Monday, October 22, 2007

Electronics Industry Analyst Group Dismisses Greenpeace Claims on iPhone

11:19PM Jesus Diaz | First Apple dismissed Greenpeace’s claims, saying they are still in the process of eliminating PVC and brominated flame retardants from their products. Now an electronics industry analyst group says that Greenpeace study is not only alarmist, since all substances are approved for use by EU regulatory requirements (the strongest in the world) but also has a faulty methodology: More »

Nigerian Man Builds Working Helicopters from Junk

11:01PM Addy Dugdale | A 24-year-old undergraduate from Nigeria is building helicopters out of old car and bike parts. Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi, a physics student, spent eight months building the yellow model seen here, using the money he makes from repairing phones and computers. While some of the parts have been sourced from a crashed 747, the chopper contains all sorts of surprises. More »

Hacker Turns TorrentSpy Secrets for Power and Money

10:24PM Jesus Diaz | Wired has an exclusive story today on how Robert Anderson, a hacker who used to work with TorrentSpy’s founder Justin Bunnell, acted as a stool pigeon for the Motion Picture Association of America following promises of money and power: More »

AT&T Sells Napster Songs Over the Air For $2 Each

10:14PM Wilson Rothman | AT&T, which already sells eMusic songs over the air, will now be selling Napster downloads as well, at $1.99 per track or $7.49 for a bundle o’ five. With an average cost of $1.50, that’s still 50 cents higher than the going online rate of 99 cents, where Sprint now prices its OTA download tracks. (Verizon is still $1.99.) When asked about the cost, AT&T’s spokesman called the young target audience “very price insensitive.” (Maybe before their parents get that first $150 phone bill.) While Reuters didn’t say which phones were compatible with the new Napster service, it did say the iPhone was definitely not one of them. I’m guessing this is for 3G HSDPA handsets only. [Reuters] More »

Japan Gets a Zaku 2-Style Helmet Phone from Sharp and Softbank

9:58PM Addy Dugdale | This must be the only phone I can think of whose charger is larger than the phone itself. Sharp and Softbank’s charmingly-titled 913SH Full Face is a slider (closed, its looks give more than a nod to the iPhone, IMHO) which comes with an enormous Zaku 2 helmet that you stand the phone on to admire, charge, admire and charge. We thought you might like a gallery to brighten up your Monday. More »

Neon Paperclip Lights Perfect for Fans of The Office

9:33PM Addy Dugdale | UK-based furniture designer Gaël Horsfall’s bespoke Neon Paperclip Lamp is a simple design, with a neon paperclip holding the shade in place. There are two sizes: the 31-inch model has a 23-inch paperclip and is suitable for the floor; while the smaller table version measures 15 inches with a 12-inch clip. Both sizes are available in many different colors, but until someone puts Gaël’s designs into production, they are order-only. [Gael Horsfall via DesignSpotter via MoCo Loco] More »

Ferrari Segway PT i2 Is not Faster than Regular Segway

9:30PM Jesus Diaz | The Segway PT i2 Ferrari Limited Edition comes just in time to celebrate Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 championship. However, despite being painted in red, having a “Genuine Leather” handlebar and sporting the Cavallino Rampante shield, it doesn’t run any faster than a regular Segway, neither does it attract sculptural blondes named Ingrid or Helga. In other words, a waste of $12,000. Maybe Ron Dennis’ darling snotty-boy Lewis Hamilton should drive one next year. [Ferrari Store via Sybarites] galleryPost('ferrarisegway', 4, 'Ferrari Segway'); More »

Scientist Correct Funny Nano-Wires, Pave Way for Handheld Supercomputers

8:42PM Jesus Diaz | Some scientists claim that they have invented a tool that will correct the strange behaviour or nano-wires, effectively allowing the creation of “supercomputers the size of a matchbox.” Previously this was not possible because, according to University of Edinburgh’s school of engineering and electronics Dr Michael Zaiser, as they reduced wires they “started to behave in a very funny way.” Zaiser failed to disclose if cables were Groucho Marx-funny or Will Ferrell-funny, but declared that “holding a supercomputer in the palm of your hand will one day be possible—and we are going to make sure all the wires are in the right place.” [BBC News] More »