iPhone 4 Case And IR Remote

Mashed Pixel's Surc iPhone 4 case is finally ready take on the challenge of making Apple's slab a universal remote now that it's on sale for a mere $74.95. The built in MicroUSB hookup and included cable means it can stay on even while charging before jumping into action when the companion app is opened on the phone. It can be controlled via buttons, gestures or motion control, with plenty of programmability built in.

The only downside we can find is that this is definitely a goner whenever you upgrade to Steve's next iThing, and it means leaving the sweet, potentially reception-improving case you already picked out behind.

Are Tablets Really PCs?

Microsoft insists tablets are Windows-powered mobile PCs. Even Windows Phone president Andy Lee, who should be pushing for a WP7 tablet, said, "We view a tablet as a PC."

Since the early days of the Origami project, Microsoft has looked at the tablet as a desktop replacement. Slates ran Windows XP or Windows 7; never Windows Mobile or Windows Phone 7. This desktop approach hasn't worked so well in the past, but the company just won't let it go.

Microsoft probably believes its tablet strategy will work out better this time with Windows 8; but the runaway success of the iPad suggests otherwise. The iPad is popular because it is an oversized smartphone and not a notebook replacement.

 

 

Fujitsu TH40/D Tablet Finally Sliding Out in Japan

It's mid-July now, and things have been mostly quiet surrounding the 10-inch tablet's keyboard-packing goodness. The Windows 7 device, which debuted back in May, is now scheduled for a July 22nd release in its native Japan, according to new reports. Once that date rolls around, ¥80,000 (around $1,010) should buy you all the games of "hide-a-keyboard" that your heart desires.

Where Are All The Girls On Google+?

According to information from Google+ stat trackers SocialStatistics and FindPeopleOnPlus, the new social network is dominated by men.

 And it's not even close — up to 86.8% of all Google+ users are male. This distribution is much different from Facebook which has a 50/50 split of male and female users.

Even Batman Would Be Jealous of This Turbine-Powered Batmobile

The helicopter engine was originally used by the US Navy but has now been repurposed for this Batmobile. It packs 365hp and uses its jet thrust to "internally propel turbine blades that spin an output shaft after going through a planetary reduction gearbox". 

The Batmobile seats two in the cockpit where an iPad is set on its dashboard for no other reason than to have an iPad in a Batmobile dashboard. I'm sure Michael Keaton would even be impressed at how awesome this Batmobile replica is. 

 

 

These Retro Headphones Are Perfect for Any Era

IDEA International, the design shop, teamed up with one of Japan's oldest audio companies, Ashidavox, to create a pair of cans that look like they're from the 1970's. Or 60's. Or 50's. Whatever! They look as timeless as ever.

These IDEA x Ashidavox Dyanmic Headphones are obviously inspired (if not, directly related to) by the Ashidavox ST-90. The minimal retro design is the same but the headphone's internals have been reworked and rejigged around to provide better sound and comfort. The headphones can deliver a frequency range of 25-18,000Hz and use a special urethane material on its ear cups for more comfortable listening with the price of $140.

 

 

Bread In a Can

Mmm. Bread. Delicious (well, somewhat) canned bread. In Japan, canned bread is a tasty treat for otaku. Among the t-shirts and hug pillows being offered at an upcoming event for Xbox 360 gameDream Club, there are cans of bread. The cans feature characters from the virtual hostess game.

If you've never had Japanese canned bread, there is a novelty factor. Hey, bread in a can! But with so many delicious bakeries in the country, there's the simple question of why anyone would want it. Sure, you can carry it around, chuck it in your backpack. What canned bread does allow is the commodification of popular games or anime in way that bread wrapped in plastic bags does not. Slap an illustrated label on a can of bread, and bam, you've got Dream Club canned bread. Magic! It's much more striking than, say, Pokémon bread.

Canned bread is not a Japanese innovation. It's been available in New England for decades—B& M Brown Bread is a camping and emergency food stash stable. Boston brown bread was born out of necessity. Colonists baked bread from the resources they had, and since not all settlers had ovens, they cooked the bread in cans.

Magnetic Carabiners are the Next Big Thing

Black Diamond is developing carabiners that use magnetic power to lock themselves as opposed to the traditional twistlocks and screwlocks.

The Magnetron carabiner is supposed to be easier to unlock than traditional systems but still provide the same safety. Here's how it works:

• Magnetic attraction to a steel insert in the carabiner nose keeps two independent arms securely locked
• Locking arms must be individually depressed before the gate can be opened
• Once open, opposing magnetic fields repel the arms to ensure smooth and reliable gate operati

Ideally, it'll be a lot easier to use than the old method and can let people focus on scaling a cliff rather than screwing and unscrewing a carabiner. Sadly, the Magnetron carabiner won't be released until 2012. Guess my keys will have to wait.

Google+ Now Lets You Keep Your Gender Private

Google listened, and now lets you make your gender private in Google+. It also uses gender-neutral language—"they" as opposed to "him" or "her"—to make things simpler. Well done!

 

 

This Harry Potter Crop Circle Maze Definitely Wasn’t Created By Aliens

Neither aliens nor goblins had a hand in creating this "maize maze" near York, England—the farmer "Top Pearsy" (that's a name, yes) owned up and said he merely wanted to mark the ending of the Harry Potter moviethon.

Thank god he didn't carve the four Sex and the City women's likenesses in his corn fields.

 

 

Samsung NC215S Snetbook Delayed, Won't See Sunlight Until August

There was reported that Samsung's solar NC215S netbook was up for pre-order and now it's been delayed. Despite earlier estimates of a July 3rd US shipping date.

The solar-powered laptop won't make it to consumers until sometime in mid to late August, due to hold ups involving the machine's custom panels. They are hoping this doesn't spoil anyone's plans to journey out of the house this summer.

Klipsch’s Headphones Keep On Noise-Cancelling For 45 Long Hours

They can be used as normal stereo headphones should the battery run out of juice.

Coated in leather and with a 40mm woofer and 15mm tweeters inside, Klipsch's Mode cans haven't been priced yet but will be on sale sometime this Fall.

 

 

Bowers & Wilkins C5 iPhone Headset Oozes Luxury Into Your Ear Canals For $180

Crafted mostly from aluminum, its bullet-shaped earbuds look like a posh blend of the Zeppelin Air and Mini geared for mobile. The 'buds are iDevice compatible with an inline remote / mic to get a handle on phone calls or swap though playlists, and have a few unique features to boot. To ensure a proper fit on-the-move, you'll find Secure Loops that can be adjusted to hug the inner cartilage of your ear, along with added heft (Tungsten Weighting) near the inner-ear side for a tight seal. Internally, there's a Micro Porous Filter to widen the perceived soundstage, while also preventing any leakage to folks around you.

 

 

Why Google+? Your Parents Can’t Find You There

Presenting the next logical step in the "Google+ is good because it isn't Facebook" argument: you're much less in danger of constant parental surveillance. For now, anyway. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Acer's C110 Pico Projectors Aim to Please, Travel Well

The  DLP-powered beamer gets all the juice it needs via USB, measures just 110- x 85- 25mm and offers up a WVGA (854 x 480) native resolution. The LED bulb is said to last up to 20,000 hours, and it'll go from dead to dazzling in five seconds flat. 

Complete with an optional external battery good for two hours, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and an identical WVGA resolution. This guy is to hit UK shops at the end of the month, with prices set at £199.

 

 

Steve Jobs Impersonator Officiates Mock Keynote

Well, there's clearly no better way to legitimize any new product than to have a faux Steve Jobs hawking it on-stage, in front of dozens of applauding mock journalists, with a 20-foot iPad 2 projected behind. The Jobs / John Stamos hybrid dropped by to pitch a Taiwanese company's vast selection of tea, of all things, for a TV advertisement that's apparently currently airing in Taiwan.

 Decked out in light jeans, a black mock turtleneck and sneakers, the impersonator even matched Steve's hair color, rimless glasses, and current weight. The only thing missing was an actual Apple product -- and months of media speculation. The "keynote" even ended with "one more thing," as they often do: Tea drinkers will have a shot at winning a bonafide iPad 2 with each purchase of oolong, milk, or Apple-infused Tong Yi Cha.

Pioneer's SE-CL331 Earbuds are Just Begging to Be Washed

The first-ever earbuds designed to be drenched they aren't, but they just might be one of the first to actually be "washable." Sure enough, Pioneer's new SE-CL331 headphones ($59.99) -- available in white, pink and bright blue hues -- can reportedly be "soaked and washed after every sports session without damaging sensitive electronic equipment." 

Furthermore, they boast a newfangled ear holder that keeps 'em in place while your body's in motion, and there's a two-layer mesh and rubber ring that'll prevent water from seeping in while submerged up to one meter of goop. The built-in 9mm drivers probably won't live up to Westone standards, but then again, you can't exactly take your ES5s into the kiddie pool.

 

 

Zuckerberg Is the #1 Most Popular Person! (On Google+)

Mark Zuckerberg is so rich and incredible that he's not only running the universe's most beloved social network, but is the most beloved person on Google+—his competition! What a guy. He's even beating Google's own CEO.

According to Google+ stat-tracking site SocialStatistics, Zuck's topping out the Google+ popularity contest with over 29,000 followers. Google CEO Larry Page is a distant second with almost 20,000, and everyone he works with has to follow him, or else they get thrown into the giant Google people-masher that powers their data centers. So, that's pretty sad right? Furthermore, isn't 29,000 a pretty paltry number?

 

 

Concrete Speakers Sound Solid

Concrete isn't usually associated with elegance and beauty but Israeli designer Shmuel Linski wants to change that. His "Exposed" concrete speakers are the latest in a series of high-end concrete product concepts.

It is worth pointing out that concrete is an awful medium for making traditional speakers. Its stiffness distorts any sound it comes in contact with. That's why most speakers tend to be made of wood or plastic which can vibrate with the sound waves.

 Linski embraced this "problem" by selecting special Horn drivers which work with the material rather than against it. The sound is channeled from the Horns through the hollowed out body and out the bottom, resulting in what he refers to as "a sense of nirvana for concrete lovers and audiophiles."

Twitter and Flickr Light Up the Planet

People love visualizing internet usage, mostly because it's very pretty. But photographer and NYT tech editor Eric Fischer's outdone himself with perhaps the prettiest one of all, mesmerizingly mapping Flickr and Twitter use across the dark surface of the Earth.

The data from North America is pretty surprising! Twitter use is heaviest on in the Southeast and Eastern Seaboard, with much less action on the typically tech-heavy west coast. The central states are, unsurprisingly, something of a dead zone.

The rest of the world is mostly dark—according to this visualization, Twitter and Flickr are almost entirely an activity of the Western World. Oh, and New Zealand. Which loves Flickr.