I’m more of a keyboard shortcut person than mouse user any day of the week and seeing something like WindowFlow that allows for easy control and desktop layout of your typical busy as all get out Mac OS X desktop is more than welcomed.

WindowFlow makes organizing your application windows a breeze:

• Keyboard commands allow you to smoothly move and resize windows that snap into alignment.
• Window tiling instantly reorganizes a messy group of overlapping windows to optimally fill your screen.
• Intuitive window switching gives you an ordered list of windows and a preview of the window on the desktop.
• Ideal for developers, designers and power users who work from multiple windows.
• Keyboard junkies will love being able to keep their hands where they are most productive.
• Optimized for Macs with large or multiple displays.
• Operates seamlessly in the background, only becoming visible when needed.
• Highly customizable: re-define the keyboard shortcuts and WindowFlow’s behavior.

WindowFlow comes in Standard Edition and a Pro Edition and currently is 45% off list price.

[ Links: WindowFlow ]

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) today announced that PlayStation Move motion controller for PlayStation 3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system will launch worldwide this fall, offering a motion-based, high-definition gaming experience unlike anything on the market.

Concurrently with its launch, SCE will also release PlayStation Move sub-controller to be used along with the motion controller for intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects. The PlayStation Move platform, including the motion controller, sub-controller and PlayStation Eye camera, together with a strong lineup of software titles, will deliver an innovative and highly immersive experience on the PS3 system.

The claim that the experience is “unlike anything on the market”… um, Nintendo Wii controllers?

The combination of the PS3 system and PlayStation Eye camera detects the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of PlayStation Move motion controller, allowing users to intuitively play the game as if they themselves are within the game. PlayStation Move motion controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced motion sensors, including a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, as well as a color-changing sphere that is tracked by PlayStation Eye camera. Through PlayStation Move system, both fast and subtle motion can be detected, whether the user is swinging a tennis racket, or painting with a brush. With PlayStation Move motion controller, users can provide direct input through action buttons and an analog trigger, while receiving physical feedback from rumble functionality and visual feedback from the sphere’s ability to display a variety of different colors. Furthermore, PlayStation Eye camera can capture the player’s voice or image, enabling augmented reality experiences.

The newly announced PlayStation Move sub-controller is a one-handed controller, developed to further expand the game play options that PlayStation Move games can offer. PlayStation Move sub-controller features a sleek curved design that pairs with the motion controller and comes with an analog stick and directional buttons that allow users to easily control the game when moving characters or choosing a direction. Like all other Wireless Controllers for the PS3 system, it comes with a built in lithium-ion rechargeable battery as well as Bluetooth technology, enabling the controller to transfer the input information wirelessly to the PS3 system without a cable. PlayStation Move motion controller and sub-controller will further broaden the gaming experience on the PS3 system for all genres, from games that use one motion controller to games that use both controllers.

All combined with a game + PlayStation Move controllers should cost less than $100 USD.

According to an FCC announcement (warning: pdf link), the FCC will officially unveil our first ever national broadband plan at an FCC meeting next Tuesday, March 16, at 10:30 EST. That’s one day earlier than the plan was supposed to be unveiled before Congress, though technically it’s about a month behind its originally-scheduled unveiling date.

The plan is expected to put a heavy emphasis on delivering more spectrum to incumbent wireless carriers, the construction of a national wireless emergency network and “digital literacy” efforts. However, early glimpses indicate the plan does little to shake up a stagnant U.S. duopoly market or to seriously tackle limited competition and high prices.

Link to the original article…

According to a new press statement from Verizon, the carrier is seeing peak download speeds of 40 to 50 megabits per second and peak upload speeds of 20 to 25 Mbps in the LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless broadband tests they’re conducting in Seattle and Boston. As already discussed however, real world speeds are going to be closer to between 5-10 Mbps downstream.

Other than their announcement of peak speeds, there’s really nothing new in Verizon’s announcement: they’re launching the service in 25-30 markets this year, but we still don’t know what kind of pricing, caps or overages Verizon has planned for the service. Indications are that Verizon wants to employ some kind of usage-based billing model.

Link to the original article…

AVerMedia has shown off its Video Capture USB at CeBIT 2010, which allows users to watch and record digital TV on PC.

It can convert piles of video tapes and turn recordings in diverse analog devices into a comprehensive DVD format without a loss of quality. Plus, real-time Apple iPod and Sony PSP format recording allows you to take your favorite shows on-the-go. This USB device is Windows 7 certified. It can run on both AVerTV 6 and Window Media Center with superb reception ability even while commuting.

Link to the original article…

Acer [ site here ] has showcased its Android based smartphone Liquid S100 during CeBIT 2010, which comes equipped with a 3.5-inch WVGA touch screen. Powered by 768MHz Qualcomm 8250 processor, 512MB ROM and 265MB RAM, the Liquid S100 features a 5M camera, Bluetooth, GPS, microSD card slot and mini USB.

Link to the original article…

Acer [ site here ] has displayed its smart phone neo Touch S200, which adopts a 3.8-inch WVGA touch screen. Powered by 1GHz Qualcomm 8250 processor and Windows Mobile 6.5 OS, the neo Touch S200 features 512MB ROM, 256MB RAM, a 5M camera, Bluetooth, GPS and microSD card slot.

Link to the original article…

Part camera bag, part 007 James Bond spygear, the Cloak Bag is actually a cool idea that means that protecting your camera doesn’t equate to missing some shots because you have to unpack, turn on, and then start to shoot. Sometimes, the zippers get in the way or worse… you just miss the shot because the bag is on your hip or on your back and you’re just trying to protect your DSLR.

I know that’s happened to me quite a few times.

Florida design group Naranja Studio released the Cloak™ Bag, the world’s first shoot-through camera bag that allows a user with an SLR camera to take photos without removing the camera from the bag. This ability allows on-the-go photographers to take photos at a moment’s notice and avoid drawing the attention of tourist-targeting thieves. The release of the bag coincided with the launch of its accompanying website, www.cloakbags.com

Made from high-quality nylon, this is seriously, this is an idea that it’s time has come. I could see myself using this while stalking people it’s raining or it’s too sunny outside indeed. Priced at $49 and is available in two attractive colors: a brown called “coffee tree” and a slate gray called “fog & turquoise”.

[ Links: Cloak Bags ]

It was noted that AT&T’s femtocell service was getting closer to launch, but that the company was working out a few last minute kinks and still having some internal discussion about the pricing model the service will use. The service essentially creates a micro cell tower in the home, allowing users to route wireless calls over their in-home broadband network. Users improve reception, and carriers get to take additional load off of their local towers.

AT&T is sending out this notice to customers that states the trial is expanding. According to the notice, select users in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Las Vegas and San Diego can now participate (plug your zip code into AT&T’s Microcell website to see if you qualify).

As we recently noted, AT&T says pricing differs by trial region, but indications are users pay $49.99 for the hardware (after $100 mail in rebate), and $19.99 a month for unlimited calling.

There’s still indications that AT&T will also offer a less-expensive plan that eats your wireless minutes, which as we’ve complained with Verizon’s femtocell launch, is a good way to destroy the value proposition for the customer. If you’re easing the strain on your local towers, and the consumer is using their own bandwidth to make the calls, the service should not be expensive if carriers really want it to take off with consumers.

Link to the original article…

There may be people that get their cubicle party on, but I am guessing that pocket-sized mixing decks will mostly be destined for the classrooms of overindulged teenagers – and for lonely adults seeking to entertain themselves. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t approve.

From Think Geek:

• Everything you need to mix back and forth between two MP3 players.
• Pocket sized for instant DJ action.
• Preview the next song with a separate, volume-controlled headphone jack.
• Easily fade between MP3 players with the smooth slider.
• Includes: Mixing deck, 2 short audio cables (for connecting to MP3 players), 1 long audio cable (to connect to speakers – not included), and earbuds.
• Batteries: 4 AAA (not included)
• Dimensions:
  • Mixing Deck: approx. 4.5″ x 2.5″ x 1.25″
  • Long Cable: 40″
  • Short Cable: 17″

Price: $24.99

Link to the original article…

Bernie Arnason over at Telecompetitor makes the argument that with DOCSIS 3.0 relatively inexpensive to quickly deploy (75 million Americans should have it by the end of the year) and many telcos clinging to aging copper last mile connectivity, the cable industry should have it pretty good competitively over the next few years. Comcast added more broadband customers (608K) in the last two quarters than AT&T, Verizon, and Qwest combined (401K), and cable’s triple play continues to gobble up fleeing copper landline customers. Cable also dominates more than 90% of the VoIP market.

Cable’s traditional weak spot – upstream bandwidth, looks to get some help later this year as cable operators perfect upstream channel bonding. Comcast recently noted that they’re seeing 75 to 100 Mbps upstream in tests. While Verizon’s decision to spend $23 billion on FTTH to the home puts them in a decent position for now, there’s a huge swath of America served by telcos using aging copper infrastructure that many of these companies can’t afford to upgrade to fiber. DOCSIS 3.0 means telcos will up their game somehow:

It all adds up to this perfect competitive storm analogy I referred to early on. This storm compels the telcos who haven’t already done so to respond, primarily with FTTH. Good customer service, local presence, and a solid DSL product are very admirable and noble. But these storm clouds may demand much more.

Can Qwest seriously compete with DOCSIS 3.0 with no money for serious upgrades? Marketing that pretends last mile copper is FTTH can only go so far. When does AT&T decide to stop waiting on VDSL bonding and pony up the cash for the move to FTTH? 3-7 Mbps is the fastest speed offered by Verizon in roughly half of its broadband territories. Luckily for most carriers, they’ll be sheltered from the “perfect competitive storm” Arnason mentions by the simple fact that many of their markets don’t see decent competition. When you’re the only game in town (be it cable, telco, satellite or carrier pigeon), you get to charge whatever you’d like for last-generation service.

Link to the original article…

The sheer mention of rum conjures images of pirates, sugar cane, molasses and the Caribbean. Plantation Rum takes the almost forgotten method of double-aging their finely distilled rums initially in young bourbon casks in the Caribbean then shipped to be later aged in smaller batches in more mature oak casks. This process, once a standard, allows for refinement in their taste for even the most refined tastes.

Even pirates would approve. Found at prices ranging from $38 and higher in rum styles from Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, Nicaragua and other places that are noted for their rum.

[ Links: Plantation Rum ]