Star Trek Game Signs Up All Five Captains August 15, 2006
READ MORE Consoles , Games , Home Entertainment , PC , Software , TV
Set phasers to Holy Frag!! William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew and Scott Bakula have signed up to add their vocal talents to the next game: Star Trek: Legacy.
Right now, there are Trekkies either drooling with excitement or merely drooling at the thought of Captains' Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway and Archer popping up within the same game. Others will be putting a noose around their necks as I type. Bethseda Softworks confirmed that all five are ready to rock the galaxy in a game that will let you, the humble gamer, act as an Admiral coordinating alien whup-ass across the various eras of the Star Trek franchise.
The game will be out this autumn to coincide with the 40th of anniversary of oddly dressed boys and gals that explored the final frontier. Make it so. Via Gamasutra
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Microsoft Warns Online Gamers! Woooo... August 15, 2006
READ MORE Consoles , Games , Home Entertainment , Laptops , Online , PC , Software
You know that Enflamed Axe of Oblivion that crackles with power, makes online enemies cower in fear and other gamers bow (or jealously spit) as you pass? The one that took 100 hours of gameplay, a broken relationship, malnutrition and constipation to acquire?
Well, it’s gone. Hackers in the night stole it and the rest of your online kit leaving you with little more than a pair of Y-fronts, a donkey and an iron club. That's you in that picture up there.
Microsoft’s Dave Weinstein warned online gamers at the Gamefest conference in Seattle that the big MMPORGs like World of Warcraft are being increasingly being targeted by hackers, stealing account details and virtual kit before flogging them for as much as £5,000 online to desperate gamers.
The individual items in a high-level characters kits could sell for hundreds and thousands of pounds apiece. According to Weinstein:
“For a lot of the customers out there, there is more store value on their MMO characters than there is on the credit card with which they pay for the account.”
The police are really good at understanding someone stole my credit card and ran up a lot of money. It's a lot harder to get them to buy into 'someone stole my magic sword.”
Noble knight, you have been warned.
games gaming online warcraft crime hacker
Posh Scooters Hit UK August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Who’d have thought that scooters could ever get beyond childhood? Thanks to Segway they have.
Designed to be cool and wallet-destroying at the same time, the second generation of Segway scooters comprise the all-terrain x2 and the street roller, i2. For those of you that have not yet seen these babies in action, watch a video here. Leaning forward gets you going while leaning left and right steers you.
The speed hasn’t changed at 12.5mph, which is not exactly fast but it beats walking. The electronics and wires have been removed from the top part of the machine and other big addition is a wireless controller called the InfoKey.
Sporting four buttons and an LCD it turns the scooter on remotely and offers functions like speedometer, odometer and battery gauge. It also activates an anti-theft alarm which kicks in if the Segway is manhandled by undesirables. Could be very annoying too. After all, find me a kid that’s not genetically programmed to jump on scooters?
You should sit down now because we are going to talk prices. The x2 comes in at £4,200 and the i2 at a bargain, £3,995. Ouch! Check more details here. Via Stuff
news technology tech gadgets transport
Dell Recalls 4.1 Million Batteries, Stops Big Bada Boom(s) August 15, 2006
READ MORE Laptops
So, Dell laptops like to get hot and explode sometimes, if you hadn't heard. Well, they are finally doing something about it by recalling 4.1 million notebook batteries. This is the largest recall in Dell history. The faulty batteries have cells made by Sony and were sold from April 2004 until July 2006 in Latitude, Inspiron and Precision notebooks. According to Dell, 18-percent of the machines sold during the time period have faulty batteries that can overheat and possibly explode into a fiery ka-bloom. No word yet on how to acquire a replacement battery, but we'll keep you posted as the info comes through. Thanks, everyone who emailed this in.
Dell to recall 4.1 million laptop batteries [MSNBC]
Dell Recalls Batteries Because of Fire Threat [NY Times]
M-Audio's Session: Available Now In a Standalone Version August 15, 2006
READ MORE Digital Audio
M-Audio's Session software can be easily described as Garageband for the PC. Up until now, you could only get a copy of it by buying a Fast Trak USB device from M-Audio. But starting today, August 15th, Session is available as a standalone purchase for £25.
Session ships with 3.5GB of loops and instrument content, and comes with an M-Audio Micro USB device that "gives users an ASIO (audio streaming in/out) driver (the industry standard for music-creation drivers)". Plus, it's pretty much guaranteed to work well with M-Audio's wide array of musical peripherals, making your PC recording that much easier.
Product Page [M-Audio]
A screenshot of the Session UI after the jump.
Other Bits & Bytes August 15, 2006
READ MORE Press
Intel To Pare Down Pentium D Processors In Favor Of The New Core 2 [TeachWeb]
•Germany Now Has More Mobile Phones Than People [textually.org]
•A Plane From London To New York Was Turned Around Because A Cellphone Was Found On Board. Yes, A mobile phone. [The Guardian]
•More And More Americans Would Rather Spend Their Free Time Playing Video Games Than Watch TV [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter]
Nokia Bluetooth Mouse Project August 15, 2006
READ MORE Announcements
Here is a little mod that may be phoney baloney, so we'll let you decide.
Most phones now have a camera and can run Java, there is no reason that some software couldn't be written to watch for movement in the camera, and translate that into mouse signals for the PC. Bluetooth could be used to send the data to the PC. So there was the challenge, a java program that took multiple frames from the nokia camera, translated that into direction and speed and sent it to the PC as mouse movements.
I'm not much of a software/programming junkie, but I know there are a lot of you out there that are. Some people are calling this mod BS, some people are saying legit. Anyone out there have some insight whether this is possible or not? Hit up iwanttocomment@gizmodo.com for a comments invite and let us know.
Hit the jump for a video of the mouse in action.
Turning Nokia 6230i into a Bluetooth Mouse [Blog of Wishes]
Pacific Design iPod Nano Uptown Clutch Wallet August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
As tired as we all are of iPod cases, this Pacific Design iPod Nano Uptown Clutch wallet seems pretty neat. It looks just like a standard ladies wallet with slots for credit cards and cash, but also has a pocket for the iPod Nano and a pocket for headphones.
At only £15, the Uptown Clutch is fashionable and cheap. A perfect present for your wife the next time she complains about how your presents for her are actually presents for yourself. As if she didn't enjoy that Norelco Bodygroom as much as I did.
Product Page [eBags via Popgadget]
Blackberry 8100 vs RAZR: Blackberry Thinner! August 15, 2006
READ MORE Mobile phones
Boy Genius, mobile phone insider extrodinaire, has posted images of the sleek, consumer Blackberry next to a RAZR. And the Blackberry makes the RAZR look like a hog. As always, last year's thin is this year's gadget brick. Boy Genius, wherever you are, we love your work. Call me on one of those new handsets you always seem to get ahead of everyone else.
Blackberry 8100 vs RAZR [Blackberry Cool]
HTC's 2006 Roadmap August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets , Software
Our favorite amateur softcore pornographer BengalBoy got his hands on HTC's 2006 roadmap. HTC, in case you forgot, makes Windows Mobile 5-based smartphones for other manufacturers like QTek and Dopod to sell with their own branding.
First up, HTC has changed their slogan to HTC Smart Mobility from their old HTC Engineering Mobility and HTC Innovation. They've also renamed their phones with letters instead of words, like the HTC TyTN and the HTC MTeoR.
So what's due in '06? The TyTN and the MTeoR, which have just been released in Europe. Then there's the HTC Artemis and the HTC Excalibur, the latter of which is a Motorola Q-like smartphone. There's also thee phones we haven't heard much about, the HTC Melody, the HTC Trinity and the HTC OxyGen.
Take a look at the specs for those three phone after the jump.
BengalBoy Exposes the HTC "Road Map"... Photos of the UpComing HTC Devices with Specifications!! [BengalBoy via Slashphone]
Giz Hearts Jalopnik: Hands All Over the Jeep Compass August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Our auto-erotic brother site Jalopnik just posted a review of the 2007 Jeep Compass, and they've gone ahead and taken a second look of the Jeep's electronic guts, just for Giz. Look for more of these tech-heavy video collaborative reviews in the future.
The Jeep Compass blends inexpensive with all-wheel drive to create something...different. While it may have the Jeep nameplate, it certainly isn't a Jeep in the more traditional sense of the brand. But what it lacks in 4WD performance, it makes up for with the number of gadgets and toys it's crammed into the space between the front and rear fenders. Although the model we reviewed didn't include one of the cooler tech features, the flip-down liftgate speakers, I think you'll see that what it does have is pretty sweet. If only the center console had an mp3 holder big enough for—well—you'll see for yourself.
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Jeep Compass [Jalopnik]
Hand-Crank Radio Also Charges Phone August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
This could be the ultimate gadget for the outdoor type who still likes to stay connected. Hand-crank radios are already pretty popular, but this one adds a little more. It can also charge a mobile phone battery. The radio includes five adapaters for a variety of mobile phones and it even includes a small LED flashlight. The day hell freezes over and I go camping, I'll be sure and take this £25 gadget with me.
Product Page [Via Ubergizmo]
Chinese Robot Gallery August 15, 2006
READ MORE Press
The Chinese are standing up and saying they to, like the Japanese, can make weird-ass robots that scare little children. Here's a gallery of robots made in China, including a robot waiter, a 330lb rickshaw-pulling robot made by a farmer, a four fingered piano playing robot, and that beauty robot we saw last week.
The scariest one? This robot chimpanzee made by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Now we won't have to worry about monkeys taking over the world (Planet of the Apes) or robots taking over the world (every other Sci-Fi movie). It'll actually be monkey robots. And we can identify them by their cheap Chinese-made Disney knockoff shirts.
A gallery of unusual Chinese robots [Primidi]
Gold Motorola RAZR V3i: Fashion Toy, Unlocked, £320 August 15, 2006
READ MORE Mobile phones
The editors at Mobileburn got their bloggy little mitts on a Dolce & Gabbana Gold Moto RAZR V3i. They've a whole pornographic gallery of them molesting it, the dirty perverts. The phone is like the non-bling V3i, meaning it's like an old RAZR, with a 1.2 megapixel camera.
BenLo, Gizmodo's new intern, proved his worth by digging up this link to Motorola's online store, where the Gold Moto can be bought for £320. For that price, the phone comes with a D&G charm (oh goody.) But what's this? It's also unlocked, so you can use it with any carrier. Also, it's delivered to your doorstep by a pair of virgins.
Motorola V3i Gold Dolce & Gabbana RAZR Gallery [Mobileburn]
Motorola V3i Gold Dolce & Gabbana RAZR [Moto Via BenLo]
HTC Artemis GPS-Enabled PDA Phone August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets , PDA
The HTC Artemis is HTC's first cellphone with on-board GPS, saving you the hassle of having to attach an external GPS unit for driving directions. No slide-out QWERTY on this one, but it does have a 2-megapixel camera, WiFi, microSD, TI OMAP 850 200MHz CPu, Bluetooth, FM Radio, and 64MB of on-board storage.
Although not as powerful as the HTC TyTN, it is very handy for driving thanks to its built-in GPS. Otherwise, the features are just about the same as an HTC Wizard (T-Mobile MDA, Verizon XV6700) and it doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard.
Available Q3 2006.
HTC Artemis to feature GPS and FM radio [Navigadget via Reg Hardware via Phone Arena]
Aigo F029 Watch All-in-One Media Player August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
This is the F029 watch from Aigo. It is a little different from the average MP3 playing watch out there because it has a full color OLED screen. It plays MP3 and WMA and it can even play MPEG-4 video on the 160x128 pixel screen. Included will be 512MB or 1GB of memory and, oh yeah, it can tell time. But that is the least important feature.
Aigo F029 Digital Watch/MP3/Video Player [dapreview]
Automatic Aquarium Feeder: Lazy++ August 15, 2006
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There aren't many other pets out there that are as low maintenance as fish. But believe it or not, thousands upon thousands of fish are flushed yearly because of malnourishment. The technical term for us in the medical field is "Lazy Man Syndrome." The automatic fish feeder will make sure your little fishies live a nice a long life without you having to lift a finger. This feeder will distribute up to four servings per day. It can feed the fish up to two weeks before being refilled. The automatic fish feeder is available for £15 over at Smarthome.
Product Page [Via Coolest Gadgets]
Busty Racing Girl Mousepad August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Why mouse on anime boobs when you can use real girl's boobs? Five different versions available, all with Korean racing girls. And no, we still don't know where you can buy them.
Racing Girl Mousepad [Mygear.co.kr via Funposel via Slashgear]
DIY PowerBook e-Book Reader August 15, 2006
READ MORE Laptops , Online
Sony Reader, Schmony Reader. Who needs one of those devices when you can turn your Powerbook into an e-Book reader. Sure, even reading this text could be considered reading an e-Book, but does your laptop or desktop machine look like an actual book? No, so stfu!
Simply rotate that PDF to display vertically, and flip the Powerbook up on its side. Not it really is a PowerBook. Oho! Hit the link for a completely unnecessary video. Simple and basic, but you know some people—like me—would never think of an idea like this.
Vertical PowerBook as ebook reader [Via MAKE]
ArtDio VoIP Speakerphone August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets , Peripherals
This little ArtDio speakerphone doesn't have dual-array microphones like the Logitech speakerphone just announced today, but for good reason. It's only £15— less than a third of Logitech's £50 price tag.
Even without the fancy dual-array mics and stylish design, this little disc-shaped peripheral will try its hardest with the built-in echo cancellation and noise suppression to make your calls sound good. You can use even use it as a speaker for your music—mono only—that pauses the song whenever a call comes in. Not bad for just £15.
Product Page [Kinyo via Chip Chick via Sci Fi Tech]
Allspirit VP180 Skype Mouse: Corded and Fisher Price-ish August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets , Online , Peripherals
This mouse continues the tradition of voice over IP enabled pointing devices. This one adds Skype-compatible. We get it. With your hand already resting on the mouse, answering a phone call should take little more time than a quickdraw, Buffalo Bill style.
It has your basic left, right button, and scroll wheel on top. Full dialpad, without LCD on the bottom. I'm not sure I'd ever use that mouse to talk on. How much gunk collects on the bottom of your pointer during a hectic work day? Especially when you're working at Starbucks, like I am, waiting for home DSL to come back to life.
Allspirit VP180 [AVing, in case you couldn't tell from the freaking watermark]
Helio to Open Retail Stores From Sea to Shining Sea August 15, 2006
READ MORE Press
The same folks who designed Apple's retail stores will be making Helio retail stores, the first of which is to open this October in Santa Monica. Eventually, the wireless carrier's stores will show up in other cities, like Denver, San Diego, and the granddaddy of them all, New York.
Apparently, the Helio retail stores will host a whole bunch of innovative features, like customer check out and configuration "pods." They're even throwing in "spa kits" to clean and preen careworn devices. We promise not to have countdowns to these stores' openings, though.
Helio Stores: Now With More Tentacles! [Gearlog]
Xbox 360s Getting Zombified By Dead Rising? August 15, 2006
READ MORE Games
We haven't had any problems on our systems, but on Kotaku's informal poll, 14.1% answered "Yes" to the question of Dead Rising freezing their 360s. That's a pretty high percentage, even accounting for the vote-yes-for-fun factor.
Dead Rising Killing Xbox 360s? [Kotaku]
First Look: Belkin Surge Protectors, Good for Cable Management Fiends August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Belkin has unveiled three new surge protectors that will be able to make any cable management whore—like myself—jump with joy. They will be releasing the Concealed Surge Protector, Compact Surge Protector and Clamp-On Surge Protector this October.
The Clamp-On Surge Protector is the one we're looking forward to the most. No more piles upon piles of cables on the floor. Finally cables will be able to be run without touching the ground, and staying out of sight. Clamp it anywhere—computer desk, home theatre stand, bathroom, work bench, etc. It will be available for £18 and include six outlets and a 10-foot power cord.
The Concealed Surge Protector is built for organization. It will power your gadgets via 11 outlets while organizing and hiding cables away. Safety and organization is key—the Concealed Surge Protector is great for kid-proofing a house. £25.
The Compact Surge Protector is a small surge protector that provides organization in a nice white bundle. There are a total of eight outlets—four regular and four for block-sized AC adapters. It also includes phone cable protection and will retail for £20.
Hit the jump for more photos of each.
Logitech Announces Three VoIP Handsets August 15, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Three handsets from Logitech lets you Skype like a pro, as long as you have a PC nearby. The Logitech QuickCall USB Speakerphone looks like one of Batman's toys, which is definitely alright in our book. It plugs in to your PC via USB, and has a two-microphone array to help eliminate echo by filtering out the sound coming from the speakers and only picking up your voice. This will be available for £50 in October.
The other two VoIPers after the jump.
Gemei X21 Portable Audio Player With Monkey's Audio Support August 15, 2006
READ MORE Digital Audio , PDA , Portable Media
Chinese manufacturer Gemei is coming out with the X21, an otherwise run-of-the-mill portable audio player save for its ability to play Monkey's Audio files. Monkey's Audio format files can be identified by their file extension, .APE. It's a lossless audio codec like FLAC, meaning you shrink the size of the song files without any hit on sound quality. These files are bigger than the average MP3 file, which is why it's so puzzling that the X21 only ships with 512MB of storage space (enough for about 1.5 CDs). Oh, wait, it's cheaper that way. Silly me.
Yes, the X21 will also play MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis (woo!) and WAV files. There's even an FM tuner tacked on for good measure.
Gemei's Web site hasn't been update to reflect the X21's announcement. Of course it hasn't.
Gemei X-21 goes APE [dapreview.net]
Gemei Home Page (in Chinese) [Gemei]
Magellan eXplorist 500 LE: GPS Versatility, Portability, Value August 15, 2006
READ MORE Mobile phones , PDA
We showed you the fine Magellan eXplorist 210 last February, and the eXplorist 500 is also near and dear to our hearts, and now the company has made a good thing better with the Magellan eXplorist 500 LE, adding the ability to also use AAA batteries in case its lithium-ion batteries run out of juice while you're out there in the middle of nowhere.
This is one highly capable navigator, too, with unlimited expansion with SD cards, USB connectivity and a 14-parallel-channel GPS receiver that gives you accuracy down to 9 feet. Its under-4-ounce weight and 4.6-inch height fits easily into the pocket or pack, making it the ideal trail companion. We're also liking that 2.3-inch high-rez color screen. Available now, it's about £135.
Press Release [Thales Navigation, Inc., via uber gizmo]
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