6rounds - Your Meeting Point on the Web

If you can't stand being away from your IM client, facebook page, or twitter, you'll love what this new 6rounds site has to offer.

Basically, it hopes to become the biggest meeting point on the web, allowing for unprecedent cooperation; like sharing a website with your friends or watch some videos together...

I don't think I can quite explain this to you; better watch the introductory video:



Request your invite code now, while you can still grab your favorite nickname. :)

Electric Google Tesla

Today, google is elctric celebrating Nikola Tesla anniversary. :)

Rubik's Cube Goes Spherical with Rubik 360

Remember the times when Rubik's cube became a worldwide mania?

I still recall preciously collecting each and every new puzzle professor Rubik invented since then: like his mesmerizing Magic, or the "easy" Rubik's Clock, among others.

Ah... the magic... how I miss playing around with it.

But now, it's time to dust off the collection, there's a new Rubik puzzle in town, and its called: The Rubik 360.

Professor Ernö Rubik is back with his latest invention (you can watch him here talking about the new puzzle) and this new Rubik 360 promisses to keep us occupied for some time - at least until he comes up with a new puzzle.

Check the video to see how it works:

TomTom iPhone Car Kit

While most of us have been anxiously waiting for TomTom to offer the iPhone version of its popular GPS navigation software, which was announced at Apple's WWDC, it seem we'll have to wait some more.
As a matter of fact, TomTom for the iPhone won't be a software only product, and will be launched at the same time of an accompanying Car kit for the iPhone.


We're all aware of some "unique" challenges the iPhone poses.

The GPS signal reception isn't that good (when compared to dedicated GPS navigation units), something that has been noticed by anyone using the already present navigation Apps in the App Store.
It isn't that hard to lose GPS signal while surrounded by large buildings, or entering tunnels (dedicated units often have gyroscopes and other hardware to compensate for that.)
I hope they'll be able to use the iPhone 3GS digital compass and its accelerometers to mimic that somehow.

Next... most iPhone owners don't have a car stand to allow safe use while driving.

And last but not least, as Apple doesn't allow background running apps, whenever you receive a phone call the App will be forced to close, leaving you... driving without directions.



That's why TomTom chose to develop this TomTom Car Kit.
This kit has its own dedicated GPS receiver, with better reception, that keeps you on track no matter where you're driving through. The TomTom iPhone app automatically uses the enhanced GPS when docked, and reverts to the internal GPS when away from the vehicle.
This car kit also includes a speaker with better audio quality and louder volume, which is appreciated for the voice directions. It also has a microphone, allowing you to use it as a bluetooth speakerphone; as well as an audio out jack.


That's why I'd find it really hard to believe this can come out at an "interesting price"; considering you can now buy dedicted GPS navigation units for under 100 euros, and some iPhone GPS navigation Apps alone cost nearly as much.
With the car kit and all... I'm sure you'll be able to buy a complete unit - that keeps giving you directions even while you receive a phone call - for a lot less than this whole deal will cost you.

But... I hope I'm wrong, and this turns out to be a great deal for everyone.


If you're interested in TomTom for the iPhone just sign-up at TomTom website for further info.

Kitchen Cabinet LED Lighting

I've been looking for alternatives to replace my fluorescent lighting in "under-cabinet" kitchen lighting, and I wanted to share what I've been doing. My option of choice were -of course - LEDs, and I finally seem to have found just the right ones to do it. :)

Here's some photos.

They come covered with a flexible rubbery-like plastic that keeps it safe from moisture and dirt, and makes it easier to clean.

And last, the first test to assess its lighting prowess (as I wanted it to indeed light up the kitchen, instead of using it just for "decorative lighting".)

It sure provides more light than I was expecting - no doubt due to the 600 leds strip (120 leds per meter) twice as much the regular LED strips.

It uses less than 5W per meter, which is less than I was expecting.

And I'll keep you updated once I make a final installation and take some more photos.

Google Chrome OS

It nice to be right about something. Remember me talking about a much likely Google Chrome OS, nearly one year ago?

Well... now it's official Google just announced its Chrome OS!

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.
(...)

We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web.
(...)

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.

(...)

Remember when some people were bashing this possibility saying it would become something like this:

And I told you it would, in fact, be something like this:

Guess who was right after all? :P

Gmail, Docs, Calendar and Talk lose Beta status

An historic day indeed... After years of service (and lots of critics regarding the ever present beta status on its services) Google is about to remove its beta tag from Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar.

For the most part, you shouldn't notice any difference, so... just keep on using it as you've always done before.