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iOS update to ship next week, fix death grip issue?

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 04:48 PM PDT


I’ll believe this when I see it: there are reports that the death grip phenomenon is actually the result of a software error. I’d heard this going around yesterday, but the more specific issue seems to be that the device goes to no signal mode when it should just be switching frequencies. And holding the phone in the “wrong” position aggravates this tendency.

Continue reading…

Cristiano Ronaldo now has a brand new Web site

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 03:00 PM PDT

It was only a few days ago that I mentioned that Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, now ready to face Spain in the next round of the World Cup, was about to re-launch his Web site, bringing together content from his various online, um, presences. Photos, video, and tweets from the likes of Facebook and Twitter, etc. Well, it’s now live!

The site, cristianoronaldo.com, makes heavy use of Flash (sorry, iPad/iPhone users) and pulls in content from all over the place. Off to the sides are tweets that seemingly contain the phrase "cristiano ronaldo" or are directed at his account (twitter.com/cristiano).

It doesn’t seem to be moderated, as you can see here.

All of that being said, I’m not aware of another high-profile player who has so much… stuff out there.


Poll: Does your iPhone 4 have issues?

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Screen yellowing. Wonky cameras. An antenna that hates left-handers. If you take even the most cursory of glances around the Internet, it makes it seem like every iPhone 4 to come off the production line has one issue or another — but are the problems really that widespread?

Now that everyone has had about 24 hours with the device (with an apologetic exception to all of the Best Buy/Walmart/Radio Shack pre-orderers that left empty handed yesterday), I’m interested to know: are you having issues with your phone?

Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

Bionic cat!

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT


Cat with prosthetic legs! This poor fellow (Oscar) was in an accident with a combine, losing his legs. An ambitious veterinarian took him to a neuro-orthopedic surgeon, who crafted little peg-legs for Oscar and embedded them directly into the bone. The skin and bone, led by injected cells, have grown right over the cat side of the pegs, sealing against infection, and Oscar can now walk almost normally. The cost was enormous ($3000 not counting the surgery), but the little guy is mobile again. Happy Friday.

[via Doobybrain]

Doing my part for the iPhone 4 “death grip” meme

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 01:30 PM PDT


I made it myself! Click for the big size.

The Plastic Logic Que is not, in fact, shipping

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 12:56 PM PDT


Early in April we heard reports that the beautiful but mind-bogglingly expensive Plastic Logic Que e-reader would ship in June — specifically, June 24th, which would be yesterday. However, that is not happening, and pre-orders are all canceled. Is this the end of the line for the sexiest e-reader out there?

Visa starts family-friendly PayPal rival called payclick

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 12:00 PM PDT

PayPal haters now have another option to pay for junk online. It’s called payclick (all lowercase = money), and it was developed by Visa. They’re marketing it to teens and their families—"Safe & Secure purchasing for the family." Basically, instead of using PayPal or directly using your credit card, you set up a payclick account then go to town.

You link your payclick account to a credit card or bank account (like PayPal), then select payclick at checkout.

By far the biggest online store using the system is iTunes. The other ones are here, if you’re so inclined.

It’s free to use for you and me, and sellers will have to pay "competitive" fees to participate.

The big idea is that parents can give their kids a payclick account, then keep the account flush with funds as they see fit. Kids can’t go around adding funds to their account without parental authorization.

Why did I just write a story about this? Oh, right: I’m killing time till the Spain-Chile game.


Steam’s summertime sale: Might as well just keep your credit card handy at all times

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 11:15 AM PDT

Friendly reminder: Steam has a killer summertime sale going on right now, and it runs through July 4.

I bought The Witcher yesterday for something like $7, which is pretty ridiculous. A new batch of sales go live every day at 1:00pm ET. The only bad thing about the sale: it takes forever to download anything because everyone on the planet is slamming the servers.

Review: Xbox 360 S gaming console

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 10:42 AM PDT


It’s fairly hard to review the latest crop of consoles. Nintendo, for example, just released a black Wii – it’s the same Wii, but black – and, not to be outdone, Microsoft just sent out their Xbox 360 S, a full-bore replacement for the space heaters known as the Xbox 360. Do you buy a Slim? Do you replace your old 360? Or do you sit tight until the next generation? Questions, questions, questions.

An exhaustive review is a bit of overkill for this update, so let’s just talk about what’s different. First, and most important, the processor (codenamed Valhalla ), eDRAM, and GPU are now on one 40nm die, which means that the problems associated with failing heatsinks should be negligible.

Just as an aside, the reason Xboxen failed so often is because the GPU and some of the other components would pull away from the circuit board for a number of reasons, the primary one being overheating. You can read all about it here but here’s a general description:

One possible cause of the General Hardware Error may be cold solder joints. The added mass of the CSP chips (including the GPU and CPU) absorb the heat flow that allows proper soldering of the lead-free solders on the motherboard, therefore, the solder has not properly melted underneath these chips, which can lead to voids (air bubbles) and weak spots in the solder known as cold solder joints. Because of prolonged constant temperature changes inside the console, the voids cause cracking. Some officials claim this issue does not exist, and claim it is caused by a confusion over this issue. They have suggested that the dull appearance only suggests that the joints are cold soldered, as lead-free solders, even when properly soldered, take on a dull appearance that non-professionals might mistake for a cold solder joint (as the older lead/tin solder solder-joints became dull when not heated sufficiently). This suggestion is, however, rejected by the majority of experts. Lead-free solder requires a greater amount of heat (213 degrees celsius) to solder properly when compared to older lead/tin solders (185 degrees celsius).[29] The Nyko Intercooler has also been reported to have led to a general hardware failure in a number of consoles, as well as scorching of the power AC input.

The expectation now, with a single die and a more robust cooling system, is that the Xbox Slim will survive a few months or years longer than its white-cased brethren. As someone who has thus far owned two broken Xboxes including a recased one clad in a Lian Li XB01 case, this is good news.

This new device also runs 802.11n wireless which is sufficient for most gaming applications. I found that the wireless was a bit touchy on my AirPort Extreme and I eventually decided to use Ethernet, but your results may vary. This kit also includes a 250GB hard drive for movie and music downloads as well as for ripping games to disk.

The console is also quieter. When on and not spinning up a disk, you can barely hear it running. Once a disk is in, however, it’s a different story. The sound is a bit loud at first but then levels off and nearly disappears. This thing is definitely not silent, but it’s quiet enough to warrant a bit of praise.

The trade dress is also quite handsome. The piano black case will look great next to your black Wii and your NeXTcube while the “buttonless” buttons – really touch sensitive parts of the panel and not mechanical buttons – add a bit of futuristic geekery to an otherwise staid, featureless case.

This model also features a prominent HDMI port and a less prominent set of component cables. This is definitely a game machine aimed at HD TVs. This is also Kinect ready, which means it has some USB ports – 5, to be exact, up from three on the previous versions – and one special port for Kinect. Your best bet, in terms of sound and video, is HDMI out with optical audio to a receiver.

As for the on-screen interface, nothing major has changed. If you haven’t seen the Xbox lately, think of it as a melding of the Zune interface with scrolling menus that pop up a number of features including video and music playback as well as Twitter and Facebook feeds for social media lovers to a more media-savvy version of the Wii’s Mii interface. You can create an avatar of yourself and populate that avatar with clothing, achievements, and little doodads like a digital magpie. Netflix and Last.fm round out the offerings.

So which console is the best console? Man, don’t even ask. The Wii is great for kids and the Xbox and the PS3 are fighting neck and next for supremacy in the coveted “kids who can stay up past 9pm” demographic. Which would I recommend? I’ve played Xbox for years now and love the games but PS3 fans would beg to differ. If you’re buying this for yourself, you already know what you want. If you’re buying this for your grandson, ask him. The obvious pain point here is Blu-Ray support on the PS3, which could be a deal-breaker for those on the fence. Sadly, Microsoft bet on the wrong horse a few years ago and released an HD-DVD drive for the Xbox. If you want one, my buddy Rick has one. He’d probably sell it to you cheap.

Bottom Line
Regardless, the new Slim is an interesting departure from the old hardware and well worth a look if you’ve fallen out of the Xbox crowd due to a bricked console. It’s a sturdy and handsome upgrade to a workhorse console and, at $299 it isn’t too dear to consider in the upgrade path.

Product Page

BitBop brings mobile TV to your BlackBerry (and only your BlackBerry)

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 10:15 AM PDT

Now that Android and the iPhone (when it works) are all over the place, you question the wisdom of someone developing a service that works with neither. I'm referring to Fox Mobile's new subscription service BitBop, which only works with BlackBerry. The BlackBerry is still probably the premier e-mail device out there, but I'm not sure I want to watch episodes of "24" on my Curve. Well, my imaginary curve, as it were.


Here, waste your afternoon: The new SMB Crossover is out

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 09:47 AM PDT


Super Mario Cross Over is now ever so slightly improved including the addition of Ryu from Ninja Gaiden as well as a new NES sound emulator. The creator posted a full Changelog for your edification.

To play, simply bring up an Excel report and place it on your desktop. Then turn down your speakers or connect headphones and open this website in a separate window. Then, when your boss comes by, pause the game and swap back to the Excel spreadsheet. Repeat until 5pm.

XM Radio Online down again. In other news…

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 09:23 AM PDT

I’d just like to point out that it’s 12:15pm ET on June 25, 2010, and XM Radio Online has once again crashed and burned. That’s with the iPhone App, the plain on’ Web site, and my third-party application that I use because the plain ol’ Web site is terrible on a Mac. Good service you’ve got here, Sirius XM. Third time this week it’s happened to me (but I only listen a few hours per day, so who knows how often the stream is really down). And to be clear this only seems to affect XM Radio Online users, not Sirius folks. At what point can you reasonably say, "Well, your honor, I paid for a service that patently didn’t work. I’d just like my money back is all"?

And… she’s back. That only took 30+ minutes. Cool.

Texas Instruments’ Blaze tablet is for developers only

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 09:00 AM PDT

Well look at that: Texas Instruments has itself a tablet PC. It’s called the Blaze, it’ll be available this August, and it looks to be fairly well-equipped. A 10.4-inch screen (1024×768 resolution), built-in cellular modem, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and, for whatever reason, FM radio. Tablet PCs: the savior of the radio industry~!

Apparently it’s not a tablet that’s aimed at us ham-and-eggers ($1 to Ron Bennington for that phrase), but for developers.

I think I’ll just stop there. I think I’ve used up all my passion for the day.

Slashgear

MarioMarathon 3, a Mario-fest for charity, is happening now

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 08:55 AM PDT

Live Streaming by Ustream.TV

Some dudes in Lafayette, Indiana are going to play 800 levels of Mario, from SMB to Super Mario Sunshine. Last year they spent 96 hours playing and this year should be even more impressive.

You can watch them go to it right here and you can Donate to Child’s Play right here as they fight through the magical land of Mario World.

Don’t have any friends? Call 1-888-FACETIME to test Facetime on the iPhone 4

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 08:36 AM PDT


The biggest problem with testing Facetime is the dearth of real, hard-core nerds out there with iPhone 4s. I’ve been able to talk to Greg and my buddy Tom, but that’s about it.

Now, however, you can call 1-888-FACETIME (188832238463) and talk to an Apple rep live over Facetime. They’re available from 8am to 8pm CDT. I tried it. It actually works.

Facetime is probably the best feature of the iPhone 4. It’s seamlessly integrated into the experience and it allows for Skype-like video quality over Wi-Fi. Sadly, I don’t think it will be used very much. Seeing someone on a phone is much different than talking to them, especially since you feel compelled to look the other person in the eye while talking to them. It’s an odd feeling, a cross between an awkward meeting with your girlfriend’s parents and a chance head-butt on the bus. Plus you have to deal with mugs like mine.

Thanks, Scott

New startup “Schiit” sells low-cost, high-end, made-in-USA headphone amps

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 08:22 AM PDT

There’s a bunch of possibilities to get attention when you’ve just founded a startup and try to get the word out about your first products. Coming up with a unique name is one way, and California-based audio tech maker Schiit has surely pulled that part off. Yes, it’s the company’s real name (tag line: “You are not going to believe this Schiit”), but Schiit’s producing what looks like low-cost, but high-quality (and quite stylish) audio devices.

Schiit’s first products are the Asgard (a headphone amplifier that’s priced at $249/pictured above) and the upcoming Valhalla (a tube amp that sells for $349/pictured below).

Both devices are manufactured in the US, designed by two industry veterans and come with a 5-year warranty – with some early reviews I found online indicating the company’s first device, Asgard, is actually a winner.

So yes, Schiit is for real, the founders just seem to have a quirky sense of humor (the website is pretty funny, too).

The Internet is for… XXX top level domain gets initial approval

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 08:15 AM PDT

Now the talking heads on cable news will have something else to complain about. ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, has given initial approval for a .xxx top-level domain. Should the initial approval become final approval, you’ll be able to register URLs like nakedchicksdoingstuff.xxx.

It’s a pretty big deal for a few reasons. For one it’s makes filtering out unwanted content approximately 80 billion times easier—just block access to all .xxx domains and call it a day. You’d think that would have made to creation of the TLD popular with the anti-porn brigade, but it didn’t. Nope, their arguments went something along the lines of, "The creation of a .xxx TLD will encourage the proliferation of Internet pornography. Or, similarly, that it will create a sort of red light district online.

Needless to say, porn has done a pretty amazing job of spreading across the Internet even without a dedicated TLD. Remember: fully one-third of all Internet downloads are for pornography.

ICANN, for its part, wasn’t sure it wanted to create a .xxx TLD for fear that it would be forced into a sort of Internet policing role. That’s not ICANN’s job, and it couldn’t be an "Internet cop" even if it wanted to.

All of this started way back in 2005 when the first proposals were being put forth to create the TLD. Complaints and ICANN’s own fear (see above) delayed the proceedings.

I have so many URLs that I’d love to buy then turn around and sell to, I don’t know, Larry Flint or whatever.

How much is nudegirlsplayingnintendowii.xxx worth?

Apple’s callous response to iPhone 4 defect matched only by its fanboys’ blind dedication

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 07:30 AM PDT

What's more sad: the very fact that the iPhone 4 is completely unusable if you're left-handed—President Obama is left-handed!— or that Apple fanboys are doing everything in their power to divert attention away from the issue? Check MacRumors. It's a fine site, yes, and one I read every day, but to call it an "Apple fan site" would be like calling the Sun hot. "Upset that your brand new iPhone 4 doesn't work? Don't be: other phones do this, too!" Because that's what you want to hear: your phone may be a piece of junk, but so is the other guy's phone, so it all works out. Um, no. It doesn't work like that.


DIY iPhone 4 screen repair

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 06:13 AM PDT

I just walked into my living room to find the iPhone 4 face down on the wooden floor like a murder victim. I suspect my children had something to do with it, but luckily there was no shatterage or breakitude, so all was well.

Regardless, the glass on your iPhone is prone to damage. That’s why folks like DirectFix.com and iFixit.com offer their excellent repair kits and instructional videos.

Interestingly, DirectFix are the only ones with an iPhone 4 screen available, but they’re sold out right now. So break your phone in a few weeks instead of right now. You’ll thank us.

via Giz


Videos: New “Hayabusa” bullet train boasts 320km/h top speed

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 05:41 AM PDT

Japan has a long history of producing bullet trains, and now, the country is about to get yet another one. East Japan Railway recently tested the so-called “Hayabusa” (“Peregrine Falcon” in Japanese) between Shichinohe-Towada and Shin-Aomori stations in Aomori prefecture (Northern Japan).

The new bullet train, which has a maximum speed of 320 kilometers per hour, needed 20 minutes for the distance, traveling at an average speed of 140km/h.

East Japan Railway Corp. says that further tests at increased speeds are planned until September. The Hayabusa will then be introduced to the Tohoku Shinkansen Line between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori in spring 2011. It’s expected to need just 3 hours and 5 minutes to cover that distance, which is about 50 minutes faster than with other bullet trains.

Here’s a video showing Hayabusa during its first test run:

Here’s another clip:
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1 comment:

  1. UnknownJuly 4, 2010 at 1:32 AM

    The new bullet train, which has a maximum speed of 320 kilometers per hour, needed 20 minutes for the distance.
    www.livetv.com

    ReplyDelete

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