Applications like Prism and Fluid make it possible to create site-specific applications allowing “users [to] split web applications out of their browser and run them directly on their desktop. Prism lets users add their favorite web apps to their desktop environment When invoked, these applications run in their own window…” [from Prism landing page]

It is a great way to have a direct line to some most-used sites without having to deal with the entire browsing experience. They work well and are free. Unfortunately, for many of us it can quickly mean having five, ten or twenty “site-specific” applications. It becomes a bit of a mess. That’s where Monitor, a little, free application comes in rather handy.

Continue Reading

You know Hulu.

You love Hulu.

You watch Hulu… even though they are turning your brain to mush…

But ARE they??? THAT’S what they want you to think. We, however, know the truth. It isn’t Hulu turning our brains to mush. No sir! It’s…

Continue Reading

The iPhone has done it again. Google announced today that in less than a week since its release, the latest iteration of the iPhone has boosted mobile video uploads to YouTube by 400%.

This is part of a wider trend that has seen a 1700% rise in uploads to YouTube from mobile phones over the past 6 months.  The number of uploads is ‘increasing exponentially’ with the iPhone 3GS set to take the lion’s share of those uploads as it goes on sale in more markets across the globe.

What’s next? An explosion in mobile multiplayer gaming (sorry Nokia, n-gage just doesn’t cut it)? Let’s hope the iPhone 4G does the same for video-conferencing…

Music Ally via stuff.tv

[begin rant] Why does everything have to be about money?  Why is someone always looking to get something for nothing?  Free this, free that, promotional item here, promotional item there.

Has capitalism ruined the beauty of some of the things that are free on the internet?

I do video reviews on YouTube.  Earlier this week I posted a chat video I recorded, about some of the things which were bothering me about YouTube reviews.

I haven’t been doing video reviews long, and I have small following so far.  And that’s fine.  I do it because I enjoy it.  I do it for fun.

If you manage to obtain a certain status on YouTube (based on the number of people who subscribe to your channel and the number of times your videos have been viewed), you can apply to join YouTube’s partners program.

Continue Reading

In my dreams, after a long day of completing triathlons, coming in first at poker tournaments and winning Pulitzer prizes, I would sit down in my massaging, comfy chair at my home in New Jersey and sip iced tea while watching streaming internet-hosted web content on my large screen television or perhaps listen to a nice long run of Radio Paradise.

But until the next time I clutch my pillow tight, I will have to make do with the next best thing – the VuNow from Verismo Systems.  In the war for control of your television, this tiny package could very well be the “suitcase nuke” of media extenders.

Continue Reading

According to Proporta, January 19th is Blue Monday. How better to battle the blues than with a 15% off sale and a bit of New Order?

They say the promo code is TELLMEWHY (which seems like a direct reference to Bronski Beat’s “Why”); I think it should be the more appropriate HOWDOESITFEEL.

Ah well, make sure that you enter the right code so you get the savings!

Continue Reading

Love for Star Wars is tremendous, and this Youtube video I stumbled across proves it. Until I saw this video, I did not know that there exists something called Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. They have a show called, Dance Off with the Star Wars Stars.  It is AWESOME and a must watch!

Video courtesy of MookieMovies

Robert Oschler is making sure that none of us miss a bit of Pleo cuteness; this time we get to be voyeurs enjoying Linus’ day at the Changes Salon…

Hello Judie,

Put this under the “truth is stranger (and more fun) than fiction” category. Here’s a video that shows Pleo World member maggie44n’s Pleo named Linus getting the full treatment at the Changes Salon, including a fossil rock massage:

Link: maggie44n’s Plog (Pleo diary).

In my next life I’m coming back as a Pleo!

Thanks,
Robert
RobotsRule.com

Me, too!

Here’s a late night bit of robotic goodness for you from the master himself, the incomparable Robert Oschler. He’s back with the “first detailed review ever of WowWee’s first female robot”…

Hello Judie,

Here’s my latest.

The first detailed review ever of WowWee’s first female robot ever is now online, posted just minutes ago. In-depth review and companion video gives solid coverage of Femisapien’s revolutionary new touch based interface and shows several of her many truly unique and entertaining behaviors. Most importantly, the video shows that she is the first truly capable dancing robot in the consumer price range. The review page contains critical tips for buyers and would-be owners of WowWee’s new robot.

Femisapien is scheduled for release this month and is already shipping in the Hong Kong and some Asian markets. Her estimated U.S. price is $99 USD.

Continue Reading

Robert Oschler has just sent his latest robotic video creation; this one features the star of Pixar Animation Studio’s new movie, WALL-E.

Enjoy!

Hello Judie,

See Wall-E sit down for a nice quiet music lesson on the magic piano from hell! This brand new video stars the Wall-E iDance robot in a 90 second action video that includes cameo appearances from several of WowWee’s new robots like the The Bat and Fairfly, along with the legendary Robosapien V1 and universally creepy Alive Chimpanzee.

I will be updating the video page in the near future with details on how the video was made, what tools were used including the latest information I have on the growing Wall-E robot line of toys.

Video and Wall-E robot toy line information page.

Thanks,
Robert Oschler
RobotsRule.com

How did I miss the latest (and possibly greatest) in current mobility hoaxes? This one is a doozy…

There seems to have been a buzz on the internet about popping corn using the radiation of mobile phones.

It turned out to be a hoax but still the videos are funny to watch.

Continue Reading

This came in today from Robert Oschler, our very own robotic mad scientist…

Hey Judie,

Here’s brand new detailed coverage on WowWee’s upcoming Tri-Bot robot, which we created after playing with him solid for several days:

We just released an In-depth video review that covers the important features and capabilities of the latest successor in WowWee’s Robosapien line of robots, the Tri-Bot. When you combine Tri-Bot’s ability to be driven merely by tilting his remote control along with his unique three wheel base, the net result is a simple to own and easy to love robot with amazing mobility not seen before in consumer robots. This YouTube video will show you these cool features, several of his fun and useful behavior modes, and tell you about the games Tri-Bot can play with you:

Continue Reading

John Phillips sent this to me via Facebook, and I just had to share. Are any of you getting a Wii Fit? It actually looks like fun, and of course the video pokes fun…so enjoy.

Update: 10:20 pm EST – Everything at YouTube seems back to normal. For those of you who tried to reach YouTube this morning, it appeared the site was either down, subject to denial of service attacks or maybe (but probably not) the subject of a hack to their domain record(s). Check out the image above and you can see what started the DNS hack conspiracy theory. Four funny looking domain server records with YouTube in their name. This is probably a fluke in someone’s server naming because if you look at the same query for Microsoft it’s just as odd.

Link: IpTools.com – YouTube Domain IP Hacked?
Via: Centernetworks: YouTube Down?

I’ve always wondered why restaurants can’t automate the process of ordering and paying for food. While I like interacting with (most) waiters/waitresses – I’ve had enough unpleasant experiences that given the choice I’d rather plop into a booth and key my own order into a terminal. One restaurant chain does have this self-ordering feature. The restaurant is uWink. They currently have one location in Woodland Hills CA and are opening two more in 2008 in Hollywood CA and Mountain View CA. The chain was founded by Nolan Bushnell who was also responsible for the Chuck E. Cheese chain as well as the founder of video game maker Atari. Unfortunately after about two years on the market it doesn’t seem that this concept has caught on too well. Check out the next page for a YouTube video report that explains the concept, then read a review posted on May 2, 2008 titled “uWink: A Cold Greasy Plate of Fail” to hear about one reviewers experience.

Continue Reading