As I was preparing my review of the MSI Wind earlier today, I noticed that MSI’s product site pulled the notebook down for a bit. It’s back up, but I see that the six-cell battery version of the MSI Wind has been delayed until August now. Last time we reported, it’d been delayed until July. Looks like the battery shortage caused by the fire at the LG plant back in March is still causing some pretty serious delays. The three-cell version of the Wind has been released and is available (if you can find one in stock) for $479 — $20 cheaper than the six-cell version. UPDATE: Now the six-cell version has been pushed out from July to August to September. Just got the following… CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – July 8, 2008 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, has begun shipping all the pre-ordered Wind U100 notebooks. The Wind, with its speedy new Intel Atom™ 1.6GHz processor, is also on sale at Fry’s and online at www.newegg.com, www.amazon.com, www.frys.com, www.zipzoomfly.com, www.mwave.com, and www.buy.com. These first notebooks sold will feature Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and a 3-cell battery. In September, MSI will begin selling a Windows version of the Wind with a 6-cell battery , as well as the Linux version with a 3-cell battery. MSI will also carry a 6-cell battery for customers who wish to upgrade their 3-cell battery in late September. So the preordered three-cell units should be shipping out now. That’s good. But the six-cell version keeps getting delayed again and again. Let’s hope September’s the latest it’ll get delayed. People holding out for the six-cell version aren’t going to be too thrilled with this news. → Read More
1938 Media’s distribution deal with Verizon, announced just a week ago, is history. Yesterday a group of “civil rights activists” protested the deal and threatened to boycott Verizon. The reason? A 2007 video that Feldman created called “TechNigga” that the groups say is racist. The video was not included on Verizon, and television reports that Verizon financed the video are incorrect. But Feldman confirmed to me that all 1938 Media videos were removed by Verizon yesterday and that they terminated the relationship today. There is almost certainly a back story to this that may unwind over the coming days. Feldman has been in the spotlight recently for a set of puppet videos that originally mocked new media consultant Shel Israel (and later others including me, Loic LeMeur and Dave Winer). A lot of people were angry with Feldman over the parodies (and I drew criticism for covering the story) – and it wouldn’t surprise me if someone helped organize the early stages of this protest. So what’s your opinion? Is the video racist? Should Verizon have stood by Feldman? Tell us in the comments. CrunchBase Information 1938 Media Information provided by CrunchBase → Read More
Today’s Top Posts: Toyota to sell solar panel-equipped Prius next year Vodafone NZ iPhone 3G plans: $200 per month for 1 gig of data Pioneer develops world’s first 16-layer disc with 400 GB capacity What else can you get from AT&T for $199? Panasonic presents electric bike recharging its battery via the braking system Sony to release fixed PS3 firmware this week Rogers gets Apple slapdown Acer introduces monitor with 50,000:1 contrast ratio Trailer released for Futurama Movie #3, Bender’s Game Koran cellphone includes Tafsir of Koran and Hadith → Read More
We’ve got prices, people. For the standalone instruments, anyway, and only for the Wii at that, but it helps give a ballpark. At $70 the guitar is 20 bucks more expensive than what the year-old guitar is going for right now, and the drums at $90 are similarly more than the current ones. Looks like the pricing is more or less analogous with the old setup, and this is for pre-order, so it’s not counting day-of-release deals, bundles, and so on — although it’ll still be a grip of cash no matter how you look at it. You who are about to go into debt to afford this game and all its accessories: we salute you. → Read More
Bear with us, readers. We know you’re sick of iPhone news, but it’s almost over. This may or may not put your panties in a bunch, but the Italians supposedly have the pleasure of activating their iP3G from home because Vodafone and Telecom Italia are incapable of the task. However, Voda and TI customers will have to agree to a 2-year contract. Hutchison G3 Italy has also come out to tout themselves as an iPhone 3G carrier. They claim to have cheaper plans than those of Vodafone and TI up to 30 percent. The cost of the device from H3G Italy could be 90 Euro with plans ranging from 10 to 20 Euro. Macity 1 and Macity 2 [Both are in Italian] via Electronista → Read More
Update: Store Back Online (1:00AM PST) The store is back up and online, with a laundry list of new products including: iPhone 3G MobileMe iMac upgrades 16GB iPhone 2GB shuffle UPDATE – None of these have been updated. False alarm. Apple’s online store just went down, a definitive sign that they will be launching a new product overnight. It could be the iPhone App Store, which will launch sometime this week (developers had to submit their apps by noon today to be considered for the launch), or it could be a rumored new Macbook/Macbook Pro product. Apple loves to launch products on Tuesdays. Expect whatever it is to go up around midnight PST. Our guess is this is not the new App Store, because there’s no obvious reason to take the store down to launch new software. A new computer? Definitely. → Read More
My excitement for the Voodoo Envy 133 has been supplanted by the outrageous prices they expect one to shell out for the MacBook Air competitor. There are nine different configurations you can choose from that start out at $2,099 and ends with an astronomical $3, 999 price tag. If you really want an SSD the pricing starts at $3,099. Frankly, I’m shocked and appalled by this, but then again, Voodoo has been pricing their PCs at a high premium since the beginning, so the price of this laptop shouldn’t shock me that much. But it does. The lackluster MacBook Air is starting to look a little more appealing. What do you think? → Read More
Apple Retail → Read More
I’ve been hemming and hawing about doing this post since last week when AT&T revealed all the pricing info for the iPhone 3G. With the release of Vodafone NZ‘s pricing today, I can no longer keep my mouth shut. The Kiwis are paying $190 for 1GB of data, 600 minutes, and 600 texts! Not to mention the fact that if they opt for the cheapest plan ($60), they’ll have to shell out $415 (8GB) or $527 (16GB), respectively. I really want to know what you people are bitching and moaning about over AT&T’s plans? As far as I can see, it’s cheaper than every other country that’s getting the iP3G in every respect. Of course, you might be hammered if you’re ineligible for an upgrade, but you should have known this was going to happen. → Read More
http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?enablejs=true&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcrunchgear%2Eblip%2Etv%2Frss&file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F1064820%3Freferrer%3Dblip%2Etv%26source%3D1&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer%2Eswf A handful of lucky game journo’s had the distinct pleasure of playing single player and multiplayer GoW2 last week whilst listening to Cliff Bleszinski explain what the Epic team has done with the hottest game to launch this year for Xbox 360. I’m super jealous. The lucky few got to play the following multiplayer maps along with others they aren’t allowed to speak about until after E3: Gridlock 2.0, Security and River. I’ve pasted in a few tidbits from Tom’s review over at Team Xbox. → Read More
http://static.escapistmagazine.com/media/global/movies/player/FlowPlayerDark.swf?config=%7Bembedded%3Atrue%2CplayList%3A%5B+%7B+%27url%27%3A108%2C%27linkUrl%27%3A%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.escapistmagazine.com%2Fvideos%2Fview%2Fzero-punctuation%2F108-Webcomics%27%2C%27linkWindow%27%3A%27_top%27%2C%27name%27%3A%27Webcomics%27+%7D+%5D%2CsplashImageFile%3A%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.escapistmagazine.com%2Fglobal%2Fcastfire%2Fsplash%2F108.jpg%27%2CshowVolumeSlider%3Atrue%2CinitialScale%3A%27fit%27%2Cloop%3Afalse%2CautoPlay%3Afalse%2CautoBuffering%3Afalse%2CusePlayOverlay%3Afalse%2CautoRewind%3Atrue%2CbufferLength%3A15%2CmenuItems%3A%5Bfalse%2Cfalse%2Cfalse%2Cfalse%2Ctrue%2Ctrue%5D%7D Luckily he acknowledges his hypocrisy at the end. → Read More
With only four days to go until the launch of Apple’s App Store, which will feature 3D games that push the iPhone to its limits, most developers would consider releasing a browser-based iPhone game a bad idea. Throwing common sense to the wind, ad agency Hello Viking has just released Viking Smackdown, a Safari-based iPhone game that manages to take advantage of the phone’s built-in accelerometer. You can access the game by visiting VikingSmackdown.com from your iPhone’s browser. The game itself is very simple: your goal is to make a cartoony-looking viking throw his axe as far as possible. Tilt your phone to the side and you are presented with a meter that indicates how forcefully you’ll throw your mighty blade. Then, once the meter is full, tilt the phone right-side up to send the axe flying. The farther it goes, the better. While there have been a number of motion-sensing apps made for “jailbroken” (i.e. hacked) iPhones, few Apple sanctioned web-apps can make use of the phone’s accelerometer. Using some clever scripting, Viking Smackdown takes advantage of the web browser’s orientation detection to create this simple (but surprisingly fun) game. It’s a shame it will be totally obsolete in less than a week. CrunchBase Information Hello Viking Information provided by CrunchBase → Read More
http://www.gamevideos.com//swf/gamevideos11.swf?embedded=1&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&src=http://www.gamevideos.com/video/videoListXML%3Fid%3D19795%26ordinal%3D%26adPlay%3Dfalse This is the trailer to the Nintendo DS version of Chrono Trigger. It’s not a 3D re-make in the vein of Final Fantasy III, but rather a “re-mastered” version of the game, like how U2 releases re-masters every other year. (War comes out July 21!) And really, that’s all Sqaure Enix had to do to satisfy, say, every one of the game’s fans. Now where’s Chrono Trigger 2? via 1UP → Read More
Oh my god! Are they insane? The Vodafone New Zealand site is choking right now is back up, and this appears to be the most god-awful money-grabbing scheme I’ve ever seen in this dirty business. I feel for you guys in Canada but this is highway robbery on a whole other scale. First of all, the phone costs a freaking small fortune unless you go with their most expensive plan. And if you go with their most expensive plan, it costs a goddamn mint! The prices should be approximated to about 75% of their NZ amount, but even so you’re looking at a nearly $200 per month cell phone plan, people. This can’t be happening. [thanks for the tip, Ben] Yeah, I know the headline says $200 and it’s really $188. Just wait a month for our dollar to drop another couple points, you pedant! $200 pops, people! → Read More
New Zealand, land of LotR and high-priced data plans Over at CG we’ve been watching the iPhone pricing plans whiz by, from the onerous Rogers tariff to Vodafone New Zealand’s $200 per month for 1 GB data plan. A lot of folks have been complaining about these prices but in light of these international plans, including nasty plans from Europe, AT&T’s pricing isn’t that bad. Another interesting point: all of us expecting to waltz into AT&T stores and pick up an iPhone for $199 will be sadly surprised. The $199 price is for new contract-holders only. If you’re an AT&T subscriber you’ll be paying $399 and $499 for your iPhone – about $100 less than the non-contract price. AT&T’s thinking behind this – although a bit mercenary – is clear: there’s not much else in AT&T’s line up that will bring in new customers the way Jobs’ space phone will. UPDATE – Just to set the record straight, here are the prices straight from AT&T: $199 /$299: for new customers, current postpaid iPhone customers in good standing prior to July 11, and AT&T non-iPhone customers who are currently eligible for an upgrade discount. Requires two-year service agreement. $399/$499 (early-upgrade price): for non-iPhone customers who are not currently eligible for an upgrade discount but who want their iPhone 3G now. Requires two-year service agreement. CrunchGear’s Peter Ha gets a bit more forceful in his defense of the pricing. I’ve been hemming and hawing about doing this post since last week when AT&T revealed all the pricing info for the iPhone 3G. With the release of Vodafone NZ‘s pricing today, I can no longer keep my mouth shut. The Kiwis are paying $190 for 1GB of data, 600 minutes, and 600 texts! Not to mention the fact that if they opt for the cheapest plan ($60), they’ll have to shell out $415 (8GB) or $527 (16GB), respectively. I really want to know what you people are bitching and moaning about over AT&T’s plans? As far as I can see, it’s cheaper than every other country that’s getting the iP3G in every respect. Of course, you might be hammered if you’re ineligible for an upgrade, but you should have known this was going to happen. → Read More
Today we get the latest full ongoing iterative back-filling explanation of Twitter and XMPP. Dave Winer’s intuition that FriendFeed is one of several (4) receipients of the XMPP data stream turns out to be correct. In a post this afternoon, Biz Stone confirms Summize and adds Twittervision and Zappos as the others. FriendFeed makes only small demands on its current subscriber base, but its rapid growth in recent weeks suggests that will become more of a problem as time goes by. Stone suggests Summize has “greatly improved on Twitter’s Track feature” with its extended filtering capability. More accurately, it has improved on a search function that Twitter does not have, but Track’s real-time display of keyword “hits” enables conversations that Summize only simulates. Track, when combined with XMPP over IM (Gtalk/Gchat in my case) allows instant replies as hits present themselves, where Summize has no direct input to Twitter but rather calls the Web application for replies to search results. A work-around for that limitation would be to allow the Summize stream to be syndicated to other services, something that appears to be working in some fashion via Twhirl’s implementation. Clicking on the Spylass icon produces an input window to query Summize’s server. But you have to manually enter terms, and the results are not made available or updated in real time while the possibility of a conversation ephemerally exists. It’s difficult to tell in this query by blog post communication with the mother ship just what the deals are with the 4 favored sippers from the firehose. It may just be a design decision on Summize’s part as to how to “greatly improve” on Track, but the other possibility suggested by earlier statements on the subject is that Summize is at least somewhat constrained in how it can pass along the stream to other parties. Specifically, is the constraint (if it exists) that the more ongoing requests for standing searches (Track) the more stress on Twitter’s core? We know the average interval between a message being posted on Twitter to surfacing in Summize is somewhere around 30 to 60 seconds. It’s hard to say without testing a service no longer available what the interval between posting and appearing on Twitter is, but a followed post is sometimes as fast as 10 seconds. A reasonable assumption can be made that Summize is recording the XMPP stream and then searching it, → Read More
The HD Guru recently reviewed the 50-inch Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD and, after putting the $5,000 premium plasma through its paces, called it “simply the best” HDTV he’s ever tested. Why so good, you ask? Well, the black levels are so dark that the HD Guru’s current test equipment couldn’t even measure them, the energy consumption levels are pretty admirable, and the color saturation has improved over previous models. The Pioneer isn’t cheap, though, so you’ll have to decide A) If you have a lot of money and B) If you have a significant other who will let you spend a lot of that money on a TV. I have neither. → Read More
Just a quick heads up for those of you thinking of getting one of those Gelaskins doodads for your laptop or iPod or whatever. The company is having itself a summer sale, with 15 percent of any order until July 13. You’ll have to use the discount code SUMMERSKINS to claim your 15 percent. That is all. Gelaskins → Read More
Nokia sent me this clever package with a BATMANG! themed 6205 flip phone on Verizon. Not much to say except BATMANG! Extra credit – Figure out which comedian did the original “BATMANG!” bit back in 1990 or whenever the first Batman came out. I remember seeing it on Comedy Central way back when and can’t for the life of me remember it. → Read More
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