| Osborne 1 celebrates its 30th birthday, and that of the portable computing revolution Posted: 03 Apr 2011 10:13 AM PDT On April 3rd, 1981 -- thirty years ago today -- Adam Osborne unveiled the Osborne 1 at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco. It had a 4 MHz Zilog Z80 CPU, two single-sided floppy drives, 64K of RAM, and a five-inch monochrome CRT display. Nothing particularly special there, even back in the day. No, what made the Osborne 1 extraordinary was the fact that the 24-pound plastic machine had a carrying handle on the back -- and at the bargain price of $1,795 with software included, it became one of the first mass-produced portable computers to succeed. Which, of course, spurred competitors to create an army of even more "luggable," loveable machines. Shortly after helping to change the course of history, Osborne and his computer fell into a spiral of pain, but the next time you admire the way your ultralight slides into a manila envelope, you'll know who to thank. Find a short but sweet chronicle of the Osborne 1 at our Technologizer link. |
| Nyko Power Pack+ and Charge Base for Nintendo 3DS review Posted: 03 Apr 2011 09:00 AM PDT When we reviewed the Nintendo 3DS ( both times) there were some things we liked and others we didn't, but one thing stood out as a true flaw: the battery life. Three to four hours on a charge just doesn't cut it when portable game systems are traditionally known for shrugging off entire international flights. The 3DS would struggle with a puddle-jumper. Now, Nyko says it has a fix, and have released a battery backpack that promises twice the life of the stock console. Does it deliver? Not quite, but close.
Hardware and installation
Lest you get confused, Nyko actually has two distinct products here: the battery itself and the Charge Base which you plug it into. For $19.99 you can get yourself just the Power Pack+ (the battery), but using it sadly will prevent you from using Nintendo's standard charging base, with its trick, flip-out charging contacts. So, Nyko also offers the Charging Base as well, which is $29.99 and includes the battery pack. So, $10 more for the full package, then. This charging base is rather bulkier than the stock one, and rather blingier too. It features a glowing power light and, when you set the system down, LEDs on the side illuminate your desk to indicate whether it's charging (red) or charged (green). It's a little excessively loud, but is certainly easier than squinting to see the tiny orange LED Nintendo put on the 3DS itself. Installation of the pack requires the removal of a few screws on the back, pulling off the backplate, and the extrication of the stock 3DS battery. This system completely replaces it. Overall the process takes just a few minutes if you don't lose any of those tiny screws -- or the tiny screwdriver Nyko includes. Once on the system is roughly one-third thicker than before, though Nyko did thoughtfully contour the back and threw a rubberized coating on there to boot. Naturally this adds some weight, too, up to 280 grams from the stock console's 240. Not a lot, but it's a noticeable difference. Testing We cycled the battery pack a few times to let things get comfortable before testing, as Nyko indicated that, for the first time at least, you should charge by plugging the stock Nintendo power adapter straight into the 3DS itself. Afterward you can plug that adapter into the base and leave it alone. We would have liked to see a second power adapter included here, and it would have been even nicer if Nyko had moved away from the proprietary plug and gone with a microUSB. Alas, you can't have everything. We ran a number of tests, each time using Pilotwings as our demo game with the brightness and 3D slider max'd -- how we figure most gamers will be playing it. Consistently we scored four hours of battery life with WiFi enabled. Turned off the system managed just under five hours. The stock 3DS in the same configuration, meanwhile, managed two hours thirty minutes with WiFi enabled, about 2:45 with it disabled. We should also mention that the first charging base we received would consistently cause the official Nintendo adapter to short out. Put the console in, hit the power button, and the world would go dark -- well, the Charge Base would, anyway. To get it to work again we'd have to unplug the adapter from the wall and let it chill out for a few minutes. Nyko shipped us a replacement, which worked just fine. Hopefully this is an isolated incident, but given our pals at Joystiq had an issue in their first batch too, you might want to make sure you get yours tested long before your return period expires. Wrap-up So we didn't see quite double the battery life, but we'll call it close enough. That said, the extra bulk is certainly noticeable, and whether or not you can live with it is, of course, up to you -- and the confines of your pockets. |
| Caption contest: this is why grocery stores shouldn't sell smartphones Posted: 03 Apr 2011 07:36 AM PDT "We call it a very nice phone and you can get it on a 12 month contract." Oh, really, Tesco? Nifty! So, how much is that bag of day-old doughnuts... with and without a contract?
Don: "Knowing my luck, if I buy this now they'll have an iPhone 4 with a Bold keyboard on sale next week."
Darren: "Do you guys sell a vegan model?"
Michael: "At Tesco, we've got raspberries, strawberries, and... ThunderBerries?"
Tim: "With Android, are you supposed to squeeze it or shake it to tell if it's ripe?"
Chris: "You can find it in the toothpaste aisle of your local grocery store."
Myriam: "Behold the Desire Torch, a new AndroBerry phone from HTRIM... now available in the cheese aisle."
Richard Lai: "By popular demand we have extended our Tesco Mobile Rewards offer to our shanzhai range."
Sean Hollister: "And Tesco embraced fragmentation, the only way it knew how."
Vlad: "Hey, if RIM's gonna use our apps on its tablet, then we're gonna use its buttons on our phones. Fair's fair."
[Thanks, Matt O.] |
| Xperia X10 goes on sale for just a dollar on contract, Gingerbread-flavored future makes it appealing Posted: 03 Apr 2011 06:02 AM PDT Okay, so a couple of weeks back, we wouldn't have cared if Best Buy was willing to give us money to carry the Xperia X10, we still would have steered clear of its flawed UI and outdated software. But Sony Ericsson did a funny thing last Friday by promising to slap Gingerbread on this 4-inch sucker, which makes its current $1 contract price an eminently more intriguing proposition. We scouted out Best Buy's web outlet and couldn't find the X10 listed at all, so this could very well be a final stock clearance of the handset available on a store-by-store basis. If you're tempted to jump on what's looking like one of the cheapest Gingerbread devices for a while, you should be aware that the Android 2.3 update won't be dropping until the end of Q2 at the earliest, so there will be a modicum of patience required. [Thanks, Adam] |
| TiVo email database compromised by Epsilon security breach, spambots stir into action Posted: 03 Apr 2011 04:59 AM PDT If you're subscribed to any of TiVo's email-based communiqués, now would be a good time to make sure your spam filters are up to scratch. Epsilon, TiVo's email service provider, has reported the discovery of a security breach that has compromised the privacy of some customers' names and / or email addresses. A rigorous investigation has concluded that no other personal data was exposed, however it's not just TiVo that's affected -- other big names, such as JPMorgan Chase, Citi, US Bank, Kroger, and Walgreens have also seen their users' deets dished out to the unidentified intruder. As we say, no credit card numbers or any other truly sensitive data has escaped, so the only thing you really have to fear is fear itself... and an onslaught of spam. [Thanks, Devin] |
| Sony kills A33 DSLR production, auctions off unused birthday cake Posted: 03 Apr 2011 02:15 AM PDT If you didn't jump on an Alpha A33 when you had the chance, you'll probably be disappointed when your eyes glaze over the next few words -- Sony has discontinued production of the translucent mirror-packed shooter. On its site, the company has noted that production has halted in Japan, without specific reasoning as to why -- though some might say that overheating sensor was just too much to bear. It's not often that a seven month-old DSLR gets canned, but if Sony's got a refined sensor waiting in a doubly refined successor... well, that'll put a plug in the waterworks real quick. |
| Think City's EVs get priced... sort of Posted: 02 Apr 2011 11:17 PM PDT Apparently a $34,000 price tag isn't exclusive enough for you to nab one of the first 100 Think City electric vehicles -- fancy that! The aforementioned sticker is meant only for normal retail versions of the green-machine, a version that just so happens to not truly exist in any meaningful form. To be one of those lucky 100 bringing home the first available Think City vehicles, you'll have to cough up a decidedly heftier chunk of change -- $41,695 to be exact. In addition to these inaugural models, Think City is adding another set of prices for lucky folks living in Indiana ( the first state to acquire these cars), where the normal production electric eco-transports are apparently selling for just $30,050. 'Course, all this scrutiny over MSRPs is apt to be for naught when gas creeps up to six bucks a gallon, but hey, that would never happen in our lifetime. Right? |
| Android's in-app billing makes a dent: Dungeon Defenders free on Android Market Posted: 02 Apr 2011 08:20 PM PDT Dungeon Defenders: First Wave cost $3 when it first came out. This week, the iOS version will cost you ninety-nine cents. But if you want to play the Unreal Engine-powered tower defense game today, you can have it for free -- developer Trendy Entertainment is now leaning on Android's new in-app billing system to pay for the whole thing. We can't give Trendy all the credit, of course, as Glu Mobile's Gun Bros and Tapulous' Tap Tap Revenge 4 are doing the same thing, but to our knowledge both of them were free to play from day one. Free-to-play gaming has been a controversial proposition in the console and PC gaming space -- most publishers would just like to sell a game once, and call it a day. On phone, however, where apps are expected to be cheap, it could indeed make more sense to charge users for items and upgrades than to have users "buy" the game. Either way, we penny-pinchers are pleased as punch with the idea. PR after the break. Show full PR text Dungeon Defenders: First Wave goes Free-to-Play on Android, shows off optimizations for iPad 2
Trendy launches a free-to-play version of DD:FW supported by Google's new in-app purchasing, discounts iOS version to $0.99
Gainesville, FL – 29 March 2011 –
Trendy Entertainment will publish a free-to-play version of Dungeon Defenders: First Wave to the Android Marketplace today, now that Google has launched their new in-app purchasing system. This version will allow users to buy pets, armor, equipment, and a host of other in-game items via in-app purchasing.
"Android Market's in-app-billing is a huge way for developers to provide content to gamers and Trendy is thrilled to celebrate this new feature by offering DD:FW for free to Android devices. We hope everybody with a capable device will try it out and tear up some orcs & goblins with us online!" -Jeremy Stieglitz, Development Director, Trendy Entertainment
Dungeon Defenders: First Wave is also available on iOS, where it will go on a week- long sale of $0.99 to celebrate its optimization for the iPad2. Dungeon Defenders: First Wave is one of the only games on the iOS App Store to support full multi-threading on the iPad2's dual-core processors, as you can see in the amazing iPad2 performance video linked below.
"The iOS version of Dungeon Defenders: First Wave is one of the first applications to take full advantage of the iPad 2's dual-core processor and beefy GPU, providing gamers with an eye- watering, HD action-packed online RPG experience! To make the game accessible to everyone, we're discounting it to $0.99 on iOS. Put simply, if you own an iPad 2, you owe it to yourself to play this game and experience what your powerful new device is truly capable of!" -Jeremy Stieglitz, Development Director, Trendy Entertainment |
| Visualized: eBay's iPad 2 sales, thus far Posted: 02 Apr 2011 06:49 PM PDT Although eBay figures don't exactly correlate with Apple's sales numbers, it's interesting to note who's buying what, and where. Last year, for example, in the first two weeks after the Apple iPad hit shelves, 65 percent of all iPads sold on eBay went abroad. This year, in the same timeframe, the percentages have been flipped -- 65 percent of iPad 2s sold on eBay remained in America, or around 7,800 tablets. Perhaps we're just seeing higher demand or maybe people don't like waiting in line. Peep the source link to dive deeper into the comparison. |
| 3DxWare 10 lets 3D mice work in 2D apps, leaves your standard mouse feeling a bit flat (video) Posted: 02 Apr 2011 05:03 PM PDT Your standard mouse may do it on the table, but 3D mice do it with extra dimension -- some of the time, anyway. Quit 3ds Max and suddenly you have one axis too many on your hands. After all, the vast majority of applications are 2D to match mice that may exist in a 3D reality but are limited to a decidedly dual-dimensional existence. No more. 3Dconnexion, makers of a couple different controllers with depth, has released 3DxWare, a Mac or Windows driver that enables exciting 3D mice to work with boring 2D apps. The first video after the break shows some one-handed zooming and browsing, while the second has you cutting and mixing in Final Cut Pro -- again with nary a keyboard or controller in sight. The software is free if you have a compatible mouse, but if not you'll be paying between $99 and $399 for a suitably compliant critter.
Show full PR text March 31, 2011 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From Microsoft Outlook to The Sims, 3D Mice Can Now be Used with Any Application
3Dconnexion 3D Mice Now Compatible with Any PC or Mac Application Thanks to Ingenious New 3DxWare™ 10 Driver Platform
FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3Dconnexion today announced 3DxWare 10, a breakthrough driver platform that extends the usage of 3D mice to any application, from Microsoft® Office® to internet browsers and from media players to games. With over a million units sold, 3Dconnexion 3D mice are the tool of choice for engineering and design professionals working in sophisticated 3D environments. And now with 3DxWare 10, 3Dconnexion 3D mice can also handle everyday applications with ease. Beta versions of 3DxWare 10 for PC and Mac can be downloaded for free from www.3dconnexion.com/anywhere.
"With 3DxWare 10, there are no limits to how a 3D mouse can be used, except for one's imagination"
Proven in 3D, Now Works Anywhere
Previously, only users of specialist 3D applications benefited from the intuitive, six degrees-of-freedom 3D navigation delivered by a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse. Now, the simple 3DxWare 10 interface allows users to assign keyboard strokes and traditional mouse or joystick movements in any combination to the 3D mouse. Tilt the controller cap to scroll a Web page, twist the cap to adjust the volume in iTunes, or use all six axes to pilot a helicopter in Battlefield Bad Company 2. The choice of application and assignment of the six axes and up to 32 function keys (depending on the 3D mouse model) is entirely up to the user.
"The 3DxWare 10 driver platform represents a new era for our 3D mice," says Dieter Neujahr, president of 3Dconnexion. "Our customers have told us they want to be able to use their 3D mice with everyday applications. This technology lays the foundation for our products to be used far more widely, ultimately allowing us to extend the advanced features of our 3D mice to anyone who works with a computer."
Much More Than a Mouse
3DxWare 10 offers limitless possibilities for incorporating 3D mice into everyday use, including:
Documents and Browsers: 3D mice now offer a compelling alternative to traditional mouse wheel navigation in documents, spreadsheets and Web pages. Gently tilt the 3D mouse cap to scroll the view up or down or twist the cap to zoom in and out.
Games: Most PC gamers rely on a combination of a traditional mouse and keyboard to control their character or camera view, but with 3DxWare 10 a 3D mouse can be used to deliver intuitive and comfortable control in games like The Sims™ 3. It's also possible for the 3D mouse to emulate a joystick or gamepad for a rich 3D experience in games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, Wings of Prey and Need for Speed.
Media Players: Controlling the volume, track selection or position is typically handled by the traditional mouse and keyboard shortcuts. With a 3D mouse, you can twist the cap to adjust the volume, tilt the cap sideways to fast forward and rewind, and tilt the cap forward or backward to move between tracks in your playlist. And if the user prefers other controls, they can easily customize the 3D mouse to best suit their needs.
3D Collaboration: 3DxWare 10 also provides a new feature for professional users by allowing multiple 3D mice to be used on one workstation. This innovative development enables easier viewing of 3D models in group design reviews or client presentations.
"With 3DxWare 10, there are no limits to how a 3D mouse can be used, except for one's imagination," concludes Neujahr.
The 3DxWare 10 beta platform for PC and Mac is available for download at www.3dconnexion.com/anywhere and is compatible with 3Dconnexion's current line of 3D mice, including the SpacePilot PRO (MSRP $399), SpaceExplorer™ (MSRP $299), SpaceNavigator (MSRP $99) and SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129).
About 3Dconnexion
3Dconnexion is the leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today's most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion's award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide. 3Dconnexion is headquartered in Fremont, Calif. with European headquarters in Munich, Germany and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com. You may also connect with 3Dconnexion on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/3Dconnexion) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/3Dconnexion).
© 2011 3Dconnexion. All rights reserved. 3Dconnexion, the 3Dconnexion logo, and other 3Dconnexion marks are owned by 3Dconnexion and may be registered. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
| Zune HD finally gets an e-mail application, still waiting on a future Posted: 02 Apr 2011 03:41 PM PDT  The future of the Zune as a standalone media player is still a little in doubt, but its future of being able to send crucially important e-mails and, in return, get a boatload of spam is now fully assured. A free e-mail app has been added to the Zune Marketplace supporting Gmail, Windows Live Mail, and of course good 'ol POP3 accounts. Unfortunately all we have to gaze upon is that tiny screenshot over on the right, but it certainly looks familiar enough to fit right into the Zune ecosphere without making any waves. Just make sure you don't go looking for your Steely Dan collection inside the unread folder. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| Nike+ SportWatch GPS now on sale, $199 adds geek cred to your workout routine Posted: 02 Apr 2011 02:37 PM PDT Wrist-mounted iPod nano not quite the running companion of which you'd originally dreamed? This Nike+ SportsWatch GPS will be happy to take its place. We spotted the TomTom-branded fitness watch at CES this year, and now it's formally on sale -- though unfortunately for a price far steeper than those of its immediate ancestors. Of course, the $199 band isn't just a replacement for the Nike+ iPod system, it also uses that onboard GPS to keep track of where you run, much like the Nike+ GPS app but without the necessity for an iPhone 4 bouncing around your person. Did we mention it's also a watch? [Thanks, John S.] |
| James Cameron ponders 48 or 60fps shooting of future Avatar films, because he's trendy like that Posted: 02 Apr 2011 01:33 PM PDT  Oh, Jameson. You trendy, trendy trendsetter. After coercing the entire world of cinema to bow down and worship the art of 3D, it looks as if James Cameron will soon be spearheading the effort to back away from the tried-and-true 24fps shooting method in favor of far faster options. The Hollywood Reporter is claiming that Cameron copped to the idea of shooting Avatar 2 and 3 at higher frame rates, likely 48fps or 60fps. The reason? It'll provide an "added sense of reality," and it'll probably create a wave of new camcorders, software and plug-ins to handle the dirty work. Onward and upward, we suppose. |
| SYNC's second version off to a buggy start, Ford fixes with Ctrl-Alt-Delete Posted: 02 Apr 2011 12:31 PM PDT  With it being ordered in 80 percent of its 2011 models, SYNC's been a boon to Ford's bottom line, but it's not all peaches and cream for the Dearborn crew's connectivity platform. Our friends at Autoblog are reporting that the second generation of the infotainment software has a nasty little habit of restarting itself when something goes wrong with one of the applications. Doesn't sound like such a big deal, except these automatic reboots take several minutes (an eternity if you're relying on the GPS to get you around), and the system tends to misplace your indexed music and linked phone info while fixing itself. Apparently, the only other way to deal with such glitches is to take afflicted autos to a dealer for a full-on software reinstall or reinitialization -- why Ford and Microsoft went the Ctrl-Alt-Delete route instead of finding a more user-friendly solution, we'll probably never know. The Blue Oval boys claim that Autoblog's experience was atypical, but have nonetheless rolled out software updates to alleviate the problems. Hopefully, it's enough to stop SYNC systems from doing the Force Close dance. |
| Sony CEO casually mentions he's supplying cameras to Apple Posted: 02 Apr 2011 11:26 AM PDT We were tempted to call it an April Fools' joke, but it seems the story's true: Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer reportedly let slip that his company is producing cameras for the next batch of iPhones and iPads during a public interview with the Wall Street Journal. Traditionally, Apple's sourced its sensors from OmniVision, including the delightfully backside-illuminated 5 megapixel CMOS unit you'll find in the iPhone 4, but since Sony too has BSI tech and OmniVision has reportedly encountered delays, your next portable Apple product might house a Sony Exmor R sensor like the one we admired on the Xperia Arc. Mind you, that may not end up actually happening, because of the context in which Sir Howard revealed the news -- according to 9 to 5 Mac, he said that the factory producing sensors for Apple was affected by the Japanese tsunami. Oh well. |
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