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- Sega Toys Dates And Prices Its R2-D2 Homestar Planetarium (Which Shows The Death Star)
- SoftBank 007SH KT: Hello Kitty-Branded Clamshell Android Phone
- Kickstarter: EEG-Based Telepresence Robot Controller
- Okay HP, Let’s Make Some Lemonade
- Bring On The Google Hardware Labs
- It’s Official: HP Kills Off webOS Phones And The TouchPad
- Just Give ‘Em Away. Buy A Samsung HDTV From Best Buy, Get A Samsung Android Tablet
- Video: Crunchy Logistics Brings Multi-Touch To A 150″ Conference Table
- Delta Testing In-Flight iPads For Pilots, XOOMs To Follow Shortly
- Watch Out Netflix, Amazon Instant Video Reaches 100,000 On-Demand Titles
- Logitech’s G300 Gaming Mouse Ditches The Thumb Buttons For Lefty’s Sake
- Lenovo Doubles Q1 Profits, Is Now The World’s No.3 PC Vendor
| Sega Toys Dates And Prices Its R2-D2 Homestar Planetarium (Which Shows The Death Star) Posted: 19 Aug 2011 04:37 AM PDT  Back in June, Sega Toys in Japan teased the R2-D2 Homestar, a fully functional planetarium that’s shaped in the form of the robot from Star Wars. And today, the company fixed the release date (September 15) and price ($91) for the planetarium. The scaled replica projects about 10,000 stars onto the ceiling in your living room, and as a bonus, it shows the location of the Death Star, too (see below). The R2-D2 Planetarium uses a 1W white LED as a light source, runs for three hours on four AAA batteries and stands 21cm high. It has a projection range of 1.5-2.3m/4.9-7.5ft and a projection area of 1.8m/5.9ft circumference. Here’s the planetarium showing the Death Star: If you’re interested but live outside Japan, the Japan Trend Shop (website in English) has started listing the planetarium today for pre-order for the same price as in Japan (again, $91). They’ll ship it anywhere and say the little guy comes with instructions in English. Via IT Media [JP]
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| SoftBank 007SH KT: Hello Kitty-Branded Clamshell Android Phone Posted: 19 Aug 2011 03:50 AM PDT  The Yahoo Phone isn’t the only unusual handset Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank rolled out yesterday. SoftBank subscribers can soon lay their hands on another one, the 007SH KT [JP], which has two selling points: it’s designed like a clamshell feature phone (even though it runs on Android), and it has Hello Kitty written all over it. Technically speaking, the 007SH KT is based on a model SoftBank has introduced back in May for the Japanese market. Produced by Sharp, the so-called AQUOS PHONE THE HYBRID 007SH is being marketed as the world’s first flip phone running on Android (2.3). The Hello Kitty version shares many of the (very impressive specs) of that model: waterproof body, 3.4-inch LCD touchscreen with 854×480 resolution, 0.7-inch OLED sub-display, 16MP CCD camera with 1,280×720 HD video recording, IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0+EDR, digital TV tuner, e-wallet function, etc. etc. For fans of the cartoon cat, SoftBank throws in menus and screens in Hello Kitty design, special icons for use in mails, a Hello Kitty calculator app, a Hello Kitty alarm clock, etc. SoftBank plans to start shipping the 007SH KT in Japan next month.
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| Kickstarter: EEG-Based Telepresence Robot Controller Posted: 18 Aug 2011 05:15 PM PDT  You’re probably familiar with telepresence robot or two. We even had one rolling around the TechCrunch office for a while. They generally have fairly simple navigation interfaces: forward, back, turn left, turn right, and some controls for the camera and speaker. The trouble is that these controls are generally accessed by traditional means: keyboard, mouse, or handheld controller. And a major application of telepresence is allowing people unable to get around on their own to do so virtually. People with extremely limited mobility often aren’t able to reliably use their fingers or limbs, so custom systems using head inclination, blowing and sucking, and eye tracking are necessary. Robert Oschler is a robot and telepresence enthusiast who has been making his own software for years. The latest version of his Robodance client adds support for the EPOC EEG-monitoring PC peripheral, and he’s hoping to get a little support on Kickstarter. Isn’t that something worth throwing a couple bucks at? He’s been footing the bill for a long time, and I’m guessing the costs started adding up for this version. His software supports a number of robots but not many dedicated telepresence bots, which usually have their own private clients. The Rovio bot Oschler adores seems to have rather poor reviews on Amazon, unfortunately, but there’s no reason the software couldn’t be made to support other robots if they were selected by, say, a medical establishment. In the end I think it’s just a worthwhile project, and could end up helping a few people in a very real way. I’d rather this guy was helped along in his quest than, say, some guy makes yet another designer iPad case. Check out the Kickstarter project here.
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| Okay HP, Let’s Make Some Lemonade Posted: 18 Aug 2011 04:34 PM PDT  This morning, HP admitted failure. After spending $1.2 billion to acquire Palm, they announced that they were killing off the development of all smartphones and tablets running Palm’s webOS platform — including the just launched TouchPad. Having survived for just 49 days before its death, it’s tragic that TouchPad lived just one day longer than the oft-mocked Microsoft Kin. webOS itself, as a platform, isn’t entirely dead. HP says they’ll “continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS”, which is really just a fancy way of saying “Yeah, we’re still not entirely sure what the hell we’re going to do with this thing.” There’s a way out here, HP — and it’s all thanks to Google’s acquisition of Motorola. You see, Google’s surprise $12.5 billion buy-out of Motorola has undoubtedly left Android’s other, non-Motorola partners (Samsung, HTC, LG, etc.) a bit… shaken up. In the blink of an eye, Google went from having what was essentially 0% of the hardware marketshare for their own operating system up to a domineering 30%. Out of nowhere, Google went from being the nice guy who builds all the software for free to something resembling a direct competitor. Google insists that Motorola will operate as a separate entity — but at the very least, they’ll be able to sneakily leverage Motorola to influence Android’s hardware ecosystem as a whole. But where else are Android’s other partners to turn? Windows Phone 7? Great! Lets keep throwing licensing money at Microsoft. They only completely screwed up by sticking with Windows Mobile 6.5 for far too long, launched Windows Phone 7 way too late in the game whilst simultaneously way too early in its own development, inexplicably tried (and failed) to launch the Kin platform at the same time, and have been dickishly throwing a wrench in the Mobile world’s gears by demanding patent licensing money from anyone who finds any success with Android. Here’s your move, HP: Fill the gap that Google has just left open.
Will it earn HP back the $1.2 billion they spent on Palm? Nope! But they still have Palm’s patent armory to show for that. Will it score webOS the throne as the #1 or #2 platform in the mobile world? Nope! iOS and Android have that locked down for the next few years , and there’s very little that could change that — but it does make it a viable contender against WP7 for that coveted bronze medal. It also makes the platform a whole lot more viable to third-party developers, if only because it would boost the number of purchased webOS devices above.. like, twelve. HP ends up with a better webOS, and they avoid looking like they’ve completely wrecked the platform. Partners get a platform — and one with quite a lot of potential — in exchange for allotting manpower they’d already have to allot if they were to explore it in the first place, and they get to help steer its future to boot. Developers get a third platform worth developing for. (Oh, and, in some sense, it makes a licensed webOS more defensible against patent attacks, because of all the major players that had an official hand in its development.) It’s not a resounding victory, but it’s probably HP’s best move at this point. Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) is a data communications and telecommunications equipment provider that succeeded Motorola Inc. following the spin-off of the mobile phones division into Motorola Mobility Holdings,... Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ), commonly referred to as HP, is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA. HP is one of the world’s largest...
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| Bring On The Google Hardware Labs Posted: 18 Aug 2011 01:03 PM PDT  In their statement regarding the Motorola Mobility acquisition, Google said that they would “run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.” I understand that to mean that they won’t simply be devouring them, firing redundant personnel, and Borging all Moto functionality into the Google name and brand. On the other hand, they’re not just going to let it ride and skim the profits (and patents). Their business-level plans are still a matter for discussion, but what I’m really excited about is something else entirely: Google’s new playground for hardware. The capacity for the creation of real objects within Motorola is huge. Google produces almost no real objects at all. Motorola designs and produces things meant to be touched and put in pockets. Google designs and produces things that are untouchable, unpocketable. From some perspectives, it’s a terrible match, like Archie and Veronica. But something Google has, which I doubt they have in Motorola, and almost certainly lack in Microsoft and Apple, is upward idea mobility. Google Hardware Labs, anyone? Consider Google’s “free time” policy, in which employees spend a significant portion of their workday tinkering or collaborating on independent projects. There’s been some disagreement about how productive or expensive this program may be, but I definitely think it’s a strength. It may not create a lot of million-user products, but it has created a great number of viable and interesting niche services. I think it’s a perfect match for bored hardware engineers. I wrote a while back about how Microsoft needs to turn itself upside-down. Google’s not the utopia some people may think it is, but it approaches this ideal more than the competition. I’m always stumbling across microscopic Google projects to improve physics research, or solar cells, or image compression. Things that won’t serve up millions of ad impressions, but act as a sort of ambassador between Google and non-consumer communities like the medical establishment, circuit benders, and various random industries. It speaks to a certain indulgence within the company, and an eye for quality that picks out worthwhile projects for elevation. Microsoft has smart people, but their vast and territorial network of middle managers play “Mother May I” with pet projects, stifling growth. It’s a miracle that something like the Kinect ever floated to the top, though both Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 seem to indicate a more open, focused company. Apple probably has plenty of skunk works engineers, and a whole research division. But compared with Microsoft’s and Google’s, theirs are almost completely hidden from prying eyes. Microsoft Research engineers are collaborating with universities and putting together fascinating demos for SIGGRAPH, while the fruits of Apple’s research are only revealed in patents and final products. Both approaches have their merits — I just wanted to demonstrate two types. Motorola is of the Apple school, but less creative, and Google is of the Microsoft school, but less varied. If Motorola engineers are given a little room to breathe (think: fewer feature-phone PCB designs), they might create some very interesting work. It’s not a guarantee — just like Googlers aren’t guaranteed to create something worthwhile in their 20% time. But Google may combine a clear eye for potential (even — perhaps especially — niche potential) and a willingness to take a risk going public to fast-track some projects and produce some really interesting devices. Google likes hardware. They just never get a chance to confess it. The closest we see is when they cherry-pick designs for their G-series phones, or produce something like the Cr-48, soaking in understatement and Google’s function-first form. And the Open Accessory Toolkit is like a valentine to hardware hackers. They could have bought a design studio or two, sure. They probably have a few already. But with Motorola acting as Department of Rapid Prototyping, Google has a free hand to try all kinds of things. Not that we should expect Google refrigerators or anything. But imagine things like the Courier being produced instead of buried, just because it was a cool idea. Can’t you picture Google just shelling out for a limited run of these things, to see what people do with them, to create something cool, to be able to say they did it? I picture something along the lines of a Google Hardware Labs, open to some extent (like Chromium) and with major “releases” getting small-run manufacture. It’s probably pie in the sky, but I can dream, can’t I? And is it really so ridiculous to think that Google might occasionally throw a mil or two at a promising hardware project, the way they’ve done with software projects? Use your imagination. Why not:
You think that Google doesn’t have guys coming up with this kind of stuff all the time? They’ve probably got a backlog a hundred deep of random devices and interesting hardware spaces they want to explore. Google loves to tinker. And they love to put stuff out that isn’t even close to a finished product. It’s not always a positive, but it demonstrates that, unlike Apple and Motorola, they’re willing to release something to the wild just to see how it runs. Now, the recent shutdown of Google Labs (putting “more wood behind fewer arrows“) might shake this dream of mine. But my thinking is that Labs occupied a sort of awkward position, internal projects too buggy or specific to be implemented, but not big enough to be features highlighted in a blog post or in-app update. Clearly they’re cutting down on the the levels of granularity projects can occupy — but it doesn’t mean they’re eliminating experimentation, and at any rate a hardware project is big enough to escape that particular crackdown. With the taste they seem to have in hardware design (and, occasionally, interface design) and the interest they demonstrate in technological dilettantism, I think the purchase of a proven hardware vector is an unabashed good thing, though it’s far from the only or primary reason Google has done so. Whether their newly acquired engineers and designers are producing stuff of their own volition, or carrying out the designs of Google’s fancy, the result will be new toys. And maybe even something useful.
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| It’s Official: HP Kills Off webOS Phones And The TouchPad Posted: 18 Aug 2011 12:17 PM PDT  Brace yourselves, webOS fans. In the hours leading up to their Q3 conference call later today, HP has just confirmed that they will be discontinuing operations surrounding the TouchPad and all webOS phones. To quote their press release: HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward. This news will come as a rather huge punch to the gut for webOS die-hards (myself included, though you can’t say that we couldn’t see it coming), many of whom have stood by the product for years — first in hopes that Palm would eventually launch a device worthy of the rather fantastic operating system, and later in hopes that HP’s acquisition of Palm would be the spark to the fire that just never seemed to light. On the upside, webOS itself isn’t dead — at least, not just yet. HP’s wording up above leaves things a bit vague, with at least two potential routes left open: licensing webOS to others, and sticking webOS in other, non-phone/tablet devices (HP has already mentioned plans to put it in printers and cars.) Until further notice, however, it’s essentially dead in the water. Pour one out for webOS devices tonight, my fellow geeks. Update: If HP needs a way out while still saving face, here’s the way to do it. Update: HP’s Stephen DeWitt says “We are not walking away from webOS.” They will continue efforts to advance and perhaps license the OS, but its life as we have known it is certainly over.
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| Just Give ‘Em Away. Buy A Samsung HDTV From Best Buy, Get A Samsung Android Tablet Posted: 18 Aug 2011 11:47 AM PDT  Best Buy and Samsung are going to move a few more Galaxy Tabs next week. Starting on Sunday, if you buy a top-tier Samsung 3D HDTV for $1500 or $2000, you’ll also go home with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. So, in other words, if you buy an over-hyped HDTV, Best Buy is going to unload a GalTab on you. Sounds great for the buyer, but the one-week promotion speaks volumes about the current state of the Android tablet market. The move is smart, though. Consumers aren’t latching onto Android tablets partly because they don’t know about them. Outside our silly little word, the iPad is the only tablet most consumers have ever heard about. This bundle will at least get the tablet into the hands of a slightly different demographic. Buyers have the choice of either a 46-inch or 55-inch Samsung 3D HDTV. Both feature LED backlighting, 240Hz motion, and, of course, 3D technology. They’re rather pricey options, and a good deal more than competing TV sets from LG or Panasonic — but you get a free $500 tablet with the Sammies. This signals that Best Buy, and maybe the manufacturers, are starting to realize that non-iPad tablets aren’t an easy sale. This comes after Best Buy redesigned its computer department to better feature and display Android tablets. They now have the same placement as notebooks, but that might not be enough to cycle through inventory quick enough. The retailer reportedly has a massive back-stock of unsold HP TouchPad tablets after only selling 25,000 of their 270,000. The promotion starts this Sunday, August 21 and runs through August 27.
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| Video: Crunchy Logistics Brings Multi-Touch To A 150″ Conference Table Posted: 18 Aug 2011 08:54 AM PDT  This is one of the cooler things I’ve seen in a while. Think Microsoft Surface meets Minority Report, minus the bald lady that predicts the future. It’s a multi-touch conference table from an Orlando-based company called Crunchy Logistics, and comes in five different sizes. The LCD/LED screen has more than 36 touch-points and uses most of the same multi-touch language that we’re used to, like pinch-to-zoom. The size variations are as follows: 55-inch, 65-inch, 70-inch, 130-inch and 150-inch, but the table measures 1.5-inches thick across all models. The table features interactive gaming, and is compatible with both PC and Mac. This thing could be really great for any business that requires multiple people to interact with certain data, such as architectural firms, engineers, and designers. We’re not quite sure about pricing or availability, but you can bet that this thing won’t be cheap. Then again, it would likely cut costs in other areas of the business, too. Check out the video after the break.
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| Delta Testing In-Flight iPads For Pilots, XOOMs To Follow Shortly Posted: 18 Aug 2011 07:28 AM PDT  While they have typically gone with proprietary tech, Delta has begun testing some off-the-shelf tablets for use as “electronic flight bags” for their pilots. The test program has 22 iPads flying the friendly skies, giving pilots access to flight charts, equipment manuals, and in-flight WiFi in a 1.6lb package. Delta thinks that having iPads onboard will make for stronger communications between the flight and ground crews. They hope to be able to push up-to-the-minute information to flights from the control center, leaving the flight crew better able to handle changes in flight path, weather, and the occasional emergency. Each iPad has a specific loadout of flight-related applications, from Jeppesen flight charts to rest period calculators, but Delta SVP Steve Dickson has stated that pilots are able to “download additional apps that customise the product and lend to Delta’s capabilities.” While the iPads are obviously meant strictly for operational use, I get the feeling that there will be at least one pilot who decides to download Angry Birds at cruising altitude. Now before anyone gets too worried about iPads screwing with aviation instruments, the 50 evaluation pilots are bound by the same restrictions that we normal folk are: the tablets are only to be used pre-flight and when the plane is above 10,000 feet. The iPads will remain in the field until September, when they will be swapped out for a fleet of Motorola XOOMs. Yes, the iOS/Android debate will be taking to skies, and Delta has currently exploring a third tablet option just to make sure they’ve covered all the bases. Here’s an idea: maybe they can partner up with Best Buy and give a home to all those unloved HP TouchPads.
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| Watch Out Netflix, Amazon Instant Video Reaches 100,000 On-Demand Titles Posted: 18 Aug 2011 06:20 AM PDT  Amazon is constantly growing and expanding its catalog of videos available for on-demand streaming. The service just reached the 100k mark with 9,000 of those available under the Prime streaming plan. The bulk of the library is set aside for à la carte renting and buying with TV titles starting at $.99 cent and movies for $3.99. With deep living room penetration, all Amazon needs to do is flip the switch, offer a reasonably-priced subscription plan open to all titles, and effectively shut down Netflix. Amazon’s timing couldn’t be more perfect. Netflix announced a few weeks back that its most popular subscription plan was increasing in price by 60%. That price change is almost ready to happen and many might be looking for an alternative. Well, here’s Amazon, standing tall with an on-demand three times larger than Netflix’s. Amazon Instant Video followed Netflix’s lead into supporting as many hardware platforms as possible. The system is available through the web, popular HDTVs and many, many set-top boxes. Most have access to Prime Instant Videos, which offers videos through a Netflix-style system. The rest are available for purchase or rental, which isn’t the most cost-friendly route for media hogs. With their huge library and deep reach, Amazon would be a prime suspect to disrupt Netflix’s dominance. Consumers know and trust the Amazon brand. This isn’t a scrappy startup trying to topple Goliath with sheer will. But right now, with Amazon’s per-movie, per-episode pricing, most consumers will probably stick with Netflix — unless Amazon gets the message and outs a competitive plan. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is a leading global Internet company and one of the most trafficked Internet retail destinations worldwide. Amazon is one of the first companies to sell products deep... With more than 23.3 million members in the United States and Canada, Netflix, Inc. is the world's leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows. For $7.99...
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| Logitech’s G300 Gaming Mouse Ditches The Thumb Buttons For Lefty’s Sake Posted: 18 Aug 2011 06:05 AM PDT  When it comes to gaming, the better the mouse, the better the gamer. Logitech today announced its next-gen G-series gaming mouse, the G300, and if this thing doesn’t give you a competitive edge, you need to spend more time practicing. With nine customizable controls, you may not have to use the keyboard at all, meaning all the control you could want rests nicely under the palm of your hand. Because it’s ambidextrous, this is Logitech’s first mouse without thumb controls. Both rightys and leftys can play with the same level of control. The G300 mouse lets you customize up to three different player profiles, too. So let’s say you play Bad Company 2 and Modern Warfare 2 interchangeably. You can set the color of the mouse to red for one control customization, and green for another, so that you don’t start using Modern Warfare controls when you’re playing Bad Company. There are seven different color options. The G300 touts a 2500-DPI optical sensor that tracks both slow and fast movements, and the mouse works well on a number of surfaces. I got to play around with the G300 a bit and felt that it truly is pretty comfortable in either hand. Plus, it comes with optional drag-and-drop software that not only lets you set up your G300 mouse, but lets you connect to other Logitech products like the G-series keyboards and headsets. From there you can set up macros to be shared across all the devices. In terms of pricing and availability, the G300 will go for an MSRP of $39.99, and will be available across the U.S. and Europe in September. Logitech designs and manufactures computer and electronics peripherals such as mice, keyboards, speakers, and remote controls.
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| Lenovo Doubles Q1 Profits, Is Now The World’s No.3 PC Vendor Posted: 18 Aug 2011 05:34 AM PDT  Lenovo reported results for the first quarter of the fiscal year today, and in a nutshell, things are looking pretty good for the Chinese powerhouse. Quarterly sales soared 15% year-on-year to US$5.9 billion, while net income even ballooned from $54.9 to $108.8 million in the same time frame. Lenovo says that it grew faster than any other PC maker in the global top 5 (Dell, ASUS, HP, Acer) for the seventh quarter in a row, having shipped 23.1% more PCs worldwide than in the first quarter of last year. The company was especially successful in China, Latin America, India, ASEAN, but also reports historic high market shares in North America (7%) and Western Europe (5.9%). According to IDC, Lenovo currently controls 12.2% of the market for computers, making it the third largest vendor globally (behind HP and Dell). In recent months, Lenovo made headlines in the business world by acquiring Germany-based PC maker Medion (the deal instantly made Lenovo the No. 2 computer vendor in that country) and forming an alliance with NEC in Japan.
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