By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews

What’s up with Sony BMG? Of late, they seem to be open to trying new ideas which, based on their rootkit-like DRM and other issues in the past, seem out of character. First they sign a deal with Amazon MP3 for all DRM-free music, and now this!

Sony’s new deal is with We7, an ad-supported music streaming / download service based in the U.K., with 100k subscribers and over 2m downloads as of February 2008. Sony BMG thus becomes the first major label to sign with We7, which was founded in April 2007. Musician Peter Gabriel is one of its founders.

The We7 service works by dynamically ‘grafting’ ads onto the front of music tracks and albums based on a user’s demographics such as location, age, gender.

According to the press release:

From the end of April, We7’s users will be able to stream music, on demand and for free with a short audio advert before each track, from the extensive Sony BMG catalogue. The label will also make available to stream on demand new releases from its current roster of artists. Initially the streaming service will only be available to existing registered users of We7, before it is rolled out to new subscribers.

Commenting on the announcement, Ged Doherty, Chairman of Sony BMG in the UK and Ireland, said “We are in the business of embracing a multitude of new ways our music can reach audiences. Our deal with We7 is an important step forward in offering fans greater flexibility in how they consume music.”

Steve Purdham, CEO of We7, commented “Today marks a significant leap forward for We7 and the industry as a whole, as Sony BMG lead the way in embracing the on demand streaming model for the benefit of music fans, artists and advertisers alike.”

Peter Gabriel, the musician and founder of We7, added “The digital revolution has provided exciting and extraordinary opportunities in the music business, even though it has been largely written off by many. We7 is a model that will supply free music to the consumer and still provide a stream of revenue to musicians and content owners. We are delighted that Sony BMG are exploring this new world, and are the first forward thinking major to come on board with us.”

As indicated above, initial access to Sony BMG music will be limited, but it’s unclear what “existing registered users” means. Does it mean only those already signed up as of this press release, or does it include those who sign up before the Sony BMG music goes live in April? I sent an email to We7 to find out.

It should also be noted that Sony BMG is only supplying tracks for the streaming part of We7’s service, not the download portion, although Doherty did not rule out a future deal including downloads. He also said that Sony BMG was in talks with other such ad-supported music services - interesting.

By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews

Google has begun offering secondary search boxes within their search results (above). Typical of Google offerings, not everyone is seeing the “feature” yet, as it rolls out to different data centers.

The secondary box restricts the search to the site in question. It seems like the searches that are most likely to bring up the secondary box involves retailers (as above), although The New York Times brings up a secondary box and some say YouTube and Wikipedia do also (though I did not see that result).

How are these sites are chosen? Do they have to pay for this extra search box, or is some algorithm at work?

Since it’s not available in all data centers yet, if you really want to see it now, you can try this data center where the new feature is working.

What do you readers think of this new feature? Try it out and let me know.

By Martin Regtien
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Well, it certainly looks like one and almost behaves like any real UFO — except we have identified it.
We are talking about an exciting development at Entecho here in Australia where they are working on the Hoverpod, a manned aerial vehicle that not only can hover but also fly up to 3000 m at speeds up to 120 km an hour.
It is billed as the ultimate recreational vehicle which can negotiate any terrain.  It not only promises to be safe (which it better be if everyone’s gonna fly it) but also very easy to fly.

Have a look at some of the details here.

By Martin Regtien
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

I recently wrote a Flight Review on the Italian Sky Arrow for AVIATOR (Dec 2007 issue)
Have a look below at the article — sans pictures — as it appeared this month in one of  Australia’s foremost aviation magazines.
The Inside on the Italian Job

Ever since I first saw pictures of the sleek and – dare I say it: supersexy – Sky Arrow over 10 years ago now, I knew this machine looked like the aircraft I would want to own one day.
In my dreams I visualised this Italian design wrapped around me, piercing the skies. Well, at 95 knots cruise you’re not gonna be lightning fast but, really, flying this magnificent machine, wouldn’t you want the experience to last?
We checked out the Sky Arrow when it passed through Albany on the way back from being demoed at a few air shows along the East Coast. Read the article on DigitalReviews.net

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

It’s no secret that Japan’s aging. In fact, the book, Pocket World in Figures (2004 Edition) indicates that the country has the highest media age at 41.3. It’s also predicted in that book that in 2050 Japan’s median age will be 53.2. I don’t have the 2005 edition of that book, but I doubt the figures have changed much.

In preparation for this, Japan has worked to bring robotics to the fore in the lives of seniors. But robots haven’t exactly been a hit with them.

High-tech gadgets and futuristic robots which Japan had hoped might lend a hand when the population turns gray haven’t caught on with the elderly, who according to forecasts will make up around 40 percent of the population by the middle of the century.

“Most (elderly) people are not interested in robots. They see robots as overly-complicated and unpractical. They want to be able to get around their house, take a bath, get to the toilet and that’s about it,” said Ruth Campbell, a geriatric social worker at the University of Tokyo. Source: Reuters

We Say: What seniors in Japan have complained about is they want simplicity, not complexity. They see robots as complex, and I can understand that because it’s hard enough to get seniors to understand the Internet (SOME anyway, not all).

By Martin Regtien
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

The Draganflyer is an amazing piece of kit: this remote control helicopter has a unique design, is extremely maneuverable and very easy to fly compared to conventional RC helicopters.

We have just taken delivery of the Draganflyer Stabilized Aerial Video System (SAVS) and will bring you a series of in-depth reviews on the unique capabilities of this UAV.

This is not a toy, nor is it a professional tool but occupies a niche position to create some great aerial video.

Here is Part One.

By Martin Regtien
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Somehow, TomTom doesn’t do it for us when plying the aerial highways. POIs, like nearest shopping malls, are of little use unless you need a big parking lot for an emergency landing.

DigitalReviews.net reviewed the latest version of PocketFMS and were higher than cloud nine about the features of this Flight Planner and Moving Map program. And it can be used worldwide. Have a trial flight here.

By Alice Hill
RealTechNews

You have to stare at this a little while to get a good sense of it (not that the contraption make sense in any way.) Looks like a scooter-drawn ox cart painting scaffold.
Source: funniestgadgets.com