Archive for March, 2010

Xbox outsells Wii and PS3 in February

Posted in Microsoft by Shane McGlaun on March 12th, 2010

I have all three game consoles in my house and my son and his friends spend lots of time playing games around here most weeks. When it comes time to play games they all typically want to play the PS3 the most. The Wii is the second choice and they rarely play the Xbox 360.

Despite the preferences of a bunch of 7-year-olds, the Xbox 360 has taken the top spot for sales in February according to NPD. NPD’s numbers show that Microsoft sold 422,000 Xbox 360 consoles; the Wii was second with 397,900 units sold.

Ladder concept is perfect for those with little storage

Posted in Concepts by Shane McGlaun on March 12th, 2010

Most of us need a ladder at some point around the home. If you own or rent a home where you have to change the filters in the AC system, you probably need one. The problem with ladders is that they are bulky and take up lots of space.

A new ladder concept over at Yanko Design is really cool and uses an ingenious design to give a leaning style ladder that breaks down for easy storage and transportation. If you have ever tried to carry a ladder in your car, you know how big an issue transportation is.

Galaxy dual core GTS 250 video card makes game geeks squeal like little girls

Posted in Video Cards by Shane McGlaun on March 12th, 2010

I have spent more time and money on the computer I use for playing games than I care to think about. Computer gaming is an expensive hobby and gamers are often the first in line to buy new gear, even though the stuff they already have is faster than most people have or want.

Galaxy has offered up a few details on its dual-core GTS 250 video card. The NVIDIA-based card has a cool aluminum dual fan cooling solution to keep things chill when playing. Each of the fans is 7cm and are hopefully quiet.

Apple iPad Pre-Order Starting Today, 5:30 AM PST

Posted in iPad by Darrin Olson on March 12th, 2010

Apple iPad PreSale starting todayApple told us pre-orders for the iPad would be starting today at about 5:30 AM PST, 8:30 AM for those of you standing in line on the east coast. Currently, as usual when Apple has a new product being added, the Apple Store is done with a note that they will “be back soon”, no doubt with a new landing page featuring pre-orders for the Apple iPad.

Pre-orders are going to be available for only the Wi-Fi version, which would then arrive on April 3rd. If you’re set on the 3G model you’ll have to wait until later on in April. The 16GB version of the WiFi only model will be going for $499, while the 32GB version will be $699.

iPhone 4.0 software to finally deliver multitasking?

Posted in iPhone by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2010

As good as the iPhone is, it has one major flaw. Of all its countless apps, you can only run one at a time. For instance if you want to check your email while you read the NY Times, forget it. You have to close the NY Times app and open the email app. That gets old real fast.

Well, according to some new rumors, there will be a new overhaul of the iPhone software this summer, which is timed with the release of an updated iPhone. The software would allow you to run multiple apps at once. Hopefully the rumors are true, because it’s long overdue.

Samsung Navibot vacuum cleaners

Posted in Samsung by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2010

When you think robot vacuum cleaners, you tend to think Roomba, but they aren’t the only game in town. Samsung wants in on some of that floor cleaning dough too, with their Navibot vacuum cleaners, which come in Samsung Navibot SR8845 and Samsung Navibot SR8855 models.

These automated vacuum cleaners will clean up all of your floor junk as usual, but the more advanced Samsung Navibot SR8855 even sports touch sensitive buttons and an on board scheduler. The Virtual Guards feature creates an infrared virtual fence to help it prioritize cleaning zones. It will run for 90 minutes on a single battery charge.

GuitarBud: Plug your Guitar into your iPhone

Posted in iPhone Accessories by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2010

If you are any kind of budding musician, then chances are you have used some of the iPhone’s musically inclined apps. Well, the GuitarBud plug cable system lets you hook up your electric guitar to your iPhone, which allows it to work with a bunch of compatible apps.

It will work with stuff like Voice Memos to record a quick riff and JamAmp which simulates a guitar amp, tuner and training tool. Some other compatible apps include StompVox, Riff Raters, GigDaddy, iStrobosoft, Rectools Pro and Guitar FX Deluxe.

Duracell Instant Charger

Posted in Chargers by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2010

The Duracell Instant Charger just got a big refresh. It’s handy as ever and looks nice too. The Duracell Instant Charger Designer version has just gone on sale in the UK in fact. The company claims that Apple and BMW inspired the look, if you can believe it.

The Duracell Instant Charger is pretty damn convenient if you have an iPhone or other battery hungry gadget which can connect by USB. Just plug it in and the lithium ion reserve inside will charge it up on the spot. Pretty sweet. Only £34.99, which isn’t too bad.

Novothink Solar Surge iPhone / iPod touch charging case

Posted in iPhone Accessories by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2010

Novothink has announced that its Solar Surge charging cases for the iPhone and iPod touch are finally available. It will cost you $79.95 for the iPhone 3G/3GS version and $69.95 for the iPod touch version (second gen only). They are each available only in black or white right now, but additional colors are coming soon. We just don’t know when.

It should give you between four and eight hours of talk time, or up to 20 hours of additional audio playback when the charger is fully charged, but the company says you can still expect to get between 30 and 60 minutes of talk time after two hours of exposure to direct sunlight.

Pink Floyd wins legal battle over digital sale of individual songs

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2010

Pink Floyd has won a legal battle with its record label EMI over whether the label should be allowed to distribute digital versions of the band’s material on a song by song basis as it does through Apple’s iTunes Store. Pink Floyd is just one of several bands that have objected to the splitting up of what it considers to be single pieces of work.

And any Pink Floyd fan knows that you can’t just listen to one track and get the full experience. And if you only want one song, you clearly don’t get it anyway. The band has been signed to EMI since 1967 and said that their contract meant their albums could not be split up without their permission. A judge agreed and said that the contract contained a clause to “preserve the artistic integrity of the albums”.

Chatroulette Map shows you where they live

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2010

So you just saw a penis or some couple doing the nasty on Chatroulette and you want to know where these freaks are located. Understandable I guess. I would want to make sure they don’t live next door to me. And if they do, I might want to move.

Chatroulette connects you with a stranger directly rather than routing you both through another server, so you can see the IP address of everyone you connect to. And an IP address can tell you where that person is on a map. Pretty simple.

Google Mobile Search shows you what’s in stock nearby

Posted in Google by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2010

Google Product Search was already useful, but the addition of local inventory info makes it even better still. The new feature works on the iPhone and any PalmOS or Android device. Just search for Shopping results and Google will return not just pricing information for the item in question, but it will tell you which retailers have it nearby and whether they’ve got it in stock or not.

That saves you a trip and the cost of gas. The problem right now is that only a few retail partners are signed up. There are some major ones like Best Buy, Sears, and Williams-Sonoma, but the feature needs more participation from both big stores and local merchants. We are sure that will happen given some time.

Target unveils first mobile coupon program anywhere

Posted in Target by Shane McGlaun on March 11th, 2010

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a mobile phone today. Even my grandmother has one, even if she doesn’t know how to use it. With everyone having mobile phones the time for mobile coupons has come.

Target has launched what it claims to be the first mobile scannable coupon program ever. Users can sign up for the program on the Target site and Target will send coupons directly to their user’s phone.

OCZ Onyx SSD lands at under a c-note

Posted in SSD by Shane McGlaun on March 11th, 2010

There have been two things keeping many from putting a SSD inside their computer. The first thing is price and the second is low storage capacity. OCZ has unveiled a new Onyx series SSD that fixes the price issue for most of us.

The new Onyx SSD is available now for under $100 for 32GB of storage. That isn’t much storage for most needs, but it will be a great little boot drive paired with an HDD for bulk storage. OCZ will offer larger capacity drives later.

Kanguru Defender Elite uses 256-bit AES encryption

Posted in Kanguru by Shane McGlaun on March 11th, 2010

When it comes to carrying important and personal or classified files around with you, some people just slap them on a flash drive and go about their day. Some files are too private to do that with though such as medical records or government documents.

Kanguru has announced a new flash drive called the Defender Elite that was designed to meet the strict DOD requirements for using a flash drive for confidential data. The drive features 256-bit AES hardware encryption and a rugged design.