CrunchGear |  |
- Daily Crunch: Further Downstream
- RePro3D: Naked-Eye 3D Display Lets You “Touch” Virtual 3D Characters (Video)
- Bose SoundLink Mobile Passes On AirPlay For Bluetooth A2DP Streaming
- Microsoft Excises Flash And Plugins From Metro Internet Explorer In Windows 8
- Live Your Space Program Fantasies With A Retro NASA Camera
- Mint Robotic Swiffer Gets An Upgrade
- iPhone 5 To Launch On October 15th, Suggests France Telecom CEO
- Panasonic Creates Triathloning Robot
- Did Case-Mate Just Leak The iPhone 5?
- Archos Q9 Tablet Is A Beefy, Honeycomb-Running Machine
- Video: Panasonic’s EVOLTA Mini-Robot To Start At The Hawaii Ironman Triathalon
- Follow-up: New Electric Car TEEWave AR1 Up And Close (Video)
- AmazonLocal Brings Daily Deals To A Kindle Near You
- Netflix Releases Revised Subscriber Estimate, Stock Takes A Nosedive
| Daily Crunch: Further Downstream Posted: 16 Sep 2011 04:00 AM PDT |
| RePro3D: Naked-Eye 3D Display Lets You “Touch” Virtual 3D Characters (Video) Posted: 16 Sep 2011 02:09 AM PDT  Here’s a 3D screen of a different kind: a research team at Japan’s Keio University has developed a display that allows users to “touch” virtual 3D characters. The way the so-called RePro3D works is that it combines a naked-eye, full-parallax 3D display with a tactile interface that lets users manipulate virtual objects in a 3D environment with their fingers. The makers explain:
The whole system looks a bit hacky at this point, but the plan is to further improve RePro3D and use it for interactive 3D applications (i.e. games) in the future. Here’s a video that provides more insight (shot by DigInfo TV in Tokyo, in English):
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| Bose SoundLink Mobile Passes On AirPlay For Bluetooth A2DP Streaming Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:24 PM PDT  Bose has a new toy for your desktop. The Soundlink Mobile builds on the company’s SoundDock pedigree but ditches the physical dock in favor for a bit of streaming magic. But no AirPlay here. Bose instead employs Bluetooth A2DP, which works with most Bluetooth-enabled devices rather than just the fruity ones. Awesome. The unit itself is about the size of a hardcover book and features a decidedly retro leather or nylon lid that folds back to double as a stand. A lithium-ion battery pack is said to provide eight hours of playback at reasonable levels and less if the party gets out of control. And it very well might, too. Bose has backed this little guy with more speakers than some compact cars.
Big props to Bose. Thank you for building a device that uses an industry standard rather than an iOS-only technology. I mean that. As an Android user, it’s frustrating watching the hot new accessories only work with the iPhone. I’ve never said this before, but good job, Bose. Bose Corporation develops sound solutions for entertainment, home audio, aviation, and automotive industries in the United States and internationally. The company also provides professional sound systems for auditoriums, hotels, performance centers, places of worship, restaurants, retail businesses, schools, stadiums, and other venues; loudspeakers, controllers, and accessories for the stage; and automotive sound systems for sports cars, sedans, SUVs, trucks, and compacts. In addition, it offers Wave systems and accessories for home/office, larger rooms/outdoors, music from computer, and radio listening...
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| Microsoft Excises Flash And Plugins From Metro Internet Explorer In Windows 8 Posted: 15 Sep 2011 05:26 PM PDT  Microsoft has confirmed its commitment to a separate and separately-optimized ecosystem in Metro by announcing via the ever-interesting Building Windows 8 blog that IE10 in Metro will not support plug-ins. This includes Flash, of course, which gives the announcement the same flavor, if not the same substance, as Apple’s famous rejection of that particular technology. This is much more mild, though it is significant all the same. Microsoft has always been a fan of plug-ins, but the more recent versions of IE have been much more standards-orientated. IE6 was simply a vessel for web plug-ins, but IE9 is far more integrative and streamlined. IE10, at least in Metro, will take it to the next logical step, which is eliminating plug-ins altogether. The decision is a pragmatic one, really. The tablet form of Windows 8 will be focused on basic web consumption, bespoke full-screen apps, and tablet-like long life and ease of use. For many use cases where Flash or other plugins may have been necessary in the past (video and audio are the majority), new standards and containers are making native implementation faster, simpler, and more secure. And since the desktop form of 8 will be accessible at all times, it’s a snap to switch to the more full-featured IE10. Just hit a button on a page that requires a plug-in, and you’re whipped into full desktop mode. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it’s a solution, whereas Apple offers only cold consolation. Some of the internet is inaccessible to iOS users, plain and simple, and this won’t be the case for Windows 8 tablets. That counts as a strength to many, though perhaps just as many have accepted Apple’s premise that if it doesn’t work on the iPad, it probably wasn’t worth it anyway. Having this reduced functionality in the Metro version of the app concerns me a little bit, though, as it seems to make it less of a “real” app and by extension makes a Windows 8 tablet in Metro mode less of a “real” PC. Is this a single-case design decision, or one of many apps in which the Metro/tablet app will be a little bit inferior? On reflection, it’s not so much of a compromise as some may think. The decision to streamline an app has practical benefits. Safari on the iPad is as no-frills as it gets, and it sacrifices a ton of functionality to be that way. Why should we have a double standard for Microsoft? Here they provide a “dumb” version that can either be tolerated or switched to a full version with a single touch. They provide a choice where Apple doesn’t. Furthermore, it’s almost certain that plug-ins will be supported by third-party browsers like Firefox. Microsoft is simply choosing the market it wants to define on its own tablets. Being the Swiss army knife is too much of a commitment, especially on Windows, which is itself already an impractically-large Swiss army knife. Yet I still feel that Microsoft may be unable to follow through on its early promises that the Metro interface would be just as powerful and full-featured as the desktop some of us know and love. I want it to be true, but without some sorcery I don’t think it’s going to be that way at first. Adobe has said something on this topic here, where it notes that it will be bringing Flash content to Metro via Air and likely the app store. Whether it will be a pleasant experience remains to be seen (much relies on the content itself; many Flash items aren’t optimized for touch), but it’s worth noting that this is far from the total dissociation from Flash that Apple has been pushing. You can read our early impressions of Windows 8 here, but unfortunately the wi-fi in our device had trouble authenticating, so we were unable to test the browser. Don’t worry: we’ll have ample time to test it over the next year or so before the OS is released.
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| Live Your Space Program Fantasies With A Retro NASA Camera Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:44 PM PDT  This beauty is a Nikon F Photomic T, which first hit the streets all the back in 1965. Aside from being a gorgeous piece of retro tech, it’s also one of several NASA-owned cameras from the estate of collector Arthur Keir that have been put up for auction. Keir’s NASA collection spans the decades, from the Nikon F you see above, to its successor the Nikon F2 (1978), to a bulky Canon L2 video camera that flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia (1998). For those less interested in photography, Keir has also amassed quite a bit of NASA effluvia, ranging from a glove bladder to thermal slippers, both of which were meant for extra-vehicular activity. If this blast from the past has you reaching for your wallet, be warned: prices seem to be a bit on the steep side. Still, some of these pieces could be gifts of a lifetime to the maniacal photographer in your life, so feel free to check out the rest of Keir’s collection. Even if you resist the temptation to buy something, you’re sure to get your daily dose of retro camera porn.
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| Mint Robotic Swiffer Gets An Upgrade Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:25 PM PDT  I reviewed the Mint floor cleaning robot just about a year ago, and found it a delightful little device as long as you know what you’re getting. While it doesn’t have the capabilities of the Neato (or Smarbo) or the fire-and-forget simplicity of the Roomba, it’s great for hardwood floors, and it’s quiet, compact, and cute. Evolution Robotics has put together an upgraded model of the little guy, and while it’s not bringing it to Roboking Triple Eye levels, it does make the device more practical for multi-room houses. Previously, the Mint was more or less restricted to cleaning one room at a time. It has a little cube that helps it track its position, and the cube only maps out one room at a time. My Mint definitely left the theatre of action and went to check out the hallway and kitchen before, but generally it stayed in the room. Now you can use more than one cube, and the bot will travel from one room to the next. It also has a reservoir for wet mopping now as well. Previously, you just wetted the cloth it came with and let it go to town. I found this inadequate, it was more like giving the floor a damp wipe than mopping. But now it has a little internal tank for filling with water, or juice if you want to make your floors sticky. Last, it has an upgraded battery and a new charging cradle that brings it to full power in two hours. I’m still waiting for the version that parks itself, though. And it’s black! The new Mint Plus will set you back $300 – the old one can be picked up for $200 now.
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| iPhone 5 To Launch On October 15th, Suggests France Telecom CEO Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:17 PM PDT  Apple is famous — hell, notorious even — for their culture of secrecy. With the strictest of NDAs, discussions between even the closest of teams limited to need-to-know matters, and whispers of creepy internal investigation squads lurking about, people in the know tend to keep their lips sealed up tight. Unless that person’s name is Stéphane Richard and they’re the CEO of France Telecom — then they say just about whatever the heck they want. In this case, he’s stirring up the rumors surrounding the iPhone 5′s launch date. Back in May, Stéphane Richard tested the waters by confirming that Apple was tinkering with the idea of a new, smaller SIM card standard. Seemingly walking away from that without any harsh repercussions, he today shared what he believes to be the launch date for the iPhone 5. In discussions with a small group of French reports, Stéphane mentioned: “If we believe what we have been told, the iPhone 5 will be released on 15 October” Gasp! Of course, it’s worth noting that new iPhones dont always launch in all regions simultaneously; while the iPhone 4 launched in the US and across Europe all at once, some countries don’t get the new model until a few weeks later. Previous rumors have pinned this newest model’s launch on days all over the first half of October, and this little slip-up really just helps cement that idea. What do you think? October 7th? October 15th? Place your bets now. The winner gets to point to this thread in all future internet flamewars as evidence of their undeniable prescience. Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple’s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod (offered with...
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| Panasonic Creates Triathloning Robot Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:21 AM PDT  In honor of the Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii, Panasonic has created a tiny EVolt mascot that will run, swim, and bike the course’s full 142 miles in about a week. The teeny little robot will run on EVolt batteries and, since he’s 10 times smaller than a human, he gets to take much longer to finish the course. This wee robot is going to swim 2.36 miles, bike 111.8 miles, and then run a full marathon. I suspect the wee fellow will probably have some backup robots to help him if he dies in the middle of the open ocean.
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| Did Case-Mate Just Leak The iPhone 5? Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:23 AM PDT  And like that it’s gone. Before I could hit the publish button on this post, Case-Mate pulled the page in question and replaced it with a landing page. But for a second there, Case-Mate had what seemed to be a whole bunch of images of iPhone 5 cases loaded with a slightly different phone that looks rather iPad-ish. Here we go again. Yet another trip around the iPhone 5 leak zone. It’s hard to say what Case-Mate was using to display their cases. It’s unlike Apple to give accessory makers actually hardware. The pics shown on the now-removed product pages looked like renders anyway, but they were probably based at least partly on known specs. The result is a device with styling cues clearly taken from the iPad 2 and current iPod touch with a tapered back and thinner casing. Case-Mate’s quick removal of the offending page seems to suggest that it wasn’t posted intentionally — although it could be part of a ploy to get people to this landing page and if was the intent, well played, Case-Mate. Apple is said to announce the next iPhone sometime in the coming weeks. These images are just the latest in a long, long series of Apple leaks concerning the next iPhone. Gizmodo might have officially pawned Apple with its iPhone 4 scoop, but the iPhone 5 isn’t exactly a well-guarded secret anymore. Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple’s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod (offered with...
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| Archos Q9 Tablet Is A Beefy, Honeycomb-Running Machine Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:32 AM PDT  The Archos G9 tablet comes in two flavors, 8-inch and 10-inch, and runs Honeycomb 3.2. The specs are more than acceptable with the 8-incher starting at $299 for 1 GHz of power and $100 more for a half a GHz extra. The tablets have internal flash memory of up to 16GB or a 250GB hard drive, your choice. The 101 is a 10-inch model with a slightly faster CPU standard while the 80 is the bargain basement model at 8 inches. Here is your pricing.
The devices will be available in October with pre-orders starting this month in the U.S.
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| Video: Panasonic’s EVOLTA Mini-Robot To Start At The Hawaii Ironman Triathalon Posted: 15 Sep 2011 08:15 AM PDT  Panasonic sure knows how to promote their EVOLTA brand of rechargeable batteries: first, a cute mini robot powered by the batteries hoisted itself up a 500 meter-cliff at Grand Canyon, then an EVOLTA robot took on the Le Mans 24 circuit in France, before traveling 500KM from Tokyo to Kyoto last year. And now Panasonic announced [JP] plans to let the little guy start at the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii on October 24 (the company is to launch a line of improved EVOLTA batteries next month). In other words, the robot is supposed to swim 2.4 miles, ride a bike for 112 miles before running a marathon (26.2 miles) – all powered by EVOLTA batteries. Panasonic says they will use one special robot for each of the challenges (see below) and that they will recharge the batteries on the way (the whole race stretches 140 miles, after all). Panasonic expects the EVOLTA robots to complete the Ironman in about a week’s time. We’ll keep you posted. Here’s a video showing the swimming model (running, cycling): Via Kaden Watch [JP]
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| Follow-up: New Electric Car TEEWave AR1 Up And Close (Video) Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:51 AM PDT  When we showed you the so-called TEEWave AR1 last week, reactions were mixed, with some readers calling the latest electric car from Japan “pretty”, while others said it’s plain “ugly”. But now news site DigInfo TV has gone and shot a video of the vehicle, which not only shows the car in more detail but also provides more insight on its development and features. To recap, the two-seat sports car (made by Japanese chemicals company Toray) uses carbon fiber reinforced plastic in several key parts (the frame, for example), which results in a weight of just 846kg (including the battery). The TEEWave AR1 reaches a top speed of 147km/h and offers a travel range of 185km. Here’s the video (in English):
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| AmazonLocal Brings Daily Deals To A Kindle Near You Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:36 AM PDT  It may have started with a quiet rollout, but a recent announcement shows that it’s AmazonLocal‘s time to get loud. According to Amazon, their Groupon-esque deals service will start displaying bargains on their Special Offer-oriented Kindles when a new software update goes live in coming weeks. AmazonLocal, which came about due to Amazon’s partnership with LivingSocial, is currently live in 44 markets across 15 states — not bad for a service that’s only been live for a few months. Kindle owners will be able to take advantage of offers in New York City, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Chicago, just to name a few. The Special Offers Kindle will be able to detect the user’s location, and display any nearby deals for that day. Users will be able to purchase those available deals directly from the Kindle without having to whip out their credit card, as the payment will be likely be processed from whatever card Amazon already has on file. Once all that is taken care of, users can mosey on up to the counter, flash their Kindle, and enjoy their savings. It’s a logical move by Amazon, but it’s brilliant nonetheless. By releasing the Kindle with Special Offers, Amazon has already managed to target a presumably well-read audience who have made it known that they enjoy a bargain. In shoehorning AmazonLocal onto those Kindles, Amazon can get deals out to people who may be more likely to bite the bullet than others.
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| Netflix Releases Revised Subscriber Estimate, Stock Takes A Nosedive Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:26 AM PDT  Netflix is crashing and burning in pre-trading as the company just released a statement to shareholders that cut forecasted subscribers by 1 million users. This comes after Netflix started rolling out new plans that effectively jacked prices up 60% for the most popular plan. As of this post’s writing, Netflix is down 15% [update below] and falling, almost erasing the company’s stellar 19% growth over the last year. The new estimate puts the company’s DVD-only subscriber count at 2.2 million, down from the previous projection of 3 million. Estimates for Netflix’s streaming subscriber base have been lowered as well: the user count is pegged at 9.8 million rather than the old estimate of 10 million. Even with the lower subscriber count, Netflix isn’t revising its Q3 financial outlook, which it expects to still be on target despite losing 1 million subs.
Change is hard and Netflix’s stellar success in going from start-up to superstar is commendable. But now that they’re at the top, if you will, the big kid on the playground, its history will be written with how it proceeds from here. No doubt a short-term goal is to recover the recent lost subscribers while increasing its DVD and streaming offering. As a bored Netflix subscriber myself, content is king and, well, the streaming library isn’t getting any bigger. Update: This post was written before the market opened. Netflix ended up starting today at $177, down 14.9% from yesterday’s closing price of $208. 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 a month, Netflix members in the U.S. can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streaming right to their TVs and computers and can receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to their homes. In Canada, streaming unlimited movies and TV shows from Netflix is available for $7.99 a month. There are...
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