CrunchGear |  |
- Sanyo Celebrates eneloop’s 5th Anniversary With Glitter Batteries
- Goodbye, MacBook Pro. The New MacBook Air Is That Good.
- Goodbye, MacBook Pro. The New MacBook Air Is That Good.
- Power Loader Light: Panasonic Starts Selling Mecha Robot Suits
- Daily Crunch: Paper Trail Edition
- Free “Smartphone Coaster” Inside This Post!
- How To Buy A Sofa At A Hardware Store
- Just Kidding, only 9% Of iPad Owners Haven’t Downloaded Apps
- The Dreamcast Ain’t Dead Yet: SD And MicroSD Card Adapters Released For Sega’s Classic Console
- Italy Orders Google To Clearly Label Street View Cars, Advertise Routes
- Nintendo: “Yeah, we’ve sold a whole lot of Wii Remotes. Just saying.”
- Dion Computers’ Working A 4.8-inch Android Clamshell You’ll Actually Want
- Homemade DSLR Brings Us Back To The Good Old Days Of Photography
- Netflix Says Sorry, Offers Account Credit For Recent Streaming Downtime
- Inside the Logitech Revue
- Video: Is This Woman A Time Traveler?
- Can Samsung Replicate Apple’s Success As A ‘Brand Curator?’
- Has The Threat Of Cyber War Been Overstated?
- Is Cloud OS Maker Jolicloud Preparing To Sell A Netbook Of Its Own?
- A Week In The Technology-Packed 2011 Ford Edge Sport
| Sanyo Celebrates eneloop’s 5th Anniversary With Glitter Batteries Posted: 26 Oct 2010 05:03 AM PDT
Can you imagine Sanyo without eneloop? Sanyo’s “green” sub brand is now 5 years old, and to commemorate the anniversary, Sanyo plans to roll out special batteries. They even issued an English press release to announce the so-called "eneloop tones glitter" battery pack. Buyers will be able to choose between sets of AA and AAA-size 8-color nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries (in purple, pink, orange, yellow, light green, light blue, silver and black), which are supposed to convey a “luxurious feel” according to Sanyo. The company is actually making a big fuss out of these batteries, including showcasing them at design shows in Tokyo.
The battery packs will hit Japanese stores on November 14 (prices: $28 for the AA batteries, $31 for the AAA pack).
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| Goodbye, MacBook Pro. The New MacBook Air Is That Good. Posted: 26 Oct 2010 04:59 AM PDT  Last Wednesday, I got my hands on one of the new MacBook Airs. I haven't touched my MacBook Pro since. It's six months old. RIP. I know that sounds outrageous. Or like hyperbole. But it's not. When I wrote up my initial thoughts, it was after only a few hours of usage. I hadn't even used it outside the house yet. But now I have. I've used it almost everywhere I've been for just about a week now. There's no question in my mind that this has replaced my MacBook Pro as my go-to machine.
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| Goodbye, MacBook Pro. The New MacBook Air Is That Good. Posted: 26 Oct 2010 04:58 AM PDT
I know that sounds outrageous. Or like hyperbole. But it’s not. When I wrote up my initial thoughts, it was after only a few hours of usage. I hadn’t even used it outside the house yet. But now I have. I’ve used it almost everywhere I’ve been for just about a week now. There’s no question in my mind that this has replaced my MacBook Pro as my go-to machine.
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| Power Loader Light: Panasonic Starts Selling Mecha Robot Suits Posted: 26 Oct 2010 02:43 AM PDT
In January this year, I blogged about Power Loader, a power-amplifying robotic suit that enables humans to carry loads of up to 100kg. Developed by Tokyo-based robot venture Activelink, a venture spun off from Panasonic, the mecha is awesome but will not be quite ready for 2015 (as a practical version). That’s why Activelink now developed another version [JP] of the suit. Dubbed Power Loader Light, the new model is primarily designed to boost the power of the legs (by up to 40kg/400N). The suit itself weighs 38kg, with Activelink saying buyers can “personalize” it by choosing specific designs or colors. Granted, the Light version is not as cool as the original, but it’s actually commercially available: pay $233,000 and one unit is yours. Universities and similar institutions can get it for $122,000 under certain conditions.
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| Daily Crunch: Paper Trail Edition Posted: 26 Oct 2010 12:00 AM PDT |
| Free “Smartphone Coaster” Inside This Post! Posted: 25 Oct 2010 06:53 PM PDT
My friend. Special deal for you. In exchange for click, I give you metal smartphone coaster. Here’s what happens! The first 20 people to send their address (actual mailing address, you understand) to contest@crunchgear.com with “COASTER TO COASTER” in the subject line will find themselves the owners of a brand new piece of metal that holds a phone upright! They’re stainless steel and probably hold just about any slate-like phone out there. So no StarTACs!
And we’re done! I think. I need to count again. We’ll be emailing people back in the morning (I can’t right now) so you may just have to be in suspense until then. Think of it as a free thrill, courtesy of CrunchGear!
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| How To Buy A Sofa At A Hardware Store Posted: 25 Oct 2010 06:30 PM PDT
The “Hopeless Diamond” is basically a frame of copper piping joined with standard elbow and T joints, with some paneling for support and packing blankets for cushioning — all held together with zip ties. I sincerely doubt it’s that comfortable, but it looks light as a feather and you can store it very easily. I’m tempted to put together a bookcase this way, though I’ll probably skip the zip ties. [via NotCot]
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| Just Kidding, only 9% Of iPad Owners Haven’t Downloaded Apps Posted: 25 Oct 2010 06:06 PM PDT
Yeah, it turns out there was a little mix-up at Nielsen central and a column got the wrong label, or something like that anyway. They’ve set the story straight now; the figures have been “amended to reflect updates,” and the new numbers aren’t quite so surprising. Yes, 91% of iPad owners have downloaded apps. I’m surprised it’s not higher, given how it practically dumps them on your lap. I think that, unlike some tablets, the strength of Apple’s iPad is in the apps and the modular functionality as much as it is in the form factor and responsive touchscreen. There’s no shame in that. [via The Register]
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| The Dreamcast Ain’t Dead Yet: SD And MicroSD Card Adapters Released For Sega’s Classic Console Posted: 25 Oct 2010 05:00 PM PDT
To be honest, I wouldn’t feel too bad about pirating games for this system now. I’ve been known to grab a used Dreamcast game at GameStop now and then for $3, but Sega &co. aren’t seeing any of that, and I think the best thing you can do is appreciate their last hardware effort and classics like Sonic Adventure for all they’re worth.
To do that, you can either get this MicroSD adapter for $5 (!), or you could actually just buy a new Dreamcast that’s been modded with a front-loading SD card slot and extra video options in the back. I don’t think you’ll find anyone to play Phantasy Star Online with you, but the rest of the games should be more than playable. For the record, I think the best Nintendo emulator ever put together was for the Dreamcast. NesterDC SE, you were far and away the best way for playing NES games, on any platform. I salute you. [via Technabob and Slashdot; image: Penny Arcade]
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| Italy Orders Google To Clearly Label Street View Cars, Advertise Routes Posted: 25 Oct 2010 03:45 PM PDT
Odd that a country so heavily invested in their tourist industry, which consists largely of foreign people taking millions of photos of the country’s most precious possessions, would take issue with the far more systematic and predictable Street View operations. Considering their handling of that other incident, it seems that perhaps the Italian government is simply not equipped to deal progressively with the implications and consequences of the internet and Google in particular. But I digress. The new regulations require that the Street View vehicles be clearly labeled — in addition to the enormous camera apparatus protruding from the roof, I suppose. Google will also be required to advertise the route its cars are expected to take in both newspaper and radio spots, three days before they embark.
I’d like to say these new regulations are absurd and it’s a public street, etc., but the truth is they’re just implementing basic standards for public, organized shooting events like those we have in place for movies and news reports. Individuals are impossible to regulate, and so the tourism authority doesn’t require you to sign away the rights to your photos or announce your itinerary publicly when you come to Italy. Besides, even if you were to accidentally or purposefully violate someone’s privacy, as you are apparently doing when you take a picture including strangers’ faces, locations, and license plates, these pictures are for personal use only. No sense regulating that. But in the US, we have plenty of laws governing this kind of large-scale operation: privacy laws pioneered in the early and mid 20th century, governing implied consent, signage, permits, and so on. If you live in LA or New York, you’ve probably seen notices like this or people holding signs saying “Live cameras” near news reporters. Italy has these as well, and seems to simply be classifying Google as more similar to a film studio than an individual, which, as inaccurate as that still is, probably is better than the alternative. So the issue isn’t so much the regulations, which are fairish and which will necessarily vary from country to country, but rather the way in which the whole issue is being cast. I think it would have been a better approach for the Italian government to make this a friendly agreement rather than demonize Google. By framing it the way they did, with Google the aggressor and the poor Italian citizen the victim, they’re making the debate harder than it has to be. If such an important and influential power as Google is doing things counter to the way Italian privacy authorities would like them to be done, I have no doubt that Google would have met them more than halfway. A joint press conference, explaining the legal limitations on Google and the steps Google takes to cover up your license, face, whale tail, etc., would go a long way toward improving public perceptions of the controversial and (to some) creepy service. [via SlashGear]
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| Nintendo: “Yeah, we’ve sold a whole lot of Wii Remotes. Just saying.” Posted: 25 Oct 2010 03:20 PM PDT
That works out to be 46,000 everyday, 31 every minute, and 1 every other second. *Boom* there’s one *Boom* there’s another. The sales break down like this,
This number will likely only increase seeing how Nintendo finally managed to work Wii Motion Plus into the controller itself, which will likely cause existing owners to buy another round — that is if they’re still using the four-year old system.
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| Dion Computers’ Working A 4.8-inch Android Clamshell You’ll Actually Want Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:53 PM PDT
Inside the clamshell casing is a 4.8-inch WVGA capacitive LCD touchscreen with LED backlighting. Multitouch is supported, but there’s also a small optical mouse nub for navigation as well. There’s a small QWERTY keyboard plus a 1.3MP webcam, mic, 3G/2G wireless chips, GPS, FM radio and several unnamed I/O jacks. Overall, it seems awful similar to the Viliv N5 although a bit taller and less wide than the Windows clamshell. This little Android 2.1 machine is said to be only a concept, though. Chances are a bunch of these sort of computers will drop at CES 2011. The form factor has been around for years; now it’s time to load them up with a proper mobile OS and release them to the masses (of geeks).
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| Homemade DSLR Brings Us Back To The Good Old Days Of Photography Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:30 PM PDT
Denis decided to put together this a full-function SLR, complete with speed selection, viewfinder, timer, and roll film compatibility. Not really something for a Sunday afternoon, I think — but the results speak for themselves.
How amazing is that? It makes me feel very self-conscious about my DSLR. Not only that I didn’t make it, but that it’s a kind of anonymous black piece of electronics, with all the machinery so cleverly hidden that you never get that “oh my god, it takes pictures” feeling you get from older cameras. I could have done without the brush script “DM-Flex,” though. Can’t wait to see what this talented guy comes up with next. [via Metafilter]
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| Netflix Says Sorry, Offers Account Credit For Recent Streaming Downtime Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:00 PM PDT
Netflix has apologized for the brief outage of its streaming service that happened last Friday. And that’s all well and good, but even better is that Netflix has started offering its users a small credit, applicable to their next bill. It’s not a huge credit, Consumerist notes 2 or 3 percent, but it’s probably the thought that counts as much as anything else: we messed up, so here’s a token of our appreciation. And all was right in the world.
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| Video: Is This Woman A Time Traveler? Posted: 25 Oct 2010 12:15 PM PDT Is this woman a time traveler? Never mind the fact that time travel is, indeed, possible, but this is just silly. It’s the latest Internet meme, and it shows a woman walking down the street, ostensibly as an extra in the Charlie Chaplin movie The Circus. But look closely? Is she, what, talking on a mobile phone? In the year 1928? Pretty sure mobiles didn’t exist back then. If you’re wondering, yes, I first heard of this video on Ron and Fez, where many of my ideas come from. So, back to the woman in question. What could she be doing? My legitimate, non-stupid guess: I say she’s just scratching her ear. But I welcome conspiracy theories.
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| Can Samsung Replicate Apple’s Success As A ‘Brand Curator?’ Posted: 25 Oct 2010 11:35 AM PDT
Will Samsung ever be as big as Apple? Well, maybe "big" isn’t the word to use, maybe "hot"? You know what I mean: whenever Apple has a media day, everyone loses their minds, even if the event isn’t really all that special. The closest Samsung has gotten, I think, was this past September at IFA in Germany, where it announced the Galaxy Tab. Tons of people in the crowd&mdash:I was there, remember—and tons of heat online after the fact. There’s an article in Advertising Age that talks about Samsung’s goal to double sales by 2020, and it plans to do that by moving away from the Samsung that makes a lot of good stuff across all sorts of product lines, to a Samsung that becomes a "curator brand." Someone who sets trends rather than merely following them. ESPN was cited as the sports brand. In the U.S., when you think of sports you think of ESPN. Samsung wants to be the ESPN of electronics. When you think of electronics, you think of Samsung. Right now, I suppose, when you think of phones you think of the iPhone. When you think of tablets, you think of the iPad. (In fact, you probably don’t even think of tablets to begin with, but think of the iPad, then realize that the iPad is a tablet.)
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| Has The Threat Of Cyber War Been Overstated? Posted: 25 Oct 2010 10:20 AM PDT
Set aside several minutes of your afternoon to read Seymour Hersh’s latest article in the New Yorker entitled "The Online Threat." It’s a long, long yarn on the dangers of cyber war. It begins with the United Stats’ utter lack of respect for the technological capabilities of China, and then goes on to address a larger question: is the U.S. prepared for any sort of cyber attack? I’m not going to sit here and go over every single one of the article’s point, but I will present a sort of highlight reel: • There’s a difference between cyber war and cyber espionage. Cyber war is the active penetration of networks to cause trouble. Cyber espionage is merely the covert collection of data for intelligence purposes. Big security firms like to blur the line between the two in order to get fat government contracts. Shocking, I know. • The "cartoonish view that a hacker pressing a button could cause the lights to go out across the country is simply wrong. There is no national power grid in the United States." • The "the very openness of the Internet serves as a deterrent against the use of cyber weapons." • President Obama has said that it’s "been estimated that last year alone cyber criminals stole intellectual property from businesses worldwide worth up to one trillion dollars." Serious cash. I wonder if they include people pirating regular software—your Photoshops of the world—in that assessment? • There is surprising unanimity among cyber-security experts on one issue: that the immediate cyber threat does not come from traditional terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, at least, not for the moment. So, yeah, it’s long, but it’s certainly better than watching 15 minutes worth of silly YouTube videos.
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| Is Cloud OS Maker Jolicloud Preparing To Sell A Netbook Of Its Own? Posted: 25 Oct 2010 09:09 AM PDT  Jolicloud, which set out to build a cloud-based operating system for netbooks, appears to be preparing to build and sell its own line of actual netbooks, too. Tariq Krim, founder and CEO of the French startup, earlier today tweeted links to two interesting pictures. As others are speculating, these pictures suggest Jolicloud is working on a proper netbook rather than sticking with just building software to run them.
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| A Week In The Technology-Packed 2011 Ford Edge Sport Posted: 25 Oct 2010 09:00 AM PDT
Hello, gorgeous. A 2011 Ford Edge Sport just hit my driveway and I’m in love. This vehicle is a looker inside and out. It’s funny how much more modern this model feels over last year’s model — I guess a bit of sheet metal plastic surgery can go a long way. There’s now a large grill and sweeping headlights up front that define the rest of the crossover’s lines. Even the wheels got hit with the redesign hammer, going from wannabe-luxury to urban. The biggest update is inside, particularly at the infotainment suite. The 2011 Edge is one of the first vehicle’s in Ford’s line-up with a totally-redesigned center stack and gauge cluster dubbed MyFord Touch. Gone are the days of push buttons and analog gauges. This vehicle instead employs two totally customizable LCD screens on either side of a traditional speedometer along with a robust entertainment screen in the center of the dash. Think of it as the smartphone of in-vehicle controls. I would drive a Ford Pinto if it had this system.
This isn’t my first time with the MyFord Touch system. I used before and hated it. It’s the only in-vehicle system I’ve used that had a learning curve party because it has some nasty lag. It’s not as smooth as it could be. However, it’s so robust that it’s usefulness effectively counters the usability issue. This learning curve somewhat applies throughout the whole car, too. I noticed almost immediately that the blinker works different in most cars. Instead of snapping into place when engaged, it uses some sort of dual-action trigger that always returns the bar back to its original position. It’s honestly strange will take some getting used to.
Like the 2010 Range Rover Supercharged and 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate we tested recently, we have this monster for a week. Still, my first overall impressions are positive. I’m a fan of the edgy style and massive 22-inch wheels. The ride is confident and the power coming from the 3.7L V6 is more than sufficient. More to come later this week with a in-depth video look at the MyFord Touch planned for Wednesday followed up by the full review on Friday. Please, drop any questions concerning the systems below so we can address them in the upcoming coverage. 2011 Ford Edge Sport AWD
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Parts of Europe have been, for whatever reason, more wary of Google’s Street View service than others. The occasional lawsuit hasn’t prevented the march of progress, though 
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