http://www.techcrunch.com Startup and Technology News Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:51:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/24/ifixit-announces-answers-do-not-return-product-to-store/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/24/ifixit-announces-answers-do-not-return-product-to-store/#comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:13:59 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=123030 Our buddy Kyle at iFixIt.com has just announced a beta version of iFixIt Answers, a collaborative repair community for gadgets. It might be a great resource for friends and family who can't figure out how to work the TV remote. How does it work? You ask a question on Answers and then can follow as folks help out and answer your questions. This also creates a database of answers for multiple devices including MacBooks, iPods, and Sony laptops. It's a good idea because Kyle has a great following of DIYers and most of them aren't out to troll the forums with dumb questions or answers. ]]> Our buddy Kyle at iFixIt.com has just announced a beta version of iFixIt Answers, a collaborative repair community for gadgets. It might be a great resource for friends and family who can't figure out how to work the TV remote. How does it work? You ask a question on Answers and then can follow as folks help out and answer your questions. This also creates a database of answers for multiple devices including MacBooks, iPods, and Sony laptops. It's a good idea because Kyle has a great following of DIYers and most of them aren't out to troll the forums with dumb questions or answers. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/24/ifixit-announces-answers-do-not-return-product-to-store/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/iphone-apps-to-keep-you-fit-this-friday/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/iphone-apps-to-keep-you-fit-this-friday/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:34:05 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122763 Go ahead and take that second helping of bacon-broasted mashed potatoes and high-fat gravy this Thursday, friends, because even if your tummy gets big and round like a steamed black bean bun, there's an app for that. Fitness apps for all! iPhone fitness apps have come a long way since Nike+iPod. The addition of GPS opened entirely new vistas for running and biking enthusiasts and the iPhone's video and audio capabilities made it fun to use the iPhone in the gym. Here are a few of my favorites.]]> Go ahead and take that second helping of bacon-broasted mashed potatoes and high-fat gravy this Thursday, friends, because even if your tummy gets big and round like a steamed black bean bun, there's an app for that. Fitness apps for all! iPhone fitness apps have come a long way since Nike+iPod. The addition of GPS opened entirely new vistas for running and biking enthusiasts and the iPhone's video and audio capabilities made it fun to use the iPhone in the gym. Here are a few of my favorites.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/iphone-apps-to-keep-you-fit-this-friday/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/a-religious-storm-is-brewing-over-best-buys-black-friday-ads/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/a-religious-storm-is-brewing-over-best-buys-black-friday-ads/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:46:58 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122721 Here it comes: Best Buy ran a national Black Friday ad inviting the world to celebrate Thanksgiving and Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice. Fair enough, right? Happy Eid! Well, take a gander at the ad up there and brace yourself. Look closely. You'll probably miss the good will and wishes, they're so innocuous. ]]> Here it comes: Best Buy ran a national Black Friday ad inviting the world to celebrate Thanksgiving and Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice. Fair enough, right? Happy Eid! Well, take a gander at the ad up there and brace yourself. Look closely. You'll probably miss the good will and wishes, they're so innocuous. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/a-religious-storm-is-brewing-over-best-buys-black-friday-ads/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/monday-giveaway-viper-smartstart-iphone-kit/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/monday-giveaway-viper-smartstart-iphone-kit/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:36:58 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122688 Using the Gas Cubby iPhone app to increase your fuel economy and keep your vehicle properly maintained can save you money and help the environment... but, if you've learned anything from CrunchGear, it's that saving money isn't much fun unless you can blow it on something cool and completely over the top. Well, one lucky CrunchGear reader gets to have their cake and eat it too. App Cubby, the developer of Gas Cubby, is giving away a Viper SmartStart kit to one lucky CrunchGear reader. If you own a car and an iPhone, surely you've heard about and have been lusting after Viper's new technology that allows you to lock/unlock, open the trunk, and even start your car right from your iPhone.]]> Using the Gas Cubby iPhone app to increase your fuel economy and keep your vehicle properly maintained can save you money and help the environment... but, if you've learned anything from CrunchGear, it's that saving money isn't much fun unless you can blow it on something cool and completely over the top. Well, one lucky CrunchGear reader gets to have their cake and eat it too. App Cubby, the developer of Gas Cubby, is giving away a Viper SmartStart kit to one lucky CrunchGear reader. If you own a car and an iPhone, surely you've heard about and have been lusting after Viper's new technology that allows you to lock/unlock, open the trunk, and even start your car right from your iPhone.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/monday-giveaway-viper-smartstart-iphone-kit/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/china-mobile-starts-selling-dell-mini-3i/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/china-mobile-starts-selling-dell-mini-3i/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:14:50 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122679 Dost thou desire an Android phone in Red Passion or Oiled Bronze? Begin thy journey, brave Sir Knight, to China where you will be able to purchase the Dell Mini 3i with 3.5-inch touchscreen for a few coins of the realm. The Mini 3i, as you'll recall, is Dell's first smartphone in almost half a decade and runs the Ophone platform, an Android-based system that will eventually brand most of China Mobile's phones. ]]> Dost thou desire an Android phone in Red Passion or Oiled Bronze? Begin thy journey, brave Sir Knight, to China where you will be able to purchase the Dell Mini 3i with 3.5-inch touchscreen for a few coins of the realm. The Mini 3i, as you'll recall, is Dell's first smartphone in almost half a decade and runs the Ophone platform, an Android-based system that will eventually brand most of China Mobile's phones. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/china-mobile-starts-selling-dell-mini-3i/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/roku-announces-roku-channel-store-adds-facebook-and-pandora-and-maybe-porn/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/roku-announces-roku-channel-store-adds-facebook-and-pandora-and-maybe-porn/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:59:27 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122508 Your Roku box just got a whole lot more interesting. Roku, if you remember, makes the Roku player, a small device that sits next to your TV and plays Netflix, Amazon Video, and MLB selections. Roku has just added ten new channels to that line-up and built a fascinating platform for adding more down the line. The current channels will include: blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox, Pandora, Revision3 and TWiT. More channels will be available here shortly.]]> Your Roku box just got a whole lot more interesting. Roku, if you remember, makes the Roku player, a small device that sits next to your TV and plays Netflix, Amazon Video, and MLB selections. Roku has just added ten new channels to that line-up and built a fascinating platform for adding more down the line. The current channels will include: blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox, Pandora, Revision3 and TWiT. More channels will be available here shortly.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/roku-announces-roku-channel-store-adds-facebook-and-pandora-and-maybe-porn/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/crunchgear-week-in-review-new-milkman-edition/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/crunchgear-week-in-review-new-milkman-edition/#comments Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:00:08 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122513 It’s… a self-rolling ball Customized streetmap clocks from FluidForms USB-powered Alien figure with illuminated tongue ]]> It’s… a self-rolling ball Customized streetmap clocks from FluidForms USB-powered Alien figure with illuminated tongue ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/crunchgear-week-in-review-new-milkman-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/sunday-giveaway-a-movie-wedge-for-you-a-movie-wedge-for-me/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/sunday-giveaway-a-movie-wedge-for-you-a-movie-wedge-for-me/#comments Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:54:41 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122511 If you ever sit next to me on a plane you will notice that I have a small ritual that I prepare every time I reach cruising altitude. I begin by pulling out my iPod touch and then my Movie Wedge. The Movie Wedge is a little bean bag with a lip for holding up MP3 and video players. That's it. It's amazingly great. We talked about the Movie Wedge a while back and we're happy to report that they've decided to give us 10 to give away to all and sundry. ]]> If you ever sit next to me on a plane you will notice that I have a small ritual that I prepare every time I reach cruising altitude. I begin by pulling out my iPod touch and then my Movie Wedge. The Movie Wedge is a little bean bag with a lip for holding up MP3 and video players. That's it. It's amazingly great. We talked about the Movie Wedge a while back and we're happy to report that they've decided to give us 10 to give away to all and sundry. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/22/sunday-giveaway-a-movie-wedge-for-you-a-movie-wedge-for-me/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/21/saturday-giveaway-kodak-5250-all-in-one-printer-just-for-you/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/21/saturday-giveaway-kodak-5250-all-in-one-printer-just-for-you/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:31:35 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122402 Good afternoon, readers! What does Santa have in his bag for you today? Interestingly enough, he was unable to bring his bag because this printer is far too big for it. We present, for your inspection, the Kodak 5250 all-in-one: a scanning, printing, faxing, photofinishing machine that can best the big boys in the printer race. Best of all, the 5250 has built-in WiFi so you can stick the printer on your network and print from any computer in the house. Take a look at Kodak's 5250 product page and then click through to figure out how to win.]]> Good afternoon, readers! What does Santa have in his bag for you today? Interestingly enough, he was unable to bring his bag because this printer is far too big for it. We present, for your inspection, the Kodak 5250 all-in-one: a scanning, printing, faxing, photofinishing machine that can best the big boys in the printer race. Best of all, the 5250 has built-in WiFi so you can stick the printer on your network and print from any computer in the house. Take a look at Kodak's 5250 product page and then click through to figure out how to win.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/21/saturday-giveaway-kodak-5250-all-in-one-printer-just-for-you/feed/ 1 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/20/reminder-new-york-cg-meet-up-is-tonight-meet-the-crunchboys-and-cali-lewis/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/20/reminder-new-york-cg-meet-up-is-tonight-meet-the-crunchboys-and-cali-lewis/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:19:07 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=122051 Sorry for the short notice but I thought it might be fun to toast to Turkey Day and the launch of our our Gift Guide. I'm teaming up with Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV for an impromptu CG meet-up in New York. We'll be meeting at 7pm Friday at Heartland Brewery, 35 Union Square West, in Manhattan. We should be able to commandeer the back of the pub for our purposes.]]> Sorry for the short notice but I thought it might be fun to toast to Turkey Day and the launch of our our Gift Guide. I'm teaming up with Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV for an impromptu CG meet-up in New York. We'll be meeting at 7pm Friday at Heartland Brewery, 35 Union Square West, in Manhattan. We should be able to commandeer the back of the pub for our purposes.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/20/reminder-new-york-cg-meet-up-is-tonight-meet-the-crunchboys-and-cali-lewis/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/20/review-nyko-charge-base-ic-plus-a-giveaway/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/20/review-nyko-charge-base-ic-plus-a-giveaway/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:28:09 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=121970 Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the Wii-holder. The Charge Base IC is a $34.99 induction charging device for Wiimotes and looks like something out of a Frank Lloyd Wright sketchbook. The base sits firmly on the ground while sweeping cantilevered arms reach out to cradle your Wiimotes with magnets. It's almost graceful, this amalgamation of clear and white plastic, the glorious sense of weightlessness, the architectural stability with just a touch of grandeur. But darn it if the lights on this thing aren't too bright.]]> Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the Wii-holder. The Charge Base IC is a $34.99 induction charging device for Wiimotes and looks like something out of a Frank Lloyd Wright sketchbook. The base sits firmly on the ground while sweeping cantilevered arms reach out to cradle your Wiimotes with magnets. It's almost graceful, this amalgamation of clear and white plastic, the glorious sense of weightlessness, the architectural stability with just a touch of grandeur. But darn it if the lights on this thing aren't too bright.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/20/review-nyko-charge-base-ic-plus-a-giveaway/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/this-season-crazy-monkey-shoes-are-the-new-hotness-at-the-chrome-os-event/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/this-season-crazy-monkey-shoes-are-the-new-hotness-at-the-chrome-os-event/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:20:23 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=121707 Velcome, darling! Look what we have for you! Sergey Brin wearing VFF KSOs, CrunchGear's favorite - as Greg calls them - "crazy monkey shoes." He wore them to the ChromeOS event and Michael took a few candid shots of him. I'm personally a VFF convert and I'm very impressed that Sergey is willing to walk around in these. Embiggen after the jump.]]> Velcome, darling! Look what we have for you! Sergey Brin wearing VFF KSOs, CrunchGear's favorite - as Greg calls them - "crazy monkey shoes." He wore them to the ChromeOS event and Michael took a few candid shots of him. I'm personally a VFF convert and I'm very impressed that Sergey is willing to walk around in these. Embiggen after the jump.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/this-season-crazy-monkey-shoes-are-the-new-hotness-at-the-chrome-os-event/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/what-chromeos-means-for-netbooks-and-why-microsoft-needs-to-be-scared/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/what-chromeos-means-for-netbooks-and-why-microsoft-needs-to-be-scared/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:18:50 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=121658 While you won't be able to sense it at first, expect to feel a high frequency buzz from the direction of Redmond in the next few months. That's the Windows 7 and Office group fearing the rise of a new juggernaut on low-cost computing hardware, ChromeOS. ChromeOS may not be powerful, it may not play Far Cry and it may not run Microsoft Office but it's a game changer. The underpowered laptops that limped along under Vista, XP, or 7 will fly under a new ChromeOS regime and thin-and-light laptops will fall below the vaunted $199 mark as the so-called "Microsoft Tax" - basically the small cost manufacturers pay for OEM licenses - disappears. ]]> While you won't be able to sense it at first, expect to feel a high frequency buzz from the direction of Redmond in the next few months. That's the Windows 7 and Office group fearing the rise of a new juggernaut on low-cost computing hardware, ChromeOS. ChromeOS may not be powerful, it may not play Far Cry and it may not run Microsoft Office but it's a game changer. The underpowered laptops that limped along under Vista, XP, or 7 will fly under a new ChromeOS regime and thin-and-light laptops will fall below the vaunted $199 mark as the so-called "Microsoft Tax" - basically the small cost manufacturers pay for OEM licenses - disappears. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/what-chromeos-means-for-netbooks-and-why-microsoft-needs-to-be-scared/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/livescribes-pulse-smartpen-gets-an-app-store/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/livescribes-pulse-smartpen-gets-an-app-store/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:22:41 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=121487 In the end, everything will have an app store. Take the Pulse smartpen from Livescribe, for example. The company, whose pen is quite cool (it records what you write and can "remember" things on page, allowing for paper-based calculators and control panels), has just launched an app store for its 2- and 4GB Pulse pens. The store offers multiple games, tools, and study aids for prices that range from free to about $2. You can download apps here and then upload to your pen. ]]> In the end, everything will have an app store. Take the Pulse smartpen from Livescribe, for example. The company, whose pen is quite cool (it records what you write and can "remember" things on page, allowing for paper-based calculators and control panels), has just launched an app store for its 2- and 4GB Pulse pens. The store offers multiple games, tools, and study aids for prices that range from free to about $2. You can download apps here and then upload to your pen. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/livescribes-pulse-smartpen-gets-an-app-store/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/review-emotion-social-connect-digital-photo-frame-plus-a-giveaway/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/review-emotion-social-connect-digital-photo-frame-plus-a-giveaway/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:10:44 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=121465 I've suffered much when it comes to digital photo frames. I purchased a number of frames from multiple manufacturers for multiple members of my family with the expectation that I would, for time immemorial, be able to email said frames images, thus allowing family members the opportunity to see new photos without having to drag them over from the computer. Alas and alack each one of these frames (Damn you, SmartParts!) has failed and their attendant services have gone out of business. I'm an optimistic fellow, however, and they say digital picture frame usage after being burned by picture frames in the past is a triumph of hope over experience. Well fool me again, picture frames, because I'm going to talk about the eMotion Social-Connect Digital Photo Frame with LifeGoRound.]]> I've suffered much when it comes to digital photo frames. I purchased a number of frames from multiple manufacturers for multiple members of my family with the expectation that I would, for time immemorial, be able to email said frames images, thus allowing family members the opportunity to see new photos without having to drag them over from the computer. Alas and alack each one of these frames (Damn you, SmartParts!) has failed and their attendant services have gone out of business. I'm an optimistic fellow, however, and they say digital picture frame usage after being burned by picture frames in the past is a triumph of hope over experience. Well fool me again, picture frames, because I'm going to talk about the eMotion Social-Connect Digital Photo Frame with LifeGoRound.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/review-emotion-social-connect-digital-photo-frame-plus-a-giveaway/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/cisco-confirms-new-flip-camera-will-have-wi-fi/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/cisco-confirms-new-flip-camera-will-have-wi-fi/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:07:07 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=121332 Cisco has confirmed that the next version of the Flip Video camera, everyones favorite tiny video camera, is getting Wi-Fi. The model is described as having "a large screen that slides to reveal the record and menu buttons underneath." Pocket-lint is also reporting there won't be a touchscreen. You can, however, upload video that you take over Wi-Fi. ]]> Cisco has confirmed that the next version of the Flip Video camera, everyones favorite tiny video camera, is getting Wi-Fi. The model is described as having "a large screen that slides to reveal the record and menu buttons underneath." Pocket-lint is also reporting there won't be a touchscreen. You can, however, upload video that you take over Wi-Fi. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/cisco-confirms-new-flip-camera-will-have-wi-fi/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/last-minute-new-york-meet-up-a-bit-of-holiday-cheer-with-cali-lewis-and-crunchgear/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/last-minute-new-york-meet-up-a-bit-of-holiday-cheer-with-cali-lewis-and-crunchgear/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:39:58 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=121325 Sorry for the short notice but I thought it might be fun to toast to Turkey Day and the launch of our our Gift Guide. I'm teaming up with Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV for an impromptu CG meet-up in New York. We'll be meeting at 7pm Friday at Heartland Brewery, 35 Union Square West, in Manhattan. We should be able to commandeer the back of the pub for our purposes.]]> Sorry for the short notice but I thought it might be fun to toast to Turkey Day and the launch of our our Gift Guide. I'm teaming up with Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV for an impromptu CG meet-up in New York. We'll be meeting at 7pm Friday at Heartland Brewery, 35 Union Square West, in Manhattan. We should be able to commandeer the back of the pub for our purposes.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/last-minute-new-york-meet-up-a-bit-of-holiday-cheer-with-cali-lewis-and-crunchgear/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/the-bigfoot-of-e-readers-appears/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/the-bigfoot-of-e-readers-appears/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:07:38 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=121179 An anonymous tipster send us in this image of an e-reader running Android OS and explained that it came from a company that has never been in the tablet/e-reader business. Interesting… I suspect this is some sort of music device for composers/performers because of all the musical notes on the top of the screen and some things we saw in the background of the image. Any guesses as to what this could be? ]]> An anonymous tipster send us in this image of an e-reader running Android OS and explained that it came from a company that has never been in the tablet/e-reader business. Interesting… I suspect this is some sort of music device for composers/performers because of all the musical notes on the top of the screen and some things we saw in the background of the image. Any guesses as to what this could be? ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/the-bigfoot-of-e-readers-appears/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/15/introducing-the-crunchgear-gift-guide/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/15/introducing-the-crunchgear-gift-guide/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:01:41 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=120115 It is officially on: we’re running our super duper, extra sassy Holiday Gift Guide from now until the end of time, giving you the latest in hot gift ideas for you and yours. Why are we doing this so early? Because we have so much to give away this year it’s scary. That said, let’s hit the slopes and shush our way into Gift Guide Nirvana. What do you need to do? Well, first you have to click through to our gift guide and keep your eye on daily posts for news of what we’re giving away. We’re starting off with the five days of Peek Pronto: five full days, one Peek Pronto each day. How do you win? Just comment using your actual email and we’ll pick a winner a day from this post. We’ll also run other giveaways concurrently with this one, so fear not.]]> It is officially on: we’re running our super duper, extra sassy Holiday Gift Guide from now until the end of time, giving you the latest in hot gift ideas for you and yours. Why are we doing this so early? Because we have so much to give away this year it’s scary. That said, let’s hit the slopes and shush our way into Gift Guide Nirvana. What do you need to do? Well, first you have to click through to our gift guide and keep your eye on daily posts for news of what we’re giving away. We’re starting off with the five days of Peek Pronto: five full days, one Peek Pronto each day. How do you win? Just comment using your actual email and we’ll pick a winner a day from this post. We’ll also run other giveaways concurrently with this one, so fear not.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/15/introducing-the-crunchgear-gift-guide/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/15/crunchgear-week-in-review-new-moon-now-with-water-edition/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/15/crunchgear-week-in-review-new-moon-now-with-water-edition/#comments Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:37 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=120019 Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear. CrunchGear wants to kiss you this Holiday NSMB Super Skills Trailer Thanko’s USB powered, Dinosaur foot-shaped slipper keeps your feet warm]]> Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear. CrunchGear wants to kiss you this Holiday NSMB Super Skills Trailer Thanko’s USB powered, Dinosaur foot-shaped slipper keeps your feet warm]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/15/crunchgear-week-in-review-new-moon-now-with-water-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/14/its-googles-world-and-handset-makers-just-live-in-it/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/14/its-googles-world-and-handset-makers-just-live-in-it/#comments Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:47:04 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=119968 When the Motorola Droid launched this month everyone was amazed that a company so down on its luck was able to put together a well-designed phone running a powerful, "brand new" OS. The whole package - hardware, software, and marketing - seemed flawless. In fact, phones running Android 1.5 now look hopelessly outdated and with 2.0's gesture, CDMA, and search support you'd wonder why handset manufacturers like HTC, LG, Kyocera, and Samsung are using 1.5 at all. The reasons have more to do with Google than any decision on the carriers' part. In fact, according to a source close to the handset business, Google's Android team directly assisted Motorola and Verizon in building the Droid's software from the ground up and is currently assisting another, unknown, handset maker in Korea to create a finely-tuned hardware and software combination. Most important, however, is that this is sort of assistance most manufacturers do not receive and, in the end, they are dinged for running an "older" version of Android.]]> When the Motorola Droid launched this month everyone was amazed that a company so down on its luck was able to put together a well-designed phone running a powerful, "brand new" OS. The whole package - hardware, software, and marketing - seemed flawless. In fact, phones running Android 1.5 now look hopelessly outdated and with 2.0's gesture, CDMA, and search support you'd wonder why handset manufacturers like HTC, LG, Kyocera, and Samsung are using 1.5 at all. The reasons have more to do with Google than any decision on the carriers' part. In fact, according to a source close to the handset business, Google's Android team directly assisted Motorola and Verizon in building the Droid's software from the ground up and is currently assisting another, unknown, handset maker in Korea to create a finely-tuned hardware and software combination. Most important, however, is that this is sort of assistance most manufacturers do not receive and, in the end, they are dinged for running an "older" version of Android.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/14/its-googles-world-and-handset-makers-just-live-in-it/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/vitamin-d-turns-your-webcam-into-a-virtual-doorman/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/vitamin-d-turns-your-webcam-into-a-virtual-doorman/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:36:35 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=119441 When I bought a webcam for my front door - mine is the Linksys WVC54GCA - I was faced with a predicament. The built-in motion detection software bombarded my email inbox with images of an empty frame. It was set off by the motion of a leaf or a reflection, rendering one of the most important aspects - notification of trespass - ineffective. At an impasse, I decided to build a cyberbiomimetic AI using a cockroach brain and a vat of amino acids. The resulting system, while effective at spotting intruders, eventually threatened to become self-aware and so I had to shut it down. Finally, I tried Vitamin D. Problem, as they say, solved. ]]> When I bought a webcam for my front door - mine is the Linksys WVC54GCA - I was faced with a predicament. The built-in motion detection software bombarded my email inbox with images of an empty frame. It was set off by the motion of a leaf or a reflection, rendering one of the most important aspects - notification of trespass - ineffective. At an impasse, I decided to build a cyberbiomimetic AI using a cockroach brain and a vat of amino acids. The resulting system, while effective at spotting intruders, eventually threatened to become self-aware and so I had to shut it down. Finally, I tried Vitamin D. Problem, as they say, solved. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/vitamin-d-turns-your-webcam-into-a-virtual-doorman/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/video-hands-on-with-the-chumby-one/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/video-hands-on-with-the-chumby-one/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:41:10 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=119425 Ladies and germs: the Chumby One. Hot on the heels of its soft, leathery older brother, the Chumby One goes for a more non-nonsense aesthetic with hard edges and a more clock-radio feel. As you recall, the device costs $99.95 and allows you to play back little widgets on a tiny touchscreen. It is at once banal in its simplicity and amazingly unfettered in the amount of content you can stream to the device. Our Chumby One came pre-installed with a few widgets including our own news feed and Twitter, which lets you view your Tweets whenever the widget rolls around. I'm going to place this thing on my desk and treat it like a third screen in order to really test the value of this wee fellow. More soon. ]]> Ladies and germs: the Chumby One. Hot on the heels of its soft, leathery older brother, the Chumby One goes for a more non-nonsense aesthetic with hard edges and a more clock-radio feel. As you recall, the device costs $99.95 and allows you to play back little widgets on a tiny touchscreen. It is at once banal in its simplicity and amazingly unfettered in the amount of content you can stream to the device. Our Chumby One came pre-installed with a few widgets including our own news feed and Twitter, which lets you view your Tweets whenever the widget rolls around. I'm going to place this thing on my desk and treat it like a third screen in order to really test the value of this wee fellow. More soon. ]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/video-hands-on-with-the-chumby-one/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/video-fox-news-takes-on-violent-video-games-again/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/video-fox-news-takes-on-violent-video-games-again/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:12:45 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=119380 Fox News held a fair and balanced debate over Modern Warfare 2, the popular new FPS that lets you play a CIA operative tasked with helping Russian agents clear terrorists out of an airport. In the game, it turns out that the Russian had turned on you and forced you to kill innocents in the airport. It's a depiction of USA-funded terrorism. It is not a murder simulator. The debate here, if it can be called that, seems to rotate around the correlation between video game violence and real violence. The old man in this debate mentioned an American Association of Pediatrics statement. Video and commentary after the jump.]]> Fox News held a fair and balanced debate over Modern Warfare 2, the popular new FPS that lets you play a CIA operative tasked with helping Russian agents clear terrorists out of an airport. In the game, it turns out that the Russian had turned on you and forced you to kill innocents in the airport. It's a depiction of USA-funded terrorism. It is not a murder simulator. The debate here, if it can be called that, seems to rotate around the correlation between video game violence and real violence. The old man in this debate mentioned an American Association of Pediatrics statement. Video and commentary after the jump.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/12/video-fox-news-takes-on-violent-video-games-again/feed/ 0 http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/11/the-new-palm-pixi-commercial-the-mystery-witch-is-dead/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/11/the-new-palm-pixi-commercial-the-mystery-witch-is-dead/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:08:43 +0000 John Biggs http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=119200 It’s a new day at Palm. The Pixi, Palm’s Treo-esque addition to the WebOS line-up, is getting new commercials without Miss Crazy Face and her magical Pre. Instead, you get hot people taking pictures of each other and having fun. This is the kind of commercial that I call the McCafe (or Devin’s lifestyle in Seattle) - excited people doing something exciting. It’s a big departure from Palm and a points to a move towards the mainstream. Video after the jump.]]> It’s a new day at Palm. The Pixi, Palm’s Treo-esque addition to the WebOS line-up, is getting new commercials without Miss Crazy Face and her magical Pre. Instead, you get hot people taking pictures of each other and having fun. This is the kind of commercial that I call the McCafe (or Devin’s lifestyle in Seattle) - excited people doing something exciting. It’s a big departure from Palm and a points to a move towards the mainstream. Video after the jump.]]> http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/11/the-new-palm-pixi-commercial-the-mystery-witch-is-dead/feed/ 0