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A couple of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, apparently tired of this whole touchscreen vs. button debate, have decided to just do away with the distinction entirely. The video below explains the concept in depth, but here’s the gist: A hard acrylic chamber, perforated with fixed button shapes, is surrounded by latex on both sides.…
USB flash media readers aren’t exactly ripe for innovation, so it’s rare that they surprise us in a way that doesn’t inspire laughter. But 69ing two readers into one compact, featureless lump? That’s kinda genius. https://gizmodo.com/brando-rota-rota-hub-addresses-your-usb-thermometric-n-5180202 Designed by the same folks who brought us those wiseass USB “Keys”, the LaCie Data/Share is proudly simple, which…
HP today revealed its new business laptops, the ProBook s-series. The 14.1″, 15.6″, and 17.3″ ProBooks are all about pragmatic performance, affordability, and inoffensive design. They’re the Toyota Camry of laptops. All three sizes of the ProBook s-series will offer either an AMD or an Intel processor, SD card reader, optional Blu-Ray drive, and HDMI…
In a bit of an about-face, India has placed a huge order for 250,000 OLPC XO laptops for their schools. This is a huge victory for the OLPC project. https://gizmodo.com/researchers-in-india-say-they-can-build-a-laptop-for-1-259658 India had previously done a test pilot of the OLPC and decided they could make a better, or at least cheaper, laptop themselves, but after…
Modder Taylor Merrill managed to get his Samsung Eternity phone into an old NES controller for a very slick little nerd-cred package. Bonus points for the ringtone, too. [YouTube via Nowhere Else, thanks Steve!] https://gizmodo.com/samsung-a867-eternity-touchscreen-phone-leaks-out-99-5084084
Because I’m paranoid about backing up files in multiple places, Axxana’s Phoenix System, which features a multiple SSD array, looks pretty great. Especially considering it can withstand earthquakes, fire, water and “terror.” The storage capacity of the Phoenix System ranges between 72 and 300-gigabyte capacities. It can withstand 2000 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour, or…
You know those USB missile launchers? Now there’s an iPhone app that lets you control them from anywhere in your network, proving to siblings and cube-mates once and for all who’s the nerdiest toughest. https://gizmodo.com/usb-missile-launcher-reviewed-verdict-nobodys-getting-211450 The retailer is calling this “The one and only robotic remote control missile launcher for the iPhone or iTouch!” and…
For a class project, computer-engineering college kids built a system that tracks body movements using a camera and a colored vest, mapping them to a Space Invaders-type game that requires you to jump to shoot. You become the controller in the classic game, which is deliberately intended to promote cardiovascular health: There’s a sensor that…
Though the judgment in favor of a man who sued after being attacked by a robot is clearly a commentary on the inexcusability of machine-on-man violence, I think it’s a good case for robot insurance. In 2007, a muscular robot programmed to lift heavy stones malfunctioned in a factory near Stockholm, Sweden, and some poor…
BusinessWeek cites two sources reporting that Verizon might get an iPhone “lite” and a connected touchscreen Apple tablet as early as this summer. We’ve heard talk like this for a long time, but BusinessWeek isn’t going to stick its neck out for rumors that aren’t at least well sourced, and on top of that, the…
Unlike the delayed Dreamliner, the new 747 Intercontinental—based on the 747-8 Freighter—is right on schedule at 25% of its design phase. Its interior is inspired by the Dreamliner—orgy room included, I can only hope. https://gizmodo.com/boeing-dreamliner-turns-into-nightmareliner-after-new-d-379003 Like the Dreamliner—pictured here—its interior is designed to reduce jetlag in long range flights. It will be a lot quieter…
I would’ve held this Magnavox speaker to my ear and pretended to be deaf, saying clever things like “What’s up, sonny?” Matt Richmond combined it with some scraps of walnut to create an iPod dock. The SF-based designer found the speaker horn at an antique store, carved out slots for the horn and iPod, and…
As a statement against war, these Peaceful Bomb Vases were created to hold flowers instead of violence. As someone with an irrational fear for potted plants, it makes me want to hide. [LikeCool via geekologie]
It’s unclear what Bob Drebin, CTO of AMD’s graphics group, previous creator of Nintendo GameCube’s graphic chip, is going to do at Apple, but our guess is either make a graphics chip for an iPhone/Tablet/eBook, or work on Snow Leopard’s GPU processing. [All Things D] https://gizmodo.com/mac-os-10-6-snow-leopard-revealed-multi-core-optimized-5014789
This $25 mini USB-powered zen garden circulates water around its plastic bamboo shoots, creating relaxing sounds for a peaceful atmosphere in the workplace. That, or it’ll make you want to pee. [Akihabara via CrunchGear]
Would you rather give money to a beggar or a robot standing in for a beggar? Testing revealed that the Beggar Bot was able to score about $7 an hour for charity. The “Beggar Bot” does have a few distinct advantages over its human counterparts. First off, it can often conduct business in areas where…
Dear hypochondriacs, if you didn’t have enough with the swine flu Google map, now you can follow it all in the Center for Disease Control’s emergency Twitter account. Have fun. [CDC Twitter via Cnet] https://gizmodo.com/follow-the-swine-flu-pandemic-in-real-time-with-google-5229314
Like the earlier, larger version, this SIM Card Spy Ear allows users of questionable character to listen in on other people’s conversations by dialing their own phone number. https://gizmodo.com/sim-card-spy-ear-for-nosy-neighbors-and-private-eyes-304624 Just slip your SIM card into the device, hide it out of sight, and dial your phone number from another phone. It’s that easy—you will hear…
Hunting will get a lot more interesting next month when PSE releases their TAC-15 crossbow. It mounts directly on a AR-15 rifle, allowing you to swap between both weapons with minimal tinkering. Why would you need a crossbow when you are already holding an AR-15? I cannot envision a scenario where it makes sense—unless you…
We had a lot of fun reminiscing about our first albums during our Listening Test week, so I thought I would play off of it and ask: what was the first gadget you ever bought? Keep in mind that we are talking about the first gadget you decided to buy with your own money. I’llstart…
