September 06, 2006, 6:35 PM PDT
AllPeers: file sharing inside your browser (and nowhere else)
Posted by: Rafe Needleman

There are numerous ways to get around the large file problem: that it's impractical and often impossible to send large files to other people via e-mail. One of the most unusual is AllPeers, which works inside a Web browser (Firefox only).

AllPeers installs a buddy list pane in Firefox. It's very easy to kick off file transfers to people on the list; you just drag files or links from your file window or from inside your browser.

The file transfer technology inside AllPeers is BitTorrent, which means your files aren't uploaded to any central service; it also means that if you're sharing a file with a group of people, the bandwidth to transfer the file around will be shared by all, potentially speeding up transfers. Some people will be able to download your files faster than you can upload them (this discrepancy is the norm on almost all consumer-grade broadband connections).

The big downside of AllPeers is that it requires that the people you're sharing with also use the AllPeers Firefox extension. Unlike several other file transfer systems, there's no quick way for a recipient to get the file without first installing this application. This precludes casual file sharing, even though it's not a bad setup for friends or coworkers who constantly share files.

Why limit file transfers in this way? AllPeers founders Cedric Maloux and Matt Gertner told me that since applications are moving to the Web, it's logical to conclude that the Web is also the right platform for file sharing and that the browser the right interface. But if you send somebody a link to a file, it's a leap to expect that they'll install a deeply embedded Firefox extension just to see it. (The extension, by the way, cannot be turned off, although it is easy to uninstall.)

Maloux and Gertner also want to make it possible for consumers to sell their files (they expect to roll out a commerce system in about a year). Again, requiring users to install an extension to complete a transaction will likely put a damper on sales.

Fortunately, AllPeers is working on a way to allow some functionality to be shared with people who don't install the extension. This future capability is based on the neat change that AllPeers makes to your Firefox browser: it turns it into a server. As Matt Gertner wrote to me, "We're planning to add the capability to publish items as normal HTML so that they can be viewed from any browser even if AllPeers isn't installed. I could imagine a P2P blogging app based on AllPeers."

AllPeers' technology looks strong, but at the moment it's in too small a box. The download capability needs to be accessible to people who don't want to install the Firefox extension.

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September 06, 2006, 6:17 PM PDT
2007 Jeep Compass Limited
Posted by: Kevin Massy

While the 2007 Jeep Compass shares a good deal of its parts and DNA with the 2007 Dodge Caliber, its distinctive front grille reminds you that it is a Jeep, even if some of the more rugged family traits are conspicuously lacking. Aside from the new Patriot, the Compass is the cheapest new car you can buy that comes with a Jeep badge (the base-level Sport version starts at less than $16K) and frankly, you get what you pay for.

Like the Caliber R/T, the Compass Limited is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder variable-valve timed engine, coupled to a continuously variable transmission, which comes as a $1,150 option. While we have to pay DaimlerChrysler some homage for the inclusion of CVT technology on these entry-level vehicles, the execution is not as great as the idea. Both the Compass and the Caliber are conspicuously underpowered--even in their largest-engine configurations--and, while it delivers smooth acceleration, the CVT transmission gives you the feeling that you are driving a lawnmower, an impression reinforced by the car's brittle suspensions and unresponsive steering.

Inside, our Compass Limited came with a nine-speaker Boston Acoustics premium sound system with subwoofer and two flip-down speakers. As we noted in our review of the Caliber, the presence of the tailgate speakers and the fact that the audio system is extremely bass-heavy suggests that the car is designed for a target market more at home with Beyonce than Bizet. Despite the $460 premium for the premium sound system, our tester was equipped with only a standard single-disc CD player, which didn't know what to do with either MP3- or WMA-encoded discs. One bonus of the standard stereo unit, however, is the presence of an auxiliary input jack, which is curiously not offered with the upgraded six-disc system. The aux-in enabled us to plug and play our iPod Nano while storing it in the purpose-made center-armrest-mounted fold-out cradle. This would be a good idea were it not for the fact that, when fully deployed, the cradle obstructs control of nearly everything to the right of the driver, including the shifter, the parking brake, and even the central cup holders.

There are some redeeming qualities, however: The Compass Limited offers some commendable comfort features as standard, including heated front leather seats, air conditioning, and an auxiliary 115-volt power outlet in the central console for powering electrical devices on the move. Overall, it all adds up to a competitively priced Jeep that was designed for the mall and the ball game parking lot: just don't take it anywhere near an off-road trail.

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September 06, 2006, 11:48 AM PDT
Surprise attack: the 30GB Toshiba Gigabeat V
Posted by: James Kim

I'm back from vacation (Disneyland) and there's a lot of gadget news to sift through, including the new speaker-boasting Samsung YP-K5 (and YP-T9); Sony's new NW-E000 series (and S series); Cowon's wearable iAudio T2; all the new Archos stuff; and upcoming stuff from Sirius (Stiletto), SanDisk (Sansa c200), Microsoft (Zune), Apple (September 12), Philips (PMC), and Creative (Zen Vision:W). Wow--I leave one Magic Kingdom to arrive at another.

But the most interesting (and surprising) bit of news to me is the Toshiba Gigabeat V, which was announced September 1. The 30GB V uses the same excellent Microsoft PMC platform as one of our faves, the Toshiba Gigabeat S, but boasts a bigger screen (3.5 inches vs 2.5 inches) and better battery life (rated 25 hours vs. 12 hours for audio). Though the device has a different look and feel with a new set of controllers (and a built-in speaker), it should still be easy to use. A rated 8 hours for video playback isn't shabby either.

While this may be old news to gadget fanatics, the arrival of a Gigabeat with good battery life (mediocre battery life was the only major flaw of the S series) has me extremely excited. The $399 device (pricey) is available for preorder at Amazon and Crutchfield and should be available in October. Check back soon for our review.

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September 06, 2006, 10:38 AM PDT
HTC changing its tune
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

HTC, the name behind some of your favorite smart phones, is shifting some of its focus to further push the musical talents of its mobile devices. Though the company's current crop of Windows Mobile-based smart phones already have a media player, HTC president and CEO Peter Chou said the company plans to add more flash memory and hardware to make the phones even more music-friendly. But I'm curious: How many of you out there listen to music on your phone? I think MP3 phones are great if you're in a pinch, but at this point, I'd rather stick to my stand-alone MP3 player. But who knows, maybe HTC will bring something to the table to change my mind.

Chou added that the company will do away with infrared, since it's no longer a necessity, and raised the possibility of expanding its business to Symbian-based phones. "We're not limited. We're not Microsoft; we can do anything," Chou said. Oh, snap.

Sources: ARNnet via Mobility Today

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September 06, 2006, 10:13 AM PDT
Facebook users revolt
Posted by: Rafe Needleman

Facebook users are rebelling against new features that create "feeds" of what friends are doing on the service. They say the feeds enable online stalking. Boycotts are being organized. See this item in the News.com blog for a summary of the fracas.

The updates do make it easier for creeps to "stalk," or monitor, what other users do online. But there's a backlash to the backlash that says, if you don't want people to see everything you're doing online, perhaps you shouldn't post the details of your life in a social network to begin with.

On the Facebook blog, CEO Mark Zuckerberg reminds users that Facebook has configurable privacy options. Obviously, Facebook users should take a second look at their settings and modify them in light of the new features, although there is as yet no Disable Minifeed option in the privacy settings.

The new Facebook feeds amount to a change in the terms of service that Facebook offers its users. It is now much easier to gather and see data about your friends. Many users feel that their privacy settings are no longer appropriate for what the service displays by default, and they are justifiably angry that Facebook was fundamentally changed without fair warning.

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September 06, 2006, 8:18 AM PDT
Sony STR-DA5200ES: PlayStation interface comes to home theater
Posted by: John P. Falcone

Sony is set to release a new A/V receiver that utilizes a graphical user interface similar to the Cross Media Bar found on the PSP and the PlayStation 3. The interface--which marks the first major cross-pollination between Sony's games and its consumer electronics division--will be found on the company's new STR-DA5200ES A/V receiver, due to be officially announced for the U.S. market next week at the CEDIA show in Denver. Sony has provided CNET with an exclusive sneak peek at the onscreen graphics found on the DA5200ES, which can be seen here.

Sony has already unveiled the Asia-Pacific version of the STR-DA5200ES--you can find full specs at its SonyStyle Australia site, and it's been covered by CNET Australia--but we're awaiting confirmation as to what feature differences may exist on the North American version. What Sony has confirmed is that it will be the premier receiver in the company's elite ES home audio line and will retail for leass than $2,000 when it becomes available for sale later this year. It offers all of the features one would expect on a high-end A/V receiver, including HDMI inputs with analog-to-digital video conversion (including deinterlacing and upconversion to HD resolutions), discrete 7.1-channel audio via HDMI, multisource/multizone options, automatic speaker calibration, and compatibility with XM Connect-and-Play antennas. But the big news is undoubtedly the receiver's onscreen interface: it's been lifted directly from Sony's PSP and forthcoming PlayStation 3, and it offers the potential for better ease of use and a much more user-friendly experience than we've seen on A/V receivers to date.

Anyone who's used the PSP user interface (which is also being adapted for the PlayStation 3) will be instantly familiar with that of the STR-DA5200ES. Users will be able to use the icon-based hierarchical menus to configure, customize, and tweak the receiver's myriad settings and options. And the improvements aren't just cosmetic--the receiver should be markedly easier than its predecessors to set up and use, thanks to graphically assignable inputs, customized input naming, and onscreen contextual explanations for obtuse technical terms and jargon. Sony has indicated that the see-through interface is optimized for high-def resolutions, so it can be overlaid on incoming HD video from component and HDMI sources. That means you'll be able to access and configure the receiver's settings no matter what you're watching. (Few existing receivers, by comparison, can display background video when showing an onscreen display at HD resolutions, and many can't be seen over all resolutions and video outputs, such as HDMI.) Moreover, the STR-DA5200ES even allows you to create a picture-in-picture mode, so you can window a standard-def video source on top of a high-def background. It's the first time we've seen an A/V receiver with any sort of integrated PiP functionality.

Why is all of this such a big deal? Despite the addition of an impressive laundry list of features over the past few years, the very basics of receiver operation--setup, usability, and intuitive design--never seem to be high on the list of upgrades. As a result, a "state of the art" A/V receiver still features an onscreen interface full of cryptic terminology ("digital output: bitstream/PCM/auto?") that requires nongeeks to delve into the murky depths of the instruction manual. And even when you do get an onscreen interface on current receivers (it's rare until you hit the $400-to-$500 range, if not more), it's usually composed of blocky white text that could easily be ripped straight from a 1988-era VCR. The STR-DA5200ES offers the potential to buck the "more convoluted equals better" trend that we've seen in A/V receivers to date.

The initial user interface screenshots are enticing, but--as always--we'll reserve judgment on the STR-DA5200ES until we get a chance to audition it first-hand. We'll have complete details on the receiver on September 13 when it's officially unveiled at the CEDIA show in Denver. Senior Editor David Katzmaier will be delivering his hands-on impressions of the receiver and its PlayStation-inspired interface at that time.

Is the PSP-style interface of the STR-DA5200ES a worthwhile addition to the world of A/V receivers? Hit the TalkBack link below to let us know what you think.

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September 06, 2006, 7:42 AM PDT
Sony delays PlayStation 3 in Europe, cuts numbers for U.S. launch
Posted by: John P. Falcone

Sony has scaled back the planned November global launch of the PlayStation 3. The console's European and Australian launch date has been pushed back to March 2007. The PS3 will still be available in Japan and North America in mid-November 2006, but the number of consoles available at launch in each territory has been cut to 100,000 and 400,000, respectively, with another 1.5 million units said to be available by the end of the year. It's unclear how that latter number will be divided between Japan and the United States, and how many of the PS3s will be the $500 entry-level version or the $600 deluxe version.

At E3 2006, Sony had touted its worldwide launch strategy and plans to sell a total of 4 million units across Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia before the end of 2006. The company--and eager PlayStation fans around the world--will now have to settle for half that. The culprit for the shortfall is manufacturing problems with a key Blu-ray component, which more or less confirms rumors that had picked up in the past few weeks.

The bottom line is that the PS3 is going to be just as hard to obtain this holiday season as the Xbox 360 was last year (assuming, that is, that Sony can still make the November deadline). That's music to the ears of Microsoft and Nintendo, and more bitter medicine to swallow for eager PS3 fan-boys--including those who are just looking for a more affordable Blu-ray player.

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September 06, 2006, 6:35 AM PDT
iMac gains Core 2 Duo chips and 24-inch screen
Posted by: Matthew Elliott

Sooner than expected, Apple has brought Intel's mobile Core 2 Duo (a.k.a. Merom) chips to its iMac line and introduced a larger size. Joining the 17-inch and 20-inch models is a new 24-inch iMac that features a 1,920x1,200 resolution. Priced at $1,999, the 24-inch iMac features a 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo chip (you can also upgrade to a 2.33GHz chip) and Nvidia GeForce graphics, with either the 128MB 7300 GT or the 256MB 7600 GT card. The 17-inch model now starts at $999 with a 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo processor. In the middle sits the 20-inch model at $1,499, which features the same two processor options as its larger cousin and ATI Radeon graphics.

Apple claims that the 24-inch model, when equipped with the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processor, delivers up to 50 percent more performance than the previous 20-inch iMac. Apple also states that the 24-incher's screen is 40 percent brighter than the suddenly puny-looking 20-inch model. We will bring you a full review of the new 24-inch iMac as soon as we are able to lay our hands on one.

The $1,999 24-inch iMac includes:

• 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (with 4MB shared L2 cache)
  
• 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory
  
• 250GB SATA hard drive (7,200rpm)
  
• 128MB Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT graphics card
  
• 8X double-layer SuperDrive
  
• Built-in iSight video camera
  
• Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
  
• Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse, and Apple Keyboard
  

The full Core 2 Duo iMac line can be seen on Apple's product page. Pricing and spec info can also be found for all four models on our Apple iMac Core 2 Duo series page.

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