walls

Wall Street Journal Readers - check this out

On Thursday August 30th Walter Mossberg repeated his prior recommendation of the Mozy online backup service. While Mozy can fit the needs of some people, there are two sides to every coin and there is a downside to Mozy too. For the rest of the story, see my recent postings:

Everybody likes Mozy--except me, Part 1 Everybody likes Mozy--except me. Part 2

Turn your wall into an equalizer

Sometime in the last year, equalizers evolved from T-shirts to decor accessories as fashion items. But here's something to consider if you truly want to scream your audiogenic statement: the "On Machine."

When not in use, this French-made piece of techno art looks like a plasma or LCD screen mounted on the wall or wherever else you choose. But simply touching its glossy black surface will activate the giant equalizer, which will reflect whatever beats are within range.

Its size isn't the only that's larger than life, however--so is its price, at about $8,000, … Read more

Learning from retail pricing strategy

I read this fascinating article on the way home from Linuxworld today, and think there must be some way to apply it to open source. OK, the strategy sounds sneaky and underhanded to me, so I'm not going to be implementing it anytime soon.

But surely there's a less nefarious way to do it? More importantly, I'm sure the technology world has much to learn from how retail operates, especially as much of our precious intellectual property becomes commodified.

What is the strategy?… Read more

New York Times to ax premium online content, rival says

Note: This story was updated at 6:00 a.m. PDT to include a correction from a New York Times representative regarding TimesSelect subscriber figures cited by the New York Post.

Citing anonymous sources, the New York Post has reported that rival Manhattan paper The New York Times is planning to do away with TimesSelect, the subscription-only content on its NYTimes.com Web site. According to the article by Holly M. Sanders, the main obstacle at the moment is reconfiguring the site's software.

A Times representative told CNET News.com that the company isn't releasing any statement beyond: &… Read more

Mistakes in Wall Street Journal editorial

Today, July 10th, the web site of The Wall Street Journal is free, sponsored by Dell. Normally the vast majority of the site is available only to paying customers - of either the web site or the hard copy paper.

I mention this to draw attention to an editorial that appeared in the paper on July 3, 2007 entitled Google v. Microsoft.

Background

Windows Vista includes desktop search functionality out of the box and Google offers a free desktop search application that anyone can download from their web site and install. Google complained to Microsoft's antitrust regulators at the … Read more

Wall-climbing robot sucks it up

Just how desperate is that housewife next door? If those down-looking satellites just don't do it for you any more, here's another way to keep an eye on your neighbor.

The Vortex Regenerative Air Movement Mobile Robot Platform (VRAMMRP) uses a patented "tornado in a cup" sucking technology to stick to walls and ceilings, then uses six wheels to position itself on the window ledge or other strategic location. Remote controlled by joy stick, the unit can send video and audio via secure Bluetooth. This equipment should be included in any self-respecting paparazzi's toolkit.

A four hour flu at the Wall Street Journal?

Every morning reporters from across the country file into work at their local office of the Wall Street Journal and begin the task of tracking leads, writing copy, and sorting through the plethora of press releases that came in the night before. This morning was a different story. According to a recent post on Poynter, the news staff at the Journal took part in a sick-out in protest over recent contract disputes and the threat of Dow Jones being sold to the highest bidder.

It's unclear whether the strike will have any impact at the journal, and it seems … Read more

Need security? Build a room within a room

The "Cone of Silence" finally comes to life! The "WhisperRoom" is created by attaching 1-inch-thick soundproof walls called "Seam Seals" that are designed to keep your conversations private from those snoops you're certain are listening in. (It will also provide much-needed sanctuary from the noisy brats next door when the Ritalin wears off.)

For added security, you can bolt on ceilings and floors as well, essentially creating a room within a room. Red Ferret says prices start at $2,760, but we know that cost is no barrier when it comes to keeping … Read more

The New York Observer on the New York Times on News Corp.

There's something kind of funny about a blog entry around a recent article in one outlet indicating that another newspaper is working on an expose about yet another media outlet, but that really is what this post is about. According to Michael Calderone at the New York Observer, "The New York Times is currently undertaking a major news investigation, led by managing editor Jill Abramson, into News Corp.'s business dealings throughout the world, according to a source with knowledge of the project."

Amidst the heavily hyped negotiations between Murdoch's minions and the Bancroft family who currently own the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times has apparently decided to mount their own investigation in an effort to examine what should be expected from the possible merger. While there is no clear indication what spin the Times will put on the story, it seems unlikely that the paper will conclude that Rupert Murdoch is the patron saint of news media. The New York times is one of the last major independent media outlets (along with the Wall Street Journal - for now), and it's altogether possible that News Corp. may eventually set it's sites on the Times, so I think it is safe to anticipate that this article won't be a puff piece.

… Read more