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'I'm a Mac' music

In the perennial Mac vs. PC debate, the Mac is coming on strong, moving into the No. 3 spot among U.S. computer manufacturers and growing sales eight times faster than the personal computer industry average (according to Gartner). Technical merits aside, those "I'm a Mac" ads are probably having an effect--or, if not, they're certainly entertaining, and occasionally brutal. (I wonder if Apple has any PR people and what they thought of this spot.)

But what you may not know is that the composer of the music in those ads--that happy little loop that you … Read more

OLPC: Give One Get One Day One

Just a friendly reminder: the two-week Give One Get One OLPC promotion got under way today, which means you have until November 26 (should you be a resident of the U.S. or Canada) to plunk down $399 to purchase an XO laptop for yourself while donating another to a child in a developing nation. If you want yours by the holidays, it's probably best to act sooner than later; OLPC doesn't guarantee delivery in time for the holidays but states your odds are greater the earlier you order. Two other notes: you can write off $200 of … Read more

Give one get one, squared

This morning I bought two pairs of laptops via the Give One Get One program of the One Laptop Per Child initiative. The moment my payment was received I saw this friendly acknowledgment:

Confirmation

Thank you for participating in Give One Get One. Your donation will bring education and enlightenment to children of the developing world, and, in recognition of your gift, you will be receiving an XO laptop for the child in your life as well. If you have any questions or problems, please contact One Laptop Per Child at service@laptopgiving.org. Should your employer wish to match your donation, we are a 501(c)(3) organization and our EIN# is 20-5471780. Thanks again, and welcome to the One Laptop Per Child community!

Why two?… Read more

GetMobio gets Windows Mobile Love

If you've been a smartphone user running Windows Mobile and looking to play around with GetMobio's "lifestyle portal" for various Web 2.0 widgets, there's a new version made just for you. Windows Mobile users can grab it at http://www.GetMobio.com/nowwm, which will direct you towards a small download.

Both versions offer the same selection of the dozen built-in widgets, the most notable ones being a cheap gas finder, a lightweight and good looking version of Twitter, and an integrated RSS reader that remembers all your feeds. We did a hands-on with the service … Read more

Cellphone symphony: MixGet

This was the most entertaining idea at DemoFall so far, and probably the most ridiculous: MixGet (site not live yet). It's technology that turns individual cellphones into synchronized music players. So if you have a crowd of people together, one person's phone might play a guitar track, another vocals, another drums.

The presenter tried to justify this product as a potential new kind of ringtone, but I'm not sure I see it. This project is from Redsquare Ventures, which is trying to bring Russian entrepreneurs' ideas to market.

I love this idea. But I don't see … Read more

Figure out who's bringing what with MyPunchBowl's checklists

There's something to be said about Web services that have been set up to help people coordinate things in the least stressful way as possible. I dig sites like CircleUp (coverage) that offer a way to set up polls, or to solve quick logistical questions within a group, without requiring the creator or the users to agonize over the interface and execution. That's why MyPunchBowl's new checklist feature is pretty much the best addition to a party-planning service yet.

The idea is simple: you, as party creator, make a list of things you need for the party. … Read more

A kinder, gentler Microsoft?

As Mary Jo Foley reports, Microsoft has pulled down its "Get the (wrong) Facts" website and replaced it with a "Compare" website.

Consider this the kinder, gentler version of getting the "facts." Unless, of course, you're Red Hat. The site doesn't talk about Novell or other Linux distributions. But it spares no criticism of Red Hat, the one vendor that hasn't bowed down to savor its toejam.… Read more

Mom's brain as the family's Web 2.0

Among two-parent, Mom and Dad families, most women feel that the "Mom" role means that her brain becomes not only the family's collective memory store, but its search engine as well. Even Google can't answer questions such as:

"Mom, where's Princess Leia's shoe?" (At the bottom of the blue box in the playroom.)

"Honey, are we out of toilet paper?" (Look in the kids' bathroom.)

When are our property taxes due....when is my next dental check-up...what day is the dog's birthday?… Read more

GetMobio: Twitter, Digg, and more on your mobile phone

Mobio has just added a handful of new services to their GetMobio phone app including Digg, Twitter, Kaboodle, and an RSS reader. Users download the small app on their AT&T or Sprint handset and get access to 11 different Web service widgets. It's reminiscent of uLocate's Where widget offerings, although there's no GPS support or monthly charges.

The Digg implementation is a little underfeatured, as there's no way to actually Digg a story from your phone. You can still browse through popular stories on the front page, as well as user's profiles. The … Read more

MySpace vs. Facebook (the video)

Following Facebook's launch of its application platform last week, we decided it was high time to explore the delicate balance that exists between it and social-networking juggernaut MySpace. And what better way to compare and contrast than a Get a Mac parody video? Sure, at this point it's about as passe as those Mastercard commercials, but somehow seeing our own Tim Moynihan dressed up like he got in fisticuffs with a lost-and-found bin makes it all worthwhile.

For more background on the things mentioned in this video read these stories:

Facebook opens up: The Feed's the thing … Read more