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Wednesday, May 14th, 2008Filed under: Gaming
Remember that rumor of a spherical Microsoft Surface bouncing around the labs of Redmond? At the time, we didn’t get it. Now, imagine if you would the combination of a multi-touch sphere with these 360-degree games from SusiGames. Oh sure, the games have been kicking around art shows and design exhibitions for several months now, and rely upon a modified Wiimote and decidedly non-touch-sensitive SusiSphere for interactivity. Nevertheless, the union of the two concepts sure is tantalizing. Check the game play after the break.
Continue reading Video: SusiVaders makes us long for Microsoft’s spherical Surface
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TomTom cleared to purchase Tele Atlas, Garmin shrugs
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008Filed under: GPS
Despite issuing an early statement of objection, the EC has come around to see the merits of a TomTom / Tele Atlas deal. In fact, the two companies have received “unconditional clearance” from the European Commission for the proposed acquisition. The US already approved the deal in October. Thing is, shareholders better get a move on since the bidding-war-boosted $4.2 billion offer (plus another $300 million thanks to the weakass dollar) made in November is set to expire on May 30th. Although it could be extended. Of course, Garmin made a move for Tele Atlas early on with a $3.3 billion bid of its own. Nevertheless, with TomTom profits heading downward and Garmin’s own, hotly anticipated Nuvifone on the horizon, maybe Garmin will be laughing last after all.
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EXO-Wing is world’s smallest jet — worn like a backpack
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008Filed under: Transportation
var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/EXO_Wing_world_s_smallest_jet_worn_like_a_backpack’; Oh daddy, would you look at that. Forget jetpacks, we’ve got a deep ache in our G-Jetson-loin for this, Atair Aerospace’s EXO-Wing, the world’s smallest human-piloted jet. Smaller even, than the Gryphon parachute. It’s on display right now in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of its Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy collection. The only thing we know about the EXO-Wing is that the twin micro-turbine-powered contraption is light enough to be worn as a backpack. Hell, we don’t even know if it really works. Regardless, we’ve got our weekend booked… up, up and away!
P.S. The webbed creature below the EXO-Wing is sporting an Aerosuit for skydivers and Aquaman wannabes with a thing for Tom Jones.
Read — Atair’s EXO-Wing
Read — Super Heroes, Fashion and Fantasy exhibit
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Official: Swisscom to launch iPhone in Switzerland — 3G, GPS, mobile TV, video conferencing rumored
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008
So there was a little rumor bouncing about yesterday which claimed that Swisscom would land the iPhone. Today, Swisscom confirmed the deal while saying little else. What’s interesting then is what the rest of the rumor, started by the leading Swiss newspaper, Le Matin, had to say. Namely, the 3G iPhone will be on sale in Switzerland this summer (on sale in the US by June) offering 2-way video chats, mobile TV and GPS navigation all powered by an even beefier processor. That certainly sounds like the same 3G iPhone we’re expecting to pop at WWDC now doesn’t it?
[Via MacPrime, thanks Stefan R.]
Read — Le Matin rumor
Read — Swisscom teaser
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Official: Swisscom to launch iPhone in Switzerland — GPS, mobile TV, video conferencing rumored
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008So there was a little rumor bouncing about yesterday which claimed that Swisscom would land the iPhone. Today, Swisscom confirmed the deal while saying little else. What’s interesting then is what the rest of the rumor, started by the leading Swiss newspaper, Le Matin, had to say. Namely, the 3G iPhone will be on sale in Switzerland this summer (on sale in the US by June) offering 2-way video chats, mobile TV and GPS navigation all powered by an even beefier processor. That certainly sounds like the same 3G iPhone we’re expecting to pop at WWDC now doesn’t it?
Read — Le Matin rumor
Read — Swisscom teaser
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LG and Samsung team-up against Qualcomm in fight for US mobile TV standard
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video
In a case of oh shiznit, LG and Samsung are combining forces to protect their mobile TV interests in the US. With Qualcomm’s proprietary MediaFLO digital broadcast technology rapidly gaining a mobile TV foothold in the US (thanks to AT&T and Verizon) and Europe standardizing on DVB-H, it seems that LG and Samsung (the once proud and gloating parents of the DMB standard) have little choice but to support the ATSC’s attempt to create the ATSC-M/H standard in the US… about three years too late. Of course, the ultimate victor will have very little to do with what’s best for the consumer and everything to do with who is most successful at lobbying the government. Oh, did that sound bitter? Good.
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Video: ASIMO burns as Yo-Yo Ma fiddles
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008Filed under: Robots
Stand down oh gentle readers and defenders of the flesh, we’re getting reports from Detroit that the baton wielding ASIMO did not direct the human race to its doom. Instead, Yo-Yo Ma is safe and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert went off without a hitch while netting the DSO a cool million for the musical education of Gross Point’s children. Of course, the Honda-built robot wasn’t so lucky as he got “keyed” on his walk back through the parking lot. We kid, we kid.
Update: Video added after the break.
[Thanks, Funke]
Continue reading Video: ASIMO burns as Yo-Yo Ma fiddles
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HTC Touch Diamond soft keyboard comes to other WinMo phones
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008Filed under: Cellphones
We weren’t too thrilled with the Touch Diamond’s resistive touchscreen when we got a chance to play with HTC’s new hotness, but if you’re envious of that updated soft keyboard, you’re in luck: the Diamond’s ROMs have already been pulled apart and the .cab files are just a click away. Installation is said to be slow and you’ll have to jump through some hoops to switch the default language from Italian, but things will eventually work out for you — although we doubt anyone’s going to be nearly as impressed as if you had a real Touch Diamond.
[Via MobilitySite]
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HTC Touch Diamond soft keyboard comes to other WinMo phones
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008Filed under: Cellphones
We weren’t too thrilled with the Touch Diamond’s resistive touchscreen when we got a chance to play with HTC’s new hotness, but if you’re envious of that updated soft keyboard, you’re in luck: the Diamond’s ROMs have already been pulled apart and the .cab files are just a click away. Installation is said to be slow and you’ll have to jump through some hoops to switch the default language from Italian, but things will eventually work out for you — although we doubt anyone’s going to be nearly as impressed as if you had a real Touch Diamond.
[Via MobilitySite]
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Microsoft says no new Xbox 360s in 2009
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008Filed under: Gaming
Sounds like that rumor about a new, smaller Xbox 360 coming next year might have a shorter life than a red-ringing console. Specifying the release of “slimmed down SKU in 2009″, Microsoft representative let us know today that “While we don’t normally comment on rumors like this, we can tell you that we have no plans to release a new console in 2009″. Yep, rumor assassinated, just like that. Of course, there still exists the possibility that Microsoft’s just playing coy to prevent a little bit of Osborne effect from creeping in during their heated battle with the PS3 — but they did go out of their way to directly comment on the rumor, so take it as you will.
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