CrunchGear |  |
- Different Wi-Fi standards: Israel blocks iPad imports from the US
- Judge: Nintendo did not infringe on Wii Classic Controller, Wiimote
- Toshiba announces Tecra M11 notebook
- LED REGZA: Toshiba Japan to roll out 15 new LCD TVs
- Cat plays with iPad. That is all.
- Would a Lava Lamp work on Jupiter?
- DIY headphone amp (only for accomplished hardware guys)
- Alex eReader shipping tomorrow
- Your next Chrysler may have some NASA DNA
- Retrode easily turns your SNES, Sega Genesis cartridges into ROMs
- UK ISPs prepare for Digital Economy P2P fallout
- Apple re-affirms its longstanding commitment to not being a gaming platform
- RAM hits a new low, Newegg selling 1GB for $1.99 (after MIR)
- FLO TV adds On-demand, time shifting
- The Microsoft Arc keyboard is now available in a pleasant white/lime theme
- Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City now available for PS3, PC. Took them long enough!
- Review: SugarSync for the iPad
- DXG introduces 3D-capable compact camcorder
- Apple finally granted patent for iPhone’s hardware likeness
- This $5 iPad dock is actually worth about $5
| Different Wi-Fi standards: Israel blocks iPad imports from the US Posted: 14 Apr 2010 05:41 AM PDT
For some people, buying up iPads in the US in bulk and selling them in their home countries for $2,000 and more means serious business. But don’t do that in Israel, at least for now. The country’s Ministry of Communications has started banning all iPad imports yesterday because of the difference in Wi-Fi standards in the US and Israel. The ministry argues that Israel’s regulations in that area are more similar to the ones used in Europe and that the iPad, in its current form, is just compatible with American Wi-Fi standards (it’s on sale in the US only at this point). Those standards permit broadcasting at lower power, apparently making approval in Israel impossible. Engineers in the ministry refused to check whether the current version of the iPad is compatible with national regulations, too. At least, they have already asked Apple’s Israeli distributor iDigital [HB] to provide more technical information on the device, which means the ban might get lifted soon. But if you’re currently planning to get some iPads from the US for your friends in Israel, forget it: it looks like all devices will be confiscated at the air port. One guy who tried yesterday was told by authorities to send back the iPad he brought home from the US. That iPad was only one of ten that were confiscated yesterday at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv (apparently, declaring or paying taxes doesn’t help either). Via Haaretz
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| Judge: Nintendo did not infringe on Wii Classic Controller, Wiimote Posted: 14 Apr 2010 05:37 AM PDT
Generally, you’re dealing with a shell company that enjoys going after big gaming. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things and, like any other patent troll, they’ll dry up once their victims work around their patents.
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| Toshiba announces Tecra M11 notebook Posted: 14 Apr 2010 05:35 AM PDT  It's been a while since Toshiba unveiled their M10 and A10 computers in 2008, but Toshiba finally released the specs on their new M11 business notebook. The M11 features a 14-inch anti-glare display, Intel Core i3/i5 dual core processor, up to 3 GB DDR3 RAM and either Intel HD or an NVIDIA NVS 2100M graphics card. It also comes with a 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, a DVD Super-Multi drive, and Bluetooth/WiFi connectivity. The notebook weights 5.34 lbs and comes with a 6-cell battery that Toshiba claims can last up to 5.15 hours. The M11 is already available at a starting price of $899.
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| LED REGZA: Toshiba Japan to roll out 15 new LCD TVs Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:21 AM PDT
Toshiba Japan has announced [JP] a total of 15 new LCD REGZA TVs for the Japanese market today (the company is selling REGZAs outside Japan, meaning chances are these new models will be rolled out internationally, too). And there’s a REGZA-branded HDD now. Here are the main specs for the entire lineup. REGZA Z1 Series
The flagship Z series consists of a total of four models, sized at 37 (37Z1, $2,700), 42 ($3,300), 47 ($4,200) and 55 inches ($5,200/pictured above). All Z1 TVs boast a full HD “Clear” LED panel (IPS), LED edge light, a dynamic contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, a recording function over USB or LAN (HDDs sold separately, see picture below), 10W×2 speakers, 4 HDMI interfaces, REGZA link, an SD/SDHC card slot, two USB ports, video-on-demand support, Ethernet, and Windows 7 support.
The Z series TVs will go on sale in Japan in June. REGZA RE1 Series
The RE1 is Toshiba’s new “middle range” series and consists of eight TVs. While the four smaller models (19/22/26/32 inches) feature just 1,366×768 resolution, the four other RE1 TVs (37/42/47/55 inches) are full HD. The RE1 models are priced between $850 for the smallest model (19RE1) and $4,600 for the biggest (55RE1). All feature LED edge light, a dynamic contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, REGZA link, a recording function over USB or LAN (HDDs sold separately), Ethernet, video-on-demand support, a USB port, and four HDMI interfaces (two in the four smaller models). Only the the four big RE1 TVs have the “clear” LED panel the Z1 TVs have. In Japan, Toshiba plans to roll out the TVs from this series between next month and August. The 55-inch model is pictured above. REGZA HE1 Series
Sized at 19, 22 and 26 inches, Toshiba’s new entry-level REGZA’s are the 19HE1 ($1,200), 22HE1 ($1,300/pictured) and the 26HE1 ($1,400). They all feature 1,366×768 resolution, LED edge light, REGZA link, two HDMI interfaces, a USB port, Ethernet, video-on-demand support, and a dynamic contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1. The biggest bullet point is the internal 500GB HDD that can be found in all HE1 TVs (just like the recording function over USB or LAN the RE1 and Z1 TVs also have). Toshiba plans to start selling the three HE1 models in Japan from July.
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| Cat plays with iPad. That is all. Posted: 13 Apr 2010 08:38 PM PDT |
| Would a Lava Lamp work on Jupiter? Posted: 13 Apr 2010 07:00 PM PDT Interesting question no? Would something so simple like a lava lamp work at the higher gravity found on Jupiter? The easy solution would have been to just do the research, crunch the numbers, and get an answer. This clever YouTube jockey decided to do it the hard way: he built his own centrifuge out of an Erector set (called Meccano in the the rest of the world). He even used an Android phone to calculate the amount of G force created by the machine. Plus, he used science!
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| DIY headphone amp (only for accomplished hardware guys) Posted: 13 Apr 2010 06:30 PM PDT
If you’re paranoid about having an exposed vacuum tube, see what you can find out about hacking some of the newer digital amps out there — I hear some are quite good and you could certainly cut and paste a few pieces and make one more portable and appropriate for headphone use. I mean, you could. I probably couldn’t. [via Make]
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| Alex eReader shipping tomorrow Posted: 13 Apr 2010 06:00 PM PDT
The Alex supports EPUB, PDF, HTML, and TXT, and is connected directly to Google’s ebook library. Retail is $399, and while the current version supports WiFi, a 3G and EVDO/CDMA version is expected later this year. From the press release:
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| Your next Chrysler may have some NASA DNA Posted: 13 Apr 2010 05:30 PM PDT
These kind of crossover efforts usually are good, since you get a real mix of minds. At the risk of sounding corporate, it’s important to introduce diversity into your idea pool. At if you’ve all been working on the same stuff for 10 years with the same people, some stagnation might be expected. Hopefully, the 3-year agreement will be fruitful. I think I’ll put off buying Chryslers till it’s over, though. Who wouldn’t want shuttle tech in their car?
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| Retrode easily turns your SNES, Sega Genesis cartridges into ROMs Posted: 13 Apr 2010 04:00 PM PDT
Let me set the scene; it’s very interesting. I’m sitting here listening to one of my many soccer podcasts (World Football Daily, for the curious), browsing YouTube like a complete dweeb. A couple of keystrokes later and I’m watching this video, wherein a fine upstanding gentleman by the nom de plume of Review Tech USA talks about the Retrode, a USB device that automatically turns your old SNES and Sega Genesis cartridges and turns them into emulator-friendly ROMs. Now, I don’t know where you come from, but in my neck of the woods, that’s a fine piece of kit. The device is dead simple: you plug your cartridge into the appropriate slot, then connect the device via USB to your PC or Mac. That’s it! Your operating system will treat the Retrode as a plain ol’ mass storage device, and then you can either directly play the ROM from the device, or drag the ROM to your big ROM folder. The device only works with SNES and Genesis cartridges, but it does look like work is being done on an N64 version—very handy for Dolphin, no? All the ROMs you want, none of the icky piracy feeling required. Lord knows I have boxes filled with old cartridges. And if you think I’m too cool to sit here all day and create ROMs out of my old cartridges, well, clearly you’re not a regular reader. Oh, price: the online ship Stone Age Gamer sells the Retrode here in the U.S., and it goes for $96.99. Seriously one of the neatest things I’ve seen in a long while. No, it’s not exactly "brand new," but I’ve never seen it before, so hopefully it’s new to a few of you, too. How far we’ve come from the days of the Doctor V64 and Z64…
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| UK ISPs prepare for Digital Economy P2P fallout Posted: 13 Apr 2010 03:30 PM PDT
The Digital Economy Act passed in the UK, as you know, and it’s pretty terrible. One of the more spicy sections of the law involved peer-to-peer use, and how it basically makes ISPs responsible for what their customers download. So if HBO finds that you’ve been download "The Pacific," (really good show, by the way, much to my surprise) it can contact your ISP, who’s then responsible for telling you to knock if off. If not, you face a truly horrible punishment: you’re sent to Stoke! (That’s a joke, people!) Even though we’re a hot eight months away before the ISPs have to be ready, they’re all getting ready right now. The situation will work like this: 1. You download "The Pacific" That’s the gist of it. So there’s that, and the impending death of Usenet, and your days of downloading TV shows and movies illegally are coming to an end.
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| Apple re-affirms its longstanding commitment to not being a gaming platform Posted: 13 Apr 2010 03:00 PM PDT
Needless to say, Apple didn’t actually say any of that. I really just saw this article and thought, did anyone ever think Apple laptops, if any laptops at all, were competent gaming machines? No. I was hoping for a big boost, but my guess is that Apple is stalling out with the space and heat restrictions they’ve set for themselves with the unibody MacBook Pros. I mean, I have one and it’s great — for blogging. With Steam coming out for Mac, I was looking forward to doing a little gaming on a new machine next year… but no. Ah well.
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| RAM hits a new low, Newegg selling 1GB for $1.99 (after MIR) Posted: 13 Apr 2010 02:30 PM PDT
The RAM itself isn’t that impressive with only a 1GB capacity, but who cares when it’s so cheap. It might breath new life into an older notebook laying around. You better jump on this now, though. The deal ends on 4/16, which is only three days away.
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| FLO TV adds On-demand, time shifting Posted: 13 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT
Some of the new features are great, some not so much. Specifically, you’ll be able to pre-record your favorite shows (and take them with you wherever), and buy pay-per-day passes that will allow you to use your device as needed, rather than paying that pesky monthly fee. They are also adding interactive capabilities that will allow you to get more information about a show or advertised product. The update was announced today, however don’t expect to see it on your devices until the “second half of 2010″. From the press release:
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| The Microsoft Arc keyboard is now available in a pleasant white/lime theme Posted: 13 Apr 2010 01:30 PM PDT
So how do I like the black one? Well, I’m glad you asked. So far the only issue I have with it is that the shift key seems to stick or I’m just typing wrong. For example, when I type a capitalized word, the first two letters get capitalized. LIke this. ANd this. OR this. Maybe I’m doing it wrong, but I’ve never had this issue with other keyboard and I’m really not a fast typer – maybe 80 wpm when I’m cruising. Other than than that, I love the form factor and am learning to deal with the capitalization thing because of how nice the small footprint works on my desk. The keyboard also has really sticky rubber feet that cause it to grip to my desk like no other keyboard has. It simple doesn’t move when I’m typing and that’s surprising seeing as it doesn’t weigh much more than my Droid. So yeah, I would totally recommend this thing for both the serious and causal user. It has great tactical feedback, an ergonomic-enough design, and a tiny footprint. I even like it better than Apple’s small wireless keyboard. (look for a full comparison soon) Now you have your choice between black on black and lime on white. Nice.
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| Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City now available for PS3, PC. Took them long enough! Posted: 13 Apr 2010 01:00 PM PDT
Just a friendly reminder that Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, the stand-alone pack of Grand Theft Auto IV DLC is now available for PCand PS3. As DLC goes, it’s not bad. One word of caution for my PC gaming friends: it uses Games for Windows Live, which pretty much everyone on Planet Earth hates. Just to clear up any confusion: the DLC (which includes both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony) is available to download from the respective services (PSN, GfWL) if you already own GTA IV. If you don’t have the originial GTA IV, you can walk into your local store and buy the stand-alone disc, entitled Episodes From Liberty City. Let’s see here… The Lost and Damned first came out on the Xbox 360 in February, 2009, so it’s been a little while.
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| Review: SugarSync for the iPad Posted: 13 Apr 2010 12:33 PM PDT
When I last looked at SugarSync the service was in it’s infancy and I found it slightly lacking. All of my concerns, two years ago, have been address and now you have a fully versioned storage system that you can use to feasibly upload a plethora of files including, but not limited to, MP3s, videos, and documents. Audio and video files, for the most part, played natively on the iPad. However, if you need to transfer odd formats or edit Office or iWork documents (you can view them just fine) you’ll need to email the files to yourself and them open them in Pages. This two step process, while upsetting to those afraid of more than one step, is frustrating at worst and a non-issue at best. To be sure, the SugarSync app is as barebones as it gets. You have access to your shared files and you can view everything you’ve shared on your linked computers. There is no expectation that you’ll ever want to upload files or move them around – it’s a window on the service and little more. The current document sync systems for the iPad are fairly bad. That they even passed Apple’s muster is a wonder, but that’s our lot. You can sync stuff in iTunes, but the interface is actually hidden for most people and it is surprisingly clunky. I could definitely see a folder that pops up on the desktop whenever you plug in the iPad, offering a safe place for files. However, because this is not the case, we have to use services like SugarSync. If you need to send the file back to the cloud, you can use the service’s Upload by Email service to add it as an attachment and store it securely away from your iPad. Aside from the “magic briefcase” aspect of SugarSync the service is actually fairly reasonable and, in a pinch, can act as a full back-up service for your laptops and PCs. 250GB costs $249 a year or $24.99 a month. A free plan includes 2GB of data storage as well as syncing for a maximum of two machines. Bottom Line
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| DXG introduces 3D-capable compact camcorder Posted: 13 Apr 2010 12:30 PM PDT
I mean, the 3D effect in Avatar and such is created by having two cameras (or two virtual cameras) at a certain distance from one another and converging on the point you’re supposed to be looking at. There are parallel approaches too, which use the offset amount between the cameras to change the depth of the 3D effect. This is likely the way DXG has its lenses set up. And although I can’t remember the technical details of it, having the lenses so close together may result in a slightly unnatural 3D effect when you’re shooting stuff at close and medium range.
The DXG-321 will cost $600, and comes with a 7-inch 800×480 screen — enough to show the standard-def video the camcorder is capable of shooting. The little screen has an SD slot (there’s no HDMI out on the camcorder) and produces 3D via a parallax barrier, so no glasses are necessary, although you will need to be right in front of it. They’re talking about marketing through Hammacher Schlemmer, which gives you an idea of the overall quality of the thing. You’ll be ordering the DXG-321 from SkyMall. It’s kind of exciting, but the standard def thing is a bit disappointing, and of course you’ll need a 3D-capable monitor to edit the video. An HD version is planned for later this year, but by then will we be seeing 3D camcorders from the majors?
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| Apple finally granted patent for iPhone’s hardware likeness Posted: 13 Apr 2010 11:29 AM PDT
Well, Apple’s taking steps to prevent this, though I somehow doubt they’ll prove too effective. They’ve been granted a patent covering the “ornamental design” of the iPhone and its pals — it better be a very specific design they’ve patented, since most phones are lozenge-shaped with big screens now.
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| This $5 iPad dock is actually worth about $5 Posted: 13 Apr 2010 10:58 AM PDT
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We told you all the rumors, we told you 
When Qualcomm’s 
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