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Gadgets

Utah Researchers Throw Cold Water On Rosy OLED Efficiency Rates

Posted by Jack Loftus at 12:00 PM on August 18, 2008

The promise of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) is that it will eventually become a super-efficient, low-cost light source to replace our archaic dependency on incandescent bulbs and those oh-so-yesterday LCD TVs, among other things. Ultimately, OLEDs were expected to possibly supplant the already efficient LEDs, too. That is, until a couple of Utah researchers revealed there could be some "complications." It seems we were half-right.


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Gadgets

Automated Japanese Mausoleum Delivers Loved Ones While You Wait

Posted by Jack Loftus at 6:30 AM on August 18, 2008

The aging Japanese population presents a troubling problem when it comes to burying loved ones. There's simply not enough room, and the room that is available costs about US$20,000, according to Trends in Japan. So leave it to the Japanese to figure out a way to address the problem with a technological twist. Like a data tape-retrieving robot, Nichiryoku's interactive family plot system retrieves cremated remains from an underground vault and displays them to you in a private prayer area, courtesy of an RFID key. And yes, there's a series of promotional videos, complete with voices beyond the grave. Only in Japan, but unsurprising given the fact that QR codes adorn traditional grave stones already.


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Gadgets

Tattoo? Symbiote? What the Hell is That Thing On Olympian Kerri Walsh's Shoulder?

Posted by Jack Loftus at 1:00 AM on August 18, 2008

For the longest time I thought the black sinewy thing on Olympic beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh's shoulder was either a confused Alien face sucker, a horny spider, a bad tattoo decision (a la Mike Tyson), or all of the above. Turns out I was way off, and it's actually Kinesio athletic tape from a company in Albuquerque. And upon further inspection, the hype surrounding the US$15 tape appears justified, and goes way beyond helping athletes.


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Software

iPhone 2.1 Beta 4 Seeded, Apple Removes Push Notification 'For Further Development'

Posted by Matt Buchanan at 1:44 PM on August 17, 2008

Apple has just seeded iPhone 2.1 beta 4 to developers--uninteresting, really, except for the fact that the push notification service has been pulled from the release "for further development." Targeted to hit your iPhone in September, the push service allows apps to receive notifications in the background while they're not running, a godsend for AIM and other messaging apps. Hopefully this doesn't mean it'll be delayed, but we've all learned what happens when iPhone software rolls out before it's finished baking, so I'd rather wait. [Mac Rumors]


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Phones

AT&T HTC Fuze (aka Touch Pro) Coming Soon?

Posted by Matt Buchanan at 8:00 AM on August 17, 2008

WM Experts says that the AT&T-branded HTC Touch Pro we caught last week is probably going to be known as the HTC Fuze, and that it'll be out "sooner rather than later." Make sense, given that the thing's already floating around, even though the name doesn't, since it sounds more like an XTREME energy drink than a phone. Crazy kids. [WM Experts]


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Cameras

Vivid Gallery of High Speed Photography

Posted by Mark Wilson at 10:10 AM on August 16, 2008

No, high speed photography is by no means a new idea; we just very much enjoyed this Flickr collection by user nebarnix. A large gallery of objects frozen in motion with a 500-nanosecond flash, a visual cacophony of exploding eggs and firecrackers captured mid-pop await those who hit the link. Oh, and there's a great shot of a Pabst Blue Ribbon eating a hollow-point bullet:


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Software

The Week in iPhone Apps: Photography, Geography, and Babies, Babies, Babies!

Posted by John Mahoney at 6:20 AM on August 16, 2008

There are literally thousands of apps in the iPhone App Store, with hundreds being added each week. It's hard to keep track. In the same vein as our "iPhone Apps We Like" posts, take a look here at what stood out this week--notable for usefulness, novelty, birthing a child, whatever. Let's spend some iTunes credit.


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Phones

Vodafone Germany Halts T-Mobile iPhone Sales

Posted by Brian Lam at 5:40 PM on November 20, 2007

European wireless provider Vodafone on Monday obtained a Court order that requires rival T-Mobile Germany to sell Apple Inc.'s iPhone handset to Germans without a service plan. [AppleInsider]

Phones

Sizemodo: LG Voyager vs Apple iPhone

Posted by Wilson Rothman at 4:08 AM on November 16, 2007

LG_Voyager_iPhone_Sizemodo.jpgThere are plenty things you already know about the upcoming LG Voyager from Verizon Wireless. There are also many things left to discover. In the meantime, we want to answer one of your most pressing concerns: How does it measure up, physically, to an iPhone? Well, see for yourself:

DSC_0822.JPGDSC_0823.JPGDSC_0829.JPGDSC_0821.JPG

[Verizon Wireless]

Phones

Confirmed: Sprint Will Ship BlackBerry Pearl 8130 on Black Friday; Moto Q and i335 Coming Too

Posted by Wilson Rothman at 1:46 AM on November 16, 2007

Sprint_Black_Friday.jpgRumour confirmed. On Friday, November 23, better known to you Dealzmodo nuts as Black Friday, Sprint plans to roll out the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 ($US200 with two-year contract and $US50 mail-in rebate). Buyers of the BlackBerry can also get the new Power Vision BlackBerry Pack: For $US30 per month on top of your voice plan, you get unlimited web and data access, unlimited text messaging, support for 10 email accounts, plus Sprint Navigation and Sprint TV, all on the EV-DO network. Black Friday will also bring Motorola's Windows-Mobile Q9c ($US150 with two-year contract and $US100 mail-in rebate) and the slim, sexy and military-grade dust- shock- and vibration-resistant Moto i335 for Nextel ($50 with two-year contract and $50 mail-in rebate). [Sprint]