Reuters - Europe's heritage went digital Thursday when the European Union launched an online library putting famous works such as Dante's Divine Comedy and Beethoven's 9th Symphony just a mouse click away.

In their own words

“Joggle is the easiest way to see, manage, and publish all of your digital content. Whether you want the convenience of updating multiple websites, blogs or social networks at once, or you prefer to just share your content with select family or friends, Joggle is designed by a team of dedicated developers who are constantly thinking of better ways to help you manage your stuff, ways that save you and your friends time and hassle.”

What it does

Joggle is a web-service that will let you manage your digital contents with a minimum of hassle. This solution has just moved into public beta, and you can create an account at the site easily and obtain access to a space for mixing and sharing your digital assets as you see fit.

Once you have created an account, the first thing you will see upon logging in is the dashboard. This panel acts as the tool that will enable you to carry out all the abovementioned operations, as well as managing your profile and see how much webspace you have available.

The Dashboard itself gives you centralized access to your media, no matter where it is located – you can access media on your webspace, and also media that is located at websites such as Flickr et al.

You can then modify and share your media at your heart’s content, and upload it everywhere at the same time, or share it privately with members of your family and acquaintances.

Taking into account the ever-widening number of social sites on offer and the amount of media available all over the Internet, there is always room for solutions like this one. You can sign up for free and see if it is right for you or not at beta.joggle.com.

Some questions

Is it free?

Why it might be a killer

There is a ready market for applications that make the social experience a more ordered and organized one.

Link: http://beta.joggle.com
Our Review: http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/beta-joggle-com-manage-digital-contents-easily

 

What better time than now to bring back the pocket paperback? People have no money to spend on hardcovers, and even the full-sized trade paperbacks are a pricey, given the economic times. There are also strong trends in our society that encourage less waste and the downsizing of our myriad possessions. A return of those classic 6 3/4 inch by 4 1/2 inch volumes, now all but extinct, save for in a few genres and in used book stores, could save paper and space and entice younger readers for whom $25 for a hardcover and $14 for a paperback is too much money to risk.

I've written in the past that books are too big -- not too long, but too bulky and heavy and expensive -- and pined for a return of the pocket paperback, so that carrying a book with you didn't feel like such a chore. A combination of factors led to the demise of the pocket paperbacks that were prevalent in the middle part of the 20th century. These pocket paperbacks had been sold at newsstands and drugstores rather than bookstores, but as these venues stopped selling books, the pocket paperback market shrunk. Around the same time, a wave of consolidation hit the alternative book distribution network that had sprung up around these pocket editions, shrinking the number of books available, and consolidation among publishers folded the purveyors of the pocket editions into larger publishing conglomerates built on a different business model. Finally, the introduction of the trade paperback -- the larger paperbacks prevalent today -- squeezed the pocket edition out of the publishing equation except in a few genres -- romances and mysteries -- that still cling to the similarly-sized mass market format (which you can still see at grocery stores and in airports).

But perhaps the pendulum will swing back towards pocket editions again. HarperPerennial recently introduced the Olive Editions collection. According to the marketing material, "they fit in your back pocket and only cost ten bucks each." (And eight bucks on Amazon). So far the line includes three titles, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon, The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, and Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. At 7 inches by 4 1/2 inches, they are a touch larger than the pocket paperbacks you see in used bookstores, and while their cover design is smart looking, they are not as inviting as the pulpy art that used to emblazon even the classics. Nonetheless, they represent a smart move by HarperCollins, and one hopes that they will announce more titles in this format and that other publishers will follow suit.

A full-fledged return of pocket paperbacks would be surprising, however, as ultimately it seems likely that an even smaller format will take center stage, a format that is indeed infinitesimal. With hardware innovations driven by Amazon's Kindle and perhaps Apple and Sony as well, reading on these devices will become more palatable for a larger percentage of readers. Selection of titles will improve and developments like Google's recent deal with publishers will further expand the availability of titles in digital formats.

Like many other sectors of the economy, the publishing industry is likely to face serious challenges over the coming year. The silver lining of course, is that this may drive innovation. New formats (digital and tangible) created now may entice a new generation of readers down the road.

When I was growing up I thought all faucets were going to be like this—all digital, electronic thermostat and sleekly mysterious. Nope: 99% of faucets I use are still the old twist'n'turn and get the bath-temperature wrong variety. Perhaps it's because designs like this one from Italian makers Treemme are slightly impractical: it requires its own largeish mounting shelf, with built-in digital display. Perhaps its because I don't have the big piles of money required to have a designer bathroom. Perhaps its because with that particular sink it looks a lot like a urinal. [Trendir via Craziest Gadgets]

Forensic specialists can now pinpoint the exact make and model of a camera simply by analyzing the pixels in digital photos. This technique would be useful in the future for tracking down criminals, such as kidnappers who've leaked photos of their hostages to the media. Read on to find out how it works.

When a digital camera captures a photo, the camera creates each pixel using a charge-coupled device—a microchip that is made up of millions of capacitors that get electrical charges depending on how intense the lighting is in a certain spot. Each of these capacitors has a lens and a color filter that creates one single pixel from a mosaic made up of red, green and blue filters.

The colors and brightness levels that we can physically see in our digital pictures are created by a demosaicing software, which is custom built for every camera model due to each camera's individual specs and subtle differences. Because of this, a certain camera model will generate distinct pixels—and unique relationships between its neighboring pixels—which can pinpoint the exact make and model of the camera.

Knowing this information could greatly help forensics teams since each digital camera has a shelf life of about 18 months, which would significantly narrow the pool of where and when it was sold. Although it is not perfect, early tests have shown this technique has proven to be 90 percent accurate, which is still an A in my book! [New Scientist via Slashdot]

Companies that aren't Canon or Nikon have it rough in the digital camera market—particularly outside the cheap point-and-shoot area. Some band together for strength in numbers, creating cooperative standards like Panasonic, Olympus and Leica's new Micro Four Thirds system—a spec for smaller cameras with digital viewfinders like a compact, but interchangeable lenses, manual controls and higher performance like a DSLR. We tested Panasonic's 13-megapixel Lumix G1, paying close attention to the fact that it's the first contender in a totally new camera category and—like that other G1, the Android smartphone—it sets the stage for what's to come.

There is a single photo that you should think long and hard about before deciding whether to plunk down $800 for the G1. And oddly enough, it wasn't even shot with the camera itself. Want to see it?

Yeah, there it is—the G1 posing next to my Canon Rebel XT. As you can see, for all practical purposes, they are the same size and shape. The G1 is smaller by a hair, but unless you're carrying both at the exact same time, it's a difference you would never, ever think about. This seemingly small fact completely undermines the system's potential to set itself apart from the big boys' entry-level DSLRs, which are the G1's direct competitors whether Panasonic likes it or not. The G1 fails to deliver on Micro Four Thirds' potential to produce cameras with small, unique form factors—those Leica-style "digital rangefinders" we pined for when the system was announced—that could be very worthy of your consideration. For now, an entry level Canon or Nikon DSLR is a better bet, coming in with humongous lens and accessory systems and lower price tags.

The thing is, a Micro Four Thirds camera doesn't have to look like a conventional DSLR. There is no pentaprism, which allows for a direct through-the-lens viewfinder in a DSLR and is responsible for the traditional bulge up top. There is no long legacy of lenses and hardware that dictate how the camera body should be formed. But there the G1 is, with its faux prism bulge and totally traditional DSLR shape.

Panasonic apparently chose this route to drive home the fact that the G1 is a serious camera, not just a gussied-up point-and-shoot. I guess that makes some logical sense for a minute, but for people who buy an $800 camera based on more criteria than just the way the body looks (read: most), it will probably prove to be a fatal mistake. Which is too bad, because when form factor is ruled out, Micro Four Thirds' unique characteristics show a lot of potential for greatness. Let's look at those.

Live Viewfinder
When you look through the G1's viewfinder, you see a digital image of the sensor's live view output. Generally this is a really terrible way to compose a photograph, but the G1's is actually really usable. It's not jerky at all in good light (it does tend to slow down in low-light, though), and it's sharp, bright and clear for focusing thanks to a resolution of 1,440,000 dots. It's the best digital viewfinder I've ever used personally.

For auto focus, the G1 uses a 23-area contrast-based system, again because there is no mirror to reflect light to a dedicated AF sensor found in most DSLRs (contrast detection is also occasionally used by DSLRs when they're in live view or video capture mode). It tended to work well in good light and in bad. Manual focus is also possible, but a zoomed-in view PIP-style—like many DSLRs have—would have been nice.

There is a dedicated button for switching between the digital viewfinder and the LCD, which you can swivel out from the camera's back. There's a sensor next to the viewfinder that automatically switches between the two depending on where your face is.

The Sensor
Micro Four Thirds (like the Four Thirds true-DSLR system that came before it) gets its name from the 4:3 aspect ratio of its 13-megapixel "Live MOS" sensor. The sensor is basically a hybrid compact/DSLR type—the 4:3 aspect ratio is more common in compacts (although you can set the aspect ratio to the more traditional DSLR standard 3:2 easily), but the sensor's physical size is more on par with the APS-C sensors found in low-end DSLRs. That's a good thing, because a bigger sensor always equals less noise at high ISO sensitivities, more control over limited depth of field, and better image quality all around. That's why the prospect of a truly compact camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor is so exciting.

As you can see, though, with the lens removed the sensor is directly exposed to the elements. If you have an industrial grade clean room in your house, I would advise changing lenses in there. Dust spots on your sensor are the worst.

Interchangeable Lenses
Right now there are only two Micro Four Thirds lenses: The 14-45mm/F3.5-5.6 kit lens and a 45-200mm/F4.0-5.6 telephoto zoom. Thankfully, you can mate the G1 with the larger selection of standard Four Thirds lenses via an adapter (which includes some nice high-end Leica glass). Here you see a Lumix/Leica 14-40mm mounted.

Controls
Controls and menus are generally well thought out. There's a bunch of flexibility built in here—from the customizable ISO intervals (full or 1/3 stop) to the handy Quick Menu—which lets you access just about all of the basic shooting functions from within the viewfinder without diving into a menu.

Mad props for the clickable main scroll wheel. I don't know if this is standard on Panasonic's other performance cameras, but it's incredibly helpful—a single press cycles between controlling the aperture or shutter speed (depending on your mode) to setting a quick exposure compensation or going between shutter and aperture in full manual mode, all with a single wheel. Nice.

I can easily live with the annoyances noted above, balanced as they are by the niceties I also mentioned. However, the G1 does have three drawbacks that, when considered with the baffling form factor decision, are dealbreakers:

ISO Noise
Noise levels are not great. Here you can see a progression of shots from ISO 100 to ISO 3200. As you can see, ISO 3200 is pretty useless:

And here, a quick and dirty crop comparison with a Rebel XT (which is three generations old, keep in mind) at ISO 1600 (the XT's max). Even my three-year-old Rebel does better at ISO 1600. The Micro Four Thirds sensor is large, but it's still smaller than APS-C and not as adept at handling noise as Canon or Nikon sensors, which get trickle-down sensor tech from noise-busting high-end cameras.

No Video
This makes absolutely no sense: The G1 does not have a video capture mode, even though all the challenges of recording video on a DSLR are completely non-existent here. Panasonic has said that its future Micro Four Thirds cams will have HD video. This is precisely where the system has a natural leg-up on entry-level DSLRs and it's a shame—perhaps a fatal omission—that the G1 couldn't take part.

Cost
Panasonic G1 with 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens: $799
Canon EOS Rebel XSi with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens: $669
Nikon D60 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens: $599
As long as that's the competitive landscape, the G1 has no chance.

Conclusion
I am optimistic about Micro Four Thirds, but there's just no reason anyone should buy a G1. Less money could get you a real DSLR that is, for all practical purposes, the same size. The G1's digital viewfinder is excellent, but it's no comparison to looking at the real world as you shoot. Factor in the G1's relatively poor high-ISO performance and tiny lens selection and it's a no brainer.

All is not lost for Micro Four Thirds. Remember Sigma's DP-1, the super-compact, rangefinder-looking point-and-shoot that packed a DSLR-sized sensor and manual controls? Micro Four Thirds could add to that paradigm a great electronic viewfinder and a system of interchangeable lenses. How about a Leica M-looking body with a few interchangeable prime (not zoom) lenses? What about using tons of legacy Leica lenses via a rumored M-mount adapter, in addition to the Leica (non-Micro) Four Thirds lenses that already exist? Sign me up for that any day. There is hope that a remedy is coming soon, as Olympus, Panasonic's partner in this endeavor, will unveil its Micro Four Thirds camera early next year. For now, though, it's back to the drawing board for Panasonic, and back to DSLRs for me.

Test Shots
All full-resolution shots straight from the camera with no cropping or processing.

The idea of a completely wireless world keeps getting closer and closer to a reality. The latest step in this evolution is the ability to transfer photos and videos from your digital camera to your computer or even to photo sharing sites like Flickr and Facebook. No USB cable or card reader needed.

Luckily, you probably don’t need to replace your digital camera to get this amazing functionality.
Thanks to the Eye-Fi Wireless Memory Card, any digital camera that uses an SD card can become Wi-Fi enabled.

After a short configuration process, the Eye-Fi memory card will automatically upload your photos to your computer or a favorite photo sharing website. This can take place through your home or office’s wireless network or from anywhere internet access is available. As in this real life example, the photo transfer could take place even after the camera is lost or stolen.

The uses for this technology in the real estate industry are endless:

• Photos of a new listing could be transmitted back to the office for marketing pieces to be started on immediately.
• Make the digital photography easier for those real estate agents with an aversion to technology.
• Community focused bloggers, share photos quickly by posting to Flickr or any of more the 20 photo sharing sites.
• Not remember where a photo was from or what house it was in? Automatic Geotagging of photos will provide a quick answer to where the photo was taken at.

Eye-Fi Wireless Memory Card models range in price from $80 to $130 for 2-4 GB of storage. This is a lot costlier than a $20 standard 2GB SD card. If convenience and ease of use are important to you and your real estate business, the investment could be well worth it.

Other posts you may enjoy:

• No related posts.

Our ongoing conversation about technology and urban spaces continues, with long-time CNET editor Matt Elliott joining us to discuss slumping e-commerce sales, the new high-tech Yankee Stadium, and competing plans for adding GPS and Wi-Fi to mass transit systems.
Listen now: Download today's podcast

---

Originally posted at Digital City Podcast

Looks like digital photo frames are beginning to move from nice-to-haves to actually quite useful: Skyla's Memoir photo frame has an in-built 600dpi scanner so it'll digitize your hardcopy photo archive for you. It's got a 1GB memory, apparently good for about 200 4 x 6-inch prints (the maximum size the scanner can take). Plus it's a respectable 800 x 600-pixel 4:3 ratio screen, and has two USB ports so you can sync the frame to your PC and plug in flash drives and the like. Not too shabby at all for $220 when it comes out in December. [GearLog via OhGizmo]

What’s in store for PR’s future, and how does it relate to Digital Advertising?

At the AdRevenue08 Conference on Friday November 14, I was able to catch up with PR executives from Horn Group. The following is my interview with Ben Billingsley, Managing Director (New York), and Martha Feingold, Vice President and Media Director (San Francisco).

Corbis

Marissa Louie: At the first conference panel, I asked the leading ad network executives what they thought was in store over the next 5-10 years for the online advertising industry. The consensus was that there would be a trend towards media becoming more addressable and efficient. In that light, what do you think is the future of PR as it relates to digital advertising?

Martha Feingold: If you look at it from a micro perspective, the PR landscape changes every 6 to 12 months. Over the next 5-10 years, we’ll tackle how to blend into the conversation. We’ll tackle how to help companies communicate.

Ben Billingsley: As all media becomes social, we’re going to have to change from being information gatekeepers to becoming information brokers. As more media becomes digital, media becomes more quantifiable.

ML: How have you seen PR change recently?

BB: PR no longer stands for Public Relations. It now stands for Public Relationships. Still, the objective is the influence opinions and engage in conversations.

ML: How do you capitalize on the Web 3.0 (Semantic Web / Intelligent Web), and tie it into your PR efforts? As PR is so much about communication.

BB: This is a question we’ll tackle and stay on top of as the new technology is rolled out.

MF: Everything has evolved so much over the past 2 years that we’re really just keeping up with that.

ML: At the conference, I pointed out that data collection and management is essential for digital advertising strategies. How do you take advantage of data collection and management in PR?

MF: PR 2.0 is about managing customer relationships and data trends. PR is continuing to find ways to manage those two modalities. I agree that data collection and management is becoming increasingly important.

ML: Why are data collection and management important to you?

BB: It gives you a share of voice. In a digital world, the ability to think analytically is very important.

ML: Which tools do you use for data tracking?

BB: We use Omniture and Google Analytics as our basic tools to measure influence, plus a few other additional niche tools for data collection. We’re also using various different tools to manage.

ML: Which metrics do you use? What matters most?

MF: It’s much easier to figure out the reach of traditional media than the reach of social media. Essentially, the formula for calculating reach is:
Reach = (how many times you were mentioned) * (audience reach of the media, i.e. subscription base)

BB: It’s about thinking about your business strategy and mapping it back to your PR strategy. Develop communications to map between them.

ML: What do you think of the AdRevenue08 conference today? What objectives did it accomplish?

BB: It helped create thought leadership, incorporated the ad optimization category, and helped define the current online advertising ecosystem.

MF: I think there was a lot of concern in the economy with online advertising and what’s going to happen in the first half of next year. It clarified the difference between different players in the online ad industry. Overall, I think the industry is going to continue to head in a positive direction after a few bumps in the road.

ML: Thanks, guys!

NOTE: For more on the future of PR and communications, I also recommend reading PR 2.0 by Brian Solis of FutureWorks PR. Check out his innovative formula that calculates the allocation of resources (time, personnel, budget) to conversations in The Essential Guide to Social Media. He also defines action items for leading companies into future of integrated communications in The Social Media Manifesto.

Marissa Louie is the Founder and CEO of AD Village (http://ad-village.com) which helps bloggers monetize and advertisers optimize. Her previous entries include The Wheels of Viral Marketing, 10 Types of Ad Targeting, and 10+ Funniest Angel and VC Blog Posts. She also announces Entrepreneur 2 Entrepreneur office hours via Twitter.

Everything is fine. Just fine. [Reuters via digg and Getty Images]

Losing a cellphone, for many, is a horrendous nightmare. Contacts are lost and a lack of communication ensues. Since cell phones keep one in contact with the rest of the world, they tend to become an extension of the individual.

This post was sponsored by CEA’s Digital TV: Convert Now! contest

The folks at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) know that the switch from analog TV to digital will be a bit tricky for some people, and so as a plan to help out with getting the word out, they’ve launched a YouTube contest to help drive awareness and promote converting from old analog TV sets to digital before the February 17th deadline.

The Contest

Make a video no longer than 3 minutes in length that helps family and friends understand how and why they need to convert. The theme of the contest is: “Digital TV: Convert Now!” (The exclamation point makes me want to convert, and I already have a digital TV).

Country band Whiskey Falls (not to be confused with Jason Falls) created a video (no embed code) to talk about the conversion and give you more info on the contest.

Want to know what you win?

According to the information I have:

One grand prize winner will receive a home entertainment center including a flat screen high-definition TV, a Blu-ray disc player and a surround sound audio system. The grand prize-winning entry will be announced on December 10, 2008.

Contest Ends December 10th

So, it looks like a chance to swoosh in, make a video that’s helpful to others, and get the chance to win some decent loot.

Maybe Steve Garfield will lob an entry or two their way. I don’t think of Steve as a contest kind of guy, but he’s definitely a video guy and an educator.

Three Ways to Convert

For those wondering what happens in February in the US, all the analog signals that power most typical TV sets will go dark on February 17th, 2009 (or that’s the plan at present.) At that point, people will need to have done one of three things:

• Buy a new TV with built-in digital tuner;
• Purchase an affordable digital TV converter box to receive over-the-air digital TV signals and convert them for analog TV viewing or;
• Subscribe to a pay TV service like cable or satellite.

So, if you want a shot at winning some mega gear, swing by the YouTube channel and watch the Whiskey Falls video.

Full details of the contest are here

————————-

We now return you to our regularly scheduled [chrisbrogan.com] content. This was my first ever sponsored content. What do you think? Was it clearly marked? Was it offensive?

The egnimatic company responsible for the RED One high definition digital "cinema" camera looks to leave the likes of Sony, Panasonic, Canon, and even Nikon running around looking for a clean pair of shorts.

Read More...

Digital Angel, a leader in animal RFID and emergency identification solutions, announced today that it has entered into a set of agreements to sell its approximately 45% stake in VeriChip for about $1.57 million in cash.

Digital Angel sold all of its VeriChip stock, approximately 5.4 million shares, to R&R Consulting Partners, a company controlled by Scott Silverman. Further details of the transactions are set forth in the Company’s Form 8-K filing.

According to Joseph Grillo, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Angel, “The completion of these transactions represents a major milestone for Digital Angel, enabling us to monetize our VeriChip holdings and to entirely divest ourselves of participation in a development stage business that, we believe, was going to require substantial investment to achieve success. We remain committed to our two core businesses, Animal ID and Emergency ID, and we look forward to devoting all of our resources towards the growth of those businesses.”

Digital Angel (wikipedia) makes pet RFID products using its patented, FDA-approved implantable microchip for livestock identification and tracking using visual and RFID ear tags as well as and GPS search and rescue gear for use on aircraft, ships and boats, and by adventure enthusiasts.

VeriChip (wikipedia) developed the world’s first and only patented, FDA-cleared, human-implantable RFID microchip. Destron Fearing initially developed the technology for the VeriChip.

Destron Fearing, a subsidiary of Applied Digital Solutions, developed the human-implantable RFID microchip. It’s about twice the length of a grain of rice, and is typically implanted above the triceps area of an individual’s right arm. Once scanned at the proper frequency, the VeriChip responds with a unique 16 digit number which could be then linked with information about the user held on a database for identity verification, medical records access and other uses.

Contactless smart cards communicate with card readers through RFID induction. These cards require only close proximity to an antenna to complete a transaction. They are often used on mass transit systems, where smart cards can be used without even removing them from a wallet.

In related news, Fujitsu has announced a mobile medical companion, the touchscreen ESPRIMO MA Tablet PC. Fanless, and capable of being entirely sterilized, the ESPRIMO MA has a 10.4-inch display, integrated UMTS 3G and WiFi n, together with barcode and RFID readers.

It uses an Intel Atom processor and has a hot-swap battery bay capable of offering full-day power. As well as the data encryption, there’s also a physical lock which can fix the tablet into its docking station. An integrated digital camera, RFID transponder and Bluetooth round out the specs.

Intel says it’s commited to medical technology with embedded hardware building blocks and an extensive software base. Their Intel Health Guide is a care management tool designed for health care professionals who manage patients with chronic conditions.

In January, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the “final rule” on REAL ID Act, describing the requirements and procedures for transforming state ID cards into REAL IDs with embedded RFID chips (realnightmare.org).

Many states and their representatives are starting to question whether they want to be a part of this whole Real ID thing after all.

As far back as 2003, CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) — along with the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, and 40 other leading privacy and civil liberties advocates and organizations have condemned the tracking of human beings with RFID as inappropriate. Industry trades include: RFID News, RFID Journal and RFID.org.

Related RFID stories on Dailywireless include; Tracking al-Qaeda, Swallowing RFID for Science, Tracking Soldiers, Mapping Relief, Sensor Nets Launch, Wildfire, NETGuard Mobilizes, Emergency Communications Applications, RFID Broken?, RFID “skimming” a Felony, Integrated RF-ID Tracking,

Headphones will work with any digital optical output on any device form game consoles to DVD players and computers.

Read More...

From acquisition strategy and customer insight, to global marketing and online visibility, iCrossing’s Great Finds digital marketing blog covers it all. Check out our search engine advertising blog and find out the latest industry buzz.

Saved By: Chris Saad | View Details | Give Thanks

Tags: dataportability, apml

Paidcontent.com pointed out that the New Yorker has unveiled a new digital edition of the magazine. It's basically a replica of the magazine -- ads, cartoons, and everything -- that you can "page through" using a special interface. This is pretty nifty and probably useful for New Yorker obsessives who want to get the full New Yorker experience at work without having the magazine in plain view, but what's really cool is that if you sign up, you get every issue going all the way back to 1925 in this format. In addition, you get the digital edition first thing on Monday, so you don't have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday for the magazine to show up in the mail.

Subscribers can set it up here. It's a little confusing. Once you've logged in, there's a link at the lower right to activate the digital edition site. You need to go through a couple more prompts (they email you a password) and then you have full access. Non-subscribers can try it out free for four weeks here.

The Japanese game maker adds features to position its popular two-screen handheld for the coming digital distribution revolution.

Longtime Microsoft exec Yusuf Mehdi (pictured here) is taking over a big part of Microsoft’s online services portfolio–including marketing, online audience business development and product management for MSN and the search properties.

But Microsoft (MSFT) has yet to name an overall digital head for these online properties, which has been promised by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer since the departure of Kevin Johnson in late July.

Mehdi is essentially getting a part of the portfolio of Microsoft SVP Bill Veghte, who will now be primarily focused on Windows and Windows Live business groups.

Mehdi was previously the SVP for strategic partnerships under Johnson.

He is now part of a troika that includes Brian McAndrews, the SVP for the advertiser and publisher solutions group, and Satya Nadella, the SVP who heads engineering for Microsoft’s search, portal and advertising platform group. (Both are pictured here, left to right.)

Who will lead this three-headed beast is still unknown–both Mehdi and McAndrews have been considered the top internal candidates to lead the online properties group, which has been struggling for direction after Microsoft’s failed takeover of Yahoo (YHOO).

Yahoo’s shares have plummeted in recent days, as Wall Street has been hard hit, closing at just below $17 a share today, with a market cap of almost half of what Microsoft’s initial offer was early this year.

To stir things up and catch archrival Google (GOOG), Ballmer has reportedly been trying to recruit a superstar exec from outside the company, including Silicon Valley, to no avail.