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Alcatel-Lucent have announced a new prepaid option for the blackberry. The new option would be a “real-time, volume-based charging solution will be hosted by Alcatel-Lucent.” This new prepaid option would be able to be integrated into existing networks and will allow for users to track their used minutes and data as to not run their balance down to zero.

“We are proud of the work that has been done in partnership with Alcatel-Lucent to bring the BlackBerry solution to new markets and we look forward to expanding this relationship,” said Jim Balsillie, Co-Chief Executive Officer at Research In Motion.

More options are usually a welcome addition, especially when it comes to paying for mobile service, but with the way people get addicted to their CrackBerry’s I am not sure a prepaid solution would be the most cost affective.

Read [Alcatel-Lucent]

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Some good news to report for a change in regards to Facebook in the UK with news that they are going to enable Vodafone users to install a application on the phone that will allow them to receive newsfeeds, messages, status updates, ‘pokes’ and other features from the site.

Vodafone has been chosen to partner Facebook with this new offering, which will improve on the current mobile offering by removing the need to go to a browser first and type in the URL. Now users will be able to click on a widget on the phone and directly access Facebook. This isn’t a first for Vodafone who already have similar offerings with MySpace and Bebo. Currently no other providers have been announced, but Facebook is expected to partner with others on a similar offer.

Via [The Times]

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The Washingtonpost reviews the Nokia E90 Communicator and writes, “The 3.2-megapixel camera took snapshots that were markedly clearer than those I’ve taken with other phones, but using it was more difficult than necessary. I somehow managed to invoke the video camera when I meant to take a snapshot; if this had happened only once, I wouldn’t have thought it was a big deal, but I did it repeatedly over several days. I had to go in and manually select image mode each time, even though I’d been in image mode to start. Nevertheless, the results were good, and the built-in flash and autofocus worked well.”

Read more about the Nokia E90 Communicator.

Science nerds, here’s an interesting gadget for you to look at. The Air Burst Rockets claim to soar higher and faster than any other non-combustion rocket in the market, but you will have to drop $29.95 to see if that is true or not.

Without any flames, fire, or batteries, this rocket system uses only the power of air from a bicycle pump you provide to send rockets blasting into the sky! New propulsion technology cases a shock wave and Venturi effect that launches the rockets higher and faster than any other non-combustion rockets on earth. With five different power levels to choose from, you can launch Air Burst rockets to varying altitudes reaching up to 1,000 feet and even beyond the visual range. The highest power level requires adult strength.

Each purchase will come with a launcher, a couple of rockets and five dozen boosters.

Now that you know hd dvd has lost the format war (but it refuses to just roll over and die peacefully), other hardware manufacturers can heave a sigh of relief and go back to making money. Alteratec is one of those companies with its Copy Cruiser - capable of burning up to 3 Blu-ray copies simultaneously. In addition, it also supports LightScribe technology for those who love etching memorable quotes or descriptions on their discs. The Copy Cruiser does not stop at Blu-ray though, as it is a pretty speedy monster where regular DVDs and CDs are concerned as well. Would you be willing to fork out $3,200 for this? After all, Blu-ray media doesn’t exactly come at basement pricing to begin with.

When I was a kid my parents would load my brother and I up into the car and take us to the drive-in theater to watch a couple of movies. I honestly enjoyed that more than I’ve ever really liked going to indoor theaters. Sure, there are more bugs, but there’s just something about being outside that makes it more fun. Unfortunately when I was still rather young it closed down, and I haven’t been to another since. If you’ve been longing for an outdoor movie experience like me, why not make your own? This projector screen would certainly come in handy for doing so.

The Backyard Drive-in is probably the most simplistic outdoor projector screen that I have seen so far. It is mostly comprised of an expandable aluminum framework and a special fabric that is made to stand up against wear and tear in the outdoors. If you’re not into watching movies or playing video games (can you imagine playing Halo 3 on something like that?) it can also be utilized as a portable billboard.

The Backyard Drive-in comes in two sizes, the first has a viewing area of 10′6” x 6′ while the larger is 13′6” x 9′. You’ll need some deep pockets as they’ll set you back $1,049 and $1,449 respectively.

Source: GeekAlerts

Fujitsu makes them in every size, and the P8010 fits neatly between its tiny tablets and its appealing 13.3" models — yep, it’s another subnotebook, showing off some neat features uncommon to the niche.

Most striking is the thin screen bezel, just like it’s big brother, the 14-inch S6510. Edge-to-edge displays are a rarity on portable notebooks: even Apple’s macbook air has an Eee-like plastic frame around its panel. In the flesh, it means that the P8010 gets a 12-inch display into a case almost as small Fujitsu’s 10-inch subnotebook, the P7230.

It also comes with a little 3-inch deep "port bar" that adds 4 USB slots, wired ethernet, DVI and VGA. Fujitsu’s even sexed up the look a bit, though it doesn’t come in pink like that optical drive-less P7230 model it very nearly renders obsolete.

It’s tempting. $1,700, you say? That’s a tough call, with the Air or a low-end TZ being only a little pricier.

Product Page [Fujitsu via Engadget]

The whale shark is the largest species of shark in the world, and its mysterious life will be available to all and sundry to see for the first time once they are equipped with the equivalent of “black box flight recorders” by researchers. This project came into being as a result of a collaboration between both Laureates of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise – Australian Brad Norman and Briton Rory Wilson. The former was the first in the world to set up a photo-ID system for identifying whale sharks while the latter successfully developed most sophisticated device for monitoring the activity of animals in the wild in the world.

According to Wilson, his logger weighs a mere 30 to 48 grams and is shaped after an aircraft’s black-box flight recorder, capable of monitoring changes in speed, altitude and heading. A tiny electronic device located right smack in the middle measures changes in the animal’s acceleration no matter where it goes - forward/back, up/down or sideways. It is capable of measuring motion along all three axes up to 32 times a second, and when combined with a compass, can determine the animal’s speed, direction and position. This goes one up on other popular animal tracking systems that rely on GPS since it is capable of working just fine in a dense forest, underground or in the ocean.

This unique animal tracker is smart enough to record the animals’ energy expenditure, where compiled data will be analyzed in order to help conservationists gain new insight into knowing what makes up a poor, average or optimum living condition, as well as other vital statistics such as the minimum area required for an individual or population of animals to survive and flourish. I guess this is a whole lot harder than those Sim games that I used to play in the past on the PC, where all my creatures’ comforts and needs are displayed for all and sundry to see. Keep up the good work, guys!

Source: Gizmag

LG’s Viewty was hard to miss at GSMA. Between the saturation bus ads and the creepy, surreal show stand, it was pretty obvious what LG wanted us all to write about. The phone itself looks like a camera, and has specifications that aren’t normally seen on a phonecam. Five Megapixels, a Schneider-Kreuznach lens, ISO settings up to 800, manual focus (which cuts shutter lag times) and image stabilization. It also shoots video at an astonishing 120 frames per second.

Available in both black and silver, the body does feel a little lightweight and plasticky, and the colors on the LCD screen were a little washed out, especially compared to “real” cameras. But them, those real cameras don’t make phone calls, don’t upload to YouTube (in the brochure it’s named YooTube) and they don’t have touch screens with handwriting recognition or MP3 players. In all, it’s a pretty good compromise.

Product page [LG]

Crumpler Biglittle Thing For iPod Video

The new Crumpler Big Little Thing is an ideal partner for the Apple iPod Video 30GB or 60GB. Constructed using fine quality Nappa leather it will keep your iPod scratch free whilst the heavy duty belt loop keeps it firmly by your side so you can enjoy your music on the move. Fine quality Nappa Leather construction with embroidered logo with contrasting leather lining. Belt loop on back doubles to make a stand for video viewing. Magnetic closure on flap and cable attachment slots, so you can keep your iPod in the case while charging or connected to your computerMeasurements:Inside W x H x D (cm): 11.2×2.5×6.5  Fits: 30 and 60GB video iPodsFeatures:Fine quality Nappa Leather construction with embroidered logo Contrasting leather lining Belt loop on back, also doubles to make a stand for video viewing Magnetic closure on flap Cable attachment slots, so you can keep your IPOD in the case while charging or connected to your computer Di-cut space to access iPod’s click wheel 

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