December 10, 2007

Networks

Samsung Katalyst Slider Hits T-Mobile Hotspot@Home

T-Mobile just introduced another phone for its Hotspot@Home Wi-Fi calling service, the Samsung Katalyst. The slider phone basics include a 1.3 megapixel camera, MP3 player, microSD slot (cards up to 2GB only) and stereo Bluetooth. Also called the t739, the... Read More »

Home

Slider Shower Concept— Now You See It, Now You Don't

Posted by Addy Dugdale at 10:56 PM on December 10, 2007

slider_shower3.jpgDesigned by Sung Hoon Mun, the "Slider" works as both conventional shower and shoulder and back massager, depending on how you deploy the nozzle. Full gallery after the jump.

slider_shower4.jpgslider_shower2.jpgslider_shower.jpg

I would prefer a bigger shower head, myself. [Yanko]

Phones

Nokia Eco Sensor Concept It's all Shiny Glass, Environment and Techno-Lust

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 9:54 PM on December 10, 2007

nokiaconcept.jpgHere is Nokia Research Center's new mobile: the Eco Sensor, a shiny concept which includes the phone itself and a "wearable sensors" that "monitor your health, environment and local weather" to "increase your global environmental awareness" with technologies like Near Field Communication and Radio Frequency Identification. Well, whatever rocks your world, you treehugging hippies you. They mention motion detection, solar cells and heart-rate monitor, but all I can see is shiny, drooltastic and lickable. [Nokia via Unwired View]

Gadgets

Acorn-Shaped DAP from EverGreen is Small and Woody

Posted by Addy Dugdale at 9:04 PM on December 10, 2007

Monday morning, and contemplating the excesses of the weekend, I wonder where we would all be without wood. And then I see EverGreen's MP3 player, with its 28 x 35 mm acorn form, its 1GB flash memory, its MP3, WMA and OGG compatibility, and I think to myself, "Well, I'm glad I've got
a 60GB iPod."

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Online

Fark Attempts to Trademark NSFW, Gizmodo is Like 'WTF? TFSU!'

Posted by Adrian Covert at 2:58 PM on December 10, 2007

drew_curtis_37.jpgDrew Curtis and his company Fark, in their quest to rulzor teh internetz, filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to lay claim to the acronym NSFW. Seeing as we like to use the acronym to prevent employed and/or righetous gadget freaks from becoming enraged, we take an interest in the all-encompassing control they want over the term.According to the app, the trademark rights would cover all of the following:

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Gadgets

Mini Collapsible Tripod For Every Wallet

Australian Post Posted by Anna King at 1:13 PM on December 10, 2007

Fozi Tripod.png

The high cost and bulkiness of tripods have traditionally relegated them to the domain of professionals, but every snapper can appreciate a gadget that eliminates camera shake and allow them to take a wide-angled shot of themselves.

Aussie company Timetale has come up with a nifty and ultra-portable contraption for the snap-happy mere mortal. The plastic FOZI Tripod folds flat into the size of a credit card and snaps into shape to support your camera at four different angles. It's compatible with centre and offset lense cameras as well as mobile phones, leaving you free to do the all-important pose. Best of all, the Fozi will only set you back $5.95. Available in six colours. [Timetale]

Software

Mobile GPS On The (Relative) Cheap

Australian Post Posted by Anna King at 1:00 PM on December 10, 2007

PhoneIT have launched the amAze GPS software for Australian mobile users, available for free to download and use. The navigation system is compatible with Java-enabled phones (including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, BlackBerry, Motorola, Samsung and LG models) and provides maps, directions and aerial photographs. Features include voice guidance, a choice between pedestrian, bicycle, truck or car navigation and reduced data consummation with a economical arrows navigation mode.

Phones without built-in GPS require a Bluetooth receiver that costs $89 - cheaper than specialised sat-nav devices but display quality and memory capabilities are obviously dependent on your handset. Alternatively, textual and graphical instructions for the best route between location points are accessible without GPS. [Product Page]

Gadgets

Thanko USB Santa Boots Warm the Feet, Endow Gift Giving Ability

Posted by Adrian Covert at 12:36 PM on December 10, 2007

usb_santa_boots.jpgDid I also mention these USB powered, foot warming Santa Boots provide a portal into the mind of Santa Claus for 15 minutes, after which youre spit out behind a Toys-R-Us? Ok, fine, that's a lie. But with cold weather setting in, and Christmas season in full swing, this may be the most relevant USB product Thanko has offered. Actually, that's still not saying a lot. [Thanko via 7 Gadgets via Technabob]

Announcements

Tell Us How You Feel, Win Free Stuff!

Australian Post Posted by Anna King at 10:58 AM on December 10, 2007

Survey.jpg

Gizmodo Australia is running its first Reader Survey and we need your input! Tell us who you are, what you want and help us make Giz a better place.

Plus, as an extra bonus just 'cos altruism is over-rated, you'll be in the running to win a $250 voucher to Coles/Myer, David Jones, Harvey Norman or Bunnings just by completing the survey. It'll only take five minutes so go on, start thinking of all the sweet, sweet goodness 250 bucks could get ya.

Gizmodo AU Survey

Epcot Ride Reopens With Steve...err...We Think It's Woz

Posted by Mark Wilson at 10:03 AM on December 10, 2007

DSC_0052.jpgLast week we ran a rumour that Epcot's new Spaceship Earth ride had screwed Woz, and that Steve Jobs alone would be immortalised in Disney animatronics. Now that the ride has opened to select guests, we've confirmed that the ride does indeed feature a long-haired, scruffy man tinkering away at a computer in a garage. But we're not sure which Steve he is. And the narration is little help, only mentioning "the late 70s" and a "garage in California," so it's ultimately inconclusive.

But if we had to call it one way or the other? Our money's actually on Woz. And we photoshopped a side-by-side and everything, just to prove our point.

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Entertainment

TiVo Now With 2 Terabytes of Storage (Unofficially)

Posted by Mark Wilson at 10:00 AM on December 10, 2007

series-3.jpgTiVo chop shop WeaKnees is offering the biggest Series 3 TiVo they can muster. Cramming a 1TB drive internally along with an external 1TB eSATA, they're offering ready-to-run TiVos with a whopping 2TB of storage space, or enough for 292 hours of HD programming. But when you have enough storage for well over 100 HD movies, it's gonna cost you.WeaKnees is asking $US1,599 for the device, and that's after the $200 mail in rebate. And while we can appreciate the modding they've done to slip in the extra internal terabyte drive, that eSATA requires all of 1 minute of user installation.

We'll pay for convenience all day long, but at that price, we'd rather just pony up for a full blown media PC...or pay someone to invent this thing. [weaknees ] Thanks James!

Announcements

Breakfast Wrap: Best of the Weekend

Australian Post Posted by Anna King at 9:54 AM on December 10, 2007

Apple scrolls.jpg

New AIBO PS Rumours Grow, PlayStation AIBO?
Completely useless and ridiculously expensive...Must. Have. Now.

The Nine Lives of the Superstar Who Wanted to Jump the Grand Canyon
Our tribute to the crazy cool of the stuntman of stuntmen, Evel Knievel.

Imagineer Helps Design Cute, Killer Robot
We're just asking for machines to take over the world.

Batmobile Lost its Wheel ... And It Fetched No Cash on eBay
Ah well...At least Clooney can always rest assured that Batman and Robin was a worse movie...

PAM Lifting Vehicle: Yet Another Segway-like Flying Deathtrap
it's easy to operate and die in!

What Should You Get the Geeky Ladies This Holiday?
Gift guide for the women in your life - to make Christmas shopping a little easier.

Computers

Asus Eee PC is No Longer Voided by Memory Upgrade

Posted by Mark Wilson at 9:00 AM on December 10, 2007

6745_eeepc.jpgThe Asus Eee PC has been a runaway hit. (Who would have thought that people would want small, cheap laptops?) The only real thing that users have been complaining about is the "warranty void if removed" sticker on the laptop's access panel, saying that users couldn't perform a simple memory installation without giving up their warranties. But today Asus has pulled off the dogs and decided that they won't unduly punish their loyal users who install extra RAM.

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Gadgets

All Giz Wants: A Real Universal Remote

Posted by Mark Wilson at 8:00 AM on December 10, 2007

Super-Sized%20TV%20Remote.jpgAll Giz Wants isn't about wanting what we have now. It's about wanting what we should have now, what's technically possible but practically improbable. Here's an item I've been (wet) dreaming about for some time—a universal remote that's really universal. I don't mean to control both a Blu-ray player and an HD DVD player. I mean to control my TV, computer and the air popper. This is what I imagine: an IR/various 2.4Ghz technology remote with a touchscreen interface to control the more basic functions of any electronic device I own. Here's what it would have:

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Games

Over-Competitive Seniors Fight for Wii Bowling Trophy, Vow to Destroy Each Other

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 7:00 AM on December 10, 2007

Old-Retired-People-Wii.jpgWe knew senior citizens were using Wii Sports to exercise without the risk of breaking a hip. What we didn't expect were retirees with names like Lefty, Six Pack or The Hook vowing to destroy each other in a promotion video for a Wii Bowling championship, which looks produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for the World Wrestling Federation. Weak of heart? Sensitive eyeballs? Naphthalene balls? Then by all means don't miss this promo, with the announcer shouting: "Who will RISE to the top and who will get LEFT in the DUST?" (Tip to the scriptwriters: when it comes to senior citizens, mentions of "rise" and "left in the dust" are a big no no no. NO.)

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Vehicles

BMW Prototype Races Autonomously

Posted by Mark Wilson at 5:35 AM on December 10, 2007

Top Gear got some time behind the wheel of a BMW 330i that can drive itself. How it works: a human driver takes the car around the track for a spin, while the car records data of event. Then, using military-grade GPS, the car can coordinate its position on the track with the driver data to zoom around at high, pants-crapping speeds. It's like Knight Rider's KITT, if David Hasselhoff preferred tweed over leather. [crave via bbg]

Gadgets

Is Garmin Developing Handheld 'Colorado' GPS?

Posted by Mark Wilson at 4:46 AM on December 10, 2007

garmincolorado300hs8.jpgAccording to a rumour from the GPS Information forums, this is the upcoming Garmin handheld GPS unit called the "Colorado." You notice immediately that its design seems unconventional at best, while you wonder how one could operate the control pad without blocking the screen. It almost looks like a walkie talkie when upright that features easy transformation to GPS mode when turned 90-degrees. According to one forum poster (a different person than posted the original picture), here's the full scoop on the Colorado:

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Entertainment

Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-ray Drops Below $US300

Posted by Mark Wilson at 4:00 AM on December 10, 2007

medium_bd-p2400.jpgAt a minimum of two retailers, Samsung's BD-P1400 Blu-ray player has dropped below the $US300 barrier...by pennies. But it's done so without rebates or crazy, Black Friday sales. And while we're still partial to the PS3 as a Blu-ray player of choice (there are actually some good games on the platform now), this Samsung has the lowest retail price at the moment to get into full, 1080p Blu-ray fun. (Plus it supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD along with the most current HDMI 1.3 spec.) Plus you get the five free movies.

So without special discounts, I guess that Blu-ray did hit $300 by Christmas after all...it just wasn't Sony leading the charge. [amazon and vanns via engadget]

Gadgets

Newspaper Brick Maker Transforms Funnies into Yule Logs

Posted by Mark Wilson at 3:15 AM on December 10, 2007

p32885_500.jpgThe Newspaper Brick Maker is the perfect device to add a little eco friendly to your pyro transgressions. You fill the brick maker with wet pieces of newspaper. The brick maker (and a bit of your muscle, were sure) smashes out the liquid while smashing together the paper. Allow the brick to dry and, at long last, you have a decent excuse to watch Garfield pay for his cinematic sins. And for $29.98, it's a legitimately a neat gift and perfect for that neighbour who is always asking to take those fallen branches off your hands. I have a fire pit, too, asshole! And mine is copper. [product via dvice]

Phones

iPhone Goes Platinum...No, Not in THAT Way

Posted by Mark Wilson at 2:30 AM on December 10, 2007

iphoneplat.jpgThe iPhone just went platinum, literally. From the precious metal enthusiasts at Goldstriker International, you can now buy a platinum-coated iPhone for about $2,500. And while most of us aren't interested in purchasing or carrying around a platinum iPhone (that will probably scratch to hell, btw), it's still the best way to shut up that a'hole talking on his gold iPhone. Well, that, or watching him get mugged while your friends hold him down.

Vehicles

The Nine Lives of the Superstar Who Wanted to Jump the Grand Canyon

Posted by Addy Dugdale at 12:00 AM on December 10, 2007

_42346941_knievel_300_ap.jpgElvis on a motorbike, Evel Knievel was one of the icons of the Seventies. With his star-spangled red, white and blue leathers—apparently inspired by Liberace rather than the King—and mussed-up blonde mop, cape flying behind him as he catapulted his Harley XR750 over buses, cars and canyons, Evel was excess personified. Spent, schtupped, drank, popped, jumped and snapped (35 bones broken, 36 months spent in hospital) until it was all gone. "I always wanted to live to about 70," he claimed, in an interview still to be published in Vanity Fair. "I thought that'd be a good age. There's just no stopping me."

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