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Official Microsoft Zune Website Launches
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Internet, Microsoft, Music, Wireless / WiFi,
In twelve days, Microsoft launches their Zune portable media player and music service. Seems like as good a time as any to launch the official website for the platform as well, which is exactly what the company has done over at zune.net.
As a refresher, the Zune features 30 GB of storage space and will hit retail at $249 USD. If there is any device out there that can attempt to give the iPod somewhat of a run for it’s money, it’s the Zune. Do we think it will happen? No - we don’t. However, with the marketing budget that Microsoft is going to throw at this thing, who knows what will happen this holiday season?
Related:
Video: Zune Hands-on Impressions
Zune Image Gallery
Read More 
| Zune
Gallery: Official Microsoft Zune Website Launches
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Vote For The Bleeding Edge In The Vloggies!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Internet,
Alright guys, we want to thank you for hooking us up by nominating us for The Vloggies. We made it into five categories, including Best Technology Weblog, Best Male Vlogger, Best Documentary Video, Best Viral Video, and…by golly, Best Vlog.
So first, thank you. We appreciate it, seriously. Now, let’s win something. Head on over to the vote page for The Vloggies, and simply vote for us in those respective categories. If you give us a vote, please let us know in the comments. Maybe we will make a contest out of this!
Read More | Vote for The Bleeding Edge!
Gallery: Vote For The Bleeding Edge In The Vloggies!
Now this is good news for those of you who run websites - Google has just launched Google Co-Op. The goal of Google Co-Op is to allow a user to create and integrate a customized version of the Google search engine into their website. You are able to specify which sites you want your Co-Op site to search, which means results will be displayed only for those sites you choose.
Aside from choosing which site(s) you want to include, you also have the choice of customizing the look and feel of the results page, how content in the results should be prioritized, and even if others can contribute as well.
It appears, however, that the home run here is that Google Co-Op gives the options of displaying your AdSense ads in the sidebar, providing the possibility of increased revenue. We don’t know about you, but extra money in our pockets during this time of year is more than acceptable to us.
Read More | Google Co-Op via Venturus
Gallery: Google Co-Op Goes Live
Not quite 2 weeks after the release of IE 7, Firefox 2.0 makes its debut from Mozilla for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. The browser features interface and usability enhancements, session saver, inline spell check, an anti-phishing protection, and tab improvements. System requirements include a Pentium 233 MHz (500 MHz or greater recommended), 64 MB RAM (128 MB RAM or greater recommended), and 52 MB hard drive space. A preview release is available online and Mozilla cautions users that previous versions of Firefox extensions, themes, and plug-ins may not behave properly.
Read More | Mozilla via UNEASYsilence
Gallery: Mozilla Launches Firefox 2.0
For those of you who are Howard Stern devotees, SIRIUS Satellite Radio is offering what they refer to as a “global event.” This entails a two-day free trial of its new SIRIUS Internet Radio. Not only will you get more than 75 channels of SIRIUS’ commercial-free music, you will have access to talk from political, cultural, entertainment, and sports commentators. You also get a tedious four hours of Stern a day, plus access to his two original channels. October 25 and 26 are the freebie days, and for a monthly subscription price of $12.95, you can get SIRIUSLY Stern every day.
Gallery: SIRIUS Goes Manically Stern for 2-Day Trial
About 80% of e-mails (~6.5 billion) are spam. While most service providers offer anti-viral and anti-spam protection, this does nothing to completely rid you of the problem. BT – Content Forensics from StreamShield Network automatically scans, identifies, and terminates spam from its source. It can also assist you in getting rid of botnet infections. The service monitors SMTP e-mail traffic, shows you the breakdown of normal and spam e-mail, and even reports it by time of day.
“In a world-first, we’re turning the tables on professional spammers and cutting off this scourge of the Internet at its source,” said Stratis Scleparis, CTO at BT Retail.
BT is offering a free-trial so that you can see for yourself what it is like to be spam-free.
Read More | BT Streamshield Network
Gallery: BT Targets Spam Source
Palm Treo 680 Unveiled at DigitalLife
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Internet, Misc. Tech,
Palm has announced the arrival of its new Treo 680 smartphone at Digitallife in NYC. With it you can call, e-mail, text message, and have web access. You can also keep a calendar, photos, music, and contacts close to you. Smaller than the 650, improvements include a new phone user interface, address book, call log, and wallpaper idle. Treo boasts a brighter, crisper screen so you can see who’s calling and improved access to multimedia applications. Check with Palm for availability and price.
Read More | Palm via digitallife
Gallery: Palm Treo 680 Unveiled at DigitalLife
Google Buys YouTube For $1.65 Billion
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Google, Internet,
Okay, so, if you haven’t heard, Google has purchased the ridiculously popular online video sharing service YouTube for $1.65 billion in an all-stock acquisition. That would make YouTube Google’s largest purchase to date, and quite possibly, it’s most questionable. I mean, after all, our biggest experiences with YouTube involved viewing copyrighted material that YouTube had no business hosting. We would love to see how Google plans on dealing with that nightmare. According to YouTube execs, who should be out partying rather than making statements, YouTube is expected to still operate on it’s own and continue stealing content
doing it’s thing.
Read More | Yahoo!
Gallery: Google Buys YouTube For $1.65 Billion
Like your bingo online? It may soon stop existing now that an Internet gambling ban has been approved by Congress. The ban was attached as a rider to a port security bill and is currently sitting on the desk of President Bush. Professor of Law I. Nelson Rose, in his article “Gambling and the Law®,” translates for us non-legal types:
“Although the DOJ (Department of Justice) has taken the position that the Wire Act covers all forms of gambling, courts have ruled that it is limited to bets on sports events and races. State anti-gambling statutes have similar weaknesses, including the presumption that they do not apply if part of the activity takes place overseas. This new statute requires that the Internet gambling be “unlawful.” But it would often be difficult to find a federal, state or tribal law that clearly made a specific Internet bet illegal.”
Internet gambling has become a $12 billion industry with more than 2,300 current web sites. The Wire Act, created in 1961, was intended to assist states, territories, and possessions of the United States, as well as the District of Columbia, in enforcing their respective laws on gambling and bookmaking and to suppress organized gambling activity.
Last year, the WTO (World Trade Organization) ruled that the United States could ban Internet gaming within its borders, although it still allowed horse race betting and state lotteries. Fantasy football leagues will remain legal, but will be subject to certain restrictions. The new law also allows removal of links from search engines to online real-money sites. Bush is expected to sign the bill within the next two weeks.
Read More | I. Nelson Rose Article via Casino City Times
Gallery: New Statute May End Online Gambling
Google Gadgets have been available to those who use the service as their home page, and now we can all share the wealth. Even amateur webmasters can choose from such objects as news, weather reports, maps, dictionary, horoscopes, driving directions, and games.
“Now anyone can have a great-looking website with automatically updating content,” said Adam Sah, Google Gadgets architect. “By making Google Gadgets available for you to add to your webpage, we’re working to connect developers with enthusiastic consumers.”
The gadgets are free and easily downloadable. Cute, but we’re going to wait for the one that can vacuum.
Read More | Google Announcement
