I’m a huge music lover and as such I’m always looking out for the latest and greatest pair of headphones that can provide me the greatest quality of audio. Sometimes it’s not always in the most expensive pair, but there’s lots of trial and error until you find the brand you’re most comfortable with. Because price is such an issue can be hard to justify the purchase of a $300+ pair of headphones when the money is tight, so the release of these new Kicker headphones is definitely timely.
The new Kicker HP1973 Over-the-Eat Headphones are a great buy for a mid-range pair of headphones. Having hard a pair of Kickers in the past, these headphones are sure to get you the sound you’re looking for without breaking the bank. The classic retro look is being promoted to both music lovers and musicians alike for any of their needs. They feature a lightweight over-the-ear design, padded headband, black braided cloth cable, a 3.5mm iPhone-compatible plug, and a sleek black paint job.
The inspiration for the design is stated in the name, 1973, when the only way to hear great music was with a pair of cans like these. The dynamic full range of audio will, as they say, hit all the highs and lows of your favorite tunes. Coming in at $70, it’s a fair price to ask for style and substance.
It was about a month ago that I saw a post online for a Batman motorcycle called the “Batpod” which was created, butnot street legal. While the image of riding in the night with my sense of vigilante justice firm in hand sounded like the beginning of a great night, the fact that it didn’t really do anything was a huge drawback. Nevertheless the geek in me rejoiced at the face that people were actually taking these concepts and making them a reality.
Today while surfing the web I found that someone had taken a concept from the movie Tron, and made it a reality. Below is a real life Lighcycle from the movie. The same company that created the “Batpod” is not creating Tron Lightcycles and the bonus is that these designs are street legal and ready to roll off the assembly line. The catch? It has a $35,000 price tag attached.
While many of us wait with heavy anticipation for the next chapter in the Tron series to be released this coming December, we can feast our eyes on this beauty which comes full stocked with “custom 22-inch hubless wheels, custom Hoosier tires, electric or gasoline motors, two-inch hardened steel frames, carbon fiber/fiberglass bodies, and neon hidden behind frosted plexiglass for the accent colors.”
The designers claim that every serious order, with partial payment placed ahead of time will get a YouTube link to keep track of their cycle’s development. The time it takes from contract to completion is stated to be 6-8 weeks.
Dig in your couches folks. These cycles were meant to ride. What do you think?
Laptops are becoming so 10 years ago, netbooks are becoming so 3 years ago, tablets are now becoming a dime a dozen. Not to say that any of the aforementioned devices have reached their peak or are going away anytime soon, but it seems in the race for innovation and style, the resurgence of tablet love has grown thanks to Apple’s iPad. The world seems to be on an iPad craze, but there are still many, even amongst the supporters, that wish it did more.
Perhaps Toshiba has created that “more” device in the recently announced Toshiba libretto W100. What looks like the bizzarre love child between a Nintendo DS and a netbook, the Toshiba libretto offers a dual touchscreen interface to create an experience unlike any other. The libretto sports two 7-inch touchscreens inside a 1.5lb laptop-like form. There is no traditional keyboard, rather, the device makes use of a virtual keyboard instead, Bluetooth 2.1, and a built in webcam.
The libretto also offers viewing in both the traditional landscape mode (think traditional netbook) and portrait mode providing a variety of unique viewing experiences depending on the type of content the user is viewing. The portability factor is a huge plus considering the iPad does not fold or close, this device becomes even more appealing once it’s closed as seen in the image below.
A variety of mobile services have started to infiltrate the mobile space in the past few years, disrupting the traditional model of how we used to interact with television. With advents of tools like TiVO, Hulu, Netflix, and even Redbox, the audience is no longer locked down to timed/scheduled television, rather focusing on offset viewing, enjoying the level of control they have over when and where THEY choose to watch the content.
Recently, Flo TV was released to keep viewers connected to channels like ESPN, ABC, CBS, and Comedy Central so that while you’re on the go, you never miss a show. The service claims the push can go to your mobile device, personal TV, car TV and more. It appears that Flo TV is a truly integrated service.
Flo TV recently announced the release of their personal TV which allows viewers to take a 3.5 inch touchscreen anywhere they go. The device, estimated to cost $200, comes with a built in stand for surface top watching and built in speakers. The device comes with program reminders so you never miss your favorite programming along with parental controls if you choose to use it as a household viewing device. Currently the viewing time stands at 5 hours of straight watching on a single full charge.
Currently the big draw is that Flo TV service has built a World Cup channel where fans can watch all their favorite games either live or in archive to relive the passion and excitement.
We’ve probably all heard of internet dating sites and the success stories for a few people here and there. Sites like E-harmony and Match.com claim to be the premier dating sites matching hundreds of thousands of people. I think we all know how it works, we create a profile, we submit a photo, we include our preferences and hope for the best.
All things considered, if you’ve used a dating site in the past did you ever put that you were an Apple enthusiast hoping to find someone that was just as much of a fan as you? Well chances are those sites don’t rank too high in connecting star crossed Apple lovers, but now Apple fans have something to swoon over.
Cupidino, a play off the Cupertino, CA based Apple, Inc., is a beta dating site created specifically for Apple fans. Now your brand new iMac could be the thing that brings the love of your life into your REAL life. When was the last time you heard iPods bringing people together? Well if you said never, that might change.
“So far, Apple hasn’t taken issue with the similarities. Sampat said he received an e-mail from Apple’s business development team in San Francisco, which basically said it was aware of Cupidtino and to let the group know if he needed any help. Apple spokeswoman Kristin Shuguet said the company had no comment.” – Article on Slice of Sci-fi
The site was initially free, but as of Wednesday, will charge $5/mo for people to be a part of the network. Currently the site has attracted over 16,000 fanboys and fangirls looking for that special someone to share their sweet Apple love. As if your love for Apple was not exclusive criteria alone, the site also only works on Apple related browsers and devices. Attempting to access the site via a Windows machine will take you to a humorous “I’m a Mac-like” ads that inform users that the site is 0ff-limits.
E3 has been a veritable treasure trove of announcements, especially in a time where the consoles are fighting it out for supremacy for a new year. Nintendo was sure not to be left behind, as the innovator in console gaming released information on the Nintendo 3DS as well as a small lineup of games.
Now, it can’t go without saying that Nintendo has released so many iterations of it’s hand held system that many are hesitant to pick up new devices knowing that another is sure to follow. Still, that being said, fanboys are fanboys and the Nintendo 3DS is an experience that many of us are excited to explore.
The Nintendo 3DS will come with a 3-D capable top and bottom 3.5 inch screen, a motion sensor, gyro, an analog nub, and three cameras. The system also has some premier titles attached including Kid Icarus, Mario Kart, Ridge Racer, and Kingdom Hearts. No special glasses are required to play on the system, and Nintendo is confident that the new system will be the future of gaming, at least in the mobile space.
What are your thoughts on the 3DS? Is Nintendo pushing too hard with yet another iteration of hit’s mobile system or is it something you welcome and wait for with anticipation?
Two years ago I wrote an article on the major updates made to the Flock browser and the impact it would have on social search
Flock, the social browser, is not built on Chrome.
and browsing. Since then Flock, the social browser, has always been that fringe browser that a few people used but didn’t grab the audience it was hoping for. What did help Flock was the fact that it was built on the Firefox browser framework which made it easy to develop for since it was open source. The Flock browser allowed for many unique plug-ins very similar to Firefox, thus offering a seamless user interactive experience with the added bonus of social networking.
This week a huge announcement was made that Flock was leaving the Firefox backbone and moving to Chrome. Touted as a social browser there is definitely something to love about it, but does it really know where it wants to go? The interface has undergone a drastic overhaul moving away from the complex menus and tabs and moving more towards a simple interface with fully customizable group and friend options.
In a world where social platforms like Tweetdeck, Seesmic, and Hootsuite have been integrated into desktops and/or browsers, it feels like Flock is still running too many steps behind. Has Flock lost its luster? Perhaps, but there’s nothing wrong with reinventing yourself.
OnLive was first mentioned some time ago much to the disbelief of many in the gaming industry. The concept of being able to play any game online without installing and using physical media created a level playing field for anyone who wanted to access games, regardless of platform or location. Recently OnLive announced it would officially launch on June 17th, literally in a matter of days. Access to high profile games like Dragon Age Online, Just Cause 2, Assassins Creed II, and so many more, the rush of the masses is almost guaranteed.
OnLive offers cloud gaming services for some of the most popular titles.
In a partnership with AT&T, OnLive is offering founding members free membership for an entire year, and then charging an optional 2nd year at $4.95/month. Sounds like they are really looking at ramping up a fanbase, and with this kind of offer, it just might work.
How do you become a founding member?
If you sign-up on OnLive’s page, gamers will be chosen at random to be a part of this opportunity provided they meet the qualifications (which are pretty standard based on what I’ve seen). The idea has had fans waiting anxiously for the cloud gaming service, and while system tests are provided via the site, it could change the way future console games are released.
Could this be the service that acts as the console killer? I personally don’t think so. There’s a huge number of gamers that don’t care for gaming online, and unless you connect your computer to your TV, it’s just not comfortable to sit in your computer chair for long periods of time. I personally prefer the couch or soft chair if I plan on gaming for a long time. But only time will tell what the gaming fans think once OnLive is launched.
fforward is the new show hosted by Kevin Rose.
It was reported earlier this week that Kevin Rose, co-founder of Digg, and co-host for the massively popular show, Diggnation, would be stepping down after five years of instigating laughs, on air pranks, and general fandom news based around his site. What is to become of Diggnation is apparently up in the air as c0-host Alex Albrecht is still attached to the project, but for Rose, it’s time to move on.
Rose, who is trading in his five years with Diggnation for greener pastures and new opportunities has already announced a new show, titled ffwoard (pronounced “forward”). Thus far Revision3 will be the home for the new show and in a change to what Rose is familiar with, the show will be recorded and aired LIVE.
According to sources, fforward claims to be a tech/geek culture show where Rose will be able to interact live with fans, and there are many, along with having rotating guest hosts, how-to’s, and product demos. There’s no doubt that thus far Rose has a huge following, the question is whether they will transfer their allegiance to a new show.
Only time will tell, but one this is for sure, travel time for both Alex (based in L.A.) and Rose (based in San Francisco) will be greatly reduced. Are you amped for fforward? Get in on the launch announcements by visiting the site and signing up.
Foursquare partnered with CNN to release two World Cup badges.
It was announced this Tuesday that the World Cup and Foursquare had teamed up to release a special World Cup badge on the geo-location network. The announcement came at the Mashable Media Summit in New York by Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley and Adam Ostrow, editor-in-chief of Mashable tech blog. In partnership with CNN the two new badges have been released and are awaiting the fans to achieve them.
The first badge is the South Africa Explorer which can be achieved if you travel to South Africa for the World Cup and announce it to your friends. Can’t make it? No worries, the second badge, Super Fan, is meant for those of us that attend an archived World Cup viewing party. Currently there are 100 parties registered, perhaps one is in your area and the Super Fan badge is within your grasp.
This is not entirely new for the location based startup. In the past Foursquare has partnered with Bravo, SXSW, and various other conventions and special events for specific badges. The marketing and business opportunities for this type of location based marketing is still untapped and being explored by those brave enough to try it out.
In an interesting commented based on a user submitted question, Crowley stated that Foursquare is closely guarding the creation of badges despite the request from small businesses to create their own badges. The purpose for this is to prevent the dilution of the badge opportunities and keep the value high for all users.
