Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
T-Mobile is currently sending out an OTA update to select G1 users, but it isn’t the much-anticipated Cupcake release. It should have some pleasant surprises though—not least of which is Google Voice Search. Updated https://gizmodo.com/screenshot-tour-taking-androids-cupcake-1-5-update-f-5140578 T-Mo news also claims that the firmware, version RC33, will allow long-click saving for images and files, as well as…
Hidden within the usual litany of claims in a patent awarded this January-titled “Display Housing for Computing Device”, which covers their current portable displays-Apple describes a tablet display, with the display housing the computer device. The patent describes several forms for these displays-most of them already in use in current Apple laptops-, describing displays attached…
While this upcoming mp3 player from China’s Aigo looks cool, it’s hard to piece together more information about it. Aigo’s given us no specs, no price, and no release date. Drop a hint, Aigo! [Yesky]
The United Arab Emirates is planning a bunch of “personal rapid transit” devices: driverless taxis that run on electricity and could hit the streets of Masdar as early as this year. Built by Systematica, the PRT system will help keep Masdar (a planned city in Abu Dhabi) completely car-free. The vehicles travel at speeds of…
As one of the few tablet lovers here, I’m going crazy waiting for the Eee tablet netbook. Maybe instead, I ought to just make my own out of Eee 900HA like these guys. https://gizmodo.com/asus-t91-your-1-inch-thick-convertible-eee-pc-5124948 A member who claims to have “very little knowledge on computer things” managed to take about his 900HA and turn it…
Some scientists are claiming that the Sichuan Earthquake, which killed over 70,000 people, might have been caused by a 511ft-high dam constructed just 550 yards from the fault line. The Zipingpu dam, located about three miles form the epicenter of the quake, holds 315 million tonnes of water. Some geologists believed that the weight of…
Nikon‘s P90 doesn’t boast the mightiest barrel of the increasingly ridiculous superzoom subset of digital cameras—that’s Olympus’s crown to wear—but 24x is serious step-up from the P80 and trumps Canon’s latest. https://gizmodo.com/olympus-sp-590uz-camera-has-cia-worthy-26x-optical-zoom-5125873 The lens zooms from a wide-angle 26mm to 624mm telephoto and naturally has built-in optical image stabilization. The camera itself is a 12.1MP…
The touchscreen S230 differs from Nikon‘s first touchscreen camera, the S60 in a few big ways: It has real buttons where it needs them, the touchscreen works better (supposedly), and it’s over $100 cheaper. https://gizmodo.com/nikon-s60-digital-camera-no-buttons-or-knobs-just-3-5-5034065 On the other hand, it’s got a slightly smaller 3.0-inch screen, and it’s not the slim wedge of sexy that…
Nikon’s L-series is the cheapo line. The L100 gives you 15X zoom and other not-too-shabby features for $280, while the L19 is the cheapest digital camera they’ve ever offered, at $110. POWERFUL NEW L100 PACKS PERFORMANCE, HIGH-POWERED ZOOM AND ADVANCE FUNCTIONS INTO AN EASY TO USE CAMERA The L100 Boasts 15x Zoom and High-Speed Shooting…
The rest of new Nikon‘s S-series aren’t wholly remarkable, except for the S630, which packs in a 7x zoom lens. Why 7x? Nikon says that’s the exact zoom level people asked for. Weird. It’s a 12-megapixel shooter that promises up to ISO6400, but as always I’ll believe it when I see it. It has all…
Microsoft’s Songsmith, which autogenerates music for acapellas, has been out for about a month. That’s been enough time for a number bizarre remixes to surface on Youtube. Here are some of the more bizarre selections. The Police – Roxanne Wait, this sounds like the Starman song...was Songsmith made by Microsoft or Nintendo? https://gizmodo.com/lightning-review-the-plush-super-mario-stars-spiritual-388259 Wu-Tang Clan…
The Wedge Alarm, a portable door/window watchdog, would probably serve the likes of a Sayyid Jarrah or a Robert Hawkins quite well. But you? You’ll probably never need this in a million years. So here’s how the thing works. You stick the wedge under the door just enough so that the door doesn’t push the…
Browsing apps in the App Store isn’t quite criminal, but it’s definitely not optimal for finding fantastic apps. Besides Giz’s own iPhone app coverage and roundups, there are four other ways to find buried goodness. TheAppleBlog lays out four different sites that make it way easier to find the quality app gems that are wallowing,…
Man, I don’t even ski and I want this. The Timex Expedition WS4 features a altimeter, barometer, thermometer, chronograph, alarm and compass packed into a sweet-looking, rugged sport watch with a big display. I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for gadgets with lots of functionality—even if I can’t envision a scenario when I would ever…
How do you transport a downed but still intact jet from its landing place to a salvage yard? By going through New Jersey. (Note: instructions only valid if Jet crashed in lower 48.) [Quintano Media via Jalopnik] https://jalopnik.com/us-airways-flight-1549-towed-through-jersey-streets-5144502
Having built-in webcams on your Macs may be convenient, but physically turning your entire display whenever you want to focus on something other than your face is bothersome. Enter Ecamm’s BT-1 $150 wireless Bluetooth webcam. Ecamm’s BT-1 connects to your Mac via Bluetooth and can wirelessly transmit video from up to 30 feet away. This gives…
While Steve Jobs wasn’t personally at Macworld to reveal that iTunes was going DRM-free and OTA downloadable, he’s the one who made it happen—he bullied Sony Music’s chairman over the phone on Christmas Eve. https://gizmodo.com/itunes-gets-drm-free-new-prices-purchase-over-3g-5124588 The New York Times’ account of the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to iTunes going totally DRM-free, getting downloads over 3G…
The top 50 entries in Core77’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition have been announced—and we have selected a group that have a good shot of making it to the top ten. We loved the RITI coffee printer concept as well. It uses used coffee grounds instead of ink. Click on through to see the rest, including…
Accenda’s iPod Voice Controller lets you control your iPod by speaking commands without ever having take off your gloves again in the wintertime for $79. Let’s be truthful here: it’s just great for being lazy. All you have to do is plug in your headphones into the Accenda Voice Control jack, and then plug that…
It’s no secret AT&T wants its 3G inside everything. But talking to Fortune about the future of netbooks and 3G, AT&T Emerging Devices president Glenn Lurie hints that they’re cooking up something Apple-flavored. https://gizmodo.com/at-t-wants-all-gadgets-to-have-internet-connection-thr-5065495 The conversation is all about netbooks and other gadgets as the next big 3G game for AT&T. After discussing the success…
