CrunchGear

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• Bag Week: Sumo Messenger Bag
• Psystar is approximately over
• AT&T to Fake Steve: Go on, punk, make my day
• Apple approves a chintzy video app for older iPhones
• Lockface: USB drive that uses face recognition to verify users
• CrunchDeals: Holiday Usenet deals
• Daily Crunch: The Dandy at Home Edition
• Audio-Technica launches new noise-cancelling headphones
• Dean Kamen’s pad: a super-advanced, eco-friendly, LED-lit private island
• How to make a 3D laser projector sound uncool
• Booq announces Mamba shift backpack
• Bad Ideas, vol. CMXVII: Xylophone Table
• The Beat Thang Music Production System.
• Behold: The Nexus One Boots Up
• New CAT scan technology allows for 3D imaging of individual cells
• Watch the Caprica pilot online right now (if you have Hulu access)
• Bag Week: Booq Boa Flow XL
• Warpia wireless USB PC-to-TV solution
• Canon Rebel XT survives 3000-foot drop
• DECAF, the anti-Microsoft COFEE, now available

Bag Week: Sumo Messenger Bag Posted: 16 Dec 2009 05:28 AM PST Short Version: Sumo is fairly new to the bag game but this is a strong showing for the company. For $79.99 you get a 17-inch laptop bag made of waterproof ballistic, rip-stop nylon. Sadly, a lack of internal organization pockets hampers the overall storage capacity. Info: * Sumo * Messenger Bag * Fits 17-inch Macbook * Ballistic Nylon * Waterproof * MSRP of $79.99 Pros: * Cool styling * Plenty of internal storage * 3 colors Cons: * Three massive pockets don’t lend to organization * Sideways pockets cause things to drop out * “Bulking” when full Oh, the bulking. The bulking. It always happens: you start packing to travel and you stick in some laptops, some cameras, some cables, a book or two, and your laptop bag turns into a balloon. I may be a special case, but I always bulk out my messenger bags. It happens as soon as I start packing and it, sadly, often ruins a bag. So far the Sumo Messenger Laptop Bag has taken a beating and kept on carrying, although there is plenty of bulking in evidence. Of course if you’re a sane traveler, you can definitely get away with putting a magazine and a laptop in here without issue. My second issue? There isn’t enough organizational structure to this bag. There are three peripheral pouches, three laptop-sized pouches, and a few zippered areas. There is also an easy access front pouch with Velcro along with three zippered pockets on the front, back, and top flap. You can put a lot of stuff into this bag, but it’s hard to find a lot of them once they’re in there. But, again, this is a messenger bag. You’re supposed to ride a bike with this thing on, not schlep around airports. So with that in mind I can safely report that the Sumo Messenger Bag is spacious but dangerously overstuffable by the average geek.

Psystar is approximately over Posted: 16 Dec 2009 04:49 AM PST So Psystar can no longer sell OS X. Straight up. They can’t assist people in installing it on their Hackintoshen. They can’t mention the word Apple. They can’t circumvent anything dealing with OS X. No how and never. That’s right, it’s official. Psystar is just about dead. These guys have been forced to pay $2.7 million in damages and even all their posturing won’t help them. This is the end of the line for “official” Hackintoshes. pic from 9to5

AT&T to Fake Steve: Go on, punk, make my day Posted: 16 Dec 2009 03:44 AM PST It’s he said/she said time, where maybe like Fake Steve is the She and maybe like AT&T is the he. So like Fake Steve was all like “Let’s send nasty texts about AT&T! And then we’ll mess with them on Friday.” And then AT&T is all like “No way! Nobody does that to me!” Hilarity ensues! We understand that fakesteve.net is primarily a satirical forum, but there is nothing amusing about advocating that customers attempt to deliberately degrade service on a network that provides critical communications services for more than 80 million customers. We know that the vast majority of customers will see this action for what it is: an irresponsible and pointless scheme to draw attention to a blog. Then Fake Steve is all like: I think the reason people are so angry goes beyond AT&T and the iPhone. I think the anger stems from the fact that we're living in the United States, which used to be considered a First World country, and yet we're dealing with a wireless system that feels like something you'd find in Port-au-Prince during hurricane season. In fact the developing world is racing past us, building out new wireless networks while we're stuck with this POS legacy infrastructure run by POS legacy behemoths that either can't or won't bring it up to snuff. His real point? That AT&T needs to step it up. Their expenditures on network is down 30% in the past two years while data revenue is up 80%. That means they’re making lots of money selling the same data that they’re asking folks to use sparingly. I’ve spent more on two lines of AT&T service since the launch of the iPhone than I ever did with T-Mobile and now, in addition to massive data costs when roaming I can’t get calls in New York and San Francisco, let alone out in Columbus where my parents live. I think Chokehold is a joke. AT&T is designed to handle this kind of run on bandwidth for a few hours but the fact is that it can’t handle extended use by a large number of people over the course of a few more hours is an embarrassment at best. A&TT has to fix this.

Apple approves a chintzy video app for older iPhones Posted: 16 Dec 2009 03:03 AM PST Do you have 99 cents burning a hole in your pocket? Do you have an old iPhone 2G or 3G? Get yourself this video camera app. The catch? It takes 160×213 video at three frames per second. Three frames per second. Do you know what kind of video that is? That’s flip book quality. Considering you can rock out with Cycorder, a 384×288, 15 fps for jailbroken phones, this is cold comfort. via AppleBlog via via Giz

Lockface: USB drive that uses face recognition to verify users Posted: 16 Dec 2009 02:42 AM PST A Japanese company called Futen (they don’t have a website) is selling a USB flash drive that uses face recognition technology to check the identity of users. Needless to say, the so-called Lockface only works with your computer’s web cam. The first thing to do is to register a number of pictures of your face. After that, the Lockface verifies your face every time you need to access data on it (the verification process takes about a second). The USB drive doesn’t require extra software to be downloaded or installed. Alternatively, you can also use a password, completely ignoring the face recognition function of the device. It uses 256-bit AES to encrypt the data. Futen says the device has an error rate of about 2% (it verifies the “wrong” person in 1.91% of cases and won’t verify the right person in 1.98% of cases). The first version will hold 4GB of memory and is sized at 22×4×55mm. The Lockface costs $110 in Japan (where it’s already on the market). Futen is planning to bring models holding more memory in the near future. I suggest you contact the Japan Trend Shop, Geek Stuff 4 U or Rinkya in case you live outside Japan and you're interested in getting one. Via Excite News [JP]

CrunchDeals: Holiday Usenet deals Posted: 16 Dec 2009 02:25 AM PST Sorry for beating the Newsdemon horse, but I just noticed they had a few deals for bloggers, students, and other animals. Usenet is really nice. Bloggers get free months when someone buys a sub through them (we don’t partake in the deal) and students can get 25% off with a .EDU account. While we don’t condone the use of Usenet, it’s nice to know it’s there, like a nice old sweater.

Daily Crunch: The Dandy at Home Edition Posted: 16 Dec 2009 12:00 AM PST Bad Ideas, vol. CMXVII: Xylophone Table Dean Kamen's pad: a super-advanced, eco-friendly, LED-lit private island Retro: Monocles are making a comeback for some reason Give it a Ponder: OK, LG, you win this round Gift Guide: Gadgets for the Home

Audio-Technica launches new noise-cancelling headphones Posted: 15 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Audio-Technica announced a new pair of active noise canceling headphones today; the ATH-ANC1 QuietPoint. Designed to absorb 85% of ambient noise, the new headphones are intended for use in airplanes or while traveling. Audio-Technica doesn’t scrimp on the features, the ATH-ANC1 include a 1.6 foot extension cord, airline adapter, and a carrying pouch. From a technical standpoint, the headphones use a 1.4 inch driver, and put out about 105dB maximum. They are also capable of automatically reducing ambient noise even when the wearer is not listening to music. Audio-Technica equipment doesn’t come cheap; the ATH-ANC1 QuietPoint headphones are going to set you back about $130. [via ipodnn]

Dean Kamen’s pad: a super-advanced, eco-friendly, LED-lit private island Posted: 15 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST Hello and welcome to Cribs: The Eastern Seaboard! Today we’re checking out the self-sufficient home of Dean Kamen, whom you know as the inventor of the Segway, but has also created numerous other devices which are much cooler and actually benefit mankind. His pad is actually a private island off the coast of Connecticut, and may or may not be its own country. Let’s check it out! Over here we have the 10-kilowatt wind turbine, which provides some of the power used by Kamen’s gadgets. You can see on the roof there that there are solar panels that track the sun for maximum exposure, too. Lovely! Very Myst-like! Okay, Dean has taken off to go get some organic lychee juice, so while he’s gone I just want to say to you guys, don’t you think the lighting is a little harsh? A little strange? Yeah, that’s because — oh, hi, Dean! I was just telling our audience about the LED lighting. Yes, isn’t it swell! What’s that you say? Before last year, it would have been ridiculous even to try to light a whole house with LEDs? I can believe that. Looking good, Kamen. One more question. I’m sure lots of people watching this would love to make their house self-sufficient and include all these neat eco-gadgets you’ve got working for you. How much would you say it would cost the man on the street to do that? Just whisper it in my ear. I’m sorry, I must have misheard you. You can’t possibly have said the enormous amount I thought you just… oh. Yikes. Tune in next time, guys. [images: John Brandon Miller]

How to make a 3D laser projector sound uncool Posted: 15 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST Got something really cool and you want to make sure nobody gives it a second look? Take some notes from this press release and soon you’ll be able to take something awesome like a 3D laser projection system and make it sound about as exciting as a new 3-hole punch. Laser-3D is unique in that it fuses two of the most popular concepts in the public consciousness, ‘lasers’ and ‘3-D’ I’m going to stop you right there. Listen, guys. If you have anything involving lasers, projectors, or 3D, you’re going to want a picture of it somewhere. Even better: a video. Does your product look cool? Does it do something cool? If you’re trying to sell it, it must. So show us. Nothing kills hype faster than a nice, big block of text. Whatever this thing does, it’ll do it in 2010. [via About Projectors]

Booq announces Mamba shift backpack Posted: 15 Dec 2009 07:30 PM PST Booq (remember Booq?) just announced the latest addition to their product line, the Booq Mamba shift. The Mamba shift is a sleek backpack style bag, made from nylon and designed to fit anything from a 13-15 inch laptop system. Booq’s bags feature a 5-year warranty, and the Terralinq badge with serial number, allowing you to register the bag with Booq in case you ever lose it. The shell is made of ballistic nylon, which makes is tough, waterproof, and breathable. The Mamba shift also features an iPhone pocket in the shoulder strap, and a removable zipper bag. The Mamba shift L is available for $149.95 at your favorite retailer or directly from Booq. We’re going to be reviewing the Mamba shift L as part of our Bag Week feature, so watch for it.

Bad Ideas, vol. CMXVII: Xylophone Table Posted: 15 Dec 2009 07:20 PM PST Maybe it’s just my own subdued design aesthetic that makes me think so, but putting my coffee down on this royal rainbow and hearing a melodic little tonk just sounds like a bad way to start the morning. I guess I’m just a bit of a Grinch. Get it for your kids but hide the hammers. [via Make and Notcot]

The Beat Thang Music Production System. Posted: 15 Dec 2009 06:45 PM PST Remember when using z’s on the end of plural words instead of s’s was edgy and revolutionary? Well, apparently no one told Beat Kangz Electronics that that time has passed. Misguided syntax choices aside, Beat Kangz has just announced the release of their new Beat Thang music production system. Not only does it look like a piece of Covenant technology, it comes in either software form or with its own dedicated hardware. The software itself is pretty powerful. Plenty of stock audio to mash-up as well as the ability to record samples from nearly any source. Mic in, line in, generally if it can come into your computer, it can come into Beat Thang. You also have a 16-track MIDI sequencer and a smattering of digital effects to pick from. You can export all of your beats as .wav files for playback on any other platform. It also plays well on both Mac and PC platforms. The hardware though, is where the real magic is. The battery gives you 6 hours of music-making time without a laptop, letting you sequence beats wherever you feel the need. Your bathroom, the plane, the campus library perhaps. You have all of the same capabilities of the software, as well the ability to import any beats you make and continue to edit them. Two back panel has an XLR mic in, 2 1/4″ outputs, 2 headphone outputs, MIDI ins and outs, USB, and 2 SDcard slots, making this a pretty versatile stand-alone sampler. You can find these out in the world early 2010 with the software stand-alone price at $149 and the hardware running for $999.

Behold: The Nexus One Boots Up Posted: 15 Dec 2009 06:15 PM PST The leaks continue to hit the web about the Nexus One, aka "The Google Phone." Here's the latest: The booting up of the device on video. Enjoy. Also, here's apparently the official logo.

New CAT scan technology allows for 3D imaging of individual cells Posted: 15 Dec 2009 06:00 PM PST Medical imaging is an interesting field. There are things like fMRI, PET scans, CAT scans, radioactive dye traces, and a million other different techniques — but they’re usually so limited and specific (as extraordinary as they are) that there’s always a need for a new one. In this case it’s soft X-ray tomography, a variant on the more familiar CAT scan. Normal X-rays penetrate too effectively for them to be used on individual cells; the amount of interference provided by the cell is simply not enough to detect and create an image from. So they use soft X-rays, which have a slightly longer wavelength than the kind used on a broken arm. A new technique developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has enabled soft X-ray images to be taken quickly and sequentially, and then assembled into a 3D model of the subject. It’s not “live” like an fMRI, and it doesn’t provide the detail one finds in electron microscopy, but obviously it’s very useful. I doubt any of us will ever run into one of these machines in real life, but it’s cool to know they exist. [via Reddit]

Watch the Caprica pilot online right now (if you have Hulu access) Posted: 15 Dec 2009 05:30 PM PST There’s a good chance that if you wanted to see the Caprica pilot, you already did. It’s been available on DVD and torrent sites for a while now. But the hour and half extended cut version is also now on Hulu. Hit the Read More link to watch the pilot of Syfy’s upcoming series after the jump. Be warned though, the opening scene is kind of NSFW.

Bag Week: Booq Boa Flow XL Posted: 15 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST The Booq Boa Flow XL is huge! You can stuff a small dog in it and still have room for your computer and DSLR. Features Backpack-style Holds up to a 17-inch notebook Constructed out of ballistic nylon Expandable DSLR pocket Terralinq serial number $199 MSRP Pros It’s gigantic Super comfy to wear even when it’s loaded Neoprene side pockets expanded to fit odd-shapes Cons It’s gigantic Expensive You could pack for a multi-week European vacation in the bag. You might even be able to get away with stuffing your kid in the bag and sneaking him on board as a carry on. And you’d still have room for a laptop or two. I managed to load this bag up with everything I needed for a LAN party. The bag weighed in at 37 lbs when I was done and I still managed to zip it up. Check it: 17-inch gaming notebook 15.6-inch notebook 11-inch ultra-portable Viliv X70 Viliv S7 Full size Apple keyboard Notebook cooler Two external hard drives Two power bricks Two mice Three pairs of earbuds Other random cables If that isn’t a testament to how big the bag is, I don’t what else to tell you. The bag felt fine on my back even with that much stuff. In fact, this bag, with its waist and sternum straps, feels more comfortable than some hiking packs I’ve used. Structurally, the bag is sound. It’s constructed out of tough nylon and the inside is lined with a fleece-like material. Some of the pockets are made out of neoprene that allows them to stretch and store over-sized items like water bottles or notebook power bricks. Just like the other Booq bag I looked at, the Boa Squeeze, this one has a ton of pockets hidden all over the bag. There is even a pocket meant for a DSLR located at the bottom of the bag. It’s large enough to hold nearly any DLSR I suppose, although I don’t know if I would put an expensive camera on the bottom of the bag. I mean, the camera will be the first to hit the ground if the bag’s dropped. That doesn’t seem safe. Because the bag is so large though, I couldn’t see myself using it all that much. It holds its large shape even when there is nothing but a notebook in it. So unless you plan on hiking the Appalachian trail daily, you may want to look at other options. Product Page

Warpia wireless USB PC-to-TV solution Posted: 15 Dec 2009 04:15 PM PST You spent all your Christmas money on a terrific new HDTV, but then you realize that all the movies you’ve downloaded are stored on your PC. You don’t want to run cables from your PC to your new HDTV, but you really want to enjoy watching those moves on your big screen. What to do? If you’re using Windows (sorry Mac and Linux users), check out the Warpia Wireless USB Audio & Video Display Adapter Set. It uses wireless USB to connect your PC or laptop to your HDMI-enabled television or your VGA-enabled projector or monitor. At $179, this isn’t exactly a cheap solution. If you’re after cheap, go the old fashioned route and use cables. Source R&D's new Warpia Wireless USB Audio/Video Adapter Offers the Ultimate PC to TV Wireless Experience Wirelessly watch any downloaded movie, presentation, picture slideshow, or streaming internet video from your laptop/PC to your flat screen TV or projector SAN JOSE, Calif., and CAMPBELL, Calif., Dec. 2 — Source R&D, a premier technology provider, announced today the availability of the Warpia Wireless USB Audio/Video (A/V) Display Adapter based on Wireless USB technology from Wisair, a leading provider of single-chip based Wireless USB solutions. The A/V set enables users to enjoy any PC and Internet content wirelessly on a Flat Screen TV, projector or monitor, including HD movies and streaming Internet video. The A/V Set incorporates a PC Adapter connected to a USB 2.0 port, available in any notebook or PC. The Display Adapter, which connects to the TV, projector, or monitor, features both VGA and HDMI connectivity, the most common interfaces in the market today. Audio is supported through the HDMI port or via a 3.5mm stereo jack, offering complete flexibility. The Set provides a wireless range of up to 30 feet (in the same room) and is expected to be available soon in retail stores and online retail channels in at an MSRP of $179.99 USD. “Following the success of the Wireless USB Display Adapter Set that launched a few months ago for video only, we are excited to launch our newest product which now includes audio. The A/V Set provides easy to use, plug and play wireless PC to TV connectivity. Users can now watch and share their personal photos, camcorder clips, downloaded movies and any other content stored on their notebook PC on an HDTV that serves as their large screen”, said Mike Walsh, Source R&D principal and president. “Together with their wireless home or office network, this product enables a complete wireless Internet TV experience, allowing users to watch online movies and any web site on their HTDV with access to the entire Internet without limitation. Furthermore, users can do so from the comfort of their couch via their notebook PC and regular Internet browser. We are very pleased to enhance our collaboration with Wisair by offering this product, which is based on Wisair’s proven Wireless USB technology”. “We are very excited with the launch of the Warpia A/V Display Adapter”, noted David Yaish, Wisair president and CEO. “We plan to maintain our leadership by offering additional Wireless USB solutions to enable more cool applications and low-cost, high-performance products”. About Source R&D: Source R&D, Inc. is one of the world’s premier technology providers and a leading technology sales, marketing and logistics company. Specializing in emerging technologies and innovations, Source R&D serves as a vital link in the technology value chain. Source R&D, Inc. creates sales and profitability opportunities for OEMS, ODMs, vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, logistics services, backend support, financial services and product aggregation and distribution. For additional details, visit Source R&D web site at http://www.sourcerandd.com or the Warpia website at www.Warpia.com. About Wisair: Wisair is a fabless semiconductor company providing Ultra Wideband (UWB) and Certified Wireless USB solutions based on its CMOS single chip. Recognized for their superior coverage, and throughput, Wisair’s solutions offer the best combination of performance, price, and power consumption for Wireless USB. For more information, visit www.wisair.com.

Canon Rebel XT survives 3000-foot drop Posted: 15 Dec 2009 03:14 PM PST It wasn’t long ago I posted about the weather-resistant qualities of the 7D. I wonder, though, if you drop an entry-level DSLR and a pro one from half a mile in the air, do they stand an equal chance of surviving? I don’t think anyone is too hot on the idea of testing this question, but one skydiving photographer added a data point unwittingly when his Rebel XT popped off his head at the beginning of a jump. I would have pulled some True Lies-style freefall gymnastics to get it back, but not everybody’s as cool as me and Arnie. Incredibly, the camera didn’t explode into a thousand pieces on landing — in fact, it sustained only minor damage and both the camera and lens are working! Are you kidding me? Looks to me like it landed in a bog, or peat or something. That probably helped. Whatever the case, let’s hear it for this heroic little camera. [via Canon Rumors]

DECAF, the anti-Microsoft COFEE, now available Posted: 15 Dec 2009 02:30 PM PST You sorta knew this was going to happen. Microsoft COFEE, a highly secretive forensics tool used by law enforcement, leaked onto the Internet several weeks ago. People far smarter than I got a hold of it, and have created what has been dubbed DECAF, an anti-COFEE set of tools that you can install to block the effects of COFEE. DECAF, which obviously only runs on Windows, works upon the execution of COFEE. When COFEE is launched, DECAF kicks into high gear, and tries to counteract every one of COFEE’s utilities. It’s sort of strange, but DECAF isn’t open source. Well, weird only in the spirit of the application; the source isn’t available because the creators don’t want their information reverse engineered. via The Register

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