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Apple TVs Ship Out Right On Time

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 04:56 AM PDT

It seems last week’s hubbub about Apple delaying the new Apple TV was a bit premature as our tip box is full of Fedex shipping notifications. Apple still lists a shipping window of 2-3 weeks for new orders, though, making the brick and mortar Apple Stores your best bet of snagging one soon if you didn’t pre-order one. Of course you might wanna wait until some hands-on reports drop.

[Thanks for the tip, Steve!]

Seiko Ananta Automatic Chronograph Titanium Watch

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 04:35 AM PDT

This is the mechanical Seiko sport watch to own in 2010. Representing the purely mechanical - versus Spring Drive - movement based Ananta watches in the US, this new for 2010 Automatic Chronograph ref. SRQ009 in titanium. When I first saw this watch I was pretty sure that it was going to be a limited edition, but it isn't. The titanium Ananta automatic will be part of the regular collection - offering a super sporty version of Seiko's high-end world market automatic. I was able to get my hands on it and check it out, you can see an image of it here where it is looking pretty sexy. I can say that it is pretty nice - and a carbon fiber dial watch that I like!


Orb MP-1 Streams Your Music Over Wi-Fi To Any Stereo

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 04:21 AM PDT

This $69 dongle apparently streams audio from multiple sources including through services like Pandora and SIRIUS XM through your iPhone. The device connects to any aux-in on any stereo and a small app streams the audio over Wi-Fi.

Each Orb must be configured during setup by connecting it to a USB port on your PC or Mac. The Orb setup wizard lets you give your Orb a friendly name, like "kitchen radio" and to enter your wi-fi network password.
The Orb Controller lets you control multiple Orb devices in your home and puts you in total control of your music experience. Pause, change the volume, skip around in your playlist.
The Orb Controller can be installed on multiple smart phones, so that each family member can control their music from their phone. No more fighting over the remote control.
Orb Caster can be installed on multiple PCs in the home. Each user can have their own media library and a personalized experience.
Orb Caster can manage multiple user accounts on one PC, so each family member can have their own media library and a personalized experience.
Orb Caster automatically converts media files into a format playable by your Orb device and works with most non-DRM protected media (MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV).
* Android version of Orb Controller currently available in Beta.

iStreamer: A Unique, Timeline-based App For Watching The Social Stream

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 03:00 AM PDT


iStreamer by AllOfMe is an iPad app that offers a realtime, timeline-based stream of data from social and RSS feeds as well as images and search keywords. Designed to make it actually kind of fun to browse your friends’ feeds, the app is fully touch-controlled and lets you get a birds’-eye – or worms’-eye – view of your streams.

The app costs $4 and is available today on the iTunes store. A lite version will follow that allows you to open only one feed at a time.

Why is this thing interesting? Well, it’s a unique and intuitive way of following, say, a search keyword over time or a Twitter conversation. Streams can often be overwhelming and this makes things just a little bit easier. I could even see this as sort of a nice on-desk electronic picture frame for the socially obsessed. Instead of snapshots of cute babies you took, however, you’ll see image after image – and Tweet after Tweet – pulled from your friends’ feeds, although, realistically, this is a prospect that for many is not unlike the thought of dental work without anesthesia.

Regardless, check out the video I shot with the founder Tal Yaniv in Jerusalem before launch.

Galapagos: Sharp Announces 5.5-Inch And 10.8-Inch Android Tablets (Video)

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 12:00 AM PDT

It took them a while, but now it seems Sharp is serious about entering the e-book and tablet business. The company announced “Galapagos”in Tokyo today [press release in English], with Galapagos being the (terrible) name both for Sharp’s cloud-based e-book service and two new Android devices supporting that service.

The smaller one, the “mobile type”, has a 5.5-inch LCD screen (1,024 × 600 resolution) that’s optimized for displaying paperback books (it will be available in red and black). It also comes with a trackball to scroll through pages.

The other model, the Galapagos “home type”, misses said track ball (you’ll turn pages just like you do on the iPad). It has a 10.8-inch LCD screen (1,366 × 800) for magazine content formatted across a two-page spread. By way of comparison: The iPad has a 9.7-inch LCD screen featuring 1,024×768 resolution.

Both Galapagos devices will have Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g) on board. Buyers will be able to surf the web, view “PC documents”, play games (via apps), and share comments and recommendations with other owners via a pre-installed “social app”. That’s the reason why Sharp, on its Japanese website, advertises the devices as “media tablets” – not just e-book readers.

The Galapagos e-bookstore service is scheduled to start in Japan in December. Sharp says that buyers of the reader can expect a total of 30,000 newspapers, magazines, and books at time of launch.

The company has yet to announce further details (more specs (which Android version?), prices, exact release dates, international availability). It expects to move about 1 million units next year. We’ll keep you posted.

Here is Sharp’s official promo video (it’s in Japanese, but that doesn’t matter that much in this case):

CrunchGear Week in Review: Saturn Club Edition

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 12:00 AM PDT

Sunday Afternoon Read: History Of Game Controllers

Posted: 26 Sep 2010 03:00 PM PDT


I just happened upon this interesting blog, a record of this guy’s research and other stuff while putting together a book on game controllers — their design, inspiration, pieces, tech, etc. Some interesting pictures and links in there if you’re into that kind of thing, and the book looks like it’s going to be pretty sweet as well.

[via Metafilter]

GoPro Releases The Low-Cost HD Hero 960 Wearable Sports Camera And We Go Hands-On

Posted: 26 Sep 2010 12:14 PM PDT

GoPro isn’t a new name in the sports camera world. People have been strapping their cams to motorcycles, surfboards, and cars for some time now and their latest model brings high-def video for a bit less. The HD Hero 960 offers most of what the big brother HD Hero does, but for nearly half the price. You might not mind what’s missing, though.

We have both of the cameras in-house for future vehicle reviews and used the new, lower cost model for the video above. The HD Hero 960 is perfect for Internet distribution as it only records in 960p, 720p, and 480p. It’s missing the 1080p and 60fps shooting modes found in its big brother. That’s fine if you plan on sharing the video via YouTube or Vimeo where the higher resolution isn’t needed. Plus, it’s only $179 instead of $299.


The camera is still just as extreme, though. A head strap and surface mounts are included, with additional mounts available. Wanna mount it to your car’s body panel just behind the front wheel? Buy the suction cup mount. Handlebars? There’s a handlebar seatpost mount. Surfboard? Yep, there’s even a surfboard mount.

The HD Hero 960 should start shipping this week.

The First Shot Of a Working SoBi Bike-Sharing Lock

Posted: 26 Sep 2010 09:50 AM PDT

This crazy looking thing is part of the SoBi bike-sharing system we broke back in August. The finished, working prototype is now being tested and the boys at SoBi are planning to shoot some video for your edification.

As you recall, the SoBi system allows for bike sharing without additional infrastructure. The system uses a lock fastened to the bike's wheel with a GPS system and transmitter built-in. When the bike is locked, it appears on the SoBi app and when you check it out you're responsible for it. You do not need special kiosks or other accoutrements to create a bike-sharing network anywhere in the world.
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