CrunchGear

CrunchGear

Link to CrunchGear

Romain Jerome Titanic DNA Octopus Dive Watch Hands-On

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 05:01 AM PDT

It really makes a lot of sense for there to be a real diver’s watch in the Titanic DNA collection from Romain Jerome. I mean the whole idea of the collection is to commemorate something that is deep underwater. Well the Titanic DNA diver is here with the RJ Octopus. The Octopus name is actually part of the “octo” theme which involves the number 8. There are special 8 sided screws in parts of the case, it is water resistant to 888 feet, and it will be part of a limited edition of 888 pieces in a few varieties.

Read the rest here…

Nasa Pulls Plug On Director James Cameron’s 3D Project

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 07:14 PM PDT

If James Cameron were to take all the revenues from both Titanic and Avatar, then he may be able to send his own mars rover to space. That’s the closest he’ll ever get to having his 3D tech blasted into orbit now that Nasa pulled the plug on his plans.

The Hollywood director along with San Diego-based tech firm, Malin Space Science Systems, had plans to install special 3D zoom-lenses on the rover, but Nasa says there just wasn’t enough time to test it before launch.

Cameron first lobbied Nasa last year to install the special 3D motion cameras on Curiosity in order to bring 3D space content to the public. “While Curiosity won’t benefit from the 3-D motion imaging that the zooms enable, I’m certain that this technology will play an important role in future missions,” Cameron said.

[via The Telegraph]

Crossbow That Shoots Machetes Is Just About Maximum Dangerous

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 05:40 PM PDT


Up here in Seattle there’s a band called A Gun That Shoots Knives. That’s a good idea, but until we get the technology for that ultimate weapon worked out, we’re going to have to use A Crossbow That Shoots Machetes.

Yes, yes, it’s really more like a slingshot with a little extra structure to it, but Slingshot That Shoots Machetes doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Interestingly, this subverts the common wisdom that “machetes don’t run out of ammo.” Take that, Max Brooks!

[via Geekologie and Neatorama]

Lose Your 3DS AR Cards? Just Make Your Own With A Marker

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 05:00 PM PDT


Nice. It looks like the 3DS’s ability to recognize real-life objects doesn’t end at precision-printed stuff like the cards that come with. I get the feeling there will be shenanigans when these cards start being used in-game. Card gives you an item? Where my crayons at!

Canon To Auction Off Some Shiny Colored T3s To Benefit Japan

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 04:30 PM PDT


I wish every Canon could come in shiny colors like these T3s. But no, they are only limited editions, and tomorrow Canon will release them with matching camouflage straps and protective wraps. The special editions are a part of Fashion Week, where Canon will be hosting some events, during which four of these cameras auctioned off to benefit Japan.

sbtg-canon-eos-1100D-Parsilia-camo-03-570x413 sbtg-canon-eos-1100D-Parsilia-camo-04-570x379 can


Watch-Controlled Gripper Bot Is All Kinds Of DIY Cute

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 04:00 PM PDT


I love that there are tons of tinkerers out there just putting together robots for no other reason than “hey, this might work.” Home hacker Lars Kristian Roland made this one, a simple rover bot with a gripping claw (it runs on modular hardware and an Arduino, naturally) — but the twist in this case is that it’s controlled by a Chronos watch that has a built-in accelerometer and antenna.

Not exactly the most precise controls I’ve ever seen, but that’s all adjustable in the software (Hack A Day points out that nonlinear interpretation is the way to go) and I love the idea of controlling it with wrist movements (you could rotate the axes so you could wear the watch).

Skip to about halfway through to see it get the thing and do a little dance.

Details of the project, with parts and links, can be found at Roland’s blog.

Building A New PC? Intel’s Motherboard Woes Have Been Resolved

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 03:30 PM PDT


I’m in the middle of building a new desktop computer, and for the last couple weeks have been frustrated by the recall of Intel’s new P67 (Sandy Bridge-supporting) motherboards, since those are exactly what value-conscious buyers like myself would be going for. Well, the wait is over — the replacements have arrived. It’s safe to build!

The old boards had a bug causing some of the SATA ports to malfunction and potentially lose data. The new boards have an additional designation, B3 stepping, usually denoted as “B3″ or “Rev 3″ in the title of the board. So if you were looking at a MSI P67A-GD65, it’ll be the P67A-GD65-B3 now.

Yeah, it’s not like all these parts needed any more numbers and letters on the end, but at least you know what to look out for.

I was actually going to pull the trigger on my system last night (GD65, 6950, 2500K) but I’ve decided to wait and see about the new Intel 320 series of SSDs for a fast system disk. I’m pumped, got a whole back library of PC games to play.

Giveaway: Element Case Joule Chroma iPad 2 Stand

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 02:30 PM PDT

We’ve always been impressed with Element Case; the build quality on their products is always outstanding. Sure, they’re expensive, but you’ve heard the phrase, “You get what you pay for.” Element Case hasn’t abandoned this notion, even for their new $150 iPad stand.

The Joule Chroma is Element Case’s lastest and greatest stand for the iPad 2. It’s formed from aircraft-grade aluminum, CNC machined into its simple shape. Six anodized colors are available and are matched with an Ultrasuede liner. On the back of the stand are three portholes that magnetically attach to the little “tilt foot” for adjusting the viewing angle.

Looks great right? If you’ve always appreciated the work from Element Case, but haven’t had the cash to buy their products, then today’s your lucky day. We are giving away a Joule Chroma iPad 2 stand in any of the six colors to one of you, fellow readers. Just leave a comment to enter. Go on. Do it. Right now!

Contest Details:

  1. Leave only one comment
  2. US shipping address only
  3. Contest ends at 12:00pm EST 3/30/2011
  4. You have to be a fan of our Facebook Page (since our fans are winners!)

Despite Secretive Mission, Air Force’s X-37B Spotted

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 01:30 PM PDT

No, we still have no idea what the Air Force is doing up there with the X-37B, but at least now we can track its movement. Amateur skywatchers—a delightful phrase&mdashl have discovered the whereabouts of the spacecraft. There’s even video of it in orbit.

I’d understand if a point of light in the nighttime sky doesn’t exactly sound very Hollywood, but the fact that people were able to track it down deserves praise.

There’s a few Web sites that give step-by-step instructions on when and where to look for the spacecraft, but keep in mind that you’ll need to be between 42.8 degrees of the Earth’s equator to see it.

The assumption is that the Air Force is up there testing super-secret reconnaissance equipment, but you won’t find anything in the way or confirmation or denial from Washington. (The spacecraft itself is nothing special, being essentially an offshoot of Nasa’s space shuttle.)

Kickstarter: Coffee Joulies Are Temperature Regulators For Your Java

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT


Some people love the hot coffee. Love the hot. People order their americanos “extra hot” so the baristas will put out water at higher than the 180 degrees they aim at. Madness! Personally, I have to let it cool down a bit — but ideally, you want to drink the coffee as soon as possible to get the full flavor. Enter the Coffee Joulie.

It’s a stainless steel bean, as you can see, and sealed in the middle are five ounces of a special material that melts at 140. Put a Joulie in your coffee, and it’ll absorb the excess heat and bring it down to drinkable temperature — and then as it drops below 140, the material releases its heat energy again, keeping your drink hot longer.

So it’s a fancy rock, basically. That’s not a bad thing — they’re customized to maintain the perfect temperature and you can use more than one if you want to cool it down faster.

The immediate concerns I have are safety, taste, and my teeth. Safety is taken care of: they assure us that not only is the material non-toxic, but it’s totally sealed within the stainless steel shell. Taste is a little harder to say — will stainless steel affect the taste? Maybe not by any large amount, but I’m guessing (even if it’s psychosomatic) that some coffee snobs will say they can tell. And as for my teeth — well, it’s a big piece of stainless steel in my cup, what if it comes crashing down on my face?

Reservations aside, this seems like a cool idea. Check out their Kickstarter page for more info and drop a few bucks in the jar if you want to see these things made a reality.

[via Uncrate]

iSuppli Reveals Real Price Of Nintendo 3DS

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 12:47 PM PDT

Whenever some corporate entity releases their new piece of hardware into the wild, iSuppli outs their obligatory cost analysis. As novel as iSuppli’s research may seem, knowing the real costs of the gadgets we’re addicted to is more frustrating than newsworthy. And, thanks to iSuppli, we learn that the Nintendo 3DS enjoys almost 60% margins, similar to the DSi.

According to the report, the bill of materials for the 3DS is $100.71; manufacturing costs are only $2.54. This is about a 33% increase in real cost over the DSi. The new and upgraded parts that contribute to the price increase are the new 3D screen, $33.80 vs. $21.95; memory, $8.36 vs. $3.61; and a few new UI components (accelerometer), $6.81 vs. $3.98.

You may be asking yourself, “The 3DS just came out yesterday. How in the *beep* were they able to tear it down and price it out so far?” Well, friends, they got a hold of the Japanese model that has been out for over a month.

Note To The Obsessed: Fujifilm’s X100 Should Resume Shipping Next Week

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 12:30 PM PDT

The beautiful and potentially functional X100 has had its US release delayed for some time, first because of enormous popularity and limited inventory, and then because of the natural disasters striking Japan. Other tech industries were hit hard as well, but they seem to be gradually picking up the pieces as relief and reconstruction begin.

Fujifilm says that cameras should reach stores at the beginning of April.

[via DPReview]

Gigabyte Unveils Utility To Allow Higher Storage Capacities On 32-Bit Systems

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 12:00 PM PDT

Sometimes things get complicated and your old 32-bit machine can no longer handle the new array of 3 TB hard drives.

You see, 32-bit systems cannot easily run more than 2.19 TB of hard drive capacity. If this problem presents itself, you have two options: upgrade to a 64-bit system or unlock your Gigabyte motherboard with Gigabyte’s new unlock utility.

This only works if you have a Gigabyte mobo, but doesn’t everyone? The utility is free and available here.

[via xbitlabs]

The 4 Boxee Box Issues That Must Be Addressed ASAP

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 11:30 AM PDT

I’ve thrown big props towards the Boxee Box lately calling it the best media streamer for cutting the cord. It’s a solid device that provides a memorable user experience. That’s rare these days but the Boxee Box nails it, which is why I give it so much credit.

But it’s not perfect. I seriously believe that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Still, there’s room for improvement and I pray that Boxee addresses these four issues in the next update.

A proper web browser

You can browse the web on the Boxee Box, but it’s more of a utility than a causal experience. This is partly because the browser is a poor performer and the remote doesn’t lend to a natural control scheme. However, the second point could be easily countered with a smart skin.

Right now the browser doesn’t have basic functions found in modern browsers. No autocomplete, multiple tabs/windows, or Flash support. Of course these aren’t exactly must-haves for the Boxee Box. This is a media streamer, not desktop so the focus should be as such. Performance and usability is paramount. Bookmarks would be key here – think smartphone-ish bookmarks with large, easily-selectable thumbnails. This would at least place commonly accessible sites within reach.

Some sort of trackpad would be a huge improvement as well. Look at the Google TV remotes. They’re wonderful and make web browsing easy-peasy.

Of course I’m not a UI engineer. I’m just a lowly user dying for a better Boxee Box web browser. At least Rdio.com works right now although a Rdio app would make me a happy sailor.

Better remote options

Google TV’s secret sauce is the huge range of controllers including very clever iOS and Android apps. Logitech offers a full size QWERTY keypad and a small keypad style controller. Sony’s GTV units use a PS3-style keypad with an optical trackpad. If those aren’t enough, the platform supports most USB input devices.

It’s the apps that Boxee Box should look at though. They’re fantastic as they bring to the system voice search, a trackpad and the phone’s familiar QWERTY keypad. The current Boxee Box remote is great for a basic remote, but the platform — especially for the web browser — could use a proper trackpad and these apps would solve a major issue. After all, it’s not a stretch to speculate that Android and iOS phone owners are within the Boxee Box’s niche demographic.

Improve overall performance

The Boxee Box can drag sometimes. It needs to be restarted every few days. It’s certainly not as smooth as a Roku or Apple TV. It gets a pass in my book because if the huge feature list, but I’ll agree with the haters, it’s a hog sometimes.

Somewhat ironically the Boxee Box handles 1080p web videos with ease and I’ve only had one or two massive MKV files stutter because of high bit rates. It’s the interface that drags. Switching between menus and browsing videos and apps can be frustratingly slow sometimes. The box doesn’t seem to cache box art for some reason. The slow performance is my family’s main complaint and should be addressed.

It seems to me that since the box doesn’t have an issue playing back resource intensive files that hopefully the GUI’s performance can be addressed by a firmware update.

Gmail, Facebook, Twitter

Integrating notifications and web communication apps could be an epic win for Boxee. Or it could be an epic fail. In many ways the current top streamers like the Boxee Box, Roku, or WD TV are winners because they’re one task devices. Users use them to only watch videos just like the Kindle is used just for reading while the multifunction iPad doesn’t offer the same distraction-free reading environment.

I’ve always wanted a solid way to do email and Facebook on my TV. I believe Google TV missed the mark by not including at least an app. But an Android-like notification bar would work great within the Boxee UI. Even the QWERTY remote would make communicating a non-issue.

Of course this experience could interfere with the core functions of a media streamer. I for one do not want an audible notification about new email while watching a movie. That would be horrible. But since my Boxee Box is almost always on, simple access to email/Facebook would be appreciated.

The Boxee Box is still a wonderful little streamer even with these issues. Have I said that enough yet? I hope so.

Report: Despite Earlier Warning, Nasa Still Vulnerable To Cyber Attack

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 11:15 AM PDT

Nasa’d

One day after McAfee warned about the dangers of corporations becoming vulnerable to hackers, we now learn that Nasa has similar concerns. Its inspector general, Paul Martin, has written a report [PDF] entitled "Security Practices Expose Key Nasa Network To Cyber Attack," and you can guess what that means. Actually, don’t bother guessing. The report warns that six of Nasa’s servers that just so happen to contain critical data are vulnerable to remote attack. And if a hacker were so inclined, he could exploit those vulnerabilities to get further inside Nasa, wreaking all sorts of havoc (say, "cripple Nasa’s operations") in the process. Again, panic.

The report criticizes Nasa for both not recognizing or doing much of anything to address these problems. Head in the sand, la-la-la nothing’s happening, nothing’s happening, that kind of thing.

Oh: the inspector general made these same warnings last year, and Nasa, apparently, hasn’t done a darn thing to address the situation.

Then again, given that Nasa has the budget of the average lemonade stand it’s probably not too surprising to learn that it has to be selective where it applies its resources.

But don’t worry! Nasa says that it will now take Martin’s reports to heart, and that it will do something to make sure evildoers don’t cause any mischief.

Video: Would You Use Samsung’s Crazy (And Arguably Brilliant) New Webpage Zooming System?

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 11:11 AM PDT

Yowza. It’s been a while since Samsung has done anything on the software side that was particularly original — but this… this is friggin’ awesome.

But the question is.. would you use it?

Using Nanowires Embedded In The Human Body To Power Your Gadgets? It’s Possible, Say Scientists

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 10:45 AM PDT

Flickr’d

"Our nanogenerators are poised to change lives in the future. Their potential is only limited by one’s imagination." Strong, powerful words from Dr. Zhong Lin Wang, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, whose nanogenerators could one day power a whole host of gadgets, from your iPod to your favorite tablet. The idea rests upon zinc oxide nanowires, wires that generate electricity when flexed.

The principals behind the idea aren’t too hard to understand. The wires are small enough—they are nanowires, after all—that they could be embedded in pretty much anything. For the sake of this quick post, let’s say they’re embedded in your shoes. Every time you take a step, the zinc oxide nanowires generate electricity, electricity that could then be used to power whatever, depending on power requirements and electricity storage.

That not exciting enough for you? Considering there are nano wires, it’s conceivable that you could have them implanted inside your body, so that, say, every time your heart beats you can power your handheld device.

The beat that your heart skips, and uses to power your iPod.

The wires are so small that 500 of them could fit in a human hair.

I’m pretty sure Michio Kaku addressed this in his new book. I’m still unarmed with the idea of contact lenses that have the Internet built into them.

Video: Watch Some Dude Silently Tear Apart A 3DS

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 09:43 AM PDT

Drinking game: Take a drink for every screw removed. I guess this is less of a game and more of a way to get drunk. I’ll let you know how it goes. [via Destructoid]

Video: Cute Teddy Bear Charatter Reads Tweets For You

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 09:21 AM PDT

On Friday, we’ve shown you Twimal, a super-cute USB toy for Twitter users that can read specific tweets out loud (so you don’t have to look at the computer screen to follow your time line). But before Takara Tomy, a smaller Japanese toy company called WiZ has brought the so-called Charatter [JP] to the Japanese market, a teddy bear that’s able to do the same.

What’s special about Charatter is that it can be used on both Windows PCs (software install required) and the iPhone (after the user installs the free Charatter iPhone app/see below) and that the little bear moves his lip in sync with the tweets he reads.

The bear stands 9.5cm tall, is battery-powered and was released in Japan last year.

As the Charatter is Japan only, I am not sure how well it handles tweets in English. If you want to lay your hands on one, I suggest contacting specialized shopping services like Rinkya or Flutterscape (they can can surely get one shipped outside Japan).

Here is Charatter’s official promo video (in Japanese):

Estimates Point To 3 Million Nooks Color Sold

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 09:07 AM PDT

This, multiplied by a million minus 1 million

Digitimes “sources” are stating that 3 million Nooks Color have rolled off the assembly line and into stores over the past year, giving the Nook Color firmly at 50% of the “iPad-like” tablet market. They estimated 600,000-700,000 sales per month in January and February during the post-holiday gift card redemption season.

These numbers are actually quite impressive, especially for a relatively underpowered $249 tablet (or, if looked at another way, a wildly overpowered ereader). The popularity with Android hackers and rooters explains some of the sales while others see the device as an inexpensive alternative to the iPad.

via AndroidOS
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)