July 2, 2007

Wheelchairs Could Be Tongue-Controlled - Just Like My Favourite Button

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 11:48 PM on July 2, 2007

wheelchair2.gif Tongue-controlled wheelchairs could be in the offing by the end of the year, thanks to a US company. Think-A-Move is using a device made by a couple of engineers from Southern Illinois University, which consists of a simple earpiece that determines how a person is moving their tongue, thanks to a person's Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the mouth. The research team asked eight people to perform four basic tongue movements—up, down, left and right—one hundred times, while wearing an earplug that contained a microphone pointing into the ear. The device, which works because of the mic's ability detect subtle pressure changes inside the ear, had a 97 per cent success rate. US wheelchair company Think-A-Move already has a wheelchair control system aimed at quadriplegics controlled by swallows and coughs, but is planning on releasing a wheelchair that uses this system at by the end of the year. Ravi Vaidyanathan, one of the engineers behind the idea, who is now at Southampton University, thinks that a tongue-controlled system will be more hygienic. "It also keeps the mouth free for talking," he claimed. Earplug provides steer-by-tongue control [New Scientist]

Sharp Aquos G Series 120Hz LCD Panels Have Increased Colour Range

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 11:35 PM on July 2, 2007

sh1_02.jpgSharp is revamping their Aquos G Series first in Japan, then the world. 16 models going from a basic 26-incher to 52 inches of sick-inducing 120Hz Full HD glory. According to Sharp, they increase their colour range adding a fourth wavelength lamp to the backlighting. Despite having no multi-touch capabilities, screen keyboard or any Apple logo to be seen, they share the same sleek black and silver look as that other thing, as you will see in the gallery after the jump.

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Pandigital Intros Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Battery Pack Adaptors for its Digital Picture Frames

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 11:15 PM on July 2, 2007

pandigital_frameclocks.jpgBesides rolling out seven new digital photo frames in sizes ranging from 6 inches to 15 inches, Pandigital cut the cord today with three accessories for its line of photo frames: a Bluetooth connector/adapter, a Wi-Fi connector/adapter, and also a battery pack.

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LCD Display Krups Toaster is Sleek and Makes Toast

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 10:07 PM on July 2, 2007

krups-lcd-toaster.jpg Krups seems to have come up with the master-toaster's toaster. The TT6190 can do all kinds of everything to your buns, as well lighting up your kitchen and seducing your wife. For $US60, what else can this baby do? There's a defrost option, which means no burnt corners and frozen centre when you put your bread straight in from the freezer, and eight different toasting options - even bagels are catered for. The brushed steel exterior is cool to the touch (why does that sound like something from Danielle Steele?) and there's a cancel button if you think you're giving your bread the wrong treatment. Oh, and there's no dicing with death as you stick the knife down the slot in search for that dwarf piece of toast, as there's a special high-lift toasting lever. My only complaint is that the TT6190 doesn't have four slots, because I'm a greedy girl who can woof eight slices in one sitting. Krups lands either a toaster or UFO in your kitchen [Sci-Fi Tech]

Teppan-Style Grill from Onfalos Brings Flower Power to the Yard

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 9:11 PM on July 2, 2007

onfalos-grills-1_48.jpg Alpina and Smartech Italia SpA are behind the Onfalos, a teppan-style grill for your garden. Made of stainless steel, the Onfalos grill is so hardcore you can even grill in a blizzard - if you want to, that is - and all you need is a 5kg gas cylinder. The combustion chamber and chimney are hidden beneath the circular plate (apparently it's easy to clean if you're a slob like me) inside a cone-shaped structure, and there is a drain tray to collect the cooking liquids. The petals come in six colors - lilac, hot, white, mandarin, pearl gray and sun - which I guess are for resting the plates on when you're serving up. Oh, and did you know that Ónfalos means "belly button" in Greek? No, me neither.

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"People Who Can't Type Fast on iPhone are Retarded," Anonymous YouTuber Declares

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 7:50 PM on July 2, 2007

Well, I guess he's right. We are getting there, though. And we are not retarded. Just a little bit spastic.

Pocket Pee-Bag Turns Urine into Gel and Friends into Memories

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 7:32 PM on July 2, 2007

pocket-urinal.jpgWhat do you do if you're sitting in line waiting to pick up your iPhone and suddenly feel the call of nature - eh, Brian? Do you:

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Steampunk Lights Illuminate Your Home or Invade the Planet

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 7:04 PM on July 2, 2007

steamlights.jpgGerman lighting wunderwizard Frank Buchwald has a series of lighting fixtures that will look as good in your desk as in Captain Nemo's quarters or some Area 51's specimen gallery. As illustrated by the Series 9 model here, they go beyond steampunk and get straight into alien life-form territory. I wish they could also walk. FRANK BUCHWALD MACHINE LIGHTS [Frank Buchwald via Boing Boing]

Opening Weekend iPhone Numbers: 500,000 Sold, Mostly (Surprise) 8GB Models

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 5:02 PM on July 2, 2007

Analysts from Piper Jaffray guesstimate that Apple moved around half a million iPhones in the 48 hours from 6PM Friday to 6PM Sunday. Besides the big-baller number, there are a couple other chewy ones: 95 per cent of SF, NY and Minneapolis disciples picked up the 8GB version and about half were new AT&T victims customers. Well, of the 253 people interviewed anyway, so take that for what you will. Bottom line? Slice and dice the stats however you want, it seems pretty safe to check the success column for the iPhone launch - they sold a buttload and pretty much everybody who really wanted one got one - despite some sniggles. If you didn't purchase salvation yet, fret not, 84 per cent of Apple stores still had phones in stock on Sunday (but don't be shocked if only the 4GBers remain). Or you could grit your teeth and try to bear 2-4 week ship time from the online Apple Store. Piper Jaffray: 500,000 iPhones sold over the weekend [Crave via Boy Genius Report]

Destroy Your G.I. Joes With Remote-Controlled VS Tanks

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 3:00 PM on July 2, 2007

vstanks.jpgDefinitely more awesome than Tokyo Wars, VS Tanks feature rotational turrets that fire AirSoft shells, and can go disco with a "super spin" move to bewilder and confuse opponents. On top of the obvious remote control goodness, you can outfit each one with an action cam so you can relive your friend's humiliating defeat again and again. Video and set deets after the jump.

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Universal Flexes Muscles, Not Renewing Long Term iTunes Music Contract

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 2:04 PM on July 2, 2007

Just as Apple was riding high on the iPhone, Ferris Bueller style in a parade of fans and media alike, Universal Music plans to throw a knee into Jobs and Co.'s collective crotch. Universal Music Group will supposedly tell Apple that they will not be renewing a long term contract for iTunes music, instead going for a short-term sales agreement that will still let Apple keep their artists's music up for sale. This shorter contract benefits Universal by letting it have more flexibility in dealings with other music services, presumably ones like Microsoft's Zune or Rhapsody, or even its own store if it feels up to it. How does this affect you? Our guess is that it won't. Apple will do a lot to keep Universal at the table, which probably means you won't be missing your Alizee or your Amy Grant anytime soon. But it may mean lower profits for Apple itself, and could slow down any efforts in motion to get DRM-free (like EMI's catalog) into iTunes. Universal Music May Not Renew iTunes Contract [WSJ]

iPhone Battery Life Not Even Close to Rated Specs?

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 1:42 PM on July 2, 2007

Take this with a grain of salt, until more tests come in. WirelessInfo, the site that does 15,000 word mobile phone reviews, just finished testing the iPhone's battery life while talking and browsing, and it's not looking even close to the rated specs, or the other phones in that battery life chart that Apple published. 4 hours and 3 minutes of voice, and 3 hours and 11 minutes using the browser and EDGE; if they'd gone for 3G, that would even be shorter.

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iPhone Ringtones Kind of Bother Me (Video)

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 1:14 PM on July 2, 2007

Not only are we kept from using AAC or even nude MP3 files for ringtones, we're stuck with a list of mostly bad ringtones. (I did find one I like, and it's not the one from the Macworld Keynote.) We can't even buy new ringtones, although iTunes 7.3 seems to have functionality for this hidden away.

Euro Giz '07: Shay does a runner

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:00 AM on July 2, 2007

liquids-baggie.JPG

It's not you, it's me. Okay, I'm not 'leaving' leaving, but I am off to Europe for three weeks to cover the eSports World Cup and see how Aussie reps Team Immunity do in the Counter-Strike finals. (I write for papers and mags too, not just Giz - but you guys are my favourites, of course).

I'll still be working the Giz updates plus bringing you any interesting gadget news I come across on my travels. But as AU is still a one man show, forgive me if I have some connectivity teething problems in coming days. Pretty sure I've got solid access while away, but you can never be 100% sure until you jack in.

We do have a guest editor scheduled for one week at the end of July when I take my first week off work (not Giz, obviously) since 2003. Offline and everything! For now, I'll be back in the seat Wednesday when I hit the ground in Paris. Bon Voyage!

All non-iPhone posts uncovered!

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 9:31 AM on July 2, 2007

Four iPhones Per Person at Apple Stores

The two-iPhones-per-person rule instituted for people who lined up on launch day? Out the window. You can now buy four iPhones in the SF store, and possibly even more depending on how your local Apple store operates. Go nuts,... Read More »

iPhone Bluetooth Not Much, But What's There Is Charming

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:33 AM on July 2, 2007

Bluetooth-options.jpgRemember way back in 2004, when Verizon Wireless introduced Motorola's V710 with "crippled" Bluetooth? Headset pairing worked, but there were no file-transfer options and other extended features. People literally sued in protest. Well, as you probably know, the scales of justice never tipped. In the past three years, most Bluetooth phones sold by carriers in the US have been "crippled" in that sense, including the iPhone: • It can't transfer files to a PC, or appear on a desktop for drag-and-drop file juggling. • It can't send a photo to a Bluetooth printer. • It can't stream audio via Bluetooth to a compatible speaker system or headset. (Video is out of the question.) However, it can link with any Bluetooth headset on the market, including the Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset that will soon be at an Apple Store near you. Now that you're depressed about its lack of capability, want to hear what's cool?

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No Video Output on iPhone

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:29 AM on July 2, 2007

no_video.jpgIt's official: your older video iPod can duplicate many of the features of Apple TV, but the iPhone specifically cannot. There is no capacity for outputting video, via Apple dock, cable or third-party accessory. This means that the iPhone will not be a direct competitor to the Apple TV (good news for Apple, perhaps). It also means that any videos you may have bought a second time or encoded again at higher resolution may have been in vain. And so are your chances of ever bringing movies to your vacation rental, weekend home or friend's house to watch via iPhone.

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Cute Kid in iPhone Costume

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:16 AM on July 2, 2007

I bumped into Leander from Cult of Mac on Friday's launch, with the cutest thing ever -- his kid dressed up as an iPhone. Some Macheads pointed out the icons were incorrect, missing YouTube. And people think we're sick. Listen to Leander tell the kid to keep smiling for the cameras, or else there'll be no iPhone playtime later.

iPhone Destruction, From Accident to Premediated

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:00 AM on July 2, 2007

random%20from%20camera%20100WTMK.JPG Let's start with the accidental... ;) A reader dropped her iPhone (pictured above) shortly after buying it, from a distance of only two feet up, but managed to crack her screen on the thinly-carpeted floor. But with no replacement plan, insurance, or any sort of clumsy-protection, she found herself screwed out of $600. That was, until the Apple store from which she purchased the unit emailed her and replaced it free. Wow. Her quote: "I guess they felt sorry for me."

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iPhone eBay and Craigslist Watch: It's a Buyer's Market

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 6:23 AM on July 2, 2007

appleebay.pngEven though most AT&T stores sold out of iPhones on the first day, many Apple stores still had them in yesterday (as well as today). So why are people putting up iPhones for $700-$900 on Craigslist? And why are auctions on eBay ending at higher than retail? It's hard to say. Looking through completed auctions on eBay, you see lots of phones selling for around $650 with free shipping, which means you're getting a phone for just about retail. There are a few that went for crazier amounts ($700+), but those are pretty rare. So it looks like a buyer's market on eBay. If you live in a state without an Apple store, you can definitely score one here for close to retail.

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iPhone Works With iPod Music Docks But Not Video Docks

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 5:59 AM on July 2, 2007

Not_for_iphone.jpgWhen it comes to iPhone compatibility with old-school docks and accessories, the fear factor has been pretty high. Compounding that is the annoying message you get as soon as you dock an iPhone: "This accessory is not made to work with iPhone." Then, more mysteriously, "Would you like to turn on Airplane Mode to reduce audio interference (you will not be able to make or receive calls)?" I have tested it on a few music docks, daringly answering "No" each time, and I'm happy to report, it's no big deal. On the flipside, anyone who bought one of those newer video docks is bound to be frustrated, because in our testing, they didn't work.

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Kickin' It Old School With Lil' Optimus at the 2007 BotCon

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 5:30 AM on July 2, 2007

If you know what's good for you, you'll watch this video. I encountered the ultimate "Mini Me" of Transformer Land this Saturday at the 2007 BotCon Transformers trade show in Providence, RI. Lil' Optimus and his madcap creator (Mr. Stripey Hat) spent several months converting his motorized wheelchair into a full-blown Optimus Prime tractor trailer. It even opens up to reveal Prime's gun and a Wal-Mart storage bin--I mean--Roller! The two were a hit at BotCon, and I was fortunate enough to extract some words of wisdom from the G1 Joystick General.

iPhone Gets iChat Connection in Leopard

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 5:22 AM on July 2, 2007

You know that AIM mobile device forwarding that forwards your AIM messages to your phone via SMS? The one that just about all IM clients already have now? Apple's building a link to that feature in Leopard's iChat, under the accounts screen in preferences. What does this do? Well, with this, you can forward your messages to your iPhone, which with the iChat-like SMS screen, gives you a kind of iChat-esque option for chat. It's pretty ghetto, and it's pretty much the least Apple could do to get iChat onto the iPhone. How about we see a real iChat app, or better yet, a multi-client chat client like Adium? AOL Mobile

iPhone lifecam switched on ·  Gizmodo's no-lifecam is online again, I'm filming some iPhone stuff live. [iPhone SF Campout Live Video]

Unconfirmed: Activate the iPhone With Extra iPhone

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 5:07 AM on July 2, 2007

-2iphone.jpegMost people know by now that the iPhone is essentially a brick without a contract and activation. But a lot of the phone's features don't require phone service at all, like WiFi and music playback. And pending that you have two iPhones handy, we have unconfirmed instructions on how to activate those latent features without a contract, after the jump.

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What To Do With the iPhone While Waiting for Service

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:55 AM on July 2, 2007

Waiting for the painfully long iPhone activation has brought about all sorts of creative, unlisted functions from the iPhone's feature set. Reports of iPhone coasters, sushi trays, and tear collectors have filled the Internet. And then, of course, there is this...Video by Richard Blakeley. So what have you been doing with your iPhone while waiting to make calls, surf the web, and be cool like Steve Jobs? Hit the tips line with stories and pics.

Holux GR-239, A Smoking Hot GPS

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:43 AM on July 2, 2007

holux-gr-239-01.jpgHolux makes some cool GPS units, and the GR-239 is no exception. Sure it's another SiRF Star III receiver, but it hosts some convenient features like plugging into your car's cigarette lighter power port, and transmitting information via Bluetooth or a wired USB connection. At $120 the convenience doesn't come cheap, but think of all the savings if it stops you from smoking. Product Page [via navigadget]

Woman Wants to Buy $100,000 in iPhones, Can't

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:00 AM on July 2, 2007

For anyone who hasn't heard this story, we highly recommend it. A woman buys the front spot in line to purchase $100,000 in iPhones to sell on eBay. The catch? She has no clue about the one per customer limit (at this AT&T store). Still, our favorite moment is when the boy tells the camera "That's a serious package, folks," and he thinks we're laughing WITH him. Well, we sorta are I guess.

iPhone Availability Shifting, Apple Promotes Their Lines

While it hasn't been tough for those who didn't wait in line to pick up an iPhone, Apple has updated their site with new availability instructions for their (fleeting?) stock.... Read More »

An Inspirational Quest at the Transformers BotCon 2007

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 3:08 AM on July 2, 2007

Here it is, folks: BotCon 2007. I laughed, I cried. I sang "The Touch" with Stan Bush. And I almost got kicked out. But the fulcrum of my joy was derived not from the colossal Optimus Prime statue or the latest transforming Nerf weapons. It was derived from the fans I encountered. Some of what you're about to see might scare you. Just remember that it's much, much more than meets the eye.

STITCH Glasses

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 1:41 AM on July 2, 2007

stitch-your-own-glasses.jpgSTITCH glasses by designer Seungyoub Oh take your favorite moments of eating cookies at Grandma's and combine them with the coolest moments from now-banned cigarette advertising. Yes, dear readers, glasses have fused with doilies. Featuring customizable removable side panels, you can personalize your bling without fumbling around, dropping your expensive lenses. And while we'd never wear a pair of these conceptual monstrosities, the promise of easy-to-update, one-of-a-kind accessories are very appealing to us in a techworld dominated by stark monochrome. Design Page [via randomgoodstuff]

Planetary Lamps Get You High

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 1:00 AM on July 2, 2007

takara_planets.jpgBy Japanese manufacturer TakaraTomy, these $27 floating lamps resemble our own two favorite members of the Solar System, the Earth and its moon. Simple in design, the lamps are simply mylar balloons (like you'd see at a birthday party) with an LED at the bottom to make it glow. We'd love to see buy more durable version without the helium. Because the two extra tanks of gas are just going to tempt us into trading more brain cells for fleeting moments of funny speech. Product Page [via technabob]

Only 30% of Gamers Know Their Consoles Play Movies

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 12:16 AM on July 2, 2007

driveinsignwtmk.jpgIn a recent study by The Diffusion Group, analysts discovered some alarming facts about gamers and just how often they use—or know they can use—the multimedia capabilities of their consoles. Here are the numbers: - 80% of console owners can playback DVD or Blu-ray discs. - 30% even know about those features - 13% use those features Also...

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