Google Gadget Awards
The Google Desktop Gadget Contest ended a few weeks ago, but if you're a college or university student in the U.S., we've got a new challenge for you. How do you feel about writing a gadget that (could) get you a date, is really smart or pretty, or that your friends just can't get enough of? We just launched the Google Gadget Awards, which challenges U.S. college students to create clever Google Gadgets. And we've got a great panel of judges, including Commander Taco, Founder of Slashdot; Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Wired Magazine; and John Hennessy, President of Stanford University. We've seen some great entries in the past and are excited to see what you can come up with now.
If you're not a university student in the U.S., you can still create Google Gadgets. Although they won't be entered in the Awards, if they're clever enough you just might find them on desktops around the world.
Tascam Mystery
Anyone had experience with the Tascam HD-P2, a portable Compact Flash audio recorder with timecode from video? Price should have been around US$1000, but I have yet to see it in Europe.
Specs:
Up to 192 kHz / 24-bit
Absolutely silent (no transport noise it has been claimed), latched CF slot (so it doesn't pop out accidentally)
Broadcast WAVE recording
FireWire for connecting to PC/MAC for instant file access
Data loss protection (continually re-saves data)
XLR mic inputs with phantom power and analog peak limiting
Unbalanced RCA I/O plus S/PDIF digital I/O
Built-in mic and speaker
Runs on AA batteries for 5.5 hours
Timecode input, video clock input, input chasing
Broadcasters Without Borders
Managed to get the announcement about Broadcasters Without Borders spread quite widely at this years' IBC.
Results of the Google Desktop Gadget Contest!
We received a number of creative submissions for the Google Desktop Gadget Contest. In fact, because there were so many great gadgets to choose from, we’ve decided to recognize a few additional standouts.
Honorable Mention:
10x10 News by Turhan Aydin - Keep an eye on snapshots of world events from tenbyten.org.
Carrier by Petar Petrov - Try and sink your opponent's fleet! Since this gadget uses our Google Talk API, you can play against friends as well.
Gate2Home Virtual Keyboard by Ilan Bar-Magen - This keyboard emulator allows you to easily type in characters from multiple languages. As a universal gadget, it works with both the Google homepage and Google Desktop. To add this to your desktop, simply select "Add gadgets..." from the options menu, then search for [ virtual keyboard ].
Hot or Not by Ron Huang - You can easily submit your ratings for photos of users from hotornot.com, or simply view a slideshow. This gadget also allows you to set your preferences for both age and gender.
Weather forecasts of Japan by IT Design BitWiz - This handy gadget displays weather forecasts (complete with pictures) for various areas of Japan.
Memory Smiley by Bijoy Thangaraj & Nirmal Jose - See your memory usage represented by a Smiley. As your memory usage fluctuates, your Smiley reacts accordingly.
RSS to Speech by Alexey Polkovnikov - Add your favorite feeds, then hear your feeds read aloud by your computer's default text-to-speech voice.
Shortcut Gadget by Teodor Mihai Filimon - Frequently used programs are always a click away with this gadget. You can even assign your own icons to each shortcut.
And without further ado, the Google Desktop Gadget Contest winners are...
3rd place – Day/Night World Clock by Beatrix Gottanka – We couldn't have designed a better world clock. Not only does this clock show you the local time, but there's also a map that indicates where it's night or day at any given hour. And if you want options, this gadget has them.
2nd place – Multiplayer Reversi Game by Turhan Aydin – Immerse yourself in the fun game Reversi with this visually rich gadget. Not only can you play against the computer, but this gadget takes advantage of our Google Talk API so you can also play with your friends.
1st place – diGGGadget by Marius and Yannick Stucki – Stay on top of the latest stories from digg.com. Click on a few buttons and you'll know why we think it's so great. It also takes advantage of our advanced APIs to enable sharing news with friends plus personalization based on your interests.
These gadgets are wonderful examples of what can be done with the Google Desktop SDK. We truly enjoyed reviewing all of the contest submissions, and look forward to seeing more of your creations in the future!
Sony LP DV tapes
Sony has launched a new type of Mini-DV tape, the Sony DVM85HD, that records for 85 minutes, that's 22 minutes longer than regular DV tapes. Must be a thinner tape, so I wonder what this has done to the drop-out ratio. Gizmodo reports that each tape will be sold in Japan for roughly $13 US dollars. The HD indicates the tapes are suitable for HD recorders. Current HD tapes in Holland cost nearer US dollars 20 for a standard length tape...may be I am being ripped off.
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