CrunchGear

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• Daily Crunch: Night Stalkers Edition
• Pretty enough for HD? Check out the Blue Mic Eyeball 2.0
• Amazon clarifies what can go down the memory hole
• Punch Camera prints with a hole-punch
• DIY Werewolf Costume
• New bags from Booq look tasteful and functional
• Dell adds Core i5 to their Vostro line
• Star Trek communicator cloth one step closer to reality, still won’t beam you up
• Apple’s new marketing campaign targets toddlers, kindergarteners
• Real-life skateboarder Tetris is simultaneous win and fail
• GorillaMobile updated for better iPhone holding
• Watch Andres Iniesta over and over again destroy Chelsea with Nike’s CRT360 boots
• To heck with hybrid media on the iPad. Go read a Vook, Vooker!
• You can win $5,000 in some sort of Newegg college student contest
• Mercury ups its 2.5″ external HDDs to 1TB
• Mamiya announces two new lines of DSLRs
• CrunchGear Video Review: Four headsets enter, one leaves
• Oh, Mom, you have so much to learn
• NHL 10 predicts the Pittsburgh Penguins as Stanley Cup champs
• Happy Birthday, CDs

Daily Crunch: Night Stalkers Edition Posted: 02 Oct 2009 12:00 AM PDT Punch Camera prints with a hole-punch DIY Werewolf Costume DIY garage door sensor Apple's new marketing campaign targets toddlers, kindergarteners You can win $5,000 in some sort of Newegg college student contest

Pretty enough for HD? Check out the Blue Mic Eyeball 2.0 Posted: 01 Oct 2009 06:07 PM PDT You know, there’s one good thing about the low-res garbage webcams that most people use: it tones down the ugly. Got a wicked huge nose or a massive scar from your pirate-fighting days? Your webcam forgives you. That said, there are plenty of pretty people out there who are more than worthy of HD video. Half of the CrunchGear writers, for example, are famous male models in certain countries – and you know what? They like putting video of themselves singing along to popular songs on YouTube, just like anybody else. And for them, there’s the Blue Mic Eyeball 2.0. As the name implies, the Eyeball 2.0 is Blue Mic’s second foray into the web cam arena. The first version of the Eyeball was pretty damned decent (on par with the iSight built into the MacBook Pro, at the very least), rockin’ a 1.3 megapixel (1280 x 1024) camera that tucks into a spring-loaded drawer built into the big ol’ high quality microphone. The new version ups the resolution to 2.0 megapixels (1600 x 1200) – and for good measure, they’ve upped the quality of the lens and the optical sensor, as well. If your computin’ setup didn’t come with a webcam built in — or if you just want a better image — the new and improved Eyeball is a safe bet, based off what we saw in version 1. It should set you back about $79 once it hits the shelves (soon) at Amazon, Apple, and Fry’s. [Eyeball 2.0 Product Page]

Amazon clarifies what can go down the memory hole Posted: 01 Oct 2009 05:58 PM PDT Bezos may have apologized, but the stink of Amazon’s unprecedented act of cyberburglary is still strong enough that people aren’t likely to forget any time soon. It’s a good thing, then, that Amazon has struck while the iron is still slightly hot by announcing the terms under which they will consider themselves justified in making your book an unbook. Nobody likes the idea of having a corporation forcefully take back something they legitimately purchased (whether it was legitimately offered is not their concern), but the truth is that e-books and other “virtual property” will have to be subject to some of the same laws and restrictions as real property. I can’t think of many situations where the police would be justified in entering my house and removing an item I had purchased, without my consent, but that’s what judges and warrants are for. Amazon is, for the most part, its own judge (and extraction team), but they haven’t left too many doors open for more Orwellian tomfoolery. As part of a settlement (pdf) with the high school student who sued Amazon following the event, they issued the following guidelines: Amazon will not remotely delete or modify such Works from Devices purchased and being used in the United States unless (a) the user consents to such deletion or modification; (b) the user requests a refund for the Work or otherwise fails to pay for the Work (e.g., if a credit or debit card issuer declines to remit payment); (c) a judicial or regulatory order requires such deletion or modification; or (d) deletion or modification is reasonably necessary to protect the consumer or the operation of a Device or network through which the Device communicates (e.g., to remove harmful code embedded within a copy of a Work downloaded to a Device). (via TechFlash and All Things D; carriage returns mine) The guidelines seem perfectly straightforward, although they do leave open to interpretation what “reasonably necessary” and “protect” mean. Bookmark this page in case one of your books gets sucked out of your Kindle, and see if you fall under any of these circumstances. Note that they don’t “stack,” i.e. you don’t need to consent for them to take the book off if your card is rejected. However, if you keep it disconnected, they’ll never know — you outlaw you. It’s good to have these regulations in place, but they’re merely internal Amazon rules and only apply to e-books; expect further skirmishes of this type as real and virtual property (and property lines) overlap further.

Punch Camera prints with a hole-punch Posted: 01 Oct 2009 05:30 PM PDT Somehow I doubt this will ever make it to production, but this hole-punch camera is really a great idea, even if it’s a bit anachronistic. Basically, it rasterizes whatever image you give it, then you can put a piece of paper in, give it a good smack, and it’s “printed” a copy by punching out holes of different sizes. Genius! Rasterized images are, of course, slightly reduced in fidelity from the original, but they cost virtually nothing; it’d be fun to give them out at parties or events for free. The trouble is, how do you combine a compact digital camera and LCD screen with something you have to pound with your fist to get a result? Well, you don’t really. I don’t think the Punch Camera will ever see the light of day for this fact. That said, they could make a just-the-punch part, which could take whatever input (card or whatnot, maybe shown on a tiny out-of-the-way LCD and punch it. Seriously, I’d buy one. Wouldn’t you? [via LikeCool]

DIY Werewolf Costume Posted: 01 Oct 2009 05:01 PM PDT With All Hallows’ Eve creeping up at the end of the month, that means its time to get cracking on your costumes! Missmonster posted a very elaborate instructable on how to turn you (or a loved one) into a lycanthrope, complete with fully articulate jaw. Be forewarned, this is a rather complex project. You’re pretty much casting the mask out of plaster and resin. But you can’t argue with the results. If you don’t want to get that involved, you could always just wait until this Saturday’s full moon and go pretend to bite people or something. Or just be this guy.

New bags from Booq look tasteful and functional Posted: 01 Oct 2009 04:30 PM PDT I admit it, I have a thing for bags. They’re like precision instruments if you have a few with different capabilities: one for groceries, one for books, one for cameras, and one for laptops. These new bags from Booq are about as attractive as they come, perhaps only outdone by Acme Made’s excellent shoulder bags. If you’re looking for a new backback or bag, check out their latest lineup. The Boa Squeeze ($100) is what I guess you’d term a “laptop backpack,” something I’ve never really taken a shine to, but it is a good-looking little thing. Just big enough for your laptop, some cords, and a couple accessories. Its bigger cousin, the Boa Flow ($200), is more of an all-purpose tech laptop, with tons of little pockets and room for a DSLR, laptop, and tons of extra stuff. It’s more bulky, of course, and less cool-looking, but if you’ve got to carry a lot of stuff, it looks like it’ll get the job done. My pick of the litter, since I’m a shoulder-bag kind of chap, is this Nerve ($150). This new larger version will hold up to a 15″ laptop (just right for me) and has an integrated, removable laptop sleeve, for what good that’ll do you. Looks roomy but seems like it ratchets down pretty tight, unlike my Manhattan Portage bag, which holds a ton of stuff but doesn’t really hold it in place. They’re a bit expensive, but they look pretty well-made, and you can’t argue with the style unless you don’t like understated. If I didn’t already have a stable of bags like these at my disposal, I’d pick one up.

Dell adds Core i5 to their Vostro line Posted: 01 Oct 2009 04:00 PM PDT Dell just added a new model to their rather stodgy looking Vostro line, the excitingly named “Vostro 430″. This isn’t particularly newsworthy, however what IS newsworthy is that their new computers will protect you. From the future!!!11! That’s right, Dell sent out a press release today, and made sure they told us that their new PC was “Future Proof”. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I’m hoping that it means when the aliens come, the Vostro 430 will use the power of it’s newly released Intel i5 Core processor to transform into some kind of super-weapon, combining the computing power of the cloud with pure energy to defeat them. Because we all know what side Alienware will be on. In all seriousness, the new Dell Vostro 430 is one of the first machines we’ve seen to use Intel’s new Core i5 CPU. And yes, I realize that “Future Proof” means that you can upgrade it when new hardware comes out. From the press release: ROUND ROCK, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dell today announced the extension of its Vostro line with the Vostro 430 mini tower desktop, designed to serve the distinctive needs of small and medium business. Combining the latest processor technology, discrete graphics and optimized for Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system, the Vostro 430 is for growing businesses that want professional performance and productivity for their the existing and future needs. The Vostro 430 is available globally from today at prices starting from US$ 699. The Vostro 430 comes with pre-installed video conferencing software, to help businesses optimize their communications and collaborations costs. The desktop also supports dual display and multi-touch technology and is optimized for Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system1, making touch usage features such as pinch to zoom and tap-and-drag scrolling possible, which enhance productivity and encourage remote collaboration via video conference (an optional touch screen monitor and webcam is required). The Vostro 430 also comes equipped with the latest Intel® CoreTM i5 or optional Intel® CoreTM i7 processors, and discrete graphics options from NVIDIA® and ATI™ making it an ideal tool for growing businesses seeking a powerful and reliable business desktop. In fact, customers can save time with Intel® Core™ i5-750 by completing intense Excel calculations up to 5 times as fast than their old system with Intel® Pentium® D 960!2 In addition, the Vostro 430 provides businesses ample room for future growth and can accommodate up to 16GB* of DDR3 SDRAM and up to 1TB* of internal storage. "In the last six months, Dell has underscored its commitment to small and medium business by launching Vostro laptops and desktops that offer the features, services, reliability, and resources to meet their distinctive needs," said Sam Burd global vice president, Dell Small and Medium Business. "The Vostro 430 is another great example of how we are providing small and medium businesses with a compelling reason to refresh their technology; with a desktop that meets their needs today, and leaves plenty of room to grow." The Vostro 430 is the latest addition to Dell's comprehensive Vostro portfolio, which is designed to address the top technology issues facing small-business customers including easy-to-use and maintain computer systems, data storage, and quality service and support, all at a price small businesses can afford. For additional information on the Vostro 430, visit www.dell.com/vostro. Backed by dedicated and specially trained small-business sales and support experts, Dell Vostro desktops come with a 30-day worry-free return policy, and are available with Dell CompleteCare Accidental Damage Service and Dell ProSupport services that give customers the ability to customize and tailor services to fit their technical expertise and business needs. Vostro 430: Expandability, Productivity and Connectivity * Expandability options with the ability to add memory, PCI/PCIe cards and HDD, future-proofing IT investment; * Increased internal storage capacity with one terabyte hard drives offering up to 2 terabytes of internal storage; * Dual-display capability, and more expandability and flexibility with 10 external USB ports and four total PCI/PCIe expansion slots for more network, sound or graphics cards. * Optional Blu-Ray DiskTM drives for data storage and video playback; * PS/2 and serial ports to enable use of older devices; and * Dell 19-in-1 Media Card Reader (Optional) * IEEE 1394a (Optional)

Star Trek communicator cloth one step closer to reality, still won’t beam you up Posted: 01 Oct 2009 03:40 PM PDT Many gadgets we use today were inspired by the fictional gadgets in Star Trek. Communicators inspired cell phones, tablet computers were inspired by the datapads that crew members carried, the medical scanners like Bones used in sick bay are becoming a reality as well. Finnish company Patria Aviation Oy has developed a type of cloth that’s capable of working as an antenna for the Iridium network and GPS frequency bands, making it possible to actually create a communicator style system similar to the type used in ST:TNG. The company said the most difficult of the process was choosing the correct fabric with the proper characteristics. Many fabrics change their electrical properties when bent, which would render the them useless as a antenna materiel. The material also contains an insulating layer that protects you from excess radiation coming from wearing an antenna as a shirt. The first antenna will be made into a shirt, however there is no word on when this product will be made available (if ever) to the public. [via Networkworld]

Apple’s new marketing campaign targets toddlers, kindergarteners Posted: 01 Oct 2009 03:25 PM PDT When will it stop? Our babies will be born in black turtlenecks if they have their way. And is that a funktified “Another one bites the dust” break? [via The Daily What and HuffPo]

Real-life skateboarder Tetris is simultaneous win and fail Posted: 01 Oct 2009 03:00 PM PDT Here’s my question to you, Tetris re-enactors. Why would you go to all the trouble of making neon block-shaped hats, and skate down a hill to fit together into a big column, yet not use actual Tetris shapes?! It’s maddening! There must be some copyright issue, but still, come on. Can they really have a trademark on L-shaped blocks? [via Make]

GorillaMobile updated for better iPhone holding Posted: 01 Oct 2009 02:30 PM PDT The GorillaMobile — Joby’s bendy stand thingie for handhelds — uses a suction cup to hold the phone to the legs. Or it did, until today! Now there’s an updated version of the GorillaMobile that uses a special soft case that easily connects your iPhone to the bendy legs. "The proliferation of 'iPhoneography,' in addition to the 3GS's video and camera upgrade, has only increased the already demonstrated need for an adaptable iPhone stand," said Joby CEO Forrest Baringer-Jones. "We created the Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS to address the consumer's dual needs around both protecting and supporting the iPhone while capturing video or shooting still images." Progress marches on…

Watch Andres Iniesta over and over again destroy Chelsea with Nike’s CRT360 boots Posted: 01 Oct 2009 02:00 PM PDT Andrés Iniesta is a good footballer. Cesc Fàbregas is a good footballer. Need I say more? Yes, actually, I do for it to make sense here. Nike has some fancy new soccer boot that’s it’s launching aside an interactive digital training tool that you can use on a Web site, or on your iPhone or iPod touch. Very exciting. The boot is the Nike CRT360 Maestri. Nearest I can tell it’s your standard "fancy" soccer boot, but what concerns us here is the interactive training aspect. Each boot comes with a unique code that you can use to see EXCLUSIVE training tips from Iniesta and Fàbregas, either online or by using your iPhone.. Probably eight of you know who these guys are, but let me assure you: they’re very good. In fact, here’s Iniesta sending Chelsea crashing out of the Champions League last year: You have to understand the drama of this situation. Barcelona was playing, by a country mile, the best football in all of Europe (of the world, probably), and yet Chelsea were two minutes away from winning the game, and thus the semi-final. So Iniesta receives the ball at the edge of the penalty box and smashes it into the top-right corner of the net. I have never been happier watching a sport as I was that day, and that includes when Barcelona actually won the championship a few weeks later. In this video, you can hear the dejection in the British announcers’ voices. Meanwhile, the Arabic commentator LOSES HIS MIND. "Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah, Allah!" The Italian guys do a fine job, as well. Greatest sport on Earth.

To heck with hybrid media on the iPad. Go read a Vook, Vooker! Posted: 01 Oct 2009 01:45 PM PDT What is a Vook? It’s a virtual book created by Simon and Schuster to apparently allow you to not only read a book but play video inside of it, share it with our friends on FaceLinker, and even allows us to look at collections of small markings called letters and form them into words in our minds. Amazing! The service, Vook.com, allows you to buy books in PC-based Vook format or in an iPhone App. The titles include and are limited to a cookbook, some kind of workout book, and some thriller. There is also one where someone puts leaves on her face. While I am totally down with other book formats, I worry that this is too crazy and ham-handed to work. However, they only cost $6.99 ($4.99 on the iPhone) so it could… nah, who am I kidding. This is DOA.

You can win $5,000 in some sort of Newegg college student contest Posted: 01 Oct 2009 01:40 PM PDT Fresh off its fancy IPO announcement, Newegg is running an equally fancy contest for American and Canadian college students. Provided you’re 18-year-old (or older) and are attending a U.S. or Canadian college or university, you could win up to $5,000 to spend on whatever the hell you want on the Web site. What do you have to do to win such riches???? You, Mr. or Miss college student, have to make a video wherein you describe how you would spend the $5,000 to, I don’t know, trip out your dorm room. (Fact: My last year of college, I had this painting on my wall, in post form. Granted it was an apartment and not a dorm room, but it’s the same thing, really.) Presumably Newegg will want something creative, and not just a video of you talking into your MacBook’s iSight saying "I would buy 4GB of RAM, a new mouse, LCD cleaner, and other stuff that has nothing to do with my dorm room." Why are we bringing this up? Well, for one, I have nothing else to write and two, I think most of us like Newegg. And whereas our contests are usually disasters waiting to happen, I sincerely doubt Newegg will mess theirs up.

Mercury ups its 2.5″ external HDDs to 1TB Posted: 01 Oct 2009 01:20 PM PDT If you feel like riding the wave (and are made of money), look no further than the newest configuration of Mercury On-The-Go Pro, which is the first that I know of to put a 2.5″ 1TB HDD in a bus-powered enclosure. Sure, there are 1TB units already available (for under a hundy, even), but they use 3.5″ drives, making them bulky and rarely bus-powered. These Mercury ones are the only truly portable terabyte drives out there. Problem is, they’re not exactly speedsters: 5200RPM means they’re sluggish even for HDDs, and if you want a fast interface you’ll be paying extra. In fact, even just USB will set you back $300, and if you want FireWire 800, you’re looking at an extra $60 on top of that. It’s the early adopter tax, and I don’t know if it’s worth it when surely WD and Seagate and everyone else have theirs coming down the pipe. Still, I’ve always liked the clear enclosures, and it’s available now. That’s got to be worth something.

Mamiya announces two new lines of DSLRs Posted: 01 Oct 2009 01:00 PM PDT Mamiya, normally known for their large format cameras, just announced that they are going to be producing two new DSLR camera lines. The new cameras are aimed at professional level photographers, and use Mamiya’s existing lenses. While we don’t have a ton of information on the new cameras, here’s what we do know, just to keep you warm at night: there is a total of four cameras, with the top of the line models are 56 and 33 megapixels. The two “lower end” models are 28 and 22 megapixels. All four cameras will work with existing Mamiya lenses, making it an idea solution if you already have Mamiya equipment. Details are sketchy, we don’t know the pricing of even the release date at this point. From the press release: Elmsford NY, October 1, 2009 – Mamiya has announced two new and exciting lines of DSLRs, plus a new series of leaf-shutter lenses optimized for digital. This introduction brings together the professional workhorse heritage of Mamiya cameras, and Mamiya's reputation for making world-class lenses. Mamiya 56 and 33 Megapixel Series The new Mamiya DM56 and DM33 deliver an unprecedented range of options to photographers, resulting in the most versatile medium format DSLR series available. With these two new models, Mamiya photographers can take advantage of record high flash-sync speeds up to 1/1600 per second via three new Mamiya leaf-shutter digital lenses. Designed and developed in conjunction with Schneider Kreuznach, and manufactured by Mamiya, the 55mm f/2.8 D L/S, 80mm f/2.8 D L/S, and 110mm f/2.8 S L/S will begin shipping in Q4, 2009. For other shooting situations, photographers may choose from Mamiya's current 645AF series lenses, ranging from 28mm to 300mm APO, all compatible for use with the cameras' focal plane shutter. Combined with 30% faster autofocus, the Mamiya DM56 and DM33 set a new professional DSLR standard for the most demanding situations. Software solutions for Raw file processing are provided with the cameras, including new versions of Leaf Capture™, and Capture One™ software by Phase One, allowing photographers their choice of workflow from the industry leaders. Mamiya 28 and 22 Megapixel Series The new Mamiya DM28 and DM22 each offer an unmatched value for the new professional photographer. Featuring 16-bit/ channel image quality and industry-leading shooting speeds, they will be priced at extremely attractive points. Utilizing a range of 15 existing Mamiya 645AF focal plane lenses, the Mamiya DM22 and DM28 offer many of the features found on their higher-end siblings. They also include Raw file processing with new versions of either Leaf Capture™, or Capture One™ software by Phase One, allowing photographers their choice of workflow from the industry leaders.

CrunchGear Video Review: Four headsets enter, one leaves Posted: 01 Oct 2009 12:30 PM PDT For those of you about to rock, I encourage you to pick out a nice pair of headphones. I tested four models at around $100. They are: Ultrasone Zino – $99 Philips Tapster – Price TBA Shure SE102MPA – $119 Klipsh S4i – $99 Which one did I love the most? While they were all special in their own way, there were two that really stood out in the round-up… but I won’t ruin the surprise! Watch the video to find out.

Oh, Mom, you have so much to learn Posted: 01 Oct 2009 12:20 PM PDT My lovely mother just got her first BlackBerry a few weeks ago and has since enjoyed texting me. I noticed something today. She always laughs out loud at the end of every text. So I asked her about it. Apparently LOL means “Lots Of Love.” Yup, I have the cutest mom in history. Update from Mom: Really! Oh well I didn’t know. If you don’t mind I’d like to use my meaning at the end of my messages. Lol mom

NHL 10 predicts the Pittsburgh Penguins as Stanley Cup champs Posted: 01 Oct 2009 12:00 PM PDT Neither of these teams are the Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey is often referred to as the sweet science, but that has nothing to do with this here post. Well, sorta. You know how every year you hear about how Video Game has predicted Team A will "the big game"? Add the Pittsburgh Penguins to that list. Yup, EA Sports’ NHL 10—I think the last hockey game I played was NHL ‘96 for the Sega Genesis—has predicted that the Pittsburgh Penguins will win this season’s Stanley Cup. So says an e-mail I just got from EA. Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the state of Pennsylvania, and was founded in 1758. It’s named after the British Secretary of State William Pitt, the Elder. The city also recently hosted the G20 conference, which accomplished nothing.

Happy Birthday, CDs Posted: 01 Oct 2009 12:00 PM PDT The Compact Disc was quite a revolution when it came out. With a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz and a 16 bit rate, CDs marked the shift to digital music. Unfortunately, it seems to have fallen from being the playback medium of choice. These days, people either buy vinyl records because “they sound better” (especially when played on your vintage hipster record player you bought from Urban Outfitters) or MP3s online for the convenience. And noone even thinks about cassette tapes anymore. 27 years ago, today, marks when the first commercial CD players hit the market. Sure it was in Japan, but they always get the good tech first. The CDP-101 was hardly affordable either: $2,200 if you wanted one, so that you could listen to any one of the mere 113 albums available at release. Then those were another $40 a piece, don’t forget. But that didn’t stop Sony from moving 20,000 of these units in a single year. So today, we can set aside the hate of the music industry (might be hard, considering there isn’t one anymore) and say Happy Birthday to one of the greatest data mediums of all time.

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