Saturday, November 15, 2008
Phones
Samsung Saga and Renown for Verizon Available Online, In Stores Dec. 1
11:00PM Gizmodo US Edition | Just like we thought, Samsung’s i770 Saga QWERTY phone and clamshell world phone Renown are available online. The Saga is for sale as of yesterday, going for $US200 after a $US70 mail-in rebate and with a 2-year contract, and the Renown will go live on November 19th for $US180 after a $US50 MIR with the 2-year lock-in. The Saga is most notable at this point for being the first phone to require Verizon’s mandatory $US29.99 a month plan. Specs after the jump. More »
Entertainment
New Star Trek Trailer Bootlegged
5:16PM Brian Lam | I just watched Bond and caught the new Star Trek trailer, which was conveniently on YouTube when I got home for repeat viewing and “Woo! Woo!” action. [YouTube] More »
Phones
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 Review
12:00PM Adrian Covert | The Gadget: The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is the new flagship smartphone for the electronics giant. Packing the new “Panels” interface, a full QWERTY keyboard, 3G data and 800×480 touchscreen in a full metal body, is the Xperia X1 poised to challenge the top smartphones? More »
Design
Sound Sewing Machine Concept Shows You the Music
11:30AM Gizmodo US Edition | This concept of a sewing machine was created by SOUNDS.BUTTER, a design group interested in physically representing sound waves. They sought to represent it tactically instead of digitally where sound is oft seen in sound and music editing. The sewing machine was chosen because of its association with industriousness and physicality. While it is a very unique concept, I’d be curious to see exactly what Metallica would look like under this sewing machine—would it actually turn into a picture of sex and drugs? [SOUNDS.BUTTER via Design Boom] More »
Weapons
Firestrike: World’s First Solid-State Battlefield Laser Now Available
10:43AM Jesus Diaz | Get ready for some real pew pew, because Northrop Grumman has just announced that the first ever high-energy, solid-state lethal laser for actual war applications is now available for ordering. This means that you can pay now a few millions and get yours for Xmas. The new Firestrike units offer 15 kilowatts of power, but can be combined to offer 100 kilowatts of technological terror, capable of actually destroying the enemy. According to the company, this new laser “changes the game” of military engagement. Nobody would say by judging the neutral looks of it: More »
Gadgets
Magnetic Gadget Tricks Traffic Lights into Giving Bikers the Green
10:30AM Gizmodo US Edition | Instead of strapping a fat guy onto your bike, a new—smaller—gadget has been created for bikers who are tired of getting stuck at red lights due to their bike’s weight. This device can trick traffic lights into believing the bike is actually a car by sending out a strong magnetic field, thus tripping the induction-loop sensors in the roads. However, because this gadget is still only a prototype, it currently isn’t available to consumers, so don’t rid of your personal fatty quite yet! [Wired] More »
Games
Nintendo Says F You With One-Time-Use Wii Speak Code
9:39AM Jason Chen | Ars discovered that the upcoming Nintendo Wii Speak peripheral—a microphone that finally lets you communicate to other Wii users online—comes with a 16 character code to download the “Wii Speak” channel. This is a one time use code, which cannot be replaced if lost. What does this mean to you? It means you can NEVER sell this thing, NEVER give it away or NEVER use it on another Wii Console than the one it was first downloaded on. We know game studios and publishers hate secondhand sales, because they don’t get revenue from it, but this is HARDWARE. Nintendo’s seriously going to limit what you can do with hardware you purchased? You go too far, sir. You go too far. [Ars Technica] More »
Science
Matchbook-Sized Motor Sets 1 Million RPM Record
8:30AM Sean Fallon | Researchers from ETH Zurich’s Department of Power Electronics have developed a matchbook-sized motor that can spin faster than any other machine in the world—over 1,000,000 rpm. In order to keep it from falling apart at such high speeds, the researchers employed a titanium shell, ultra-thin copper wire for the windings and a mysterious top-secret iron that is “previously unused for machines.” So does this mean we will all be seeing million rpm engines and hard drives soon? Probably not—but products like faster drills may be feasible in the near future thanks to a Swiss company named Celeroton that has been formed to bring products based on the technology to market. [LiveScience] More »
Software
WowWee Rovio Driver App Now Available For the iPhone
8:00AM Sean Fallon | If you have enjoyed using the built-in iPhone application on WowWee’s three-wheelin’ Rovio robot, then head on over to the App Store because “Rovio Driver” looks like a major upgrade. The free app adds head position / rotation controls and the camera view appears to be much larger than the standard version. Damn, I might have to put this one on the Christmas list myself. [Robo Community via I4U News] More »
Hardware
