us! Apple took the older model phone, and chopped the price in half. With the new price drop you can get the iPhone 3G (not the 3GS), for just $99!
MacBook Pro Updated – and with the update came a drop in price
Snow Leopard unveiled – and set to launch in September for just $29 bucks
Safari 4 released – many of you were probably testing out the beta, but the final version is now available

iPhone 3GS/3.0 Software

Those of you who have been following us for a while know that we are big fans of the iPhone. We bought the original iPhone several months after it launched, and then stood in line last July to be one of the first to get our hands on the iPhone 3G. As you might suspect, we’re planning on upgrading to the iPhone 3GS loaded with the latest 3.0 Software which is set to launch next Friday, June 19th.

Speaking of the 3.0 Software, Apple got smart this year and decided to launch the software update BEFORE the launch of the new phone. Last year the software update coincided with the launch of the iPhone 3G which caused major activation problems. The software upgrade forced everybody to reactivate, so with the combination of those upgrading software, and those upgrading hardware which needs activating, their system became overloaded. The 3.0 Software launches next Wednesday, June 17th, and will once again, probably require everyone to reactivate their phone.

iPhone 3GS Features:

Speed- it’s a faster phone
Video camera – built right in, with editing capabilities
Voice control – now you’ll be able to control the device by telling it what to do
Compass – in case you can’t figure out which way is North

Pricing: $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB

Regular iPhone 3G in a 8GB model will still be available at a reduced price of $99. The price drop for the iPhone 3G is available directly from Apple or your phone carrier.

iPhone 3.0 Software Features:

Cut, copy and paste – finally!
Landscape Keyboard
MMS
Spotlight Search
Voice Memos
Updated Calendar
Capability to download content from the iTunes store like movies, TV shows and Audiobooks, on your phone
and more…

MacBook Pro Updated

Several changes were made to the MacBook Pro line. One of the changes is that the 13-inch MacBook recently introduced with the aluminum body, was changed a bit and is now part of the MacBook Pro line. The MacBook Pro line includes 13-inch (starts at $1,199), 15-inch (starts at $1,699), and 17-inch (starts at $2499) models which all received significant price-cuts.

The good: obviously the fact that they are now more affordable, and battery life is improved

The bad: non-removable batteries

More here…

Snow Leopard Unveiled

There’s a reason that Apple is only charging $29 for Snow Leopard come September when it launches – there aren’t that many new changes. There’s enough though, that many will be willing to pay the reasonable upgrade fee.

More here…

Safari 4 Released

Finally, the last big announcement at WWDC 09′ is that Safari 4 is now officially released. Its best feature is simply that it’s a fast browser. We can say that from first-hand experience. Other well-liked features include “top sites” and coverflow history viewer.

Available for Mac and PC, download here.

–

That’s about all folks! It was one of the longer WWDC keynotes that we’ve seen, about two hours, and they covered a lot. When we get our hands on the iPhone 3GS next week (hopefully), we’ll be sure to fill you in.

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Microsoft Working on Zune HD?

Ashley — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:10:09 +0000

When it comes to portable media players like Microsoft’s Zune or Apple’s iPod, we always find ourselves asking, “What could they possibly do next?” In Microsoft’s case, the next “big thing” is possibly HD. Engadget recently posted some images from an apparent marketing campaign. One of the images clearly includes the new ZuneHD logo, and another gives us a glimpse at what the device looks like.

Few other details are available as to the additional features that the third generation Zune would include, other than HD. A fantastic movie player might give the Zune the edge that it needs to win over a few iPod users. Any thoughts?

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New Poll: Are Smartphones too Smart?

Ryan — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:49:10 +0000

Over the last few years it seems as though the iPhone has really sparked a greater interest in smartphones, and has managed to show consumers what handheld devices are capable of doing. Of course they aren’t alone in the market with both Windows Mobile devices and Blackberries all competing to be the one you carry in your pocket.

Having all this power in your hand is a tremendous convenience, but I recently met a girl named Payal who wasn’t as eager to get one of these gadgets. Being the geek that I am I curiously asked what her reasoning was for not not wanting the iPhone, or any smartphone for that matter.

A lot of times when I ask the question of why someone doesn’t want a smartphone the response is typically that they don’t need it. Those types of people use the device for talking, and maybe some occasional text messaging, but other than that their phone stays tucked away in their pocket. Her response was something I hadn’t heard before. She explained how so many people are in love with their smartphones, but to her such a device would curb the spontaneity and enthusiasm that she wants from life.

How so you might ask? I wondered the same thing since I personally use the iPhone quite a bit for finding places I ordinarily wouldn’t have stumbled across. I will, for example, fire up the Yelp application and look for unique restaurants in the area I’m at. In her eyes that’s not the same kind of excitement. To her it’s more fun to walk around and grab a bite to eat at any place she comes across, and doesn’t want to rely on the reviews and thoughts of online strangers. In other words she wants to see the world through her own eyes, and not through someone else’s.

Another example she provided was exploring new places. She loves to drive around almost hoping to get lost, and find places she’s not been to before. With a smartphone she fears that having the capability to quickly get back on course (via a GPS) would discourage any of this from happening.

So I’d love to hear from all of you in regards to how you feel about smartphones. Why do/don’t you use one? I have to admit that the conversation I had with her has really made me ponder how I use my iPhone, and how much I actually rely on it. I’m sure that the next time I pull it out for leisure purposes I’ll think twice as to whether I actually need it, or whether I’m passing up what could be a fun experience.

With that being said we’ve got a new poll to accompany this topic! If you have Flash enabled you should be able to vote below, otherwise the poll will remain up for a few weeks in the sidebar of the site.

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30GB Zunes Freeze on Startup

Ashley — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:00:40 +0000

It sounds almost surreal to actually happen, but many Zune owners are waking up this morning to find that their 30 GB Zunes aren’t working. Upon first reading the headline over at Gizmodo, we were thinking that it was just a few isolated cases, but after further investigation, it’s happening to many, many people.

If you visit a Zune forum, you’ll see topics like “Z30 Frozen” or “Zune won’t do anything” or “Unresponsive Software.” Microsoft has yet to make any comment on the issue, likely because it is so early in the morning and they haven’t had the chance to determine what the issue is.

While it may be New Years Eve, it looks like Zune team members who thought they were going to get the next day or two off, will be working frantically to come up with a way to solve the problem. It’ll definitely be interesting to see how Microsoft releases a fix. Since the devices are freezing up, users are going to have to take it apart to reset it, or let the battery die completely because an update won’t work on a frozen Zune.

So far, one person has found a fix, at least a temporary fix. It requires taking apart the Zune to reset it. A member of the Zune Scene forums named “hans” says,”

To do this [taking the Zune apart], use a small screwdriver to pop off the plastic shielding where the zune cable plugs into and remove the two screws on either side of the plug. Next pop the cover off and locate the battery plug at the top left corner of the zune, using your screw driver, pop the cable connection half way off, and do this to the other plug on the right side. Wait 3 seconds, then push down the right connector and then the left battery connecter. Your zune should start up immediately. Press the backing of the zune down (make sure headphone jack is aligned) and put the screws and cover back in place.

Definitely a big problem here for Microsoft to fix on New Years Eve, but hopefully it will be a fairly easy fix. Before it looked as though this was a wide-spread problem, people were commenting that they were out of warranty and bummed that their device was unresponsive. I don’t think anybody has anything to worry about, in-warranty or not, simply because it’s happened to so many people. As people wake-up this morning and go to use their devices, the number of Zune issues will only continue to rise.

Any 30GB Zune owners out there? Fill us in, are you having the same issue?

Update: On Microsoft’s Zune website, they say: Status: “Customers with 30gb Zune devices may experience issues when booting their Zune hardware. We’re aware of the problem and are working to correct it. The Zune Social might be slow or inaccessible. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your patience!”

Update 2: Microsoft has posted their solution…

You will need to reboot your device after noon GMT (that’s 7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time) on Jan 1, 2009.
Please unplug your Zune (no AC or USB cables).
Because your Zune is frozen your device battery will begin draining, this is good.
The battery will eventually be fully depleted and the screen will go black.
After noon GMT on January 1 connect your AC power or USB cable such that the battery can begin charging again.
Once the Zune has enough battery to boot it should do so normally and you can go back to enjoying your Zune!

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Why I Jailbroke My iPhone 3G

Ryan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:02:38 +0000

I’ve been an iPhone owner for about a year now, and I have jailbroken it off and on throughout the time that I’ve owned it. When I first got the device I jailbroke it to play with some of the apps people were developing, but I really didn’t see any that were must-haves, and they especially didn’t touch the quality of what’s available in the official App Store today. So my iPhone never stayed jailbroken for long.

It’s a different story for me now. I jailbroke my iPhone 3G for the first time about a month and a half ago, and couldn’t imagine having it any other way. Why is that? Here are my reasons:

Run apps in the background – There is a free program available through the repositories that will allow you to run any iPhone app in the background. I like to listen to streaming Internet radio stations while doing other things on my phone, and this is really the only solution for doing that.
Try out paid App Store apps before you buy them – This is reason enough to jailbreak your iPhone. Basically how this works is you can install any app from the App Store (yes, including paid ones) without dropping a dime. You’ll want to become familiar with sites such as Appulo.us, which are where you can download the “cracked” apps from. You’ll also need to install an app from the repositories that will basically tell iTunes it’s okay to sync the stuff you haven’t actually purchased.
Easy tethering solution – Another program in the repositories, called PDANet, is the ultimate tethering program. It’s free if all you want it for is HTTP access, but if you cough up the $30 you can also use things like VPN access. There is little to no configuration to get it running… just connect to your device like you would a router, and you’ll be on your merry way.
Backup app configurations – Chronus can also be found in the repositories, and is an extremely valuable tool when it comes down to backing up the configuration/settings of your apps. You can then email yourself the backups you made so that they are safely tucked away off the device in case anything should happen to your iPhone. If you pay the $7.99 for Chronus you’ll even be able to backup all of your programs in a single click.

Those are the reasons that I have so far for jailbreaking my iPhone. I know what you’re thinking about number 2… how could I “steal” apps from the developers without actually paying for them? I’ve actually bought more apps now than before I jailbroke my phone. Why is that? I’m able to see what programs I find useful and fun instead of relying solely on the reviews in the App Store. I’ve pretty much committed to myself that if I keep an app for more than a week that I’ll go ahead and buy it. It’s inevitable that some people may use this method as a way to get programs illegally, but I use it more as a way to “try before I buy.” Not only that but iTunes won’t automatically update these cracked apps for you, and if you like to stay on top of updates you’ll probably want to purchase them.

What about you? Do you have an iPhone or iPod Touch that you’ve decided for or against jailbreaking?

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iPhone 2.1 Firmware Now Available…

Ashley — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:33:33 +0000

As promised, today Apple launched the iPhone 2.1 Firmware. They actually surprised us by including details on exactly what it was that they changed with this firmware instead of vaguely saying “bug fixes.” This update has been highly anticipated, simply because it is supposed to fix issues with dropped calls, battery life, and accuracy of the 3G signal strength.

So what does this update include? Straight from Apple…

Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls
Significantly better battery life for most users
Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
Faster installation of 3rd party applications
Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications
Improved performance in text messaging
Faster loading and searching of contacts
Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
Genius playlist creation

Just note that you have to be running iTunes 8 before you can get the update. I’m still in the process of waiting for my iPhone to back-up (I sure do hope backup times are improved!) so I turned to the web to see what people were saying about this. Overall, it sounds as though people are finally satisfied, offering positive feedback. It’ll take some time though to really put the update to the test. We’ll update you later after we’ve had some time to see the improvements that the iPhone 2.1 Firmware offers.

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New iPod Nano Revealed, Updated iPod Touch, iTunes 8, and more…

Ashley — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:42:07 +0000

Apple’s big “Let’s Rock” event just finished up and as expected, the iPod Nano stole the show. As you can see from the picture above, the new Nano is longer and has some more rounded features, but it also comes in a whole rainbow of colors sure to please anyone.

New iPod nano features:

Front of nano is curved glass
Thinnest iPod ever!
Enhanced user interface
Now comes with accelerometer which means photos and video can be viewed in landscape mode
New recording feature accessible when it detects a microphone
Can create Genius playlists right from the nano (will explain Genius playlists below)
New “Shake” feature – shake your nano to activate the shuffle mode

There are two different storage sizes available – 8GB for $149 and 16GB for $199. the 8GB should be available today and the 16GB should be available at the latest, by early next week. This new nano definitely incorporates some of the elements of the iPod Touch and the iPhone.

Other Announcements at the “Let’s Rock” event:

Updated iPod Touch

The iPod Touch was redesigned and updated, as expected with a thinner, contoured steel design. It includes an integrated volume control on the side, a built-in speaker, genius playlist creation right from the device, and App store access.

App Store UpdateIt’s been 60 days since the app store launched and over 100 million apps have been downloaded, although we don’t know now many of those are paid and how many were free.

iTunes!

iTunes Statistics – available to users are:

8.5 million songs
125,000 podcasts
30,000 episodes of TV shows
2.6K Hollywood movies
3,000 applications for iPhone and iPod Touch

Jobs was sure to point out that they are the #1 music distributor in any format – ahead of Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Not too shabby.

In addition to the offerings above, iTunes will now have TV shows in HD available for $2.99 per episode. Regular definition shows are $1.99. NBC is also coming back to iTunes.

iTunes 8

iTunes 8 offers some new browsing opportunities. There’s also a “Genius” feature which in a nutshell, will automatically make playlists for you from the songs in your library that go great together, with one click. The Genius feature also shows recommendations from the iTunes store of songs you may want to buy.

iPhone Update coming Friday…

Yet another update for the iPhone is coming. It is supposed to fix “lots of bugs” – in particular, improved battery life, fewer dropped calls, fixes issues with crashing problems, and increases the speed for iTunes backups.

Lots of iPhone owners have been eagerly awaiting this update, particularly because it is supposed to fix the dropped calls issue.

Updated headphones

Finally, worth noting is that Apple announced some new in-ear headphones. Jobs says that there are two drivers in each (woofer + tweeter) and they will cost $79. He says, “they finally got it right this time.”

Source: Thanks to Gizmodo’s GREAT live coverage!

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Convenient Timing: Microsoft Confirms New Zunes

Ashley — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:44:47 +0000

Perhaps Microsoft was hoping to take a little bit of the spotlight away from Apple (their iPod announcement is coming tomorrow) by confirming the new Zune line-up today? Yes, new Zune’s are on the way. Consumers can expect some extra storage space for both the hard drive and flash models.

Pricing and storage info (for those of you who haven’t heard):

120GB Zune- $250
16 GB Flash Zune - $199
8 GB Flash Zune - $149

Another big change is something that a lot of users have been wanting — the ability to use the built-in Wi-Fi to download songs. For those Zune users who like music recommended to them, they can get recommendations based upon what they are already listening to. There are also some pre-programmed channels available.

While the Zune may not be a market leader, they certainly have a pretty loyal group of fans who enjoy the features that the device offers. The few people I personally know who own a Zune never have anything but good things to say.

Image: Apparently one of the new Zune’s made it to the shelf a little early at a Fry’s electronics store. Shown above is what the 8GB blue/silver model looks like.

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