Cool Valley

Leaked image says iPad lands at Best Buy... on launch day

2010-03-28T01:57:00.001+08:00

We'd heard buzzing for some time now around the internet that Apple planned to sell its iPad in more than just its own stores, and usually the name Best Buy was mentioned in the same breath... but now we've got some photographic evidence. The above shot comes from what looks to be an internal memo from the big box retailer, not only stating that the stores will be getting the iPad, but that they'll be getting the iPad on launch day. Now, there's no way for us to confirm that is 100 percent the real deal, but we speculated this could be coming back in mid-February, and there's lots of corroborating evidence to suggest this is no joke (such as COO Tim Cook explicitly mentioning the device would be sold at Best Buy) -- we just didn't expect to see it day one. We're digging for more info on this story, so stay tuned.

source[engadget]

iPad App Store screenshots leaked

2010-03-28T01:49:00.001+08:00

Well, look at this. If you've been desperate to know what your App Store experience would be like on the iPad, here's a chance to live the dream. Apparently these shots were discovered while the App Annie folks (an app tracking and analytics site) were "searching for clues" on the device and this "actual feed" was stumbled upon. While that's all very unclear, what isn't unclear is that Apple will be using the HD moniker to denote applications that have either been tweaked in a special iPad version, or have had their resolution upped so they wouldn't just be scaled standard apps. Additionally, we're seeing some applications that aren't even available on the iPhone right now, such as the $49.99 OmniGraffle, which we're assuming will be very close to its desktop counterpart -- a good sign that iPad apps are majorly upping the functionality. One more long shot after the break for your viewing pleasure.

source[engadget]

NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470 'tessellation monsters'

2010-03-28T01:44:00.001+08:00

Let's get the hard data out of the way first: 480 CUDA cores, 700 MHz graphics and 1,401MHz processor clock speeds, plus 1.5GB of onboard GDDR5 memory running at 1,848MHz (for a 3.7GHz effective data rate). Those are the specs upon which Fermi is built, and those are the numbers that will seek to justify a $499 price tag and a spectacular 250W TDP. We attended a presentation by NVIDIA this afternoon, where the above GTX 480 and its lite version, the GTX 470, were detailed. The latter card will come with a humbler 1.2GB of memory plus 607MHz, 1,215MHz and 1,674MHz clocks, while dinging your wallet for $349 and straining your case's cooling with 215W of hotness.

NVIDIA's first DirectX 11 parts are betting big on tessellation becoming the way games are rendered in the future, with the entire architecture being geared toward taking duties off the CPU and freeing up its cycles to deliver performance improvements elsewhere. This is perhaps no better evidenced than by the fact that both GTX models scored fewer 3DMarks than the Radeon HD 5870 and HD 5850 that they're competing against, but managed to deliver higher frame rates than their respective competitors in in-game benchmarks from NVIDIA. The final bit of major news here relates to SLI scaling, which is frankly remarkable. NVIDIA claims a consistent 90 percent performance improvement (over a single card) when running GTX 480s in tandem, which is as efficient as any multi-GPU setup we've yet seen. After the break you'll find a pair of tech demos and a roundup of the most cogent reviews.

Sprint Evo 4G Hands-on

2010-03-27T01:45:00.002+08:00

US network Sprint has announced the fruits of its partnership with HTC and Google at the CTIA 2010 press event -and it looks an absolute beaut.

Say hello to the world’s first fully-integrated 4G consumer handset, the EVO 4G.

Sporting a mahoosive 480×800 4.3″ TFT LCD screen, the EVO packs a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Bluetooth, 3.5mm jack and a microSD card slot.

Running Android 2.1 with Sense, the phone’s feature set is second to none with GPS, a digital compass, Wi-Fi, 1280 x 720 pixel HD video recording, proximity and motion sensors, mobile HDTV and all sorts of social networking shenanigans bolted on.

There’s two cameras onboard, with the main one packing a hefty 8 megapixel sensor (the second one is a front facing 1.3MP job for video chat), a custom web browser with Flash support, YouTube HQ support, and you can hook up the handset to your TV via the optional HDMI cable.

There’s also the ability to use the phone as a mobile 3G/4G hotspot for connecting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices – and for that video watching, there’s a kickstand at the back.

The phone is set to hit America this summer, but there’s no news of when us Brits can get our chip-stained paws on this glorious beast.

Killer?

What’s that we hear? “iPhone killer”?

Well, unless Apple come back with something that’s a bit more substantial than their usual incremental iPhone upgrades, we know what our next handset is going to be – and it won’t have an Apple on the back.

Press Release:

HTC EVO 4G

The ultimate multimedia experience at Sprint 4G speeds

The world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, exclusively from Sprint, HTC EVO 4G, offers a rich mobile Internet experience with a fully integrated suite of services built on the AndroidTM 2.1 platform. HTC EVO 4G includes a blazing-fast 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the award-winning HTC Sense user experience, an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera.

The large vibrant 4.3 inch display, built-in kickstand, 3.5 mm headset jack and HDMI output make HTC EVO 4G an unparalleled platform for wireless entertainment. Download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go on a network with download speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G speeds.

With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G also allows up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptop, camera, music player, video player and any other Wi-Fi-enabled device, to enjoy the benefits of 4G speeds on the go.

PRODUCTIVITY

* 3G/4G capability
* Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8650 (1GHz) processor
* 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback

* World-class HTML browser – bandwidth and quality that rival that of netbooks

* Android 2.1, with access to more than 30,000 apps on Android Market
* Google mobile services including Google Search, Google Maps, Google Talk, Gmail, YouTube , and syncs with Google Calendar
* Access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words
* Sprint Navigation, with turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps
* Updated HTC Sense, award-winning user experience, which includes Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates
*Visual voicemail
* Messaging – personal and business email, IM and text messaging
* 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
* 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps.
* 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps.

ENTERTAINMENT

* 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
* High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds
* Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone

* Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately)
* Live video sharing with Qik
* Built-in kickstand for hands-free viewing
* Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack

* FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
* Sprint applications including Sprint TV® and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile(SM)
* Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR
* Built-in WiFi: 802.11 b/g
* Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
* Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB

SPECIFICATIONS

* Dimensions: 4.8″ x 2.6″ x .5″ (LxWxT)
* Weight: 6 ounces
* Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800×480) 65K colors
* Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery
* Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM

HTC EVO 4G Review Surfaces

2010-03-26T13:09:00.000+08:00

Revision 3, MobileCrunch got their hands on the highly anticipated HTC EVO 4G and provide us with brief video reviews. For those who aren't familiar with its data speeds, this handset it "capable of sharing its 4G connection with up to 8 WiFi users."

Tests Conclude iPhone Has Most Accurate Touchscreen

2010-03-26T12:45:00.000+08:00

In this video, "MOTO Labs tests the sensitivity and resolution of current smartphone touchscreens such as the iPhone, the Google Nexus One, the Motorola Droid, the Palm Pre, and the Blackberry Storm 2." Continue reading to see why the iPhone came out on top.

Apple Fan Uses iPod Touch to Control a Pontiac GTO

2010-03-26T12:21:00.002+08:00

Apple fan Dave Phipps managed to use his iPod Touch to control a 1969 Pontiac GTO. The system utilizes a Wi-Fi network along with a RedEye IR system, so he can even do macros and open all of the doors with one button and so on."

imm Living Hand Sign USB Drives

2010-03-26T12:18:00.002+08:00

The IMM Living's Hand Sign USB Drives($35) include pop culture hand signs (peace, Vulcan, gun, Westside, Eastside, Fist, rocker-horn).
"Live long and prosper." This phrase, widely recognized beyond sci-fi circles, is accompanied by a hand gesture made by raising the hand palm forward, parting the fingers between the ring and middle finger and extending the thumb. This gesture is known as the Vulcan salute.

1948 Buick Streamliner

2010-03-26T12:14:00.001+08:00

The beautiful 1948 Buick Streamliner by Norman E. Timbs.

The Steampunk Stormtrooper Helmet

2010-03-26T12:12:00.002+08:00

The awesome Steampunk Stormtrooper Helmet by Brian Rood.
"The steampunk stormtrooper helmet is made by Brain Rood. Obviously, it can be seen from the blog of the creator that he is a lover of stormtrooper helmet. You can see many unique modifications of stormtrooper helmet from Star Wars. But I prefer the latest one, which has a bronze appearance with many steampunk accessories, which make the helmet look like from post-holocaust instead of outer space. "

8-Bit hanger

2010-03-26T12:09:00.001+08:00

This 8-Bit hanger($20) is a very cool "hand" to hang your non 8 bit stuff, made of sturdy MDF and acrylic.

Predators 2010 Movie Trailer Released

2010-03-25T01:28:00.000+08:00

Set for release on June 7th, 2010 is the new Predators 2010 movie, which is directed by Robert Rodriguez of Desperado fame. It stars Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, and more.

HTC EVO Revealed

2010-03-25T01:25:00.001+08:00

Finally, the HTC EVO has been revealed, and it's definitely no slouch. Packing a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, 1GB of ROM, 512MB of RAM, Snapdragon 1-GHz processor, and an 8.0-megapixel camera.

Infinite USB Plug Requires Just One Port

2010-03-25T01:21:00.001+08:00

Sometimes, there's just one too many USB plugs and one too few USB ports. Meet the Infinite USB. This device helps "keep all your cables connected, thereby facilitating those smartphone syncs, spy camera recharges, and -- for the ultimate irony -- maybe even a USB hub."

Nintendo 3DS Will Feature 3D Joystick

2010-03-25T01:18:00.000+08:00

According to Japanese news source Nikkei, Nintendo "plans to give the new system a 3-D joystick and a force feedback mechanism that will let players feel the collisions of a game character."

Nintendo 3DS Announced

2010-03-25T01:17:00.001+08:00

Nintendo officially announced today the availability of Nintendo 3DS. The main innovation is "a 3-D display that does not require the use of glasses." It is slated for release in or before March 2011. No word yet on pricing.

Geeky Super Mario Bros. Furniture

2010-03-25T01:13:00.002+08:00

Looking to add some 8-bit flair to your living room? Then be sure to check out this amazingly geeky Super Mario Bros.-themed room for inspiration. Featuring coin box bookshelves, pipe table, and Game Boy clock.

Incredible LEGO Iron Man Sculpture

2010-03-25T01:09:00.001+08:00

Brickshelf member Arvo reveals his incredible LEGO Iron Man sculpture, which isn't just composed of one piece. All the body parts are removable, including the head, arms, legs, and torso.

Reality of Cell Phone Radiation Dangers

2010-03-25T00:56:00.001+08:00

For those who didn't already know, there are two types of electromagnetic radiation: ionizing (high-frequency) and non-ionizing (low frequency). The former is the one found in cell phones, and Motorola's V195a is rated #1 for being the handset with giving off the most radiation. Click the image to see the full infographic.

source[ Cellphones]

Craigslist Search Made Easy with Craiglook

2010-03-25T00:54:00.001+08:00

Searching Craigslist for something, or even funny ads, just became easier with Craiglook. This website essentially "mashes two great Web 2.0 services [Yahoo Pipes and Google Maps] to load RSS [feeds] from your local Craigslist community." There's currently 3-million plus listings added daily, with a total of 18.3-million in the entire database.

WWF Earth Hour / For once the Dark Side saves the planet

2010-03-20T10:34:00.000+08:00

Commercial to announce WWF's Earth Hour on the 27th of March!

Gorillaz + Bruce Willis = Stylo

2010-03-20T10:31:00.000+08:00

“Stylo,” the new music video from Gorillaz features muscle cars, chase scenes, Bruce Willis, and the Gorillaz in full CGI glory.

iPad Templates and Stencils

2010-03-20T10:29:00.001+08:00

iPad Templates and Stencils, Printable iPad Template PDF by Arash Keshmirian.

Paper Game boy by Zim And Zou

2010-03-20T10:26:00.002+08:00

Paper Game boy by Zim And Zou, Cool works!

Braille Rubik’s Cube for the Blind

2010-03-20T10:23:00.001+08:00

By designer Konstantin Datz, Cool. The colors of the Rubik's Cube are replaced by Braille symbols. Try to close your eyes, then play it!