CrunchGear

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• BumpTop Goes Multi-Touch. Um, Awesome.
• Daily Crunch: Chum Edition
• Verizon announces Nokia 2705 Shade flip phone
• Verizon debuts the HTC Imagio, their first smartphone with V CAST TV
• Verizon announces the Razzle, endless puns ensue
• Major PSP firmware update adds tethering, Media Go
• How to photograph a 300 ft tall tree without getting a splinter
• Holographic storage rears its head again: Blu-ray-compatible 500GB discs?
• Nokia Booklet 3G to be a Best Buy exclusive in the U.S.
• Tabletop gaming hits the silver screen
• A gullwing hybrid from Subaru? Let this be true
• Make your own Street View rig for fun and profit
• DTV box sales “plummet” – surpise, surprise
• Bad news: That Sprint Touch Pro 2 price cut? Not happening.
• TENQA rolls out three new Bluetooth audio devices
• The Qualcomm FLO TV retail box leaks out, launch imminent?
• Greenpeace hates Apple, HP a little bit less today
• No, you can’t use the DJ Hero turntable on any other game
• Your “weight” for an internet-connected scale is over! Get it?
• Jay Leno really is helping NBC at the 10 p.m. time slot

BumpTop Goes Multi-Touch. Um, Awesome. Posted: 01 Oct 2009 05:08 AM PDT What if the desktop on your computer was just like your actual desktop? That's the core idea behind BumpTop, a really nice looking graphical overlay for Windows-based operating systems. But as cool as BumpTop looked, you still had to use your mouse and keyboard to manipulate it. As I made clear yesterday, I want those to die. So good news for me today: BumpTop is adding multi-touch support. And the result is awesome. When we think of multi-touch right now, most of us think of the iPhone. But really, with such a small screen, there are only so many gestures you can do. Multi-touch BumpTop greatly expands that roster, and includes several gestures that it claims to have patents for. Basically, they have gestures that use all of you fingers, and both hands, and even the side of hands. You can "lasso" things, "shove" them, "scrunch" them, and "crop" them.

Daily Crunch: Chum Edition Posted: 01 Oct 2009 12:00 AM PDT Greenpeace hates Apple, HP a little bit less today New device brings wireless Internet to boats The Chumby One: More powerful, less cushy DTV box sales "plummet" – surpise, surprise Make your own Street View rig for fun and profit

Verizon announces Nokia 2705 Shade flip phone Posted: 30 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT Think what you will, but we're big believers in "keeping it real" 'round these parts. While we swoon whenever a new smart phone hits the scene, the vast majority are still stuck in the flip phone zone - and you know what? There's nothing wrong with that. Have no fear, flip fans, Verizon is here to fulfill all your flipping needs with the new Nokia 2705 Shade.

Verizon debuts the HTC Imagio, their first smartphone with V CAST TV Posted: 30 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT Aaaand the rumor mill nails it again. Confirming rumors from a few weeks back, Verizon has just announced that their big, beautiful Windows Mobile 6.5 handset, the HTC Imagio, will be launching on the same day as 6.5 itself: October 6th.

Verizon announces the Razzle, endless puns ensue Posted: 30 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT When we first got word that Verizon would be announcing the Razzle today, a handful of potential posts popped into our brain almost instantly. Thing is, when it comes that easy for us, it came that easy for everyone else, too.

Major PSP firmware update adds tethering, Media Go Posted: 30 Sep 2009 08:40 PM PDT Since the PSP Go is coming tomorrow, it was reasonable to expect a firmware update the PSP. We just didn’t expect one this full of content. Will it be enough to get the homebrew people to upgrade? Probably not, but for the casual user it’s quite the step forward. The new firmware update adds compatibility with the new MediaGo function, as well as with the upcoming change to the way PSP titles are published. The update will also make it possible for you to tether your PSP to any Bluetooth connection (mobile phone, PC, etc) and game online when you don’t have access to a wifi. Included in the update (in a way) is the upgrade to the PSP store online. Sony is changing the look of the store in order to make sure that it works properly with MediaGo, which is a PC application that will enable you to organize and transfer your music, movies, and photos to the PSP/PSPGo. It will also enable you to purchase and download software from the Playstation Store using your computer, as an alternative to downloading using your actual device. Over, it’s quite impressive for a combination firmware update and store refresh. But the PSP Go is still overpriced.

How to photograph a 300 ft tall tree without getting a splinter Posted: 30 Sep 2009 08:20 PM PDT National Geographic magazine is running an article about the redwood forest this month, and part of that article included a very special vertical panoramic shot of a 300 foot tall tree. Shooting in the redwoods is particularly difficult because you lose the sense of scale. If there’s not something like a house or a bus next to the tree, you really can’t show how massive the trees really are. Photographer Nick Nichols traveled out into the forest to do just that: capture a photo of a tree that’s over 300 feet tall, while keeping a sense of scale. Standard photographic techniques just wouldn’t cut it, so Nick had to get creative. What the photographer ended up doing was building a custom rig containing 3 cameras, each one taking a slightly different shot: one to the left, one to the right, and one on the dead center. The rig was mounted to a gyroscope, and then the cameras took a series of pictures as the rig was lowered to the ground. The end result: a vertical panorama comprised of 84 pictures, all stitched together to create one of the most complete pictures of a redwood tree we’ve ever seen. Check it out: [via Hackaday]

Holographic storage rears its head again: Blu-ray-compatible 500GB discs? Posted: 30 Sep 2009 05:30 PM PDT We hear about holographic storage time and again, but look around — do you see any holographic drive arrays around you? Didn’t think so. At the moment it’s just not cost-effective (compared with plain ol’ HDDs) and not fast enough (compared with SSDs and other flash arrays). That doesn’t mean it’ll be an exotic technology forever, though: GE is hard at work making it more compatible with existing technology, and thinks they’ve come up with something good. Their optics labs have increased reflectivity in their media to the point where a standard Blu-ray laser can be used to read them, though nothing is said about writing. The resultant discs, the same size as CDs and DVDs, would be able to hold 500GB at current densities, going up to 1.6GBTB in densities achievable in a year or two. What does this mean for you? Probably nothing, but it’s good to know they’re all hard at work, right? Maybe in 2011 you’ll be able to buy a modified Blu-ray drive (assuming the format is still around) that will have a mode for reading these holographic discs. You might even be able to get a special drive to write on ‘em. Seems a bit weird talking about “next-generation” optical technologies when almost all media is going online, but there’s always a use for discs like these. Assuming the discs aren’t too volatile, this kind of storage capacity would be great for backups. Aaanyway, don’t worry your little head about it. When something happens, you’ll know (because we’ll tell you). In the meantime, get your holographic storage shirt here.

Nokia Booklet 3G to be a Best Buy exclusive in the U.S. Posted: 30 Sep 2009 05:22 PM PDT While we’re still in the dark as to when it’ll launch or how much damage it’ll do to our wallets, we just got word of where future owners will be picking up their new Nokia-made netbook. You want one? You’ll have to talk to the dudes in the blue polos. At their holiday gift guide event, Best Buy announced that they’ll be the exclusive retailers for the Nokia Booklet in the U.S. That’s great – but look out for the big mean security guards on the way out.

Tabletop gaming hits the silver screen Posted: 30 Sep 2009 05:10 PM PDT Anyone who plays Warhammer 40K knows how much work goes into your army. The modeling, the filing, the painting, on and on and on. Then you send hours compiling your army list, carefully pack the Emperor’s superhuman servants in foam, take them down to the local game shop, and for what? To have them destroyed by heretics, foul xenos, and unsupervised kids. Such is the glory of tabletop gaming. Codex Pictures, the same company that brought us LEGO BIONICLE, announced that they will be putting the Emperor’s finest into a 70-minute CGI thriller. The news came at UK Game Day to thousands of Games Workshop enthusiasts. Erik Mogensen, Licensing and Acquired Rights Manager for Games Workshop, stated, “We're working closely with the talented team at Codex Pictures, who have an excellent understanding of the Warhammer 40,000 intellectual property and an inspired vision for the movie. We can't wait to see our universe come to life on-screen." The picture is titled Ultramarines. Check the link for latest news. For the greater good!

A gullwing hybrid from Subaru? Let this be true Posted: 30 Sep 2009 04:37 PM PDT We try not to cover too many concept cars and devices, but sometimes it’s just too compelling. I’ve always liked Subarus, personally, and although I’ve pledged not to buy a car until I can get a full electric, I might have to go back on that if this Tourer hybrid goes to production. I hope they find a better name, though, it’s a bit “Rural Juror” for me. But gullwings, baby, gullwings! It’d be a pretty traditional hybrid, as unexciting as that sounds, and it would have a full-sized 2L, 4-cylinder boxer engine as well as two power plants, 10 and 20kW, for electric propulsion. It will of course be all wheel drive. It just looks awesome to me. A practical, roomy AWD Subaru, rocking gullwings? Man, if I don’t get one, at least I’ll see them all over the place because they’re so awesome. Assuming they ever get made, that is.

Make your own Street View rig for fun and profit Posted: 30 Sep 2009 03:30 PM PDT If you suddenly find yourself with $300 to burn, an old laptop, and too much time on your hands this weekend, I might suggest that you build a DIY Google Street View-style rig for your car. That’s what West Point student Roy Ragsdale did for his “disruptive technologies” class. And if someone at West Point does it, it’s okay for you to do it. The gear consists of eight Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000 webcams, a couple D-Link USB hubs, a GPS receiver, and an old laptop running Ubuntu. Roy whipped up a script that made each of the cameras take a 1280×1024 snapshot every 20 seconds and then later had each 8-pack of photos stitched together to form a panoramic picture. He was able to grab photos while driving over 60 miles per hour that were “perfectly clear and on par with those available on Google Street View.” Sounds fun, I guess. Sort of. There’s always the actual Google Street View, too, which involves keeping your $300 and far less driving. Well done for a class project, though. [IEEE.org via Gizmodo]

DTV box sales “plummet” – surpise, surprise Posted: 30 Sep 2009 03:00 PM PDT Remember the big technology story of the first half of the year? Analog signals were suppose to be shut-off on February 17, but Obama saved millions of households from their procrastination by delaying it a few months. But eventually on June 12, those signals were turned off. You have to imagine that retailers moved loads of analog to digital converter boxes through the shut-off date. Not many have likely been sold since though, which is why *gasp* sales have plummeted. In-Stat is reporting that sales in the year’s second quarter dropped 35% from Q1. That’s a lot, but it also shows that a lot of people were ready for the switch-off before it happened. Sure, some folks probably delayed purchasing a DTV box for a vacation home or hunting lodge after the fact. Maybe even some people bought a box after calling it quits on pay TV service like cable or satellite. But the vast majority of people that needed one, got one before they couldn’t watch the Simpsons anymore.

Bad news: That Sprint Touch Pro 2 price cut? Not happening. Posted: 30 Sep 2009 02:30 PM PDT Earlier today, we passed on word of a rumor that the Sprint Touch Pro 2 would be seeing a price cut from the oh-so-absurd price of $349 (after a $100 mail-in rebate, mind you) down to the much more reasonable $149. It sounded great! With Verizon's Touch Pro 2 already at that price, it certainly didn't sound too good to be true - but it was, for the most part.

TENQA rolls out three new Bluetooth audio devices Posted: 30 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Bluetooth is a really versatile technology, and despite the fact that it has been out for years, we’re still seeing new stuff come out that uses it. That’s where this latest example comes in from TENQA. Bluetooth audio really seems to be coming into it’s own lately, and these items are no exception. TENQA has announced three new items today, a portable stereo speaker, a larger, non-portable bluetooth speaker set, and a set of bluetooth headphones. From the press release: Phoenix, AZ – (September 29, 2009) – TENQA's ® proud to announce its line of stereo Bluetooth speakers and Bluetooth headphones. TENQA's Bluetooth wireless technology equipped products receive continuous streaming audio with digital sound quality from various music sources such as your cell phone, Blackberry®, iPod® touch, iPhone™, computer, and any other device equipped with stereo Bluetooth A2DP capabilities for streaming wireless stereo audio. The line includes the portable SP-99 stereo Bluetooth speaker system with music and volume controls right on the wireless speaker and a range of 33 feet. The TENQA HP-109 is a set of stereo Bluetooth headphones with a behind the head design that will stay in place during activity like running or exercise. The wireless headphones also have a mic for answering calls hands-free style. The SP-109 is a stylish, slim wireless speaker that is designed to sit on a shelf or desk and play music from up to 33 feet from the wireless phone. TENQA: HP-109 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones Remove the wires between you and your music at home or on the go. • Connects wirelessly to cell phone, iPhone, iPod Touch, Computer, or Bluetooth mp3 player • Hands free calling, music stops when receiving a call, you talk through internal mic, music resumes upon call completion • Stereo Bluetooth Class 2 technology transmits audio up to 33 feet away from your audio device • Internal rechargeable Li-ion Battery. Up to 15 hours listening, 160 hours standby time. • Bluetooth Support Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, and HFP Price: $59.99 TENQA: SP-99 Portable Stereo Bluetooth Speaker Portable Stereo Bluetooth speaker that allows you to listen to your music without wires at home or on the go. • Lightweight, compact portable stereo Bluetooth speaker you can take anywhere. • Connects wirelessly to cell phone, iPhone, iPod Touch, Computer, or Bluetooth mp3 player • Stereo Bluetooth Class 2 technology transmits audio up to 33 feet away from your audio device • Integrated music controls allow you to change music track and volume directly from your headphones without wires • Pair with any device using stereo Bluetooth A2DP technology. “Line-in” jack to connect directly to any music source Price: $79.99 TENQA: SP-109 Stereo Bluetooth Speaker Sleek stereo Bluetooth speaker that allows you to listen to your music without wires. • Connects wirelessly to cell phone, iPhone, iPod Touch, Computer, or Bluetooth mp3 player • Ultras slim and compact desktop design you can put anywhere • Stereo Bluetooth Class 2 technology transmits audio up to 33 feet away from your audio device • Pair with any device using stereo Bluetooth A2DP technology. “Line-in” jack to connect directly to any music source Price: $89.99 All of the TENQA products are currently available at Amazon.com

The Qualcomm FLO TV retail box leaks out, launch imminent? Posted: 30 Sep 2009 01:30 PM PDT The Qualcomm FLO TV is slowly taking shape. First we saw early concept art, which was followed by our exlucisive shots of the interface. But the just last week we saw a leaked photo and learned that it was manufactured by HTC. Today though, the retail packaging has been spotted. So…really the only thing left is the actual product announcement, which can’t be that far off. Hopefully.

Greenpeace hates Apple, HP a little bit less today Posted: 30 Sep 2009 01:00 PM PDT Like many of you, my knowledge of Greenpeace begins and ends with that one Seinfeld episode, the one where the NBC executive, so in love with Elaine, freaks out and joins the organization in order to impress her. That is to say I don’t really understand the "point" of the organization, or who appointed it the protector of the environment. But, it is, somehow, so let’s roll with it. Good news for HP and Apple: Greenpeace hates you two a little bit less today! Break out the champagne! Now, what have Apple and HP done to get on Greenpeace’s good side? We brought up Apple’s efforts to placate the environmental organization the other day, but to recap: Apple cut a whole bunch of garbage from its products, and does a lot to make sure its factories are as green as possible. So that’s what Apple did. Meanwhile, over in HP Land, those guys have "[put] a PC on the market that is virtually free of PVC (vinyl plastic) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs)." And who is Greenpeace’s favorite company? That would be Nokia. There’s a whole list of who are, in Greenpeace’s estimation, the greenest companies out there. The worst company? Nintendo! All those nuclear powered Wiis out there! But like I said the other day, I really don’t know too many people who buy things based on their environmental impact. Can I afford it, and does it work well? That’s what I figure most people are thinking when they walk into the mall.

No, you can’t use the DJ Hero turntable on any other game Posted: 30 Sep 2009 12:30 PM PDT Bad news, sports fans. Well, to be specific, DJ Hero fans. Anyhow, it looks like you won’t be able to use the turntable controller on any other video game. Why you’d want to use the turntable when playing, say, Street Fighter IV, I don’t know. This is really only applicable if you had planned to buy DJ Hero, then buy Scratch: The Ultimate DJ without its turntable. One of the DJ Hero devs told Destructoid that any game that could use the turntable would necessarily be a ripoff. Yes, because Rock Band and Guitar Hero are two totally different games… But yeah, the turntable only works on DJ Hero. You don’t send me flowers!

Your “weight” for an internet-connected scale is over! Get it? Posted: 30 Sep 2009 12:00 PM PDT The "WiFi Body Scale" from French company Withings records your weight and BMI and automatically uploads it to a secure website, which would be a lot easier to make fun of if it weren't for Wii Fit, which does that stuff but doesn't upload it anywhere. People made fun of Wii Fit at first and then it went on to become the most popular Wii game in the history of the universe, so it stands to reason that this scale may become the most popular scale in the history of scales. Or it may not. You never can tell. And it wouldn't be a serious product if there wasn't also an iPhone app for keeping track of your progress as well, right? Well, there is. And get this: up to eight different people can keep track of their weight on the same scale. The scale even knows who's who right when they step on the scale. Maybe it knows each person by the amount of meat in their feet. Science! The scale costs $159 and is available at Withings.com (and apparently Amazon, although it's not in stock there at the moment). Yes, that's a lot for a scale but even at $159 it offers far more value than the $55 Yay! Scale from earlier this week. WiFi Body Scale [Withings.com]

Jay Leno really is helping NBC at the 10 p.m. time slot Posted: 30 Sep 2009 11:30 AM PDT I’ve heard good things about The Jay Leno Show recently, which might be why he’s improving NBC’s TiVo stats. Previous seasons NBC saw nearly 70% of its viewers timeshift during the 10 p.m. time slot. Leno has managed to improve that to only 46%, with 20% of those people watching the show at 11 p.m. instead. That number is actually great considering CBS and ABC have been running 65% and 63% respectively over the last two weeks Leno has been on the air. Maybe I should watch this show… The timeshifting stat is important to networks because advertisers look at it as well. They would much rather give networks money whose programs are watched live and therefore isn’t a way for viewers to fast forward through commercials. To be honest though, only about half the time I watch something off my TiVo do I skip the commercials. IDK why, maybe I’m just that lazy.

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