Today, we got the latest version of the live-streaming app Qik, a version that will work on the iPhone 3GS. No, we didn’t get it through the App Store, because Apple or AT&T or both still won’t allow for applications that stream live video from the device to be accepted into the store. So instead, just like before, we have to settle for the ad-hoc version, which is fine, but severely dampens the application’s potential reach.
So how does the iPhone 3GS version of Qik compare to the one that worked on the iPhone 3G? Overall, video quality-wise, I would say the iPhone 3GS version of Qik and the iPhone 3G version look about the same. This is despite the 3GS having a nicer camera (3.2 megapixels versus 2). And even though the iPhone 3G didn’t have video camera capabilities, Qik was able to build its own encoders to use the regular camera for video capture. The iPhone 3GS of course, can do video, and it has APIs that give developers access to it. But it would seem that Qik is still limiting the quality of the video that gets streamed, to ensure better live performance. → Read More
I was not aware they allowed dementia patients unbox iPhones on camera. However, it is very funny. → Read More
Foursquare, the location-based social networking service, is about to activate Push Notifications in the new version of its iPhone app, due shortly. I’ve been beta testing it out for the past week, and I’m happy to report that it works brilliantly. But be warned: Some of you will not like this idea.
Applications using Push have been rolling out over the past week. None so far have been bigger than the IM clients like AIM and Beejive, as instant messaging is an obvious use of Push messages. But location can work quite well too, as Foursquare is proving, but only for a certain kind of location app.
Foursquare is all about explicitly “checking-in” places. That is to say, when you go somewhere, you have to boot up the app, load the site or send a text to let it know you want to check-in there. It doesn’t do it automatically, even if you have the app open. Because of this, Push Notifications make sense, since they ping your followers when you check-in somewhere. And you really shouldn’t have to worry about privacy because you are the one checking in to a place, on purpose, to let the people you know — that you personally allowed to let follow you — see where you are. → Read More
Brand loyalty is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to technology. Consider the battle brewing now between Google and Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing. Even if Bing proves to be just as good as Google, it might not matter because of the strength of Google’s brand. An independent usability and consumer preference study, which we’ve obtained and embedded below, suggests as much. It was conducted by the Catalyst Group, a usability research and design firm located in New York City.
The study was an intense focus group in which 12 subjects were monitored with eye-tracking cameras as they conducted searches. Afterward, they were interviewed and completed a survey. Prior to the test, all the subjects used Google as their main search engine. Following the test, 4 out of the 12, or one third, said that overall they preferred Bing. The other 8 said that they preferred Google because they were already familiar with it, used other Google products, or that Bing’s improvements are simply not enough to make them switch. → Read More
Oh man, it’s hot outside. Maybe Al Gore is onto something. Just think that if you’re this hot, your computer must be roasting. We’ve got the solution: the Domino A.L.C. This compact liquid cooling system installs easily into even cramped cases. It’s self-contained, has an external LCD display, audible alerts, and works with both Intel and AMD CPUs. The best part? It could be yours for just the price of a comment. → Read More
Ever since I’ve been in Silicon Valley, I’ve heard mass anxiety about the state of higher education, particularly when it comes to training the next generation of tech thinkers, innovators and worker bees. But for all those speeches and pledges to change things, the situation only seems to be getting worse.
According to a new study released today by the Bay Area Council, the Campaign for College Opportunity and IHELP, some 40,000 new jobs are created every year in California that need people with degrees in science, technology, math or engineering. To meet that need the state would have to see a 90% upswing in these types of degrees. The study hints at a “devastating” impact the current shortfall of techy grads could have on the state’s $1.7 trillion economy if more people don’t go into these fields.
Of course, these groups recommend all sorts of investments in the University of California and other state education systems, but here’s a quicker, cheaper solution no one wants to admit outside the board rooms of Silicon Valley: Remove H-1B Visa caps.
The new study argues that international workers won’t be enough given the hightech explosion of jobs around the world. Ok, so let it fill some of them. Education is like the mess masquerading as the American healthcare system—there’s simply no quick fix. After all, the study doesn’t talk about a shortage in people going to college, just going into these fields. Is more money really going to change what people want to study? We need high tech workers: The India Institutes of Technology are graduating nearly 4,000 engineers per year who presumably would like jobs. And if they come here, they help build tech companies and we get tax revenue. How is that not a win-win?
Below is an interview I did with Hoffman about the topic a few months ago. He boldly argues that instead of restricting H1Bs, the government should just levy a payroll tax on them. That way there’s no argument that it’s a “cheaper” option for employers– it’s a pricey last resort, but one most tech CEOs would still jump at. → Read More
In terms of well-known celebrities, few are bigger than Michael Jackson. Love him or hate him, pretty much everyone on the planet knows him. And that caused big problems for a lot of huge websites today with the news of his passing.
It was probably to be expected that Twitter would struggle as reportedly hundreds of thousands of tweets came in about Jackson in a very short amount of time. While I only got a couple actual Fail Whales, the site was really sucking wind for much of the hour that people were trying to get information about him. But Twitter was hardly the only site that was struggling.
Various reports had the AOL-owned TMZ, which broke the story, being down at multiple points throughout the ordeal. As a result, Perez Hilton’s hugely popular blog may have failed as people rushed there to try and confirm the news. Then it was the LATimes which had a report saying Jackson was only in a coma rather than dead, so people rushed there, and that site went down. (The LATimes eventually confirmed his passing.) → Read More
Now this is a good idea: RAID together four 16GB MicroSDHC cards for a fast, 64GB Compact Flash card. I guess in theory this is an efficient flash memory solution. You get the speed of MicroSDHC spread over four cards that’s compatible with high-end, or older, digital cameras. Or it you can finally put all those small MicroSDHC cards to good use. → Read More
A bit of World of Warcraftnews for you this Thursday afternoon. If given the chance, how many of you would play the game on your Xbox 360 or PS3? It doesn’t even matter, as Blizzard’s executive vice-president of game design, Rob Pardo, said that producing a console version of the game would run into a whole host of challenges that would need to be overcome. Chief among them: an input device. Do you go create a specially designed WoW controller, or leave it up to people to bring their own mouse and keyboard? → Read More
This is probably the oldest bit of news you’ll ever see get posted on CrunchGear, but I came across this today and just had to share. See, it’s a robotic tattoo machine that’s being powered by a Palm IIIxe (maybe?) that’s simply running Palm OS.
Update: We now have video of the tattoo machine in action. → Read More
In the last six months or so, the real-time web has really started to take hold. Services like Facebook, FriendFeed, and YouTube are finding ways to update their services on the fly with impressive results. But aside from Twitter, there haven’t been many sites built from the ground up with real-time in mind. Until now. Today sees the launch of Vyoom, which may well be the first robust social network to launch with real-time at its core.
The site behaves (and looks) like a mix between Twitter and Facebook. You’ll be spending most of your time in the ‘Social Stream’, which is a constantly updated list of the latest status updates posted by both your friends and other members of the site. The Social Stream is broken down into two sections: the public stream, which shows every update posted to the site by anyone, and the private stream, which shows updates posted by your friends. All updates are displayed immediately after they’re sent — you never have to refresh the site or click a ‘show new updates’ button. And if things are flowing by too quickly you can always hit pause. → Read More
What appears to have started on the 22nd of this month and running through until July 11th (a day before my birthday *hint, hint*) is a bonanza on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen items at Target. With discounts up to 20 percent, parents and kids, young and old, will want to flock to the red bullseye and snatch up all manner of Transformers goods. → Read More
I’ve heard mixed reviews about the movie, but have yet to see it myself. I haven’t seen any of the trailers either, but I’ll probably go and see it whether it sucks or not. What about you? {democracy:61} → Read More
Heyzap, the Y Combinator startup that offers an easily-embedded widget containing thousands of Flash games, is launching a major new product today that introduces the company to an entirely new source of revenue. Dubbed HeyZap Payments, the platform offers developers a way to easily integrate a microtransaction system into their games, which could be a boon for both developers and Heyzap alike.
Up until now one of the problems plaguing small-time Flash game developers has been monetization. These games are often ripped from the sites from which they originated, so aside from ads that are integrated into the games, developers haven’t had many good ways to generate revenue. Heyzap Payments may help change this: regardless of where a Flash game is embedded, its developer will be compensated for any in-game purchases through the HeyZap platform. Co-Founder Immad Akhund says that the platform is extremely easy for developers to integrate, with a “drop-in” set of code (he says it shoud require about as much effort as integrating Google Analytics would). → Read More
Here’s more evidence that texting and driving is terribly dangerous. Car and Driver magazine tested to see how long it takes to hit the brake when completely unimpaired, legally drunk, reading e-mail, and sending a text message. It turns out that sending a text message adds 70 feet to your drive before you hit the break, the most out of all four scenarios. → Read More
Today in London, Dyson introduced a brand new handheld vacuum, the DC31. It weighs 2.2lb and is essentially an upgrade from the DC16, but this one packs a switched reluctance motor, which Sir James claims is the “fastest motor in the world, by a long stretch.” → Read More
The tech blogosphere was abuzz yesterday with the news that Apple seemingly started accepting applications that contain nudity into the App Store. Now, it appears someone over at Cupertino as ultimately decided to reject the first such app to get into the store after all. In our tests, we could still locate the app via the iTunes link, but were unable to purchase it and download it to our devices.
Other applications with the new rating (“Rated 17+ for “Frequent/Intense Sexual Content or Nudity.”) could still be downloaded without a problem, so it seems Apple just let ‘Hottest Girls’ slip through the cracks – something we suggested as a possibility yesterday as well – and has now fixed it. → Read More
Yuck! Today, I’m told, is National Handshake Day. It’s also Take Your Dog To Work Day & National Chocolate Pudding Day, apparently. And, err, it’s National Watermelon Seed Spitting Week.
But back to the handshaking thing. It’s disgusting and we need to put a stop to this medieval practice. Most people agree with me. Those that don’t are the people that don’t wash their hands after they use the bathroom. You have to decide which side you’re on.
I urge people to follow OpenCandy’s lead – no more hand shakes. A good place to start is at board meetings. → Read More
