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Ryan Block

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Latest Posts from Switched

Olympic 'Bird's Nest' Stadium Now an MP3-Player, Too

by Ryan Block on August 11, 2008 at 03:34 PM


Like so many other devices made in China, we're convinced this Bird's Nest Stadium, um, "inspired" device is totally, completely authorized and legit. And hey, unlike Chinese bird's nest soup, it not only comes in capacities up to 4GB, but doesn't even appear to be assembled with avian saliva. Difficulty: 1.2, execution: 3.55.
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Steve Jobs Admits He Made a Big Mistake With MobileMe

by Ryan Block on August 5, 2008 at 09:36 AM

Not that anyone could really dance around the facts of the matter at this point, but Ars Technica is reporting that in an e-mail to Apple employees sent yesterday, Steve is alleged to have said the following:

"It was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store. We all had more than enough to do, and MobileMe could have been delayed without consequence."

Apple exec Eddie Cue appears to taking the much maligned service under his wing (as well as the App Store, adding to his original gig as VP of iTunes), hopefully making good on the other bit in El Jobso's e-mail, in which he resets Apple's call to action on .Mac's replacement:

"The MobileMe launch clearly demonstrates that we have more to learn about Internet services. And learn we will. The vision of MobileMe is both exciting and ambitious, and we will press on to make it a service we are all proud of by the end of this year."

We'll see about that!
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YouTube Comes to Tivo

by Ryan Block on July 17, 2008 at 10:38 AM

Just in case you weren't already watching enough YouTube at work and on your home computer, on your iPhone, Ocean, etc., or on your Apple TV, now TiVo's getting in on the action as well. Originally announced earlier this year, TiVo users can finally expect the update to pop over your TiVo's regularly scheduled updates over the next couple of weeks. Oh, and our man Dave Zatz shot some video of the new feature and put it up on (where else?) YouTube -- check it out after the break.

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Hands-On With the New Apple App Store

by Ryan Block on July 10, 2008 at 12:35 PM


The App Store is live, and we're taking a peek around before it implodes from curious users trying to download dozens of apps for their iPhones and iPods touch (or is that iPod touches?).

Already users can start downloading their programs (which are downloaded to their /Users/[user]/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications/ directory as .ipa files), but you can't do anything with them until you get the 2.0 firmware (or an iPhone 3G).

So far everything is really smooth and easy to use, although it's easy to tell that the enormous amount of applications that will be available in the coming months (and years) will become a difficult thing to trudge through. It's a high-class problem for Apple, but hopefully it won't be too overwhelming to find something good if you don't know exactly what you're looking for.

We'll be keeping tally of some of the more noteworthy launch apps, although many we've already seen:
  • AIM - duh
  • Google Mobile - "a great place to start your search"
  • Twitterrific - Finally, a legit, standalone Twitter client
  • Bomberman Touch
  • Epocrates Rx - An app to help identify "mystery pills" you might find. Very helpful.
We'll be updating with more info as we go!
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Roomba Creator Working on Lawn-Mowing Robot?

by Ryan Block on July 7, 2008 at 02:29 PM

Not that it's any surprise, but according to a patent filing (which we were unable to ourselves unearth from the abyss that is the USPTO), iRobot would appear to still be working on the "Mowba," or whatever the hell the lawn-cutting robot is that they were talking up years ago.

We're not sure you really need to pore over 80+ pages of sketches and drawings to get the idea though, especially since there are already a number of autonomous grass-cutting machines out there. [Source: Robot Stock News]
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Toyota Prius to Get Solar Panels

by Ryan Block on July 7, 2008 at 09:47 AM


According to Nikkei, Toyota's apparently going to be equipping future high-end Priuses with Kyocera-built roof-mounted solar panels. Somewhat counter-intuitively, the sun's rays won't be used to power the car itself, but will instead run the AC. It also sounds like your next solar-assisted Prius won't be around for a while, as the panels aren't designed in yet, nor will they be until early next year when Toyota starts work on revamping the line. [Source: Reuters]
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Local Students Get Free Lesson-Equipped Zunes

by Ryan Block on June 30, 2008 at 12:04 PM

The latest edu-gimmick to hit small-town America: 100-plus media players -- Zunes, to be specific -- are being handed out to local high school and middle school students in Liberty, Missouri and Fort Sumner, New Mexico for listening to lesson-supporting podcasts in the hopes of saving them "lost class time."

Surely this will raise test scores, right? Or at least improve the Zune's cachet? Who knows -- even the district superintendent said, "Is it the next great thing? I don't know. Maybe. But it is another tool."

Maybe the Kindle might make a better tool, but either way, Microsoft apparently intends to release data on the case study later this year. [Source: Yahoo]
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Fastest Clock in the World Tells Time to the Microsecond

by Ryan Block on June 28, 2008 at 11:44 AM


Art school student Freddie Yauner's CO2-powered Highest Popping Toaster in the World concept is great and all (it's even supposedly Guinness World Record-certified), but a clock that aims to tell time to one millionth of a second is what it takes to turn our geeky, schedule-obsessed hearts to mush. Since no display can refresh a million times a second (and no eye can comprehend that kind of data), Yauner's concept lets you peer into the moment by hitting pause.

Just note that by the time you let go the clock will have already advanced by another several million microseconds, prompting an almost Heisenbergian cycle of observation in its owner. Videos of the toaster and clock after the break. [Source: Freddie Yauner via Coolest Gadgets]

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Is Helio Going Out of Business?

by Ryan Block on June 20, 2008 at 01:30 PM


It ain't over until it's over, but we just got word that Helio store managers received notification this week that the axe is finally falling: (at least some of) the nationwide chain of retail stores will be shuttered during Virgin's takeover of Helio. As we've heard, "there is no 'merge' in this merger," so it sounds like after this year's big executive reshuffle, SK Telecom (which owns a majority stake in Helio) is bailing on their half-billion dollar enterprise a big way. No word if the fabled Ocean 2 will make it -- or if Virgin will even let Helio customers keep their phones.

Alongside Helio -- more or less the last man standing -- the great MVNO goldrush also dies. Unfortunate that besides Virgin and a few local and M2M providers (like Amazon's Whispernet), pretty much no one was able to make it work. Then again, no one ever never said making cellphones and running any kind of carrier was easy.
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iPhone 3G: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know (But Were Afraid to Ask)

by Ryan Block on June 13, 2008 at 05:15 PM

If you're anything like us, just about everyone in your family has called you up this week to ask if you think they should get the iPhone 3G; it really doesn't help matters that there's just an absurd amount of (mis)information floating around about it right now, too. So this one's for you and your fam -- we're dishing out the straight dope on iPhone 3G, a to z, so feel free to pass it on. Hit the read link for the straight dope on everything we know so far.
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Canon Updates Its Entry-Level DSLR Line With the EOS Rebel XS

by Ryan Block on June 10, 2008 at 01:43 PM

Goodnight XT and XTi, hello EOS Rebel XS -- we've been expecting you. Companion to the more recent XSi new DSLR has a larger 2.5-inch screen 10 megapixel sensor, live view display, 3fps burst shooting, DIGIC III image processor, seven point AF, and a bundled EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. Unfortunately this is only going live in Japan today -- we'll be stuck waiting until next month for the US ... Read more »
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HP Exec Cuts Birthday Cake with MacBook Air

by Ryan Block on June 2, 2008 at 11:29 AM

Those that know Rahul Sood, founder of Voodoo PC and CTO of HP's global gaming business, might not be so surprised to hear he used a working MacBook Air to cut his thick, rich, chocolatey birthday cake. While wearing an HP shirt. And then posted it to his site. Good luck, Rahul -- we're totally sure the Apple fanboys of the world are going to give you a pass on this one. ... Read more »
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RCA Intros Three New Small Wonder Budget Camcorders

by Ryan Block on June 1, 2008 at 04:37 PM

We've got your summer crapcamcorders right 'ere -- three new RCA Small Wonder cams to make your Flips flop. Check 'em out: Small Wonder MyLife, EZ200 (black) - 1.5-inch flip-out display, microSDHC with with 1GB microSD that does up to 30 / 60 minutes in high quality and web quality modes, $89 and due this summer Small Wonder Pocket, EZ205 (white) - 1.5-inch flip-out display, microSDHC ... Read more »
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Introducing Engadget Poland!

by Ryan Block on May 30, 2008 at 04:01 PM

Whoa, hard to believe its been three years since the last internationalized version of Engadget launched, but we're back and have a number of new sites in the pipeline -- kicking off with Engadget in Polish! Why Polish, you ask? Well, besides the fact that we had some amazing talent waiting in the wings to blow it out, it's also a smaller (dare we say underserved?) market to soft-launch in that ... Read more »
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Michael Dell States, For the Record, He Could Take Steve Jobs in a Fight

by Ryan Block on May 29, 2008 at 09:45 AM

Michael Dell spent most of his time on stage at the All Things D Conference discussing the business (profit margins, unit growth, etc.). Things finally got interesting during the audience Q&A. Someone from the crowd asked if he could take Steve Jobs in a fight, and Dell flatly replied, "Yeah, I could take him." Now there's a fight we'd pay good money to see. [Thanks Seenew for Jobs' Mii] ... Read more »
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