RSS Feeds
|
BR DE ES FR IT JP NL UK US
Babblebaby
|
Defamer
|
Gizmodo
|
Kotaku
|
Lifehacker
Let us salute creative types who are super-brazilliant at hacking MP3 players and have a bit of time on their hands, because this is what they can come up with — a super iPod that is 50 times bigger than the real thing, and that probably won't break when you drop it. There's a gallery below, but you can catch all the pics and instructions at Instructables. [Instructables]
This is Toyota's latest toy, a 78-ton driving simulator that recreates situations too wild for real life. Consisting of a 7m dome perched on top of a 4.5m-high gantry, the simulator is at Toyota's Higashifuji Technical Center in Shizuoka, and will be deployed to improve safety features on Toyota cars.
Fresh outta Korea is the Murider (Murder? Moo-rider?), an odd-shaped entertainment robot that you might like. Although not as sexy as either Sony's Rolly or the Miuro robot speaker, the remote-controlled, light-up 'Bot still has capabilities.
Philips yesterday unveiled their 256-slice scanner that renders 3-D images of the body like never before. The $US2-million Brilliance CT machine can capture the body's skeleton, organs and blood vessels in the minutest of detail, and was unveiled yesterday in Chicago, at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting.
Huzzah for slightly weird gadgets such as this disposable microscope card that, depending on the light source, magnifies things by 500 or 1,000. So what kind of things does it suggest you blow up on the go?
Eizo has brought out the SX2461W-U, a 24-inch monitor aimed at the colour-blind. It's got 1920 x 1200 resolution, and a contrast ratio of 850:1 and brightness of 300 cd/m2. Rather like their previous 19-incher, the Eizo uses Color Universal Design (CUD) technology, which uses different colour schemes and shapes to enable the daltonic to distinguish between colors. Input comes from a pair of HDCP-enabled DVI jacks, and there are a couple of USB 2.0 ports. The Flexscan SX2461W-U, costs ¥136,000 ($A1415) and comes out on December 6. [Cudo and Akihabara News]
We know how much you love the Will it blend? series, so here is the latest installment. This edition sees our crazy buddy get a Guitar Hero controller into the blender, but not before going completely ape shit at the device, prepping it for the proper blending treatment. Well, we know the question that is currently residing on your lips, we also know some douche will ask it regardless of the video evidence, but what the hell, jump to get your blendtastic game on.
The following gadgets and gimmicks, featured in online shopping magazine Skymall's Holiday 2007 catalogue, prove without a doubt that the human race is going straight to Hell:
10. Chilled Shot Machine - $170 When it comes to Jäger, I consider myself something of an aficionado, a snob really. I don't mind spending a little money to ensure that when I sit down to do shots, each and every one will be chilled to the ideal temperature. That way I know whether I'm on my first or my 12th, the experience will be rich and memorable.
ToysREvil has the scoop on a limited edition pair of Daft Punk Bearbricks, meant to coincide with the release of Daft Punk's Alive 2007 CD. Medicom will release 3000 of these toys on December 5, package them with a copy of the CD and sell it for 5250 Yen ($A55), presumably in Japan. The Bearbricks also come housed in a pyramid, not unlike the one Daft Punk used for their epic live shows. The set as a whole looks pretty sweet, but I think I like the earlier Daft Punk/Medicom collaborations better...and now I sound like an obsessive DP fanboy. [Medicom via ToysREvil]
Who needs a Wii or Xbox 360 when you can have the "999,999,999 in 1 Super Game?" Just like today's crop of consoles, you get two controllers packed in. Unlike today's crop of consoles, you also get a light gun...and if the name is indicative, almost a billion games. I think this thing could really push gaming into new territory. Can you say next gen? [ChinaWholesaleGift]
Posted by Anna King at 10:10 AM on November 26, 2007
Now might be the time to assess your public behavioural traits because troops of omniscient Google cameras are invading our cities. After launching Google Maps for Australia in May, the process of capturing images to supplement Street View, a feature that has already immortalised countless gems from public streets and pavements, has officially begun.
Google will endeavour to mask or remove identifiable faces and licence plates in a bid to appease privacy activists, with Google Australia's head of corporate communications Rob Shilkin assuring:
We're giving very considerable thought to how best to safeguard Australian's privacy, including consulting experts and community groups, while enabling all Australians to benefit from this new feature.Capital cities are being recorded over the summer and the images are likely to be available for viewing from the second half of next year.
Let us know if you see the Google vehicles in action. [news.com.au]
Posted by Anna King at 10:00 AM on November 26, 2007
After months of being bombarded with party rhetoric from both sides, it's finally over. Australia has decided: Coonan is out. Our first internet election focused almost obsessively on the highly politicised issue of broadband and, despite promises of detailed proposals early in the campaign, neither party clearly outlined their policies on the wider aspects of information and communications technology.
The change of government will hardly pave the way for a new era in ICT in this country. Labor has pledged to spend almost $5 billion of taxpayer funds on a new national fibre-to-the-node network capable of reaching 98 per cent of Australians, with a vision to provide every school with connection speeds of 100Mbps. But is that two per cent too little? Will that become five billion of taxpayers' dollars spent on infrastructure that would have privately funded anyway?
At least now, Telstra can place its litigious focus on a new minister. The national telco's relationship with the previous government had been palpably worsening despite declarations from Helen Coonan of otherwise. The peacekeeping machinations of the ALP have already avowed a fresh start in the relationship between the government and Australia's telcos.
The coming months will hopefully reveal proposals that respond to the challenges of infrastructure, skills and innovation in the industry. Watch this space!
Asus has apparently altered the underlying Linux kernel in their new and popular eeePC. As per the Linux General Public Licence, they are required to provide the necessary source code for any such modifications. Guess what? They forgot to distribute the code.
The LCDetar may be the ultimate laptop mod. By sticking an aging laptop into a guitar, a pretty standard music visualisation display transcends to rock god status. Now if we could only fit a laptop into our Rock Band controller...and if our Rock Band controller could only produce music without the game... [techeblog]
Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:49 AM on November 26, 2007
On Friday we got to spend a little 'quality time' with the awesomely awesome Honda ASIMO. We're going to run a few clips this week showing just how awesome the little guy is. Here's a clip of the rockstar entrance ASIMO makes at the start of each show. The audio sucks because I was standing right beside speakers that were absolutely cranking, and the school kids were LOVING it! That music? "Robot Rock", Daft Punk. Well played, Honda!
The last set of shows on his Australian tour take place this coming weekend in Parramatta. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Hit the ASIMO website for details. [ASIMO Australian Tour]
Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:45 AM on November 26, 2007
It's not often you get to write your own epitaph, so you'll excuse me if it comes off as not so humble.
Over the past eight months we've built the bedrock for the Australian edition of Giz, and thanks to you we're now the second biggest foreign edition, punching well above our population weight. We were told there'd be no need for an AU edition by a number of critics, and I'm comfortable saying now we've proved them wrong. There's a hell of a lot more to do here, too. In one sense I'm sad to leave with so many ideas yet to be put into action. On the other hand, with so much more on the table for the next Ed, I'm confident Giz AU is going to keep growing at the awesome rate we've seen since launch.
You'll see the Zombie Séamus appear a few times here in coming days, but don't be alarmed. It's just the death rattle, like a chook running loose post decapitation. Mmmm... chicken...
So thanks again. Love youse. Miss youse already.
Posted by Chris Janz at 8:30 AM on November 26, 2007
Now the election's done and dusted (phew!), it's back to the gadgetfest:
The Kindle - tested where it matters
How does it work on the throne?
Rock Band: PC edition
The PS3 kit's almost plug and play
Newgen modems take on fibre
Testing starts on 160/120Mbps cable boxes
Plus:
Carphones have *never* been this big
What was playing on this bank robber's iPod?
Giz US continues its post-Thanksgiving bargain hunt
Windows are great, you can see things out of them, they shed light and they bring the cool breeze to you. Makoto Hirhara's Bright Blind tries to bring some of these comforts to barren, windowless walls. The Bright Blind hangs on your wall and is constructed from electroluminescent sheets. The light dispersed gives the impression sunlight is creeping in, much like a real blind covered window would do.
Even the jewellers at Tiffany's would be impressed by the mix of precious stones and metals thrown into this PS2 controller neck pendant. The ridiculously geeky piece is constructed from 18k white gold, with 68.34ct of black diamonds lining the controller's surface.
We have had our eyes on Sarcos for quite a while, as they are the wonder kids that have been promising us super powered exoskeletons. Well, true to their word, they have just released a video of a prototype exoskeleton in action; the result is simply amazing. The device will primarily be made available for military use, allowing soldiers to breakthrough conventional barriers of human endurance.
About the size of a hot tub, this portable nuclear reactor in development by Hyperion Power Generation could be buried in a small cement casing within the ground and provide maintenance-free power to 25,000 homes for 5-years.
An internal chemical reaction produced 27 megawatts of thermal energy powering an external steam turbine to produce electricity. A sort of nuclear battery, we're not sure if it could, should or will ever come to fruition. But it's certainly a neat idea...and the perfect accessory to take our summer grilling "to the next level." [hyperion via sfreporter]
The Rocker Kart is a bicycle alternative, retailing at £149.99 ($A350), the three-wheeled kart lacks any form of visible steering, but that is where the Rocker gets interesting. Apparently, by leaning left or right a patented control mechanism comes into play, altering your course to follow the direction of your weight shift.
Sixty-six fans is a lot, but if you are planning to mod a standard PC case with fans allover, you shall be requiring that amount of cooling power. We very much doubt the mod retains the PC's original energy star rating, but if you have a problem keeping cool and you continually have your CPU shorting on you, why not put some extra cool on your case?
That is if you can stand the awful sight, deafening sound and dust build up, which will eventually cause your CPU to short out, anyway. Then you can go back to being sweaty and miserable—might we suggest a standard desktop fan? It just seems easier. [Boing Boing]
Super car inspired laptops are ten a penny, and despite their styling they rarely have anything special to offer. Panasonic's CF-W7 continues with the pointless aesthetic makeovers, but this time Subaru are getting in on the action. The CF-W7 will be limited to a production of 500 pieces, so if you are hot for Subaru Impreza WRX STI styles, grab these while they are hot. Under the hood, Panasonic has packed in a flurry of standard features, including:
