Gadget Links: Alleged-Roach Motel Edition

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iPhone – the roach motel business model on Boing Boing: “Lock-in isn’t good for you. Does anyone really believe that Apple will make better products if its customers aren’t free to switch to a competitor? Or that Cingular’s network and pricing will be improved by lock-in?” The article claims that iTunes digital rights management, a subscriber lock forcing you to keep using Cingular service indefinitely, and a prohibition on installing third-party software on the iPhone will all lead to a less than satisfying user experience.

I doubt that third-party software will be totally prohibited, but wonder what it will take to get an application or a widget for the iPhone certified.
Nike+iPod Dissection on Sparkfun.com: “The Nike+iPod is not RFID or any form of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) much to the chagrin of news reporters. While the foot pod does transmit a unique ID, it transmits this information actively in the 2.4GHz band. The foot pod transmits a ‘hello world I am XYZ’ in very short bursts (less than 0.0001 second per broadcast) on one of 80 available channels every time the user takes a step. This active signal can travel as far as 40-60ft (we don’t really care to test the range). The publicly available RFID tags operate in the 125kHz or the 13MHz band and are often passive (requiring the tag to be within a few inches of a RFID ‘reader’). The Nike+iPod technology is very different from true RFID systems.” [ via Makezine.com/blog ]
All Access: Comcast Center on Phillyist.com: Photos of the partially-completed Comcast Center, a 57-floor skyscraper that will supposedly be the tallest building between New York and Chicago when it’s completed in late-2007.