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CrunchGear

Orbita Avanti 3 Winds Your Automatic Watches In Style
Toshiba Develops Super-Thin, Super-Light 7-inch LCD Touchscreen
Report: iPad 2 To Arrive In Japan On Thursday
This Egg Is A Single-Use Pinhole Camera
These Are The Star Wars Moleskine Notebooks You’re Looking For
Apple’s Consolidated.db: Patented iPhone Feature
Behind The Scenes: Constructing An F/0.95 Voigtlander Nokton Lens
Exclusive: The Pioneer AppRadio Will Put The Look Of iOS On Your Dash
“Slow Photography” Is Like Hipstamatic In Real Life
Disaster: Playstation Network User Data Compromised, Names, Addresses, Maybe Credit Cards
Where I’ll Be Spending Next CES: Insert Coin(s)
iBuyPower Custom Gaming Rigs Are Now Available At Walmart.com
Casio’s New G’zOne Commando Handset Will Take Whatever You Throw At It
Steve Jobs In Carbonite Is The Best iPhone Decal I’ve Seen Yet
Lacking Funding, SETI Puts $50 Million Radio Array On Hiatus
Review: SumoBags Titan Beanbag Couch
Why Doesn’t Volvo Want Android Users?
Unknown GSM HP/Palm Phone Passes Through The FCC Featuring webOS 2.3, Inductive Charging (Palm Pre 3?)
Your White iPhones Are Now Available – In Belgium
Here’s A Massive Online Solar System Scale Model For Your Learning Pleasure

Orbita Avanti 3 Winds Your Automatic Watches In Style

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:13 AM PDT

“Fancy.” Was pretty much the word that came to mind after finally unwrapping the Avanti 3 from US-based watch winder maker Orbita. This isn’t the first package from Orbita that I have had to wage sweet war with to open, so I know this is a trend. I have to say that if Orbita ever decided to get out of the watch winder business they would find immediate use in the “package stuff up so that no matter what, nothing will damage it” business. If the attention to detail they use when packaging their products up for delivery speaks anything about the attention to detail in their products – these products should seemingly last forever.

Read the rest here…

Toshiba Develops Super-Thin, Super-Light 7-inch LCD Touchscreen

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:50 AM PDT

First Asahi Glass’ announcement from yesterday, now this: Toshiba Mobile unveiled a 7.0-inch LTPS TFT LCD panel with a capacitive multi-touch input function “integrated in the liquid crystal cell”. In other words, manufacturers won’t need to add a touch panel to the LCD, making the Toshiba device 57% thinner and 48% lighter than comparable screens of that size.

Toshiba Mobile says that as a side effect, the surface reflection ratio in their transmissive LCD with 1,024 ( x RGB) x 600 pixels is reduced by 10%. The company expects the new LCD to be used in vehicles (car navigation systems, for example) and in industrial applications.

Visitors of the SID 2011 International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition that will take place next month in Los Angeles are the first to see the screen in action.

Report: iPad 2 To Arrive In Japan On Thursday

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 12:25 AM PDT

Apple started rolling out the iPad 2 internationally right after the launch in the US, but one country was missing from the list: Japan, one of the company’s biggest markets worldwide. The reason, of course, was the quake and tsunami that hit the country on March 11. But today Japan’s biggest business daily, The Nikkei, is reporting that the Japanese will be able to lay their hands on the iPad 2 as early as this Thursday.

The launch was originally slated for March 25. Apple Japan hasn’t updated its website yet, but The Nikkei is usually a pretty reliable source so you can expect the device to actually arrive on Thursday.

The paper also says that the iPad 2 will be offered in Apple’s seven Japanese brick-and-mortar stores, through business partner SoftBank’s shops and via the company’s website. Just last Friday, Apple re-opened a store in Sendai, one of the cities that was particularly damaged in the disaster.

This Egg Is A Single-Use Pinhole Camera

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 07:18 PM PDT

Have a lot of eggs, and want to start a project? This pinhole camera egg, or “Pinhegg” looks like a fun one, though by no means an easy one. You’ll need a drill, a pinhole plate, photo chemicals, and very steady hands. “During each stage of this process the egg could break. Usually it does.” Not reassuring!

Fortunately eggs are just eggs, and the worst possible result of this project is an omelette.

[via Make and Neatorama]

These Are The Star Wars Moleskine Notebooks You’re Looking For

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 06:40 PM PDT

Picture this: you’re on a road trip with a pal, and both of you are keeping a journal in your little Moleskine notebooks, filling them with your secrets, sketches, and occasional collages. One day you throw them in the back seat, and later on, accidentally pick up each other’s Moleskines. You open it up and… oh god! All your secrets revealed!

This would never happen if you had these awesome Star Wars Moleskines. But be careful where you keep it. Someone might mistake it for a book of Star Wars trivia, and… oh god! All your slash fiction revealed!

No pricing or availability, which means I couldn’t use my “coming to a galaxy near you” line. Noooo!

Apple’s Consolidated.db: Patented iPhone Feature

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 06:30 PM PDT

I’ll keep this brief, since the lack of response on this issue from Apple tends to result in taking sides before the facts are out (as evidenced by this lawsuit). It seems that Apple’s little persistent tracking cookie, consolidated.db, is likely part of a future patented feature having to do with keeping a persistent, low-power-draw, low-precision location record for stuff like geotagging, “journal” apps, etc.

So someone might have reasonably guessed given the applications of such a database; the issue is of course whether it constituted some sort of crime or misrepresentation on Apple’s part to create this file regardless of the user’s preference. Read the full patent here.

[via Reddit]

Behind The Scenes: Constructing An F/0.95 Voigtlander Nokton Lens

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 05:00 PM PDT

If you’re interested in lenses at all, this video is worth a watch. While the high-volume output of the Canons and Zeisses out there is amazing, Cosina’s F/0.95 25mm prime (sold under the Voigtlander brand) is a bit more old-school. Every piece is assembled by hand, manually cleaned and oiled, and tested individually for flaws. The result is one fantastic lens.

If I were buying a prime for a micro 4/3s camera, I’d seriously consider one of these. I mean really, owning a sub-F/1 lens has been a dream for years, and at around $1000 this is probably the most affordable out there (more affordable than a Leica Noctilux, at any rate). It’s fully manual, too. And a 10-blade aperture! You better believe the blur is smooth.

You can skip the first part of the video, which explains depth of field, since you probably know what that is. The interesting part is the actual assembly.

[via Foto Actualidad and PetaPixel]

Exclusive: The Pioneer AppRadio Will Put The Look Of iOS On Your Dash

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 04:18 PM PDT

Pioneer is about ready to launch a car audio head unit that features an GUI remarkable similar to iOS, complete with apps, iTunes, and iPhone connectivity.

Meet the Pioneer AppRadio, model number SPH-DA01. This unannounced double-din head unit hit the FCC database yesterday and a tipster wrote in to answer many of our questions. Obviously, given the name, this is a radio designed around iPhone and iPod. The UI features homescreens, each with two rows of three app icons each. (like the mock-up shows) We hear it feels “exactly like the iOS experience” but since it doesn’t actually run iOS we’re mighty curious how the AppRadio will sit with Apple corporate.

iOS 4.1 devices (read: no Android or WinMo devices) connect to the AppRadio through a traditional USB Dock Connector cable and feeds the deck the phone’s contacts and music. Streaming apps are part of the system as our tipster saw live demos of Pandora and iHeartRadio and also mentions that social media apps are going to be part of the system. Although not specifically mentioned by our tipster, the iPhone must also provide the internet data stream as the FCC docs doesn’t mention any wireless radios.

The hardware looks a lot like an Apple device with a home button mounted under a glossy multitouch, capacitive 6.1-inch screen with a volume rocker mounted on the driver’s side. The Dock Connector cable plugs into a USB port on a rear-connecting cable adapter that also features an S-Video and RCA jack. There’s even an optional steering wheel-mounted control unit for controlling media playback.

The Pioneer head unit seems to feature most standard radio functions besides an optical drive. There is, however, a microsSD card slot, Bluetooth connectivity, AM/FM, GPS, and the ability to hook up a rear view camera. Satellite and HD radio were not mentioned but it seems unlikely given their standard nature this unit will launch without at least one — unless keeping the price low is paramount.

We hear that users will be able to add different apps on the radio, but not the exact process involved. It will likely be done through a microSD card, although a Pioneer iOS app could also serve up the apps as long as Apple approves.

Pioneer demoed PAIS, Platform for the Aggregation of Internet Services, at CES 2011. That system is designed to allow consumers to share data and internet connection across multiple devices, regardless of manufacturer. It’s a novel platform, but doesn’t seem to be in use here. The AppRadio lacks any sort of 802.11x radio and uses a 500Mhz NetLogic Microsystem Au1210 CPU, where PAIS is designed around the Intel Atom. Besides, the AppRadio doesn’t fit the description of different platforms talking together. This is all about iOS here.

Pioneer is clearly trying something new here with the fresh interface and lack of optical drive. If priced right, the AppRadio might be the savior of the dying aftermarket audio market. Companies like Pioneer, Kenwood, and Alpine all know how to make killer hardware, but the software is often horrible. Taking iOS’ styling cues and navigation paths sounds like lawsuit bait, but at least the deck will be pretty.

[special thanks to Bryce, our graphical ninja for the mockup]

“Slow Photography” Is Like Hipstamatic In Real Life

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 04:10 PM PDT

Having a camera on your phone is certainly convenient, but the use thereof always seems somewhat “light,” you know? The little fake shutter noise and slightly washed-out colors seem to make any occasion trivial. What we need is something that makes taking a picture with your phone a drawn-out, dignified process. Oh, there is such a thing?

Yes, the Slow Photography camera is modeled after old medium-format cameras, with its top-down orientation and milled metal parts. The idea is to provide “a natural stepping-stone between using a mobile phone as a camera before taking the plunge into professional grade digital photography,” which sounds a little silly at first, but really, it’s not. Part of (some) photography is the time and care you take in setting up, composing, and actually capturing a shot.

The quick-draw, easy-snap cameras in phones and such provide little opportunity to get a feel for your subject, location, etc, and a more deliberate process to taking a picture is something that’s good to experience.

The Slow Photography camera has a mount for your mobile phone – then you select a lens (fixed-focus, fisheye, or macro), check your framing through the top-down viewfinder, and hit the shutter release plunger.

Will your pictures be any better? I don’t know about that. But will you feel cool, and will you have a sweet metal object/conversation piece lying around the living room? Definitely.

P.S. I feel dirty for saying “Hipstamatic in real life.” That’s called photography.

[via Gizmag]

Disaster: Playstation Network User Data Compromised, Names, Addresses, Maybe Credit Cards

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 03:58 PM PDT

Sony has finally released a status update about the Playstation Network, which has been down since April 21. And it sounds like things couldn’t be much worse.

Sony says that “certain PSN and Qriocity service user account information was compromised” during an illegal intrusion between April 17 and April 19. Among the personal data that was accessed: name, address, email, birthdate, PSN network login/password, PSN handle, PSN password security answers, and possibly credit card information. Sony explains that “While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility.” Wow.

Where I’ll Be Spending Next CES: Insert Coin(s)

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 03:44 PM PDT

The glamorous decor and $10 beers of the Las Vegas strip aren’t really my style, so during the few free hours I have next January at CES, I think I might head down to Insert Coin(s), a new bar that combines hard drinking with hard gaming.

Apparently it’s nowhere near as bad as it could be, according to CVG, and the presence of a wall of old arcade games as well as the latest next-gen hits seals the deal. It’s over by Beauty Bar and that crazy outdoor mall.

iBuyPower Custom Gaming Rigs Are Now Available At Walmart.com

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 01:41 PM PDT

iBuyPower has long been a player in the custom gaming scene. Now they’re available from Walmart, the US’ largest retail. Both AMD and Intel systems can be configured with Nvidia and AMD GPUs along with various RAM and hard drive options. It’s really your standard computer configurator system. Prices start out at $578 and do not seem much different than if ordered from iBuyPower themselves. Sadly, any jokes about the iBuyPower systems being located in Walmart between between the dog food and the Swiffers are disingenuous. These rigs are only available on the retailer’s website. [image credit: People of Walmart]

Casio’s New G’zOne Commando Handset Will Take Whatever You Throw At It

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 01:40 PM PDT

While the name “G’zOne Commando” is totally ridiculous, the phone actually looks pretty solid. And by solid, I mean solid. The Commando is ruggedized and can be submersed in water, exposed to extreme temperatures, and survive the other vicissitudes our phones are often subjected to, by accident or design. It runs Android 2.2 with a custom skin from Casio, and has the usual Verizon stuff on it as well.

Read the rest…

Steve Jobs In Carbonite Is The Best iPhone Decal I’ve Seen Yet

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 12:34 PM PDT

“There’s an app for that.”

“I know.”

Read the rest…

Lacking Funding, SETI Puts $50 Million Radio Array On Hiatus

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 12:19 PM PDT

Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence has always been a slightly controversial topic, not because we don’t want it to happen, but because it requires sophisticated and expensive equipment. Can millions really be spent on scanning the heavens when here on earth, there’s a very real shortage of funding for things like education and social services? It’s a loaded question, of course, and a complex one, but the undeniable truth of it is that programs like SETI are considered non-critical, and in times like these, they’re on the short list for gutting.

SETI’s Allen Telescope Array has suspended operations as of last week, with officials citing a lack of cash to keep the $50 million facility manned and powered. They’re looking at a shortfall of about $5 million over two years. Senior astronomer Seth Shostak said: “We have the radio antennae up, but we can’t run them without operating funds. Honestly, if everybody contributed just 3 extra cents on their 1040 tax forms, we could find out if we have cosmic company.”

Sure, and if GE had written off 1% less of its taxes, or if the troop count was reduced here or there by a few thousand, or… you see, it’s easy to come up with solutions on paper. But SETI is viewed as recreational, and those millions could be keeping a few school districts afloat.

The whole program isn’t shutting down, of course, and services like SETI@home and SETIquest are still operational. If you want to help crunch data, you can.

Personally, I’m not too worried about it, though of course I’d rather we were listening. My feeling is that if something out there wants to contact us, we’re going to hear it whether our primitive radio arrays are on or off. And then, of course, there’s also Calvin’s view:

[via SlashGear; image source: Gary Reyes/Mercury News]

Review: SumoBags Titan Beanbag Couch

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 11:55 AM PDT

When SumoBags approached me about writing about one of their beanbag chairs, I figured that since we write about games and gamers like beanbag chairs that it might be a good match. Little did I know that the Sumo Titan is one of the biggest freaking beanbag chairs I’ve ever seen. It is, in fact, so massive that I’d consider it a couch. It also gets bigger over time, thereby proving theories about the danger of nanotechnology and the so-called “grey goo.”

We reviewed a smaller beanbag chair last year, finding it to be comfortable and handsome. This chair, barring its absolute enormity, is also comfortable and I was able to sleep on, slightly curled into a fetal position but in relative ease for at least an hour one lazy weekend afternoon – and I’m not a small guy.

The chair is a full 70" x 49" x 36" and ships in a box about half the size of that. In fact, when you remove the chair from the box it grows enormously. I opened it on the first floor and by the time I tried to drag it upstairs it was too big to fit through most of our doors.

Obviously a giant bean bag couch isn’t for everyone. You can probably fit two people on here on a good day and three people on here with a bit of snuggling. As I said before, you can also potentially sleep on it but I’m not sure how it would handle an overnight stay. However, there is also another caveat: the price. At $379.99 this thing is far more expensive than you think it would be and, what’s more, it may scare off potential buyers. But, to be clear, this thing is ginormous even if you base your couch buying decisions on value per cubic foot, this is probably a winner.

So barring the size and the price, if you’re looking for furniture with no sharp edges, this is pretty much the couch for you. Otherwise, you might want to stick with something smaller and or less massive.

Product Page

Why Doesn’t Volvo Want Android Users?

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 09:49 AM PDT

Baseball season has started, and tempted by an offer of free access to live games for the month of April, I downloaded the MLB.com At Bat app for the iPad.

The free live baseball broadcasts are sponsored by Volvo. However, the promotion is only available to iOS users, even though the MLB At Bat app is available for Android. Curious.

One can assume that this promotion was quite expensive (a one month subscription to mlb.tv costs $19.99), and as such Volvo had to choose its demographic target carefully.

But why not Android users? People who buy smartphones are, in theory, ideal candidates for car advertising. According to an April 2011 report from Greystripe on the car buying habits of smartphone users:

The auto industry is also using touch smartphones and tablets as a medium to reach new potential customers, given the attractiveness of the user base. Specifically, U.S. iPhone and Android users are three times more likely to buy a new car than the U.S. adult population.

But it’s really no surprise that Volvo wouldn’t want to advertise to Android users. The Android demographic probably isn’t a good fit for a Scandinavian luxury car maker. Most of the criticisms of iOS and Apple could also be applied to Volvo: the product is too expensive compared to other products with similar capabilities, the marketing stresses hard-to-define qualities like “design”, “safety”, and “user experience”, and “I don’t see myself as one of those people” (the bourgeoisie).

So who should Major League Baseball get to sponsor the Android version of the app? I can think of a few possibilities.

Hyundai: The most common complaint about Apple products is that they are expensive. The Hyundai Accent is the cheapest car sold in the US, and so is immune to such charges.

Chevrolet: Even if one does want to spend a lot on a computer, many wouldn’t buy Apple because they can get the same processing power for less. The Chevy Camaro, producing 312 HP in its base configuration and costing only $22,680, has more power per dollar than any other car.

Other possibilities would be kit cars (for those who build their own computers) or the Jeep Wrangler (lots of customization possibilites).

In my case, the promotion worked well. I have two small children, and after watching hundreds of Volvo ads in the MLB At Bat app, I’m seriously considering a Volvo for my next car purchase.

Jack DeNeut runs and blogs at Nelso.com

Unknown GSM HP/Palm Phone Passes Through The FCC Featuring webOS 2.3, Inductive Charging (Palm Pre 3?)

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 08:00 AM PDT

The Palm Pre 3 might have just passed through the FCC. The document package in question is mostly locked under a confidentiality agreement so there’s no way to be certain. However, while there are no pics or user manual, there is a wireless test report that lists some specs and names the software version as “WebOS 2.3.” The wireless chipset specs in the FCC docs match up nicely with the specs found on the Palm Pre 3 product page. There’s even a brief mention of an inductive charger in the FCC docs, which lends to the thought that this is the Palm Pre 3.

Your White iPhones Are Now Available – In Belgium

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 07:43 AM PDT

It appears – appears, mind you – that the white iPhone is alive and well and now living in Belgium. A website called Webstore.be apparently got a shipment of the phones in early and is now flogging them online for folks in the Benelux region.