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Reppo 2 Boombox Backpack, Easy-Carry Portable Music Action
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 11:36 PM on March 14, 2008
iPods are all very nice, except for when you want to piss-off amuse passers-by with your music, and even then your standard boombox is awkward to carry. I mean, what if you need both hands for your shopping? Enter Joonas Saaranen's Reppo 2, a backpack boombox design, and simplicity in itself. Easy to carry, and with a built-in powered amp and loudspeakers, loud enough to make an impact. Shame its hardshell doesn't extend down to cover your arse, as protection from all the kicking you'd earn, but never mind. Just a protoype for now, but we suspect someone'll make it happen for real. [Squaremag via Technabob]
The iPhone is now available in Ireland and Austria, for the usual 399 (8GB) and 499 euros (16GB.) Yes, that's US$778 for the same 16GB version that is manufactured in Asia for exactly the same price (in the US, a 16GB iPhone will cost you US$519—tax included—in New York, a whopping US$259 difference.) Apple Europe keeps milking European consumers with extremely abusive pricing, citing "marketing and importing costs." Whatever. European Union, it's time to bust this daylight robbery. And now I need a Guinness (hey, it's like black breakfast cereal). [
There are 
I'll admit it, some karaoke singers are worth listening to—from a distance—but even then my inner sound-technician always cries at their awkward mike-handling: and that's where this freestanding microphone would be great. The Crosley CR25 Talent Show Kit may even add a little old-time radio show class to karaoke with its retro looks, inspired by a 1956 Sears Wishbook. It probably can't turn you into the next Nat King Cole, but it does have microphone, amp and feedback/distortion suppression built in so at least it should sound good. Available soon for US$79.95. [
Apple has plans to open three Apple Stores in Australia this year. Previously, only the three-story outlet in Sydney's CBD was confirmed, but it has now been revealed by job ads on the Apple Web site that Sydney's Chatswood and Melbourne's Chadstone will also have stores. 
NEC has published the results of study (funded by them and run by the University of Utah) that shows users are more efficient when working on big screens. The study apparently found that for the test subjects, moving from an 18" to 24" display reduced task completion time from eight hours to five and a half hours.
Anne Geddes would be appalled. Photobucket has banned images of babies in nappies from its site, saying that they violate its no-nudity policy. It says the policy applies to people of any age.
The MIT-published Technology Review has just released its Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2008 issue, and its list contains some seriously esoteric subjects. Of course, this annual list has always been a bit weird, often focussing not on the practical applications of technology but the (frequently obscure) scientific developments that its editors think have the most potential to change human existence in the future.
The USBee flash drive is attention-grabbing, not only because of its bee-themed appearance, but also because of bendable neck, and curvaceous shape. The USBee also features heat ventilation around the circuit board so that you don't fry your precious content. This would be a good thumbdrive solution for the Macbook Air and its unfortunate USB situation. [
The format war. It's over. Done. Break out the blue victory hats and Curaçao, right? Wrong. There won't be a Blu-ray victory party. Don't take my word for it? How about Sony Electronics CEO Stan Glasgow's? "From our perspective, the battle really begins now." Now that HD DVD is dispatched, the members of Team Blu-ray can start fighting standard-def DVDs, digital downloads, consumer apathy, the Chinese and—of course—each other. Here's the current state of Blu-ray, post-war edition:
The 
I'm a huge fan of home media servers, but the enduring problem with them is that the available network media streaming appliances have, by and large, sucked. The Xbox 360 recently received a firmware update that improved its capabilities, but a hacked Xbox running Xbox Media Center (XBMC) is still probably the best product available for the job.
A fierce battle is brewing between Boeing and Raytheon to become the main supplier of unmanned aerial vehicles for the US Navy and Marine Corps. Currently, Boeing holds that title with their battle-tested 
The 
This timelapse video shows the construction of the first Orion crew module, the spacecraft that will take humanity to the Moon and Mars. As you can see, this version is not the full ship, as it lacks all computer, engine, and support systems, not to talk mention the proton torpedoes and turbolasers. However, the Apollo-style module is the first real tangible part of the Constellation Program, and will play a crucial part in its early development.
With the news about Elliot Spitzer's demise plastered everywhere you look, the folks at Complex brought up an interesting point—when you are a public figure, pre-paid mobile phones are the way to go when calling hookers. Even drug dealers know that it is the way to go when you don't want to leave evidence behind—so how could he (and his escort service) have missed that one? Better yet, why not stick with text messages? If you want to avoid his fate, you are going to need a good pre-paid mobile phone. [
Coolers get the job done, but you have to deal with ice and the fact that the bulky boxes are often awkward to carry. I'm lazy, which means that I want to get my beer from point A to point B as easily as possible (and I'm not willing to ride a Cruzin Cooler to do it.) The "Boxcooler" concept from designer Sebastian Bertram offers a stylish solution with a backpack cooled by refrigeration.
Asustek: 60% of Eee PCs Will Ship With Windows XP
The Gadget: The 
Windows Media Centre users who use universal remotes—not the default Microsoft IR remotes—have problem run into a quirk where only some button presses register. Here's the deal: media centre receivers expect to see an alternating IR code for functions like channel changing or volume switches in order to eliminate IR "bounce", which is apparently caused by IR signals bouncing off stuff and hitting the receiver twice. In order to turn this off and fix the problem for universal remotes who don't support the alternating IR codes, just change a registry entry and you're done. Hit up CEPro for more details. [
At a recent press conference, Asustek chairman Jonney Shih revealed that about 60% of the upgraded 
Apple just announced World Wide Developers Conference dates as June 9th through June 13th. That means the keynote is likely to be set at June 9, 2008, a 
There's nothing more depressing than seeing your entire lifespan condensed down into something as small and contained as a clock. Can we really measure a lifetime's worth of accomplishments (dick jokes) in a clock that ticks years instead of hours? Perhaps. Perhaps not. All we know is that this clock makes it easy to tell your family that your birthday's coming up soon (slyly gesture towards the clock). That, and our flu medication is really kicking in, so we'd better take care of ourselves if we ever expect to make it past 9 o'clock. [
This small point release for Sony's PS3 just fixed a few bugs and exploits, but brought a new feature that allows PlayStation 2 games that needed to install onto a hard drive to do so. Great for those who are still playing Final Fantasy XI. [
Microsoft France's Francois Ruault seems to be a bit more talkative on the Zune platform than he should be, inadvertently announcing that the third-generation Zune is going to launch during the holiday season of 2009 (which is kind of obvious if you look at the previous release schedule). What's interesting to EU readers is that Francois said the third-gen Zune will debut in Europe at the same time. What's even more interesting to people who don't care about Europe are the mobile capabilities.
You 
Innovations for Learning just announced a blue GameBoy-like handheld computer designed for schools. It's got directional buttons, a few face buttons, a 2.5-inch LCD, USB sync, SD card storage, AC/USB charging, and a 3.5-hour battery life. Inside the teachermate is a "complete reading and math curriculum that is aligned with all of the major reading and math programs," which means it can help substitute the learning a K-2 school student already receives.
The creative brain of designer Kyle Cherry has had a go at reinventing the laptop, with the specific needs of "creative" users in mind. Keeping the design clean and simple so artistic efforts are unhindered, auxiliary controls sit outside of the keyboard area and include a four-way navigation joystick. He envisages it being a touchscreen device with a configurable screen, skinny and attractive enough to make even a MacBook Air look twice. Of course, it's just a flight-of-fancy design, but after a glance at the gallery you too will be wishing it was a real machine. [
We're not sure whether this patent will actually be implemented or if it's one of those cover-our-asses sort of filings, but Apple's had a DVR-like patent in the works since at least 2006. The figures show a TiVo-ish program that records TV, but then makes the recorded files available to watch on their iPods. There's even a direct docking mechanism so you don't need a PC to transfer files to and fro. Could this be the next-gen AppleTV? Probably not, since Apple's going in the direction of downloading shows from their iTunes store, and letting people record shows easily to transfer to their iPods kind of eats into their other downloading pie. [
A team of researchers in Japan has come up with a nifty device that locates your gear when you've lost it. All you need do is tell your Smart Goggle, as the glasses have been codenamed, just what it is you have lost—iPod, car keys, dog, wife, sanity—and it will replay a video of the last time the object was seen. While the camera-reader mash-up is not particularly wow-some, Professor Yasuo Kuniyoshi and his team's software algorithm is a real breakthrough. Here's how it works. Firstly you have to program the Smart Goggle, which means spending an hour wafting round your apartment and focusing on all the things you want it to remember, all the while saying exactly what each object is. Although the camera can detect what most of the objects are, some are harder to identify, depending on what angle you come at it. Once programmed, the goggles will replay video footage of the lost object's last sighting when asked to locate it.
Looks like those concept building 
Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, told Reuters that Microsoft isn't 
HEY, HULK HERE AGAIN! HULK DOESN'T LIKE 
Taiwanese manufacturer Netronix is promising a new spin on an old idea: putting a touchscreen on an the EB-100, an E-Ink-based e-book reader. We've actually 
That little USB socket get