What's new on SlashGear.com |
- George W. Bush Visiting Facebook HQ [LIVE VIDEO]
- iPad Magazine PROJECT to Launch Tomorrow with TRON Legacy Cover Story
- BlackBerry Empathy Concept Device Can Determine Your Mood [Video]
- TRON: Legacy Light Cycle USB Drives Light Up When Connected
- A Week with NOOKcolor: 3rd Party Apps and Final Wrap-Up
- HTC HD7 for T-Mobile Suffering from Death Grip Syndrome [Video]
- Woman Gets Ownership of the Sun Notarized
- Plantronics Plans GAMEFACE Contest for Fabulous Prizes
- Jaguar C-X75 Features Four Electric Motors
- Nintendo Sells 1.5 Million Consoles Over Black Friday Week
- We Need To Talk
- Qriocity Music Bringing Unlimited Music to Sony’s PSP
- 3DTV Sales Better Than HDTV at Same Point in Life Cycle, Analyst Says
- No Windows Phone 7 App Hub royalties until Feb 2011 latest in developer woes
- Electronic Sunglasses Use Glare Shield to Block the Sun
- PC shipment growth downgraded over iPad popularity says Gartner
- Windows Phone 7 private beta group app testing coming to Marketplace
- SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: November 29 2010
- FCC Net Neutrality vote scheduled for December 21?
- Windows Phone 7 outsold by Android 15:1 in UK suggests retailer
- Microsoft Smart TV in negotiations tip insiders
- ASUS Eee Note EA-800 hits Taiwan this week for $228; US debut in Q1 2011
- Blackbox gives MacBook Pro users wood
- Crazy gold watch plays music and costs $1.2M
- OMG…Aliens Pulse Rifle replica from ThinkGeek is epic
- Xperia X8 Android 2.1 update rolling out now
- Gateway EC19C-A52C/S notebook computer hits Japan
- Facebook Skype integration tips “Face me” video chat
- AMOLED panel firms actively developing more capacity
- SlashGear Cyber Monday Round Up
| George W. Bush Visiting Facebook HQ [LIVE VIDEO] Posted: 29 Nov 2010 02:09 PM PST For those of you who read books written by former presidents regularly, you probably know the George W. Bush has a book out at the moment and is touring the country trying to sell it. Today, he’ll be stopping at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto to have a few words with the world. Facebook users will have the opportunity to ask Bush questions – but good luck. This is the first time a U.S. President will appear on Facebook liveCheck out the live feed below.
Be kind, don’t swear, listen to the nice man, etcetera. Also remember that the book this man is promoting is several times proven plagiarized, and that just this past October http://wikileaks.org/ released a large batch of classified US military documents detailing 109,032 deaths in Iraq over a period of six years, “comprised of 66,081 ‘civilians’; 23,984 ‘enemy’ (those labeled as insurgents); 15,196 ‘host nation’ (Iraqi government forces) and 3,771 ‘friendly’ (coalition forces).” The man who was the President of the United States during the time these deaths occurred is now chilling with Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook in Palo Alto. Take that how you will.
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| iPad Magazine PROJECT to Launch Tomorrow with TRON Legacy Cover Story Posted: 29 Nov 2010 12:40 PM PST Last we reported, Richard Branson would be releasing his iPad magazine by the name of “Project” as soon as this week. Turns out that’s pretty much the truth, as word now is that the first issue is due tomorrow (November 30, 2010) or the next day (December 1, 2010 is what the cover appears to read) with a cover featuring none other than Jeff Bridges and a cover story on TRON: Legacy. Take a peek at the teaser video of what appears to be the front of the magazine below, and freak out because it’s no static cover, if you know what I mean.
According to a source speaking with 9 to 5 Mac, this link [right here] is set to send you to the iTunes store where the magazine will be available, and the link will be active tomorrow in the morning (USA morning I would bet.) The cover story’s title reads [BACK IN THE GAME] JEFF BRIDGES REBOOTS TRON. Above that is a Jaguar 205MPH hypercar, a story about the world’s coolest record label being French (I’d bet they’re talking about Ed Banger Records – how much you want to bet? And a story called The Superchef Who Serves Soil.
On the other end there’s a story about searching for Earth 2.0 “Nope, not enough beaches.” A 3d Tour of Secret Tokyo (this could be majorly exciting depending how how well the interactive elements in this magazine work), and along the bottom there’s The World’s Suckiest Ads, The Plan to Nuke Alaska, and The Biometric Wallet. All seems exciting. This magazine promises to deliver Design, Entertainment, Technology, and Entrepreneurs (news for them, news by them, etc.) Exciting! Click here to view the embedded video.    [Via 9 to 5 Mac]
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| BlackBerry Empathy Concept Device Can Determine Your Mood [Video] Posted: 29 Nov 2010 12:37 PM PST Sometimes, the mood you’re in can determine how you use your phone. Who you talk to, text, or even whether or not you browse the Web while you are out and about. And sometimes it can be frustrating that your phone doesn’t feel you. Well, thanks to a pair of designers, that could change some day. This fresh new design for a smartphone, called the BlackBerry Empathy, is designed to not only read your mood, but also react to it.
Daniel Yoon and Kiki Tang are the designers behind the Empathy, and their main focus was a device that not only “feels you” and your emotions, but that can react to them. While you use the device, or interact with it in any way, a biometric ring will tell the device how you’re feeling at any given moment. As it does, the ring will feed the data to the device, and thanks to the transparent OLED display, will be able to change features, as well as details, in real-time, based entirely on your mood. Probably most interesting, despite the fact the whole concept is out-of-this-world intriguing, is the idea that if you know someone else who has the Empathy, you can see on your own device how they are feeling. You can also see the emotion they were feeling before their current state of mind. This will help you gauge what’s going on in that person’s day, and help you determine whether or not you want to talk to them. Check out the video below to see the concept design in action. [via UberGizmo]       
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| TRON: Legacy Light Cycle USB Drives Light Up When Connected Posted: 29 Nov 2010 12:23 PM PST If anyone thought that the marketing push for the upcoming movie TRON: Legacy was going to die down, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon. Which makes sense, considering the movie is just about to launch on theater screens around the world. And, while perhaps having the “look” of a TRON-themed gadget may be enough, we fully expect a TRON-themed device to light up in some fashion or another. And thankfully these USB drives do just that.
Other than the fact that these USB drives look like the light cycles you’ll find in the upcoming movie, there’s probably not a lot going for these small-sized drives. You can choose from the 4GB Sam Flynn model, or the 8GB Kevin Flynn version. If you choose the smaller version, you’ll have to drop $24.99 to make it yours, and $34.99 for the larger version. They’re available right now, though, at your local Toys ‘R’ Us. So, the next time you have your computer in the dark, you can plug one of these drives in, and experience TRON in your living room. [via OhGizmo!]
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| A Week with NOOKcolor: 3rd Party Apps and Final Wrap-Up Posted: 29 Nov 2010 12:14 PM PST Welcome to the final installment in our “A Week with” review session with NOOKcolor. This particular installment will ask the big questions and seek the big answers. This installment will show you what lies beyond the reading, what’s on the mind of those who would seek developers for apps, and will deliver a final sentence on whether you, the everyday average dude or lady, should invest in this device. Behold! NOOKcolor’s fancy dressing.
If you’ve been following along with this epic journey we’ve taken with NOOKcolor, you know that it’s a lovely looking device, certainly feels nice to hold and to handle, and without a doubt is a unique device that is a centerpiece for Barnes and Noble’s electronics department. Along with the main reason it exists, that being that whole “reading” thing, there’s a tiny pack of apps, a simple web browser, and a files section in your NOOKcolor library.
First let’s chat about this files section. It seems to be rather secondary in that you’re going to have to know exactly what you’re doing as far as file format goes if you plan on using any files you didn’t download from B&N directly. After an hour of trying for a video file format that worked on the device (even after having check the manual hosted on NOOKcolor,) I was unable to get a file running. I’m no magician, but if I’m unable to find a file format that works, you bet your biffy Grandma Edna won’t be able to do it either.
The web browser is nice and big. Whenever you’ve got a screen this large and have a web browser that functions half-nice (this one functions quite well, actually,) that’s a big plus. A very forgiving keyboard and memory for addresses typed in the past make this browser a functioning piece of your day if you, for example, are the sort of person who doesn’t own a smartphone but does carry this device around in your backpack and wants to check their web-based email (gmail for example) or social networking sites. YouTube works but plays relatively low-quality video for what you know this device is capable of (you see a magical array of video when you first turn your device on), NetFlix does not function. Above you’ll see an example of how well the browser handles the first TRON Legacy sneak preview trailer – notice a couple things – the reflection you see of the camera I’m holing up to film the screen (this device has a somewhat lowered glare, but you can still definitely see yourself in it when the screen is black), and the sound- it’s a bit muffled as the speaker is on the back of the device.
In your “Extras” tab, aka your apps folder, you’ll notice instantly that these were never meant to be the main attraction. The name of the folder is “extras” – get it? This bin of everyday device mainstays like chess, Sudoku, and crossword enforce the fact that this device is aimed at those who read and enjoy games that live inside the reading universe. You’ll also find a contacts app which contains people who also own NOOKcolors with whom you can interact with elsewhere (this app acts as a sort of flip-file of all your people, where you can add or subtract them and their info.) There’s another app for LendMe (accessible also through your Library, as we spoke about in a previous post) where you can ask to borrow or lend books from and to your contacts.
There’s a super simple Music app where you can play music files you’ve added through your “My Files” – THIS is the simplest and best implementation of the My Files feature, just drop your music files (more than likely MP3s) into your Music folder upon finding it once you’ve plugged your NOOKcolor into your computer, and poof! They’re in your Music app. Simple. This app is in place so that you might plug in your headphones and listen to music while reading. Of course, you could also use this function as a giant music player if you’re the sort of person who plays music in your car through a headphone jack, but seeing as how MP3 players are basically given away these days, this might be a bit unreasonable.
Gallery works in a very similar way, upon dropping a bunch of photos into your pictures folder when you’ve got NOOKcolor plugged into your computer, they show up here instantly. A great way to carry along a simple portfolio for all of us creative types? Perhaps.
Then there’s Pandora. Clearly the folks at Pandora saw this as a giant opportunity to get their service out to the world in waves, as this app is developed above and beyond all the others. Works great, sounds great, connects easily.
Now the people at Barnes and Noble aim to make this device a place where developers make apps that are reader-based. Apps that work with readers, around readers, and to improve and enhance the whole reading experience. Will it work? That’s the million dollar question. Take a look at their strategy to make this happen and consider the following: 1. The profit share for developers selling apps is not yet released. 2. They plan on offering help in the form of personal support through NOOKcolor developer. 3. They plan on offering deals and promotions that would take place inside the B&N stores – what this consists of is still unclear. 4. These apps must circle around and stay within the boundaries of what Barnes and Noble considers reading-based. Again, what these limits are and will be remains unclear. Do these limits and prospects for developers spell a certain name for the future of NOOKcolor? We’re in sort of an age where it’s being decided how open our tablet-based devices are going to be, devices are going to survive or die based on the applications that are offered on them as well as the functionality they present. If there’s not enough apps, will NOOKcolor fizzle? Or perhaps the question should be if there aren’t enough publications available for reading on NOOKcolor, will it fizzle? Wrap-UpThe prospect of using this device to read the books you’re sure are available or are going to become available is exciting. If you read the magazines and newspapers you know are available or are going to become available on this device, it’s worth it. If you’ve got a kid who you’re training to become part of this digital world, having them work on screens as much as possible so their in-tune with the modern world before they even enter it, this device is rockin (as far as reading goes). Remember that starting at the beginning of next year, there’ll be interactive elements in both magazines and kids books, so if you’re unsure about those items at this point, feel free to wait and see. The prospect of having this device completely unlocked and running a free-for-all Android OS, that’s spectacular. I’ve seen what this device is capable of video-wise and sound-wise, the display is crisp and bright and reacts extremely well to swipes, taps, and everything along those lines. Imagine the possibilities! That’s what I’m doing. If you’re still on the edge, deciding on if you’d like to work with an e-ink device or this bright display, that’s still a question I think you’re going to have to answer yourself. If you’ve never experienced e-ink, maybe you’d find this device more excellent because it falls right in line with what you’d expect from a device you hold in your hands and read. On the other hand, if you’ve been using nothing but e-ink since it began to exist, maybe you should consider the fact that you’ve probably already got a device that’s going to continue to get the novels you enjoy for quite some time. But does it have magazines, newspapers, and kids books in full color? No. Are you going to abandon all of those things in the analog world just because you can access them here on this device? I doubt it. The big choice ends up being between the NOOKcolor and it’s e-ink cousins if you’re a heavy reader, or between the NOOKcolor and it’s tablet cousins who’ve already got unlocked capabilities if you plan on using this device for activitiess other than reading. You can purchase a NOOKcolor right this moment for around $300 ($250 direct from B&N), a NOOK (e-ink original) for around $225, a Kindle for $180, and an iPad for $525. These items are the main competitors of NOOKcolor if you’d ask me on the street. Choose your destiny! Now that our “A Week With” cycle is complete for NOOKcolor, take a look at all of the posts in turn:                     
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| HTC HD7 for T-Mobile Suffering from Death Grip Syndrome [Video] Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:57 AM PST While the “Death Grip” may not be the biggest bit of news floating around the Internet anymore, it’s obviously still a real problem for companies out there. No one wants to be able to hold their phone in a certain way, and suddenly lose signal. But, it looks like the HTC HD7, which recently launched for T-Mobile USA (and we spent a week with, after reviewing it) is indeed suffering from the same situation as the iPhone 4, when it launched.
According to some users, holding the device in a “natural way,” actually causes the device to lose several bars of signal strength. The result, as you might expect, is dropped calls and users unable to access a data connection. A YouTube post started causing the problem to heat up, and a second test from WPCentral does indeed show that holding the device in a firm grip, causes a significant drop in signal strength. Of course, since the release of the iPhone 4 and the brou-haha that erupted afterward due to the same issue, people have been forced to recall that every cell phone can suffer from this same situation. Some may just have more of a result than others. For example, other Windows Phone 7-based devices, like the Samsung Focus, do not seem to suffer from the Death Grip. You can check out the videos below, to see it happen. [via Electronista]
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| Woman Gets Ownership of the Sun Notarized Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:44 AM PST Owning a star isn’t all that new. People have been registering stars for people for a long time now. And, while a man already reportedly owns the moon, it looks like a woman from Spain feels like she should be the rightful owner of the star of stars. That’s right, Angeles Duran has officially registered her ownership of the sun.
Duran, who lives in Galicia, Spain, has taken the steps to get her ownership of the sun registered, and notarized. She actually did this back in September, and she followed in the same exact steps as the American man who believes he owns the moon. The document states that Duran is now the owner of the Sun, a star of spectral type G2, located in the centre of the solar system, located at an average distance from Earth of about 149,600,000 kilometers.” But, it gets better. Duran actually plans on charging for the use of the sun. But, she’s a gracious owner, and won’t take all of the money for herself. She’s going to disburse it, giving 10 percent to fight world hunger, another 10 percent to general research, and Spain’s government will get half of the money. She will get 10 percent, herself. [via GearLog]
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| Plantronics Plans GAMEFACE Contest for Fabulous Prizes Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:10 AM PST How would you like to win yourself an Xbox gaming bundle, an Xbox Live gaming bundle, or a Plantronics GameComm 777 Headset? I know I would. To win, all we’ve got to do is put our most extremely amazing game faces on and take a photo – Plantronics are looking for photos taken all around the world of people who show real “gaming fanatic” spirit, they’re looking for all walks of life! Starting TODAY (November 29, 2010) and going through Friday December 10, all participants are encouraged to take an in-action photo of themselves that showcases how and where they game.
To submit your photo, first take it, prepare a short explanation of why your face is representative of today’s gamer, and send it out via Twitter to @plantronics with the hashtag #gameface! Check out these freaking amazing prizes!
And remember, you’ve only got a short while to submit, so get to it!
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| Jaguar C-X75 Features Four Electric Motors Posted: 29 Nov 2010 10:55 AM PST The newest eco-friendly vehicle from Jaguar may not have been grown inside a nursery, but the C-X75 electric vehicle is definitely not one electric super car you’d want to skip a second glance at. There’s the obvious sleek aesthetics of the vehicle for one, and then, under the hood, the four separate electric motors that make this vehicle hum along.
Shown off at this year’s LA Auto Show, the Jaguar C-X75 is a super car that features four separate electric motors under the hood. Each of which powers the vehicle at 195 horsepower. When it’s all added up, the driver is looking at 780 electric horsepower from their Jaguar branded eco-friendly vehicle. But, if you’re looking for an additional 180 horsepower, then the pair of micro-gas turbines will be more than happy to help you out with that. Jaguar says that while the C-X75 is in electric mode, the EV has a range of 70 miles. [via PluginCars]
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| Nintendo Sells 1.5 Million Consoles Over Black Friday Week Posted: 29 Nov 2010 10:26 AM PST While Black Friday is over and done with, and we’re knee-deep in the savings that come with Cyber Monday, it looks like Nintendo made a killing off the Black Friday week. They sold plenty of consoles, which include members of the DS family, as well as the Wii home console. They sold enough, in fact, that the company feels like a formal press release is the right thing to do. Some may call this bragging, but then again, when you’ve sold as many consoles as Nintendo did, there might be a little room to do that.
The company sold 1.5 million consoles over the week, and thankfully Nintendo was nice enough to break it down for us, in their press release. When it came to the Wii home video game console, consumers managed to pick up 600,000 of them. As for the DS line-up of portable gaming consoles, consumers managed to purchase 900,000 of those over the week. If you’re curious, that means that people were buying 9,000 Nintendo-branded video game consoles every hour, of every day, throughout the Black Friday week. You can check out the full press release below. Press Release
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| Posted: 29 Nov 2010 10:01 AM PST When I think of the communication breakdown that we’re experiencing in our culture, my first instinct is to blame AOL. Yes, AOL, which for many of us was the first way we experienced the Internet. Or, more specifically, I blame Elwood Edwards, whose voice you would hear every time you logged onto AOL and discovered that “You’ve Got Mail.” Was there any sweeter sound? It was so optimistic. A lilting tone with an upward lift at the end. A single spondaic stress with an iamb at the end. It was like the dinging sound of a slot machine when you win. Vegas casinos have long known that people will associate that ringing with winning in a Pavlovian sense, and will keep inserting money not just until they win, but until they hear the reassuring “ding.” The same was true for AOL. We would log on multiple times, waiting as the page slowly filled in over our dial-up connections, until the end when Mr. Edwards would make his proud proclamation. Or not, at which point we’d feel dejected. Like we had failed, somehow.
[Image credit: Artotem] I think part of this experience was addictive because of the novelty of it, but now I’m seeing a similar trend in smartphone users. A constant checking. A need for connection. At first, it was about productivity. I need to check my email so that I can keep in touch with work. If I didn’t have this smartphone, I’d be in the office right now, so even though you only have half of my attention, that’s 50% more than you would have if we lived in a world without smartphones. I never bought that logic. As far as I’m concerned, there are only two types of people who need to check their messages so incessantly. Doctors and drug dealers. Either you have to tend to a medical emergency, or you’re running a nefarious enterprise that relies on the lowliest dregs of society and the satisfaction of their immediate whims. Those are the two professions that were so closely associated with pagers, when those devices first appeared. But now, everyone thinks they have to keep in touch with the office, all the time. Before the Thanksgiving holiday, a survey circulated that claimed more than 50% of smartphone users would be checking their e-mail at the dinner table during the holiday meal. My friend Ben Patterson over at Yahoo! tackles the issue nicely. Ben even offers some suggestions for how to keep yourself away from the email. But he does end by admitting that he will probably end up breaking his own rules and taking a peek at the inbox. Did you check your email during Thanksgiving dinner? Did you check on your fantasy football team? Play a quick round of Angry Birds? Take a picture of the turkey to tweet? I did not. Allow me to be a little self-righteous here, but I made it a point to not use my smartphone at the table. Well, once I took it out to take a photo, while my wife was in another room using the point-and-shoot I brought. But I never checked my mail, my Facebook updates, my RSS feeds or any such thing. I had planned this in advance, and I’m glad I did. This isn’t a Thanksgiving thing for me. As a tech journalist, I see this problem more than most people, I think. I was in London for Nokia World this fall. My company paid for my trip, but Nokia folks took me and a few other journalists out to dinner the night before the show. I was having SIM card problems with my phone, so I had no connection. I left the phone in my pocket the whole night. I was the only one. Everybody else at the table was checking their phones constantly. At first I felt conspicuous, like I might be missing something interesting. Were they tweeting about the meal? Trading secrets behind the backs of our hosts? No, nothing so sinister. Just mundane conversation. Checking schedules for the week. Coordinating news coverage. Keeping in touch. After a while, I felt pretty good about myself for focusing on the people in front of me. I talked to people the entire time, all of whom were pretty interesting, and many of whom I was just meeting for the first time. Some were friends I hadn’t seen in a while, since we all live spread out across the U.S. Dinner lasted two hours, maybe. It occurred to me that for the entire year, I would probably spend no more than five hours in the presence of members of this collected group. In the same way that, in my entire year, I’ll probably spend only a few hours in the presence of my in-laws, family friends and the group assembled for our Thanksgiving feast. But at that dinner in London, my colleagues were spending much of their time talking to people they hear from every day. They were reading news that could definitely wait until later in the evening. They were missing one of the more interesting parts of the trip, in favor of reconnecting with the most mundane. I admit I was somewhat offended. I was also a bit lonely. If you didn’t realize, breaking out the smartphone and ignoring the people around you while you interact with your device is very off-putting. It says to the people you’re with, in no uncertain terms, I don’t want to talk to you right now, I would rather talk to someone else or do something different. Would you open a stack of letters at the table and start reading? Would you leave the dinner table to play a quick game of solitaire with a real deck of cards? Of course not, I hope. But so many people think it’s acceptable to use a smartphone. Maybe it’s because the phone is so small. Maybe because it seems so inconspicuous, even though there is nothing more conspicuous in the world at that moment than you, burying your face in a tiny, electronic screen and silently ignoring the people around you. At the Thanksgiving meal, I was the only smartphone owner who did not look at my phone for the entire evening. Well, my wife didn’t look at hers, but that’s because she accidentally left it at a security checkpoint at our originating airport. I’ll bet she talked more to her friends that weekend than she has in years. That’s my point. Put the phone down and talk to me. I know I’m not as exciting as what you’re doing, but I’m more important. I won’t pay off in instant gratification, but in the middle of March, when you’re lonely and longing for some companionship at the end of a long winter, you’re not going to look back fondly on the Thanksgiving meal and remember how you earned three stars on level 3-5 of Angry Birds. But you might remember having a good time with me. Maybe I’ll say something funny. Maybe I’ll share a story that you end up repeating to other people. You won’t get the jolt and adrenaline rush of firing up AOL and hearing Elwood Edwards cry out: “You’ve Got Mail!” But I promise that when you check on how I’m doing, instead of checking your inbox, you won’t find spam from your gym or a deal from Groupon that doesn’t interest you. Though, like with Facebook, I might bore you with pictures of my kids, or useless information about my holiday vacation. But if I do say something interesting, you won’t have to click ‘Like.’ You can just talk to me.
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| Qriocity Music Bringing Unlimited Music to Sony’s PSP Posted: 29 Nov 2010 09:38 AM PST Even if some companies out there believe that unlimited music for a monthly subscription-style fee isn’t the best bet, there’s plenty of other companies out there who would disagree. And plenty of consumers who would, too. If you own a PSP, you’re about to get your own taste of the subscription-based music platform yourself, as the upcoming software update to the PSP, and PlayStation 3, isn’t just about the movies. It’s also bringing Qriocity’s Music Unlimited service to the portable gaming platform.
With the software update, v6.35, coming to the PSP in the near future, the mobile gaming unit will be able to take advantage of “Music Unlimited Powered by Qriocity.” The service is a cloud-based one, and if you’ve got a compatible device, and as long as you’re a subscriber, you’ll be able to listen to your music whenever you want. There’s no word on what, exactly, the monthly cost will be, but hopefully it will be competitive to the other subscription services out there. [via Boy Genius Report]
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| 3DTV Sales Better Than HDTV at Same Point in Life Cycle, Analyst Says Posted: 29 Nov 2010 09:18 AM PST For 3DTV, or even 3D as a whole, there’s a heated debate going on behind the scenes. It’s one that you may have with people you know, even friends, as you suggest that 3D is the future, or perhaps that it’s just a giant waste of time. And while companies all over the globe try to capitalize on the reemerging technology, some analysts out there haven’t been all that positive about the technology’s adoption. But, for one European analyst, it’s not all Doom and Gloom. In fact, he believes 3D adoption is better than HD, at the same point in the technology’s life cycle.
The word on the street from Futuresource Consulting, is that 3DTV has a better adoption rate than what HDTV had at this stage in its life. The new industry report claims that, “The retail performance of 3D hardware for the home has been developing at a healthy pace, bolstered by 3DTV prices falling by close to 40 per cent in some cases, and year one adoption of 3DTV is running at a far quicker rate in most territories than it did for high definition.” The company goes on to point out that they believe 3DTVs will sell more than 4 million units this year alone, of which 1.2 million of those will be sold in Europe. However, on the flip-side, they do point out that with companies like Toshiba already announcing their intention of releasing glasses-free 3DTVs in the future, some consumers may just be waiting to buy their first 3DTV until they don’t have to wear the glasses anymore. [via TG Daily]
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| No Windows Phone 7 App Hub royalties until Feb 2011 latest in developer woes Posted: 29 Nov 2010 09:04 AM PST Microsoft has supposedly told Windows Phone 7 developers that they won’t see any App Hub payments for paid-app sales until February 2011, according to coder Justin James, while the absence of any download feedback or analytics is leaving developers uncertain whether to continue investing in their software. Nicholas Yu, who created a Google Voice app for WP7 called GoVoice, has complained that responding to the number one feature request from users – push notifications – would require server investment that, with the limited tools Microsoft makes available, he cannot currently judge worthwhile.
GoVoice will get limited push notification support, but initially only as part of a gradual roll-out. Similarly, it seems James will continue development, but he warns fellow coders should “think of Windows Phone 7 development as a hobby or a learning experience rather than a source of revenue.” He also saves some scathing words for Microsoft’s poor customer service, including rejection feedback and general support. Microsoft announced recently that it had 15,000 developers using the Windows Phone 7 SDK, and 3,000 applications in the WP7 Marketplace. The company had previously confirmed that it used “revenue guarantees” and the promise of engineer cooperation to get significant coding houses on board for the smartphone platform’s launch; now it needs to show it can maintain its developer relations. [via BGR]
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| Electronic Sunglasses Use Glare Shield to Block the Sun Posted: 29 Nov 2010 08:43 AM PST Sunglasses may not be the fashion trend they used to be (that may not be a bad thing), but that’s not stopping one designer from giving the sunglasses a brand new way from stopping the sun from invading your eyes. Instead of coating the entire lens of your sunglasses, designer Chris Mullin wants to be able to focus on the sun directly, and use what he calls a Glare Shield to keep the sunlight out of your eye, but without dimming everything else you’re looking at, too.
Mullin calls the glasses the “Electronic Sunglasses.” They use a Glare Shield to prevent bright lights, from artificial sources to the sun, from assaulting your eyes. They do this in real-time, with a “pixel” that will move to an area within the glasses, and block the light. It would work by utilizing a liquid crystal display, which has the ability of detecting light sources. By judging which sources of light are the brightest, the Glare Shield will react accordingly, and block it if necessary. The Glare Shield works because of the pixels in the liquid crystal display. As a bright light source enters your field of vision, the pixels darken in that area, and block the light from your sight. Mullin says that this would happen faster than your eyes could see, so there shouldn’t be any lag. With a great design, we’re not surprised to hear that the Electronic Sunglasses are actually on the path to becoming a real gadget you can buy. [via Yanko Design]   
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| PC shipment growth downgraded over iPad popularity says Gartner Posted: 29 Nov 2010 08:42 AM PST Gartner has downgraded its predictions for worldwide PC shipments in 2010, after deciding that strong tablet sales will eat into the traditional PC segment. Having tipped 17.9-percent growth for the year back in September, Gartner has reduced that down to 14.3-percent; still, at 352.4m units, an increase over 2009′s figures, but also recognizing that there is “growing user interest in media tablets such as the iPad.”
It’s not likely to be a trend we’ll see reversing any time soon, Gartner research director Ranjit Atwal suggests. “These results reflect marked reductions in expected near-term unit growth based on expectations of weaker consumer demand,” the analyst claims, before going on to predict that “over the longer term, media tablets are expected to displace around 10 percent of PC units by 2014.” The general trend, the research group suggests, is that users will attempt to prolong the life-cycle of their existing PCs, while looking to other devices – such as tablets, smartphones and hosted virtual desktops – as their primary computing platform. “As the PC market slows,” research director George Shiffler warns, “vendors that differentiate themselves through services and technology innovation rather than unit volume and price will dictate the future.” Press Release:
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| Windows Phone 7 private beta group app testing coming to Marketplace Posted: 29 Nov 2010 08:06 AM PST Microsoft is adding private beta group support to the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, allowing developers to do limited testing of their applications before submitting for full app store inclusion. The incoming functionality was announced at Microsoft’s BizSpark UK, according to Richard Hyndman, and should make testing software for the fledgling OS more straightforward.
The news will be welcomed by developers who have had to use unofficial tools such as ChevronWP7 to sideload applications onto jailbroken handsets in order to conduct broader testing of alpha-stage apps. Last week, Microsoft announced that it had 3,000 applications already in the WP7 Market, and 15,000 developers coding for the platform.
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| SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: November 29 2010 Posted: 29 Nov 2010 07:48 AM PST Welcome back after an extended holiday weekend! Many of you’ve got your new Android smartphones and giant televisions and weirdo oddities under your belt (or maybe you had even more fun by buying those things as presents) and you’ve come back, hungry for some tech news! Well you’re in luck, especially if you DIDN’T pick up your device of choice yet, especially if you live in Korea (where you’ll find the LG LU3000, faster than Galaxy S, – that is of course if you dismiss the fact that you might be going to war soon,) in Japan (where Sharp is very soon releasing their fabulous Galapagos tablets,) or the USA (where you can get a FREE G2.) Of course, if you’re in Taiwan this week, you’ll probably flip out over a ASUS Eee Note EA-800, and if you’re in the USA… well… how about a pulse rifle? Or I bet you’re on the lookout for a SlashGear Cyber Monday Round Up?! All this and MORE on SlashGear Morning Wrap-up!
R3 Media Network Android Community SlashGear To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]
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| FCC Net Neutrality vote scheduled for December 21? Posted: 29 Nov 2010 07:41 AM PST The FCC has postponed its next hearing by more than two weeks, pushing the next scheduled meeting from December 2 to December 21 and prompting speculation that the agency is readying itself for a vote on net neutrality. According to InformationWeek, the three Democratic commissioners on the board are likely to vote for “consumer-friendly regulation” while their two Republican counterparts will be pushing for “relatively unfettered oversight favoring industry players.”
The vote could have significant impact on the nature of the internet service users in the US experience. Already the Court of Appeals of Washington has ruled in Comcast’s favor over a cease and desist order imposed by the FCC in April 2010, after the ISP throttled video bandwidth in order to preserve sufficient pipe for regular browsers.
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| Windows Phone 7 outsold by Android 15:1 in UK suggests retailer Posted: 29 Nov 2010 06:59 AM PST With Microsoft still refusing to provide Windows Phone 7 sales figures, retailers are stepping in with their own anecdotal evidence about the new smartphone platform’s market success – or lack of it. UK store deal aggregator MobilesPlease has announced that Windows Phone 7 has accounted for just 3-percent of their smartphone sales, with Android devices outselling WP7 handsets 15:1 and even Symbian doing a good job of eclipsing Microsoft.
In fact, the site reckons that Symbian devices outsold Windows Phone 7 handsets by 3:1, with the Nokia N8 predominantly responsible for those numbers – that’s one device outselling a range of multiple WP7 devices from a variety of manufacturers. They also sourced some anecdotal feedback from other UK retailers, who reported that WP7 phones “are not selling” while demand for HTC, BlackBerry and iPhone remains strong. Even more concerning, one Carphone Retailer store questioned apparently had no Windows Phone 7 devices on the sales floor, only conceding that they “might have one in the back.” While the figures aren’t at all scientific, they join a generally pessimistic response to the Microsoft launch. [via Electronista]
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| Microsoft Smart TV in negotiations tip insiders Posted: 29 Nov 2010 06:39 AM PST Microsoft is reportedly considering a Smart TV platform of its own, with sources claiming that the software giant has been negotiating with TV networks for an online, subscription-based service that could work through the Xbox 360. According to Reuter‘s two sources, Microsoft is evaluating setting up as a “virtual cable operator” with web delivery, or alternatively using the Xbox to “authenticate existing cable subscribers to watch shows with enhanced interactivity,” perhaps offering interactive adverts or extras.
Another alternative under consideration is offering individual channels – such as HBO or Showtime – for online rental, likely viewed as part of Xbox Live. While rival platforms such as Google TV and Apple TV have struggled to different degrees with content deals, one of the sources claims Microsoft’s talks have been more successful. “We think the more competition the better, we will price and package it in such a way that we still make the dual revenue stream,” one suggested, going on to predict that networks “could probably charge more for interactive advertising.” Early demonstrations of the technology have supposedly incorporated social media, interactive advertising and motion control technology, using Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral. However any commercial service isn’t expected to arrive for around 12 months; the company has had its fingers burnt before with smart TV platforms – such as MSN TV – and is unlikely to want to make the same mistakes again.
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| ASUS Eee Note EA-800 hits Taiwan this week for $228; US debut in Q1 2011 Posted: 29 Nov 2010 06:10 AM PST ASUS’ monochrome Eee Note EA-800 has found itself a price tag and a release date, with the company bringing it to Taiwan later this week. According to ComputerWorld, the EA-800 will be priced at NT$6,999 ($228) complete with 2GB of onboard storage, WiFi, a 2-megapixel camera and an active digitizer for note-taking. Meanwhile ASUS also confirmed launch plans for the rest of Asia, Europe and the US.
Hong Kong will get the Eee Note shortly, while Germany, Italy and Russia will see the tablet drop either at the end of 2010 or at the start of 2011. The US and China will get the slate sometime in Q1 2011. More information on functionality here.       [via Engadget]
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| Blackbox gives MacBook Pro users wood Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:49 AM PST If you spend your hard earned money on a new 13″ or 15″ MacBook Pro you will undoubtedly want to keep the thing safe from scratches and drops with protection of some sort in transit. A company called Blackbox Case has a cool case made from wood that can be had in sizes for the MacBook Pro in 13″ and 15″ forms.
The case for either size is made from real wood that is solid oak and then stained in natural or brown colors. Either of the cases will cost you $129 and they will only fit the new unibody MacBook Pro machines. Users of the older rigs will need to shop elsewhere. The cases are very strong and can support up to 60 pounds on top without crushing your notebook. They each weigh 1.5 pounds. Each of the cases is handmade and they have a leather strap that keeps the notebook from sliding out. Those straps are hand numbered.
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| Crazy gold watch plays music and costs $1.2M Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:16 AM PST You can get all kinds of watches that play music with integrated MP3 players and other offerings. Those watches are nothing compared to this crazy complex and expensive timepiece created by Manufacture Royal Opera. The thing has an accordion style chamber under the face of the watch that plays music.
The accordion action of the watch creates a resonating chamber for the music. The case is 50mm wide and made in 18k rose and gray gold. Only 12 of the things will be made and you can see all of the gears and wheels that make the thing work through the clear face. It comes in a wooden box that is designed to look like the Bastille Opera House in Paris. It’s ugly, but so cool and the craftsmanship in the piece is stunning. This is the rich steampunk geeks dream. Via Boing Boing
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| OMG…Aliens Pulse Rifle replica from ThinkGeek is epic Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:06 AM PST Wow, I am totally scratching my entire holiday wish list for this thing. ThinkGeek has a replica of the pulse rifle up for sale that is so cool that geeks and sci-fi fans may seize up right now. I know what you are thinking, it is so cool it almost looks like one of those jokes ThinkGeek likes to play in and around April. I actually added the thing to my cart and didn't get the usual haha, we tricked you note.
This replica is based on the actual prop of the M41-A pulse rifle from the flick and weighs 15 pounds. This is no plastic toy and all of the parts on the rifle actually work. Except for the obvious issue that it doesn’t fire pulse ammo at acid-blooded, chest popping aliens. It has the pump action underneath the barrel, a working bolt, and an LED read out on the side. That read out keeps track of your ammo and gets power from a pair of AA batteries. Those batteries are changed by popping out the clip. This much epic will set you back $899.99. That’s not cheap at all, but awesome rarely is. It comes with a wall display rack that looks like the side of a Space Marine drop ship.    
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| Xperia X8 Android 2.1 update rolling out now Posted: 29 Nov 2010 04:50 AM PST When the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 first hit the market, many phone geeks ran out and bought the smartphone. If you were one of the folks that picked the thing up and have been waiting for an update from Android 1.6 that it shipped with you are in luck.
Sony Ericsson has announced that it is now rolling out the Android 2.1 update to the Xperia X8. The update for the X8 adds the same features that the X10 got in its update. When the update will land for you depends on where you live and on the SI-number of your device. Sony Ericsson says that the reason the update isn't available everywhere at once is because the approvals needed to offer the update took time to complete. There is a complete list of SI-numbers that are approved for the update already on the official SE post here.
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| Gateway EC19C-A52C/S notebook computer hits Japan Posted: 29 Nov 2010 04:28 AM PST Gateway computer is a big brand here in the US and the company sells its wares in other countries as well. Gateway and Acer are under the same umbrella today and share many of the same specs and features between models. The latest Gateway machine to hit Japan has been announced and the machine is called the EC19C-A52C/S.
The notebook has some high-end parts inside and is designed to be energy efficient as well. The CPU for the notebook is a dual core Intel Core i5-470UM running at 1.33GHz. The CPU has Intel Turbo Boost technology. The machine uses a small 11.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768. Other features include 2GB of RAM, 320GB of storage, and it measures in at 1.14″ x 11.2″ x 8″ and weighs about three pounds. The battery for the machine is a 6-cell unit good for six hours of use per charge. Gateway also crams in HDMI out, VGA, Ethernet, and a 1.3MP webcam among other features.
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| Facebook Skype integration tips “Face me” video chat Posted: 29 Nov 2010 04:25 AM PST Facebook could be readying Skype integration, as the next step in their attempt to turn the social network into an all-inclusive messaging and communications system. Green Any Site spotted a new VideoChat object freshly added to Facebook’s code [.js link], complete with several properties referring to Skype; they say the new functionality would allow Facebook users to video chat in-site or with other Skype users, or perhaps even link Skype and Facebook IDs.
The code seemingly checks for either ActiveX support in Internet Explorer, or the presence of the SkypeKit SDK. The latter is Skype’s “headless” installation option, a way for software and hardware developers to use the underlying Skype video and audio call technology in their apps and devices without having to use the regular standalone Skype client and UI. Interestingly, Skype recently introduced Facebook wall support in their latest release, Skype v5.0, pulling in the Facebook news feed along with allowing users to post updates, comment and like statuses. Earlier this month, Facebook announced its own “modern messaging system” opening up Facebook messages as an email alternative to Gmail. More recently, the social network attempted to trademark the word “Face”; perhaps it’s coincidental, but asking someone to “Face me” for a Skype-powered video chat sounds all very possible.
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| AMOLED panel firms actively developing more capacity Posted: 29 Nov 2010 04:17 AM PST Some popular smartphones have seen shortages based on components and if those smartphones use AMOLED screens, that screen is often the main component that isn't available in enough capacity. There are several companies investing heavily in AMOLED manufacturing and the supply of panels will grow moving into 2011.
DigiTimes reports that makers in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea are all actively developing the AMOLED online market with more capacity. Samsung Mobile Display is one of the firms that is building capacity and will account for 90% of the total AMOLED panel market in 2010. SMD is set to start building panels at its new 5.5G plan. Taiwanese AMOLED makers like AU Optronics will take some of the current market share from SMD according to DigiTimes with AMOLED screens coming from pair of 3.5G factories and a 4.5G factory. AU Optronics may also move another of its 4G plants or even one of the 6G plants over to AMOLED production in the near future to increase production capacity. More capacity is a good thing since it means more screens, less shortages, and lower prices.
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| SlashGear Cyber Monday Round Up Posted: 29 Nov 2010 04:06 AM PST Black Friday may traditionally be the big shopping blow-out after Thanksgiving, but Cyber Monday is the battery-powered upstart that wants to sate our electronics needs. After the cut, SlashGear’s Cyber Monday shopping guide, including Apple accessory discounts, cut-price MacBook, MacBook Pro and iMac deals, cheap HDTVs and more!
Apple’s main discounts from Friday have expired, but the company is offering savings on various accessories and peripherals in its US store today. That includes $20 off Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD headphones and $30 off an M-Audio GarageBand keyboard. If you actually want Apple hardware you’ll need to head to resellers; MacConnection is offering up to $240 off MacBook Pro notebooks and up to $180 off the iMac. Amazon is more ambitious, with Cyber Monday deals across most of its store categories. The Roku XD is 15-percent off, and there’s 35-percent off Sanyo’s VPC-GH4 1080p camcorder. If you’re after a standalone GPS unit then there are plenty to choose from, including 70-percent off Garmin’s nuvi 265, bringing it under $100. Amazon will also have various deals going live through the day, including a sub-$300 third-gen iPod touch. Best Buy also has some serious discounts, with $400 off a 60-inch Mitsubishi 1080p DLP HDTV bringing it under $600. If you’d rather a massive LCD, there’s Sharp’s 60-inch AQUOS LC60E78UN with $400 off, bringing it to $1,299.99. Meanwhile there’s a half-price $99.99 Kodak ESP 7250 wireless all-in-one printer. Walmart is running a whole Cyber Week special, with a $69 14-megapixel Kodak EasyShare C183 on offer, together with iPod nano bundles from $138 (Apple charge $149 for the nano alone). If you’d rather go with Microsoft, Walmart is offering a 32GB Zune HD with the Premium Car Pack thrown in for $188. Newegg‘s Cyber Monday deals have been running as part of their Black Friday promotions, but there’s still $170 off a CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme 1077 Core i5 desktop. Oh, and T-Mobile will still give you a free second HTC HD7 if you buy one from them. There are plenty of deals if you’re looking for a new case for your iPod, iPhone or other PMP/smartphone. XGear are offering 60-percent off iPhone 4, 3GS and 3G cases, along with iPod touch 4G cases, with coupon code CM2910. If it’s laptops or desktops you’re after, Dealzon have scouted out a solid selection:
We’ll be keeping the shopping guide updated throughout the day as new deals pop up, so let us know if you’ve seen anything unmissable! Happy shopping…
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