January 2011 Archives

Jan

Verizon Now Selling Samsung Galaxy Tab For $499.99, Issuing $100 Refunds To Those Who Bought It Within The Last 14 Days

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Deals, Galaxy Tab, News, Samsung, Verizon Wireless

Costco's been selling Verizon's version of the Galaxy Tab for $499.99 for a while now, but that doesn't make Big Red's latest deal any less exciting. As of today, customers can walk into any Verizon store and pick up a Tab for the aforementioned price of $499.99; only there's another bonus here: the package includes $60 of free movie rentals from Blockbuster or Samsung's own Media Hub. Additionally, if you bought a Galaxy Tab within the last 14 days, the carrier will offer you a $100 refund.

What's your take on the matter - is this proof of Verizon's generosity, a result of underwhelming sales figures, or simply a sign of things to come?

Jan

Man Uses Geek Wizardry, Magic To Use HTC EVO 4G As Garage Door Opener

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Applications, Apps/Games, EVO 4G (Supersonic), News, Off-Topic

In an impressive display of nerdery, XDA member JsChiSurf (who you may remember as the guy behind the re-mapped EVO buttons and a shout-out in Fresh 3.5) has used a host of tools and tricks to create an app that allows him to use his EVO as a garage door opener. Check out the video below (it's on the longer side at nearly 4 minutes, but it's got all the details).

In short, he connects an old Linux server (which was already running in his garage) to a serial relay controller, which is in turn connected to his garage door, to do the trick.

Jan

Solar Wind: An Amazing, Trippy Live Wallpaper

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Many Android owners seem to have a love/hate relationship with live wallpapers - no matter how stunning they are, they generally zap performance and battery life too much to be used for long. Here's one that might work on both sides of the coin: meet Solar Wind LWP.

As you can see, it's... well, it's a bit hard to describe. It mainly consists of multi-colored strings of dots swirling around. A video can do it better justice: