Mapjack: Google Street View Alternative

MapJack is an effort similar to Google’s Street View to capture street-level imagery. The site only has imagery from San Francisco (US), Sausalito (US) Lake Tahoe (US), Yosemite(US) and Chiang Mai (Thailand), The striking feature is the image quality that MapJack provides. You can fine tune the image quality or adjust its sharpness, brightness, etc..

For now it is just a exercise of style and technology with a very small sample of imagery. The company has developed its own technology to gather imagery which also works in walking areas, not just on the streets. "We developed an array of proprietary electronics, hardware and software tools that enable us to capture an entire city’s streets with relative ease and excellent image quality. We have a complete low-cost scalable system encompassing the entire work-flow process needed for Immersive Street-Side Imagery, from picture gathering to post-processing to assembling on a Website."

[MapJack via GoogleSystem]

Nokia N78 First Impression Video

The Nokia N78 is the successor to the popular Nokia N73 with reportedly significant improvements, including WiFi, GPS receiver, S60 Third Edition Feature Pack 2, and a FM transmitter. Engadget just got some hands on and put together a quick video that can be seen HERE!

The candy bar N78 is not a touchscreen phone, the navigation is done by the circular touch D-Pad similar to the HTC Diamond, which seems to requires some practices to get used to. There is no accelerometer and the Web browsing looks basic to my taste.

Specs: 49×113x15.1mm, 101.8g, OS 9.3 Series 60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2, 32bit Freescale i.MX31 @ 369MHz, 256MB ROM / 128MB RAM, 2.4" color transflective TFT display, 16777216 scales, 240×320pixel, cellular GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, built-in NMEA 0183 GPS, WLAN, Bluetooth, FM radio, microSD, microSDHC, TransFlash, SDIO, Built-in numeric phone keyboard, 3.1 megapixel main camera, 352×288 secondary camera, 1200mAh Lithium-ion battery. [Coutesy PDAdb]

Quick Outlook Calendar Entry Add with Easy2Add

I am a big fan of Google Calendar‘s Quick Add feature combined with Google Outlook Sync. Within an email with a date or a subject, I can just highlight and paste the sentence in to the Quick Add and the calendar entry is automatically created in Google Calendar and propagated to Outlook and my other Mobile devices. Voice entry is also available when you are on the go, read this post.

But if you are just Outlook user, you can add this functionality with Easy2Add free utility. Easy2Add software and Windows Vista Gadget are free and fastest way to create Microsoft Outlook events (appointments, meetings, all day events).

Don’t like filling out complicated Outlook Appointments forms? Easy2Add can (in most cases) read your mind. If you type in something like [Lunch with Mom at Home 11am Sunday], Easy2Add can figure out what you mean and create the new event right onto your Outlook Calendar, even when Microsoft Outlook is closed. You can start using it from Vista Sidebar Gadget or by clicking on the Easy2Add tray icon.

Main Features (after the jump!)

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PayPal Browser Plug-in for One-Time Disposable Credit Card.

I just got an email from PayPal, which informs the availability of the single-use credit cards for its account holders for online purchase via a Browser plug-in (IE7 and FF2 for now).

So far, PayPal has been a great service for online payment between private parties or online purchases on a limited number of  e-commerce sites that support PayPal as form of payment. This is about to change with this new disposable credit card service.

The plug-in makes using "Secure Cards" much easier with the drop down menu, from which, you can create a card, fill a payment form with the card’s details, check your PayPal balance, etc..,

• Use Secure Cards to shop anywhere online
• Save and print your receipts
• Enter addresses with 1 click during checkout
• Avoid fraudulent websites
• Check your balance right from your browser

PayPal Plug-In

Online PowerPoint Alternative: 280Slides

 280Slides is a new free Web based presentation tool that can replace PowerPoint when you can be online. Aesthetically and functionally, 280Slides looks similar to Apple’s Keynote, With its beautiful, clean and intuitive interface.

One of the best parts of 280 Slides is our built in Media support.  You can bring up the Media Inspector by clicking on the Pictures button.  Use the inspector to search for images on the web or upload your own.  Simply double click or drag and drop them on to your slide to add a picture. You can add video from Vimeo and Youtube (if you intent to present in online mode)

Upon completion, you can download as PowerPoint 2007 format (The PPT viewer is free) or present in online mode. In PowerPoint, the saved presentation looks as good as a native PPT presentation.

You can share you presentation by sending to Slideshare, which also allows you to embed on your Web site. You can email the presentation with attached PowerPoint 2007 pptx format or embed to any document.

280Slides does not have many choices in themes or sophisticated tools as seen in PowerPoint 2007, but I am confident 90% of presentation needs should be covered with this great online presentation tool. 

[Via Downloadsquad]

TimeMagazine is Now on YouTube

Time.com have put all their videos on Youtube. You can watch, share, embed and comment on them. Go to youtube.com/magazine and subscribe.

Below is TIME Magazine Interviews Toni Morrison, the woman who earned both the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes talks to readers about writing in this edition of TIME’s 10 Questions.

Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition 3 Release Candidate 2 Released

Mozilla Firefox 3 Release Candidate 2 is the latest test release of the upcoming 3.0 version of Firefox. With tons of new features, security enhancements, performance upgrades and more.

Until the official release, I highly recommend to use the portable version, which allows you to try out all the new features without impacting your locally-installed copy of Firefox. For more on what’s new, read the Mozilla Firefox 3 Release Candidate 2 Release Notes.

Download the portable version HERE in English, German, French, Italian, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. (You can install on an USB stick or in a separate folder on your hard drive.)

Better Battery Life with 3G? Here’s How…

The rumors still run feverishly until Monday June,9th when Apple unveils the 3G iPhone. Some rumors sound more plausible than others, the better battery life seems to be a plausible one, but some experts are still scratching their head asking how Apple can do that magic.

Here is my speculation: iLounge just post few engineering pictures allegedly leaked from the touch screen supplier to Apple’s next device. Pictures show smaller screens 3.2” and 2.8” respectively. They are smaller than the current model measured at 3.5”. As you know the screen display is one of the biggest battery life eater and obviously smaller display would make sense.

The 2.8” screen is also very intriguing (a Nano iPhone is in the works perhaps?).  This small size is actually used on various the Windows Mobile devices including the HTC Diamond (featuring 3G and VGA), which carries only 900MAh battery.

[Source iLounge Via Engadget]

Disney World in 3D with Google Earth

I live about 10 minute drive from Disneyland in California and about 2100 miles (3500 km) from Disneyworld. But it doesn’t matter anymore: today  Google and Disney got together and have modeled in 3D Disney’s major theme parks and resorts in Orlando, Florida. All available in Google Earth right now.

Walt Disney World has released 3D models of their parks in Orlando, and, with Google’s help, they are now part of the "3D Buildings" layer built in to Google Earth.

Unfortunately, Google Earth is still running on its own client software. So head over HERE to download the 4.3 version. [Source Google Blog]

Podcasts of the Week: Quick and Dirty Tips

We introduced sometime ago the Grammar Girl Podcast. Now going back to the site, I found there are so many more self improvement podcasts available that I am sure we can learn valuable lessons from.

Explorer them all after the jump!

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Asus’s Eee-bition For Low-Cost Computing and Entertaining

  We have heard about the many flavors of Eee-PC subnotbooks, Eee-Box (a mini desktop) and today in Taiwan,  Asus seems to unveil the Eee-TV as well as the Eee-Monitor as part of the new line of mass consumer products.

The Eee-TV is a 42in LCD TV with a Linux computer built-in to allow users to go on the Web and read email and perhaps Media Center like functions . Asus said it will retail for no more than $200 above what you’d pay for the same size standard flatscreen TV.

The Eee-Monitor is actually more than just its name indicates. It is a 19”-21” all-in-one computer a la iMac. The difference will be the cost (and the OS). The Eee-Monitor will be priced at  $499 while the Apple’s iMac start at $1199.

Both above products will debut in September reportedly.

Furthermore, ASUStek CEO, Jerry Shen, when presented a 2008 Eee family roadmap. He gave hints of 2 more products listed as "Eee S1" and "Eee K1" that will be launched by the holiday’08 season.  [Via PCWorld]

ZAC Web Browser Designed for Children With Special Learning Needs

Zac Browser (Zone for Autistic Children) is a web browser developed specifically for children and teenagers with autism and autism spectrum disorders such as such as Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), and PDD-NOS.

The software will allow children to interact directly with games and activities that cater specifically to kids who display the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders, like impairments in social interaction, impairments in communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. It has been an effective tool for kids with low, medium and high functioning autism.  Free Download HERE!

Cnet: What Should We Expect On Monday 6/9

Tom Krazit from One More Thing blog gives some hints about what Apple Steve Jobs will announces at WWDC on Monday 6/9 in San Francisco. The topics are not anything that you haven’t heard, but since I just discovered Cnet now allows embeddable videos (does the acquisition by CBS have anything to do with it?) So we just want to give it a twirl.

New Features From Drop.io: Fax and Conference Call

Drop.io is a great a free online repository to park your files. You can open a Drop by giving a name for free with 100MB of storage with a temporary Web address to share your uploaded files.

Recently drop.io just added a new Voice service, which adds a phone number and extension to each “drop.” You simply can call to their 646 area code phone number, dial in the given extension and start recording your message. You message will be converted to mp3 and accessible from your Drop.  Watch video demo HERE!

Drop.IO just goes further with the addition of the Fax sending.receiving and conference call capability (only US).

To send a Fax, just upload a 20 pages or less Pdf or Doc file to rour Drop; in the Send drop down menu select Fax.

To receive a Fax, it is a little tricky. You first need to create a drop by giving a name if you don’t already have one. Sender must pre-pend this cover sheet. (given from your drop) and use the Fax number shown on this cover sheet.

For the conference call Within your Drop, you can have a phone number number and a passcode that you can use for conference call. The process is straight forward but it is not a toll free number (8xx) so be careful about the long distance charge.

Resco Explorer 2008 Released

The Swiss-Army Knife utility for Windows Mobile,  and Palm OS just got better. The must have file manager (and a boat load of other utilities) once again brings something new with the 2008 version, including the following functions: 

• Full Touch Optimization: Navigate through your files easily using your finger
• Letter Bar Navigation: Features the letter preview of the files you would like to access
• Virtual Folders For All Documents: Very useful when looking for files of the same type
• Quick Search Function: Instantly search for files you need by typing in the starting letters
• The Registry Editor: It allows you to export, import, view or modify the registry keys.
  ZIP Compression: Simplest and cheapest way to save significant amounts of storage space.
• The FTP Explorer: Gives the possibility to browse the FTP server’s content directly in your device
• The Network Browser: Simply map the shared network folders
• Today Plugin: Launch your favorite applications and documents with a single tap
• Recycle Bin: Moves deleted files into a virtual folder "Recycle Bin" instead of immediate deletion

Available here:  WM (Touchscreen) , WM Smartphone (2007); Palm/OS