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All Is Right With The World: EBook Apps Back On The iPad

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 02:13 AM PDT

Yesterday’s “Everybody panic!” is today’s “Meh.” B&N, Amazon, and Google Books have all taken pains to make it abundantly clear that you can only buy their ebooks from the e-store “through the Safari browser on their device or any computer” (to quote B&N) and have removed direct links to those stores from their Nook apps. In this way, they bypass Apple’s 30% revenue request. Here are the chances folks have made, including Google Books’ return to the App Store with ebook sales disabled.

Kindle

We wanted to let you know that we’ve updated our Kindle app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. The big change is that you can now use the Kindle app to read over 100 Kindle newspapers and magazines including the Economist, as well as share favorite passages from your reading via Facebook and Twitter. In order to comply with recent policy changes by Apple, we’ve also removed the “Kindle Store” link from within the app that opened Safari and took you to the Kindle Store. You can still shop as you always have – just open Safari and go to www.amazon.com/kindlestore. If you want, you can bookmark that URL. Your Kindle books will be delivered automatically to your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, just as before.

Nook

NOOK for iPad will soon be updated to offer the innovative, interactive magazine experience first available on the award-winning NOOK Color™. Optimized for high-resolution displays in rich, beautiful color, iPad users will have access to popular daily, weekly and monthly periodicals, including Esquire, Maxim, Forbes, Food Network Magazine, Newsweek, Popular Science, ESPN The Magazine, Elle, O, the Oprah Magazine, Parenting: Early Years, The Washington Post, USA TODAY, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times and many more. Through Barnes & Noble's exclusive ArticleView technology, readers can customize the article's text to their favorite style in an easy to read, central panel on the display. NOOK Magazines can be enjoyed in both portrait and two-page landscape view and feature a slider and other interactive tools to enable the user to move easily throughout the magazine. NOOK Newsstand periodicals are available for subscription at www.nooknewsstand.com with a 14-day free trial and via single copies.

Google Reader

Removed sales links. They’ve also, in the process, rendered the app nearly useless to a confused reader.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Internet outrage.

“Data Furnace” Would Heat Homes While Flipping Bits

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:18 PM PDT

One byproduct of computing almost everybody has had to deal with at some time or another is the heat. Whether it’s your Xbox 360 overheating due to poor ventilation, your MacBook’s fan roaring like a jet engine, or some other manifestation, the inescapable truth is that computers these days get warm. Whether it’s a processor, hard drive, or video card, it produces waste heat as its processors and moving parts do their thing.

Microsoft Research asks: if these things are so hot, why aren’t we heating our homes with them?

The obvious answer is that while a laptop definitely produces enough heat to make things uncomfortable for your lap, it’s nowhere near the amount necessary to heat the room, much less a whole house. Same for even the most powerful gaming and design desktops.

But server farms all over the world have to crank the A/C to keep their tightly-packed server racks from breaking down from the heat. Since space is at a premium, they put lots of processors and drives as close as possible (check out BackBlaze’s homemade servers) and the heat can get pretty serious. So what if people were to install a rack or two of servers in their home — the bigger the home, the more processors?

The study suggests that there are some serious cost savings involved with selling these “data furnaces” to people, depending on the region, but I’m not convinced. First, the upfront cost to the consumer isn’t appealing: they’re calculating this based on consumers paying the same as they would for a purpose-built furnace. People won’t agree to this unless there’s something in it for them. Then, there is the factor of electricity costs, which is no rounding error: the paper’s estimate puts cost increases at several thousand dollars per furnace. And if the home doesn’t have a fat enough broadband? Cough up an extra couple thousand for a high-speed private line.

Centralizing the power, maintenance, security, access, and administration of datacenters is still way more valuable than the potential gain from “piggybacking” on a low-priority switcheroo like this heating thing. The idea is to provide room for growth in data handling without the adverse consequences of plain linear scaling (i.e. doubling cloud storage capacity without doubling the size and emissions of the datacenters), but I don’t think this method is the way to go about it. There are too many factors that would make the servers’ owners uneasy, and there’s a good chance of upfront hassle for the “host” home. It’s an interesting idea, but I don’t think either infrastructure is ready for it.

[via i-Programmer and Gizmag]

Playstation Vita’s Social And Online Modes Officially Detailed

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:09 PM PDT

We heard about the Playstation Vita’s online capabilities long before we even knew its name, but the official details are just now solidifying. We knew it would have a net-connected staging area for each game, and a proximity-based social tool (LiveArea and Near respectively), and although some of the functions there are intact, they’ve been tweaked a bit and the features have changed.

“Near” is now a “gifting” system rather than a social discovery tool; it’s for leaving presents at certain locations, accessible to certain people or everyone and consisting of in-game items, challenges, and so on.

“LiveArea” is an all-purpose update system that will show things like notifications from friends, new DLC and updates for games, and (I’m guessing) promotions like PSN game sales and what have you. There’s actually an actual part called Live, which I think Microsoft might actually take issue with. In this case Playstation Live and Xbox Live might actually create confusion.

“Party” is a cross-game voice chat system, accessible throughout the system. You can override it for team-based games (dividing up into red and blue voice channels in-game, for instance) but otherwise it’s pretty much always there. It’s also a friends list thing, and you can build game-related groups for easy launching with your teammates or buddies. Hopefully they’ll add an exception for this so it doesn’t eat up your 3G bandwidth allowance.

Sounds pretty solid to me, although I’m thinking they kind of gutted Near. There’s a lot to be done with proximity-based gaming, more than they can feasibly launch with perhaps. I’d expect multiple updates to these capabilities, though, and of course developers will find interesting ways to use them, so we’ll continue keep an eye on the Vita.

Apple Releases Another Security Update With iOS 4.3.5

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:11 PM PDT

Apple’s none too fond of nasty security flaws lurking about in iOS, and they’re not above cracking out rapid-fire updates to prove it. Just 10 days after the release of iOS 4.3.4 (which existed almost solely to kill off a potentially nasty PDF exploit), they’re back with another one: iOS 4.3.5.

The main fix in this minor patch? A fix for a security flaw which might allow “attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS”. In other words, hackers on the same network could store or change traffic that would otherwise be rather intensely encrypted.

Unlike that last patch (which, due to the exploit patched, did away with the one-click-jailbreak site JailbreakMe), this one seems to have no affect on jailbreakers. According to Redmond Pie, the only jailbreak method that still worked with 4.3.4 (tethered redsn0w) still seems to get the job done here.

This one’s pretty hefty for a security patch, coming in at a whopping 666 megabytes. Once iOS 5 and its fancy over-the-air/delta updates (wherein only the stuff that has changed needs to be downloaded), these one-off security updates should be a whole lot less time consuming.

Anyone spot any new gems sneakin’ around in iOS 4.3.5? Be sure to drop a comment and let us know.

Hello! I’m Chris Velazco, and I’m TechCrunch’s New Mobile Writer

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:47 AM PDT

Man, this place looks different.

Before I get too lost poking around the new digs, I'd like to introduce myself — my name is Chris Velazco, and I'm joining the TechCrunch staff as your new mobile writer. Longtime readers may remember me as a hapless MobileCrunch intern from the days of yore, a position I only really landed because Greg happened to see me on television right after he read my application. Alas, though I learned tons and met some truly great people, I had scholastic obligations to deal with and stepped away last year.

I like to think my time away from the Crunch family was well spent: I picked up a few degrees in English and Marketing from Rutgers University, embarassed myself on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and popped up in a second Best Buy commercial. After all that, I was a bit … puzzled about what my next step would be, but when Greg offered me the chance to come back home I jumped at it. I have to say I'm truly very glad to be here doing what I love, and I'm looking forward to writing for (and learning from) all of you.

Feel free to drop me a line! I'm always available at christopherv [at] techcrunch [dot] com, and as @rocketlad on Twitter.

Video: Summer NAMM Conference Gadget Recap

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:41 AM PDT

I descended upon Nashville’s Summer NAMM conference/trade show with high hopes of finding a plethora of musically oriented gadgets to ease and augment the playing experience for ostensible and pro musicians alike. How did it turn out?

Well, let me first say for the record that we do cover music gadgets here; gizmos, tools and instruments with technology at their heart or portability in their design fit in with the mission of TechCrunch Gadgets. To be sure, there is a lot of innovation in the space of music gadgetry…I guess I just didn’t see a large focus on it at the smaller, summer gathering of this giant trade show organization. There was more of a concentration on standard musical instrument retailer offerings. We’ll see if I can get to the extravaganza that is Winter NAMM early next year to search some more because I have heard rumors there will be an entire mobile app/software section to explore.

However, I don’t want to sound like Debbie Downer, because I did find a couple of interesting and compelling devices, gadgets and instruments at Summer NAMM. Items by  JamHub, Pick-Smith, The Juliet Collective, and Cupit Guitars all made the cut this trip. The recap video below shows a couple of them in action with some Lanikai Banjo-lele interludes for your musical enjoyment.


While JamHub is an older device, it’s worth noting that they are still pushing their idea. In many ways I think their concept makes even more sense now in 2011 than it did when they launched it in 2009 with portable recording tools really hitting stride in the market, but that’s just me.

The other gadget to consider is the Jam Kat, by Pick-Smith. I can’t decide if this little doo-dad is a stroke of genius or just another piece of plastic to add to the entropy pile. At first glance it seems like a total gimmick—a guitar pick on a spring-loaded ring (see video for demo)—yet I have to admit that after further contemplation, the concept grows on me. I am still not sure if I would ever use an item like this myself but after watching a few demos, I can see the potential. Nifty.

The final questions that remain in my mind two days out are:

  • Did I miss a massive U2 tribute show (see the impersonators above)
  • Why did I develop a southern accent while speaking with Jerry Cupit?

Why Honeycomb Needs To Ramp Up Its Marketing Mojo

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:27 AM PDT

Marcia Marcia Marcia! As it was in the Brady Bunch, so it is in real life. Like Marcia, the iPad is getting all the attention. Honeycomb tabs are living a life of obscurity, unable to get a footing in the general consumer mindset, and are genrally as unlikable as an unloved middle sister. Why? Marketing. Apple is good at it and Honeycomb tab makers are bad at it. It’s that simple.

Everyone knows about the iPad. Even my 87 year old grandfather told me about an article in his local newspaper about the device. He’s extremely interested in the tablet despite never using a computer before. This is the man that gifted me his beloved slide rule when I entered high school trigonometry. He knows and wants an iPad; he’s never heard of the Samsung Galaxy Tab or Motorola Xoom.


Apple marketing of late is a thing of simplistic beauty. They show quick clips of a device’s functions. That’s it. There isn’t a deep, metaphorical meaning involving a throwing of a hammer or even two contrasting characters quipping back and forth. They let the device stand alone. That’s it.

Honeycomb tab makers rarely utilize this technique. Motorola went the metaphorical route with the Xoom for its Super Bowl debut. Asus, Acer and even BlackBerry, if the PlayBook is also considered, rarely advertise at all. Samsung is the prime exception and took a very Apple-like approach with the original Galaxy Tab for its 2010 launch and also for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 more recently.

But the Honeycomb tabs need more than just marketing help. You can’t even find the damn things in many stores.

John Biggs initially received our Motorola Xoom review and quickly passed it onto me for the full review. But I couldn’t wait for him. I had to try it out and so I went down to Best Buy. It took a solid 5 minutes of random searching to find the Xoom within the computer department. It was stuck on the back wall with the overflow netbooks. That’s where it is today a full six months after its launch.

Retailers seem not to care about Honeycomb tabs. Just last week I went to Office Max for some card stock. I found that the TouchPad had its own end cap while four Honeycomb tablets shared one. That’s fine in my book. At least they were getting some love, I thought as I walked up. But none of them had power. They were just $500 black screens.

The iPad gets all the attention with fancy endcaps. But it’s not all the retailer’s faults; the fault also lies with the tablet’s maker who failed to establish a solid marketing plan with the retailer. Endcaps cost money, money which Apple is clearly comfortable spending.

But it’s still partly on the retailer. Up until very recently, Verizon.com advertised iPads and tablets; they were separate categories. Look at BestBuy.com: the tablet category is called Tablets iPads & E-Readers. That naming scheme is certainly pro-consumer. People have heard of all three items and iPad, much like the iPod with MP3 players, has better name recognition than every other tablet.

Honeycomb tablets, along with the HP TouchPad and BlackBerry PlayBook, do not stand a chance unless their makers step up the marketing and retailer plans. If Apple has an endcap, Samsung needs to buy the neighboring endcap. It’s that simple. So is the marketing techniques. Show your product and how it works. Repeat its name. Leave the watcher with a sense of warm desire — just like Apple does with the iPad commercials. Or just keep the course and drive Android tablets deeper into obscurity.

Report: Amazon To Use Two-Finger Touchscreen To Keep Tablet Competitive With The iPad

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:20 AM PDT

Details about the Amazon tablet are slowly emerging as its supposed release draws closer. The latest news out of the Chinese manufacturing scene is that Amazon, like others, are opting for a low-cost touchscreen panel only capable of two-finger multitouch. The iPad and Honeycomb tabs currently use a 10-finger solution. The alternative keeps the cost down while still providing most general functions.

Digitimes reports that this practice is becoming more popular for entry-level smartphones and tablets. Amazon, among others, need to compete with Apple on both the functionality and price. Honeycomb already provides most of the former, but expensive components currently limit OEMs and CE companies from offering tablets at more competitive prices.

Of course none of this report was confirmed by Amazon. The retailer’s tablet is said to be slated for a fall launch, which also hasn’t been confirmed by the company. The report, if it’s true, shows that Amazon understands the key to competitiveness is price, not straight up cloning. Besides, why does the Amazon tablet need more than two-finger multitouch? It only takes one finger to buy wares from Amazon.

All AT&T Android Phones Released In 2011 Will Get Gingerbread

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:02 AM PDT

The HTC Status might be a sort-of-weird, kind-of-gimmicky (with its dedicated Facebook button and all) little piece of kit, but it’s got at least one thing going for it: it’s the only phone on AT&T running on the latest (phone-friendly) version of Android: v2.3, or “Gingerbread”. Not for long, though.

AT&T has just confirmed that all of the Android phones they released in 2011 will be getting the Gingerbread upgrade treatment.

The phones AT&T confirmed:

  • HTC Inspire 4G
  • LG Phoenix
  • Motorola Atrix 4G
  • Pantech Crossover
  • Samsung Captivate
  • Samsung Infuse 4G

That sure looks like all of AT&T’s 2011 Android line up so far, to me. Anyone spot anything that’s missing?

For those of you whose pre-2011 AT&T Android phones didn’t make the cut: keep your fingers crossed. AT&T also confirmed that the non-4G version of the Captivate (which was released in mid-2010) will be gettin’ the bumpgrade — so at the very least, there’s hope. If all else fails, root that thing and get some CyanogenMod-goodness all up inside it.

And as for when these updates are coming: ATRIX updates start today, Inspire 4G updates start within two weeks, and, beyond that, your guess is as good as ours. AT&T didn’t give any specific timeframes for the rest — which, to be honest, is probably for the best. Missed launch dates = ragey customers.

IBM On-Screen Keyboard Matches Your Hand Anatomy

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:46 AM PDT

An IBM patent points to an on-screen keyboard that matches the user’s anatomy, changing to reflect each users “unique typing motion.”

The keyboard requires calibration in the form of various exercises. The system then senses various variables like “finger skin touch area, finger size data and finger position.” It then creates a unique keyboard based on a “set of averages.”

For example, some of the buttons will be bigger or smaller than others and potentially in different places. This allows for more efficient typing on touchscreens and surface systems.

Does this mean IBM is working on a tablet. Nope, but they’re thinking about how to make it easier for folks to work on them.

via NewScientist



The Astroclip Is An iPhone 4 Clip For Astrophotography

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:33 AM PDT

Amateur stargazers and peeping toms, this one is for you. The AstroClip promises to mount an iPhone 4 to any telescope with a 1.25-inch eyepiece for easy astrophotography. An iPhone 4 simply snaps into the injection molded case and then three set screws secures the case to most telescope eyepieces. This opens up all sorts of fun photography projects: shooting the moon and stars, the lady in the next building and so much more!

The project launched on Kickstarter last week and seems to be having a bit of trouble getting off the ground. This is the designer’s, Matthew Geyster, third Kickstarter project. His first project, Rustic Case for iPad and Kindle 3, was eventually funded, but his second, a dual-tipped capacitive stylus, didn’t raise enough funds. This time around Geyster is asking for a reasonable $15,000, which will cover all the costs while keeping the manufacturing in the US.


The minimum pledge is $1, but $25 comes with an AstroClip and worldwide shipping. Pledge $40 and Geyster will ship you a special edition red AstroClip along with a AstroClip t-shirt. The pledge levels continue up to $500 with each netting the backer more AstroClips. A telescope isn’t included at any level.

Say what you will about phones replacing conventional cameras. It’s happening as more and more accessory makers begin catering to that market. AstroClip is just one of the latest.

Similar mounts have been available for years; the idea isn’t anything new. But other mounts are generally expensive, specific for a certain camera, and require a sturdier telescope tripod depending on the weight of the attached camera. The AtroClip solves all those issues by working with the very popular and light iPhone 4. The project just needs a bit of kickstarting.

Gossamer Web Browser Runs On Your Graphing Calculator

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:04 AM PDT

I had a friend who once amazed me by writing a basketball game for the TI-81 graphing calculator. This, however, is an order of magnitude more impressive. Gossamer is a web browser for the TI-83+ through TI-84+SE calculators and, through the use of a number of fairly interesting network protocol APIs, it lets you see the text of almost any website right on the calculators tiny, pixelated screen.

The program’s creator, Christopher “Kerm Martian” Mitchell, is the world’s most prolific graphing calculator programmer and is currently a first-year PhD student at NYU. While I admire his pluck, I worry that he may be shooting a tad low when it comes to the iron he could be programming but, then again, I could barely graph a sine wave on my old TI calc so who am I to judge?

The HTC Status/Salsa Facebook Phone Lands In China As The HTC Weike Sina Weibo Phone

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:15 AM PDT

Facebook is the largest social networking site in, well, the world. But not in China. Facebook and Twitter are blocked by China’s Great Firewall. The micro-blogging service Sina Weibo is the whip in China. HTC knows its market and therefore slightly retooled the Status/Salsa for the China market. Gone is the Facebook logo and a Weibo burning eye logo is on the dedicated button instead.

The rest of the phone seems unchanged. It runs HTC Sense 2.1 on top of Gingerbread and a 800MHz CPU. There’s a 3.4-inch 480 x 320 screen, aluminum body and a 5MP camera. HTC just changed that one little button for the different market.

Of course there are some difference within the OS as the tight Facebook integration was replaced with an equally tight Weibo integration. The micro-blogging service is baked into many of the phone’s apps. Sure, the hardware is rebranded, but the phone is built for Sina Weibo. [SinaTech via MicGadget]