Nicest video card?

That depends… yeah yeah whatever.. We’ll take two.

Feel like modding your XBOX for friends? Beware…

Michael Crippen was arrested by Homeland Security Agents for modifying and enabling Xbox video game consoles to play copied games. He was charging $30 per mod.

Whoa, he faces 10 years in the slammer… he’s currently out on $5,000 bond. At that lower bond level, seems unlikely he’ll get the full 10.

Obviously he was targeted for making a business out of this.

His defense: Merely helping folks make legal backups. Sounds… harmless enough…

All in fun, folks:

Norton Sues Apple in the European Union

Why? Microsoft is getting sued for having IE in their operating system in European Union. Therefore, what’s to stop the EU from suing Apple for having Virus Protection in their new OS?

Chalk one up for Apple - their newest operating system comes with an onboard malware protection package.

Malware can take over your computer, steal your personal information and even log your keystrokes. Does this guarantee protection? No. But it’s better than none at all, and so far seems relatively effective.

Watch your downloads, attachments, email, USB devices and other attachments. Malware comes from all directions.

More HERE

Thus far Apple has refused to approve the Google Voice App for the iPhone telling U.S. regulators that it  ”interferes with the iPhone “user experience.”

Sounds like a rejection… although one’s hard pressed to know exactly what they meant by the iPhone User Experience. Hopefully Apple will go into a deeper explanation, as this one leaves one scratching the head.

In many ways, it’s a priceless quote, and we intend to jot it down for future reference in our own little arsenal of auto-response business deflections.

Meanwhile, Google Voice reigns as a Voice Mail and Online Messaging System supreme.

It can transcribe all messages and then forward the text to any email account you wish. Simultaneously, it will route calls to as many different phones as you wish, each routing having indivually customizable with different rings and features.

Amazing, really.

Apple has approved Skype, a  VoIP app (Voice over Internet Protocol) but perhaps they see something more competitive and “threatening” in Google’s entry. 

One can understand - Google voice is set to rule the voice mail stage with Google Voice which provides free local telephone numbers sto every subscriber. Also, Google’s T-Mobile Android phone is a direct major competitor to Apple’s AT&T iPhone.

You have to love Google’s application to Apple… so smartly humble yet so ballsy… one giant’s friendly acknowledgement and app submission to another.

Google Voice could become one of the most useful and beloved apps of all.

As Apple says, they are “continuing to study it,” trying to measure the pros and cons to their business model. It will be interesting to see what the US regulators say.
  
As for users, nothing could be better than to have Google Voice en iPhone.

Friendfeed is an intensely popular aggregator - what that means is that you can post to your blogs, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, almost any of the social network sites and it will show up on your Friendfeed page. All in one place. People can subscribe to your Friendfeed. Or, you can post your Friendfeed on any site or blog.

Friendfeed is an enormously valuable service, worth tons. By some magical luck of the draw, Facebook was able to purchase Friendfeed for a measly 47.5 million - coup of the century my friends.  How did they convince Friendfeed to go along with this highway robbery?

Lucky Facebook - if I were Google, I would be slapping myself all the way to downtown San Jose and quaff a pitcher in sorrow of one big, heckofa missed opportunity.

Perhaps Friendfeed is just too friendly… and easy going. Or, hopefully, there were a few 100s or more millions in sideways payola…

Whatever, Facebook scored big time. If they use this new marriage to proper fruition, they will have a bevy of beautiful babies in the melding of single purpose Facebook to universal Friendfeed.

You will have all of your content in one place and use Facebook/Friendfeed (Facefeed) as your trough of choice. It will be the portal to your Internet.

Next?

Facesearch. Why use Google? Just go to Facebook and find anything, anyone, you need or want!

Good move, Facebook. Don’t let Google slap you on your way up the Web-ladder!

That said, I surely suspect Google has its own “wave” on the beach. The war is on!

Google keeps rolling out the hits. They’re an irrepressible, relentless giant.  What’s new? Where are their data centers? What sort of data centers do they have? Barges out at sea? What’s in the works?

Google Caffeine - Google’s New Search Engine Trial
It definitely offers up slightly different results. Speedier, smarter, different features…
http://www2.sandbox.google.com/

Sketchup - Google’s Free 3D Modeling Software
3D 2D modeling, scene-based animations, share, store online or off
http://sketchup.google.com/product/gsup.html

Secret Google Data Center Information
Google is intensely secretive about its data center operations and locations. Nevertheless, cunning sleuths have revealed much information about these powerhouse data clusters around the world…
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com…data-center-faq/

Maps of Google Data Center Locations
Locations of Data Centers around the world. Google is huge, omnipresent, a powerhouse. Plans off shore barges, will use ocean wave energy for power
http://royal.pingdom.com…google locations/

Google Squared - Want “Excel” spreadsheet results from Google?
Experimenting with “Wolfram Alpha” type technology
http://www.google.com/squared/

Store all your health information in one place
Can share or hide, your choice. Records, data, history all within your complete private control
https://www.google.com…health%2Fp%2F&rm=hide

Create Free Custom Search on your website
Better, faster, more customizable and easier to implemenet
http://www.google.com/coop/cse/

Images: Building Huge Google Data Center
The sheer magnitude in the middle of nowhere - where’s the energy coming from? THe Google enterprise is Monumental.
http://www.bouweemshaven.nl…datahotel

Google VOICE
Completely free telephone numbers with tons voice and forwarding services and options. Incredible… Transcribes voice mails and emails or forwards. Invites going out pretty quickly. Probably one of the most phenomenal contact services Google offers. Permanent free phone number for life.
http://www.google.com/voiceinvite

Google Signed Up with Twitter - Many accounts
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/google-accounts-on-twitter.html

What’s new with Google? Find out at Google Labs
http://www.googlelabs.com/ 

More great information at eWeek

Photo Credit: Conceptual Apple iTablet iTouch Art by Gizmodo
iTablet PC? Apologies… How about iTablet Mac? Or MacBook Touch? It’s rumored to be coming sooner than later maybe this year before Christmas rather than or 2010.

Rumor has it that it’s got an unbeatable price point for top features. Like full OSX, DVD slot, screen letter AND piano keyboard plus the usual desirables - plenty of disk space, memory, speed, battery life. But rumors are rumors.

If true, may fix the US financial Xmas doldrums… expecially the unbeatable low starter pricing. As usual, would await iteration 2 or 3.

As a Tablet PC touchscreen owner, can attest that this technology TOTALLY rocks. Write, draw onscreen - what’s not to love? Only current downside - a bit heavy and hot.

But Apple will offer a thing of beauty, sweet lines, trim polished physique, glassy smooth skin, gorgeous face. Add long battery life, low temp, what a win.

More secret details:

Quote: “It would be a colour, flat-panel TV to the old-fashioned, black and white TV of the Kindle,” one publishing executive said.
http://www.ft.com/cms/…1

“could cost between $600 and $1,000…”

“…think it will have a lot of the functionality of the iPod touch, but will be quite a bit bigger…”

“It’s really just a big iPod Touch…”

One of the more exciting devices to appear on the horizon…