Get a 12-month Xbox Live subscription for $35 (40% off!)

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, Video Games,

Looking to pick up a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription on the cheap? Head on over to Amazon right now to grab one for 40% off. Seriously, you'll pay $35 instead of the typical $60, and you get access to stuff like Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, and much more on your Xbox 360. Even if you're in the middle of  a subscription, you can just get one and extend whatever time you have left by another year.

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @TechPromos for the latest deals, or you can Like TechPromos on Facebook.

Video: Phil Knight on Tim Cook’s reaction to Steve Jobs passing

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Videos,

As part of his Joe Paterno eulogy, Phil Knight recounts a discussion he had with Apple CEO Tim Cook regarding the death of Steve Jobs. It's a candid glimpse into the friendship shared by Cook and Jobs.

[Thanks, Jason!]

BMW looking to use smart fabric to bring deep user customization to cars

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Science, Transportation,

As automotive technology is advancing, things that we found novel are becoming a thing of the past. Remember when the first iPhone came out? People flocked to the phone like moths to a light initially. Now, iPhones are about as common as shoes, having lost their novel appeal.

Now apply the same analogy to automobiles. When automakers incorporated navigation systems into vehicles, everyone wanted one. Heck, even hip hop artists were rapping about it in their music. So the question remains to ask is ‘What technology will excite the new car buyer?’ BMW may have found the answer for the next big thing. Smart fabric is what they’re conceptually attempting to bring into cars. Not familiar with smart fabric? Let's break it down after the jump.

Click to continue reading BMW looking to use smart fabric to bring deep user customization to cars

Read More | Autoblog

Bleeding Edge TV 415: Mophie Juice Pack accessories at CES 2012

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Accessories, Apple, CES, CES 2012, Features, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,

We chat with Mophie about its line of iPhone and iOS device chargers in this interview from CES 2012. Mophie's Ross Howe, the company VP of Marketing, gives us the latest news on the Juice Pack Air, Juice Pack Plus, Juice Pack Outdoor Edition, and the line of external chargers that Mophie has available. As you can see, we're fans of that orange Outdoor Edition. The big (literally) addition to the Juice Pack line was the Powerstation Plus, which can basically recharge your phone from empty to full a bunch of times, which means you could potentially go camping for a weekend without electricity and still keep your devices charged the whole time. You can find all of Mophie's products on Amazon.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.

Unboxing Live 079: FitBit Ultra fitness tracker

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Features, Videocasts,

In this episode we open up the FitBit Ultra. The FitBit Ultra is a tiny gadget that you wear on your belt, hip, or wrist that monitors how many steps you take, how many flights of stairs you climb, and how many calories you've burned during a day. It even monitors your sleep patterns, giving you information on how well you actually sleep during the night. The device is one of those fitness gadgets that are currently all the rage, helping you to keep better track of your activities, diet, and overall fitness. We open up the FitBit Ultra while at CES 2012. You can pick one up for $99.

Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! GoToMeeting with HDFaces provides rich, super-simple collaborative virtual meetings. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.

Toyota’s Window to the World brings touchscreens to passenger windows

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Design, Transportation,

Many of us have been on road trips. Growing up I loathed long, dreary, monotonous road trips. But now, as a driver, I love them. However, that does not mean that my passengers always do. 

Toyota is aiming to solve some of these issues of boredom on road trips. Though the technology is aimed at a younger audience, it’s something that can be enjoyed by any creative mind.

Engineered and designed by Toyota Motor Europe and the Copenhagen Instituted of Interaction Design, Toyota offers the ‘Window to the World.’ Similar to all modern smartphones, it features touchscreen technology embedded right into the passenger car window.

The Window to the World is still in the concept stage, but the video below shows what can be expected to come.

Click to continue reading Toyota’s Window to the World brings touchscreens to passenger windows

Read More | Autoblog

The Peel P50 headed back into production as the world’s smallest car

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation, Videos,

In a world where bigger and better sells, a group of businessmen from England beg to differ. Though I wouldn’t mind a larger plasma TV or even a better car, these three dudes have a taste for nostalgia. They wanna Peel back the layers of time and undo the myth of bigger and better, well at least in personal transportation. 

Quite sometime ago, a mythical vehicle existed among the drivers across the pond. No, not the Mini Cooper or Reliant Robin (see the video after the jump for the scoop on that one), we're talking about the Peel P50. The Peel P50 is about the size of a shopping cart car you might see at your local grocery store. I’m sure the seating was spacious for a family of Smurfs, but a full-grown man? Not so much. But nevertheless, these three blokes insist that there is a market for such a 'car.'

For only a mere $10,772, along with a $1,546 deposit, the Peel P50 features include (or, are limited to) one seat, (yes - one seat), a 49cc motor, one gear, three wheels, your basic steering apparatus, and an exterior shell with some lights to protect you from the elements. However, upon purchase of the P50 drivers are subject to pranks (such as seen in the video below), laughter and humiliation from being passed by a Prius (that includes the Franken-Prius-Camper too.)

Click to continue reading The Peel P50 headed back into production as the world’s smallest car

Read More | Autoblog

Microsoft Xbox Live House Party to Launch February 15, incudes Alan Wake, Warp, and more

Posted by John Ball Categories: Downloadable Content, Hot Deals, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Marketplace,

Xbox Live house party is looking to start this year off with a bang. Four Xbox Live Arcade titles are set to be released in the weeks between February 15 and March 13, and we've got the list here for you to take a gander at. Warp, Alan Wake's American Nightmare, Nexuiz, and I Am Alive, in that respective order, with Warp kicking things off on February 15. Warp and Nexuiz will be 800 MS Points ($10) right out of the gate, however Alan Wake and I am Alive will be 1200 MS Points ($15.)

All of the information about the order of which the games would be released as well as the pricing was only recently unveiled by the ever popular Xbox Live celebrity, Major Nelson. Larry also goes on to tell us that if you purchase all 4 games within the allotted 1 month time period, you'll receive 800 Microsoft Points back as a bonus. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

Apple TV sells a record 1.4 million units last quarter

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Home Entertainment,

We could be wrong, but today's Apple Q1 2012 earnings call may have been the first time that the company has revealed any tangible sales figures for the Apple TV. According to CEO Tim Cook, Apple sold a record-breaking 1.4 million Apple TV units last quarter, which is exactly half of the 2.8 million units that it sold in the entire prior fiscal year. As expected, Cook wouldn't comment on the rumors of the imminent release of a bona fide Apple TV set. We're sure it's in the pipeline, but don't expect Apple to say anything on the record until it's ready to be shown off to the world.

The 1.4 million Apple TV units added to a record-breaking holiday quarter that also included sales of 37 million iPhones, 15 million iPads, and over 5 million Macs.

Apple reports that 85 million people have signed up for iCloud

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Internet,

During its Q1 2012 earnings call where Apple announced a record-breaking holiday quarter, CEO Tim Cook also announced that there are now 85 million iCloud accounts. What's impressive there is that iCloud is just three months old, coming in as a replacement for the aging MobileMe, so that's a tremendously positive number as it pertains to user adoption. In fact, that 85 million number is 50 million more than iPhone 4S units sold.