X-mini Max: A mini review

Generation two of the popular X-mini Capsule Speaker has an official name. Singapore-based company XMI informed us that it will be branded the X-mini Max when it rolls out this month. "Minimum size, maximum sound," is how its international business development manager Jerry Lam explains this latest iteration.

For those who've been anticipating the stereo edition for close to a year, the X-mini Max will be retailing for S$69 (US$48); not a princely sum when one considers the overall package--portability, stereo, and a bombastic bass for its size. But considering that the 1GB iPod shuffle now retails for just S$78, the X-mini Max may just be a mite above most people's price threshold. Alternatively, you can wait out a price drop if you have your eye on this device.
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Jobs hid cancer diagnosis for nine months

If the CEO is sick, do the shareholders have a right to know?

That's the question raised, but not exactly answered, by a Fortune profile of Apple CEO Steve Jobs released Tuesday, the day of Apple's annual shareholder meeting. The story reveals that after learning he had a rare form of pancreatic cancer in October 2003, Jobs kept his diagnosis secret for nine months--outside a small group of confidantes--while he attempted to seek alternative methods of treatment for a tumor.

Fortune says Jobs and Apple's inner circle debated whether they had to reveal news of his diagnosis to shareholders, but decided they were not obligated to do so after consulting with outside lawyers. Jobs eventually decided to undergo surgery to remove the tumor, and Apple released an email from Jobs to employees announcing he had received treatment the next day, August 1, 2004.

Did Jobs and Apple mislead shareholders by failing to disclose his diagnosis for so long? There's no hard-and-fast rule for this situation--some companies decide to disclose an executive's illness as soon as they learn of it; others decide to wait so long as the executive remains in day-to-day control of the company. Still, two corporate governance experts interviewed for the article say Apple should have disclosed Jobs was about to undergo surgery: "How would the shareholders have felt if they said he died on the operating table?" wondered Ralph Whitworth, a former director of Waste Management who was chairman of the board when its CEO was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
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Sony demos 5x boost in hard drive storage

Imagine a 2.5-inch notebook hard drive that can store up to 2.5TB of data. Well, according to Sony, this is actually possible with its new hybrid hard drive technology. Using a combination of magnetic and optical techologies (rather than the current magnetic data recording), the Japanese electronics giant claims the storage density can be significantly increased. (1TB = 1,000GB)

Sony estimates that 125GB of data can be stored on one square inch. This means the recently launched 500GB 2.5-inch hard drives can theoretically store as much as 2.5TB using Sony's new technology. Just think of the exponential space increase you'll be getting out of your 3.5-inch hard drives.

Unfortunately, Sony has not released any plans on when it will introduce the new technology commercially, so we are not expecting to see the new capacity-enhanced hard drives anytime soon.

Warning: Your iPod may get you mugged

A friend of mine got her throat sliced in a daytime iPod mugging a year and a half ago. Even the police were amazed at the violent nature of the attack. Fortunately, the cut didn't go too deep and she is fine except for the scar and possibly some lingering post-traumatic-stress symptoms.

Her tale is indicative of a wider trend. A new study (PDF) entitled "Is there an iCrime Wave?" concludes that the mainstream use of iPods and other gadgets has led to a rise in such street crime.

Not only are the white iPod earbuds easy to spot, but iPod users are often looking down at the devices, making those people easy targets. The high price tag of iPods and the fact that they are easy to resell gives even more motivation to would-be thieves. This is the perfect-storm scenario for a snatch-and-grab on the bus or sidewalk, the study finds. (In Boston and New York, Sidekicks are apparently a popular gadget to steal, according to Metro Boston.)

However, the San Francisco Chronicle pokes some holes in the study, noting that while robberies jumped in 2005 and 2006, increases were higher in small and midsize cities with fewer commuters and congested sidewalks. There was also a jump in 2001, before the iPod became so popular.

Regardless, it's a good idea to keep your eyes open, your ears peeled, and your gadget in your pocket when you are in public.

VIa CNET News

Lightweight Paper Scale

Here's a featherlight concept for all ye heavyweights. Duck Image Studio has designed the ultimate tool for weight watchers--ultrathin flexible scales you get to pack away in your tote bag. This clever idea uses paper electronic technology to create a pressure-sensing sheet that relays information to an e-paper display. It's apparently waterproof, easy to clean, and equally easy to roll up for storage.

We're not sure, though, if the designers intentionally intended for your weight to be depicted in such large flashing numerals for the world to see, as if to say deal with the weight, or lay off that Krispy Kreme. Yikes.

Via Yanko Design

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