magid

Palo Alto plane crash creates Wi-Fi thirst (podcast)

The crash of a small plane in East Palo Alto, Calif., brought down lines that supply power to much of Palo Alto, which is home to Facebook, Hewlett-Packard, and this reporter.

Knowing that Google provides free Wi-Fi to most of nearby Mountain View, I grabbed my laptop and headed for the Mountain View Starbucks nearest to Palo Alto, but it was standing room only thanks to other Palo Alto refugees in search of Wi-Fi and coffee. My next stop was LeBloulanger, a cafe and bakery near the center of town. The Google signal is weak, but the cafe offers its … Read more

Plastic Logic CEO on Que e-reader (podcast)

For several years Richard Archuleta has been showing up at trade shows with prototypes of Plastic Logic's as-yet-unreleased Que e-reader. But it's almost ready. Archuleta told Larry Magid that the device will finally ship in April at a starting price of $649 for a 4GB model with Wi-Fi and $799 for the 8 GB model with Wi-Fi and 3G.

At that price, the 3G model (with the ability to download books via a built-in cellular radio) will be more than three times the price of the Amazon Kindle and $310 more than Amazon's 9.7-inch global wireless … Read more

CES to feature 3D TV and green tech

3D TV, smart phones, Netbooks, smartbooks, and green tech will be among the big themes at this year's Consumer Electronics Show said Jim Barry, a spokesman for CES sponsor, the Consumer Electronics Association.

Barry also said that CES attendance is about even with last year. They are expecting about 110,000 attendees and about 2,500 exhibitors.

Larry Magid spoke with Barry at CES Unveiled, CES' official press reception.

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Podcast: Some European journalists skeptical of blogging

It's hard to find an American print journalist who doesn't also publish online, and most seem to now accept that blogging is here to stay. After witnessing the folding of the of the Rocky Mountain News and the print editions of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer along with struggles at other papers, it seems as if just about everyone realizes that the economics of print are--to say the least--challenging.

But at an international technology conference on the island of Malta (in the Mediterranean, roughly halfway between Europe and Africa), CBS News and CNET technology analyst Larry Magid and CNET Executive … Read more

Podcast: Site seeks to boost young girls' self-esteem

Girl Ambition is a social-networking site on a mission. The site, which is aimed at 7- to 13-year-old girls, does more than provide communication tools. It also teaches values. Girl Ambition's CEO, Hilary DeCesare, says it's about boosting girls' self-esteem "to help promote positive female role models, going forward." In an interview, DeCesare says some activities focus on "liking yourself and your limitations." The site also teaches online safety, which makes it, in a sense, training wheels for teen social networks like Facebook and MySpace.

Podcast: Ina Fried sounds off on Windows 7

Microsoft is letting the public preview Windows 7, the successor to its Vista operating system. Anyone can download and try out the new software between now and February 10. Microsoft strongly recommends "that only experienced computer users sign up" for the beta program.

CBS News' Larry Magid talks about Windows 7 with CNET News' Ina Fried, who has tried it on several computers.

Runs just less than 7 minutes.

Podcast: Larry Magid and Declan McCullagh talk about new Whitehouse.gov

By the time President Obama lifted his hand from the Lincoln Bible, White House staff updated the presidential Web site Whitehouse.gov to reflect the new administration. The site, which now includes a video of the president's swearing in and inaugural address, also includes his agenda, which is pretty much lifted from his campaign Web site.

The site, according to a blog post from White House New Media Director Macon Philips, is part of the administration's plan to make government more transparent and more open to citizen participation. Philips promises that the site "will feature timely and … Read more