Gizmodo
Microsoft
Microsoft
Product Placement
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Abused by Britney Spears in New Video
Thanks to about a million tips, I've been forced to sit through the new Britney Spears music video for "Womanizer" because the flashy Nokia 5800 XpressMusic 'Tube' makes an appearance. The phone is used to take a picture of a ridiculously be-wigged Britney before she violently attacks the photographer and slams his face into a photocopier, sending the poor phone flying. But that's not the end of the technology in the video! More »
Rumor
As we get closer to yet another Apple event, the rumor mill is operating at full speed and everyone has "sources." The latest to offer up a juicy bit of gossip is Jason Calacanis, who went on record in an interview with CNET UK as saying that he has direct sources telling him Apple is developing a networked LCD HDTV that will have built-in Apple TV capabilities. Immediately, this brought up a smattering of conflicting ideas and opinions from a few of us at Giz as to whether or not this makes sense. And if it does happen, we almost certainly won't see it on Tuesday. Ultimately, we're still undecided one way or the other, but here's what we think on the matter.
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Calacanis Rumor: Apple Developing Networked LCD With Built-in Apple TV
As we get closer to yet another Apple event, the rumor mill is operating at full speed and everyone has "sources." The latest to offer up a juicy bit of gossip is Jason Calacanis, who went on record in an interview with CNET UK as saying that he has direct sources telling him Apple is developing a networked LCD HDTV that will have built-in Apple TV capabilities. Immediately, this brought up a smattering of conflicting ideas and opinions from a few of us at Giz as to whether or not this makes sense. And if it does happen, we almost certainly won't see it on Tuesday. Ultimately, we're still undecided one way or the other, but here's what we think on the matter.
More »
Storage
Seagate to Begin Switch to SSD, Put HDD Out to Pasture
Seagate has decided to enter the solid-state disk (SSD) market in 2009, starting the company's switch from hard disk drives (HDD). Their first target: corporate America. Once they've got the cubicle commanders, they'll move to consumers. Seagate senior manager Rich Vignes seems to be awfully defensive about this incredibly obvious move, stating over and over that they'll take it slow, that analysts really do think SSDs are reliable, and that this is the wave of the future. Of course, if you're reading Giz, chances are your response to the announcement is "Duh." To be clear, Seagate isn't abandoning HDDs: there will still be segments of the market better suited for hard drives rather than SSDs, and this switch to SSD as the breadwinner of the company won't happen for a long time. Still, it's a good step toward SSD's eventual dominance. [CNet]
Oled
Printed Sheets of OLED Lights Will Light Up Your Life
CNN reports that General Electric has created a giant OLED panel printer to be specifically used for lighting. The "semi-trailer" sized machine prints out thin layers of flexible plastic, covers them with chemicals, and seals them with foil, so they'll glow a frosty blue-white if an electrical current is applied. But these OLED sheets aren't exactly lightbulb substitutes. More »
Apple
New MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and probably an updated MacBook Air are coming up next week, at the Apple MacBook 2008 event. The MacBook and MacBook Pro are long due for a case redesign but, beyond that, little is known for sure. Here we have collected all the pieces of information we have about them. All the facts, the logical rumors, and the crazy ones, which we will keep updating through the coming days until the MacBook Event liveblog kicks off.
More »
Apple MacBook 2008 Event: All the Rumors In One Place
New MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and probably an updated MacBook Air are coming up next week, at the Apple MacBook 2008 event. The MacBook and MacBook Pro are long due for a case redesign but, beyond that, little is known for sure. Here we have collected all the pieces of information we have about them. All the facts, the logical rumors, and the crazy ones, which we will keep updating through the coming days until the MacBook Event liveblog kicks off.
More »
8:40 PM on Fri Oct 10 2008
By Jesus Diaz
31,073 views,
64 comments
Latest by bwilliams18: When the tablet mac comes out you owe us "really really crazy" people an appology more »
Dealzmodo
Sharp 42-Inch 1080p Aquos for $900... at Dell
Yep, Dell, purveyors of computers and such, currently have the best price on a really decent Sharp Aquos, the 42" LC-42SB45U with 1080p resolution. It's $899, and shipping is free, though you will have to pay sales tax. By contrast, Amazon's starting price on this model is $972, and the shopping sites tend to list it anywhere from $1,000 to $1,300. We haven't reviewed this particular model, but we like Sharp. If you're in the market for a decent LCD—and are among the unique few in this country with some ready cash—I say have at it. The deal disapparates on Monday. [Dell]
8:30 PM on Fri Oct 10 2008
By Wilson Rothman
9,446 views,
22 comments
Latest by spaceman37: Sweet deal. I just picked up it up. I'm so glad I live in a state without sales tax. Thanks more »
multitouch
CityWall has been around for a little bit now, offering a giant multitouch display of maps and other service-oriented features. But now the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology just launched their new 3D UI for the interactive display, which makes it look super futuristic and awesome. While not actually 3D in the physical sense, the UI is fully rendered in 3D. As the video below shows, groups of files are represented as spheres, which can be manipulated in every which way. You can even look at the photo thumbnails inside the sphere "from behind." Though the demo is thin, it shows some really interesting ideas at play. [CityWall via Crave]
More »
CityWall Interactive Multitouch Display Now Has a Glorious 3D Interface
CityWall has been around for a little bit now, offering a giant multitouch display of maps and other service-oriented features. But now the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology just launched their new 3D UI for the interactive display, which makes it look super futuristic and awesome. While not actually 3D in the physical sense, the UI is fully rendered in 3D. As the video below shows, groups of files are represented as spheres, which can be manipulated in every which way. You can even look at the photo thumbnails inside the sphere "from behind." Though the demo is thin, it shows some really interesting ideas at play. [CityWall via Crave]
More »
Free series
Star Trek Original Series Now Warping on YouTube
Just a few days after its TV anniversary, and in time for the new Star Trek movie, YouTube is now airing a bunch of full episodes of Star Trek. According to them, this is just the beginning: More »
Design
Energy Seed Concept Is Smart Way to Collect Spent Batteries
I threw away two batteries yesterday. I know, I know—it's almost the same as chopping down like five old-growth oak trees or something, but it was just so damn easy. And what else are you gonna do with dead batteries? That's exactly why I am jazzed about this Energy Seed concept by Sungwoo Park. You collect all the batteries that no longer power your digital cameras, baby toys and TV remotes, and you deposit them in the base of this lamp. The lamp then glows, because even a mostly spent battery will be able to power an ultra-efficient light source. More »
7:20 PM on Fri Oct 10 2008
By Wilson Rothman
7,368 views,
25 comments
Latest by RendiaX: unless it stores the energy, i see no reason this would do much seeing as the light it's self would more »
Lego
Lego Mindstorms Fat Boy Is Controlled with Actual Bike Handles
This remote-controlled Lego Mindstorms NXT Fat Boy bike is cute and stylized enough to guarantee a post on its own. But when you see that the actual controller is shaped like the handles of a real motor bike, then it's just not a matter of writing about it or not. It's a matter of taking a plane to Germany and stealing it. More »
Ipod nano bugs
iPod Nano Switches Left and Right Channels With Headphone Insert
If you have a new 4th-gen nano and a decent ear, you may have noticed something funny: After putting it to sleep, if you wake it up by inserting headphones, the left and right channels switch. I tried this with the most obvious stereo mix of all time, David Bowie's "Space Oddity," and it's really easy to duplicate yourself. While it's easy to correct, it's still definitely a weird, weird bug. Thanks to reader Matt for bringing it to our attention, and posting a thread at iLounge. Have you noticed it or any other weird glitches, like Genius' pathological avoidance of the lovely Norah Jones? (I'm serious, try it!)
Musical fish
Live Fish Remix MP3s, Have More Talent Than Most American Idol Contestants
A Brazilian artist named Vivian Caccuri has put together an installation that uses the movements of live fish to remix the music played on an MP3 player. These fish are tracked using a proximity sensor and their activities trigger adjustments in processing levels, distortion and speaker fade to create a unique sound. Sure, it is about as pointless as snails being used to send email, but it is definitely relaxing to watch. [Vivian Caccuri via Crave]
Laser helmet
SLAM Helmet Maps Room to Help Rescuers Navigate Through Smoke
Researchers are using a technique called simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) to develop helmets that rescue workers can use to navigate through heavy smoke. The helmet features an infrared laser scanner and software that bounces signals off walls and uses that data to create a map of the surrounding area. More »
Alarm Clocks
Live Vicariously Through Your Life Clock
The Life Clock from Jinsei Tokei is kind of like a Tamagotchi for adults—but instead of caring for it, the little guy living inside this box mimics your lifestyle. Well...sort of. You see, you can choose between three characters: a salaryman, a schoolgirl or a rock star. It gets up when your alarm goes off and it goes back to sleep when you set it at night. In-between that time it will do things like eat, shop and go out on dates. It will even cook if you use it as a kitchen timer. So, this is really a model of how to to live your life. You know—earn a little money, eat 3 square meals a day, find yourself a nice girl and do it all with a strict punctuality. Available for $55. [Japan Trend Shop via TRFJ]
High Def
Dish Network 1080p Compared to Blu-ray 1080p (Verdict: Not Bad)
At face value, "1080p high definition" means 1920×1080 pixels presented progressive scan (all at once). But if a clip is 1080p that alone doesn't necessitate that it will look good. Just as you can stretch a thumbnail in Photoshop to any gargantuan size you like, so too can content providers give you ugly 1080p.
So when Dish Network announced premium 1080p VOD that they compared to Blu-ray quality, we were more than a little skeptical. Sound & Vision was as well, which is exactly why they sat down with a Dish and Blu-ray version of Speed Racer to compare:
More »
UAVs
Military Arming Shadow Drones, Could Give Novice Teen Pilots the Power to Kill
Today, only seasoned, rated pilots are allowed to step behind the controls of an armed Predator or Reaper drone. However, the Defense Department is planning to change all that by fitting their low-flying Shadow counterparts with precision weapons. Currently Shadow drones function primarily as an intelligence asset—hunting down and collecting information on potential targets. They are also much lighter, smaller and cheaper than Predators or Reapers—which is why the Air Force felt comfortable allowing the most junior officers to pilot missions. More »
Blu-Ray
