You may not be familiar with the company Tronical but you will know their work because they are responsible for Gibson’s Robot Guitar tuning systems. Well judging by this video it appears that Tronical are about to launch some standalone systems that can be retrofit to pretty much any guitar be it a Les Paul [...]
Category: Technology
Spotify’s US launch date
Updated. The buzz around European music streaming service Spotify’s United States launch just keeps getting louder.
A report published Friday on the Noisecast tech blog places Spotify’s US launch date between July 5 and July 15, citing an email exchange between a Noisecast source and major record label executive. The emails also ‘suggest that Spotify may launch as an invite-only service to start with’ and that the subscription price will be $10 per month, Noisecast reports.
Whether or not it’s totally accurate, the report certainly lines up with other recent talk around Spotify’s stateside debut. Earlier this week, Om Malik reported that Spotify will be a major part of a new music dashboard feature Facebook plans to release at its f8 developer conference in August. And Spotify executive Jonathan Forster recently told Silicon Valley Watcher that Spotify’s US launch is on the way, but would not occur before July 5.
Meanwhile, Spotify has been getting its financial house in order for the US push. Last week the company closed on approximately $100 million in fresh funding to fuel its geographic expansion. The latest round came from a group that included Russian venture capital firm DST and California-based VCs Kleiner Perkins and Accel Partners, all first-time Spotify investors.
Why is Spotify so hotly anticipated in the United States? For one thing, with a Spotify account, you can listen to the same library of music regardless of where you are and which of your devices you’re using. It’s the same cloud-based mentality behind some of the latest big offerings from Google (with Google Music), Apple (with iCloud) and Netflix (with Netflix streaming.) In many ways, Spotify fits right into the increasingly always-connected way many of us live now.
Update: Spotify’s US launch is indeed on track for mid-July — not July 5, as some other sources have claimed — according to a source with knowledge of the company’s plans. That confirms the rumors first published Friday morning that Spotify’s US launch will occur in July.
Spotify will be made available in the US under a three-tiered pricing model, the source said: A free ad-supported service, a $5/month subscription, and a $10/month subscription. The US pricing scheme will be very similar to the three-tiered revenue model Spotify already has in place in Europe.
The company does not have a more specific launch date nailed down at the moment, because Spotify is still sorting out a few kinks associated with the US debut, the source said.
(Via GigaOM.)
All Our Lightbulbs Will Have IP Addresses
When we remarked that home automation technology was a reason we needed iPv6 technology, we weren’t kidding. If Netherlands-based NXP has it their way, we’ll all be using networked LED lightbulbs, each with their own IPv6 address. More »
(Via Gizmodo.)
Philips to unveil LED replacement bulb
Home lighting has certainly come a long way since the days of Thomas Alva Edison, and Philips will be part of a watershed moment as they prepare to unveil the world’s first LED replacement for the 75-watt incandescent light bulb at the LIGHTFAIR International trade show. Known as the Philips EnduraLED A21 17-watt light bulb, this will be the maiden LED equivalent to 75-watt incandescent bulbs, and it is touted to be 80% more energy efficient compared to its outdated predecessor. The new bulbs are also marathon runners in their own right, capable of lasting up to 25 times longer compared to standard incandescent bulbs, adding another feather in the cap of LED technology where everyday LED residential use is concerned. Philips can be said to be an old hat in this arena since they are the first company to develop a LED to replace the 60-watt incandescent bulb.
(Via Ubergizmo.)
Voice Search Being Tested on Google
Google has begun testing an integration of voice search with the Google.com search engine.
Helpful tipster Matt Schlicht first spotted the feature earlier Monday afternoon. Voice search detects your computer’s microphone settings and can open up a ‘Speak now’ widget to detect your words and transcribe them into a search query.
Android phone owners should be familiar with Google Voice Search; it’s available in the Google Search widget. Google Voice Search on Android even translates voice commands into actions. For example, ‘Directions to Empire State Building New York’ will get you instant driving directions to Manhattan’s famous landmark.
Google has been working hard on improving the accuracy of its voice search product. It now recognizes Chinese and learns from your speech patterns. Perhaps now Google believes it’s accurate enough to begin testing with the general populace.
Right now, voice search seems to be in a limited testing period. We’ve reached out to Google for comment.
While searching by voice may be easier than typing in some cases, we don’t think you’re suddenly going to see an uptick in people shouting out their search queries. As our tipster pointed out on Twitter today, Google Voice Search ‘works surprisingly well but is very awkward to use in the office.’
What do you think of Google Voice Search? Should Google roll it out on its homepage?
Update: Google’s experiment is confirmed. ‘Google is constantly experimenting with new features,’ was the only thing a Google spokesperson would tell us officially, though.
The Google Voice Search Icon
Google.com users with access to the experiment might see this page the next time they visit Google.com
Google Voice Search Widget
Talking into the mic activates the Google Voice Search widget.
Google Voice Search Results
(Via Mashable!.)
10 Free Online Tools To Test Your Website Loading Speeds & Create Faster Webpages
Not every website can be a Google. No; not in terms of scale but in terms of the speed with which it loads up in our browsers. Minimalism is great, but it does not go with the need to put more content and animated ads on the webpage. It is sometimes a trade-off which every web designer has to make.
Creating faster webpages is one of the commandments of great web design. A slow loading speed not only indicates poor design but is also a huge turn-off for visitors. Slow loading webpages could also be symptoms of bugs or any other bottleneck.
The first step you can take to optimize your website is to put it through a speed test. These ten tools are few of the many which can help test loading speeds and give cues to create faster webpages.
Happy 30th Birthday, ZX81!
In 1980, British company Sinclair released their ZX80 computer for $199.95.
One year later, they released the new and improved ZX81
. Compared to the ZX80, the ZX81 was much cheaper, at only $99.95, the first computer for under $100. The ZX81 has the same microprocessor and runs at the same speed as the ZX80, but it has a better BASIC programming language and is cheaper to produce, due to having fewer chips and a simpler design.
Although cheap and quite popular, the ZX81 was, well, cheap. The keyboard is a ‘touch sensitive membrane’, a flexible plastic surface with the actual switches under the surface. While easy to clean and water resistant, it is very difficult and slow to type on, because you have to press hard and very deliberately to use the tiny, closely-spaced keys. Touch-typing is impossible. Resourceful users hacked into their system and added their own ‘real’ keyboard, external to the system.
9 Ways to Prevent Identity Theft From Your Online Activities
If you have ever experienced identity theft yourself or even know someone who has, you know the experience can be a harrowing one. Criminals can open accounts in your name and impersonate you for a multitude of reasons – none of which are good. While thieves have been performing identity theft for a long-time offline the volume of personal information found online is astounding and these days a would-be identity thief only needs to log in from the comfort of his or her home to do their misdeeds.
That leaves the burden upon you to protect your personal information while using the internet. The only perfect way to protect yourself online and prevent identity theft is to not use it at all, but since you are reading this, I will assume that you are pretty net savvy and spend a good deal of time online. Let’s go over some tips to protect and prevent identity theft online.
1. Watch out for Phishing Websites
A Phishing website is one that presents itself as a legitimate business website however in reality is a fake one looking for your information. They may look for a username and password but also could be looking for your name, social security number, address, and other personal information. Be vigilant if a site asks for the following information:
- Social Security number
- Credit card number
- Bank account number
- Driver’s license number
- Home address and phone number
- Health insurance id or information
The request for information could be legit (for example, if you are applying for a credit card); but if it was unsolicited that should be a big red flag. If you have a question whether the site is a real one for a company, visit the organization’s main web page and call their number to ask.
2. Use an Anti-virus/Anti-Malware Program
Backdoors, keyloggers and other nefarious programs can allow entry to your system and they can be installed in any number of ways. The only way to be sure to protect against them is to install both anti-virus and anti-malware; vendors these days often have solutions which include both. For a current list of our top recommended anti-virus and anti-malware programs, check out MakeUseOf’s 10 best anti-virus programs.
3. Use OpenDNS
While OpenDNS is a great way to speed up your internet connection it also has a feature that is less sexy but definitely more practical. That is that OpenDNS makes a great content filtering solution which can alert you when you visit a website which has been marked as dangerous by the awesome Phishtank service.
4. Unique Passwords for Every Website
Another method criminals may use to obtain your personal information is by logging into your email and other online accounts and glean information from there. That is the reason that it is so important to maintain password security across all of your online accounts. Generating a secure password is the first step to prevent identity theft by keeping your accounts secure, and then Lastpass or Keepass will assist you in remembering them.
5. Shop Only at Reputable Websites
While one of the reasons that the internet is so great is that you can find sites that sell about everything, how do you know that a company will keep your information secure? You might check to see if the site is safe using one of the link checkers we mentioned or run it by the Web of Trust who also provides a browser plugin.
6. Don’t Divulge Too Much Personal Information via Social Media
Social media is great and I use it all of the time, so please don’t get me wrong. But be careful how much information you give out to the general public while sharing what you are eating. I’ve seen people check into banks occasionally on FourSquare; this is bad because it lets anyone know who you use for your bank and makes you an easy target for identity theft. The private information listed above should never be divulged on social media sites as well as other information people could use to obtain that private data from you.
7. Monitor Your Credit Profile
Part of being vigilant about identity theft is making sure someone doesn’t already have your information and is using it – the sooner you catch it the better. If you are in the United States you can get a Free Annual Credit Report, if you are in another location your country may offer a similar service.
8. Secure Your Wireless Network
There are a number of reasons to secure your wireless network and one of the main ones is to reduce fraud and identity theft. If you leave your wireless network open (not securing it with WPA encryption) and without a password, not only can an attacker use your network without your knowledge but can also view your website usage. This can allow them to easily build a detailed profile of you (and your family) and the websites you visit. Even if some information is encrypted (your credit card number for example) many sites do not encrypt login information and just the website names alone can help give an attacker information about you. Adding a password to your wireless network protects against this.
9. Only Download Software From Reputable Sources
Similar to only shopping on reputable sites, you should only run software that come from known sources. If you download games/screensavers/warez/cracks from disreputable websites they may include backdoors and trojans that your antivirus may or may not catch. The sites mentioned above are a start but always be aware and of course keep your antivirus updated especially if you frequent those websites.
(Via MakeUseOf.com.)
Magical Electronic Glasses Automatically Switch from Regular to Bifocal
Here’s one of the coolest products from CES: PixelOptics glasses that automatically change into bifocals when you tilt your head.
This is a godsend for those of us ‘of a certain age.’ Who wants to reveal their crotchety oldness by wearing glasses with that telltale boundary in the lens between close-up and faraway vision? Not me.
PixelOptics comes to the rescue with these electronic glasses, whose breakthrough emPower lenses use a layer of transparent liquid crystal to electronically change the lens’s optical properties to suit either nearsighted or farsighted vision.
When you’re looking straight ahead, your head is usually close to level, and a tiny accelerometer automatically sets the lenses for faraway vision. Tilt your head down to read something, and the lenses adjust for near vision. If that auto-change capability doesn’t appeal to you, you can manually adjust the visual properties of the glasses.
When we visited PixelOptics at CES, company reps told us the PixelOptics emPower lenses, manufactured by Panasonic, use exactly the same lens-grinding techniques as conventional glasses, bringing the total price of a pair of glasses down to a relatively reasonable range. They told us after you’ve charged the glasses in their inductive charger, the battery will last for three days.
The downside? You have to pay $1,200 for a pair of these glasses, considerably more than the fanciest conventional bifocals. Another slight issue is that charger felt awfully cheap and flimsy for a $1,200 product, but that would be easy enough to fix.
Those quibbles aside, it’s hard to believe the glasses’ designers fit all those sophisticated electronics and circuitry inside the temples of these futuristic specs. And just think — you won’t have that annoying line across your field of vision, nor will you need to adapt to that weird feeling of wearing bifocals.
Take a look at the stylish frames in the gallery below; they’re looking good, and exude quality. Sign me up now, because PixelOptics says they’ll be available in April.
(Via Mashable!.)
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