October 13, 2008

Gadgets

National Debt Clock To Get Most Depressing Upgrade Ever

Posted by John Mahoney at 11:40 PM on October 13, 2008

It was a bad sign when the National Debt Clock on Sixth Avenue in NYC ran out of space this past weekend, calling for the screen previously used for the dollar sign to be used for the 1 in 10 trillion. Now, the real estate mogul Seymour Durst who put up the sign back in 1989 has announced that the current clock will be replaced next year with one that can accommodate figures in the quadrillions--that's 15 zeroes. Hopefully that'll buy at least two or three more years of worry-free service. Time to have a look at our next great depression gadget guide? [CNN, Photo: Jesper Rautell Balle]


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Phones

25 Anniversary of the First Commercial Mobile Phone Call Timeline

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 11:20 PM on October 13, 2008

Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the first commercial mobile phone call in history. On October 13th 1983, Ameritech executive Bob Barnett called the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell using the now legendary and bricktastic Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. Here's our modified mobile phone timeline highlighting this historic event. You can click on it to see the full 2,300 pixel wide version.


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Computers

Asus Eee Touchscreen All-in-One Pops Up for Pre-Order, Looks Vaguely Apple-y

Posted by Matt Buchanan at 10:50 PM on October 13, 2008

The many, many promises that Asus would release a touchscreen Eee by the end of this year have been fulfilled—by pasting an Eee sticker on a touchscreen all-in-one (also promised, though not with touchiness). This all-in-one touchscreen Eee, which you can pre-order in the UK for £399.99, is pretty hobbled: 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive and 15-inch screen running Windows XP. I can only imagine how atrocious the touch experience is, but we'll find out on Nov. 20, or thereabouts, according to Play. And it only kinda apes the old-school iMac aesthetic. [Play via Engadget]


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Science

Nasa IBEX Probe to Go Where Only Voyager Has Gone Before

Posted by Jack Loftus at 10:40 PM on October 13, 2008

On October 19, NASA will launch the IBEX, or Interstellar Boundary Explorer, into a 210km earth orbit to begin mapping the very edge of our solar system. This region of space, also known by the kick arse scientific name "termination shock," is rife with mystery. Only the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft have ventured there, but they weren't armed with the right kind of tech to adequately catalog what's going on at the point where our solar system meets outer space. IBEX is, and from its orbit around our planet it will beam back some of the first detailed measurements of the region.


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Gadgets

Old British Busker Demonstrates Guitar Hero v0.1

Posted by John Herrman at 10:10 PM on October 13, 2008

You don't even have to ask this English busker/artist/engineer why he made his pedal-driven, guitar-plucking, steampunk-looking musical whatsit, because his reasons are bolted to the side:

I built this machine because of unreliable guitarists. It don't smoke! It don't drink! And it's never late.


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Home

Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 5 Home Media Controller Spotted, Blurrily

Posted by John Herrman at 9:30 PM on October 13, 2008

Bang & Olufsen, maker of very expensive things that use electricity, looks like they might be onto something with their BeoSound 5. With album art and a relatively complex menu displayed on the screen, it would appear that the BeoSound 5 will be a pretty comprehensive (and of course, stylish) control interface for your home media system. Whether it'll play nice with your network shares and iTunes libraries or be locked down to prohibitively expensive B&O gear is a different story, but if you're considering kit like this you probably don't really mind either way. [BeoWorld via Engadget]


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Design

New WTC Transport Hub: One Part Memorial, One Part Stegosaurus From Space

Posted by John Herrman at 8:52 PM on October 13, 2008

The Port Authority has released renderings of the plan for the World Trade Centre Transport hub, and they look fantastic. With an arched, spiny roof and striking curves, the hub — though it will only serve as a train station and vestibule to the new WTC — has more in common with Bilbao's beautiful international airport than with Grand Central Terminal (they have the same designer, after all).


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Phones

LG Prada II Officially Decent, Expensive and Faaaabulous

Posted by John Herrman at 8:11 PM on October 13, 2008

LG and Prada have just sent out a pre-announcement for the upcoming Prada II, sequel to the companies' first touchscreen lovechild that was released well over a year ago. Stand-out features include a 5MP camera, FM radio, 7.2Mbps HSDPA 850/2100 (hey, North American importers) and Wi-Fi. The rest of the tech specifications pretty much match the leaked list, but offer little to distinguish the phone from the growing crowd of pop-out QWERTY touchscreen phones.


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Deals

Dealzmodo: Samsung Blu-Ray Player to Hit $149 on Black Friday

Posted by John Herrman at 7:23 PM on October 13, 2008

You might want to hold off on buying a Blu-ray player for a few weeks, because thankfully, finally, seriously, and almost too-latedly, Blu-ray players will soon drop into truly affordable territory. A source close to Ultimate Electronics has told us to expect the Samsung BD-P1500 — usually about $400 — for $149 on this particularly welcome and poignant Black Friday. Ultimate Electronics is a primarily Midwestern chain, but look to be offering this deal in cooperation with Samsung — in other words, it's probably not the only place you'll see stupidly cheap Blu-ray players come November 28th. -Thanks, Carmel and Matt!

AU: Thought this would be interesting to post for you guys, even though I doubt it will translate across the Pacific.


Networks

AT&T Killing MEdia Net Unlimited Data Add-On for Pay As You Go iPhone Customers

While the vast majority of iPhone customers opt for all-inclusive (but expensive) contracts, those miserly pay as you go customers that depend on the $US20 MEdia Net unlimited data add-on to save money in the long term will be... Read More »

Home

Toshiba Stays The Upconverting DVD Player Course

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 4:30 PM on October 13, 2008

It's tough to decide whether Toshiba is being incredibly intelligent or incredibly stubborn in their decision to back upconverting DVD technology instead of Blu-ray. I mean, they were certainly burnt - badly - by Blu-ray with that whole HD DVD format war, but is their decision to stick to DVD smart?

Take their latest DVD player, the XD-E500 DVD upscaler. It's marketed on the fact that it can take your vanilla old DVDs and upscale them to HD-like quality with 1080p output. That sounds pretty good (although the press release says that standard def DVDs are 480p - not in Australia, Toshiba!). But then there's the price: $199.

Sure, the Toshy's got some pretty catchy-sounding tech on board (XDE Technology, anyone?) for upscaling, plus DivX playback, HDMI CEC connectivity and a host of connections, but is it worth $200 bucks? Sony's latest Blu-ray player has an RRP of $449, but you can pick it up for $380 online, and it will not only upscale your DVDs, but playback Blu-ray movies as well. Even at $150 for the Toshy, don't most people already own a DVD player?

Still, if the infinite format war takes Blu-ray as its next victim, Toshiba will probably be the company laughing all the way to the bank.

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Phones

BlackBerry Pearl Flip Review

Posted by Matt Buchanan at 4:00 PM on October 13, 2008

If it hadn't been leaked so damn much, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 would be something of a surprise. Not simply because it's the first-ever clamshell BlackBerry, but the fact that RIM went in this direction at all, especially when you look at the rest of its new phones, with their clean, almost aerodynamic lines, and compare them to this beefy slab of a phone. Landing on T-Mobile today, the big-boned Pearl Flip is aimed at people graduating to their first smartphone, and it definitely has its own kind of charm.


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Announcements

Win One Of Three Lego Batman: The Videogame PSP Packs

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 2:00 PM on October 13, 2008

Lego Batman.jpgNa-na-na-na Na-na-na-na, Na-na-na-na Na-na-na-na, Batman! Na-na-na-na Na-na-na-na, Na-na-na-na Na-na-na-na, Batman!

With The Dark Knight now officially one of the biggest movies in the history of mankind, Batman has firmly been brought back into public eye. And so what better way to celebrate it than by returning it to its camp, 60s TV show roots and combining it with Lego?

The Lego Batman video game is coming out soon on all the major consoles and handhelds, and considering how much we love both Lego and Batman, this has the opportunity to become the favourite game in Gizmodoland.

While our brothers from Kotaku generally get all the cool gaming stuff, we've somehow convinced the guys at Warner Interactive to give us three copies of the game to give away. Not only that, they'll come with three brand-spanking-new PSPs to play them on.

To enter, we're going to need a little creativity from you. We want you to write a song chorus which uses the words "Giz", "Lego" and "Batman" somewhere in the lyrics. It would also help if you can tell us the tune to which your song should be sung.

Pop your entries in comments. The best three entries will be judged next weekend with an announcement made next Monday.

Vehicles

Awesome F-35B Video Shows US Marines Already Have Transformers

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 1:24 PM on October 13, 2008

While we have seen glimpses of how the F-35B--the short take-off vertical landing variant of the F-35 Lightning II--works, here's an amazingly detailed video showing its transforming capabilities in flight, which was posted anonymously in YouTube last week. According to Flight Global, this sophisticated war machine--which is now in its testing phase--won't see real action any time soon, as its engine is getting redesigned turbine blades. [Flight Global]

Networks

Internode Goes 100 Percent Green Power For Its Offices And Data Centres

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 12:30 PM on October 13, 2008

internode green.jpgAustralian hippies and eco-warriors can now enjoy using bittorrent as much as the rest of us. Internode have announced that they are now using 100 percent green power for their offices and data centres around the country, drastically reducing their impact on the environment.

The move to use only renewable energy sources like wind and solar has ensured that their status as a 100% carbon neutral company is maintained. And although there is a 20 percent increase in the cost of Internode's electricity, they currently have no plans to pass that cost onto consumers.

So now Internode customers can happily know that their hours of reading Giz are not only saving the environment, but doing it for the same price, while making you smarter and more attractive to the opposite sex (well, that's what we tell people, anyway).

[Internode]

Advertisement

The Web. Now Made By Hand

Nokia-N96a.jpg

You can get handmade suits. Handmade cars. There's even handmade Japanese marble mazes. Now, thanks to the new Nokia N96, the web can now be handmade, as well.

Unlike many other smartphones, the Nokia N96 not only allows you to consume things on the web, but also to create and share from the palm of your hand. So you can watch your favourite video clips on YouTube, but also shoot your own video, upload it to your social network and share it with the world, wherever you are! So don't just be a consumer, be a creator!

For a closer look at the N96, click here.

Announcements

Fourth Quantum Clue Code Available, Discuss In Quantum Central

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 11:00 AM on October 13, 2008

Thumbnail image for quantumcode.jpgClue number Four has just gone live in the Quantum Code promotion, so scan the QR code above to start your daily codecracking.

And remember to use our Quantum Central forums to try and collude with other Australians to try and crack the code: Remember, this is a nationwide contest, although the entry computer is located in Sydney. If you are interstate, maybe you could share one of the digits you've cracked with a Sydneysider for a percentage of that $15,000 Sony prize pool. $15K is a lot of gear, after all.

[Quantum Code on Giz and Quantum Central]

Games

Sennheiser Mics In Rock Band 2 - In-Game Advertising Worth Using

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:51 AM on October 13, 2008

RockBand2_2.JPGI normally wouldn't post something like this on Giz, but it's Monday, my mind is still in Sunday mode and I have this press release from Sennheiser sitting in my inbox, waiting to to be filed.

The big news here is that Sennheiser's premium microphones are available in EA's Rock Band 2 game (you know, the sequel to the peripheral-based game that still not available in Australia, although it will be very soon). Considering Both Rock Band and Guitar Hero before it used official guitar makes and models (plus amps and other musician's kit), this isn't so surprising.

What does make this interesting is that it's well-worked into the game. Considering Google is making (or planning on making) a big splash into in-game advertising, there's some concern that ads in games are going to detract from the gaming experience. Considering how demanding gamers are, this can only be a bad thing.

In any case, if (and when) you ever do get Rock Band 2, remember that Sennheiser mics are some pretty high-quality gear, even when they're just virtual copies of the original.

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Science

Black Silicon Discovery Could Change Digital Photography, Night Vision Forever

Posted by Jack Loftus at 8:00 AM on October 13, 2008

With the accidental discovery of "black silicon," Harvard physicists may have very well changed the digital photography, solar power and night vision industries forever. What is black silicon, you say? Well, it's just as it sounds. Black silicon. It's what this revolutionary new material does that's important, starting with light sensitivity. Early indications show black silicon is 100 to 500 times more sensitive to light than a traditional silicon wafer.


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Computers

MacBook and MacBook Pro Repair Document Leaked, Confirms 'Late 2008' Update

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 7:39 AM on October 13, 2008

In case you needed more, here's a proof that seems to completely confirm that--as expected--both the MacBook and MacBook Pro will be updated this Tuesday at the Apple MacBook 2008 event in Cupertino, where heads may be rolling after a PDF document referring to the "MacBook/MacBook Pro (Late 2008)" line was accidentally posted today in their support site. The document--now gone from Apple servers--details the full procedure for replacing the display in the new notebooks. [MacRumors]

Regulars

Breakfast Wrap: Best Of The Weekend

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 7:32 AM on October 13, 2008

breakfast-frenchtoast.jpgToy Modder Extraordinaire Steampunks Return of the Jedi
Wow. Kind of makes you wanna watch RotJ again, doesn't it?

Mitsubishi's $US7000, 65-Inch LaserVue HDTV Reviewed: (Verdict: Lasers Are Awesome)
I hope Mitsubishi finds an Aussie distributor for these screens!

Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds
NVIDIA should suck it up like a man and admit to their F$^& up. They can't be making too many friends in the industry at the moment.

SteelSeries World of Warcraft Mouse Destroys Orcs, Your Last Shreds of Dignity With 15 Buttons
Not sure why you'd need 15 buttons, but then again, I don't play WOW...

Finger Condom Toothbrush Might Be Awkward, but at Least You Won't Get Cavities
Don't confuse this with your regular condoms - your lady friend won't be very happy...

Hackers Use Nvidia Graphics Card to Smash Wi-Fi Encryption 10,000 Percent Faster
More bad press for NVIDIA... not a good weekend for them, eh?

Apple MacBook 2008 Event: All the Information You Need to Know

Rumour roundup central...

Drop-Down, Rotating 103-Inch Plasma Screen Video is Pure, Glorious Gadget Porn
If only I could afford one of these installs...

Toys

20-Foot-Long Lego Battlecruiser Can Probably Sink Oil Tankers on Impact

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 7:30 AM on October 13, 2008

This is a 20-foot-long Lego model of the HMS Hood, a Royal Navy battlecruiser built in 1920 and sunk by the German Kriegsmarine Battleship Bismarck in 1941. This stunning piece of brick engineering, built to minifig scale, has a robotised mast and is actually bigger than the five metre long Lego U.S.S. Harry S. Truman. Check the gallery to get the idea of how gigantic this thing is, and see how the Lego frames to support its weight are built inside.

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Science

Spectacular Video of Jules Verne Apocalyptical Re-Entry

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 7:00 AM on October 13, 2008

Here's the video of the fiery re-entry of the Jules Verne Autonomous Transport Vehicle, the huge European Space Agency spacecraft that carried almost five tonnes of food, air, water and fuel on board the International Space Station. It was taken in high definition from a NASA's DC-8 at 37,000 feet, 145km north of the entry path. The debris was scattered through a 406,500-square-kilometre corridor about 2,000km east of New Zealand, where hobbits everywhere thought it was Sauron was coming back to eat them all deep-fried. [Aviation Week]


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Gadgets

$US56,000 Four Arm Turntable is an Octopus DJ's Ticket to Fame

Posted by Jack Loftus at 6:30 AM on October 13, 2008

DJs or other beat mashing fiends with more than two arms are being held back by today's traditional turntables, so it's a good thing Highwater Sound is around to create $US56,000 four arm Frankensteins like this thing. The table is built around a TW-Acoustic Raven AC and implements three motors. The arms were assembled from parts from Breuer Dynamic, Graham Engineering, Triplanar, and Ortofon, and the cartridges are the work of Dynavector, Ortofon, and Miyabi. We imagine that if you're a DJ, that last sentence caused the ol' heart rate to increase just a tad, among other things. [Highwater Sound via DVICE]

Robots

Computer Nearly Passes Turing Test for Artificial Intelligence

Posted by Jack Loftus at 6:00 AM on October 13, 2008

Today, the machines became a little smarter, as a computer named Elbot managed to achieve a 25% success rate when convincing a human being that they were talking to another human. The experiment is called the Turing Test, after mathematician Alan Turing, and Sunday's saw six Artificial Conversational Entities (ACEs) trying to ace the exam. Word is there was one human dunce in the mix, as all six computers managed to fool at least one interrogator into thinking they were speaking to another person, but none of the machines could officially pass Turing's strict standards.


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Vehicles

AirPod is Like a Smart Car Full of Hot Air, and That's the Idea

Posted by Jack Loftus at 5:30 AM on October 13, 2008

This post is almost half a Retromodo, in that compressed air cars have been peddled by companies like MDI for the last 20 years. But this compressed air-powered pod, the AirPod, is all new. The three-seater is powered by MDI's proprietary compressed air system, which uses electricity to force the air to power the engine's pistons. The car might appear in U.S. cities by 2010, and possibly India and Europe a bit sooner.


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Gadgets

CarTel Device Attacks Traffic Jams with Fleet of Networked Smart Cars

Posted by Jack Loftus at 5:00 AM on October 13, 2008

Researchers at MIT are using computer networks and cabbies to tackle a routine problem that I, personally, can attest to: Boston area traffic jams. Called CarTel (get it?), the system creates a network by way of cell phone-sized black boxes. The boxes currently sit on board 50 cars and taxis in the Boston area. Drivers access the CarTel web portal for real-time info on their own vehicle as well as those around them. "Everybody's data is contributing to collective views of what congestion looks like," said MIT associate professor Samuel Madden.


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Robots

Robot Prototype Finds, Attacks and Kills Breast Cancer Cells

Posted by Jack Loftus at 4:30 AM on October 13, 2008

Here's one in the plus column for the looming robot uprising: a prototype developed by University of Maryland professor Jaydev Desai could one day diagnose, hunt, and destroy breast cancer cells all in one sitting, and in a much more efficient manner than we ham-handed human beings.


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Computers

New MacBook 2008 Alleged Aluminium Case Photos Hit the Web

Posted by Jack Loftus at 4:18 AM on October 13, 2008

Chinese blog MacX is showing some very legit looking pics of what they allege is the MacBook Pro casing today. We will have to wait for the MacBook 2008 event this week to see if it is real or not,