Mercedes-Benz new myCOMAND system has appeared at the Los Angeles Auto Show, taking on the fourth-generation BMW iDrive. Whereas the latter has an Xbox 360 feeling, this one gets some clues from Apple, especially Coverflow and the menu navigation, which reminds me of the first version of the Apple TV and Front Row. One big difference is that myCOMAND is connected to the web, grabbing information wirelessly and presenting it through their own on-screen apps. Looking at the high resolution screens and the feature list, it seems very good:
Atomic Floyd is new to the personal audio headphones game, and their first bit of kit is actually pretty decent looking. The AirJax headphones are in-ear, but have earloops made of something they’re calling Titanium2 (even better than version1?). They’re also made of “acoustic steel” which is apparently specially heat-treated for maximum audio quality, and you can rotate the in-ear part relative to the metal frame for a custom fit. The AirJax gets a UK launch first in December for $US180, putting them at the luxury end of things. [LuxuryLaunches]
When we first wrote about this comically huge Walgreens LED sign — the largest of its kind in the world — construction was just getting under way. That was May, and now they’re done. D3 LED, the firm behind the sign, finally turned on this 17,000 square foot, 100 metre tall, three-sided tribute to technical and commercial excess — and what timing! But before we start challenging the rationale behind displaying 100m moving Tampax ads, it’s worth looking at the extraordinary tech inside this thing.
Sagem Orga, in partnership with BlueSky is targeting the array of mobile phones (and presumably mobile-internet enabled PCs and such) that currently don’t have GPS with this new invention: a SIM card with AGPS aboard. Clever stuff indeed, packing all the chips for a “highly accurate GPS receiver”, wiring and antenna into a thumbnail-sized space. We’ve got to wonder how good its satellite fixes will be with such a small device though, and since it looks like every gadget that comes out has GPS aboard nowadays, adding GPS to a device via its SIM card might just be a temporary stopgap option. But it’ll undeniably have lots of applications when it hits the market. [BGR]
We’ve written about the sci-fi sounding Army’s Future Combat System before, but the Army’s just demonstrated a successful test of one of its components: the Quick Kill vehicle defence system. Check it out: the Raytheon system uses an electronically-scanned radar array to detect an incoming anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade, then vertically launches a countermeasure missile that blows the round to smithereens in mid-flight, saving the RPG’s intended target. It’s a very simple test setup, and, of course the real system will have to deal with complications like vehicles in motion, but it’s an important first step. And it goes boom. [Danger Room]
Our testing has confirmed that iPod Touch users do not get updates to their Google Maps app with firmware 2.2, which, at least on the iPhone, includes the addition of Street View as well as public transit and walking directions. The updated browser interface, podcast downloading and assorted other tweaks are all there, as was the requisite sacrificing of any jailbreak apps. Of course there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, but until that’s given, Apple, it’s all pitchforks and torches. Or iPods and forums posts, I guess. [MobileCrunch]
This little headphone amplifier unit from Fiio is a pretty much exactly the same shape as an iPod shuffle, presumably so you can clip it to a lapel or bag strap for convenience while it’s in use. It’ll push out 150mW of audio power into 16-ohm headphones, with a USB-rechargable lithium battery that’s good for about 20 hours, and it weighs a mere 26g. There’s no release date info yet, though there’s an expectation that it’s price may be around $US20, which may interest those of you with portable audio amp requirements. [GenerationMP3 via OhGizmo]
At first glance, this leaf from Bird Electron doesn’t seem like such a bad idea: Provide people with a small, unamplified, discreet speaker that can hook up to pretty much any MP3 player, wrap it in a cute little leafy shell and clip it to a keychain. But then, please, consider the uses. When can’t you just give you friends an earbud to share a song? When you’re 13, on a bus with five friends, all of whom are on a pretty hard Chingy kick. That’s when. Japan can keep this one. [Akihabara]
Holy cow! Just in time for the upcoming Year of the Ox, Creative has released its Zen Moo line of mp3 players and speakers in China. Based on the Zen Stone, you can get either the Zen Moo or the Zen Moo Plus. Both come with 2GB storage, support for MP3 and WMA, a 20 hour lithium battery and a built-in speaker. The Plus adds a translucent blue OLED display, FM radio reception, MIC voice recording and an alarm clock. Prices weren’t available on the site, but I bet it wouldn’t be too hard to find if you hoof it to China. [iMP3.com via Epizenter] galleryPost('zenmoo', 3, '');
Asus’ long awaited all-in-one touchscreen PC, the Eee Top, is now out in the wild… at least in Taiwan. The 15.6-inch display “nettop” runs Windows XP and holds an Intel Atom N270 processor with 1GB of memory and a 160GB hard disk drive within its chassis. It also comes with a 1.3MP webcam, two integrated 4W speakers and a nifty little dimmable LED keyboard light.
