Archive for October 3rd, 2006
DVD Jon, the erstwhile thorn in the side of any company who hopes to use DRM to protect their products, has reportedly hacked Apple’s Fairplay technology. If you’re not familiar with Fairplay, that’s the system that ensures that music purchased from Napster or Coke Music, or indeed any other online music store, won’t play on an iPod. Boo, hiss, we say to Apple about this, and so does Jon.
TechSmec.com is a little confused. Over a year ago we reported that DVD Jon, or Jon Johansen to give him his full and legal monicker, was now on the payroll at Apple, having annoyed Steve Jobs so much that he adopted the ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ approach. However, at some point in the last 18 months that must have gone sour as Jon is back and has reportedly added a layer on top of Fairplay that allows music sold from sources other than iTunes to play on an iPod. It’s the fact that he is adding to Fairplay, not hacking it, that makes Jon confident that this time, he is on the right side of the law.
Jon was so confident that Apple wouldn’t be able to find fault with his new software that he approached Steve Jobs himself about it. The big man was apparently calm and didn’t immediately reach for the phone to call his lawyers, but the blogsphere doesn’t expect that situation to last for long.
October 3rd, 2006
Logitech have produced a rather expensive keyboard, but unlike some of the more ridiculous attempts at pimping up electronic devices, this one is beautiful to behold.
Lets start with the looks, because the appeal starts to fall down when functionality comes into play.
The diNovo Edge is laser-cut from a single piece of black plexiglass. Then, as if that weren’t enough, Logitech have embedded it into an aluminium surround. Icons are backlit in orange or green, but cunningly are invisible until illuminated. Most impressively, the whole thing is only 3/4 inch thick.
“The diNovo Edge is the most beautiful and elegant keyboard we´ve ever made,” said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech´s keyboards and desktops. “It elicits an immediate emotional connection the first time you see it — and that connection only gets stronger when you place your hands upon it. The diNovo Edge delivers a premium experience in every way, from how it looks in the office or living room, to how it feels and performs in the hands of its owner.”
With Bluetooth, the diNovo Edge can connect directly, without the included USB micro-receiver, to PCs that have built-in Bluetooth technology. For computers without built-in Bluetooth technology, people need only plug in the micro-receiver to a USB port to connect the keyboard to the PC; the keyboard and receiver are pre-paired during manufacturing so that they automatically connect when plugged in.
Now, we haven’t actually seen a diNovo edge in the flesh, let alone actually used one, but there’s a nagging concern about the fact that functionality has been compromised over design. For a start, where’s the numeric keypad? Not there, that’s where. Then, what the heck is that thing that looks a bit like a thermometer on the right hand side? It turns out that’s the volume slider and a touchpad that attempts to combine horizontal scroll, vertical scroll and clicking all into one. TechSmec.com has its doubts.
Nevertheless, this is a keyboard designed for the living room, not the office, and minimalism is king in that setting.
You would expect to pay a lot for a keyboard like this, and you’d be right. The diNovo edge is expected to retail at $199 when it launches in the USA and Europe in November.
October 3rd, 2006
Bluetooth is pretty cool, despite the fact that it has spawned that most laughable of people - the headset (even when it’s really not necessary) wearer. Now there’s a new kid on the block in the short-range wireless district in the form of Wibree.
Wibree uses a lot less power than bluetooth, so it can be used in smaller devices and that opens up a lot of new possibilities. It is implemented either as stand-alone chip or as a Bluetooth-Wibree dual-mode chip. In fact, it can use the same hardware as bluetooth so costs are low. Wibree operates at a range of up to 10 meters and with a data rate of 1-Mbit per second.
Nokia is behind the new technology and they think it has lots of potential uses in devices that were traditionally too small for bluetooth, such as wristwatches. They hope to bring it to market in 2007.
“Wibree technology is an important development that opens up new market opportunities and a whole new range of possibilities for mobile users. Our aim is to establish an industry standard faster than ever before by offering an interoperable solution that can be commercialized and incorporated into products quickly,” said Dr. Bob Iannucci, head of the Nokia Research Center.
If you were wondering what the derivation of the word ‘Wibree’ is, so are we. Nokia has remained tightlipped about it so far.
October 3rd, 2006
According to the Metropolitan Police figures, 10,000 mobile phones are stolen every month. But a new service from mobile device management company Synchronica (www.synchronica.com) aims to help victims of theft strike back.Synchronica’s mobile phone management software Mobile Manager can remotely lock and wipe data from mobile phones as soon as their owners report the loss. If the phone has been stolen, companies can also turn on the Synchronica Scream Feature, causing an annoying and embarrassing high pitched wail to be emitted from the stolen device.
“According to industry sources, it takes on average only 30 seconds for someone to notice that their phone is missing, compared to an hour for a wallet or purse”, said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica. “Using our service, crime victims can be reassured that their information is immediately removed from the stolen phone, along with the satisfaction of annoying the thief with a screaming handset.”
Until this becomes a common feature with mobile phones, TechSmec.com isn’t sure it will make a massive difference. Yes, it will annoy the hell out of a thief, but by then they’ve already got the handset, so you’re not really any better off.
October 3rd, 2006
