CityTools technology

CityTools technology http://www.citytools.net Your news, your way. Stories on CityTools where either written by members or are existing stories shared by members. In the case of shared stories, all rights reside with the original creator. en 2008-10-07T21:22:31 2008-10-07T21:22:31 httpd:/www.citytools.net/essentials/rss_docs.html CityTools http://www.citytools.net/images/rss_logo.jpg http://www.citytools.net 182 35 citytools image Steve Ballmer Says That Vista Capable Debacle Totally Not His Fault http://www.citytools.net/showstory/9FEEB0E4-9486-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Bailing on his court appearance in the class-action lawsuit over the fact that "Vista Capable" computers were utter pieces of crap packed with sucky chips that were "capable" of running Vista in only the thinnest, most literal interpretation of term, Steve Ballmer delivered a written deposition that excused himself of all responsibility. "I was not involved in any of the operational decisions about the Windows Vista Capable program. I was not involved in establishing the requirements computers must satisfy to qualify for the Windows Vista ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413859757/steve-ballmer-says-that-vista-capable-debacle-totally-not-his-fault"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413859757/steve-ballmer-says-that-vista-capable-debacle-totally-not-his-fault">[original story]</a> Woz: iPod to Die Soon http://www.citytools.net/showstory/326CBFDC-947E-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ In an surprisingly frank and fresh exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph, Steve Wozniak has left us some new gems of wisdom regarding the past, present, and future of Apple. Among his thoughts on Apple's fanboyism, stock overvaluation, upcoming products, and the iPhone limitations, the most surprising is his prediction that the iPod success will die soon, just like the Walkman and transistor radio did: The iPod has sort of lived a long life at number one. Things like, that if you look back to transistor radios and Walkmans, they kind of die out after a ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413827836/woz-ipod-to-die-soon"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413827836/woz-ipod-to-die-soon">[original story]</a> 460,000-Brick Lego Tower Breaks World Record http://www.citytools.net/showstory/599AC11C-9497-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ digg_skin = 'compact'; digg_bgcolor = '#f1f8fa'; digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/460_000_Brick_Lego_Tower_Breaks_World_Record_PICS'; At 96.73 feet (29.485 meters) this Lego tower built in the Rathaus Platz in Vienna has broken the world record for the tallest Lego construction in the world. It took nearly 460,000 bricks and it was built over four days. The views from the top are quite stunning. galleryPost('legotower', 5, ''); The tower included 121 plates designed and built by 3,000 kids using 2 x 4 Lego bricks. The ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413908833/460000+brick-lego-tower-breaks-world-record"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413908833/460000+brick-lego-tower-breaks-world-record">[original story]</a> Pandora Web Radio Goodness Now Playing On Chumby http://www.citytools.net/showstory/BB2C9826-949F-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Everyone's favorite music-genome-powered web radio service Pandora is now officially available on everyone's favorite ambiguous-use plush-paneled Linux appliance, the Chumby. Fitting of their strategy to be on every hardware platform possible, Pandora can now provide soothing wakeup tunes (major key tonality, mild rhythmic syncopation, a good dose of acoustic guitar pickin') via Chumby's own alarm clock before you smash its vulnerable soft parts and go back to sleep. Full release following. Discover New Music from Pandora on Your Chumby® New Content ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414042503/pandora-web-radio-goodness-now-playing-on-chumby"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414042503/pandora-web-radio-goodness-now-playing-on-chumby">[original story]</a> Zero-Cost Gadget Upgrades For the Next Great Depression http://www.citytools.net/showstory/7E7C9E06-94B0-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Hanging out at sites like Giz may have instilled in you an insatiable, pocket-emptying gadget habit. But now we're entering a new era—the old guys on the TV are saying that soon we may not even have pockets, let alone money for them. Don't panic though: You've probably got a wealth of gadgetry sitting underutilized in your living rooms, closets and basements, just waiting to be given powerful new (not exactly authorized) features. For free. I've collected the best firmware replacements, software mods and homebrew hacks from the DMCA-flouting, ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414088421/zero+cost-gadget-upgrades-for-the-next-great-depression"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414088421/zero+cost-gadget-upgrades-for-the-next-great-depression">[original story]</a> Silver-Zinc Batteries Coming in 2009 With 40% Better Run Time Than Lithium-Ion http://www.citytools.net/showstory/1CD0CDB0-94A8-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Lithium-ion is, by far, the most common form of rechargeable battery found in today's mobile devices. However, a shift towards silver zinc may be looming on the horizon thanks to a new product in development by ZPower, Inc. Ross E. Dueber, president and CEO of the company is scheduled to address attendees at the Batteries 2008 conference in Nice, France starting tomorrow, where he will tout the advantages of his silver-zinc technology scheduled to launch in "a major notebook computer in 2009." Whether we will find out the identity of this "major ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414014204/silver+zinc-batteries-coming-in-2009-with-40-better-run-time-than-lithium+ion"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414014204/silver+zinc-batteries-coming-in-2009-with-40-better-run-time-than-lithium+ion">[original story]</a> Netflix trims outlook and shares sink http://www.citytools.net/showstory/14C485CC-93F8-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Reuters - Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc cut its fourth-quarter outlook, blaming the U.S. economic turmoil for weaker-than-expected subscriber growth in the third quarter and driving its shares down 11 percent.<a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081006/wr_nm/us_netflix_outlook">[original story]</a> Astronomers predict shooting star over Sudan from space boulder http://www.citytools.net/showstory/7444BF9C-946D-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ AFP - Astronomers said a small space rock was expected to have collided with Earth early Tuesday, which would have created a spectacular fireball over Sudan but was unlikely to have caused any damage on the ground.<a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081007/sc_afp/spacemeteoroid">[original story]</a> Nikon Debuts Video Headset With Wi-Fi, 8GB of Storage, and a Browser http://www.citytools.net/showstory/04627DDE-9465-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ A seriously odd announcement from camera maker Nikon, the Media Port UP300 and UP300x video headset approaches wearable PC territory. The device, which honestly looks like a pair of headphones with a small display tacked on, actually has a pretty impressive spec sheet: up to 8GB of flash memory for videos, audio and file storage, Wi-Fi connectivity, a full-featured internet browser and on the 300x model, even motion control. Browsing would have to be frustrating on a setup like this, but the Wi-Fi connection can also be used to download audio and video content directly ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413692883/nikon-debuts-video-headset-with-wi+fi-8gb-of-storage-and-a-browser"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413692883/nikon-debuts-video-headset-with-wi+fi-8gb-of-storage-and-a-browser">[original story]</a> Apple Ships New, Un-Shocky USB Power Adapters http://www.citytools.net/showstory/ABA4C484-945C-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Less than a month after Apple initiated the recall process for its USB iPhone power adapters, customers are reporting that their replacements have been received. The original adapters had metal prongs that could break off and remain in a power outlet, which carried an electric shock risk. The new one looks exactly the same as its predecessor, except it's bedaubed with an extra green dot. [TUAW] <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413407908/apple-ships-new-un+shocky-usb-power-adapters">[original story]</a> DVD copying software gets pulled http://www.citytools.net/showstory/49D1A09A-9454-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ RealNetworks is being pursued by six movie studios over software that makes copies of DVD films so they can be played on a PC.<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/technology/7656372.stm">[original story]</a> Old-School Rapper Tells the 1990s to Quit Pirating Games http://www.citytools.net/showstory/E7721270-944B-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Back in the era of floppy disks, before programmers figured out how to implement DRM, they had to rely on no-name rap stars to keep kids from pirating software. That's right, rap stars. The video really speaks for itself, so watch it now—and remember, Don't Copy that Floppy! [-Thanks Stephanie!] <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413574905/old+school-rapper-tells-the-1990s-to-quit-pirating-games">[original story]</a> World's Longest Ringtone Clocks In at Over an Hour http://www.citytools.net/showstory/60BEB45C-942A-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ For those of you who love to let your cellphones ring incessantly, never bothering to pick it up or let it go to voicemail, here's the world's longest mobile phone ringtone. The ringtone, supplied by Japanese company Dwango, lasts 61 minutes and 40 seconds and will be submitted for inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records. [PlusD via Textually] <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413431118/worlds-longest-ringtone-clocks-in-at-over-an-hour">[original story]</a> Fake Boy Band Ushers In Windows 7, Makes Vista Years Seem Classy http://www.citytools.net/showstory/FF687A60-9421-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Apparently, a simple blog post about getting Windows 7 early by attending Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference (PDC) in October or the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in November wasn't enough. No, Microsoft had to drive the point home by getting a fake boy band to sing a song about PDC, and the free 160GB HDD—containing the earliest release of Win7—that will be handed to attendees. Yep, they recorded an intentionally bad yet catchy late-90s-flavored pop song that includes the rhyme "Windows 7 my love is true/Now let ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413296833/fake-boy-band-ushers-in-windows-7-makes-vista-years-seem-classy"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413296833/fake-boy-band-ushers-in-windows-7-makes-vista-years-seem-classy">[original story]</a> Spinal Tap Blu-ray Hits January; Game Lets You Create Your Own New Originals http://www.citytools.net/showstory/9C022C3A-9419-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ The upcoming This Is Spinal Tap Blu-ray is of course exciting to me. After all, it's been what, like seven years since I last hurled money at Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest and the rest of the lot for their well-deservedly best-selling DVD special edition. But while the Blu-ray will come with an intriguing-sounding game, this latest repackaging of the classic, due out January 20, 2009, could easily be dead on arrival, having choked on not necessarily its own vomit. For starters, it's not recorded in Dubbly. Nope, according to the press release, it's got a 5.1 ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413360136/spinal-tap-blu+ray-hits-january-game-lets-you-create-your-own-new-originals"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413360136/spinal-tap-blu+ray-hits-january-game-lets-you-create-your-own-new-originals">[original story]</a> Real Pilots Racing Against Virtual Airplanes Will Bring Simulators to a New Level http://www.citytools.net/showstory/3C5A5440-9411-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ newVideoPlayer("/virtualplanes_giz.flv", 476, 286,""); Sky Challenge wants to create a new massive sport, one that would allow you to race against real stunt airplanes, flying through virtual doughnuts and gates up in the real sky. To do that, they are using a mix of technologies that that allow real planes to be precisely tracked, as well as letting real world pilots see the course and the computer planes around them. Here's how it works: • The real world scenario is introduced in the computer and a race course is programmed. • The real planes ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413306692/real-pilots-racing-against-virtual-airplanes-will-bring-simulators-to-a-new-level"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413306692/real-pilots-racing-against-virtual-airplanes-will-bring-simulators-to-a-new-level">[original story]</a> Retromodo: Curta Mechanical Calculator With 605 Parts Developed in Concentration Camp http://www.citytools.net/showstory/D9273FEE-9408-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ Math geeks may recognize the iconic device pictured above. Before electronic calculators became available in the 70's, the Curta Calculator was considered to be the most efficient portable calculator available. The device boasts 605 intricate parts and it can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and even square roots without electricity. Despite its complexity, the Curta was so well constructed that it made a pleasing purring sound when the parts moved. It also happens to be one beautiful piece of machinery in general. However, the most ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413281299/retromodo-curta-mechanical-calculator-with-605-parts-developed-in-concentration-camp"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413281299/retromodo-curta-mechanical-calculator-with-605-parts-developed-in-concentration-camp">[original story]</a> Voodoo Envy 133 Review (Verdict: Plenty Thin, Plenty Pricey) http://www.citytools.net/showstory/B3F7F902-93EF-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ VoodooPC's Envy 133, the world's thinnest laptop, just started shipping, and we scored one of the first production units straight outta Calgary. It's a lithe black laptop that keeps cool while running Vista, a super light machine that's strong as hell thanks to a carbon-fiber frame. It's the size of a MacBook Air with way more tech crammed inside, including its own second Linux-based operating system. And though it costs a lot more than most laptops that perform similar chores, it does it with a grace that I haven't seen since Vista's launch. ...<a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413138540/voodoo-envy-133-review-verdict-plenty-thin-plenty-pricey"> (more) </a><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/413138540/voodoo-envy-133-review-verdict-plenty-thin-plenty-pricey">[original story]</a>