Sunday, August 24, 2008
Entertainment
The Latest Gear Behind 3D Movie Making
10:30AM Adrian Covert | DLP recently teamed up with former LucasFilms effects studios Kerner Optical and Tippett Studios to work on a stereoscopic 3D Trailer for their cinema projectors. Pushing this style of filmmaking (kinda like the 3D attractions at theme parks) forward was something they were all excited about, and they took me around Kerner Optical’s facility and showed me the latest camera gear they used to make the 3D trailer. More »
Science
Spitzer Space Telescope Celebrates 5th Birthday With Portrait of Stellar Nursery
10:00AM Gizmodo US Edition | NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, the last of the space agency’s Great Observatories satellites to launch, celebrated its fifth birthday recently… giving me the opportunity to post this amazing multigenerational picture of star-forming region in the constellation Cassiopeia, 6,500 light-years from Earth. The photo takes in an area equivalent to four full moons and puts on show how one generation of massive stars can give birth to the next. More »
Computers
Apple Issues Software Update for MacBook Air, Fixes Video Playback and Processor Idling Issues
9:15AM Adrian Covert | TUAW reports that Apple released a software update for its MacBook Air last night, which is said to fix issues with video playback and processor idling. But more importantly, Apple warned against running apps that modify processor performance (TUAW lists CoolBook), as the update does not support them. The software update and accompanying documentation can be found here and here. [TUAW] More »
Home
Sony To Drop Blu-ray Player Price US$100, Others to Follow
8:30AM Adrian Covert | HD Guru is reporting that Sony will drop the price of their BDP-S350 Blu-ray player US$100 and sell it for US$300 beginning in September. As a result, manufacturer Funai plans to drop the price of its players (under the Philips/Magnavox, Insignia and Sylvania brands) down US$50 to US$250 in order to stay competitive in the market. Sony also plans to release a higher end Blu-ray player, the BDP-S550 for US$399 beginning in October. [HD Guru] More »
Science
Drawings of Early Microscopes Show Artistry in the Pursuit of Science
7:45AM Gizmodo US Edition | Ah, where would science be if not for the contributions of the humble microscope? Did you know that the development of the world’s first microscope began in 11th century Iraq, when scientist and polymath Ibn al-Haytham recorded all sorts of data about lenses, binocular vision, mirrors and observable properties of light his The Book of Optics? That would make this pioneering technology more than a thousand years old. BibliOdyssey has amassed a great collection of drawings of pre-20th century microscopes and some of them look more like art pieces than instruments of science. Check out my favourites: [Bibliodyssey via MAKE] More »
Peripherals
Aiaiai Swirl Earbuds Are The Anti-iPod Headphones
7:00AM Adrian Covert | Multiple colours? Check. Good sound quality? Supposedly. These Aiaiai Swirl headphones aren’t the ubiquitous iPod earbuds worn by every other person on earth (myself included). Aiaiai, the 200-member collective from Copenhagen, designed these in conjunction with Kilo design, offering straightforward headphones, as well as a headset for mobiles. More »
Science
MIT Developing a Battery Half the Size of a Human Cell
6:15AM Adrian Covert | MIT Researchers are working on virus-based microbatteries that are about half the size of a human cell. Using a combination of virus cultivation (which assembles itself) an soft lithography, Paula Hammond and team were able manufacture the battery, which consists of a cathode, anode and electrolyte. They hope the breakthrough will allow for applications like implantable medical sensors and labs that fit on a computer chip. [MIT via Good Clean Tech via PC World] More »
Design
iBasket Laundry Concept is Clothes Hamper, Washer For The Lazy
5:30AM Gizmodo US Edition | Like most New Yorkers, my building has no laundry facilities of its own and, in order to get clean clothes, I have to summon the willpower to drag my brimming bag three blocks. Oh, if only I had this automated washing machine basket instead. Designed by Guopeng Liang and one of the finalists in Electrolux’s Design Lab ‘08 contest, the iBasket is a space saving clothes hamper and washing machine in one. More »
Gadgets
Build Your Own Waterproof iPod Video Boombox
4:45AM Adrian Covert | Popular Mechanics has a great DIY feature, showing you how to build a waterproof video boombox for your iPod. Making use of an iPod touch, some old speakers, an 8″ personal video player screen, video cables, gorilla tape and a hard camera case, Anthony Verducci has created a waterproof video case for the iPod that he believes is the first to float. More »
Peripherals
