Sunday, October 30, 2011
Review: Roku 2 Streaming Player
via SoldierKnowsBest on YouTube
The Roku 2 Streaming Player looks like a terrific source of Internet content to stream to your TV via a very small, compact box. SoldierKnowsBest does a great video review of the steaming player.
Redbox Raises Rental Prices
via MarketingTrendsNews on YouTube
NerdBoyTV NOTE: Boy, I'm not sure this is such GREAT timing for a price increase, especially after that horrible backlash from the Netflix pricing snafu! Well, we shall see...
Redbox's DVD rental kiosks have grown in popularity lately, attracting customers fed up with Netflix's video subscription service.
Now Redbox is risking its own customer backlash by raising prices, the same move that triggered Netflix's recent loss of 800,000 U.S. subscribers.
Yesterday, Redbox announced a 20 percent price increase, making the rental rate $1.20 per day, instead of the current $1 daily rate.
Redbox prices will remained unchanged for Blu-ray discs at $1.50 per day and video games at $2 per day.
Now Redbox is risking its own customer backlash by raising prices, the same move that triggered Netflix's recent loss of 800,000 U.S. subscribers.
Yesterday, Redbox announced a 20 percent price increase, making the rental rate $1.20 per day, instead of the current $1 daily rate.
Redbox prices will remained unchanged for Blu-ray discs at $1.50 per day and video games at $2 per day.
Amazon unveils four new Kindles
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Genius Turns iPad Into Amazing Halloween Magic
When master magician Simon Pierro gets his hands on an iPad, watch out. Now he’s created a special Halloween edition of his unique iPad magic, blending his special brand of prestidigitation with carefully constructed digital wizardry.
Simon tells us he spent 10 weeks putting together this Halloween iPad act, and “it was a hell of a lot of work,” he says. “Luckily my iOS programmer Masashi Beheim again joined the project. It took him more than 100 hours of programming this time, being as fanatical about details as I am,” he added.
Simon wasn’t satisfied with a rehash of his brilliant “Preview of iOS 5” we featured here on Mashable last summer. He says, “So I came up with the idea to tell a story about a killer and together with my magic colleague Thomas Fraps we decided to take the clown as the usual suspect.”
The result? Another entertaining — and this time scary — masterpiece.
How To Buy The Best Camcorder - Digital Camcorder Buying Tips
via Howdini on YouTube
Who knew there were so many camcorders to choose from? The wide variety of sizes, formats and prices can make the choice really tough. Professional photographer Nigel Barker helps navigate all the bells and whistles so you can find a camcorder that's right for your lifestyle and needs.
Motorola DROID RAZR Hands-On
via PhoneDog on YouTube
The RAZR name is coming back, and it's coming back strong! Aaron gets some hands-on time with the Motorola DROID RAZR, an impressive 4G LTE device that's coming to Verizon Wireless in November. It packs a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced qHD display, 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording capabilities, an HD front-facing camera, 1,800 mAh battery, and Android 2.3.5 with Motorola's custom UI. As if being the thinnest 4G LTE device (7.1mm thin) wasn't enough, it's an absolutely gorgeous device, with metal accents, water-resistant coating, and a KEVLAR-coated back. It'll be available for pre-order on October 27th and available in retail stores sometime in November for $299.99 with a two-year contract.
New Android Smartphones Arrive to AT&T's Portfolio
via ShareATT on YouTube
New Android devices are coming to AT&T. These include, the Motorola ATRIX 2, Samsung DoubleTime, Samsung Captivate Glide, Pantech Pocket and AT&T Avail. Learn about the features offered by each new of these new Android mobile devices.
New Android devices are coming to AT&T. These include, the Motorola ATRIX 2, Samsung DoubleTime, Samsung Captivate Glide, Pantech Pocket and AT&T Avail. Learn about the features offered by each new of these new Android mobile devices.
Samsung Galaxy Note review -- Engadget
Samsung Galaxy Note review -- Engadget: "Remember the display on your first mobile phone? If you've been chatting on the go for as long as we have, it was probably barely big enough to fit a complete telephone number -- let alone a contact name or text message. And your first smartphone? Even displaying scaled-down, WAP versions of web pages was asking a lot. Now, those mobile devices we couldn't live without have screens that are much, much larger. Sometimes, though, we secretly wish they were even bigger still."
Friday, October 28, 2011
Winfrey looks to the Web to energize her network - Yahoo! News
Winfrey looks to the Web to energize her network - Yahoo! News: "After 25 years on TV, Oprah Winfrey says she's having the time of her life on the Web.The 57-year-old mogul is connecting with viewers through her weekly webcasts, and she says it's "the most fun I've had ever."
Winfrey's live webcast discussions about her new show, "Oprah's Lifeclass," have been so popular, they've been added to the lineup on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
"Lifeclass" premiered earlier this month and features Winfrey sharing her favorite interviews and insights from her long-running talk show. On Fridays, she discusses "Lifeclass" lessons during an hour-long webcast with a live audience, and invites viewers to comment or ask questions in person or through Facebook, Twitter and Skype."
Bye, bye $99 TouchPad: HP says tablet officially out of stock | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News
Bye, bye $99 TouchPad: HP says tablet officially out of stock | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News:Hewlett-Packard sent out notices today that it is officially out of TouchPads, meaning there will be no more shipments of those popular $99 tablets.
The notice says, "As you signed up for updates on the HP TouchPad, we wanted you to know that we are officially out of stock. Some retailers will have some stock available, but our online inventory is depleted."
The only other avenue for getting a TouchPad is Best Buy. The retailer announced today that it will offer a 32 GB HP TouchPad for $149.99 with purchase of an HP or Compaq Laptop, Desktop or All-in-One computer.
The official demise of the TouchPad coincides with a report Friday pointing to the end of TouchPad production. Citing sources, Asia-based Digitimes said TouchPad manufacturer Inventec had laid off 400 employees because it "has to stop production of Hewlett-Packard's...WebOS tablet PCs, and also expects no new orders for other devices."
Kindle Fire - Full Color 7" Multi-Touch Display with Wi-Fi - More than a Tablet
Kindle Fire - Full Color 7" Multi-Touch Display with Wi-Fi - More than a Tablet:$199.00 Free Super Saver Shipping Details
Pre-order now to reserve your place in line
Our all-new Kindle Fire will be released on November 15, 2011. Orders are prioritized on a first come, first served basis.
Ships from and sold by Amazon Digital Services. U.S. only.
Movies, apps, games, music, reading and more, plus Amazon's revolutionary, cloud-accelerated web browser
18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books
Thousands of popular apps and games
Ultra-fast web browsing - Amazon Silk
Free cloud storage for all your Amazon content
Vibrant color touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle
Fast, powerful dual-core processor
Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows
Digital Life - Four fun Halloween photo effects
Digital Life - Four fun Halloween photo effectsBy Suzanne Kantra, Techlicious.com
Between the kids’ costumes, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating, there are a lot of photo moments to capture. To get great photos in these difficult lighting situations, though, you’ll have to do a little more than just point and shoot. So check out our tips for taking your photos up a notch. And we’ll give you ideas for special effects that will make an already spooky holiday even spookier.
Photographing jack-o-lanterns
Great jack-o-lantern shots capture both the glow coming from the pumpkin and the textures of the pumpkin’s skin and surrounding objects in low light.
Take this shot at twilight (about 20 minutes after the sun goes down) when the glow from your pumpkin will produce about the same amount of light as the sky. With the exposure for everything the same, your camera will easily capture details in the entire shot.
If you miss this window, put your camera in HDR mode (High Dynamic Range) mode (Cameras we recommend, like the $200 Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS have this). In HDR mode, the camera takes an overexposed shot to capture the pumpkin skin detail and an underexposed shot for the candle’s glow and then merges them together without your intervention. If your camera doesn’t have an HDR mode, you can merge photos of different exposures together using Adobe Photoshop Elements’ Photomerge Exposure editing mode.
Be sure you can’t see the flame of the candle when taking your shots. It will appear too bright as a spot in your picture. And use a tripod and set the camera’s self-timer to avoid the brief shake that inevitably occurs when you press down on the shutter button.
Take this shot at twilight (about 20 minutes after the sun goes down) when the glow from your pumpkin will produce about the same amount of light as the sky. With the exposure for everything the same, your camera will easily capture details in the entire shot.
If you miss this window, put your camera in HDR mode (High Dynamic Range) mode (Cameras we recommend, like the $200 Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS have this). In HDR mode, the camera takes an overexposed shot to capture the pumpkin skin detail and an underexposed shot for the candle’s glow and then merges them together without your intervention. If your camera doesn’t have an HDR mode, you can merge photos of different exposures together using Adobe Photoshop Elements’ Photomerge Exposure editing mode.
Be sure you can’t see the flame of the candle when taking your shots. It will appear too bright as a spot in your picture. And use a tripod and set the camera’s self-timer to avoid the brief shake that inevitably occurs when you press down on the shutter button.
Samsung new No. 1 smartphone vendor, over Apple
Technolog - Report: Samsung new No. 1 smartphone vendor, over AppleBy Athima Chansanchai via MSNBC.com
In the third quarter of 2011, Samsung was the king of the smartphone world, with one report showing the domination of the manufacturer overtaking Apple's global reign.
While smartphone sales in the U.S. dipped for the first time during the same duration, the rest of the world was busy snapping up the devices. According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, "Global smartphone shipments grew 44 percent annually to reach a record 117 million units in the third quarter of 2011. Samsung overtook Apple to claim top spot as the world’s number one smartphone vendor." The company shipped 28 million smartphones and gained 24 percent of the market.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Shoebox app turns phones into photo scanners
By Athima Chansanchai via MSNBC.com
A new app released by a "memory sharing" site makes converting photo prints to digital a little easier by turning an iPhone into a mobile photo scanner.
Shoebox, the first app released by 1000memories, gives iPhone users the ability to scan and share large collections of photos and documents on Facebook and Twitter, as well as on 1000memories.
While it seems like it's impossible there was ever a time when cameras weren't digital, many of us have ample evidence there was such a thing as film and photo prints. Albums — and shoeboxes, as the video below shows — bursting with dusty images remind us that we used to spend time sitting down and reliving those moments with others, rather than solo clicking and commenting.
A new app released by a "memory sharing" site makes converting photo prints to digital a little easier by turning an iPhone into a mobile photo scanner.
Shoebox, the first app released by 1000memories, gives iPhone users the ability to scan and share large collections of photos and documents on Facebook and Twitter, as well as on 1000memories.
While it seems like it's impossible there was ever a time when cameras weren't digital, many of us have ample evidence there was such a thing as film and photo prints. Albums — and shoeboxes, as the video below shows — bursting with dusty images remind us that we used to spend time sitting down and reliving those moments with others, rather than solo clicking and commenting.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Samsung MV800 Pocket Camera with Flip Screen
via GeekBeat.TV
Cali Lewis gives you a glimpse at Samsung's upcoming MV800 pocket camera, a dynamic new camera with a flip up screen for self portraits. I kinda like this little camera, especially the ability to take some awesome self-portraits!
Cali Lewis gives you a glimpse at Samsung's upcoming MV800 pocket camera, a dynamic new camera with a flip up screen for self portraits. I kinda like this little camera, especially the ability to take some awesome self-portraits!
Nokia Lumia 800 Hands On - Windows Phone 7
Via TechnoBuffalo
Nokia Lumina 800 Hands On - Windows Phone 7
We've heard the rumors, seen the leaks, and now it's official -- Nokia's 'Sea Ray' handset is finally a reality. Officially called the Nokia Lumia 800, the handset shares the same form-factor as the oh-so-sexy Nokia N9, while adding Windows Phone under the hood.
Nokia Lumina 800 Hands On - Windows Phone 7
We've heard the rumors, seen the leaks, and now it's official -- Nokia's 'Sea Ray' handset is finally a reality. Officially called the Nokia Lumia 800, the handset shares the same form-factor as the oh-so-sexy Nokia N9, while adding Windows Phone under the hood.
Nokia Lumia 800 Hands-On
Nokia Windows Phones are finally here! Aaron from PhoneDog gets some hands-on time with the Lumia 800, Nokia's flagship Windows device. Featuring a 1.4 GHz Snapdragon CPU, 3.7-inch AMOLED display with Clear Black Technology, 8-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, Nokia Maps, and Nokia Music. It'll cost approximately €420 prior to carrier subsidies, and will launch in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and The Netherlands in November.
Nokia wouldn't confirm whether the Lumia 800 would be coming to the United States, but they did confirm that the first devices won't roll out until 2012. It's a beautiful device and a great start for Nokia's journey with Microsoft, but is it worth waiting for, especially considering the hot Android devices coming out over the holiday season?
Battlefield 3 leaps over the competition
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Amazon Kindle Fire looks like a WINNER!
Amazon Kindle Press Conference - September 28, 2011, New York City
Why Amazon Is Happy to Burn Money on the Kindle Fire
By Peter Kafka via AllThingsDYet another big-name Internet stock got punished for missing Wall Street’s expectations yesterday. This time it was Amazon, which reported lower operating margins for Q3 and — presumably more worrisome — the possibility of an operating loss in Q4.
But Amazon isn’t Netflix, which has to convince investors and consumers that its business isn’t fundamentally broken. Jeff Bezos and company have a much easier story to sell: Profits are down because they’re spending money on expansion.
A lot of the money is going into Amazon’s old business, CFO Thomas Szkutak explained on yesterday’s conference call — the company is building out dozens of new distribution centers to help it ship all the physical stuff its customers still order. And a lot of the money is going into its new digital business — in particular, the new Kindle Fire.
Google Releases Chrome 15 and Web Store Redesign
by Lauren Indvik via Mashable.com
Google has released version 15 of its Chrome web browser, bringing the usual round of bug fixes and security improvements, as well as a redesign of its Chrome Web Store and tab pages.
Now when you open a new tab, you’ll be able to navigate quickly between web apps and your most-visited sites by clicking the arrows that come up on both sides of the browser window. You can also drag and drop your apps to rearrange them, or drag them to the bottom righthand corner to remove them, as illustrated in the video above.
The Chrome Web Store also now sports a more visual interface designed for better navigation and discovery of apps and extensions. Users can click on apps to pull up descriptions, screenshots, videos and reviews organized into separate tabs. Reviews are also now linked to the Google+ profile of each reviewer. For more details, check out Google’s blog post.
Google has released version 15 of its Chrome web browser, bringing the usual round of bug fixes and security improvements, as well as a redesign of its Chrome Web Store and tab pages.
Now when you open a new tab, you’ll be able to navigate quickly between web apps and your most-visited sites by clicking the arrows that come up on both sides of the browser window. You can also drag and drop your apps to rearrange them, or drag them to the bottom righthand corner to remove them, as illustrated in the video above.
The Chrome Web Store also now sports a more visual interface designed for better navigation and discovery of apps and extensions. Users can click on apps to pull up descriptions, screenshots, videos and reviews organized into separate tabs. Reviews are also now linked to the Google+ profile of each reviewer. For more details, check out Google’s blog post.
Nokia Lumia 800 Could Be the Best Windows Phone Yet
by Christina Warren, courtesy of Mashable.com
Nokia Lumia 800, the company’s flagship Windows Phone device, has been officially launched at the Nokia World conference in London today.
However, I had a chance to spend a little bit of time with the Lumia 800 prior to the launch. Not enough time to write a review–I can’t speak to the call quality or battery life — but I can say that it felt great in my hand, had a gorgeous screen and a truly winning form factor.
If any company matches Apple when it comes to industrial design for their mobile phones, it’s Nokia. Nokia might not have the same panache or flair for crafting beautiful looking devices, but the company certainly thinks about every little detail.
I’ve been told that Nokia really goes the extra mile when it comes to crafting its handsets. The polycarbonate shells for phones aren’t simply sprayed with paint on the exterior. The whole of the material is dyed so that if scratched, the phone maintains its color. Nokia even tests various lotions creams against the materials it uses to make sure that the exterior of its devices won’t stain.
This precision and attention to detail was made clear in a recent video showing off how the N9 is made. The N9, Nokia’s first and last MeeGo phone, was unveiled in June. Although doomed from the start because of Nokia’s decision to partner with Microsoft and focus on creating Windows Phone devices, the device is beautiful.
Fortunately, all of that hard work and engineering hasn’t gone to waste. The new Lumia 800 takes the N9 design, adds a dedicated camera button and replaces MeeGo with Mango (Windows Phone 7.5).
Nokia Lumia 800, the company’s flagship Windows Phone device, has been officially launched at the Nokia World conference in London today.
However, I had a chance to spend a little bit of time with the Lumia 800 prior to the launch. Not enough time to write a review–I can’t speak to the call quality or battery life — but I can say that it felt great in my hand, had a gorgeous screen and a truly winning form factor.
If any company matches Apple when it comes to industrial design for their mobile phones, it’s Nokia. Nokia might not have the same panache or flair for crafting beautiful looking devices, but the company certainly thinks about every little detail.
I’ve been told that Nokia really goes the extra mile when it comes to crafting its handsets. The polycarbonate shells for phones aren’t simply sprayed with paint on the exterior. The whole of the material is dyed so that if scratched, the phone maintains its color. Nokia even tests various lotions creams against the materials it uses to make sure that the exterior of its devices won’t stain.
This precision and attention to detail was made clear in a recent video showing off how the N9 is made. The N9, Nokia’s first and last MeeGo phone, was unveiled in June. Although doomed from the start because of Nokia’s decision to partner with Microsoft and focus on creating Windows Phone devices, the device is beautiful.
Fortunately, all of that hard work and engineering hasn’t gone to waste. The new Lumia 800 takes the N9 design, adds a dedicated camera button and replaces MeeGo with Mango (Windows Phone 7.5).
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
IGN Reviews: Battlefield 3 (PC) Game Review
It's finally been released! My son has been waiting patiently for today's release of the awesome Battlefield 3 PC Game! Here's a review from IGN.
Monday, October 24, 2011
REVIEW: Droid Bionic by Motorola
My son, Cameron, is up for an upgrade to his longtime Verizon Droid phone. He's eying the newest, most powerful Droid Bionic from Motorola. He hesitated for a bit when the iPhone 4S hysteria hit, but this very thorough review by phandroid gives some solid support to moving up to this powerful, awesome Android phone. With a SUPERFAST dual-core processor and I believe it uses Android's Gingerbread OS, this is a phone that definitely takes it up a notch! What do YOU think? Target Mobile has a terrific $219 upgrade price for this phone (not too bad).
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