Apr

27

2008

(2) Comments

A Skateboard With 14 Wheels

07:55PM by Jim Frost

I started skateboarding years and years ago and have watched the boards get bigger and bigger but, overall, the technology was pretty much the same.  Then I saw a Flowboard in a sporting goods store.

The Flowboard is unique to say the least: It has 14 wheels, 7 at each end.  The trucks are completely rigid.  Instead of pivoting against a spring or cushion as most skateboards do, the Flowboard puts a set of wheels along an rigid steel arc that is perhaps 60 degrees from perpendicular to the board.  This makes the each wheel have a slightly greater angle than the next as you move out from the center.  Instead of pushing against a spring to turn, then, you roll from one set of wheels to another.  The greater the tilt of the board, the greater the angle between the wheels and the sharper it turns.

Apr

21

2008

(1) Comments

Walking Hot Spot: Be Your Own Roaming Access Point!

02:56PM by Wayne Lam

Mobility software solutions provider Taproot has just rolled out a trial software based Wi-Fi access point solution for smartphones.  The software made available on WalkingHotSpot.com is designed only for a select few Symbian and Windows Mobile powered devices.  It essentially performs a data-stream patching between the cellular network to the on board Wi-Fi radio; allowing 3G data subscribers to pipe out and share data over the on-board Wi-Fi.  On the downside, there’s a 5-device sharing limit and a significant power drag on the host smartphone battery.  However, for those of us with unlimited data plans, WalkingHotSpot should provide a very cost effective data sharing solution.  Of course, the network carriers has yet to weigh in on this data plan work-around.  In all likelihood, they’ll be in staunch opposition to it. 

Apr

15

2008

(0) Comments

iPhone App Watch: Do you Fring?

03:53PM by Wayne Lam

As a part of the continuing coverage of 3rd party iPhone application launches, I would like to feature a new VOIP and IM app called Fring.  I’ve been using Fring for the past year now on the Symbian S60 platform and I found it to be the most comprehensive IM, Skype, SIP service aggregator out there.  The application connects to VOIP services such as Skype and SIP over Wi-Fi or 3G.  In the case of the new iPhone app, the network bearer will remain only on the Wi-Fi access.  The above YouTube video gives readers a quick tour of what the application can do. Fring also supports Windows Mobile platform.

Apr

10

2008

(1) Comments

Shopping For Kindle Books

11:14PM by Jim Frost

For most of the last week I have been talking about the e-book market and the design and day-to-day use of Amazon’s Kindle reader.  Today I’m going to wrap up my series on the Kindle by talking about the process of obtaining books for the thing, and touch on a few of its features outside of its main raison d’etre.

So, what is it like to get books for the thing?

Apr

9

2008

(0) Comments

Reading Books On The Kindle

11:13PM by Jim Frost

Over the last several days I’ve talked about the publishing environment that the Kindle was introduced into, about the technologies that make it possible, and its physical design.  Today we get to the thing most people really care about: Is it nice to read with, or does it suck?  And how hard is it to load up with books?

Apr

9

2008

(0) Comments

Simplify Media App to Extend iPhone’s 8GB Limit

05:13PM by Wayne Lam

As anticipated, we are starting to see some of the latest and coolest new iPhone applications surfacing from independent developers after Apple’s announcement of the iPhone SDK.  Simplify Media has developed a beta version of their media place-shifting software for the iPhone that promises to stream your entire music library where ever you have a WiFi signal.  Hopefully the streaming functionality should extend to use over the cellular data network with the upcoming 3G iPhone model and cut the final tether for true mobile music.

Apr

8

2008

(2) Comments

Hands-On With the Kindle

11:12PM by Jim Frost

Yesterday I spoke a little about the basic qualities that I thought can make a successful e-book reader, and why the Amazon Kindle does a much better job at it than anything else to date.  Today I want to talk about the actual design of the device and what it’s like to live with it day-to-day.

Apr

7

2008

(1) Comments

The Kindle: A Confluence of Technologies

11:10PM by Jim Frost

The Kindle is Amazon’s bid for the e-book market, and their first-ever consumer electronics device.  Yesterday I looked into the history of e-book readers to see what failed and why.  Today I am going to look at what Amazon did to overcome the challenges of providing a commercially successful e-book technology.

Apr

7

2008

(1) Comments

Fun With Robots

09:16PM by Jim Frost

Back on the “cool robot” theme, here’s someone that did not consult with their legal department before reprogramming the factory robot.

My first thought was, “What could possibly go wrong?” I think I would have put a little more space between my head and the floor and walls....

Apr

6

2008

(0) Comments

Burning Down the (Publishing) House: The E-book Wasteland

11:09PM by Jim Frost

Over the next few days I’m going to be doing an in-depth review of Amazon’s Kindle, a device that has alternatively been described as hopeless, the future of reading, and even (I kid you not) “sexy.” The truth is, of course, somewhere between the extremes.

Unlike almost everyone else who has written about the Kindle, I bought one in the first five minutes after they went on sale.  Given the poor showing of previous e-book readers, and the $400 price tag, I was very surprised when it sold out in a matter of hours.  I thought I was going to me one of the few fools to spend that kind of money on it, especially given the poor showing of the superficially similar Sony Readers.  Despite many reviewers questioning the whole point of buying an e-book reader, the Kindle has remained on back-order for months.  This implies that there was considerable pent-up demand waiting for the proper product.