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The real life Burger King Windows 7 Whopper is a disgusting joke to humanity

Posted: 23 Oct 2009 05:23 AM PDT

5
OMG. When I asked our Japanese readers to send in a pic of the Burger King Windows 7 burger, I was half hoping that it really didn’t exist. But nope, here it is. You probably should look at this before breakfast, btw.

It blows my mind that some marketing guru would think that slapping the Windows 7 name onto a seven patty burger would improve the Windows image. Of course it took an equally moronic Burger King suit to agree to sell out and show the world that Burger King is willing to create the world’s most unhealthy foods. Look at that thing. It’s a tower of cardiac arrest. The meal better come with a voucher for a buy one bypass, get one free. Gross. Just gross.

[thanks for the pics, Christoph]

Daily Crunch: Discovery Edition

Posted: 23 Oct 2009 12:00 AM PDT

The dangers of late night Internet

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 09:50 PM PDT

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Cruising Craigslist usually brings up some interesting things. And this is definitely one of the most terrible and yet oddly funny posts I’ve seen in a while.

When doing the Empire Strikes Back costume of Chewbacca, most people would just get a few C3PO parts and throw them over their back. One resident of Austin, Texas however, wants to take it the next step. This guy is looking for:

A double amputee (someone missing both legs – preferably at the hip) to accompany me as C3PO for the evening. We should meet ahead of time so that we can work out the backpack/harness system. There are a few parties that I want to hit and I think we will be the hit of any event we attend.

Hey, dude’s upfront about it. If you’ve always wanted to be everybody’s favorite protocol droid, but you’re missing a few appendages, this might be for you.

New Apple ad “Broken Promises” has PC in flip-up shades; what’s not to like?

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 06:31 PM PDT


Oh, PC. Your hijinx extend back so far that in those days, you had long hair! Apple wins again!

While this newest Apple ad (about which I am being paid millions to post) is entertaining in a sort of superficial, nudge-nudge amirite kind of way, I don’t think it’s really as compelling as most of the other ads, even as lacking in facts as those were. I guess these ads are so simple to make that they can afford to just run with every idea, no matter how vague or half-baked. In the end, I think all this one is going to do is pique viewers’ curiosity about Windows 7 — that is, if they haven’t already dismissed it out of hand.

And does anybody think it’s a little weird that Mac doesn’t change his look over the last 20 years of OSes there? I used System 7 for a long time and buddy, it is not the same shirt and jeans as OS X.

Video: Microsoft Store Grand Opening in Scottsdale

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 05:44 PM PDT

The guys at OWLE, which we covered in July, have taken their device (OWLE Bubo), and shot some video of the grand opening of the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, Arizona. They even got a couple of seconds of face time with Microsoft COO Kevin Turner. You can find the video below.

photo

TMOS displays: the next step after AMOLED-backed LCDs?

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 05:30 PM PDT

tmos
I believe that headline contains what’s known as a gaggle of acronyms. TMOS (time-multiplexed optical shutter) is a new display technology that claims brighter, thinner, longer-lasting, higher-resolution displays. Hey! I hear you giggling out there. “Yeah, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.” Okay, so extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I’d say their pitch is somewhere short of extraordinary, but if there’s anything to the technology, it really may just be all that they say. The company and technology have been around for a while, but they’re actually approaching the market at this point and you might want to know something about it before you start seeing the name pop up all over.

The idea is that by taking out as many layers of the display as possible, you reduce light interference (increasing brightness), power draw (better battery life) and component number (allowing for more pixels per square unit). But what to strip out? Uni-Pixel, the people behind TMOS note that instead of having three dots per pixel (red, green, blue in varying intensity), you could just have one, but with the dot changing color so rapidly that your eye only perceives the aggregate color. I’m not going to get all neuroscience on you here, but allow me to just say that there are biological reasons both for and against this technology, which I’m sure Uni-Pixel is aware of.

Micro-mirrors would direct light from side-mounted LEDs, which sounds clumsy to me, but they say it’ll result in refresh rates far above current displays’. They would also be simpler to manufacture, more durable, and more flexible. Anyhow, the engineering challenges are serious, but they say they should be able to put one in a product in 2010. Guess we’ll just have to wait!

Great success! Our Hackintosh is alive thanks to Psystar

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 04:35 PM PDT

IMG_1069
It’s been a few hours since the Internet exploded over the Psystar Rebel_EFI bootloader and we tried it out on a few machines in the office and originally thought it failed. However, I let the boot screen run for a bit without touching the keyboard on an HP TouchSmart we had here and it suddenly dropped into the OS X install screen. A quick format using Disk Utility and I was, amazingly, in business. The touchscreen even worked!

UPDATE – Video after the jump.

The video is arguably pretty boring but it’s essentially proof of life.

First, download the software. MIRROR Burn the ISO to a CD ROM, boot it in the CD ROM drive, and select verbose in the set-up so you can watch it run. Just let it churn away and assume that it’s crashed if it takes longer than an hour to enter into the OS X install screen. We’ll report back on how our new Hackintosh(ii) run as we try this trick on multiple machines.

Here are the instructions again:

1. Download the Rebel EFI file, available here.
2. Burn the file to a CD.
3. Insert the Rebel EFI disc into your CD drive.
4. Start or restart your computer.
5. As computer boots up select, Boot Options or Boot Menu Key
**Boot Options or Boot Menu Key differ by motherboard manufacturer.
6. Select CD ROM
7. After CD loads press enter to run the CD
8. When prompted, Eject the CD and it will ask for the Snow Leopard DVD
9. Insert the Snow Leopard DVD
10. Select Main Language
11. Click Continue, if you want to continue with the installation of Snow Leopard.
12. Click Agree, if you agree.
13. Select the disk that you want to install Snow Leopard on.
a. If no disk shows, Click on Utilities on the tool bar, then select Disk Utilities.
b. On the left you should see your hard drive.
c. If not, a disk is not connected or cannot be read by your computer.
d. After selecting your hard drive click on Partition.
e. Under Volume Scheme, click current and select 1 partition.
f. Under Volume Information, name your hard drive.
g. Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
h. At the bottom of the window Click on the Options Button.
i. Select the GUID Partition Table
j. Click OK
k. Click Apply
l. Click Partition
m. Quit Disk Utilities
14. Select the disk that you want to install Snow Leopard on.
15. Click Install.
16. When Installation completes. restart the computer
17. As the computer starts up, insert the Rebel EFI CD
18. As computer boots up select Boot Options or Boot Menu Key
**Boot Options or Boot Menu Key differ by motherboard manufacturer.
19. Select CD ROM
20. Once CD loads you will see both the Hard Disk and the Rebel EFI CD
21. Use the arrow keys to highlight the Hard Drive
22. Press Enter to boot Hard drive.
23. Launch the Rebel EFI application from the CD.
24. Follow the on-screen authentication procedure.
25. Click Continue
26. Select your Keyboard
27. Click Continue
28. Select, Do not transfer my information now.
29. Click Continue
30. If, you have and Apple ID enter it now
31. If not, Click Continue
32. Enter your Registration Information
33. Click Continue
34. Create your Account Information
35. Click Continue
36. Select Time Zone
37. Click Continue
38. Click Done

Civilization Network headed to Facebook next year, for free.

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 03:00 PM PDT

civface
Oh God, even Napoleon is on Facebook!

Sid Meier—yes, the Sid Meier—just posted a note to Facebook announcing Civilization Network, which "will allow you to join together with your friends to create the world's most powerful, richest, smartest, or just plain coolest civilization." It will probably be huge, yes.

The game, which comes to Facebook sometime next year, is currently in development, and a closed beta will begin "soon." Meier describes the game as having been borne from his desire to expose the Civilization world (what an odd phrase) to the "uniqueness" of social networks.

What that means, of course, is anyone’s guess. Details are pretty scare, as you can imagine.

One key point: it will be totally free to play, which ensures that it at least has the potential to go viral, which is all the rage these days.

Volkswagen ‘launches’ the 2010 GTI on the iPhone with Real Racing GTI game

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:30 PM PDT

To call us a "car blog" would sorta be stretching the truth. Occasionally one of the guys—aka Matt Burns—will do a car story, yeah, but that's primarily because he thinks he's James May. I have no such illusions of grandeur; I'm just sitting at a desk typing things, and writing student loan checks… Before this gets any further off track, the news: Volkswagen has teamed up with the guys behind Real Racing, Firemint,

Psystar’s Rebel EFI allows you to install Mac OS X on any PC, no crazy Hackintoshing required

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:06 PM PDT

rebel

You can almost hear Steve Jobs flipping out right now. Psystar, notable for its efforts to sell generic PCs with Mac OS X pre-loaded, has just released something called Rebel EFI. It’s software that allows you to install Mac OS X on generic PCs without having to Hackintosh said PC. (Hackintoshing isn’t for the weak of heart!)

How does it work? I have no idea, but Matt (or someone, it’s chaos here today) is buying it right now and should have something up in a bit. (I don’t have any PCs here, I’m afraid.)

Nearest I can tell, you download and burn the ISO, it performs some sort of voodoo, then you insert the Mac OS X DVD and install like normal.

So if you’re even remotely interested in this I’d say to download it right now because Apple’s lawyers will be all over this within a matter of seconds. You can count on that.

Update: Psystar’s site is down but here are the installation instructions if you managed to grab the trial version in time. Anyone get it to work yet?

1. Download the Rebel EFI file, available here.
2. Burn the file to a CD.
3. Insert the Rebel EFI disc into your CD drive.
4. Start or restart your computer.
5. As computer boots up select, Boot Options or Boot Menu Key
**Boot Options or Boot Menu Key differ by motherboard manufacturer.
6. Select CD ROM
7. After CD loads press enter to run the CD
8. When prompted, Eject the CD and it will ask for the Snow Leopard DVD
9. Insert the Snow Leopard DVD
10. Select Main Language
11. Click Continue, if you want to continue with the installation of Snow Leopard.
12. Click Agree, if you agree.
13. Select the disk that you want to install Snow Leopard on.
a. If no disk shows, Click on Utilities on the tool bar, then select Disk Utilities.
b. On the left you should see your hard drive.
c. If not, a disk is not connected or cannot be read by your computer.
d. After selecting your hard drive click on Partition.
e. Under Volume Scheme, click current and select 1 partition.
f. Under Volume Information, name your hard drive.
g. Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
h. At the bottom of the window Click on the Options Button.
i. Select the GUID Partition Table
j. Click OK
k. Click Apply
l. Click Partition
m. Quit Disk Utilities
14. Select the disk that you want to install Snow Leopard on.
15. Click Install.
16. When Installation completes. restart the computer
17. As the computer starts up, insert the Rebel EFI CD
18. As computer boots up select Boot Options or Boot Menu Key
**Boot Options or Boot Menu Key differ by motherboard manufacturer.
19. Select CD ROM
20. Once CD loads you will see both the Hard Disk and the Rebel EFI CD
21. Use the arrow keys to highlight the Hard Drive
22. Press Enter to boot Hard drive.
23. Launch the Rebel EFI application from the CD.
24. Follow the on-screen authentication procedure.
25. Click Continue
26. Select your Keyboard
27. Click Continue
28. Select, Do not transfer my information now.
29. Click Continue
30. If, you have and Apple ID enter it now
31. If not, Click Continue
32. Enter your Registration Information
33. Click Continue
34. Create your Account Information
35. Click Continue
36. Select Time Zone
37. Click Continue
38. Click Done

Contest: Win an Orient Watch

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:00 PM PDT

That other blog that John writes for, WristWatchReview.com is having a little contest where you can win an Orient watch. Click on the link for the details, it's an easy win. the contest ends tonight, so it's probably best to hurry.


Apple will support Windows 7 in Boot Camp by the end of the year

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 01:38 PM PDT

imac-windows-7
Mac users will need to wait a little longer until Apple officially supports Windows 7 through Boot Camp. A support document published today indicates that Apple Genius will be able to help you sometime before the end of the year. No worries though, many, including our own Nicholas, have already found out that even beta versions of Windows 7 currently run fine through Boot Camp. If you run in to a snag, a bit of Google’n or a local 13-year old can probably resolve your problem.

Review: EasyPlay makes your iPhone/iPod Touch slightly less dangerous to use while driving

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 01:11 PM PDT

So there you are, cruising down the road in your new Honda Civic. The sun's beating down on the arm you've got casually hanging out the window, the wind riding up your sleeve. Then that damn song starts blasting out of your iPhone again -- you know, the one that you've heard 53 times on the radio this week. "No more!", you think to yourself, "I refuse to listen to this song again. Now, where's that 'Next Song' button?" You jam your finger around aimlessly, searching for an impalpable beacon in the sea of glass that is the iPhone touchscreen. Frustrated, you glance down at the device - and BAM! You just hit a bus full of orphans. If only you had Faceplant's EasyPlay! EasyPlay for the iPhone and iPod Touch wants to save buses full of orphans by enabling full iPod playback control via no-sight-needed gestures.


Video of the Honda U3-X auto-unicycle

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 01:00 PM PDT

If the pictures of Honda’s little peanut-shaped mobility device weren’t enough for you, well, now you can see it in motion. This demonstration at the Tokyo Motor Show has a rather smug-looking presenter zipping it all over the stage, and not falling down once. I have to say, he looks a little unsure as to what to do with your hands. I’d like to think that if I were in his position, I wouldn’t naturally assume a “WHAT WHAT” stance.

[via Reddit]

SeeNow.com: Put your friends in compromising positions

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 12:30 PM PDT

freddy
SeeNow is a cute website that allows you to create those old timey “face-in-hole” pictures so popular at county fairs, hay rides, and correctional facilities. The concept is simple: you upload, link to, or take a picture of your face and then put it into a series of clever situations or onto the faces of popular celebrities. Step 4? Profit!

I tried it out with MA this morning and found it to be a more than acceptable way to make a funny picture. The system centers and crops the image automatically and even blends the face in with the lighting and coloration of the photo. The site hopes to monetize through partnerships with media as well as merchandise sales. The technology can also improve web and gaming avatar creation.

Try if for yourself! Your employer won’t mind!

39001-xl

How To Throw A Windows 7 Torrenting Party Without Getting Arrested

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 12:00 PM PDT

Today is Windows 7 launch day, and everyone is having a party. In fact, Microsoft's helpful Windows 7 launch party prepping video is already an instant Internet classic. But there's more than one way to have a Windows 7 launch party. The Funny or Die spoof video above shows you how to have a Windows 7 torrenting party, and even gives tips for how not to get arrested. (Warning: there are a few f-bombs at the end). Windows 7 can be so much fun! But what's with the British accents?


NBA Live 10 predicts a Cavs win this season (and LeBron will dominate all over again)

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 12:00 PM PDT

lebron

It was just a few days ago that EA Sports’ NHL 10 predicted that the Pittsburg Penguins would win the Stanley Cup this season. Now it’s the NBA’s turn, with NBA Live 10 having predicted that, yes, the Cavs will finally do it and win it all. And then LeBron can finally leave Cleveland and go to the Nets!

So the number crunchers at EA Sports ran an entire season in the game, which ended with the Cleveland Cavaliers beating the Los Angeles Lakers in The Finals. LeBron James wins the regular season and Finals MVP, and then runs for president of Earth, and wins. Easily.

Given that I haven’t played an NBA game since NBA Jam (at the local Pizza Hut when I was something like 6-years-old), I cannot comment on how accurate all this prognosticating is. Is the game very "sim-y" or "arcade-y"? Don’t know! What I do know, however, is that LeBron James is probably the top athlete in the U.S. right now. Feel free to disagree, but you’re wrong ;-) (yes, we’re bringing emoticons back)

Review: WD TV Live HD Media Player

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:30 AM PDT

wdtvlivehd

Short Version: Western Digital’s newest addition to its growing lineup of media players, the WD TV Live, essentially picks up where its older sibling (the great WD TV) left off. With the newly added networking capabilities via a built-in Ethernet port or USB Wi-Fi adapter (sold separately), the WD TV Live has taken Western Digital’s little black box to the next level. Be it photos, music, video (encoded with just about any codec under the sun), or the newly added access to YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, and Live365, the WD TV Live can handle just about any kind of media thrown its way. Overall, it is a highly capable, easy to use, and relatively affordable all-around high definition media player.

Long Version: The original WD TV HD Media Player was a great first attempt by Western Digital. Unfortunately, the lack of network and Internet access made the device less desirable to a large group of potential customers. Fortunately, WD seems to have listened to the growing community of WD TV fans while putting the new WD TV Live together and has added network and Internet connectivity features.

Hardware:

live_05_large

Although the WD TV Live is technically a new device, in reality it’s just a moderate overhaul of its aging sibling, the original WD TV. As such, I will try to focus more on the new changes than on the features that have remained the same.

live_04_large

Besides the newly added network and Internet connectivity, the most noticeable difference between the old and new WD TV Live is the actual color of the device. Where the original was clad in dust-loving, fingerprint attracting shiny black plastic, the new Live comes sporting an arguably more sleek, matte charcoal gray finish.

live_01_large

The device measures 1.57″ x 3.94″ x 4.94″ and weighs in at 0.67 lbs. It includes two USB ports (one on the side, one on the back), one HDMI 1.3 port, optical audio out, Ethernet, composite out, and component output. The included mini remote (below) is identical to the original version and the AC adapter is relatively small and self-contained (i.e. no power “brick”). Besides the remote and power adapter, the device also ships with composite and component cables (HDMI, optical audio, and USB storage devices sold separately). The WD TV Live is also compatible with various “universal” remotes such as Logitech’s Harmony series.

wdtv-remote

Installation:

wd-tv-liveInstalling the WD TV Live couldn’t be much easier (assuming you’re using an HDMI cable). Once you’ve attached the little sticky rubber feet to the bottom of the unit, simply plug-in the AC power adapter, attach the HDMI cable to the device and your HDTV, and insert any variety of USB storage (i.e. external hard drive or flash drive) into the side and/or the back USB port(s). That’s it. Now fire up your beautiful TV, hit power on the included WD TV Live remote, and voila…you’ve got an HD media player at your service.

Interface / Functionality:

Just like the old WD TV interface, the slightly updated UI is reminiscent of many media player apps (think Windows Media Center, XBMC, etc). Essentially, you are presented with a visual navigation system to choose between video, photos, music, and system settings. Instead of trying to explain all the various screens and options, here’s a not-so-brief (kinda unnecessarily long) video overview of some of the features:

One thing I forgot to include in the video is the new “preview” mode, which joins the previously included List, Thumbnail, and Search modes. The preview feature allows you to see a file’s info (such as size, type, etc) while also showing/playing a clip of the video, photo, or audio track. This is nice, for example, if your media files are poorly labeled or if you can’t quite remember which was the last episode of Arrested Development you had watched.

Another “oops! I forgot” feature is the newly added ability to copy, move or delete files between connected USB storage drives and/or networked storage/computers. This is really handy if, like me, your DVD ripping machine (i.e. your PC) resides in room X but your WD TV Live is set up in room Y; now you can simply move your latest media files from your machine to your attached USB storage right over the network (with some patience, especially over Wi-Fi).

As for compatibility, the WD TV Live supports the following (enormous list of) file types:

  • Video – AVI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG1/2/4), MPG/MPEG, VOB, MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG1/2/4, VC-1), TS/TP/M2T (MPEG1/2/4, AVC, VC-1), MP4/MOV (MPEG4, h.264), M2TS, WMV9
  • Photo – JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG
  • Audio – MP3, WAV/PCM/LPCM, WMA, AAC, FLAC, MKA, AIF/AIFF, OGG, Dolby Digital, DTS
  • Playlist – PLS, M3U, WPL
  • Subtitle – SRT, ASS, SSA, SUB, SMI

Conclusion:

live_03_large

The WD TV Live is a definite improvement over its older sibling (the non-Live). If you are looking for an HD media solution that will play pretty much every type of media known to man (see the list above), has a very small physical footprint, network/Internet connectivity, and has limitless storage (i.e. its only limited by the amount of storage you own), then you really can’t do much better than the WD TV Live HD media player.

wd-tv-live-highlights

For those of you who love lists, here is a quick recap of all the highlights and improvements found in the new media player:

  • Faster – boot-up, thumbnail loading, and overall operation
  • Network access – access content over your home network via Ethernet or USB Wi-Fi adapter
  • Internet – access content from YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, and Live365
  • Firmware updates – update the media player’s firmware directly over the Internet
  • File management – transfer files between USB storage devices, pull files off the network, and delete unwanted files
  • Preview mode – in addition to List and Thumbnail views, Preview mode shows the file’s information and plays the media
  • Component video – new connection choice in addition to HDMI and Composite
  • Color – new matte charcoal casing

As good as the new WD TV Live is, there is still room for improvement. I’d love to see future firmware updates bring Netflix ‘Watch Now’ functionality, access to sites like Hulu, the ability to navigate by ‘chapter’ like on a DVD (with VOB, MKV, etc), and even some sort of Internet browser a la Opera on the Wii. In terms of future hardware improvements, it would be nice if the device had Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in, thereby providing an even better network/Internet experience and the ability to use a keyboard with the hypothetical Internet browser. And a physical on/off button built into the WD TV would be handy if you (temporarily) lose your remote (read: there are NO actual buttons/controls on the device itself).

Nonetheless, for $149.99 MSRP (or cheaper somewhere on the ‘Net) the WD TV Live HD Media Player is a highly capable and worthwhile addition to most anyone’s media center. One caveat: if you’ve already got a PS3 and/or XBOX 360 (I have neither), then you are probably one of the few who wouldn’t benefit much from the WD TV Live. In any case, with increases in speed, utility, and functionality, the WD TV Live is definitely a welcome addition to WD’s line of HD media players and a worthy successor to the original WD TV. For more, check out the new WDTVLive.com.

In case you missed it, we’re giving away an limited edition Modern Warfare 2 XBox

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:00 AM PDT

modern-warfare-2-xbox-360_2

Halloween is coming up and if there’s one thing I know it’s that geeks love Halloween. The opportunity to hide behind a mask, to subvert the status quo, and to dress up like sexy nurse/sexy witch/sexy balloon boy is a cause for celebration. That said, we’re offering one Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Console to the winner of our First Annual CrunchGear Halloween Costume Contest.

Here’s how to enter.

Citizen CrunchDeals: 10-foot HDMI cable for 74 cents plus $2.95 shipping

Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:00 AM PDT

HDMICrunchGear reader Steve Jabs seems like a reasonable and trustworthy guy. Patient, too, as he's been reading the site for quite some time now and clearly hasn't removed our feed from his RSS reader in a fit of rage over one of the many half-assedly researched and grammatically baffling posts that have graced these virtual pages for so many years.

Steve alerts us to a ten-foot HDMI cable deal on Amazon: 74 cents, plus $2.95 for shipping. That's a grand total of $3.69 – much cheaper than, say, the nine-foot cable that Best Buy sells for $19.

And if I may add something to Jabsie's deal, I'd point out that if you can make-do with a six-foot HDMI cable, you can get one of those on Amazon for just a penny, plus $2.98 for shipping.

And while even less expensive HDMI cables may exist somewhere out there, the moral of the story is: there's no need to overpay for HDMI cables — Jabs tested, Aamoth approved.

10 FT HDMI Cable [Amazon]

6 FT HDMI Cable [Amazon]

Thanks for sending this in, Steve.
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