The movie "Chronicle" debuts Friday, Feb. 3. The science fiction film shows the results when three high school friends gain superpowers (unlike Spider-Man, with great power sometimes comes great irresponsibility).
With that, what better way to advertise the movie than by buzzing New York City with human-shaped RC "planes?"
As you can see from the video, from the ground, it looks like you're watching Superman (or some other flying superhero --- or supervillain). Quite a few were fooled, as shown by images of the public taking shots of the flying "men."
One person can be seen using the rear facing camera of some sort of tablet (probably an iPad, based on market share), showing once and for all that indeed, people do take pictures with tablets.
20th Century Fox reportedly enlisted viral marketing agency Thinkmodo to design the campaign. While a cool campaign, we have to ask how anyone could tie the movie "Chronicle" together with three flying men.
While we've seen the trailers for the movie, the real clue comes from the YouTube video itself, which was posted by "ChronicleNYC," a great clue.
Frankly, if we'd come upon these flying men, we wouldn't have thought it was connected to the movie, but we also wouldn't have thought they were superheroes.
On the other hand, odds are we might have at least have called the police to find out if they knew anything about "flying men in the skies."
Those characters in China never give up: the latest in a "series" of Steve Jobs actions figures has been launched, and although Apple has shot down efforts to sell them before (1, 2),
Those previous attempts came via the website M.I.C. Gadget, and the second of the two looked to be same action figure as in the first attempt, but disguised as a ninja. This time, website In Icons is attempting to sell the action figure. Its website says the company will begin shipping the product worldwide in February.
There are already plenty of Steve Jobs action figures on eBay, but these are not the same ones that In Icons will be selling. Based on looking at them, in fact, they appear to be the M.I.C. Gadget action figures from earlier.
The new action figures will be 12 inches tall, and come as follows:
One realistic head sculpt & Two pairs of glasses (in case you lose one ... or your kid does?)
One highly articulated body & Three pairs of hands (in case you lose a pair of hands?)
One black turtleneck & One pair of blue jeans
One black leather belt & One chair (wood + metal)
One pair of black socks & sneaker
Two apples (One with a bite.)
One piece of "ONE MORE THING” hard backdrop
In terms of popularity, this is definitely popular. The site is so hammered that visiting it ended up with the web page loading only about 1/2-way.
However, we expect that the odds are this thing will never ship, based on the long, expensive arms of Apple's lawyers.
In the wake of Adobe's recent announcement that it would be ending mobile Flash development, the question was, will Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) get a version of Flash? The answer is, yes, but not right away.
In addition, 4.0 will be the end of it. Adobe has said not to expect Flash on Android 5.0, either.
Despite what folks (Apple and more) think, there are still plenty of instances in which Flash is necessary for a full Web experience. If you want to see, but you have Adobe Flash installed on your Honeycomb or earlier Android device, use Firefox (which doesn't support Flash) and see how often you're annoyed.
"Flash hasn’t been released for ICS yet so as far as we know, Adobe will support Flash for ICS."
The question then becomes, how long before it's released. The word from Adobe is a little more detailed than from Google. Flash for ICS will be delivered, all things going well, of course, before the end of 2011.
"Adobe will release one more version of the Flash Player for mobile browsing, which will provide support for Android 4.0, and one more release of the Flash Linux Porting Kit --- both expected to be released before the end of this year. After that time, Adobe will continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates."
That statement makes it sound like there will be no Android 5.0 version of Adobe Flash Player. While not definitive, considering what you would assume to be the timeframe for a Jelly Bean (Android 5.0) release, we'd agree that the odds are quite small of a Flash Player on that version of Android.
Amazon.com has promised to make a paid app free every day in the Amazon Appstore, and today's app is Virtual Horse Racing 3D Pro.
Virtual Horse Racing 3D Pro does not exist in the Android Market, but the developer has a free non-Pro version there. It is normally priced at $1.99 in the Amazon Appstore. As we noted previously, prices sometimes differ between the two stores.
Virtual Horse Racing 3D Pro is described as follows:
Carry the racetrack in your pocket with Virtual Horse Racing 3D Pro. With this fabulous app, the races are always only as far away as your phone or tablet. Have fun creating profiles, placing bets, and tracking your wins and losses.
Chalk it Up
Which horses do you think have the best chance of winning? Whether you study all the stats or just flip a coin, your first task is to make your picks. You may not have an easy time choosing from a list including such beauties as Lucky Star, Born To Fly, and Daredevil. Before you decide, you can get the dirt on a horse's unique attributes including weight, age, sex, percent wins, ability overview, and odds. You can also view jockey, trainer, and owner.
Bet You're Sitting Chilly
Once you've decided on your horses, it's time to place your bets. Place a simple bet, or up the chances with exotic bets like Quinella, Exacta, up to Superfecta. Then sit back and enjoy the race in 3D graphics on your Android device, complete with realistic sound effects. If you win, the payoff will automatically calculate for you after each race based on betting rules.
Claim Your Turf
Virtual Horse Racing 3D Pro allows you to create and save up to three game profiles. Each profile includes your balance, races, bets, wins, losses, profits, and largest records. Virtual Horse Racing Pro automatically saves your place and remembers it for the next time you decide to play. Challenge yourself to see how much you can win, or just have fun losing it all.
Virtual Horse Racing 3D (the non-Pro version) has a 3.9-star rating in the Android Market, and the Pro version has a 4.0-star rating in the Amazon Appstore.
The Amazon Appstore doesn't "sell" the non-Pro version, and vice versa in the Android Market, so what are the differences between the two versions? It's not indicated in either Market (since who would want to advertise the other Market?).
Based on one of the reviews, the graphics are the same between the two versions. However, "the pro does have extra betting options like the exacta or trifecta or Superfecta..and yes ya can box the bets. However missing is a wheeling option which probably ok to not have it. The racing form on the Pro version shows the last 6 finishes for each horse entered something i think the Lite didnt have. Also in the lite youre bankroll is limited to $100...this ver starts u off w 1000. plus youre (sic) not limited to 30 dollar max bets. you also get 3 players save feature in the pro vs 1 in the lite. for a timekiller its good and fun. still the wheeling would make this a great overall experience at a real track."
Those who are considering "buying" a Free Amazon Appstore app might want to consider what it means to developers.
Amazon.com opened up the Appstore despite a lawsuit by Apple, which has previously trademarked the term "App Store." Microsoft has filed an appeal against that trademark, saying the term is too generic. Amazon.com has responded to the lawsuit in the same manner.
Best Buy seems to be the home of the iPhone 5 leaks, with another new leaked memo following up onan earlier one. This new leak seems to confirm that the nation's No. 3 carrier, Sprint, will be getting the iPhone 5, as was previously rumored
This new leak seems to conflict with the earlier leak, however. According to the new memo, Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile are beginning training for an October launch. The memo says "pre-sales begin for October week 1 launch / Sprint launches iPhone 5." More information is cut off in the BGR image, but the memo also says "Apple product introduction / Launch dates subject to change."
It's very clear: Sprint will get the iPhone 5. What's not clear, as far as a launch / intro goes, is the exact date of an iPhone 5 launch. It's already been read two ways by BGR; it seems to indicate that the iPhone 5 will launch in the first week of October, as was noted earlier. It's also not clear if the Sprint version would carry Sprint's 4G WiMax or not, but we'd bet against it, since LTE isn't in the cards for the iPhone 5, either.
On the other hand, this goes against the recent information about an Apple fixture install on October 21, one that requires the unusual step of having a Best Buy manager in-store at 6 a.m. The source of that leak said that's the same procedure that was taken for the launch of the iPhone 4.
The earlier leak, therefore, points to an iPhone 5 launch on Oct. 21, which is more in line with recent reports from the Wall Street Journal, which mentioned "mid-October" for the launch.
In addition, the odds of an announcement this week are slim to none. Why? Apple isn't going to hold an event of this magnitude without giving media advance notice. Typically, it's at least a week advance notice (just check past events).
That doesn't mean it won't be introduced in October, but it does mean we're not going to see pre-orders and this week, since it hasn't even been introduced yet.
Of additional import is a report that Apple has begun iOS 5 and iCloud training for its Apple retail store employees. Apple has, in recent memory, rolled out its major iOS releases just prior to an iPhone launch, so that also points to a "coming soon" iPhone 5 launch.
The one clear thing out of all this seems to be that Sprint will finally get the iPhone. Since Verizon earlier said it had no exclusivity on the CDMA version of the iPhone, it's been expected.
The only other clear (yet still vague) thing is that the iPhone 5 will be coming "soon." A flood of rumors like this means it's nearly here.
It's been reported that Apple is working on an 8GB model of the iPhone 4, which doesn't really surprise us, but which mainstream media is treating as a huge move, but it's unclear it really is. Instead, this might simply be the typical move Apple makes every year: the prior year's model is sold at a reduced price with reduced storage.
Reportedly, Apple's suppliers have begun manufacturing iPhone 4s with only 8GB of storage. Currently, the iPhone 4 is sold with either 16GB or 32GB of storage. As described, this seems to be a move similar to its prior moves with the iPhone 3G and 3GS, where Apple lowered the storage and sold the devices for $99 on-contract rather than the normal $199 for the lowest tier of storage.
There were rumors earlier about a lower cost iPhone, designed for emerging markets and at a prepaid price low enough to make an impact. This doesn't sound like it, however. Those rumors included a "simplified iPhone 4", one which would be carried by China Mobile (which actually doesn't carry the iPhone, yet), as well as possibly high-, mid-, and low-end iPhones which some theorized might be the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4 (downgraded storage) and the iPhone 3GS (sold free on contract and at a low price for emerging markets).
While Apple still hasn't revealed the launch date of the iPhone 5, the latest rumors have focused on late September for pre-orders and early October. Of course, no one really knows: the Cupertino, CA-based company is always secretive about new products.
We'll agree, odds are an iPhone 4 with only 8GB of storage is coming. Odds are also that it's not a significant change for Apple and will be sold at either $99 or $49, on contract.
While Best Buy earlier said it would not sell off its remaining stock of HP's tablet, the TouchPad, preferring instead to ship them back to HP, it has changed its mind. Perhaps watching all the other retailers sell out their stock, Best Buy has decided it will sell its stock of HP TouchPads at the clearance price set by HP: $99 for a 16GB version, and $149 for a 32GB version.
Earlier, Best Buy said it wouldn't try to sell the HP tablets, but it announced late Saturday that it would. Best Buy has plenty of them; it was reported earlier in the week that Best Buy had only managed to sell 25,000 of the HP TouchPad tablets, less than 10 percent of the amount it had been allocated (270,000) by HP.
Best Buy has made the following statements:
Each customer can buy one of each SKU, meaning one each of the 16GB and 32GB HP tablets.
BestBuy.com is sold out. Customers will need to visit stores to find a TouchPad (Best Buy's store locator is here)
Best Buy will price match for those who purchased HP TouchPads (at Best Buy) at the full price. If you purchased at BestBuy.com, you will have to call their customer service line.
Best Buy has extended its refund window for the TouchPad to 60 days, meaning that everyone who purchased a TouchPad can, at this point, get a refund if they want.
All sales at the discounted price are final.
The fire sale on these HP tablets began on Saturday, after HP announced, just Thursday, a halt to webOS hardware development. While the company said it has not stopped webOS software development, the odds are very small that they will be able to license the software or sell off the intellectual property (IP).
Of course, there is a chance that some disgruntled Android OEMs might be interested in licensing or buying webOS. Some OEMs are likely to be concerned about Google's recent move in acquiring Motorola.
In fact, earlier, it was reported that HP was trying to license the OS to OEMs such as Samsung. That said, you can expect that webOS app developers have halted development on the platform; Microsoft is already attempting to lure them to Windows Phone.
Although Hewlett-Packard continues to try to keep the hopes of webOS fans up with talk of licensing webOS, stating that only webOS hardware is definitely dead, the odds are not good for webOS software development. And what will HP do with all those TouchPads and other webOS devices? Fire sale, anyone?
Starting tomorrow, but also online at some sites, the following pricing will be available for HP TouchPads: 16GB for $99, and 32GB for $149. Indeed, those who might have purchased the devices for full price are probably not too happy right about now.
You'll be able to find the deals directly at HP's website tomorrow, but don't forget that Best Buy stores only managed to sell about 10 percent or less of the allocated TouchPads they received from HP. They should have plenty in stock in-store, although Best Buy's online store shows the devices as "sold out."
You can also save 20 percent off HP TouchPad accessories with the purchase of a TouchPad, here.
Although most have believed, until now, that the odds of an LTE iPhone 5 are very small, evidence of carrier testing of an LTE-enabled iPhone seemed to give some credence to that rumor again. Still, it seems unlikely that Apple will put LTE into the iPhone 5, based on its battery issues and lack of coverage.
That said, why is there LTE equipment being installed in Apple stores? In fact, it isn't just an ordinary Apple store. Reportedly, it is a "major Apple store." The equipment is said to be AT&T equipment, as well.
Verizon has already said that its LTE service will be incompatible with AT&T's still-to-launch service.
The AT&T equipment reportedly supports the 700 megahertz band of spectrum, which is what AT&T plans to use when it launches its LTE network out. It also supports the AWS bands, which is what T-Mobile owns, and which AT&T intends to leverage for LTE if its deal is approved.
Later this summer, AT&T's LTE will launch in five markets: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. In addition, AT&T plans to expand its LTE coverage at least 15 markets covering 70 million Americans by year's end.
The store and those in the area are also trying to add 30 percent more floor staff, which could signal a new iPhone release soon (though not necessarily anything to do with LTE).
Just as with last month's Firefox 5 release, Firefox 6 is available early, for those not willing to wait. All you need to do is go to the appropriate FTP site (Windows,Mac, Linux) and have at it.
There is, of course, a small chance that Mozilla will update the software again between now and Tuesday, when it is officially scheduled to release, but the odds are that what's on the FTP site now is what will be there on Tuesday.
Mozilla changed to smaller, frequent releases after Firefox 4, beginning with 5. While most of the changes to 6 are under-the-hood, in addition, Mozilla has added a new permissions tool, accessed by typing "about:permissions" in the browser's address bar. The tool will give end users a chance to set site-specific permissions for cookies, location-sharing, saved passwords, pop-ups, images, and more.
Meanwhile, the under-the-hood changes will increase Firefox's speed, with startup time decreasing for those with a lot of tabs and groups. One small, but cool usability change coming to Firefox 6 will be Firefox 6's display domain names in the browser's address bar. Domain names will be tinted with a small highlight, making it easier for users to tell what site domain they are visiting with just a quick glance.
Most importantly for end users, Firefox 6 is supposed to be 20 percent faster than Firefox 5. That, of course, remains to be seen, and Chrome, IE, and Opera would call it "arguable."
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