Review: Assassin’s Creed 2
CrunchGear in China: Seeing Where the Tech Sausage Is Made
The Freedom Tray: Made in America, used everywhere
Presenting an apple pie molded after an Apple computer
Video: Black Friday, greatest country in the world edition: Manic scenes from a Wal-Mart show people fighting over plastic junk

Autom, the fat-fighting robot, is coming in 2010
Donkey Kong plus Star Wars equals the nerdiest shirt I’ve seen in a long time
Cabling as art form
It’ll linger for a week: Japanese security system sprays stinky smell on thieves
Wham: FlipShare video is handled by Mossberg

Electric skateboard features 600-watt motor, top speed of 19 miles per hour
Monopoly: Nintendo Edition
Celebrating Cyber Monday? Then join me in celebrating Awesome Tuesday tomorrow.
Custom Band-Aid dispenser for those foot-long paper cuts
Why the CrunchPad mattered

There’s already been quite a bit of ink spilled over the demise of the CrunchPad but I thought I’d add a few drops. My opinion is this: the CrunchPad was a testament to the power of online media and a fascinating study in the ability of new media to enact real changes on the real world. While the product faltered, it’s fascinating that the project went as far as it did given the forces arrayed against it.

Think about what happened: if we reduce this to its component parts you have some dudes in California who talked to some dudes in Singapore and who agreed to work together on a piece of hardware. I’ve seen the prototypes and the thing worked and worked well. Most hardware manufacturers can barely take each others meetings let alone coordinate a massive project while separated by a culture and an ocean.

I won’t speak on the problems with Fusion Garage but up until a few hours ago the entire TC/CG team expected to see the CrunchPad at some point in our lives. This is a massive change in this industry. A few years ago a blogger couldn’t get a press pass to CES let alone enough attention to build out a massive and mass-market hardware project.

Other organizations should learn from this or ignore it at their peril. It would behoove the New York Times, for example, to build something like the CrunchPad for consumption of the newspaper. They won’t do it because it is seemingly off-mission. This is what separates new media from old – the acceptance of risk. You can inject that instinct into old media but, as Devin wrote, “old” media can’t make the same mistakes we can.

Trust me: I’m not patting TC on the back here. I had very little to do with the design of this thing and I was as excited – and incredulous – as you were in regards to this product. It was great being part of the organization that began it and it’s sad to see it go.

Michael wanted to make a CrunchPad. It very nearly happened. This marks a sea change in what our media can accomplish as well as a testament to the good will it has engendered in its readership. In the end, a harsh accident intruded. This is an important distinction because from where I sit this clearly wasn’t a case of harsh reality striking down this project but something far stranger.

So goodnight, sweet CrunchPad. Some day your time will come.

Here are some of yesterday’s stories on CrunchGear:

Awards: Best of Black Friday
USB eye-warmer
Mobile “Human Assist Guidance Robot”
Psystar, she is dead

Nerdbots: throwbacks to the tin toy era
The twee-est iPod speakers on the planet
This Horgan Becket media cart is somewhat expensive
Putting phones in the deep freeze won’t actually destroy them
Powered cooler to replace ice at picnics – and you ask why there’s an energy crisis

Here’s the latest HourTime podcast, my little side project with Ariel Adams. Note, there’s a special surprise near the middle of the show so take a listen. Remember, head over to HourTime to drop your comment.

Download MP3
Subscribe in iTunes

Life goes behind-the-scenes of the 1954 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
Honda makes the ultimate Paperboy gaming system
Now blinking LEDs can transmit information to cell phones via light
Must-have: Illuminated JetBib Feeding System
Ringz: First (free) Android app with in-app purchase

Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear.

It’s… a self-rolling ball
Customized streetmap clocks from FluidForms
USB-powered Alien figure with illuminated tongue
The Aptera 2e gets pushed back to 2010, millionaire tree huggers shed a tear
Udder pitcher makes me want a glass of moo

Shh! World’s largest radio telescope network goes live
Space adaptive HUMANITARY INVENTION detects things and then calls you about them
USB-powered Alien figure with illuminated tongue
For your holiday consideration: A little truck that poops dominoes
New PogoPlug adds four USB ports, and more

So picture this: You are tasked with watching a volcano And you’re totally like out to lunch one morning and the volcano explodes. You’re like FUUUUUUUUUUU!

With the HUMANITARY INVENTION you’ll never be away from an exploding volcano! This device, which consists of a Piezoelectric system that pushes a rod out of a box. You are then supposed to put a phone next to said box. The phone will then call you and you can be totally like “OMG MY DISTANT PHONE IS CALLING ME! WOW!”

While many of you would say “This is really stupid,” rest assured that:

THIS PROTOTYPE IS MULTIPURPOSE WITH UNLIMITED APPLICATIONS

FOR PROTECTION OF EARTH SPACE SEA AND YOU

SPONSORED BY YOU !

but the prototype i propose can detect unknowns phenomenons for your survival on earth space sea and at your home in order to watch one of them

Plus, there are videos.

I’m bidding on this thing right now, friends, so soon we’ll be able to sense things from very far away. Best of all, Dr. George has a website. But hey, what have I ever invented? Bupkus. At least this guy is trying.

Last Minute New York Meet-Up: A bit of Holiday Cheer with Cali Lewis and CrunchGear
The Aptera 2e gets pushed back to 2010, millionaire tree huggers shed a tear
Review: ContourHD wearable 1080p camcorder
Music Card: Credit card-like MP3 player with built-in speaker (video)
This tiny sun-activated cannon would be a twee way to go

I’m teaming up with Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV for an impromptu CG meet-up in New York. We’ll be meeting at 7pm Friday at Heartland Brewery, 35 Union Square West, in Manhattan. We should be able to commandeer the back of the pub for our purposes.

I’ll be there with a Droid and the HTC HD2 if you guys want to take a gander and we can grab a brew before we all head out to points home for Thanksgiving. RSVP with a comment below so we can judge the turnout.

Contest: Win a Nikon D3000
The third day of Peek-Mas
Self-powered diaper monitor system automatically detects wet diapers
Review: Big Buck Hunter Pro TV Game
T3’s “Netpad” puts a few new twists on the tablet format

The L and R buttons flash, there are a couple of LEDs behind the speakers, and the four epilepsy invoking LEDs on the back flash in response to the sound coming out of the thing. Here’s a breakdown of how he did it, if you’re curious.

[Via Ubergizmo]

Well, it’s true. The XPS is available now for a mere $1,799 with a 128GB solid state drive, 13-inch WLED screen, 4GB memory, and an Intel Core SU9400 1.4GHZ processor. It will run Windows 7.

You can pick the old girl up right here

We’ve been pretty excited about Adamo generally and this is an interesting move towards the right size and shape for the line.

It’s definitely worth your time to check out Photojojo as well. They have some pretty cool photography tips and some suggestions for projects you might not have ever seen before.

Udder pitcher makes me want a glass of moo
UV wand kills H1N1 dead — dead I tell you
USB shoe dryer, USB eyelash curler, USB toothbrush sanitizer, USB blanket (Thanko)
Clockman: Japanese alarm clock has its own personality (video)
Happy Holidays from CrunchGear

It’s not every day you find a watch that can feasibly kill a man. The Rogue Warrior Red Cell is just such a watch.

The watch, designed by Richard “Dick” Marcinko AKA the Rogue Warrior, chairman of Red Cell International Corp., a security consulting firm. Mr. Marcinko (you call this guy “Mister” and “Sir”) has a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat, and founded SEAL Team SIX, the Navy’s counter terrorist command and Red Cell, a group that could… heck. I’ll just paste this from his website:

Marcinko later was named commanding officer and founder of a second counter-terrorism unit, Red Cell. Commanding Red Cell, Marcinko was directed to use his team to test the Navy’s anti-terrorist capabilities. As a result he was able to infiltrate seemingly impenetrable, highly-secured bases, nuclear submarines, ships and other purported “secure areas”, including the U.S. Presidential plane Air Force One. In doing so he reportedly embarrassed several superior officers, whom he accuses of involvement in his subsequent conviction for misappropriation of funds and resources under his command.

Homeboy could sneak on board Air Force One. That is badass.

So what does a man who can throttle enemies in their sleep wear on his wrist? The Rogue Warrior Red Cell. This is one of the best quartz GMTs I’ve seen in years. It’s made of brushed steel and contains Krypton gas to ensure luminance and reduces internal condensation. It uses a Japanese GMT movement with separate date, second time zone, and time setting functions and also includes something called d3o. D3o is a non-Newtonian liquid that goes from soft to rigid in seconds on impact. The entire movement is contained in d3o ensures that your movement won’t break when you, say, are attacked by a team of zombie terrorists.

The style is purely functional. The two bars protect the crystal and the bezel is bolted down. The crown screws down for water-fastness and the watch comes with a leather or steel band along with a nylon strap and, get this, a night ops cover for the watch to ensure you aren’t seen while infiltrating the corner bodega for a late-night box of Crunch ‘n’ Munch and sixes of Miller Lite.

The back of the watch has a freaking gun on it.

The watch comes in two styles, matte black and brushed silver (they also have a chrono model called the Avenger) and, best of all, they cost $400 on a leather or rubber band and $550 for a steel band. That’s right: this thing is much less than a nicer Swatch and it can seriously do some damage.

As I said before I’m not a quartz guy but I’ve worn this for a few days straight and I’m in love with it. The company wanted to create a watch anyone could feasibly service so they went quartz. $400 for a monster like this, even in quartz, isn’t that much.

I would say this piece is on par with the Chase-Durer Special Forces 1000XL piece that was popular a few years ago in terms of styling and is definitely more noticeable than a Fossil. Plus it was made by a guy who can feasibly sneak up behind you, Solid Snake style, and rip out your throat. Always a plus.

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