Steve Jobs may have launched the iPhone 3G on Monday, and we may have gotten a hands on with it already, but in typical Apple fashion, there’s still a lot of stuff left unsaid. How does activation work? How will first-gen iPhone users bring an iPhone 3G onto their plan? Does the GPS work for driving? How much will games cost on the App Store? We’ve got answers. Lots of them.
Chris and Jared over at Brickmodder rigged up this fantastic diorama of a scene inspired by Iron Man. There’s a detail picture of Iron Man after the jump, but you can see from the wide shot that Iron-y is just hanging there, eyeballing that RPG as it gracefully flies past his head before blasting the two terrorists (or construction contractors) in the face with hand lasers. “Yeah, I can fly.” [Brickmodder via Brothers Brick - Thanks Lindsay!]
A new program dubbed “Drive CarePhilly” is being rolled out in Philadelphia in an attempt to get drivers to follow speed limits. As part of the program, approximately 100 intersections will be fitted with high tech 3D decals that they believe will fake out drivers into thinking there is something in the intersection. While I can see this plan working initially, what happens when the locals grow accustomed to the decals? If they know the bumps are fake, what is to prevent them from speeding? It just doesn’t seem logical in the long term. [KYW via Fark]
As soon as you think they can’t build a more intense roller coaster, someone comes along and makes one that’s crazier than anything anyone’s seen before. Today’s example: the Farenheit at Hershey Park, a coaster that drops you down a 97-degree slope. Yes, that’s beyond vertical. It hits you with 4 Gs of force, more than what NASA astronauts are subjected to. Holy crap. Hit the jump for a video of this thing in action, then feel free to falsely claim how big a man you are and how much you’d enjoy this voluntary abuse.
Korean researchers have developed POMI, a penguin-looking robot that is able to see, hear, touch and smell. But even cooler, are its R2D2 qualities, which include flashing LEDs and a built-in projector for video playback. In addition, the robot has rudimentary facial expressions, a camera, a display screen, and the ability to speak in short phrases. To top things off, POMI has a mechanism to replicate a heartbeat that can be felt when you touch its case, and also emits “scent sprays to express happiness, sadness, and joy.” Um, is there a difference between happiness and joy? [Fareastgizmos]
So you have decided to get the iPhone 3G. Good for you–way to spend money. But after you have brought that little gadget bundle home, a sense of panic may set in–for you are now in an elite club. Fear not my friends, because the folks at CNET UK have “discovered” a survival guide that will help you, the frightened consumer, overcome the challenges that owning a 3G iPhone can pose. Everything from proper 3G iPhone etiquette to protecting your phone from bullies and thieves to surviving withdrawal is covered–with amusing illustrations and broken English to boot. Hit the link to check out the full guide. [CNET UK]
Running a car on water has been the holy grail for car manufacturers for some time now, but it appears that a Japanese company named Genepax may have pulled ahead of the competition with a prototype vehicle that runs entirely on water and air. Their new “Water Energy System (WES),” generates power by supplying water and air to the fuel and air electrodes using a proprietary technology called the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). The secret behind MEA is a special material that is capable of breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen through a chemical reaction.
The UK has just sent up a new communications satellite that’s completed their Skynet, the highly-advanced network that’s going to give them the ability to allow robotic military units at long range. You know, like in the apocalyptic vision of the future from the Terminator movies. The network’s name in those movies? Skynet. Have you learned nothing, England?!
We are really getting down to the wire here as far as Father’s Day gifts are concerned, but there is still hope for finding that perfect present for hard-to-shop-for Dads. So, let’s dispense with the normal fare like ties, golfing equiptment and GPS units (although GPS units are cool). Get something unique this year that he will always remember. The following guide will show you how. AU: Obviously, it isn’t Father’s Day here in Australia. But if I were a father, I’d still want some of these , even if it was just a random gift for the hell of it. Hint.
