CrunchGear

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• Thanko’s Spy Button Camera gets an upgrade
• Daily Crunch: Picnic Edition
• December was the best month ever for video game sales
• DIY: The Ikea camera dolly
• Genius: steel six-pack carrier
• Locals: “Your radio tower gives us rashes!” Company: “You mean the one that’s been off all this time?”
• MiniGuru keyboard tries to get you to change how you type
• Fear the Boot attacks our site, causing comment havoc
• Good for Google: satellite pics of devastated Haiti added to Earth/Maps
• The PCP Station, everyone
• Assassin’s Creed III could hit shelves as early as April 2010
• The Chevy Volt 200 degrees test
• Get you a rugged Casio EX-G1 camera (they’re for sale)
• PC shipments up 15 percent last quarter (but none of those are the Apple tablet so whatever)
• Nexus One Car Dock and Desktop Dock coming soon, says Google
• Segway Acquired By UK-Based Firm, CEO Out
• The European Space Agency wants to extend the ISS’s life until 2020
• Ultra Easy DIY Trick: Need to boost your iPhones volume? Grab a cup.
• Twilight dude could play Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4; Conan news
• President Obama’s policies have pushed the Doomsday Clock back by one minute

Thanko’s Spy Button Camera gets an upgrade Posted: 15 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Tokyo-based USB gadget maker Thanko gave us a video camera button last July, which was basically a mini camera for your shirt or jacket that could be used for secretly recording video. And today the company started selling the second version [JP] of the Spy Button Camera whose main new feature is the sound recording function. So now you have a device that shoots video (AVIs in 720 x 480 and at 30fps) and JPEGs (in 1,280 x 1,024), but which also lets you store sounds. The Spy Button Camera weighs 20g and is powered by a lithium-ion battery that lets you shoot up to 70 minutes of video. As the device has no internal memory, you’ll need to get a microSD card for it (cards holding up to 16GB are supported). All the material you recorded can be transferred to your PC via USB, but only Windows XP/Vista and 7 machines are supported. The new camera doesn’t have a remote control anymore, meaning you have to push a button on the device itself to start the recording (see picture above). Thanko already started selling the Spy Button Camera on their Japanese website (price: $55 including six buttons). If you live outside Japan, you can ask import/export specialist Geek Stuff 4 U if they can get one for you.

Daily Crunch: Picnic Edition Posted: 15 Jan 2010 12:00 AM PST Here’s what you might have missed yesterday: New Japanese toy: Endless chocolate bar breaker Genius: steel six-pack carrier Locals: "Your radio tower gives us rashes!" Company: "You mean the one that's been off all this time?" Fear the Boot attacks our site, causing comment havoc President Obama's policies have pushed the Doomsday Clock back by one minute

December was the best month ever for video game sales Posted: 14 Jan 2010 10:00 PM PST Looks like the recession is helping at least one industry. NPD Group reported that the video game industry turned in $5.53 billion dollars in sales for December, topping the results from last year by 4 percent! Boring as all these statistics are, the bottom line is people spent a whole lot of money on video games last month. The previous record was set in December of 2008, which was the first time that sales went over $5 billion. The Wii did the best, which is surprising since everyone pretty much wrote it off as being stalled out. Next up was the PS3, but it only beat out the Xbox 360 by a very small margin. The PS3’s unexpected comeback is credited to the launch of the PS3 Slim back in October, which has revitalized sales of the console. [Via Cnet]

DIY: The Ikea camera dolly Posted: 14 Jan 2010 08:30 PM PST Here’s one of the easier projects I’ve seen on Make in a while. Take an Ikea “Ivar” ladder, lay it on the floor, and use it as a camera dolly. Just the thing for shooting video, I could have used one of these while we were in Vegas. The best part about this project? It’s cheap. You’re looking at roughly $30 worth of parts to build this. It’s pretty simple; take an Ivar shelving side unit, a piece of plywood, some rollerblade wheels, assorted nuts and bolts, some skateboard grip tape, and you are rolling (no pun intended). Assembly is pretty self explanatory from the pictures, and the end result is a smooth rolling camera dolly that’s light, easy to transport, and cheap. Check out some sample video from the builder, and then go build one yourself. [Via Make]

Genius: steel six-pack carrier Posted: 14 Jan 2010 06:20 PM PST Sir — let me shake you by the hand. There. This is a most marvelous accomplishment. Most pleasing. What’s that you say — it’s not in production yet? The devil! Good day, sir! …I SAID GOOD DAY! [via Gizmodo]

Locals: “Your radio tower gives us rashes!” Company: “You mean the one that’s been off all this time?” Posted: 14 Jan 2010 05:00 PM PST The readers of this blog are probably far to well-informed to take part in the “electromagnetic allergy” FUD and NIMBYism. I’m sure it’s clear to you guys that we’re all saturated with various forms of radiation all the time, and having a radio tower by your house isn’t likely to do anything other than mess with your reception. But the residents of Craigavon, a town in Northern Ireland South Africa, seem to think otherwise. In fact, they directly attributed lack of sleep, headaches, rashes, and a whole swath of vague complaints to a wireless broadband tower set up by iBurst. The usual ignorance and hysteria, yes, but here’s the fun part. After confirming that the residents had been having the same symptoms over the last couple months, iBurst revealed that the tower had been turned off the entire time. I would have liked to see their faces. iBurst CEO Jannie van Zyl says: At this point it became apparent that the tower can, in no way, be the cause of the symptoms, as it was already switched off for many weeks, yet the residents still saw symptoms that come and go according to their proximity to the area. The mind is a powerful thing. It can produce psychosomatic rashes, worry you into insomnia, and I don’t know if the Craigavon residents know this, but it can also be filled with knowledge so you don’t go through life as dumb as a chicken. [via Reddit]

MiniGuru keyboard tries to get you to change how you type Posted: 14 Jan 2010 04:30 PM PST Every so often, some company comes along and tries to get us to change how we type, or what kind of keyboard we use. The MiniGuru is the latest example of this phenomena, using programmable keys and macros to produce a functional keyboard with a tiny footprint. It’s a known fact that a touch typist is faster if they keep their fingers on the “home row”, and this is the concept that the MiniGuru builds on. There might be a problem when you try and use the modifier keys to use things like arrow keys, or the function keys – it could become counter-productive. I’m not saying that it wouldn’t work, but honestly the amount of time required to learn how to use the new keyboard may make it rather pointless. I could see this being useful for an HTPC or other type of hobbyist application though. If you want to try one, the MiniGuru will be available sometime this fall, with no word on the cost. [Via Gizmodo]

Fear the Boot attacks our site, causing comment havoc Posted: 14 Jan 2010 04:23 PM PST So there is this podcast, Fear the Boot, and I accidentally stole their logo for this post involving boots. The resulting ruckus on that post’s comment thread is currently out of control and I am truly sorry that I unleashed this cancer on all of you, my dear, dear readers. That said, go ahead and listen to these guys. The podcast is top notch and the guys have real voices for radio. They want you to come to their Con, for one thing and they also want you to listen to their podcast here. Like China, these people are rapacious and will stop at nothing to comment about “werebears.” To that end I encourage you to give into their meagre demands.

Good for Google: satellite pics of devastated Haiti added to Earth/Maps Posted: 14 Jan 2010 04:00 PM PST I just wanted to put a little attaboy in here for Google. The quake in Haiti will of course prompt a humanitarian response, and accurate aerial imagery will help get it to where it needs to be most. Helicopters are probably occupied ferrying passengers and supplies, so I’d imagine few can be spared for reconnaissance; satellite imagery is the best way to go for a snapshot of the area, and Google contracted GeoEye to shoot some shots for just that purpose. Check out Google’s Haiti relief and imagery page here. It’s good to note every once in a while that the technology we take for granted can actually be used for things other than finding the nearest coffee shop. This kind of quick and helpful response (thanks as well to the mobile companies and their texting donations) is heartening. If you want to help, and I know you do, then text HAITI to 90999 to donate ten bucks to the Red Cross.

The PCP Station, everyone Posted: 14 Jan 2010 03:30 PM PST Matt: The color display is psychedelic, man. Devin: Featuring the hit game “Super Mario Tweakers” Dave: “In that moment, Steve realized that buying a game system off of e-bay wasn’t the best idea in the world” Nicholas: Screw Leno [via imgur]

Assassin’s Creed III could hit shelves as early as April 2010 Posted: 14 Jan 2010 03:00 PM PST Experiencing Assassin’s Creed blues now that you’ve finished the game, unlocked Altair’s armor, found all the glyphs, and have collected all 100 impossible-to-find feathers? Don’t fret, friends. According to Ubisoft’s financial release this morning, Assassin’s Creed III will be released in fiscal year 2011, which begins in April 2010. It was previously thought that this would only be an expansion to Assassin’s Creed II, but Ubisoft has confirmed it is a new title featuring Ezio, and will have an online multiplayer mode. Ubisoft also states that Assassin’s Creed II has sold over 6 million copies worldwide and are projecting that number to hit 9 million by March of this year.

The Chevy Volt 200 degrees test Posted: 14 Jan 2010 02:30 PM PST This test is no doubt neat. I mean, automakers test the exterior to make sure every piece can withstand extreme temperatures and they should. But how about the test where the Volt’s battery is heated up to 200 degrees. Where is that video? I’ve sat in a few cars after they baked in the sun all day long and the exterior was cool to the touch but were at least 200 degrees inside. What’s that going to do to the lithium-ion battery pack? I have so many questions.

Get you a rugged Casio EX-G1 camera (they’re for sale) Posted: 14 Jan 2010 01:30 PM PST If only Casio’s new FH100 was rugged as well! Then I would only need one camera in my life. Well, maybe two. And another for backup. At any rate, the waterproof and angular EX-G1 is available for purchase now, from Amazon for $275 or everywhere else for $300.

PC shipments up 15 percent last quarter (but none of those are the Apple tablet so whatever) Posted: 14 Jan 2010 01:00 PM PST There was plenty of talk ever since Lehman Brothers exploded in mid-2008 about how would consumers cope. Would they keep buying widgets in the face of insane job cuts? Would they keep buying, but only at a fraction of what they had in the past? Let’s take PC sales, a pretty good barometer of where the average person is. (It’s a big purchase, but not like buying a car or house.) Shipments of new PCs jumped 15 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. That’s worldwide, by the way, and much higher than the people who expect things expected. This is good news. HP sold the most PCs in the time period, followed by Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba. (To think that, not too long ago, Dell was the name in PC sales…) No one is buying desktops. That may be a bit of a stretch, but all of this growth has come from low-cost notebooks and even lower-cost netbooks. It seems the netbook is the sweet spot for most people: who needs a huge desktop sitting on the floor, along with a giant monitor sitting on the desk, when all you do is read your Yahoo e-mail and tweet that you loved Avatar? (Who needs a desktop? Professionals and gamers. You try running Crysis, or even World of Warcraft, on a notebook with integrated graphics!) Long story short, PC shipments are up, way up. And now we’re all waiting to see what Apple does with its tablet computer.

Nexus One Car Dock and Desktop Dock coming soon, says Google Posted: 14 Jan 2010 12:40 PM PST Uh oh, Motorola Droid – you better look out! The Nexus One is going to cut you — Wait, no, that’s not right. The Nexus One is going to snag one of your flagship features. I always get those two mixed up. Read the rest of this post >>

Segway Acquired By UK-Based Firm, CEO Out Posted: 14 Jan 2010 12:30 PM PST With no fanfare to speak of, Segway Inc, the company behind the gyroscope-powered, self balancing scooters, has been acquired by a UK-based firm. The news was first reported this morning Mass High Tech, and has since been confirmed on Segway's official blog. Segway has also confirmed that CEO James Norrod is no longer with the company. According to a forum post, the new CEO is Tricia Laidler. Segway's post indicates that the company is now owned by a UK-based firm backed by an investor in Segway U.K., which is independently owned. Segway Inc. is pleased to announce that in connection with a merger that occurred on December 24, 2009, Segway was acquired by a company that is based in the United Kingdom.  The acquiring company is backed by Jimi Heselden, a prominent U.K. businessman and the Chairman of Hesco Bastion.  Mr. Heselden is also an investor in the independently owned Segway U.K. distributorship. Additionally, Segway also received funding that will be used to support the continued growth of the company.

The European Space Agency wants to extend the ISS’s life until 2020 Posted: 14 Jan 2010 12:00 PM PST Believe it or not, the current plan for the International Space Station is to abandon it in 2015 and let it crash into the atmosphere in 2016. Sad, right? But the ESA wants to keep it flying for a few more years to allow more scientist access to the zero-gravity labs. Of course it’s just not one space agency’s call. The project has five partners, the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada, and each will have a say later this at a meeting in Japan. But I think we can all agree that it’s a damn big waste if the ISS is simply abandoned because the world is spending its money on research for seedless watermelons or developing more weapons to kill each other.

Ultra Easy DIY Trick: Need to boost your iPhones volume? Grab a cup. Posted: 14 Jan 2010 11:55 AM PST There are hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of D.I.Y articles on the internet, some more useful than others. I read maybe a dozen or so a day, solely for the sake of expanding my knowledge bank of obscure solutions. Every once in a while, one sprouts up that is just so damned simple, so face-palmingly obvious, that it makes me feel downright stupid for not thinking of it. This is one of those. Read the rest of this post at MobileCrunch >>

Twilight dude could play Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4; Conan news Posted: 14 Jan 2010 11:30 AM PST Why do he look so damn tortured? What does he have to brood about? He’s young, rich, and Hollywood’s go-to guy. Shocking news, friends. You know the guy who plays Edward in Twilight, Robert Pattison? (Note: I didn’t know the guy until just this very moment. I don’t watch TV, you see.) Well if Sony has its way he will play Peter Parker in the new Spider-Man 4 movie. You’ll recall that the new movie is going to be a reboot of the franchise (why not just let the franchise die, it had a good run?), and this guy is Hollywood’s new “in” guy, so he’s been tapped to take Tobey Maguire’s old role. The studio wants someone youthful to play Peter Parker, since the story of the new movie revolves around a high school-age Peter Parker. Other people allegedly being considered are Michael Cera (the kid from Arrested Development and that new Youth in Revolt movie) and Chace Crawford. I have zero idea who Crawford is. Sorry that I don’t keep up with pop culture nonsense. In other Hollywood news (I’m CG’s new Hollywood affairs editor, by the way), it looks like NBC is playing hardball with our beloved Conan O’Brien. (We’re all on Team Conan here at CG.) Jeff Zucker, who’s in charge of NBC, and, incidentally, is responsible for this whole mess in the first place by wanting to replace Leno back in 2004, has threatened to keep Conan off the air for three years! Apparently NBC is done playing games and just wants Conan off the air and to give Leno the Tonight Show and try to pretend this whole mess never happened. Bullshit, yes. In an ideal world, NBC has to pay Conan tens of millions of dollars for screwing him out of The Tonight Show, then Conan goes to Fox and starts a show this fall. Conan cannot stay at NBC given how it has so openly tried to ruin him.

President Obama’s policies have pushed the Doomsday Clock back by one minute Posted: 14 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Way to go, President Obama! Thanks to your bold and forward-thinking policies, the Doomsday Clock has been moved back by one minute! That means Planet Earth is "one minute" further away from utter destruction! Well, destruction brought about by man himself; an asteroid can still smash into the planet and we’d all be doomed. Or, as we’ve seen in Haiti this week, some other cataclysm can strike and we’d have zero control over it. The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947, and was designed to measure how close mankind was to destroying itself. We’ve been five minutes away from midnight ("adios time") since 2007. But the clock has been moved back because of the "hopeful state of world affairs," affairs that have partially materialized because of the policies of President Obama. What policies? For creating "a change in the U.S. government toward international affairs." Basically, the U.S. doesn’t throw its weight around anymore and expect people to go with the flow. I feel safer~!

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