They’re calling it gaming meets on-demand meets cloud computing, and if OnLive can pull it off it might just revolutionize the video game industry. OnLive is a remotely-hosted gaming experience, with the heavy crunching normally done by an expensive console or high-spec PC instead carried out remotely. All the player needs is a broadband connection (1.5Mbps for Wii-level 480p graphics; 4-5Mbps for 720p HD) and either a PC or Mac to play on.
Video demo after the cut
Sprint are believed to be in discussions with Garmin, SanDisk and Kodak regarding supplying wireless internet access for products from the three companies. The potential deals are said to be similar to that between Sprint and Amazon for the Kindle wireless network, and while no specific application details have been revealed, it’s fair to assume that Garmin would plan a 3G-enabled PND, Kodak a 3G-enabled camera and SanDisk a 3G-enabled memory card.
Korean firm mintpass are planning to bring their super-compact mintpad touchscreen device to the US. The 90g palm-sized mintpad has a 2.86-inch display, handwriting recognition, WiFi b/g and a 1.3-megapixel camera, and according to the company is currently being Anglicized for foreign markets. The mintpad went on sale in Korea back in November 2008, priced at just 199,000 KRW ($143).
mintpad video demo after the cut
We’ve been hearing rumors about the upcoming third generation of the iPhone but now we’re hearing some rumblings about a serious Internet boost in the next model. But what’s the skinny?
It seems a person in the know has said that the new iPhone’s connection will be “significantly faster” but this could refer to either the WiFi or the cellular connection. Or maybe even both!
The experts suspect that highly cryptic tip refers to a boost in Internet speed, however, with the addition of speed-doubled 7.2Mbps 3G. And this would make sense, especially since Infineon will be releasing a new 3G chip sometime in the middle of this year. On top of that, AT&T has been testing their 7.2Mbps 3G service for awhile now and that is scheduled to roll out this year as well. If WiFi gets an update, then the Broadcom 802.11 chipset is the likely candidate to boost speeds to 50Mbps. Whatever the truth is, we’re excited to find it out. And soon!
There aren’t a whole lot of music websites out there, especially to compete with the big dogs like iTunes, but now there’s even one less. SpiralFrog decided to close their doors yesterday after struggling to make ends meet in this economy.
In case driving around in a Cadillac isn’t enough for you, come April you’ll be able to get the Internet while out on the road, too. And it’s all because of a new system called Cadillac WiFi that is based on an Autonet Mobile device. This device is completely portable and makes it so computers can access the Internet over a local connection.
In case you want a car with this gizmo built in, your first option will be the CTS Sports Sedan. However, you will be able to buy the WiFi device by itself, though it’ll cost you $499 plus $29 a month for the service.
At the moment, Cadillac is one of only a few car companies looking to pursue Internet for in the car. However, there is some concern that within a few years this technology will be useless, once 3G and 4G cell phone networks and devices are more readily available, cheaper and more reliable. But for now, it’s still pretty cool.
[via The Car Tech Blog]
Internet Explorer 8 will finally see its public release today, as Microsoft roll out the new version of the browser from 12pm EDT. After several months of public testing, IE8 will bring faster browsing – almost 50-percent on some sites compared to other software, claim Microsoft – together with new usability shortcuts called “accelerators”, such as a right-click to search or map feature.
Google’s Chrome browser turned a lot of heads when it first launched back in September 2008, and the search giant surprised even more people by dropping the beta tag from the browser only a few months later. Now there’s news of a new version of Chrome, still free and back with beta status, but reportedly between 25- and 35-percent faster than previously, depending on benchmarking. There are also new features like side-by-side tab views and autoscrolling.
Iomega have announced an update for their StorCenter ix2 NAS, bringing torrent downloads, remote access with optional custom domain names, folder quotas and native support for the Apple File Protocol (AFP). The StorCenter ix2 NAS itself is a compact storage device with gigabit ethernet, dual USB 2.0 ports and up to 2TB of capacity via a pair of SATA-II hard-drives.
A website for the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, Microsoft’s answer to the Apple App Store, has gone live, complete with a mobile-formatted layout and the promise that downloads will be “coming soon”. Announced at Mobile World Congress last month, the Marketplace will offer developers a straightforward way to reach would-be users, with on-device downloads and increased publicity.
What’s currently unclear, though, is what format the new Windows Mobile Marketplace will take. Although Microsoft played their cards close to their chest at MWC, the assumption had been that the store would be a standalone application. This new website could be a sign that Microsoft have instead gone for an internet portal.
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