When Sirius and XM finished their merger dance it was said that they would be able to offer interoperable radios—that is units that work with the full lineups of both XM and Sirus—within a year of the merger. Then they told the FCC they’d have devices within nine months. Now Mel Karmazin, CEO of the new merged company, has said that we can expect merged receivers “a number of months” before that deadline, likely in the first quarter of 2009. This is both good and bad news for the consumers. It’s good because they’ll get the full benefits of the merged systems, but it’s bad because to get those benefits they’ll have to purchase another receiver. Karmazin also said that “a la carte” radios—those that would offer a full lineup of either XM or Sirius and individual channels from the other service—will be here for the holidays, but we’d hold off.[OrbitCast]
Samsung has been pioneering efforts to improve performance of SSDs in operating systems, working with Apple to integrate ZFS reading and writing to the next version of OSX Server. This means a 128-bit file system with faster data throughput and lots of other fun things that make servers run better. This also means Apple is taking SSD technology seriously, as it has already dropped the price of the SSD upgrade for the MacBook Air—the only current MacBook to ship with an SSD option—to US$599 from US$999. We likely won’t see SSDs across the MacBook lines yet, but this means it could be in the cards. [MacRumors]
If you’re a fan of the current crop of Batman movies (you probably are) then you either love or hate the new Batmobile, affectionately known as the Tumbler. If you’re in the love camp, then you can now find out everything you’d want to know about the four prop cars they built for the films, including what engine they have and how they were constructed. The in-depth guide is even broken down into categories like the history of the project to how the makers modeled the shape, and makes a perfect Friday evening read. [How Stuff Works via Jalopnik]
The Freewheeler speaker features a frequency response of 52 – 21,000 Hz, a 112dB output, a built-in FM receiver, a battery life of 8 hours and a wireless range of 656 feet– but I’m having trouble figuring out what makes it worth US$21,000. Is it the fact that it is roughly the size of a Mazda Miata tire (only thicker) and can be rolled around? Because I’ll be dammed if I’m paying that much for something I have to push. Still, 8 morons spent US$1000 bucks on that stupid iPhone app so there is no telling what people will drop big money on.
After Netshare was pulled for the second time from the App Store, there was a glimmer of hope it might return after the developer finally got in touch with Apple. Enter AT&T and their terms of service: “Plans (unless specifically designated for tethering usage) cannot be used for any applications that tether the device…to Personal Computers (including without limitation, laptops), or other equipment for any purpose.” There is no tethering plan for the iPhone. But it’s not that simple, either.
I like Duck Hunt, but I don’t like being mocked by an overweight dog because I’m not the next Solid Snake with a light gun. Laser Shot’s HT Complete home theatre hunting sim offers all the game hunting one can handle without causing self-esteem issues. Sure, it costs US$2000 for the laser camera detection kit, fake handgun, fake rifle and 15 different hunting sims (US$3000 w/projector, plus an extra US$1700 if you buy the shotgun and crossbow addons), but what’s more enjoyable than delivering a face full of lead to a gazelle? Amiright or amiright? [Laser Shot via BallerHouse]
This clock, made by Greg Blonder from a Lego Mindstorms set, is an homage to the slide rule. It’s super simple to read; the upper rule tells the hours and the lower tells the minutes. They move independently, and the stationary window shows the time. This update to a retro gadget is kind of hypnotising to watch, even if it takes up about a foot of shelf space. As much as we like this, we’re wondering when Greg will come out with an abacus Lego clock.
The ElectraFlyer C is a carbon fiber-shelled mini plane that runs on electricity, and it also looks like a lot of fun. It’s a mash-up of a commercially available glider body and a lightweight battery and motor/propeller assembly. It can fly for 90 to 120 minutes at up to 145kph, and you can recharge it in about six hours from a regular 110 volt outlet for about 60 cents. Oh, and it’s received its airworthiness cert, meaning it’s perfectly legal. [ElectricFlyer via Wired]
The 2008 Olympics have already started, but those of us stuck here in America and not lucky enough to own Vista must deal with NBC’s often delayed event broadcasts. Sure, if it’s American basketball or track you’re looking for, you can find everything you need without stepping away from your HDTV set. But if you’ve waited four years to watch table tennis or want to see how that Latvia-Angola rivalry plays out, you’ll definitely have to use NBC’s streaming online player. The Silverlight-based player runs well—even on a Mac—but it has a few rough spots when it comes to interface. If you want to make the best of your Olympic experience, here are the things you need to know.
As anyone who has seen the Matrix will tell you, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) can wreak havoc on electronics. You may also know that an EMP is a byproduct of a nuclear blast–which is why the Navy has handed over US$7.5 million to L-3 Services, Inc. to build an EMP generator. The device is not going to be used as a weapon, instead it will be used to test the resistance of military systems to specific EMP levels as a preventative measure in the event that a nuclear weapon is detonated in US airspace.
