Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - Page 2

Change A Smoke Alarm’s Batteries With A Broomstick

Not sure why it took $US2500 and a student design competition to come up with this, but Trevis Kurz has invented a smoke alarm you can change the batteries for with just a broomstick (and your arms).


Computing

Latest iPad/iPhone SDK: Front-Facing Camera, Video Conferencing

The latest iPad/iPhone SDK not only makes it easier for developers to build universal iPad/iPhone apps, but it also appears to have support for a front-facing camera, zoom, camera flash and video conferencing. Oh, and some snazzy accept/decline buttons.


The Haunted Mansion’s House Band

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9543537&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1","customParams":[] ,"width":570,"height":375,"ratio":0.75,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"vimeo"} );

We love figuring out how things work, but in the case of this video – a bizarre musical performance involving disembodied holographic heads – it’s probably better to just behold. OK, fine, speculate how they did it in the comments.


Science

The Most Accurate, Highest Resolution Earth View To Date

This is the most accurate, highest resolution true colour image of planet Earth to date. And at 2048 x 2048 pixels, you should put it in your desktop background now. You can get America too:


Gaming

Black Nintendo Wii Landing March 11

Gizmodo AU

Once you go black, you’ll never go back. At least, you probably won’t if “going black” means picking up a new black Nintendo Wii when they hit Aussie shelves on March 11.


Online

Why Doesn’t My Email Program Have This Button?

I get a lot of emails from cruel, annoying, persistent individuals and I sometimes don’t know how to deal with them. If I had this little extra button in my email program though, boy-oh-boy-oh-boy. I’d be even more passive aggressive.


Entertainment

ACMA Plan On Developing A Parental Lock Standard For Digital TV

Gizmodo AU

ACMA doesn’t want the kiddies to be able to watch TV that’s meant for adults, so they’ve decided to develop a parental lock standard for digital TVs. Huzzah for technology!


Gaming

Wiimote Proton Pack Mod Shows Both Dedication And Indifference For Graphical Capability

This man, Jack Rossi, created a simulation proton pack + thrower so he can play the Wii version of Ghostbusters with as much realism as possible. This is the result.


Computing

More People Interested In Buying iPad Than The iPhone

That’s what this RBC/ChangeWave’s surveys says. Back in April 2007, fewer people were interested in buying the original iPhone compared to those wanting to buy the iPad on February 2010. Does this mean the iPad would be a bigger success?


Science

America’s First Wave Power Farm Costs $US60m, Powers 400 Homes

Ten 200-ton buoys – each measuring 45m by 12m – are being installed off the coast of Oregon to build America’s first wave power farm. They’ll power 400 homes by harnessing “the energy of wave motion”. Worth $US60 million?