Gadgets Power

PowerPage reviews the LG Voyager and writes, “The camera quality is decent. Having the ability to capture video is very cool. The camera application also offers plenty of options that the iphone lacks. However, the quality still doesn’t come close to my super-old Canon S200 (2 megapixel) camera.” Read more about the LG Voyager. Tags: gear, cool gear, MP3, speaker (Read the full post about ‘LG Voyager Review - PowerPage’…)

Posted Mar 26th 2008 2:27PM by Donald MelansonFiled under: Transportation We’ve already gotten a pretty good idea of what NASA’s new Chariot lunar vehicle was capable of, but now thanks to NewScientist (and NASA itself) we’ve got a glimpse of the behemoth in action — on Earth, of course. As you can see for yourself after the break, the rig certainly looks to be quite capable of tearing it up on the lunar surface, with it boasting a plough to smooth things out for a moon base (or other potential lunar installations). (Read the full post about ‘NASA’s Chariot lunar vehicle gets demoed on video’…)

Researchers have managed to discover a new inkjet technology that can “print” LCDs thanks to silver nanoparticles,laying down wiring made out of silver nanoparticles via a customized inkjet printer. Currently, TFT manufacturing consists of the development of masks which are then used to generate a pattern for the wiring on the surface of the semiconductor. The entire process is wholly dependent upon the mask, which results in a slower turnaround time. This also means minor design changes are a no-no, since a new mask will have to be created from scratch. With printing technology instead, one will be able to introduce both speed and flexibility to TFT manufacturing although initial attempts have shown success on a limited level. (Read the full post about ‘New inkjet tech can “print” LCDs’…)

A quiet buzz is going around this morning after word of iPhone shortages are cropping up in NYC Apple stores.  Some sites are questioning if this is the sell-down prior to intro of the iphone 2.0, as this method is right out of the Apple play book.  We see it with just about every ipod introduction. The buzz builds with Digg founder Kevin Rose predicting iPhone 2.0 will have GPS and dual cameras.  Hmmm, his predictions have not always come to fruition.  Could a surprise introduction be happening next Tuesday? I don’t buy it.  Apple isn’t dumb.  While AT&T stores still have inventory, Apple wouldn’t give the outward appearance that the iPhone 2 is imminent, threating sal (Read the full post about ‘Breaking: iPhone 2.0 “on the water”?’…)

Asus has announced the successor to that geek-favorite, the Eee PC. The 8.9 inch mini notebooks will have touch screens and possibly also include GPS. Asus VP Kevin Lin also said that the base model will ship with a gig of RAM as standard, double that of today’s model, and the SSD will also be beefed up, with 8GB and 12GB available. Asus is storming ahead in this sector, and the addition of a touch screen makes the diminutive notebook even more attractive. With the poor battery life already exhibited by the current model, though, we’d happily do without the power-hungry GPS unit. (Read the full post about ‘Official: Touchscreen Eee Coming This Spring’…)

QuickerTek has made available the TriBand, an add-on antenna for Apple’s Time Capsule. Here are the reasons you don’t want one: Ugly. Just look at it. And what happens if those skinny wires get a good yank? Expensive. The DIY upgrade is $130. Opt for the full service option and the price jumps to $200. And remember that the box needs to be opened up to make the modification, which also means you’ll void your warranty, possibly adding future costs. The only reason we can see to own a TriBand is that you could tuck the whole uglified kit into the attic to keep your backups burglar-proof. Or you could leave the Time Capsule in full view and just stick some old frayed wires through one of the holes, which should offer the same deterrent. (Read the full post about ‘TriBand Antenna Uglifies The Time Capsule’…)

I might be missing something, but Callpod’s Drone, a USB VOiP and music streaming dongle, doesn’t seem to offer anything a Bluetooth equipped computer doesn’t have already, other than a few remote control options with an optional software install. Plug it in and you can wander around with a Bluetooth headset, either making Skype (or other VOiP client) calls or listening to music via the A2DP protocol. The range is claimed to be 100 meters, and pairing with a Mac or PC is automatic. The Drone will be available for an as-yet unnamed price in May. If you don’t already have Bluetooth in your computer, it might be worth it. It might also be time to buy a new PC. Product page [Callpod. (Read the full post about ‘Callpod Bluetooth Widget Adds Almost Nothing To Your PC’…)

Yesterday, all three NYC Apple Stores were out of iPhones, according to The Huffington Post. But coupled with this Twitter post from Kevin Rose of Digg, we wonder if Apple might be clearing stock for a new, 3G iphone: another person confirming iphone rumors w/me (high lvl VP at a big company that works w/Apple) - “it will ship in June w/3G and GPS” The “another” refers to Rose’s own claim on the Digg video podcast, Diggnation. Rose says that the 3G iPhone will be here in the next few months and will have not one, but two cameras: one for video chat and the other for taking pictures. Yes, he’s quoting unnamed sources to back up his own unsubstantiated claims, but this rumor at least has a ring of truth. (Read the full post about ‘IPhone Sold Out In New York. 3G Launch Coming Soon?’…)

LG has announced the world’s first “skin phone,” the SH240, aimed at the Korean market. This 3G HSDPA phone has a 2-megapixel camera, video-calling, a media player, Bluetooth and a microSD slot. It also has a dictionary and a subway map (the utility of which escapes me). But the major selling point of the SH240 will definitely be its keypad, which, according to AVING has an almost skin-like feel to it. The keypad is manufactured using a combination of metal and silicon, giving it texture and elasticity similar to skin. I am not sure if people would want to feel like they are poking someone’s skin every time they dial a number. The SH240 is going to retail for around $400. (Read the full post about ‘LG’s intro’s the SH240; has HSDPA, skin like feel’…)

Posted Mar 26th 2008 1:32AM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: Robots Finally, a robot that “gets” us. Researchers at Toshiba in Japan have created a talking bot that can be used as a voice-activated universal remote in addition to formulating plots about terminating humans. The 5-pound, 11-inch-tall android is called ApriPoko, and is capable of learning how to control electronics by watching you and asking questions about your behavior. When you use an infrared device, the robot senses the signal and asks the user “What did you just do?” If you say something akin to “I turned on the TV,” it will commit the command to memory, and you can operate those functions by voice. (Read the full post about ‘Meet ApriPoko, Toshiba’s channel surfing helper-bot’…)