Monday, July 2, 2007
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Wheelchairs Could Be Tongue-Controlled – Just Like My Favourite Button
11:48PM Gizmodo US Edition | 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] More »
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Sharp Aquos G Series 120Hz LCD Panels Have Increased Colour Range
11:35PM Gizmodo US Edition | Sharp 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. More »
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Pandigital Intros Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Battery Pack Adaptors for its Digital Picture Frames
11:15PM Gizmodo US Edition | Besides 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. More »
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LCD Display Krups Toaster is Sleek and Makes Toast
10:07PM Gizmodo US Edition | 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] More »
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Teppan-Style Grill from Onfalos Brings Flower Power to the Yard
9:11PM Gizmodo US Edition | 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. More »
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“People Who Can’t Type Fast on iPhone are Retarded,” Anonymous YouTuber Declares
7:50PM Gizmodo US Edition | Well, I guess he’s right. We are getting there, though. And we are not retarded. Just a little bit spastic. More »
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Pocket Pee-Bag Turns Urine into Gel and Friends into Memories
7:32PM Gizmodo US Edition | What 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: More »
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Steampunk Lights Illuminate Your Home or Invade the Planet
7:04PM Gizmodo US Edition | German 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. galleryPost('frankbuchwaldlights', 8, 'frankbuchwaldlights'); FRANK BUCHWALD MACHINE LIGHTS [Frank Buchwald via Boing Boing] More »
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Opening Weekend iPhone Numbers: 500,000 Sold, Mostly (Surprise) 8GB Models
5:02PM Gizmodo US Edition | 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] More »
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