Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - Page 2
Computing

Asus Eee PC 1000 to Debut First Week of June

According to an invitation from Chairman Jonney Shih, Asus will present their EeePC 1000 at Computex 2008, the classic IT fair to kick off in Taipei next week, starting on June 3. The 10-inch EeePC 1000 will appear alongside the newly-redesigned 9-inch EeePC 901.


I-O Data’s Mini Bluetooth Keyboard is Cute, Looks Familiar

Sure, Bluetooth keyboards that help with text-entry to your mobile phone or PDA aren’t new. But this one from I-O Data has three things going for it: it’s petite, it doesn’t fold with over-complicated mechanisms and it’s very cute. Dare I say it’s taken a few style pointers from a bigger, shinier Bluetooth cousin? Yes, I think I may. No info on pricing or availability. [Akihabaranews]


Science

Modded Kids Snowmobiles to be Used to Aid Climate Research

Instead of trekking across ice sheets and into dangerous areas to gather data on climate change, scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology are going to send robots in instead. Dubbed SnoMotes, the in-development robots are modified kids snowmobiles—chosen for their cheapness and resilience—packed with navigation gear and sensors, and able to work as a team without the need for remote control.


Sony Sountina Glass Speaker Rocks You for $10,000

Sony’s sci-fi looking 6-foot glass speaker is turning into an actual product: the Sountina NSA-PF1—designed for larger rooms and halls—will give you a 50Hz to 20kHz frequency response, analogue and digital audio inputs, and a blue, amber or purple-lit 3-foot organic glass tweeter for just US$10,000. [AV Watch]


Science

Phoenix to NASA: “Houston, We Have a Prob*static*”

Just two days after touchdown, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander—photographed here by Mars Odyssey— is having problems with their UHF radio, which was used more than a hundred times before but now is refusing to work. Without it, you can’t give orders to the spacecraft, but don’t fret: fortunately they can use the orbiter to relay signals, as well as activating the secondary radio unit available on board. NASA said the problem was caused by a “transient event.” What does that mean? They don’t know for sure, and that means we can pick our own.


Software

Windows 7 Features Revealed

Here’s what Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer revealed about Windows 7 at All Things Digital a few minutes ago. The biggest “feature” is the touch and multi-touch integration, which takes many of its roots from Microsoft’s Surface Table, and will be available as an interface options for other apps. Here’s some more stuff they pulled out, which we captured in photos here.


Software

Windows 7: First Official Photos

The first legit shots of Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista, were just unveiled by Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer in person at the All Things D conference. It’s the evolution of the surface table, using multitouch on the desktop. Looks like Tablet PC. I’m not impressed so far, but only because it doesn’t move that far beyond the Surface Table demos we saw last year. More photos in a bit. [All Things D]


Software

All Things D Live: Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer Interview

UPDATE: Windows 7 photos and feature details here. Highlight videos, way easier to digest than my liveblog, are after the jump.


Gaming

Crystal Foosball Tables Suck All of the Fun Out of the Game

We have seen long foosball tables, hi-fi foosball tables and even beautiful foosball tables before, but none can compare to the luxury and elegance that the Teckell Collection can provide. The tables come in a number of different versions, but they all feature a crystal frame with shiny aluminium players—potentially making them the most expensive foosball tables the world has ever seen.


London’s Olympic Stadium to be ‘Flatpack,’ Portable

London’s Olympic Stadium is going to be huge, providing seating for over 80,000 people. The problem is, after the games leave there won’t be as many uses for a stadium of that size. The solution? Construct it out of flatpack materials like an Ikea bookshelf, then just take it down and move it elsewhere after the games.