Archive for News

Movie studios to bring pre-DVD streaming to PS3, Xbox, more

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on September 27th, 2010

Here’s more great news for PS3 and Xbox 360 owners. Disney, Sony and Warner are close to testing a system that would give Internet access to movies before they’ve reached Blu-ray or DVD. Disney would be the most aggressive and would allow viewers watch movies on any web-connected device and possibly the PS3 and Xbox 360 as well. Disney would likely be cautious at first, trying one movie under the plan in an early 2011 trial.

We aren’t sure if Apple would be involved, but Steve Jobs sits on Disney’s board of directors. In Demand, a partnership between Comcast, Cox and Time Warner, said through CEO Bob Benya that the collective is in talks for a similar option through cable TV and maybe online.

Segway company owner dies, drives Segway off a cliff

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on September 27th, 2010

The current owner of Segway died yesterday after he rode off a cliff and into a river in England. They found Jimi Heselden’s body yesterday at 11.40am yesterday by the River Wharfe in North Yorkshire, with his X2 Adventure with him.

Jimi was 62. Police think it was just a weird accident. The man was worth $262m though. And Segways don’t go so fast that he wouldn’t see the cliff coming. Well, however it happened, it’s a sad turn of events.

Blockbuster files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on September 23rd, 2010

We’ve been expecting this one for a long time and now it’s official. Blockbuster has initiated “pre-arranged” chapter 11 proceedings. Under this plan, Blockbuster’s debt would be reduced from $1 billion to about $100 million when implemented.

Blockbuster is currently evaluating its US store portfolio as part of the recapitalization process. All 3,000 stores will remain open for now, but up to 1,000 could be gone before things are said and done. They want you to know that Blockbuster is still open and that it’s business as usual during the restructuring.

Special credit cards access multiple accounts

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on September 19th, 2010

This credit card will help keep your wallet thin. It can turn several credit cards and debit cards into one. This new technology is from Dynamics Inc. in Pennsylvania. It’s a single credit card that hides your account number and allows access to multiple cards, all at the same time.

It is called Card 2.0 and can be used in various applications since it features the world’s first fully card-programmable ‘Electronic Stripe’ in place of the usual magnetic stripe. It’s thin, flexible and durable and it’s battery charge lasts for three years. Sounds great.

Verizon to launch LTE in 30 NFL cities before 2011

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on September 16th, 2010

Word is that a Verizon senior federal sales executive has told executive IT managers that the carrier is planning to launch its LTE service in 30 NFL cities by the end of 2010. That should make NFL fans very happy. Which specific cities weren’t mentioned, so your guess is as good as ours.

The carrier is also planning to cover the entire country in LTE by 2013. However, it should be noted that LTE phones will not be launched in conjunction with this 30 city rollout because of the limited models available.

Speed bumps will one day be replaced with illusions of children

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on September 9th, 2010

Speed bumps are so last century. That’s why the Canadian city of Vancouver is experimenting with a speed control solution that uses an optical illusion to trick you into thinking there is a child in the road. I’m sure that will slow people down and give some people heart attacks too.

The program is being piloted near École Pauline Johnson Elementary School, where they use a very lifelike painted optical illusion that looks like a little girl chasing a ball into traffic.

iPhone apps save UK government millions

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on September 8th, 2010

The UK take their apps seriously. The government is reportedly saving millions of Pounds (about $350 million US dollars) just by developing iGovernment apps that help citizens. The Local Government Association (LGA) implemented the apps to allow iPhone users to get information on road conditions, pay for parking and lots of other stuff.

They can send in complaints or inform the government about any issue they want. One app allows users to send in hygiene ratings of local restaurants, another is used to complain about vandalism, snap a picture and send it in as a report.

Gumdrop Bins let Britain recycle old chewing gum

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 31st, 2010

This is a great idea. Take your worn out, chewed to death wad of gum, you know that old ABC gum(Already Been Chewed) and put it to good use, instead of under a table or on the sidewalk. Britain has launched a program to recycle your tired worn out chewing gum and “repurpose” it into tires, childrens toys and even mobile phone covers.

This government initiative runs from August 18th through September 15th and encourages people to toss their used chewing gum into special Bins at locations throughout twelve towns in the UK.

Trapped Chilean miners get PSPs

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 31st, 2010

If anyone ever needed some entertainment, it is people stuck in a mine. It helps to take your mind off the fact that you are in an enclosed space and trapped there for months. At least for a few moments anyway.

Just in case you have been in a mine of your own, there are 33 miners trapped in a collapsed mine shaft in Chile right now, and they are going to be down there for a long time. Maybe three to four months. Thank god for video games.

Liquid Wood could replace everything plastic

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 29th, 2010

We use a ton of oil to create plastics for everything from watches to bicycle helmets. It hasn’t been easy to find a replacement material that can be just as tough, versatile and easy to produce, but German inventors have developed a new material that has a lot of promise. It could replace everything plastic using something as natural as wood.

It looks like wood and feels like wood. The material is called Arboform and is produced after combining lignin, a discarded element of regular wood with natural resins, flax and fiber. Arboform is ideal since it can be molded into any object form which is normally made using petroleum products.

Free iPad scam hits Facebook and Twitter

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 26th, 2010

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. That’s some sound advice that you can apply to everything in life. Especially when it comes to internet “offers”. And there’s a sucker born every minute. Messages on Facebook or Twitter which offer a free iPad, are bait for these gullible people.

You should avoid these at all cost. since this scam spreads through hacked accounts and will ask you to check out a website that offers to send free iPads to everyone who responds. Twitter and Facebook are aware of the situation. Facebook is sending out password resets to hacked individuals.

Machine turns plastic back into oil

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 23rd, 2010

Plastics are an important part of our lives, but there are some environmental issues. That’s why the Japanese have come up with a machine that is capable of turning plastic back into oil that can be used to create gasoline, diesel, or kerosene.

That’s big time recycling there. The process can turn 1kg of plastic back into 1l of oil, which isn’t to shabby and it doesn’t even create any CO2 during the process. With this technique we can get far more out of our resources.

Dish Network launching DishOnline.com to stream cable networks to subscribers

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 23rd, 2010

Dish Network and it’s subscribers are joining the 21st century at last. DishOnline.com opens up online and offers on-demand streaming of content to its subscribers. At least 15 channels will stream live, including all the major networks and extras like Syfy and Comedy Central.

Right now however, selection looks a bit limited. The site will also provide remote DVR scheduling and let Sling users stream recorded content right from their device. The service will go live in the next few days and will only be available to Dish subscribers. Might be a good time to subscribe.

HBO hits the iPad and mobile devices in six months

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2010

If you need a dose of True Blood on your iPad, you won’t have long to wait. In an interview with Bloomberg, HBO Co-President Eric Kessler made an off-hand comment that in six month’s time, HBO Go would be available “through all major cable systems, on Apple’s iPad, on mobile devices and elsewhere,”.

It would be free for those of you who already are signed up to HBO. Aside from that, the company still has a cold attitude toward Netflix. Having HBO go portable sounds good to us.

Dish to bring streaming TV to mobile devices

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 4th, 2010

Dish Network hopes to not only keep their current subscribers happy, but also gain some new subscribers by adding another value-added service. They want you to be able to watch satellite TV programs on your mobile devices. Without paying an extra dime for it.

That’s right, this means that your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and BlackBerrys will be able to take advantage of this starting next month. Android users will have to wait an extra month. Unless the mobile user has a Dish-compatible, dual-tuner DVR at home, however, they will have to watch whatever channel is set at home.