Gizmodo: James

Acer Planning to Build Open Platform Console

Haroon Malik — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EDT

Acer's Vice President, James Wong has said Acer plans to enter the console market. WTF?

Well, according to our German pals at GameStar, James Wong was said to take issue with the fact that the current state of the console market relies solely upon closed and proprietary systems. He sees this as an opportunity for Acer to get in on some gaming fun, and they plan to do this by creating a console utilizing PC technology, which will be, wait for it, a completely open platform. Such a preposterous claim must be taken with a large, Everest sized mountain of salt, but it is interesting nonetheless. For now, we know nothing more, but watch this space for more information. [GameStar]

Solar Dragonfly Flaps Wings Feebly, Makes Us Sad

Haroon Malik — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:59:00 EST

James Watts spends his time putting together fantastic insect-bot sculptures, and the Solar Dragonfly is one of the best. The solar panels running down the body actually power the wings, which are then kicked into motion using a pager motor. Sure, it looks swell, but we can't help but think the Solar Dragonfly would lose its balance whilst flapping its wings feebly, all the while wishing it was a real dragonfly. How would Disney have tackled that one? A solar powered dragonfly that wants to be a real insect—now there's a cartoon we want to see. Pixar, hop to it. Hit the link for some more great shots. [Clockwork Robot via Make]

Nokia N95 Spyphone: Will Eavesdrop on your Wife, won't Shag her or Mix a Martini

www.gizmodo.com — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:40:14 EDT

It has been well documented here that Nokia's N95 brings zero gravity to your pocket—a certain feeling of weightlessless as you realize that your wallet is lighter by 750 notes.

Well, paranoid (and rich) types can launch their wallets into even deeper space by blowing $4,520 on the same phone but with one special add-on: spooky-ooky technology that seems perfect for Russian oligarchs, cuckolded billionaires, Jason Bourne and James Bond.

London shop Spymaster has modified the N95 so that it allows you to listen to room and phone conversations from anywhere in the world. This snitchy little cellphone will also pass on all text messages it sends and receives to your own mobile (assuming you've given it to Svetlana as she spends a week on your second yacht, bending and unbending in the company of her yoga yogi Rubber Dave).

Lastly, it will send you an SMS if Svetlana smells a rat and changes the SIM card in her Spy Phone. What it won't do is cut Rubber Dave's gonads off for you before feeding them to the sharks in your private aquarium, or broker Svetlana's divorce settlement. – Ad Dugdale

Product Page [Spycatcher via Mad4Mobiles]

All Giz Wants: Donations for the Kim Family

Brian Lam — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:35:30 EST

There's a lot of stuff we want for the holidays. Most of it can't be bought on a shelf. Yes, things like Tivo Series 3 for $99. But the guys and I want to make it clear that what we really want is for each of our readers to make a donation to James Kim's family.

All the relevant info is right here at CNet. And the site that their friends put up, Jamesandkati.com, still has a paypal donation button up, and I'm sure that money sent here will find its way to them, too. –Brian Lam

All Giz Wants [Gizmodo]
James Kim [Gizmodo]