The Zune, Microsoft's answer to the iPod, is set to become one of the biggest gadget failures since the Apple Newton. I guess you could call that tech justice.

The Zune is being declared dead for a number of reasons. It does not offer any features significantly better than the iPod, and the iPod is smaller and cooler looking. But that's not even the main reason for Zune's failure. The real reason it's a piece of junk is that instead of being a product that you buy and own, it's just another Microsoft product that tries to own us. Through digital rights management (DRM), Microsoft controls how we put media on the Zune and how we take it off. When they control our use of media, it's like it's not even ours. People do not want to spend a few hundred dollars on a device that allows us to borrow media from Microsoft.

This is not just Microsoft's fault. The music label executives are also to blame. They worked with Microsoft on the Zune, so the features are very friendly to their goal of making lots of money off their music. Despite what those executives and their PR people say on TV, my experience during the past 10 years has been that every time the music industry tries to control the way we use music, it's bad for the consumer.
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Andy Ihnatko :: Avoid the loony Zune

A list of exemptions to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act has been released, and for the next three years cell phone unlocking will be legal.

Cell phones come with firmware that ties it to a specific wireless network. That means the phone you buy from the Sprint kiosk at the mall will only work with Sprint's wireless service. You can't sign up for a plan with T-Mobile using that phone. That is, unless you unlock it. Unlocking it involves changing that firmware, a type of software code, to allow you to use that phone on any network you want.

Unlocked cell phones have been on the market for years, but it's never been clear whether it was legal. Now that it is definately legal, expect to see more tools released so people can alter the firmware on their cell phones. People can pay a premium to buy an unlocked cell phone, but I think most would rather do it themselves.
Cell phone unlocking legal (for three years)

The controller/remote for the Nintendo Wii is innovative, there's no denying that. It does away with the traditional controller, in which players press buttons and might feel some feedback in the form of a vibration. It is motion sensative, so you'll know when someone is playing the Wii, because their arms will not be bunched in at their midsection, as with other systems. They will be flailing around, making motions similar to those of the character on the screen.

The problem with this is that more motion can lead to more dangerous situations. You could hit someone passing in front of you, or the controller could slip out and hit something. Sure, it's tethered to a cord strapped to your wrist, but the cord can break. Just watch this video for evidence of this:

MySpace is dying... let's have a moment of silence to contemplate this... Ok, I think we're ready.

Despite what the executives who now control MySpace have been telling people, the site is driven by traffic from teenagers. Yes, many of those teenagers lie about their age because it's the only way they can get full access to MySpace. I think one News Corp exec tried to claim the average user is 35 years old. That man needs to get off the pipe and realize that they do not have any reliable sources to back up that claim.

Teenagers are fickle by nature. They drove such crazes and Beanie Babies, POGs, and the Spice Girls. MySpace is no different. It DOES NOT offer anything redeeming to society that will keep it around for more than a few years. Does anyone remember GeoCities? It was like MySpace, except more wide-open from a development perspective, and there wasn't the "friends" element that connects you to people you know, although you could still do that manually with simple HTML links. MySpace is essentially GeoCities for idiots.

A benefactor of the MySpace craze has been garage bands. They now have an easy way to promote themselves without having to secure gigs in seedy bars. Talent not necessary. What are they going to do now? Without MySpace and its ready-made solution, they'll have to use some of their own money (I know, it hurts) to buy a domain name, some server space, and some bandwidth. They might have to get one of their geekier groupies to set up the site for them, as it will involve some coding.

Are bands worse off by a dying MySpace? I don't think so. Bands should own a domain name of their bands name to keep the name from being exploited by a profiteer on the off chance they actually make it big. They can do a lot more with their own website, as MySpace can be very restrictive about how content is posted. Imagine how upset some bands must have been when MySpace temporarily banned YouTube last year. They can post videos of every show they've ever done and not have to worry about their ISP banning it.

The fact is, all the features of MySpace are easily copied. It can all be done on a private website, and it probably should be now, even though MySpace is still around.
::Puddlegum:: MySpace is Dying

People have been reporting a feature of the Nintendo Wii not yet publicized by Nintendo: it will automatically grab photos from Bluetooth enabled devices within its area.

This is a great feature, to an extent. You don't have to worry about converters or adapters, it just works. Just turn on Bluetooth on your camera phone and your Wii will grab the pictures.

Now here's the problem: what happens when you don't want to share those pictures? When little Johnny is playing his Wii and he goes to the picture menu, does daddy really want him to see what he does with the babysitter when Johnny's asleep? And does his big brother want mommy to know about his night of heavy partying? Let's face it, we like to take pictures of very embarassing things. I think Nintendo may inadvertantly exposing a new generation of children to the seedier side of adulthood.
My Wii grabbed pictures from my brother's cell phone. - General Wii Discussion - Nintendo NSider Forums

Remember that guy on the Shop @ Home Network who hurt himself pretty badly when trying to demonstrate how the sword he was selling wouldn't break? It did break, and the tip flung back and hit him in the chest. Well, the same guy is back, and now he's selling computers? Even most computer novices will be able to see thru all his BS. I just wish he had somehow found a way to injure himself again. Here's the video:

The Nintendo Wii launched yesterday, but you would have had a hard time finding out about it on the evening or morning news. Compared to the Playstation 3 launch, which featured everything from drive-bys to embedded reporters, the Wii launch was silent.

So why does the media not care about the Wii? Well, despite the rave reviews about the innovative controller and the low price, which is half that of the PS3, the Wii cannot create the same kind of hype. The technology is great, but not capable of as much as the PS3. Sure, the launch games will look similar, and some Wii games might actually look better than PS3 games, but after a year or two you should be able to tell the difference.

The Wii is also the only next generation system that won't double as a next-gen movie player. The PS3 has Blu-Ray, the Microsoft XBox 360 has a HD-DVD player, the Wii has another Zelda game.

For the average gamer, the Wii probably is the best choice. Average gamers, however, don't create hype. The gamers who are willing to spend $600 on a brand new system, $400 more for some great games, and another $2000 for a decent high-definition TV system create the hype. They'll be playing the games that look better than anything we've seen before, even if they won't enjoy it as much as a 10-year-old playing a Zelda game that is a marginal step forward over the previous title in that series.
US Wii Launch: Hardware Over Hype - News at SPOnG.com

StumbleUpon, the popular social bookmarking site, is looking for a buyer. TechCrunch is reporting that they approached a possible suitor with an asking price of $50 million.

Although the company has had trouble finding seed money, they are growing significantly. The site is now a large source of traffic for many start-up internet sites. These sites seek the power of social bookmarking to make their site stand out from the thousands of spammy websites that are created every day.
Techcrunch » Blog Archive » StumbleUpon (may be) For Sale: $50 million

Forbes Magazine, those guys that should be writing about the business world but constantly get sidetracked with videogames, have written their review for the Nintendo Wii, and the absolutely love it.

The new controller seems to be the focus of every Wii review, and it's got me thinking: how long until Nintendo is sued? The controller has a motion sensor in it, so it doesn't work like controllers in other systems. Instead of pressing a button to swing a sword, you might actually have to make the swinging motion with the controller in your hand. When you happen to be standing on the couch and mom walks by as you make this motion, how happy is she going to be with Nintendo's great innovation as she's getting slapped in the face with a plastic brick?

With all that said, I really do want to try one of these controllers myself, particularly with a swinging game like baseball or, even better, Tennis. I think I could lose a little wait and break a lot of ugly junk in my living room at the same time.
Nintendo's Wii Is A Revolution - Forbes.com

A lot of audiophiles out there spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on high-end machines to play back their CDs. Many of them have discovered a much cheaper alternative: the original Playstation.

Playstation didn't just play video games, it also played CDs with clarity that is just now being discovered as top-of-the-line. The first generation model, which was very popular with pirates because it only took a simple swap trick to play copied games, is the best for audiophiles, because it offers separate audio and video RCA output jacks. That means you can use your own high-end audio cables on that model.

With over 100 million PS1 models sold, there are plenty out there. You can find them used for $25 or less on eBay or in your local newspaper or even on craigslist. I can't turn around without tripping over someone trying to sell me a PSOne for $15. Get out of my way, jerks!
A second life for first PlayStation - Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com