The awful news is they come in two variants: 5 and 6 dpi. A creation by a Belarusian designer, the pixelated sunglasses look retro for their conspicuous lack of ergonomics. This means they probably won’t match most outfits today and wearing these compels you to dig up old clothes in your neighbor’s closet.
Our consumer society shares a special relationship with germs. The invisible microorganisms are the arch-villain for many a product, e it bathing soap to hand sanitizers. Somehow, germs are pure evil—and they are. But this is too much of a blanket statement. As a recent article here at Geeky Gadgets pointed out, bacteria actually help strengthen our immune systems over time. But is anyone listening?
Sure, the Japanese just love consumer items; the cuter the packaging the better. But this newfangled cooling gel borders on the utterly strange. Cooling gel seems to be a growing trend in Japan, especially for the male demographic. It’s geeky as hell for sure, ut does anyone wonder about the chemicals they’re exposing themselves to?
What’s that? Soviet space shuttles were supposed t deliver nuclear missiles? This from an ISS veteran and cosmonaut who shares the straight dope on the late USSR’s impressive shuttle effort, the Buran. Cursory research indicates that the Buran was tested once in 1988 and was far more advanced than some Western observers were willing to admit. For starters, it was completely unmanned and managed to orbit the Earth twice before a flawless landing. But that’s not all.
In case you missed the news, Tumblr is one the largest free blogging platforms a round. So huge, in fact, it produces enough content to rival more established platforms like WordPress. Small wonder then that corporations are hopping aboard to make their brand more visible. But amid all the hoopla, General Electric has produced a special log-type exhibit of all its hardware. Judging by the below, the pictures are impressive.
As if further proof of how viable bacteria are is necessary. Bacteria are the true masters of this world. If they weren’t, then how come so many varieties of consumer products claim they can exterminate them? Anyway, this particular story should be valuable to bacteria nerds in particular and U.S. Navy nuts in general. Apparently a recent experiment off the coast of Thailand sought to prove the usefulness of harnessing bacterial gas.
If you were a fan of Planetside the massively multiplayer first person shooter which was originally launched back in 2003 by Sony Online Entertainment. You might be pleased to know that Sony have been hard at work creating a sequel to the popular game and has today released a first glimpse trailer of their new Planetside 2 game, which was code named ‘Planetside Next’ whilst under development.
As you can see from the images below the graphics have had a big make over to bring them more up to date lets hope the gameplay is as good as the original.
The have seen a number of Android smartphones being overclocked over the last few months, the latest one is the new HTC EVO 3D, and it was overclocked by Michael Huang from the XDA Developers.
Have a look at the video of it in action below, Michael is also working to make the overclock work on the new HTC Sensation, and all he needs to do to get it running is a few minor tweaks.
A team at the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering have been developing a new type of technology which combines sensors and antennas that can be created on paper using inkjet technology to scavenge energy to power small electronic devices.
The paper based sensors and antennas are then combined to create an energy scavenging system which can take advantage of FM radio to radar, a range of 100 Mhz to 15 GHz or higher. Capturing the energy and converting it from AC to DC which it can then store in batteries.
The Canon DSLR Camera bank is a money box which is designed to look like a Canon DSLR, and there are a couple of different versions available with different sized lenses, which can store more of your hard earned cash with the larger lens versions.
If you have been a little disappointed that the super fast text input application Swype has only been available on Android phones you might be please to hear that a beta version of the application has now been ported on to a jailbroken iPhone.
However the port on to the jailbroken iPhone has left behind a few cool features, including the absence of the blue tracer line which appears as you drag your finger from letter to letter. Watch a video of the Swype application running on iOS after the jump.
Panasonic has shown off an Android based eBook tablet at the e-Book expo in Tokyo, and it features a 7 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1,024 pixels by 600 pixels.
The Panasonic eBook comes with a dual core processor, plus a built in camera, and a microSD card slot, although these are not the final specifications, which will be revealed closer to its actual release.
When shuttle Atlantis launches from the Kennedy Space Center later today it will mark the last Space Shuttle flight and no longer with the flight deck be graced with astronauts. If you are interested in seeing just how many switches, dials and screens are packed into the flight deck of a shuttle Vr360 has put together an image that you can explore in detail, by zooming in and out and panning around in glorious full 360 degree’s.
The last thing we heard about the new Asus Eee Pad Slider was that it would go on sale in August, and now it looks like it has been delayed until later in the year and will go on sale in the UK this Autumn.
Asus just announced this on their Facebook page, and they have said that they will announce the exact launch date and pricing of the EeePad Slider later this month.
We know that Google will be releasing a new version of Android for tablets shortly, Android 3.2 Honeycomb, which is supposed to bring Honeycomb to 7 inch tablets as well as other sized tablets.
It looks like the Motorola Xoom may be getting the Android 3.2 Honeycomb update shortly, and the update may be released as an OTA update over the next few days according to the guys over at Android Central.
Bioware and EA have today announced that a new DLC for their Dragon Age 2: Legacy game will be arriving on July 26th. The download will be the first new content for the sequel to Dragon Age and lets hope that this new DLC doesn’t repeat the map layouts and wall skins like the game did on launch.
The new DLC content will take you out of Kirkwall and on to adventures within the Vimmark Mountains, and will include a new class-specific weapon, more achievements and the opportunity to encounter an ancient horror, according to Bioware.
We have featured a number of fantastic Space Invader gadgets and devices here on Geeky Gadgets such as the Space Invader watch. But a tiny version of the Space Invader game complete with mini gaming cabinet has been built, which measures just 7″ x 3.5″ x 4.5″ in size.
The tiny Space Invaders cabinet is fitted with a fully working tiny joystick and buttons and has been created from the internal workings of a Game Boy Advanced SP. Which allows it to also play other games using the relavent GBA SP cartridge. Watch the video after the launch to see this amazing little cabinet in action.
Google are always experimenting with new innovations within their products and this week they have rolled out a new YouTube experiment called the Cosmic Panada. The new update named Cosmic Panada has been created to help make your YouTube experience a little slicker allowing you to control the layout and style of your viewing experience within YouTube.
YouTube’s Cosmic Panda interface loses the white background and replaces it with a much darker grey background to reduce the contrast with the videos and enables a much more intuitive way to search arrange and watch your channels. Videos are now available in three sizes rather than two, together with a full screen option.
We are still waiting to find out when Apple will release Mac OS X Lion, we had heard it would be this week, but now it looks like it may launch next week, possibly the 14th of July and we may also see the new 2011 MacBook Air’s next week.
According to the guys over at 9 to 5 Mac, Apple has some ‘overnights’ for its stores planned for the 13th of July, they usually refresh store display to get ready for a new product launch the following day during these ‘overnights’ so they could be getting ready to release OS X Lion on the 14th of July.
We have featured quite a few steampunk inspired USB drives here at Geeky Gadgets, the latest one is the creation of Tarator from Russia, and it is probably one of the coolest USB drives we have seen.
As you can see from the photos below, this awesome steampunk USB drive features a 5 wheel combination lock, it was designed using AutoCAD software and then all the parts were individually machined and assembled.
Kyle McDonald a Brooklyn based artist had an idea for a new project, his idea was that he would install software on the computers in various Apple stores, and then capture pictures of how people actually look at the computers when they are using them.
Kyle’s project is called People Staring At Computers, and he spent 3 days in June capturing people’s expressions using the computers in Apple stores and then published the photos on the Internet and created video which you can see below.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has been available in Europe for a while now, and Sony Ericsson has just released it in the US, it is available SIM free for $599.99 and it comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
The Xperia Arc features a 4.2 inch LED backlit display with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels, and processing is provided by a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, there is also 512MB of RAM.
We have been hearing rumors that Apple will launch an iPad 3 later on in the year, there is just one problem with this, they only just recently launched the iPad 2, so the iPad 3 would need to be different in terms of both its name and who it has been designed for, so that Apple can sell it alongside the existing iPad 2.
I mentioned back in June that if Apple did launch the iPad 3, they would probably call it the iPad HD and that it would feature a higher resolution display than the existing iPad 2, and now there is a report from This Is My Next, that Apple will be launching the iPad HD this fall.
BlueAnt makes some really cool Bluetooth gear that needs no wires for making calls and for listening to music. I always think of wireless Bluetooth gear when I hear the company name. BlueAnt makes some wired headphones too and it has added a new set to its line called the Embrace.
Apple Loses 'App Store' Legal Action Against Amazon Apple has lost a legal bid to stop Amazon using the phrase 'App Store' to describe an online download store offering software for devices running Google Android...
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Where to Watch the Last Space Shuttle Launch Online You don't have time to get to the Kennedy Space Center, but you can still view the launch. Here's the scoop on streaming video, NASA TV, smartphone apps and more regarding this historic event.
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Anonymous Eyes Political Role, but Won't Go Legit Hacker group Anonymous plans to promote an affiliated political party to attract people who share its civil liberties goals, but do not agree with its methods.
Activism and Lulz Motivate Latest Rash of Hacks Experts used to think that most modern hacking would be driven by efforts to make money. But 2011 has seen a resurgence of attacks motivated by ideology or thrill-seeking.
A Google+ Love Fest Displayed in Fan Memes Google's new social network, Google+, is drumming up a lot of Internet enthusiasm--and disdain for the reigning monarch of the genre: Facebook. Take a look at how the memes are multiplying.
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Users Weigh in on Google+ Some with early access seem truly excited, but quite a few are either skeptical or dismissive of its impact in social networking.
ISPs Fight Piracy: Meet the Six Strikes New policy gives the entertainment industry a hotline to ISPs and a checklist for cracking down on alleged copyright infringement.
And the Killer Smartphone App Is...Games! If workers at your company insist they need you to buy them the latest smartphone, think twice about what they'll use it for.
Apple Loses 'App Store' Legal Action Against Amazon Apple has lost a legal bid to stop Amazon using the phrase 'App Store' to describe an online download store offering software for devices running Google Android...
Everything You Need to Know About 3TB Hard Drives The latest 3TB hard drives pack in the storage, but they're only partially plug and play. Here's what you can expect if you plan on upgrading your system.
PCWorld Reviewers' Favorite Files: June 2011What's appealing in June? According to our reviewers, the same things that catch our attention year-round: system utilities, fun toys, and free stuff. From backup software to a music manager, a powerful PDF reader to a 3D sculpting tool, a CPU temperature monitor to a weather-displaying screensaver, many of June's favorites are freebies.
PDF ManagerManage your PDF files; compare PDF files and folders. Search PDF files on your local hard drive or your network. Index your PDF files and search. Convert your PDF files to plain text for use in other applications such as Notepad or Word. (Compatibility: Windows 95/98/ME,Windows NT/2000,Windows XP) Use discount code AKS-RFOE-UNI for 60% off!
PC BoosterAn advanced system optimization and performance-tuning software utility for boosting your computers speed and skyrocketing your systems performance! Special offer for PCWorld: Save 40% this week with discount code PCB40! Make your computer like new again. (Compatibility: Windows XP,Windows Vista,Windows 7)
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Popular European streaming music service Spotify could launch in the U.S. as soon as next week, AllThingsD's Peter Kafka speculates. Spotify announced earlier this week that it would be taking its tal...
One of the most important features Apple announced at WWDC 2011 was iMessage. It's not only a direct competitor to Research In Motion's extremely popular BlackBerry Messenger service, but could serv...
Apple has started to ask Apple Store employees to prepare for an "overnight" shift on July 13th — a sign that the company is prepping a new release of some sort on the next day, 9to5 Mac said. Appl...
According to a new report from DigiTimes, Amazon is expected to ship a "conservative" 1-1.2 million of its new tablets during the third quarter — a time frame that's in line with earlier reports tha...
On Thursday LG's Park Jong Seok, head of the mobile phone business, announced that his company is cutting its full-year smartphone sales forecast by 20% and now expects to sell 24 million smartphones ...
On Thursday, Rogers and Ericsson officially activated the first Canadian 4G LTE network in Ottawa. "This network will power the next generation of innovative products and services in ways we've never ...
A leak document picked up by SprintFeed suggests that Sprint will launch the Motorola Titanium, an Android smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, on July 24th for $149.99. The Titanium is no secret a...
Microsoft is prepping to release a Windows 8 preview build during its Worldwide Partner Conference on July 11th, according WinRumors. Reportedly, the Redmond-based firm will "detail Windows 8 substant...
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MeeGo, once a highly anticipated OS intended to go head to head with iOS and Android, now finds itself on just one phone, and although it hasn’t been said outright, it seems unlikely there will be many more — if any at all. Still, those of you rocking MeeGo's only host, the Nokia N9, are "not to worry." OS updates and hardware support are still on the table.
Klas Strom, Nokia's head of portfolio management in marketing, today tweeted, "We will support #NokiaN9 for years AND release several SW updates… #nottoworry :)."
Where have we seen this video before? It was released today, but is still… oddly familiar.
Oh, that's right, it was leaked about a month ago, and then abruptly pulled by Motorola. The star of the show, Motorola's Droid 3, made its way onto the market this morning, officially going live on Verizon's site for $199.99 on a two-year agreement. Motorola then graciously re-posted the tutorial video, along with a truck load of other helpful videos to help you get acquainted with Motorola's third-gen Droid.
We’ve pulled together a few of the videos we found most interesting (including one detailing the new media gallery with social media integration we mentioned earlier), but click through to the YouTube channel below to check out a treasure chest of Droid 3 footage. Topics include texting, using the media gallery, video recording, browsing the web, and more.
When it comes to Swype and their crazy drag-through-letters-to-type alternative keyboard of the same name, there’s only one problem: it’s really, really tough to give up once you’ve gotten used to it. Alas, I’ve gotta deal with the withdrawal symptoms each and every time I jump from an Android device back to my iPhone, due to restrictions inherent to iOS.
While Swype was purportedly working on something for iOS in June of last year (and, as the rumor mill had it, trying to convince Apple to make it official) all word of it went silent pretty quickly.
The mission has been revived, it seems, albeit with someone else behind the charge: Andrew Liu, developer of the “DreamBoard” theming hack for jailbroken devices, has begun to “port” Swype to iOS.
As you may have guessed from all this talk of Cydia (and the fact that it involves modifying the iPhone’s keyboard), your device will need to be jailbroken.
A number of behaviors that Android Swypers will have grown accustomed to (such as the blue line that is drawn from letter to letter as you trace) aren’t implemented yet. This is the first release, and is pretty barebones.
The hacked keyboard currently only functions in Apple’s pre-installed applications and a very small handful of third party apps. Liu says he’s working on a fix for this.
It’s a bit buggy, as is to be expected from a first release
We put “port” up above in quotes, by the way, as it’s not quite clear how much of this is actually Swype and how much is from-scratch code written to recreate Swype’s behaviors. While Andrew is calling the project Swype (which… probably isn’t the best idea, in the long run), it also seems like a lot of it is being built from the ground up rather than ported from one platform to the other.
The guys over at iPhone Download Blog threw together a quick video demonstrating the psuedo-Swype running on iOS. Check it out below:
Well, you can now that this crazy iPhone SLR Lens mounting kit exists.
Sure, the tiny sensor in your iPhone can’t really take advantage of all of the benefits of a high quality lens — and sure, the size difference between a kit with an iPhone and a kit with a proper body is relatively small once you’ve brought any decent-sized lens into the picture.. but hey, lets see your SLR upload your awesome Desert Safari pictures to Dropbox with nothing but an EDGE connection and a prayer.
The lens mount comes in two flavors: one for Canon EOS lenses, and one for Nikon tubes. Both can be found for the sticker-shock-tastic price of $190 $249 over at Photojojo.
If you’ve been just dying to blast out some tweets from the official BlackBerry Twitter client but were afraid that the Beta client might make your handset explode or something, two things: 1) You’re kind of a strange one, and 2) It’s go time!
This morning, Twitter for BlackBerry had its Beta tag peeled off, and it was bumped from the BlackBerry App World (BlAppWorld!) Beta Zone into the full-fledged store. This Beta-less build doesn’t bring a whole lot in terms of new stuff (the biggest features are things like color tweaks, a modification to how you access the Tweet Composition window, and local trends support in the Trending Topics screen), but hey — at least you absolutely know it won’t make your handset explode. Hopefully.
Judge Phyllis Hamilton, who is presiding over the Amazon-Apple "app store" war, certainly meant it when she said she would "probably" reject Apple's request for a preliminary injunction. And that's exactly what she did. Hamilton earlier referred to Apple's proof as a "stumbling block" in its case against Amazon, noting that there isn't much "evidence of confusion" between the two stores. In an 18-page order, Hamilton explains that Apple has not proven that its App Store is "prominent" and "renowned," which I guess it has to be in order achieve the status necessary for shutting down Amazon's Appstore for Android.
The judge also remarked that the term "app store" is used by other companies as a generic term for a place to buy software and apps – basically the equivalent of the term "grocery store" being used by Kroger's, Albertson's, Piggly Wiggly, etc.. That's a pretty big blow to Apple's argument, which hinged on the notion that companies such as Microsoft and Google had circumvented the term "app store," opting for more original names like Windows Marketplace and Android Market.
It's a bit sad since Apple did coin the term exclusively back when the store launched, just over three years ago. Since then, Hamilton explains, other companies have started to use the term more generically. The judge also noted that there's a lack of evidence to suggest that Amazon purposefully used "app store" to create an association between the two stores. She even went so far as to say that there is no evidence of an association at all, which is kind of mind-blowing, since the stores do share a name.
On the other hand, you'd have to be pretty new to the smartphone scene to try and download an Android app onto your iPhone. But there are people out there who will, surprisingly enough, and Apple knows this, which is why the tech giant tried to trademark the term back in 2008. Microsoft stepped in at that point and opposed the motion, a move that many people found curiously petty during the massive PC vs. Mac showdown.
Microsoft called the term generic then, and Amazon has done the same now quite successfully. Amazon claims that its use of the term "app store" is not as a trademark, but rather a way of informing customers that the site they're visiting is, in fact, a place to download apps. Since this motion was for a preliminary injunction, Apple will get another shot to make its case in a little over a year at a trial set for October 15, 2012.
Even though Verizon tried to pull a fast one on us by skipping pre-order altogether, we were still accurate when we originally pegged the Droid 3 arrival for today, July 7. That's right folks, the Motorola Droid 3 is available now from Verizon, and she's a beauty. Big red lists the phone for $459.99 off-contract, and $199.99 with a new or upgraded two-year contract.
We've finally gotten our hands on the official specs sheet, and just about everything we earlier reported is present and accounted for, and then some. That 4-inch qHD touchscreen boasts a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels, and the phone itself measures in at 2.5in x 4.9in x .5in and weighs just 5.9oz. The Droid 3 runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread on a dual-core 1GHz processor and comes loaded with the newest version of Motorola's Blur UI, along with 16GB of internal storage.
Interestingly enough, the 8-megapixel camera comes with an option to "select your masterpiece from multiple frames snapped within seconds." That sounds a lot like the myTouch 4G Slide's camera, which collects frames in a cache before the shutter button is ever pushed. That way, there is no lag between touching the button and snapping the shot. The Droid 3 camera may not have the same exact software or system in place, but that sentence leads me to believe that camera lag has at least been improved.
The camera's Connected Gallery also hooks in to your favorite social networks, including Facebook, Photobucket, Flickr, Picasa, and others, so you can check out comments and aggregate all your pictures into one "connected" gallery.
Super Talent introduces its new USB 3.0 Express RC8, a USB 3.0 flash drive equipped with SandForce’s SSD processor. The introduction of the SandForce processor into a USB 3.0 flash drive brings a host of advanced features traditionally only found in first tier SSD products. The RC8 features an 8-channel archittecture and virtual caching system to deliver high data transfer speeds of up to 270MB/s read and 220MB/s write.
With SandForce’s controller, you can also find DuraClass technology and DuraWrite technology on the USB 3.0 Express RC8, which together enhances both flash durability and data integrity. The USB 3.0 flash drive is available in 25GB, 50GB and 100GB capacities.
In addition to the DuraDrive AT3 SSDs for harsh environment, Super Talent also brings the new TeraDrive PT3 SATA 3.0 solid state drive. The new PT3 features SandForce 2200 SSD controller as well as Double Data Rate, ONFiTM flash to offer “a significant leap in performance over drives offered just a few months ago”.
The TeraDrive PT3 comes in 60GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB densities. It breaks the 500MB/s barrier in both Read and Write scores.
Super Talent launches the DuraDrive AT3 series solid state drives for demanding industrial environments. The new drives has been designed to withstand operating temperatures from — 40°C -> +85°C and can be used on in-vehicle infotainment systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and manufacturing environments.
The 2.5-inch DuraDrive AT3 is available in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. The MLC-based SSDs use SATA II interface and has 128MB cache memory. You can expect up to 250MB/s read and 170MB/s write speeds.
Soundfreaq launches the Sound Platform SFQ-01 Bluetooth wireless speaker with built-in docking station for iPhone/iPod. The speaker is equipped with two 2.75-inch Kevlar-reinforced balanced full range drivers and features dual chamber ports and UQ3 Spatial Sound Enhancement. The Sound Platform supports Bluetooth 2.0+EDR with A2DP profile for streaming music from Bluetooth-enabled devices, including iPhone and iPad, Android phone and Blackberry phones.
Like the company’s Sound Step, the Sound Platform offers four ways to enjoy music – Bluetooth streaming, iPod/iPhone dock, AUX input for connecting audio devices with standard headphone jack and FM radio. The Sound Platform works with the Soundfreaq Remote app, which turns iPhone, iPad and iPhone into a full remote control for the speaker.
Sharkoon launches a new mid-tower ATX PC chassis, the Vaya. The new case offers four 5.25-inch drive bays, four 3.5-inch internal drive bay, one 3.5-inch mounting bay and seven slots for add-on cards. The Vaya’s front panel has two USB 2.0 ports and audio jacks.
Sharkoon Vaya features mesh air inlet one front panel and black interior painting. It provides quick fasteners for optical drives and hard drives. The case comes pre-installed with one 120mm LED fan on the front and has two openings for water cooling.
Synology introduces its DiskStation DS2411+, a 12-bay NAS server with up to 36TB internal storage capacity designed for enterprise users. While the DS2411+ itself has 12 drive bays to offer up to 36TB capacity, it can be paired with Synology DX1211, expanding total storage capacity to 72TB. Data throughput can be ensured with an InfiniBand cable that carries 12Gb/sec SATA signal when bridging a connection.
The DiskStation DS2411+ is powered by a dual-core 1.8GHz processor with 1GB of DDR2 memory. It supports 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch SATA I/II hard drives. With comprehensive iSCSI support, the DS2411+ can be seamlessly integrated with major virtualization solutions, including VMware vSphere, Citrix XenServer and Microsoft Hyper-V. In addition, the DS2411+ fits in a business environment easily with Windows ADS and ACL support.
The DS2411+ is powered by DiskStation Manager 3.1 (DSM 3.1). It provides two Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. You can use the DS2411+ as a web server, FTP server, Surveillance Station, iTunes Music server, DLNA/UPnP media server as well as photo station, audio station and print server.
OS X Lion and (probably) updated Macbooks Air (Macbook Airs?) should arrive on July 14, according to 9to5′s spies. Apple is holding an “overnight” on July 13 where they will train employees on the new hardware and, as we all know, OS X Lion has hit gold master and should, as predicted, arrive on time.
After discontinuing the production of cassette Walkmans last year, Sony is now about to kill another one of their original inventions: the MiniDisc Walkman. And as Japanese business daily The Nikkei is reporting today, Sony plans to pull the plug on the production as early as this September – obviously because nobody is buying MiniDisc Walkmans anymore.
The first MiniDisc Walkman was introduced on the Japanese market in 1992 (13 years after the first cassette Walkman), but MiniDiscs never really gained a foothold outside Japan. The picture shows that first MiniDisc Walkman, the Sony MZ1.
Worldwide, Sony managed to sell 22 million MiniDiscs through March this year. Sony will continue producing the discs themselves after September and also plans to keep offering CD Walkmans.
Once again, an example of how Steampunk can actually be pulled off. This one-off flash drive was created by a Russian guy, who modeled it in 3D, had the components cast or printed, and then assembled it himself (you can see the whole project here). The wheels spin and lock or unlock the drive, which slides out a la one of the rugged drives I reviewed a while back.
Very cool. This man needs an Etsy store! Wait, is this thing old? Whatever.
If you haven’t ever played the game, I’d actually recommend playing it the way it’s meant to be played first (there are ports available and the game is free), but if you don’t mind the tablet controls, this should be a real treat. This is just Marathon 1 – I’d expect 2 and Infinity a little later.
Apple is always patenting things, and only a few ever are actually made, but here are a few interesting ones dug up by Apple Insider. They relate to putting information on a transparent display, more specifically a hybrid display that can overlay info on the transparent bit, but also has a layer that can be made opaque, on which to put normal text and images.
They envision a sort of sightseeing situation, where the device has GPS and wi-fi data informing it of its location and streaming data, while the camera and transparent screen work together to, say, label buildings or parts of a piece of art. It would also be possible to provide real-time updates and an AR overlay of the location of other people or waypoints. Handy.
As for the opaque/transparent thing, imagine an e-paper-like screen sandwiched in there that can be switched between clear and opaque. There are already OLED panels that do this – kind of.
Sounds solid to me. Now they just have to actually invent this make-believe stuff. Here’s the first patent (Synchronized, Interactive AR Displays for Multifunction Devices) and the second (Transparent Electronic Device).
This is just too cool. Project Mimicry is a game/project in which a real-life sandbox is monitored for depth information, and the resulting virtual landscape is able to be played on, raced in, and explored in a separate game environment.
Watch the video, it’s easier to see it that way. But this just looks like a ton of fun. You could put together sweet racing courses and jumps, make little towns and such — the only problem is that it seems to see from the top down, so you can’t make caves or overhangs. Still, totally awesome.
It’s “in development” right now according to Monobanda, but I’m not sure whether they’re actually planning on making a commercial release (which would be difficult) or just let it stand on its own as a sort of proof of concept art game. I’m happy either way.
I’m not one of these guys who creates functioning computers or scale models of the Vatican in Minecraft, but occasionally I’ll put together a sweet little tower and house that could just possibly be worth saving. Unfortunately, I can’t take these little structures into the real world! At least, I couldn’t before now.
Some students at MIT’s Media Lab have put together a tool called Minecraft.Print() that lets you directly output an area of your Minecraft world to a 3D printer. They tested it on (what else) the Companion Cube seen above, but you could just as easily print out your main base, landscape and all.
It’s really just a tool that makes the Minecraft 3D data into a standard printable format, but I like that it uses in-game tools (blocks) to mark off the territory to be printed, and hey, Minecraft + 3D printing = post.
And I thought this salt-grain-sized camera was small. Cornell researchers have created an even tinier imaging device that does away with the last holdout features of traditional digital cameras.
The Planar Fourier Capture Array (PFCA) doesn’t have photosensors, as we think of them. Instead, it’s just a single piece of silicon that’s sensitive to light, and by analyzing the Fourier transform of the incidence angle (I think), an image can actually be created, at the moment with a resolution of about 20×20 pixels. That’s not enough for, say, a tiny security camera, but the thing is so small that it could be used as an “eyespot” for a robot or device, for use in orienting itself or tracking various objects.
The camera, if you can call it that, is described in more detail in a paper published in the latest issue of Optics Letters. I know you already have a copy, so get reading!
Rob Hummel, a film industry vet speaking at this year’s Cine Gear Expo, reveals what seems to be a shocking fact about digital cameras: taking your camera on planes kills pixels! The rationale behind this is that the gamma radiation at altitude is much greater, and this causes a voltage change in sensors that can “fry out” pixels. Calamity! But wait, let’s just check some stuff here.
As forum posters and commenters around the net are pointing out, this whole thing simply doesn’t seem to be true. His anecdote of the Genesis cameras being flown out and having dead pixel rows is full of holes; after all, a million things could have caused a few dead pixels, not least of which a bumpy flight and improper packing. Cameras are flown all over the place every day, and you’d think at this point someone would have noticed all the dead pixels. Though the cameras in space people are mentioning are without a doubt radiation-hardened.
Hummel is probably speaking from a grain of truth: gamma rays probably do excite photo sensors, but the increase at cruising altitude isn’t really that much greater, and a commenter links to a paper showing that either way, it’s nowhere near the levels necessary to damage a sensor. It’s probable that some sensors are more likely to suffer from this problem than others — but any systematic problem would have been detected and corrected by now.
When it comes to Swype and their crazy drag-through-letters-to-type alternative keyboard of the same name, there’s only one problem: it’s really, really tough to give up once you’ve gotten used to it. Alas, I’ve gotta deal with the withdrawal symptoms each and every time I jump from an Android device back to my iPhone, due to restrictions inherent to iOS.
While Swype was purportedly working on something for iOS in June of last year (and, as the rumor mill had it, trying to convince Apple to make it official) all word of it went silent pretty quickly. The mission has been revived, it seems, albeit with someone else behind the charge: Andrew Liu, developer of the “DreamBoard” theming hack for jailbroken devices, has begun to “port” Swype to iOS.
We had mixed feelings when it came to Kobo's Touch Edition eReader. Specifically, we felt that the device was "not really a better reading experience than other devices (though not a worse)." However, that sentiment might change since the Kobo eReader Touch Edition is getting an update, which should bring with it some cool new customization features.
Basically the update will give users the ability to add their own fonts, and create new fonts on their laptop which can then be synced over to the Kobo eReader. The Kobo eReader Touch Edition is a pretty simplistic device, so chances are a lot of Kobo owners aren't necessarily what we'd call tech savvy. If you happen to be one of them and the idea of side-loading fonts seems scary, no worries. You'll still be able to customize your Kobo’s font by choosing from the five fonts that will be included in the update: Amasis, Delima, Felbridge, Gil Sans, and Rockwell. That brings Kobo's on-board font offerings to a total of seven fonts, across 25 different sizes.
The update will also bring line-spacing, margin, and justification control to the Kobo eReader Touch Edition, along with the ability to turn off Kobo styling altogether. It's worth noting that Kobo's greatest competitors, the Kindle and the Nook, don't offer the ability to add fonts. The whole point of an eReader is to find a convenient, space-saving way to enjoy books, and customizable fonts sounds like a great way to improve the experience. Maybe the Kobo could be a "better" reading experience after all.
Back in May, we reported that Sid Meier's Civilization game would be migrating over to Facebook under a new name, Civilization World. Today, the Facebook game went live in its beta version, and we're more than excited to get civilized.
While maintaining the same basic game structure, CivWorld will bring a social element into the game, giving users the option to join teams and rule the world as a group. And who doesn't love a good oligarchy? Plus, CivWorld is free on Facebook, as opposed to the $40-ish price tag slapped onto Civilization V. In my opinion, the most exciting thing about CivWorld is that we'll be able to dominate the world with real-life friends.
There's just one problem: the game won't load. As of now, the error reads: "There was no response from the Game Server. You may refresh your browser to try again." Hopefully, the folks over at 2K Games will get this situation squared away so we can check out the next in Sid Meier's genre-defining Civilization series.
Think Arizona’s dust storm was huge? Check out the Great White Spot on Saturn. What first started as a small but bright dot last December, has grown to a massive storm that is currently encompassing a vast part of the planet’s upper half. The Cassini spacecraft first picked it up on December 5, 2010 and then astronomers then noticed the bright dot. Cassini then observed lightning strikes 10,000 times stronger than what happens here on Earth. Saturn is known for its violent, long-lasting storms, but this is the first major event recorded in the planet’s northern hemisphere. [NASA]
Just FYI that the site is going through some weird problems that will probably be repaired sooner or later. If we crash, please feel free to visit other exciting sites like MySpace, Yahoo!, and Geocities.
The name of this watch doesn’t actually include its most thrilling feature. For 2011, this is the Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date watch. It is true that it has a flying tourbillon and a big date indicator but turn it over and you see the power reserve indicator on the rotor. Complications on rotors seem to be really “in” this year. In 2011 alone, on automatic rotors, we have seen seconds indicators (Cartier), tourbillons (Jacob & Co.), and now a power reserve indicator on this Blancpain. Coincidence? Probably not.
Acer’s honeycomb tab is now feeling the good graces of Android 3.1. The update is now rolling out to the Iconia Tab A500 just a month after it was officially released by Google. Of course updates like these take time and aren’t generally available for every device right away. But check anyway. Constantly. Eventually you’ll get the latest Android release that I found was more a bug squashing expedition than feature roll-out. Still, Android 3.1 > Android 3.0.
Western Digital, like most storage companies, has long had a line of products designed for the Mac crowd. The latest incarnation of the My Book Studio takes up a notch with a brushed aluminum enclouser and perforated top grill — you know, just like the Mac Pro. Also like the Mac Pro, this Apple-ified Firewire/USB 2.0 drive carries a premium with the 1TB, 2TB and 3TB drives costing $150, $200 and $250, respectively. Got to pay to play, I guess. [WD]
Once upon a time, buying a high-end audio or video device often meant sacrificing otherwise standard consumer features. Instead of a quality remote, you’d get fancy interior audio circuity. Instead of an on-screen GUI, the player would weigh 30 lbs. Such was the life of a fine media connoisseur. That trend is quickly fading, though.
Onkyo just announced its latest flagship Blu-ray player: the $599 BD-SP809. This bad boy comes complete with 3D capabilities and a fancy-pants THX Blu-ray certification. It packs a USB port for media playback and an Ethernet port for local DLNA 1.5 support and online streaming services such as Netflix, Blockbuster, Film Fresh, and VUDU. Got to love that.
Around back there are twin HDMI outputs for multiple display support, component output, TOSLINK & digital coax outputs, and, of course, an RS-232 port of home automation integration. Marvell’s Qdeo technology handles the 1080p upscaling, noise reducing and deinterlacing. Yeah, this boy is packed and stacked with the latest Onkyo tech.
The BD-SP809 should hit Onkyo retailers this coming August with an MSRP of $599, which is quite a good deal when compared to its nearly identical Integra cousin. The Onkyo features the same THX certification, but sports one more HDMI port and the online media streaming support. The Integra on the other hand has a more powerful power supply, analog 7.1 audio outputs, but also a $100 higher prices tag. I’d much rather drop that cash on some Blu-ray discs.
Even though Verizon tried to pull a fast one on us by skipping pre-order altogether, we were still accurate when we originally pegged the Droid 3 arrival for today, July 7. That's right folks, the Motorola Droid 3 is available now from Verizon, and she's a beauty. Big red lists the phone for $459.99 off-contract, and $199.99 with a new or upgraded two-year contract.
(Please turn your speakers on as the video will start automatically)
Regards, David Peters
P.S. There is a very special surprise for you waiting at the end of the video (Dan has kindly allowed me to pass this on to you), so please don't share this video with anyone else... thanks!
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OS X Lion and (probably) updated Macbooks Air (Macbook Airs?) should arrive on July 14, according to 
Just a quick heads-up: that 
Watch the video, it’s easier to see it that way. But this just looks like a ton of fun. You could put together sweet racing courses and jumps, make little towns and such — the only problem is that it seems to see from the top down, so you can’t make caves or overhangs. Still, totally awesome.
As forum posters and commenters around the net are 
Just FYI that the site is going through some weird problems that will probably be repaired sooner or later. If we crash, please feel free to visit other exciting sites like MySpace, Yahoo!, and Geocities.
The name of this watch doesn’t actually include its most thrilling feature. For 2011, this is the Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date watch. It is true that it has a flying tourbillon and a big date indicator but turn it over and you see the power reserve indicator on the rotor. Complications on rotors seem to be really “in” this year. In 2011 alone, on automatic rotors, we have seen seconds indicators (Cartier), tourbillons (Jacob & Co.), and now a power reserve indicator on this Blancpain. Coincidence? Probably not.
