CrunchGear |  |
- FedEx’s new SenseAware tech makes shipment tracking real-time. Almost.
- It’s an all-out Woot-Off!
- Toshiba finally dates and prices flagship TV “Cell REGZA 55X1″
- 270g: JVC announces world’s lightest and smallest HDD camcorder
- Daily Crunch: Cat People Edition
- Don’t have time to crack your neighbor’s WPA? Use this handy online service!
- VW to produce an electric version of the Up!
- Boxee and D-Link present the Boxee Box
- Virgin Galactic shows off first commercial starship
- Review and giveaway: Logitech G330 portable gaming headphones
- Just a reminder about the GPS in your car right now
- Review: BackFlip Kickstand iPhone Case
- Will World of Warcraft’s Patch 3.3 drop tomorrow? Let’s hope so!
- Effectology: Crystal-Shimmer
- You will be impressed by the latest Perfect Dark for Xbox Live Arcade screenshots
- Verizon Motorola Droid gets 2.0.1 software update
- Haier Theatre portable media player
- Sonorasaurus, dinosaur DJ of the Cretaceous Period. Now on your iPhone!
- Castoven: Microwave with built-in YouTube player (video)
- The 10 best Sci-Fi movies of the past decade
| FedEx’s new SenseAware tech makes shipment tracking real-time. Almost. Posted: 08 Dec 2009 05:15 AM PST
There are two big selling points. First, is the hardware not only uses GPS to pinpoint a package’s location, it can detect temperature shifts and whether the package has been opened / exposed to light. The degree of accuracy of the temperature readings has officially been labeled as “precise” so who knows what that means. Now, you can read this feature one of two ways. Either “Good, I’ll know if my packages were tampered with”, or “Sithspit, now my fake insurance claims don’t have a leg to stand on.” The second point is the software platform used to communicate with each tag. All web-based, meaning no large scale software installs for companies, and its very close to real time. You’ll know within minutes if your shipment suddenly ran through a freezer for absolutely no reason. Or actually important information too, if that’s what you’re into. SenseAware is currently being implemented in Life Sciences shipping departments all across the US. No word on when the next stage of development is, but check senseaware.com for updates.
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| Posted: 08 Dec 2009 05:12 AM PST
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| Toshiba finally dates and prices flagship TV “Cell REGZA 55X1″ Posted: 08 Dec 2009 04:22 AM PST
Toshiba has been announcing LCD TVs based on the Cell processor (which is a key element in the PS3, for instance) for quite some time now, but now we finally have an official press release [JP] revealing a date and price for the first model. The TV is called Cell REGZA 55X1, it’s going to be released this Thursday (in Japan) and it will cost a lot: $11,230.
What you get for your money is pretty impressive though:
The only problem (apart from the steep price) is that Toshiba hasn’t made any announcements yet regarding sales outside Japan. Customers over here can access several online video distribution services (domestic ones) directly through the TV, meaning Toshiba might need to modify the hardware to some extent before bringing it outside the country.
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| 270g: JVC announces world’s lightest and smallest HDD camcorder Posted: 08 Dec 2009 02:21 AM PST
JVC Japan announced three new interesting camcorders just last week, but the fresh Everio model the company unveiled today in Tokyo is actually even cooler. JVC says their Everio GZ-HD620 [JP] is the lightest and smallest HD camcorder with a built-in HDD around. And as the device weighs just 270g and is sized at 53mm×63mm×115mm, this isn’t hard to believe.
As you can see on the picture above, the camcorder is really tiny. JVC made sure the device is worth considering spec-wise, too: 1,920×1,080 resolution, AVCHD, Dolby Digital 2ch audio, 120GB HDD, 1/4.1", 3.32MP CMOS sensor, 30x optical zoom, 200x digital zoom, microSD/SDHC slot, USB port, HDMI port, 2.7-inch LCD screen, and easy YouTube uploading function. The camcorder will hit Japanese stores starting next week with a price tag of $1,240 (in silver, black and red). As JVC sells their Everios outside this country, too, you can expect the GZ-HD620 to be available in the US and Europe pretty soon as well.
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| Daily Crunch: Cat People Edition Posted: 08 Dec 2009 12:00 AM PST
Boxee and D-Link present the Boxee Box
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| Don’t have time to crack your neighbor’s WPA? Use this handy online service! Posted: 07 Dec 2009 07:45 PM PST
Now, I suppose this service is susceptible to abuse, but keep in mind that even a hundred-million-word dictionary can’t crack long, random alphanumeric strings. The lesson here is to assign ridiculous and unbreakable passwords to all your accounts and devices, and keep them safe in a central location like OS X’s keychain or one of the many programs designed to do just that. [via Computer World]
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| VW to produce an electric version of the Up! Posted: 07 Dec 2009 07:01 PM PST
The EV Up! will be available in Euroland before America, but at least it’s coming unlike a lot of other electric cars found only across the Atlantic. Tougher safety regulations over here tend to keep away other manufacturers. But since the Up! has been developed to also house a diesel/electric hybrid powerplant, the already developed platform might as well have an all-electric option. The non-EV Up! lineup is set to be released for the 2011 model year with the EV option coming in 2014.
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| Boxee and D-Link present the Boxee Box Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:52 PM PST
Probably not, I just like to be a naysayer now and then. The Boxee Box looks pretty awesome.
No word on the guts, but I’m sure they’re barebones while still supporting HD. I’m a little surprised they have composite audio but not composite video. Not that you need that so much, but it’s nice when you want to hook up an old TV or something. I don’t know. I’m just attached to those cables from my SNES days. Basically it’s a little tiny HTPC: hook it up to your router, plug in a hard drive with some media on it (or let it access your home network) and you’re good to go. They haven’t settled on a price yet, but I’d put it at… oh, $100 or so just off the top of my head. Don’t hold me to it.
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| Virgin Galactic shows off first commercial starship Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST We’ve posted about Virgin Galactic before, but this might be their biggest announcement yet. Take a look at SpaceShipTwo in all its glory, ready to launch the wealthy into flight. Branson and company just unveiled SpaceShipTwo in the Mojave desert today, and it’s looking good. Testing has already started, however full blown commercial flights aren’t expected to start until 2011. Given the history of the space program, that seems best. Branson has stated previously that the first people to go up will be him, along with his family and the designer of the spacecraft, Burt Rutan. A seat on the ship will cost roughly $200,000 so I’d suggest you start saving now.
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| Review and giveaway: Logitech G330 portable gaming headphones Posted: 07 Dec 2009 04:02 PM PST
Also: I’m giving away the pair I reviewed, details at the end of the review.
Pros:
Cons:
The question I have to ask you right off the bat is, do you really need your headphones to look cool? I mean — if you’re playing WoW in a cafe, isn’t it a little late to worry about your image? Secondly, in what situation are you traveling and gaming so much that you need a special headset with a microphone built in? You don’t have enough space to pack a solid headset like the Megalodon, yet you can carry a 17″ gaming laptop? But enough questions, you see my point. The G330 headset seems to be a product without a market to me, but perhaps Logitech knows best.
The G330 has a behind-the-head design that makes it extremely compact. It’s also flexible so it won’t snap in your bag. The whole thing seems extremely well-designed and is built very well. It’s all flexible plastic, and the mic is positionable. The earcups swivel a bit so they push directly onto your ears, which helps the sound a lot; traditional headphones tend to improve the closer they are to your ear. The cord is about seven feet long, has a pretty standard in-line remote on it, and ends in the traditional green and pink 3.5mm jacks. These plug into a short USB adapter. Construction all around is excellent.
I can’t guarantee that this will be your experience: after all, we all have differently-shaped heads, and the G330 may fit yours admirably. All I know is that my head isn’t that small, and even on the tightest setting these things slip down all the time. When they’re on properly, they sound quite good. The swiveling ear cups ensure the sound is taking the best path into your ear, and they also help distribute the pressure equally. They produced decent depth, good highs, and solid bass. Keep in mind these are not closed headphones so your roommate, spouse, or neighbor at the cafe will hear what you’re hearing (not to mention what you say into the mic). I still don’t really understand the draw to a semi-compact pair of headphones (in-ears provide better sound, isolation, and are far smaller) for “portable gaming.” It’s not for a DS or something — the Razer Moray+ does that — it’s for PC gaming on the go. But is that really… something? I don’t know. I just wanted to register my puzzlement. I had a mixed experience with the G330, but because it was with such a subjective thing as fit, I can’t withhold a recommendation. Logitech makes good headphones, and if one pair doesn’t fit me, I’m not going to trash it. But the behind-the-head design isn’t for everybody, so if you’re looking for a pair for yourself, try them on first if you can. I can’t recommend them as a gift, however: it’s just too much of a risk that the recipient will encounter the same fit problems I did. Aside from that, however, the G330 is an attractive, well-built, decent-sounding pair of headphones. And the contest! Tell us what games you like to play on the go; I’ll pick one of you guys at random and you get the pair I’ve got (lightly used, mostly disease-free).
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| Just a reminder about the GPS in your car right now Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:52 PM PST
A pair in metro Detroit were just nabbed for using that very tactic. They are accused of stealing property from 17 cities in lower Michigan and one in Ohio. The 23-year olds were caught only after their pawn activity was flagged as suspicious. You’re better off if you program your home as a local restaurant or major cross-street in the GPS, somewhere well out of range of a garage-door opener. Chances are you probably know how to get home from the local McDonalds anyway, right?
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| Review: BackFlip Kickstand iPhone Case Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:10 PM PST
Short Version: To put it simply, I didn’t know that I needed the Back case until I had one. The idea of a case with a built-in kickstand seemed worthwhile, but I didn’t think it was something I’d find myself using often. I was dead wrong. Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>
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| Will World of Warcraft’s Patch 3.3 drop tomorrow? Let’s hope so! Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:01 PM PST
Tomorrow could be a very big day for World of Warcraft fans. (And aren’t we all WoW fans?) Yes, players from Tokyo to Toledo, from London to Lima, are terribly excited about the possible release of the latest, and last, patch for Wrath of the Lich King. It’ll bring the game to version 3.3, and, more importantly, bring about the demise of Arthas. Boo, Arthas! Right, well I mention this on the off chance that the patch might not even drop tomorrow—Blizzard has said it will release the patch provided there’s no last-minute glitches. No such glitches have been reported thus far, so it looks good from the outside looking in. What can players expect? The big "get" is Icecrown Citadel, the final instance of Wrath of the Lich King. With this, players will link up with their guild mates to down the Lich King himself. (That’s the last "boss" of the game, if case you’re unaware.) The downing of the Lich King brings an end to the storyline of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Which means Cataclysm can’t be too far away…
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2009 01:30 PM PST Bill is at it again with this Crystal-Shimmer effect. He used parallel effects to create a “symphonic sound” of multiple octaves at once based on one note on the guitar.
It’s a bit complex but there’s a full write up at EHX. You’re basically creating an organ out of a guitar, which is pretty amazing.
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| You will be impressed by the latest Perfect Dark for Xbox Live Arcade screenshots Posted: 07 Dec 2009 01:00 PM PST
I literally just said "Wow!" out loud looking at these screenshots of Perfect Dark for Xbox Live Arcade. There’s a few more screenshots on Rare’s Web site, but only the ones here have before and after comparison shots:
While I’m all of a sudden looking forward to playing the game again, it’s sorta depressing to think that this will never happen to GoldenEye. Still, it’ll be fun to play the game again, this time running at a little more than 15 frames per second. "Hat tip" to Kotaku for spotting these first. Time to add Rare’s Web site to my list of must-visits.
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| Verizon Motorola Droid gets 2.0.1 software update Posted: 07 Dec 2009 12:53 PM PST  Just one month after the release of the Motorola Droid, the first software patch has arrived. Verizon has just begun distributing the OTA update - so if you haven't been alerted already, you should be seeing it before too long. First things first, make sure your device is up to at least a 40% charge (or 20%, if it's currently plugged into a power source), as you won't be able to upgrade otherwise. After that, it's just a matter of waiting around for the update to land on your device - or if you're feelin' antsy, try manually updating ("Home" > "Menu" > "Settings" > "About phone" > "System updates"). Check after the jump for the change log.
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| Haier Theatre portable media player Posted: 07 Dec 2009 12:30 PM PST
Full features include:
I can't help but think that this thing would probably sell a lot better if it'd been released a year ago but the current-day price tag isn't too steep, I suppose. Haier Theatre [HaierAmerica.com]
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| Sonorasaurus, dinosaur DJ of the Cretaceous Period. Now on your iPhone! Posted: 07 Dec 2009 12:00 PM PST
If we keep releasing iPhone DJ apps, we need to come up with a new moniker instead of “disc jockey.” But “file jockey” or MP3 spinner” just don’t roll off the tongue as easily. Sonorasaurus has just released version 1.1 of their iPod Touch/iPhone DJ app. You know, for those long road trips where just putting your iPod on shuffle isn’t enough.
Functionality wise, Sonorasaurus pulls its weight just fine. You get two standalone “decks”, 6 adjustable effects modules (Reverb, Flange, Distortion, Tremelo, Echo, High Pass Filter), a crossfader, pitch control, and a 3-band parametric EQ. New with the v1.1 update are user-definable cue points and a headphone mix. If you have a Y-splitter for your headphone jack, you’ll be able to have a separate monitor mix. Not as innovative / radical as Touch DJs visual mixing idea, but an important feature nonetheless. My biggest gripe is the process needed to upload each song you want to use in the app. Instead of being able to mix any songs already on your iPhone, you get a unique HTTP server address to where you need to upload each file you want to mix. So it takes a bit of advance planning. And only MP3s people. No real file formats. Sonorasaurus not only has the benefit of having a totally awesome name, its only 9.99 USD at the iApps Store.
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| Castoven: Microwave with built-in YouTube player (video) Posted: 07 Dec 2009 11:40 AM PST
Two researchers from Japan’s Keio University (which yours truly attended just until recently by the way) have developed a kitchen appliance aimed at the total web geek in you, a YouTube-powered microwave. The so-called Castoven [JP] is based on a conventional, unbranded model of “good quality” but sports a 10.4-inch LCD screen in the door panel.
Needless to say the researchers didn’t forget to build a set of speakers into the microwave, too. It’s connected to a Mac, but I suppose this would work with Windows computers as well. The concept, first made public in a research paper published last year [JP, PDF], is to make people’s everyday lives a little more worthwhile through mashing up web contents with electric appliances. The main idea is to display a YouTube video whose length depends on the time you need to heat up what’s inside the Castoven. Say, you want to prepare a lunch box that takes 3.30 minutes to be ready. The Castoven would then automatically pull a video from YouTube with that length and display it on the screen until the meal is finished.
Software-wise, the microwave is based on a special Adobe AIR app that gets the videos through YouTube’s API. The Castoven isn’t available for sale yet, but I do see stuff like this coming into kitchens in the near future. Here’s a demo video: Via Asiajin
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| The 10 best Sci-Fi movies of the past decade Posted: 07 Dec 2009 11:30 AM PST
It’s the end of the year. There’s pretty much zero tech news to discuss (CES is right around the corner, so companies are holding out), and all we want to do is play in the snow. So let’s mix it up, list style! Over the next few days we’ll be doing a few "best of the decade" lists primarily for our own entertainment. You’re encouraged to call us know-nothing fools. The first list is "Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies of the Decade." Sci-Fi is weird because it’s so broad. Do comic book or superhero movies count? What about fantasy? You can see we wrestled with this. So, presenting the "Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies of the Decade," as determined by your friends at CrunchGear. 10. X-Men (2000) This was the first superhero movie done right in a long, long time. If it weren’t for X-Men, there’d be no Batman reboot, no Spider-Man, and no Watchmen. In many ways, the 2000s was the decade of the superhero movie, for better or worse. 9. 28 Days Later (2002) Amazing, a "zombie movie" that doesn’t make you feel like an idiot for enjoying it. And to show our indie cred, it was directed by the guy who directed Shallow Grave. 8. Donnie Darko (2001) Want to feel depressed? Listen to "Mad World" while walking around your city and observe the people doting about, doing nothing in particular. 7. Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (2005) If only because it finally put an end to all of our suffering. "Battle of the Heroes" was fun. 6. District 9 (2009) What is sci-fi if not a vehicle for societal critique? This movie gets extra points for being made outside of the whole Hollywood rigamarole. 5. Moon (2009) The beauty of Moon is that it’s a pretty accurate portrayal of your friendly CrunchGear writers’ actual lives, locked away in an attic or home office for hours on end, only sporadically interacting with actual human beings, and freaking out in between posts. 4. Children of Men (2006) It doesn’t let up. It portrays a sort of end-of-the-world scenario, which is a favorite of ours if only because we’d love to live through such a scenario. 3. V for Vendetta (2006) Yes, it’s a little bit "you can’t tell me what to do, Mr. Authority Figure," but that never hurt anybody. It also manages to make England seem even more bleak and authoritarian than it actually is, which is astounding. 2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) "I liked you immediately. You didn’t come on to me at all. I liked that. I was so tongue-tied around you at first. I wanted you to think I was smart. I couldn’t wait to come to work. I had these fantasies of us being married… and having kids and… just… Oh, Howie, I can’t do this." 1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Of course, right? I was torn between this one and the first Lord of the Rings, which I thought gave more of feeling of, "Oh boy, we’re having an adventure." (I like adventures.) The Return of the King wins out because, well, we’re suckers for big battle sequences. Again, feel free to call us fools, but you’d be wrong. Fact.
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Ooh, shiny. This is the Haier "Theatre" – a portable media player with a 3-inch touchscreen, available in 4GB and 8GB capacities for $90 and $100, respectively.
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