How’s this for salesmanship: The Smashing Pumpkins have already given away the songs on their new CD for free online, so to encourage fans to buy it, they’re bundling each with a stone obelisk. According to the band’s website, the obelisks are hand-carved in the shadows of the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu.
These are strange days in the music industry.
Adobe’s (ADBE) Flash video software has become a flashpoint in negotiations between Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs and Big Media.
On a day when Apple execs probably cheered the fact the company had surpassed Microsoft as the world’s most valuable tech company, Jobs was grappling with resistance from Tinseltown over Apple’s ongoing fight with Adobe.
Sources said several large media companies, including Time Warner and NBC Universal, told Apple they won’t retool their extensive video libraries to accommodate the iPad, arguing that such a reformatting would be expensive and not worth it because Flash dominates the Web.
Mobile user interface master Matias Duarte has left Palm and evidently hired on at the most obvious of places: Google.
Duarte, who led development of Palm’s webOS UI as the company’s senior director of human interface and user experience, has jumped ship, Palm (PALM) confirms. And while the company refuses to tell me where he’s going, multiple sources say it’s Google (GOOG), where he’ll presumably be working on Android, the company’s open-source platform for mobile devices–noncompete clauses permitting, of course.
Duarte’s departure is a significant loss for Palm and new owner Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), which has said it plans to “double down” on webOS. His prowess with user experience and information design is well known in the industry. Before Duarte landed at Palm in 2007, he was design chief at Helio. And prior to that, he led the team that created the Danger Hiptop mobile device. When Palm announced the Pre at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2009, it was Duarte who introduced the design of webOS.
So, as I said, a real loss for Palm as it heads to its new home at HP. And a bittersweet moment for Duarte, who had great hopes for Palm’s reinvention. As he wrote in a 2009 blog post: “When I started in this field, the Palm V was the unquestioned leader in mobile devices. To this day I believe it represents one of the best consumer electronic products ever created. I always aspired to match Palm in simplicity, usability and design–so now that I’m here, I feel like a kid who’s just been handed the keys to Daddy’s convertible.”
Looks like you’ve got the keys to the Segway now, my friend.
Google and Duarte have not yet responded to requests for comment. I will update here if they do.
Step-by-Step guide to tell you how to convert SWF to PSP
Step 1: Download Aiseesoft PSP Movie Converter, install and run it.
Step 2: Add SWF video files.
Click Add File button to add your SWF files.
Step 3: Set output format and output folder.
Click to highlight files you want to convert, click "Profile" drop-down button to choose a proper PSP profile as your output format.
Click Browse… button to choose destination folder for saving your converted PSP video files.
Tips for using this SWF to PSP converter:
Press Effect, Trim, Crop button to edit video effect, video length, video aspect ratio.
Click Settings to modify output parameters like video Encoder, Resolution, Frame Rate etc.
Step 4: Start to convert.
After setting all parameters, click Start button to convert SWF to PSP.
A few minutes later, you can put the converted SWF videos on your PSP. The excellent image and sound effect must give you a deep impression. Want know more about Aiseesoft PSP Movie Converter, please visit: Convert SWF to PSP.
Aiseesoft 3GP Video Converter, expert AVI to 3GP converter software for mobile phone, can easily help you accomplish the conversion from AVI to 3GP. You can fast master the conversion tool which is helpful in how to convert AVI to 3GP following the tips below.
1 Download and install
Free download the powerful and simple-to-use Aiseesoft 3GP Video Converter, install and launch it.
2 Add files
Add the AVI files from the "Add file" menu.
3 Select output format and destination
Choose the proper output folder and the profile "3GP" format.
4 Convert
Click "Start" button! After a few minutes waiting, you can play the converted 3GP files on your portable mobile phone like Google Phone, BlackBerry…
Guide on converting MTS to AVI:
Preparation: Download, install and launch this software.
Step 1: Load Video
Click "Add File" to load MTS video that you want to convert to AVI.
Step 2: Choose Output Profile and Settings
From "Profile" drop-down list you can choose your output format according to your portable device.
You can also click "settings" to adjust output "video/audio encoder", "Video/audio Bitrate", "Channels", "Resolution" and so on…
Step 3: Video Editing
When you convert MTS to AVI, it allows you to do many video editing such as making special Effect for your movie, Trim any length segments, Crop playing area and more.
Step 4: Conversion
After you have done all the steps above you can click "Start" button to start your conversion from MTS to AVI.
More info you can visit: How to Convert MTS to AVI.
First, take a look at the Trendrr chart above. Note that Greyson–Greyson Michael Chance, a 12-year-old Oklahoma boy whose parents blessed him with an awesomely Twitter-ready, SEO-friendly first name–has lately had more Twitter buzz than Jonas Brothers and Lady Gaga. On Monday, a peak of 2,530 tweets name-checked him in one hour (vs. Jonas Bros.’ recent one-hour peak of 902 tweets, and Gaga’s 373).
“This move to HSPA+ is primarily a software upgrade for equipment across our network, very similar to the upgrade we made earlier this year to HSPA 7.2,” said AT&T CTO John Donovan.
“Also like HSPA 7.2,” Donovan added, “the full speed benefits of HSPA+ will be seen when the software upgrade is combined with enhanced Ethernet-powered fiber-optic backhaul connections, which carry traffic from the cell site to the network backbone. We’re deploying these backhaul connections to cell sites across the nation, a process that will continue through 2011, when we plan to begin deployment of LTE.”
So there has been no change to carrier’s LTE rollout plans. For AT&T (T), this HSPA+ upgrade is intended as a bridge to LTE, which in all likelihood will be an overlay network to 3G for the next few years.
As AT&T Operations CEO John Stankey told GigaOm yesterday, “[LTE] vendors are experiencing some challenges on certain features and software, and first implementations in 2011 will be…pretty vanilla.”
And according to a recent study by research house Maravedis, LTE won’t really hit maturity for another four to five years. Until that day arrives, mobile users will necessarily be falling back on 3G.
A wise move, then, for AT&T to enhance its entire 3G footprint, and at such little cost, particularly at a time when more and more data-hungry devices like Apple’s (AAPL) iPad are arriving at market.
The conference site for the eighth D: All Things Digital is now up.
There are posts related to D8, and we will be adding more in the next two weeks, ahead of the June 1 start of the conference.
The site also includes D8 speaker pages, which display a bio, big graphic, prior photos and videos. When the conference kicks in, these pages will also be populated with up-to-the-minute posts, photos and videos.
There will also be a Twitter feed module on all the D8 pages, which will show tweets from All Things Digital bloggers and more.
Onstage in interviews with Walt Mossberg and me at the event:
Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs; Hollywood director James Cameron; Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer; AOL (AOL) CEO Tim Armstrong; Steve Burke, COO of Comcast (CMCSA); Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski; Web leaders Steve Case and Ted Leonsis; Peter Chou, CEO of HTC; John Donahoe, president and CEO of eBay (EBAY); former Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) CEO Carly Fiorina, who is now a candidate for U.S. Senate in California; Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm (QCOM); Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG; Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford (F); Richard Rosenblatt, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Demand Media, in a session with Editor-in-Chief, President and CEO Paul Steiger of ProPublica; Vivian Schiller, president and CEO of National Public Radio; and, last but hardly least, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook.
Aiseesoft iPhone Movie Converter, expert FLV to iPhone converter for users, can easily help you accomplish the conversion of FLV to iPhone. Because of the intuitive navigation interface you can fast master the conversion tool which is helpful in how to convert FLV to iPhone following the tips below.
Step 1 Download one copy of this FLV to iPhone software, install and launch it on your computer. All the detailed steps are based on the easy-to-use interface below:
Step 2 Drag FLV video into the file list window directly.
Step 3 Choose the proper output format and folder.
After clicking "Settings", there pops up a window to select an encoder, a resolution, a frame rate and a bitrate for output video.
Step 4 Click "Start" button!
Step 1: Free download MKV to MP4 Converter
Step 2: Launch this software and the interface is as following:
Step 3: Click "Add File" button to input MKV file(s) and then added MKV files will show up on the file list.
Step 4: In the profile down arrow list, select MP4 as output format. Then click Browse button to select the destination folder you want the converted MP4 to store.
Step 5: Click "Start" button to convert MKV to MP4 Mac.
After successful converting MKV to MP4, the file shall be stored on the folder you have previously set. You can choose to shut down your computer or open the output folder automatically.
Tip: If you want to further edit files, please visit How to convert MKV to MP4 Mac for more!
Now you can freely enjoy classic DVD movies on various portable devices like iPod, iPhone, iPhone 3G S, once own the powerful DVD ripper software. Follow the 1-2-3 steps, you will find the conversion from ripping DVD movie to mp4 is so easy and fast.
Step 1
Download Aiseesoft DVD Ripper and install it to your PC. Then load your loved DVD disc from targeted drive.
Step 2
After loading the DVD movie, you can rip DVD to MPEG in segment or convert DVD to MPEG in whole file. Just using the "Merge" feature to finish it.
Step3
Edit DVD files for better ouput MPEG file
Click "Effect", you get Trim, Crop, Effect function to upgrade the output file.
Step 4
Choose "MPEG" video format from the video format list, and click the "Start" button to start the DVD to MPEG conversion.
Note:
If you like the current screen of the DVD, you can snapshot it for collection.
More info from: Rip DVD to MPEGNBC is killing off “Law & Order” after 20 seasons, according to reports popping up this afternoon.
YouTube is surprisingly low on compelling L&O clips–nothing like the David Caruso tributes that CBS’s (CBS) “CSI: Miami” inspired. But here are the two things you’ll always remember about NBC’s stalwart show: Its signature sound effect and its signature actor:
Speaking at the annual shareholders meeting today, CEO Wang Jianzhou said the company has a keen interest in the iPad, suggesting that a distribution deal for the device may be a topic of discussion in talks China Mobile (CHL) claims to be having with Apple (AAPL) about developing a TD-SCDMA-capable iPhone.
It also suggests that China Mobile may be getting a bit desperate for Apple’s hardware now that a new version of the iPhone that supports both 3G and China’s homegrown WAPI wireless standard appears to be headed to China Unicom (CHU), Apple’s carrier partner in the country. This is, after all, the second time this spring we’ve heard about China Mobile “expressing interest” in the iPhone and iPad.
AT&T said today that it will begin peddling the Palm (PALM) Pre Plus on May 16. Price: $150 after contract and mail-in rebate, which seems a bit high for a device that can be purchased from Verizon (VZ) for $29 along with free Mobile Hotspot service, or from Amazon (AMZN) for one cent.
That said, AT&T (T) is, for a limited time, offering a free Touchstone charging dock to anyone who buys a Pre Plus from one of its retail store.
That’s something, I suppose. Though it seems far too little, far too late at this point. As I wrote earlier this year, “Given the iPhone’s high profile on AT&T and rumors that Apple (AAPL) is prepping a new iteration of the device for summer release, one wonders if Palm’s smartphones will be anything more than an afterthought for the carrier and its customers.”
Interestingly, AT&T’s announcement says nothing about the Pixi Plus, which it had also planned to add to its lineup. Has it been dropped, or will AT&T add the handset at a later date?
The next tip teaches you how to step by step convert WAV to MP3 with Aiseesoft Audio Converter.
1. Free download the easy-to-use WAV to MP3 Converter, install and launch.
2. Add the WAV music files from the "File" menu.
3. Choose the proper output folder and the output MP3 format in Profile list.
4. Click Start button to begin WAV to MP3 conversion. After a few minutes, you can play the converted MP3 files on your portable music devices like PSP, iPod.
Download trial version or order full version of this AVI to MP3 Converter and run it on your computer.
Tutorial for converting AVI to MP3:
1, Load the AVI file
You can click "File" to open the drop-down menu, then select "Add File" to add your AVI sources.
2, Set the output format
Profile: Select an output format – MP3 for the selected file
Settings: You can set video/audio parameters yourself.
Merge into one file: Check this option and the program will join all the added video files into a single one.
Destination: Browse your computer to find a suitable place to save the converted files.
Tip: Want to convert some part of audio from the AVI file? Click the Play button to preview the media file and set the Start Time and the End Time in Trim edit window.
3, Click "Start" to convert
Click "Start" button to convert AVI to MP3.
That's it! It is as easy as a-b-c. Click How to convert AVI to MP3 to know more knowledge involved.
Now let's talk about how to convert FLV to AVI with Aiseesoft Total video converter.
1. Start up Aiseesoft Total Video Converter
Install and launch Aiseesoft Total Video Converter, add your FLV file by clicking "Add File" in the File menu.
2. Select output format and destination folder
In "Profile" drop down list, you may select output format. Press "Browse" to select the destination folder for output files.
3. Set professional parameters
After selecting certain output format, click "Settings" to set output video and audio parameters. "Save as…" button can assist you to reserve well-customized profile.
4. Start converting WMV to AVI
After setting all parameters, press "Start" to begin the FLV to AVI conversion. Several minutes later, you will see your wanted AVI file in destination folder.
With Aiseesoft Total Video Converter, the whole conversion will be finish within several minutes. The friendly interface will make your conversion process especially convenient and easy. Get more information at: Convert FLV to AVI.
Now let's focus on how to convert RMVB to AVI step by step.
Step 1 Free download Aiseesoft Total Video Converter, install it and add RMVB file you want to convert
Step 2 Choose the output format and destination
Want to convert RMVB to AVI files? Choose AVI as the output format and click Browse button to set the path where you want to save the converted file.
Step 3 Customize output files
It is optional for you to further edit the output AVI file, including: trim any-time length clips by clicking Trim button, crop the playing area using Crop function, set advanced output parameters pressing Setting option, and more.
Step 4 Start conversion
The last step is to press the Start button at the bottom of file menu to start RMVB to AVI conversion.
For more details, please go to: convert RMVB to AVI.
While it might seem a simple tweak, adding permanent contextually relevant left-hand navigation to its results pages is a noteworthy move for Google, which is adopting a design element first implemented by its rivals.
Ask.com debuted it in 2007. Microsoft’s (MSFT) Bing launched with it last June and Yahoo (YHOO) added it a few months later.
Not that the company will admit to copping the left-hand refinement menu from any of them. Asked by VentureBeat if its redesign was inspired by the competition, Google (GOOG) senior user experience designer Jon Wiley said it wasn’t.
“I think really the biggest changes and sources of innovation really come from an analysis of what our users need,” Wiley said. “We spend a lot of time just going back to search options or universal search. The way that people have been using those particular tools and features gives us a lot of insight.”
Hmm…
And what of the changes to Google’s logo? They’re largely unremarkable: The elimination of drop shadows and a punching up of its colors. Said a company spokesman: “The refined logo exemplifies our thinking and our design process. We took the very best qualities–personality and playfulness–and distilled them into brighter colors, simpler shapes and softer gradients.”Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimates that Apple (AAPL) sold about 300,000 iPad 3Gs between Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, including 52 days of pre-orders. That’s approximately what the original iPad sold during its first day of availability, including 22 days of pre-orders. So while the 3G isn’t selling quite as briskly as its sibling, it’s selling well — so well, in fact, that by Sunday afternoon most of the Apple stores Munster surveyed were completely sold out of the device. Not bad considering prices for the iPad 3G start at $629, quite a bit more than the $499 entry-level price of Wi-Fi-only models.
“As of 3:00PM ET on Sunday afternoon (5/2), 49 of 50 Apple stores we called were completely sold out of the iPad 3G (most were also sold out of wi-fi only models),” Munster wrote in a Sunday note to clients. “While it is difficult to gauge, we believe this is due to both stronger than expected demand and lower than intended supply on the part of Apple. Near-term, this may put downward pressure on launch day/weekend statistics, but long-term we see it as a positive, as consumers are definitely interested in the iPad as a new category.”
Munster figures that by now Apple has sold more than a million total iPads (Wifi-only and 3G, both), enough to make him wonder whether his estimate of 1.3 million sold during the June quarter might be conservative.
Yahoo is close to rolling out a new version of its pricey advertising campaign, said several sources, after the one featuring the tagline, “It’s Y!ou,” seemed to flag.
One of the rejiggered versions being considered is centered on the concept that the Web is “personal,” with specific references–via flying tiles–to all kinds of apps and services you can use on Yahoo (YHOO), including third-party ones such as Facebook.
Yahoo launched its initial marketing effort earlier this fall with splashy events in New York and slick rollouts all over the U.S.
But not everyone at the Internet portal loved it–including CEO Carol Bartz, who criticized its effectiveness in a meeting with reporters at the Silicon Valley Internet giant’s HQ earlier this year.
“We didn’t have a really good call to action,” she said in March.
While Bartz noted that the campaign raised awareness of the Yahoo brand in international markets, it had less impact in the key U.S. market, largely because it was very unspecific about exactly what “Y!ou” meant.
Many inside the company had long worried about whether the motto and ad effort had enough punch and point to get Yahoo back on track.
But execs in charge of the effort have maintained that Yahoo was staying on the “Y!ou” message as it moves into the latest phase of the multiyear effort. However, they also promised more specific “product proof points” that focus on Yahoo’s “hero products,” such as search, email, homepage, mobile and more.
Sources said marketing head Elisa Steele is expected to give a look at the new ad direction sometime in the next week to Yahoo employees, perhaps at an all-hands meeting Wednesday that will follow its first-quarter earnings release Tuesday.
Yahoo’s new lead creative team at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners has been working on the next direction.
The San Francisco-based Goodby, owned by the Omnicom Group (OMC), is known for its innovative ideas and has done high-profile campaigns like the terrifically memorable “Got Milk?” campaign.
Previously, the job of goosing Yahoo’s tarnished brand, as part of the recently launched $100 million marketing push, was helmed by Ogilvy & Mather, a unit of the WPP Group (WPPGY).
Yahoo declined to comment when asked about the ad campaign.
