Archive for February 27th, 2009

Looking to hang out with some fellow Giz readers? Also looking to see Watchmen but have no friends to see it with? Let us solve both problems for you. Updated

OMG! Ponies, Kaiser-Machead, Get ‘Em SteveDave and ’92 BuickLeSabre are organizing a commenter meetup based around the 6pm showing of Watchmen at Lincoln Square on March 7th. This isn’t an official Gizmodo event, and I don’t think any editors are able to make it, but that shouldn’t stop you from going.

Interested? Shoot Ponies (nee Matthew Baron) a private message using our little system here or email him at embee@omg-ponies.com. And may the force be with you all (that’s what this movie is about, right?).

Update: OK, so the boneheads scheduled this without checking to see if the movie was sold out, which it is. So just read the comments below and they’ll get everything sorted out, or harass Ponies at the email above and he’ll let you know what’s what.

The most surprising thing about the LG Versa so far isn’t that the detachable keyboard isn’t the flimsy craptacular dongle I thought it’d be. It’s the OS. It’s really, really fast.

galleryPost(‘helloversa’, 3, ”); It’s markedly faster than the OS that was on the Dare, LG’s last major touch phone for Verizon. The 3D UI, which lets you rotate between four home screens, though gratuitous, is quick and smooth, with no stuttering. Menus pop up instantly, as do most apps (except the browser). The speed feels nice. I also really like the “Smart Menu” version of the main menu—it’s a flickable list that’s sorta Zune-y and gives you quick access to everything, even though it’s not quite as pretty as the standard main menu.

What screws everything up is the hardware. It’s got the worst LG touchscreen I’ve used. It’s really imprecise, even after calibration, and sometimes you have to click stuff a few times before it works. In the browser (which is surprisingly decent and full-featured, with tabs and Flash), it’s pretty maddening, since the cluttered UI with lots of tiny elements requires laser accuracy. I think this partially because the screen is small—it makes the keyboard cramped and crappy, even though typically I like LG’s touch keyboards.

The keyboard attachment is surprisingly sturdy, but it’s still plenty awkard, which the weight of the phone resting up when you grip it by the relatively thin keyboard flap. It’s also fantastically ugly—cheap, faux brown plastic with an awkward bulge caused by the hinge. It replaces the entire backplate, so you can’t just pull it every time you change your mind unless you’ve got the backplate as well. The keyboard itself is good, with a solid layout and just enough roundness to the keys to make it easy to touch type.

In other words, so far it’s a mixed bag, but not for the reasons I thought. Laptop Mag has a full review, if you wanna check out more.

Boy Genius‘s tipsters are telling them that an upcoming BlackBerry 9630 is Verizon’s world edition phone, meaning you can travel overseas and DO STUFF WITH IT.

BG says it’s going to have “CDMA 1x, EV-DO Rev. A, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and 2100MHz UMTS”. The OS might be 5.0, but might be 4.71, it won’t have Wi-Fi, it might come around May/June and it might have a 3.2-megapixel camera. Or it might not have a camera at all! Who the hell knows! [Boy Genius]

Andrew Cheatle was hanging out on a boat when he dropped his phone in the water. He thought it was gone for good, but a week later, his old phone called his girlfriend.

It turns out, a 25-pound cod ate his phone and was then caught by fishermen. They found the phone, pulled out the SIM card and put it in another phone and called his girlfriend.

They got his old phone back to him, and he claims after drying it out it still worked. That’s a dubious claim at best, but hey, if true that says a lot for Nokia phones. I guess. I mean, if you’re planning on having your phone eaten by a fish, that may be the brand to go with, otherwise it probably won’t change your opinion one way or another. [The Sun via The Daily What]

This week we’ve cast the net out a bit further to catch some gems from this month that may have escaped our attention, including a repackaged, excrement-producing pop-culture classic. And it’s no fart app.

Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World: But unfortunately, it’s just as inane. Gone is the dot-matrix Tamagotchi you may remember from 1996, and in its place, a not-particularly-cute generic cast of knockoff superflat characters. The game appears to be based around gardening and growing plants by doing a rain dance: I gave up after a few minutes. But it poops, which is always nice. $6 with free lite version.

PhotoKeys Photoshop Remote: If you keep your phone docked near your keyboard like I do and do some heavy ‘shopping, this looks pretty handy. It turns your iPhone into a customizable tool palette by talking to a mini server app on your desktop. Windows and Mac are both supported. It’s $4.

Epiphany Recorder: Innovating above the countless other voice recorders in the store, Epiphany starts recording a buffer the moment it’s launched, but it only saves the audio you tell it to pressing the “Remember that!” button, which automatically saves the previous few seconds or minutes of audio (you pick). It’s great for recording an interview by grabbing only the important parts, saving major time in transcription. Very cool, and it’s free.

FedEx: There are a handful of other package-tracking apps in the store, but FedEx’s new official app looks nice for its ability to tie into you FedEx.com account. You can monitor shipments you’ve scheduled online, as well as create new labels from your phone. Nice interface too, and it’s free.

CTU: Even though this app is a few years too late, the last remaining folks still enjoying Bauer Hour can now create the show’s trademark multi-splitscreen-with-digital-timer tableaux with their photos. As a clock app and a novelty, not bad. $2

This Week’s App News on Giz:
• Mac Plus Emulator now Available for Jailbroken iPhones

• Why Most Content Apps Suck (But Some Would Be Amazing)

• iTunes Concept Shows How iPhone App Management Should Have Worked From the Start

• Metal Gear Solid Touch For iPhone Trailer Has Me Worried

• Major Label Bands Decide App Store Is Cool, Want to Take Over Your iPhone

• 5-Row QWERTY Jailbreak App Fixes One of the iPhone Keyboard’s Most Annoying Flaws

• Dashboard Widgets For Jailbroken iPhones: Hot or Not?

• ‘That’s What She Said’ iPhone App Is the Opposite of Comedy

• Your iPhone Is now a Kitchen Thanks to Cooking Mama

• TV.com iPhone App Streams Free Full-Length CBS and Showtime Shows

• iMafia for iPhone Circumvents the App Store, Sells Other Apps In-Game…and Apple Willingly Approves

• Apple Purging App Store Of Every Last Emoticon Enabler

This list is in no way definitive. If you’ve spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our previous weekly roundups here, and check out our Favorite iPhone Apps Directory and our original iPhone App Review Marathon. Have a good weekend everybody.

It’s Friday so I’m jetting to the mall the second I get off today. But in the meantime, we’ve got some great deals for you if you’re just itching to shop right here, right now.

Gaming:
• Xbox 360 Pro 60GB Console (refurbished) for $194.99 (normally $299).
• Hitman: Blood Money for $5.70 (normally $19.99).
• Tom Clancy’s End War on Nintendo DS for $9.99 (normally $28.99).
• Little Big Planet for $41.99 plus free shipping (normally $59.99).

Cameras:
• Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder for $69.99 plus free shipping (normally $124.95 – valid today only).
• Polaroid i1035 10MP Digital Camera for $59.99 (normally $129.99 – valid today only).
• Canon PowerShot SX10 10MP Digital Camera for $313.49 (normally $329.99 – use coupon code “K3F53V3GHL433D”).

Computing and Peripherals:
• Dell Inspiron Mini 9 for $199 (normally $249).
• SVA 22” Widescreen LCD Monitor for $149.99 (normally $199.99 – valid today only).
• IOGEAR’s Germ-Free Wireless Laser Mouse for $11.99 plus free shipping (normally $22.99).
• Acomdata 1TB USB External Hard Drive for $99.99 plus free shipping (normally $109.99).
• Seagate’s FreeAgent Go 80GB/500GB for $29.99/$64.99 respectively (normally $69.99/$159.99).

HDTVs:
• 52” Sony Bravia 1080p HDTV for $1,274.06 (normally $1,999.99).
• 52” Toshiba REGZA 1080p HDTV for $1,199.98 plus free shipping (normally $1,899.99).

Personal Portables:
• Unlocked BlackBerry 8700G Mobile Communicator (refurbished) for $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $299 – use coupon code DNEWSBK8700N).
• Creative 16GB Zen Mozaic MP3 Player for $89.99 (normally $139.99).
• TomTom ONE Portable GPS Navigation System for $99.99 plus free shipping (normally $149.99).

Movies:
• Dangermouse: The Complete Series DVD Megaset for $11 (normally $89.95 – use coupon code HISTORY30). Deal ended—sorry!
• Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Blu-ray for $11.99 (normally $28.95).
• Hellboy on Blu-ray for $11.99 (normally $28.95).
• Black Hawk Down on Blu ray for $11.99 (normally $28.95).
• Gattaca on Blu ray for $11.99 (normally $28.95).
• Nascar: Driven to Win DVD Set for $2 (normally $24.95 – use coupon code HISTORY30).
• Zombies DVD for $11 (normally $24.95 – use coupon code HISTORY30).
• The True Story of Charlie Wilson’s War DVD for $2 (normally $19.95 – use coupon code HISTORY30).
• Driving Force Season 1 DVD Set for $2 (normally $24.95 – use coupon code HISTORY30).

Hobomodo:
• Essential Cotton Panty from Express for $0 (normally $7.50 – valid through March 1. Use coupon code 2737 online, or this coupon in stores).
• Call of Duty World at War “Makin-Day Time” Map for $0.
• Quaker Rice Cakes (Chocolate or Cheddar) Sample for $0.
• Subscription to Global Finance for $0.
• Quicksys RegCleaner 2009 for Windows for $0 (valid today only).
• Parent’s Choice Infant Formula Sample for $0.
• Always Infinity Feminine Care Sample for $0.
• Kotex Feminine Care Sample for $0.

[Thanks GamerHotline, DealNews, SlickDeals, TechDealDigger, Fat Wallet and Bargainist.]

Save $300 on a Sony® BRAVIA® HDTV. Turn your 1040 into 1080p from Sony.

newVideoPlayer(“/RECOMPUTE.flv”, 506, 423,”"); While I was going through gear at the Greener Gadgets conference, a dude came up to me and asked, “Hey, you wanna see something?” He pulled out a beat-up suitcase stuffed with old, dirty dishrags.

He pulled away three layers of soiled cotton from the 70s before he pulled out a cardboard box—the Recompute cardboard PC, which Brendan Macaluso insists isn’t a box because he’s a designer “and designers don’t make boxes.”

He didn’t have anything to plug it into, but he assures it and the other model in existence totally work. Inside is a micro-ATX motherboard packed with a Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM and a 2.5-inch notebook hard drive.

The point of the cardboard case—which he says it just an extreme example of his definition of implementing sustainability in design—is to make it easier to dismantle, for “controlled disposal.” It’s made up of 12 different patterns laid out in a CAD program, with all of the layer sandwiched together with plain white glue—the layers give it strength and a degree of durability.

galleryPost(‘recomputegreen’, 3, ”); So the hard-to-recycle plsatic case is dealt with, but, uh, what about the guts? He said there’s a company in Florida that properly disposes of circuit boards, grinding them into dust and magnetically separating out the usable elements, but the point of Recompute is that it’s a framework for building ideas. It’s easy to mass produce, and he’s open to working with people to do that.

It’s obviously not the prettiest PC in the room, but it’s better than an ugly planet.

Even though it’s the world’s lightest 8″ notebook, the Sony^® VAIO^® Lifestyle PC packs a mean punch. With an available 60 GB or 128 GB SSD hard drive, the Sony^® VAIO^® Lifestyle PC will go toe to toe with traditional notebooks more than twice it’s size. Learn more here.

Here are a couple of exclusive featurettes showing new Watchmen behind-the-scenes footage, including Dr. Manhattan looking like a Tron dork and Silk Spectre looking like the foxy, yumtastic, kick-ass heroine she is. Spoilers ahead.

DoubleTwist is a new, open-source, universal media manager in beta for the Mac. It gathers music, videos and photos, supports tons of devices and has a P2P/social networking component. Will it be great?

DoubleTwist was created by the famous DVD copy-protection reverse-engineer who calls himself DVD Jon, so you know it’s friendly to the budget-minded poweruser. So far, it’s been a joy to use, but it’s still in beta and has some flaws. Here’s what it does now, and what it should do:

What doubleTwist Does:

Manages Photos, Music and Video on Your Computer
It watches your Music, Photos and Movies folders, and lets you drag and drop any other folders into its media browser. There’s also a Spotlight-esque search function to check your folders. Music is organized in sortable list form, while photos and videos are displayed as tiles.

Lets You Maintain an Online “Feed” and Send/Receive Media To/From Other doubleTwist Users
DoubleTwist has a built in social-networking aspect that lets you create an account, add friends and shoot files back and forth. You can post video, photos and music to a “feed,” which is basically a media-rich version of the Facebook wall, and it gets syndicated to all your friends.

They say you can send any type of file back and forth on doubleTwist, which seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen. We haven’t yet had the chance to fully test this feature, but they remain pretty vague on its limits . And for those who aren’t signed up, you can send them an email link to the doubleTwist servers, where they can view/watch/hear the content you want them to receive.

Connects to a Variety of Phones and Devices
DoubleTwist is really touting its ability to connect with devices here, especially BlackBerry and Android phones. (Not surprisingly, you can’t yet sync with Apple products.) When you plug in your device, it shows up under its model name, and doubleTwist organizes media files in the same way it does for your computer. You can drag and drop freely between the two devices. (see top photo)

Auto-Converts Files to Provide Compatibility With Your Device
Because it only works with devices it knows, doubleTwist autoconverts media files as necessary. So if you have a .mp4 video file that your phone doesn’t support, doubleTwist will detect this before uploading and convert appropriately. (We’ll be testing this to see how long a movie in the wrong format might take.)

Connects to Your iTunes Library for Access to Playlists and Other Stuff
Like other media devices and apps, doubleTwist can read your iTunes Library XML file, which provides access to playlists and podcasts, in addition to the the rest of your library. Most of the crap that pops up in the left column of iTunes will show up here.

Uploads Photos and Videos to Online Services
With Flickr and Facebook integration, you can drag, drop and tag your photos, then upload them with a click, and without exiting doubleTwist. The same thing goes for sending videos to YouTube.

WHAT DOUBLETWIST SHOULD DO
iPhone and iPod Support
As we mentioned, there’s not a lot of love for iPhone and iPod yet, but the doubleTwist team says this functionality will actually appear in future versions.

AirTunes Support
One of my favorite features of using iTunes with an Airport Express is the AirTunes streaming feature. There are 3rd-party apps, such as AirFoil, that take advantage of this feature, so it shouldn’t be too hard to work this into future versions.

Native Playlist Support and Streaming Libraries
For now, there is no way to import or create music playlists, aside from what’s already in iTunes. You also can’t connect to other people’s libraries or an iTunes Music Server on your network. This means you’ll still be using iTunes for some stuff.

Advanced File Categorization/Organization
Right now, the categorization and organization of media files are a bit rudimentary. Music shows up in a list view, but the only sortable categories are Title, Artist, and Time. Photos and Videos only show up as tiles, with no other view or sort options, except adjusting thumbnail size.

For people with tons of files, this doesn’t quite cut it.

I also don’t really like that when you play a song, it launches a second window which compiles the list of songs played while the app has been open. But there’s no way to remove songs from the list aside from closing the app, nor can you keep playback all in one window. It’s not major, but kinda bleh.

BOTTOM LINE
DoubleTwist is an extremely promising app that really could become the de facto standard for media players if they continue to develop and improve on this beta. The idea of not having to use iPhoto ever again (I hate it), or getting more functionality than what VLC offers for videos is pretty exciting.g. [doubleTwist via MacRumors]