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- Trailer: Final Fantasy III Lands On The App Store
- Daily Crunch: Remote Control Edition
- Apple To Bring AirPlay To Televisions?
- Samsung Talks High Pixel Screens For Tablets
- Sweet Winning DARPA Combat Vehicle Designs Shown Off
- Panasonic’s GH2 Gets Reviewed
- Kinect Lets Surgeons Navigate Medical Data In The OR
- Sega Auctions Rare Items For Japanese Relief
- Apple Pulls “Gay Cure” App Under Heavy Criticism
- ZTE Breaks Fiber-Optic Speed Record: 10Tbps Over 640km
- Super Talent Outs Affordable USB 3.0 Flash Drives
- World’s Highest Solar Array To Be Built In Tibet
- Man Creates Microwave Gun From Small Appliance, Starts Burning Things (Video)
- London School Of Economics: No, Piracy Has Not Killed The Music Industry (But The Industry Has Certainly Changed)
- Geohot Has Left The Country
- Artist’s Portraits Of CRTs Turning Off Are Eerily Beautiful
- CrunchDeals: Viewsonic G 10-Inch Tablet For $279.99
- Rolex Explorer 2 Watch For 2011
- Japanese Engineers Create Human Powered Exoskeleton Suit (Video)
- Will Germany Become The World’s First Post-Nuclear Nation?
| Trailer: Final Fantasy III Lands On The App Store Posted: 24 Mar 2011 05:08 AM PDT
One of the best RPGs ever made, Square Enix’ Final Fantasy III, is now available in the App Store [iTunes link, $15.99]. But before you download: this is not the FFIII you know from your Super Nintendo days. That game was actually the sixth FF in Japan (Square America skipped a few titles in the 1990s), while the FFIII released now is also part 3 in Japan. Officially announced just last month, the new iOS title is kind of a remake of the DS version that was released on 2006 – the first time the “real” FFIII was localized into English.
Judging from the trailer and screenshots, the iOS port looks much better (here‘s an early review). If you don’t want to pay $15,99 for FFIII now, no problem: Square Enix’ today reduced the price of its lot other iPhone apps (iTunes link). Here’s the FFIII trailer:
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| Daily Crunch: Remote Control Edition Posted: 24 Mar 2011 12:00 AM PDT |
| Apple To Bring AirPlay To Televisions? Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:30 PM PDT
Currently, Apple’s AirPlay can be used to stream audio from Apple devices to AirPlay-enabled devices. However, according to Bloomberg’s sources, Apple may begin licensing AirPlay for video streaming in the near future, possibly this year. This would allow streaming movies and TV shows from devices like the iPhone and iPad to larger displays. Such an unusual move could mean that Apple is concerned about its position in the video space. This is an interesting concept because with Apple’s massive following, AirPlay on TVs could obsolete the proprietary app stores that have been popping up on new TVs (Samsung, Vizio, etc.). Not only that, but it would also mean streaming boxes like Roku, Boxee, and even the Apple TV would no longer be necessarily the best platform for streaming digital content. Does this mean the Apple-branded HDTV rumors were false? Were those rumors actually pertaining to an Apple-licensed HDTV?! [via AppleInsider]
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| Samsung Talks High Pixel Screens For Tablets Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:04 PM PDT
Samsung is pretty deep into the display business. So when they say that high-pixel-density tablet screens are still a ways off, we believe them. It could explain why iPad 2 didn’t get that rumored Retina display — after all, Apple has to buy its screens like anyone else. In the traditional Apple fashion, they haven’t been open about their screen development, but because Samsung makes the screens, their future timeline is pretty legitimate.
Samsung says they are continuously increasing pixel density and you can bet that their tablets will be first to get the upgrades. It’s worth noting that the pixel density on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is 170 ppi and the iPad 2 is 132 ppi, perhaps a density lead that Android tablets can maintain. Samsung suggests that in the near future, tablets resolution will stretch way past 1080p. Not only that, Samsung says they can do this while maintaining 8-10 hours of battery life. Truthfully, they need to hurry up and put an end to the swell of high-resolution (I mean “Retina”) display rumors.
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| Sweet Winning DARPA Combat Vehicle Designs Shown Off Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:00 PM PDT
  
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| Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:30 PM PDT
I’m still waiting on the Fujifilm X100 (or Panny’s own GF2), personally, but this GH2 does look like a sweet piece of kit.
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| Kinect Lets Surgeons Navigate Medical Data In The OR Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:00 PM PDT
Now we see an incredibly practical medical application: allowing surgeons to navigate data and imagery while gloved up and in the OR. Although a nurse or intern could do it, this frees more hands and eyes for essential surgery support and allows the operating surgeon to check things out directly and instantly. Odds the guy in the video is a gamer?
It’s only been used to assist a few surgeries so far (at Sunnybrook Hostpital in Toronto), and there are no concrete plans to expand it to other hospitals or commercialize the tech, but considering how useful it is, and how easy to implement, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this in many more locations come 2012. [via MedGadget]
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| Sega Auctions Rare Items For Japanese Relief Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:30 PM PDT
A few days after the Japan disaster struck, you could find numerous Japanese gaming companies pledging millions of dollars toward disaster relief. That's still the case, but I also wanted to mention what Sega of America was doing to help. The company has put a number of items up for auction on eBay, and 100 percent of the proceeds will, naturally, go to disaster relief. There's 20 items up for grabs, and a few of the highlights include: a classic Dreamcast "It's Thinking" hoodie (currently at $355); a Sonic the Hedgehog 15th anniversary statue ($150); and a one-of-a-kind piece of Outrun outwork signed by Yu Suzuki himself ($182). The auctions are part of the broader Play For Japan organization. I did also mean to mention the other day that SteelSeries had cut the price of several of its mice models by 25 percent, and that it will give 25 percent of the proceeds from these mice sales toward the Japanese Red Cross Society. This goes through April 15.
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| Apple Pulls “Gay Cure” App Under Heavy Criticism Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:00 PM PDT
Apple has pulled the controversial Exodus International app that many claim promoted the “curing” of gay people. Apple was petitioned by over 146,000 people demanding that the offensive app be removed from the iTunes app store. The ministry that created the app responded today on their blog. Their president, Alan Chambers, said, "We are extremely disappointed to learn of Apple's decision to deny equal representation in the public square. Discrimination of thought and belief obstructs essential dialogue and authentic diversity." They asked people to urge Apple to “recognize the diversity of beliefs” and restore the app to the app store. "It is our hope that Apple will reconsider its decision and allow our organization to be part of the ongoing conversation about the challenging issues many face today," said Chambers. I have a feeling Apple won’t be doing that anytime soon. The petitioners, on the other hand, were pleased: “This is not a question of free speech, but of stopping a virulently anti-gay organization from peddling false speech at the expense of vulnerable LGBT youth,” said John Becker of Truth Wins Out. Controversy aside, it’s good to see Apple responding to popular demand like this. [via Cellular-News]
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| ZTE Breaks Fiber-Optic Speed Record: 10Tbps Over 640km Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:30 PM PDT
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| Super Talent Outs Affordable USB 3.0 Flash Drives Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:30 PM PDT
Most motherboard manufacturers already have USB 3.0 support in their products. And while there are a few good USB 3.0 flash drives out, the majority have been expensive. Super Talent just released some new lower-priced drives that are actually affordable. “Here is a USB 3.0 drive that performs, yet stays on budget. There’s simply really no reason to buy a USB 2.0 flash drive anymore,” said CH Lee, COO of Super Talent. The USB 3.0 Express DUO 2-CH flash drives are available now in 8GB, 16GB, and 32 GB flavors for $21.99, $32.99 and $72.99 respectively. [via Maximum PC]
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| World’s Highest Solar Array To Be Built In Tibet Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:00 PM PDT
In areas like this, power is not always generated at a major regional installation like a nuclear or coal plant, and relying on hydroelectric power depends on weather patterns that are more prone to long-term failure (e.g. drought) than something like solar. Suntech has donated dozens of these solar systems to the community; the founder and CEO says:
And he notes that the extremely high plateau provides an excellent environment for solar: low moisture and temperatures, but intense sunlight. Good for these guys; distributed, medium-size power grids like this are a great way to both improve living conditions in remote areas and advance the science and presence of renewable energy solutions. [via Inhabitat and Treehugger]
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| Man Creates Microwave Gun From Small Appliance, Starts Burning Things (Video) Posted: 23 Mar 2011 02:30 PM PDT Have you done anything worthwhile today? This guy made a microwave gun from a microwave oven, a few computer fans, sheet metal, and wood. His magnetron puts out 1 kW of microwave energy directed into a 35 degree cone — enough juice to fry your eyeballs in seconds. If that’s not enough, it can also jam any radio or cellphone within 20 feet.
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| Posted: 23 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PDT
A new London School of Economics study suggests that the music industry needs to stop complaining about the deleterious effects of illegal file-sharing. Why? As so many people have been saying for so many years now, it’s not that file-sharing (both legal and illegal) has caused people to stop consuming music, but it’s that file-sharing has changed the way people consume music. The days of the music business being a case of "band releases album, people buy album" are pretty much over. And what’s replacing that? Again, you already know the answer: people are now consuming experiences, and not simple shiny plastic discs. You support a band, and you’ll buy their album from iTunes or stream it from Rdio, or hear it on Sirius XM. But you’re also far more likely to see them the next time they come to town, you’re much more likely to walk away with a bunch of t-shirts and other merch. You’re going to tweet the drummer after the show "great set~!" and he’ll tweet back a secret code for, I don’t know, a free download of the set, or maybe exclusive video or whatever. You’re going to play their songs in Rock Band or DJ Hero. There’s more stuff involved, in other words. The music business’s problem is that it doesn’t have its finger in any of those pies. It won’t make money when the band goes on tour. It won’t know that the lead singer is hosting a "secret show" in the next town over for free. The only thing it has it the ability to sell either A) shiny plastic discs, or nowadays, B) iTunes of Beatport. So when the labels say "the industry is dying," well, perhaps their tiny slice of the industry isn’t what it once was, but that doesn’t mean people are going to stop listening. Right? (Let’s not forget the extent to which the labels have tried clinging onto their business model, at one point contemplating charging someone like Apple for the 30-second clips it uses in iTunes. Madness) Oh, and let’s also not forget that the global economy had all but stopped working not too long ago; people are still losing their jobs left and right. So the idea that people still have the ability to pay x-amount for an album that sounds like the every other album currently available… Again, this is much the same that has been written since, I don’t know, 2002 or so, but it’s nice to see a proper LSE study behind it.
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| Posted: 23 Mar 2011 01:30 PM PDT
This comes on the heels of the latest document from Sony requesting trial in California, an obtusely reasoned exercise in legal sleight-of-hand, designed to browbeat Judge Spero into acquiescence. Hey, it worked for the last couple things they wanted. The latest letter to the judge describes how Hotz, despite denying it, did in fact create a PSN account. The evidence on that front is unassailable: he bought a new PS3 down the street and registered an account under his old forum handle, “blickmaniac.” Why he would lie about it is beyond me; I would have said that I agreed to the terms, and subsequently found the contract against my interests, and abandoned it — it seems that the penalty for breaking EULAs is more or less a loss of your “privilege” of running software covered by that license, and companies seem to choose not to enforce that. It’s not said exactly that Hotz has gone to South America to escape trial, but that’s a pretty inescapable conclusion given the pressure on him right now. Somehow I doubt that was done on official legal advice. But perhaps he can lay low until this suit is successfully contested without his presence. Or maybe he’s just there for spring break? [via The Escapist]
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| Artist’s Portraits Of CRTs Turning Off Are Eerily Beautiful Posted: 23 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT
[via The Atlantic]
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| CrunchDeals: Viewsonic G 10-Inch Tablet For $279.99 Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:08 AM PDT
WOOT! I mean Woot has the Viewsonic G Android tablet for you and yours at the low low price of $279.99. It’s an Android 2.2 device with multi-touch and is very popular with the hacker set as you can basically tear this thing down to the bare metal and install all kinds of junk on it. Would I buy it? No. Should you if you’re trying to experiment? Sure.
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| Rolex Explorer 2 Watch For 2011 Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:58 AM PDT
For 2011 Rolex offers a new Explorer 2 to follow up last year’s new Explorer. While the Explorer was bumped up to 39mm last year, the Explorer 2 is the Rolex sport watch with a modern size of 42mm in width. That is 2mm larger than the Sumbariner, and it likely wears better than the 43mm wide Submariner Deep Sea.
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| Japanese Engineers Create Human Powered Exoskeleton Suit (Video) Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:54 AM PDT
This here is a Japanese engineering project called Skeletonics. This passive exoskeleton doesn’t have any servomechanisms like traditional active exoskeletons. Instead, the engineers went with a series of levers, springs, and pulleys to amplify the movements of their operator. The benefits of the passive design over an active exoskeleton are quite significant due to a profound reduction of weight and complexity from motors and software — this one just uses simple physics and mechanics. It’s kind of like those stilts dry-wallers use to lay the mud, except way cooler. [via Make]
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| Will Germany Become The World’s First Post-Nuclear Nation? Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:30 AM PDT It certainly looks that way. The country has been having a national discussion ever since the Japan nuclear crisis, and the consensus seems to be that nuclear http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12825342 isn’t worth the risk. Instead, the country will embrace alternative forms of energy, including renewable sources. Germany may be able to become the first post-nuclear country, but that’s because it’s been in the cards for some time now. There were already plans in place to transition away from nuclear power over a 25-year period, but domestic politics had postponed the phase out. Since the Japan situation, Germany has shut down seven of its 17 nuclear reactors while inspectors see if they’re safe enough to bring back online. The conversation there now is: are we in a position where we can replace these things that have to potential to be quite destructive with, say, windmill farms and solar panel arrays? Going green on a massive, massive scale, if you will. The debate could be relevant here in the U.S. because it gets about the same amount of its total energy from nuclear power plants (around 23 percent) as we do here. If Germany can do it—ad Germany isn’t usually as sun-bathed as we are in places like Arizona, California, Florida, Texas, etx.—then why couldn’t we do it? Surely scientific progress isn’t going to stop at nuclear power plants as they exist today, right?
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It appears (according to court documents) that George Hotz, AKA Geohot, PS3 and iPhone hacker extraordinaire, has been hounded out of the country by Sony’s intense legal proceedings. Just a short while after a federal judge granted Sony unfettered access to Hotz’s 
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