The USB Duplicator by Nexcopy is an interesting product to say the least. Granted it wouldn't apply to the average consumer, but it does have it's place. In addition, I would say USB flash drives are the #1 most under-rated promotional item business' have missed out on, so I can see why this product is coming to marketing. Get your company logo branded on there, load her up with data, sales material, promotional videos, tutorials...I could go on and on...



Even if a customer deletes the data off the flash drive, the company logo is still branded on the device. Always in the customers face, always reminded them where they got the drive.

Maybe it's the process of data loading the information onto the drive on why flash drives haven't become more popular with companies for handing out information. It's a very viral gadget. The USB duplicator is an obvious choice for making such a life, much easier. The Nexcopy USB duplicator is a 20 target system and the company says a 5 minute mpeg video (about 30MBs) can be copied in about 40 seconds. This means the USB duplicator can churn out [estimated] 1,200 drives in about 1 hour. I'll have to back that number down considering swapping the drives, the OS identifying the drive etc. But even so, the USB duplicator turns a miserable task into an easy process.

USB music albums are becoming a much bigger hit these days as well, and having a USB duplicator to make your album definitely speeds up the process from a hub and copy-n-paste. I know you can put the following information onto a CD or DVD, but for the groupies, something unique like a flash drive is just ideal. Putting your band video, back story interviews, lyrics etc. onto USB is a new way to give a bands fans something unique. The other advantage with making a USB album is increasing a bands margin on selling promotional items. Your 20% margin is a lot more in dollars with a $25 USB drive than a $10 T-shirt or $7 CD.



So again, the USB duplicator concept isn't for the masses, but is a great idea for the select few. Speaking of which - are you [or someone you know] part of the select few? If so check out the USB duplicator from Nexcopy.

Source: GetUSB.info


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Labels: gadgets, usb

Is your iPod acting funny? Has a virus or hard drive crash wiped out your entire music collection on your computer? Need some free iPod tech support and repair help?

Here are 20 free fixes and trouble shooting tutorials for common iPod and iPhone problems.

You broke your iPod. Now fix it!

1. How to Copy Music Off Your iPod
2. How to Use the iPod Diagnostic Mode
3. "Do Not Disconnect" Mesage Won't Go Away
4. How to Erase Your iPod and Fix Most Problems
   
5. iPod Icons: What is Your iPod Saying
6. iPod LCD Screen Problems
7. Skipping Music on Your iPod
8. Restart a Frozen iPod
9. How to Rename Your iPod
10. My iPod's Battery Won't Charge
11. My Music Disappeared
12. How to Delete Duplicate Songs in Your iTunes Library
13. Importing Tips for iTunes
14. How to Join or Merge Tracks in iTunes
15. How to Convert Audio Files in iTunes
16. Put Your iPod Into Disk Mode
17. iPod Won't Mount or Update
18. Using Multiple iPods on One Computer
19. I Dropped My iPod in the Toilet (or any other boy of water)
20. How to Assign Your iPod to Microsoft Drive Letter "i"

Good luck! If you didn't find what you were looking for, there are more iPod Support articles available. And if all else fails, then try an Overnight iPod Repair Service.


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Labels: iphone, ipod, tutorial

What happens when you combine OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) with a job that entails a monotonous daily routine... like delivering mail?

A "perfect storm" of weirdness.

Video: OCD Mailman



You'll probably laugh your ass off while watching this clip. Then afterwards feel sorry for the guy. I do.


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Labels: video

Everybody knows that the iPhone can make phone calls, play movies and music, surf the web, and a lot more. But will it blend?

There's a podcast called Will It Blend?. It's kind of silly. They promote blenders by putting random objects inside a blender and recording it in slow motion. So what happens when you turn on an iPhone and put it in a blender? Watch this video and find out.





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Labels: iphone, video

Have you ever wondered... "How Many Cannibals Could My Body Feed?" If so, then go buy a lottery ticket because today is your lucky day!

OnePlusYou.com made an Adobe Flash application that analyzes your body type and calculates the number of cannibals that your body can feed. The site also claims that asking yourself "How Many Cannibals Could My Body Feed?" may be the "most important question you'll ever ask yourself." I'm such an idiot. I thought it was "What's the meaning of life?"



Kind of random but check it out: How Many Cannibals Could My Body Feed?

If you're about to eat lunch right now, I apologize.


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Labels: internet

Fewer than 5% of users who download movies and TV shows legally from the internet ever manage to port them over for viewing on a larger screen television set, according to a new Harris Interactive study commissioned by DRM management provider Macrovision.

Some 43% of the 2,254 surveyed said they downloaded media legitimately from the web; 25% reported downloading TV shows regularly and another 15% said they watched movies. The study's intention is to point out how DRM restrictions severely limit user behavior.

It's no wonder why file sharing technoligies like BitTorrent, that illegally offer vidoes and music in a variety of DRM free content, are so popular.

This is a ridiculously absurd pie made out of Peeps leftover from Easter. Like lobsters, the Peeps were placed into a saucepan and murdered. What did it taste like? PEEPS heaven. Duh.



You can see all the photos of the cooking carnage here.

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Labels: holiday

Occasionally an iPod or iPhone may freeze or fail to respond to your commands. This can happen for a number of reasons and does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. Sometimes they just need a restart much like the way your computer needs a reset once in a while.

Restarting an iPod or iPhone is a simple procedure that will not erase any of your music, data files, or customized preferences.

Tutorial: How to Restart a Frozen iPod or iPhone

Sometimes the iPhone just gets confused. For example, the iPhone may be on but it won't respond to any button, switch, or touchscreen input. Try pressing and holding the Home button on the front of the iPhone for 6 seconds until the active program closes.

If this technique does not resolve the issue or the iPhone is in a different state such as showing a persistent Apple logo on the display, then you should reset the iPhone.





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Labels: iphone, tutorial

The Moth is a non-profit group based in New York City devoted to furthering the art and enjoyment of storytelling. The stories range from funny tales by comedians to heartfelt tales of horror from people who survived Hurricane Katrina.

The Moth was founded in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green. Previous notable storytellers have included Andy Borowitz, Ana Marie Cox, Joe Lockhart, Jonathan Ames, Ethan Hawke, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels (Run DMC), Adam Wade, George Plimpton, Gay Talese, Mira Nair, Moby, and Lili Taylor.

Subscribe: The Moth Podcast (via iTunes)

This month The Moth finally launched a podcast. I just subscribed to The Moth Podcast on iTunes [link] so I can watch it on my iPhone. Unfortunately the podcast is currently only offered as audio only. I hope they launch a video version soon. It's fun watching these storytellers up on stage.

Here's a clip I found on YouTube of Adam Wade winning The Moth's 2006 Grand Slam Championship of storytelling. Adam Wade was a former NBC Page For Late Night With Conan O'Brien. Wade's story is about his adventures with some of the members of the crew.





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Labels: itunes, podcasting

This fish was caught in Lubbock, Texas in 2006.

It's not everyday that you see a fish with human looking teeth. In fact this fish probably could have used some braces.

Is this evolution at work? Very bizarre.



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Labels: offbeat

Framing Hanley have certainly come a long way in a very short time. First formed in 2005, the band posted some song demos that they recorded on a Macintosh on MySpace.com. Then in November of 2006, these demos were discovered by Brett Hestla, former Creed bassist and frontman of Dark New Day.



Hestla helped the young Nashville based quintet record a 2 song demo in his Florida studio which captured the attention of Jeff Hanson (Creed, Sevendust, Paramore) and his record label Silent Majority Group. Framing Hanley's debut LP The Moment was released August 2007.

We had the good fortune to get some time with Framing Hanley's frontman Nixon. This young star has a very intense voice reminiscent of Chester from Linkin Park. Listen to the breakdown in "Hear Me Now" to get an idea of what I'm referring to.

Interview: Framing Hanley vocalist Kenneth Nixon





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Labels: interview, music

The St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City started at 10am (an hour early) today on 5th Avenue because so many people showed up.

Cool for everyone skipping work for the parade. Crappy for me and the ton of people trying to cross 5th Avenue and get to work.

The street was totally blocked off with those metal crowd control barricades. I dodged a couple cops and cut across the street between marching divisions of National Guard Troops.



The cops on the other side of 5th Ave were less than happy with me, but they'll have much worse to deal with today. People were already drunk while I was buying my morning cup of coffee around 9:30am.

I can't wait to see the puddles of vomit and trash when I walk home tonight.


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Labels: holiday

Every year on March 17, we honor Saint Patrick (circa 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland. Whether or not you choose to celebrate the holiday by wearing green, eating Irish foods, imbibing Irish drink (usually Guinness), or attending parades, we wish you a safe a happy holiday.

Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick's Day... even computer operating systems (WARNING: Serious nerd humor below). So as you raise your glass to St. Patrick this year, try to pretend your beer was a computer operating system. It might go a little like this...



Macintosh Beer
Considered by many to be a "light" beer. All the cans look identical. When you take one from the fridge, it opens itself. The ingredients list is not on the can. If you call to ask about the ingredients, you are told that "you don't need to know." A notice on the side reminds you to drag your empties to the trashcan.

DOS Beer
Requires you to use your own can opener, and that you read the directions carefully before opening the can. The can is divided into eight compartments of 2oz each, which have to be accessed separately. A lot of people keep drinking it after it was discontinued.

Windows 3.1 Beer
Was the world's most popular beer in the mid-1990s. Looked a lot like Mac Beer's. Requires that you already own a DOS Beer. Claims that it allows you to drink several DOS Beers simultaneously, but in reality you can only drink a few of them, very slowly, especially slowly if you are drinking the Windows Beer at the same time. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, a can of Windows Beer will explode when you open it.

Windows NT Beer
Windows NT beer could only be purchased by the truckload. This caused most people to have to go out and buy bigger refrigerators. The can looked just like Windows 3.1 Beer. Touted as an "industrial strength" beer, and suggested only for use in bars.

Windows XP Beer
Tastes like Windows 2000 beer but comes with a pretty dress. It opens sometimes without asking and if you leave a case of it open for awhile, it might explode all over your basement. Oh best of all, sometimes Windows XP Beer likes to open your front door and let people in to hang advertisements all over your house and steal your credit card number.

Windows Vista Beer
Windows Vista Beer looks a lot like the newest Mac Beer but tastes more like Windows XP Beer. Most people will probably keep drinking Windows XP Beer until their friends try Windows Vista Beer and say they like it. Many people try Windows Vista Beer, then spit it out and spend hours trying to put Windows XP Beer back into the same can.

UNIX Beer
This very heavy beer comes in 32oz cans, and has been around for years, rumor has it that it was originally brewed as a hoax by a couple of bored workers, only for them to find that some people actually liked the stuff. It tends to be drunk only by freaks or eccentric academics, often with beards; and drinkers of it do not like drinkers of any other beer. In its basic form it doesn't look particularly impressive, but with the addition of a magic ingredient named "X", it can be converted into an all-singing all-dancing beer on a par with the others. Many other varieties exist, with a huge range of flavors and (often unpronounceable) ingredients. Mac Beer has many of the same ingredients as Unix Beer.

OS/2 Beer
Tasted like a mix between Unix and DOS Beer. Allowed you to drink several DOS Beers and a Windows 3.1 Beer simultaneously, but slowly. You never saw anyone drinking OS/2 Beer, but the manufacturer (International Beer Manufacturing) claimed that 9 million OS/2 Beer six-packs were sold. The best place these days to find a an OS/2 Beer is inside an old ATM machine.

Amiga Beer
The company went out of business, but their recipe was picked up by some weird German company, so now this beer is an import. This beer never really sold very well because the original manufacturer didn't understand marketing. Like Unix Beer, Amiga Beer fans are an extremely loyal and loud group. When this can was originally introduced, it appeared flashy and colorful, but the design never changed much over the years, so it looked dated in its later years.

VMS Beer
Requires minimal user interaction, except for popping the top and sipping. However cans have been known on occasion to explode, or contain extremely un-beer-like contents. Best drunk in high pressure development environments. When you call the manufacturer for the list of ingredients, you're told that is proprietary and referred to an unknown listing in the manuals published by the FDA. Rumors are that this was once listed in the Physicians' Desk Reference as a tranquilizer, but no one can claim to have actually seen it.


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Labels: holiday, internet

We love our kinetic energy here at Inhabitat, and we are excited to announce inventive use of human kinetic power: The brandnew 2 GB Eco Media Playeris hand-crank portable media player can play music, video, and even charge your cellphone, all from a few seconds of cranking! What’s more renewable than human power? We love that someone finally had the brilliant idea to mix renewable energy generation with music & video - all the best things in life in one cute little package.

Created by well-known British inventor Trevor Baylis, (the inventor of the hand-crank radio), the Eco Media Player does pretty much everything that you would expect from a modern media device, and makes it ten times better with green renewable energy. It lets you play music, tune into the radio, and view photos and video. The Eco Media Player also can charge through USB plugged into your computer (though sadly, for Windows users only) and comes with it’s own software. It even comes with a LED torch! It’ll give you about 40 minutes of power per every minute of cranking, which may not seem like a lot - but it is pretty good for a small hand-crank device. The Eco Media Player will even allow you to charge your cell-phone, not something that is not commonly see as a feature in other players.

While we cannot attest to the usability of the player, we prefer to think of devices such as these more of a proof of a great concept. The thought that if these small companies can create devices that require no real electricity input, well then, isn’t it time for the big boys to step up to the plate?


[Read: inhabitat]

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Labels: gadgets

The United States is no longer the nation with the largest number of internet users. China overtook the US last month in users for the first time, according to the state-run China Internet Network Information Center.



Researcher BDA China Ltd. estimates there are now over 220 million internet users in China, compared with 217.1 million in the U.S. Online ad revenue continues to lag in China, however, totaling $1.3 billion in 2007 compared to e-Marketer estimates of $21.4 billion in America.

Maybe it's time for me to start promoting the Chinesse translation of my blog.

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Labels: internet

A dolphin has come to the rescue of two whales which had become stranded on a beach in New Zealand.
Conservation officer Malcolm Smith told the BBC that he and a group of other people had tried in vain for an hour and a half to get the whales to sea.

The pygmy sperm whales had repeatedly beached, and both they and the humans were tired and set to give up, he said.

But then the dolphin appeared, communicated with the whales, and led them to safety.

The bottlenose dolphin, called Moko by local residents, is well known for playing with swimmers off Mahia beach on the east coast of the North Island.

Mr Smith said that just when his team was flagging, the dolphin showed up and made straight for them.

"I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin," Mr Smith told the BBC, "but there was obviously something that went on because the two whales changed their attitude from being quite distressed to following the dolphin quite willingly and directly along the beach and straight out to sea."

He added: "The dolphin did what we had failed to do. It was all over in a matter of minutes."

Mr Smith said he felt fortunate to have witnessed the extraordinary event, and was delighted for the whales, as in the past he has had to put down animals which have become beached.

He said that the whales have not been seen since, but that the dolphin had returned to its usual practice of playing with swimmers in the bay.

"I shouldn't do this I know, we are meant to remain scientific," Mr Smith said, "but I actually went into the water with the dolphin and gave it a pat afterwards because she really did save the day."

[Read More: BBC]

Labels: environment

Pick up the remote, turn on the television and watch YouTube.

The blurring of the television and the computer, envisioned by technology enthusiasts for years, advanced another step on Wednesday when TiVo, the popular maker of digital video recorders, announced an agreement with YouTube that will deliver millions of Web videos directly to users’ TV screens.

“TiVo’s strategy is to bridge the gap between Web video and television and make as much content available as possible for our subscribers,” said Tara Maitra, TiVo’s vice president and general manager for content services.

TiVo is the latest entrant into the marketplace for porting Internet videos to television. Apple has introduced a version of Apple TV with similar features. Although several companies are trying to merge online content with the big screen in the living room, no one product dominates the market.

“Leaning forward at my computer screen, I’ve got this giant amount of content,” said Dmitry Shapiro, the founder of Veoh, one such company. “But as soon as I want to relax in my living room with friends, I’m stuck with what’s on my TV.”

TiVo pioneered the digital video recorder technology that enabled television viewers to time-shift their favorite shows, and its set-top boxes are increasingly acting like digital video retrievers and receivers as well. The company already makes video from about 40 partners available through its box.

Just as users can sign up for a season pass to record “Desperate Housewives” on ABC, they will be able to subscribe to CNet video clips, CBS episode recaps and other segments and have the content downloaded to their hard drives. The YouTube clips, however, will be streamed by broadband Internet connection.

When it is introduced this year (the exact time has not been specified), the YouTube service will be available only to TiVo users who have up-to-date hardware — a Series 3 or HD set-top box — and a broadband connection.

Of the four million TiVo users nationwide, more than half get their set-top box from a cable operator. Of the 1.7 million who bought their box directly from TiVo, only about 800,000 have the necessary broadband connection.

Users will be able to log into their accounts and gain access to playlists on the video-sharing site directly from their televisions. The company also plans to let users subscribe to video feeds from across the Internet by using software called an R.S.S. reader.

“TiVo should be the best experience for all video options, whether it’s coming from cable, satellite or off of a server,” Ms. Maitra said.

The integration of Web video and TiVo was a result of YouTube’s decision, announced last August and made public Wednesday, to open the YouTube platform for outside developers. The platform promises to make it easier for other sites to upload and manage videos.
[Via: NYTimes]

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Labels: tv, youtube

Apple Inc. was sued Wednesday over allegations its iTunes online music store and iPod music players are illegally using a patented method for distributing digital media over the Internet.

Atlanta-based ZapMedia Services Inc. sued Apple in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, accusing the Cupertino-based company of violating two ZapMedia patents.

ZapMedia wants royalties on Apple's sales of iPods and iTunes music, which reached nearly $11 billion last year. The success of iTunes has helped make Apple the No. 2 music retailer in the U.S. behind Wal-Mart Stores Inc., according to market researcher NPD Group.

The patents in question cover a way of sending music and other digital content from servers to multiple media players, a broad description that could also apply to a wide swath of other companies selling digital media and the devices to play it.

ZapMedia applied for the patents in 1999. One was granted in March 2006, the other on Tuesday.

ZapMedia said it met with Apple to discuss licensing, but Apple rebuffed the offer.

"When someone takes our vision and our intellectual property without a license after several attempts, we have no option but to protect it through every means available to us," Robert Frohwein, ZapMedia's general counsel, said in a statement.

An Apple spokeswoman said the company doesn't comment on pending lawsuits.

[Learn: LATimes]

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Labels: apple, patents

Here are 7 pictures Of (European) semi-trucks whose trailers are decorated to look like the sides are missing. The products they are hauling are painted on the sides and back.

The first one is of a bottle of beer which looks so real, like it's coming out the side of the trailer.



........ A canvas tote bag.


........... Pepsi cases stacked on the ceiling, and it looks like the bottom of the trailer is empty.


...........the windshield facing the back and a driver has been painted in the driver's seat looking over his shoulder to appear like he's driving backwards.


........ An aquarium with fish swimming in it.


........a bookshelf with books lined up and a post-it-note with an advertisement, probably for the company that sells the books.


............ The last one is for Pringles-Hot & Spicy. The 'inside' of the trailer appears as though it has been through a fire.
[Via: Agency]

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Labels: offbeat

Apple's open platform iPhone developer's kit has already been downloaded more than 100,000 times since its launch on March 6.




What does that mean exactly? We should expect a massive amount of 3rd party iPhone apps to hit the market this summer. If you thought the iPhone was popular now, just wait.

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Labels: iphone

Podcasting is all the rage these days with fancy equipment to make your on-line video exactly what you envision. However, there is nothing more satisfying than digging up some old gear and creating your own podcasting station DIY style. GetUSB.info caught a nice home project from Instructables on how to create a video projector for your iPod.

To turn your dream into a reality of turning your iPod into a projector, you’ll need an iPod, mirror, lens and flat wall for projecting your image.

Here's a video clip showing the highlights of the project.



If you need a projector lens, hit eBay and you can dig something up for under $15. Greg from GetUSB does make a good point...why not get a dock station and plug that iPod into your TV? Well, where's the fun in that.

Source: Make iPod Projector. Instructables full tutorial.

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Recycle, schmecycle. These days, saving the Earth requires a lot more than just collecting cans.


1. Build Your House Out of Tires
Two decades ago, architect Michael Reynolds realized that a tree-hugging utopia would never be possible if homes weren’t inexpensive, easy to build, and environmentally friendly. His solution? The Earthship.




Earthships are built out of used tires that have been packed with dirt and then stacked in a brick-style pattern. Construction is almost obscenely simple, though time-consuming. It can take as long as half an hour to properly pack each tire. But what you lose in free time, you make up for in energy savings. Earthship walls absorb heat quickly and release it slowly, allowing the houses to maintain a natural temperature of around 60 degrees. They also use filtration systems to collect and recycle water so that, even in desert conditions, it doesn’t need to be pumped in.



While living in an Earthship may take more work than living in a split-level in the suburbs, the eco-friendly homes have become surprisingly popular. Several Earthship subdivisions have opened up in the past few years, including the Greater World Earthship Community near Taos, New Mexico, which was founded in 1994. Greater World residents build their own homes and, in an interesting twist on subdivision bylaws, are expressly forbidden from hooking up to public utilities or digging wells on their land. Here are photos of a few Greater World Earthships:

2. Fight Oil Spills with Mushrooms
In the war against ocean pollution, environmentalists have a new ally in mushrooms. As nature’s morticians, mushrooms have the unique ability to take dead things and make them pretty again by turning decomposed matter into nutrients. In fact, they’re so adept at tearing down and rebuilding chemical compounds that even oil spills are no match for their natural abilities.



In November 2007, when an oil tanker sprang a leak in San Francisco Bay, 58,000 gallons of oil seeped into the water and beaches. A group of local activists decided to take the cleanup into their own hands, using a technique originally developed to dispose of used motor oil. They headed for the shore and laid out mats made of human hair that were covered in oyster mushrooms. The hair quickly soaked up all the oil, while the mushrooms digested the dangerous chemicals. Within 12 weeks, only harmless compost remained. Although technically illegal (the EPA and the Coast Guard prefer leaving toxic waste to trained cleaning squads), the hair-and-mushroom technique was a success. Actually, the process is so simple and cost-effective that grassroots organizations and local governments are encouraging federal officials to use it as a way to clean up contaminated soil on old factory sites and hurricane-damaged areas of New Orleans.

3. Dumpster-Dive for Dinner


Once upon a time, environmental idealists could make a statement simply by giving up steak. But today the ante has been upped. And freeganism has answered the call.

As the name suggests, freeganism is an off-shoot of veganism, meaning that most practitioners avoid all products made from animals. But the “free” part refers to how freegans get their victuals. Method No. 1? Digging through the dumpster.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans pitch 245 million tons of waste a year, much of which is salvageable. In addition to unfashionable furniture and clothes, plenty of edible food ends up in the garbage. According to unofficial freegan spokesman Adam Weissman, that waste is directly tied to capitalism, which freegans see as an oppressive economic system. To avoid contributing to it, they become scavengers—collecting the vast majority of what they eat, wear, and use from other people’s garbage. Often, these “urban foragers” will meet in designated locations at designated times to rummage together in a group, typically focusing on dumpsters behind retailers, offices, schools, and other places of high-volume disposal.



[Check it Out: MentalFloss]

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Labels: environment

Hulu.com, the long-gestating Internet joint venture between NBC Universal and Fox, emerges from limited testing on Wednesday to make its catalog of TV shows and video clips available to anyone on the Web.

The streaming-video site displays free, ad-supported shows and feature films from NBC, Fox and more than 50 media companies, including Sony Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

On Wednesday, Hulu is also planning to announce that the Warner Brothers Television Group and Lionsgate will add content from their libraries. Hulu will also give sports fans highlights from N.B.A. and N.H.L. games, and full-length N.C.A.A. men’s basketball games from the last 25 years, the company said.

Hulu’s videos also appear on AOL, MSN, Comcast, MySpace and Yahoo. Over 5,000 Web sites have embedded clips from Hulu, the company said.

Hulu has so far failed to recruit two major television networks, ABC, a division of Walt Disney, and CBS. Jason Kilar, Hulu’s chief executive, said that he was still having regular conversations with executives at the two networks. But even without them, he said, the company has quadrupled the number of show titles in its library since testing began.

“We won’t stop until we have everything in terms of premium content. That is our mission,” he said. “I just think back to the fact that 24 months ago, there wasn’t anything online legally in terms of full TV episodes or films. In just 17 weeks, we have gone from nothing to over 200 premium titles.”

NBC Universal, a division of General Electric, and Fox, a division of the News Corporation, announced their joint venture to much fanfare nearly a year ago. The then-unnamed company was at first viewed skeptically by many in the industry as a desperate attempt to keep up with the Google’s YouTube, the dominant player in online video.

Recently, Hulu has received high marks from media and Web executives for creating an easy to use site with high-quality video and professional content attractive to advertisers.

Hulu has been in a password-protected testing period since October, but has slowly been inviting users to enter the site. Mr. Kilar said that more than five million viewers have watched Hulu videos in the last 30 days, and that 80 percent of the shows on the site are viewed at least once a week.

Hulu is experimenting with giving viewers a choice in advertising. During certain shows, viewers will be able to choose which commercial they want to watch — for example, whether they want to see an ad for Nissan’s Rogue S.U.V., Maxima sedan or Z sports car.

Some viewers will also be given the opportunity to watch a two-minute film preview before a TV show, and then skip all the other advertising breaks.

One challenge Hulu faces is building a predictable and stable library of content. To protect DVD and Web download sales, media companies often make TV shows and films available free on the Web for certain periods of time and then remove them. For example, there are 11 episodes of the TV show “24” on Hulu — beginning with episode 18 of the first season.

“If those episodes keep disappearing, they are going to have trouble getting people to go back and recommend TV shows on Hulu to their friends,” said Bobby Tulsiani, an analyst at JupiterResearch.
[Learn: NYTimes]

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Labels: internet, video

If you like the idea of solar power, but aren’t convinced by expensive, clunky solar panels just yet, here’s a more manageable option: print your own on an inkjet! Konarka Technologies has just debuted a printable solar panel film that uses a common inkjet printing process to manufacture paper-thin photovoltaic solar cells. Using the existing and very simple technologies of your office inkjet printer, Konarka has essentially replaced ink with the solar cell material, and paper with a thin flexible sheet of plastic.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:
Essentially, the head of an inkjet printer deposits a material (ink) into a substrate (paper), and does so in a fairly cheap and quick manner. Konarka’s technique uses the solar cell material as ink, and a thin flexible plastic as paper. According to the company, the process creates solar cells which are almost as good as the clunky silicon ones, created with much more advanced technologies. However, these inkjet babies are much much cheaper.

“Demonstrating the use of inkjet printing technology as a fabrication tool for highly efficient solar cells and sensors with small area requirements is a major milestone,” stated Rick Hess, president and CEO at Konarka.
Unfortunately we probably won’t be seeing the Inkjet-solar-panel option flying off the shelves of Office Depot just yet, as it is currently only feasible for large productions of solar cells. However, it does mean that if the uptake of this technology happens relatively quickly, you will be seeing solar cells of different sizes and price-points appearing everywhere soon.

[Via: inhabitat]

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Labels: gadgets

Paramount Pictures will become the first major studio to make clips from thousands of its movies available for use on the Internet.

The unit of Viacom Inc. is teaming with Los Angeles-based developer FanRocket to launch the VooZoo application Monday on Facebook.

The service gives Facebook users access to footage from thousands of movies, ranging from The Ten Commandments to Forrest Gump, to send to others on the popular social networking site.

"The short clips for a movie that you've already seen before helps you relive the moment," Paramount senior vice president of entertainment Derek Broes said.

The clips last from a few seconds to several minutes and cover the gamut from Eddie Murphy's guffaw in Beverly Hills Cop to Audrey Hepburn's pleas over her "no-name slob" cat in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

The studio will market DVDs of the movies through a button that appears after each clip is played. It eventually wants to use the application to virally market upcoming releases.

For example, VooZoo is withholding clips from the Indiana Jones series until it works out a way to market the May 22 release of the latest installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

FanRocket founder Danny Kastner said he is aiming to get a few hundred thousand users within two months and added that the company is in talks with other Hollywood studios to package their titles on VooZoo.

That could take time, however, since Paramount staffers needed more than a year to select clips from the archive and tag them with search terms.

You can join the MethodShop.com Fan page on Facebook here.



[Via: USAToday]

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Labels: social networking, tech news, video

anagram (an-uh-gram)
noun

A word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase.
For example, Elvis to Lives.

To rearrange letters in such a way. To anagrammatize.
[From New Latin anagramma, from Greek anagrammatismos, ana- (up, again, back, new) + -gram (letter).]


Did you know that parliament is an anagram of partial men? Or, Clint Eastwood an anagram of Old West Action? Someone once said, "All the life's wisdom can be found in anagrams. Anagrams never lie." Here is your chance to discover the wisdom of anagrams.

[Play: Wordsmith]


methodshop

Labels: games, internet

Not that you've noticed... but the finest restaurants on Tatooine all feature R2-D2 pepper grinders.

Usually after you order your salad of Dagobah greens a Wookie will come around and offer you some fresh ground pepper from one of these handy droid-based mills. Word to the wise... never refuse a Wookie.

Simply twist R2's head and he deposits pepper onto your food.

Hey, it's not a glamorous job for a droid... but much better than being abducted by Jawas.


Product Features

• Pepper Grinder that Looks Like R2-D2
• Twist R2's head and pepper comes out the bottom
• Licensed Star Wars collectible imported from Japan
• Peppercorns Not Included
• Stands 4.75" Tall

You can purchase the R2-D2 Peppermill for $19.99 from ThinkGeek.com.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, review

Adidas and Samsung have teamed up for a new twist in training — a mobile phone that can coach.

The companies announced Thursday a mobile phone that works with Adidas shoes and apparel to plan, track and motivate users in training.

The device directs and motivates users during workouts by combining a mobile phone, heart rate monitor, stride sensor, MP3 player and the voice of an electronic "personal coach."

MiCoach hits retail stores in Europe this month and will roll out in the United States in 2009. It will cost $304 to $608 in Europe, depending on the service plan users select. U.S. pricing has not been set.

"This is the most advanced coaching system that is out there," said Andrea Corso, spokeswoman for Portland-based Adidas U.S.
The new Adidas-Samsung collaboration is the latest of several tech-sport partnerships. Most comparable is Nike and Apple's Nike+, a wireless system that allows Nike running shoes embedded with a sensor to communicate with Apple's iPod Nano. An update this week allows users to plug their iPods into gym equipment and track their training there as well.

MiCoach is a bit more expansive because it includes a mobile phone and a camera. It also helps runners set goals and then reach them by monitoring their heart rates and telling them when to slow down or speed up to meet a goal for distance, fitness or calorie burn.

"This about getting to the next level, whether that is running a mile or running a marathon," Corso said.

Adidas will offer equipment and clothing for runners to attach miCoach and the heart monitor to themselves. The sensor can be attached to any shoe.

[Read: USAToday]

methodshop

Labels: mobile

Apple announced the next generation of the iPhone due out in June will support Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, meaning that the business world will now be able to use it for Blackberry-like functions such as syncing corporate email and calendars. iPhone users at Nike and Disney are currently beta testing the new Microsoft Exchange mail software.

Apple also officially opened up its internal APIs to allow 3rd party software developers to create applications utilizing the innovative "Cocoa Touch" interface.



iTunes will become the exclusive online retail outlet for iPhone apps, some of which will be offered for free if in an ad supported model is chosen. Developers will get to keep 70% of the sales revenue generated monthly from each application.

This should not only help Apple discourage people from "jailbreaking" their iPhones, and at the same time enable the company to profit from application sales.

In related news, everyone at RIM, the company that makes the Blackberry, just crapped their pants.


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Labels: iphone

If you thought rechargeable batteries were a good green idea, the USBCELL rechargeable battery will blow your mind- it plugs into any computer’s USB port to recharge. It’s a standard AA battery which will fit into all your every day uses. We’re not the only ones amped up about USBCELL- today at CEBIT, the green battery was awarded a Gold award at the IF Product Design ceremony. Produced by Moixa Energy, has a flip cap top that houses the USB port, and can be used like any regular AA battery. Not to mention, it cuts back on the nearly 15 billion Alkaline batteries made and thrown away each year.

The little green power cells can also can be charged in approved NiMH chargers. USBCELL won a New Energy Entrepreneur of the Year award last Wednesday, too. We’re glad such a deserving product is getting the attention it deserves!

[Via: inhabitat]

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Labels: rechargable batteries

I found a very interesting video on bpmonaco.com today that shows how people in different regions of the world count money.

I never even thought that people counted money differently depending on where they are from. I guess we grow up watching other people counting money a certain way and then we get programmed to emulate what we see.





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Labels: internet, video

Olivia Munn, the foxy geek hostess from Attack of the Show (G4 TV) and Playboy Magazine (Feb 2007), is in a new viral YouTube video for Dell Computer called "IT Through The Decades."

The clip helps promote Dell's servers by poking fun at all the poor IT related decisions companies have made the past few decades (1978-2008). In the clip, Mike the IT guy suggests "new" technologies like databases and bar codes and gets made fun of by his colleagues.

Olivia doesn't have a ton of lines but she definitely adds some sex appeal to the YouTube clip. Warning: It's a little long (especially for a "viral" clip). Olivia fans will also probably get a kick out of seeing her dressed up in retro 70's and 80's outfits. You can save this clip off YouTube by following these instructions.





If you're looking for more Olivia Munn, just Google search her name. YouTube is full of clips of her doing things like riding a Hawaii Chair, seductively eating hotdogs and recovering from a baby oil slip. Too bad she's dating that turd biscuit Bryan Greenberg from One Tree Hill.

Video: IT Through The Decades - Olivia Munn



methodshop

Labels: internet, tech news, video

If you're a gamer (particularly one with some history or if you just like retro items), take a look at the Classic Nintendo Themed TV Remote. It's actually a TV remote control. If you want some exercise than pressing buttons while seated on your couch, the Nerf Maverick is is next-gen Nerf gun (hit the link for a funny vid game-inspired video).

Onto the multimedia scene, there are at least two cool gadgets to check out – the Credit Card Size Digital Video Player and the return of M&K Sound. The former is a mini video player that has a 2.8-inch high resolution LCD multimedia player that lets you play video continuously for 4 hours or audio for 8 hours. M&K Sound is back! This is great news to all audiophile geeks, as this professional speaker manufacturer has bounced back into the market complete with new owners.

We also featured a coupple of reviews this week. First up is the Honestech's VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe which sounds just like its name, but essentially lets you take a video/audio signal from your VCR/camcorder/turntable/whatever and capture it on your computer for storage there or eventual burn to CD/DVD. No Starch press has put out a new edition of the book Hacking, The Art of Exploitation.

Are you a camper or a world traveler? Then the iStraw Emergency Water Filter is perfect when you need instant potable water on the go. The straw is created with several special micro-filters that can clean water and eliminate harmful organisms in it.

Amphibious cars were a novelty that you may have seen in 60s TV shows or James Bond movies, but the Rinspeed sQuba looks like it'll be a reality soon. Only question is how practical this really is.

Lastly, in case you haven't seen the news regarding the slew of unlimited cell phone plans, everyone including Sprint is in on it now too and Sprint may just have the best deal out there.

Source: Gizmos for Geeks

Labels: autos, gadgets, games, music, toys, video