iPod/phone?

That's what the tech pundits are speculating about - see this in a San Jose Mercury News blog. And it makes sense: If there are picture phones and iPod Photos, why wouldn't Apple want to smoosh it all into one device that every teenager, who almost by nature is a world-class communicator, will want to get. And of course Apple will allow texting on that little screen. If phonemakers are turning phones into connected PCs, why wouldn't Apple move the iPod in that direction? The question is, will kids still want keyboards for their blogging and game players for their gaming (and DVD viewing)? Tell me what *you* think (post below or email me)!

Scotland's new anti-grooming law

The Scottish Parliament passed a tough new law to protect online kids. Among other things, the Protection of Children Bill "will make it an offence to set up meetings with under-16s via Internet chatrooms and carry a maximum 10-year sentence," the BBC reports. An interesting piece of it is the Risk of Sexual Harm Order, which courts can impose "to curb the activities of those suspected of being a danger to children." The order can be issued "even if the individual has not been convicted of an offence," according to the BBC. [Thanks to QuickLinks for pointing this news out.]

P2P on phones

My last item was about games on phones. Now file-sharing's coming to a cellphone near you (just more evidence that the phone is the next PC, the next Net platform). Nokia and other phone makers are developing software that will allow the sharing of text docs, photos, and eventually music on their phones, CNET reports. But this won't be the "Wild West" of file-sharing via computers, CNET says. Why? Because of "the tight control cellular providers have over their networks." On them, operators "can track every piece of data sent. They also have tough software that manages digital rights, and they typically have tracking technology built in to meet federal 911 laws, so operators can locate anyone they believe is illegally swapping files." Meanwhile, another CNET report updates us on ringtones, which young people love because they show off one's musical taste and are a fun way to customize a favorite gadget. Already a huge business, it generates $4 billion/year worldwide and "the No. 1 ringtone typically outsells the No. 1 [music] download." But the recording industry's "still struggling to connect with a generation used to getting music for free through Internet 'peer to peer' services."

The other kind of videogame

Watch out, Halo and Grand Theft Auto, here comes Diner Dash! It's described as a little like I Love Lucy's memorable mad scramble at the candy factory conveyor, if anyone's old enough to remember that sweet old sitcom. "This game, sold exclusively on the Internet and downloaded onto players' personal computers, is challenging many of the conventions of video gaming," the New York Times reports, not least because games like Diner Dash - called "casual games" - are growing in popularity and are developed on a relative shoestring. At $20, Diner Dash has sold more than 50,000 copies and continues to sell at a 1,000/day clip, according to the Times. This is a good thing that will migrate to cellphones, and migrate they will - unlike the big-budget console and multiplayer games - because of their appeal and simplicity. The articles cites a PricewaterhouseCoopers projection of $8.4 billion in 2005 sales for the US game industry, with around $250 million of it for casual games. Meanwhile, did you know that nearly two-thirds of US college students "play video and computer games on a regular or occasional basis"? That's a Pew Internet & American Life figure cited by Waltonian.com, Eastern University's student news site, which takes a look at the Pennsylvania school's weekly gaming competition. And here's the BBC on China's explosive gaming scene, with 20 million gamers and growing.

Windows Update update

This is something all family PC owners will want to get: Microsoft Update, which replaces the old Windows Update system. If you're using Windows XP or XP Professional, you may've already gotten a prompt to install it, the Washington Post reports. "Microsoft Update fixes a few inconsistencies long present in Microsoft's patch strategy," and it will fix security problems with other Microsoft software (not just the OS) and third-party software running on Windows, the Post adds. Here's where you can read about it at Microsoft (it only works in the Explorer browser, not Firefox).

PlayStation in the classroom?

Yup. For "exertainment" not "infotainment," in this case. The Redlands, Calif., school district is sweetening PE classes with exercise-promoting videogames, Wired News reports. "The classes would see elementary-school children getting their daily workout through popular video games like Konami Digital Entertainment's 'Dance Dance Revolution' [dance-pad game] and Sony's 'EyeToy: Play' that include active, physical elements." EyeToy is a camera game that lets players control the action on screen with their arms and head, Wired News adds. It cites a University of California, Berkeley, nutrition specialist as saying that anything that encourages kids to get up and dance is a good thing.

Google adds video

The search giant just added another medium to its mix. "Watching the amateur and professional videos in Google's index requires free software available at Video.google.com," the Washington Post reports. "The software, consisting of about 1 megabyte, won't do anything except stream Google's videos through the Internet Explorer or Firefox Web browsers." The feature is still in beta. As with most search engines, people can submit their own work (from Web sites to videos) for inclusion in the database. That can be good and bad. On the upside, the amateur videographer's work can now be as accessible as that of giant media companies - like garage bands on the file-sharing networks. The potential downside is what types of videos become as accessible to children as to anyone else. Surfing around the site, I was glad to find video policies saying that not only is Google not accepting illegal content, such as child pornography. It's also not accepting legal pornography or obscenity. [Yahoo also indexes videos. The difference, which is a plus while Google's player gets debugged, is that Yahoo's video search results can be streamed through well-established players like those of Microsoft and RealNetworks, and "some of Yahoo's videos include programming licensed from major television networks such as CBS and MTV," the Post reports.]