The Review Crew » News

Chevrolet Teams up With OK Go for Latest Viral Music Video

Mike Yawney — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:10:47 +0000

You don’t have to like their music to appreciate their music videos. Ok Go is well known for their carefully thought out videos which often go viral and it’s latest offering is no different.

The group teamed up with Chevrolet for the single Needing/Getting. The video shows the band driving a Chevy Sonic outfitted with retractable pneumatic arms designed to play the instruments as the group sings inside.

The video took 4 months of preparation and 4 days of shooting and recording.

Damian, who is seen driving the vehicle, took stunt driving lessons for this video which has already received more than one million views.

Take a look at it below…

Turn Your E-Waste into Stylish Furniture

Mike Yawney — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:20:54 +0000

If you own a computer there’s a good chance you have a drawer or box somewhere filled with old parts. Keyboards, mice, cables all packed away collecting dust. Designer Rodrigo Alonso must have had the same problem, only he found a creative way to use them; turn them into furniture.

Alonso takes a wide assortment of e-waste and turns them into what he calls N+ew Seats. He takes everything from everything from CDs to keyboards and combines them with an epoxy. The end result is what you see above, a unique chair which acts like an electronic time capsule.

The Chilean artist has made a few different models. In some he has chosen to keep the epoxy transparent while in others he added a hint of colour to give a dramatic effect. Check out some of the other samples below.

After looking at Alonso’s website, it isn’t clear if he’s selling the seats at this point. It appears to be more of an art project at this time.

What do you think?…

Wii U Controller to include NFC Technology

Mike Yawney — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:12:26 +0000

Nintendo’s latest quarterly report didn’t paint a very rosy picture for the company. Profits were down 61 percent from the last quarter, a scary sign since Christmas is traditionally a good time for videogame companies. But Nintendo’s President Satoru Iwata told investors not to panic. The Wii U is just around the corner and Iwata promises it will pack a punch, sporting new technology we haven’t seen in consoles to date, including near field communication.

NFC is a technology which is starting to show up in many smartphones. Small chips are able to communicate with each other through close proximity, essentially they create a virtual handshake and transmit data to eachother. Google Wallet is a prime example where customers can make purchases with their smartphone by bringing their phone near an NFC terminal at the cash register. Nintendo claims this technology is being incorporated into upcoming Wii U.

So how would Nintendo make use of this technology? Iwata says it will be used to “expand the new play format in the video game world”. He suggested…

Latest COD Map Pack a Little Too Elite?

Sean Taylor — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:43:06 +0000

Membership has its privileges, we suppose. But the latest Call Of Duty DLC may be stretching that concept a little far. That is, at least, even according to it’s own EULA.

It turns out that the Call Of Duty Elite map pack that recently became available is locked down to only one profile on the console, says multiple users on various COD forum threads. Which means, if your bro or sis wanted to use the maps packs to boost their own gamerscore, it looks like they’re SOL.

Even under the conditions of the download, “You can use this item on the first Xbox 360 console you downloaded it to. Access to this item will also be granted to all users on this first console.”

We`re sure Activision will have a fix up and running soon, but as of yet… nada.

Canadian Teens Send Lego Man into Space

Mike Yawney — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:12:44 +0000

A couple of Canadian teens are making headlines across the country and around the world after a video they posted on YouTube went viral.

Mathew Ho and his buddy Asad Muhammad came up with a plan to attach a Lego figure to a weather balloon and launch them high into the atmosphere. The pair was inspired by similar projects in the US – so they decided to go ahead with it.

Now they have the video to prove it can be done!

They bought GoPro cameras for cheap on Kijiji and Craigslist, designed a box to carry them up into the the atmosphere, and hand-stitched parachutes to ensure the equipment would bring it safely back down to earth.

The friends were able to track down the balloon 120 kilometers from where it was launched thanks to a GPS cell phone which they installed inside the box.

Take a look at the video below.

Netflix Considers Streaming 3D Content, Continues to Invest in Canada

Mike Yawney — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:54:11 +0000

Netflix has announced its 4th quarter results for 2011 and the news was better than expected. Despite having a rough year south of the border, Netflix managed to gain 220,000 new streaming customers bringing the total to 21.67 million with 1.9 million customers in Canada.

The company was quick to point it made a significant improvement in content for Canadians with the addition of tier one movies such as Black Swan, True Grit and Rango. It also maintained the prospect for growth is exciting enough to continue pushing for tier one titles for Canada which will eat up the prospects of making any sort of profit in our country. In fact Netflix doesn’t expect to begin making money in Canada until at least Q3 of this year.

While 3D titles are already in the mix in the mail-order side of things, Netflix is now considering streaming 3D titles as early as this year. That being said it will not launch video game rentals as promised back in the fall when Netflix announced the ill-fated Qwikster service.

NASA Releases “Most Amazing, Highest Resolution Image of Earth Ever”

Mike Yawney — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:01:48 +0000

Two years ago NASA released “Blue Marble”, a high resolution image of Earth created from thousands of pictures taken from its Terra satellite. Now, two years it has released yet another version, this time at a much higher resolution.

Blue Marble 2012 was created using images from NASA’s new Suomi NPP satellite. Using the satellite’s Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite instrument NASA was able to capture an 8000 x 8000 pixel image of our planet.

NASA is calling it the “most amazing, highest resolution image of Earth ever.” What do you think?

You can download a larger version for your desktop at the link below.

Next Xbox to be Six Times More Powerful?

Mike Yawney — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:02:32 +0000

No one is sure just what Microsoft will call the next generation Xbox, but the folks over at IGN claim to know a bit about the console’s insides.

The website claims the console will pack a GPU based on AMD’s 6000 series of chips and will be six times as powerful as the current Xbox 360 with 20 percent greater performance than Nintendo’s forthcoming Wii U console.

IGN also claims the chip will go into production by the end of the year, with developer kits handed out shortly after.

Microsoft is expected to talk about the console at this year’s E3 in June.

Apple Posts Highest Quarterly Revenue and Earnings Ever

Mike Yawney — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:50:18 +0000

This really should come as no surprise however the numbers truly are staggering. Apple has just announced its first quarter earnings for 2012, reporting $46.33 billion in total sales with $13.06 billion earnings.

In the last 14 weeks of 2011 (first quarter of the 2012 fiscal year) Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 128 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. iPads were just as popular as ever with 15.43 million sold during the quarter, a 111 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. And Mac computers are certainly gaining more market share as 5.2 million were sold, a 26 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter.

The only disappointing news for Apple related to the iPod. While Apple sold 15.4 units that represented a 21 percent decline from the same quarter one year ago.

Essentially Apple is bringing in $1666 profit every second of the day. Wowza!

You’ve Got A Week Before Facebook Timeline Is Manditory

Sean Taylor — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:06:50 +0000

It’s time to start dredging up the past because the FB Timeline feature isn’t just a feature anymore; it’s going to become your new profile page as of January 31.I say ‘dredging up the past’, because any of those old breakups, unfortunate ‘party excusions’ (a.k.a. vomit in the hair) and otherwise awkward social situations (“Sean just checked in at Don’s Dildo-rama”) could be splashed across your profile page for anyone out there to see. So it’s time to do some editing now before you regret it further down the road.

For anyone out there who hasn’t been exposed to it, Facebook Timeline is an online chronology of your Facebook experience. So going back to the day that you first signed up to the social network platform, FB Timeline gives you a snapshot of your posts, updates, pictures shared and pretty much any activity you’ve had with the site on a daily, monthly or yearly basis. You’ve probably seen some friends who switched over right away, but now everybody is going to be in the same boat at the end of the month.

It’s kind of annoying but as…

McDonald’s Tracking Thieves with DNA Spray

Mike Yawney — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:39:13 +0000

I never would have pegged McDonald’s as being a popular target for thieves but apparently it’s a big deal in Australia. So much in fact the fast food chain is turning to a high tech solution to help catch criminals.

Mickey D’s down under are installing DNA spray devices above the door in all of their restaurants, covering thieves in invisible DNA solution which glows under black light. Each restaurant has its own unique identifying liquid which lasts up to 6 months on clothes and two weeks on skin.

The DNA is composed of 60 variable chromosomes and is non-toxic, non-allergenic and totally safe…so they say.

Get Ready For Amazing Northern Lights, No Signal

Sean Taylor — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:22:51 +0000

According to astronomers, a massive solar flare triggered on Jan 22nd is sending electromagnetic particles towards Earth… right about now. In fact, it’s the largest solar storm to hit our rock since 2005 and will smash into the planet around 9 a.m. EST.

Solar eruptions or Coronal Mass Ejections, as they’re called, affect everything from the aurora borealis to communications infrastructures and satellites. This particular geomagnetic storm that we’re about to experience is being rated as an M9-class disturbance, which put it on the medium-high scale for solar storms, just below an X-class flare. And you know by the ominous title… you don’t wanna be around no X-class sun storm.

Precautions are being taken though, as polar flights are being diverted from their normal flight paths as the solar storms tend to run strongest along our magnetic poles. NASA is also weighing in, saying that there is little risk to anyone living on the International Space Station. “The flight surgeons have reviewed the space weather forecasts for the flare and determined that there are no expected adverse effects or actions required to protect the on-orbit crew,” said NASA…

RIM’s Co-CEO’s Step Down

Mike Yawney — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:41:42 +0000

Longtime Co-CEO’s of Research in Motion Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis say it’s time to pass the baton, ushering a new face into the spotlight. Thorsten Heins, the company’s COO, has officially taken the reigns of the struggling company.

The change in leadership is effective immediately.

Thorsten told investors his first priority is to assign a new head to the company’s marketing unit, but he maintains drastic change isn’t needed for the company to revive itself.

RIM lost millions of dollars in revenue this past year due to the lack-lustre sales of the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Shares were trading down five per cent this morning on word of the change.

No drastic changes needed? What do you think? Too little too late?

photo courtesy reuters

Untethered Jailbreak Arrives for iPhone 4S and iPad 2

Mike Yawney — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:03:49 +0000

The wait is finally over! After months of teasing we have now seen the first release of an untethered Jailbreak for not only the iPhone 4S but for the iPad 2 as well.

GreenPosion claims its team of hackers have been working on the exploit every since Apple’s A5 chip was unveiled last March. In fact, the website claims “thousands of hours” of behind the scenes work went into the release.

“I don’t know if any iOS hacker anticipated how much the A5 chip would completely change the game & up the stakes. The endless war we fight to jailbreak has become more & more difficult with each new device released, and our recent battle against A5 only proved this further.”

GreenPoison has made the “Absinthe A5″ software available free of charge online. While we’re not going to post it here, we can assure you it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where to get it from.

Google Shutting Down Picnik

Mike Yawney — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:55:21 +0000

The Picnik is over! Google has announced it is shutting down the online photo editing site for good.

The site’s homepage explains Google plans to integrate the photo editing service into Google+, leaving those who aren’t part of the Google+ club out in the cold.

Google is trying to sugar-coat the news by giving everyone access to Picnik Premium for free. Of course that will come to an end once the site closes its doors for good on April 19th.

What do you think of the move?

US Cellular Network Launches Exclusively for Canadians

Mike Yawney — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:35:30 +0000

Canadians have always had to bite the bullet when it comes to roaming rates in the US. While Canadian carriers advertise great deals on roaming, anyone who has traveled south of the border knows you pay a pretty penny when it comes to using data in the US. Now a Canadian company aims to solve the problem by launching a US network designed exclusively for Canadians.

By teaming up with T-Mobile, Roam Mobility is offering cell service in the USA for a fraction of what Canadian carriers charge. For $14 a day you can get unlimited talk and text with 100MB of data. Okay that doesn’t sound cheap, but it works off the all too familiar ‘the more you buy the more you save’ theory. If you buy a 30-day plan for $99 you get not only unlimited talk and text but 6GB of data as well on a 4G network. It works out to about two cents a MB. Data does not carry over month-to-month.

Canadians can either purchase a basic “Breeze” phone from Roam Mobility or they can use their…

Resident Evil 6 Decapitating Consoles November 20

Sean Taylor — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:37:01 +0000

Word ran around the web pretty quickly today about the unannounced reveal that the latest in Capcom’s long-running Resident Evil franchise is dropping on Xbox 360 and PS3 just in time for holiday impalement this year with the PC version to follow.

Many outlets are reporting that the story will follow not just Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield, both of whom have partners to team up with, but a third unnamed playable character (not Ada Wong, but she’ll be in there playable later) and will be a globe-trotting experience not simply situated in one locale like many (many) of the games before it. All three player characters will be available from the outset and players can switch between storylines whenever they feel like it. Eventually, they all get together for a group hug, presumably.

Jump past the break for the official trailer featuring President Zombie!

The title is being developed internally at Capcom and the team is “aiming for a cross between the action/horror blend of Resident Evil 4 ……

Is RIM Going “All In” on a Single New BlackBerry?

Mike Yawney — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:37:22 +0000

There’s no denying Research in Motion has seen better days. The company has struggled to keep up with the times and is quickly losing ground in the smartphone market. Now rumours are circulating the Canadian ~~tech giant~~ company is looking to fight its way back into our hearts with a new BlackBerry device.

BGR is reporting the company is putting all of its resources into a single device code named BlackBerry London. London is reportedly the first device to make use of the new Blackberry 10 operating system.

The photo shown above was published by The Verge back in November. Word is the device has undergone a few design changes since then but should have a few similarities.

Is it smart for RIM to put all of its eggs in one basket at this point? What do you think?

Top Pirated Games of 2011

Mike Yawney — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:22:07 +0000

What do Mario and Marcus Fenix have in common? They both happen to star in the top pirated console games of 2011.

According to Torrentfreak, 1,280,000 people downloaded Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Wii over the past year. In fact it’s a double whammy for Mario as the same title also took top spot in 2010 as well.

Xbox pirates appear to love Marcus Fenix and the Gears of War franchise. Gears of War 3 was downloaded more than 890,000 times.

When it comes to pirated games, no console can compete with the PC platform. Just take a look at these numbers! Crysis 2 was downloaded for PC 3,920,000 times, while Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 had 3,650,000 downloads. Coming in third place we have Battlefield 3 with 3,510,000.

Apparently PC gaming isn’t dead, it’s just free.

Google says “Let it Snow”

Mike Yawney — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:12:27 +0000

Need a break from all that online Christmas shopping? Google has added a neat little Easter egg just in time for the holiday season.

Type in “let it snow” into the search engine and sit back and watch as tiny flakes begin to gently fall from the top of your screen. After a few seconds your screen will begin to frost up making it difficult to see the pages. In order to clear your screen you can either hit a “defrost” button or scrape the snow away using your mouse.

Fun for about 30 seconds…

Google says ‘Merry Christmas’ with Free Calls

Mike Yawney — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:48:27 +0000

Google is getting into the holiday spirit! The Internet giant has just announced it is extending free domestic calls within Canada and the US through 2012 via Gmail. That means if you live in North America you can call loved one (and mistresses) for free as long as they liven within Canada or the US.

For those of you who want to call overseas Google says “Bah Humbug”! You’ll have to pay for those calls!

Stunning New Renderings of Apple’s Campus 2

Mike Yawney — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:40:05 +0000

Earlier this year Steve Jobs himself sat in front of Cupertino City Council and unveiled his plans for a massive new Apple Campus to be built in the city. The photos showed plans for a complex which took many by surprise. Impressive for a corporate headquarters! Now the city has posted updated plans for the building, submitted just last month.

More than 13,000 employees will work in the 2.8 million square building which will tower four stories. Around the facility you’ll find a mix of prairie grassland and forest which will be home to more than 6000 species of trees.

Before Jobs passed away he commented about the building’s design saying “I want to leave a signature campus that expresses the values of the company for generations”.

Not everyone agrees on the design. The…

Crack this Code and Land a Job as a Real Spy!

Mike Yawney — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:58:59 +0000

Take a close look at the code above? Can you make any sense out of it? If you can you might just land yourself a job as a real spy.

Britain’s government intelligence service, GCHQ is actively recruiting for cyber specialists. Instead of approaching post-secondary education institutes it is looking for self-taught hackers via the web.

The GCHQ has set up a website with the visual code above and is even reaching out to blogs and websites which are frequented by “ethical hackers”.

This isn’t the first unusual recruiting campaign for the GCHQ. Back in 2007 it placed ads within the game Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent to recruit new staff.

via

First Feature-Length Film Shot Entirley on a Smartphone

Mike Yawney — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:31:59 +0000

While most of us use our smartphones to record videos of our kids being silly or office hijinks, director Hooman Khalili is getting some serious use out of his handset. He’s recording a feature-length film.

Khalili mounted a 35mm lens onto his Nokia N8 (no, not an iPhone), hired a production crew and began shooting Olive, a movie about a mute girl who has an impact on the lives who surround her.

This doesn’t appear to be some jank production. The film stars two time Academy Award nominated actress Gena Rowlands (the Notebook, A Woman Under the Influence, Gloria). In fact Khalila is looking to the Kickstarter community to try and get $300,000 backing to bring the film to theaters by the end of the year.

Take a sneak peek at Olive in Khalili’s video diary below.

via Kickstarter

Phillips Reminds Us it Has an App to Deal with iPhone Battery Issues

Mike Yawney — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:56:30 +0000

Apple has made it quite clear it is working on a fix for those of us with iPhone battery issues after upgrading to iOS 5. The only problem is we still don’t know when that software fix will be released. Enter Phillips and an app to help try and save your precise battery life.

BatterySense is a free app (now upgraded to support iPhone 4S) which will let iPhone owners take a detailed look at how long your battery will last doing certain activities. Want to know how long you can watch videos on your iPhone before it goes dark? BatterySense can tell you that. The app essentially monitors all activities including talk time, web browsing, audio playback even standby time. It even has option where you can choose your desired battery life and it will give you some suggestions to try and help you squeeze some extra juice out of your device.

The app may come in handy for some but it certainly doesn’t get to the root of the problem. For that we’ll just have to wait for Apple.

If you find your battery just

Dippin’ Dots Files for Bankruptcy

Mike Yawney — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:23:42 +0000

The “Ice cream of the future” may soon meet a grizzly end. The Wall Street Journal is reporting Dippin’ Dots has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The company has been in a battle with its lender for nearly four years now. It owes nearly four million dollars. Analysts point to low sales during the recession when people thought twice about spending the extra cash on the high-priced but tasty frozen treat.

Microbiologist Curt Jones invented Dippin’ Dots back in 1987. One year later he introduced his new ice cream to the world through fairs, vending machines and 140 retail locations in the US.

The good news is the company might be able to crawl out for its financial woes. Dippin’ Dots has already made $27.7 million in revenue, above last year’s $26.7 million.

Would you miss Dippin’ Dots if it went under?

Apple Acknowledges iOS 5 Battery Issues

Mike Yawney — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:56:35 +0000

Apple has been fielding a number of complaints from iPhone owners over issues with decreased battery life after upgrading to the latest operating system.

When we received our iPhone 4S review unit we were startled to find our battery would go from 100% to 0% in a matter of just three hours. Apple was quick to swap it out for a new phone. Turns out we weren’t alone. Apple now admits there is a problem.

In a statement to AllThingsD, Apple confirmed battery problems, saying it “has found a few bugs affecting battery life.”

Apple says it will be releasing a software update to address the bugs in just a few weeks. In fact it has already released a beta version of iOS 5.0.1 for developers.

Have you noticed poor battery life in your iPhone 4S? Did you notice a drop in battery life after you upgraded your older iPhone to iOS 5?

Invisible Glass Could Soon Drastically Reduce Screen Glare

Mike Yawney — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:06:20 +0000

Whether you’re typing on your laptop or trying to use your smartphone outside, the glare from the sun can be a real bitch. Soon that pesky ball of fireball will be a nuisance no more!

Nippon Electric Glass has created what it calls “Invisible Glass”. Once a special film is applied to glass it reduces glare dramatically. The company claims the film will allow 99.5% of light to pass through the pane of glass.

A quick glance at the photo above shows the difference between a regular pane of glass (left side) and “Invisible Glass” (right side).

The technology could be used for a number of devices including TVs, smartphones, laptops and windows.

Giant Lego Man Washes Up on Florida Beach

Mike Yawney — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:50:38 +0000

How mysterious! A giant Lego man has washed up on the beach in Siesta Key Village, Florida.

The figure stands about 8 feet tall with the phrase “No Real Than You Are” on his front and has the name Ego Leonard along with the number 8 on his back.

A quick search online reveals two other giant Lego men have washed up in previous years in Holland and in England both bearing the same name. Coincidence?

Of course there is a website associated with the mysterious figures. A visit to egoleonard.com brings up the following:

My name is Ego Leonard and according to you I come from the virtual world. A world that for me represents happiness, solidarity, all green and blossoming, with no rules or limitations.

Lately however, my world has been flooded with fortune-hunters and people drunk with power. And many new encounters in the virtual world have triggered my curiosity about your way of life.

I am here to discover and learn about your world and thoughts.

Show me all the beautiful things that are there to admire and experience in your world. Let’s become friends, share…

Rockstar Announces Grand Theft Auto 5

Mike Yawney — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:30:41 +0000

It’s official! Rockstar Games has announced Grand Theft Auto 5!

The developer revealed the game through a splash screen on its homepage. The teaser doesn’t mention which platform the title will be available on or a release date, only telling visitors to return on November 2nd to catch the first trailer.

Some are already speculating the lack of info means the game may not be released on current-gen consoles. Of course that may be a bit of a stretch but one thing is certain, don’t expect it this year.

Grand Theft Auto 4 was released back in 2008, so a follow-up title comes as no surprise.

The franchise has sold more than 115 million games since it launched back in 1997.

Comparing iPhone Cameras through the Generations

Mike Yawney — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:22:58 +0000

Have you picked up an iPhone 4s? If you own one then you are well aware of just how nice the camera is. Heck, even the iPhone 4′s camera was quite stellar.

Photographer Lisa Bettany wants to remind people just how far Apple has come with its snazzy iPhone cameras. She took the exact same picture with each generation of iPhone to show the improvements over the years.

Take a look at the comparisons below.

Original iPhone

iPhone 3G

iPhone 3GS

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

Does anyone else remember the original iPhone camera as being that bad? Seemed pretty good at the time!

Check out even more comparisons at the link below

Anonymous Takes Down Child Porn Site

Mike Yawney — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:29:16 +0000

“Hacktivist” group Anonymous has struck yet another target, this time a website geared towards pedophiles.

Lolita City had been operating under a private network known as a “darknet”. Anonymous not only took down the site by crashing its hosting service called Freedom Hosting, it also posted account details of 1,589 users from the site’s database as proof of the attack.

In a statement, Anonymous claimed by taking down Freedom Hosting, it has removed more than 40 child pornography websites, including Lolita City which contained more than 100GB worth of child porn.

Finally an Anonymous attack the general public will stand behind.

Google Map Maker Hits Canada

Mike Yawney — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:29:39 +0000

Have a shortcut to university you want to share with fellow students? Maybe your local pizza joint has some killer ‘Za and you want the entire world to know! Now you can share what you know about your neighbourhood and city with others on Google Maps thanks to their new Map Maker tool.

Once you sign in with your Google account you can modify Google Maps by adding points of interest or paths which Google maybe didn’t know about. Google will then take some time to verify your edits and then post them live on the maps.

Google Map Maker has already launched in a number of countries including the US earlier this year.

RIM Announces New BBX Operating System

Mike Yawney — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:31:12 +0000

Just when you thought Research in Motion was laying all of its eggs in the QNX basket, the Waterloo-company announces it has developed yet another operating system.

BBX is said to combine the best of what BlackBerry and QNX have to offer. RIM says the new OS was designed from the ground up “to enable the powerful real-time mobile experiences that distinguish BlackBerry products and services

The new operating system is said to be for phones, tablets as well as embedded devices. In fact RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie went on to say it will “leapfrog the competition”.

On top of the BBX announcement, RIM also unveiled the PlayBook OS 2.0 which will heavily support the Android Marketplace. Developers will be able to get their hands on the beta very soon.

RIM did not announce when new devices using BBX will be available, only saying they will launch when they are ready.

photo courtesy Reuters

RIM Offers Free Premium Apps after Service Outage

Mike Yawney — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:40:35 +0000

There’s been a lot of talk over the past few days as to how Research in Motion is going to make it up to customers after its recent service outage. Know we know; free premium apps.

““We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers.” said RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. “We’ve worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we’re committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future.”

RIM issued a media release this morning to announce BlackBerry customers will be given up to $100 worth of premium apps for free over the next four weeks. The apps range from games to translation apps. Take a look at some of the apps being offered below.

SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts
Bejeweled – Electronic Arts
N.O.V.A. – Gameloft
Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft
Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft
Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold App
DriveSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org
iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org
Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org
Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex
Shazam Encore – Shazam
Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo

More apps are expected…

Playstation Network Attacked Yet Again

Mike Yawney — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:28:07 +0000

Sony says its Playstation Network has come under attack once again. The company issued a statement claiming intruders attempted to access more than 93,000 PSN accounts around the globe. Access to all of those accounts have now been blocked.

Sony says less than one tenth of one percent of customer accounts have been affected. Emails have been sent out to gamers who may have had their account compromised. Credit card information was apparently not accessed.

This is the second attack on Sony’s Playstation Network this year. In April a massive breach of Sony’s servers gave hackers access to more than 100 million accounts.

Sony says their servers were not hacked this time. It’s not certain whether the attack was led by a group or single hacker.

Netflix Abandons Qwikster

Mike Yawney — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:59:37 +0000

Two weeks after announcing it would split off it DVD-by-mail service into a separate company, Netflix has now decided to abandon its Qwikster service all together even before it had a chance to launch.

The company announced this morning it streaming service and mail order movie service would stay under the same name, operating from a single website. That being said it is still pondering the idea of offering game rentals by mail.

Netflix stock has taken a beating over the past few weeks. The company lost nearly one million subscribers after it hiked subscription rates last month. The latest move to split off the DVD-by-mail service into a separate company drove prices down even lower.

In an interview with the New York Times, a company spokesperson admitted the company underestimated the appeal of having all services beneath a single umbrella website.

Apple Sells Out of iPhone 4S Pre-Orders

Mike Yawney — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 14:43:35 +0000

Did you forget the iPhone 4S was available for pre-order yesterday. If you intended on ordering the device early to ensure it will be in your hands on launch day you may be out of luck.

Apple’s US and Canadian websites now list the device as available to ship within 1 – 2 weeks which essentially means launch days supplies have now been depleted.

AT&T alone is reporting to have pre-sold 200,000 units within 12 hours, which is the most successful launch for the carrier.

If you still want an iPhone 4S on launch day you still have two options. You can either lineup with the rest of the fanatics out there or contact your carrier directly to see if they are still taking pre-orders.

The Review Crew is in Transition!

Mike Yawney — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:07:32 +0000

Hello readers! You may have noticed the lack of posts over the past few days on the website. Just wanted to let everyone know we are in a period of transition here at The Review Crew. The website is going through a re-design which is taking away some of our man power. In the next little while we will unveil a new design with new features. Please bear with us over the next little while as we work to improve the website! Thank you for your patience.

Apple Confirms iPhone Media Event on Oct 4th

Mike Yawney — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:00:28 +0000

Apple is finally ready to talk iPhone 5. The company has officially announced a media event set to take place on the Cupertino campus on October 4th.

The invite simply says “Let’s talk iPhone” and has the date, time and location depicted through iPhone icons. Clever.

So what will the iPhone 5 have in terms of features. many speculate it will sport a new A5 processor, have 1GB of RAM and a voice-control system known as the Assistant.

There is also speculation there will be a cheaper version of the iPhone 4 announced as well.

Will you upgrade to the iPhone 5?

Who’s a Big Boy! Google Turns 13 Today

Mike Yawney — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:57:02 +0000

Today marks the 13th birthday of everyone’s favourite search engine. Yes, Google has officially become a teenager.

Truth be known, Google’s birthday isn’t really today. The company incorporated on September 4, 1998 and the Google.com domain was registered on September 15th of the same year. But when you’re Google you can choose whatever day you want as your birthday and it says today is the big day.

Happy birthday you big lug you!

Shiny Shirt Foils Airport X-Ray Scanners

Mike Yawney — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:27:52 +0000

Concerned about TSA agents catching a glimpse of your bosoms? You might want to start shopping at Banana Republic.

Washington Post writer Marilyn W. Thompson blogged about a recent trip through TSA screening and how her shiny Banana Republic shirt foiled the high tech screening machines.

Thompson says moments after stepping into the pricey device she heard the TSA agent frantically whisper “shiny shirt, shiny shirt” to a colleague. It appears the devices can not see through reflective material found in some clothing.

Thompson didn’t get off scott free. She did however get a free groping by agents.

It appears some of the

Time Killer: Jedi Kittens

Mike Yawney — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:08:48 +0000

What do you get when you mix Star Wars and kittens? Awesomeness, that’s what!

Hit the link below to see the kittens do battle with their very own light sabers. They even fly an X-Wing! Worth a watch!

Music Streaming Coming to Facebook?

Mike Yawney — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:57:12 +0000

Today marks F8, the annual Facebook developers conference. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to step up to the podium at 1:00 ET to announce what the future holds for the social networking site. The announcement of an iPad app is certainly expected, but he’s also expected to chat about other changes coming to the site over the coming months.

Music sharing is the big rumoured feature. Music streaming services such as Spotify, MOG and Rdio are expected to be incorporated into Facebook, allowing users to sign in with a single click. Friends will also be able to see what tracks you’re listening to.

Many are also expected video to make its way to Facebook. Vevo is rumoured to be working out a deal with Facebook and we’ve also heard rumblings that even Netflix could somehow rear its head on the site.

Finally tweaks to the News Feed are also expected. Zuckerberg apparently wants to turn the News Feed into more of a…well….News Feed. Big online publishers such as Yahoo may soon be able to post news stories to your feed. That is of course if you allow them to.

Yes, Facebook continues…

Apple Announcing iPhone 5 on October 4th?

Mike Yawney — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:30:00 +0000

The rumour mill is buzzing today as Apple is reportedly holding a media event on October 4th for what is expected to be the announcement of the iPhone 5.

While an official media invite has not been sent out yet, All Things D is already reporting it has received word an event is in the works for that date.

Apple could not confirm the date with us, as it’s still speculation.

photo courtesy AP

BT Tower Turns into the World’s Largest Lightsaber

Mike Yawney — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:01:09 +0000

London’s Telecom Tower may not be the prettiest tower in daylight, but a recent makeover has turned it into a geek’s dream at night.

To celebrate the launch of Star Wars on Blu-ray, the tower has been transformed into the world’s largest Light Saber.

60 4,500 watt bulbs, each weighing 124 kilograms, were placed on the top to create the incredibly bright beam of light.

One word. Awesome.

The New Blue Screen of Death for Windows 8

Mike Yawney — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:56:38 +0000

Microsoft has given the classic Blue Screen of Death a new look for its upcoming OS Windows 8. The newly revamped version will not only sport a few different hues of blue, it also features a sad emoticon.

The new BSoD certainly has a more friendly look to it. What do you think of the new design?

Two Seniors + Webcam = Viral Video

Mike Yawney — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:10:20 +0000

Bruce and Esther Huffman of McMinnville, Oregon had no idea when they opened up their new laptop a couple weeks ago they would become Internet stars. Fastfoward to today and they find themselves at the center of the latest viral video to hit the web.

The Huffmans were learning how to use their webcam on their brand new laptop when they encountered a few problems. Little did they know the entire ordeal was being recorded.

The Huffman’s daughter found the video and did what every good daughter would do; she posted it on YouTube.

Check out the video below:

Twitter Launches Web Analytics Tool

Mike Yawney — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:25:45 +0000

Twitter is getting ready to mow Google’s lawn. The social media hub has just announced a new analytics tool for websites to track how much traffic it receives via Twitter.

The new tool which is simply being called Twitter Web Analytics is designed to let users determine three key things: How much of their content is being shared on Twitter, how much traffic Twitter is sending their way and how well Tweet Buttons are performing.

The tool is free and is currently in beta.

How Much Would You Pay For this iPhone Mod?

Mike Yawney — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:31:35 +0000

Idle hands are tools of the devil, so why not put them to work by modding your iPhone!

If you have steady hands and know your circuitry you can make the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone glow. Or you can just pay the folks over at iPatch to do it for you.

The mod will make the logo glow when your screen is on as well as each time you receive a text or email. The good news is it doesn’t appear to have a major impact on your battery life or cause the back of the phone to heat up.

The mod is still being tested but will cost about $79-$158 when all is said and done. Of course iPatch isn’t revealing how to do it yourself but you’re a smart bunch. I’m sure one of you can figure it out.