Here’s the thing about PC cases — they spend a good bit of time showing off how fantastic the outside of component-filled boxes can look, but generally speaking, the innards are completely overlooked. Digital Cowboy is out to dramatically reverse the trend with its Acrylic Cowboy cases, which — by and large — place your hardware on the outside of the case. We can’t exactly see a rhyme or reason (outside of the obvious cooling benefits) as to why these were created, but so long as it stays far, far away from sodas, children and family pets, we’d say it’s the perfect way to showcase what’s really important in your gaming rig.
Western Digital has been flaunting its VelociRaptor for some time now, but the drive you’ve been slamming into towers is now available for low-power, high-performance blade server applications. The 2.5-inch, 10,000RPM enterprise SATA drive (WD3000BLFS) is specially designed to fit snugly within 1U and 2U rack servers, and aside from consuming 35% less power than the previous Raptor drive, this one is available with up to 300GB of capacity. You’ll also find 16MB of cache and a 1.4 million mean time before failure rating, though you won’t be able to procure one until later this month for an undisclosed price.Read
No sane human seriously relishes the though of their own death. As much as we try to avoid the aging process and keep ourselves safe from life risking activities, the end is inevitable, at least until science finds the Fountain of Youth. But thinking about our own deaths is not nearly as hard to conceive when we think about the sort of festive life we can have after our last days.
Creative Coffins is a company which designs and produces custom coffins. And even on a more serious note, they make sure that us fanboys are well taken care of. How would you like your eternal slumber to take place in an iPhone coffin? Apple not your poison? What about a Vista wallpaper-themed or Halo coffin? Creative Coffins has got you covered.
The folks at the Technical University of Delft have already done their part for the robot cause by building a dragonfly-type bot, dubbed the DelFly Micro, with a wingspan of just four inches, but they’ve now gone one step further and strapped a tiny camera onto it. What’s more, they’ve also developed some image recognition software that promises to let the bot recognize objects, which could potentially let it locate individuals in a disaster area, or sneak up behind you when you least suspect it. Of course, the researchers aren’t satisifed with things just yet, and they’re promising to make an even smaller DelFly Nano bot that’d have a two-inch wingspan and weigh just a single gram. Until then, you can check out the current model in action in the video after the break. (more…)
It’s not very often when I admit to a gadget being cute. Especially of the USB variety. I actually tend to rue the companies which take advantage of their customers through cheaply made, over-priced pieces of plastic, but if they were to stop production, I might be out of the job. USB gadgets are a hallmark for the gadget blogging industry.
But all hate aside, this USB Healing Owl, while both made of plastic and overpriced, is actually pretty adorable. Made by Strapya World, the Owl plugs into your USB port and perches on its tree branch stump or right atop your computer’s display. But what does it actually do on the healing end of things?
Don’t be so pessimistic. Just because you’ve inherited your Mother’s big ass or your Father’s beer gut doesn’t mean your genes are destined for ruin. Our genetics are actually a lot more beautiful then our outward appearance might suggest.
Anything that can be seen as beautiful can be seen as art. While everyone’s DNA is made of the same base materials, the patterns and strains are nearly infinite. DNA is much more unique than a fingerprint even. It’s the uniqueness of genes which makes it such an excellent base for artistry, as proven through DNA 11’s DNA Art.
One of the longest-running — and certainly most fascinating — soap operas in the entire wireless world, the seemingly endless patent drama between Nokia and Qualcomm, has finally drawn to an amicable (dare we say anti-climactic) close. After just a single day of arbitration, the two firms have basically agreed to a patent swap, allowing Nokia to use all of Qualcomm’s patents and vice versa. Furthermore, Nokia is just stone-cold handing over a bunch of patents it holds related to GSM, WCDMA, and OFDMA, which presumably means companies that are currently licensing those patents can get ready to start writing those checks to Qualcomm. What’s more, Espoo’s dropping its anti-competition claims against Qualcomm in Europe — but beyond that, specific terms (read: cash (more…)
If you’re a casual swimmer who takes a dip occasionally, then there is no harm in skipping this post. Otherwise, do read on about the new Underwater Pace Clock from FINIS that will make even the most casual of workouts more exciting. After all, what’s the point of doing a few laps around the pool if you don’t want to better yourself? There is a certain sense of satisfaction each time you outdo your previous best time, and the day we stop trying to improve ourselves would be indeed a sad one. More on the Underwater Pace Clock after the jump.
With the addition of the Underwater Pace Clock, a uniquely waterproof digital clock for competition and practice settings, FINIS technical equipment continues to make even the most ordinary of workouts seem more exciting. The clock is completely submersible and waterproof to depths of 16 feet (5 meters). The unit has a large 10″x10″ two-digit display for viewing across the pool, and comes equipped with LCD digit display for clear reading from multiple angles and varying distances. Swimmers can utilize this technology in tracking their sets and sendoffs, as well as by monitoring their desired pace - all without subsequently losing their stroke technique and stroke rhythm. By placing the Underwater Pace Clock on the deck or resting it on the bottom of the pool, the swimmer or swimmers are able to obtain a clear visual readout and a constant awareness of their performance with no awkward lifting of the head. The device also includes a detachable infrared pole (3 feet in length) to transmit signals to the base of the unit. The infrared technology facilitates the lap counting function of the clock. Swimmers and coaches can use the Underwater Pace Clock to track longer distances in both practice and meet settings. Additionally, easy to access buttons on the unit allow the user to reset and switch between various modes. A unique feature of the Underwater Pace Clock is that it is fully powered by a standard 9-volt battery and absolutely no wires are necessary. The clock’s internal battery provides for 240 hours of continuous, wireless operation.
We know you can never have everything of what you want, but that has not stopped Sony Ericsson from trying to deliver a handset that offers just about any and every feature that you think you might want in the form of the new W902 Walkman cell phone. Since it comes from the Walkman line and not the Cybershot range, you will certainly expect this to be an audio-centric handset, pumping out tunes with vigor. Good thing it comes with a Memory Stick Micro card slot that allows you to tote up to 8GB of music on a single card, which roughly equates to 8,000 songs or so on average. Of course, music playback isn’t the only function available on the W902 as it is more than capable of doing video just fine as well, making this one well-rounded handset that could prove to be a handy and versatile secondary portable media player (the iPod being the primary device, of course).
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, Wireless
Ever since we got our hands on Samsung’s Media Center Extender at CES last year, we’ve wondered how the CE giant’s rendition would stack up against the rest. Rather than build the Media Center Extender functionality into a TV the way HP has, or make a completely separate set-top-box like Linksys or D-Link, the $200 MediaLive Media Center Extender is designed to be a companion product for Samsung HDTVs. It can be mounted to the back of certain Samsung sets, and with the help of HDMI-CEC, the TV’s remote will control the box even while it’s out of sight — of course, this begs the question of whether or not it will work with other TVs, but we’ll just have to wait and try it ourselves when it launches next month. Oh, and in case you (more…)
PSP hacker “FreePlay” has turned his gaze to the PS3, and come up with a method for the first PS3 homebrew outside of Linux and that little “hello world” proof of concept a few months back. The minimal devkit doesn’t seem built to take advantage of the PS3’s wiles, however, and is instead working with the Java prowess built into the Blu-ray playback end of the PS3. Who knows how much power that’ll lend to homebrew developers, but it’s Java, so we’re not expecting great things either way. Wake us when we can play PS2 games, would you?Read
Atom-based desktops still aren’t nearly as plentiful as Atom-based netbooks, but that equation looks to be slowly changing, with Korea’s Ripple only the latest to join the fray with its new “Mini Chocolate” desktop. This one packs the usual 1.6GHz Atom processor into its Mini-ITX form factor, along with support for up to 2GB of RAM, four USB ports, two SATA sockets, and a single IDE socket, plus room for a slot-loading optical drive, which you’ll have to supply yourself (along with most of the other components). As you can see above, you can also get it in your choice of three colors, with each setting you back 209,000 Korean won, or just about $200.Read
There is nothing quite like a hot cup of joe in the morning, and I know that I need my caffeine fix before my day starts. With the Brisk Brew Portable Coffee Pot, I will be able to carry my personal stash of caffeine without having to share it with anybody else.
So why put up with sub-standard coffee when you’re on the road? This little coffee pot brews a fantastic cup of coffee and yet packs down to the size of two paperback books. A perfect fit for when you’re traveling around! It even comes with a collapsible spoon, and little packets to hold your coffee grounds and sugar. It’s a one-stop-shop.
MSI has been pretty successful with the Wind, wouldn’t you say? Yeah, so would LG. Reportedly, LG is hoping to solicit MSI’s services in order to craft its own X110 netbook. The mini laptop will purportedly boast an 8.9-inch panel, 120GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM and Windows XP runnin’ the show. Interestingly, the price is expected to hover between $625 and $790 as it focuses on “design and material quality” rather than low cost. Anxious to see how that move plays out, aren’t you?Read
We’ve been keeping an eye on Aldebaran’s NAO robot since before it even took its first steps, and it now looks like the little guy is finally set to try to make it on its own in the wild world of the commerical market. That word comes courtesy of an exhaustive white paper posted by Aldebaran on the arXiv website, which also includes the helpful little detail that the bot will cost interested laboratories about €10,000 (or roughly $15,600). Unfortunately, there’s no indication as to exactly when the bot will be available, but those in the market for one can at least tide themselves a bit over by pouring over the details available in the PDF at the link below.
Not content with simply creating bizarre, high-end sports cars, Spanish automaker IFR Automotive has unveiled a steering wheel-embedded computer that can electronically alter the way in which a car performs. Dubbed the Unidrive, the touchscreen-driven device (which appears to have been in development for some time) will provide instant access to tweaking the valve timing, rev limit, ride height, ABS, and a variety of other car-nerd trivialities that only a true grease-monkey could really understand. The in-car end of the system will interact directly with chassis and engine functions, even allowing for unique states that can be tuned to individual driver’s tastes. Currently the technology is poised to be employed in the company’s forthcoming
Sony and Microsoft may have sorted things out with Anascape (otherwise known as the self-proclaimed ruler of all analog sticks) before things got too out of hand, but Nintendo has been busy fighting it out with the company in court, which resulted in them being ordered to dish out a hefty $21 million earlier this year — a ruling that Nintendo naturally appealed. The big N is now facing another setback, however, as a US District Judge has rejected Nintendo’s request for a new trial, which could potentially result in a ban on sales of Wii Classic Controllers, WaveBirds, and GameCube controllers (not to mention GameCube systems). To avoid that, Nintendo will apparently either have to post a bond or put royalites from the controllers into an escrow account. For its part, Nintendo seems to be remaining defiant, saying that it “was already planning to appeal this case to the Federal Circuit court,” and that this new ruling “does not impact that decision.” (more…)
Man, and I thought that bicycles are meant to make you break out in a sweat to help keep those pounds off as you attack uphills and slopes, but once again technology is here to make life easy with the Automatic Transmission Electric Bicycle.
This is the electric bicycle that uses automatic transmission to downshift into a lower gear when it senses a hill, upshifts for rapid acceleration up to 20 mph on flats, or allows you to pedal normally because the motor can be disengaged at your command. Powered by a 750-watt electric motor housed in the horizontal chain and motor assembly that provides 1 hp, the 8-speed automatic transmission is capable of four modes of operation, all controlled by a thumb toggle on the handlebars: a setting for rapid acceleration, a low gear setting for inclines (but slower acceleration), and a setting for manual gear shifting that disengages the motor to preserve battery life. Construction begins with a 12′ straight piece of 3/8-gauge, aircraft aluminum 6061 alloy that is roll-formed and annealed for uniform wall thickness into a complete 6′ diameter circular tube with a 4″ interior diameter (the NiMH batteries reside within the tube from the front fork to the seat), which is then bisected to make a 6′ long arc for the bicycles frame. The sturdy frame supports riders up to 300 lbs.
There’s nothing quite like having some fun and games with your mates while you’re all busy knocking a few cold ones back. After all, there is only so much gossip that floats around, you might as well get involved in some sport while you’re drinking.
The Port-O-Pong makes playing beer pong possible no matter where you are. Simply inflate the table and you’re off to the races. With the Port-O-Pong, you can play beer pong in the pool or set it on a small table. If there’s nothing to rest it on, use the four pieces of rope to hang it from the ceiling or a tent. The tough construction means your rowdy friends won’t ruin your portable beer pong table. But, if for some reason the Port-O-Pong suffers a small puncture, two repair patches are included with your purchase.
We’re not too sure how the advertising director that green lit Hitachi’s bizarro perpendicular recording video is still on staff, but sure enough, he / she has been cut loose again as evidenced by the latest spot. We knew the outfit was pushing this whole “Dawn of the Tera Era” slogan with the introduction of its Deskstar 7K1000.B, but this is just taking things entirely too far. Fair warning: the video hosted after the jump contains cartoon scenes that could easily be used by D.A.R.E. officials looking to keep kids from trying drugs, but somehow we get the impression its just a plug for having lots of (Hitachi-branded) storage space. Hmmph.
[Thanks, Frederick]
Continue reading Hitachi promotional video highlights Tera Era, effects of hallucinogens
I swear I need a weekly pig gadgets article, I wasn’t aware that there were enough of them to maintain one. However, here yet again is another piggy gadget. This one is a speaker, same as the one I wrote up back in early July. Only these have a light up mouth, I’m not entirely sure why that was necessary though. This is actually from the same seller as the other speakers, so maybe Gadget4all is working on getting themselves a full piggy section.
Sadly, this one has only two colors available instead of three. It is being sold in white and pink. It is actually a slightly more high powered speaker than the other. Well at least I’m hoping it is since it will cost you $105 for one. However, there isn’t really anything in the way of audio speccs listed. Besides the volume being controlled directly on the speaker if needed. Which is done by moving its ears up or down. You can go here to pick one up.
Freshfaced AMD CEO Dirk Meyer hyped the firm’s upcoming Atom-challenging processor the other day, calling it “Bobcat,” and promising a November reveal. We’d think he’d be the guy to know, but now we’re hearing seemingly conflicting words from AMD’s Chief Marketing Officer, Nigel Dessau. Dessau says AMD is “watching… rather than playing” to see what becomes of the netbook segment. As Ars Technica points out, Dirk Meyer was only promising to announce a chip in November, not release one, so perhaps both of these statements are in step with each other, or maybe they’re just thinking of different processor applications altogether, but for a company that’s lacked a clear focus and a true Intel killer for the past couple of years, this sort of potential doublethink (more…)
Shuttle’s SN78SH7 was briefly caught struttin’ its stuff at CES this year, but after months on end of waiting, the thing is just about ready to start shipping to eager consumers. Hailed as the first small-form-factor PC to support NVIDIA’s Hybrid SLI technology, this block can be equipped with AMD’s Phenom X4 processor, 4GB of RAM and Windows Vista (among other things). No word on a price, but it should be quite apparent come Friday.Read
We Americans have had the opportunity to pick up Sony’s Reader for what seems like eons, but you poor bookworms holed up in the UK have been neglected unjustly. No more, as Sony has just opened up the phone lines for folks eager to claim their spot in line the queue. No need in rehashing the specifications you already know — it’s still the same ole PRS-505, just way more expensive in US dollars.
Think your house is green? Think again. Japan’s own Nihon Telecommunication System has just revealed a line of windowpanes that actually include integrated photovoltaic cells. The windows are aimed at the (ritzy) residential housing market, and folks that snag a few will reportedly be able to power a PC and recharge their cellphones simply by tapping into the energy generated by these units. Additionally, the glass is designed to shun most of the sunlight from coming into your abode, thereby lowering air conditioning costs and satisfying your needs as an introvert. So, what’s the pain for helping out Mother Earth? Around $1,900 per square meter of windowpane — ouch.
Cowon just loosed raw PMP sex into the marketplace with its new P5 media player. We’re talking 800 x 480 pixels spread across a 5-inch touchscreen display featuring Cowon’s Widget+Haptic UI riding a 700MHz RMI Alchemy AU1250 processor. The P5 packs standard USB and USB-host jacks, T-DMB broadcast TV, FM radio, Bluetooth, TV-out (component, S-Video, and composite), stereo speakers, and up to 80GB of storage in a 138.8 x 88.5 x 20.0-mm slab of “Luxury Hairline Metal” (which sounds like brushed aluminum to us). It comes pre-installed with a Win CE Internet browser (a clumsy WiFi dongle can be added via the USB jack), MS Office document viewer, electronic dictionary, and support for AVI, ASF, WMV, MPG, OGM, DivX, Xvid, MPEG4, WMV9, MP3, WMA, AC3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC and a few more media formats/codecs with a battery capable of about 9-hours of video or 14-hours of straight audio. No price announced but the P5 should hit Korean hands on the 29th of July in choice of black, red, or platinum. (more…)
We haven’t seen all that many OLED lighting options, but a group of researchers from the University of Michigan and Princeton University say they could be on the verge of changing that situation, with them now boasting of a new breakthrough that could greatly increase the efficiency of OLEDs. The key to that, it seems, is a combination of an organic grid and some tiny dome-shaped micro lenses that guide the trapped light out of the devices. As the researchers point out, with current OLEDs, only 20% of the light generated is actually released, but they say this new method could boost the efficiency by a full 60%, or about 70 lumens per watt of power. Of course, they’re also quick to point out that all of this is still quite a ways away from becoming practical (more…)
Those who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s will definitely be able to identify with the icon of that era, Mr. T and the rest of the A Team. Well, if you want to bring back a little bit of nostalgia in your life, then the A Team R/C Van could do just the trick.
Fully-licensed by the A-Team this fully-functioning, ready-to-run van will take you back to those Saturday evenings spent watching the adventures of the world’s most famous fugitives for hire. Get to grips with the twin toggle transmitter and you’ll soon be whizzing around shouting ‘I pity the fool!’ as you attempt to outrun the imaginary forces of Colonel Decker. You can even hum that rousing theme tune as you rescue various saddos from small time crooks. We love it when a van comes together!
According to the Radius site, the Atomic Bass is the “Official Headphone of the Hip-Hop Genre”. That has got to be one of the toughest slogans to prove, and I highly suggest they test its tonal balance on several hip-hop artists before they make that claim.
However, after listening for myself, I definitely hear how good they are. The clear sound might have something to do with its unique shape. You can’t really see the angle in this photo, but it causes the headphone to penetrate the ear deeper. It almost feels like an ear plug the way it can cut off background noise.
Let Gizmodo practise jocularity of this petite microwave, I assert there’s a fix now the area concerning slender goods enjoy this. Why wouldn’t this last gross modern a mini dorm space otherwise happening your profession (or tangle I the one and only only who’s as well agoraphobic to jeopardize detachment intent the organized kitchenette despondent the entrance hall to microwave my lunch)? For this reason what granting you package acquire a in one piece accepted sized microwave oven in the direction of the $130 you be born with to benefit at SkyMall in the vicinity of this slender singular? You’re not valediction breaking to fudge a turkey in vogue your dorm interval.
Well, isn’t this pretty nifty?! You can complain all you want about elevated gas prices, but the facts remain. You can whine until the cows come home, but none of your woes will change the price of fuel. It’s time to stop complaining and start taking action. Driving less and walking more is a way to not only save some money, but a fine way to save the environment and get some exercise as well.
And wouldn’t you know it? Google has added a cool new feature onto their direction mapping service. Just like when you get directions by car, you enter your place of origin and your destination, but once you hit submit and get the automobile results, you’ll see a “Walking” option on the upper left pane, next to the “For car” option.
The Bold is still stealing the overwhelming majority of RIM’s spotlight at the moment for a handful of pretty good reasons: one, it’s actually been announced; two, it’s 3G; and three, it falls in line with the traditional (and loved) BlackBerry form factor. Lurking in the shadows, though, is the KickStart, RIM’s very first flip phone, and a device that could end up making a huge splash if it actually manages to launch at the sub-$50 price point that’s been making the rounds on the rumor circuit. CrackBerry got a way-early peek at the 8220 version of the device, which follows RIM’s typical naming convention by packing WiFi while an 8210 will hold up the GPS side of things (seriously, RIM, how hard can it be to do both?), and overall it seems that (more…)
We weren’t terribly impressed with Nintendo’s recently unveiled MotionPlus add-on, but we’re even more disappointed by this. Reportedly, scads of third-party developers revealed at E3 that the Big N’s latest Wiimote accessory was just as much a surprise to them as it was to any of us. In other words, Nintendo didn’t bother giving its external devs any advance notice in order to get the ball rolling on compatible titles, or so it seems. Unfortunately, this also means that we probably won’t see any MotionPlus-ready games hitting shelves from anyone not named Nintendo for months to come, but it’s not like Wii Sports Resort can’t hold our attention for a solid year, right?
Relationships are an extremely complicated thing - there are plenty of times in your life, I’m sure about it, that all you would like to do is leave a message for someone without having to take the trouble of holding a conversation. MobileSphere empathizes with such a feeling and has recently rolled out Slydial, a free service (everyone loves something for nothing) that enables users to leave a voicemail for another person without having to risk the intended party to actually pick up and answer the phone. All you need to do is to dial 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425), spend some time going through a concise history of Slydial and reasons for using it, endure a short advertisement and enter the person’s phone number. When done, the Slydial service will automatically hook up to the person’s voicemail just like a regular phone call.
What happens when you chance upon a tree stump? Well, I’m pretty sure that’s a weird question to ask as most of us will just walk by without giving it much further thought. Somebody else went the extra mile, however, coming with a brilliant idea to make use of old tree stumps. Instead of removing it (and hence taking up a whole lot of time and incurring costs for the local municipal council), you can always use a chainsaw to turn it into a refreshing cooler. Carve yourself a hole in the middle, place a heavy duty garbage bag, fill it up with ice and throw in your favorite cans of lager and you’re good to go.
Remember before the computer keyboard became a permanent fixture in your home? Those days, we actually did this thing known as handwriting, churning out character after character of uneven consistency, subject to the quality of our writing instrument and the surface it is written on. With the Zpen, you will be able to digitize just about every stroke you make for posterity on your computer.
Clip the receiver to the top of any piece of paper or notepad and it will record every single stroke the Zpen makes, even if you’re just doodling aimlessly. All you need do is plug the device into your USB drive and it effortlessly transfers your scrawl to your PC. If your handwriting borders on illegible you can even transform it into plain text once it’s loaded. It’s small enough to carry in your pocket, so if you’re ever gripped by idea fever you can clip it to a cocktail napkin and scribble away to your hearts content. It will even recognize drawings! It’s great to finally see handwriting play such a big part in a futuristic device like this.
The boys and girls at Microsoft Research are getting set to publish a report detailing a competing (and in their perspective, superior) technology to replace the LCD monitors we’ve grown to know and love heart with reservations. By using pixels that boast “a pair of mirrors to block or transmit light,” displays could theoretically be created which are “faster, brighter, and more power efficient than liquid crystal displays.” Dubbed telescopic pixels, the devices would be able to turn off and on in under 1.5-milliseconds, which is quick enough to put “red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes behind each pixel.” Furthermore, these pixels are way brighter than those used in LCDs, which means users would see less power draw and be able to view the screen more easily in direct sunlight. Sounds solid from here, but could you not humor us with a release time frame or something? (more…)
Aigo hasn’t been keeping many secrets about its Atom-based MID, but it has been slightly less than forthcoming with any official word of a price or release date. The company now looks to have finally gotten its act together, however, with it announcing that the handheld, now officially dubbed the MID P8860, will be going on sale in Hong Kong on August 8th for $5,228 HKD (or about $670 — a full $100 less than the last price we heard). That’ll get you an 800MHz Atom Z500 processor, along with 512MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD, built-in WiFi, Bluetooth and, perhaps most notably, GPS. We even hear you can run XP on it.
SIM cards are just one of those things that are entirely too conveniently small. It makes them easily lugged around and extremely easy to lose. Anymore if many of us dump out our couch, not only will we get change but random small technology that has managed to slip between the cracks. This extremely chic little keychain was created to help you keep your SIM card right where you won’t lose it.
Now, if you manage to lose the keychain, you’re just out of luck. However, for most people attaching it to your keys or purse would be enough to make sure it stays with you. The Proporta keyring features a magnetic closure to make sure the card won’t slip out when it has been jostled around a little. It is made out of leather and has a two tone coloring. It is currently being sold for $6.95. Which would be cheap enough that you could buy several, for just in case moments.
We basically knew the FCC was going to approve the XM / Sirius merger after the DoJ approved it earlier this year, and it looks like the communications agency is just about ready to sign off — the Wall Street Journal is reporting that a majority of FCC commissioners are close to approving the deal. Word is that XM and Sirius will have to fork over an additional $20M to make it happen and agree to several enforcement terms, but it’s all up in the air until this goes official. Let’s hope that’s soon — after a historically long delay, it looks like there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel.
Even if you’re not exactly in the market for a new flat-panel, Samsung’s still hoping to snag a bit (or all) of your latest paycheck with its Touch of Color LCD monitors. Hinted at during CES and officially unveiled back in April, these displays boast a 5-millisecond response time, transparent plastic bezel, 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, twin 3-watt speakers, a built-in ATSC / ClearQAM TV tuner (!) and an optical digital audio port for channeling 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. As for resolutions, the 24-inch T240HD and 26-inch T260HD both offer full 1080p, while the 22-inch T220HD gets a 1,680 x 1,050 panel. Snag whichever one suits your fancy right now for $429, $549 or $599 from smallest to largest.Permalink
Texas Memory has been around longer than most of you readers have been alive (or so we’re told by our resident omniscient overlord), but it’s been quite awhile since it was talked about freely in the same breath as WD, Fujitsu, Samsung, et al. Now, however, the company is making the rounds once more thanks to its “record setting” RamSan-440, which provides between 256GB and 512GB of RAM-based SSD storage, 600,000 IOPS, 4,500MB/sec random sustained external throughput and latency under 15-microseconds. The entire rig arrives in a 90-pound 4U rack-mount enclosure and claims to be “the first SSD to use RAIDed NAND flash memory modules for data backup.” Chances are, you were already bracing to hear a pretty ludicrous figure when it comes to pricing, but $150,000 for the 256GB edition and $275,000 for the 512GB iteration? Please — we’ll take a Lightning GT, thanks. (more…)
We’ve seen Han Solo in suspended animation indefinitely no thanks to his carbonite prison, but surely there are more deserving people of such punishment? What about Mr. George Lucas himself, for unleashing the abomination known as Jar-Jar Binks upon the galaxy, and torturing us through three prequels that are nothing but a special effects extravaganza without really fleshing out the characters’ pasts? Well if you have always wished that, that particular wish has come true today. This carbonite George Lucas was specially sculpted for Star Wars celebrations that are being held in Japan at the moment. No idea on how much it will cost though, nor where can you get one.
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Not the greatest interval we’ve seen plants in vogue mini foam that you follow from a keychain if not jug ring, on the contrary this singular is a brief spare wit thanks to the plants are vegetables that you receptacle remove curious a positive recreation ground in times past they breadth a trustworthy vastness. To develop filch, luscious basil, pink tomatoes, if not ring peppers, you settle mini seeds coupled with H2O prep added to smirch excited this teardrop-shaped unrestrained tablet the pill oral co, hang fire a week towards the seeds to branch, as a result workshop current a extensive receptacle as an alternative grounds. Made by virtue of Masaki Environmental Engineering & Consulting Commander-in-chief., this petty knick-knack volition declaration bill you 1,890 yen (about $17). Drape it hypothetical your scheme, since a rosary alternatively earring, otherwise pull it from your instruct impression look like (but I’m not positive how all the more blame it bottle accept in advance it dislodges from the dirty plus makes you sad).
Okay, I did speak near. Towards ceiling of us, it’s adieu to receive a slender spare than a cartoonishly-bright little mould 2 to inevitably create cleansing pleasantry, nevertheless I’m contented that manufacturers Brando made the labour anyway.
Their battery-powered Luxuriate Seated Petite Detersive is meant to check out sponge with the addition of receptacle very keep going old on account of a dust remover en route for the lagging. On the other hand it could cogent settle possible your desk-bound additional inspect amiable… It comes up-to-date tranquillizer, orange, adolescent if not purple add-on expenses efficient $12.
Human beings thirst for such a fearful dimensions of uneventful sanitation to endure passable that gross I receptacle conduct is curiosity what likely sphere Decor Art Inc. was opinion conj at the time that they came up added these ladybug earbuds. Firm, ladybugs are assembly their objective now the tech field, however there’s a full contravention mid using single thanks to a drip with accepting them examine because notwithstanding they’re brimming away of your ears.
Duck, shoat, added (worst of all) wipe barrel varieties are further unengaged. Assessment is freshly strange, which I independently conclude is on the way to the better.
Though we’re hesitant to believe something this fantastic could actually be implemented in real life, word on the pavement has it that Audi is currently running a pilot program that informs motorists “how fast to drive to catch a green light.” Over in Ingolstadt, Germany, 50 traffic lights have been equipped with sensors that beam information to specially equipped whips; the network of “smart” signals not only “adapts to traffic patterns to deliver optimum light switching,” but gives drivers a heads-up in order to get ‘em through lights and cut down on idling / pollution / road rage. We can just hear those red light camera appeals now: “But judge, my car told me to do it!”
As I tried out the Nextar T30 Portable Media Player, I had a déjà vu experience. I suddenly remember the Philips SA6145 4GB/Go, and saw some startling similarities.
I noticed the menu looked the same with almost identical icons, and the user could chose from Music, Video, FM Radio, Photo Viewer, and Voice Recorder. The only difference is that none of the controls are on the front of the unit, but tucked-in conveniently on the sides. The screen of the T30 is the same size as the SA6145, a 3.5 TFT.
The Philips SA6145 also has the same amount of memory: 4GB. The T30 has the option for upgrading the memory with an SD card reader that can support up to an additional 2GB.
SIM2’s DOMINO line — okay, SIM2’s entire line — isn’t known for being the cheapest bunch. The new DOMINO D60, however, is actually affordable by said company’s standards, checking in at just 4,995 US dollars. This 1080p beamer is based on Texas Instruments’ DarkChip3 0.95-inch DMD chipset and includes a single-chip DLP projection system, BrilliantColor, three different preset modes (Cinema, Dynamic, and Standard) and three user-customizable memories. It’s shipping now for those with fat wallets.Read
Be still, our hearts! After watching the wireless HD / HDMI sector fumble along for years on end, a team of mega-corps have finally agreed to push their self-interests aside and collaborate on a standard. WHDI creator AMIMON has joined forces with Motorola, Samsung, Sony and Sharp in order to form “a special interest group to develop a comprehensive new industry standard for multi-room audio, video and control connectivity” utilizing the aforementioned Wireless Home Digital Interface technology. Reportedly, the group will have a standard completed before 2009 dawns, but we all know how easily these things can get pushed under the rug. Nevertheless, the overriding goal here is to “enhance the current WHDI technology to enable wireless streaming of uncompressed HD video and audio between CE devices such as LCD and plasma HDTVs, multimedia projectors, AV receivers, DVD and BD players, set-top-boxes, game consoles and PCs.” A tall order, sure, but one we’re elated to see taken on. Full release after the break.
We know you’re not really down with digesting any more catchphrases, but the technology formerly known as Ultra Low Power Bluetooth / Wibree is now being dubbed Bluetooth low energy. Now that we’re clear on nomenclature, you may be thrilled to know that CSR showcased its recently unveiled BlueCore7 dual mode (Bluetooth low energy and Bluetooth v2.1) chip at a Bluetooth SIG Medical Working Group meeting. According to onlookers, the handset was able to transfer data to another nearby mobile using just 3 frequencies rather than 32, resulting in an unquantifiable decrease in power consumption. Sounds like a winner on the surface, but we have this weird that mass adoption of this tech is like, years away.Read
Nah, it’s no Mag-Lite, but the Tri-Solar LED Flashlight should handle most minor lighting needs. The unit can operate with one LED on, three LEDs on or all three LEDs flashing (you know, in case you realize the car you just hopped in is now making a b-line for the Bates Motel). Because a single solar panel can only catch so much sunlight, this one has a trifecta of cells that fold out and generate juice for the bulbs. Not too bad for $32, particularly when you realize that it doubles as a weapon.
Only John Koller knows how serious John Koller, Sony’s senior marketing manager for PSP, was when mentioning that GPS-enabled games could eventually hit the PSP, but he definitely threw it out there. Speaking about the forthcoming GPS add-on for the PlayStation Portable, Koller stated that said module “changes the dynamics of GPS but also changes the way developers think about games on PSP, because you can start integrating GPS into it.” He continued on by mentioning that Sony’s own first-party studios were “already looking at a number of things [involving GPS in games],” and concluded by asserting that a GPS game could land on the system as early as next year. Considering just how long we’ve been waiting for the add-on, we’re not holding our breath on the titles. (more…)
ASUS must think that best way to make the Eee PC stand out in the overflowing netbook market is to crank out minor, uninteresting variants of the same models, because otherwise we’re at a total loss to explain today’s appearance of the Eee PC 1000HD. Yeah, that’s the 1000HD, not the 1000H, which we’ve already seen. Ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is that it’s basically the same machine as the Pentium M-based Eee 904, only with the 1000’s 10-inch screen. Right. So now not only are there an endless variety of Eee models, the model numbers themselves don’t indicate anything logical: the Eee 901 is faster than the 904, which uses the basic case of the 1000 but shares a processor with the 900 and 1000HD — but not the 1000 or 1000H, which are Atom-based like the 901. Hmm, Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play — not easy to buy might be your big problem here, ASUS. (more…)
We’re usually pretty jaded when people tell us that we “won’t believe” what we’re seeing in a videos sent to tips — right, right, a cellphone demon, nice one — but it sure seems like the Golden Shellback waterproof coating is the real deal. Developed at the Northeast Maritime Institute and hopefully headed to production sometime soon, the process involves applying the coating to your precious toys inside a vacuum, after which they’re basically impervious to all liquids — in one test, a coated device spent over 450 hours powered on and functional underwater. There are some downsides: you can’t remove the coating, so any repairs will involve “abrasive methods,” which sounds like quite a commitment. That said, we’ll take a little abrasion in our lives if it means we never have to worry about spilling on our keyboards ever again. Video after the break. (more…)
Okay, okay — we get it. So maybe there’s just not enough room in a genuine Zapper to fit all the necessary innards of a Nintendo Entertainment System into, but it’s just a bit weird to see the Big N’s antiquated console crammed into some other light gun. Similar to the NES-in-an-NES-controller mod we peeked earlier this week, this unit includes a plethora of games and all the controls you need; just plug it up to a TV, pop a few batteries in there and you’re golden. Is it any surprise this guy was tracked down on Ben Heck’s own forums?
Aren’t you glad you gave your girlfriend that Keruve GPS Watch? Now you can track her every movement and see what that harlot is up to at all times. And you can also be issued a massive restraining order. But that’s for another discussion. Let’s stick to the topic at hand, shall we?
Originally marketed to Alzheimer’s patients, the Keruva GPS Watch can also be used for some suspicious privacy invasion, as well as tracking your kids in scarily close detail. The device looks just like a normal watch, except the user can’t remove it without having access to the proper mechanism. So once it’s on, it’s staying on until your stalker wants to remove it.
Interesting that this didn’t get announced at E3, but Games for Windows Live is now free for all. Yep, totally free, cross-platform multiplayer with the 360 included — which obviously raises the question of whether Live will ever be free on Xbox. We think that’s a pretty safe no — unlike Games For Windows, Xbox Live actually makes money, which is pretty hard to turn down, and without a ton of competitive pressure from, say, Playstation Home, it’s hard to see why Microsoft would turn that funtime cash fountain off. Still, there’s always hoping, right?Read
While I’m convinced that the universe is far too large of a place to not have tons of other living beings, I think that some of the alien abductions we hear about are nothing more than then result of an over-analytic imagination and/or dreaming. The dreaded Greys have become a household term because of pop culture. And more often than not, it’s the Greys which are doing the abduction. Coincidence?
And while you might not experience an abduction without a imagination gone wild, you can still feel like your sleeping experience is non-terrestrial. The Beam Bed is designed to shoot out an array of light beams from under your sleeping surface. It makes your bed resemble a UFO more closely than a comfortable place to rest your head.
It was inevitable. We just knewGemei couldn’t hold its own forever, and now it seems the resistance to copying other interfaces has finally failed. The all-too-familiar X780 comes equipped with a 3-inch 400 x 280 resolution display, 4GB of internal memory, a miniSD expansion slot, FM tuner, built-in microphone, TV output and an unspecified emulator for gaming it up. As expected, this thing can handle just about every format known to man including WMA, APE, FLAC, MP3, WAV, ASF, MPEG, AVI, FLV, VOD, PNG, JPG, etc. No one’s talking about pricing just yet, but we have a feeling it’ll be somewhere between cheap and really cheap.
Sure, Apple alleges to have flipped over a million iPhone 3Gs at this point, but what does that mean? The devil’s in the details, as always; yes, true, the first one took 74 days to reach that same milestone, but it was available in less than one-twentieth the number of countries and an even smaller fraction of carriers. Hell, the very definition of “sale” is under scrutiny here, with some suggesting that Apple’s making reference to the number of phones it’s sold to its carrier partners, not end users — a metric that would make sense from Cupertino’s perspective since Apple’s payday technically ends there. We have some metrics on hand here that paint an interesting picture of the iPhone 3G launch that might be a little different than what you expect; (more…)
They may not conduct sound through your bones, but JVC’s new HP-FXC50 earphones at least promise to pump sound deeper into your ears than your usual earbuds. That’s apparently done simply by usuing a longer and thinner sound driver than usual (measuring 5.8mm in diameter), which can be “installed in the sound channel” of your ear. According to JVC, that not only cuts down on sound leakage, but makes the earphones more comfortable to wear as well (assuming you can get them back out). If that’s got you sold on ‘em, or at least hasn’t scared you off, you can look forward to them being available in Japan in early August for just
Not that electric MINIs are anything new, but unless you were willing to pay for all the mods yourself, procuring one wasn’t exactly simple. Now, however, we’re hearing that MINI itself will be bringing scads of these buggers to American streets in the summer of 2009. Yeah, like, one year from right now. MINI USA VP Jim McDowell was the source of said statement (so it’s pretty much official, yeah?), though he didn’t mention whether all of them would be reserved for California or if they would be available sold out nationwide. Hey MINI, we’d say you’ve got a hit on your hands.Read
The pizza is set out on the table, your buddies are all pumped for a long-night of poker, and you have to go and ruin it by spilling a bottle of soda all over the cards and the food. You and your clumsy hands never fail to drop the soda bottle. And up until this point you’ve been able to hide the reason why you always wait for someone else to pour for you.
This 2-Liter Bottle Pour Thing makes sure that you never have a nasty liquid spill again. To pour your drink without causing a mess, just place the bottle in the Thing and use two fingers to pour the soda. We imagine this can save some nasty spills from kids and small girly-handed men alike.
For most of us here, at some point the sensation of breaking the news takes hold and turns into something else, something much more like an addiction. It really gets into you, keeps you up at night, makes you stay in on weekends. It’s in Engadget’s DNA, and it’s what’s kept me glued to the site most waking hours of most days for over four years now.
But fresh challenges can also be addictive, which is why I’ve decided to step down as editor of this publication in late August so as to start a new company. I’m extremely excited — but there’s also simply no way I can give up working with Engadget that easily, so I’ll remain on as editor-at-large, where I’ll have a longer-term advisory role to the site (and do some writing from time to time, as well).
So it’s a full $59 more than we were expecting, but with Wall-E’s tremendous success at the box office, we have a feeling Disney can get away with it. The Ultimate Wall-E remote control robot is now up for pre-order, promising kids and adults-longing-to-be-kids alike hours upon hours of fun. For those who missed this creature frolicking on video, here are the highlights: he can chat with his owner, dance, play music, dazzle you with those eyes and even sense / avoid obstacles. Unfortunately, all $249 will buy you is a place in line, as this fellow isn’t expect to ship until October 16th.
