RIM’s official Twitter client has been lingering around the internet for around three months now as a public beta, but only just recently lost its “beta” tag. If you were holding back on downloading this app because of fears of instability, fear not. Since this release of the app theoretically is the golden version of the software, it means that some bugs and other glitches have been flattened out into a solid release and that you can get on with your high priority business (or casual business) without any fears of the app failing on you and exploding your phone into millions of pieces. But since the beta didn’t do that to you, we’re going to go ahead and assume this version won’t either. If you have BlackBerry OS 4.5 or later, you are now free to download the app through your BlackBerry web browser or the BlackBerry App World.

[Source: RIM]

Wet Circuit’s waterproof power strip feels scary. Looking at it, it makes you feel like that the outlet will blow in some gigantic explosion. But not only is the thing waterproof, it prevents a spark, controls its own temperature, has touch protection, and lasts four times as long as a normal strip (those things expire?). The strip costs a hefty $35 on sale or an outrageous $40 for normal MSRP, has only four outlets, and is short of being USB capable, despite all the safety claims.  To prove their self proclaimed point being “the safest power strip”, Wet Circuit ran a series of tests on the device, and uploaded them to YouTube for public consumption.  Video after the break.

[Source: Wet Circuits]

The iPhone 4 was launched today to eager, eager crowds. But how does Apple’s new smartphone compare against other phones that want a piece of the action? BillShrink has taken a look at the total cost and features from each of the current top phones of AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon.

And, as it turns out, the iPhone has the cheapest costs over a two year period.

Although Apple’s iPhone might be the cheapest under contract, it’s important to note that AT&T is the only provider in the chart above the restricts data. All the other providers have an option for unlimited data. AT&T provides 250MB for $19 and 2GB for $25. Want tethering? That’s an additional $20 per month.

[Source: BilShrink]

When Kinect was re-announced at Day 0 of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft released no pricing for the Xbox 360 addon. Now, in addition to GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are all taking the liberty of pricing $150 for the device without any hesitation. Even though it’s not an official pricing, and even taking into consideration that pre-order prices can change, it sure makes the dreaded $149 MSRP look very real.

Source: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart

Estimates of how much oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico each day range from 25,000 barrels to over 40,000 barrels. Want to know how big the low end looks like when stacked up? Check out the video above.That animation was made using the Unreal Development Kit, the free version of the Unreal Engine 3, used to power games such as America’s Army and Unreal Tournament and simulates the 25,000 barrels in the stacked up to 15,000 feet in the air.

All of that going into the ocean. Every. Single. Day.

Source: YouTube; Via Gizmodo

The guys behind the WordPress blogging platform have released the next major update of WordPress, version 3.0 “Thelonious” (named after Thelnoious Monk, an American jazz pianist). Included are exactly 1,217 bug fixes, a bulk updater that can update all your plugins, themes, and WordPress installation at once, and a new, modern theme called “Twenty Ten”. Also overlooked is that this the version where WordPress MU and the regular version merge, meaning that it’s possible to run as much blogs as you want (even if it’s just one) from a single installation of WordPress.

When a new installation of WordPress is performed, the now-antique theme that came with WordPress 1.6 is no longer default. Instead a super slick, clean, and custom header capable theme is in its place. The theme can also be found in your Appearance panel under “themes”.

Whether if your hosting your installation at home or abroad in a data center, an upgrade to version 3.0 is a must have. If you’re a bit of a conservative person when it comes to software upgrades, it’s best to wait back a few days or weeks for critical security patches and other glitches to be flattened out. Or if you’re liberal on upgrades, the download is there for you take via the WordPress website or the update feature in your dashboard. Just be sure to back up your database first.

Also in the codex (the documentary), there’s a change-log since the last update. TechWay been using a development version of 3.0 since January and my impression is extremely satisfactory. The nightly build is now onto 3.1 alpha, with no noticeable differences between 3.0 and the current bleeding edge release.

Additionally, WordPress.com and WordPress VIP users need not to worry for latest updates. Automattic provides automatic updates and ensures your data will be secure.

Source: WordPress Development Blog

After some unexplained downtime caused by one of our plugins activated, we’re back!

If you were affected by the downtime, we apologize for any inconvenience.

The Palo Alto based startup, OnLive, will be launching their cloud based gaming service while E3 is in session this Thursday with the world watching with keen eyes. OnLive’s mission was to have instant, on-demand gaming accessible from either PC, Mac, or a television via a custom console for $15 every month plus the cost of the game. Desperate (not really) to attract more customers, anyone who signs up today, pre-launch, to July 15 will get the monthly fee eliminated for one year and have demos readily available for the customers. “Whatever you have with a broadband connection, you’ll still get the same deal,” CEO Steve Perlman said to PC Magazine. “Just try it out for a bit. That’s the whole point: a new concept for people to give it a go. We want them to give us feedback.”

Games purchased using the service currently range from $5 to $60 and include third party hits like Just Cause 2, NBA 2K10, FEAR 3, and more. The severs that render those games are those in Dell’s data centers (OnLive signed a contract with them) and are across the United States. The range of severs means anyone in the mainland US should be able to play OnLive games without any major lag. In fact, Perlman said the most lag comes from the user’s keyboard and mouse. “Most of the latency is not in the Internet; it’s in the last mile,” Perlman said. “Twenty-five milliseconds or more in your monitor, and in your mouse, even up to 50 or even 80 milliseconds.” For those without a keyboard or mouse, OnLive also works on tablets, such as Apple’s iPad.

Minimal requirements for all games include Windows XP or Mac OS X (all games will work on OS X, sans Mass Effect 2), a dual core processor, and either a 32 bit or 64 bit computer.

Expect friendly support for your TV with a micro-console coming later this year.

The PlayStation Move gets a new gun shell that’s sitting quietly in Sony’s E3 booth. The shooting attachment, which presumably will be used for first and third person shooters, is also one of the first accessories to use the Move’s expansion port at the bottom of the device.

Look’s as if this is Sony’s answer to the Zapper, no?

Image source: Kotaku

It’s not often that you see a meta post, but here’s one. We’re removing the ‘Media’ tab that you used to see in the upper right hand corner of the page. I never got around to configuring that BuddyPress plugin (which allowed for picture, video, and music uploads in your activity stream) due to time constraints, so it’ll be gone for a time.

If you visited that page anyways, it said to contact the site administration and had absolutely no use.

Just an FYI.