http://www.robinraskin.com/blog No one said it would be easy but it sure keeps you thinking. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:26:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_787" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Natal uses "you" as an input device."][/caption] You’ve probably heard about Project Natal by now. It’s Microsoft’s “secret” project that lets you use your body as the input device for the Xbox Live. No controllers, no wires, no headgear or gloves. If you liked using Nintendo Wii’s controller ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/03/10/look-ma-no-controller-microsoft%e2%80%99s-natal-genius/ No offense, sloppy travelers. I’m one, too. That’s why I’m particularly enamored of Samsung’s latest netbook, the NB30 (available on Amazon and other online outlets like Tiger Direct). Without sacrificing style, it’s ruggedized to protect against life’s little goofs: spills, drops, and smacks. [caption id="attachment_781" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Samsung NB30"][/caption] It’s not hard ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/03/06/samsung%e2%80%99s-new-netbook-made-with-sloppy-travelers-in-mind/ Like many of you, I’m struggling with my next smartphone move (one look at my phone would have you roaring with laughter about my indecision).  After dissecting feature by feature, I go into a phone feature haze.  So, instead, I decided to “grok” the souls of each machine. From my perch ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/03/03/756/ Google needs to have a student version of its popular search software.  It's not because of pornography. It's not because of meeting weirdos online.  It's simply a matter of being able to concentrate on things that kids need to concentrate on without any distractions. The classic example is Ethan Allen.  Enter the ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/02/26/why-google-needs-a-student-version/ I don’t know about you, but from my vantage point the signs of some virus/malware/bad guy troubles are everywhere. The first whiff came from a note sent by Avast!, a free (for basic protection) anti-virus program with a large user base. The company cautioned that malware gangs have become adept users ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/02/23/should-google-be-doing-more-to-keep-us-safe/ Toy Fair, an industry trade show in NYC this week, is one of my favorite annual visits, because it's a chance to be a big kid in a candy shop full of toys that the public has not yet seen. This year's show feels a little recession strapped in that the toy ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/02/16/toy-fair-where-grownups-get-to-play-first/ She wears a shirtdress decorated with zeros and ones over a pair of tight, shiny black pants. She’s got a Bluetooth headset in her ear, those smart-girl looking glasses, and a pretty pink laptop. She’s Computer Engineer Barbie and she sprang to life via the popular vote of consumers all over the world. ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/02/13/new-computer-engineer-barbie-gives-new-meaning-to-geek-chic/ Facebook turned six this week and so did my relationship with it.  Initially, at its creation, I was a voyeur on my kids’ sites because I didn’t have the requisite college .edu address to access to the site. Soon after, when it expanded to include high school students, it dropped the ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/02/10/facebook-the-six-year-old-with-a-messy-room/ Maybe you haven’t noticed that we’ve become the nation with the collective attention span of a tsetse fly. Or that we’re a nation utterly convinced that the more things you can do at the same time the more gifted you are. The signs of the impending wreckage are everywhere. In London, ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/02/02/tech%e2%80%99s-early-zealots-are-singing-a-different-tune-has-age-made-them-wiser-or-just-older/ A lady walks into a bar--only this time the punch line is that it’s a Genius Bar. As a long-time PC user, my relationship to Apple is complicated. Love ‘em because they’re beautiful, admire the way they work. Hate ‘em because they’re closed systems, the complete antithesis of everything that ... http://www.robinraskin.com/blog/2010/01/27/if-apple%e2%80%99s-products-are-so-easy-then-why-is-the-genius-bar-so-crowded/