What's new on SlashGear.com |
- Crayola Crayon Maker Recycles Your Crayons, Jumbles Colors Together
- Logitech Says Nothing’s Wrong with Revue, Will be at CES 2011
- Galactus and Taskmaster Rumored to be in Marvel vs Capcom 3
- Auto Stop-Start Technology by Ford Heading to the US in 2012
- Sony Doubling Image Sensor Output in 2011, Invests $1.2 Billion to Make it Happen
- Intel Sandy Bridge-Equipped HP Pavilion dv6 Shows Up Overseas
- Gostai Jazz Telepresence Robots Watch Your Home or Office, Let You be in Two Places at Once
- Anti-Tech Resolutions for the New Year
- Comcast May Offer Low-Cost Broadband Internet Access if NBC Merger Goes Through
- A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector : iDevices and Wrap-Up
- Engineering Students Create Cheap Way to Tell When Water is Safe to Drink
- iPhone 4 for Softbank in Japan to be Equipped with NFC Mobile Payment Stickers Next Year
- Jelloware edible cups go from concept to Kickstarter
- Nintendo 3DS pre-orders taken at GameStop
- SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: December 27 2010
- Kinect UI gets usability breakdown: plenty of weaknesses
- Notion Ink GPS mapping app demo released [Video]
- BAE borrow Batman Tumbler style for concept battle bots
- Kindle 3 best-selling Amazon product of all time
- Skype lawsuit alleges Supernode tech impinges patent
- DIY Doctor Who nesting dolls set perhaps best Christmas gift so far
- Nissan Leaf CARWINGS turns driving into an eco-competition
- Apple ups iPhone shipment target for Q1 2011
- KA-SAT satellite for wireless broadband launched
- Hackulous unveils “reverse BitTorrent” for sharing apps with jailbreak community
- Supposed pics of Sony Ericsson Hallon Leak
- German WinPo 7 smartphone fans can get HTC 7 Pro next month on O2
- AMD Radeon HD 6950 can be turned into HD 6970 with BIOS mod
- Dell Streak 7 clears FCC with AT&T and T-Mobile 3G
- LG to show off 72-inch Full LED backlit 3D TV at CES
| Crayola Crayon Maker Recycles Your Crayons, Jumbles Colors Together Posted: 27 Dec 2010 02:18 PM PST Until we can draw on the walls without leaving a mark, or at least until our kids can, we’re left watching as the little ones destroy their crayons in some capacity or another. Whether they just get run down to small nubs of their former selves, you’ll want to get rid of them eventually. But throwing them in the trash isn’t always appropriate, because sometimes you just don’t want to spend the money on new ones. Understandable. So why not melt them down, and create new crayons for your littles ones to use? That’s exactly what the Crayola Crayon Maker does.
The idea is that you’ll want to stick a few crayons in the machine, melt them down with a bright light, and then let them get combined into one crayon. And yes, Crayola does expect you to get some combinations in there. If they created something like this, of course they knew that the combinations that would come out of it would be pretty unique. But, at least your kids have new crayons to use. To make the device work, you’ll need to find yourself a colorless 60-watt candelabra bulb, and a wall outlet to plug it into. If you’re interested, you can pick up one of the Crayon Makers from Crayola for $21.93 right from the company’s website. [via Core77]
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| Logitech Says Nothing’s Wrong with Revue, Will be at CES 2011 Posted: 27 Dec 2010 01:50 PM PST Over the last few days, there’s been a lot of rumors and speculation regarding Google TV. We’ve heard it being said that Google TV would miss CES 2011 altogether, while companies would be freezing their plans for the Internet-on-your-TV idea from Google entirely. Further, it was being said that Logitech was freezing production of their Revue set-top box, while Google worked on a new version. Apparently, that last bit isn’t true at all. In a recent blog post, Ashish Arora confirms that there’s nothing wrong with the Logitech Revue, and that they will, indeed, be showing off Google TV at CES next year.
Arora states that Google and Logitech still have a working, and collaborative working relationship going on, and both companies are hard at work on making Google TV better, based on feedback they’ve received from owners. He also says that Logitech is committed to GTV, and bringing it to the world. “Those familiar with our product know that we don't need to modify the Logitech Revue box to deliver software enhancements. Each of our customers will receive periodic over-the-air updates whenever Google and Logitech release changes to the Google TV platform. Logitech Revue boxes purchased at launch in October, as a holiday gift in December or to follow basketball in the spring, will all be the same and will all benefit from the same software updates,” writes Arora. At the end of the post, Arora says that after the holiday break, the Logitech Revue team will be ready to go, and will be heading off to Las Vegas, where they will be showing off Google TV. [via Logitech]
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| Galactus and Taskmaster Rumored to be in Marvel vs Capcom 3 Posted: 27 Dec 2010 01:28 PM PST
One of the most anticipated games coming in 2011, Capcom’s Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds is aiming to become one of the most popular fighting games to land on consoles in recent history. Considering how ridiculously popular the second installment in the franchise is, there’s no doubt that as long as the developers can retain a fraction of the playability and fun, along with the character selection from both Marvel and Capcom’s ranks, the new title will be just as adored. Two new characters may be waiting in the wings, as a recent portfolio from artist Kevin Sharpe showcases both Galactus and Taskmaster in comic book form, and rumors have popped up that the two characters could land in the game as well.
Capcom, though, hasn’t come forward and announced any kind of tie-in, prequel comic, but that doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. There’s still several weeks between now and the release of the title, which is scheduled to be February 15th, 2011, so an announcement regarding the comic could come any day now. It’s already been leaked that Taskmaster could make his way to the game, and it would be conceivable that Galactus, the planet eater, would be installed in the game as a boss fight. Unfortunately, Sharpe’s collected images have been removed from his site, but thanks to Shoryukenyou can still see them in all of their glory. [via Joystiq]
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| Auto Stop-Start Technology by Ford Heading to the US in 2012 Posted: 27 Dec 2010 12:07 PM PST Saving money on gas is one thing, but having a car that doesn’t go through fuel like its not a precious commodity is also part of the equation. Ford announced today their plans to bring their Auto Stop-Start Technology to the United States in 2012. Also called idle-stop technology, or even microhybrid, it’s designed to turn off the engine when the car is not in motion. The electrical system stays on, so you’ll still have music and heat, but the engine will be off. As soon as the driver puts their foot back on the gas, the engine fires back up, and they can be on their way.
The technology is actually used by Ford in their current-generation hybrid vehicles, like the Ford Fusion. As Ford puts it, the company will be bringing the technology to the United States in 2012 in other vehicles, like their standard diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles. That means crossovers and SUVs will be getting the treatment as well. With the system in place, Ford says that fuel efficiency can be increased from anywhere between 4 and 10 percent. Ford plans on introducing Auto Stop-Start Technology into every country in which they operate. In Europe, the technology is already in place in different models. [via CNET]
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| Sony Doubling Image Sensor Output in 2011, Invests $1.2 Billion to Make it Happen Posted: 27 Dec 2010 11:41 AM PST Taking photos with your cell phone has become more and more popular, and Sony is banking on the fact that that popularity is going to steadily increase in 2011. The company is ready to invest quite a mighty sum to making sure that they are ready for the new year, and that their image sensors get installed not only in phones, but also camcorders and digital cameras.
The internal investment from the company is a collected movement, and it is part of the production plant buy-back from Toshiba that took place recently. While Sony is investing $1.2 billion into doubling the output of its Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensors, it is also costing the company $600 million to buy back the plant from Toshiba. It’s expected that Sony, which has already confirmed the production plant’s purchase, will use part of that plant in Nagasaki, Japan, to roll out more sensors. To help the whole thing get going, Sony is expecting to receive an unknown amount from the Japanese government in subsidies. These will be used to help environmentally-friendly businesses in Japan. With Canon in sight, which is Sony’s main competitor in the sensor market, the investment, as well as the extra production plant, may mean that Sony has what’s necessary to make the move to number 1 possible. [via Reuters]
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| Intel Sandy Bridge-Equipped HP Pavilion dv6 Shows Up Overseas Posted: 27 Dec 2010 11:10 AM PST While the official unveiling of Intel’s Sandy Bridge at CES is coming up, Intel is already sending out the chips to manufacturers for a quick turn around after the announcement. However, it looks like HP is ready to start selling some laptops with the new hardware under the hood. As seen in an electronics store in Singapore, VR-Zone managed to steal some time away and get their hands on the new laptop, which features the same aesthetics as the previous iterations in the Pavilion dv6 line-up. But there’s one main difference: Intel’s Sandy Bridge inside.
As VR-Zone points out, there’s no way to differentiate between this new dv6 and previous models. It looks exactly the same on the outside, save for one thing: the Intel sticker right below the keyboard is different. The new logo is Intel’s new design. As far as details ago regarding the Pavilion dv6 in question, it features a 15.6-inch LED-backlit display. Under the hood, there’s 2GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU that features Turbo Boost technology, which can reach speeds of 2.8GHz. They were also able to find out that there’s AMD’s Radeon HD 6570M graphics card. As far as pricing goes, because the laptop was indeed on sale in this electronics store, it was listed as being $1,900 Singapore dollars, or about $1,399. [via VR-Zone]  
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| Gostai Jazz Telepresence Robots Watch Your Home or Office, Let You be in Two Places at Once Posted: 27 Dec 2010 10:33 AM PST It may not be possible to be in two different places at once, yet, but that’s exactly why we need telepresence robots like the two Jazz ‘bots created by Gostai in France. There are two different robots for people to choose. The first, which is the Jazz Connect is the cheaper of the two, and will help you connect with your business partners even if your’e not in the room with them. The second model, the Jazz Security, is meant to watch over your home while you’re out and about, giving you an inside look as to what’s going on, making it as if you’re there without really being there.
The Jazz Connect costs $10,400, and it’s meant specifically to help with business people who can’t always be in every meeting they need to be in. The Jazz Security hikes up the price tag, $11,000, and uses different software to make sure that your home (or office) always has a pair of eyes on. As for the software that Gostai chose to put on the inside? Their very own open source Urbi software. You can see the Jazz ‘bots in action in the video below. [via DVICE]
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| Anti-Tech Resolutions for the New Year Posted: 27 Dec 2010 10:20 AM PST As the new year approaches, I decided to make a different kind of new year’s resolution list. Instead of a cheesy list of things to watch or things I’d like to see, I thought I would make a list of the things I will resolve not to do in 2011. As a columnist writing about digital living for the last half of the year, I think the ways in which we remove technology from our lives can be as important, if not more so, than the ways in which our lives collide with the digital frontier.
1. Call instead of text I resolve to burn through more minutes, and use fewer text messages, emails, or any other sort of textual, non-oral communication. This was advice I used to give employees when I was a manager. Whenever you can call someone and get them on the phone, that is far preferable to email. I think the same is true for texting. When you have someone on the phone, it is much harder for them to say “no.” In business, if you need something done, or if you need help, an email can always be a one-word answer. But on the phone, we can always ask for more. Plus, the small talk is important, especially in my line of work. For people who feel chained to their desks or stuck working from home all day, just a few minutes of idle chatter isn’t mundane, it’s a pleasant escape, and a way to build a personal relationship that will enhance the business side. In my personal life, today I had a chat with my sister over Gtalk. She’s in Paris on vacation. It’s her birthday. We couldn’t get the video chat schedule worked out for today, so she could talk to her nephew in person, and by the time I had time to get in touch, it was almost 11PM Paris time. That’s not too late, since Parisian dinners take at least 4 hours. But there is no reason I couldn’t have called, and I felt bad about it after I hung up. We traded emails and IM messages today, but I should have called. 2. No more happy birthdays on Facebook That brings me to my second resolution, which I actually started a month ago. I’m not wishing anyone happy birthday on Facebook anymore. Sure, I loved getting all of the birthday messages, it was nice to be remembered. But on my birthday this year, I got maybe one phone call . . . from my parents. That doesn’t even count, since they made me, so they have to remember. I had dozens of friends, including some of my closest friends, leaving wall posts. Nobody asked what I was doing that day, if I was having a good time, or who I was with. It felt very impersonal. I stopped myself from leaving a happy birthday message on the wall of a great old friend I hadn’t spoken to in months. Since then, if a birthday comes up I want to commemorate, I’ll call. Facebook is a great source of information, and it’s helped me remember or discover plenty of birthdays I should have written down on my calendar. But that should be the end of Facebook’s birthday involvement. If I have someone’s number, I’ll call. If I don’t have their number, how important could a “happy birthday” from me really be? If it’s important enough, I’ll find a way to connect. 3. Don’t use the phone at the dinner table Never. Ever. Not when I’m eating at home with my family. Not when I’m out with friends. Not when I’m at CES at a boring press dinner surrounded by people I don’t know well, or want to avoid (not you, Dan Hesse, I’m looking forward to that one). If I’m eating at home alone, I won’t pull out my cell phone. If you don’t hear from me between 6PM and 8PM, assume I’m eating dinner, and I’ll call you, email you or text you back. Lunch is different. Lunch is a victim of my work schedule. I eat lunch when I have time, and so lunch needs to understand that I have more important things to do. It’s not that I hate lunch. I love lunch, it might even be my favorite meal of the day (am I alone in this?), but as long as it falls during work hours, lunch has to get with the program. If I’m eating with people who are more important than anyone who might call or message me, I’ll keep my phone stowed. But if you see me pull out my phone during lunch, it’s not that you lost the phone face-off, I’m just trying to be productive. 4. See the 2D version instead of the 3D If a movie was not originally filmed in 3D, I’m not seeing it in 3D. For most of you, this is a given, but for me this is a big deal. First, I like to write reviews of 3D movies for SlashGear. Most of those are warnings about why you should avoid those films. Second, I did spend an exorbitant amount on Oakley 3D glasses, and my window to return them ended soon after Tron: Legacy hit the theaters. So, I’m stuck with them (though they are worth the money). I will not see any horror movies in 3D. I will not see any dance movies in 3D. If parts 1-6 of a movie series were not in 3D, I will not see part 7 in 3D. The 3D effect has its time and place, and I’m going to use my instinct, honed on a year of watching utter 3D garbage, to determine which movies are worth the extra cash for 3D, and which aren’t worth the headache (literally and figuratively). 5. Use my gadgets to do things more than I do things on my gadgets I’d like to travel more. I’d like to get outside. I have a dozen devices that can take photos, and a dozen more to display them, but I’ve gone a couple months without shooting a worthwhile shot outside of a camera review test. I’m not going to give up gadgets, that’s just silly. But I’m going to focus on buying and using gadgets to do other things, instead of doing things in the closed ecosystem of the gadget. No portable gaming devices for me this year. No buying new phones for the Web browser or the graphics chip. I might need a phone that’s waterproof, with an altimeter. No new Apple TV, no set-top boxes, no 3D television set, and no new home theater system. I have a lousy, cheap setup, and that's the way it will stay for the next year. I’m still going to watch TV, but if I buy anything new, it won’t be a device that’s made to be stared at or listened to passively. It’s time to remember that gadgets are tools. When gadgets can broaden your horizon and make the rest of your life better, instead of just your living room, then you are doing a better job at living digitally.
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| Comcast May Offer Low-Cost Broadband Internet Access if NBC Merger Goes Through Posted: 27 Dec 2010 10:08 AM PST Comcast is trying to do what it takes to make sure that the company’s merger with NBC happens sooner than later. They’re going as far as to try and sweeten the deal, it seems, as they’ve just released a letter to the FCC which outlines their plans of rolling out low-cost broadband Internet access to households that fall into a certain demographic. But, in their letter, Comcast doesn’t say they will go through with the cheap broadband access, but that they might, as long as their merger gets the A-OK from the FCC.
In the letter, Comcast says that they would be willing to, maybe, provide some households with their previously unpublished Economy speeds. Price wise, customers would have to pay only $10 per month for the access. To be considered for the cheaper prices, though, your home would have to make $20,000 or less per year. Additionally, there would have to be one child in the household that is part of the No Child Left Behind program. So, if you do not have a child, or make more money than what Comcast would require of you, these options would not be possible. Comcast also outlined their plans for expansion, noting that they would cover over 400,000 more homes within the next three years. However, that seems to be only about 2.3 percent more than what they already cover, so the expansion isn’t likely a reason that the FCC would consider the proposal. As of right now, the FCC hasn’t said whether or not they will extend the conditions or accept the proposal from Comcast. [via Electronista]
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| A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector : iDevices and Wrap-Up Posted: 27 Dec 2010 09:57 AM PST Behold the advertised use: connecting this projector to an iPod (or an iPhone, iPad, etc.) This is the AAXA L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector “Week With” review, an extended look at this lovely little device and how it fares in the hands of your humble narrator. Today’s entry is the final of several posts, this one both showing how nice the device works with Apple products (an iPod Touch 2nd generation, to be exact,) and finally what our final verdict is on if you should get one for yourself.
AttachmentsIf you plan on plugging your iPod Touch or other Apple product into this projector (or any other, for that matter,) you’re going to have to buy at least one more cord. I decided on the standard Apple Composite AV Cable. This cable is available from the Apple store or several other locations such as Target. Incidentally, this cord will end up being useful for those of you whose iPod cord is on its last leg (like mine was) since it also connects via USB. This cord connects easily to the AV cord included in your projector’s box. As you may know if you’ve been following along with these reviews, the most obviously simple ways to utilize the projector are by plugging in a USB flash drive or by transferring files to the internal memory of the projector itself. You’ll need to have your own USB cord (not included in the projector package) to transfer and/or your own flash drive to work with in these cases. It’s important to remember that you’re probably not going to be able to use this projector straight out of the box unless you’ve got these cords already handy (or don’t mind stopping by your local electronics store.)
iDevicesAs noted, the demo you’re about to see is done with a 2nd gen iPod Touch. It’ll end up working basically exactly the same for any other iDevice from that generation forward, I can’t speak for anything behind. When you’ve got the gigantically long Apple-official cable connected to the quite-short AV cable included with the projector, you’ll probably want a couple of twist-ties or a rubber band handy so you’re not tripping over yourself. Once you’ve got it all in your hands, you should be set to go to watch videos. It’s important to note that without hacking your iDevice, you’ll only be allowed to project videos. No gigantic Angry Birds for you. Adjustments and AnglesIf you’ve ever been in a classroom setting with one of those gigantic projectors with infinite buttons, you’ll be used to perfectly sharp images and lots of adjustments available for the size and shape of the picture. This is not that. This projector requires that you physically move back and forth to get the image to be bigger or smaller, and there’s basically no adjustments to be seen as far as if you’re trying to shoot the image up on a wall at an angle – straight on is the only way if you’re trying to make sure your box is perfectly boxed. Wrap-UpWe’ve seen this projector in action for over TWO weeks now (extended because of the wacky holidays) and have only been disappointed by a few things: battery time, the loudness of the fan (which is basically always on,) and image breakdown. The image breakdown (which you can see if you take a look back at the first demo,) can be excused by the fact that this only seems to happen when playing a video file that wasn’t necessarily meant to be played outside its dvd confines (aka it wasn’t the best quality in the first place,) but still, imperfections in translating a video might be foremost in your mind when your buying a projector made for that single purpose. The battery time and loudness of the fan are things you’re going to have to deal with whenever you use a projector, especially if you’re talking about one as small as this that you’re going to be carrying around in your pocket. This device is definitely fun, transports with great ease as its tiny and weighs basically nothing, and I can think of a dozen different ways to use it without even brainstorming that hard. Is it worth the price? You betcha. Are you going to be able to use it in a professional setting? Depends on what profession you’re in. If you’re a freelance artist looking to show off your wares in odd places – yes! If you’re a businessman looking to project weekly earnings and charts – maybe not. This is not a big projector you’re going to use to show movies to crowds of people, but the cool factor is definitely here. If you want to be pro, go bigger (AAXA has lots of more substantial, but less mobile projectors if you wish,) if you want to be totally cool, buy the L1 v2 Laser Projector. Do it NOW! Have a look at the rest of this series here:      
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| Engineering Students Create Cheap Way to Tell When Water is Safe to Drink Posted: 27 Dec 2010 09:35 AM PST There’s one way that will usually make a concept go from a plan to the real deal pretty quickly: make it cheap. While some concept designs may focus on helping the environment, or finding new ways to help humans in certain situations, they may make it too impractical due to costs. But, if you can manage to create something that is practical and costs less than five dollars to make, we’re pretty sure that means you’ve got a winner on your hands. At least, that’s what students from the University of Washington are hoping.
The team of engineering students from the Pacific Northwest-based university have created a way to easily tell when water is safe to drink, while using the Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) method. By using the light of the sun, and water trapped in a plastic bottle, it’s possible to disinfect the water inside, and make it safe to drink. Unfortunately, there’s no “easy” way to find out when the water is safe for consumption right now, but the students are looking to change that. The students used parts of a keyboard, and strapped the device to the side of plastic bottles. The device is meant to measure how much light is being exposed to the bottle, and the water inside. It blinks while there are particulates in the water, still obstructing the light from passing through the water cleanly. When the process has finished, the device will stop blinking indicating that the water is safe to drink. The device is automatic, too. It will just start working as soon as water is put into the bottle, to the point where the device’s sensors can read it. As for pricing, the students say it only costs $3.40 to make. [via UberGizmo]
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| iPhone 4 for Softbank in Japan to be Equipped with NFC Mobile Payment Stickers Next Year Posted: 27 Dec 2010 08:59 AM PST While we wait to see whether or not the next generation of iPhone features Near Field Communications (NFC) technology in the device itself, wireless carrier Softbank in Japan is ready to get the tech off the ground and running. The carrier is calling it a sticker, but it will cover the majority of the iPhone 4′s back panel. However, it won’t interfere with cases that you may have on the device, like Apple’s Bumper Case. It’s no surprise that Softbank would take the steps necessary to give the device limited functionality in the NFC department, considering it has had strong adoption over the last several months.
The wireless carrier is said to be getting ready to debut the NFC seals for the iPhone 4 soon. It’s made of polyurethane, and it’s said to weigh only 0.5 ounces. The seal will make it possible for iPhone 4 owners in Japan to interact with some of the most commonly used mobile phone payment options. However, details on where users will be able to use the seal are still up in the air, with more information coming in the next few weeks. The seal will cost roughly $36, and Softbank should be ready to launch it February of 2011. [via MacRumors]
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| Jelloware edible cups go from concept to Kickstarter Posted: 27 Dec 2010 08:37 AM PST Back in July we wrote about design firm The Way We See The World’s Jell-O cups, which could not only hold drinks but be eaten afterwards or dropped onto the grass whereupon they’d degrade into nutrient-rich mush. After plentiful public demand, the concept has spawned Jelloware, a Kickstarter project to bring the biodegradable, edible beakers to market.
The company is looking for $10,000 by January 26 2011 to get the project off the ground. Generous investors will get the chance to help Jelloware perfect the design with some hands-on (or lips-on) testing, while the exceptionally-generous will get a Jelloware cocktail party kit. Part of that testing will include picking out the best flavors for the cups, which are each meant to compliment the drink that goes inside them. Early suggestions included lemon-basil, ginger-mint, and rosemary-beet. [via Treehugger]
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| Nintendo 3DS pre-orders taken at GameStop Posted: 27 Dec 2010 08:26 AM PST GameStop has begun taking pre-orders for the Nintendo 3DS, despite the 3D-capable gaming handheld not being expected to show up in US stores until March 2011. The reservations – which can currently only be made in-store; the GameStop 3DS information page only allows you to opt in to email alerts – require a roughly $25 deposit.
According to original tipster (and GameStop employee) wwm0nkey, the 3DS is showing up in the retailer’s systems as SKU 020132. Final pricing for the new Nintendo handheld is currently unknown, though in Japan it will retail at the equivalent of around $299. [via DigitalTrends]
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| SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: December 27 2010 Posted: 27 Dec 2010 08:18 AM PST Welcome back! Did you get any sweet gifts over these past few holiday days? Or did you treat yourself to something sweet? Either way, if you’re a brand new (or old, but could use a refresher) user of Android devices, take a look at our 2010 holiday guide on Android Community! Then for all you well-versed Apple product users, check out the new reverse BitTorrent method of downloading hacked apps. Take a look at Chris Davies column by the name of In Praise of Anticipation (or, A Geek's Christmas), Evan Selleck’s column deciding an important conundrum: When Should a Developer Step In?, and probably the cutest tech-related column I’ve ever seen by Philip Berne: Baby's First iPad. Check out a review of the OCZ Vertex 2 SSD, get a whole batch of games for less than a buck in EA Android Games $.99 sale for Android, and MORE on SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up!
R3 Media Network Editor’s Choice SlashPhone 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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| Kinect UI gets usability breakdown: plenty of weaknesses Posted: 27 Dec 2010 07:56 AM PST With plenty of households now getting to grips with a new Kinect to hook up to their Xbox 360 consoles after the holidays, it’s fair to say there are a lot of odd gestures going on in living rooms across the world. Just how odd is something usability expert Jakob Nielsen has been looking at; he reckons that while Kinect is “fun to play” it’s also inconsistent, full of awkward dialogs and poorly-communicated warnings, and relies too greatly on gamers memorizing instructions.
For instance, while there’s a general pause command that’s consistently applied across Kinect titles, most other commands are left up to the developers; that means that the back command on one title, for instance, can use a different hand or movement than in another title. The confusion is amplified because of the lack of direct feedback. As for dialog problems, Nielsen suggests that developers will have to work on communicating status messages – such as instructions to move closer to the TV – within the area the gamer is concentrating on, since even large messages posted up in the periphery of the action are being overlooked. To be fair, Nielsen does conclude that despite Kinect’s teething pains, gamers get to grips with it more readily than, say, the inconsistent UIs of iPad apps. He suggests that this is because gamers tend to immerse themselves in a single Kinect title for an extended period, saturating themselves with the control dynamic, while iPad users tend to hop between apps more frequently. It’s an interesting analysis overall, and if you’re a Kinect developer – or, indeed, work with motion-gaming at all – then it’s a must-read. [via Twitter]
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| Notion Ink GPS mapping app demo released [Video] Posted: 27 Dec 2010 07:24 AM PST We’ve been waiting to see the fruits of Notion Ink’s EAP (early access program) with third-party developers, and the Adam tablet’s mapping app – developed by Merio – is a good place to start. Rather than simply blow up Google Maps to the 10.1-inch display, Adam has its own custom app supporting POIs, turn-by-turn directions and 3D.
Video demo after the cut
Unfortunately there are no technical details beyond what you see demonstrated in the video below, and we can’t find much information on developers Merio either. It’s also not clear whether the mapping data is locally stored, cached, or accessed over what would have to be a very fast wireless connection. Meanwhile, Notion Ink has revealed that 3G-enabled Adam tablets will be able to receive remote commands via SMS message, though it’s unclear if the functionality will be utilized when the slate is first released. The company recently demonstrated the Adam browser and HDMI connectivity.
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| BAE borrow Batman Tumbler style for concept battle bots Posted: 27 Dec 2010 06:48 AM PST BAE Systems has admitted to have borrowing stylistic cues from the Tumbler Batmobile used in the rebooted Batman franchise for some of their latest ground warfare concepts. The team responsible for the Future Protected Vehicles project told The Engineer that one particular unmanned assault vehicle, Raider, was inspired by the Tumbler’s motorbike-style turning system and wheel configuration.
The Raider design is one of seven new concepts BAE has developed, culling suggestions and ideas from suppliers, academics and schools. While none have yet spawned a physical version, BAE reckons they could help make fuel efficiency savings of up to 60-percent; some, such as Predator-style active camouflaging, are obviously not quite ready for production, but other technologies like economy-boosting nano additives for fuel and an oil filtering system that extends the time between engine servicing are supposedly ready for the battlefield. The seven concepts rely heavily on automated systems, either pulling human soldiers back from the frontline or augmenting their efficiency. The Pointer robot, for instance, can be used as a scout or a mobile bodyguard, and has tracks that can be used to climb terrain or, when extended, to walk over obstacles.   
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| Kindle 3 best-selling Amazon product of all time Posted: 27 Dec 2010 06:32 AM PST Amazon has announced that the third-gen Kindle is the best-selling product in the retailer’s history, ousting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from the top-spot. Meanwhile, on Christmas Day, more people turned on new Kindles for the first time and purchased more Kindle books than on any other day in history.
December 25 was also a successful day for the retailer’s ereader apps, setting a new record for downloads of the Kindle software on the various iOS, Android and other platforms it supports. Earlier in the month, Amazon announced it had sold more third-generation Kindles in 73 days than it did in the entire previous year. Press Release:
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| Skype lawsuit alleges Supernode tech impinges patent Posted: 27 Dec 2010 06:11 AM PST Skype blamed its supernodes for the VoIP network’s downtime last week, and it seems the P2P technology is also to blame for a new patent infringement lawsuit filed against the company. Gradient Enterprises claims Skype is stomping all over its “Method for Detecting, Reporting and Responding to Network Node-Level Events and a System Thereof” patent, granted back in February 2010, without coughing up the necessary licensing fees
Just as Skype’s supernodes communicate network status and manage VoIP call routing in a decentralized way, meaning that – in theory at least – the system is not reliant on a single server hosted by Skype itself, Gradient’s patented technology covers cross-node communication of status and events. As the patent describes:
Skype is yet to comment on the lawsuit. [via TechCrunch]
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| DIY Doctor Who nesting dolls set perhaps best Christmas gift so far Posted: 27 Dec 2010 05:55 AM PST DIY holiday gifts generally have more thought behind them than store-bought, and we’re particularly loving Molly Lewis‘ homemade present from this festive season. She made a frankly awesome set of Doctor Who nesting dolls, taking in eleven generations of Doctor and a TARDIS to accommodate them.
From the sound of things, the wooden dolls themselves were store-bought and then Lewis hand-painted them herself. William Hartnell is a tiny little nub of a figure, while current Doctor actor Matt Smith is the largest. As with the “real” TARDIS there’s plenty of room for them all to fit inside. If you’re tempted to have a go at a Doctor Who nesting doll set yourself, you can either paint over an existing set or pick up a set of blank dolls; they’re reasonably inexpensive, it turns out.
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| Nissan Leaf CARWINGS turns driving into an eco-competition Posted: 27 Dec 2010 05:32 AM PST Nissan has found a way to take advantage of the competition between eco-conscious drivers to promote fuel-efficient use of its new Leaf electric vehicle. The Leaf’s CARWINGS telematics system includes an app, the My Nissan Leaf forum discovered, that not only tracks individual efficiency but compares it with other Leaf drivers in the region.
So, as well as seeing how many miles you achieve per kilowatt of energy, the Leaf can also tell you how many miles your neighbours have achieved. It looks like the CARWINGS system updates the rankings every month; it’s unclear what Nissan intend to do with the results, if anything, but there’d be a great PR opportunity for rewarding the more frugal drivers each time. The eco-competitiveness factor of environmentally friendly cars was perhaps first realized in any broad sense when the Toyota Prius launched. Like the Leaf, the Prius could show energy consumption on a large LCD display in the dashboard, leading to drivers crowing about achieving the highest figures among their peers. Nissan’s system, however, takes things one step further, by automating the comparisons. [via Autoblog Green]
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| Apple ups iPhone shipment target for Q1 2011 Posted: 27 Dec 2010 05:16 AM PST According to “sources” at Taiwanese component suppliers Apple is upping its shipment goals for the iPhone for Q1 2011. The goal has been increased from 19 million units to 20-21 million units according to the sources.
The increase includes an adjustment from 13 million units of WCDMA iPhones to 14-15 million units. The goals for shipments of the long rumored CDMA devices is said to be 5-6 million units for Q1 2011 in the US and Asia. The sources claim that the CDMA iPhone will hit US and Asia in Q1. DigiTimes reports that Q4 shipments for the WCDMA iPhone is expected to be 15.5 million units with all of 2010 expected to see 47 million iPhones shipped. Foxconn and Pegatron Technology are expected to share production for the rumored CDMA device.
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| KA-SAT satellite for wireless broadband launched Posted: 27 Dec 2010 05:08 AM PST Launching satellites is a very complex and risky business. The launch into orbit has all manner of steps and a catastrophic fault can happen at multiple points along the way. The loss of a very expensive satellite can be something that firms don't recover from for a long time. A European company called Eutelsat has announced that yesterday its latest KA-SAT was put into orbit using a Proton Breeze M rocket.
The satellite the rocket inserted into orbit was a massive 6-ton unit that will be used for broadband connectivity. The satellite has 82 narrow spot beams that connect with ten different ground stations. The configuration allows the frequencies to be reused 20 times and offers total data throughput of more than 70Gbps. The ground network for the satellite will use ViaSat SurfBeam tech to provide web connectivity for users. Similar tech is used for 450,000 homes in the US. The KA-SAT will boost the download speeds of the Eutelsat Tooway consumer broadband service to 10Mbps. The final phase of validation testing will be complete by the end of May 2011.   
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| Hackulous unveils “reverse BitTorrent” for sharing apps with jailbreak community Posted: 27 Dec 2010 04:51 AM PST
The Clutch app has been updated, which is software that allows the cracking of iOS software and the GUI for the app Crackulous has been updated too. Hackulous also has a new piece of software for uploading apps to the pirate store called Mobile Hunt. Mobile Hunt will tell the user when it sees an app not on the pirate app store and prompt them to start a background upload. Mobile Hunt is described as a reverse BitTorrent where it takes a tiny piece of the app from the users device, uploads it to the cloud and then combines that tiny bit with tiny bits from other users to recreate the complete and working app. Hackulous also says that it has a hack app ready for the Mac App Store too. However, it will not launch the Mac App Store hack until the app store has enough “crap” apps in it to make a hack store useful for trialing apps. The developers reckon to start with all of the apps in the app store for Macs will be good and crap apps will come later. Via Torrent Freak
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| Supposed pics of Sony Ericsson Hallon Leak Posted: 27 Dec 2010 04:31 AM PST The start of every New Year brings with it lots of new gadgets and other gear in the first few months. In January, we have CES and in February, we have Mobile World Congress. Both of the shows see many smartphones showing off with some seen for the first time/ Sony Ericsson is expected to show off three new smartphones at MWC in February and some leaked pics point to two of those three new handsets.
If the rumors that go along with the leaked photos are accurate, we have one unannounced SE handset taking pics of another unannounced SE handset for you to enjoy. The images were posted under a Picasa account and are apparently from an 8MP camera phone that has the model number LT15i. The same device is apparently on the site with four other users with one using the name “Rachel.tester.” SE geeks might recognize Rachel as the codename of the Xperia X10. The smartphone in the photos is apparently another unannounced smartphone for SE and is thought to be the Hallon. The only things you can tell for the pics are that the thing has top USB port, a curved upper surface, and appears to be running Android Gingerbread. It also has a big honkin’ lens on the front. The pics do look awfully grainy for the LT15i Anzu, which is rumored to have a 12MP, camera to have snapped them.
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| German WinPo 7 smartphone fans can get HTC 7 Pro next month on O2 Posted: 27 Dec 2010 03:59 AM PST If you are a German fan of the HTC 7 Pro smartphone that runs Windows Phone 7 you may have been wistfully reading the reviews and hands on stories that have been hitting the web waiting for your day to own the smartphone. That day is coming really soon with an official launch by O2 coming in January.
The same smartphone will be hitting the US with Sprint next month and O2 has confirmed that it will be launching the smartphone in Germany in January as well. O2 hasn’t offered up pricing details but chances are the phone will be offered for free with the right plan purchase. If you have missed the handset somehow since it debuted, we went hands on with it back in October. It has a 3.6-inch LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, and a slide out QWERTY keyboard. The screen even tilts a bit when the keyboard is deployed to make viewing easier. Via Unwired View
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| AMD Radeon HD 6950 can be turned into HD 6970 with BIOS mod Posted: 27 Dec 2010 03:46 AM PST I would bet there are several gamers out there who got a new HD 6950 video card for Christmas. If you are an owner of the new video card from AMD that debuted along with the HD 6970 back on December 15, we have a cool new mod for you to try out.
According to the geeks at TechPowerUp you can take that cheaper HD 6950 and turn the thing into the HD 6970 with a bit of modding. The reason a mod can turn the slower device into the faster one is that the GPUs are exactly the same with the 6950 simply having features locked. The reason the locked shaders on the 6950 can be unlocked so easily is that they are turned off in BIOS rather than having fuses on the board that lock the shaders. The full instructions are on the source site link above. You can also download the files you need for the unlock process directly from the source as well.
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| Dell Streak 7 clears FCC with AT&T and T-Mobile 3G Posted: 27 Dec 2010 03:36 AM PST A post-holiday treat this morning, with the FCC passing the Dell Streak 7 – aka the Looking Glass or Dell M02M – complete with UMTS/WCDMA support for both AT&T and T-Mobile USA. The Streak 7, expected to launch at CES 2011 next month, has both a SIM slot and an SD card reader on the side, along with a fixed rear panel suggesting a non-user-replaceable battery.
There’s also WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, while previous rumors have suggested that the Android-based slate will run NVIDIA’s second-gen Tegra 2 chipset. It’s not yet known whether, as with the 5-inch original Streak, the Streak 7 will support voice calls, or whether its modem will be limited to data only. Before Christmas, a commercial for the Dell Streak 7 leaked out confirming various features and specs, along with the tablet’s name. We’re expecting to find out more at CES 2011.
[via Engadget and via Android Community]
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| LG to show off 72-inch Full LED backlit 3D TV at CES Posted: 27 Dec 2010 03:31 AM PST CES 2011 will kick off in only a couple weeks and with the show starting hoards of new gadgets and home theater gear that will debut for the first time. Some of the new gear that will be at the show is being announced early and among that new gear is the LG LZ9700 3D TV.
LG claims that this set is the largest full LED backlit TV in the world and the set is good for 3D and 2D images. The LZ9700 has TruMotion 400Hz procession for smooth and fast 3D playback. The set also has a number of Smart TV features as well. It can stream programming from partners and supports an increasing collection of TV apps The set also includes the LG Magic Motion Remote Control. It will hit stores in early 2011 and pricing is unknown at this time. Consider that a similar sized Vizio 3D set is going to sell for about $3500 and the LG set will not be cheap. There is no word on whether the set uses passive or active 3D glasses, I am betting active.
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Those that use jailbroken iPhones and other Apple devices are able to get software from places other than the App Store. One of the places that many of the jailbreak users go for software is the Hackulous community. Hackulous admin Dissident has announced that new innovations have been added to the software used at Hackulous.
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