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  • What I Think I Know About the Apple Tablet

    I’m a writer for a blog that focuses on Apple and its products, including Macs, iPods and iPhones. So I have a duty and an obligation to write one or more posts about the highly anticipated, much discussed, and completely unknown Apple Tablet device expected to be announced on January 27. But based on the last few years, I have a bit of a unique perspective on the tablet, why Apple might create one, and why you might want to buy one if it does.

    Almost four years ago — about 9-10 months before the iPhone was first announced in January 2007 — I decided to give up a rather successful user experience consulting practice to follow a dream. I created a company to build and monetize a product of my own making, rather than continue to provide services to others. After some extensive research, a small team I had assembled helped me develop the product concept and strategy. Essentially, we were going to create what we called the “iTunes of apps,” an online ecosystem of applications that you could easily discover and download to all your digital devices. We determined we needed to build a tablet computer as proof of concept and get hardware manufacturers and content companies on board.

    We envisioned a product that looked something like the Notion Ink reported recently, and focused on creating “the first room-to-room mobile Internet device” on the market. Our plan was to focus on lifestyle applications that made daily life easier, including video recipes, home/baby/security monitoring, instructional videos for DIY home improvement projects, and a wide array of similar content. The miBook has since been launched with similar ambitions, but focuses exclusively on “how to” type of content, rather than a full ecosystem of diverse apps serving many purposes. Litl is giving something similar a whirl, but it has a keyboard and limited capability touchscreen so it can’t really be called a tablet. HP’s DreamScreen is a digital picture frame that, while hardwired, is also attempting to address similar needs. Alas, we weren’t able to raise the significant capital required to launch such an animal, in part because no one on our team had a hardware background. We’ve since moved on to creating our own software and advising others in the user experience and mobile space.

    For us, the effort was all about the user experience. At the time — and even since with the iPhone, full-screen Blackberries, and Android phones — there was a gap in the user experience between the Nokia N series and similar mobile devices, and full-fledged computers. Something incredibly fun and easy to use, with a screen big enough to be viewed across the room (for watching video recipes, sharing photos with the family, or just watching video content of any type). Of course, the iPhone and iPod touch have addressed much of this need, except the bigger screen. Viewing distance and sharing aren’t the only limitations of the mobile screen for content perhaps best consumed in a tablet style device. iPhone video, for example, takes over the screen, eliminating ability to view related text content or even publish opinions about the content you’re viewing to your social networks. There’s not really a good digital equivalent of reading magazines with imaginative typography, color spreads, and other graphic elements. And I have yet to see a compelling digital textbook that not only includes the original text, but also companion videos and graphics, news feeds on related topics, and updates from and conversation with the author.

    That’s the sum total of what I know about the Apple Tablet. That there is a market for one, that many companies are trying hard to tap the market, and that there is a lot of content which would best be showcased on such a device. But what I don’t know is likely far more interesting. So without any inside knowledge, here is my not-so-idle speculation about what it might or could include:

    • Keyboard Dock: Perhaps the best use of a tablet would be a replacement for the consumer-oriented, entry-level white MacBook. But to successfully replace a laptop, the Apple tablet might just need a physical keyboard. What better way to integrate one than to simply make it a recharging dock?
    • Third OS: My sense is there will be a new operating system for the tablet that bridges the gap between the small size, single-function nature of the iPhone OS and the larger platform, keyboard-driven, multitasking capabilities of Snow Leopard. It might be nice if the OS automatically sensed that the tablet was in the dock, and morphed slightly for keyboard optimized input.
    • Publication Wrapper: A new multimedia format will join iTunes LP, allowing publishers of primarily text-based content to release multimedia versions of their book, magazine, or newspaper content that dramatically changes how we consume a lot of content in the home.
    • Apple TV & iTunes Integration: The new tablet will basically become the wireless display to the Apple TV, and Apple will offer a ground-up rethinking about how content is shared among devices on a local network.
    • Front-mounted Web Cam: Crowding around a MacBook to have a video chat with the grandparents isn’t a terrible experience, but it isn’t ideal. A touch-based iChat application would be far more compelling and fun.
    • Home Controls: Expect Apple to position the tablet, an updated Apple TV, new and easier sharing of content among devices, apps like Remote, and integration with other systems as a way to make home controls a mass market.

    Personally, I enjoy all the rumors and speculation that some have grown weary of. I’m hoping that none of us are completely right, and that Apple will surprise us all with something that we never realized we couldn’t do without.

  • Geocentric Watch Puts You At The Center Of Attention [Watches]

    There aren’t many watches out there that can draw a crowd, but Geoffrey Cooper’s “Geocentric” has that potential. The passage of time is represented much like the Earth revolving around the sun.

    The rings, which are in constant motion, revolve around the face of the watch to display both the hour an the minutes. So far as I can tell, Geocentric is still in the design/prototype phase, but I think it has what it takes to be a great product. [Geoffrey Cooper via The Design Blog]







  • Care To Help?

    Would you like to help me a bit? I aid a charity called Idealist.Org, who’s trying to get a sponsorship from the US Chase Bank. In order to achieve that it need to be on top of this list on Facebook. You can help by signing in the petition. It doesn’t cost you a dime and you actually get to help a charity in need. So, what do you say, would you help dear old I do when he calls for help?
  • Mischa Barton “Law & Order: SVU” Set Photos

    That Mischa Barton is a real pro. Mischa has been cast as a prostitute on an upcoming episode of NBC’s long-running crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the former star of The OC was photographed filming scenes for her guest appearance in New York City’s Meatpacking District over the weekend. Mischa makes her SVU premiere on Wednesday, March 3. The 23-year-old’s last television appearance, the Ashton Kutcher-produced The Beautiful Life, was axed by The CW last fall due to poor ratings.









  • [Warszawa] dzielnica Piłsudskiego; projekty przebudowy miasta

    Witajcie ; )

    Przymierzam się do napisania pracy historyczno-artystycznej (2 rok historii sztuki) na temat projektów przebudowy Warszawy z lat trzydziestych. Prawdę mówiąc sądziłam, że a nuż znajdę już tutaj taki wątek, ale po szesnastu stronach i próbach wyszukania takiego tematu wymiękłam. Jeśli mój topik coś powtarza – bijcie ; )

    Szukam szczególnie ilustracji, planów, zdjęć makiet (mam już trochę na dysku, więc w całkiem oczywistych sprawach pomógł mi już wujek google), ciekawych pozycji bibliograficznych, względnie namiarów na dobre biblioteki w Stolicy, do której udam się osobiście w lutym, po, mam nadzieję, zdanym egzaminie ze sztuki bizantyńskiej.

    Pisanie o Warszawie jest dla mnie sporym przeżyciem, ponieważ jak mało kto wiem o niej bardzo niewiele i trochę błądzę… bo jestem z Krakowa ; )

    Jeszcze nie jestem pewna, czy dla własnego bezpieczeństwa nie skupię się wyłącznie na architekturze Ministerstwa Wyznań Religijnych i Oświecenia Publicznego (dziś – Edukacji), Zdzisława Mączeńskiego, które przynajmniej będę mogła obejrzeć na własne oczy – wiele zależy od tego, jak duży materiał ikonograficzny uda mi się zgromadzić.

    Kiedy skończę pisać postaram się podzielić wynikami mojej pracy, o ile będą one dla kogoś interesujące. Bardzo dziękuję za pomoc i jakiekolwiek uwagi!

  • Review: Mark/Space’s The Missing Sync

    There will continue to be a market for desktop sync software, even in the days of mobile cloud computing that are being ushered in by likes of Palm and webOS.

    Count me in.  Call me paranoid, but I still use a desktop mail client on a day to day basis, primarily for archival purposes. Sure, Google and Palm both have massive server farms, and much of my important PIM data is backed up into the cloud automatically every night. The thing is, I really like having an offline backup of everything, because as we’ve seen in the last few months, some of the big players in cloud computing aren’t exactly impervious to losing our data.  And it’s not like everyone want’s all of their PIM data in the cloud. 

    Mark/Space’s The Missing Sync is one such program that caters to the “I’d like to sync to my desktop” crowd, allowing for the synchronization of your contacts and calendars to various desktop mail clients on both the Pre and the Pixi, in addition to media like music, videos, and more. 

    read more

  • Hair Loss Treatment & Remedies

    There may be many reasons that you have suffered hair loss. Chemotherapy, thyroid issues, and genetics are all leading contenders when it comes to hair loss. A change in diet can do it; when it comes to hair loss, vegetarians can be quite affected, especially if they are just starting.

    What all these causes boil down to however, is a change in your body chemistry. Somewhere along the way, something has changed, whether it is a change in medication, the development of an illness or a medical condition. If you are concerned about hair loss, treatment can go a long way towards restoring both your locks and your self esteem. Women have it especially hard when it comes to hair loss. Hair loss in women can result in things like a loss of self-esteem due to a belief that she is no longer attractive. While nothing could be further from the truth, getting your hair back to its usual thick and shiny texture can go a long way towards making you feel better!

    When it comes to remedies for hair loss, treatment varies wildly. As stated above, hair loss is usually a sign of something changing in your body. While it might be genetic and not signify something more serious, you may wish to speak to your doctor about it.

    In terms of remedies, there are many folktales and stories that when examined, have very little basis in fact. Brushing your hair a hundred times before bed won’t make it grow faster, for instance. There are many over-the-counter remedies that are sold in drug stores or online, but most experts are wary of trusting such things. Because there are such a wide variety of causes for hair loss, treatments need to be just as varied.

    If you are looking for remedies, the best way to find one that works for you is to find out what has changed in your life. Sometimes the answer is simple. For instance, if you have recently given birth, there is a good change that your body has been depleted of the vitamins it needs for good hair production. Reintroducing vitamin B12 to your life in the form of supplements can go a long way towards helping you regain hair that has been lost. If you are male, these supplements may also help if you believe that your hair loss is due to a vitamin deficiency. Another common cause of sudden hair loss is related to scalp issues. Once you have made your scalp healthier, there is a good chance that your hair issues will be resolved as well.

    When you are working on hair loss issues, remember that what works for someone else may not work for you; you may have to do a bit of searching to find an answer that you are comfortable with!

    Read other Hair Loss related articles by Anthony Smith at:
    http://laserhairlossinfo4u.com

    Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

  • Dacia Duster in Motion – New Video

    At last, Renault has created a proper video to present the upcoming Dacia Duster SUV.

    Back in December, the company released a so-called video presentation of the Duster, but it was nothing more than a static footage of the car. This time, thanks to one of the new media’s many wonderful informational paths, a leak, we can see the SUV in motion (actually the nature of this path depends on which side of the video you are: creator or consumer).

    At the beginning of the video the car is in an … (read more)

  • Oxford University Bans Spotify, Apparently Prefers Students To Get Music Secretly, Rather Than Legally

    For years, the recording industry has pushed universities to block file sharing apps and promote legal alternatives. In the US, the industry even pushed legislation that would require universities to support legal music services. Apparently, the folks over in Oxford are going in the other direction. IT folks at the prestigious university have banned Spotify, one of the most well-known legal music services out there, claiming that any P2P technology is not allowed, and then also claiming that it’s a bandwidth hog. Finally, when confronted about it, the University noted that the service “cannot be justified as educational.” There are lots of things online that cannot necessarily be justified as educational, but are totally allowed.

    Given the multiple explanations, you get the feeling this may have been an overreaction on the part of the University by someone unfamiliar with Spotify. I would doubt that the application is really that much of a bandwidth hog — and even if it is, you would think that there are better ways to deal with it than an outright ban. Either way, it’s not like it will actually stop students from using it or some other means of accessing music they want to hear — it’s just that they’ll do so in more secretive ways.

    Still, a bigger question is why such an esteemed university seems to think that all P2P applications are somehow bad. You would think that an educational institution would recognize that P2P is just a way of using the internet — often in a more efficient manner — and it’s been used in all sorts of beneficial and educational settings for years.

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  • Big belly: Bad. Big butt: Bonus!

    “There is ‘good’ fat and ‘bad’ fat — just like there is good and bad cholesterol”

    The above statement is from Dr. Konstantinos Manolopoulos of Oxford University, who specifically distinguishes between fat that lies around the midsection –bad– and fat that resides below it — possibly just the opposite. He and his colleagues pored through a number of various studies on the effect of fat on the body, and found that the location of the fat is a vital factor when it comes to its impact on your health.

    You could read their report on their findings this week in the International Journal of Obesity, but the betting here is that you will probably be shot out of a cannon before that happens, so here is a quick summary.

    Here comes the biology

    Stomach fat breaks down much more easily than fat on the derriere or thighs, and in the process it releases cytokines, which promote inflammation and have been linked to heart disease and diabetes. Belly fat has separately been associated with hardening of the arteries, a common precursor of heart trouble.

    Fat on the hips, buttocks and thighs, by contrast, seems to actually offer a some protection from the same health problems, by storing fatty acids that would otherwise migrate to such vital organs as the arteries or liver, thereby posing an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, and by curbing the production of inflammatory and artery-clogging proteins.

    The end result of all this biochemistry can be seen in population studies showing that the more fat that individuals have in the caboose area, the lower their odds of developing heart disease and diabetes, and that women, whose bodies tend to store fat in the hip/thigh/kiester area, enjoy far lower rates of heart disease than men.

    The bottom line (just because we couldn’t resist using the phrase)

    What researchers don’t know is why women’s fat accumulates where it does, or for that matter, why and how any particular body determines where its fat will be concentrated. We know that it’s at least partly genetic, but beyond that, the subject awaits further research — which, given our national obesity and heart disease rates, you can pretty much count on.

    In the meantime, our good Dr. Manolopoulos offers the observation that, “celebrities like J-Lo are better role models for women’s health than supermodels who have much less lower body fat.” Of course, if having a body like J-Lo’s were really a practical option, J-Lo lookalikes would number into the millions already, and Weight Watchers would be bankrupt.

    (By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

    From the RSS feed of CalorieLab News (REF3076322B7)

    Big belly: Bad. Big butt: Bonus!

  • Speech Recognition Is Only Part of the Future

    A week or so ago, Fred Wilson Dictated a Blog Post.  In it he dictated a blog post on his Nexus One phone.  He then discovered Swype which now has an unofficial Android app.   As usual the comment threads on AVC were very active and had lots of thoughts about the future (and past) of voice and keyboard input.

    When I talk about Human Computer Interaction, I regularly say that “in 20 years from now, we will look back on the mouse and keyboard as input devices the same way we currently look back on punch cards.”

    While I don’t have a problem with mice and keyboards, I think we are locked into a totally sucky paradigm.  The whole idea of having a software QWERTY keyboard on an iPhone amuses me to no end.  Yeah – I’ve taught myself to type pretty quickly on it but when I think of the information I’m trying to get into the phone, typing seems so totally outmoded.

    Last year at CES “gestural input” was all the rage in the major CE booths (Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, …).  In CES speak, this was primarily things like “changing the channel on a TV using a gesture”.  This year the silly basic gesture crap was gone and replaced with IP everywhere (very important in my mind) and 3D (very cute, but not important).  And elsewhere there was plenty of 2D multitouch, most notably front and center in the Microsoft and Intel booths.  I didn’t see much speech and I saw very little 3D UI stuff – one exception was the Sony booth where our portfolio company Organic Motion had a last minute installation that Sony wanted that showed off markerless 3D motion capture.

    So – while speech and 2D multitouch are going to be an important part of all of this, it’s a tiny part.  If you want to envision what things could be like a decade from now, read Daniel Suarez’s incredible books Daemon and Freedom (TM) .  Or, watch the following video that I just recorded from my glasses and uploaded to my computer (warning – cute dog alert).


  • Who in your family has diabetes also..

    Who in your family has diabetes.. Mention the type..
  • Konkurs świąteczno-noworoczny – FINAŁ!

    Czas rozpocząć finał konkursu świąteczno-noworocznego.
    Do finału zakwalifikowały się następujące zdjęcia (kolejność alfabetyczna) :
    Głosujemy przez dwa tygodnie czyli do 31 I 2010 włącznie!

    1. Anielskie święta
    Autor: _tomakow_

    2. Bóg Morza
    Autor: Asinus

    3. Nowoczesna choinka
    Autor: grzybson88

    4. Poświąteczny odpoczynek
    Autor: Polex

    5. Świątecznie w galerii
    Autor: moozg666

  • Film Documental “El Señor de Sipán” (Completo)

    Aqui comparto con ustedes integramente el trabajo docuemntal realizado por Explora Films sobre El Señor de Sipan y el Mundo Mochica. Este documental fue emitido en señal abierta en el Peru y tambien fue transmitido por NatgeoTV en Latinoamerica. Para aquellos que no pudieron verlo y lo desean aqui esta el documental completo en youtube en buena calidad de video dividido en 6 partes:

  • Konkurs “Woda” – WYNIKI FINAŁU

    Wyniki finału konkursu "Woda" są następujące:

    ZWYCIĘZCA:

    Łuki : 32 głosy (51.61 %)
    Autor: moozg666

    DRUGIE MIEJSCE:

    Żarnowiec: 12 głosów (19.35 %)
    Autor: Admiral Dochodiaga

    POZOSTALI FINALIŚCI:

    Flotacja nad Dniestrem: 6 głosów (9.68 %)
    Autor: Asinus

    Kompas: 6 głosów (9.68%)
    Autor: Polex

    Smakosz: 6 głosów (9.68%)
    Autor: DuraAce

    Gratuluję zwycięzcy a także wszystkim pozostałym finalistom i dziękuję głosującym. 🙂
    Zgodnie z wcześniejszą umową, temat następnego konkursu tematycznego wybiera moozg666 🙂
    Jak zwykle zapraszam też do Rankingu Fotografów

  • Eva Mendes for Calvin Klein

    eva-mendez-ck-main

    Eva Mendes continues to be the face “and body” of Calvin Klein for 2010. Her ads from last year definitely had us at full attention when she graced some billboard and magazine ads in CK underwear pieces. Her last ads definitely had us wanting more and it’s good to see Eva in her very risqué CK poses another time around.

    Continue reading for more images.





    Source: CG


  • Bleeding Edge TV 330: D-Link Boxee Box

    At we were able to get a look at the very awesome , a set top box that runs the Boxee software, allowing you to pull in audio, video, and photo content from your home network, attached USB drives, as well as from the Internet, from hundreds of different locations. It even has a built-in Mozilla web browser, so you can pull up content like Hulu as well. We also got the news that the Boxee Box remote is two-sided, featuring a full QWERTY keyboard on the back, which eliminates the frustrating on-screen keyboard experience. For a better look at the Boxee Box, check out this episode!

    A big thank you to Bing for sponsoring Gear Live’s CES 2010 coverage.

    Here’s how to get the show:
    Subscribe: iTunes iPod / H.264 | iTunes MPEG-4 | RSS H.264 Feed | RSS MPEG-4 Feed

    |Download| – iPod-formatted H.264
    |Download| – Apple TV High Resolution
    |Download| – MPEG-4

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    Bleeding Edge TV 330: D-Link Boxee Box originally appeared on The Bleeding Edge on Mon, January 18, 2010 – 12:47:37


  • How To Interview For A Startup Like A Pro

    Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned veteran of the job interview process, when it comes to interviewing for a startup, there are a few tips you may need to help you land the gig. Startups are not like your every-day business, they are a unique form of company that requires equally unique interview tactics. Talent services company Sutra HR has made a name for themselves in India for helping startups find the right hires, and recently they wrote about ways to survive a startup interview.

    Sponsor

    Before the interview, make sure to take the necessary steps to be fully prepared. While this may seem obvious, there are a few things you can do to prepare for a startup interview, such as trimming your resume and researching the company. Startups are usually on the cutting edge of their industry, and while resumes are still important, they are emphasized less and less these days.

    That being said, take the time to go through your resume and trim the fat, being careful to not over-elaborate anything. Stick to what you know and what you do well, and in most cases you should be able to keep it to a single page. Spend some time reviewing the company, its founders, its business model and its competitors. With the rapidly evolving landscape that is startups, recognizing the potential of possibly viable companies is critical to a sustainable future.

    After the research and preparation, when it comes time for the interview, make sure not to overdress for the occasion. For men, Sutra HR recommends skipping the suit and tie for a nice striped shirt and a nice pair of unripped, unfaded jeans. As for women, the agency simply suggests not wearing anything that would draw unnecessary attention in order to avoid being hired for the wrong reasons – just keep it semi-formal.

    During the interview, Sutra HR suggests not trying to sound like a robot with your responses. Keep it natural and flowing; just have a conversation with the interviewers. And finally, they suggest to not fear talking about salaries, benefits, stock options and bonuses, but to rather to be cautious, respectful and honest when discussing your value.

    Discuss


  • Fly time change

    I was reading the 10 hour flight and got to thinking.

    I haven’t had the chance to fly across time zones with my pump yet.

    How would you handle it before and during and after you get there?

    Not like a 2hour time zone difference, more like East to West Coast.