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Emotiv’s “mind-reading” controller is a press darling, mainly because it’s really cool. Apparently, though, Emotiv won’t have the headset ready to go for the planned December release, because it doesn’t, strictly speaking, well, work. https://gizmodo.com/project-epoc-lets-you-control-video-games-with-your-nog-240760 Based on electroencephalography technology (or EEG to us laymen), a properly functioning Epoc isn’t out of the realm of possibility.…
Remember how Sony told us we’d be able to lounge around all Thanksgiving weekend, watching YouTubes on our TVs in full screen? LIES! Turns out today’s the real day for 2.53. [Sony—Thanks, Stephen] https://gizmodo.com/ps3-firmware-2-53-hits-tomorrow-supersizes-flash-5098691
Compared to the ZzzPhone—a modern marvel of engineering and/or MSPaint—the i6-Goal is sort of boring: it’s got no QWERTY, 3G, two-week battery, male enhancement powers, etc. It does, however, appear to be real. https://gizmodo.com/zzzphone-is-second-google-android-cellphone-ever-5097979 Announced by TechFaith Wireless and QIGI, two Chinese companies that very much seem to exist, the i6-Goal is a reassuringly modest…
Mgestyk’s system-wide camera control system looks fun, but FluidTunes, a simple program that lets your toss around your iTunes library via your iSight, has two important things that it doesn’t: free-ness and out-now-ness. Available now as a free universal binary, FluidTunes is a simple creature; despite what looks to be a solid gesture recognition engine,…
It’s been a long time coming, but after dabbling with touch on the midrange 5800, Nokia has finally brought a touchscreen to an S60 “N-Series” smartphone, the N97. Take a look at our hands-on impressions and the complete rundown on Nokia’s new flagship. https://gizmodo.com/nokia-5800-xpressmusic-hands-on-with-nokias-first-s60-5058030 But it’s not quite a full dive into touch-there’s still a…
With energy conservation and easy eco-friendliness on just about everybody’s agenda these days, one of the most popular concepts is the “Smart Home,” a living environment that knows just how much power you actually need to be comfortable and gives you not a drop more. Nokia’s hopping on that wagon with its new Nokia Home…
Financial apocalypse be damned! The Shanghai Tower, set to reach a whopping 632 meters by the time it’s completed, broke ground over the weekend. With its zenith a full 140 meters higher than the Mori Building (currently the world’s highest observatory), it’ll grab the honors of the tallest building in China. https://gizmodo.com/shang-highed-on-top-of-the-worlds-tallest-observatory-5069597 The Shanghai Tower…
During my visit to Hong Kong, Brian showed me to a local design store called G.O.D. (Goods Of Desire), which kind of reminded me of a China kitsch-themed Urban Outfitters. When I get a chance to go back there, I’m definitely saving up some money for these laser mice, a Microsoft Arc and G.O.D. mashup.…
Ever wonder what happens to old subway cars when subway lines upgrade to newer trains? In Beijing at least, the ones used pre-Olympics have been shipped to Sichuan and converted into temporary winter shelters. Ten DK-16 trains, each with six cars, are now in Guangyuan, a city north of Sichuan’s capital Chengdu. Sure, they may…
A Japanese company, Sosu, has recently revealed healthy cigarettes, rechargeable battery-powered butts that emit flavored steam, complete with glowing LED lights. Unfortunately these cigarettes won’t actually help with those nicotine—you know, the addictive part—cravings. The Mismo cigarette comes from Sosu’s ‘Nicolestyle’ (or “Nicotine-less Style”) line of products. Nicotine-free and tar-free, the cigarettes ensure you get…
The Gizmodo Gallery, which starts this week in NYC, is going to have voodoo. See, Blendtec, the guys responsible for those catchy videos of gadgets being destroyed aren’t just giving us one to give away as a door prize, but they’re setting us up with a demo model we can use to pulp our own…
Good OS, who provided the $200 Wal-mart PCs with gOS, will release a cloud-based version of the OS, the pragmatically named Cloud. Cloud runs a hybrid browser/linux kernel, offering quick startups and minimal lag. https://gizmodo.com/everex-200-linux-gpc-hits-wal-mart-bowls-rednecks-ove-317284 According to Electronista, Cloud launches within a few seconds, provides access to the internet, runs client apps (like Skype), as…
For those of us who don’t remember life before the NES, Boing Boing uncovered a collection of vintage instruction manuals, ads, hang tags and more, which give us a glimpse of gadgets from the past. Included in these clippings are lessons on how to build fallout shelters in case of emergencies, and my personal favorite,…
Okonomiyaki’s a Japanese omlette/pancake dish that’s made of a mish-mash of anything you like. I love them. Kotaku’s Ashcraft loves them. This Japanese robot can make them. This makes it the best robot ever. http://kotaku.com/357545/mrs-bashcraft-explains-okonomiyaki It’s called the Motoman SDA10, and it’s an industrial robot made for working alongside humans, not replacing them. They’re supposed…
From the maker of handy iPhone landscape typing program TouchType, SMS Touch is an iPhone app that allows users to send unlimited text messages without paying for an SMS plan. https://gizmodo.com/touchtype-allows-for-landscape-writing-in-iphone-mail-5060686 It’s a clever idea. Avoid that $15 unlimited texting plan from AT&T by using your free email to send SMS messages. With SMS Touch,…
Kudos to LaCie for making their flash drives more portable—although, the coin-shape may prove problematic. It won’t be long before your sensitive data ends up in the hands of some Starbucks employee. It is definitely thicker than a traditional coin, but the metal exterior of the USB 2.0 drive enhances the illusion, making it easy…
Well Medicated recently compiled a number of paleo-futuristic images (mostly stolen from the always-excellent blog Modern Mechanix), including this one from the December, 1958 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. The robot family of the future sure is adorable, putting up their Christmas tree and all. If you recall, Parade magazine had a more terrifying depiction…
The fully-decorated tree in a pizza box is one of those amazing ideas that kick ass and sucks all what’s good about Xmas at the same time. Yes, I hate it. I mean, look at it. You buy the thing, it comes in a flat pizza box, you put two sticks together, place the flattened…
Speaking of Mini DisplayPort, here’s another entry from Apple in the shipping hall of shame. They’re shipping the five-inch Mini-DiplayPort-to-DVI adapter in a box that’s bigger than the MacBook’s. Check out the waste. https://gizmodo.com/apples-mini-displayport-might-not-be-bs-proprietary-por-5100514 As Kevin notes, it might seem nitpicky, but when you compare this to how much Apple boasts on the MacBook’s green…
Black Friday horror stories are inevitable, but nothing can compare to the trampling death of a 34 year old Walmart employee. But who is really to blame? Let us know—and feel free to vent. https://gizmodo.com/black-friday-horror-stories-5099983 Oh, and to make matters worse, the police investigation of the surveillance tape is not turning up any leads—so the…