CrunchGear » Blake Robinson

Dell now available at Best Buy

Blake Robinson — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:23:53 +0000

We reported about a month ago that Dell would soon be making its way to Best Buy. Beginning today, you can pickup a Dell at your local Best Buy.

The systems available at the Inspiron 1521 and 1420 and the XPS M1330 and M1530 notebooks. As well as the Inspiron 531s, 531, 530 and XPS ONE desktops.

It’s a big move for Dell and Best Buy.I can’t wait to see what effect this has on each company.

Dell at Best Buy

Are digital albums the future?

Blake Robinson — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:45:04 +0000

Not so fast says Thom Yorke. In an interview with BBC Radio 4 Yorke said releasing an album in only digital format would have been “mad.”

The Radiohead front man explained:

We didn’t want it to be a big announcement about ‘everything’s over except the internet, the internet’s the future’, ’cause that’s utter rubbish. And it’s really important to have an artefact as well, as they call it, an object.

Radiohead sent shock waves across the music industry last fall by independently releasing its long anticipated album “In Rainbows.” The band dropped its old label EMI in favor of the self-release and later signed with two independent labels to distribute physical albums in the US and the UK.

I was at CMJ right after the album announcement and it really was all that anyone could talk about. Even now though, the real effect remains unclear. The band refuses to give a firm number as to how many digital copies were moved. Rumors place sales at around 1.2 million, but Yorke has stated that number to be incorrect — although he could just be being coy.

Whatever the case, it’s clear that we’re in the midst of a sea change.

Web-only album ‘mad’, says Yorke [BBC]

SanDisk Cruzer Titanium Plus

Blake Robinson — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:00:13 +0000

Remember the the SanDisk Cruzer Titanium, that sweet, if not dated, little flash drive that’s made from—wait for it—titanium? Well it’s back and now it’s colored gold and has a plus behind it’s name.

While those two revisions are indeed massive, it also carries with it a significant update to SanDisk’s line of flash devices. The Titanium Plus includes with it a six month membership with BeInSync, an Online backup service that automatically mirrors data stored on the drive.

What’s more, the 4GB drive is priced at $59.99, which is rather agreeable. And following the six month grace period with BeInSync, users will be charged $30 for one year of service.

It will be available in March.

SanDisk

Holiday sales down 20 percent

Blake Robinson — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:31:37 +0000

According to holiday numbers released by Neilsen Soundscan, physical album sales were down 21.4 percent from last year. The drop is the latest indication of the spectacular decline of the music industry’s ability to move albums.

Many in the industry will shake angry fists of blame at Online piracy, but, as Ars points out, the fact that Josh Groban’s “Noel” was the highest selling album of the year speaks volumes. In summary: the music industry needs to focus more on making better music and work on becoming more progressive so that it can better fulfill consumers’ tastes.

‘Noel’ is music’s saving grace [Variety]

HD DVD and Blu-ray at a stalemate

Blake Robinson — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:08:25 +0000

The NY Times today has a piece reporting on the general state of high def DVDs. The report concludes that with about a million players in circulation (both formats combined), most consumers appear to be opting out of the battle altogether.

For me, it raises a lot of questions. It’s clear that one of the formats will take the throne from the DVD, but the question remains as to which one it will be. While Blu-ray is technologically superior, HD DVD’s price point makes it more consumer friendly.

I’m currently the owner of a Toshiba HD DVD player and find it to be passable, though I miss the snappiness of my old DVD player, the image quality is stellar. And it only cost $99, so it really couldn’t be beaten.

It makes me curious, however, as to what the adoption rate is amongst CG readers. Have you all opted for Blu-ray or HD DVD and why?

In the DVD War Over High Definition, Most Buyers Are Sitting It Out [NY Times]

OLPC ‘Give One Get One’ ends today

Blake Robinson — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:56:15 +0000

If you’ve been putting donating an OLPC, today is your last day to participate in the Give One Get One program. So after today, if you buy one, you only get one.

It’ll set you back $399, but it’s for a good cause and you’ll get one for yourself, so yay.

OLPC

Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4vi Winner

Blake Robinson — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:24:29 +0000

As promised on Friday, today is the day to announce the winner of those Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4vi iPhone headphones. The contest was a reader response deal where the comment that tickled us the most over the weekend would win the earbuds.

After much deliberation, the CG staff has decided upon one comment for its humor and ballsyness. The winner is JJ, for this response to a woman looking to trade a Wii for a new set of boobs:

At first this surprised me…then she said she had a truck. Then I said…I get it.
NOW GIVE ME MY DAMN FREE EARBUDS!

Congratulations, JJ. You’ve won your damn earbuds. I’ll be in touch soon to get your contact info.

Everyone say thanks to Ultimate Ears for graciously donating gear to our cause.

Wikimedia draws flack for felon COO

Blake Robinson — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:38:42 +0000

Details recently emerged that Wikimedia interim COO Carolyn Doran was a felon responsible for a 2004 hit-and-run and multiple DUIs across various states. She also had prior thievery charges, was responsible for writing bad checks, credit card fraud and once shot a boyfriend in the chest. Oh and her late husband drowned on their honeymoon. Sounds like something from a movie. At any rate, all of these gems could have been uncovered by a simple background check.

The foundation behind Wikipedia is drawing flack mainly for the fact that Doran was responsible for handling many of the donations that the nonprofit receives. Nevertheless, in March Doran signed the foundation’s tax return and listed more than $1.3 million in donations. Despite her shady past, Wikimedia founder Jimmy Wales has stated that he doesn’t expect anything to be amiss and has promised to cover any discrepancies out of pocket if necessary.

Wikimedia has begun running background checks on all new hires.

Felon became COO of Wikipedia foundation [AP]

Apple to produce Intel Silverthorne-based UMPCs?

Blake Robinson — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:47:54 +0000

The first incarnation of UMPCs was a doomed concept. They were clunky, unattractive boxes that were difficult to control and slow on performance. It was a losing situation for anyone unfortunate enough to be involved with one of the devices. As the platform evolves, however, it’s beginning to look more versatile.

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple plans wide support of Intel’s forthcoming 45-nanometer Silverthorne processors. Consuming only .5 – 2-watts of energy, the chip has been developed cell phones, UMPCs and other mobile devices.

So what is Apple planning? The source claims for wide-support, insinuating that the processor could show up in more than just the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Ideas? Speculation? Wild imaginations? Anyone?

Apple to adopt Intel’s ultra-mobile PC platform [AppleInsider]

The X Prize: It’s not just for space cadets

Blake Robinson — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:00:04 +0000

Most of our readers should be familiar with the X Prize and its space travel initiatives. The first of which in 2004 awarded $10 million to a private sector team funded by Microsoft’s Paul Allen for reaching suborbital space. And now it’s offering $20 million in conjunction with Google for the first team to land on the moon.

What many (myself included) might not know, however, is that X Prizes are now being offered for innovations from a wide array of fields. Some of the most notable include the development of a 100MPG car, sequencing genomes for personalized medicine and $1 million for solving seven unsolved math problems — that’s $1 million for each problem. Netflix is even offering $1 million to anyone who can improve its automated movie recommendations.

There are quite a few others that could have a profound impact on the future of humanity in general. Have a look for yourself, maybe you’ve got what it takes to compete.

The X Prize Ecosystem [Wired]

Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4vi: the review AND the giveaway (YES THAT MEANS FREE STUFF)

Blake Robinson — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:00:47 +0000

If you’re the owner of an iPhone, then you’ve no doubt begrudged the stupid recessed headphone jack and spent many a night lying awake, hoping for a resolution to come swiftly in the night. If you don’t own an iPhone, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about, so move along. There’s nothing to see here.

Alright, now that they’re gone, I’m going to be frank with you all. I have a love-hate relationship with the iPhone. I know I slandered it to no end before its release, but after the price drop, I couldn’t help myself — I needed a new iPod and I’m an AT&T customer, what choice did I have really?

While the device has its problems, for the sake of this review, we’re only going to focus on one: Apple’s crazy decision to use a recessed headphone jack; a decision that, without a clunky adapter, rendered useless every decent set of headphones out there. And even with the adapter, your headphones have no mic or toggle button, which is one of the coolest things of the iPhone. It was a conundrum of epic proportions.

Six months out, however, we have some options. Biggs recently recommended the V-Moda Vibe Duo, a completely valid solution priced at a reasonable $89. They include all the features found on the Apple’s exorbitantly priced, piece of crap stock headphones, except they don’t suck. The one major setback is that the cloth cords, while very cool looking and seemingly sturdy, tend to knot up — a nuisance I couldn’t bare.

Fortunately for me (and all iPhone owners, really), headphone heartthrob Ultimate Ears has decided to dive into the iPhone arena with the Super.fi 4vi ear buds. Built from the same drivers found in UE’s Super.fi line, the 4vi incorporates a mic and a toggle button. The toggle, I should note, is aces. Unlike the V-Moda and Apple, UE created a separate toggle box that isn’t attached to the microphone. This is a particular advantage over the Vibe Duo whose toggle button is clumsily placed and nearly impossible to push quickly (and impossible to push with gloves on).

In terms of sound, the 4vi is far and away the best iPhone specific headphones that I currently know of. While not exactly in the same class as earbuds like the Triple.fi 10 pros, the 4vi model achieves a full range of sound in a tightly packed package with attractive aluminum canisters. The included silicone tips allow you to completely shut out ambient noises, so no more being subjected to beggars, tourists, crappy street musicians, people handing out stupid fliers and, most importantly beggars. Good times.

Like all UE products, the 4vi offer superior sound quality at a price, $150 in this case. Sure it’s half as much as you spent on your iPhone, but you own an iPhone, you’re not one to skimp on status symbols.

But if you simply can’t muster the scratch for a pair, you’re in luck. We’re giving away one pair of the Super.fi 4vi in an old school CrunchGear reader response contest. Between now and Monday at 1 p.m. EST comment your little hearts out on any CrunchGear post.

We will select a winner based on various criteria including frequency of posts, quality of said posts and, if all else fails, coin tosses. To win, you MUST enter your email address in the commenter information field. Comments without email addresses will not be counted as entries. Now get started.

Super.fi 4vi

“Mortal Kombat” teens fatality 7-year-old

Blake Robinson — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:48:07 +0000

Two Colorado teens have been charged in the murder of a 7-year-old girl. According to a witness, Lamar Roberts, 17, and Heather Trujillo, 16, were reportedly imitating moves from “Mortal Kombat” on the victim. The teens were babysitting the child, Trujillo’s half-sister Zoe, while her mother was at work.

Zoe is said to have told the teens to stop before losing consciousness after being punched, kicked and body-slammed. The teens attempted to revive Zoe by running water on her and “attempting CPR” before calling 911. Zoe died at the hospital. An autopsy revealed a broken wrist, heavy bruising, swilling of the brain and internal bleeding along the neck and spine.

When asked why they didn’t stop when Zoe asked Roberts responded, “I don’t know, I was drunk.” They’re facing up to 48 years in prison.

Teens charged in ‘Mortal Kombat’ killing [CNN]

Apple preps OS X 10.5.2

Blake Robinson — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:39:24 +0000

Apple has begun distributing to developers a massive 362MB update for Leopard. OS X 10.5.2 build 9C7 includes over 70 fixes for problems related to the OS. According to Apple insider, developers have been told to, “focus their testing efforts on an expansive list of components running some 37 items long. Among them were Data Detectors, the Mac OS X Dock, the Finder, grammar checking, iCal, iChat, Mail, Parental Controls, Quick Look, Rosetta, Safari, Time Machine, and Leopard’s 802.11 AirPort implementation.”

Build 9C7 resolves many printing problems such as modular printing and AirPort shared printing. It also fixes a number of issues related to iMail. There is no definite date as to when this update will be released, but speculation points toward sometime around Macworld in Jan.

Mac OS X 10.5.2 to deliver sprawling list of fixes for Leopard [Apple Insider]

“Tekken” to become movie, world remembers “Street Fighter: The Movie”

Blake Robinson — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:01:27 +0000

Variety reports that “Tekken” will soon become a major motion picture. No actors are yet attached to the film, but Dwight Little is slated to direct. You might remember Little from such major flops as “Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid,” “Marked for Death” and “Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home.”

According to IMDB, the plot involves:

The leader of a highly corrupt business under investigation of murder, Heihachi Mishima, suspiciously announces a tournament to crown a “king of iron fist” whereby the winner will be made his personal bodyguard and will have riches and fame laid upon them. However the tournament is not all it seems, as all of the contestants seem to have their own separate agenda’s to get close to the man looking to employ them. Consequentlly a group of elite fighters, undercover police and assassins team together in the hope of uncovering the truth but slowly realize they are in fact linked together through more than just there goal of killing Mishima.

Filming is set to begin Feb. 4 in my home state, Louisiana. I’m guessing, however, that since Mardi Gras is Feb. 5, actually filming will probably be pushed back by at least a week to allow the no name stars enough time to recuperate from shotgunning hand grenades.

In the meantime though, I’ve provided a clip of “Street Fighter: The Movie” just to give you all an idea of what can happen when a movie based on a fighting game goes horribly, horribly wrong (other examples include “Dead or Alive” and “Mortal Kombat 2″).

I know the clip might be a spoiler for some of you, but trust me, 40 seconds should be more than enough for anyone.

Director Announced For Tekken Movie; Begins Shooting Feb. 4 [Firing Squad]

Paramount, MTV forego theaters stream “Jackass 2.5″

Blake Robinson — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:00:49 +0000

This is starting to get interesting. First Radiohead released “In Rainbows” Online, then Saul Williams released the Trent Reznor produced “The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust.” Now it seems that movie studios are, at least to some degree, following suit.

While filming “Jackass 2,” the crew apparently created enough content for two entire films. In the spirit of this new Online distribution model, Paramount and MTV has decided to stream “Jackass 2.5″ in conjunction with Blockbuster via Microsoft Silverlight.

It’s essentially a collection of DVD extras and commentary, but it’s cut together like an extra of sorts, hence the 2.5. Highlights include The Cajun Obstacle Course, The Poof and a whole lot of homoeroticism. At any rate, if you’re a fan of “Jackass” and the movies, it’s about an hour of hilarity and it’s free.

Jackass 2.5

Think Secret Settles Apple Lawsuit, Shuts Down

Blake Robinson — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:42:43 +0000

It’s been nearly three years since Think Secret editor Nick Ciarelli caught the wrath of Apple for leaking info on the Mac Mini and iWork prior to MacWorld. The result was a long, drawn out legal battle that has finally come to a rather lame conclusion.

A press release posted this morning on Think Secret reads:

Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides. As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret’s publisher, said “I’m pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.”

It’s unclear how this can be conceived as positive, but I’m glad that Nick has managed to find some peace after fighting Cupertino.

Apple, Think Secret settle lawsuit [Think Secret]

Holiday Recommendation: “The Wire”

Blake Robinson — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:03:10 +0000

If you’ve been left hungry for new content due to the writer’s strike, I suggest you check out HBO’s “The Wire.” If you’ve ever found yourself caught watching a predictable episode of “Law & Order” or “CSI” then rest assured that “The Wire” could flay those shows alive.

It’s arguably the best show on TV ever and the first four seasons are available on DVD for under $50 each. And the best part, the fifth, and final, season starts Jan. 6. Filming is complete and it’s wholly untouched by striking writers and retarded network execs.

The Wire on Amazon

Dell Adds Gutsy Gibbon, Expands Linux Offering

Blake Robinson — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:20:55 +0000

Dell has announced that Ubuntu 7.10, Gutsy Gibbon, will now be offered on its systems. The update comes only about a month after Ubuntu made 7.10 available.

Also announced was the inclusion of LinDVD with all Dell Ubuntu systems. So now they can play DVDs straight out of the box.

Starting at $499, the Ubuntu systems offer a significant price reduction over Dell’s Windows boxes. Unfortunately, the desktops have, for some reason, been castrated and only come with Core Duo, but the laptop comes with Core 2 Duos. Not really sure what that’s all about.

Dellbuntu

Firefox 3 Beta 2 Available

Blake Robinson — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:55:45 +0000

Mozilla announced last night the availability of Firefox 3 Beta 2, which should be setting your auto-update notifications buzzing right now. The new version includes:

Improved security features such as: protection from cross-site JSON data leaks, tighter restrictions on site-specific content using effective TLD service, better presentation of website identity and security, malware protection, stricter SSL error pages, anti-virus integration in the download manager, version checking for insecure plugins.

Improved ease of use through: better password management, easier add-on installation, new download manager with resumable downloading, full page zoom, animated tab strip, and better integration with Windows Vista, Mac OS X and Linux.

Richer personalization through: one-click bookmarking, smart bookmark folders, location bar that matches against your history and bookmarks for URLs and page titles, ability to register web applications as protocol handlers, and better customization of download actions for file types.

Improved platform features such as: new graphics and font rendering architecture, JavaScript 1.8, major changes to the HTML rendering engine to provide better CSS, float-, and table layout support, native web page form controls, colour profile management, and offline application support.

Performance improvements such as: better data reliability for user profiles, architectural improvements to speed up page rendering, over 330 memory leak fixes, a new XPCOM cycle collector to reduce entire classes of leaks, and reductions in the memory footprint.

It’s still consuming memory like a whore, but I’ll be damned if the new drop down navigation menu doesn’t look pretty. Anyway, get it while it’s hot.

“The Hobbit” films greenlit with Peter Jackson

Blake Robinson — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:17:58 +0000

Not quite tech news, but certainly dorky enough for CrunchGear. TheOneRing.net reports that Peter Jackson and New Line have settled a disagreement allowing the Academy Award winning director to produce two movies based on Tolkein’s The Hobbit.

This means that when this is all said and done, Jackson will have been attached to the film versions of most of Tolkein’s works. All that remains is The Silmarillion which is arguably his best, yet most convoluted, work.

Filming is slated to begin in 2009 with a 2010 release date for the first hobbit film.

PETER JACKSON AND NEW LINE CINEMA JOIN WITH MGM TO PRODUCE “THE HOBBIT” [TheOneRing]