new PowerBooks from Apple

1.5 and 1.67GHz, Bluetooth 2.0 for all of them, optical audio in/out for the 17", and DualLink DVI for the 17" and optional on the 1,67GHz 15" for connecting a 30" Cinema display.

EFF: Endangered Gizmos List

The Electronic Frontier Foundation EFF posted an important article about stiffling innovation.

LaCie silverscreen hard drive with built in media player

LaCie introduced their silverscreen 2,5" hard drive with built in media player. You can get an identical product from UniBrain called iZak, too.

Wanted: MacOSX with multiple users for VNC...

Right now MacOSX supports multiple users, and all of them can be active. So you can run a long calculation in the background, while the active user runs a different job. Even sound can run in the background. Unfortunately there is no video for a background user, as for instance on Win XP. Wouldn't it be great to have a few background users and each of them having a running VNC server that serves a VNC connection to some tablets or PDAs?

my Mac mini

Hope to get my Mac mini ASAP. I want the 80GB hard drive for an additional 50 and the Bluetooth/Airport Express card built in. I am not sure if I need the DVD burner for another 100, though...

Dell X50w

Even though the Fujitsu Siemens PocketLoox 720 is a great machine with amazing design details, the much cheaper Dell X50w doesn't look bad either and has some technical details, that might be the deal breaker for many. Especially the VGA out option via small cable and the possibility to recharge via USB are missing from the FS PL 720. An extra USB host cable let's you connect standard USB peripherals. Why nearly no PocketPC, Palm or mobile phone has a USB Sync/Charge port as a standard connector is one of the great mysteries of technology for me. RIM Blackberries have USB sync/charge ports. Hope other manufacturers are following them soon.

GSM Treo 650 with DUN

The GSM Treo 650 prototype, that I could use for a few minutes on the 3rd of January had the Dial Up Networking option. So if some providers ship a Treo650 without a DUN option, I guess it's time to change providers ASAP. Or get the discounted Treo650 and install a decent firmware with all the nice goodies enabled and included.

When does PalmOne bring a highend PDA?

Why doesn't PalmOne bring a highend PDA? Bluetooth AND WLAN, VGA screen, and PalmOS6, so we can finally have a multitasking OS and a browser, that supports tabbed browsing. And don't forget VoIP client for SIP and Skype! Do PalmOS power users really have to buy a PocketPC?

Nokia Medallion I RX3

Nokias Medallions seem to be available now, at least in Europe. Especially the Nokia Medallion I RX3 seems to be really stylish. You need a device with IRda capabilities to load pictures onto device (sorry Nokia 6630 users!) and I guess it recharges its internal battery via a standard Nokia charger. Test unit is on the way, so more details soon...

1.8 inch hard drive with 80GB capacity

Hitachi at CES also announced a 1.8 inch hard drive with up to 80 GB capacity, weighing 49 grams and shipping in the second half of 2005.

SuperDachsHound

Etymotic Etycom headset

Tried it out in the noisy environment at the Moscone center, and the
sound quality was just stunning. Even though it was horribly loud all
around me, during a telephone conversation with the Etymotic Etycom
headset on my Treo, I could here the other party exceptionally clear,
and the caller told me, that he understands me perfectly, even though I
was just talking with a low voice in this noisy environment. From now
on, this will be my preferred telephone headset.

one inch Microdrive with 8-10GB capacity

Hitachi at CES announced a MicroDrive with 8-10GB capacity called "Mikey".

500GB 3,5" hard drive

Hitachi announced a 500GB S-ATA harddrive. I think it won´t be available in P-ATA anymore.

Last day in San Francisco

Now off to the airport and into the fish can. I wish I could beam myself over, but on the other side, what happens when you loose some bits in the beaming procedure? So better stay myself and get over it...

I am on the title page of wired.com

They interviewed me last week at MacWorld Expo and today I am at http://wired.com. Pretty amazing to me.

mental health crisis hotline now has voice mail...

Found the following on the title page of StreetSheet, a publication of the coalition on homelessness San Francisco since 1989. http://www.sf-homeless-coalition.org BTW: why is it, that all over the world publications like "Streetsheet" in San Francisco or "Augustin" in Vienna, Austria have more real content to read than most of the commercial so called "news"-papers? Hey, we are all a little crazy, aren't we? Thank you for holding on. If you are depressed, press 1. If you are schizophrenic, press 2. If you have obsessive compulsive disorder press 3 3 3 3 3 3 3. If you have multiple personality disorder, press 4 and 5. If you are a sex addict, press 69. If you are a gambling addict, press 7 come 11, 2 to 1. If you are paranoid, press any number, we already know all about you.

TVB-Gone in European and US versions

Highly recommended. Buy online at http://tvbgone.com or locally in San Francisco at WildCards, 3979 17th Street near Castro for 14.99$.

MacWorld Expo is over

Real life starts again...

SATA technology from Hungary

SATA card developer Firmtek showed their newest 4port external SATA card at booth 516 at MacWorld Expo. Just found out, that the founders and owners of Firmtek are of hungarian and vietnamese ancestry. Nagyszerü!

First dog I saw at MacWorld Expo

I think he even had a press pass :-)

20 Reasons the Mac mini will fail and doom Apple...

There is a great article on LowEndMac with 20 reasons the Mac mini will fail and doom Apple ;-) Just a short quote from reason #16: Minorities and the politically correct crowd will refuse to buy one until Apple offers the Mac mini in black, yellow, red, and brown. These people have also been avoiding the snow iMacs, ice iBooks, white iPods, and other white Apple products for years.

Solio solar charger

Solio showed their solar charger at MacWorld this week. It has a built in rechargeable battery, that you charge either with a wall charger, or via sun light. As it has a USB power port, it can recharge nearly every device, that supports USB charging. And great design, too!

FrogPad Bluetooth keyboard

One of the highlights of MacWorld Expo is to be found on one of the tiny booths, as every year. The FrogPad Bluetooth has drivers for PalmOS, PocketPC and Symbian, runs great via MacOSX and can recharged via USB.

A sunny walk to Moscone

Yesterday I had an interesting evening at the great "party for the people" from Deb Shadowitz. While I was inside somebody or more accurate some thing stole my locked bicycle in front of the Parc55 Hotel. I bought it used a week ago and fortunately I did not fix it yet. The new "owner" will soon find out about the feeling when you can't control your steering anymore, especially on a steep downhill in San Francisco. BTW: I think one of the brakes is going to break soon, too ;-)

ElGato EyeTV 200 now supports Teletext and MPEG4

And the new EyeConnect software enables a UPnP™ digital media device to stream EyeTV recordings and movies from a Mac onto a TV.

Mac mini details

S-video and composite video output to connect directly to a TV or projector, requires Apple DVI to Video Adapter, sold separately for 19$ AirPort Extreme Card 79$ Build-to-Order Options: Internal Bluetooth module 50$ Slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) 100$

Mac mini

499$

iPod Shuffle

512MB 99$

Macworld Expo only one hall

They say, it's not smaller, only more condensed ;-)

Networx BeamDock

BeamDock is an iPod dock with additional audio in, rechargeable battery and wireless audio out to a matching receiver to connect to your home stereo. Firewire and USB connectors included, too. Available exclusively at Gravis.

Mobile monday in San Francisco this evening

Mobile monday is happening in San Francisco this evening at 8 pm at Dimension 7 Studio, 150 Folsom Street.

Apple store San Francisco

Tomorrow the fogs will be gone and we will finally know about those insanely great products, Steve Jobs will introduce at his keynote.

iPods everywhere in SF

I wonder, if we will see flash based iPods coming tuesday.

a bus with a bicycle rack

Most of the muni busses in the bay area have these bike racks on the front, so for longer trips or in case of a rain shower you just take the bus and have your bike, too.

OQO is real!

After years of beeing vaporware, on October 15 2004 OQO finally brought their palm sized Windows XP computer to market. And after years in a garage they now have kinda real office space. Can't wait to test it soon. No idea yet, if there will be a Linux option...

SFLan.org

A one time investment of around 1000 $ for the hardware gives you free internet access at around 4Mbps up AND downlink. See SFLan.org for more info.

Finally a dog frienly location in SF

Normally you don't see many dogs in San Francisco, but the OSA Foundation is different. Their offices seem to be crowded mainly by dogs, with some humans beeing there just accidentally

Another sunny morning in SF

Perfect for riding the bike...

Poland saves Europe (again!)

Poland, one of the newest members of the European Union has just saved the EU from a major public policy debacle by not allowing software patents in Europe. Sign the "Thank you, Poland!"letter!

Treo 650 GSM

Yesterday I had the honor (and pleasure!) to get my hands on one of the first prototypes of the upcoming Palm Treo 650 in the GSM/GPRS/EDGE version! Big wow factor! The screen is just gorgeous! And the Bluetooth prefs has the DUN (Dial Up Networking) option included. I still don't know, if you can switch off the backlight completely, but I will find out more details in the following days...

Sunrise beside the pyramid

Rain stopped, it's getting warm again. Let's enter SF!

my morning view

I just love the view of the pyramid...

finally back in San Francisco

It is raining like cats and dogs...

packing for San Francisco

4,8kg carry on luggage plus 1kg fanny bag with Treo600, FujitsuSiemens PocketLoox 720, Sanyo C1, USB Bluetooth adapter, and some retractable sync-charge cables...