Internet Explorer 9 RC Now Available To Download

The Internet Explorer 9 beta pleasantly surprised us with Microsoft's renewed competitiveness in the web browser wars, and the pinnable, hardware-accelerated experience is getting even better today -- you can download the IE9 release candidate right now, which streamlines and beautifies the tabbed browsing layout considerably, adds those previously promised, fully customizable tracking protection lists for privacy and freely toggled ActiveX filters, as well as an updated Javascript engine, geolocation support via HTML5, the ability to pin web apps to the taskbar, and a host of assorted speed and functionality improvements here.

Is This the Future of Cameraphones?

Imagine that instead of a single camera, the module carried an array of 25 micro-cameras. Pelican Imaging promises just that with their camera module, and they think they have what it takes to revolutionize cameraphones.

GigaOM says the secret behind Pelican's technology isn't unlike the HDR feature found on the iPhone. the hardware captures multiple images (or sets of data), and then uses post-processing software to assemble it all into one high-quality photograph. Pelican is less obsessed with cramming more megapixels into the phone, and more interested in finding the best way to pair a sensor with a lens (or lenses, in this case).

Pelican plans to license their technology component manufacturerers and handset makers, similar to what ARM does with their processors. Can't wait to see this pop up in an actual phone.

 

 

Gramophone Style Comes to iPhone

The ArkCanary II is an analog acoustic iPhone speaker, designed rather like an updated antique gramophone. The maker plans to get it to retail for around $13.

Researchers Already Have a Twitter Generator That Predicts How You’ll Tweet

Twitter is great for making friends and sharing links, but researchers are also increasingly using it to study human interactions. This is more difficult than it sounds, since privacy settings and caps on server access can make it hard to gather research data from social networking sites.

Social Network Write Generator (SONG) generates data that closely replicates the behaviour of genuine tweeters. The team gathered 12 million tweets written by 2.4 million people between November 25 and December 4 2008. They cut out the 75% of users who didn't send a single tweet during the 19 day period and filtered for spammers by looking for accounts with a high tweet-to-followers ratio, leaving them with a dataset of around 350,000 users.

Analysing these users revealed a number of properties that the team replicated in SONG. They found that general tweeting levels build up during the day then die down at night, but also fluctuate in a predictable way from second to second and hour to hour.

The researchers also discovered that both the time between an individual's tweets and the variation between prolific tweeters and lurkers - non-active Twitter users - follows a standard mathematical model called the log-normal distribution.

Plugging these findings in to SONG let Erramilli and colleagues run their own version of Twitter on a network of 16 computers. By gradually increasing the number of tweets per second they discovered that CPU overload caused the network to falter at over 100 tweets per second and totally collapse at around 150. Presumably this means Twitter owns more than 16 computers.

The researchers say that this proof-of-concept shows that SONG can be used to accurately model Twitter, though beefier hardware might be necessary to get close to the real thing. They plan to release the code for SONG soon to let other researchers build their own virtual Twitters and model "what-if" scenarios such as high loads caused by trending topics or a sudden rise in popularity in particular geographical regions.

 

 

Verizon iPhone 4 Now Available to Order/Reserve For In-Store Pickup

Apple and Verizon's long-awaited partnership is nearly upon us, folks, and the final piece to the puzzle is general availability of the hallowed iPhone 4. You're now able to order or reserve your own at the online stores of both carrier and phone maker, though shipping dates for early orders are listed at a distant February 18th.

Dell promises a 10-inch Windows 7 tablet later this year

Dell's just announced that it's planning to bring a 10-inchWindows 7 tablet to market later this year. According to the press release, it will be aimed at commercial and enterprise markets. Sound familiar? Yep, it sounds like a HP Slate in the making, but let's hope this one is faster and sticks to its shipping schedule. 

 

 

Kyocera Double-Headed Echo Phone

The Kyocera Echo is the strangest phone I've ever seen. Inside, it's just mundane—but on the outside, it's a batshit bizarre, morphing, dual screen stab at DS form with iPad function.

Where it could have reveled in its strangeness, it's entirely weighed down by it. If you're adding a second full-size screen, it sure as hell better do something worthwhile. Extra space for your email. More space for contacts. It's slow. It's wasteful. It's essentially two average Androids stitched together.

It's just more glass. Multitasking—a term Kyocera and Sprint are hawking like a child who just learned a swear word for the first time is important. What's not important? Hypertasking and simultasking, two made up non-terms that Kyocera is flinging around.

Pentax reveals Optio WG-1 and WG-1 GPS rugged cameras, limited edition K-5 DSLR

Who woulda thunk it? Half a year ago, finding a conventional point-and-shoot with integrated GPS was a chore, but these days, it's growing tougher and tougher to find one without it. Pentax is joining thegeotagging frenzy this evening with its Optio WG-1 GPS, a rugged 14 megapixel shooter that's waterproof up to 33 feet, shockproof in nature and engineered with a "crushproof" body that can withstand weight force of up to 220 pounds (but not another Black Eyed Peas halftime show).

 You'll also get integrated face detection technology, the ability to snap in sub-freezing temperatures, a 5x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch rear LCD. There's also a 720p movie mode, HDMI output, IR control compatibility and support for Eye-Fi's wireless SD card. It'll ship this April in black or yellow-green for $399.95, and if you're uncomfortable remembering where you took each and every photograph, the GPS-less Optio WG-1 will also be available (in black or purple) for $50 less.

Nokia E7 Phone Finally Hitting Stores This Week

The smartphone that Nokia has been touting as its new "flagship" business model will finally reach consumers this week.

Nokia's announcement was mum on a number of launch details. However, a Nokia representative said that the E7 will be released first in Finland, the company's home turf.

The E7 includes the Symbian 3 operating system, a 4-inch AMOLED ClearBack touch screen designed to improve outdoor visibility, a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, an 8-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash and HD video capture, USB and HDMI connections, and 16GB of flash memory.

Geared for the business crowd, the phone offers built-in synchronization with Microsoft Exchange and comes with Office Communicator Mobile, a corporate instant messaging app developed by Microsoft specifically for Nokia smartphones.

Although still the world's leading mobile phone maker, Nokia has watched its dominance slowly slip over the past couple of years. Losing market share and sales to Apple and Android devices, the company reported lower earnings yet again in the fourth quarter of 2010. The E7 costs 495 euros ($674).

 

 

Inner City Bike Mates Simplicity with a Unicycle and a Fixie

The folks at Inner City Bikes put a fixie and a unicycle into a dark, sexy room, played some light jazz and let nature happen. Out popped this minimalist, chain-less bike. Practical? We'll see, but she's certainly a looker.

Now, whether that look you're giving is one of love or disgust probably depends on your propensity toward wearing a suit, Pumas and a beard while riding a bike.

She lacks the mechanical gear-shifting apparatus of her 21-speed cousins, and even the chain of her more closely related fixie brethren, but her bicycle heritage is unmistakable.

"Military Grade" iPhone Case Could Probably Take a Bullet

This one-of-a-kind $99 case, you see, is comprised of a variety of military-grade shock absorption and vibration-reducing materials.

 

 

The Seven Types of iPhone Users

Simplistic Horodron Watch Concept Hides Subtle E-Ink Secret

A concept for now, the time is displayed in white along the bottom.

 

 

Turn Your iPhone 4 Into A Video-Watching Monster With This Kickstand Battery Case

The iPhone isn't ideal for watching videos for a long period, it drains battery and is uncomfortable. The iKit Nu Charge's built-in battery and kickstand fix that.

It gives you 1400 mAh of power that can be switched on when needed. LED lights on the front show you how much power is left too.

The Nu Charge ships in March for $65 for both Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4.

 

 

The Moment You Wish You'd Paid for a Bigger Screen

The Sensation Urban lounger, by designer Alexander Christoff, looks ridiculously relaxing. That is, until you realize that looking at a 4-inch display from 6-feet away is basically the antithesis of comfort.

Nokia Bubbles lets you intelligently unlock your N8 in a pop

The humble unlock screen gets ever fancier, and Nokia Bubbles is one of the fanciest yet. Like a variety of aftermarket lock screens it enables you to control your media player or initiate calls before you even unlock your handset, but does so in an interesting way. You just grab the bubble for what you want and drop it on what you want to do. A simple unlock entails dragging the key onto the lock, and if you have a missed call you can grab that person's bubble and drag it to a phone to call them right back. Grab the music bubble to go straight to the music player and, well, you get the picture. Okay, so it's not quite as much fun as playing Puzzle Bobble, but it is ever so slightly more useful. 

 

 

The JVC GX-PX1 Is a Great Looking Hybrid Camera

Inside the JVC GX-PX1's gigantic barrel and thin, slim body is a promising camera and camcorder hybrid. There's a 10x optical zoom, 10-megapixel camera, 1080/60p HD video recording at up to 36Mbps, and can shoot at 60fps at 5.7-megapixels.

The 3-inch LCD swivels and the camera comes with 32GB of internal memory. No price or release date out yet, but it's supposed to release by the end of the month.

Capture Your Snowy Personal Disasters in Glorious 1080p with This Goggle Cam

A big part of success on the slopes is confidence, right? And what better way to feel confident than by knowing every deft downhill maneuver (or horrible, ankle-shattering spill) will be remembered in HD? Liquid Image's goggles do just that.

The Impact HD 1080p will be exciting for anyone with the least bit of coordination, providing a 136 degree field of view video at 30 fps. It'll hold an SD card of up to 32 GB, which should keep you stocked for your trip to the bottom of the mountain, whether you ski or tumble down.

 

 

A Better Soda Can

Aluminum cans are convenient! So why would we need a better soda can? Well because even though they're recyclable, they're not really reusable. This soda can is not only reusable, it's also biodegradable. Better for everybody!

It's humorously called the TIN CAN though its made from PLA (poly-lactic acid), which means some sort of corn starch that can retain some plastic properties (and also, one of the better eco-friendly materials around).

Paraffin Light Bulbs

Oyule Light Bulbs are filled with paraffin and use a wick instead of a filament, so basically they become what the light bulb replaced: A paraffin lamp.

To ensure they stay upright, there's a magnet placed in the base of the bulb that corresponds to one in the acrylic base. 

 

 

How to Keep Your Facebook Secure (by Enabling HTTPS)

Facebook recently announced that they're adding full HTTPS support for the site, to keep you protected from attacks like Firesheep. The feature's finally rolling out, and here's how you can turn it on. To enable it, just hit "Account" in the upper-right hand corner of any Facebook window and go to "Account Settings".

Under "Account Security", hit the change button and check the box that says "Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) whenever possible". Hit save and exit that window. From now on, whenever you connect to Facebook, it will default to an SSL-encrypted connection, keeping you safe on open Wi-Fi networks from Firesheep-like attacks. If you don't have it yet, you should have it pretty soon—so check back frequently to see if it pops up.

USB Compatible Jackets

Columbia's Electro Amp jacket is arguably as teched out as a jacket can get really. Designed by a former Intel engineer, the jacket warms itself through the carbon-fiber threads woven into the coat. And even it recharges via USB.

According to GearJunkie, the carbon fiber threads feel like yarn, and they can keep your warm for five hours straight on it's lowest heat setting. But slick tech such as this comes at a premium, and that premium is $1200 dollars. So, how cold are you?

The Internet Is Almost Out of IP Addresses

Ifyour grandmother's Facebook account wasn't a tell-tale sign that the internet has come of age, here's another: after this week, the internet will run out of new IPv4 addresses. But don't fret, because we're moving on up to IPv6!

For those unfamiliar with what IP addresses do, they serve as the internet's navigation system in many ways. When you type in a URL/domain name to visit a site, it's attached to an IP address which handles all the dirty work of connecting you to the server the website is stored on. Just like the Wall Street Journal says, this is a lot like the moment when phone companies in the U.S. switched to 10-digit numbers.

The IPv4 addresses theoretically range between 4 and 12 digits, have a size of 32-bits and have 4.3 billion possible address combinations. I'm fairly certain all of you have dealt with IPv4 addresses, which look something like this:

68.127.78.247

(or http://68.127.78.247, when entering them into a browser)

With the change to IPv6, addresses will be 128-bits in size and up to 32 digits long, allowing for 340 trillion trillion trillion unique addresses. When it is finally implemented, it will look something like this:

2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

(or http://[2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334] in a browser)

And with a whole gang of other notation rules, configuring your router is going to be a bitch in the future. Oh, ALSO, we'll all have to get new routers! (Naturally)

But IPv6 is still in its infancy and is still a few years from being put into use on any sort of widespread level. Until then, the Internet will get by on a diet of repurposed and recycled IP addresses. But for a single day in June, Google, Facebook, Yahoo and a couple of other internet giants will switch over to IPv6-compatible servers to test out the new protocol and find out if there are any major kinks in the system.

Insane MMORPG Rig Lets You Farm For Gold with Six Computers at Once

You're really into MMORPGs when you spend hours repeating the same tasks over and over again to acquire gold. You're way, way too into MMORPGs when you create a custom six-computer setup to do it that much faster.

Zhek Kromtor's "Frankenstein" setup lets him play several EVE Online accounts at the same time so he can farm for gold and minerals more efficiently. Just look at those janky six-way keyboards and mice that let him control everything at once!

You see, he was temporarily banned for running multiple accounts on one computer at the same time. It's against the rules! But doing this, apparently, is not. Probably because they never thought anyone would be crazy enough to do it. But never underestimate the desire of an addict to get that sweet, sweet gold.

 

 

$825 Biometrically Secured Wallet

Look, maybe you've had your pocket picked a few times and are really paranoid about losing your wallet. But you're not Julian Assange and I doubt anyone is coming after you, so you probably don't need this biometrically secured wallet.

The Dunhill Biometroc Wallet combines a biometric finger reader with a bluetooth alarm and carbon fiber frame to ensure noone can crack into it without destroying it. If you have the Bluetooth alarm activated, the wallet will sound an alert anytime it is more than five feet from your phone.But the damn thing costs $825 and it's not even that great looking.

 

 

Klang Ultrasonic Speaker Puts the Sound Waves Where Only You Can Hear 'Em

How can you listen to music as loud as you want without headphones and without annoying people around you? Consider Klang's ultrasonic speakers, which use a 30,000hz frequency to beam an audible wave to a single point.

Designed as part of a project hosted by Bang & Olufsen, the Klang speakers use a satellite dish design and sound physics to focus the beam to one specific point. As Dvice points out, the soundwave is above the threshold of human hearing range, but ultrasonic waves split in three, producing an audible wave encapsulated by two inaudible ones. Sound is only noticeable when it hits an obstruction. And because of this, the left ear can only hear sound coming from the left speaker and the right ear can only hear sound from the right speaker, creating an intense stereo experience.

But what does this mean for you, the user? Well, if these speakers were more than a prototype, you could enjoy porn and/or Justin Bieber as loud as you want without your parents and/or roommates ever knowing. Obviously.

Venerable Camping Chair Now Comes with Seat Warmers

The collapsible camping chair has been a staple of camping sites and tailgating parties for as long as I can remember, but this battery-powered seat warming one from Chaheati is the first I've seen that thaws your keester.

The adjustable heater keeps your nether region toasty at approximately 100 degrees for up six hours. Crank it up to 145 degrees for about 1.8 hours of warmth for more extreme camping.

A tad pricey at $90, with extra batteries costing $35 apiece.

 

 

Vibram Five Finger Boots for Cold Weather

Those ridiculous-miraculous-awesome-awful Vibrams shoes are growing up over the bodies of their fanboys like a symbiotic organism. Their cold-weather boots—FiveFingers Cervinia—now reach half up your leg. I can't wait for them to create a full-body Dune stillsuit. The boots are $160, which is not bad for boots.

Turn Your iPhone 4 Transparent

When you replaced the old iPhone 3G cover with a transparent case, it revealed a fugly side. But with the iPhone 4, the inner workings and hidden guts are surprisingly good lookin'. Here's how to turn your iPhone 4 transparent.

The mod was simply done by taking the glass panels off the phone and applying paint thinner to remove the paint. That's all. What you're left with are two clear panes that reveal the innards of the phone. 

The Plug Hub Is a Pretty Way to Hide Your Ugly Cables

Hide your cables, hide your plugs! This elegant concept, the Plug Hub, can become real if enough people buy it. Think of the $24 you spend as an investment towards a lifetime of peace, serenity and organization.

 

 

T-Pain Got a Facebook 'Like' Button Tattoo

Rapper T-Pain introduced this new tattoo he got in Hawaii with a tweet: "I think this ones pretty sweet, unless facebook shuts down soon 0_o". That's what the guy who tattooed MySpace's Tom on his back said in 2002.

It kind of makes sense, this "like" button tattoo, if you consider the phenomenon of bad-tattoo-as-meme (and meme-as-bad-tattoo): Maybe T-Pain is trying to embody the viral success of his music. But it's also sort of dumb, because of the fact that he ruined his body and will be forced to spend his 70s and 80s explaining to young people what his tattoo means, after Facebook is replaced with cranial implants.

 

 

Overweight People Better at Smelling Food

According to a new study, overweight people have "far heightened" senses of smell for food compared with people who aren't overweight—in particular after eating a full meal. Science: Making the mean joke so you don't have to!

 

 

The Inspiration for Lady Gaga's New Perfume: Blood and Semen

We were trying to determine what Lady Gaga's forthcoming fragrance should smell like, but rumor has it she's decided. It will supposedly smell like blood and semen. Nasty, but I guess that's exactly what a bad romance smells like.

 

 

Airport Security Decides 3-Inch Toy Gun Is a Weapon

This itty bitty plastic rifle was recently declared a "firearm" by airport security officials at Gatwick Airport. Which I guess makes the toy soldier it had been attached to an enemy combatant?

Ken Lloyd and his wife were transporting the figurine across country lines after having purchased it at the Royal Signals Museum at Blandford Garrison. Officials removed the rifle but let the soldier pass:

Lloyd said his wife had demanded "a reality check".

"The antenna was individually scanned as suspect and as the figurine's SA80 rifle was pulled from the box, the security search officer contacted her supervisor," he said.

The security personnel gave the three-inch bit of plastic back to Mrs. Lloyd, who promptly stuffed it in an envelope and mailed it back home—but not before the airport's customer service department X-rayed the package to make sure there were no very tiny bullets along for the ride.

The Watch That Comes From the Future

This spiffy watch is called La Clé du Time—the key of time. They should have called it Le Watch Batman.

It seems that Mathias Buttet—the designer for Swiss watch manufacturer Hublot—has found a stash of kryptonite and is decided to use it all in these new watches. Nothing is known about them except that its price will be on the high six and it will be officially presented this March. 

 

 

You Probably Shouldn't Use Your iPhone as a Ping Pong Paddle

Just like you shouldn't kickflip your skateboard grip-taped iPhone case, please don't whack balls with these cases. But, in traditional red, green, blue and black color options, you can at least display your team-colors for $30 here.

 

 

My Breakfast Could've Been So Much Less Disgusting

Milk jugs, useless. Milk comes in containers, sillies! But this jug is different: Usingscience—a pH sensor—it detects if the milk inside is sour. Which would've saved my granola this morning, truth.

The Perfect Turkey Timer

I love stupid single-purpose kitchen gadgets. Inserted into a turkey or chicken, this timer's legs pop up like a boner when the inside reaches 165 degrees—not 180, like most—for perfectly roasted bird. It's $13.

 

 

I Will Never Drink Any Beverage Called MeatWater

I think I'll judge a book by it's cover on this one. And right now, MeatWater—a protein-rich drink flavored like various meats—sounds like the liquid equivalent of a Dane Cook autobiography.

I mean, I guess we can congratulate Till Krautkraemer for creating liquids that taste like a poached salmon salad, thai beef salad, cheeseburger or Hungarian goulash (best seller!). But doesn't half the appeal of eating meat lie in its physical properties?

British Satellites Will Beam Info Down From Space Using Android Smartphones

The communication components in smartphones and satellites aren't all that different, except that satellite guts are better rated for external factors like temperature and impact. But one British aerospace firm wants to see how well a smartphone fares in space.

Wired says that the University of Surrey and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited are working together to create a satellite, dubbed the STRAND-1, which uses the internals from a commercial Android smartphone to handle all the communication and control, transmitting photos of Earth while it's in orbit.

The researchers are excited by the possibility of using smartphone internals because they cost a fraction of what aerospace-grade components would cost. The satellite, which is 11.8 inches long and weighs under 10 pounds, will initially have an on-board computer that monitors the smartphone components and make sure everything is functioning as it should. If all goes to plan, the satellite will go into orbit sometime this year.

 

 

The Mako Bike Tool Will Fix Your Bike and Fit In Your Spandex Shorts

A Best in Show winner at this year's Outdoor Retailer show, the MAKO is a multitool designed specifically for bikes. Which is good! Because I've never been able to figure out what I'm supposed to fix with my regular multitool.

Made of aerospace titanium, the MAKO comes with four 1/4" driver bits, 5 metric box wrench sizes, 2 spoke wrench sizes, and a bottle opener. Because it's not a mulittool if it doesn't have a bottle opener.

 

 

Show How Electric Your Love Is With $200 Rings

The electricity that courses through your body whenever you're together. The way you fit perfectly in her arms, powering you up. The voltage you feel as the relationship sours, when you stick your ring into a wall-socket.

 

 

People Actually Get Married With Those Lego Rings

There are real humans who use these Lego rings to tie the knot, for real.

Attach Lego Bricks to This iPhone Case

iPhone cases are pretty damn boring, they're like a wasteland of silicone and plastic sameness. Not this one! This case is awesome. The SmallWorks BrickCase ditches those tired materials for Lego, turning your iPhone 4 into a playground for Lego bricks.

It's only $20 on Amazon and works great with any Lego bricks. Go wild, the whole back and top of the iPhone is open for your creative interpretation. This is one of the few times where I approve of adding bulk to your phone.

Japanese Toilets Have Crazy Video Games to Play While Peeing

Sega has installed toilet games in bars and arcades across Tokyo. It's called Toylet and games include measuring volume of urine, measuring power of stream, wiping a wall clean of graffiti and even controlling wind to lift a girl's skirt up.

It sounds insane but also potentially awesome, the games use a pressure sensor attached to an eye level LCD screen for gamers to watch. Those who can pee hard and long will separate themselves from the soft and short. Sega says the games would be available to play only until the end of the month. Take advantage!

 

 

The Endless Chocolate Bar Breaker Probably Won't Keep Me Slender

I love that crunch-clink sound a chocolate bar makes when I break it in two before stuffing both halves into my mouth. Thanks to this simulation keychain, I can have that sound without any of the calories. Or the oh-so-yummy-taste.

It's the whole "not real chocolate" part that's getting to me, even if the keychain comes inthree flavors—milk chocolate, high-milk chocolate and white chocolate—so I think I'll just get some real chocolate instead.

If you prefer to pretend breaking chocolate with this trinket though, it will be available in Japan for about $7 per bar. If your obsession runs more along the lines of soybeans or bubble wrap though then you don't even have to wait and can order something now.

 

 

Sneak this $10 Keychain Tool Onto a Flight for Mid-Air Screwdrivering

Let's face it—you're probably up to no good with this keychain tool, which conveniently disguises itself as a key. At about a third of the price of a Swiss Army knife, it has eight handy tools.

That's three different screwdrivers, a pair of tweezers, a wire-stripper, bottle-cap opener, nail file and nail cleaner. It comes with a fake key which the tool hides behind, and a stainless steel key-ring. Just in case the user can't distinguish between a screwdriver and a nail file, the various tools' names are even marked on the key.

 

 

What Are 25,000 Ping Pong Balls Doing in This Tiny Apartment?

Recently some guy decided that perfect way to decorate his 90 square foot apartment was by plastering its walls with 25,000 ping pong balls. For some reason I think he was on to something.

Sounds and looks crazy, but somehow that strange design makes the place feel like the ideal spot for a quick break from work.