FocuSoft Tech Blog

Apple leaves door open to approving Google Voice, albeit a different incarnation
Google refutes USA Today report on blocked Skype application
OMG Chat Pillows FTW [Pillows]
With the Eyeball R1, someone’s a Star Wars fan in the Military
Fastest Data Connection In Space Comes Out of a 13-Inch Tube Orbiting the Moon [Communications]
Hide Your Porn Room Behind a Staircase for Ultimate Privacy [Construction]
You Can’t Read the Good Part of Google’s FCC Response [Google]
Keyboards decorated with anime girls
Coleman’s Steel Belted Chest Cooler Isn’t Messing Around [Coolers]
AT&T, Apple and Google respond to the FCC over Google Voice and the iPhone App Store

Apple leaves door open to approving Google Voice, albeit a different incarnation

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 04:15 PM PDT

Apple today denied it had rejected the Google Voice app for distribution on its iTunes online store, technically leaving the door open

Google refutes USA Today report on blocked Skype application

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 04:03 PM PDT

While Apple was busy batting away the FCC with its litany of reasons why its app approval process is totally hunky-dory, Google was apparently having it’s own VoIP-related firefight. It seems that an article in the USA Today which hit newsstands this morning alleges that the internet giant sought to block (dare we say reject) a full Skype application from making its way into the Android Market. The story claims that the application was neutered to become “a watered-down version of the original that routes calls over traditional phone networks” — which would obviously cast a decidedly malevolent slant to the benevolent company’s policies.

The story is surely fine fodder for a FUD enthusiast up to that point, but it appears (gasp) that USA Today may have gotten one minor fact wrong. Namely, that Google had any unsavory aim to clip the wings of the Skype app. According to company man Andy Rubin (on Google’s Public Policy Blog), the “lite” moniker was only attached due to technical limitations of the Android platform. In his words:

Here are the facts, clear and simple: While the first generation of our Android software did not support full-featured VoIP applications due to technology limitations, we have worked through those limitations in subsequent versions of Android, and developers are now able to build and upload VoIP services.

As we told USA Today earlier in the week Google did not reject an application from Skype or from any other company that provides VoIP services. To suggest otherwise is false. At this point no software developer — including Skype — has implemented a complete VoIP application for Android. But we’re excited to see — and use — these applications when they’re submitted, because they often provide more choice and options for users. We also look forward to the day when consumers can access any application, including VoIP apps, from any device, on any network.

Note the jab there at the end? Okay, swell. Of course, even if Google had rejected the app outright, users still could have installed the software through other avenues, as the Android Market is only a suggestion — not a mandate — for how consumers should acquire apps on Google’s platform.

[Via TechCrunch; Image courtesy eBoy]

Read – Google-AT&T-Apple fight over Net calls draws FCC interest
Read – Android and VoIP applications

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Google refutes USA Today report on blocked Skype application originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OMG Chat Pillows FTW [Pillows]

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 04:00 PM PDT

The Throwboy people are at it again with more pillows for 21st century boys and girls. Now with chat dialogs with common chat phrase contractions, from WTF to FTW, going through OMG and BRB. Wait, no TFSU? For shame. [Throwboy]

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OMG Chat Pillows FTW [Pillows]

With the Eyeball R1, someone’s a Star Wars fan in the Military

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 03:52 PM PDT

The Eye Ball R1 can give troops a better view of enemy positions with a simple toss.

There’s a great scene in the Cartoon Network original Star Wars Clone Wars series where Arc Troopers, pinned down and badly needing a fresher perspective, take a spherical probe droid camera and toss it high in the air. The camera gives the troopers a birds eye view of the entire city around them, spotting enemy positions and giving them great advantage when attacking. Well, someone must be a Star Wars geek because Uncle Sam and Remington Technologies have created the Eye Ball R1 Throwable Camera System.

It can’t float high in the year, yet, but this compact, lightweight, spherical camera is designed for high risk tactical situations for military and law enforcement to get a vital viewpoint of what’s going on where they can’t see.

The completely Eye Ball R1 System

Once deployed by a good, strong toss, the Eye Ball R1 can capture video up to 25 yards away and broadcast it wirelessly to their position to a personal display unit (PDU) at up to 200 yards from where it lands. Audio can also be broadcast as well. The PDU can view two Eye Ball R1s at the same time and in full color to it’s 6 1/2″ LCD screen.

In close quarters, the Eye Ball could save lives by seeing around corners.

And what else is cool, is that the Eye Ball is omni directional, rotating at 4 revolutions per minute to identify any potential targets and provide up to a 55 by 41 degree field of view. And if the camera lands upside down, the camera image can be flipped by the operator.

The Eye Ball R1 can operate for a maximum of 2 hours, while the PDU can run for 3 hours. But expect that to increase as the technology matures. And only Arc Troopers know if it’ll every fly.

Hat Tip – Defense Review

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ With the Eyeball R1, someone’s a Star Wars fan in the Military copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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With the Eyeball R1, someone's a Star Wars fan in the Military

Fastest Data Connection In Space Comes Out of a 13-Inch Tube Orbiting the Moon [Communications]

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 03:40 PM PDT

Right now, data is arriving across 238,800 miles at 100MBps (as in megabytes per second, not megabits), dwarfing every home internet connections out there. That’s a total of 461GB of data transmitted per day, thanks to this device.

It’s the Travelling Wave Tube Amplifier, the first high data rate K-band transmitter on a NASA spacecraft. It’s on board the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is sending massive amounts of data, from images of its surface—like the first photos of the Apollo sites in 40 years—to 3D data points which are being processed into the most detailed topographical map of our satellite. [NASA]

Fastest Data Connection In Space Comes Out of a 13 Inch Tube Orbiting the Moon [Communications]

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Fastest Data Connection In Space Comes Out of a 13-Inch Tube Orbiting the Moon [Communications]

Hide Your Porn Room Behind a Staircase for Ultimate Privacy [Construction]

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 03:20 PM PDT

There are few things cooler than having hidden passageways in your home. And unless your home is a castle of some kind, you probably don’t have any. If you’ve got the scratch and motivation, however, that could change.

Steve Humble of HiddenPassageway.com will stick a secret passageway and lair anywhere you want. Under some stairs? Sure! Behind a bookcase? Naturally! Behind a fireplace? Dangerous, but why not? It’s the perfect way to keep your masturbatorium hidden away from private eyes, as it should be. [HiddenPassageway.com via Make]

Hide Your Porn Room Behind a Staircase for Ultimate Privacy [Construction]

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Hide Your Porn Room Behind a Staircase for Ultimate Privacy [Construction]

You Can’t Read the Good Part of Google’s FCC Response [Google]

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 03:14 PM PDT

While AT&T and Apple let everything they said to the FCC all hang out, Google’s response to the rejection of its own is pretty tame. Why? The good part of the response, detailing the conversations between Google and Apple about Google’s apps getting rejecting, are redacted, meaning we can’t read them.

They do admit though, that a native Google Voice app is better than the web interface—suck it, web apps. [TechCrunch]

You Cant Read the Good Part of Googles FCC Response [Google]

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You Can’t Read the Good Part of Google’s FCC Response [Google]

Keyboards decorated with anime girls

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 03:02 PM PDT

anime kb Keyboards decorated with anime girls

We all have our preferences with our keyboards. Some people see no need to get frivolous and just go for the plain type, others like bright pink and then of course there are the gamers that like the large complex keyboards. Well now there’s even a keyboard out there for those of you that are hardcore anime fans. In some parts of the world, anime fans are slightly more obsessed than in other areas, but likely there are still several eager anime fans even in the US and the UK.

They all feature the bright eyed anime females, not the guys. These USB keyboards are likely more targeted at the male anime audience. Especially since there is one featuring a bikini clad anime female on the keyboard. These artsy USB keyboards are on sale through E-Junex’s E2 retailer, but will only be available for a limited time. Within that time period you’re going to end up paying about $100 a piece for these keyboards.

Source: Ubergizmo

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Keyboards decorated with anime girls copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Keyboards decorated with anime girls

Coleman’s Steel Belted Chest Cooler Isn’t Messing Around [Coolers]

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 03:00 PM PDT

What do you get when you spend a whopping $173 on a cooler? Stainless steel and cold beers, that’s what.

Coleman’s new Steel Belted Chest Cooler is the granddaddy of coolers, featuring a secure rubber seal and robust insulation so your booze and meat stays cold. It’s also got a leak-proof and rust resistant drain, which I’m sure is great. But at the end of the day, you’re still spending $173 on a cooler. And I wonder if that money couldn’t be better spent on more beer and meat. That’s just me. [Amazon via Uncrate]

Colemans Steel Belted Chest Cooler Isnt Messing Around [Coolers]

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Coleman’s Steel Belted Chest Cooler Isn’t Messing Around [Coolers]

AT&T, Apple and Google respond to the FCC over Google Voice and the iPhone App Store

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 02:59 PM PDT

Whoa — we were just sent AT&T response to the FCC’s investigation into the rejection of Google Voice apps from the iPhone app store, and Ma Bell isn’t pulling any punches: according to the letter, AT&T “had no role in any decision by Apple to not accept the Google Voice application.” That puts the ball pretty firmly in Apple’s court, but it doesn’t close the door on AT&T’s involvement in App store approval shenanigans entirely, since the letter also says “AT&T has had discussions with Apple regarding only a handful of applications that have been submitted to Apple for review where, as described below, there were concerns that the application might create significant network congestion.” Not only did that result in CBS and MobiTV killing the Final Four app’s ability to stream video over 3G, it also explains what happened to SlingPlayer Mobile — we’ll see what the FCC says about that.

Update: And here come Apple and Google’s responses as well! We’re digesting everything as fast as we can, we’re going to do this semi-liveblog style after the break, so grab a frosty and dive in.

Update 2: Okay, so we’ve read through all three filings and broken them down after the break. Our main takeaway? Apple’s being pretty hypocritical by claiming on the one hand that the iPhone is at the forefront of a mobile revolution and then saying iPhone users can’t figure out how Google Voice is different than the iPhone’s built-in functionality on the other. Either your customers are paradigm-busting visionaries or they’re not very smart at all, Apple — you have to pick one. As for AT&T, well, it just seems like it’s worried about its network above all else, and while we think it’s ridiculous that it enforces the VoIP and SlingPlayer ban on the iPhone and not, say, Windows Mobile devices, we can see why the carrier would push those contract provisions hard. In the end, we’re just hoping the FCC forces everyone involved to be more open and transparent about what they’re doing and the deals they’re making — Apple’s not necessarily exaggerating when it says these are entirely new problems, and whatever happens next will set a precedent for a long time to come.

Gallery: ATT’s FCC filing