Technology, science, news and social issues for geeks. We also have a few reviews on security, patch management solutions, data recovery tricks and other emerging technologies.
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Burn 10 Facebook friends to cook up a free Whopper
It’s a new year, and chances are that at least some of you have made a resolution to avoid fast food or red meat. Burger King knows this, and they’re apparently seeking to head off this mass migration towards healthiness by offering an alternative resolution: delete 10 of your Facebook friends instead, and they’ll give you a free Whopper. You know that in the throes of your Web 2.0 addiction you’ve accepted way too many friend requests — and now is the time to trim the fat, as it were.
Burger King has created a Facebook application called Whopper Sacrifice. Install the app, then delete 10 friends — and Burger King will send you a coupon for a free Whopper! It’s easy! Um, except that the Flash app crashes in Google Chrome (for me, anyway). Oh well, I couldn’t think of ten friends that I wanted to burn anyway — yes, I’ve been a good social media boy.
As of this writing, over 9000 friends have been sacrificed, according to Burger King’s site.
You’re limited to one coupon per person, so you have to weigh the loss of ten friends against only one Whopper. What am I saying?! Who wouldn’t kill ten friends for a Whopper? I wonder if you can uninstall the app after you get your coupon, and then refriend those people? Of course, in the mean time they get to see just how much you love them: your activity feed says “<user> sacrificed <supposed friend> for a free Whopper.” Just see if they’ll accept your friend request after receiving that gut punch — or should I say “paunch”: a Whopper sans cheese has 40 grams of fat (1.5 of which are trans fats), 51 grams of carbs, and a “whopping” 680 calories.
Yelp review spurs test case for online defamation
By Sterling “Chip” Camden Contributing Writer, [GAS]
Popular review site Yelp is a great place to get that anger off your chest about how you were treated by a crappy, overpriced restaurant or any other vendor/service provider, but a lawsuit filed last February may chill out some of those heated reviews in the future.
Christopher Norberg of San Francisco is being sued for defamation regarding a negative review he posted on Yelp about a Dr. Biegel of the Advanced Chiropractic Center in that same lovely City by the Bay. I obtained a copy of that review from Christopher’s lawyer, Michael Blacksburg — but I won’t repost it here to avoid creating any legal troubles of our own. To summarize, Christopher related a dispute over billing after being treated for injuries resulting from his being hit by a car. He says that he expected a bill for $125, but received one for over $500 — apparently due to delays in payment caused by Mr. Norberg not having health insurance and having to sue the driver of the car to get reimbursed. Eventually, the doctor accepted $125, but the experience left such a (figurative) pain in Christopher’s backside that he decided to vent about it on Yelp.
That review was included as Exhibit A in the original filing of the defamation suit against Christopher. Since that time, Christopher removed his review and replaced it with a more carefully worded version.
Now I’m no lawyer, but I believe that in order to obtain damages, Dr. Biegel’s lawyer (Eric L. Nordskog) will have to prove that the original review includes knowingly incorrect statements of fact that are defamatory. For instance, if the phone calls Christopher mentioned in the review never happened, or the conversations were materially different than represented. According to the original filing (also obtained from Christopher’s lawyer), Dr. Biegel claims that all but a few phrases of the review is false.
You might argue that any posting on Yelp or similar sites should be taken as opinion by definition. But just as in any other publicly available medium, if you include facts they’d better be solid. Should the court decide in favor of the plaintiff, this could have wide implications for not only sites like Yelp, but also for posts and comments on blogs and other forums (I know I’m going to revisit my old reviews to look for ostensible facts that might be shaky). The case is scheduled to go before the San Francisco Superior Court on March 2, 2009.
In the long run, I think that the negative publicity from this suit may do far more damage to Dr. Biegel’s business than Christopher’s original one-star review. Personally, I wouldn’t want to have that doctor’s hands around my neck — but that’s just my opinion.
All Things JVC - Japanese Victor Corp. Aiming To Become a Major CE Player, Again
By Will Sullivan
Contributing Writer, [GAS]
JVC has kept a relatively low consumer electronics profile in recent years—especially compared to its glory days—e.g. basically taking a “wait-and-see” attitude during the recent Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD format war, certainly failing to keep up with its competitors on most audio/video technologies. Their HDTV offerings have been less restrained (their current L-CoS front projectors still remain the PJs to beat in terms of actual, observable contrast/shadow detail, for example). However, JVC apparently is out to give its competitors battle on multiple fronts, if their flurry of product rollouts is any indication.
HDTV Offerings
Four new LCD-TVs offering Full HD (1080p) resolution, with dynamic backlight regulation for higher contrast. No word on some specifics (e.g. 120Hz capability, claimed contrast specs, prices, etc.), but availability was given: LT-32J300 (32″ class): March; LT-42J300 (42″ class): March; LT-46J300 (46″ class): March; LT-52J300 (52″ class): August. Additionally, the new LT-42B300 (42″ class) will include a built-in Blu-ray player. Availability: June.
Count ‘em: 8! Eight new “Everio”-branded camcorders! Ranging in price from $799 down to $299 MSRP, they also range in function and functionality, with three new Everio HD-series units capable of recording at full HD (1920 X 1080p) in the expanded x.v. Color-space and with newly-designed Konica-Minolta lenses, and with storage ranging from flash memory (SDHC cards) or—uniquely, I believe, a combo of SDHC and hard drives (120GB or 60GB); three new Everio G-series units that are standard-def, and all of which offer the combo SDHC/hard-drive combo storage capability, in sizes of 60GB, 80GB and 120GB, with the top two models offering upconversion to 1920 x 1080p and output to HDTVs (no substitute for actual HD-recording, btw); the Everio S-series, with two standard-def models, and storage of the top unit being two SDHC card slots (the lower-end unit offers an SDHC slot and 16GB of internal memory).
Finally, a JVC Blu-ray player in the U.S. The XV-PB1 standalone player will offer BD- Live interactivity and Net options, retail at an MSRP of $299, be available in March, and offer AVCHD playback—perhaps from vids you’ve created on your new Everio camcorder; the HTIB (Home Theater in a Box) Blu-ray offering is named the TH-SB100, and offers BD-Live, and a 3.1 “soundbar”-style speaker system up front, with a wireless subwoofer (but do remember the power cord, natch), for an MSRP of $699. No word on whether either Blu-ray system offers onboard support for DTS-HD or Dolby Tru-HD, as Engadget notes.
With a total of four more HTIB on offer, other than the blu-ray-equipped TH-SB100, there’s something for anyone searching at the low end of the home-theater spectrum—three 5.1 channel systems and one 2.1 channel system: As engadget.com relates, “the TH-G31, TH-G41 and TH-G51 are all based around upconverting DVD decks. The TH-G41 and TH-G51 models add a repeating HDMI input and iPod/iPhone connectivity — complete with a display of the iPod/iPhone UI — into the mix. Capping off the tippy-top of the line, the TH-G51 also sports wireless surround speakers. If your fashion sensibilities are even more stringent than wireless surrounds, you might be able to accept the move to the 2.1-channel, so slim it’s wall-mountable NX-T10. Don’t run away from the 2.1-channel spec just yet — the speakers are omnidirectional, so you’ll still get some sense of envelopment.”
Get out your calculators, again, or just remember the number of Everio camcorders we tallied a while back subtract one, and you’ll get: seven: 7 new JVC in-dash units. The flagship is probably of the most interest, as it’s fully-featured (in terms of audio only), and MSRPs at only $269—it’ll street for a lot less, believe it. On offer are 4 X 50 Watt (@ 4 ohm impedance) MOSFET amp channels in the KDR-900, along with CD playback, of course, two USB 2.0 ports, parametric EQ, Bluetooth, and a nice touch-functional-looking remote. For full deets on this and the other six, hit the read link!
Fear not my young apprentices! With the new force training kit, the force shall soon be strong in you!
Does that make me sound like a delusional loon? Yeah, I thought so too…
The Force Trainer, which is expected to sell for around $100, is a headset that allows you to use brain waves to manipulate a sphere located inside a 10-inch-tall transparent tube, just like Yoda did with Luke’s ship in Star Wars episode V.
If you’re wondering if you’ll be able to choke people from a distance after a few weeks of training, the answer is fortunately no. The device reads your brain activity, a bit like an EEG medical test, and then transfers it to a remote, which blows some air up and makes the sphere float inside the tube. As you become better, the unit will cue you in to help you progress to a new level of proficiency (from “Padawan” to “Jedi Master.”) Sounds fun doesn’t it? Unfortunately, there’s no word about availability or release date as of yet.
FREE Nationwide VoIP Long-distance with Ooma’s Telo Cordless Phone
By Will Sullivan Contributing Writer, [GAS]
If you live in the U.S., how does “free long distance telephony” grab ya? If sales of the $20/yr. Magic Jack are any indication—the #1 “hottest holiday gadget” according to NPR’s gadget guy—then totally free VoIP LD oughta kick up a veritable buttload of interest. Boasting DECT 6.0 protocol compatibility—for extended, interference-free range—up to six handsets per system, connected phone book, mobile transfer, speakerphone, and voice mail, Ooma’s new Telo looks to be quite the impressive bit of tele-kit. Back to that “mobile transfer” part…Engadget quotes CMO Rich Buchanan: “[The Telo] helps combine the home phone and cell phone so you can enjoy the benefits of both without any compromises.” We’ll see if we can’t discover more about just how this works…stay tuned!
CES Preview: AMD Debuts New “Yukon” Platform and “Athlon Neo” Processor in New Hp dv2 Ultrathin Notebook: Watch Out, Intel Atom?
By Will Sullivan Contributing Writer, [GAS]
AMD has found the perfect target class for its new Yukon platform and Athlon 1.6GHz Neo processor—the svelte, new ultrathin hp dv2 notebook fits in with AMD’s plan to fill all the 12-inch to 14-inch skinnies it can with the new chips, even as Intel also moves its Atom up into laptop territory at CES (e.g. the ASUS S101, the MSI X320). Laptop Magazine seemed really to like the machine, an upmarket SKU from the $699 entry-level model (perhaps ~$900), which also was paired with the ATI Mobility Radeon 3410 and a 500GB HD. At under 4 lbs., with a nice keyboard and decent screen, it looks like a winner. Check out their pics and hands-on vid, below!
“Calling Dick Tracy, Come in Dick Tracy!”: LG’s GD910 Watch Phone Definitely Coming This Year
By Will Sullivan Contributing Writer, [GAS]
Well, it’s been a whole year—since we saw this thing at last year’s CES. But LG confirms the GD910 Watch Phone will be produced this year—and will arrive in the U.S. before Europe. Boasting some functionality/usability tweaks, it still looks a little clunky to me, but, hey, to each his own geeky-gadget, fashion-fetish-faux pas… Check out Engadget’s hands-on…er…on-wrist…video, right here.
Sony Unveils the Much-Rumored Vaio P, World’s Lightest 8-inch Netbook!
By Will Sullivan Contributing Writer, [GAS]
Is this thang cool, or what? At only 1.4 lbs, the Sony Vaio P certainly won’t break your arm—or the bank: although quite a bit more at $900 than the standard, generic, commodity-priced netbooks from everyone else. Even then, it is still considerably lower-priced than the diminutive UMPCs it probably should be lumped with, as it’s about the size of a business-class envelope, and about as thin as a cell phone. Boasting an 8″ XBrite-ECO screen with a whopping 1600 x 768 resolution (that’s HD territory, folks, if not full HD), Vista, 3G broadband, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth, real-time GPS functionality, and a 1.33 Ghz Atom processor with 2GB of RAM, this thing looks like a keeper…as long as you don’t lose it, of course! Video after the jump.
CES Preview: Denon A1UDCI is First Announced Blu-ray Universal Player—and Priciest
By Will Sullivan Contributing Writer, [GAS]
The pre-CES backtracking continues: A week ago, I announced the Oppo BDB-83, a Blu-ray/Universal player from that well-regarded Chinese manufacturer—at a rock-bottom $499-$599 price. Not mentioned on [GAS] (except buried in my followup comment to the original post) has been the first such universal player, from Denon, the A1UDCI, announced for Europe a month ago (Dec. 4, 2008).
I have nothing but the greatest respect for Denon, but the now-confirmed $3800 MSRP (down from the $5,800 estimate based on the yen/dollar conversion a month ago!!!) is still so far removed from reality as to be absurd. Sure, check out the Denon (see link, below), but give a VERY long look and listen to the oppo, at ~15% of the price, and chock full of electronics goodness, including the well-regarded new Anchor Bay Technologies (ABT) video processor, discrete analog and digital stages—with shielding—and high-end parts…
CES Preview: LG Adds Built-in Netflix Streaming Capabilities to New HDTVs
By Will Sullivan Contributing Writer, [GAS]
In the week(s) prior to CES every year, manufacturers often “pre-release” info to whet the appetites of journalists about to be bombarded by the cacophony and cognitive dissonance that truly is the lasting experience of the Consumer Electronics Show. Even though today—the day before the official start of this year’s CES—is the normal day for endless manufacturers’ unveilings of new products and lines, some co’s already have jumped the gun; so, we have to backtrack a little before giving the lowdown on today’s pre-show events..
LG announced a few days ago that its upcoming spring line of Plasmas and LCDs would include Netflix-streaming (”Watch Now”) capabilities, which currently requires a set-top box (such as Ryan’s Roku Christmas present!) or an HTPC (Home Theater PC) to accomplish. No word on models, availability, features (e.g. Netflix HD streaming) or pricing—but Engadget reports that the AP has estimated this will add $200-$300 to the price of sets…OUCH! See Ryan’s review of the Roku by hitting the link above: at 1/2 to 1/3 the price, what’s another tiny box in the ol’ entertainment center, eh?
Are you tired of whacking your keyboard face down on your desk to get all the old bread crumbs out? Do you feel ashamed when your favorite tech support person has to come replace your keyboard because you dropped too much crap in it? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then please watch the following video!
Apparently, The Cyber Clean compound can clean all your favorite tech gadgets while killing most germs on contact. Unfortunately, the Cyber Clean goo doesn’t last forever, and as it absorbs dirt, it progressively changes color from yellow to greenish-blue. Oh, and in case you’re wondering what’s inside this mysterious substance, just have a quick look at its data safety sheet (PDF)… ethanol, glycerol… “Repeated or prolonged exposure may cause irritation of eyes and skin.” Hmmm, that doesn’t sound like a very healthy substance… but most cleaners aren’t anyways. If it can kill germs, it can’t be good for you either.
With this week’s set of geeky pics, we pay homage to that most classic of geek hobbies, the tabletop RPG. Dice and miniatures, maps and DM screens, monster guides and character sheets… let us take a moment to bring these things out of the basement and into the light. And in honor of the recently departed Game Master of all Game Masters, Gary Gygax, the focus here is on Dungeons & Dragons in particular. For sharing their geeky pics with the world through Creative Commons, these photographers all get +1 charisma.
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AMD has found the perfect target class for its new 
