You know how, when KGB agents are tailing you, all you want to do is roll out of the car while your driver keeps going? Only those agents aren’t dumb: If they suddenly see one fewer head inside the car, they’re gonna know something’s up. Spytechs at the CIA figured that if you brought along something compact yet inflatable, you could quickly blow it up as you exited the vehicle, and nobody would see any difference. It was the early ’80s so, naturally, the researchers thought of sex dolls.
Come some time in June, I’m going to be getting myself a new phone. My wife will probably be getting a new phone as well. In fact everybody in my house will be getting a new phone, except for my dog, Simba.
But why should he miss out on all the fun? It’s not his fault that his claws would scratch the hell out of a multitouch touchscreen, or that he can’t find headphones that fit him. He shouldn’t have to miss out on all the fun, right?
Right. That’s why we’ll be getting him an iBone, the latest in canine mobile technology. Consisting of a sqeaker toy and an iPhone-like fluffy exterior, the iBone will probably last as long as a real iPhone in Simba’s vice-like jaws, but he’s a tech-savvy dog and who am I to deny him his passion (of chewing toys apart)?
Arcam aren’t exactly the biggest name in the home entertainment world, especially in Australia, but they do have a good name for themselves when it comes to high-end quality. So good, in fact, that I expected to see a price tag for their new A38 integrated amplifier to run at twice what they’re charging.
Their latest range comes in three different flavours – The A18, A28 and A38, which replace the A70, A90 and A32 models. To give you an idea on build quality, all three new models have a five year warranty.
There’s a full rundown on the A38′s features after the jump, but as I alluded to in the opening paragraph, the best thing about these new models is the price – the A18 is $1498, the A28 is $1998 and the A38 is $3498.While that’s still pricey for most people, it’s fairly cheap when compared to other high quality audio kit.
These “His and Hers” wall-mounted keyring holders may look familiar. That’s because they were in that fantastic piece of Brangelina Passion action movie mastery, Mr and Mrs Smith.
You’ll need to do a bit of a custom installation with these, which involves the overly complicated process of screwing in a couple of screws to your wall. Then you just attach the provided key to your keyring and you’re good to go.
Not sure if this is exactly the keyrack I’m after in my house, but then again, I’m not a big shot Hollywood actor or a secret agent, so maybe it’s all just above me.
Costs $30 from Latestbuy.
Terminator: Salvation has started production in the New Mexico deserts, with Christian Bale and Sam Worthington on board to star in the film as John Connor and Marcus Wright, respectively. The website is currently a blank teaser, but there’s a strong possibility it will launch some time tomorrow (keep refreshing, fanboys!) Directed by McG, the man responsible for the cultural institution known as The O.C., Terminator: Salvation will be set in 2018 where John Connor is fighting Skynet to ensure the future he’s destined for.
newVideoPlayer("msnbc_reader.flv", 506, 316,""); MSNBC’s new flash-based “visual newsreader” (as opposed to?) presents headlines by either spinning them off of a colourful 3D spiral or spawning them from the dominant colours in front of your webcam. The service is called Spectra, is one of the most ridiculous ways to communicate information I’ve seen in a long time. So I gave it a go, and as you can see, its pretty out there. While the New York Times wants to turn your computer in to a newspaper, it looks like MSNBC wants to make it in to a hallucinogenic drug. [MSNBC Spectra]-by John Herrman
Not so hot on the heels of its Microsoft-built Windows-based counterpart, the Times Reader beta has been made available for all members of NYTimes.com. Although a Silverlight install is required, it’s relatively painless and a small price to pay for Reader’s efficient news presentation and olde timey typefaces. There are no subscription fees for now, but Mac users can expect to join the US$14.95 a month party when the software goes final. [NY Times via TUAW]–by John Herrman
It may not look as hot as the Sync Desktop concept, but the new Revolution Desk provides similar functionality in a product that you can actually own. The simple yet functional design incorporates a unique rotating panel surface that allows for an unobstructed forward view when using the computer, but can completely eliminate the monitor from sight when not in use. And the best part is that the actions are controlled simply by moving the keyboard tray in and out.
It looks like your typical junk, tooling around on coastal waterways in Southeast Asia in the late 1960s. Think of it in Apocalypse Now terms: It was basically a water taxi for personnel on highly classified missions. OK, so then say that classified mission is somehow compromised—here’s what it looks like when it literally blows its cover:
We have all heard the horror stories about how our keyboards are dirtier than our toilet seats and how nasty germs build up on our mobile phones. If that is a concern for you, La Fresh is unveiling a new Teck Pack germ killing kit for gadgets. Each kit comes with 4 Wet and Dry Screen Cleaning towelette duo-packets as well as 3 Lens Cleaning and 3 Anti-Bacterial towelettes. And since we all know that hygiene can sometimes take a back seat to the computer, you could probably spare a few for an impromptu shower. Not bad for US$10. Available starting on May 27th. [La Fresh via Crave]
