This little doodad from Japan promises to convert your PS and PS2 controllers into Wiimotes. It’s about $19 bucks, which is one dollar cheaper than the Classic Controller, but who knows what it will end up being after shipping and such. I much prefer the Nyko Wing that I’ve been using. → Read More
I blogged about Sega Toys’ Pekoppa, the plant that listens and reacts to everything a person says, exactly 12 months ago. And the toy seems to have become a hit since then, as Sega Toys today announced the Hanappa, a Pekoppa 2 of sorts [JP, PDF]. → Read More
The drama in iPhone porn world continues. Yesterday, Hottest Girls, the first app with nudity was accepted into the App Store. But early this morning it was made unavailable, and everyone presumed Apple was behind it. But apparently, the app has not been pulled from the App Store by Apple, but rather by the developers because of high demand.
The guy team behind the app, Allen the Geek, writes on its site:
The Hottest Girls app is temporarily sold out. The server usage is extremely high because of the popularity of this app. Thus, by not distributing the app, we can prevent our servers from crashing. Those who already have the app will still be able to use our app. To answer the question on everyone’s mind: Yes, the topless images will still be there when it is sold again. -ATG dev team
So is this BS? Is this just them covering up for Apple pulling it? I don’t think so. → Read More
Did you know that video game theft costs retailers billions of dollars a year? So says the Entertainment Merchant Association, a group that “advance[s] the interests of the $33 billion home entertainment industry.” That’s actual theft, mind you. Like, you walk into a store, swipe a game, put it under your shirt, then amscray. The solution to this problem? Not to lower the price of video games so that people don’t have to steal, no, but to install some sort of radio-activated lock. Said lock would make the games (or movies) unplayable until they’ve been unlocked at the cash register. → Read More
I don’t get a bonerd for LEGOs like some people I know whose names start with a J and end with an S and work for a site that rhymes with shmimono, but I have fond memories of spending countless hours as a youth erecting LEGO fortresses and castles and whatever else my imagination could conjure up. It was always about smashing the other fortress and kicking some tiny LEGO ass, but that was at least 20 years ago. Now fast forward to 2009 and while I still like to kick ass, I enjoy doing it on a much smaller scale. Enter LEGO Battles for the Nintendo DS. → Read More
Microsoft has announced the pricing for Windows 7, due to be released on October 22. The Home Premium upgrade version will cost $119.99 — ten bucks cheaper than the comparable version of Vista! Other news outlets are trying to spin this as “8% less”, but we know you, dear readers, aren’t fooled by such sleight of hand. Windows 7 Professional upgrade will run $199.99. The full Home Premium version is $199.99; and the full versions of Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions will be $299.99 and $319.99 respectively. Does the Ultimate edition really offer $20 more in terms of functionality? I don’t know! → Read More
If there was any question about the significance of the iPhone 3GS’s impressive video functionality, here’s your answer: YouTube reports that in the six days since the iPhone 3GS was released last week, the number of mobile uploads has increased by a whopping 400%. For a single phone model to have such a major impact on the site is simply phenomenal.
Even without the iPhone, YouTube is seeing major growth across the entire mobile space — the site has seen uploads go up 1700% over the last six months. It’s not hard to guess why. Video-enabled smartphones are becoming increasingly popular, as are high speed data connections. YouTube also attributes part of the growth to a streamlined upload flow (note how easy it is to upload a video from your iPhone to the site), as well as its improved sharing capabilities (you can now syndicate your videos to services like Facebook and Twitter). → Read More
This is an interesting addition to your AT&T U-verse TV DVR (does anyone have one? I’ve never seen one). The new iPhone app allows folks to control their DVRs remotely using the Touch or the iPhone and augments the current Web Remote Access service available for U-verse. The app allows you to pick and record content from the comfort of being in front of your iPhone. → Read More
I just came back from the official pre-launch event for the iPhone 3GS in Japan, organized by telecommunications giant SoftBank (the exclusive carrier in Nippon). The iPhone is often said to be rather unpopular in this country (which isn’t true), but even though the event began at 10 in the night, it was totally packed. → Read More
The adoption cycle for Twitter is a bit strange. It goes something like this: Ever-increasing waves of hype, links, and attention bring in the newbies to Twitter.com where they get their first taste of Twitterdom. Some portion of those set up an account out of curiosity or a fear of being left behind. They try sending out a few Tweets, look around, get bored by the initial banality of the service and abandon it for other pursuits.
But that is not the end of it. A lot of them come back, either because they keep getting links from friends or keep hearing about it on TV or whatever, and then they slowly start to see the usefulness—a funny Tweet from a friend, a link to breaking news, a way to keep an eye on the general zeitgeist. Twitter is the kind of thing that is easier to experience than it is to explain. But it is an acquired taste and often requires repeated exposure before people get hooked. Once they do get hooked, there is no going back. → Read More
This morning Google Voice was featured in a segment on the Today Show, during which NBC News correspondent Janet Shamlian outlined her experiences with the service over the last few months (her verdict: she loves it). It’s an interesting piece to watch if only to see how the mass media is trying to describe Google Voice without confusing everyone watching, which can be a difficult task.
Shamlian and Matt Lauer briefly address the potential privacy concerns that have been raised over Voice, which would give Google access to your voice conversations and voicemail. Given that many of us have already used Gmail for years, handing over sensitive data to Google isn’t exactly novel, but it’s a valid point nonetheless. That said, the Today Show piece entirely neglects the other real challenges facing Voice at this point: it requires you to start using a new telephone number (unless you wait it out until number portability) and the numbers shown by your outbound calls can be different from the ones your friends have, which can lead to confusion. → 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. → 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
GROU.PS, a do-it-yourself social network focused on moderated online collaboration, has raised $1 million in an extended Series A round of funding from Golden Horn Ventures. The company previously raised $1.1 million in Series A funding from Golden Horn in 2008.
GROU.PS currently has 1 million registered members and 40,000 social networks on the platform. The DIY social network is growing fast; the platform has grown from 200,000 users to 1 million members within a year. → Read More
The internet is filled to the brim with hubbub about Apple approving bare breasts in the App Store. Some cry for others to think of the children, others support the loosening of Apple’s grip on application content, and the rest all shrug it off with the rightly answer of “Who gives a damn?” We want to know, dear reader: if you’re a-okay with people doin’ the nasty in a few apps, what’s the limit? Is there one? Let us know in the poll below, then weigh in down in the comments. → Read More
Team Fortress 2 has a huge following. And it should. It rocks. But it might be getting a tad stale to those that play it hours everyday. (me) That’s why developers crank out killer mods like these two. The video above (might be NSFW – lots of up-skirt, panty shots) shows a nearly completed female Scout mod that will soon have everything from custom taunts to an appropriate voice. The video after the jump shows Sleuth, a clever mod available on www.team-viper.com servers where a spy can turn into a dispenser or sentry gun. Now where is that petition to have Valve release these officially… → Read More
Glubble, social network for families, is launching several new features to improve photo sharing within its social network for families. Formerly a Firefox plug-in that let parents control what websites kids could visit online, Glubble evolved into a social network that resembles a FriendFeed but for families. Glubble has also raised $1 million in Series B funding from European investors, bringing the site’s total funding to $4 million.
Glubble lets families set up a private family home page where they can leave messages on the message wall, create online photo albums and organize their familyʼs schedule using the family events feature to post appointment, birthdays, holidays and reminders. → Read More
Vizio just took the wraps off of its hot Internet-connected HDTVs the other day, but the company has a new Blu-ray player coming soon too. The $188 MSRP will probably get price cuts and sales to bring it down to a more “Walmart” level seeing as Blu-ray players have breached the $100 mark. But even around the starting price, this player might not disappoint. → Read More
With a nice big 3.2″ touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, and 624mhz CPU, the Samsung Omnia wasn’t a bad piece of hardware when it was released last year. Hell, it still outspecs most phones released today. Hardware-wise, it’s set – but on the software front, it’s luke-warm garbage. The TouchWiz interface helps a little, but deep down inside it’s still clunky ol’ Windows Mobile 6.1. Well, a handful of handy hackers might soon fix the Omnia’s software. How? Android! It’s still in an early (read: not working) stage, but they’ve managed to get it to start up and provide some basic level of functionality. Best part? You don’t even need to flash your handset; they’ve got it running right off the SD card. If they manage to knock out some of the kinks and blast out a few drivers for the device, this could get really interesting. Keep up the good work, guys. [Patrick Soon via Android Community] → Read More
If you live in one of those houses where making a call on your AT&T phone requires standing in a specific corner, knocking three times, and saying a short prayer, you were probably pretty jazzed to hear about MicroCell, AT&T’s broadband-powered cell tower for your living room. When we discovered mentions of the MicroCell in an iPhone update, you probably got outright excited. It seemed like it was just weeks away from launch. That was February. 4 months later, AT&T has still been mostly mum on the matter – until now. Unstrung caught AT&T network delivery honcho Gordon Mansfield talking up the MicroCell, saying it’s “on track for a full national launch by the end of 2009.” A window of six months? Pah! That’s like a lifetime in the mobile world. There will be 14 new iPhones released by then! So don’t worry, folks – by the time you have a flying car and a broadband connection in said flying car, you’ll be able to pick up a MicroCell to go along with it. → Read More
