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March 10 2012
tale
I have a confession to make: despite having reviewed a few e-readers, and having written dozens of articles about them, I've never really used one. I mean, I've used them enough to know a good one from a bad one, to understand the features, and to do a proper evaluation — but I've never made one part of my life, the way one makes a mobile phone or laptop part of one's life. In that way I haven't really used an e-reader. Until just recently. As a book lover, I view e-readers as interlopers; as a practical person, I acknowledge them as inevitable. But in both cases, I have come to view them as a deeply unsatisfying reading experience. They fall short of paper in meaningful ways, and objecting to them should not be considered technophobic. The future of e-books is bright, but as far as I'm concerned, right now we're still in the dark age — though that isn't to say the stone age.
March 09 2012
AnjiiX3CQAAGhRm
Most of the news around Austin this week is centered around SXSW, naturally, but Texas Governor (and erstwhile presidential candidate) Rick Perry broke some news today that's unrelated, but still Austin-relevant. Apple, it seems, which has been slowly growing its presence in the state's tech oasis, chose SXSW weekend as an auspicious time to announce a major new campus in Austin.
msfast
As solid as modern touchscreens are, there’s very often an subtly apparent sense of disconnect when you try to use one. According to Paul Dietz of Microsoft’s Applied Sciences Group, it all comes down to latency — he notes average touchscreens have a latency of a 100ms, which yields a noticeable bit of lag between a user touching a screen and the screen displaying a reaction to it. Sure, it’s totally usable, but it never really feels like you’re fully in control. If you drag an app across the iPad’s screen, for example, the icon will dance around your finger a bit as the display tries its best to keep up. That's not good enough for Dietz and his team, as they have whipped up a demo of how things ought to be — unlike the 100ms delay of a regular touchscreen, the demo knocks that delay between touch and tracking down to 1ms flat.
February 29 2012
win8samsung-002-8
If Windows Vista was Microsoft's folly - a mish-mash of ideas not fully baked and aimed at multiple constituencies - Windows 8 is Microsoft's rebirth. To get to ecstatic about it isn't quite the direction I'd like to take this mini-review, but let's just say that Microsoft is on the cusp of getting things right. As we said before, Windows 8 will ruffle a lot of feathers. The first and most obvious comparison is with the new Windows Phone interface. The "Start" menu is gone, replaced by what amounts to the entire Metro UI. This UI - the one with the multiple, animated squares, is the one that matters.
x10
When Toshiba first entered the tablet space, they specifically told us "we're not focusing on thin and light, we're focusing on usability." This was true — both the Thrive and Thrive 7" have a host of ports and the big guy even has a removable battery. But it would seem that Toshiba is ready to switch up the strategy, as the company is today announcing the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet, the Excite X10 LE.
img0
Wallpapers! Microsoft is holding a big Windows 8 event today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where it's expected to announce (release?) the final Windows 8 beta. Plus, as if that isn't enough, the Windows 8 wallpapers and lockscreens are supposed to be unveiled. I know, right? Wallpapers! Lockscreens! But alas. The wallpapers from the Consumer Preview release leaked early. Win8China got the exclusive and posted a rar file containing the seven wallpapers and six lockscreens. Most of the wallpapers are of the standard floral variety but one is a clever Metro-ish style of the Windows 7 betta fish. Interestingly enough, two of the wallpapers are clearly designed for a dual-screen layout, stating loud and clear Windows 8 will support a more robust multi-monitor support.
scaledwm-img_5695 (1)
Apparently there are still dedicated gamers out there. Sony stated on Tuesday that the Vita is exceeding its expectations and over 1.2 million units have sold worldwide. The Vita hit the U.S. and European market last week after launching in Japan in the middle of December 2011. Sony announced in early January at CES that only 500k Vitas sold in its home market. Many pundits and outlet stated the Vita was dead on arrival, citing casual gaming on smartphones and tablets as the killer. But don't count the Vita out yet. It's alive and kicking.
doro3
Accessibility has become quite the theme here at Mobile World Congress: Nokia and ZTE have announced new low-cost devices to bring push Windows Phone into developing markets, and Google chairman Eric Schmidt highlighted the importance of connecting all people. Sweden-based Doro is trying to help in their own way -- the company has recently pulled back the curtain on the PhoneEasy 740, an Android-powered smartphone meant to help the older folks in your life stay connected.
1560
Here are some recent Gadgets posts: Is The $300 3D Printer Finally Here? Makible Thinks So TC@MWC: The Huawei Ascend D Quad Is One Of The Nicest Phones You’ll Never Buy LTE-Packing Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Hits VZW Shelves On March 1 HBO GO Finally Lands On Xbox 360 On April 1 (And No, It’s Not A Joke) iPad 3 Rumor Roundup
leftfront
Kickstarter is seemingly a place where people go to make iDevice accessories. Some are hits, most are not. The Sonastand is clearly the former. Apple's Johnny Ives would probably even approve of this one. The story goes that the Sonastand's creators are, as one of them puts it on Reddit, two normal nerdy dudes trying to do their thing. To be honest their creation is not very novel but it's still rad as hell. All the Sonastand does is prop up the iPhone 4 in a way that connects the dock's passive speaker horn to the phone's tiny speaker. But it's not just empty claims compensated by sexy looks. The creators tested the Sonastand and found its passive horn significantly boost mid and high-end frequencies. TWiT will never sound the same.
ipad_rumors
Unless Apple is conning the world, the iPad 3 should be announced next week. It, like its forbears, is the subject of many a rumor, some more likely than others. We've collected most of them here in this post with arguments for and against, for your convenience and flaming pleasure. Of course, we'll be there to cover the event live, and will (if past events are any indication) get a nice hands-on as well.
February 28 2012
Is The $300 3D Printer Finally Here? Makible Thinks So
MakiBox is a riff on the open source RepRap 3D printer that fits a print head and motor inside a box about the length and width (but not the thickness, silly) of a sheet of paper. The MakiBox kit will start at $350 while an assembled kit will cost $550.
The project is being built by Jon Buford, a well known hardware guy in Hong Kong whose last claim to fame was this teeny tiny Android headphone extender. He runs a hacker space in China and works closely with prototyping houses on the mainland.
He also runs, Makible.com, a hardware project funding site akin to Kickstarter. The project is fully funded so you’ll be supporting a sure thing and considering this is based on the RepRap you’ll be working with known hardware and software. The question remains, however: do we need 3D printers on our desks? If not now, when?
apple invite
Looks like CNBC was wrong. Apple just sent out invites for a March 7th event where they promise to have something we really want to see and touch. The event will be held next Wednesday at 10AM PST at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco where they will no doubt unveil the next iPad.
February 11 2012
Motorola Droid 4 Review: Initial Impressions (Video)
Before we chat out the Droid 4 there’s a bit of other news we need to address right quick. As you’ll surely notice, we’re doing smartphone reviews a little differently now. That said, this video and my basic hands-on impressions are just the first in a three-part series reviewing the phone. Stay tuned for what comes next!
Alright then, back to business…
The Motorola Droid 4 has spent exactly 24 hours on shelves, and from the time I’ve spent with the phone I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it’s doing quite well there.
If you keep up with phones you know that the Droid 4 is a big deal, the fourth in Motorola’s Droid brand (which happens to be one of the most successful Android brands we’ve seen to date), and a QWERTY-packing beast if I may say so. The thing about it, however, is that the keyboard (any physical keyboard) is becoming less and less necessary.
To be clear, I think that the Droid 4 keyboard is possibly one of the best I’ve ever used. It gives a solid tactile feedback and is fairly easy to navigate. The fact that it’s backlit only adds to my infatuation. But… a combination of great auto-correct and Swype nearly makes that keyboard useless.
I understand that back in the day typing on a touchscreen was super annoying, since the auto-correct wasn’t quite up to snuff. That’s not really the case anymore, and I almost feel like anyone who insists on a physical QWERTY is doing so simply because they’re so used to it.
Truth be told the transition can be tough from QWERTY to soft keys, but Swype can make that transition a lot easier and you’ll ultimately be much faster in the typing department.
Still, for those of you who demand QWERTY-style satisfaction, I can’t recommend a better handset than the Droid 4. The 4-inch screen compliments the size and weight of the phone perfectly, and it honestly doesn’t feel that much smaller than the 4.3-inch Razr display.
Watching movies and playing games is still just as great, in terms of size, but it only made me feel “eh” in terms of quality. Sure, it’s plenty bright and pixel-dense, but it doesn’t have the wow factor of these 720p displays we’re seeing lately.
I didn’t experience any serious issues with the phone in terms of performance, and it would seem that 1GB of RAM combined with that 1.2GHz dual-core processor can handle basic tasks and multitasking just fine. At the same time, I’ve only spent about 24 hours with it, so things may change with heavier testing.
As you can see in the video, the Droid 4 looks much more like the Razr or Razr Maxx than it does its other Droid family members. I almost wish that Kevlar fiber casing was along for the ride, too, but that might ruin one of the best things about the Droid 4: its $199.99 price tag from Verizon.
We’ll be hitting you with more on the Droid 4 as the week progresses, so stay tuned for the rest of our review.
Note: I mistakenly stated in the video that the Droid 4 runs Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, when it in fact runs Android 2.3.6. My apologies.
1545
Here are some recent posts on TechCrunch Gadgets: Tesla Unveils The Model X, An Electric CUV With Futuristic Gullwing-like Doors Android Hack Exposes Google Wallet PIN On Demand Review: Benarus Megalodon Diving Watch For And Against The iPad Mini
February 10 2012
jetz
The Air Force's Air Mobility Command will be putting in a request for the purchase of a number of tablets soon in an effort to lighten their pilots' loads. Many commercial airlines are already taking this step, and American Airlines has already gotten FAA approval. The Air Force is feeling the sting of jealousy, and in consequence may be requesting as many as 18,000 devices.
biglittle
Rumors of a 7- to 7.85-inch iPad have been swirling around for a long while now. We've seen reports get killed moments after they initially break, only to be sneakily resurrected weeks or months later. The rumor simply won't die. The problem, however, is that this one in particular is a tough nut to crack. When you take all the evidence both for and against a little iPad, you're still left with no real conclusion. So conclusion aside, here are some of the reasons Apple may, or may not, introduce the little iPad:
IMG_5629
I rarely like to put my own little fetishistic watch reviews up here unless the watch is something amazingly unique or unless I think you, dear reader, will get a kick out of the quality or styling of a particular piece. That's why I chose to write up this Benarus Megalodon Diving Watch, a huge monster of a timepiece that is water resistant to 2,500 meters or about 8,000 feet. Considering the deepest SCUBA dive was 330 meters while the deepest ADS dive was 610 meters, I doubt you'll make it down to 2.5 kilometers in one piece. Barring improbable diving capabilities, why is the Megalodon so cool? Well first it has a self-winding automatic ETA 2824-2 movement with date window and sweep seconds hand as well as a case the size of a small apple. The case and band are made entirely of titanium and so are surprisingly light and wearable although there were some fit and finish issues with the clasp and bezel.
Android Hack Exposes Google Wallet PIN On Demand
Like most hacks, this discovery of a way to find an Android phone’s Google Wallet PIN requires a lot of initial access but is disturbing nonetheless. Google knows about the hack and is repairing it. Discovered by Joshua Rubin of Zvelo, the hack is one of the most interesting attacks on Google Wallet so far.
In short, this hack allows access to credit card data and purchase history and could, in theory, allow a hacker to use a Google Wallet freely in the wild. However, it does require the hacker to have unfettered root access to the phone. Using a small program, the exploit simply brute-forces a file found in the phone, thereby revealing the PIN and unlocking the wallet.
Again, the hack requires a rooted Android phone – a state that is trivial to achieve if your phone is stolen – and a bit of know how. Rubin recommends:
Enable Lock Screens – “Face Unlock,” “Pattern,” “PIN” and “Password” all increase physical security to the device. “Slide,” however, does not.
Disable USB Debugging – When enabled, the data on mobile devices can be accessed without first passing a lock screen challenge unless Full Disk Encryption is also enabled.
Enable Full Disk Encryption – This will prevent even USB Debugging from bypassing the lock screen.
Maintain Device Up-To-Date – Ensure the device is current with the latest official software. Unfortunately, users are largely at the behest of their carrier and cell phone manufacturer for this. Using only official software and keeping devices up-to-date is the best way to minimize vulnerabilities and increase security overall.
Google recommends that anyone with Google Wallet call their toll-free support line at 855-492-5538 to ask that their prepaid card be disabled. They also recommend setting a lock screen.
UPDATE – Google responded, reminding folks that they don’t support Google Wallet on rooted phones and that:
armwin
Ever since Steve Ballmer made that surprise announcement at CES 2011, there has been a lot of speculation about just how Microsoft would be bringing Windows to the ARM architecture. Would it be a whole separate line? Would it be compatible with old applications? Would it be cheaper? Many of these questions have been answered in a long and technical post on the Building Windows 8 blog today, as Steven Sinofsky explains how they developed (re-developed, really) Windows On ARM, or WOA, and why they made the choices they made. Some major points, for those unwilling to read: WOA will be totally incompatible with x86/x64-based applications; it will include a desktop only for Office apps and file management; it will be focused on portability, battery life, and "integrated quality."
Maybe Soup is currently being updated? I'll try again automatically in a few seconds...
