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Apparently, home theater systems around the world are falling short of greatness because their owners are failing to hook up their rear speakers (properly at least). Not surprisingly, the main culprits are that many customers who purchase home theater gear and attempt to hook it up themselves either have no idea what they are doing,…
Scientists at Princeton have discovered a way to grab otherwise-protected data encryption keys from memory on a computer that’s just been powered down. This is pretty scary stuff, since the keys—which are well protected when the computer is on—are the one thing that keeps super-tight encryption from cracking. It was previously thought that data held…
Loose cables hanging around all bunched up and twisted around a workspace is absolutely infuriating. Organizing them neatly is definitely the way to go, and there are a number of products out there that can help you get the job done—but the Swan Desk can accomplish that feat with a little artistic flair. As you…
The internet is aflame today with rumors that all versions of the 360 will get a €50 ($76) price cut in Europe by March 14th—which would make the Arcade system cheaper than the Wii in the UK. With any luck this could be a sign of things to come in the US. [GamesIndustry.biz via Kotaku]…
Gadget Lab got a hands-on demo with a prototype magnetic levitation haptic control unit at Carnegie Mellon University, where they experienced the artifical feel (via magnets) of 3d rabbits, hard surfaces and vinyl records. In addition to simulating the general shapes of objects, the technology can accurately reproduce qualities like texture and elasticity using an…
By now you have probably heard quite a bit about Microsoft’s “Surface” multi-touch table, and now ZDNet is claiming that the company has been showing off a sphere-shaped version of the technology around their campus. We know that Microsoft is pushing to get this technology into homes sooner rather than later, but a spherical device…
You know what would make gaming even more fun? Pain. Or at least that is what the folks at Mindwire would like you to think. Their new Mindwire V5 unit helps you get into the action with sensations ranging from a “crashing car to the blast of a machine gun’s multiple bullets hitting you; a…
Click to viewWe warned you that one reason to hold off on boarding the Blu train is that movies released in the past year without sweet BD-Live interactive features might be re-released. A lot of them. Today, we got first confirmation of this from Fox, which told us it’ll be re-releasing Alien Vs. Predator later…
Just unveiled at CeBIT, Gigabyte’s M700 UMPC comes with a surprising 2GB RAM. In addition to its hefty memory and bright design, the M700 manages to pack in a 7-inch, 1024×600 touchscreen and a 1.2 GHz Via C7-M processor. It also has Windows Vista Home Premium. Details on pricing and release are hush-hush at this…
If you were concerned that you had cancer, would you go to see a doctor or would you consult some bees? I bet you said doctor, didn’t you? No fun! If you used one of Susana Soares “alternative diagnosis tools” you’d be relying on bees instead for some goddamned insane reason. She’s making artsy glass…
The Toughbook UMPC spotted around CeBIT has been made official by Panasonic. The ultra mobile sports an Atom CPU and runs Vista on its 5.6-inch LCD screen. It is impact resistant like other Toughbooks, and we hope it’s just as spill-proof as their notebooks. One thing we can’t wrap our heads around is the number…
In what is a huge step forward toward the acceptance of garden gnomes and Russian mafia tiny assassins in the NRA, the SwissMiniGun company has created a gold and diamond version of their 0.7-ounce mini-revolver, which is still only 2.16-inch long, and can fire real 4.53-millimeter caliber bullets at 399 feet per second, with a…
Apparently, there’s been a large number of injuries in England caused by boneheads walking and texting and then walking into solid objects. Rather than create some sort of Darwinian euthanasia program like I would if I was Duke or Lord or Bobby or whatever the leader of that country goes by, the Brits have decided…
It looks like we weren’t the only ones not impressed with Meizu’s M8 iPhone ripoff – its booth at CeBIT was shut down by the local police and all products and promotional materials were removed. Yikes! Apparently some other booths were shut down as well, as this was part of a wider initiative to protect…
So, there’s some sort of a Gawker survey going on here. If you take the survey, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $100 American Express Gift Card. But you have to enter by tomorrow (standard rules and such here). So what’s to lose? Take the survey.
Click to viewEverybody clamoring for a cheap Blu-ray player now that the format war is over might wanna bide their time with a sweet DVD upconverter—the $200-player Blu-ray cavalry is at least a year away, according to Sony Electronics CEO Stan Glasgow, who we talked to today in New York. “I don’t think $200 is…
Looking like it belongs in Jeff Vader’s Coruscant bachelor pad, the hand-made Schimmel Pegasus has an ergonomically curved keyboard, over 200 strings under a total tension of 176,520 newtons, and a key assembly composed of 10,000 pieces. Only 14 were made ten years ago for people like Eddie Murphy, Lenny Kravitz, and granfunkmeister Prince. Now…
Everybody agrees that Safari Mobile on the iPhone is pretty much the best way to surf the web on a mobile phone save one issue: no Flash support. This annoying little hangup prevents pretty much all video sites from working, save a tiny selection of YouTube videos, and seriously hinders the functionality of sites that…
Nurses and Doctors rejoice: you can now buy Crocs for your cellphone! Ok, so the Crocs “O-Dial” [sic] is actually a shoe-themed cellphone holster, but it is official. Why your phone would enjoy the lightness, comfiness… um, waterproofness and stain-proofness of those lovely rubbery, resinous shoes is another matter, though. Oh — its got raised…
As much as Sony is looking forward to the Feb. 2009 analog broadcast cutoff, the opportunity to sell millions of government-subsidized digital converter boxes isn’t why. Sony isn’t even touching that mess, or the low-end consumers who want them. Talking about the effect of digital converter boxes on the HDTV biz today in New York,…