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- Bag Week Review: Saddleback Leather Briefcase
- Vending Machine Detects One’s Sex And Age To Recommend Appropriate Drinks
- Daily Crunch: Hip Pad Edition
- Video Appears To Show Unreleased Samsung NX-100
- 2011 Vibram Five Fingers Hit The Ground
- The Unholy Union: Comcast And Blockbuster
- Verbatim Covers A Portable Hard Drive In Leather
- ASUS Launching Small Business Notebooks in the US
- Trompe L’Oeil Door Covers Make Your Broom Closet Exciting
- CrunchDeals: Proscan 42″ 120Hz LED TV For $598 Shipped
- Most Accurate iPad Clone Yet Runs Windows 7
- Self Launching Sailplane Uses Jet Engine To Get Off The Ground
- Bag Week Reviews: Timbuk2 Extra Credit Messenger
- A Few Likely Canon 60D Specs
- Apple Buys Out LiquidMetal Patents To Stay One Step Ahead In Materials Game
- Parabellum Brings Bison And Kevlar Together For Safety, Luxury And Technology
- Place Your Bets On How Long the iPad Will Play DivX
- Not Neutrality: Did Google & Verizon Just Stab The Internet In The Heart?
- Fujifilm Instax mini50S Camera Goes After Polaroid Market Niche
- RED Shows Off First Working Scarlet
| Bag Week Review: Saddleback Leather Briefcase Posted: 10 Aug 2010 05:05 AM PDT
Pros
Cons
So this bag costs $519. Just let that sink in before you continue. I know, right? I haven’t paid that much for a bag since I got a free laptop bag from Staples after buying six office chairs at my old job. But I think this bag is worth the extra cash. The bag is made of saddle leather. It’s quite thick and hand stiched and lined inside with softened leather. Each joint is riveted and double stitched and the pockets large and spacious. Because the leather is so stiff you can fit a laptop, a camera, and a few other things in here and you won’t notice much of a change in size or shape. Because of the materials used, Saddleback didn’t have a lot of leeway to add lots of goofy pockets and zippers. You basically get two large compartments, one containing four smaller compartments. You can only buckle the bag closed – there’s no quick way to shut it in a pinch – which means you could feasibly lose some things if you’re not careful. The leather, at least in the Tobacco Brown model I tested, tends to take scratches very easily. There’s a method to this madness, however. Over time, the patina on this thing will be striking. You’re basically buying a bag that will last you at least a decade, if not longer. Sadly, the whole Saddleback story is kind of goofy – something about bulls and bullfighting – and there’s also a 100 year warranty, which is nice to know. You can carry this thing well into the future. But please don’t hold that against them. I got quite a few comments on this bag as I travelled through multiple airports. It is, in truth, very handsome and holds a surprising amount of stuff without too much of a jumble. Considering I’ve carried bags with twenty pockets or more and had horrible trouble finding anything in them, I’m quite pleased with the minimalist philosophy and excellent materials. There is also a rear pocket for magazines or an iPad. Again, this isn’t for everybody, but it’s not high-priced for luxury’s sake. This is on par with a good pair of bike panniers or a nice camping backpack – it will survive many trials and end up an important part of your life for years. Again, it’s a bit heavy, but the large strap with shoulder pads is one of the most comfortable I’ve worn and the huge steel rings bear the brunt of most laptops quite nicely. Pastafarians take note: the “fake bottom” of this bag – essentially a little flap that covers the bottom and can hide a passport or cash – also contains a little book of Bible verses. Do with that information what you will. However, when it comes to leather laptop bags, Saddleback has a convert in me. Check out the complete Bag Week Review Blitz: Back To School Edition coverage here.
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| Vending Machine Detects One’s Sex And Age To Recommend Appropriate Drinks Posted: 10 Aug 2010 04:20 AM PDT
Last year, we’ve shown you Yahoo Japan’s digital signage system that scans passersbys to put up personalized content (ads, news, and other information). And today, railway operator JR EAST showed a very similar device that’s actually a mix between digital signage system and vending machine. The new system is larger than the Yahoo Japan model and can detect one’s sex and age, too. All that customers need to do is to stand in front of the system, wait for it to work its magic through a camera, and then choose the drink that the system recommends by pushing the drink’s icon on a 47-inch touch panel.
The recommended drinks are highlighted with a red star (see above). Customers can pay in cash, with their cell phones, or with one of three common IC cards.
If there’s no one around, the machine displays information like the current time or temperature, but it also can show ads or videos it downloads via Wimax. The first machine was put up at Shinagawa station in central Tokyo today, with 500 more systems to follow in the next two years.
Via Keitai Watch [JP] / hat tip to Akky
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| Posted: 10 Aug 2010 12:00 AM PDT |
| Video Appears To Show Unreleased Samsung NX-100 Posted: 09 Aug 2010 09:03 PM PDT
[via Photo Rumors]
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| 2011 Vibram Five Fingers Hit The Ground Posted: 09 Aug 2010 08:30 PM PDT
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| The Unholy Union: Comcast And Blockbuster Posted: 09 Aug 2010 08:00 PM PDT
[via Zatz Not Funny]
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| Verbatim Covers A Portable Hard Drive In Leather Posted: 09 Aug 2010 07:00 PM PDT
[via ChipChick]
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| ASUS Launching Small Business Notebooks in the US Posted: 09 Aug 2010 06:30 PM PDT
Asus is testing the waters with two models, the B43 (a 14-inch) and the B53 (a 15-inch). You’ve got to love how creative Asus is with their model names. Here’s a few specs to whet your appetite, the two models will be available in four different configurations:
Asus also mentioned something called a Sonata Long Life Battery. Apparently, this battery is guaranteed to work at at least 80% of its initial capacity for 3 years. Quite impressive. Of course we don’t know how much it’s going to cost, but we’ll let you know as soon as we find out. [via Laptop]
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| Trompe L’Oeil Door Covers Make Your Broom Closet Exciting Posted: 09 Aug 2010 06:00 PM PDT
Too bad they’re $200 each. But can you put a price on fun? You can? Oh. [via Design-Milk and The Daily What]
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| CrunchDeals: Proscan 42″ 120Hz LED TV For $598 Shipped Posted: 09 Aug 2010 05:30 PM PDT
[via Deal News]
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| Most Accurate iPad Clone Yet Runs Windows 7 Posted: 09 Aug 2010 05:29 PM PDT
1.66Ghz Intel Atom N455 processor, a 10.1 1024*768 TFT capacitive touchscreen, 2GB DDR3, 8GB,16GB or 32GB SSD for options, with dimensions of 275×170×14mm, and weight of 729g. That actually puts it on pretty equal footing with the iPad (it even has 3G!), though the Lpad also boasts two USB ports, an SD card reader, and mini-VGA out. Sounds pretty solid, actually, except for the Windows 7 part.
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| Self Launching Sailplane Uses Jet Engine To Get Off The Ground Posted: 09 Aug 2010 04:30 PM PDT
How do sailplane pilots launch without a tow? With a retractable jet engine, of course! While traditional sailplanes have no engines, the self launching glider has a small jet engine mounted behind the cockpit. This allows the sailplane to take off like a conventional aircraft, and can also help a pilot gain more altitude if necessary during flight. A company called Desert Aerospace is building and testing a hybrid sailplane using a 45 pound jet engine capable of generating 240 pounds of thrust. No word on how much it will cost, and the FAA will have to approve the technology first, but the concept is sound. The best part: they got their original inspiration from a Wiley Coyote cartoon. That rocks. [via Gizmodo]
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| Bag Week Reviews: Timbuk2 Extra Credit Messenger Posted: 09 Aug 2010 03:46 PM PDT
Short version: The Timbuk2 Extra Credit Messenger is a simple bag — simply awesome, that is! (You see what I did there? I know, I’m clever) Features
Pros
Cons
      Review Do you need a bag with tons of storage for a low price? Timbuk2 has you covered with the Extra Credit Messenger, which is a slightly-modified version of the company’s classic Messenger 101. This pack is vertically identical internally, but the “extra credit” part is that it can be converted into a backpack. Fancy, eh? All the necessary straps and such are hidden behind a false back and while the pack works fine in backpack mode, it isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world. Think of it as an emergency mode for bike riding or or when your shoulders can’t take it anymore. Internally, the bag is really two pockets with one smaller one located just behind the front flap. This is your gadget compartment as the big partition doesn’t have any sort of organizational tools. Timbuk2 cleverly advertises this section as being able to hold 24 packs of Ramen noddles. Serisouly, the “feature” is listed on the bag’s retail tags. There is one small section on the back of the bag that’s designed to hold documents, and I suppose it could hold a notebook, but it’s not padded. So really, my only gripe is lack of internal compartments, but the bag never once claimed to be anything different. It’s a classic messenger bag that’s perfect for books, binders, and all your other crap. The high-quality materials and construction makes it worth your time as long as you know going into it that there isn’t a pocket for every little gizmo and gadget. Besides, it’s only $65. Check out the complete Bag Week Review Blitz: Back To School Edition coverage here.
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| Posted: 09 Aug 2010 03:00 PM PDT
The specs quoted at Canon Rumors are limited but telling. First, you’ve got a similar megapixel count to the T2i and 7D. This makes sense; it wouldn’t do to have a cheaper camera with a much-improved megapixel count, and besides, 18 megapixels on a sensor that size is already pushing it. Canon probably wants to make sure its consumer and prosumer cameras don’t encroach on 5D and 1D territory in any way. Then you have a swiveling LCD. I could do without it, but for people using their DSLR as a video device frequently, it could be a lifesaver (or neck-saver). No word on how much swivel we’re talking about here, but I would guess it flips out to the left side and turns 180 degrees. “Video Optimized,” their words. This likely means one of two things (or both): an improved live autofocus system, which would be a huge help (though I like manual), or better frame and pulldown rates on the sensor. More resolutions, more frame rates to choose from, and less distortion in fast-moving video. Could be any or all of these things. I’m looking forward to it. Since you can find the 7D for less than $1500 these days, the 60D will probably be priced around $1200 (body only), right between the 7D and T2i.
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| Apple Buys Out LiquidMetal Patents To Stay One Step Ahead In Materials Game Posted: 09 Aug 2010 02:30 PM PDT
One of the most basic attractions to the Apple brand is that their products are very different from their competitors. Not, of course, in any real ways — the level of similarity between Macs and PCs really makes the whole conflict absurd — but in ways that are nonetheless obvious to the average user. The design and build of their products is one of the most important planks in their platform, and the purchase of LiquidMetals reaffirms that. Here’s the basic idea of LM materials, if “basic idea” can really be applied to a fundamental molecular restructuring:
What can this mean for Apple? It’d be unwise to speculate, as it’s not clear for what materials exactly Apple bought LM. Obviously there is the super-elastic alternative to titanium, but that was being marketed as a spring metal, and bounce isn’t really an important factor in laptop construction. There are two likely possibilities as to why Apple picked up LM now. First, it is possible that LM simply had existing contracts and obligations that couldn’t be bought out. The isolation of the affected patents into a wholly-owned subsidiary may be standard tactics, I’m not sure. Either way, it’s possible that Apple liked what they saw over the last couple years and had arranged to buy up the IP as soon as it was unencumbered. There are plenty of existing products and projects using LM materials; it’s not clear whether those will be discontinued or whether that IP was isolated or renegotiated.
The specifics, at any rate, aren’t really important until the details of the material Apple coveted are made public (if they aren’t already). The important part is that Apple is continuing to make large investments in the area of anomalous materials so that their products can retain the anomaly cachet. It may seem like a superficial difference which materials your laptop’s shell is made of, but sometimes superficial differences are the most important. Like when, for example, all the rest of the hardware in the laptop comes standard on your competitors, and you’re charging more for it. To have something superficial yet truly different is a great way of redirecting the consumer. “What really matters, after all? Sure, all computers are basically the same, transistors and memory and stuff. What you want is a computer that is as unique as you are.” Things along that line — tropes uttered by most companies, but mostly empty because their product doesn’t have even that superficial difference from the rest. If you stripped off the logos, no consumer would be able to tell the difference between a Dell, an HP, an Acer… but a Mac sticks out like a trout in the milk. That’s a hell of a thing, and to lose it would be a hell of a thing, too. So good for them: they know what they’ve got and they’re not afraid to buy a worldwide exclusive license to an entire class of materials to keep it going.
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| Parabellum Brings Bison And Kevlar Together For Safety, Luxury And Technology Posted: 09 Aug 2010 02:23 PM PDT
Let's say you're at that point in life where you have too much money. You can only experience the thrill of buying a Ferrari once. So what's next? Parabellum, makers of hand-crafted leather products, think they can help. When the cost of a fully-loaded iPad or Macbook Pro isn't enough to lighten your wallet, the clear solution is to get protection from something equally endowed. Meet the Parabellum Bison and Kevlar iPad and laptop cases.
The laptop case costs $980, but that's not a big deal, it's designed with safety and luxury in mind. Take a peek inside this deeply textured Reservation Bison skin case with leather and Kevlar reinforcements and buffalo yourself with a vintage 1940s dead stock cashmere lining. Expect all parts to be refined, even the silky-smooth zipper and ceramic covered snap lock – clearly only the best.
The iPad case costs $600 and is skinned in the same Reservation Bison, sans fancy cashmere, but still complemented with a lambskin liner. Similar Kevlar and reinforced elastic and leather corners complete this one-of-a-kind jewel. Each are numbered for authenticity. American free-range ranches supply the Bison and they're tanned in small batches locally. Even the ceramic hardware is military spec. These are the ultimate in durability. The most opulent one could desire. Find them at Maxfield and Union in Los Angeles, The Webster in Miami and Colette in Paris. [via Luxist]
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| Place Your Bets On How Long the iPad Will Play DivX Posted: 09 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT
CineXPlayer, a free app for the iPad that plays back DivX video, was just released today and should be down within the week. Why? Well, generally anything that isn’t iTunes compatible is frowned upon, leading to many “homebrew” DivX implementations in the Cydia store but no real ones. Oh well, good luck, CineXPlayer. Grab it quick and enjoy some DivX.
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| Not Neutrality: Did Google & Verizon Just Stab The Internet In The Heart? Posted: 09 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT
Looks like Google and Verizon were, in fact, in talks over Net Neutrality after all, calling it a “thorny” issue, no less. Hm. Both parties announced, a few moments ago, the creation of a codified framework that they will submit to lawmakers in hopes of being enshrined into law. Many of the ideas are fairly benign, such as giving the FCC power to regulate the Internet a little more forcefully. (A recent court case has rendered the FCC's power somewhat uncertain.) Other ideas, such as the wholesale exclusion of wireless Internet from any sort of Net Neutrality controls, are a little more controversial. The framework includes seven main points: supporting the FCC's openness guidelines; steps should be taken to prevent a so-called "tiered" Internet from arising on current Internet infrastructure; ISPs should be upfront to its customers how they handle their data (see Comcast's constant struggle with BitTorrent traffic); making the FCC the sole arbiter when it comes to regulating the Internet; giving ISPs the power to offer "additional, differentiated online services, in addition to the Internet access and video services (such as Verizon’s FIOS TV) offered today"; the wholesale exemption of wireless broadband from any of these proposals or ideas; and to promote the idea that broadband access for all Americans is in the "national interest." Two of the five deserve a closer look: points five and six, those dealing with "additional, differentiated online services" and wireless broadband access. To me, point five seems like carte blanche for the creation almost of a second Internet. The Internet you know and love, the one that has worked fairly well so far, will remain in palce, but ISPs will be allowed to offer "additional, differentiated online services" as they see fit. So, you can subscribe to the ISP of your choice—provided you even have a choice, since it's not unusual to see towns and cities with only one viable broadband provider—and be able to access the Internet as you do today. But, in addition to that, and destroying the very idea of an open Internet, ISPs will be able to offer, say, an "Internet Plus" option. Imagine this pitch: "Why settle for "just" the Internet when you can have Internet Plus? We've partnered with Company A and Company B to give you exclusive access to Web site 1 or Service 2? Sign up now today! Plus, experience lag-free gaming with our new GameZone+ feature!" It's the fracturing of the Internet before your very eyes. The Free Press puts it even more forcefully:
And what about wireless broadband? You'll notice that it was explicitly excluded from all of Google and Verizon's noble talk of "empowering" consumers. Is it too far-fetched to imagine a scenario where your wireless provider dictates what Web sites you can and cannot visit, or what applications you can and cannot download? (AT&T is already notorious for constraining what Apps make it onto the Apple's App Store.) Should the proposals make their way into way—and you can bet Google and Verizon will be spending millions of dollars buttering up Congress to get their way, which is just depressing when you think about it—there would be nothing to stop them from doing so. It's particularly egregious when you entertain the idea that the mobile Internet will be "the future" of Internet access. At this point regulating the wired Internet is like enforcing safety standards on steam ships. You can, I suppose, devote resources to doing so, but it seems slightly out of place. Yeah, it was fun for a while, but this does seem to be the beginning of the end of the Internet as we know it. Such is life.
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| Fujifilm Instax mini50S Camera Goes After Polaroid Market Niche Posted: 09 Aug 2010 01:30 PM PDT
Before you shell out for the latest from Fujifilm, don’t forget about the Lomo Diana F+ – it uses the same film, and only costs $90. [via Gizmodo]
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| RED Shows Off First Working Scarlet Posted: 09 Aug 2010 12:44 PM PDT
Keep in mind that the Scarlet is not a camera for you and me; its cost is estimated to be at least $3000, and “optional” accessories like tripod, EVF, and so on, drive up the cost even further. But also keep in mind that this chunky DSLR-sized package shoots bigger and cleaner video than $100,000 rigs being used in Hollywood today. The Scarlet may just be the new standard in handheld digital cinema — now that its existence can’t be questioned. [Thanks, Mike]
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Now why would a cable company that handles pay per view movies and programming team up with a video store? I have no idea. But for whatever reason (perhaps desperation?) Comcast has joined forces with Blockbuster to deliver DVDs by mail. You’d think Comcast would just deliver the content via their high speed internet feeds, or receiver based delivery systems. Perhaps this is just a marketing scheme by Blockbuster to try and prop up their now archaic and failing business model. Only time will tell.
Up to this point, Asus’ US product line has been aimed directly at the consumer. This is about to change, as Asus recently announced that they will be offering their B series of laptops, which were previously limited to the Asian market. 
Second, LM may have created something new. I feel this is the the more likely option, since they do say that their materials have variable atomic makeups and can be tailored to this or that spec, and R&D must be their lifeblood. Could it be that they hit on something perfect for, say, lightweight computing devices, and have been shopping it around? Apple’s famous unibody aluminum construction is nice, but it’s not a simple or cheap process and aluminum has its weaknesses. Whatever LM has cooked up, it probably has some advantages over aluminum construction (I won’t guess what) or perhaps is a suitable aluminum analogue for lower-end devices or accessories. The known properties of LM’s materials are promising: extremely hard and strong, resistant to corrosion, scratching, and staining, and highly conductive to heat and electricity. And if they’ve managed to get the weight down below aluminum, that would be a coup indeed.
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