Mash Up

Google Maps + Youtube Mash Up

This is the most interesting mash up I found.  It has a youtube video for every single location pin-pointed on that map.  You can see people hanging out from every corner of the earth.  Some of the places I checked out were Australia, Japan, China, Greenland, Egypt, New Zealand, and Brazil.  Some of the videos aren't very long, but it's still really cool to see a view of that location for every single marker.  There's so many spots to choose from, too.  This must have taken forever to put together.  

Maybe one day, using the same type of idea, someone will be able to set up a network of cameras stationed all over the world for you to get a live feed of what is actually happening.  Of course, these could exist already, but if they do, they're not available to the public.  These maps are also somewhat educational because it let's you get an idea of the type of geography and atmosphere of these various areas around the world.  It's better to see a live video of these places than just see a picture like you normally would in a school textbook.  I'm unsure if this is the completed version or an ongoing project, as not every single location is entirely available to view through this map.

Sony Launches "Playstation Life Service"

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Some may not entirely get the point of this, but to me, I see a lot of possibility with what Sony is doing.  That is because I own an Xbox 360 and have to pay Microsoft 50$ a year for their online service.  Playstation, however, offers free online service.  Not only that, but all the additonal content they mentioned will all be FREE.  Hardly ANYTHING on Xbox Live is free.  Microsoft would be the last company to let you download some kind of content without it costing at least a couple dollars.  

This decision by Sony is a smart move and could potentially hold the key to their success in the console market.  As it stands, Xbox 360's and Nintendo Wii's both sell quite alot more than Playstation 3s.  But this innovative feature for the Playstation 3 could give Sony the push it needs to make more headway in the console market.  Regardless, it's going to take a lot more than a free 7 day forecast on your console to outsell the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.  That's a fact.

Do Text Messages Cost Too Much?

Do text messages cost too much?

As this article addresses, it seems that wireless carriers are charging too much money for text messages, even though the technology and convenience of such things are getting better and better.  As the article put it: 

"The group said that 600 text messages contain less data than a 1 minute phone call. It said that at 20 cents a text message, wireless carriers would collect $120 for 600 messages."

That doesn't sound right at all.  It's not much of a surprise though, considering companies tend to nickel and dime you for every single feature unless you buy one of their package deals. Personally, I have free text messaging, but for those who pay this much for text still, this seems absurd.  Hopefully cell phone companies will soon either justify themselves with why they're prices are so high, OR, there could be some unified drop in rates for text across the board for all carriers.  Inflation is effecting the prices of lots of things, but text messages should not be one of them.

HP Packages Laptop in its Own Bag

HP Packages Laptop in its Own Bag

HP's new laptops, available at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, "will sit on the shelf in their own recycled material messenger bags, stabilized and protected with internal air bubbles. This alternative to huge boxes shoved full of styrofoam has reduced HP's individual consumer packaging by an outrageous 97%."

97%.  That is almost the entire packaging itself! The only other 3% here mostly being the actual bag of the laptop.  Some people don't care too much about these things, but to me it's a good thing to see a company becoming smarter and more the environmentally conscious.  This results in less trucks to ship out the product, allowing better shipping methods, and ultimately reduces waste and toxic materials.  Wal-Mart is also such a huge retailer that they can actually make a big difference when they decide to make positive changes like these.  Maybe this is just the beginning of a trend we'll see throughout other companies and packaging styles as well.