@methodshop

Mark your calendars. September 9th is the 41st birthday of the automated teller machine. So if you find yourself at the ATM today snatching up a wad of twenties, then feel free to sing happy birthday and let your fellow bank members know how you feel.

Here's some random ATM trivia. Enjoy!

• There are 2 ATMs in Antarctica.
• The first ATM in the United States was installed in 1939. It was removed 6 months later due to nonuse.
  
• ATM customers spend an average of 20 to 25% more than non-ATM customers.
• Bank ATMs average 6,400 transactions per month.
• The most popular day for ATM usage is Friday.
  
• Retail location ATM machines that dispense $20 bills increase store sales by over 8%.
• John Shepherd-Barron (Scotland), Luther George Simjian (USA) and Don Wetzel (USA) are the inventors of the ATM.
• ~240 new ATMs are installed per day worldwide.
  
• Since first ATMs were offline devices not connected by a computer network, banks only gave ATM access to card holders with good banking records.
• 16 mcg of cocaine can be found on every US bill in circulation.

methodshop

Labels: gadgets, holiday, tech news

Can't wait to get your greasy fingers all over an iPad 3G? Apple updated the 3G-enabled iPad's shipping date to May 7th. The 16GB model is priced at $629, the 32GB version at $729 and the 64GB model at $829.

methodshop

Labels: apple, tech news

Forget out about using the latest and greatest smartphone apps to update your Facebook status on the go. The cool kids just use their Hoodies.

Seattle designer Jennifer Darmour has a concept Hoodie jacket, called PING, that allows you to wirelessly link your Facebook account status to specific body gestures.




How does it work? She's designed the Hoodie's motions to trigger status updates. For example, tying your waist string accepts a friend request and taking off your hood pokes a friend.

The garment will also notify you of activity. A vibration on your shoulder means you just received a new Facebook notification.

What do you think? Is the PING Hoodie impractical? Cool? Are 'social-networking garments' the future of fashion?

You can find more info on the PING Hoodie on Darmour's site Electric Foxy.

methodshop

Labels: internet, social networking, tech news

Oh Hootsuite, we can't even begin to count all the reasons why we love you. But the team tools you announced today are just amazing.

If you haven't tried Hootsuite yet, then stop reading this article and go sign up for an account now. Hootsuite allows you to add all your social media accounts (Facebook Profiles, Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, etc.) into one easy to use dashboard.

Once you add all your accounts to Hootsuite, you can then do all the normal stuff you might do like reply, post, and shorten links. But Hootsuite also allows you to post the same message to multiple accounts, schedule posts, track clicks, import RSS feeds and as of today, add additional team members to help you manage your accounts.



The best part about Hootsuite is the price... it's FREE. Even if you are just helping manage a few family members accounts you will find Hootsuite a lifesaver.

Here's a snapshot of all the new Hootsuite Team Management features:

• Invite other HootSuite users to share your Social Networks
• Request access to someone else’s Social Network
• Assign Team Members advanced permissions
• Add RSS feeds to any Social Network you have access to
• Consolidate all your HootSuite accounts

methodshop

Labels: social networking, tech news

Looks like the bad blood between Google and Apple keeps getting worse. First Apple rejected Google Voice from the iPhone, then Bing was announced as the default search engine for the iPad. Now it looks like the iPad won’t support Google’s photo sharing service, Picasa.

What makes this story even stranger is how we know that Picasa won't be iPad compatible. Press release? Company blog post? Interview? Nope. Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, has personally started responding to Apple Support emails.

Here’s the Picasa email exchange that took place between Steve Jobs and an unnamed Apple customer:



[via 9to5mac]


How do you get the honor of getting a personal response from Mr. Jobs himself? Good question. But he seems to be responding to customer emails more frequently. If you get an Apple Support response from sjobs@apple.com, please let us know.


methodshop

Labels: apple, gadgets, tech news

With Apple's latest product, the iPad, only days away from being in the hands of consumers, many people are already speculating on what Steve Jobs has coming up next.

iPhone - Revolutionized the mobile phone industry and created a whole new economy around "Apps."

iPad - Many people are already proclaiming the iPad to be a Amazon Kindle and Netbook killer.

iBoard - Look out cardboard industry! From queue cards to presentations, the iBoard will change the way people display information in their hands.

iMat - Hey Steve! How exactly are we suppose to do multi-touch with our butts?

[ Photoshop by our friend @davidvogler ]


methodshop

Labels: apple, gadgets, pics, tech news

You've probably had a webcam collecting dust on your desk for years. They come in handy once in awhile for business calls on Skype or iChat sessions with family. But did you ever think of your webcam as "controversial"? If not, then you obviously haven't tried Chatroulette yet.

The premise of Chatroulette is simple. Turn on your webcam, go to Chatroulette.com (or chatrt.com if you have trouble spelling Roulette) and a video chat partner somewhere around the world is randomly chosen.

But for every innocent teenager looking to explore the world and make friends, there's a Shirtless Bird-Face Donkey Man and of course, some guy masturbating (or both).




You've been warned. 1 out 10 Chatroulette connections will involve some sort of nudity. That's the risk you take when launching Chatroulette. The site connects you randomly to an anonymous Chatrouletter every time you press the Next button. And Chatroulette users aren't required to register or authenticate their age. People like the "public masturbaters" take full advantage of the anonymity factor and unfortunately, the young audience too.




The Chatroulette interface is pretty simple. There's only 3 parts to the entire screen. The stranger's video box is on the top, yours on the bottom and an optional text chat window is on the right. The combination of the 3 parts has made some great screenshots.




Don't get the wrong idea. Chatroulette isn't all flashers and sex crazed deviants waiting to get busted by Dateline NBC's Chris Hansen. Celebrities like Ashton Kutcher [pic], Perez Hilton and Paris Hilton has been spotted using the service. That alone probably has teenagers flocking to the site.




Also, for some reason Cats are very popular on Chatroulette. Someone's already made a Tumblr blog called CATroulette aggregating all the cat screengrabs.

Besides celebrities and the socially depraved, some creative people are coming up with clever and non-sexual ways to use the service like the YouTube video called "Turn Your Head." Someone wrote "If you turn your head I win" on a piece of paper and laid it sideways. Each time the stranger turned their head, a point would get tallied on the piece of paper. Here's the video if you want to check it out.





So who created Chatroulette? Skype? Google? Venture Capitalists? Nope. Andrey Ternovskiy, a 17-year-old high school student in Moscow. The New York Times tracked him down last month.




Want to save these YouTube videos on to your computer? Here's a step-by-step methodshop.com tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for any iTunes compatible device like an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.


methodshop

Labels: internet, tech news, video

Guess who just joined Twitter today? Hello Dalai!

It wouldn't be the first time we've seen the Tibetan spiritual leader on Twitter. There's been a few Dalai Lama impostors over the years, but this time the account is officially verified by Twitter.

You can find His Holiness on Twitter here at @DalaiLama. We're looking forward to his words of wisdom... 140 characters at a time.


methodshop

Labels: social networking, tech news

Last month, 32 million passwords were exposed when hackers gained access to RockYou's SQL database. RockYou, a social media application developer who's applications can be used on Facebook and MySpace, has pledged to improve security in the future.






Security analysts are trying to make use of this unfortunate incident. How breakable is your password and what does it say about you? Analysts have taken the exposed passwords and categorized them by strength and personality type.

The top 10 most common passwords are below [Via TheRegister and cxo].

1. 123456
2. 12345
3. 123456789
4. Password
5. iloveyou
6. princess
7. rockyou
8. 1234567
9. 12345678
10. abc123


methodshop

Labels: internet, social networking, tech news

For the past few months, the rumors swirling around a potential Apple tablet device has been dizzying. But Steve Jobs, Apple founder and CEO, just put all the predictions to rest and revealed Apple's new tablet. The name? iPad. The cost? Way less than everyone thought!

What exactly is an iPad and how does it differ from your laptop or smartphone? Apple is calling the iPad more intimidate than a laptop and more powerful than a smartphone. You can use the iPad to do everything from browse the web, watch movies, listen to music, play games and even read books.





Here's a list of the iPad's features:

• Storage: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
• Size: 9.5 x 7.5 inches; 0.5 inch thick
• Weight: 1.5 pounds Wi-Fi model; 1.6 pounds Wi-Fi + 3G model
• Battery: Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer 10 hour battery
• Processor: 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
• Network: Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
• 3G: UMTS/HSDPA; GSM/EDGE
• External Monitor: Support for 1024 x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Composite A/V Cable, 576i and 480i with Apple Composite A/V Cable
• Audio: supported formats include AAC (up 320 Kbps), Protected AAC, MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
• Processor: 1GHz Apple A4 high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
• Input and Output: Dock connector, 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack, Built-in speakers, Microphone, SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)

Our only disappointment? The iPad doesn't have Flash capabilities - which will leave many developers and programmers upset. However the iPad does have a powerful mobile version of the Safari web browser. The lack of Flash is most likely intentional and meant to protect Apple's lucrative App Store.





Let's talk price. $499?! Yep. Apple is being unusually aggressive with price. Most people were predicting that the iPad would cost at least $1,000. Not so my friends. The iPad starts at the extremely attractive $499 for 16GB with just WiFi. There's also a 32GB WiFi only model for $599, and $699 for 64GB. Adding 3G costs a $130 per model, so the most expensive model iPad is the 64GB WiFi + 3G at $829. Not bad at all! Right?

You can't pre-order the iPad just yet. But you can sign up on Apple.com to be notified when they are ready for pre-order. Apple usually has products ready to buy or at least pre-order the day of its announcement. We wonder what happened with the iPad. The wait obviously won't be that long. The WiFi-only model ships in 60 days, and the 3G models in 90.

methodshop

Labels: apple, gadgets, tech news

It's official, the Internet now spans beyond our puny planet Earth.

For the past month, Astronaut TJ Creamer has been working with NASA flight control to get Internet access in the International Space
Station. NASA's IT wizards were finally able to connect the space station to the Internet by giving a laptop in orbit remote access to a desktop computer in Mission Control. It isn't fast, but at least now Astronauts can get occasional access to the Internet... including email and Twitter.

TJ took advantage of his Internet connection yesterday to send the first ever tweet from space.

His tweet read:



"Hello Twitterverse! We r now LIVE tweeting from the International Space Station -- the 1st live tweet from Space! :) More soon, send your ?s"


What's next? Maybe @Astro_TJ will check-in on FourSquare from The International Space Station. We wonder if there's a badge for that yet? :)

methodshop

Labels: internet, social networking, tech news

After years of speculation, it finally looks like we might have a name for the mythical Apple tablet. iSlate? iTablet? Nope... iPad! At least we think. BTW - what a crappy name. Reminds us of that old MADtv skit. We're really hoping for iSlate.

The latest news surrounding the rumored Apple tablet has to deal with the trademark for the name "iPad." Fujitsu is the current owner of the iPad trademark. According to the screen grab above (larger size here), Apple filed requests with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) several times late last year to extend the time given to oppose the trademark with the USPTO. The USPTO granted the request and extended the time to oppose to 2/28/2010 "on behalf of potential opposer Apple Inc."

What do you think about the name iPad? Is it too close to iPod? Could it cause confusion with consumers? The Japanese can't pronounce "a" and the Irish already say iPad when trying to say iPod.

The big Apple announcement is next week. Steve Jobs, please don't use the name iPad!

methodshop

Labels: apple, gadgets, tech news

For the past 60 years, the global home products retailer IKEA, has used the same Futura font typeface in all their catalogs and advertising. Futura has been an integral part of the IKEA brand for over half a century. But does anyone really care about a font change? Apparently yes.

IKEA's recent decision to switch to a different font called Verdana, has IKEA fanatics and font nerds everwhere fuming.

Twitter is full of annoyed tweets like...

• "Ikea decided to use Verdana for their print work. I hate that font almost as much as I hate Comic Sans."
• "Ikea, stop the Verdana madness!"
• "I can't help but be annoyed over Ikea's choice to use Verdana as their typeface in PRINT."
• "Dear Ikea, I miss your Futura ways."
• "Went to IKEA last night and truely missed Futura. I mean Verdana looks good. But.... Futura just "fit". Nothing stays the same. #ikea"
• "I do believe that Futura is my new favorite typeface! Damn IKEA for abandoning it!"

So why did IKEA make the switch? Verdana is included in both the Mac and Windows operating systems and allows IKEA to use the same font all over the world. Also, it's free... duh!













methodshop

Labels: offbeat, tech news

As the Internets buzz with Apple tablet rumors, bloggers everywhere are trying to dig up evidence to finally put these rumors to rest. Afterall, we've all been down this tablet rumor road before... several times.

Apple "tablet" rumors usually start with a clever Photoshop mockup or an anonymous quote from an Apple supplier in Taiwan who claims to be producing tablet technology for Apple. But after the latest batch of rumors attached the name iSlate, not MacBook Touch to the rumors. So who owns iSlate.com? We did a little digging in the WHOIS registries. Take a look at the image below to see what we found:




Did Apple quietly register iSlate.com through a third party? It wouldn't be the first time the Cupertino based company discretely grabbed a domain in advance of a new product announcement. Apple frequently uses a consulting firm called Mark Monitor to secure their domains. Mark Monitor's specialty is "enterprise brand protection." Mark Monitor handles domain name registrations and brand protection for many companies, including Apple. Apple.com, iPod.com, iPhone.com and iSlate.com are all registered under Mark Monitor.

The blogosphere has been speculating and following rumors of an Apple tablet for years. Here's a brief headline roundup that goes back to February 2006:

• 2006-02: What is Apple's Big Surprise? A Tablet?
• 2008-07: Rumor: "MacBook Touch" Coming in October 2008
• 2008-10: Apple Plans MacBook Event as $800 Laptop Rumors Clog the Blogosphere
  
• 2009-07: Rumor: $800 Apple Tablet Due in October
• 2009-07: iTunes Digital Album Covers and MacBook Tablet Rumors
• 2009-08: Apple Tablet Rumors Intensify
• 2010-01: iSlate Rumor Roundup [video]
  

methodshop

Labels: apple, tech news

For years, Apple Fanboys having been speculating, dreaming and even praying for a tablet. Rumors of a tablet-shaped-iPod or a "MacBook Touch" have been swirling around the Internet for years. However these rumors always prove to be just that... rumors and no tablet product ever comes to market. But lately, news around an Apple tablet are really looking good. Not only are bloggers and tech sites predicting that Apple will release a tablet computer this month, but also major news organizations like the Wall Street Journal are adding to the tablet rumor frenzy.

A recent article on WSJ Online is predicting the following:

• Apple Inc. will unveil a new multimedia tablet device later this month (Jan 2010)
  
• the new product will come with a 10 to 11-inch touch screen
• the announced product won't ship until March
• estimated price of around $1,000

What will Apple call this new tablet product? If the current rumors are right, it's going to be called an iSlate. For the past couple, any product name attached to an Apple tablet rumor usually attached the name rumors were calling it a "MacBook Touch."






The blogosphere has been speculating and following rumors of an Apple tablet for years. Here's a brief headline roundup that goes back to February 2006:

• 2006-02: What is Apple's Big Surprise? A Tablet?
• 2008-07: Rumor: "MacBook Touch" Coming in October 2008
• 2008-10: Apple Plans MacBook Event as $800 Laptop Rumors Clog the Blogosphere
  
• 2009-07: Rumor: $800 Apple Tablet Due in October
• 2009-07: iTunes Digital Album Covers and MacBook Tablet Rumors
• 2009-08: Apple Tablet Rumors Intensify

Is the market even ripe for a tablet? Earlier this month eReaders were all the rage at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. Pair that with the rise of netbooks the past couple years, and the time feels right for tablets to finally make a big splash with consumers.

So will Steve Jobs finally grant Apple Fanboys their tablet wish? Guess we'll know soon.


methodshop

Labels: apple, tech news

Is Apple COO, Tim Cook, ready to leave Cupertino for Detroit? According to The Business Insider, Cook is General Motors top candidate to take the CEO role at the struggling car manufacturer. Tim Cook was instrumental in Apple's transformation from a dying computer company to an industry trendsetter during the late '90s. GM is looking for someone to make similar changes in the auto industry and Cook is an obvious choice.

But Tim Cook's significance at Apple goes well beyond his COO duties. Cook has been trusted with filling in for Steve Jobs during his absences for cancer surgery in 2004 and a liver transplant in 2009. Last year, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster claimed that Tim Cook may be as crucial as Steve Jobs to the future of Apple.

So will Tim Cook leave Apple? It's hard to say. GM would certainly benefit from Cook's presence, but the loss to Apple would be very difficult to recover from. But don't worry too much Apple Fanboys. Cook has been well taken care of by Jobs. According to Cult of Mac, Cook made $14M last year. Cook has also turned down job offers from both Motorola and Dell the past couple years. His departure from Apple seems unlikely but.... what do you think?

methodshop

Labels: apple, tech news

Did you get a gadget gift like an iPhone, Kindle or GPS this holiday season? Make sure you keep your eye on it. Thousands and thousands of gadgets are stolen every year. 12,000 laptops alone are lost or stolen from US airports every week.

So what do you do when your precious gadget is stolen? Unfortunately devices like GPS units and Amazon Kindles can't be easily tracked. Special software, like the application Undercover, can help you track your laptop or iPhone, but you have to pay for this software and install it in advance.

So what happens if your phone gets stolen and you haven't already signed up for a software tracking application like Undercover? Unfortunately US residents are kinda screwed. In the United States, all a thief has to do to take over your phone is replace your SIM card. But if you live in the UK, a stolen cell phone becomes useless as soon as it's reported to the authorities. The UK has a national stolen phone database that prevents thieves from activating stolen phones even when the SIM card is swapped out [video].









Let's hope something like the UK system makes its way over the pond soon. In the meantime, keep a close eye on your gadgets kids.

methodshop

Labels: gadgets, tech news, video

Do you manage a Twitter account for your company? The next time you get the urge to improvise or to tweet something humorous, you might want to think twice. Your tweet could get you fired. Earlier this month, a Vodaphone employee named Müller Tamás unfortunately found this out the hard way. Tamás worked in Vodaphone's marketing department in Hungry. His job was to update the company's Twitter account and monitor Twitter for relevant trends.

On December 4th, T-Mobile, a major competitor to Vodaphone in Hungry, was experiencing severe network outages. T-Mobile notified their customers of the outage by tweeting the following on the company's @tmobilehungary account:

"Hungary's T-Mobile network partly down, software to blame"

The update did little to reassure T-Mobile customers. Instead, it only fueled their anger and Twitter exploded with T-Mobile related complaints. @tmobilehungary then frustratingly tweeted a second time:

"There will be an official statement (released) about the network problem. Please be patient!"

Tamás was monitoring the social media reaction to T-Mobile's outage carefully and saw an opportunity to promote Vodaphone. Tamás thought it would be clever to retweet T-Mobile's last message about their network problems and encourage T-Mobile users to switch carriers.





Here's an English translation of his tweet:

“OK, give us a ring! ;) RT @tmobilehungary There will be an official statement about the network problem. Please be patient!”

Unfortunately the tweet did not go over well with Vodaphone management. Vodaphone was extremely unhappy with his tweet, and their communications director, János Suba, released the following statement: "The employee’s behavior goes against fair competition and we decided the action called for sacking." Yep, Tamás was fired.

It won't help Tamás pay the bills next month, but users on other social sites like Digg.com are praising him with support and bashing Vodaphone.

"Wow, that really is extreme. People that read it probably found it funny and bought humour to the situation." - LukeZbihlyj

"thats just dumb......how strict are the working conditions there that you cant even send out a tiny humorous joke?" - Withitalready

"Seems like companies want it both ways. They want to be hip to social media but they still want to tightly control the message. Basically, the guy got fired for doing his job." - yellowsnowcone

Vodaphone has a thing or two to learn about social media. By firing Tamás, Vodaphone just made the situation worse. The slightly sarcastic tweet by Tamás would have mostly gone unnoticed. Perhaps a slap on the wrist would have been more appropiate. But now, Vodaphone has to deal with a PR crisis they made worse by trying to fix it [thenextweb].


methodshop

Labels: social networking, tech news

Can't be face to face with your friends and family this holiday season? No problem. Just grab your iPhone and broadcast yourself. Thanks to a new free app called Ustream Broadcaster, iPhone 3GS users can now broadcast live video over both WiFi and AT&T's 3G network.

"This is the first live broadcaster ever available in the App Store, bringing the ability to broadcast live to anyone," said Dr. Gyula Feher, Ustream's founder on the company's blog. "From birthday parties, kids’ sports games and baby’s first steps to your latest vacation, this app enables anyone with an iPhone to share important moments with family, friends and more."

Ustream has even added a one-touch sharing feature that allows users to not only post videos to YouTube, Facebook but it will even announce your new video to your Twitter followers.

The app not only works on older iPhone 3G models, but it enables a video recording work around. Apple hasn't updated older iPhones with software that would allow them to record video. But in addition to streaming capabilities, Ustream Broadcaster lets iPhone 3G users record video straight to their iPhones.

You can download Ustream Broadcaster from the iTunes App Store here.


methodshop

Labels: iphone, software, tech news, video

Looks like Apple did a little Christmas shopping on their own. Over the weekend, news broke that Apple acquired the streaming music service and store Lala.

We've been using Lala for awhile now and love it. Do you like to listen to music at work using iTunes? We got sick of trying to sync our music libraries at both home and work. Lala allows you to upload all your music and listen to it anywhere via a web browser. Let's hope Apple's plans on including this feature in a new version of iTunes.

However, in addition to being bale to upload your music to Lala, you can also purchase streaming "web" versions of songs with unlimited listening for $0.10. We didn't purchase many Lala's web songs, but users who did may get upset. According to TechCrunch, "it’s unlikely that the innovative deals negotiated by Lala will survive through the acquisition... If the deals with the music labels go up in smoke, Lala may lose the right to stream those songs. In other words, all the money users have been spending on web songs may go down the drain."

No one is exactly sure what Lala's future is with Apple. Let's hope Apple extends the streaming music deals already in place with Lala and integrates their engineering talent and technology with the end users in mind [GizmosForGeeks and TechCrunch].


methodshop

Labels: itunes, music, tech news