Brunton SolarRolls: Portable Power on the Road or Trail March 3, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Brunton SolarRolls are waterproof flexible solar panels that are available in a variety of sizes and can power or charge up electronic devices both large and small. The smallest is the SolarRoll 4.5 ($169), a 12” x 22” panel when it’s open, which weighs 6.4 ounces and can output 4.5 watts, 15.4 Volts/300mA. That’s enough to charge small electronics such as cellphones and PDAs.
But if you need lots more power, choose the SolarRoll 14 ($399) which is a 12”x57” solar panel when unrolled, and outputs—you guessed it—14 watts and 15.4 volts/900 mA. That’s enough to charge up your laptop or DV camcorder. If that’s not enough power, you can daisy chain these together for even more output. Included is a storage case so you can carry your power with you on the road or trail.
Product Page
[Brunton via über gizmo]
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Pick Up Used Critters, Right Here March 3, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Did you ever wonder what happens to those props used in horror movies? Here’s a site that’s helping a special effects house get rid of a variety of animatronic critters, all of them used as props in motion pictures and TV shows. For instance, they are offering this scary-looking bat whose animatronic head nods and tilts—it was used on the movie Halloween (2005) and also in the CBS movie Vampire Bats.
The site’s offering 32 items, consisting of “crawlers, flappers and static props that were used in the production.” If you want this bat puppet, you’ll pay dearly, though. It’s $6500. Eeew.
Small Mammals [Hollywood Backlot via boingboing]
Apple’s Wide Touchpad Patent March 3, 2006
READ MORE Laptops
In today’s episode of Apple’s Latest Patent Documentation we see Figure 3. A sketch that appears to show a ultra-wide touchpad for laptops. The patent for this was originally filed on August 25, 2004, but the US Patent office has just now released it. The documentation states that this is a traditional touchpad used to control and move the cursor. Additionally it describes technologies that are used to distinguish from different types of touches. For example: one palm could be rested on the touchpad while the other hand can be actually using the touchpad. It also uses many different methods to distinguish between purposeful and accidental touches. Macsimum News dissects the lengthy patent documentation; check it out for more information.
Apple files new patent for wide touchpad for notebooks [Macsimum News]
More Wireless Headsets from Sony Ericsson March 3, 2006
READ MORE Peripherals
In the middle of all the announcements of new phones from Sony Ericsson earlier in the week, someone forgot to mention the matching headsets.
All using Bluetooth, the SE HBH-IV835, HBH-PV705 and the HBH-GV435 represent three different (and pretty decent-looking) choices should you be in the market for a new headset. The IV835 and GV435 both come in matte black, glossy black and silver; the PV705 comes in silver and sand. The tiny PV705 promises up to 12 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby, while the IV835 promises 3.5 hours of talk and 160 hours of standby and the GV435 promises 8 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby.
Also of note is that the IV835 and GV435 both use Digital Signal Processing, enhancing the units’ audio clarity. The IV835 is expected to ship sometime in the second quarter of this year, while the PV705 and GV435 are due out in the third quarter.
New batch of Bluetooth headsets from Sony Ericsson [MobileMag]
Intel’s UMPC Teaser Site is Live March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
This image from above comes from the ultra-mobile PC teaser page put up from Intel. Coincidentally the planned UMPC announcement comes on the eve of CEbit 2006 (in Hannover, Germany) and Intel Developer Forum (in San Francisco).
Technology blog is speculating that this teaser is referring to the official announcement of the Ruby PC Prototype that we saw way back in April. We’ll keep you posted on the UMPC announcement next week, along with all of the other happening at CEbit.
UMPC is coming [Technology blog]
Toilet Seat Guitar… for Only the Most Discerning Guitarists March 3, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
There’s a shitload of toilet news today for some reason, and here’s a guitar joining the chorus, made out of a toilet seat complete with toilet paper neckstrap and, uh, a poopy pickup. And look—there are toilet paper holders for both ends of the neckstrap and the bridge, too.
You’ve got to admire the whimsical workmanship of this instrument, but we would question what wielding such an ax would do for a guitarist’s self-esteem. Perhaps it beats wearing a toilet seat around your head. There’s no price or availability information for this rare instrument, but we have an inkling that this is probably one-of-a-kind.
The Toilet Guitar [BunnyBass]
Zylink-100 Wireless Audio/Video Transmitter March 3, 2006
READ MORE Home Entertainment
The Zylink-100 is a wireless audio and video transmitter that can send multimedia from PC to TV at a distance of 150 feet. Besides multimedia files from your computer, the system can also transmit streaming files in real time to a TV.
Now if the company can just crank up the bandwidth of this product so it will work with high definition TV, we’ll be impressed. It’s available in Korea for about $125.
‘Zylink’ transmits files from a pc to a TV in range wirelessly [AVing New Network]
Wikipedia on Your iPod March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
Despite what the haters say, it’s hard to deny Wikipedia its place in the sun. Now you can load up the online encyclopedia on your (third or fourth generation) iPod. Folks with newer iPods, such as the nano or fifth-generation iPod with video, will be disappointed to find out their iPods aren’t compatible. A kind fellow by the name of Robert Balmer took the trouble to convert the whole of Wikipedia into an iPod-compatible 800MB chunk. Of course, being based on the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia for iPod is totally free. So the next time you’re in a heated debate about where Lionel Messi was born or how many diphthongs are in Portuguese, just whip out your trusty iPod and show everybody who’s boss.
Put Wikipedia on your iPod [lifehacker]
Flushless Urinals Receive Awards, Save Water March 3, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Thanks to the laws of physics and some good old ingenuity, there’s no need to use water to get rid of liquid waste any more. Even though it sounds gross, flushless/waterless urinals received a 2006 Award for Design Excellence and have been endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Best of all, if just 10% of conventional urinals could be converted to waterless, 200 billion gallons of water could be saved each year.
How does it work? The flushless urinal contains a liquid consisting of alcohol and mineral oils, which are lighter than the urine which flows through the liquid and down the drain. There’s a special cartridge that replaces the conventional drain that makes this possible. It wouldn’t be much fun to be the poor soul who has to change those cartridges, though.
No Flush: Let the Yellow Mellow [Wired News]
Kensington Entertainment Dock 500 March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
Here’s another device riding the coattails of the iPod, Kensington’s Entertainment Dock 500, and this one lets you connect any fifth-generation iPod to your TV or home stereo. The Entertainment Dock 500 lets you charge your iPod and watch its video on a decent-sized screen at the same time. A nice touch is its RF remote which has much farther range than your garden-variety infrared, letting you control that iPod across even the largest room, or even through a wall or two. It’s available now for $105.
Kensington Entertainment Dock 500 [TechDigest]
Seiko Shows Cellphone-Friendly Bluetooth Watch March 3, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Seiko Japan revealed an improbably big watch prototype that hooks up with your cellphone via Bluetooth. The huge display shows you that little envelope indicating that you’ve received a new message, and then can also reveal who sent it and the message subject. Continuously communicating with your cellphone, the device can either make a noise or vibrate your wrist when a call comes in. Seiko says it will start shipping a watch like this “by 2007” but didn’t reveal how much it would cost.
If you ask us, if you’re going to wear a watch that big, you might as well just strap a full-sized HDTV to your arm.
Seiko Bluetooth watch connects to your phone [Newlaunches]
iBoxers for Women March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
December 2005 saw the launch of the iBoxer, men’s boxers with a special pocket on the side to carry your iPod. Play Underwear’s site has a page up for the Womens iBoxer now and it’s surprisingly attractive, as you can see to the left. Price is still TBA though, so who knows if it’ll actually make it to market?
At any rate, we at Gizmodo would like to commend Play for going with boxers instead of making the iPanty or worse, the iThong.
Womens iBoxer [Play Underwear]
iPod Underwear Has Arrived! [Gizmodo]
NSFW! iThong [YTMND] NSFW!
MSI’s Mega Blowout March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
While not necessarily known for being the best player on the field, MSI certainly makes a good effort with its Mega line of portable media devices. The Mega View 588, pictured here, is a portable media player that sports just the type of features you’d expect: DivX, WMV9 and MPEG-4 video playback; MP3 and WMA audio playback; and photo viewing via the SD/MMC slot. Its 20 GB hard drive and 3.5” LCD aren’t too shabby, either. Neither is the battery, lasting five hours during video playback and 7.5 during audio playback.
Meanwhile, the Mega Player 536 and 540 are similar to their Mega View 588 big brother in that they, too, can play your multimedia on the go. These two have a smaller screen, though, a 1.8” STN LCD with a resolution of 128x160 pixels. They come with an 8GB hard drive and a built-in FM tuner. A 10-hour battery life rounds out the package. So if you’re willing to take a chance on MSI, you might just luck out.
MSI Mega View 588 [New Launches]
MSI MEGA Player 536 and 540 [New Launches]
Baltimore Teaches Streetlight Cameras to Shout At, Take Pictures of Anything That Moves March 3, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Bold thievery runs rampant in the streets of Baltimore, where 136 streetlights have been stolen in the past few months. How to deal with this larceny? That’s easy, do something indiscriminate and stupid. Train five solar-powered cameras on the remaining streetlights, and teach those cameras to cry out when they see anything moving around them. “Stop!,” shouts the camera at passersby. “We have taken your photograph. We will use this photograph to prosecute you. Leave the area now!”
“But Mr. Streetlight Camera, I was just tying my shoe.”
How would you like to have one of these things outside your window, shouting down anything that moves all night long?
Talking Street Lights [Chip Chick, from Wired]
LG Xnote TX is Ultra Portable, Impossibly Thin March 3, 2006
READ MORE Laptops
The LG Xnote TX is reed-thin and weighs just 2.4 pounds, but still finds room for a 1.3 GHz Pentium-M ULV 773, a 60-gig hard drive and a gigabyte of RAM. You won’t be playing a lot of rip-roaring games with its GForce Go7300 64MB graphics card, but that 64MB will be a gracious plenty for those road-warrior PowerPoint presentations. Its 12.1-inch screen will fit quite nicely between you and that airplane seat reclining into your lap, too. We’ve used notebooks this size before, and we’re here to tell you, this is a perfect blend of size and performance for those on the go. No release date or price were announced. Now that’s one stylin’ and impossibly-thin notebook.
LG Xnote TX, the 1.1kg ultra [Akihabara News]
Moshi iGlaze Nano Stickers March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
Let’s face it, iPod cases all kind of suck. You buy a gorgeous, super sleek iPod and then in the name of not getting it all horribly scratched up you then have to buy an ugly bulky case to cover it up, one that probably doesn’t even fit in your pocket. So lame, right?
If you’ve got a Nano, you might just be in luck. Check out Moshi’s new iGlaze —it’s a high-gloss scratch-resistant false face that adheres to the front of your iPod with a polymer adhesive that leaves no residue when removed. The iGlaze is currently available in Obsidian Black and Milk White to match the Nanos on the market, and Kagami Mercury is a nice chrome to match the Nano’s front to its back. If we have to put our money on a color to sell well though, then we’re going with Sakura Pink, which’ll make your Nano the same shade as the best-selling pink iPod Mini. At £15, the iGlaze may seem a little pricey, but then again those stupid iPod socks are a similar price…
iGlaze Nano [Moshi]
Matrox TripleHead2Go March 3, 2006
READ MORE Peripherals
The TripleHead2Go is a small, palm sized device that can expand your one, scrawny display into a big, beautiful three-display setup. It is as simple as plugging three displays into the TripleHead2Go box and then plugging the box into your desktop or laptop. The TripleHead2Go then tricks Windows into thinking that there is actually a 3840x1024 resolution monitor plugged in and will expand everything over the three monitors.
While this device can be used in a wide variety of situations, it can really shine when applied to gaming. If you happen to be running an SLI graphics setup, then the TripleHead2Go can project games over the three screens. This may be well worth it if you own a beefy system that can handle games at a 3840x1024 resolution. There is no official word on pricing yet.
TripleHead2Go [Via jkOnTheRun]
Video iPod: 4 inches and proud of it March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
Sources have confirmed to Think Secret that the new, “true” video iPod will be featuring a 4-inch display rather than the 3.5-inch display that has been previously speculated. This iPod is being rumored for a late-March or early-April announcement, but this could be pushed back pending Apple’s negotiation with the movie industry to include full-length movies in the iTunes Music Store. They might be looking to make this iTunes feature-length movie announcement along with the “true” video iPod announcement.
Apple thinks big(ger): video iPod to pack 4-inch display [ThinkSecret]
Hard Drive Noise Mixer March 3, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Valentina Vuksic has created a sound mixer that gets its beats from dying hard drives. Vuksics project, called Harddisko, involves special microphones being attached to the heads of decased, defective hard drives. The microphones are then connected to a mixer. When the drives are powered they conduct initialization tests that involve the heads moving in a specific pattern that creates the noises. Each noise is different depending on the hard drive manufacturer, model, firmware, etc. Vuksic rigged up a system of different, fully-controllable power circuits for interval timing. This project is on display at Aarau in Switzerland through April 2.
Raw hard disk sound [We-make-money]
iPod Shuffle Beanie March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
As an avid iPod fan and beanie wearer I shall give this product a seal of approval. This acrylic beanie stores the Shuffle and the cords neatly inside. And because the beanie will cover the ears of most wearers, then you will get a barrage of people talking to you without knowing you can’t hear them. I love it when that happens. It is available in multiple colors for around £12 through Pakatun.
Apple Shuffle Beanie [Gadget Review]
IXOS iPod Round Sound Stereo System March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
As if there weren’t too many iPod speakers around already, IXOS has released the Round Sound Stereo System. It’s packing four speakers and is compatible with all iPods except for that poor, lonely shuffle. Besides its striking good looks, it’s cheap, too, at £50. And with those four speakers inside, it at least has a shot at sounding good, too.
iPod Round Sound Speaker System [Shiny Shiny]
Logic PSP Keyboard Gets Canned March 3, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
Remember the Logic 3 Keyboard attachment for the PSP that we mentioned damn near a year ago? After a year of little to no development the project has been canned. Logic is saying that Sony did not provide enough information regarding the command protocols for the PSP. Regardless, a good quality keyboard accessory is still needed for the PSP. Sony? Logitech? Madcatz? Anyone?
Logic 3 PSP keyboard cancelled [Ubergizmo]
Fujitsu boasts “world’s most desirable notebook” March 3, 2006
READ MORE Laptops
It’s a bold claim and means absolutely nothing unless of course you like your notebook to look like a mini piano. There’s no doubt though that the newly announced Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook Q2010 is somewhat desirable, not least because of its piano-black lacquer finish. At just 2cm, it’s a skinny slinky that weighs in at just 1Kg. It has a 12.1in 1280 x 800 pixel screen, 1GB of DDR memory and is powered by Intel’s Core Solo processors – exact chips to be announced. Battery life is an under-whelming 2 hours but it does pack in support for 3G, Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi. The company claims that the Q2010 is a “truly aspirational product” and it’s easy to see why. When it ships in May - in limited quantities – it will cost well over £2,000. Via MobileMag.
laptop Notebook technology fujitsu
Round iPod Sound March 3, 2006
READ MORE Digital Audio , Gadgets , Home Entertainment
iPods docks might be more common than Big Brother contestants but it’s still nice to seem some well-turned out units. This stylish round number is from IXOS, a company better known for making high-quality and eye-poppingly expensive cables for hooking up home cinema kit. Thankfully, despite the recommended £50 price – which isn’t bad - I’ve found it for just under £35 here. What you get is an iPod charger and stereo system with 8W of power. Compatible with iPod Mini, iPod 15/20Gb and iPod 30/40Gb models, the IXOS XMI518 Round Sound pumps its sound out of four, 2W micro-drivers and has a 3.5mm jack for hooking up non-iPod players. Via Tech Digest.
Skype UFO Lands In UK March 3, 2006
READ MORE Digital Audio , Gadgets , Online , Peripherals
Add a few flashing lights and some keyboard ditty and you could be looking at Close Encounters of a Third Kind. Instead you are looking at USRobotics’ (USR’s) Skype Speakerphone or, to give it its needlessly dull full name: USR9610 USB Internet Speakerphone. The company PR cleverly points out what you may have guessed in that the USR9610 makes Skype's Free calling hands-free too. For anyone that has adopted the Skype method of drastically reducing your phone bill, this looks like a handy addition. According to the blurb:
With powerful echo cancellation technology, convenient volume and mute buttons and full-duplex operation, the USR9610 works just like a traditional speakerphone. The speakerphone is light, easy to install and use with Skype. When plugged into any available USB port, the phone operates as an external sound device, interacting with Skype so users can place and receive free calls hands free from their computer. There is no need to carry an extra power adapter, as the speakerphone is USB powered and eliminates the need for an additional power supply. In addition, users interested in having a private conversation can plug their own headphones into the available jack and still use the speakerphone’s speaker.
Shipping now it won’t break the bank at £50.
Toshiba’s M400 Tablet PC Reviewed (Verdict: Solid But Could Improve) March 3, 2006
READ MORE Laptops
Toshiba New Zealand let Craig Pringle take their new M400 Tablet PC out for a spin last month and he’s posted a detailed hands-on review on his blog, complete with photos. Pringle says he’s been using mostly tablets for the past year so he should know what he’s talking about; he’s pleased with the M400 overall, even though it’s slightly heavier than most tablets and “feels like it has been designed as a laptop that converts into a tablet—rather than a “tablet first” device.”
The M400 comes with a biometric fingerprint scanner with security but our favourite feature of the ones Pringle points out is a Toshiba utility: Remote Capture, which lets you trigger your cameraphone via Bluetooth—can’t wait till the first M400-toting upskirt-moblogging pervert gets arrested!
Hands on Review of the M400 [Craig Pringle]
New Toshiba M400 Tablet PC w/ Dual Core Processor [TabletPCReviewSpot.com]
Antig’s Fuel Cells For Laptops Showing At CeBIT Next Week March 3, 2006
READ MORE Laptops
Taiwan’s Antig Technology and AVC Corp will be showing off a fuel cell for laptops at next week’s CeBIT Trade Show. They’re saying their fuel cell is production-ready and can go into laptops by the second half of this year.
While we here at Gizmodo love the idea of anything that allows us to stay outdoors for longer to write this blog, at least in warm weather, you’ll have to pardon our strong (but loving) skepticism when it comes to fuel cells actually making it into consumer laptops anytime this year. After all, in 2003 NEC was saying fuel cell-powered laptops would be out in 2004 and that by 2006 they expected “the fuel cell to be much more efficient and run for almost 40 hours without needing a top-up.” Ha! Toshiba’s also been meaning to ship fuel cells in their laptops since 2004, but admitted at CeBIT 2005 that it’d probably be three more years before they could actually commercialize them.
Notebook-Ready Fuel Cell To Be Shown Next Week [ExtremeTech]
Fuel cell laptop promises long life [BBC News]
eMagin 3DVisor Hands-on March 3, 2006
READ MORE Peripherals
I keep seeing these things at all of the trade shows, but DLMag took a moment to really try them out. They even shot some video.
The Z800 creates a virtual 105-inch display in front of your face and includes stereo earbuds. The next product is the X800, a headset designed for 3D and gaming. Finally, there’s the Eyebud 800, a monocular headset designed for the iPod. All of the visors support video-in and are full colour.
eMagin 3DVisor [DLMag]
Sony Ericsson HCB-100 Bluetooth Car Kit March 3, 2006
READ MORE Mobile phones
Car kits are a tricky thing. Nobody wants something in their car that looks like a hunk of electronics and nobody wants wires and cigarette lighter dongles webbing up the seats. Luckily, many manufactures, including Nokia and Motorola, have made some nice progress in creating good-looking car kits that won’t look like a hunk of garbage.
Case in point: the HCB-100 by Sony Ericsson. This car kit fits to your visor and features 20 hours of talk time and 600 hours standby. A DSP reduces echo and it works with just about any Bluetooth-compatible speakerphone. The LEDs change color as each phone rings, meaning you can add two or more phones to the mix without the entire system seizing up. Available next quarter.
Sony Ericsson HCB-100 Bluetooth car kit [NewLaunches]
Frank Nuovo, Nokia Head Designer, Resigns March 3, 2006
READ MORE Mobile phones
The “Calvin Klein” of mobile phones, Frank Nuovo, is ceding to Alastair Curtis as Nokia’s head designer. Curtis currently heads the emerging markets handset design team for Nokia.
Nuovo created Nokia’s original designs, including many models with interchangable face plates and hidden antennas. Analysts believe that the move was spurred by increased competition from Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and Motorola in the mobile phone space and the importance of design in current models. He has been working with Nokia for over 16 years.
Nuovo will act as designer for Vertu, Nokia’s line of luxury phones.
Frank Nuovo to leave as Nokia’s head of design [Reuters]
JVC DynaPix HD LCD TVs March 3, 2006
READ MORE TV
JVC has added two new HD LCDs to the mix. There are two sizes, 32-inch and 26-inch, and they include D.I.S.T. technology which smooths out jaggies as well as an integrated digital tuner and an electronic programming guide. The 26-inch is selling for about £900 and the 32-inch is about £1000.
JVC DynaPix HD LCD TVs [TechDigest]
Happy 19th Birthday, Mac II March 3, 2006
READ MORE PC
Chris Seibold of Apple Matters points out that today is the 19th anniversary of the launch of Apple’s groundbreaking Mac II—it was the very first Mac with colour capabilities! The basic model came with a floppy drive and shipped for £2200; you could get the fancy pants version (1 MB of RAM, a floppy drive, and a 40MB SCSI hard disk) for £3200. We like to complain as much as the next person about how expensive Apple products are, but hey, at least they’ve gotten a little cheaper over the years.
March 2, 1987: A Modular Mac…Now With Color! [Apple Matters]
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