The floodgates are beginning to open. Just last week we had the first live streamer, Knocking Live [iTunes link], that worked from iPhone to iPhone. Now, Ustream is offering a free app [iTunes link] that lets you put a live or recorded stream on the web that multiple people can watch from a web browser.
This is a rather stunning turnaround from just weeks ago when Apple did not allow any live streaming of video from the iPhone. This app supports the 3G and 3GS iPhones, and allows streaming over the 3G network and Wi-Fi. You can record the stream to your iPhone for a later upload, and it even works on 3G phones that don’t have built-in video record capability.
Online shopping has come along in leaps and bounds since 1994 when the first e-commerce transaction actually occurred ? but as dotcom bombs UrbanFetch and Kozmo proved, delivery can be the most painful point in the ecommerce chain. Enter Shutl, which today launches an on-demand delivery platform that aggregates transportation carriers. Think of it as cloud computing for the logistics industry, focusing primarily on local same-day courier firms.
Launching in London first, the service is targeted at multi-channel retailers and their customers, promising delivery within 90 minutes of purchase in urban areas ? and all this at a lower cost to retailers than their standard delivery charge. The company is keeping quiet on delivery time or cost if you happen to live in the ‘burbs or the boondocks.
It’s December, and that means list season. Early this morning, Apple released the top sellers from the iTunes stores across several categories. The top music, television shows, movies, audiobooks, podcasts and apps sold in 2009 are displayed on a special page in the store [iTunes link], called “iTunes Rewind 2009.” Here are some highlights.
The top three songs sold were “Boom Boom Pow” by Black Eyed Peas, “Right Round” by Flo Rida and “Poker Face” by Lady GaGa. I’ve never heard the first two, but “Poker Face” is a huge hit with my 6-year-old. It’s nice to see kids music do so well. As for podcasts, I’m very happy to see my beloved Adam Carolla podcast [iTunes link] among the most popular.
Remember The Club? Sure you do. We can’t say that Who-Rae’s Maplock is destined to become just as goofy in the pop culture scene, but it’s certainly one of the more absurd peripherals that we’ve seen this year. Put simply, this contraption provides a locking mount for your navigation unit and a presumably snip-proof cable that locks around one’s steering wheel. We suppose the point here is to easily show pondering thieves that they should probably select another vehicle to jack, but the easier solution is to figure out a mounting setup that doesn’t involve suction cup residue. For those who’d rather be safe than sorry, the Maplock can be procured for right around $50 — just be prepared for all sorts of jeering from your car club mates. Vid’s after the break, vaquero.
Have you checked into Engadget’s massive 2009 Holiday Gift Guide? If not, you’re making the biggest mistake of the season. Seriously. Don’t let this year mark the end of happiness. Help us help you… just study the guides below (and stay tuned for even more)!
Accessories
In one of life’s supreme ironies, AT&T today posted an iPhone app that allows you to report substandard service. That’s right folks. Got a dropped call? No reception? AT&T Marks the Spot [iTunes link] is designed to get that info to your favorite cell company so they can act on it.
Let’s see… I don’t have any reception, so I pull out my new AT&T app to notify them of the problem. Doh! No reception to do that. And the app even nicely brings up a GPS map showing where I am. The GPS signal is much more reliable of course.
It’s a match made in heaven, really. A GPS-linked heads-up display system, and ski goggles. Together, at long last, forever. Recon Instruments is reportedly developing said technology right now, and if all goes well, a HUD-equipped set of alpine goggles will indeed be on sale to the general populace next fall for between $350 to $450. The device is expected to tap into your cellphone, and if said phone has a GPS chip within, you’ll be able to see where you’re at, where your fellow snow bunnies are and where you’re headed. It’ll also provide all sorts of other vital information, such as hang time off of the rail jump, altitude gain / loss, a stopwatch and temperature. There’s no word on whether it’ll alert you when too much powder starts building on that front-side edge, but here’s hoping these things are durable enough to survive the face-plant that’ll inevitably ensue when that scenario plays itself out.
Back in March, Google CEO Eric Schmidt caused a little controversy when he was quoted as thinking of Twitter (and the other micro-messaging services like it) as a “sort of poor man’s email systems.” He later clarified his remarks a bit. Tonight, he has joined the service.
Current Googlers such as Hunter Walk (YouTube) and former Googlers such as Chris Sacca welcomed Schmidt to the service tonight, pointing to his account, eschmidt0. Yes, you’d think he could have gotten a better name (for example, ericschmidt is currently suspended, and presumably available), but maybe he’s continuing Google’s love affair with 1s and 0s.
Those anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Camangi Webstation Android tablet / MID will be happy to know that the website — which went up about a week and a half ago — is now accepting pre-orders. The 7-inch glass touchscreen tablet boasts a 624MHz Marvell PXA303 CPU, 128MB of RAM, 256MB of flash storage, 3G connectivity, WiFi, and GPS, and it comes in white, pink or black. The $399 price is currently discounted for “early birds” to $389 — so get going, champ!
You might think MikroMikko is the name of some Asian fusion restaurant, but it was actually Nokia’s first computer line — and in 1987, the MikroMikko 3 was a state-of-the-art MS-DOS machine with 1MB of RAM and 20MB drive. It’s been about 25 years since Nokia’s made a computer bigger than an N900, but it’s back in the game with its first netbook, the Booklet 3G. Nokia’s pitching the Booklet as a top-of-the-line machine with an all-aluminum chassis, integrated connectivity and GPS apps, and at $699 it’s certainly priced that way — although inside it’s got a low-power Atom processor and 4,200rpm hard drive. The Booklet 3G is one of the best-looking netbooks out there, but is Nokia’s entry back into the market a winner? Click on to find out what we think of the entire system in our full review.
Gallery: Nokia Booklet 3G Review