newVideoPlayer("3dconnex_giz.flv", 475, 376,""); 3Dconnexion’s SpaceNavigator, a rubber-capped multi-axis metal dial meant mainly for 3D design, has been put to even better use as a pan-dimensional controller for Second Life. The video says it all: watch as Beast, one of the “Lindens” who works at Second Life‘s founder company, demos movement of his avatar on both land and in the air, and even use SpaceNavigator side by side with a mouse. It’s perhaps even cooler in build mode, where you can twist, push, pull and tilt—basically have free range of motion—when doing heavy construction. The SpaceNavigator is already available for US$60, and works with Google Earth, Adobe Photoshop and a bunch of CAD and GIS apps. It will be available in Second Life at release 1.20. More detailed info below.
Meant more for geeky vacationers than pros, Sony’s calling its HDR-TG1 Handycam the world’s smallest “full HD” camcorder, packing 280 grams into a 1.3 x 4.7 x 2.5-inch titanium frame. Sony is all about face-detecting as of late, which comes standard here on both video and still shooting. It can identify up to eight mugs, and supposedly adds extra “encoding bits” to faces for the best possible rendering of your subjects. Unfortunately, Sony’s still forcing the Memory Stick standard upon the world, this time, a choice between PRO Duo or PRO Duo Mark2. (How many more MS flavors can we stand, Sony??) It’ll be US$900 in May, though you can pre-order tomorrow online. Full press release below. [SonyStyle]
The Gadget: The DualShock 3, PlayStation 3′s now de facto controller with both rumble and motion-sensing. It replaces the previous SIXAXIS controller without rumble, which is now discontinued.
DOCSIS 3.0 is the next-gen cable internet standard that allows crazy fast bandwidth of up to 160Mbps downstream and 120 up. The lucky first city to get a piece of that action from Comcast—which plans to cover 20 percent of its market with the awesome by the end of this year—is St. Paul, Minnesota. Denizens can sign up for the Godzilla pipes starting this week, though the 50Mbps line will cost a whopping US$150 a month. And no, it won’t blow you. But, that is some sick bandwidth. So, is it worth it? How much would you pay? AU: I only put this up to remind you just how bad we have here in Oz. The shame…
[Bits]
If you got nothing better to do June 9 through 13, Steve Jobs is hosting his “landmark” three-pronged developer conference in San Francisco, with choices for Mac, IT and iPhone concentrations. Have a look at the list of session topics, including iPhone Multi-Touch Gestures, Ruby on Rails Apps for Safari, even CoreBanana and Xcode for Chimps (wait, maybe not those last two). If you do plan on attending, start saving now for those expensive-arse tickets. [WWDC Sessions]
A new mobile service called Trapster aims to help motorists avoid speed traps using a networked approach that calls on users to warn each other using their mobile phones. Using simple keystrokes like “pound-1,” motorists can report speed traps and red light cameras into the system. The information is fed into a map which will be used to alert drivers with GPS enabled mobile phones of potential threats before they encounter them.
Are you one of those people who has to bang on the Rock Band drums as hard as humanly possible, leaving yourself open to a possible eviction notice? Here’s a US$40 purchaseable custom-made Rock Band drum kit crochet cosy set, made just for softening your blows and keeping you on your lease. All four are colour-matched to the real drums, and come at only US$7 shipping. At US$47, it’s cheap enough for for most people without crocheting grandmas to consider. [Etsy via Technabob]
newVideoPlayer("suntsunami_giz.flv", 475, 376,""); STEREO, NASA’s twin spacecraft mission getting a nice tan and taking tridimensional images of the Sun, has recorded a solar tsunami for the first time. The tsunami, a circular shockwave which traveled a million kilometers (621,371 miles) in just 30 minutes, is caused by a huge explosion on the star’s surface. STEREO took the images thanks to its new cameras which, unlike the previous solar mission SOHO, are fast enough to capture the wave in detail, confirming the previously theoretical ultra-speedy nature of the titanic waves that travel through our home star from time to time. Wait— did I say Home Star?
The iShield Mirror is, at its core, a two-piece hardshell protective case for the iPhone. However, the manufacturer takes it a step further by adding a film to the surface that functions as a mirror when the phone is not in use. When activated, the film is transparent enough and thin enough to allow for normal usage.
These aren’t LEGO in the way that actual LEGO are LEGO, but they are translucent bricks that you can stack on top of each other to build structures. In this case, the structure is a tower with a hole in the middle for a light to go, which then passes through the various colours you’ve set up to induce one of several moods. The redder the construction, the…let’s say angrier you’ll feel. The yellower, the most you’ll feel like taking a whiz. Thirty-five US bucks gets you one. [Brando via Geekalerts via Slashgear]
