Content

Content in its shift to become digital

Skype Beta 3.0 Gives Web Click-to-Call And Hits 8m Users
Skype has made public its Beta 3.0 version of it super-popular VoIP software for Windows. It’s been sitting with NDA’s beta testers for just over a week now. Skype has also hit 8 million simultaneous users online today.
There’s a few changes, but we’re not sure that there’s been enough to justify a whole version number upgrade.
One of the most interesting additions is the ability to click-to-call any landline phone number that you see on the Web (once a small browser plug-in ins installed), by placing a call through your SkypeOut account.
Henry Gomez, Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Worldwide Operations, Skype, gave an example of how it might be used, “imagine you’re searching online for a good place to eat and you find a restaurant and want to make a reservation. All you need to do is click on the number and you can make a direct call using SkypeOut.”
As ever with each Skype release, there’ been more adjustments made to the software interface. Amoung other changes is another main tab, called “Live,” which gives quick access to the Skypecast feature – giving real-time chats (IM and VoIP) to up to 100 people) – which has been around for quite a few releases.
By including the Live tab so prominently, Skype are attempting to make people become more dependent on Skype, beyond using it for ‘just’ communications, they’re hoping people will use it for ‘entertainment.’
Skype Beta 3.0
9 November, 2006
ZoneAlarm Launches Wireless Router
Check Point, the makers of the top-notch internet security software ZoneAlarm, have announced that they’ll be moving into the hardware market with the release of a new, high-spec, wireless router.
Due for a late November release, the Secure Wireless Z100G router uses WPA2 (802.11) and IPSec encryption, and comes with a firewall, antivirus protection, secure remote access, parental controls, Super-G connectivity and extended wireless range.
Targeted specifically at home users, Check Point say that their decision to break into the hardware market was prompted by growing concerns over security holes in home networks and more sophisticated attacks from hackers that managed to bypass gateway and PC-based security measure.
“A wireless network creates great convenience, but the technology that allows for that convenience also provides only the most rudimentary security features,” said Laura Yecies, general manager of Check Point’s consumer and small business division.
“By combining software like the ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite with a secure gateway, consumers can actually have several layers of defence,” she added.
The new router incorporates ZoneAlarm’s stateful packet inspection (SPI) firewall technology, and an intrusion detection and prevention system that actively monitors network traffic to block out hackers and worms.
The web-based management system will let users control peer-to-peer and instant-message communications and customise their interface with preset security rules.
The Z100G router is expected to start hitting the stores around the end of November, with an initial promotional price of $149.99 (£78, €117), rising to $199.99 (£105, €157).
Zone Alarm
8 November, 2006
YouTube: Time Magazine’s ‘Invention of the Year’
Time Magazine has stepped up to the awards podium, opened the little brown envelope and named the video sharing Web site YouTube as its “Invention of the Year.”
YouTube, based in California, was created by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim and rapidly became one of the busiest sites on web, eventually selling out to search engine giants Google for $1.65 billion in October this year.
“Only YouTube created a new way for millions of people to entertain, educate, shock, rock and grok one another on a scale we’ve never seen before,” enthused Time’s editors.
“The rules are different now, and one Web site changed them: YouTube,” they added.
We’re right with them there. Or, at least we think we are if we know how one ‘groks.’
Clearly in a mood for waxing lyrical, the Time’s Lev Grossman was ready to add his own insights: “YouTube had tapped into something that appears on no business plan – the lonely, pressurised, pent-up video subconscious of America.”
From its inauspicious beginnings – a lone video of a trip to the zoo posted up in April last year – YouTube now sees 70,000 new videos uploaded every day and the staggering total of a 100 million videos aired daily.
According to ratings analysts Nielsen NetRatings, the site also clocked up 27.6 million unique visitors in September.
To claim the first prize, YouTube shrugged off innovations like a robot designed to rescue wounded soldiers, a vaccine that fights off sexually transmitted diseases and the rather daft sounding ‘Hug Shirt’, which apparently produces cuddle-like sensations.
YouTube
7 November, 2006
Big Brother Heading to Second Life
Reality TV programme, Big Brother, is moving to Second Life on 1 December, or “First virtual piglet Brother” as the BabelFish translator put it.
Starting today, Second Life players can apply to take part in it with fifteen participants being selected from three time zones.
The players will live in a glass-walled building, so other Second Life players will be able watch what goes on. The demands on the players is pretty heavy, given they have to spend at least eight hours a day playing the game.
The format of the Virtual BB will be the same as the TV show, with contestants being voted out until there’s only one left. The final will be on 31 December
How do you temp a Second Life player to take part when they’re likely to not like, or possibly hate TV? Give them something they’d love … a tropical island in Second Life. Reuters report the value of it being worth about US$1,675 (£883).
Endemol Netherlands Managing Director Paul Romer told Reuters, “Big Brother Second Life represents a fantastic opportunity to amass knowledge of the virtual world. In the future, we will use this experience to develop specific content for online communities.”
Given Endemol will have to take a certain degree of trust, as they won’t actually be able to meet the contestants, we’re hoping that some Second Lifers will get together and make some mischief by applying to get in.
As much as we’ve been tempted, we at Digital-Lifestyles have stayed away from Second Life – frankly we’re a little afraid of it. It’s the kind of thing we could see getting completely absorbed in – if not utterly obsessed.
The TV version of Big Brother has been dragging on for years now, so all we can assume is that they’re desperate to try to get people involved who have faded away from the TV show. One thing for sure is that the production costs of the Second Life version will be considerably cheaper that the over-blown TV show.
Endemol Holland (In Dutch obv)
Second Life
7 November, 2006
Camera Phones Account For Nearly Half Of All Phones Sold
Global sales of camera phones are set to make up nearly half of the total of all mobile phone sales this year, with the figure expected to rise to 81 percent of all phones by 2010.
The figures, from research firm Gartner, show that 48 percent of phones sold so far in 2006 were equipped with a phone, and that worldwide sales of camera phones are on course to reach 460 million by the end of the year.
This amounts to a thumping 43 percent increase from 2005, with sales of camera phones expected to hit one billion by 2010.
Bumping up the pixels
Gartner anticipates that the ‘pixel race’ – as seen in recent years in the digital camera market – will have an impact, with punters being lured by higher resolution camera phones.
Carolina Milanesi, principal research analyst at Gartner, said, “Consumers’ perception that a higher pixel count translates into a higher quality device will encourage mobile phone manufacturers to continue to increase this.”
Since 2003, the camera phone market has been dominated by sales of phones with low resolution, one mega pixel snappers, which accounted for 51 percent of total mobile phone sales in 2006.
With phone manufacturers beefing up the resolution, Gartner predicts that more than half of the camera phones will have at least one or two mega pixels by this time next year.
“In 2006, 1.3 and two mega pixel resolutions will become the minimum requirement for mid-tier to high-end phones and a 3.2 mega pixel resolution will be used for flagship products. This will increase to five mega pixels in 2007,” Milanesi said.
Western Europe remains the biggest market for camera phones with sales likely to surpass 122 million this year (up 28 percent from 2005), while the US should reach 106.8 million units in 2006 (up 41 percent from 2005).
In Japan, the punters are really sharing the love for camera phones, with sales expected to make up 95 percent of all sales in 2007.
Setting their shiny crystal ball to 2010, Gartner predicts that camera phone penetration in Western Europe will soon equal Japan’s, rising to 93.6 percent of the market, with North America a smidgen behind at 93.4 percent.
[From Tech 2]
6 November, 2006
Gmail Java Mobile IS Available Outside US
You’ve probably seen the news yesterday that Google released a new Java client for accessing Gmail from your mobile phone.
The majority of Digital-Lifestyles writers are UK-based, so we were feeling a little left out by being lead to believe by Google that the application was only available to those who live in the US. Google official press release contained,
It is currently compatible with all J2ME-enabled phones in the U.S. and works with a variety of carrier service plans.
When you pointed your computer Browser at the Web address given by Google to download it, you are indeed met forwarded to Google Mobile with no option to download Gmail Java Mobile.
Being the inquisitive little ferrets that we are, we jumped on to our ever-at-hand mobiles to try the same thing. Not expecting much, as we’re outside the US, you can imagine our surprise when we were given the option of downloading the app – but persisted with the US/Canada only malarky. We were warned that the app might not work correctly.
A little frisson of excitement hit the room (yes, it’s true) as the app flitted over the air, all 112k of it. We were met with the gmail login screen, which after entering the relevant, we crossed our finger (nto before hand, have you tried typing with crossed fingers?).
Argh .. the handset we used fell at the final hurdle, but we pressed on with some others until success! We checked in with Cristian Streng to find out he’d had success too using his Nokia E50 in Romania.
We can confirm that the app is a big improvement on the previous browser-based version with the number keys being used to carry out commonly-used functions.
So non-US, Java-mobile phone carrying, gmail users – with a desire to get your mail on the go (phew), you can rest assured that you can get access to it.
Gmail Java Mobile From your mobile phone browser of course.
3 November, 2006
Dis-Connexion By Boeing: Now Free WiFi
Recently while travelling on an SAS flight, I had the pleasure of trying out the Connexion by Boeing service, which is an Internet service offered on long haul services.
Trials for the service started back in two carriers in June 2005.
The system provides a WiFi connection on the plane and connects back to Boeing using some kind of magic (a satellite service, somewhere on the plane a dish or dishes always stay in site of the satellite signal).
It’s all transparent to the user, just connect to the WiFi signal (and there really aren’t any others to connect to at 30,000 ft) and then go to the Boeing portal and sign-up.
It’s free
Although the sign-up page requires you to enter your credit card details the only price plan currently available is priced at $0.0, which means you aren’t charged (I’d imagine for security purposes, so any naughty activity can be traced back to someone). You then get a username and password and can sign-in to using the actual service – which then lets you out in to the wild world of the Internet.
It all worked rather well. Email was speedy and even logging into a remote system worked well, though there was a lag between what you typed and what appeared on the screem – it was usable though (much better than GPRS or some 3G connections have been). Updating MacOS X was doable with download rates of around 70KB/s. Lag was a good 600ms, but that’s what you get from sending data 30,000 miles up to a geostationary satellite and down again and back.
A business user could gainfully use the 10 hours or so in the air and be productive.
The end is nigh
Unfortunately the reason that it’s free is that Boeing are discontinuing the service and as they can’t guarantee any service levels – they’re giving it away until the service ends (Jan 2007). They argue that not enough airlines have signed-up and are cutting their losses.
It’s a real shame as the service worked well and the pricing was sensible for passengers even when they had to pay.
It’s not as though the airlines can keep it going either, as Boeing are physically removing all the equipment they installed in the planes.
Panasonic have said they will introduce a service to replace Boeing’s, but it could be a while, so in the meantime, passengers will have to make do with working off-line or catching up on movies they wouldn’t dream of watching normally.
2 November, 2006
Gmail Mobile Improved By Google
Browsing Gmail, Google’s email service, wasn’t particularly great when you did it from a mobile … until now. With the new release of gmail mobile that was launched today.
Gmail for Mobile Devices (GMD?), to give it its full official name, is a Java app that can be downloaded and run on any Java-enabled handset. The previous version was browser-based and pretty basic.
It’s an interesting change of approach for Google, who has near-exclusively focused on browser-based applications to access their services (except for Google Local).
GMD isn’t the only Java-driven email client. Flurry was pointed out to us by Cristian Streng. It’s had close to 1 million downloads from getjar.com alone and is used in over 200 countries.
Clearly not wanting it to get used too heavily, Google has officially only made the application downloadable in the US, where until recently people didn’t really use their phones for anything except making calls. While they’ve been doing that, the rest of the world have used their mobiles for everything from gaming to text messages.
Gmail Mobile app Mobile access Only
Flurry
2 November, 2006
Zend To Help PHP Run Faster On Windows
Microsoft have finally woken up to the fact that people aren’t using their Web server product, Internet Information Server.
Un*x-based Web servers rule the roost with the majority of commercial hosting companies, for a couple of reasons.
First is cost – Apache is free, as is Linux that it runs on, where as the Microsoft option requires a copy of Windows Server which retails for around $1,000.
Another is that many of the applications that are run on the Internet, and are freely available, use the programming language, PHP – twenty-two million Web sites currently. PHP is widely know as running slowly on IIS.
Microsoft have now signed a deal with Zend Technology to get PHP running faster, more reliably and increasing its stability. The deal covers Windows Server 2003 and the upcoming version Windows ‘Longhorn.’
To get the PHP working efficiently on their Server products, Microsoft will develop a version of FastCGI them. They will give away.
Microsoft will be excited with the comments of Andi Gutmans, co-founder and chief technology officer at Zend, “Since our preliminary work with Microsoft, we have already seen a better than 100 percent performance gain with some PHP applications on Windows Server 2003.” Good start.
Clearly this is great for Zend, a major mover in the PHP-world, as we suspect that they’ll be getting bundles of money for their troubles. Actual details of the financial arrangements were not disclosed.
As to whether anyone will actually choose to run PHP on Windows Server, when they can get it running for free on Linux – What do you think?
Zend
1 November, 2006
Windows Media Player 11 Released
Confidently billed as “a milestone for music fans and the digital entertainment experience on Windows XP,” Microsoft’s shiny new Windows Media Player 11 claims support for more than 200 portable and home networking devices and hundreds of online music and video services and radio stations.
The upgrade to their popular media player comes with a sleeker, iTunes-esque user interface, better online store integration, improved navigation and updated search tools for larger music libraries.
“Windows Media Player 11 is the first media player to be truly designed with the digital entertainment lover in mind,” purred Mike Sievert, corporate vice president of Windows at Microsoft.
“The fresh, exciting new look, the ability to find songs and videos in an instant, and the enhanced capabilities for syncing with portable devices are not only exactly what customers have asked us for, they’re also a preview of what’s to come in Windows Vista,” he added.
New for Media Player 11 is thumbnail and album art displays; shuffle sync and reverse sync options and a library view backed by simplified navigation capabilities and enhanced shortcut options.
Tabs galore
Along the top of the super-slick, Vista-ready interface are six access tabs letting you jump between the currently playing media, the media library, and tools for ripping, burning and syncing up media.
So far so good until you come to the last pointless tab, which offers instant access MTV’s Urge music store. The result of some lucrative MTV marketing tie-in or another, users will have to put up with this unwanted guest forever as there’s no way of getting rid of the thing.
WMP11 can rip audio CDs in the default WMA format or the more popular MP3 format and there’s also support for the beardy audiophiles preferred format, lossless WAV, along with the ability to easily burn all supported file formats onto CD.
The new player is available as a free download to users with genuine copies of Windows XP – which means you’re going to have to go through a pesky validation palaver to install the program.
Windows Media Player 11
31 October, 2006