We’ve been covering the world of in-flight Internet access a few times these past months. Last Tuesday, August 5th, the airline company Delta Air Lines [DAL] announced that it will offer WiFi on all domestic mainline flights beginning next year. Delta’s entire domestic fleet will be outfitted by the end of 2009.

“Our customers asked for in-flight connectivity, and we’re responding by rolling out the most extensive Wi-Fi network in the sky. Beginning this fall, our passengers will have the ability to stay connected when they travel with us throughout the continental U.S.,” said Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer. (more…)

Below is a list of various Web sites and blogs linking to Atelier North America’s web site, articles, photos, and videos. Links are displayed in a random order. Let us know if your website or blog links to us: editor@atelier-us.com

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L’Atelier
http://www.atelier.fr

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GigaOM
http://gigaom.com/2008/06/22/changing-internet-privacy-erosion/
http://gigaom.com/2008/07/11/early-youtube-engineer-tells-all/
http://gigaom.com/2008/06/17/video-makes-skype-40-grow-bigger-wider/
http://gigaom.com/2008/06/19/june-19-whats-interesting-this-morning/

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ReadWriteWeb
http://readwriteweb.com/archives/how_many_friends_is_too_many.php
http://readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_make_facebook_useful_again.php

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VentureBeat
http://venturebeat.com/2008/07/03/meraki-brings-free-wifi-to-100000-san-franciscans/
http://venturebeat.com/2008/07/11/the-great-iphone-3g-ifail-a-retrospective-with-videos/

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Ubergizmo
http://ubergizmo.com/fr/archives/2007/12/amazon_kindle_le_test.php
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2007/10/2007_uber10_gift_list_and_party.html
http://ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2007/11/amazon_kindle_handson.html

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TechCrunch

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/11/is-apple-manufacturing-a-first-day-iphone-shortage/

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CBS5
http://cbslocalblogs.prospero.com/n/blogs/blog.aspx?webtag=kpix_eyeonblogs&entry=2600

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Now Public
http://www.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/3g-iphone-launch-plagued-problems

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Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loic_Le_Meur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Newmark

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Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/LAtelier/19283009136

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Pisani’s blog Transnets - Lemonde.fr
http://pisani.blog.lemonde.fr/2008/03/02/pour-entreprendre-5-conseils/

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Blog.lexpress.fr
http://blogs.lexpress.fr/virtuel/2008/04/lalchimie-des-multitudes.html

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Netsquared
http://netsquared.org/2008/partner/mediasponsors

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Twitter
http://twitter.com/atelier_us

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Alchimie des Multitudes
http://alchimie-des-multitudes.atelier.fr/

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B-r-ent
http://b-r-ent.com/news/et-si-on-parlait-de-facebook

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Growth Ressources
http://growthresourcesinc.com/being-ceo/

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ReasonOnline
http://reason.com/news/show/125883.html

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The American Consumer Institute Center For Citizen Research
http://aci-citizenresearch.org/researchenergy.htm

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Africa 2.0
http://africa2point0.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/merci-pisani-et-piotet/

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Each week, Atelier reviews what is trendy on the web magazine of our great expert contributor. Ubergizmo.com is dedicated to consumer electronics news and reviews.

 

Marijuana Vending Machine

Now this is a vending machine that you don’t see every day - it dispenses medical marijuana. Located in three spots throughout Los Angeles, it was created by Vincent Mehdisadeh, the owner of the Los Angeles Herbal Nutrition Center. Needless to say, these machines have already gotten the attention of federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents who are raring to find out more about these machines as to whether they violate any law(s). These machines can be accessed 24/7, while preserving one’s anonymity when attaining medically prescribed marijuana.

 

Hi-Gain Wireless-G Dish Adapter

Boost your home’s wireless signal with the Hi-Gain Wireless-G Dish Adapter today - this device might not be as small as you’d like it to be, but at the very least you can be sure of a strong signal no matter which part of the home you’re currently at. Of course, I don’t think this is recommended if you happen to live in one of those mansions featured on MTV’s "Cribs", but for the ordinary Joe, it ought to do more than enough to blanket your home with strong WiFi signals, allowing you to check up on the latest gadget news even if you’re in the loo. It supposedly offers a 300% increase in wireless signal and is hooked up to your desktop/notebook via USB. Are you willing to splash out $62 on this?

 

Wiimote Hacked To Control Curtains

Those who have spent a night at the Bellagio will know that curtains in there are remote controlled, but you don’t have to travel all the way to Las Vegas in order to experience this luxury. All you need is a little DIY knowledge, a Wiimote and you’re good to go. "The curtain control system is an existing system from Goelst and is called "G-Rail 6200". Normally it is controlled by infrared or wallswitches. However, it can also be controlled with a CAN bus. I used this CAN bus to interface with an old PC." Guess the Wii has more than one use, eh?

 

Yet Another Video Watch

Telling the time has gotten a technological boost with this offering from Chinavasion. It features the following specifications :

• 1.8" display
• 20fps video playback
• 2.5mm headphone jack (what, no 3.5mm?)
• Audio playback support
• Tells the time (duh)

Fancy picking up this rather tacky looking timepiece? It retails for $85.71 a pop, and don’t blame me if you suddenly find yourself unable to pick up any girl from the day of purchase.

 

Pet Mate Elite

The Pet Mate Elite prevents your cat from coming in and going out as it pleases - this technologically advanced flap allows you to control just which pet is able to come in to your home, even down to the exact minute. Eight RFID chips are attached to different pets, where the Pet Mate Elite will detect the corresponding RFID tag and compare it to the permission levels set by you before it grants/deny access. I wonder whether there is a Teenager Mate Elite that lets you set down ground rules in a much stricter manner without threats of being grounded. The Pet Mate Elite can be picked up for £99.95.

 

Disinfecting UV Scanner

Paranoid androids can pick up this Disinfecting UV Scanner that, according to the product description, "protects your family from colds, flu, and germs such as E. coli. Portable scanner instantly disinfects doorknobs, faucets, computer keyboards and mouse, phones. Just wave it over the item-kills 99.9% of germs in seconds. Great for travel and everyday use. Uses 4 AAA batteries (not included). Folds to just 4 1/2" long to fit in included carry pouch." $29.99 for your peace of mind, and unless you’re extremely subsceptible to diseases and pathogens, the Disinfecting UV Scanner sounds more like a novelty item than a necessary purchase.

 

MSI ECOlution Motherboard

Everyone knows that computer motherboards tend to generate a whole lot of heat, so why not harness all the heat generated to push coolers which will then keep the system cool for better performance? This sounds like a novel idea, where MSI has come up with the ECOlution motherboard in order to harness the power of heat, transforming it into kinetic energy that will then power the chipset’s cooler. I guess this is a pretty automatic solution, because when the motherboard is cooled down enough, the cooler won’t have any more kinetic energy from heat and stop functioning until it is hot enough inside again. Hopefully the accessory on the motherboard won’t generate too much noise.

 

Find all the sources, and discover more consumer electronics news and reviews at Ubergizmo.com.

 

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Each week, Atelier reviews what is trendy on the web magazine of our great expert contributor. Ubergizmo.com is dedicated to consumer electronics news and reviews.

Order Starbucks Via Apple

Folks who can’t get enough coffee from Starbucks will soon be able to order their favorite caffeinated beverage from the comfort of their iPhone and iPod touch without waiting in line, courtesy of a new Starbucks program that functions via WiFi at each Starbucks outlet. You’ll be able to bypass the cheery shoutouts from the barista as you choose your drink just like how you would do at an actual Starbucks cafe, save for the fact that you’d be relying on a whole lot of finger pointing instead. Skip those queues and reserve those seats before other iPod-less folk manage to even think of what they want to have for breakfast.

This cell phone is powered by a Hydrogen fuel cell that works by extracting hydrogen from water, then extracting electrons from the hydrogen. It is a water-powered phone, in a sense.

Make sure your tiny one doesn’t venture beyond his/her designated boundaries with the In-Reach Child Tracker.

Japanese engineers aren’t giving up on domestic robots. This “chef” might not be in your kitchen anytime soon, but it is capable of preparing octopus balls by itself, in four steps:

• Chop the Octopus
• Roll the pieces into balls
• Place the balls on the grill
• Serve the cooked balls in a plate

This happens in a tightly controlled environment, but I’d love to see it in action.

[GDC 2008] You might have seen the Zeemote during Mobile World Congress last week, but the company will promote the software development kit (SDK) at the Game Developers Conference being held in San Francisco.

We meet Beth Marcus, the founder and CEO of Zeemote and we had the opportunity to play with it, and to make a long story short: it’s pretty cool. To be honest there was some skepticism when we saw the device in a photo. But we also know that playing with a phone’s keyboard provides a bad experience.

The Zeemote feels good in the hand and it works well as a one-handed game controller. It is also surprisingly light (47g). The Zeemote has an analog joystick, even if most mobile games are built for a digital controller. That will give developers more options when they create their games. Developer John Chasey from Finblade told us that integrating the Zeemote code is easy. Ultimately, the Zeemote success will be measured by the number of games supporting it.

Continue Reading "Zeemote Bluetooth Mobile Game Controller Hands-On"

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Each week, Atelier reviews what is trendy on the web magazine of our great expert contributor. Ubergizmo.com is dedicated to consumer electronics news and reviews.

Amazon MP3 Store goes International

Online retailer Amazon.com now holds the distinction of being the only retailer to offer DRM-free MP3s from all four major music labels - that, and in addition to thousands of other independent labels worldwide. These offerings are now no longer limited to the US only, but internationally so the rest of the world can get on with their lives without being tied down to some sort of pesky DRM music on their respective audio players.

1.1 Billion Cellphones Sold Worldwide in 2007

That’s the result from a study done by Strategy Analytics. That’s an increase of 10% from the Billion phones sold in 2006 and the growth is expected to continue to 1.24B phones for 2008. The growth in unit shipped is driven by emerging regions, where Nokia leads. I thought that Motorola had dropped at the forth place, but here’s what the studay says:
1/Nokia
2/Samsung
3/Motorola

Treo 800w Specifications Leaked

Well look here - after hearing news of Palm’s intention to close down the majority of their retail stores, along comes more information of the upcoming Treo 800w’s specifications. A case of a little bit too late, perhaps?

Netflix on Video Streaming on Mac, Video-on-Demand

Netflix recently announced its quarterly results, and discussed about the idea of having video streaming (Instant Watch) on the Mac. Again, it comes back to a digital rights management (DRM) issue: 

“To date, the only widely used DRM format for the Mac has been Apple’s own FairPlay system, which has not been licensed to any third parties. This has so far limited the Netflix service to Windows alone” (electronista)

Video on demand can be seen as a threat to Netflix and many are wondering if the rental company should create its own VoD system. At the moment, the company dismisses the idea, but it’s hard to tell if it really believes that DVD discs will hold their own for the foreseeable future, or if they simply do not want to validate an concept that is harmful to their business.

LawnBott Gets Upgrade

For those who do not yet have kids who are old enough to mow the lawn as a chore, fret not. There is the LawnBott LB3200 that not only goes about its task without complaining or asking for higher wages, it is also Bluetooth-enabled, allowing one to control it remotely from a cell phone or laptop. You will first need to include the perimeter wire to set the boundary before unleashing the LawnBott LB3200. Capable of cutting on slopes up to 30 degrees in an area as large as 38,000 square feet, it will automatically return to its dock once it is running out of juice or when the job is complete. Don’t worry about coming home to a shredded pet as there’s a free-floating 360-degree bumper, a blade-stop sensor and an onboard alarm system to prevent untoward accidents. Is the Lawnbott LB3200 worth $3,250?

SpaceShipTwo & WhiteKnightTwo Unveiled

Designs for SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo from Virgin Galactic were unveiled, ushering in the age of private spaceflight to the masses (or at least those who could afford it, that is). Currently, the SpaceShipTwo stands at 60% complete with test flights due later this year while the WhiteKnightTwo is 70% completed. The latter will also hold the record for being the largest all carbon composite plane when finished - in comparison, the Boeing 787 is just 50% carbon composite. Some key features of SpaceShipTwo include :

Designed to re-enter the atmosphere at any angle, it can correct itself. I wonder if there must be some sort of physical fitness test future passengers must go through before stepping onboard.

Glowing Skateboards Patented

Check out these glowing skateboards from Photon Light Boards. These will definitely increase the cool factor as you blaze through town performing all your ollies and tricks to impress the ladies. These boards can be purchased pre-fitted with LEDs in a range of setups, or for those who want something more personal, there is always the option of a custom setup. The boards alone are pretty expensive, ranging from $95 to $200 minus trucks and wheels, with the higher price point pointing towards an obviously more complex design. These skateboards are rechargeable thanks to a sleekly mounted powerpack and plug. View the video of the Glowing Skateboards here.

Wrong Number Generator

I know that April Fool’s Day is still a long way off, but the Wrong Number Generator is always good for a laugh (or two). Plug it into the phone jack and you’re good to go - perfect to set up the entire office for some laughs when dealing with a particularly difficult colleague. No idea on how it works, but it will automatically change the number you dial, although there is a 25% chance that the call will go through properly in order to prevent the victim from complaining about a consistent defect of wrong numbers. Of course, most folks these days already have a cell phone so chances are this will only be good for a couple of wrong numbers. Rest assured, emergency lines such as 911 will always dial correctly. The Wrong Number Generator retails for $89.

Find all the sources, and discover more consumer electronics news and reviews at Ubergizmo.com.

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write us at editorial@atelier-us.com

This week, Atelier reviews what is trendy on the web magazine of our great expert contributor. Ubergizmo.com is dedicated to consumer electronics news and reviews. (click pictures to enlarge)

Christmas Tree Ball with LED messages 
Now here’s a Christmas tree decoration that allows you to display a message of your choice with its integrated LEDs. Each $14.95 Christmas Tree Ball will be able to store up to 18 scrolling season greetings, ranging from the classic "Season Greetings" to "Feliz Navidad". Just in case reading this post reminds you that you have yet to set up your Christmas tree, there is always the pre-lit Christmas tree to help you get started. Alternatively, you can check out the rest of our Christmas tree posts.

Cellphone Holder 
While this has been dubbed the Cellphone Holder, it is certainly capable of doing more than that. This piece of plastic helps you charge your phone while preventing it from getting stepped on should you leave your handset on the floor. I’m not sure how many people actually do that though, but by the looks of it, will you accidentally snag the charger wire and drag your cellphone onto the floor? The answer depends on the inpidual I guess, and the Cellphone Holder certainly looks capable of housing other devices like PDAs and iPods as well. If only there was some sort of fence built in to prevent accidental drops. The Cellphone Holder retails for $7.95.

Newspaper telephone launched 
Dagens Nyheter from Sweden has rolled out what is known as the first "newspaper" telephone in the world, featuring a handset that provides free access to its website for daily subscribers. This sounds more like a novelty item than anything else, unless you’re a world leader who needs to know what’s happening all the time. I figure out that a RSS news feed would be much better since you get the latest headlines at the top always instead of sifting through a whole paper. Either that or you can always get a WiFi capable device (even a DS Lite or PSP will do just fine) to check out the current news as long as you’re within a WiFi hotspot. Dagens Nyheter subscribers can pick up the Nokia 6120 3G handset and fork out $33 monthly for this unique call plan. Do you think this idea will take off universally?

First solar-powered bus in the world 
Australia will play host to the first solar-powered electric bus in the world, with Tindo leading the charge in Adelaide, Australia. 100% powered by solar energy thanks to a BP Solar-sourced photovoltaic station, this green ride can ferry up to 42 passengers at once - without forking out a single cent. According to the Adelaide City Council, "The solar electric bus and the recharging system at the Adelaide Central Bus Station represent a significant investment by the Adelaide City Council into a sustainable future for the City of Adelaide, while providing leadership in sustainable public transport options for cities around Australia." When will we see such buses roaming the streets of US?

Portable PC Theater concept 
The Portable PC Theater concept was specially designed for your entertainment, so you don’t get a display to go along with it. Instead, it comes equipped with a built-in projector that can be removed for better positioning. Flanking the projection lens are stereo speakers to get your kicks off - too bad there is no surround sound with this. All cords can be retracted into the Portable PC Theater when not in use just like how a vacuum cleaner works, and there is even room inside to store a collapsible keyboard. The Portable PC Theater concept is but a pipe dream at this point in time, but if I could pick something that measures a mere 3 DVDs high and 2 CDs wide, I would definitely jump at the chance.

Shower heads react to temperature 
These shower heads are capable of altering their color depending on the current water temperature. These colors range from white to blue, changing to pink and violet as the mercury increases and finally touching red as ample warning. While this is definitely a novel idea, I find it pretty pointless since you ought to be well versed with the temperature indicator on your own shower at home after taking a few baths. Kids ought to like this novelty though.

Find all the sources, and discover more consumer electronics news and reviews at Ubergizmo.com.

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A research team from Southern Taiwan University of Technology has successfully rolled out (no pun intended) the first solar powered wheelchair in the world. It will retail for less than current manual and electrical models, while another added advantage would be reducing the amount of electronic waste produced during manufacturing. In addition, solar-powered wheelchairs will be able to last far longer than a typical model since it does not need to be charged up in the same manner. A patent for this has already been applied, so one can expect to see these being mass produced in the near future. I like the fact that the responsibility of keeping the earth green can fall onto anybody’s shoulders, which is a good thing.

The AquaMaker AM10 device sounds great for areas where fresh, clean water is hard to come by. It creates water by pulling ambient humidity from the air and purifying it. It will be able to collect up to 5 gallons of water per day - that is enough to sustain approximately 10 people. Since the AM10 requires power to use, it costs $15 a day to use - pretty high considering how much a bottle of mineral water costs at the local convenience store, but then again those aren’t readily available in certain parts of the world. The AM10 retails for $1,200, but folks who find it expensive can rent it for $65 per month.

JetBlue is currently lining up plans to offer free, in-flight WiFi connectivity to its passengers, allowing them to surf the Internet using either their laptop of BlackBerry devices. In addition, passengers can also access customized Yahoo mail and Yahoo instant messenger services on their laptops, making the entire flight a little less dreary instead of sitting through movie reruns. Sounds as though businessmen will appreciate such a service as they will then be able to sent important emails without even waiting to touch down. Word has it that JetBlue will be offering this service next Tuesday on December 11th.

Word on the street has it that Dell will be launching its Latitude XT tablet PC very, very soon - in particular December 11th. Do you think this will boost Dell’s performance in the long run, and will it be a device that sells just enough to cover its costs and make a small profit while the world still tries to find the sweet spot for tablet PCs?

I am still amazed at the Segway and how it actually keeps its balance while ferrying people around. The Individual Lifting Vehicle (ILV) can be considered to be the Segway of the skies, where you pilot it by shifting your weight around while standing right above its twin propellers. This won’t get you very far in terms of distance though, as it is meant to be more of a compact levitation platform used during crop spraying, aerial movie videography, search and rescue and other short-range, low-altitude applications. The ILV comes with a theoretical maximum speed of approximately 60mph and requires a basic pilot’s license before you can even fly one. It will retail for approximately $50,000 for those who are interested.

Louis Palmer from Switzerland will be attempting to go around the globe in his solar-powered car. His long journey began last year when he set out from Lucerne, Switzerland last July, and over a year he has traversed Europe, the Middle East as well as India. This three-wheeled, two seater comes with a "Taxi" sign that offers rides to whoever is interested in his journey to create history. Louis will be in Bali, Indonesia this week. The Solar Taxi pulls a trailer along with additional solar panels, resulting in a total cell area of 65 square feet. To date, Louis has covered nearly 9,000 miles and ought to make his way to the US sometime next year before he reaches home sweet home.

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