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OnLive Adds "Cloud-Accelerated Browsing" To Its Streaming-Desktop StableThu, 23 Feb 2012 01:42:49 +0000
You're probably familiar with OnLive, the company that made its mark by streaming brand new console and PC games to whatever devices could support a high-bandwidth video stream. Many doubted its technology to begin with (including yours truly - Is OnLive OnCrack?) but they've more or less delivered on their promises, and have also been expanding the services they offer. Most recently they introduced OnLive Desktop, which streamed a Windows 7 desktop to your iPad.
That was mainly focused on productivity - Office apps and such. Now they've added web browsing to the table. Yes, they will stream live video of a web browser running in a datacenter to your device, which almost certainly already has a web browser.
As you probably know, bistable or passive displays like the E-Ink ones in e-readers focus on battery life and readability rather than color and interactivity. The latest devices have been optimized for fast page refreshes and touch operation, but generally you're still waiting a half a second or so for the screen to flip over to the next page, menu, or what have you.
But that's not all they're capable of. We've seen hacks before, but this one definitely takes the cake.
Tabber is an upcoming Kickstarter project that essentially adds an LED light show to your guitar and, more importantly, allows you to learn to play chords and solos by following the lights on the fretboard.
The idea is definitely not new. The Fretlight guitar beat these guys to the punch and I wonder what patent issues they will have to deal with. However, as an idea, it's pretty ingenious. The Tabber is a "sleeve" that fits over the neck of your guitar and it should work, as the folks at Tabber reiterate, on any git-fiddle in your possession.
Here's a fun fact: Batteries and cars require maintenance. The Tesla Roadster runs on batteries that also require maintenance. Out of the 2,200 Roadster owners, apparently at least five didn't read the manual on their new toy and let the car sit off the charger for several months -- or so says one regional service manager. This is a no-no according to Tesla. The result? The battery packs completely died and needed to be replaced at the owner's expense.
This is not unique to the $100k Tesla Roadster. Batteries stop working without a charge. It just so happens that the battery pack in question isn't a $100 laptop battery. The latest owner with a bricked Tesla is reportedly going to have to pay $40,000 to replace the battery pack in his Roadster. Asus To Transformer Owners: "Here Is Your Unlocked Bootloader. Happy Now?"Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:51:52 +0000
The Asus Transformer Prime was the great, grey hope for many Android lovers - until they realized that the bootloader was locked it was impossible to upgrade or install a new bit of firmware onto the device. Asus has finally relented, allowing folks to download an unlocked bootloader and install it over the "official" Asus bootloader.
Back during the heyday of CrunchGear (now known as TechCrunch/Gadgets), we couldn't get enough of Borderlands. The game masterfully combined the game play of a FPS with the best elements of an RPG. In a scene full of Call of Duty clones Borderlands is completely novel. Gearbox just released the launch trailer for the second installment and it promises more of the same big gun, big monster madness. The game launches on September 18th. Hey Erick, I'm going to be sick that day, m'kay? UltraViolet Hits 800k Digital Media Locker Accounts, Added 50k In The Last Six WeeksWed, 22 Feb 2012 16:01:48 +0000
UltraViolet might sound too good to be true, but the service is growing. More Blu-ray titles are featuring the digital media option and consumers are at least trying the movie industry's alternative to, well, piracy. iSupply just announced that there are now more than 800,000 household accounts, up from 750,000 at the beginning of 2012. But so far it seems most of those accounts are just testing the waters as iSupply notes that the average account has 1.25 titles. That results in over 1 million digital films for UltraViolet but also paints a picture that consumers aren't too sure about the service. With Facebook, Netflix And More, The PS Vita Is *Nearly* A Tablet AlternativeWed, 22 Feb 2012 15:27:23 +0000
I've enjoyed the PS Vita for a couple of weeks now. It's a fun device, but as John describes in our review, it feels like the last of its kind. Single function devices are no longer relevant and as much as Sony tried, the Vita is still pretty much a dedicated gaming handheld.
The company launched an app store for the Vita today, which folds Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, and Flickr apps into the Vita's ecosystem. With these apps, along with the powerful hardware and 3G connectivity, the $249 Vita could be a good alternative to a traditional tablet. The only thing it's missing is a proper web browser.
Here are some recent stories on TechCrunch Gadgets: Googlighting, Microsoft’s Latest Viral Attack On Google Docs [Video] Samsung Galaxy Note Review: Who Do You Think You Are? Mr. Big Stuff? Tokyoflash Releases The (Readable) Kisai Stencil Watch This Kit Lets You Print Out The Internet This Twin-Lens Reflex Camera Is Built Out Of LEGO Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom Released On Bail, Perhaps Never To Be Seen AgainWed, 22 Feb 2012 02:07:00 +0000
When Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom and several others in the organization were arrested in raids a month ago, it was noted by prosecutors that Dotcom's rather wild lifestyle and propensity for spontaneous international travel, combined with his vast wealth, constituted a serious flight risk. He was denied bail at the time, at least until February 22nd, when the US was to turn in its extradition paperwork.
And today in New Zealand, or tomorrow rather, Dotcom was released under a number of conditions: he will have no internet access, will not travel 80km from his home except in emergencies, and no helicopters would be permitted to fly to his property.
Moral ambiguity, thy name is advertising. How are we to parse this advertising campaign in London in which an intelligent bus stop billboard only displays its content to women? You read correctly: the billboard has a camera that scans passersby and if one stops to look, it determines their sex and shows them a 40-second video if they are female. Males only get a link to the advertiser's website.
Now, does it change things if the advertiser is Plan UK, a non-profit organization trying to raise money towards the education of girls in third-world countries? And they don't show men because they wanted to give them "a glimpse of what it's like to have basic choices taken away"? Whether you find this commendable or reprehensible, you have to admit that the technology and implications are more than a little interesting.
This complete project kit made by Adafruit allows you to print out things from the Internet. Want to print all your Tweets onto receipt paper? You got it. Want to print out your Facebook wall? Why the heck not! The kit uses an Arduino board and thermal printer and offers the opportunity for weekend hackers to pop together a cool little printer thinger and learn Arduino and Twitter programming.
Are you enough of a photo geek to build your own camera? Maybe. But are you enough of one to build it out of LEGO and some spare bits you had lying around the house? Probably not. But Carl-Frederic Salicath over in Norway is. And he did. He calls it the Legoflex B1.
Suite anticipation, said The Daily. The News Corp iPad mag broke the news this morning that Microsoft was about to submit its productivity suite to Apple for review. They even had a photo of the app running on an iPad to back up their claim -- which they triple watermarked for some reason. The outlet specluated that the app could launch in the "coming weeks." But then Microsoft responded, telling ZDNet that "The Daily's story is not a picture of a real Microsoft software product."
I reached out to The Daily's Apps & Tech Editor Peter Ha for confirmation. Having personally worked with him for a couple of years here at TechCrunch, I knew he was not one to run a story of this magnitude without plenty of fact checking. Sure enough, they did their homework and Ha stands by the story and pic.
Full statement after the jump.
"Wait, you want us to be your lab rats?" "Pioneers"
If you need more proof that Microsoft and Google hate each other, just watch the video above. It's a direct message from Microsoft to businesses everywhere. And it raises some very valid points.
Mountain Lion, Apple's latest version of OS X, is currently in beta. However, it is in a stable enough form that some journalists were given sneak peeks over the past few days. I've been working with the OS for most of the last week and weekend and, as a public service announcement, I'd like to state that while Mountain Lion is a compelling upgrade to OS X it's not currently ready for prime time.
To be fair, the worst version of OS X I ever used was an early build of Lion. This build essentially rendered my machine useless and made me cry uncontrollably when my Time Machine backups failed. Never, as they say, again.
However, being a glutton for punishment, I gave Mountain Lion a spin.
When I went to meet with Samsung to pick up the Galaxy Note, I was told something that I kept in mind throughout my last week or so with the phone. "People freak out and say it's too big until they play with it — then they love it." I was also told that the S-Pen is way more than just a stylus, and I generally felt excited to be playing with something different from your average Android phone. So what do I think now of the giant 5.3-inch S-Pen-packing Galaxy Note?
To put it plainly, I think they were wrong.
Thank heavens: finally a Tokyoflash that you can read immediately without depending on a manual or detailed instructions. The Stencil is a fan design that uses for LCD blocks to display the current time and date in a very "bubble letter" sort of way.
Netflix And The Weinstein Company Enter Into Their First Multi-Year Streaming DealTue, 21 Feb 2012 14:46:28 +0000
Netflix streaming just got a bit more classy. The Weinstein Company is releasing "a diverse slate" of its titles exclusively to Netflix streaming. These titles will hit the service within a year of their theatrical release and will include foreign language films, documentaries and other hits from TWC. This is the first deal between TWC and Netflix.
Netflix subs should expect several critically acclaimed titles. 2012 Academy Award Nominee The Artist will hit Netflix prior to pay TV on traditional premium cable. Other titles like French-language World War II drama Sarah's Key and The Intouchables, Bully, and Coriolanus will hit Netflix streaming in the future as well. It’s On: 8GB Nook Tablet Takes Aim At Kindle Fire With $199 Price TagTue, 21 Feb 2012 14:17:37 +0000
While initial reports pointed at a launch on February 22, Barnes & Noble has just taken to the wires to officially announce the release of the new 8GB Nook Tablet. As expected the new Nook variant has a price tag to match its reduced memory capacity, and with both now selling for $199 the battle between the Nook Tablet and the Kindle Fire seems ready to heat up once more.