| PocketSurfer browser to make waves
After a day with a PocketSurfer, DoubleClick can tell you it's a clever gadget. And at $399, Datawind will sell a lot of them this Christmas. But we did find a few flaws - and there may be other devices out there that offer better value. More on that later. The gadget looks a bit like a Nokia Communicator and fits neatly into the palm of your hand. It flips open to reveal a letterbox-style screen and a full qwerty keyboard. It has a Vodafone SIM card in its innards and uses mobile data GPRS technology, but you can't use it to make a phone call. Nor will the PocketSurfer act as a music player, digital camera or mini-computer. It does only one thing: browse the internet. It turns on instantly, and - thanks to Datawind's acceleration technology - loads web pages very quickly: typically in seven seconds or less, even though they're being beamed from Datawind's servers in Canada.
Live From Macworld: Slick Podcasting, Tricked-Out Tablet, Awesome ...
Just stick a microphone in your computer, start up a recording program, and put the sound file online. There, now you're a podcaster. However, iTunes makes it easy to find and organize podcasts for listeners and creators alike. This summer, Belkin will release Podcaststudio, a two-channel recording unit with an iPod dock that fits classic and nano models. It features a lot of different input options: combo jacks, 3.5 mm or its built-in set of stereo mics. One possible disadvantage, though, is an odd shape that makes it look like it would be a little awkward to stuff into a pocket, so those looking for a simple and easily portable voice recorder may want to look elsewhere. That same shape, though, makes it look like a good option for meetings or any other sort of desktop use.
Popular Mechanics: Tech Clinic Expert Q & A - April 2006
And thanks to sophisticated error correction in most digital audio and video devices, minor interference can be fixed. As long as you stick with reputable brands and retailers, you shouldn't have any problem with cables of standard length. A far more common problem is simply trying to use a cable that is too long. Every cable standard has a recommended maximum length. Cables that exceed these lengths require the use of a signal repeater. DVI cables, for example, can make it roughly 30 ft. unassisted, while, in our experience, HDMI can work at up to 50 ft. (There is no technical maximum length for HDMI.) It's easy to know if a digital cable is too long: You won't get an image. The picture may cut in and out, but the sound or video quality won't degrade. It's either transmitting signal or it's not.
Microsoft brings 360-degree videoconferencing to Ireland
A tabletop device, not much bigger than a traditional speakerphone at the base, it captures and provides a 360-degree panoramic view of everyone at the meeting. Microsoft RoundTable follows the conversation, identifying individual speakers and broadcasting their image in close-up as they talk; as people enter the conversation, the system cuts seamlessly between active speakers.
Traditional audio teleconferencing presents problems, with effective interaction falling away as the number of participants increases establishing who is speaking at any given time becomes more and more difficult.
Videoconferencing systems overcome this obstacle but are expensive and difficult to install, and can be complicated to operate. The results are a limited number of expensively adapted meeting rooms, which often need to be booked days in advance.
Amazing Minaturized 'SIDECAR' Drives Webb Telescope's Signal
ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2008) Many technologies have become so advanced that they've been miniaturized to take up less space and weigh less. That's what happened to detector controls and data conversion electronics on the James Webb Space Telescope being built by Northrop Grumman. The electronics will convert analog signals to digital signals and provide better images to Earth. .
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