Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Software
Safari 3.1 Is Out, First to Support CSS Animations, Web Fonts, Multimedia HTML 5
11:32PM Jesus Diaz | Safari 3.1 is out now, and according to Apple is the first web browser to support the new video and audio tags in HTML 5, as well as CSS Web Fonts and CSS animations. Update: Testing the new features now (with video.) Impressions after the jump. More »
Robots
First Pictures of Completed Dextre Giant Space Robot
11:20PM Jesus Diaz | After three space walks, Dextre—the robot that will now service the International Space Station—has been completed today, and is now ready for activation. I was watching it live on NASA TV and grabbed these shots (yes, I am that sad) of this fully-assembled gigantastic space spider. To get a sense of how big it is, check the images after the jump. galleryPost('dextre', 3, ''); More »
Phones
Aloisson iPhone Costs $176K, Your Dignity
10:45PM Haroon Malik | As a rule, stuff that retails for US$499 should not be embellished with 17.75 carats of diamonds, set in 18k white gold and then priced at US$176,400. Nonetheless, Peter Aloisson has done exactly that to create the Aloisson designed iPhone. The treatment makes it the most expensive iPhone in the handset’s relatively short history. That’s great and all, but even if you do have more money than I have vacant aerial hair follicles, don’t do it—save your dignity. Paris! Save your dig—hmm, that’d be a pointless plea. Catch another shot after the jump. More »
Entertainment
Mitsubishi Latest Blu-Ray Records HD Content on DVD
8:49PM Jesus Diaz | The lastest Mitsubishi Blu-ray recorders released in Japan are the first to offer recording of high definition video on plain DVD discs using the AVC codec, good for saving HD TV episodes, and your favourite loops. The DVR-BZ200 and DVR-BZ100 come with 500 and 250GB internal hard drives, digital and analogue TV tuners, a commercial-skipping feature and a touchscreen remote. Just because you are nobody without touchscreens these days. [Mitsubishi via Akihabara] More »
Cameras
Samsung 8MP Mobile Phone Module is World’s Slimmest
7:55PM Haroon Malik | Good news for those who rely on their mobile phones for their photo- taking needs; Samsung has just unveiled the world’s slimmest 8MP CMOS, which measures a diminutive, 28mm × 15.3mm × 8.5mm. The semiconductor was designed specifically for mobile phones, and it will push handsets beyond their current 5MP restraints. [Ed: 5MP as the limit in slimmer phones.] The new module, which is 10% more compact than current solutions, will have an ISO 1600 sensitivity, anti-shake capability, face detection technology, 1-cm macro and an automated shoot mode that is activated by silly, smiling faces. More »
Entertainment
Onkyo Brings Out a Pair of A/V Receivers for April
5:00PM Addy Dugdale | Onkyo is releasing a couple of A/V receivers next month. The 80-watt-per-channel TX-SR576 will cost US$499 and the 75-watt-per-channel TX-SR506 (above) US$379, and both include a Dynamic EQ loudness correction technology from Audyssey. Full press release after the jump. More »
Online
2:24PM Nathan Taylor | It seems like a small thing to bring the CEO of Google out for, but nonetheless Google chief Eric Schmidt was on hand today to announce that Google Transit was coming to an Australian city near you. It’s starting with Perth, with plans to add other Australian cities in the future.
Transit is a feature of Google Maps that helps you to plan a trip using public transport options. You enter your start address, end address and departure or arrival time, and Google will tell you how to make it happen with public transport. Of course, Google isn’t the only company offering such a service. For example, Sydney’s CityRail and State Transit Authority has a trip planner that can be found here. Melbourne has something similar here.
More »
Google Transit Comes to Australia
2:24PM Nathan Taylor | It seems like a small thing to bring the CEO of Google out for, but nonetheless Google chief Eric Schmidt was on hand today to announce that Google Transit was coming to an Australian city near you. It’s starting with Perth, with plans to add other Australian cities in the future.
Transit is a feature of Google Maps that helps you to plan a trip using public transport options. You enter your start address, end address and departure or arrival time, and Google will tell you how to make it happen with public transport. Of course, Google isn’t the only company offering such a service. For example, Sydney’s CityRail and State Transit Authority has a trip planner that can be found here. Melbourne has something similar here.
More »
Hardware
Is This the Intel Netbook?
2:00PM Adrian Covert | Tech Corner claims these are photos of the upcoming Intel Netbook (not to be confused with its stationary Nettop counterpart) that runs Windows XP Pro “like a champ.” The small, low-cost device is said to be Intel’s education-centric answer to products like the Asus Eee PC and OLPC. Judging by the photos and Tech Corner’s writeup, the laptop is about 10-inches in size with a 9-inch screen, under 3 pounds, has 512 MB RAM, 40 GB HDD and standard internet connections. But there are a couple of info bits that don’t quite line up with previous reports. More »
Vehicles
1:51PM Nathan Taylor | After two years of unrelenting hype, the Tesla Roadster electric car has finally gone into regular production.
There are few more exciting developments in the world of automobiles than the Tesla Roadster. While the big car manufacturers have been dragging their feet on all-electric cars, US startup Tesla Motors has not only built a practical and functional electric car, but they made it cool as well. Unlike earlier electric cars, it has power, range and a Lotus-built body that makes it look more Ferrari, less Volvo.
It’s capable of hitting 200kph and can go from 0 to 100kph in about four seconds with the latest transmission. The batteries can push it for about 355kms before a recharge is needed. It takes about 3.5 hours to fully recharge, and its lithium ion batteries are rated to last for 100,000 miles (161,000km).
More »
Tesla Roadster Goes into Production
1:51PM Nathan Taylor | After two years of unrelenting hype, the Tesla Roadster electric car has finally gone into regular production.
There are few more exciting developments in the world of automobiles than the Tesla Roadster. While the big car manufacturers have been dragging their feet on all-electric cars, US startup Tesla Motors has not only built a practical and functional electric car, but they made it cool as well. Unlike earlier electric cars, it has power, range and a Lotus-built body that makes it look more Ferrari, less Volvo.
It’s capable of hitting 200kph and can go from 0 to 100kph in about four seconds with the latest transmission. The batteries can push it for about 355kms before a recharge is needed. It takes about 3.5 hours to fully recharge, and its lithium ion batteries are rated to last for 100,000 miles (161,000km).
More »
Gadgets
