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Cracking up? Solutions for a broken smartphone screen
We've all been there. Most of us have experienced the gut-wrenching reality of losing control of our smartphone for a split-second before watching it crashing to the floor. Sometimes it escapes unscathed, but a cracked smartphone screen is all too often the result. The important thing is not to panic - there are plenty of options available for smashed phone displays, so it doesn't necessarily mean having to say goodbye to your beloved mobile.
Sony will not renew its FIFA sponsorship
Sony will reportedly not renew its FIFA sponsorship and will instead spend its money on structural reforms, according to Nikkei. The electronics giant began sponsoring the global soccer organization in 2005, signing an eight-year, 33 billion yen ($277 million using current rates) contract, which is set to expire this year. According to Nikkei, Sony participated in sales and marketing for over 40 soccer tournaments during that time, including the 2010 and 2014 World Cup matches. Sony reported a 85.6 billion yen operating loss ($766 million) in October, at which point it noted a thriving Games and Network division led by 13.5 million PS4 shipments. The company upped its loss forecast to 230 billion yen ($2.15 billion) in September after it downgraded its mobile and smartphone business by 180 billion yen ($1.68 billion). It restructured its TV division and sold off its Vaio PC brand in February as well, which resulted in the loss of 5,000 jobs. [Image: Sony]
Microsoft backs free Boingo WiFi in NYC and San Francisco, hopes you'll see Metro on the metro
Microsoft is about to launch a giant media blitz for Windows 8, and it wants to guarantee that even those of us heads-down in our laptops and smartphones take notice. It's sponsoring Boingo's WiFi, making it free at popular locations in New York City and San Francisco through the holidays to pitch both its new OS and the Windows Store. The San Francisco locations are already active and mostly cover signature locations such as Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square, but Microsoft is going all-out for the New York City campaign starting November 1st: the free WiFi will reach over 200 locations in Manhattan as well as the six NYC subway stations offering underground wireless. While some might not enjoy the hard sell on Windows 8 while they're checking into Foursquare, we'd say it's at least relevant that Microsoft pushes its urban sign UI in the city that was arguably the software's major inspiration. [Image credit: pspyro2009, Flickr]
Insert Coin: Knut WiFi-enabled sensor hub (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. On the surface, Knut (pronounced Kah-noot) doesn't sound terribly exciting -- it's a pocketable WiFi-enabled device that beams you realtime stats over the web. But consider the possible applications, and you'll be much more anxious to pick one up. You can use Knut to measure humidity in your humidor, the temperature in your fish tank or even the status of a door or window. You can monitor stats in realtime, or set alerts so you'll know something's wrong before your goldfish cooks in the tank, those precious Cuban cigars you smuggled through Customs dry up and crumble or someone sneaks into your house through a window after you check in miles away on Foursquare. After popping in a pair of AAA batteries (which are said to last from 2 weeks to 10 years, depending on the battery and syncing options), you assign Knut an email address, which it then uses to communicate. Other Knuts can use the same email address, from which they'll send updates at pre-set intervals. Knut ships with built-in temperature and battery level sensors, and it's compatible with a variety of add-ons, from humidity and vibration to door and water presence sensors. You can also create your own sensor using the breakout board. The project creators have developed a functional prototype, but they need to raise additional funds to pay programmers and buy materials for mass production. As usual, that's where you come in. The first 200 Kickstarter backers can hop on board the pre-order train with a pledge of $80, while an unlimited number of devices will be available for $95. A $115 pledge will get you a Knut and an additional sensor, while $175 will up the order to one Knut, three sensors and a three-port hub. There's six weeks left to go on the campaign, with a goal of $25,000 and an estimated September ship date. As always, you'll find everything you need in the demo video and source link, just after the break.
Kickstarter talks to us about product 'pre-orders,' won't force refunds when creators flake
Kickstarter has proven an incredibly effective venue for connecting project creators with monetary support -- inventors pitch directly to consumers, indie filmmakers meet indie producers and food trucks get the financial push necessary to take their restaurants to the road. With the latter two, backers don't necessarily expect goods in return, save for an overvalued t-shirt, bumper sticker or film credit. When it comes to electronics, however, funders are often promised a first-off-the-line gadget -- one that may never arrive at their door. One oft-overlooked, yet critical detail should help curb expectations, while also serving to filter out pledges that are motivated by the pre-order promise, from those that offer financial support without a guaranteed return. Like it or not, all transactions fall into that second category. Pre-order offers may go unfulfilled, and some pledges may be reduced to donations, if a project creator ends up unable to deliver an item as intended. And such situations may not prompt a refund, souring the experience for an increasing number of hopeful device owners. Join us past the break for an explanation from the Kickstarter team, and a closer look at some recent examples.
Kubuntu 12.10 gains Blue Systems as sponsor, Canonical waves farewell
Everyone loves a happy ending, and it's with this in mind that we share the latest round of good news from the Kubuntu team. Starting with version 12.10, the popular KDE variant of Ubuntu will have sponsorship from Blue Systems. Previously, Canonical announced its intention to drop its sponsorship of Kubuntu after the 12.04 LTS, Precise Pangolin release, but later revealed a willingness to let the Kubuntu team seek other sponsors. Fortunately, it's found a good one. Blue Systems has a solid track record in the KDE community and similarly sponsors distributions such as Netrunner and the KDE variant of Linux Mint. Likewise, it's encouraged Kubuntu developers to stay close to their roots and follow the same successful formula as before. The future looks bright for Kubuntu, and it's full of Plasma.
It's time to play games and heal kids with Extra Life
It's time once again to start registering for Extra Life. If you've been a member of the gaming community for a while, you're probably aware of this great charity event started by the Sarcastic Gamer blog. If you're unfamiliar with it, Extra Life is a 24-hour gaming marathon to benefit your local children's hospital through the Children's Miracle Network. Players sign up individually or as a team, gain sponsors willing to pledge $1 per hour, and play for 24 hours straight. Last year the organization raised over $150,000, and the organizers would love to see that number exceeded this year. Hundreds of gamers, including our very own Beau, have signed up to participate in this event, which begins October 16th. You can sign up as a participant through the site, or as a sponsor through the individual gamer pages.
Red Bull charges into PS Home as first major sponsor
Puzzling through Sony's reasons for throwing money at PlayStation Home is not a task for weak of heart, but for long, sleepless hours spent burning the midnight oil. Thankfully we now have Red Bull, the online service's first major third-party partner, on tap to help energize our search for enlightenment.Details remain scant, though UK site Brand Republic notes that the energy drink company will have its own caffeinated island space in Home featuring "an aeroplane racing game based on Red Bull's real world Red Bull Air Race series." As Home does anything but race to release, we can't help but wonder if someday we'll take in Sony's advertisement-laden virtual landscape from the air, rather than while wandering aimlessly on the ground.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Try and play Nobunaga's Ambition, win green tea [Update 1]
In one of the oddest gaming tie-ins we've heard of since the glorious days of Yo! Noid, Koei and Coca-Cola have announced a cross-promotion between Kunitori Zunou Battle Nobunaga no Yabou (Domination Battle of the Brains: Nobunaga's Ambition) and ... some kind of Coca-Cola-branded green tea.We've not the foggiest how the two products are related (we find it difficult to imagine Sengoku period warlords indulging in some green tea-sipping action), but the deal did give us a chance to sample the game through the promotional site that's been set up (scroll down and click on the white box to get things rolling). It looks and plays very nicely, so give it a go!Famitsu also mentions that 100 Japan-based players who try the demo will randomly be chosen to win a six-pack of Coca-Cola's green tea. Alas, it's not the most import-friendly of games, so even if we did reside in Japan, it looks like we'd be purchasing our green tea supplies like everyone else who doesn't have the knack for turn-based strategy.[Update: Corrected minor details regarding brand of green tea and prize.]%Gallery-19665%[Via Famitsu]
Microsoft, Xbox 360 sponsor new Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders FC
Those of you who enjoy soccer of the North American variety will begin to see jerseys emblazoned with a very familiar logo (that of the Xbox Live service) when a brand spankin' new Major League Soccer team, the Seattle Sounders FC, makes its debut in the 2009 season. The team (not to be confused with other Sounders franchises in the NASL and USL) recently agreed to a 5-year, $20 million sponsorship from Microsoft and its hot-under-the-hood home console.In addition to fancy new jerseys, the young team's home field will be tiled "The Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field", and the 360 will reportedly be recognized as the "official and exclusive video game console of Major League Soccer." We pray Sony doesn't respond by sponsoring a competing MLS team -- to combine the zealous fanaticism associated with gaming consoles and soccer teams may incite a fanboy war that would tear our continent asunder.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Gamestop sponsors driver in NASCAR Nationwide Series
Fans of high speed circular driving and pre-owned video games will be pleased to see a familiar sight at the NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Dover International Speedway on May 31 -- a Gamestop sponsored stock car, driven by the fresh faced Joey Logano. Gamestop debuted the young driver to the racing world today by celebrating Logano's eighteenth birthday (the required age for NASCAR drivers), and presented the new adult with an Xbox 360 and an advance copy of NASCAR '09 (for training purposes, we assume).We don't anticipate Logano to set any records at his debut race -- apparently, his pit crew has been instructed to ask if he'd like to exchange his old tires for trade-in credit at every stop, then ask if he wants the one-year warranties on his new tires, and finally, if he'd like to reserve additional tires for any upcoming pit stops.
Army pulls sponsorship from game competition, puts event in question
Gamers in western Kentucky have one less reason to smile this morning with news that the area's annual gaming tournament, dubbed Gameathon, is likely in jeopardy of taking place this year at all. The reason? According to a report by the Bowling Green Daily News, the event's chief sponsor, the US Army, has opted out of supporting the gaming tournament, stating that the military branch has "other priorities this year" beyond support for game tournys. Oh really? That doesn't seem to keep the Army from wanting to host this April's Halo 3 tournament over Xbox Live, nor did it stop it from throwing the branch's considerable weight (not to mention an estimated $2 million) behind the Global Gaming League last year. The Army had sponsored the event in 2005 and 2007, and was expected to contribute $5,000 this year, a burden that we guess was simply too terrible to bear. The Army's decision strikes us as doubly odd considering that the event is something of a showpiece for America's Army, with the title sharing space with Halo, PGR, and Madden in the Gameathon's tournament. For now the event sponsors have begun to look elsewhere for sponsorship, while a post on the event's website appears to hold out hope that the local recruiting office will eventually be swayed to once again participate in the competition. We've strapped on our mental projection helmets, and are sending good vibes their way.
