Gadgets Blog News

by Paul Miller, posted Jul 18th 2008 at 11:20AMOh man, remember that one time we tried to balance the teams in your favor, so there were like eight guys on your side, and just two of us? And then we still kicked your ass at CTF? Yeah, well XIM is gonna get you nowhere. Sure, the newly refined mod can hijack the Xbox 360 controller input and allow you to use just about any USB input device with the console — for instance, a keybord and mouse — but we’re still gonna shoot you in the face while you’re trying to remember where that shotgun spawns, steal your flag right out from under you, and then snipe your base’s spawn points. Get used to it. Simulated video of us owning you is after the break.[Via Xbox-Scene] Read (Read the full post about ‘XIM2 brings your keyboard and mouse to the Xbox 360. But you still suck at Halo.’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 18th 2008 at 8:02AM
We can definitely see where this is headed, but shortly after Skooba came clean with actual images of its TSA-approved laptop case, along comes Mobile Edge with a trio of alternatives. The new ScanFast lineup features that oh-so-coveted TSA stamp of approval, meaning that you won’t have to remove your precious lappie from any of these cases when passing through airport security here in the US. (Read the full post about ‘Mobile Edge intros TSA-approved ScanFast laptop bags’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 18th 2008 at 3:08PM Aw, aren’t these two just as cute as a button together? We can almost see Dell gushing at the thought of rolling Ubuntu out in a pair of new machines early next month. Nah, we didn’t just fabricate that — the Ubuntu 8.04-powered XPS M1530N and Studio 15N should be available in a matter of weeks, and in the meantime, you open source aficionados can enjoy Hardy Heron as a pre-installed option on the XPS M1330N, Inspiron 1525N and Inspiron 530N. (Read the full post about ‘Dell shows its love for Linux, rolls Ubuntu 8.04 out to systems’…)

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by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jul 18th 2008 at 2:04PM If synth rock was meant to go hand-in-hand with fantastic steampunk universes (and we really can’t see why it wasn’t), instruments would look something like the thing you see here. This is the Parker Steam Synthesizer, a steam-powered music synth that runs on water and some coal. Designer Lorin Edwin Parker controls steam pressure with a ball valve which activates a dynamo. The dynamo is a magnet motor attached to a flywheel that creates an alternating magnetic field which is then turned into electricity by an inductive pickup. That pickup is finally plugged into an amp and you have some trippy electro from a device that could have been around years ago. (Read the full post about ‘The Parker Steam Synthesizer runs on steam, sounds like a theramin, Bjork wants’…)

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Oakland is building a stadium for A’s that will be known as Cisco Field, and the builders are considering adding an interesting feature to every seat: interactive touchscreens. The purpose of these screens is to provide information to the spectators. For example, spectators can access player stats on whoever is up at bat, or in the field. They can also call up driving routes out of the park, so that once the game is over, they can find the fastest route home. It also has some great real-time information and services, as it can figure out where the shortest bathroom lines are. And if you want a hot dog or a cold drink, just order it up, and the refreshment man will personally come to your seat with your order. (Read the full post about ‘Touchscreens at Oakland A’s Stadium’…)

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Lap it up Lego fans, now you can get yourself some Lego-like cutlery if the Snack and Stack utensils from Fred and Friends start selling on the market. Each set of three (fork, spoon and knife) utensils has handles made of silicone that lock into each other just like Lego blocks. And apparently that’s not just for fun, but for utility as well. You can stack up the threesome easily enough for storage, or discover further uses with your imagination. Methinks they have the potential to liven up a dull kitchen or even inspire a fussy child to have a hearty meal. Via Slippery Brick. (Read the full post about ‘Lego cutlery for some mealtime fun’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 18th 2008 at 11:42AM For many, dropping $199 / $299 on an iPhone 3G (provided you actually locate one not hidden behind a 4+ hour line) is enough. For those who fell head over heels with the original iPhone dock, it’s not. Here’s your chance to send 29 more US bucks Cupertino’s way, as the official iPhone 3G Dock is now on sale at Apple’s website. Oh, and if you’re really a sucker, you’ll lay down 9 whole US dollars for a 3-pack of iPhone 3G Universal Dock Adapters to slip your new mobile into a Universal Dock. Update: So apparently these have been in Apple stores since day 1. Considering just how long it’ll take to get in one, though, this whole “online route” is still probably your best bet.[Via (Read the full post about ‘iPhone 3G Dock / Universal Dock Adapters now on sale’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 18th 2008 at 8:43AM Apparently some folks have $6,600 to toss on a gaming PC, and thankfully, those folks — we won’t mention names — invested in a camera to let us all live vicariously. HP’s Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition, which packs a pair of NVIDIA’s potent GeForce GTX 280 cards, has landed in the home of one lucky gamer, and there’s a good selection of pictures to prove it. (Read the full post about ‘HP Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition gets unboxed’…)

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While the price drop does not seem to be available at every online retailer, at least one, namely CompUSA has dropped the price of the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet down to just $299.99. Currently listed as in stock and available the discounted price comes after an instant savings of $100. No word on how long this price will last for, so if you were considering an N810 purchase, this may be a good time to part with the cash. A quick check of a few other online retailers still reflect the standard pricing. NewEgg has it listed for the expected $399.99, while Best Buy is still trying to get $479.99. Now you can purchase the N810 for little less and be able to play around with Android a bit, sounds like a win-win. (Read the full post about ‘Nokia N810 gets price cut, now just $299′…)

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Korean based GPS manufacturer, Thinkware, recently unveiled their high-end 7-inch GPS called the iNAVI ES100+. Interesting model name, to say the least. The iNAVI ES100+ is a GPS based from the iNAVI ES100, and this one comes with a few extra features to make it better than the last. Basically, it comes with an aforementioned 7-inch touch screen, runs on a 700MHz CPU, 900mAH batteries and built-in rear view camera. It is encased in a metallic silver color, and a brown color and the LED lights are displayed in royal blue. Additionally, it comes with a DMB receiver with Dynamic Picture-In-Picture, and something called TPEG which basically gives real time traffic updates. (Read the full post about ‘Thinkware announces the 7-inch iNAVI ES100+ GPS’…)

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