Chad's News

I went to amazon.com the other day and noticed a front-page announcement about two new services. The first is the Amazon Cloud Drive, an online storage system with 5GB of free storage and the ability to pay for additional space. There are lots of online storage sites, however, and what makes this one different is how Amazon has integrated it with their MP3 store. In addition to the Cloud Drive, there’s also the Amazon Cloud Player, an online music player that works on any Mac, PC, or Android device. It’s tightly integrated with the Cloud Drive—music files stored in your Cloud Drive are available to the Cloud Player. Music purchases from the Amazon MP3 Store can be automatically uploaded to the Cloud Drive, and they don’t count against the 5GB limit.

I like the Cloud Drive because, unlike other free file storage sites, this one probably won’t go out of business. And Amazon has hit on a good concept, allowing you to store your music in a central location that’s accessible from anywhere on the internet. I make a habit of purchasing music from the Amazon MP3 Store whenever possible, so this is pretty useful. No longer is there the possibility of losing my entire music collection because a hard drive fails.

There are, however, a couple downsides. First, the only mobile devices that are truly supported are Android devices. The Cloud player is not “optimized” for iPhones, iPads, Blackberries, and Windows 7 phones. I guess that means you could play the music via a supported browser on those devices, but that it wouldn’t work very well. Second, only MP3 and non-copy protected AAC (iTunes Store) formats are supported by the music player. For those with an older, extensive library from the iTunes Store, this may not be the best way to go (or at least consider upgrading your library to iTunes Plus).

I’m using the Cloud Player right now, and it’s working quite well. No skips or stutters. One final note, I manually uploaded my music library which was a lengthy process. Turns out there’s an MP3 uploader program that makes the initial upload much easier.

I’ve read horror stories of elderly people who’ve paid thousands of dollars to rent their phones from the phone company (dating from the breakup of AT&T back in the 1980s). Well, it appears that AOL is making money from a similar situation. According to an article in The New Yorker (subscription required) by Ken Auletta, 75 percent of AOL subscribers are paying a $25/month dial-up fee despite the fact that they have DSL or cable internet. If correct, these overpayments add up to $1 billion each year. And as with the phone rentals mentioned above, these customers tend to be elderly.

Link: http://www.pcmag.com/…
(topic via Slashdot)

The US Navy is attempting to develop a superlaser for use on its ships, and the latest prototype can burn through 20 feet of steel per second at 14 kilowatts. The power level needs to reach 100 kilowatts to be useful in the field, and the Navy’s ultimate goal is to reach a megawatt and be able to pierce 2000 feet of steel per second. Expect this technology to be deployed sometime in the next 10-20 years.

Link: http://www.wired.com/…
(via Engadget)

Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9 last week, to positive reviews. Major features include a cleaner, more minimal browser interface, a la Chrome; significant speed increases, both in rendering and JavaScript execution, and the addition of hardware acceleration for graphics; better support for web standards; some HTML5 support; integration with Windows 7; and more security/privacy guards, including a private browsing mode. Unfortunately for quite a few users, however, IE9 will only work on Windows Vista or later.

Link #1: http://arstechnica.com/…

Link #2: http://lifehacker.com/…

Link #3: http://www.techrepublic.com/…

Last September, the Lord of the Rings Online MMORPG switched from paid subscriptions to a free-to-play model. The result has been a tripling of revenues and a significant increase in the number of players. The core game is free, but you can pay for expansions or a full VIP membership.

Link: http://www.gamasutra.com/…
(via Slashdot)

With last weekend’s switch to daylight saving time in the United States, many iPhones moved back an hour instead of forward. The glitch hit all of Verizon’s and some of AT&T’s iPhones. It can be fixed by restarting the phone or switching it to and from airplane mode.

Link: http://mashable.com/…
(via The Daily Caller)

Did you know that the Earth’s north magnetic pole isn’t fixed, and it moves about 40 miles per year? In fact, several years ago it left Canada and is now over international waters, heading towards Siberia. And since compasses point “north” towards the magnetic pole (versus the real north pole) this movement can have a tangible effect on compass readings. For example, the Tampa, FL airport recently changed its runway designators to account for the changes to magnetic north. This NOAA article shows the locations of the magnetic pole from 1831 to 2007.

The latest release of Apple’s iOS (version 4.3) now makes your iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing other devices to connect to the internet via the phone. Your plan must include data tethering in order for this feature to work.

Thanks to Josh for this topic.

Link: http://touchreviews.net/…

Apple announced the iPad 2 on Wednesday, and Engadget has full coverage. Major changes include a reduction in thickness and weight, a dual-core CPU, and the addition of two cameras and a gyroscope. It will begin shipping on March 11th.

As part of the release, the price for the existing iPad is being cut by $100. If you were unlucky enough to purchase an iPad during the two weeks prior to the March 2nd announcement, you’re eligible for a $100 refund. But be quick, you only have 14 days to apply for it!

Link #1: http://www.engadget.com/…

Link #2 (Apple Return Policy): http://www.apple.com/…

The linked article explains garbage collection in solid-state drives (SSDs), including what it is, why it’s needed, and and why you should consider it when purchasing an SSD. The author also discusses the SSD “trim” function: what it does, when it’s necessary, and which OS versions support it.

Link: http://arstechnica.com/…

Near field communication (NFC) is a wireless technology limited to distances of a few inches. It has the potential to add a whole new paradigm to cell phone use, potentially replacing credit/debit cards and smart cards, or allowing the phone to process tickets or coupons. Expect NFC to be included in the next cell phone you purchase.

Link: http://dailycaller.com/…