Amazon has reported that Windows 7, which comes out tomorrow, has become the “biggest grossing pre-order product of all time in the UK,” according to V3:

Windows 7 has overtaken Harry Potter novels and the Nintendo Wii to become the biggest grossing pre-order product of all time in the UK, according to e-commerce giant Amazon.

“The launch of Windows 7 has superseded everyone’s expectations, storming ahead of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the biggest grossing pre-order product of all-time at Amazon.co.uk, and demand is still going strong, ” said Amazon.co.uk managing director Brian McBride.

Windows 7 shows promise in living up to the hype. Too bad it took a crappy precursor (Vista) to help generate current demand.

TechCrunch reports that Google will soon launch a new music service. As of yet, they don’t have many details of what Google Music (or Google Audio?) will look like:

Google will soon launch a music service, we’ve heard from multiple sources, and the company has spent the last several weeks securing content for the launch of the service from the major music labels. One source has referred to the new service as Google Audio.

This new service will be available for at least U.S. users, our sources confirm, although it isn’t clear if it’s a download or streaming service, or both. Google already has a decent (if little used) music search engine that can be accessed by simply typing “music:” before a query (example). But songs are not available for streaming or download from those searches.

Is Google going to try to take on iTunes? And Spotify? It’s nice to see more competition in this space.

Wal-Mart announced yesterday that it would begin selling no-contract cellphone plans. The Street has the details:

Straight Talk, which is a partnership with TracFone, a unit of America Movil(AMX Quote), will offer two plans for either $30 or $45 a month and will be available at more than 3,200 Wal-Mart locations starting on Oct. 18.

Retailers like Best Buy (BBY Quote) also offer no-contract cell phones in stores.

Finland has become the first country in the world to guarantee its citizens access to broadband. TechCrunch has more:

Starting July 2010, every person in Finland will have the right to a one-megabit broadband connection as an intermediate step, says the Ministry of Transport and Communications. By the end of 2015, the legal right will be extended to an impressive 100 Mb broadband connection for everyone.

According to Wikipedia, approximately 79 percent of the Finnish population use the Internet. Finland had around 1.52 million broadband Internet connections by the end of June 2007 or around 287 per 1,000 inhabitants.

This doesn’t mean Finland is offering free Internet access to everyone. Rather, it is ensuring that its network is accessible to all citizens. From the Finnish government site:

The distance from the subscriber to the nearest optical fibre or cable network should be at most two kilometres.

The user will still procure and pay the costs of their subscriber connection in the future, and also decide on the speed and technology they want for the connection. To promote equality among citizens, a domestic help credit will be extended to citizens in 2009.

Gibbs Technologies brings you one step closer to living like James Bond. That’s not their tag line–they promote themselves more discreetly than that. But when you tear up the highway in your sports car, drive it into the water, flick a switch, and glide down a river, perhaps stopping to wave at passing gawkers, you know it inside: You are 007.

Gibbs calls it High Speed Amphibian technology (HSA). We call game-changing fun. Gibbs’ HSA vehicles include the Aquada, a sports car that converts into a speedboat; the Quadksi, a quad/jetski combo, and the Humdinga, a Hummer-like 4WD vehicle that cruises on land and water. Their patented technology, which took more than a decade to develop, can also be licensed to turn any car into an amphibian.

New Zealand business tycoon Alan Gibbs first tried the concept in 1995. Several years later, multitalented automotive engineer Neil Jenkins partnered with Gibbs to perfect the vehicles’ engineering. Jenkins assembled a group of engineers who, with Gibbs, mastered the design of what will likely become the world’s first mass-production amphibious vehicles.

Jenkins is now the Chairman of Gibbs Technologies. Business Pundit caught up with him to explore the business behind Gibbs’ groundbreaking inventions. (Read more about the vehicles’ fascinating technology here.)

BP: Why has it taken your products so long to hit the market?

Jenkins: Several reasons. First, until Gibbs Technology came along, an awful lot of people tried to do what we do, and failed completely and utterly.

In fact, the US government gave General Dynamics millions to do what we do, build an expeditionary amphibious vehicle. They have not performed that well, to our knowledge so far, and that’s because it is extremely difficult to do. As an engineering challenge, you are right at the limit of knowledge and of technology, so it’s a very difficult task.

The first 3-4 years were us trying to work out the science behind what we needed to do. Once we had finished all the solutions we needed, we spent a couple of years working on the product design, because there’s no better way to test engineering in action than putting them into reality. That took us a few years.

In 2003 I think it was, we had a press release of the technology and showed the Aquada for the first time. We were looking to put that into low-volume production at the end of 2004.

Unfortunately, our engine supplier at the time, Britain’s Rover, went into bankruptcy, and we lost our engine supplier. We decided that rather than sell any of the 50 vehicles that we made, we would be better served to keep those to ourselves, and search for a new engine, so that we could put a proper product line on the market and not have an interruption in terms of the product’s availability.

Because it takes several years to actually put a new engine in, first find a source of a new engine, then integrate it into the vehicle, and meet the appropriate regulations for emissions and so on, it’s quite a lengthy task.

BP: Who is your civilian target market?

Jenkins: The beauty of our products is that all products we’re working on covers the spectrum of potential consumers. For example, the Quadski, at one end of the scale, is relatively low-cost. It’s for off-road and marine use. That will appeal, I think, to a lot of younger people and sportsmen who want a fun vehicle.

At the other end of the scale, we have first responder vehicles. These are unique vehicles for specific rescue applications, flood rescue, and that sort of thing. They will look expensive to the man in the street, but to the first responder community, they will represent great value for the money.

At the moment, if there is a flood rescue issue, those guys have to mobilize trucks, boats, helicopters, all sorts of things, in order to rescue people. With our technology, they will be able to leave the fire depot or whatever depot they’re coming from, drive to the area where the service is needed, drive into the water–and if necessary back onto land or into water–to get to the point of need.

Currently, they don’t have a vehicle that does that, so it’ll be a real step forward in rescue vehicles. They’ll be performing rescues on real people in reasonable health rather than recovering bodies.

BP: What market do you think the Gibbs vehicles will affect the most?

Jenkins: We’re not looking at encroaching on any existing market or take any existing market share from anyone. We’re not competing with a car that someone wants to go shopping in, or a sports boat that people only want to use on the weekend. I think it’ll be a completely new way of using transport.

We’re in a completely different class of purchase. We’ll be competing for money against other forms of transport, I guess, but we have such a unique differentiator that we probably won’t be classed in the same way as a car.

For example, if someone wants to do what we do, which is build normal road transport and good water transport, they would have to buy a boat, a trailer, and a truck to tow it all. Launching a boat takes time and skill.

We’re a vehicle where they could combine all three of those items. Instead of having to store one for some of the time, they could buy and use our vehicle very simply. They could go straight from land to water.

(With our vehicles), it takes 5 seconds to transition from a land vehicle into a boat. Once it’s transitioned, it takes 5 seconds or less to be heading out onto (the water), doing 30-35 miles per hour, which is a respectable speed for any motor boat.

BP: Is it legal to drive into a river in most countries?

Jenkins: In most countries, there is nothing to stop you launching a boat in any water, as long as you comply with the laws of the land and the water authority, (although) there are areas where there are some speed restrictions, there are areas protected from navigation.

Generally, you can take almost any of the major cities in the world, including New York, London, Sydney, all sorts of places. There’s nothing that stops you driving down an available ramp and into a river, cut some traffic and get into the water and get out somewhere else.

All you need is the infrastructure to get in and out of the water, which many cities have. I’m not sure about Manhattan, whether that has many boat ramps, but for example, London has many boat ramps on the Thames.

BP: The first phase of the concept was designed in Detroit, if I understand correctly from the Gibbs story. Does that mean that Ford, GM, or Chrysler–or some of their technologies, employees, or know-how–were involved?

Jenkins: The initial concept of the Aquada and really the initial concepts of high-speed amphibians were undertaken in Detroit for around 18 months-2 years, in 1997-98 I think it was, or 98-99.

During that time, we liaised with a lot of the major suppliers and spoke to the Big 3 in terms of looking for engines and drive train components, but we’ve never had a formal relationship with any of those people. We certainly keep a good look out in terms of what they’re working on and what they’re doing, just in case there’s any source of course, but we don’t have a formal relationship, no.

BP: What would your biggest hope for the success of the Gibbs vehicles be?

Jenkins: That’s a difficult question. I think over the past several years, in our work with different groups, including the military and so on, there’s no doubt in my mind that the technology is very useful and provides a completely new dimension to transport.

My hope will be that it doesn’t take a long time for people to recognize that and then start using it. I hope that people are excited by the technology and excited by the opportunity that it affords them in terms of opening up their transport boundaries.

It’s the ultimate off-road vehicle in the sense that you no longer need land. But the primarily it’s a boat that can launch itself and can recover itself. My hope is that the technology is understood and appreciated and that the market develops quickly.

Neil Jenkins’ most recent challenge, at time of writing, has to do with the US regulatory environment. Visit Gibbs Technologies’ website to find out more about their products and upcoming releases.

After nearly two years of selling a Kindle that only works in the US, Amazon has released
an international version of the device. The $280 reader ships on October 19, according to Wired, which has the scoop:

The new version, with the snappy name of “Kindle with US and International Wireless,” will sell for $280 and can be pre-ordered now. The current version will still be for sale, and Amazon is dropping the price from $300 to $260. The bigger Kindle DX is unchanged.

It makes the Kindle a travel guide, too: If you want the lowdown on a Kyoto temple, or are wondering where to get the best fries in Amsterdam, you can download a relevant guide on the spot. And for the first time, the Lonely Planet series will be sold on Kindle, along with the previously available travel books from Frommer, Rick Steves and Michelin. No wonder the Amazon press release has an ecstatic quote from AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson and not a word from Sprint honcho (and vanity TV pitchman) Dan Hesse.

Wired suggests early adopters might be sore about this new development. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos addresses the problem by saying that current Kindle owners, if they’re disappointed with the limits of their devices, give away or sell their old readers.

This new development is a sure winner for Amazon.

Photosketch, a new software program designed in China, allows users to turn simple sketches into customized photographs. Gizmodo has more:

According to authors, their software can take any rough sketch, with the shape of each element labeled with its name, find images corresponding to each drawn element, judge which are a better match to the shapes, and then seamlessly merge it all into one single image.

PhotoSketch’s blending algorithm analyzes each of these images, compares them with each other, and decides which are better for the blending process. It automatically traces and places them into a single photograph, matching the scene, and adding shadows. Of course, the results are less than perfect, but they are good enough.

The program heralds supreme possibilities for fun, like sticking celebrity heads where they don’t belong, and compiling photos from bits of copyrighted images. I can see a storm of copyright issues riding Photosketch’s tailcoats if the program gets widespread use.

Tomorrow, Google will release the much-anticipated Google Wave, an innovative new communications platform. Mashable goes into depth about what Wave is, and also how it can change business. Ben Parr’s article on Wave’s game-changing features includes some benefits for business:

Drag-and-drop file uploads: (These) make Google Wave not only a communication platform, but a useful project management system. Companies could use Google Wave as their communication and file-sharing platform. Combined with Wave Extensions, you could build an entire project management platform and time management system better than anything on the market.

Playback: Playback clarifies any conversation and makes it simple to get anyone up-to-speed. Instead of “check your email,” it will become “just playback the wave” and you will have all the information that you need. You could get someone up-to-speed within minutes, rather than hours.

For more details on each feature, see Ben’s post.

Wave launches tomorrow for 100,000 invitees. Not having reviewed it myself, it sounds mainly like a major time and resource saver for businesses. I look forward to seeing if/how companies can use it to revolutionize processes, and whether it has potential to foster any new industry niches.

Last night, Microsoft revealed details of Courier, its new tablet prototype. The dual-screen device comes with a stylus and a hinge, making old-school day planners look primordial. PCWorld has more on this potentially revolutionary business tablet:

It’s not clear whether Courier will ever hit store shelves, as the device is just one of many tablet prototypes that Microsoft is developing, according to a CNET report. Nevertheless, with rumors swirling about an Apple tablet, and Courier’s similarity to Asus’ upcoming E-reader/netbook, it looks like the tablet concept could turn out be popular after all.

Courier is for those who want a smartly designed day planner that will probably be able to do other things like play videos and run other entertainment applications, just like a smartphone can.

MarketRiders, an online investment service that promotes proper asset allocation and low fees, wants to be the electronic answer to the financial advice industry.

For a small fee, MarketRiders’ software will generate customized asset allocation recommendations. By cutting out the middleman, MarketRiders has potential to offer returns similar to existing fund managers’, but without the hefty fees.

When you sign up, its investment engine, called E.Adviser, asks you several questions about your investment time horizon and risk tolerance. It then generates asset allocation recommendations based on your answers. Once you trade, E.Adviser tracks your progress and lets you know when to rebalance. The service costs $9.95/month, far less than a comparable suite of mutual funds.

The MarketRiders website explains the problem:

According to Morningstar, only 14% of the top 100 mutual fund managers in a given year were able to repeat their performance the following year. Over a five year period, 97% of the professional money managers underperform their index after fees and taxes! There’s probably not an industry that is so overpaid for providing so little.

The financial industry’s abuse of the individual investor is part of what is causing a crisis in many American households today. Offended by this, Mitch, Steve and Ryan created MarketRiders.

TechCrunch has more on why MarketRiders was founded:

Mitch Tuchman, the founder of MarketRiders and a former hedge fund manager, studied the investment strategies of big university endowments like Yale’s. He learned that 80 to 90 percent of returns within any given year come from being in the right asset class (stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, emerging markets), not from stock picking or market timing. The trick to steady returns is to try to mimic the market, not beat it, through exposure to broad asset classes. “Wall Street is the biggest fleecing machine in the world,” says Tuchman. “It is selling investors on the idea that if you give this manager money he will give you a better return than the market.”

A better strategy, he thinks, is simply to buy a variety of exchange-traded funds which index different markets and then periodically re-balance your portfolio.

The catch? E.Adviser only generates ETF portfolios. MarketRiders targets passive, risk-averse investors with $50,000 or more to put into the market. Why does the service only give specific tips on how to diversify within one type of fund? Most ETFs are cheap and relatively safe, but not foolproof.

I would be more interested in MarketRiders if it recommended a broader range of investment types. I would also be more convinced of its potential to replace human advisors if it wasn’t stuck on one type of fund. I wonder whether its target market has the same kinds of concerns, or whether they are so passive that they don’t think about ETFs’ potential limitations.

Do you think that as a business, MarketRiders is onto something? Do they need to expand their services, or are they targeting a lucrative niche with their strategy? Or are they just another computational flavor in an ever-expanding market?