Gadgets Future

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.

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. Additional features include :-

• 2.5″ LCD display
• Integrated FM tuner
• Speakers
• microSD memory card slot

There is no word on pricing or availability as at press time.

Philips holds the distinction for being the first company in the world to light up its office with nothing but LED solutions. This office is owned by Generali and located at 100 Champs-Elysées Avenue, Paris, making it famous by being a milestone in lighting history. The entire LED effect also goes down well with scene and atmosphere effects that are also LED based. The whole idea can be attributed to architect Anthony Béchu who had been commissioned by Generali, in order for the former to come up with ‘an innovative window in the world of LEDs’. Research has shown that LED lighting solutions improve people’s well-being in addition to providing designers a greater amount of flexibility in the layout of open spaces and the ceiling design. This frees designers from the lighting orientation too often given by fluorescents tubular lamps. Thanks to the relatively long lifetime of LEDs, maintenance costs are reduced to a bare minimum - a good thing in today’s ever rising energy cost scenario.

Throughout the office spaces, the functional office lighting is realized through 422 luminaires integrated in a false ceiling with 600 x 600 grids. Each luminaire is powered by 16 or 12 high power LEDs of 2.6 W depending on their location in the office space. This provides an average of 300 lux everywhere and 500 lux on the working planes. Philips has given special care to the development of optics. In addition, recessed SpotLed 3 K2 luminaires each with 3 LUXEON high-power LEDs are applied in the corridors. The solution complies with lighting norms and standards on energy consumption, illumination levels and visual comfort.

The building would definitely be a sight to behold in its entirety, as when the glass façade of the top two floors are lit, anyone looking at it will get the sense that the building is more like a a beacon in the night to the outside world.

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You don’t have to be Chinese to decorate your home with lanterns, and with this set of half dozen Solar Lanterns, you don’t have to worry about spending more on your monthly power bill since they prefer to harness the power of our sun instead.

This beautiful collection of six Solar Party Lanterns provides a soft, warm glow that will spread through your party, so even though the sun has gone down, you don’t have to. Your stunning set of solar lantern are enchanting garden decorations, as well as practical, energy efficient party lights, and have been beautifully crafted to imitate delicate Chinese outdoor lanterns. Adorn your garden or camping pitch with three red lanterns and three hypnotic color-changing lanterns. All are solar-powered, so no batteries are ever needed, and light up automatically at dusk when switched to ‘on’ mode. Order yours now and enjoy the balmy summer evenings long into the night.

Each set of Solar Lanterns will retail for £29.95.

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The team behind Opera Mobile has announced that they will have Opera Mobile 9.5 available as a “first beta” on July 15. The beta edition will be available for public download and will be based on the same engine as the desktop version of 9.5. The new version of the browser will offer support for Opera widgets, Javascript, AJAX and Flash (Lite 3.0).

Although Opera Mobile is available for both Windows Mobile and Symbian-based phones, this release announcement only mentions a Windows Mobile release. You can also already find a version of Opera Mobile 9.5 on currently shipping phones such as the HTC Touch Diamond.

Read [Opera Mobile Blog] Via [MobileCrunch]

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The death bell had been ringing for Helio for awhile, especially ever since Earthlink made the announcement that it was no longer going to sink any money into the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Now the latest news is that Virgin Mobile USA will acquire Helio.

Virgin is also an MVNO meaning that the company does not own any infrastructure or spectrum to offer wireless services. Instead, all of its wireless services are purchased from another major wireless carrier.

Helio had to be an attractive catch for Virgin considering the company was in serious financial trouble; and SK Telecom was having to continue to pump cash into the company to keep it afloat.

Virgin and Helio had a very similar business model; which included marketing of services to young adults. In some respects Helio was a competitor to Virgin so the acquisition of the company helps to ensure their future success with the young wireless market.

The guys over at SK Telecom and Earthlink are probably estatic that the disaster that Helio was is no longer going to be their problem. Earthlink really left SK Telecom holding the bag when it decided to pull out of future funding all together.

You have to at least give Earthlink a little bit of credit. They knew their dial-up Internet business was going away and that they would have to transform their business model. Unfortunately, Helio just wasn’t the big success that Earthlink and SK Telecom thought it would be.

Read more from the Helio website.

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 8:46AM
Sony hasn’t forgotten about you loyal mylo 2 (er, COM-2 mylo) owners just yet, as a recently rolled out software update provides a nice list of extras for those who care. Revision 1.201, which is only available for the latest of mylos, adds support for video recording, provides a new menu for “easier photo and video uploading,” adds a function for formatting Memory Stick Duo media, adds support for 16GB MD Duo cards and improves Flash playback of YouTube videos. The upgrade also adds support for WMV files and the SHOUTcast widget while improving “system stability.” The download is slightly hefty at just under 60MB, so head on down and get the new stuff headed your way.

[Thanks, shanne]

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Filed under: Handhelds

Ever since Apple shifted the Mac line to Intel processors, its computers have been getting more and more PC-like in their capabilities. First up was Boot Camp, which lets you run Windows (or Linux) on Mac hardware. Now it’s the turn of the overclockers: ZDNet has release a software overclocker for the Mac, called simply ZDNet Clock.

In typical Mac style, the application is simple. You slide the slider to the right to increase the CPU frequency (and also increases the memory clock speed). ZDNet says that an overclocked 2.8GHz Mac Pro will out perform a stock 3.2GHz model, thus saving you $1600 (ZDNet Clock is freeware). However, it’s not quite so simple. If you don’t do some fine tuning, there could be some serious problems:

If you push the slider all the way to the right, to the maximum frequency, and click on the “Apply” button, the computer will certainly crash.

The tool only works with Intel 5000 or Intel 5400 chipsets, so it’s Pro or Xserve only right now. Which is probably a good thing: I don’t think my poor MacBooks fans could take all the extra work, and future generations of Sorrels depend on keeping the family jewels cool.

Exclusive: ZDNet overclocking tool enhances performance of Mac Pro [ZDNet. Thanks, Kai!]

FROM GAMERTELL - The newly designed and uber cool Bat Pod will be on display at the park’s main entrance Saturday July 5, 2008, from noon until…
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So asks the headline at website Asylum. So far the poll shows 77% of respondents consider a little robot-love to be guilt free, something I’d agree with – after all, an all-singing, all-dancing (and all-sucking) robot doll is just a better featured vibrator, right?

The Lady, whom I always consult in matters sexual and sartorial, agrees. “Do you think using a vibrator is having sex?” she asked me, “I do. It’s having sex, but it’s not getting laid.”

But what about the partner left at home? Because these dolls are so human, waving goodbye to your man as he heads off to the cyber-brothel might not be so easy. The erotic part of sex, after all, occurs in the mind, and the only reason to use a full sized fake woman is to pretend you are with a real woman.

In the mind of the John, is there a difference between the two? Is it the high-tech equivalent of getting up on the job, closing your eyes and pretending you are actually having sex with a celebrity (or as I have done in the past, drawing the face of Queen Elizabeth on a paper bag)? And if it is done illicitly, without the knowledge of your other half, is that deception is worse than the sex itself?

We suppose that there are advantages. No viruses (unless the girl runs Windows), and no payoff money if you happen to be a high profile, blackmail-able celebrity (a Gadget Lab blogger, for instance). For me, it comes down to price. If it’s cheaper than dinner and a movie, I’m in.

Barroom Debate: Is Having Sex with a Robot Hooker Cheating? [Asylum]