Archive for February, 2008
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Japanese plastic dirt is half as dense as real dirt, over 100 times more plastic
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
We’ve seen quite a few efforts to use gardens and terrariums in cities to order to bring down overall CO2 emissions and reduce temperatures, but Tokyo’s earthquake-prone location means that structures there have to meet strict load requirements — so a company called Suntory Ltd., has developed a synthetic dirt substitute called Pafcal it says weighs less than half as much as real soil. The fake dirt, which is made of urethane, can reduce the internal temperature of a building with a roof garden up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit). Of course, there’s considerable irony in trying to save the planet by covering concrete buildings in fake plastic dirt, but then again, such a solution is about as Japanese as it gets, no?
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Switched On: Blu-ray had friends in high def places
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008Filed under: Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment.
When Sony included a DVD drive on its PlayStation 2, it was clear which technology was helping sell which product. After just avoiding being a victim of a format war itself, DVD was on its way to enticing consumers with many of the same benefits that had turned the compact disc into a huge success — high-fidelity, portability, durability and the end of rewinding. The PS2 may well have been a success without DVD, but DVD did not need the PS2.
For the PlayStation 3, the issue was a lot murkier. While US sales of standalone — that is to say, excluding PS3 — players for Blu-ray and HD DVD were almost dead even in 2007, Blu-ray titles consistently outsold HD DVD titles. Part of this may have been due to Toshiba’s heavy bundling of titles with HD DVD players, but PlayStation 3 owners seem to have bought Blu-ray movies in droves. While Sony consistently promoted Blu-ray’s game and movie capacity as a PS3 selling point, the PS3 — specifically its owners’ embrace of Blu-ray movies — was the major consumer factor in swinging the fate of the high-definition video disc for Blu-ray.
Yet the fight was fought at least as much by corporations as by consumers. Out of the gate, Blu-ray had more studio support and a Murderers’ Row of consumer electronics companies — Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, LG, Sharp, and Pioneer — backing the format. Not only did these companies account for the vast majority of DVD player sales in the US, they also accounted for most of the large-screen TVs, paving the way for bundles and other promotions that are sure to accelerate now that there is more security in buying Blu-ray.
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Zune survey points to video downloads
Monday, February 25th, 2008Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Apparently, video is all the rage these days. Just ask the folks who received a survey from Microsoft about services which may or may not be coming to the Zune. It’s possible your heart might skip a beat when you read questions like, “I would rather download a movies from an online service than buy a DVD,” or, “My friends and I regularly send each other links to online videos.” Though the question, “I’m willing to carry a larger MP3 player if it improves the quality of the display,” could just be suggesting a new Zune-XXXL is on the way. Regardless of what it you take away from these cryptic messages, remember one thing: just like that Netflix survey, this may not mean anything at all.
[Thanks, Ducttape38]
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Marbella 8800 PND is cheap, versatile
Monday, February 25th, 2008Filed under: GPS
Multifunction PNDs are starting to hit the low end of the price spectrum, which is always welcome — check out G-Sol’s Marbella 8800 nav unit, which sports PMP functions, AV-in, and a 2 megapixel digital camera for a wholesale price of $160. That means the retail price will probably be around $200, but you’re actually getting a decent piece of kit — there’s a SiRF Star III GPS chip in there, which is pretty respectable. Of course, some willing wholesaler’s got to be willing to to bring this bad boy to the States first, but hey — that could be you, if you’re willing to fence a couple thousand of these a month.
[Via Navigadget]
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Oakley’s Split Thumps: Jamiroquai style
Monday, February 25th, 2008Filed under: Portable Audio, Wearables
Oakley’s Split Thump MP3 player sunglasses’ fashion offenses are too numerous to mention, and we’re not sure this is helping matters. According to the folks over at Tech Digest, the wrap-around music players will be getting a very special 500-piece, 1GB Jamiroquai edition, replete with purple and white camouflage design and two new remixes from the disco-aping singer’s 1993 album Emergency on Planet Earth. Grab your glasses, get out your floppy hat, slip on some Mickey Mouse gloves, and crack open a bottle of Vicks VapoRub — it’s time to party like you don’t know any better.
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Future Retro’s Revolution synthesizer sports circular layout
Monday, February 25th, 2008Filed under: Portable Audio
While certainly not the most bizarre (nor elaborate) musical apparatus we’ve seen, Future Retro’s intriguingly designed Revolution synthesizer still manages to stand out. Apparently, its creators firmly believe that “music is cyclic,” and it’s definitely practicing what it preaches on said device. The analog monophonic synthesizer is contained in a rugged aluminum chassis and is laid out in a way that makes “dividing a measure of music into equal parts” much easier — visually, at least. ‘Course, this bugger will put a $750 dent in your wallet, but it is shipping now for those simply enamored with the design.
[Via BornRich]
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Fujitsu MHZ2 BT: the latest 500GB 2.5-inch laptop drive
Monday, February 25th, 2008
Solid state is still what gets our motors purring, but 500GB of storage in your laptop isn’t anything to scoff at, either. Fujitsu’s new MHZ2 BT is the second drive to hit the half-terabyte mark, but just like the Hitachi 500 gigger it’s a non-standard height (12.5mm), meaning you won’t be able to slap it in most laptops or enclosures –unless you’re willing to shave out an extra ~3mm of surrounding matter. Expect ‘em out in May.
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Samsung P10 laptop battery “melts” in South Korea
Monday, February 25th, 2008Filed under: Laptops
Merely days after LG put the brakes on sales of its Z1-AE007 laptop due to suspicions of a faulty battery within, yet another lappie in South Korea is making headlines for its overheating, er, abilities. Reportedly, the battery in a P10 computer, produced in 2002, “melted” after inexplicably emitting smoke during use. The device managed to burn a bed and a certain part of the floor, but thankfully, no “big fire” was started. According to company spokesman James Chung, Samsung is now “checking details of the incident,” but the actual manufacturer of said battery has yet to be revealed.
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Asus’ Eee PC gets torture tested on video
Sunday, February 24th, 2008Filed under: Laptops
For those that had no qualms kicking Teddy to the curb and cuddling with Asus’ Eee PC throughout the night just as soon as it was released, you may want to utilize your scroll wheel right about now. For those with a tough stomach and a perverse appetite for destruction, you can most definitely stay put. In the video posted after the jump, the Eee PC is pushed from great heights onto solid floors, forced to sit in extreme temperatures and repeatedly prodded to see if it still functioned. Interested? You’re just one click away from a clip sure to make gadget aficionados everywhere cringe.
[Thanks, Roman]
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Wii Tetris: homebrew edition
Sunday, February 24th, 2008Filed under: Gaming
If that unplayable version of Pong we saw for the Wii wasn’t quite doing it for you, you ‘ll be happy to know that homebrewer Christian Auby (aka DesktopMan) has just hit the next stage in evolution: Tetris. That’s right, you can now get a fully functioning version of the puzzler running on your Wii, thanks to that handy Twilight Princess hack, and what was probably a gargantuan amount of work on Auby’s part. The game loads straight from SD out of Twilight Princess, but after the hack has been engaged you can jump back to the loader to pull something new off of a card, which should make experimenting a little bit easier. Check the video after the break to see how it all works.
[Thanks, Craig]
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