Moving newspapers to e-ink has already begun

Moving newspapers to e-ink has already begun: "Filed under: Handhelds

William Gibson was certainly right when he said 'The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet.' But not for long. The New York Times has a very interesting piece on newspapers going e-paper -- and we aren't talking Internet editions. Besides the obvious discussion of dynamic ads, how much e-papers will cost, and the when, where, and how, we're presented with something interesting: De Tijd, a Belgian financial newspaper, has already put their paper on iLiad e-ink eBook readers; Les Echos in Paris, the IFRA group in Germany, The New York Times, as well as the International Herald Tribune are all in discussions to roll out e-newspaper subscriptions for devices like Sony's Reader later this year. Sure, for now it's still in monochrome, but that won't be for long; besides, it was Earth Day this weekend, people, time to make some sacrifices. Think of the trees, won't you?

Lexon's new On-Off alarm clock literally rocks

Lexon's new On-Off alarm clock literally rocks: "Filed under: Household
If all of those new fangled 'buttons' that they put on them thar alarm clocks these day are getting you down, you might be interested in the new On-Off clock from Lexon. Designed by Nina Tolstrup, the On-Off LCD alarm clock can have its alarm activated by tilting it into the on position, and the alarm can be turned off by (you guessed it) tilting the clock to the off position. While we're sure this will result in some exciting and violent early morning clock tilting action, we're not so sure how snooze functionality factors in. In any case, the clock should be available May 15th in numerous colors, and for the quite reasonable price of $36.50.

Nokia N72 launched

Nokia N72 launched: "Filed under: Cellphones

Along with the N93 and N73, Nokia just launched their new N72 multimedia tri-band GSM/EDGE cellphone. This Symbian S60 handset features a 2.1-inch, 176 x 208, 262k color display, Bluetooth 2.0, and 20MB internal memory expandable via SD memory cards. Media support includes a digital music player with dedicated music keys supporting MP3 and AAC playback, an FM Radio with Visual Radio support, and throws in a swivel-activated 2 megapixel shooter with integrated flash capable of CIF video capture at 15fps. Nokia is positioning this pup as a 'multimedia computer' which is a bit of a stretch, but we'll play a long, for now. Expected in Pearl Pink or Gloss Black sometime in June 2006. More pics on the flip.

Use Thunderbird like a pro

Use Thunderbird like a pro: "Even if you use Thunderbird on a daily basis, you probably don't know it inside out. There are still quite a few 'hidden' features not covered in the online help that can significantly improve your emailing habits. And since Thunderbird's functionality can be expanded via extensions, you can add some clever features to it too."

Review: NeoOffice 1.2

Review: NeoOffice 1.2: "Developers Patrick Luby and Edward Peterlin released NeoOffice 1.2, a port of OpenOffice.org 1.1.5 to Mac OS X, in early February. I decided to kick the tires a bit and see how well it performs. NeoOffice isn't perfect, but it's a great alternative for Mac users who don't want to shell out big bucks for Microsoft Office, and want a suite that's more full-featured than Apple's iWork."

Texas Community College Bans MySpace.com (AP)

Texas Community College Bans MySpace.com (AP): "AP - Del Mar College students now have to use computers outside the school's system if they want to visit the popular Web site MySpace.com. The community college has blocked the site in response to complaints about sluggish Internet speed on campus computers."

It's Earth Day -- so don't just toss your old computer!

It's Earth Day -- so don't just toss your old computer!: "It's Earth Day today, and the consumer electronics industry isn't above a little shameless self-promotion to show off their green cred. And, we have to admit, recycling your old gear is a lot better than just tossing it into the basement -- or worse, a landfill. So follow the examples of these companies, and make your gear green! Apple Computer will pay for shipping and environmentally friendly disposal of any old computer with the purchase of a new Mac from the company's retail or online stores. So, if you're a switcher, you can now let Apple deal with getting rid of that old Windows box, and if you're upgrading, Apple will give that old Quadra a proper send-off. Sprint Nextel will spring for shipping and recycling or disposal of any brand of cellphone -- and you don't even need to buy anything. Just grab a prepaid mailing label from Sprint's web site, stuff your phone in an envelope and send it off. So forget about the sentimental valu"

Implant to cure blindness?

Implant to cure blindness?: "Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets We've run a few of these before, but if you think we're into otherwise unnecessary implantables, don't even get us started on implantables that enhance sensory perception, or restore senses where there were once none. The New Scientist has a writeup of a new kind of solar powered 1.5 millimeter x 15 micrometer retinal implant that could start restoring vision to the blind by using solar cells to trigger lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric actuators that stimulate optical neurotransmitters. Yeah, we slapped our foreheads too, it was so simple. You'll have Laxman Saggere of the University of Illinois at Chicago to thank when his invention is complete, though; we can't wait to give Stevie a peek -- the man wrote Songs in the Key of Life, can't he just get a peek?

Apple unveils 17-inch MacBook Pro

Apple unveils 17-inch MacBook Pro: "Filed under: Laptops As expected, Apple has unveiled the new flagship of the MacBook Pro line, a 17-inch, 1680x1050, 2.16GHz Core Duo model. The new model comes standard with 1GB of RAM, an 8X dual-layer burner and a 120GB 5400 RPM hard drive, along with a FireWire 800 port, for $2,799. Maximum RAM is 2GB, and Apple also offers a 100GB 7200 RPM drive as an option. At the same time, Apple has removed the 17-inch PowerBook G4 from its lineup, leaving the 12-incher as the sole remaining option for customers willing to settle for last year's model (or who want a smaller-footprint portable). The pricing on the 17-incher actually matches that of the 2.16GHz 15-inch model, which makes this one a relative bargain -- especially given its larger hard drive, FireWire 800 and dual-layer burner. As previously noted, the launch was timed to coincide with the opening of the National Association of Broadcasters conference, which begins today.