May 21, 2007

WiLife Pro Turnkey IP-Based Video Security System

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:35 PM on May 21, 2007

wilife_front.jpg

If you're a paranoid playboy, you can't be too rich, too thin or have too many security cameras. Now you can fill your McMansion with these WiLife Pro cameras, hook them up via Ethernet and watch their output on your cellphone or from anywhere in the world you can get online.

These are smart IP video cameras, and when you link up a WiLife Pro turnkey configuration of cameras with WiLife's Command Center software via your existing Ethernet network, you can play security guard, watching and recording every angle. Looks like everything's included except the dorky security guard uniform and all the donuts you can eat.

Who would use such a system?

Read More »

Robotic Vanity Mirror Concept Follows Your Mug Around the Room

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:18 PM on May 21, 2007

Face-tracking webcams are a dime a dozen, but this is the first time we've seen a mirror that zeros in on your face, following our ugly mug regardless of whether we duck or tilt. The mirror was created by Marie Sester and although it's only a concept, it works just like you'd imagine. The only downside is that it goes bonkers when too many people are in front of it. You can see it at the Eyebeam gallery in New York City.

Eyebeam [Marie Sester]

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100 Packs 12.2MP and 8fps Shooting

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:03 PM on May 21, 2007

Fx100n_front.jpg

Panasonic rolled out its highest-end point-and-shoot digital camera, the Lumix DMC-FX100, and managed to pack 12.2 megapixels into its diminutive form factor. This one's built for speed, able to snap eight frames per second through its unusually wide 28mm f/2.8 lens with 3.6x optical zoom. And hey, the camera itself doesn't look half bad, either, and gives you 2.5 inch viewscreen out back but lacks an optical viewfinder.

Of course, it has Panasonic's tricked-out optical image stabilization, and it's also touted to be able to shoot HD photos, that is, you can set the same resolution in the camera that a 1080p TV set can do, 1920x1080. The thing even makes an effort at shooting HD video, giving you the option of laying down 720p video, but unfortunately it's only at 15 frames per second. As usual, Panasonic was coy about pricing, but did mention we'd be seeing the FX100 shipping in July.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100 [LetsGoDigital]

LJDAM Adds GPS and Laser Guidance to Bombs

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:45 PM on May 21, 2007

AIR_B-2_Dropping_JDAM_lg.jpg

This is a B-2 plane dropping a bomb equipped with the Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kit. The kit adds inertial navigation and global positioning systems to the tail of traditional warheads. Unlike the more expensive traditional TV or laser guidance systems, which only work well in good weather, these bombs use the same GPS that you have in your car to hit targets like Osama Bin Laden, Ronald McDonald and Paris Hilton under any meteorological conditions. If you know where they are hiding, that is. And if they are not moving.

There's also a version that uses laser (called LJDAM) to further increment precision, 600 of which have just been ordered by the US military citing "compelling and urgent operational needs." No kidding. The LJDAM comes at two price points: $48,000 apiece for people who want to mount them on planes, and free for people receiving them on the ground, delivery included.

JDAM: A GPS-INS Add-on Adds Accuracy to Airstrikes [Defense Industry Daily]

LG Wine Phone: But You Can Call It The CV300

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 9:57 PM on May 21, 2007

LG_SV300_1.jpg

Hello, Gizmodo readers. I'm a beautiful lay-dee and I'd like to take some time to tell you about my skincare routine. To keep my epidermis soft and fresh and kissable-schmissable, I stroke my face with LG's new phone, the CV300. Developed by LG's resident dermatologists, specialists in cell (phone) regeneration technology, the CV300 boasts a 1.3 Megapixel digicam, MP3 player, 2.2-inch screen and comes in red and black. Do you want to see some more pictures of me getting creamy with it? Thought so - they, and the price, are after the jump.

Read More »

PC World Names its 100 Best Products of the Year While The World Yawns

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:17 PM on May 21, 2007

NOT-IPhone.jpg

The PC World Top 100 products of 2007 have been announced, before we are even halfway through 2007. Don't ask me why, but this means they have had to leave out stuff like the iPhone, which they awarded top spot to in the Most Anticipated Product category.

So what did hit the top spot for actual products? Well, it's not what I would have chosen (that came in at #3, but then I've always aspired towards being part of the leisure class.) Hit the gallery to see PC World's Top Ten products and then the jump to find out where they came in.

Read More »

Asuka Tripper V Photo Storage Viewer

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:51 PM on May 21, 2007

tripper_01.jpg

This is the Asuka Tripper V Photo Storage Viewer, hot off the production line in Japan. It's got an 800 x 480-pixel screen and is JPEG, RAW, MPEG-4, MP3 and AAC compatible, as well as MP4s, so it's not just a gizmo for serious photographers.

We've featured both the Canon and the Epson P-5000 before but, at around $660 for 160GB storage, the Asuka is cheaper and roomier (with the Epson, you get half the storage for the same price.) There are also 120GB ($570) and 80GB ($400) models to chose from. These are Japanese prices, so expect to pay a tad more over here.

Asuka Tripper V [PC Watch via Google Translate]

Win a wake up call: Our first competition, the XtremeMac Luna

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:59 AM on May 21, 2007

luna.jpg

We reviewed the XtremeMac Luna late last week, and liked it a lot. So it's very happy making for us to give the news that we will be giving one of these puppies away to a lucky reader. What do you have to do? Be a clever commenter!

The competition is open from now until end of Sunday week (3rd June), and the prize will go to the best comment posted between today and that date. So pull out the thinking caps, cut out the lurking, and show us how insightful you can be with your gadget know how.

And because it is all about the best comment, you can enter as many times as you like! Official competition mumbo jumbo can be found here.

Thanks to the folks at Powermove, local XtremeMac distributors, for offering up the Luna for your iPod alarm clock pleasure.

Keep spirits high, or level, with these cuffs

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:28 AM on May 21, 2007

spiritcuffs.jpg

There are some very nerdy cufflinks out there — keyboard keys spring to mind — that are just a bit too uncultured for mine, but these spirit levels cufflinks are all geek chic. This same site has more spirit level jewellery too, necklaces to earrings, as well as other nice pieces like Philips head screw links, Scrabble tile links, and, yes, those keyboard keys some people think look good.

But the spirit levels have that Macgyver edge. If something needed leveling, like a Mercury anti-tamper switch in a bomb, you could whip one off and save the day.

Level Cufflinks [via Nerd Approved (they liked the necklace best)]

Wrist watch blood pressure monitor

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:30 AM on May 21, 2007

bestbloodpressuremonitor.jpg

Now you can really keep an eye on your stress levels, with this wrist watch style blood pressure monitor. You get a pulse reading and your pressure, with the capacity to store 30 readings for each of two users. Windows software is included to chart your pressure results.

It even tells the time. Like a real watch. So now you can watch the seconds tick by as that deadline approaches, and watch the pressure shoot through the roof as said deadlines whooshes by.

Best Blood Pressure Monitor [via Gizmo Dude]

Review: Nokia N95 (Verdict: Can I keep it? Please??)

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:20 AM on May 21, 2007

n95_low_menu.jpgI've been having a great time with a Nokia N95 this past couple of weeks. I was a little dubious as to its power when first seeing those "thing in my pocket" TV spots (how naff), but once I got hands on things got nice and kept getting better.

Let's get the trash talk out of the way first. The slide is too feathery. I've found this same problem with other Nokia sliders, and it rears its head as you try to quickly retrieve the phone from any tight-ish pocket. It slides just enough to accept a call, and then slips back to hang up. Less than ideal.

Second issue is in a similar vein: the unlock mechanism is too easily bumped off. With the two keys aligned directly across a single plane on the handset, I found the phone unlocked on a number of occasions on taking it out of said tight-ish pocket. Especially when keeping the phone in the included leather case! The case actually presses against the front of the handset too much, so the protection doubles as a button masher, heightening the risk of unlock and send functions getting hit.

These are annoyances that could well be deal breakers if you have no way to get around them. But I could be wearing more jackets and looser pants from now on to accommodate. Read on for why the N95 is worth the trouble.

Read More »

Bring the stars back to the suburbs, save some power too

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 9:50 AM on May 21, 2007

lunar1_07.jpg

Here's one to keep the greenies and the amateur astronomers happy. Civil Twilight, a design collective based out of San Francisco, is keen to see cities take up the idea of street lighting that doesn't just switch on and off to a timer, but responds to ambient light conditions and dims or brightens accordingly. It would follow the lunar cycle (weather permitting), and in so doing reduce the amount of electricity used in a big way.

Something like this could really help those of us with telescopes under the bed to pull them out again. So we can discover one of those comets hurtling toward the earth hell bent on our destruction.

Civil Twilight Collective [via Metropolis Mag]

Forbes Takes a Break From Expensive Stuff, Lists Super-Cheap PCs

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 9:06 AM on May 21, 2007

microclient.jpg

Leading Forbes' list of uber-cheap PCs (all under $300) is the $85 MicroClient JrSX from Norhtec, a book-size desktop that boasts (or perhaps doesn't) 128MB of RAM, a 300Mhz processor and a flash card-based storage system. Missing from the package are a keyboard, mouse, monitor and audio. That's right, no audio. Anything with sound would probably make it crash, anyway.

Also making apperances on the list are the OLPC and the surprisingly beefy-for-$220 Microtel MCS7001. While all are astoundingly cheap, let's just say their unspectacular specs preclude them from popping up on my Christmas list.

The $85 Computer [Forbes via digg]
Slideshow [Forbes]

Optimus Maximus Keyboard, Pre-order Now

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:26 AM on May 21, 2007

optimax-1wtmk.jpg

The Optimus Maximus Keyboard can officially be pre-ordered! Be the first guy on your block to have order this new, exciting keyboard with 113 OLED displays. Shipments are anticipated by Dec 1st.

If I had an extra $1564—and a less sensible wife—I'd be on this like something that's really on something else. Really on it.

Preorder Here

NES Controller Business Card Holder: It's Cooler Than the Belt Buckles

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:16 AM on May 21, 2007

nescardholder.jpg

I have way too many business cards from press events, and right now I just have them lying in a stack on my desk. This Perler Bead-constructed NES controller card holder is exactly what I need, if only because I always need more Nintendo paraphernalia. Also good for holding Game Boy e-Reader cards. $10, but sold out for now.

Nintendo NES Controller Perler Bead Business Card Holder [Etsy via Kotaku]

Breakfast Wrap: Best of the Weekend

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:59 AM on May 21, 2007

breakfast-fryup.jpg

C'mon, you're excited to be back to the grind for another week, right? Right! Just in case, here are a few distractions to help smooth your Monday morning.

Dell shows off new port tech for 4K displays.
Technically my brain struggles with 1080p as it is, but I still want it.

Velcro 2.0 will stick you to the roof.
Or let you go all Spidey? 8x the holding power anyways.

Vista haXors r00lz
Every Titanic has its iceberg, especially where copy-protection is the unsinkable.

Dell's first flip screen tablet revealed.
Tablets are fun! Especially when they're notebooks too.

Evil robot overlord ready to make you drink vinegar.
I want to buy their vinegar just to support their robotic mascot.

Ten cheap still cameras compared.
They're not sub $150 Aussie dollars, but they're still hot value in any currency.

Dean Kamen getting closer to making a Steve Austin.
How long until the first elective amputation in favour of cyborg goodness?

Don't whiz on the plasma laser fence!
Instant shock therapy for thieves (who don't know how to crawl).

Spike Lights - Spikey

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:06 AM on May 21, 2007

lighting_tom_kirk.jpeg

Here's another interesting design from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair: Spike Lights. While the blue spikes do look extremely cool, we worry about bumping into a wall and losing one of our lives. I mean, we're at x04 right now, which is pretty good, but x03 would mean no more sky diving or glue eating without hitting x02. And a life without passions is no life for me.

By designer Tom Kirk—who is said to also be working a follow-up design: walls that close very slowly.

ICFF 2007 [mocoloco]

Apple IIs, As Explained By 7-Year-Old

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:05 AM on May 21, 2007

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this retro show in which children school adults on operating computers...at least for the first 2 minutes or so when it's still funny. I have a feeling that if we look really closely, we could spot a few Gizmodo readers on the "wiz kid" panel. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Video Here [via digg] Full Show Here

Pocket Well - Clean Water Anywhere, With Style

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 6:24 AM on May 21, 2007

pumpPicture%201.png

While we've seen dozens of water purification devices before, the Pocket Well falls back on a classic design for easy function.

Modeled after old well pumps (many of which are still in use), you can stick the $35 Pocket Well into any water source (sorta...it seems like it still may require two-hand operation). You pump, and over the course of two minutes the pressurized water is filtered 99.9% free of badies and also treated with minute amounts of iodine as a backup.

Assuming that you don't need to pump nonstop, the Pocket Well seems like a good solution for filtering large amounts of water for group situations—up to 50 liters. But then again, there is a lot of water coming out of our tap at any given moment, too. And it doesn't taste like elephant feces. And it has A/C.

Product Page [via randomgoodstuff]

Video: Solid-State Aircraft Flaps Its Wings Like a Bird

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 5:45 AM on May 21, 2007

If you can get past the annoying voiceover (sorry, Ecogeek) then this video showing off Ohio Aerospace Institute NASA's solid-state aircraft concept is pretty cool. They're engineless, solar-powered and somewhat creepily resemble the mass production Evangelion units in flight, so it'd be sweet if these puppies (birds?) ever saw the light of day to make our jet-setting ways a little less harmful to the environment. I just hope they have a space-age barf bag to go with it.

[Ecogeek via TechEBlog]

Red Zune in the Wild

I spy a red Zune! I spy a red Zune! And it doesn't look like the work of those guys who paint Zunes red now! I'm not that into this gen of Zune, but I really do put for... Read More »

Portal Denial System: ElectroPlasmaLaser

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:25 AM on May 21, 2007

portal_denial-1wtmk.jpg

The way Hollywood tells the story, if you step through a laser beam then you should expect and alarm to go off and everybody laughs or something. But the way the defense company Ionatron tells the story, if you step through a laser beam things are a lot worse than some bells ringing in your ears.

That's because this laser is really a laser-induced plasma channel (LIPC) that can conduct electricity. You break the stream and—ZAP—you wake up behind bars to the smell of burnt hair and another man's aftershave. And that's what we are calling a best case scenario.

For those interested in purchasing units for home use, remember that all the really cool technology is controlled by the US government...and to stay clear of their buildings after 5pm.

Hit the jump for some video of the PDS.

Read More »

DIY Ghetto Hovercraft Uses a Leaf Blower and Duct Tape (Naturally)

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 3:38 AM on May 21, 2007

If you're looking for something to keep the kids busy on a Saturday morning (and they've already finish mowing the lawn, sweeping the gutters and trimming the hedges) then this leaf blower-powered hovercraft construction project might be a good way to keep them busy so you can watch Saturday morning cartoons in peace.

Just tell them not to dart into traffic since they'll have to use their $2-a-week allowance to pay the hospital bills if they get smacked by a car.

[via Neatorama]

8-core NextDimension Briefcase MegaComputer

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 2:53 AM on May 21, 2007

nextdimension-pro-octo-core.jpg

The 8-core NextDimension Pro and Evo really push the envelope of portability. But then again, the computers have 8 freakin' cores.

Based upon the Intel(R) Xeon(R) Processor 5300 Series, the systems sip only 100W of processing power despite their beefy specs. And the briefcase-sized form comes in handy when you realize there's room for 12 2.5" hard drives and 4 PCI or PCIe slots. Plus, the Evo line features built-in RAID with support of 6 SAS or 8 SATA drives. On top of all that, you still get amenities like FireWire and space for up to 24GB of RAM, but how they keep the compact system from melting into expensive goo was not discussed.

We'd love to have one of these setups for mobile HD video editing. Otherwise, we'll just stick to our MBP and its handy display/battery/keyboard setup.

Press Release [via coolestgadgets]

Button Lights: Chic Country Tech

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 2:08 AM on May 21, 2007

edu_bozen_button.jpg

With the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in full swing, we're seeing some really fun designs floating around the web. These Button Lights are the product of Silvia Campan from the University of Bozen.

We appreciate a design that not only unabashedly displays its wires, but one that is structured around the very idea. The Button Lights manage to both look fantastic and diverge from the ceramic goose styling I would generally anticipate from the name.

Just don't lose a button or you're f&#!@ed.

NY Design Week 2007 [core77]

Dean Kamen Cyborg Arm (Part II)

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 1:35 AM on May 21, 2007

Not so long ago, we were all hot and bothered over Dean Kamen's new artificial arm planned for veterans who had lost a limb. But at the time all of our information was gleaned from a crappy audience camera filming the event.

In this newly available video—shot just this week—the man himself explains his motivations behind the device before showing a brief demonstration. It's still a tease...but this one has better lighting and we just can't get enough.

A Closer Look at Dean Kamen's Robotic Arm [boingboing]

Sha-Poopie, Telescoping Dog Doo Catcher

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 12:58 AM on May 21, 2007

shaPicture%201.png

In a web exclusive, Solutions is offering the $20 Sha-Poopie, an extending doggie doo catcher. Recommended use instructions include holding the pole "just so" while your dog does his business. Then, carefully, one pushes the poopie end into the ground to collapse the pole. Then, carefullyer, one places the lid on the bowl. Meanwhile, your dog wonders what has happened to his loyal owner and friend.

Additional specs worth noting:

Each cup holds up to 30 cubic inches of volume; recommended for dogs up to 65 pounds.
So if you dog is larger than 65 pounds, you're gonna need a bigger Sha-Poopie.

Product Page [via coolestgadgets]