Tech Talk: Video & Venues on the Vista
Thursday, October 20, 2005
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A new test version of Microsoft`s next Windows system is out. We`ve taken a look and found that it appears to have a place for built-in anti-spyware software. Microsoft has been distributing this software as a separate download for current systems. Bundling it in Windows Vista would be a good move for consumers, but it might bring complaints from makers of other anti-spyware products and anti-trust regulators. Microsoft is also working on anti- virus software, so stay tuned.
Steve Jobs and Apple have a hit with the new iPod that can play video, but the deal with Disney to sell popular TV programs like "Desperate Housewives" is raising lots of eyebrows. Disney`s ABC affiliates are not happy that viewers will have access to shows without tuning in. Advertisers are not happy the shows will be sold without commercials and consumer groups fear the studios may push for laws restricting the right of consumers to makes recordings of broadcast TV shows. That`s because you pay when you download the show from iTunes.
If you`re tired of paying for directory assistance, check this out. Dial 1-800-free-411 and get the number for free. Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you call and ask for the local pizza man, you might get an ad for another pizzeria in the neighborhood. The company promises the ads will not run more than nine seconds. This is the Google search engine business model now playing on your telephone.
You`ve seen navigation devices which use the global positioning satellite system. These gadgets keep getting smaller and more accurate, because chip makers like SIRF of San Diego have reduced the circuits to a single chip, cutting cost and power requirements.
It`s that magic price point, you know, below $500," says Kanwar Chadha, Founder, SIRF Technology. "A large market opens up and that`s what`s happening in this portable navigation system."
The new chips have also led to neat new products. This cell phone for children has five buttons parents can program to call numbers like home or work. The phone also has GPS and the parent can check a web site at any time to find out where her kid is. Available now in Europe, this gadget is a GPS panic button. One press and an alert, including location, is sent to a monitoring site. It is first being sold in countries where kidnapping is a major problem. You can run, but you cannot hide.
Note: this also appeared on a Nightly Business Report broadcast on October 20, 2005.
