CoGadget

AT&T and Apple playing favorites with App Store?

2009-05-14T00:28:00.003+07:00

Just under a year since first announced, the SlingPlayer Mobile application is finally available for the iPhone. But compared with the capabilities of the same application available on other smartphone platforms, the iPhone version of SlingPlayer is curiously handicapped.

The version set to arrive Wednesday costs $30, and can stream a TV signal from a set connected to a Slingbox to the iPhone. But this version is available using Wi-Fi only. It's notable because the beta version of the application was demonstrated at CES using the iPhone's 3G connection. So why is it turned off in the official release? Recent changes in the terms of service that comes with AT&T's iPhone wireless service may offer some clues.

Apple rejected the original version of the application Sling submitted to the App Store that required use of the phone's 3G service, according to Sling. It was subsequently approved when it was modified so that it will just use local Wi-Fi hotspots. Apple's exact reason for rejecting it isn't clear. There are plenty of video- and audio-streaming applications available today in Apple's App Store, from smaller streaming services like Orb and Last.fm (owned by CNET News publisher CBS Interactive), and heavyweights like MLB.com's At Bat, CBS' TV.com, and YouTube.

While Apple has certainly not been shy about exercising its veto power over App Store applications--just ask Trent Reznor, for example--it's unclear why Sling's streaming video service is being treated differently from, say, the YouTube app (owned by Apple-friendly Google), which has been available on the iPhone since the device's launch.

Apple did not respond to requests for comment about why only the Wi-Fi version of SlingPlayer was approved. But it appears the rejection also could have been at AT&T's behest. Early in April, AT&T changed its terms of service for wireless customers, saying that redirecting TV video or audio signals--as the SlingPlayer does--was no longer allowed on its network. After a public outcry, AT&T quickly reversed its decision, citing "a mistake." But then last week the company reinstated the ban in its TOS.

Then on Friday AT&T mobility spokesman, Mark Siegel went on the Clark Howard radio show and very clearly said that "Slinging"--the process of accessing a TV signal from a Slingbox from a remote computer--was banned on the company's network.

Siegel compared using Sling's service over a wireless connection to sending bulk e-mail and spam, activities, which he said eat up too much of the network's bandwidth. "You can't use a service called 'Slinging,' where you redirect a wireless TV signal to your phone. We do not allow that type of application on our phones," he said. "It's absolutely cool (technology), but if we allowed these kinds of services, the highway would quickly become clogged."

SlingPlayer iPhone

He confirmed again to CNET News on Tuesday that AT&T believes the SlingPlayer app would take up more bandwidth than it should. To be fair AT&T does have a valid point. Streaming video eats up a lot of bandwidth. Because cellular networks are divided into cells, users in a particular cell share the available bandwidth in that cell or region. So users streaming a lot of high-quality video over the network, could potentially eat up all the available bandwidth and degrade service for other subscribers in that cell.

But there's a slight disconnect in what AT&T is saying and what it is doing: Other 3G smartphones that operate on AT&T's network can use the SlingPlayer. For example, the SlingPlayer works on several BlackBerry devices, the BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Pearl 8120, BlackBerry Curve 8320 and the BlackBerry 8820. Users are able to download the mobile SlingPlayer application directly from the Sling Media website onto their phones.

Siegel says that AT&T's terms of use are clear when it comes to the SlingPlayer and he suggests that anyone downloading these applications onto a smartphone for use over its 3G network is in violation of the company's terms of use.

Bandwidth usage is a legitimate concern when it comes to SlingPlayer. The software is designed to provide the best quality video experience based on how much bandwidth is available. But Dave Eyler, product manager for mobile at Sling Media, said that the latest version of the SlingPlayer submitted to Apple for the App Store capped the bit rate to ensure it was below Apple's and AT&T's threshold. He said that the application actually uses a little less bandwidth than TV.com's application.

"Our latest application, which was submitted for App Store, is under the bit rate that Apple has set for these kinds of applications," he said. "And we are below some of the apps that have already been approved for the App Store."

So why won't Apple allow the SlingPlayer for the iPhone to be used over AT&T's network if it doesn't eat up any more bandwidth than other video applications that have already been approved by Apple?

That's a good question. Eyler said the explanation given to his team was that AT&T doesn't allow video services that redirect TV signals onto their network. But interestingly, OrbLive, which is offered on the App Store, also redirects TV signals onto the iPhone. The application is designed to allow people to stream media from a PC to the iPhone wirelessly. And the company's website explicitly states that live TV can be streamed over 3G, Wi-Fi, or the slower 2.5G EDGE network, if someone is using a TV tuner card in their PC. This essentially "turns your iPhone or iPod touch into an on-demand media center," the site says.

OrbLive's application sounds very similar to what the SlingPlayer does. Eyler admits the situation is confusing and a bit frustrating. But he says the company isn't getting too bent out of shape about things.

"We think our app is awesome," he said. "There is a lot of Wi-Fi out there. Of course, we'd like it to be available on a 3G network, and that's ultimately our goal. But we don't have any more details about the decision making process."

Google releases final Android programming kit

2008-09-26T00:55:00.000+07:00

Attention coders: Google has released version 1.0 of the Android software developer kit.

The kit lets programmers create applications that will run on Android phones, even before T-Mobile starts selling the first Android-powered G1 on October 22. The biggest difference from the previous Android SDK 0.9: software built with version 1.0 will actually, not just probably, work on those real-world phones, according to the SDK release notes.

Google hopes its Android operating system project will help spur the mobile phone industry into a more enthusiastic embrace of Internet technology. Google of course profits from ads next to search results, and Google Maps opens up other advertising possibilities that are more closely tied to a phone user's physical location.

A major part of the Android effort is Google's attempt to woo outside programmers into writing their own applications for Android phones, because Google hopes to bring the easier innovation of the PC market to the relatively closed mobile phone industry. The SDK is a key part of that effort, as is a forthcoming application download site called the Android Market. That market won't necessarily let people sell Android applications at first, though.

Also in the SDK release notes, Google called out some specific changes, such as some new abilities to make use of Android phone sensors, handle audio files, and use Wi-Fi networks. Serious programmers can look at Google's catalog of API (application programming interface) differences.

Google couldn't help adding a little nerd humor to the release notes:

"We regret to inform developers that Android 1.0 will not include support for dot-matrix printers."

Software, camera allies try easing photo data pains

2008-09-25T00:51:00.002+07:00

It's a boon that digital photos can incorporate textual information, leaving behind some film-era complications, such as having to separately record a photo's caption or copyright status.

But there are some problems handling this so-called metadata, and now Canon, Adobe Systems, Apple, Microsoft, Sony, and Nokia have banded together to solve some of them.

The companies have formed the Metatdata Working Group and released a first set of guidelines that attempts to standardize some issues that can crop up as metadata travels from cameras to computers, software, and Web sites. On Wednesday, the group announced its work at the Photokina camera show in Germany.

"Whether you're a soccer mom uploading photos to a Kodak gallery, or a pro selling images on Getty, these are issues everybody deals with," said Josh Weisberg, Microsoft's director of digital imaging evangelism and the metadata group's chairman and founder.

For example, when moving a photo from one application to another, a vertically orientated photo can get rotated 90 degrees into a landscape orientation, or captions and descriptive keywords can get lost. Part of the problem is that there are multiple ways to record metadata, including EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format), IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council), and Adobe's XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform).

The working group has produced guidelines to try to bring common practices to metadata areas including keywords, description, creator, star rating, orientation, and location, Weisberg said. The group dealt with three file formats: TIFF, JPEG, and Adobe Photoshop's PSD.

The Metadata Working Group's guidelines are a free download from the Web site, and anyone is free to implement them without worrying about infringing any of the members' intellectual property, Weisberg said.

Being guidelines, others are free to handle metadata they way they want, but the collective clout of the working group members--the two major operating system makers, the top camera maker, and the top image-editing software maker--mean it's likely others will follow suit.

Up next: Handling raw images
There's more work to be done, though.

The working group got started on the current guidelines a year ago. Now, it's moving on to the next set of issues. "With the first version, we began with consumer scenarios. We're formulating a plan for a second version. It's our intent to address professional scenarios," Weisberg said.

One big issue is handling the profusion of raw file formats produced by higher-end cameras and commonly used by professionals and advanced amateurs. These formats are generally proprietary, so it's hard to handle their metadata. Windows does so by relying on software supplied by camera makers, but Adobe and Apple do their own reverse-engineering work to handle the metadata. So for example, unless a Windows Vista user has downloaded the appropriate support, the operating system's file browser software can't report when a raw photo was taken, even though that metadata is stored in the photo file.

"It is a goal to try to establish guidelines for where and how metadata is stored in raw formats," Weisberg said.

Another possible issue is handling metadata for photo licensing information, which could bring some rights management order to the today's image copying free-for-all, but that's tricky. "We're in the phase of capturing the problem," Weisberg said. "There are no standards in the industry for licensing images that are widely adhered to."

3VR Security updates line of surveillance gadgets

2008-09-17T18:44:00.001+07:00

3VR Security announced on Monday the 3VR SmartCam, a new line of megapixel surveillance cameras, and a new 3VR SmartSearch Network Video Recorder. The two work together to create a complete network surveillance solution.

Because it sends only critical information, such as motion and faces, to the 3VR system for analysis, the 3VR SmartCam uses less storage, network, and computer requirements than comparable megapixel cameras, the company says. This helps minimize CPU requirements by as much as 90 percent.

The SmartCam also comes with digital pan-tilt-zoom capabilities. Operators can quickly view specific regions and see important details of scenes, or pick a smaller area of the screen to record.

The SmartSearch Network Video Recorder, on the other hand, is specifically tuned for megapixel Internet-connected cameras. With improved speed and storage, 3VR says it is ideal for monitoring, recording, analyzing, and searching video across the enterprise. It supports facial and license plate recognition, designed for integration with point-of-sale and access control systems. And although it can certainly coordinate with the SmartCam products, it also works with third-party megapixel cameras.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II is official

2008-09-17T18:42:00.001+07:00

After all the "leaks" and hype, the long-awaited Canon EOS 5D Mark II is finally official. Here are the highlights:

21-megapixel full-frame sensor
1920x1080 video at 30fps
Maximum ISO 25,600
Digic 4 image processor
3.9fps burst unlimited JPEG/14 raw with UDMA card
15-point AF
920,000-dot 3-inch LCD
Live View

I'll post a more meaningful analysis and comparison later today. The EOS 5D Mark II is slated to ship in November for a body-only price of $2,699 or in a kit with the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens for $3,499.

Where do new iPods leave Zune?

2008-09-10T01:53:00.000+07:00

With Apple's iPod announcements largely out there, I thought it made sense to see how Microsoft's new Zune lineup stacks up.

The good news for Microsoft is that its Zunes are priced right in line with Apple's new iPod Nano and iPod Classic line. From either company, a 120GB hard drive player fetches $249, a 16GB flash model sells for $199, and an 8GB flash model will sell for $149.

The bad news is that once again, Apple has made life harder for Microsoft--adding features like voice recording and "shake to shuffle" to the Nano. Apple's "Genius" feature, while not as expansive as the Channels feature of the Zune, also gets Apple in on the auto-recommendation game.

Apple is also moving ahead on the video front, whereas the Zune didn't make any meaningful advance. The new iTunes features TV shows in HD and Apple is bringing back NBC, erasing the only real video advantage the Zune had.

And of course there is the iPod Touch. Microsoft has decided to ignore the Web browsing feature even though all its models have Wi-Fi. That means that at the lower end of the market Microsoft has an advantage, as all its models can now download songs over Wi-Fi. But at the high-end, Apple has a player that makes far more extensive use of the wireless connection.

And that advantage is only growing as more applications are being written for the iPhone and, thus, the iPod Touch. For example, Apple demonstrated games such as Spore running on the new iPod Touch. The new Zunes do come with two games, but they sound more like the kinds of games Apple had for the Nano line some time ago.

Plus, the iPod Touch's Wi-Fi-based iTunes store will work in more places than the Zune Marketplace store built into the Zune. The Zune can only download music over Wi-Fi connections that are open and don't feature any kind of browser hijack--an increasing rarity at public Wi-Fi spots that, even if they don't require payment, want users to agree to their terms of service.

Update 11:10 a.m. PDT: Well, Apple's event has ended. As CNET News reported earlier, a rumored subscription service was not part of the mix. That leaves Zune with a key difference to tout. Subscription music is more than just a feature in the Zune world. It's what makes its music discovery features make sense. For example, new to the Zune are channels, such as Billboard's top hits. Getting those channels, either the preprogrammed ones or the custom ones based on a user's own collection, make the most sense with a subscription in which a user can add those tracks without having to purchase them one by one.

New Microsoft mice arc, go blue

2008-09-10T01:51:00.002+07:00

Microsoft unveiled a veritable mischief of mice today for your laptop and desktop. One features a sharp new design, another showcases a new, proprietary sensor technology.

First on deck is the Arc Mouse. There's nothing too special here other than its curved, collapsible design. We honestly don't understand the appeal of so-called laptop mice, so that you can make the Arc Mouse more compact doesn't seem like much of a plus. Perhaps you disagree. We have a feeling design nerds will jump on this one, to replace those dated Phillipe Starck mice. Available in red and black, for $60 this month.
We find the Explorer Mouse ($100) and Explorer Mini Mouse ($80) more interesting. Each features Microsoft's own BlueTrack technology, a brand new sensor designed to work on more surfaces than typical optical or laser mice. We were able to play with the Explorer Mouse at a demo earlier this summer and indeed, the sample hardware was more accurate on the shiny test surfaces Microsoft provided. Assuming the for-sale products live up to the demo, we can see a real benefit for anyone who keeps a PC in the kitchen where reflective counter-tops might legitimately impede accuracy.

What's also interesting about BlueTrack is that it's Microsoft-developed. So unlike the standard laser sensor, a product of Agilent Technologies and licensed out to every mouse vendor, BlueTrack may remain a Microsoft exclusive. Of course, those licensing fees probably look pretty tempting, too. The Explorer and Explorer Mini launch in November.

Blu-ray Wednesday: The Japan edition

2008-09-04T19:59:00.002+07:00

Given all the Blu-ray players announced this week, it's clear not everyone got the memo with Samsung's prediction that it'll be just five years before the next-gen format gets bumped by another technology.

In addition to the two new Blu-ray players Panasonic unveiled at CEDIA, and Sony's high-end BDP S5000ES, announced at the same show, Sony also unveiled its fall lineup of players and recorders for the Japanese market on Wednesday.

Those devices won't be available to U.S. consumers, but given the global gadget economy, Blu-ray followers outside of Japan might want to take a gander, anyway. SonyInsider has lots of pics of the players, so head on over and see what you think.

Sharp rolls out two new Blu-ray players, but both are Profile 1.1

2008-09-04T19:55:00.004+07:00

Earlier this year, Sharp introduced the BD-HP20U, which was the company's first Blu-ray player and at the time offered the fastest load times of any standalone Blu-ray player, loading up discs in as little as six seconds. Sharp is now following up on its initial player with two new models--the BD-HP21U and BD-HP50U--which both offer the quick start feature and relatively low prices tags. Let's take a look at their key features:

Sharp BD-HP21U

Key features of the Sharp BD-HP21U:

Blu-ray Profile 1.1
Onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
Quick start option loads discs in 10 seconds
Deep Color support
Available now, with a list price of $350

Sharp BD-HP50U
Key features of the Sharp BD-HP50U:

RS-232 port
Bit stream output for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, but only onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus
Available now, with a list price of $450

Out of the two players, the BD-HP21U looks more attractive to us. We're disappointed that the player doesn't support Profile 2.0, but it does decode both high resolution soundtrack formats and the quick start option is nice--although with last year's BD-HP20U, it caused the player to consume more power. While custom installers might be attracted to the RS-232 port of the BD-HP50U, we were disappointed to see that it actually dropped onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and costs $100 more. Altogether, we think both players will face tough competition as Sony's BDP-S350 offers Profile 2.0 and a super small design for $400, and of course the PS3 is available for the same price.

TiVo HD XL: TiVo HD with supersized 1TB hard drive

2008-09-04T19:52:00.001+07:00

When TiVo discontinued its high-end cable-ready high-def DVR, the TiVo Series3, it was really just making room for a new product in the line: the TiVo HD XL. The new TiVo is a near twin of the existing TiVo HD, but for three changes: it's got a much larger 1 terabyte hard drive (enough capacity for 150 hours of HD programming); it's THX-certified; and it includes the premium TiVo backlit remote. The package costs $600--about the price that the TiVo Series3 was going for, and twice that of the "standard" TiVo HD.

As with any TiVo, of course, you'll also need to budget money for a subscription fee: $13 a month, $129 a year, or $399 for the lifetime of the box. True, you can do a DIY upgrade on the standard TiVo HD by adding the improved remote ($50) and a 500GB expansion hard drive ($150), but that will cost nearly as much and still leave you with less recording capacity--and a lot of extra wires. That said, the original TiVo HD is still going to be the better buy for most viewers, while the XL model is more appropriate for die-hard TiVo fans or those who like to load up their box with lots of HD TV shows, movies, and digital downloads.

Review: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550

2008-08-30T21:27:00.001+07:00

Maybe we've been driving too many very nice cars lately, but the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550 didn't excite us much when it arrived in the garage. It's hard to follow acts like the Maserati GranTurismo and the BMW M6, and we tend to like shorter, more nimble sports cars. But the SL550 won us over with its handling on winding mountain roads and its striking looks with the sun blazing overhead and a nice ocean-scape in the background.

We were also prepared to be disappointed in the car's cabin electronics when we saw the old-style Mercedes-Benz interface, a plastic OK button surrounded by four directional buttons. But delving into this system, we discovered updated electronics behind the rather poor front, including a hard drive-based navigation system, iPod integration, and Bluetooth cell phone support.

Wristband packs GPS system, music player

2008-08-30T21:23:00.001+07:00

Designers Jukka Roitto, Miska Vaisanen, and Jordan Siegler have seen the road map to the future, and it sits on your wrist. It has a name that's crystal clear even to the geographically challenged: Seek.

This Minority Report-like wristband concept packs a portable GPS system and music player all in one--though given how power-hungry GPS units are, you might not want to drain that battery pack tuning in to Coldplay or Madonna. No idea, either, on how this juices up. But we do know the Seek offers directional guides and location-based services accessed via its interactive touch screen.

Now all it needs are wireless connectivity and a cosmetic makeover, and this might well make inroads with globetrotters when and if it releases.

Roomba gets Wii Fit

2008-08-28T16:00:00.000+07:00

"Ron" Tajima of Japan has figured out a clever hack for his Wii Fit balance board and Roomba.

He calls his latest creation the "Surfin' ba."

Instead of just showing off with fancy footwork, Tajima also demonstrates how he did it. As with his other Roomba hacks, Tajima attaches a serial Bluetooth adapter he developed himself to the Roomba.

This is Tajima's third Roomba hack. His others are a version of a Wiimote-controlled Roomba, and the Pacmba, a Roomba with LED lights.

Become a remote spy with Swann's new wireless camera

2008-08-28T15:53:00.002+07:00

From the folks who brought you the creepy and simultaneously cool (depending on who's using it) DVR flashlight, comes another 007-inspired piece of high-tech security gear. On Wednesday, Swann Communications introduced the IP-3G ConnectCam 1000.

The ConnectCam is a 802.11G wireless network camera that lets users view their own surveillance video on their 3G phone (setup of the camera's options requires a PC) from anywhere in the world, according to Swann. I really need to get my superiors to send me to New Zealand to test out this whole "anywhere in the world" thing.

The camera also features the following:

4x digital zoom
Six infrared LEDs for night vision
Omni-directional microphone
MPEG4 and MJPEG compression formats supported

The camera can be configured to take a snapshot whenever it detects motion, and you can then have that pic e-mailed to an address of your choosing. The two-way unidirectional microphone allows remote communication between whoever is in earshot of the camera and the person monitoring it, whether from their 3G phone or PC.

This has some interesting potential applications.

If someone was to break in to your house or business while you're half a world away in Barcelona, for example, you could actually get on the speaker and pretend you're god and tell them you can see everything they're doing and that they will be punished for this. Or tell them that you have friends in high places and that you've just sent every cop in the city to your house.

I would almost wish for something like this to happen, just to potentially drive some would-be criminals insane.

The IP-3G ConnectCam 1000 is "coming soon" to Swann's retail and online resellers for $299.99.

Aaron Parks, 'Nemesis': Free MP3 of the Day

2008-08-28T15:49:00.001+07:00

You can tell a lot about a jazzman by his apprenticeship. Parks aided Terence Blanchard, you say? Well, he's all right by us. The pianist's own Blue Note debut is a remarkable avant-cool effort that features heady texturalism--the electric guitar is especially fine--but no melodic cop-outs.

Download free MP3 now!

The end of expensive gaming laptops?

2008-08-24T00:07:00.003+07:00

We've just crowned Gateway's P-7811FX the favorite $1,000-plus system in our Back-to-School roundup of laptops available on retail store shelves. Its particularly strong showing reminds us that every once in a while, a new product comes along that forces you to reconsider the conventional wisdom about what computer hardware should cost. (A prime example being how the new netbook category has redefined small, low-power laptops from $2,000-plus executive toys to sub-$500 impulse purchases.)

PC gaming, despite the lack of action on the software side lately, has been the one reliable area where manufacturers could get away with charging premium prices for premium products. Gaming rigs easily hit the $5,000 mark, but were stuffed with high-end components that delivered unbeatable performance.

Earlier this year, we saw a few 17-inch gaming laptops that managed to offer a decent gaming experience for a lot less than we'd been used to paying. Gateway's 6860FX and the 6831FX both included the then-new Nvidia GeForce 8800 graphics card for around $1,350 -- which we found more than a little mind-blowing at the time. Of course, there were some serious compromises to be made. The older CPUs in those systems were far from high-end, and even the 17-inch displays were cheap -- using a lower 1,440x900 resolution.

We expected more of the same from the latest budget Gateway gaming laptop, the $1,449 P-7811FX, which was just released (and reviewed) this month. Instead, we found that most of our issues with the previous models in the series had been fixed.

Besides sporting a new Nvidia GeForce 9800 graphic card, the processor has been upgraded up to a Centrino 2 Intel Core 2 Duo P8400--not the very top of the line, but close, and more importantly, the screen resolution has been bumped up to 1,920x1,200. Taken as a whole, that makes this new Gateway an excellent value for even high-end PC gamers (it pumped out around 60 frames per second in Unreal Tournament III at 1,920x1,200).

This leads us to wonder if there's room for high-end expensive gaming laptops any more. Are marginal increases in frame rates worth paying three or four times as much?

The only system we've looked at recently that comes close as a gaming rig is one we're testing right now. The new Alienware m17x, at well north of $5,000, pulls out all the stops, going for twin GeForce 9800 cards, the very top-of-the-line Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 CPU, and two 500GB hard drives. But beyond that, you're mostly paying for extras such as a light-up keyboard and fancy flush touchpad.

To be fair, the Alienware m17x topped 100 frames per second in the same test, and also beat the Gateway (and everyone else) in our other benchmark tests (but not by a huge margin). But can most gamers tell the difference between 60fps and 100fps at 1,920x1,200 resolutions? Do they even care? Or are specialty gaming laptops doomed to become rare, ultra-expensive status symbols, produced in extremely limited numbers?

Opera Mobile 9.5 to sing for Xperia X1

2008-08-24T00:03:00.001+07:00

By default, all Windows Mobile PDA/phones come with Internet Explorer Mobile. Of late, some manufacturers have worked with Norway-based company Opera to bundle its Opera Mobile 9.5 with their handhelds. Some examples are the HTC Touch Diamond and Samsung Omnia, and now we can add another to that list--the upcoming Sony Ericsson Xperia X1.

Opera Mobile 9.5 is currently in public beta, so anyone with a Windows Mobile PDA/phone can install a copy onto their device. But the versions that come pre-installed with devices aren't in beta. They have in fact been tested by the hardware manufacturer for compatibility--important if the handheld in question has unique specifications. That's good news because the X1 has a resolution of 800x480, which isn't exactly common for this class of devices.

We tried out the X1 briefly with the browser and the higher screen resolution is quite a boon for Web surfing. It does make text incredibly small though, which is why the easy zoom-in feature on Opera Mobile 9.5 is so important. According to Sony Ericsson, the X1 is still on track for an "early Q4" launch. Let's hope nothing disrupts that plan.

Sony iPod dock allows for multi-room listening

2008-08-23T23:57:00.002+07:00

Sony on Thursday announced the S-Airplay AIR-SA20PK, a multi-room wireless audio system for listening to iPod (including iPhone, Touch, Nano, Mini, and all versions of Classic).

Once you have your iPod connected to the system's main docking station, you can listen to audio from your iPod up to 164 feet away. This is accomplished through S-Air's wireless speakers that plug into power outlets.

According to Sony, the S-Air technology delivers audio wirelessly to the two included speakers without interfering with other household devices. However, the company did not make it clear how exactly it would achieve this. The system comes with one docking station and two S-Air wireless speakers, but it can transmit to up to 10 speakers simultaneously with additional speakers sold separately).

The most impressive feature for me--other than the whole wireless thing, of course--is that the S-Airplay also includes an AM/FM tuner that allows you listen to radio and music from your iPod simultaneously. You can be in one room getting your '90s Oasis fix from downloaded music (sorry I've been craving Oasis music this week for some reason), while your sig other listens to NPR on the radio or something boring like that in another room.

If all that wasn't enough, the wireless speakers include remote control capability for the iPod player's music tracks. The speakers also incorporate sleep timers and an alarm clock function.

One more notch in the "here, please Sony take my money" column is that you can connect the station to an existing home theater system or television set, as it includes composite A/V outputs. Also, it charges the iPod while it's docked! I know I'm excited, but I just love when gadgets seem well thought out and practical like this.

As far as the whole giving Sony money thing goes, well as cool as this thing is, $400 is much more than I'm willing to spend on something like this. The AIR-SA20PK will be available in September from Sony Style both online and at retail, as well as at other select retailers. Additional wireless speakers will also be on sale then for $130 direct from Sony.

GrooveShield Form the best iPhone 3G case yet?

2008-08-21T01:50:00.000+07:00

It's rare that we get a mobile phone case that really excites us--as you can imagine--but we think we've found one. The Cygnett GrooveShield Form iPhone 3G case is as simple as it is beautiful--yes that's right, we just called a case beautiful.

The GrooveShield Form is very straightforward: it's shaped in such a way that it hugs your iPhone 3G perfectly and protects the back, corners, and edges from scratches and general wear and tear.

Because of its thinness, the GrooveShield Form almost looks like it's part of the case, and in fact many people who've seen ours thought we had some special-edition ninja iPhone--which is exactly what you want a case to look like.

Depending on your preference, you can get the GrooveShield Form in black, pink, red and check. You'll be able to get your hands on a GrooveShield Form for around $24, but a retailer has yet to be announced.

How does the case look to you?

'Sims 3' coming on February 20

2008-08-21T01:43:00.001+07:00

Electronic Arts has announced that the third installation of The Sims, that game that rivals World of Warcraft in the "I got so addicted my boss almost fired me" department, will be debuting on February 20, 2009.

That's a worldwide release date for both in-store purchases and digital downloads. EA has famously devoted an entire division (or "label") to the blockbuster Sims franchise, in which players create their own families of virtual characters (or "sims") and let their lives unfold. The game was designed by Will Wright, whose new game Spore is hitting stores next month.

New to The Sims 3 are more advanced customization features (including personality traits like kleptomania, paranoia, and clumsiness) and smarter "neighborhoods" that can more extensively affect the outcome of the game.

In addition to The Sims 3, EA will also be releasing a "collector's edition" with a number of bonus features--including an in-game Italian sports car.

Palm Treo Pro officially announced

2008-08-20T23:40:00.002+07:00

While not the best-kept secret in the technology world, what with all the leaked photos and videos, we're still aflutter over Palm's official unveiling of the Palm Treo Pro today. And why wouldn't we be? The smartphone is looking pretty sharp, both inside and out.

The first thing you might notice is the new modern look. The Treo Pro sheds the outdated, clunky design of previous Treos and trades it in for a sleeker design (4.4 inches high by 2.3 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep; 4.7 ounces) and nice black casing. It also sports a 320x320-pixel resolution touch screen and features a screensaver that will show you the time, any missed calls or new text/multimedia messages at a glance. You can also see some Palm Centro influence in there with the full QWERTY keyboard, but the navigation keypad is all new.

It's not all about looks either. As the name would suggest, the smartphone is targeted at business users and on paper, it looks to be fully equipped keep up with the on-the-go types. The Treo Pro runs Windows Mobile 6.1, complete with the Microsoft Office Mobile Suite and Direct Push Technology for real-time e-mail delivery. The quad-band world phone is stocked in the wireless department as well, as it offers UMTS/HSDPA support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

It all sounds pretty enticing, no? Itching to get one? Well, here's the skinny on availability. The Palm Treo Pro will be available in Europe starting in September through Vodafone and O2, while Telstra will pick it up in Australia. Interestingly, here in the States, it will be sold unlocked through Palm starting in the fall. There's no word on exact availability date or pricing, or whether a U.S. carrier will eventually pick it up. That said, we actually have a meeting with Palm later today so we'll see if we can get any more information out of them and also give you a hands-on report about the Treo Pro. In the meantime, please feel free to share your thoughts on the news. I don't know about you, but I have to say this is the first time in a long time that I've really been jazzed about a Palm smartphone. You?

Lotus leads across the ice

2008-08-20T13:21:00.003+07:00

Lotus is known for making small, fast cars with Toyota engines, but the company's engineering department gets into all sorts of projects, with the Lotus Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) being one of the more novel.

Lotus designed this propeller-driven vehicle to lead the Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition, a scientific expedition which will chart the effects of global climate change while traveling from the west coast of Antarctica, over the South Pole, then north to McMurdo Station.

The CIV is 14.8-feet long by 14.8-feet wide and can run on bio-fuel. The vehicle was designed with a minimum of moving parts so it wouldn't be prone to freezing up in the cold temperatures it will face. Along with its skis, it has a spiked foot that can lower to work as a brake on slick ice. The purpose of the CIV is to act as a scout for two heavier vehicles the team will use to carry equipment. To this end, it has ice penetrating radar that can detect hidden crevasses. The CIV is also light enough to be pushed along by a few people if it gets itself stuck.

The heavier vehicles, dubbed Science Support Vehicles (SSV), are Ford vans modified by a team of engineers in Iceland. Each SSV has six independently driven wheels powered by a diesel 7.3-liter turbocharged V-8. These engines are designed to be low emission. The transmission has 20 gears and the SSVs ride on an air suspension. They have solar panels on the roof to help power the electronics, which include GPS and satellite communications.

So, where do we volunteer?

Clarion shows in-car GPS and Internet device

2008-08-20T13:14:00.001+07:00

At the Intel Developer Forum, Clarion launched the production version of ClarionMiND, a portable GPS device with full Internet connectivity that runs on Linux. Clarion showed off a concept of the device at last January's CES. The full product launch reveals a device that looks similar to current GPS devices, featuring a 4.8 inch 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen. And like some current GPS devices, the ClarionMiND offers media playback and Bluetooth for hands-free calling.

What sets it apart is WiFi and software for various Internet applications, including a Web browser and email. It includes viewers for YouTube, Google Maps, MySpace, and weather. According to the press release, Clarion integrated Internet search and GPS functions, so that you can search for local businesses and feed the addresses into the destination entry. Along with in-vehicle navigation and Internet use, the device is also designed to work as a portable Internet appliance in the home or anywhere else.

The ClarionMiND runs on an Intel Atom processor and includes 512 MB of DRAM along with 4 gigabytes of flash memory. There are two USB ports and an SD card slot. Clarion says that a vehicle dock will also be available, and that the device has an "Automobile Mode for safe access behind the wheels." We hope this last feature isn't too restrictive, although from the devices description, it can easily be defeated.

ClarionMiND will ship in the fourth quarter.

Nokia N96 clears FCC

2008-08-18T00:06:00.001+07:00

It made it's debut at the GSMA World Congress earlier this year and now the Nokia N96 has passed through the gates of the Federal Communications Commission. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.

LG CP150
LG VX8360
Motorola
Motorola EM28
Motorola i365
Motorola VU204
Nokia N96
Pantech C740
Samsung SCH-R450
Samsung SCH-R550
Samsung SCH-R600
Samsung SGH-L807E
Samsung SGH-U800E
Samsung SPH-W6300
UTStarcom CDM-7076
UTStarcom GTX75

Aerielle i2i Stream turns you into a roving radio station

2008-08-18T00:03:00.001+07:00

Wireless music sharing isn't a new concept--just take a look at the Microsoft Zune, which lets you beam songs to other Zune owners with the press of a button. The problem with the Zune is that everyone you want to share with must have that specific brand of MP3 player.

Aerielle is offering a different take on music sharing with the i2i Stream, a device that connects to any MP3 player and headphones. Each i2i Stream acts as a transmitter and receiver, allowing the user to either broadcast music or tune in to others' "stations"--and either one is extremely easy to do. No doubt, the concept isn't for everyone, but for those who like to rock out in groups, it's a great solution.

Aerielle sells a pair of i2i Streams for $99.95, so you'll always know someone who has one, but the price needs to come down quite a bit before we'll consider it a value. Read the i2i Stream review.