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Armchair Paradise pod puts you in an embryonic state... almost
With each passing moment we grow ever closer to reaching the year 2193, thus, having some sort of futuristic pod / chair hybrid in your home is likely more acceptable today than yesterday. Nevertheless, we can't recommend the Armchair Paradise to anyone with any level of self-respect with a straight face, though the amenities do seem quite nice. Besides a totally comfortable place to put your tush after a hard day's night, you'll also find a built-in sound system that quite literally envelops you in sound. Unfortunately, pricing information doesn't seem to be readily available, but fast-forward a few decades and you might find out.[Via CNET]
On-demand personal transport system could shuttle folks around Heathrow
Britain's Heathrow airport has already made plans to step its game up once this year with a swank new parking garage, but the latest development most certainly outshines the prior. Reportedly, a network of 18 four-seater pods will be unveiled within two years after Terminal 5 opens next March in order to shuttle passengers "to and from a business car park to the new terminal building." Hailed as the UK's "first personal rapid transport system (PRT)," this energy-efficient, battery powered system will enable the driverless pods to be summoned on demand by individual families and taken to a variety of nearby locations. Creators claim that users will be thrilled by having their own taxi of sorts without having to ride alongside strangers, but not surprisingly, each pod will indeed support CCTV surveillance. Hey, it's Big Brother or John Doe -- pick your poison.
Line6 releases the Pocket POD for tone on the go
While we're not crazy about modeled solid-state guitar tone, sometimes firing up that 800-watt tube amp just isn't feasible -- which is where Line6's new Pocket POD comes in. Essentially a miniature version of the company's popular POD amp modelers, the Pocket POD features 300 presets based on vintage and modern amps and cabs developed in conjunction with several popular guitarists, a host of effects including delay and compression, 1/8-inch input for jamming along to an iPod, headphone jack, and USB connectivity to Line6's Vyzex software to tweak and tune your presets any way you like. If this thing sounds half as convincing as other Line6 modelers, it'll be quite a steal at $129 -- but deep down you'll know it's not the same.[Via Macworld]
Apple's POD trademark app faces more opposition
We're pretty sure Apple faces about as much legal heat as every other big time corporation out there, but ever since Cisco invited Apple (or vice-versa?) to a few rounds of throwdown, "Apple" and "trademark" just seem to go hand in hand. Apparently, the POD moniker that has caught so much flack over the years is facing a slew of additional opponents, who apparently think the oh-so-coveted three letter word fits better in its own name. PodFitness, Inc., Secure-It, Inc., Varsity Group Inc., TastyBytes Software, Inc., VNU Media Measurement & Information, Inc., and Line 6, Inc. (makers of the highly-regarded "POD" lineup of guitar effects processors) are all crying foul on Apple's notoriously tight grip, but considering that all the filings are still marked as "pending," we can only assume the war wages on. Nevertheless, some of the filings stretch back to 2004, and although most things like this have a way of simply "vanishing" over time, we're fairly certain the grumpy plaintiffs are (at least somewhat) enjoying that "instituted for proceeding" bit. So while opposition continues to flail helplessly as it tries to disarm the almighty POD from Steve and Co., we're still left wondering how everyone and their next of kin can prefix any product at all with "i" without raising a fuss.[Thanks, Nikropht]
Microsoft's "Clippy" putting on a 3D skirt in Japan?
We're not sure what's going on here exactly, but based on our interpretation of the machine translation, Microsoft Japan is at the very least helping to promote Frepar Network's new 3D virtual communication products in an Office 2007 giveaway. Of greater interest however, is the ability for that device (or POD) pictured to display a three dimensional woman who interactively titillates demonstrates Microsoft's new Office 2007 software much to the delight of Japan's lonely businessmen. Just insert a "Codec Cell" -- a type of DNA horse-pill imprinted with the personality and attributes of different characters -- into Frepar's Virtual Communications POD and watch your virtual friend come to life. Drunk at the hotel mini-bar missing her? No problem, grab Frepar's VoIP-based Samuraiphone and give her a ring. Just don't get carried away because her skirt will flutter against the waft of your hot, breathy prose. No, really. A variety of planned accessories will allow the POD's characters to link to terrestrial digital broadcasts and the Internet for a bit more lifelike interaction and widgetry than say a blinking bunny or customizable keyboard. What's more, Frepar plans to offer "material transfer fields" which act like portals to transfer real-world items into her virtual world such as food, medicine, and plenty of costumes to feed your sick fantasies. You can even put your character on an "enjoyable diet" and monitor her weight -- fun! So what are we talkin' for all this space-age technology... beaucoup dinero, right? Not so, the Frepar POD will hit later in the year for about ¥30,000 or right around $250. Goodbye "Clippy," hello girlfriend! Check all the gear below as well as a prototype on display at CES.%Gallery-1429%Read -- Frepar Networks Read -- Microsoft campaign
Leo Laporte wants to rebrand podcasts as 'netcasts' - I agree
If you're a TWiT fan (or a listener of almost any of Leo's other 200 podcasts), you might have heard in the past couple of weeks that he's pushing to change the term 'podcast' to 'netcast.' He's even gone so far as to start using it in his lingo on the shows (at least on the few of his shows I can keep up with), and is looking to trademark the term. Now before you run off and flame TWiT's forums, just hear the man out - because I think he has a good idea.Leo has a couple of reasons for hoping to move the mountain that is now podcasting. The first is Apple's recent bullish attitude towards the terms 'pod' and 'podcast,' as they've been filing their own trademarks and sending nastygrams to companies who get even just a little too close to using these words in their names or products. For a term that was born out of the grassroots web broadcasting movement and coined out of love for Apple's little music player, this understandably felt like a slap in the face to many - including even Leo, who was recently dubbed podcaster of the year. Of course, on the flip side of that coin, I can also understand Apple's interest in protecting their product likeness and the word 'pod.' After all - when else has such a goofy, nerdy word become such an icon? Oh what a twisted web of vocabulary and intellectual property we weave.Leo's second reason, and one that I feel is a bit more significant, is the implication of the deep roots the term 'podcasting' itself has grown, in light of its relationship to the iPod as a word and a product. Leo laments that to so many of podcasting's new target demographic (i.e. - all the non-early adopters who aren't listening to them, yet), the term 'podcast' itself implies that one needs an iPod to download and listen to them. Of course, it's pretty obvious to us nerds that this assumption couldn't be farther from the truth, but that is exactly Leo's point - he wants to change the term to drop that stigma for 'the other half;' the people who might or might not have heard of podcasting, but ultimately don't know much about it. Podcasting is all about leveling the playing field so anyone with some talent can share it with the world - but in this context, the term 'podcasting' is a bit counterproductive to the effort of breaking down the walls for one and all.Let's face it - there are a lot of other DAPs out there, and a ton of other products on which one can listen to music. The 'song' wasn't renamed to 'pong' or 'iPong' - maybe it would be better, and more accessible, to adopt a generic term like 'netcast,' so more listeners can join the party.
Apple not shutting down all use of "podcast"; still not so hot on "pod," though
You probably remember our post this past weekend citing a Wired Listening Post story which claimed that Apple was trying to claim ownership of the word "podcast"; we even got -- OMG -- Slashdotted. Well, Wired Listening Post has now printed Apple's letter to the company in question, Podcast Ready, and it seems that the real situation is a bit murkier than our original post might have led you to believe. While Steve and friends are definitely gung-ho about Podcast Ready abandoning the use of "myPodder" for its automation software (claiming that it is "very similar phonetically to Apple's iPod mark and appears to have been chosen intentionally to capitalize on the fame and goodwill of Apple's marks"), the letter goes on to say that "Apple, of course, has no general objection to proper use of the descriptive term 'podcast' as part of a trademark for goods and services offered in the podcasting field." What it basically comes down to is this: Apple objects to "Podcast Ready" trademark applications which cover "portable listening devices" and "software to manage digital content for portable media players," but is fine with an application for that branding which only refers to podcasting in general. It's still confusing as hell, since it's not entirely obvious where one would draw the line between "podcasting in general" and podcasting as it relates to portable listening devices and software for managing podcasts for portable media devices, but either way what is very clear is that Apple is determined to protect its turf and prevent anyone from using the words "pod" and "podcast" in any manner they believe might possibly infringe on its trademarks. [Via MacRumors]
FCC docs go up for Disney Mobile's D100
It seemed pretty obvious that Disney's family-oriented Disney Mobile MVNO was in desperate need of a kidproof handset, having initially come to the table with only a pair of middling clamshells for the little 'uns. Enter the pod-shaped D100 -- now granted, we can't say with certainty that they'll be marketing this toward parents with young children when it launches, but c'mon, it's got Winnie the Pooh on its backside. The usual parental controls are present on the device, but more interestingly, the numeric keypad can be replaced with a simpler four-button design if numeric dialing isn't needed (try texting on that, kiddies).[Via phoneArena]Update: In speaking with Disney Mobile, it turns out this lil' pod won't be seeing duty here in the States -- it's destined for South America as a general consumer device.
