<![CDATA[Gizmodo: Fusion]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: Fusion]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/fusion http://gizmodo.com/tag/fusion <![CDATA[ HiPER Laser Fusion Project "Starts" Tomorrow, Could Save Earth ]]> The $1.7-billion HiPER facility—High Power laser Energy Research—will kick off with a party this monday. Yes, the project that will hopefully give us a way to produce limitless clean energy and save humanity from self-destruction (or pull out an LHC and destroy half the planet), starts up with a hydrogen pellet and alcoholic cocktails, which, if you ask me, is the perfect way to begin saving the planet. Here is how it works:

• HiPER is being designed to demonstrate the feasibility of laser driven fusion as a future energy source. It will also enable the investigation of the science of truly extreme conditions – accessing regimes which cannot be produced elsewhere on Earth (temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees, billion atmosphere pressures, and enormous electric and magnetic fields).

• HiPER will require major developments in technology, building on the highly successful European capability in this area. In particular, the PETAL laser, located in the Aquitaine region of France, will be a fore-runner to the HiPER facility to address physics and technology issues of strategic relevance for HiPER

Hopefully it will work out and we all would be able to party and have canapes and maki rolls to celebrate we can send oil to hell. [Telegraph]

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Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EDT Jesus Diaz http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5059178&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Apple Multi-Touch Data Fusion Adds Camera, Voice, Force Sensors ]]> Apple has been working in new multi-touch technology that combines touch interfaces with input from the camera and the microphone. For example: this will allow you to select text in the iPhone, say "copy," go to another application and say "paste" to make this task really easy. The most intriguing part, however, is the use of a camera in laptops and desktops.

This will require two cameras, one for video chat and the other for the "hand reading," but it opens a lot of possibilities. To start with, the entire keyboard can become a gesture control pad without even having to touch the surface. In addition to that, it can be combined with actual touch technology to identify single fingers on the surface, with the possibility of assigning specific functions to them.

The system even contemplates combining all this with accelerometers and force sensors, so the touch action can generate secondary data. One example of this may be applying a deformation effect to an image or a sound effect to a music track, giving it more or less strength depending on the force you use in your action. [USPTO via Unwired View]

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Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:53:00 EDT Jesus Diaz http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5045269&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Fusion CA-1P500 Is the First Head Unit That Hides, Docks Your iPod ]]> We can't believe it, but Fusion CA-1P500 is apparently the first head unit that allows you to dock and hide your iPod directly inside the face. The thing costs £149.99 ($278), which isn't too bad for a head unit that has an OLED menu, a knob that corresponds to the iPod's scroll wheel, and SRS Wow. It fits the classic, touch and nano, but supposedly not the iPhone. Weird, aren't the touch and iPhone about the same? In any case, what we'd love is for it to take in the iPhone and give us full handsfree calling capabilities through a mic in the head and output through the speakers. [Fusion via T3]

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Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:20:00 EDT Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5040277&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Prospot Fusion Home Gym Combines the Tedium of Exercise With the Excitement Of Watching Things On a TV ]]> As you can tell by our headshots, the only way most of the editors here at Giz would exercise is if you stuck a TV onto gym equipment. Good news! That's exactly what Prospot did with their Fusion HG6. The base unit costs $4699 and looks quite sturdy and useful on its own, but coupled with the on-board media center features it's the rich nerd's only hope to getting in shape—other than sticking a regular home gym in the same room as a regular TV, that is. [Prospotfitness via Born Rich via Coolest Gadgets]

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Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:20:00 EDT Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5034305&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Details Of AMD And ATI's Fusion Baby Combo Chip Leak ]]> A few new details about AMD's mysterious Fusion CPU/GPU combo chip have leaked to the Web and they seem to confirm what some rumors have been saying, namely that AMD would be making the chip with help from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest chip plants. ATI, whom AMD bought two years ago, had been a long time customer of TSMC so the deal makes sense. The technical details point to the first processor under the Fusion name will launch Q1 of next year, and will be a dual-core Phenom CPU running along side an ATI RV800 as GPU at 40nm, a "half-node" size that will probably transition to 32nm within a year. It's an exciting idea, we just hope AMD can pull it off. [TG Daily]

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Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:00:05 EDT Matt Hickey http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5033061&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Korean Scientists Closer To Fusion? ]]> Korean scientists are one step further in reaching sustainable fusion reactors. In an experiment for the National Fusion Research Institute, scientists were able to achieve a form of supercharged plasma for 249 milliseconds, almost two and a half times longer than they had anticipated. It's a new form of plasma that can be used to generate electricity in a manner similar to conventional nuclear plants but with far less radioactive waste. We think that's cool. So do bears. [Korea Times]

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Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:00:55 EDT Matt Hickey http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5029425&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV Is Way Better Than Cable or Satellite ]]> Microsoft's Mediaroom is the company's IPTV solution that brings TV into to your house (much like cable and satellite) over IP. You might be familiar with it in its commercially released service forms such as AT&T U-Verse here in the US or BT Vision in the UK. The features out now—quick channel changing, multiple channel records simultaneously without a hardware tuner limit, multi-room viewing, multiple picture-in-picture—are pretty fantastic, but we had a visit with Microsoft earlier this week and learned that what's coming soon is even better.

First, let's go over the features that Mediaroom offers now. With a simple set-top-box, you can grab high quality HDTV that's better quality (seeing as Comcast has been compressing their HDTV shows like mad) than what you'd otherwise get on cable. If you've got two set-top-boxes, you can stream shows off of each other so you don't have to record a program twice to be able to watch it in your living room and bedroom. This feature is called DVR Anywhere, and will be available whenever operators roll it out.

You can even watch the same TV broadcast or recorded shows on your Windows PC or Xbox 360, a feature that's been announced since CES by Microsoft, but is up to the actual service provider (AT&T, BT) to roll out. In AT&T's case, it won't be available until the second-half of 2008. Update: Microsoft tells me that the details here were a bit off. The Xbox 360 support was announced at CES and will be rolled out on BT's Vision service in the future. AT&T hasn't announced Xbox 360 support. Viewing shows on a PC is something I saw demonstrated in Microsoft's labs, but I'm clarifying with Microsoft as to what it was.

This leads us to the new feature Microsoft showed off: Applications. Since IPTV is a two-way street, your Mediaroom set-top-boxes are able to pull down information from the net, leading to very interesting interactive programs that people can code up for shows. For example:

• During a boxing match, you can pull up different mics, view fighter stats, and even view/vote in polls.


• Nascar races will let you bring up the cockpit cams of your favorite driver (as long as the driver is being tracked by TNT), or listen to the pit crew shout directions.

• During a primary event, CNN allows you to bring up voting results, bios, and other information about each candidate.


And so on. These apps are coded by the shows' producers, then sold to the provider in order to enhance your viewing experience. You could even code up your own app, tack it onto Lost, and try and sell it.

No service provider currently has applications in place now, but they're lightweight and should be able to be run on set top boxes out there today. It's just a matter of your local provider getting these features from Microsoft and integrating it into their service plans. [MeidaRoom]

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Sat, 17 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=391338&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Fusion Man Jets Above Alps, Probably Looking for Jacuzzi Party ]]> Godspeed, Yves Rossy, Godspeed! All 180 miles per hour of it, flying over the Alps with your four jets, guiding your carbon fiber and kevlar wings using just your body, and landing with your parachute on some boozetastic jacuzzi party on top of Mont Blanc. Then get drunk like a Japanese astronomer and fly away to the stars. We envy and admire you, Mr. Fusion Man, so here's a song just for you.

[CNN]

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Thu, 15 May 2008 07:17:00 EDT Jesus Diaz http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=390696&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Inside the Largest Laser and Fusion Chamber in the World ]]> If you live in San Francisco's Bay Area and your name is Darth Vader, head to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the hottest laser action in the galaxy. Instead of destroying planets, however, the $3-billion National Ignition Facility will be used to fuse hydrogen atoms to create a small star and, in theory, get us closer to an endless power source. A PBS crew got into the facility to film it, and the only thing that comes to mind is "impressive. Very Impressive." The process is fascinating.

It all starts with a single laser, which is split into 48 separate beams. The beams are then redirected using mirrors into amplifiers—previously pumped by a total of 7,680 Xenon flash lamps— and, after four bounces, they are further split into 192 rays through all the facility—which is the size of three football fields. As they travel through those endless tubes they will be amplified again at an exponential rate.

The result: from a tiny 1/billionth of a joule laser, the scientists at the National Ignition Facility will end up with rays "a foot on the their side" with a combined "1.8 million joules of ultraviolet energy", 1,000 times the energy of all the power plants in the United States combined. That's five trillion watts (and as any numbnuts know, a trillion is more than a million.)

Fusion_microcapsule.jpg

The lasers will then compress the frozen hydrogen fuel cell pictured here, which will be enclosed in a gold-plated cylinder called the hohlraum. The hohlraum—which was probably brought through a Stargate— is located inside the 32.8-foot-diameter ignition chamber, and it will transforms the lasers into extremely intense X-rays, compressing the hydrogen at one hundred billion atmospheres in just 1/1,000,000 of a second.

This will trigger a controlled nuclear fusion reaction that will create a small star, hopefully generating more power than the energy used to fire the laser and contain the intense heat inside the chamber.

All this in theory. The questions is:

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

I'm leaning to the third option. Good bye, California. It was good while it lasted. Your only hope: that Europe vaporizes the solar system first with their Large Hadron Collider. [National Ignition Facility, NIF at Wikipedia, FusEdWeb, and Lasers at Wikipedia via Quest]

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Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:40:00 EDT Jesus Diaz http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=380291&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Toshiba Satellite Laptops: New Fusion Look, Charge-Anytime USB Ports, Cheaper Prices ]]> Mr. T's favorite laptop maker rolled out slick, useful and budget-minded updates to its Satellite line today. First up, the 13.3" U400, 14.1" M300, 15.4" A300 and 17" P300 have a new look called "Fusion," a shiny finish with pinstripes and smoothed edges, not unlike that sucka HP's successful smooth-n-shiny-n-pinstripey look. The eight shots in the gallery make the design look a bit greenish, so we'll have to wait to pass final judgment. It's one thing to look nice on the outside, but like T, these have a lot going on on the inside, too...

The laptops will all have "Feather-Touch" multimedia touch-sensitive keys and a webcam with facial-recognition security login, presumably more for fun than true security. They will all also have Sleep-and-Charge USB ports, which will charge stuff even when the laptop is asleep or powered down, provided the laptop is plugged into a wall socket.

At the same time, Toshiba introduced two totally new laptops, the A200, with a starting price of $600 including 15.4" widescreen, DVD SuperMulti drive 160GB drive, 1GB of RAM and an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processor. The company also introduced the 17" L350 with built-in webcam, ATI Radeon X1250 graphics and DVD SuperMulti drive for $750. [Toshiba releases: Redesigned laptops; Cheap laptops]

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Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:20:00 EDT Wilson Rothman http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=374801&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Windows on Mac Benchmarked: Boot Camp vs. Parallels vs. Fusion ]]> The three methods for running Windows on a Mac (Boot Camp, Parallels and Fusion) have been around for a while, but Mactech's numbers seem to be the first we've seen on how the three stack up on Leopard. The results weren't that surprising.

Boot Camp won out for overall speed, where Parallels won for virtualization (running Windows at the same time as Macs) performance. VMWare Fusion, on the other hand, "wins" by keeping your OS X and Window environments separate, which isn't really a feature but more of a lack of a feature—Parallels does a much better and faster job cross-integrating applications and documents. But if you're into keeping up the wall between the two operating systems, there's an option for you. [MacTech]

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Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:36:34 EST Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=336878&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ In2Games Bringing Their Wii-Knockoff Controllers and Games to the PS2 ]]> We first saw the In2Games Fusion last year before the Wii launch, but they're back again for the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany. This time, besides demoing the "Freedom" line (name changed from Fusion), In2Games is announcing that these are going to be available for the PS2 and the PC.

The peripherals work with games like Realplay Golf, Realplay Tennis, Realplay Racing, Realplay Pool, Realplay Bowling and Realplay Puzzlesphere, and require the wireless motion device called the GameTrak Version 2 for $40. The games? $60. So that's $100 plus tax that you could put into the cost of buying a Wii. [Neoseeker]

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Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=291372&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ VMWare Fusion Review by Mossberg ]]> Walt Mossberg appears to be scooping again. This time, it's a review of VMWare's Fusion (Available this Monday, August 6th). The software, like Parallels, allows PC programs to run from within OS X. Mossberg compares them, simply:

Parallels has more features than Fusion...But I found Fusion puts less strain on the computer overall.
Jacqui at Ars notes that Parallels isn't taking this competitor lying down. They just released a new beta that supports Mac Expose window swooshing of Windows programs. [VMWare via AllThingsD] ]]>
Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:14:19 EDT Brian Lam http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=285551&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ ATI and AMD Announce Fusion CPU+GPU ]]> mrfusion.jpgIt's been three months since AMD and ATI made the nasty, and what do they have to show for it besides a big mess and the broken hearts of nVidia and Intel? Something called the "Fusion", a CPU/GPU hybrid chip.

Thanks to their respective expertise, ATI and AMD can come together and make a CPU that's capable of handling many GPU tasks. Instead of offloading graphical functions to the card, which then has to be piped back to the CPU for additional computation, many things can be done "in house", saving time and making your apps faster. These Fusion CPU/GPUs aren't going to be available until late 2008/early 2009, so whatever you purchase now should be safe from obsolescence until then.

Press Release [AMD via Randomly Accessed]

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Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:50:45 EDT Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=210125&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ In2Games Fusion: "Suck it Wii" ]]>

In2Games has just announced a series of gaming peripherals even more amazing than the Wiimote - called the Fusion. The Fusion units work much like the Wiimote, sensing motion and depth. But because the Fusion uses sound waves (sonar?) for tracking movement, there are no issues with the remote losing line of site with the console. During playtests, the Fusion proved to be more than In2Games hype.

The Fusion will connect via USB and will run $56 bucks a pop...so those specialty remotes will start to add up fast unless you want to play golf with your tennis gear. Unfortunately, the Fusion is late on the scene and will doubtfully be utilized to its fullest potential - this gen at least.

Wii-beating motion-sensing tech revealed [scifi tech]

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Sat, 21 Oct 2006 14:45:11 EDT Mark Wilson http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=209251&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Maxtor Fusion Hands-On: Not Too Shabby Nor Extensive ]]>

Maxtor's added a bunch of little features to its 500GB Fusion hard drive to make it more appealing to a skeptical public. CrunchGear, nerds that they are, did a hands-on with the unit, putting it through a series of feats of strength and tests of might. How did it hold up?

In a word, well. Maxtor threw in some rudimentary server features to make it easy for friends, family and political operatives to have access to your pictures. The full hands-on has more in-depth, hard-hitting journalism. Just like you like it.

If you want our opinion, though... [Nick, we're waiting for your thoughts-B.Lam]

Ahem, where was I? The Fusion web interface simple sucks. Imagine working in Windows Explorer through a Web 1.0 interface. That's this.

Maxtor Fusion Hands-On [CrunchGear]

Product Page [Maxtor]

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Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:43:05 EDT Gizloco http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=199414&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Flavia Fusion Makes Tea Brewing Quick and Painless ]]> flaviafusion.jpgTaking the single serve Pod coffee idea to the next logical step, the Flavia Fusion drinks station lets you make fruity drinks instantly. The gadget uses "flavor filter packs" which gets brewed at the push of a button into one single-serve tasty drink. The Flavia itself costs $100, and can make coffee as well as tea.

The Flavia Fusion isn't exactly new, but I'm thirsty as hell this seems like a great solution for the busy blogger.

Product Page [Flavia via ]

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Fri, 01 Sep 2006 18:20:18 EDT Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=198254&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Maxtor Fusion Network Attached Storage ]]> maxtorfusion.jpgSeagate is going to be rolling out the Maxtor Fusion Network Attached Storage (NAS), a 500GB storage solution that's accessible via gigabit ethernet. For those of you that forgot, Seagate purchased Maxtor a while back, and isn't just calling their products Maxtor to spite the hard drive manufacturer—which would have been more fun.

The NAS has software licensed from Fabrick that allows users to access their data, like video and music, using a Java enabled web browser. You can also use an AJAX web application to manage the files on the drive. For example, dragging and dropping files for transferring to and from your local machine.

Access to the content can be restricted to specific users with password protectionk, and you can also create "microshares" and "microlinks" to link specific content to online auction sites like eBay and social sites like MySpace. You can also create a "Public Site" to share content directly from the Maxtor Fusion with the outside world.

Pre-launch Site [Maxtor via MacWorld]

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Wed, 14 Jun 2006 16:15:03 EDT Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=180746&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Alesis Fusion: The Keyboard That Records Your Band ]]> Will keyboard players finally get some love from their bandmates if they can record them in multitrack splendor? Alesis has built a high-end hard disk recorder right into the Alesis Fusion keyboard synth. They're certainly not the first to do that, but what they've done is remove the sticker shock: this instrument was already a bargain when it came out last year, and recent price cuts have brought the entry level model under $1000. For the first time, less than one grand gets you recording, a good keybed, space age controls, and multiple sound generation methods from sampled to virtual analog. Add in an Origami-based tablet and upload your sets to My Space. Or, uh, not.

Alesis Fusion, Synth Workstation Bargain [Create Digital Music]

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Wed, 08 Mar 2006 13:58:08 EST Joel http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=159209&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Fusion Hits Stores. Pandemonium Over Crazy Orange Package! ]]> fusion_power.jpgThe new Gillette Fusion razor is now available in stores and it seems users are just excited as hell to pay for a product they probably have absolutely no need for. Here's Greg from Texas, a live one, explaining how he went out and bought that baby right when it hit the shelves.
I got my Fusion last night (1/26/06) in Houston. I used it and I think it's a winner. The blade cartridge is much larger but the individual blades are about 50% smaller than the Mach3 Turbo. The shave feels much different than the M3T. Maybe it was because it was a new cartridge, but the shave seemed closer with less razor burn. The single blade on the back is a great addition too, but I think it will take some practice to get the perfect sideburns.

Wow. Heavy, man. But expect the media blitz to really begin when the Fusion gets airtime during the Super Bowl next weekend. Think half-naked man at sink fondling his close shave with hot woman ogling from behind. The Fusion without power is $9.99 and the Fusion Power will run you $11.99. So get on out there and make Gillette some more cash, will ya?

Gillette Fusion is Available! [Shavingstuff]

Best pricing on Gillette Fusion products [Amazon]

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Sat, 28 Jan 2006 10:10:28 EST tgrumet http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=151136&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Antec Fusion PC Case ]]> Better than a PC tower for sure, the Antec Fusion PC case is a nicely-designed product with noise reduction and thermal management capabilities, perfect for those of you ready to add a PC to your living room, but not stoked about the usual form factor. With a vacuum fluorescent display, 430W NeoHE power supply and clean interior, you'll like the triple chamber design that actually isolates the power supply, hard disk drives and motherboard into separate cooling zones. The four expansion slots and three drive bays also make sure you'll be able to easily expand your system, and the two external USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port and audio connectors are certainly convenient. Should be about $200, available later this year.

Antec Fusion HTPC Enclosure [Bios Magazine]

Selection of Antec PC cases [Amazon]

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Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:47:02 EST tgrumet http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=148798&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ It's Not Cold Fusion, but This Is a Kickin' Webcam ]]> QC Fusion.jpg

Here's a Logitech webcam that outclasses the rest. The Fusion webcam comes with a 1.3 megapixel sensor, proprietary Logitech RightLight technology, Logitech RightSound technology, and an integrated microphone, making it pretty high-end for a webcam. And the Logitech Video Effects software it comes with, you can, you know, "have fun" with your video calls. The software lets you transform yourself into a three-dimensional animated character that mimics facial movements or add things to your image—like glasses or maybe even a crown if you're feeling crazy. The new technologies also make it good for low-light situations and can give you a wider field-of-view. Only 1.6-inches tall with a lens that can sit just above your display, the Fusion sits closer to your computer than other webcams, making it easier to use. Goes for $159.

Logitech QuickCam Fusion Delivers Most Sophisticated Technologies [hardwarezone]

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Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:02:08 EDT tgrumet http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=133429&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Meta-Modo Review Crib Sheet ]]>
In this week's review roundup: The Gillette Fusion five blade razor, and Nokia 6682 smartphone

Gillette Fusion
Release Date: Early 2006
Price: $11.99
That's right my friends, five blades. Count em. FIIIIIIIIVE. Didn't think it would happen in your lifetime did you? Well, neither did most of us. So how does everyone feel about the new Gillette Fusion? So far, it's receiving mixed reviews. "The Gillette Fusion, which comes in powered and unpowered versions, is here and it wants its man back. Basically, it has one more blade, but to hear Gillette talk about it should you encounter God, God would be cut."

But how do you really feel? "We didn't claw our way to the top of the razor game by clinging to the two-blade industry standard. We got here by taking chances. Well, five blades is the biggest chance of all." That's right, "this is our chance to make razor history. Let's dream big. All you have to do is say that five blades can happen, and it will happen." Hallelujah! And we haven't even gotten to The Onion yet.

But why? Why are we at this crossroads of razor crossroads? What is the Fusion all about? It's "a wet-shaving system with a lot more bells and whistles than the company's Mach3Turbo and M3Power, currently the top-selling shavers." Ok, and..."Gillette Fusion is 'the future of shaving." At stake for Gillette? "American men spent about $1.7 billion on blades and razors last year, and another $300 million on shaving creams and gels. Globally, shaving products accounted for more than $10.4 billion in sales." Fascinating. And the company feels, for sure, that they can pull this off, "When you're on top, people talk. That's the price you pay for being on top. Which Gillette is, always has been, and forever shall be, Amen, five blades, sweet Jesus in heaven."

Look for the "Precision Trimmer blade on the back of the blade cartridge, to be used to trim sideburns or shape facial hair," and other high-tech advances like "Its cartridges—which will also fit on the manual version—have a super-thin coating that Gillette says provides for an even closer shave." WOOOO-WEEEEEEEEE. Throw in an electronic chip "to regulate voltage and otherwise ensure that the 'shaving experience' is consistent as the battery drains" and you've got something special.
Heres' to you Gillette. God bless the Fusion and the number five.

Do Men Want an Even Closer Shave? [The New York Times]
Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades [The Onion]
Gillette 5 Blade Razor [Gizmodo]

Nokia 6682
Release Date: This Week
Price: Between $300 and $350
This week, Nokia brought another Smartphone to the US market, and reviewers are happy with the new Finnish offering. "The 6682 is distinctly more consumer oriented, from its fashion-friendly candy bar style pearl case to the 1.3 megapixel camera that can also shoot video," and "If you're the kind of person who tends to take off at a moment's notice and needs to bring along a phone that can serve as a phone, camera, email device and maybe even something to do a little work on, the 6682 will suit your needs just fine," and of course, "the Nokia 6682 is a powerful, flexible device for people who want a phone that happens to do more than just make calls."
6682phone.jpg

Sounds like a good start, but how does it work? Again, mostly good things are being bandied about. As a phone, which we sometimes forget is the most important aspect of a cellphone, "the 6682 is excellent. Sound quality is loud and clear both on the earpiece and speakerphone, and we easily connected it with Nokia and Sony Ericsson Bluetooth headsets." But the keypad is still far from perfect. "The left and right softkeys are each very large but the numeric keypad keys are still tiny and scrunched at the bottom of the phone. To enhance usability, Nokia used a more standardized keypad layout , and also beveled each key, creating rows you can physically feel—making it a bit easier to use the cramped keypad. Those with large hands will still find the keypad difficult to use."

The display is a little small for a PDA but about average for a Smartphone. The best part of it, however, is "the light sensor embedded in the upper left corner of the front. The sensor actually detects light levels, adjusting the display accordingly. So in a dark room, the screen will dim while the keypad backlight will engage. In the sun, it's just the opposite. This level of power management makes it much easier on the user, since the changes are quick and accurate for the lighting conditions." I think this technology was last used in the GameBoy title Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand.

In terms of Smartphone capabilities, it has "built-in e-mail client supports POP3/IMAP accounts with attachments. You can get Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes e-mail through the third-party Smartner Duality (now changing its name to Seven Always-On) program, available from Handango, and the free Agile Messenger IM program is the best for any mobile platform." Throw in a "Class 10 EDGE data modem, running at 108 to 120 Kbps on our tests" and things are looking good.

The verdict? "I feel like this device serves well as a notebook compliment, for someone who doesn't really need the features of a full-fledged PDA, but needs more than what a typical mobile phone can deliver."

Nokia 6682 [PC Mag]
Review: Nokia 6682 [Phonescoop]
Nokia 6682 Review [BargainPDA.com]

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Fri, 16 Sep 2005 16:05:25 EDT Noah R http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=126075&view=rss&microfeed=true