Aug 22, 2011
What’s More Fun Than the Fail Whale? This Dinky Whale Speaker
iOS 5 Turns Japanese iPhones Into Earthquake Alarms
iOS users already had access to this functionality via apps like Yurekuru, but iOS 5 will bring it directly into the operating system. The service can be activated in the Notification Center settings pane, accompanied by a warning that the constant connection will deplete your battery faster -- a fair exchange if it saves your life.
Sony Ericsson Unveils Live with Walkman Handset for Music-loving Android Users
The petite, Gingerbread-equipped device also packs a lackluster 320MB of RAM, provides up to 32GB of microSD storage, and offers either tri-band 3G support (HSPA+) at 850, 1900 and 2100MHZ, or dual-band 3G at 900 and 2100MHz, depending on the model. And, as you'd expect, Sony Ericsson has placed a special emphasis on the music phone's media capabilities, beefing it up with enhanced audio and Qriocity integration.
Aug 21, 2011
RIM to Unleash Redesigned BlackBerry App World 3.0 on August 22nd
Sure, there are rumblings that the BB music service will be a part of this release, but as Reuters reported, that announcement isn't expected until early September. Although, this update would complete the new smartphone trifecta rather nicely: new device, new OS and new app store. Well done, RIM, now if you could just get your advertising in order, you'll be all set.
Google+’s New "Verified Profiles" Feature: Redundant?
The new feature gives the network's big names a "verified user" badge next to their name. CNN wrote last month that celebs might have to send a copy of their driver's license to get the new badges. First, it doesn't look like Robin Wauters at TechCrunch did anything of the sort to get his new cred. Second, do you really think Mark Zuckerberg or Bono is sending a copy of his ID to Google? Now, it could also be PR folks and consultants working with Google to get the perks, which is probably more likely.
But the reasoning? My only guess is that this is a grab for popularity on Google's part. A larger, more obvious celebrity presence would bring more people in. And those same celebs could make Google+ seem less like a wasteland to new users. If that's the case, then it's shrewd on Google's part. Shallow, but shrewd.
BlackBerry Music to Serve up 50 Songs for $5 a Month?
What's more, it could be officially pumping the jams to the UK, US, and Canada as soon this fall, with other territories to follow in 2012. Rumor also has it that users won't be able to port the music to other devices, unless they happen to have a PlayBookhandy.
Aug 20, 2011
Mobiado's Grand Touch Phones Ditch the Nexus S Plastic for a Precious Metal Finish
Available in either anodized aluminum or solid brass with gold plating (take a guess which is costlier), the sapphire crystal-backed duo comes unlocked with quad-band GSM, and tri-band UMTS / HSDPA radios, so you can stay connected aboard that yacht in St. Tropez. Get is here.
You Can Rent Movies on Facebook Now
Man, things just are not looking good for Netflix: Universal is experimenting with movie rentals on Facebook. First foray? The Big Lebowski, which you can rent for 30 Facebook credits—that's $3—right now from the film's fan page.
Aug 19, 2011
Glucose-Measuring Implant Glows Like a Christmas Tree When Sugar Levels Increase
The Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo found that a fluorescent fiber sensor with a diameter of just 1mm can be inserted under the skin of a patient via injection, and then removed with tweezers. As you can see from the image, it's a tiny thing, with the glowing quality of the implant highly visible through the skin when glucose levels rise. I foresee just one issue—I think I'd want my levels to fluctuate to get full value, if anything.
YouTube Adds Google+ Hangout Button, Lets You Share Videos With a Click
Now you can launch Hangouts directly from YouTube, rather than heading over to Google+ and pasting in a link. Sure, it's a simple tweak that probably took less than an hour to code, but it's a clever addition nonetheless.
Sony Digital Recording Binoculars
While the pricier model adds a 10x digital zoom, GPS, and accessories like a carrying case and neck strap, those features don't really justify a $600 jump in price -- if you can live without GPS, it probably makes sense to skip the DEV-5. There's also Memory Stick Pro Duo and SDXC support, stereo microphones with an audio input jack, and HDMI out, but if you've been looking for a way to record while bird watching, catching close-ups of the action at a game, or whatever it is you look at through your apartment window, then look for these to hit stores in November.
Aug 18, 2011
Logitech’s New G300 Is $40 of Ambidextrous Awesome
It doesn't matter if you play left-handed or right for a particular game, the lack of a thumb button means you just need to slide the mouse to the other side of your desk. It also features a 2500-DPI optical sensor that tracks both fast and slow movements on most surfaces for better precision when you need it and quicker acceleration when you don't. The G300 will retail for about $40 when it's released in September.
Google Maps Adds Current Weather Conditions
Selecting the feature will overlay conditions culled from Weather.com, anywhere in the world. The results include the temperature and icons for the sun, rain, clouds and the moon, when that part of the world goes dark. Also new is cloud coverage from the US Naval Research Lab.
Windows 8 Will Have an App Store After All
It's back to the Windows Live Division President, Steven Sinofsky, who introduced the core team of engineers working on next year's release. Running through the list of teams, Sinofsky included an app store team, along with app compatibility and device compatibility; applications and media experience, and app experience.
It's that first one which intrigues as the most, as it's the first time Microsoft has pretty much confirmed the existence of an app store in the next iteration of Windows.
Aug 17, 2011
How Researchers Fit a Blu-Ray of Data Onto a Millimeter of Glass
The process uses minuscule dots called voxels etched in the molecular structure of pure silica glass that bend light to store information (the light itself changes direction as it passes through one depending on thelight's polarization orientation.) The data can then be wiped and rewritten by re-etching the voxels.
Glass has a lot of advantages over other non-volatile memory. In particular, it can withstand temperatures up to 1800F and, since the etchings are located within the structure of the glass itself, the information lasts quite literally forever with no noticeable data degradation.
As research team member, Martynas Beresna, said:
Other uses include cheaper and more compact medical imaging, precise manipulation of atom-sized objects, and even high-resolution imaging far beyond what we see today.We have developed this memory which means data can be stored on the glass and last forever. It could become a very stable and safe form of portable memory. It could be very useful for organizations with big archives. At the moment companies have to back up their archives every five to ten years because hard-drive memory has a relatively short lifespan.
Logitech Has a Solar-Powered Keyboard
Logitech released the PC version of their wireless solar-powered keyboard last year, and now there's a Mac layout, too. The keyboard supposedly gets 3 months of battery life from a single full charge, even in complete darkness, and it gathers light and power from either the sun or indoor lighting. It's on sale now for $60.
The Wii Gets a Redesign
According to The Official Nintendo Magazine, the tweaked Wii will be released in the UK this holiday season (no word about a US release).
The change is that this Wii is designed to lay flat and has a slightly reconfigured design. The original Wii was supposed to sit vertically. The upcoming Wii U console sits flat, so the tweak could be to bring cohesion between the two machines. Or it could bring confusion.
The biggest difference is that this console cannot play GameCube games like the current Nintendo Wii.The redesigned console comes packed with a Wii Remote Plus, a Nunchuk and, according to this photo from Eurogamer, copies of Wii Sports and Wii Party.
Aug 16, 2011
An iPhone 4 Backing That Magically Changes Colors When You Touch It
Ordinary fingerprints on your iPhone 4? Passé. Fingerprints that can morph your iPhone 4 into a color changing chameleon!? Psychedelic.
These heat sensitive backings, made by RF Laserworks, magically turn a variety of gnarly colors depending on the temperature. Get it here.
Sunscreen + Caffeine = Skin Cancer Killer?
The Guardian UK says that when combined with sunscreen, caffeine, which inhibits a gene crucial to melanoma growth, will actually promote the death of cells damaged by UV rays.
Allan Conney of the department of chemical biology at Rutgers University in New Jersey wanted to find the specific molecular mechanisms behind it. He suspected that the response might involve a gene called ATR, which is suppressed when caffeine molecules are around. This suppression encourages the death of DNA-damaged cells.Conney tested the idea by creating genetically modified mice whose ATR genes were deficient and exposing them to ultraviolet light until they developed skin cancer. After 19 weeks of UV exposure, he found that these mice developed 69% fewer tumours than those that had fully functioning ATR genes. In addition, tumours in the GM mice developed three weeks later than in standard mice.
ViewSonic ViewPad 10pro: a Windows 7 Tablet That Also Runs Android
The base model comes with Windows 7 Home Premium and a 16GB SSD for $599, while some extra bucks gets you Windows 7 Professional and a 32GB SSD. If you want one soon, best get a move on, as "limited numbers" are currently available. Get it here.
Aug 15, 2011
Mojang Offers Limited Edition Minecraft Xperia Play on eBay
Adding a bit of extra incentive for those with deep pockets, Mojang says that it will also donate all the proceeds from the auction to an as yet unnamed charity. Get it on eBay
Google buys Motorola Mobility
Larry Page had this to say about the deal:
Motorola Mobility's total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.
What happens next? While this will of course strengthen the ties between hardware and software, Google is pledging to continue offering Android as an open platform -- Moto will license it and others will be able to as ever. Additionally, Google will continue to operate its new toy as a separate business and not morph it into an in-house hardware wing. But, one has to wonder what this means for companies like Samsung, which partnered closely with Google on the Nexus S, and of course HTC, which released the Nexus Oneand the iconic G1. And then there's the big question: just where does Moto Blur fit into this equation?
Peter Chou, CEO, HTC:
Bert Nordberg, President & CEO, Sony Ericsson:We welcome the news of today's acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.
Jong-Seok Park, President & CEO, LG:I welcome Google's commitment to defending Android and its partners.
We welcome Google's commitment to defending Android and its partners.
Diesel SBA Black Out Watch
Aug 14, 2011
SteelSeries Sensei Mouse
The ambidextrous controller also comes outfitted in a metal coating that won't slip from your hands and connects to computers via a gold-plated USB. Best of all, PC gamers can use SteelSeries' Engine software to customize their experience even further, with pre-set configurations and user profiles. The Sensei is slated for release next month, when it will retail for $90 (or €90).
ASUS Eee Pad Slider Shows Off Its Specs, May Launch in September
It should ship with Android 3.1 installed, with a promised 3.2 upgrade to follow. The QWERTYfied tablet packs a 1280 x 800 WXGA display, dual-core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of memory, 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, USB 2.0, mini-HDMI, microSD card reader, WiFi and Bluetooth.
Aug 13, 2011
Google Will Soon Grow Brand New Sign-In Pages For All Their Apps
Firefox 6 Breaks out Ahead of Schedule
If you're looking for a major facelift to the desktop edition, you won't find one here -- most of the new features aren't cosmetic. Perhaps most visibly, you'll find the domain name of the page you're parked on highlighted in the address bar.
Go Snowboarding in the Dark With This LED Headlamp
But you shouldn't snowboard in the dark because even if you managed to find a way to do that, it's probably insanely dangerous. In any case, the SnowMiner is now slouch. The LED lamp emits 60 lumens worth of light. When strapped to your head, it shoots out a 35 meter focused beam. Awesome. But there'smore.
The lamp dome is made of a shape-shifting silicone material. When you squeeze the sides, the concave lens of the headlamp pops out into a dome-shaped form factor, effectively turning the SnowMiner into a lantern. For $50, what more could you ask for from your outdoor gear?
Aug 12, 2011
Philips Sonicare DiamondClean USB Toothbrush to Stay Fresh at Your Desk
Nowadays, you'll need to keep those chompers fresh no matter where you might find yourself, including (but not limited to): the computer lab at school, your home office, your boss' office, or maybe even the Apple Store. Claiming up to 100 percent plaque removal and 44 percent more bristles, some are going so far as to call this £250 ($405) teeth gleamer the "iPod of toothbrushes."
Will Apple Announce the iPhone 5 on September 7th?
Apple has always targeted early September for their Fall Events. Last year, the Fall Event was held on September 1st. In 2009 and 2008, it was held on September 9th. So it does make sense from a historical perspective. This year is a little different though because it will be the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on September 11th; it seems unlikely, perhaps, that Apple would want to compete with such an emotional and all-encompassing event for the type of media attention their product launches usually command.
I Hope Temporary Teeth Tattoos Never Become Popular
You might argue that it would make sense when you got a closer look at someone's grill. But how often do you examine the teeth of a friend, let alone some random stranger? And though they wear off in a few days, the idea of repeatedly gluing something to the front of my teeth just doesn't seem right.
Aug 11, 2011
The Evolution of Steve Jobs’ Clothing
After he returned to Apple, it was all Levi's, New Balances and black sweaters. One day I saw him wearing a suit—kind of—in a MacWorld Japan keynote, but that was it.
Back in the 70s and 80s his wardrobe used to be a mix of everything, from walking around the Apple campus barefoot in a t-shirt and shorts to old school three-piece suits to show his computers in fairs and keynotes.
FCC Details Plans to Bring Texting, Photos and Video to 911 Service
That, the FCC says, should provide more flexibility and resiliency, and the agency has a number of other improvements in mind as well, including increased accessibility for people with disabilities, and new measures to improve the accuracy of location gathering (including new rules for wireless carriers). Of course, it all still is just a plan at the moment, but the FCC says it will consider a move to accelerate adoption of the plan next month.
Phones Stolen In the UK Riots Will Be Blocked From Networks
Macworld spoke to several UK networks about the issue of the stolen phones, with the general answer being that they'll simply check stock records for each ransacked store, and add the IMEI number associated with each phone to the Equipment Identity Register which will block them from working with SIM cards in under a day. Within two days the phones will also be banned from being used on any UK network.
Sellers of stolen phones will likely still try and shift them onto unsuspecting buyers, meaning anyone who's been thinking about buying a brand new iPhone, BlackBerry or other recent model should probably go by official means only for a while, unless they want to end up with a very expensive door-stopper.
Minesweeper, Sudoku Now Available for Windows Phone Users
With these new additions, users can now sweep for virtual landmines in either Classic or Speed mode, or put their logic skills to the test by playing Sudoku in Lightning mode -- all while racking up achievements and powerups. Both are available for free and either will do a great job of destroying your productivity.
Aug 10, 2011
New Technique Could Rid Space of Junk in Just 4,000 Years
To prevent the Earth's atmosphere from becoming a full-on junkyard, Italian Space Agency scientists have proposed an elegant way to remove space debris: launch a satellite that seeks out the garbage, then using a robotic arm attaches a propellant to it. The propellant escorts the junk to the earth's atmosphere where it burns up.
Sounds pretty neat, kind of like if Wall-E were a garbage collector when he propels himself through space with an aerosol can. The problem is the proposed technique is not so efficient. The Italian scientists report in the journal Acta Astronautica that one of their space junk collectors could take out five pieces of garbage per year. That means if space junk stopped proliferating now (although it's predicted to triple by 2030), the problem would be remedied in about 4,000 years.
Scientists say space junk doesn't pose an immediate threat, but it could quickly become one. That's because of the Kessler syndrome: as space junk proliferates, so does the likelihood of collisions, which quickly multiply the amount of crap in orbit. Space junk instantaneously increased by 25 percent when China detonated a weather satellite in 2007. Just two years later, an American and Russian satellite collided in 2009, throwing even more debris into the mix. If this happens enough times, the earth's atmosphere could become impassable, making space travel impossible.
Other proposed solutions to space junk include lasering threatening garbage out of the way or or employing service stations to lengthen the lifespans of existing satellites instead of launching new ones. But at a space conference in May, Gen. William Shelton, commander of the U.S. Air Force Space Command said there's no practical solution in sight for the space junk problem.
Well, at least for the foreseeable future we can still look forward to fireballs of space junk falling from the sky.
You Can Finally Share Photos Natively Using Twitter
Images that are 3MB or less in size can be uploaded and embedded into a tweet. If a user follows you they will see the image and a pic.twitter.com link. If they don't follow you, they will see a "Click to Display Media" message. You can even add a hashtag to your image so others can find it using Twitter's photo and video search feature. In the future, Twitter will enable image galleries and add this upload feature to its mobile apps.
Nintendo to Release Flame Red 3DS Console Next Month
The company will also be releasing two new games this winter -- Super Mario 3D Land in November and Mario Kart 7 in December -- in the hopes of rectifying its disappointing Q2 earnings report with a strong holiday campaign. Only time will tell whether or not it has any effect on Nintendo's bottom line, but if you're interested in adding a touch of Santa-like cheer to your yuletide gaming season, you can grab a Flame Red console on September 9th, for $170.
Aug 9, 2011
Tokyoflash's Kisai 3D Watch Turns Time Into a Colorful Ice Cube
The watch also features a pretty sleek, stainless steel design, with a case measuring just 8.5mm thick, and a fully adjustable strap that can fit even the daintiest of wrists. If you're interested in grabbing one, you can choose from seven different colors for about $120 here.
Blackberry Users Are More Important than iPhone or Android Users
Klout reported that the average Blackberry user it tracks scored a 43.6. The average iPhone user was a 42, while Android users came in behind both at 40.6. The average score on Klout is 20. Justin Bieber scores a perfect 100, baby.
Klout tracks some 80 million people on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. It then purports to measure influence by looking at how one's posts on those networks affect others, and assigns a score from 0-100. It weeds out the bots, and places less importance on follower counts than it does action counts. For example, if you share a link, and many of your followers re-share it, or respond to it, or retweet it, that will raise your score. Likewise, if your network is made up of very influential people, that will also raise your Klout score.
Which sort of explains why BlackBerry users would win this thing. Who gets BlackBerrys? Corporate executives, often C-level types. My guess is that if you looked at the BlackBerry demographic on Klout, it would be an older and more professional user group than iPhone and Android with well-developed networks. Similarly, if you think about how many Android phones are free phones, it makes sense that a lot of those are going to end up in the hands of young people who haven't had the time or inclination to develop the kind of peer networks their elders have.
The Microsoft Touch Mouse
The ergonomics are quite solid too—unlike the Magic Mouse, which is passable, but not great. As you can guess, the hatches dotted all over the mouse mark the touch area.
Samsung Galaxy S II LTE Phone Surfaces in Korea, Codenamed Celox?
The phone also runs on Gingerbread, rocks a 1750mAh battery (compared to the smaller Galaxy S II's 1650mAH cell), offers 800MHz LTE support (at up to 50Mbps upstream, 100Mbps downstream) and features an 8MP rear-facing camera, along with a 2MP sensor up front
Aug 8, 2011
Alien-Looking Automatons Have Taken Over Heathrow Airport
Created by BAA, these Ultra PRTs whiz around Heathrow's business parking lots independent of human intervention and have yet to experience what we call "an accident." Breakdowns are also extremely rare and the system has a 95% reliability rate.
A Watch Running Android
Some basic Android apps work on the I'm Watch, and you can browse photos and play music from the 4GB of onboard storage, for 48 hours (or 30 if you're using the Bluetooth features). It'll set you back a fair ol' whack though—around $350. Get it here.
Blackberry Bold 9900 Up for Ppre-Order at Vodafone UK
Alternatively, you can opt for a monthly contract at half that price and pay a daunting £399 ($650) upfront for the phone. Nevertheless, if you're a BB fan and you're convinced of this form factor, then we predict you'll get on well with 9900's particularly chunky keyboard, high-res screen and top-notch build quality
Aug 7, 2011
July Broke Almost Over 9,000 Heat Records
Last month almost 9,000 daily heat records were broken or tied across the country. This includes 2,755 highest maximum temperatures and 6,171 highest minimum temperatures (nighttime records).
Is Windows Media Center Not Dead After All?
In terms of compatibility with Vista and 7, so there's really no reason for Microsoft to pull it. We're not the only one who'd be surprised to see new features though, as everyone we know seems to agree it would be silly to think otherwise.
Why Do These Shake Weights Cost Over $1000?
A 30 - 50 minute charge is apparently good for 2.5 hours of lifting, and according to the company the 1.2mm amplitude is enough to amp your training by up to 50 per cent. I'm not too sure about those claims, but if you want to test them out yourself, go ahead—they cost from $1,060 to $1,190 for the 1.5kg, 2.8kg and 4.6kg pairs. Get them here.
Aug 6, 2011
Is This the iPhone 5 Slim?
It looks real, but it is not. The fact is that it only took me ten minutes to make that image in Photoshop. It looks even more real than the alleged iPhone 5 image captured in France. Of course, that one is fake too.
That image was originally posted on Twitter by user Robin P, it was reposted on MacRumors Forums.
World Wide Web Turns 20
What, we wonder, will the next 20 years bring? At the very least, you'll eventually have to move out of your parents' basement, get a real job, and settle down. It's hard to pay attention to that kind of stuff, though, when you've got another year of sneaking beers ahead of you. So go ahead, World Wide Web, enjoy yourself tonight -- just make sure to be home by midnight.
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