Just in time for the 30th anniversary, someone conjured up one sweet rendition of a Star Wars-style space port via LEGO, complete with the Millennium Falcon, AT-AT walkers, and an Imperial Shuttle. The only thing it's missing is a Slave I model, because you can't have the Falcon without Boba Fett close behind.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
That's a Lot of Free Time
Bicycle/Bike-Lock Sculpture Wards Off Thieves, Actual Bike Riders
If you want to be really, really sure no one's going to jack your bike while you're in the library, you could always take a cue from this sculpture of an ultra-mobile bicycle by a Vancouver artist. And by ultra-mobile, I mean not mobile in any way, shape, or form.
Sensear Noise-Cancelling Headphones Block Hearing Loss, Not Your Mom Nagging You
These Sensear headphones aim to be quite the noise-cancelling, speech-enhancing wunderkinds. They're specifically designed to protect against Noise Induced Hearing Loss in high-noise environments (above 85 dBA) while letting you communicate clearly with the people around you.
RAZR 2 V8 Prototype Reviewed (Verdict: Breathes New Life Into Motorola)
Mobileburn has been playing with a prototype the much ballyhooed RAZR 2 for the past couple of days, and there's not much of a surprise here: they like it quite a bit.
The haptic-feedback external touchscreen steals the show button-wise, leaving no doubt that the phone has registered your commands. Generally speaking, the buttons all around have gotten a substantial usability upgrade thanks to the extra space afforded by the phone's added length; the lone exception is the camera shutter button, which for some reason was fairly loose.
Miniaturized camera fits into a capsule for an intestinal journey
Science’s ability continually to miniaturize existing technology never ceases to amaze, and hospitals across the country are adding another gadget to their growing arsenal of medical marvels.
One such gadget is a tiny camera incorporated within a capsule that can be swallowed and, once on its way, is capable of transmitting thousands of images for analysis.
The pictures that PillCam takes are amazingly clear and detailed as the device travels down through the esophagus and into the stomach, where it is then passed on to its intended destination, the small intestine.
It’s akin to an unmanned probe that, in this case, is investigating the complexities of inner space. It occasionally tumbles end over end, all the while snapping away image after image to reveal a realm that previously went unseen. The view is not unlike the panoramic, fish-eye effect provided by an extreme wide-angle lens.
Dr. James Mann, a gastroenterologist in Florence, S.C., said that PillCam has already proved its worth as a useful tool for determining the existence of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, particularly Crohn’s disease, which affects about 500,000 people in the United States. “This allows us to detect Crohn’s disease in the small intestine and then evaluate the extent of the disease,” Mann said.
PillCam also lets doctors detect and isolate exactly where a portion of the small intestine might be bleeding. That’s been difficult because of the limited extent that an endoscope could probe into the small intestine.
“It’s impossible to evaluate the entire small intestine with an endoscope,” Mann said. “This allows us to look at the largest part of the GI tract, which has been off limits to us in the not-too-distant past.”
The entire process takes about eight hours for the device to pass through the entire GI tract, which also is about the duration its onboard battery is designed to last.
Each PillCam is designed for just one use.
Other applications include the survey of small bowel tumors, which are generally rare, Mann said. The apparatus gives him and other doctors the ability to peer directly into a world that is otherwise off limits to the human eye.
“Essentially, this affords us a tool to look at that ‘black box’ that is the small intestine,” he said.
Jim Newman is a staff writer for the Morning News in Florence, S.C.
Source :http://www.journalnow.com
Miniaturized camera fits into a capsule for an intestinal journey
Science’s ability continually to miniaturize existing technology never ceases to amaze, and hospitals across the country are adding another gadget to their growing arsenal of medical marvels.
One such gadget is a tiny camera incorporated within a capsule that can be swallowed and, once on its way, is capable of transmitting thousands of images for analysis.
The pictures that PillCam takes are amazingly clear and detailed as the device travels down through the esophagus and into the stomach, where it is then passed on to its intended destination, the small intestine.
It’s akin to an unmanned probe that, in this case, is investigating the complexities of inner space. It occasionally tumbles end over end, all the while snapping away image after image to reveal a realm that previously went unseen. The view is not unlike the panoramic, fish-eye effect provided by an extreme wide-angle lens.
Dr. James Mann, a gastroenterologist in Florence, S.C., said that PillCam has already proved its worth as a useful tool for determining the existence of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, particularly Crohn’s disease, which affects about 500,000 people in the United States. “This allows us to detect Crohn’s disease in the small intestine and then evaluate the extent of the disease,” Mann said.
PillCam also lets doctors detect and isolate exactly where a portion of the small intestine might be bleeding. That’s been difficult because of the limited extent that an endoscope could probe into the small intestine.
“It’s impossible to evaluate the entire small intestine with an endoscope,” Mann said. “This allows us to look at the largest part of the GI tract, which has been off limits to us in the not-too-distant past.”
The entire process takes about eight hours for the device to pass through the entire GI tract, which also is about the duration its onboard battery is designed to last.
Each PillCam is designed for just one use.
Other applications include the survey of small bowel tumors, which are generally rare, Mann said. The apparatus gives him and other doctors the ability to peer directly into a world that is otherwise off limits to the human eye.
“Essentially, this affords us a tool to look at that ‘black box’ that is the small intestine,” he said.
Jim Newman is a staff writer for the Morning News in Florence, S.C.
Source :http://www.journalnow.com
GADGET GUY
Eighteen-volt drills are great for the power they pack, but the big drawback is their weight. Ridgid is out with a new one in a lightweight, compact package.
The lithium-ion battery gives the tool plenty of punch. And it weighs only 4.5 pounds, meaning you can use it longer before experiencing arm fatigue. That compares to most 12-volt drills.
The drill has a 1/2 -inch chuck and comes with two batteries and a quick charger.
Gadget Guy, aka Nolan Finley, is an editor at the Detroit News. You can reach him at nfinley@detnews.com.
Source :
New gadget zips through an ear of corn
Few one-purpose gizmos belong in the home kitchen. Most simply don't prove useful enough to justify occupying valuable real estate in your cabinets. But if you love fresh corn, Kuhn Rikon's Corn Zipper can make a compelling argument for finding a spot.
The gist of this wand-like device is to simplify removing kernels from corn cobs. The traditional method involves standing the ear on the fat end, running a serrated knife down the length of it and sawing the kernels off as you go.
The trouble with this is the difficulty in controlling the depth of your cut and where the kernels pop off and land. It is easy to leave much of the kernel on the cob, or cut too deeply and end up with chunky bits of cob in the corn.
The Corn Zipper remedies this by combining a sharp cutting surface with a guide that prevents it from digging too deeply. To use, hold an ear of corn in the palm of one hand, then run the Corn Zipper down the length of it. You get a perfect row of kernels stripped from the ear. Rotate the ear and repeat.
The Corn Zipper is easy to use after a few attempts. Care must be taken, however, with how you grip the corn. The Zipper can slip at the bottom of the ear and stab the palm of the hand holding it. (Kuhn Rikon, $12, www.kuhnrikon.com)
Yum, here's the rub
If you are grilling this Memorial Day weekend, try this Lime-Herb Rub from Grill It! by the Editors of Good Housekeeping (Hearst, 2005):
Grate 1 tablespoon lime zest and squeeze
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Combine them with 2 cups chopped mint leaves,
2 cups chopped cilantro leaves,
2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons minced ginger root, 3 crushed garlic cloves,
2 thin-sliced scallions, 2 teaspoons salt and
1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes (makes 11/2 cups).
Rub under the skin of chicken or over pork tenderloin or on salmon or other oily fish.
If you are watching your salt intake, try this Salt-Free Herb Rub: With fingers, crush together 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, 2 tablespoons dried thyme,
1 tablespoon dried tarragon and
1 tablespoon coarse-ground black pepper (makes 1/4 cup). Use 2 teaspoons herb mixture per pound uncooked beef or pork; 1 teaspoon per pound uncooked fish or chicken. Keeps tightly covered 6 months.
Blue Mojito time
The Hyatt Key West Resort & Marina has undergone a multi-million renovation including the Blue Mojito Pool Bar & Grill. Here, you can get the Signature Blue Mojito, the perfect cocktail for summer. To make it, place 3 lime wedges and 8 mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add 1 tablespoon simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil and cooled; add blue food coloring to make the drink blue) and muddle. Fill the mixer three quarters full of ice. Add 1/4 cup Pirate Choice Key Lime rum. Cap and shake. Strain into a glass, add ice and 2 tablespoons club soda. Garnish with a slice of key lime, a mint sprig, a sugar stick and a fun straw.
New life for old cookbooks
Replace your favorite damaged or lost cookbooks. Nevada husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Peter Peckham and Eddie Edwards can search their 15,000-item OldCookbooks.com collection (with titles from the late 1800s to the present) and send standards your way. Prices range from less than $10 into the hundreds of dollars. Call 775-337-6477 or go to www.oldcook books.com.
Source :http://www.sun-sentinel.com
Camera phone pioneer considers the gadget's cultural impact
The chilling sounds of gunfire on the Virginia Tech campus; the hateful taunts from Saddam Hussein's execution; the racist tirade of comedian Michael Richards.
Those videos, all shot with cell phone cameras and seen by millions, are just a few recent examples of the power now at the fingertips of the masses. Even the man widely credited with inventing the camera phone in 1997 is awed by the cultural revolution he helped launch.
"It's had a massive impact because it's just so convenient," said Philippe Kahn, a tech industry maverick whose other pioneering efforts include the founding of software maker Borland, an early Microsoft Corp. antagonist.
"There's always a way to capture memories and share it," he said. "You go to a restaurant, and there's a birthday and suddenly everyone is getting their camera phones out. It's amazing."
If Mr. Kahn feels a bit like a proud father when he sees people holding up their cell phones to snap pictures, there's good reason: He jury-rigged the first camera phone while his wife was in labor with their daughter.
"We were going to have a baby and I wanted to share the pictures with family and friends," Mr. Kahn said, "and there was no easy way to do it."
So as he sat in a maternity ward, he wrote a crude program on his laptop and sent an assistant to a RadioShack store to get a soldering iron, capacitors and other supplies to wire his digital camera to his cell phone. When Sophie was born, he sent her photo over a cellular connection to acquaintances around the globe.
A decade later, 41 percent of American households own a camera phone "and you can hardly find a phone without a camera anymore," said Michael Cai, an industry analyst at Parks Associates.
Market researcher Gartner Inc. predicts that about 589 million cell phones will be sold with cameras in 2007, increasing to more than 1 billion worldwide by 2010.
Mix in the Internet's vast reach and the growth of the YouTube generation, and the ubiquitous gadget's influence only deepens and gets more complicated. So much so that the watchful eyes on all of us may no longer just be those of Big Brother.
"For the past decade, we've been under surveillance under these big black and white cameras on buildings and at 7-Eleven stores. But the candid camera is wielded by individuals now," said Fred Turner, an assistant professor of communications at Stanford University who specializes in digital media and culture.
The contraption Mr. Kahn assembled in a Santa Cruz labor-and-delivery room in 1997 has evolved into a pocket-friendly phenomenon that has empowered both citizen journalists and personal paparazzi.
It has prompted lawsuits -- a student sued campus police at UCLA for alleged excessive force after officers were caught on cell-phone video using a stun gun during his arrest; and been a catalyst for change -- a government inquiry into police practices ensued in Malaysia after a cell-phone video revealed a woman detainee being forced to do squats while naked.
On another scale, parents use cell-phone slideshows -- not wallet photos -- to show off pictures of their children, while adolescents document their rites of passage with cell phone cameras and instantly share the images.
One of the recipients of Mr. Kahn's seminal photo e-mail was veteran technology consultant Andy Seybold, who recalled being "blown away" by the picture.
"The fact that it got sent wirelessly on the networks those days -- that was an amazing feat," Mr. Seybold said.
Mr. Kahn's makeshift photo-communications system formed the basis for a new company, LightSurf Technologies, which he later sold to VeriSign Inc. LightSurf built "PictureMail" software and worked with cell phone makers to integrate the wireless photo technology.
Sharp Corp. was the first to sell a commercial cell phone with a camera in Japan in 2000. Camera phones didn't debut in the U.S. until 2002, Mr. Kahn said.
Though Kahn's work revolved around transmitting only digital still photographs -- video-related developments were created by others in the imaging and chip industries -- his groundbreaking implementation of the instant-sharing via a cell phone planted a seed.
"He facilitated people putting cameras in a phone, and he proved that you can take a photo and send it to someone with a cell phone," Mr. Seybold said.
Mr. Kahn, 55, is well aware of how the camera phone has since been put to negative uses: sneaky shots up women's skirts, or the violent trend of "happy slapping" in Europe where youths provoke a fight or assault, capture the incident on camera and then spread the images on the Web or between mobile phones.
But he likes to focus on the technology's benefits. It's been a handy tool that has led to vindication for victims or validation for vigilantes.
As Mr. Kahn heard the smattering of stories in recent years about assailants scared off by a camera phone or criminals who were nabbed later because their faces or their license plates were captured on the gadget, he said, "I started feeling it was better than carrying a gun."
And though he found the camera-phone video of the former Iraqi dictator's execution disturbing, Mr. Kahn said the gadget helped "get the truth out." The unofficial footage surreptitiously taken by a guard was vastly different from the government-issued version and revealed a chaotic scene with angry exchanges depicting the ongoing problems between the nation's factions.
Mr. Kahn also thinks the evolution of the camera phone has only just begun.
He wouldn't discuss details of his newest startup, Fullpower Technologies Inc., which is in stealth mode working on the "convergence of life sciences and wireless," according to its Web site.
But, Mr. Kahn said, it will, among other things, "help make camera phones better."
Source :http://www.post-gazette.com
Saturday, May 26, 2007
One Eye Ball is Nothing Like It Sounds
Ever wanted Dog Vision? Nope, me neither. Artist Hung Chi-Penh (whose work can currently be seen at the Virgil de Voldaire gallery in NY) however, has created a helmet that gives you the canine perspective on the world—as well as possible dizziness.
Mr Hung's helmet, shaped like a dog's head, natch, has small LCD displays inside, that are connected to a knee-high tube that looks like an elephant's trunk with a camera at the end. The camera can be controlled either by hand or by moving the body, so you can view the world from different perspectives. So, to recap: knee-high vision; dizziness— sounds more like a Friday night-cocktail-Ad-chums-high heels-dancefloor interface to me. –
Legal Copying of HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs? Huh?
Movie studios and film companies are reportedly supporting a licensing agreement that's in the final stages of completion, and it might just let you legally copy HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs. This could be a crack in the armor, a compromise for the mess that is digital rights management (DRM). What, did hell freeze over?
ASDA Dumps CD Singles: About Time
I thought CD singles were long dead but then I remembered that lots of young people are still stupid and pay £2-3 for a single track from the latest pre-pubescent teen princess, jumped up soapstar and boy-girl porn-bands.
Well, ASDA has had enough because it's dumping CD singles, blaming Internet downloads. Downloads accounted for almost 80 per cent of sales in 2006. Tesco dropped them two months ago. Speaking to the Beeb, ASDA music buyer Andy Powell said:
“We're reluctantly saying goodbye to one of the most important products in music history.”
Yeah right. The CD was great for albums but CD singles were always a con. Woolworths could be next to ditch the expensive Frisbees although it’s denying any such plan. At least until next month.
Dress your Kid as a Toilet for Fun and Profit
Here's one that might interest any unreasonably cruel parents out there. Thanks to popular fancy dress depot Buycostumes.com, you can dress your child up (or an amiable dwarf) as a living, walking, breathing, and possibly dancing toilet.
Unfortunately this costume does not ship with functional plumbing so you'd be wise to pack a can or two of Oust in case your moving toilet stays stationary too long outside of a closing pub.
How exactly you'll convince your child to dress up like a bog and follow you around town, aside from confiscating all other clothing, is a bit of a mystery. It is however hilarious and we urge you all to purchase one of these and humiliate your children right now.
It's just under $50, so that's around 25 squids.
Harley Hearse For Hog Faithful
Some people don’t think a lot about what happens after they croak, while others obsess about it to the extent that they choose their death suit, the type of flowers and headstone, hire professional mourners and even subject those left behind to cringing pop music at the service.
It’s not often however, that you find something this specific. This is the £50,000 Harley hearse, the Kasiyan. The ornate, three-wheeled carriage is a replica of 19th century horse-drawn carriage and is pulled by a custom-built Harley Road King Classic, all so that hog fanatics will never have to compromise their obsession by riding in a Japanese-built hearse. The shame.
Caskets up to 39in wide can be carried, which is just as well considering the average waist size of most Harley riders.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Meizu M6 Mini Player SE, Reed-Thin and Getting Ready to Rock
We were already thinking the Meizu M6 was a damn good multimedia player, with FM and video playback plus a lower price than the iPod nano. Then Meizu announced its Meizu M6 Mini Player SE late last year, identical to the M6 except in one very important respect: It's scarcely thicker than a credit card. How does 7mm sound to you? That's just a hair fatter than the iPod nano's 6.5mm thickness.
Now it looks like we'll be seeing the finished product this August, offered only in 8GB trim, for the reasonable price of $130. Hey, that's $119 less than the 8GB nano. – pCharlie White
BoxTV Home Theater Projector is $499, But Is It Worth It?
Can you really get a good home theater projector for $499? That's the promise of the BoxTV Home Theater Projector, a 640x480 LCD unit that we've seen advertised in some places on the Web for $349. Hey, that's cheaper than a replacement bulb on most other home theater projectors. Plus, to change the bulb on this baby will only cost you $30. Sounds great.
The very idea of buying a home theater projector for such a low price piqued our curiosity. Is this even possible? Come on over to the next page, and find out.
Malignant Mole Bikini Scares You Out of the Sun
From Fiona Carswell, the same guilt-inducing designer who brought us that Smoking Jacket that shows the effects of smoking on a pair of illustrated lungs, now here's the Malignant Mole Bikini, whose ghastly melanomas begin to fade in as you get more and more sun exposure. What good is this thing, anyway?
Heartbeat Indicator Mouse Tells You to Set Down the Dew Dude
Besides reminding you that "life's click," the Heartbeat Indicator Mouse uses sensors positioned under your thumb to assess your level of health (like, surprise, your heart rate). It also keeps tabs on how long you've worked, or at least how long you've been holding the mouse.
Better yet, it can transmit all of this info via cell phone to your doc (or wife, maybe) if they want to track how close you are to seizing up in a Red Bull/Doritos coma while you're cruising Second Life.
Tele Atlas Software to Make GPS Traffic Data Much More Accurate
Tele Atlas, that company that creates mapping databases for many GPS devices, has teamed up with software startup Inrix, and the result is new trafficking software that uses billions of pieces of historical traffic data to predict how congested roads will be throughout the day.
You'll be able to use this software algorithm along with your GPS navigation system to receive accurate estimates of traffic flow, without paying for live traffic updates. What if there's an accident? There is one way to make this system even more accurate.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Kids create cars with ‘Gary Gadget’
“Thingamabobs” and “watchamacallits” take center stage in “Gary Gadget: Building Cars,” a software game from Viva-Media.
This novel game encourages children to experiment with old auto parts and other junk items to build cars.
Kids work with Gary Gadget, an inventor who owns a salvage yard.
His junkyard provides children with more than 120 parts to experiment with to build cars.
Gary acts as a consultant and adviser.
At first, kids will find only a few items in the junkyard, so combining pieces is pretty easy.
They scavenge the yard and select pieces to click-and-drag into Gary’s workshop.
Gary provides a frame onto which the parts will adhere.
To find out what a part does, you need only click on it, and Gary will speak up. If you drag a part close enough to where it can fit on the car, it will click into place.
By trial and error, you learn that a car must have an engine, battery, fuel tank, gearbox, brakes, horn, steering wheel and tires (or something just as good).
Once you have assembled a car with all the necessary parts, Gary invites you to take it for a spin. You direct Gary’s driving to go to visit his neighbors.
You can “drive” by using either the arrow keys or the mouse, a process that isn’t very responsive.
Each of Gary’s neighbors needs your help, which results in your going on 16 missions.
In one, Mia Minardi’s cat is stuck in a tree, and you will have to return to the workshop to reconfigure your car so that you can rescue the cat.
Luckily for you, the junkyard has a discarded fire engine ladder.
As the game progresses, you get access to new parts because Gary is constantly getting new junk delivered.
Also, accomplishing a mission will earn you helpful items for your cars.
And if you log onto www.gary-gadget.com, you can download more parts (and a bonus game about sorting the parts).
While it is easy to throw together a car, your vehicle may not be able to drive where you want it to go.
Mudslides need wheels with special traction, driving up a mountainside needs a strong engine, and getting cows to move off the road takes a special horn.
The game requires kids to experiment with different parts to create cars that can accomplish specific tasks.
Medals and certificates are awarded for accomplishing milestones such as figuring out how to create a fuel-efficient car, or one that is lightweight.
One of the activities challenges you to design a car for speed and race it at the raceway.
“Building Cars” is a good fit for kids ages 6 to 10 who like cars or like to tinker.
If your kids enjoy creating with Legos or other building sets, then they will probably enjoy this open-ended game of constructing cars.
But, if your kids are used to playing fast-paced video games, they will probably quit this game before they discover its imaginative playground.
Source :http://www.baxterbulletin.com/
The gadget that changed the world
The chilling sounds of gunfire on the Virginia Tech campus. The hateful taunts from Saddam Hussein's execution.
Those videos, shot with mobile phone cameras and seen by millions, are just a couple of recent examples of the power now at the fingertips of the masses.
Even the man widely credited with inventing the camera phone in 1997 is awed by the cultural revolution he helped launch.
"It's had a massive impact because it's just so convenient," said Philippe Kahn, a tech industry maverick whose other pioneering efforts include the founding of software maker Borland, an early Microsoft competitor.
"There's always a way to capture memories and share it," he said. "You go to a restaurant, and there's a birthday and suddenly everyone is getting their camera phones out. It's amazing."
If Kahn feels a bit like a proud father when he sees people holding up their mobile phones to snap pictures, there is good reason: He jury-rigged the first camera phone while his wife was in labour with their daughter.
"We were going to have a baby and I wanted to share the pictures with family and friends," Kahn said, "and there was no easy way to do it."
So as he sat in a maternity ward, he wrote a crude program on his laptop and sent an assistant to a RadioShack store to get a soldering iron, capacitors and other supplies to wire his digital camera to his mobile phone. When Sophie was born, he sent her photo over a cellular connection to acquaintances around the globe.
A decade later, 41 per cent of American households own a camera phone "and you can hardly find a phone without a camera anymore," said Michael Cai, an industry analyst at Parks Associates.
Market researcher Gartner Inc. predicts that about 589 million mobile phones will be sold with cameras in 2007, increasing to more than 1 billion worldwide by 2010.
Mix in the internet's vast reach and the growth of the YouTube generation, and the ubiquitous gadget's influence only deepens and gets more complicated. So much so that the watchful eyes on all of us may no longer just be those of Big Brother.
"For the past decade, we've been under surveillance under these big black and white cameras on buildings and at 7-Eleven stores. But the candid camera is wielded by individuals now," said Fred Turner, an assistant professor of communications at Stanford University who specialises in digital media and culture.
The contraption Kahn assembled in a Santa Cruz labour-and-delivery room in 1997 has evolved into a pocket-friendly phenomenon that has empowered both citizen journalists and personal paparazzi.
Source :http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au
Nintendo Wii Ultimate Fitness Gadget: Big Weight Loss
The Nintendo Wii really has got to be the ultimate fitness gadget for home as since the games console was launched I personally know of two people that play the thing like mad and these two friends were overweight, but they have told me they have lossed a lot of weight since buying the machine…and it shows.
Save your money and instead of spending money on these health clubs, just get a Nintendo Wii.
You really can make a big weight loss and this should not really surprise anyone as it makes sense if your up of your backside and jumping around like a looney then your going to burn calories and lose weight.
One of the best games I feel burns the most calories on the Nintendo Wii is the Wii Sports game that gives its players 5 different sports experiences which include Boxing, Bowling, Baseball, Golf and Tennis.
Now although you are not playing these sports in real life, you still have to act like you are which means tons of exercise and weight loss again.
I think Nintendo have built a games system that will do our children the world of good for their health and future (and adults too), well done Nintendo.
Source :http://www.product-reviews.net
CompUSA to narrow focus to gadget lovers, businesses
CompUSA Inc., the electronics retailer that recently announced it would close more than half its stores, says it will attempt to rebuild by narrowing its focus on core customers including gadget lovers and small and medium businesses.
Chief Executive Roman Ross says the company would no longer try ``to be everything to everyone.''
The Dallas chain, which is controlled by Mexico's Grupo Carso SA, announced the new strategy Tuesday.
CompUSA officials said it will increase the number of products in some key growth areas to serve technology enthusiasts, professionals and businesses. It is testing a format in which part of the store would be specifically for small and medium business customers.
Officials said they would stock more products aimed at business users, including bringing back a commercial laser printer, a dot matrix printer and point-of-sale machines. They also plan to hold free seminars for small business owners in the stores.
Ross said the chain was moving away from its current, more general approach to appeal to core customers.
``Our goal is not to be everything to everyone,'' he said in a statement. ``We're focusing our efforts on the customer base that best aligns with our clear value proposition.''
CompUSA ran into trouble in the late 1990s as prices fell on its most important product, personal computers. The chain also struggled against big-box competitors such as Best Buy Co. and Circuit City Stores Inc.
In February, CompUSA announced it would close 126 stores in the following three months and get a cash infusion of $440 million to restructure. The company plans to operate 103 stores in 39 states (including one in Fairlawn).
The privately held chain doesn't release revenue figures. Its parent company is controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, who took CompUSA private in 2000, but kept its headquarters in Dallas.
From mid-2005 through September 2006, the company churned through two CEOs before settling on Ross, who had worked for Philip Morris' Mexican affiliate, which is partly owned by Grupo Carso. There also has been turnover in other top jobs.
Source : http://www.ohio.com/
Friday, May 18, 2007
Traveler 515 Laser Mouse with Flip 3D Button Gives You an Excuse to Actually Use Flip 3D
If you've been dying to use Windows Vista's stacktastic Expose killer (or not) Flip 3D but stretching your fingers from the Windows key to tab is too much effort for your slackass, then the Traveler 515 Laser mouse might be your ticket to supreme Vista bliss (or not). It sports a dedicated Flip 3D button, as well as one for smart IE search, running whatever's highlighted through your default IE search engine.
Everything else is pretty standard: "hyper-speed turbo scroll," 1600/800 dpi, and ambidexterity for lefties and righties. No price, but since I use Alt+Tab and Firefox, and "hyper-speed turbo scroll" actually sounds a little scary, I'll stick with my MX 500.
Black Helicopters Following Bush Jam Mobile Phones, Hover in Silent Mode
When the esteemed leader of the states visits the terrorist nation of Australia in September to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, a helicopter that jams mobile signals within the span of a football field will tail his motorcade. The measure is intended to counter cellphone-detonated bomb attacks, but I mean, now don't the turrists know they have a few months to work around the whole dead mobile deal?
Plus, if they want to find him, won't the massive rolling mobile outage give a pretty good indication of his position? That said, I'd like to borrow the gear next time I hit the airport.
Samsung 8GB Cell Phone Memory Card Will Let You Store All the Rocky Movies on Your Mobile
Samsung says it has developed the world's largest microSD memory card. At 8GB, the fingernail-sized card can store 2,000 MP3 files, 4,000 digital photos or around five DVD-quality movies. With a read speed of 16 MB/s and a write speed of 6MB/s, the 8GB memory card is one-and-a-half times faster than the Speed Class 4 SDHC standard.
USB Charger Powered By Simply Inhaling
Now you can charge up all your USB-powered devices by simply breathing. Here's a guy who figured out a way to make his own charging device out of a few spare parts from a CD-ROM drive and some rubber bands. Strapping this odd-looking thingamajig around his chest, it derives its power from the expansion of his chest when he breathes.
This might be a great idea for high-altitude hikers, who must breathe a lot more than usual while ascending steep slopes into thinner air. From the looks of it, this contraption is not easy to make, but check out Instructables for the full step-by-step instructions. Goes to show, you never know where you might be able to tap into some energy that's already there, literally right under your nose.
Halo 3 Launches September 25/26
Well, now it’s official. Microsoft has confirmed that Halo 3 will launch in the US on Sept 25, followed by Europe on Sept 26. This is earlier than predicted and points to Microsoft making an early dash to snag as many Christmas Xbox 360 console sales as possible.
The company claims that the game will ‘shatter’ one-day entertainment sales records and it’s probably right, considering 2.5m copies of Halo 2 sold in the first 24 hours. So far, over 14m copies of Halo games are in the wild. The multiplayer beta kicked off yesterday and already the signs are good.
Microsoft will be also flogging a special Halo 3 edition of the Zune music player sporting Halo music and artwork - after all, it needs all the help it can get. There will be three versions of the game on offer and I’ve only got US pricing so far: basic game $59.99 (£30), a Limited Edition for $69.99 (£35) and a Legendary Edition for $129.99 (£65). Just add around £20+ to each.
Jump now for a photo of the Legendary Edition.
Judge Baffled By Internet In Internet Court Case
Oh dear. Maybe there is a good reason why judges wear those silly, poofy wigs and costumes. It’s not tradition, it's because they really are hundreds of years old and exist suspended in a vacuum of time where the only ‘net’ they had to contend with belonged to fishermen.
A UK judge overseeing a case about alleged inciting of terrorism via the Internet stopped prosecutors on Wednesday to ask what a ‘Web site’ site was.
The prosecutor kindly took time out to explain ‘Web sites’ and ‘forums’ to our legal system’s equivalent of a Tree Ent.
Judge Peter Openshaw said: "The trouble is I don't understand the language. I don't really understand what a Web site is.”
While I don’t expect a judge to be an expert in all aspects of the cases they face, I think that appointing a non-surfer to a Net case is frankly, baffling.
BitTorrent Pirate Lands In Clink
Today a Hong Kong man became the first person to be jailed for BitTorrent- related video piracy. (Note: He is not the actual pirate shown in our illustration.)
Yep, Chan Nai-ming got three months in jail, a month each for Daredevil, Miss Congeniality and Red Planet. I mean, Miss Congeniality I understand, but Red Planet???? The Court of Appeal were swayed in the end not so much by the man's behavior but by his online handle, "Big Crook." Excuse me while I change my screenname to "InnocentGuy2077".
Uber-Hip Sneaker with Secret Compartment
Behold the Archport Classic. *Cough*. Stylish, isn't it? I see it as the kind of shoe that Max from Hart To Hart would be wearing if he was still alive and they had commissioned Hart To Hart: The Geritol Years and he was schlepping around an old people's home waiting for Jon and Jen ("She's gawjus") to bring him soft fruits and news of Freeway.
The Archport Classic is not just any old shoe, however. As well as being excellent for "working out at the gym or just hanging out" it's got a secret hidden compartment, the Archport™ cartridge, for you to stash a door key and three credit cards (or similar-sized items, should you be uncreditworthy) or cash. Available in white or Widow Black (Omigod, call Jen and Jon, they murdered someone at the old folks' home!) it'll cost you $79.99 and get you all the envious looks your cataracts can handle at Sunset View.
Watch Keychain Concept Makes You Jingle all the Time
Although the concept of putting a watch on a keychain is a good one—one less thing to carry around—the fact that it's a keychain makes it less than convenient. Why? Imagine having to fish out the lump of metal with all 10 of your keys to see what time it is, while at the same time trying to keep your wallet inside your pocket with the other hand, clumsily.
Then there's the noise issue, which means the jingling of your keys will alert everyone that you're checking the time for the fourth time in ten minutes, which we're sure the judge won't appreciate.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
It's Time To Terminate The Cellular Industry's Calling Plans
Think for a moment of the ideal business. Your company is one of a handful of suppliers of a service. Customers must get their equipment from you. They can use your service on your terms only. They can’t leave without getting hit with large penalties. The quality of the service isn’t that great, contrasted with other places around the world.
Welcome to the world of telecommunications. Once upon a time, most of that description could have applied to the old Ma Bell, AT&T, which provided the telephone service and controlled access to the telephones. Over the years, the old Bell System’s controls largely slipped away as regulators in 1968 decided that equipment other than the “official” gear could be attached to the network, leading to developments like the fax machine, modems and faster connections to the Internet.
The spirit of Ma Bell lives on in her grandchildren, the cellular industry. Verizon and AT&T, the direct descendents, as well as industry cousins Sprint and T-Mobile, like to present the appearance of competition. To a degree, they are right. There are four national carriers, and those carriers are spending millions of dollars to attract customers. They do offer lots of phones. That’s all well and good, but irrelevant.
What the carriers have in common is much greater than what sets them apart, namely the business structure that requires a customer to buy a certain amount of minutes (local and long-distance combined) and strongly encourages the purchase of an “approved’ handset through subsidies on the price, all locked into place by high termination fees and restricted terms of service.
There is hope for cellular customers, however. Skype, the revolutionary company that provides software for making calls over the wired Internet as well as through Wi-Fi connections, has asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to apply the same rules to cellular phone companies that apply to regular telephones. Skype’s petition, supported by public-interest and consumer groups (including my day-job employer Public Knowledge) was long overdue.
From the beginning of the cellular industry in the U.S., regulators looked the other way as consumers were effectively trapped. The mistaken theory was that because there is “competition” in the business, the same rules as for landline telephones needn’t apply.
The cellular industry isn’t giving up its stranglehold without a fight. What is amazing, however, is that the arguments they are using now are basically the same arguments that the old AT&T used, unsuccessfully, 40 years ago.
Consider this summary of AT&T’s position in 1968, as described by the FCC: “Installation of unauthorized equipment, according to the telephone companies, would have at least two negative results. First, it would divide the responsibility for assuring that each part of the system is able to function effectively and, second, it would retard development of the system…”
AT&T told the FCC last month that it must protect its network against harm, needs to sustain innovation. AT&T, for example, argued: “… although AT&T does not prohibit the use of uncertified handsets, AT&T strongly encourages its customers to use certified handsets – those that are optimized for its network – and it guarantees the service of and provides technical support only for those handsets.”
The company also told the Commission: “Regulatory intervention at this point, with the market in its infancy, could have disastrous long-term effects, distorting investment and stifling the ongoing innovation and experimentation that is critical…”
Verizon chipped by saying that “Customers would no longer enjoy one-stop customer service on their devices from the carrier,” which would lead to frustrated customers. It does sound familiar.
Cell phone companies, it is true; develop their own special features. Each has its own music download service, and each is working on video delivery. The catch is that the customer can only use the download service from that one company. You can’t use Sprint’s music service on Verizon, and you can’t use iTunes on any phones that are not specially equipped. You can’t use Skype, either. While it’s technically possible to download the Skype software to some smart phones, the Terms of Service of the cellphone companies prohibit specifically use of “Voice over Internet Protocol” calling.
Here is what AT&T says you can do with your phone and the service you buy: “Data Service sessions may be conducted only for the following purposes: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) email; and (iii) corporate intranet access (including access to corporate email, customer relationship management, sales force automation, and field service automation applications).”
Ma Bell’s time has expired. She’s used up her minutes. The same arguments didn’t hold up then and don’t hold up now. It’s time for the FCC to introduce the same competition and freedom into the wireless world that it did for the wired telephones nearly 40 years ago.
Source : http://www.tpmcafe.com
Darth Vader Phones Home
Ring….ring…ring
Luke: Yeah, who is it?
Darth Vader: [heavy breathing] It’s your father, Luke
Luke: Yeah, what now?
Darth Vader: Make sure you put the bins out before you leave the house.
Luke: Do it yourself..Dad?
Darth Vader: Don’t take that tone with me boy. You put those damn bins out!
Luke: Yeah? Or what you shiny-headed freak?
Darth Vader: Or I’ll chop your friggin’ hand off, you Rebel-loving punk
Luke: Later loser.
Darth Vader: Don’t you hang u…...[dial-tone] ARRGH – Get me my ship.
If you need a little bit of Darth in your life, you can opt for the official Darth Vader Phone. For £20, you get the Imperial March when an incoming call arrives along with a little head-turning action. There are three sound effects in all: Imperial March, saber swing, and the iconic, 80-a-day heavy breathing. Hardly new, I know, but then again, Star Wars will never, ever, ever go away.
Trey Gaming Chair is Both an Office Chair and a Gentleman
While your standard office chair is great for when you need to file your taxes and a bean bag is great for when you're getting lazy in the living room, there's rarely a time you'll be able to use one for the other's purpose. That's why this Trey Gaming Chair is so neat, especially for dorms and apartments where space is tight.
The chair looks like a normal chair at first, but you can detatch the back or the bottom in order to turn it into a stool, a rocking chair, a tray, a tiny chair or a foot rest. All this at a price of $239, and you've got the perfect chair for college kids.
Acer Jazzes Up Laptops With BMW
You’re no one these days without a glossy black finish on your products and Acer has decided that even average notebook owners deserve a little bit of style, thanks to some help from BMW designers.
Right on the back of Intel’s launch of its next-gen Centrino mobile processor yesterday – codenamed Santa Rosa - Acer has launched four new consumer lappies sporting its new ‘Gemstone’ styling. The glossy dark exterior and beveled edges mirror the bright pearl-grey finish on the inside. As laptops with normal prices go, these certainly are good looking beasts.
There are four models: the Aspire 5720, the 5920, 7720 and the high-end 9920, the latter sporting a massive 20in display, camera, digital TV tuner and HD DVD drive. They are also the first to get Dolby Home Theatre Virtual Surround-approved.
Selected models come with the option of using Intel’s TurboMemory technology – codenamed Robson – which uses Flash memory for faster access to the most used applications as well as a claimed 20 per cent boost to boot up times. No prices yet, but imminent. Jump now for another photo.
Mozilla Prepping a Mobile Firefox Browser May 11, 2007
As well as spying on couples shagging from space, Google Earth junkies might soon be able to get audio with the visuals.
That said, the sounds on offer from Wild Sanctuary are strictly U-rated and family-friendly.
The Californian company says it has 3,500 hours of natural soundscapes, from cities to deserts, that could be used to accompany Google Earth images. Its founder, Bernie Krause has spent 40 years collecting sounds, including 15,000 different animal sounds.
Although he’s talking to Google, there’s no deal yet. He’ll be showing off up to two dozen sounds first at the Where 2.0 conference at the end of the month.
Limited Edition Colorware Xbox 360 Commissioned for Simpsons Movie: Get Your Own
If you're a fan of the Simpsons or Xbox 360, take a look at this limited edition Simpsons Movie console. There's only 100 models being made, which are being given out as prizes in various competitions leading up to the movie's release on July 27.
However, we did get an insider tip that told us Colorware did the work for these. You know, Colorware, the same guys who paint Xbox 360s, PS3s, and Wiis for you? So you could technically get make your own Simpsons-ish console by ordering a yellow-colored one from Colorware. Just be prepared to go without Homer's head. But it does match in well with the EA Simpsons game that's coming soon too. – Jason Chen
Spamtrap, a Guillotine For Junk Email
Here's an emotionally satisfying piece of performance art, an installation called "Spamtrap" by artist Bill Shackelford. Its sole purpose is to entrap spam email into its Pentium II PC that's connected to a wireless network, print out the messages, and then unceremoniously rip them all to shreds, accumulating into a big pathetic pile of rubbish.
Part of the fun is the artist's luring of the spam by posting email addresses on numerous websites and bulletin boards. And, as spam messages are received, their addresses are sent to various blacklists on the Interwebs in an attempt to spare others the craptastic suffering from such detritus. Of course, the pile of shredded paper is recycled to alleviate any guilt or bad karma.
Take the jump to see the grisly executions, as well as a few observations.
Digital LED Fan Isn't any Colder than a Normal Fan
This fan uses LEDs to display the temperature on its whirring blades. That way you can look over at it and realize just how hot it is and that you should have bought air conditioning instead of a gimmicky fan. Nice work, idiot.
Mozilla Prepping a Mobile Firefox Browser
Looks like our favorite Web browser is about to go mobile. Mozilla head honcho, Mitchell Baker, told the folks at APC magazine that Mozilla is working on a Firefox to go for your cellphone.
It's a long-term project (meaning it's not coming out any time soon), but the goal is to allow it to work with all the add-ons and plug-ins that the full version works with. As long as it works on my smartphone, sign me up. – Louis Ramirez
Monday, May 7, 2007
Portable GameCube Advance
At first glance, we thought the Portable GameCube Advance was the product of console miniaturizer Benjamin Heckendorn, who has shrunk some of our favorites into nearly portable packages.
But the Portable GameCube Advance is really the work of a random email tipster...surely not just a Photoshop rendition...but an entirely ready-to-go product complete with external OLED display and MP3 playback that will be in stores any day now.
Hit the jump for a picture of the music functions in action.
Laser Dance Matrix: No Black Required May 07, 2007
Sony will release five new Bravia HDTVs this summer, ranging in size from 26in to 40in.
Surprisingly, with many manufacturers opting for full 1080p sets, all of Sony’s new tellys will be 720p, placing them squarely in the entry-to-mid level arena. That said, all will come with a very useful three HDMI inputs – barr the 26-incher with two, and that’s still generous on a sub-32in TV, which usually only get one.
The models are KDL-26S3000U (26in), KDL-32D3000U (32in), KDL-32S3000U (32in), the KDL-40D3000U (40in) and the KDL-40S3000U (40in). Each has an integrated tuner and supports Bravia Theatre Sync, which allows a single remote to control numerous Sony products simultaneously. No prices yet.
No Black Required
The Laser Dance Matrix is the brainchild of Applied Sciences. It's a DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) pad matrix for getting down up, up, right, back style. But instead of relying on pressure sensitivity as most pads do, the Laser Dance Matrix senses foot position based upon breaking the proper laser beams (we're assuming in the correct places, though you might be able to cheat). Dancing occurs right on the floor.
The prototype is USB compatible, though it requires a separate power source for all those badass, entirely invisible laser beams. We wish that Xbox 360 wasn't so hard on third party manufacturers, otherwise we'd be happy to trade the Matrix for their one supported break-your-neck-plastic style pad.
Hit the link to vote on whether or not Applied Sciences should sell the unit. Click "yes" and that we want the preassembled units. Because I'm lazier than I am cheap.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Pakistani government may stop mobile video service
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), which regulates radio and TV in Pakistan, has served a notice to Telenor, a Norwegian telecommunications company, that it can't offer a mobile TV service in the country without a license. According to the news report carried by the leading English daily of Pakistan, Dawn, Telenor has already sold more than 300 TV connections.
The controversy started after Telenor started offering the service on April 28.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority gave Telenor a license to operate a mobile phone service four years earlier, but it's not clear whether that license covered TV. Telenor believes it does, but PEMRA disagrees. According to the Dawn report, Telenor should not have offered its mobile TV service to its subscribers without a formal license from PEMRA.
Source : http://www.zdnetasia.com
DRM Heavies On The Way
The body behind the much loved copy protection system, AACS (Advanced Access Content System) has said bloggers were wrong to have posted a software key that lets naughty people hack, high-def HD DVD movies.
Digg posted the software key against a ‘cease and desist’ notice and it can now be found on hundreds of thousands of Web sites and, even T-Shirts. The AACS body is evaluating ‘legal and technical' tools, to make those bloggers stop. Speaking to the Beeb, Michael Ayers, chair of the AACS, said:
"It started out as a circumvention effort six to eight weeks ago but we now see the key on YouTube and on T-Shirts. Some people clearly think it's a First Amendment issue. There is no intent from us to interfere with people's right to discuss copy protection. We respect free speech. They can discuss the pros and cons. We know some people are critical of the technology. But a line is crossed when we start seeing keys being distributed and tools for circumvention. You step outside of the realm of protected free speech then.”
In the meantime, the body is working on a new key which will, no doubt, be as completely impregnable as the last one. Check out the Wired survey on how long the new key will last before being smashed wide open. I give it less than a week
Friday, May 4, 2007
IBM Creates Self-Assembling Chips Modeled After Nature
IBM is taking a cue from nature to build the next generation computer chips. IBM borrowed the natural pattern-creating process that forms seashells, snowflakes and tooth enamel to help create next-generation chips. The method form trillions of holes to create vacuums as insulation around the miles of nano-scale wires packed next to each other inside the chip.
Today, chips are manufactured with copper wiring surrounded by an insulator, which involves using a mask to create circuit patterns by beaming light through the mask and later chemically removing the parts that are not needed.
The new technique skips the masking and light-etching process, opting to use a vacuum gap – misleadingly referred to as airgaps – as an insulator. IBM scientists discovered the right mix of compounds, which they poured onto a silicon wafer with the wired chip patterns, and then baked it.
This concept occurs in nature for the formation of snowflakes, seashells and tooth enamel. The major difference is that IBM has been able to direct the self-assembly process to form trillions of holes that are all similar, while the processes that occur in nature are all unique.
This process provides the right environment for the compounds to assemble in a directed manner, creating trillions of uniform, nano-scale holes across an entire 300 millimeter wafer. These holes are just 20 nanometers in diameter, up to five times smaller than would be possible using today’s most advanced lithography technique.
Once the holes are formed, the carbon silicate glass is removed, creating a vacuum between the wires allowing the electrical signals to either flow 35 percent faster, or to consume 15 percent less energy. A vacuum is believed to be the ultimate insulator for what is known as wiring capacitance, which occurs when two conductors, in this case adjacent wires on a chip, sap or siphon electrical energy from one another, generating undesirable heat and slowing the speed at which data can move through a chip.
“This is the first time anyone has proven the ability to synthesize mass quantities of these self-assembled polymers and integrate them into an existing manufacturing process with great yield results,” said Dan Edelstein, chief scientist of the self-assembly airgap project. “By moving self assembly from the lab to the fab, we are able to make chips that are smaller, faster and consume less power than existing materials and design architectures allow.”
IBM boasts that its self-assembly nanotechnology process provide the equivalent of two generations of Moore's Law wiring performance improvements in a single step. The self-assembly process already has been integrated with IBM manufacturing line in East Fishkill, New York and is expected to be fully incorporated in IBM’s manufacturing lines and used in chips in 2009. Furthermore, this new technology can be incorporated into any standard CMOS manufacturing line, without disruption or new tooling.
The chips will be used in IBM's server product lines and thereafter for chips IBM builds for other companies, for example, the Cell Broadband Engine found in the PlayStation 3 and various servers.
Over the past few months, IBM has had a number of major chip technology announcements and demonstrations that the company claims will extend Moore’s Law. In December, IBM announced the first 45nm chips using immersion lithography and ultra-low-K interconnect dielectrics.
In January, IBM announced high-k metal gate, which substitutes a new material into a critical portion of the transistor that controls its primary on/off switching function. In February, IBM revealed its on-chip memory technology that features the fastest access times ever recorded in eDRAM. Then in March, IBM unveiled a prototype optical transceiver chipset capable of reaching speeds at least eight-times faster than optical components available today. More recently, IBM developed a new chip stacking technology that shortens wire lengths inside chips up to 1000 times.
Motorola Unveils the W215 Phone
Motorola today expanded its mass market offerings with the new W215.
The W215 is a sleek looking candy-bar handset that packs features including: a VGA camera with 4x zoom; 65K TFT color display; and integrated stereo FM radio with speaker phone, offering up to 14 hours continuous playback and the option to preset 9 FM channels.
The phone also features a large internal phonebook with up to 500 contacts, the ability to store up to 750 SMS, downloadable ring tones, iTAP predictive text messaging, IMB of user storage, and extended battery life with talk time of up to 470 minutes and standby time of around 300 hours.
Besides, the W215 comes with Hindi read and write capability, and menu color personalization apart from add-ons like lantern functionality, currency converter, etc.
Speaking at the launch, Lloyd Mathias, Director of Marketing, Motorola South West Asia Mobile Devices, said the W215 seeks to address the multi-tasking needs of aspiring Indian consumers for whom affordability and features are essential, without compromising on style and design.
The Motorola W215 is immediately available for around Rs 4,000.
RIM Announces 'BlackBerry Curve'
Research In Motion (RIM) has announced its newest 'BlackBerry Curve,' calling it the smallest and lightest full QWERTY BlackBerry smart phone yet.
With a liquid Silver finish, chrome highlights, smooth edges, and soft curves, the full-featured 'BlackBerry Curve' comes with a full QWERTY keyboard, a large display, and an innovative trackball navigation system, at a size of 4.2 x 2.4 x 036 inches, and a weight of approximately 3.9 oz.
The ultra-bright 320 x 240 display includes RIM's light sensing technology, which automatically adjusts backlighting levels for indoor, outdoor, and dark environments.
The 'Curve' features a 2 megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror, and full screen viewfinder. The camera can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS, or BlackBerry Messenger, and transferred over Bluetooth or USB cable.
The new BlackBerry has a crisp and clear audio system, and music and videos are played through the handset's integrated speaker, or the 3.5 mm stereo jack. The Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP) is supported, and dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.
The 'BlackBerry Curve' includes a powerful new desktop media manager called the Roxio Media Manager for BlackBerry, which was developed with Sonic. This media manager allows users easily search for media files on their computers, view and organize them, create MP3 music files from CDs, add audio tages, create playlists, and automatically copy or convert pictures, music, and videos for optimal playback on the 'Curve'.
The media manager also includes Roxio Photosuite 9 LE, which is a comprehensive tool that makes it easier editing pictures and creating photo albums.
The new phone has a refined media player, which allows users search for music simply by typing the title, genre, artist, or album name. Videos too can be played in full screen mode.
The 'Curve' comes with a microSD expansion slot for added storage of music, videos, and pictures, and supports up to 2GB cards available today.
RIM's newest BlackBerry sports a high-performance browser that can download and display HTML Web pages quickly and efficiently.
Significantly, the smart phone displays many convenient phone features including: Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD); Bluetooth 2.0 support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits, and Bluetooth peripherals; quad-band operation for global roaming; dedicated 'send', 'end', and 'mute' keys; smart dialing; speed dialing; conference calling; call forwarding; noise cancellation technology to offset background noise; a low-distortion speakerphone for hands-free conversations; and support for polyphonic, MP3, and MIDI ring tones.
Besides, it comes with all of BlackBerry's renowned email and messaging capabilities. Additionally, it features a new integrated spell checker with a user-customizable dictionary.
Supported on the BlackBerry Internet service and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, the 'BlackBerry Curve' comes accompanied by accessories, including a stereo headset, travel charger, carrying pouch, and USB cable.
RIM's newest smart phone will be available through wireless carriers across the globe, including AT&T in the US, beginning this spring. In India, it is expected to be available later this year.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi/Cellular Service Expanding This Summer
The Wall Street Journal announced this morning that T-Mobile USA will soon be launching the nationwide rollout of its fixed/mobile convergence solution, which lets its cellular (GSM) customers also make calls over Wi-Fi connections, using dual-mode phones supporting both. Calls made on one network continue even as the user moves onto the other.
T-Mobile has not announced it directly, and did not respond when asked about it. Kineto Wireless, the company that helped develop (and heavily promotes) the UMA technology powering the service, declined to comment aside from saying that T-Mobile's hotspots in other cities outside Seattle definitely support the phones.
The service has been in trials in Washington state since September of 2006. It’s offered now under the name Hotspot@Home. Currently, users pay $20 extra a month to T-Mobile (on top of $40 per month or more for voice service) for unlimited use of the phone in their home, at T-Mobile hotspot, or (in theory) over any Wi-Fi-based connection to the Internet (though the “any Wi-Fi” theory is not confirmed). $5 adds another family member. Users can skip the extra fees and just use the existing minutes on their account, whether on a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
Early technical problems with the service included issues with the hand-off of calls between networks.
Phones for Hotspot@Home, supporting both Wi-Fi and GSM cellular, are made by Nokia and Samsung. T-Mobile may also offer customers a wireless router that will work with the phones to further increase the battery life -- Wi-Fi is a notorious battery drainer, even when a device isn’t in active use, something many Wi-Fi handset makers are working on. Currently, Hotspot@Home customers can use a home router of any kind.
T-Mobile, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom (Quote), now has 8,000 hotspots in the U.S., including those found in Starbucks and Borders Books. The company has 25 million phone subscribers, and is in the process of upgrading its cellular network to support 3G wireless broadband. Deutsche Telekom canceled a similar service through its T-One subsidiary in Germany, but other carriers, like BT and Orange, have launched fixed/mobile convergence (F/MC) networks in Europe.
Source : http://www.wi-fiplanet.com
Creative's Budget MP3 Range
Creative is tackling the budget end of the MP3 player market with the new, colourful Zen Stone range of 1GB players which will barely tickle your wallet at £28.
Available in six colours - black, white, red, blue, pink and green –the player weighs in at 18.3g and measures 53.7x35.3x12.8mm. The 1GB capacity will take 500 songs, assuming a 4-minute track length, so Pink Floyd fans might want to do some math first.
It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which Creative claims is good for 10 hours and it supports MP3, WMA and WMA with DRM 9 files. You can even opt for some Zen Stone accessories, like the matching silicon skins, the sporty armband+skin combo and a “fashionable keychain” with a tiny case for putting the player in.
Pics of the keychain and the armband after the jump.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
BBC iPlayer Gets Green Light
BBC overlord, the BBC Trust, has given the green light for the Beeb’s planned on-demand TV service. The proposed iPlayer service will allow us viewers to catch up on top BBC shows online for up to seven days after they were originally shown on the TV. It launches later this year.
You’ll be able to watch shows streamed over the Net – depending on the speed of your link – while others will be downloadable and can be stored on your PC for up to 30 days. The iPlayer service has been designed to run on Windows-based PCs with a big fat snub to Apple Mac users – even after stealing the ‘i’ for the service name.
The Trust has asked the BBC to rectify the matter within a ‘reasonable time frame’, but don't hold your breath. It’s not only Apple users getting the brush-off though, but arty-types too, since the Trust is not allowing classical recordings or book readings to be downloaded via iPlayer.
The iPlayer service is certainly going to be useful but, for me, the most important aspect was that this was the first proposed service to go through a public evaluation process, or Public Value Test (PVT), to test public response. In iPlayer’s case, a massive 10,500 people and organisations responded, most of them favourably.
It just goes to show that sometimes, just sometimes, that if enough of us want something we can get it.
The Steampunk Mouse: Groovy
I’m not the biggest fan of computer mice. I’m an average gamer who accepts that not all the DPI sensitivity in the world is going to improve my kill rate or reduce the speed at which my ass gets fried in online Halo 2.
Still, I’d have this mouse in a heart-beat, if only to look at all day long. This is The Bug, a cracking Steampunk mouse by the talented Jake. Other Steampunk inventions I’ve enjoyed recently are the Steampunk Laptop and Steampunk keyboard. Check out this clever ‘Ye Olde Worlde’ description of The Bug.
“One holds the device in a manner similar to the way a wood-worker holds a sanding block. The palm rests upon the “ball” in the foreground, with the fingers extending forward. The middle digit is placed upon the spiked cog, while the pointing-finger and the ring-bearing finger sit on the studded levers on either side. The thumb and small-finger rest comfortably on the side of the cylinder, helping to grip the contraption. The “Bug”, as the Professor calls it, is slid about upon a table top–thusly controlling a mobile indicator upon the Telecalculograph’s display. Push the device away from one’s self, and the arrow “moves” towards the top of the viewing window. When the arrow has been positioned appropriately so that it is pointing at the desired “item” on the glass, the user pushes down upon the various levers to elicit his desired effect. Turning the wheel in the center produces an action similar to turning a page in a book, or cranking a kinetoscope.”
Lego Lunchbox, One More Step Toward the Lego Singularity
If you just can't seem to get enough Lego, now you can pack your lunch in one, available in your choice of pink, brown or blue. Unfortunately, that Lego cheeseburger isn't included in the box, and there's no word whether the lunchboxes interlock with each other.
Get yourself some Lego furniture to go along with this lunch carrier, and then all you need to do is build a Lego house and drive a Lego car, and the entire Lego illusion will be complete. – Charlie White
Elios RescueBot Uses its Spider Arms to Save Lives
It's one thing to be rescued by a robot like this, but it's a completely different ballgame to see one of these creepy bots crawling your way when you're in need of help. Designed by Marcos Nolan, the Elios is a spider-like robot with 10 arms (carried in its belly) designed to lift people from harm's way and into safety. Optical and biometric sensors ensure Elios keeps on target whereas its rugged shell keeps it from being damaged. I admit, it looks cool as hell, but I'd probably faint if I saw one of these crawling my way
BT's Trials Motion Sensing For Handhelds
The Wii has a lot to answer for, apart from broken TVs and injured relatives. Not to mention healthy and fit gamers - who ever heard of such an outrage!
BT has started trialling motion sensing technology in the shape of a small adaptor that connects to a mobile device – laptop, tablet, handheld etc. – that will allow you to interact with menus and applications by just tilting or moving the device.
Dubbed BT Balance, it is based around an accelerometer chip like that found in the Wiimote. The idea is to allow people in the field or in difficult conditions to use a mobile device without having to use a keyboard. It’s in testing now but don’t expect to see it out on the streets for at least three years.
You’ll know it’s arrived when all new laptops and handhelds come with wrist straps.
Corsair Launches The SAS Of USB Sticks
Corsair has been plugging away steadily on the tough-USB front for some time now but this time it’s pushing things to the extreme with the Flash Survivor USB 2.0. Claiming to be the toughest stick in the world, the new drive is certainly built for taking more crap than the one in my pocket right now, which sports two dents [small] and more scratches than a cat’s play toy. Just check out the key features:
Water Resistant to 200 Meters (650 Feet) / 20 Atmospheres
Shock Proof – Triple Point Protection: Flash Survivor features triple-point protection against shock and impact. Encased in CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milled aluminum (as found in aircraft part production) ensures consistency in material quality, thereby guaranteeing the USB drive’s toughness.
Additional protection from shock and vibration is achieved through the use of rubber molded collar shielding. When dropped, the durable rubber absorbs the impact force to prevent damage to the inner drive and the USB connector.
Engineered outer metal tube with two end caps provides enforcement to the hollow tube and prevents it from collapsing when abused.
5 Times faster than other drives (GT version).
Pre-loaded with a security application with 256bit AES encryption, the most secure encryption algorithms available.
It comes in 4GB and 8GB versions which cost around £30 and £65, respectively. You might not be heading into a war-zone anytime soon, but the trip home from the pub can be quite treacherous.-Martin Lynch
Maplin Does £100 GPS
Sat-nav systems don’t have to cost a fortune according to Maplin, which has just launched a budget sub-£100 offering.
The AO5GW boasts a decent 3.5in touch-screen display and a built-in MP3 player – something that’s becoming increasingly common in GPS devices. It uses the Sirf Star III antenna for its GPS tracking and offers full UK mapping with 7-digit post code on the bundled SD Card, with Tele Atlas maps. It supports 2D and 3D views in day/night mode.
The AO5GW comes with a useful remote so that anyone in the car can use it, or the MP3 player, without yet another driver ditching their car while concentrating on the sat-nav instead of the road.
The battery life is three hours and the unit has 64Mb of internal memory. Tunes can be added to the unit via SD Cards. At a penny under £100, this really is a pocket-friendly, entry level arrival on the sat-nav scene.-Martin Lynch
£1.25bn Wasted On Gadgets Every Year
A survey commissioned by Scooter Computer has claimed that people waste £1.25bn every year on gadgets that are never used. Fear and ignorance are classed as the top reasons why we don’t get on with our new toys. And, why we tend to dump them in a corner, never to be seen again. The average cost of these unwanted gadgets is £120.
In numbers terms, it means that one in every five gadgets is not used. Top of the list – surprisingly, I guess - is the iPod, followed by digital cameras, software, sat-navs and mobile phones. The survey was commissioned to see just what we do with gadgets we get as gifts and the worst offenders are 35-44-year olds.
Even sadder for them is that pensioners often fare better with iPods and cameras because they have more time to work them out. -Martin Lynch
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