ladygeek_news

Parallels Desktop 5 lets you Pic'n'Mix Operating systems and run Windows on Macs

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:04:12 -0800

New software from a little Washington state company could upset computer giants Apple and Microsoft by letting users pick'n'mix their operating systems. Parallels launch their Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac today - and it allows you to run Windows seamlessly on an Apple Mac computer. Not only can you switch screens from the Mac OS to Windows, you can also use Windows applications alongside Mac apps. And can use Linux as well from the same computer.

Will Twitter break the 500 person lists limit?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:28:19 -0800

As individuals start the dividing their Twitter Following sections into lists, companies specialising in social media are going even deeper and one - SimplyZesty have decided to split up Twitter users by country. Currently limited by the amount of users you can have in one list (500 at the minute) this isn't going to be terribly useful until Twitter changes the rules. Will they?

Will Twitter break the lists limit, and let you list more than 500?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:12:25 -0800

Vuzix Wrap Video Eyewear - watch films on a visor

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:24:42 -0800

Films are moving from the TV screen to visors. Like something out of a sci-fi flick, you can now watch films on a visor. Plug the Vuzix Wrap Video Eyewear into your laptop, DvD, games console or even mobile phone and watch videos on what appears to be a 44 or 67 inch screen.

Vuzix Wrap Video Eyewear - watch films from your iPod on a visor

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:07:13 -0800

The Beatles: on an Apple-shaped USB stick - but still not Spotify

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:47:27 -0800

You can't get the Beatles on Spotify but you can - just in time for Christmas - get the Beatles back catalogue on an apple-shaped USB stick. Apple Records, the label the Beatles set up, have packed 14 stereo albums, 13 mini-documentary films about the albums, album art and copies of rare photos on this novelty USB, based on the label's logo. It's not cheap though... it's a cool £200 for the USB stick. Cutely-shaped though it is, this memorabilia won't go down a bomb with the free music streaming generation but for hard core fans, perhaps with a bit more money to slosh around, this may well prove popular at Christmas. Though it's a far cry from vinyl, only 100 will be released (on 7th December) so the rarity of them might make them more desirable. Limited Edition Beatles Stereo USB Apple, £200 from digitalstores [via retrotogo]

Everything you need to know about Twitter lists

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:41:18 -0800

Twitter lists - has the word "lists" ever been said so often in so few hours? It seems hardly likely. A quick Shiny guide to the 'l-word phenomenon' Twitter lists eh? This is going to take about 2 hours isn't it? Should I be that bothered? Yes you should be bothered. This is Twitter's biggest update since the damn site launched and it should make the whole experience a lot better. A whole lot better. How much better?

Twitter targets teens with budget handset TwitterPeek

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:03:13 -0800

Twitter has teamed up with the makers of budget messaging handsets Peek to launch a handheld Twitter device, in a move designed to get more people on Twitter. To most Twitterers their handheld Twitter device is their phone: their iPhone, Blackberry, N97 or any smartphone that has a Twitter app. So... in launching the $99 TwitterPeek, Twitter are clearly not targeting smartphone-owners. This probably shows Twitter trying to broaden their appeal beyond their current core audience of smartphone-owning Twitterati by finding new audiences. Like teenagers.

Sleep Better and Conquer Insomnia: the iPhone app that helps you go to sleep

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:43:47 -0800

Generally phones disturb your sleep more than they help it... they ring or buzz or beep and wake you up. But a company have just invented a way your phone could actually help you get to sleep. With an app of course.

Save power with USB Eco-button

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:23:22 -0800

Want to be more eco-conscious about how you use your computer? Well there's a USB gadget to help you with that. The USB Eco Button doesn't allow you to do anything your computer doesn't already do - I mean - I bet there already is a power off and an energy-saver option on your computer... but the Eco Button just makes the power-save option more visible and so does make it easier for you to save power.

Left 4 Dead 2: how to kill zombies in real life

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:51:37 -0800

We snuck a preview of Zombie thwacking game Left 4 Dead 2 last week: Gerald from TechDigest went along, tried out the game and learnt how to kill a zombie with a frying pan. Left 4 Dead 2 will be in shops from the 20th November, so get ready for another frantic blast of four-player, undead killing first-person madness on its way. The highly anticipated sequel takes place in the Deep South, where four brand new survivors are battling against the zombie horde. Valve promise three horrific new Special infected foes, the brand new addition of melee weapons, and a refined version of the AI Director that made the original so replayable. In video below, two terrifying SAS men give practical, real-life tips on overcoming zombies with frying pans : you'll be glad you watched this when the zombie hordes come. The game hits shops on November 20. See more on the L4D site.

Sony Ericsson's first Android phone: meet the Xperia X10, out in 2010

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:24:48 -0800

Details about Sony Ericsson's first Google Android phone have just been released. The Xperia X10 will hit the market in early 2010. The high spec Xperia X10 will be the flagship handset for Sony Ericsson's new phone family which is built on strengths in social media and entertainment. High resolution graphics (480 x 854 pixels WVGA) are promised for the 4 inch touchscreen, as is a richly interactive user interface and some great social networking applications.

Sony Ericsson's first Android phone out 2010: meet the Xperia X10

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:52:59 -0800

Nikon S1000pj: World's first projector camera

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:37:28 -0800

Want to show your digital snaps to friends without you all having to gather around a tiny LCD screen or mess around hooking up the camera to a big screen? Nikon has the answer. It's the world's first camera with a built in projector. Dubbed the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj, it...

Dreams help you game better

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:10:38 -0800

The dreams of gamers are providing useful insight into the purpose of dreams. Apparently gamers who dream about playing video games perform better than those who don't. A study by Harvard Medical School doesn't definitely prove the correlation, but the studies strongly suggest that dreaming and learning are intertwined.

Nikon S1000pj: World's first projector camera

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:54:37 -0800

Nikon S1000pj: World's first projector camera

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:54:37 -0800

Interactive typefaces - the text of the future?

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:31:32 -0800

Some students in Switzerland have created an interactive typeface. That's a font that changes its weight, serifs and size according to how you interact with it. Their font is called Laika (perhaps after the dog the Russians sent to the moon) and it looks really beautiful, a treat for any typeface lovers. In one installation they link a laptop to a weighing machine, and as you lean more weight on the board, the typeface become heavier too. In another, the letters move as you move your arms. As its creators point out - static text was made for static surfaces like paper so maybe interactive typefaces are what we need for computer screens.

An 80s-izer viral vid from Russell Athletic

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:27:41 -0800

A kooky new ad campaign for Russell Athletic lets you stick your head in an 80s movie. Sort of. Choose between four different but deeply 80s scenarios: a breakdance, football trials, a muscle beach and a jazzercise class and upload a photo of your face. Russell Athletic is really working its all-American roots with this little viral vid and claiming the 80s - a decade that set its aesthetic - as its own.

The Return of Alice

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:13:14 -0800

American McGee's Alice, that is: she's back. It'll have to compete with Tim Burton's Alice, the videogame, too, as these things usually do come along in twos. Hollywood, eh.

Mario Babies

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:55:49 -0800

Hallowe'en is a rich seam of cute kids and cute pumpkin carvings, and here's a gem. Ready to squee?

Home-made outfits, of course.

God of War (paid) cosplay

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:51:58 -0800

Booth boy somewhere at the MicroMania Game Show.

He's about a foot and a half too short and is making me gufffaw.

Rebuilding the Berlin Wall.. in virtual world Twinity

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:50:55 -0800

The Berlin Wall wasn't very warmly received when it first went up and this year marks the 20th anniversary of its downfall but rebuilding it (virtually) is proving to be a much-needed publicity draw for virtual world Twinity.

Three cut prices on Mobile Internet devices: MiFi and Inq phones

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:02:20 -0800

Mobile internet provider 3 are cutting prices ahead of Christmas by reducing the up-front costs of their mobile internet devices. What's on offer: The MiFi Wireless Modem: previously £69.99, is now £49.99 upfront when you buy it on the 'Broadband 5GB 1 Month' deal. The package includes 5GB of data for £15 a month. The MiFi modem receives internet connection from 3 then broadcasts it out so you can use it to connect up laptops or any other wifi-ennabled devices in your house. There are other deals on pay as you go and the 3gb data contract as well. 3's Inq phone: the INQ Mini 3G, is now £49.99, down from £59.99. The internet-enabled phone now includes Twitter as a native application as well. See 3's website for more details on Christmas offers

Foldable Kitchen Scales: pack them up afterwards

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:29:52 -0800

By Genevieve Sibayan I don't want to play into the hands of gender stereotypes but an item that caught my eye recently was a kitchen gadget. Maybe I'm subconsciously craving cake and baked goods but the combination of kitchen paraphernalia and space economy really appeals. My current set of scales is a chunky analogue thing; which sits there in the cupboard taking up space, snidely judging my canned soup collection with its bulky, difficult to read face. I resent it. So this product would be nice, a set of scales that folds up into a 5cm diameter cylinder with a height of 12cm. I've got tubs of salt bigger than that. It unfolds to 22cm in diameter so you can use fairly large containers to weigh your items if you were that way inclined and weighs up to 3kg with a 1g accuracy. It used 2x AAA batteries and it costs £33.95. It's quite a masculine design for something destined for the kitchen but they're also marketing it at people who weigh post at home. The LCD display also doubles as a clock and apparently there's a 60 second timer, although - can that be a typo as I can't think of anything that takes less than a minute to cook. [Pro-idee]

iPhone on Orange: how does it stack up against O2?

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:56:51 -0800

The iPhone 3GS will be available on Orange in 9 days. On Tuesday November 10th Orange stores will be stocking the Orange iPhone, finally breaking O2's monopoly on the super-phone. Orange claims its new monthly and pay as you go plans are "great value" - but - inevitably they're not drastically different from O2's.

Star Wars baby dribble bibs

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:41:32 -0700

Our little'un went through a brace of these, and looked like a cowgirl in the meanwhile. They're great. These ones in particular though, are fabulous.

I'd wear one! Not that I drool, you understand.

Ready, I tell ya.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:26:44 -0700

Zombies, pfff. Easy.

Facebook has a go at creating World Peace, but could do better..

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:57:03 -0700

Aside from improving the News Feed and juggling deals with search engines, Facebook is also trying to bring about World Peace. And they have gone about it by setting up a dot peace campaign with a group in Stanford University. Given that Facebook has more members than any country apart from China and India, it does have a significant reach over the people of the world, but sceptics say it's going to take more than a few graphs and some wall posts to bring about an end to war.

Mailtones - new iPhone app lets you customise PUSH notifications

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:21:48 -0700

A new iPhone app lets you set a mailtone for any contact on your phone. Anyone receiving emails with PUSH notification on their iPhone will be able to tell by the sound the phone makes who each email is from. Consequently you can either snatch up phone and start replying or else calmly ignore it and continue stroking the cat and reading Love at First Bite - or whatever you might happen to be doing. As the app-makers put it: "Until now, iPhone users have been stuck with one very bland incoming email alert tone". Thanks to app Mailtones - those days are over.

L4D2 demo day

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:58:55 -0700

Demo day. I got invited to that thing yesterday, and duly went along to check it out. First up, the location was a jaw-drop.

Guns and riflemakers? Genius!

I could swear this is an original shop, unless this John Wilkes signage went up a week or so ago, because I noticed and admired it a few days back after a meal at Mildred's round the corner. Anyway, inside: downstairs was a 4-box setup, and I played a bit. There's a defibrillator; and the melee weps, and a weird neck-riding Jockey character, but it's otherwise seemingly more of the same glorious L4D co-op shooty goodness. In bright daylight: that bit did stand out. Not sure if it lasts throughout the full game.

I didn't get much of a handle on the characters - and the setup had captions switched off - so I couldn't see if there's a joker like Francis in the team. Hoping so. There's a full writeup over here, though.

Upstairs. They weren't kidding about hands-on melee weapon training. Dark room, with some rubber zombies in it, and two huge fellas in flak jackets and face masks. Made all my adrenalin fire, oddly, so I had a mild case of shaky hands for the first few minutes. Nothing like a pile of guns lying about to make you slightly sweaty.

Turns out - after fun with an AK-47 and a frying pan (heavier than it looks!), that the baseball bat is my real-world melee weapon of choice. I am now trained in collarbone-breaking followed by a solid thump to the spinal column for optimum neck severage.

Zombapocalypse, I am ready.

Folksy: space invader scarf

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:20 -0700

One for the Brits, this, as it's Scottish-made. Post Office strikes aside, the shipping charge at least should be manageable and it might arrive in time for winterval.

Lovely scarf.

Grr! or Arg! necklace

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:42:31 -0700

(Someone's been watching too much Buffy/Firefly/Dollhouse....)

The GRRR! and ARG! necklaces, at Folksy. 6 quid.

Trek onesie

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:16:41 -0700

First post of many in the run-up to holiday season... the Trek Onesie.

Beautiful. From Thinkgeek. Where else. $16.

Sega zippos

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:43:17 -0700

The megadrive one is excellent!

Very expensive and only in Japan. Of course.

(via)

Spirit Tracks

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:40:01 -0700

KAPOW!

Pre-ordered. Poor ole DS has been gathering dust.

Farmville art

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:29:14 -0700

After Seb's comment in the previous post, I thought I'd google Farmville art. HAH! Obviously it's an advanced and ongoing movement! There's a group on Facebook, with 13K+ fans, producing farms such as this:

and, heh, this:

There's a WHOLE PAGE of game related ones, with some invaders that kick my invader's arse. Bah.

It's come to this

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:58:29 -0700

(You'll see I'm short of haybales for my HELP. Donations gratefully received :-))

I thought I was being clever, until I saw what Julian Dibbell's done.

Pwnage.

The Times gets it right

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:21:35 -0700

Finally, games show up alongside other cultural pursuits rather than buried under Technology. Bravo, Times! Grauniad and BBC take note.

(sent from phone)

Civilization for Facebook

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:15:09 -0700

Sid Meier's, that is.

Civilization creator Sid Meier said this week that he and his 2K-owned studio, Firaxis, are working on a project dubbed "Civilization Network," a rendition of the strategy game for Facebook, due in 2010.

And...

"I wanted to let you know we’ll soon be looking for beta testers to help us develop a unique new way to play Civilization," wrote Meier on the CivFanatics.com forum on Wednesday. "Ever since we finished Civilization Revolution last year, I’ve been looking at ways of expanding the Civ gameplay experience to include solo, competitive and cooperative play to take advantage of the uniqueness of social networks."

And...

Like typical Facebook games, Civilization Network will be free-to-play, although Meier did not reveal any monetization methods, which may or may not include virtual item buys and advertising.

Amazing money-train, that Civ. It just goes on and on...

(via Gama)