Gadgets Control

What’s the dealy yo? Why are vendors in Qingdao, China putting goldfish inside of these mini-keychains and selling them off? Well, money, of course. But how twisted is this, for real? Sources say that the fish inside would only survive a few hours, and is usually lucky to get past the manufacturing phase in one piece. China must have some sort of animal cruelty laws set-up in their government, so we doubt that these Live Goldfish Keychains will last very long. But what the hell?! Even if the fish survived would people even actually rock this on thier keys? Screw the whales for the moment. Save the Goldfish! Since the plastic heart-shaped keychain is completely sealed, the fish gets very little air and there is no way to feed the little guy. (Read the full post about ‘Live Goldfish Keychain Eventually Becomes Simply Goldfish Keychain’…)

Share This

Here’s yet another special edition of the Nintendo DS Lite that will hit the market to join the other gazillion versions - this time round, it will be Guitar Hero on the cover bundled together with the Guitar Hero: On Tour game. There is no word on pricing, although it will roll out on June 22, the same day as the game is released in the US. Well, guess portable gaming now has a chance to feature tracks from blink-182, No Doubt, Jet, Nirvana, Bloc Party and many others. It might not be as graphically satisfying as the home console versions, but I’m sure the developers have found a way to make it as engaging as possible. (Read the full post about ‘Guitar Hero DS Lite Special Edition’…)

Share This

July sees the release of Unreal Tournament 3 for Xbox 360, with Midway releasing new screenshots from the game to further whet the appetite of 360 owners anticipating the release. UT3, which posted its one millionth sale between the PC and PS3 versions in March will now head to the 360. The game release on the 360 includes five levels exclusive to Microsoft’s console as well as two new characters. This new version also includes all previously released downloadable content available in the game on other platforms as well as a split-screen mode. (Read the full post about ‘Unreal Tournament 3 screenshots for Xbox 360′…)

Share This

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 1:46PM LG has just announced what it claims to be the “world’s most energy-efficient monitor,” and it looks like it’s been able to lay claim to that (potentially dubious) title without making too many compromises on specs. That includes a 22-inch screen size with a 1680 x 1050 resolution, a lofty 10,000:1 contrast ratio, a 2 ms response time, a 170 degree viewing angle, and a 250cd/m2 brightness rating, all while supposedly maintaining a 45% (or roughly 40W) reduction power consumption compared to other models. (Read the full post about ‘LG claims Flatron W2252TE is “world’s most energy-efficient monitor”’…)

Share This

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 9:14AMIn the quickly-growing realm of media streamers, there’s at least a modicum of a chance that Conceptronic’s oddly titled Grab ‘n GO Full HD media player has slipped from the forefront of your mind. If so, the outfit is gunning to jar your memory by announcing that it is now shipping said piece to eager consumers. The release also noted that SAMBA and NFS clients have been added, and it’s pretty much ready to “stream all digital media files to a TV in Full HD 1080p resolution.” Furthermore, you’ll find a gigabit Ethernet jack to handle all that data, and the built-in USB port enables external storage to be added locally. (Read the full post about ‘Conceptronic ships Grab ‘n GO Full HD media streamer’…)

Share This

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 9:43AM
Robotics have come a long way, but they still often miss that innate, nervous sense of reluctant touch. Intel researchers have achieved something similar with a robotic hand that uses electrolocation to create a robotic hand conform to the shape of an object before interacting with it. Shown at Research@Intel Day, the hand uses fish-like electrolocation to bounce electric fields off of objects and then conform the hand to that shape in real time. They call the dynamic “Pre Touch,” and it could prove useful for configuring robotics before they interact with objects without, say, damaging them or missing the interface completely. (Read the full post about ‘Intel shows off robotic hand with “Pre Touch” object conformation’…)

Share This

Doro has a couple of new GSM cell phones that target the older generation - this time round both handsets will feature some updated specifications in order to keep up with the times. According to Doro, the HandleEasy 330gsm will feature large buttons and a high contrast color display, boasting SMS support, an integrated FM radio, a torch, a vibrating ringer and a speakerphone for hands-free communication. As for the Doro HandleEasy 326gsm, that model will feature a 100 name/number directory, a clear display and SMS support. The latter will cost £99.99 while the former is more expensive at £129.99. (Read the full post about ‘Doro targets Oldies’…)

Share This

Fluorescent bulbs although they are much more environmentally friendly and save on your energy bill, they take forever to reach their brightest. I hate how dim they make a room seem, of course they eventually brighten up. That small set back isn’t enough to sway me from them, it is just a bit of a nuisance. Well these new Panasonic bulbs still feature an energy efficient design, but they reach instant brightness. The other nice feature is that they appear like the old incandescent bulbs, which look better in decorative lighting. I don’t know if it’s just me or not, but the new bulbs just looked a bit odd sticking out of the lights on ceiling fans. (Read the full post about ‘The Panasonic Pa-Look Ball Premium Q Fluorescent Bulb’…)

Share This

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 6:02AM See all those beautiful people? You don’t know them. And pushing your specs up the bridge of your nose while seated in front of Microsoft’s Surface won’t change that. Nevertheless, next time we’re adjusting our gadget-laded fanny packs in Vegas, we’ll be doing so at the i-Bar in the Rio hotel — the newest home to Microsoft’s big ass multi-touch table. Check out the video cheese after the break. Video: Microsoft Surface at the Rio in Las VegasRead PermalinkEmail this15 CommentsFiled under: Misc. (Read the full post about ‘Video: Viva Las Surface’…)

Share This

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 6:56AM Bravo Sheila Kennedy, bravo. You might just save us from our gadget-obsessed selves if the Soft House you’ve designed can pump the 16,000 watt-hours you predict. The design features thin photovoltaic films woven into semi-transparent curtains. The idea is similar to the solar power ski-suits (seriously) we’ve seen. Unfortunately, a home fitted entirely in solar textiles is still too costly at the moment. (Read the full post about ‘Solar Soft House converts household curtains into household current’…)

Share This