August 1, 2008

Gadgets

Casio Tough Movement For G-Shock Uses Internal LEDs to Sync Time

Posted by John Mahoney at 11:40 PM on August 1, 2008

These watch guts from Casio can receive radio synchronisation signals from six transmitters around the world every hour at the 55-minute mark--if the individual holes in the gear sprockets don't line up in precisely the exact position as measured by a 16Hz blinking LED and a phototransistor, the watch adjusts accordingly. The first Tough Movement watch, the G-Shock GS-1200, will be available in Japan for US$388. [Tech ON via Oh Gizmo]


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Home

Giant LED Clock Stores CDs, Gets You Back to the '80s

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 11:11 PM on August 1, 2008

Ooooh. Shelves. And red LEDs. They tell time. They store CDs. Who has CDs? Not me. But I don't care. It's a giant digital clock. Red over black, baby. 1980s, here I come again. Now I just need to rescue my white suit, tight pink T-shirt, and call Tubbs to pick me up in the Ferrari.


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Gadgets

Homeland Security Can Snatch Your Laptop at the Border, No Questions Asked

Posted by John Mahoney at 10:45 PM on August 1, 2008

Better flush your porn transfer folder before heading home from Tijuana, guys, because the DHS can and will find it, according to a report by the Washington Post. They also have permission to take your laptop or any other electronic device to an off-site location indefinitely, and share its contents with other agencies or private entities (read: anyone) for translation, decryption, or "other reasons." And it's not just your laptop you should be careful about, unfortunately.


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Vehicles

Winglet Personal Transport to Keep Increasing J-Lo's Arse Size

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 10:03 PM on August 1, 2008

The Winglet is Toyota's Segway killer--as if there was anything left to kill--a personal transport assistant that comes in three different models, all destined to fail in the US to the lack of sidewalk vehicle regulations and cheeseburger/cup holders. The three models--Type S, M, and L--look great, especially the small one, with no handlebar at all.


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Design

Honeycomb Skyscraper Has No Internal Structure, Attracts Giant Killer Wasps

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 7:39 PM on August 1, 2008

Design goodness hunters Dezeen got this pictures of the 358 metre high Sinosteel International Plaza in Tianjin, China, designed by architects MAD--or just mad architects. The external white honeycomb structure, with huge hexagonal windows that vary slightly in size, is not just for the pretty looks: it will sustain the whole building without the need for any internal structure. And make it look like a huge wasp nest to me. From the inside, however, each room looks like a space station.


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Cameras

Fuji Finepix S2000HD with 720p Video Recording

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 7:21 PM on August 1, 2008

The Fuji Finepix S2000HD has sneaked through Canada's border. The HD stands for HD movie recording at 1,280 x 720 progressive, and at US$290, the 10MP, 15x wide angle zoom lenses, 2.7-inch screen, dual image stabilisation, and continuous shooting at 13.5 3,648 x 2,736-pixel frames per second, looks like a good deal from here. Especially if it comes with a barrel of whisky (yes, at last it's Friday). Full specs look nice:


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Science

New Way Of Storing Solar Energy Discovered

Posted by Matt Hickey at 12:00 PM on August 1, 2008

Solar power has a lot of promise, but until recently there hasn't been an adequate way to store the energy the sun produces. Scientists at MIT have come up with a new fuel cell process that mimics the way plants store the sun's rays that is both efficient and inexpensive, not to mention environmentally sound. Without getting too technical, the system uses sunlight to separate water's hydrogen and oxygen atoms and then puts them back together in a fuel cell, providing energy. This means an almost limitless supply of clean energy might be just a few years away, though it's still too early to say when you'll have what you want: a solar powered laptop. [PhysOrg]

Portable

Australian Company Launches The World's Smallest Pocket Projector

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 11:37 AM on August 1, 2008

PocketCinema10.JPG

While the rest of the world sits back and waits for pico projectors to make their way into mobile phones, Australian company Mint Wireless has decided to just release the world's smallest pocket projector instead.

The end result is this: The Mint V10 Projector. Made by Taiwanese company Aiptek and measuring in at 125 x 55 x 23mm, it can project an image size of 50 inches from just 1.8 metres away. It can be partnered with pretty much anything, from a DVD player to your PS3, and it literally fits in your jeans pocket.

The LED lamp is supposedly good for 20,000 hours worth of viewing, and unlike traditional projectors, there's no need to warm it up before you start your impromptu Powerpoint presentation on a business flight to LA.

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Cameras

Why I Hate the iPhone (and Loved the Best Rock Concert Ever)

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 11:30 AM on August 1, 2008

There. I said it. I hate it. OK, I don't really hate it. But sometimes I want to smash it against the wall. The last time was in the pit at the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's concert in Madrid. I was there, first row, centre of the stage, after waiting a whole night and day outside of the stadium. That night was the most amazing and magical I've experienced in a very long time, and certainly the best rock concert I've ever been to. Only one thing failed: my iPhone's camera.

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Home

First Pics of LG Netflix Blu-ray BD300 Player

Posted by Benny Goldman at 11:26 AM on August 1, 2008

LG's Netflix-streaming, Blu-ray 2.0 playing BD300 made its public debut tonight, and we're impressed. The box is slim and it won't take up more space on your shelf than any other player. An LG exec confirmed a September launch for the sub-US$500 player, so check out the gallery and start lickin' your chops. [LG]

Gadgets

Jumbo-Sized MIDI Sampler Let's You Muscle Out Beats Like Mario in Giant World

Posted by John Mahoney at 11:15 AM on August 1, 2008

No matter how good the music is, musicians look kinda lame tapping out little beats on tiny samplers on stage. What is emphatically not lame though is pounding them on 16 giant pressure-sensitive pads with this 340kg sampler rig. It was built for the Warped-tour band Family Force 5 by a musician named bwack, and it packs a 22" monitor, 10 control knobs, two pizza-sized pitch wheels and a Mac running Ableton to control the whole game. Check it out onstage at the Warped tour below. Giganto-rock!


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Software

iPhone Apps We Love: NetShare - Share Your 3G/EDGE Connection With Your Computer

Posted by Jason Chen at 10:53 AM on August 1, 2008

NetShare is one app we never thought would make it onto the official iPhone App Store. All it does is set up a SOCKS5 proxy for you to get your laptop/computer online through use of the 3G/EDGE connection. Does it work? Yes. Yes it does. EDGE works just fine, although Mahoney says it's slow as balls. 3G impressions in a sec. Be careful of how much bandwidth you're using, since your provider probably makes a frowny face at you using their network to power your laptop, however "unlimited" your plan may be. [NetShare - Thanks Matthew and Ryan!]

Vehicles

Shimano's All-Electric Gear System is Like F1 Shifting Paddles For Your Bike

Posted by John Mahoney at 10:49 AM on August 1, 2008

Gear and derailleur mechanisms in high-end bikes are among the more impressive feats of engineering around, which makes bike madman Eric Hagerman's report in Wired on Shimano's new ultra high-end all-electric gear shifters pretty interesting. While other companies have dabbled in replacing rickety lever and cable shifters with all-electric mechanisms, Shimano has taken the tech much further than most. And while it may sound like bike-dude geekery at best, hearing the pros talk about the difference makes it sound like an amazing rig to try.

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Announcements

And The Winner Of the iWorld Australia/Giz AU Win An iPhone Competition Is...

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 10:40 AM on August 1, 2008

Wow, it's been a bit of an iPhone-filled morning so far today, what with Virgin and Three unleashing iPhone plans and Telstra upgrading their own data packs. The end result though is that there are now a heap of options for the winner of our iPhone competition, which was run in conjunction with iWorld Australia.

The winner will be receiving his very own unlocked 16GB black iPhone 3G, plus a DLO Powerpack - the accessory he chose on the way to winning. And now, without any more procrastination, the winner is...

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Vehicles

Crazy Kassou Car: Confusing, Like a Giraffe With Batwings

Posted by Sean Fallon at 10:30 AM on August 1, 2008

As a tall guy I can appreciate that designer Nicholas Lee Dunderdale incorporated an adjustable roof into his 3-wheeled Kassou concept car. The rubber "neck" can be raised or lowered depending on the passenger's need for headroom or better aerodynamics. But, to be honest, this thing looks like some sort of crazy science experiment. Like an unholy mixture of a giraffe, bat and a vacuum that surely goes against the laws of nature. I mean, what are those wings for anyway? Despite its odd appearance, the Kassou actually earned second place in the Car Design News Contest for 2008--although I wouldn't expect to see it on the street anytime soon. [Car Design News via The Design Blog via Gearfuse]


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Gadgets

AOKI Deoderising Suits Keep Sweaty Types Tolerable At The Office

Posted by Sean Fallon at 10:00 AM on August 1, 2008

You know that sweaty guy who always comes into work smelling like an armpit? Yeah, you know who I'm talking about--and if you don't, "that guy" is probably you. Thanks to AOKI, you won't have to tolerate the funny looks, wrinkled noses and giggle-laden whispers of your co-workers any longer. The translation is shaky, but their new line of deodorising suits claim to absorb sweat, suck out odour and provide antibacterial protection using the power of silver ions. They also run about US$370 on sale. Unfortunately, if you don't live in Japan you will just have to continue being the smelly office outcast. [Rakuten via Crunchgear]


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Phones

Nokia Slashes Mobile Phone Prices as Much as 10%

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 9:30 AM on August 1, 2008

Trying to put pressure on their competition, or feeling the pressure from increasing Samsung and LG market share, Nokia has reduced many handset prices by 10%--mostly music and media phones--but also making discounts across the whole portfolio. Analyst and Sean Connery-fan David Hallden calls the move a Crazy Ivan:


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Phones

Buy An iPhone On Virgin Mobile Now!

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 9:15 AM on August 1, 2008

iphone 3g virgin.jpg

We confirmed that it was happening the other day, but you can now officially purchase an iPhone on Virgin, with a data plan worthy of the device.

To refresh your memory, Virgin are offering the phone in two flavours, both on 24 month contracts. The first costs $70 per month, includes 1GB of data, $520 worth of calls (with free calls to Virgin mobiles), free Voicemail, free text to virgin mobiles and call rates of 40c per 30 seconds (plus 40c flagfall) and 25c text messaging. And tha includes an 8GB iPhone.

The $100 per month plan gives you 5GB of data (which is probably more than you'll ever need), plus all the same call rates, and a 16GB iPhone thrown in for good measure. If you want a 16GB on the $70 plan, it's an extra $4 per month.

Considering that Virgin runs on the Optus network and runs rings around their data pricing, this could be the best option for all those data-hungry users out there. And Telstra's tweaked their pricing now as well, although it still doesn't come close to this.

But, as with all the networks, stocks are limited, so first in best dressed!

[Virgin Mobile]

Networks

3 Launches iPhone Plans, Without An iPhone...

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 9:06 AM on August 1, 2008

Despite the fact that they launched a petition to Apple to get the iPhone for their customers, 3 still can't sell you an iPhone. But thanks to Optus letting you unlock their pre-paid iPhones, we know that you can get an iPhone working on 3's network anyway, no hacking required.

So, in what can only be considered a brilliant move (under the circumstances) they've launched plans specifically for the iPhone - where you supply the iPhone.

What's more, they'll actually pay you for your iPhone. That's right! 3 will actually offset some of the cost of buying a pre-paid Optus iPhone outright and unlocking it so you can use it on 3.

So, you can spend $809 (8GB) or $949 (16GB) to get an unlocked iPhone, and when you take it to 3, they'll give you $300. The catch, of course, is that you need to sign up to a 24 month contract.

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Computers

Some Nut Puts Working Desktop, 17-inch CRT and Printer in Convertible

Posted by Jason Chen at 9:00 AM on August 1, 2008

Reader Henry found this "mobile office" in New York last night, which is probably one of the strangest things I've ever seen. It consists of a desk, a keyboard, a desktop, a CRT, a lamp, a printer and flowers, all mounted on the passenger side of a convertible. Wha?

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Gadgets

Best Buy Vending Machine Haunts Dallas/Forth Worth Airport

Posted by Jason Chen at 8:30 AM on August 1, 2008

Forgetting to bring your electronics with you on a flight sucks really, really hard. This is why the DFW airport has allowed Best Buy to put Best Buy Express vending machines inside several terminals, giving travellers a chance to pick up the lost gadgets, chargers or headphones that they would otherwise have to do without. Is it a good deal? Probably not. But think of it as the electronics equivalent of having to buy a pack of Corn Nuts and going to town because you missed lunch. [Dallas News]


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Networks

Telstra Upgrades Mobile Data Plans (They Still Need Work)

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:20 AM on August 1, 2008

blonde_with_phone_hires.jpgLate yesterday afternoon, Telstra tried to crash the mobile data plan cocktail party. The only problem is that instead of bringing a bottle of liqueur like Baileys or Kahlua, they brought a couple of cans of VB, a bottle of Passion Pop, and a cask of Tropicana. Then, instead of sharing their booze, they sat in the corner and got drunk by themselves.

If you believe the press release, the new Telstra data plans for the iPhone are possible thanks to the superior NextG network capacity. Yet for all that fantastic capacity, all they could manage to increase two of their mobile add-on data packs: The $10 pack goes from 20MB to 150MB, while the $29 pack goes from 80MB to 300MB. They also reduced the excess usage rates (although to what wasn't actually mentioned in the press release.) UPDATE: Gus at Lifehacker managed to discover the excess data rates from Telstra:

Excess data now costs 50 cents per MB on the $10 plan, or 25 cents per MB on the $29 plan (it was previously $1 on both plans).



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Science

Exercise Pills Will Finally Make You Attractive to the Opposite Sex, I'm Sure

Posted by Adam Frucci at 7:57 AM on August 1, 2008

Good news, chubbies! Science has got your back. Researchers at the Salk Institute have found two drugs that trick the muscles in mice into thinking they've been working out like crazy, even when said mice have been playing World of Warcraft and eating Funyuns for 8 straight hours.


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Games

An Xbox 360 Controller Crammed into a PS3 Dual Shock Controller's Body

Posted by Adam Frucci at 7:40 AM on August 1, 2008

A clever modder on the Ben Heck forums managed to cram an Xbox 360 controller into the shell of a PS3 Dual Shock controller. What resulted is an unholy union of the two consoles, bringing a controller for people with smaller hands to Microsoft's great grey beast. There's no headphone jack, although it may be added in the next go-around, but it looks pretty awesome to me. [Ben Heck Forums]

Regulars

Breakfast Wrap: Best of Thursday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 7:35 AM on August 1, 2008

breakfast-eggsbenedict.jpg

LG BD300 Is First Blu-ray Player With Built-in Netflix Streaming
So this is what the future looks like. I'm excited!

Sony Shows Latest PS3 Home, Now Recruiting Beta Testers
Anyone wanna find out if this is open to Australians?

How the Cormorant Submarine-to-Air Plane Works
I expect to see something like this in the next Batman movie.

iPhone Developers Get Push Notification API
This is what really makes the iPhone such an exciting device.

Phoenix Lander Has Touched Martian Water For the First Time
How long until it's bottled and we're charged $25 per litre for Martian Springs water?


Software

Apple Now Telling Developers How Many People Download Their App

Posted by Matt Buchanan at 7:20 AM on August 1, 2008

We reported in our massive feature on the SDK and App Store's shortcomings that Apple didn't even tell devs how many times their app is downloaded. I guess they realised devs might wanna know, 'cause now they're offering daily download statistics to registered devs. One brick at a time. [Mac Rumors]

Press

Judge Rules Early Termination Fees Are Illegal and Violate California Law

Posted by Jason Chen at 7:00 AM on August 1, 2008

A California Supreme Court judge has just ruled that early termination fees from mobile phone companies violates California state law and are illegal. What's this mean to you? Sprint Nextel has been ordered to pay US$18.2 million in reimbursements to customers who already paid their ETF, and to stop trying to collect US$54.7 million from customers who cancelled and refused to pay. But if ETF fees are illegal, does that mean 2-year contracts—which in turn give you subsidised price on your mobile phones—will be a thing of the past? Tough to say, but we're headed towards some change. [Mercury News via Yahoo]


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Design

I Don't Think The World is Ready For Aromatherapy Earphones

Posted by Sean Fallon at 6:40 AM on August 1, 2008

Hey, I love pleasing scents as much the next person, but I don't think people are quite ready for an MP3 player that pumps odours through your earbuds. Nonetheless, a group of designers has come up with that very idea and dubbed it "Sweet Honey." I highly doubt that you will see something like this on store shelves anytime soon, but there are plenty of crazy stupid aromatherapy gadgets out there already—so you never know. [Yanko]


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Gadgets

Super Soaker T-Shirt is Just Super

Posted by Mark Wilson at 6:20 AM on August 1, 2008

For those of you who've finally repressed Frucci's homoerotic slow-mo watergun facial