This stick is no stooge. It has the brains of a puck, and most of the brawn. But because it’s a stick, it’s cheaper and simpler, and therefore a great option for people new to the whole puck-and-stick game.
Back in the day, I loved to watch some anime. A local TV station had Robotech and Star Blazers on after school and you could bet I was watching. If you are still a big fan of anime content and happen to own a PS Vita, you will love this.
Sony has announced three new apps for the PS Vita are available now. One of them is Crunchyroll and it has all sorts of anime and manga content straight from Japan. It offers content like Naruto Shippuden, Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill, Hunter × Hunter as well as other content.
The coolest part is that some of those shows will have new episodes available to watch only hours after they first air in Japan. Along with that app, NHL GameCenter Live is available now for hockey fans and Qello Concerts has launched for music fans. Coming later this spring, the PS Vita will finally get Hulu Plus and Redbox Instant along with Gaiam TV.
Dustin Evans’ Tesseract case replica may not have the power to destroy worlds or foretell the future, but it can open portals to other realms. Aside from a glowing cube, the case also has a 7″ LCD monitor and a Raspberry Pi running the popular media player XBMC through Raspbian.
Dustin also wrote an Android app to control the LEDs on the case. He also uses his Android phone to send video to the case with the help of AllCast. Dustin also added audio and video outputs to the replica. You’ll see him connect it to a projector in the video below.
Assemble a browser and head to Dustin’s blog for more on his project.
[via Hack A Day]
LED bulbs are a great way to save some power and be more green since they consume much less electricity than standard bulbs. They can also do more than conventional bulbs. Tabu Design makes the cool Lumen Bluetooth LED bulb that we reviewed just a few days ago. One of the issues that might pop up for some with that bulb is that it’s a bit large for smaller lamps.
Tabu has launched its Kickstarter project for a smaller version of that bulb called the LuMini. This bulb is specifically designed to fit completely inside of smaller lamps. Part of how it works its magic is by using a ceramic cooling ring instead of metal fins.
Like the original, this bulb can be controlled via Bluetooth 4.0 using a smartphone app. It has RGB LEDs inside, and can make just about any color light you want. It’s also about half the price of the Lumen.
Unlike the Lumen, the LuMini doesn’t have a dedicated white LED inside. You can get white light from it, but it’s not as bright or pure as the original. The company has stretch goals that will produce other bulb sizes if certain milestones are met. A pledge of $30(USD) or more will get you a bulb in May 2014.
Neil Young has been talking up his forthcoming high-fidelity music service and music player for a few years. That service and the player will now be launching via Kickstarter and it is called PonoMusic. That is a horrible name, each time I see it I think PornoMusic and hum bow-chica-wow-wow to myself.
The device, made by Arye, is said to use zero feedback circuits and a digital filter to stop unnatural pre-ringing. I’m no audiophile, so this is Greek to me. I assume that means it sounds really good. The music player will have a substantial 128GB of storage and the triangular design looks really uncomfortable to carry in a pocket, so it’s probably best used in a backpack.
The 128GB of storage should be enough to store 100 to 500 high-resolution albums. Storage expansion is possible using memory cards. The high-resolution music service promises tracks from top labels and independent labels. The PonoPlayer (bow-chica-wow-wow) will sell for $399(USD), but the price will be discounted for pre-orders.
Young is launching the triangular player on Kickstarter on March 12.
[via Computer Audiophile]
Roku has unveiled a new version of the Streaming Stick that we talked about back in January of 2012. When the original launched a couple years ago, you needed a HDMI port that was MHL enabled. This greatly limited its popularity. The new version is redesigned and appears to work in any HDMI port and is simply called the Roku Streaming Stick (HDMI Version).
While MHL TVs can provide power via their HDMI connector, most sets don’t offer this. The HDMI version has a microUSB port on it, so it can be powered via the included AC adapter, or if you’re fortunate enough to have a TV that puts out enough voltage via its USB ports, you can plug it into one of those.
Aimed squarely at Google’s popular Chromecast, Roku’s new Streaming Stick supports over 1200 channels and gives you all the streaming content from Netflix, Blockbuster, and others that you could want (assuming you subscribe to those services, naturally). The device supports content at resolutions up to 1080p and ships with a new remote, which uses RF signals so you can use it without aiming at the TV.
Roku says that the new compact Streaming Stick is ideal for TVs that are wall mounted. You can pre-order the device in the U.S. now for $49.99(USD) for April delivery.
The Clear View Clio looks more like a modernist picture frame than a Bluetooth speaker. Instead of using traditional cones and their requisite enclosures, this speaker relies on a curved sheet of clear, automotive-grade acrylic to produce sound.
     |
If you have a current generation Roku player and live in the U.S., you can now get a new streaming channel to enjoy. Roku has announced that U.S. owners of its set top boxes can now get access to Showtime Anytime. That means you can watch all your favorite Showtime shows and catch up on past seasons you missed.
Showtime Anytime gives you access to all the series that Showtime offers like Ray Donovan. You can also use Showtime Anytime to watch movies being shown in any given month.
As with Showtime Anytime on any device, you do have to subscribe to Showtime on a participating cable or satellite provider in order to use the service. Participating providers include DirecTV, Time Warner Cable, and several others.
If you are in need of a new tablet that has access to mobile broadband, a new offering is available as of today at Verizon. The Google Nexus 7 tablet has arrived at Verizon and you can get it with or without a contract.
If you are unfamiliar with the Nexus 7 tablet, it has a 7-inch screen with HD resolution and 323ppi. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat and boasts a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. The version being offered up by Verizon is the 4G LTE model with 32GB of storage.
The off-contract price for the tablet is $349.99(USD) with month-to-month service. If you need to cut that purchase price a bit, you can opt for a two year contract for $249.99. The tablet is also offered in a bundle, packing some screen protection, a USB car charger, and a Chromecast for shooting your favorite content to your living room TV. That bundle pack will cost $329.96 with a 2-year contract or $429.96 without.
Wearable technology is still at a very early stage, but we’re seeing more refined and truly useful examples every so often. Bragi’s Dash is the latest example. Calling this tiny pair of devices “headphones” is as fair as calling the iPhone a “phone.”
Yes, Dash is a pair of Bluetooth in-ear headphones. But it’s also a music player on its own, with 4GB of built-in storage for MP3 and AAC files. It also provides noise isolation, which can be adjusted if you want to listen in on your surroundings. Dash also has a microphone and can be used as a headset. But that’s not all.
Dash is also a fitness tracker. Together with its iOS app, it lets you keep an eye on things like your heart rate, calories burned and body temperature. The app also has a convenient Lost Device Tracker, which I’m sure future owners will eventually need.
It will also keep tabs on performance-related stats like the steps you’ve taken, your speed and even your altitude and drop rate.
While you’ll get the most out of Dash if you use its companion app, you’ll be able to control the device through its touch-sensitive surface.
Dash is also shock- and water-resistant, and it lasts up to 4 hours per charge.
Pledge at least $199 (USD) on Kickstarter by March 31 to get Dash as a reward. That’s not cheap, but assuming it can do all of its functions well then it’s a much better deal than most if not all of the fitness trackers that are currently available.
[via GearHungry]
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
