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Posted: 22 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Nintendo 3DS Gets Camera Update, Charming Mario Editions

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 04:03 PM PDT

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Nintendo has just wrapped a press conference going over some developments for the 3DS. The platform has seen strong but lower than expected sales, though the pricing do-over in August has spurred adoption. This update seems like a sort of holdover while the big games are still unreleased, but any improvements to the platform are always welcome.

First, a system update brings new options to the camera. You can now record 3D movies of up to 10 minutes in length, and it will also capture time lapse or multiple shots per second or stop motion. They also enabled the ability to shift data to a new 3DS, which some are taking as an indication of a “3DS Lite” or the like (perhaps one with two circle pads) arriving down the road.

3D makeovers of a few classic games were also announced. Kid Icarus and Kirby’s Adventure will be gaining an extra dimension the same way Excitebike and Xevious have. Not the biggest news of all time, but Kid Icarus is one of my favorite NES games and I think this is simply wonderful. Hopefully Metroid and Blaster Master aren’t far behind.

Lastly, they are initiating a sort of raffle this holiday season in which if you buy two Nintendo games, you’re entered in a drawing to win one of the cute Mario-themed 3DSes pictured above. That mushroom one is calling my name. Unfortunately it seems unlikely that the contest will actually be offered here in the US, but we can always hope.

You can find a few more game-specific details summarized over at 1up.

Avengers Cinematographer Shot A Few Scenes On An iPhone 4

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT

iphone4scamera

Whenever a new iPhone comes out, people rush to have the first music video or short film shot entirely on its camera. But it’s not often you hear about a big-time Hollywood production using this kind of device for anything other than behind-the-scenes stuff. Yet in an interview with IFTN, the cinematographer for The Avengers, Seamus McGarvey, admits he supplemented their more professional camera setup with a few shots from the iPhone 4.

Don’t get too excited, though: it’s not like they had it on the helicopter rig or they’re using it for serious effects shots. The benefit of the iPhone 4 is that it’s compact and easy to operate. McGarvey says that a couple of the shots are even in the trailer, and I think I’ve picked them out. I highlight them not because I love the iPhone so much, but to explore how a device like this could possibly fit into a multi-million dollar shooting schedule. Also, it’s Friday.

You can’t use an iPhone for things where the lighting is complicated, where you need lots of crop space or extra resolution (effects shots and aerials), or where there’s any kind of real action or camera movement (the amount of skew from a small sensor like the iPhone’s will be really obvious on the big screen). Take those away and what do you have?

First is this shot of Thor:

Low to the ground and very simply exposed, plus there’s a ton of glare and lens flare. Plus the framerate is wonky, which suggests they just halved it to make it slow-motion. McGarvey had probably set up for some other shots, but thought a shot like this might be good to cut in and didn’t want to set up a whole new low-level dolly, or maybe they didn’t bring the lens for it. A quick shot like this won’t show flaws (detail is obscured by glare and exposure and movement is minimal), and it probably only took a couple minutes to get right.

Next is this explosion shot:

When you shoot explosions like this, you usually have several cameras to capture it from multiple angles, or the same angle with different framerates or focal lengths, that sort of thing. A lot of explosions you only get to do once. They were probably setting up and were short a camera, or thought of this placement at the last minute. No extra rigs? Put an iPhone down in a safety box (or not) and boom, instant camera 13. The framerate will be messed with later anyway to make the explosion look cooler. You could also use something like a GoPro, but those sport cams have a really wide angle lens on them and show a lot of barrel distortion.

Anyway. It’s kind of fun to go looking for this stuff. Like McGarvey says, “The beauty of photography or cinema is that you make every choice based on the content at hand.” And more than ever, a smartphone is what people have on hand. Will it serve? Go ahead and use it. Comparisons to 5Ds and such (which I’ve seen around lately) miss the point. The footage doesn’t compare. The use cases are as different as the prices. But why use a RED when an iPhone will do — and why use an iPhone when it won’t do?

Acer: The Losses Will Continue, But Things Are Getting Better

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 12:17 PM PDT

ned-stark-game-of-thrones

Acer announced that they’d be posting another loss, following last quarter’s $250m one, and warned they were unlikely to get back into the black by the end of the year. The good news? They only lost around $36m. Things are coming up roses!

In truth, it really is a big improvement, and the losses are smaller than expected. Acer announced earlier this year that not only were they going to take a hit while doing inventory reduction (units they’d have to sell for less than expected), but that essentially their entire business model needed revision.

Although Acer’s sales actually saw ~15% growth over last quarter, they’re still 30% below what they were a year ago. But Acer’s humility and acknowledgement of the problem (they cite the iPad and Fire as major competitors in the low-end notebook space, a fact they were once unwilling to acknowledge) are reassuring. It’s a hell of a big company and they’re not doing well — they admit that — but they’re getting better and hopefully will come out the other end of this stronger.

As for this year, hopes are pinned on the Aspire S3 ultrabook, a slim and powerful machine with a reasonable price that they’re hoping will attract buyers away from MacBook Airs and perhaps inspire budget buyers to take their laptop up a notch. We definitely enjoyed the laptop, but it too will face fierce competition from the Air and other ultrabooks.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus Arrives November 13, Pre-Order Begins October 23

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 11:41 AM PDT

samsung-galaxy-tab-7-plus

Though it’s already been listed for pre-order at J&R (and promptly unlisted), Samsung has given the official word for pricing and availability of its Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. The 7-inch Honeycomb-powered slate will go up for pre-order at various retailers on Sunday, October 23, with retail availability beginning November 13. Samsung says its newest Galaxy Tab will go for $399.99.

As a refresher, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is the fifth in Samsung’s Galaxy line of tablets — sixth if you include the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note. It sports a 7-inch 1024×600 WVGA display and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.

The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus supports video playback in 1080p, and touts a 3-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash (and 720p video capture), along with a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. The 7-incher ships with HSPA+ support, along with 1GB of RAM.

Oddly, Samsung didn’t include pricing on its 32GB model, though J&R originally listed it for $499. In fact, Samsung didn’t mention its 32GB model at all, so we may be stuck with just the 16GB version for now.


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Microsoft’s Augmented Reality 3D HoloDesk Lets You Play With Balls In Real Time

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 11:21 AM PDT

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Do you mind if Microsoft drops a little future on you like a ton of bricks? This HoloDesk uses a half-silvered mirror and a Kinect sensor to “see” your hands in 3D space then project visible objects on and around them, allowing you to juggle virtual spheres, play with phones, and generally get all Minority Report up in this piece.

According the the Microsoft Research Blog, this is only one of the upcoming 3D projects coming out of Redmond. Writes researcher Steve Clayton:

I won't attempt to describe what it does in great detail, except to say that with Holodesk you can manipulate 3-D, virtual images with your hands. Whilst this is only a research project at this stage, I can envisage future applications in areas such as board gaming, rapid prototype design or perhaps even telepresence, where users would share a single 3D scene viewed from different perspectives. I know it sounds very Star Trek but this is not science fiction.

Very Star Trek indeed.



Siri, Could You Pour Me A Beer?

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 10:59 AM PDT

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It’s Friday. Time to sit back, put your feet up, and crack open a cold one. Better yet, why not let Siri pour your beer for you? All you need is an iPhone 4S and a can of somethin’ nice. And an R/C car. And an Arduino hooked up to a Twitter account. And a sharp tack, and…. yeah, you get the point.

Sure, it’s pretty much the modern day equivalent of The Breakfast Machine. And yeah, it spills at least half of the beer. But having to pour your own beer is a real problem these days (AOL actually refuses to hire someone to pour my beer. I know, right?) — and gosh darn it, we just love problem-solvers here at TechCrunch. High fives to the folks at redpepper for this one, if only for the laughs.

Forget USB 3.0: Add A Tape Reader To Your PC

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 10:54 AM PDT

If you’re in the market for a stable storage medium for all of your important documents, you might be in luck. The TR-01 paper tape reader allows you to read old (and new) paper tapes right into your PC. The system can read the tape as quickly – or as slowly – as you can pull it through the reader. The video above shows some cute tricks you can play with your tape including counting in binary, walking the LEDs, and creating a cute light show for you and your buds.

The kit cost $180 back in 2008 – the project page is here – and it looks like the creator, Mike Davis, is still selling some hardcore retro hardware. I asked him if he’s still selling the TR-01 and haven’t heard back, but I’m sure he can ramp up production once EA decides to release the hipsterized paper tape version of Battlefield 3.

Sadly, there is no paper tape writer so you probably can’t convert your family photos to 8-bit so future generations can find the tapes, pretend they are confetti, and then throw them away after spilling coffee all over them.

UPDATE – Mike confirmed he can still feasibly make them if there’s demand:

Yes, I’m still selling them. I haven’t listed it because I only had parts for 1 unit and sold it to someone who’s been waiting for a while for one. I will be ordering some more opto devices next week. If you don’t mind waiting, I can list the TR-01 if you are willing to wait a week before it can be delivered. It takes a bit of work to get them built and tested. I do it myself, on my wife’s kitchen table.

via Retrothing



Must Watch: The Battlefield 3 Launch Trailer

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 06:33 AM PDT

You’ve watched the videos, played the beta, and read the storyline. Battlefield 3 gets real next week and this final trailer shows the insane single player mode. Oh, and enjoy the remake original Battlefield theme music. It gave me chills.

Video: Unlock Any iPad 2 With Just A Smart Cover And 5 Seconds

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 06:14 AM PDT

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Apple, you got some ‘splainin’ to do! But no, seriously, this is big. Mark Gurman, from 9to5mac, just posted a video showing how incredibly easy it is to unlock an iPad using just a Smart Cover (or magnets, really). Worse yet, it’s stupid easy to perform. Any Smart Cover could unlock any iPad 2 and jump into the last used screen. Not that I have anything to hide on my iPad. The only reason I use a passcode is to prevent my four-year old from messing up my Jelly Defense game.

This iPad security flaw joins the one concerning Siri found just the other day. In that case the voice tools allow users to send emails and place calls all while the phone is technically locked. Hopefully both flaws make their way to Apple HQ and it will be addressed immediately.


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Company: Apple
Website: apple.com
Launch Date: January 4, 1976
IPO: October 22, 1980, NASDAQ:AAPL

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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Nintendo Gets Serious About Streaming, Announces Hulu Plus Will Soon Hit The Wii, 3DS

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 05:53 AM PDT

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Hulu Plus has long been missing from the Wii leaving Netflix as the only major streaming service on the gaming console. But that changes soon. Nintendo just announced that Hulu Plus will soon be available on both the Wii and the 3DS. The exact launch data wasn’t announced, but the release states that that the service will hit “both systems by the end of the year.”

This comes as Nintendo is prepping for the next generation Wii, the Wii U. But that system isn’t going to launch for months and Nintendo still has to move Wii units while fighting off the 360 and PS3. Adding a major new streaming service like Hulu Plus will certainly keep some owners happy.

The Hulu Plus service costs $7.99 a month and opens access to content from ABC, NBC, Fox, Comedy Central, MTV and more. The service is often criticized for having a limited selection but more content is constantly being added. Between Netflix and now Hulu Plus, the Wii’s streaming lineup will be rather complete but still not has robust as the PS3 and Xbox 360, which got into the streaming game a lot earlier. Nintendo isn’t moving slowly again.

Neflix was already announced for the 3DS. Now, with Hulu Plus, the 3DS has an early lead on the PS Vita, which doesn’t have any 3rd party streaming support yet. Netflix or anyone else has yet to announce support for Sony’s next-gen portable, leaving some wondering if it will ever come. Nintendo, however, has both Netflix and soon Hulu Plus streaming to its portable system, which might help the company move several more units.


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Company: Nintendo
Website: nintendo.com

Nintendo, a technology company widely known for its line of game consoles, was actually founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi. It began as a Card Game company and evolved into one of the largest Japanese companies with a Market Capitalization of over $85 billion. It’s most recent game console, the Wii, has been one of the most difficult consumer devices to buy, because of such high demand.

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