The BBC is to broadcast programmes from its main BBC1 channel live on the internet. The main BBC website, www.bbc.co.uk is about to be relaunched, and will have a live video stream of its flagship channel. Although two of its digital stations, BBC3 and the BBC News channel are already available online, this is the first of the corporation’s analogue channels to be available.
These watches sit somewhere between the confusing displays of Tokyo Flash digital watches and the amazing mechanical-digital Meccanica DG. Inside they have two wheels that spin relative to a marker line: and that’s where you peek to work out how many hours and minutes of the work day remain (that’s the main reason for wearing a watch, yes?). It’s all a bit 1970s tech, and rather cool. Available now for about US$70. [BBGadgets]
The iRiver Spinn, which we saw back at CES, is finally getting a release date. It’ll be available in August in the UK in 4, 8 and 16GB models. It’ll have Flash support plus a 3D graphics chip to give its UI a little more flashiness, but its analogue controls will still be present, as will its 3.2-inch 480×272 screen. No US date yet, but the fact that it was shown at CES makes us believe there’s a US release due some time. If not, there’s always Fedex. [Crave UK]
Back in October, the FCC slapped a bunch of electronics retailers with (small) fines for selling analogue TVs without the appropriate warning stickers of doom that the sets will officially be antiques on Feb. 17, 2009, when the digital switchover apocalypse happens. Best Buy is on the hook for US$280,000. But their lawyers are telling the FCC that it’s totally powerless here because they don’t have Congressional mojo backing them up. Whatever legal mumbo jumbo is involved, we’re glad the FCC laid down the (now sorta) law—we have the feeling it’s why Best Buy officially kicked analogue TVs in the first place, and the less stuff to confuse our grandmas, the better. [Ars]
Cameron, a student at Cornell University, built an analogue amp/feedback system, and then wired his muscles up to the thing via electrodes. It’s kind of like a Theramin, but more weird. A doctor in the comments suggests fitting different voltages to each of the twelve muscles in the arm to vary the sound. I suggest shaving your whole body, covering yourself with electrodes, pantsing the analogue amp and then going for a run. Cacophony rules. [Music Thing]
To be honest, I can’t say that I am surprised to hear that the government has allocated US$1.5 billion to inform 17 million citizens about the digital TV transition. After all, those uninformed few would undoubtedly take up arms if they missed out on sports broadcasts and NBC’s Thursday lineup. However, I was a little surprised to hear that the total proposed budged for literacy education in 2009 stands at a paltry US$574.6 million. Once again it seems that our government does not have its priorities in order. That having been said, does this represent a proper allocation of taxpayer money in your opinion? How does broadband access fit into the mix?
Looking at this limited-edition Di Grisogono Meccanica DG, you probably think it’s a hybrid mechanical-digital watch. Well, chaps, you’re wrong. Despite its appearance, the Meccanica DG is completely analog, comprising of 651 pieces and absolutely no digital parts or LEDs whatsoever. Video and pics after the jump.
Sony’s decision to only place one analogue stick on the PSP as opposed to the two on just about all their other PlayStation controllers has led to some control scheme oddities. For one, FPS shooters are all but impossible because you can’t use the D-Pad to aim, and two, Katamari Damacy was a bitch to play with the buttons. Modder L0rdNic0 had enough and decided to shove his own analogue stick on the right-hand side. The result is a supposedly 100% “fully functioning” mod without any issues, which means snack cakes and sumo wrestlers alike need to watch out once more. [Acid Mods]
The Pinnacle Video Transfer is one of the best-looking solutions for analogue to digital file conversion we’ve seen in a long time. A pocketable 4.8″ x 2.6″ x 0.9″ device, the Video Transfer converts video from analogue composite and S-Video through the H.264 codec to MPEG4…wait for it…through USB to iPods, PSPs, or flash drives.
Hollywood may seem like the largest benefactor of digital technologies of anyone. While their classic movies were fading away on celluloid, computers came around and offered a means to import the images, make them beautiful again and save them for years to come.
