In case you’re one of those poor souls residing in a room the size of someone’s walk-in closet, here’s a sweet innovation from the Land of Lack-of-Space, Japan. The Kenchikukagu, designed by Toshihiko Suzuki for Atelier OPA, is a series of “rooms” that can be folded and wheeled away for easy storage. The line features a kitchen, a bedroom and an office, and costs about $7,500 per unit on Amazon Japan. Granted, I don’t live in Tokyo, but if my apartment is too small to fit my bed and kitchen in it at the same time, I’d probably just move somewhere else. [Kenchikukagu via Complex]
Now that SpaceX has finally sent a rocket into orbit successfully, the Elon Musk-headed company is now focusing on its next goal–hauling cargo for NASA on the Falcon 9, sending people to the International Space Station with its Dragon capsule, and possibly a moon landing as well! Quite a list for a company that only recently scattered Scotty from Star Trek’s ashes all over the ocean by accident.
More from the Nintendo Press Conference: the company will let you download games onto SD cards on the Wii, starting Spring 2009. Yes, you’ll have to wait another four or five months before you get to unclog the Wii’s paltry HD, but at least it’s something right? Nintendo president Satoru Iwata also talked about an initiative to get more people using the Internet features of the Wii. The company will release a new Wi-Fi adaptor (possibly with mesh networking capabilities) and offer you 500 free Wii Points if you help a friend get connected. [Kotaku]
You know how we showed you that Apple were selling unlocked iPhones in Hong Kong? Not happening in Australia.
According to Fran Foo over at Australian IT, Apple are more than happy with the relationship they have offering the phone through Telstra, Optus, Virgin and Vodafone.
So if you do want an unlocked iPhone, you still have to pony up the cash to one of the carriers before you can unlock it (for a fee) so that it will work with any carrier. Or you could just jailbreak the thing and be done with it – whatever you want…
As expected, Nintendo has announced a new version of its DS, called the Nintendo DSi. While the machine no longer has a GBA slot, it’s added a 640×480 camera, “audio enhancements” (like the ability to adjust pitch and playback), a 17% bigger screen (measuring in at 3.25 inches), and an SD memory card slot for storing games and easy picture uploading.
The DSi will also feature built-in browsers and a DSi shop. Pricing categories at the shop for DsiWare include Free, 200 points, 500 points, and a “Premium” 800 points. New DSi owners will get 1000 points to spend at the DSi Shop before March 2010. I. Want. It. Now. Get the rest of the story from our brother-in-arms, Kotaku (and click their digg badge above)! [Kotaku]
University of Calgary scientists are working on a machine that would pull carbon dioxide from the air in an attempt to scrub out emissions from diffuse sources, such as car exhaust and home heating. These “diffuse emissions” account for roughly half of the CO2 that goes up into the sky every day, contributing to global warming.
Ah, video games and casual drug use. They go together like World of Warcraft and loneliness, don’t they? That’s why we saw a water pipe made out of an N64 controller last year, and that’s why Giz reader James dedicated this past weekend into converting an old NES controller into a bong. It doesn’t work, unfortunately, but I’m sure you’d be bad enough at playing after using this thing without having to try to smoke while also controlling Mega Man. Nice work, James. We like to see young people using their time constructively. Hit the jump for another picture of this masterpiece of ingenuity.
You probably won’t remember the WRT610N router from Linksys – even Linksys found it hard to remember. As a quick reminder it’s the first dual-N band wireless router, sending and receiving data over both the 2.4GHz network and the 5GHz network, letting you transmit even more data faster.
Well, it’s finally launched in Australia. It’ll set you back about $350 bucks, but it’s available. When the US guys reviewed it, they thoroughly enjoyed its ease of use and solid data speeds, so if you’re in the market for a new router, this could be a solid option.
Full press release, for those release junkies out there, is below.
Digital tech has reinvigorated the 3D dream since the cardboard glasses and headaches of yesteryear. JVC showed off a nifty prototype TV at CEATEC outside Tokyo that converts high-def 2D video into what it calls “pseudo 3D” in real time. With the eyewear on, it takes a few moments for your brain to adjust, and then footage of the Alps in spring starts taking on eye-popping depth. It’s not exactly convincing enough to want to reach out and touch the wildflowers, though it makes regular flatscreens seem, well, very flat in comparison.
Responding to criticism for its secrecy over its data centres, Google has lifted the veil a little on how much energy its information hotbeds use. The world’s largest search engine insisted that Google-designed data centres used nearly five times less energy than conventional facilities, and launched a website to inform environmentally-bent customers on their 5-step approach to efficiency.
