Hasta La Gadget!

Yes, it looks goofy as hell, but we’re sure Archos 5 owners aren’t complaining about the new Snap-on TV DVB-T accessory — not only will it allow you to watch live TV, it integrates with the DVR features of the unit to give you portable recording. Interestingly, although the Snap-on TV features dual tuners, they’re used to increase reception quality, not to allow viewing of one channel while recording another, which is a bit of a bummer. Still, we wouldn’t lean on this for hardcore DVR use anyway, so we’re guessing it won’t be a huge issue. ArchosLounge says it should be on sale in Europe in the next couple weeks for less than €60 ($76), and they’ve also got some in-the-wild pics, hit the read link to check ’em out.

[Thanks, Candy]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Archos 5 Snap-on TV DVB-T tuner released originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s App store is uber-popular among developers and users. But don’t tell that to Microsoft which has set some aggressive guidelines for developers who put want to offer their programs through the Windows Mobile app store.

Microsoft’s demands include that developers pay $99 to get enrolled into the program as part of an "introductory annual
registration fee." That also buys them up to five free app
submissions for 2009. But from next year, developers will have to pay $99 for every app submitted to the store.

The move is in contrast to how rival Apple deals with app developers. Developers have to pay $99 for a digital certificate that they need to have in order to publish apps to the Apple app store but they can submit as many apps as they want for free.

The
registration doors for the new Microsoft app store called Windows Marketplace will open in the spring and developers can start
submitting their applications later this summer, said Microsoft.

In terms of revenue split, Microsoft is offering developers the same deal that they would get with the Apple App Store and the Android Market. Microsoft will give developers 70 percent of the
sales revenue of their applications from Windows Marketplace and keep 30 percent of the revenue for itself.

Microsoft says its app store will be different from competitors because it will offer greater transparency through the certification process and more guidance to developers from how they can build the app to the final sale.

"Developers will be able to see detailed
feedback during and after the certification process of their
application," said Microsoft in a statement. "Ultimately this enables developers to devote more time to writing
innovative applications and less time trying to navigate the approval
process."

A barb at Apple it may be but to us Microsoft’s words still sound like vague promises.

See also:
Microsoft Unveils Developer Strategy for Windows Phones [Press Release]

Photo: (Liutao/Flickr)

Well, that didn’t take long — hot on the heels of the $15 NitroKey Slipstream iPod touch 2G jailbreak, the Dev Team’s released their free version. Apparently they’d been hoping to keep the jailbreak-enabling security hole a secret until the next version of the iPhone came out so Apple wouldn’t be able to fix the flaw, but NitroKey is apparently based on their code and they didn’t want people paying to use it. It’s not all packaged up into PwnageTool or QuickPwn just yet, but it should be soon, and there are options for the impatient — hit the read link for more.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Dev Team releases free iPod touch 2G jailbreak originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple releases a new iPod Shuffle that looks curiously like something you would use to take care of constipation. It looks as if “SNL” wasn’t that far off though when it suggested the iPod Pequeño. But hey, this one talks to you!

Hrm? Don't get them confused!

(Credit: Apple and Wikimedia)

In more Apple news, Chinese hackers figure out how to crack the iTunes gift card system. Apparently, it’s just a key code generator, and for a mere $2.60, you can get yourself a $200 gift card. We don’t know if it works, and even if it does, it won’t be for long. If you do know, tell us by calling 1-866-404-CNET (2638). Along those same lines, we find out that “Full frontal nerdity” is already taken for a show motto. Please send in more suggestions.

In depressing news, grammar is apparently becoming horrible on Twitter. No surprise given the 140-character limit. Let’s just hope @replies don’t wind up in some kid’s term paper. Also more depressing, “Star Wars” is coming back as a television show. If the new J.J. Abrams-directed “Star Trek” movie becomes a hit, they may make restart the television franchise.

We’ve got a whole slew of guests coming on the show in the coming days including Erica Boeke, Dr. Michael Breus, debbiefromtoronto, and Jonathan Coultan. And our very own Justin Yu makes an appearance on the “Bore Out Loud.” Keep listening to “The 404!”

EPISODE 296

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Originally posted at the 404

Will Apple do a netbook or won’t it? The question has had company watchers buzzing for months even as Apple in the past has shot down suggestions that it may consider offering a netbook of its own.Now, new reports suggest that Apple may be taking netbooks more seriously than it was widely believed.

Apple has placed orders for 10-inch touchscreen in Taiwan and will take delivery of the product in the third quarter, according to a Reuters report. Earlier this week, Taiwanese publication DigiTimes reported that a company called Wintek will supply 10-inch touchscreens to Apple. Taiwan’s contract manufacturing company for notebooks Quanta Computer is also expected to be working with Apple on a new product.

The latest flurry of reports suggest a shift in Apple’s stance towards netbooks. In its quarterly earnings call earlier this year, Apple indicated that the company didn’t think netbooks offered customers a happy experience because of the low-powered CPUs, cramped
keyboards and small displays.

But even Apple can’t ignore the fast growing netbook market. ABI Research forecasts that manufacturers will ship 200 million ultramobile devices, including netbooks, by 2013. And the netbook market will grow at least 100 percent in 2009 despite a weak economy and a slowdown in general PC sales. That’s an opportunity that could prove to be too mouth watering for even Apple to pass on.

Photo: (nikitagubanov/Flickr)