The first and major change is the disappearance of the click wheel. According to Jobs this was the only way they could reduce the size and weight of the iPod, which is now 46% smaller and 42% lighter. Now that the click wheel is gone, everything is touch based.

The new iPod Nano almost looks like half of an iPod Touch. The device is extremely easy to use thanks to the large, rearrange able icons and to the volume buttons.

It now has an accelerometer that allows orientation switching. There’s also FM radio, the Nike+ is still here and the battery life is great – 24 hours.

The new iPod Nano is available for pre-order today and it costs $149 for the 8GB version and $179 for the 16GB version.

Apple has spent a lot of money and has invested lots of hours of research into the development of the iPad, their revolutionary product that is said to change the way people use their computers all around the world.

The launch and popularity of this innovative product has spawned lots and lots of similar products made by manufacturers all over the world. One of these is the Samsung Galaxy Tab – and it is going to give iPad a hard time. Why?

First of all, it has two cameras, where the iPad does not have any. The Galaxy Tab has a rear camera with a 3.2 megapixel resolution – not the greatest, but it is enough, because I don’t think people would like to take photos with a 7″ digital camera – and a front facing one, which will allow people to do some video conferencing and probably even use it as a webcam. This is a huge advantage, considering the imminent appearance of Skype for Android that will allow video calls.

Next, there is the aspect Apple was criticized the most for: the iPad (and any other device running iOS)  lacks support for Adobe Flash, favoring HTML5 instead. The Galaxy Tab will run Google’s Android 2.2 Froyo, the first distribution of the free mobile operating system that officially supports Adobe Flash and includes the Flash Player 10.1. Beat that, iPad.

The screen is another strong point of the Galaxy Tab. The iPad has a bigger screen, but the Galaxy’s aspect ratio is better: it is 16:10 widescreen, optimized for video playback.

If you own an iPad, you have to make do with the storage capacity it was manufactured with. There is no way to expand the iPad’s storage capacity, it also lacks any USB plugs you could use for connecting a memory card reader or an external hard disk. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab supports Micro SD memory cards with up to 32Gb capacity, making it easy to expand the device’s storage capacity. Even more: you can take out the memory card of your digital camera and plug it directly into the Galaxy Tab for viewing them on the 7″ screen or uploading them to social networks.

Last, but not least, there is the question of text input. Apple’s developers simply introduced a big fat QWERTY keyboard and that was it. Samsung has introduced a new technology called Swype, developed by the creators of T9 – you just have to sweep the on-screen keyboard from letter to letter in order to type the words you want. This technology was introduced in Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphone and is said to make typing really easy.

iPad beware, here comes the Galaxy Tab!

The major improvement on the new controller is the new D-Pad. It’s transforming. No, it won’t turn into a huge robot. The controller’s redesigned directional pad can now be used in two distinct modes: one of them is the classic plus-shaped directional controller, the other is a disk-like mode when the d-pad works almost like a thumbstick, making it ideal for sweeping movements.

The only downside of the new controller that it will only be available with the Play & Charge Kit, for a price of $64.99.

Those lucky enough to meet Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb at the PAX Prime  (Penny Arcade eXpo 2010) this Sunday in Seattle will have the occasion to go home with a new and improved Xbox controller (with transforming D-pad).

The attendance figures that various parties give are so different it’s amazing.

It is always tough to figure out the number of people at an event, and it is usually done by estimations, using high resolution imagery. Still, accurate data, if the event has no tickets, is almost impossible to give.

So the Glenn Beck Rally did have a large attendance. The organizers, when asking for a permit, estimated 300,000 people coming. Now Beck says that the attendance could have been between 300000 (low end) and 650000 (high one).

Some firms that were hired to estimate the attendance said that the attendance could have been between 78000 and 96000. The average of what analysts said was around 87000.

What’s the truth? Impossible to say.

2010 Emmy Awards

Temple Grandin, a movie about an autistic woman who succeeds against the odds, brought Claire Danes the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie award.

David Strathairn and Julia Ormond also won the Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress in a Miniseries or Movie awards for their superb performances in HBO’s film.

On the comedy side Modern Family won the Outstanding Comedy Series Award and the writing and supporting actor awards.

Fox’s Glee only received two Emmys despite its 19 nominations – one of them for supporting actress (Jane Lynch).

Mad Men proved unbeatable in the drama category, winning its third consecutive Emmy.

Dell’s response was swift: the company topped HP’s offer of $24, but this was not enough to stop the competition: today HP offered 11% more, $30 for every 3Par share, raising the total amount to approximately $1.88 billion. The bidding war has its effect on 3Par’s shares: they have risen over 75% this week.

Why is 3Par so interesting for these two companies?

3Par is providing a next generation data storage service, something called utility storage, a data filing system that offers instant backup and recovery, simple management of the system and on-demand expansion of the storage space. The hardware part of the system consists of large racks filled with hard disks. 3Par’s strong selling point is its operating system that offers centralized control over a storage grid that can span across many physical hardware locations.

3Par’s services are used by companies like MySpace, Hilton Grand Vacations or Credit Suisse.

May HP be the best company to win this bidding war or does Dell have an even better offer up its sleeve? We will see next week…

Members of the Women Presidents’ Organization project to collectively spend over $648 million on business expenses

The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) has just released the results of the 2010 Buying Behavior Survey. The results of the survey showed that members of the WPO alone have a projected spend of over $500,000 each on business expenses. Collectively WPO members will spend approximately $169 million on healthcare for 2010 and over $120 million on banking services including credit cards, cash management, line of credit and loan packages. The aggregate spend for WPO members is over $648 million.

The sample used for the survey was taken from the 1,400 women presidents and CEOs of privately held, multimillion dollar companies that make up the WPO internationally. Results from the survey confirmed the power of women-owned businesses through their buying behavior. They are accessing capital and utilizing their purchasing power in this uncertain economic recovery. The majority of respondents obtained all of the credit they wanted in 2009, and indicated that the amount of credit currently available to them is about the same as was available prior to the recession.

“The results of this survey are further proof that women business owners are driving the economy,” says Marsha Firestone, Ph.D., president and founder of the WPO. “Women Presidents’ Organization members have a significant impact on the economy not only by making purchasing decisions but also through the employment of thousands across the country. At a time when employment is tumultuous, our members collectively employ 107,000 people. This is an economic impact of women-owned businesses that should be recognized and validated.”

Reasons for buying
– Results indicated that WPO members are typically the business purchasing decision maker for their organization.
– According to the survey, past experience with a company, as well as a company’s reputation, are key in members’ decision making process.
– The WPO itself also has a large impact on the purchasing decisions of members. Opinions of other WPO members are heavily considered when making purchase decisions; service purchases are most likely to be made from a company referred by another member.
– A company’s sponsorship of the organization has an impact as well – both on the initial decision to purchase, and on the decision to continue to do business with the firm as well as the decision to increase the frequency of purchasing from the firm.

Miss Universe 2010:

Perhaps she didn’t like that question? Anyway Miss Philippines ended up on the fourth place in the Miss Universe 2010 contest held at the Mandalay Bay Casino Resort in Las Vegas Nevada.

Venus Raj is a gorgeous woman, she sure looked like she could handle a simple question like William Baldwin’s: “What is one big mistake that you made in your life and what did you do to make it right?” It didn’t sound too bad, did it? Well, the 22-year-old beauty queen must have been too nervous to think about a good answer for this question and ended up saying pretty much nothing at all.

She thanked the audience, she thanked William for the question, she even thanked her parents for her success but her answer was evasive and obviously skipped the question. Miss Philippines 2010 Venus Raj told William Baldwin and the audience: “Thank you so much sir for that wonderful question. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Good evening Las Vegas. You know what sir, in my 22 years of existence, I can say there is nothing major major, I mean problem that I have done in my life because I am very confident with my family with the love that they are giving to me so thank you so much that I am here. Thank you thank you so much.”

Before this moment, Miss Philippines seemed to be taking the lead in the online rating since she had a score of 3.55, which is very good. Miss Universe 2010 was crowned Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete, a 22-year-old Guadalajara beauty.
Here’s the video:

A star-studded panel of judges chose Miss Mexico, Jimena Navarrete, as MISS UNIVERSE 2010 live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Bret Michaels and NBC’s “Today” show co-host and correspondent Natalie Morales hosted the international event, which aired on NBC and Telemundo. John Legend & The Roots and Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil performed live during the competition. The pageant was presented by official hair care sponsor Farouk Systems.

Miss Mexico, Jimena Navarrete, is 21 years old and loves nature, boating, riding motorcycles, spending time with her family and traveling.

The judging panel for the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant included: illusionist and mystifier, Criss Angel; actor, producer and writer, William Baldwin; world-renowned percussionist and drummer, Sheila E; anchor of “NBC Live,” Tamron Hall; 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2009 World Figure Skating Champion, Evan Lysacek; Oscar nominated actor and director best known for his work in A Bronx Tale, Chazz Palminteri; American singer and actress, Chynna Phillips; winner of multiple Emmys and Golden Globes, Jane Seymour; and international supermodel, Niki Taylor.

Throughout the two-hour event, contestants from over 80 countries and territories around the world competed in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and personality interview. Stefania Fernandez, Miss Universe 2009, crowned her successor at the conclusion of the two-hour primetime telecast before an estimated worldwide viewing audience of approximately one billion viewers.

Final Results:

First Runner-Up: Miss Jamaica, Yendi Phillipps; will assume the duties of MISS UNIVERSE 2010 if the titleholder for some reason cannot fulfill her responsibilities.

Second Runner-Up: Miss Australia, Jesinta Campbell.

Rest of Top Five: Miss Ukraine, Anna Poslavska; and Miss Philippines, Venus Raj.

Rest of Top Ten: Miss Ireland, Rozanna Purcell; Miss Albania, Angela Martini; Miss Puerto Rico, Mariana Paola Vicente; Miss South Africa, Nicole Flint; and Miss Guatemala, Jessica Scheel.

Rest of Top Fifteen: Miss Belgium, Cilou Annys; Miss France, Malika Menard; Miss Russia, Irina Antonenko; Miss Colombia, Natalia Navarro; and Miss Czech Republic, Jitka Valkova.

Miss Photogenic Universe Award: Miss Thailand, Fonthip Watcharatrakul. The General public voted on www.nbc.com for the delegate who exemplifies beauty through the lens of a camera. She was awarded a $1,000 cash prize and a gift from pageant sponsor Diamond Nexus Labs.

Miss Congeniality Universe Award: Miss Australia, Jesinta Campbell. This award reflects the respect and admiration of the delegate’s peers, who voted for her as the most congenial, charismatic and inspirational participant. She was awarded a $1,000 cash prize and a gift from Diamond Nexus Labs.

National Costume Award: Miss Thailand, Fonthip Watcharatrakul. This award was decided by an online vote through Club Universe, a new, exclusive membership club featured on MissUniverse.com.

The Expendables topped Vampires Suck movie, a comedy-parody that isn’t too great either.

The Expendables earned $16.5 million in it’s second weekend, that’s 53% less than its first weekend but the numbers look pretty good: $65 million in the bank so far. And something tells us that this isn’t the end for The Expendables.

As for FOX’s Vampires Suck parody, well, the movie got the attention of the whole teenage-vampire fans league so perhaps that’s why it made it to the second place in Box Office. The production debuted on Wednesday with $4 million, making $12.2 million during the weekend and $18.6 million in its first five days. Not too bad, but not too great either. Although the trailer is hilarious and promises a lot of fun, the movie is actually kind of dull.

On number three in the Box Office top there is Eat Pray Love, Julia Roberts’s latest movie that dropped 48% since last week and made $12.0 million this weekend.

This weekend was the opening weekend for other interesting movies that failed to attract people. Nanny McPhee Returns is the biggest flop with only $8.3 million, meaning that the sequel is less interesting than the 2006 movie that opened up with $14.5 million.

Here’s the Top Ten Box Office for the 20-22 august weekend.

1. (1) The Expendables – $16,500,000
2. (N) Vampires Suck – $12,200,000
3. (2) Eat Pray Love – $12,000,000
4. (N) Lottery Ticket – $11,125,000
5. (3) The Other Guys – $10,100,000
6 (N) Piranha 3D – $10,035,000
7. (N) Nanny McPhee Returns – $8,310,000
8. (N) The Switch – $8,100,000
9. (4) Inception – $7,655,000
10. (5) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - $5,034,000