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Here's early video of a Sat-Go, DirecTV's portable satellite receiver, as presented alongside innocuous collection of Grads and Dads gadget gifts on NBC. See it? Just Fast Forward past the Carbon Fiber Zero Halliburton case, a snowboarding jacket from Burton's... Read More »
Forbes has a list of the world's Cheap PCs, starting at $85, like the MicroClient JrSX, and the Zonbu we wrote about lovingly the other day. There's also a few paragraphs dedicated to the OLPC, which as you know... Read More »
Originally starting out as just sketches by Greg Broadmore, these ray guns were eventually made by David Tremont and Weta—the same people who created the special effects and props for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy—these steampunk-inspired toys are the best thing you could buy a nerd who loves pretending to shoot things. They're sold at a price of $690 each, which makes them tens of times more expensive than normal toy guns, but tens of thousands of times less expensive than building an actual working steampunk ray gun.
Steampunk Rayguns [Wired]
This CNBC lady reports on a rumor from some two-bit mall employee and the stock goes up. Investing is emotional, yes, but how much confidence can you really get from a ball of fluff like the June 20th report? It ain't news. Late June has always been the target. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone episode.
David Katzmaier of CNet reviewed one of the new Samsung LN-T4665F LCDs. He says its the nicest LCD he's ever seen....which somehow translates into a tepid 8.3 rating.
They were impressed with the HDMI 1.3 port, the individual color controls. But they disliked the reflective screen, which kicked up massive glare in lit rooms. They noted it isn't as dark as the ultra black 92 Series Sharps, like the LC-52d92u LCD, but the Sharp does have that blotchy lighting issue, so this the set to have.
AU: This TV we're talking about is locally known as the M8 series. Why on earth do they have such nutjob complicated names in the US? M8, R8 and S8 is so much better than all that other crap.
If you've just purchased the first two Pirates movies on Blu-ray in order to get psyched up for the third one, you probably came up with a whole lot less Johnny Depp and a whole lot more firmware problems than you expected. Apparently at least two players—Samsung's BD-P1200 and Sony's BDP-S1—have difficulty playing back the first two movies. And by difficulty, we mean they throw up their hands and give up like a fat man at the starting line of a 10K.
Samsung's already released a firmware update here, which fixes the problem. You can either burn the firmware update onto CD or download it via the BD-P1200's LAN connection. Which brings us to another point. Why isn't the Ethernet in the Blu-ray spec?
So Microsoft canceled their Professional Developer Conference, which former MSoftie Bobby Scoble says means two things:
no new Windows and no major new Internet strategy this year.
Isn't something like the day before OS X Leopard gets its full feature unveil at the Apple Developer Conference? The OS Engineers working at Apple must be having a good time with this news.
Microsoft Cancels PDC [Scoble, thanks tipster]
You got this thing wedged in your ear because otherwise you can't hear what the damn whippersnappers are all yappin' about. Then along comes this other earpiece you're supposed to jam in your ear, so that you can talk on your cellphone while driving or juggling or whatever the kids are doing these days. Along comes some German designer who says, why not use the same contraption for both purposes? Figures.
Wait, wait, they're not free as in beer. I mean free as in liberation.
Even though Real Steve doesn't seem to be in any real trouble, Fake Steve is running a campaign to Free El Jobso from the tyranny of the SEC.
The first organized show of support is going down at WWDC, 2007, the week of June 11th. Just buy a FREE STEVE T-shirt, with or without an image of the fearless leader on front, and wear it to Macca. (Get it? That's "Mecca" mixed with "Mac"...haha?)
Unfortunately, no black turtleneck version.
I misplace stuff. A lot. The concept of putting my keys, wallet and cellphone in one set place when I get home is foreign to me (possibly because there's no set place to put it). But with the New... Read More »
I'm not sure why you'd want HD DVD in your car, but just in case, Toshiba and Alpine have created this car-friendly duo which brings HD DVD straight to your dashboard. The player is accompanied by Toshiba's touchscreen, which has the brains to sense when your finger's shadow is hovering above the panel (that way you won't smudge or grease up your screen). The unit is expected to come out in 2008.
This is the work of Christian Aldo of Canada. It was part of a vinyl record art show, and he created this very steampunk-esque record player. The funny thing is that he had no idea what steampunk even is. As you may know, we are quite obsessed with it around these parts, and this record player is a mighty fine piece of art, but I just wonder what it would look like if Aldo actually designed it to be a steampunk record player.
Steampunk turntable [Boing Boing]
Memorial Day, that is a drinking holiday, right? Hell, nowadays what holiday isn't a drinking holiday? On this long weekend make sure nobody touches your brew with this beer burglar alarm system. It is a proximity sensor that attaches to a sensor and will go off if anyone gets near the beer. It includes a standard siren or a voice alarm that sounds like a member of the mafia. Intimidating, indeed. $10.
Beer Burlar Alarm [Gadgetizer]
If you're reading this, you're probably not one of those lucky bastards who got in to Star Wars Celebration IV. Well, to make you even more green with envy, I just found the catalog of stuff you can only buy if you're there. The magnets shown above are pretty sweet, part of a series of souvenirs and clothes done in that style. Follow the jump if the name Ralph McQuarrie means anything to you, and to see what else is making George Lucas richer than Croesus.
Here's that video of CNBC claiming June 20th is the day the Jesus Phone rises from the mist formed from the sputtering of millions of rabid fanboys. Almost all the gadget and Mac sites are writing about this, and incorrectly saying the source was an analyst. That's just not true. Watch the clip.
Their source? NOT an analyst like the Mac blogs are reporting (from a message board). No, they got it from a Cingular phone store employee, which is not exactly a fountain of certain info. Of course, you'd expect the iPhone launch date rumormongering to come from Giz (proudly) and other gadget blogs, but look, CNBC didn't even label this a rumor. Good thing no one reads this little "CNBC On the Money" thing. Not like investors or anyone who might buy lots of stock upon hearing the firm date.
But the 20th of June isn't the only date people are guessing. And of course, we've got our own based on some new reporting. (YES, I SAID REPORTING.)
As I have become an adult I am turning into a bit of a tool hound and this is something that definitely needs to be added to my box of tricks. This Multi Meter does everything you could want. It is so much you even get it in a bulleted list!
• Locates concealed AC power cables
• Locates concealed metal objects like pipes, nails, screws, cables etc
• Incorporates a Laser Level
• Incorporates a Spirit Level
• Incorporates a 'white-light' LED Torch
• Tests Light Bulbs including fluorescent and incandescent bulbs/tubes
• Tests Cartridge Fuses, Diodes, Capacitors, Heating Elements etc
• Locates breaks in an AC power cable
• Checks polarity on two cable (no earth) AC appliances
• Incorporates a 'self-test' battery check for added safety and piece of mind
Hell, I don't even know what a Spirit level is, but I want it. The Multi Meter is available for $36.
Product Page [Via OhGizmo!]
Do you hear that sound? That's thousands of nerds cheering loudly, then coughing uncontrollably, then reaching for their inhalers thanks to a court ruling in Finland that rules CSS protection for DVDs ineffective. Why does this matter? Because under Finnish law, cracking DRM is only illegal when it's "effective", and CSS has become so ineffective that it's no longer illegal.
I gave the new TiVo Universal Swivel Search a spin in the past few days, and overall, it's an excellent addition to the already user-friendly features on the TiVo interface. This is what I think so far: 1. I... Read More »
If you have an I-Key from a 2007 Altima or Infiniti G35 jangling around in your pocket, don't let it snuggle up to your cellphone. Apparently incoming and outgoing calls have the nasty potential to switch up or wipe out the I-Key's internal code, leaving you with a sweet-looking but useless hunk of metal.
A new version of the I-Key that's hopefully less bricktastic around everyday objects won't come out until the fall, but you can get a new key from your dealer if you render yours stupid since they can't be reprogrammed. Until then, it might be a good idea to keep AAA's number handy.
CheapyD from Cheapass gamer just did a super head to head video of all kinds of Japanese DS Styluses. If you're at all interested at getting Styli that stretch, go on your finger, or clip onto your DS, then this is the video for you. It's much better to let CheapyD do all your testing for you instead of spending thousands of yen on crappy ones.
Cheapassgamer [via TechEBlog via Kotaku]
RIM's co-CEO, Jim Balsillie, revealed at the JP Morgan Technology Conference on Wednesday that they will be dropping a Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry "in the back half of this year."
On the backend, Wi-Fi networks will essentially be treated like additional cellular networks because of the way the BlackBerry Enterprise Server already handles customer roaming between different networks. And since it "presupposes the airlink is insecure," it will automatically encrypt all voice and data transmissions.
RIM is just now moving to catch up in the Wi-Fi cellphone arena because Balsillie initially believed that "Wi-Fi was overhyped," but now thinks that fixed mobile convergence (cell + Wi-Fi) is a trend among operators that will continue to grow. Good call there, Jim. So now we just anxiously await the inevitable FCC filings.
RIM Plans Wi-Fi BlackBerry [Yahoo! via DSL Reports]
The Sapphire HD 2600 XT Ultimate Edition isn't the first liquid-cooled graphics card in the world, but it may be uniquely suited for home theater use because of its silent operation and multichannel 5.1 audio ports on board. Sure, other companies such as Asus and BFG with their NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX water-cooled cards came first with this quiet cooling idea, but Sapphire takes it a step further. How can a lowly graphics card make a difference in a home theater, anyway?
Although we don't usually read the newspaper on the crapper, this Loo Read is a fantastic idea for people who do. It's an extendible shelf that gives you a sturdy platform for reading papers or books, and can even sustain your arm for writing if you don't push down too hard.
Hopefully these things are strong enough to support lightweight laptops—though it doesn't seem like they are—so we may have to stick to playing with our Pokeballs while we're on the toilet. What? We're talking about the new DS game.
Product page [LazyBoneUK via Nerd Approved]
Hey folks, just a quick note to let you know that the Xbox 360 Racing Wheel just got a price drop to $129. And if you're curious as to whether it's worth it (hell yes), hit up our review from before.
AU: Haven't heard anything locally yet. When we do, we'll let you know.
Product Page [Amazon]
HP is building on its MediaSmart TVs with HDTV 2.0, a new concept that'll let lazy couch potatoes buy movies straight from their HP TVs. The TVs would connect to the Internet via a wired or wireless connection and movies would be stored directly on the TV (which would have built-in storage). There aren't any details on the movie "store" or how long you'd be able to keep the movies, but HP says we could see these new TVs by the fall.
HP Invents HDTV 2.0 [Zatz Not Funny]
Those lucky nerfherdin' laser brains over at IGN Gear are in nerd heaven right now: Star Wars Celebration IV, the franchise's 30th birthday party, runs through the weekend in LA. Take a look at the gallery below and then jump for details.
I've been using Verizon Wireless' BlackBerry 8830 outside the US for a couple of weeks now. I got it brand new and without any previous configuration so, given the problems I have had with US phones in the Old... Read More »
The Music Vortex's mission is to visualize music using the natural movement of water as it's influenced by sound waves. Its bottom section function like a normal speaker, but check out that little bowl of water on top that vibrates and ripples with the music, all lit up with a spacey blue glow. You adjust the volume on the speaker with a little knob in the middle. What, no remote?
This Yamaha PSR-S900 keyboard bridges the gap between musical instruments and the Interwebs, and it can play music and connect to the Net at the same time. It has an Ethernet port that gives you a direct connection to the Internet without even using a computer, and that lets you download thousands of compositions and 7,000 karaoke arrangements. It's pretty much a computer unto itself, with a 5.7-inch 320x240 color display. Have pianos come a long way, or what? What else can it do?
Perhaps it's because of the desire to keep flashlights out of the eyes of innocent moviegoers, perhaps it's because of the Guillermo Del Toro-ian fear the look inspires, or perhaps it's because they just like sweet gadgets, Malaysian ushers are beginning to use night-vision goggles to spot pirates.
The goggles, a present from the Motion Picture Association of America, have already proved their usefulness in 17 cases in the past two months, a time when studios were releasing Spider Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: When Will This Series End?. Another ploy by the MPAA was to import a pair of DVD-sniffing dogs. Responsible for turning up more than half a million bootleg movies, the dogs are now rumored to have a price on their heads, courtesy of said Malaysian pirates.
According to blueprints from the Acme Company, the MPAA will next attempt to mount a large red rocket and light its fuse while aiming it at the place where the Malaysian movie pirates are eating strategically placed birdseed.
This is the latest scifi-slash-absurd design concept from branko Lukic. The Tarati is a phone with no keys, you pass your fingers through the keyholes to dial. Lukic describes it best:
Tarati enables the user to connect with others by passing fingers, in order, through key holes. This action of dialing alone is a more magical experience and, hence, more indicative of what's really happening beyond the visible realm. ... Tarati beckons the user to "touch" someone without physically touching a single key. Its design reflects human connectivity in a less material/mechanical, more sensual, way.
Reach out and touch someone, eh? Sounds like a good commercial jingle for a rotary phone company.
Take a look at the Samsung E210, a good example of the level of pretty cellphone technology you can get for around $200. If you're not looking for email capability, Web access, a QWERTY keyboard, and a monthly cellphone bill that's more expensive than dinner at a New York steakhouse, maybe this 16.5mm-thin flip phone is for you.
Don't you just love it when Samsung trickles down its super-slim technology from its Ultra Edition line of cellphones, bestowing its slim benefits on the great unwashed? You won't suffer too much with this bauble, though—it's got just the right stuff to get the job done. Take the jump to see the spec list.
Microsoft's new Shift technology gives your fatty fingers the kind of accuracy you'd expect from a skinny stylus. All you have to do is hold your finger down over the area on the LCD you're interested in and once the Shift system kicks in, a new pop up window appears with a more detailed view of the area you're highlighting. Then by sliding your finger around, you guide a pair of crosshairs over the new pop-up area. The idea sounds cool, but the thought of a greased up/smudged screen makes me cringe.
Precision Pointing with Fat Fingers [Technology Review via Mobile Mag]
