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Last year we had one of the weirdest news stories come out. A man was thought to be killed by his LG phone battery when it exploded in his shirt pocket. There was a lot of controversy over this issue at the time - whether an item that is pretty volitile should be regulated and monitored more closely. It was then discovered…. well, you’ll have to listen to the Quickcast to find out what happened next.

Also, Microsoft is first spoken of, Fortran 2003 is released, Ken Jennings looses, Roxio buys Napster and so much more on the Quickcast.

Other Posts of Interest:

• Can your Laptop Battery Really Explode?
• Someone is always Challenging Someone – Apple iPhone vs. Blackberry

This issue is really not a new one. Ever since the birth of a portable stereo headphone radio, there has been concern about them not being able to hear the oncoming car. But now it’s getting worse and more accidents are being caused because of “Podestrians” - those listening to their favorite song or show over a type of MP3 player.

Swinton Insurance, an insurance company out of the UK just released new statistics that say more accidents are being caused by those who are not paying attention to the surroundings because they are encompassed in music, podcasts or other audio and/or video content.  The average person relies on all 5 senses to go through the day. Remove one of those senses and you’re equilibrium can be off balance. Heighten one sense and the others will miss the obvious - like a car speeding at you without possibility of stopping.

Swinton Insurer Development Manager Steve Chelton states this is not a big issue at a major intersection. Quieter roads cause for less concern. A “Podestrian” will pretty much jump out of nowhere.

This is not the first time I have seen or heard about this. However there is another growing fad I’ve been seeing more and if depending on where you live, it might not be illegal to do. Listening to MP3 players while driving.

I have done it myself. When I do, I am listening to Podcasts and I only have one ear in. That would be no more of a distraction than say a cellphone headset. With the volume at a low rate, I can get the information I crave and still drive safely.

After all, especially with “Quiet interior” cars, how many times did you not know an ambulance was behind you until they were about 10-15 yards away? When you finally notice, it’s not the sound you hear, but the flashing of lights in which bring you back into reality to pull to the side.

I still see more people driving around with a white wire protruding from both ears. Who knows what level volume they are listening at. Who knows they’ll hear a oncoming car laying down the horn because their brakes have just given out.

As been stated by many sources, it takes one small distraction to get into an accident. I remember one time a guy was helping a turtle cross the road. Someone payed more attention to that rather than the car in front of them who stopped. They were lucky with a small fender bender, but it could have been worse.

I personally think we need some distraction to stay focused. For instance, right now “Highway Star” by Deep Purple is going over the speakers while I am typing this. As I am typing, I am also listening to the lyrics. I think of it like the song keeps my brain idling while I am in work mode.

However, if that song was blaring in my ears, I might put more attention to the music and therefore lose momentum on this article.

Lost in Sound - California Vehicle Code section 27400 states:

A person operating a motor vehicle or bicycle may not wear a headset covering, or earplus in, both ears. The doesn’t apply to emergency vehicles, a person engaged in construction equipment for highway maintenance, a garbage collector, noise attenuators, or prosthetic devices to help the hard of hearing.

Of course this law is different in other states / provinces / or countries. So are talking on a cell phone and texting / twittering. I had a friend that would drive upwards to 200 miles in a day. She fashioned her laptop to her car like a cop car has. She could then IM, email and type using one hand while the other was used to hold the wheel.

MP3 players are getting cooler. More audio features, video options and on screen buttons can become more of a distraction. When you lose one of your senses for a brief moment, distraction can come much easier. Yet we want to still rockout, not get distracted by everyday surroundings or be connected to our friends instantly. We want to be in our own little world. Unfortunately, when worlds collide, it can be disastrous.

Other Posts of Interest:

• Ep. #51 9-17-08 - No Illness will bring the show down.
• Dell Buzz on Possible Phone?

GigaOM’s OM Malik talked with Michael Dell about the company a couple weeks back. Michael made some statements whose predictions at times were no easier than determining Nostradamus’ writings. Yet other websites interpreted it in saying that Dell is hinting on making a phone to rival iPhone. While it’s not an impossibility, will Dell get into the market or are they playing on the media to ilicit a response from the public?

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GigaOM is a good quality site with great articles and fantastic interviews. Their About section says they apply a professional journalistic perspective, and I definitely see that. Their site is easy to navigate and their articles really make you think.

Of course, Michael Dell needs no introduction. A PC pioneer, Dell has paved the way for an affordable PC with support at the ready. Dell was responsible for toll-free technical support when others were making you pay to talk to someone past a 30 to 90 day period. They also showed us that “Direct from Dell” meant it. Everything that I have ever ordered from Dell has shown up within 48 hours - and it didn’t matter if I was buying it through a company or on my own.

So OM Malik caught up with Michael Dell couple weeks ago. They talked about Cloud Computing, where Dell is headed and of course, the big question: Is Dell looking at a Smartphone?

Michael started off by saying “Mobile Internet devices and smartphones are all part of our mobile computer business. Our focus is on the bull’s-eye of the volume, which today is notebooks, computers and laptops.” When OM asked the question about a plan for a smartphone, Michael Dell stated “We are certainly looking at the whole smartphone category, but I wouldn’t expect anything anytime soon.”

As Om Malik probed, he asked if Dell was going to side with Android or Symbian OS. He indicated that Dell could sway the standard with whomever they chose. Michael Dell came back with:”We’re not ready to publicly disclose our plans there…we’re kind of working on that.”

While a smartphone is a very good possibility, I see Michael Dell trying to view into the future. Is a smartphone the real answer, or is there something else that could be better and more useful to enter into the “$5 to $10 billion dollar scale opportunity” as he put it. And more importantly, why enter into a market filled with competition when you can pave the way with a new technology?

With Open Source licensing into play, everyone thinks cellphones are the next computer. Michael Dell said the smartphone was a compliment to a computer. “that kind of building block architecture gives us all sorts of opportunities”.

What if these items are integrated into other areas? For instance, USA Today reported in May that the National Center for Health Statistics said 1 out of 6 homes do not have a land line - and that is a growing statistic. In a more populated area like New York, land lines have dropped 55% since 2000.

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP and now VoWiFi are a great alternatives to traditional land lines. A phone and the flexibility to take it with you at times. A company like MagicJack, for example, allows you to connect your phone to a computer from whatever internet connection you have and make a phone call - Yet it is not a cell phone.

Chumby is an internet appliance. It sits on your desk and connects to the internet wirelessly. Why couldn’t an appliance like that be loaded with software that could turn it into a fully functional phone? Maybe something that could sync with your cell phone and have a matching SIM card so when you are at the desk, you use the Chumby and when you are mobile, you use the… well… mobile.

So is Dell making a smartphone? It’s possible. The Axim can easily be retooled and given phone capabilities. But why make something that has already been done? Why not build a newer, better item that compliments the desktop or notebook and maybe even a smartphone? Innovation in a sleek looking case is what people want. To have the Dell name on it makes it all that much prettier.

Other Posts of Interest:

• Do We Need Comcast to Cap Bandwidth Usage?
• Someone is always Challenging Someone – Apple iPhone vs. Blackberry

No Ouside show  - Mic Cable - Donate old iPhone - PC reload news - Batman Poster - Call and Win!

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I - S.U.N. (Straight Up News)
USPS Gets New Bar Codes - GCN
VIA quits Motherboard Business - Ubergizmo
ATI Radeon HD 4870 x2 - Gizmodo
Top 15 Cell Phones - Infosync
Best Buy Vending - Chicago Tribune
iPhone 3G Chip Problems? - GigaOm
AVS Forums Crash - Engadget
NVidia QuadroPlex D2 - Engadget
Hubble Hits 100,000 - Ars Technica
PSP Camera is a Fire Hazard - Gizmodo
Lenovo with WACOM - Dvice

AccessoryGeeks.com

II
IBM Virtualization - InfoWorld
Microsoft Free World - LinuxInsider
64 bit Windows Gaining - CNet
Zune Wants You - Ars Technica

TCT Podcast - $37 USD at Sourcingmap.com
Email

Ten Year Watch
Maya

III
iPhone Kill Switch - Engadget
Chinas Green City - Slashdot
Particle Supercollider - GCN
CA No-Compete - Slashdot

IV
Anitvirus in the Cloud - ArsTechnica
GMails ‘I’m Sorry’ Blog
Sprint Airave - Bizjournals
-Do they Work? - TechFAQ

Apple - get an iMac

Listeners’ Notes:
Rotatable iPod Alarm Clock
Anime Eyes
In Car Microwave
Diving for Antiques
Gamers Table
What to do with that old iPhone
400 Photoshop Actions

YouTubin
Uniteds Newest Commercial

Twitter - Pownce - Plurk - Myspace - Facebook Group - FriendFeed - Digg the Podcast

Other Posts of Interest:

• Ep. #51 9-17-08 - No Illness will bring the show down.
• Ep. #50 - 9-10-08 - Lots of news and info on forums

10 years ago I walked into the local dealer and picked up my first cell phone. I believe it was a Nokia 920. My work cell was a Motorola Clam Shell, then I believe a Nokia 720. I then got a 5100 series, followed by a 6300 series. 2 years ago I purchased the Razr3, and now I have an HTC 8125.

5 cell phones in 10 years. Throughout those times I have called, texted, surfed and played the occasional game of Bubble breaker. My phone has been by my side all this time. So has my wallet and keys. But which one would I want the most if I had to choose one?

IDC and Nortel Networks did a study to find out what is more important – your cell phone or your wallet. 38 percent of over 2000 people polled wanted their cell phone. 30 percent went for the wallet, while the remainder went for something else.

It’s interesting that a little thing like a phone can make you decide that you can leave things like your wallet at home. I could never do that. I would feel naked without my wallet. Then again, I would feel naked without the cell phone or my keys.

We seem to value the things that work easiest for us. Then again, I used to have a watch on my wrist and a ring on my finger (no, not a wedding band – just a regular ring). 15 years ago I went along with my life without a cell phone. Could I ever give it up now? How about my wallet or keys?
The interesting thing is, yes. I could give up my wallet. After all, what IS in my wallet? We’ll start with the most important thing. Money. I can always carry a money clip or just stick the bills in my front pocket.
My ID, Debit and Credit cards make up the majority of my wallet. But ya know, in a few years I wouldn’t be surprised if those would both be on my cell phone in some way shape or form. Think about it – a scan able ID via infrared? A scan on the Credit card reader, in which you punch in a couple numbers into the phone and you just bought something?

Even business cards can be scanned into your address book. Why have a piece of paper when you can have your phone take care of it for you?
Now keys are important, right? Not really. I rarely use my keys to enter my car or house. If you equip your car and house with keypads, you just punch in a number and boom. Your car is unlocked and started, and your house is locked or unlocked. There are even some public restrooms in Finland that will open with a text message.

Keys, shmees. Don’t need those archaic things. All I need is a cell phone and a good battery.

Reality is, cell phones do a lot more than call a person. Some cell phones can even access the internet, VPN into your home computer and let you work. Internet maps, Videos, MP3’s and whatever else you can think of.
Some have played with the idea of embedding your cell in your arm, or behind your ear. Battery technology has told us we can charge a certain type of battery just by holding it to our skin. Could you imagine having this technology as a part of you – working off human power?

There are some that oppose the cell, though. Even some people that are 100% techies. They want nothing to do with a cell phone – they would rather have the land line and use payphones : that is, if you can find one.
Technically, my phone matches a Pentium 233 mHz machine from back in 1997. Newer models have 600 mHz processors, 192 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. It’s a long cry from the first “Brick Phones”, but as we evolve, so does our technology.

Maybe someday we won’t need keys. Maybe someday we won’t need wallets. Maybe even someday we won’t need cell phones. But for now, I’ll take all three, thank you.

Thanks for listening. My name is Jeffrey Powers for Geekazine dot co…. Oh wait, almost forgot my cell phone.

Other Posts of Interest:

• Can your Laptop Battery Really Explode?
• Week In Tech History - 11-24-08 - When Cell Batteries Attack

The call is made. For years now we knew we couldn’t keep living like this, yet, we still did. Now (for America), the reality is coming light a freight train toward a brick wall. We keep pulling those brakes, yet we’re not stopping.

Ever since the first windmill, we have been trying to pull energy from resources to make our jobs easier. Powering a light, running a car or using a laptop. Energy is a way of life, and we take it for granted way too often.

Recently, there have been some who have jumped out of the gate to say they have an energy source that would help. There’s even an inventor that says he has created a device that will give free energy which he plans to unveil it on June 20^th. With all those claims, we still seem to be stuck in the same conundrum we have been for the last 20 years. Will we ever break free and have a clean, reusable energy for our daily routines?

Let’s take a look at probably one of the biggest energy resources - oil. We use it from powering our devices to making simple compounds. Ever since the cultivation of Oil we have been using it to work and play. According to the Department of Energy, the US uses 20 million Barrels of oil a day. That is 7 Billion barrels in a Year, for the US alone.

Let’s break down the Barrel to understand it all. A barrel of Oil is 42 Gallons - but when refined, the amount of oil is 44.77 Gallons. From each barrel, 43.9% is turned into Gasoline (19.65 Gallons). 22.4% goes to Diesel (10.03 Gallons), 9% goes to Jet Fuel (4.07 Gallons), 1% is lubricants (.46 Gallons) and the rest is other items. Therefore, if oil goes up, then the cost of everything also goes up.

So if we rely on it so much to create items and make them run, how can we ever get off this resource? Maybe the answer is to not totally get off of it, but make it less of a necessity. For example - if we had a mixed resource, a barrel of oil might still cost the same, however you would need less oil to do things like make gasoline.

This is where the race is on. Alternate fuel could mean lower cost and better environment. Ethanol has been thought to be the alternative resource, however, although e85 runs cleaner, it contains less energy than gas. Therefore, you might spend less filling up, but overall you would spend more because gas millage would go down with E85.

Enter in Coskata - a biofuel startup in Illinois who claims they can make ethanol for less than a dollar a gallon, using a bacteria applied to organic material to turn into ethanol. This would mean that everyday trash could get converted easily. So Doc Browns “Mr. Fusion” might just be a reality after all.

Another set of researchers - one at UMass, and the other at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been working on “Green Fuel”, a way to pull gas from biomass sources, like poplar trees and switchgrass. The UW-M’s idea is to also fuse the green fuel with Jet fuel - which would make a gasoline that you could put into the current car you drive.

Oil and Gasoline is not the only advance in the last year. SUNGRI, a solar energy design and developer, has put together a system that takes sunlight and amplifies it over 1600 times to extract and charge power cells. This form of Solar Power could drop the cost from 20 cents per kWh to 5 cents per kWh, therefore making solar power a reality cost-wise.

Wind Power hasn’t advanced too much, however it still can do it’s part in reducing the use of Fossil Fuels. Alone, wind power might not power our needs, but added in with solar and other alternate energies, wind power could easily enhance our need.

All of these answers won’t solve our problems right this moment. If you look at current production, some analysts say if more refineries were built, we could focus on Heavy crude oil, which costs less than light crude. It would also reduce the strain on the 149 refineries in the US and result in less problems that could shut the plant down.

The best solution would be to use less energy. Unfortuneately, we may never see that option, so the better solution would be to become resourceful. All these plans will at least take one to two years to push off the ground. That’s considering if they work night and day to get processes perfected and refineries built. Add another year to put together stock to actually push out. It’s a great start to solve the issues and they can be great advancements to multiple years of research. If green is a viable option at a great price, then we might get back on track to power the world in a safe way.

Other Posts of Interest:

• BYOC - Personal Computer As a Corporate Machine?
• Customer Service - How Social Networking makes the job that much harder.

History this week includes:

First Portable Cell Phone Call
Founding of Dell Computers
Geocaching
Amtrak
First Heart Transplant
Mac OSX 10.4 Tiger
8 Hour Workday
Paris Hilton’s Address Book is Hacked

Other Posts of Interest:

• 10-31-07 #5
• Week In Tech History - 11-24-08 - When Cell Batteries Attack

The story of Exploding laptops is not a new one. The Lithium battery in your laptop expands to the point where it breaks the encasement. Dell, Sony and IBM ended up recalling a series of batteries to prevent computer loss.

Today scientists announced they had made a solid, non-flammable polymer to replace the liquid electrolyte that is used to make the batteries. The science is new, and wont see the light of the public eye for 3 to 5 years, mainly because the polymer needs work to hold a longer charge. However, will this help the laptop not explode?

A few years ago I dealt with an issue in desktops where they would either start acting quirky or stop working altogether. The result was what they called “Exploding Caps” - the Capacitors in the machines would expand due to faulty manufacturing. Capacitors are a vital part in most electronics because they store energy to push it out in the needed areas of the machine. They are in your desktop, laptop, Digital camera and most other electronics. Heck, there are even capacitors in your car.

Bottom line is that we take things for granted. We feel safe putting a device that pushes 19 Volts and holds many harmful chemicals on the lap. We put a potential grenade next to our eye. We even get into a large steel contraption and turn the key hoping it won’t go up in flames.

There is a video on YouTube simulating an exploding laptop (basically put together with help so it could explode). The initial explosion might not hurt, but if you don’t take immediate action, major damage will ensue. Here is why: A laptop battery is comprised of “Cells”. Usually there are 3-4 cells in a battery. Once one cell causes a breech, The other cells will eventually follow.

Think of it like the scene in “Back to the future 3″. When 3^rd log ignited, it causes the fire to get so hot it incinerates the train’s engine. When that chain reaction happens, the laptop gets hotter and more dangerous. Fire can get up to 1000 degrees or more, simply because you are dealing with an electrical AND chemical fire.

Now imagine you using your laptop: Is it sitting on your lap right now? Are your hands resting right above the battery? The initial cell explosion would most likely burn, but you would have enough time to react and get away from the machine.

Will that change my mind on using a laptop? Not really. However, it will make me more aware of how I use the machine. I still find it funny how some people leave their laptops on 24/7. Some have it constantly plugged into the wall, which can cause undo strain on the battery and ultimately cause it to fail.

I also see people close the lid, unplug it, then put it in their bag so they can go home. All because they don’t want to turn it back on, so it spends twenty minutes or more in a bag during a commute. Not to mention the sidetracking you can do, like go to the store on the way home to pick up a gallon of milk and bread.

The reality is the average laptop will not explode. The battery would need to have a defect in it to begin with. But you never know. An aborigine could come out of the brush and shoot an arrow directly in the battery causing a breech and sending your laptop to computer heaven.

The only thing you can do IF your laptop heads into flames is be prepared to know what to do. Don’t throw water on it. Remember - this can create a fire hotter than a standard fire. A Class D fire extinguisher will help stop the fire. Try to use something to push it into a trash can or something non-flammable. Keep the laptop plugged into a surge strip - that way if the fire breaks out, the surge protector trips.

I have an older laptop and have had it on my lap approximately 60 percent of the time when I use it. I am not concerned about it exploding. I suppose there will be some time I go to turn it on and it wont respond. But that is just like any device - eventually it will fail.

BTW - if you want to feel conscious about the environment, then the laptop you want is a MacBook Air. It’s made with an all-aluminum case, BFR and PVC free circuit boards, arsenic free glass and a Mercury free  monitor.

Other Posts of Interest:

• The Computers in My Life
• Someone is always Challenging Someone – Apple iPhone vs. Blackberry

I am reminded of the old Godzilla movies when I hear “Android”. But in all reality, this is not much different. We just don’t see a cardboard city get demolished by 3 guys dressed in costumes.

Google has given themselves not only a humungous undertaking in aquiring Android, but also a new buzzword that has been passed back and forth many times in the last few weeks. Since it’s silent aquisition back in August, the news has been anything but ‘quiet’. Companies getting on the bandwagon, putting in the hours to make this thing a success. But the real question is - Is this something that the massess want, or will this become another piece of diregarded technology.

It’s safe to say that everyone wants a phone that can do more than take phone calls. Text messaging has become more viable way of communicating. According to www.cellsigns.com, 79% of the US owns a mobile phone, and by Dec of 2006, they averaged over 18 billion text messages a month. That has been steadily growing month by month, so it may be safe to say this number is a lot bigger now. By 2010, they predict over 100 Million people will be text messaging.

The internet has been an important factor in cell phones. Certain phones have the ability to pull internet data through the phone service, or give you the option to get the internet data from your wireless LAN. This can make things like texting take on a whole new meaning because one can text using the standard SMS method, or get on a service like Yahoo or MySpace Messaging and be in constant touch with their friends.

Cell phones have also become an extension to the PC. Nowadays, someone can connect their phone up to the machine, download programs, MP3’s, Spreadsheets and Documents, and synchronize their calendars, contacts, email and tasks. There is even a program that will Remote desktop so you don’t need to even look at the phone - and a program on the phone that will let you remote desktop into your home PC if you are away. It wouldn’t be at all suprising to one day have the PC replaced by the cell phone. Dock your phone in a cradle and turn on the monitor - your PC is ready to go.

But that is getting ahead of the current technology. Not too far ahead, however we are not totally there yet. And that is where things like Android step in. Widgets and programs galore. It will do to a cell phone what MySpace did to social networking.

How will that help the average user? Will they be extatic by what they can do, or will they get frustrated with the technology? According to an article in 2006 by www.news.com, a report by Gartner (http://www.gartner.com/) showed smartphones have increased by 75.5 percent to 37.4 million units and expected to grow another 66 percent by this time.  So here it is a year later, are there 62 million smartphones out there? Well, let’s put it this way - according to www.macworld.com, the Apple iPhone sold 270,000 units in 30 hours on it’s opening weekend. That is 150 phones per minute.

iPhone, PocketPC (Microsofts’ Smartphone software) and even Linux’ phone software are all viable entities in this market. Android in the mix will mean options for not only users, but also programmers. The days of 2 giants fighting for dominance have definitely ended. And the little guy can always become a giant with a couple swift punches.

Android will have some major hurdles to jump. Hurdles that have been jumped before. If they can get past the small stuff, we will see another giant appear and the way of the cell phone get altered again.

After all, as the quote goes: “Any good race is a race worth winning”. Go Godzilla…..

Other Posts of Interest:

• Do We Need Comcast to Cap Bandwidth Usage?
• Someone is always Challenging Someone – Apple iPhone vs. Blackberry

Show #5 Notes - 10/31/07
608-807-4379
drummerman1 @ gmail.com

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Apple Leopard News:

2 Million Copies Sold - MacDailyNews
Adobe Apps on Leopard: What You Need to Know - John Nack on Adobe Blog
Mac BSOD? - CNet
Holes in Max OS - builder.au
Hack to run Leopard on a PC - Information Week

On the Geek:

Seagate Offers 5% refunds on Storage Products - Geek.com
NEC SX-9 Fastest Computer Ever? - Geek.com
Hitachi Bringing Ultri-Thin LCD HDTVs - Geek.com
Samsung 30nm 128 GB Memory Cards - Geek.com

Cool Geek Stuff:

Computer Repair Utility Kit - Technibble

More News:

Trent Reznor: TakeMy Music, Please! - Cnet
1Man Internet Company worth 1 Billion? - Read/WriteWeb
Google Cell Phone? - Fox News
Blu Ray Outselling HD DVD - Daily Tech
Mother Sues Prince over YouTube Clip - Cnet
BEA Holds Out on buyout - New York Times
Tech Pay Approaches All-Time High - iTnews
Top 30 Bad Tech Predictions - thelistuniverse
Walgreens Adds DVD Kiosks - Reuters
Uruguay buys first $100 laptops - BBC News
Things that Piss Geeks Off - Ask Rea Maor v.0.2
Fastest Vista PC is a MacBook Pro - PCWorld
Internet Pioneer Leaves ICANN - NewsFactor

Updates:

Apple Leopard
phpMyAdmin
Yahoo Messenger 9 Beta

Links To Note:

History of the Commodore 64 - Gamasutra
Invert the Colors on Your Mac - WikiHow
Make your own Lightsaber - Finkbuilt
Audiophile Spends 3.4 Mill on Home Theatre - TechBlog
Convert Toliet to Low Flush - WikiHow

Other Posts of Interest:

• Dell Buzz on Possible Phone?
• About