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New firmware adds high-def video plug-in to Archos 5 / 7
Hey, Archos 5 / 7 users -- do we have your attention? Good. You know that high-def support you've been not-so-patiently waiting for? Archos just hooked you up good fashion. As of right now, the read link is holding fresh firmware for both players (v1.6.03), which tosses in support for WMV / VC-1 playback at 720p (24fps; 6Mbps maximum). The update also fixes a number of bugs involving MP3 tags, TV recording errors and GUI malfunctions. Give it a download and report back, won'tcha?[Thanks, Trevor]
Vivox to offer cross-platform browser plugin for game VOIP
Vivox, already firmly entrenched as the in-game voice over IP option for EVE Online, several of SOE's games, and Second Life, is now upping the ante by announcing that they intend to take their service cross-platform - and potentially cross-game, if the developers allow it. If they manage to do that, it means you could play EverQuest II and still hang out and talk smack with your friends flying through space in EVE Online, or checking out the latest in Second Life. Not only are those options interesting, but in releasing it as a browser plugin, they open up the option for guilds to potentially use it on their own sites; allowing people not logged in to still talk to those playing. Depending on cost and scalability, this could potentially take a bite out of the market Ventrilo and TeamSpeak are in, as we'd bet 99.9% of gamers already have browsers on their machines, and many run them while gaming anyway. Add to that Vivox's plan to allow users to eventually call in to the chat from cell phones (late to the raid - call ahead) and you can see where this is definitely an interesting development to those playing MMOs. They'll be discussing the specifics at GDC, so hopefully we'll get more details on just how this will happen, if players will have to (or be able to) host their own servers, and the potential roll-out dates for this new service.
First unofficial PlayOn media server plugin caught in action
Taking advantage of the latest update to the PlayOn media server software, this YouTube video claims to capture the first unofficial plugin which enables users to easily browse GameTrailers.com trailers on their TV. Greater functionality should make the $39.99 fresh-out-of-beta pricetag a little easier to swallow, seeing GameTrailers (and its overcompressed "HD" videos) listed on a PlayStation 3 menu next to ESPN, Hulu, Revision3 and other supported services may not be incredibly impressive off the bat but it does bode well for the future of this DLNA streaming package.[Thanks, Jackson]
Toyota to unveil its all-electric concept, not exactly forthcoming with details
Among the small clutch of green autos on view at the Detroit auto show early next year, Toyota will be debuting an as-yet-unnamed all electric car concept. This is meant to demonstrate the company's commitment to electric, a move which only makes sense, seeing as the whole "peak oil" thing is pretty much destined to make the gas guzzler obsolete. Still, the car arrives without much fanfare or details -- all we really know is that it's all electric and that it's smaller than a Prius. This comes after the Japanese automaker's push into electric fuel cell development and their stated intention to have an EV on the market alongside the next gen Prius hybrid in 2010. Of course, we all thought we'd have flying cars by 2010, but the industry's inability to produce a robust all-electric motor has certainly put the kibosh on that once great dream.Update: When we initially posted this item, we ran it with a pic of Toyota's iQ (a perfectly reasonable move in lieu of the fact that Toyota has yet to release a picture of the car). After Engadget Spanish turned us on to a more suitable image, we moved the iQ car after the break.[Via Wired]
Widemail makes Mail.app widescreen friendly
I find the Mail.app plugin Widemail extremely useful. At my day job I use Outlook and the widescreen view is very efficient for space management. Prior to upgrading to Leopard, I used the application Letterbox written about here; however in my recent search for a Mail-enhancing plugin I wanted something a little more robust. Enter Widemail. It not only provides the awesome widescreen view from Letterbox, but it provides a means for creating a two-line message row similar to that found in Outlook for Windows and Entourage on the Mac. Since we last wrote about Widemail the developer has added a preference pane within Mail.app making it easier to tweak settings. Additionally, the Widemail custom column can now have items that are left-aligned and right-aligned within the same row. Everyone's favorite automatic self-update framework, Sparkle, has been added as well. Widemail makes Mail.app exceptionally more functional for my day-to-day use and is a free download (as in, feel free to make a donation). [via Lifehacker]
Coda 1.6 released, offers plug-in support
A cheery little dialog box informed me just a few minutes ago that Coda 1.6 is available from the fine folks at Panic. Coda is a one-window web-development and editing environment that is one of my favorite apps, and one that we've covered here before. Coda 1.6 introduces a plug-in architecture that extends Coda's already pretty robust text-editing functionality. With Coda Plug-in Creator, even users who aren't familiar with Cocoa can create plugins, which follow a similar format to TextMate's command bundles. The plug-in functionality mirrors that of up-and-comer Espresso, with its Sugar plug-ins. Espresso is still in beta. Also included in the update is the Open Quickly command: a Spotlight-like command that searches your sites for files to open. Hit Control+Q to show the Open Quickly window, type a few characters, and open one of the files listed to get to work. On top of that, Coda improves spell checking support, and now includes an Objective-J syntax mode. Full release notes are available here. Coda 1.6 is available from Panic's website, or from inside the app by selecting "Check for Updates" from the Coda menu.
Meet Sparky, the DIY Mac mini telepresence robot
When robot builders try to put a human face on their creations, the results usually range between mildly creepy and downright disturbing. Sparky, the Self Portrait Artifact Roving Chassis, dodges that problem entirely by displaying the face of a real, live person on an Erector- and bungee-mounted LCD, creating a package that's far more charming than iRobot's ConnectR. Based on a Mac mini, the bot uses Skype for the video and chat, with a plugin enabling the disembodied head to steer the thing about the room, tossing out Max Headroom quotes all the while. A short vid below gives the basics of how to bolt one of these together, while full instructions are at the read link. We just wish they could teach us how to build ourselves a charming smile like that.
Perian 1.1.2 released, fixes updating
Last night, Perian was updated to version 1.1.2. If you need to extend the capabilities of QuickTime, the free Perian plugin allows QuickTime to play back all kinds of popular video formats (.AVI, .MKV, .FLV and more). It's a handy utility for anyone who watches a lot of video on their Mac. Here's a list of the bug fixes/improvements in 1.1.2: Fixed update checker never running - this version requires a manual install Enabled frame-dropping on AppleTV Fixed some frames being lost in AVCHD/.mp4 with newer versions of QuickTime Fixed another ffmpeg crash on G3s You can download the update to Perian from the project's website. You can also see the version history list on their support website.Thanks for the tip, Chris!
Chinese gamer sued for using WoW add-on
What if World of Warcraft had no add-ons, would you still play? Worse yet, what if they had the add-ons, and you were aware of them, but it was actually illegal to use them? That's the state of the game in China right now, thanks to the country's licensed WoW distributor, The9.As part of The9's ongoing war against add-ons, they introduced anti-plugin software in 2004, and have threatened to close down any accounts that circumvented that software. In fact, the company just recently won a lawsuit that stemmed from a player who got their account closed when they were shown to use an add-on. In an article discussing this subject over at Virtually Blind, they suggest a server made just for add-ons, for anyone who wishes to participate. Taking into consideration the fact that China would probably never allow this, what are your thoughts?EDIT: It seems there was some confusion in the original article's translation, attributing legal add-ons to illegal plug-ins or hacking software. Our apologies for the misunderstanding in quoting the Virtually Blind article, and thank you to all who pointed this out.
Realm Status plugin for Firefox
The realms are back up now, but we've all been through that wait before -- you've got things to do in Azeroth, but Blizzard is doing their updating, so you're stuck browsing around WoW Insider in Firefox. And here's a handy little tool to help you get back in the game as soon as possible -- the Realm Status Tool Firefox plugin will let you see the status of all the realms from right in the browser's toolbar, or even monitor a realm for you, and drop a note when its status changes.Of course, if you just need to see what's up and down, the Realm Status page on Blizzard's site will do it for you, but the plugin will actually put up a popup when your selected realm is back up. So you can browse all you want, and know exactly the right time to log back into the game. It's been around for quite a while, though it's only at version .4, but I haven't had any problems with it yet. And it supports both US and EU realms, so no matter where you are, you can have it keep an eye on what your realm is up to.Thanks, Berg!
Plug-in Prius demoed tomorrow in London
If you've been hoping to get your hands around the wheel of one of those eco-friendly plug-in Priuses (Priuii?), maybe it's time to bite the bullet and finally move to the UK... just like you've been telling all your friends you're going to do one of these days. According to a report, Toyota is gearing up for the first trials of the ultra-high-MPG car starting tomorrow at an event in London's Hyde Park. An invite mailed to select members of the media (British media, we assume) states: "the purpose of our UK trial is to evaluate not only vehicle performance, but also the electrical infrastructure required, as well as driver behaviour and expectations. The results will play a key role in preparing for the future commercialisation of Plug-in Hybrid technology." So if you've ever wanted to watch one of these planet-huggers race silently around a British landmark, here's your chance.
DivX Connected users treated to new software, Hulu support
When Stage6 slipped six feet under, DivX Connected users were largely out of luck when it came to fetching online content. Now, however, a v1.4 of the Connected software has been released (at least in beta form), which reportedly provides support for a svelte Hulu Player plugin (among others). The app provides users with the ability to queue on Hulu.com and watch on Connected, and you can also watch recent videos and search, the latter of which was impossible on Stage6. Interested, are you? Check the read link for all the downloads you need to get going.[Thanks, Karolis]
Production Chevy Volt interior and exterior spy shots leaked?
We've seen GM's carefully managed Volt PR campaign, but that hasn't stopped our friends at AutoBlogGreen from combing the net for a better look, resulting in these apparent snaps of the center console and the production exterior rolling along the set of Transformers 2. The shiny, rounded all white center console with touch sensitive interface? You're probably thinking what we're thinking. At least the exterior shot -- which shows off a "Volt" badge on the A-pillar -- is a bit more clear. Of course, this might just be a movie-only iteration and any number of things could change before those batteries get out of Malibus and into proper rolling stock... but we'll just sit back and keep our fingers crossed, at least until 2010.Read - Chevy Volt InteriorRead - Chevy volt Exterior
Beta Beat: Glims for Safari
If you're looking for a Safari plugin with the usefulness of Inquisitor and then some, then look no further than Glims for Safari. This (currently in beta) plugin gives you the same search functionality as Inquisitor, plus some extra and useful features like full screen viewing. Actually, the current feature list is quite impressive for this free little plugin: Generates thumbnails for Google/Yahoo search results Full screen browsing Add favicon to tab labels "Undo close tab" option Reopen last Safari session on start Auto-close download window Set focus on the search field on opening a new window Adds max window size for window resizing Glims does take a cue from Inquisitor's revenue plan as the developers get a referral fee for Amazon links in searches. Overall, Glims looks like a good alternative to Inquisitor, and hey, it's free! You can download beta 6 of Glims from the developer's website.%Gallery-29105%
Mindset Six50 solar electric concept is light, green, and a bit homely
As the big auto manufacturers scramble to come up with fuel-efficient alternatives for us gas addicts, smaller companies are swooping in with both concepts and production models. In the latter category, we have Mindset AG with the solar electric Six50 concept you see here. The 2+2 seater is designed to weigh just 1,764 pounds and measures about 13 feet long with a slab of solar panels over its haunches. Designer Mura Güntak expects the Six50 to run just about 62 miles per charge (although an optional generator can be added to extend this), do 0-60 in 7 seconds, and plans to roll out 10,000 of these bad boys by 2009 at the cost of $78,000 each.[Via Inhabitat]
Firefox-Mac-PDF allows in-line PDFs for Firefox
If you switched to Firefox from another browser like Safari that supports in-line PDF viewing (that's the ablity to look at a PDF in the browser instead of downloading it), then you might have been disheartened to learn that Firefox does not support this feature natively. However, you will find Firefox-Mac-PDF to be a useful plug-in. Firefox-Mac-PDF allows for the same in-line PDF viewing that can be found in Safari. This plug-in requires Firefox 3 and Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or higher. You can download the plug-in for free from their Google Code page.To install the plug-in, just open the Add-ons panel by going to Tools > Add-ons. Once there, drag the downloaded ".xpi" file to the Add-ons. You will be asked if you wish to install the plug-in. Once you restart Firefox you'll be able to view all PDFs right within Firefox. [via Lifehacker]
SIMBL plugin woes after 10.5.3?
Did you get home only to find that Mac OS X 10.5.3 had been released today? Well, just as some users were unpacking and installing the shiny new update, issues with SIMBL plug-ins were discovered. If you have SIMBL plugins installed, then you may have an error show up when you try to launch an application. Past updates on systems with these plugins installed have been known to run into some issues. If you are experiencing plugin predicaments, there is a way to fix the problem. SIMBL plugins (or other, non-SIMBL InputManager plugins, which may also be problematic) can be installed in any one of the following directories: ~/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/ /Library/InputManagers/ ~/Library/Contextual Menu Items/ ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ ~/Library/InputManagers/ When you see the error in an application, just jot down the name of the plugin and look in those directories for it. When you find the plugin, just move it to a separate folder or toss it into the trash can. The application launch problem should cease. Have you experienced plug-in issues since installing the 10.5.3 update? If so, tell us about it in the comments.
Stumbi: StumbleUpon for Safari
Being a Firefox user (I know, I know, and it crashes on me all the time, but still I run back to it ashamedly), I had no idea that there was a gap in the functionality of StumbleUpon (a handy little link-finding and sharing browser plugin) for Safari users -- it only works with IE and Firefox. But Eli K tipped us off that he's trying to bridge that gap with Stumbi, a StumbleUpon plugin for Safari.It's the very definition of no-frills: it just creates a menu option for StumbleUpon that will let you access the most basic of functions from the Safari browser. And unfortunately, it's not exactly completely easy to get working -- you've got to make sure to install SIMBL (which, helpfully, comes with the binary download), and then the binary also requires a reasonable $2 purchase after 100 stumbles (or, for the more technically inclined, you can download the source and do it all by yourself for free).But if you just can't live without StumbleUpon, and can't bring yourself to use Firefox to do it, this might be just what you're looking for.Thanks, Eli!
Archos TV+ TVportation plug-in shifts your TV to 605 / 705 PMP
Got yourself an Archos TV+? How's about a WiFi-enabled 605 / 705 PMP? Even if you're sadly answering "no" to the latter question, folks with a Windows or Windows Mobile-based machine can still get in on the placeshifting action, as Archos has just announced a swank new TV+ plug-in that brings Slingbox capabilities to those devices. The May-bound TVportation application, which will be available gratis for those who register their Archos TV+ on the firm's website (it's $49.99 otherwise), simply enables users to control their set-top-box from anywhere where WiFi is accessible, giving users the ability to watch live TV on their handheld. Sure, it's more of the same, but for the Archos faithful who refuse to trade in their 605 / 705, it's a dream come true. Check out a lengthy demonstration vid after the break. [Warning: PDF read link][Thanks, Charbax]
Enhance Address Book with PostCheck
Here's a very handy plugin for Address Book. PostCheck does two things. First, it fills in missing Zip Codes for when you've only got a contact's city and state. It's super simple. Just right-click on the empty Zip Code field and select PostCheck from the contextual menu. In my testing, it accurately provided the accurate 9-digit code across several cities and states. It also works when you've got the Zip Code but need the city and state.PostCheck's other trick is to format your addresses so that they meet the US Postal Service's exacting standards. As everyone knows, it's not a good idea to tick off the mail carriers. It's called "going postal" for a reason, folks.PostCheck requires Mac OS 10.4 or higher, is universal and costs $10US. It's definitely a useful tool to have around.
