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Watch 540 dancing robots celebrate Chinese New Year
Ten robot cheerleaders isn't enough when it comes to celebrating Chinese New Year. To kick off the year of the monkey, Chinese broadcaster CCTV's TV special included 540 dancing robots, with a fleet of drones to top it all off with a layer of glitter. The robots thrust, do handstands, and dance in that ever-so-robotic way (in unison), but it's the sheer scale that makes it must-see. Watch the spectacle below.
Flywheel has an answer to Uber's NYE surge pricing: $10 rides
Getting to and from your New Year's shindig can be an expensive hassle, even if you're not driving: you're either competing for a conventional (and thus costly) taxi or bracing yourself for the surge pricing of ridesharing services like Uber. Flywheel may have a relatively cheap solution for that night on the town, though. The app-based taxi service is running a promotion that charges you a flat $10 to get to or from your New Year's party in Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco or Seattle. The only stipulations for this low fare are that you travel between 8PM and 3AM, and that your ride wouldn't normally cost more than $50. You may not get from one end of the city to the other on the cheap, then, but the deal could save you from starting 2015 with a gigantic credit card bill.
PSA: iPhone alarm clock not working again? Time to update
Hey, remember that madcap time last year when iPhone alarms didn't work on January 1st or 2nd? Still having the same issue this year? Well, you might want to think about updating. We're seeing a flood of reports from users whose alarm clocks are not working again this year, but from what we're able to tell that's because the affected users haven't updated their devices past iOS 4.2.1. If that includes you, dear reader, now would be a great time to tether yourself and click your way through whatever iTunes recommends. There's a whole new major version out there waiting for you! That said, if you're still enjoying your iPhone 3G, we're sorry to say 4.2.1 is as high as you can go on the iOS food chain. Maybe 2012 is a good year for a new phone? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Talkcast tonight: Looking ahead to the Mac App Store
Happy 2011! With CES right around the corner, there are sure to be plenty of new product introductions, glossy gadgets and fun new tech toys -- but the biggest intro in Apple-land is the launch of the Mac App Store, coming in just a few days. We'll dive into the MAS and all the rest of the Mac news and notes on tonight's show, live at 10 PM Eastern. Here's the master page to listen or join in on the show. To participate live on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client (just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 PM ET on Sunday), the embedded Facebook app or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cell phone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. (That's a toll call, just so you know.) If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac or your PC, you can connect via the free SJphone or X-Lite SIP clients or by using the TalkShoe client's ShoePhone tool; basic instructions are here. We'll kick things off at 10 PM ET/ 7 PM PT this evening. See you there!
Apple lovers in Japan camp out for 'Lucky Bag' sale
Retailers in Japan have a New Year shopping tradition of selling "lucky bags," which contain an assortment of items whose value typically exceeds the price you pay for the bag. To the delight of many Apple fanboys here in Tokyo, "lucky bags" are also sold at the Apple store. But at 30,000 yen (about $370), they don't come cheap. Even at that price, demand is sky-high, and only the most dedicated of Apple fans can get them. Shoppers typically start lining up the day before the lucky bags go on sale, because every year at least a couple of people hit the jackpot and get a MacBook in their bag. From those who braved the cold overnight, here's a summary of what most are saying they found in their respective bags. I haven't seen any reports of MacBooks yet: Sennheiser earphones, smart remote with mic (iPod, iPhone, iPad) Mophie Juice Pack reserve iWires 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo plug retractable cable iPod nano OR iPod touch Griffin Slap case for iPod nano Nike+ sensor iHome speaker system for iPhone/iPod red limited edition Apple T-shirt (view at end of video) This is all according to early reports from an assortment of shoppers. Check out Guttyo Blog's picture of the bag plus contents all spread out on a table (above).
Year-end reflections and predictions roundup
All our prognostications, anticipations, best-of lists and year-end reflections -- in one handy place. Our favorite iPhone games of 2009 The first full year of the App Store is coming to a close, and so let's take a look back at our favorite games of 2009. Note that these aren't best-selling, most important, or even the best games... TUAW bloggers post their Apple predictions for 2010 It's the end of another calendar year, which can mean only two things. First, every blog is going to be posting lists of 2009 retrospectives, and second, there are going to be a lot of posts... Our Favorite Apps: Stuff that stayed on our phones in 2009 As the year draws to a close, we thought we'd shine a spotlight on some of the favorite apps we used this year. These are the "sticky" apps, the ones that lingered on our iPhones after we gave... Also of interest: Apple nabs four of Engadget's 10 gadgets of the decade January 1 reflections on my favorite things How early iPhone predictions fared in the face of reality Two broken promises from AT&T and Apple as 2009 comes to a close
Japan's Apple Stores continue Lucky Bag tradition
Fukubukuro, or "Mystery Bag," is a Japanese New Year's Day tradition during which merchants sell sealed bags of various items at a substantial discount, often as high as 50%. Shoppers may get some great deals on the contents of these bags - even if they don't know what exactly they're buying. Japanese Apple Stores have participated since 2005. Once again, this year, they're offering mystery bags to Japanese Apple Store customers. Stores will begin selling a limited number of Lucky Bags for the equivalent of $380US on January 2nd. But the fun doesn't end there. Each store will offer workshops on photography, video-making and presentations to kids aged eight to 12-years-old. Adults can share in the fun too, as a contest will be held to find the best New Year's greeting card created on a Mac. All contest participants will receive a small gift. If you attend, let us know. Last year, a reader received an 8 GB iPod touch, a Nike iPod sensor and armband, a Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere2 speaker set, a cool, re-useable bag (above), a commemorative T-shirt and a 2009 calendar for the approximate equivalent of $384US. Shoppers began to line up at midnight the day before in 2009, so hop to it. Those lines aren't going to get any shorter. Update: The sale has begun. Here's what one shopper received. [Via ifoAppleStore]
TUAW wishes you...
...a very happy New Year. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/london/ / CC BY 2.0
New Year's resolutions: Mac style
Now that it's 2008, time to write down those New Year's resolutions; and why not use your Mac to make sure you stick to them this year! Here's a list of apps that will help you manage your resolutions, and hopefully keep them too: Anxiety (donationware; get organized with to-do management) Cha-Ching ($40, demo available; personal money manager) Wallet ($14.95, demo available; keep those secrets, well, secret) Writeroom ($24.95, demo available; get more writing done with less distractions) Weight Tracker (freeware; keep track of your weight loss) Pzizz ($29.95, demo available; allows you to get better sleep or "energize" you during the day) Awaken ($12.95, demo available; you'll never be late for work again with this clock) YummySoup! (shareware, $20; store recipes and share them, so you can start eating better) Gyminee (iPhone web app; keep track of exercises, watch exercise videos, and keep up with calories) No Smoking (freeware, Dashboard widget; keep track of how many days you've been without smoking) Be sure to tell us your favorite resolution-keeping Mac apps in the comments. Here's to 2008!
Ringing in the New Year on your sofa? Join the crowd.
It's probably a foregone conclusion at this point, but the days just before and after New Year's Day make owning an HDTV oh-so-sweet. Just in case you haven't already worn a nice imprint into your sofa catching all those NCAA bowl games in HD, you can give your set a bit more play tonight with a variety of marathons and the all-important ball drop at midnight. For sports fans in particular, however, it's going to be hard to leave the den in the near future. Some of college's best bowl games kick off on New Year's Day, and to commemorate the occasion, ESPN is even holding an Ultimate Couch Potato Competition at the ESPN Zone in New York City. So, dear readers, are any of you spending tomorrow huddled around the television?
MOJO HD presenting Three Sheets: NYC Pub Crawl on New Year's Eve
It's a tough call. Do you tune into a sure-to-be-fantastic Hitchcock marathon on New Year's Eve? Or do you flip over and see how Zane Lamprey handles hitting up the NYC pub circuit? Personally, we'd let the dual-tuner HD DVR solve the aforementioned quandary, but if you're a Three Sheets fanatic, you can tune in at 9:00PM EST on December 31st to catch a three-hour special of the program. As expected, the well-traveled Lamprey will be shuffled around in the heart of New York as he searches for the best pubs the city can offer. Though, it's really a shame this doesn't run on the 30th in order to give you time to put his findings to work the next night, now isn't it?
Hitchcock marathon to ring in the New Year on HDNet Movies
Got any big plans for New Year's Eve? If not, HDNet Movies is hoping you'll spend the evening glued to the Alfred Hitchcock marathon that will be broadcast as 2008 rolls in. Starting at 3:30AM on December 31st, viewers can catch nine of Hitchcock's classics before the feature presentation takes over at 10:30PM. 'Course, we needn't tell you that Psycho will indeed be the main act, but horror aficionados will also appreciate the likes of Vertigo, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Birds and Rear Window (just to name a few). Reportedly, each of the movies were "meticulously converted from original film sources" in order to be shown in 1080i, and hey, if you've already made plans to get out of town, just pick up a capacious new DVR and catch up when you return.[Image courtesy of BuyCostumes]
KDDI and Japan Post Service offer SMS to snail mail for holidays
Japan Post Service Co. and KDDI are dumping tech into the snail mail world with an SMS to paper mail service. KDDI customers will have the option to create a New Year's cards on their mobile, then send them to the Holiday partnership for printing and mailing. Japan Post Service is said to be planning on using all of its 24,000 offices in the country to print and get the cards out for the expected 10 million customers. The opportunity for gag cards here boggles, we're wishing we see something like this over here someday.[Via The Raw Feed]
Around Azeroth: Happy Tuesday!
Reader Flyv of the guild We Know on Eitrigg sends in this great shot of the new year's celebration in Darnassus. Yes -- I know it's not exactly new year's any more, but we're a ways away from any holidays with such flashy celebration. But maybe today's just a really festive Tuesday!Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part. See more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
PQI's U510 flash card gets ritzy for Chinese New Year
Although PQI's not cramming 16GB onto this rendition of its U510 USB flash card, it is giving the device quite a fancy makeover for the Chinese New Year, as the Limited Fortune Pig Edition Card Drive (seriously) dons red and gold colors in preparation for the celebration. Moreover, the "hairline treated surface," along with the peony at the bottom right corner surrounded by fortune pigs, are reportedly meant to symbolize "prosperity, joy, happiness, sincerity," and all sorts of other good things to kick off the New Year. Interestingly, this isn't the first time a USB flash device has gotten ritzy for the forthcoming occasion, but considering that these aren't actually made of precious metals, we have a good feeling they'll be a bit more manageable on the wallet. Per usual, the cards come with a flat, retractable USB 2.0 cable, carrying bag, and personal file management software, and though we aren't sure just how much these nifty cards will run you, only 1,000 1GB flavors (pictured after the jump) are being produced while just 500 2GB units will see the light of day, so we'd suggest you place your dibs right about now if you're interested.[Via FarEastGizmos]
Happy New Year from PS3Fanboy!
So, are you going to watch a live news-feed of the big ball dropping on your PS3's web browser? ...That's possible, right? Whatever. Are you going to crack open that bottle o' bubbly and celebrate with an inebriated deathmatch of Resistance? How about a "legal" drunk-driving course on your Gran Turismo HD demo? We don't condone drinking and driving at all, but in all seriousness, that demo is about the only way to "experience" that unlawful act. Real driving physics in action. What were we talking about? Ah, New Years... looking back on the last month, the PS3 didn't fare too badly. It gave us a lot of neat things -- the aforementioned demo being one of them. The year to come serves only to better the Sony library especially with the impending launch in Europe. Speaking of next year... don't eat chicken tomorrow, guys! If you do, you'll be "scratching for money" or something. I ate chicken and got slammed with college tuition fees like whoa. This year, I'll stay away from chicken for one day so I can get some scholarships going. How about you guys? Any sort of resolutions other than "exercise" or "diet"? Like "kick more ass on PS3 than anyone else"?Happy New Year from your friendly neighborhood PS3Fanboy!
Don't drink and WoW
As people recover from the New Year festivities, a variety of reports are coming in: from the hilarious (drunk naked raids on the Crossroads and Astranaar) to the harrowing (intoxicated players disenchanting all their clothing). What did you get up to on New Year's Eve? Did the in-game events entice you into WoW? I took part in the European festivities--as the first New Year event, we had plenty to celebrate, and it was great seeing tauren and night elves dancing in harmony in Booty Bay on a PvE server. Hopping over to a PvP server, it was a different picture, with snoozing bruisers turning a blind eye to combat. A word of warning--if drunk friends want a demonstration of WoW, steer clear of the in-game alcohol, as the blurring effect is all too realistic and can make them feel rather nauseous!
