Rain and sun at the famous arts festival inspired a large-scale and spontaneous recitation of the famous “Double Rainbow” meme.

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An interesting article in USA Today gives us some interesting stats about smart phones and stats. First off, 30% of all phones in the use in the US now are internet connected “smart phones” . 19% of users have downloaded some sort of travel related App. Most importantly, 47% of travelers have used their phone GPS to find a destination or location. That is a significant uptake in the use of GPS devices in phones. Also, many people (29%) are using their internet connected phone to shop for airfares and hotels, which suggests that it is very important for travel related sites to be mobile friendly. Certainly, this is a major shift in the public’s use of cell phones over the last couple of years, at least in the US.

Suggested product: Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished)

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The Apple App Store has apparently reached a significant milestone, with now more than 250,000 apps in store, according to this report in Fortune (and to be fair, they are quoting yet another site to get to that number). However, that number may include “versions” of an app made for a different location or city, or some other minor variation. There are about 50,000 publishers, so on average they have 5 apps each. Some companies have hundreds of apps, often variations on a theme. This number doesn’t include a signficant number of adult / sexy apps that were removed in the last little while as well.

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If you know who this is and where she’s located, you could win a prize in the CNET Road Trip Picture of the Week challenge.

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I found this story over at Reuters about the company ISuppli that has looked into the tablet market, and has decided (somehow) that no matter what happens, Apple will continue to dominate the tablet marketplace. The most telling quote from the story is that they firm doubts that anyone will match the “overall performance experience” of the IPad, which would include it’s performance as well as the many apps and such available for it.

However, I have to say that this seems to fly in the face of the growing number of tablet style devices in the pipeline. In the mainland Chinese market, many companies have already developed knockoffs of the ipad running all sorts of different operating systems, and as the production of these devices ramps up, the costs of the components continues to drop.

Major players such as Microsoft and Google are both on track to have various companies using their operatings systems on tablet devices, especially as 2011 rolls around. Micorsoft may be a very strong competitor in the business marketplace, and Google’s ever expanding Android operating system continues to see huge improvements in it’s app offerings. It is very likely that within a couple of years, there will be little difference in Apps between Apple and other companies.

While Apple may enjoy the first mover position, they are very likely to be facing stuff competition. The real question is the actual size of the tablet marketplace, which may be in it’s infancy, similar to what happened when the original Palm Pilot style devices came out. Almost all of the players from that initial market have fallen to the wayside, and the devices have morphed into the smart phones we know today. Perhaps today’s tablets are nothing more than a step towards something much more useful and robust.

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The title is what I consider to be the chant of the ignorant, the greedy, the people I nicely refer to as “generation Diss”, who disrespect anyone and everything that doesn’t give them all they want for free.

ACTA is a trade agreement and treaty between many nations (most except the usual suspects), which seeks to define and redefine the nature of copyright works, distribution, and such. It’s a complex subject, best covered in this article. It has far reaching implications, and the one that has the vocal minority of moochers and file traders upset is provisions for a “3 strikes” or similar structure that would require ISPs to be a little more diligent about what their networks are used for.

In simple terms, the current internet is a wild west scenario. Everyone has a horse, a gun, and a covering over their face so nobody can recognize them, and many choose to use this to steal from others. They will say it isn’t stealing, just “copying”, but in the end, they have something of value without having either paid for it or having the rights to it, which in most people’s worlds is either stealing or receiving stolen property. Either way, there is a small but vocal part of the internet user community that is concerned that ACTA will pull away their masks and leave them exposed, suddenly unable to do all the “free” things they have been doing before.

News flash for the freeloaders: If you cannot do it in the real world, why the heck should you be allowed to do it online? You cannot carry your laptop into Best Buy, open a DVD, and make a copy for yourself and leave, why should you be allowed to do it online? Worse why should you have anonymous protection to do it online, with the ISP standing in the way shielding you? It is insane to think that basic acts which would be illegal in person in the real world should suddenly become legal because you can do it remotely.

Too bad for those who would mooch everything and pay for nothing: The free ride may be coming to an end.

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Stuff Channel

The marketplace on smart phones continues to evolve rapidly, often growing faster than the infrastructure. Taiwan based HTC has been a leader, a company that has gone from almost no market share outside of it’s home market to a market leader in a very short period of time.

It is one of the reasons that HTC’s move to build specific Windows Phone 7 based phones is interesting. Obviously, Microsoft is putting a lot of time, money, and effort into it’s new mobile OS, and HTC has snatched up the chance to bring it to the market place. Not only is HTC going to market, but they are very confident in their product placement.

In this writer’s opinion, HTC is doing the smart thing by hedging it’s bets all around, not getting caught up in any single operating system or with any single partner company. By producing phones that run Android and others that run Windows Phone 7, they are buying themselves potentially a bigger part of the market, and minimizing the risks if one or the other turns sour at some point.

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4G technology on the phone side is running full speed ahead with companies like Sprint pushing the HTC 4G phone and pushing the promise of 4G networking. The Sony Epic 4G phone is another example of a hot new phone for this expanding market.

However, there are problems, and most of it has to do with where the real world hits the virtual wireless world – at the towers. Clearwire is the company that is building out much of the 4G networking for companies like Sprint, and they are facing a daunting task: Negotiating for tower placements in big cities. While the phones are churning out fast and the take rate on the 4G phones is incredible (apparently the HTC 4G phones were hard to find, because demand was too high), it can take 12 – 18 months to get permission for a new tower, and in a bigger city, it takes many towers to do the job.

I found this interesting article at CNET that pretty much explains the problem, and shows where the real world realities can get in the way of technology advances. So while 4G phones are gaining popularity, it may still be a while before the network services to support them will be available all over the US.

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Road Trip 2010: Each year, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman gets the chance to test out Apple’s latest over several thousands of miles of driving. This year, that meant the iPhone 4, the iPad 3G, and the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro.

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The Samsung Epic 4G is the latest phone to come out with 4G support, and this sexy slider phone is certainly hitting all the high points. First off, the keyboard is great for it’s size. The forecast death of the keyboard is probably wrong, as we get more and more from our smart phones we are going to need good input modes. This one has a keyboard usable by humans, without taking away any screen space to do it as a touch screen. The Samsung Epic runs Android 2.1 with Samsung’s own TouchWiz 3.0 user interface, which seems like a pretty good combination. There is a great review on BusinessWeek of the Epic 4G, they seem to be really liking it, especially in a business mode. This is another phone that does multimedia, 4G networking, and might even put a little more pressure on RIM.

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Smetimes things happen for a weird reason, but the end results are better than many people would expect. It is hard to imagine, but the push to put FM radios into every cell phone is almost a direct result of sites like The Pirate Bay and Limewire.

Basically, there is a a push going on for radio stations to have to pay per use for music broadcast on their stations. The royalty fee is being pushed by the music industry types who are feeling the pinch of declining music sales as a result of rampant piracy that is going on these days. Some suggest this piracy has taken away 30-50% of the music retail market, and likely will take even more away in the coming years.

So how does this give us FM radios in our cell phones? The radio stations are willing to pay the royalty only if they get access to a government mandated new market, putting FM radios in the hands of the vast majority of the population, by making it a mandatory part of a cell phone. Now, it will be passed as a public security issue, but the reality is that it is just a bribe to give the radio stations new potential markets. While some are saying this will increase the costs of phones, the components to do this sort of thing are very inexpensive, and apparently many new Iphones are already able to do it (just that there is no software support for it). Other companies already have FM radios in their phones.

The funniest part of this story is reading comments from “generation take”, the tweens to 20 somethings that have been brought up with piracy as a normal way of life. They are basically saying “MP3s or commercials… gee, which one will I listen to?”. But in the end, almost everyone in the US listens to radio on a regular basis, so it is likely that the inclusion of this feature in phones won’t be a negative, and the costs won’t make a major difference in the game.

So when you wonder why your next phone has an FM radio in it, just blame your offspring downstairs downloading music off the torrents. Cause and effect is a wonderful thing!

Read another point of view on this story here

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LG of Korea (aka Lucky Goldstar) was a little late to the smart phone game, but they are certainly stepping it up big time. LG have recently announced not only 10 new smart phones apparently using Android, but also one of the first full feature Android based tablets. The New LG tablet seeks to differentiate itself as not only a reader / viewer but also a system for actual creation of content. Although few details have been revealed, it is said that the device will use Nvidia Corp.’s dual-core processor and will release in the 4th quarter of 2010, likely just in time for the Christmas rush. It continues a trend of various companies on the Google Android side of the discussion pushing hard to take market share away from leaders Apple and RIM.

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Road Trip 2010: It wouldn’t be possible to tackle weeks’ worth of reporting spread over 13 states without a good car, and for that, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman got the chance to drive 5,000 miles in Porsche’s Panamera.

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Road Trip 2010: After traveling 5,266 miles–through 13 states and Washington, D.C.–CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman’s annual journey is over. Here’s a collection of the best the Northeast has to offer.

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I found a very good story on PC-mag of all places with a pretty darn good review and overall look at the Motorola Droid 2. This is a phone that Motorola really needs to break out and score well, and it seems to have everything it needs. The keyboard is a good size, the screen look great, Android 2.2 is rocking, and generally the quality seems to be there. Verizon has been selling the Droid2 since August 12th, and initial reports suggest it is doing well. When I look a the phone closed, for some reason I get a really Iphone 4 sort of vibe from it, but I tend to prefer Droid phones so it’s all good. There have been a few reports of poor reception and short battery life, but most reviews of this phone has been positive. Coming less than a year after the original Motorola Droid, this one is a big step up, and a clear indication that the pace of development in the smart phone / pad / portable space is picking up.

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With her new show “Head Rush,” the “MythBusters” co-host is hoping to help kids find the excitement of science, technology, engineering, and math.

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Road Trip 2010: After a mass gathering of droids–R2-D2s and friends–at Celebration V, what happens when they must all go their separate ways? A lot of beeping, booping, and confusion over whose R2 is whose.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman was just one of thousands who flocked to see the “Star Wars” creator talk about the history of the mega-hit sci-fi franchise. Lucas was joined onstage by Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and interviewer Jon Stewart.

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Road Trip 2010: At Celebration V in Orlando, George Lucas said that all six live-action movies will be coming out in the high-definition format in 2011.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman figured kids were getting hooked on George Lucas’ sci-fi universe through video games and books, but it seems the ‘Star Wars’ movies are still dominant.

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Road Trip 2010: At Celebration V, the founders of the global fan club centered around high-quality Galactic Empire costumery talked about their labor of love.

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Road Trip 2010: Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1937 masterpiece still wows hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Some call it the best home ever built in the U.S. Either way, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman finds it beyond impressive.

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As part of Road Trip 2010, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman spends a day at General Electric’s famed R&D labs and sees a glimpse of some of the technologies the industrial giant will be coming out with in the future.

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Let me start out by saying I am not a Democrat (or a Republican for that matter). I don’t have a horse in the race, and I don’t care the outcome so much. I should also point out that while I am not a big supporter of Obama, I would say that he has done a better job that the Bush that was there before him.

Now, on the the birthers.

What are birthers? These are the people who are somehow convinced that Barrack Obama cannot be the President of the United States because he was (according to them) not born in the US. Now, there is a record of birth for Barrack Obama in Hawaii, but they take his Indonesian school records (where he was listed as barry soetoro, his fathers last name). Now, if this is the smoking gun, the “clue” that they all point to, I would suggest that they need to get a clue themselves.

It isn’t unusual for school records to show a shortened version of a kid’s name (especially when the name is in English in a country where English is NOT the main language) and combine it with his step father’s name (which is why he went to school in Indonesia). But it is clear that his mother only remarried when Barrack was 6, and this man (Pak Lolo Soetoro) is not Obama’s father. So this smoking gun is debunked pretty much right out of the gate.

The next birther theory is that Obama was born in Kenya. Now, it is true that his real father Barrak Hussein Obama Sr, is from Kenya. However, there is absolutely no indication that the birth happened in Kenya. In fact, an American living in Kenya would very likely return to the US to assure that their child was born in the US, that they got high end care during and after child buirth, and that their child was a US citizen.

It takes all of about 30 seconds to dismiss the Birther’s logic, as none of it adds up. That some seemingly intelligent people such as Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, a doctor in the military. He refused to take orders because the commander in chief (the president) was not born in the US, and therefore cannot be President. I am amazed to see seemingly smart people turned into slack jawed mouth breeders.

The reality is that many in the birther movement are there because they have racists tendancies. Rather than saying they do not like a black man in the White House, and don’t want to serve under a black man. They can’t say that because they know everyone will mark it down as racist. Instead, the create this amazing birther conspiracy, which has been debunked any number of time (and can easily be debunked as I have shown above). They call him Barry Soetoro, they call him a muslim, they call him all sorts of things, but in the end, Barrack Obama is the lawful and elected President of the United States.

Between the Birthers and the Tea Baggers, it would appear that the right wing of US politics is sinking into angry little groups of political infighters, rather than a force that can take on the Democrats in the long run. The Republican party really needs to step up to the plate and take charge, or risk being run over by the mouth breathers and yahoos that are currently running the show.

Originally Syndicated via RSS from Stuff Channel

Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman stops in on the National Cryptologic Museum and sees a bit of the history of codes and codebreaking.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman visits Niagara Falls. While he doesn’t get a chance to see the massive Niagara Power Project, he does think it’s worth an explanation.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman stops in on Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems facility in Rhode Island and got the low-down on the DDG 1000, the U.S. Navy’s most advanced destroyer ever.

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Road Trip 2010: The defense giant encourages openness among its 40,000-plus engineers as it tackles tech issues in areas from missiles to radar to semiconductors.

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Road Trip 2010: Driving east on U.S. Route 30, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman unexpectedly discovers Day 2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ training camp.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman visits IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in order to get a sense of how Big Blue expects to stay ahead of its competition–and help its customers and clients.

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Road Trip 2010: The Baseball Hall of Fame showcases many of the most memorable moments in America’s Pastime, as well as its most cherished players, and even some of its most notorious scandals.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman appreciates adventure, and as part of his, he went to see Harley-Davidson put together the machines that will take countless people on endless journeys.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman visited the factory where some of the best ice cream on the planet comes off a conveyor belt at the rate of 250,000 pints a day.

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Road Trip 2010: A couple hundred miles up the Maine coast, this national treasure showcases some of nature’s best–and the Atlantic seaboard’s highest summit.

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Road Trip 2010: On the east coast, the mileage comes slower, what with the density of the region, and longer stays in places like New York and Boston. Still, Road Trip 2010 has now gone far enough to cross the country.

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Road Trip 2010: For Red Sox Nation, there is nothing more sacred than Fenway Park in Boston. CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman pays a visit to see all the ballpark’s most sacred spots.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman visited the famed research and development lab and got a first-hand look at some technologies that could reshape our world.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman stopped in to see how one of the most highly-regarded American beers gets made. Yes, he did sample the wares.

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Road Trip 2010: BBN Technologies is often said to be the place that invented the Internet. Now it’s owned by Raytheon and working on innovations designed to protect combat troops, and help them communicate.

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Raytheon shows the world how it used a high-powered laser, combined with a Phalanx Close-in weapon system, to shoot four down unmanned aerial vehicles.

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Google has made it official, the last batch of Nexus One phones are being sold, and then the entire brand is dead. Basically, the HTC made phone never really got traction in the market place, shipping only about 135,000 units. Google’s choice to go with direct sales pretty much seems to be the culprit, keeping the phone out of retail stores and also keeping it out of packages with providers. While it was a cool phone, it appeared to have missed the market a bit, in part because the smart phone market jumped almost a generation in a short period of time.

Read more of the story here or here

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Road Trip 2010: It may not get as much attention as the famous Kentucky depository, but the Federal Reserve of New York’s collection of gold bars is the largest on the planet.

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Road Trip 2010: Aboard the Virginia class sub, North Carolina, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman sees how the Navy has taken submarines and added servers, wireless networking, and digital periscope visualization.

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Road Trip 2010: In a quest to uncover secrets of the deep, scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute have developed cutting edge hardware–a series of underwater vehicles–and software to tackle the issues.

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You have to cross milestones somewhere, and for CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman, making it to 2,000 miles of driving on Road Trip 2010 happened on a side street in Southington, Conn.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman stops in on the maker of the hit robotic vacuum cleaner and learns what the company has in store for the future of military and home robotics.

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From a brief stopover on an island about 900 miles from Australia, David de Rothschild talks tech and shares his view of life at sea on an all-plastic boat.

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The nascent industry–led by Arduino, Chumby, MakerBot, Adafruit, and others–has never had a governing definition. Until now.

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Road Trip 2010: CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman gets a behind-the-scenes look at the most complex planetarium show on Earth, and the complex astrovisualization that has been ten years in the making.

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On Road Trip 2010, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman got a chance to see a side of New York’s flagship train terminal that few get to see, including a hidden underground station with secret presidential ambitions.

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