A quick word to the wise for those about to party with the just-released OTA update for the Sprint HTC Evo 4G: tread carefully. While I’m mostly hearing success stories, we’re also getting a fairly surprising number of tips in our inbox from folks saying that the OTA update just bricked (read: broke) their handset. While the vast majority of this group admits that their handsets were rooted (read: hacked for customization’s sake), some are alleging that their EVOs were daisy-fresh factory configured units. → Read More
Got a Sprint EVO 4G? Go poke at the update button (Settings >> System Updates >> HTC Software Update) a few times — you’ve got some new goodies waiting for you.. → Read More
This product really shouldn’t require any explanation. It’s a strap that charges your camera while it’s hanging around your neck. Genius. Too bad it’s just a concept. On a related note, why aren’t there solar panels in GPS and radar detector windshield mounts? → Read More
Google’s director of engineering Matthew Papakipos is leaving the search giant for Facebook, according to a Tweet he just sent out.
Most recently, Papakipos started and led the Chrome OS project at Google. Papakipos also served as the Director of the HTML 5 Open Web Platform for Chrome OS and created and lead the Chrome GPU hardware project.. Prior to joining Google, he was the CTO and VP of Engineering for software development company PeakStream, which was acquired by Google in 2007. → Read More
It would make a lot of sense, but take this with a grain of salt: major Japanese game and movie retailer Geo Corp. states in its latest financial report [JP, PDF] that both the Nintendo 3DS and the long-rumored PSP-4000 will be released by year end – at least in Japan. On page 23 in the report, Geo lists up all key products for the company’s fiscal year through March 2011 (see the relevant bit pictured above). → Read More
If you’re carrying an EVO 4G and live in St. Louis, MO; Richmond, VA; or Salt Lake City, UT, it’s time to smile: that mandatory monthly $10 fee you pay for the 4G network just got a whole lot more worthwhile. That adds 3 more cities to the slowly growing list of WiMax-enabled cities — a list which, by the way, we’ve got right behind the jump. → Read More
Wal-Mart has the 16GB Zune HD available for $162.54 plus free shipping (and tax, if applicable). It usually retails for $199, so you’re saving quite a bit. Well, provided you were in the market for a Zune HD to begin with. Incidentally, that’s where I bought my Zune HD from, the local Wal-Mart. Fascinating, yes. → Read More
In 2008 Time Magazine really liked TechCrunch and yours truly, putting me on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. I was on the verge of becoming a “cybermogul!”
But things went downhill from there. In 2009 TechCrunch was no longer relevant to, well, anything. TechCrunch was named one of the most overrated blogs. “Stick a fork in this one — it’s done,” said Time. Ouch.
But we’re back, baby! Despite absolutely zero editorial or other changes after our 2009 death, 2010 is a new year, and Time loves us once again. We’re one of their essential blogs: → Read More
Thermaltake’s latest hard drive docking station might look like the previous model, but around back is the blue-color USB 3.0 port. That means users can slap a hard drive into the dock and transfer files with speeds up to 5Gpbs. Amazing. → Read More
I love me a GPS watch. While they’re not quite as exciting in practice as they are in theory, they’re still great for exercising and keeping yourself on the right trail. I’ve thus far only used Garmin models but I’m quite excited by this new Timex watch for $275. → Read More
Google has made it fairly clear that adoption of Google Apps at schools and colleges is vital to the growth of the productivity suite as a whole. The strategy makes sense; not only do educational institutions represent a huge market for Google Apps, but schools and colleges are where many people get trained, start relying on, and form brand allegiances to productivity apps. Today, Google is announcing that it has signed on two more states, Colorado and Iowa, to extend Google Apps for Education to the 3,000 schools across the two states.
The two states join Oregon, which was the first state to adopt Google Apps for Education in its schools. One of the advantages of “going” Google is the productivity suite’s attractive price point for public schools that are on a budget. → Read More
Oh, AT&T.
I’ve already made my feelings on their MicroCell abundantly clear. Considering the quality of the carrier’s network in cities like San Francisco (which is to say, awful), it’s a good idea. But given the poor state of AT&T’s performance, they should be giving away the device for free to customers affected. Instead, they’re making those customers pay an extra $150 for the “privilege” of having working service. It’s a truly remarkable business model. Let’s call it: bait & switch & fix (for a fee). And it’s working.
AT&T managed to rope in two of the biggest name in tech into their scheme: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. So that’s great for AT&T, right? Two huge potential endorsers of their rip-off box. Well, not so fast — this is AT&T, after all. → Read More
This is almost too much. It seems that the Panasonic Lumix G2 TV spot was filmed with just a Canon 5D DSLR. The funny part is that the video is supposed to look like it came from the Lumix, but really most of it seems to be shot from the Canon, a camera that costs at least $1700 more. Click through to see what we mean. → Read More
Sigh. This is sad. I mean, I’m all about DIY solutions and making a quick buck, but please, build this thing yourself. An enterprising Etsy seller is charging $25 for what looks to be a poorly-constructed wood frame that is might improve the iPad‘s sound. → Read More
Online humor site JibJab, which is behind ElfYourself and loads of other zany videos has hit a big milestone: it’s now processing one million paid transactions per year. That’s big news for the company, which pivoted in late 2007 from an ad-supported business to one that generates revenue primarily through premium services and downloads.
JibJab earns money through a few channels. First, it offers a premium membership for $12/year that gives members access to its full range of customizable “Starring You” videos, which let you insert your friends’ faces into funny video clips like the site’s amazing take on the original Star Wars Trilogy . → Read More
It seems interest in the development of electric cars has really picked up steam in recent months, especially in Japan. A research team at Tokyo-based Waseda University has manufactured the ULV [JP], a one-person electric vehicle with a number of selling points: it’s cheap, it’s small and light (72.6kg), and it has a decent driving range (80km). → Read More
Apple this morning announced that it has sold over 1.7 million of the iPhone 4 through Saturday, June 26, three days after its launch on June 24.
The company went as far as to call it the “most successful product launch in Apple’s history”, citing its iconic chief executive Steve Jobs.
Jobs also says he’s sorry about all those customers who were turned away because the company did not have enough supply. No word (yet?) on the antenna issues that continue to plague a subset of iPhone 4 owners. → Read More
One day before its scheduled IPO, Tesla Motors is increasing the allotment of shares that will be sold to the public from 11.1 million to 13.3 million, according to an amendment to its S1 filing. The additional shares are being sold by existing shareholders looking to cash out at the IPO, including Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk who is selling an additional 909,212 of his personal shares. Other selling stockholders include VantagePoint Venture Partners (238,748 shares), Bay Area Equity Fund (88,586), Westly Capital Partners (72,625), Compass Venture Partners (22,931), as well as friends and family like Elon’s brother (and OneRiot CEO) Kimball Musk (12,692). Tesla itself won’t make any additional money from the bump in shares, but more shares will be available to the public.
If Tesla shares open at the high end of its expected range of $14 to $16, the Silicon Valley electric car company will debut with a $1.5 billion market cap (based on 93.5 million total shares outstanding after the IPO and a concurrent $50 million private placement with Toyota). After the offering, Tesla’s largest shareholder will still be founder Elon Musk, who will own 28.4 percent of the company (worth $426 million at that valuation, versus a potential windfall of $14.5 million for the shares he is selling). The second largest shareholder will be Daimler (through an investment arm called Blackstar Investco) with 8 percent of the shares, and the third largest will be the government of Abu Dhabi (through Al Wahada Capital Investment) with 7.8 percent of the shares. The two biggest VC shareholders will be Vantage Capital Partners with 6.6 percent and Valor Equity Partners with 5.25 percent. → Read More
Exclusive – Mobile application developer Geodelic has raised $7 million in a Series B financing round led by MK Capital, with previous backers Clearstone Venture Partners and Shasta Ventures participating.
The round brings the total amount of capital injected into the company to more than $10 million.
Initially incubated by Clearstone in 2008, Geodelic develops a free application for mobile phones that come with ‘search-less search’, meaning the app automatically browses and shows your points of interests in your immediate vicinity. → Read More
Huh, the results are a bit surprising. It doesn’t look that much worse than if the phone had been dropped on the floor. Well, besides the .50 cal-size hole of course, which might help with the reception issue. → Read More
