Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Here’s the stuff that we didn’t post today. (Until now, obviously.) • This “John Mayer is a douchebag” clock. What? He definitely is not a douchebag. He did pioneer the doubledouche, but a douchebag he is not. Sorry for overusing the word douchebag, but they made us. So yeah, that’s why we didn’t post this.…
What does this $8 Radtech ProCable Shortz iPhone charger and Jason Chen have in common? They’re both cute but only 7cm long, fully extended. [Radtech via TUAW via BBG]
Mobile Crunch just posted this Maemo Harmattan Nokia Tablet screenshot, which consists of a vertical page worth of widgets that are embedded deeply inside the OS. From the screen, Mobile Crunch says only the blue-shaded section is visible at once. Not a whole lot more detail in the post, but it is an interesting widget-based…
Via io9 comes this trove of retro-future spots, when 18Mb might as well have been infinity and the idea of women using computers was endearing, utopian and maybe a little bit silly. [WebUrbanist via io9] https://gizmodo.com/the-future-we-once-knew-5252390
They were basically obsolete from the beginning: Massive plastic coffins that beamed media from your PC to your TV. That’s it. For $400. And now they’re returning to the abyss, where they belong. https://gizmodo.com/hp-confirms-discontinuation-of-mediasmart-tv-and-connec-5259923 Besides HP killing their Smart TVs and Connect Media receivers, Linksys’s DMA2100 and DMA2100 are listed as “discontinued” at B&H, Niveus…
Using an old bin of Lego bricks that hadn’t been touched in 15 years, Dave Chatterson constructed this Lego amplifier—a replica of a Fender Princeton Reverb amp—in under a week. The replica amp is not only fitted with realistic looking knobs, a grille, handle, speaker, switches, power cords and foot switches, but also has similar…
On February 4th 1912 Franz Reichelt attempted to test his latest invention — a parachute jacket — at the Eiffel Tower. He donned his apparatus and tentatively stepped to the edge of the viewing deck. He had multiple primitive video cameras pointed at him to capture this amazing feat. The video shows Reichelt standing on…
The $50, 4GB MAX Memory card from Datel for the Xbox 360 is special not because there aren’t many third-party Xbox 360 memory cards around, but because it supports microSD cards. With the microSD cards (up to 16GB), you’ll be able to supplement your own Xbox 360 expandable storage without having to pay the exorbitant…
When people talk about robots and ethics, they always seem to bring up Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics.” But there are three major problems with these laws and their use in our real world. The Laws Asimov’s laws initially entailed three guidelines for machines: • Law One – “A robot may not injure a…
Who knew that having a baby meant so much work and sacrifice? Fortunately, there is a way to get around this problem without doing any work at all—it’s called the Lolaloo. The device attaches to your baby’s stroller with velcro straps and gently rocks the carriage using a weight that slides back and forth inside…
The machines didn’t rise in 2004, or even 1997, for the first time. No, the machines first rose in 1986, but Emilio Estevez and AC/DC were there to bitchslap them back to hell. As we know, the machines have been revolting ever since some poor dumb caveman was flattened by the first wheel carved out…
Clearly, you should probably take this fun-filled survey and better your chances. It’s a win-win! All you need to do to enter is email the last question to [email protected]. We’ll award one lucky person with a $150 AmEx GiftCard. Standard Rules Apply
There’s a principle in psychology that says promising something and then taking it away is a bigger disappointment than not knowing about it in the first place. Vaporware is the epitome of this for gadgetheads. This Gear Diary diary on the Keyport brought back feelings of anger and frustration. If you don’t remember, the Keyport…
Here’s another e-book reader with built in PDF support, something the Kindle 2 doesn’t have. At a lightweight 5.3 ounces, Bookeen’s latest portable device packs a sharp resolution of 200 DPI. Though pocket-sized, the Opus features a pretty standard 6″ display. The 1GB of flash memory can accommodate ePub, PDF, HTML and text formats. It…
We had an inkling that HP was killing off or discontinuing its MediaSmart TVs and Connect HD media receiver lines, and sure enough, HP spokespeople emailed us a confirmation today: https://gizmodo.com/hp-mediasmart-sl4282n-and-sl4782n-hdtv-with-media-cente-339899 As part of HP’s ongoing strategy to accelerate the growth of key product categories, improve efficiencies and profitability and continue to drive innovation for…
The pinpoint silencing of cease-and-desists speak volumes, so it’s interesting that Engadget Japan received a takedown request of these supposed PS3 Slim shots from a Chinese firm. What does it MEAN? [Engadget] https://gizmodo.com/ipod-nano-spy-shots-confirmed-as-real-by-apple-legal-292524
An exact date is set to be revealed tomorrow, but a recent NY Times article is backing up earlier rumors by putting the Palm Pre launch in the first week of June. https://gizmodo.com/palm-launch-lunch-memo-hints-at-early-june-pre-releas-5244292 The Times also discusses a possible iPhone release as early as the kickoff of the WWDC on June 8th—a “few days” after…
The Cupcake update expected um, now for the T-Mobile G1 has been pushed back a week, and now it’s gonna be “early June” before everybody has it on their phone. Lame. [T-Mobile, Thanks Jon] https://gizmodo.com/android-1-5-cupcake-update-coming-next-week-5242992
The new version of Slacker for iPhone’s been buffed and polished so it glistens with a better UI, “4x the song library as our leading competitor” (Pandora) and faster transitions. Look for it tomorrow. [Slacker] https://gizmodo.com/slacker-radio-now-available-for-the-iphone-5130378
I have in fact had a printer nearly kill me. Years ago while servicing an HP II the other tech in the shop came into the office and turned on the power bar the partially disassembled printer was plugged into. In spite of working with 90% blue collar folks my company policy was “Techs wear…
