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Fortis Andora Emotion Limited Art Edition Watch

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 05:30 AM PDT

Holy crap, what is this thing? I realize this is one of Fortis' edgy "Art Edition" watches, but wow. This is unexpected for even the art version of the serious tool watch brand's products. Limited to just 100 pieces and in a 42mm wide titanium case, this watch isn't just an (questionably bastardized) artist's rendering of a Fortis chronograph watch, but also tries to tell you how to enjoy and spend your time. How does it do that? Will look at the "suggestions" (in German) on the bezel. Set into four quadrants, with three words in each, you should have a new task each time you look at the time. Though you might disagree with the Andora watch's suggestions, and probably rightly so.


Microsoft To Launch New Online PC Game Store With 100 Titles, November 15

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 05:05 AM PDT

Microsoft is adding another piece to the gaming puzzle with the forthcoming debut of an on-demand Web store for PC games dubbed Games For Windows Marketplace.

Launching November 15, Microsoft says the Games for Windows Marketplace will offer PC gamers a “robust lineup of games” (about 100 titles at its debut, see a limited list after the jump) and recurring specials such as Deal of the Week.

Video: Chinese Vending Machine Sells Live Crabs

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 04:04 AM PDT

We have covered the one or the other obscure vending machine in the past, but this one’s a first: a vending machine that sells live crabs. This model is located in a subway station in Nanjing, China, and keeps the crabs at 5°C at all times. In other words, the crabs inside are alive, “hibernating” in a frozen state.

A sign in front of the machine promises 100% customer satisfaction: if buyers get a dead crab, the maker (a Chinese company based in Nanjing whose name I couldn’t decipher) promises they’ll get three crabs for free.

Each crab costs between $1.50 and $7.50, depending on the size. The machine’s producer says they currently sell around 100 crabs daily, resulting in about $500 sales.

The (Japanese) video embedded below shows how it works (the interesting part is between 0.25min and 2.15min):

JapanProbe dot com
アップロード者 pubjapaned. – 動画ブログや動画ブロガーをもっとみる。

Via Japan Probe

Sharp Stops Manufacturing PCs, Will Focus On Tablets Instead

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 02:40 AM PDT

We can’t say we’re very surprised: Japanese business daily The Nikkei is reporting today that Sharp is to stop selling and producing computers from now on. The last time we reported on a Sharp computer was back in April last year, when the company introduced a netbook with an LCD trackpad (pictured). According to the report, big S will focus on the production of tablets instead.

On the tablet front, Sharp has started selling the NetWalker PC-T1 in Japan in May this year. More importantly, we were able to go hands-on with the company’s new Galapagos tablets during CEATEC 2010 recently. The two Android devices will go on sale in Japan in December.

What’s interesting to note is that Sharp actually stopped production of PCs at the end of last year – quietly, which is never a good sign. In their latest financial report [PDF], the words “computer” or “PC” don’t appear even once.

Daily Crunch: Caught Edition

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 12:00 AM PDT

AMD’s New 68XX Series Brings Solid Performance To Mainstream Budget Levels

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 07:33 PM PDT


I’ve been thinking of putting together a new system recently, and for the video card, I was almost certainly going to go for a GeForce GTX 460 — around $200 is the sweet spot for a good mid-budget GPU, and the 460 has been holding up to its competition for some time. But with the release of the new AMD Radeon 6850 and 6870, I might have to switch back to Radeon once more.

The early reviews have the 6870 ($239) and 6850 ($179) giving the 460 the business, and providing quite a lot of power at both those price points. Once the 6850 drops below $150, it’ll be a popular card for dual-GPU setups, just as its predecessor the 5850 was.

Check out the detailed reviews at Guru3D, HardOCP, and PC Perspective. They all seem to say that the 6850 is a huge bargain, though it’s far from a blowout; the GeForce 460 has had its price lowered a bit and still provides a lot of punch. But if I had two bills, I’d probably go with the 6850 right now.

Hands-On With The HP Slate 500, A Windows 7 Business Tablet

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 05:19 PM PDT


It’s been a long, hard road but it looks like some of the big boys are finally figuring out tablets. To wit: the new HP Slate 500, a business-only tablet designed for retail, hospitality, medicine and anything else that isn’t all about having fun. Let me explain.

The Slate 500 is a very nice tablet. In fact I’d say the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the 500 are close cousins in terms of style and usability. The iPad may be the gold standard, but someone needs to think of the legacy applications! That’s what the 500 is here for.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
This thing runs Windows 7. It runs it just well enough to make it a compelling device for point-of service and other niche markets. It doesn’t run it well enough to, say, convince me to get rid of my laptop. I expect we’ll get a full review in within the next few weeks but rest assured you shouldn’t be holding your breath for this one – yet – unless you’re an IT shop. As Devin found out in his Nav9 review, Windows 7 is not a good tablet interface for the casual user.

The device uses an active digitizer and will cost $799 when it ships this year.

We talked to HP this week and there is no official word about a webOS tablet but they hinted broadly that it was on the way. Our recommendation? Check this out if you need to outfit 500 insurance salesmen with claims management systems. Check out the webOS version – or one of the other media-oriented tablets – if you want to watch a movie on the plane.

That said, look for a video intro shortly. It’s worth a look even if it’s not for the general consumer.

New MacBook Air Teardown Reveals Relatively Few Apple Design Secrets

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 05:18 PM PDT


In classic iFixit fashion, the latest Apple laptop has been torn to pieces a mere day after its release event. How exciting! Now we get to find out how Apple managed to cram so much of 2007′s technology into that gorgeous case.

Unsurprisingly, Apple has made the new MacBook Air nigh-impossible to service on your own. Not only is the interior secured by five-sided Torx T5 screws, but most of the parts are so customized (not to say obscure) that you’d be unable to find them in even the most extensive part store.

Particularly notable is the storage array, which was tipped as being a unique concoction:

A series of Toshiba flash chips (nanometerage unknown), as seen in other SSD drives, but with a layout suitable for Apple purposes. It’s really not that special; it uses a common T6UG1XBG SSD controller, which is found in many other drives. The only real difference between this Apple drive and, say, a Kingston one, is that the Apple one isn’t a standalone component wrapped in a 2.5″ enclosure.

Other space-saving techniques are the usual Apple tricks of sandwiching boards together, turning components like Tetris pieces, and so on.

As you can see, by far the largest component is the battery cells, which have been split and spread out for maximum balance and heat dispersal. This thing is going to get warm, especially when charging. Remember to use a pillow or lap desk if you’re going to do some couch computing, or else be at risk for toasted skin syndrome.

The batteries themselves total 35 watt-hours; a little calculation puts the 11.6″ MacBook Air’s power consumption at a rather low 7W when active, and 50 milliwatts when sleeping. You can thank LED backlighting, a low-voltage processor, and solid-state storage for that.

All told, it’s a nice little piece of engineering. The 13″ version probably has a little more breathing room; I’m sure iFixit is logic-board deep in that one as well, and I look forward to seeing the differences.

Ask CG: Do You Need A Computer To Use An E-Reader?

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 03:27 PM PDT

Our ever-popular Ask CrunchGear email address overfloweth with e-reader questions. Tuesday, we tackled the general question of whether an e-reader was a good idea. Today we receive a similar question from Marilyn, who asks:

Do you have to have a computer to operate an e-reader? I want to purchase one for my mother but she doesn’t have a computer. How would this work?


Thanks for writing in, Marilyn. There are lots of options for e-readers out there, and each of them has a different approach to how you get and organize your books. But the short answer to your question is no, you don’t need a computer.

If your mother were to get a Kindle, she could do without a computer altogether. The store and everything are built into the device, which has a constant connection over the same kind of network your mobile phone uses. While it might be more convenient to put in all your account information on a computer and do the initial setup there, that would be a one-time or at least relatively rare worry. After that, she can browse and purchase books and periodicals directly from the device using the interface they have in place for that.

For this reason, I would suggest a Kindle, because it’s the most established and straightforward all-in-one e-reader and e-book store out there. There are other options, but the Kindle is probably the best for now.

If, however, you want to be able to browse through books in full color, quickly read excerpts and read reviews, a computer is still a good idea. It sounds to me like your mother just wants to read books, so this isn’t as much of a concern, but some people like the additional support a computer provides.

Hope that answered your question (and a few related ones).

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

Rumor: Barnes & Noble To Show Color Nook Next Week

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 01:27 PM PDT

An unsourced rumor has a new Nook e-reader being unveiled next week by Barnes & Noble, and a color one at that. It is supposed to be called the Nook Color (naturally), but beyond that little is known (if anything is in the first place). A new Nook would be a good idea, since the current one is really under threat from cheaper readers.

It’s said to have a 7″ screen and run Android, which would make it a little bigger than the current version. Chances are it would be running a version of the current Nook app for existing color devices. The type of screen isn’t mentioned, but for full color there are really only a few options:

Full LCD, the wisdom of which is disputable, since as a reading device you want a passive, low-power display. But if this new device is more focused on magazines or textbooks, it could make some sense.

Mirasol or other color e-ink, which seems unlikely, as that technology isn’t quite ready for prime time. All the OEMs are still working on their color e-ink panels, and this early in the game they’d be quite expensive (and possibly low-quality).

Pixel Qi, which would be awesome.

Apparently, this new device is to be sold alongside the current Nook, and the price is believed to be $250. A firmware upgrade for the original would ship at the same time. I have little faith in the viability of these tweener devices right now, with super-cheap e-readers and the iPad pressing them from both sides, but until we find out what B&N actually has up its sleeve, I’ll reserve judgment.

The New MacBook Air Will Be The Death Of Either The MacBook Or 13-inch MacBook Pro

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 01:00 PM PDT

Apple’s consumer strategy has always been centered around clear, concise choices. The new, less expensive MacBook Air seems to change that. The line between consumer and pro, between entry level and top-tier is gone and it means that something is going to change in the Apple line-up sooner than later.

Let’s look at the pricing. The new MacBook Air starts out at just $999. That’s the same entry level price as the white MacBook, ostensibly Apple’s “cheap” computer. Sure, the specs are slightly different with the MacBook blowing away nearly all of the base-level MacBook Air’s specs. But it’s a mere $300 jump up to the least expensive 13-inch MacBook Air and things level out a bit more. The MacBook still beats it in raw processing power and storage space, but Apple has never been about hardware specs anyway. It’s about the entire experience and the MacBook Air will quickly overtake the MacBook in this department.

For the longest time Apple had two computer lines: consumer and pro. Students would buy MacBooks and iMacs while professionals and wannabes would drain their funds for MacBook Pros and Mac Pros. This is the way it’s been for years. There were just a few products with a distinct line separating their target demographic.

That line is nearly gone at least regarding Apple’s three notebook groupings. Now, there’s a 13-inch notebook option at $999, $1,199, and $1,299. That move takes a page out of HP’s playbook, a company notorious for flooding the the market with lots of options with similar prices. There’s the $999 MacBook with a 10-hour battery life, Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM and 250GB hard drive followed up by the nearly identical Macbook Pro with 4GB of RAM and unibody construction MacBook Pro. Lastly, there’s the mid-level MacBook Air with a 7-hour battery, slightly slower Core 2 Duo CPU and 128GB flash storage.

That’s a lot of options at nearly the same price point. And something’s gotta give. I think someone is getting cut from the team.

The MacBook is classic Apple. It’s everything Apple was about, but nearly overnight, Apple went from the hipster computer company to mainstream. Apple doesn’t seem to want to go back to the old days, either. Even the once-quirky iMac is now a straight-laced business type. Maybe Apple wants to totally shed its old image and cutting the MacBook would quickly do that.

But then there’s the somewhat new 13-inch MacBook Pro. It’s almost the same thing as the $999 MacBook, but costs $200 more for the aluminum body and 4GB of RAM. They both have the same 10-hour battery rating, Core 2 Duo CPU, and screen. It’s existence has somewhat always been a puzzle. A few years back, Apple was selling a 12-inch iBook G4 and 12-inch PowerBook G4. This thing, called the TiBook, was canned when the equally powerful MacBook was introduced. Even the updated, unibody 13-inch MacBook could hit the chopping block again if Apple wants to strengthen the line between product classes.

Clearly the MacBook Air isn’t going to get canceled. However, its future might be the most unpredictable. Steve Jobs made a rather big deal about it yesterday at Apple’s Back To The Mac Event and even pulled out his iconic “one more thing” line for its announcement. He went on for a few minutes about how Apple feels that the Air is what would happen if the iPad was made into notebook form. That alone says a lot about the MacBook Air in that it’s truly part of Apple’s strategy moving forward. In fact, it’s more Apple per se than even the classic-white MacBook.

The iPhone 4 is tiny. The iMac is surprisingly slender. Even the Mac Mini hit the gym. Apple is about sleek product and sharp lines, not white plastic anymore. But that’s not what defines Apple anymore. Nope, Apple’s manufacturing process is its secret sauce and the MacBook Air is just the latest in a long line of products that share hard parts and manufacturing techniques to squeak extra revenue.

Look at the new MacBook Air: there’s nothing to it hardware-wise. The components are generations old. The original Core 2 Duo processors were introduced way back in 2006.  Even the 128GB and the 256GB SSD options aren’t exactly top-of-the-line options in late 2010. Apple simply improved on the motherboard design that was introduced with the original Air.

This is what Apple does best though. They build ecosystems — and user experiences – around products that generate revenue. Chances are when iSuppli breaks down the new MacBook Air, it will report some crazy-low number that, while it probably doesn’t take into account the R&D cost of the thin unibody construction, will show that the MacBook Air could be Apple’s entry level machine replacing the MacBook altogether and still make Apple some money.

Even still, it’s hard to say that the classic MacBook’s days are numbered. It’s still a great entry-level Mac, offering modest computing performance in a compact package and it shares a lot of the same internal components as its 13-inch MBP counterpart, making it attractive to the bean counters. However, the MacBook Air’s value will only improve as SSD’s drop in cost and CPU chips increase in efficiency. Perhaps Apple is leaving it up to the market.  If the Air eats up MacBook sales — or the 13-inch MacBook Pro comes in third — it only makes sense to cut the underperforming option and replace it with the fan favorite. Besides, more sales means margins that can support a lower price.

Apple’s notebook line will be trimmed. There’s no question about that. Apple’s not about to change course after years of profitable tactics. However, it might take some time to see how the market reacts to the Air and the cost of supplies drop. But don’t put it above Apple to replace a more-power machine such as the MacBook with the MacBook Air. It’s a no-brainer if the overall experience is superior.

SteelSeries’ World Of Warcraft: Cataclysm Lineup Debuts At Blizzcon Tomorrow

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 12:30 PM PDT

Blizzcon begins tomorrow. Unfortunately, I cannot attend, which means I’ll probably be watching Blizzard’s online stream. This is relevant because SteelSeries will debut its full range of Cataclysm-themed accessories at the show. I’ve already mentioned the new World of Warcraft: Cataclysm MMO Gaming Mouse, but there will be others on display.

Much like what SteelSeries did with the launch of Medal of Honor, it’s releasing many of its accessories with Cataclysm branding, as well as specific functionality.

Probably the most compelling release would be the SteelSeries Shift Cataclysm Edition. It’s the Shift keyboard, but with a Cataclysm-specific keyset. You can, of course, grab the keyset separately if you already have the standard-issue Shift keyboard.

Other goodies includes a Deathwing, Goblin, and Worgen (~!) edition of the QcK moused.

Here, Watch Microsoft’s First Official Ad For Kinect

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 12:25 PM PDT


Remember that $500 million ad campaign we heard about the other day? Well, it’s starting. The first real ad for the Kinect has just hit the airwaves (during Oprah, maybe?) and it’s not bad. I’m a fan of simplicity in advertising, and this has that to some extent, but there’s a lot of lead-up to actually seeing the games in action.

Some other ad ideas Microsoft might want to consider:

  • Monkey smashing controller with bone
  • Burglar caught by motion camera, then joins in the fun!
  • Same as above, but with Santa
  • Cute faun butt

Bring on the millions, Microsoft. Your new ad guru is here.

Incidentally, that’s not a very good version of that LCD Soundsystem song (“Yeah”). You want “Yeah (Pretentious Mix),” which I found on DFA’s second compilation disc.

Microsoft Partners Show Off Adaptive Keyboard Applications

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 12:00 PM PDT


Get Microsoft Silverlight


Remember a few weeks back when it came out that Microsoft had submitted a patent for a keyboard that looked suspiciously like the Optimus? Well, they’ve had a few made and, like the pressure-sensitive keyboard I saw at Microsoft Labs a long time back, they shipped a few to promising young students around the globe in an effort to save money on R&D give them a chance to work on non-traditional hardware.

I won’t spoil the usage scenarios they’ve cooked up, but the applications of the key displays and integrated touchscreen do seem pretty diverse. I was hoping for something like this with the Logitech G19, but the fact is that little LCD was extremely limited (and ran like 10 processes in the background). If Microsoft makes this into a real product, it could actually be incredibly useful for a lot of applications and games.


This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Dock Your iPhone On A DualShock

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 11:24 AM PDT


iPhone novelty docks are been around since time began. However, a DualShock dock? Hells yeah, that’s an 30xp towards your geek credibility. $35 on Etsy where the seller/maker also has N64 controller docks available for $25.

Tread Lightly When Embracing The Mac App Store

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 10:30 AM PDT

Is there really any doubt the Mac App Store will be anything other than a huge hit when it debuts in 90 days? Seven billion downloads on the current App Store would suggest that Apple knows what it’s doing (and that people really love to slingshot cartoon birds into buildings). And the benefits of the App Store are clear: it’s an easy-to-use, one-stop source of safe, tested software. Usually. Maybe not all of that software is worth your time—how many fart Apps do you really need?—but the platform itself is sound, and Apple is keen to make sure it stays that way. But the platform is closed. Only with Apple’s approval (not to mention its 30 percent cut of the action) can your App find a home on the App Store.

But is that scenario ideal when it comes to desktop operating systems?

When Apple rolls out the Mac App Store in three months’ time, it will have created a new "class" of Mac software: Apple-approved and App Store-certified. All of a sudden software that isn’t from the Mac App Store looks a little less… official. New Mac users—and there’s sure to be plenty given Apple’s year-on-year growth—will be trained from Day One to look to the Mac App Store for software. What happens to software developers who, for whatever reason, don’t want to be a part of the Mac App Store? Why would a new Mac user visit third-party sites like MacUpdate or VersionTracker to find software when they know they can always pull up the Mac App Store to find Apple-approved, App Store-certified software?

You can also be sure that Apple will leverage the Mac App Store to sell its own software, further boosting the status of all software found on the Mac App Store. During yesterday’s demonstration, Apple showed how easy it is to buy, download, and install Pages, the word processor component of its iWork suite, using the Mac App Store. (Not showed, of course, is just how easy it is to download and install software using the decade old apt-get system, but let’s leave that alone for the moment. Steam also says hi, perhaps gritting its teeth a little bit.) What Mac user is going to go out of his or her way to find and download software when they can just as easily pop up the Mac App Store—safe, tested, secure—and browse away from there?

And perhaps bordering on the conspiratorial, why would you want Apple granting or denying its seal of approval on the software you run on your computer? I thought these were called personal computers? Who’s to say, somewhere down the line, that Apple doesn’t decide that the Mac App Store is the only place where new software can be acquired? For your safety, dear Mac user, we’ve eliminated the ability to launch .app bundles not delivered by the Mac App Store. We hope you understand that this is being done with your best interests in mind. Thank you for choosing Apple.

Do I expect that to ever happen? Obviously not—that’s ridiculous, even for Apple—but let’s not pretend that’s not exactly what happens on the iPhone and iPad. How many times has Apple warned us not to jailbreak our iDevices, citing security and stability concerns, not once mentioning that jailbreaking is the only way to install "unapproved" software?

My concern, I suppose, is that an over-reliance on, and an over-veneration of, the Mac App Store could lead to an unnecessary, if not dangerous, homogenization of Mac software.

Again, to expect that the Mac App Store won’t be anything other than a smashing success is pure folly, but let’s at least be cognizant of just how dramatic a shift the Store may well represent.

/me ducks

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam Phu Bai Valley Trailer

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:37 AM PDT

EA just released a brand new trailer of their upcoming DLC for Bad Company 2. Looks sweet if you ask me and it will set you back 1200 MS. Onslaught, the last (and only) DLC for Bad Company 2 was not satisfactory and I do hope that this new download is not just a bunch of weapons and maps.

Microsoft Sold 240 Million Windows 7 Licenses In 1 Year

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 08:52 AM PDT

Windows, Microsoft's ubiquitous operating system, sits firmly in place. One year after launch, licenses for the successor of Windows Vista, Windows 7, have gone over the counter no less than 240 million times. As Microsoft points out, that makes it the fastest selling operating system in history, which is not super surprising when you consider how many were clamoring to upgrade from Vista, and XP for that matter.


Diminished Reality: Impressive Video Manipulation In Real-Time (Video)

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 08:42 AM PDT

Scary or cool? This technology developed by a team of researchers at Technische Universität Ilmenau in Germany is probably both. Their so-called “Diminished Reality” system makes it possible to manipulate video in real-time. As opposed to Augmented Reality, which adds virtual objects to real world images, Diminished Reality removes selected objects from video recordings.

The way it works is that first, the object to be eliminated from the footage has to be specified and detected. After that, the system analyzes the immediate surroundings of the object, for example the look of a table it was standing on, and fills out the empty space with that information.

According to the researchers behind this Diminished Reality application, this process just takes a few milliseconds and works both for video streams and static pictures.

This pretty impressive video provides more insight:

Via Chip [GER]

Sports & Technology Don’t Mix? NBA Bans Sneaker For Giving Players ‘Competitive Advantage’

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 08:30 AM PDT

Are sports organizations beginning to turn away from technology? (Which is hilarious, because only now is international soccer willing to look into goal-line technology!) The NBA, which I believe I’m correct in saying is the second most popular sports league in the U.S. (behind the NFL, obviously), has banned the use of the Concept 11 shoe. The shoe, created by Athletic Propulsion Labs, would appear to violate the league’s rule against "unfair competitive advantage," specifically as it relates to leaping ability. Flubber, anyone?

Of course, this may be a blessing in disguise for Athletic Propulsion Labs, since now it has people who would never have heard of them in the past, i.e. me, talking about them.

The shoes are still available—there’s a proud banner on the company’s Web site that proclaims the shoe BANNED BY THE NBA—for $300. I, myself, have never bought a $300 pair of shoes, much less basketball sneakers, but never say never.

The actual technology in question is called Load ‘N Launch, and Athletic Propulsion Labs claim it will "[make] you jump higher instantly."

Obviously the NBA isn’t going to allow that type of product on its courts.

But if the NBA is putting its foot down, why haven’t other sports?

Let’s be honest: the only real sport I follow is soccer (well, and Formula 1), and the various leagues around Europe don’t seem to have a problem with year in, year out uniform, boot, and ball improvements. The Adidas TechFit kit, for example, has these elastic-like strips in them that store otherwise wasted energy, ready to be released the next time a player sprints. Let’s say it’s Real Madrid v. Barcelona, and Gonzalo Higuaín is wearing a TechFit kit: is that fair to Gerard Piqué or Carles Puyol to have to be dealing with a player who has "extra energy" stored up?

I mean, if the league have no problem with it then it’d be a waste of everyone’s time to complain about it, but I’m just pointing it out that everyday I see what appears to be competitive advantage all over Europe.

Something to think about as we watch Liverpool lose to Napoli in a few hours.
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