Panasonic's Art Nouveau Phone Concept Is Pure Eye Candy July 06, 2007

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Like something out of a Blade-meets-Matrix frankenmovie, designer Christina Tapp's Art Nouveau phone is a sleek, curvy beauty that apparently serves a functional purpose as a phone. Since it isn't real, I don't have to worry about wiping my drool off of its scrolling LCD front panel (as long as I'm dreaming, why not make it OLED?) or losing it in the couch cushions. Another cool pic after the jump.

Mod your Laptop into a Portable Typewriter and Adding Machine July 06, 2007

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Writer Mary Robinette Kowal has done a semi-steampunk mod on her laptop, calling it "The Kowal Portable Typewriter and Adding Machine." And, unlike most mod freaks, she didn't catalog everything to the minutest detail. I like her "I had a laptop, I made it look more purdy, what more do you want to know?" attitude.

Human Drives Robot Dressed as Human Driving a Digger (Verdict: We Dig It) July 06, 2007

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Dressing up robots to dig holes. That's more or less what Honda is doing today in Japan with their humanoid robot series, which not only can do Buster-Keaton slapstick shows but also act as human operators in risky situations. However, the important thing is not the robot itself but how they control it.

Skeleton Suitcase From Samsonite July 06, 2007

Read more Entertainment , Gadgets

When you really need to jazz up something as dull as a suitcase, hire an extrovert fashion designer, throw loads of cash at him and then hope to God he delivers the goods.

This is what Samsonite have done with Alexander McQueen and what they got was ….the Skeleton Suitcase. Based on the human torso [I bet they weren’t expecting that] the new 20in Hero suitcase will certainly have heads turning in the departure lounge. There’s also a very high chance that you’ll be cavity searched by customs. According to the blurb:

The human form is treated just like an animal skin, with the ribcage and sternum at the front of the case, and backbone at the back. The inside is formed by the negative of the outside shape in a soft moulded form providing contrast with the outer protective hard shell.

It comes in black, or white [ivory, for the posh set]. Yours for around £375. The cavity search is free. Find it here.-Martin Lynch

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World’s First 'Free Energy' Device ‘Broken’ July 06, 2007

Read more Gadgets , Science , Technology

The world’s first magnetic machine promising free, clean energy, the Orbo, has run into some technical difficulties. Irish company Steorn is behind the device, which was to go on show for a 10-day demonstration in London’s Kinetica museum yesterday, has run into some problems.

"We are experiencing some technical difficulties with the demo unit in London. Our initial assessment indicates that this is probably due to the intense heat from the camera lighting. We have commenced a technical assessment and will provide an update later today. As a consequence, Kinetica will not be open to the public today (5th July). We apologise for this delay and appreciate your patience."

Orbo is described as a perpetual motion machine that can create energy through the interaction of magnetic fields. Wow, great, as long as you take into account that what Steorn is proposing is a complete rewrite of the laws of physics. This means that it should be impossible since it flies in the face of such little scientific laws as the 'Conservation of Energy' or the 'First Law of Thermodynamics' – essentially, energy can’t be created nor destroyed just altered from one type of energy into another.

Still, if this isn’t a hoax and something actually works, we are looking at one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of all time. Watch a live cam video of well, nothing happening, right here. [Thanks for the heads-up Stuart]-Martin Lynch

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O2 Wins iPhone UK Contract July 06, 2007

Read more Apple , Gizmodo UK , Mobile Devices , Mobile phones , Smartphones , iPhone

At least that’s the reports coming in from the ether. Apparently, Apple has given mobile operator O2 the nod to supply the iPhone exclusively in the UK, which will be available before Christmas.

O2 has officially declined to comment but, if true, it’s a real kick in the crown jewels for heavyweight Vodafone – which was tipped to be the lead runner last week.

O2 is expected to have to fork out a share of the ongoing revenues generated by the network’s iPhone users to Apple, which is possibly why Vodafone lost out - allegedly, that is.

Still, considering over 500,000 shipped in the first few days in the US, it’s very likely that O2 is going to see a massive rush for the device come Christmas and a huge new customer base, made up largely of those that abandon their existing operators.

The power of fashion, eh?-Martin Lynch

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