Geekly Update September 29

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

• Are you just happy to see me, or is that a FLAMING IPOD... IN YOUR PANTS?!? One teenager is suing Apple after his iPod caught fire in his pocket, resulting in a 2nd-degree burn. Reports from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reveal at least 15 iPods have caused similar problems.
• Amazon has decided to sell its own brand of consumer electronics at discount prices. Included in the Amazon Basics line are DVDs and CD, cables and help guides. I love their Frustration-Free Packaging initiative, which features packages that are easy to open, free of excess materials, and easy to recycle.
• Tyfone recently received a patent on a memory card with antenna that can be used as an electronic wallet. Already having undergone successful beta testing in their U4IA Mobile Financial Services platform, they still have to get through security issues such as what happens when the device is stolen. Or catches fire.
• Asus has introduced its UL Thin and Light Notebook series. With less than an inch in thickness and weighing only 3 lb., each has their Turbo33 Technology for more than 30% faster processing power, an Intel Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) processor, about 12 hours of battery life and a switchable graphics card for a better multimedia experience. And apparently less filling, as well.
• FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said in a speech at the Brookings Institution that "all web traffic should be treated equally." The intention is to prevent firms that can pay from having a priority over those who do not. He proposed two rules, one that prevents ISPs from discriminating by slowing or blocking content, another that they must be more transparent in how they manage traffic. You can read the entire speech on the FCC's new site Open Internet.
• On the flipside, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a telecom think tank, favors what they call "FCC Neutrality" instead of Net Neutrality. FCC Neutrality posits that FCC bureaucrats should abstain from choosing business models, that Net Neutrality is anti-competitive and will ultimately harm consumers.
• Samsung's DualView Camera is the perfect device for egomaniacs. It has 2 screens, a 3" touchscreen for functions and a 1.5" front LCD to let you know that both you and the Eiffel Tower will be in the picture. It has an MSRP of $299.
• QFX Software's KeyScrambler Personal 2.4.1.1 is a browser add-on that will protect your Firefox or IE from keyloggers, those who install hardware or software to find out what you are typing in. Best of all, it's free. The company also offers pro and premium versions for $29.99 and $44.99 respectively that offers anti-keylogging protection in as many as 110 browsers and apps.
• Halo 3: ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) was released this week. Changes include the absence of the Master chief which could lead to more damage, a limited supply of regenerating health and a return of the silenced pistol. The last game of the trilogy features items that, when picked up, trigger flashbacks. Personally, I'm having a flashback to PONG.
• In an effort to combat Sony and Microsoft's rumblings of motion devices for their game systems and a reduction of both the Xbox 360 Elite and Playstation to $299, Nintendo has dropped the price of the Wii. The $50.00 cut becomes effective this Sunday, giving the game system a $199 price tag.
• If you happened to notice a couple of strange images on Google's homepage lately, they were a tribute to writer H.G. Wells, who would have turned 146 this week. The first was a UFO trying to abduct the "o" in the name, while the second spelled out its name in crop circles. "We interrupt this Geekly Update for an important news bulletin..."

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