CrunchGear |  |
- The Apple Store is down! The Apple Store is down!
- Starcraft 2 digital version now available at Battle.net
- Alas, these Tron shoes don’t actually glow
- What did the first Leatherman tool look like?
- Back to the Future trilogy hits Blu-ray October 26
- A really up-close look at the Transformers 3 Chicago shooting location
- Guys! Stainless steel Sharpies!
- Review: Samsung Galaxy S
- Two extremely well-designed wall clocks for your consumption
- The Flowlab 14-wheel skateboard – can it possibly work?
- Using photography software to see through space and time
- How will Apple respond to the DMCA revision? They won’t.
- Terrafugia’s flying car/rolling plane gets a design “update”
- Somehow we missed this Child of Eden gameplay video from Comic-Con
- Will Apple launch new Mac Pros, iMacs, and the Magic Trackpad tomorrow?
- GM to announce Chevy Volt pricing tomorrow
- Has Comic-Con become too big (or too Hollywood) for its own good?
- Porsche Revving Up All-Electric Sports Car
- Got StarCraft II early? Doesn’t matter because you can’t play it yet!
- UFC subpoenas Justin.tv, Ustream.tv for names of illegal streamers
| The Apple Store is down! The Apple Store is down! Posted: 27 Jul 2010 04:25 AM PDT |
| Starcraft 2 digital version now available at Battle.net Posted: 27 Jul 2010 01:43 AM PDT
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| Alas, these Tron shoes don’t actually glow Posted: 26 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT
There are no more details right now, but if they’re anything like the Star Wars line, they’ll be limited and rather expensive. [via Fashionably Geek and Nerd Approved]
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| What did the first Leatherman tool look like? Posted: 26 Jul 2010 07:30 PM PDT
Multi-tools are all the rage now, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, inventor Tim Leatherman shopped his idea around years before finally finding a company that was willing to sell his product. He formed his own company in 1983, and the rest is history.
So what did the first Leatherman tool look like? Well, the idea for the concept came to Leatherman after going on a driving tour of Europe in 1975, and having to use a pocket knife to repeatedly fix his failing car. Personally, I’ve never been without a Leatherman tool on my belt, or in my pocket. In fact, I feel naked when I’m forced to leave mine at home. Popular Mechanics just published an article about how the tool was developed, including the pictures you see here. Very cool, and fun to see. It’s amazing to see the first generation, and compare it to what they produce now . [via Make]
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| Back to the Future trilogy hits Blu-ray October 26 Posted: 26 Jul 2010 07:00 PM PDT
The best news is this release is all three movies on one disc. The set includes two hours of bonus footage, deleted scenes, and other extras. No idea on the price yet. Now where are Star Wars and Indiana Jones? [via Gizmodo]
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| A really up-close look at the Transformers 3 Chicago shooting location Posted: 26 Jul 2010 06:34 PM PDT
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| Guys! Stainless steel Sharpies! Posted: 26 Jul 2010 06:00 PM PDT
[via Doobybrain]
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| Posted: 26 Jul 2010 05:24 PM PDT
While it’s held back by a number of interface issues (which will be of different importance to different users), the Galaxy S line is a powerful and attractive one. Should you buy? Wait for 2.2? Wait for Galaxy S II? Read on.
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| Two extremely well-designed wall clocks for your consumption Posted: 26 Jul 2010 03:30 PM PDT
[both via Dezeen]
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| The Flowlab 14-wheel skateboard – can it possibly work? Posted: 26 Jul 2010 03:12 PM PDT
Well, practical isn’t the word, really. There’s nothing practical about serious skateboarding — it’s for kicks. The question becomes, then, is this design going to catapult more skaters to the pavement than whatever they’re currently riding?
They say:
The engineering at least looks well-thought-out, but I suspect that leaning into a turn isn’t nearly as smooth, since the board doesn’t flex at all, but rotates. Whether that difference is discernable is a question for someone more skatey than myself. Any skaters out there have any insight here? [via Gizmodo, Dvice and Neatorama]
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| Using photography software to see through space and time Posted: 26 Jul 2010 02:30 PM PDT
The official name is “computational rephotography”, and it involves finding the exact same location that the original picture was taken. At the present time, the MIT software is only a concept, and requires a laptop to use. The software connects to a digital camera, and then allows the user to make sure that everything lines up properly. As Gadget Lab suggests, why not put the technology into the camera? Given that many cameras panorama software, or smile recognition already built in, it can’t be that difficult right? Personally, I just want a copy of the software. Sounds like fun to me.
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| How will Apple respond to the DMCA revision? They won’t. Posted: 26 Jul 2010 01:49 PM PDT
The language is a bit confusing, but the end result is the legalization of jailbreaking your phone and side-loading apps. Not that it was ever illegal, although some Apple store employees thought otherwise. Now that it’s been made official, however, one might reasonably expect a bit of give from Apple on this point, since they have taken such great measures to prevent such actions. But I’m pretty sure that apart from a little lip service, Apple will continue with the exact same policies, with the sort of blithe arrogance that simultaneously compels and repels consumers. From a legal standpoint, it seems pretty clear that this ruling and Apple’s prohibition of jailbreaking are actually non-overlapping. As I noted in my User’s Manifesto, the only real consequence of your jailbreaking your phone is annulling the license agreement you “signed” when you bought the iPhone — a private contract between a user and a company. The extent of the repercussions is that you’re cut off from Apple; this can be serious, as in the recent case of a guy who actually had a faulty iPad (it caught fire), but Apple refused to return it, as it had been jailbroken. Them’s the ropes, kid. What response will Apple make, if any at all, to this new rule aimed directly at them? They’ll spin it well without saying anything at all, probably in a way like the following:
That would neatly cover it in the Apple way: avoid talking about what they’re doing wrong by talking about what they’re doing right. They’re under no obligation to change anything — in fact, they might spin it in a way that suggests that now the app world is a lawful wilderness, and the App Store a secure and well-tended garden in that wilderness (alternately, it’s like lawful evil vs. chaotic neutral). And they’d be right. Of course, some of us prefer the wilderness. There is a different legal implication, though, more distant from the end user. Apple has argued in the past that jailbreaking should actually be illegal, because it involves modification of Apple’s code, and also because it encourages piracy. These objections have been essentially thrown out the window: the first falls because the actual amount of modification done in jailbreaking is extremely small (therefore falling under fair use), the second (already on shaky ground) falls because jailbreaking is a perfectly legitimate way to promote interoperability, among other things. Ars Technica has a little more on this. Obviously there were other arguments as well (and from other parties, such as the MPAA and RIAA), but these new rules take a few arrows out of their quiver. I expect that sort of thing to continue as these rules are tested in specific cases and ideas like “enabling interoperability” and “lawfully obtained” are filled out with precedents. But in the meantime, I don’t think much will change. On a higher level, as well, the DMCA revisions have not addressed the flaw in that large companies issue hundreds of takedown requests at once and the burden of proof seems to be on the accused in many cases. That club could still be wielded against various jailbreaking “freedom fighters,” though I suspect that won’t happen, as the bad PR resulting from these actions often outweighs whatever was gained by filing. Yes, sometimes when something doesn’t relate to Apple, that’s news in itself. Seriously, though, when a major change in a major law specifically targets a popular and occasionally controversial tech company, we weigh in. Update: Apple’s official statement.
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| Terrafugia’s flying car/rolling plane gets a design “update” Posted: 26 Jul 2010 01:17 PM PDT
Terrafugia is showing off renders of the new design, and it looks more like a plane than anything, down the to strut-mounted wheels. It’s pretty ungainly, and while I feel like a cad for nay-saying a flying car, I just don’t see more than a hundred people buying these things. At this point it’s simply going to be too expensive, too weird, and too impractical. That’s how all the cool technologies start out, of course, so while I may snipe at Terrafugia, I also salute them. Keep up the good work, guys (but make it cooler-looking). [via CNET]
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| Somehow we missed this Child of Eden gameplay video from Comic-Con Posted: 26 Jul 2010 12:47 PM PDT One of the unexpected hits at E3 this year was Child of Eden, a spiritual sequel to the mesmerizing classic rail-shooter Rez. Unfortunately, few videos exist of it actually being played. This one showed up Friday but we missed it; it looks great, very Rez-like, and although the lag of the Kinect-based controls is evident, I can say from my experience with the peripheral firsthand that you adapt pretty quickly to it.
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| Will Apple launch new Mac Pros, iMacs, and the Magic Trackpad tomorrow? Posted: 26 Jul 2010 12:27 PM PDT
Gruber nonchalantly mentions in a post that’s supposed to plugging his podcast that the subject matter will be about the “new Mac Pros (finally, right?), speed-bump iMacs, and the gorgeous new 16:9 27-inch Cinema Display.” Either Gruber is playing the blogsphere to hype up his reborn podcast or he knows a little something we don’t. It wouldn’t be the first time.
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| GM to announce Chevy Volt pricing tomorrow Posted: 26 Jul 2010 12:11 PM PDT
Of course a lot has changed in the three year span it has taken the Volt to hit production. Nearly every major car company either already sells a few hybrids or there’s one coming soon. There are even a couple more pure electric vehicles that will compete for the same marketshare now. But saving any major manufacturing hurdle, the Chevy Volt should be the first mass-produced Extended Range Electric Vehicle to hit the streets here in the States when it hits dealers later this year. The last big question should be answered tomorrow. What’s the price? GM has long said that the Volt will save the company and while I personally think the mass-market Cruze is better suited for that task, the Volt will no doubt have a large halo effect. Consumers will no doubt flock to dealerships just to see the vehicle. But it’s not going to be in everyone’s price range. However, a large $7,500 tax credit should help GM initially by allowing the auto company to price the Volt aggressively while protecting their bottom line. My guess is that it will hit the market with a $37,000 MSRP, which would work out to $29,500 after the tax credit. But that’s just me. Anyone else?
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| Has Comic-Con become too big (or too Hollywood) for its own good? Posted: 26 Jul 2010 12:00 PM PDT
Earlier today on the Ron & Fez show on Sirius XM, the great Ron Bennington made an astute point: Comic-Con may be too big for its own good. It used to be a place where geeks and nerds could get together to talk about storyline inconsistencies in the latest Batman series. Now? It's just as much about A-list-ish celebrities "being seen" and hawking their trash as it is celebrating the spirit of nerdiness. Maybe it's time Comic-Con split into two parts: you Hollywood jerks have a mini movie fest in Los Angeles, fawning over how great you are in the process, and leave the comic books and video games to San Diego. There's already rumors that Comic Con will have to leave cozy San Diego because it's become too big for the city. Possible new locales include Los Angeles and Las Vegas—two soulless dens of sin and vice. Nerd culture, such as it is, is being HIJACKED~! ($1 to TechLand for the word) by the very people nerds should be mortal enemies of: the popular kids. You go to Comic-Con expecting to talk about Dragon Quest with a man dressed in a Wonder Woman costume, not listen to Angelina Jolie talk about her latest terrible movie. It's pretty disappointing to see the show commercialized to such an extent. I have no solutions, per se, especially as the Hollywoodization of Comic-Con can only mean more exposure (and hence, more money) for the show itself. But it just seems so wrong.
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| Porsche Revving Up All-Electric Sports Car Posted: 26 Jul 2010 11:14 AM PDT
Porsche President and CEO Michael Macht said in a statement that Porsche will “definitely be offering electric sports cars in the future,” but that the performance and cruising range must be comparable to existing sports cars. Greater efficiency and lower emissions are the company’s goals for the new vehicles.
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| Got StarCraft II early? Doesn’t matter because you can’t play it yet! Posted: 26 Jul 2010 10:30 AM PDT
It's like I've been shot in the heart. My copy of StarCraft II just showed up in the post, but THE MAN says I can't install it until tomorrow. I'd rather not even have the game at all then have it sitting on my desk teasing me.
"Boy Nicholas, I bet you'd like to play me right now, wouldn't you? Oh, what's that? It's only 1:00pm local time on July 26? Sorry, check back in a few hours." So even if your local indie video game store sells you the game early, well, you can't play it. And yes, I tried changing the date on my computer. At least I think I did…
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| UFC subpoenas Justin.tv, Ustream.tv for names of illegal streamers Posted: 26 Jul 2010 10:00 AM PDT
If this were the AP, the following would be the lede to this next story: "UFC President Dana White wants to put pirates in a kimura." (That, of course, assumed the AP funny lede guy even knows what a kimura is!) Man, those soft ledes are terrible. Moving on… yeah, Dana White is upset at pirates. The promotion has subpoenaed Justin.tv and Ustream.tv, demanding to know the names of people who stream UFC pay-per-view events. In typical Dana White fashion, he's yelling at everyone, everywhere:
I agree with his sentiment, but let's not continue to confuse stealing with copyright infringement. They're different crimes for a reason. Even though UFC makes millions of dollars per year from pay-per-view (its primary source of revenue, by the way), it still feels that it's losing millions because of these streams. That assumes a lot of things, of course. The primary one is that it assumes that every single person watching a stream is a lost sale, which is patently ridiculous: how many of the people watching the stream have zero intention of paying for a UFC event? Granted, that doesn't mean these people are entitled to watch the stream, but let's not pretend that every viewer is a lost sale. To be fair to the sites in question, Justin.tv and Ustream.tv, they both actively patrol their users for infringing material. It's significantly harder to find UFC streams on these sites than it was only a little while ago. So it's not like the sites are all, "Woo! We're making money selling ads next to an illegal stream of Anderson Silva beating up Chael Sonnen!" But let's also not pretend that Justin.tv and Ustream.tv are the only two sites or services that stream UFC events. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you'd be a fool to stream and/or watch UFC events on these two sites. It'd be like using a public BitTorrent site and then being shocked when you get a notice of infringement letter from your ISP. Look before your leap, etc. While I'm not sure that UFC would be best served by trying to sue its fans, I definitely understand where it's coming from.
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Costs 60€ in Europe. Costs as much as a console title only this is the digital version. I guess I’ll just wait until the price drops to a reasonable amount of money. 
The Doc is coming back again on October 26th. You might remember this date as being significant from the first movie: October 26th is the day that Marty met Doc Brown at the mall and traveled back to 1955. 
These are, well, amazing photos. The story goes Leo from TheChive simply walked past barricades and security surrounding the Transformers 3 shoot in downtown Chicago. 
Samsung’s take on the large-format Android phone, the Galaxy S (with variants the AT&T Captivate, T-Mobile Vibrant, Verizon Fascinate, and Sprint Epic 4G) is going right up against the Droid X and Incredible, the EVO 4G, and of course the iPhone 4. Its features include lots of internal storage, a slim and sexy build, and Samsung’s vaunted 4″ AMOLED display.
It’s interesting to see pictures of areas of your city or town from the past, and it can be even more interesting to try to reproduce those pictures. Typically, it’s very difficult to get everything to line up exactly right, but researchers at MIT are developing software to automate the process.
The electric sports car scene is heating up with 
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