Seen Around Town

I’m not much of a photographer, but that doesn’t stop me from always taking my camera with me. Here are some recent gadget shots:

The music branding and advertising at Starbucks has gone completely over the top. Above is a pic of the digital release displayed in front of the cashier. I also picked up a business-card-size promotional sheet offering a free “song of the day” by entering the download code online. Makes me wonder where Starbucks will go next. (Co-op work spaces? Theme parks?) They’re clearly more than a coffee shop these days. And what about the music distribution business? Do music studios have to sell an experience rather than just a song?

Next check out what I found at Costco and a yard sale…

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The CTIA Wrap

On a few occasions, I managed to sneak away from my work responsibilities and roam the CTIA floor. I also chatted up several mobile gurus I enjoy – including Sascha Segan (PC Mag), Bonnie Cha (CNET), and Ed Hardy (Brighthand). While the show was maybe 1/3rd the size of the Orlando event and there were fewer product launches/announcements, here are some of the cool, new phones I played with (in no particular order):

HTC CDMA Touch (Sprint)
I hadn’t held a Touch (GSM variety) since June, so I forgot how small this device is and that it feels great in the hand. I’m still not entirely sold on the touchscreen-only method of interaction (think iPhone), but HTC has stepped it up with the new CDMA Touch in adding 2 finger friendly typing overlays. An HTC rep also showed me a Touch Dual variant with a SureType-style keyboard – which is more my speed, though US launch plans haven’t been disclosed.

Nokia N95 8GB (GSM)
This phone looks sharp. And I’m not just saying that because I worked Nokia’s booth. Instead of naming it the N95 8G, it’d be more accurate to call it the N95+ or even the N96 — in addition to the that extra storage, the screen is noticeably larger, the buttons tweaked, and the shell has a sexy piano black finish. I didn’t catch all the details, so I’m not sure if it’s 3G in the US.

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Ouija Tops Diebold?

With 2008 right around the corner we’re in for a slew of tech stories with election-year angles. But it’ll be a challenge to find one weirder than this. Artist Jonathon Keats has introduced Ouija Vote 2008, a practical work of art demonstrating the theory that the democratic process is actually a mystical algorithm. The application … Read more

Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our other blogs: Gaming on the Set-Top: Connected Home 2 Go Watch Ripped DVD’s Using Front Row: Brent Evans Geek Tonic Damned Lies and DVR Statistics: Connected Home 2 Go MoCA 1.1 and In-Home Networking: Connected Home 2 Go

Mythbuntu Released From Beta

Todd (a regular commenter) encouraged me to share the news now, rather than hold off until I test the Live CD at home in a few days. So… Hot on the heels of the Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10 Linux release, Mythbunto 7.10 has launched. Like Ubuntu itself, the first non-beta Mythbuntu distro attempts to provide … Read more

The Vudu Fire Sale ($249)

Beating the rapid iPhone price drop by two or three weeks, Vudu has significantly reduced the price of hardware by $150 about 50 days after launch. While it’s not clear if the early adopters will get some sort of compensation, à la Apple, and while I still question the market potential of a dedicated movie … Read more

TelcoTV: The New and the Old

In some ways, getting TV services either from a telecom company, a satellite company, or a cable operator doesn’t make much of a difference to the average consumer. The basic content is the same (yes, there are differences in HD channels and some sports and premium channels availability), and for many of us the experience of watching a show on television is the same regardless of who provides it. (Don’t post hate comments. I know most people reading this blog are aware of differences in picture quality, DVR offerings, etc.)

However, one of the points coming across at this week’s TelcoTV show is that telecom operators have an opportunity to adjust the service model because they aren’t stuck in a historical subscription TV sales rut. For example, telcos could bundle content differently. Who is to say the programming tiers cable has developed are best? Certainly consumers complain about them, and while telcos aren’t likely to switch to an a-la-carte model, they could still package them quite differently. Starz is arguing it should be bundled with a lower-price tier because it’s what consumers want. (Maybe, maybe not) The Big Ten network is arguing the same thing, and has so far stuck it to the cable companies by launching with AT&T.

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Hertz Ain’t Sirius

For the second time in recent months, Hertz provided me with a complimentary convertible upgrade – including Sirius satellite radio. I don’t know which direction the marketing dollars flow, but these installs serve neither company well. The basic unit is tacked on and while it’s hard-wired (dangling) for both power and antenna, they chose to … Read more