MacBreak 88: Studio: Mixing 2D and 3D Assets in Motion

Mark Spencer explains how to mix 2D and 3D images in Motion. Read more

GBTV #359 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

GBTV #359 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
This Brief was meant to be up hours ago, but we had a computer crash just before a meeting. We had to re-edit after we got home tonight. Twitter friend, @Lindsay25 turned us on to The Great American Road Trip project. It's three guys driving through the lower 48 in 5 days. They charted a route that is only 7500 miles. Their journey started on Sunday and ends Friday, May 9th. Using mobile broadband, they've blogged about the trip all week.

Tivoli Audio announced and Internet radio called NetWorks. It streams audio via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

PicLens is a free broser plug-in that turns browsing photos and video online into an immersive 3D experience. You can download the plug in from here, and you can learn how to make your Web site Piclens ready here.

The Kuro Plasma Displays by Pioneer have black levels that are five times deeper than last year's models.

Friday night (May 9th) at 9PM EDT, Neal and I will be on Ustream.tv/calilewis live from New Jersey talking about the status of the Big Trip. Come by and join the chat.

Mac compatible USB-GPIB controllers released

National Instruments has released two new GPIB controllers, including a Mac compatible USB controller, the NI USB-GPIB-HS, and a Windows compatible low profile (LP) PCI Express controller, the NI PCIe-GPIB. The USB device is claimed to offer speeds up to 1.8MB per second using IEE 488.1 or 7.2MB per second with HS488. The cable can be connected directly between any GPIB instruments and a computer ...

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GBTV #0363 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

It's been an extremely slow day for gadget news, so I decided to jailbreak my iPhone today (or, rather, Neal's iPhone). I decided to use iFuntastic, recommended by TUAW. If you have your iPhone plugged in before opening iFuntastic, it immediately recognizes it and all all you have to do is click on "Unshackle", then follow directions. I installed the BSD Subsystem since many third party apps require it, then I got to the fun part and installed Pool, and Twinkle. I kept getting an error with Labyrinth, but it eventually installed. If you do get an error, try "Clear Queue", then try again. Sometimes that helps.

I'll be playing and testing with it, and will keep you updated! Remember, jailbreaking your iPhone or iPod Touch voids the warranty and the geniuses will not help you! Read more

New MacBooks to be based on NVIDIA GeForce 9400 / 9300 chipsets?

New MacBooks to be based on NVIDIA GeForce 9400 / 9300 chipsets?

Filed under: Laptops

With a new MacBook announcement now just days away, speculation is unsurprisingly at a fever pitch as to exactly what Apple has in store, and the folks at PC Perspective have now pieced together a few clues to whet your appetite in anticipation of the big event. Most of those are drawn from mounting evidence from the NVIDIA camp, including the image above that made an appearance on the company's website a few days ago and, most importantly, word that NVIDIA would be releasing its GeForce 9400 and 9300 chipsets based on the MCP79 integrated chipset design on October 15th (conveniently not stepping on Apple's toes the day before). The implication there being that the GeForce chipsets would replace the relatively underpowered integrated Intel graphics on the current MacBooks, with the new MacBook Pros supposedly getting an additional boost from a discrete G92-based mobility GeForce 9600. As PC Perspective points out, if true, that would be quite a coup for NVIDIA, especially considering that it wasn't all that long ago some were talking about it quitting the chipset business altogether.

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Judge orders RealNetworks to pull DVD copying software

Judge orders RealNetworks to pull DVD copying software
LOS ANGELES - RealNetworks said it had temporarily stopped distributing its DVD copying software, RealDVD, at a federal judge's request in a copyright case brought by Hollywood studios. "We temporarily suspended distribution of...

RIM said planning "near-HD" Storm sequel

RIM said planning "near-HD" Storm sequel
Although the BlackBerry Storm has yet to ship, RIM is already developing a second model that would serve as the company's new flagship, two separate tips given to BGR suggest. The unnamed phone would be more a complement to the Storm than a replacement and would have a hardware keyboard in addition to the touch display. It would also carry a sharper, "near-HD" resolution and a five-megapixel cam...

Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3

PS3 Pros: The latest Naruto offering is a solid step forward for the orange jumpsuit brigade - adding modes and RPG elements to the solid chop-sockey combos that made the franchise. One big addition to the combo-fest from the... Read more

Onkyo launches 2.4GHz wireless headphones for iPod

Onkyo has unveiled a new set of wireless headphones meant for use in fourth-generation and newer docking iPods. The MHP-UW2 headphones rely on the 2.4GHz radio frequency to transmit signals between the adapter that plugs into the iPod and the headphones themselves. The headphones sport iPod controls that include play, pause, and track forward and back buttons. The transmitter also has a stereo inp...

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GBTV #0368 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

GBTV #0368 (small) | GeekBrief.TV
Griffin Technology has been busy. They released an updated iTrip AutoPilot with SmartScan that works with iPhones and iPods. The PowerDock 2 we saw at Macworld is now available and Popgadget says the PowerDock 4 will be out in July.

RickMacMerc introduced me to Animation-ish, a D.I.Y. Animation application.

PopularMechanics has a step-by-step guide to installing Linux on a PS3.

Dean Kamen has done it again. This time his team has developed a robotic arm that is controlled by thought.

Eee PC news: touchscreens, bumps to dual-core Atoms, sub-$300 model

Eee PC news: touchscreens, bumps to dual-core Atoms, sub-$300 model

Filed under: Laptops

We've seen tons of Eees modded with touchscreens, and it looks like ASUS is taking the hint -- it's saying that it expects to launch touch-enabled Eee PCs next year, as long rumored. It's not clear whether the new models will run XP or a special Linux build, but we'll find out soon enough, since the company plans to show them off at CES in January. Unsurprisingly, we should also be seeing dual-core Atom 330 chips make their way into the Eee line as soon as they're available in quantity, but the best piece of news is probably that ASUS will be getting aggressive on price with a sub-$300 Eee. Now just wrap all that up in the S101's case and we're all set -- that would be just about perfect.

[Via Electronista]

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Pocket Clapper iPhone app assists moviemaking

Pocket Clapper iPhone app assists moviemaking
Japan's GClue has unveiled Pocket Clapper, an iPhone/iPod touch app that simulates the clapboards used while filming movies. Users can draw virtual chalk on a blackboard, outlining a scene with production information such as date, time, camera, director, scene, and take, to be used later during movie editing. The app also replicates the clap sound used to align audio and video content that have be...

Users report iTunes Store login issues

Users report iTunes Store login issues
A number of visitors to the iTunes Store on Friday have been unable to properly access the site, or its services, according to tips sent to MacNN and discussions at Apple's support forums. People are reporting being unable to log in to the store, and as a result, they are not only unable to view account details, but perform functions such as buy new files or authorize existing purchases. Music n...

MS may have "standing offer" to buy RIM

The recent plunge in Research in Motion's shares may help trigger a takeover by Microsoft, Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek says. The financial expert believes that Microsoft has a "standing offer" to buy out the BlackBerry maker at a value of $50 per share and may do so if RIM's recent share decline leaves it significantly below that mark. The company is said by researchers to be independent...

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Ten fun and mostly-free iPhone apps

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App Store

Here are ten apps that won't annoy you (OK, Alarm Free might) and are either clever diversions or simply fun toys. All links take you to the App Store. Check out the gallery for a preview of everything I've mentioned. All of these were free when I first downloaded them, as I'm a terrible cheapskate, but several now cost between $.99 and $1.99, which isn't bad.

Ancient Wisdom
Basically just a database of quotes from three philosophers: Lao Tzu, Miyamoto Musashi and Sun Tzu. To make it a little more fun the developers make the quotes come from cute cartoon monkeys. Not exactly genius, but fun and the quotes are, of course, pure gold. Better than a Magic 8-Ball, I think.

Newtonica Player
This simple app has you spin a mesh ball to generate a "beat" that times the pace of the electronica music. There is a surprising amount of depth to the song, simple as it is. I was able to modify the tune a bit depending on my spinning, direction and how long I kept spinning. Terribly simple but fun because of those little tonal surprises.

Fireworks
Wherever you tap your finger a firework is launched to that spot and explodes. Nice little animations, plus it works in landscape mode and offers several backgrounds. The sounds could go further, and the fireworks aren't all that varied, but again, kids love it. Put it in "fireworks show" mode and keep it in your dock for a little fun. Note: at the time I originally wrote this Fireworks was free, but it is only $.99 now, which isn't too much to ask, I think.

xCube
This is just a Rubik's cube in iPhone/iPod touch form. But it is really easy to use, provides several customization options and has an undo feature. If you've ever wanted to learn how to solve the cube but didn't want a big cubic bulge in your back pocket, here's your answer. Note: again, here's an app that was free for a while, but is now $1.99 -- still cheaper than a new Rubik's cube, but more expensive than one at a garage sale. You make the call.

Gallery: Ten Fun and Free iPhone apps

Continue reading Ten fun and mostly-free iPhone apps

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London restaurant claims fame with touch-sensitive tables, colorful menu projectors

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

A chic London restaurant and bar called Inamo is making patrons' dining experiences digital by projecting colorful menus and aesthetic patterns onto touch-sensitive tabletops. When browsing, patrons can preview the food as if it were on the plate in front of them -- only flatter, we suppose. They can also order their meals, look up neighborhood services, and select one of seven visual vibes without ever interacting with carbon-based lifeforms. Inamo isn't the first automated establishment we've seen, and this sort of table menu tech isn't new -- but the futuristic panache is hard to beat. Hit the read link for more pics.

[Thanks, Nvyseal]

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MacBreak 161: Macbreak: Wiimote Adaptation

MacBreak 161: Macbreak: Wiimote Adaptation
Keith Lang stops in to show us how to adapt a Wiimote for a 3D experience.

Photo of alleged 'brick'-based MacBook Pro emerges

A photo of a new, upcoming MacBook Pro has been leaked online, a report claims. The model is described by Engadget as part of an upcoming refresh, and said to be based on a rumored "brick" manufacturing process, in which notebooks would be formed out of a single block of metal, using water and lasers to carve out details. This would potentially have a number of benefits for Apple, including grea...

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Mail tool could stop drunken email mistakes

Mail tool could stop drunken email mistakes
SEATTLE - Here's the scenario: It's Friday night, and what began as an innocent happy-hour chardonnay morphed into quite a few more. Bidding friends adieu, you jump in a cab, head home and decide a quick email check is in order....

MacBreak 166: MacBreak: Tubemogul

MacBreak 166: MacBreak: Tubemogul
Alex explains the advantages of using Tubemogul to upload and track your online media.