One day, we will pay for nothing. All goods and services will be ad-supported. This will continue until the only advertisements are for more ad-supported services. Then, late one Monday afternoon, sometime in 2012, the Singularity will occur, snakes will swallow their own tails and, born from the collapse of reality, a second big-bang will birth the Googleverse. At least, that’s the first thing that popped into my mind when reading that in Britain, a free, ad-supported mobile phone service has hit 100,000 subscribers in just six months. Blyk gives away text messages and calls in return for text and video ads (this is one case where it pays to have a crappy low tech cellphone). (Read the full post about ‘British Ad-Supported Phone Service Gains 100,000 Subscribers’…)
Norwegian Automaker Think Global will be selling its Think electric car in the US. For the uninitiated, the Think is able to travel up to 110 miles without the need to recharge its batteries, hitting a top speed of 65mph and is 95% recyclable. Two venture capital firms have already been targeted by Think to build the cars in Southern California, hoping to sell around 30,000 to 50,000 of such vehicles annually at $25, 000 each. Perfect for city use, but I don’t think I’d feel too safe in one of these for interstate travel. Tags: digital, gprs, MP3, cool gear (Read the full post about ‘Think Electric Car Headed for US’…)
Nespresso Magimix You can have this for ?99.95 Tags: gadgetry, cable, cool gear, mobile phone (Read the full post about ‘Nespresso Magimix’…)
»» Coolest gadgets has a new look !! Pacemaker Portable DJ System Measure more accurately with the Scale Spoon Is that a Keyboard on your pants, or… Kensington Ci70 keyboard has USB 2.0 ports Dueling Space Marines Copter Set Flat toaster makes for dangerous mornings Jt Baby USB flash drive Optibike OB1 electric bicycle VTech launches latest phone systems Wireless Digital Rain Gauge Another glyph gallery Buffalo LinkStation Mini RC Jump Jet takes off Legend of Zelda Sound Drop Keychains Iomega ScreenPlay HD Multimedia Drive hits the market Thumbnail gallery plugin by SoftSift
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by Darren Murph, posted Apr 24th 2008 at 10:34AMSure, there’s always the airbag-equipped motorcycle, but for those who prefer to power their own two wheel transporters, you’re pretty much on your own. The Dutch Cycling Federation has just cranked out a study showing that some 60 lives could be saved each year (though we’re not sure if that’s worldwide or region-specific) if airbags were installed on the hoods of vehicles. (Read the full post about ‘Dutch cyclists lobbying for external airbags on cars’…)
Many TV stations are working hard to make popular shows available for streaming on their site, a bunch have already used this technology, and now TBS is going to do it with popular show, Seinfeld. TBS already has Family Guy episodes up for streaming on their website. Since many people manage to get videos, or TV shows illegally, these stations loose a lot of potential revenue. By making shows available to be streamed, they are gaining a bit of that lost revenue back, plus it isn’t illegal. No word on exactly how many ads TBS will run during a streamed show, or how long that ad would run for. I’m guessing there won’t be too many ads and they won’t be for that long, because TBS has to compete with other giant streaming sites, such as Hulu. (Read the full post about ‘TBS gives gift to Seinfeld fans, episodes now being streamed’…)
Samsung’s new Series 6 and Series 7 LCD HDTVs all come with full 1080p resolution, online and digital media features, and piano black bezels that feature a red “touch of color”. What makes these new sets noteworthy is a whopping 50,000 to 1 contrast ratio that will definitely send HDTV fans delirious. In addition, you also get integrated USB media browsing, 120Hz refresh rates as well as Samsung’s InfoLink RSS service that will pull in headlines and news from USA Today automatically. The Samsung Series 6 units will come in 19″ up to 52″ sizes, with prices ranging from $479.99 to $3,199.99. As for the Samsung Series 7, the smallest screen size is 40″ while the largest in the range remains at 52″, with prices starting from $2,599.99 up to $3,499.99. (Read the full post about ‘Samsung Series 6 and 7 LCD TVs’…)
LG’s wacky idea might not have become the hottest item in town when it was released two years ago, but it’s actually quite attractive. For me, at least. If you’re living in a cramped home, having too many appliances could be a bother. Why getting a microwave and a toaster when you can have both in one device? LG’s microwave-toaster, has reportedly been in the market for two years already, but does anybody actually know it exists? I wonder why it hasn’t caught on. Anyhow, as you can see, the microwave has a slot for a couple of slices of bread to be toastes and comes in stainless steel and glossy black and white. (Read the full post about ‘LG’s Microwave-Toaster’…)
While some felt the PA Semi purchase might represent (or cause) a rift between Apple and its main chip dealer, master and commander Jobs says that’s a bunch of hogwash. In fact, in a post-earnings interview with the Wall Street Journal’s Business Technology Blog, Jobs reiterated the relationship between the two companies is as strong as ever. "We have a great partnership with Intel," he said, echoing earlier remarks he made at this year’s Macworld. "We expect that to continue forever." 4-Ever, people! That is a strong bond. Jobs even confirmed our own bit of idle speculation, saying that the main reason Apple gobbled up PA Semi was for its chip design expertise. (Read the full post about ‘Apple and Intel: Still Best Friends Forever’…)
by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 24th 2008 at 1:23AM var Look Japan, we know you love your robots but is it really prudent to equip them with frigging laser beams? Why not just hand them maps to our vital organs and special hoses to juice our babies? You’re looking at an actual photo from the Blazer tournament held this week in Fukuoka City, Japan. The competition fitted Kondo’s KHR-1HV with lasers and sensors and then let the teams battle it out in a mock-up city. We truly are the makers of our own doom.Update: Video added after the break, pew pew… (Read the full post about ‘Video: Blaser tournament unwisely fits Japanese robots with lasers — PEW PEW’…)
