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The Ides Of July Should Bring Us New Apple Products

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:35 AM PDT

OS X Lion and (probably) updated Macbooks Air (Macbook Airs?) should arrive on July 14, according to 9to5′s spies. Apple is holding an “overnight” on July 13 where they will train employees on the new hardware and, as we all know, OS X Lion has hit gold master and should, as predicted, arrive on time.

Sony To Kill The MiniDisc Walkman In September

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 12:19 AM PDT


After discontinuing the production of cassette Walkmans last year, Sony is now about to kill another one of their original inventions: the MiniDisc Walkman. And as Japanese business daily The Nikkei is reporting today, Sony plans to pull the plug on the production as early as this September – obviously because nobody is buying MiniDisc Walkmans anymore.

The first MiniDisc Walkman was introduced on the Japanese market in 1992 (13 years after the first cassette Walkman), but MiniDiscs never really gained a foothold outside Japan. The picture shows that first MiniDisc Walkman, the Sony MZ1.

Worldwide, Sony managed to sell 22 million MiniDiscs through March this year. Sony will continue producing the discs themselves after September and also plans to keep offering CD Walkmans.

Homemade Combination-Secured Flash Drive Is Steampunk Done Right

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 08:11 PM PDT


Once again, an example of how Steampunk can actually be pulled off. This one-off flash drive was created by a Russian guy, who modeled it in 3D, had the components cast or printed, and then assembled it himself (you can see the whole project here). The wheels spin and lock or unlock the drive, which slides out a la one of the rugged drives I reviewed a while back.

Very cool. This man needs an Etsy store! Wait, is this thing old? Whatever.

[via Fancy and Technabob]

Marathon Now Available For iPad

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 05:15 PM PDT

Just a quick heads-up: that iPad version of Marathon (Bungie’s classic Mac FPS) is now available to be downloaded to your very own little iPad. And it’s free! Free, I tell you!

If you haven’t ever played the game, I’d actually recommend playing it the way it’s meant to be played first (there are ports available and the game is free), but if you don’t mind the tablet controls, this should be a real treat. This is just Marathon 1 – I’d expect 2 and Infinity a little later.

[via TUAW]

Look, Some Transparent-Display Patents From Apple

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 05:00 PM PDT


Apple is always patenting things, and only a few ever are actually made, but here are a few interesting ones dug up by Apple Insider. They relate to putting information on a transparent display, more specifically a hybrid display that can overlay info on the transparent bit, but also has a layer that can be made opaque, on which to put normal text and images.

They envision a sort of sightseeing situation, where the device has GPS and wi-fi data informing it of its location and streaming data, while the camera and transparent screen work together to, say, label buildings or parts of a piece of art. It would also be possible to provide real-time updates and an AR overlay of the location of other people or waypoints. Handy.

As for the opaque/transparent thing, imagine an e-paper-like screen sandwiched in there that can be switched between clear and opaque. There are already OLED panels that do this – kind of.

Sounds solid to me. Now they just have to actually invent this make-believe stuff. Here’s the first patent (Synchronized, Interactive AR Displays for Multifunction Devices) and the second (Transparent Electronic Device).

Project Mimicry Lets You Play Virtually In A Real Sandbox

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 03:56 PM PDT


This is just too cool. Project Mimicry is a game/project in which a real-life sandbox is monitored for depth information, and the resulting virtual landscape is able to be played on, raced in, and explored in a separate game environment.

Watch the video, it’s easier to see it that way. But this just looks like a ton of fun. You could put together sweet racing courses and jumps, make little towns and such — the only problem is that it seems to see from the top down, so you can’t make caves or overhangs. Still, totally awesome.

It’s “in development” right now according to Monobanda, but I’m not sure whether they’re actually planning on making a commercial release (which would be difficult) or just let it stand on its own as a sort of proof of concept art game. I’m happy either way.

[via Indie Games]

At Last You Can Fabricate Your Minecraft Creations

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:34 PM PDT


I’m not one of these guys who creates functioning computers or scale models of the Vatican in Minecraft, but occasionally I’ll put together a sweet little tower and house that could just possibly be worth saving. Unfortunately, I can’t take these little structures into the real world! At least, I couldn’t before now.

Some students at MIT’s Media Lab have put together a tool called Minecraft.Print() that lets you directly output an area of your Minecraft world to a 3D printer. They tested it on (what else) the Companion Cube seen above, but you could just as easily print out your main base, landscape and all.

It’s really just a tool that makes the Minecraft 3D data into a standard printable format, but I like that it uses in-game tools (blocks) to mark off the territory to be printed, and hey, Minecraft + 3D printing = post.

[via Hack a Day]

Scientists Create Microscopic, Lens-less Camera

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 01:27 PM PDT


And I thought this salt-grain-sized camera was small. Cornell researchers have created an even tinier imaging device that does away with the last holdout features of traditional digital cameras.

The Planar Fourier Capture Array (PFCA) doesn’t have photosensors, as we think of them. Instead, it’s just a single piece of silicon that’s sensitive to light, and by analyzing the Fourier transform of the incidence angle (I think), an image can actually be created, at the moment with a resolution of about 20×20 pixels. That’s not enough for, say, a tiny security camera, but the thing is so small that it could be used as an “eyespot” for a robot or device, for use in orienting itself or tracking various objects.

The camera, if you can call it that, is described in more detail in a paper published in the latest issue of Optics Letters. I know you already have a copy, so get reading!

[via Physorg]

Guy: Every Time You Fly With Your Camera, You’re Damaging The Sensor

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 12:02 PM PDT


Rob Hummel, a film industry vet speaking at this year’s Cine Gear Expo, reveals what seems to be a shocking fact about digital cameras: taking your camera on planes kills pixels! The rationale behind this is that the gamma radiation at altitude is much greater, and this causes a voltage change in sensors that can “fry out” pixels. Calamity! But wait, let’s just check some stuff here.

As forum posters and commenters around the net are pointing out, this whole thing simply doesn’t seem to be true. His anecdote of the Genesis cameras being flown out and having dead pixel rows is full of holes; after all, a million things could have caused a few dead pixels, not least of which a bumpy flight and improper packing. Cameras are flown all over the place every day, and you’d think at this point someone would have noticed all the dead pixels. Though the cameras in space people are mentioning are without a doubt radiation-hardened.

Hummel is probably speaking from a grain of truth: gamma rays probably do excite photo sensors, but the increase at cruising altitude isn’t really that much greater, and a commenter links to a paper showing that either way, it’s nowhere near the levels necessary to damage a sensor. It’s probable that some sensors are more likely to suffer from this problem than others — but any systematic problem would have been detected and corrected by now.

[via Photo Rumors and PetaPixel]

iOS Hacker Begins Porting Swype To (Jailbroken) iPhones

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 11:39 AM PDT

When it comes to Swype and their crazy drag-through-letters-to-type alternative keyboard of the same name, there’s only one problem: it’s really, really tough to give up once you’ve gotten used to it. Alas, I’ve gotta deal with the withdrawal symptoms each and every time I jump from an Android device back to my iPhone, due to restrictions inherent to iOS.

While Swype was purportedly working on something for iOS in June of last year (and, as the rumor mill had it, trying to convince Apple to make it official) all word of it went silent pretty quickly. The mission has been revived, it seems, albeit with someone else behind the charge: Andrew Liu, developer of the “DreamBoard” theming hack for jailbroken devices, has begun to “port” Swype to iOS.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch, because swertyuiomrvbjommgfecifgotrfghjothst damn it forgot Swype doesn’t work on a physical keyboard >>

Kobo eReader Touch Edition Gets Updated With Font Customization

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 10:42 AM PDT

We had mixed feelings when it came to Kobo's Touch Edition eReader. Specifically, we felt that the device was "not really a better reading experience than other devices (though not a worse)." However, that sentiment might change since the Kobo eReader Touch Edition is getting an update, which should bring with it some cool new customization features.

Basically the update will give users the ability to add their own fonts, and create new fonts on their laptop which can then be synced over to the Kobo eReader. The Kobo eReader Touch Edition is a pretty simplistic device, so chances are a lot of Kobo owners aren't necessarily what we'd call tech savvy. If you happen to be one of them and the idea of side-loading fonts seems scary, no worries. You'll still be able to customize your Kobo’s font by choosing from the five fonts that will be included in the update: Amasis, Delima, Felbridge, Gil Sans, and Rockwell. That brings Kobo's on-board font offerings to a total of seven fonts, across 25 different sizes.

The update will also bring line-spacing, margin, and justification control to the Kobo eReader Touch Edition, along with the ability to turn off Kobo styling altogether. It's worth noting that Kobo's greatest competitors, the Kindle and the Nook, don't offer the ability to add fonts. The whole point of an eReader is to find a convenient, space-saving way to enjoy books, and customizable fonts sounds like a great way to improve the experience. Maybe the Kobo could be a "better" reading experience after all.


CivWorld For Facebook Beta Goes Live… If You Can Get It To Load (Update)

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 09:54 AM PDT

Back in May, we reported that Sid Meier's Civilization game would be migrating over to Facebook under a new name, Civilization World. Today, the Facebook game went live in its beta version, and we're more than excited to get civilized.

While maintaining the same basic game structure, CivWorld will bring a social element into the game, giving users the option to join teams and rule the world as a group. And who doesn't love a good oligarchy? Plus, CivWorld is free on Facebook, as opposed to the $40-ish price tag slapped onto Civilization V. In my opinion, the most exciting thing about CivWorld is that we'll be able to dominate the world with real-life friends.

There's just one problem: the game won't load. As of now, the error reads: "There was no response from the Game Server. You may refresh your browser to try again." Hopefully, the folks over at 2K Games will get this situation squared away so we can check out the next in Sid Meier's genre-defining Civilization series.

Update: Seems to be working now, albeit slowly.


This Case Lets You Attach An SLR Lens To Your iPhone

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 09:38 AM PDT

Hello friends! Welcome to this week’s edition of Because You Can!

Why would you want to take a super huge telescoping SLR lens and attach it to your iPhone? Because You Can!™©® Well, you can now that this crazy iPhone SLR Lens mounting kit exists.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch, and we’ll reminisce about that one time you and your Photo Class made pin-hole cameras out of oatmeal boxes and took crappy pictures of deer >>

Meet Saturn’s Great White Spot That Really Isn’t A Spot Anymore

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 08:26 AM PDT


Think Arizona’s dust storm was huge? Check out the Great White Spot on Saturn. What first started as a small but bright dot last December, has grown to a massive storm that is currently encompassing a vast part of the planet’s upper half. The Cassini spacecraft first picked it up on December 5, 2010 and then astronomers then noticed the bright dot. Cassini then observed lightning strikes 10,000 times stronger than what happens here on Earth. Saturn is known for its violent, long-lasting storms, but this is the first major event recorded in the planet’s northern hemisphere. [NASA]

The CrunchGear Servers Are A Mess Right Now

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 07:50 AM PDT

Just FYI that the site is going through some weird problems that will probably be repaired sooner or later. If we crash, please feel free to visit other exciting sites like MySpace, Yahoo!, and Geocities.

Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date Watch With Trick Rotor

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 07:50 AM PDT

The name of this watch doesn’t actually include its most thrilling feature. For 2011, this is the Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date watch. It is true that it has a flying tourbillon and a big date indicator but turn it over and you see the power reserve indicator on the rotor. Complications on rotors seem to be really “in” this year. In 2011 alone, on automatic rotors, we have seen seconds indicators (Cartier), tourbillons (Jacob & Co.), and now a power reserve indicator on this Blancpain. Coincidence? Probably not.

Read the rest here…

Android 3.1 Is Now Rolling Out To The Acer Iconia Tab A500

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 07:47 AM PDT


Acer’s honeycomb tab is now feeling the good graces of Android 3.1. The update is now rolling out to the Iconia Tab A500 just a month after it was officially released by Google. Of course updates like these take time and aren’t generally available for every device right away. But check anyway. Constantly. Eventually you’ll get the latest Android release that I found was more a bug squashing expedition than feature roll-out. Still, Android 3.1 > Android 3.0.

The Latest Western Digital My Book Takes The Mac Look To The Max

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 07:23 AM PDT


Western Digital, like most storage companies, has long had a line of products designed for the Mac crowd. The latest incarnation of the My Book Studio takes up a notch with a brushed aluminum enclouser and perforated top grill — you know, just like the Mac Pro. Also like the Mac Pro, this Apple-ified Firewire/USB 2.0 drive carries a premium with the 1TB, 2TB and 3TB drives costing $150, $200 and $250, respectively. Got to pay to play, I guess. [WD]

The Onkyo BD-SP809 Blu-ray Player: 3D, Netflix, And A Lovely THX Certification

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 07:02 AM PDT


Once upon a time, buying a high-end audio or video device often meant sacrificing otherwise standard consumer features. Instead of a quality remote, you’d get fancy interior audio circuity. Instead of an on-screen GUI, the player would weigh 30 lbs. Such was the life of a fine media connoisseur. That trend is quickly fading, though.

Onkyo just announced its latest flagship Blu-ray player: the $599 BD-SP809. This bad boy comes complete with 3D capabilities and a fancy-pants THX Blu-ray certification. It packs a USB port for media playback and an Ethernet port for local DLNA 1.5 support and online streaming services such as Netflix, Blockbuster, Film Fresh, and VUDU. Got to love that.


Around back there are twin HDMI outputs for multiple display support, component output, TOSLINK & digital coax outputs, and, of course, an RS-232 port of home automation integration. Marvell’s Qdeo technology handles the 1080p upscaling, noise reducing and deinterlacing. Yeah, this boy is packed and stacked with the latest Onkyo tech.

The BD-SP809 should hit Onkyo retailers this coming August with an MSRP of $599, which is quite a good deal when compared to its nearly identical Integra cousin. The Onkyo features the same THX certification, but sports one more HDMI port and the online media streaming support. The Integra on the other hand has a more powerful power supply, analog 7.1 audio outputs, but also a $100 higher prices tag. I’d much rather drop that cash on some Blu-ray discs.

Motorola Droid 3 Hits Verizon’s Shelves For $199.99 On-Contract

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 06:33 AM PDT

Even though Verizon tried to pull a fast one on us by skipping pre-order altogether, we were still accurate when we originally pegged the Droid 3 arrival for today, July 7. That's right folks, the Motorola Droid 3 is available now from Verizon, and she's a beauty. Big red lists the phone for $459.99 off-contract, and $199.99 with a new or upgraded two-year contract.

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