gulper eel Gulper Eel

make your own flashlight Will Verizon ever get a 4G Windows Phone?

So what should you do? If you really want a Windows Phone from Verizon, you can wait. But prepared for the ct that you may have to wait six to nine months for a device that supports 4G LTE. If you cant wait, then unfortunately, a new Google Android device is your only option, given you must have an LTE phone and you are unwilling to get an Apple iPhone. (Besides, the iPhone doesnt yet offer LTE.)

The Car Tech blog

Because it subsidizes every smartphone it sells to its subscribers, Sprint initially eats the cost of the devices it sells. It eventually makes the money back from the subsidy over the life of a subscribers contract. Still, in order to get the iPhone, Sprint promised to pay Apple at least $15.5 billion over the next four years for the iPhone, according to Reuters.

Technically Incorrect

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So what should you do? Should you buy the one and only Windows Phone currently available on Sprint or go with the iPhone 4S? Considering that the HTC Arrive, Sprints only Windows Phone available through a contract, is almost a year old, Id have to say that you should probably go for the iPhone.

Nearly a year has passed. Microsoft has updated its software and launched its first phones from Nokia. The new software and phones have gotten high marks from reviewers. But Verizon still doesnt seem excited about Windows Phone devices.

That said, if youre on a tight budget and you dont think you need the most cutting edge technology and you can live without certain apps that may not yet be available on the Windows Phone platform, then get the HTC Arrive. Its only $50 with a two-year contract with Sprint, compared to the $200 you will spend for a new iPhone 4S.

Media Maverick

But it cant beunderestimated how much Sprint has bet on the Apple iPhone. The company has staked its whole future on the success of the iPhone. To get the iPhone, Sprint had to promise Apple it would sell a certain volume of iPhones.

Bail denied again for MegaUploads Kim DotComMegaUploads founder will remain in jail at least until his extradition hearing is held on Feb. 22.

Dear Connie,

The company quietly put out one Windows Phone handset in the market in 2011. And in December when Verizon Wireless Chief Marketing Officer Marni Walden met with CNET, shedidnt seem that interested in adding more devices.

The pickings for Windows Phone smartphones are pretty slim when it comes to Verizon Wireless and even No. 3 carrier Sprint Nextel. So what are interested consumers to do? Ask Maggie offers some advice and some predictions on when these carriers will offer more devices using Microsofts mobile OS.

This is a high price, especially considering that there are two other carriers selling the iPhone.

Connie

Survey cites Amazon Kindle Fire likes and dislikesAmazon sold about 5 million Kindles in the first couple months of sales. So, what do users like and dislike about it? A survey provides some answers.

Ask Maggie is an advice column that answers readers wireless and broadband questions. The column now appears twice a week on CNET offering readers a double dosage of Ask Maggies advice. If you have a question, Id love to hear from you. Please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put Ask Maggie in the subject header. You can also follow me on Facebook on my Ask Maggie page.

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Verizon customers may have more 4G LTE GoogleAndroidsmartphones to choose from than subscribers on any other U.S. carrier, but when it comes to a Microsoft Windows Phone devices, forget it.

Windows Phone or iPhone on Sprint?

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The new software will bring Windows Phone on par withGoogle Androidhandsets, which have already been supporting dual-core processors, NFC and 4G LTE.

Dear Maggie,

On Thursday, details ofWindows 8, code-named Apollo, were leaked. The new software, which is not expected to show up in devices until the fourth quarter, will support multicore processors, four different screen resolutions, a removable microSD card, and near-field communication, according to the latest leaks. It may also include tight integration with Skype.

Marguerite Reardon has been covering the telecom beat for more than a decade and knows more about wireless and IP networking than she cares to admit. She has been a senior writer for CNET News since 2003, covering all things wireless and broadband related from iPhone launches to major telephone company mergers to IPTV developments. She often appears as an expert on news networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, NPR, and the BBC. Maggie loves visiting CNETs headquarters in San Francisco, but shes an East Coaster at heart, living and working in Manhattan.

make your own flashlight Will Verizon ever get a 4G Windows Phone?,

Deep Tech

Im a Verizon customer, bogged down by a mily plan where the contract on each line renews at a different time and a location where Verizon is the only network with good coverage. I am eligible for a new phone in about two months, and my phone is gimping along toward the finish line. Im a current Android user, but havent been impressed with the platform and am looking for a change.

Thanks,

Weve communicated to Microsoft that LTE is critical to us, Walden told my colleague Roger Cheng in an interview in December. We need to see a timeline that makes sense if we want to continue to represent them.

Sorry to disappoint you and good luck!

The long wait for a Verizon Windows Phone with 4G LTE

Geek Gestalt

Since then, Verizon executives havent been excited about new Microsoft products. Last year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Verizons chief technology officer, Tony Meloneadmitted he had doubts that Microsoft could get the traction they are hoping for with Windows Phone 7.

Verizon has not had a great relationship with Microsoft. In 2010, Verizon launched Microsofts pre-Windows Phone device, the Kin. This was supposed to be a mid-range messaging device geared toward heavy text message users. The device was a big flop. Within months of introducing the product,Verizon canceled it and took it off its shelves.

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My contract recently ended with Sprint and I want to get a smartphone. This would be my first one, but Im torn between getting a Windows Phone or an iPhone. I currently have an aging second generation iPod and an iPad 2 with a lot of apps and music. Though Im used to the Apple OS, Im really interested in the Windows OS, but with only one option for Windows Phone Im not sure if its the right choice. What should I do?

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Facebook goes quiet, comes alive againMultiple reports of slow loading and even no loading suggest that Facebook is experiencing problems. What might it be?

Social video sharing app ShowYou goes deep with v3.0With the third version of the critically acclaimed app, users will be able to drill down and see more of the videos their friends are sharing--and what their friends friends are watching.

You are correct that there is only one Microsoft Windows Phone on Sprints network at this point. And I dont expect the company to offer anymore until around August or September. Like Verizon, Sprint doesnt seem to have much enthusiasm for Windows Phone. Sprint seems to be waiting for the platform to gain more traction.

Dear Joe,

I hope this advice was helpful. And good luck!

Apple is out (for reasons unrelated to the phones themselves), and recent positive reviews of Windows Phones have made me really eager to switch. But its got to be 4G. Verizon has nothing like this now, and I read in your column a few weeks ago that Verizon execs werent chomping at the bit to get new Windows pmake your own flashlight Will Verizon ever get a 4G Windows Phone?hones. Any updates, or predictions on when Verizon might get more Windows phones--or should I resign myself to another two years of Android fragmentation?

But now that Microsoft has put LTE into a smartphone,the Nokia Lumia 900, which will soon be available on AT&Ts network. But so r there has been no announcement of an LTE Windows Phone for Verizon.

The software will also integrate nicely with Windows Phone 8 for the desktop and fortablets. The idea is that app developers will be able to create apps that can operate on smartphones as well as tablets and ultrabooks.

I am afraid I dont have a clear idea when Verizon will be getting more Microsoft Windows Phones. But I suspect that if your current cell phone is on the fritz it probably wont be soon enough for you.

The big hang up for Verizon is that until Nokias new Lumia 900, no Windows Phone supported 4G LTE. And for Verizon, that is the most important element for its new phones.

I havent seen anything in the market over the past few weeks toindicate that Verizon executives are preparing for a new crop of Microsoft Windows Phones.

Crave

Despite its rocky relationship with Microsoft, I think that Verizon will eventually carry more Windows Phone devices. And those smartphones will support LTE. But the question is when. My guess is that the earliest we might see new LTE Windows Phones for Verizon is this summer. But Verizon may hold out for the newest update to the Windows Phone software.

Nanotech - make your own flashlightThe Circuits Blog

Joe

The ct that you already own several iOS devices also helps push you further in the iPhone camp. Also youre already miliar with the apps and the software from your iPad 2.

Marguerite ReardonMarguerite Reardon has been a CNET News reporter since 2004, covering cell phone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate, as well as the ongoing consolidation of the phone companies.

Thanks so much,

Cutting Edge

Judge rules Honda overstated hybrid fuel economyHeather Peters won a suit in small claims court against Honda, claiming the company misled her through fraudulent advertising into buying a Civic Hybrid.

Dear Maggie,

How to Make Your Own IR Illuminator From a Flashlight? make your own flashlight

Instructions for Making Your Own IR IlluminatorsWith the increasing popularity of devices such as night vision goggles, digital still cameras and video cameras with night vision features, IR...

Place a piece of printer on a table. Put a strip of the color negative film down on the horizontally. Put three more strips of color negative film down on the first strip horizontally.

Put four strips of the color negative film on top of each other so that the translucent sections line up.

Place the cut circles of color negative film that have just been cut out inside of the back end of the reflector. Screw the reflector back onto the flashlight. You can now turn on your IR flashlight.

How to Convert Dig Cameras to InfraredDigital cameras are designed to shoot pictures using the same light that is visible to the human eye. Converting a digital camera...

How to Create Your Own Infrared LampCreating your own infrared lamp is economical and relatively easy. You may want an infrared lamp for thermography, night vision, heating, maintaining...

Unscrew the reflector off of the small flashlight. Remove the plastic lens from inside of the back end of the reflector.

How to Make Infrared GogglesInfrared is not to be confused with night vision. Infrared shows electromagnetic wavelengths that are longer than visual light but shorter that...

Copyright © 1999-2012 Demand Media, Inc.

How to Make a FlashlightWhat do you do when the power goes out and your flashlight quits working? Make a flashlight, of course. With a few...

Place the back end of the reflector down on the color negative film. Cut around the back end of the reflector and through the color negative film with the utility knife.

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHowTerms of UseandPrivacy Policy.

How to Make Your Own IR Illuminator From a Flashlight? make your own flashlight,Buy a 2 1/4 by 2 /4 inch roll of color negative film. Give it back to the photo shop developing center where it was purchased to have it developed.

How to Build Your Own Infrared Video CameraThe human eye can only see a narrow band of the overall light wavelength. Video cameras that can record light in the...

How to Make a Tactical Light Out of a Plastic Rayovac FlashlightThe purpose of a tactical light is to illuminate an area precisely so that the weapon it is attached to can fire...

Homemade IR IlluminatorThe best home security systems must be reliable, yet aesthetically unobtrusive. In this regard, infrared (IR) or "night vision" cameras are more...

How to Make Night Vision FlashlightsBackyard astronomy is a lot of fun, but using a flashlight to read a star chart in the dark ruinmake your own flashlights your night...

An infrared beam has the capability of showing a wavelength of the spectrum thatHow to Make Your Own IR Illuminator From a Flashlight? make your own flashlight is normally invisible to the human eye. You can make your own IR flashlight by using a few household tools and adapting the light output of an ordinary incandescent bulb flashlight with exposed color negative film. Your IR flashlight might not look as ncy as one purchased from a hobby store, but it will provide a beam of IR light just as well as any commercial model.

make your own flashlight How to Make Your Own Solar Powered Flashlight

make your own flashlight How to Make Your Own Solar Powered Flashlight,Make a small hole about 1/16 of an inch in the top of the removable lid of a transparent plastic container small enough to be hand-held.

How to Build a Simple LED FlashlightThe incandescent bulb found in most flashlights does not provide a light as bright as a comparably-sized LED bulb. You can build...

Homemade Solar LampIf you enjoy arts and crafts, you may want to try building your own lamp. And if you&039;ve been reading about the...

DIY Exterior LightsExterior lights make your house safe and your landscaping look beautiful. If you have a large area to cover, chances are electric...

Drill two small holes and install a small switch on the exterior of the plastic lid to control the on/off power of the flashlight. The switch should be on the outside of the lid and its wires on the inside so that they can be attached to the positive terminal of the battery.

How to Make a FlashlightWhat do you do when the power goes out and your flashlight quits working? Make a flashlight, of course. With a few...

How to Make Small TalkSmall talk can be a big challenge, but a little preparation and confidence is all you need. As a skilled small talker...

Components of Shake FlashlightsComponents of Shake Flashlights. Shake, or Faraday, flashlights operate on the Faraday principle of electromagnetic induction. In 1831, Michael Faraday first demonstrated...

Copyright © 1999-2012 Demand Media, Inc.

You can build a solar powered flashlight with a new or recycled clear plastic container and a few other new components. A solar flashlight consists of two main parts, the lighting module and the charging module. The lighting consists of a series of small LED bulbs connected to a rechargeable battery. The charging part involves charging the battery from a solar cell. This prototype can save you the expense of a lifetime of flashlight batteries.

Wire the LED lights parallel to each other by stripping the wires of the LED lights and wrapping one side around the negative battery terminal and the other side around the positive battery terminal.

This prototype is not waterproof so you might want to seal off any gaps in construction with a silicone sealant.

Solar Powered Flashlight InstructionsThe storm hits, the power goes out, you reach for your flashlight--and the batteries are dead. It&039;s a classic problem, and you...

How to Hook Up a Small Solar Panel to Power a FlashlightWith modern technology, you can harness the sun&039;s energy to light up your life. Serving the same function as a battery, a...

Strip the wire from one vertical terminal and wrap it around the negative terminal of the battery. Strip the wire from the other vertical terminal and wrap it around the positive wire to the switch and also the positive battery terminal. (This controls the on/off power of the flashlight.)

How to Make a Solar OvenAlmost anything you can cook in a conventional oven, you can cook in a solar oven.

How to Make Your Own Flash LightCreating your own flashlight is a basic electronics chore that is often undertaken in beginner circuitry classes. The circuit used to...

Tape the back and borders of the solar cell to the outside of the plastic lid with durable double stick tape. Put extra tape around the inside of the lid where the wire comes in to seal off any existing gaps to prevent dirt and water from getting into the container.

Strip the wire on the white bar on the IN4001 diode (or one with similar capacity) and wrap it around the negative terminal of the battery. Strip the wire on the other side of the diode and wrap it around the positive outlet of the solar cell.

How to Build a Self-Powered FlashlightBuilding a self-powered flashlight is a matter of re-make your own flashlight How to Make Your Own Solar Powered Flashlightpurposing a few objects and tinkering with them. By hooking up the solar panel...

Tape a horizontal terminal block to the battery. Tape two additional vertical terminals to the horizontal terminal, one on each side.

Screw the plastic lid with the solar cell and switch on the outside to its corresponding transparent container which encases the LED lights, diode and battery which completes the construction of your solar powered flashlight. Direct the lid of the flashlight with the solar cell towards optimum ultraviolet rays to initially charge your new flashlight, which should take a maximum of 4 hours of direct sunlight.

How to Make No Battery FlashlightsMost flashlights are of no use if their batteries are dead. But you can build a flashlight that doesn&039;t need batteries, by...

How to Make a Solar Powered LightUsing solar powered energy around the home can eventually save you money since solar power is a renewable source. This especially applies...

How to Make a Balloon Powered Model CarA balloon-powered car is a science project and toy all in one. It demonstrates the power of wind, while watching the car...

How to Make Homemade Solar PowerHumans have been using solar power for thousands of years to heat their homes. Making solar panels to collect and store the...

How to Make Your Own Free Energy With Solar Power Panel CellsWhether you think you should be living in a more environmentally friendly way, or you want to reduce your energy costs, adding...

Can a Flashlight Run on Solar Power?Solar-powered flashlights are commonly used for camping, hiking and home emergencies. Flashlights use solar power to charge a rechargeable battery, and the...

This prototype does not control overcharging of the battery which is a common cause of battery damage, therefore you need to estimate when the charge is complete which should not take more than 4 hours, and remove it from the charger.

How to Build Your Own Flashlight Without BatteriesA flashlight is no good if the battery powering it has died. You can build a flashlight that doesn&039;t need batteries by...

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHowTerms of UseandPrivacy Policy.

Joi Ito dives into the MIT Media Lab (Q&A interdisciplinary connections

The Media Lab is obviously already a great and important institution. But do you have a sense of a couple of the initial things that youll do to put your impact on the place?

Ito: No, but I might start bugging people at the lab to go diving. Or play World of Warcraft.

Ito: It requires a lot of focus, so it serves both as a focused thing to do, but also something where Im not thinking of anything else. Its like a reset. I also learn so much--physics, physiology, ecology, etc. And, many, many of the divers I meet are really cool people. And I can do it everywhere, sort of.

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Ito: I think that the Internet has changed the way that we communicate with the rest of the world, and I think the Media Lab--although it invented a lot of this stuff, hasnt yet embraced all of the tools out there. I think there is a lot of Creative Commons-like openness and sharing, as well as external community building that can happen. Having visited the Media Lab, its very easy to see how you could spend your whole life immersed there. But I think that some of the things could be opened up more and connected to more outside things. Its not that they dont collaborate, but it could be augmented. Also, the connection to Silicon Valley could be strengthened, as well as with other regions in the world. Nonprofits could have more of a connection. There are some relationships like with the Knight Foundation, but there could be much, much more, especially with social entrepreneurship becoming such an important part of the nonprofit landscape. I think there is a good fit there. But really, Ill decide more once I know whats going on and have a better inventory of whats going on. I want to understand before I make too many recommendations

Geek Gestalt

Ito: Simple stuff initially. Ill have my friends come to the lab and meet the students and culty, and also bring students and culty to meet people in my network and join interesting meetings. Its really about connecting people in my network to people at the lab and vice versa. Its not like one big connection, but in a highly contextual way, like synapses in a brain. Its not about power or influence. Its about exactly the right connections that have exactly the right effect. Its all about nuance, which I think people dont really get sometimes when they talk about networking, since traditional structures are so monolithic. The key is to make sure that the biologist in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) working on turning sand into bricks talks to the architect working on open architecture.

Ito: Yeah. The biggest thing is my lack of experience. Im a quick learner, but theres lots to learn. Also, I need to support my culty and I worry that my lack of experience and creds might hamper my ability to support tenure arguments, etc. Which is important in a university.

Itos appointment makes perfect sense to many, given the breadth of his experience, his impressive personal network, and his many interests. But as someone who doesnt hold a degree of any kind himself, he is an unexpected choice to head up such an important academic institution. Still, whennewsof his selection by the lab broke Monday, many of the digeratis best and brightest could barely contain their pleasure. Across the board, Ito wasseenas a great fit.

Ito: Not exactly in order, but: Diving, human rights, innovation, copyright, Internet policy, media, art, the Middle East, the mind, video games. Sort of everything actually. Im trying to think of things Im NOT interested in.

Adobe gives Photoshop CS6 a new graphics-chip boostThe Liquify tool is responsive and more powerful thanks to use of the graphics processing unit in Photoshop CS6. Also: background save.

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Cutting Edge

So, you sort of already answered this, and it is kind of a duh question, but why did you want this?

Joi Ito was named the director of the MIT Media Lab on Monday.

Daniel Terdiman, uniquely positioned to take you into the middle of another side of technology, chronicles his explorations of the fun beat, from cultural phenomena such as Burning Man to cutting-edge aircraft to game conventions.

Is there anything you can imagine about being in an academic institution that will present a particular challenge for you versus having been in private or nonprofit type organizations?

Bail denied again for MegaUploads Kim DotComMegaUploads founder will remain in jail at least until his extradition hearing is held on Feb. 22.

Joi Ito: Ha. I think there will be a few phases. I think Im going to have to ground myself for a bit to get to know the lab well. But I think a lot of what the lab wants from me is to be a conduit to lots of external things, people, sponsors, institutions, cultures. So travel will be part of my job once Ive synched with the lab. Also, a lot of my crazy lack of focus is because I quickly break out of molds or want to go do new stuff. My feeling is that the lab canalmostdo anything. It will allow me to almost focus on everything while being focused on the lab because of its diverse and interdisciplinary nature. So I dont know how that translates exactly into my travel schedule, but I think that at least Ill have more of a home base.

Joi Ito dives into the MIT Media Lab (Q&A, interdisciplinary connections,If you answered Joi Ito, youre spot on. And now you can add theMIT Media Labto that list. Ito is a Japanese venture capitalist and entrepreneur who has been running and investing in technology companies like those listed above and serving on the boards of important institutions for years. And on Monday, he was named the new director of MITs Media Lab, the cutting-edge research center founded in 1980 by Nicholas Negroponte, who among other things, is known for the One Laptop Per Child initiative.

Ito: Ha ha. I was watching my Twitter stream. I triaged a bit of e-mail. I sent all of my IM info to everyone at the Media Lab and have been accepting connection requests. And I looked at my World of Warcraft guild forums, and wrote a note saying that Ive invited my Media Lab community to join the guild.

I liked how in yourblog post about joining the labyou said that your initial conversation with Nicholas Negroponte was over a horrid cell phone connection. Did you worry that this great opportunity might get lost to the haze of a bad signal?

Ito: That trip was important because the town he lives in has no sense of time. Youre never anticipating the future. Youre living in the now. Surfing is kind of like that. And scuba diving, once you get the organization down to a ritual, its like that too. Its important to live in the now to embrace serendipity. That sounds a bit hippie, but its true.

So, be honest with me. You said the Internet has changed the way that we communicate with the rest of the world. Does that mean youll be having all your culty and students doing classes and interaction through World of Warcraft?

Facebook goeinterdisciplinary connectionss quiet, comes alive againMultiple reports of slow loading and even no loading suggest that Facebook is experiencing problems. What might it be?

Deep Tech

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Crave giveaway: Nuance Dragon Dictate 2.5 for MacLooking to get the message out the hands-free way? This week, were giving away free voice-recognition software. Thats something to talk about, no?

Ito: Well, I try not to get too operational and focus on my areas of strength, which is the high-risk periods, the connections. At Creative Commons I did more operations than I normally would because the organization needed it. And at the Media Lab, I have more operational responsibilities too. But in the past I sort of avoided operational stuff and tried to work in a project-oriented way, with exits and ends sort of built in. Like my three-year term at ICANN. Also, since Im mostly a connector, doing stuff in parallel has a positive network effect even though it limits focus sometimes. But I wouldnt recommend this mode for everyone. Its hard to manage, and you dont get much sleep.

Switching gears, you said earlier that one of your interests is scuba diving, and when we were setting up this interview you said you were about to take your instructors exam. How did that go?

Well, thank you so much. And again, congratulations! Ill be putting in my application to the lab soon.

I remember your blog post about going andvisiting a friend in Costa Rica. Why was that trip so important for you, especially the surfing?

Q: Thank you so much for doing this, especially on no sleep. So, the first thing I thought--after being very pleased about the news--was, Hows Joi going to keep flying all over the world with this new job? Is it going to be like George Clooney getting grounded in the film Up in the Air?

Youve been involved in so many amazing initiatives--Creative Commons, Mozilla, ICANN, Technorati, Neoteny, and on and on...Thats more than most people do in a lifetime. How do you do it all? Do you sleep?

The Car Tech blog

Crave

Nanotech - The Circuits Blog

You said that being at the lab made you feel at home for the first time? Can you say a little more about what that means to you?

Consider this list of institutions and companies that are at the center of the Internet and technology worlds: Creative Commons, Mozilla, Technorati, ICANN, Harvards Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Twitter, Six Apart, and Flickr. What do they all have in common?

Technically Incorrect

Im sure. Well, getting back to the lab, based on the time youve spent there, and conversations Im sure youve had, can you tell me about any projects youve seen there that youre particularly excited about?

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For Ito, who pioneered the idea that World of Warcraft is the new golf--building anow-mous guildpopulated with CEOs and other luminaries, and getting his teams to work together inside the virtual world of WoW--the lab may be the intellectual opportunity of a lifetime. But as anyone who follows him on Twitter knows, staying still is not Itos thing, in any way. This is a man who travels the world at a rate unlike almost anyone else, and so a position at the helm of a place like the Media Lab would seem certain to curtail his accumulation of airline miles.

Ito: All of them/lots of them. Id rather not call out any one in particular right now until Ive spent more time there. But I love that they connect all of the areas--biology, art, robots, artificial intelligence, etc.

Yesterday, while he was on a brief trip to Jordan, Ito sat down with CNET for a45 Minutes on IMinterview and talked about whether hell have to give up looking out the windows of airplanes, about what the Media Lab opportunity means to him, and much more.

Social video sharing app ShowYou goes deep with v3.0With the third version of the critically acclaimed app, users will be able to drill down and see more of the videos their friends are sharing--and what their friends friends are watching.

Survey cites Amazon Kindle Fire likes and dislikesAmazon sold about 5 million Kindles in the first couple months of sales. So, what do users like and dislike about it? A survey provides some answers.

Judge rules Honda overstated hybrid fuel economyHeather Peters won a suit in small claims court against Honda, claiming the company misled her through fraudulent advertising into buying a Civic Hybrid.

What is it that you love about diving?

Ito: The main thing is that there are so many smart, cool students and culty there empowered to think creatively and big and I really connected with the energy of the place when I visited. Thats the main reason. And it turns out that I have accumulated some skills that fit some of the needs and the role of the director position they were looking for. It lets me continue to be interested in just about everything Im already interested in, but in a community with a platform that will enhance everything. Also, I really enjoy providing context to people who have lots of substance and depth. I learn through interacting with smart people and love to surround myself with mentors and friends who stimulate my thinking. My output is usually context and connections and overall trajectories and vision stuff. So its also a perfect fit for that kind of activity. Also, theres the right balance of academics, theory, business, short-term, long-term, etc.

Ito: I think the culty were OK with it, but it was probably tricky for them to think about how it might affect various things. I wasnt privy to all of the conversations, but you have to remember that part of my role is to convince students to finish their Ph.Ds. But I think they were very courageous to do this, frankly. I dont think a Japanese school could do it.

Can you give a synopsis of the kinds of things that most interest you?

Last question, and its my standard last question in this interview series. But I think its particularly applicable for you. So, I love doing IM interviews for many reasons: I get a perfect transcript, and it gives my interviewees a chance to think a bit more and be a bit more articulate than they might otherwise be. But also, IM allows you to multitask. So, tell me what else you were doing while we were chatting?

Ito: I passed! Im a PADI open water scuba instructor.

Media Maverick

In your blog post, you talked about merging your existing network with the lab. That sounds like a scary powerful new network. What do you imagine that would be like?

I assume that means that the lab should worry that youre going to chuck it all and go teach scuba in Thailand someday soon?

One of the things I saw pointed out was that you dont have a degree yourself. Did that pose any kind of problem with culty or anyone? Or is that not important in any way?

Ito: Ha ha. No, although Id be happy to have students and culty join the guild. There are several levels I guess and Im being sort of intentionally vague because I dont yet know what will work exactly. But I think that the Media Lab could do more with online communities or the Web in general. Also, IP policy is an important part of universities, but I think it can also be friction when trying to connect online. But Im sort of out on a limb here so I dont want to commit to anything specific since I havent had long conversations about operational details yet.

Daniel TerdimanDaniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between.

Ito: Well, there are challenges. Were definitely in a honeymoon period. Were all very excited about each other, which is a good thing. But the devil is in the details in delivering impact. Raising money, etc. Theres lots to do. Ive never worked in an academic institution and the Media Lab and MIT have never worked with someone like me. Were going to have a challenge, but I think everyones going to give it their best shot. I met many of the senior administration at MIT and they were all supportive--not just the Media Lab folks. It was very heartening, and also added a great deal of positive momentum for me.

Ito: Well, the focus of the lab, and the ct that its agood thingto be interdisciplinary. The energy just felt really miliar and made me happy.

MIT offers City Car for the masses interdisciplinary connections

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The modular system makes it possible for the vehicle to be easily customizable and kept only as light and efficient as it needs to be for each individual situation.

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Other inner-city transportation ideas are on the drawing boards, of course. And various ideas have beenproposed by automakersat recent auto shows.

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People should think about the car as more of a service than an individual vehicle. It could be connected to a network giving the driver access to real-time information, such as route advice in the ce of bad traffic conditions. Or, it could alert drivers when theyre passing the kind of restaurant they like, said Lark.

Correction:Due to an editing error, this story incorrectly cited the designers of the scooter being unveiled at the EICMA Motorcycle Show. The scooter was designed by a group of MIT researchers led by Michael Chia-Liang Lin.

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The City Car grew out of a 2003 project with sponsorship from General Motors that set out to rethink vehicles in general from a the-skys-the-limit perspective. Vairani and Will Lark, a mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidate, presented the idea of a small collapsible car that could stack like a shopping cart toanswer the problems of urban crowding for both driving and parking. They were encouraged to share and explore the urban car idea byBill Mitchell, the director of both MITs Design Laboratory and the MIT Media Lab Smart Cities research group.

A correction was made to this story.Read below for details.Is the City Car the solution to the last mile problem?

The Car Tech blog

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While the City Car is still under development--a prototype is expected next year--a scooterdesigned by other MIT researchers, led by Michael Chia-Liang Lin, will be unveiled at theEICMA Motorcycle Showin Milan, Italy, later this week.

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MIT offers City Car for the masses interdisciplinary connections,The City Car, a design project under way at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is envisioned as a two-seater electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion batteries. It would weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds and could collapse, then stack like a shopping cart with six to eight fitting into a typical parking space. It isnt just a car, but is designed as a system of shared cars with kiosks at locations around a city or small community.

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Deep Tech

Unlike a regular car--or even another type of electric car--that has a central power system distributed to its wheels, the City Car is envisioned as a modular system. Each wheel base has its own motor, steering, braking, and suspension system. It then taps into a central system for power, computer control, and some mechanical linkage. These electric robot wheels as they are called, would allow the City Car to be collapsible, stackable, and spin on a dime for sideways movement and easier parking, according to Lark. So you really treat this like a Lego brick you snap onto a cabin, said Lark.

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The problem with mass transit is it kind of takes you to where you want to go and at the approximate time you want to get there, but not exactly. Sometimes you have to walk up to a mile from the last train or subway stop, said Franco Vairani, a Ph.D. candidate at MITs school of architecture. The City Car is his thesis, though its now a group effort involving many others at the school.

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The cars could be designed to match transportation realities in various cities. For instance, cars might be slower, have a shorter range and a lighter battery in congested cities like Boston. Another version might be ster or have longer ranges for sprawling cities like Los Angeles where people would need a top speed of maybe 70 mph so they could safelinterdisciplinary connectionsy enter highways, according to Vairani.

The City Car business model is akin to a shopping cart or a bike-share program where you return the item to a convenient location when youre done with it. City Car users would be required to swipe their credit card as a form of deposit. The cars could also be tracked using GPS. To protect privacy, the GPS info could then be deleted once the car is safely returned to a kiosk.

The City Car is now an interdisciplinary project with the Smart Cities Group and the MIT Media Lab involving architects, industrial designers, and mechanical engineers from different groups all working in tandem on different components. Even a medical doctor has been involved, according to Lark.

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The group says it has already received interesMIT offers City Car for the masses interdisciplinary connectionst from the state of Hawaii, which is rethinking its mass transit system. Since even locals have to take a plane or boat to get from one island to another in Hawaii, its not just tourists who need something once they reach their destination.

shopping cart,transportation,car,Milan,project

The existing Zip Car rental system has shown that people are willing to be part of a service that rewards members who are good custodians, according to Lark. He said the City Car could create the same type of community feeling of responsibility.