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What To Expect When You’re Expecting a MacBook Air

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 05:23 AM PDT


What do we know about the upcoming MacBook Airs? Quite a bit, actually, and more than we ever knew about lots of other good stuff coming out of Apple. We have independent information describing a smaller, 11.6-inch model as well as an interesting battery/SSD solution that minimizes space and maximizes heat dispersal. Our tipster said there would be two models, but that could be wrong.

As for the processer, expect something in the 2.6 GHz range with a 2 GB of RAM. Don’t bother trying to replace anything yourself – this laptop will be locked down tight.

Engadget found that the device will have 2 USB ports and an SD card reader, a welcome change. It should be as thin as the old Air but lighter.

The biggest question, however, is “How will this thing perform?” As a proud former owner of MacBook Air, I know that the first generation model was abysmal and that the wait for this new model has taken the bloom off the rose for me when it comes to Apple netbooks. If they can prove that I can at least run iMovie every once in a while, then I might jump back into the pool.

Will you be buying an updated MacBook Air? Why?

Panasonic Announces World’s Smallest Blu-ray Recorder/HDD DVR

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 02:04 AM PDT

Panasonic today announced [JP] the DIGA DMR-BF200, which, according to Panasonic, is the smallest DVR integrating both a Blu-ray recorder and an HDD out there. The device is sized at 65×210×194mm, weighs 2.2kg, and can be placed vertically or horizontally.

Technically, you can expect a Blu-ray burner supporting BD-R/RE discs (no BDXL or 3D discs) and a 320GB HDD. The DMR-BF200 also features an HDMI port, an SD card slot (you’ll be able to watch movies directly from SD), Ethernet, and YouTube connectivity.

For Japanese “Club Panasonic” members, big P also plans to offer a range of different “sheets” to personalize the DVR’s body (see all variations below).

The DMR-BF200 will go on sale in Japan on November 15 for $860 (no word yet on international availability).

Daily Crunch: Kindling Edition

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 12:00 AM PDT

Mercedes Updates Its Media Interface

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 07:29 PM PDT

We at CrunchGear love to hear about new tech that car companies are adding to dashboards. Mercedes, not wanting to be outdone by BMW's ConnectedDrive, announced what they're calling the Media Interface Plus (MIP). It’s a new add-on accessory for new and existing Benzs with Media Interface and what it does is exactly what luxury customer have demanded for a while.

Installation of the $298 add-on accessory is easy; in fact, it fits right in the glove box. Similar to MI, MIP offers connections to the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 over Bluetooth or cable. With Media Interface Plus, Apple users can now get Pandora over the cable and Blackberry users get to use Bluetooth available with simple controls. Also, there is support for phonebook downloads. The next update will bring even more features like SMS and email reader and writer. In addition, with a special video cable, Apple users can watch videos right on the nav screen. We will be demoing the new feature soon.

Press Release

October 15 2010

IN-VEHICLE CONNECTIVITY TAKES A STEP FORWARD WITH INTRODUCTION OF “MEDIA INTERFACE PLUS” ON MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES
Montvale, NJ and Palo Alto, CA, Oct. 15, 2010 — Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today announced the availability of the Media Interface Plus (MIP), an innovative new vehicle accessory which enables drivers to retrofit their Mercedes-Benz to play and control Pandora (the leading personalized radio application) as well as other streaming audio content from their Smartphone, using the vehicle´s premium audio system.

Media Interface Plus expands the basic functions of the vehicle’s Media Interface (standard or optional depending on model), enhancing in-vehicle connectivity. A plug-and-play device, MIP seamlessly integrates with the Mercedes-Benz mbrace suite of services and Smartphone apps. It requires no installation: customers simply connect MIP to the existing Media Interface outlet (in the glove compartment or center armrest) and enjoy an unprecedented range of new features using the existing intuitive user interface.

“Media Interface Plus is an exciting extension of our commitment to provide cutting-edge, versatile entertainment solutions for Mercedes-Benz vehicles,” said Christian Treiber, general manager of after-sales business development for MBUSA. “We were the first vehicle manufacturer to fully integrate the iPod and launch mbrace Smartphone apps that control vehicle functions from the iPhone and Blackberry and extended Mercedes-Benz Concierge beyond the vehicle. We are always looking to push the boundary of in-vehicle connectivity to keep pace with our customers´ lifestyles and expectations.”

The MIP provides an easy-to-use interface with the Pandora application running on any iPhone 3G, 3GS or iPhone 4. For BlackBerry devices, the MIP enables Bluetooth wireless audio streaming of Pandora as well as simple control of the currently playing track. A Bluetooth wireless link is also used to stream and control audio tracks from iPod, iPhone or any other consumer electronics devices supporting Bluetooth audio streaming.

The result is seamless integration of outstanding sound quality, the ability to charge an iPod or iPhone, and the convenience of using familiar interfaces to access the new features it offers through radio and steering wheel controls for music playback.

Additionally, when connected using a special video cable, the Media Interface Plus enables customers to play iPod or iPhone video content on the vehicle display when the vehicle is at a standstill.

The Media Interface Plus was developed in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA) in Palo Alto, California, the heart of the Silicon Valley. Johann Jungwirth, president & CEO, MBRDNA commented, “Once again Mercedes-Benz demonstrates its technological leadership with this product as first-to-market integration of Pandora Internet Radio by an automotive OEM. We continue to embrace trends and drive innovations which enable our customers to wirelessly access additional mobile applications and stream preferred content into Mercedes-Benz vehicles in an intuitive and easy manner with future upgrades and next generation products.˜

The Media Interface Plus is an original Mercedes-Benz Accessory and is now available for purchase for a one-time cost of $298 at Mercedes-Benz authorized dealers.

About Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc.
Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA) headquartered in Palo Alto, California, was founded in 1995, to focus on research, advanced engineering, product development and testing, as well as new advanced design concepts. Innovations include the integration of the iPod and iPhone into Mercedes-Benz models. As well as the ˜Search and Send˜ feature, which is an easy and convenient way to plan your trip destinations with Google Maps and send them to the vehicle equipped with mbrace. One of its most recent product innovations is the smart drive app for the iPhone. The company continues to deliver the innovation that extends the technological leadership of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

About Mercedes-Benz USA
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 12 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and the SLS AMG supercar.

MBUSA is also responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans in the US. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com

Marshall Teases Us With A Nice Pair Of Cans

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 04:20 PM PDT

Basically all we know about these upcoming Marshall headphones is that they’ll be available on November 15 and that they bear the name of the vaunted monitor cabinet and amp company, Marshall. If the image is any indication, they’re perfect for hipster graffiti artists.

The heavy sound of Marshall has been carried over the world for nearly 50 years. Breathless roadies and roaring trucks have worked hard to make Marshall heard all across the globe. Now, time has come for you to carry this magnificent burden of rock 'n' roll all by yourself.

Spending half a decade on tour with the most prominent and untamed musicians builds experience and a feel for what really works. This unparalleled amount of wisdom has been distilled and fused into every part of Marshall Headphones.

Nothing has been compromised when expanding the Marshall heritage of big stage performance to the individual enjoyment of good music. These headphones are conceived from Marshall's time-tested fundaments of performance and endurance, designed to thrive on daily use and to render music the way it was meant to sound, no matter what your flavor is. The greatest of effort has also been put into the aesthetics, making the headphones ooze of that iconic Marshall look.

Product Page

AMD Radeon 6000 Series Specs Trickle Out

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 01:30 PM PDT

I’m reasonably certain the first reviews of the new AMD Radeons will hit the Net on Friday, so until then we’ll have to make due with leaked slides and the like. It’s both an exciting and depressing time: excited to see what AMD has in store, but depressed to know that my once high flying 5970 is now old news.

From the looks of it, the current 5830 and 5850 will be replaced by the 6800 series, while the higher end 5870 and 5970 will be replaced by the 6900 series.

AMD compares the Radeon 6870 to the Nvidia GTC 460, to give you an idea of how the red team views the green team.

One slide is frightening: look how many generations behind the Xbox 360 is. At a certain point you have to ask yourself what’s the point of these incredibly powerful GPUs if so many of the games appearing on PC are Xbox 360 ports?

Giganews’ Retention Now At 800 Days

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 01:00 PM PDT

How did I miss this? Giganews, the biggest Usenet provider out there by some margin, now has 800 days of binary retention. A year and a half ago I wrote a similar story, but the number was 365 days of retention. Man, I remember the days when I had two days of retention! Granted, it was an ISP-provided feed, but it worked just fine.

Giganews says that it’s "not stopping," and that 800 days of retention—as ridiculous as that is—isn’t an artificial endpoint or anything.

They also note that the data from 800 days ago is stored on the same class of server as the data from today, so speed and data integrity won’t be an issue.

Pandora Hitting TiVo Series 3 And HD Boxes Right Now

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 12:13 PM PDT

Remember how Pandora graced TiVo Premiere units just a few short weeks ago? Well, the company didn’t forget about about Series 3 and and HD users. Oh no, if you happen to check the Music, Photos, & Showcases section you’ll Pandora is now an available option. How nice.

Can Paul Heyman Save EA Sports MMA?

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 11:30 AM PDT

On the left, Fedor Emelianenko, probably the greatest mixed martial artist to ever live. I don’t want to hear any arguments on that point, either. On the right, Randy Couture, the UFC star who appears in the game courtesy of a short lived dispute with UFC brass. Throw in some Alistair Overeem, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Fabricio Werdum, and Nick Diaz (and more, of course) and you have EA Sports MMA, EA’s response to the incredible sales of THQ’s UFC Undisputed 2009. (UFC Undisputed 2010 didn’t sell too well, and now THQ has moved it from a yearly release to a once-per-18-months release. THQ now has the UFC license through 2018, by the way.) But, given that it’s very much "UFC" that’s hot at the moment and not necessarily "MMA," will EA find an audience with a game the predominantly features Strikeforce fighters?

Paul Heyman will certainly try.

Wrestling fans will recognize the name Paul Heyman from his days as ECW’s head booker, as well as head pretty much everything else. When ECW folded, he went to WWE and eventually became the SmackDown head writer. That’s when SmackDown was worth watching, you’ll recall. During this time he grew close to current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

And now he’s involved in MMA, despite TNA Wrestling’s half-hearted attempts to secure his services a few months ago.

Heyman’s new company, Looking 4 Larry, has produced various spots for EA Sports MMA. Here’s one starring MMA legend Frank Shamrock:

And here’s one featuring Fabricio Werdum, who shocked the world in June by tapping Fedor:

(UFC President Dana White was all smiles following the loss of the previously undefeated (and Strikeforce’s biggest name) Fedor.)

Cung Le’s promo is particularly compelling:

A video featuring Nick Diaz has also been produced, and we’re awaiting the fifth and final video to appear. I should hope it features Jason Miller. If there were ever a guy that screams "SHOULD BE ON TV, ALWAYS," it’s Miller.

I haven’t bought the game yet since I have entirely too much on my plate right now (Fallout: New Vegas, bugs and all, will take some time to finish), but I did play my fair share of the demo. Seeing Overeem billed from England annoyed me, but the presentation is otherwise spot-on. And it looks great, too, particularly considering the age of the Xbox 360 hardware.

The game has a unique feature called EA Sports Live Broadcast, and it lets you, the player, have your fight broadcast online complete with live commentary. You will have to be "recruited" to have your fight broadcast, but it’s at least a tangible goal to keep in mind: gotta keep playing till I’m selected.

So the game certainly looks like it has a lot going for it, but I wonder if today’s casual UFC fan will give it a chance.


Medal Of Honor Certainly Tries Very Hard

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 10:30 AM PDT

We can safely say the Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (I've always considered Medal of Honor: Frontline to be a console remix of sorts of Allied Assault) remains the best of the Medal of Honor games. Not that Medal of Honor, EA's 2010 re-boot of the series that's (in)famously set in Afghanistan, is rubbish, but if the reviews are hovering around 6 or 7, yeah, I'd largely agree with them.

What's the current console shooter landscape like? You've got Medal of Honor, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Halo: Reach. Those are the big ones.

Halo: Reach has the best campaign of them all. If you disagree you're wrong. It also has a multi-player mode that, really, is the best thing going today on Xbox Live. Being that most of my gaming takes place on a PC, my Xbox 360 is essentially a Halo: Reach-to-monitor adaptor.

Modern Warfare 2 feels like a Kid Rock circa 2000 song: loud and aggressive for no reason at all. Pointless, and controversial for the sake of it. (And yet so many of you bought it!)

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has too much camp for my liking. Like, I get that that's the point, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Fine multi-player, though. So fine, in fact, that it makes its second 2010 appearance in the form of Medal of Honor.

And Medal of Honor is just sorta there, neither good nor bad. It tries to take the best bits of the above, and doesn't exactly knock the ball out of the park in the process. Maybe a solid double. That's fair.

So let's tackle the campaign first.

All throughout the campaign, I have the sensation that, well, clearly the game wants me to be excited right now, but I've barely done anything to warrant the feeling. Rather than feel like I'm in the middle of some grand struggle, I feel like I'm merely a bit player who is occasionally asked, as if I'm being inconvenienced, to kick in a door or snipe some fuzzy figure in the distance. If you insist, mister. Keep moving forward, son. No problem: the rails prevent me from veering this way or that. Is that Link Park I hear? Wow.

Too often the game feels more like an interactive movie than a proper video game. A symptom of a console shooter developed for the elderly Xbox 360 (the system is five years old in November)? Maybe, but I was told to prepared for Tier 1. Looks like I’ve overtrained.

You're in Afghanistan (or hadn't you heard?) in the days immediately following the 9/11 attacks. Your role is to help root out the bad guys (the Taliban and al-Qaeda, keeping in mind that they’re two separate entities). I guess asking for a story in a first-person shooter these days is like asking Brett Favre to complete a pass, so don't go in expecting Deus Ex, or even BioShock. It boils down to: you're a guy, it's implied that those other guys have wronged you in some capacity, and now you're encouraged to shoot them every so often.

Okie dokie.

The campaign isn't too, too long, maybe six to eight hours, so if you're not into it, don't worry: you can wrap it up in a weekend, easy.

And now the multi-player, which is where I assume you'll invest most of your time.

I'm happy to report that the multi-player mode is really quite good.

I'm less happy to report it's good because it's essentially a re-skinned Battlefield: Bad Company 2. So if you've played that game for any length of time this year… Yeah, you see where I'm going. Medal of Honor plays like Battlefield: Bad Company 2 lite: the maps are smaller and there's hardly any vehicles.

But if you've never played Battlefield: Bad Company 2, you're in luck! It's right up there with Halo: Reach in terms of, "Yeah, I can pop in for 10 minutes, die 80 times, get seven frags, then log out." It's perhaps not as easy to sit there for hours on end like you can with Team Fortress 2, but that's an almost unfair comparison to make. All the standard modes are here, from your basic team deathmatch to several variants of attack/defend that are straight out of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Before I close, because this has gone long enough already, I'd like to address the Taliban controversy that has enveloped the game. Clearly the people who complained about the Taliban's inclusion have never played a multi-player game before. It really is a case of Red Team vs. Blue Team. You never once "feel" like you're playing as the Taliban, just as you never really "feel" like you're playing as an American soldier. You're a floating gun 99 percent of the time. The only time you see "who you are" is after you've been fragged and fall to the ground like a ragdoll idiot.

Nowhere do you get the sensation that, oh boy, I'm playing as "the bad guys" and I'm shooting "the good guys." There’s two teams, you’re on one of them (randomly assigned, by the way), and you’re trying to win the round. End of.

Conversely, the name change, to Opposing Force, does nothing to detract from the experience. The only time you'd see the word Taliban is in the loading screens. You know, "The coalition defends position A, Opposing Force attacks it." I mean, you're still fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda in the campaign, so it's not as if EA whitewashed the entire project to rid it of the T word.

So, all in all, an OK game. Nothing spectacular. The campaign is just sorta there, never really asking anything of you. The multi-player is worth a punt, but it will feel extraordinarily similar to those of you who already played Battlefield: Bad Company 2 earlier this year.


Ask CG: Am I Ready For An E-Reader?

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 09:19 AM PDT

Today we received this charming note from a nice lady out Lincolnshire way and we wanted to address her concerns in a concise and educated manner. She writes:

Good Morning -

Have just found your helpful article about “10 reasons to buy a Kindle 2… and 10 reasons not to”. I was thinking about buying a Sony Reader but heard Kindle is better liked by those who have purchased one, however, what way does the reader “turn” the pages on the Kindle? Is it like turning pages of a regular book because I had heard that the Sony Reader design is awkward and the pages turn the wrong way… can you help please. Incidentally, I love books and have never set eyes on any e-reader device but kind of like the idea of owning something so portable.

Thank you.
Patricia (UK)

Good Morning to you, Patricia. Your letter brought up a very interesting point: there are literally millions of folks out there who have never seen an e-reader and wary of its deficiencies. Rest assured that the modern e-reader may be confusing at first but, as evidenced by my own aged father’s acceptance of this selfsame technology, I believe almost anyone can use one immediately.

First, I present for your perusal an image of an e-reader of recent vintage. I have numbered some of the pertinent points.

1. The Next and Previous Page Buttons. These switch pages. You’ll notice that there is also a Next Page button on the right side as well as a “Home” button that returns you to the main screen.
2. This is a small keyboard. You can use this keyboard to search for text within a book and the small button next to the space bar will allow you to change the font size.
3. This small joystick allows you to move up and down within a book.
4. This is the E Ink screen. It is visible in direct sunlight and very readable. It has a slight gray cast to it, but it’s no worse than some of the European paperbacks I’ve seen.
5. This is your network connectivity meter. All of these devices are connected to the Internet.
6. This is a human hand.

As you see, the interface is fairly simple and I would dare say that the Kindle and the Nook are both your best bet when it comes to e-readers. Sony’s offerings are a bit more technical and there are some e-readers out there that are absolutely abysmal but cost considerably less than you’d think. Do not be fooled.

That said, most of your concerns, Patricia, have been addressed in the modern e-readers available to the average user. For example, the button layout on the Kindle and the Nook is resistant to accidental “page turning” at this point. In fact, I think your only sticking point will be the trasversal of the Kindle or Nook bookstores but one or two tries and you’ll have it down.

I gave my aged father his Kindle a few weeks ago and it is my hope that he will be able to share in my e-reading habits. He has long enjoyed the dead-tree book but even my dear old Dad needs to upgrade. You, too, Patricia, should feel free to jump into the e-reader fray feet-first.

Image from here

Have a question for us? Email ask@crunchgear.com and we’ll do our best to answer your concerns, queries, or ransom notes.

Will Wikileaks Defy The Pentagon And Release More Classified Iraq War Documents This Week?

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 09:00 AM PDT

Wikileaks is expected to release this week as many as 500,000 classified documents related to the Iraq War. As you might guess, the Pentagon isn’t too thrilled, and has urged "news organizations" not to publish the information. That’s a very pre-Internet mentality put forward by the Pentagon, as you can guarantee those documents will be mirrored all over the world within minutes of being posted.

Well, provided the documents even existed, and provided Wikileaks releases them. There seems to be some confusion as to whether or not Wikileaks does, in fact, plan to publish anything this week. Your best bet is to do what we all do: follow Wikileaks on Twitter.

In the meantime, Wikileaks has used Twitter to hit out at critics (and promote news reports that portray it in a positive light, such as Foreign Policy’s recent cover story on the real problem here: it’s not that Wikileaks is recklessly releasing classified documents, it’s that government officials are far too quick to classify documents in the first place. How can a democracy thrive when so much information is kept from the public?), including the mighty Wired magazine.

One tweet says that Wired has an "agenda," and refutes the magazine’s claim that it has spoken to Wikileaks staffers.

Wired "is not to be trusted," says Wikileaks.

It’s kind of an odd statement to make, considering Wired publishes all sorts of information about Wikileaks, both "positive" and "negative."

Meanwhile, the Pentagon, laying down the law in anticipation of any sort of Wikileaks document dump, said yesterday that, "The concern is that WikiLeaks as an organization should not be made more credible by having credible news organizations facilitate what they’re doing."

But again, refer to that Foreign Affairs article: should this information even be classified in the first place?

It seems like we as a society could use moments like these to sit down and actually have a proper conversation about what’s going on—here, specifically why it is that the Pentagon classifies so much information in the first place—but it’s probably just easier to pick and defend a narrative even before hearing anyone else’s opinion.

Sony’s 3D 2010 FIFA World Cup Documentary: November 16

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 08:30 AM PDT


Won’t be seeing him in Red much longer

Sony will release the official 2010 FIFA World Cup 3D Blu-ray documentary on November 16. You’ll need a compatible Blu-ray player as well as a 3DTV to get the most out of the film.

The documentary, which will retail for $39.95, will probably be great, if the 2006 FIFA World Cup documentary is any indication.

Maybe not as good as that Zidane film, but that’s pretty much a work of art.

Maybe in the 3D version you can see even more clearly Frank Lampard’s shot against Germany cross the line?

Biblio Leaf SP02: Toshiba’s Answer To The Kindle

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 08:21 AM PDT

Toshiba and Japan’s second biggest mobile carrier KDDI announced [JP] the Biblio Leaf SP02 for the Japanese market yesterday, an e-reader that features a 6-inch monochrome screen (16 shades) with 800×600 resolution. The device has 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity and supports XMDF/PDF/EPUB files.

Toshiba says buyers can expect a built-in calendar, a calculator and a notebook function. The Leaf’s internal memory (2GB) can be expanded via microSD cards (the device also features a microUSB port).

What’s pretty interesting is the mini solar panel that’s built into the bottom right of the device. Toshiba doesn’t specify how powerful the panel will actually be but says that with the internal battery fully charged, users will be able to turn about 7,500 pages consecutively.

The Leaf is sized at 198×130×9.6mm and weighs 295.8g. It will hit Japan in December with an open price model (there’s no word yet on international availability).

Inflatable Photo Studio Sets Up In Minutes, Is a Firetrap

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 08:18 AM PDT


Our buddy Charlie found this great Inflatable Photo Studio designed for photographers who want to, for some reason, have a controlled environment outside. It’s basically one of those big bouncy castles without the bouncy part. Before you get too excited, however, remember this thing could kill you. From the fine print:

It is not recommended that you smoke, cook or have any open flames in the studio. Also lights can become very hot and melt the studio. Do not rest lighting or position it against the sides. Curling irons, hair driers [sic] irons, and steamers can also melt the plastic causing rapid deflation or possible fire.


Fair enough. We won’t use lights. But what if the air escapes rapidly? CERTAIN DEATH!

DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE INSIDE WHILE DEFLATING! It is recommended that in the event there is a power failure that you crawl on your hands and knees to the nearest exit. In the event of a rapid deflation is is best to NOT PANIC, keep your arms up at an angle in front of you.

The studio starts at $300 without the fan and maxes out at 20 x 12 x 12 feet. The price is right for something like this, even if the website copy is a little wild. The website itself is all Flash but check out the video including the be-capri-panted model.

The Harman Kardon 3rd Generation SoundStick Speakers Are Now Available In The States

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 08:00 AM PDT


Harman Kardon introduced the 3rd generation of its classic SoundStick speakers in Japan over the summer. Not much is different from the 2nd incarnation, just a few slight tweaks, but the US availability wasn’t announced. Well, the company just changed that. The speaker set is available to US customers for $209. The press release states it’s available now, although all we’re seeing on the official website is the SoundStick II system, but that will probably change shortly. What’s different? Well, friend, I’m glad you asked.

The changes are minor, partly because the original design is so iconic. The new speakers sport a white LED light and black speaker feet to better match the latest iMac design. The 3rd generation also has a 3.5mm input, which allows for connecting audio players and other devices along with a computer. The controls are still built-into the mini-tower speaker and the integrated amp is still rated at 40W with 20W for the sub and 10W per satellite. The tl;dr is that if you don’t need an AUX-in or color-matching accents, save some cash and get the older one.

Xbox Dot Com Re-launches Tomorrow: Avatar Editor, Share Web Games With Windows Phone 7

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 07:30 AM PDT

The Xbox Live Web site will re-launch tomorrow. There will be new things, not least of which is the "massive facelift." Highlights include: an avatar editor, a new message viewer, and a improved Marketplace browser.

Major Nelson adds that you’ll be able to "play Web games with your Xbox Live friends on the web or on Windows Phone 7."

Web games? Windows Phone 7? It’s all too much for my old heart.

Again, the new site launches tomorrow, and while xbox.com will go down for maintenance tomorrow at 5am ET Xbox Live service will continue uninterrupted.


HP Drops Palm From webOS’s Branding, Launches HP webOS 2.0

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 06:35 AM PDT

See ya later, Palm webOS. Hello, HP webOS 2.0! My you look nice.

HP just announced the next generation webOS and it’s a doozy. This platform now has all the weapons necessary to fully compete in the smartphone wars: true multitasking, an updated version of the social media connection service Synergy, Adobe Flash 10.1, and a whole bunch of new advancements. Hardware is really the only thing missing now, but that’s set to change as the first webOS device, the Palm Pre 2, will hit later this week in France and in the coming months on Verizon in the states.

This big update comes 16 months after the original webOS devices dropped at CES ’09. The OS was herald as an iPhone killer back then, but the excitement was quickly hampered with poor hardware and carrier support. We’ve said all along that webOS is great, but the Pre and Pixie didn’t take advantage of it. Hopefully HP, with its massive manufacturing strength, can finally out hardware to take advantage of the OS. Oh, and a webOS tablet would be nice too. Just saying.

Coming first on new Palm Pre 2 in France, the United States and Canada
PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 19, 2010 – HP today announced HP webOS 2.0, the most significant update to the platform since its launch in 2009 and a substantial step in HP’s vision to transform how people think, feel and connect.
The first device to run webOS 2.0, HP’s new Palm Pre 2 smartphone, will be available on Friday in France from SFR and is scheduled to be available in the coming months in the United States from Verizon Wireless and in Canada.
“With webOS 2.0, we’re advancing the innovations we introduced 16 months ago, expanding the features that make webOS great for consumers, enterprises and developers,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “We’ve made tremendous strides since the platform launched, and now we’re taking our biggest leap forward with powerful new features that make it easier to get more things done with your webOS device.”
webOS 2.0 offers consumers compelling application experiences not available on any other platform, while providing developers an unparalleled level of openness to integrate their applications and services. The next generation of webOS makes it easier to get more done:
True Multitasking – Pause a game, tap an email notification, check your calendar, read a restaurant review, send an email reply, then switch back to the game without closing anything.(1,2) webOS lets you easily manage multiple open applications and notifications using natural touch gestures. New in webOS 2.0, Stacks logically groups together your open apps so they work the way you do. Whether you’re reading email or planning a night on the town, Stacks keeps related items together so managing multiple tasks is even easier.

Just Type – Start an email, create a message, update your status, search your favorite websites – all before you’ve even opened an app.(1) With webOS 2.0, whenever you want to do something on your phone – whether it’s emailing, texting, searching or almost anything – just type. And Just Type is open to developers, so they can integrate with the search function and add their own user-customizable shortcuts, called Quick Actions.

HP Synergy – webOS was the first mobile OS to connect you seamlessly to multiple web services. With the Synergy feature, you just have to sign in to your Facebook, Google, Microsoft® Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo! accounts and your information automatically populates your phone.(3) webOS 2.0 will extend the support for Synergy so developers can easily plug new Messaging, Contacts and Calendar application sources directly into the core webOS experiences.(4)

Exhibition – A new way to use your webOS phone, Exhibition lets you run apps designed specifically for the Palm Touchstone Charging Dock, turning charge time into useful time.(4, 5) Set your phone on the dock and Exhibition launches automatically, showing you anything from today’s agenda to a slideshow of your Facebook photos. Exhibition will enable developers to display aspects of their existing app experience or create specialized apps for use when users have their webOS device in charge mode on the charging dock.

Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 Beta – With version 2.0, webOS now supports a beta of Adobe Flash Player 10.1 in the browser, which provides access to rich, Flash based web content.(6)
webOS 2.0 also includes many more new features, including the following:
Favorites – With webOS 2.0, you can tag your favorite contacts so they appear as favorites in Phone and Contacts views. When you search for them by name, they instantly show up at the top of the Contacts, Email, Messaging and Phone apps. Favorites make it simple to get in touch fast.

Skype Mobile™ (Verizon Wireless only) – For Verizon Wireless customers, webOS 2.0 supports Skype-to-Skype calls and messaging while in the United States to anywhere in the world, and low-rate calls to international landlines and cell phones.

Text Assist – webOS 2.0 offers greatly expanded capabilities to spell check, auto correct, set up macros and customize the dictionary.

Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite – An all-new document viewer from the leading provider of mobile document viewers offers support for Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents and provides integration with a variety of services, including Google Docs and Dropbox.

Facebook 2.0 – Available via the Palm App Catalog, Facebook 2.0 will support Facebook IM via Synergy in the Messaging application,(4) as well as Stacks, status updates via Quick Action and the Exhibition feature.

Browser – The browser adds support for more HTML5 features, including geolocation support. OpenSearch plugin support makes it easy to add your favorite websites to Just Type web search.

Messaging – The unified Messaging app in webOS 2.0 adds Yahoo! IM and buddy management. Customers can now connect to their buddies through SMS, MMS, Google Talk, AIM and Yahoo! IM.

VPN – webOS 2.0 supports the most popular ways to connect to a corporate network, including IPsec and Cisco AnyConnect mobile optimized VPN, which supports SSL (TLS and DTLS).

App Catalog – The redesigned Palm App Catalog makes finding and discovering great apps even easier.(7) And the new Software Manager helps you keep your apps up-to-date.

Launcher – A redesigned app launcher lets you add, label and reorder launcher pages.

Phone – The webOS 2.0 Phone app lets you easily dial your favorites and offers reverse area code lookup and Skype Mobile integration (Skype Mobile for Verizon Wireless only).

Accounts – The new Accounts app provides a single place to manage all your Synergy accounts.

Bluetooth® keyboards – webOS now supports Bluetooth keyboards and Bluetooth SPP peripherals, enabling applications such as barcode readers and realty lock boxes.

A host of developer features – In addition to Exhibition, Just Type and Synergy APIs, webOS 2.0 adds Node.JS, enabling developers to create services in JavaScript. They also can now use the webOS Plug-In Development Kit (PDK) to combine C/C++ with web technologies in a single app.
More information about the features of webOS 2.0 is available at www.palm.com/softwareupdate.
Introducing Palm Pre 2
HP also introduced the Palm Pre 2 smartphone, the latest evolution to the Palm Pre lineup. Pre 2 is the first Palm phone with a gigahertz processor and features a 5-megapixel camera, a glass screen and a sleeker, streamlined design that still gives users the ideal combination of a vivid touchscreen and a slide-out keyboard.
More information about Palm Pre 2, including features and specifications, is available at www.palm.com/Pre2.
Availability
Palm Pre 2 featuring webOS 2.0 will be available on Friday in France from SFR and is scheduled to be available in the coming months in the United States from Verizon Wireless and in Canada. The webOS 2.0 update will be delivered to existing customers in the coming months, with exact timing to be announced at a later date.
Developers will be able to purchase unlocked UMTS versions of Pre 2 in the United States to use as a canvas to build the next generation of webOS applications and services. More information about the purchase program will be available at http://developer.palm.com/devdevices.html.

Just What Kids Need: Scholastic Pocket Texting Devices

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 06:27 AM PDT

A company called Scholastic, presumably not the book company, has released these odd texting devices that work wirelessly within 600 feet of each other. You can create a network of 24 of them and messages are truncated at 40 characters.


Sony Rolls Out SD Cards And A Reader

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 06:21 AM PDT

I usually don’t blog about the many, many memory cards that come out of Japan on a weekly basis, but things are a little different when Sony seems to be determined to continue embracing SD cards. Today, the company announced [JP] both, an SDXC card-compatible reader, the MRW-F3, and a whole series of SD cards.

The reader (pictured above) can be connected via USB 2.0 and is compatible to SDXC cards as well as Sony’s memory sticks. It will hit Japanese stores on November 10 for $18.

On the same day, Sony will start selling a total of six SD/SDHC cards. There will be three class 4 cards (2GB for $14, 4GB/$21, and 8GB/$49) and three class 10 models (8GB/$74, 16GB/$150, and 32GB/$283).

Sony hasn’t said anything yet regarding international availability.
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