Jun 02

Why Apple Can Afford to Phone It In With the Next iPhone

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, palm, PalmPre, Phones, pre, rumors, Smartphones, Today's Chili, Wireless

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Apple could sleepwalk through its next iPhone release and competitors still couldn’t catch up, analysts say.

In fact, that’s what Apple seems poised to do, with only minor hardware updates likely for the third-generation iPhone, which Apple may detail at its Worldwide Developers Conference next week. But even with a lackluster upgrade, Apple has little to fear from upstart smartphones like the Palm Pre, which launches on Saturday, June 6.

Apple’s dominance in the smartphone market, combined with the iPhone’s already innovative feature set, put the company in a strong position to stave off competitors, including the upcoming Palm Pre, said Roger Entner, an analyst at Nielsen Mobile.

“I think the Pre holds up very well compared to the current second-generation iPhone 3G,” Entner said. “But the third-gen iPhone will most likely up the ante again…. If you only follow Apple, you will never catch up.”

Apple’s original iPhone launched in June 2007 with a $400 price tag for its low-end model. It wasn’t until Apple released its second iPhone, the iPhone 3G, with a $200 price tag that the smartphone exploded into the mainstream. Within the calendar year of 2008, Apple sold over 10 million units of the iPhone 3G, according to CEO Steve Jobs.

The company quickly established itself as a market-share heavyweight. And recent statistics suggest the iPhone shows no signs of flagging. A research report from NPD Group shows that in terms of consumer smartphone sales, Apple sold 24 percent of the U.S. market, claiming the title for No. 2 best-selling smartphone that quarter. That’s an improvement from the first quarter of 2008, when Apple sold 17 percent of smartphones in the market and held the No. 3 spot, according to NPD.

Also, research company Gartner recently released global smartphone numbers indicating Apple’s iPhone doubled its worldwide marketshare. Apple’s share of worldwide smartphone sales increased from 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2008 to 10.8 percent in the first quarter of 2009, according to Gartner. And in terms of iPhones sold, Apple grew from 1.7 million units in the first quarter of 2008 to 3.9 million units during the same period in 2009.

The major difference this year is the emergence of additional iPhone competitors, including Palm’s Pre. Palm in January announced the Pre at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and many tech enthusiasts have been eagerly anticipating the Pre not only because of its iPhone-like touchscreen and form factor, but also because the phone was made under the direction of Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein, a former Apple engineer who was instrumental in the creation of Apple’s iPod.
The announcement of the Pre heated up tension between Apple and Palm. In a January earnings call, Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook gave a loaded response to a reporter’s question about the Pre, suggesting Apple might sue the company for copying the iPhone.

“We are ready to suit up and go against anyone,” Cook said during the conference. “However, we will not stand for having our [intellectual property] ripped off and will use whatever weapons we have at our disposal.”

Even if Palm’s Pre proves to be a compelling device, that doesn’t mean it’s going to threaten the iPhone, said tech strategist Michael Gartenberg.

“For Palm to succeed does not mean that Apple has to do badly,” Gartenberg said. “And likewise for Apple to succeed doesn’t mean that Palm is going to go out of business. There’s going to be a lot of room in the smartphone market for several players here.”

What do we know about the next iPhone? Nothing, officially. But mounting evidence suggests the third-generation iPhone’s main improvements include a digital compass, an improved digital camera with video-recording capabilities and auto-focus, and a speedier processor.

Sound exciting? Probably not. Either way, it doesn’t matter for Apple.

See Also:

Photo: Yutaka Tsutano/Flickr


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Jun 02

E3: Nintendo Intros New Mario Game, Updates to WiiMote, Wii Fit

Posted in: e3, nintendo, Today's Chili

Nintendo-Wii-Motion-Plus.jpg

Nintendo today kicked off the first full day of E3 with a press conference at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Executive vice president Cammie Dunaway began the conference by  highlighting the success of the gaming industry: “NPD says that last year video games were just as big as home video and just as big as toys. And ever better than music and movie box offices put together.”

Dunaway then introduced the latest game featuring its perennial favorite character, Mario. New Super Mario Brothers for the Wii is a
throwback to the platform gaming that defined early entries in the series. New Super Mario Brothers lets up to four players play at once, the camera constantly zooming in and out to fit all in the frame at the same time. The game is due out for the 2009 holiday season.

Nintendo also updated its popular fitness game with Wii Fitness Plus, which features six new strength and yoga activities, 15 new balance games, and a first-person Mario-like jumping game. Wii Fit Plus is due in fall of this year as a standalone game or bundled with the Wii Fitt board.

The WiiMote also got an update, in the form of the Wii Motion Plus (above), an add-on to the controller that gives users more precision control over the device. The gaming suite Wii Sports Resort will be the first game to take advantage of the device.

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Jun 02

Motorola to Sell Blazing-Fast DOCSIS Cable Modem in Frys

Posted in: motorola, Today's Chili

Motorola_modem_sb6120.png
Motorola this week agreed to sell its DOCSIS 3.0-certified Motorola
SURFboard SB6120 cable modems through Fry’s Electronics stores. This is
the first time consumers will have access to DOCSIS 3.0 modems,
previously available only to cable operators. Internet users will be
able to increase download/upload speeds up to 4 times faster with
DOCSIS 3.0 modems.

The DOCSIS standard was developed in the late 90’s and was quickly
adopted by every cable service provider in the U.S. Today, cable
operators use the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications
(DOCSIS) to provide data access through the cable modem termination
system (CMTS). This system combines data packets with RF signals so
that homes can receive Internet and cable TV signals over the coaxial
cables.

The CMTS is also capable of filtering and shaping network traffic,
so providers can control the amount of data and speed of the cable
network. Cable service providers can also provide VoIP-based phone
service through CMTS. VoIP is offered through a piece of equipment
called the embedded multimedia terminal adapter (EMTA). The VoIP
service requires high speed Internet.

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Jun 02

Sony’s E3 Keynote Liveblog Archive

Posted in: e3, LiveBlog, playstation, ps3, psp, sony, Today's Chili, top

Sony’s E3 press conference is about to start, and we’re here waiting to see what they’ll announce. PSP Go!? PS3 Slim? Who knows?! We’re starting now.

Archive below:

11:00 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We just cabbed it across LA, and we’re at the Shrine Auditorium, ready to liveblog Sony’s press conference. Wow this was bad corporate planning. Anyone waiting on a bus from Nintendo won’t make it if Sony starts in time…one minute from now.

11:07 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So what will we see from Sony. The PSP Go!? Yeah, seems like a sure thing. The PS3 Slim? Seems likely. A Sony motion controller? That’s anyone’s guess.

11:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Matt thinks PS3 Slim will show. I think it sort of needs to now, given that it’s already leaked.

11:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Sony’s three-part screen is epically wide.

11:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I’m really enjoying this blockbuster presentation. Loud rock. Big images. It makes Nintendo’s modest presentation look so…quaint.

11:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:12 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Last year Sony used a boatload of LCDs, this year, they went all out projection. I want this in my house…but you know, playing movies and stuff, not just PS3/PSP game clips.

11:13 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The intro clip is over. Crowd is louder now. And Jack Tretton, President and CEO struts to the stage.

11:13 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
HA, and he immediately refers to the leaks, thanking everyone for still showing up. “Press leaks are no exception, we’re not going to be outdone by anybody.”

11:15 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
His stage presence is better than Reggie’s. He reminds me of Peter Moore in his prime for Microsoft. Confident and swaggering.

11:15 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Peter Moore is still the man, btw.

11:16 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack, let’s not be formal about his name, it teasing a big lineup. Including Heavy Rain, a game I’m pretty excited about, from the makers of Indigo Prophecy.

11:16 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:17 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now we’ve moved to the PS2. Jack’s talking about the $99 pricepoint, its global strength. Sony sees the PS2 as existing beyond 10 years, as long as consumers are interested.

11:18 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now we’re on to the PS3. 22 million PS3s sold last year.

11:19 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
What about PlayStation Network? 24 million registered accounts (how many of them active?).

11:19 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:20 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack gives a shoutout to inFamous, a much-needed highly praised Sony exclusive.

11:21 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Naughty Dog comes to stage to show us Uncharted 2. Let’s see this thing so we can get on with the hardware!

11:21 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta launches tonight, but they’re gonna show us some of the game now.

11:22 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We’re watching a realtime playthrough. The landscape is urban, and much bigger than the old Uncharted. The graphics are colorful, but they are tough to judge on this huge of a screen. “Holy shit!” It’s a helicopter. Be careful!

11:23 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Huge chase sequence. Lots of cheers…from people I’m assuming were planted by Sony. But the game still looks fun. That helicopter just isn’t giving up!

11:24 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
More on Uncharted 2 over at Kotaku, of course.

11:24 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:25 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So now police types are chasing our hero through a building. And who knew that a wooden desk could block high caliber bullets.

11:25 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The cip is over. Jack is back – where’s a TM symbol when you need one?

11:26 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
“I’m excited about this game for not just one reason, but 256 reasons.” He’s going to show us MAG, teased last year, a huge war MMO.

11:28 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The graphics are not as nice as Uncharted, somewhere between PS2 and PS3, but what do you expect if they’re pulling off this many players on one map?

11:28 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:29 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
A soldier is on the ground. A jet flies idly overhead. The team needs to assault a bunker in this brown and tan landscape.

11:30 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The most striking feature is actually the audio, or lack thereof. Despite the massive battle (of about 30 people in close proximity) you only hear a few audio tracks. I hope they beef this up a bit, but of course, too much audio would be pure cacophony.

11:31 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:31 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I see no lag in any of the helicopters or ground troops, though who knows how this is all networked. An airstrike is called in. I want this louder! Otherwise, not looking bad. Also, it will be playable, with 256 players, on the show floor. Moving on…

11:32 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack’s mic went out for a moment. No bigs. He’s back, talking about the PSP.

11:33 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
He’s running through the small handful of excellent AAA titles on the PSP. Let’s hear about the Go!, Jack!

11:33 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
HANNAH MONTANA BUNDLE WITH LILAC PSP!

11:35 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Kaz Hirai comes to the stage.

11:35 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:35 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Sony asked “how could we make the PSP better.” The next step?

11:35 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The PSP Go!

11:36 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It’s identical to the leak, thicker than I imagined when spun in virtual 3D.

11:36 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
There is no second analog. It will not replace the 3000 or UMD.

11:37 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
“Great screen, same great operating system…plays great games.” The PSP Go is more than 50% smaller and 40% lighter than original PSP.

11:37 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:37 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
16GB internal flash, Wi-Fi…

11:37 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Sliding keyboard, Bluetooth, M2 memory port…just as leaked.

11:38 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Today, “we’re launching a new application to launch the PlayStation store on the PC.” It’s called Media Go.

11:38 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:38 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:39 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
A new application called Sense Me (for PSP) has 12-tone audio recognition system, plays playlist based upon moods you select. Coming this fall.

11:39 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
PSP toolkits will be reduced 80% in price for developers.

11:40 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
All PSP titles going forward will be digitally distributed in PS Store, and UMD.

11:40 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:40 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
All of the services and features are on PSP and PSP Go!

11:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
PSP Go! available at $249 and 249 euros October 1st in NA and Europe.

11:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We get it a month earlier than Japan, who gets the hardware November 1st.

11:42 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Kaz is moving on to the video delivery service. It has more than 1900 and 9400 TV Shows. Starting today, it will be available natively on the PSP too.

11:42 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:42 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Showtime, G4, Magnolia, all these people are coming to the PS (Video) Store.

11:42 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
“But our news does not stop there…”

11:43 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:43 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Kazunouri Yamauchi comes to stage to promote Gran Turismo for PSP.

11:44 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:44 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
He’s explaining, through the help of a translator, his game that runs at 60fps on the PSP platform and will hold 800 cars along with 35 tracks.

11:46 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
More details over at Kotaku

11:48 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So…what do you think about the PSP Go!? I understand (and respect) Sony’s need for a unified platform, but screw the PSP, I want a second analog so I can play FPSs.

11:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The lights dim for a Gran Turismo video…that includes lots of pretty footage of the Go! UGH, why can’t this have one more analog?? I actually like the Mylo-esque design. Why Sony? Why?

11:50 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Kaz returns to the stage, reminding us that Gran Turismo titles have sold over 50 million units worldwide.

11:50 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And now, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.

11:50 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:51 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So…this is a different game than we saw at Microsoft the other day. But here’s Hideo Kojima, maker of MGS, again!

11:51 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Note: MGS Peace Walker is a PSP title, not PS3.

11:52 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:53 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I admit it, there is nothing more confusing to me in this whole world than the Metal Gear canon. Kojima is reminding us that it fits in with the MGS timeline, somehow, in a very legitimate way.

11:54 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now we’re watching a Peace Walker trailer. There’s a lot of vintage-looking video paired with a mysterious, gravely voice over.

11:55 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now some gamepla footage. It looks…like an MGS title on the PSP. The chroma’s been cranked a bit, but otherwise, still lotsa jaggies.

11:56 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And incidentally, there are like 4 Snakes onscreen at once in multiplayer

11:57 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:57 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Haha, and as a kicker, Snake crawls behind a guard, whips out a box and hides. Then, ANOTHER snake crawls behind the guard, hides under the same box. Now Kaz returns.

11:57 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

11:57 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We’re almost an hour in to the presser. Is there room left for more announcements?

11:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nope, Kaz ends the press conference. That’s it! Wait…now Jack returned to stage. It may have been a fake-out. Yes, it seems Jack is continuing the press conference. Damn that Kaz and his authoritative presence.

11:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Resident Evil is coming to the PSP, Jack explains, along with a bunch of other titles…including HANNAH MONTANA! Big cheers for her. Jack responded, “Yeah, I knew I’d get you with that one.”

12:00 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:01 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We’re watching a PSP promo video, btw. It’s alright I guess.

12:02 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
This is great. The sausage-dominated crowd keeps cheering for the pink/girly games.

12:03 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Ooh, white PSP Go!

12:03 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:04 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack is back, again. He’s explaining why PSN is great.

12:05 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oh right, PlayStation Home. Now they’re talking about PlayStation Home. I’d literally forgotten that Sony might bring it up.

12:06 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Could Sony announced anything re:Home right now that would pique your interest?

12:07 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We’re watching a Home promo video in which conservative people in suits walk through doors and magically transition into funky digital avatars. My personal favorite? A confident female CEO-type becoming Chun Li.

12:08 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
If “meh” manifested as an applause, I just heard it.

12:08 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:10 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now onto a PS3 promo video. These videos become so monotonous, presented in the exact same style. No one can be paying attention at this point. Scratch that, someone is recording video in front of us.

12:10 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:11 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I keep expecting the video to be over, then it’s not.

12:12 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Seriously, it’s as if the audio designer purposefully planted musical phrases to mislead the audience while Sony showed us every game that ever has been or will be on the PS3 platform.

12:13 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Maybe Kotaku has some insight as to the nature of Sony’s video editing.

12:14 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Alright, the full feature PS3 film has ended and Jack is Back talking about Rockstar, makers of Grand Theft Auto.

12:14 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Agent, made by Rockstar North, is an exclusive coming to PS3.

12:15 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It’s a 70s-themed…logo, apparently. We aren’t hearing anything more about Agent right now. Instead, Ubisoft is going to show us Assassin’s Creed 2.

12:16 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Ubisoft is so French. I mean, so Freedom.

12:16 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Wow, the game looks good though. The crowd, fuller than before, is full of people wearing unique, individual garments.

12:18 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:18 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Ooh, da Vinci’s flying machine makes an appearance, flying around Venice fluidly. The game looks very pretty, implementing motion blur touched up with just the gentlest brush of bloom lighting.

12:18 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:20 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now we’re seeing some battles. You know what this reminds me of? Heavenly Sword. Something about the new movement qualities of the game that I don’t think were deployed in the first version.

12:20 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And that’s that for Assassin’s Creed 2.

12:21 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Look for the PS3 and PSP versions of Assassin’s this holiday season.

12:23 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now for a Square Enix video. I was going to be sarcastic, but the techie art direction is actually pretty hot.

12:23 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:24 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We’re watching footage from Final Fantasy XIII Versus, btw.

12:25 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Final Fantasy XIII. That’s 14! We’re about to see it.

12:26 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It’s PlayStation exclusive in 2010.

12:27 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
What can I say? It looks like a new Final Fantasy game. And the crowd goes wild.

12:27 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:27 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack: “So there’s one that didn’t leak out, huh?”

12:27 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack is teasing motion control gaming.

12:28 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:28 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
“We’re working to create an experience that is much closer to real life than anything you have ever seen.”

12:28 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
He invited the creative forces behind the “PlayStation Motion Controller” to the stage.

12:29 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
“It far surpasses anything on the market now.”

12:29 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They are holding an engineering prototype that has a bright purple flowing sphere, trackable by the PS Eye.

12:30 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And they’re going to show us 100% live tech demos, no precut videos.

12:30 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We’re watching a virtual Motion Controller tracked onscreen. The controller is moving VERY fluidly on the screen. It’s perfect. Like 60fps.

12:31 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Wow, now it’s a tennis racket onscreen.

12:31 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:31 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And now a bat. And now a club. And now a stop sign…that hit a tennis ball. This is a great demo.

12:31 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:32 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And now a mace. This is like perfect 1:1. And the virtual objects are very tight. I’m impressed. Very impressed.

12:32 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:32 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Then they switched the perspective of the virtual object to an FPS. AWESOME.

12:34 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:34 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And the device has a trigger, just for FPSs.
12:34 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:34 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They’re showing a ton of virtual objects. This is a tech demo, but it’s robust.

12:34 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:34 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
But what about drawing? Hell, what about writing? The device is tracked with “sub millimeter accuracy.”

12:35 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:35 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:35 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
This is the best motion control demo I’ve ever seen. It works perfectly. I’m just not spotting flaws.

12:36 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:36 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I want to play with this right now. Now they’re showing an RTS tank game. Then, they cut to an FPS perspective putting the viewer into a tank. So cool.

12:37 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:37 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:38 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:39 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now for something more complex. What about a full model holding a sword and shield? The swipes and thrusts as it cuts up a skeleton. This character is ever so less fluid than the other demos, but still excellent. Oh, and now ninja stars are being thrown. And now archery! This archery demo pwns what Nintendo showed off earlier. From the first person focus shift to the camera, to the smooth animation, it’s the best arrow simulation I’ve ever seen. Once again, “perfect” comes to mind.

12:39 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:39 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
“We’re looking forward to sharing more about the motion controller with you in the near future.”

12:40 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Spring 2010 release on motion controller.

12:41 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:42 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
While Jack talks about LittleBigPlanet, I’m going to fanboy out a bit more about the motion controller. Maybe it’s not the 1:1 tracking technology, maybe it’s just the HD and physics capabilities of the PS3. But it looked at least a generation better than Wii MotionPlus. Then again, not coming until Spring 2010, it probably should be.

12:43 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Matt on PS3 motion controls: “It’s Wii to the max.” That’s gonna end up on a Sony poster somewhere, but I can’t disagree with him.

12:43 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
BTW, more on ModNation Racers, which I’m not covering at the moment, at Kotaku.

12:46 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They’re still talking about this ModNation Racers game.

12:46 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:49 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
STILL watching the damn ModNation Racers.

12:50 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
ModNation has gotten more face time than any other thing Sony’s presented today.

12:51 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack is now about to offer us a “sneak peek” at a new title, from the maker of Shadow of the Colossus.

12:52 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It’s called The Last Guardian.

12:53 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
A little boy is running from something. And now we see it, a huge feathered cat. It grabs the boy from a ledge, saving him from death. Maybe this cat isn’t so bad!

12:53 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:54 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Interesting art design: The boy is a textureless cartoon, while the world around him is more realistic.

12:54 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The relationship between the boy and this beast is remarkably touching, even in a short clip. The crowd doesn’t clap all at once. They need a moment.

12:57 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

12:57 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now for some Gran Turismo promo video action. There is either a lot of prerendering going on, or the game is photorealistic at 60fps.

12:59 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Next up? A live demo of God of War III.

1:00 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

1:00 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Kratos is running around, doing his thing in a nice looking but not so surprisingly detailed environment.

1:01 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Uh oh…a Titan has crawled out of lava. This can’t be good.

1:04 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

1:05 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Anyway, GoW III is OK. It’ll be fun. I’m sure fans will like it. But it’s pretty similar to the scale of GoW II. It doesn’t feel like much more than a graphical boost.

1:06 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
March 2010 on God of War III.

1:06 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack is back on stage, wrapping things up.

1:07 PM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

1:07 PM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Jack: “I promise we will not become complacent no matter what we have accomplished.” And with that, the event is over. Later guys.

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Jun 02

Belkin TuneBase Brings In-Car iPhone Goodness

Posted in: iPhone, ipod, MP3 Digital Audio, Music, Today's Chili

Belkin_TuneBase_FM.jpg

Belkin has launched two new products, called TuneBase FM and TuneBase Direct, that let iPhone owners make and receive hands-free calls or listen to music while in the car. The two units play iTunes tracks over the car’s stereo speakers–and then fade the music out whenever a call comes in, which is also routed through the stereo. In addition, both TuneBase products can be used while the iPhone is still in its cradle. Both units also support landscape and portrait orientation for turn-by-turn directions or videos.

TuneBase Direct connects to your newer car stereo’s auxiliary input using a 3.5mm cable, and also charges your iPhone so the battery doesn’t run out. TuneBase FM goes the old-fashioned FM transmitter route, which usually sounds like crap and is subject to interference in cities with lots of radio stations. It also charges the iPhone, and has a ClearScan feature for finding the clearest FM signal to use for music transmission. TuneBase Direct will be available in the next few weeks for $69.99 including a 3.5mm cable, while TuneBase FM will drop in July for $89.99.
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Jun 02

T-Mobile USA: next Android set coming “early summer”

Posted in: Android, breaking news, BreakingNews, HTC, t-mobile, t-mobile usa, T-mobileUsa, Today's Chili

By our calendars, “early summer” is pretty much now — so we’re excited to hear that T-Mobile USA has officially announced its plans to release its next Android-powered device in that timeframe. The carrier isn’t saying what that phone is, but if we were the betting type, our money would be on a carrier-branded version of the HTC Magic / Google Ion — possibly to be called the myTouch 3G — especially since it’s been rumored for eons and we now have unlocked AWS versions of the phone out and about. Stay tuned as we find out more.

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T-Mobile USA: next Android set coming “early summer” originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 02

Cheap Geek: Olympus Camera, Nokia Internet Tablet, JVC Video Camera

Posted in: digital camera, nokia, olympus, Today's Chili

OlympusFE20.jpg

I’m going to try to include fewer Flash drives in Cheap Geek going forward, and just assume that anyone who ever wanted a Flash drive probably has three of them.

So if you see a Flash drive in this space, just know that it’s a really slow day for deals. Or else I changed my mind.

1. I hear you; you’re saying, “I’d love a fancy schmancy digital camera for my summer vacation in Cancun, one with at least 8 megapixels, but who’s got $100 to spend?” Well, amigo, Office Max has you covered. Grab an Olympus FE-20 for the mind-bendingly low price of $69.99. It’s got 3X optical zoom and face-tracking. If you buy this by June 6, you get a free “starter kit,” a mystery prize that Office Max doesn’t define.

2. More than a PDA, less than a notebook, and, now, less than $200. Buy.com has the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet for $199.99, with free shipping. Use this WiFi-connected device to stay in touch and get work done when you don’t want a large notebook weighing down your bag.

3. Prices are dropping on home video. Buy.com has the JVC MiniDV Camcorder for $149.99, and that also includes free shipping. Besides using versatile miniDV tapes for recording, this video camera has a 30x optical zoom and a 115 minute battery.

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Jun 02

Bottle Innovation: I LOHAS from Coca-Cola Twists for the Environment

Posted in: eco, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, marketing, MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS, Today's Chili

There’s a lot that can be done with PET bottle shapes, from sexier versions to the manipulated artistic pieces below. The bottles can communicate ingredients, emotion, or positive effects on the body purely by the bottle design and shape.

pet bottle art japan

New from Coca-Cola Japan, l LOHAS is jumping in on the Eco bandwagon with a bottled water that makes an environmental stand (at least marketing-wise) with its bottle design that twists up neatly into a 12 gram piece of plastic that is said to be 40% less than other PET bottles.

i lohas coca-cola

The marketing push makes the consumption process into three easy steps: Buy the water, Drink up, Twist up and dispose. Not too different from most other drinks, except for the twisting part which makes the waste noticeably smaller than your average PET bottle. While it may not make a tremendous difference in terms of waste (though it’s certainly space-saving), it does lend itself to a certain spirit of ecology that is making its way into Japanese society.

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Jun 02

Mobinnova Lightweight Netbook Promises Video Thrills

Posted in: netbook, Notebooks, NVIDIA, tegra, Today's Chili

mobinnova-elanTaiwanese company Mobinnova announced a new netbook that it claims is the size of a hardcover book, weighs less than 2 pounds and can offer five to ten hours of high-definition video playback.

The netbook called élan has an 8.9-inch screen and includes Nvidia’s Tegra computer-on-a-chip platform that promises to significantly boost audio and video capabilities.

“It offers 720p high-definition video playback, full Internet browsing and an impressive battery life,” said KC Kuo, chairman and CEO of Mobinnova in a statement. “It’s a real game changer.”

Tegra, targeted at cellphones and mobile internet devices, has multiple processors including a 800 MHz ARM CPU, a HD video processor, an imaging processor, an audio processor and an ultra-low power GeForce GPU in a single package, says Nvidia.

The élan netbook also includes 3G and Wi-Fi capability. But no word yet on pricing or availability.

Mobinnova Press Release

Photo: Mobinnova


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Jun 02

Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor detects your pulse

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, controller, e3, nintendo, Today's Chili, wii

And it looks like Nintendo’s answer to Microsoft’s Project Natal is… a pulse detector. Yep, Ninty’s just announced the Wii Vitality Sensor, a finger sensor which attaches to the Wiimote to read your pulse. Details on how the accessory is going to be used in games are pretty vague, but it appears the idea is to check stress, help you relax, and just generally chill out and be groovy. That won’t happen for a while yet, though: the Vitality Sensor was described as a “look into the future,” so we’re guessing we’ve got a wait in store.

Update: Check out the full press release here.

Continue reading Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor detects your pulse

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Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor detects your pulse originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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