Report From IFA Show In Berlin
(Larry Magid)I"m in Berlin at IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin), which bills itself as Europe"s largest consumer trade show. The event, which officially gets underway on Friday, is expected to draw more than 220,000 attendees, mostly from here in Germany. Exhibitors, however, are coming from all over the world -- 897 of the 1,245 exhibitors are from outside Germany. Unlike most tech shows, IFA is open to consumers as well as industry insiders.
iPhone 3G = iHeadache?
It got off to a blockbuster opening, but software and network glitches have plagued the iPhone 3G in the past six weeks since its launch. Now, before all the Apple fans flip out, there's certainly no way to measure the exact extent or scope of the reported problems. But the blogs and news sites continue to be abuzz about dropped calls, a slower network, and connectivity issues among other things. And anecdotally I've heard from several people who are frustrated by its less-than stellar performance, especially since the 3G network is such a key selling point. AT&T has simply encouraged people to download the latest Apple software updates, and because the problems seem to be occurring worldwide analysts aren't pointing the finger at AT&T so much as Apple.
Giant Glacier Screen; Bigfoot Found? It Must Be Friday
Another week comes to close and it's certainly not without some quirky sci-tech stories to end on a bang. First, you've got to give the Germans credit for trying whatever might work when it comes to staving off the effects of global warming. Scientists are reportedly using a giant screen to trap cold air over a large glacier in the Swiss Alps. If nothing else, they hope the process will be slowed. Technically, it's supposed to make a difference. But obviously on a practical level it's hard to see it used on a much larger scale. Whether you believe it will work or not, that story's got nothing on the believability of the latest Bigfoot tale.
It Ain't Easy Being Green (Or Yellow-Legged, Or Speckled, Or...)
They're nature's ultimate tough guys; amphibians -- like frogs and salamanders -- have survived for millions of years and even through multiple mass extinctions. But scientists at University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco State University, say they're seeing frogs die off at an alarming rate, which they believe is sending a clear message about the severity of our climate change and global warming. In other words, in their estimation, because amphibians have endured so much in the past, what's happening now with their declining populations is like the canary in the environmental coal mine.
I'm Right Behind You
Fans of the "Harry Potter" series, "Trekkers," and those who remember Wonder Woman's preferred mode of travel all know the benefits of invisibility. And while real science has lagged behind Hollywood for many years this week a team of researchers at the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center at the University of California, Berkeley, announced they had made a breakthrough when it comes to making three-dimensional objects "invisible."
A 'Grand' Adventure
(Frank Eldredge)Every so often I get to report on happenings outside the science/technology/space/environment beat, and it's usually for CBS Sunday Morning. Last week I got the chance to follow a dozen young people as they traveled along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Starting at Lee's Ferry outside Flagstaff, AZ, we went through 89 miles of river rapids and canyon hikes to witness their adventure firsthand. On the surface, it sounds like many other summer vacations. But there's a catch -- half of these young people are visually impaired and legally blind.
Virus Preys On Facebook Fans
There's a warning out about a spam e-mail being sent out with the subject line: "F.B.I. vs. facebook".
E3 Reflections
Scaled back would be putting it mildly. Compared to E3s of the past, this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in the Los Angeles Convention Center was like a ghost town. I've been attending for several years (though admittedly I missed last year when it nearly disappeared off the map altogether). Now that I've had a little time to digest the event from earlier in the week, I have mixed feelings.
Response To A Well-Wired Life
I was amused and impressed by some of the comments to my article on "The High Price of a Well-Wired Life ".
West Coast Report On iPhone Mania
I've been at the Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif. all morning watching the crowds snap up the new iPhone. Some people spent the night in line but there weren't nearly as any people as there were on June 29, last year when Apple released the original iPhone.
