Planetaki Planet example

Cheers and Jeers: Thursday

2008-08-28T11:35:44+00:00

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...

A Word Here, A Word There

The proud legacy of Fox News is one of doctored photos, Democrats quoted out of context, hard-right spin, bully reporting, misleading graphics, smear campaigns coordinated with the White House, and "facts" pulled out of their butts.

Now they've apparently adopted a new tactic. If someone uses words that don’t fit their pre-conceived narrative, just change the words:

Fox News' Megyn Kelly noted that during her DNC speech Michelle Obama said, "The world as it is just won't do," and then Kelly continued: "If you replace 'world' with 'country', you are back to the same debate, arguably, that you have been having about Michelle Obama's feelings about the country."

Think of it---you can replace words with other words to change the meaning of a sentence. Sounds like fun! Let me try:

"Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by ~~man~~ Satan."
–-Ronald Reagan
-
"Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. Stand up ~~with our President~~ in stilettos and fight."
--John McCain
-
"Our economy is on the move and we are creating thousands of new jobs, but we need to keep our foot on ~~the gas pedal~~ poor people!"
--Mitt Romney
-
"America needs to be defended. We need missile defense to better police the ~~skies~~ Martians over the United States."
--Rudy Giuliani
-
"Tonight on ~~Hannity~~ Babykiller and Colmes..."
--Alan Colmes
-
"And that's tonight's ~~Talking Points~~ You Would Basically Be in the Shower and Then I Would come in and I'd Join You and You Would Have Your Back to Me and I Would Take That Little Loofah Thing and Kinda Soap Up Your Back, Rub It All Over You, Get You to Relax, Hot Water, and Um, Get Your Nipples Really Hard 'Cuz I Like That and You Have Really Spectacular Boobs, and Then I Would Take the Other Hand with the Falafel Thing Memo..."
--Bill O'Reilly

What fun! Thanks, Fox, for teaching us a new way to report the news: Mad Lib journalism.

Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]

Outdoor Industry Pledges to Take Kids Back to Nature

2008-08-28T11:35:29+00:00

We mentioned the other week how new recycled content backpacking tents were on display at the recent Outdoor Retailer trade show. Yet for all the goods green news that continues to comes from the adventure sports industry, forward thinkers in the marketplace know that as Nature Deficit Disorder takes hold, their customer base for tomorrow is shrinking. So, in a move that mirrors the No Child Left Inside...

Iraq Signs Deal To Develop Oil Field - With China

2008-08-28T11:35:21+00:00

SHANGHAI, China — China and Iraq have reached a tentative agreement for a Chinese state-owned oil company to help develop the Ahdab oil field, an Iraqi Embassy spokesman said Thursday.

The deal was signed late Wednesday by Chinese officials and Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani. It is meant to revive a project that was canceled after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

"The initial agreement has been signed, and we are waiting to see the approval of both governments," said the spokesman, Sarhad Fatah. He said he could not release details or say when it might be approved.

Major oil companies have been reluctant to commit to deals in Iraq because Baghdad has yet to enact a law to govern the oil industry.

The government of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein signed a deal in 1997 with China's oil company, government-owned China National Petroleum Corp. It was to take effect once U.N. sanctions on Iraq's oil industry were lifted.

That contract, worth $1.2 billion at the time, gave a subsidiary of the Chinese company concessions to develop the field on a production-sharing basis for 22 years.

A CNPC spokesman, Liu Weijiang, said Thursday that he could not provide any information on the new agreement.

If it is approved, the agreement would be the first Saddam-era oil deal to be honored by the new Iraqi government.

A number of companies say they signed deals with Saddam's regime and demand that those be honored, or the countries involved be given priority on new agreements.

But the Iraqi statement said that some technical services contracts with other big petroleum companies might be postponed.

Iraq's oil ministry has consistently denied giving any advantage to companies with which Saddam signed deals, instead insisting that oil and gas fields and exploration blocks will be offered up for bids.

Iraq sits on more than 115 billion barrels of oil, but decades of wars, U.N. sanctions, violence and sabotage have battered its oil industry.

The Ahdab field is located in Shiite-dominated Wasit province, about 100 miles southeast of Baghdad. It has been the scene of sporadic attacks since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

As security improves, Iraq is trying to bring in foreign companies to help increase crude output from the current 2.5 million barrels a day to 3 million barrels a day by the end of 2008, and 4.5 million barrels a day by the end of 2013.

Shares in CNPC's publicly traded unit, PetroChina, gained 0.23 percent to 13.09 yuan early Thursday.

___

Associated Press researcher Bonnie Cao in Beijing contributed to this report.

More on Iraq<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=a913b335da48cc6eeb3bd5e351ae64f0" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=a913b335da48cc6eeb3bd5e351ae64f0" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Junky Styling talks to BBC, Daryl Hannah meets Richard Branson, Greenpeace Get Frisky in the Forest, and More

2008-08-28T11:35:29+00:00

BBC Thread: Junky Styling Interview "The forward-thinking design team who have turned fashion on its head. Annika Sanders from Junky Styling discusses their unique approach to designing clothes. All their designs are made from second hand suits, shirts, woollen garments and vintage fabrics." DH Love Life: Earth Prize by Daryl Hannah Daryl visits Richard Branson at home in his own patch of the Carribbean - Necker Island. She finds out how Branson is making his island 100% carbon neutral, what he's doing with t...

Favorite iPhone apps: Giles' take

2008-08-28T11:35:44+00:00

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App Store

We're all taking turns at this. My turn:

SMS - the built-in SMS app has changed the way I use text messaging, and for the better. My contract with O2 includes 600 text messages per month, and in the UK where everyone texts everyone about everything all the time (and no-one gets charged for incoming messages), that's extremely useful. On old phones, even using predictive text software, I found composing messages too long-winded and dull, and consequently didn't text much. Now I can compose as fast as I can tap-type, and my friends are all wondering why I've suddenly become so flippin' chatty.
Cube Runner - Andy Qua's super-simple game is the only one I keep returning to time and time again. Nothing beats it for speed, simplicity, and fun. When I say simple, I mean simple: you pilot your triangle between the cubes. Hit cube, game over. That's it. There's not much that can improve it, except perhaps handlebars.
Face Melter - A cheesy bit of fun, but everyone deserves cheesy fun every now and then. Face Melter just lets you mess about with images, pulling and dragging facial features into amusing shapes. Hardly a new idea, but it's great fun to have in your pocket. Good for amusing kids while waiting in restaurants, and for amusing fellow geeks in the pub. I've also been exploring its potential for experimental photography.
Weather - I'm English. Need I say more?

I should stress -- and I suspect I speak for all my TUAW colleagues in this respect -- that this list of faves is merely a snapshot. These faves might change within days, even hours. The App Store is still only an infant, and holds many surprises for us in the future. I'm looking forward to discovering new faves as time goes on.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Metareview - Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)

2008-08-28T11:35:29+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Sports, Metareviews

Mario steps up to bat on the Wii and ... well, doesn't strike out, but doesn't hit a home run, either. That's the consensus (minus the baseball terminology) on the latest mascot-ified sports title from Nintendo, Mario Super Sluggers. Mario Strikers Charged was the last, and scored (both a gaming and sports term) a bit better overall. We're just excited to finally see the Wii Sports baseball mini-game fleshed out into something that will (we'd hope) have us playing for more than, oh, two minutes.

1UP (B): "Super Sluggers succeeds and fails as most Mario sports games do. Its quick, arcade-style action is easy to get into and plenty fun, coming at the expense of the nuances - and balance - you'll find in a sim."
GameDaily (80/100): "What it lacks in innovation and online play, Mario Super Sluggers makes up for with its robust modes, fun controls and multiplayer options. If you're a fan of either the characters or the sport, you owe it to yourself to round these bases."
Game Informer (55/100): "Multiplayer is amusing in that hanging out with your friends is fun anyway, but the single-player content is truly terrible. A series of boring one-off challenges punctuated by simplistic exploration and the occasional full game makes up Mario's quest to foil Bowser Jr. via baseball. Yes, it's as insipid as it sounds."
IGN (74/100): "We wouldn't go as far as to say this is Nintendo-made shovelware, but there's very little that has changed in the three years between Mario Superstar Baseball on GCN, and Mario Super Sluggers on Wii.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sony intros S-, E-, and B-Series Walkmans

2008-08-28T11:35:14+00:00

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Remember those new Walkmans we saw recently? Well the folks at Sony have decided to get all fancy and official with them. The electronics-maker is introducing S-, E-, and B-Series PMPs, all featuring MP3 and WMA playback, drag-and-drop file management, and a variety of storage capacities. The 4GB NWZ-S736F and 8GB NWZ-S738F sport Sony's "Open Platform" which allows AAC, Linear PCM, and other codec support, 40 hours of battery life, in-flight noise cancellation, and SensMe -- which creates song shuffles based on user listening habits. The 4GB NWZ-E436F and 8GB NWZ-E438F come in a handful of colors and deliver up to 45 hours of playback, while the low-end 1GB NWZ-B133F and 2GB NWZ-B135F add an FM tuner and voice recording functionality. The players will be available come September, ranging in price from around $45 to $180.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

"Green Korea" Plan For 2030

2008-08-28T11:35:28+00:00

South Korea will spend US$103 billion through 2030 in developing new renewable energy, to cut its reliance on fossil fuels and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The new plan, announced on Wednesday, is part of a long-term energy strategy and will come on top of other energy policies and overseas resource development plans. Capacity for solar, wind, bio and geothermal power generation will be expanded. South Korea wants to lower the portion of fossil energy to 61 percent by 2030 from the current 83 percent, while bumping up the portion of new renewable energy to 11 percent, according to

ESPN's Brian Kenny Calls Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao 'Like a Handicap Match'

2008-08-28T11:37:22+00:00

Filed under: Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Video

Brian Kenny of ESPN is the smartest boxing commentator on television, and he had an interesting comment about the size difference between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquaio, who will announce today that they will fight on December 6:

"Both guys are legitimately great, but it's like a handicap match," Kenny said. "Why Oscar, who's like 5-10 and a half, against a guy who's 5-5-ish. What type of shot will people give Pacquiao?"

I agree with what ESPN's Dan Rafael said in response: "Yes, Oscar is the bigger fighter. ... But Manny Pacquaio is a southpaw, he's got great speed. ... This is no easy fight for Oscar."

I was surprised that De La Hoya is such a heavy favorite, and I think people might be overestimating the importance of De La Hoya's size advantage. De La Hoya is bigger, but Pacquiao is younger and quicker, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he pulls the upset.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Your Most Popular Stuff Must Go On Mondays

2008-08-28T11:37:18+00:00

An idea for a killer post just pops in your head. You perform a quick Google search to check if someone wrote about it in the past, but no one has. Cool! You spend some days researching and writing the post, and then editing it to make sure it is bullet proof.

Now the question arises: “When should I publish it, to ensure it will get as much exposure as possible?”

There are different statistics around the Web, but most of them highlight higher traffic from Monday to Thursday, and a small dip on Fridays and over the weekend. That is what one would expect though, and it doesn’t help to answer our question.

Is it the same if you publish your killer article on Tuesdays or on Thursdays? The difference might be small, but I think that the earlier in the week you publish it, the better.

The answer therefore is: Monday is the best day to publish your best content.

The overall traffic around the web must be similar for the first week days, but there are other factors favoring Mondays, including:

1. Fresh stuff. Bloggers and webmasters are always more likely to link to fresh material. Weeks start on Mondays (on most western countries at least), therefore people tend to associate content published early in the week with fresh stuff. I suspect that the same breaking news would generate more buzz if it came out early in the week, then if it broke on a Friday, for example.

2. More time for links. You need to also to consider the fact that bloggers and webmasters won’t link to your article right away. Most of them have a posting schedule, and they might have other material to be published on the same day that you released your killer post. Now if you publish your material on Monday, they will have the rest of the week to find some time to link to it. If you publish it on a Wednesday, for example, there is a risk that the weekend will come in and that some bloggers will just forget to link to your material.

3. More time for social media traffic. The same principle applies to social media traffic. Usually it takes 24 hours for the traffic to peak (e.g. hitting the Digg front page or getting a critical mass of thumbs up on StumbleUpon). If you submit your material on Monday, therefore, the mass traffic will start coming on Tuesday, and you will have the rest of the week to capture it. If you publish your content on a Thursday, on the other hand, the traffic peak will already be smaller, because it will happen on a Friday, and the subsequent days might be disappointing as well because it will be the weekend.

Obviously there are some drawbacks as well related to publishing your stuff on Mondays. It is the most crowded day of the week, so you will be competing with more material for attention.

That being said, if your content is really top notch, I think that the advantages out weight the disadvantages.

What about you, when do you prefer to publish your best content?

Toshiba's new ZF LCDs include Cell-based Resolution+ upscaling

2008-08-28T11:35:14+00:00

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

As expected, Toshiba is offering a new (supposed) world's first here at IFA: a true upscaling TV, finally getting rid of the middle man for upconverting those SD sources. The new ZF Series LCDs include Cell processors and Toshiba's home grown Resolution+ technology, which does similar edge and detail enhancement to Toshiba's XDE upscaler -- sharpening detail, smoothing edges, and leaving the rest of the image alone -- but with the added fun of Cell power in the mix. As for the actual displays, Toshiba will be shipping the 40ZF575D (40-inch) and the 46ZF575D (46-inch), both offering 1080p, 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 6ms response times and Active Vision M100 HD 100Hz 5:5 pulldown processing, along with four HDMI plugs, component video, RGB and PC input. Right now this is just a Europe launch, and we don't have exact ship dates or pricing, but hopefully Toshiba will soon rectify that.

Gallery: Toshiba's new ZF LCDs include Cell-based Resolution+ upscaling

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Zimbabwe: A new day for parliament?

2008-08-28T11:37:37+00:00

Ethan discusses the latest political events in Zimbabwe, “Once you’ve thrown an election, the preferred next step is to return matters to normalcy, dissipating the anger of those who opposed you by making your leadership appear routine and inevitable. That’s been Robert Mugabe’s plan in Zimbabwe.”

You get what you pay for

2008-08-28T11:35:23+00:00

If you don't want spam in your inbox, never respond, never buy anything. Not even if it's a good deal.

If you don't like TV commercials featuring loud aggressive announcers, don't buy what they're selling. Ever.

If you don't want people ringing your door asking for donations, don't give, no matter what.

If you think politics is too nasty and not focused enough on creating value, then don't donate to a candidate that's nasty, even if you agree (and even better, call or write and tell them why).

If you don't like bait and switch marketing, where promises don't match the product, don't buy it.

If you don't like snarky, angry blogs, don't read them.

If you deplore the lousy service at big chains or certain airlines, don't shop there, even if it's cheaper.

There's a new asymmetry, with loud consumers able to connect and actually have an impact.

We're all hypocrites, and we get what we pay for. The market is astonishingly quick at responding to what consumers do (and incredibly slow at reacting to what we say).

Joe Lauria: Stop Dreaming Joe Biden and Democrats and Do the Right Thing

2008-08-28T11:35:21+00:00

If I hear the word "dream" again during this Democratic Convention, I think I'll fling something at the screen. The time for dreaming is over. Harry Truman tried to bring us national health insurance and we're still dreaming about it. Europe has had public health care, free universities and a greener economy for decades now. But in America we still dream of such things.

Joe Biden couldn't stay away from the word either. It is particularly irritating with "American" attached before it. Biden wants it restored. He says Bush killed it. Biden wants what we dream of but never seem to get for everyone.

"Today that American dream feels as if it's slowly slipping away. I don't need to tell you that," Biden said, but he did anyway.

All this talk about dreams, realized elsewhere in the world, reminds me of a medieval peasant putting up with his present misery because the priest told him he'd get it all in the next world.

"He keeps talking about the same issues, family values," a Delaware delegate told CNN's Suzanne Malveaux in praise of Biden, whom the delegate has known all these years. That's the problem. He keeps talking about it. If these things were accomplished we wouldn't have to talk about them any more. We would just enjoy them like people in other countries do.

In his speech, Biden promised that Obama would improve health care and education. But Biden then wittingly or unwittingly gave away the reason why we haven't been able to achieve these things yet when he signed off with: "May God bless America and protect our troops."

Until we give up on glorifying militarism we won't solve any of these pressing social issues. We don't have the money for both.

But the Democrats won't face this. They won't level with the American people.

Instead Biden regurgitated the propaganda passing for news when he said Russia was challenging the "free and democratic country of Georgia," vowing that Obama and he would "hold Russia accountable for its actions, and we'll help the people of Georgia rebuild."

In fact it has been the reverse: neo-conservative foreign policy has challenged Russia right up to its borders with American client states, such as Georgia. The US runs pipelines through them. Central Asia is the battleground of the future as oil supplies dwindle and America keeps flexing its muscles.

The Cold War never ended for the neocons. Bush's father made a deal with Gorbachev that the US would not encroach on Russia, but his son's crowd reneged on that. They believe winning the Cold War was an opportunity to expand American power into former Soviet territory, a very dangerous policy that has led to the current crisis. Biden's words indicate an Obama administration would continue this neocon game plan laid out by Zbigniew Brzezinski 13 years ago in The Grand Chessboard. Brzezinski of course is Obama's chief foreign policy adviser.

One of Biden's applause lines was praising Obama, "who more than a year ago called for sending two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan." Is sending even more troops to Central Asia really something to celebrate? Is it wise to praise the military when we have no real enemy that can challenge us? When we should be taking care of terrorism with international police work, not war?

Social progress is put off as long as America maintains its military empire. Until troops around the world are brought home, foreign bases are closed and the defense budget is cut in half, we will keep hearing about dreams at political conventions.

Europe achieved social advancement only because it lost its empires, was exhausted by wars and then began spending the people's money solving problems at home. America is not yet exhausted by wars, but it will be. The loss of empire is not voluntary and it won't be for us either. In the meantime our military presence abroad will stir up more resentment and terrorism.

I've long heard the American-centric argument that it was the Marshall Plan and U.S. bases in Europe that permitted social democracy there. The Marshall Plan was set up to benefit American companies in Europe and provide a market for US goods more than out of the altruistic motives many Americans have been led to believe.

Since the first three CIA National Intelligence Estimates ever issued in the late 1940s said the Soviet Union was no threat to Europe or the United States, there was no need to turn Europe into an armed American camp either--except that it was good for the armaments business.

Until we stop worshiping the military and believing the myths of its benign motives abroad our social problems will grow worse. In the meantime, the Democrats have dreams to run on.

www.politicalodysey.com

More on Joe Biden <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=c3e80b0c75ca26b0c2695a94fdab79ac" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=c3e80b0c75ca26b0c2695a94fdab79ac" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Russia: Anti-War Music

2008-08-28T11:37:37+00:00

LJ user marchenk posts a collection of links (RUS) to videos of various anti-war songs in Russian, French, English, Italian, German, Hebrew, Serbian, Spanish, Polish, Arabic and other languages.

Japanese firms to partially propel cargo ship via solar panels

2008-08-28T10:40:33+00:00

Filed under: Transportation

First things first -- when we say "partially" propel, we mean partially. Nippon Yusen and energy distributor Nippon Oil are teaming up to spend around $1.37 million in order to equip a car-hauling cargo ship with 328 solar panels. Rather than just provide energy for the crew's on board entertainment system, it will be the first solar installation to actually produce a smidgen of power for the boat's engine. If successful, the panels would provide 0.2% of the ship's energy consumption for propulsion, and they're hoping to raise that to a whopping 1% by 2010. Gives a whole new meaning to "baby steps," huh?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Steve Jobs Is Still Not Dead [Update]

2008-08-28T11:35:29+00:00

Bloomberg has "retracted" its obituary of Apple's CEO. We've updated our original exclusive.

Judges Question Whether National Security Letters Need To Come With Gag Orders

2008-08-28T10:42:36+00:00

The Patriot Act allows the FBI to issue "National Security Letters" to ISPs and other organizations, seeking information on users of those service providers -- with an automatic gag order forbidding the service provider from telling anyone that they have received an NSL. Not surprisingly, this resulted in the NSLs being widely abused, with the FBI issuing them in many, many cases when they were not appropriate. But, of course, since no one could complain, there was no incentive for the FBI to actually follow the rules. A panel of judges is now reviewing the overall constitutionality of the gag order on NSLs -- and, so far, they seem skeptical. It seems ridiculous that the FBI should be allowed to impart an automatic gag order without any sort of judicial overview -- especially when it's already been shown that the FBI can and does abuse this power quite often.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Ghana: A traditional healer with a website

2008-08-28T11:37:37+00:00

Henry writes about a traditional healer in Ghana who is using web technology to market his business.

South Ossetia: Photos From Tskhinvali

2008-08-28T11:37:37+00:00

Photos from Tskhinvali - by LJ user grend (RUS).

Brando's Hybrid Speaker and Battery Pack for iPhone

2008-08-28T11:37:28+00:00

We feature so many of Brando's products here on GLab that it seems a little unfair to keep calling the Hong Kong based plastic-monger a "crapware vendor". We have therefore decided to upgrade its LABDEX listing to "beloved crapware vendor".

The latest neat convergence box is this external battery pack for the iPhones 1 and 2. Like other external batteries, the iPower Portable Power Station juices the battery of the iPhone from its own reserves. When the iPower's battery charge falls below five percent, it stops feeding the iPhone. Why? Because of the other feature, an external speaker. Apparently, that last five percent is enough to keep the iPower's speaker running for seven more hours.

It gets better. Although the iPower is only designed for use with the two iPhones, it could be pressed into service (we think) for the iPod Touch, which actually needs an external speaker. The sound all goes through the dock connector, so as long as you can squeeze the Touch into the case (which is expandable) you should be good to go. $44.

Product page [Brando]

Cool Stuff: Dave Perillo’s Artwork

2008-08-28T11:35:43+00:00

34-year-old Philadelphia artist Dave Perillo draws inspiration for his work from many of the following sources: 1950’s Sci-Fi Movies, Charles Schultz, Jim Flora, Ray Harryhausen, Roy Lichtenstein, Jim Henson, Hanna Barbera, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock & Character Advertising Icons.

You can see more of Perillo’s artwork on Montygog’s Art-O-Rama. Thanks to /Film reader kinomozg for the tip.

Cool Stuff is a daily feature of slashfilm.com. Know of any geekarific creations or cool products which should be featured on Cool Stuff? E-Mail us at orfilms@gmail.com.

Related Stories

Sony announces new B-, E-, and S-Series Walkmans

2008-08-28T11:37:39+00:00

Sony S-Series Walkman

(Credit: Sony)

The first sign of fall in CNET's San Francisco office isn't the turning of leaves--it's the ever-increasing waves of new product announcements. MP3 players in particular start cropping up in late summer, perhaps in an attempt to get a jump on Apple'...

Free Replacements for Paid Tools [Free]

2008-08-28T11:35:34+00:00

There might be no such thing as truly free beer, but in the world of computers and software, you can often brew your own substitutes to premium paid software and service with just a few double-clicks and some know-how. Aside from the dough you shell out for a computer and net connection, you can get a lot of neat stuff done without spending another dime, and we've highlighted a few of our favorite no-cost solutions and work-arounds to tools that normally go for a good bit of cash. Check them out, and chip in with your own cheapskate solutions, after the jump. Photo by Daquella Manera.

Mail2Web instead of MobileMe ($100/year) or Exchage

"Push" email, calendar updates, and contact syncing are pretty nice services that save you a fair amount of tap-wait-check time. Bigger offices provide the service through Exchange servers, Apple offers iPhone users push services through MobileMe, but mobile data-hounds can easily set up push email, contacts, and calendars for free with Mail2Web. While Adam highlighted the glories of free iPhone service, we've seen posts of Mail2Web working for Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and other smart phones. If you're just a standard mobile phone owner who'd like to get uber-important messages delivered quickly, you can use Gmail to push selected emails to your phone.

Gallery2 in place of Flickr Pro ($25/year)

If you crave anonymous approval and compliments on your scads of super-high-resolution photos—and not that that's such a bad thing—then there aren't many replacements for a Flickr Pro account. But if you really just want to share your vacation pics or artistic side with online friends and distant relatives, the free Gallery2 tool offers attractive presentation, slideshows, and serious customization. And you can run this bad boy from web space you already rent for your personal site, a dedicated home server, or just a computer you've installed the WAMP pacakage on. Check out our step-by-step guide to installing gallery2 if you're looking for full-size photo hosting without the price.

Free VPN/VNC in place of GoToMyPC ($20/month)

Services like GoToMyPC and those of its ilk do offer an easy-to-grasp setup and interface, but for the most part, they put a fancy face on free software and protocols, like VNC and VPN. If you're tech-savvy, you can help mom set up her home PC or Mac for those oops-I-forgot-that-file moments with Hamachi VPN (the Mac client is recently introduced, but works). If you or anyone you're helping are strictly Windows/IE users, Microsoft's Live Mesh service is a great file-syncing/retrieval tool, as we saw when it debuted (added bonus: it now supports Windows Mobile devices). If those solutions don't work, check out our guide to remote screen access and file-grabbing from any system.

VirtualBox for Windows-on-Mac instead of Parallels ($80)

Our staff's Mac OS X contingent don't have anything bad to say about Parallels—in fact, they've occasionally sung its praises—but it isn't free, in the price or code sense. Sun Microsystems' VirtualBox, on the other hand, is open-source, free for individual use, and runs just about anywhere there's an Intel or AMD processor. The MakeUseOf blog has a guide to getting started with Windows on Mac, and Tux fans can follow our guide to running Windows apps seamlessly in Linux. No matter what the platform, VirtualBox might not offer as many value-added features, but it's surprisingly easy to get started with.

As noted before, we've detailed far more free alternatives to paid software 'round these parts than we can add up, but we'll throw out a few more can-work replacements for paid goods:

OpenOffice.org or Zoho (with Gears) instead of Microsoft Office: Let's just get it out there—if you're not the type who uses formulas or has half the menus memorized in Word, either of these suites work just fine for the average student, occasional letter printer, or pedestrian spreadsheet duty.
reQall instead of Jott: Because it's not that we don't love us some productive phone-to-webapp tools, but if you're just looking for a "note to self" service, reQall can replace Jott's main service, along with other free apps.
AVG and Avast instead of Any Subscription Virus Software: Because free trials lead to annoying nag screens, they run a bit lighter than paid versions, and you might not need one anyways.
Mozy free account vs. paid off-site backup: Because 2GB can fit your desktop contents and most of your actual documents, and you'd probably rather have your music, pictures, and videos on DVD.
GParted instead of PartitionMagic: Because GParted is free, works anywhere you can boot from a CD, handles most any format, and plays well in a system recovery CD.

That's just a primer to get anyone thinking about making the switch to free started. But we really want to hear what you use—either single, free applications or in combinations—that makes you feel great about not paying for something. Tell us all about it in the comments!

Sony's Thinnest Walkman Player Ever Has Active Noise Cancellation, Song Suggestion Software [Digital Audio]

2008-08-28T11:35:12+00:00

Sony's S-series Walkman is their new high-end digital audio player that is not only their slimmest player to date, but has active noise cancellation and the SensMe music suggestion engine. Sony bundled 13.5mm EX headphones with the S-series players, as well as a pass through cable that connects to an in-flight entertainment system and uses the noise canceling capability of the Walkman. In addition Sony released their midrange E-series and entry-level B-series Walkman players.

The S-series has a 2-inch QVGA screen, that not only plays back WMA, AAC and MP3 audio formats, but also WMV and MP4 video. SensMe is featured on a Walkman player for the first time, previously only on Sony Ericsson Walkman-branded phones. For those unfamiliar, the SensMe engine analyzes a song for various qualities and maps it on an X-Y chart. From there you can select what type of music you want to listen to according to "mood". The S-series is only 7.5mm thick, has 40 hours of audio playback and 10 hours of video playback on a single charge.

The E-series is Sony's mid-range Walkman offering, which features the same audio and video playback the S-series offers, but lacks the noise cancellation and SensMe features.Unlike the S-series, the E comes in multiple colors, including black, red, blue and pink. It has 45 hours of audio playback and 8 hours of video playback. The E-series is also available in 4 GB and 8 GB sizes.

The B-series is Sony's no-nonsense line of Walkman players that only play music. But in addition to audio playback, the B-series also serves as a voice recorder and FM radio. It has 16 hours of battery life and also comes in multiple colors like the E-series. The B-series plugs directly into your USB port for drag and drop file transfer and comes in 1 GB and 2 GB sizes.

All the players above are expected to be available in September. The 4 GB S-series will cost $150, while the 8 GB will cost $180. The 4 GB E-series will cost $100 and the 8 GB $140. Lastly, the 1 GB B-series will sell for $45 and the 2 GB will be $60. [Sony]

SONY RAISES THE CURTAIN ON NEW WALKMAN PLAYERS THAT DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY AUDIO AND VIDEO

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 28, 2008 – From noise-cancellation for frequent travelers to affordability for customers on a budget, Sony today unveiled three new Walkman® players (series S, E and B) that have something to offer nearly every customer segment.

“Whether the fit and finish, the engineering or the integration of unique technologies, each of these new series has different points of appeal,” said Mitch Li, product manager for Walkman players in the Digital Imaging and Audio Division at Sony Electronics. “These new Walkman players satisfy the need of consumers who don’t want to sacrifice sound quality for the digital music and MP3 experience.”

S-Series Walkman Players

The top-end, format-friendly Walkman S-series broadens options for enjoying tunes from multiple sources, including many download stores and personal music collections. The supplied Content Transfer software even simplifies “drag and drop” transfer of non-DRM music, videos, podcasts and playlists from online music services to Walkman players. If you’re migrating your personal collection of ripped tracks from another MP3 player, there’s no need to re-rip all your tunes from your CDs.

Support for popular audio and video codecs is enhanced because the S-series Walkman devices play Windows Media Video (WMV) files with DRM, allowing you to enjoy rights-protected movies and video clips from other media collections.

Additionally, the S-series Walkman players are the first MP3 players with Sony’s SensMe™ Channels function, which automatically creates channels that can align with a user’s preferences. Based on Sony’s SensMe Channels function, the S-series players analyze a user’s music collection and suggest channels based on each song’s speed, mood and rhythm. They create a choice of 11 themed channels from upbeat pop to emotional ballads.

In-Flight Noise Cancellation

Whether commuting, flying high or just listening to music at home, the new S-series Walkman players help diminish background noise while improving your overall listening experience. The top-end S-series Walkman players feature integrated active noise cancellation with supplied 13.5mm EX noise canceling headphones and an accessory cable that extends the noise canceling functionality of the device. On airplanes, travellers can – for the first time – connect the S-series player directly to a plane’s audio video system with the included accessory cable and enjoy regular in-flight entertainment with the bonus of high-quality noise cancellation.

Just 7.5mm thin, the super-light S-series is the slimmest Walkman player in any of the new series. It has a bright, high-contrast 2-inch QVGA LCD screen (measured diagonally) that has an ultra-quick response time, with smooth playback at up to 30 frames per second and selectable horizontal/vertical viewing. The interface can be personalized with the user’s choice of 10 pre-installed wallpaper images or their favorite digital photo.

E-Series Walkman Players

The E-series combines high-quality video and audio performance to create the perfect device for enjoying favorite photos and video clips. Like the S-series, all E-series models are format friendly, easily playing back ripped tracks from your personal music collection, music store downloads and rights-managed video clips. Non-DRM files can be transferred by “drag and drop” from online music services to Walkman players.

Support for popular audio and video codecs is enhanced because the E-series Walkman players can also support Windows Media Video (WMV) with DRM, allowing rights-protected movies and video clips from other media collections.

B-Series Walkman Players

The affordable entry-level Walkman B-series player offers the high-quality sound that users have come to expect from Sony. The ultra-portable devices can connect to your PC’s USB port for easy “drag and drop” file transfers. Like all other Walkman models, open support for Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3 codecs enables users to buy, copy and manage music to fit their needs.

The stylish design is enhanced by an illuminator that pulses in time with the music when the bass button is pressed. The device has an FM radio for enjoying favorite stations and a voice recorder that’s great for capturing memos, shopping lists or random thoughts while you’re on the move.

Battery Life

The battery life is up to 40 hours of music playback for S-series, up to 45 hours for the E-series and up to 16 hours for the B-series. The battery life is up to 10 hours of video playback for S-series, up to 8 hours for the E-series. The battery life is also up to 30 hours of audio playback for the S-series when the noise-cancellation feature is activated. Actual battery life may vary upon usage patterns, product settings, battery and environmental conditions.

Sony’s Open Platform Means More Choice

The E- and S-series Walkman players support an open platform, providing more choices for downloading and managing music and video collections online. The devices can support security-enhanced Windows Media Audio (WMA), as well as non-secure AAC, linear PCM and MP3 music formats plus JPEG files for photos, in addition to the WMV with DRM, AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profile and MPEG-4 video codecs.

Pricing and Availability

The S-series of Walkman noise canceling video MP3 players come in two different storage capacities in black:

* The NWZ-S736F has approximately 4GB of internal storage and will cost about $150.
* The NWZ-S738F has approximately 8GB of internal storage and will cost about $180.

The E-series of Walkman video MP3 players will be available in the following configurations:

* The NWZ-E436F comes in black, red, pink, blue, has approximately 4GB of internal storage and costs about $100.
* The NWZ-E438F comes in black, red, pink, has approximately 8GB of internal storage, and costs about $140.

The B-series of Walkman MP3 players come in two different capacities and four colors:

* The NWZ-B133F player has approximately 1GB of internal storage; comes in black, red and blue and will cost about $45.
* The NWZ-B135F player has approximately 2GB of internal storage; comes in black, red and pink and will cost about $60.

Presales have begun for the new Walkman models online at www.sonystyle.com/walkman and at Sony Style stores. The players will be available in September across the country at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide.