Tuesday is one of the days that, the moment it starts, you’re wondering how fast it’s going to end. After all, it’s the day before Wednesday, and hopefully that means you’re half way done with your work week. That’s one of the reason we’re so happy to bring you the Daily Slash, where we can let you wind down with the day’s ending topics, so you can feel rejuvenated for your hump day challenges. As for what’s on tonight’s platter, which of course we focus on the Best of R3 first, is an Android-based handset that’s coming direct from a wireless carrier, the latest and greatest when it comes to virtual desktops for your iPad, and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 gets reviewed. And then in the ‘net, we’ve got new chips from Intel, an Iron Man 2 goodie that’s great for all ages, a hoodie with a little bit of light, and finally one of the greatest looking eBooks we’ve ever seen. So let’s not waste any more time, shall we?
The Best of R3 Media
Orange Calls its First Android Phone Boston, We Approve: Android is an open source mobile Operating System, and it’s specifically designed for anyone who wants to take a crack at it, to, well, take a crack at it. And with that in mind, take the Orange-branded Boston for what it’s worth. It’s not necessarily a low-end device, as it features a 3.2-inch 480×320 touchscreen, 600MHz processor, 5MP camera on the back, and it has 802.11 b/g WiFI. However, the real appalling feature is the fact that it’s going to ship with Android 1.6. That just doesn’t cut it in our books. [via Android Community]
Citrix Receiver Brings a Virtual Windows Desktop to Your iPad: While we brought you a different kind of way to multitask last night, this method may be a far safer, and much more rational way to go about bringing multitasking to your iPad. With the Citrix Receiver iPad application, you connect that with the XenDesktop application you download to your Mac or PC, and have at it with the virtual goodness. You’ll be able to utilize multiple applications running in the virtual PC, and what makes it all worth it, is the fact that the company created an iPad-like User Interface, so you still get that ease of use you’re accustomed to, even if you are running Windows 7. [via Everything iPad]
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Gets Reviewed: Even if you can’t go pick up your very own X10, with its Rachael User Interface, at least you can head over to SlashPhone and check out their in depth review of the handset. Much like every other cell phone (or gadget, for that matter), it’s not going to be for everyone, but we know that someone out there will like the X10. With its Timescape and Mediascape applications, and the fact that the Rachael UI brings a whole new level of custom skinning to a mobile Operating System, the X10 certainly stands out. But, does it do it in a good way? Go read and find out. [via SlashPhone]
The Dredge Net
Intel Suggests Dual-Core Atom Chip is Coming to Netbooks: As it stands right now, most netbooks out there are running a single core Atom chip (if they’re running an Atom chip at all, mind you), but it looks like Intel wants to change that, and soon. By the second quarter, Intel CEO Paul Otellini wants to have a dual-core Atom chip running in netbooks and other small form factors. And while the Atom chip may not be anything to write home about, at least not in its single core iteration, we’re pretty confident that a dual-core chip could definitely be something to get excited about. [via CNET]
Iron Man 2 Saves Your Data: Who better to store your data than Iron Man, right? That whole JARVIS system should do wonders for your spreadsheets and word documents. If you’re a fan of the Iron Man movie franchise, and you want to see the new movie, maybe you should show your excitement by picking up this USB drive. It comes in a 4GB capacity, and it will cost you $39.50, so we’re assuming you’re paying a little bit of overhead due to the fact it’s Iron Man related. But hey, it’s cute, right? [via Chip Chick]
The Skôn is a Hoodie With a Light: Skôn means nice, in Swedish and Dutch, and we’re pretty sure that title fits this piece of tech really well. You have what looks to be a normal hoodie, but then bam, there’s a light that outlines the hood. There’s a knitted variable resistor within the fabric of the hood, so the more you play with it, the brighter the light will become. So, if you find yourself in a dark tunnel, the more you nervously knead the rim of your hood, the brighter your path will be lit. [via Yanko Design]
Alice eBook Makes All Other eBooks Want to be More: While the iBooks application brings a sense of realism to reading your electronic book, with that whole slow page turning and what not, just watching this video demonstration of this Alice in Wonderland eBook blows our minds. It’s so interactive, with its pop-up 2.0 features, that we can’t wait to get our hands on it. And, in point of fact, we really can’t wait to see what comes next. Just watch the video and see how you can literally interact with the story, and make certain set pieces within each page move, or shake, or tumble around. We can see how this will make millions of kids out there want to read. [via The Daily What]
We can’t say we’ve ever felt the pressing need to save time and download energy by buying our external storage and digital movies at the same time, but Seagate’s latest FreeAgent Go offers just that simplicity. The 500GB USB 2.0 portable hard-drive comes preloaded with twenty different feature-films, although you don’t actually get them included in the purchase price; instead, Seagate – and Paramount Pictures, who they’ve partnered with for this – allow you to pick which titles to unlock, charging you between $9.99 and $14.99 for each one.
To get you in the mood, a copy of the latest Star Trek movie is included in the sticker price of the drive, and the media files themselves are licensed for playback on multiple platforms. They’re not DRM-free, however, and Seagate will be pushing out a firmware update for their FreeAgent Theater+ media player later in April so that you can watch the movies on your HDTV simply by docking in the hard-drive.
The full list of pre-loaded titles is in the press release below, but it includes a range of classics like The Hunt for Red October up to newer releases. You can also delete them if you’d rather have the backup space, of course. The Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB HDD is available now.
Press Release:
AN INDUSTRY FIRST: SEAGATE OFFERS FREEAGENT GO™ HARD DRIVES PRE-LOADED WITH PARAMOUNT PICTURES’ FEATURE FILMS
Ultra Portable Drive Comes Pre-loaded with One Movie for Activation and Twenty Other Films for Purchase to Help Jump Start Consumers’ Digital Movie Collections
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. — April 12, 2010 — Today, Seagate (NASDAQ: STX), the worldwide leader in hard drives, and Paramount Digital Entertainment, a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, announced their agreement to pre-load a selection of 500GB FreeAgent Go™ ultra-portable hard drives with Paramount movies. Beginning immediately, United States’ customers who purchase specially marked packages of the award-winning FreeAgent Go ultra-portable hard drive will be able to activate Paramount Pictures’ popular film, Star Trek (2009), for no additional fee. This collaboration between two industry leaders underscores a new era in digital movie collecting by enabling people to build, store and enjoy their personal libraries of favorite films in their preferred medium—whether on the computer or the TV—at home and on the go.
In addition to Star Trek (2009), those who have purchased the specially marked hard drives also receive an assortment of 20 Paramount Pictures movies pre-loaded on the FreeAgent Go 500GB ultra-portable drives that can be easily and securely unlocked through the online purchase of a license key. The films will be licensed for multiple devices to allow for portability and enjoyment of them on a desktop computer, laptop computer, or widescreen television, using the FreeAgent Theater+™ HD media player[1].
“Seagate and Paramount Pictures are delivering major motion pictures to consumers in a unique and innovative solution. For years Seagate hard drives have been powering the devices that allow consumers to enjoy their digital libraries. Today, we are simplifying content delivery by giving consumers the ultimate flexibility in how they enjoy their movies all in a convenient package,” said Dave Mosley, executive vice president, Sales, Marketing and Product Line Management, Seagate.
To take advantage of this special offer, simply purchase a specially marked 500GB FreeAgent Go ultra-portable drive from Seagate.com, or wherever Seagate FreeAgent Go portable hard drives are sold. After online registration of the drive, a promotional code will be provided for redemption at http://seagate.paramountshop.com. Redeeming the offer code provides the license key to unlock Star Trek (2009) and the option to purchase additional keys to unlock the remaining film titles that are pre-loaded on the drive.
A choice of up to 20 popular Paramount titles can be unlocked for a fee[2] including:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
GI Joe
Shooter
The Hunt for Red October
The Italian Job (2003)
Ghost
Patriot Games
Beowulf
Enemy at the Gates
The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Love Guru
Coach Carter
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Nacho Libre
Jackass 2.5
A Plumm Summer
Carriers
Dance Flick
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
“Collaborating with Seagate on this massive movie pre-load reinforces our commitment to embrace technologies that give consumers choice and flexibility in how they access and purchase their digital entertainment. Paramount Digital Entertainment has created a powerful solution that allows companies like Seagate to offer a seamless experience for consumers to access and securely activate pre-loaded movies, ensuring that exciting films are available everywhere they wish to enjoy them,” said Malik Ducard, senior vice president, Digital Distribution, The Americas, Paramount Digital Entertainment.
“And with over 38 hours of movie viewing enjoyment pre-loaded onto the portable device, we are offering consumers a great opportunity to jump start their digital libraries.”
About Paramount Digital Entertainment
Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, and emerging technologies.
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company’s labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.
It’s April 6th and that means Xbox 360 users will be getting the software update that allows them to use USB memory sticks as external storage for their consoles. Up to 16GB per stick can be formatted to be recognized by the 360 – though the rest of the stick’s capacity, if it’s larger than the Xbox partition, can still be read by a computer – and two sticks can be plugged in at any one time.
Any stick will work, and the 360 will allow you to choose the size of the partition. Of course, Microsoft would also like the opportunity to get its hands into your wallet, and so they’ll be offering a range of branded USB sticks for the “bargain” price of $70 for a 16GB unit next month.
When we last saw the AirStash, it was keeping its mystique about it and refusing to disclose any salient details beyond the fact that it’ll function as a wireless SD/SDHC card reader. Today, the fog of war is lifted with the news that the AirStash is now officially on sale for $99.99, and will come with a battery good for five hours of continuous data streaming. Marketed primarily at iPhone OS devices, it creates a wireless network that allows any WiFi and browser-equipped computer to access the storage cards within it. The UI is built around HTML5 and recharging is done via a USB connection, which also turns the AirStash into a simple SDHC card adapter when plugged in. Check out our hands-on with it from CES over here and look for a full review coming up shortly. We do care so very deeply our portable storage.
There are lots of people out there who have data on their computer that they don’t want unauthorized people accessing. Whatever you need to keep safe from your collection of 80’s music to personal information like medical records encryption is the way to go. Onix International has announced that the latest EncryptStick Version 4.1 flash drive is now available.
The EncryptStick is like a digital safe that users can store images, video, or any other digital file on and secure the content with 512-bit polymorphic encryption. According to the manufacturer, the encryption is resistant to all known cryptanalytic attacks.
The drive supports Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 as well as Mac OXS 10.4 and up. The EncryptStick flash drive has 4GB of storage space and can be ordered for $119.99. Users who want more storage space can grab the software alone for $39.99 and use it on any serial numbered USB drive.
Iomega’s new v.Clone app may not have the instant appeal of a shiny new piece of hardware, but it’s a pretty neat piece of software that will be included on several of the company’s external drives. Iomega v.Clone aims to bring straightforward virtualization of a primary PC to a home audience, packing a clone of the OS together with all applications, settings and documents onto a removable drive which can later be booted into onto a second machine.
Any changes made to files, settings, media or anything else are then re-synchronized back to the original PC when the drive is plugged back in, and no data is left on the temporary host. Iomega reckon it’ll be useful for netbook users wanting more storage than their budget ultraportables can offer, together with those upgrading a machine and cautious about losing data, as well as people bringing work home from the office.
Iomega v.Clone will be available for free download to the company’s eGo, eGo BlackBelt, eGo Encrypt Plus, and Prestige Compact Edition USB portable hard-drives, together with their eGo Desktop and Prestige Desktop Hard Drives.
Sugar Labs have released v.2 “Blueberry” of their Sugar on a Stick virtualized OS, intended for deployment in education settings. Originally released in public beta back in April, the platform was originally developed for the OLPC XO-1 notebook but subsequently spun out for any Windows, Mac or Linux computer.
In comparison to the previous version, Sugar on a Stick v.2 Blueberry cleans up the OS’ navigation, improves networking support, streamlines Activities updates and boosts Gnash and Flash support. Sugar Labs have also loaded in some new applications, alongside the existing apps for text-to-speech and other functionality.
Any 1GB flash drive can be used, with Sugar on a Stick running directly from that drive rather than requiring installation. Meanwhile there’s a new site – RecycleUSB – that allows people to donate their unwanted USB drives to be repurposed into “portable learning centers” for 5-12 year olds.
Update:NewGadgets.de were on hand this morning to catch the official launch of v.2 Blueberry on video:
