You are here: Home / Blog

Review: Logitech QuickCam Pro 5000

September 22, 2007 By 1 Comment

Review: Logitech QuickCam Pro 5000Manufacturer: Logitech
Rating: Rating
Buy From Amazon.com

I’ve recently been in the market for decent quality webcams so I picked up Logitech’s QuickCam Pro 5000. The webcam is a small spherical object with a bendable tail that allows you to secure it to a laptop or CRT or sit it on your desk.

I’m using Windows XP, and the software was easy to install, although you will need an internet connection to download the updated software through the Logitech website. Once the software has downloaded, the install wizard will prompt you to hook up the camera via USB when the software has installed.

I’m upgrading from a really cheap webcam that I think I got free when I signed up for Verizon DSL years ago, so the first thing I noticed was how great the video quality was comparably. The pictures are sharp and the camera is pretty good at adjusting the picture brightness accordingly in dim and back lit rooms. In addition, the built in microphone actually dulls background noise so you don’t get echoes and other nuisances when chatting. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Gadgets, Reviews

Robotic Fly: Cool or Creepy?

August 12, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Robotic FlyHarvard University engineers have created a robotic fly to serve as a stealth surveillance robot for the US Department of Defense. The robotic fly is designed to mimic the movements of a real fly. It weighs 60 milligrams and has a wingspan of 3 centimeters.

This is a major advancement in robotics because it’s the first 2 winged robot built to such a small scale that it can pass as a real fly but there are still some challenges. [Read more...]

Filed Under: AI

ATT Censors Pearl Jam for Anti-Bush Comments

August 12, 2007 By Leave a Comment

ATT’s Censorship is a Reminder We Need Net Neutrality

Pearl Jam has always been outspoken politically, so it’s no surprise that they were critical of George Bush during a Lollapalooza broadcast. When AT&T censored the lyrics “George Bush, leave this world alone” and “George Bush find yourself another home”, Pearl Jam posted to their website in protest. Here’s the YouTube video: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Net Neutrality

How the AACS Key Sparked a Digg User Revolt

May 8, 2007 By Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that most tech savvy people despise digital rights management (DRM). So it’s not entirely surprising that last week, Digg users revolted.

DVD publishers add DRM to their movie releases so they can control whether the dvds can be copied and even what devices are allowed to play the dvds. In February 2007, Arnezami, a hacker on the Doom9 forum who was frustrated because his purchased HD-DVD movies wouldn’t play on his Linux-based computer (I believe), cracked the code and published the 128-bit number on the web. The Wired blog wrote up an article about what that meant for the future of DRM. [Read more...]

Filed Under: DRM, Legal, Social Media

Everyone Wants To Sue YouTube

May 7, 2007 By Leave a Comment

It’s been a long week for Google. At the beginning of the month, Google finally submitted their response (PDF) to Viacom’s $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit over video content on YouTube. The gist – they’re claiming they’re protected by the DMCA. Search Engine Land and TechDirt have good summaries of the response. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legal, Social Media, Web 2.0, YouTube

Forrester’s Social Technographics Ladder

May 7, 2007 By Leave a Comment

While Pew Internet has broken down Information and Communication Technology (ICT) users into 10 groups based on how they use the internet and cellphones, Forrester Research has created a ladder showing how consumers engage with internet technology. Their study of US adult online consumers found that 52% didn’t participate in any social networking activities.

Here’s the chart Charlene Li posted on her blog. The rungs at the top of the ladder indicate a higher level of participation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Social Media, Trends, Web 2.0

Pew Internet Study: 8% Are Web 2.0 Devotees

May 7, 2007 By 1 Comment

Pew Internet just published a study of how US adults use the internet (pdf). They found that Americans fall into 10 different groups depending on their information and communication technology (ICT) usage. Of those, Pew created 3 broader groups: Elite Tech Users (31% of American adults), Middle-of-the-road Tech Users (20%) and Few Tech Assets (49%). [Read more...]

Filed Under: Computers, Social Media, Trends, Web 2.0

Prevent Auction Fraud and Identity Theft with a ‘Sensible’ Password

March 19, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Last year, Dov Tenenboim of North Bondi hacked into at least 90 different eBay sellers’ accounts and sold $13,482 worth of non-existent Apple iPods. Last week, he pled guilty. Tenenboim went after eBay users with easy-to-guess passwords – such as those that use their seller name as their password.

When referring to the case, an eBay spokesperson stated the obvious

“What the case highlights is the importance that people need to place in choosing a sensible password,”

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Identity Theft, Legal, Privacy, Security

Video Games Can Sharpen Eyesight and Detect Depression

March 17, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Neda Gould at the US National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD has been experimenting with a variant video game, Duke Nukem, to detect depression in people. Apparently, as people become more depressed, their spatial memory worsens.

To test her theory, she created a game based on scenes from Duke Nukem. In it, players were to navigate through a virtual town, which they were already familiar with, and find various landmarks. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Video Games

Can Blu-Ray Take Over Within The Next Three Years?

March 16, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Frank Simonis, the European chairman of the Blu-Ray Disc Association, was quoted as saying “Within three years it will just be Blu-ray.” Is it just me, or does that seem about as credible as Bill Gates’ statement that Microsoft will eradicate spam in two years… made in January of 2004. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gadgets, Trends
« Older Posts