Gadgets Future

Posted Mar 21st 2008 1:37PM by Paul Miller
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Media PCs
OK, perhaps not so sneaky, there’s a nice big BitTorrent logo right up front, but Myka seems to be quite the end-to-end solution for getting those torrents up on the big screen. The box hooks up to the internet via LAN or WiFi, includes a 80GB, 160GB or a 500GB drive for storage and runs a torrent client on Linux. Outputs include HDMI, composite, S-Video and SPDIF, and codec support is substantial. You can add storage via USB, and pull video off your computer if you’re not in a downloading mood. Prices range from $299 to $459. Let’s keep it legal out there, kids!

[Thanks, ARZ]

Now take a look at this and tell me with a straight face that it isn’t a thing of beauty. The custom-built Xbox 360 Arcade Controller features high quality innards from Sanwa and Seimitsu, accompanied by LED backlighting behind individual buttons as well as a green glow that emanates from the joystick knob. Best used when the lights are turned off (just like how gamers like their environment), the custom-built Xbox 360 Arcade Controller comes housed inside an oak box with Xbox 360 green rings design on the outside. This is but a one-off thing, and it would be cool to see these being manufactured on a large scale. They’ll literally fly off the shelves methinks.

Rogers has just announced the addition of two new high speed data modems, the Novatel X950D and the MC950D. Both modems are tri-band HSPA and Quad-Band EDGE/GPRS and according to Novatel are made to offer “maximum performance and durability.” The X950D is an ExpressCard modem and the MC950D is a USB modem.

While Rogers has announced the modems they are not yet available, the X950D and the MC950D are both set to be released later this summer, both will retail for $49.99 with a three-year agreement.

Read [Novatel Wireless] Via [EngadgetMobile]

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If you think the ubiquitious spider head massager looks ridiculous, then you haven’t yet seen this face massager from Japanese company Akaishi. The device has four little arms, with a roller on the end of each arm. You move the rollers over your cheeks and chin to relax your tense facial muscles. The model pictured above seems to be using this and the other version made by the same company, which is used for the ridge of the nose and scalp.

Seems rather primitive compared to the electronic device marketed by Suzanne Somers, the FaceMaster, which stimulates your facial muscles with electricity to whip them into shape, though I suppose the rollers have a different purpose (relaxation as opposed to beauty enhancement).

The roller arms sell for 1,575 Yen (about $16).

Via The Nikkei Weekly (subscription).

Posted Mar 21st 2008 9:31AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Oh yeah, we’ve seen homegrown Xbox 360 joysticks that we would love to wrap our digits around, but ShaolinDrunkard’s latest creation is almost too pretty to touch — almost. The Xbox 360 Classic Led joystick sports the prototypical stick / button layout, but also includes that iconic green swirl and a smattering of lovely LEDs to really get the oohs and ahhs flowing. The handmade oak chassis isn’t too shabby, either, and as much as we’d love to see these being offered up to those with more dollars than creative genius, we’ve all ideas this is a one-of-a-kind. Tap the read link for a few more pics.

[Via technabob]

Posted Mar 21st 2008 5:47AM by Thomas Ricker var Oh sure, she looks friendly enough. But don’t let her matronly, argyle looks fool you. Retired Columbia University Professor, Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, is looking to extract some cold, hard cash from a who’s who of Consumer Electronics giants. Otherwise, they can forget about importing their goods into the US. Rothchild’s complaint filed with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) on February 20th claims that some 30 companies are violating a patent she owns for light-emitting and laser diodes. Today, the ITC has agreed to investigate the matter. It’s worth noting that Rothchild has already successfully tested the legislative waters with lawsuits against Philips and others — the Philips matter was settled out of court earlier this month. In other words, her case has legs. Still, we have very little confidence in the ITC’s grasp of the matter when they name “hd dvd players (e.g., Blu-ray disc players)” as products to be probed. Full list of companies named in the complaint after the break.

[Via Reuters and mrontemp]

• Avago Technologies of Singapore;
• Bacol Optoelectonic Co. Ltd. of Taiwan;
• Dominant Semiconductors Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia;
• Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd., of Taiwan;
• Exceed Perseverance Electronic Ind. Co., Ltd., of China;
• Guangzhou Hongli Opto-Electronic Co., Ltd., of China;
• Harvatek Internaional Inc. of Taiwan;
• Hitachi, Ltd., of Japan;
• Kingbright Electronic Co., Ltd., of Taiwan;
• LG Electronics of Korea;
• Lite-On Technology Corp. of Taiwan;
• Lucky Light Electronics Co., Ltd., of China;
• Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., of Japan;
• Motorola, Inc., of Schaumburg, IL;
• Nokia of Finland;
• Opto Tech Corporation of Taiwan;
• Pioneer Corporation of Japan;
• Rohm Co., Ltd., of Japan;
• Samsung Group of Korea;
• Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., of Japan;
• Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd., of Korea;
• Sharp Corporation of Japan;
• Shenzhen Unilight Electronic Co., Ltd., of China;
• Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd., of Japan;
• Sony Corporation of Japan;
• Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB of Sweden;
• Stanley Electric Co., Ltd., of Japan;
• Toshiba Corporation of Japan;
• Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., of Malvern, PA; and
• Yellow Stone Corporation of Taiwan.

The Washup takes a good idea a little to far. Sure, using gray water from the washing machine to flush your toilet is a great water saving idea. But does the machine actually have to sit on top of the John?

Still, the concept design is certainly green, and the odd setup is good for small apartments. Plus, teenagers everywhere will have an excuse for spending hours in the bathroom other than “Mom, I’m combing my hair”.

Product page [Core 77 via Dvice]

You won’t see anybody at The Tape Project using anything as vulgar as an ipod. For those guys, even CDs and vinyl aren’t good enough, so they’ve started selling music on reel-to-reel tape.

The original studio master tapes are dubbed to a 1″ duplicate master and then copied to quarter inch tape for the ultimate in audiophile bragging rights. According to Dan and Paul of The Tape Project, “You just aren’t going to get any closer to the original master, short of buying a record label or two.”

You also aren’t going to get many titles. Currently the line-up number just ten, mostly classical and jazz. Sonny Rollins is in there, as is Robert Cray (no relation to Seymour Cray). If you buy the lot in one go, it’ll cost you $2000. And you’ll need to buy a player, too.

Product page [The Tape Project via Retro Thing]

Apple has at last divorced RAW camera support from operating sytem updates, a frankly clunky and ridiculous way to add compatibility for new camera models. With digital camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.0, a slew of new models have been added, and in a download of just 2.3Mb.

While the update quashes some security issues, what we care about is the list of updated models, copied and pasted below for your reading leisure. You’ll need the latest version of everything for the update to have any effect, but if you do, this miniscule download will let you view RAW files in Aperture 2, iPhoto and directly in the Finder. I tried it with Nikon D60 NEF files and everything worked. It doesn’t even require a restart. Nice.

Hasselblad CFV-16

Hasselblad H3D-31

Hasselblad H3D-31II

Leaf Aptus 54S

Leaf Aptus 65S

Nikon D60

Olympus E-3

Pentax *ist DL2

Pentax *ist DS2

Pentax K100D Super

Sony DSLR-A200

Sony DSLR-A350

Download page [Apple]

Posted Mar 21st 2008 12:18AM by Chris Ziegler
Filed under: Features, Wireless
Win or lose, all the bidders wrapped up in the so-called Auction 73 for precious spectrum in the 700MHz band are still under tight FCC-imposed gag orders in an effort to stem any funny business, but it looks like they’re at least ready to come out and dip their toes into the PR waters. Verizon, the biggest winner having claimed the big, wide Block C prize, says that it’s “pleased with [its] auction results” (we should certainly hope so), that the new airwaves will help it maintain its “reputation as the nation’s most reliable wireless network,” and that they’re now better positioned to lead the way with new services and devices. The megacarrier goes on to boast about the fact that its winning bids score it massive 298 million person footprint, plus another 171 million worth of licenses in different Blocks.

Meanwhile, AT&T seems happy with its purchase, too — but then again, it’s not like any of these companies would be issuing immediate statements expressing buyer’s remorse, we guess. The number one US carrier by subscribers reports that its newly acquired licenses, in combination with spectrum snatched from Aloha Partners earlier this year, now gives it 100 percent coverage in the 700MHz arena in the nation’s top 200 markets, with “quality spectrum” (whatever that means) covering 95 percent of the American populace. For what it’s worth, AT&T’s Auction 73 purchases were in Block B, which has moderately less bandwidth than Verizon’s Block C win — but as they say, it’s not the bandwidth of the spectrum, it’s the motion of the frequencies, so we’ll have to wait to see how these guys actually use these licenses before we rush to any conclusions.

Finally, from its brief statement, Google appears to have gotten exactly what it wanted: nothing at all. The company says that Auction 73 “produced a major victory for American consumers” because Block C’s reserve price was met — thanks largely to Google’s early bidding, it’s believed — which means that Verizon will be obligated to allow devices of all shapes, sizes, colors, and brands to participate when it flips the switch on its 700MHz network.

All three companies sound like they’re itching to say more as soon as the FCC allows it, so stay tuned as we try to figure out exactly what’s next for the auction, the carriers, and the people who actually want to benefit from this action (read: us).

Read - AT&T’s statement
Read - Verizon Wireless’ statement
Read - Google’s statement