Viewing Google Sky through a browser

Google unveiled a browser version of its Google Sky application on Thursday for people who don't want to download the Google Earth software.

The browser version allows you to zoom in and out and pan around the celestial bodies, search for planets and galaxies and view the sky through infrared, x-ray, ultraviolet, and microwave views.

There are also galleries of some of the best shots from the Hubble telescope and others. You can also listen to podcasts and look at historical maps of the sky.

The backstory on the app is that it was done by staff engineers and Diego Gavinowich, from Buenos Aires, who was a finalist in Google's Latin America Code Jam and spent the past three months in an internship at the company, according to the official Google Blog.

Several weeks ago Microsoft demonstrated its own virtual telescope software called Worldwide Telescope that will be available for free this spring.

Last month, Google was sued by a former contractor who alleges that the idea for Google Sky was his.

Skype: 100 Billion Free Phone Calls And Counting

Since launching four and half years ago, Skype users have talked to each other for 100 billion minutes, and that is just counting free Skype-to-Skype phone calls. Of course, many of those calls would never have been made if Skype didn’t exists, so you cannot count the entire 100 billion minutes as a loss for the phone companies. But a significant chunk of that has got to be eating away at phone company profits.

Skype’s owner, eBay, is not necessarily the winner here either. While Skype has been a boon for consumers, it’s eBay that is footing the bill. Even at the reduced $3.1 billion acquisition price after the write-down, eBay still ended up paying roughly 3 cents a minute for all of those calls. I think I pay less with Verizon.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Snap Instant Communicator: The Web intercom

The Snap Instant Communicator is one of the weirdest little gizmos I've seen in a while. It's a push-to-talk intercom system that runs on your PC and that only works when the Snap hardware console -- which is just a few buttons, a speaker, and a microphone -- is plugged in to it.

The console has eight labeled lights for the people you talk to the most. Once you add other Snap users into your account and label their spots on your device, all you have to do is press the button next to a name, and if the other party accepts the call (by pressing the corresponding button on their device for your name, which will be blinking), you're connected in real time.

Let's be very clear: There are dozens of other ways you can connect with a co-worker for quick communication. You can call them, Skype them, or use a Nextel push-to-talk connection. You can use IM or email. You can video-call. You can yell.

But if you like the idea of being able to just push a button to start an instant hands-free voice communication with someone you work with closely, then this is the gizmo for you. As Josh says, "It's great. As long as your boss doesn't have one."

The intercom concept is ancient, and the device has a certain retro flair to it, but the Snap has modern functions. The lights next to users' names act as presence indicators. They're on when the user's PC is on and they're working, and they go off after a period of inactivity. (You can also press the Privacy button on your own device to disappear from the network.)

You can create a real-time conference call among Snap users just by pressing more users' buttons. And if you try to connect to someone who is not present, the system can automatically try a telephone line instead (U.S. calls are charged at 2 cents a minute). Or you can leave a user a voice message, which will be sent to them as an email attachment.

It looks like setup will be very easy, although our early beta units did give us trouble. To get started, you run an app from the Web, plug in the device, and invite your co-workers (or buddies). If the invitees have a Snap, you'll be connected to each others' network. If not, the person on the receiving end will get a coupon for a discount on their own device. That makes for a nice viral business model.

My biggest complaint is that there's no "soft" version of the intercom. You must have the hardware to use the network. Traveling businesspeople are not going to want to schlep their Snap gizmo with them everywhere they go. I had a disagreement with CEO Todd Smith on this. Smith said that he couldn't guarantee call quality on laptop speakers, and that his business is based on selling hardware. He suggested that users will take the intercom with them. "But it's too big," I complained. "And you've weighted it to make it seem more substantial." "No, we didn't." Smith said. Meanwhile, the VP of engineering, who was sitting behind him, was looking at me and nodding his head. At any rate, I think I got Smith to relent, and he is considering a software version of the product for traveling users.

The Snap Communicator will be officially announced in March and should hit retail stores in April. It will initially sell for $99 in two-packs. It's PC-only and is clearly not for everyone, but I think it will find a following.

Interview with Dov Moran, founder of Modu

We just got out of an interview with Dov Moran, founder of Modu. As we suspected, the device is a module-based GSM system that includes a small, fully-functional phone and a set of “mates” or “jackets.” You can pop the phone in and out of different devices and add GSM functionality to almost anything, from GPS units to cameras. You’ll pay about 200 euro for a phone and two jackets and then a little extra for different devices.

The product will be very interesting to CE manufacturers in that it reduces to the time-to-market considerably and ensures they don’t have to go through FCC testing with every new mobile product. John at has a more detailed take on things but the idea is very compelling.

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Gadgets to Spur Energy Conservation

When the box turns red, it's time to turn off the air conditioner and save electricity.

Pinnacle reveals ShowCenter 250HD media receiver

F As the flood of media receivers continue to pour out, we've noticed a new one from Pinnacle Systems that comes with WiFi built-in, hearts Macs and PCs alike and handles HD streaming like it's its job. The ShowCenter 250HD is a self-proclaimed "plug-and-play digital media adapter" that includes an Ethernet jack, UPnP support and the ability to play nice with HD WMV, DivX HD or MPEG2 video formats. Read more

Microsoft offers up new Windows XP license for refurbished PCs

Good news for companies looking to refurbish and resell their dust-collecting PCs -- as of Friday, Microsoft has broadened its refurbishing rules in order to give outfits with heaps of not-quite-antiquated computers a way of offloading them with genuine copies of Windows XP. More specifically, Redmond will now be offering up a license for refurbishers "that is only available through the MAR program," and PCs that get equipped with Windows XP Home for Refurbished PCs or Windows XP Professional for Refurbished PCs will need to have a Certificate of Authenticity, too. Essentially, Microsoft is attempting to make the lives of those looking to deliver preinstalled Windows XP licenses on refurbed rigs a bit easier, but of course, there's a pretty rigid list of requirements that you'll have to meet before the MAR welcomes you in. [Via Yahoo / TechWeb] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Eee PC heads to the desktop in 2008

Filed under: Desktops Like your Eee PC do ya? Good, how about a desktop version to go with it? With the unexpected success of their new ultra-portable, Asus is looking to RAZR that momentum with a desktop version of the Eee PC. Jonathan Tseng, Asus president of marketing, says that the new Eee -- Easy to learn, Easy to play, Easy to Work -- will launch in 2008. Good news for us consumers but likely unwelcome tattle for Redmond. As you may have noticed, the recent onslaught of low-cost, low-powered, low-speced (Lll?) PCs are all Linux-happy slabs in order to avoid those heavy Microsoft licensing fees. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!