Realizing that they've shrunk the iPod about as much as they need to, Apple has announced that they have decided to take the iPod in the other direction with the iPod Jumbo.

The iPod Jumbo will be two feet wide and one and a half feet tall. The Jumbo will play music, video, and display pictures just like the iPod Video.

New features include:

• Record video


• Play exclusive iPod games


• Browse the internet


• Watch live TV


• Record live TV


• GPS navigation with real time traffic

Apple has said they have a few more features that they plan on keeping under wraps until the launch which is slated to be right around this year's holiday season. No word yet on the launch price, though many analysts are predicting a $1999 price point, which does seem like a high price to pay even if it is for an "all-in-one" gadget.

[tags]iPod, Apple[/tags]

The battle between nVidia and ATI for video card dominance has long been the cause of much debate amongst the computing community. The struggle between the two companies has been a ping pong match of hardware heavy hitters. No company has been able to gain a clear lead in the market share long enough to be considered "the best" or the most popular. However, the entire struggle seems to have been a giant marketing maneuver, as it has been discovered that both companies are in fact part of the same company.

Years back when Voodoo lost it's grip on the graphic card market, a single company started up with the intention of dominating the entire video card industry. The founders knew that maintaining a lead in such a market would be extremely difficult, since up and coming hardware companies were all jockeying for position. This is when they realized they could make two companies with two different cards that would compete in the consumer's eye but really be working towards the same goal; make lots of money while squeezing out the real competition.

With the plan laid out, the key people decided to keep the entire process a secret for obvious reasons. As such, most employees for each company are completely unaware of the farse they are a part of.

For the last few years the release of new video cards has been staggering. Most attribute this to the competition between the two companies. With that, consumers have basically been forced into upgrading their video card on a much quicker time table than would be necessary had the fake competition never been created.

nVidia and ATI have successfully fought off real competitors while tricking consumers into upgrading video cards at a much quicker pace. It has yet to be determined how the courts are going to handle the monopoly since breaking it up immediately would have adverse effects on both the employees and the consumers.

[tags]nvidia, ATI, video cards[/tags]

There is much rumor and speculation surrounding Microsoft's next operating system, dubbed Windows Vista. One big area of speculation is what kind of software might be bundled with the OS and rumor has it that Firefox will be part of the package this go around.

Microsoft is notorious for bundling software that helps keep the company on top of the technology food chain. Internet Explorer is a key example of this. For each Windows release, Internet Explorer tags along packaged and installed all ready to go with its homepage set as msn.com reminding you that Microsoft is indeed everywhere. With Internet Explorer being such a large part of the bundled Microsoft advantage that comes with each Windows version, why would Gates seemingly shoot himself in the foot by throwing in rival Firefox? Well, money of course.

First off, remember that Microsoft has been in trouble before for it's OS monopoly practices. As such, bundling a rival browser will help fend off any notion of Microsoft using it's OS as a way of forcing products upon consumers. Not only will it help in the courtroom, it will help their image as well. It won't change the negative opinions of the masses overnight, but each small battle may just help Microsoft win the war on their PR.

Second, Firefox has had a campaign going with Google for awhile now that gives $1 for each referral to users that download and install their browser for the first time. Well, think about what happens when Microsoft installs the browser for new users for each Windows Vista purchased? That's quite a lot of dollars adding up to pad Microsoft's bank account. More importantly though, it will most likely spell disaster for Firefox as Mozilla won't be able to pay out that kind of cash.

So what happens when Vista is released? Microsoft improves image by bundling a competitor's software while helping convince the courts that they are moving towards a less monopolistic approach in their operating systems. As an added bonus they make some money off Firefox referrals while also more than likely putting their competitor out of business.

[tags]Windows Vista, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla[/tags]

The "Sexist Police" are at it again, this time attacking eCommerce giant Amazon.com. Many womens activist groups are banding together in a suit against Amazon.com saying that the name "Amazon" is gender intolerant. Amazon is claiming the name originates from the place and is not a reference to the woman warriors made famous by Greek mythology.

Though Amazon.com claims "We are confident that the courts will see through this mockery of a suit," the company has come up with a list of names to switch to in case of defeat. Below is a partial list of the names being considered:

• RainforestMall.net


• AmazonRiverMall.com


• AmazonThePlace.com


• ShopAmazonForest.com


• NotAmazonWarrior.com

A spokesman for Amazon.com admits the lack of good names to choose from, claiming that all decent related domain names have been squatted by others. No word yet on what name is the frontrunner, or how many other names are being considered.

[tags]Amazon, Amazon.com[/tags]

Uwe Boll, director of such fine movies as BloodRayne, House of the Dead, and Alone in the Dark, is in talks with Konami to bring Frogger to the big screen.

Though most game related movies that Boll creates are generally considered the bottom of the barrel, many movie critics and game enthusiasts are hopeful that he gets one right this time around. With Mike Myers signed on as the lead and Jessica Alba acting as his love interest, there is a chance that this Boll movie might actually be decent.

There hasn't been much said about the script for the Frogger movie, but rumor has it that it involves our hero frog saving stranded frogs on the other side of a highway. Apparently Boll was planning on mimicking the first person camera perspective that was utilized in the Doom movie, but test screenings revealed many got motion sickness from the bouncing camera. No word yet on whether the bouncy camera will make the final cut.

Here's hoping Boll makes one that doesn't suck.

[tags]Uwe Boll, Frogger, movies[/tags]

In a random eBay search, I came upon a very alarming item up for sale... eBay.com. Yes, you read that right. eBay is selling its website on its website! Click the thumbnail on the left to view a larger screenshot.

As you can see from the image, the price was just over $30 million last time I checked. There is no "Buy It Now" option so the price is likely to continue to rise until the auction ends in a few weeks.

There is much speculation over why eBay would be selling its site. A key thing to remember is that eBay isn't selling its company, only its auction website. Yes, eBay the company is mostly eBay.com, but it has many employees and other ventures that it's working on. Pay Pal is a large part of the company as is its relatively new eCommerce site hosting. eBay is likely looking to raise some capitol for a new venture or to help fortify current projects.

There is also the fact that the online auction market has much more competition these days. Maybe eBay is backing out of the online auctions due to pressure from Craigslist or the new Google Base.

There is little in the way of concrete information coming directly from eBay, but I'm sure eBay has some kind of plan for the money raised from selling off its main source of income.

[tags]eBay, eCommerce, online auctions[/tags]

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you this fine technology site. Here you'll be finding some fabulous technology related news, from gaming and the web, to movies and science. But wait. This isn't just your ordinary tech news, it's news with a twist!

So what is this magnificent twist? Ahh, let me tell you. Every news post here... every single one... are you ready for this? It's all fake! What a great build up huh? No? You don't think so? Well fine then.

Anyway, like I just said, each news item is fabricated. Though based on some real facts and perhaps real predictions out there, everything you see here is to be viewed as entertainment and not necessarily informational. However, though the news is primarily fake, most of it is done so in a way that is a commentary on the subject being reported on. For instance, there will probably be a lot of Microsoft news posts, and though they will be fake, they will probably be done so in a fashion that comments on the company's business practices or product stability.

Whew. Though I hope most of you read this entire openning post, I doubt many of you really did. So without further ado, let the let's play pretend time begin!