by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 4:08PMWhile those of us ’round these parts have pretty much given up on the idea of a DVD-playing Wii a long time ago, folks in Japan have had some cause for hope based on promises from the company that such a system was, in fact, headed for the country sooner or later. It seems like they’re now about to enter the acceptance phase as well, however, as Nintendo has just announced yet another delay to the system with no word about an eventual release date. (Read the full post about ‘Nintendo pushes back DVD-playing Wii for Japan, again’…)
by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 6:42PM Only recently we told you about a table that monitors who is dominating a conversation and deemed it potentially disruptive. This time, however, we’re looking at the “Kage roi” which looks to add to the coming together of wits and intelligences. Using voice recognition, Kage roi grabs keywords and performs internet searches, displaying the results for each to see. To add it all, the table even uses colored LEDs to set the mood. For instance, if you work with a group of morning people, set it to sunrise. If you’re trying to get them to scramble before the end of the day, give them a sunset and let the desperate brainstorming begin. (Read the full post about ‘Kage roi table does your web searches for you’…)
by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 2:26PM Honda’s been busy showing off its Walking Assist Device at trade shows and whatnot for some time now, but it looks like it’s now finally getting down to some actual trials of the contraption, with it set to begin some collaborative testing with the Shinseikai Medical Group at Kasumigaseki-Minami Hospital tomorrow. They will reportedly be using the device in rehabiliation training to help people learn to walk again, during which time the “compatibility and effectiveness” will be evaluated. In case you missed it, the Walking Assist Device uses some of the same technology that Honda originally developed for its ASIMO robot, including an array of sensors and motors that promise to keep the wearer upright and, eventually, give them a fighting chance against the machines. (Read the full post about ‘Honda’s Walking Assist Device beginning medical testing’…)
Creative has yet another portable media player to keep you entertained on long road trips - the Zen X-Fi. This model does not come with a touch screen display, but it sure as heck makes up for that apparent oversight with Wi-Fi capability and a numeric keypad that makes it convenient for chatting over Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk and MSN Messenger. Two settings to look forward to in the X-Fi include the Crystalizer and Expand, where the former restores details that might have been missed out during the compression process while Expand will move sound from the ear to your front, simulating an actual live experience. (Read the full post about ‘Creative Zen X-Fi’…)
Owners of the Dash Express will be pleased to know that a software update is made available, throwing in even more functionality while making the navigation experience all the more user-friendly. The update can be obtained automatically by plugging your Dash Express into any available Wi-Fi network. One of the main features found in this update is called MyRoute, a way to record shortcuts that you only know onto the Dash Express itself instead of relying on valid shortcuts provided by Dash themselves. In addition, the Dash Express is smart enough to analyze current traffic data and take traffic info into account when recommending a route automatically. (Read the full post about ‘Dash Express Software Update’…)
This strange looking toy is actually a Nerf gun in disguise. Which is just proof once again that there are a great many of us that don’t seem to want to grow up entirely. I’d imagine that the gun originally looked something like this, which is sold on ThinkGeek. The best part is to cock the toy gun you have to pull back on the cross. The seller of this mod does warn that although it shoots foam darts, shooting someone in the face could still hurt them. Apparently he thinks that the adults that would buy such a toy aren’t grown up enough to realize that. (Read the full post about ‘The custom made Nerf Maverick’…)
Mention Pico and chances are you’ll think of something small. Guess there isn’t any prizes up for grabs if you manage to figure out just what the Pico USB flash drive is like! No exception, this little drive is the smallest we’ve ever seen. Barely bigger than the tip of your pinky, and less than 4mm thick, it’s positively small. The polished chrome finish is certainly shiny, but at 8 gigabytes, it’s redonkulously teeny! Store four full length ripped movies, five days worth of music, more than four-thousand 5 megapixel photos, or eighty-meters worth of shelved books. Sure, it’s so small you could easily lose it, so we’ve included a chain to help keep it around. (Read the full post about ‘Pico USB flash drive’…)
If you are a second ammendment advocate and worry about the day when the government will outlaw firearms, German designer Martin Hüdepohl has come up with an interesting firearms alternative to keep the public armed. The ammo for which is very plentiful and can be found in most toy stores, daycare centers, and children’s bedrooms. Hüdepohl has come up with two designs for Lego crossbow pistols called the Thriller Automatic and Thriller Compact. Both gun designs are made almost entirely out of Lego parts themselves and can be found in a new book that Hüdepohl released call Lego for Adults. The book appears to be a limited release, however. (Read the full post about ‘Lego gun puts the bricks on the offensive’…)
TG Daily is reporting that the latest iTunes 7.7 beta release hints at a new free application to be offered by Apple for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The application called Remote will allow iphone and iPod Touch owners the ability to access iTunes wirelessly from anywhere within the home. It seems the Remote application would interact with iTunes on a computer in order to control streaming media.
Data to be transferred wirelessly to the iPhone/ipod Touch is expected to include song name, artist and other metadata included in the file for playback.
(Read the full post about ‘Apple hints at offering new Remote app for iPhone/iPod Touch’…)
blackberry owners will be more than pleased to know that their smartphones will be getting RIM-endorsed iTunes synchronization software, but this will be available only for a short while. Nobody really knows why the software was suddenly taken offline - perhaps it was born too prematurely, and not meant for public consumption just yet? Other people think this is just a teaser to create a higher level of awareness in order to make it a hit when it is finally available, while the more negative ones think that this has way too many bugs for its own good. Good thing there is such a thing as mirrors which will make this software available for folks with a good nose for such “hidden” software. (Read the full post about ‘BlackBerry iTunes Synchronization Software’…)
