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Sick of your fellow workers constantly screwing up your morning tea or coffee? Suck UK have come up with the solution (and it's not a kick up the arse). A pantone-style mug, which shows all the shades of tea, from Milky to Builders'. There's a coffee version too. More images after the jump.
Sony says that their new entry-level HVR HD-1000U video camera brings professional high definition moviemaking for "wedding videographers, freelancers and educational video creators." So why is this camera good for filming high-def porn? For one, the shoulder-mount design will tighten those pans, as will the Super SteadyShot optical image stabilizer. Not to mention the Smooth Slow Rec, for 240 fields per second slow-motion shots.
Remember our tutorial on how to install applications on your iPhone, no hacking skills required? It just got even easier: now you don't need to get into the Terminal to do it. It's as simple as starting up the new... Read More »
Here's video of Sony's upcoming Go!Explore realtime map for the PSP. We're digging that the software is free with a purchase of Sony's GPS add-on. Because not everyone owns an iPhone, OK? And not all of us want calamari three meals a day. [Kotaku]
While filming this walkthrough of Sony's new DVR on the PS3 (with content streamed to the PSP), I mouthed to another writer, "This is hot shit!"
And I meant it. Especially regarding the part that looks like Apple's Front Row. [Kotaku]
Sony has announced a new fuel-cell battery that runs on glucose. It works by breaking down carbohydrates with enzymes, in much the same way as us humans do. It doesn't seem to be ready for release yet, but the video after the jump shows that it's already capable of powering an MP3 player.
Of all Sony's recent PSP announcements, this is really the only one that could directly impact American consumers in the near future...and long distance relationships everywhere. [Kotaku]
Apparently 43% of college students identify smell as the thing they most love about books. CaféScribe have taken this odd statistic and run with it, creating the world's first smelly e-book.
A Czech mobile site has got hold of pictures of Samsung's i450 slider. Despite the fact that there are still no details available (are we gonna see them at IFA next week, then, Samsung?) it looks to us like there's a little speaker hiding out at the top of the phone.
After holding the D3 and D300 for several minutes, the Digital Rebel XTi I'm using (blasphemy at a Nikon event, I know) feels like a fucking toy—when I fired the D3 on burst mode, I felt like Arnold firing the minigun in T2 between the rapid clacking and the weight. I've never held a more solid-feeling camera, though. (The D300 isn't exactly a featherweight either, but you won't need to swallow some spinach beforehand.) And the LCD screens: gorgeous. You could watch movies on them. Jump to keep reading and see the D300 from all angles.
Ladies, when you go away on vacation, are your menfolk always saying, "Coo-er, missus, you've must have packed everything but the kitchen sink in here," when they heft your suitcase into the car? Well, now you can prove them right, with this take-away basin. It's obviously just a concept right now, but what a wonderful idea. Wouldn't it be great to be able to say occasionally, "honey, you are so right," just for a change?
The take-away sink is designed by Jessica Nebel, who reckons it will encourage water saving. [Yanko]
I can't tell you much about this wallpaper, except for that I think it rules the school. It's basically a two-dimensional light source that switches on and off. Please, someone put Jonas Samson's idea into practice, because I'd have no hesitation in putting this up in my bedroom. Just one question, though: does it come in a roll? [Design Scoops]
The office can be a dangerous place, full of danger and boredom. Thankfully ThinkGeek have come to the rescue with some lightweight and affordable chain mail. At only 20 pounds, this aluminum armour is light enough to wear all day, and comes in both large and medium sizes. It should fend off light blows and any attention from the opposite sex.
Nikon also announced the D300 today, as was heavily rumored. Its latest prosumer DSLR is loaded with a 12.3 megapixel DX format CMOS sensor (the one Sony just announced), 6fps burst—it goes up to 8 with the optional battery pack, HDMI support with 1080i playback, 200-3200 ISO range, live view and a 3-inch viewfinder (the same as the D3's). It too is shipping in November, with a body-only price of $1799. This is a lot of camera for less than half of what the D3 costs.
The rumors were true: The newest Nikon flagship DSLR is the D3. For starters, it's the DSLR with the "fastest start up time, shortest viewfinder blackout time, and shortest shutter lag" of any. And it sports a 12.1-megapixel FX format (full frame) CMOS sensor, a 3-inch, 920,000-pixel VGA viewfinder with a 170-degree viewing angle, live view, a 51-point autofocus system with 15 cross-type AF points, and a 200-6400 ISO range. And dropped into Hi 2 Mode can hit a crazy ISO equivalent of 25,600. (Maybe with grain the size of asteroids, but likely NOT.)
How many people have said that these high-zoom cameras should have wider-angle starting points? Olympus' SP-560 Ultra Zoom ($450) does just that, with an 18x optical zoom lens ranging 27 to 486 mm (that's 35 mm equivalent). And that's not all this chunky funky camera has going for it.
Olympus is talking tough about its latest waterproof and freeze-proof Stylus 790SW camera, the successor to that Stylus 770SW we saw frozen in a block of ice. Carrying on that everything-proof tradition, this one still can brave freezing, dust, shock and water, but adds intriguing new tech under the hood at the same time.
Olympus' new FE cameras—FE-280 ($200), FE-290 ($250) and FE-300 ($300)—are built to be "fun" and "easy," with a smile-recognition program, a way to fix bad images on the fly, and other cool tricks, plus a 12-megapixel version for $300.
The FE-280 and FE-300 are essentially the same camera with 2.5" LCDs and 3x optical zoom lenses. The difference is, one registers 8 megapixels while the other carries a whopping 12 (and for $300!). They both have face detection, digital image stabilization, and something called "perfect shot preview," which simultaneously previews different exposures, white balances and metering so you can choose (and learn). They also have the Perfect Fix, which tweaks blurred, red-eye infested or poorly lit images after you take them.
DivX is launching a hardware platform for a media streaming box with openness in mind. The set top box I was showed (a plain looking reference design) had HDMI, component, composite outputs and a b/g WiFi and Ethernet connections for connecting to your PC. The gorgeous UI I saw had PS3-like 3d thumbnails of videos and photos, and music can play in the background as you browse your albums. There's even a front page weather widget. And the whole thing is built on an open API so it should be fairly easy to add metadata or build plugins in a pretty nice UI.
Here's the interesting thing that keeps costs down -- decoding of, say a HD DivX video stream is done on your PC and the decompressed (or partially decompressed) video is sent to the box. That keeps the cost of the box down, and although DivX wouldn't say how much the boxes would be when the launched in a couple of months, I'd guess that they'd be below $200.
Minimum requirements for the box are a P4 1.6Ghz CPU, with half a gig of RAM. More as we play with this thing.
Apple Legal has asked Giz to take down the iPhone nano spy shots from earlier today because they are their "intellectual property." Out of respect for The Steve, we've complied. This pretty much confirms they belong to Apple, whether they are final or a prototype. However, the image above is all ours —done from scratch in Photoshop. And compared to the iPhone, we still think it looks like crap a step back. It better be 3mm thin —or else. Check the complete image here.
Sony Ericsson sent over a test bed of phones that could be imported, or may be available in the US at some point in the future. Some of the phones are old friends but we could stare at these beauties all day and then some, so I don't mind recapping the contents and taking fresh shots.
•The ultra slim W880 Walkman Phone
•The W580 mid-range Walkman slider with flashing lights on its side.
•The entry level W200a, with a screen that is less than fantastic.
•The one piece speaker, the mps-75 and the two-piece mps-70.
These are some of the most gorgeous phones in the industry. Lap up the shots.
Apparently, AT&T has decided to cut their huge paper waste and environmental mayhem in a radical way. One 300-page iPhone bill later and probably a couple of calls from the Mighty Green Jobso, some readers are reporting short messages from... Read More »
Although the press release doesn't mention my beloved chicken sashimi, it does say that the CulinaryPrep home unit, which went on sale today for $400, "removes e.coli, listeria, salmonella and other dangerous impurities from food." Still, something about it smells fishy.
The key to the patented Grovac bacteria-killing process is some kind of "all-natural" antimicrobial "neutralizer" solution invented by a pharmacist named Bill Groves who wanted to remove the "muddy" taste from his catfish. I hope it's not lemon juice, because I can get that without spending $400.
Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:22 AM on August 23, 2007
Ah, the Dolphin! This year marks the 40th anniversary for the iconic Aussie torches that were passed by as Maglight and friends turned up and went metal on shedding light at the darkest hour. But drop a Mag in water and that sucker is going to briskly head south, possibly to make sexy time with one of those weird deep ocean fish with a light above its fanged maw. And that's when you'll wish you'd gone for a tough, waterproof, floating Dolphin friend.
Well it's a good time to get one, because not only has Dolphin gone Xenon for a 30% brightness boost, it also now comes in Mini and Micro varieties for when you need something more portable. Stupidly cheap with lifetime guarantee! More details and pics to give real-world scale below.
Posted by Seamus Byrne at 9:30 AM on August 23, 2007
Sharp unveils 'experimental' LCD TVs just 20mm thin.
I'd be worried it's going to fall over, or blow away.
Rowing across Canada in a 'road-boat'.
Let's see them take on the Darwin-Adelaide run!
Google conquers the stars after fully invading Earth.
New Sky feature in Google Earth SERIOUSLY kicks butt.
Water chopper modded from Yamaha and Nissan parts.
Is it still a mod when you've created something genuinely new?
Dell XPS 420 Desktop leaks.
The news, that is, not the desktop. It's rad.
Sony Europe releases PlayTV PVR for PS3.
Yay! That's a PAL territory! Early '08 launch.
Alleged iPod nano spy shot shows fat, big-screened nano.
They've apparently had a take down, but nowadays that would be a good way to improve the standing of your hoax. I hope they're not this ugly... I JUST WANT A PROPER VIDEO IPOD!
Hands on with HP's Windows Home Server.
Verdict: Great in unpredicted ways. Personally, I'm not sure if I want to reuse an old machine or get a sexy purpose built little server... though my ReadyNAS might get jealous.
If you're in the market for an LCD, you'd probably have to investigate Sharp 92 series and Samsung's 65F series, their top tier LCDs at the moment. I've been playing with both, and they're both pretty well equipped with 1080p displays, 3 HDMI ports, 15000:1 contrast ratios, 120Hz tech, and more than enough brightness. Picture quality is a trade off: The Sharp has a more dramatic picture, with a deeper black level and richer colors off the bat. The Sammy has a more natural picture, in terms of contrast, even if it looks washy at times. Adjustments bring them on par with each other. There are some differences, however.
Olive's just released a Opus No3 with a 250GB hard drive that's designed to hold 700 CDs worth of music in lossless capacity. The thing is iTunes compatible, rips CDs from disc to its hard drive, and is compatible with their Preload service (which you can send CDs to and they'll rip and include your music on a new unit). The 305S with a 160GB hard drive will go for $1,199, and the 307S with 250GB hard drive will go for $1,699. Not a bad price for slim standalone units, but a PC can do the same job, albeit in a larger, uglier way.
[Olive via ]
Seen at Wal-Mart, the finest high-tech outlet in the US, this PlayStation 3 store display has not just PS3 games and Blu-ray movies, it even has HD DVDs as well! No wonder its console costs so much. Hidden HD DVD support that nobody knew about! Click in for a better view. [Thanks Tipster!]
Speaking of Windows Home Server, Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research has lived with one for a while and really, really likes it. In fact, he said it was one of those things (like the first time you used TiVo) that you didn't know you needed until you experienced it. Here are some of the things he loves:
Well, this is depressing. A new website that's sure to really change the media landscape has appeared; it's called MoanMyIP.com. Any guesses as to what it does? Yes, that's right, it has a "sexy" girl moan your IP address to you. Look guys, I know that a lot of you are really sex starved and the only thing you ever have physical contact with is your computer, but to pop a tent over a website that reads your goddamned IP address to you in a porny moan is just too much. I need a shower. [Moan My IP via The Raw Feed]
Bang & Olufsen's latest sex-tastic DVD player doesn't just play back DVDs, there's an analog TV tuner, HDMI output, Guide Plus+, a 250GB hard drive and the ability to burn shows to DVD as well. This may not have TiVo-level functionality, but it's infinitely better looking. And when's the last time anyone besides that redhead on Sex and the City wanted to hump a TiVo? [B&O via Far East Gizmos via New Launches]
[UPDATE 3:54PM EST: apparently Apple called 9 to 5 Mac and asked them to take down the spy shots that you can still see here in the Giz. So yes, this thing could be real, unless the 9 to 5 people are not telling the truth, of course.] You already saw the allegedly—and obligatorily blurry— spy shots of the new jeans-pocket-sized iPod nano. Now here's a crystal-clear picture of how it would look like if the pics are confirmed to be real. All the Gizmodo crew are hoping that they are not.
Blu-ray has been turning the tide, selling almost twice as many discs this year as HD DVD. Their next weapon in the format war? A 40-foot-long promotional mega-kiosk, shaped like a Magic Kingdom Castle. The moving castle will target the fence early adopters are squatting on by touring 18 malls across the nation (by the food court, probably). The first showing happened on August 17th, in the Westfield Topanga Mall, Conoga Park, CA. God help us all. They're demoing Cars. Watch your wallets, mallwalkers.
[UPDATE: IMAGE REMOVED AT APPLE'S REQUEST - GUESS IT *IS* THE REAL NEW IPOD NANO... OH DEAR, SO UGLY...]
9 to 5 Mac has a couple follow-up spy shots of the iPod nano resdesign we posted about last weekend. If these are real, then it confirms the fat nanos that have a giant screen on the top half (which supposedly plays videos) and the scroll wheel on the bottom half. And it confirms those colors we talked about earlier as well. It also confirms that these nanos are kinda ugly and fat. [9to5mac]
Remember the badass "UFO in Haiti" video that was all the rage last week? Big surprise, guys: It was a fake.
If you recently purchased one of those new slim aluminum Apple keyboards, you might have noticed that a couple of the fancy function keys on top (where the F-keys are) didn't work. Namely, the F3 and F4 keys, which activate the Exposé and the Dashboard functions. Even using OS X's built-in keyboard shortcut remapping tool doesn't fix this. I've confirmed on my own Apple keyboard that it doesn't work. What's up with this, Apple? Is there going to be another keyboard software update soon? [Apple Support]