Gizmodo Australia

Philippe Kahn Sailing Across the Great Blue Pacific Again

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:11:50 +1000

Philippe Kahn, founder of Borland, camera phone pioneer and guy who helped make that Fullpower MotionX-Poker iPhone game is making yet another run at the Pacific Cup, double handing from SF to Hawaii. I took these shots of them leaving the bay this Saturday on a Nikon D300 and you can see the progression from balmy Sausalito sun to foggy, rough, 30-knot bay sailing. And then into the open ocean.

Facebook Connect for iPhone Will Links Apps to Your Facebook Account

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:01:00 +1000

At Facebook's annual f8 conference this afternoon it was revealed that iPhone app developers will be able to integrate apps with Facebook Connect--in other words, apps will be able to link up to and share data with your Facebook account, so your identity will be consistent and linked across apps through your Facebook account. Think of it like this:

Optus Unveils Mobile Security Solution For Small Businesses - Will It Work?

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:37:07 +1000

Back in 2006, 3 introduced an IP webcam that you could monitor on your 3G phone. It was called the 3 Eyecam, it was about the size of a coffee mug and it was a HUGE failure. From the fact that it beeped when you connected to it, to the terrible video quality, it was panned universally for being the suckiest security camera ever.

Now, two years later, Optus is offering a similar IP security vision solution. Dubbed the Securecam, it allows Optus 3G customers the ability to monitor their home or office via a private IP camera.

Users can easily install the camera themselves, and can receive SMS or email notification if the camera detects movement. They can then check the camera via an IP address or a compatible Optus 3G phone.

Samsung's i8510 Boasts Almost Everything, Plus An 8 Megapixel Camera

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +1000

Samsung has a new slider on the market in Europe and we're hoping it finds its way over here. The i8510 is a S60-powered GSM phone with very fast 3G speeds and Wi-Fi, as well as GPS. What makes this high-end phone lust-worthy, though, is the 8 Megapixel multifunction camera with Xenon flash that can record video at up to 120 frames per second. It also has image stabilisation and face recognition as well as other features. Couple that with Bluetooth 2 and 16GB of internal flash storage and you've got a serious, slim phone for T-Mobile users. And it looks really nice, too. [Symbian Guru]

I Survived a Japanese Game Show: Shooting Balls, Breaking Faces

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:52:23 +1000

This week's over-the-top I Survived... challenges didn't have as much gadgety goodness as usual, but were strangely satisfying nonetheless. First, Velcro-clad contestants were dangled in front of of a teammate, who would try to pass them Velcro balls to catch. The objective was for the dangler, manipulated by two other contestants, to collect as many balls as possible without getting hit too many times by their opponent, stationed behind a cool pneumatic ball cannon.
Sort of boring, right? Well the second challenge was way better. Fans of MXC (Takeshi's castle, for non-Americans) will recognise the false door game, where contestants have to get through a series of doors, some soft and fake, some real and hard. ISJGS takes it to the next level, forcing contestants to swing - not run - into the doors.

Aurora Feint iPhone App Delisted For Lousy Security Practices

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:22:53 +1000

Remember that Aurora Feint Puzzle/RPG game that we told you we liked? Turns out we don't like it anymore. In fact, we're actually pretty damn scared of this app, seeing as Apple de-listed them from the App Store due to privacy and security issues. To the developer's credit, they were forthright with what they did and didn't do.

Toshiba Showing Off UMPC Prototype

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:21:16 +1000

At the same presentation that APC mag learnt about the upcoming Toshiba ULPC, Will Maher over at PC Authority managed to get some hands-on time with a UMPC prototype from the laptop manufacturer.

Running on an Atom processor with Vista installed, a 5.6-inch screen and 64GB of SSD memory, the prototype also features a built in GPS chip, thanks to Toshiba figuring out how they can make antennas follow a curved surface.

The prototype is unlikely to ever make it into consumers hands, however, as Toshy feel that the 5.6-inch screen is too small for practical use. PC Authority agreed, saying that the onscreen, touch-sensitive keyboard took up 2/3 of the screen space when typing.

Still, it's a fairly cute device that looks like it has a bit of potential. Hopefully we'll see some more of this innovation from Toshiba make it into real products soon.

[PC Authority]

GPS Gaming Technology Lets You Race Against F1 Pros In Realtime

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:20:00 +1000

iOpener's GPS technology is made so you can take real-time data from an F1 race and use it to race against those same drivers in a video game. By placing combination of Differential GPS and an Inertial Management Unit on a car, it can track its location accurate to 30cm and get the data to gamers in under 5 seconds. iOpener doesn't plan to develop games themselves, but want to make the technology open to developers, and believe the idea could span across other genres, such as biking or snowboarding. [BBC News via Gizmag]

Mobile Safari vs. Opera Mobile vs. Skyfire: Who's the Fastest?

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:00:00 +1000

Three of the best mobile browsers that act like grown up ones are Mobile Safari, Skyfire and Opera Mobile 9.5. Even though the latter two (both for Windows Mobile) are still betas, Laptop Mag decided to toss them all into a race anyway, seeing which could deliver piping hot content the fastest. They ran Opera and Skyfire on an AT&T HTC Tilt, so everyone was surfing on the same 3G network with beefy hardware. Spoiler: Skyfire delivered pages in one third of the time it took Safari or Opera. It's because Skyfire cheats.

Bad Robot Limited Edition Figurine

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:58:59 +1000

Anyone who's watched to the end of an episode of Lost knows the Bad Robot mascot. You know the little bastard who taunts you with his eyes, saying, "I know exactly how the rest of Lost unfolds, but you're just going to have to wait for it piece by piece, you poor slobs." To commemorate your slow, painful wait, JJ Abrams had these limited edition figurines made in a batch of 500. They're giving away 3 of them at Comic-con this week, where they'll be showing off a pilot of their new show, Fringe. What's cool is that they prototyped these figures in house on the same 3D printer they designed the Cloverfield monster and the new Star Trek movie's phasers on.

Aptera Electric Trikemobile Finds a Friend (and $2.75m) in Google

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:52:52 +1000

Pre-orders for the awesome Aptera electric car opened up last year, but the company has been relatively quiet about their progress as of late. Google's philanthropic arm has just thrown a cool US$2.75 million their way, and now they're being a little more forthright: the Aptera Typ-1 is due this year, same specs, at about US$30,000. Both full electric and plug-in hybrid flavours will be available. Given electric car startups' propensity for disappointing failure, it's comforting to see this especially promising one get a vote of confidence from Papa Goog. [CNET]

Toshiba To Launch An Eee PC Killer?

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:40:27 +1000

Our good friend David Flynn over at APCMag got himself a bit of a scoop chatting with Mark Whittard from Toshiba - apparently they're seriously planning to launch an Eee PC killer in the near future.

Although there's very little info about the device at all, Mark did say that it would most likely feature a nine-inch screen, feature a (relatively) large SSD drive, run on an Atom processor and run Windows rather than Linux.

Interestingly, Mark used the apparently used the term ULPC to describe the device, with the "L" standing for "low-cost" rather than "light". Which should be the perfect way to confuse customers even more than they already are.

He also mentioned that they're goal in entering the space was to "produce a premium ULPC or mini-note at a slightly higher price by adding "a few hundred dollars" to the sticker".

As good as it is to have another player enter the low-cost laptop market, openly stating that you're trying to drive up the cost isn't going to win you too many friends with consumers looking for a super-cheap lappy. After all, they've already got the Eee, the MSI wind and the Acer Aspire Blue... Why pay $800 when you can get away with $500?

[APCMag]

Awesome Adults Build Giant Indoor Water Slide For Kids

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:40:00 +1000

A part of the American Dream is to be able to retire comfortably in your favourite area, say on a lake, with a large home. But not everyone dreams the same, some people love giant water slides, and this family went a little nuts and installed one inside their house for the kids. Not for the adults, mind you, the kids. It's thirty inches in diameter and totals thirty feet long, all indoors. It's built to wrap around the used parts of the house so you'd never notice. This is pretty damn cool and makes me resent my parents even more for never doing anything remotely this cool, ever. [The Craig Caboodle]

iPhone Apps We Love: Pageonce Is Our Cheap Personal Assistant

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:20:00 +1000

Lifehacker covered the web version of PageOnce already, but think of it is as a web portal that displays all your various utility, credit card and shopping accounts in one page for easy glance-ability. This is the exact same thing, except on your iPhone. We love it.

It Took Comcast 20 Calls and 3 Visits Over 5 Weeks to Determine That No Cable Was Run to This Guy's House

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +1000

I know--Comcast bashing is getting way too easy these days. But its hard to resist when you find out that it took 20 calls and 3 personal visits over five weeks for the company to figure out why Kenneth Bayes, a subscriber in Haymarket VA, could not get service. Then it hit them--they never ran cable to the guy's house. It is just the kind of customer service debacle that Comcast has been blaming on their rapid growth. According to Rick Germano, senior vice president of customer operations, "We are a victim of our own success, to a degree."

Fake Steve Starts Real Dan Lyons Blog

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:40:48 +1000

The Fake Steve Jobs blog may be gone (for now) but Dan Lyons has started a blog with a somewhat similar style, expanded topic matter, interesting angles on tech and a Newsweek-themed header. The header still says Namaste, but he hasn't lost that Siooma attitude either. [RealDanLyons]

More PSP 3000 Spy Shots

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:40:00 +1000

A tipster mailed in these additional PSP spy shots to go along with the ones we saw yesterday. Assuming this is real, it shows a black PSP with the new PlayStation button, the mic hole, and a thinner outer ring. There's also the headphone jack with the TV out port which features more arrows than before. Colour us amazed. If anything, this says that everyone, from Sony themselves to people who have nothing better to do than to make fakes and seed them to news sites online, aren't really expecting much out of the next iteration of the PSP.

BlackBerry Media Sync Released, iTunes and RIM Now 2Getha 4Eva

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:35:59 +1000

With a large enough expansion cards BlackBerries have always been decent media players, but transferring tunes is sort of a pain in the arse. Released today, Media Sync solves this problem, interfacing with your iTunes music collection to automatically transfer selected music and playlists to your BlackBerry. It is currently only available for Windows and doesn't support video or DRMed tracks, but hey, it's a start. [BlackBerry via CrackBerry]

iiNet Has Unmetered Downloads For ABC's iView Service

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:34:45 +1000

Hot on the heels of last night's announcement that the ABC would be launching its online video service iView, iiNet sent out a press release stating that they would be offering unmetered downloads for all iView viewing.

Couple that with their unmetered downloads for iTunes, the recently launched TV shows on iTunes and rumoured upcoming movie downloads on iTunes, and all of a sudden, iiNet is looking like it's the ISP to go with for your video entertainment needs.

Of course, the ABC states on their iView site that they are still in discussions with other ISPs to allow iView to be unmetered downloads, but how those discussions pan out is still yet to be determined.

DelFly Micro Dragonfly Is Smallest Creepy Autonomous Spybot Yet

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:20:12 +1000

We told you the tiny DelFly II robotic dragonfly spy cam was just the beginning, and we were right. The same Dutch roboticist is now unveiling the DelFly Micro--with a wingspan of just 10cm and a weight of 3.07 grams, it's the first to be smaller than an actual real-life dragonfly. Granted, the dragonfly being used for comparison is Borneo's Tetracanthagyna plagiata, which has a frankly horrifying 20cm wingspan--the largest in the world, no less. But still, now you're even less likely to realise those annoying bugs whizzing around during your protest march are actually just autonomous insectoid ornithopters keeping an eye on you--nothing to worry about. See it take to the air, complete with live eye-in-the-sky video feed, below.

The Neutered USB Humping Dog On Sale Now

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:00:00 +1000

The Crunching Dog--a sadly neutered version of the humping dog--is finally on sale. All it takes is US$9.99 for you to get a cheap plastic dog to show you that you're worthless because you'll never do as many situps or do them as fast as this crappy toy from Japan. Seriously though, how can something with a dong THAT huge even physically do situps? This is the excuse we're using to justify our own obesity, in case you were wondering. [ThinkGeek]

ABC Launches iView Internet Video Service

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:58:55 +1000

Last night, the ABC proved once again that they're better than all the free-to-air networks by launching their new iView video download service. You might remember it from its beta stage, when it was known as Playback.

Unlike the Playback beta, which suffered from a serious lack of programming, the new iView service offers plenty of shows from ABC1 and ABC2, including Doctor Who, The Gruen Transfer, The New Inventors, The Einstein Factor and Echo Beach - and that's just in the Catchup section. There are also new, dedicated channels like ABC News, which features all the latest news and current affairs programming from Aunty, plus ABC Kazam! (which has kid's programming), ABC Docs for documentaries and ABC Arts for all those arty programs your parents like.

iPhone App Devs Still Gagged by Non-Disclosure Agreement, Mad as F'n Hell About It

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:40:00 +1000

As we covered in our case for still needing the iPhone app black market, developers are gagged by a non-disclosure agreement that keeps them from talking about actually programming the iPhone with anybody, even though sharing info would help app development. Surprise, developers don't like that. So now we have Fucking NDA, which aggregates their rants and musings, turning them into a single stream of angst about, well, that fucking NDA. Here's a gem collected from Twitterific's Craig Hockenberry:

Dell E (aka Mini-Inspiron) Specs Uncovered, Actually Called Inspiron Mini?

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:31:29 +1000

Zumo thinks they got a peak at the specs for Dell's first cheap mini-laptop on a recent trip to Dell's Texas facilities. They say that it'll be called the Inspiron Mini, contrary to previous reports it'll it's the Dell E. What's supposedly inside sounds reasonable, and what you'd expect out of a suitable Eee killer, especially if it's really only US$299.

Plastic Motor Powered Directly By Light, No Solar Middleman Necessary

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:20:00 +1000

Professor Tomiki Ikeda, along with his research team at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a plastic motor that runs on direct light. Unlike solar power, there is no need for storing energy before conversion. The motor can achieve this feat thanks to a plastic compound containing azobenzene which contracts when exposed to ultraviolet light and returns to its original shape when exposed to visible light. By making this material into a belt and wrapping it around two wheels of different sizes, movement can be generated when the larger wheel is exposed to ultraviolet light and the smaller one to visible light.

Breakfast Wrap: Best Of Wednesday Night

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:07:36 +1000

Sony, Sharp, Hitachi, Samsung and Motorola Agree on Amimon Whole-House Wireless HD Standard
Wireless HD video in the home? Sign me up!

Why You Should Carry a Camcorder at All Times-Plus Infrared Goggles, Survival Kits, GPS, and Canned Burgers
I'm not sure whether I should be awed or crapping myself watching this video...

George Lucas in Carbonite
See the fear in his eyes? He's just rr-read the script for The Phantom Menace.

Why We Still Need the iPhone App Black Market
And it's not just so we can play NES games on the iPhone (although that does get a mention...)

Samsung Updates LED-Backlit LCD: Series 9 Expensive But Probably Worth It
Series 9? Why are we just getting Series 6 here in Australia? My spidey-sense is telling me we're getting screwed again.

Periodic Coffee Table With Embedded Element Samples
The ultimate geek test: if part of you wants this table, then you are a Geek. End of test.

iPod Swing Speakers Are Snap-On, Kinda Neat

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +1000

These Neoneco Swing Speakers from Korea hook onto your iPod nano, classic or touch and provides sound where there was none before. It's not made for any sort of high fidelity sound reproduction, but at a battery life of 10 hours (it's got a separate power source) it provides bare-minimum sound on the go. Grab one from Korea if you really want one, but it is quite good if you want to share YouTube or iPod videos with other people and not get their earwax all over your earbuds. [Neometrokhan via AVING via Wired]

iPhone 3G Selling Twice as Fast as Original

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:40:00 +1000

The one major bit out of AT&T's quarterly earnings call is that the iPhone 3G is selling twice as fast as the original iPhone did last summer--in case the unending squiggles of people trailing out of Apple Stores and AT&T shops didn't tip you off. They didn't actually say how many were sold, but we know that worldwide Apple sold a million of them as of nine days ago, just three days after launch. Of course, the hot US$199 price--undoubtedly responsible for the phone's brief life on shelves--means AT&T won't actually make money off of it until 2010. You know, when we're on our fourth-gen iPhone. [Alley Insider]

Question of the Day: Does Your Partner Understand Your Gadget Obsession?

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:20:00 +1000

It's funny how technology can really put a wedge between two people in a relationship. That is to say, finding a couple where both parties share a genuine love for gadgets seems pretty rare. This issue is especially problematic when video games are involved. We are constantly hearing stories about how some dude is turning down sex and ignoring his family to play games online. As stupid as all this sounds, I'm willing to bet that it is a major problem with a lot of couples. Plus, gadget obsessions can be tied in with spending excessive amounts of money, which only serves to complicate matters. That having been said, I have to ask: does your partner understand your gadget obsession?

Amazing Wii-Like 3-D Controller Interface Built With Foil, Wiring, Resistors and Arduino

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:17:31 +1000

What you're looking at here is an actual Wii-like 3-D controller interface that can track objects like your hand in real time. It may look a little shoddy, but what's amazing is that this very functional 3-D interface was built by a hobbyist with parts most DIYers can find in their couch cushions--six resistors, aluminium foil, wire, a cardboard box, and an Arduino microprocessor to crunch the numbers. That's it. It couldn't be more simple. But how'd he pull it off?

Lightning Review: Caps4Stix Thumstick Covers

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:00:00 +1000

The Gadget: Caps4Stix rubber thumbstick covers for Xbox 360 and PS3. They're meant to add more grip for better precision and control.

MythTV's MyMote iPhone Remote App

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:40:00 +1000

The idea of controlling your DVR via your iPhone is nothing new, but this MythTV iPhone remote allows Linux DVR users to get in on the fun of using their phones as visual remotes. It's got a real-time program guide so you can easily set recordings, plus the standard channel and volume buttons to flip around channels with. The only thing we have to complain about is that the UI is fairly ugly and not refined at all, but it's bearable. Unfortunately all of us here use either TiVo or Media Center or the cheap set-top-box provided from our Cable company, so we can't test it out. Let us know how it works for you. [eHomeUpgrade]

Crazy Human-Powered Monorail Would Deliver You to Work in a Sweaty Capsule

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:20:00 +1000

How's this sound: rather than hopping on the subway, when in a large city you'd hop into a little pod hanging from an elevated track. It would have pedals. You would then pedal yourself around the city, working up a lovely sweat before you reached your destination. Sound good? No?

On Esquire's Stupid E-Ink Cover

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:17:38 +1000

I love stupid gimmicks, don't get me wrong. But this cover is one of the worst ideas I've heard from a publication in awhile. Said the editor to the NYTimes: "Magazines have basically looked the same for 150 years," Mr. Granger said. "I have been frustrated with the lack of forward movement in the magazine industry." Maybe you should like, invest in putting premium content on your website, or in E-books sold on Amazon instead of spending six figures to design a battery small enough to fit into an magazine cover that will only last 90 days, without any major refreshing of content. They might as well have used one of those hologram stickers found in 25-cent vending machines in the 80's.

AT&T Bringing (a Tiny, Frustrating Bit Of) Speech Recognition to the iPhone, Others

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:10:00 +1000

AT&T's Speech Mashups is a web-based service that will bring voice-activated search to the iPhone, as well as other Edge and 3G handsets. Instead of managing speech recognition on the actual handset, Speech Mashups sends the audio sample to the server, processes it and sends back a text transcription or command to your phone. Unfortunately for iPhone owners, this does not mean voice dialing or speech-to-text app support. Not at all.

SlyDial: Avoid Annoying Conversations by Going Directly to Voicemail

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:00:00 +1000

If there is one thing I can't stand it is getting into long-winded conversations with people on the phone. This is especially true if that person happens to be annoying. If I am forced to initiate the call, I find myself muttering a silent prayer that they won't pick up, but the fact of the matter is that annoying people are always available. The good news is that SlyDial has come up with a solution to this problem with a service that allows the caller to go directly to voicemail.

Rumour: Next iPod nano to be Multi-Coloured

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:57:00 +1000

According to a rumour that's been getting a little traction on the Mac sites, the new iPod nano will be multi-coloured. Notice that we said "nano" and not "nanos." Because while the current nano line is offered in multiple colours, 9to5Mac is claiming that the next nano will have more than one colour on each model. In addition, the storage capacity is said to be doubled alongside the inclusion of "new features." [9to5Mac]

Researchers Squeeze 60% More Light Out of OLEDs With Tiny Lenses

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:40:45 +1000

Optics junkies at the University of Michigan have found a way to greatly boost the efficiency of OLEDs to produce 60% more light from the same amount of power as those previous, cranking out 70 lumens per watt. Their method uses a layer of five-micrometer-wide lenses mounted on top of a reflective grid, which coaxes the light out from the organic substrate and into the world. OLEDs to date have been held back by efficiency problems--they still can't match CFL bulbs' 90 lumens per watt, but they're getting there. This could mean lighting that adds even less power consumption to OLED's many benefits over compact fluorescents (longer life, better light, theoretical 100% efficiency, etc), and more energy-sipping OLED TV panels down the road. [Technology Review via DVICE]

Gyroxus Full-Motion Gaming Chair Leans Your Entire Body

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:20:00 +1000

There are gaming chairs that have speakers and a subwoofer, which are nice and have been done to death, but Gyroxus' gaming chair is a GAMING CHAIR. It's akin to the types of rigs you see in arcades that jiggles you like crazy in sync with whatever racing, flying or shooting game you've just thrown four quarters into.

XM-Sirius Merger Comes Down To One Woman's Vote

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:05:45 +1000

And here she is. After FCC chair Johnathan Adelstein withdrew his support today, the vote is now deadlocked and awaiting the yea or nay from Deborah Taylor, a Republican who is thought to be in favour of the merger. Something tells me a large batch of high-end satellite radio gear is now being priority overnighted to Taylor's office to ply for her support.