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A Boston hotel called Nine Zero is using biometric iris scanning to replace room keys, allowing guests to gain access to their rooms with just a quick flash of the eyeball. Using a system from LG, first-time guests have a picture of their iris scanned, which is quickly encrypted to a hashed numeric code and…
So we meant to have this contest finished on Monday, but since we’re loathe to ever stick to any sort of deadline (and the server went tits up for the better half of yesterday), we’re just now getting around to it. I want to say first that it was a blast getting all the questions…
Looks like PDA Buyers Guide has the first review of the Dell Axim X50v and there’s no finer group of people to get a hold of one, I say. Something that struck me immediately was that, despite what is sort of an ugly case design to me, they say it feels very comfortable in the…
Thanks for all the kind words of support during today’s server woes. One of the hamsters died and we all had to go to the funeral. We are just able to eke out posting (obviously), but we’ll try to play catch up as long as we don’t get any more drunk than we already are…
Most people probably never give much thought to wireless cueing systems. You’ve probably never seen one unless you work in TV news, the Secret Service, or the mind control or entertainment industry. They aren’t exactly new, nor are they particularly hot, but they have been big news as of late due to the possibility (real…
And here come the Media Center PCs like a black, blocky rain. Niveus Media has two new ones, based on Hush Technology PCs, it looks like (isn’t Hush offering their own Media Center PC, too?). The big one we’ve got pictured here is called the Denali, an High Definition video and audio (8-channel 24-bit/192khz) unit…
As part of the big Windows Media Center 2005 launches today, HP announced three new Media Center products this morning: The HP Digital Entertainment Center z500 series [pictured], the HP Media Center m1100, and the HP Media Center Extender x5400. Naturally, these are all fueled by Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005—if you’re in…
Networks Solutions is fucking up my livelihood. You may have noticed that some of the other Gawker sites are having problems—weird name resolution, ad server going wonky, etc. Well it seems that Network Solutions (our internet name registrar) has decided to cancel and suspend our primary, life-giving domain Gawker.com because of a failed credit card…
Two scientists at the Tissue Culture & Art Project have grown a semi-living jacket from human and mouse cells in an attempt to learn how to create ‘victimless’ leathers. The jacket is currently mouse-sized—only about 2-inch high—but they hope that if their technique holds, future attempts will be able to grow human-sized clothing. The material…
It’s music players galore in gadget land, with the apparently once-in-short-supply 5GB hard drives in players all over the place, and all sorts of other models ramping up for Christmas markets. Samsung has announced three new Yepp players in Japan, the YP-T7 [pictured], a flash-based player in sizes up to 1GB, the YH-820 with a…
Alright, the good news is that the Dell Axim X50v—the VGA-resolution Pocket PC we showed you last night—is now available for order on the Dell website for $500 (the other two QVGA X50 models are $400 and $300). The bad news is that even though you can buy them now, Dell is listing the estimated…
Virgin Electronics has launched its own 5GB portable music player called.. player 5GB? It’s not exactly a stylish, but it does work with Virgin’s music download store (as well as other Windows Media stores) and has a built-in FM tuner. And for $250, it’s in the iPod mini’s territory, obviously beating it out by a…
Once again the Gizmodo Buzz Index presents you with a unique view of some particlar market segment. And by unique I mean “with pretty colors in Microsoft Excel.” This week, I looked into prepaid wireless programs. On their way out? Some may say so, but given the popularity of T-Mobile’s and Virgin Wireless’ programs, I…
Sharp has updated their Actius ultra-portable notebook, leaving most of the externals the same, but bumping up to a 1.6GHz Transmeta Efficeon inside and updating their DVD burning software, as well as shipping with Service Pack 2 standard (as do most now). Nothing really groundbreaking, but it’s good to know that Sharp will continue to…
Wired Magazine asked me to mention that they’re hiring interns for positions that will run from January to June. They’re looking specifically for people into gadgetry and gear and all that stuff, who are also interested in pursuing journalism as a career. It sounds like a great opportunity to learn what it’s like to be…
This footbridge constructed by the UK’s Paddington Development Corporation can curl itself up like a worm by activating a hydraulic system that runs through the handrails. Build for the Marks & Spencers headquarters, the bridge is occasionally retracted to make room for a “hospitality boat,” or as the English call them, “biscuit tuppence skips.” (Thanks,…
FujiFilm has a new “pocket-sized” photo printer designed to be used with mobile phones via an infrared link. Called the ‘Pivi,’ the printer has a rechargeable battery with enough juice to print about 130 photos, each of which take around 21 seconds to print. Looks like it’s Japan-only for now, but I’m not heartbroken about…
Well, the Dell Axim X50 was set to launch tomorrow anyway, but let’s turn this mother out tonight. There are two models with three different processor speeds—624MHz, 520MHz, and 416MHz—no huge surprise there. The Axim X50 and the X50v will differ mainly in their screens, with the former sporting a 3.5-inch 240 by 320 pixel…
There isn’t really any new information about it, but Treonauts just got a hold of 4 new exclusive pictures of the unreleased, unannounced Treo 650. And honestly, that’s all it takes for me to post a link to them. I want this phone so badly I could spit—I wish PalmOne would just announce it so…
MPIO has announced three new portable audio players today, the FL300 (which we’ve seen before), the FY400, and the HD300 [pictured], all of which should be available immediately online or at Best Buy. The FL300 is a flash-based player that is clearly taking a cue from iRiver’s N10 pendant MP3 player. The FY400 is much…