The charity auction for Ben Heck’s magically modded PS3 laptop is up and running on eBay. Proceeds go to the National Cancer Coalition. If you want in, be prepared to open your wallet up pretty wide for the good cause: With six days and 22 hours left, it’s already zoomed past US$3700. [eBay via Engadget]
With words like “Chopper” and “Excalibur” in the title, you know that this lawnmower can haul some arse and cut some grass. In fact, the manufacturer is touting it as the world’s fastest lawnmower with a top speed of 24 kph on 38 hp. It may not seem all that fast, but you could tear up your yard and be inside getting loaded before your neighbour even starts his engine.
By now you’ve probably seen our Battlemodo between the four hottest entry-level DSLRs on the market—the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, the Sony Alpha a350, the Nikon D60 and the Olympus E-420. With 91 good-sized comments (and counting), there were obviously some issues raised that merited further investigation. Here are some new details, discussed by camera model.
There is no doubt that the big trend right now in home design is about saving space. However, many of the designs we have seen in the past focus on the interior. The Vertical Patio from Pique Architecture takes the concept outdoors with a design that gets the most out of a small backyard using an elaborate fold away design.
newVideoPlayer("lasonic_ipod_boombox.flv", 494, 295,""); We’ve covered a handful of new and modded Lasonic gear here at Giz, but I finally got up close with their fabled i931 iPod Ghetto Blaster. If you’re unfamiliar, Lasonic made some classic boomboxes during the 80s, and now they’ve updated their TRC-931 boombox with a built-in iPod dock, SD card reader and USB port. The picture and description pretty much sum up what makes this US$170 retro wonder so amazing, but I have a laundry list of reasons why the i931 boombox is one of my favourite gadgets I’ve ever laid hands on.
Japan’s been tooling around with versions of invisibility cloaks for years now, but they seem to have finally perfected it. Theoretically. By using “left-handed metamaterials” to make electromagnetic control devices, researchers can generate lenses that either reflect no light or have a perfect focal point—the end result of which lets you create a perfect invisibility cloak to skulk around Tokyo with. If you’re really interested in the physics of the situation, you can head over to Nikkeibp, but we’re pretty sure the illustration above will explain the matter just fine. [Nikkeibp]
Right now, your camera either has a CCD (most point and shoots) or a CMOS image sensor (lots of DSLRs) inside, which converts pretty pictures into an electrical signal. Japan’s Research Centre for Photovoltaics has developed a CIGS image sensor that’s 100 times more light-sensitive than the silicon chip inside your cam. It’s able to shoot in environments as dark as 0.001 lux, or about as dark as a “moonless clear night.” Obviously, it’ll be great for night vision gear, but it also picks up infrared, giving this some serious Sam Fisher applications. Check out the comparison shot between a CMOS and CIGS below, it’s insane. Chen won’t need that invisible coat, just a good zoom lens.
Sprint is providing 600 phones to the Archdiocese of New York for the Pope’s visit. In addition, “the Pope’s caravan will be tracked through Actsoft’s Comet Tracker GPS solution loaded on Sprint phones, transmitting data over a secured network in near real-time for optimum security and accuracy.” That’s right: the Pope uses Sprint. I don’t think there’s a more badass celebrity endorsement than that, do you? I can’t wait for the ad campaign.
The end of the week is nigh. You have worked hard and now it’s time to relax. That is the spirit behind the new “Thank Giz It’s Friday” roundup. This week it is all about gadgets that will help you breeze through the weekend with as little physical effort as possible—a guide to the ultimate in laziness. The way I see it, why should you do things half-assed when you can do things no-assed? Let us show you the way.
Microsoft is testing a new bundle of fun codenamed “Albany” which rolls Office Home and Student, Windows Live OneCare, Office Live Workspace and some other Live services into a package that you’ll pay a monthly fee for. It’s this kind of thing, turning software into services you have to keep paying for and never actually own, that makes reports of Windows 7′s modularity kinda scary. Here’s what “Albany” will ask you to pony up for every month in real-world terms.
