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Comcast announces new bandwidth throttling scheme

2009-11-05T20:58:00Z

Comcast customers have been no stranger to bandwidth shenanigans over the years, from the whole torrent filtering mess to the 250GB monthly cap. Now the company is back with a new data throttling scheme intended to put the kibosh on excessive traffic during those times when the network is already being overwhelmed. The two-tiered system is put on alert if either more than 70 percent of your max bandwidth (downstream or upstream) is used for more than 15 minutes or if your particular Cable Modem Termination System gets congested and it decides that you're partially responsible. Should you run afoul of the traffic warden, expect to find yourself down-throtted for at least 15 minutes, or until your average bandwidth utilisation rate drops below 50 per cent for 15 minutes. If there is no congestion, however, you shouldn't notice any difference whatsoever -- unless, of course, John McCain gets his way. Warning: PDF read link.

[Via Slashdot]

Filed under: Networking

Comcast announces new bandwidth throttling scheme originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's Tango robot vacuum uses cameras to clean your floors, duvet covers

2009-11-05T13:14:00Z

Just because a Samsung vacbot never cleaned your floors doesn't mean they're not out there somewhere, attacking dust on hardwood and carpet -- and apparently Egyptian cotton too if the above picture is anything to go by. This Tango is the latest from the company, following in the tracks of the Furot and Hauzen and sharing their dual spinny brush design. Tango is said to use a 30fps camera to tell where he's going, a gyro to keep a sense of direction, and crash sensors that now can detect furniture and feet from up to 2cm away. Prices will range from ₩500,000 to ₩700,000 and, though that equates to between $425 and $600 American, the stores these will be available in probably won't take dollars.

Filed under: Household

Samsung's Tango robot vacuum uses cameras to clean your floors, duvet covers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Arrington's CrunchPad still not available, maybe never will be?

2009-11-05T11:48:00Z

Here's a report mixed with a cold hard fact and some wild speculation. We'll start with the factual bit: despite promises of an August unveil and November availability, and despite lots of leaks over the summertime, Michael Arrington's CrunchPad MID tablet thing still isn't upon us, and on top of that we haven't heard a thing about it in months. The wild speculation relates to the question of why, with Silicon Alley Insider conveying a string of possibilities ranging from the likely (wildly escalating hardware costs making the product unprofitable) to the somewhat less likely (it's waiting for Chrome OS). We wouldn't be the least surprised if the promised sub-$300 price-point just isn't feasible, but neither would it be a shock to learn that it's simply on hold until this whole economy thing finally picks up some steam. Or maybe it's the Illuminati; you never know just what they're up to.

Filed under: Handhelds

Michael Arrington's CrunchPad still not available, maybe never will be? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Door Lock unlocks when secret knock is detected

2009-11-04T22:10:42Z

You remember all the good old days when all it took to get into your best friend’s treehouse was some secret knock you all formed. Even if you never experienced that yourself, every little kid wishes for that kind of a code. Well now as a full grown adult, you can create a similar item that does that for your full sized house. Don’t worry, it’s a bit more secure than just some guy standing on the other side waiting to turn the lock on your cue.

Seeing the pictures of the lock and thinking of all the possibilities is enough to get anyone excited, but seeing the device in action is enough to make any gadget lover giddy with anticipation. The video explains a bit on how it’s made and what is used to make it. It also shows the device detecting the knock and unlocking the door. Some of the parts include a tiny gear reduction motor, a PVC pipe and a piezo speaker. For those of you that need more than a quick video to figure out the project, there is also a detailed guide on how it’s done.

Source: Techeblog

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[ Door Lock unlocks when secret knock is detected copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Underwater Cellphone System

2009-11-04T20:53:39Z

If my cellphone happens to survive being dropped in the sink, I’m about as happy as can be. Apparently, I’ve been setting my standards way too low when it comes to the underwater capabilities of my cellphone. If you’re not quite satisfied with your phone just surviving a dip in the water, you should check out the Alpha UWCP that allows for you to talk on the phone while you’re out diving.

The Neptune Space full face mask has a microphone and speaker built into it. The mask is then wired to a 40 meter cable that is wired to the box within the buoy. That cable can be modified upon request if 40 meters isn’t to your liking and the cable can also be detached from the diver if they choose. The buoy is plenty stable due to a water reserve bottom pocket. Within it is a top pocket that provides a secure spot for the box. That box is water resistant and can be connected by Bluetooth to a cellphone. It functions on a 9V alkaline battery. The entire thing will cost you $1,790 from Sky Mall.

Source: Ubergizmo

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[ The Underwater Cellphone System copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

French magazine shoots handhelds through boards, much to our amusement

2009-11-04T20:49:00Z

As you know, there's one thing we love more than gadgets -- wanton destruction. Combine the two (on someone else's dime, o'course) and we're having a pretty good day. That said, we're glad that there are others out there with our bent, including Amusement, a "gaming lifestyle" mag based en France. Apparently, the theme of the current issue is "computer bugs," with a number of articles illustrated in a clever, artistic, Gallic manner. But that's not what caught our eye -- no, we were into the pictures of handheld game consoles (specifically, a Nintendo DS and a PSP Go) being shot through particle board. Feel free to peep some more action photography after the break -- and we'll just go back to working on our coilgun.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading French magazine shoots handhelds through boards, much to our amusement

Filed under: Gaming

French magazine shoots handhelds through boards, much to our amusement originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ears-on with Sony Ericsson MH907 Motion Activated Headphones

2009-11-04T16:25:00Z

What we have here today isn't just another pair of ordinary headphones: Sony Ericsson's MH907s are button-free, minimalistic headphones that activate upon the magical touch of your skin. Well, your ears to be precise. You must bear in mind that the MH907s are exclusive to Fast port-equipped Sony Ericsson phones thus excluding the forthcoming XPERIA X10 -- so chances are you're already not interested. That said, we shall see if Sony Ericsson is really going to change things forever with these gleaming buds featuring SE's SensMe Control technology, or by just stopping everyone from using their 3.5mm headphone jacks. Read on to find out how these €39 ($57) headphones fared.

Gallery: Ears-on with Sony Ericsson MH907 Motion Activated Headphones

Continue reading Ears-on with Sony Ericsson MH907 Motion Activated Headphones

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Wearables

Ears-on with Sony Ericsson MH907 Motion Activated Headphones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Beatles catalog being released on limited edition USB stick

2009-11-04T03:32:00Z

You know what's kind of like online digital distribution, and yet not at all like that? Selling the entire re-mastered Beatles catalog on a USB drive that slots into a fake apple. The fine folks at Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music have teamed up to build a limited edition run of 30,000 USB apples to be sold on December 7 in the UK and December 8 in freedom-loving America. Included on the 16GB drive are the 14 stereo titles in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24-bit, in addition to 320 Kbps MP3s and a whole digital stack of special materials like liner notes and mini-documentary films, all for the low, low price of $279.99. The drive is up for pre-order as of now, which means you could be a mere month away from plugging this drive into your computer, dragging the files into your iTunes library and then pretending that you bought them online in some sort of forward-looking content distribution model.

Filed under: Portable Audio

The Beatles catalog being released on limited edition USB stick originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Single-Serving Microwave Cake

2009-11-03T21:40:00Z

A special thanks to Charity, from All Things Hold Together, for letting me blog her fabulous single serve chocolate cake recipe! It's an update on my Chocolate (cup)Cake in a Mug post from last year. You can follow Charity on Twitter and be sure to check out All Things Hold Together, a blog about cooking, crafting, faith and family.

Ingredients:

2 T flour
1.5 T sugar (just eyeball the 1/2 T using a tablespoon)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
2 T milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp oil

Charity used Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa and she said it was awesome!

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl (like a cereal bowl).
Scrape batter into a ramekin or mug sprayed with cooking spray.
Microwave on full power for 1 minute.
Marvel at your creation.
Loosen with a knife and tip onto plate.

Serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you so desire. It does not plate very well, so just top it with the scoop of ice cream and eat it in the ramekin.

Enjoy!

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A Single Sign-In for All Your Websites? Google Hopes So

2009-11-03T22:41:00Z

The Official Google Blog on Tuesday beat the OpenID drum, and gave a quick run-through of how the service might benefit Facebook and Plaxo users.

Barnes & Noble Sued over E-Reader

2009-11-03T22:05:00Z

Spring Design claims that the similarity between its Alex e-reader and Barnes & Noble's Nook is too close for comfort — and too close to be legal.

Is TwitterPeek a One-Trick Pony?

2009-11-03T21:23:00Z

Are users going to lay down money for a gadget that can't multi-function as a cell phone, camera, digital organizer, video camera and GPS navigator?

Massively: Free Realms to introduce new job, pets, player housing and more

2009-11-03T22:18:52Z

The world of Free Realms is about to get a bit bigger this holiday season as even more content is being added and improved for the game. According to Sony Online Entertainment's Creative Director for Free Realms, Laralyn McWilliams, the game is about to see a new job, new job structure, new pets, player housing and more added by mid-December.

We caught up with Laralyn to get a few more details on the upcoming improvements before the first stage of these updates goes live this week. Follow along after the jump for the complete interview, and in our gallery below for some exclusive screenshots of the new content.

Gallery: Free Realms

Continue reading Free Realms to introduce new job, pets, player housing and more

Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, MMO industry, Player Housing, Free-to-play, Casual, Free Realms, Massively Interviews, Kids

Free Realms to introduce new job, pets, player housing and more originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes and Noble Sued Over Nook Intellectual Property

2009-11-03T16:30:15Z

The $259 Barnes & Noble Nook is certainly a worthy contender in the up-and-coming e-book reader market. The dual-screen Android device with the funny name...

Chinese Government Agencies Battle Over Warcraft

2009-11-03T08:20:17Z

A Chinese government agency halted its approval process for World of Warcraft to operate in China, deepening its power struggle with another regulatory agency.

SOE, Wizards Of The Coast Announce Online Magic TBS

2009-11-02T15:25:00Z

Sony Online Entertainment is joining forces with Wizards of the Coast to develop an online strategy game based on the world of the long-running Magic: The Gathering card game. The game is not directly based on the rules of the card game itself, but rather on the "multiverse" in which it takes place, with the shared gameplay themes of turn-based "strategy and competitive play." Magic: The Gathering - Tactics is being developed for PC by ...

Magic:The Gathering - Tactics Coming To PC And PS3 [Game Announce]

2009-11-02T17:20:00Z

Sony Online Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast have teamed up for Magic: The Gathering - Tactics, an online, 3D turn-based strategy game coming to the PC and PlayStation 3 next year. SOE's...

Halloween Costumes

2009-10-31T15:22:00Z

Our Halloween dance with the studio was on Wednesday, so that was at least the first occasion to "dress up".
Some of you might recognize the photo above that was taken in 2007 when CRMD came for their visit. Charlene's costume was inspired by that photo.
I think the antique cabinet in the background makes it perfect!

Catherine opted not to wear 4 foot long green hair to dance at the party. Instead, she decided to don her Yufi costume from her anime convention obsession! For those of you that don't know, Yufi is a character from Final Fantasy.

The studio staff decided to all wear Star Trek related costumes. Christina went for Seven of Nine or some other similar fractional name. What I thought was rather impressive is that her hand piece is made from duct tape and Catherine and Christina made the facial adornments from clay. Cat did the eye one and Christina did the star-like piece.

Nice work girls!

Aptera 2e three-wheeler deemed a car by the DoE, eligible for funding

2009-10-31T03:31:00Z

For a time, it looked Aptera might be missing out on the US Department of Energy's funding bonanza for energy-efficient vehicles due to its car's three-wheeled nature, but it looks like President Obama has now had the final say on the matter, and signed legislation that makes both two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles eligible for the same funding as their four-wheeled counterparts. Of course, that doesn't yet mean that Aptera will actually receive any funding, and the legislation doesn't have anything to do with safety regulations, where the 2e is still classified as a motorcycle by the Department of Transportation. For its part, however, Aptera says that it'll be filing another application to meet the updated requirements, and it still insists that it'll hit "volume production" of the car sometime in 2010, and get it on the road for between $25,000 and $40,000.

Filed under: Transportation

Aptera 2e three-wheeler deemed a car by the DoE, eligible for funding originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SlouchBack for a cool seating arrangement

2009-10-30T23:30:45Z

So you’ve just moved into your new pad and are thinking of the many ways to spruce it up. Have you considered the SlouchBack? After all, this nifty little couch is able to seat up to three adults comfortably and doesn’t take up much space when no one is over since it can be deflated. The built-in pump allows you to inflate it back to the intended size within 30 seconds, where it will boast interchangeable and washable microsuede covers. Apart from that, each SlouchBack is easy going, coming with insulated cup holders to keep your drinks cold for longer periods of time while within reach. Just in case you have a teething dog or curious cat who decides to puncture the SlouchBack, the included Patch Kit ought to return things back to normal. Such chic can be purchased for $99.99 each, where the free shipping offer lasts till Halloween.

Product Page

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[ SlouchBack for a cool seating arrangement copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]