dragon

The 404 747: Where we're interrupting your dogmatic conversation (podcast)

We're back to start another week of shows, but before Wilson bores us to death with avant-garde filmmaking movements from 1995, we briefly summarize each of our weekends spent swimming at the local "prison gym," watching all-star hockey games, and whatever it is that Wilson spends his time doing outside of work.

After that, look forward to a dynamic chat about the mysterious location of T-Pain's Facebook "Like" tattoo, Dragon Quest VI arriving too late for a gamer grandma, push-up tighty whities for the modest man, and five families in Boston that unanimously decided against ditching their cable TV connection in lieu of various on-demand set-top boxes.

Oh, and the city of Austin, Texas, is launching a Twitter campaign to rename its Solid Waste Services Department to the "Fred Durst Society of the Humanities and Arts." So there's that, too.

Episode 747 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Crave giveaway: Nuance Dragon software package

OK, this week we're serving up a 2-for-1 software special here on Crave. Thanks to a donation from Nuance, we've got both a Windows version of the company's speech-recognition software--Dragon NaturallySpeaking (Version 11/Home edition)--as well as Dragon Dictate for Mac.

Both the Mac and Windows versions are powered by Nuance's "state-of-the-art" Dragon v11 speech-recognition engine, which Nuance says is much more accurate out of the box and responds faster to spoken commands (you can edit documents, compose e-mails, navigate applications, search the Web, and more). And because you don't have to … Read more

LG Voice-to-Text app does for Windows Phone 7 what Microsoft didn't

We all agree there's a lot to like about Windows Phone 7, Microsoft's newest mobile operating system. However, there are some tools Microsoft could have inserted into its still-nascent mobile platform. A universal voice-to-text service is one of them--as we've noted before, Microsoft has a robust technology with TellMe.

Microsoft-powered voice commands are still a future feature we may see, even as soon as CES. In the meantime, manufacturers and carriers will need to fill in the gaps. LG did this for the LG Optimus Windows Phones in its LG Voice-to-Text application. Voice commands will let you … Read more

The 404 679: Where we delivereth thy podcast episodeth (podcast)

Summer is officially over and no one is happier with the sun's absence more than The 404 Podcast. Fall also happens to be the ideal season for Renaissance faires, and this weekend I checked out Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park up by the Cloisters.

Unfortunately, I didn't see anyone in a centaur costume, but I did witness a "real" jousting tournament, not to mention a falconer and Black Wolf the Dragon Master himself, from the Triumph the Insult Comic Dog segment at the Clone Wars premiere.

Tune in to the first half of today's episode to hear the rest and click the slideshow below for photographic evidence of my nerddom.

Switching gears to the only tech story in the rundown, Toshiba introduces the Regza 12GL1, the first line of 3DTVs that don't require a set of cheesy glasses. The 20-inch flat-panel display provides "nine different perspectives of each single 2D frame," which are then "superimposed...to create a three-dimension impression of the image."

Don't worry, we're totally confused by that quote as well, but we also think it's really funny that you have to sit 3 feet away to get the 3D effect. The Toshiba 20GL1 will be for sale in Japan later this year for $2,900, so now might be a good time to take out that second mortgage.

Enjoy the show!

Episode 679 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

preGame 23: Mafia II

Today on preGame we pick out a nice suit and get our hands dirty with a live demo of Mafia II.

But first, we'll take an in-depth look at the trailer to last week's announcement of a brand-new BioShock game, BioShock Infinite. Does the game take place in the same universe as the original? Will there be Big Daddies in Infinite? Join us as we tackle some of the big questions raised from the thrilling video.

A ton of gaming news to hit today, so we round up the major stories including Mass Effect 2 coming to the … Read more

Talk to text with two free iPhone dictation apps

In the battle between iPhone and Android, one of several things Android users can hang over the heads of their iPhone-toting brethren is the built-in talk-to-text capability. Luckily, owners of the Apple device can easily retort, "Well, there's an app for that!" In fact, there are several dictation programs available. Better yet, the two I've outlined below are free (for the most part).

Dragon Dictation: This completely free app--which is compatible with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch running OS 3.1 or later--is simpler in function than the other offering here. However, a new version … Read more

Buy.com has the Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Standard Voice Recognition Software for $31.99, after $68 savings, plus free shipping.

Save $68 on the Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Standard Voice Recognition Software from Buy.com >> Regular price is $99.99 >> Sale price is $31.99 >> Savings $68 (68.01%) >> Offer ends 30/05/10 >> Click here for deal

Jones' D&D-themed soda: Insert nerd pun here

I love soda, but I don't drink it much because I'm not into high-fructose corn syrup. I love Dungeons and Dragons, but I don't play it much because I'm a grown-up with a real job. But I'm excited about a new D&D-themed collection of sodas by Seattle's own Jones Soda Co., which lets consumers personalize sodas with flavors, photos, and messages.

You see, I've always wanted to try an actual Potion of Healing. And now Jones has an array of "Spellcasting Soda," which includes the aforementioned Potion of Healing, … Read more

Zombies, karting, a fiery Frogger, and more: New iPhone games of the week

Except for the much-ballyhooed arrival of Street Fighter IV, it's been a fairly quiet week in iPhone gaming. That said, there's always a steady stream of new and intriguing titles, as evidenced by this decidedly eclectic bunch:

1. Doodle Kart A charming little racing game in the increasingly popular "doodle" style, Doodle Kart offers top-down action across 25 different tracks. Collect power-ups as you go, unlock new stages, and try to beat the AI in all four difficulty levels. Alas, there's no multiplayer, but Doodle Kart offers plenty of fun for one. It's 99 … Read more

Chromium browser remixed as a security Dragon

Windows security software vendor Comodo has added its contribution to the short list of Chromium-based browser remixes that have sprung up in the wake of Google Chrome's success. Best known for its firewall software, Comodo's Chromium browser is called Dragon, and it promises better security features than those available in Google Chrome. It is the first browser released by a security software company.

Previously only available in beta test form from the Comodo forums, Dragon introduces one new feature not in Chromium and strips out all of the Google-based innovations. Comodo Dragon has a stricter policy on Web … Read more