Obama administration to axe NASA Programs
by admin on Jan.29, 2010, under News, Space
Sadly, it looks like the recent budget cuts that President Obama announced during his State of the Union address have hit NASA where it hurts: the Ares spaceship program, set to replace the aging Space Shuttles in the next few years, appears to have been entirely cancelled. In addition, planned future missions to the moon have been at least postponed if not entirely written off as well. It is a shame that our nation, once at the forefront of space exploration, must once again take a backward step in the face of limited financial resources.
HP slides in Slate update before Apple Tablet launch
by admin on Jan.26, 2010, under Apple, Microsoft, News, Technology
The HP Slate is slated (sorry, couldn’t resist) to offer more versatility, more power, and a lower price than the rumored Apple slate; it’s truly a do-it-all device.
Apple tablet: facing tough competition in an emerging market
by admin on Jan.21, 2010, under Apple, News, Technology
On January 27, Apple will likely introduce a new tablet product. For the past two years, rumors have been circulating the internet about what that device might consist of. Many speculate that it will be an “enlarged iPod touch,” running a derivative of the iPhone OS. Others suspect it might be a “tablet Mac,” running a stripped down version of Mac OS X. This “middle ground” area that lives between the laptops and smartphones we use every day is a brand new market, and many companies have been working hard over the past year to define it.
When Apple entered the smartphone market with the iPhone in June 2007, it was already a fairly mature market. Four years prior, Microsoft had launched Windows Mobile 2003, a huge release that offered a full touchscreen smartphone experience with multi-tasking, robust email and music support, and syncing for music and TV shows. That same year, Palm launched the Treo 600, a remarkable device that offered an incredibly seamless solution for consuming media, email, and other content on the go. BlackBerry devices had been offering a refined mobile email experience for several years. Essentially, the iPhone entered a market that (continue reading…)
Microsoft working on Bing Search & Earn incentive program?
by admin on Jan.03, 2010, under Microsoft, News, Technology
We’ve learned that Microsoft is preparing to role out an incentive program for using its Bing service. Users would be rewarded points for performing different activities, from as simple as setting Bing as their default search engine and home page to purchasing air line tickets and products through Bing. After installing the “Bing Bar” browser toolbar, users would be able to keep track of their points and redeem them for prizes or donate them to charity. Possible names for the program include Bing Search & Earn, Bing Rewards, Club Bing, Bing Perks, and Bing VIP (our favorite). Take a look at the screenshots below to get an idea of what the program might look like. If and when Microsoft does roll out this program, remember that you heard it here first!
How To Ditch Cable for Good
by admin on Dec.11, 2009, under How-To, Open Source, Technology
It seems like every day a new online media portal pops up; the flavor of the week was Vevo, and undoubtedly over the past year Hulu has made the biggest splash in the online content arena. But where is the fun in watching your favorite content on a cramped computer screen in a stiff office chair? This article will hopefully give you some solid ideas on how to move all of this high quality free content onto your TV screen where it belongs.
There are numerous ways to bridge the gap between the internet and your TV; Vizio, Samsung, and others are even beginning to integrate online connectivity directly into their sets. Countless set-top boxes, Blu-Ray players, and dedicated streaming devices are available. But the downside to all of these options is high cost and a limited set of options; proprietary solutions nearly always limit you to a certain subset of online content.