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Ringz: First (free) Android app with in-app purchase

Posted: 23 Nov 2009 04:20 AM PST

Apple made it possible for iPhone developers to offer in-app purchase five weeks ago, an option Android devs currently don't have. But now Shanghai-based mobile technology company Urbian found a work-around to enable in-app purchase, saying they're the first developers that did. The app in question is Ringz, a puzzle game that's available for free on the Android market (the iPhone version is in review by the way).


Nintendo Japan launches (paid) on-demand video service for Wii

Posted: 23 Nov 2009 03:40 AM PST

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Nintendo started offering a video distribution service for Japanese Wii owners this May, attracting about 800,000 customers by late September in this country. In the same month, Nintendo promised their free channel will be made available to Non-Japanese Wii owners next year, at the same time announcing they’ll start offering paid content (in Japan) very soon. And since the weekend, we have that fee-based streaming video service [JP] over here.

A lot of the content is still free, but the new service makes it possible to view popular TV programs and some Wii-exclusive content on your console. Wii users can now watch Disney and Pokemon anime, Sesame Street, movies, soccer games and other content. Wii-exclusive content includes a bunch of educational programs.

Nintendo initially managed to gather 15 content providers, for example Warner Entertainment and Disney, that will deliver about 250 different programs by next month. By next year, Wii owners are supposed to be able to choose between a total of 1,000 titles. Prices vary heavily, with titles costing between $0.11 and $11 (10 yen and 1,000 yen).

It’s not yet clear whether Nintendo will offer those paid services outside Japan next year as well.

Roku announces Roku Channel Store, adds Facebook and Pandora (and maybe porn!)

Posted: 22 Nov 2009 05:59 PM PST

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Your Roku box just got a whole lot more interesting. Roku, if you remember, makes the Roku player, a small device that sits next to your TV and plays Netflix, Amazon Video, and MLB selections. Roku has just added ten new channels to that line-up and built a fascinating platform for adding more down the line.

The current channels will include: blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox, Pandora, Revision3 and TWiT. More channels will be available here shortly.


The channels require you to authenticate with the service provider – you don’t enter any passwords on the Roku box, at least in most cases – and will eventually allow protected and pay-per-view access to channel providers. Roku spokesperson, Brian Jaquet, also mentioned at some providers could protect their content behind a hidden pay wall, like Netflix, and offer delightful content like distance learning and pornography. While both of those are self explanatory, it behooves us to note both modes of content are the interface between or among two or more individuals centered on a shared goal.

He said:

While the Roku Channel Store won't distribute porn publicly, there are some hidden channel features whereby partners can make a channel available using a code. This could be used for things like distribution to vertical markets like education and training videos that can be pushed to private groups for viewing on the TV on demand instead of having to set up a satellite feed or send DVDs.

The upgrade will hit in the next two weeks and will work on all Roku boxes including the SD, HD, and HD-XR.

How does it work? I tried the Facebook was request a token from Facebook for login. You then typed the token into the Roku box and all of your photo albums appeared on the browser, available for playback in whatever resolution you uploaded.

Roku Creates Open Platform for Delivery of Content to the TV; Announces 10 New Content Channels

Blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox, Pandora, Revision3 and TWiT all now available on the Roku player

Saratoga, Calif. – November 23, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular and award-winning family of Roku players, announced today the Roku Channel Store and the addition of 10 new FREE channels for Roku customers to enjoy on their TVs. From internet audio to video podcasts; professional web content to photo sharing; personal video content to children's entertainment, the Roku Channel Store provides an open platform for delivering quality content to the TV. The new channels now available for customers to add to their Roku experience via the Roku Channel Store include: blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox, Pandora, Revision3 and TWiT. For a complete list of channels and specific channel descriptions and features, please go to www.roku.com/channelstore.

"Our customers now have more choice in content and even greater control over their Roku player experience with the introduction of the Roku Channel Store and our 10 new content partners," said Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc. "The Roku Channel Store already includes a robust offering of content that will appeal to a wide variety of customer tastes, which in turn will open new customer acquisition avenues for Roku. Because we have created an open platform for development, customers can expect even more new content channels in the near future making the Roku player an even more valuable component of a customers' home entertainment system."

To access the Roku Channel Store and subsequently add or remove channels from the home screen, customers will need to create a Roku account. With a Roku account, customers now also have the ability to manage their channels and personalize their entertainment options in a way that has not been possible before. Roku customers can add as many channels as they want. Conversely they can also remove all channels that do not interest them, leaving only the channel or channels they access on a regular basis. And because it is a channel store, new channels will arrive all the time for customers to consider.

All Roku players, including the Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR, are compatible with the Roku Channel Store. Our flagship content partners, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Video On Demand and MLB.TV, will continue to be available to existing customers regardless of whether or not they set up a Roku account. However, in order to browse the Roku Channel Store and add and remove channels from the Roku player, customers first must create a Roku account.

Pricing and availability
The Roku Channel Store will be delivered as an automatic and free upgrade to all existing Roku customers over the course of the next two weeks. New customers will automatically be upgraded when they first install their Roku player. To browse and use the Roku Channel Store, existing customers will be prompted to create a Roku account. Existing customers who do not want to wait for their Roku player to update automatically can manually update their Roku player immediately. Detailed instructions can be found in the Help section of Roku's website under the Roku Channel Store tab at http://www.roku.com/support/faqs.


Have you defraggled your motherdisc lately?

Posted: 22 Nov 2009 04:28 PM PST

beezerk
I’d advise against following the directions given in this guide to defraggling, but it’s an interesting read.

[via Reddit]

CrunchGear Week in Review: New Milkman Edition

Posted: 22 Nov 2009 01:00 PM PST

Can smoking void your computer’s warranty?

Posted: 22 Nov 2009 12:45 PM PST

11It seems that a few Apple warranties have been deemed void due to the fact that the owner was a a smoker, and consequently their Macs were contaminated. The Applecare contract says nothing about this, and the list of toxic materials includes other such dangerous household items as talcum powder and isopropyl alcohol. There’s a long discussion of consumer rights and nanny laws and all that sort of thing just waiting to be pulled out of this story, but let’s not and say we did.

I’m really more interested in whether any of these ostensibly dangerous materials actually do have an effect on your computer’s hardware. In my experience, the most lethal thing in the house is just the dust and fluff that gets sucked into your fan intakes. That or coffee.

Sunday Giveaway: A Movie Wedge for you, a Movie Wedge for me!

Posted: 22 Nov 2009 11:53 AM PST


If you ever sit next to me on a plane you will notice that I have a small ritual that I prepare every time I reach cruising altitude. I begin by pulling out my iPod touch and then my Movie Wedge. The Movie Wedge is a little bean bag with a lip for holding up MP3 and video players. That’s it. It’s amazingly great.

We talked about the Movie Wedge a while back and we’re happy to report that they’ve decided to give us 10 to give away to all and sundry.

To win, simply leave a comment below. We’ll give out ten of these wee fellows on Tuesday. Why? Because we love you and want you to be happy.

Don’t forget: we also have a printer to give away. Get crackin’!
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