News
IT News: Online Shopping at All-Time High
Plus, what your mobile PC says about you, and new products from TransMedia, Orb Networks and more.
- By Gladys Rama
- December 11, 2006
'Tis the season for breaking online sales records, according to analysts at
comScore Networks. They reported that between Nov. 1 and Dec. 5 this year, retail
Web sites based in the U.S. raked in $13.7 billion in sales, up 25 percent from
the $11 billion reported during the same period last year. Dec. 4 has been the
high point of the season so far; with consumers that day shelling out a total
of $647 million, last Monday set the online record for spending in a single
day.
http://www.comscore.com
Mobile or Desktop: What Does Your PC Say About You?
Online retailers can probably thank mobile PC users for much of last week's
shopping frenzy. According to researching firm MetaFacts Inc., people who own
mobile PCs are about twice as likely to shop online -- and to shop at more than
one location -- than those who own desktop PCs. They're also more likely to
participate in online betting, have blogs, be members of online networking sites
like MySpace, and own other mobile devices like portable MP3 players. http://www.metafacts.com
New Products: Glide Next, MyCasting, More
Last week saw the launch of Glide Next, version 2.0 of the Glide OS from TransMedia.
It's a mobile desktop that lets users have access to their photos, documents,
music, RSS feeds, bookmarks and e-mail contacts through any mobile device. The
company says that a "universal translator" ensures that you can share
your files with anyone, regardless of what device, operating system or network
they use. This latest version features an online photo editor and word processor,
with a spreadsheet beta expected in January 2007. http://www.glidenext.com
Orb Networks introduced its own media-sharing solution when it released version
2.0 of its MyCasting product, now available in a free download. MyCasting lets
users create their own online "channels" featuring their music, photos,
videos and podcasts. All MyCasting needs is Internet access -- via a PC, cell
phone or PDA -- and a streaming media player; once a user signs on to their
MyCasting account online, they can stream their media and share their files.
For PC owners with a TV tuner card, MyCasting can also play live or recorded
broadcast TV. http://www.orb.com
For educators, the Pronto by Horizon Wimba promises to give students and teachers
a convenient way to spontaneously collaborate with each other online. Now available
for free to all colleges and universities, the Pronto gives students and teachers
access to class-specific contact lists, and then lets them connect with each
other through instant messaging and VoIP. http://www.horizonwimba/getpronto
In the online video publishing arena, On2 Technologies Inc. has released the
On2 Flix Publisher 2.0, which the company says can cut down the cost of operating
a video Web site. The Flix Publisher 2.0's drag-and-drop interface lets users
encode their videos and preview their quality before submitting them to a Web
site. Meanwhile, the company says, site owners can rest assured that all videos
can be properly encoded and made publish-ready at lower infrastructure and labor
costs. http://www.on2.com
Here's a little something for the gamers on your holiday shopping list: the
Konami Live! Online Game Contoller, released last week and now retailing for
$19.99. Users just plug the controller into their computer's USB port, and they'll
be taken straight to Konami's gaming Web site where they can access games, online
communities and more. http://www.konami.com