Google Voice now available without an invite

Feed: Boy Genius Report
Posted on: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 1:35 PM
Author: Michael Bettiol
Subject: Google Voice now available without an invite

Wave wasn't the only Google service to be opened up to the public this week, as Google has now lifted its invite only restriction on its popular Google Voice service. It's still only available to residents of the United States, but now the only thing standing between you and: free calls, free SMS messages (to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada), voice mail transcripts, and having one number for all of your phones is logging into voice.google.com with your Google account and picking out a number.Read

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FW: Dear AT&T, your new data plans suck.

good breakdown by BGR.  forgot to approve this post fwd earlier...oops.

as many of you may have known I have been carrying two devices for some time now, iPhone 3G and my BlackBerry Bold 9700.  However, the iPhone didn't have a SIM card in it so it was essentially an iPod Touch.  since i was highly demanding of them I decided I would probably be interested in purchasing service for the iPhone, but figured mine as well wait and see if the next generation iPhone was released in June as it was highly speculated.  however, what i didn't predict was the announcement of these tiered data plans and that they'd go into effect before the new iPhone was released.  

since i wasn't at all interested in having an iPhone with a limited data plan i went forward with purchasing a 3GS before June 7th.  part of the fine print is that if you're an existing customer with an unlimited data plan you can move forward with that plan being grandfathered even if you upgrade your phone. i.e. 3GS to i4.  when the 3GS was announced and released last year apple/att offered an upgrade from the 3G to type-s to anyone that had purchased it within 45 days (or a discounted price if you preferred).  predicting this would happen again--in similar fashion, i proceeded in order to secure a plan with unlimited data.  i'm not a huge fan of being an immediate adopter of any iPhone because i'll have wait for a jailbreak to be figured out and for all those applications to be updated and/or compatibility verified.  i guess it'll happen eventually.  for now, who knows how soon i'll even be able to exchange for the i4 with the ridiculous amount of pre-orders that have taken place.

Feed: Boy Genius Report

AT&T's new data plans certainly have gotten their fair share of press over the last couple days. There are two articles in particular that got us thinking, and we would like to throw our two cents into the ring. So here are our thoughts: AT&T, your improved data plans suck. Hit the jump for the rest of our rant. It's not because there is a lower data cap on the new plans… we can get our heads around that. We don't like it, but we understand it — unfortunately, it is the way things are moving. However, the way in which AT&T is going to charge smartphone users for the data they use is just dismal. The fact that using 2 GB of data while signed up for the 200 MB Data Plus plan will result in a bill of $150, while using 2 GB with the Data Pro plan will only total $25 is infuriating…and a mathematical/accounting anomaly. Reuters reporter, Felix Salmon, asked AT&T's executive director of media relations, Mark Siegel: F.S.: "Is there any point at which AT&T will help a brother out and automatically switch a heavy data user from Data Plus to Data Pro." M.S.: "No." So lets review the math… Siegel went onto say, "One of the things we found is that people don't want one plan. They don't want one size that fits all." Which we totally agree with, but when your options are 200 MB (for people who have a smartphone but probably shouldn't) and 2 GB (which will work for most, but certainly not high end users streaming video and/or tethering), you're being disingenuous. How about these for options: 200 MB for $15/month (for most BlackBerry users and people who have a smartphone and don't know what to do with it), $20/month for 1 GB/month (good for most), and $30 for 5/GB (for the high end data hog). There. That wasn't so hard, was it? Also… as Gizmodo pointed out, if you are going to nickle and dime us on data charges (and text messages, don't think we forgot about that), how about some roll over megabytes? So AT&T, we bid you good luck putting a positive PR spin on this one, because to be perfectly honest, there isn't one. Read [Reuters] Read [Gizmodo]

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FW: Caffeine: Google’s new search index

 impressive, mind boggling if you try to think about it...

Feed: Boy Genius Report
Posted on: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 10:11 AM
Author: Andrew Munchbach
Subject: Caffeine: Google's new search index

Today, Google announced the completion of its new web indexing system title Caffeine. Google boasts that Caffeine, "provides 50 percent fresher results for web searches than our last index, and it's the largest collection of web content we've offered." Google goes onto explain just how their old index and Caffeine differ: Our old index had several layers, some of which were refreshed at a faster rate than others; the main layer would update every couple of weeks. To refresh a layer of the old index, we would analyze the entire web, which meant there was a significant delay between when we found a page and made it available to you. With Caffeine, we analyze the web in small portions and update our search index on a continuous basis, globally. As we find new pages, or new information on existing pages, we can add these straight to the index. That means you can find fresher information than ever before—no matter when or where it was published. It all sounds good to us, after all…we like to keep it fresh from time to time. Google also indulges us with some fairly mind-numbing statistics about just how fast Caffeine actually crawls the web: Caffeine lets us index web pages on an enormous scale. In fact, every second Caffeine processes hundreds of thousands of pages in parallel. If this were a pile of paper it would grow three miles taller every second. Caffeine takes up nearly 100 million gigabytes of storage in one database and adds new information at a rate of hundreds of thousands of gigabytes per day. You would need 625,000 of the largest iPods to store that much information; if these were stacked end-to-end they would go for more than 40 miles. Read

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RE: iPad Article

This is part of an email response to my team at work--after we were talking about the iPad in the workplace during our weekly call.  

"Good article, I read a lot about the iPad after it was announced and many points similar or in addition to the 10 referenced in that article were cited as weaknesses.  However, I then realized that the iPad really shouldn’t be compared to netbooks because it is so far from those capabilities.  I decided that it’s an additional companion electronic device that’s being offered to society.  It can’t take the place of your computer or phone, though it could make a good compliment in-between the two.  To that note, the new iPhone announced is essentially an iPad mini.

The closest thing to an iPad is the Amazon Kindle e-book reader, which was designed specifically for reading with an e-ink screen to reduce eye strain if you were going to sit down with a 500 page novel.  While a much more sophisticated device I personally think it’s probably most useful for reading or web browsing/viewing and obviously entertainment like movies and tv shows.  Alternatively, in a custom application or installation I could see them being an amazing point of sale or electronic clipboard type device. 

So, long story short, as much as apple wants you to think you can do everything (and maybe more) that you could do on a computer it’s so far from that it’s hardly worth comparing.  Unless it can fill a niche need I think the most practical use would be on the coffee table or kitchen counter—similar to the place where you used to put the newspaper.  Since this kind of feels like a blog or forum post I’ll add IMHO (in my humble opinion)."

Subject: iPad Article Relevant to the Discussion Today

Funny that they don’t point out that you can’t print from the iPad

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Spotlight/10-Reasons-Why-A-Netbook-Is-A-Better-Choice-Than-An-iPad-396227/?kc=EWWHNEMNL06082010STR1

so, that's why it's here :)

AT&T kills off unlimited smartphone data, announces cheaper rates?

FML.  I really hope the other carriers don't follow suite, even though history says otherwise... c'mon public, everyone cry and make them reverse!

Feed: Boy Genius Report
Posted on: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 5:58 AM
Author: Michael Bettiol
Subject: AT&T kills off unlimited smartphone data, announces cheaper rates

Ladies and Gentleman, unlimited smartphone data from AT&T is a thing of the past. Or at least it will be as of June 7th. Starting that day, AT&T will introduce two new data plans to replace its current $30 unlimited smartphone plan. Without a bunch of preamble and crying over the changes, here's the skinny on the plans that AT&T says will make it possible for "more affordable for more people to enjoy the benefits of the mobile Internet." DataPlus 200MB of data for $15 per month. AT&T says this will be enough data to meet the needs of 65% of its smartphone users. If you go over the 200MB cap, AT&T will charge you $15 per 200MB of overages. DataPro 2GB of data for $25 per month. According to AT&T, only 2% of its smartphone customers manage to blow through more than 2GB of data per month. Go over the limit and you'll be charged $10 per GB. Tethering Smartphone users that want tethering and have a DataPro plan can add the feature for $20 per month. This means you'll be sharing 2GB between your phone and your laptop for $45 per month. Not great at all, but remember this: A 5GB data card plan costs $60 per month. This means — with overages — you'll be able to have 5GB of smartphone and tethering data for $75 and not have to worry about two contracts. Oh, and "Tethering for iPhones will be available when Apple releases iPhone OS 4 this summer." About bloody time. iPad The $29.99 unlimited data plan for the iPad has not escaped the chop. Starting June 7th, new iPad customers will have two options: $15 for 250MB and $25 for 2GB of data. Any iPad customers who wish to stick to the $30 unlimited plan are free to do so, but AT&T is hoping most people will opt to save $5 and change plans. As much as it hurts to see unlimited plans die off (and don't pretend we didn't know it was coming), the new rates will make data more accessible to those who don't have a lot of coins in their coffer. And again, to be perfectly clear, you are welcome to stay on the current $30 unlimited smartphone data plan, but if you think you can squeak by on the new plans and save $5 to $15, AT&T will move you over to the DataPlus or DataPro plan without renewing your data commitment. Awww, so sweet. Read

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How To Destroy Angels?

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Destroy_Angels_(band)

interesting new band that includes trent reznor (NIN) and his wife mariqueen maandig.  i'm guessing that since trent is (?) done with nine inch nails he's pursuing something for fun with the woman that he loves, and possibly a dream that she had as well.


 
mine as well check out the free pre-order and release

 

FW: Google lets the world enjoy FroYo

Feed: Boy Genius Report
Posted on: Thursday, May 20, 2010 12:21 PM
Author: Michael Bettiol
Subject: Google lets the world enjoy FroYo

Here's the deal. We weren't able to make it out to California to catch Google I/O 2010, but just because we're not there in person doesn't mean we can't cover it. We know you're dying to see what was announced today, so hit up the jump to drink it all in! Before we get into the specifics of the big announcement, we thought it'd be a good idea to relay a few interesting stats. In the 18 months since Android's first debut, there are now over 60 Android devices. 21 OEMs, 48 countries, and 59 carriers have helped make Android what it is today. Google announced in February that it was activating 60,000 units. Today, Google is activating 100,000 Android devices. Google is now second only to RIM in U.S. smartphone sales. In terms of total web and app usage, Android is now first. Google was hoping to have 500 million miles navigated with turn-by-turn by the end of the year. Today they're well over 1 billion. People love applications, and to help serve their needs there are now over 50,000 applications and 180,000 developers helping to keep Android front and center in the smartphone world. And now to the big news… Android 2.2 aka FroYo! Here's what it's all about. Google has done a lot of work. FroYo's Dalvik virtual machine has a JIT compiler that's good for a speedup anywhere from 2x to 5x. For corporate users, there are a bunch of new Exchange policies. You know, good stuff like auto-discovewrt, security policies, global address books, remote wipe, etc. Elsewhere, there's a cloud-to-device messaging API. Developers can send messages to Google's servers and it will send an Android intent to the device. For example, if you're looking to get to a nice Italian bakery, you can hit up Google maps on your desktop and send the directions to your Android smartphone. It won't send some crummy text message or email, though. Oh, no. It will open up Google Maps Navigation and send you on your merry way. Tethering and Hotspots The rumors were indeed true. Android will let you enable tethering at the platform level. Just open up the Wi-Fi settings, create a hotspot and you're good to go. Browser FroYo brings major enhancements to the browsers. Javascript performs 2x to 3x faster. Google is working closely with standards bodies to make more capable and versatile browsers. Soon (and not necessarily in FroYo), you'll be able to do things like use the camera, manometer and accelerometer from within the browser thanks to some clever APIs. Google has upped its game with voice recognitions. In the future, again, not with FroYo, voice recognition will be able to better understand human intention. So if you tell it to look up a picture, it will do that in browser. But if you tell it to call your favorite restaurant, it will do that, too. You'll also be able to use voice commands with the Google Translate website. Just say whatever it is you want translated and Google will Google wants the most comprehensive mobile browser. "It turns out on the internet… people use Flash!" We saw a quick little demo of Flash running on Nickelodeon's site, and truthfully, it looked to run fairly smoothly. The Quick Search box will allow you to easily search for applications. Developers can also tap into this. Say you bought something and plugged it into the Mint app. You can search for that particular transaction with the Quick Search bar. You'll be free to shove games and apps to the microSD card and use them as if they were loaded on the devices on-board memory. There will be an update all button for apps in the Android Market. If that's too much hassle, you can select any number of your apps to auto update. Very nice! Report feedback If an app crashes, you can send feedback directly to the developer and let them know what happened. Developers can view the entire stack trace and isolate the problem and fix it. You'll be able to take advantage of a little known as the "internet" and have it push the app directly to your phone. The same can be done for music and videos. *drool* Streaming Music Thanks to Google's acquisition of Simplify Media, you can now stream your non-DRM music collection from your computer straight to your Android smartphone. Developing…

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FW: Android 2.2 Froyo: everything you ever wanted to know

Feed: Engadget
Posted on: Friday, May 21, 2010 2:25 PM
Author: Ross Miller
Subject: Android 2.2 Froyo: everything you ever wanted to know

Since its initial launch on the T-Mobile G1 in October of 2008, Google's Android operating system has evolved rapidly -- perhaps more rapidly than any other operating system in recent memory -- to become one of the most important and prolific smartphone platforms in the market today. Its latest incarnation, announced at Google's I/O conference in San Francisco this week, began life as codename "Froyo" (continuing its tradition of naming new versions as desserts in alphabetical order, starting with Cupcake) to officially become Android 2.2. Don't be fooled by the mere 0.1 boost in the version number over 2.1 Eclair, though -- this is a huge upgrade that represents the most user-friendly, compelling, and feature-complete version of the little green guy to date. Read on for our full look! Gallery: Android 2.1 Eclair vs. 2.2 Froyo... food fight! Gallery: Android 2.2 Froyo (unabridged) Continue reading Android 2.2 Froyo: everything you ever wanted to know Android 2.2 Froyo: everything you ever wanted to know originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 14:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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FW: Report: 10 million CDMA iPhones on order

Oh boy…

I really didn't think we'd ever see a Qualcomm chip in an iPhone.  Maybe they realized they should go for one last hurrah?  Guess we'll see.

Honestly, if Verizon could just get EV-DO Rev B and something like an iPhone I think they would make all of their consumers happy and we'd be fine waiting a few more years for LTE…  since I'm sure most people don't even know or care about LTE since it's a non-existent market but everyone cares about the iPhone and most, simultaneous voice and data.

Feed: Boy Genius Report
Posted on: Thursday, May 13, 2010 11:16 AM
Author: Michael Bettiol
Subject: Report: 10 million CDMA iPhones on order

DigiTimes has released a pretty interesting report this morning, one that would have us believe that Apple has just placed an order for a whole whack of CDMA iPhones. The CDMA iPhone is to be built by Pegatron — a subsidiary of ASUStek — and the company is expected to deliver up to 10 million devices per year. Naturally, both Pegatron and Apple have declined to comment, but it's pretty interesting that this rumor closely mirrors what the WSJ recently reported. Factor in that just two days ago we discovered that Verizon is working on an iPhone advertising blitz targeted for the end of summer and we'd say these CDMA iPhone rumors are getting really, really hard to ignore. Read

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New Duke Energy Center

The new Duke Energy Center building in Charlotte has some pretty sweet lights (LED?) incorporated into the exterior of the building.  Tiffani and I were out driving the other week at night and saw them being tested, I guess cycling through all the colors patterns.  Not really sure what was going on but it looked really neat, so cool to see a giant building be lit up with style and new technology.  I really like multicolor lights...lol. If it turns out to be as cool as it could be I was to get an apt/condo/house/etc with a view of it so I can just watch it every night.  Brandon has a pretty good view from his apartment, in the fall he said he saw the sides all lit up--i'm guessing it was something like this:


however, after seeing it lit up sometime in the fall while it was still under construction we didn't see any of the lights on the sides until a couple weeks ago.  Brandon heard they had problems with the original installation and were either working to fix it or replace it--not sure what happened.  A couple months ago Tiffani met the contractor that was working on it and confirmed that light installation did encounter a lot of problems, being complicated and very new technology they were essentially doing things for the first time.  Anyways, here's a video that someone captured while the lights were on, in person I didn't think it looked as fast as it does in the video but whatever, probably just part of testing.




I got the video from CLT Blog, here's their site if you want to check it out:  http://cltblog.com/  
Also, here's a new diner they moved to Charlotte last week, it's only about two blocks away from me. should be pretty sweet, I'm excited.

Since it is May 8th, Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and sister!