H2O Audio H3 Earphones Good for Water Lovers and Landlubbers [Watery Tunes]

from Gizmodo by Charlie White

If you've got some serious underwater basket weaving to do, these H2O Audio H3 earbuds might be just what you need to keep you entertained. The company says it's improved the sound of these earphones over their predecessors, boosting the bass response as well as increasing their overall output by 10dB. The H3s are made for use either in the water, where you place the "aquatic silencer" earplugs in place for a watertight seal, or you can remove those for use on dry land. Get these for $50, and don't forget that waterproof housing for your iPod. [Macnn]

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HTC Omni = Google Dream?

from Engadget by Joshua Topolsky

C'mon, you knew this was coming. Not a moment after Google does its big reveal on the Android OS and forthcoming multi-manufacturer GPhone, the rumor mill has already starting churning with wild imaginings and fantastic leaps of logic. A not-so gigantic jump comes as speculation that HTC's Omni -- which we first heard about nearly a year ago -- is actually the phone that has been referred to as the " Dream," Google's OS demo unit. We have to admit, there are some similarities between the two, not the least of which are the 3-inch by 5-inch size, rectangular touchscreen, full QWERTY that swivels out (which according to this earlier rendering, goes in more than one direction), and a beveled edge that "nestles in the palm." We remind you, of course, that this is just the first in a long line of rumors trying to pinpoint the "real" GPhone -- HTC or otherwise -- so don't get too excited just yet.

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MOCKUP Apple iPad Touch Tablet Mock-Up Is Shiny, iPhone-y [Apple]

from Gizmodo by Matt Buchanan

Aesthetically, Factory Joe's "iPad Touch" tablet mockup doesn't wholly differ from the pretty slick one our own Jesus Diaz conjured with his magic Photoshop fingers, but it does ratchet up the iPhone design elements. Oh, and MacBook Touch is a much better, if less reflective, name in our book. Another shot after the jump or scope the rest over there. [Factory Joe via Gadget Lab]

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HiveLive’s Social Networking Platform Puts Users in Control

from TechCrunch by Mark Hendrickson

I've covered a lot of white label social networking platforms in my fairly short time here at TechCrunch (see here and here). So when I initially heard of a new platform called HiveLive, which launched Monday at the DeFrag Show in Denver, I expected to see much of the same features that are available elsewhere.

In large part, my expectations were realized - HiveLive is a platform with a lot of standard social networking functionality. However, it also has some unique capabilities that organizations ought to note when trying to decide which SaaS platform to go with. These capabilities, in essence, give ordinary users the ability to control the modules deployed within a social network.

Social networks often incorporate many Web 2.0 tools that could stand alone elsewhere, such as blogs, forums, and wikis. With most platforms, the network administrator determines how these tools are deployed on the site: drop in a forum here, add a wiki there, and so on. The network users for the most part then have equal access to these predefined areas of interaction.

HiveLive is attempting to mix things up a bit by introducing customizable components they call "Hives". Network users can choose to add their own hives to an existing social network, configure the type of hive (blog, forum, wiki, etc.), and then determine who within the network gets to use them (everyone or just a subset of friends and colleagues). This allows users to stake off their own areas of interaction and undergo activities from there.

Want to join with friends to run a blog about a shared interest? Create a new blog hive that everyone can see but only a few can edit. Want to collaborate on a project with team members using a wiki? Create a wiki hive that only a few people can access at all. The HiveLive platform is flexible enough so that you don't even have to create a hive that's easily categorized. If you just want to share a string of items with friends, you can create a blog-like page with a variety of data types. Users can also create their own hives by copying other hives with a few clicks of the button.

HiveLive was self-funded for its first couple of years but raised $1.6M from institutional angels towards the end of 2006. They're calling their product the "LiveConnect Community Platform."

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Airbox CM3 Turns Your Car Into a 100MPH Hotspot [Wireless]

from Gizmodo by Sean Fallon

The new Airbox CM3 mobile router allows devices like PDAs, laptops, and gaming consoles to be simultaneously connected to the internet in a moving vehicle via Wi-Fi or one of two Ethernet jacks —no additional software or PCMCIA cards required. When connected to a 3G digital cellular telephone network (generally EV-DO), speeds average out at 400-800 Kbps with bursts up to 2.4 Mbps. When no 3G signals are available, the Airbox will switch to 2G and average speeds of 120 Kbps. According to product tests, the wireless range extends up to 300 feet and the connection has proven reliable —even when traveling at 100 mph.

As you might have guessed, the Airbox is powered by a car cigarette lighter, but what is really interesting is the compact size. The weight is comparable to a paperback book, and the dimensions are small enough to place it under a car seat. You can even take it indoors and connect it to a standard electrical socket for home use. Available for a whopping $499 (cellular data plan required.) [WAAV via Gizmag]

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