Today Apple performed its yearly upgrade to its iMac desktop line (among other things). Apple also introduced a brand new product as well! Let’s dive right into it, shall we?
LOOK AFTER THE BREAK FOR THE BREAKDOWN. Continue reading Get your Apple refresh, hear all about it!
Step aside Amazon Kindle 1, 2, DX and make way for the most innovative and stylish e-reader yet. Barnes & Noble invites us to indulge in what they are calling the Nook, a 11.2 ounce (7.7- x 4.9- x 0.5-inches) e-reader device that will surely change the game in the e-reader realm. Priced at a competitive $259, the Nook features two displays, a top 6 inch e-ink display from Vizplex and a 3.5 inch LCD touchscreen below it. It includes 2GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot for expandable storage (you can load up pictures, music, and personal PDF documents), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microUSB port for charging. B&N claims the Nook will run for up ten days before it needs a recharge (which takes 3.5 hours). And oh yeah, it runs Google’s Android OS.
The Nook allows you to browse the B&N e-book store and choose from over one million titles. Browsing can be done cable-free via Wi-Fi (for free at Barnes & Noble stores, and onlyat B&N stores at launch) and over AT&T’s 3G data service. All books can be previewed for free and most bestsellers and new releases cost $9.99. You can also keep updated with the latest news by receiving newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Nook’s LendMe technology allows you to share your purchased books with others by wirelessly “lending” a copy of your book to their e-reader, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, select Blackberry and Motorola phones, and soon Windows Mobile phones. All you need is the eReader Software (free) installed on your particular device. A lent copy of a book expires after 14 days.
B&N is taking preorders for the Nook today and the expected ship date is November 30. Look after the break for a video demo; see the Nook in action.
Barnes & Noble deserves a round of applause. After waiting in the shadows as companies like Amazon and Sony pumped out e-reader devices year after year, B&N has gone and surprised us all and rocked the e-reader industry with its latest creation in the Nook. Its dual-screen format looks like a winner; easy touchscreen navigation on the bottom and clear, glare-free reading on the top. It’s simple yet efficient design makes B&N’s Nook a new and worthy competitor in my book (pun intended).
Continue reading Barnes & Noble announces Nook, the coolest e-reader yet
Remember that cover image of Marge Simpsonon the latest issue of Playboy? If there were any doubters that it was a fake they will be silenced today. Marge Simpson’s pictorial has been revealed. In addition to the–..hrm..I’m not sure how to describe it..–photo above, be sure to check out the gallery below for the others.
If you like what you see, the November issue of Playboy Magazine is out on newsstands now.
[Via FameCrawler;Reelloop]
After a strong performance in the ratings, Fox’s hit series Glee has given the thumbs up to produce “the back nine.” This is a TV term that means a show has been ordered to create 9 more episodes in addition to the original set of 13. So what does this mean for fans of Glee? There will be a total of 13 + 9 = 22 episodes of Glee this season.
And the great news doesn’t end there. According to EW, creator, director, writer, genius Joss Whedon (Buffy, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible) will be directing one of the back nine episodes! Apparently Whedon is a big fan of the show (who isn’t) and is enthusiastic about helping create a special episode of Glee. Glee creator Ryan Murphy: “Joss directed one of the great musical episodes in the history of television on Buffy, so this is a great, if unexpected, fit. I’m thrilled he’ll be loaning us his fantastic groundbreaking talent.” I, for one, cannot wait to see what Joss has in store for Glee. His brilliance and unique talents will only add to the amazingness that Glee has already become.
APPLE, WATCH OUT. Verizon is taking the battle to you, not AT&T, with this advertisement that is pushing over the airwaves on major networks such as FOX.
The 30 second spot begins with a bunch of “iDon’t” phrases, clearly bashing the Apple iPhone for all the things it can’tdo. This plays alongside an Apple commercial-esque playful tune. About 20 seconds in the viral fun begins. The phrase “Droid Does” forms in a futuristic and mechanistic way and it leaves the viewer with a hint: something is coming in November. Those who closely watched the ad caught the text visible on the bottom of the screen. This is a commercial for Verizon, and, interestingly, Verizon had to state that “Droid is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd., licensed to Verizon.” (It seems as if Mr. George Lucas owns the word “droid.”)
Anyway..after further investigation, all signs point to this being a commercial for Verizon’s first Android-powered cell phone, properly called “Droid.” (For all you fellow techies, its code-name was Sholes.) This device is developed by Motorola and will run Google’s Android operating system, version 2.0. The teaser page includes an “alien counter” that has been decyphered; the timer ends on October 30. Will more information be released about this mystery device on that date? We shall wait and see…
Well, looks like we don’t have to wait thatlong for some new info. The fellas at Boy Genius Report have captured some images of the Motorola Droid. Here’s a summation of their “hands-on:” it runs Android 2.0; it’s very thin (for a QWERTY smartphone); it’s fast; it has a 3.7 inch capacitive display; it runs on a TI OMAP3430 processor; it has a 5-megapixel camera (with flash). Will report on more information as it comes. For now, check out images of the Droid below.
[Via Engadget; Gizmodo, here & here; BGR]
“If you’re a graphic designer or web designer for 5 years or more then you’ll find this very very funny indeed.”
And even if you’re not this video is still brutally funny.
*Beware: Heavy use of expletives.
[Via KanyeBlog]
The first ever Microsoft Store will open this Thursday in Scottdale, Arizona. MS tells customers to “Be entertained,” “Be excited,” and “Be early.” There will be free give-aways and a live performance from who else by “pop superstar” Ashley Tisdale. According to Engadget, the Store will look a little some like this (see the gallery below) and will feature a genius support bar.
[Via Engadget]
Great trailer, spectacular visuals, unique music. In theatres now.
The song featured in this trailer is “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire. Available on iTunes here.
The WaterCar Python goes from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds on land andin water. It is built on a Dodge Ram base and it has a custom fiberglass body. On land it uses an aluminium Corvette LS engine and in water it’s powered by a Dominator jet. The Python is on sale now and is available to the general public for $200,000. Check out additional images below and peek after the break for a video of it in action.
[Via Gizmodo]
Here’s the story in a nutshell. Six-year-old Falcon Heene, or Balloon Boy (as he is being referred to on the interwebs), was thought to have placed himself in a family-constructed helium balloon and let himself loose to roam the dangerous skies of eastern Colorado. Network and cable TV news programs reported on the bizarre footage and quickly garnered a large audience that was captivated by such outlandishness and the hopeful safety of the young child inside. As the balloon flew at fast speeds and nearly missed hitting objects along its path to nowhere, Americans around the nation watched in awe. Eventually the balloon was tracked down and stopped. Frantic citizens, policeman, and an ambulance were on the scene hoping to find Falcon safe inside the balloon. And here’s the best part–Balloon Boy was NEVER in the balloon! The whole time this event was going on Little Falcon was hiding in a box in the attic at his house. Apparently his father had yelled at him for some reason or another, so Falcon decided to release his father’s helium balloon into the sky and hide himself in the attic.
In sum, this kid DUPED us all! He had the entire nation (there were international reports, too) believe that he was in the balloon hovering the skies. Besides TV coverage, social networking sites raged with furor over this event. Facebook users created fan pages for Balloon Boy and the term “Balloon Boy” quickly became a trending topic on Twitter and sat there for a good part of the day. Also, it’s been predicted that Balloon Boy will become a popular Halloween costume this season!
Balloon Boy, kudos to you for pulling off a spectacular stunt on the country. Now it’s time for you to get severely grounded.
UPDATE: In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Falcon is asked why he did not come out of hiding when he heard his parents screaming after him. Falcon admits “You guys [his parents] said that we did this for a show.” When asked for an explanation of this, his father backtracks and does not answer. Hm…this whole mess could be a construed mastermind plan that started with the parents looking for what…media coverage on the family? Look after the break for a snippet of this revealing interview. [Skip to 0:40 for Falcon’s response followed by a faint fart, as pointed out by Gizmodo.]
UPDATE 2: The entire Balloon Boy incident was a HOAX! Why am I not surprised?
Continue reading Balloon Boy captivates America, lives to tell the tale
Let the fellas at Mythbusters show it to you in this rad PSA that captures a sneeze in slow-mo.
[Via Gizmodo]
