Hot Pick on April 16th

Altec Lansing IMMINI inMotion(tm) Portable Audio Speakers for mini » for $19.99 at Buy.com

List Price: $99.00 Exp: Limited Time

Just when you thought the inMotion portable audio system couldn't get any smaller, iMmini comes along. This tiny, ultra-portable, battery-operated stereo system is the first powered audio system designed exclusively for the iPod mini. A highly efficient Class D amplifier powers four micro drivers to deliver a full spectrum of pure, distinct sound, while the revolutionary MaxxBass technology allows listeners to enjoy deep bass without lugging around a subwoofer. Best of all, connectivity is as easy as placing your iPod mini into the built-in dock. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $19.99 Final Price: $19.99 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

HOT!! May not last long!!

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04/16/07 01:22 CST

SanDisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo - SDMSPD-4096-A10 » for $66.43 at Buy.com

List Price: $299.99 Exp: 04/22/2007	Advanced security with Access Control Function and MagicGate technology. The fast transfer rates help prevent data loss when power is suddenly cut-off or if the media is removed accidentally. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $66.43 Final Price: $66.43 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)
HOT!!

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04/16/07 01:20 CST

Logitech QuickCam Orbit MP, 961422-0403 » for $59.95 at Buy.com

List Price: $129.99 Exp: 04/28/2007

You've never seen anything like the unique combination of form and function in the QuickCam Orbit MP. Motorized pan and tilt keeps this stylish camera focused on you, and the True 1.3 Megapixel sensor delivers superior quality images. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $89.95 -$30 Mail-in rebate ( Offer valid from 4/15/2007 to 4/28/2007 ) Final Price: $89.95 -$30 = $59.95 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

HOT!!

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04/16/07 01:22 CST

Creative 73VF015000000 Live! Motion 640 x 480 30fps USB Interface WebCam » for $54.98 at NewEgg.com

List Price: $124.99 Exp: 04/16/2007

Enjoy greater instant messaging freedom and say goodbye to constantly adjusting your camera! Designed to move automatically and manually, WebCam Live! Motion rotates vertically and horizontally to give an incredible panoramic view of up to 200° horizontally, and 105° vertically on its axis. How to get this deal: Click here to go to NewEgg.com Add to Shopping cart for $99.99 -$50 Mail-in Rebate (Exp 04/16/2007) Final Price : $99.99 - $50 + $4.99 Shipping = $54.98 + No Tax (Except CA, TN & NJ)

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04/16/07 01:00 CST

XFX GeForce 7100GS 350MHz 256MB w/ TurboCache Supporting 512MB PCI Express x16 Video Card - PVT72VWANG » for $42.99 at Buy.com

List Price: $89.00 Exp: 04/30/2007

Built for Microsoft Windows Vista NVIDIA's third-generation GPU architecture built for Windows Vista give users the best possible experience with the 3D graphical user interface in the upcoming operation system (OS) from Microsoft. Double Lifetime WarrantyNow you-and your card's next owner-are both covered by the XFX "shield" of protection. Should something go wrong with your Series 6 or greater Graphics Card, and you've registered the card with us online, we'll cover the cost of repair and service-absolutely free!NVIDIA CineFX 4.0 EngineDelivers advanced visual effects at unimaginable speeds. Full support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 enables stunning and complex special effects. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $57.99 -$15 Mail-in Rebate (Exp 04/30/2007) Final Price: $57.99 - $15 = $42.99 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

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04/16/07 02:35 CST

Logitech Cordless Desktop S510 Keyboard and Mouse Combo - 967557-0403 » for $39.69 at Buy.com

List Price: $69.99 Exp: Limited Time

The Cordless Desktop S 510 is a perfect match with today's flat screen systems. Its innovative flatter keyboard design gives you a consistent desktop look as well as an amazingly high level of comfort. Relax your wrists on the built-in palm rest, and with one touch, you can navigate the web or shuffle for a random music mix. Scroll pages vertically and horizontally with the optical mouse with tilt wheel, and you can use it continuously for 6 months or more with the longer battery life. Enjoy one-touch image zooming, and cool media features such as handy rotation of digital pictures. Launch applications with the programmable F-keys. An advanced optical mouse delivers fast, consistent performance and more freedom of movement. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $39.69 Final Price: $39.69 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

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04/16/07 01:00 CST

TWO Pack -Meritline USB2.0 ALL-in-1 External Memory Card Reader/Writer » for $9.99 at Meritline.com

List Price: $23.99 Exp: Limited time	NA How to get this deal: Click here to go to Meritline.com Add to Shopping cart for $9.99 Final Price : $9.99 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MA)

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04/16/07 01:00 CST

Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Card (SD) - SD/2GBKR » for $14.95 at Buy.com

List Price: $68.00 Exp: 04/21/2007

Break from the limitations of traditional memory devices and put more storage at your fingertips with Kingston Technology's Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. The latest in the Kingston family, SD memory cards combine massive storage capacity, blazing data transfer rates and ironclad security in a memory card no bigger than a postage stamp. SD memory cards from Kingston are built of nonvolatile memory components, meaning they keep the information stored on them without needing power. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $39.95 -$25 Mail-in rebate ( Offer valid from 4/15/2007 to 4/21/2007 ) Final Price: $39.95 -$25 = $14.95 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

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04/16/07 01:34 CST

Kingston 1GB Data Traveler USB 2.0 Flash Drive - DTI/1GBKR » for $5.95 at Buy.com

List Price: $30.00 Exp: 04/21/2007

DataTraveler USB Flash drive is ideal for home office, small business, schools and promotions. It is affordable and puts mobile storage in nearly anyone's hands. Now you can store, carry and transfer files quickly in an affordable, convenient device. The DataTraveler from Kingston helps budget-conscious users break storage barriers, allowing you to easily store and move files in a device no bigger than a pocketknife. As easy as click and drag, the DataTraveler can hold just about any file you can think of - reports pictures, spreadsheets or other important documents. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $27.95 -$22 Mail-in rebate ( Offer valid from 4/15/2007 to 4/21/2007 ) Final Price: $27.95 -$22 = $5.95 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

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04/16/07 01:35 CST

Memorex 2GB TravelDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive - 32509070 » for $19.99 at Buy.com

List Price: $53.33 Exp: 04/22/2007

The TravelDrive USB 2.0 flash drive offers users a convenient way to store data, digital photos, video and MP3 files and then easily access them from any PC or Mac using the computer's USB port. The TravelDrive features a slim, cast aluminum design, pen-like cap, blue wrap around LED, and reinforced, drive-attached lanyard. This innovative design, combined with fast read and write speeds, makes storing and transferring files stylish and easy. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $19.99 Final Price: $19.99 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

No Rebates!!

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04/16/07 01:19 CST

Kingston 4GB DataTraveler USB 2.0 Flash Drive - DTI/4GBKR » for $29.95 at Buy.com

List Price: $50.00 Exp: 04/21/2007	4GB DataTraveler USB 2.0 Flash Drive is ideal for home office, small business, schools and promotions. It is affordable and put mobile storage in nearly anyone's hands. How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $38.95 -$9 Mail-in rebate ( Offer valid from 4/15/2007 to 4/21/2007 ) Final Price: $38.95 -$9 = $29.95 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

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04/16/07 01:36 CST

Memorex 2 x 10pks - DVD+R DL 8X Spindle Box - 32025844-KIT » for $29.95 at Buy.com

List Price: $59.98 Exp: 04/22/2007

DVD+R Double Layer discs are write-once and burn at 2 depths on 1 side of the disc. Capable of storing up to 8.5 GB of data and approximately 240 minutes of video playback using existing DVD players. Allows the storage of long length programming, sporting events and video footage on 1 disc (an additional 120 minutes more than regular DVD’s!) How to get this deal: Click here to go to Buy.com Add to Shopping cart for $29.95 Final Price: $29.95 + Free Shipping + No Tax (Except CA, MD, MA, and TN)

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04/16/07 01:29 CST

Olympus 2GB Type M xD-Picture Card™ » for $49.99 at CircuitCity.com

List Price: $99.99 Exp: 04/21/2007	This ultra-compact card allows you to capture more pictures at higher resolutions before the images must be downloaded or the card changed. It's also the only xD card that supports the Panorama function found on most Olympus digital cameras. How to get this deal: Click here to go to CircuitCity.com Add to Shopping cart for $49.99 Final Price: $49.99 + Free Shipping + State tax may apply

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04/16/07 01:01 CST

Photoco PhotoShare 7" LCD Digital Photo Album » for $79.99 at CircuitCity.com

List Price: $109.99 Exp: 04/21/2007	Watch your digital photo scroll through in a slide show, zoom in on individual shots or look at multiple pictures with the thumbnail view. How to get this deal: Click here to go to CircuitCity.com Add to Shopping cart for $79.99 Final Price: $79.99 + Free Shipping + State tax may apply

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04/16/07 01:00 CST

Canon IP4200 PIXMA Photo Printer » for $54.99 at CircuitCity.com

List Price: $129.99 Exp: 4/21/2007

The PIXMA iP4200 Photo Printer is a high-performance machine, combining exceptional print quality with advanced convenience features. It delivers a resolution of up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi, for amazing detail and clarity. To achieve this, Canon uses a high-performance 1,856-nozzle print head that ejects precise, consistent droplets as small as 1 picoliter, resulting in beautiful photos with virtually no detectable grain. How to get this deal: Click here to go to CircuitCity.com Add to Shopping cart for $69.99 -$15 Mail-in Rebate (Exp 04/28/2007) Final Price: $69.99 - $15 = $54.99 + Free Shipping + State tax may apply

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04/16/07 01:12 CST

Desktop Tower Defense Should Be Banned

Desktop Tower Defense illustrates that you don’t need fancy graphics or big budgets to build highly addictive online games. In Desktop Tower Defence, all of the main graphics are hand drawn.

I first discovered this on Jeremy Zawodny’s blog, where he warned “The lack of posting here in the second half of this week (especially to my linkblog) has been a direct result of attempting to beat this highly addictive game. Whatever you do, please DO NOT click the link and start playing that game. You may find yourself in the very same time warp that I did…”

So of course I clicked on the link and have been “testing” the game ever since. It’s free and Flash based, and very simple. Bad guys come at you in a highly predictable way. You build defenses that take them out. If any get through, you lose a life. I’ve gotten to level 72. Can’t get passed it.

Fotowoosh Will Turn Any Picture Into A 3D Image

Fotowoosh, a new service from Maryland-based startup Freewebs, will turn any image (preferably an outdoor image) into a 3D model. They went live on Friday. Examples of what the service can do are above (along with the original 2D images. A video is here which shows more examples.

The 3D image is constructed in Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) format, meaning you currently need a VRML reader to see it (future browsers will likely build this functionality in). In a week or so, the company say, users will be able to upload a picture and have a 3D animated image returned to them in a Flash widget that can be embedded on any website.

When you upload an image to Fotowoosh, their software tears it apart and distinguishes the sky, ground and vertical elements within the photo, then cuts and folds it into a 3D model:

Our system automatically constructs simple “pop-up” 3D models, like those one would find in a children’s book, out of a single outdoor image. The system labels each region of an outdoor image as ground, vertical, or sky. Line segments fitted to the ground-vertical boundary in the image and an estime of the horizon’s position provide the necessary information to determine where to “cut” and “fold” in the image. The model is then popped up, and the image is texture mapped onto the model.

This is the creation of Derek Hoiem, a PhD candidate in Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, who’s now working with the company. Additional information on the intellectual property behind Fotowoosh is here and here (these links auto-download a pdf and a powerpoint document).

Microsoft is working on something related to this in their Live Labs group called Photosynth (more information here). The product will construct a 3D model based on lots of photos of the same thing or general area from different angles.

Freewebs raised $11 million in venture capital in August 2006 from Columbia Capital and Novak Biddle. The company’s main product is a website building tool that draws 18 million or so visitors per month. Shervin Pishevar, the company’s president, say that Fotowoosh will be a standalone service, and they’ll also integrate it with offerings from partners as well as the Freewebs service itself.

SanDisk Sansa e280 8GB Digital Multimedia MP3 Player - SDMX4-8192-A70

Price:	$154.89
Shipping:	FREE

Features

Display Screen 1.8" TFT Color LCD Storage Media Flash Memory (Integrated) Manufacturer SanDisk Corporation Camera Type Not Applicable Interfaces/Ports 1 x Mini-phone Stereo Earphone 1 x USB 2.0 USB Storage Capacity 8GB Flash Memory Manufacturer Part Number SDMX48192A70 Standard Warranty 1 Year(s) Dimensions 3.5" Height x 1.73" Width x 0.49" Depth Still Image Formats JPEG TIFF PNG BMP GIF Optical Zoom Not Applicable Video Formats MPEG-1 Playback MPEG-2 Playback MPEG-4 Playback AVI Playback DAT Playback QuickTime MOV Playback ASF Playback WMV Playback VOB Playback Digital Zoom Not Applicable Product Name Sansa e280 8GB Digital Multimedia Device Weight 0.16 lb Product Features Audio Player Video Player Photo Viewer FM Tuner FM Recorder Voice Recorder Playback Duration 128 Hour(s) 2000 Song(s) @ 128Kbps MP3 256 Hour(s) 4000 Song(s) @ 64Kbps WMA Audio Formats MP3 Playback WMA Playback - Secure

Wi-Fi Bug Found in Linux

A bug has been found in a major Linux Wi-Fi driver that can allow an attacker to take control of a laptop-- even when it is not on a Wi-Fi network.

There have not been many Linux Wi-Fi device drivers, and this is apparently the first remotely executable Wi-Fi bug. It affects the widely used MadWi-Fi Linux kernel device driver for Atheros-based Wi-Fi chipsets, according to Laurent Butti, a researcher from France Telecom Orange, who found the flaw and released the information in a presentation at last month's Black Hat conference in Amsterdam.

"You may be vulnerable if you do not manually patch your MadWi-Fi driver," said Butti. Before making it public, he shared the flaw with the MadWi-Fi development team, who have released a patch. However, not all Linux distributions have yet built the patch into their code, said Butti.

The kernel stack-overflow bug lets an attacker run malicious code, and can be used even if the machine is not actively on a Wi-Fi network, according to Butti, who used "fuzzing" techniques which had been shown by David Maynor and "Johnny Cache" Jon Ellch, at last year's Black Hat USA conference, and previously exploited on Windows and

Macintosh systems.

Linux users have previously suffered from a shortage of Linux drivers, and have campaigned to get wireless networks supported in the Linux kernel. With fewer Linux laptops on Wi-Fi networks, security experts-- and presumably hackers-- have taken longer to get round to Linux drivers, but issue of handling remote data at the kernel level can cause trouble on the open source OS just as easily as any other.

Butti has previously developed the RAW series of proof-of-concept hacker tools. He also found the Windows Wi-Fi flaw by fuzzing, during the Month of Kernel Bugs last year.

Intel may have upper hand in processor war, for now

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq:INTC - news), the world's largest chipmaker, had been losing market share to rival AMD, but is now believed by analysts to have stemmed losses or even gained share thanks to a raft of new products.

Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE:AMD - news), which saw its sales soar in recent years as its powerful, energy-efficient processors trumped Intel's, is now struggling with outdated products and a costly acquisition.

AMD's woes were underscored earlier this week when it said that lower prices and unit sales meant that first-quarter revenue would be about $1.23 billion, 20 percent below the average Wall Street forecast.

"AMD had superior products a year to two years ago and for the first time was able to have prices above Intel's, and Intel was having to be competitive on pricing to clear inventories" said Cody Acree, an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus.

"Today, it's a reversal of those roles," Acree said. "We expect that Intel is actually gaining share and that AMD is having trouble staving that off and is having to cut prices to help make that happen."

Intel had about 74.4 percent of the market for desktop, laptop and server processors, according to January data from Mercury Research, which estimated AMD's share at about 25 percent.

When Intel reports first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, it is expected to show a net profit of $1.28 billion, or 22 cents per share, on revenue of $8.97 billion, according to the average Wall Street forecast on Reuters Estimates.

While that would be a 5 percent fall in profit from a year earlier, analysts are bracing for AMD to report on Thursday a net loss of almost $342 million, a dramatic about-face from the $184.5 million profit it posted a year earlier.

AMD plans to counter Intel in the middle of this year when it launches a new chip with four processing cores, meaning that it can handle several tasks at once.

The big question is whether the chip, known as Barcelona, will offer enough of an advantage to take more customers away from Intel.

Intel has a quad-core chip as well, but it consists of two dual-core chips stuck together. AMD says its design of having all four cores on one piece of silicon will be faster and use less energy

Time is Running Out for Windows XP

Microsoft will force PC makers to stop selling machines running XP by the end of this year, despite ongoing compatibility problems and demand for XP from users.

Demand for XP is particularly strong among small and medium-sized businesses, according to Dell, which announced it will continue offering some machines with XP pre-installed.

However, the clock is ticking, and Dell and other PC makers will be obliged to stop selling machines running XP by the end of the year, despite ongoing compatibility and performance issues with Windows Vista.

Dell has decided to continue offering XP on business systems through the summer through a feature called "Customize with

Windows XP," the company said in a recent blog post.

Dell said the move reflects strong demand for XP machines, especially for smaller businesses, which often buy systems in small numbers from OEMs.

"Dell recognizes the needs of small business customers and understands that more time is needed to transition to a new operating system," said Tom West, director of small business marketing at Dell, on the company's blog. "The plan is to continue offering Windows XP on select Dimension and Inspiron systems until later this summer."

Dell isn't planning to offer XP on consumer systems, saying they prefer the "latest and greatest," a situation that displeased some customers. "Thumbs down for not offering this to home users," wrote one user.

"Many home users- especially gamers- do consider XP the 'greatest'- especially after all the media articles and benchmarks showing very poor gaming performance and compatibility on Vista," wrote another.

At the end of this year, however, Microsoft OEMs' contracts will no longer give them the option of selling XP-powered machines. This is despite problems that have surfaced for consumers as well as businesses, such as games and application incompatibility and driver problems.

Most recently, users complained that Vista's start-up, shut-down and application load times are far too long compared with Windows XP. Users on Microsoft's Performance & Maintenance forum, who sound pro-Vista for the most part, have vented about a variety of speed issues.

"I have XP and Vista running side-by-side [but] I twiddle my thumbs waiting for certain apps to load up on the Vista machine while the load is instantaneous on the older XP machine," wrote a user identified as William. "I've tweaked it as best as I could with the info available and I am still very disappointed."

Doubts have also been raised about Vista's security, after it emerged that Vista was affected by recent widespread hacks involving Windows' animated cursors, even though that portion of the code was addressed by an update more than two years ago.

Breaking: Google Spends $3.1 Billion To Acquire DoubleClick

About 20 minutes ago Google announced that they have agreed to acquired DoubleClick for $3.1 billion in cash (nearly double the size of their YouTube Acquisition). Microsoft was reportedly in a bidding war with Google for the company. Google gets access to DoubleClick’s advertising software and, perhaps more importantly, their customers and network.

DoubleClick was founded in 1996. DoubleClick was taken private in 2005 by Hellman & Friedman and JMI Equity for $1.1 billion. The New York Times is reporting that DoubleClicks revenues are about $300 million/year.

10x revenue for a mature company is a…healthy…valuation. At least part of the acquisition price appears to be due to a desire by Google to keep this asset out of Microsoft’s hands.