T.H.

Looks like a super expensive case that everyone would like to win.

The photographer did say the service is still in the beginning stages and most of the photographs are for when the software is for "when the programmers have finished writing it." Most of the panoramas should be automatically stitched and posted though the "point of interest" shots would need selecting. He said some of the businesses he shot were in Dec'09 and none have been put up yet.

They'll do up to 12 panorama shots of the business. The guy was using a Canon, looked like a Rebel. I couldn't get an exact model but it was definitely a Canon. He also had a Manfrotto tripod. He used a fisheye lens for the panoramas and what looked like a kit lens for the normal "point of interest" shots. Sorry I couldn't get the exact make and model of the camera and lenses used. I was busy with some work at the time. Considering the quality of the Google streetview pictures when zooming around, it makes sense not to need any equipment that is too fancy.

Photog also used a phone equipped with a GPS. The custom GPS app generated a 3d barcode that lets Google know where the location was that was shot. Take a shot of the 3d barcode before and after each location shoot. This lets Google's custom software that automates the panoramas as well as whoever is selecting the shots know when each photoshoot begins and ends.

More giveaways. Sweet. Too bad there's only one winner.

Please let me win one of these. It'd make a sweet machine on the coffee table.

Wow, this would go great with a Canon 50D (hint hint).

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/utah-governor-vetoes-video-game-and-movie-legislation/

This link was found in the article. Find out why this law is bad/stupid. Specifically read the last paragraph of the letter from Gov. Huntsman.

Sounds nice at a sub $100 price. Awesome for on the go gaming cheaply (if somewhat illegally *cough*ROMS*cough*). With all of the consoles it emulates, this sounds suspiciously like a piece of hardware running the MAME emulator and perhaps another emu or three for the Nintendo systems.

1:1 or not. Over sensitive or not. Is EA really the company you want telling you if a tech is good or not? Isn't this the same company that just last month word leaked about how they needed two months and would go over their budget to make Wolfenstein perform properly for the iPhone? Then they proceeded to get schooled while iD extraordinaire Carmack ported Wolfenstein in FOUR FRIGGIN DAYS with the code EA provided him. The same code it would take two months to get up and running and go over budget.

Chant the 10 year life cycle all you want Sony, but no one except fanboys believe you at this point. The fact remains that the only consoles with a realistic 10 year life cycle has always been the winner of its respective console generation. In this generation the Wii is clearly the current winner and even then I'm going to say that the Wii will last pretty long but it's questionable whether that will have a 10 year life cycle.

The PS3 may very well be on the market for 10 years but I believe so was the Neo Geo (I used to own one of the cartridge based ones). So yeah, it could have a 10 year life span but if you call being somewhat of an undead system that can barely be called alive a 10 year life span then so be it.

If you ask Sony whether they will have a successor to the PS4 only after 10 years and you'll see them dodge the question. The fact is that with their current place in the console market they will need to have a console out to counter the bad press the PS3 has had as well as to counter any positive press Nintendo (and Microsoft) will have from launching new consoles. Mark your calenders, most new consoles are released about 5-6 years from the previous generation. This has only been the schedule since the venerable NES. So I would expect a new gen of consoles by 2012 or so.

Nintendo's new console will likely only equal or maybe surpass the current Xbox 360 and PS3 by only a little but considering Nintendo's positive momentum it might be enough. Likely there will be increased waggle in there as well. Developers follow the leader. Clearly Nintendo is the leader at this point much like Sony has been Since the PS1. All Nintendo has to do is not pull a PS3 or N64 out of their hat and their new console should dominate much like the PS2 did. Nintendo's Wii is already showing it's age in some instances. By 2011 or so, it'll desperately need an upgrade. New console time.

Sony will have a new console out when Nintendo's new console comes out. They don't want to be known to the public as having a 6 year old system vs the brand new Wii2 (or whatever it'll be called).