Tech News

Sony Refuses To Enter +100-Inch HDTV War

It would seem that 100-inch or larger LCD sets are best left to the big boys, and Sony is, at least for now, not included in that particular club. “I think it is unnecessary for many companies to make a 100-inch TV,” explains Sony Corp President Ryoji Chubachi. He claims that there currently isn’t enough…

Helio’s 3G YouTube Access Now Free

Helio originally wanted to charge a few bucks a month for YouTube, but in response to the iPhone’s free access, they’re doing it free, too. And that’s over 3G, so it’ll be fast where ever you have EVDO coverage. See? One-up-manship can be beneficial for all. Oh, did I mention that you can upload your…

Ten Takes on the Apple iPhone

We’ve heard the iPhone news nonstop for days. We’ve known it uses slow EDGE for months, and have always suspected that the typing might not feel right. But at the end of the day, a LOT of people are going to pick up this phone, either way. So are they suckers, or the tech elite?…

XCM 360 Hot Rock Case Warns Of Impending Doom

If you or someone you love has been affected by the Xbox 360’s red rings of death, consider the new 360 Hot Rock case from the modders at XCM. This clear case mod comes with a temperature gauge and multicolor LED that goes from cool blue to flaming red as your console approaches the melting…

How Long Does It Really Take To Browse NYTimes.com On EDGE?

[UPDATED: A few more trials yielded faster results]The Apple iPhone ad showing off Safari brags that it doesn’t have the Kinda-Sort-Looks-Like-the-Internet on board….just the Internet. But as you’ve heard for months, when using AT&T’s EDGE, it’s actually the real Internet, kind of slow. Watch. On WiFi things get considerably faster (10 seconds), but you can’t…

Nokia Bringing Tactile Feedback To Touchscreen Phones

The technology that makes phones like the LG Prada wiggle is now coming to Nokia phones. A new partnership with developer Immersion opens the doors for Nokia phones to get tactile feedback from touchscreen interfaces using VibeTonz software, so typing on the virtual keyboard feels more like using the real thing. Other applications include user…

ROBO Chair, Voice Controlled Massage Chair For the Lazy Elitist

The INADA ROBO chair is the every-man’s dream. It has all of the features that your typical massage chair includes like a 3D rolling mechanism, leg massager and 170˚ reclining ability. But it has one more trick up its armrest that sets it apart, voice activation. So when you’re too lazy to reach around for…

SlingPlayer Mobile for the Palm OS is out of beta. [The BC Blog]

35WPM On an iPhone Keyboard

Here’s another guy claiming he gets 35wpm by typing with a thumb an his index finger. Personally, we don’t see how using the index finger on one side and a thumb on the other helps the typing. Unless of course, he’s got a foam rubber thumb on his right hand. YouTube (see related videos for…

Optimus Prime Full-Sized Working Truck (Video)

This Saturday at BotCon in Providence, RI, I shot 360 degrees of the new Optimus Prime truck. The prodigious blue tractor trailer sports red, orange, and yellow hot rod flames and an Autobot emblem in place of the Mack logo. I’m not going to lie—it’s a beast. I was exposed to some monotone grumbling from…

The EDGE network is back up now, but it was a harrowing couple hours for iPhone users whose devices were down to two of the “three devices” it supposedly combines. [AT&T Forums]

A Little iPhone SIM Card Irony, Courtesy of AT&T

Stop me if you’ve heard this one… I stick the paper clip into the hole at the top of the iPhone and out pops a 3G SIM card. So does that mean that when the 2.0 iPhone comes out, with HSDPA and all that, at least I’ll be able to keep the SIM? Or is…

Virtual Magic With the iPhone

Marco the virtual magician pulled some funny tricks with his iPhone on the street last Friday. It’s not getting your iPhone to actually activate on AT&T in a timely manner—that’d be some real magic—but it’s charming.

Followup: AT&T Offering Refunds For Forced iPhone Accessory Bundles

AT&T saw our story about several stores forcing customers to purchase accessories with the iPhone last Friday, and let us know that they’re aware of the problem and they’re taking steps to remedy it. First, they claim that this is not a company-wide policy and “no one is required to buy accessories in order to…

Businessweek and teardown experts Portelligent quote the hardware cost of the iPhone at $220. They’re following up iSuppli’s price teardown, and Semiconductor.com’s video. [Business Week] https://gizmodo.com/iphone-only-costs-250-to-make-rest-of-price-is-fanboy-229664

Tired of iPhone? Use it for Napping

There are a few details about the iPhone that haven’t quite been mentioned yet, so we thought we’d offer a snippet or two, starting with this little feature for nap-takers: a countdown alarm. At the end of the count, choose one of those hokey iPhone ring tones to wake you up. It’s going to be…

DARPA Unclassifies Plans for Laser-Guided Bullet

DARPA’s Budget Item Justification Sheet contains goodies that seem right out of the pages of science fiction, like laser-guided bullets. The goal appears to be to “enable low-cost, high performance guided projectiles” that take advantage of “guidance and targeting systems.” While the idea of a laser-guided bullet conjures images of soldiers marching across fields, spraying…

Root password has been cracked (“Alpine”); we’re on our way. [hackint0sh]

Wait! Ten Things You Should Know Before You Buy an iPhone

Although Apple’s iPhone may be feature-packed and great to use, it, like every other product, has limitations. And that’s why we’re putting it through our Ten Things You Should Know buyer’s guide series so new buyers and people who don’t live and breathe the iPhone (your parents, your co-workers, or your wife) can be just…

The newly iPhone-bombarded EDGE network seemed to have taken a tumble, and users are having trouble getting online. [AT&T Forums]