CrunchGear |  |
- Daily Crunch: Dorm View Edition
- Nissan Releases Final Specs On The Leaf
- Great Fixed 3D Glasses On Konami’s Road Fighters Arcade Game
- Two Magic Trackpads Merge Like Voltron To Become a Magic Keyboard
- Tea Candle Lava Lamp From Mathmos: Why Not?
- C-Loop On Kickstarter: A Simple Mod To Improve Your Camera Strap
- Review: Gyration Air Mouse Elite (Now For Mac)
- Fake? Real? Take your bets: The (Probably Fake) iOS Table
- Is Gran Turismo 5 In Danger Of Being Delayed Again?
- Google TV Fragmentation Starts At Launch. The Key Differences Between The Logitech Revue And Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Player
- Alpina Manufacture Regulator Watch Review
- Porn Studios Now Going After File-Sharers
- The Dusk Tiger From Gibson All But Plays Itself
- 250GB Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle Includes Forza 3, Alan Wake
- Okamiden Now Has A Release Date: March 15, 2011
- Inside Foxconn’s Factories
- Google Offers Money Rewards For Finding Vulnerabilities In Its Web Stuff
- Google Street View Launches In Germany (But With A Win For Privacy Advocates)
- Review: Macbook Air 13-inch
- Try Out Part Of Google TV In Your Browser Right Now
| Daily Crunch: Dorm View Edition Posted: 03 Nov 2010 12:00 AM PDT |
| Nissan Releases Final Specs On The Leaf Posted: 02 Nov 2010 07:09 PM PDT
Some of the highlights from the official announcement:
Plenty of other stuff in there. Here’s the whole press release: LEAF ELECTRIFIES THE WORLD Zero emission motoring is, at last, a reality. The Nissan LEAF is here, now, and promises to revolutionise the way we drive. After decades of development, the Nissan LEAF is packed with innovative new technology to become the world’s first truly practical mass-produced 100% electric vehicle. “Nissan LEAF is a real-world car that has zero tailpipe emissions. With this innovative, affordable electric car, Nissan is bringing a sustainable mobility system breakthrough to our industry and to people all over the world.” said Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. At a glance Overview The first Nissan LEAF buyers in Japan and North America take delivery of their cars in December and will be joined by Europe’s initial customers from Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK in the first quarter of 2011. They will be the first drivers in the world to experience the future of motoring: the Nissan LEAF is the first realistic electric vehicle to be sold around the globe. The battery-powered five seater is both practical and affordable… and it’s here, now. By the end of 2012, the Nissan LEAF will be available in all major European markets. “This is just the beginning. Nissan has already announced the development of zero-emissions versions of the award-winning NV200 light van and people carrier and we have other pure EVs being readied for launch right now,’” said Pierre Loing vice president of product strategy and planning and head of the zero emission business unit at Nissan International SA, Nissan’s European headquarters. “The Nissan LEAF and the electric light commercial van are the first of four 100 per cent electric vehicles from Nissan to be brought to market over the next few years.” With its compact, highly efficient lithium-ion batteries and powerful electric motor, the Nissan LEAF has a range of 160km (100 miles – US LA4 mode) while a quick charge system takes just 30 minutes to restore up to 80 per cent of battery power. Instantly responsive acceleration is matched by a top speed of more than 140 km/h. The Nissan LEAF will be built in Japan, the USA and the UK, while the state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries will be manufactured in Portugal and France as well as in Japan, USA and the UK, making the Renault-Nissan Alliance the world’s largest EV and EV batteries manufacturer. “The future of motoring has arrived,” said Pierre Loing. 2. DRIVING THE FUTURE Nissan LEAF is not a prototype or a concept, but the world’s first purpose-designed family-sized production EV. It’s practical, comfortable and simple to drive. It has a potential driving range of 160kms between charges, easily within the daily driving cycles of most of the world’s population. At a glance The Nissan LEAF is a totally new design built on a unique platform. At its heart is the advanced Nissan-developed laminated compact lithium-ion battery, technology which has, at last, made the electric vehicle a practical proposition. The battery is the result of decades of research and development: Nissan first used lithium-ion batteries in the prototype Prairie Joy EV of 1996. Developed by the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), a joint venture between Nissan and NEC, the new battery has the capacity to store twice as much energy as the previous generation. Unlike conventional cylindrical batteries, the thin and compact laminated cells used in the new AESC battery offer more flexibility in design applications. The Nissan LEAF stores its energy in 48 lithium-ion battery modules with four battery cells inside each module. The advanced laminated design allows for them to fit snugly beneath the floor of the car, thus optimising cabin space and giving the Nissan LEAF a low centre of gravity for a smooth and stable ride. Responsive performance comes from the 80kw (108 bhp) electric motor that instantly generates its maximum 280 Nm of torque – equivalent to the torque of a conventional 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine – from a starting start. The result is rapid acceleration perfectly in tune with the Nissan LEAF’s natural urban and suburban habitat. The Nissan LEAF is easy to drive. The electric powertrain does not idle and only rotates when the vehicle is moving. To start the engine, the driver need only press the start button, and electricity begins flowing to the motor. Using the electric shift, the driver then selects “D” range, and the vehicle starts to move. It’s as simple as that. Driving range Driving range depends on several factors, including external temperature, air-conditioning usage, battery age and driving behaviour. Generally, the more environmentally friendly one drives, the greater the driving range. A user-friendly onboard screen shows key battery data, including maximum driving range, power output and regenerated electricity. An eco-indicator on the meter displays the status of electricity consumption, giving real-time feedback on the driver’s handling efficiency. The Nissan LEAF’s regenerative braking system also increases the vehicle’s range. By applying the brake or lifting off the accelerator, the electric motor acts as an electric generator, converting energy that would otherwise be wasted into battery energy. To increase regenerative braking capability, there’s a driver-controlled Eco mode setting, which also can be used to reduce air conditioning and thus improve driving range by 10 per cent when driving in urban areas. Recharging Nissan LEAF The Nissan LEAF can be charged up to 80 per cent of its full capacity in just under 30 minutes with a public quick charger. At-home charging using a 240V – 16A outlet takes approximately seven to eight hours for a full charge and will usually be carried out overnight to take advantage of cheaper off-peak electricity. At-home charging will need a special outlet and cable: Nissan dealers and other selected specialists will assist customers in the installation of domestic charging systems. The Nissan LEAF’s charging port has two sockets – one for normal charging, the other for quick charging – under a flap at the front of the car. Advanced telematics Another state-of-the-art feature is the ability to use a computer or smartphone to set charging functions and to monitor the car’s current state of charge and the remaining battery capacity. Drivers can set the Nissan LEAF’s air conditioning while charging via remote control, so the car is ready and comfortable for the driver. The on-board timer also can be pre-set to start charging the Nissan LEAF at night, taking advantage of lower electricity charges. Safety for all As with conventional vehicles, the Nissan LEAF has an airbag system, ABS, Brake Assist, Vehicle Dynamics Control and pretensioner seatbelts as standard, along with a rear-view camera for safe and easy parking. Pedestrian safety has also been addressed. In response to public concern that quiet EVs and hybrids can surprise pedestrians and the visually impaired as they approach, Nissan has developed a set of distinctive sounds that will come standard with Nissan LEAF to ensure a positive experience for drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike. In developing the sound system, Nissan studied behavioural research of the visually impaired and worked with cognitive and acoustic psychologists. After looking at applied original technology developed to reduce vehicle noise and conducting tests in Japan and abroad, the Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians system was created. The sine-wave sound system sweeps from 2.5kHz at the high end to a low of 600Hz, an easily audible range across age groups. Nissan worked to avoid a sound range that would add unnecessary noise to the environment (around 1,000Hz). Depending on the speed and status (accelerating or decelerating) of Nissan LEAF, the sound system will make sweeping, high-low sounds. For instance, when Nissan LEAF is started, the sound will be louder, so a visually impaired person would be aware that a nearby car was beginning operations. And when a car is in reverse, the system will generate an intermittent sound. The sound system ceases operation when Nissan LEAF tops 30km/h and enters a sound range where regular road noise is high. It engages again as Nissan LEAF slows to under 25km/h. The system is controlled through a computer and synthesizer in the dash panel, and the sound is delivered through a speaker in the engine compartment. A switch inside the vehicle can turn off sounds temporarily. The system automatically resets to “On” at the next ignition cycle. A full standard equipment list, including the rear-view camera, satellite navigation and the comprehensive IT systems, means there’s only one option available: a solar panel incorporated into the roof spoiler which supports charging of the car’s 12V battery used for powering accessories. Recycled and recyclable In Japan, Nissan has set up a joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation to “Reuse, Resell, Refabricate and Recycle” lithium ion batteries from EVs. In Europe, Nissan with its Alliance partner Renault is studying the establishment of a similar business with a local partner. Competitive pricing, affordable operations Although it depends on the country, analysis shows that electricity cost is approximately five times lower than fuel cost. For overall ownership cost, the higher the fuel cost, the more cost-effective EV ownership is. EVs: the future While the energy for charging EV batteries must come from power plants, a majority of which are coal-powered, CO2 can be reduced as power generators capture more CO2 emissions or use solar or wind power. As the world seeks to reduce CO2 and other global greenhouse-gas emissions, Nissan, through its commitment to sustainable mobility and EV technology, will be a leader in the effort to create a zero-emission society. 3.THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX Nissan LEAF is unique – it’s not a conversion of a conventional car but has been designed as an EV from the ground up. And that means the designers have been able to give LEAF looks that are as distinctive as its power train. At a glance Built on an all-new bespoke EV platform, LEAF sits on a generous 2700 mm wheelbase. It is 4445 mm long, 1770 mm wide and 1550 mm tall. Because it is powered by a small electric motor and with the compact battery packs located under the floor at the centre of the chassis, the Nissan LEAF’s design isn’t compromised by the need to house a traditional engine at the front. The result is the Nissan LEAF’s low-slung, abbreviated front-end design which is dramatically framed by the vertical blue LED headlights. These also direct airflow away from the door mirrors to improve the Nissan LEAF’s aerodynamics. The body was designed using Nissan’s ‘smart fluidity’ principle, combining visually pleasing flowing lines with aerodynamic efficiency. The kicked-up roofline blends into a large spoiler while the Nissan LEAF’s wind cheating shape is further helped by the flat, smooth underfloor. The rear view is dominated by thin, gently curved, vertical taillights and is, of course, notable by the total absence of an exhaust pipe. Inside there’s ample space for five adults and the airy interior houses advanced electronic devices including a flat centre cluster for the bespoke IT system and a neat and easy to use gearshift selector inspired by a computer mouse. The Nissan LEAF will be available in five colours in Europe – blue metallic and pearl, white pearl, silver metallic, black solid and red pearl. 4. OWNING A NISSAN LEAF Owning a Nissan LEAF is as easy as driving one. With an incentive-backed low purchase price and a raft of purchase schemes including an innovative ownership package, electric mobility is closer than ever At a glance Owning a LEAF Nissan LEAF’s standards components will carry a warranty of 3 years or 100,000km whereas specific electric vehicle components, including the lithium-ion battery, will carry a warranty of 5 years or 100,000 km – matching European market competitive conditions. Buying via the PCP scheme means customers pay a low monthly charge over three years. At the end of the term they can either hand the car back to the dealer and walk away, or pay the Guaranteed Future Value – fixed at the start of the term – and keep the car. Most owners, however, are likely to choose a third option and trade in their LEAF for a new EV. If the trade-in value – which depends on the car’s mileage and condition – is greater than the GFV, then the difference can be put towards the new vehicle. Nissan will also offer additional services to the PCP. This innovative electric mobility package will cover all the vehicle’s running costs for those three years. As well as the vehicle, it will include insurance, service and maintenance costs, roadside assistance, connection to LEAF’s on-board telematics, free access to public network electricity (depending on the country) and even access to a conventional car when the owner needs to cover longer distances. After paying a monthly fee, LEAF owners will be able to budget exactly their total operating costs no matter how far they drive each month. The monthly charges for the PCP and the mobility package will be disclosed closer to launch. 5. NISSAN UNPLUGGED The Nissan LEAF is far from being the first EV to wear the company badge. Indeed, LEAF can trace its roots back to the Tama built in 1947 by a company later absorbed by Nissan. But it is Nissan’s pioneering work in developing lithium-ion batteries that has really brought the modern EV to life At a glance The Dawn of the EV Age That quote could easily be from a government official at a pitch for a future fleet of zero emission vehicles. In fact the source is a scene from Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel – and later blockbuster film – Jurassic Park. Two decades later, Nissan is still an industry leader in lithium-ion battery development. However, the real story of Nissan’s history of Electric Vehicles starts much earlier, in 1947. It was a unique period in the auto industry and the development of electric vehicles. Due to the post-World War II energy shortage at that time, the Japanese government encouraged entrepreneurs to produce EVs to cope with the crisis. The Tama Electric Car was created by Tokyo Electric Cars Company – one of the ancestors of Prince Motor Co., Ltd., which later merged with Nissan. Developed by former military aviation engineers, the Tama used lead-acid batteries and generated 3.3kW power and a top speed of 35 km/h (22 mph). With a cruising range of 65 km (40 miles), they were used mainly as taxis. The car was sold until 1950, when Japan’s post-war recovery was well underway and oil supplies were stabilised. Li-ion on the Prairie The first fruit of their efforts was in 1996, when Nissan launched the Prairie EV, the world’s first electric car with Li-ion battery power. Although the Prairie EV was limited to fleet sales, around 30 units were sold to various entities. “The majority of the industry, even our colleagues, were sceptical about the Li-ion system,” recalls Hideaki Horie, Expert Leader at EV Technology Development Division. “We chose the Li-ion battery because we believed in its potential and possible applications for vehicles, much higher than the nickel hydride batteries that were common at that time.” EV on ice The Prairie EV, with no Nissan support or maintenance, served as the daily transportation from the base research station to the town and airport and, most importantly, while conducting meteorological observations. Zero emissions vehicles are critical for such use in order to not contaminate the research data with CO2 emissions. “The Nissan EV became a symbol of our pledge at the International Arctic Research Village that the environment would not be damaged by the execution of research activities,” recalls Dr. Hajime Ito, Chair NySMAC. “VIPs visiting our village were welcomed at the airstrip by the Prairie EV, which transported them to town without the slightest noise or exhaust gas. It was also an excellent vehicle for scientific purposes, such as the observation of wild animals, which you could approach without sound or smell.” In 2006, after six flawless years of service, the Prairie EV stopped running. Since Ny-Alesund, with a permanent population of just 35 residents, lacked a Nissan dealership, the vehicle was returned to Nissan for investigation and evaluation. When the car was examined, Nissan engineers were delighted to find that the problem was simply a disconnected condenser. Once repaired, the Prairie EV started right up (though cell performance had degenerated slightly but within projections), proving the feasibility and durability of the Li-Ion battery under extreme conditions. LA story Initial units were delivered to utility companies, including Southern California Edison Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. They were even used as parking enforcement vehicles by the Santa Monica Police Department. Part minivan, part SUV, part station wagon, charging was by a proven, safe, user-friendly inductive battery charging system through an electromagnetic paddle inserted into a charge port located in the front grille. The 83-horsepower (62 kW) synchronous motor utilized a high-performance Neodymium-Iron-Born alloy internal magnet rated at an approximately 89 percent operating efficiency. The AltraEV’s 12-module Li-Ion battery pack was located under the passenger compartment floor and offered a real world driving range (combined city/highway) of 130 km (80 miles). It also offered a 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), regenerative braking, a 120 km/h (75 mph) top speed and an 800-pound passenger/cargo capacity. Altra EV drivers were treated to amenities such as air conditioning, power windows and door locks, a premium audio system and dual supplemental air bags. Electric movie star Hypermini featured a lightweight, highly rigid aluminum space-frame and was fitted with a neodymium magnet synchronous traction motor and high performance lithium-ion batteries. It took about four hours to recharge the batteries using a 200-volt non-contact inductive AC charger. Hypermini’s driving range was 115 km (72 miles) on a single battery charge and it had a top speed of about 100 km/h (62 mph). The car was widely used in Japan and U.S., including at the University of California, Davis and a car-sharing project in Yokohama. Fully charged for the future The evolution of battery development has accelerated in the last decade thanks in large part to innovations in home and personal electronics, especially cellular phones. “We can even say that battery innovation owes a debt to the high school girls in the streets of Shibuya, who are extremely demanding, heavy cell phone users,” said Horie. “They are eager to have more chat, more emails, in less charging time. The boom of cell phones definitely accelerated the enhancement of battery technologies.” The impact of the ongoing reduction of batteries size has been felt not only in cell phones and computers, but also in designing cars. “You’ll be unleashed from various constraints if you choose an electric powertrain,” said Shiro Nakamura, senior vice president, Design, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “For example, it allows you to make the hood very low, contributing to the vehicle’s aerodynamics and style. You can make the center of gravity very low by putting the battery under the floor, or you can even place the motor in the wheel. And ultimately, you can separate the cabin and the platform – thanks to the x-by-wire technology. We wanted to show examples of this freedom of design and mobility for the future with the Pivo and the Pivo2. These concepts feature rotating cabins and the ability to make the four wheels move individually.” The original Pivo was one of the stars of the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, a feat followed by the next generation Pivo2 two years later. Continuing Nissan’s tradition of exhibiting advanced EV concepts to the world’s top motor shows, the Nissan Mixim electric sports car debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, followed by the Nissan NUVU (literally a “new view” of the urban transportation vehicle) at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. NUVU incorporates a witty representation of Nissan’s green credentials, including solar panels across its all-glass roof and the use of organic and recycled materials within the cabin. Looking ahead after more than 60 years of EV leadership, the year 2010 will mark the transition from the era of conventional mobility to true zero-emission mobility, led by the introduction of the Nissan LEAF. Cars like the Nissan LEAF will take us another critical step closer to the day when Nissan lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles will drive cleanly and efficiently through urban amusement parks filled with Raptors and T-rex clones – and not just in novels and movies. And, where the real dinosaurs on display may just be internal combustion vehicles. ENGINE BATTERY CHARGER DRIVE TRAIN CHASSIS WEIGHTS & DIMENSIONS PERFORMANCE *Data is subject to certification by the relevant authorities and may therefore be subject to change.
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| Great Fixed 3D Glasses On Konami’s Road Fighters Arcade Game Posted: 02 Nov 2010 06:02 PM PDT
Akihabara News put up a hands-on, in which they conclude that yes, it is a Konami racing game, and yes, you go fast on tracks and attempt to get first place. I just thought the glasses were the best part of the whole thing.
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| Two Magic Trackpads Merge Like Voltron To Become a Magic Keyboard Posted: 02 Nov 2010 04:22 PM PDT
via KeyboardHacks via Hackaday
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| Tea Candle Lava Lamp From Mathmos: Why Not? Posted: 02 Nov 2010 04:06 PM PDT
All you need is a tiny tea candle, which will heat (but likely illuminate only poorly) the mystery substance inside the bottle (not lava) for up to three hours. Less if your tea candle is small, or cheap. The Fireflow comes in turquoise, pink, green, and “glitter” for you Twilight fans. £35.00 please. [via 7gadgets]
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| C-Loop On Kickstarter: A Simple Mod To Improve Your Camera Strap Posted: 02 Nov 2010 03:28 PM PDT While I don’t share this inventor’s enmity towards the traditional camera strap, I can certainly see the benefits of the C-Loop project, which moves the anchor point of the strap to the tripod mount. While I feel certain shortcomings of this configuration are downplayed, I have to say that the system has some really obvious applications, and would probably sell a bunch if made. The C-Loop system screws into the tripod mount, but allows you to spin the camera independently. This means you can sling the camera sideways to make it more compact or protect a large lens, and it can’t exactly get tangled with only one contact point like that.
My concern is that the camera will naturally want to hang with its back towards you, lens out. In that case, the grip will usually be on the wrong side, since the camera is upside-down. Definitely not more convenient. And you’re not likely to have it resting with the lens towards you. No, you generally will want it to be sideways, with the lens pointing toward your shooting hand, but I’m concerned it won’t naturally tend to sit there. The benefit of two contact points for the strap is that the camera’s orientation remains correct almost no matter what. Whatever you do and however you lean, the camera will always be in the “ready” position, lens out, grip towards your gripping hand. A battery grip might change that situation, of course, and it depends on what lenses you use and how you shoot. Those criticisms said, it’s still a very useful option, and I’d want one in my gear cabinet just in case. Besides, it fits on any camera with a tripod mount, so it’s more than a DSLR accessory. Does this thing look interesting to you? Go pledge a few bucks on Kickstarter!
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| Review: Gyration Air Mouse Elite (Now For Mac) Posted: 02 Nov 2010 01:30 PM PDT
Pros:
Cons:
Full review:
The Gyration Air Mouse Elite isn’t particularly new, but its recent expansion to OS X brought it to my attention and I thought a review was in order. If you’re not familiar with air mice in general, it’s a class of input device that uses accelerometers and gyros to determine the position and orientation of the mouse, and move the cursor when you move the mouse. The most familiar example now would be a Wiimote, but of course the Wiimote requires line-of-sight, whereas the air mouse generally does not. This model doesn’t; it’s all communicated to a little wireless dongle.
Installation was straightforward on Windows 7, although a first botched installation (somehow) resulted in my not being able to customize gestures. Reinstalling fixed that right up. Installation on Mac was painless, and thankfully the configuration application lives in the menu bar and not in the dock. The interface is simple and well-done, and anyone could figure out how to operate and configure the mouse within a couple minutes. You drag actions onto buttons or gestures, and can easily change their parameters by double-clicking on them. You can only change the three media buttons; the big center one is for gestures, the trigger is for activating and de-activating mouse tracking, and the left, right, and trackball buttons are fixed.
The mouse itself has a bit of a strange shape, owing to the fact that it’s not just an air mouse but a plain optical mouse as well. It feels a bit bulbous in my hand, and while the media and gesture buttons are easily accessible, it’s difficult to hit the normal left and right mouse buttons when you’re holding the mouse with your finger on the trigger that activates it. Double-clicking is very difficult, and I couldn’t find a way to set a double-click macro to one of the other buttons. Even clicking once can be difficult, because you press down on the button, and even if you’re trying really hard not to let it happen, the cursor often moves just a pixel or two. That means you’re dragging, not clicking, and I’ve had a lot of clicks go unnoticed because of it. You can, of course, release the trigger to cease motion detecting, then double click, then resume tracking, but the extra step is slightly confounding. The ability to bind double click to a button would be far more convenient. Gestures, on the other hand, work very well: it detects which type of application you’re in (web, media, or presentation) and provides a customizable set of gestures within that customizable set of applications. While the gestures are handy, there are no multi-part gestures (like up-down or left-right-left), something I use frequently in my browser. There are a number of tools for use during presentations, and they seemed pretty well-executed. Draw or put stamps on the screen, highlight or cross out text, and so on. These would be very useful in a presentation or lecture, as long as you can wrap your mind around controlling the mouse from wherever you are.
Which is not to say that the mouse doesn’t control well. I was pleasantly surprised by the response time, which is almost nil. It’s good for big gestures and small adjustments (selecting another window, then clicking a link, for example) but no good for drawing anything but crude circles and lines. A little practice would help, but the results of trying to write my own name were no good. It’s just not meant for that kind of thing. The mouse also works as a plain old optical mouse when you set it down, and there is no transition time to speak of. That means if you can’t seem to nail a double-click at some crucial moment, you can always just do it old school. This also lets the mouse function as a normal wireless mouse, though the necessity of using a cradle to charge does limit its portability. Conclusion This is a mouse for a person who frequently uses his or her computer as a means of publicly showing stuff off — whether that’s hooking up your laptop to a projector, streaming movies to your PC, or giving slideshows in a class. It works well except, ironically, for the most common mousing task, clicking. If that seems like something you can deal with, then the Air Mouse Elite is a solid buy. For those of you looking for a cool gadget for gaming or expecting a Minority Report interface — not so much. MSRP is around $80 but you can find it for $60-70 if you look, which strikes me as a reasonable price. Product page: Gyration Air Mouse Elite     
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| Fake? Real? Take your bets: The (Probably Fake) iOS Table Posted: 02 Nov 2010 01:04 PM PDT
What happens when you take a monstrous 58″ capacitive touchscreen, convert it into a table, and then pipe all the visuals and touch data back and forth between the table and a jailbroken iPhone? Magic. Absolute friggin’ magic. Sure, it’s the total opposite of mobile — but it’s also the total opposite of not awesome. It might also be the total opposite of real. Check out the video after the jump. Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>
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| Is Gran Turismo 5 In Danger Of Being Delayed Again? Posted: 02 Nov 2010 12:35 PM PDT
Will Gran Turismo 5 ever come out? Sony said a few days ago that the game's producers, led by Kazunori Yamauchi, wanted a little bit more time to further polish the game, but it assured us the game would be available in time for the holidays. Now there's word that that might not even happen. Online retailers have started sending notices to people who've pre-ordered the game saying it may not arrive in time for Christmas. Amazon now lists the release date as December 31, 2011. I guess that's technically the holiday season, but we all know that missing December 25 is a bit of a letdown. Of course, Sony says that retailers are free to insert "arbitrary" dates when it comes to setting release dates for future titles, but that the date in question, December 31, is in no way official policy. That policy remains unchanged: the game will be available in time for the holiday shipping. (Hopefully.)
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| Posted: 02 Nov 2010 11:45 AM PDT
The Logitech Revue seems a bit more consumer-friendly where the Sony Google TV Blu-ray player has Sony’s distinct industrial feel throughout the hardware and the software. The Logitech option ships with a touchpad-equipped full keyboard where Sony opts for a QWERTY keypad controller slightly smaller than the a PS3 controller. One does the Internet better, while the other plays nicer with more AV hardware. There’s enough difference here to at the very least cause several interested shoppers to pause, stare at the two for a bit and then move on in a daze. The Sony Smooths Out Some Of Google TV’s bumpsI felt almost immediately that the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Player seemed faster and provided a more smooth interface. Where the Logitech Revue stutters through all the menus and options, the Sony player is quite smooth. It’s most noticeable on the Internet, though. Browsing the Internet on Sony Google TV is rather pleasing in contrast to the Logitech Revue, on which pages take a significant longer time to load. Acid3 still reports a 99/100, but a lot less tests reported slow rendering than Chrome on the Revue, which seems to confirm my findings. Combine the extra speed with a different controller scheme (more on that down farther) and browsing the Internet on your HDTV is almost enjoyable — but still not perfect thanks to the stripped-down Google TV browser. The Logitech Plays More Online Media
The Logitech Supports Nearly All AV HardwareSimply put, the Logitech Revue supports nearly every piece of AV equipment ever created where the Sony does not. Logitech worked the Logitech Harmony database into the Revue, which is somewhat of a necessity seeing how Google TV is supposed to act as an intermediary between a set-top box and an HDTV. I had no issues adding my TiVo HD, InFocus projector, and older Onkyo AV receiver to the Revue’s controller list. It was different story when setting up the Sony player. First off, the Sony only has a short list of supported hardware and does not allow users to add to it, which left my InFocus projector off of the list. Not a huge deal, but the Sony remote will not control the power, meaning the other remote still has to be handy. Then, when it came to hooking up the STB, instead of asking for the model number, the Sony asks users to run through a list of remote control codes until one worked. The only thing is, the list didn’t have a TiVo option, so I’m stuck using a code set for a Comcast box that happens to be missing several controls, like the Clear command. It’s probably best to stay away from the Sony if you have a random assortment of AV equipment. The Logitech’s Skin Is Much More Consumer Friendly
Logitech’s proprietary apps make the whole system feel a bit more friendly. Sony’s DLNA client looks straight out of 2006 with just tiled folders, where Logitech’s option is, well, more refined and classy. That’s big as the DLNA server part of Google TV is a big selling point as you’re supposed to be able to easily poll online and networked sources for your content. The average consumer is used to pretty interfaces now and Sony’s look and feel more on the OEM side than Logitech’s. Two Controllers, Two Markets
The Logitech keyboard-turned-remote is a bit unwieldy but certainly functional. It’s a keyboard, so typing on it is a non-issue. I typed 90% of my Google TV review on the Revue with this keyboard. Then again, not many people will probably do that. But still, it doesn’t limit Google TV’s use in anyway where typing even an email on the Sony remote is painful. I would say that the Logitech keyboard might be the option with the easiest learning curve. The Sony remote is a mash-up of buttons and pads, with many buttons serving alternative commands along with a Fn button. Which one should you buy? Well, I’m not sure you should buy either, but I would probably go with the Logitech player. I like the full keyboard, it works with a nice webcam and at $300, it’s $100 less expensive than the Blu-ray-equipped Sony option. The performance advantage of the Sony isn’t all that significant at this time and the Logitech works with more AV equipment. But that’s just me.
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| Alpina Manufacture Regulator Watch Review Posted: 02 Nov 2010 11:30 AM PDT  Alpina makes sporty but classic watches. "What does that mean" you say? Well allow me to explain. The design of Alpina watches has always aroused my curiosity. While they hold themselves as makers of "wild, extreme,... Xtreme!" watches, they actually take much more influence from more simple classic timepieces. Which is an interesting concept when people are trying to push the envelope with design. Alpina seems to understand that their watches need to stay decent looking a few years from now, and build in a sense of ongoing appeal. In fact, these are watches that age nicely, as opposed being the type that capture your attention with novel looks, and then get stale with haste. Look over their collection and you will find a much softer, less brutal nature than the names of their watches might communicate. I actually just looked over their 2010 catalog and found that over 90% of their watches have the name "Extreme" in the title. This watch is one of the few that don't. But imagine what it would look like as the "Extreme Manufacture Regulator." Now you are talking! Actually they do have a watch called the "Extreme Regulator."
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| Porn Studios Now Going After File-Sharers Posted: 02 Nov 2010 11:15 AM PDT
Porn studios have now started suing filthy pirates. Your days of being able to download Hot Chicks Doing Stuff 4 with impunity are over~! The first studio to start with the lawsuits, Axel Braun Productions, has gone after 7,098 file-sharers for downloading the movie Batman XXX: A Porn Parody. The movie is distributed by Vivd. Braun himself told an industry publication:
These types of suits usually work like this: lawyers petition the courts to issue a subpoena against various Internet Service Providers for the name and other information if the IP address they allege to have infringed copyright. Then the lawyers send a sternly written letter to the person, asking he or she to settle out of court. If not, expect to be sued. What a time to be alive.
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| The Dusk Tiger From Gibson All But Plays Itself Posted: 02 Nov 2010 10:48 AM PDT
The bridge actually senses the tension and tuning of the string while the internal electronics manage the sound. You can even swap out the “brain” when it becomes obsolete.
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| 250GB Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle Includes Forza 3, Alan Wake Posted: 02 Nov 2010 10:15 AM PDT
Just in time for the holidays, Microsoft has announced a new Xbox 360 bundle, this time aimed at you "core" gamers (as opposed to the Oprah-watching "casuals.") The bundle, which should be available in the next few weeks, will cost $299 and will come with Forza 3, which is great. The bundle will also with a code to download Alan Wake (which I comparatively little about) from Games on Demand. That is all.
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| Okamiden Now Has A Release Date: March 15, 2011 Posted: 02 Nov 2010 09:45 AM PDT
Good news! Okamiden, the whimsical Nintendo DS game that I looked at a few weeks ago, now has a release date: March 15, 2011. Capcom has teamed up with GameStop, meaning that if you buy (well, pre-order) the game at your local GameStop you'll get some exclusive stuff. So what do you get? An honest question, yes. The first 20,000 people who pre-order the game get a stylus in the shape of a paintbrush, a "custom screen cleaner" that has artwork of the main wolf pup, Chibiterasu, and Kumi, the swordmen. Capcom also has a contest on its Facebook page where you can win, among other things, Chibiterasu plush dolls.
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| Posted: 02 Nov 2010 09:13 AM PDT
Our good buddy Joel Johnson went inside Foxconn’s 540,000 employee factory in Shenzhen. There are 950,000+ employees in China alone. To put that into perspective, Columbus, Ohio, my hometown, is home to 711,470 people. I’m glad Joel is there to document this and to prove that for all our First World piety, whatever is going on in Foxconn is both good for the employees and good for the bosses. It’s just not good for us as we lag ever-behind the manufacturing might of Asia.
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| Google Offers Money Rewards For Finding Vulnerabilities In Its Web Stuff Posted: 02 Nov 2010 08:30 AM PDT
Google will now pay you to find and report vulnerabilities in its various Web properties. The company made the announcement yesterday, and it applies to sites like google.com, youtube.com, and orkut.com. Should you report a qualifying bug, you can expect to walk away with at least $500. The program echoes an earlier program Google had launched for its Chromium project. Find a bug, report it, walk away with cold hard cash. Prizes range from $500 to $3,133.70. Get it, 1337? The vulnerabilities Google is looking for are primarily of the XSS variety. And bad news if you live in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria: you're not eligible to win cash money. I somehow doubt we get too many readers from those countries.
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| Google Street View Launches In Germany (But With A Win For Privacy Advocates) Posted: 02 Nov 2010 07:45 AM PDT
Google may have ended its feud with the Federal Trade Commission, but its standing in Europe isn’t as cut-and-dry. Street View, the mapping service that has caused much consternation, has just gone live in Germany, but in a modified form. So far, the only place where it’s gone live is Oberstaufen in Munich. Unlike, say, here in the U.S., where Google’s Street View cars can drive around with impunity, the Germans required Google to submit to popular will. Citizens there are able to opt-out of the service long before the cars come a-rumbling through. Individual citizens can request to have their property blurred when Street View photos go live. Google said there may still be some bugs in the system—a house that was supposed to be blurred wasn’t, for example—but that they’ll go out of their way to make everything right. The German Street View is unique in that it’s the only implementation of the service where people can request ahead of time to have their property blurred. In the UK, you can request your property blurred, but only after the images have already gone live. You can look at the area itself here.
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| Posted: 02 Nov 2010 06:11 AM PDT
Pros:
Cons:
You Can Never Be Too Thin Or Too Rich Although we’ve already covered the MacBook Air on our sister site (oops, this is the link), I thought it would be fair to assess its merits in a more objective fashion. As it stands, anyone you show the new Air will agree that it is a handsome piece of kit. It works very well, as we know, and it contains no mechanical storage, which means everything excepting the small internal fan is completely silent. The solid-state drives (SSDs) inside allow this computer to boot in about ten seconds, or thirty on a bad day. Access to the filesystem is almost instantaneous although, in absolute truth, there is little performance difference between a standard laptop and this model especially considering the 1.86GHz processor. What you make up for in access speed makes the lack of processor speed seem less important. In real terms, a bog standard MacBook Pro 13-inch hits about 3655 on GeekBench while the Air hits 3003. An above average 15-inch MBP with 4GB and 2.66GHz processor can top out at 5695 and a Sony gaming laptop with 4GB memory and a 1.73 GHz processor can hit 4978. One of my favorite laptops, the Envy 14, hits 4463. So we can be absolutely accurate in stating that the MacBook Air is quite low in terms of overall performance. Battery life is about 4 hours in real terms and six in loosey goosey terms. I used the laptop for about four hours this morning and it hit about 10% before I recharged. Expect this to work on a long NY to LA flight but not on an LA to China flight. The wireless problems that plagued some old MacBook Airs are gone here and I was very impressed with the wireless speed and performance which has as much to do with the cache speed than the actual radio. The real draw here is size and weight. This is probably the thinnest laptop you have ever seen. I’ve shown it to multiple people and they’re all amazed. However, that thinness comes with a price. For example, you only have two USB ports, one on each side, which is a slight improvement over the original Air’s single USB port. You also have a Mini DisplayPort Adapter, but there is no Ethernet port — a problem if you end up in a hotel with Ethernet-only connectivity. No FireWire, of course. It has a headphone jack but no line-in. There is a webcam in the bezel and an omnidirectional microphone. There is, most importantly, no optical drive. This could be an immediate dealbreaker for many people but I would recommend the DVD-lovers out there to start ripping, because optical drives, at least in the thin and light category, have been going the way of the Dodo for some time. Don’t Call It a Netbook Therein lies the problem with the Air. On the low end you risk running out of drive space and with 2GB of memory you face a potential shortage when performing larger tasks. Bump things up to usable numbers – 4GB and 250GB – and you’re talking $1,800 out the door. So much for the $999 price point. So here you see my issue with this laptop. If I’m an average consumer who wants a Mac I’m going to get a MacBook Pro or MacBook with lots of space, ports, and size. If I’m a viewing the Internet on my couch I’m going to get a tablet or netbook. If I’m a pretentious Appletard who has to have the latest and greatest (guilty as charged) I have to spend 2 grand on this thing just to up the specs to acceptable levels. But Who Is This For Can it replace a MacBook Pro, as MG suggests? Sure if you use only a few major programs like iPhoto and iMovie. Final Cut is definitely a stretch on this and realtime weather simulations required multiple petaflops of power is right now. Luckily 90% of the audience interested in the Air is probably not running anything more processor intensive than Keynote. I personally laid out $1,800 for my model with 4GB memory and 256GB of hard drive space. That’s quite a lot. Considering the Sony I mentioned above, the VPCF136FM/B, costs $1,299 and blows the pants off this machine and an EEE PC can be had for about $300, I’m hard-pressed to recommend this as either a full-bore laptop or a netbook. It is a special creature, like one of those plankton that live in the deepest, coldest parts of the ocean. Like the plankton, the MacBook Air serves a very specific purpose in a very specific ecosystem but, also like the plankton, the price of living within that ecosystem is very high. I have yet to test it on the road but from what I can tell it will be useful. I do quite a bit of image and video editing but I’m not Ansel Scorcese so I don’t need to open huge RAW files or edit HD video for PAL and NTSC. Bottom Line If you are a MacBook Pro user who is tired of lugging around a 6lb notebook then this is the laptop for you. It offers most of the functionality of an MBP (though only a part of the actual power) without the weight or size. In fact, it could even feasibly replace your MBP if you rarely run anything worse than Microsoft Excel. Unfortunately, you won’t want to pay $1,199 for the lowest-end model. You’ll want to upgrade and that will cost you. If you’re looking at a netbook, don’t spend $1,199 (or even $999 for the 11-inch) on this. This isn’t an entry-level MacBook, this is a device specifically oriented towards a certain type of consumer. If you’re looking at a standard notebook, don’t look here. This isn’t for you. Get an original MacBook or a Windows PC of your choosing. Users are all different and if you have the cash and the impetus to buy a very slim MacBook, then you should look into the Air. Otherwise, steer clear.
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| Try Out Part Of Google TV In Your Browser Right Now Posted: 02 Nov 2010 06:00 AM PDT
Google TV Search is the platform’s secret sauce and would be crazy useful outside of the product, but alas, those URLs seem to self destruct after a few quick minutes. Still, most people are smarter than I, so I pasted the link below anyway, with the hope someone can deconstruction them and out something useful. Just don’t bother navigating to it, it won’t show the awesome search tool.
Google TV search is without question the best thing about Google TV. It polls the Internet along with your STB programing guide and even local network drives for searched content and then presents the info in a clever grid layout. The rest of the platform is nonsense; all you really need is Google TV Search built directly into a TV or existing HTPC.
Google makes fantastic products and Google TV could end up in that category alongside Gmail, Maps, and Android. But if the platform fails, there’s a good chance that at least the search portion would live on. That’s good enough for me.
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Moving to the wilderness, far from the madding crowd, but can’t bear to leave behind such necessities as the relaxing ripple of your lava lamp? No worries, traveler. Take the Mathmos Fireflow O1, and you can have lava wherever your road takes you.
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