Engadget

Corsair's Flash Survivor drive takes a beating, stays dry

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 21st 2007 at 9:06AM

It looks like Corsair just can't get tough-stuff flash drives out of their system. They had us with the swashbuckling, buoy-like Voyager, but if you're less Baywatch and more Survivor, their new, um, Survivor drive may be more inclined to float your boat. The 4GB and 8GB sticks screw into their protective aluminum canisters with a rubber seal to prevent water from invading precious content. While we're not exactly sure when these adventurous drives will be ready for your credit card, we're hoping they'll at least be ready for your carelessness.

[Via Crave]

Hori's Dust and Nicotine Guard 3 keeps your PS3 from inhaling

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 21st 2007 at 8:36AM

If you rock your PS3 with a side of smoke and filth, then Hori's got you covered with its new Dust and Nicotine Guard 3. We definitely don't advocate you sucking down cancer sticks in your nicotine-stained apartment swarming with dust bunnies, but if you're gonna do it, there's no sense in your PS3 suffering with you. The $17 filter accessory won't be available to grimy gamers 'til April 26th (plenty of time for them to save the cash and kick the habit).

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

DIY infrared digicam filter on the cheap

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 21st 2007 at 5:37AM

If you're looking to get in touch with your artsy side, check out Instructables' DIY infrared filter project, which not only involves crafting the hack, but also adds some new flavor to your digital photography routine. With some cardboard tubes, old negatives, electrical tape, and a few other minor tools, you can whip up one of these in a jiffy. You're good to go as long as your camera's sensitive to infrared light -- something you can test using an IR remote. We suggest experimenting with subject matter like nature scenes or architecture, but if you decide to perv it up, good luck trying to peep those Japanese Olympic swimmers.

Watch yer fingers: Casio recalls CTK-710 keyboards

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 20th 2007 at 9:52PM

Five reports of too-hot-to-handle CTK-710 keyboards have spurred Casio's recall of 12,000 units that pose a potential fire hazard. The reported overheating cases have caused property and keyboard damage, but lucky for Casio and its customers, nobody's gotten hurt (yet). If you just so happen to be tickling these ivories, Casio urges you to quit jammin', unplug it, remove the batteries and ship it off for a free repair -- but if you're rocking so hard that you miss this message, we wish you and your digits the best of luck.

Fujitsu flaunts color e-ink, future tech concept horn o' plenty

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 20th 2007 at 4:00PM

We're feelin' what Fujitsu's done so far this year, but now we've got an idea of what it might bust out with in the near future. Last week's Fujitsu North American Technology Forum 2007 was an opportunity to flaunt not-yet-real (at least not in the US) concepts like color e-paper and FPcodes, among a few others. We've seen Fujitsu's elusive e-paper prototype before, and it's still not ready, but at least now we know that the 8-inch, 640 x 480 color display is about 0.03-inches thick, with a 12-inch version in the works and an ambitious goal to reach 2.5-meters. It requires virtually no power and can operate with a teeny boost of focused energy like radio waves from a cellphone. In addition to this e-paper flight of fancy, Fujitsu was showing off a waterproof RFID tag, along with those QR-killin' FPcodes and their vein pattern identification system we've seen before.

Magnetic space tube to help suck up lunar soil

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 19th 2007 at 4:07PM

Not sure if NASA has this on tap or not, but Benjamin Eimer and Lawrence Taylor of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville just invented a special magnetic collection tube that sucks up lunar soil so we can extract precious resources for use in future moon colonies. The tube, which is sort of like an elephant's trunk or one of those leaf suckers, would suck up lunar soil (not peanuts and leaves) containing water, oxygen and other resources to be extracted by astronauts. They'd need to gather and transport large amounts of the stuff without stirring up jagged moon shards and hazardous dust, so bulldozer-like equipment is definitely out of the question. The tube's coils would create a magnetic field that attracts the iron-laden soil, keeping it neatly centered to be distributed to storage facilities or processing plants via a pipeline system. Assuming the tube rules at collecting a massive supply, the soil can then be bagged to stack on top of lunar habitats to help regulate unpredictable temperatures and block radiation from hazardous space particles. Sweet! Once they hook us up with some sci-fi WiFi, we'll be reporting from Engadget's new intergalactic office.

[Thanks, Matthew]

US and European PS3 rumors set straight

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 15th 2007 at 8:19PM

Just in case you hadn't already caught wind, our pals over at Joystiq shed some light on Europe's backwards compatibility crux and the 20GB PS3 "shortage" here in the States -- two bubbles of drama that have now been popped by Dave Karraker, Senior Director of Communications at SCEA. Let's start with the Engadget readers' of the woods: screw you Sony, for holding out on those 20GBs, right? Karraker deflates that accusation, pointing the finger at retailers who have requested more 60GB stock -- averaging at 80 percent 60GB and 20 percent 20GB, to be exact. And you can't really argue with that, can you? Now let's hop across the ocean where PS3s will make their (fashionably?) late first appearance in Europe come next Friday. Despite all the setbacks, backwards compatibility might not be a disaster after all. Karraker says that Euro PS3s just need a launch firmware upgrade, which will arrive on March 23rd, along with a legit compatibility list -- essentially what we thought would be the case. Simple as that (we hope).

Linksys' KiSS 1600 HD media device launched at CeBIT

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 15th 2007 at 1:19PM

Linksys has a new wireless media adapter today, the KiSS 1600, which fairly synonymous with fellow router-pusher Netgear's Digital Entertainer HD. As expected, KiSS 1600 streams high def digital video, audio, and photos (sorry, we're light on info about codecs) from the internet or any locally networked device straight to your TV set. And thanks to its HDMI connection, DVDs get upscaled 720p. Unfortunately the nitty-gritty specs are incog for now, but you'll be able to purchase (not steal) a KiSS sometime soon for a hefty £259.99 (about $503).

[Via Wired]

New glow-in-the-dark materials shine a full spectrum

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 15th 2007 at 4:14AM

We love all things glow-in-the-dark, and for good reason: they help us find the bathroom at night, they freak out our cats, and raves wouldn't be the same without a ton of kids who don't care how ridiculous they look spinning glowsticks. Lucky for us, Japanese researchers have developed new materials that glow in a full range of colors with the potential to provide a real-world solution. The research team from Ryukoku University in Kyoto suggests using the materials to create clear, attractive emergency signage that doesn't depend on electricity to operate. Until now, phosphorescent colors were limited to bluish and greenish tones, which lack visibility through smoke or dust, and supposedly invoke anxiety. The new materials' rainbow of colors (including white light) should offer a more natural illumination, and may strike the fancy of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), "the international authority on lighting" that's already suggested finding an electricity-free emergency lighting / signage system for buildings. Using this new technology for constructive purposes is all well and good, but we were most relieved to hear that the team isn't snoozing on "less serious" applications for these materials -- i.e. a lampshade nightlight that stays on all night. C'mon, you didn't think they'd leave the out the good stuff (view image), did ya?

[Thanks, Matthew]

Phonogram to brainwash addiction out of Korean gamers?

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 15th 2007 at 12:36AM

Young gamers in Korea have turned from national phenomena to national concern -- some have actually managed to "game" themselves to death, while blank stares and friendlessness are more common occurrences among the obsessed. Attempting to flip the switch on this unfortunate outcome of pwning, Venture start-up Xtive proposes to subliminally convince these kids to kick the habit by exposing them to an inaudible repetitive message. "We incorporated messages into an acoustic sound wave telling gamers to stop playing. The messages are told 10,000 to 20,000 times per second," explains Yun Yun-hae, president of Xtive. (Isn't that a little, um, fast?) The company has applied for a domestic patent and plans to commercialize the phonogram in cahoots with the government and game companies, which he hopes will incorporate triggers for the phonograms after games are played for a certain amount of time. Xtive also hopes to move beyond this application, applying their technology to other areas; Yun creepily tops it all off by adding, "We can easily change the messages. In this sense, the potential for this technology is exponential." You want to talk about video game zombies? Here we go.

[Via Joystiq]

Thanko's Vonia BCT SportsHeadband: bone conduction fun on the run

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 14th 2007 at 11:30PM

Thanko's already rattled our skulls with its Vonia bone conducting earphones, but they couldn't leave well enough alone. The Vonia BCT SportsHeadband kicks out the jams using two waterproof bone conduction speakers near the temples, and also has a compartment conveniently located smack on the forehead to hold a small MP3 player. It's too bad the compartment isn't waterproof, since that'd be necessary to use this thing underwater -- so without a waterproof player we're not really sure how these will play out with the swimmer crowd, who Thanko is also marketing the headband to. On the other hand, runners, joggers, sprinters, skippers, and speed-walkers should be a-ok to blast some bone-rocking beats while keeping their ears open for oncoming traffic and catcalls.

[Via Crave]

Toshiba's PA35 external drive does HD DVD on the cheap

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 14th 2007 at 6:20PM

We thought this little dude looked familiar -- strikingly similar to one of Toshiba's prototypes from CEDIA last year. Now the real deal, Tosh's slim 'n trim PA35 external HD DVD drive will latch onto your PC via USB 2.0 for plug-and-play HD capability. The PA35 delivers 7.1 channels of hi-res audio to accompany hi-def eye candy, but only a ho-hum 1x HD DVD read speed -- since you can't do any burning, maybe they assume that you won't be reading any data discs either (plus hey, what do you expect for under four benjamins?). You can still count on it for trusty multi-drive duties with write speeds of 4x to DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, and DVD-RW, 16x to CD-R, 10x to CD-RW, 2.4x to DVD+R DL, 2x to DVD-R DL, and 3x to DVD-RAM. So if you're raring for some HD DVD action on the fairly cheap, this one's all yours for about $370.

[Via PC Perspective]

Netgear's Digital Entertainer HD ready for your home

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 14th 2007 at 4:20PM

This streaming media receiver was unveiled at CES earlier this year, but Netgear's officially made it available for your living room. To refresh your memory, the Digital Entertainer HD (EVA8000) basically promises to do everything to amuse you short of growing limbs and break dancing on your coffee table. It's got an HDMI port with resolutions up to 1080p, connects to 802.11 b / g WiFi networks, and controls PC-PVR recordings remotely (with a not-included TV tuner card). It streams nearly anything, including HD movies, BitTorrent downloads, internet radio, RSS feeds, music, videos, and Flickr photos, from nearly any device, like your networked PCs, flash drives, iPods, or digital cameras. Netgear's right on point with their projected first quarter release -- units went on sale today on select e-commerce sites at around $399 a pop. The Digital Entertainer HD will be available at e-commerce sites, retailers, and resellers worldwide sometime in Q2 2007.

Read - Digital Entertainer HD press release
Read - Netgear product page

Sony Ericsson shoots for style points with W660

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 14th 2007 at 12:26PM

The Walkman phone's sporty orange trim gets switched out for a classy attempt in gold on Sony Ericsson's newest rendition, the W660. At a svelte 0.57-inches, the UMTS 2100 and GPRS 900/1800/1900 phone really packs in the goods with Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, FM radio support, a 2 megapixel camera, web browsing, RSS feeds, and a 512 MB Memory Stick Micro (upgradeable). It has a 2-inch color TFT display and totes random extras like TrackID, a music identification service, and a Picture Blogging function that allows you to send snapshots directly to your personal blog. To top off the lifestyle angle on this phone, Sony Ericsson has embellished the pants offa this one, with the aforementioned gold trim on both glossy color options, Record Black and Rose Red. The Rose Red (geez, what's up with the cranberry hype?) model jazzes it up a bit more with its floral-themed relief pattern on the backside. For those of you who are more concerned with performance, you'll get up to 6 hours of talk time on GSM, up to 2.5 hours with 3G, or a max of 25 hours of music listening. Expect to peep these newbies in select markets by Q2 of this year.

[Via PhoneArena]

Studly Q Celsius tires for safe winter driving

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 14th 2007 at 9:22AM

What's a northeastern driver to do when wintry roads spell danger for everyday tires, while normal conditions hamper breaking ability for the studded variety? Well, Q's Celsius tires have traction studs that protrude and retract on your command -- practical and 007 slick, like something Q would install for use in rescuing Halle Berry from a gigantic ice palace. How it works: when you're ready to enter extreme weather mode, the tires use their own air supply to fill a secondary chamber that pushes the studs through the surface, past the tread. Then when conditions clear up, the studs retract back below the tread and the surplus air is released. We're not sure how much this upgrade will cost to add little cool to your lemon, but some extra cash might be worth the added safety, not to mention ditching the hassle of seasonal tire switching.

[Via Autoblog]

Americans to get DTV coupons before analog gets the kibosh

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 13th 2007 at 9:03PM

In 2009, we'll all say our final farewells (good riddances) to sub-par analog television. Despite congressional apprehension, the Department of Commerce has gone forward with a plan to ease old-hat Americans into the digital TV age. Our source article's coughed up some wacky numbers, so we can't really tell whether the budget will suffice or not. Any household will be allowed to claim two $40 coupons each for a discount on digi-to-analog set-top boxes until nearly $1 billion has been spent. If old-hat peeps are still left hanging, another $500,000 ($500 million?) will be available only to those depending on antennas for reception. Apparently only 15% of the current 73 million analog TV users are catching their TV via antenna, so they shouldn't have much trouble scoring the discount at least. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's plan alots for a max amount of about 33,750 (37.5 million?) coupons -- hopefully enough to keep everyone glued to the tube. In the case of a shortage, one idea is to sit tight and hope enough people opt out of the coupons and volunteer to throw down for a new TV that supports digital broadcasting. Another is for the government to increase the subsidy -- a measure the Democrats already tried to push for with no success. Either way, we're talking about a historic shift in the way we watch television in America, people -- it's sure to be ~~rat~~ possum race and if you snooze 'til February 19, 2009, you'll royally lose.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Ce-Oh no he didnt! Part XXX - Who wants to get robbed? Microsoft sez, "We want it to be us."

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 13th 2007 at 8:05PM

Does our collective ear deceive us? If pirates are to plunder, Microsoft now wants them to board the Windows ship first. The news came about at last week's Morgan Stanley Technology conference where MS business group prez Jeff Raikes stated, "If they're going to pirate somebody, we want it to be us rather than somebody else. We understand that in the long run the fundamental asset is the installed base of people who are using our products." Okay Jeff, you have a point there. A sure indicator of building loyalty from piracy is getting an entire nation to attribute their booming IT industry to burgled MS software -- and let's not forget how the whole Viodentia fiasco blew up in ya face. Raikes now trumpets MS' next steps, backed by its already-in-effect anti-piracy campaign, complete with imagery, clever one-liners, and scare tactics / empty-ish threats. So what's the end goal here? According to Raikes, MS is the new software missionary, attempting to educate pirates and "convert them to licensing the software." We've got no idea when they expect this to actually happen -- maybe when Satan phones Gates regarding DRM.

[Thanks, Bernard]

Nintendo DS bots in full force

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 13th 2007 at 2:35PM

What? You still only play video games on your NDS? It's time to look and learn from these restless DS owners who've promoted their trusty handhelds to robots on a mission. Natrium 42's homebrew kit is an open robot platform that lets you control your RoboDS (pictured right) with an NDS WiFi connection through a web browser interface. You can add a wireless camera to use it for remote spy tactics or strap on a laser pointer to ~~burn enemies' corneas~~ play mean-spirited red dot target jokes on your friends. On a lighter note, Bob Sabiston's bot takes a more poetic route and makes up for those art skills you never had. Sabiston, a professional programmer and engineer, got Nintendo to send him a DS software development kit which allowed him to pump out a sweet painting and animation app to make his DS bot a visual virtuoso (example pictured left). Hopefully with more bot-mods to come, the DS is really blossoming from what we know and love into the task droid we've always wanted.

[Via DS Fanboy]

Read - Bob Sabiston's artiste bot
Read - Natrium 42's RoboDS

Lego Mindstorms NXTway-G much cooler than Segway

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 13th 2007 at 12:05PM

Since kits became available last year, there certainly hasn't been a shortage of clever robots over at the Lego Mindstorms NXT community, but Roy Watanabe's NXTway-G caught our collective eye. He took direct inspiration from similar self-balancing bots, the Legway and NXTway (basically NXT brick-controlled mini-Segways), but took it to the next level by using a gyroscopic sensor -- and from the looks of the video, it's a smooth operator. NXTway-G can stand in place, climb a slope, and take a modest shove. We say modest because of its one downfall -- if knocked flat, it'll find itself in one of those "I've fallen and I can't get up" situations -- and nobody wants a whiny bot on their hands.

Read - Mindstorms NXTlog
Read - NXTway-G in action

Continue reading Lego Mindstorms NXTway-G much cooler than Segway

Seagate ships 3 Gbps Momentus 7200.2 notebook HDD

by Jeannie Choe posted Mar 13th 2007 at 4:02AM

While we were all prepared to wait for Fujitsu's May release of its MHW2 BJ series, Seagate decided to swoop in for the kill with the Momentus 7200.2. It's already shipping this comprable 2.5-inch laptop HDD with a 3 Gbps SATA interface (doubled from 1.5 Gbps in the last version). The new Momentus spins itself silly at 7,200 rpm, sports perpendicular recording technology, and is available in 80GB, 100GB, 120GB, and 160GB capacities. So if you're itching for a bite-size speed demon HDD for your laptop, your wait is over -- unless you're a Fujitsu snob, in which case you'll have to sit tight for a couple more months.

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