The Wall Street Journal has confirmed that Amp’d Mobile filed for Chapter 11 late Friday night.
I’m not all that surprised, especially given the crazy amounts they’ve spent on advertising when compared to their relatively low 200,000 subscriber count. Was their mobile multimedia focus ahead of its time, or just not in line with consumer tastes? – Mark Wilson
Amp’d Mobile Files For Chapter 11 [wsj] More »
Remember the badass Toshiba WM6 Pro smartphone we told you about with QWERTY, WiFi, 2MP camera, tri-band HSDPA and 800×400 touchscreen? Well, the FCC gave it their stamp of approval.
So this means we’ll see it in the US soon? Not necessarily. Baby steps, people. Baby steps. Until then you can always import it. – Mark Wilson
We just can’t get enough of Tokyoflash’s product lines here at the Giz, and the newly updated EG line is no exception. It gives us that combination of style and confusing lesser, stupid people that we just can’t quit.
The EG3 is a fine-looking watch, sporting nine tiny glass windows through which you to decipher the LCD time (hour on top, 10 minute in middle and minute on bottom). Coming in three fairly obvious colors, you’ll need to fork out $80 for the IQ boost. And soon, since these bad boys are limited edition.
Detail shots after the jump. More »
IGN did some extensive testing on the PS3′s new update that scales PS and PS2 games to full 1080p resolution. Even shrunk down for embedding purposes, it’s obvious that the upscaling and smoothing can really just add a lot of blur to an image. In some places this is good (like those crowds in the back) while in others, it just makes us need glasses (like on the text or maybe even the Undertaker himself).
It’s a predictable response from Sony, really. Ditch the jaggies in 480i games and accept the consequences. But how does the system deal with 480p-supported games? More »
The Odyssey has realized the ultimate technology of Tron: no, not digitizing real objects—the ability to throw around a glowy disc that looks neat.
Powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery, 4 high-intensity LEDs glow bright enough to be seen for 2 miles. And ultimate frisbee fans will be happy to know that the disc is regulation size, with the lights and power only adding a measly 10 grams to the weight. You pick between blue, red and green. Prices run about $20.
We like it. Bonus shot, post-jump. More »
The Soban Photo Keychain is a replacement for storing wallet-sized pictures of your kids printed out on—gasp—paper. Instead, the Soban has 128mb of memory storing up to 7,000 (really tiny) photos. A slideshow can run for 8 hours on a charge.
Let’s be clear about one thing: the Soban is not a good product. Even if the screen is decent, it’s too bulky for a keychain when we can already use cellphones for a similar purpose. However, should such a display be thinned and actually fit in a wallet, it could be a reasonable product update for baby boomers and retro cool to the younger generations. At least that’s my two cents on the matter.
Hit the jump for the kinda neat side view (hint: it looks like a bunch of stacked photos). More »
Check out his new Spyshot 6 camera. It sports a 100,000MP CMOS sensor and a bajillion times zoom. And everything good in the whole entire world.
Because it’s not a camera, but a Transformer! Hit the jump to see the badass robot that this stupid camera transforms evolves to… More »
We collect a LOT of business cards throughout the year, and while most of them are far from memorable, every now and then one stands out. But even of the few cool ones I’ve been handed, none of them are quite as awesome as this lock pick card, which is loaded up with fully functional tools besides looking incredibly sleek and modern. Just don’t show it to Patrick Bateman. – Matt Buchanan
The Japan Science and Technology Agency recently unveiled their Child-Robot with Biometric Body, or CB2 for short. Designed to mimic a one to two year-old toddler, it senses the environment through optical, auditory, and 200 tactile sensors. Then, the childbot can react, making facial expressions complete with blinking.
51 actuators powered by air assure smooth movements, though the robot can only stand with assistance. Not only does this limit of movement give users the complete child experience, it also prevents Asimo incidents on the stairs.
AU: Thanks to Richard for a hook up to the Pink Tentacle coverage, which includes some more deets and vids. -SB
Hit the jump for more pics. More »
