LG XCanvas 47” LCD May 1, 2006
READ MORE Home Entertainment
Details are sketchy at this point, but some of the specs of this LG XCanvas 47-inch LCD TV caught our eye, such as its 6ms response time. We would like to see a bigger hard drive than its 250GB unit built in to accommodate its digital video recorder capability, but it looks like it's capable of 1080p. More details as we get them.
LG XCanvas 47 inch Full HD LCD TV with 250GB DVR [I4U News]
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Bi-Polar Porn Wrapping Paper May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Although it's not recommended for Mother's Day, you might try out this raunchy double-sided gift wrap on some unsuspecting gentleman, where one side has a mild-mannered striped pattern while the other is, uh, porn-infested.
Just as we like it. It's $5.50 for a super-sized pack.
Product Page [Sick UK]
Airbus Industries Standing-Room Concept May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Accelerating the indignities of airplane flight way beyond what any of us could have imagined, now Airbus Industries has proposed a standing room concept, apparently the next step toward sliding passengers into drawers resembling a morgue, or packing them onto layered plank-bunks reminiscent of 17th-century slave ships.
It's not enough that the average space between economy class seats (or "pitch," as it's known in industry parlance) has lost three inches since 1978. Trying to offer relief was Boeing, introducing its 787 Dreamliner with recommended eight-abreast seating. But no. More than half the airlines (probably mostly US carriers) who ordered the plane will cram nine seats into that same space. For their next trick, we predict the greedy, loser US airlines will issue each passenger a bale of straw, a pee bucket and a ladle of corn mush.
Balance Between Economics and Comfort [NY Times]
How To Cool Your MacBook Pro Down (And Void Your Warranty) May 1, 2006
READ MORE Laptops
Despite MacBook Pros being underclocked in an attempt to keep them from searing the skin right off your thighs, they still get uncomfortably hot. Interrupting Moss over at the Something Awful forums did some research to find out why and now says that Apple got "a little excited with the application of thermal grease to the Core Duo, ATI GPU, and northbridge on the new MacBook logic boards".
He wiped the thermal grease off, applied a smaller amount and found his MacBook's temperature had dropped from about 55 degrees to 39. You can get instructions to do it yourself but be warned that this may void your warranty, Apple Care or no. If we're lucky, Genius Bars will get authorized to do this sometime in the near future. Cross your fingers, those of you with burning laps.
How to cool down your MacBook Pro: Before and After [w/pics & temps] [The Awful Forums, via The Apple Blog]
MobMov: DIY Mobile Drive-In Theater May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
There aren't many drive-in theaters left in the US—none near NYC—so Bryan Kennedy decided to create MobMov, a drive-in theater that drives in:
Participating in a mobmov is very similar to attending a drive-in from the days of old, except now the projector is located inside and powered by a car, and the audio is piped in stereo over the FM band to the attendees' cars. As a mobmov driver, you assemble the kit, decide on the movies, and announce your showings to friends and the community at large. Then everyone assembles in a dark place with a big wall, and you watch a movie. It's a new technological twist to a nostalgic idea.
Sounds like something you might like to do? Kennedy's put together a fairly comprehensive tutorial on starting your own MobMov, from how to choose a projector and FM transmitter and how to set them up in your car, to how to design the intermission and provide snacks, all the way to making sure what you're doing is actually legal.
The MobMov Manifesto [via the cool hunter]
ABC Launches Free Online Streaming May 1, 2006
READ MORE Home Entertainment
As announced last month, ABC launched its streaming video service today, offering a two-month trial that lets you stream full episodes of Desperate Housewives, Lost, Alias, or Commander-In-Chief for free. We gave the a new service a try, and it actually looks pretty good, giving you a "full screen" option that shows you a standard-definition stream in a 700x390 window. Nope, you can't pop it full screen, and you can't avoid the commercials, but there are limited commercial breaks, and there's a neat trick that lets you skip one of the commercials for the next, only sentencing you to a 30-second commercial break between segments where you can switch between the commercials of your choice.
The Flash player technology works extremely well, and you can use Firefox, too. Not bad, ABC. Is this is the way TV will look from now on?
ABC: Watch Online Episodes for Free
MicroNav 360: World’s Tiniest Mouse May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
With electronics manufacturers constantly striving to make everything smaller, here's the latest shrinkage, a pointing device destined for handheld devices, cellphones and such, called MicroNav 360. This OEM pointing device is 10mm square and scarcely thicker than 1mm, which makes it about the size of your pinky fingertip.
We were just wondering, what's the problem with directional controls, or one of those little miniature joysticks? Perhaps this OEM device is destined to be a strap-on fingertip mouse, giving you the ultimate in road-warrior portability. Or something.
Product page [Steadlands, via RealTechNews]
Aer-O-Scope, Automatic Colonoscopy Device May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
The graphic to your left depicts the Aer-O-Scope, a self-propelling, self-navigating endoscope. In English: the Aer-O-Scope is a machine that automagically crawls up your butt and through your colon, transmitting live high-resolution video of what it sees. Yes, it's disposable. And no, you can't buy it for home use.
The G.I. View Medical Imaging Solution [via Improbable Research]
Seagate 750GB External Drive May 1, 2006
READ MORE Storage
We told you about the Seagate Barracuda 750GB internal hard disk, and now it looks like the company has dressed up that drive in a techno-fantabulous enclosure, offering it in external trim for a hefty $559.
The 3.5-inch 7200RPM hard drive uses the latest perpendicular recording technology, and can be hooked up via USB 2.0 or FireWire. Look for it in stores this month.
Seagate 750GB Pushbutton external hard drive
Samsung SCH-V890 Slider May 1, 2006
READ MORE Mobile phones
Here's another great-looking phone from Samsung that we can't have yet, or maybe never—the SCH-V890/SCH-V8900 is a slim slider with a 2.2-inch display and a 1.3-megapixel camera with an LED flash. Just 13.8mm thick, the $525 phone also includes a navigation service which will give you real-time traffic information, and it can play MP3s, too. Add Bluetooth and PictBridge, and your techno-lust for things you can't have is complete.
Let's be optimistic, though, maybe someday a cheap knockoff of this phone will be available in the states. We can only hope. For now, if you're in Korea, knock yourself out.
Samsung SCH-V890/SCH-V8900 slim slider [AVing via Newlaunches]
Outdoor Entertainment Island May 1, 2006
READ MORE Home Entertainment
If you simply can't be without your TV even for a minute, take it with you out by the pool with the Outdoor Entertainment Island. Stocked with a JVC 42-inch plasma display that rises from within the island a la Jay Leno, it's got a quartet of six-inch surround sound speakers with built-in sub and a DVD/CD player, and it even has Sirius satellite radio compatibility tucked inside.
Built for the great outdoors using "marine technology," it looks like the thing can even withstand a snowstorm, where you just hose it down to clean it up. Save up your money, though, it's nearly $17K.
Outdoor Entertainment Island [Frontgate, via The Uber Review]
Eye-Fi Builds WiFi into Flash Memory May 1, 2006
READ MORE Wireless
Sure, there are digital cameras with WiFi capability, letting you send your photos directly to the mothership with no muss or fuss, but now Eye-Fi has found a way to retrofit anything using a flash memory device for WiFi goodness, where its Eye-Film WiFi-equipped 1GB flash memory card will sell for about the same price as a 1GB card costs today.
Eye-Fi has working Eye-Film prototypes, but won't say when this technology will be available. We're hearing a 1GB flash card will sell for about $100.
Product Page
Eye-Fi to Combine Wifi, Flash Memory [via Techcrunch]
Geek Chic: The Scope Watch May 1, 2006
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TokyoFlash brings you The Scope, an LCD display watch that achieves new levels of geeky-cool, but how difficult does time-telling have to be before it gets to be just goofy?
Press the scan control for the time of day, where The Scope springs into action, moving its x and y axis until it's honed in on the appropriate coordinates. The time is represented by the x-axis for hours and the y-axis for minutes.
Okay, that gets us to within five minutes of the time of day. Next, the bull's eye of four red LEDs on the right bring the watch's accuracy down to the minute level for each lit LED. Press the control again and it shows you the day/date. Available in gunmetal or silver, it's guaranteed for a year and sells for $131.
Scope by Scope [Tokyoflash, via boingboing]
Apple iPhone Spec Ad May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Award winning brothers Christopher and Gregory DeSantis took the time to make a spec ad for the Apple iPhone/iTalk. The video has pretty good direction and choice of music, making this pretty Apple-like. Widescreen display, dual flip, large lens and scroll wheel on the back were all things the DeSantises decided would work well in the phone. Who are we to argue?
iPhone Video [Google Video via Cult of Mac]
Byd:sign d:4237MJ 42” Plasma TV May 1, 2006
READ MORE Home Entertainment
The new 42" Plasma TV by Japanese firm byd:sign is a pretty good deal at $1,670. The display has a 3000:1 contrast ratio, 1,400cd/m2 brightness, and two 10 Watt speakers. The supported resolutions are 525i/525p/750p/1125i/1125p by HDMI, and 525i/525p/750p/1125i by D4.
The set is Japan only, which should be obvious by the supported resolutions. It goes on sale May 8th.
d:4237MJ [byd:sign via TechEBlog]
KT Landline Phones Send SMS When You Miss A Call May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
These new Korean only KT landline phones, released under the brand "Ann", do two notable things. One is sending an SMS to your mobile phone when you've missed a call on your home line. The second is recording audio if someone enters your home when you're away, giving you evidence that you can eventually turn over to the police.
The SMS notifications are pretty cool, but we don't know how much use the proximity recording is going to be. Maybe burglars are going to list all the items they steal out loud?
KT releases new phones in Korea [Akihabara News]
Xbox Live Update Tuesday? May 1, 2006
READ MORE Software
It's a week and change before E3 and rumors are already flying. The scheduled outage of Xbox Live on Tuesday is leading some people to guess that Microsoft is finally releasing the update that allows people to download marketplace content in the background. This makes sense, seeing as MS providing loads of E3-related content on Xbox Live during the event.
Along with the improved downloading, another rumored feature is the ability to send voice and text messages to people during games. Isn't this already there on dashboard?
Xbox Live 3.0 Tuesday [Whodigs]
Gateway FX510XL Gaming Desktop Review (Verdict: Luxuriously Thrifty) May 1, 2006
READ MORE PC
Gateway, like Dell, wants to make itself a contendor in the high profit margin area of gaming computers. But instead of buying Alienware, Gateway's released the FX510XL, which got a score of 4 out of 5 from PC mag.
The FX510XL comes with a 21" LCD widescreen monitor, Logitech Z-5300e 5.1 speakers, 3.73 GHz Pentium EE 965, 2 GB of ram, 1 TB of hard disk, a dual layer DVD burner, ATI X1900 Crossfire video card, and a TV tuner. All these parts together combine to make the total price $4,781.00, which is prohibitively expensive to the average PC gamer. But compared to similar offerings from other high end gaming PC makers, it's actually a value.
Gateway FX510XL [PC Magazine]
Neighborhood Wifi Sharing May 1, 2006
READ MORE Wireless
A team of grad students at UIUC have developed a way for people to securely share their bandwidth with their neighbors. Called Practical End-host collaborative Residential Multihoming (PERM), the device allows users to choose the best internet connection available among the current pool, and alerts the connection owners if there's any misuse with their bandwidth.
Would something like this catch on? Most homes are wary of wireless already, what with all the news about insecure wireless access points and neighbors stealing their bandwidth. Teaching these same people that oh, it's now okay for others to be using your connection because it's going to be monitored so your traffic gets priority? Good luck.
PERM Software Allows Neighbors to Share Bandwidth, With No Security Concerns [Digital Lifestyle]
3M Security Glass Ad May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
3M was so sure their Security Glass was unbreakable, they put a large stack of cash behind it and shoved it in a bus stop. Great advertisement, right?
Actually, it was only $500 of real currency stacked on top of fake money, and people could only use their feet to try to break it. A security guard was present to make sure no one broke the rules and that people couldn't get to keep the money if they broke it.
Nevertheless, a glass that can stand a double-footed kick from a man with a 30 foot head start is impressive. Don't you wish your iPod screens were made out of this?
3M Security Glass Ad [37 Signals]
Genibo, The New Robot Puppy May 1, 2006
READ MORE Robots
South Korean company DasaTech is looking to fill the robot-dog-void left when Sony discontinued the AIBO recently. Looking at the sample video, we can say that the Genibo's motion isn't very smooth -- more like quick and jerky. Pretty much what you would expect of a robotic dog that hasn't been a couple cycles of product development.
These look like they would be pretty fun for kids, and Japanese studies have seen that robotic dogs have garnered smiles from patients suffering from Alzheimers. We just hope this one doesn't do "two hour yipping sessions", or else we're going to hear a lot of "ROBO PUPPY MISTREATMENT ALERT!"
Genibo: A New Robot Pup Rises [PC Magazine]
Logitech Quickcam Orbit MP Review (Verdict: Quirky Fun) May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
The Logitech Quickcam Orbit MP gets a video review demonstrating all the real time video manipulation features. Specs are: 1.3mp sensor with RightLight, microphone, and adjustable base. Even better -- put glasses on yourself, change your hair to Elvis's, and mask your face entirely to be a dinosaur or a pencil drawing. Much more features in the video. Take a look!
Logitech QuickCam Orbit Reviewed [TechEBlog]
USB MyPet Puppy and Monkey Webcam May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Lovers of cute things (and the Japanese) will snatch up this USB MyPet Webcam that comes in both monkey and puppy models. Supporting up to 640x480 at 15 frames per second, this webcam is perfect for the girlfriend that hates tech.
Readers could also use it to spy on a victim who doesn't know this is a webcam. A very dumb victim.
USB MyPet Webcam cranks the cuteness factor [uber gizmo]
Manuals For Your Gadgets May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Bought all your equipment secondhand from craigslist, or just frequently misplace manuals? Lifehacker has found a site that stores a bunch of manual PDFs for anything from antenna distributors to microwave ovens. Great for us impatient types that rip apart the packaging in a new toy and end up throwing out the manual with the wrapping.
User Manual Guide [via Lifehacker]
Color Changing Silicone iPod Nano Case May 1, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
Eager to relive the Hypercolor T-Shirt days of your youth? Pick up the color changing iPod Nano cases and flash back to the days of Saved By The Bell, Jordan before a championship, and Reebok pump sneakers -- all while keeping your Nano free of scratches.
With the Nano getting a size upgrade this summer, now's the time to be picking out cases.
Colour Change Silicone Case [proporta.com]
Microsoft Fingerprint Reader Firefox Extension May 1, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Microsoft Fingerprint Reader may look cool and be very useful in storing your passwords, but it's lousy when it comes to working with Firefox. We found this out the hard way last year when we purchased a reader and it didn't work a lick with Firefox.
Now there's a Firefox extension that allows a workaround for the reader software to recognize Firefox as a valid fingerprint capable app. Wee! Yet another way for us to pretend we're Tom Cruise.
Finger Fox [Google Translated from French]
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