If the fantastic Large Hadron Collider rap was too esoteric for your tastes, Oort Kuiper’s Astrobiology rap, commissioned by a European astronomy magazine, probably won’t find its way onto your prestigious and exclusive “muzic 4 drivin’ ‘n’ shit” playlist. But, in the spirit of science, consider the facts:
Fresh from the arms-races-that-I-didn’t-even-know-were-happening department comes Casio’s latest venture in ultra-high density LCD panels, which has resulted in a 546ppi, 960×540, 2.0-inch TFT. To put that into real-world terms (or “iPhone terms” as they’re called around here), that means that this display is over three times as dense as the iPhone’s already lush 160ppi panel. A less useful (but more entertaining) way to explain this would be to say that if the tech could be scaled to suit a 40-inch widescreen TV, it would have a stunning resolution of 10800p.
Jesus had a nice up close look at the ZX1 TV from Sony back at IFA a few weeks ago, and his response was pretty similar to our own after seeing it at UCHI this week: Wow.
The TV, which manages its ultra-slim body by outsourcing its TV components to a separate box, only needs a single power cable to power the screen. It connects to the other box – which includes all the same connections and controls you’d find on a Bravia TV – using a proprietary wireless technology from Sony. Apparently it doesn’t interfere with any of your other wireless techs (like your garage door or wireless headphones), and the box can be hidden away up to 15 metres away.
So we’ve been inundated with Android stories over the past couple of days from the US, but there is one question that they haven’t bothered asking: When’s Android coming to Australia?
Well, the guys over at ZDNet have done a heap of research into the matter, and it turns out the answer is that nobody knows anything. They spoke to all four of the mobile carriers, plus reps from the major handset manufacturers, and they couldn’t glean a single droplet of information.
The best response they received was that the carriers were “investigating the issue internally”. Even Google was quiet about when we might see some Android action. Apparently HTC – who make the G1 handset for T-Mobile in the US – gave the Zedders a “watch this space’ quote, which could mean anything at all.
So, if you’re dying to test out Android, best pull out your deck of cards and start playing solitaire – it might be a bit of a wait before we see anything here.
[ZDNet AU]
HappyWakeUp is a new mobile phone alarm app developed for S60 (the other open platform) that only wakes you when it knows you’re in a light sleep cycle. How does it know? Well, Computerworld says HappyWakeUp actually uses the microphone from your phone to statistically analyse your sleep habits based on noises you make, and when placed under your pillow, it determines what phase of sleep you’re in.
Seen at the Valley Fair Apple Store here in the Bay Area, some guy’s protesting Apple for something or other while wearing a homemade iPhone costume. Did your mum help you make that costume, sir? Because you should really ask her for help—she’d be able to pick out a nicer typeface and better looking icons. Best of luck to your cause, whatever it is. [Thanks Michael!]
Even as Android lights up developers’ eyes with the sparkling promise of total openness, Apple’s grip continues to tighten around iPhone app development. After being blocked from App Store for “duplicating” iTunes functionality—a dubious argument, for many reasons—Podcaster’s developers turned to a loophole in Apple’s ad hoc app distribution program (mainly for education and testing) to unofficially distribute the app. For $US10, they’d register your iPhone or iPod touch and you’d get Podcaster, totally legit, no jailbreaking or anything. Apple has just blocked the developer, Alex Sokirynsky, from making new ad hoc licenses, effectively killing any further distribution.
The large elderly population in Japan has manufacturers clamouring to develop devices to assist them. Not surprisingly, they are coming up with some pretty unique ideas. Take this human airbag for instance. The airbag system is strapped onto the body and inflates in 0.1 seconds when it detects rapid movement toward the ground. Strangely, one pocket will be behind the head and another behind the hips—but there is no protection for a forward fall. So, Grandpa is on his own if he should trip and fall face-first in the street. Walk it off, Grandpa…walk it off. [BBC]
Not satisfied with the amount of boob-touching going on in real life (shocking!), a Japanese programmer after our own hearts created paiTouch (oh wit! pai = slang for boobs)–an iPhone touchscreen version of his much more intensive Flash simulator complete with motion physics algorithms for “realistic” jiggling and plenty of customisable parameters. The iPhone webapp port runs in javascript and is a little jerky–if it looks like you’re pushing an unresponsive milk puddle around a black screen, you would be right–a far cry from the “oppai enjinia’s” promised “Tits always in the pocket” (Google Translate’s words not mine!). But hats off for trying. Check the Flash version here (pretty much SFW, aside from the creep-o factor) for the true experience. [Technohippy (Translated) via Crunch Gear]
T-Mobile’s just rolled back on their 1GB usage cap on their 3G plans for upcoming G1 Android customers, instead going to a hold-up-while-we-figure-this-out route. The statement they give now states that they can reduce throughput for “a small fraction” of users who are using too much data, but exact terms and limits are still being reviewed before they’re finalised. Statement after the jump.
