The next chapter in ebook devices is iriver’s Story. To be launched on 16 September in Korea, iriver’s Story is made to take the market leading Amazon’s Kindle head on.  The Story borrows aesthetics from Apple’s minimalistic looks giving the buyers stylish and slick design.

It features a 6-inch display screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, a memory card slot for SDHC cards up to 32GB, and it is PDF, E-Pub, txt, and Microsoft-Office file compatible without requiring a file-conversion system. The battery lasts 9,000 page-flips and it can read e-comic formats. However, there is no word on an eventual WIFI/3G connection which probably leaves the Story a step behind.

iriver has a collaboration with Korea’s biggest book retailer, Kyobo, and there are ongoing negotiations with content providers in the US, Europe, Russia and Australia for when the product goes overseas. Story is priced at $300.

It is a debate as to whether ebook readers will ever reach the same level as users of mp3 players and smartphones, given the dying habit of reading and studies showing that the thrill of reading also lies in turning pages physically, touching the book and smelling the paper. However, the idea cannot be dismissed given the penetrative nature of new technology with the new age.

Via FastCompany / MobileRead

Here comes another ‘i’ product- literally, another feather in the cap with speakers in the hat! Introducing the iHat- a skullcap with a couple of speakers embedded in just the right places. So you can plug in your ipod or your mp3 player and bob along as you brave the coming winter months with some sound and music!

The iHat is ideal for taking those walks in the winter, travel journeys or for just lazing in your bedroom with tunes for your ears only! You can even keep your folks guessing the reason for the skip in your walk or you can block out the others by just slipping on your hat! I can imagine every skier wanting one of these or a cool hip hop ‘street fashion’ supporting them.

Ofcourse we still need to determine the sound quality. But the good news is that it is affordable at $25 and it does not need batteries or a power plug- just a charged ipod or mp3 player. The iHat will be out on December 14- leaving me a bit cold during early December. Visit the BB shopping website to order your very own iHat. It is available in black.

So this winter, as Joe Crocker crooned, ‘You can leave your hat on’!

Via 7 Gadgets

Cancer is among the top alarmingly spreading diseases. In most cases early detection leads to cure. Researchers from the Israel Institute of Technology have found success by employing recent studies in nanotechnology.  Dr. Hossam Haick, the principal researcher and his team have developed a breathanalyser to detect lung cancer. It is simple, portable, non-invasive and affordable. The work appears in the current issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

The team collected breath samples from 56 healthy volunteers and 40 lung cancer patients who have not received treatment yet. They identified 33 biomarkers, chemicals that were present at higher levels in the cancer patients. The team devised a sensor system that responded to the biomarkers.

When the researchers exposed the sensors to untreated breath samples, they obtained readings that distinguished between the exhalations of healthy volunteers and lung cancer patients, regardless of the humidity of the breath or smoking habits. The process was reversible, meaning the nanoparticles can be reused. The researchers now need to test their sensors on “a wider population of volunteers to thoroughly probe the influence of diet, alcohol consumption, metabolic state, and genetics.”

However, it has not been established how sensitive the sensors are to different stages of lung cancer. The patients in this study had stages 3 or 4 of lung cancer. It is important to know if the sensors are useful in stages 1 and 2 thus helping to improve chances of survival.

A significant step forward has been taken but much work still remains.

Via ArsTechnica

iLamp by Systemdesignstudio:  It’s utterly flexible outline and electro-luminescent polymer screen offers it a replica of Terminator T1000 version of a Luxo desk lamp.

Wing Lounge Chair : Touted as the foremost NASA certified chair, it is designed using largest single piece of bendwood.

14 Bizarre Handbags: For all those fashionistas, here is an array of designer handbags that carve their own style statement.

Wogg 42 Armchair: Designed by Jorg Boner for Swiss-based company Wogg, the innovative design of this armchair has a personality of its own.  Elegantly dressed in an ultra-modern kimono or a trendy coat, the chair stands away from the lot.

Snug-it from EcoSystems: Scheduled to showcase its creative range of eco designs at next week’s BKLYN Designs, the Snug-it creation by EcoSystems is named after  brand’s pioneering hardware connectors. The desk is designed using bamboo and FSC Appleply, with a natural oil finish.

Facebook, Google, Microsoft have had hard luck inking deal with No.1 social network–twitter.

Founded in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams; Twitter, once an alien network to many has managed to carve its identity in the otherwise identity-crisis war going amongst established and developing social networks. Whilst initially Internet Giant Google posed clear doubts about Twitter’s success with a surprising rumor of its interest in buying twitter, thereby threatening Microsoft and Yahoo! But bad luck for Google gang as twitter worth is more than $1 billion, sources claim.
The two-plus years of southwards going graph amidst phases of failure after meeting success   guaranteed that twitter is going to have a long way ahead. All internet mammals must lend their ears here as industry insider reports reveal that Apple has offered $700 million to buy microblogging phenomenon Twitter and the deal is anticipated to be official on 8 June at annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose. Renowned blogs, TechCrunch and Gawker generate confidence about their familiarity with the internal sources and trust the deal is in its late stages of conciliation.

Against Facebook $500 mn offer (cash + stock hybrid), the soon-to-happen $700 mn Apple-Twitter association would be purely a cash bid. Facebook offered couldn’t be exercised as twitter’s investors doubted the Facebook’s stock worth claimed by it. It was then the queue was joined by Google and Microsoft, with their deep interest in buying twitter. We all know Google and twiiter had joined hands to enable ad tweets streamed across adsense network.

While Google’s bid was anticipated to be of higher value than what Facebook offered, but Twitter CEO had little interest and openly repulsed it. News is Apple interest in acquiring twitter has generated because of twitter tie-ups with the iPhone. The copious iPhone applications i.e. Tweetie (to post twitter updates) is not only user-friendly but tops the list of Apple’s big sellers. It won’t be an understatement saying: “It is more of a statement purchase, than colossal money spinner, as Twitter has yet to mint revenues.

Via Telegraph

Well, this one is certainly not for the audio-phile who wants his loudspeaker to look like one. Standing four feet tall and two feet wide at its base, the Evanui Signature Loudspeaker system almost resembles a pitcher with its sleek long neck. Evanui’s designer Koichiro Akimoto swears that it resembles an E.T. So I guess it depends on how your imagination works !

But the mechanism is not as simple as it looks. The creative team from Japanese manufacturer Viv laboratory has incorporated a very intricate design with a full range driver from floating diaphragm mechanism. The driver is made from pure magnesium that is very light, strong and low resonant. The surface of the diaphragm is coated with Urushi, which is a Japanese traditional natural paint.

But as the designer Akimoto demonstrated at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2008 by simply pulling the driver from its place (like pulling an eye right from it’s socket), the “floating Diaphragm Mechanism” drive unit has no surround, and nearly floats freely from the speaker itself.

End result? The purest, most vivid and most natural sound you’ve ever experienced. Of course, this high-end product comes with a price at $ 60000 a pair.

Evanui Signature loudspeaker, Viv laboratory, Koichiro Akimoto, Japan, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2008

Via ProductPage

Besides the healthy criticism of time and effort invested in learning an instrument (pointing Guitar Hero) and actual playing turning into not-so-good deal, techie minds were seen occupied experimenting with hi-tech ways to do justice to their lifestyle. It was the very thought of accessing a PC for assisted learning that gathered attention. Following Roland practicing it with drums, US Music is inking an association with Disney to offer an array of instruments / software correspondence.

The package includes instruments like keyboard cum electric guitar (customized appeal: colored keys/strings, Disney branding etc). It also details a customized electronic module that helps attach the device to the computer via USB. The highlight of the entire package is the software that stands out-of-the-box right from first principles giving a “guitar hero” style outline it moves the player in phases through to really evaluating and playing sheet music.

It allows you to monitor the speed and intricacy, thereby learning every step at your own pace—with a common celebrated end result: upon having an expertise of the high levels, you will take pride in playing the instrument in reality. Pictured above is an archetype of the keyboard, we are anticipating a guitar version along with an assortment of Disney licensed tunes from trendy TV soaps and movies to be shipped.

Social networking sites have lately become a great tool for searching jobs. In fact, in these times of global recession, people have been searching for jobs through social networking sites and abandoning recruitment sites. However, sites like Facebook and MySpace are plagued with zany applications such as Zombie, Werewolf, which not only look unprofessional but also result in ‘noise’.

Linkedin, Reid Hoffman’s brainchild attempts at transcending the limitations of recruitment sites and avoiding the clichés of regular social networking sites. Realizing the importance of hardcore networking with a touch of social relationships, the site is already hugely popular among job hunters. Linkedin plans to collaborate with Google and Amazon too, and add 8 new applications. Just 8 applications on a networking site may sound a little weird, but the company believes in having quality applications and not the quantity.

Reid Hoffman envisioned a social networking site that doubles up as a place to meet professionals and perhaps find jobs. With about 30 million members, Linkedin can easily upstage other more popular social networking sites just on the basis of being more professional, clear and by avoiding clichés. Looks like Reid Hoffman’s brainchild will help many find that job or career change they have been looking for, and perhaps make some good friends too!

Read

Journalists and PR professionals have found a new interface in social media, which helps them to forge professional relationships successfully.  There are many websites and companies that have been allowing the media professionals to interact and communicate with each other.

Many media professionals are huge fans of Help A Reporter Out, where the reporter can directly submit their queries to PR professionals free of cost. The tool offers free, quality feedbacks and suggestions for the queries from the best in the field.  PitchEngine, is another remarkable tool that connects socials network profiles, audio and video capabilities etc, and receive recent updates on any social networks they belong to. Those who do not want to lag behind with the new press releases may find this useful too.

Tools like Reporting On and Journalisted have helped PR professionals to find the right stories and of course, reporters online. However, Journalisted is restricted to UK based reporters only. Wikis, is a living media kit that cannot be ignored in the social media. The wiki pages allow real time access for the PR professionals and journalists to share their piece of information. Together with security features to protect updates and email notification options, the Wiki pages can be a serious competition to lot other social media tools.

Twitter, Twellow, BeatBlogging and WiredJournalists others help media professionals stay updated through blogging and micro-blogging. Your Pitch Sucks offers expert opinions and suggestions on the draft pitch to public relations can save a lot of trouble and headaches.

But why are these tools so wonderful? Seeking an effective and expert PR pitching can be a time consuming and costly procedure, especially if your budget is low. It is a great help for all the journalists and PR professionals. Moreover, it is a great place to meet professional friends, and social media together with its tools can fast replace real relationships. While fostering professional and personal relationships offline can be a daunting task, virtual communities and social networking sites that also double up as professional networking sites can help media related professionals to optimize their skills and performance.

Via Mashable

Glam Media, a women’s (and men’s) site publisher and ad network has finally joined the club of delaying payments to the publishers like others in the business. With the financial slow down and plunging ad revenue, Glam like everyone else has taken measures to shore off their finances as well. Glam will implement a different payment schedule and extend the time from 60 or 90 days to 120 days to the publisher due to the significant slow down in the collection from the advertisers.

Like traditional form of media, the advertisement first runs with the publisher, and then the advertiser receives the bill, which is paid to the agency they work with. Finally the publisher gets their payment. In case of ad network, the agency gets a check from the agency then the publisher who ran the ad gets paid.  The system of payment works on float management. In simple words, it means collecting the money before they pay it out to the partners. Everyone wants to hold on to their money for a bit longer to enjoy the interest they can earn on partner’s money.

With this new transition in Glam, a rippling effect will definitely be seen with the loss of 2-4 months revenue for the partners. The writers will have to bear the brunt as well. Layoffs and other cost cutting measures are bound to happen sooner than anticipated. Although the publishers may take an offense, they are more likely to stick to Glam, which makes payments on 3-4 month basis where as other networks, do on 6-7 months basis as the economy is facing a real recession and during this crisis time all big networks are finding ways for their own survival. It would be interesting to study how the writers would actually react.

Via TechCrunch