Technomaly

Should iPhone 4 be Bought?

sarin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:38:13 +0000

The grandeur launch of iPhone 4 has already sent impactful waves across all corners of the globe. The communication masterpiece, iPhone 4 is smartly engineered in sleeker design, loaded with better features and is enabled on new iOS4. Some of the much sought out for features of iPhone 4 include video calling, better mailbox management, dual integrated camera, voice suppressant mic and the ability to make instant HD movies through its custom, iMovie app (iMovie app can be downloaded from the Apple’s app store for $4.99) and more best in class features. One of the smartest features that Apple has introduced in iPhone 4 is its Multitasking capacity.

End users can easily get to toggle between applications, functionalities and interfaces in an endless manner in no time at all. For instance, one can view online videos, browse internet, play music, receive video calls and even get alerts on traffic at the same time without any interruption. This is largely because of the Multitasking features of iOS4. It supports various Multitasking capacities on the go in a seamless manner. One can get higher user experience and enhances feel of the features in a streamlined manner. Apple has researched well on these smarter features and has implemented these in iPhone 4 on the go. One can get to benefit from the robust support from the in-built and proprietary A4 processor. The overall usage levels from toggling between the apps and exploring features does not come down with the smart interface.

While browsing through the rich Multitasking features one can easily find their way out by pressing the Home button on the go. Users can again move to the apps and smarter interfaces from where they left in a seamless manner. As a result, performance is never decreased and the overall time to access or re-access the running apps or features comes down drastically in a smarter manner. iPhone 4 is one of the best in class multitasking smart phone which can provide high class user experience to one and all in just about no time. The Multitasking master piece is an ideal device for those who are hard pressed against the timelines and wish to gain more at the same time. The redefined iPhone 4 will not them down as it can support several Multitasking features at one go. It can process logins while listening to music; search for the locations or direction on GPS and at the same time receive video calls if someone tries to reach them.

In order to benefit from the best in class Multitasking features of iPhone 4 one must realize their sets of apps and features that they use more often. These can be added to favorites for even better usability experience on the go in a seamless manner all the time. iPhone 4 can provide Multitasking magnificence to business professionals, homemakers, chefs, airline staffers and to other individuals who love sporting a complete smart phone. Get going and benefit from the smarter multitasking features of iPhone 4.

Top Features of iPhone 4

sarin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:37:19 +0000

iPhone 4 is all set to change the rules of the game in the telecom market space. The communication masterpiece has been packed with world’s best in class technology and high class redefining resolutions. Apart from some of the most sought for features such as real time video calling and sleeker design, iPhone has the feature to record and edit HD mode videos. This can translate into recording and saving high class true picture videos on one’s iPhone 4 in just about no time at all. A simple tap button can be used to record the HD videos on iPhone 4. And that’s not all! Videos can be edited then and there in no time. In order to finish the videos into a movie, custom music can be dragged and dropped in the video or themes could be added and the movie can be made. To benefit from this smarter feature users are required to download the iMovie app from Apple’s store. Music and themes can also be downloaded from iTunes store or users can simply sync their MAC or transfer it from the Internet. Making a HD movie with iPhone 4 can be a lot fun and ease at the same time. The HD feature is enhanced to manifolds as the integrated camera in iPhone 4 is 5MP and it can reproduce most vivid pictures and capture the minutest of the details in no time at all. The simple tap features can be used to focus on foreground or background on the go.

HD video recording and editing is one the unique highlights of iPhone 4 release. It can redefine the way users have communicated and shared information with each other. Apart from recording, editing and creating HD movies one should realize that Apple has been able to reciprocate high class on-screen resolution. The robust iPhone 4 is powered on iOS4 and the screen is so vivid as it used the LCD’s technology. The real time recording and viewing of HD pictures can bring ultimate joy to one and all. The most thumping natural and adventure videos can now be easily recorded in iPhone 4 in just about no time at all.

The much appreciated aspects about iPhone 4 has been its competitive pricing. The 16GB model would be available in $199 while the 32GB variant can be bought from the Apple store in $299. The longer battery life of iPhone 4 can enable more HD versions to be recorded in a seamless manner. iPhone 4 has the richness of supporting various connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WLAN etc. The HD recorded videos can be instantly shared over YouTube or other popular video networks. One can socialize and gain compliments endlessly with the help of iPhone 4. The fully integrated interface and smarter features have ensured in better usability and features on the go. iPhone 4 is expected to give tough time to the HD cam coder manufacturers apart from the related competitor in phone market space in 2010.

New Aspects in Apple iPhone 4

sarin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:35:08 +0000

The newly launched iPhone 4 is one of the most sought for communication devices. It has been jam packed with rich features and functionalities which could easily be benefitted by one and all in just about no time. The smarter features in iPhone have ensured that best in class digital convergence is achieved in no time. Apart from the overall great features, the communication masterpiece is available in $199 for 16GB variant and in $299 for 32GB variant. In order to understand different aspects which are unique only to iPhone 4 some of the important pointers are as follows:

HD movies can be recorded and edited in no time at all. One can even get to share the HD movies on social networks in a seamless manner. Users can make videos and finish these in a movie through iMovie app on the go in no time. One can add music, themes, songs and other graphics to make it look more presentable.
iPhone 4 has dual integrated cam. The frontal camera can support VGA resolutions while the back cam has rich 5 MP resolutions. It can be used to take videos or pictures of thumping moments.
Apple has introduced Face Time technology in iPhone 4. Through the smarter technology interface one can get to benefit from video calling facility in an endless manner on the go in just about no time. Simple taps can be used to connect to people if they accept the incoming video conferencing invitation. There is no need to install any third party software. The front camera will be used to enable Face Time technology.
iPhone 4 can offer better gaming solutions to the owners in a streamlined manner. 6-axis gyro has been implemented in iPhone 4.
On the price front, iPhone 4 looks pretty attractive too. It is available in 2 variants – the 16GB variant is available in $199 while the 32 GB variant can be bought in $299.
iPhone 4 has Retina Display technology. The screen is made from the LCD technology. The overall resolution base is pretty high too, 960X640.
It is one of the sleekest and lightest smart phone available. It is about 9.7 inch in thickness viz. roughly about 25% thinner than iPhone 3GS.
iPhone 4 has been powered from iOS4 which can offer better Multitasking solutions to one and all in just about no time at all. For instance, one can brose websites listen to music, access maps and get weather updates and more at the same time in an unparalleled manner. This has added newer dimensions to the way people share or communicate and gain from a communication device.

iPhone 4 is another breakthrough communication device which can provide high class solutions to one and all in just about no time at all. The smarter featured embedded in iPhone 4 are most sought out for. It can be availed in competitive price too. Apple iPhone 4 is here to make it big in no time.

Apple iPhone 4 Should Be Your First Choice

sarin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:32:19 +0000

The communication masterpiece, iPhone 4 has been release by Apple on June 7, 2010. It promises to be one of the best and robust iPhone so far. It is 9.7 inch in thickness, making it at least 25% thinner than the previous iPhone 3GS and one of the sleekest smart phone models available. IT is jam packed with best in class resolution, on-screen and high definition dual camera system. With iPhone 4 one can do more in less time and in an effective manner on the go in a seamless manner all the time. The frontal camera is VGA based while the backlit LED display cam is 5MP. Once can get to record and edit HD videos on the best in class communication master piece, iPhone 4. On the price front too, iPhone 4 seems to have made it look decent. It is available in two models – 16GB and 32 GB. The 16 GB model is available for $199 while the 32GB model can be grabbed for in $299. Over all iPhone 4 promises to be one of the best smart phones that people have waited for so long,

The video conferencing and calling facility is perhaps the biggest USP of iPhone 4. With a single tap of a button, users can place call amongst each other. The frontal camera comes to use while the video calls are under way. This can provide best in class opportunity for one and all to communicate with their teams remotely and at the same time share the content in the real time. Apple has referred this feature as Face Time. One can benefit from video calling facility without any download of third party software. It has been anticipated that service providers such as Skype would take a hit from this competitive landscape offered by Apple to its users. It can help connecting the world in a better manner. For instance, a parent who is travelling abroad can get to view the party that is being held in their home for their child’s birthday. Vivid pictures and high quality of video can be shared and viewed by one and all over their best in class iPhone 4 in just about no time. The on screen resolution is 960X640 which is double than that of iPhone 3GS which was at 490X320. iPhone 4 has been packaged with better and longer battery life. As a result video calling and conferencing features can be exploited in a far better manner and for longer durations on the go.

From a customers, point of view they could actually end up saving substantially through video calling, Face Time feature of iPhone 4. The world would converge for those who have the power of iPhone 4 on the go. There are endless exploration possibilities through iPhone 4. One can easily benefit from video calling facility of iPhone 4 in a competitive and yet effective manner. iPhone 4’s video calling facility would be brisk and fast on 3G or 2G network on the go.

iPhone 4’s Antenna Problems Fixed

sarin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:36:40 +0000

The early users of communication extravaganza, iPhone 4 faced concerns regarding the antenna reception and some even had a torrid time getting the apt network for their Wi-Fi operations. Apple Corp. has been proactive by fixing the concerns amongst the early users for the poor antenna reception. The company is all set to roll out devices with better antenna reception and higher power. As a result, the signal quality will boost by 20%-30% on the go when compared to the existing iPhone 4 models in a seamless manner. This can provide best in class phone accessibility features to one and all. The poor Antenna reception has made the life of some early users difficult as for them getting a reliable network in the basement or in low lying areas is becoming a big hassle. It was difficult for the consumers to learn that a phone manufacturer of such repute can do blunders with the major networking functionalities on the go.

Apple has been rolling out newer products and offers since the launch of iPad early this year. Apple is offering free protective cases to the iPhone 4 users too in order to stay upbeat with the competitive environment all around. It might be interesting to see if Apple can recall the iPhone 4 amongst the early users. However, the chances of that happening look pretty dim and minimal too. There could be more freebies and offers that could be made by the company to the esteemed users of the product to compensate for the few technical glitches. Apple’s iPhone 4 is one of the smartest communication devices that have hit the global markets in 2010. Apple would be keen to make a long lasting impact in its relatively newer Asian, Gulf and African market with its flagship phone. The technical glitches are expected to be fixed and a new version of the phone is expected to be delivered to the global audience base as Apple introduces iPhone 4 to international markets on the go in a seamless manner. It is anticipated that Apple’s engineers are working day in and night out to provide a best in class antenna when the phone is launched on an international arena. The last phases of testing and operability are under way at Apple’s head office. The industry analysts feel that there could be an announcement in near future about the newer version of iPhone 4 similar to what Apple did with iPhone 3 by making iPhone 3GS version.

The ones who are yet to get their hands-on iPhone 4 should aim at ensuring the features and rich functionalities of the device. It is highly recommended to adopt wait and watch strategy with Apple’s iPhone 4 while it is still relatively new in the market. Apart from antenna and few technical glitches, iPhone 4 seems to be the order of the day. With the next version release one can get to expect robust feature enablement in the device to provide endless benefits to the customers.

Top Reasons For Buying iPhone 4

sarin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:50:34 +0000

The best in class communication device iPhone 4 has already sent strong signals across the globe. The buoyant and robust features along with strong brand backing iPhone 4 becomes a must buy product for one and all. The top reasons for buying an iPhone 4 are as below:

Its ability to make HD movies and share it with friends and family makes it a unique phone till date. One can get to capture finer details in foreground and background with the help of in-built functionalities.
The resolution base of iPhone 4 is double that of iPhone 3GS and it helps in detailing out each pixel in its entirety. As a result the final photos that are clicked with iPhone 4 emerge out to be fantastic.
The video conferencing feature, Face Time truly segregates iPhone 4 with the rest. One can easily place video conference calls without any requirement of specialized softwares. It is all built-inside iPhone 4. The users can simply tap the feature to work and the frontal VGA camera will automatically be switched on.
The dual camera in iPhone 4makes it an ideal device for business professionals and individuals. The rear camera is 5MP while the frontal one is VGA enabled and is primarily meant for video conferencing feature. The smarter features of iPhone 4 can be easily leveraged by one and all as per their needs.
In terms of price affordability, iPhone 4 seems to be attractive too. Apple has rolled it out in two variants – 16GB and 32GB. The 16 GB variant is up and available for $199 while the other one can be grabbed for $299 with 2-year contract. The no-commitment price for the iPhone 4 is $599. Therefore, one can get to exercise endless flexibility with their iPhone 4 in no time at all.
iPhone 4 is comparably lighter than iPhone 3GS and is highly portable when compared to other smart phones. This makes iPhone 4 all the more lucrative and must to buy product amidst similar smart phone options on the go in a streamlined manner.
The communication device can be used for video conferencing, placing calls, accessing smarter apps and more at the same time. The multi-tasking enabled iOS4 ensures to deliver maximum throughput without any lapse of time on the go in a seamless manner at all the times.

iPhone 4 can be easily used to meet the communication needs of one and all. So what are you waiting for? Get going and enjoy endless communication benefits by opting to choose from the stunning iPhone 4 today in a seamless manner. Millions of gadget lovers across the globe have already plugged –n to iPhone 4 for their communication needs. It can truly change the way people have communicated with each other in the past. The revolutionary device can be pepped up with smarter apps in just about no time at all in a seamless manner on the go. Get going and ensure to gain all the time.

Access More On iPhone 4

sarin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:51:44 +0000

iPhone 4 is powered with best in class features and functionalities. One can get to use iPhone 4 up to 14 hours with unparalleled 14 hours support on the go. The better OS support enables the users to access more on their iPhone 4 with less overheads on the go in just about no time at all. One can get to enjoy endless multi tasking options on their iPhone 4 such as GPS, Video Chat and voice operations at the same time. The light weight design and easy to use features makes iPhone 4 a best in class communication device amongst one and all. Business professionals and individuals can get to benefit endlessly from iPhone 4 on the go. They need not bother charging their phone at frequent intervals and get going with the optimum charge on the go. It can be easily plugged-in and charged with AC adapter, PC or MAC on the go in a seamless manner. These solutions can easily provide best in class solutions to one and all in just about no time at all. One should utilize these solutions to the maximum extent possible and ensure to utilize iPhone 4 to their maximum extent as possible.

In order to gain more from iPhone 4 one should ensure to capitalize on the intrinsic benefits of the device. Smarter business apps can be easily downloaded from the Apple’s app store on the go. One can get to improvise on the seamless features of Apple’s iPhone 4 in just about no time at all. The search engines are already flooded with iPhone 4 Jail Break apps and solutions on the go. Business service providers and SME’s can in fact get to benefit in a smarter manner from the solutions provided by iPhone 4 on the go in a streamlined manner. One can get to utilize the multi tasking features to the fullest extent possible. Making calls, listening to custom music and accessing the business apps can provide streamlined solutions to one and all on the go. On the price front iPhone 4 seems to fair well too. In order to make an everlasting impression on the business needs one should utilize iPhone 4 intelligently. The 32 GB version can be ideal for SME’s and larger organizations. They can easily power their executives with the higher end models on the go. Packed with more disk space the executives can take smarter business decisions swiftly without wasting much time on the go.

With the power of iPhone 4, business managers can take smarter business decisions in least possible span of time. The deal closure and maintenance can be much faster with iPhone 4 enabled business decisions. These are in fact smarter base of solutions which can provide instant benefits to one and all in just about no time at all. So what are you waiting for? Get going and ensure to benefit from an iPhone 4 in an endless manner on the go. It can redefine the way the business has been conducted across the globe.

Now Video Conference and Share HD Movies with iPhone 4

sarin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:55:49 +0000

Communicating with each other in real time can be an experience of its own kind with iPhone 4. The highly robust and feature loaded device can be easily used by one and all as per their requirements. Video conferencing is perhaps one of the best selling propositions of iPhone 4. One can get to place video conferencing calls with the help of Face Time feature on the go. Simple taps can enable the owner to place calls and start interacting in the video mode. The frontal VGA camera will auto start as soon as the video conference kicks off on the go. Business professionals and individuals can get to connect with each other in a lot better manner through Face Time feature in a seamless manner. Sharing of information and keeping up pace with the work can be a lot easier with Face Time feature in iPhone 4 in a streamlined manner. Millions of smarter gadget owners have already realized the intrinsic benefits of using iPhone 4 for their business operations. The video conferencing mode has also eliminated the need of using any third party softwares such as Skype. Going forward it will be tough for other competitors to sell their video conferencing services on the go.

Recording HD movie on a phone could have looked liked a distant dream but iPhone 4 ha made it all possible. Users can record HD movies and share it in real time on their iPhone 4. In order to finish the recorded HD clips to movies, the users would be required to download iMovie app from Apple’s app store in $4.99. One of the coolest features of iPhone 4 is its 5 MP camera which can focus on foreground and background equally well. The cutting edge features of iPhone 4 make it a viable product which should be benefitted from in an endless manner.

The lush iPhone 4 is easy to handle and highly portable. The smarter Internet accessibility features such as Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity makes it a complete phone with best in breed internetworking features on the go. Typical iPhone 4 apps are designed around keeping the customers at the epicenter. They can easily maneuver around the possibilities and make the best out of it in just about no time at all in an endless manner on the go. Apple’s team has ensured that the communication masterpiece provides better battery life when used in audio or graphics mode in a seamless manner. Compared to its predecessors it provides 20% more battery power and is 5grams lighter than the iPhone 3GS. One can get to benefit in an endless manner with their iPhone 4 at all times. Business professionals, individuals and housewives can explore the best in breed features of iPhone 4 in just about no time at all. Get going and ensure to make it big with iPhone 4 in just about no time at all and in and endless manner. It is a must but device of the year 2010.

Drive Sales Growth Through iPhone 4

sarin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:43:52 +0000

The communication masterpiece from Apple, iPhone 4 is all set to take the competition by surprise. Its smarter integration with various platforms, best in class features and high class resolution makes it an ideal gadget of the year 2010. More than anyone else, sales managers can drive the sales in their territories with iPhone 4 in an endless manner. Through shorter and crisp mail messages the business sales managers can stay in touch with their executives who are on the verge of cracking a handsome deal for their company. The Face Time feature can let one and all be on the same page through video conferencing on the go in a seamless manner. Sales reviews and reporting can also be attained in a streamlined fashion as the apps to power through these are readily available. One can easily take commanding sales decisions on the growth of sales in a territory or in a specified product. This can enable one and all to stay focused on their pipeline management and track at all times. iPhone 4 is one such gadget which can change the fortunes of an SME if the business parameters are properly understood and followed by the professionals in a seamless manner. Currently iPhone 4 is available in 16GB and 32 GB versions and considering the high profile communication requirements, business managers should avail 32 GB model in order to do more without parking the archived data somewhere else on external hard disks. The conferencing and data management needs of the professionals can be easily managed through iPhone 4 in a seamless manner at all times on the go.

There is no monotonous moment while one has iPhone 4 in their hands. One can get to enjoy thumping music and entertain them while travelling within a territory or internationally. World is a playground with countless opportunities for those who have the power to change the ecosystem principles with an iPhone 4. Sales managers and their teams can easily capture hot leads and devise plans to convert these to opportunities through the sales process in a streamlined manner on the go. There is plethora of apps that an SME can target or have this custom written by the professional iPhone development agencies on the go at all times. Based on their requirements and KPI’s the custom sales monitoring and tracking applications can be set up in just about no time at all. These smarter applications can change the way the business has been done. With technological convergence in almost all spheres of the work environment and industries the core function such as sales cannot be left behind. It is high time for the business promoters and sales mangers to realize the importance of gadget enabled interfaces. Larger organizations and SME’s must initiate smarter change management initiatives in their organisation to bring about the healthy change they have been looking out for to take the competition by utter surprise on the go. Get going and ensure to hit the right sales pitch with iPhone 4.

iPhone 4 – To Revolutionize the Way People Communicate

sarin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:04:08 +0000

The global communication service providers and gadget lovers are glued to the iPhone 4 revolution. The smarter feature such as Face Time which allows users to communicate in video mode without any third party softwares is an instant hit. The VoIP service providers such as Skype are slates to face tough competition from such an enablement. In many ways, iPhone 4 is a complete powerhouse gadget for business professionals who have always wanted to stay connected with work and personal tasks at the same time. It has been turned into a reality by the lush and robust iPhone 4.

The inbuilt functionality enables the users to create HD movies and share it with their friends and colleagues in just about no time at all. The real time integration with web 2.0 makes iPhone 4 the most sought out for smart phone in the global market. On the price front, the piece looks attractive too. One can get to avail iPhone 4 in $199 for 16 GB version and $299 for 32 GB version with 2-yr contract. The no-commitment phone can be availed in $600 from AT&T. Get going and power through your communication needs with iPhone 4.

Should Gadget Lovers Buy iPhone 4?

sarin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:51:42 +0000

The lush and feature rich iPhone 4 has hit the US and Canadian markets with high sales numbers for Apple Corp. However, as a prospective buyer one should also confront the odds or cons of buying an iPhone 4. Already the initial users of the device have been facing reception concerns in their iPhone 4. The Wi-Fi connection on iPhone 4 looks to be weaker too and recently Apple Corp has announced a free protective case for iPhone 4 users because of death grip. iPhone 4 is studded with robust features such as Face Time, 5 MP camera, better battery life and better iOS4 but are these features practical?

International markets such as Asian markets are still to leverage from 2G or 3G networking, leave apart the 4G platform. HD interface is still growing in International markets and people are not keen or either the internetworking infrastructure is not proper to support such high end operations. Therefore, a buyer should ensure that they would be able to leverage most of the features of studded iPhone 4 and then decide to purchase the best in class communication device on the go.

Introducing: The Invisible Mouse

markracz — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:54:13 +0000

A group of researchers from MIT developed a sensor and laser based system that can replace a normal mouse. All you have to do is pretend you have a mouse (move your palm, click) and an infrared laser beam and a video camera (both embedded in your computer) will detect your movements and transform them into mouse specific commands. The project is named “Mouseless” and the prototype costs 20 dollar to build. This invention is a new installment in a series of breakthroughs aimed at developing new technology able to master old technology, as David Wingdor, user experience architect at Microsoft, says.

Considering that mouse technology is widely available and very cheap, the chance of the Mouseless project for worldwide acclaim could be, plainly, the awesomeness of the concept. It won’t be long until we would have packed coffee shops with dozens of people pounding the table like in an intensive Morse code course. Gadgeteers will probably love the idea, as themselves are part of the gadget and technology is so “organic”. Also, it’s a way to save some space (although you can find tiny mouses shaped like some endangered species). On the downside I would say that there’s a chance for some injuries from repeatedly bashing fingers on a table , especially for those caught up in frantic gaming (Star Craft 2 here we come).

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/07/computer-mouse-invisible/

Youtube Huge Resolution Update

markracz — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:03:45 +0000

The people over at Youtube announced this weekend during the VidCon that their players will support the 4k resolution videos, which is (yes) four times larger than 1080p (and twice as much as IMAX). The ideal screen to watch a 4k video must have 25 feet (that’s alright, I’ll just turn my bedroom wall into an LCD). As most of us aren’t yet fully accustomed with normal HD so to say when streaming, this breakthrough sound really awesome, but at a second glance you realize that you need a way faster connection (“light speed” as Ramesh Sarukkai from Youtube says) than the one you probably have right now and a display to go with it(are there any displays available in regular stores able to handle this resolution?). You would probably end up investing more in streaming 4k video than in a state of the art console system (or a wedding or a car).

Youtube put together an initial playlist of five videos which can be seen in a 4k resolution and if your connection and gear can take it, go right ahead and let us now how it was. I guess that someone could open a 4k theme bar where people could watch youtube vids and have cocktails. I always wanted to watch CC Catch clips at the craziest resolution available.

Via: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20010174-248.html

Flying Cars Are Here!

markracz — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:46:27 +0000

It’s a big day today in the realm of awesomeness: the first flying car is going into production. And not one or two prototypes for a future Stephen Sommers flick, but an actual car that flies or a light plane you can use as a car (pick your favorite order). The car is called Terrafugia (meaning “escape from Earth”) Transition and is the result of years of work by a team of MIT graduates (which are also very passionate pilots). They say that the Terrafugia Transition is a revolutionary solution regarding personal flying (this includes “cost, weather sensitivity, high overall door-to-door travel time and a lack of mobility at destination”) and we couldn’t agree more that flying should be on everybody’s mind at least once in a while.

The aircraft-vehicle received recently a go ahead from the Federal Aviation Administration, being classified as a light aircraft, even if the Terrafugia Transition is 120 pounds heavier than the limit. The FAA made an exception, considering that the extra weight comes from car related safety devices, like airbags and crumple zones. The “light aircraft” label is a money maker for the company, because a potential client needs only 20 hours of flying time to get the license to fly the Terrafugia Transition (can’t stop saying the cool name over and over again). Yeah, now I’ll have to spoil it to you and reveal the price tag: the retail cost of the car-plane is 194.000 dollars, but until now 70 people placed a deposit.

From http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93804?fp=1

and

http://www.terrafugia.com/about_us.html

Kindle Price Cut?

markracz — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:51:18 +0000

As most of you know by now (and some probably pushed the appropriate “buy” button), Amazon cut the price of the Kindle e-reader from 259 to 189 dollars last week. Some say it’s a response to the Barnes&Nobles move, which also dropped the price of the Nook e-reader, from 199 to 139 dollars. And, of course, it all comes down to Apple, as always; the new iPad has a built in e-reader and Apple could easily mesmerize the bulk of the e-reader market by offering this technology alongside all the features the iPad already packs.

So what, you might say, they’re still cashing in huge profits, as the manufacturing process of e-readers is cost effective (that means cheap). Not really. The people over at iSupply, a company that takes gadgets and breaks them into pieces (cool job) to know how much it costs to build them say that Amazon and Barnes&Noble are not making any money of their e-readers because their new trimmed down prices are equal to the production costs- corporations not making a profit, that’s weird. Well, it’s not, because the move aims to sell more e-books and the money supposedly lost by the price cut of the e-reader will be gained by a huge increase of book sales. It’s a move similar to a historical marketing stunt made by King Camp Gillette, who sold razors at a small price, but the razor blades were extremely expensive.

So don’t hope for a price cut also for the e-books. You’ll end up paying more for your e-reading experience overall, even if the actual device is apparently cheaper. And yes, it’s the same model like the one with the cheap console and increasingly expensive console content.

Via : http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/24/kindle-amazon-nook-technology-ereader.html?boxes=techchannellighttop
Also: Kindle @ Amazon.com

Robot Name:Muon. Function: Looking Great

markracz — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:55:02 +0000

Quick! What do you know about Germany? No, not that! And no, it’s not cool to talk about THAT short dude over and over again! Well, the thing you should know about Germany is that they are developing humanoid robots. Yes, humanoid robots, the awesome add on for our everyday lives ten or fifteen years from now.

At the Humboldt University in Berlin, an industrial design company named Frackenpohl Poulheim working for a lab named ALEAR Laboratory of Neuro Robotics develops MUON, a humanoid robot as tall as an 8 year old (but way cooler). It sure looks cool with that huge eye occupying the entire face (or is “face” an obsolete term?) and the slick, blue leds inside the robot’s knees and hands. There is no word about the actual benefits the robot would bring (beside being awesome), but we can anticipate that it could be used for therapy, commercials and Michael Bay pics (and, considering the hands, to be the coolest cup holder available).

Also, it’s not clear in which development stage the robot is (I wonder if there’s a search for beta testers). Don’t forget to check the german link bellow (hail to Google translate) and read all about the idea behind Muon and watch a cool making of video. I hate that there’s not a “preorder now” button anywhere on the site.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/19/muon-the-humanoid-robot-is-our-ideal-best-friend/

and http://www.frackenpohl-poulheim.de/projekte/myon-roboter/

Drive, Don’t Tweet!

markracz — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:29:35 +0000

According to a study made by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, adults are as prone to text while driving as teens are. The test was conducted in May and states that 27% of the adult respondents said that they text while they drive, while ONLY 26% of the teens driving a car (that’s a catastrophe in the first place) use to text behind the wheel. “Even those of us who make a conscious choice to put down our cellphones while driving may still be at risk when we are passengers simply sharing the road with other distracted drivers,” Pew Senior Research Specialist Mary Madden said.

We are so caught up in texting while driving that 16% of people (that’s one in six) actually hit something while driving ( a little bit of explanation about the “something” would have been nice though). The results of the Pew study are the opposite of another survey held in February by the Insurance Institutes of Highway Safety. They claim that the highest rate of texting while driving is found in the 18-33 age range and the incidences decline with age.

There are, of course, laws that ban the usage of cell phones while driving, but they have no effect on textaholic drivers, thinks Russ Rader, a spokesperson for the Insurance Institutes of Highway Safety. In the end, it seems that technology will solve this problem too (considering that it caused it in the first place) because it is possible to block the cell phone signal while driving. More, technology will help deal with all forms of distracted driving, as car manufactures are increasingly interested in collision warning systems, solutions that will automatically stop the car if an accident seems imminent and sensors that can determine when the driver falls asleep.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Texting-While-Driving-Everyones-Doing-it-70250.html

New Trojan Virus Disguised as Worm Game

markracz — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:37:15 +0000

Giddy up for yet another type of trojan! A Microsoft representative said that this new trojan can nuke the boot process of Windows. Instead of loading the operating system, all you get is a ASCII line in the middle of your monitor (is not even ASCII art, which can be cool). “A recently discovered backdoor sample (detected as Backdoor:Win32/Yonsole.A) can accept and execute a command from a remote server to modify the Master Boot Record (MBR) on the affected machine”, Chun Feng from Microsoft said yesterday.

This virus resembles the modus operandi of a timeless classic named “Stoned” which used to do the same thing on DOS back in the day. This virus can affect almost all types of popular Windows versions(including XP, VISTA and Windows 7) by dropping a DLL into your C:\Windows\System32 (yes, this folder has an important purpose, DO NOT erase it or fill it up with facebook screenshots of girls you don’t know).

But don’t worry too much about it, as the virus is around for almost a month and most antiviruses are able to cope with it. Microsoft claims that the alert status for this virus is “severe” and that you should update all of your software (ehem), stop downloading pirated software (double ehem) and not click unsafe links to web pages (some of the nicest things I’ve seen on the web are on unsafe sites, how can I not click on them?).

Via: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Backdoor-Trojan-Master-Boot-Record,news-33720.html

Shoot Em’ Up and Relax

markracz — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:51:40 +0000

A group of scientists from the American Psychological Association recently announced that violent video games don’t cause violent behavior. We already knew that, but it’s always better when people with college degrees back us up. They gathered up a group of 118 teenagers ( I guess there were some precious Justin Bieber karaoke moments too) and observed that, for the vast majority, playing video games is pretty much safe. Gaming can negatively affect only those predisposed to violence in the first place due to the presence of personality traits such as “anger”, “depression”, “acting without thinking” and “typically breaking rules”. Also, it seems that playing video games actually has good effects, especially on kids and teenagers, solving some behavior problems and improving results in school tests (well, duh, you don’t become a level 90 shaman if you can’t mingle with the elves). So girls, feel free to flirt with gamers, they’re not sociopaths with a death wish (on a second thought, maybe you should avoid those living in the 2167 season of fantasy football).

Via:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20007328-17.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

3D Gaming Rules! But is it Worth the Price?

markracz — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:51:12 +0000

Earlier this year, a PS3 firmware update opened the way for 3D gaming using the Sony console. The problem is that you also need a 3D TV set to go with it, preferably one from the Sony Bravia Line. Be my guest if you want to be an early adopter and buy such a TV right away, but you’ll have to pay up to five grand to REALLY dodge a bullet while playing. As some market experts say, the prices will go down and eventually 3D gaming will go into mainstream and inside every gamer packed living room in the nation. We can expect also a change in the way games are designed because of the 3D factor, as developers got hooked on the technology. But the entire buy-o-rama of consoles, TV sets and games is dependent on the quality of entertainment they can offer to gamers; they might choose to lag an era behind and enjoy fine tuned gaming from three months ago.

Via: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Sonys-PS3-Can-Play-3-D—All-You-Need-Is-a-3-5K-TV-to-Go-With-It-70184.html

U-Socket is Genius

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:34:44 +0000

I never thought I’d see the day when I’d get really excited about a wall outlet. Then again, I never thought I’d see a logical update to the classic three-prong plug-in. U-Socket adds two USB ports to your wall outlets, giving you extra slots to charge up your gadgets when all the USB ports are full. The USB ports only output energy when something is connected to it, earning the U-Socket an Energy Star rating.

This might be a simple idea, but it’s a great one. USB is quickly becoming the standard charging connection for every type of gadget out there, and with half of my PC’s components also connected by USB, I never have enough ports to charge my phone, iPod or other electronic toy. The U-Socket will work in standard electrical boxes, so you can bet I’ll be picking up a few when they release in October.

Via Lifehacker

Watch Google’s “Froyo” Presentation

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:21:54 +0000

If you’re at all interested in mobile phones or Google, you’ve heard about Froyo. That’s the code name for Android 2.2, the latest version of Google’s mobile phone operating system. You’ve probably heard its main selling points as well – a massive speed increase, Flash support, better Gmail and phone-to-laptop “tethering.” But if you’re a big dork about your Android phone (like me), you may want more information about the software update beyond the bullet points. Well, don’t say we never gave you anything, because here’s the complete Froyo presentation from the recent Google I/O conference. It’s a beefy 45 minutes long, but obviously it answers pretty much any question you might have.

Via Android Central

Intel Netbooks Get Sleek and Stylish

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:10:40 +0000

Today’s Netbooks aren’t exactly as flashy or fashionable as some of the other computers on the market, but that may be about to change. Intel today unveiled their plans for its next Netbook, based on its “Canoe Lake innovation platform.” The new model won’t necessarily be any more powerful than it current machines, but will be a heck of a lot sleeker. At only a half-inch, the new Canoe Lake computer will be half as thick as Intel’s current Netbooks and run much cooler. The new machines swap thermal cooling for traditional computer fans, which accounts for much of the thin new form factor.

There’s no word on when the Canoe Lake-based Netbooks will hit the market, but Intel also announced new dual-core Atom processors that will start showing up in their machines this holiday. The full text of Intel’s announcement is below.

Via Gizmodo

Computex: Ambitious Intel® Atom™ Processor Plans, Products Outlined
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS:
• Intel highlighted new product plans for Intel® Atom™ processor family: “Pine Trail” mobile
dual-core and “Oak Trail” processors optimized for tablets and sleek netbook form factors.
• Disclosed razor-thin “Canoe Lake” innovation platform – a futuristic dual-core netbook
measuring in at 14 millimeters – the world’s thinnest netbook.
• Demonstrated cross-device experiences based on Intel’s unique ‘port of choice’ software
strategy including Windows*, MeeGo* and Google operating systems.
• Outlined expansion: Future System on a Chip (SoC) Intel® Atom™ processors scale to
deliver PC-like computing platforms for cars, smartphones, handhelds, TVs, tablets, on a
choice of software.

COMPUTEX, Taipei, June 1, 2010 – At Computex today, Intel Corporation unveiled new
products and features based on its low-power Intel® Atom™ processor family, including plans
to further differentiate the popular netbook category and expand into several new market
segments beyond its growing PC, laptop and server businesses.

In the past 45 days, Intel and its Atom™ processor has entered a variety of markets
beyond the more than 50 million Intel-based netbooks sold in the past 2 years. Intel announced a
processor and MeeGo* software win with Chinese carmaker HawTai Automobile for a future in-
vehicle-infotainment platform; a greater than 50-times lower platform idle power reduction with
Intel’s next generation Atom™ processor platform for handheld devices including smartphones;
and a collaboration with Google*, Sony* and Logitech* to deliver a new Smart TVs experience
powered by Intel Atom™ CE products and running Android*-based Google TV*.

Intel recently unveiled the future System on Chip (SoC) Atom™-based “Tunnel Creek”
that, for the first time, will allow other companies to connect their own custom silicon to Intel’s
SoC product. The Intel® Atom™ processor also powers the Intel® Reader, and the company has
received more than 3,000 non-PC design inquiries – most new-to-Intel potential customers –
ranging from fish finders to golf carts.

During his keynote, David (Dadi) Perlmutter, executive vice president and co-general
manager, Intel Architecture Group, touched on these and other Intel efforts, which included
showing off the world’s thinnest netbook running on the upcoming mobile dual-core “Pine
Trail.” At just 14mm, the razor-thin “Canoe Lake” innovation platform runs cooler and is 50
percent thinner than any other netbook consumers can find on the market today. In addition,
Perlmutter showed a range of other Intel® Atom™-based devices spanning energy efficient
blade servers, retailing systems, presentation projectors and multiple tablets
.
“Intel believes the strength of the Atom™ franchise can help consumers realize the true
potential for a common experience to enable the compute continuum,” said Perlmutter. “With
platforms ranging from compact and portable netbooks, to Smart TV experiences and innovative
tablets designs, Intel Architecture is driving innovative products based on a unique ‘port of
choice’ software strategy.”

Keynote Highlights
Citing a million PCs sold a day1, Perlmutter also highlighted the momentum around the
all new 2010 Intel® Core™ processor family, including Intel® Wireless Display and an
overview of next-generation Intel® Core™ processors using the Intel microarchitecture
codenamed “Sandy Bridge,” targeted to be in production late 2010.

Renee James, senior vice president and general manager of the Software and Services
Group at Intel, joined Perlmutter onstage to discuss how software – and software choice – will
help drive Intel’s vision for Atom™ and a cross-device experience. This provides consumers
consistency and accessibility to their content on a choice of computers and PC-like devices.
James also announced that Asus will be the first OEM to ship a pre-installed, customized AppUp
client called “asus app store” on netbooks this fall, beginning with Windows and following with
MeeGo*-based systems.

Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci discussed with Perlmutter how future Intel® Atom™-based
netbooks and tablets from Acer, running the MeeGo* software platform, will foster an open
ecosystem of innovation.

“Acer will be ready with MeeGo-based mobile devices,” said Lanci. “MeeGo’s open
software platform will present our customers with another choice of a friendly, easy-to-use
operating system. We are pleased to collaborate with Intel in our continuous drive to provide
effortless technologies that empower people at work, home – anytime, anywhere.”

New Intel® Atom™ Processors on Tap
In production now and on shelves before the winter holiday season, mobile dual-core
Intel® Atom™ processors will deliver a noticeably snappier, more responsive consumer
experience in the same compact form factors, and with the same great battery life. Intel®
Atom™ processors N455 and N475 with DDR3 support for netbooks are available today and
D525 and D425 for entry-level desktop PCs are expected to be available on June 21. Available to
customers in early 2011, “Oak Trail” is our upcoming SoC Intel® Atom™ platform optimized
for sleek tablet and netbook designs, delivering up to a 50 percent reduction in average power
consumption with full HD-video playback and targeting software choice including MeeGo*,
Windows* 7 and Google operating systems.

What Your Email Address Says About Your Computer Skills

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:04:14 +0000

What does your email address say about you? Humor site The Oatmeal breaks it down in this handy chart. There’s nothing I can say to add to the brilliance of this creation, so I’ll just shut up and let you enjoy.

Will the Next Apple TV Cost $99 Bucks?

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:00:58 +0000

Engadget is reporting a rumor about the next version of Apple TV this morning, and it’s a big one. The gadget site has received a tip that’s been “confirmed by a source very close to Apple” about the next version of Apple TV. The next version of the device will be a complete reinvention, but it’ll look pretty familiar to Apple fans – the next version of Apple TV is based on the iPhone 4 architecture.

Described as an “iPhone without a screen,” the new version of the Apple TV will have the same internals as the upcoming iPhone revision, including an A4 CPU and a 16GB of flash storage. That’s a sizable decrease in storage space from the last Apple TV model, but that’s because the device will focus on cloud-based storage of videos with instant-on 1080p HD streaming. But the kicker to it all is that the device will supposedly carry a mere $99 price tag.

A one-hundred dollar device that brings streaming HD video content to your TV, as well as iPhone-like app support? If true, this is going to be huge.

Flash Friday: Red Storm 2

Nick Upton — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:24:12 +0000

Mechs? Check. Guns? Check. Lasers? Check. Afternoon lost to a Flash game? Check.

I like working and doing productive things as much as the next person — that’s why I’ve been playing Red Storm 2: Survival all day.

It’s nothing complicated: you walk around with the WASD keys and blast stuff with the mouse. It gets a little depth from the leveling-up, RPG element, allowing you bigger weapons with each level. But mostly, you’ll be blowing stuff up and dodging bullets until you can buy a sweet new laser or missile launcher.

Three different mechs with multiple turrets and many weapons and upgrades give you the option for a slew of different setups, but I went right for lasers and stuck with it.

I’d tell you more, but if you managed to read beyond mechs and lasers, you’re a better person than I. So stop reading and start wasting time.

Go play Red Storm 2: Survival at Elite Games and get ready to trade some productivity for some much more satisfying explosions.

Inside Android

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:24:23 +0000

Even if you’re not an Android phone user, I’m sure you can appreciate this look inside the platform’s robotic mascot. Look, he’s got a little heart! Artist Garry Booth has made his design “Exploded Andy” available on both a poster and t-shirt, either of which you can buy here.

Calculate Home Energy Savings with Microsoft Hohm

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:35:23 +0000

Want some information on your home’s energy efficiency and how you can save money? Microsoft’s web app Hohm will calculate the energy usage of your specific house. It doesn’t take much to set up, either – just enter your address and Hohm will set you up with the basic information. The more info you provide, the more specific Hohm can get about your energy usage. It took me about five minutes to enter my power company info and get some data back on my house.

Hohm isn’t just about showing you how much power your home uses – it’s also filled with useful tips on how to lower your energy consumption. If you’re interested in lowering the energy usage of your home, Hohm is a great tool to start with.

Via Lifehacker

America Loves Android Phones

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:18:59 +0000

Okay, so America doesn’t love Android phones more than it loves other phones like the iPhone or Blackberry (although the number of Android users is growing quickly. But America loves Android phone more than any other country. A new survey by advertising server AdMob has found that 75% of Android owners live in the United States. Here’s a bit more from the study:

Some 75 percent of unique Android devices are in North America. Asia has 12 percent of Android devices, followed by Western Europe with 11 percent.
In the United States, the iPhone has about 10.7 million devices, and Android makes up 8.7 million. (If you count the iPod Touch along with the iPhone, Apple’s share jumps to 18.3 million.)
Worldwide, there are about 11.6 million Android devices pinging AdMob’s servers, compared to 27.4 million iPhones and 40.8 million for the iPhone/iPod Touch.
Top Android smartphone in the United States in April was the Motorola Droid, with 16.1 percent of AdMob advertising requests. The HTC Magic (myTouch) followed with 5.3 percent, the HTC Dream (G1) with 5.0 percent, Motorola Cliq at 4.5 percent, HTC Droid Eris and Hero each at 4.3 percent, and Samsung Moment at 3.3 percent.
Android phones showing gains in April were the Magic (0.5 percent), Droid Eris (0.2 percent) and Moment (0.2 percent).

Source: Android Central

Microsoft Loses Two Key Executives

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:49:45 +0000

You might not know the names Robbie Bach and J Allard, but you’ve definitely heard of some of the projects that they helped create. Both were integral to major projects like the Xbox and the Zune, and this quote from Bach spells out some of the other things he’s worked on during his 22 years with the company:

“At Microsoft, I’ve been so fortunate to spend more than two decades of my life working with incredible people and doing amazing things like launching Office, Xbox and Xbox Live, the ‘Halo’ franchise, Windows Phones, Zune and more,” Bach said in a prepared statement. “I’m at the time in my life where I want to dedicate more time to my family and my nonprofit work, including my work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I have the utmost confidence in Steve, Don and Andy and their ability to see through our mission of bringing extraordinary entertainment and mobility experiences to life for people around the world.”

Allard has worked at Microsoft for over 15 years and spent a chunk of time as the public face of the Xbox. Rumors circulated late last week that he was leaving Microsoft due to the cancellation of the Courier tablet project. Whether or not that was ultimately the reason, it’s clear that Microsoft is losing some big talent. Engadget reports that the departures are due to a larger shakeup at Microsoft, and the Xbox and Mobile divisions will now report directly to CEO Steve Ballmer.

New Reseach Makes DVDs 1,000 Bigger Than Blu-ray

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:33:04 +0000

There’s some potential good news to those of you who haven’t upgraded to Blu-ray: new research by Japanese scientists may increase the storage capacity of DVDs so much that the discs could hold much, much more data than a Blu-ray disc. The new technology would eliminate any need to upgrade to the new movie format, so you won’t have to buy Office Space again.

Lead by chemistry professor Shin-ichy Ohkoshi, the new process creates DVDs with 1,000 times the storage capacity of a Blu-ray disc by painting a layer of titanium oxide variant onto the disc. The material switches back and forth between the metal and semiconductor states at room temperature when exposed to light, creating an “on/off” switch that’s ideal for data storage.

The professor is in talks for commerical applications of his discovery, although there’s no word when this potential “super DVD” technology might hit the market.

Source: Gizmodo

Happy Geek Pride Day!

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:45:41 +0000

Just because you read about technology doesn’t mean you’re a geek, but it does definitely increase the odds. If you are a geek, you shouldn’t be ashamed, especially today. Today is Geek Pride Day (which falls on the anniversary of the release of Star Wars, naturally), and as such you should be proud of your geeky nature. So do something geeky today, and remember to check out the Geek Manifesto:

Rights:

The right to be even geekier.
The right to not leave your house.
The right to not like football or any other sport.
The right to associate with other nerds.
The right to have few friends (or none at all).
The right to have as many geeky friends as you want.
The right to be out of style.
The right to be overweight and short-sighted.
The right to show off your geekiness.
The right to take over the world.

Responsibilities:

Be a geek, no matter what.
Try to be nerdier than anyone else.
If there is a discussion about something geeky, you must give your opinion.
To save and protect all geeky material.
Do everything you can to show off geeky stuff as a “museum of geekiness.”
Don’t be a generalized geek. You must specialize in something.
Attend every nerdy movie on opening night and buy every geeky book before anyone else.
Wait in line on every opening night. If you can go in costume or at least with a related T-shirt, all the better.
Never throw away anything related to geekdom.
Try to take over the world!

No related posts.

Android 2.2 Coming to Droid “Soon”

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:22:36 +0000

Anyone with a passing interest in smart phones has heard a lot about Android 2.2 lately (or “Froyo,” as its known). If you’ve got a slightly older Android phone, you may be wondering if the improved version of the operating system is coming your way. The short answer is yes, it is – at least if you have a popular Google phone like the Droid. Here’s the official statement from Motorola:

“We’re excited to see Google’s news of the next version of the Android operating system and look forward to integrating it on our Android-based devices as it’s made available to the open source community.”

While I can’t comment on specifics, we do expect DROID by Motorola users will receive Android 2.2 as a software upgrade in the near future.”

Excellent. Froyo adds several new features to the operating system and reportedly boosts performance speeds by 450%. As a Droid owner, I’ll be upgrading as soon as possible.

Source: Android Central

Play Songs From “Lost” in Rock Band

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:21:03 +0000

What did you think of the Lost finale? Love it? Hate it? Didn’t watch it? The show is over, but that doesn’t mean that Lost doesn’t live on. Two tracks from the series are about to be added to Rock Band 2, courtesy of the Rock Band Network: Driveshaft’s “You All Everybody” and Geronimo Jackon’s “Dharma Lady.” If you’re a fan, you’ll probably recognize Driveshaft as Charlie’s band, and Geronimo Jackson is one of those “easter egg” in-jokes that appears throughout the show, a 1970s jam band with posters, shirts, and music that popped up in the background from time to time.

The Rock Band Network is a service that allows anyone to upload their own music to the Rock Band game and make it available for purchase. Anyone uploading music to Rock Band Network must have the original tracks, so you don’t have to worry that these are some fan-made covers. They’re the real-deal songs straight from the cast and crew of Lost.

Flash Friday: Dragon Age Journeys

Nick Upton — Fri, 21 May 2010 14:17:36 +0000

T to the G to I and the F — it’s Friday folks, finally.

So what are you going to do to kill time this weekend? I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, play this sweet Flash game again.

Flash games are seriously lacking in good RPGs and tactical games, but Dragon Age: Journeys does both near flawlessly.

The game launched in anticipation of Dragon Age: Origins and captures that gruesome, adult and sometimes challenging spirit of the game very well.

Basically, you’re some guy or girl on some fantasy quest — I don’t want to spoil it and couldn’t if I wanted to (I skipped all the story like a real man). And lo and behold some glowing badass attacks you and sends you fleeing to town.

From there, you have to assemble a party kill monsters and do quests until your strong enough to face the glowing badass again. The whole thing is a straight forward Mage, Rogue, Warrior fantasy game, but it’s executed very well.

The combat is incredibly fun, it’s set up on a tactical map. You have to move around to dodge arrow and long-range spells and keep in range of your healer. There are a ton of area-effect abilities and spells to keep you corralling the baddies and really thinking about strategy.

There are several different types of monsters to slay and tons of equipment to find and buy.

It’s not incredibly long, which is probably a good thing, but long enough to be engrossing. The first time I played it, I zoned out at work for two days to beat it — oops.

After beating it and completing achievements, you can unlock items for Dragon Age: Origins.

It also has the most depth I’ve experienced in a Flash game, not only does each class have it’s own play style and features, but each specialization does too. This means a ton of re-playability to play around with the sweetest spells and skills.

But hey, you’ve already wasted enough time reading this, go play Dragon Age: Journeys: now.

Flash Friday: Don’t Shit Your Pants

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 21 May 2010 06:00:17 +0000

There’s never been a Flash Friday game with a simpler goal. In Don’t Shit Your Pants, you attempt to do exactly what the title says. Type in your suggestion, and the pudgy guy in gastrointestinal distress will do what you say – maybe. It’s simple, it’s silly and there’s more to it than you’d expect.

To play Don’t Shit Your Pants, head here!

Who Wants to Rent This Blimp?

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 20 May 2010 18:04:32 +0000

Behold the Bullet 580, the world’s largest blimp. It’s 71m long, 19m in diameter and it’s available to rent – if you have $300,000 for a month. If you should choose to spend your hard-earned beer money on this sucker, you’ll need about six hours to inflate it with helium. The balloon is made from a kevlar material which is ten times stronger than steel, and the blimp can hold up to 2,000lbs and travel 6,096m high. It can even hit a top speed of 80mph.

Costing $8 million, the Bullet 580 is the world’s largest blimp, measuring 71m long, and 19m in diameter. Able to be flown remotely or with a crew, you could rent it—for over $300,000 a month.

While it will seriously be available to rent at some point, its first test flights are scheduled for this summer, so it may be a while before you’ll finally get to pilot an airship.

Android 2.2 Officially Announced

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:41:42 +0000

The details are still trickling in from Google’s IO event, but the mega-tech company has just announced the new version of the Android operating system for mobile phones. We’ll have all the official details later, but for now here’s what Android 2.2 is promising:

Speed
App data backup
Improved Enterprise / Exchange Support
Push services – “Android Intent”
Tethering / Mobile Hotspot
Much faster browsing experience – V8 in browser
New functionality in browser- Camera, orientation, geolocation
Support for Adobe Flash and Adobe Air
Search the Android Marketplace directly from Quick Search
The ability to install applications on the SD card automatically
One-button update or automatic update for apps
The ability to purchase music from Android Marketplace
The ability to stream your own music from your desktop

Via Android Central

Will Kevin Costner Save Us from the Gulf Oil Spill?

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:59:27 +0000

I know what you’re thinking.The answer to that headline must be “No, of course not! Are you crazy. Have you seen Waterworld?” Yes I have, and it’s pretty bad. But maybe that movie gave him and his brother the idea for the device above, which Costner claims can filter up to 97% of oil from water. Costner’s brother is a scientist, and together they’ve been pursuing this project for 15 years. As you can see in the video above, the machine separates water from oil through centrifugal force – it’s not explained in the video, but we can assume the machine separates the liquids out through their different weights.

Costner and his team would like to test out their machine in the open waters and see if it can be of help. The largest version of the device can filter 200 gallons at a time. That’s almost nothing compared to how much oil is leaking into the ocean every day, but if the science behind the machine turns out to be solid, it could very well lead to a solution.

Source: Treehugger via Gizmodo.

Demolition Robot: 2 Tons Of Smashing, Crushing Fun

Nick Upton — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:26:49 +0000

I have just destroyed my Christmas list with my measly one-ton demolition bot. I’m all about this two-ton beauty from Husqvarna — it’s Swiss, not misspelled.

The new remote-controlled demolition robot from Husqvarna®, the DXR 310, is the very latest in compact demolition robot technology. High power, low weight and functional design make it an obvious choice for consumers who want a highly maneuverable, super-strong and sturdy machine with a long reach.
The remote control for the DXR 310 features a unique user-friendly and well-considered design, unlike anything on the market.

Our product knowledge, combined with experience, know-how and global presence mean you now have the choice of a demolition robot with highly accessible and ¬competent service and support.

I can just imagine showing up to a party riding on this bad boy, all the chicks would go crazy. It’s like a Lamborghini with a jackhammer on the front.

I’m not exactly sure what I would do with it beyond that, it can’t move that fast, so a quick bank robbery is going to be tricky and I’ve already destroyed all the cars in my yard — but I’m sure I could find something to demolish.

[Via MAKE]

This is Clearly the Best Phone Charger Ever

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:55:42 +0000

I’m really not sure how that headline can be argued. It’s a phone charger and a giant robot model! Actually, for those of you who aren’t genuine nerds, the robot is actually a Gundam – a mechanized character from a long-running Japanese toy line and anime series. Obviously, this phone charger is a Japanese-only type of deal, as it’s for the Softbank network and includes a Gunpla phone. Heard of them? I didn’t think so.

The kit includes a 1:100 scale Gundam model, the phone crandle, decals and a 12.1 OLED phone. Sometimes I wonder why I don’t live in Japan.

Via Gizmodo

Faux-Photosynthesis May Drive Hydrogen Energy

Nick Upton — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:18:14 +0000

Scientists say a new breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis could make the most annoying part of creating hydrogen a lot easier.

Currently, separating hydrogen from oxygen in water takes electricity — more electricity than the resulting hydrogen could create. So, unless this electricity is coming from a solar array or wind energy, it’s not efficient enough to use on a large scale.

Scientists have recently found a possible solution to this: viruses, algae and an extremely long and dry research paper which lies behind a paywall.

Luckily, someone distilled the science of artificial photosynthesis for we the masses.

Using sunlight rather than electricity to make hydrogen from water could greatly improve the efficiency of the process. Hydrogen can then be stored and used to generate electricity using a fuel cell, or burned as fuel for cars and trucks.

Dr. Belcher’s team is already working on a biological template to efficiently split hydrogen from water similar to the one they successfully used to split oxygen from water. The hydrogen atoms in their current process get split into component protons and electrons. The new process under development would combine these back into hydrogen atoms and molecules.

Splitting hydrogen from water could help make hydrogen a more viable alternative to coal, nuclear, and fossil fuels.

The lead research behind the breakthrough is Dr. Angela Belcher, Germeshausen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Engineering, has already won a MacArthur Foundation genius grant for her work on powering nanoscale electronic components.

“We’re letting biology help us work on solving those problems, solving what the next-next generation batteries are going to be,” says Dr. Belcher. She was featured on the Science Channel talking about her work.

It’s really fascinating work and is one step closer to getting away from fossil fuels and the problems they cause; which are slowly killing us.

[Via H+ Magazine]

Starbucks Offering Coupons Via Foursquare

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:42:36 +0000

You probably have one or two reactions when you hear a news story about Foursquare. You might be like “Huh? What are you talking about, you crazy person?” Or you may be like “Yep, I use it. Tell me more, good sir!”

For those of you in the latter camp, you won’t need too much explanation for this story. Starting today, if you become the mayor of a Starbucks location, they’ll give you a $1 off coupon. Not bad, eh? It’s a one time deal and only available until 6/28, but still pretty slick.

Now, if you were part of the former camp, you may need some of that interpreted for you. Foursquare is a mobile app that lets you “check in” at the various places you visit and earn points. The lucky individual with the most points at a certain location is the “mayor,” a title that means nothing other than that person spends too much time at Starbucks.

Via Gizmodo

Science + Art + Mutants = Sweet!

Nick Upton — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:11:43 +0000

A Swiss artist embarked into the nuclear wasteland surrounding power plants and came back with some lovely water colors.

Scientific illustrator Cornelia Hesse-Honegger details these minute mutations in the so-called true bugs she collects near nuclear facilities and areas of chemical contamination.

True bugs don’t travel far, and they “suck the liquid from the plants they live on,” she says. “So if the plant is contaminated, they take a lot of radioactivity into their bodies.”

It’s pretty amazing to see what kind of mutations can pop up even at a well-maintained nuclear facility — especially in such nice painting.

It makes me wonder what that runoff is doing to humans downstream.

Head over to Wired for the whole army of mutant insects.

3D Nintendo DS Game Available This Week

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:48:53 +0000

Not long ago, Nintendo announced a new 3D-enabled version of the Nintendo DS. While details on that upcoming system are still scarce, a new game may suggest how the glasses-free machine will work. A new game called Looksley’s Line Up has you searching for hidden objects in 3D dioramas and will be available this week through Nintendo’s downloadable store. The scenes don’t pop out of the screen but definitely have depth, achieved by overlaying images on the DS’s two screens. Check out the video for a pretty impressive demo.

Wampa Rug is Star Wars Sexy

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 17 May 2010 06:30:55 +0000

I really can’t see how any self-respecting Star Wars geek could pass this up. Think Geek has an amazing Wampa skin rug on sale for$100, which is a small price to pay for how much nerd girl/guy action you’ll get from it.

The 62 x 30-inch rug is made of synthetic fur and has a non-slip backing, which is an important feature for many reasons I can think of. Unfortunately, the rug doesn’t include a hot slave Leia.

Sharkbag!

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:37:57 +0000

I don’t know what else to say besides “holy crap, I want this!” The shark attack sleeping bag is available for pre-order here. The sharkbag (my term, not the creators) is hand-sewn, hungry for blood and totally awesome.

Flash Friday: Robot Unicorn Attack

Google Kills Online Sales of Nexus One

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:18:50 +0000

Google all but admitted the failure of the Nexus One phone today with the news that it would no longer sell the phone online. The company hasn’t given up on the Android phone platform, however. Google will continue to use its website to promote the various Android-based phones out there and partner with providers to cell the phones in their stores. But after the slow dissolution of cellular service partners looking to bring the Nexus One to their networks, it looks like Google’s grand experiment of selling a single phone that could follow you from carrier to carrier is dead.

Source: Engadget

Techy Bed Lulls You To Sleep With Science

Nick Upton — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:17:01 +0000

I sleep like crap, too much caffeine and too many video games to play put sleep on the back burner.
But if I had this sweet bed, I think I could stop both — and I would probably have to since it would cost a fortune.

Designed for extreme insomnia sufferers, the “Once Upon a Dream” project bed was designed by French furniture designer Mathieu Lehanneur to be more than just soft and cuddly. The bed actually uses white noise and other sounds that create sleep-like brainwaves.

The bed features curtains that automatically close prodding the user to sleep. The temperature and lighting levels are dropped gradually, while levels of gentle white noise rise to block out external sounds. The purr sound created by adding together barely audible frequencies is used to put certain patients into a Non Ordinary State of Consciousness (NOSC) prior to telepathic experiments.

The temperature of the over all room is reduced to between 2° to 19° C. The light dimmers can be activated with a touch by the user, with the help of a plant hanging over the bed. Within a span of fifteen minutes the light dims from 1000 Lux to 0. The bed also has a provision for waking the user through increasing temperature by two degrees and light levels from 0 to 2500 Lux in fifteen minutes.

The bed was created based on extensive research on psychology on insomniacs.
So next time you’re at the Hotel du Marc in Reims, France, try it out and get some techy sleep in a huge fancy bed.

[Via World Interior Design Network]

Flash Friday: Crush The Castle!

Nick Upton — Fri, 14 May 2010 06:56:08 +0000

This may be the best Flash game ever, well at least the most satisfying one I have played in a very, very long time.

It’s simple, it’s fun, it’s sometimes a challenge and who can argue with crushing stuff with a catapult?

Here’s the premise: smash castles with rocks and bombs and get medals. I know, it’s my dream job too.

I didn’t play the original, only the player-made sequel, but it was fantastic.

At the beginning, you have a big map to conquer, and with each territory you crush, you get new ammo for your catapult. You start with a single or triple rock, go on to big rocks, little bombs then finally a single huge bomb.

And for you hardcore Flash gamers, don’t bother going for gold on every level with your crummy little rocks. Once you get the big bomb you can return to all those castles that robbed you of a perfect score and bomb the crap out of them.

I must say returning to the earlier levels with the big bomb made me giggle with glee.

Play Crush The Castle: Players Pack or the original Crush The Castle over at Armored Games.

Brit Artist Wins Award For Trashing Apartment

Nick Upton — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:14:21 +0000

Ever make a batch of rock candy? Yeah, it’s dumb, I know. But ever thought about pumping an apartment full of crystal-making liquid?

One artist did, and he won a prize for destroying an apartment turning the flat into more of a sharp-and-bumpy.

Last year artist, Roger Hiorns was nominated for a Turner Prize with this art installation, Seizure. For this work, Hiorns pumped 75,000 liters of liquid copper-sulfate into an empty public housing flat in London, which resulted in the rooms being covered with stunning blue crystals.

As you can see, the room looks like a blue flat of solitude. It’s probably not the most comfortable looking pad for a party, but the blue on blue crystals are incredibly trippy.

[Via Lost At E Minor | Roger Hiorns]

Android 2.2 Boosts Speeds by 450 Percent

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:10:11 +0000

I recently jumped aboard the Android phone market, so I’m a little obsessed with any new items that possibly affects my shiny new gadget. Fortunately, most of the news concerns upcoming improvements and enhancements. The latest version of the Android operating system is on the way, and according to tests by website Android Police, Android 2.2 boosts the speed of your device by a whopping 450 percent.

With that speed boost, several new features will be added to your phone, although few are confirmed at this point. One upgrade that’s almost certain to be included is Flash 10.1. Smartphone users will recognize Flash support as a weak spot pretty much across the board, but this should take care of that issue. Heck, with a 450 percent speed boost, I can’t imagine what issues Android 2.2 won’t solve.

Source: Android Police via Android Central

Your Hulu Viewing Experience is About to Get Better

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:58:15 +0000

I watch a lot of shows on Hulu, because watching shows when The Man says you have to is for suckers. The unfortunate downside to my strategy is that many times, the Hulu viewing experience kinda blows. It has a tendency to pause and stutter, and my the less powerful of my two laptops can’t even run it full-screen. Therefore, the news that Hulu is rolling out several new improvements to its viewing software has got me jumping for joy. First up is adaptive bitrate streaming. Should your connection slow, Hulu will automatically lower the resolution (from 480p to 360p) to keep the show running smoothly. This new feature is optional, but unless you’re a huge resolution snob there’s no reason not to select it.

Also included in the new version of the video player is sound normalization that means you’ll no longer be blasted by too-loud ads, subtitle support, thumbnail support for searching an episode and even a heat map that shows you the most popular scenes. There are also a few other tweaks like a bigger screen and a few retooled controls, but to sum it up you can simply say that Hulu is now better, and it gets better today.

Source: Hulu Blog

3-D Cameras Coming To Phones, Digital Cameras Soon

Nick Upton — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:17:26 +0000

Finally, 3-D is coming to cell phones! I can’t wait to watch bouncy, grainy video of people getting drunk in all three dimensions!

Sharp is showing off their new camera module designed for future phones and point-and-shoot cameras. The technology, which begins shipping to developers in July, has a slew of technology behind it to get the timing right, the color right and everything else we need to make our friend’s band look like Avatar.

Sharp released a press release touting their new camera technology.

The current 3D camera module developed by Sharp incorporates functions to process the image data output by the left and right cameras, including Color Synchronizing Processing to adjust color and brightness, Timing Synchronizing Processing to synchronize the timing of the video signals, and Optical Axis Control Processing to correct positioning. In addition, Fast Readout Technology rapidly transfers video data from the image sensor, enabling 3D images to be captured in high-resolution HD mode.

Further, in developing this camera module, Sharp applied high-density mounting technology nurtured over long years of experience in camera module development to achieve a compact form. Embedding this camera module in mobile devices such as digital cameras, mobile phones, and smartphones will contribute to the development of a wide range of new, innovative communications tools.

Cutting through the jargon of the press release, it’s clear that this is a pretty interesting breakthrough. I’m not saying it will be worthwhile or cheap for the next several years, but giving real 3-D abilities to amateur filmmakers could level the playing field and foster some great stuff.

I doubt I’ll be buying the first version, but maybe I’ll get it on the Nexus Two.

[Via Engadget]

Will a Rogue Satellite Disrupt the “Lost” Finale?

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:00:50 +0000

How are you feeling about the final season of “Lost?” If you’re unhappy with its direction, you may not be the only one. In fact, it seems like the very universe itself is feeling unhappy with the direction of the show: an out-of-control satellite is heading straight for another satellite that controls Cable television for much of the US. Should the two satellites collide, there is likely to be a cable disruption on May 23, the very day of the “Lost” finale.

A TV communications satellite is drifting out of control miles above the Earth, threatening to wander into another satellite’s orbit and interfere with cable programming across the United States, the satellites’ owners said Tuesday.

Communications company Intelsat said it lost control of the Galaxy 15 satellite on April 8, possibly because the satellite’s systems were knocked out by a solar storm. Intelsat cannot remotely steer the satellite to remain in its orbit, so Galaxy 15 is creeping toward the adjacent path of another TV communications satellite that serves U.S. cable companies. Galaxy 15 continues to receive and transmit satellite signals, and they will probably interfere with the second satellite, known as AMC 11, if Galaxy 15 drifts into its orbit as expected around May 23, according to AMC 11’s owner, SES World Skies.

AMC 11 receives digital programming from cable television channels and transmits it to all U.S. cable networks from its orbit 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the equator, SES World Skies said. It operates on the same frequencies as Galaxy 15.

“That fact means that there is likely to be some kind of interference,” SES World Skies spokesman Yves Feltes told The Associated Press. “Our aim is to bring any interference down to zero.”

No word on what this potential outage means for those planning to watch the show on broadcast television, Hulu, or those who have other things to do with their lives.

Story and awesome image via Warming Glow

Printing On Walls With A Paint-Ball Auto Cannon

Nick Upton — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:10:54 +0000

Some crafty Germans used their love of guns and efficiency to create an autonomous robot that paints with paintballs.

The Facadeprinter is a simple, software controlled robot. It consits of a two axis turn table and an airpressure printhead. The printer shoots the artwork from a distanced position dot by dot onto the chosen area.

According to this method inaccessible and also uneven surfaces can be printed on. Buildings can be displayed without costly scaffolding.

The people behind the Facadeprinter really push how efficient it is to put up billboards or art on any wall without actually painting.

At five paintballs per a second, the Facadeprinter can put a massive 8 meter dot image on a wall in no time.
Designed by Sonice Development GmbH, the printer can only print one color, but as the video shows, it’s easy to load up another hopper for multicolored projects.

Check out the Facadeprinter site for a huge collection of works and more information.

[Via MAKE]

Drag and Drop Images into Gmail

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:51:11 +0000

After recently adding the ability to drag and drop attachments into Gmail, Google is continuing the trend with the ability to drag images into your gmail message. Currently, the feature is only enabled in Google Chrome, but it’s apparently on the way to other browsers soon.

Google, I love ya. You take the products I use and continuously make them better. Next time I see you, I owe you a Coke.

Via the Official Gmail Blog.

Dolphin Browser HD Adds Slick Features to Android Phones

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:09:15 +0000

Looking for a great browser for your Android phone? Dolphin Browser HD adds a ton of improvements over the default Android browser, which you can see in the video above. It only works on Android 2.0 or higher, but with Google rolling out software upgrades to many Android-based phones, that shouldn’t be a problem for most users.

Complete Your Enchanted Forest Living Room

Nick Upton — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:07:48 +0000

I always like these crazy designers that blur the line between natural and techy, these sweet chairs do just that.

Designed by Giancarlo Zema for the Avanzini Group, these amazing Bright Woods furniture collection were displayed at the Design in Nature exhibition in the Triennale Design Museum as part of the Milan Furniture Fair.

The chair looks like a some big space nut, crisscrossed with lights. The white is pretty awesome, but the pink, orange and purple could get pretty abrasive in your living room.

The best part, I think, is that when the lights are off, the strips of light turn black, making it look even more like a spooky space nut.

[Via Fresh Home]

Don’t Panic! Twitter is Down but Not Out

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 10 May 2010 17:22:25 +0000

If you’re a heavy Twitter user, you might be freaking out right now. Across the board, Twitter users are showing zero followers and zero following. No, you didn’t get punished for something you tweeted – Twitter is fixing a bug, and your stats will be restored shortly. We’re not sure what bug they’re working on exactly, but it may in fact be this recently revealed trick that forces folks to follow you – yes, you can make Oprah and Shaq follow you. At least, you could until recently. Only time will tell if the trick will remain after Twitter is done with its repairs.

iWatch Isn’t Real but Should Be

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:59:20 +0000

Before you get too excited, the watch at left isn’t real. It’s a concept cooked up by Italian design firm ADR studio. Here’s what their website has to say about the fictional device:

It is obviously impossible, but ADR Studio has tried to imagine a new Apple style product, able to be with us every day.

Say “Hello” to iWatch.

iWatch is a wrist device with these features:

- Aluminium body
- WiFi and Bluetooth
- Integrated RSS Reader
- 16GB;
- Weather forecast system;
- Possibility to connect to the Bluetooth or WiFi to iPhone / iPad
- LCD projector to show everywhere pictures by your iPhone / iPad
- Available in various colors

Source: Gizmodo

Whale-Shaped Airship First Flying Hotel

Nick Upton — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:05:38 +0000

I can barely afford a Howard Johnson, but I’d gladly sleep in my car to save up for a ride on this sweet airship hotel.

Dubbed the Manned Cloud, the whale of a airship is still on the drawing board, but claims to be the first flying hotel.

Manned Cloud is a whale-shaped airship hotel with a capacity of 40 passengers and staffed with 15 persons, that on a 3-day cruise in 170 km/h permits man to explore the world without a trace: to re-experience traveling, timelessness and enhance the consciousness of the beauty of the world.

The Manned Cloud was developed by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud and the French national aerospace researcher ONERA.

The ship looks like Star Trek crashed into a fish, and instead of cleaning up the mess, they painted it white. I’m not sure that the whale design helps the ship fly any better, but it would be a stunning site to see this thing floating through the air.

[Via Design You Trust]

Android Phones Outsell iPhone in Q1

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:45:12 +0000

The end of Apple’s dominance of the mobile phone market is at hand! Okay, that’s overstating it by a long shot. But the analysts at NPD are reporting today that in Q1 Android-based phones captured 28 percent of the market, while the iPhone claimed 21 percent. Of course, there are several important caveats here. First, both Google’s Android phones and Apple’s iPhone were outsold by Blackberry-based phones, which grabbed 36 percent of the market. Second, there are multiple different Android phones (Droid, Nexus One, MyTouch, etc.) and only one iPhone, meaning that no individual Android phone is presenting a real threat to the iPhone. Third, a strong “Buy One Get One Free promotion” on phones like the Droid definitely helped with sales. So even though I recently joined the Android team, it’ll be a long time before we can declare victory over our rival Apple.

Source: Android Central

Starcraft 2 Release Date: July 27th

Asterios Kokkinos — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:00:22 +0000

Come get some! The official release date for Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty has been announced, and it’s July 27th.

The first of a three part trilogy, Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty follows the Terrans as they, I don’t know, murder Protoss and Zerg forces or something. I could honestly give a rip about the plot – Jim Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, Zeratul…just give me some siege tanks and I’ll be fine.

The game’s been in beta for a few months now, and just opened its beta to Mac, which is a wonderful way to whittle down my productivity even further. The original Starcraft sold 11 million copies, so we’ll see how far this new game goes.

I’ve been watching the Starcraft II battle reports for a few months now, and this really does like the perfect game. July 27th can’t arrive fast enough!

Source: PC Mag

Why Are Space Strawberries A Thing We’re Talking About?

Asterios Kokkinos — Sat, 08 May 2010 14:00:19 +0000

In today’s edition of, “Why Is This A Thing We’re Talking About?”, we take a look at Space Strawberries, which is now a thing that we are apparently talking about.

Why are we talking about this thing? Well, PopSci reports that the Seascape Strawberry Plant can produce strawberries with as little as 10 hours of light a day, which is important, as interstellar grow lights consume lots of power – the shorter the amount of light they need, the better. The Seascape also produces gigantic berries, large enough to satisfy even the fattest of astronauts.

Finally, these plants produce berries up to six months after flowering, meaning long periods of berry growth for our brave astromen.

PopSci reports that lettuce, radishes and tomatoes are all likely to be on the interstellar menu, due to their hearty ability to grow in space. Will strawberries be amongst those disgusting, boring plants? Only time will tell. But yes, yes they will.

This is Asterios Kokkinos, for “Why Is This A Thing We’re Talking About?”

Source & Photo Source: PopSci

The Terminator Hates Apple

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:00:22 +0000

Film maker Leon Wang has discovered the real mission of the Terminator, and it may not be what you expect. Watch the full video here to discover what these evil machines are actually up to.

Via Engadget

Green TVs Getting Greener

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:24:07 +0000

If you’ve bought an HDTV in the last few years, chances are that it’s sporting the Engery Star logo that certifies it as a energy efficient device. However, it looks like future HDTVs will be even more efficient. The new Energy Star 4.0 ratings are now in effect. All TVs manufactured as of May 1 must meet stricter regulations to earn the Energy Star status and in 2012 the even tougher 5.0 rules come into effect, which will drop the maximum consumption by an additional 40 percent.

For now, the 4.0 rules drop energy consumption by 40% from the 3.0 rules (so the upcoming 5.0 rules will require TVs that are 80% from the 3.0 rules, obviously). Under the new rules, a 50-inch set can consume 153 watts max (compared to 318 in the 3.0 world) and a display that’s “off” can use no more than one watt. The nature-loving Na’vi will be proud as you watch Avatar on your energy-efficient screen.

Source: Engadget

Flash Friday: Dungeons & Dungeons

Nick Upton — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:03:22 +0000

Looking for a more adult flash game to get your kink on at work? Well look no further, this week’s Flash Friday game is Dungeons & Dungeons.

Think Castlevania, but instead of Simon whipping skeletons, you play the part of a dominatrix whipping perverts. It’s a good take on the side-scrolling action game with a good dose of hilarity.

As the game goes on, you collect special weapons that turn your slave into a flying machine (via a feather in his butt) or a giant yo-yo with your whip.

The best part is the sound from the bad guys. Every time you hit them they say something like “oh, yeah,” or “I like that.” It’s quite a classy game, and probably NSFW unless you turn the sound way down and make sure nobody is looking over your shoulder.

[Via Adult Swim]

Microsoft Cancels Courier

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:15:16 +0000

Not long ago, the internet got its first glimpse of Microsoft’s answer to the iPad, the Courier. The dual-screen tablet PC folded like a book and operated with a swanky stylus-based interface that looked a bit too good to be true. Perhaps it was, because the project was unexpectedly canceled late last month. The project was never officially announced, but it has officially been killed. Gadget site Gizmodo contacted Microsoft and got the official word:

At any given time, we’re looking at new ideas, investigating, testing, incubating them. It’s in our DNA to develop new form factors and natural user interfaces to foster productivity and creativity. The Courier project is an example of this type of effort. It will be evaluated for use in future offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time.

The premature death of the Courier is a shame, but hopefully the technology developed for the device will resurface in future Microsoft products.

Black Wii Coming May 9

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:56:33 +0000

Do you have a Wii? You do, huh? Well, do you have a black one? No? Better get on that. Nintendo’s living room-dominating Wii will be available in black starting May 9. The new bundle will be priced at $200, the same price as the current white Wii. However, the new edition will come with both Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, as well as a Wii Remote with the Wii Motion Plus add-on and Nunchuck. If you’re one of the nine people who doesn’t yet have a Wii, this is the bundle we’d recommend.

HTC Incredible Undergoes Incredible Price Cut

Asterios Kokkinos — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:00:13 +0000

What’s this? Were you planning on paying $200 + a two year service contract for your HTC Incredible? How dare you, sir, throw away good money like that in the middle of a multi-year recession. It’s a good thing you read Technomaly (and that we read InformationWeek), because you can find the Incredible for $149.99 + a two year service contract on Amazon.com.

For those of you who didn’t read the article we did about the Incredible two days ago (again, how dare you), it’s HTC’s new Droid phone. It’s got an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash (which means like, two flashes? I don’t understand. I’m so dumb), touchscreen, 8 gigs of onboard memory, microSD expansion slot and Friend Stream, which is one of those little programs that puts your Twitter, Facebook and Flickr together into one easy to ignore mess.

People are calling the Incredible the fastest Droid phone on the market, which I’ll decide for myself once I get my dirty hands on one of these bad boys. But for now, I’m swept up in the new-cell-phone excitement!

The Halo: Reach Beta Begins Today

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:48:04 +0000

We try not to get carried away with video game coverage here, but certain titles are so big that they definitely cross over from the gaming world into popular tech culture. The beta program for Halo: Reach begins today, which means that anyone who purchased Halo 3: ODST will be able to play an early version of the multiplayer segment of Halo: Reach. The upcoming Reach will be the last game developed by Halo creators Bungie, who split off from former owners Microsoft and recently announced a new ten-year partnership with publisher Activision. Future Halo titles will be developed by Microsoft.

To experience the Halo: Reach beta, you’ll need a copy of Halo 3: ODST and an Xbox 360 console with a valid Xbox Live account.

iPad Sells One Million Units

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:23:56 +0000

According to Apple, the new iPad has sold more than one million units in the first 28 days. For comparison’s sake sake, it took the iPhone 74 days to shift one million units. In other words, the touchscreen tablet is officially a hit.

The 3G version of the iPad has yet to go on sale, so it’s reasonable to expect another spike in sales once the new version hits stores on Friday. Many analysts predict that the iPad may hit 5 million units sold before the end of the year.

Apple has also stated that more than 12 million iPad apps have been downloaded to date, as well as 1.5 million digital books.

Source: Reuters

Microsoft’s Kin Phones Coming May 13?

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:22:21 +0000

Yep, looks that way. This leaked memo shows that Microsoft’s pair of Kin phones are scheduled to hit on May 13, with pre-orders starting on May 6. You may have seen the commercials for the phone running already, as light on details as they are. There are actually two phones on the way, the Kin One and the Kin Two and while the two devices are actually pretty different, they share a lot of the same basic functionality, all built around Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 platform.

More information on the Kin phones is available at the official site.

Source: Gizmodo

Giant Space Hand!

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:21:26 +0000

The hand of God? An alien breaching the walls of our galaxy? The giant space hand you see here is actually pulsar PSR b1509-58.This neutron star spins seven times per second and is relatively young by pulsar standards – the light of the supernova that caused it would have first reached our planet about 1,700 years ago.

The Space Hand is located about 17,000 light years away from the constellation Circinus and is approximately 100 light years long. According to NASA, the “low energy X-rays are in red, medium energies in green, and high energies in blue. The pulsar itself is in the bright central region.”

Source: NASA via Gizmodo

Super Mario Bros Remixed

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:00:11 +0000

If you have fond memories of the NES, then this is the game for you. Indie game developer “Exploding Rabbit” has recreated Super Mario Bros with one important twist – you can play through it with characters from The Legend of Zelda, Contra, Castlevania, and Metroid.

In Super Mario Crossover, each character controls just like they do in their own game, so Bill from Contra can shoot in multiple directions, Link has both his sword and boomerang, etc. Each character feels pretty distinct – for example, Simon’s double jump is helpful, yet tricky to master. The music from each character’s game also appears – another great touch. In other words, you should totally check it out. It’s available to play here.

The Best and Worst Hotel Wi-Fi Chart

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:41:35 +0000

Do you pick your hotel based on its Wi-Fi? Then this chart is for you. It lays out, in pretty visual form, the best and worst hotel chains for your wireless internet connection needs. Now if it could only also predict which hotels have paper-thin walls or rattling AC units.

Source: Hotel Chatter via Boing Boing

Flash Friday: Paper Warfare

Nick Upton — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:14:51 +0000

It’s Friday! You may as well stop working immediately and start playing video games — everyone knows you just stare at your computer clock until 5 p.m. anyway.

This week’s game is Paper Warfare.

Paper Warfare is a standard horizontal shooter, but unlike so many other flash shooters, the difficulty ramps up pretty quick, making for some intense shooter action early in the game. I know you don’t have time to play ALL day, so get to the action quick right?

You can choose from three different flying exo-suits and you get a new destructive weapon every level. And you’ll need all you can since the enemies come by the boatload.

Ikaruga fans, this is a flash game for you — the boss battles call for some extreme bullet dodging.

[Via Paper Warfare]

Japanese Coop Making Humanoid Moon Robot

Nick Upton — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:47:15 +0000

A group of Japanese manufacturers are getting together to build a a bipedal, moon-faring robot.

Now I’m not sure if the endeavor will produce a sassy Futurama-esque robot or a sad Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy version, but I’m really hoping of the former. I am sure, however, that the Japanese coop named Astro-Technology SOHLA will include a sweet laser sword — it is the land of anime after all.

The coop is looking to do the build the robot on the cheap too. They estimate they can complete the project with just $10 million. Doesn’t sound cheap? The Spirit and Opportunity mission set us back a total of $820 million.

Sure that was Mars, but this is a F&$%ING robot!

The group also stated that they hope to have their robot, which they will name Maido-kun, hitch a ride to the moon with a robotic surveying rover that the Japan’s Aerospace Agency is looking to launch as soon as 2015.

The Yomiuri noted that JAXA’s team had considered a bipedal robot, but passed on the idea due to technical difficulties with the sandy moon surface. In response to such thought, SOHLA President Hideo Sugimoto stated, “It’s easier to encapsulate romanticism or enthusiasm with a robot that is similar in shape to humans. We want to build a robot that has the appeal of entrusting the dream of going to space.”

It sure is romantic, it really gets me thinking about the real future of space travel. With the Space Plane launching just a week ago, and now a robot, space exploration doesn’t seem as dangerous.

Hypothetically, we could send these space planes and walking robots running willy-nilly all over the galaxy. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about the grim but imminent prospect of human space deaths.

These robots could plunk down on Mars and start building astronaut housing or take that trip to an asteroid that President Barack Obama has been talking about sans all the danger.

I just hope there is an easy-to-find off switch when the robot goes crazy and stalks our astronauts on the moon or mars.

[Via Slashdot]

Facebook Comes to Kindle

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:27:46 +0000

Man, Facebook just can’t be escaped, can it? The new Kindle 2.5 software update adds Facebook and Twitter support to the e-reader, which means there’s officially not a single gadget out there that doesn’t connect to the social network sites. Okay, so my toaster can’t access Facebook yet. Just MySpace.

The Kindle 2.5 update also adds more useful features, such as the ability to pan and zoom while viewing PDFs, the ability to organize your books in collections, and highlighted passage sharing, which will show you what chunks of text your friends found relevant in their e-books.

Obviously, the Kindle’s display won’t allow for all the features of Facebook and Twitter, but c’mon – do we really need it to?

The Incredible Is Here

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:25:23 +0000

Even if you’re not a phone freak, expect to hear a lot about the HTC Droid Incredible. The latest Google Android-based phone arrives today, and according to the first reviews, it definitely lives up to its name. CNet rated the phone as excellent, calling it the best Android phone to date and the best phone on the Verizon network.

Some of the features that are garnering the phone attention are its speedy 1 GHz processor, 8 megapixel camera and Sense UI, which allows for such swank features as unified multiple email inboxes and a multiple home page widget.

The Incredible is available for $199 bucks with a two-year Verizon contract.

Paid Subscriptions Coming to Hulu

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:12:27 +0000

Online streaming television content has changed the way many of us watch TV, and no site has had more of an impact than Hulu. The streaming TV hub currently offers content from several networks for free, with the primary restriction being a steady cycling of new and old programming. According to sources “with knowledge of the plans,” Hulu will soon be unveiling Hulu Plus, a paid subscription service that will allow greater access to older shows for a $9.99 monthly fee.

Personally, I’d be more than willing to pay $10 a month to access older content, provided that said monthly fee allowed me access to complete archives of shows I enjoy. Currently, most shows on Hulu make the five most recent episodes available. Upping that nominally to the 10 most recent shows wouldn’t be worth it, but I might even drop my Netflix account if you made complete seasons available. And would it kill you to get some Law and Order episodes up on the site? I need to keep up on New York City’s war on crime!

Image and Story Source: Lifehacker

Google Under Fire By German Privacy Advocates

Nick Upton — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:11:21 +0000

Everyone’s friend Google is getting some flak in Germany for collecting private wi-fi networks with its Street View fleet.

The Street View part of Google Maps has yet to launch in German, and it had already had plenty of critics among Germany’s very private populous. But once privacy officials found out that the service would offer up much more than simple pictures, they were far from pleased.

Germany’s Federal Commissioner for Data Protection Peter Schaar says he’s “horrified” by the discovery.

“I am appalled… I call upon Google to delete previously unlawfully collected personal data on the wireless network immediately and stop the rides for Street View,” according to German broadcaster ARD.

Spooks have long desired the ability to cross reference the Mac address of a user’s connection with their real identity and virtual identity, such as their Gmail or Facebook account.

It’s really no wonder that people are upset, it wouldn’t be hard a malevolent government or law enforcement agency to take advantage of these to quash free speech or gain a virtual window into a person’s mailbox. I think German especially has one eye open for the possibility of an authoritarian government.

Google says the MAC addresses are never shared with anyone and the wi-fi and network SSID information is only used to determine locations, but that has done little to ease the fears of the Germans.

Google has, of course, all this information in its American version of Street View, but nobody seems to care all that much.

[Via The Register]

Boy Scouts Introduce Video Game Pin

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:15:40 +0000

Despite what you may have heard, the Boy Scouts of America have NOT introduced a Video Game merit badge. They’ve introduced a video games belt loop and pin. There’s a difference, dammit! Regardless, I wish this had been around when I was in Boy Scouts, because I could have earned these awards easily. Check it out:

Belt Loop

Complete these three requirements:

Explain why it is important to have a rating system for video games. Check your video games to be sure they are right for your age.
With an adult, create a schedule for you to do things that includes your chores, homework, and video gaming. Do your best to follow this schedule.
Learn to play a new video game that is approved by your parent, guardian, or teacher.

Academics Pin

Earn the Video Games belt loop and complete five of the following requirements:

With your parents, create a plan to buy a video game that is right for your age group.
Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on). Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system.
Play a video game with family members in a family tournament.
Teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game.
List at least five tips that would help someone who was learning how to play your favorite video game.
Play an appropriate video game with a friend for one hour.
Play a video game that will help you practice your math, spelling, or another skill that helps you in your schoolwork.
Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer’s warranty.
With an adult’s supervision, install a gaming system.

Easiest. Pin. Ever. Way to get with the times, BSA.

Source: BSA via Engadget

Not All Blu-ray Players Will Take You To Pandora

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:00:02 +0000

Avatar is officially the fastest-selling Blu-ray disc of all time, but not all customers are happy with their purchase. Some Blu-ray players can’t play the movie, thanks to a required firmware update that’s unavailable for some models. Tech site Crunchgear has singled out the Samsung BD-UP5000 Blu-ray player as one that’s having particular issues, but the problem could be much more widespread than that. Some

Some commenters on Amazon.com are claiming that it’s more than an firmware issue, rather a Digitial Right Management (DRM) issue that’s preventing the discs from playing. Either way, if you were thinking about picking up that particular very-pretty-but-mediocre-in-every-other-way film, then you’d better verify that the disc will run in your player.

Source: Akihabara News

Nook vs. Kindle: A New Champion?

J. Matthew Zoss — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:30:50 +0000

Amazon doesn’t publish specifics on sales of its high-profile e-reader the Kindle, but according to at least one source Barnes and Noble’s newer competitor the Nook outsold it in March. According to DigiTimes, the Nook accounted for 53% of e-reader sales last month. Again, it’s hard to call this sales victory a fact, as we don’t know the unit numbers. However, the Nook is the newer of the two and we consumers do love new shiny things, which could account for part of why the newer e-reader took the lead from the much higher-profile Kindle.

Another factor that may be tipping the scale in the Nook’s favor is that the Kindle application available for smartphones and iPad are diminishing the sales of the physical hardware. No such app exists for the Nook. As for me, I’m sticking to an obscure, obsolete technology called “books.”

Source: DigiTimes via Engadget.

Nexus One Not Coming to Verizon

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:40:23 +0000

While at first it seemed like Google would push its first internal smartphone to every cellular network, there’s confirmation today that the Nexus One won’t be making it’s way to Verizon. Instead, Google is directing Verizon customers to buy the new Android-based Incredible, which hits the market on the 29th:

We won’t be selling a Nexus One with Verizon, and this is a reflection of the amazing innovation happening across the open Android ecosystem. Verizon Wireless customers who want an Android phone with the power of the Nexus One can get the Droid Incredible by HTC.

Thanks a lot, Google. I was this close to buying a droid, and now there’s another phone that’s apparently much, much better. I think I’ll skip the whole smartphone arms race and just stick with my little cheapo phone for now.

The Death of the Floppy

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:27:33 +0000

Wait, floppy discs were still in production? Apparently.According to Engadget, Sony (the last major manufacturer of the floppy disc) sold 12 million floppy discs last year in Japan. The country is the last major market for the storage medium in the world, so Sony is going to go ahead and shut down production of the discs by March of next year. For many of us, the floppy disc is a fond memory of computing’s past, and I’m sure a few of you will shed a tear for the dear, departed little rectangles. As for me, I’m honestly surprised that they made it this long.

Image and Story via Engadget.

The Joker comes to iPad

J. Matthew Zoss — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:59:06 +0000

The moment a new piece of technology is released, there’s always someone who does something really cool with it. For example, The Joker and Catwoman pictures you see here were drawn entirely on an iPad using Sketchbook Pro. Granted, they were drawn by legendary comic book artist Jim Lee. Yes, he draws for a living. But drawing with your fingers on a brand-new piece of technology and producing these – well, that’s bad- ass no matter who you are.

Source: JoBlo .com

Nation’s Newest Stadium Declared “Green”

J. Matthew Zoss — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:30:57 +0000

Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins, has been declared a “green” building.

At a press conference on April 8, the Minnesota Twins announced that Target Field has earned LEED certification status, which stands for Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design. The internationally recognized LEED organization rates architecture projects based on energy savings, water efficiency, carbon-dioxide emissions reduction and indoor environmental quality.

A major component in Target Field’s environmental considerations is its water system, which captures and uses rainwater for irrigation. The water system, which we first reported on here, is the first of its kind for a sports facility.

The first official game at Target Field is scheduled for April 12.

Source: Star Tribune

Camera Allows You To See WiFi

Nick Upton — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:21:03 +0000

Panoramic Wifi Camera from Adam Somlai-Fischer on Vimeo.

I am never surprised by the insane things people make, but this “camera” is pretty amazing.

Essentially, the camera can take pictures of the radio spectrum by spotting the varying intensities within the spectrum. The pictures come out looking like a copy from a broken printer, but the it’s the principle people, the principle!

With the camera we can take real time “photos” of wifi (and we’re working towards having video too). These show how our physical structures are illuminated by this particular electromagnetic phenomenon and we are even able to see the shadows that our bodies cast within such “hertzian” spaces.

…

We do this basically by pointing a wifi antenna (or several antennas) and measuring the signal strength throughout a view – the faster we can do this, the faster we can create full-screen images.

The machine also gives a good glimpse at the inundation of these waves that blast us every day from our routers, microwaves and the radio. I’m not saying go out and get a tinfoil hat, but at least some tinfoil underwear.

The machine has the added benefit of looking like something out of steampunk villain’s workshop.

[Via Make Magazine]

Netflix Trades New Releases for More Streaming

J. Matthew Zoss — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:36:19 +0000

If you needed more evidence that streaming video will one day supplant physical media, you need look no further than Netflix’s recent announcement on its agreement with Fox and Universal. Following in the steps of a similar agreement with Warner Bros., DVD new releases from the studios will be delayed by 28 days – you won’t be able to rent them from the service until a month after they’ve been available for purchase.

The agreement is designed to help prop up declining DVD sales, but the real benefit for Netflix users is that the service agreed to the delays on the condition that the studios provide more streaming content for Netflix’s “Watch It Now” feature. In my mind, that’s a completely worthwhile trade. Then again, I have no intention of ever renting Avatar, the first film that will be affected by the delay.

Via Gizmodo.

Star Wars: Air Force Launches Robotic Space Plane

Nick Upton — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 06:28:47 +0000

Holy crap! Let the Star Wars begin!

The Air Force launched an unmanned “space plane” into Earth’s orbit.

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle took it’s inaugural flight on an Atlast 5 rocket. The Air Force said the launch was successful, but didn’t say much more.

They haven’t said how long the mission will last or what experiments they would be doing beyond testing the craft.

“The top priority technology demonstration on this first flight is the vehicle itself,” Gary Payton, the US Air Force’s deputy under secretary for space programs, told journalists on a teleconference this week.

“Getting it into orbit, getting the payload bay doors open, the solar array deployed, learning about on-orbit attitude control and bringing it all back.”

OK, so the Star Wars might be a little far off. But what an eerie step. I cannot wait to see how long the craft can stay in space. The solar array suggests that it could be a longer stay in space than a simple plane in space. It would be the ideal craft for pre-loaded experiments — just send it up and wait for a while. This could mean cheaper science without crowding the always-cramped manned shuttles.

An Air Force statement made the launch sound more dubious than this science fun time though.

“This launch helps ensure that our warfighters will be provided the capabilities they need in the future,” said Col. Andre Lovett, vice commander of the Air Force’s 45th Space Wing, in a statement.

I wonder if we’ll see a similar spacecraft from China, Russia or India soon.

[Via BBC]

Learn Science With the Insane Clown Posse

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:07:42 +0000

I’ll keep this short, because there’s not much I can say to illustrate the majesty of Cracked.com’s “Textbook for Juggalos.” If those words don’t make any sense to you, here’s what you need to know: schlocky Christian horror-gangsta rappers Insane Clown Posse have a new video out called “Miracles” which, in short, is about how fucking dope and mysterious the world is. You really need to watch it, and can see said video here. Then you can truly appreciate the glory of the ICP science textbook, which can be seen in all its glory here.

Cracked Via BoingBoing

Xbox 360 Gets USB Support

J. Matthew Zoss — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:34:58 +0000

It’s almost hard to believe that a popular electronic device is just getting USB support in 2010, but it happens to be the case for the Xbox 360. The gaming console launched with available detachable hard drives, as well as more portable proprietary memory units. The memory units are being phased out, and a new update available now allows you to use standard flash drives to store game saves, profiles, videos or other content. Flash drives must be over 1GB, but storage size is limited to 16GB (even if your drive is larger than that). You can use two flash drives simultaneously, giving you up to 32 GB of hot-swappable additional memory for your console.

Image via Joystiq.

Multitouch Floor Lets You Dance With Your Apps

Nick Upton — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000

A really cool project out of Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute puts multitouch under foot.

The project isn’t just a toe pointing game, but it tracks feet completely, allowing people to be read by the soles of their shoe and where and how they are stepping.

We based our design on frustrated total internal reflection because its ability to sense pressure allows the device to see users’ soles when applied to a floor. We demonstrate how this allows us to recognize foot postures and to identify users.

These two functions form the basis of our system. They allow the floor to ignore inactive users, identify and track users based on their shoes, enable high-precision interaction, invoke menus, as well as track heads and allow users to control several multiple degrees of freedom by balancing their feet.

The possibilities for this type of technology could be limitless, even a little floor mat could tune to your favorite radio station, fire up your show on the DVR or start your nightly routine in any way you wish.

And with different settings for the whole family, you can tweak it into infinity.

Sure it’s a concept and I’ll probably never have one, but for multitouch — it’s certainly an interesting step.

[Via Hasso Plattner Institute]

Crytek Engine Going Free For Developers

Nick Upton — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:08:27 +0000

The ultra-pretty engine behind the power-hungry Crysis is getting a free treatment for game developers.

The engine will surely rival the Unreal engine once it is actually released.

Cevat Yerli, the CEO behind the engine, said modders already have access to the engine as an extension to the game, but not the entire engine from the ground up.

He said the move goes well beyond a Crysis mod.

“Yes, but — to be frank — not as a mod. So far that’s what we’ve been offering for free, and it’s easy entry into the production environment. [But] we do want to make a standalone free platform that people can run independent of CryEngine that will also be up to speed with the latest engine.”

The engine could be the next step in amazing indie games, I cannot wait to see what inventive designers do with this — even though my junk PC will likely not run a single one.

[Via Develop Online]

Scientists Create Bullet Proof Fabric

Nick Upton — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:49:48 +0000

Scientists have finally found a way to keep me protected during my nights of crime fighting — boron.

By weaving boron — the third hardest element known to man — into the carbon of cotton, scientists create a little forest of ultra-hard boron spikes. These little spikes can essentially create something that is harder than steel but light-weight and flexible.

USC professor Dr. Xiaodong Li authored a paper detailing the breakthrough and said it is a “conceptual change in fabricating lightweight, fuel-efficient, super-strong and ultra-tough materials.”

Instead of getting me a sleek crime fighting body suit, Li has other applications in mind.

Unlike the brittle boron carbide currently in use, the synthesized fibers (“nanowires”) are super-elastic. Yet they maintain the same strength and stiffness of their predecessors. “They are not only lightweight but also flexible,” Li says. “We should be able to fabricate much tougher body armors using this new technique. It could even be used to produce lightweight, fuel-efficient cars and aircrafts.”

[Via Ecouterre]

Flash Friday: Red Remover

Nick Upton — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:04:13 +0000

Friday is here, that means you’re going to need some video games for the weekend!

This week’s game is Red Remover, it’s not new, it’s not heart pumping, but wow is it fun — and extremely addictive.

The clever puzzle flash game pits you against gravity. All you have to do is remove all the red blocks and circles; hence the name.

Sounds lame? Try it. I made the mistake of playing this at work once, and when I looked at the clock an hour had passed and I had nothing to show for it but a few less red on my screen.

The game is great fun, and the bonus mode and extras you can unlock will keep you coming back. Red Remover also has the best cookie support I’ve seen in a flash game. I come back and my saved game is right there waiting for me.

Check out Red Remover at The Game Homepage and say goodbye to a few hours.

12% Of People Are Immune To 3-D Effects

Nick Upton — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:43:57 +0000

If you’re not wowed by the new rash of 3-D movies, there is a chance you are immune to the stereoscopic effect of the movies.

One man disgruntled by the lack of “wow” he got from 3-D movies set out to see if he was just a curmudgeon or if he really wasn’t seeing the same thing.

He found that he was among the small fraction of people upon which 3-D effects simply don’t work. These people, sadly, are wasting the premium ticket price because their eyes aren’t working in tandem like they should.

To get the benefit of 3D and have normal depth perception, stereovision (otherwise known as binocular vision) is needed with two eyes that work together simultaneously as a coordinated team.

At least 12% of people have some type of problem with their binocular vision but less than five percent have severe visual disabilities, making appreciation of 3D tricky or impossible.

[Via Shadowlocked]