Posted by 010081
Tech
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
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Paul would have been so jealous right now. Massachusetts-based CatholicTV has launched 3D programming on its Web site, and plans to launch a proper 3D TV network, à la ESPN 3D , shortly. Take me now, O Lord! Right, so the network launched the 3D programming yesterday, and you can watch it right now if you have a pair of old school red-and-blue glasses. I don’t happen to have such a pair handy, so I’m not able to say things like, “Well, now I see what the fuss is all about! You really ought to read the full Canadian Press story , because the guy in charge says some pretty great things, among others, calling 3D a “hot technology.” I haven’t been to a Catholic church in about five years, but I certainly don’t remember the priest using terms like “hot” to describe church goings-on. All I know is, I’m going to make a killing selling 3D glasses to Broadway show-going tourists in Times Square. “Who wants to see Play when you can see it in 3D! Only $10 each!”
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
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Harmonix has officially announced that Green Day: Rock Band will hit retail on June 8th of this year. Interestingly enough, Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong confirmed that the band was working on the game in a radio interview back on June 8th of last year . Mind? Blown. The game will be priced at $60 on PS3 and Xbox 360, $50 on Wii, and there will also be a $70 special edition game for PS3/Xbox 360 that “Includes special packaging, export and six Green Day DLC tracks ($22 total value),” according to the press release . You’ll have 47 tracks to play with, all of which will be exportable to Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and Rock Band 3 when it’s released. The game also features “the three-part vocal harmony technology Harmonix introduced with the award-winning The Beatles: Rock Band .” Coming Soon: Green Day: Rock Band [RockBand.com]
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
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Razer announced today that they are going to be releasing Mac drivers for all of their future products. This comes on the heels of the announcement that Steam is coming to the Macintosh as well. Razer specifically mentioned the upcoming line of StarCraft II peripherals, which makes sense in light of the fact that Blizzard has always released a Mac version of their games at the same time as their PC versions. From the press release: RAZER™ REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT MAC® USERS Game Developers Conference, San Francisco, Calif. – March 10, 2010 – Today at the Game Developers Conference, Razer, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, announced an effort to increase support for Mac users by issuing driver support for all upcoming Razer products, including the Razer StarCraft® II peripheral suite. “I’m very proud to say that at Razer, we are committed to supporting both Mac and PC gamers,” said Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, president, Razer USA. “We are constantly working to increase driver support for Mac with our existing Razer products and have plans to release all of our new products with dedicated Mac and PC drivers. This is a really exciting opportunity to expand the gaming industry and make it more inclusive for Mac users by providing the same level of support that we give to our PC users.” In April of 2008, the Razer DeathAdder™ for Mac was revealed, crafted specifically to provide Max OS X users with the same legendary ergonomic form factor and precision enjoyed by the PC gaming community. Complete with lunar white accents to accentuate the crisp, clean lines customary to Apple® products, the Razer DeathAdder for Mac is loaded with 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ technology and five independently programmable Razer Hyperesponse™ buttons. Today, Razer is proud to offer several options for the Mac gaming community, providing full Mac support for the Razer Naga™, the world’s best selling MMO gaming mouse, as well as the Razer DeathAdder, a cult favorite among the right-handed gaming community. Razer is completely committed to supporting Mac users and will be releasing drivers to equip existing products with Mac compatibility. Basic Mac support is already available for the Razer Orochi™, Razer Mamba™ and Razer Imperator™, with further updates scheduled for later this year.
Posted by 010081
Tech
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
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Another day, another electronic book reader not called the nook or Kindle gets a content deal. The Entourage eDGe has signed a deal with Newspapers Direct , giving it access to papers like The Daily Mail , Marca (!), and The Washington Post . This is a great day for people who were waiting to read Real Madrid gossip on the eDGe. The deal works via the Web site PressDisplay.com, which used to have a sponsorship deal with World Football Daily (well, World Soccer Daily at the time), a fine podcast based here in the good ol’ USA. You go to the site, and you get to pick and choose from among 1,500 titles. The way it was sold on World Football Daily was, read the sports papers from your favorite leagues around the world! It was pretty neat, actually, but a $30 monthly subscription to anything online almost seems excessive. That’s pretty much it. I do think the hard reality of electronic book readers these days is, unless you’re the nook or Kindle, you might as well not exist. Not that they’re the end-all, be-all, but because they’re backed by book-selling giants. via Shiny Shiny
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Monday, March 8th, 2010
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We’ve given you a first look at Iron Man 2 way back in June last year, and two months ago, we reported it will be Marvel’s first IMAX movie when it hits screens on May 7, 2010. It’s 2.32 minutes long and very, very cool. This is the official synopsis of the movie: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel Super Hero Iron Man, reuniting director Jon Favreau and Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr. In Iron Man 2, the world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the armored Super Hero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James Rhodey Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces. Here’s the new trailer (Trailer on Apple.com in HD ) And to make things complete, here is the first official trailer (released in December last year):
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
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For those of you who have sworn off energy drinks because of their syrupy, cough-medicine-y, sugary taste, these new “Fein Energy Crystals” might be more up your alley. They’re pitched as “the world’s first flavor-free caffeine crystal product” and can be added to any drink without altering the taste. For those of you who have sworn off energy drinks due to semi-serious heart palpitations, irritability, night terrors, and paranoia, you should probably still stay away from this product. And unlike most energy drinks, Fein appears to be little more than 75 milligrams of caffeine per packet—none of the good stuff like Guarana, Taurine, or the myriad of other magic herbs found in the likes of Red Bull, Monster, and Rock Star. One final caveat: it looks like the ordering process involves a free 30-day supply for $6.74 which is then re-billed monthly at $20. So you’d better be down for a caffeine subscription. Full Press Release: Fein Energy Crystals Create a Stir in the Energy Drink Category TAMPA, Fla.–( BUSINESS WIRE )–The world’s first flavor-free caffeine crystal product, Fein, adds a new twist to the $7.9-billion energy drink category: no sugars, no artificial ingredients of any kind, no carbs and no calories. It tastes the same as your favorite beverage. Fein is being introduced through a modified rollout in select markets with a television infomercial and national radio endorsements, announced Stephen Diaco, a management partner for Fein Innovations, LLC. Revolutionary Fein energy crystals, with the trademark slogan, “Conquer the night, take on the day™,” can be added to any favorite beverage, even water, to make it an energy drink without altering the flavor. Fein’s formula is all-natural caffeine citrate and a suite of secret, 100-percent natural “taste erasers.” It is the only energy drink product to use caffeine citrate as its primary source of caffeine, making it an all-natural, soluble power plant for busy people on the go. Fein delivers 75 mg of caffeine per stick with zero sugar, calories, carbs and artificial ingredients with no taste or aftertaste. “Fein is the answer for everyone seeking an energy boost with all the flavor and pleasure of their favorite beverage, but without added carbs, calories, sugars and sweeteners,” Mr. Diaco said. Mr. Diaco said that with imagination, hard work and scientific ingenuity, Fein Innovations, LLC researched 35 generations of product innovation to deliver the energy equivalent of existing 8.4 oz. energy drinks, at a best-available price of less than half a dollar per 0.6 gram serving, about 44 cents. Fein is a non-taxable food product, not a dietary supplement. Spark Brand, Tampa, Fla., created the two-minute infomercial featuring millionaire-maker Kevin Harrington, infomercial pioneer and panelist on ABC-TV’s “The Shark Tank,” and top-ranked, nationally syndicated radio host, Bubba the Love Sponge®. Fein is available at www.GetFein.com , or at 1-800-506-FEIN (3346). Select retail outlets and some military bases carry Fein cubes containing 30 servings, and others are being added. Fein is on Facebook and Twitter (@Fein). Fein is not recommended for anyone under age 18, pregnant women or anyone with hypertension. Users should consume no more than 4 Fein sticks in any 24-hour period. Because Fein incites energy, users should not take within five hours of sleep. Find complete product and scientific information at www.NYNewswire.com/1003/fein
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
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It’s official. NVIDIA’s ION 2 GPUs are coming. You’ll see them on more than 30 products come summer time. The company is promising “10x faster graphics and up to 10 hours of battery life.” So much for that whole power-versus-battery-life tradeoff. Some of the first products we’ll see outfitted with the discrete GPU will be Acer’s 532G netbook ( covered here ) and the Asus Eee PC 1201PN, shown above. We’ll also see plenty of all-in-ones and small form factor PCs to boot. The GPUs attach via PCI Express to Intel’s new-ish Pine Trail platforms to provide dedicated video memory—no more sharing. Expect honest YouTube HD streaming, “and smooth gaming performance on titles like World of Warcraft,” according to the press release . Acer’s 532G will be the first out of the gate next month, with other products to follow.
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
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Mamiya announced their latest large sensor DSLR today, the DM40. Coming in at a memory card crushing 40 megapixel, the DM40 can capture images at up to 60 frames per minute, make it the fastest large sensor DSLR on the market. And one of the most expensive. The DM40 is quite an impressive camera technically, but expect to pay for the privilege of shooting with it, as a sensor that large doesn’t come cheap. MSRP on this amazing piece of equipment is a jaw-dropping $21,990. For all the technical details, here’s the press release: Mamiya today announced the addition of the new Mamiya DM40 to its lineup of professional large-sensor DSLRs. Featuring a resolution of 40 megapixels with a peak capture rate of .8 seconds per frame and a sustained capture rate of 60 frames per minute, the Mamiya DM40 is the industry’s fastest large-sensor DSLR. The heart of the DM40 system is the new “DF” camera-core technology, developed by Mamiya, featuring two user-selectable shutter systems: leaf or focal plane. In demanding daylight situations, photographers can use predictable high speed flash synchronization to fill-in or overpower even the brightest ambient light on one of three new leaf-shuttered lenses designed by Schneider-Kreuznach and manufactured by Mamiya. The lenses – available in focal lengths of 55mm, 80mm, and 110mm – deliver an effective maximum flash sync speed of up to 1/1600th of a second. For more conventional situations, photographers can choose any one of 15 other world-class Mamiya optics, from 28mm to 300mm APO, designed for use with the cameras’ focal plane shutter system. Also newly announced, the Mamiya DM40 Digital Back will be available for those customers who wish to obtain the latest in high-speed and resolution digital capture for their existing Mamiya or large format camera. Supported cameras include: Mamiya 645AFD series, 645DF, Mamiya RZ series (via optional adapter), Mamiya RB series (via optional adapter), and 4
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Friday, February 26th, 2010
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Poor Jon Rubinstein. After a strong, early push, Palm’s sales have slowed and revenue has dried up with $300-$320 million in Q3. Their “guidance” to Wall Street AKA how much they expected to make? $1.6-1.8 billion. Bloops. The letter is over at WSJ but here’s an excerpt. This morning we announced preliminary results for our 2010 third quarter. Since the quarter has not yet closed, it is too soon to offer exact numbers, but we stated that we expect to report revenues for Q3 between $300 and $320 million. We also announced that we expect our revenue for this fiscal year to fall below the guidance we gave to Wall Street, which ranged from $1.6 to $1.8 billion. As we mentioned in our press release, our softer than expected performance is due to slower than expected customer adoption of our products, which in turn has prompted our U.S. carrier partners to put additional orders on hold for the time being. On a positive note, we expect to exit the quarter with over $500 million in cash on our balance sheet. We’re scheduled to announce our full financial results in March.
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
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Anyone remember Neonode? Apparently we do , but not very well. Anyway, these guys are back with a range of touchscreen panels called zForce. These pads range from 5 to 13 in. widescreen models, and are supposed to have plenty of advantages over current resistive and capacitive panel systems. Well that certainly sounds enticing, doesn’t it? And what exactly are those advantages you might ask? Well don’t ask me, ask the press release. 100% transparency (no overlay needed like in resistive or capacitive), low cost for complete touch screen solution, ultrathin design, outstanding finger touch experiences (multi-touch support for gesture like pinch to zoom), integrated ambient light sensor for self adjusting backlight levels and lower power consumption and much more. The Neonode website also claims the zForce is equally responsive when you’re wearing gloves. I know I would prefer not to have my fingers freeze when I’m trying to figure out exactly what part of Brooklyn I’m lost in. [ SlashGear ]