Gadgets Future

Word on the street has it that macbook air 2.0 will come with a speed clock boost that could hit 2.0GHz based on an Intel Penryn design, but that would also mean an increase in power which could see Apple switch to a 60-watt power supply instead of the current 45-watt unit. It is also whispered that the revised MacBook Air will come with a 120GB hard drive along with an option to upgrade that to 160GB if you happen to have spare dosh lying around. Those with more than enough cash in their bank accounts can opt for the SSD version though. Interesting times are definitely ahead of us, but are you (and your bank account) ready to catch the next wave of Apple releases?

While taking a flight is convenient if you want to cover large distances over the ground within the shortest possible time (assuming we aren’t referring to the Autobahn in Germany while owning a delectable collection of supercars in the garage), often the whole checking in process is a huge pain in the ass. You’ll not only have to remove your belt, metal devices and shoes, some security personnel even ask you to take out your laptop and turn it on just to make sure you’re all clear to go instead of having more nefarious plans up your sleeve. With the FlyThru laptop case from SOLO, all that hassle concerning laptops can be relegated to a thing of the past - the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has recently given manufacturers guidelines to manufacture and market checkpoint-friendly bags, and I am happy to report that SOLO’s FlyThru cases meet and exceed these guidelines, joining the ranks of Incipio Technologies and Mobile Edge releases.

There will be quite a number of FlyThru options for consumers to choose from by this fall, which will definitely be welcome as the mad holiday season at the end of the year will be upon us before we know it. Some of these options include :-

• A Tech Collection mesh-covered removable laptop sleeve for 15.4″ laptops that features cut-out windows for easy identification by airport security
• A Tech Collection clamshell “Mini Instant Messenger” that holds an 11″ netbook
• A Classic Collection clamshell portfolio for 15.4″ laptops that will lay flat across the x-ray belt during screening

SOLO is also marketing a patent pending “AlwaysOn” FlyThru sleeve, which will securely hug the laptop while also featuring vented openings in the back for cord pass-through. This will allow the user to utilize their laptop while it is still in the sleeve. The dual functionality not only protects laptops, but acts as a portable workstation. The “AlwaysOn” sleeve will be available to accommodate various sized laptops among several collection styles.

SOLO assures that these prices will remain within reasonable limits, ranging from $30 to $60. I guess that’s not too much a price to pay if I want to avoid all those pesky long queues and get to my seat and settle down as soon as possible.

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I find it interesting that the first Xbox, which originally had parts of computer and crammed into a console form factor, will now return to its roots in the form of the Lian Li PC-XB01 chassis that houses the Xbox 360 innards within. Made completely from aluminum, the PC-XB01 features plenty of room inside for cool airflow, while the 120mm rear fan is able to channel heat from within to without in a silent and elegant manner, greatly reducing the risk of the console overheating as it is wont to do. Individual Xbox 360 ports are hidden behind dust covers for both aesthetic and convenience reasons. Will you be getting this when it is released?

Set your TiVo for the Playboy channel on Monday, September 1st, at 7:30 PM EDT. Let this be known that I’m not prescribing a recipe for a cheap soft-porn thrill, but a new reality show called Gadget or The Girl.

The premise of this show is exactly what the title suggests. The rules of the show is that a contestant is given his choice of three beautiful women, and he can take two of these women on a date. Eventually, he chooses one beautiful woman to spend the evening with, but there is one final choice after that.

The contestant is told that he can either go on a romantic getaway with his final choice, or take home a new gadget, presumably to keep. Like Let’s Make a Deal, the contestant will have no idea what’s in the box until they are willing to bet all.

I wonder what the purpose of this show is, to show whether a man will choose the temporary comfort of a warm lady or the permanent pleasure of a cold gadget? We shall see in a few weeks the results of this experiment, assuming these contestants are real people and this isn’t Quiz Show all over again.

I would think that most of the men would chose a beautiful woman over a thing, but how different is this from say, prostitution? Since this reality/dating show is airing on Playboy, I would imagine that they will want to show more sex scenes than The Bachelor.

Can you imagine what would happen if the contestant wasted a romantic weekend, only to earn a gadget that the contestant already has?

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FROM GAMERTELL - Wright had a feeling that the religion creation mechanic in Spore might stir up some controversy from various religious groups but ironically enough, it was atheist groups that had a problem with it…
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It’s happened to everyone. We all have dropped valued items like cell phones and MP3 players only to helplessly watch them become instant paperweights when they hit the ground. In the future, however, gadgets could be less fragile when it comes to slips of the hand combined with gravity, thanks in part to some scientists and some very tiny springs.

Researchers over at Clemsen University have devised a method to create beds of very small carbon springs that act as shock absorbers. With collaboration with the University of California at San Diego, these tiny nanotube springs have been shown as a very effective means to protect fragile items from the damaging shock forces of radical deceleration–a.k.a. damage from falling and hitting the ground.

These researchers, however, don’t just see these tiny springs as protection for future iPods and the like. They also see these beds of coiled nanotubes being used in applications such as body armor, car bumpers, bushings, or even the soles of shoes, to name a few. So add this feat to the ever growing list of amazing carbon nanotube tricks. Who knows what scientists will discover they can do next.

Read more at Physorg via Engadget.

The folks at Hackmii have released an installer which will will let you play DVDs on your Wii, something which Nintendo’s console should really do already.

You won’t need to have a mod chip inside the Wii for this to work. According to the instructions, “The DVDX installer instead will install a small, hidden, channel on your Wii that allows you to read DVDs on an unmodified system”. You will also be able to play movie files from an SD card inserted into the Wii, and future versions will let you play games from DVDs you have burned yourself. So you can, you know, keep your original discs safe.

But the best part of this whole story is the method for cracking your Wii open in the first place, which reads like some cross between William Gibson and Disney. You download a file, put it on an SD card and slip it into the Wii. Then, you play The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Then the magic happens. You load the cracked game-save file and “either walk backwards or talk to the man standing in front of you”.

Apparently, by giving your horse an extra long name, the Wii is compromised. But only when you talk to the man, and only if you do it before he “reminds you to go the other way to get the horse”. This is brilliant, and the way all hacks should work. Want Blu-ray in your Wii? No problem. Just convince an audience member to stab your grunting opponent in Wii Tennis.

Project page [Hackmii via BBGadgets]

Setting up your Wii for Homebrew [Wiibrew]

Casio makes musical keyboards as well in case you think they’re just good for calculators and watches, and the WK-200 is the latest to be released, featuring 76 touch response keys (the sound is as loud as how you hit the keys) and ipod connectivity that allows you to record a sample based on a track from your iPod. Of course, in addition to this connectivity feature, the WK-200 will also come with a wide range of rhythm sounds, tones, tunes, ranging from old favorites to new ones. You can pick up the Casio WK-200 for $229.99.

Jabra has unveiled their latest Bluetooth headset, the BT530, which is expected to retail for $99.99 and be available beginning this September. The BT530 is a small and lightweight headset coming in at just 0.35-ounces, it also ships with eight size options for the ear gel to allow for a better fit and has an ear hook that is removable.

Aside from the small size and options for fit, the BT530 does also have some nice features, to begin with it offers up to 5.5 hours of talk time with up to 240 hours of standby time. In addition the headset marks Jabra’s first with it’s new Noise Blackout technology, which uses dual microphones in an effort to eliminate “the ‘tinny’ sound that many noise cancellation headsets are plagued with.” The BT530 headset is also able to be paired with multiple devices and has support for A2DP for stereo sound. When available, it will ship in the black with silver as pictured.

Via [electronista]

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This is one of the most unique washing machine designs I have ever come across - the Sfera spherical washing machine. Being rotund in nature, it is small enough to be tucked away in some corner of a bathroom, and unloading your laundry is made all the more convenient thanks to a rotating spherical tank that requires you to turn it over and open up the hatch. Unfortunately, this is but a concept at this point in time, and I must say most families won’t find this to be practical since moms tend to love washing machines that can handle really huge loads, day in and day out.