CrunchGear |  |
- Our Favorite Things: Basic Computer Games Book
- iPhone Sales In China Slow, Nokia Still Making Waves In Asia
- Sanyo To Mass-Produce World’s Most Efficient Solar Cells
- Photo Report: CrunchGear Visits Tokyo-Based Tech Company Ubiquitous Entertainment
- Daily Crunch: Wreck Edition
- Oh Man, Polaroid Is Teasing A New Camera For CES
- The Epic Cheap Stocking Stuffers Gift List For Freaks, Geeks and Everyone Else
- Is Wikileaks’ Julian Assange Hiding Out In The UK? And Why Are People Hating On Amazon?
- Car Jacker Busted 10 Minutes After The Heist Thanks To An Android App
- Yup: Nasa Discovers Arsenic-Using Microbobe In California Lake
- Microsoft: Only 50 Percent Of Xbox Live Users Pay For Gold Subscription
- Video: Kevin Bacon And Google TV
- Sennheiser + Adidas = HD 25 Originals
- Qatar’s World Cup 2022 Win Is A Win For Technology
- Apple TV Slowdown Is Frustrating Users, Maybe A New Jailbreak Will Help?
- Gift Guide: The 10 Worst Toys Of The Season
- Has Nasa Found A New Type Of Life Right Here On Earth?
- Dish Network’s Remote Access App Streams Content From Slingbox To iPad
- OnLive PlayPack: Unlimited Access To 40+ Games For $9.99 A Month
- Tommykaira ZZ-EV: Japanese University Venture Shows New Electric Car
| Our Favorite Things: Basic Computer Games Book Posted: 03 Dec 2010 05:12 AM PST
Best of all? George Beker and David Ahl are offering a nice discount on the book. He wrote to us!
While kids these days may not want to mess with coding, this is a great way to wake them up to the possibilities of programming.
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| iPhone Sales In China Slow, Nokia Still Making Waves In Asia Posted: 03 Dec 2010 04:48 AM PST
That’s what you’ll probably hear from the blogosphere today about the iPhone in China. Instead, the real story is about China’s position as a smartphone powerhouse. Sales have, in fact grown 200% in the past year and manufacturers have sold 8-10 million last quarter, which isn’t too shabby. Fifty percent of those phones are Android phones while even good old Nokia is still hanging in there at 70%. Apple and RIM sold 500,000 units total, which is pretty shabby.
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| Sanyo To Mass-Produce World’s Most Efficient Solar Cells Posted: 03 Dec 2010 02:01 AM PST
Yesterday, we reported that Sharp is ready to invest $180 million in a new plant near Osaka to mass-produce solar cells. And now, just 24 hours later, we have yet another positive news item from the green energy front: Sanyo today announced it will start mass-producing a new type of solar cell, too. What’s interesting is that (according to Sanyo), their so-called HIT cells boast the the world's highest cell conversion efficiency of 21.6% (Sharp’s models can “only” convert about 17% of sun light into electricity). It’s worth noting that back in September, Sharp showed a solar cell with even 42.1% efficiency – but that’s still just a prototype. Sanyo’s HIT-N240SE10 (240W, module efficiency: 19%) was made by redesigning the tabs and using anti-reflection coated glass. The company plans to start sales in Europe in February next year.
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| Photo Report: CrunchGear Visits Tokyo-Based Tech Company Ubiquitous Entertainment Posted: 03 Dec 2010 01:02 AM PST
Tokyo-based Ubiquitous Entertainment creates many things: applications for the iPhone and iPad (iTunes), cell phone games, websites, SDKs, and even hardware. Reason enough for me to pay them a visit a couple of days ago in their brand new office, which is located a stone’s throw away from Akihabara, Japan’s tech and Otaku capital. Here are a few pictures I took at their office (the official Ubiquitous Entertainment in English is here). What you see above is the slightly futuristic entrance area by the way. Part of the office space (the company employs 60 people):
Robots in the conference room: Pioneer’s Cyberboard touch screen for demos etc.:
Entertainment space with, complete with tatami mats:
Bed room with 4 beds (for hard-working male employees):
Separate bed room with 2 beds (for female employees):
Office of Ubiquitous Entertainment CEO Ryo Shimizu: Remote-controlled (and speaking) robot Nabaztag:
When Shimizu has guests in the conference room, he fires up an app on his iPhone, asking for drinks. In the picture below, you can see his request for 6 cups of tea:
And this video shows how the Nabaztag instantly passes on instructions to employees sitting in the office:
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| Posted: 03 Dec 2010 12:00 AM PST
Tommykaira ZZ-EV: Japanese University Venture Shows New Electric Car
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| Oh Man, Polaroid Is Teasing A New Camera For CES Posted: 02 Dec 2010 04:42 PM PST
We’ll be there, of course, to check this thing out and give you guys the whole story, and I have to say that I am looking forward to it.
When I was shooting the instant film to review the Diana, I got that feeling back, the fun that comes from instant photos. Everyone wanted shake the pictures, fight over them, pose, and just in general have fun with photography the way few people do any more. Unless Polaroid seriously blows this, I fully expect to keep one of these around, bulky and expensive as I’m sure it’ll be. Engadget did a little retouching to reveal some of the camera’s details, and it looks to be a far better-looking camera than that weird 300 from earlier this year.
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| The Epic Cheap Stocking Stuffers Gift List For Freaks, Geeks and Everyone Else Posted: 02 Dec 2010 03:49 PM PST
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| Is Wikileaks’ Julian Assange Hiding Out In The UK? And Why Are People Hating On Amazon? Posted: 02 Dec 2010 12:45 PM PST
More Wikileaks info for you. It’s pretty hard to think of a bigger tech story in 2010 than the site’s rise to prominence. Obviously it’s been around for a while now, but it didn’t really ruffle any feathers—always a good thing—until this year. Today’s developments: it would certainly appear that Public Enemy Number One (in the eyes of certain talking heads here in the U.S.), Julian Assange, is currently somewhere in the south-west of the UK. Authorities there know full well that he’s there, but they’re working out some of the logistical details, not least of which include talking to Assange’s legal team, before making any moves. From this we can infer that it’s a matter of when, not if, Assange will end up in custody. There’s also been an alteration in the Swedish arrest warrant stemming from an alleged incident. It basically makes it easier for the UK police to act on the Swedish warrant as per EU regulations. Assange, as you would expect, has said that this is nothing more than a smear campaign being waged against him. It’s not too hard to see his point here. How many "normal" people wanted for what appears to be a routine arrest warrant end up with an Interpol Red Notice? The authorities couldn’t have done a worse job making all of this seem less connected. Oh, and Sweden has now refused Assange’s appeal. The only thing leaking out here is the notion you may have had that Assange is being treated like anyone else. Another development worth mentioning: the Amazon connection. You’ll recall that some "hacktivist" had managed to knock Wikipedia offline by initiating a denial of service attack. I mean, I put bread in the toaster this morning and made toast, but you don’t see me boasting about it, do you? Wikileaks had then switched over hosting duties to Amazon’s S3 services, which prompted some people to call for a boycott of the site. Then Amazon kicked Wikileaks off its servers, which then prompted some to threaten to boycott Amazon for not supporting free speech. It’s all a bit silly, really, all this back-and-forth.
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| Car Jacker Busted 10 Minutes After The Heist Thanks To An Android App Posted: 02 Dec 2010 11:39 AM PST
It’s gettin’ hard out here for a car jacker, folks. It used to be that you just roll up, knock on a window, be threatening in one way or another, and bam — you’ve got a new and totally unearned ride. Nowadays, though, you’ve got all this new fangled technology to worry about. Lojack. OnStar. Oh, you didn’t notice the smartphone sitting in the cupholder? Enjoy county lockdown, bub. Such is the case for the jacker who went up against one lucky gent, who was able to send cops to his car less than 10 minutes after it was jacked, thanks to an app running on his Android phone. Read the rest at MobileCrunch, because we won’t steal your car >>
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| Yup: Nasa Discovers Arsenic-Using Microbobe In California Lake Posted: 02 Dec 2010 11:25 AM PST
Yes~! Nasa has revealed that it did, in fact, find a microbe (GFAJ-1, to be exact) in Mono Lake, in California, that’s able to substitute arsenic for phosphorus. Nasa just comes right out and says it: "The definition of life has just expanded. As we pursue our efforts to seek signs of life in the solar system, we have to think more broadly, more diversely and consider life as we do not know it." That’s pretty much what I said earlier today: I like to think that there may be forms of life Out There that we totally don’t understand. The sooner we recognize that, the better. The full paper will be published in this week’s edition of Science Express.
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| Microsoft: Only 50 Percent Of Xbox Live Users Pay For Gold Subscription Posted: 02 Dec 2010 10:15 AM PST
Microsoft certainly used a lot of words at some Credit Suisse technology conference yesterday, but only a few of them are worth relaying here. The main thing that its Interactive Entertainment Division CEO, Dennis Durkin, said that a whopping 50 percent of Xbox Live users actually pay the $60 per year for Xbox Live. There’s 25 million Xbox Live subscribers, so you’re looking at something like 12.5 million Xbox Live Gold subscribers. How many of these 12.5 million people aren’t jerks? That’s all I want to know. You’ll recall that Microsoft jacked up the price of an Xbox Live Gold subscription by $10, from $50 per year to $60 per year. Microsoft says that’s to help cover the cost of all the fancy new features Xbox Live Gold subscribers get, such as… online multi-player! And access to ESPN and Netflix streaming video! Eh, I suppose if you’re a big Netflix user that would be worth $60 per year (works out to $5 per month, in addition to whatever you pay to Netflix). Additionally, Durkin doesn’t seem too bothered that much of the Kinect launch software really isn’t all that good, perhaps with the exception of Dance Central. That seems dandy.
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| Video: Kevin Bacon And Google TV Posted: 02 Dec 2010 09:30 AM PST |
| Sennheiser + Adidas = HD 25 Originals Posted: 02 Dec 2010 09:15 AM PST
Not too much to this next bit, but not every post is the size of the Fallout: New Vegas strategy guide. Sennheiser has teamed up with Adidas to create the HD 25 Originals, a pair of headphones that "are ideal for everyday listening in comfort and style or when you are working in the club or studio." They are just headphones, mind. It’s not a headset, it doesn’t have built-in surround sound, etc. Plain ol’ headphones. But, plug them into a system that has Dolby Headphone and you’re good to good. Gaming-wise, that is. Unless you’re pretending to be Deadmau5 or something.
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| Qatar’s World Cup 2022 Win Is A Win For Technology Posted: 02 Dec 2010 08:45 AM PST Well there you go: the 2018 Fifa World Cup will be in Russia and the 2022 Fifa World Cup will be in Qatar. We’re all in agreement in the official CrunchGear chat room this morning: it’s more exciting this way. Would you rather spend your summer holiday on the Baltic Sea coast or in rainy Liverpool? (Nothing against Liverpool, mind.) I, for one, think it’s far more interesting, at least from an international perspective, to host the tournament smack dab in the Middle East than, say, New Jersey. You have to remember: it’s an international game, and Fifa these days is very keen on using the tournament to spread the seeds of soccer (and all that that entails) all over the world. It’s a societal thing as much as anything else. Oh, right: this is a tech site. Believe it or not, there is a tech story here, specifically as it relates to the Qatar bid. Here’s a hint: how can you possibly host a World Cup during the middle of the summer in the Middle East? Doesn’t it get, you know, hot there?
Apparently Qatar will deploy some sort of air cooling technology inside the stadiums in order to make sure the players don’t collapse from heat exhaustion. You can’t have Messi & Co. running around in 30-degree Celsius temperatures for 90 minutes. Well, I think Messi will be 34 by the time the 2022 World Cup comes around, so I’m not sure it’ll exactly be him running around out there. The cooling technology will be able to reduce the temperature on the pitch by as much as 20 degrees Celsius. Says the Qatari bid’s Web site (the site is slammed right now, so give it a bit):
So not only will Qatar pay for the development of this technology, but they’ll also give (sell?) to other hot-climate countries so they, too. can host international tournaments. Oh, and this technology won’t just be used inside the stadiums. Nope, they’ll also be used all over the country, at Fan Zones, training areas, you name it. And a big laughing-out-loud to some of the guys on Fox Soccer Channel (I was watching their live coverage) bemoaning the fact that Qatar gets to host the tournament, complaining about how oil and gas bought the tournament[s]. Sounds like sour grapes to me. Besides, now you get to experience a different culture for a month. What is so terrible about that? It’s the World Cup, people!
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| Apple TV Slowdown Is Frustrating Users, Maybe A New Jailbreak Will Help? Posted: 02 Dec 2010 08:18 AM PST
Apple TV users are reporting massive slow downs in video rentals and streaming over HDMI, resulting in “3,000 minute” waits for some media. In related news, the new Apple TV is currently jailbroken and you can basically knock out the Apple TV iOS software and run Plex, instead.
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| Gift Guide: The 10 Worst Toys Of The Season Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:50 AM PST
Every year around this time, we rush to the toy store in search of bargains for the wee ones, hoping to find that one glorious item hidden among the picked-over dross that is a post-Black Friday Toys ‘R’ Us. But be warned, shoppers: all is not as it seems. You see, lurking in the depths of our nation’s toy shelves, are some of the worst, most horrific toys you can ever imagine, toys so unusable and plain broken that we shudder to even gaze on their horrific boxes. Friends, we present the worst toys of the season.
10. Imaginarium Spiral Train Set
Why It Sounds Good: Imaginarium has traditionally offered an alternative to expensive Thomas the Tank Engine tracks and trains, allowing cheap parents to give their kids a train fix without forcing them to take out a second mortgage. Why It’s Bad: Where do I start? The tracks fall apart (most commenters on our review recommended using a hot glue gun but I used staples), the slightest breeze will topple the entire thing, and most of the pieces aren’t compatible with other sets because of a slight incline in the track. It is a trifecta of terrible. Building it is like putting together a 3D model of Westminster Abbey blindfolded with a monkey howling in your ear.
Why It Sounds Good: Kids love stories! And they love animation? Why not stick both into a cheap plastic package with a wonky screen? Why It’s Bad: Let’s face it: your kids don’t want fake electronics, they want real electronics. I’ve tried to give my son the educational toys for years, starting with a Lil’ Pasty’s Animal Reanimation Kit (don’t ask) and none of them were worth his valuable time. My iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360, however, held his attention for hours. If you’re going to try to go this route, just throw your $60 in the river and give the little tyke your iPod.
8. Playmobil Security Check-Point
Why It Sounds Good: Maybe you’re going to have to fly to grandma’s this year. Shouldn’t your little one be ready to face the soulless representatives of our nation’s security apparatus? Why It’s Bad: First off, it’s just plain wrong: the woman traveler will not just slide through security like a greased pig anymore. She’ll be prodded, poked, and padded down or she’ll have her picture taken in the nude. If you wanted to make this more realistic you’d add a back-scatter scanner and countless testy passengers.
7. Step2 Safari Adventure Ball Pit From The Description:
Why It Sounds Good: It’s a ball pit! Kids love ball pits! Why It’s Bad: It is a little known fact that the definition of “ball pit” still has not been generally agreed upon by many linguists. In the vernacular, a “ball pit” suggests a fun place for kids to play under a mountain of soft plastic balls. In this case, however, the definition of “ball pit” is limited to 25 balls in an inflatable kiddie pool the size of a toilet bowl.
6. Disney Fairies Water Dispenser From The Description:
Why It Sounds Good: A hydrated child is a healthy child. Why It’s Bad: Drip Drip. “Olivia? What are you doing?” “Oh nothing, just emptying my water dispenser onto the floor.”
5. Child’s tassel t-shirt Why It Sounds Good: Why It’s Bad:
Why It Sounds Good: Why It’s Bad:
Why It Sounds Good: Why It’s Bad: 2. Sing A Ma Jigs
Why It Sounds Good: Why It’s Bad: 1. Kid-Sized Vuvuzela
Why It Sounds Good:  Keep your eye on some real presents in our 2010 Gadget Gift Guide
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| Has Nasa Found A New Type Of Life Right Here On Earth? Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:47 AM PST
There’s several big announcements coming up later today. The biggest is probably the World Cup bids, and the tension is evident. (More on that later.) Then we’ve got UFC‘s Chael Sonnen appearing before the California State Athletic Commission to explain his elevated testosterone levels during his fight with Anderson Silva back in August. Last, Nasa. Yes, somehow Nasa has rubbed two nickels together and has very possibly found something truly exciting—a new form of life! Gather ’round, put down your copy of Angry Birds, and let’s sing a song. The deal is that Nasa has found a bacteria in a lake in California whose DNA uses arsenic. WHAT?! Yes, arsenic. We know of no other life on this planet whose DNA uses arsenic. In a sense it means we have no idea what we’re talking about, generally speaking. We spend so much time (and money) trying to find earth-like planets in habitable zones, insisting that liquid water, carbon and all those fun, familiar elements are vital for life. Well maybe not? I’ve always liked to entertain the idea that maybe there’s some form of life somewhere that works in a completely different manner. Instead of life being found on some Earth 2, maybe it’ll just be so different that we can’t wrap our heads around it? It’s an exciting possibility, if nothing else. Nasa’s full announcement happens later today, so I’ll report back here when that all goes down.
Correct, the answer is Solaris. Nothing was at stake, mind you, but kudos!
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| Dish Network’s Remote Access App Streams Content From Slingbox To iPad Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:31 AM PST
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| OnLive PlayPack: Unlimited Access To 40+ Games For $9.99 A Month Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:06 AM PST
Starting today for OnLive Game System owners, this flat-rate plan grants access to a sizable chunk of the OnLive library. Better even yet, since the plan is in beta until January 15, 2011 when it will be available to all OnLive members, this pack is available free of charge till then. Who doesn’t like free games? No one, that’s who.
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| Tommykaira ZZ-EV: Japanese University Venture Shows New Electric Car Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:01 AM PST
In April this year, a group of graduate school students at Kyoto University announced the launch of a venture called Green Lord Motors [JP]. As the name suggests, it’s a car company, and yesterday, it took the wraps off its first offering [JP, PDF]: a replica of the popular Tommykaira ZZ as an electric vehicle. The Tommykaira ZZ was a handmade sports car developed in Kyoto in 1997 by a small car maker (which stopped producing it after selling 200 units in Japan and internationally). Technical details are scarce at this point, but Green Lord does say that their version, the so-called Tommykaira ZZ-EV has a fiber-reinforced plastic body and weighs 640 kilograms (just like the original vehicle). The venture will start offering the electric car with a $81,000 price tag to customers worldwide in June 2011. It expects to sell 100 units a year.
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Android Plush Robot — 
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