CrunchGear |  |
- Portable speaker turns your iPhone into an electric guitar (sort of)
- CrunchGear Week in Review: Incoming Edition
- Breaking: Flurry Notices Cupertino-based Users Testing Apps on Apple Tablet
- SmartFish concept aircraft swims in the air
- Run Windows 3.1 in your browser?
- The killer app for Apple’s tablet: Gaming
- DIY: Turn your digital picture frame into a nixie clock
- DIY: Wireless door access using a watch
- Apple further tips their hand about tablet name
| Portable speaker turns your iPhone into an electric guitar (sort of) Posted: 25 Jan 2010 02:40 AM PST
Japan-based Bird Electron has announced [JP] the Ezison 100 today, a quite unusual speaker for the iPhone (or iPod touch) that’s supposed to turn those devices into some kind of electric guitar. The Ezison 100 is (hand)made in Japan, with Bird Electron saying they used mainly wood and acrylic fiber in the production process.
Users are supposed to place their iPhone into the speaker’s housing and connect it with the speaker through the headphone jack. You can then run a guitar app on your iPhone, for example this one, and pretend to be a real guitarist. The Ezison 100 features a 2W digital amplifier. Measuring 450×150×35mm, the device weighs 650g and is powered by three AA batteries.
You can only get the speaker on Bird Electron’s Japanese website. It will go on sale on January 30 and is limited to 50 units (price: $290). Ask the Japan Trend Shop or Geek Stuff 4 U if they can get one for you.
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| CrunchGear Week in Review: Incoming Edition Posted: 25 Jan 2010 12:00 AM PST
Here are some stories from the past week: Plug-and-play bomb system for radio-controlled model airplanes
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| Breaking: Flurry Notices Cupertino-based Users Testing Apps on Apple Tablet Posted: 24 Jan 2010 07:41 PM PST  Flurry, a mobile app analytics company, has noticed approximately 50 devices in the Cupertino that match the characteristics of Apple's tablet device. Flurry claims to have reliably placed these devices on Apple's Cupertino campus, and are confident that they are "observing a group of pre-release tablets in testing." This make sense - as the Apple Tablet has to be tested before it is announced this Wednesday, January 27 in San Francisco. Furthermore, Flurry has been an extremely reliable source on analytics data thus far and don't often break stories unless they are sure they've checked their facts. They've noticed that a large number of the apps downloaded were Games (140 total downloads or launches) and the next group was Entertainment, followed by News and Books. Here's a chart of the usage data:
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| SmartFish concept aircraft swims in the air Posted: 24 Jan 2010 06:30 PM PST
The prototype is expected to be a ducted fan, two seater craft, capable of just under Mach 1. Still, that’s a respectable speed when you consider the top speed of other civilian aircraft in this size. Looking at the design though, I can’t help but think that is should be chrome with a robotic co-pilot.
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| Run Windows 3.1 in your browser? Posted: 24 Jan 2010 04:00 PM PST
Yep, you read that right. Win3.1 in a browser. Everything that was there on that desktop, including Minesweeper. Of course, it’s also a whole lot more stable then the original, and some of the icons take you into Michael’s personal website. Thankfully, you can’t run the old version of I.E. on the site, but you can shut down windows.
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| The killer app for Apple’s tablet: Gaming Posted: 24 Jan 2010 02:10 PM PST
While we still don’t know the name of the new tablet device; could be iPad, iTablet, iSlate, iCanvas, or an extension of the MacBook name. But what we do know, due to many recent leaks on the announcement coming from Apple next week, the tablet is being targeted as a gaming device. Connections with the device and gaming started when the Wall Street Journal reveled that Apple had been working with Electronic Arts purportedly to have games available to demo for the device reveal on January 27th. What games EA will be presenting, we don’t know. This follows earlier reports that Apple had been in contact with “select developers” to create apps to showcase on the device. At that time we were unable to find anyone to admit to working with Apple for the Tablet launch. Then in the last couple days came indications from many gaming related publications small and large that they had been invited to the special Apple event on 1/27. This shows a clear push by Apple to have the device covered in the games press, pointing to gaming as a major target for the device. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Apple tablet as a gaming device. The tablet device is expected to have a stronger processor than the iPhone 3GS which will make it well suited for games. But it’s also expected to have a screen resolution of at least 640×800 since it will also have a larger screen. This means that the device will have to work harder to put graphics on the screen with 4 times or more the resolution of the iPhone. An upgraded graphics co-processor will help with that to some extent — as will extra RAM. I think we can expect all of those. Form Factor The tablet is expected to be rather large compared to the iPhone. Rumors range from a 7″ to 11″ screen. My bet is on 2 models — one at the low end and one at the high end. The smaller one targeted at gaming and the larger for more general use. Imagine if your iPhone had an 11″ screen — roughly 9 times the size of your current iPhone. Picking up that device and moving and tilting it to control an accelerometer based game. Similar in size to lifting and tilting your laptop to control a game. It would get tiring, quickly. Especially for us lazy Americans. Moving an 11″ device around quickly to play a twitch game makes little sense, really. Not to mention the potential for damage to the device and it’s surroundings. Think of all of the stories and pictures we saw of the Wii controller being thrown into TVs, windows, and faces. It will be that same story all over again. But this time you are throwing around a potentially $1,000 device not a $45 controller. On the other hand, a 7″ device, roughly 4x the size of the iPhone wouldn’t be nearly as bad. Still rather large for a portable gaming device, but much more workable. Operating System All indicators are pointing to the tablet running an expanded version of the iPhone OS 4. We can assume the major new features of that OS will be resolution independence and support of more hardware varieties. Much as OS X has been created to work on different platforms, processors, devices. The expanded iPhone OS will likely include an update to the way you view the installed apps on the device. Having a 4×5 grid on an 11″ screen wouldn’t be too appealing. I expect we’ll see iPhone OS 4 beta released to developers quickly. It’s expected to be a fairly big change to allow it to support the tablet. It’s early release to developers will give them extra time to update their apps before the general release. Data Connection I think we can say that Wifi connectivity is a given. The question is will there be some form of cellular data connectivity with AT&T or Verizon? I think it’s likely — but I really hope it will be optional and not required to purchase the device. I really don’t relish the idea of paying AT&T (or Verizon) an extra $60-$100 a month to use another device. Another option, while a long shot, is be that it will tether to the iPhone in your pocket utilizing it’s data network. That is once AT&T finally support tethering that is. I find this much more appealing and hope it will be an option. Expect connectivity and cloud services to be a major push for the tablet. Mobile Me has been moving further that way with each revision. Apple also recently bought LaLa, a cloud music service. Many see iTunes going toward the cloud and the tablet would be a great device to take advantage of that. We might even see an officially supported social gaming network from Apple like XBox Live from Microsoft. And I don’t think it’s out of the question to think Apple might jump-start this by buying out one of the networks already created, it’s not very likely. Interface / Game Controls We can assume that there will be no joysticks or control pads on the device. That would be very non-Apple. Apple has committed heavily to multi-touch control and we expect to see more of that for the tablet. And for games, that’s pretty good news. While many prefer hardware controls, developers of iPhone games have made great use of multi-touch as controls for games. Here’s an example of TouchGrind — one of the games with the most interesting and unique interfaces on the iPhone — running on a Mac and utilizing the multi-touch trackpad on that laptop. The advantage of a large multi-touch screen becomes instantly clear after seeing that video. While the iPhone is limited by hardware to 5 simultaneous touches on the screen, realistically it’s more like 2-3 to provide good control without obscuring the whole screen. With a larger screen, you are presented with more options for multi-touch. Unfortunately, this also exposes the main issue with multi-touch, obscuring the screen. This is multiplied when you have a larger screen. Notice in the above video that the game uses the trackpad as the multi-touch device not the screen. When you touch the screen, you obscure parts of the display. With an iPhone, it’s just your fingers in blocking parts of the screen. With a larger device, your whole hand gets in the way obscuring even larger parts of the screen. There have been some rumors floating around about the potential for a touch sensitive back on future iPhone devices – similar to the top of the Magic Mouse. And there have been insiders quoted stating that we will be shocked at how we interact with the tablet. Putting two and two together, it’s not out of this world to think that the tablet might be the first device with a multi-touch sensitive back. Another possibility, as seen in the Palm Pre and other mobile devices, an area on the front, apart from the screen, that can be used as a touchpad. While I’m sure the accelerometer will be included in the device — as it will be required to be compatible with some iPhone apps and games. It doesn’t make as great of a method to control games in a large device. As mentioned earlier, the thought of quickly moving around a large, expensive device like this, is rather scary. Not to mention that the games on the iPhone that use the accelerometers are tuned for the movement of a small device — moving a larger device will make all of these games seem a little off until they are tuned. iPhone Apps on a Tablet It is pretty certain at this point that the tablet will run iPhone apps and games, hopefully unmodified. It’s possible that they will need to be certified to work on the device though — much the same process we had with OS 3 and apps being certified to work with that new version of the iPhone OS. Compatibility with the tablet will likely be the biggest factor of the iPhone OS 4 certification. The Games Using games designed for a 320×240 screen on and increased screen size brings up issues. One of them being that if the game display is just scaled up to fit the screen, the graphics will look rather chunky. Most games use sprites sized specifically for the screen size of the iPhone. Up to this point that has always been 320×480. The tablet will have a larger screen resolution and require new graphics to take full advantage of that for full screen apps without scaling. This isn’t something that’s easy or quick to change. It could take a lot of work depending on how many different raster graphics there are in the games. 3D games are less effected as they can scale. But they will still take some work and updated graphics to be properly tuned to the larger screen size. Some of the textures used for the 3D objects may need to be upgraded for instance. And performance will most certainly need to be tuned for the larger screen size. Multiplayer Games While there have been a few instances of simultaneous multiplayer games on the iPhone, the small screen makes it difficult. A device with a larger screen will make that experience much more compelling. Both traditional games, like board games, and arcade games could take advantage of the larger screen and increased multi-touch capabilities to support multiplayer games. Imagine a high resolution Scrabble, Chess, Checkers, etc. game on the tablet device where you can play either simultaneous multiplayer on a single device or across multiple devices. Beyond traditional games, a first person shooter could use the device split screen and allow multiple players to compete in the same game. Tablet Games Demoed With all of the games press invited Wednesday we know that we will see some games demoed on the new device. For early demos Apple generally sticks with large developers — ones they can trust with keeping secrets — when choosing who to demo a new device. We heard previously from a developer who had 3 days, sequestered at the Apple campus, to develop a demo of in-app purchasing before the press event for iPhone OS 3.0. They will also occasionally throw in a small developer if the risk is worth it for a really good demo. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple has been working with EA to create a games demo for the tablet. We can say pretty certainly that EA will show one or more of their games at the event. First guess is that it will be something we haven’t seen from them yet, not just one of their games updated for the new device. Apple likes to make a big splash with the demos at press events. I’m have sent 2D Boy this theory and await their response. Even a ‘no comment’ would be good news for this theory. Apple and ngmoco:) have had a pretty close relationship with ngmoco:) demoing at multiple different Apple press events. That and ngmoco:) also been rather quiet lately. That might indicate they are working with Apple and we may see something from them on Wednesday. iTunes Account Sharing Currently, you can authorize up to five desktop machines under a single iTunes account. This means that those five machine are authorized to play any protected content that account purchases. And, those five machines can sync to as many iPhone OS devices as you wish. So you can have an iTunes Account and all apps purchased on that account, shared amongst every member of your family – no matter how large that family is. But, will that licensing model extend to the tablet? It makes sense for Apple to extend the license to the tablet as it will help them for sales of the new device. If you can have the same apps on your iPhone as your tablet without paying extra, that will make people happy. I don’t relish the thought of having to purchase apps for the iPhone and re-purchasing for the tablet to use them there. But it can also be said that the tablet is more of a computer than the iPhone. And most software for desktop computers is licensed per machine. There could be some push back from developers on this. But initially I think we’ll see that it will be able to work with all of the iPhone apps you have already purchased. Game Prices As we all know, the prices for games on the iPhone are unbelievably low. Low even compared to other mobile platforms and especially so compared to the other mobile gaming devices. Will Apple find a way to drive prices higher for apps on the tablet? While we expect the tablet will be seen from an App Store perspective as just another iPhone OS device — like the iPod Touch — it’s possible that Apple will segment certain tablet apps. Perhaps we’ll see multiple versions of the same games — some for the iPhone that work on the tablet — and extended versions just for the tablet. Another possibility is that the rumored premium app store will actually be for expanded tablet apps. We may see expanded apps — apps to take advantage of specific tablet hardware like the increased screen size — segmented and at higher price points on a premium app store. There are a lot of possibilities on what the tablet could be. But no matter how it comes out, we know Apple is going to push it, much like it has the iPod Touch, as a gaming device. How successful it will be is up to the app developers. All of our questions will be answered soon. I for one am very excited for the announcements on Wednesday. While I don’t consider myself a hard-core Apple fan boy, I am very excited to see this new Apple creation and what it will mean for mobile gaming.
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| DIY: Turn your digital picture frame into a nixie clock Posted: 24 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST
The creator of this project built a custom frame, upholstered it, added some custom brass accents, and then set the whole thing up to advance one image per second, based on a series of pictures that she created using some images from flickr. The end result is a really nice looking clock that would look great in an airship or steam powered car. She’s nice enough to include instructions, as well as the source code required to reprogram the frame, and a link to the original flickr art used to show the time. [via Make]
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| DIY: Wireless door access using a watch Posted: 24 Jan 2010 11:30 AM PST The TI Chronos has been a bit of a hackers darling recently, but this has to be the coolest application of it I’ve seen so far. Rather then getting an RFID tag embedded in your hand, program your watch to use a pre-programmed combination of taps to activate the wireless door locking system. The inventor created this locking system using the TI development kit, some basic electronics, and the Chronos watch. The watch uses a 128 bit AES key encryption, and requires that you know the pre-programmed tap code before it will open the door. This is more secure then RFID, which just opens based on proximity. I love this project, the only potential issue I could see would be someone mugging you and stealing your watch, leaving you unable to open your door (unless you have a key with you). [via Make]
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| Apple further tips their hand about tablet name Posted: 24 Jan 2010 10:30 AM PST
The details are pretty technical, but what it boils down to is this: Fujitsu registered the trademark “iPad”, Apple filed to oppose Fujitsu’s move as soon as it was legally possible, in September 2009. Apple has been consistently delaying their court dates, by asking for more time to put together arguments about the case. This is identical to the tactics they used for the name “iPhone” with Cisco back in the day. Apple filed for (and has received) the international patent for the name “iPad” in January 2009. What’s going to happen? Well, most likely, Apple will launch the “iPad” next week, Fujitsu will file an injunction, and then the lawyers will fight over the name and delay the launch until it’s all resolved. [via Valleywag]
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The SmartFish aircraft is a concept vehicle created by an engineering firm in Germany, based on the aerodynamic shape of a fish. So far, they have only built a remote control version of the aircraft, and a prototype is in the works. The prototype will be built from kevlar and carbon fiber; but, the designers expect the vehicle to be relatively inexpensive to build.
Personal website are usually a train wreck. With the death of 
Apparently, it’s DIY Sunday here at Crunchgear. Here’s another little project for you to do, using an inexpensive digital picture frame and some steampunk aesthetic to create a pretty sweet looking clock.
It appears that Apple has tipped their hand regarding the name of their expected tablet computer. Way back in September of 2009, Apple filed to oppose Fujitsu regarding the name, “iPad”. Apple hasn’t been aggressive about fighting for the name, but they did file for the name on an international scale, and they own that trademark.| You are subscribed to email updates from CrunchGear To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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