Author Archives: Mark Hearn

Wii U allegedly hacked, Nintendo addresses would-be pirates (updated)

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DNP Nintendo addresses rumors of possible Wii U hack

While some people associate the word "jailbreaking" with prison riots or smartphone hacking, the most mainstream of cracking subcultures also takes on video game consoles. A mod chip developer known as WiiKey is now claiming to have reverse engineered the Wii U's disk encryption, making it possible to play "backed up" copies of games via a USB drive. The group says its "WiikeU" optical drive emulator is region free and compatible with all Wii U console models. So far the hacking brood has yet to furnish any proof of its claims, but Nintendo is very much aware of the situation.

Nintendo is aware that a hacking group claims to have compromised Wii U security; however, we have no reports of illegal Wii U games nor unauthorized applications playable on the system while in Wii U mode. Nintendo continuously monitors all threats to its products' security and will use technology and will take the necessary legal steps to prevent the facilitation of piracy.

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Via: Eurogamer

Source: WiiKey (1), (2)

Tokyoflash reissues its Kisai Rogue SR2 and Kisai Stencil watches in wooden form

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Tokyoflash is known for crafting some seriously cryptic, over-the-top timepieces, and its latest efforts are no exception. Today, the company announced a revised pair of wristwatches that aim to pull your attention away from your smartphone's clock. Unlike the original Kisai Rogue SR2, its wooden successor is a combination of maple and sandalwood wrapped around a prominent always-on LCD lined with a circle of connecting blocks in place of a traditional set of numbers. The watch's display comes in three natural colors -- we know red and green are on deck but the third remains a mystery (though blue seems a safe bet).

The second time-teller to get a makeover is the Kisai Stencil. This limited edition design sports a natural maple or sandalwood casing and your choice of a black or white leather wristband. The Stencil's enigmatic LCD displays time in an almost scrawled four block space that the company claims is "very simple to read." In celebration of the launch of its new gear, Tokyoflash is offering both watches at a discounted price of $99 until Friday at 4PM JST.

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Source: Tokyoflash (1), (2)

UberTAXI returns to NYC in a limited capacity

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Just a few days after receiving the nod from New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), UberTAXI has officially returned to the Big Apple -- with some limitations. For starters, automatic fare billing is not yet available, so passengers will have to pay drivers directly via cash or credit card. Uber warns that ride availability will be limited as the company is working on adding more cabbies to its system. Also, while New Yorkers can use a mobile app to call for a ride, drivers cannot be requested by SMS. Finally, the TLC's e-hail pilot program prohibits UberTAXIs from making trips to both JFK and LaGuardia airports along with accepting fares going outside of New York's five boroughs. Restrictive? Yes, but at least it's a start.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Uber

Extreme closeup! IBM makes ‘world’s smallest movie’ using atoms (video)

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DNP IBM

After taking a few shadowy pictures for the scientific world's paparazzi, the atom is now ready for its closeup. Today, a team of IBM scientists are bypassing the big screen to unveil what they call the "world's smallest movie." This atomic motion picture was created with the help of a two-ton IBM-made microscope that operates at a bone-chilling negative 268 degrees Celsius. This hardware was used to control a probe that pulled and arranged atoms for stop-motion shots used in the 242-frame film. A playful spin on microcomputing, the short was made by the same team of IBM eggheads who recently developed the world's smallest magnetic bit. Now that the atom's gone Hollywood, what's next, a molecular entourage?

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Visualized: Space hurricane! NASA’s Cassini records super cyclone on Saturn (video)

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Visualized Space hurricane! NASA's Cassini records super cyclone on Saturn video

If the crashing sound of lightning striking Saturn wasn't enough to excite your inner-meteorologist, then perhaps footage of a raging extraterrestrial hurricane will win you over. After orbiting the ringed planet for nine years, NASA's Cassini probe has managed to snag video of a super storm on the celestial body's north pole. Cloaked by the darkness of winter, the hurricane's eye became visible as Saturn's northern hemisphere transitioned into spring. Unlike the tropical cyclones of Earth (see: Hurricane Katrina, Sandy and Irene), this furious typhoon has been spinning for several years and has winds that flow at speeds exceeding 300MPH. Further differentiating itself from our world's whirlwinds, this alien cyclone is locked to its planet's north pole and is fueled by small amounts of water vapor instead of an actual ocean. Completely in a category of its own, the hurricane's eye measures about 1,250 miles wide and is surrounded by fluffy white clouds the size of Texas. To see this Saturnian fury in all its glory, check out the video after the break and feel free to leave your gratuitous hurricane names in the comments below.

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Source: NASA

Root exploit unearthed for Snapdragon-based Galaxy S 4

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DNP

Inventory delays may stifle prospective Galaxy S 4 owners, but such pesky hurdles appear to have little effect on Android's development community. An XDA-Developers member by the name of "djrbliss" has constructed a root exploit for Snapdragon-powered variants (see: all US carrier versions) of Samsung's newly christened flagship. While burrowing into your phone's software always carries some risk, the bold will find a complete how-to at the source link below.

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Via: Droid-Life

Source: XDA-Developers

Japan clears 787s for takeoff pending FAA-approved battery fix

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Japan's transport minster, Akihiro Ohta, announced today that the country's airliners can resume flying grounded Boeing 787 Dreamliners once a newly approved battery system is installed. "We have reached a conclusion that there is no problem with the judgment by the FAA," Ohta told the Associated Press. Back in January two separate fires caused by the 787's lithium ion batteries led to the FAA temporarily grounding all Dreamliners. Japan's decision comes shortly after Boeing's CEO, Jim McNerney, stated during the company's recent fiscal conference call that he expected all 50 aircraft to be fixed by the middle of May. Japanese airline officials are forecasting a slightly longer timeline, with the country's 787s returning to the skies around June and test flights scheduled to begin on April 28th.

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Via: The Verge

Source: Associated Press

Panasonic gussies up Lumix DMC-XS1 with 10 different designs

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DNP Panasonic releases its $200 LUMIX DMCXS in 10 different color designs

It's that time of year again -- the gadgets of CES are finally starting to march into stores. Today's newest catalog item comes from Panasonic in the form of the 16.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-XS1 compact. Equipped with a 24mm wide-angle 5x optical zoom lens, this $200 point-and-shoot is aimed at people looking to move beyond the hazy world of cellphone photography. Unlike some high-end smartphone cameras the DMC-XS1's 1/2.33-inch CCD sensor is limited to 720p video capture at 30 fps. So, it likely won't win over the hardcore paparazzo, but this compact's 10 flashy design options may manage to score some points with fledging shutterbugs.

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Nintendo’s digital game sales hit an all-time high

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DNP Nintendo digital games sales more than double

Nintendo's hardware sales may be in a bit of a stupor, but its downloadable games are a different story. During today's financial results briefing, the company's president, Satoru Iwata, announced that digital sales for the 2013 fiscal year, which ended in March, cruised past ¥16 billion (around $160.9 million), more than doubling transactions from the last two years. Nintendo's frontman went on to credit the demand for downloadable game add-ons and the convenience of digital titles as contributing factors in the company's surge. Iwata also pointed out that most 3DS owners are using their systems online. This includes 87 percent of the handheld's owners in Japan and 83 percent in the US. While these numbers are impressive, the system's internet use statistics start to dwindle in Europe, where its user connectivity rate is only 57 percent. The Wii U's user base is almost as connected, with 80 percent of the platform's owners taking the system online The company's e-commerce may be thriving, but we wouldn't bet on seeing Nintendo announce a download-only console during its E3 keynote presentation.

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Nintendo

Xing puts a Wii U at the heart of its costly karaoke machine

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DNP This is what near $16,000 Wii U looks like

Sure, we've seen game consoles modified for use beyond their original purpose, but this apparatus turns things up a notch. Pictured above is the Joysound Festa, a mobile entertainment system powered by the Wii U's hardware and software. Built by Japanese karaoke machine maker Xing, this beastly console mod is controlled from the system's Gamepad and includes the gracelessly named Nintendo x Joysound Wii Karaoke U. Pre-loaded with 90,000 songs, this party starter also ships with a set of dance, exercise, yoga and brain training videos. Already reaching for your wallet? You should know that this unique setup is Japan-only, and headed to hotels and nursing homes at a hefty price of 1,580,000 yen (around $15,884). At that price, it may take around 25 years until we see one of these bad boys up for grabs on eBay.

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Via: Kotaku

Source: Joysound Festa (translated)