Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Gadgets
TAD Customizable Finger Mod for Better Touchscreen … Touching
11:48PM Gizmodo US Edition | The TAD gadget is designed to help fat-fingered folks (or just plain clumsy typists, like me) who have trouble with touchscreens or tiny buttons on cellphones. It’s simply a plastic ring with a customizable “nubbin” for better contact than your fingertip offers— you can choose rounded for buttons and pointy for touchscreens. The makers claim better accuracy, reduced wear on keypads and even that it protects long nails. My wife’s found that long nails are perfect for a Chumby touchscreen, but what the heck. Available in six colours and sizes up to 0.7-inches for $6. [Reghardware] More »
Networks
Audioengine AW1 Lets You Stream Music With Little Fuss
11:03PM Haroon Malik | Audioengine has released a software independent, wireless music streaming solution, called the AW1. The AW1 set contains a receiver module and transmitter; the receiver connects via USB, RCA or line-out and the transmitter connects to your PC via USB. The audio sent is then picked up by the connected audio source, with a reported 100-foot range. More »
Phones
iPhone 2.0 Unlocked, Runs All Apps
10:23PM Jesus Diaz | Update: Video of project Pwonage after the jump. The beta 2.0 firmware that comes with the iPhone SDK has been modified to unlock the iPhone and run any application. Part of the Pwnage Project, the hacked firmware will allow you to do anything you want, including the installation of both official and unofficial apps, and even patches. We got the exclusive details directly from the DevTeam, including the fact that it is going to be extremely hard for Cupertino to close this new hole: More »
Gadgets
Gear4’s BassStation iPod Dock Thumps Out 35W of Pumping Tunes
9:44PM Haroon Malik | Gear4’s BassStation iPod dock will have a 35W pumping subwoofer, RCA connectivity and a fully featured remote control. The white on black styling looks retro enough for us to give the 2.1 stereo speaker the time of day, and the 10m range of the control gives us enough space to shield our eyes when it all gets too much. Whether it will be the worth the £99.99 (US$201) is another matter entirely. Alternatively, you could opt for the undisputed iPod Dock King. [Techdigest] More »
Cameras
DigiArt i90 Camera-PMP Combo Frees Pockets From Multiple Gizmos
8:51PM Gizmodo US Edition | Out first in Korea (where else?) Digix’s Picto DigiArt i90 is one of those crazy-sounding convergence gadgets. Combine a seven megapixel camera and PMP in one case, and you save people from carrying several gizmos, or so the idea goes. More »
Networks
2:21PM Nathan Taylor | Despite the apparent extension of the tender and review process for Labor’s $4.7 billion fibre the the node (FTTN) broadband network, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is telling journalists that at least some Australians will have access to the network before the end of 2008, even though the tender probably won’t be awarded until August or later.
We guess that the winner of the tender (and that’s most likely to be either Telstra or the consortium led by Optus Singtel) will need to be ready to roll out the network from day one if that’s to happen. Even then, we can’t imagine more than a very small number of test users will have access to the network before 2009. Still, we admire the minister’s optimism. [MIS Australia]
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FTTN Network to be Partially Switched On by the End of the Year
2:21PM Nathan Taylor | Despite the apparent extension of the tender and review process for Labor’s $4.7 billion fibre the the node (FTTN) broadband network, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is telling journalists that at least some Australians will have access to the network before the end of 2008, even though the tender probably won’t be awarded until August or later.
We guess that the winner of the tender (and that’s most likely to be either Telstra or the consortium led by Optus Singtel) will need to be ready to roll out the network from day one if that’s to happen. Even then, we can’t imagine more than a very small number of test users will have access to the network before 2009. Still, we admire the minister’s optimism. [MIS Australia]
More »
Science
1:54PM Nathan Taylor | Sandia National Laboratories in the US is hosting pictures of microscopic bugs walking on microelectromechnical systems (MEMS). You can find the full gallery online at Sandia’s page. Be warned, entomophobes, that these images are deeply creepy. More »
Tiny Bugs, Tinier Machines
1:54PM Nathan Taylor | Sandia National Laboratories in the US is hosting pictures of microscopic bugs walking on microelectromechnical systems (MEMS). You can find the full gallery online at Sandia’s page. Be warned, entomophobes, that these images are deeply creepy. More »
Gadgets
Time Bomb Alarm Clock Wakes You Up With a Boom
1:20PM Sean Fallon | Bomb themes and alarm clocks go hand in hand. We have seen it a number of times in the past, most notably with the Danger Bomb Clock. Both devices will attempt to wake you up with a loud explosion sound, but only the Time Bomb clock warns you with ominous ticking as the alarm approaches. Let me tell you, being a deep sleeper, I would appreciate the heads up. After all, when something this loud wakes you up out of a coma, you are liable to drop a deuce right there in bed. Available in the UK for £19.99 [Thumbs Up via Quinquil via Coolbuzz] More »
Science
1:00PM Nathan Taylor | The Australian branch of environmental group Friends of the Earth recently released a report claiming that ”at least 104 food, food packaging and agricultural products containing nano-ingredients are now on sale internationally”. According to Friends of the Earth, these materials pose a potential toxic risk to consumers and should be banned until further research can be performed.
Friends of the Earth defines nanomaterials as all particles up to 100nm in size, but says that that definition should be extended to 300nm for the purposes of food testing.
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Friends of the Earth Says That Eating Nanofoods Could Kill Us
1:00PM Nathan Taylor | The Australian branch of environmental group Friends of the Earth recently released a report claiming that ”at least 104 food, food packaging and agricultural products containing nano-ingredients are now on sale internationally”. According to Friends of the Earth, these materials pose a potential toxic risk to consumers and should be banned until further research can be performed.
Friends of the Earth defines nanomaterials as all particles up to 100nm in size, but says that that definition should be extended to 300nm for the purposes of food testing.
More »
Online
12:44PM Nathan Taylor | A few days ago the word rung out across the world that the Beatles were finally going to release their catalogue on iTunes. Sony/ATV Music Publishing, however, has now thrown cold water on that news, telling CNET that no deal has been struck. Sony/ATV owns the publishing rights to the lion’s share of the Beatles catalogue, so it would probably know.
It did say that a deal was definitely possible in 2008, however, so if you absolutely must buy Beatles tracks on iTunes and nowhere else, then there is still hope. [CNET]
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No Beatles for iTunes After All?
12:44PM Nathan Taylor | A few days ago the word rung out across the world that the Beatles were finally going to release their catalogue on iTunes. Sony/ATV Music Publishing, however, has now thrown cold water on that news, telling CNET that no deal has been struck. Sony/ATV owns the publishing rights to the lion’s share of the Beatles catalogue, so it would probably know.
It did say that a deal was definitely possible in 2008, however, so if you absolutely must buy Beatles tracks on iTunes and nowhere else, then there is still hope. [CNET]
More » 