October 10, 2008

Peripherals

The DIY Quick-Draw Camera Strap That Puts All Other Straps to Shame

Posted by John Mahoney at 11:50 PM on October 10, 2008

SLR Camera straps haven't changed much over the last, oh, century or so, which is surprising considering how awkward most of them are. Then came the R-Strap, a $US44 strap that uses the tripod mount on the bottom of your camera instead of the rings on the sides, allowing for a comfortable over-the-shoulder sling paired with quick-draw action. Even better are these two how-tos, that show you how to make one yourself for just a few bucks worth of hardware (which Charlie from Wired had success with judging by his photo here). Check out the video below of an actual R-Strap in action Taxi Driver style for inspiration.


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Press

Presenting the Latest in ATM Scam Gear: The SMS-Sending Card Skimmer

Posted by John Mahoney at 11:30 PM on October 10, 2008

NYC is full of ATMs. It's one of the great things about living in this city--you're never more than a block or two away from cash. But a large, large percentage of NYC's ATMs are cut-rate bodega models that look like your card could catch something nasty from them once dipped. Helping spread the nasty is this, the newest development in ATM skimmers, with SMS capability. So now, if he's got $US8,500 to drop on the top of the line scam gear, the asshole who just jacked your card number and PIN doesn't even have to come back to the scene of the crime to retrieve it.


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Games

Xbox Slim: The Console Microsoft Didn't Slow Down to Make

Posted by Mark Wilson at 11:11 PM on October 10, 2008

After Microsoft launched the Xbox, they didn't have any intention of releasing an Xbox Lite or Xbox Slim. Instead, they went straight for the next generation with the 360. Meanwhile, one modder, caught in retro Xbox fandom, had to create a fantastic Xbox Slim of his own. Reduced by almost 5cm in length, width and height, the Xbox Slim has a total reduction in volume of around 60%. But that's just the start of it.


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Design

Sound Wave: The Vinyl Strikes Back

Posted by Mark Wilson at 10:30 PM on October 10, 2008

Did you think that records would stand idly by while MP3s took over the music industry? Sure, they turned a blind eye to 8-track and cassettes. Then CDs got a pass, too. But those were physical mediums, brothers-from-another-mothers. And if compact discs don't have the cojones to stand up to the digital music revolution, vinyl will just have to come back from the dead and start kicking some 1s and 0s butt.


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Games

PlayStation 3 Controllers Plug Into Walls Now

Posted by Mark Wilson at 10:11 PM on October 10, 2008

I know I'm not the only one who's left on my PS3, justified it through Folding@Home, but really just wanted to recharge the USB controllers. I know I'm not the only one because today Sony has announced their solution. They are releasing a two-port USB AC adaptor that will allow gamers to recharge controllers from a wall socket. The plug will be available mid-December in Japan for about $US30 (there's no US release date at this time). And yes, it's a complicated solution to a problem that shouldn't exist. [Engadget Japan via Engadget]


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Phones

Chinese Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Won't Have 3G, Wi-Fi, Reason To Exist

Posted by John Herrman at 9:27 PM on October 10, 2008

Just like the iPhone, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic 'Tube' won't have 3G or Wi-Fi enabled when it makes its way to China, which pretty much negates any reasons that customers might have to want one. The 3G exclusion can at least be blamed on China's lack of coverage, but disabling Wi-Fi on every new phone just doesn't make sense. All China's regular internet traffic is filtered anyway, so regulators either have a crucial misunderstanding of what Wi-Fi is or a serious problem with people enjoying things. [Nokia - Thanks, Lauri!]


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Phones

Leaked HTC T8290 Has Touch HD Resolution, WiMax, Sharp Corners

Posted by John Herrman at 8:47 PM on October 10, 2008

These images of a new HTC handset from Nedge2k reveal a surprising addition to the Taiwanese company's line: a half Touch HD, half Touch Diamond handset for which WiMax — of all things — is the most salient feature. Such a product might not make sense in most places, but Russia already has more than 20 million people soaking in their WiMax networks and other compatible phones in the pipeline.


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Networks

Verizon Charging $US0.03 to Text Its Customers, Could Murder SMS-Based Services

Posted by John Herrman at 8:00 PM on October 10, 2008

Verizon has decided to start asking for $US0.03 per message from anyone who wants to send mobile-terminated messages to its customers, possible strangling SMS-based services like Google SMS, Yahoo! oneSearch. The move will also penalise any other company that uses text message notifications for its customers (though the change won't affect rates for mobile-to-mobile messaging.) Like others, Verizon used to charge a fraction of a cent to text their subscribers, during which time lots companies built up SMS notification services for everything from social networking to banking — services which may now be too expensive to operate.


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Screens

Mitsubishi's $US7000, 65-Inch LaserVue HDTV Reviewed: (Verdict: Lasers Are Awesome)

Posted by John Herrman at 7:00 PM on October 10, 2008

With a history of giving great impressions reaching back to CES, expectations for Mitsubishi's 65in LaserVue TV are high. It's the first laser-powered TV, with completely new rear-projection technology that makes for richer, more accurate colours and significantly lower power consumption. Josh Quittner of Time Magazine got to take one home for a while to drool over/in front of it and, well, that's exactly what he did.


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Entertainment

Walmart Changes Mind on DRM, Keeps Servers Running

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 5:00 PM on October 10, 2008

When Walmart made a special effort to remind us why DRM'd music should always be avoided by shutting down their authentication servers, the response must have been deafening. The world's largest retailer has decided to maintain its digital rights management servers for the present time "based on feedback from [its] customers," otherwise known as "the interminable wrath of the internet." I'm guessing a flood of emails with compelling arguments like "don't destroy my legally purchased music" and "I hate you" had something to do with the decision.


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Toys

Toy Modder Extraordinaire Steampunks Return of the Jedi

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 5:00 PM on October 10, 2008

Some of you may be suffering from Steampunk fatigue, but I still get giddy when I see it done up right. Master toy modder Sillof, whose work we've covered a couple times before, has tickled my fancy with an update to his original Steam Wars action figure line. This time you've got even more detailed Steamtroopers, a mob boss-like Jabba the Hutt, vicious Ewoks and (for the boys) Steampunk Slave Leia. Check out the gallery, and his website. [Sillof]

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Gadgets

Intelematics Bringing Traffic Information To Digital Radio

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 4:00 PM on October 10, 2008

digital radio traffic.jpgIntelematics, those traffic-lovin' Victorians who created the SUNA traffic channel for your satnav, are bringing their traffic updates to digital radio when it launches in May next year.

While the service won't be anywhere near as comprehensive or practical as the navigation built-in to your satnav (which lets you reroute to avoid congestion), this service will instead act more like the traffic updates you get from the radio already, except in text form on new DAB+ radios.

It won't cost anything to the user, so long as they have one of these new radio receivers in their car. And while most people aren't going to head to the local auto shop and buy a new radio for their car, within a few years pretty much all the new cars will come standard with these new radios, meaning traffic information will be readily available for people who own shiny new cars.

Actually, even though this is a pretty cool service for digital radio (which is almost certainly going to struggle to gain traction here), it'd still be cheaper to just buy a traffic-enabled satnav...

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Gadgets

$US12,000 Shirt Makes You Bullet-Proof, Smug Looking

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 4:00 PM on October 10, 2008

Harrods of London is now selling a $US12,000 anti-ballistic polo shirt designed by Miguel Caballero. Caballero, sometimes called the "Armani of armour" caters to clients such as Prince Felipe of Spain and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The polo, made from ultra-lightweight bulletproof fabric can allegedly protect you from weaponry ranging from a 9mm pistol to an Uzi. Sure it can save you from an assassination attempt, but judging from this picture, it doesn't save you from looking like a giant douche. [Born Rich]


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Games

Unlikely Rumour Says Microsoft Contracting Toshiba Venture For Xbox 360 Blu-Ray Drive

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 3:00 PM on October 10, 2008

Despite Microsoft denying any plans to develop a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360 at least a million times now, rumours are surfacing that the company's already made one and just needs to decide on a release date. If X-bit Labs is to be believed, a joint-venture between Toshiba and Samsung has been contracted to manufacture external Blu-ray disc drives for Microsoft's game console. According to their market sources, the company is aiming at a $US100 to $US150 price point in order to compete with the PlayStation 3.


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Online

Telstra Launches Australia's First Online and Mobile 24 Hour News Channel

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 2:30 PM on October 10, 2008

bp tv.jpgIt's really surprising that this hasn't been done by an Australian company sooner, but Telstra has launched the country's first online 24/7 news channel, both on their BigPond portal online and on NextG mobile phones.

The channel streams live video of the latest news, finance, politics, sports and weather directly to your browser or mobile phone. It's powered by Sky News content, but BigPond has control over how it is delivered to the audience, so it can cut to breaking news or stick with the latest sports updates, depending on how they feel.

The online portal at BigPond is available to anyone, although unless you're a BigPond customer, you'll pay for the bandwidth (which is the same as watching any other video site). BigPond customers watching the channel have unmetered access. NextG customers can pay $4.95 a month or $1.95 for a day pass.

The only problem with the offering is that the online version uses Windows Media for streaming the video channel, meaning Mac users are left out in the cold.

Full release is below:

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Gadgets

Numbers Behind the War on Piracy Could Be Completely Bogus

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 2:30 PM on October 10, 2008

Ars Technica did an in-depth investigation into the numbers behind the war against piracy and found that Congress might as well be telling people counterfeit goods cost the economy eleventy billion zillion, for all the truth behind its figures. The oft invoked $US250 billion and 750,000 jobs lost because of intellectual property theft have been repeated for over a decade, with virtually no research to back it up.


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Gadgets

New Laser Alarm Clock Features Normal, Hard Modes

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 1:45 PM on October 10, 2008

Apparently the laser alarm clock idea, where you stop your clock's incessant ringing by shooting a bullseye with a laser gun, was popular enough to warrant a second coming. Bandai will be releasing its new version, titled Gun O' Clock, on November 15th in Japan. Gun O'Clock lacks the little man from the original, but features two wake-up modes: Normal and Hard. Normal mode means you only have to hit the target once to put the clock on snooze. With Hard mode, you'll have to hit it five times. Is that frustrating or secret agent awesome? I can't really tell. [Bandai via Geek Alerts]


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Home

TiVo Available In JB HiFi And Clive Anthony Stores Nationwide From October 20

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 1:00 PM on October 10, 2008

One of the strangest things about the Australian TiVo launch was that they decided to exclusively distribute the PVR through Harvey Norman and Domayne. While I'm sure they had a good reason (read - $$$), restricting your distribution channel just before the Olympics just didn't seem to make a lot of sense for a device with mainstream appeal.

Well, now that three-month exclusivity deal is finished, JB HiFi and Clive Anthony stores around the country are getting in on the TiVo action. The box will be available in 100 stores nationwide from October 20, and although there's no change to the $699 price tag, I'd expect to see them try and undercut Harvey Norman in the pricing department.

UPDATE: This may have been around for a while, but you can also order your very own TiVo box from TiVo's website and have it delivered.

Science

Quantum Encryption Network Goes Live, Claims To Be Unbreakable

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 1:00 PM on October 10, 2008

Scientists have connected up the world's first computer network protected by "quantum cryptography," a supposedly unbreakable system that functions off a scheme based on the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. For us non-science folk, that means that you can't grab information transmitted through the network without disturbing it somehow, making it easy to detect when somebody's trying to listen in on exchanges.


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Software

Blackberry Gets Its First Live Video Streaming Client

Posted by Adrian Covert at 12:00 PM on October 10, 2008

Next2Friends has released the first live video streaming client for newer Blackberry phones, like the Curve and the Pearl. Similar to Qik or Justin TV, you download the Next2Friends client to your phone, and it streams to the internet whatever your camera records. Qik has been around on the N95 for so long now that I kinda figured similar services had made their way onto to the Blackberry. I was wrong. In any case the Next2Friends (also available for Symbian and WinMo phones) service is free and available for download now.


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Peripherals

Jabra's New Bluetooth Headset Lets You Talk 70 Metres Away

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 11:30 AM on October 10, 2008

M5390_w_dongle_1.jpgRather than be disappointed by the paltry 10 metre range most Bluetooth headsets offer, I quite like it. Why? Because it means I never leave my phone behind. Walking 70 metres away from my phone, like the new M5390 headset from Jabra allows, means that I'll probably end up leaving my mobile on my desk or in my car whenever I go anywhere.

Fortunately, the M5390 also offers the ability to connect to a couple of devices at the same time, like a PC or office phone, without being a double douche. And with six hours talktime, 60 hours standby, and weighing just 18 grams, you get twice as much connectivity without sacrificing too much. It costs $389.

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Gadgets

Howard Stringer Says Sony's So Big, It Makes Same Gadgets Twice

Posted by Wilson Rothman at 11:30 AM on October 10, 2008

In perhaps the most spirited and cheery interview I've ever seen given by Sony chair Howard Stringer, the knight of the realm tells Charlie Rose that after several years in the driver's seat, he's still trying to integrate all of the electronics divisions of Sony. "We're so big that we're making the same thing twice in different parts of the company, and nobody seems to notice!" he laughs. On a side note, I am glad to see Stringer so relaxed. I think he really was playing Chicken during the Blu-ray/HD DVD format war, and at least there's one major issue he doesn't have to worry about anymore. Now, about this economic downturn... [Charlie Rose]


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Phones

BlackBerry Curve 8900 (Javelin) Video Hands On and Comparison

Posted by Wilson Rothman at 10:30 AM on October 10, 2008


Following up their review of the pre-release BlackBerry Curve 8900 (aka Javelin), the CrackBerry guys decided to shoot a video of it, including both a feature walkthrough and a comparison with the older Curve and the new Bold. It's helpful, since the Javelin really is a combination of the two. Anyway, have a look—thankfully the CB dudes made the video embeddable, so your clickin' finger can rest awhile. [CrackBerry]

Peripherals

Monitor Your Typing Speed With The USB Mice Wheel That Spins As Fast As Your Type

Posted by Adrian Covert at 10:25 AM on October 10, 2008

I know the concepts of typing speed and words per minute are mindblowingly difficult ones. And if they're too much for you to wrap your head around, perhaps you should consider this USB Mice Wheel (no, thats not my grammatical error) that measures your words per minute in revolutions per minute. So when you're typing REALLY, REALLY FAST on that foldable witchcraft machine, the mouse wheel is spinning REALLY, REALLY FAST. Where would we be without technology? [Product Page via Red Ferret via Crunch Gear]

Hardware

WD Offers Home Networked Storage That Looks Like a Safe

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 10:00 AM on October 10, 2008

wdfSharespace_4NC_sit_edited-1.jpgI bet it's not a coincidence either - what better way to say that "your content is safe" than by selling a hard drive that looks like a safe? The ShareSpace from WD comes with four bays for storage, and is available in both 2TB and 4TB versions.

With that amount of space, you'd expect some solid software for backup, and WD delivers with included software for continuous network backup of up to three computers. There's also their MioNet software for remote access of your wireless drive, a download manager for managing downloads via FTP or HTTP and a built-in FTP server.

But the most impressive aspect is the price: For 2TB you'll pay $749, while the 4TB version will set you back $1,499. That's a little price for a lot of storage.

Full press release is below...

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Software

Beautification Engine Turns Cultural Bias Into Pretty Pictures

Posted by Wilson Rothman at 9:30 AM on October 10, 2008

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder—68 different beholders in the case of Tommer Leyvand's new "beautification engine." The software, featured in a story in the New York Times, takes preferences from a poll of 68 men and women from Israel and Germany who looked at pictures and chose the most beautiful subjects. Measuring common traits like smaller eyes, rounder chins and higher foreheads, it applies those rules of attractiveness, Photoshop-style, to images of other faces. If need be, it can do a full-on virtual nip-tuck-and-slice yet in some cases, the beautification engine won't change a thing.


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Online

Google Maps' New Ads Appear Even In Embarassing Searches

Posted by Wilson Rothman at 9:00 AM on October 10, 2008

Google just rolled out a new set of ads, making the total number of ad-based revenue streams roughly equal to the number of petabytes they search daily. This one appears at the bottom of the map when you search for a fairly generic topic. After I saw it written up on CNet, I gave it a try, and as you can see from my image above, the ads pop up even if you're searching for things you'd really not want broadcast to to the world, a stark reminder that the thing called privacy is just a memory from a time before electrons and radio waves joined us all.

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Regulars

Breakfast Wrap: Best of Thursday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:55 AM on October 10, 2008

Breakfast.jpgDisappearing Pool Table Adds Secret Agent Awesomeness To Your Game Room
Damn the concrete slab under my house for never letting me have one of these!

PSP Getting Dual Shock 3 Support Through 'PSP Plus'
More questions than answers, but it'll still be cool to have that second analogue button.

Discovery Channel's Time Warp: Slo-Mo Videos of Crazy Sh*t Go Primetime
Sssssslllllllllllloooooooowwwwwww-Mmmmmooooooo Teeeeeee-Vvvvveeeeeeee.

User Account Control Will Be Less Maddening in Windows 7
At least MS are learning from their mistakes.

Microsoft Unveils Three New Xbox Bundles (Two You Might Want)
What? Who doesn't like Lego Indiana Jones? Oh, wait...