Posted Mar 16th 2008 6:21PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Looks like the folks who got a shot of Samsung’s forthcoming YP-S2 also got a preview of the YP-S3, a mid-range flash-based player due in June with 2, 4, and 8GB capacities and 1.8-inch screen. The video’s after the break for those itching to check it out.
Can you imagine splitting up your computer into several small devices and manipulating them individually to suit your own taste? A clever new prototype for such a device has been demonstrated by the researchers over at MIT Media Lab. Dubbed as “Siftables”, this new prototype aims to “enable people to interact with information and media in physical, natural ways that approach interactions with physical objects in our everyday lives.” They call Siftables an “interaction platform” that gives a user entirely new ways to control data with the application of technology from wireless sensor networks to tangible user interfaces.
The technology behind Siftables is actually quite simple. It’s basically a mini computer with a 20 MHz AVR processor, full-color OLED screen, short-range infrared sensor, Bluetooth radio, tactile/haptic actuation driver circuits, a 3-axis accelerometer, built-in flash memory, rechargeable Li-Polymer batteries and expansion ports for additional sensors. So as you can see, it uses existing technology to do its new thing as if nobody ever thought of it before. It’s a new shot at organizing how you do your day-to-day computing. And personally, I think it’s a great idea so far.
As to whether or not this new technology actually becomes useful in our everyday life remains to be seen. Because judging from the video, Siftables look as though they’re only a mere novelty which would be best for kids or the occasional icebreaker. It almost makes one hope this doesn’t experience the same fate as digital photo frames, which as you might know, have become quite pointless in itself. I’m sure the creators, David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanithi will think something up.
Via [MIT Media Lab]
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Posted Mar 16th 2008 1:13PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Household
The Japanese are hyping Vista SP1’s impending release, but a roll of toilet paper printed with highlighted features is kind of uncalled for. You kind of have to feel a little bad for Vista — it just keeps getting crapped on these days.
[Thanks, kaztm]
Posted Mar 16th 2008 2:54PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Peripherals
We might like it more if Behavior Tech Computer Corp. were in the business of creating devices to assist in BF Skinner inspired experiments, but instead they’ve just got stuff like this 9051H Cheetah keyboard / mouse combo. The board has that righty-oriented FPS key cluster, backlit keys that change color according to typing speed, comes bundled with that generic looking laser mouse with variable DPI (800, 1300, and 2000) and two programmable buttons. Sorry folks, no listed price or availability.
[Via Far East Gizmos]
How many times have you broken a USB flash drive? I’m pretty hard on mine, and I can think of three different drives that I’ve broken. Two of them had the USB connector broken off due to me just being clumsy while the third’s outer casing just kind of fell apart. This is why I usually take interest in any such drives that claim to be resistant to breakage such as this USBee (get it?) concept drive.
This bee-themed concept drive utilizes a combination of a silicon and aluminum shell which allows for a bendable neck. The ability to bend at the neck will help to prevent both the drive and the USB port from getting broken. The black stripes are actually a cleverly-disguised cooling system to keep it from getting too warm. This is currently only a concept, so who knows if we’ll ever see it in production.
Source: Crave
Trying to compete in the arena of instant messaging, Facebook has announced that they’ll be launching their first instant messaging system. The Facebook team has been working hard, programming and testing the system. Rumors claim that the stable version will be launching next week for Facebook users to begin using and testing the new IM system. It is said that, unlike Windows Live Messenger and AOL or any other current IM system where you need to install software to enjoy all the IM service, Facebook users can web chat with friends on their Facebook pages as the Facebook IM is built into the user’s interface. Many also said that you will be able to log in into multiple IM platforms similar to web-based Meebo and other programs like Trillian and Adium.
This could be good news considering the vast numbers of Facebook users, this service could let Facebook step out of the crowd from other social web portals. If this project is a success, users will be able to chit chat with their friends or web mates by just using the web, without installing any external software. It is said that, other than chatting, there’s also a lot of features on the Facebook IM such as emoticons and more. So lets look forward for the success of this system.
Via [TechCrunch]
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Six additional Blu-ray players have just been certified by DivX, joining the ranks of Sony PS3 that received its certification at the end of 2007. Such certification is important because it means only one thing: 25 hours of DVD-quality video can now be saved on a single Blu-ray disc. Since the end of the format war, Blu-ray has been gaining more popularity with the gadget society. Michelle Abraham, an In-Stat Principal Analyst, said:
“In-Stat expects worldwide shipments of Blu-ray players to reach 23 million in 2011. DivX is well-positioned to become a standard feature on Blu-ray devices, just as it has shipped in millions of DVD players worldwide.”
Looks like Blu-ray players are here to say. That is, as long as no new formats are going to be introduced, and digital downloads keep from gaining any more popularity. But as of right now, DivX certified players from Philips, Denon, and Panasonic can enjoy Blu-ray disc burning as their DivX certification becomes official. The latest players that received their certification included the Panasonic DMP-BD30EE, Philips BDP7200 and the Denon DVD-2500BTC1B, DVD-3800BDC1B, DVD-3800BDSP and DVD-2500BTSP.
Via [I4U News]
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Google has announced its Google Gears for Mobile that allows users to access their mobile Gears-enabled web apps even when there is no Internet connection. Initially, Google Gears was only for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices with Internet Explorer but more and more developers are already using the Gears into their online programs and services, thanks to the developer’s guide Google came up with for the developers.
Finance website Buxfer and web-based office-suite Zoho were the first to use the Google Gears. What is ironic is that Google’s own products don’t support the Gears yet but are currently in the works. Charles Wiles of Google Mobile explained that Gears is best used when you suddenly can’t connect. He wrote:
“Once installed, Gears sits happily on your phone helping you stay connected to your data—even when you lose your network connection.”
Even Android is waiting for Google Gears. But for now, people have to wait as Google works to roll out the Gears for other platforms.
Read [Inside Google] Via [Google Mobile Blog]
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Sony Ericsson’s newest patent comes afloat, and it shows us a new type of device allowing up to three input interfaces. The electronic device has a main body, a flip attached to the main body and multiple input interfaces (it says here), so basically this will be some kind of new device in which you can enter data via any of the available ways. From the illustration above, you can see that this will be some kind of cellphone/smartphone with a flap on its face that can go both ways. It’s reversible, and two different input interfaces will reside on that flap alone, aside from the input interface located on the main body of the phone itself. Now I have to say, it’s a fine concept and all, but the question is, will it work?
To save you from the boring stuff in the patent document itself, let me give you the rundown on Sony Ericsson’s latest patent here. What they’re aiming to do is answer the apparent need of consumers for an all-in-one device that will replace the currently bag-full of gadgets most of us carry around. This is not the first time someone is aiming for a solution to the said problem, and even Sony Ericsson itself has tried multiple times in the past to deliver this electronic device “jackpot” that will attract new customers by the hundreds like it was a killer app of some sort. Nokia’s tried to do it. Motorola has tried to do it. Everybody out there is trying to do it. And this is Sony Ericsson’s take. Their solution? One device with the input interfaces of three. To me, this is almost like saying, “Hey, you wanted an all-in-one device, right? You wanted something that can handle your phone calls, connect you to the Internet, and let you listen to music, right? So here it is, a cellphone with a keypad, a keyboard, and a click-wheel. It’s all you need.”
But really, although this is really a great concept as it gives a user choices when it comes to entering data into his device, this will mean having to deal with three different input styles altogether. Three different “languages”, if you may, that you have to master in order to get the most out of your multiple input interface endowed device. This is completely against the concept of the iphone, which has a very simple, unified input interface: the touch. Well, I doubt if a device like the one in this patent will come out any time soon, anyway, and besides, you never know for sure and Sony Ericsson just might be able to pull this one off. Or maybe I just talk too much.
Via [Just Another mobile phone Blog]
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Posted Mar 16th 2008 11:22AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: cellphones, Home Entertainment, Wireless
Yeah, all those sticky sweet stories about WiMAX actually happening this decade or possibly showing up in a device or two were really getting on our nerves. Now it seems the “little wireless standard that couldn’t” is back to form with a report from the Satellite Users Interference Reduction Group (SUIRG). Apparently those folks found “conclusive” results of “unacceptable” levels of interference from WiMAX of satellite signals in the C-band. Naturally, it sounds like this group’s primary purpose is to come up with data like this to protect that satellite spectrum turf, but it’s disconcerting nonetheless, and we’d love to hear from the WiMAX camp on the issue — if it comes down to a choice between mobile broadband and a new season of Meerkat Manor in HD, we don’t want to be the ones making the hard decisions.
[Via New Scientist]
