The iPhone 3G has hit (see our review) and so far the reviews are pretty complimentary, ours included. One thing that’s getting a whole lot of attention, especially since it’s available on the older iPhone, too, is the App Store. According to the latest numbers there were more than 10 million downloads just over the weekend. July 11th - July 17th Contents 1 Geek Thoughts 2 This Week on Geek 3 Geek.com Web Picks 4 Don’t Forget About This 1 Geek Thoughts - Top 10 App Store Applications The iPhone 3G has hit (see our review) and so far the reviews are pretty complimentary, ours included. (Read the full post about ‘Geek Newsletter July 17, 2008 — Top 10 App Store Applications’…)
Beginning earlier today, YouTube is now available on TiVo, which means a couple of things. First, it’s the next step in the growing battle to bring the entertainment moderlode of online content to TV screens, where companies like Apple (with the Apple TV) are seeking to establish new market inroads. And second, the sublime beauty of the dramatic squirrel is about to go high-def on a giant monster screen, if it hasn’t already. The new service will allow users of TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs to stream all H.264 YouTube videos through a new option in the broadband video section of the DVR’s menu. Unfortunately, TiVo Series 2 owners will not be able to use it because the hardware doesn’t support the codecs needed. (Read the full post about ‘You Tube is Now Available on TiVo — Bring on the Dramatic Squirrels’…)
I’m a power user of Gmail and have been since its inception. For that reason I’ve hit the wall in the past and even upgraded my storage limit. That said, the one thing that’s still missing is offline support, which is why I’m foaming at the mouth after reading that offline support could be coming in less than two months.
While you can use any e-mail program that supports IMAP to manage your Gmail folders efficiently and even POP to access Gmail (painfully!) nothing would beat a native desktop client for sorting through it in offline mode.
As for Google Calendar, it’s a great application and many people were anxiously awaiting its offline support, so this will be a welcome addition.
Now Google just has to offer both offline Gmail and Google Calendar to their Apps users and Microsoft loses a few more customers.
(Read the full post about ‘Gmail and Google Calendar offline support in six weeks?’…)
Talk about an interesting concept - the Snap It Off earplugs is meant for a generation who has grown sick of loud music. Most of us must have had the experience of many crazy nights out at clubs, partying till the wee hours of the morning without giving proper attention to our ears, only to wake up with a constant ringing in them the next morning. With the Snap It Off earplugs, these are easy to carry in your wallet since they are stored in a credit card-sized housing. Would be cooler if the concept came with some sort of Bluetooth connectivity integrated, as it would then make for a highly desirable pair of wireless headphones as well. (Read the full post about ‘Snap It Off Earplugs’…)
They look nothing alike, but you’d be surprised how much can be compared between the iPhone 3G and BlackBerry Bold. To help you choose which one to buy, The Boy Genius Report on Thursday hammered out a very useful 3,000-word point-by-point comparison. And we know you Gadget Lab readers love things short and sweet, so here’s a cheat sheet! 1. DesignIPhone 3G wins for its gorgeous screen and minimalistic design. The Bold’s the cleanest looking BlackBerry ever and the faux leather back is appealing, but the iPhone’s iconic design makes it the obvious winner. 2. Build QualityIPhone 3G wins for its scratch-resilient screen; its lack of moving parts (i.e., flash-based memory; lack of a QWERTY keyboard) dictates better durability. (Read the full post about ‘Cheat Sheet: TBGR’s iPhone 3G vs. BlackBerry Bold Showdown’…)
Visionman Computers have announced its latest gaming notebook known as the Widow Predator. The new Widow Predator laptop uses the latest Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 processor, combined with two on-board nVidia GeForce 8800M GTX video cards to deliver a blistering benchmark score of almost 20K! Breathtaking color, clarity and a game winning 3D benchmark score, add special features such as built-in dual gaming buttons and a Blu-ray/DVD/CD-ROM combo and you will soon be at the top of your game! What you see on the right is not the Widow Predator gaming notebook, but it is one of them gaming machines from Visionman Computers which I have included for context. (Read the full post about ‘Visionman Computers announce Widow Predator’…)
Chess is a brutal cerebral game, and if you feel as though your human opponents aren’t up to scratch, why not try out the 2Robot? This unique droid ought to be able to replace your immediate chess mentor (assuming you’re the average person who has more than a passing interest in this ancient game), as it boasts an excellent teaching module to increase your skills. In addition, you can set it to speed mode for a much faster game as you learn to increase your proficiency in speed chess. The 2Robot doesn’t require you to move its pieces as it comes with a robotic arm that picks up its own piece during each move. It will be available this September for £119.99, and threatening to remove its batteries won’t make it back down from check-mating you. (Read the full post about ‘2Robot Electronic Chess’…)
Musikvatur has recreated a video game for his hamster to play. You can see it here:
The maze is a recreation of Monty on the Run. I had never heard of the game, but Games Yanks Can’t Wank was kind enough to tell me all about it.
Yeah, so a diamond’s supposed to be perfect, but not the HTC Touch Diamond. This model comes with a back cover that is rather radical in design (or plain weird to some folks), but it does make the phone rest in an awkward manner when placed on a flat surface. HTC hopes to change the situation by releasing yet another Touch Diamond that boasts a smoother back panel, and this revamped handset is known as the HTC Victor. Other than the change in a back cover, everything else (hardware and software) remains the same. I sure hope the price remains the same - why can’t the just release an alternative cover as an accessory? Image courtesy of BGR. Tags: robots, dvr, design, audio (Read the full post about ‘HTC Touch Diamond gets Polished’…)
While most people expect falling prices, consumer electronics makers scramble to add features to justify constant or higher prices. This is no different for this particular player. Let’s tale a look at the improvements: Picture-in-Picture (also called “bonus view”), read error correction (scratched discs), Ethernet access for firmware and other updates and an upscaling algorithm called “Precision Cinema HD Upscale” to nicely magnify standard-definition content to HDTV resolutions. “We leveraged our expertise in film production and digital technology to build a machine that movie fans would truly love,” says Chris Fawcett, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics’ Home Products Division. (Read the full post about ‘Sony Releases BDP-S350 Next-Gen Blu-Ray Player’…)
