Artist's rendition of the expected Blackpad

A combination of leaks and rumours is “confirming” more every day that the maker of the formidable BlackBerry will be taking on Apple and its iPad with something called the Blackpad.

Expected to be announced in November, the touchscreen tablet will have a 9.7-inch touch screen, include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tech, and bank on the many business users that use and love BlackBerry email and apps.

Why no 3G? You can access the web by tethering your BlackBerry (or available Wi-Fi, of course). So it seems that RIM expects the real users of the Blackpad to be people who are already part of the BB family.

And is the Blackpad an iPad killer? I think not, but without seeing more details later in the year, it’s hard to say definitively. My suspicion is that the Blackpad is RIM’s way of making sure it doesn’t lose BlackBerry users to the Apple ecosystem through the iPad.

The Blackpad is also expected to cost pretty much the same as the iPad.

Would you buy a Blackpad if you didn’t have a BlackBerry already?

[Bloomberg via Dvice]

Sprint believes that those with an iPod Touch might be interested in connecting with the Internet via Sprint’s 3G network. All users would need is a wraparound case to hook into the network.

The Peel, as revealed by FCC documents, is a case for the iPod Touch that would allow it to connect to 3G networking despite being a WiFi-only device. So wherever there’s Sprint 3G signal, you can surf the ‘net with ease.

The device has a lithium battery which is good for 40 hours of standby time, but no official word on battery life with active use. So maybe a few hours at best. There’s also another feature which is very intriguing.

The Peel can also connect other WiFi devices to the 3G network and there doesn’t seem to be an upper limit on the number of devices unlike other mobile hotspots gadgets which limit you to five devices.

The downside of this is that the Peel can only operate on the slower EV-DO Rev 0 standard and not the Rev A standard that is much faster.

Is this something you would buy? I can definitely see the appeal, pun not intended. If you’re not a big talker and prefer to chat and email, this might be perfect. Also, it’s not on AT&T which I imagine holds a lot of appeal for many people.

[via Ars Technica]

An earth-shattering kaboom!

In The Review Crew tradition of great videos to make you smile on Friday afternoon (cupcake cannon anyone?), I present you with exploding watermelons!

This backyard project explores the question: “what happens to a watermelon when it’s pumped with 10,000 volts of electricity?” If you thought the answer was anything less than a massive explosion, you were wrong.

Check out the video after the break.

Please kids, don’t try this at home. I know this guy clearly did… but you shouldn’t.

[Twitter via Dvice]

A California television station has uncovered a story that is just as bizarre as most soap operas. It all started when a woman by the name of Tara Fitzgerald, a single mother hailing from Sacramento, took “personal” photos of herself and put them on her computer for her boyfriend. Having a 12 year-old daughter, Tara freaked out when she couldn’t find them and called Dell customer support in India for help. An employee by the name of Riyaz Shaikh answered her call and told Tara he could help. He took control of her computer, and found the photos for Tara. She thought that was the end, until she found them on a pornographic website, built explicitly to show off the photos!

The television report goes on to say Tara confronted Shaikh. He said he would take the website down, but he needed a computer to work on the case from home. Trusting him (and why wouldn’t she) Tara bought him a new laptop, and shipped it to India. Then on Valentine’s Day, Shaikh told Tara he fell in love with another American woman and bought her $800 worth of Dell merchandise and charged it to Tara’s Dell credit card. Uh oh!

Tara claims she has complained to Dell but hasn’t received much cooperation, so she has now gone public with the story. Do you believe it?

[via ABC]

Karma can catch up with you pretty quick. Those eager to get their hands on Blizzard’s latest opus, StarCraft II, via unsavoury means may be in for a surprise. Microsoft has warned that pirated copies of the genre-defining RTS game can contain malware. Many of the infected files have been found on BitTorrent trackers and warez websites.

The problem lies in a couple of files contained in the game’s executable file.

According to Andrey Saygo and Francis Tan Seng of the Microsoft Malware Protection Center, there are two questionable files they found.

One is “WinUpdate.exe” which tries to load other malware by “injecting code into different processes”. The other file is “StarCraft.2.Wings.Of.Liberty.CLONEDVD-WW TRAINER.exe” which is a Rebhip.A worm. It can steal important and private information like passwords by logging keystrokes.

StarCraft II isn’t the first eagerly anticipated game to get this sort of treatment. Other high profile releases like Windows 7 and Office 2010 have also seen their pirated versions infected.

[via Softpedia]

A new iPhone app from Paramount Digital Entertainment promises to make every bar stool, waiting room chair, or restaurant booth your Captain’s Chair on the USS Enterprise. Star Trek Captain’s Log combines your social networks with the nerdy joy of recording your daily activities a la J.T. Kirk.

A log could include either audio, photo or text and your GPS location displayed on an in-app map. Once recorded, you can either keep it as your own private journal, or share it with Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or other “Starfleet Captains” who use the app. A look at the map shows the locations of Captains around you. Consider it a geek locator, if you will.

The app also lets you personalize your “communicator” with skins, Star Trek sounds, images, and unique map pins corresponding to Enterprise class levels or an enemy starship. Yeah, if they didn’t have you before, Trekkies, they have you know.

Captain’s Log is made for iPhone 3GS using iOS4 and the iPhone 4. It’s a $1.99… and if you’re in Canada and a real fan of those seeking out new life and new civilizations, it’ll be the first thing you buy for your brand new iPhone 4 when it hits shelves in this country tomorrow.

Captain’s log. Stardate 07292010: My crew and I have arrived at the neighbourhood pub where hot wings are on special and we find ourselves surprisingly thirsty…

[via Recombu]

Rogers has finally announced pricing for Apple’s iPhone 4 which launches in Canada July 30. The company has just listed a couple of different options on its website in anticipation of the big launch.

First, there is a special hardware upgrade (HUP) deal for existing iPhone customers. Depending on where you are in your contract, you can get the 16GB iPhone 4 for as little as $159 or a 32GB iPhone 4 for $269. These are the same prices offered when you purchase the phone with a 3 year contract. You also can buy the phone outright. A 16GB iPhone 4 will set you back $649 and the 32GB iPhone 4 will cost you $749.

Now lets talk about plans. Rogers is also once again offering 6GB of data for $30. This data plan can be added to any in-market voice plan before September 30, 2010. On top of that, you’ll be able to share data plans between your iPhone and iPad. Starting July 30, and for a limited time until Sept. 30, customers on a 6 GB plan will be able to share data between iPhones and iPads for an extra $20.

[Rogers]

Amazon has quietly announced a new version of the Kindle. But don’t go calling this the Kindle 3, Amazon says it’s still called Kindle, it’s just happens to be a new generation for the device.

The latest Kindle sports the same new screen as the recently announced graphite Kindle. With higher contrast and new sharper fonts, the screen is now easier to read. Amazon has also reduced the amount of glare you get on the screen and improved the refresh rate so you can turn pages 20% faster.

The newest Kindle is also the lightest and thinnest model to date. It has a body that is 21 percent smaller than previous models and weighs only 8.7 ounces. The storage has also been increased to hold more than 3,500 books, almost double what Kindle 2 can hold.

Amazon is pre-selling the newest Kindle for $189 US. If you want a more economical model just drop the 3G connectivity and opt for a new Wi-Fi only model for a mere $139. Shipping to 140 countries and 30 territories begins August 27th.

[Amazon]

]]> http://www.thereviewcrew.com/news/amazon-announces-3rd-generation-kindle/feed/ 0 http://www.thereviewcrew.com/news/e-z-graffiti-with-txtbomber/ http://www.thereviewcrew.com/news/e-z-graffiti-with-txtbomber/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:16:27 +0000 DM Le Bray http://www.thereviewcrew.com/?p=18500

If you’re inspired by Banksy and hankering for a little bit of guerrilla street art of your own but you lack the skills for anything other than a stick figure and indecipherable scribbles, the txtBOMBER might be what you need to get started. This prototype gadget does the printing for you. All you have to do is input the text you want, start moving the txtBOMBER over a flat surface, and keep an eye out for the cops.

The battery powered “printer” uses seven pens, two wheels, and an internal computer to apply your personal slogan or treatise of choice as your roll it along. You can see the txtBOMBER in action in a video after the break.

This project is the brain child of digital artist Felix Vorreiter based in Karisruhe, Germany.

I’m a fan of smart public art, so if this or other projects like it allow for more of that on my streets, I’m all for it. Of course, if it makes it easier for idiots to profess their love for their fling of the week on my condo, I’m less intrigued.

[via Behance Network]

Nintendo is obviously breathing a sigh of relief. They blamed a 50% drop in software on piracy. In June, Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association found that illegal downloads cost publishers 86 billion Yen.

In the case, some cited the R4′s use as a back up device like keeping game saves on it or using it to play MP3s and videos. Playables Limited defended the R4 as a way for coders to get their homebrewed programs and DIY games onto the DS.

While this may staunch the flow of R4s into the UK, it doesn’t stop anyone from bringing back the device from Asia or any other country which still allows their sale.

[via The Guardian]