Friday, April 11, 2008
Vehicles
DARPA Urban Challenge Cars Invading Pentagon Parking Lot
11:30PM Jesus Diaz | Gizmodo reader Andrew Friend was strolling yesterday through the Pentagon’s North Parking back to the office when he noticed the car above, MIT’s entry in the DARPA Urban Challenge, which aims to produce a car that can run completely automated in any conditions, without human intervention. He reported today that all the challenge cars arrived today—”they must be doing something on the weekend when the parking lot clears out,” he said. With no notice of a new challenge, what are all those cars doing there? Some possible answers, Google Maps location and a video showing how good these cars are, right after the jump. Updated: check the extra images from different cars and all the details about what is going on from another reader at the Pentagon right now.
Gadgets
New Puzzle Alarm Clock Tests Your Early AM IQ
11:30PM Wilson Rothman | At the moment you wake up, how smart are you? If you’re like me, your answer is “not very.” Which is why I hate some jerk for teasing me with this IQ-test alarm clock. We’ve seen puzzle alarm clocks before, but none that try your cognitive skills in this manner when all you wanted to do was sleep in for another two hours. Then again, how smart can you possibly be if you take the time to insert yellow triangle, red star and green hexagon in their proper niches instead of simply hurling the base across the room until it goes “crack”? [Urban Trend] Thanks Gina! More »
Computers
A Gasoline-Powered PC? What the Crap?
11:15PM Gizmodo US Edition | According to English Russia, this special PC is used to work on fuel “connected directly to the car’s gas tank.” Hmmm. Apparently “it analyses the state of the fuel and diagnoses the overall condition of the car, while consuming some gas fluid.” Possibly even without detonating and killing everyone nearby. There are more pics in the gallery, shedding more light on the thing, but there’s no monitor, keyboard or mouse, and you never really see the drives in action either. Even the backside looks something fishy, and there’s no obvious combustion engine either. What’s your expert opinion? And what are the chances that this whole brilliant scheme will at some point combust all to hell? [English Russia] More »
Phones
iPhone to Support GPS, Stereo Bluetooth, Nike+, Battle Hackers
10:50PM Jesus Diaz | As the Second Coming of the JesusPhone looms over the horizon, the rumour pace starts to accelerate, with people digging in the dirt to try to get any clues about what’s awaiting in this incarnation of Apple’s mobile phone. StuffTV is now reporting that—just like Jason wanted—Nike+ will definitely come to the iPhone in a big way, while code detectives have found strings that hint at support of Bluetooth stereo headphones, GPS support, and other iPhone seeeeeecrets:
Gadgets
Gas Pump Entertainment Centre, Product of Bygone Era
10:41PM Mark Wilson | The T39 Replica Gas Pump Entertainment Centre is not just for the car enthusiast who is obsessed with the 1940s. It’s for the guy who wants to spend almost 2 Gs on his entertainment centre but never watch a TV bigger than 13 inches. Because while the gas pump’s illuminated globe and retro styling are pretty cool for a garage, it’s too skinny to either shelve a decent sized television or the various components to compliment a wall-mounted plasma. Some things just weren’t meant to achieve the heralded status of entertainment centre. And alas, this US$1,775 gas pump replica is one of them. [product via luxurylaunches] More »
Gadgets
Freeloader USB Battery Charger Supposedly World’s Smallest
9:39PM Gizmodo US Edition | This new gizmo will charge a pair of your AA or AAA NiMH/NiCad batteries in three to four hours of slurping power from a USB socket, no power brick required. It’s also apparently the “smallest and lightest” in the world. That may or may not be true, but it certainly is small enough to slip into your laptop case and not worry about. It’s even rubberised to make it a bit tougher for portability, so if you’re the type who needs AA batteries out in the field, it might be useful. Available now, for US$25. [Geek Alerts] More »
Design
Where’s Waldo? Available to Play on Google Earth
8:24PM Addy Dugdale | Fans of Waldo, the geek in the striped beanie and glasses who’d pop up where you least expected, can now hunt him down on Google Earth. Canadian student Melanie Coles has installed a 55-foot painting of Waldo on a Vancouver rooftop, and expects other people to follow suit with their own Waldos. More below the gallery.
Gadgets
Car Dice Toys Go All-Glowing, Abandon Dangliness, Fluffiness
7:39PM Gizmodo US Edition | I’m in conflict over this new “pimp your ride” car toy. Firstly, the old-fashioned fluffy, dangly rear-view mirror dice were never cool, unless they were an ironic statement. And secondly, I kinda liked them anyway. This 21st Century version, the “Rainbow Dice-Shaped Lamp”, is just one die and, sure, it glows in seven fantastic colours when plugged into the cigarette-lighter socket. But where’s the fluffiness? Where’s the retro-chic? Humph. If your sense of style isn’t offended, it’s available for US$19. [Gadget4All via Pocket-lint] More »
Gadgets
Soft Pneumatic Exo-Skeleton Runs on Air, Electronics
7:17PM Addy Dugdale | Described as a soft and wearable muscle suit, this exo-skeleton is used for the lower body, where its pneumatic muscles help the wearer to lift heavier loads as well as walking. Made by a team from the University of Michigan, it’s powered by a small scuba-diving bottle worn on the back, and is triggered when the user flexes his muscles. It weighs in at just 3kg, including the five-pound tank, which you can replace with a C02 cartridge, which will drop the weight right down to less than a kilo. [cwwang.com via MAKE] More »
Gadgets
