CrunchGear

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• Super-cute Hello Kitty LCD TV with super-cute remote control
• Nine minutes in heaven with the Kohjinsha DZ Dual Screen laptop
• Tablets, tablets, tablets: What to expect at CES 2010
• Facial recognition door locks keep you pad safe from undesireables
• Daily Crunch: Forecast Edition
• Valve puts the future of TF2 in the players hands with Soldier-Demo feud
• First reviews of Avatar appear, but stay away
• See a Suzuki GSX-R assemble itself
• Bioware really went all-out for the Mass Effect 2 voice actors
• StealthSwitch: it’s a button… that you step on
• Porsche offering new li-ion battery for the new 911 and Boxster
• Blockbuster and Netflix 1, rental queue patent holder 0
• Cloud Engines Raises $3 Million For Global Expansion Of Pogoplug
• Watch out, Game Gun, the big guys are nipping at your heels
• Halo: Reach Trailer to Come in Two Days
• Babbage’s 19th-century “difference engine” on display in Mountain View
• Stocking Stuffer: PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable batteries
• It is finished: Panasonic buys Sanyo for $4.6bn
• Survey: Boys want to play video games with President Obama, girls with Miley Cyrus
• Stocking Stuffer: Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger

Super-cute Hello Kitty LCD TV with super-cute remote control Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:40 AM PST Hello Kitty, the dream cartoon cat of millions of teenage girls around the world, regularly gets a lot of love from the gadget world, too. But Hello Kitty TVs were relatively scarce so far. Last time we blogged about one was in June 2008. While that one was pretty cute by itself, this new model announced today [JP], a 13.3-inch LCD TV, is much, much cuter (at least in my view). The device is made by a Japanese company called Dynaconnective and, if anyone from the target group cares, has the following specs: 1,280×800 resolution 275cd/m2 luminance 500:1 contrast ratio 16ms response time 3Wx2 stereo speakers The TV can show Kitty’s face as a background picture for enhanced cuteness. This is the remote. It’s shaped like Kitty’s ribbon. Isn’t that adorable? Sized at 414mm×372mm×149mm, the Hello Kitty TV weighs 2.3kg. Dynaconnective plans to start selling it in Japan on December 24 for $560. The TV isn’t suitable for anyone living outside Japan unfortunately, as it’s optimized for the Japanese TV system, has Japanese only menus etc.

Nine minutes in heaven with the Kohjinsha DZ Dual Screen laptop Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:10 AM PST What else do you have to do this morning? I mean think about it: there’s maybe a cup of coffee waiting for you in the break room and maybe someone brought some donuts. It’s the holidays. Who is doing anything today? Not you, that’s for sure. So sit back, take off your tie, and watch some dude open the Kohjinsha DZ dual screen laptop. You can thank me nine minutes from now when you come out of this video a better person. I, personally, would love me a dual-screen notebook. I could put one my email on one screen and my pornography on the other! What would you use yours for?

Tablets, tablets, tablets: What to expect at CES 2010 Posted: 11 Dec 2009 01:54 AM PST Every year at CES there’s a theme, a trend that runs through the event like a seam of CE gold. A few years ago it was GPS devices and last year it was netbooks. There was a period of laser TVs in there somewhere along with some 3D stuff, but generally you could watch almost every manufacturer fall over themselves to get something out the door that matched the zeitgeist. This year, friends, it’s tablets and it won’t be pretty. Dell is planning an Android tablet and folks like Archos should be dumping more Android MIDs on us in a few months. At IFA this year, in Germany, even Toshiba tried to get in on the act with one of the ugliest little tablet things in the world. How horrible was it? They decided it would run WinCE. Yes, yes, I know we were supposed to have a tablet. No comment. However, if history is any guide the popularity of an item at CES is an inverse function of its actual sales in the next year. If – and this is a big if – there’s an Apple tablet at MacWorld or thereabouts then expect copycats to blow out in droves. However, if Apple holds onto its iPad for a few more months the tablet revolution will soon peter out. Tablets were never good. Mainstream OSes were too keyboard dependent and the technology was half-baked. I think simplification is key but I worry that companies dedicated to making things as complex as possible – Dell, Sony, and HP come to mind – won’t know how to strip down their tablet offerings once Apple shows them how to do it right.

Facial recognition door locks keep you pad safe from undesireables Posted: 11 Dec 2009 12:00 AM PST Security technology has been really moving forward lately for both home and commercial use. A prime example of this is the Face Recognition Door lock. While this is designed more for the commercial market, it could be adapted to home use fairly easily. The enticingly named Model CVJB-G107 is designed for use as an employee timeclock, and bases its facial recognition off of a 2D photograph. Equipped with night vision, TCP/IP compatibility, and the ability to register up to 500 faces. Hopefully your family isn’t that large, but it could be useful to keep out you cousin with the plate in his head that keeps showing up every year. Currently available for order online, expect to pay around $500 unless you buy in bulk. [via Gizmodo]

Daily Crunch: Forecast Edition Posted: 11 Dec 2009 12:00 AM PST StealthSwitch: it's a button… that you step on Watch this Google Chrome commercial right now Review and giveaway: Thirsty Light Snowflake Thursday Giveaway: Pulse Smartpen Babbage's 19th-century "difference engine" on display in Mountain View

Valve puts the future of TF2 in the players hands with Soldier-Demo feud Posted: 10 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Sorry to break the gadget flow here with this bit of rather specific gaming news, guys, but this is awesome. Over the next week, all Team Fortress 2 servers will (they say) be monitored and a tally kept of how many demomen kill soldiers and vice versa. At the end of the week (during which time their new unlockable gear will be revealed), the class with the higher score gets a special item. The other class will not get it and will likely complain about it for the remainder of the game’s lifetime. I just thought this was a pretty fun group achievement idea; reminds me a bit of the Noby Noby Boy reaching the other planets thing. But more awesome. Valve has proven once again that it knows how to engage its community. I’m gonna go start tearing some fools apart right now. Oh, one more thing: GO TEAM DEMOMAN.

First reviews of Avatar appear, but stay away Posted: 10 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST So Avatar premiered tonight in London and apparently nearly everyone loved it. Twitter is aflutter with first impressions and even Drudge’s main headline proclaims the film is “Oscar Bound.” But here’s the thing. Don’t read the early reviews. Just know that so far it’s living up to its $237 million expectation. The last thing you need to do is go read one of the reviews raving about the movie and spoil all your fun. Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have reviews up about the film, but they are more a synopsis about the movie than anything else. You don’t want to read this. The less you know about the story the better the experience will be for you. Of course if you just plan on downloading a cam version anyway, only to turn around to poke fun at the gigantic budget film and call it a flop, have it. But for those that actually want to spend money in a theater for once, stay away from these spoiler-filled articles. They say the movie is good and that’s all you need to know.

See a Suzuki GSX-R assemble itself Posted: 10 Dec 2009 07:30 PM PST In an homage to “Sledgehammer” video by Peter Gabriel, novice film director “Noah” and “Noah’s Dad” created a stop motion video of their Suzuki motorcycle assembling itself. Stop motion video is often overlooked in this day of CGI and special effects, however it is put to very good use here. Not a lot is known about the filmmaker, I suspect a college student and his dad. It is fun to watch, and reportedly the bike started on the first try.

Bioware really went all-out for the Mass Effect 2 voice actors Posted: 10 Dec 2009 07:00 PM PST Having famous people in games is nothing new, and really, one expects that such a huge effort as Mass Effect 2 will have some serious names in it, but this is off the charts. Martin Sheen, Carrie-Anne Moss, Tricia Helfer? I hope they didn’t use up their whole budget on voice talent. I was kind of hoping for more than one kind of moon-dungeon this time around (Mass Effect notoriously reused some environments), but I guess I might have to be satisfied with hearing Caprica’s sultry voice guiding me to a safe landing. That sounded pretty dirty… probably because her last role was a crypto-robotic sex addict. Check out the video and see the rest of the talent. I’m really looking forward to this game — ME1 was great but I think it really only set us up for this one and the next.

StealthSwitch: it’s a button… that you step on Posted: 10 Dec 2009 06:30 PM PST So you’ve got a G19 keyboard with 3 sets of 10 macro keys and a mouse with 15 (or more) buttons. That will allow you to take any one of dozens of actions instantaneously with twitch of your hand. But you need more. Well, what are you doing with your feet right now? Probably not pressing buttons. Can you smell what I’m cooking here? The StealthSwitch II is a button for you to step on. That’s it. It can be assigned to a keystroke or macro, and… it goes when you put your foot on it. Now, I have to say I’m a little disappointed by this thing. You’re trying to add a whole new dimension of interactivity with a computer, and you give the thing one button? A foot can do more than stop, guys. Why not hair triggers on the left and right so we could assign them to lean directions? In fact, that’d be pretty awesome. But no, it’s just one button. Sure, you can daisy chain them and stuff, but there’s a lot of potential for a truly custom device here. For $15-$30, though, you can’t expect miracles. I appreciate the idea, but come back when you’ve done more than execute it perfunctorily. [via Gadget Review]

Porsche offering new li-ion battery for the new 911 and Boxster Posted: 10 Dec 2009 06:00 PM PST So you know that old lead acid battery in your car? It’s time to think about replacing it with something new. It never occurred to me, but it makes sense – why not replace that old technology with something a bit more efficient? Lead-acid battery technology has been around since 1859. Admittedly, that makes it a tried and true technology, and li-ion batteries do have a reputation for being dangerous if abused. Porsche is willing to look at alternatives to lead-acid, and will be offering a li-ion battery in their Boxster Spyder and 911 GT3. The biggest advantage is weight. The li-ion battery pack weighs 22 pounds less then the lead-acid alternative. In the world of performance cars, that much dead weight is huge. This new technology won’t come cheap however; expect to pay $1,700 for this option.

Blockbuster and Netflix 1, rental queue patent holder 0 Posted: 10 Dec 2009 05:30 PM PST Good news in the lawsuit against Netflix and Blockbuster; the legal system for the great state of California has judged that the rental queue patent was not violated! This is one of those patents that some people find to be, well, kind of ridiculous. Luckily, the judge agreed, and dismissed the case against Blockbuster and Netflix. The patent covered a method for letting users know that their status queue has been updated. Blockbuster and Netflix both provide this information, however their method of notification doesn’t infringe on the patent. This is kind of a bummer for Gamefly, since they settled out of court with the same patent holder a while back. [via Techdirt and Slashdot]

Cloud Engines Raises $3 Million For Global Expansion Of Pogoplug Posted: 10 Dec 2009 04:39 PM PST Cloud Engines, the company behind Pogoplug, the device that turns any USB hard drive into a network accessible drive, raised $3 million in funding according to an SEC filing. We've confirmed the investment with the company with existing investor Foundry Group and others participating in the round. According to the startup's CEO, Daniel Putterman, Cloud Engines will use the money to kick start their international plans for retail, specifically in Europe. The company will also expand retail operations in the U.S.

Watch out, Game Gun, the big guys are nipping at your heels Posted: 10 Dec 2009 04:00 PM PST This is interesting. You remember the Game Gun and Wireless Game Gun, right? The Redneck Techie’s liquor-fueled foray into the world of total immersion gaming? Well, a company called Microvision appears to be taking him on, though they seem to think they’re the first. Microvision has designed a unique handheld first-person shooter projection game controller prototype that uses the PicoP display engine to project images on any surface. Now… I’m not going to say they’re deluded, and of course I think their device looks cool (the laser projection means focus isn’t an issue), but unique? The thing is practically a Game Gun replica, except they put the projector on before he did (he already noted that he was doing it in the first video). We were discussing this in the chatroom and Greg made an excellent point: Yeah, I can imagine the issues that might come up as enemies grow and shrink in size as you point that thing around a room, or grow angles and other distortions when you happen to be shooting into a corner of it. Well, I can only make so much fun of something that’s clearly very cool. I hope this technology makes it into our living rooms some time soon, whether from the Redneck Techie or not.

Halo: Reach Trailer to Come in Two Days Posted: 10 Dec 2009 03:30 PM PST I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this. This Saturday at 8 PM, I know without a doubt I will be sitting on my couch, watching Spike TV. There are only two things which could cause me to stoop to such levels. One would be if the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was moved from CBS to Spike. The other, which will actually be happening, is to watch the Video Game Awards where the global unveiling of Halo: Reach is going down. Given what Bungie has done thus far with the Halo series, I expect nothing short of greatness from Reach, which is slated to drop in Q4, 2010. So there you have it. Saturday. 8 PM. Spike TV. Be there. #haloreach If you’re living under a rock, and haven’t yet seen the promo trailer for Halo: Reach, check it out:

Babbage’s 19th-century “difference engine” on display in Mountain View Posted: 10 Dec 2009 03:00 PM PST Charles Babbage is cited as the father of modern computing — although perhaps “uncle” would be more accurate, since his designs never actually saw completion and computing is based on totally different principles. But his idea of a “difference engine,” a hand-cranked device that could solve mathematical problems, is essentially the first instance of a computer in human history. Unfortunately, the device, designed to tackle the huge amount of calculation involved in tracking the British navy, was never completed. After 10 years of tinkering, the project was aborted and the prototype melted down. But Babbage’s plans and a few pieces of the Difference Engine remained, and just recently someone decided they’d finish what he started. Now there is a complete and working Difference Engine at the Computer History Museum down in Mountain View. It was put together by Doron Swade, a former curator at London’s Science Museum, and a team he assembled over the last two decades. There is another working Difference Engine being kept at that museum, and this one will only remain in Mountain View for a year before it heads out to Seattle to enter a “private collection.” I’m guessing Ballmer’s (actually, Nathan Myhrvold, former MS CTO. Close, though). So go see it while you can, startup guys! There’s more info at NPR, where you can, as always, have it narrated to you. I love that. I’m going to make some coffee and listen to it again. Update: A commenter at NPR notes that the Harvard Mark I was a functioning difference engine, but relied on electricity rather than clockwork. It was completed in 1944.

Stocking Stuffer: PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable batteries Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:30 PM PST There's a fine line between giving regular batteries as a gift and giving rechargeable batteries as a gift. Giving someone regular batteries is a dumb gift. Might as well give them a sheet cake. Either way, the gift is a consumable and doesn't last long. Rechargeable batteries, on the other hand, last quite a bit longer. The problem with most rechargeable batteries, though, is that they don't last as long on a single charge as standard batteries. Most AA NiCad rechargeables, for instance, are rated at 1.2 volts, compared to most standard AA batteries which are rated at 1.5 volts. There's a new crop of nickel-zinc (NiZn) rechargeable batteries emerging now that operate at 1.6 volts – a tad higher than most standard batteries. I took some of PowerGenix's AA rechargeable NiZn batteries for a spin and came away impressed. Using two AA NiZn batteries in the Flip UltraHD camcorder, I was able to record for over three hours. The rated life for the rechargeable battery pack that's included with the UltraHD (1.2-volt NiCad) is 2.5 hours. I hit about ten minutes short of that mark with the included pack, just barely under 3 hours with regular Duracell 1.5-volt AA batteries, and 3 hours and 15 minutes with the PowerGenix batteries. Not too shabby. There not all that wildly expensive, either. You can get four AAs for around $13, or eight AAs for around $20. There's also a kit with a wall charger and four AAs for around $25. Product Page: PowerGenix Rechargeable Battery System

It is finished: Panasonic buys Sanyo for $4.6bn Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Woo! It’s finally over with. Panasonic has completed its acquisition of Sanyo, which has been in the works for some time now. Hopefully it’s a good thing for Sanyo, and I’m sure we’ll see Sanyo branding for a long time to come. Just thought you should know.

Survey: Boys want to play video games with President Obama, girls with Miley Cyrus Posted: 10 Dec 2009 01:30 PM PST Right now, if I could play a round of Multiplayer Game 2: The Sequel with anyone in the whole world, it’d probably be either Manuel Zelaya or The Situation from Jersey Shore. Zelaya because I’d could ask, "So what’s it like to be the first South American leader in a really long time to be illegally ousted in a coup?" Then I’d tell The Situation, "Hey, you’re terrific. Let’s do 800 sit-ups then pump our fists in the air to the latest episode of A State of Trance." What? Weekly Reader Research just published the results of a survey that found that boys aged 8-17 most want to play video games with President Obama. Second place is Tom Brady, followed by Seth Rogan, Michael Phelps and the Jonas Brothers. For girls, the ranking is Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, President Obama, Lady Gaga, then Angelina Jolie. Cough. Flickr

Stocking Stuffer: Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger Posted: 10 Dec 2009 01:00 PM PST The general idea behind most of Kensington’s products seems to be to perform one main task and then follow up with one or two secondary and thoughtful convergence features. In the case of the Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch, you get a backup battery that doubles as a horizontal stand for watching movies. You'll also notice a distinct absence of cables, as the backup battery is itself recharged by way of a flip-out USB plug. So you’ve got a nice battery pack for when you're on the go that, while physically somewhat larger than many competing battery packs, ends up taking up less space since there aren't any extra cables to bring along. You can even sync your iPod/iPhone through the battery pack when it's connected via USB too. Recharging time is quick, although the actual charge capacity leaves a bit to be desired. I was able to charge my iPhone 3GS to almost full capacity in about an hour. I was unable to find the exact battery capacity, but a series of super complicated equations (5.5 watt-hours / 5V = 1.1 and 1.1 x 1000 = 1100mAh) leads me to believe that it's probably a 1100mAh battery pack. The iPhone 3GS uses a 1150mAh battery itself so that makes sense. The "Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch" is available from Kensington for $52.50 – you can find it elsewhere online for a little over $40, too.

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