Lego CD / DVD ripper lets you drop your physical media -- literally (video)

If the only thing standing between you and a full abandonment of physical media is the tedious task of ripping all of your CDs and DVDs, boy have we got the Lego-based gadget for you. Paul Rea whipped up this little beauty -- it's an Arduino-powered Lego arm that swings to pick up a disc, deposit it in the drive and then drop it (perhaps a bit too literally) into a finished pile. It's not quite perfect -- the arm is a bit loud as it moves, and anyone who's ever owned CDs or DVDs may likely grimace as the thing tosses finished discs into a pile, but it's an entertaining break from what can ultimately prove an arduous task.

Continue reading Lego CD / DVD ripper lets you drop your physical media -- literally (video)

Lego CD / DVD ripper lets you drop your physical media -- literally (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrunchGear Week In Review: Indoor Games Edition

Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear: Strange Video: Happinet Lets You Play Table Tennis Against Invisible Opponents Sweet DIY Book Light The Infinite Loop Tablet Holder: Actually A Cool Idea Day 1: My Week In The Nissan Leaf Weekend Giveaway: A Kobo eReader Touch (And Some Gift Cards)

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Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus

Once upon a time, there used to be a DOS game with a caveman and a human powered helicopter. The caveman would shuttle around the screen, madly trying to get customers to where they wanted to go.

Jetbus is not that game, but it's obviously inspired by it. You're driving a yellow school bus which has jets. I guess the jet engine takes quite a bit of space inside the bus, because you can only pick up one person at a time.

There are several doors on the screen, each with its own number. As you pick up a person, the status bar at the bottom of the screen shows you which number door you have to take them to.

You must fly your bus carefully, because if it gets bumped around too much, you lose. You earn money on each level, and can visit the garage to buy better jets and damping, power-ups, or even a whole new vehicle.

So while this game isn't made as well as the original that inspired it, it does provide a few minutes of fun. And now, which one of you guys remembers the original and feels like pointing to it in the comments?

Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deal of the Day ?Newest Generation 13.3? Apple MacBook Pro 2.3GHz Core i5 Laptop

Today?s LogicBUY Deal is new October 2011 version 13.3? Apple MacBook Pro (MC700LL/A) laptop for $1038.00.� Features: 2.3GHz Core i5, Thunderbolt port, Gigabit Ethernet, FaceTime HD camera, SDXC card slot, aluminum unibody, and more. $1199 ? $161 off �= �$1038 with free shipping and no tax in most states.� This is the best deal found [...]

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Color vulnerable to simple GPS hack, lets you spy on anyone, anywhere

Color, the $41-million-in-funding location-oriented photo sharing startup, is susceptible to simple GPS spoofing. With nothing more than a jailbroken iPad or iPhone, you can use FakeLocation to trick Color into thinking you're somewhere else. Within seconds you can be browsing photos that were snapped thousands of miles away. With a little digging, you can pore through photos not intended for your eyes.

Of course, such a hack isn't illegal as such -- every photo you take with Color is public. With FakeLocation you are simply circumventing Color's very limited location-oriented security mechanism. It does undermine Color's usefulness (and uniqueness), though -- if nefarious types can sit in their bedroom or basement and eavesdrop on classy dinner parties and wild night club soirees, people might be less inclined to share personal photos with those around them.

Fortunately, both for Color and its users, this is an easy security hole to plug -- at least in the short term. The app (or server-side) code simply checks to see if the user has 'teleported' an impossibly large distance, without any intermediate steps in between. In the long term, though, Color's users must be aware that its social graph is completely public. Color's users must realize that every photo they upload is visible by anyone, from any place.

After the break, just to elucidate a little on Color's actual business model and ultimate intention, we have two amazing quotes from Bill Nguyen, Color's founder.

Continue reading Color vulnerable to simple GPS hack, lets you spy on anyone, anywhere

Color vulnerable to simple GPS hack, lets you spy on anyone, anywhere originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Check Out the Guide to 400 Essential Apps By Wired and Gizmodo [Apps]

We do our damnedest to stay up on the best new apps, but sheesh, the mess of options drives even nerds like us batty. We teamed up with our friends at Wired to put some order to the sprawling madness. More »

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Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review

This morning, an updated version of the stock Android Music app was leaked along with a new version of Android Market. The new Music app, which is labeled 'version 3', is similar to the leaked build from December, but it has received a ton of polish -- and indeed, it looks almost ready for prime time.

If you don't have Android 2.3 -- or don't want to root your phone to install the leaked Music app -- take a look through our gallery, and then read on for our initial hands-on impressions.

Gallery: Leaked Honeycombish Android Music app

Continue reading Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review

Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily Crunch: Space Bird Edition

Review: Kobo eReader Touch Edition Video: A Massive OLED Globe Fit For, Well, A Museum The Opena iPhone 4 Case Hides/Showcases Your Drinking Habit SugarSync Adds Mobile Device Management To Send Files To Devices From The Web Chair + Skateboard = Isukebo

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How Apple Has Changed Under Tim Cook So Far [Apple]

Since taking over as Apple's CEO, Tim Cook has kept the company ship steady, successfully orchestrating the iPhone 4S. And though he's still settling in, the WSJ has a full analysis of his performance thus far, and how that differs from its last boss, Steve Jobs. More »

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A Frightened Face Appeared in the Ultrasound of a Man's Testicle [Wtf]

A 45-year-old man showed up to a hospital complaining about severe pain in his scrotal area. Urologists performed an ultrasound on his testicles and found something hilariously shocking: there looked to be a face of a frightened man in his balls. More »

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Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 gets smarter, faster

Auslogics Disk Defrag has been part of my system maintenance toolkit for quite some time. With the release of version 3.2, it's now even better at tidying up and optimizing your system's hard disk drives. In addition to a cleaner, easier-to-use interface, Disk Defrag 3.2 offers improved single file and folder defragging, better processing of multiple disks, a simplified scheduling screen, and more informative tool tips. Auslogics has also fine-tuned the program's defragmentation and file consolidation algorithms.

For laptop users, there's a new option to lock the program if your system is running on battery power -- so scheduled operations don't kick in and drain your power source at an inopportune moment. If you happen to have an SSD installed in your PC, you can head to the Disk Defrag options and exclude it from scanning (many think that defragmenting an SSD is a very bad idea).

Auslogics Disk Defrag is a free download and works with most versions of Windows.

Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 gets smarter, faster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deal of the Day ?Newest Generation 13.3? Apple MacBook Pro 2.3GHz Core i5 Laptop

Today?s LogicBUY Deal is new October 2011 version 13.3? Apple MacBook Pro (MC700LL/A) laptop for $1038.00.� Features: 2.3GHz Core i5, Thunderbolt port, Gigabit Ethernet, FaceTime HD camera, SDXC card slot, aluminum unibody, and more. $1199 ? $161 off �= �$1038 with free shipping and no tax in most states.� This is the best deal found [...]

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Must See HDTV (October 31st - November 6th)

The World Series is finally over and TV schedules have settled into their normal fall pace. Fox has its lineup set and is finally ready to air new episodes of Bones again, while those waiting more Blu-ray 3D movies have several to choose from. Both the Toy Story and Shrek series come home in the format this week along with the debut of Cars 2, and Uncharted 3 offers 3D support on the gaming side. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

Update: Commenter Bervick reminds us the Steve Jobs - One More Thing special airs on PBS November 2nd. Check the official site for airtimes on your local station.

Burn Notice
If you listen to the HD podcast, then you know this is one of our favorite shows. Michael Westin is a "burned" spy who bides his time trying to get back into the CIA by picking up odd jobs helping people around Miami Macguyver-style. Throw in a best friend played by Bruce Campbell and a health assortment of explosions and gunfire, and you've got everything we could ask for -- except better picture quality, but you can't have everything.
(November 3rd, USA, 10PM)

LSU vs. Alabama
This is what we like the most about college football. We're deep enough into the season that a 1 vs 2-ranked matchup actually means something and we couldn't have two better teams ready to face off. Both have won national championships, both are incredibly talented and well coached. Who will win? we'll have to watch to find out.
(November 5th, CBS, 8PM)

Hell on Wheels
So far AMC's switch from broadcasting classic movies to mixing in original programming has had its standout successes (Mad Men, Breaking Bad), and disappointments in The Killing and The Walking Dead. Sunday night it launches its latest effort, Hell on Wheels, which follows a former Confederate soldier hunting down the Union soldiers responsible for killing his wife. The name comes from the Nebraska town he ends up in along his quest that follows the construction of the railroad across the country. An interesting concept to be sure, but we'll have to lay our eyes on it to know which category this one falls into -- check out a trailer embedded after the break.
(November 6th, AMC, 10PM)

Continue reading Must See HDTV (October 31st - November 6th)

Must See HDTV (October 31st - November 6th) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on

It was a pretty busy day for the Disney-ABC Television Group yesterday, as the company announced a new licensing deal with Amazon, while renewing its pre-existing agreement with Netflix. The Amazon deal will allow Amazon Prime members to access all prior seasons of Grey's Anatomy, every episode of Lost, and all previous seasons of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, among other series. Amazon expects to add a total of some 13,000 titles to Prime Instant Video by "early next year," and just in time for the holiday season (as well as the release of the Kindle Fire). The renewal of Netflix's deal, meanwhile, ensures that the company will continue to offer episodes of shows like Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, and Ugly Betty, as well as new additions, including Switched at Birth, Kick Buttowski and Alias. Basically, though, it's just more of the same. But at a time when Netflix is losing customers in the wake of its price hike and Qwikster debacle, maybe stability isn't such a bad thing. Surf past the break for a pair of dueling PRs.

Continue reading Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on

Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Use?s of the ipad

The use’s of the ipad far goes beyond just gaming and watching movies or videos, it can be used for streaming live news coverage. Though this is not the main reason why many will choose an ipad, it is still a very useful feature to have as it makes it easier to read your news at your own time or while it?s getting streamed. Because of its highly developed graphics processor streaming, live news coverage and playing games on the [...]

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Cablevision reports Q3 earnings, sees profit fall by 65 percent, drop in video subscribers

It's safe to say that Q3 2011 probably won't be remembered as Cablevision's finest. According to the provider's latest earnings report, profits declined by a full 65 percent over the year, with net income plunging to $39.3 million this quarter, compared with the $112.1 million it raked in during the third quarter of 2010. The company also reported a loss of 19,000 video subscribers during Q3, though it added 17,000 broadband customers and 38,000 telephone subscribers. Total customers, however, declined by 15,000 over the past three months. Revenue, meanwhile, increased by eight percent to $1.7 billion, though the New York-area operator lost about $16 million to Hurricane Irene -- not to mention all those legal fees. Smell that? That's a big platter of PR, sitting right there after the break.

Continue reading Cablevision reports Q3 earnings, sees profit fall by 65 percent, drop in video subscribers

Cablevision reports Q3 earnings, sees profit fall by 65 percent, drop in video subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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