Noggy.Net http://noggy.net/noggyblog Noggy.net IT tech news on internet, media and gadgets Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:40:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 PlayStation 3 still a loss leader, ’six cents for every dollar’ of hardware sold http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/playstation-3-still-a-loss-leader-six-cents-for-every-dollar/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/playstation-3-still-a-loss-leader-six-cents-for-every-dollar/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:14:00 +0000 Ross Miller http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/playstation-3-still-a-loss-leader-six-cents-for-every-dollar/ Though Sony's overall bottom line is back in black, what held it back from an even bigger celebration cake was its core electronics brand, and no stranger to that sector is the PlayStation group. Both Joystiq and The Wall Street Journal took a more careful look at the numbers, and there's a few points worth noting. PS2 sales took a year-over-year dip, down from 2.5 million to 2.1 million. PSP took a larger hit, down to 4.2 million from 5.1 million. The PS3, however, is a mix of good and bad news. The good news: 6.5 million in unit sales, up from the 4.5 million prior. That said, it turns out Sony has yet to pull its home console away from "loss leader" status -- WSJ reports the company is still losing "about six cents for every dollar of PS3 hardware sales," i.e. if Sony were to sell the consoles to retailers for $300, it'd technically be taking a hit of $18 each time. That's nowhere near the estimates when the PS3 first launch, and additionally Sony's CFO Nobuyuki Oneda is promising a 15 percent reduction cost by March 2011, which should go a long way. Lets' not forget the company still makes money on Blu-rays and software sales, but in the meantime, hang tight little buddy, you're this close to being profitable all by your lonesome.

Update: An error in fiscal sales figures that has been subsequently remedied.

PlayStation 3 still a loss leader, 'six cents for every dollar' of hardware sold originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceWSJ  | Email this | Comments]]> Though Sony's overall bottom line is back in black, what held it back from an even bigger celebration cake was its core electronics brand, and no stranger to that sector is the PlayStation group. Both Joystiq and The Wall Street Journal took a more careful look at the numbers, and there's a few points worth noting. PS2 sales took a year-over-year dip, down from 2.5 million to 2.1 million. PSP took a larger hit, down to 4.2 million from 5.1 million. The PS3, however, is a mix of good and bad news. The good news: 6.5 million in unit sales, up from the 4.5 million prior. That said, it turns out Sony has yet to pull its home console away from "loss leader" status -- WSJ reports the company is still losing "about six cents for every dollar of PS3 hardware sales," i.e. if Sony were to sell the consoles to retailers for $300, it'd technically be taking a hit of $18 each time. That's nowhere near the estimates when the PS3 first launch, and additionally Sony's CFO Nobuyuki Oneda is promising a 15 percent reduction cost by March 2011, which should go a long way. Lets' not forget the company still makes money on Blu-rays and software sales, but in the meantime, hang tight little buddy, you're this close to being profitable all by your lonesome. Update: An error in fiscal sales figures that has been subsequently remedied.]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=516 0 Researchers say new material could let cars be powered by their bodywork http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/researchers-say-new-material-could-let-cars-be-powered-by-their/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/researchers-say-new-material-could-let-cars-be-powered-by-their/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:12:00 +0000 Donald Melanson http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/researchers-say-new-material-could-let-cars-be-powered-by-their/ It likely won't be ready for your next vehicle purchase, but some researchers from Imperial College London say that this rather modest-looking piece of material could eventually do nothing short of change of the way that cars are powered. The material itself is still a bit of a mystery, as you might expect, but it's apparently able to store and discharge electrical energy, and (here's the real kicker) is strong and light enough to be used for a car's bodywork -- essentially making the car itself one giant battery. That would obviously open up a whole host of possibilities, including being used to complement traditional batteries for even longer runtimes, or being used on its own to make smaller and lighter vehicles. The applications also wouldn't necessarily be limited to cars, and the researchers specifically mention cellphones as another area that could see smaller and lighter (or longer-lasting) devices if the material is used. Let's get on that, shall we? Video demonstration after the break.

[Thanks, Clinton C]

Continue reading Researchers say new material could let cars be powered by their bodywork

Researchers say new material could let cars be powered by their bodywork originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhysOrg  |  sourceImperial College London  | Email this | Comments]]> It likely won't be ready for your next vehicle purchase, but some researchers from Imperial College London say that this rather modest-looking piece of material could eventually do nothing short of change of the way that cars are powered. The material itself is still a bit of a mystery, as you might expect, but it's apparently able to store and discharge electrical energy, and (here's the real kicker) is strong and light enough to be used for a car's bodywork -- essentially making the car itself one giant battery. That would obviously open up a whole host of possibilities, including being used to complement traditional batteries for even longer runtimes, or being used on its own to make smaller and lighter vehicles. The applications also wouldn't necessarily be limited to cars, and the researchers specifically mention cellphones as another area that could see smaller and lighter (or longer-lasting) devices if the material is used. Let's get on that, shall we? Video demonstration after the break. [Thanks, Clinton C] Continue reading Researchers say new material could let cars be powered by their bodywork]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=526 0 HDMI 1.4’s 3D spec publicly released http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/hdmi-1-4s-3d-spec-publicly-released/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/hdmi-1-4s-3d-spec-publicly-released/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:04:00 +0000 Nilay Patel http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/hdmi-1-4s-3d-spec-publicly-released/ Panasonic RealD active shutter glasses 3D's happening whether you like it or not -- but the good news is that there won't be any format war to go with the adoption of the new tech. At least that's the sense we've been getting, as most manufacturers are adopting active shutter glasses, delivery will happen on cable, satellite, and Blu-ray, and now the HDMI Licensing group has opened up the 3D portion of the HDMI 1.4 spec so non-licensees can make their gear compatible. There'll be some changes coming down the pike in HDMI 1.4a, but that's also due for public release, so really we'll all be one big dorky family in 3D glasses when this is all over.

HDMI 1.4's 3D spec publicly released originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHDMI  | Email this | Comments]]> Panasonic RealD active shutter glasses 3D's happening whether you like it or not -- but the good news is that there won't be any format war to go with the adoption of the new tech. At least that's the sense we've been getting, as most manufacturers are adopting active shutter glasses, delivery will happen on cable, satellite, and Blu-ray, and now the HDMI Licensing group has opened up the 3D portion of the HDMI 1.4 spec so non-licensees can make their gear compatible. There'll be some changes coming down the pike in HDMI 1.4a, but that's also due for public release, so really we'll all be one big dorky family in 3D glasses when this is all over. HDMI 1.4's 3D spec publicly released originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=536 0 USB Electronic Key Impressioner could help you be gone in 60 milliseconds http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/usb-electronic-key-impressioner-could-help-you-be-gone-in-60-mill/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/usb-electronic-key-impressioner-could-help-you-be-gone-in-60-mill/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:05:00 +0000 Tim Stevens http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/usb-electronic-key-impressioner-could-help-you-be-gone-in-60-mill/ USB Electronic Key Imressioner could help you be gone in 60 milliseconds If you're stealing a car these days, there's a good chance you're not bothering to actually pick the locks, but if you are, your job is about to get a little easier. A device called the Electronic Key Impressioner is inserted into a car door and scans the position of the tumblers inside. It feeds information back to a PC over USB which then, when told the car's model, can provide the necessary information to cut the perfect key on the first attempt. Right now it only works on Fords with simple metal keys (like, say, a 1967 Shelby GT500), but the hope is to expand the device to support other manufacturers and, possibly, electronic keys in the future. It will be available to locksmiths and authorized security professionals in 2010. Sorry, Nick, you'll have to find another way to get into Eleanor.

Continue reading USB Electronic Key Impressioner could help you be gone in 60 milliseconds

USB Electronic Key Impressioner could help you be gone in 60 milliseconds originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceAPS  | Email this | Comments]]> USB Electronic Key Imressioner could help you be gone in 60 milliseconds If you're stealing a car these days, there's a good chance you're not bothering to actually pick the locks, but if you are, your job is about to get a little easier. A device called the Electronic Key Impressioner is inserted into a car door and scans the position of the tumblers inside. It feeds information back to a PC over USB which then, when told the car's model, can provide the necessary information to cut the perfect key on the first attempt. Right now it only works on Fords with simple metal keys (like, say, a 1967 Shelby GT500), but the hope is to expand the device to support other manufacturers and, possibly, electronic keys in the future. It will be available to locksmiths and authorized security professionals in 2010. Sorry, Nick, you'll have to find another way to get into Eleanor. Continue reading USB Electronic Key Impressioner could help you be gone in 60 milliseconds]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=538 0 Ancient DOS bug gets squashed http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/ancient-dos-bug-gets-squashed/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/ancient-dos-bug-gets-squashed/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:46:00 +0000 Tim Stevens http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/ancient-dos-bug-gets-squashed/ Noble DOS's last bug gets squashed What can we say about you, DOS? You've rocked the personal computer world and changed the way we all feel about white on black console screens. Your retirement is a well deserved one and... wait, you're getting a patch? Amazingly, Microsoft is fixing a bug that has existed in the Windows Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) subsystem since it was added to Windows NT way back in the simple days of 1993, when flannels were everywhere and 32 bits were more than we knew what to do with. Google engineer Tavis Ormandy found the exploit a few weeks ago, which grants an attacker the ability to run code in kernel mode, and a critical update has been issued to fix this most aged of vulnerabilities. Perhaps now, DOS, your work is finally done.

Ancient DOS bug gets squashed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBBC  | Email this | Comments]]> Noble DOS's last bug gets squashed What can we say about you, DOS? You've rocked the personal computer world and changed the way we all feel about white on black console screens. Your retirement is a well deserved one and... wait, you're getting a patch? Amazingly, Microsoft is fixing a bug that has existed in the Windows Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) subsystem since it was added to Windows NT way back in the simple days of 1993, when flannels were everywhere and 32 bits were more than we knew what to do with. Google engineer Tavis Ormandy found the exploit a few weeks ago, which grants an attacker the ability to run code in kernel mode, and a critical update has been issued to fix this most aged of vulnerabilities. Perhaps now, DOS, your work is finally done.]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=541 0 Sensorly aims to keep coverage maps honest http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/sensorly-aims-to-keep-coverage-maps-honest/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/sensorly-aims-to-keep-coverage-maps-honest/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:05:00 +0000 Chris Ziegler http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/sensorly-aims-to-keep-coverage-maps-honest/ Say you're planning that next camping trip and you need to know whether you're going to be able to incessantly check your work email every 10 minutes -- do you trust a carrier's coverage map of unknown age, origin, and honesty, or real-world experience? If French firm Sensorly has its way, you'll soon be able to answer the latter thanks to the deployment of an app for your phone that continuously measures cellular and WiFi signal strength at your location and silently reports it back to the company's servers where it's compiled into color-coded maps predicting your ability to connect. The concept's very similar to that being undertaken by another up-and-comer that's been getting a good deal of coverage lately, Root Wireless, but the key difference is that Root's system is still in private beta -- Sensorly's mobile app is available right now to anyone who'd like to download it and participate (albeit only for Android; iPhone and WinMo are in the pipe). It seems unlikely that they've got critical mass to provide meaningful feedback in most areas at this point, but if marginal boost in battery drain is tolerable for you, it might be worth giving it a whirl.

Sensorly aims to keep coverage maps honest originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSensorly  | Email this | Comments]]> Say you're planning that next camping trip and you need to know whether you're going to be able to incessantly check your work email every 10 minutes -- do you trust a carrier's coverage map of unknown age, origin, and honesty, or real-world experience? If French firm Sensorly has its way, you'll soon be able to answer the latter thanks to the deployment of an app for your phone that continuously measures cellular and WiFi signal strength at your location and silently reports it back to the company's servers where it's compiled into color-coded maps predicting your ability to connect. The concept's very similar to that being undertaken by another up-and-comer that's been getting a good deal of coverage lately, Root Wireless, but the key difference is that Root's system is still in private beta -- Sensorly's mobile app is available right now to anyone who'd like to download it and participate (albeit only for Android; iPhone and WinMo are in the pipe). It seems unlikely that they've got critical mass to provide meaningful feedback in most areas at this point, but if marginal boost in battery drain is tolerable for you, it might be worth giving it a whirl.]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=546 0 Xbox v1 games, systems no longer Live; Microsoft’s pulling the plug April 15 http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/xbox-v1-games-systems-no-longer-live-microsofts-pulling-the-p/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/xbox-v1-games-systems-no-longer-live-microsofts-pulling-the-p/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:39:00 +0000 Richard Lawler http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/xbox-v1-games-systems-no-longer-live-microsofts-pulling-the-p/ It's been no secret that original Xbox games and systems have been the vestigial limb holding back much wanted XBL features including raising the limit on our friends list to over 100 or mobile tie-ins, and on April 15 Live access for all of them comes to an end. Even those Xbox Originals downloaded to the 360 or played via backwards compatibility will be cut off from online play, so we'd suggest getting those last few rounds of Halo 2 in now or at least look into an alternative solution like XBConnect. Affected users should keep an eye on their inbox, Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten has promised "details and opportunities" to come for you as partners in this process -- we're figuring a coupon or two or an extended XBL subscription as the lights are turned out is the least they can do. For the rest of us already living in the future? The timing of this announcement mere days before the X10 event in San Francisco February 11 can't be coincidental, we should find out what comes next by then.

Xbox v1 games, systems no longer Live; Microsoft's pulling the plug April 15 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink NeoGAF  |  sourceMicrosoft Gamerscore Blog  | Email this | Comments]]> It's been no secret that original Xbox games and systems have been the vestigial limb holding back much wanted XBL features including raising the limit on our friends list to over 100 or mobile tie-ins, and on April 15 Live access for all of them comes to an end. Even those Xbox Originals downloaded to the 360 or played via backwards compatibility will be cut off from online play, so we'd suggest getting those last few rounds of Halo 2 in now or at least look into an alternative solution like XBConnect. Affected users should keep an eye on their inbox, Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten has promised "details and opportunities" to come for you as partners in this process -- we're figuring a coupon or two or an extended XBL subscription as the lights are turned out is the least they can do. For the rest of us already living in the future? The timing of this announcement mere days before the X10 event in San Francisco February 11 can't be coincidental, we should find out what comes next by then.]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=547 0 Photovoltaic circuit makes solar-powered touchscreens possible, not yet plausible http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/photovoltaic-circuit-makes-solar-powered-touchscreens-possible/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/photovoltaic-circuit-makes-solar-powered-touchscreens-possible/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:07:00 +0000 Vladislav Savov http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/photovoltaic-circuit-makes-solar-powered-touchscreens-possible/ What's cooler than the latest in technology? How about the latest in self-powering technology? University of Pennsylvania researchers have put together what seems like the world's first photovoltaic circuit, which is to say that the electronic parts of your devices will no longer have to just consume energy, they'll be able to harvest it directly from the sun. The most obvious application for this would be in smartphone touchscreens, which could recharge themselves while you sip your latte at the local sun-drenched coffee shop. Of course, such practical uses are still a fair distance away, as the team can generate only minuscule amounts of power at present, but the theory is in place and so is our attention. Don't let us down, Penn!

Photovoltaic circuit makes solar-powered touchscreens possible, not yet plausible originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Inhabitat, Discovery  |  sourceDawn A. Bonnell Research Group  | Email this | Comments]]> What's cooler than the latest in technology? How about the latest in self-powering technology? University of Pennsylvania researchers have put together what seems like the world's first photovoltaic circuit, which is to say that the electronic parts of your devices will no longer have to just consume energy, they'll be able to harvest it directly from the sun. The most obvious application for this would be in smartphone touchscreens, which could recharge themselves while you sip your latte at the local sun-drenched coffee shop. Of course, such practical uses are still a fair distance away, as the team can generate only minuscule amounts of power at present, but the theory is in place and so is our attention. Don't let us down, Penn!]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=550 0 Off the clock: The Ultimate Porn Surfing Firefox Add-ons http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/ultimate-porn-surfing-firefox-add-ons/ http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/ultimate-porn-surfing-firefox-add-ons/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/ultimate-porn-surfing-firefox-add-ons/ Filed under: , , , ,

A lot of people use the Internet to find porn.

A lot of people use Firefox (go download Firefox 3.6!)

In fact, I'd go as far to suggest that porn surfers -- or at least the search for naughty, illicit, adult-only material -- account for Firefox's biggest market demographic. The 'young' Internet -- blogs, social networks, porn -- is predominantly ruled by the spotty teenagers of the browser world: Firefox and Chrome. Internet Explorer's total market share is larger, but corporations, geriatrics and aging family computers -- i.e. the non-porn world -- account for most of that.

I'm not expecting you to raise your hand or even nod your agreement, but let's face it: most of us, at some time or another, will search for porn. It makes sense to be prepared for such an eventuality -- I think we all know the perils of loud, auto-playing sex music or aggressive pop-ups of hairy, German MILFs that just. won't. close.

Note: all of the links in this feature are safe. Don't worry: you should be fine to read this at work.

Continue reading Off the clock: The Ultimate Porn Surfing Firefox Add-ons

Off the clock: The Ultimate Porn Surfing Firefox Add-ons originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A lot of people use the Internet to find porn. A lot of people use Firefox (go download Firefox 3.6!) In fact, I'd go as far to suggest that porn surfers -- or at least the search for naughty, illicit, adult-only material -- account for Firefox's biggest market demographic. The 'young' Internet -- blogs, social networks, porn -- is predominantly ruled by the spotty teenagers of the browser world: Firefox and Chrome. Internet Explorer's total market share is larger, but corporations, geriatrics and aging family computers -- i.e. the non-porn world -- account for most of that. I'm not expecting you to raise your hand or even nod your agreement, but let's face it: most of us, at some time or another, will search for porn. It makes sense to be prepared for such an eventuality -- I think we all know the perils of loud, auto-playing sex music or aggressive pop-ups of hairy, German MILFs that just. won't. close. Note: all of the links in this feature are safe. Don't worry: you should be fine to read this at work. Continue reading Off the clock: The Ultimate Porn Surfing Firefox Add-ons]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=498 0 5 desktop apps that’ll make swift work of FaceVille — er, Facebook! http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/18/5-desktop-apps-that-make-facebook-easier-faster-smoother/ http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/18/5-desktop-apps-that-make-facebook-easier-faster-smoother/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/18/5-desktop-apps-that-make-facebook-easier-faster-smoother/ Filed under: , , ,

I originally intended this to be a guide on Facebook gaming. Then I realized that if I inducted you all into the bottomless and eternal pit that is social and casual multiplayer online games, you'd never have time or the willpower to come back to Download Squad.

So first I'm going to show you some neat desktop apps that might make your Facebook experience more streamlined, and certainly more enjoyable. The Facebook website is pretty slow at the best of times, so moving to desktop apps can significantly speed things up. In some cases -- such as uploading lots of photos -- a desktop app might also be the only decent solution.

Let's get going!

Continue reading 5 desktop apps that'll make swift work of FaceVille -- er, Facebook!

5 desktop apps that'll make swift work of FaceVille -- er, Facebook! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>
I originally intended this to be a guide on Facebook gaming. Then I realized that if I inducted you all into the bottomless and eternal pit that is social and casual multiplayer online games, you'd never have time or the willpower to come back to Download Squad.
So first I'm going to show you some neat desktop apps that might make your Facebook experience more streamlined, and certainly more enjoyable. The Facebook website is pretty slow at the best of times, so moving to desktop apps can significantly speed things up. In some cases -- such as uploading lots of photos -- a desktop app might also be the only decent solution. Let's get going! Continue reading 5 desktop apps that'll make swift work of FaceVille -- er, Facebook!]]> http://noggy.net/noggyblog/?feed=rss2&p=501 0