Geekly Update December 29

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

When Ford puts out its next generation of SYNC connectivity systems in its cars, it will include a WiFi system. The service will come standard with users only needing a USB mobile broadband modem for access. Expect new laws that ban the practice of driving while browsing Facebook.

Verizon Wireless has doubled the early termination fee (ETF) from $175.00 to $350.00 for customers that break their smart phone service contract early because they say that they pay more for the phones, like the Droid, from manufacturers. In a letter to the FCC, the company states that it discloses the 2 year contract and ETF prior to purchase. Pay no attention to the vicious rumor that outrageous ETFs really just make it harder for customers to switch to another mobile provider.

Finally, something to make your netbook heavier and less portable! Aileron Design is vying for your business with a series of hard shell cases and mounting systems. The customized cases fit Acer Aspire One, Dell Mini and HP Mini, among others.

Turn your iPhone/iPod Touch into a nightstand alarm clock with the Kensington Charging Dock. At a price of $39.99, a kickstand holds it in landscape mode and the company is offering a Rise&Shine Clock and Weather application at no additional cost. It's a nice idea, but it takes all the fun out of rolling over and smacking the old snooze button.

Sony's new Reader Daily Edition has a 7" touchscreen, access to its Reader Store with a free 3G wireless service, the ability to download from your local library and will include exclusive content from The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch and the New York Post. The e-book is available for preorder now from SonyStyle for $400.

StatCounter has released data claiming that Firefox 3.5 is now the most popular browser. Last week Firefox was in use by 21.93% of users while Internet Explorer 7 only had 21.2%. It's important to note this data compares only individual browser versions. Overall, Internet Explorer holds a 55% market share, with Firefox at 32%, Chrome at 5% and Safari at 3%.

YouTube has come up with its own URL shortener, YouTu.be. You can use it with AutoShare on social networking sites like Twitter and Google Reader.

YouTube has also released Feather, a video streaming site that is designed for netbooks and older PCs. The goal here is to minimize the amount of data that must be downloaded in order to view a video. Missing is higher quality, comments and sharing options.

The One Laptop Per Child project has released the design XO-3 tablet, the next generation for the OLPC project. Slated for 2012, the thin tablet device will have a 8.5 x 11" touchscreen and wireless charging at a cost of only $75.00.