Posted Feb 3rd 2008 7:47PM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: Misc. Gadgets It shouldn’t come as a surprise to readers that the folks over at Google might not be totally stoked on the potential merger of Microsoft and Yahoo!. If you weren’t sure were the company stood on the issue, you can now get clued in thanks to a post on the official Google Blog earlier today. (Read the full post about ‘Google questions Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo!’…)
You all know a Star Wars fan in your life. More so, these Star Wars fans enjoy collecting items and gadgets that go along with that fandom. What could you ever pick up for a Star Wars fan that they don’t have already? Well, over at Think Geek you can pick up an officially licensed Star Wars R2-D2 Peppermill. Cooking used to be a boring Star Wars fan until little R2 showed up on the scene to provide freshly ground pepper to liven up any meal. All you need to do is twist the R2’s head around to produce that freshly ground pepper goodness. Computer hacking and beeping and booping not included. For such a specialized droid, the $19.99 sale price makes this piece of equipment a bargain that even a Jawa with stolen droids can’t beat. (Read the full post about ‘R2-D2 Peppermill Helps You In The Kitchen’…)
Posted Feb 3rd 2008 4:03PM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: Misc. Gadgets Apparently, water is all the rage these days if you want to get a message seen. In Tokyo Bay Monster-fashion (sans holographic video monster), a designer named Julius Popp has created a system of displaying moving text and images using falling drops of water, thus creating a kind of virtual billboard that appears to be hovering in mid-air. The system — called AquaScript — works by utilizing magnet-valves which expel single drops of water on demand; proprietary software syncs the valves into a “freely definable bitmap-muster” which produces blocks of images with the falling liquid. Check the video after the break and see the wetworks in action. (Read the full post about ‘AquaScript paints words onto water’…)
In case you’ve been looking for a simple way to mix some music, the Micro Mixer DJ-4 can get the job done, but keep in mind this is a very simple system… Basically, the Mixer DJ-4 consists on a device that has 2 input jacks so you can connect two audio sources, which can be a MP3 player, laptop, etc. There are also 2 volume knobs to control each device, that make all the mixing possible. There are no special effects, but at least there is the possibility to start a low-budget DJing career for $134, right? (Read the full post about ‘Micro Mixer DJ-4: The Simple Mix’…)
Posted Feb 3rd 2008 11:52AM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: Laptops During the recent Greener Gadgets Conference in New York, former OLPC CTO (and XO challenger) Mary Lou Jepsen discussed the real-world difficulties with using the kid-friendly laptops, including the creation of an XO “hospital” used to repair broken computers. Apparently, in the crowded conditions of schools in places like Nigeria, the little green laptops have a tendency to be jostled around and even knocked on the floor from time to time. As there’s typically no repair shops nearby, the kids have learned to fix the systems themselves, setting up a “laptop hospital” where they can repair what’s broken using simple tools and cheap replacement parts. (Read the full post about ‘5-year-olds repair OLPC laptops at Nigerian “hospital”’…)
Hmm. Unless you want Child Protective Services knocking on your door, don’t hang a picture of your kids sleeping on these Livingstones floor cushions in your office. Few will believe that these realistic-looking stones are actually made of 100% virgin wool and are filled with hypoallergenic polysilicone fiber. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and are available directly from smarindesign, where you can also obtain a price list. If you can keep CPS at bay until then, the Livingstones should be delivered within about four weeks of placing your order. Via GEARFUSE. (Read the full post about ‘Livingstones rock cushions’…)
The 8800 series is perhaps the most uptight, business-oriented model currently in RIM’s lineup, owing in no small part to the fact that it lacks a camera altogether. Seems a bit strange then to launch the 8830 in a shockingly casual, let-your-hair-down shade of red — but hey, we’re glad they’ve taken the plunge, and we imagine it’ll actually sell quite well against the original silver. Verizon’s red 8830 features the same specs as its blander brother, including GSM / GPRS on the 900 and 1800MHz bands for international roaming and EV-DO for when you’re on home turf. Look for it to hit Verizon’s online store tomorrow for $299.99 on contract after rebate. (Read the full post about ‘The BlackBerry 8830 World Edition, now in Verizon Red’…)
Motorola mobile phones will soon be missing from the shelves of mobile phone stores. Shocking as the news might sound, the company has admitted possibilities of winding up its mobile phone business in the face of mounting losses. In a statement from the company on Thursday, it has been stated that the company was looking for ‘structural and strategic realignment of its business. Motorola has been trailing behind industry leaders Nokia and Samsung and has encountered huge losses in its mobile phone sector. The company instead hopes to concentrate on its core business that includes radio, wireless communication and consumer electronics. (Read the full post about ‘Mounting losses forcing Motorola move away from mobile phone business’…)
Posted Feb 3rd 2008 9:53AM by Darren MurphFiled under: Robots C’mon, be honest — the unofficial cutoff age for playing with Legos sans kids is sometime way before puberty, but thanks to a new development from Carnegie Mellon University, we adults may soon be able to unashamedly indulge in those desires once more. Posey, hailed as a “hands-on way of interacting with computers,” features a plethora of snap-together, sensor-laden parts that can communicate with PCs through ZigBee. When a user attaches a leg to a body, for instance, an on-screen representation immediately mimics the movement, providing hours of fun and some real promise for future applications. (Read the full post about ‘Posey makes playing with snap-together blocks okay for adults’…)
According to T3, Sony will be releasing a slim PS3 in quarter 3 or 4. There’s no listed specs or prices yet, but here are some pics of the supposed slim PS3. More detailed pics after the jump. [Source] Tags: camera, hdtv, dap, video games (Read the full post about ‘Rumor: Slim PS3′…)
