Since January 1st you’ve been able to request your free $40 voucher for a digital-to-analog converter for grandma’s old CRT TV. Well, Crave is saying don’t act so fast. You still have plenty of time and market logic states that you’ll get a better converter for a lower price over the next year or so. Right now the choice is rather limited — I’ve seen a few models from Zenith but that’s about it — and you could conceivably pay a bit over that $40 if you’re not a particularly savvy shopper.

Personally, I’d just get grandma a new plasma and leave it at that. You’ll never get to see In Treatment in HD on an on Trinitron from 1988.

Filed under: Displays

It looks like Hitachi is aiming to give those normally confined to XGA projectors a bit of a boost, with its new CPX3 model not only boasting a slightly more home theater friendly WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution, but some short-throw capabilities as well. Exactly how short that throw is isn't clear, however, with Hitachi only going so far as to describe the projector as boasting a wide-angle lens that'll let you use it "close to the screen with no obstructions." Apart from that, the 3.9-pound projector is fairly standard fare, with it packing 2,000 lumens of brightness, HDMI input, and a built-in 1 watt speaker, along with some security measures sure to please more business-minded types. While there doesn't appear to be any official word on a price from Hitachi, a couple of retailers seem to already be selling it for around $1,000.

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CareerBuilder has been working hard to insert itself as deep as possible into the social media realm, and its medium of choice appears to be Facebook. The job search site already had a budding Facebook presence, thanks to things like the CareerBuilder Facebook application for alerting job seekers based on their personal data, amongst other things.

But today, we learn that the company is teaming up with Facebook for an advertising campaign that will run through the popular social networking platform, according to Reuters. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but the campaign will involve specialized recruiting ads within CareerBuilder and employers’ sections in Facebook. This is a way for CareerBuilder to not only promote itself as a service, but to promote the businesses that utilize CareerBuilder as a venue for accessing potential new hires.

Given the growing ways in which businesses can begin to access potential new hires through other social means, as well as a continued shift in the manner by which online advertising needs to take advantage of social media, CareerBuilder is looking for highly integrated ways in which to match up potential new hires with companies that need employees. But what’s that mean for Facebook users?

Aside from the specialized ads on existing relevant sections throughout Facebook and the typical sidebar ad, there will also be advertisements streaming through your newsfeeds. These ads don’t appear to have anything to do with Beacon, so I don’t think you’ll have to worry about the whole world finding out that you applied for a job earlier today. But the newsfeed stream does appear to be a place of choice for particular ad campaigns, even if they’re not really related to anything going on with your friends.

While Monster.com is out purchasing social networking communities, and Jobster is a networking community in itself (even through Facebook), CareerBuilder is hoping that better placed ads will induce a satisfactory level of attention from recruits. Will Facebook users see right through this and lean towards the “organic” marketing of a service like Jobster? Or will an integrated advertising campaign negate (and replace) the effects of such organic efforts?

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On May 28th and 29th in San Francisco, join some of Google’s engineers and talk about building superb applications with Google Code and other open web technologies. The Google I/O conference will discuss AJAX, JavaScript, tools that leverage Google Maps, social applications, APIs, mobile apps, and more.

You can register for the event here. But better yet, if you’re willing to wait, we’re holding a ticket giveaway. Just answer the following question in a comment, along with a link (if applicable):

What’s the most innovative or interesting thing you’ve done with a web API?

Winners will be announced later this week.

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I drive a Kia Spectra that I just love. I bought it brand new 2004 and one of the first things I did was have an iPod adapter kit installed for the car stereo. I’m an iPod guy, and I want to take my songs with me always. I took it to Circuit City and while the install was fast, they messed up the facing on my dashboard, so now it just sort of hangs there. They told me there was nothing they could do about it, and that I should talk to their insurers, who cover the repairs but have a $500 deductible. The damage estimate was $350. Sucks to be me.

But not as much as it sucks to be VTECnical, a poster on Consumerist, who’s 2007 Honda Civic was destroyed by the install techs at Circuit City, leaving it “unsafe to drive” in Honda’s opinion, rendering it uninsurable and thereby undrivable.

Circuit’s only willing to refund $3,190 to VTECnical, despite the total bill to fix it coming to $12,119. For everything else, he has to turn to the same insurers I did, and we know how well that went for me.

Here’s hoping he has better luck.

Facebook isn’t just messing around with a few European language translations any more. They’re using their new user-powered translation engine to get Facebook into 22 more languages, on top of English, French, German and Spanish.

It will take some time for users to translate the sites, and Facebook likes to stagger launches to maximize PR. If you want to help out with the project, the application is here.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

For as long as ninjas have existed, kids (and secretly adults) have been pretending to be them. I personally was a ninja for Halloween three years running. But because not all of us are sneaky and murderous, sometimes the only way to get that ninja feeling was to grab a controller and get shuriken-ing. Bear in mind this is not a list of the top ten ninja games, but a list of the killer ninjas within. These were the guys you always wanted to be. And it’s not too late to join in the fun even if you, like John, are a 30-year-old balding raver with a paunch. So without further ado I present to you the top 10 video game ninjas of all time. Note: We have ranked them based on their ability to kill Snake Eyes in real life.

10. Sub-Zero — and pals (Mortal Kombat)

Noob Saibot was probably the most ninja-like of this ever-growing clan of similarly-tailored gladiators. But Sub-Zero is arguably the most well-known and, well, he could freeze you. That’s got to be worth a spot on the list, right?
Could he beat Snake Eyes?
No. Moves too slowly.

9. Gray Fox (Metal Gear Solid)

This mysterious character, most famous for breaking the fourth wall and freaking out credulous players by magically moving their controller, is more a technological wonder than a ninjutsu one. His suit has been recycled by several other characters in the labyrinthine, tail-devouring mess that is the Metal Gear saga, and will be seen soon in Guns of the Patriots on the effeminate but effective Raiden.
Could he beat Snake Eyes?
Depends on whether Snake Eyes answers his Codec.

8. Lo Wang (Shadow Warrior)

I think the developers got their stereotypes mixed up a little on this one, as ninja are Japanese and Lo Wang seems to be sort of pan-asian in origin. He may be a Chinese. Anyway, he throws tons of shuriken and swings a sword, so he’s on the list.
Could he beat Snake Eyes?
No. Lo Wang had no freelook so Snake Eyes could attack from above with impunity.

7. Mai Shiranui (Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series)

I know, I know. But to be fair, I searched the entire internet for non-slutty female ninjas and I’ll leave it to you to guess my success. Really, she does know the way of the ninja, and part of that is learning to redirect the attention of your enemy. She’s a natural at it, and she’s actually a good character in the game.
Could she beat Snake Eyes?
Hell no. Are you joking? Snake Eyes would tear that up.

6. Sam Fisher (Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell)

Whatever, that guy’s totally a ninja.
Could he beat Snake Eyes?
Maybe while Snake Eyes was hanging around in the base drinking coffee, but not straight on.

5. Leonardo and Raphael (TMNT, tie)

I’m bending the rules here a bit because they were a comic and show first. But everybody remembers TMNT 2: The Arcade Game and probably also TMNT 1: The Hardest Game On The NES. Wondering why Don and Mike aren’t on there? I’ve got news for you: Ninja are murderers, people, and those pansies didn’t have the stomach. Furthermore, the ninjaken and sai are real ninja weapons, not the bo and nunchaku. Leonardo just the figurehead and never really got truly violent, but you could sense the instinct lurking there. Raphael, however, was a straight bad-ass. He was lethal and barely under control. Remember when he shanked Bebop in the shower?
Could they beat Snake Eyes?
Not a chance. He would cut their soft flesh.

4. Shadow (Final Fantasy III/VI)

A fan favorite, this enigmatic, rottweiler-loving loner (SPOILER ALERT) actually gets killed off if you don’t care enough to wait until quite the last moment on a quickly-disintegrating floating continent. His kung fu is strong, and his mysterious dreams are one of the most elusive elements of Final Fantasy III/VI’s sprawling plot. He has the strongest throwing arm of any ninja (YOU try throwing the Atma Weapon).
Could he beat Snake Eyes?
Who can say? If not, Interceptor would get revenge.

3. Hattori Hanzo (Samurai Shodown)

He wasn’t my favorite guy in the game, but he’s definitely a great ninja. Although I think he may have been a little bit — you know. The scarf? The fishnet arm-warmers? I think it’s safe to say his sword cuts both ways. I mean it. I heard he had a thing with Ukyo, who visibly spurns the ladies, and it’s not just because of his tuberculosis. But that’s neither here nor there. The man is a killer.
Could he beat Snake Eyes?
Using “slash” or “bust” style? Either way it would be a toss-up.

2. Joe Musashi (Shinobi)

Rather than sneak among the shadows, Joe chooses to walk straight at the enemy and use his extensive ninja powers to simply blow them off the face of the earth. I think you’ll find, in the picture above, that this particular ninja is riding a hoverboard and fighting a cyber-beast in the middle of the ocean. What can I possibly add?
Could he beat Snake Eyes?
I don’t think even Snake Eyes could withstand a full Shinobi assault.

1. Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden)

The filthiest and most dangerous ninja of them all, Ryu began his journey on the NES with the ridiculously hard Ninja Gaiden series. He’s got more powers than Picasso’s got paint, and he fights timeless evils as big as the screen. His newest incarnation is almost comically lethal, and regularly takes down monsters the size of houses in addition to hundreds of lesser ninjas.
Could he beat Snake Eyes?
He already did in the secret SNES chapter of Ninja Gaiden 3: GI Joe-jutsu.

Bonus ninjas:
Tamagotchi Ninja
If you’re lucky, your tamagotchi will turn into a ninja. More cute than powerful.

Snake Eyes (GI Joe on NES)
He was awesome because his ranged attack never ran out of ammo. How great is that?

Your favorite ninja not on the list? Sound off! Or kill me without a sound. Your choice.

Filed under: Handhelds

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