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Windows Kinect SDK, Xtreamer Ultra, Angry Birds bento: US Update
Tasty Angry Birds bento serves up edible fun
Nec Medias transcends Galaxy S 2 as world’s thinnest Android smartphone
Xtreamer Ultra vs Boxee Box: media player showdown
Xtreamer Ultra HD media player launches in seven days
Microsoft to unveil Gears of War Kinect and Windows Kinect SDK at GDC?
Elder Scrolls 5 competition, Tube Wi-Fi and how to make the Angry Birds cake: Teatime Tech
Bake your own playable Angry Birds cake: masterclass tutorial
Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim: Name your offspring for Bethesda, win mysterious prize
Best iPhone apps: app of the day – Jay-Z Decoded

Windows Kinect SDK, Xtreamer Ultra, Angry Birds bento: US Update

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 06:30 PM PST

Fire up that pot of coffee, it's time to jump start your day with a daily jolt of tech news. In today's US Update we cover the upcoming Microsoft announcements set for GDC in San Francisco, unveil the Xtreamer Ultra HD media player, look at the world's thinnest Android smartphone and more.

Microsoft has some big plans scheduled for the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco. Rumors are circulating that the software giant will be unveiling Gears of War Kinect, while confirmed reports show a Windows Kinect SDK. A new media streamer could replace the HTPC market in seven days. The Xtreamer Ultra packs a dual-core Atom chip and ION2 GPU, ready to stream 1080P content at will.

We compare the Xtreamer Ultra to the current king of media streaming, the Boxee Box. Who do you think will win? Leaked slides from a DoCoMo press event have revealed the NEC Medias, the world's thinnest Android smartphone. Powered by Android 2.2 Froyo, this handset looks to dethrone the Samsung Galaxy S 2 as the world's thinnest.

Last up this morning we take a look at some tasty Angry Birds bento. Inspired by Japanese cuisine and a love for the gaming franchise, we've got a tasty meal to compliment the Angry Birds cake we had for dessert.

That wraps up the latest and greatest in tech from my side of the pond. As always I'm Nick Marshall and I'll see you again tomorrow.

Tasty Angry Birds bento serves up edible fun

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 04:43 PM PST

What do you get when you mix Japanese cuisine with the stylish characters from Angry Birds — Angry Birds bento. A creative chef from mymealbox.com has drawn inspiration from wildly successful game in an edible onigiri rendition of the red bird and green pig. First an Angry Birds cake and now Angry Birds bento, when will it end?

For those not in the know, bento is single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. After being inspired by Angry Birds for PC, our friends at mymealbox.com decided to take their talents to the kitchen. For the red bird they used white rice and tomato sauce with a baby carrot beak and red pasta sheet for the top of the head. The green pig is a mixture of white rice peas paste with edamame ears and a cucumber nose.

Overall the attention to detail is exquisite and the Angry Birds bento looks like a tasty meal. The chicken nuggets protecting the green pig were definitely enough to win me over, anyone else getting hungry?

via MyMealBox

Nec Medias transcends Galaxy S 2 as world’s thinnest Android smartphone

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 04:23 PM PST

Step aside Samsung, the Galaxy S 2 will no longer hold the title as the world's thinnest Android smartphone. After the Galaxy S 2 took the title from the LG Optimus Black, NEC will reportedly unveil the 7.7mm thick Media N-04C at an upcoming DoCoMo press event, outclassing both competitors.

Several slides taken from an upcoming DoCoMo press event have leaked. The highlight of the event looks to be the NEC Medias N-04C, a 7.7mm thick Android 2.2 Froyo smartphone sporting a 4-inch display, NFC and 1Seg TV Tuner. The images reveal both front and rear cameras, along with plans for two color choices: white and black.

At this point, it is difficult to say whether or not the Nec Medias N-04C will reach production or even if these slides are authentic. The Samsung Galaxy S 2 is a ridiculously thin handset to begin with, shaving off another 0.79mm is bound to be difficult. Ergonomics aside, we'd be surprised if a smartphone this thing could withstand the grind of daily use — you know, the occasional drops and falls our handset endure.

So, anyone else out there think the Nec Media is a bit too thin? Sound off.

via Akihabara News

Xtreamer Ultra vs Boxee Box: media player showdown

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 03:57 PM PST

In the world of pre-built, media streaming HTPC replacements, there's really only one mainstream stand-out product, the D-link Boxee Box. Today, we put the Boxee Box up against its newest competitor, the Xtreamer Ultra which goes on sale early next week. The spec showdown awaits.

Let's begin with processing power
After ditching Tegra2 in favor of Intel's Atom processor, the Boxee Box finally decided on the Intel CE4110 system-on-a-chip platform consisting of a 1.2 GHz Intel Atom CPU. Xtreamer Ultra on the other hand went with a dual-core 1.8 GHz Intel Atom D525.

It's all about the graphics
Since the Boxee Box uses the Intel CE4110 system-on-a-chip platform, it uses a PowerVR SGX535 integrated graphics processor which provides HDMI 1.3 output. Xtreamer Ultra ups the ante with the next-generation nVidia ION2, a GT218 40nm based GPU with 512MB of DDR3 memory.

What about memory and storage?
Having a powerful CPU and GPU are essential, but RAM is key when it comes to a smooth interface. The Boxee Box offers 1GB of RAM and 1GB of NAND Flash memory. The Xtreamer Ultra is a different beast, allowing up to 4GB of DDR3 memory to be installed and a 2.5" HDD bay for your choice of a SSD or laptop-sized hard drive.

Connectivity is key
The Boxee Box offers a HDMI 1.3 output, optical audio (S/PDIF), RCA analog stereo, two USB ports, SD slot and 100Base-T ethernet. Xteramer Ultra features an HDMI 1.3a port, DVI, VGA, 1000Base-T ethernet, six USB ports, optical audio (S/PDIF), eSATA and mic input.

Software and add-ons
As the name implies, the Boxee Box is all about Boxee. The unit comes with a two-sided remote (keyboard on one side, navigation on the other). Xtreamer Ultra is a HTPC at heart, bundled with a MCE certified remote and capable of running Windows 7, Boxee, XBMC or Linux.

Wrapping it all up – Verdict
Overall the Boxee Box is a great solution if you love the Boxee interface. The Xtreamer on the other hand, is a much more powerful product capable of running several operating sytems, including Boxee. At its core, Xtreamer Ultra is a PC in a small form factor and if you were to run Windows 7, you wouldn't be confined to the Boxee app library. At the end of the day, until we have a review unit on hand to compare to our Boxee Box, we can't determine a winner. So for now, we’ll let you decide a champion.

Xtreamer Ultra HD media player launches in seven days

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 03:07 PM PST

Built on the power of the new Intel Atom D525 dual core 1.83 GHz processor, the upcoming Xtreamer Ultra HD media player is ready to take on the home theater PC market. This bite-sized streamer is ready to gobble up hoards of HD content thanks to the nVidia ION2 GPU and high-speed DDR3 memory. The revolution begins in seven days.

In the world of low-cost alternatives to building a home theater PC, most existing products still leave a lot to be desired in terms of performance. Xtreamer Ultra looks to bridge this gap thanks to an impressive spec sheet. At the heart of the HD media streamer is the Intel Atom D525 Dual Core 1.83hz and nVidia ION2 graphics processor based on Intel's NM10 express chipset.

Harnessing the power of the ION 2, Xstreamer Ultra will achieve video acceleration with PureVideo HD (Flash 10.1) and CUDA for the computing power of the GPU. Audio will be provided by the ALC892 chipset, offering 7.1+2 channel HD audio (7.1 playback plus two channels of independent stereo outputs for multiple streaming).

Other highlights of this impressive media streamer six USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 1.3a/DVI port, optical audio out, eSATA, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, gigabit ethernet, IR port (IRDA 1.0), HD audio BitStreaming, hybrid passive and active cooling with silent 24dBA fan, a Windows Media Center certified remote control and a pre-configured USB boot OS with kernel and drivers preconfigured. Optional accessories include: USB Mini Keyboard, USB WIFI 802.11n, USB Blu-Ray Combo,USB LifeCam, USB HDD Docking Station, and USB TV Tuner.

Now that we've covered the Xtreamer Ultra in detail, you're probably wondering what type of software runs on this media streamer. Well, seeing as the unit is a HTPC replacement and you install your own 2.5" hard drive, it's really a case of picking your poison: Windows 7 with Aero user interface and DirectCompute compatible, Boxee, XBMC, MediaPortal Compatible, Live CD or PreCompiled Linux compatible.

The Xtreamer Ultra goes on sale in seven days and honestly, we can't wait. The D-link Boxee Box has a serious contender on the horizon, anyone care to predict a champion? If you are ready to bite, Xtreamer Deals is currently offering the Xtreamer Ultra for 100€, a 50 percent savings.

February 28 | Xtreamer | 200€

Microsoft to unveil Gears of War Kinect and Windows Kinect SDK at GDC?

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 02:12 PM PST

In the world of Xbox 360 first-person shooters there's Gears of War and then there's everything else. Some may argue that Halo is the superior shooter, but fans of Quake, Duke Nukem and Doom, know all too well that Gears is where the action's at. At next week's Game Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, the Redmond camp is expected to unveil Gears of War Kinect and possibly a Windows 7 Kinect SDK.

According to Microsoft's Larry Hybrd "cool news" is coming next week in San Francisco, where Microsoft will hold an invite-only press event, promising we'll be, "really happy when [we] hear all the news". The event will be part of GDC and should set the stage for the second wave of Kinect titles scheduled for April. One of those titles is rumored to be Gears of War Kinect. If this rumors proves accurate, Microsoft will have no problem doubling the eight million Kinect sensors sold in the first 60 days.

In related news, Microsoft has confirmed plans to roll out an official Kinect SDK. After the dozens of unofficial Kinect hacks being demonstrated across the web, the company decided a Windows-based Kinect SDK was the smart play. Microsoft's Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft's interactive business division, said the Windows Kinect SDK will ship in the Spring. This news was later confirmed on the the Microsoft next blog

"The hope is that the SDK will unleash a wave of creativity to add to the already exciting developments we've seen on top of Kinect. The SDK will provide access to Kinect's sensor as well audio and system API's. It's being released by Microsoft Research as a non-commercial SDK aimed at academics and enthusiasts. As you may have read in earlier posts, MSR played a pivotal role by providing some of the core technology for Kinect in areas such as facial recognition and skeletal tracking and this SDK is more evidence of the tight collaboration between MSR and our product teams."

2011 looks to be the year of Microsoft Kinect. If the software giant delivers with Gears of War Kinect and several other key titles, combined with Windows Kinect SDK, the shelf life of the XBox franchise looks very promising.

For those of you who have not purchased the Kinect, who plans to buy the sensor if Microsoft releases Gears of War Kinect?

via WinRumors

Elder Scrolls 5 competition, Tube Wi-Fi and how to make the Angry Birds cake: Teatime Tech

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 10:11 AM PST

We’ve broken the back in Monday now, so what say we have ourselves a little news roundup? It is sometime, after all. Read on for everything from a crazy Elder Scrolls 5 competition to our step by step recipe for making an Angry Birds themed cake you can play.

First up, let’s talk mobile. On the Apple side of things, we took a look at an iPhone walking tour app, while over on the Android front, we pitted the new Samsung Galaxy S2 versus the upcoming HTC Incredible S. See which one wins in our stat clash!

Elsewhere in gadgetry meanwhile, the London Underground looks set to get Wi-Fi in the tunnels in time for the Olympics next year – but do you welcome the move or not?

Finally, in gaming, Bethesda is running a bizarre competition for Elder Scrolls 5 and anyone willing to name their child after a character from it, and that Angry Birds cake we showed off earlier today? We’ve set loose our full guide showing you how to make it, step by step, as well. See here for the full FAQ!

Hungering for more headlines still? Click on through to the homepage and help yourself to all you can eat!

Bake your own playable Angry Birds cake: masterclass tutorial

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 08:36 AM PST

First off, wow! Since posting my Angry Birds cake video things have got a little crazy here. Rovio, the makers of the game have tweeted about it, Mashable and Gizmodo picked up the story, and it’s even found its way to Sweden. So thanks for getting it out there folks, and sharing the video with your friends. It really was a blast to make, and my little boy had a riot destroying it.

Since the reaction I thought you might like to know how to make your very own playable Angry Birds cake. I took some photos on the way, and have just scribbled down my notes (while I can remember). Join me after the jump for a step-by-step tutorial.

Click on any of the following to skip straight to that section.

What you’ll need
Step 1 – Making the base
Step 2 – Designing your Angry Birds level
Step 3 – How to make the pigs and the birds
Step 4- How to make the stones and ice
Step 5 – Bake, cut and position your wafers
Step 6 – Landscaping
Step 7 – Final construction and demolition

What you’ll need

Catapult – I bought this Browning Match Catapult from Amazon
Old bookshelf or piece of wood
Tin foil
Sticky tape
Saw
Drill and wood drill bits
Permanent marker pen
A few packs of Tunnocks Caramel Wafers
Chocolate cake recipe and ingredients (any chocolate cake mix will do)
Icing – White ready to roll (I used Silver Spoon stuff)
Icing – Regal Ice coloured ready to roll (I used Dr.Oetker pre mixed)
Marzipan (again the Silver Spoon stuff is spot on)
Betty Crocker icing – 1 tub of vanilla, 1 tub of chocolate fudge
Food colouring – Green (for the grass), Black (for the stone), blue (for ice blocks)
Large spatula
Butter knife
Sharp knife
Thin(ish) artist’s paint brush

If you haven’t seen the end result or want to refer to video while you’re making your own, watch it here:

Step 1 – making the base

Saw an old bookshelf that’s around 6-8 inches wide to around 3-feet long

Cover the bookshelf in tin foil and use sticky tape to secure it to the bottom

Position your catapult at one end of the bookshelf and draw around the base with a permanent marker pen. Then use your drill and wood drill bits to drill a hole that you can slot the catapult into – IMPORTANT NOTE: Drill at a slight angle so the catapult is leaning slightly back. I did a few test shots before drilling and this gave the best results when firing the catapult.

Check you can slot your catapult into the board before you ice the board. You want it to be a tight fit.

Step 2 – designing your Angry Birds level

I didn’t choose to copy an existing Angry Birds level, as it’s far more fun (and a little easier) to freestyle it. First, get all your Tunnocks Caramel Wafers and scatter them across your board to see how much room you have to play with.

Next, start building and work out what construction works for you. Remember, you don’t want to build too high, or they’ll fall over while you’re taking aim, as the finished level should be fragile enough that you can successfully smash it to pieces.

Pour yourself a drink and start sketching out some basic designs. It doesn’t matter if you can’t draw. Having a rough plan really helps when it comes to piecing it all together as you’ll see in the video above.

Step 3 – How to make the pigs and birds

I literally just had Angry Birds open on my phone and kept a level open so I could refer back to it from time to time. First step is to make the bodies and basic form of your pigs and birds. Use your pre-mixed coloured icing and roll out the spheres using a little plain flour so they don’t get sticky and unmanageable.

Top tip: Sticking bits of icing together isn’t easy once you’ve covered it in plain flour, but I found a solution. Simply dip the part you want to stick in a bit more plain flour, then dab water on it with the tip of a knife (the bits are pretty small and fiddly) – this makes a gluey consistency which helps secure snouts and beaks to bodies.

Leave it all out overnight. The icing will harden quite a bit, transforming the birds into far better ammunition and the pigs into more solid targets. Plus, having the bodies hardened makes it much easier to apply the finishing touches and details in the morning, as you’ll be less worried about them squishing in your hands as you add the eyes, feathers, and quiffs. Top tip: Marzipan is the perfect colour for the red bird’s tummy.

Step 4 – How to make the stones and ice

Crack open your packet of ready-to-roll white icing. Now use your sharp knife to cut out some large triangles and squares (stones), and some smaller cubes and rectangles (ice).

To create the stone effect, use your thin paint brush to paint around the edges with undiluted black food colouring. Then pop a little of the black food colouring in a glass and add a few shots of water to dilute it. This gives you a greyish shade that you can blend into the middle, working from the edges inwards.

To create the ice effect, paint around the edges using undiluted blue food colouring. When you’re done, as with the stones, dilute the blue a little. But this time don’t fill in the remaining white space. Instead paint a series of random diagonal lines (all in the same direction) to give the effect of ice.

Step 5 – Bake, cut and position your cake and wafers

Now, use any standard chocolate cake recipe to bake a cake. If you’ve got one, use a rectangular or square baking tin, as this means you’ll have less wastage when you start cutting your landscape out.

Refer to your sketch and cut your cake to size, positioning the pieces on your foil-covered cake board

Use your black marker pen to draw lines around your bits of landscape. Then take the cake off. This is so that when you ice the board, you don’t waste icing and can just add the green grass icing where it needs to go.

Once you’re done, get your chocolate fudge Betty Crocker icing and dab a lump beneath each strut on your Tunnocks Caramel Wafers. This helps keep them together a little better and helps when you’re positioning them in the final construction phase.

Step 6 – Landscaping

Empty your pot of Betty Crocker vanilla icing into a bowl and keep adding heathy squirts of green food colouring until you’re happy with the shade of your grass.

Spread your green icing over the board using your spatula, avoiding the pre-marked spaces where your cakes are going to sit.

The grass effect is simply achieved by randomly dabbing and pulling the icing up into points. After an hour or so it’ll harden a little so it maintains its shape.

Place your cakes in their slots on the board, then use your tub of chocolate fudge icing to cover them. Cover each cake roughly with your spatula, then use your butter knife to finish it off smoothly.

Step 7 – final construction and demolition

Start by positioning your wafer arches on the board. Wedge them down as best you can, as they will wobble and topple at the slightest nudge. Then start placing your stone and ice blocks where you want them.

Final step is positioning your pigs. Keep a steady hand and place them wherever your like. Remember to make a game of it thought, and put them in tough places too, as you’ll want it to be a fun challenge.

Now it’s time to let loose and start pelting those pigs with your iced birds!

Sit back and enjoy the carnage. Then cut a fat slice of chocolate cake as your reward.

Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim: Name your offspring for Bethesda, win mysterious prize

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:30 AM PST

Before we begin, let us remark that this sounds like complete madness. Bethesda, in a curious turn, has offered a challenge on its blog, and Elder Scrolls fans better prick their ears up. “Skyrim day” – the release date for Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is 11/11/11. If you already knew that, then Bethesda sees your fandom, and raises you a baby. Read on for more info on the ultimate gaming challenge.

If you or your partner manages to give birth on 11/11/11, Pete Hines, VP of Bethesda, is challenging you to name your offspring Dovahkiin, which means Dragonborn in the Dragon-tongue language.

The prize is as yet a mystery, and Hines hasn’t said any more than that he’s “offering up an unknown reward” to anyone brave enough, and lucky enough, to pop one out on the same day as they’re waiting eagerly to have a first play of Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. It better be something pretty special to warrant ruining your child’s early years, plus disrupting important gameplay time with nappy changing. Let’s hope it’s not just a free copy of Skyrim eh?

There’s a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer too:

“Disclaimer: Any reward for completing this quest will not ultimately justify the potential teasing your child could — and probably will — endure over its lifespan. Bethesda Softworks is not responsible for your parenting. You may gain experience points for completing this quest, but you will not care at 3am on a work night. Completion of this quest may also result in decreased desire to play video games and/or function as a human being. Consult with your friends before embarking on this quest; while it may not start in prison, it probably ends there.”

It’s worth pointing out that this has been done before. Back in 2002 Acclaim Entertainment offered $10k to parents who named their newborn after the hero of Turok: Evolution. Will Bethesda up the stakes and offer a bigger prize than ten grand?

Are you limbering up for the challenge? Shout out in the comments!

[via Bethesda Blog]

Best iPhone apps: app of the day – Jay-Z Decoded

Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:23 AM PST

Jay Z’s Decoded memoir was one of the biggest hits in the bookstore over Christmas, bringing him to the top of an entirely different chart. Today’s entry into our best iPhone apps library is the app that goes with the book.

Whether you’ve picked it up or just grab the app the content inside works well. Decoded gives you a selection of Jay-Z songs to choose from, unlocking text, video and audio about the tracks with the man himself talking about what he was thinking when he penned those words and worked on those productions…

You can choose 10 songs to ‘decode’ for the entry price of £3.99 but drop another £14.99 as an in-app payment and you’ll have a complete audio and video companion for the book. We’re still not that comfortable dropping big wads of cash in in-app payments but have a feeling that more and more of our best iPhone apps choices will come with in-app purchases to choose from. You can see the Jay-Z Decoded iPhone app in action below. If you’re a fan, it’s £3.99 well spent.