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| Kami Kami Sensor: Japanese company sells bite counter for kids Posted: 14 Nov 2008 01:37 AM PST
At first sight, it may look strange but Tokyo-based Nitto Kagaku’s Kami Kami sensor [JP], a device tailor-made for children counting the number of bites they make while eating food, actually seems to have a right to exist. Parents can control whether their kids chew their food properly through the sensor, which tries to motivate the little ones by making sounds after every 30 and 1,000 bites. The sensor itself weighs 40 grams while the fish-shaped counter weighs 148 grams. Three AAA size batteries are enough for 30 hours of operation. Nitto Kagaku sells two versions of the Kami Kami, one for elementary school kids and one for middle-school children. Both versions cost $110 each. Nitto Kagaku seems to be a Japan-oriented company so that you can’t expect to see the sensor outside Nippon soon. Via Japan Today |
| XPeria X1: “The ultimate Windows Mobile phone anyone can ask for…” Posted: 14 Nov 2008 12:02 AM PST Head over to MobiltyToday as they examine, in gory detail, what they’re calling “The ultimate Windows Mobile phone anyone can ask for… ” My only question is this: what if I never asked for a WinMo phone from Sony Ericsson? What if I asked for the charm and power of a UIQ-powered P800, my first and favorite smartphone? What if asked for a logical addition to the S-E family instead of some weird HTC-designed monstrosity? What if I asked for some S-E phones on these shores? I’m happy they’re trying, but this ain’t the direction they should be taking if they want to hit the big time. I was talking to some mobile guys in Stockholm and one mentioned that S-E was always doing well and now moved to WinMo while Motorola is betting on Android, which, in my opinion, is a smart move for low-end smartphone manufacturers. S-E, take a tip from Motorola: nobody ever got fired for choosing Microsoft but they did falter for being behind the times. |
| Daily Crunch: In Space, No One Can Hear You Edition Posted: 14 Nov 2008 12:00 AM PST |
| Vort! Champagne oombrella! Wow! Posted: 13 Nov 2008 11:53 PM PST
Let me tell you, I love a one-man umbrella. Those other umbrellas sleep around but this one - well, let me tell you, sir, she’s a keeper.
Where do you think it’s from? Seriously. These guys are the modern Spencer’s Gifts.
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| Posted: 13 Nov 2008 09:53 PM PST
Our favorite Japanese gadget maker Thanko is back with three gadgets to prepare you for the coming winter. Their English online shop should list these clever devices soon. And Thanko’s promo pictures now feature a new model. First, you can get a heated USB wristband [JP], the so-called Attaka Risutobando. Thanko claims the wristband can reach a maximum temperature of 43.6°C. The USB cable is 180cm long. Price: $20.
Then there is the Attaka Mausupaddo, a heated mousepad [JP] that comes with a 4 USB hub. Users can heat the mousepad up to a maximum of 41.2°C, provided anyone is willing to pay $20 for it.
Third, Thanko gives us the Attaka Mausu, a USB heater mouse [JP]. The device can be heated up to a maximum of 45°C and costs $30. But remember to also get the USB cooler mouse for next summer. Not bad, but my favorite “heater” device from Thanko must be the “USB cordless warm slippers”, very sexy and a must have for next winter for $42 plus shipping. |
| In case you missed it - stereographic RED 3D setup Posted: 13 Nov 2008 07:42 PM PST
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| A full Alienware rig for a grand? Can it be? Posted: 13 Nov 2008 06:40 PM PST
I can certainly vouch for their build quality and reliability, but now may be the time to learn something about putting a computer together and save a few bills by putting together your own sweet budget rig. |
| The Papermaster saga continues: far from first choice, and IBM didn’t try that hard to keep him Posted: 13 Nov 2008 06:07 PM PST
IBM didn’t object to Papermaster leaving when he announced it, only saying they were sorry so see him go. They offered him two separate pay raises over a week, both of which he declined, and only after that did they bring up a somewhat obscure document raising the issue of non-competition. IBM maintains that Papermaster could use his general knowledge of IBM and specific knowledge of a few products to compete with his former employer from his future position.
It seems that IBM’s position was, first, to appear amiable. It’s likely that the people Papermaster talked to suspected a non-comp clause was around somewhere but didn’t want to go out on a limb right away. So they offered him a raise off the bat just to see if he’d come back, then when he didn’t they started pushing paper. Once they found something, they made another, better offer, in case he was on the fence and they’d undershot his price the first time around. When he refused again they essentially said “We didn’t want to have to bring this up, but…” and out comes the non-comp. From the way it’s described, it sounds pretty shaky: Apple is in the same column as IBM in some salary comparison list, it looks like. Not exactly firm legal ground considering their previous behavior; if Apple were clearly in competition with IBM in Papermaster’s areas of expertise, it would probably be a little more explicit in his contract. IBM has thrown a bunch of consequences in Papermaster’s direction, and Apple has similarly lobbed a few counter-compensations. It’s turning into quite a little fracas! Still, clearly not all the evidence is on the table yet and too much speculation at this point may be silly. There is more information at the source article at Apple Insider, but more should be coming up in the next week. |
| Forget BPA and asbestos, watch out for silver nanoparticles Posted: 13 Nov 2008 05:31 PM PST
That doesn’t seem to have happened with nanoparticles. I’m not usually one to get up in arms about possible chemical scares (I’m a big fan of both Aspartame and MSG) but this seems pretty legit: the widespread use of nanoparticles in products that have contact with skin, water systems, other chemicals and so on is so new that there can’t possibly have been time for rigorous testing of possible effects. Even companies that tout themselves as “green” or “organic” are using the tech, which is more an indicator of the weight of a label like “green” than of the safety of the product. |
| First thoughts on Wrath of the Lich King: Death Knights are fun Posted: 13 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST
Blizzard released Wrath of the Lich King last night at midnight, and while I didn’t do a live UStream.tv stream of the installation—chill out, WoW Insider—I’m now prepared to give y’all a quick "here’s what’s up" of sorts. Thankfully, the game ships on a DVD. No more "please insert disc 87" nonsense when installing. So that’s good. The three biggest new features are the level 80 cap (increased from 70), the continent of Northrend and the Dark Knight, the game’s first Hero class. Northrend can’t be accessed till you’re level 68. Once you’re there you’ll probably run into some high-level, really powerful stuff, like bows that shoot witches instead of arrows. While the game’s packaging and general marketing campaign may have suggested that Nortrend is some icy dump, that’s only partially true; it’s not icy everywhere. There’s a good ol’ fashioned fjord there that’s filled with giants. Presumably you’ll fight the Lich King or his brother somewhere on the continent. Now, Death Knights. Blizzard says they’re meant to be both tanks and DPS damage dealers, not unlike Fury Warriors. DKs can’t use shields, though, so there’s that. You can only create a DK—any race can be a DK—on a server where you have a level 55+ character. Also, DKs are pure evil. Their starting area is one of the flying fortress things that were all over the place during the zombie invasion from a few weeks ago. You’re right about a small village where your first few quests involve you killing completely innocent villagers in cold blood and stealing their horses for funsies. You also kill hard working miners, only in there to put food on the table for their families, and turn them into Scourge zombies. It’s the most fun starting zone of them all. That may be because you start at level 55 and have more abilities at the outset than "run in fear" and "swing piece-of-garbage axe." You’re able to do some damage as soon as you log in. Double also, but DKs look amazing. (How many of you play just to get cool-looking gear?) My character, Medfresno, looks fantastic, even though she’s wearing the WoW equivalent of Wal-Mart clothes. As to the other stuff in the expansion—the new professions, PVP areas, etc.—I have no idea. I suspect I’ll have more I that, including unhinged rants, as I come across them. |
| Mitsubishi announces a pico projector, but it’s not what you think Posted: 13 Nov 2008 04:11 PM PST
When this hit my inbox I thought it was one of those small pico projectors crammed into a BlackBerry or something like the 3M MPro110, but it's a 3.3-pound 7.5- x 8.1-inch projector for business types. It's a DLP type so that's a plus and it manages to throw a 2200 ANSI lumens 200-inch 1024×768 resolution image with a 2000:1 contrast ratio. The XD95U will retail for $1,495. I love how Mitsubishi says this is an economical choice because it's filterless and has an estimated 3000-hour lamp life (low mode). But then again we are in a recession. |
| Handheld barcode scanner/printer combo from HP Posted: 13 Nov 2008 03:22 PM PST
I'm not one to get overly excited about the technology behind transportation logistics (or am I?) but this thing from HP looks pretty cool. It's basically a handheld wireless-enabled barcode scanner that can also print quick-drying ink directly onto boxes. So if you work at, say, UPS, you scan a box coming in, that info is transmitted wirelessly to your warehouse servers, and then you print another barcode or "FRAGILE" or some other message onto the package itself, all in the blink of an eye. Check out this video to see it in action. [via Treehugger] |
| Review: Black and Decker 10-speed Cyclone blender Posted: 13 Nov 2008 03:00 PM PST
Like my review of the Juiceman, Jr., the Black and Decker 10-speed Cyclone Blender caused me to move beyond my staple meals of ramen noodles, chicken wings, and beer. I spent time in parts of the grocery store that I didn’t know existed. As a bachelor, blending isn’t high on my list of food preparation activities, but for you, dear reader, I tied on my apron and blended a variety of things. Let’s face it: blenders aren’t new technology. They’ve been around for over 80 years, and chances are the belnders used by our parents and grandparents don’t differ too much in terms of functionality from today’s blenders. The Black and Decker 10-speed Cyclone has a sturdy base, an easy to clean blade, and a hefty glass carafe. I was surprised by the glass when I unpacked this thing, as I was expecting some cheap plastic. The weight of the glass helps lend a feel of quality to the blender, and also helps keep the thing firmly planted on your countertop as you blend your fruits and veggies. In addition to lots and lots of strawberry/banana smoothies, I’ve also made applesauce, a couple recipes of salsa, and a handful of “breakfast drinks” of different sorts. I’ve learned that I don’t like honey nearly as much as I thought I did. The bottom line The Black and Decker 10-speed Cyclone blender is a solid, no-frills performer. |
| Mac Pro getting Core i7-based CPU upgrades soon? Posted: 13 Nov 2008 02:22 PM PST
Lets look at the big picture here: MacWorld is in January, the Mac Pro’s are need for a CPU bump, and Intel is planning on releasing new Xeon server CPUs early next year. It sure looks good that the Mac Pro’s should receive a CPU upgrade soon but the question becomes, what CPU will Steve-O slap in the the Mac Pro? Chances are Apple will stick with the Xeon line up and the Core i7, or Nehalem, is the next logical step-up. Even though this upcoming CPU runs at comparable clock speeds as the current generation, benchmarks have soon a reasonable performance boost. Depending on the rest of MacWorld’s news, this might get pushed to a simple press release later on or it could be featured along with other Mac Pro upgrades - Blu-ray burner, anyone? |
| Time on what happened to Circuit City Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:54 PM PST
We all know Circuit City is in the pooper, but Time gives a little back history for those not familiar with Circuit City’s last decade of suck. Best part?
Yup, not a good idea. Lets lay off all the people that understand the product and enjoy their jobs, only to replace them with $10 hour newbs. Good idea, Schoonover. [thanks for the tip, Akia789] |
| CrunchDeals: Rock Band Special Edition Bundle for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Wii Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:30 PM PST
Just in time for the holiday rush, Harmonix has announced that they’re slashing prices on RB SE bundles for all major platforms. PlayStation 2 and Wii owners can pick up the bundle for $99 while the Xbox 360 and PS3 bundle will retail for $140. How much were these things before? |
| My God, it’s full of K’s! What the RED announcement means for the industry Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:07 PM PST
For the last couple weeks, Jim Jannard of RED Camera has been teasing everybody on the REDuser forums with vague promises and outrageous claims of revolutionizing the industry. Skepticism would be the natural response, but after the original RED One camera turned the industry on its head in 2007, people learned that the company said what they meant and made what they said. Early adopters knew they were getting in the ground floor of something that would not only change the industry but likely completely metamorphose once things got underway. As it turns out, they were right, and RED’s announcement today represents the ideal of the RED camera system made reality. What does today’s bombshell mean for the hi-def video industry, and what does it mean for you and me? Unprecedented Let’s make one thing absolutely clear: these cameras represent much more than a black eye for Sony, Panavision, and any other player in the digital cinema game. To be honest, they already had a black eye from the RED One, and the original announcement of the Epic and Scarlet gave them a fat lip and a bloody nose as well. The announcement of this completely modular, low-cost, incredibly high-performance camera and accessory suite is nothing short of a knockout punch, a hardware haymaker which even some big names may not be able to withstand. This is not conjecture, it is as close to a statement of fact as can be made before the actual cameras are tested against the competition. The stated costs, capabilities, and resolutions of the RED sensor set and accessory/lens selection utterly outgun everything else on the market by a huge margin.
I’m not an insider on the subject of digital cinematography, but the difference at least in resolution should be plain enough to anyone who can count. These new sensors do not simply outstrip those in digital cinema competitors, which are still working to create a 4K camera to match RED’s, but also stack up against the most high-end medium format still cameras. Leaf’s newest and most advanced sensor, for instance, is 56mm wide, twice as wide as the RED One sensor but exactly the size of the second-largest Monstro sensor. That means that under the right conditions, a RED setup using a Monstro 645 will be shooting the equivalent of a medium-format digital photo from a $40,000 DSLR — fifty times a second. And this is to Redcode Raw, which has excellent color depth and dynamic range as well. The difference between that and capable but far more expensive cameras like the Genesis and Origin (from Panavision and Arri/Dalsa, respectively) is insane — and remember, we’re not even talking about the biggest sensor RED has. The absurd 28K Monstro 617 (not available until 2010, but we’ve seen how RED keeps their promises) will entail an aspect ratio wider than the ridiculous 2.76:1 used for films like Ben-Hur, which honestly seems a bit much; how left-to-right data pulling will work on a sensor that wide is something baffling even the experts. Price and performance
The most frequent criticism of the RED system is the pricing scheme: sure, you could buy the “brain” or central unit for $17,500, but once lenses, rails, tripod heads, and everything else were taken into account, you’re looking at at least $60-70k for a real cinema setup. True that! But why don’t you try to price a comparable setup for its competitors? I think you’ll find that many of these cameras actually cannot be bought by a prospective cinematographer, and renting one costs at least $3-4k per day. Being able to buy a 6000-pixel-wide sensor for $12,000 and outfit it for another $40,000 is, in this business, an unprecedented bargain (if you don’t count RED One). It’s also worth mentioning that these increases aren’t comparable to the megapixel differences between, say, point-and-shoots and DSLRs. This is a change in order of magnitude, not an incremental improvement. Many will ask, what is the purpose of such an insane resolution? Well, that’s a whole discussion in itself, but the world is increasing in resolution all over the place: 2K and 4K projectors will likely be standard in a few years and source video will have to be double that for producing special effects and so on. Right now the size and bitrate of the footage prevents easy direct editing, and this announcement exacerbates that issue, but filmmakers have dealt with that for a long time and they’ll deal with it now. More pixels is better these days, and this is a lot more pixels. Let us not forget And what of current RED users? Their prized, and still extremely well-specced RED Ones have just been completely obsoleted. Are they getting left out in the cold? I asked my friend, cinematographer Michael Ragen and owner of RED One #343. After assessing the announcement’s effect on the industry as “they shattered the hopes and dreams of every other camera maker in the world,” he mentions that as a RED One owner, the most enticing deal is for him to trade in his camera for $17,500 off of any Epic “brain.” That means that his camera has had zero depreciation, except for any accessories which may be incompatible with the new system, something which I don’t think has been determined yet. There are other deals: he qualifies for reduced pricing on a Scarlet body or new sensor as well.
Apart from the revolutionary nature of the sensors RED is putting out, the entire modular hardware suite they’ve created is absolutely stunning. As you can see in their announcement, you can practically stick a lens on a brain and you’ve got a working Scarlet shooting 3K, or you can put together dozens of custom parts to have a weather-sealed, multiple-lens monster setup with more rails than Amtrak. As a cinematographer this has to be exciting, as, like putting together your own PC, you only buy the parts you need or want. The compatibility with Nikon, Camera, PL, Mamiya, Alpa mounts and more means your lens selection is essentially unlimited. But what does it mean for Joe the Plumber? (sorry) I know what you’re asking: is there anything for you and me, the poor consumers and enthusiasts who don’t feel like taking out a loan to get the best gear out there? Well, the lowest-end device available appears to be the Scarlet all-in-one, the price for which isn’t available, but which we can safely guesstimate at somewhere between $3500 and $4000. That’s not exactly home video material, and of course 3K Redcode footage isn’t exactly iMovie material either. We may see something accessible come down the line, but the fact is RED was never meant to be a consumer camera company — even the Scarlet has always been intended as a professional camera, for handheld shots, small mounts, and so on. Unfortunately, that makes you and me into mere spectators of this momentous event — except for the fact that I may get to play with one later. It should also be mentioned that the RED setups don’t serve every purpose; for example, they will only shoot up to 120fps, or far less for the larger sensors. This means that other digital cinema cameras like the PhantomHD will remain indispensable, so Panavision isn’t entirely rained out, and of course although the RED may have out-sensored Canon, Nikon, and even Hasselblad’s DSLRs, those cameras still have a far better form factor and infrastructure for still shots, so they’re not going anywhere either. Damn There’s a lot left unsaid, but this post is already far longer than it probably needed to be, so I’ll leave the rest of the commentary and discussion to those who know better (7500 reading the forum this very second). Let me restate, though, that this announcement really does live up to the hype that preceded it. RED already had the digital cinema industry sweating, and now every camera maker in the world will, trust me, be calling emergency meetings to determine the feasibility of even trying to compete. It’s a wonderful time to be in the business folks, with history being made as we watch. And somehow I doubt this is the last RED has to offer. Update: Jannard has posted a clarification: the Scarlet system will be more restricted format-wise (video and audio) than the RED One and Epic. The Epic will be less restricted than the RED One. I guess something had to go to fit the Scarlet into a smaller package. |
| BRABUS manages to tune the Tesla Roadster with virtual enhancements Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:00 PM PST
BRABUS is big in the car tuning scene and generally installs some spectacular performance mods, squeezing the utmost ability out of a particular vehicle. This time around though, the BRABUS boys claimed to have produced the world’s first tuned Tesla Roadster but all they did was add a “space sound generator” that simulates the sound of a V8 engine, race car, or even a Treky warp sound; no engine, brakes or suspension upgrades. Yeah, it’s somewhat neat and adds some virtual balls to the pansy-sounding electric motor, but let’s call it what it is. BRABUS installs the ultimate poser sound system into the Tesla Roadster. |
| Photos from CrunchDrinks Stockholm Posted: 13 Nov 2008 12:59 PM PST
Here we see the cream of the Swedish Web 2.0 scene. These men are artists, gentlemen, and scholars to a one and we had a bit of beer, a bit of discussion, and a bit of fun. Special thanks to Wille for his help at picking the venue and thanks to all the Swedes who trekked out into the cold and braved the polar bears to down a little booze. |
| Best Buy Black Friday ad spotted: Transformers on Blu-ray for $10 Posted: 13 Nov 2008 12:40 PM PST
Break out your credit cards, if you still have them! Black Friday is right around the corner so we’ll be seeing leaked ads all over the place for the next few days. Today’s is a big one, Best Buy. Though BlackFriday.info highlights an $899 50-inch Panasonic Viera. Nine-hundred for a 50-inch TV may seem like a good deal till you realize it’s only a 720p model. If you’re already resigned to spend a grand on a TV it might as well be a 1080p one, right? I did spy with my eye, however, that Best Buy has Transformers on Blu-ray for only $10. Now that’s a deal, especially if you consider that it won some Blu-ray award a few days ago for best sound. |
Especially around your junk. Now, silver nanoparticles are one of these technologies where the benefits have been proven (they’re antibacterial when mixed in fabrics, for instance) but not the risks, and there’s a good chance that there are serious risks. When bringing a new product like this to market, usually the entity bringing it has to show proof that it’s not harmful, rather than give it the benefit of the doubt and wait till someone gets harmed.
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