Gadget Bazar

The world’s fastest Internet connection - owned by and old woman!

2007-07-15T07:30:00.001-07:00

Sigbritt Löthberg, a 75-year old woman from Karlstad in central Sweden has made IT history. Her home is now connected to the Internet by a 40 Gbit/second pipe. Yes, this is 5 GB/second. So, in theory, a DVD would take less than a second to download. Or, put another way, it could hold 1500 simultaneous full HD streams.

The woman is the mother of Peter Löthberg. Peter is a famous network technician, and works for Cisco. He collaborated with Karlstad Stadsnät (The arm of the local administration who’s concerned with the city’s networking) to get this gig going.

Peter Löthberg and his mother

If you’re wondering if this is practical, or just want to know WHY this has been done, read on.

Sigbritt Löthberg did not even have a computer until recently. Her son, together with Cisco and the Stadsnät wanted to demonstrate a new technology, and show people that they can all get extreme speed for relatively low costs.

The data is transfered exclusively via optic fiber wires. A new modulation technology allows transferring data at these blazing speeds without any repeaters for thousands of kilometers. Peter states that the maximum distance is virtually unlimited.

Of course, there’s yet no practical need for such speeds. No hard drive or SSD can write or even read at such speeds. Their regular data throughputs are mere fractions of what the connection can do.

As stated by Peter, the hardest part of setting up the connection was installing Windows on his mother’s new computer.

it’S A GUY thiNg

2007-07-15T07:27:00.002-07:00

I was recently approached by Scott Seegert and asked if I’d like to review his new book, it’S A GUY thiNg. It’s the first time I’ve ever been contacted by a published author and as I’m not renowned for saying no to freebies I was more than happy to accept.

I received my signed copy of it’S A GUY thiNg last week and have flicking through it and giggling to myself ever since. The book is all about the crazy things that ~~oddballs~~ guys have registered patents for in the past. There are such gems as the “Helmet mounted Pistol” which incorporates a neck support so as not to strain your self when it fires. Patented in 2002 is “Tom’s Buttocks Cleavage-Revealing Pants” which are special pants for the ladies with a certain area of material removed in a nice fashion conscious pattern.

Scott’s writing style suits the subject material perfectly and if he ever fancies blogging he is more than welcome here. He’s given me permission to reproduce a couple of his patent posts here, so enjoy:

George’s Golf Practice Apparatus Patented 1956

Every guy knows that the length of his drive is directly proportional to the length of a specific anatomical member which, for the sake of being discrete, we shall refer to as “Mr. Johnson”. Suffice it to say nobody wants to hit a limp dribbler up the fairway. This explains why the typical guy will spend up to 83% of his pre-tax income on assorted equipment which promises to improve his golf swing.

Well, the best of this equipment, as determined by total weight, is George’s revolutionary golf practice apparatus (GPA), a device once described by Rube Goldberg as being “a bit complicated”. The GPA will allow any run of the mill guy to increase the length of his Johnson, err, drive right in the comfort of his very own structurally reinforced den or recreation room. For those interested, the GPA comes unassembled and all that you’ll require to put it together is a ¾” box wrench, an acetylene torch and Stephen Hawking. Once assembled, simply lubricate twice daily at points 1 through 203, and the GPA will stand ready to offer years of faithful service.

Jack’s No-Slip Hairpiece

If you’re a guy who wears a hairpiece, you’re all too familiar with the situation: one moment you’re showing off for the ladies by executing a perfect half-gainer into the clubhouse pool, and the next you appear to startled bystanders to be a man in a flesh-tone bathing cap trying frantically to rescue what seems to be a large guinea pig from the pool’s filter. That’s right – that darned hairpiece has fallen off yet again, supplying onlookers with another great anecdote at your expense.
Well, wind, water, starved predatory birds – nothing, and we mean nothing, is going to tear the no-slip hairpiece from its wearer’s dome. The secret lies in the plastic horseshoe-shaped component which is permanently, that’s right – permanently, attached to the head at the existing hairline via adhesives or braiding. The hairpiece itself contains a matching component that fits up to the head-mounted piece like a door hinge. Once aligned correctly, flexible pins are inserted through the hinge tunnel and the removable portion is rooted firmly in place. The result is a hair replacement system in which the wearer, after careful and meticulous grooming utilizing the latest advancements in hairstyling technology, could easily pass for a guy with a small cat asleep on his head.
As Jack points out, the non-permanent portion of the hairpiece may be quickly and easily removed “when conditions of privacy prevail”. Oh, we have a feeling they’ll prevail, all right.

You can buy It’s a Guy Thing from Amazon for $11.16 and it’s worth every penny.

Tagz - Geeky LED Dog Tags

2007-07-15T07:27:00.001-07:00

Want to stand out at the next geek party and make people remember your name? Tagz the animated geek tag does the trick.

Stand out in the crowd, and make an impression with this customizable scrolling LED dog tag. They look awesome in the dark and are great for nights outs, whether you use it to pull or to offend. It is completely programmable to say what you want, with messages being easy and fast to enter using three button on the back.

You can get a Tagz for £10 (~$20) from the Red5 Gadget shop.

Concept cellphone take Transformers route

2007-07-15T07:26:00.002-07:00

The folks at Parkoz Hardware must be smoking some pretty strong stuff to come up with this Transformer-inspired cellphone, changing from your average clamshell handset into a bi-pedal mini weapon of mass destruction which looks like the ED-209 of Robocop fame. A pair of miniguns are more than enough to shred away anything in its path though, and could work great when it comes to threatening your boss for a pay raise. I wonder what the battery life is on this thing, and what do the miniguns actually use as bullets? Broken pieces of plastic?

Source: Gizmodo

Beurer PM 100 heart rate monitor looks like a watch

2007-07-15T07:26:00.001-07:00

For those who are serious in their fitness training, a heart rate monitor is definitely something they on of the devices at the top of their shopping list, ensuring that these athletes remains within the optimal BPM range in order to maximize the effectiveness of their cardio training or weight loss program. While most of us are familiar with chest-strapped heart rate monitors, these aren’t exactly the most popular devices in the world because short of being uncomfortable to wear, they are also annoying and get in the way as you go about with your fitness regime. Beurer hopes to solve this problem by coming up with a watch-like device in the form of the PM 100.

What makes the Beurer PM 100 different from the rest other than its form factor? Before we continue, let’s take a look at how other companies have approached this matter. Adidas, the sporting apparel giant, did try to build this sensor into a tight training shirt before while NuMetrex has incorporated the heart rate monitor into a sports bra for women, but I still think the watch form factor of the PM 100 is the most convenient. You wear it as half a glove, where it will obtain your heart rate from your index finger by using photoplethysmography.

There’s one snag though - it probably won’t be a fan favorite with those who need to use their hands in a sport, but for the majority of the rest who perform running or other pure cardio exercise will find this to be an extremely comfortable solution. Photoplethysmography is a process that shines a red LED on the surface of your index finger, and measures the reflected light back to a photodiode. The changes in reflective light will be calculated to give you the final reading. The PM 100 also tells you your calorie consumption and acts as a watch, alarm, and stopwatch simultaneously. There is no word on pricing as at press time.

Source: Gizmag

Autobot Keychain Light

2007-07-15T07:25:00.001-07:00

Remember the Fantastic 4 signal as well as the Batman signal that drew those superheroes out from their respective pads during times of trouble? The Autobot Keychain Light attempts to do that, but unfortunately you’ll have to break it to little Johnny that Optimus Prime is probably rusting, er, resting away happily on Cybertron so he cannot attend to this distress call. You can only view the Autobot logo in pitch black darkness. The Autobot Keychain Light retails for $8 a pop and could go a long way in placating your Transformers-mad kid.

Product Page via Nerd Approved

AirDrives for safer hearing

2007-07-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like having your own private space while tuning in to your favorite music on your iPod. Most of us tend to ditch the standard pair of headphones that come with our iPods, investing a little bit extra for that upmarket pair of earbuds to give us a better bang for our buck. Unfortunately, most people these days equate loudness with the quality of a pair of earbuds, and younger folks tend to crank the volume all the way up while rocking to the latest Top 40 hits. This doesn’t bode too well for your ears, and it could certainly be a health hazard especially when you’re walking or jogging around in public as being tuned out from your surroundings could result in a nasty accident. The AirDrives from Mad Catz aim to prevent that from happening. More details after the jump.

While most designs these days come in cupped headphones or in-canal earbuds, both of them encourage the listener to zone out. The AirDrives takes a whole new spin on the situation, marrying the best qualities of both camps by giving us small speakers with an over-the-ear clip which make them extremely portable due to their small size. A new technique known as InAir has also been incorporated into the AirDrives, letting these buds sit over the ear canal instead of inside. This change in placement not only produces a more natural sound, but it also prevents the buds from tuning you out from your surrounding environment by letting in some ambient noise. While audiophiles will launch a vehement protest, it must be said having an idea of what’s going on around you is important especially when you’re on the road.

The AirDrives will be available in two flavors - the regular Adult-sized model and a Kids model which will retail for $100 and $70 respectively when they’re released this September across all retail stores.

Source: Electronista

Concept video camera transfers data wirelessly

2007-07-15T07:23:00.002-07:00

Designer Johan Frossen has come up with this concept video recording device that seems to jump out of a sci-fi movie. The user wears this over their eye, letting it record whatever they see, making this a truly cool hands-free video camera. You wear this camera around your neck, where a semi-large lens and microphone reside on one end. There is no need to stuff memory inside this thing though, since it will upload all your video in real-time wirelessly to a nearby computer, but the downside would be remaining within the vicinity of a wireless network. Wish I could beam one of these from stores.

Product Page

Mathmos Light Charms for your cellphone

2007-07-15T07:23:00.001-07:00

Turning your cellphone ringer off is a given whenever you enter a library, museum, cinema, or church, but more often than not we tend to miss out on calls as the vibration of the handset itself isn’t too strong by any means. The Mathmos Light Charms for your cellphone solves this problem, blinking crazily whenever there is an incoming call courtesy of radio frequency emissions. You can choose from a mini light bulb version or a mini lamp lava version in white, blue, or red colors. They retail for approximately $12 a pop. Be forewarned though – these can be rather blinding especially in a dark place like the cinema.

Product Page via Technabob

Logitech’s MX Air is out and it’s looking good

2007-07-15T07:22:00.001-07:00

Back in June, we reported on Logitech’s new MX Air mouse. Now, in mid-July, it’s finally out and the reviews are in. So far, they’ve been excellent. For those wondering why a mouse is even remotely interesting to them, you should know that the MX Air lets you control your computer using hand gestures in the air. The best part of this though, those hand gestures actually work.

Just like the iPhone’s flicking and pinching, the MX Air uses fairly natural movements to control your home media, meaning when you use this in the air, it’s generally for controlling a home media PC. A wave to the left or right will adjust the volume, and flick will skip to your next track. Once you’re done listening to some tunes or watching a video, you still need a high quality mouse. There, the MX Air is great as well, with a standard laser tracker and good ergonomics (although it looks odd, eh?).

Besides the interesting Freespace commands and stylish design, this mouse is fairly boring. Rather than going completely wireless with Bluetooth, the MX Air uses a 2.4 GHz receiver, leaving you with an annoying USB dongle to plug in. Other than supporting the fair bit of users without Bluetooth, this seems silly. I would think anyone paying $150 for a mouse would have some for of Bluetooth. . . There’s also an equally stylish charging station for the Li-on battery.

Those nifty little hand gestures and cool yellow lights are really going to cost you. For the privilege of owning the MX Air, you’ll have to fork over $150. I’m still happy with my $50 Mighty Mouse or a standard USB mouse.

Product Page

HP invents color matching technology

2007-07-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Most men face the day by slamming the alarm off, getting out of bed and hitting the showers straight away while getting rid of whatever whiskers that have grown overnight. Not too long after that, they just pick from a whole row of suits and dress up, ready to head off to work. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for women - they seem to have a whole ritual to go through before stepping foot out of the door. One of them includes putting on makeup, and boy are you in for a tough time when the lady of your life asks you whether her makeup matches or not. A makeup mismatch is more often than not a major social faux pas for any lady, but thankfully help is coming our way in the form of a text message.

Hewlett-Packard has successfully developed a new service which is capable of receiving photos from cellphone cameras, putting them through sophisticated image-processing algorithms, and coming up with scientifically based recommendations for the shade of foundation, lipstick, blush and eye shadow that best suits a person’s skin tone. Sounds like beauty has been given a modern thrust, enabling modern ladies to look their best by sending a mere MMS to the service provider.

While all of this sounds as though we’re already living in an Utopian era, it does make me wonder whether meticulous females who think that they themselves can’t find a perfect color match would be willing to fall back on a decision made by a machine that does nothing but process 1s and 0s. I say when it comes to beauty and color matching, everything is relative, and you’re sure to find a group of people on either end of the bell curve while the rest of the population agrees on a certain match.

Source: Scientific American

3.9G network hits 300Mbps

2007-07-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

So this Swedish lady might hold the world record for the fastest home Internet connection on the planet, but you can bet your bottom Torrent that such technology, while workable in theory, won’t be making its way into your homes anytime soon. Forget about watching up to 1,500 High Definition channels simultaneously when a TV can’t even display that many screens, and your brain won’t be able to handle such information overload. What we have today is something much more achievable and will be made available to ordinary citizens like you and I when 2009 rolls around. Of course, this is currently limited to those living in the Land of the Rising Sun, but rest assured the Super G cellular service will be available worldwide after its debut in Japan.

The Super G cellular service that will be first tested in Tokyo is capable of hitting speeds of up to 300 Mbps - that is roughly up to 100 times faster than what the fastest 3G network can offer. What does this mean for the average Joe? No more lag when it comes to downloading and streaming videos, although I wonder how content will be charged with such ease and convenience to the end user. Apparently NTT DoCoMo has christened this new network Super G or 3.9G (the answer to why not move on to 4G directly still eludes me) and will be used as an intermediary before moving on to 4G. What’s 4G then - holograms ala Star Wars?

Tests of the Super G network will initially be confined to single base station and phone pairings, but will slowly expand to include multiple base stations performing hand offs. In due time, both stations and client side units will utilize a quartet of MIMO antennas each when nudging data along at upload and download speeds of 80Mbps and 300Mbps respectively. The Super G network uses several frequency bands, where some of them are 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 MHz. If you’re interested to know, standard 3G in Japan uses just the 5 MHz band.

Source: TG Daily

New Faucet Design can save up to 70% on water bills

2007-07-15T07:19:00.001-07:00

Water waste is rather common in your average household. Water running while brushing teeth, water running while washing hands, water running just to get the cold water out of the way to get to the hotter water in a bath tub. And all that wasted water is money down the drain. So when a sub-fifty dollar gadget that can reduce water bills by up to 70% arrives on the scene, it can be very attractive addition to the home.

Last year we featured it, but with Summer heating up and water bills on the rise, we thought it was a good time to reintroduce the EZ Touchless Infrared Sensor Faucet. Attaching to your kitchen or bathroom sink, this gadget relies on Point-N-Lock technology which allows infrared sensors to detect movement as hands reach under it. This turns turns the water on and off automatically.

Powered by 4 AAA batteries (not included) which can last up to 18 months, the EZ Faucet is fully automatic – but users can override that with a manual override on/off switch.

Other features include: adjustable temperature and pressure settings, complete hands-free operation which avoids germ transmission, universal fittings that allow it to go on any existing sink’s faucet, ease of installation, and manual control of temperature and water flow.

To save 70% of wasted water? That makes it not only good for the environment, but at around $50 pricetag, a sure fire investment for the home.

Intel jumps onto OLPC bandwagon

2007-07-15T07:14:00.002-07:00

Looks like the suits at Intel has rescinded on their previous decision and decided to hop onto the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) bandwagon, putting aside petty differences that arose initially when the huge processor company decided to come up with its own cheap and affordable piece of computing for developing countries throughout the world earlier this year. This has opened up a whole new world of possibilities, where both the non-profit group and Intel will begin collaborating on technology and educational content in an effort to raise the computer literacy rate around the world.

According to CEO of Intel,”Joining OLPC is a further example of our commitment to education over the last 20 years and our belief in the role of technology in bringing the opportunities of the 21st century to children around the world.” This means that the immediate target of this partnership would be to reduce costs further, from an already rock bottom price of $175 to approximately $100 when volume shipping begins this September. It is interesting to note that Intel’s own budget laptop dubbed the Classmate retails more than $200 while running on windows. Some people see this as a merger, claiming that the more powerful party would be 800lb gorilla Intel.

With Intel’s seemingly bottomless pockets to fund research of the OLPC beyond the latter’s wildest imaginations, things could go awry in the end as both parties are bound to have a head to head clash over the final form of the project, with the microprocessor used being the main concern here. There is the potential for AMD to end up as the big loser in this scenario, but let’s hope that Intel’s intention of joining is noble and not just meant to reap a handsome reward at the expense of others. Others see this move as a very clever one, especially when it comes to building brand loyalty in the younger ones. What do you think of the entire situation at the moment? A pure stroke of corporate genius?

Source: Linux Insider

Pocket-sized tunes with this saxophone

2007-07-15T07:14:00.001-07:00

If you’re musically inclined and want to take some stress off a hard day at work, what better way than to belt out a few tunes with the Maui Pocket Saxophone?

“This is the pocket saxophone that is handmade from bamboo cut from groves in the rainforests of east Maui and dried for six months before construction begins. Each stalk of bamboo can vary in wall thickness, resulting in a unique instrument each time one is made. About the size of a standard recorder, the instrument is tuned to C and can play a two-octave fully-chromatic scale. The large round mouthpiece is fitted with a tenor saxophone reed, which gives the instrument its unique rich deep sound, two octaves lower than conventional flutes of the same size, nearer to a clarinet. It is small enough to fit in a backpack or purse.”

Each of these tiny musical wonders measure 13″x 1.5″ and weighs 3 oz. You’ll have to fork out $79.95 for one of these (musical lessons not included).

Product Page

XCM Mini Guitar for pint sized gaming

2007-07-15T07:13:00.001-07:00

Guitar Hero 2 was definitely a big hit on the previous generation of consoles (specifically the Xbox and PS2), but sometimes we just want to laze on a couch while going through the motions of Guitar Hero 2. Unfortunately, the full-sized guitar doesn’t allow you that luxury, which is why this XCM Mini Guitar enables you to do exactly that by coming in a palm-friendly size. The body is made from actual wood like a real guitar, so you don’t have to worry about cheap plastic parts. Additional features include a heavy duty metal whammy bar and buttons located along the guitar’s neck that light up.

Product Page via Technabob

Brando readies USB Can Cooler And Warmer

2007-07-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Brando has yet another interesting yet useful gadget to have by your computer, and this time it is the USB Can Cooler And Warmer. Perfect for people on either spectrum who want their hot drinks to remain just that - hot, while folks who love a cold can of cola wish to maintain that coolness minus the diluting effects of ice. The USB Can Cooler And Warmer fits the bill perfectly, marrying chilling and warming technology using USB power without the need for an external adapter. This $32 device can cool your can below 18 to 20 degrees of the ambient temperature, while heating a drink up to 65 degrees more thanks to the set point thermostat.

Product Page

Plaxo,, or, you have the option of never consolidating your contacts,,

2007-07-15T07:11:00.002-07:00

Wow,, so many of you may have tried Plaxo,, back in the day (it was a Wednesday,, about 3 or 4 years ago I think). Well, they’re back,, and surprisingly,, they’re great!

I’ve been wrestling with organizing and consolidating my contacts for years,, I’ve got hotmail, gmail, yahoo-mail, and more,, plus my old Palm Pilot data too. Since my pilot died,, ugh,, (still waiting for you Gandalf (or iPhone)) I haven’t been happy at all with my contacts and scheduling, and as my phone isn’t particularly web savvy well, let’s just say I’ve been vexed with integrating everything. It seems those worries are coming to an end.

Yeeehaww!!

Testing: In no time at all I had brought my Palm data into my yahoo account (just click on the sync help button in yahoo mail and it brought all my Palm Vcard data in (it’s not too hard,, select all your contacts then export vcard)). Then in Plaxo, I selected, Yahoo-mail,, then Gmail, then Hotmail.

Voila!! All my woes,, gone!!! check the Plaxo video!

I was actually a little shocked at how well it worked. I had well over 1400 contacts, and it all went through in nearly no time at all. There are a bundle of other options available with Plaxo too. Their Calendar portion looks smooth and works like all the others you are used to. I’m limited as to getting my calendar data in, since Scrybe (you may remember I joined the beta a while back when my Palm died, it has worked well, but not being able to access it in real time (Palm Pilot/smartphone style, it’s been really frustrating after being spoiled like that for so long). Once Scrybe hits phase 3 in their beta they will be able to export and I’ll be able to Plaxo all my actions for the coming year (phew!)

There’s also provisions for a lot of web 2.0ish stuff in Plaxo as well. There is basically a feed reader keyed to your contacts, so you can track what is going on with people you know,, if you’re into that. I myself, don’t feel that I know enough people that are out there posting,, taking pictures and generally updating their sites enough, nor, quite frankly, am I bothered to. Since I switched over to Google Reader, I’ve been pretty much on there for all my info, and whenever I really need to go out and get more info, I read through my friend’s sites.

The one or two drawbacks that are there, are my regular complaints, they don’t integrate the other features I really enjoy. I want to bring my del.icio.us tags in,, and though I’m still resistant to doing it (like I need my head plugged in more) Twitter. The one drawback that really torques me out is the note-taking. They simply refer to them as notes, with tagging, and linking to both Plaxo groups (think Microsoft OneNote style, time stamping, and link and image capture it could really be the end all be all,,, (I hope you guys are listening!) ) Also more finite selections for tasks. I can only assume more task data will be coming, as there is a percentage shown,, yet there is only a checkbox to indicate completeness.

I know that’s asking a lot,, but they’ve done so much so well, it’s hard to believe it won’t be there soon.

Seriously folks, this is a solution that’s free (I’m really staring at upgrading to their premium account to link my linked in account too, but for now,, it’s an expense I won’t be incurring)

Go to Plaxo Here’s the link to the video demo.

MusicPal brings free music wirelessly to your room

2007-07-15T07:11:00.001-07:00

The MusicPal from Freecom really lives up to it’s namesake, giving you access to 5,000 stations through the Internet. If you prefer to ‘craft’ your own station, just do so with your personal collection of MP3s. This piano black audio device sports WiFi connectivity, hooking up to live RSS or blog feeds while displaying such data on a 128 x 64 LCD display complete with a Favorites button and scrolls wheels. The Linux Kernel 2.6 runs the whole show, where additional features include an alarm clock, a loudspeaker, and WiFi connectivity. Interested parties can pick the MusicPal up this August for $178 a pop. Let’s hope Internet radio doesn’t die by then.

Product Page via Gear Live

The cruel, cruel Demon Dialer

2007-07-15T07:10:00.001-07:00

You may not know this, but I’m a big fan of the daily gadget podcast known as Daily Giz Wiz. It’s a show that covers the not-so-covered gadgets; you’ll hear about gadgets you never thought existed. Now, to end this little plug, let me just say that if you like this site and like a good laugh, check out the Daily Giz Wiz. I brought this up because, on a recent episode, they covered a gadget from the past, known as the Demon Dialer. Take a guess at its cruel, cruel purpose in life.

If you didn’t guess a device that could redial a certain number up to 25 times a minute (yes, minute!), you should’ve, as that’s exactly what the Demon Dialer does. Granted, there are real reasons to use this device, but the malicious ones come to mind a lot quicker. This device was used when you would call some big company and often get the busy signal, so the Demon Dialer would simply keep calling until you got through. At that point, it would alert you so that you’d pick up the phone and start yalking. Although the Demon Dialer has been discontinued, there’s a product known as the PowerDialer that’s exactly like it– it keeps calling until it gets through.

If you really want the modern-day Demon Dialer, it’s going to cost you $250. I’d rather just wait the 10 minutes it takes to get through, especially when it means saving $250.

Fabric by Sprout Design

2007-07-11T11:19:00.001-07:00

Wouldn't a bolt of this look great nestled between two sheets of plexy and put up on a stark wall? Modern mixed with vintage? From Australian designer Pamela Walker comes fabric showcasing a Skipping Girl in chocolate brown just in time to put a smile on my face. There's also the Skipping Boy in blue, in case you were wondering.

Via Bloesem.

Bosie-Boo Child Out of Distance Monitor

2007-07-11T11:18:00.005-07:00

Here's a half-way step between reins and letting your child run completely free: the Child Out of Distance Monitor.

The child wears the smaller unit, and the parent sets a distance he or she feels safe with, from 5 to 50 metres. An alarm then goes off if the child wanders out of this radius.

That all sounds fine, except that it doesn't actually tell you where your child has gone - and with a fifty metre radius, I can imagine that might be a slight problem.

wallpaper tree by inke heiland

2007-07-11T11:18:00.003-07:00

Birds and trees, birds and trees - my house can't have enough of these...or at least that is how my signifigant other feels. But the wallpaper tree in particular I really like too. Dutch designer Inke Heiland came up with this idea while creating her son's room. Each kit comes with the tree in five pieces, 84 leaves, a brush and hanging instructions. You can also add a birdhouse that lights up if you'd like a nightlight built-in, and of course you can further customize it by adding birds. Choose from: spring, summer, fall or winter.

The set is hand cut from vintage 60s and 70s wallpaper and since you have so many options of how to arrange the leaves and birds, each one will look different. The entire family can help put it up, making the room distinctly yours.

Gotta Getta GittaBag

2007-07-11T11:18:00.001-07:00

The brainchild of industrial designer and mother for three Hagit Neeman-Gorny, GittaBags is a diverse line of extremely stylish AND functional bags designed specifically for parents. Ranging from a multi-pocketed weekender to diaper bags, to sachets, and even kids' packs, the company has the most extensive inventory of chic choices I've ever seen. Each is constructed from rugged materials and meticulously sewn for style that should last a while. Functional and sophisticated? I really wish I'd known about them sooner! Available piccolinionline and gagonline.

PS I picked very bold items to highlight, but GittaBags has hues to match every style or mood.

Bambu's Baby Fork and Spoon

2007-07-11T11:17:00.003-07:00

If the simple life with kids could be interpreted into utensils, it would look like this baby fork and spoon set by Bambu. Streamlined, unfussy, casual, utilitarian, durable. Each piece is made of 100% organically grown bamboo that is then coated with natural food safe wood oil and has curved edges for easy gripping. To note: a package comes with two sets for $12. A nice alternative to the silver spoon.

There's also a kid's fork and spoon, for the older ones.

Plane lights and dinosaur lights

2007-07-11T11:17:00.001-07:00

There's just something so delightful about these strings of lights from Tots' Planet.

The aeroplanes glow in the dark for a while even after they have been switched off, and give you some of that very special feeling you get when you're flying late at night, looking down at all the lights below. Or looking up at the stars from the ground.

It makes sense for aeroplanes to be strung in the air, but there's less logic behind a string of dinosaurs. Nevertheless, I like their jellified looks.

Both sets of lights are suitable for children's rooms, since they remain cool to the touch and conform to safety standards.

Wanart Lunar signs

2007-07-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Do you know your kids' lunar signs? My kid is a monkey and the baby is a dog (like me). These sweet illustrations of the lunar animals by Wanart can be found on totes, onesies, greeting cards and other stationery goods. I especially love the tote bags and would love to get the girls a bag each with their respective animals.
source: Babygadget

klt:kids (mobiles+onesies+plush)

2007-07-11T11:15:00.002-07:00

Kristin Loffer Theiss's has a great line of products on her site Kltworks. We are always on the hunt for interesting handmade baby products. In addition to her watercolors and drawings in thread, she also makes one of a kind toys and mobiles for babies. You can get the mobile pictured above in color or in high contrast black and white (pictured below) - baby's favorite.

source : Babygadget

Samsung introduces new L-series cameras

2007-07-11T11:15:00.001-07:00

Samsung has today announced three new L-series digital cameras. The 7MP L730 and 8MP L830 both feature a 3x optical zoom and 2.5" LCD alongside Samsung's Intelligent Face Recognition Technology and ISO1600 capability. The L83T meanwhile adds ASR (Advanced Shake Reduction) - Samsung's pseudo-stabilization system which detects camera movement and applies an inverse correction during image processing. All three are due to arrive in the UK in August with price tags between £119 and £179.

Hop into the driving seat with Kangaroo.tv

2007-07-10T20:13:00.001-07:00

Here’s one for live motor-sport fans: Selectable camera feeds of the event you’re at plus real time statistics and team-driver communications, all on a hand-held package that you hire for the day and take around with you. How cool is that?

Kangaroo.tv have partnered with various broadcasters and racing organizations to arrange live coverage of Formula One, Nascar and Le mans events on their hand held device, ensuring that when you’re at the event you never miss a thing.

The package includes the portable TV viewer and a pair of ear-defender style headphones. The really neat thing is the control you get; you can select from 10 camera feeds, including a mix view that keeps you with the action and various in-cockpit cameras for that immersive “drivers-eye” view. You can also get statistics on teams and drivers (race position, top speeds, lap times etc), all updated in real time as the race progresses. For audio you can listen to the standard PA commentary or any of the available team-driver communications.

The package is available for rental on race days at the Kangaroo.tv stand - at the British Grand Prix this weekend it was £50 for the 3 days which seems pretty good value to me, considering what you get out of it.

Rock Festivals give student a disposable idea …

2007-07-10T20:12:00.002-07:00

According to organizers of the annual Glastonbury Festivals, concert goers who spend the week rocking out tend to abandon the tents they sleep in during the rockfest. And it’s growing from 10,000 abandoned tents in 2005, to 15,000 this year. Not very environment friendly in these globally sensitive economic times.

But what seems like a budding ecologic disaster in Glastonbury, turns into an economic opportunity to Designer James Dunlop, who’s Myhab disposable habitats can solve the problem of what to do with tens of thousands of barely used, yet abused, tents left behind. “People use and abuse their tents because they are so cheap,” Dunlop said, “they are just tired and want to go home after festivals. They do not want to mess about putting their tent away.”

That’s why myHab was born, but that’s not the only use Dunlop envisions. There’s also disaster relief and with 2012 Olympics coming to London, and possibilities for incoming sports fans are endless.

Made out of waterproof, yet disposable cardboard and plastic, the MyHab has enough room for two, can easily be erected and dismantled in a few minutes, and contains ammenties like a cushioned sleep pad, a locker secured by PIN number, and even lighting. After use, myHab will be dismantled by the company and properly recycled.

And not only did venture capitalists recognize the potential and help Dunlop create Myhab Limited is based in London, but the myHab also recently won an award at the New Designers Exhibition.

No word on sale or rental rates, but Dunlop hopes to launch myHab next year.

Help me, I’m falling and I can’t get up!

2007-07-10T20:12:00.001-07:00

Jokes aside, falling down is something everyone experiences as they grow up, as well as old. While little kids tumble and fall about due to their carelessness or less developed physique, they recover pretty fast from each fall only to come back stronger. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for older folks since falls can kill an elderly under certain cases (sharp edges around furniture, knocking one’s head on the floor, broken bones that cannot heal, the list goes on). The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) has just released a statement, mentioning it has successfully developed a cellphone system for elderly people, sensing if they have already toppled over and subsequently informing family and medical providers instantly.

This is made possible as the cellphone is equipped with a sensor carried on the belt that is capable of detecting sudden movement such as a fall, sending a signal to a computer in a hospital. Not only that, the computer will then call the person to see if he/she is hurt. Should the patient require some form of assistance, the computer will report that need to the hospital’s emergency center and family. Through the clever use of GPS technology, the device can now pinpoint the exact location of the patient for hospital workers to rush to the exact location within a short time. Due to a transfer of technology to communications companies last month, this new system is expected to go online sometime next year.

According to the ETRI Bioinformatics Team leader Park Soo-jun, “When the size of the sensor is reduced, seniors will be able to carry it in the form of a belt buckle or a brooch. They’ll be able to download a program that senses the signal from the sensor to any mobile phone they’re using.” This system looks like a prime candidate to be used in nursing homes and hospitals that are endowed with an Internet connection, letting users carry nothing more than the sensor instead of a cellphone. Like anything and everything good, this can’t roll out fast enough.

Source: Digital Chosunibo

NASA buys space station toilet

2007-07-10T20:11:00.001-07:00

I suppose it takes more than just unzipping one’s fly when trying to relieve oneself in the gravity-less environment of space. Since drinks in a glass often end up as globules of water in space, it just makes me wonder what a stream of urine will look like. Tiny droplets floating around? Anyway, I dare not carry my imagination further and leave the thinking to those who are paid to do so - the brilliant folks at NASA. Apparently, after whipping out their calculator, it seems that NASA concluded paying $19 million to purchase a Russian-built international space station toilet system is by far more affordable than building one from scratch.

According to Lynnette Madison, a NASA spokeswoman, building a space station toilet system is somewhat the equivalent of building a municipal treatment center on earth, which is no mean feat by any standards. Another notable advantage would be the familiarity of the astronauts navigating their way through the system when using it, since it is similar in nature to the current one in place at the space station. What’s more, this new system is more than capable of producing pure drinking water after processing the urine collected in a device. It is expected that this space station toilet system will arrive sometime next year, offering a whole lot more privacy to a crew that is tipped to double from three to half a dozen by 2009. This system will be installed on the American side, whereas the current toilet system on the Russian side will continue operating.

For the benefit of those on earth, the space station toilet physically resembles those found down here, save for the addition of additional leg restraints and thigh bars that prevent astronauts from floating away while performing their “business”. Fans will suck any sort of waste into the commode, and each crew member has individual urine funnels which are attached to hoses. So while Americans won the race to the moon first, I presume Russian cosmonauts were the first to have a better time relieving themselves in space.

Source: Xinhua Online

Girlfriend Bikini Pillow

2007-07-10T20:10:00.002-07:00

We’ve had the lap pillow for the women and now it’s time for us blokes, here’s the girlfriend pillow.

The girlfriend pillow is suitably attired in a bikini, and won’t complain when it is forced to watch the original Star Wars trilogy for the umpteenth time. It also has the ability to vibrate, though why you’d want a vibrating torso with one arm I’ll leave to you.

The girlfriend pillow is expected at Collections etc. in 2008, found via Funniest Gadgets.

Absurd: The Giant Swiss Army Knife

2007-07-10T20:10:00.001-07:00

Even the Swiss are going crazy! Usually, a swiss army knife can be described by one short phrase: minimalistic and practical.

This means that you get a bunch of useful functions out of a small and simple to use device. Well, now, the ’small’ part seems to be totally out. How about 9 whole inches of width?

Of course, there’s an awful lot of functions in there (85 fully functional implements), but none of the tools is now practical, simply due to the ginormous size of this. This really deserves to be categorized as a ‘Wacky Gadget’.

Click on for an extensive list of features. Hell, there’s even a tire pressure gauge in there!

2.5″ 60% Serrated locking blade
Nail file, nail cleaner
Corkscrew
Adjustable pliers with wire crimper and cutter
Removable screwdriver bit adapter
2.5″ Blade for Official World Scout Knife
Spring-loaded, locking needle-nose pliers with wire cutter
Removable screwdriver bit holder
Phillips head screwdriver bit 0
Phillips head screwdriver bit 1
Phillips head screwdriver bit 2Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5mm x 3.5mm
Flat head screwdriver bit 0.6mm x 4.0mm
Flat head screwdriver bit 1.0mm x 6.5mm
Magnetized recessed bit holder
Double-cut wood saw with ruler (inch & cm)
Bike chain rivet setter, removable 5mm allen wrench, screwdriver for slotted and philips head screws
Removable tool for adjusting bike spokes, 10mm hexagonal key for nuts
Removable 4mm curved allen wrench with philips head screwdriver
Removable 10mm hexagonal key
Patented locking philips head screwdriverUniversal wrench
2.4″ Springless scissors with serrated, self-sharpening design
1.65″ Clip point utility blade
Philips head screwdriver
2.5″ Clip point blade
Golf club face cleaner
2.4″ Round tip blade
Patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, can opener
Golf shoe spike wrench
Golf divot repair tool
4mm allen wrench2.5″ blade
Fine metal file with precision screwdriver
Double-cut wood saw
Cupped cigar cutter with double-honed edges
12/20-Guage choke tube tool
Watch caseback opening tool
Snap shackle
Mineral crystal magnifier with precision screwdriver
Compass, straight edge, ruler (in./cm)
Telescopic pointerFish scaler, hook disgorger, line guide
Shortix laboratory key
Micro tool holder
Micro tool adapter
Micro scraper - straight
Micro scraper - curved
Laser pointer with 300 ft. range
Metal saw, metal file
Flashlight
Micro tool holderPhilips head screwdriver 1.5mm
Screwdriver 1.2mm
Screwdriver .8mm
Fine fork for watch spring bars
Reamer
Pin punch 1.2mm
Pin punch .8mm
Round needle file
Removable tool holder with expandable receptacle
Removable tool holder
Special self-centering screwdriver for gunsights
Flat philips head screwdriver
Chisel-point reamerMineral crystal magnifier, fork for watch spring bars, small ruler
Extension tool
Spring-loaded, locking flat nose-nose pliers with wire cutter
Removable screwdriver bit holder
Phillips head screwdriver bit 0
Phillips head screwdriver bit 1
Phillips head screwdriver bit 2
Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5mm x 3.5mm
Flat head screwdriver bit 0.6mm x 4.0mm
Flat head screwdriver bit 1.0mm x 6.5mm
Magnetized recessed bit holder
Tire tread gauge
Fiber optic tool holderCan opener
Patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, wire stripper
Reamer/awl
Toothpick
Tweezers
Key ring

Though this list is huge, cramming so many tools in a swiss army knife is overdone to say the least. I really hope it’s not designed to be a practical tool, but just a collectible or something to brag about.

The price isn’t small, as well: it retails for £499,99 (yup, one thousand bucks) at FireBox. Found via GeekAlerts.

AMD unveils TV Wonder products

2007-07-10T20:09:00.001-07:00

AMD aims to please those who use the computer as their primary means of entertainment, and this time it is the ATI TV Wonder range of products that bring both the analog and digital worlds together. Both resemble that of a USB flash drive, plugging into your desktop or notebook to bring the world of high definition TV (HDTV) into the comfort of your living room, complete with digital video recording capabilities. What are the two devices being paraded today? Why, the ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe and the ATI TV Wonder 600 USB, of course. Read more about the specifications after the jump.

The ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe , being the top of the line device, is a combination tuner DVR that comes with ClearQAM tuning, enabling computer users to be on the receiving end of unencrypted digital content which is available from their local cable television provider. Not only that, users get the ability to switch between analog and digital TV to watch and record a digital TV program while watching or recording another analog TV channel simultaneously. I guess the bigger headache would be finding the time to watch all the recorded shows, but that’s definitely a good problem to have. As for the external plug-and-play ATI TV Wonder 600 USB, this device turns your computer into an instant DVR complete with a bunch of features that will keep any multimedia buff happy.

Both devices will feature AMD’s very own Catalyst Media Center software that works seamlessly with Windows Vista Media Center and Windows XP Media Center Edition. AMD hopes to make the computer as the digital hub in all living rooms in the future, and this is one step towards realizing that dream. The ATI TV Wonder 600 USB comes complete with a credit card-sized IR remote control, an A/V input adapter for video capture from a camcorder or VCR (what - people still use these things?!), as well as the above mentioned bundled software. Both devices are expected to hit North America by September at a yet undisclosed price.

Source: Gizmag

Big Brother in New York keeping tabs

2007-07-10T20:08:00.002-07:00

While you might hear horror stories about the Big Apple, with the rising rate of crime at every nook and cranny, breathe easy as news of the New York Police Department (NYPD) trickles down to us plebeians, informing us that the NYPD is currently working on building a web of surveillance throughout lower Manhattan. The project is extremely ambitious, with word that the final effort will see more than 3,000 public and private security cameras working in tandem to track terrorists as well as criminal suspects. In addition to that level of surveillance and security, around 116 license plate readers will be in place, ready to monitor cars moving through the area which consists of the city’s financial district - making it a prime target for terrorists.

Troublemakers will definitely have to be more careful now, as there are digital eyes watching their every step whether they know it or not. It seems that footage collected by the NYPD’s cameras will be stored, but not indefinitely. Once the 30-day period is over, it will be discarded or recorded over - a wise decision else they will be faced with a serious lack of storage, or even data storage location problems considering the magnitude of video captured over time. Rest assured that these cameras will be used to intercept threat(s) that are imminent, but won’t be used for more nefarious purposes such as collecting data indiscriminately on Joe Public.

There are currently nearly 4,200 public and private surveillance cameras located in downtown Manhattan, whereas other cities (including Chicago and Los Angeles) have taken steps to expand their use of public surveillance cameras for security reasons, and have come up with some rather positive results. They claim that the community loves these cameras as it makes them feel all the more safer when walking about. These cameras don’t come cheap though, costing up to $60,000 each and boast night vision capabilities and can be remote controlled to pan, tilt, zoom, and rotate.

Source: ABC News

For nostalgic techies: Steampunk Watches

2007-07-10T20:08:00.001-07:00

There are pretty many fans of Steampunk, including me. Some die-hard fans have created modern tech disguised under Steampunk masks.

Also, most of today’s watches are quite boring, and follow the same design line. A clean, simple bezel with a leather or metal armband, seamlessly fit most of the time. Some are nice to look at, the others are dedicated to just being practical.

A Japanese company has decided to cater to our taste and manufacture a whole range of steampunk-themed watches. They all respect the intricate, aged theme of the genre, but are powered by modern Seiko or Citizen machinery.

The company offers 30 models of clocks. Some are classically wrist-worn, some fit the back of your palm, one is for a finger (!), and some are classic pocket watches.

What they have in common is the design: everything looks old and worn, but mysteriously advanced. Intricate models and accessories are omnipresent (in fact the only ‘conservative’ model is just to the right of this text). You’ll get to see hinges, screws, springs, all of them left bare for your viewing pleasure.

I’m not sure that all of these are comfortable to wear, but then again these are just for fans and for the pleasure of the eye.

The manufacturer’s site features a nice gallery of all watches (the text is Japanese). By the look of the forms, they are all custom-made when you order them. I couldn’t find any information with regard to pricing.

Found at Akihabara News.

Remote Control Rabbit massages all the right spots

2007-07-10T20:07:00.002-07:00

Women seem to have the upper hand (pun not intended) when it comes to self-pleasuring products, and the Remote Control Rabbit enforces that notion even more. Each purchase comes with a remote control that has a 25 foot range, letting you and your partner have some naughty times together without being physically close. The technology might work from a distance, but logically speaking, it doesn’t really make sense as you can’t use this to surprise your other half in a public place anyway. The Remote Control Rabbit retails for £35.96.

Source: Slashgear

Samsung unveils dedicated blogging handset

2007-07-10T20:07:00.001-07:00

Europeans have the upper hand in mobile blogging now, thanks to Samsung’s efforts in launching the 3G Mobile Blog phone known as the SGH-L760. This slider handset enables users to upload UCC while bypassing a computer, and works great with online services such as YouTube, Ublog, and Buzznet. The Samsung SGH-L760 comes in a chrome silver body and supports RSS readers. It also boasts UMTS connectivity, a 2 megapixel camera, and Bluetooth connectivity. Pricing details are still unknown. Looks set to be a cellphone for hardcore bloggers only.

Source: AVING

New bust procedure takes natural route

2007-07-10T20:06:00.001-07:00

Women have a pretty hard time trying to look their best, with the media constantly bombarding their own version of beautiful, leaving even the hottest goddess insecure about her looks. Apparently, plenty of women grapple with their bust size, giving plastic surgeons a field day at work and that nice, new yacht in the Bahamas. There’s now a new procedure that utilizes fat cells from the stomach or butt, and when mixed with stem cells and injected into the bust area, will result in natural bust growth minus the silicon. The procedure takes just 30 minutes and requires around half a year for results to show. Do you think that women will start lining up for this procedure?

Source: Gizmodo

Cordless LED Grill Light

2007-07-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

There’s nothing quite like grilling some hamburgers on a warm summer evening, and instead of turning the light on in the backyard, why not use the Cordless LED Grill Light? After all, LEDs last longer than bulbs and are weather resistant but I think you’d rather grill burgers during fair weather. It is attached to a grill shelf via a 1″ mouth spring clamp, and features an 18″ flexible neck. The LED is said to last up to 50,000 hours and boasts double the battery life when placed side-by-side with other cordless lamps, minus the excessive heat. The AA battery-powered Cordless LED Grill Light retails for $49.95 each.

MSNBC Reporter Kills Paris Hilton Story - Becomes Internet Sensation

2007-07-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

A lighter and paper shredder helped make Mika Brzezinski the “symbol of television journalism’s guilt trip” about Paris Hilton. Brzezinski used both to destroy a script calling for her to read about Hilton’s release from jail on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program recently. Part serious, part an act, it has become an Internet sensation. More than 2 million people have watched a clip of the incident on YouTube, around 10 times the number who watched it live on TV. Apparently, she’s not the only one sick of the socialite.

“Among journalists it touched a nerve because I think we’re tired of pretending this is important,” she said. “We also know that, deep down inside, our viewers know that we don’t believe this is news. They can’t. They can’t think we’re that dumb.”

Brzezinski, who left CBS News last year, has been working as a news- reader and on-air foil for Joe Scarborough on the show MSNBC is trying out to replace Don Imus in the morning.

Hours after Hilton’s June 26 catwalk to freedom, Joe Scarborough (widget) and Brzezinski discussed one of the day’s other big stories at their show’s opening: influential Republican Sen. Richard Lugar’s declaration that President Bush’s Iraq strategy wasn’t working.

It was then Brzezinski’s turn to sum up the day’s news. She looked down at her script and Hilton was the top story. She froze.

“I could not get through the first three words without crumbling,” she said. “My skin was crawling. This was our lead? On a day like this? To me, it was just the ultimate Paris Hilton out-of-control moment. We’ve gone too far and we’ve got to stop. That was all real. There was nothing planned about that, and I believe we got a little snappy.”

Beurer GmbH heart rate monitoring glove

2007-07-09T10:09:00.001-07:00

Monitor your heart rate in style with the Beurer GmbH heart rate monitoring glove, taking on a more modern look when compared to those archaic belt systems. You still get accurate readings via plethysmography - a method that measures reflected light from an artery found in the index finger while making you look cool in the process. Since it comes in a glove form factor, there is virtually no risk of this falling off anytime soon. Imagine if Michael Jackson wore this during his prime…

Solar-Powered Light Show Wind Chime

2007-07-09T10:08:00.002-07:00

Most wind chimes do nothing but let out a tinkle whenever Mr. Breeze drops by, but this Solar-Powered Light Show Wind Chime does more than just that. It is equipped with four solar panels, powering an LED placed within the crackled texture glass sphere. The LED will work through seven colors at three seconds each, creating star-like patterns on walls and floors. This visual feast is accompanied by tones produced via the five aluminum chimes. No idea how much power this thing can store throughout the day as it would be pretty useless being lighted up anytime other than at night. Pick one up today for $39.95.

ThinkGeek’s Bluetooth Retro Handset

2007-07-09T10:08:00.001-07:00

You’re bound to see somebody with a Bluetooth headset whenever you walk around in public. They’re generally the people you think are crazy because they’re talking to themselves, but, in reality, they have that stupid little headset snugly in their ear. Crazy is always more interesting so it’s usually a let down, for me at least. Sometimes, all that fancy, sleek, and stylish technology can get in the way, and for times like that, you have ThinkGeek’s Bluetooth Retro Handset.

It looks and feels exactly like the lovely germ-infested handsets you see on public telephones scattered across the world. The only difference is that it only has your germs and it’s completely wireless thanks to Bluetooth. Really, this lowly handset actually has Bluetooth built in and will work with any cell phone supporting Bluetooth v 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2.

Unfortunately, and unlike your lovely pay phones, Bluetooth requires battery power, meaning you’ll need to charge your retro handset every so often, which is done via USB. The only other hint of technology in this device is the blue LED which merely indicates function mode. Hopefully that’s simple enough for you.

At $35, ThinkGeek’s Bluetooth Retro Handset is a great gag gift for someone else or even yourself. I’m sure you’ll get a few looks if you walk around with it in the mall, and people will actually think you’re crazy.

Wheelchair design picks up award

2007-07-09T10:07:00.001-07:00

Polish design students have come up with a truly revolutionary design for the humble wheelchair. It looks like a pretty mean machine of war, and is driven by muscular force. The addition of a gyroscope mounted just below the seat enables the wheelchair to remain vertical on just two wheels (sorta like a seated Segway). These wheels measure 26″ in diameter, making them larger than those found on my car. Looks pretty neat - now the world will just have to wait for a working version to be released.

The TP Butler!

2007-07-09T10:06:00.002-07:00

Here’s something that adds style and humor to your bathroom: a faithful butler, holding a roll of toilet paper for you and especially for your guests, ready to serve.

This thing would fit pretty well with a modern, friendly-decorated home. And while most bathrooms have either a conservative or a sleek, modern look, this thing gives it a friendly, homely touch.

What it’s sure to do is bring a smile to you or to a guest, as you look at the slightly embarrassed and certainly scared face. The big eyes hint at quite a suffering, and the pinched nose makes it all clear.

At parties, it’s sure to become a conversation subject, just like any unusual decoration.

Modeled in resin and hand-painted, its price is pretty steep at $99. But then again, any out-of-the-ordinary decoration item comes at a price.

It can hold one roll of toilet paper and store another one in its hat.

Nemo digital magnifier

2007-07-09T10:06:00.001-07:00

Lucky for me, my eyesight isn’t half bad with my ridiculously large-lensed glasses or contacts. For other people, it’s pretty hard to read a newspaper, book, or pill bottle, and in the real extreme cases, those people would need something like the Nemo digital magnifier.

The Nemo is designed to be compact enough so that you can take it with you wherever you go, mainly because you encounter small text at places like the grocery store and mall as well as your house.

Nemo has a few special features that make it a little more useful, one of them being the freeze frame feature which, like a camera, lets a person freeze the magnifier on one spot so that they can focus solely on something especially difficult to read. Besides that, you have your basic magnification (4.5 to 9x) that appears on the beautiful 4″ LCD antiglare screen. When viewing the magnifier, you can pick one of six modes: color, black and white, positive, negative, or in a variety of colored backgrounds. It’s designed to help you see no matter the subject matter.

I think that Nemo is a great idea and with a few of its innovative features, it can be a really useful device for people that have trouble seeing. The only problem is the incredibly expensive price tag: $900. That just seems to be too much.

iPhone gets Instant Messaging: Trillian Astra for iPhone!

2007-07-09T10:05:00.001-07:00

One of the most frequent cause of rants about the iPhone seems about to be solved: Cerulean Studios are working on porting their Trillian Astra cross-protocol instant messenger to Macs and to the iPhone.

Not only that, but they have also started a public alpha testing program. Yes, the application is growing rapidly, and yes, you might get lucky and get to use it soon.

Click on for a big, juicy shot and for some more details.

Trillian Astra has been in development for quite a long while. The main challenge of its creators is to create a smooth multi-platform multi-service application. It might not look all that hard, but it pretty much is, as major IM services (Yahoo!, MSN) block third party clients from fully using their services. Astra for the PC and soon Mac aims to solve these problems.

Found on Friday afternoon in an entry on the developer’s blog titled ‘One more thing’ where I was stunned to find a set of three screenshots (here they are) which revealed a good and at home looking Trillian on an iPhone’s screen.

Even though it’s a browser application, it really looks good. Cerulean Studios (the developer) state that they’ve got the contact list to work (with updating lists and status messages), and also the message windows (which looked like iChat/iPhone SMS).

I used Trillian when I was a Windows user, and was extremely happy with it. Fast, small, very skinnable and expandable, and with great functionality. Now, if there only was a Linux version of it…

Read their full blog entry on the Cerulean Blog.

Bubble Blowing Brush

2007-07-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

Getting kids to do the washing-up is no easy task but this gadget could make that task a little easier, the Bubble Scrubber, when ~~you~~ they get bored of scrubbing they can blow bubbles instead.

A clever blend of practicality and frivolity - It cleans up in the kitchen entertainment stakes! It’ll have you powering through the scouring so you can release your inner child. It’ll have the young ones just about begging to do their share. Hey – it might even make Dad take his turn.

Save a family you know from the post-dinner “it’s your turn / no it’s not” squabble - order the Bubble Scrubber and watch your troubles float away.

Safe Start Stroller Skis for all weather/terrain strolling

2007-07-09T10:02:00.001-07:00

Whether you’re an adventurous parent who loves to take to the bunny ski slopes in winter, or a mom and dad who enjoy lazy afternoons on the beach in summer, lugging around a stroller in extreme terrain can be exhausting. Now, Picabo Street can take her baby on a gold medal downhill run while Pamela Anderson baywatches with her baby in the sand. That’s because taking a stroll in the freezing snow or going to the beach in the middle of summer with Safe Start Stroller Skis can make getting that baby stroller stuck a thing of the past.

Designed for use with newborns to toddlers of 24 months, the Safe Start Stroller Skis fasten easily to the wheels of your stroller, turning it into an outrigger of sorts. Then the stroller can slide smoothly over snow or sand with ease.

The Safe Start Stroller Skis can be used with all types of single and double strollers and fit wheels up to 12-1/2″ dia. They are made of durable and slick polyethylene. Dimensions are 6L x 5-1/2W” and weigh about a pound each.

The Magic Wheel - Part Board, Part Scooter, All Fun

2007-07-09T10:01:00.002-07:00

You don’t often see new types of transportation but the magic wheel is like nothing I’ve seen before, it’s bit like a skate board with one massive and one tiny wheel, then again it also looks a bit like a unicycle.

The story behind the magic wheel goes like follows:

A couple of years ago a Swiss designer was bored and was also sick and tired of everyone whizzing around on aluminum scooters so he thought sod it and retired to the garden shed for a while! The end result is staggering out came a sleek, sexy scooter that when mastered made travelling effortless and at the same time grabbed everyones atttention!

Boost Mobile carries Motorola i452

2007-07-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

Boost Mobile expanded its portfolio by introducing the Motorola i425, one of the slimmest cellphones based on the instant-talk iDEN network. Measuring under 0.5″ in terms of thickness, this candybar handset boasts walkie-talkie capability, support for many IM chat networks, Java applications, and a GPS navigation system. The i425 is pretty affordable, retailing for $60 a pop and coming with $5 of pre-supplied calling time.

Seeing Double Wall Clock

2007-07-09T10:00:00.001-07:00

Check out this Seeing Double Wall Clock. It might look like your standard wall clock at first glance, but peer closer and you’ll find out that it features both minute and hour readings on the same set of markers in different colors. The only way to tell the time in a concise manner would be to have the clock hands (in greed and red transparent film) move over the respective marker, where everything will then become clear. The $108 price tag is definitely cringe inducing though - who’d pay so much for something as simple as this?

Gossamer Whisper Uberlight Pack

2007-07-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Going with an ultralight pack like this is the easiest way to start reducing weight. This simple nylon sack pack weighs 4 ounces. There is no frame. You make a frame by first loading your tent in the bottom. You place your folded sleeping pad so it rests against your back and that gives structure to the pack. If you use folding tent poles, they are inserted inside the folds of the pad to give more structure. On top of the tent goes your sleeping bag. Then you add a couple of zip lock bags on top of that for your food and other belongings. I put my water containers in the outside flap. Then you simply roll the top a few turns and fix it with the velcro straps. There are no zippers, no heavy belts or straps, no compartments, pouches or other extras.

Most people are hooked on features. But, do you really need a separate compartment for your compass and a special web pocket for your water and a map case and three main compartments? I only need one compartment in my pack. Place your things in a few plastic bags. When you want something, pull out the bag you need. It is a relief, actually, to give up on all those compartments, pockets, zippers, thick padded straps, carbon frame and pounds of extras.

When you go the ultralight route your total pack weight will be less than 10 pounds and at that weight, you don't need hiking boots either. They were designed for the olden days when packs were 40 plus pounds. Ultralight trail running shoes are a pleasure to wear.

Take a look at some of the features of some of the best selling, traditional weekend packs: carbon fiber frame, 4 pockets plus main compartment, dual-density padded shoulder straps, load lifter straps, cranial cavity (to make room for your head!), front bungee, tool loops, twin side water bottle pockets, removable lid doubles as a lumbar pack, interchangeable hip belt with fit zone, adjustable sternum strap with integrated whistle. Total weight: 6 pounds 9 ounces. That is 7 ounces less than my pack when it is fully loaded for a two-day trip!

-- John Aebi-Magee

Avoid heaped-up hoods, with the Buggy Buddy

2007-07-09T09:51:00.002-07:00

No matter how good our intentions, we always seem to end up with bags hanging off both handles of our pushchair, and coats, half-eaten bananas, and random items like magazines heaped up on the hood. You'll know as well as I do that this is a recipe for disaster as soon as it rains and you need to unfold the hood, or get on a bus and fold the whole buggy up.

So the Sunshine Kids Buggy Buddy looks like it might answer our problems. Now we can be super-efficient parents, with an insulated area for snacks, a cup-holder, and a zipped section for valuables - and no build-up on the hood.

Monsoon Stanton Print

2007-07-09T09:51:00.001-07:00

It seems like each season Monsoon brings out a more and more appealing selection of children's wear. Normally I look at it, sigh, and pass it by, because they specialise in fine fabrics for special occasions. I have a general belief that children's clothes should not require hand-washing, dry-cleaning, or indeed ironing if I can help it at all, and that rules out a lot of the Monsoon range, no matter how delightful they are.

Not this one, though! The Stanton print is available in a skirt, dress, pants and blouse. It's 100% cotton, which means easy care. Isn't the pattern beautiful? And now I have no excuse not to buy it.

Modmom Furniture

2007-07-09T09:50:00.001-07:00

The founder of Modmom furniture is a mom of 2 from Los Angeles who grew up around a carpenter dad while growing up in Ohio. What started out as a hobby building furniture for her family and friends, ended up as a business out of her garage.

Modmom builds custom furniture, available via email at her site or at her etsy shop at more affordable prices than some of the other high end children's designers. I think a few of her pieces are a bit too influenced by those same designers (Argington and Offi comes to mind), but it's worth checking out as she does beautiful work. I'll be keeping an eye out as she builds her company and continues to develop her own sense of design and style.

The robotic world of Take-G

2007-07-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

There is a word that I've always enjoyed: retro-futuristic. It's a description of how people of the past imagined the future to be. It's the best way there is to describe these robots by Takeji Nakagawa. Each one is handmade from wood, and while they are all clearly robotic they are also incredibly warm and inviting. Each one seems to beg to be touched and held, and they're all beautiful.

While I've seen many robotic toys made of metal and tin, and I've loved a few of them, these are the first robot toys that seem organic, while still keeping a strong feeling for the original designs. The pictures are great, but I would love to see some of them in person; this is something I could see myself spending a lot of money on.

Trippen shoes for kids

2007-07-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

All of the shoes by Netherlands-based Trippen are mini versions of their adult counterparts. From the classic Camus, which reminds me of high school French class, reading L'Entranger and being forever transformed, to this style-- the Dragon-- which would totally mesmerize any kid in the dragon/dinosaur-loving stage and beyond. The color choices of all their shoes are such fun and all styles come lined with cozy sheepskin too, if you want them that way. Should you be inclined to browse and have a bit of time, do so. The shoes really are, well, cool.

Teardown reveals iPhone parts cost two bills

2007-07-07T01:52:00.001-07:00

Unlike video game consoles, phones are typically profitable to manufacture from day one and it turns out that the iPhone is no exception -- far from it, in fact. Teardown specialists at Portelligent claim that the 4GB iPhone runs Apple just $200 worth of components, while the 8GB adds an extra $20, not far off at all from iSuppli's slightly higher estimates from January. Granted those tallies don't include the actual cost of assembling the device -- but even so, those numbers are very far cries from the $500 and $600 asking prices at the register, leaving a healthy $299 and $379 respectively (of which an overwhelming majority are $379) for profit and miscellaneous costs. Interestingly, Portelligent's unceremonious destruction of an iPhone in the name of research revealed no further proof that Hon Hai / Foxconn is the ODM responsible for assembling the darned thing.

Can Apple meet iPhone demand?

2007-07-06T21:10:00.001-07:00

Analysts seem to be tripping over themselves telling us how well the iPhone sales are going. In fact, Goldman Sachs is now estimating some 700,000 units were sold in just the first weekend alone. Sweetness to the ears of Apple no doubt. But... look at the retail availability trend above from data harvested off Apple's iPhone locator site. On Saturday June 30th, Apple showed 100% availability at their stores although we know at least some of these were only stocked with 4GB models. On Monday, availability dropped off to 84% and then just 61% as of yesterday, July 2nd. This morning, Apple's only showing a 42% availability across the nation of which we're guessing most are the less sexy 4GB models. We'll have to wait for the stores to open but as far as we know, AT&T has still not managed to restock since selling out in the opening hours. Thus, anyone looking to purchase the device must either order on-line (and wait 2-4 weeks for delivery) or hoof it on down to your "local" Apple store which could be a state (or two) away. Now, depending upon your economic persuasion, this is either good news for Apple since stock isn't rotting on the shelves or bad news as they trend towards a replenishment issue with an inability to post profits in line with consumer demand. Before panicking however, you should note that several stores, particularly in Apple's home of California, who did not have stock yesterday are showing green for Tuesday.

Smashed iPhone "not so cool looking"

2007-07-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

What happens when a shiny new iPhone meets the edge of a table? You guessed it -- that nasty piece of business up above. Fans, we know it looks painful, and haters, we know you're loving it, but we should all have a little sympathy for the unlucky guy who made this mess completely by accident when he tried to answer his phone while it was still plugged in, causing the short cable to whip Apple's glass-screened device right out of his hands. Don't fret too much though, because the kind folks at Apple apparently replaced the smashed phone for free, and as far as we know, the gentleman learned several valuable lessons.

Belkin's iPhone accessory salmagundi now shipping

2007-07-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

What better way to cap off a recent $600 or so purchase than to spend even more money accessorizing it? The myriad of Belkin wares we spoke of a short time ago has hit the market just in time to grab your attention (and dough), and users itching to wrap their precious toy up in a clear acrylic case ($29.99), armband ($29.99), or slim-fit holster ($29.99) can now pick up any of the three. Additionally, a number of 3.5-millimeter stereo cables and headphone adapters are also available, but they aren't likely to perform any differently than the bargain variety already out there. Check 'em all out here in glorious high-resolution.

Verizon poised to launch LG VX8550?

2007-07-06T21:07:00.002-07:00

It looks like Verizon and LG are gearing up to release to their latest addition in the Chocolate lineup, the VX8550. This round, the VX8550 is sportin' two new colors than before -- this time "black cherry" and "blue mint" will make your mouth water, and lets not forgot the traditional black. The device is expected to hit the street around around July 9 and cost $100 with a two year contract. There's even talk about reducing the cost of the music essentials kit that includes a microSD card, data cable, Bluetooth headset, and a gift card for music. Could this be Big Red's attempt to persuade consumers away from AT&T's music phone for their own latest addition? We hope not.

Apple buys iPhone.com for seven figures

2007-07-06T21:07:00.001-07:00

It's hard to accuse Michael Kovatch of squatting the iPhone.com domain for his perpetually to-be-created internet phone company -- he snagged it way back in the halcyon days of '95 when Jobs was still estranged and the only mobile phones were Zack Morris mobile phones. Well, users visiting iphone.com will finally get sent to Apple's iPhone page, as the DomainTools Blog is reporting Apple bought it, and for a solid seven figures at that.

SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm OS goes gold

2007-07-06T21:06:00.001-07:00

Concluding a rather lengthy beta (or at least it seemed lengthy to those impatiently waiting for it), Sling has finalized its SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm OS for retail. With Windows Mobile 5, Windows Mobile 6, and Palm clients now all widely available, carriers may want to get cracking at shoring up those HSDPA and EV-DO towers, because we have every intention of watching this football dude again and again. And again. Grab SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm OS -- officially supported on the 700p and 755p thanks to their 3G radios, though other models should work -- now for a penny shy of $30. Now if we could only get our hands on that elusive S60 client, we'd be all set.

T-Mobile announcing German iPhone deal tomorrow?

2007-07-06T21:05:00.002-07:00

Perhaps demonstrating how wide the rift between T-Mobile Europe and T-Mobile USA really is, Germany's Rheinische Post is reporting that Deutsche Telekom will announce tomorrow that its carrier unit will exclusively offer the iPhone in Germany. Details on the partnership are slim at best, but the two most important nuggets of information seem to be known: November 1 for €450 (about $612), which we assume is for the 8GB unit. Of course, the next biggest question is whether this'll be an EDGE or 3G unit -- and if it's 3G, can we please get an HSDPA Enabler for $1.99? No?

HTC Cavalier finally hits FCC

2007-07-06T21:05:00.001-07:00

The HTC Excalibur -- better known as the T-Mobile Dash in these parts -- is one of those almost-perfect handsets that has us saying "if only." Specifically, in this case we're thinking "if only it had 3G," and that's precisely where the Cavalier comes riding into our dreams like a phone in shining armor. Thus far no American carrier has stepped forward with plans to offer the Cavalier (AT&T, we're looking straight at you, kid), but at least they can do so now thanks to an FCC approval. With HSDPA on the 850 and 1900MHz bands on board, this sucker is truly a worthy upgrade to the already good Excalibur -- so let's try to speed things right along, yeah?

Sprint launches BlackBerry 8830 World Edition

2007-07-06T21:03:00.002-07:00

While Sprint's launch of the dual-mode BlackBerry 8830 doesn't come as a surprise -- we knew it was only a matter of time before it hopped into Sprint's portfolio -- subscibers may raise a cheer if looking for some worldwide phone action. For only $199 (with a new two year agreement and data plan, of course) Sprint subscribers will be talking in 170+ countries and surfing in more than 70 -- which makes RIM's 8830 device just a wee bit handier than a GSM set. As an added bonus, Sprint has served this thing up SIM unlocked, which, for the GSM uninitiated, means you can buy a local SIM card when abroad, pop it in, and take advantage of local calling tariffs. This thing has launched on carriers everywhere and seems a no-brainer if you travel in areas only serviced by GSM and can't survive without RIM's finest at your side.

Nokia debuts totally fugly 7500 Prism in China

2007-07-06T21:03:00.001-07:00

By all accounts, Nokia's designers are either on a cutting edge so far into the future and so deeply advanced that we can't understand it, or they've all gone off their medication. The bizarre 7500 Prism (which may or may not be the similarly styled 7900) made its debut at a Nokia fashion event in China today, along with the 8600, 8800 Sirocco, 6110 navigator, 5700 XpressMusic, 6500 classic, 6500 slider and the 3500 -- though none of them were as totally zany looking as the Prism. The phone's specs are at least fairly normal, featuring a 2 megapixel camera, microSD slot, a QVGA screen and rocking the S40 (version 5) OS. It's unclear at this point why the company believes people will want a diamond shaped keyboard, but since the FCC has already approved this model, we'll soon learn if they really do.

iPhone hackers turn up a few vulnerabilities

2007-07-06T21:02:00.001-07:00

To no one's surprise, hackers have been hard at work on the iPhone since day one, and it looks like they're already turning up a few vulnerabilities. As The Register reports, the folks at Errata Security seem to have been the most successful to date, finding not one, but two "bugs" with the phone. The first is apparently similar to one of the bugs recently found in the Windows version of Safari which, in this case, allows someone so inclined to take control of the browser and run applications by causing a buffer overflow. The second, somewhat simpler flaw Errata discovered is that the device can apparently be easily locked up when exposed to a so-called Bluetooth "fuzzer." Despite that, the Errata folks say that they think the iPhone "is inherently more secure than competing smartphones," largely due to its dependence on iTunes and its ability to push out security updates faster than carriers are able to. As The Register points out, some intrepid "researchers" also recently discovered the passwords required to give an application root access although, as of yet, no one's actually found anything useful to do with them.

DVD Jon whips up a way to activate iPhone without AT&T

2007-07-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

The headline kind of says it all: a little hex editing of iTunes, a little hostfile hacking, a little program called Phone Activation Server v1.0, and you're on your way to an AT&T service free iPhone, friend. That's right, Jon, knock that toxic AT&T-tied iPod-coffee out of Steve's hand.

Ok, so apparently the phone still doesn't work (we wonder if there isn't some kind of mechanism that binds the iPhone to select AT&T SIMs), so it's not like it's an unlocked device, but at least you can now use it as "the best iPod [Apple's] ever made." We've yet to confirm the method though -- anyone want to give it a shot? Let us know in comments.

Helio flip-flops, gives users free access to YouTube

2007-07-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

For a fledgling MVNO, charging users to access YouTube when many of the more mainstream carriers weren't demanding an extra cent wasn't a bright move. Thankfully, the higher-ups at Helio finally caught on to this fact, and have now retracted the fees required to access the video-sharing site on its network. The briefly constructed (and questionably titled) Video Virus application is now free for all, and users that somehow took the unseductive bait will be reimbursed for their trouble. Phew, here we were thinking that we'd be forced to circumvent the system with a complex series of proxies from here on out.

Nokia N95 one-ups Apple's iPhone via unrefined display 'hack'

2007-07-06T20:59:00.001-07:00

There's no denying that we were fairly taken aback by the beauty of the iPhone's screen, but leave it to a clever (and likely bitter) N95 owner to trump Apple's best shot with his very Nokia. While not nearly as ingenious as converting the device into a mapmaker, this crude demonstration explains how to increase the screen real estate linked to the N95 if you're willing to sacrifice your left (or right) arm. Granted, the "hack" did begin with a broken N95, so strapping a portable TV onto one's forearm and utilizing the device's video output was about the only real solution within arm's reach (ahem). Like it or not, it's laced in utility, and you can catch a video of the action after the jump.

iPhone to receive updates before Leopard launch?

2007-07-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

It's almost a foregone conclusion that Apple will be firing out iPhone updates in the not too distant future to address an array of niggles the general population has with its first foray into the cellphone realm, but based an "informed" poster over at HowardForums, that time could be sooner rather than later. According to a supposed Apple employee who opened his / her trap in a casual coffee meet, the iPhone will eventually support file system access so that users can more easily manipulate the content stored within without having to ask iTunes' permission. Additionally, it was suggested that iChat would be added "before Leopard," less restricted ringtone access was on the way, and there was even a confirmation that Flash support will indeed be added soon. Still, we'd take all of this with a dash of salt (at least for the time being), but hopefully our collective patience will pay off soon enough, eh?

HTC self-brands retro Panda as P6300

2007-07-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

If you're still hung up on 2.5G data and Windows Mobile 5... well, first, we recommend you consult a professional. Failing that, though, check out HTC's P6300, the self-branded version of the throwback "Panda" that looks straight outta 2004 and has a feature set to match: tri-band EDGE data, Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone Edition, and SD / MMC slot. Mercifully, internal Flash is a more 2007-ish 256MB, and the WiFi and 3.5-inch QVGA display certainly helps round this one out. You can already grab this one on O2 as the Xda Argon, but it looks like folks elsewhere should be able to pick it up now too -- if you're into that sort of thing.

iPhone briefly shows up on Amazon UK with price, date

2007-07-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

It didn't provide even an inkling of how the ongoing will-they-or-won't-they carrier drama plaguing the iPhone's European adventures will resolve itself, but that certainly doesn't mean it ain't interesting: Amazon's British outpost briefly listed pricing, launch date, and pre-order details for the 8GB iPhone earlier today, pegging the unit at £329 (about $663) on December 1 (it has since been pulled and replaced with a far less informative version). It seems reasonable enough if the price includes tax, though the pre-holiday date might be a bummer for the more impatient among the UK's iPhone hopefuls. Then again, we're thinking the odds are good that both the MSRP and drop date are merely Amazon estimates here and not anything official -- especially since there's no mention of a carrier. Needless to say, iPhone Watch continues east of the pond.

LG's Chocolate L704i snapped in the wild

2007-07-06T20:55:00.001-07:00

In case LG's L704i managed to slip under your radar in the midst of all those other NTT DoCoMo handsets, here's a few pictures of it in its prime. 'Course, we wouldn't stare too long if you're stuck in the US of A, as all the wishing in the world isn't likely to get this piece of Chocolate to the States. Nevertheless, it does manage to look awfully sexy when grasped, so be sure to click through for some more hands-on excitement.

iPhone hacked for shell access

2007-07-06T20:54:00.001-07:00

Well, that didn't take long -- the hacker crew of IRC channel #iPhone has managed to enable shell access to the iPhone just a week after its release. There's not a lot to the hack -- the iPhone's 30-pin dock connector features the same pinouts as the iPod, so creating a serial connection simply involved connecting up a resistor, ground, and RS-232 level converter and running a few commands from iphoneinterface. The resulting shell is pretty basic, but features a TFTP client -- meaning that we should see a flood of attempts to open the iPhone up in the coming weeks (as if we wouldn't anyway).

OpenMoko Neo 1973 developer kits available July 9

2007-07-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

End users still have a while to wait for a final, finished product -- October's the current estimate -- but developers looking to get cracking on OpenMoko's open-source handset need only wait a few more days. July 9 is the chosen date for pushing Neo 1973 dev kits out the door in two configurations: Neo Base for $300 and Neo Advanced for $450. Neo Base will include the first-gen handset plus garden variety accessories you'd expect to find in a retail package (headset, stylus, pouch, USB cable, and the like), while the Advanced package adds in some additional hardware for really ripping the phone to shreds and tricking it out. The goal is to make sure devs have a healthy catalog of apps ready by the time Joe Consumer gets his hands on one in a few months, at which point the hardware will be even better with the addition WiFi, 256MB of onboard Flash, two onboard accelerometers, and a faster core. We're countin' on ya, code heads!

Sprint's Wireless Evolution, we're still waiting

2007-07-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

Remember this page brought to you by the good people at Sprint? Yeah, so do we, but it seems Sprint has forgotten the "Wireless Evolution" they had planned for Independence Day. To add to the confusion, the page has now gone AWOL and the Google-cached page we had bookmarked has also disappeared. We're thinking that maybe this was only some type of showy internal project never meant for public consumption, but if anybody has a clue, drop us a line.

Motorola RAZR 2 V9 hits FCC in AT&T livery

2007-07-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

Yep, here's that "Wildcat" we've been hearing about. With the V3, V3i, V3r, and V3xx in its rear view mirror, the synergy between the 3G RAZR 2 and AT&T's lineup seems pretty obvious, so we're not at all surprised to see this one passing through the FCC's tender embrace. Strangely, the pictures clearly depict Cingular branding -- complete with dedicated Jack and Cingular Video buttons -- but the draft manual here is chock full of AT&T and Cellular Video references, so we're not too concerned that it's been axed or anything rash like that. We're still expecting a summer release for this one, though for all we know, that could mean September; we'll keep ya in the loop.

HTC Kaiser becomes MDA Vario III for T-Mobile Germany

2007-07-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Oh T-Mobile Germany, you and your name swapping ways never cease to ~~amaze~~ confuse us. Sure enough, the overseas carrier notorious for rebranding handsets has reportedly picked up the HTC Kaiser and hastily dubbed it the MDA Vario III. For those paying close attention, you'd notice that this move mimics a similar one made with the HTC Hermes last year, but the third iteration of the MDA Vario touts 3.6Mbps HSDPA connectivity, quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE, Windows Mobile 6 Professional, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, a microSD expansion slot, and a 400MHz Qualcomm CPU. Sadly, no price was mentioned, and while Germans can expect to find this device in T-Mobile outlets come September, surrounding countries will be forced to play the wait-and-see game.

Vertu's avant-garde handsets to hit Japan in 2008

2007-07-06T07:59:00.001-07:00

Being that the economy seems to be doing quite well over in Japan these days, it follows logic that Vertu would offer up its pricey wares for the affluent on that side of the world, too. Apparently, Vertu is working with Nokia to develop a W-CDMA handset for use in Japan, but details beyond that are few and far between. Thankfully, we do know not to get our hopes up before the fall of 2008, but hopefully we'll find out exactly what phone(s) will be headed to the Land of the Rising Sun -- along with the lofty pricetags that will surely accompany them -- a few months prior to launch.

Chinese welder killed by exploding cellphone battery

2007-07-06T07:58:00.001-07:00

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and unfortunately, the latest case of exploding battery syndrome led to something far worse than a minor injury. Reportedly, a 22-year old Chinese welder actually perished after a cellphone battery residing in his pocket exploded. The eruption was so violent, in fact, that it "broke a rib and drove the remnants of the pack into his heart," and while rescue crews were able to get him to a hospital, he passed away shortly thereafter. Currently, the manufacturer of the phone and battery are being withheld, but expects in Jinta were dispatched in order to conduct an investigation.

Apple picks O2 for UK, T-Mobile for Germany?

2007-07-06T07:57:00.002-07:00

Yeah, that's apparently what's going down -- the iPhone will be over the Atlantic "in time for Christmas," according to The Times. That is, assuming they can quickly localise its dialogue for easy manoeuvring in the UK market, aye guv'na? Oh, and Apple still has to sign the paperwork, too, so it isn't necessarily over.

P.S. -Naw, doesn't necessarily mean Vodafone is out -- remember, they're so freaking all over the place Apple might just get Vodafone distro somewhere else in the world.

iPhone sells out faster than an 80's rock star

2007-07-06T07:57:00.001-07:00

Unless you live in or near Tigard, Oregon or Pittsburgh PA, chances are you'll be out of luck this morning if you're jonesin' for that quick retail fix of consumer crack called the iPhone -- Apple's retail locator lists the iPhone as unavailable for the rest of the nation. Sales have been so brisk in the first week that AT&T claims to have "sold more iPhones than in the first month of any other wireless phone AT&T ever offered. That's how good it's been." However, neither Apple nor AT&T have released any figures. Anecdotal evidence from readers who ordered on-line or at AT&T stores suggests that a replenishment might come as soon as Friday -- the date many hopefuls were told they'd receive shipment. Based on previous Analyst calculations, we're guessing that Apple has crossed the 1M unit mark. A milestone which surely garners some kind of Apple announcement. Oh, hey Apple, how 'bout clearing up all those rumors in Europe while you're at it? K, thanks.

RIM cleared to sell BlackBerrys in China

2007-07-06T07:55:00.002-07:00

Step aside RedBerry, after 8 years of hemming and hawing the Chinese government has finally opened their doors to the original RIM BlackBerry. By the end of August, big city suits should find the BlackBerry 8700g on shelves with China Mobile -- the world's largest operator based on subscriber count -- offering up the service. iPhone, what iPhone? RIM now has open access to a population of more than 1 billion who like BlackBerrys based on, uh, their good looks alone.

China delays 3G licensing until after the Olympics

2007-07-06T07:55:00.001-07:00

Talk about a delay -- China, which was expected to issue 3G licenses to its "top four" telecom operators, has now announced that the move will have to wait until they "come out of restructuring." As it currently stands, it will likely be after the 2008 Olympics before the licensing will ensue. Interestingly enough, information industry minister Wang Xudong has reportedly stated that "3G mobile phone services will be offered in the mainland in 2008 in time for the Beijing Olympics," but wouldn't that require issuance to take place before... beforehand? We'll keep you posted.

NTT DoCoMo rolls out 704i series

2007-07-06T07:54:00.001-07:00

Here it is, a moment that is both dreaded and eagerly anticipated by phone journalists across the land: the release of a new handset series by NTT DoCoMo. This particular flock belongs to the FOMA 704i line, offering three sliders and five flips for a grand total of eight lovely devices. The massive release is nothing out of the ordinary for a Japanese carrier -- they tend to do this with shocking frequency, in fact -- but what is surprising is that this particular lineup offers an LG phone, cementing Korea's ever-increasing presence in the launches. Click on for all the gory details!

Mitsubishi D704i
This slider, Mitsubishi's only entry in the 704i lineup, offers one-seg mobile TV reception, Napster To Go compatibility, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and a microSD slot in a 99 x 49 x 18.6mm shell. Available in red, white, brown, and pink by the end of August.

Fujitsu F704i
The F704i flip offers a couple killer features: a waterproof body (perfect for use in the bathroom or kitchen, as NTT DoCoMo points out) and 3G roaming in 43 countries -- we're guessing the US isn't one of them. 1.3 megapixel primary cam, 110 kilopixel (is that even a real term?) secondary cam, and microSD slot in your choice of magenta, white, gold, and black starting this month.

LG L704i
What the heck is a Chocolate doing on NTT DoCoMo? Sure enough, the L704i brings the now-well-worn Chocolate theme to the Japanese megacarrier's lineup. Features include international HSDPA roaming, microSD expansion, and 2 megapixel primary / VGA secondary cameras. Unfortunately, Chocolate fans are going to have to wait until October to find this one in black, white, and "wine."

Panasonic P704i
Despite a mere 2 megapixel sensor, imaging is the primary focus on this one (pun totally intended) with a so-called "Smart Flash" and image stabilization. A microSD slot's on board this 13.5mm slider, too, which hits in September in Ice White, Urban Black, and Rose Gold.

Sharp SH704i
The second one-segment device in the lineup, the SH704i features a 1.3 megapixel cam and microSD slot, but comes in at a relatively chubby 18.1 millimeters. The good news? Five color choices -- gold, white, black, blue, and pink -- when it drops in August.

Sony Ericsson SO704i
Besides three body color choices, the SO704i features so-called "Style-Up" panels -- faces that can change the design of the lid. Lotsa choices, too: Butterfly, Shine, Star, Angel Heart, Twinkle Fairy, Royal Mirror, Blue Sea, Golden Moon, and Fantasy Sky. The specs ain't bad, either, with 2 megapixel and 100K pixel primary and secondary cams, respectively. Grab this one this month.

NEC N704iμ
As the "μ" implies, this one's pretty small -- 103 x 49 x 11.4mm, to be exact. The unusual finish changes color and design depending on the angle you look at it, which is all well and good for when you're not enjoying the international 3G roaming, 1.3 megapixel outside and VGA inside cams. Available in blue, black, and white this month.

Panasonic P704iμ
The P704i slider isn't Panasonic's only offering in this round -- in fact, the P704iμ is the sexier of the two, coming in with dimensions identical to NEC's N704iμ. Like the NEC, this one offers up international WCDMA and a 1.3 megapixel primary cam, but steps down to a 100k pixel front-facing sensor. Gold, black, and white versions all hit this month.

Vertu's 3G Ascent Ti hits FCC

2007-07-06T07:53:00.002-07:00

You've gotta give credit to Vertu for maximizing the life of its Signature and Ascent models by tweaking colors and precious metals ad nauseam, but at some point, you knew they had to just gut the thing and start anew. This here "Ascent Ti" just passed through the FCC, taking the Ascent formula and updating key specs to bring the luxury phone well into 2007. Namely, the Ascent Ti offers UMTS 2100 (for 3G data pretty much everywhere but here), a whopping 3 megapixel autofocus camera with flash, and what appears to be a well-updated, Vertu customized build of Series 40. No word on release date, but unless your last name happens to be "Rockefeller," you may need the time to save the dough anyway.

Verizon, LG intro new Chocolate

2007-07-06T07:53:00.001-07:00

We'll spare you the "even sweeter the second time around" punnage that Verizon couldn't help crack and get straight to the point here. Following up its hit VX8500 last year, Verizon has introduced a new Chocolate to its lineup, the aptly-named VX8550. The re-upped model gets very slightly trimmer by shaving a few hundredths of an inch off every dimension from its predecessor, a new keypad with touch feedback, and something LG is calling "Trace Motion" -- some sort of lighting that works in conjunction with the new nav wheel. Carried over from the original Chocolate are the 1.3 megapixel cam, microSD slot, and wealth of music-related features, though sadly, the rumored 3.5mm jack ain't here. Look for it in stores July 9 in your choice of "Black Cherry" and "Blue Mint."

V-MODA Vibe Duo earbuds class up your iPhone

2007-07-06T07:52:00.001-07:00

Just when it seemed like the only option for better iPhone earbuds was to make them yourself, along comes the V-MODA Vibe Duo. Sure, it'll cost you, but for exactly $101 you can trade up to the luxury and style of this sweet-ass trio. The earbud / microphone combo features V-MASQUE dynamic drivers, a noise-canceling technology called BLISS, and (according to the propaganda), "vibrant bass" coupled with "vivacious highs". Clearly a package aimed at those with a taste for the finer things in life (like spending almost 17% of the cost of your phone on earbuds), the Vibe Duo comes with a 24k gold plated connector, leather pouch, six pairs of clear silicon fittings (plus two sets of black), and the assurance that you'll look considerably more classy when speaking to your agent.

Nokia planning 8GB N95?

2007-07-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Per usual, we're taking this one with a throw of salt for the time being, but an interesting couple of lines from an .xml file on Nokia's site actually makes mention of an 8GB N95. Stepping back, it does indeed follow logic that Nokia would think of unveiling an 8GB handset in order to more directly compete with its newfound rivals, but until we see something more detailed than a few lines of stray code, we'll reserve judgment. So, regretting that oh-so-fresh N95 purchase yet?

Mossberg hints at Flash update for iPhone

2007-07-06T07:50:00.002-07:00

We know, we've all been clamoring for Flash support on the iPhone since before the thing even launched, and while we've seen subtle hints here and there suggesting that it would indeed come to fruition, now we've got someone to blame if our hopes are deflated. In a recent Q&A session, Walt Mossberg himself addressed the issue, and didn't make any bones about sharing Apple's future plans. Speaking directly about Adobe's Flash technology, Walt stated that "Apple says it plans to add that plug-in through an early software update," which he surmises "will occur within the next couple of months." Sadly, there was no elaboration beyond the aforementioned bit, but he certainly sounds confident about the iPhone eventually playing nice with Flash, no?

Orange intros SPV C200 with Windows Mobile... 5?

2007-07-06T07:50:00.001-07:00

While the general assumption would be that handset manufacturers would jump at the chance to pre-load their mobiles with the latest and greatest Windows Mobile flavor on the market, it seems that the SPV C200 is going against conventional wisdom. The Amoi-built handset is slated to launch on Orange, and will include tri-band support, Bluetooth, and an integrated 1.3-megapixel camera. Of course, the expected €9 ($12) pricetag that will reportedly grace this device (if you commit to a two-year agreement, that is) may explain the lack of WiFi and slightly obsolete OS, but this sure is an interesting maneuver to slash the price.

Apple store in Taiwan has iPhone, sort of

2007-07-06T07:49:00.001-07:00

File this under hero of the Apple fanboy world friends, an Apple reseller from Taiwan flew to the US to lineup with the rest of us to get his hands on the precious. After a 30 hour wait in line and some serious transit time, the iPhone -- and only a 4 gig version it seems -- is now at home in Taiwan. Activated and roaming on Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom, we're betting that the gadget geeks in electronic mecca are likely lined up four abreast to get a quick peek. We're thinking he could have saved himself some time -- plus the brutal roaming charges -- and just put a decent knockoff on display.

HTC's Advantage X7501 lands at CompUSA website

2007-07-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

You knew this beauty was coming, and you've even had ample time to stare it down and get acquainted, but now you can get that mousing finger ready as the HTC Advantage X7501 has snuck onto CompUSA's website. Currently listed as "Coming Soon," the sale page doesn't lend any hints as to when it'll actually be available to purchase, but we are assured that it'll run $899.99 whenever that time does come. As expected, it'll come pre-loaded with Windows Mobile 6 Standard, a 624MHz CPU, built-in 8GB hard drive, miniSD expansion slot, integrated GPS, Bluetooth / WiFi, a three-megapixel camera, TV / VGA outputs, and just about everything else you'd need in a UMPC / cellphone hybrid. Hold tight folks, it's almost here.