clubs

Homegrown music talents in the Asia-Pacific region now have a new platform to showcase their latest song creations. The Independent Artists Club Web site launched recently by Nokia aims to promote local artists in the region by allowing them to upload their songs on the Web for music fans around the world to enjoy.

The IAC program will launched in Singapore and Thailand first, before being rolled out over the next six months to selected Asia-Pacific countries including Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand.

With each IAC country launch, selected local artists will initially be invited … Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif.--I was walking around the Virtual Worlds conference here this afternoon when I ran into Jerry Paffendorf, the co-author of the Metaverse Roadmap report and the current co-founder of a stealth start-up called Wello Horld.

Paffendorf knows all, and so I eagerly asked him what was the best thing he'd seen at the show.

Without hesitating, he pointed me over to a small corner of the expo floor and to the little booth of a skunkworks project called inDuality developed by a company called Pelican Crossing and another known as IBM.

Well, when I finally found … Read more

You've probably seen or heard of the industrial robots that build cars, and the various humanoid robots like Honda's Asimo. Most of these are made in Japan. But let's face it, there's only so much these can do. An industrial robot is bolted down, and only knows one or two simple tasks. Asimo is small and weak, and famously collapsed once while trying to climb stairs.

As we know from sci-fi movies, real robots are the size of a man and can do things--dangerous things. Real robots are suitable for building robot armies. For that, we … Read more

I hate the whole experience of arena rock shows today: the security staff who assume you're a criminal, the overpriced food and drink, the "down in front" screamers who always seem to be seated behind me (it's a $100 rock concert, not your daughter's piano recital). Consequently, I don't go to many big shows--one or two a year.

So I was a little surprised when I first encountered the "fan club" charge when the Stones rolled through Seattle's Key Arena in October 2005. The ticket prices were painful enough--$200+ for … Read more

Every few months, a contingent of New York digital media entrepreneurs known as the Founders Club gets together and hosts a mixer for several hundred people to celebrate the start-up spirit of the local tech industry. The end result, as one might imagine, is a mixed bag of "big media," venture capital and finance types, start-up entrepreneurs, and members of the press.

On Tuesday night, the Founders Club threw its third event at the Frank Gehry-designed InterActiveCorp (IAC) building in Manhattan's West Chelsea neighborhood. I've put together a slideshow of some photographs from the event; a … Read more

Have you ever heard of the Homebrew Computer Club? I'm sure you've heard of the products designed by its members: the Apple I and Apple II, the Osborne I, maybe even the earlier Sol-20 (one of the prettiest little personal computers ever; I have a beautiful example myself).

Wikipedia reports that the Homebrew Computer Club stopped meeting in "roughly 1977"-- about 30 years ago. But a small part of it survives. Some of the people in the Homebrew Computer Club spun off the Homebrew Robotics Club, and that club still meets regularly.

I try to … Read more

Dell made waves in the PC industry last month when it announced it would sell two of its desktop computers in Wal-Mart stores. On Friday, the company said Sam's Club would carry two Dell models, a desktop and notebook.

Beginning in mid-June, 580 Sam's Club stores will stock Dell's Inspiron E1501 Notebook, which will sell for $899, and Dimension E521 Multimedia Desktop for $829. More than 3,000 Wal-Marts will have two versions of the Dell Dimension E521 Multimedia desktops--for $698 and $498--on its shelves starting this Sunday.

All models will ship with Windows Vista Home Premium … Read more

So you're ready to take on the world with your Lightsaber phone and MP3 Lightsaber. But wait--your Millennium Falcon develops engine trouble. What's a Jedi to do?

Why, whip out your Safety Wand and Megaphone, of course--"a safety beacon that amplifies your voice up to five football fields away," as Uber-Review says. It's not an official piece of equipment from the Lucas empire, but it sure could have fooled us. (Do we hear the pitter-patter of trademark attorneys?)

Anyway, at least your ship has been rescued. And good thing you didn't have a … Read more

Leave it to the Aussies to create wearable technology for all seasons. Most of the wired clothing we've seen has been more appropriate for cooler climes (and looking pretty dorky at times). But summer will be here before we know it, and we don't have a thing to wear.

Koyono, a company from the land Down Under, is catering to the beach set with its "BlackCoat" short-sleeved shirt-jacket. Koyono's Web site doesn't detail the technical specs for its latest offering, but we assume it'll use the same technology as its heavier coats, which … Read more