GadgetsLoverz

Funny, My License Says "WHERE2CHRG"

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:37:00 +0000

For only $101,500 plus the cost of a custom plate, you too can laugh at the thought of using gas to run your Tesla Roadster.

Just make sure the celebratory drive isn't longer than 245 miles.

An Anime About Gundam Models

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:31:00 +0000

Remember those cartoons you watched as a kid? You know, the ones that were really thirty minute commercials.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Gundam plastic models, aka "Gunpla" in Japan. Bandai is commemorating the occasion with another 1/1 scale Gundam and a new show called "Mokei Senshi Gunpla Builders Beginning G".

The show centers around a young boy named Haru who gets into building Gundam models. Okay, that's not that exciting and sounds like a long Gunpla ad, but the show does have mecha battles. Haru and his buddies scan their models and can control them via an arcade simulator.

The anime will be shown in three parts this summer on Japanese television.

EcoModo - The Best of Treehugger

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:26:00 +0000

Doomsday arks on the moon, switching your house to all-electric, best apps for the oil spill, a microhouse you can build yourself, solar airplane setting a 2-week flight record, and disgusting light switch designs.

Ask Pablo: Why Should I Switch My House Over To All-Electric?

While the payback will not be quick and cost savings are not the objective here, this strategy will reduce your household greenhouse gas emissions and will improve the comfort level within your home.

14 Apps Connecting You to the Gulf Oil Spill

From newsy to comedic to snarky, here are 14 apps for staying up on the latest gulf spill updates, becoming a citizen reporter, or simply grasping the impact of one of the worst ecological disaster in US history.

Urban Nomad Redux: Build and Live in Your Own Microhouse

This replica of a 1960s design was constructed by an art student — check out how you could build it from scratch too.

Folding Table is Inspired By Pop-Up Map of New York

Mocoloco introduces Swedish designers Sanna Lindström and Sigrid Strömgren, who collaborated on the Grand Central Table. It is composed of 22 pieces that unfold like a map and sit on a folding base.

EU Space Agency Wants to Build a Doomsday Ark on the Moon

If you're one of the few survivors on planet Earth after a massive catastrophy, how would you get back all the knowledge lost with the bulk of human population? Hey, what about jotting over to the know-how storage facility on the moon?

The 'Eternal Aircraft' Zephyr Solar Plane Aims for 14 Days in the Air

The Zephyr is well on its way to setting an incredible record, flying on only solar power.

Cheap, Energy-Efficient Robots that Build Houses

(FAB)BOTS are robots or machines that fabricate structures and spatial formations for architecture. Check out this slideshow of prototypes.

Cool-er e-Reader Goes Out of Business, A Sign for the Digital Books Market?

The booming market for e-reader devices is finally starting to balance out with some clear winners and losers.

Creative Energy Conservation with Switches Too Gross to Turn On (Video)

From switches that have little hairs stretch toward your finger as it approaches, to switches that retreat into the wall when you reach for it, these creations will make you think twice about using energy.

Lenovo Commits to LePad Android Tablet By End of LeYear

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:19:00 +0000

Lenovo's finally made a definitive statement on what they're doing in the mobile computing space, and they're going to finish the year differently than they started it: the Android-powered LePad is coming in the next few months.

In January Lenovo showed impressive ambition in mobile, promising both the Skylight smartbook and the U1 hybrid tablet/computer (pictured above). Both of those projects were shelved in May, partly so that Lenovo could rethink its platform strategy.

Which is why it's encouraging that with LePad, Lenovo has cleaved to Android from the start. It also pairs nicely with the Android LePhone smartphone, paving the way for a whole stable of LeProducts. Assuming, of course, it make it out of the development phase

Asus Wants Android For EeePad

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:14:00 +0000

After confusing the world by saying it would use Windows EC7 as the OS for its upcoming10.1" EP101TC EeePad, Asus has now seen sense—and stuck Android in the thing instead. Goodbye, familiar bland Microsoft leafy background image.

Nothing has been said about which version of Android the EeePad will ship with, although with the EeePad range currently down for launch in early 2011 anything less than Android 2.2 or higher on this slick puppy simply wouldn't cut it. [

DECE's 'digital locker' take-anywhere DRM dubbed UltraViolet, launches later this year

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:06:00 +0000

We're still not sure if we believe in the promises made by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) yet -- buy a piece of content once in physical or digital format, and gain access across all formats and devices via a cloud based account -- but we're closer to finding out for ourselves now that it has a new name, UltraViolet.

In case you haven't been paying attention over the last couple of years, the DECE group is already home to most of the biggest names on both the content and consumer electronics sides of the business, with the most notable holdouts being Apple and Disney, which is backing its own competing system, Keychest. The latest additions to the UltraViolet team are LG, LOVEFiLM and Marvell, while key members like Comcast, Microsoft, Intel and Best Buy are quoted in this morning's press release. Check it out for yourself after the break and keep an eye out for that grey and purple logo on movies and players later this year when it begins testing.

Palm Pre hits 1.2GHz courtesy of SR71 Blackbird kernel, not for the faint-hearted

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:05:00 +0000

Whoa! After breaking the 1GHz barrier just three weeks ago, dauntless modder unixpsycho is back with yet another insane hack for the aging Palm Pre. What's new? Why, this "SR71 Blackbird" custom kernel,

which simply pushes the poor little OMAP3430 processor up to 1.2GHz -- that's twice the original clock speed, just so you know. As glamorous as it sounds, potential users are triple-warned about this mod potentially failing the webOS device in one way or another, despite the built-in speed-scaling mechanism to cap the device at 55 degrees Celsius (131 in Fahrenheit). And needless to say, don't expect your stock battery to hold up for more than a few blinks once implemented. Good luck, pilgrims.

Kindle's digital book sales overtake hardcover, device purchases triple after price drop

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:04:00 +0000

While Amazon is being as coy as usual when it comes to an actual number (still keeping to the vague "millions" figure), the company has revealed that sales of its Kindle hardware has tripled since the price took a plunge from $259 to $189. While it's hard to gauge just how many champagne corks are being popped over that statistic, news that downloaded kindle books has overtaken its hardcover brethren is certainly cause for major celebration.
According to a press release, 143 Kindle books have been sold for every 100 hardcovers in the past three months, and that ratio is a more impressive 9:2 if you only look at this past month. Before you start asking about the obvious caveats, the data both include sales of hardcovers where no Kindle equivalent exists and exclude free Kindle downloads -- meaning if those weren't considered, the ratio would be even greater. Guess the agency pricing model didn't deter too many customers. Since you're in such a good mood, Amazon, how about a slimmer model to satiate the remaining holdouts?

Nokia Kinetic concept offers some ideas Nokia might want to heed

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:03:00 +0000

Cellphone concepts are a dime a dozen, but a couple of particularly interesting ones have cropped up in recent days, including Andrew Kim's HTC 1, and this so-called Nokia Kinetic concept from British designer Jeremy Innes-Hopkins. Obviously, the most eye-catching aspect here is that prominent base, which is not simply a design flourish but actually houses an electromagnet that allows the phone to spring up on cue -- when an alarm goes off, for instance, or during a hands-free video call (simply flip the phone back down to dismiss the action). It's also not quite as chunky as it might look -- Jeremy tells us that the top half of the actual prototype is just 8mm thick, while the bottom is 18mm, and he notes that the base also conveniently doubles as a more camera-like grip for taking photos. Of course, it is still just a concept, but it was done at the request of Nokia, and a former Nokia designer served as a tutor on the project, so there's conceivably a slim chance that some of the ideas might wind up in an actual Nokia product.

Iron Man fanatic crafts his own repulsor, shows you how to do likewise (video)

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0000

It's certainly not the first homegrown Iron Man repulsor to surface, but it's definitely one of the best. And frankly, we're fond of any mod where the modder details the build process to the rest of the peons in attendance (us included).
Granted, this still pales in comparison to the one on Tony's own arm, and never mind that the LEDs won't actually level anyone on command. Truth is, you're still going to have a peek at the video just below, and you're going to love it.

RIM finally catches up to the competition with non-GPS-based BlackBerry 'Locate Service'

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:56:00 +0000

It's hardly the first company to implement the technology in a smartphone, but it looks like RIM finally has an answer for folks not satisfied with the GPS capabilities of their BlackBerry.
It's now announced the simply-named 'Locate Service' for developers, which relies on cell tower triangulation to to either augment the phone's built-in GPS, or completely replace it when a GPS signal isn't available. According to RIM, the service also includes a set of components that "integrate seamlessly" with the BlackBerry Maps and Contacts applications and, of course, the GPS capabilities of the device. There's still no word on any apps that actually take advantage of the new service though, but it is now at the disposal of developers, so we're guessing we'll see some soon enough.

Aptera co-founder expands Epic Boats beyond boats, spurs hiring spree

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:55:00 +0000

It certainly looks like Aptera co-founder is Chris Anthony is intent on making a name for himself with his own company, Epic Boats, which has recently be renamed Epic Electric Vehicles to better suit its more ambitious goals. That now includes the announcement of two new land vehicles: the fairly standard looking Epic Amp all terrain vehicle, and the three-wheeled Epic Torque (pictured above), which will reportedly cost around $22,000 and $35,000, respectively, and are both set to go into production this fall at Louisiana-based Caddo Manufacturing. That expansion has also now prompted quite a hiring spree -- the company says it's bringing on 200 new employees immediately and will eventually hire nearly 500 altogether, and adds that the manufacturing should also create about 1,500 indirect job in the area.

iHome iA100ZE iPad alarm dock raises questions, supplies few answers

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:54:00 +0000

So, the iA100ZE iPad dock isn't anywhere in the same league as the iTar. To be fair, you can't fault iHome for trying to stir up some interest in an over-saturated market by strapping an iPad onto a fairly typical FM radio / alarm clock / dock. And if that's your bag, it certainly seems to be more than up to the task: iHome+Sleep app integration, Bluetooth, and that patented Bongiovi punch. Only a few questions have yet to be answered: when does it ship? For how much? And, most crucially, will you be able to sleep with an iPad shining in your face all night? Get another look after the break.

The Ribbons Of Life Lamp Draws Inspiration From The Source

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:52:00 +0000

The DNA inspired double helical design would look especially great in any mad scientist's lair, or geneticist's dining room. Tough to believe this popped out of a 3D printer.

I am thoroughly impressed with the intricate and unique stylings of The Ribbons of Life lamp, created by Paul Charlwood and Luca Abate of Melbourne based Charlwood Design. By using a 3D printer to fabricate the design out of a type of ABS plastic, new shapes were able to be formed that would not have been possible using traditional fabrication methods.

Charlwood wanted to explore how light interacts with complex shapes with this piece, which was created as part of Victoria's State of Design Festival and inspired by the double helix of a strand of DNA.The combination of the plastic composition and detailed curves and strips of the lamp's shape allow light to diffuse through into multi-layered shadows, cast with an amber hue.

How To Hide a Cell Tower

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:51:00 +0000

While older cell towers were topped with those those unsightly satellite-looking antenna fixtures, newer ones can be contained entirely in sleek, featureless polls and thus disguised as trees.
Nice for us, not so much for woodpeckers.

iPad Projector Renders 3D Objects for the Naked Eye

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:49:00 +0000

N-3D DEMO from aircord on Vimeo.

Experimental design team Aircord Labs has released a proof of concept videodemonstrating an iPad with 3D capabilities visible to the naked eye. The effect is achieved with a specially designed projector that beams images into a pyramid shaped screen.

Once projected, viewers can move around the floating imagery, almost as if they were real objects in space. At the moment, the design is very pretty to look at and very little beyond that. But it shouldn't be hard to imagine practical, fun applications. Think 3D blueprints for engineers, or getting a better look at a new pair of shoes before buying. Or, let's just be honest and admit this will be quickly adapted for porn.

Airbus' Lightweight Plane of the Future Features Holographic Projections and Invisible Floors

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:45:00 +0000

What sorts of airplanes will we be flying in 2030? According to Airbus, this "fantasy plane" concept is a reasonable guess, a lightweight model with curled wings and a U-shaped tail. Oh, and invisible floors.

Sure, the design itself isn't that crazy, but some of the interior features sure are. How about "holographic projections of virtual decors, so that each passenger could transform his or her area into a workspace, a bedroom, or a Zen garden"? Or walls and a floor that can turn "invisible" so you have a better sense of the landscape below. That one sounds both amazing and absolutely terrifying. Having ridden in a glass-bottomed ferris wheel car and almost soiled my shorts, I can't imagine how looking straight down from 30,000 feet would feel.

Feed This Machine Rice And It'll Spit Out A Fresh Loaf Of Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:40:00 +0000

If you want to make delicious bread out of rice, you normally have to get rice flour and work from there. But with the Sanyo Gopan rice bread machine, all you have to do is pour in handfuls of rice.

Of course you need to pour in the other bread ingredients too, but the point is that the Gopan will turn rice into bread without requiring you to hunt for pricey rice flour. Instead the machine turns grains of rice into a paste which is blended with the other ingredients and then baked into some yummy goodness.

Holy Giant Steel Balls!

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:39:00 +0000

What weighs 4.5 tons, measures 8 feet in diameter, it's made of pure steel, and can destroy 50 acres of woods per hour? The bowling ball lumbering machine, that's what.

Back in the 50s, it was believed to be the be-all, end-al of all lumbering techniques ever developed. Get the ball, set it in motion using two tractors, and watch it snap any tree across its path like toothpicks. I don't know if it's the best method to lumber, but it sure looks like a lot more fun than motor saws. If your idea of fun is destroying trees, that is.

"Smart" Alloy Will Make Your Air Conditioner 175% More Efficient

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:39:00 +0000

Leaving your air conditioner on full blast all day might soon come with a little less guilt,thanks to an alloy developed by the University of Maryland. The "thermally elastic" material could allow air conditioners to run 175% more efficiently.

The new metal serves as a solid coolant, as opposed to the traditional (and environmentally nasty) liquid coolants found in commercial and residential air conditioners. If implemented, the new super-efficient system could reduce US carbon emissions by 250 million metric tons per year, and keep liquid refrigeration agents out of landfills and backyards. The next step for the project is making use of $500,000 in federal stimulus cash to advance the working prototype into commercial production.

Sony Explores Alternative to Split-Screen Multiplayer

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:38:00 +0000

A couple of patent applications published recently show that Sony's looking at stereoscopic video for more than just 3D gaming; it could take the place of split-screen local multiplayer.

Broke My Controller noticed the applications, filed a year ago and published on Thursday, that show a method for rendering separate images on the same screen, which are then filtered by glasses worn by player 1 and player 2. The glasses also look like they have earbuds, meaning players get a separate audio feed, too.

Ideally, this would allow both players the view of an entire screen, without either the distraction of their opponent's activity to the side, or the ability to cheat by looking at his screen to see where he is.

The drawback, of course, is you need a 3DTV. And you have to wear the glasses. But as something that's more functional than cosmetic, I could dig it.

You can see the two patents here and here. Both are .pdfs

Night Light Table Provides Ambiance And Utility

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:37:00 +0000

Let the subtle glow from one of these colorful bedside tables set the mood in your room, or, pull up a tiny chair, pretend you're in elementary school, and use it as a super rad (albeit small) desk.

Eliminate the need to grope around in a dark drawer by choosing between hues of orange, yellow, green, purple, or my personal favorite, blue, to light up your bedroom. Just make sure to keep it tidy by only storing the essentials on it, though.

The Night Light Table is the result of a collaboration between British designers Richard Bannister and Charlie Crowther-Smith. The legs are made of walnut, but for the top you get a choice of ash or oak (pictured).

This New Combat Jet Is Actually a Cheapo Chinese Copy

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:36:00 +0000

They copy computers, cellphones, cameras, video players, watches, bags, and everything man-made—but did you know that the Chinese also copy entire combat airplanes? It's simple: They buy one and measure every part and system to clone it.

It's brutal reverse engineering but it works. In the past, they used to buy planes and designs from the Soviets. But now they go straight for the pirate copy, which has the Russians from Sukhoi fuming. The reason: They sell them at a lower price to any country that can't afford the real McCoy. Their quality is bad compared to the original, but good enough to fly and good enough that the countries—usually military dictatorships who just want to have a few flashy fighters—don't care.

This is the latest example: The Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark. They claim they created it all by themselves, but this carrier-based combat plane was copied and modified after reverse-engineering a Sukhoi Su-33 built to the Ukraine.

This Wall Breathes With the Wind

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:35:00 +0000

This thing is called kinetic wall. Made with 250,000 aluminium panels that are sensitive to wind currents, its 53,819-square-feet surface (5,000 square meters) looks like a vertical lake. Watching it in motion is a surreal experience:.

The video above is from a smaller previous project. The wall in the image is being made by Urban Art Projects and artist Ned Kahn for the Brisbane Airport. It will completed next to the new domestic terminal short-term parking building in 2011.

How Close to the Sun Can You Survive?

noreply@blogger.com (Khan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:28:00 +0000

With July in full force, it already feels like the Sun's rays are slobbering down our necks. But what if it were closer to us? Say, 90 million miles closer? Popular Science investigates how near we could go and survive.

Even though the life-giving fireball burns at an unfathomable 9,940°F, PopSci notes that its heat fades quickly with distance in space's vacuum, so that even at relatively close range—still 3 million miles away, mind you—one would be met with a balmy 248°F.

Current spacesuit technology comfortably shields astronauts from temperatures up to this point, but would begin to fail once hapless spacefarers drifted closer. Beyond the 3 million mile mark, "It would then be a matter of time before the astronaut died," explains Ralph McNutt, a NASA engineer who works with advanced heat shielding. Dehydration, unconsciousness, and finally death by heatstroke would be your sizzling demise.

Were you provided the luxury of a space shuttle, you could cruise even closer to the star-a ship covered in the standard reentry heat shielding would provide ample protection up to 4,700°, enough to get you to the intimate 1.3 million mile mark. But beyond this point, the shielding would quickly crumble, turning the ship into a solar rotisserie before exploding altogether within a minute. "I would advise turning away from the sun well before that point," McNutt admits. We agree.