Scent-emitting advertising trial sniffs out suckers in Japan
July 29, 2008
Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets
Apparently July is a hot month for ad trials in Japan, as just weeks after a number of 65-inch digital posters were installed in a Tokyo train station, in flies word that yet another consumer-luring installation is being tested. Recruit and NTT Communications are delivering Scent-emitting LCD Display Systems to an underground mall in the heart of Japan, each of which rely on a 42-inch LCD and a scent-sprayer that emits delightful odors to correspond with the on-screen imagery. The goal is to attract onlookers and get them to grab a nearby coupon book, but considering that the experiment shuts down on August 1st, you should probably get your nose down there in a hurry if you’re looking to score some savings.
Apple admits to lost MobileMe messages, bad karma
July 28, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Apple’s Push-like MobileMe launch has been such a debacle that they’re now in damage control mode. As a result, some poor soul has been tasked by Steve Jobs to post status updates “every other day or so.” The first update is already revealing:
- Last Friday, 1% of MobileMe subscribers were affected by a “serious problem” with one of Apple’s mail server.
- Limited web access has been restored to those accounts but full access won’t be sorted until next week.
- Of these 1%, Apple admits to losing “approximately 10%” of the messages received between July 16 and July 18.
For the rest of you MobileMe subscribers, Apple has added server capacity, tuned the software to scale superior, and fixed over 70 bugs to date. So the question is, how’s MobileMe working for you
Networks of carbon nanotubes find use in flexible displays
July 27, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Carbon nanotubes might very well kill you (okay, so that’s very much a stretch), but you’ll have a hard time convincing the dutiful scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to halt their promising research. Put simply (or as simply as possible), said researchers have discovered that “networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes printed onto bendable plastic perform well as semiconductors in integrated circuits.” So well, in fact, that the nanotube networks could one day “replace organic semiconductors in applications such as flexible displays.” Allowed, there is still much to do before these networks are ready for product integration, but you can bet these folks aren’t hitting the brakes after coming this far.
LEGO gets into classrooms with WeDo robotics systems
July 26, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
There was a time when the world was more innocent and Lincoln Logs in elementary classrooms were a given, but now that teachers are looking to squash every ounce of fun between 8AM and 3PM (okay, so maybe we just had a rough experience or two), LEGO’s taking the back door in. The WeDo robotics kit is marketed toward elementary schools and the younger kids within them, with each package containing 158 blocks, gears, levers, etc., a USB hub for connecting to your Mac / Personal computer, OLPC XO or Intel Classmate, a motor, one motion sensor, one tilt sensor and a CD with a smattering of sure-to-be-riveting activities. Mum’s the word on pricing for now, but considering your tax dollars will be paying for ‘em, it’s not like you’ll really benefit from knowing.
[Via BoingBoing]
Intel getting ready to release Moblin source, working on Moblin 2
July 25, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds, Laptops
Intel’s got big plans for Moblin, that Linux-based “core stack” that’s being optimized for all sort of mobile devices, from MIDs to carputers, and a massive part of those plans is letting the community play a part in its development — the company is just about to release the source for the first version of Moblin, with an alpha-level release of Moblin 2 to follow. Intel states its focus right now is decidedly on Atom, but that it’s looking forward to seeing the community drive Moblin in other directions. There’s no word on what Moblin 2 will offer, but it sounds like Intel is hoping that by getting Moblin out in the open, it’ll become a de facto standard. Not a bad idea, but we’ll see how it goes.
- Intel getting ready to release Moblin source
- Intel working on Moblin 2
Tri-Solar LED Flashlight: because three panels are better than one
July 24, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Nah, it’s no Mag-Lite, but the Tri-Solar LED Flashlight should handle most minor lighting needs. The unit can operate with one LED on, three LEDs on or all three LEDs flashing (you know, in case you realize the car you just hopped in is now making a beeline for the Bates Motel). Because a single solar panel can only catch so much sunlight, this one has a trifecta of cells that fold out and generate juice for the bulbs. Not too bad for $32, particularly when you realize that it doubles as a weapon.
[Thanks, Joe]
Golden Shellback waterproofing defies water, reality
July 23, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
We’re usually pretty jaded when people tell us that we “won’t believe” what we’re seeing in a videos sent to tips — right, right, a cellphone demon, nice one — but it sure seems like the Golden Shellback waterproof coating is the real deal. Developed at the Northeast Maritime Institute and hopefully headed to production sometime soon, the process involves applying the coating to your precious toys inside a vacuum, after which they’re basically impervious to all liquids — in one test, a coated device spent over 450 hours powered on and functional underwater. There are some downsides: you can’t remove the coating, so any fixes will involve “abrasive methods,” which sounds like quite a commitment. That said, we’ll take a tiny abrasion in our lives if it means we never have to worry about spilling on our keyboards ever again. Video after the break.
[Via gCaptain]
Continue reading Golden Shellback waterproofing defies water, reality
Intel’s Atom gets used in… servers
July 22, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Sure, we’ve been excited about Intel’s Atom CPU being used in netbook-class devices, but UK ISP Bytemark apparently thinks the power-sipping chip has the horsepower to handle low-end server duties as well. For 45 ($89) a month, you can colo a 1.6GHz Atom box running Linux with 2GB of RAM and a pair of 100GB SATA drives — not a terrible deal, and probably a damn sight more reliable than a pile of duct tape or a dead frog. Still, we’re not exactly sure we’d want to run our business on the rough equivalent of an Eee 901, you know
OCZ’s Neural Impulse Actuator gets reviewed, mice everywhere safe for now
July 21, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals
We tried to take OCZ’s Neural Impulse Actuator seriously, we really did. But unable to suppress those recurring images of Geordi La Forge, we simply couldn’t help ourselves from having a laugh at this thing’s expense. Nevertheless, the way-more-solemn dudes and dudettes over at HotHardware managed to give this brain-computer interface a fair shake, and overall, it was pretty impressed. Still, the bottom line is this: “the NIA is a very unique input device and possibly the first true brain-computer interface to hit the retail market,” but it’s not “a replacement for traditional input methods.” Allowed, critics did point out that it would supplement current devices quite well, but only after “slogging through” hours upon hours of training. The hardcore among us might be willing to put in the time necessary to really get a lot out of this; for everyone else, just continue to point and laugh while masking your ignorance.
Vintage cassette tape holds Apple I BASIC, killer modem tune
July 20, 2008
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Fair warning: this here post is nerdier than usual, and those who start to feel nauseous at the mere mention of data-bending might want to refrain from continuing on. For you brave, hardened souls that are following through, feast your eyes on the “first piece of software ever sold by Apple.” The Apple I BASIC cassette wasn’t even included with all of the 200 Apple Is produced eons ago, but a few engineering souls have managed to extract the data and create an MP3 of the wave structure. Not surprisingly, the tone resembles that of a 1200 Baud connection, and if we should state so ourselves, would make for a wicked ringtone. Believe us, it gets even weirder in the read link, but you’ll have to determine whether venturing down is something your brain can handle.
[Via BoingBoing]
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