CrunchGear |  |
- Mojito Stand-Alone Social Aggregator
- Barnes & Noble launches Affiliate Program, will pay 6% commission on nook sales
- Masen Marshall, the Ultimate Linux Guru, has a special laptop
- 3DS: Nintendo announces portable 3D gaming device
- Daily Crunch: Desk Edition
- Sony’s new clock radio shines (on the wall)
- myDitto NAS designed to be simple, easy to use
- Rat Rod bikes – the bicycle as art?
- Using children to steal DVDs eh?
- Variable-velocity rifle to bruise/kill you just right
- XScorch 360 controller brings a mouse to the Xbox
- Russia might build an extra Soyuz just for space tourists
- Gigabyte: 1 million USB 3.0 motherboards served
- iPadDownloads.com on ebay for $1,000,000
- Dynamism announces its Viliv S10 promotions
- EA: How about we sell extra-long demos as DLC?
- BBC Wildlife magazine shares secrets online
- Low-tech coffee: it’s the way to go
- Instant Pocket – yes, an instant pocket
- Giveaway: Left-handed Razer Death Adder gaming mouse
| Mojito Stand-Alone Social Aggregator Posted: 23 Mar 2010 05:20 AM PDT
Certainly, the goal of the Mojito is to free you from the bondage of countless, annoying alerts cycling on your computer as each social network to which you belong cries out for attention—and it could succeed. But somehow I wonder if the $299 price tag will relegate it to the “Sharper Image-esque” island of misfit toys for executive desks. Maybe not though. It could look smashing in a kitchen or corporate public space and could definitely keep you from pulling your iPhone out of your pocket every thirty seconds, for updates. Truly that seems to be one of the benefits the Mojito offers; it relaxes social media a tad and puts it a bit more in the background.
My guess is people will be hacking this thing immediately. It’s not out yet, but there is more info at mymojito.com and Alan from Blue Lounge was kind enough to give us a little demo below.
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| Barnes & Noble launches Affiliate Program, will pay 6% commission on nook sales Posted: 23 Mar 2010 03:21 AM PDT
Commissions will be paid on shipped orders only. Just for comparison: Amazon has been paying its affiliates a 10% commission on sales of Kindle products (bar actual e-books) since November 2007. This is the email that was apparently sent to affiliates earlier this morning:
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| Masen Marshall, the Ultimate Linux Guru, has a special laptop Posted: 23 Mar 2010 03:00 AM PDT
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| 3DS: Nintendo announces portable 3D gaming device Posted: 23 Mar 2010 02:40 AM PDT
Big news from the Japanese video game world today: Nintendo announced [JP, PDF] they will launch a successor to the DS/DSi for the next fiscal year (which begins next month in Japan and ends in March 2011). And what sounds particularly cool so far about the Nintendo 3DS is that the new portable device won’t require any special glasses for users to see the 3D images, according to Nintendo. Details are scarce at the moment (no price, no specs, no pics), but what’s confirmed so far is that “3DS” is just the tentative name of the device. It will be backwards compatible to conventional DS/DSi games (meaning it will have 2 cameras again) and is sure to hit Japanese stores first. Just as a reminder, Nintendo will release their new handheld, the DSi XL, on March 28 in the US. Nintendo also said they will give us more details about the DS sucessor at the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles in June. Now let’s just hope the 3DS won’t be another Virtual Boy…
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| Posted: 23 Mar 2010 12:00 AM PDT |
| Sony’s new clock radio shines (on the wall) Posted: 22 Mar 2010 11:30 PM PDT
The ICF-C717PJ can also show you the room temperature, and has five pre-programmed nature sounds to help you fall asleep faster. As far as waking up, the ICF-C717PJ gives you the choice of AM/FM, a buzzer, or music from your MP3 player. You can also chose to listen to nature sounds and wake to either the undersea world, waves, a mountain brook, or birdsong. If you’re looking for the ICF-C717PJ in the US, you’re going to be disappointed right now; it’s initially planned to only be available in Europe. Sony also has yet to name a price at this time. [via iPodnn]
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| myDitto NAS designed to be simple, easy to use Posted: 22 Mar 2010 10:30 PM PDT
Honestly, I don’t see NAS devices as being that difficult to set up, but my experiences may be different from most users. The myDitto is a pretty standard NAS, with two drive bays, one of which is populated with a 1TB drive when the unit is purchased. The intention behind the myDitto is that you don’t have to install software to use it, just plug in one of the two included USB keys, and the software will start up and allow you to back up and restore files as needed. Admittedly, that could be considered easier then setting up a backup process on your home computer, but most the time you can just install the software, set up the schedule, and then forget about it. Full featured devices like the IoMega ix4-200d are just as easy to set up, it’s just a matter of perception. Dane-Elec’s myDitto isn’t available yet, but it’s expected to retail for $279 in a 1TB configuration. [via Gadgetwise]
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| Rat Rod bikes – the bicycle as art? Posted: 22 Mar 2010 10:00 PM PDT
Gaskill’s Hop shop isn’t actually a bicycle shop, but rather a exhibition for the art bike projects of one “Gaskill”. Inspired by the vintage rat-rods of the 50’s, Gaskill’s projects are DIY, but definitely the work of an artist and not someone who just dabbles. The site is definitely worth a look, just for the cool speed trial style bikes he’s built. [via Make]
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| Using children to steal DVDs eh? Posted: 22 Mar 2010 09:05 PM PDT
The parents took the children into the store, and then allowed them to walk around picking the movies that the wanted to watch, and then loaded them into the stroller. The couple then left the store without paying for the merchandise. Of course in the US, they would have been harassed and then let go, only to find that all the cases were filled with rocks. Police are currently looking for help in identifying the couple and the children.
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| Variable-velocity rifle to bruise/kill you just right Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:30 PM PDT
The idea, I suppose, would be to incapacitate the target but not permanently. Because wars are more frequently being fought by small forces inside cities (as opposed to thousands and thousands in large battlefields), civilians are in constant danger from stray bullets. Of course, no one wants to catch stray fire of any kind, but if I had to take a shot to the leg, I’d rather it was a rubber round going just fast enough to hurt like hell, and not a 7.62mm meant to go straight through me. It’s still in the early stages right now, but with any luck they’ll be deployed before the next time I take it to the streets.
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| XScorch 360 controller brings a mouse to the Xbox Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT Like many FPS gamers of a certain age, I started with the WASD keyboard/mouse control system. As such, I have issues with using a controller to play games on a console, and really wish that someone would come out with a keyboard and mouse control system. There’s been a few that come close, and the XScorch 360 looks like another also-ran. Bannco, the company that makes the XScorch 360 also makes a similar controller for the PS3, so this isn’t their first time trying to make this kind of product. My concern lies in the video, and is twofold. First, the video says Halo Reach. Anyone who follows the Halo universe will recognize that the demo is running through on Halo 3. Halo Reach isn’t even available as a playable demo yet. Second, the video shows some serious lag between the mouse movements and the on screen action. If this is the case, then it’s pretty much unplayable. It’s also possible that this demo is from the future, which is why it’s showing Halo Reach, and the lag is from the time-shift dilation effect. Suggested retail is $79.99, and is currently available from Bannco’s website, or at selected retailers. [via TG Daily]
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| Russia might build an extra Soyuz just for space tourists Posted: 22 Mar 2010 07:30 PM PDT
Space tourism took a back seat to ISS missions earlier this year as the US slowed its Space Shuttle program and Russia had to increase its capacity. But the head of Russia’s Energia space corporation recently stated that the construction could begin as soon as the middle of this year. You know what this means, right? Lance Bass might still be able to fulfill his dream.
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| Gigabyte: 1 million USB 3.0 motherboards served Posted: 22 Mar 2010 07:30 PM PDT  Gigabyte’s USB 3.0-capable motherboards have gone platinum, as they say in the record biz. Gigabyte announced that it has shipped 1 million USB 3.0 motherboards, giving them 1/3 of the overall USB 3.0 market share worldwide.Henry Kao, Senior Vice President, Motherboard Business Unit, Gigabyte, told MaximumPC, “Reaching the 1 million USB 3.0 products mark is a testament to Gigabyte’s strategy of innovating for the high-end product category, and then driving those innovations down through our product line quicker than our competitors in order to boost sales volumes.” This is a landmark number to be reached, and a signifier of Gigabyte’s rising stock with aficionados. Besides, who would be caught dead using USB 2.0?
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| iPadDownloads.com on ebay for $1,000,000 Posted: 22 Mar 2010 07:00 PM PDT
Maybe someone kind English gentleman will pick up the domain from this ebay auction and actually develop a great iPad community site. A place perhaps where iPad owners can hang out and discuss how they wish they could download non-Apple approved programs to their oversized iPod touches. We wish him luck.
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| Dynamism announces its Viliv S10 promotions Posted: 22 Mar 2010 06:25 PM PDT
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| EA: How about we sell extra-long demos as DLC? Posted: 22 Mar 2010 06:10 PM PDT
Well now, let’s not jump to conclusions. This, after all, was in a way how Portal was. Short, low-priced, and as it turned out, harbinger for a much larger game further on. But is that all there is to it? The truth is that Portal truly was a complete game. Can EA really convince anyone that whatever they sell for $15 ahead of a big retail release is complete in any way? Seems unlikely, especially considering how DLC these days is essentially content that could have been in the retail release but was modular enough to sell on the side. I put “full game” in quotes in the first paragraph because it seems to me that truly full games are rarely released these days; pieces of the cookie are broken off until they have the bare minimum for a retail package, and then they sell you the rest of the cookie piecemeal. Obviously there is the bottom line to consider. I can’t blame EA if making medium-sized, semi-complete games and then tarting them up with DLC is a winning strategy. If they’re making money and making games, that’s fine. But gamers lose out when games are considered only as products, the same way a TV show, movie, or book will suffer if created only with “net positive dollars” the only objective in mind.
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| BBC Wildlife magazine shares secrets online Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:20 PM PDT
As a photographer myself, I’m constantly trying to find information of new techniques and practices to make my photos better. That’s why I love it when an organization like the BBC shares information like this on the ‘net. The classes cover the best practices for shooting in many different situations, including everything from shooting plants to shooting in the arctic. They are all available in the PDF format, and you can download them for personal use. I’ve only had time to read a couple of them, but they are very well written and worth your time. [via LifeHacker]
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| Low-tech coffee: it’s the way to go Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:20 PM PDT
One “make something easier” device that few people forgo is the coffee maker. The familiar drip machine is found in a huge amount of homes out there, and for many, that is the only coffee they’ll make at home. Outside of Starbucks, it’s strictly machine drip. It’s so familiar that a lot of people forget that coffee makers are relative newcomers to the coffee scene, and for a fraction of the price, you can buy beautiful, authentic gear that is not only dead simple, but makes fantastic coffee. Melitta pour-over
All you do is pop the filter in, put in a few scoops of fine-ground coffee, and pour in the hot water. Because the water doesn’t come down from a limited little spout like in a regular coffee maker, you can knock the accumulated coffee off the sides of the filter and get it back into the mix. This leads to stronger coffee and less waste. The small pour-over pictured at right is actually a single-cup one I bought at Daiso Japan for $1.50. It’s just as high quality as any of my plates, and makes great coffee. You can get much larger ones, obviously. French press
For French press you want to splurge a little bit. You can get a cheap one for $15, but you want as much glass and metal as possible, and this $30 Chambord, from French press masters Bodum, seems like the best way to go. It’s not for people in a hurry, or really for filling a lot of people with coffee, but there’s a nice ritual that goes along with it and you get to choose how long you steep the coffee for. The result is a thick and very flavorful coffee, perhaps too flavorful for some. You also have to be careful how fine you grind your beans: too fine and you’ll have a lot of sludge at the bottom. I moved away from French press because of this, but lots of people swear by it, and it is of course very portable. Bodum Chambord 8-cup French press Stovetop espresso pot
This thing is my baby. If I had to pick one coffee method to use for the rest of my life, it’d be this. There aren’t very many places in Seattle that can fire up some espresso so good that I have to tell somebody about it, but a lot of times when I take a sip of the bittersweet nectar my stovetop puts out, I have to email someone, or put it on Facebook. It’s that good. What happens is this: there are three parts, the reservoir, the basket, and the spout. You fill the reservoir with water, fill the basket with semi-fine-ground coffee, screw it together, and put it on your stove at medium heat. Somewhere between four and seven minutes later, the most delicious coffee substance you’ve ever had will come streaming out of the spout, and it’s worth every second of waiting — and every minute of cleaning later on (don’t use soap!). The stovetop actually takes some skill to operate, which not everyone is into. It comes down to getting the grind and the heat right, and the timing as well, but since you’ll be standing over it smelling its amazing coffee fumes, I wouldn’t worry too much about that. You’ll mess up a bunch of times (I still do, being extremely absent-minded), but this chunk of metal has brewed me the best coffee of my life. The one I have is the $30 Bialetti 6-cup, which I recommend for one person, but they have bigger and smaller capacities if you find it’s not the right size. Bialetti Moka Express stovetop espresso pot (image: Wikipedia) There you go. It may seem old-fashioned to avoid what is so clearly a simple and convenient way to make coffee, but I really think that the quality, simplicity, and portability of these devices makes them a must-have for any individual or family. Try one out and see how you like it; you may find a new appreciation for everyone’s favorite morning pick-me-up. There are other low-tech coffee accessories out there, too: hand-cranked burr grinders, weirdo vacuum-driven drip things, and variations on the stuff shown above. Spend a little time in your local kitchen store and you’ll probably find something really cool.
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| Instant Pocket – yes, an instant pocket Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT
[via 7gadgets and The Awesomer]
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| Giveaway: Left-handed Razer Death Adder gaming mouse Posted: 22 Mar 2010 04:30 PM PDT
All you’ve got to do is put a comment in here listing the one gadget you think is most egregiously (or subtly) biased against southpaws, and why. One entry per person, we’re watching you. I’ll pick the best one tomorrow afternoon and ship this sucker off. Go!
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According to 
Sony announced a new clock radio today, the enticing named ICF-C717PJ, the latest in a long line of consumer electronics. The ICF-C717PJ has a few tricks up it’s proverbial sleeve however, including a thermometer and the ability to project the time on the wall or ceiling.
Technology can be difficult to use, particularly things like home servers. Dane-Elec plans to make setting up your own home NAS easy, using their myDitto home network server. Installation is intended to be quick and painless, utilizing USB keys to set up the drive rather then the standard CD. 
Living in Nevada, I get to see all kinds of art projects on the road as Burning Man approaches. I will admit however, that none of them look quite as cool as these, a combination of the “rat-rod” and an art bicycle.
Here’s a candidate for the Canadian parent of the year award. Police in Richmond B.C. are looking for a couple that used their kids to load up on over $3000 worth of Blu-ray and DVD discs from Future Shop. The estimate is that the couple took between 80 to 100 movies.
French press has been gaining traction lately, especially here in Seattle, where drip coffee is looked down on. French press can offer a much richer coffee experience, though occasionally I find it too thick.
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