Posts tagged Top
Google Serves Up Free Wi-Fi at 47 Airports for the Holidays [Wi-Fi]
Nov 10th
Holiday season air travel just got a little less crappy—freebie access starts today, and runs through to January 15. Read on for the full list of airports, and info on free Wi-Fi promos from Yahoo and Microsoft, too.
You may also remember that Google already said it would foot the bill for Virgin America Wi-Fi during the same period.
The catch? Once you log into the network, you’ll be pestered if you want to set Google to your homepage or try Google Chrome. But that’s it. I can deal with that. You’ll also have the option to make a donation to Engineers Without Borders, the One Economy Corporation or the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Read the rest of this entry »
Giz Explains: Android, and How It Will Take Over the World [Giz Explains]
Nov 6th
This week we met Motorola’s Droid, the first handset with Android 2.0. To an outsider, it just looks like another Google smartphone, but 2.0 is more than that: it’s proof that Android is finally going to take over the world.
So Wait, What Is Android, Exactly?
In Google’s words, it’s “the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices.” That doesn’t mean much, so here’s a breakdown: It’s a Linux-based, open-source mobile OS, complete with a custom window manager, modified Linux 2.6 kernel, WebKit-based browser and built-in camera, calendar, messaging, dialer, calculator, media player and album apps. If that sounds a little sparse, that’s because it is: Android on its own doesn’t amount to a whole lot; in fact, a phone with plain vanilla Android wouldn’t feel like a smartphone at all. Thankfully, these phones don’t exist. Read the rest of this entry »
Olympus E-P2: Flashier than the E-P1, But Still No Flash [Cameras]
Nov 5th
If there’s one wonderful thing about the newly announced Olympus E-P2, it’s that it will probably make the E-P1 cheaper. If there are two or more wonderful things…well, read on.
The Olympus E-P2 is less a sequel to the E-P1 micro four thirds camera and more a refinement of the original idea. It’s basically the same size as the E-P1 (a hair taller, actually), and snaps shots with the same 12.3MP sensor. There’s still no integrated flash, and the retro stainless steel body has been coated with black paint (not having seen the E-P2 in person, I still think I may prefer the original) much like the similar Panasonic GF1. Read the rest of this entry »
Apple Tablet Will Restore Comic Books To Former Glory [Apple Tablet]
Oct 27th
“What is it in France they say? ‘America contributed three things to culture: jazz, musical comedy and comic books.’” You can already buy two on iTunes. And if things pan out, you’ll be get the third on the Apple tablet. Read the rest of this entry »
Netflix Streaming on PS3: Coming Soon [NetFlix]
Oct 26th
Uh, holy crap? As prayed/predicated, Netflix streaming will be available “later this year” on the PS3. Like the Xbox 360, it’ll be free with the $8.99-a-month plan. Unlike the 360, you’ll enable Netflix via an “instant streaming Blu-ray disc.”
Apparently, the free disc activates the Netflix mojo via BD-Live, in what must be the best use of BD-Live ever. It looks like you’ll be able to pick out movies or throw stuff into your queue using an onscreen interface, so there’s no going back to the old-school days where you had to add stuff to your queue on your computer before strolling over to your Xbox and TV.
Pop on over to Netflix to reserve the disc now—I have a feeling there’s gonna be a huge demand crush for them. [Netflix, Sony, Thanks Kyle B!]
This Week’s 10 Best iPhone Apps [IPhone Apps]
Oct 24th
In this week’s incidentally infringing app roundup: NASA enters the iPhone’s orbit, Earthworm Jim is ALIVE, your handset learns two tricks it should’ve known already, rhythm gaming goes pro, and Loopt users crudely proposition one another. Read the rest of this entry »
Apple iMac Review: 27 Inches and Less Chin [Apple]
Oct 23rd
In the 10+ years since the iMac was born as Apple’s simple computer, it’s become visibly less of a computer and more of a display. And what a screen this new iMac has.
But First, Simplicity
This 1998 ad with Jeff Goldblum narrating implies there are two physical steps to setting up an iMac. They skipped the mouse and keyboard cable, though. Today, an iMac is set up using just one power cable, depending on wireless networking and bluetooth peripherals to get the rest done.
The LCD
The 27-inch iMac’s screen is the thing to focus on in this revision. It is practically as bright (and more contrasty) than any of the previous iMacs—even Cinema Displays—and it looks astounding. It’s LED-driven so it comes to full luminescence immediately and takes up less power. It also has better side-to-side viewing angle as an IPS tech monitor; like the iMac 24 before it, it goes 178 degrees without much change in color accuracy or brightness. And here’s the kicker: Although it has 19% more area of LCD than the old 24-incher, it has an astounding 60% more pixels. That makes it more pixel dense than any of the Cinema Displays at 109ppi. And with a 2560×1440 resolution it has 90% of the dot count of a 30-inch cinema display. All these stats are great. They sound great, and they make for a powerful picture. But the actual view of the screen leaves me with a positive—but slightly imperfect—impression. Read the rest of this entry »
