Second-tier social network Hi5 has acquired app developer PixVerse for an undisclosed amount, just four months after launching its app platform based on the OpenSocial specification. PixVerse offers several applications such as Pix Chat and Pix Wall, which are Flash-based and run on not only Hi5 but other social networks like Facebook as well. The company […]
Second-tier social network Hi5 has acquired app developer PixVerse for an undisclosed amount, just four months after launching its app platform based on the OpenSocial specification.
PixVerse offers several applications such as Pix Chat and Pix Wall, which are Flash-based and run on not only Hi5 but other social networks like Facebook as well.
The company was founded in February 2007 and is financially backed by Venrock. It was also one of the earlier adopters of Google App Engine.
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Google just announced its odd Google Media Server, a Windows app that finds photos, music, and video and makes it available to DLNA devices like the PlayStation 3, XBox 360, and most Media Center Computers. Google Media Server is a Windows application that aims to bridge the gap between Google and your TV. It uses […]
Google just announced its odd Google Media Server, a Windows app that finds pics, music, and video and makes it available to DLNA devices like the PlayStation 3, XBox 360, and most Media Center Personal computers.
Google Media Server is a Windows application that aims to bridge the gap between Google and your TV. It uses Google Desktop technology such as Desktop gadgets for the administration tool and Google Desktop Search to locate media files. All you need is a Personal computer running Google Desktop and a UPnP-enabled device (e.g. a PlayStation 3). At the touch of a button, you can then:
* Access videos, music, and pics stored on your PC * View Picasa Web Albums * Play your favorite YouTube videos
This shows that Google is very interested in getting its message out across multiple platforms. With the launch of Android forthcoming, could the Google set-top box be next?
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Need to schedule a meeting or phone call, but can’t agree on a time that is good for everyone? Try using When Is Good, a dead-simple Web app that does just one thing: zero in on a meeting time that’s good for everyone without sending 20 emails back and forth. There are […]
Need to schedule a meeting or phone call, but can’t concur on a time that’s good for everyone? Try using When Is Good, a dead-simple Web app that does just one thing: zero in on a meeting time that is good for everyone without sending 20 emails back and forth. There are plenty of other apps that help you find a mutually convenient time time for meetings or events (such as Presdo, Scheduly, or Jiffle). But When Is Good strips the process down to its bare essentials.
No login is required. You simply highlight the times that are good for you and create an event. You’re given a code and a link. You send the link out to your invitees and they’re shown the available times, and they choose the ones that are good for them. Easy.
The UK-based service is working on Outlook and Google Calendar integration, as well as premium features. For instance, you can pay 180 Pounds a year to have a branded version of the app hosted on your company’s own subdomain.
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By Andrew Liszewski Researchers at the University of Southern California’s ICT Graphics Lab have created a new type of holographic display that can generate simultaneous 3D views for multiple observers without the need for special glasses. The setup also happens to be relatively inexpensive since it’s built around a specially modified off-the-shelf DLP projector that works […]
By Andrew Liszewski
Researchers at the University of Southern California’s ICT Graphics Lab have created a new type of holographic display that can generate simultaneous 3D views for multiple observers without the need for special glasses. The setup also happens to be relatively inexpensive since it’s built around a specially altered off-the-shelf DLP projector that works with a spinning mirror.
The system works by projecting high-speed video onto a rapidly spinning mirror. As the mirror turns, it reflects a different and accurate image to each potential viewer. Our rendering algorithm can recreate both virtual and real scenes with correct occlusion, horizontal and vertical perspective, and shading.
What that means is that the projected hologram is updated about 200 times a second to adjust for the height and distance of the viewers so that the object being displayed always appears to stay in one place, no matter where you move. And besides all the hardware and software innovation that went into this holographic display, I’ve to give the researchers at the ITC Graphics Lab credit for going with the 1980’s wireframe TIE Fighter model which ensures their research and website will get plenty of free publicity. I’ve also included a video of the display in action after the jump.
By Andrew Liszewski Perpetual Kid is supposedly now selling a 7 1/4 inch Bigfoot action figure with “intricate articulation” that lets you pose it just like frame 352 of the famous Patterson-Gimlin film. While I’m a bit skeptical, I don’t think I’m in a position to conclude whether the Bigfoot figure is real or not. But […]
By Andrew Liszewski
Perpetual Kid is supposedly now selling a 7 1/4 inch Bigfoot action figure with “intricate articulation” that lets you pose it just like frame 352 of the famous Patterson-Gimlin film. While I’m a bit skeptical, I don’t think I’m in a position to conclude whether the Bigfoot figure is real or not. But I have heard the locals claim that it also features stamps on the bottom of its feet, and comes with an ink pad so you can leave mysterious footprints all over your desk.
You can get it here for just $11.99, but to be perfectly honest I’m starting to think the Bigfoot Action Figure is really just a G.I. Joe figure in a miniature gorilla suit.
By Andrew Liszewski I know a lot of people must really enjoy roller coasters, otherwise amusement parks wouldn’t be spending millions of dollars on the latest and greatest designs. But the faster/taller/twistier a coaster gets, the longer the line usually gets. So what if everyone could have their very own roller coaster and never have to […]
By Andrew Liszewski
I know a lot of people must really enjoy roller coasters, otherwise amusement parks wouldn’t be spending millions of dollars on the latest and greatest designs. But the faster/taller/twistier a coaster gets, the longer the line usually gets. So what if everyone could have their very own roller coaster and never have to wait in line again? That’s kind of the idea behind the Evento BuzzBall concept. It features a single seat inside a huge outer ball that’s able to spin and roll independently of the ball itself, providing a similar experience to being on a roller coaster.
A pair of electric motors is used to power the BuzzBall, so you don’t need a steep hill to enjoy it, just a large open space. Each motor is controlled by a separate throttle which will either cause the chair to spin inside the ball or work together to push the ball forward. However, once the BuzzBall is in motion and the pilot decides to turn, their seat inside the ball will rotate against the direction of travel resulting in spins, somersaults, corkscrews, barrel rolls and other nausea inducing motions. And just remember, if you do happen to vomit inside the BuzzBall, it’s coming along on the ride with you.
While the BuzzBall’s not officially available for sale at the moment, it does appear that Evento has every intention of eventually bringing it to the market.
By Luke Anderson How many remotes do you’ve in your living room? Personally, I have three: one for the TV/cable box, one for my home theater system and one for my Xbox 360. At any given time, at least two of these are missing. Generally I’ve found that either I wandered off into another room […]
By Luke Anderson
How many remotes do you have in your living room? Personally, I’ve three: one for the TV/cable box, one for my home theater system and one for my Xbox 360. At any given time, at least two of these are missing. Generally I’ve found that either I wandered off into another room and set one down, or the couch at it. Still, I spend more time searching for them than I’d like. That’s why something like this Remote Buddy Stylish could come in handy.
First, I would like to point out that despite its name, this thing doesn’t actually look all that stylish. It is useful in the respect that it not only provides a good place to set your remotes, but it will also locate them for you at the push of a button. It also provides a drink holder, so you don’t lose that too. You can get yours for right around $60.
Some technologies take things down a notch. For instance TinyPaste, a service obviously built with Twitter in mind that lets you link to ramblings in excess of the regular 140 character limit. Just like TinyURL and other URL shortening services, TinyPaste produces a short address that you can enter into microblogging and IM services with caps […]
Some technologies take things down a notch. For instance TinyPaste, a service obviously built with Twitter in mind that lets you link to ramblings in excess of the regular 140 character limit.
Just like TinyURL and other URL shortening services, TinyPaste produces a short address that you can enter into microblogging and IM services with caps on message lengths. But instead of directing users to a regular webpage, a TinyPaste’s URL sends its clickers to a easy page displaying the poster’s message.
Who would use this? Perhaps those who don’t maintain blogs but who still want to expound on their thoughts from time to time. It’s common practice for bloggers to adopt Twitter as a marketing tool that drives traffic back to their sites. This could begin a reverse trend of sorts, one that introduces tweeters to the art of blogging. Or maybe I’m just extracting too much.
In any case, TinyPaste also comes with a Firefox extension for when you want to pass along a clip of text you found on the web. The service and plugin come from the same guys who brought you ControlC.
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By Jonathan Kimak Designer Haishu Zhang has created a good listener, a little device called “Sweety” that’ll listen to you, no matter what you state and shows you calming graphic patterns while you do it. There’s not a lot of info out there on exactly how the thing works, what purpose it serves other than […]
By Jonathan Kimak
Designer Haishu Zhang has created a good listener, a little device called “Sweety” that will listen to you, no matter what you say and shows you calming graphic patterns while you do it. There’s not a lot of info out there on exactly how the thing works, what purpose it serves other than listening to you or even why someone thought this was worth creating.
The only thing I have the ability to think of for it’s use is that it’s essentially an advanced stress ball that you can squeeze to relieve stress and speak to when you’re feeling lonely. So unlike the crazy people that talk and sing to their plants you could go one step further and talk to an inanimate object. Of course talking to Sweety because you’re lonely seems care about it would just alienate you further from humanity.
Of course there’s a cheaper substitute to talking to an ounce of rubber, namely talking to real people, even if it’s over the web and contains a lot of frownicons.
Virgin Mobile purchased Helio this day for $39 million in equity. Helio is a small MVNO that made its name by selling powerful and high-end telephones aimed at technophiles and, thanks to an investment by South Korea’s SK Telecom, Korean-Americans. As part of the deal, Virgin Mobile is also receiving $50 million to pay down […]
Virgin Mobile bought Helio this day for $39 million in equity. Helio is a small MVNO that made its name by selling powerful and high-end telephones aimed at technophiles and, thanks to an investment by South Korea’s SK Telecom, Korean-Americans. As part of the deal, Virgin Mobile is also receiving $50 million to pay down Helio’s debt (half from SK Telecom, and half from its parent company Virgin Group), as well as an additional revolving credit facility of $60 million. Just last September, SK Telecom tried to save Helio by pouring an extra $270 million into it, to no avail.
The Helio brand will be subsumed by Virgin Mobile. All of the Helio stores will close except, it’s reported, the flagship store in New York, and there’s a full restructuring of the company going on right now. Thus, after much struggling, Helio enters the deadpool.
Helio had 170,000 subscribers while Virgin Mobile currently has about 5 million. The deal will also give Virgin access to a number of technologies owned by Helio including customer management and cellphone deck applications.
Helio also has received investments from Earthlink, but when Earthlink pulled out last year and charismatic CEO Sky Dayton stepped down it was clear something was afoot.
Peter Ha at CrunchGear wrote a full analysis of the merger:
So what exactly does the merger mean for customers of Helio who have grown to love the hardware and features that Helio is best known for? Well, Virgin Mobile will be keeping all of those goodies in place. If you’ve seen any VM devices, you know they stink. VM is relatively boring and absorbing the technology Helio is best known for will certainly boost the MVNO’s status and appeal to a broader audience. That means future VM devices will include apps such as Google Maps with GPS, YouTube and MySpace… all of which Helio brought to the table before other carriers.
What about the Ocean 2? If you haven’t already figured it out by now, the Ocean 2 has been delayed over the last few months because of merger talks. It’s unclear when the device will actually launch, but it hasn’t been scrapped.
While I hate to see Helio dissolve, this is great for both brands. VM knows how to make money while Helio knows how to create technology that works and is appealing.
With Helio gone Boost Mobile in the only targeted MVNO running in the US right now.
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