CrunchGear |  |
- Gadgets Week in Review: Composite Device
- Look Out, GameFly: Netflix’s New Qwikster Service Ships Video Games, Too
- Weekend Watch Round Up
- The $99 TouchPad Returns To HP’s Employee Purchasing Program On Sept 28th
- Daily Crunch: Bite Size
| Gadgets Week in Review: Composite Device Posted: 19 Sep 2011 01:00 AM PDT  Here are some of the past week’s stories on TechCrunch Gadgets:
   |
| Look Out, GameFly: Netflix’s New Qwikster Service Ships Video Games, Too Posted: 18 Sep 2011 10:13 PM PDT  Amongst all the hollering going on over the merits of Netflix spinning their DVD shipping service into a separate company and whether or not the new service’s name, “Qwikster”, was pulled at random out of a hat labeled “Bad Names”, one detail isn’t quite getting the attention it deserves: Qwikster is going to do video games. Hear that deafening whir? That’s the red alarm going off at GameFly HQ. Reed Hastings mentions the new addition in his An Explanation And Some Reflections post so passingly that it’s almost funny:
Just 63 words, tucked into 1,100+ word post almost entirely about something different — that’s all it took for Hastings to essentially declare war on a service that has managed to coast by without any real competition since 2002. For nearly a decade, Gamefly has gotten by by being the Netflix of video games — and now Netflix is stepping in to be the Netflix of video games. While calling it an “upgrade option” similar to their Blu-Ray upgrade suggests that it’ll only cost a few extra bucks a month, Netflix/Qwikster hasn’t disclosed pricing for the video game service yet. Unless that “upgrade option” comes in pricier than GameFly’s standalone service, though, Gamefly’s battle just got a whole lot steeper: I’ve been a subscriber to both services for years now, and Netflix’s shipping/turnover times have always dominated, hands-down. If GameFly has any advantage in this surprise battle they’ve just found themselves hurled into, it’s the breadth of their catalog. While Netflix/Qwikster only plans to ship Xbox 360/Wii/PS3 games at launch, GameFly’s collection includes everything from the DS and the PSP to last generation of consoles. Happy Monday, GameFly! GameFly rents and delivers video games to customers via post mail, following the Netflix model. For a flat monthly fee, users can rent as many games as they want and keep them for as long as they want. GameFly does not have due dates or late fees, and includes pre-paid mail both ways. GameFly offers top games for PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, Xbox, Wii, GameCube, DS and GBA. 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...
  |
| Posted: 18 Sep 2011 09:53 AM PDT  The timeless Timewalker from Montblanc gets a fantastic new movement totally made in-house by Montblanc in Switzerland. It is the Timewalker TwinFly Chronograph and it is covered and reviewed here in DLC coated titanium. We’ve always loved the no nonsense tool-watch approach that Sinn uses when making their timepieces. Ultra durable and a bit retro, the Sinn EZM 10 is the new flagship pro use watch from the brand as we want one. Check out these high-end one of a kind wonders. The 2011 Only Watch charity auction is coming soon, with about 40 unique new watches from of the world’s best brands. Our favorite outdoor watch line is the Casio Pro Trek (formerly Pathfinder). New in blue and black, the digital and analog PRW-5000Y gets viewed and reviewed here.
  |
| The $99 TouchPad Returns To HP’s Employee Purchasing Program On Sept 28th Posted: 18 Sep 2011 08:37 AM PDT  It’s not very often I get to write that it’s a good day to be an HP employee. But it’s also not everyday that HP employees are offered some of the last TouchPads. The company is set to release a final batch of the $99/$149 HP TouchPads to employees starting September 28th at 9:00am PDT. This is per an email I received from an HP employee (embedded after the jump), which notes TouchPads are available on a first come, first serve basis and employees are only allowed to buy one TouchPad — which some will likely list on ebay where TouchPads are currently selling for over $200. The sun is setting on the TouchPad’s life and HP is likely ready to move forward, thoroughly burned by their venture into the land of the iPad. This comes, as stated in the email, as HP is “clearing out inventories and winding down manufacturing operations.” HP previously canceled the TouchPad and allowed retailers to clearance them out at an astounding price: $99 for the 16GB and $149 for the 32GB. Stores sold out nearly overnight, leaving some hopeful that HP would release another batch. Unfortunately the email I received doesn’t detail any other TouchPad retail sales although I would pay close attention to Best Buy, Amazon and HP’s website the days before and after the 28th. It’s such a good deal. TouchPad works like no other tablet. It allows users to move back and forth between apps, see related activities grouped together automatically to stay organized, answer calls and texts from HP Pre3 smartphones, share websites with other HP webOS devices, experience more of the web with Adobe Flash Player 6 and 7. TouchPad tablet includes essential productivity apps right out of the box. Users can collaborate with colleagues using Google Docs or Box.net, print wirelessly to compatible networked HP printers,... Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ), commonly referred to as HP, is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA. HP is one of the world’s largest information technology companies and operates in nearly every country. HP specializes in developing and manufacturing computing, data storage, and networking hardware, designing software and delivering services. Major product lines include personal computing devices, enterprise servers, related storage devices, as well as a diverse range of printers and other imaging products....
  |
| Posted: 17 Sep 2011 01:00 AM PDT  Here are some of yesterday’s posts on TechCrunch Gadgets:
  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from TechCrunch » Gadgets To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
