Joel Johnson

Dough-Nu-Matic Automatic Doughnut Machine

The culmination of American consumer electronics: the $130 starch-and-sugar-dispensing "Dough-Nu-Matic," an all-in-one machine that forms and fries mini-doughnuts in just under a minute. Without too much trouble I should be able to saw off the small plastic catch at the end and position my yawning maw directly underneath, each donut triggering an infrared sensor that activates a motorized belt attached to my jaw. Two jugs will be positioned over my head, one of milk, the other coffee, spraying a constant mist into my mouth to provide lubrication. Every twelfth doughnut will contain a creamy Klonopin filling.

At random intervals, a distant alarm will sound, barely discerned through the waxy lard that sloughs out of my ears, signifying that somewhere a war has been waged, an endangered species has passed irrevocably through the veil, or that one of my countrymen have been rendered to provide oil for my doughnut fryer. Knotted workmen will scamper across my cracking grey husk using psoriatic skin shards as hand holds, as I defecate an ever-spiraling wizard's tower of red, white, and blue.

Catalog Page [Skymall (Where else?) via CrunchGear]

Joel Johnson

Portal Writer Erik Wolpaw Interviewed

Rock, Paper, Shotgun interviews Erik Wolpaw, writer of Portal (and perhaps the one person I can point to who most inspired and influenced my writing "style.")

Also, there is cake. Why’s that?
Well, there are lots of message games coming out now. Like they’ve got something really important to get off their chest about the war in Iraq or the player is forced to make some dicey underwater moral choices. Really, just a whole heck of a lot of stuff to think about. With that in mind, at the beginning of the Portal development process, we sat down as a group to decide what philosopher or school of philosophy our game would be based on. That was followed by about fifteen minutes of silence and then someone mentioned that a lot of people like cake.

RPS Interview: Valve’s Erik Wolpaw [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Joel Johnson

Roadwired Skooba Superbungee Strap Reviewed (Verdict: Eases Bag Strain)

The ballistic nylon look is extremely dated, but that aside, the Skooba Superbungee Strap looks like it could save those who carry overweighted laptop bags a compressed disc or two. Gearlog tried one of the $26 bungee-filled straps on their laptop bag and couldn't have been happier:

In my informal tests, in which I stuffed various bags with way too much stuff, I found the Superbungee Strap to be very comfortable, putting minimal strain on my shoulder. It also stayed in place, so I didn't have to worry about the bag moving around during my commute, which consists of two subways and lots of stair-climbing. I tried the Strap out with a few of my own bags, including a duffel bag that has caused me lots of back and shoulder discomfort in the past, and could literally feel the improvement.

Hands (Shoulders?) On: Roadwired Skooba Superbungee Strap [Gearlog.com]

Joel Johnson

Limotrack: "We Need an APC Pick-Up!"

The tank limo trend in the U.K. continues apace with the "Limotrack," a converted BV206 Full-Tracked Articulated Personnel Carrier that will carry your drunken friends in style at speeds up to 35MPH. Inside its been retrofitted with a drinks cooler, a sound system, and a freak-out-your-date smoke machine. It is also supposedly amphibious, so if the party gets boring in London you can attempt a drunken invasion of France.

If you must... [LimoTrack.co.uk via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

Asus Eee Sub-Notebook On Sale at Newegg

The Asus Eee solid-state sub-notebook is now on sale to the plebes for $400 at Newegg. Having recently been loaned a small UMPC for review, I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that no laptop should have less than a full-sized keyboard, even if it skimps in other areas, like the Eee's tiny screen.

I want one, of course, but I'll take my time. The $400 starting price for the 4GB model is just a skotch more than I want to pay for a toy. I'll wait until these first models are on clearance.

Catalog Page [Newegg.com]

Joel Johnson

Free Video: The Secret Life of Machines

I've never seen The Secret Life of Machines, a purportedly light-hearted documentary series by Tim Hunkin and Rex Garrod, but it comes highly recommend by one Hon. D. Rutter, so I gather it's worth a download. Lucky for me, then, that its creators have put new versions online for free download, including episodes in an "iPhone" format, quite very nearly DVD quality. I'm slurping them down now. (Firefox users with FlashGot: This is a very great time to use the filter feature of the "FlashGot All" selection. Just filter for "m4v" and it'll queue up all the episodes.)

The Secret Life of Machines [Exploratorium.edu via Dan's Data]

Joel Johnson

Frog Tape: Better Masking Tape for Painters

Unlike the common blue masking tape used to edge spaces you intend to paint, the edges of the light-green "Frog Tape" bond with latex paint to prevent bleeding. I'm not entirely sure what it is that they're doing differently—probably some new adhesive—but it's only six bucks a roll, so pick some up and let us know how well it works. If nothing else, it looks convincing in the demo videos on their site.

Product Page [FrogTape.com via PopSci]

Joel Johnson

Xenide High-Intensity Flashlight

This "Xenide" flashlight from AELight has a metal halide and xenon emitter, similar to those used in HID headlights on high-end cars and tuned late '90s Honda Civics. It's powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery and can throw 900 or so lumens up to 2,200 feet—nearly half a mile. It's $350 for a 15-watt version; $500 for the 25-watt.

Product Page [AELight.com via PopSci via Oh Gizmo!]

Joel Johnson

Calculator Belt Buckle

Despite a love of calculators* and big, shiny belt buckles, this convergence does not appeal to my outer geek.

Well, okay, it does. But I'm resisting. It's $10, plus shipping. Worth every penny if you can use the lines "I've just calculated that you, my lady, are a perfect ten" or "Would you like to help me calculate the volume of a cylinder?"

Catalog Page [BeWild.com via Nerd Approved via Geek Alerts via Technabob]

* Yet a hatred of math.

Joel Johnson

Portal Papercraft

This lovely bit of papercraft celebrates Valve's hit first-person puzzle shooter Portal. Its creator, Tubbypaws, has been kind enough to provide a file you can print out to make your own.

Relatedly, I have been discovering all sorts of disturbing "Rule 34" Portal porn images, so perverted I have yet to discover a way to put them on the site in good taste. Let's just say that self-pleasure can get very interesting when you have a magical looking glass through which you can grab your own splayed ass cheeks.

Portal Papercraft [Tubbypaws.blogspot.com via Kotaku]

Joel Johnson

Neuros Contest: Last Chance to Enter and Help Team bOING bOING Take the #1 Spot

What started as a fun way to extend our Neuros x Boing Boing Gadgets contest is turning into a full-fledged rout, as Team bOING bOING is on track to take first place across the entire project. We've reached second place in less than a week. First place in within our grasp.

Tonight at midnight (EST) I'll be selecting a winner at random to be awarded the Neuros OSD plus NAS. (The bonus prize, a Nokia N95 awarded to the top producer, looks like it's probably Clay's to lose, since he's currently in the top spot by a country mile, unless someone has been saving up units for a last second surprise.)

I've been having so much fun with this that I'd like to keep the project going for now. I've been talking to some companies about getting in more products to give away, although they probably won't be quite as nice as the Neuros in the immediate future.

If you'd like to take a crack at winning the Neuros, you can still sign up for team today. You just need to have to have reported one work unit by midnight to be eligible.

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Canon PowerShot SD870 IS Digital ELPH 8MP 3.8x Zoom Digital Camera for $313, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Nikon CoolPix S200 7.1MP 3x Zoom Digital Camera + 1GB SD Card for $150, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: US Robotics USB Internet Phone (for Skype, etc.) for $13, shipped.

Not a great deals day today. It happens. Should be solid through November, though, as more stock is cleared out for the holiday insanity.

Joel Johnson

Talking CD Album Available Only 10 Years Too Late

Although it seems like a clumsy implementation, the "Voice Recording CD Album" is a valiant attempt to provide a solution for those who wander from lane to lane while looking through their CD folders in the car. While it can't automatically detect and speak aloud the name of each CD, it does allow you to record a custom three-second message for each of the 10 pages in the binder.

It costs $50 and only holds 20 CDs—it'd be cheaper to just buy an old iPod, if not safer.

Catalog Page [OtherlandToys.co.uk via Nerd Approved via Oh Gizmo]

Joel Johnson

Todd Oldham Quart Travel Bags Saucily Violate TSA Regulations

It's depressingly hilarious that there is a market for designer quart bags to be used when the TSA is shaking you down at an airport. They're even sort of nice looking. But as the TSA has said many times, the quart zip-top bags must be clear. Since I don't think these "Quart Travel Bags" from Todd Oldham are trying to make any sort of subversive statement, you should probably pass them by. I wouldn't want you to get detained in the clink because your toothpaste was occluded by a festive houndstooth.

Catalog Page [Mobi-USA.com via Uncrate]

Joel Johnson

no!no! Shaver Removes Hair By Burning It

The "no!no!" is a shaver for one's nethers, which appears to use heat to burn away unwanted pubes, rather than actually cutting them. A "thermodynamic wire" is used to "transmit heat" to the short and/or curly, after which the "thermal heat signal destroys the hair, which is characterized by odor." Delicious!

The no!no! is being sold at Sephora for $250, so let's hope it works as well as my personal groomer of choice, a smooth slathering of Sterno and a $5 butane crotchtorch, available at your local restaurant supply. (Pro tip: Leave store before attempting procedure.)

Catalog Page [Sephora via Shaving Stuff]

Joel Johnson

Eye-Fi: Add Wi-Fi to Any Camera (with SD)

The "Eye-Fi" is a brilliantly simple device: a flash memory card with a Wi-Fi chip inside. As long as you remain in range of your computer's network, the Eye-Fi will automatically transfer any image you snap to your computer, where it can then be uploaded to the web manually or with the Eye-Fi software. (And it would be simple to set up some automatic uploading for instant uploads as soon as you take a snapshot if you wanted a custom solution.)

Gizmodo's Mark Wilson has a quick hands-on and says the Eye-Fi works "flawlessly" and doesn't have a noticeable drain on battery life. It's $100 for a 2GB version, which may not be a huge amount of flash memory, but considering it only really works as a buffer for later uploading that should suffice. If only they had a CF version, which would greatly simplify my Byzantine DSLR uploading rig for mobile reporting.

Product Page [Eye.fi]

Joel Johnson

Dishmaster Imperial Ad (1965)

From the ad:

You don't have to put your hands in hot, soapy water three times a day. Or spend all that time, either. Not if you've got a new Dishmaster Imperial, you don't. Dishmaster is ideal for husbands who hate to do dishes. And for wives you haven't been able to get their husbands to do dishes. It's quick. Simple. And very clean.

Don't be a dish slave. Be a dish master. Buy a Dishmaster at any leading hardware, plumbing, appliance or department store. It'll fit any sink. And for best results, be sure to pick up a bottle of Dishmaster concentrated detergent.

Dish Slaves (KBlood Photostream) [Flickr via Retro Thing via Gadget Lab]

Joel Johnson

The Coming Iridescence

Let's set this straight: The brown Zune was rather attractive. In pictures it only looked so-so, but in person, in your hand, its luminous green shell made the whole thing glow. That it became some sort of punchline only evidences the internet's bent towards the copraphillic, latent snideness towards Microsoft, and a general unwillingness to step outside of any pre-defined social boundaries about what a gadget should or should not look like.

While you malinger with your silver and black knoblins, other companies are dipping new products into a wide spectrum of colors. JDSU, a paint and pigments company, is showing off its newest "ChromaFlair" and "SpectraFlair" pigments at the SEMA auto show, but the color-shifting paints won't just be on cars in the near future. There's a whole line of products that will be covered in shimmering iridescence, the clear materials choice of today's future, as measured by the "What do sci-fi force fields look like when absorbing blaster fire?" metric. If you don't like the coming wave of soap-bubble paint jobs, don't blame JDSU—blame Halo.

You can see a products gallery at JDSU.com.

Perhaps more interesting than the palette du jour is this paragraph from JDSU's press release, which certainly sounds like science, but of course may be wildly inaccurate.

“Colors project our feelings,” adds Parker. “Silver dominates in hard times, as they have the last few years, while green, which was common during the ‘90s, reflects optimism. White, black, and beige are conservative colors. And red, orange, and yellow are ‘look at me’ colors.”

[via Core 77]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Olympus Digital Voice Recorder + USB for $34, shipped [Dealhack]

• Apple iMac 24" Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz Desktop Mac fpr $1,300, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Bush Somerset Wood Entertainment Center for $30. Pick up in-store at Best Buy. TVs up to 42-inch. Not awful looking, although nothing special. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Jumbo Junkie Universal Jumbo Remote Control – 2 Pack for $15, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Video: Automan Titles

Despite being a child of the '80s in love with TRON, this Glen A. Larson-produced series called "Automan" went completely under my radar. Too bad, since it had a high dosage of my favorite things in life: synth-heavy theme tunes, glowing faux wireframe special effects around Lamborghini Countach, Desi "Little Ricky" Arnaz, Jr., and a sentient perverted sidekick flipping up the skirts of blonde starlets with hair teased high. (I'm talking about the flying "Cursor" character, not Little Ricky.)

From the Wikipedia entry:

Automan was inspired by the film Tron, which had come out a year earlier. Although similar in appearance, the special effects used to create the Automan look were completely different from the hand-painted effects used by Tron. Automan cinematographer Charles "Chuck" Barbee reports that what they actually did was use reflective material and portable projectors, though the end result looks simply like some kind of blue/green screen chromakey overlay.

(Thanks, Shadowkeeper!)

Joel Johnson

Star Trek Enterprise Putter

This putter for Golfsmith is shaped more or less like the U.S.S. Enterprise. Just pretend the saucer section has been smooshed into the neck through some soon-to-be-mended snag in the interdimensional weft. It's $130, available in November. Ahead warp factor fore!

Catalog Page [Store.StarTrek.com via Uncrate via Neatorama via Scribal Terror via Signaleer]

Joel Johnson

Video: "(Gonna) Buy Mii a Wii" Rap Opus

The cringe-inducing hit of the morning, "(Gonna) Buy Mii a Wii," in which the self-identified Black Nerd serenades himself about the purchase he intends to make in the future—presumably a second Wii, since the video is filled with shots of his first. [via Kottke]

Joel Johnson

Hose-Powered Magnetic CD Turbine with Sawblade

I don't entirely understand the mechanics behind "Mr. Fix It" Rick's "Magnetic Tesla CD Turbine," but it's clear that it's a cheap way to reuse CDs to make a crazy whirring spinning thing. (So much so that he can spin it fast enough to shred the discs, although you certainly wouldn't want to do that without all due safety precautions.)

If you find the above video intriguing, Rick's got several videos up on YouTube explaining how the system works. The turbine doesn't always have a Skilsaw blade attached, but that is clearly when it is operating at maximum awesome. (Putting the "rad" in "radial?")

Rick tells us:

 I have more plans in the making for the CD Turbine such as a stacking feature, where two or more CD Turbines can be stacked together, linked magnetically.  Also, a CD Turbine Generator that runs on garden hose pressure (It's already got rotating magnets...).  I'm also going to hook up an auto alternator to the air version...it should work to charge a battery. I will also be making a similar CD design as a pump (Tesla CD Pump: hand, drill, water or air powered!).

Tesla CD Turbine with Skilsaw Attachment [YouTube]

Joel Johnson

Costco Electronics Recycling and Trade-In Program

Costco has partnered with GreenSight to offer an easy trade-in program for gadgets and other electronics. Use the web-based calculator to determine the value of your product, send in the item (with free shipping for the moment), and once received you'll be sent a Costco gift card for the trade-in value. They'll even take CRT monitors, printers, and fax machines, although only to be recycled. (Presumably you have to take those into Costco or a GreenSight center; I can't see them paying for you to ship a monitor.)

Trade-In and Recycle Program [Greensight.com via Consumerist]

Joel Johnson

Trampe: Norwegian Bicycle Escalator

Trondheim, the third-largest city in Norway, has a very high percentage of bike riders compared to the rest of the country, something to which they ascribe partially to the "Trampe," a 130-meter bicycle "lift" that takes cyclers up the steepest incline in town. Riders activate the Trampe with a keycard. A small metal plate comes up from the ground, on which a rider rests their right foot, putting their weight on the plate as it pushes them up the hill.

Since launching in 1993, the Trampe has given 220,000 rides up the hill with no injuries.

Project Page [Trampe.no] (Thanks, Marilyn!

Joel Johnson

Stephen Fry's New Tech Column in the Guardian

Stephen Fry, the charming British author and actor who recently outed himself as a gadget dork on his blog, is penning a new weekly column about technology for the Guardian. This first one is mostly throat-clearing, as Fry underlines his love for things Apple, while reminding that picking one thing to the exclusion of another is churlish and muddling.

What do I think is the point of a digital device? Is it all about function? Or am I a "style over substance" kind of a guy? Well, that last question will get my hackles up every time. As if style and substance are at war! As if a device can function if it has no style. As if a device can be called stylish that does not function superbly. Don't get me started ...

Welcome to dork talk [Guardian.co.uk] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)

Joel Johnson

Rideable Electric Chest Cooler

Somewhere today a dedicated football game tailgater will see this rideable electric cooler/scoot hybrid. A light will go off in his head. Visions of fame and adventure in the stadium parking lot will usher forth like a home team tearing through a paper hoop. The dream will be crushed under a crumpling beer can pressed into his softened skull after chugging a cold one in celebration.

The cooler can hold up to 24 "beverage cans." The scooter can hold up to 300 pounds and has a 15 mile range, which is actually rather impressive all told. It's $500, plus $30 if you want the seat and backrest, which seem like a necessary addition. "Type-R" stickers must be installed by the operator.

Catalog Page [Hammacher.com via Technabob]

Joel Johnson

Aromatherapy Pen

While I think "aromatherapy" is pretty much bunk, I certainly like aromas, especially ones that aren't rotting meat or unwashed cabbie. These "Swiss Aromatherapy Pens" have a second nub at the rear with a roller ball that emits "pure Swiss essential oils" in a variety of flavors—one per pen—including rose, mint, grapefruit, and eucalyptus. They're $50 a pop—maybe get a pack of Bic and some candles, instead.

Catalog Page [WishingFish.com via Crave.CNET.com]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Fujitsu LifeBook U810 Mini-Notebook PC/UMPC for $890. [Dealhack]

• Today's Woot!: Philips Bluetooth MP3/Cell Phone Headset for $18, shipped.

Highest-Rated Coupons from Retail Me Not

• 10 percent discount at 80sTees.com (including halloween costumes) using code: sub874432

• 15% off at blogging host Typepad.com using code: ROJO

• 10% off PC games in November at Gamestop.com using code: NOV10PC

• 30% off Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Keyboard at Dell.com using code: WXC75$W3QRM?3M

Joel Johnson

Keyport Key Thing In Production

It looks as if the "Keyport," which was shown as a concept a few months ago, will actually be making it into limited production. Your likelihood of getting one seems slim, though: you'll need to have already been on the "I'm interested" list; the process for getting your keys cut involves sending six copies to the company; the whole thing cost $300. Maybe you could just drill a hole through your keys and pin them all together instead? Or what if someone made a small, metal ring...?

KEYPORT PRODUCTION [Notcot.com]

Joel Johnson

Nixon Murf Watches

These "Murf" watches from Nixon, just dropped onto the desks at Wired, are attractive but huge, like wearing a '70s quadraphonic amplifier on your wrist.

Price is not-yet-known, but they're projecting around $200.

Mail Call: Nixon Murf Watch is Retro Cool, Heavy As Sin [Gadget Lab]

Joel Johnson

AMPCO 7920: The $900 Sledge Hammer

The AMPCO 7920 sledge hammer costs $900—for a reason. It's made of completely non-sparking, non-magnetic, corrosion-resistant, beryllium-free metal*, the better to work in environments where an errant spark could go all explodo.

Tool Pr0n: A $900 Sledge Hammer [Toolmonger]

* Fuckin' beryllium.

Joel Johnson

Video: Commodore Max Machine Commercial (1982)

Children sit on meteors, space helmets off, gawking at the Commodore's amazing graphics while their blood boils.

More Retro Tech Awesomeness - 1982 Japanese Commodore Max Machine Commercial [TVinJapan.com]

Joel Johnson

Faces in Places: Humanizing Everything

Our brains are programmed to recognize human faces, which is why we see faces in clouds, but not clouds in faces. (I think Steven Pinker said that.) If that weren't the case, this entire "Faces in Places" weblog couldn't exist—it would just be a collection of random images of gadgets and wires.

Faces in Places [FacesInPlaces.blogspot.com via Cool Hunting]

Joel Johnson

Vax 77 Folding Music Keyboard

The Infinite Response Vax 77 keyboard not only folds in half for easy storage in an aircraft's overhead locker, but will feature polyphonic aftertouch. (Press the keys harder after they're depressed to add extra effects, such as zazz, very much unlike pianos or organs.) Both features make this 77-key unit a bespoke affair, sure to be super-duper spendy.

Product Page [InfiniteResponse.com via Music Thing]

Joel Johnson

Game Center CX: Japanese Videogame Reality Hit

Brian Ashcraft profiles Japanese reality show Game Center CX, where a worksuit-wearing "section chief" is filmed as he attempts to beat some of the hardest videogames from the past.

Now starting its eighth season, Game Center CX is a certified hit among the ultranerdy otaku set, with merchandise ranging from DVD boxed sets and books to coffee mugs and Arino action figures. In November, Bandai Namco Games will release a Game Center CX title for Nintendo DS starring Section Chief Arino. Players hang out with the TV star and play retrogames, complete with lo-res graphics and "Engrish" translations. (No US release is planned — zurui!)

Japan's Reality-TV Gamer Just Keeps Playing and Playing and Playing... [Wired.com]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• EarCheck Middle Ear Monitor for $13, shipped. Check for ear infection. [Slickdeals]

• Lands' End Cool Blue Laptop Messenger Bag for $25, shipped. With built-in EL lights. [Dealnews]

• 50% off dog costumes at Petsmart. Okay, not a tech deal, but I think humiliating dogs is hilarious. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Polaroid T737 7MP Digital Camera for $105, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Blowing Out the Dust: Afternoon Edition

• Should Have Used Child Labor – OLPC project hits snags, delaying production until November 12th. [Reuters]

• Bags Full of Coins – "What do you take with you during an evacuation?" [Lifehacker]

• I Aim to Crash This – Wired's Epicenter blogs the "She's Geeky" conference. [Epicenter]

• Please, sir. May I have some more? – AT&T charges man $18 upgrade fee to extend his contract. (Check your bill.) [Consumerist]

• Snow Cash – Signed, limited edition hardcovers of Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash are on pre-sale for $100. [Amazon]

• Hobby Whores – Military contractors charge licensing fees to model companies for likenesses of U.S. military aircraft. [Danger Room]

Joel Johnson

Asus Eee PC 701 Reviewed (Verdict: Light and Able)

LAPTOP magazine got an exclusive first look at the Asus Eee PC 701, the solid-state 7-inch laptop that many people have been greatly anticipating. Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer stepped up to review it, giving it four of five stars in its Linux-based version.

Asus is forging a new class of device with the Eee PC. Yes, you can get a laptop with a bigger screen and better specs for the same amount of money, but this machine wasn't designed to go toe-to-toe with bargain-basement Windows laptops. It's an excellent secondary computer for households with children, and it's a very good primary computer for novice PC users who never had the time or patience to master an operating system.
 
In many ways, too, the Eee PC is a new-and-improved version of the Internet appliance concept, as its easy-to-tote, easy-to-use design makes it simple for anyone to get online.

Exclusive First Review: Asus Eee PC 701 [LaptopMag.com]

Joel Johnson

Contest Update: Neuros x Boing Boing Gadgets Extended (with Bonus Nokia N95)

We didn't get enough good, original entries this week to do the Neuros contest correctly. I blame myself—I made it too difficult, forgetting that most people don't want to work to get free stuff. (Who can blame them?)

So I'm going to extend the contest out one more week, change the way to enter, and up the ante. It will take a minimum of work, but you can do it without leaving your desk, so this one might be worth giving a go.

Cosmology@Home is a new distributed project that aims to discover the cosmological model that "that best describes our Universe." It does this by running simulations of astronomical and particle physics data on your home machine—a "simulated universe."

I've started a "Team bOING bOING." To enter into a random selection to win the Neuros OSD, simply do the following:

• Go to the Cosmology@Home project page and download the client.
• Join Team bOING bOING.
• Crunch some units!

Crunch until next Wednesday night. I'll select one team member at random to win a free Neuros OSD settop box plus NAS. (I'll contact you via the Cosmology@Home system, so be sure you use a real email address.

In addition, the member who crunches the most units by midnight EST Wednesday will win an unlocked Nokia N95 smartphone.

If you have any questions, I'll respond to them in the comments, but it doesn't get much easier than this. It takes like 60 seconds to get up and running. Good luck! For science!

Joel Johnson

Kuka: Robot Ascetic Inscribes Bible

Image: Marc Wathieu

Kuka, what appears to be a fairly standard industrial robot, has been reprogrammed to inscribe the entire Martin Luther bible onto a endless roll of paper. It uses a calligraphic style translated by its creators RobotLab from an early font called "Schwabacher."

I love bibles; I love industrial robots. I find whole project haunting.

Product Page (German) [RobotLab.de]
Marc Wathieu's Gallery [Flickr]
[via BotJunkie via Gearfuse]

Joel Johnson

How to Recycle or Resell Your Gadgets

Earth2Tech has a great post about ethical ways to recycle your gadgetry. Bookmark this one!

SecondRotation, a site that will sell your old electronics on eBay (EBAY), said this week that they will be accepting older, “worthless” gadgets to recycle in an effort to stem the flow of e-waste into landfills. The site was already useful before the move: Simply log on, find your device, answer six yes-or-no questions, rate the gadget with one to four stars, and hit “calculate.” You’ll get a price quote and if you want to sell, you simply package it up and call DHL, who will pick it up at your home.

How To E-Cycle Your Gadgets [Earth2Tech.com]

Joel Johnson

Giant Swiss Army Knife Now on Sale

Be aware, the "Giant Swiss Army Knife" from Wenger is now available at Thinkgeek for a cool grand. It features all 85 tools currently available in various other knives from Wenger. It weighs three pounds—and includes a key ring.

Catalog Page [ThinkGeek.com]

Joel Johnson

Mitsubishi Fuso Eco-D Concept Dump Truck

This year's Tokyo Auto Show is turning out to be one of the most exciting in years, with tons of great concept cars (not to mention the introduction of the Nissan GT-R). The latest: This Fuso Canter "Eco-D" concept dump truck from Mitsubishi. The Fuso is one of the great truck brands of the world, used for a variety of purposes.

The Fuso has been on my short list of "To Be Converted Into Mobile Reporting Rig" vehicles for a while; unlike others on the list, such as Pinzgauer, I could actually afford a Fuso. But now I want it to be this Fuso.

Mitshibishi Fuso Canter Eco-D Concept Dump Truck [Jalopnik]

Previously:
• Suzuki Biplane Concept: Motorcycle, Not Aeroplane [BBG]
• Nissan GT-R Cockpit Display Gets Videogame Touch [BBG]
• Daihatsu Mudmaster-C Concept Kei Van [BBG]
• Honda PUYO Concept [BBG]
• Suzuki's Tonka-like X-HEAD Concept Truck [BBG]

Joel Johnson

Inside Out Barware by AMT

While discussing the merits of insulated glasses, Amanda Clark pointed out these great glasses from Dutch designer AMT (?). I'm not actually sure if they're insulated, but they're quite attractive.

From the designer's page:

the shape of a drinking glass reflects its content: columnar flute for champagne, curvy goblet for wine, short shot glass for straight liquor, stout highball for cocktails. but what if only the negative space of glasses assumes these iconic shapes? that’s the premise of amt’s line of pyrex glass barware. all glasses have the same outer shape, but pour in a drink and the glass’s inner identity appears.

Product Page [ByAMT.com via Serious Eats]

Joel Johnson

Boynq Wake-Up iPod Alarm Dock: Almost Stylish!

There's hardly anything more boring that iPod docks, I know, but this "Wake Up" alarm clock model from Boynq approaches (but does not quite exceed) awesome. The off-kilter design is cute and quirky without going over the top. (Although I don't know why it needs the grey swooping support bars; the whole thing should be sharp-edged.)

The best part, though, is the remote: when your iPod is docked, it can control music playback and function as a snooze button, but when you take your iPod with you for the day, the remote slides into the same slot, never leaving you with a garish hole in the middle of your speaker system.

The Wake Up also includes syncing over USB and video out. (I'm not sure if it supports video out on the new iPods that have that crappy, unnecessary lock-out from Apple.) It's on sale in Europe already at around $185, but I don't know if it'll be released in North America anytime soon. It's also available in Black.

Flash Product Site [Boynq.com via Technabob via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

Remote-Controlled Trench Compactors

Equipment Today did a whole post about "compactors," the rolling vehicles used to tamp down soil for building roads and trenches. (You may know older models as "steamrollers.") While many of the larger models are interesting in their own right, I have to say these smaller, remote-controlled models are extra nifty, especially since I didn't even know this sort of thing existed. Imagine what you could do to your kid's toys with these! Or to your kids!

Product Spotlight: Compaction Equipment [ForConstructionPros.com via Toolmonger]

Joel Johnson

Yamaha's Folding Electric "Bobby" Scooter

Crave.CNET.com has this picture of the Yamaha "Bobby" concept folding electric scooter, shown at this year's Tokyo Auto Show. (Great name!) Sadly, while this is the expanded version, the folded-up mode isn't all that much smaller. I'd still putt-putt—or whirr-whirr—the hell out of this.

Bobby, the foldable scooter [Crave.CNET.com]

Joel Johnson

Top Ten Patent Holders

Image: Number 9, Mark Gardner. (Photo: Dan Winters)

Nate writes:

This is a pretty fantastic article from this month's issue of "Portfolio" about the top 10 patent holders [by patents awarded] in the USPTO. The article is interesting because it really highlights the wackiness of the patent system (most of the patents are displays, chips & flower pot covers) while also celebrating these fellows (no ladies in the top 10) for being pretty smart mofos. The slideshow is also great. I am a sucker for collections like this!

Masters of Invention [Portfolio.com]

Joel Johnson

Video: FluteTronic 8-Bit Light Flute

The "FluteTronic" is a homebrew instrument that plays like a traditional flute, but uses various levels of light to trigger a sensor which in turn controls a synthesizer. A similar sensor in the mouthpiece controls the vibrato. The noise it makes isn't exactly music, but then again neither is Jethro Tull.

Project Page [Rare Beasts] (Thanks, Brian!)

Joel Johnson

Fingers Laptop Stand Concept Pinches Cables

I don't think this prototype laptop stand design is quite there yet—propping up your laptop on a rounded, slippery bit of acrylic doesn't seem like a winner—but the addition of "fingers" at the back to hold cables in place when away from your desk is quite clever. Even if you have a laptop with all its ports along the side like a Macbook, the Fingers design might still help prevent the terror of cables slipping off the edge of your desk down into the wire brambles under your desk.

There don't appear to be any real plans to produce the Fingers unit, but some enterprising laptop stand company may try something similar soon.

Concept Page [OofDesign.co.uk via Yanko Design]

Joel Johnson

TI-Nspire Graphing Calculator with Swappable Keys

The latest graphing calculator from Texis Instruments, the "TI-Nspire," has an all new interface, including a set of tiny alphabet nubbins in between its buttons to make it easier to input characters. But if that makes your professors freak out about all the course work they've built around the popular Ti-84/83 interface, the TI-NSpire can be thrown into a full compatibility mode, including a replaceable faceplate with the traditional TI-84 Plus layout.

The TI-Nspire is available for around $140. It probably does another fancy things, too, but I can barely spell "maths," let alone understand them.

Noisy Flash Product Page [TI-Nspire.com via Oh Gizmo!]

Joel Johnson

Japan Pioneering Ways to Make Robot Interaction More Awkward

Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology have developed a robot they say can recognize—and respond with—human body language.

From Pink Tentacle:

The droid’s body language skills are due in large part to technology that allows it to observe, recognize and remember human behavior. NICT’s robot learns body language by watching — much like children, who learn nonverbal communication by watching others — and it can mimic the observed behavior with natural human-like motions. The robot also creates 3D maps of each body it observes, and it commits the map to memory. These maps allow the robot to remember how people and their bodies look, even when viewing them from different angles. In addition, the robot is equipped with delicate force control mechanisms that allow for precise motion and safe physical interaction with humans.

Android acquires nonverbal communication skills [Pink Tentacle]

Joel Johnson

Muji Blackboard Globe

This blackboard globe from Japanese "no frills" retailer Muji has serious appeal. It's the perfect kind of this to leave out when your less prurient friends come over and see what kind of strange worlds they create.

It's only £7 online, or if you're a New Yorker, you can wait for Muji's Soho store to open November 16th and hope they carry it.

Catalog Page [Muji.eu via Swissmiss via Core77]

Joel Johnson

Gerber Multi-Tool for Demolition Techs

Gerber makes a multi-tool for demolition explosive technicians that has a blasting cap crimper in its pliers. I probably find that cooler than is warranted.

Dealmonger: Gerber’s Demolition Explosive Technician’s Multi-Tool For $79 [Toolmonger]

Joel Johnson

Kururmarukun: Folding Cardboard Toilet

We all enjoy giggling at strange Japanese inventions from time to time, but rarely are their products really that weird. It's a different culture with different sensibilities, is all. I mean, what person on the planet wouldn't enjoy pissing in a cardboard box while sitting in gridlocked traffic? Right? Who's with me?

When you see this portable toilet from Kaneko Sangyo Company, called the "Kururmarukun," don't just look at it as a some-assembly-required cardboard toilet bowl with a water-absorbent sheet and a concealment curtain. Think of it as Japan's gift to a cross-legged world, too proud to get out of their cars and take a leak in a ditch but not too proud to fill up box with their own urine.

(I realize men have it easier than women when it comes to mobile liquid evac, but I can't imagine any American crawling into the back of their SUV and using this thing. Which is a shame, in a way. It would at least give all the other people stuck in traffic something to watch.)

Kaneko Sangyo portable toilet is small enough to fit inside a car! [FarEastGizmos.com via Coolest-Gadgets]

Joel Johnson

Tomy Heli-Q Mini R/C Helicopter

Japanese toy company Tomy will be releasing its own riff on the super-popular "Picco Z" mini R/C helicopter in November, dubbed the "Heli-Q." Tomy's design uses an attractive clear plastic body to house the motor and radio, as opposed to the Z's durable foam chassis. (As long as the weight is the same, it doesn't really matter, although it may perhaps be a little more difficult to mod tiny forward thrust wings onto the Heli-Q.)

The little caption that describes the Heli-Q calls it the "world's smallest radio controlled toy helicopter," which indicates it uses actual R/C; The Picco Z line uses infrared controls. Prices and availability unknown, but I can't imagine it will cost more than $30. (And if it does, just go get one of the Picco Z products or its derivatives. Seriously my favorite toy in a long, long time.)

Image Page [Tiscali.co.uk via Gizmodo]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• 15% off coupon at Batteries.com [Bargainist]

• Canon SD1000 7.1MP Camera $170, shipped. [Dealhack]

• Audio-Technica Precision Studio Headphones for $60, shipped. [Dealhack]

• Today's Woot!: Oh my fuck, boys! What if it's a samsquanch Woot-off!?

Joel Johnson

Playstation 3 Models by Venn Diagram

Chris Kohler has created this Venn diagram to try to better explain which of the four Playstation 3 models have which features. If it seems confusing, it's because it is.

I know it's just the context tickling me, but why hasn't anyone made a game based around Venn diagrams? It seems like there could be a game in there. Perhaps a really boring game.

Diagram: Comparing The PlayStation 3 Models [Game|Life]

Joel Johnson

MeTeoR: Multi-Track Audio Editor for Windows Mobile

I don't have any Windows Mobile devices handy to test it on (thank god!) but I think it's impressively nifty that someone has built a multi-track audio editor for the platform, dubbed "MeTeoR." The developer has just released a new version, adding time stretch and more to the 12-track recorder. I can imagine this being quite a useful tool for the patient mobile podcaster.

MeTeoR is $30.

Product Page [4Pockets.com via Palm Sounds]

Joel Johnson

iShoes: Electric Roller Skates

The "iShoes" are electric roller skates with a 5-7 mile range over flat surfaces, controlled by a tethered, uh, control tether. They can reach speeds of up to 15MPH. They're said to be in testing, with available and pricing data yet to be announced.

They look extremely unsuitable for wet-weather use.

Product Page [TheiShoes.com via Gizmodo]

Joel Johnson

ExpoImaging ExpoAperture2: Handy Pocket Depth-of-Field Calculators

ExpoImaging's ExpoAperture2 are $30 circular cardboard rulers that help you calculate proper depth of field when shooting with an SLR (digital or analog).

The ExpoAperture2 comes with two depth of field calculators--think of them like circular slide rules--one that covers wide and normal focal lengths (15-135mm) and one that covers telephoto focal lengths (70-600mm). The kit also comes with small plastic sleeves to store the discs, a reference chart to help you figure out the size of your camera's sensor or film, and a user's manual on CD. The manual includes a very good explanation of depth of field and how and why you'd want to control it. The result is a deeper understanding of photography that should benefit any but the most accomplished photographers.

How deep is your field? [Crave.CNET.com]

Joel Johnson

PocketSurfer2: QWERTY Blast from Futures Past

Rob Beschizza, who shares my obsession with tiny, mostly useless QWERTY devices of the Psion mold, has played around with the PocketSurfer2, which uses an internal GRPS modem to connect to a proxied data connection for fastish data. It's only $200 (plus data plan), but it could really use some sort of 3G radio to slot itself more firmly into the category of devices I wistfully write about—but never purchase—on my full-sized laptop.

One Day, The PocketSurfer People Could Rule The World [Gadget Lab]

Joel Johnson

Sleeptracker Pro Watch with Sleep History Software

The new Sleeptracker Pro takes the original "sleep watch" concept and adds a new software component, allowing you to download your "sleep history" to a PC and track how well you've snoozed over time. The new Sleeptracker Pro watch has an updated look, too, although it's still a bit too goofy to be worn all day.

The reviews for the original Sleeptracker were surprisingly positive. Many people found that the Sleeptracker, which uses an accelerometer to gauge what sleep state you might be in and wakes you at the optimum moment of restfulness, actually did a pretty great job.

The Sleeptracker Pro system is $180, or $30 more than the vanilla Sleeptracker.

Product Page [Sleeptracker.com]

Joel Johnson

Suzuki Biplane Concept: Motorcycle, Not Aeroplane

Jalopnik is at the Tokyo Auto Show and snapped a few pictures of this fantastic Suzuki "Biplane" motorcycle concept. I'm not entirely sure why it's called "Biplane." Perhaps it will all-too-easily send its rider airborne?

Tokyo Motor Show: Sleek Suzuki Biplane Revealed [Jalopnik]

Joel Johnson

Wacom Cintiq 12WX: LCD Drawing Tablet for the Rest

Expect the Wacom Cintiq 12WX to be on the wishlist of most artists and designers this year. The 12-inch, 16:10 tablet has an LCD monitor underneath a pressure-sensitive layer that lets you actually draw right on the screen. And lest you think the 12WX is just a scaled down version of the larger 21UX, it also includes tilt and rotation sensitivity on input devices (not the screen), the better to emulate real-life pencils and brushes.

No batteries required—it's all powered over USB. A convertor unit bridges the USB with a DVI or VGA connection.

What's going to set this apart is the price—I think. There isn't a price listed yet on Wacom Europe's page, but if I had to take a wild stab at it, I'd say "less than one thousand dollars." The 12WX seems like Wacom's first step towards bringing the Cintiq line towards broad consumer adoption. More details should be forthcoming before its release next month.

Product Page [Wacom-Europe.com]

Joel Johnson

Black & Decker Auto Wrench

This Black & Decker "Auto Wrench," a self-adjusting monkey crescent wrench that automatically sizes itself to the bolt you're on, has been around for a while, but I'd forgotten about it and thought perhaps y'all might have, too. And bonus: it's been out long enough to garner some user reviews, which are almost universally positive. You can get it at Amazon for $29. Two AA batteries will power the clamping jaws for about 650 cycles.

Catalog Page [Amazon via Coolest-Gadgets]

Joel Johnson

Japanese Manhole Covers

Pink Tentacle has gathered several galleries of Japanese manhole covers, which vary from cute to terrifying. Manhole covers are fascinating to me; there's often all sort of encoded information in their designs, like when the sewer was created and by whom.

In New York, my home, large compass decals are being placed on the sidewalks to help tourists—a perfect candidate for new manhole designs. (There's a nice Flickr pool of NYC manhole covers, too.)

Japanese manhole covers [PinkTentacle.com]

Joel Johnson

EpiSurveyor: Saving Lives with Open Source

A couple of weeks ago, I had a sit down conversation with Dr. Joel Selanikio, creator of the extraordinarily compelling EpiSurveyor project, which provides software that can be run on PDAs and phones as an entry point to collect data in areas where laptops are impractical but paper records are rarely indexed. Selanikio and his project made a strongly positive impression on me—too much so, I think, because I've been hesitant to write about EpiSurveyor, feeling like I'd like to do more than simply write about the project in a short post, but unable to figure out something more productive.

So I asked Selanikio what EpiSurveyor could use to grow and he gave me some answers. We'll get to those, but let's talk about EpiSurveyor itself.

EpiSurveyor is free, open-source software used to collect data—primarily medical survey data right now, although there's no reason other types of data couldn't be gathered—in areas where medical data is often out-of-date or incomplete, when it's even collected at all.

Because EpiSurveyor is aimed primarily at developing economies, it's designed to run on PDAs and mobile phones. The latest version is designed to run on mobile phone— not necessarily even smartphones, but the standard GSM handsets that are used all over, and to transmit collected data back to a central repository via SMS.

"I go to all these conferences where they talk about Web 2.0," Selanikio said, "And they don't understand that I'm trying to build SMS 2.0." In the countries where EpiSurveyor is being put to use, like recent pilot programs in Kenya and Zambia, there is usually no web access in the first place.

Let me pass on two stories Selanikio told me that greatly helped my understand of the environment in which EpiSurveyor operates and why the data it gathers can be so important.

Imagine you're the health ministry of a developing nation. Thousands of your citizens live in remote villages with no power. It's your job to monitor their health and to address trends as they happen, so you send out a team of people across the country to survey the populace.

The team heads out into the country, collects the data on paper, and brings it all back to the capitol to be aggregated. Because your surveyors have to lug all their forms with them, they're often carrying huge stacks of papers on their backs as they travel. It's tedious. Sometimes the data gets what Selanikio calls the "under the tree problem," where surveyors choose to sit in the shade rather than lug around all the forms.

And even when all the data is brought back, it takes a long time for it to be scanned in and assembled. It's not uncommon for reports to take as long as six months to be processed in some countries, which is a tragically long time when it comes to monitor health and disease.

Now imagine a team equipped with EpiSurveyor equipment, powered by solar-powered bags from Voltaic Systems, making enough excess power to barter and sell to villagers to finance the trip. This isn't something that EpiSurveyor (and its creator company DataDyne) intend to do—this has already happened in Kenya.

In Zambia, EpiSurveyor was used not to improve surveys about malarial supplies in village clinics, but to conduct a systematic one for the first time. People were dying from malaria not because the government could not provide medicine, but simply because it didn't know where supplies were low. The Zambian health ministry, using data gathered by teams with EpiSurveyor, discovered that 60% of their stockpiles in remote areas were missing and were able to mobilize a response within three weeks.

There's a lot more that could be talked about, like how EpiSurveyor team members used Basecamp to evolve data collection forms from country to country, a normally top-down process that can take years; or how continuing medical education programs can be transmitted across the EpiSurveyor system to keep medical workers' skills up to date. But I'd like to instead make a small appeal for conversation for DataDyne and EpiSurveyor.

Right now the project has been primarily funded through grants and donations. Selanikio would like to figure out a way to make EpiSurveyor a sustainable business, unreliant on outside cash infusions as its only way to continue to grow and improve. There are other, commercial equivalents to EpiSurveyor on the market, but they don't tend towards free, open-source software designed to run on inexpensive, widely-available hardware.

I asked Selanikio what EpiSurveyor could use most right now—besides money, which is always welcome.

"We really need people who could help us develop a sustainable business model for EpiSurveyor. Ad-supported? Subscription fees? Two tiers of features? That sort of advice, from people who are truly qualified to give it, would be very helpful."

Joel Johnson

Audocron Chiming Clock Thing

The Audocron is a chromed, touch-sensitive mushroom that tells time by emitting a chime—once every hour and half hour or in a series of notes when touched. It's not a new design—the first Audocron were sold in 1979 and can still be purchased for $130—but a newer, Chinese made update adds some new functionality and increased touch sensitivity. ("No need to moisten fingers!")

The new version can be had on Thinkgeek for just $20, which seems about right for a strange clock you may find too annoying to use. It also includes an LED-lit ring that glows when you touch the Audocron, just to complete the Star Trek artifact impression.

Catalog Page [Thinkgeek.com via Technabob]

Joel Johnson

Suunto Core: Wristwatch Bristling with Sensors

The new Sunnto Core is more than a watch, according to its manufacturer—it's an outdoor wrist-top computer, the "total timepiece for the hardcore outdoor enthusiast." It's certainly no slack on features, including (according to Gizmag):

storm alarm, altimeter, barometer, digital thermometer, weather trend indicator and digital compass as well as a newly added depth meter, sunrise and sunset timer and a menu in four languages.

Most impressively, all those sensors and intelligence will only set you back $350. Overpriced for a desk jockey watch, sure, but not a bad deal for legitimate outdoorsmen at all.

Suunto Core extreme sports wristop computer [Gizmag]

Joel Johnson

Plug-In Prius Hybrid Looking Likely

Popular Mechanics' Ben Stewart took a few laps in a prototype Toyota Prius that can be plugged into a wall outlet to recharge its batteries. He says it seems likely that the next generation Prius, a 2009 model, will feature plug-in technology.

The most impressive part of the system was that it can take 1/4 to 1/2 throttle without engaging the gasoline engine. And that means for short 3 to 4 mile commutes, one could conceivably get to work and return home solely on electric power. The hybrid mode works much like the current car, engaging the internal combustion engine much sooner. This mode, it is presumed will be most applicable to long trips, when charging the battery isn’t an option.

First Drive: 2009 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Prototype [PopularMechanics.com]

Joel Johnson

Sony Cybershot DSC-T2 Has 4GB of Memory On Board

The Cyber-shot DSC-T2 is the latest in Sony's line of point-and-shoots, made most notable by the inclusion of four gigabytes of flash memory built right inside. (You can still use Memory Stick Pro Duo cards to expand it should you need to, but the 1,300 or so 8-megapixel photographs that can be snapped will likely be enough for most people. I wonder if we can expect similar upgrades of built-in memory from other vendors soon.

The DSC-T2 will be out in December in a variety of colors for $350.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2: Memory cards? Who needs memory cards? [Crave.CNET.com]

Joel Johnson

Mirror Spy Clock

This "Spy Clock" by Pieter Woudt adds a simple clock mechanism to a polished convex mirror, the better to catch a fleeting glimpse of death as it steals up behind you as you work. The lack of numbers could be a bother, but you could mount the Spy Clock in place, then glue horizontally flipped numbers in the proper lines of sight throughout your office to display the face in the reflection. It's $25.

Catalog Page [MoMaStore.org via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

Gmail Adds IMAP (For Everyone But Me)

Some users of Google's web-based Gmail email service have noticed that Gmail is now offering IMAP access in addition to POP. (IMAP lets you check the state of your email from multiple clients without downloading everything at once, in addition to granting the use of folders.) This is especially good for clients that do not have phones for which Google has built a mobile client.

Because Google tends to roll out Gmail changes in waves, not everyone has access to IMAP yet—I don't—but rumor has it logging out and logging back in will sometimes activate the IMAP, the settings for which can be found under "Forwarding and POP/IMAP." If that doesn't work, you may join me in patiently waiting for the rolling tides of magic to wash upon our shore.

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• iRobot Roomba Discovery SE for $150, shipped. [Dealhack]

• Cables To Go Port Authority 2 Mobile Retractable Cable Kit for $12, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Rocket-Head Multifunction Projection Clock for $4, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Sony Playstation 3 20GB for $383. There is a $400 40GB version coming out, but this is the last version that includes Playstation 2 backwards compatibility. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Eiki DLP Home Theater Projector (480p) for $505.

• This site gives away a free game a day, most of which are small indie games, but free nonetheless. [Game.GiveawayOfTheDay.com via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

• Logitech Pure-Fi Elite iPod stereo for $130, shipped. [iLounge]

Joel Johnson

Blowing Out the Dust: Afternoon Edition

• Seems Logical – Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg rails against the locked-in mobile phone system in the U.S. You've heard it before, nerds, but it's good to hear the big boys making the case. [AllThingsD.com]

• Next: Spray-On – Samsung's new 40-inch LCD is 1 centimeter thick. [Gizmodo]

• And Bear It – New Olympus point-and-shoot has a "smile detection" feature. [OhGizmo.com]

• HD Hijinx – "TiVo Series3 and HD FINALLY get TiVoToGo, MRV, eSATA drive, other new features" [Engadget]

Joel Johnson

LEGO Cake by Betty Crocker

The Betty Crocker website has instructions for making "Building Block Cakes" which have a marked resemblance to our favorite injection-molded plastic blocks. I wouldn't try stacking the cakes together.

Building Blocks Cakes [BettyCrocker.com via Core77 via Swissmiss via YoKiddo]

Joel Johnson

Video: "The Space" Japanese Technics Commercial

This disco-thumping, Centurion-filled commercial from the '80s is selling a hi-fi system known as "The Space," which as far as I can tell was so-dubbed because it could be easily stacked. Or maybe they were capitalizing on a strong Battlestar Galactica trend of which I was unaware.

(Is there a good way to do those "laser" graphics these days besides just compositing layers over video in AfterEffects or something? Boing Boing TV needs more panning synths and glowing grids.)

Classic Japanese Commercial Theater: Technics Stereo Known Only As “The Space” [TVInJapan.com]

Joel Johnson

Levitron Anti-Gravity Globe

While this somewhat cheesy levitating globe is only four inches in diameter, I can imagine it will soon be put to good use as the base for a talented Star Wars fan in creating a real-life version of the holographic Death Star intelligence for which many Bothan spies died. It's $100.

Catalog Page [LiveScienceStore.com via 7Gadgets via Oh Gizmo!]

Joel Johnson

Xbox 360 Plushie

Someone calling themselves "Kickass-Peanut" has created this adorable plushie Xbox 360. It would probably sell better in Japan than the actual Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 Plushie [DeviantArt.com via Kotaku]

Joel Johnson

Sonos Announces ZoneBridge, Improved Search

Sonos, makers of the wireless music streaming system with a plus-sized iPod-like remote, has officially announced the "ZoneBridge," a $100 device which can extend the range of the wireless transmissions between ZonePlayers. Before the only way to extend the network was to buy another ZonePlayer for $350—not exactly a cheap option.

They've also improved the search capabilities on the scroll-wheel-based remotes, matching artists and album information after just a few letters are input, much like iTunes. (I still don't understand how Sonos managed to avoid a lawsuit from Apple.)

Sonos Digital Music System Upgrade Solves Two Major Problems [Listening Post]

Joel Johnson

PC-9801 Emulator for the iPod Touch

Although not exactly what I was expecting when I read "hentai games on the iPod Touch," this hacked up NEC PC-98 emulator for the iPod is pretty impressive. Turns out the first game tested was a famous hentai game called "Toshin City."

The NEC PC-9801, or the PC-98, is a Japanese microcomputer manufactured by NEC. It is different from the IBM PC in many ways as it uses its own 16 bit C-Bus instead of the ISA bus. BIOS, I/O port addressing, memory management and graphics output are also different. PC98 first appeared in 1982 and many hentai games has been programmed for this platform).

IPod Touch: PC-9801 Emulator [GamersWeb.it]

Joel Johnson

Nissan GT-R Cockpit Display Gets Videogame Touch

The integrated control screen in the dashboard of the upcoming Nissan GT-R was developed in conjunction with Polyphony Digital, whose work you may know as the creators of the Gran Turismo series of racing games on the Sony Playstation.

Every time I look at that car I just sigh. What a machine!

The Official Car of Godzilla [Edmunds.com via Gizmodo]

Joel Johnson

Neuros x Boing Boing Gadgets Prop Contest Reminder

Don't forget that the Neuros OSD contest is ending tomorrow night, so send in those submissions.

Joel Johnson

Credit Card Money Clip Concept

I was browsing Roger Arquer's design portfolio looking for his updated mousetrap designs (as suggest by MAKE) when this concept, proposed in 2004, distracted me. A credit card that doubles as a money clip? I want that immediately. Can they somehow make the other side of it a Metrocard?

Roger's Flash portfolio [RogerArquer.com]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD Player $227, shipped [Dealhack]

• Panasonic Lumix High Zoom 7.2MP Camera for $143, shipped. A fine camera for a reasonable price. [Dealhack]

• Purolator PureONE Oil Filter 2-Pack for $6. I'm told these are nice oil filters. I wouldn't know! [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot! are a pair of junky AT&T retractable earbuds for $8.

Joel Johnson

Absens Concealed Faucets

The "Absens" line of faucets, built by M&Z Rubinetterie, conceal a faucet and its controls behind a push-to-open panel. Might be worth installing just to mess with the minds of houseguests.

Absens concealed faucet line by M&Z Rubinetterie [WoWBathrooms.com]

Joel Johnson

Magnetix iCoaster: Be a Real-Life Magnetic Marble Tycoon

The Magnetix iCoaster (or "I-Coaster" depending on who you ask) is the latest incarnation of the old "marble rollercoaster" concept, this time with a heavy emphasis on magnets and music. The music aspects are actually the least interesting: you can plug in an iPod to listen to music on its probably-not-so-great speaker, or trigger sound effects when the steel marble passes through certain gates.

The magnet tricks, on the other hand, seem nifty. The ball is taken to the top of the coaster on a "magnetic elevator." Certain segments drop the track but leave a magnetized side rail that carries the ball across. The track pieces themselves actually clip together by magnets.

The whole kit is $80. The only review on Amazon is broadly positive, although they do suggest that completing a successful circuit of the coaster can take some patience. (I consider that a feature, not a bug.) I just wish you could ditch all the music parts and get extra track and trick segments instead.

Catalog Page [Amazon]

Joel Johnson

Oppo Releases Cheap 3-to-1 HDMI Switch

Oppo, who made their name selling inexpensive but high quality upscaling DVD players, is now offering a relatively low cost 3-to-1 HDMI switch, with IR input controls (although no included remote) and RS-232 serial controls. The "HM-31" supports HDMI 1.3, the latest standard, and is available for a hundred bucks.

Product Page [OppoDigital.com]

Joel Johnson

Electing Greener Leaders

As I've said before, I highly doubt we'll be able to buy our way out of any climate or environmental crisis. (Although every little change we can make helps.) And while this particular anecdote does in fact talk about buying new taxi cabs to replace an older, inefficient ones, the backstory of how it happened is much more important.

Take the New York City taxi story. Two years ago, David Yassky, a City Council member, sat down with one of his backers, Jack Hidary, a technology entrepreneur, to brainstorm about how to make New York City greener — at scale. For starters, they checked with the Taxi and Limousine Commission to see what it would take to replace the old gas-guzzling Crown Victoria yellow cabs, which get around 10 miles a gallon, with better-mileage, low-emission hybrids. Great idea, only it turned out to be illegal, thanks to some old size regulations designed to favor Crown Vics.

Recalled Mr. Hidary: “When they first told me, I said, ‘Are you serious? Illegal?’” So he formed a nonprofit called SmartTransportation.org to help Mr. Yassky lobby the City Council to change the laws to permit hybrid taxis. They also reframed it as a health issue, with the help of Louise Vetter, president of the American Lung Association of the City of New York.

Save the Planet: Vote Smart [NYTimes]

Joel Johnson

Klimax DS: Streaming Audio Ain't Cheap, It Seems

The Klimax DS is a streaming media player that supports FLAC and WAV (and presumably MP3) and is controlled by a touchscreen remote. It doesn't have any storage itself, but streams audio like ripped CDs from network attached drives, upsampling to 384 or 352.8kHz.

Sounds like most of the audio streaming devices that have been out for years, right? The Klimax DS does have one more distinguishing feature: it costs "less than $20,000." (Audiophilia strikes again!)

Product Page [Linn.co.uk] (Thanks, Marcus!)

Joel Johnson

Man Builds Working Helicopters from Junk

Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi, a 24-year-old Nigerian physics undergraduate, is building functional helicopters from junk cars and motorcycles. This one, powered by a Honda Civic engine, has been flown "briefly" six times, never higher than seven feet. Many of the other parts from a Boeing 747 which crashed near him home years ago.

"You start it, allow it to run for a minute or two and you then shift the accelerator forward and the propeller on top begins to spin. The further you shift the accelerator the faster it goes and once you reach 300 rmp you press the joystick and it takes off," Abdullahi explained from the cockpit.

He said he learned the rudiments of flying a helicopter from the Internet and first got the idea of building one from the films he watches on television.

Home-made helicopters hit northern Nigeria [Yahoo/AFP via Gizmodo via The Raw Feed]

Joel Johnson

Embraer and BMW's Fancy Jet Concept

What would a concept jet interior look like if it were designed by BMW? Like this, apparently.

Autopia has more details (and another picture) of the concept project, a joint venture by BMW and Brazilian jet manufacturer Embraer.

BMW, Embraer Conceive Ultimate Flying Machine [Autopia]

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: The End

I left the Pop!Tech conference a day early. (I had a wedding to attend in Brooklyn Saturday night.) On the whole, it was an enjoyable experience, worth going if only for all the people I met. Then again, I didn't have to pay the $3,500 ticket price to get a seat. (Pop!Tech gave me a free ticket, although I paid my own airfare and hotel.)

I spent Friday night hanging out in one of Camden's bars, having escaped a sit-down dinner hosted by some Googlers to which I had invited myself, then reconsidered. I sat at the bar and watched the locals arrive, many off their boats still wearing waders and smelling like fish. While the locals were friendly, it was clear I was an out-of-towner, and the bartender soon started directing her regular customers over to me so they could ask me the same question: "What is Pop!Tech, exactly?"

Despite having been held in Camden since its inception as the "The Camden Technology Conference" in 1997, employing dozens of locals to work as staff*, and even keeping a permanent office on Camden's main drag, it seems that most of the town's residents don't have the first clue as to what Pop!Tech is really about. It wasn't just fisherman that were in the dark. Shopkeepers, having had their stores filled with badge-wearing conference goers all week, were equally unsure. The desk clerk at my motel asked me if Pop!Tech were something her son, who "builds computers," would be interested in. I said it probably would be, but that it cost $3,500 to attend. She yelped.

It is difficult to take seriously a conference filled with people encouraging small, local actions toward change yet content to serve as only as a tourist in the town where it is based. Why should I care about those in developing nations when those doing the preaching aren't interested in the people of Camden? Undoubtedly Pop!Tech transfers a lot of money to Camden, but it's a shame that, as an conference touting communication, interaction, and dialogue, economnic stimulus is all it brings. (In fairness, one of most interesting presentations Friday was by Ted Ames, lobsterman and conservationists. Ames is from Maine.)

I want to underline that the locals were interested in what was going on at the conference, once they discovered what it was about. Letting the locals participate in some way, perhaps even letting them attend for free, would bring in a whole set of voices that seemed to be under-represented at the conference and would serve to break up the "crème de la crème" perception that Pop!Tech purposely (and I think unproductively) fosters.

There were other incongruencies. Lexus, a sponsor, brought several hybrid cars to the event as loaners, to be taking for spins by conference attendees. All the Lexus vehicles had California plates. How much gasoline, offset even by carbon credits, was expended to bring the cars to Maine?

(During one presentation a man questioned the necessity of mobility given by cars and planes in light of fuel and environmental costs. It seemed to evoke peculiar quiet in the crowded hall, filled with people like myself who had both driven and flown to be there.)

I don't doubt that many valuable connections are made at Pop!Tech each year. I also don't doubt a fair amount of global good comes from those connections, as well as projects sponsored by Pop!Tech itself. It's impossible to gauge if those connections would happen without Pop!Tech or similar conferences, like TED, just as it is impossible to determine if the hundreds of thousands of dollars expended for a few days to bring people together would have been better spent elsewhere. That it is so difficult to determine Pop!Tech's ultimate utility may be the best summation I can offer.

* I'm not sure how many are actually "employed." All the staff I talked to were volunteers, working the conference in support of Camden or in an attempt to make connections themselves.

Joel Johnson

Steelcase Walkstation: Workstation with a Cubicle

Although TIME blogger Lisa Takeuchi Cullen doesn't seem to be all that interested in the idea, I'm rather intrigued by the Steelcase Walkstation, a desk set that replaces the seat with a treadmill. By adding even a modest amount of physical activity to everyday activities, workers can burn more calories than just sitting would otherwise require. Steelcase even purports that the activity may offer "less stress, increased productivity and improved focus."

Steelcase is hardly the first to discover the idea; I even tried something similar last year with an elliptical machine, although I discovered that it takes too much effort to type while bouncing up and down to be truly productive. You can even buy little pedals for under your desk for less than $50, far less than Steelcase's projected $6,500 for the Walkstation.

The ultimate solution, of course, would be a way to use the energy expended while walking at your desk to trickle charge gadgets.

I'm so fat I need a treadmill at my desk [Time-Blog.com via Gadget Lab]

Joel Johnson

Survival Mosque by Azra Akšamija

"Survival Mosque" is a political and artistic statement in kit form, concealing several items designed to help Muslims deal with a jingoist American culture. Inside, explains We Make Money Not Art, is:

an American-flag pattern that communicates patriotism, an umbrella that surveys one’s back, washing solution for ablution and for cleaning when a Muslim get spit on, ear plugs against insults, American constitution proofing rights of American Muslims, a loud-speaker with speech on tolerance held by President George W. Bush, educative books, communication devices, etc. The mosque is self-sufficient; the prayer rug is supplying its own energy source via photo-voltaic solar cells. The Survival Mosque can be transformed and camouflaged into bags, which communicate with each other via bluetooth. The bag-speakers reflect paranoia spreading messages regarding terrorism, but they can also function as muezzins; calling for prayer at prayer times.

Akšamija's "Nomadic Mosque" project is more subtly clever, integrating prayer rugs into clothing for the modern mobile Muslim's mosqueless Meccanized ministrations.

WMMNA has a great interview with Akšamija should you like to learn more.

Several ways to wear a mosque [WMMNA]

Joel Johnson

Monster Insect Apocalypse Foretold in the '30s

Okay, I officially wish I were writing for science and tech magazines in the '30s. From Modern Mechanics and Inventions' December, 1930 issue:

A WORLD ruled by giant insects, with the last remnants of the human race as slaves is one of the favorite devices of one school of fiction writers.

Fantastic? Not at all. Thoughtful scientists recognize that as one of the possible endings for our civilization. In fact, all past history indicates that when, and if, the present civilization comes to an end, it will die because of an unsolved food problem, and that insects will be a contributing factor, and hence may be the survivors.

Will Monster Insects Rule the World? (Dec, 1930) [ModernMechanix.com]

Joel Johnson

Cheapo SpongeBob Camera

This SpongeBob Squarepants-branded digital camera is more toy than quality point-and-shoot, capable of only VGA-quality snapshots written to unexpandable internal flash memory, but it's the first camera I've seen to properly embrace the "lens as eye" metaphor to reveal cameras for the unblinking cyclopean gargoyles they really are. It's amazing how much apprehension three little eyelashes can convey.

It's only twenty bucks. Put one over your child's eye today!

SpongeBob Squarepants Digital Camera Is Neither Square-Shaped Nor Made Of Sponges [OhGizmo.com via Uneasy Silence]

Joel Johnson

Samsung G800: 5-Megapixel Slider Phone

Samsung has announced a new slider phone in Europe with a 5-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom. Called the G800, it's a clear shot across the Nokia N95's bow. CrunchGear has the first hands-on:

It may be launching in Europe, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to let it pass on by and not let Samsung know we want it, too. It’s shiny with a metal casing and it ‘feels so good in my hands’ that I almost ran out with it in my pocket. It may look bulky, but it fit in the pocket of my jeans and I hardly noticed it even when I was sitting down.

CrunchExclusive: Hands on with the Samsung G800 [CrunchGear.com]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Canon EOS Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm lens for $640, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Up to 50% off + free shipping at the ToysRUs.com Halloween Store. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Refurb Brown Zune for $85, shipped. The prices just won't stop falling!.

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: Robert Boroffice of the Nigeria Space Agency

Robert Boroffice, head of the NASRDA, the Nigerian space agency. (Yup.)

Several jokes are made about the unlikelihood of Nigeria having a space agency. He then makes a 419 scam joke. There are lots of environmental problems in Nigeria. They hope to use space technology to help stimulate the economy to address lots of other issues.

Gully erosion, desertification, deforestation, land pollution, forest fires, fire, water pollution, degradation.

In 2003 they launched NigeriaSat-1 [pictured], a low-earth orbit satellite. In 2007, NigComSat-1. NigeraSat-2 to be launched in 2009. NigeriaSat-1 medium-resolution satellite cost them $13 million. He estimates it would have cost $300 million. (More details on NigeraSat-1's capabilities. It was launched by Russia, not Nigeria. It is part of an international disaster warning constellation.)

Nigeria intends to use their satellites for a variety of purposes, including communications and infrastructure planning, disaster response, drought forecasting, etc. NigComSat-1 will be used for tele-medicine and tele-education. They have a bus-based mobile clinic with satellite communications from hospitals that they will be moving from village to village. There is also a boathouse hospital with the same dishes for use on the rivers.

(Much of the things that Nigeria is doing with these satellites could be done with others countries' satellites, but that's not the point. These are Nigeria's for Nigeria. In the Q&A, he mentioned that renting time from LandSat might take 3 months to get their response; they can do their own sensing in real-time.)

(Many of the people in the room I'm in that are more familiar with satellites seriously questioned the need for these satellites, intimating they are more political statement than anything else.)

Image: Gunter's Space Page

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: Cary Fowler and the Svalbard Seed Vault

Cary Fowler, Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust. (My comments in parantheses.)

All life shares the quality of biodiversity. That is, the ability to evolve into new directions. He shows a slide of a bunch of beans. (The variety in the coloring is really pretty.)

There are 120,000 varieties of rice. There are about 400 breeds of dogs, for perspective. Over the 12,000-15,000 years of agriculture, these varieties have sprung. Showing "potted corn," where each kernel is covered in a leaf. Varieties of sorghum! (Plants are so amazing.)

The "crook-neck" sorghum has a bend in the neck bred into them by farmers to make them easy to hang on a rope in their house.

When every other crop dies, Lathyrus&dmash;a plant—continues to live. That's the good thing. On the down side, it has a neurotoxin in it that will eventually paralyze you from the knees down. But there are varieties of low-neurotoxin Lathyrus. It's important to keep all these varieties.

Seed banks are basically just big freezers. They think there are 1-1.5 million distinct agricultural crops. The Trust's goal is to save them all.

Agriculture takes 70% of fresh water supplies, putting it in competition with cities.

Slide: In Greenland, a worn down church, where a Norse settlement lived. The Norse died because of climate change to which they were unwilling/unable to adjust.

Slide: Average temperature of growing seasons over the last 100 years. In Bangladesh, the warmest 5% seasons will be in the future be the coldest. "Even colder than the coldest. There actually is no overlap."

"This is unprecedented...I don't know if we're ready to cope with it." We're moving towards a global agriculture environment that has never been seen since the Neolithic era.

Our choices; Modify the environment to the crops. "We've already tried that," he jokes. Or we modify the crops.

In the next four years, the Trust will rescue 165k different crop varieties. They'll be placed in seed banks in multiple areas, as well as publish the information. Funded by an endowment.

"Our Plan B. I love Plan B." As far north as you can fly on a scheduled plane is Svalbard, Norway. They're building a safety backup for seed banks. Two seed banks were recently in Iraq and Afghanistan due to war; another lost in the Philippines due to hurricane.

If we lose plant varieties, we lose traits and tendencies in plants that may be useful to deal with climate change.

Svalbard is getting warmer, but they hope it will stay under freezing even in the future. Its glacier is melting. The upkeep costs of the Svalbard facility will be about $125k a year. (Pretty cheap.)

Svalbard is a fortress-like facility carved into a mountain. It has three bulk rooms in the mountain. It is currently being constructed. (It looks like a place that would serve as a goal in a movie or videogame.) The lip of the facility is slightly off the ground to help prevent snow from piling. [Pictured above; more here]

There is a concave wall at the end of the tunnel, so that a rocket or explosion at the front would be blasted back towards the tunnel, preserving the seed vaults.

(I've heard of this project before, but seeing the pictures, hearing Fowler's homespun talk, makes my stomach drop out.)

Joel Johnson

Pogues' Imponderable Tech Industry "Huhs?"

The New York Times tech troubadour David Pogue has published a list of questions to which he has no answers. In part with answers:

* Do shareware programmers pay taxes on all those $20 contributions? They're supposed to.
* Why don't public sinks have foot pedals? Because it adds extra expense and maintenance costs yet little additional cleanliness.
* Five billion dollars a year spent on ringtones? What the? Convenience > *
* Why doesn't everyone have lights that turn off automatically when the room is empty? Motion sensors are imperfect and lightbulbs can't count.
* What's the deal with Palm?

Pogue's Imponderables [NYTimes.com]

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: Sheila Kennedy and the Portable Light

Waving your hands around and saying "I think all this shit is bullshit" isn't the best way to meet lefty progressive girls. But while I was busy being too toothlessly punk as fuck, the first real horseshit presentation I'd seen at Pop!Tech was on stage, courtesy of Sheila Kennedy and her "Portable Light" project.

So...flashlight, right? But because some people have never seen a gadget they couldn't turn into a beacon of social change, Kennedy is pushing her fancy LED flashlight project as a transformative landmark.

Here's the pitch: A white LED hooked up to a flexible solar panel that charges a standard cell phone battery. In fact, all the parts are standard, "sourced" from parts that Kennedy says were chosen because they were easy to buy in bulk, inspired by other products like crosswalk signs, dishwasher switches, and "nanotechnology."

By chance I sat next to Kennedy at a party Wednesday night as she explained her project to rapt admirers. Kennedy described the power generator of her project as a "special material" that used "nanotechnology to generate energy while [its] wearer moves."

I was impressed. This sounded like a major breakthrough. It was sure to be the crux of her project presentation.

What she was describing turned out to be a stock-standard flexible solar panel, which she demonstrated to awkward effect on the Pop!Tech stage by walloping one with a hammer. It was dented but intact; a glass panel shattered under the same hammer.

The rest of the "portable light" is constructed simply, from cheap parts. The solar panel charges the battery. The battery powers the light. The light reflects off of a shiny fabric, which can be bought for "pennies per square meter." There is certainly a switch.

There is also something inside the Portable Light that Kennedy described as "digital intelligence" which lets multiple units, when strung together, to equalize power. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of electronics knows that's how all batteries wired in sequence behave. Nothing digital or intelligent about it.

Prototype Lights have been distributed to the Huichol people of the Mexican Sierras. Kennedy showed a short clip of Huichol women receiving the lights via lottery, interpreting a gesture from a woman—a hand modestly placed over her smile—as an exclamation of primal joy.

These lights change lives, we were told. Women will now be able to spot scorpions in the kitchen. They'll be able to cook "more nutritious meals" by dint of more time spent in the kitchen. Huichol kids will be able to do their homework.

All this may be true, but none of these benefits are inherent to the Portable Light itself and would apply equally to any flashlight that could be powered by the sun or other off-grid sources. And with Portable Lights priced at forty to fifty dollars in lots of 500, the project hardly seems like a prudent use of money. Hand-cranked flashlights can be purchased at retail for $7 or less. Solar-powered flashlights, albeit with a shorter operation time than the Portable Light's 8 hours or so, can be found online for $20. Those are retail prices; a concerted effort to develop a similar product from major suppliers could surely be built and sold for even less, especially since there appears to be no plastic housing mold needed. (The parts are woven into the fabric pieces, sometimes by the women who use the lights.)

Kennedy is an architect. Her firm, Kennedy & Violich Architecture, heavily promotes its "KVA MATx" team, a self-described "pioneering materials research unit." As far as I can determine, MATx buys flexible from other sources and did not design, develop, or construct them themselves.

A heavily emphasized aspect of the Portable Light project is its use of a standard lithium-ion cell phone battery. We were told that the cell phone battery was selected because of its inexpensiveness, piggybacking on an economy of scale. Kennedy's appeal to Nokia, one of the sponsors of Pop!Tech, to integrate the Portable Light into its products, may indicate another benefit of using a cellphone battery. (Nevermind that everyone with a cell phone already has a flashlight, however poor.)

I think it is safe to say that Kennedy and her team are well-intentioned. An inexpensive, durable solar-powered light would be fantastically useful in many scenarios. Yet this project is not inexpensive. The parts alone, as described by Kennedy, should be cheaper than $40, and if they are not, the team should consider if the intended recipients would benefit more from a $40 light or $40. When asked in the Q&A, the only financial infrastructure Kennedy suggested for distributing the lights was given as a Kiva.org-like donation system, or a "buy one, give one" program. The Pop!Tech crowd, programmed to respond to any reference to Kiva with applause, applauded. What they all seemed to miss was that Kiva, as a micro-finance organization, injects money into the economies of developing nations which is then returned to the lender. Buying expensive flashlights on a web site is not "Kiva-like."

The Portable Light smacks of remedial design as pet project, an expensive solution in search of a problem. It's exactly the sort of project I was afraid Pop!Tech would be soaking in. I'm happy to report that the Portable Light, if nothing else, has reinforced my positivity about the other projects that seemed legitimately innovative.

Image: Other90.CooperHewitt.org

Joel Johnson

Bang & Olufsen Beogram 6000 Phonogram (1974)

Scott Hansen talks about the Bang & Olufsen Beogram 6000, designed by Jakob Jensen* in 1974. I share Hansen's take on B&O these days, who I find insultingly inaccessible and willfully queer:

I really can't say I am as impressed with their work in recent years. It seems as if industrial designers are always trying to "evolve", which is fine as long as your idea of evolution is turning into an alien. When I look at a classic example of design like this I really see a human element missing from a lot of it's modern counterparts.

B&O Beogram - 1974 [Blog.iso50.com via Monoscope via Coudal]

* Scandinavians love Scandinavian design!

Joel Johnson

Pro Hockey Players Experiment with Heated Skates

According to Reuters, a few NHL players are trying out heated skates that are designed to cut down on friction on the ice.

A resistor in the blades is powered by a rechargeable battery and regulated by a microprocessor located in the heel of the skate.
The resistor heats the blade to 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), or just above freezing point, and thickens the film of water between ice and blade that acts as a lubricant and makes skating possible.

NHL players to try out new heated skates [Reuters]

Joel Johnson

Cougar Paws Roofing Boots with Velcro Soles

These "Cougar Paws" roofing shoes have Velcro pads at the bottom to make it easier to swap in new fibrous-mat soles, the better to stay up on a roof instead of sliding off the shingles to your death.

Cougar Paws Velcro Roofing Shoes [Toolmonger]

Joel Johnson

Computer-Controlled Cannon Kills 9, Wounds 14

Image: MilitaryPhotos.net

While it's more general malfunction than aggressive A.I. out for revenge, a computer-controlled anti-aircraft gun went haywire in South Africa, killed many soldiers nearby. (The one picture above is the same model, but not the same one.)

The anti-aircraft weapon, an Oerlikon GDF-005, is designed to use passive and active radar, as well as laser range finders, to lock on to "high-speed, low-flying aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and cruise missiles." In "automatic mode," the weapon feeds targeting data from the fire control unit straight to the pair of 35mm guns, and reloads on its own when its emptied its magazine.

Robot Cannon Kills 9, Wounds 14 [Danger Room]

Joel Johnson

Skype Launching VOIP-Capable Cell Phone with Mobile Carrier "3"

From BusinessWeek:

The Skype cell phone, developed with a software outfit named iSkoot, is equipped with multimedia capabilities and high-speed data for mobile Web browsing. But its most prominent feature is a big button right above the regular keypad to activate Skype's popular service for long-distance and international calls. A press on that button triggers an iSkoot-developed application that brings up a list of a user's Skype "buddies" and regular phone contacts. A click on any entry in that list dials the call.

If you're wondering why you've never heard of the horribly-named carrier "3," it's because they don't exist in the United States.

Skype Goes Mobile [BusinessWeek.com]

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: Adrian Bowyer and RepRap

Speaker: Adrian Bowyer, RepRap project. (My comments in parentheses.)

Right after chipping flakes off flint and setting fire to little piles of wood, humans invented breeding. We've been making molecular genetic changes almost since the start of civilization.

Chickens: "Can't run; Can't fly; taste good. Usually a recipe for evolutionary disaster." Because of their symbiotic relationship with us, they're the most successful bird species ever.

Which leads to: RepRap, a self-replicating rapid prototyper. "The REPlicating RAPid Prototyper," capable of fabbing, or three-dimensional printing. "A computer-controlled glue gun." (You guys know all about rapid prototyping, right?)

(I actually saw a RepRap presentation at DorkBot NYC a few months ago. I wonder how much farther they've gotten.)

RepRap can't make every last part of itself, but outside parts have to be very simple and cheap to obtain and available all over the world to anybody—a few nuts and bolts, as well as metal rods.

60% of the current RepRap parts can be made by a RepRap itself.

(It's odd to talk about a plastic extruder machine going to poor countries will previously hearing about all the plastic waste we create here.)

RepRap is open source. You can't sell a RepRap, Bowyer explains—you'd only need to sell one! It won't evolve out of random selection, but deliberate decisions by users, passed back into the project that others can use to upgrade their own RepRap. The total cost for the very first machine is $400. (Commercial machines are $30k and up.)

The original polymer was biodegradable, but the new material will be "poly-lactic acid," which can be made from vegetable starch. (They're one step ahead of me!) It will allow manufacturing to come to the poorest communities that will be capable of growing their own renewable polymer crops. (Freaking awesome.)

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: Paul Polak of IDE and D-Rev on Designing for the Poor

Speaker: Paul Polak; Profile in the Times. (My comments in parantheses.)

"90% of the people who work on design try to solve the issues of the richest 5 to 10% of their customers." 1.2 billion live on less than a dollar a day. 3 billion live on less than two dollars a day.

Polak's precursors to good design: 1. Go to where the problem is. 2. Listen to what they have to say. 3. Understand the context.

Polak has talked to hundreds of "one-acre farmers" about their needs. IDE == International Development Enterprises, Polak's company. "Helping people move out of poverty is helping them earn $500 a year." (I don't think I got that quote word-for-word correct.)

Don't bother: "If you haven't had conversations with at least 25 poor people before you start." "If it won't pay for itself in the first year." "If you can't sell a million of them."

The products that IDE have sold to people at full price. It's not charity. Their products pay for themselves. They are affordable, divisible, and infinitely expandable. Many of the Western products are too large and expensive for small farm plots. Yet the IDE products can be added to as the needs expand, "like a LEGO set."

There are three great poverty eradication myths, according to Polak: 1. We can donate people out of poverty; 2. We can end poverty through national economic growth; 3. Multi-nationals as they are now will end poverty. Most of the rural poor are passed over by economic growth in urban areas of countries, as in in China or India.

Of the 525 million farms in the world, 85% are less than 5 acres. Average farm size in Africa are 4 acres. Agriculture in most of the world is a discipline of small farms. Small farms are actually getting smaller due to population growth.

IDE has 550 staff in nine developing countries. They've helped 17 million dollar-a-day people moved out of poverty in 25 years. 150 more out by 2025 is their goal.

Example products from IDE: Treadle pumps for $25-35 dollars that allow farmers to grow a third crop by drawing up more water in Bangladesh. They are advertised by a troupe of musicians who travel villages singing a song about treadle pumps. They also financed a movie with a leading Bangladeshi director that shows a love story between two young people who can afford to get married after they use a treadle pump. They've sold 2.1 million treadle pumps to great success.

Drip irrigation system. Women carry water for their households all over the world. This is designed that a second bucket or two will irrigate a 250 sq. ft. kitchen garden. Retail price is $3.

(That Times article linked above has several more examples.)

Polak has handed over to IDE to others to run and started D-Rev, an institute that intends to revolutionize how design is taught in rich and poor countries. (I can't find a web site for D-Rev.)

He's showing a cell powered by a thimble full of water and salt, powered by a rechargable lithium battery, that will make enough chlorine dioxide to purify a liter of water in 90 seconds. They're also working on a "$15 information device."

(This all sounds very dry but he's made some amazing products that have made some real impacts. And the idea of selling for-profit gadgets that have an immediate, tangible affect is where it's at.)

See also: PopTech: Paul Polak Inspires [EthanZuckerman.com]

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: Jessica Flannery of Kiva.org on Microfinance

Speaker: Jessica Flannery, founder of Kiva.org. (My comments in parantheses.)

(I am a tremendous fan of Kiva and have a few hundred dollars wrapped up in microloans myself. It is one of the only things I do in my life that I actually feel good about. I've been putting money in Kiva for about a year and have yet to have any bad experiences, yet several positive ones.)

Flannery's presentation begins with a clip from Oprah describing microloans and Kiva. 99.7% of the loans have been repaid in full. Flannery intends to give a behind-the-scenes look and some plans for Kiva's future. (This is goofy, perhaps, but Flannery is one of the major reasons I agreed to come to Pop!Tech.)

Microcredit == small loans for the poor. Average credit borrowers are women and the amount is around $500. That re-payment rate of 99.7% is generally consistent around microfinance organizations, not just Kiva.

Flannery is from Pittsburgh. A self-described "white, middle-class girl." She travelled around to villages and talked to goat-herders and farmers about the microloans they had received before she started Kiva. "If other people could have face-to-face experiences with the people I was meeting... If you take one person and connect with them and hear their story the world would be a different place." Her husband is a tech geek and wanted to move to Silicon Valley and do tech start-ups, while Flannery wanted to do microfinance in Africa. Kiva is the product of compromise.

Kiva allows their partner microfinance outlets to keep their interest and only re-collect the principal. Kiva is a non-profit, though they "could be a for-profit." They raised money from grants from foundations and individuals to bootstrap Kiva. They are now funded by additional donations given by individual loaners. They try to generate enough money to function within the old system without getting loans.

Statistics about poverty often made Flannery feel "paralyzed." Unlike some charities, where archetypes are presented—"Help someone like Jane"—Kiva tries to actually connect you with the recipient of the loan. "Help Jane."

Most lenders are individuals. Funds have moved some operations to Kiva. (For charity, not money-making, obviously.) Businesses are trying to create "socially responsible movements in a box" using Kiva. Schools are pooling money to sponsor microloans though Kiva.

There are 400 million people who could put a microloan to use right now, estimated. 300 volunteers log in from around the world and give free translation services. The interest rate is usually 1 to 1.5% for the borrower. (I presume on a yearly term.)

There are "9,000-some microfinance institutions." Kiva tries to work as a meta-layer over many of these local institutions.

Kiva has been around about three years. When they started they worked with institutions that may or may not have been so great just to get started, but they've been able to track and rate those people and focus on the ones with good returns.

Bad photographs from potential loan recipients can make it take longer for their loan to be raised. A proud Bulgarian with his taxi cab looks perhaps too affluent compared to an Africa fruit vendor.

$13 million out in loans. They're the first non-profit to get free Paypal processing. (Paypal has a history of being bastards to charities and non-profits.)

See also: Ethan Zuckerman

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: Christian Nold and Emotional Mapping of Cities

Image: Christian Nold

Speaker: Christian Nold, http://biomapping.net/, Softhook.com. (My comments in parentheses.)

"London only has enough food for three days." "Cities are consensual hallucinations."

Participatory sensory mapping. Nold blindfolds and temporarily deafens people, leaving them only by touch—they are led by the hand—and smell. A map of a college area with notes like "noise like car sirens" and "the wall where I hurt my finger" and "like something died" instead of roads and conduits. Almost 50% of the experiences recorded by 30-some-odd schoolchildren were positive. "We sat on a wet bench for a minute, it felt so cold because it was raining," was an example note. The entire map is just a couple thousand meters square.

He developed a device called the "Bio-mapping device," essentially based on a lie detector, based on physiological arousal, connected to a GPS unit. They participants go around for something like an hour, creating "emotional maps." Map notes such as "argument with mom"; spikes near shabby industrial areas.

Nold ends up taking all the data in aggregate and publishing printed maps showing the "emotional landscape." A "high arousal area" around a cafe that will be demolished soon, perhaps indicating that the cafe should not be torn down.

"San Francisco emotion map." (They have emotion in San Francisco?) Sample note: "Smelled really strong pee but only a second later smelled beef. Mmm!" Nold: "Lots of people felt really strong arousal walking past their old [sexual] partners' houses." Another note: "I really like the mural with the bears." (These, as Nold alluded to, would make fantastic maps for walking tours in a new city. Emotional landmarks!)

Another map did the arousal biomapping, but also allowed them to draw little figures along with their mappings. New shopping area was low arousal; old market was high arousal.

Big issue in UK is stopping kids from "hanging around." (The whole chav thing.) Young people are being marginalized. This sort of mapping may help to bring about emotionally positive spaces for kids.

(The whole thing reminds me a lot of the conversations that occured last week in NYC at a Burning Man event organized by the AIA. A woman who spoke was a architect in London, who learned about integrating "sacred" spaces into city planning from Black Rock City, which is torn down and recreated every year. In essence, it's easier to discover what's been done wrong than it is to correct it.)

See also: Pop!Tech: Christian Nold's Emotional Maps [EthanZuckerman.com]

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech Notes: Chris Jordan on Visualizing Waste

Image: Chris Jordan; above: phones; below: diodes

Chris Jordan: Artist (My commentary in parantheses.)

(These lossy JPEGs don't do photographer Chris Jordan's "Intolerable Beauty" series justice—he's the first speaker at Pop!Tech, on right now—but you can see more at his web gallery.)

"What a thrill to be here in this beautiful setting." Jordan looks and speaks like a slightly more confident Jeff Goldblum.

"Intolerable Beauty" was the first project shown. Jordan would go out into industrial yards and photograph piles of trash near Seattle. He wants to show "the other side of consumerism."

"I knew that I couldn't convey the real scale ... because our waste stream is divided into hundreds and thousands of streams."

"The more work I did on this project the darker my experience got."

426k cell phones are thrown away every day. His latest work works to digitally composite all 426k phones into a giant image. (I don't see those images on his website, but the series is called "Running the Numbers.") One image is showing the amount of paper used in the U.S. everyday, just photocopies, and it's a wall that is twice as high as Seattle's Space Needle and many times as wide.

"We can't feel statistics." "If we're first going to make radical changes, we have to feel these issues." Trying to turn data into the "universal digital language of feeling." 2 million plastic bottles used every five minutes. (P.S. I scored some of those potato-starch-based Spudware utensils! It's the little things.)

(All this is making we wonder when people will start mining landfills. Are any companies buying landfills?)

"The individual matters." "If 300 million of us decide we do matter, the revolution happens." (He uses a lot of terms like "consciousness change" that cause me to irrationally bristle, and perhaps others to which the message is aimed outside a conference; maybe we need a new lexicon of change.)

In the Q&A, Jordan talked about making changes based on the discoveries from his own work, such as stopping using plastic bottles. At first he blamed the issue on big companies, then took it on himself to make small, persistent changes. He also is now a vegetarian and only buys clothes from Goodwill.

See also: Ethan Zuckerman; Core77; Renee Blodgett; Rob Katz

Joel Johnson

Pop!Tech? You're Soaking In It

Image: 2005's Pop!Tech conference at the Camden Opera House.

I only get white guilt around white people. I missed the opening conferences for yesterday's Pop!Tech conference, but I managed to make the cocktail reception at a private club on the bay in Camden, Maine, to sip red wine among the coifed and fleece-clad attendees, who may not be here to change the world, but certainly wouldn't mind doing so if they have the opportunity.

There's skepticism and then there's pessimism. While I tend towards the latter I've been trying to reach for the former, especially since so many of the people at the conference are doing legitimately interesting and capital-G "Good" projects in both science and technology. They're why I came. I hate conferences, but know I can't remold my grim, outmoded look on life in front of an RSS reader in my apartment.

Maybe it's Camden. It's a resort town on the New England coast, with a too-precious downtown strip of art supply stores and sweater vendors, where even the cheap motel I'm at is staffed by friendly townies proud of their new set of Wi-Fi antennas hidden under whitewashed gables. But even ignoring the dread inherent in hazy russet hamlets like Camden fueled by Lovecraft stories and cult movies, there is a malaise here that pop-in conference goers may ignore but its residents cannot; Camden had for a time one of the highest teen suicide rates in Maine.

Or perhaps I'm still angry at the women in the room above me, whose yodeling orgasm woke me in the middle of the night. I was about to tip my nightcap to her and go back to sleep until I realized it wasn't midnight, but morning. Oh, God, no no no.

It is my intention to be inspired by others today. If I'm drinking my bitters before the meal, forgive me. I just hope that I'm not in the middle of another circle jerk of intellectuals and affluent activists, trumpeting multiculturalism and change while taking yacht rides through the bay. And worse, by participating in their celebration of human endeavor yet contributing nothing myself—or worse, enjoying myself*—I'm twice as culpable.

Pop!Tech's theme this year is "The Human Impact." You can watch live steams of the talks online. In fact, I'm not even sure why there is any need for bloggers to be here, except perhaps to be cranky and dubious.

* When in New England, try the local Puritan self-loathing.

Joel Johnson

Jonathan Coulton on Writing Portal's End Theme

Jonathan Coulton, nerd songster supreme, has posted about his experience writing the end theme to Portal, part of what might be the best videogame ending sequence ever created.

I recorded a version with some scratch vocals and we sent it to the voice actress who did that character in the game, Ellen McLain. We all went into the studio to record her vocals, then did all the fancy computer sound things they do to make her sound like a computer voice. Ellen's a classically trained soprano, and a very talented voice actress - she has this character down perfectly, and she did a great job conveying emotion in a non-emotional way. Between her and the very strong writing behind her character's dialog, it was hard for me to not end up looking good in all this.

Portal: The Skinny [JonathanCoulton.com] (Sorry about the missing link!)

Previously:
• Rule 34: Portal Edition [BBG]
• Portal Weighted Companion Cube Papercraft [BBG]

Joel Johnson

MiniTISSUE Expanding Washcloth Tablet

"MiniTissues" are hydraulically compressed tablets that expand to an eight-by-ten "washcloth" (probably more of a strong Kleenex) when hit with a little water. They're marketed as a way to store clean, contaminant-free tissues easily in a purse or pocket.

You can buy 96 of them next month for $13, plus shipping. I can't wait to use one. They're like those pills you could put in water that would expand into dinosaurs.

Catalog Page [Solutions.com via Oh Gizmo]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Car power adapter for notebook PCs for $16, shipped. [Dealhack]

• $10 to $20 off OS X 10.5 (Leopard) at Amazon. [Dealhack]

• "Geektoberfest Sale" at Geeks.com, so items up to 80% off. [Dealnews]

• Logitech Z-10 2.0 USB Interactive Speakers with LCD screen for $60, shipped, after $30 mail-in rebate. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot! is the Halberd 31-Piece Roadside Emergency Kit for $13, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Neuros x Boing Boing Gadgets Prop Contest

I'm pleased to announce Boing Boing Gadgets' first contest: Make the best Halloween gadget prop, win a Neuros OSD digital set-top box and a 320GB LaCie mini NAS. I'm going to keep it simple, but there are still a couple rules:

• Create a real-life gadget prop, the more sci-fi or horror inspired the better. And it if actually works—or at least makes all the appropriate whirrs and flashes—then best. (Think a Ghostbusters ghost trap or a Wookie bowcaster. Or Spider Jerusalem's prolapse gun.) It really should be a new design, but I'll accept things you've already made if you make an honest effort to improve them for the contest.

• Send in your pictures and/or video to me (joel ATSYMBOL boingboing.net [expand BB to this site's main domain]) with the subject "Prop Contest" by midnight EST next Wednesday. Please do that subject so I can set up a filter and not miss your email. (He said threateningly.)

• I'll select the best ones and post them, let all the readers hash out their favorites, then select a winner. (Not a poll since those are too easily gamed, but I hope to find a consensus on the winner. But I'm reserving the final decision.) Friday I'll announce the winner. Then we will eat cake.

If you don't have a creative bone in your body, Neuros is also offering a 20%-off coupon for filling out a survey on their site. (You can join the mailing list or not.) That's a pretty great deal—and it's not part of our contest for me to say that!

The Neuros OSD, in case you aren't familiar, is an open PVR that lets you record from a variety of sources. Its interface and functionality can be tweaked to your heart's content. (Cory wrote lovingly about his earlier this year.)

Good luck! Have fun with it! Don't make me look like a schmuck by not entering!

Joel Johnson

GLÄNSA LYSA: IKEA's LED Lantern

IKEA has released the GLÄNSA LYSA, an LED lantern that is suitable for use outside. It's only $18, which isn't a bad deal if it came with a rechargeable battery, but it appears to be just mains power only. The problem with these types of LED lanterns, of which Candela are probably the most well known, is that they don't tend to put out a lot of light. Perhaps the GLÄNSA LYSA, powered as it is by 110 volts of rip-snorting American electrons, will be bright enough to at least read by.

Also, it appears to be in-store only. I've an IKEA trip in my near future; perhaps I'll pick one up.

Catalog Page [IKEA.com via Apartment Therapy]

Joel Johnson

Video: Assembling the Rock Band Drum Kit

MTV's games blogger Stephen Totillo shows you how the drum kit from Rock Band, the upcoming Guitar Hero successor from original developer Harmonix.

How does Totillo get access to the equipment? MTV also owns Harmonix.

I know a tear down video of a videogame peripheral shouldn't excite me, but I am totally obsessing about this game.

How To Assemble The "Rock Band" Drum Kit [MultiplayerBlog.MTV.com]

Joel Johnson

Prepara Herb-Savor

These "Herb-Savor" refrigerator gadget may not be totally necessary, but it looks like it has a well thought-out design.

With a slim design, it fits comfortably in most fridge doors or narrow spaces and its sturdy construction means it will stand up to bangs and drops. A transparent plastic case allows for monitoring, a removable stainless steel basket makes it simple to wash the herbs and a rubber plug enables you to easily refill the water base.

Prepara Herb-Savor [Cool Hunting]

Joel Johnson

Miscea Proximity-Sensing Soap-Dispensing Faucets

I adore these new faucets from Miscea, which are controlled entirely by waving your hands in the one of six control sectors to dispense water (heated to temperature displayed on a small LCD screen), soap, or "disinfectant." (Soap works just fine to clean, so you could perhaps swap that sector with a tap for beer.) They solve that age old problem of how to wash your hands without ever touching something that's been grasped by others.

No idea what it costs, but consider you'll need a full retrofit of your cabinet to install the thing, I would imagine it isn't cheap.

Product Page [Miscea.com via Born Rich via WowBathrooms.com]

Joel Johnson

Yamaha's Player Pianos Get New Songs Over the Net

Yamaha's ridiculously fancy Disklavier player grand pianos can now be hooked up to "DisklavierRadio," an internet streaming service that sends MIDI files down the pipe to the piano to be played live or stored on the piano's 80GB hard drive. They'll even send along accompaniment parts that can be be heard from the piano's built-in speakers. I don't expect I'll be getting a review unit any time soon. Which is a shame, because I need something over which I can drape seductively, cooing pop standards in the wet silence of my dark apartment, the reflection of my nude, hairy body reflected in the piano's black finish by streetlight.

Product Page [Yamaha.com via SlipperyBrick via Technabob]

Joel Johnson

Dungeons & Dragons 4.0 Makes Remote Pen-and-Paper Play Easier

I had a chance to talk to some folks from Wizards of the Coast about Dungeons & Dragons 4.0 a few weeks ago and intend to pay more attention to it in the future, but Kieron Gillen from Rock, Paper, Shotgun does a good job explaining why the next version of the pen-and-paper role playing classic may actually bring many lapsed players back into the fold. Part of D&D4 will be the addition of computer-based tools to facilitate remote play of table-top games, with real 3D miniatures and VOIP.

What it is, is a way for people who've been defeated by the most persistent, unrelenting nemesis in the D&D Monster Manual to start playing again. Amidst a lot of people missing the point, Baylor over at the Gleemax forums has a critical hit: "I think the real target of this are people who can't play D&D anymore. Like myself. I have two kids and I don't have time to get together with friends anymore. I only have a few hours after they go to bed. I will finally be able to shelve MMOs and play the game I love again." What defeats most heroes, simply, is time and its little henchman lack-of-access. If I were to get on the GM hat again, the most likely group of people I'd like to do it for are Jim (Upstairs), Hobbes (5 minutes walk away), my brother (London) and Kid-with-Knife (Vancouver). Pushing D&D in this way is both an admission of the problems of modern (adult) living while using modernity to circumvent it.

Dungeons & Dragons Offline Online [RPS]

Xeni Jardin

Korea: new cellphone handset roundup (CNN video)

(Xeni) -- Boing Boing pal Kristie LuStout filed a series of cool reports for CNN International this week from Seoul, including this wrap-up of new handsets. I like the teeny tiny one shown here. Link to special feature section with her video reports from South Korea (hm, can't find a permalink for the handset video), and here are her impressions in a quick essay: Link.

Joel Johnson

Urwerk's Overwrought 201 Series Watches

If you were not able to discern at first glance that this was a watch, don't feel bad. I was several paragraphs in before I realized these 201-series watches from Urwerk, what with their "Revolving Satellite Complications" and "Oil Change gauge." Depending on what materials you choose, it will cost you around $200k to put this whirring turbine on your wrist. Don't lose it!

The URWERK 201 series: exclusive, cutting-edge [Coolest-Gadgets]

Joel Johnson

DivX's Cheap Set-Top Streamer

Ubergizmo played with an upcoming set-top networked video box from DivX (there is a company behind the codec) that serves essentially as cheap interface between your PC and your computer or networked drive. The as-yet-unnamed product better be cheap, because these sorts of streaming devices are available in spades, although most of them have been bundled into more expensive boxes that do more processing in the set-top box.

The user interface was quite nice. Much better than what we usually get in this type of device (think Apex, Linksys...), but the crunchy part is that all the user-interface (UI) rendering is done on the PC and sent to the player as very small DivX files! That's a good idea that enables good graphics and UI on cheap hardware.

Finally, DivX has an API that will let users create their own plug-ins/applications to handle multimedia content or to create casual games. I don't think that any other media player does this

DivX's Apple TV, but smarter [Ubergizmo]

Joel Johnson

Livescribe: Taking Another Crack at Smart Pens

Remember the "FLY Fusion Pen"? It was the pen that when used with special paper could offload your written notes to a computer, giving you an easy backup. You could even control its built-in MP3 player and calculator by drawing buttons or equations on the page. It had a high niftiness quotient (and was only $80) but the lack of a built-in screen and the need to purchase special paper to make it work were kinks. (Oh Gizmo did a recent thorough review.)

Now the inventor of the technology has started a new company, Livescribe, which aims to essentially build an improved FLY Fusion, this time with a pen that has a screen, the ability to interpret cursive, and that can be used on paper that can be printed at home. (It still needs the array of time dots to work.)

The idea behind these types of pens are appealing—I use a lot of pen and paper myself, especially for taking notes, scratching down ideas I'll never end up following up on, and drawing lewd figures—but I'm curious if anyone has been able to integrate these into their daily workflow. I rarely feel its too onerous to migrate my notes from paper into a computer via keyboard.

The Livescribe company page has some general details, including that the first products will be available in early 2008, but be sure to avoid the odd paper cut-out flash videos with jive talkin' teens or bloggers on the beach. (As if bloggers can withstand the sun.)

Company Page [Livescribe.com via OhGizmo.com]

Joel Johnson

The Sky Toboggan (1935)

What's not to love about this cover from the April, 1935 issue of Everyday Science and Mechanics? A fantastic logo font! Money-making plans! An amazing, completely impractical sky toboggan pitching itself towards the ground as a single passenger takes notice of the pilot's worried grimace!

Nobody made the future more terrifying that Hugo Gernsback, Editor. That's why today in the tech publications business we call a death machine cover with a nice font—a jet-powered grain combine underneath a banner of Futura, say—"The Ol' Gernsback." Like most technology cover stories, that is nearly true.

Sky Toboggan (1935) [Paleo-Future]

Joel Johnson

Canon ScanFront Office Thinger

While an all-in-one printer and scanner combo would almost certainly be a better solution for most home offices, there is an inscrutable appeal to these new "ScanFront" units from Canon. It's not their looks—they look like throwbacks to the early '90s. It's not their functionality, per se—I can already scan in documents and email them or FTP them, even if I have to use a real, live computer as intermediary. It's not the price—two large and up.

I just can't put my finger on why I think these are cool. I think it might be that they are sort of anachronistic, a modern reinterpretation of an idea already past its prime, like a nuclear-powered fax machine.

Canon's ScanFront 220 / 220P begins shipping [Engadget]

Joel Johnson

Inmarsat IsatPhone: Modestly-Sized Satellite Phone

While you're still going to pay a pretty penny to actually use it, the IsatPhone from Inmarsat is relatively compact for a satellite phone—only the giant antenna really gives it away. The IsatPhone also works on GSM networks, making it possible to pack only one device.

The IsatPhone is designed for use in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East using Inmarsat's Indian Ocean region coverage. It's available for about $775 at various satellite phone equipment retailers.

Product Page [Inmarsat.com via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

Nokia Shows Off iPhoneesque Touch Interface

Nokia has announced a new touch-based interface for their Series 60 (S60) smartphone OS to be implemented in future products from Nokia and other Symbian-based phones. It's clearly in response to the iPhone, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Nokia has even come up with a few improvements of their own, including a motion-based "flip to silence" mode, where incoming calls can be quieted by flipping the phone on its face. The interface can also be used with both finger-presses or a stylus and will respond with tactile feedback. (The iPhone's touch screen can only recognize finger presses from real human flesh.)

Of course, touchscreen-based phones had been around for a decade before Apple launched the iPhone, including on many Nokia models, so it's less about the technology and more about the implementation. The HTC Touch, which uses a simple touch-based interface overlaid on Windows Mobile, wasn't anything special. Series 60 is a more solid user experience than Windows Mobile to begin with, but we'll just have to see if Nokia can make the whole experience as smooth and fun as the iPhone.

Interestingly, I didn't see anything about multi-touch in the video. That's not much of a deal-breaker. Apple has done little to really take advantage of the advanced user input methods multi-touch can allow, likely because it's just as simple to control most of the iPhone's functions with one finger than two (or five). That's smart design, but it also makes it easier for others to clone their general user experience.

S60 Touch Interface Launched [AllAboutSymbian.com]

Joel Johnson

Apple Warned of Impending Lawsuit Over Hazardous Chemicals in iPhone

After Greenpeace claimed Apple's iPhone contained toxic chemicals, California's Center for Environmental Health said it has given Apple a 60-day legal notice that may be a precursor to a lawsuit. The CEH's hoped-for result? That Apple with "reformulate their products to make them safer from cradle to grave, so they don't pose a threat to consumers, workers or the environment."

Apple has said previously they intend to remove the "phthalates" from their products by the end of 2008. In the meantime, the CEH will levy for Apple to put warning labels on their products that contain hazardous chemicals.

From Macworld:

The Center for Environmental Health wants Apple to clearly label the iPhone saying that it contains phthalates, but ultimately it wants the company to get rid of them altogether.

"In general what we try to do is encourage the manufacturers through a negotiated settlement to reduce the use of these chemicals," Caroline Cox, a spokeswoman for the Center for Environmental Health, told Macworld. "That would be our goal with Apple."

It's been my impression that Greenpeace has been paying special attention to Apple over recent months, perhaps disproportionately to Apple's overall share in the consumer electronics space. On the other hand, Apple is probably the highest-profile American electronics company, so if you're going to pick a target to shame, they're a natural choice.

Apple faces potential environmental lawsuit [Macworld]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• GWC-brand 4-port HDMI (1.2) switch for $70, plus shipping. Not sure if it also auto-senses new connections, but it can be controlled via IR or physical buttons. [Dealhack]

• Kingston 2GB SD flash memory card for $15, shipped. [Dealhack]

• Garmin iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod with LCD screen for $8, plus shipping. While it's only a couple dollars off the regular price at Geeks.com, it's much, much cheaper than FM transmitters typically are at retail outlets. [Dealhack]

• Unlocked Sony Ericsson P990i Smartphone with accessories for $300, shipped. [Dealnews]

• PiXA 100W 8" Powered Wireless Subwoofer for $40, shipped. [Dealnews]

• HD DVD Sale at Frys.com. Including the best reason to own an HDTV, Discovery Channel/Attenborough's Planet Earth for $50. I paid $70 and haven't regretted it once. [Dealnews]

• LEGO Viking Catapult vs. Armored Ofnir Dragon set for $25, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot! is a two-pack of refurbished Jabra BT-350 Bluetooth Headsets for $25, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Blowing Out the Dust: Afternoon Edition

• Every Boy Needs One – Car-crushing Robosaurus to be auctioned off in January. [Jalopnik]

• Cheney Proof – Medtronic recalls several heart defibrillators. [Consumerist]

• Nox Maxima – Greenpeace accuses Apple of using "hazardous chemicals" in iPhone. I'm all for green tech, but Greenpeace seems on a tear for Apple. [Engadget]

• Not Valid in New Jersey – Your gas icon actually tells you what side of the car the tank is on. [Core77]

• Warned! – Audiophile company accepts James Randi's cable challenge. [Gizmodo]

• Snake Face – Another cheap robot from WowWee. [Technabob]

• OSM – The best Guitar Hero rig ever, built into a Marshall stack. [Technabob]

Joel Johnson

Switchbike: City Bike and Recumbent in One

Ron de Jong's Switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it converts quickly from a regular city bike (those sturdy bikes used all across Europe) into a more comfortable recumbent model for longer jaunts.

Switchbike - I Want One [FreshCreation.nl via Gizmodo]

Joel Johnson

Glowstick Cutlery

Oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk Pass the
Oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk Pass the
Oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk oonsk Pass the
Gravy oonsk oonsk Guh-guh-guh-guh gravy. oonsk oonsk Everybody say!

(Repeat until dessert.)

Catalog Page [TheGlowCompany.co.uk via RedFerret.net]

Joel Johnson

Sony Ericsson's Flip-and-Snif Phone

The DoCoMo SO703i, available only in Japan, has a small space in the hinge for a replaceable scented strip that releases its fragrance when you open or close the phone.

11 scents are available, I'm told, although I'm having a hard time finding something on the page actually explaining what they might be.

Product Page (Japanese) [NTTDoCoMo.co.jp via Japan Marketing News via Inventor Spot via TrendHunter.com via Geeksugar]

Joel Johnson

SunCalc Measures Sunlight for Planting

While probably unnecessary for most gardeners, the SunCalc might be useful for those with a brown thumb, measuring as it does the amount of sunlight a spot receives over the course of a day. It's $30.

I know—go outside. And I recommend that, too, but since I'm a big fan of gardening, I have a soft spot for anything that might get more people out in the dirt.

Catalog Page [ComputerGear.com via Coolest-Gadgets.com]

Joel Johnson

Hyundai W-100 Wristwatch Phone

Phones in watches have been a long time coming, but they've so far been hampered by surprisingly clunky design. Turns out it's difficult to cram a decent battery and controls into something that won't carry you to the bottom of the sea when your hoverjet is shot down over the Mediterranean. The Hyundai W-100 may not be the one yet, but it's a step in the right direction.

It actually has more features than are probably necessary, with a touch-screen interface and camera. (The Bluetooth, which allows headsets to be used, is probably a necessity for something like this.) I don't understand why there's any need at all for smartphone-class features in something with this form factor. Give me Bluetooth, a dial pad, a simple contacts list, and a decent battery, the lighter and tighter the better.

第三代手錶手機 Hyundai W100 [PhoneDaily.com via Gizmodo via Wrist Dreams]

Joel Johnson

Daniel Schweinert's DIY 35mm Lens Adapter for Camcorders

Daniel Schweinert builds custom 35mm depth of field (DOF) adapters for cameras and camcorders that allow you to use traditional 35mm lens on your camcorder. While he sells many of the kit parts himself, he puts all of the instructions online for free, should you want to try your hand at building your own. I browsed through the instructions for building an adapter for the HV20 last night, as pictured here, but it's a bit more money than I want to throw at it yet, especially since I'm just now learning the camera. Still, it's far cheaper than commercial 35mm adapters, which can run from the high hundreds into the low thousands.

Why would you want to do such a thing? For one, it turns your little camera into a black-and-silver monstrosity mounted on a sled so that you don't rip out the plastic lens threads. (I think that's neat. You may not.) It also can help you to produce really pretty footage with great depth of field and lots of bokeh. The footage below is shot with a commercial adapter, the Letus35 Flip, and a Panasonic DVX100a, a 3 CCD camcorder, but should give you a good idea of the general effect.

Daniel's GG-Holders Tutorials [JetSetModels.com via Eugenia]

Joel Johnson

The Rocketbelt Caper by Paul Brown

"The Rocketbelt Caper" by Paul Brown sounds like quite the real-life crime yarn.

[The Rocketbelt Caper] tells the incredible true story of the Rocketbelt 2000, a jetpack-type device built by friends Brad Barker, Larry Stanley and Joe Wright in Texas in the 1990s. The friends successfully completed and flew the rocketbelt, but then became embroiled in a feud. The Rocketbelt 2000 was stolen, Barker was kidnapped, Stanley was attacked with a hammer, and Wright was tragically murdered. Brown's book tells of the search for the rocketbelt and the investigation into Wright's murder.

Book Page [RocketBeltCaper.co.uk] [Amazon]

Joel Johnson

Electric Kettle Acid Test: Sunbeam Tea Drop, Kenwood Response Kettle

I've never been one for electric kettles, although when even Alton Brown has been swayed by their easy allure I am compelled to reconsider.

I borrowed one last year for a few days, thinking that I'd enjoy having water for tea at arm's length, rather than make the strenuous trek to my kitchen, almost thirty feet away, through the Straights of Boxes to Be Recycled and past the Horn of Ikea Cart. It worked okay until I kicked it over onto my hand-made particle board shelves which swelled like pound cake in, well, tea. Now I only drink air and whatever fluids my dog can manage to fling into my mouth when he shakes out his flaps in the morning.

Here's one electric kettle I won't be getting: The Sunbeam Tea Drop Tea Maker [not pictured], panned by Gadget Lab's Rob Beschizza as a "useless piece of garbage."

The steaming mechanism just doesn't work. This might be because tea needs the impact of boiling water to infuse well, but hey, it doesn't really matter--all you need to know is that the Tea Drop is garbage. The output is undrinkable swill.
If you've ever wondered why other people don't make tea the amazingly simple way you've discovered--by pouring hot water onto it from the faucet--you've just found your ultimate beverage-making gadget.

That directs the focus on the new, wholly untested Kenwood Response Kettle, whose name may evoke equipment used by tea time paramedics, but in fact refers to two LEDs inside. One LED is red, the other blue. As water heats the former begins to shine as the latter wanes, indicating your water has been boiled.

The Response Kettle also has an intermediate step which heats water to 80 degrees, which they say is "perfect for coffee and herbal teas." That was confusing until I realized they were talking Celsius, which may also mean that the product is UK only for now.

Sunbeam's Tea Drop Tea Maker is a Useless Piece of Garbage [Gadget Lab]

Response Kettle press release [KenwoodWorld.com via Coolest-Gadgets.com via Chip Chick]

Joel Johnson

M4125 Maid PC: Computer in Frilly Dismembered Torso

The new "M4125 Maid PC" appears to be a retail product, encasing the guts of a working mini-ITX-based PC into the dismembered torso of a mannequin dressed like a maid. (Maids, girls in maid costumes, maid-themed cafes, etc. are all very popular in Akihabara right now, I'm told.)

That it isn't a whole mannequin is both less and more disturbing, I think, although once all your cables are streaming out of the top like cyborg intestines, its appeal will increase greatly.

Pictures and More (Japanese) [AkibaBlog.net via Hobby Blog/GamersWeb.it]

Joel Johnson

URock Guitar-Shaped MP3 Player with Working Amp

This URock MP3 player shaped like a guitar may be goofy—and at $100 for 1GB capacity, not a very good value—but the included amplifier contains an actual working speaker. I think it's kind of cute—but the kind of cute that should be $10 and sold in an odd lot bin in Chinatown.

Then again, it does come with a free guitar pick!

Catalog Page [Gadget-Box.com via Chip Chick via Engadget]

Joel Johnson

Rear Vision Clothing-Mounted Bike Mirrors

While I've found rear-view bike mirrors to be only of moderate use, the "Rear Vision Activity Mirror" would at least prevent passers-by from ripping my mirrors off my bike. Besides that, though, I'm not sure that wrist-, arm-, and glove-mounted mirrors would be all that helpful, since you'd have to waggle your arm around to get them in the right position.

Rear Vision [BikeCommunters.com via Gadget Lab]
Product Page [RearVisionMirror.com]

Joel Johnson

Portal Weighted Companion Cube Papercraft

Once again 4Chan brings us special Portal-themed crafts, this time a lovely papercraft Weighted Companion Cube. RPS has a bigger version. I'm waiting for the plushie, which I'm told has been announced and ordered. It will pair nicely with my plush headcrab.

Six Sides To Every Love Story [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• 30GB Gen Brown Zune for $107, shipped. [Slickdeals]

• Today's Woot! is the same deal on refurbished Zune, except in white and black, as well.

• Buy one, get one free on some Blu-ray titles at Amazon. [Slickdeals]

• Dump $30 worth of change into a Coinstar machine, get a free $10 Amazon coupon. It is a testament to my cheapness that this is the most exciting deal I've seen in a while. [Dealnews]

Highest Rated Coupons from RetailMeNot.com

• 15% off entire order at Motorola.com using code: PASS_14259

• $10 off $100 orders at Play-Asia.com using code: RA-ZPD-VMB

• 20% off your first order over $50 at iStockPhoto.com using code: XARACOM

• 25% off current monthly rate plans at GamezNFlix.com using code: Emmys

• 20% Discount on all products sitewide at Xtrememac.com using code: ipodweek2

Joel Johnson

Blowing Out the Dust: Afternoon Edition

• For Science! – Help vote neuroscience blogger Shelley Batts into a scholarship. [Ectomo]

• Sanyo-nara – Sanyo sells cell phone division to Kyocera. [Crave.CNET.com]

• Dowsing Nobs – "New frontiers in pseudoscience." [Dan's Data Blog]

• Switch Hitter – "Hands On: IOGEAR 4 Port Automatic HDMI Switch with Remote" [Gearlog]

• Serious Series – "Beating brownouts: Building a super UPS" [iCrontic]

• Mass Cash Effect – EA buys BioWare, Pandemic game developers. [Game|Life]

• Dramatic Future – A Pacific Bell concept video from 1991 of the year 2003. It's actually not too far off: Flat screens, video conferencing, data sharing. [Paleo-Future]

• By The Editors – Popular Mechanics 10 Most Brilliant Gadgets of 2007. (I'm a Contrib. Ed. at PopMech, but I didn't work on the Breakthrough Awards. [PopularMechanics.com]

• The Week in Tools – The Toolmonger Top 5 [Toolmonger]

Joel Johnson

The Back-Up Bed-Mounted Gun Rack

The "Back-Up" is a gun rack for your bed, making it possible to conceal a handy shotgun alongside the mattress. Perfect for dealing with home intruders or kinky Army of Darkness fantasy play.

Only $40, plus shipping and handling. Down-filled shells not included.

Product Page [The-Backup.com via Crunchgear via Uberreview via Coolest-Gadgets]

Joel Johnson

Twelve Open Phones for Hackers

Wired's Rob Beschizza has collected twelve unlocked, open phones which can be purchased and tweaked to your heart's desire.

Speaking Freely: Unlocked, Open Source Phones for Weary iPhone Hackers [Wired.com]

Joel Johnson

Rule 34: Portal Edition

I don't have a source (get it?) for this, but I'm guessing it's from 4Chan.

I beat the first-person puzzle game Portal last night. (That's where these two "characters," the "Weighted Companion Cube" and "a turret" are from.) Hands-down the best last level and ending in any videogame I've ever played. I was beaming.

As someone of the Quarter to Three forums mentioned, Valve must create Weighted Companion Cubes for sale immediately.

Joel Johnson

Simon Pegg is the New Scotty

Image: leiabox

Simon Pegg, co-writer and star of Hot Fuzz (fantastic), Shaun of the Dead (wonderful), and Spaced (best ever) has been cast as Scotty in the upcoming Star Trek motion picture reboot. Awesome!

I am unabashedly excited about this new Star Trek flick. The casting has all been interesting without being too close for comfort.

Simon Pegg to star in new Star Trek movie [TimesOnline.co.uk]

Joel Johnson

Israeli RADAR Jamming Disrupting Satellite TV?

Millions of Israeli satellite television subscribers haven't been able to get service for the past month, according to FlightGlobal.com. While the Israeli government is denying it has anything to do with the jamming that was (probably) done before the September 6th air strikes on Syria—the technique that Israel used to spoof Syria's radar is still unknown, which is troubling to many countries, to say the least—the dates line up.

The interference began shortly after the 6 September Israeli air raid on Syria, which, according to US and UK press reports, was made possible by Israeli use of an electronic warfare system that "blinded" Syria's state-of-the-art Russian-supplied air defence radar.

Some reports linked the satellite TV interference to the Israeli military activity, but this theory was discounted because the interference has continued. The Israeli Government seems as clueless as Yes as to the cause of the problem.

A second theory linked the interference to intelligence ships of different nations sailing in the Mediterranean, but governments quizzed by Israel deny that their intelligence-gathering could be causing the interference.

Finally, Israeli experts said on 9 October that the interference is caused by "a very strong source" the Israeli minister of communications says ministry experts hope to know the source of the interference in "a few days".

Electronic warfare may have blitzed Israeli TV signals [FlightGlobal.com via Danger Room]

Joel Johnson

Functional Gadget Paintings from Finn Magee

These two pieces from Irish artist Finn Magee are called "Flat Light" and "Flat Time." Both the lamp and clock in the painting actually work due to embedded LEDs. Cute—and easily reproducible for those who can wield both brush and soldering iron.

Artist's Page [FinnMagee.com via Technabob via Torc.]

Joel Johnson

Total Music: Lifetime Music Subscriptions from Universal & Co.

Universal and other media companies are gathering to offer an alternative to iTunes with a service called "Total Music," a subscription-based service that would be baked into the price of each music-playing device. I like the idea in theory, but wonder if the service, which will certainly be locked per-device and possibly non-transferable to new owners, will be too high.

From Business Week:

The big question is whether the makers of music players and phones can charge enough to cover the cost of baking in the subscription. Under one scenario industry insiders figure the cost per player would amount to about $90. They arrived at that number by assuming people hang on to a music player or phone for 18 months before upgrading. Eighteen times a $5 subscription fee equals $90. There is precedent here. When Microsoft was looking to launch a subscription service for Zune, Morris played hardball. He got the tech giant to fork over $1 for every player sold, plus royalties. Total Music would take that concept even further. "If the object is to wrest control of the market from Steve Jobs," says Gartner analyst Mike McGuire, "this is a credible way to try it."

Universal Music Takes on iTunes [BusinessWeek.com] (Snazzy new logo, Business Week! Or is it BusinessWeek? Lern2kern.)

Joel Johnson

Video: LucidTouch "Transparent" Touch Screen Interface

A collaboration between Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs (MERL), Microsoft Research, and the University of Toronto has produced this prototype "LucidTouch" interface, which puts the touch-sensitive input on the back of a display, along with a camera, allowing users to control a device with touch without obscuring the screen.

'Transparent' gadget could trump iPhone interface [New Scientist via Gadget Lab]

Joel Johnson

Video: Zune 2 Interface

Looks very nice. The combination of touch and regular click controls is a nice compromise between iPhone-like "all touch" controls and physical keys. [SeattlePI.nwsource.com via Crunchgear]

Joel Johnson

ATA Airline Tries to Have Customer Arrested for Using iPhone in Airplane Mode

Consumerist was given a disturbing story by a reader who flew ATA to Hawaii and was accosted by an over-zealous flight attendant who didn't understand the concept of "Airplane Mode" on the iPhone, despite the fact that similar features have been available in phones and other gadgets for years.

Now some of you will say "Why didn't this guy just turn off his iPhone and stop causing problems?" There's a time and a place for every battle, sure, but check out what a cock this attendant was after the flight landed, when they tried to have the customer arrested.

Then the police take me off the flight and to a waiting area. I explain everything that happened, they go and talk to the male flight attendant. I see him waving his arms and looking very angry and animated. Why is he so hell bent on getting me in trouble ? So then the police come back over to me and explain that he said this particular plane is not shielded for ANY electronic equipment at all, so even a phone in airplane mode could cause problems.

OK, so why didn't he tell me that at all in flight, all he said was i was breaking FAA rules, and also why was everyone else allowed to use their laptops, mp3 players, etc ?? The police officer looked confused, and said he would be right back. He talked to the guy again and then came back and said that the airplane is not shielded for ONLY phones in airplane mode.

Come on, really ? he has changed his story 3 times, and all he said in flight was FAA this and FAA that, nothing about this specific plane. The police sorta laughed and said wait one second, they went and talked to him, he got really upset and left. Then they came back to me and said I was free to go.

ATA Tries To Have You Arrested For Using Your iPhone In "Airplane Mode" [Consumerist]

Joel Johnson

LapTop Pro Keyboard and Screen Cleaning Tool

I've no idea how well this "LapTop Pro" dual keyboard and screen cleaner tool might actually work, but since I wage a weekly war on the cruft and gunk that gets on my keyboard—mostly skin oils, which is gross, I know, but that's just the way it is—I have a soft spot for anything that aims to make my typing life easier. A wet wipe on the keys does a pretty good job on its own, even on the screen. (It's probably leaving some residue on the screen, but I try to buy the ones that don't have lotion, since I also use them on my bulldog's face flaps, which are much more gross than any keyboard, let me assure you.)

Actually, $20—the price of the "LapTop Pro"—would buy a lot of wet wipes. I've just talked myself out of this. Carry on!

Anybody have any good cleaning keyboard and screen tips? I try to avoid all the "cleaning solutions." I did a short blip for Popular Mechanics a few months ago about screen cleaning solutions for LCD panels and talked to some manufacturers. Turns out that stuff is almost exclusively just isopropyl alcohol diluted into water, about 2.5-5% to 95%.

Catalog Page [ScientificOnline.com via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

Binibottle: Teen Invents Easy-Fill Water Bottle

Here's a simple idea that I wouldn't be surprised to see in new water bottle designs soon: A bottle with a second filler cap on the side to make it easier to fill in shallow sinks. (Or in my case, a sink still brimming with dirty dishes.) The "Binibottle" was created as part of a inventor's contest.

From Oh Gizmo:

And believe it or not this simple but extremely helpful innovation was created by 15 year old Anna Axelsson. She designed the bottle for the Finnupp inventor's contest and ended up winning the gold medal. The bottle can apparently be found in Swedish sporting good stores for around $5 and it's safe to assume Anna won't have any trouble paying for college when the time comes.

Product Page (Finnish?) [Sportflaskor.nu via Oh Gizmo]

Joel Johnson

JVC's Clap- and Gesticulation-Controlled TV

JVC showed off a prototype TV at CEATEC that can be controlled entirely through hand claps and gestures. Clap twice to bring up a volume and channel menu, clap again to make a selection, or wave your arms around in pre-defined movements to manipulate the controls. Now you'll never have to worry about losing the remote and can get back to worrying about whether or not you're going to lose your arms.

Clap-controlled TV consigns remote to bin of history [RegHardware.co.uk]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Craftsman Professional 17-inch Drill Press for $180. $65 for shipping for pick up in-store. [Slickdeals]

• Nokia N800 Internet Tablet $240, shipped. [Dealhack]

• Refurbished Philips Pixel Plus 3 47" 1080p Widescreen LCD HDTV for $1,200, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Night Owl Optics National Geographic Elite Edition 3x Monocular for $180, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Refurbished RCA 1000 Watt 5.1 Home Theatre System for $95, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Atwood Knives Back in Stock Soon

Peter Atwood, creator of many of the popular multi-purpose tools at Atwood Knives, has just posted a small update saying he's getting over his illness and should have a new batch of tools for sale later this week.

This morning I will be getting a big load of Crawdaddies, Bottlebugs, G2 Mini Prybabies (all righties) and A51 Mini Keytons into heat treat and hopefully have them done for Friday or Saturday.

Company Home [AtwoodKnives.com] (Thanks, Randy!)

Joel Johnson

R2-D2 Pepper Mill

Just when I think I have fully expunged all traces of my Star Wars fandom from my home (LEGO models not withstanding) someone goes and makes something so ludicrously clever I feel the nerd burn again: RD-D2 and R2-Q5 pepper mills. They're both grinders, but it might be possible to put salt in R2-D2 and use them as a matching set.

They're $19 apiece, but won't be shipping until February of next year.

Catalog Page [SeamlessTech.biz via Gadget Lab via Macworld via Gizmodo via Technabob]

Joel Johnson

Minimalist Gadgets (That Aren't from Apple)

Oobject's latest gallery is classy by design: "21 non-Apple minimalist gadgets."

So is this post.

21 non apple minimalist gadgets [Oobject]

Joel Johnson

Sony Ericsson MBS-100: Alien Bluetooth Speaker

Engadget isn't too impressed with Sony Ericsson's new MBS-100 Bluetooth speaker, designed to be pair with their mobile phones via Bluetooth, but I think it's quite lovely. They see "embarrassing fungal wart." I see friendly myconoid spore who whispers music to me as I dream.

Unfortunately I'm not too hip on Bluetooth A2DP, the stereo audio profile of Bluetooth—it's power hungry and often flakey—so I'll be leaving this one nestled ominously in the stamens of a steel planet's vegetation.

Sony Ericsson's MBS-100 Bluetooth speaker might contain spores [Engadget]

Joel Johnson

Zippo Hand Warmer

This hand warmer from Zippo uses a platinum-catalyzed glass fiber burner to produce heat from lighter fluid without a flame for up to 24 hours. Except for the burners which have to be replaced (perhaps every 24 hours; I'm not able to tell from the website) the whole thing is reusable. It's even claimed to be low odor so you won't scare off your quarry when hunting.

It's my belief that if God hadn't wanted us to stay warm while hunting deer he wouldn't have put deer stands in flammable trees. A forest in flames will cause the deer to run—right into the busy highway. It's a convoluted system, perhaps, but lighter fluid is cheaper than bullets.

Product Page [Zippo.com via Oh Gizmo!]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Free Shipping + Extra 10% off All Batteries at Duracell Direct. [Dealhack]

• Niko 2206 22-inch Dual Input LCD Monitor $180 at Buy.com. [Dealhack]

• Refurbished Apple Mac mini Core Duo Desktops from $430, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Canon HV-10 MiniDV HD Camcorder for $600, shipped. [Dealnews]

Joel Johnson

How Much Bunker Could Tom Cruise Get for $10 Million?

While Tom Cruise may not be building a bunker under his Telluride estate—his spokespeople have denied it—it got me thinking: How much underground bunker could one get for $10 million?

Before he put his mind to designing underground survival shelters, Leonard Henrikson, a gentle Oregonian proud of his Swedish descent, built presses for radioactive waste for the government. But after 9/11, there was again a market for underground survival bunkers. "You couldn't build them fast enough," Henrikson told me.

Henrikson is quick to qualify that he wasn't pitching slapdash shelters up to make a quick buck. "I worked on our shelter design and engineering off and on for six months." He later sold some of his NBC filtration systems—that's "Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical"—to various governments.

There are two primary costs involved in building a secure bunker, explained Henrikson. "The biggest cost structurally is the roof and ceiling. You have to span from wall-to-wall for the whole shelter." (The shelter sold by Henrikson's company, American Safe Room, use steel trusses every few feet along the ceiling.)

"If you look at regular house construction it's, like, 30 pounds per square foot to account for snow load. [In a shelter] you're looking at something that is hundreds of times stronger."

Henrikson's rooms are built to withstand a 50 PSI "blast load"—the sort that might come after a nuclear attack. That's 7,200 pounds per square foot.

After you've built a shelter that can withstand an attack, you have to keep the air clean. The NBC filtration systems built by Henrikson—complete with battery backup and hand pump—can keep the air clean for up to 12 people.

American Safe Room sells their kits for around twenty-thousand dollars, plus shipping.

I asked Henrikson what sort of shelter I could get for $10 million.

"Probably a very nice one."

I wanted hard, wildly inaccurate numbers. I pressed Henrikson to take a stab.

"When people build shelters and aren't really in the shelter business, they have to go back to zero. That's where a lot of the expense is."

"You're going underground. Are you going to be under the water table? Is the thing going to tank water on you? There should be some tests before you even begin. You should have someone come in and drill bore holes to see if the ground is even suitable."

It wouldn't be cheap to dig out and install a steel-reinforced shelter under an existing house. That would add a huge amount of engineering expense; it's not hard to imagine a quality shelter under an existing structure could cost a couple million just in labor and materials.

But I still wanted a number. Henrikson was too wise to lock himself into any specific number, but he offered this clue: "We can build them any length you want."

(And he does mean just "length." It's easy to extend the shelters by adding more steel trusses, but making them wider while retaining the same 50 PSI blast load is difficult—and expensive.)

Thus: If one of American Safe Room's 21-foot shelters can be had for $20k, then $10 million would build a shelter 10,500 feet long, nearly two miles long, capable of holding 6,000 people. Not bad! If you see a two-mile trench being dug outside the Cruise compound, perhaps the rumors are true after all.

Thanks to Len Henrikson of American Safe Room/Bomb Shelter for putting up with my questions. A class act.

Joel Johnson

Pro-Level Gadgets for the Science Kitchen

We've mentioned a few of the devices in Popular Science's "Kitchen Gadgets Bonanza," but not nearly all twenty-five showcased. These aren't your regular KitchenAids and food processors; instead they've taken a look at the tools being used by cutting edge chefs in pursuit of the latest "molecular gastromny" creations.

Not all of them are entirely new, however. The "Whipper", a steel canister used to create foams by mixing them with nitrous oxide, has been known many pro-am party goers for years. (Minus the coffee-chocolate foam, of course.)

Pictured above, the "Gastrovac." PopSci explains:

hink of the Gastrovac as a crock pot, vacuum pump and heating plate in one. Suspend your food--pear slices, for example--in a basket above a flavorful liquid, such as wine broth. Seal the machine, and hit a button to turn the cooking chamber into a vacuum. The low-pressure environment pulls all the air out of the food, compressing it like a squished sponge. Near the end of their cooking, drop the pears into the broth and restore the pressure. The liquid rushes into the cells, infusing the fruit with an intense wine flavor. And no oxygen means no oxidation--so instead of turning brown, fruit comes out as brightly colored as it was when first sliced.

Kitchen Gadgets Bonanza [PopSci.com]

Joel Johnson

Daihatsu Mudmaster-C Concept Kei Van

If there were any justice in the world, this concept Daihatsu transporter—dubbed, kitted out as it is for off-roading, the Mudmaster-C—would be something I could go out any buy today.

Let's just soak that in: Mudmaster-C.

While none of the pictures at Jalopnik give me any real sense of scale, I imagine its about the size of all the other Japanese kei vans, which might be cramped for my proud Viking frame, but would make up for it by being light enough to carry on my back to my second-floor apartment.

Tokyo Auto Show Preview: Daihatsu Mudmaster-C Concept [Jalopnik]

Joel Johnson

Exidéal LED Esthé: $900 Home Beauty Lite-Brite-a-like

The Exidéal is a grid of 280 LEDs that claim to "permeate the vitamins and collagen in your skin and make you beautiful from the inside." Simply sit in front of the Exidéal as it moves through a series of flashing patterns, lulling you into susceptibility to murderous programming. For every person you kill, you look five years younger. Baked beans. Fry the president.

The Exidéal is available only in Japan for now. It is $900. Oh Gizmo has a video if you'd like to watch serene Japanese girls shoveling scientific horseshit.

Exidéal LED Esthé Home Beauty Treatment [Oh Gizmo]

Joel Johnson

Video: How a Triumph Motorcycle Is Not Actually Made

This promotional video for the Triumph Rocket 3, the "world's largest motorcycle," is what many corporate videos are not: successfully and intentionally funny. It's safe for work!

[via Core77]

Joel Johnson

Blip: Sprint U727 USB EV-DO Dongle Available Today

Sprint sent us a short email to let us know that the Novatel U727 USB EV-DO dongle is available today online. It's not cheap at $279 ($79 after rebate for new service) plus service, but it's the first USB EV-DO solution I've ever seen that actually looks as practical as the PCMVIA/Express Card solutions.

Whew! That was a nerdy paragraph. What I'm trying to say is this: there is now a flash drive-sized bit of hardware that will give you mobile, high-speed 3G internet available from Sprint.

Catalog Page [Nextel/Sprint]

Previously: The Tiny New Novatel USB727 EV-DO Interface [BBG]

Joel Johnson

Beautiful Elektra Mini Verticale and Micro Casa a Leva Espresso Machines

These Elektra espresso makers are actually miniature versions of grander machines used in Europe. They're far from the most practical units for the home, with no direct water line, a low capacity storage container, and hard-to-clean drip plates, but they are awful big and shiny. Why, one could almost call them steampunk.

They're upwards of two large, though; be aware!

Elektra Mini Verticale coffee machines [Appliancist]
Elektra Micro Casa a Leva copper and brass - lever operated espresso coffee maker [Appliancist]

Joel Johnson

Articulated Crayfish Carved from Cow Bone

This detailed crayfish sculpture is carved from cow bone by Filipino craftsmen. It is fully articulated, with hinged segments and legs. They're available for $415 from Vivre, but could probably be purchased for far less in the Philippines direct from the artists.

Product Page [Vivre.com via Cool Hunting]

Joel Johnson

Electronic NIV Bible and Hymnal from SAK Korea

Portable dictionaries are very popular in Asia, so it's odd that you don't see more reference texts in electronic form. Here's a natural choice: the NIV version of the Bible, displayed on a 3.4-inch LCD screen along with voice narration for those hard of sight. It even has a built-in hymnal!

While not a Christian myself, I have a fascination for bibles and an even greater one for hymnals. (I collect old editions of both.) I may have to put this model from SAK on the shelf next to the others once it's in the bargain bin.

And bibles in Korea? Turns out a huge segment of the South Korean population is Christian; they're not all Buddhist or Confucian by any means.

SAK electronic Bible [Coolest-Gadgets.com]

Joel Johnson

Replica AirWolf Helmet with Working "Speed Visor"

This replica helmet based on those seen in the '80s network series AirWolf has a "fully-functional Speed Visor," as well as an "LED targeting bar" and some other stuff, like five switches to boost up to Over-Awesome. It's available on eBay right now for $900.

Relatedly, I have a message for Geraint Wyn Davies. If you are not Geraint Wyn Davies, you may leave the post.

Mr. Wyn Davies, I knew Ernie Borgnine. I flew sorties in Korea while blotto on stinkum with Ernine Borgnine. You, sir, are no Ernie Borgnine.

Airwolf pilot helmet fully functional [eBay via Oh Gizmo via UberReview

Joel Johnson

Samsung SGH-i450: Music Phone with a Slide-Out Speaker

The front of the new Samsung SGH-i450 slides down to reveal both a touchwheel-controlled music interface and an honest-to-god speaker. I think the way the on-screen UI complements the arc of the physical speaker is really nice.

It's only for Europe (along with some other sharp models), so it's no immediate threat, but I can't decide what would be worse: listening to guys on the subway blasting their music out of tinny, clipping cell phones—this already happens—or listening to their music out of higher quality speakers at a higher volume. They'd probably just turn them up until even the better speakers clipped.

Samsung's musicphone lineup ready for Europe [Engadget]

Joel Johnson

Fujitsu's Prototype "FLEPia" Color ePaper eBook

Fujitsu showed off this prototype ePaper book reader at CEATEC, which is most notable for its capability of displaying 4096 colors. That's good—current commercial ePaper products are all grayscale—but the pixel density is also important for legibility; I'm not sure that 768 x 1024 pixels in an eight-inch screen is enough. (Pixel density is new black levels.)

Gizmag was there and filled up a gallery with images. It looks pretty washed out in the pictures, but there's obviously a lot of reflection.

Fujitsu advances color e-paper technology [Gizmag]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• $20 to $30 price drop on refurbished Apple iPod Nano (Gen 2). 8GB for $150, for instance. [Dealhack]

• Canon Powershot G9 Rangefinder Digital Camera for $450. The camera I would have purchased had I not just bought the HV20 camcorder. [Dealhack]

• Leica V-LUX for $849; Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 for $450. Nearly the same unit. How much is the Leica brand worth to you? [Dealhack]

• IOGEAR USB Digital Scribe Ink/Digital Pen for $59, shipped. [Dealnews]

• All-Battery.com 50% Sale, including 24-pack of 2600mAh NiMH AA and 12-pack of 1000mAh NiMH AAA for $46, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Fujitronic FR-803 4-Cup Rice Cooker for $15, after $20 mail-in rebate. [Dealnews]

• iRobot Looj 120 Gutter-Cleaning Robot for $113, shipped. It'll get cheaper, but 'tis the season. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot! are cutesy Hannspree 9.6-inch LCD TVs for $85, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Stiletto TiBone Solid Titanium Hammer

For the discriminating contractor, look no further than the Stiletto TiBone straight handle hammer, available for just $200. Why so cheap, you ask? "Not cheap," we reply. "Just expensive enough!" While our previous models were made of 24k solid gold, we discovered that when it comes to bashing in nails held betwixt the thumb and forefinger of your stoop-backed manservant, solid titanium will suffice. No need to get gaudy.

Dealmonger: A Solid Titanium Hammer For $200 [Toolmonger]

Joel Johnson

Sony PRS-505 Reader eBook Reviewed (Verdict: Better, If Barely)

Crave.CNET.com has given a light review pass to the Sony PRS-505 Reader, the latest update to the eBook/ePaper product line. It sounds better, for sure, but not amazingly so:

Just based on what I've seen so far, however, I think it's fair to say that there's no particular reason to upgrade from the PRS-500 to the PRS-505. If you don't have an ebook reader at all, though, the PRS-505 is the one to get.

The Bookeen device is confirmed to release this month, and the Amazon Kindle is rumored for October 15. If these prove to be vapor ware, or if they fail to deliver, then the Sony may still be the best. However, if you don't have one yet, I would wait two weeks before committing.

The Gizmo Report: Sony's PRS-505 Portable Reader System (part 1, hardware) [Crave.CNET.com]

Previously: • Sony Reader PRS-505 Officially Announced [BBG]
• Sony Reader ePaper Upgraded, Leaked [BBG]

Joel Johnson

Early Night Vision "Blackout Eye" (1950)

From a 1950s issue of Popular Mechanics:

Searching for persons or objects in total darkness poses no problems for soldiers wearing sniperscopes. Clamped to a helmet, the equipment combines an infrared light source and an electronic telescope. Its energy comes from a power pack and battery which can be carried in a knapsack on the operator's back.

Early Night Vision Goggles (Aug, 1950) [ModernMechanix.com]

Joel Johnson

"Ford Tough" Branding Iron

The perfect accessory for people who express themselves through their choice of vehicles, the "Ford Tough" branding iron adroitly targets the insecurities of rhinestone truck owners, implying masculinity and power, but instead searing their neuroses for all to see. That the last thing a person would want from a properly-cooked steak is "Ford Toughness" is just gravy. (If you eat one of these steaks you'll need lots of gravy.)

The solid brass brand, complete with hardwood handle and real rawhide hanging strap, is seventy dollars—but what price to show your neighbors that every aspect of your life is bound with flame-hardened American pluck?

Friday Beerblog: Make Your Own Ford Steaks [Truckblog.com]

Joel Johnson

Video: Fuckzilla at Arse Elektronika

While there isn't any real human nudity in this video, I think the shrieks and wails of a woman being brought to orgasm but a Johnny 5-inspired robot are NSFW, even if the action is shot tastefully in silhouette.

So, let me introduce this... After showing off some of Fuckzilla's features, the guys presenting Fuckzilla jokingly asked the audience "so, who wants to fuck a robot?" Looooong silence, followed by a "sure, why not." A young woman who called herself 'Binx' agreed to experience Fuckzilla firsthand while providing running commentary. The robot was lubed up, Binx got herself ready, and... Well... Yeah. Note that due to government regulations, we're not allowed to show Binx's face (which is why she's behind the curtain).

Arse Elektronika 2007: F**king Robots [BotJunkie.com]

Update: My friend Sam writes:

My housemate Ian works at Kink and was one of the technicians who fucked the lady with the robot and modified sawzall. [Editor's Note: sawzall!] She was a genuine volunteer; Jake won ten bucks actually, betting that he would be able to find one. Later he received a completely hilarious email, containing among other gems the immortal words "Dude, you just fucked my girlfriend. With a robot."

Joel Johnson

Giekes' "Camera Sequencer 1": Mechanical Music Visuals

This wonderful bit of hand-made equipment is from "Gieskes"*—he calls it the "Camera Sequencer" and uses it to "make visuals with [his] gameboy music concerts." When you first start watching the video it might not make sense—it didn't to me—but skip to the last third of the video to see the results of the contraption. The contrast between the low-bit music of the Gameboy with the completely mechanical visuals is really nice.

Project Page [Gieskes.nl via Regine/WMMNA]

* I hope I'm getting his name right!

Joel Johnson

Kei Yamamoto's LED of LED Lamp

While these lamps are just one-off art projects for now, these giant LED lamps—filled with LEDs—would be the perfect gift for any Maker on your holiday list this season. If you can even buy Makers gifts—I just send them a short list of things I think they'd enjoy making for themselves.

bright LED [DesignBoom.com via Technabob via Coolest Gadgets via TechChee]

Joel Johnson

Honda PUYO Concept

The wheeled space bun you see above the Honda PUYO concept to be shown at this year's Tokyo Auto Show. From the press release:

'PUYO' is a Japanese onomatopoeia that expresses the sensation of touching the vehicle's soft body. It is meant to convey a warm, friendly impression. ... The development theme for the PUYO exterior was to create a cornerless, 'Seamless Soft Box' form that is kind to both people and the environment. The goal was to create a personable design with the feel of an adorable pet"

(The other concept car Honda is showing, the CR-Z, is much more likely to make it into production as a CR-X-class hot hatch.)

Tokyo Auto Show Preview: Honda PUYO Concept Car Has No Edges, Begs To Be Fondled [Jalopnik]

Joel Johnson

Yamaha Tenori-On Reviewed (Verdict: Neither Toy Nor Tool)

Tom Whitwell got his hands on the Yamaha Tenori-On, the grid sequencer thing designed by Toshio "Electroplankton" Iwai. Tom breaks down a bullet point list of the good and the bad, but I think his summary, well, sums it up:

can understand there are reasons for the price - a limited run, a more sophisticated machine than most boutique gear. But if they're selling this as an ultra-luxe treat for geeks, then it has to look and feel sexy and expensive. It doesn't. Yes, the comparison with the Monome is slightly unfair, but I suspect it would be a simple job to recreate all the Tenori functions on a Monome.

Many of my objections might be fixable with a software upgrade, but I suspect the Tenori is in a tricky place: I don't know if it's really lovable enough to be on every rich kid's Christmas list, and I'm pretty sure it's not geeky enough to be on mine. Which is a real shame. Most importantly, it's a really good lesson for geeks like me. It's easy to complain that big synth companies never do anything innovative or exciting. Then one comes along and does exactly that, and we're left saying 'not good enough'. Which is a real shame. But feeling sympathetic to Yamaha and Toshio Iwai wouldn't make me spend £599 on this.

Yamaha Tenori On review: Many good things, many bad [Music Thing]

Previously: • Grid Sequencers Coming Soon: Tenori-On and Monome [BBG]
• Video: Yamaha's Grid Sequencer "Tenori On" Launches in London [BBG]
• Hands-On with the Tenori-On [BBG]

Joel Johnson

Mark McKenna DEK Lamp Kits

The Designer Emulation Kits (DEKs) from Mark McKenna are tiny tributes to famous lamp designs rendered in circuit board and LED, made to clip onto a standard 9-volt battery.

You can buy them online for $35 or pick them up at the MoMA store in New York.

Product Page [MMcKenna.com via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

SmokeScreen: Biometric Cigarette Break Timer for Clubs

The "SmokeScreen" from IDScan is a biometric timer for nightclubs designed to allow patrons to exit and re-enter as they pop out for a cigarette. Club owners can set a certain amount of time alloted to smokers, preventing them from arriving during free-entry periods and returning later when there is a door charge. It's all horribly convoluted, but perfect for those that revel in the feeling of exclusiveness provided by high-end nightclubs.

There are a few practical benefits to club owners: the SmokeScreen could be used as an automatic doorman for VIP rooms and can tally the number of smokers outside at any given time.

It's £400. IDScan makes other point-of-entry products for clubs, as well.

Product Page [IDScan.co.uk via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

VIA's VMPC: Bolt a Computer to Your Monitor

Ah, I love this! Via is releasing a set of low-power PCs that can be clipped to the back of LCD monitors using the industry-standard VESA mounts—they're calling them "VMPC". None of these units are going to be gaming-capable machines—they're using power-sipping VIA processors after all—but they'll be more than enough for watching video and browsing the web.

The end result is far more clunky than a fully-integrated solution would be, certain to bristle with cables, but I adore things that bolt onto other things to create a sort of Serial Experiment LAIN spaghetti-be-damned monstrosity.

Introducing the VIA VESA Mounted PC [Technovoyance.com (?) via CrunchGear]

Product Page [via.com.tw]

Joel Johnson

Rhapsody Music Service Coming to TiVo Boxes (Probably)

Bits, the New York Times tech blog, is reporting that TiVo will be announcing a partnership with RealNetworks tonight, brining the all-you-can-eat Rhapsody music service to TiVo set-top boxes. There is a TiVo party tonight in New York; I guess the Times' Brad Stone didn't plan on going.

I keep thinking I want a TiVo HD, then remember that I'd have already cancelled my cable TV service if Time Warner didn't make you lug your DVR all the way back to their depot. I've been lazy. Sounds like this sort of service is good for existing TiVo subscribers, but may not be enough to lure back wayward customers on its own. Stone gives himself as example:

I'm a former TiVo subscriber. But content deals like the partnership with RealNetworks are not likely to lure me back to the TiVo fold. To enjoy the fruits of TiVo's deals with Real and Amazon, I'd have to buy a new TiVo box, string a DSL cable through two rooms to my TV set and get Comcast to give me a cable card, which would allow the TiVo to get cable service. Then I'd be paying an extra $8 a month for TiVo along with my already exorbitant monthly cable bill.

Is TiVo's Comeback the Real Deal? [Bits.Blogs.NYTimes.com]

Joel Johnson

illy's Shipping Container Cafe

With a single button press this shipping container folds out into a fully-furnished cafe. Designed by Adam Kalkin and sponsored by coffee gadgets company illy, the entire unit will be on display between November 28th and December 29th at the Time Warner Center in New York. Stop by and you may even be able to score a free cup of espresso. (I would warn you that the toilet is just for looks.)

Adam Kalkin has built many different living spaces based on shipping containers. Having just started watching Season 2 of The Wire, I am finding it all very disturbing.

The Cool Hunter has several more pictures and details about Kalkin's work.

Illy Cafe in Push Button House (Lands in NY) [TheCoolHunter.com]

Joel Johnson

Flash-Based Camcorders with Line-In?

I'm in the market for a camcorder for various projects—my bulldog isn't getting any younger—and while I have no inherent distaste for miniDV, I was hoping to move to something flash-based. (It's hard to argue with 8GB of SDHC for sixty bucks and I've got a NAS for long-term storage.)

The two models I'd be looking most closely at are the Canon Powershot TX1 and the Sanyo E1, the former because I liked the idea of having a nice still photo point-and-shoot camera in my pocket and the latter because it was water resistant. (I am a scuba dilettante, although the E1 is only rated to five feet.)

Unfortunately, neither has a dedicated line-in for an external microphone. That's not that important for the dog (though he does have a lovely snore), but if I were to use it to record an interview or something in the future, I'd like to be able to use a real microphone and save the audio with the video, instead of using a separate audio rig and mixing it together after the fact.

I've looked through a lot of the high-end flash-based camcorder specs and it just doesn't look like line-in is something that's offered. Even the upcoming 1080i-capable Sanyo VPC-HD1000 doesn't say it has a line-in, even though it inexplicably has a headphone out and a "microphone adapter cable" is a listed in-box accessory. It's confusing!

Should I just give up and get a cheap miniDV camera and a shotgun mic and call it a day or is there some amazing product out there that's slipped me by?

Joel Johnson

Merlexi Liberty Polypropylene Wheelchairs

The Merlexi Craft Liberty series of wheelchairs are crafted from a reinforced polypropylene frame that makes them light and easy to move—29 pounds when in use and 19 pounds with the wheels and arm rests removed for portage. They even make an "MRI" variant that is usable around magnetic resonance imaging machines that includes no metal at all.

Prices are around a thousand dollars.

For a few years during my childhood my parents and I worked in a live-in group home for mentally retarded and/or ill people. (There is probably a better term than "retarded" in use these days, but as I no longer work in health care and am not very comfortable with some of the other ever-changing terms used to describe those being cared for—"clients," "consumers," "beds"—I'm just going with "retarded".) Hauling around wheelchairs was a major hassle—especially if you were sitting in one. I retain to this day a fascination with the tools that exist to assist the handicapped (another loaded term, I know). Sending me tips about this sort of equipment is definitely welcome. (Has anyone come up with a better version of those back-of-the-van chair lifts yet?)

Company Page [Merlexi.com] (Thanks, Matt!)

Joel Johnson

Blowing Out the Dust: Afternoon Edition

• Dial G for Google – GooglePhone/GPhone is a mobile operating system, not a product, says the Times. [NYTimes.com]

• No Content Only Context – Yahoo Music's Ian C. Rogers fantastic post/presentation about the future of music online. Very, very excellent. [Fishfulayen.com] (Thanks, Kurt!)

• Great Shot, Red Two – "Hands-On with the Red One," the ridiculously powerful new videocamera. [CrunchGear]

• Dysonish – Panasonic's new Cyclonic bagless vacuum, the MC-UL975. [Appliancist]

Joel Johnson

Video: World of Warcraft Used to Sell Toyota Trucks

Love it or hate it, it's impressive that WoW has crossed so fully into the mainstream that it can be used to sell other products.

Joel Johnson

SplashTop Instant-On Web Browsing and Skype

Image: Example desktop running the SplashTop environment

I just got off the horn with David Speiser and Sol Lipman of DeviceVM, a San Jose-based company who is promoting their new "SplashTop" platform, an instant-on embedded environment that will first be featured in the upcoming Asus "P5E3 WiFi" motherboard. (If you aren't a build-your-own-PC type, desktop and laptops with SplashTop options should be available in Q1 of next year.)

SplashTop is an embedded Linux environment that runs off flash memory (currently 512MB) to present a workable web environment in around five seconds after you push the power button. Currently "workable" means a customized variant of Firefox (with some plug-ins, saved cookies, and bookmarks but no user-added plug-ins) and Skype, the voice-over-IP platform.

The idea is not to replace Vista or Linux as desktop OSes, but to provide a quick way to check email or make a call without fully booting into your primary operating system. Think checking your email in the morning, then powering back down, or even booting from SplashTop into Windows.

The entire environment runs off the flash memory, not your hard drive, so it should be extremely secure. (Although updates to the SplashTop firmware are currently done through a Windows-based tool, so it's obviously not totally isolated from the rest of the system; still, I don't think an embedded Linux to Vista attack is going to be a big worry.)

There is currently no way to launch SplashTop from an already-loaded Windows desktop. Speiser and Lipman asked me why I would want to do that. I wasn't entirely sure, except that sometimes Vista freaks out when I just need to look something up in Firefox, so it might be nice to have an ejector seat into SplashTop when Vista starting sputtering and smoking. That may be coming in future updates, they said.

Other applications besides Firefox and Skype may be coming, too, but they will currently be handled through DeviceVM's walled gate. Users will not be able to rewrite and upload their own versions of the SplashTop environment. Even though the SplashTop OS is open source, the hardware and its ability to be updated are locked. Both Speiser and Lipman recognized that was an issue, especially for a hardware platform that could use a boost from user-generated applications, but passed the buck to the OEMs, who they implied required the software locks. "We don't have full control working with an OEM," were Speiser's words. Whoever is to blame, it's a stupid policy; DeviceVM seemed amenable to changing it, but since they're currently at the mercy of the equipment manufacturers, hinted that vocal online statements might help their case.

Let me do my part: hardware platforms that don't allow users to alter the software—especially when they run Linux!—are slimy. And in this case, especially dumb and counter to extending the platform. I'm sure there are lots of hackers out there who would find great ways to tweak an instant-on embedded OS.

That nastiness aside, I look forward to dinking around with the platform. It may not be all-powerful, but that's not the point: From cold boot to the web in five seconds is a good thing.

An aside: If you're wondering why the Asus variety is called "Express Gate Powered by SplashTop," it's because 1) Asus sucks at branding; 2) They want to hedge their bets in case SplashTop is a success but they want to switch vendors in the future. (Neither are based on anything DeviceVM said to me—just an observation.)

Company Page [SplashTop.com]

Joel Johnson

Nintendo Wii Wedding Cakes

My friend Adam recently got hitched. He had two cakes at the wedding: a traditional (and lovely) cake topped with his-and-her icons of the couple-to-be rendered as Mii avatars; and a Nintendo Wii cake for Adam's son Jasper. I checked with Adam to make sure that Jasper has a real Wii at home. He does, thank God. Otherwise the poor boy would have a cake addiction for life. Now he'll just be hooked on videogames like his parents!

Adam's Photostream [Flickr]

Joel Johnson

Son of SWORDS: Foster-Miller's MAARS Gun-Bot

Danger Room has an exclusive look at the successor to SWORDS, some of the only armed robots operating in Iraq. (Although according to DR, none of the SWORDS bots have yet fired a shot in combat.)

MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) features new software controls, which allow the robot's driver to select fire and no-fire zones.  The idea is keep the robots from accidentally shooting a flesh-and-blood American.  A mechanical range fan also keeps MAARS' gun pointed away from friendly positions. 

The robot is also equipped with a GPS transmitter, so it can be seen on -- and tap into -- the American battlefield mapping programs, just like tanks and Humvees.  These "Blue Force Trackers" have been credited with dramatically reducing friendly-fire incidents during the Iraq war.  MAARS comes with an extra fail-safe, which won't allow it to fire directly at its own control unit. 

New Armed Robot Groomed for War [Danger Room]

Joel Johnson

Safe Design in the Toy Industry

While bad manufacturing processes can be blamed for some toy recalls, a far larger percentage can be blamed on regular ol' design screw-ups, according to Newsday:

When toy maker Mattel Inc. ordered one of its largest recalls in August, nearly 90 percent of the items had small magnets that could be easily removed and swallowed by small children -- "a design flaw solely attributable to Mattel," according to a September report published by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

That study also revealed that design problems were responsible for 76.4 percent of recalls issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission between 1988 and this past August. Manufacturing issues contributed to about 10 percent of those recalls, the study showed.

Toy safety starts with design [Newsday via Core77]

Joel Johnson

Reelight Magnet-Powered Bike Blinkers

These may be more common in the world of bikes that I realized, but I like the way the "Reelight" LED bike light works. Instead of using a dynamo to generate electricity like bike lights of the last several decades, the Reelight uses two neodymium magnets to charge a capacitor. Gadget Lab even supposes that more magnets could be clipped onto your wheel to generate extra power, which could in turn be used to top off phones and the like.

From what I can tell from reading the Amazon reviews, however, these only blink when the magnets pass, meaning it's unlikely they'd generate all that much power in the first place. It looks like you'll have to stick with the dynamos to power real headlights for now.

The Reelight is $40 for a set.

Product Page [Reelight.com]

Joel Johnson

Sony PCM-D50 Audio Recorder Announced, Futzed With

Brad Linder writes:

Sony is showing off the successor to its $2000 PCM-D1 flash audio recorder at the AES show in New York this weekend. The D50 is 1/3rd the price, and packs almost all the same features. For $600, it's a bit pricier than the Marantz PMD620 (which you recently covered) or the Zoom H2 or H4 recorders, but it's aimed at professionals with high quality audio standards.

Also, Digidesign/M-Audio is launching an updated version of their Microtrack flash recorder in November. They didn't have a working model at AES, but the new unit will sell for $299 ($100 less than the original), features a brightness control, 48V phantom power (compared with 30V on the original), and improved battery life. On the down side, the battery is still non-removable.

This field recorder market is heating up! I sort of could use one myself, but I mostly like them because, you know, knobs.

Sony announces PCM-D50 handheld flash recorder [BradLinder.net]
Product Page [BSSC.Sel.Sony.com]

Previously: Marantz PMD620 Solid State Audio Recorder [BBG]

Joel Johnson

Toilet Ink: Tattoos for the Loo

"Toilet Ink" are tattoos for your toilet, or at least stickers done by tattoo artists in typical tattoo culture designs. Useful when presented with otherwise identical toilets to determine which one once served in the Navy.*

They're $30, shipped.

Product Page [ToiletInk.com via DaddyTypes]

Sorry, that's the best I could come up with without going to really awful jokes about "graffiti."

Joel Johnson

"Fetch" Insulated Pizza Delivery Bags

Fetch-brand Pizza Bags are the very same insulated, foldable bags used by pizza delivery guys the world over, available now for your own use. While the demand doesn't seem to be terribly high—according to the company's "Success Counter," they've sold 19 bags in five years—maybe someone out there lives miles outside the delivery zones but still wants to bring a hot pizza home to their kids. Or maybe you're into pizza boy fantasy play. I just don't know.

A single-pizza bag is $20. The Double Deluxe, shown here, is $35.

Company Page [FetchPizza.com]

Joel Johnson

Left Behind Game Developers Send Lawyers After Critics

Like most, I love to kill people of faith. I don't have a real preference—Wiccans; Extropians; Star Wars fans—as long as they cry out to some deity when I pop their noggins with a high-powered rifle and giggle as their brain foams over their skulls like a science project volcano.

So for me, Left Behind: Eternal Forces—a videogame based on the apocalyptic Christian masturbation novels which allows players to kill unbelievers—was game of the year. (Or would have been had I played it.) Other games might have better gameplay, but when I killed Half-Life 2's gas-masked guards in City 17 I knew that theirs was a life already bleak with post-alien-invasion nihilism—to kill a Half-Life guard was to set him free from his toil into the tepid void. Killing someone in Left Behind meant I was not only taking their life, but sending them to a realm of eternal torment, ruled by gnarled attorneys who slaked their thirst at rivers of molten devil feces.

Which isn't all that different from the world that developer "Left Behind Games," creators of Eternal Forces, is trying to create here on Earth. They've sent a deluge of letters to various bloggers requesting that negative comments about their game—which was panned by critics but will soon receive an expansion—be changed or removed. One of the letters was sent to Daily Kos, who did a pretty thorough job of tearing it apart, uncovering that LBG's lawyer has his office in his mom's house.

Left Behind Games Gets Apocalyptic with Bloggers [GamePolitics.com via Game|Life (I stole your image, Chris!)]

Joel Johnson

Design & Comfort's Updated Murphy Bed with Shelf

While it's just a riff on the traditional Murphy bed design, this variant by "Design & Comfort" hides a sofa underneath and uses a flip-down bookshelf as its legs. You can have Design & Comfort build you one for an unknown price. I'm in the market for a new bed and would love something like this, but it's probably out of my price range, especially since they seem to be based in New York, land of ridiculous furniture prices.

Product Page [DesignAndComfort.com via Freshome]

Joel Johnson

Moaning Lisa Teaches Proper Foreplay

Image: Scott Beale/Laughing Squid;

Shown at the recent Arse Elektronika, a showcase for products and developments that advance the pornographic and sexual technology arts, the "Moaning Lisa" is an interactive game that challenges its players to bring her to orgasm. Evan Ackerman was on hand for the hands-on:

outfitted with seven touch sensors in strategic places, potentiometers (in her nipples), as well as photosensors in her eyes. She has a personality of sorts, in that her reactions are based on an unknown pattern of sensor sensitivity. There are no instructions; the only way to win is through trial and error. She's also quite demanding: if she's ignored, she'll start moaning at passers by to attract their attention.

Arse Elektronika: Moaning Lisa [Oh Gizmo!]

Joel Johnson

Remote-Controlled LED Candle in Real, Vanilla-Scented Wax

I like the concept of a remote-controlled candle, but whether it's made of vanilla-scented wax or not, this version misses a crucial element: a flame. I can understand why companies wouldn't want to sell remotely-controlled igniters, but they could be made somewhat safe (putting the candles in glass holders, for example) and LED candles tend to be both sterile and dim.

It would be extremely slick in a Barry and Levon type of way to walk into your apartment, click a single button, and have the whole flicker into Romance Mode.

If you feel the need for safety and prudence in your remote-controlled candles, you can pick up this one from Smarthome for $40.

Product Page [Smarthome.com via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Soyo 24-inch Widescreen LCD monitor (1920 x 1200) for $300, shipped. [Dealhack]

• Westinghouse 42-inch LCD 1080p TV with Tuner for $990. In-store pickup at Best Buy or $60 delivery. You could possibly use your BB credit card for more discount. [Slickdeals]

• Refurbished Viewsonic VX2235wm 22-inch Widescreen LCD monitor (1680 x 1050) for $200, shipped. Dealnews]

• Mesh Manager's chair from Office Max for $100, shipped. This is the Aeron knock-off I use and I think is fantastic for the price. Has held up very well for the last couple of years and is breathable and comfortable. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot!: Pinnacle PCTV HD Card for $55. A new model and the first time it's been offered anywhere.

Highest-rated coupons from Retail Me Not

• Free Shipping on orders of $100+ at Hammacher Schlemmer using code: HOLAFS2

• $10 discount on a $50+ purchase at Shopping.Discovery.com using code: COM10

• Up to $97 off at Dreamhost using code: ABSOLUTEDISCOUNT

• 10% off at The Mozilla Store using code: MOZILLASTYLE

• 5% discount on the Make Controller Kit using code: MAKEVSE

Joel Johnson

Official LEGO Jack O' Lantern Kit

Just in time for the best holiday of the year, this "3D Pumpkin Pack" from LEGO lets you put out a Jack O' Lantern that won't rot or be chunked to smithereens from an I-70 overpass. (Not that I know anything about either.) All provided you don't actually leave it outside, of course.

It's $18 and will ship by the 12th, they say. But if you've already got the pieces—who has that much orange?—LEGO has been kind enough to put the instructions for the 3D version, a 2D version, and a witch online for free.

Catalog Page [Shop.LEGO.com via PopGadget]

Joel Johnson

World's *est: Art Lebedev Pultius Cudgel-like Remote

The Pultius remote from Art Lebedev is half a meter long, with separate buttons for channels one through ninety-nine. (And "100," "200," and "300" buttons for good measure.) I sort of love it. It is likely just a design project, not a product on its way to retail, but it's Art Lebedev, so you never know.

Product Page [ArtLebedev.com]

Joel Johnson

Pioneer SE-CLX9 Headphones with Ridiculous Array of Earpieces

While it's impossible to say if the Pioneer SE-CLX9 are decent headphones or not—they're Japan-only at the moment—the amount of included rubber ear pieces are impressive, to say the least. Some are for comfort, some to change the sound—they're all probably pretty unnecessary.

SE-CLX9, the ultimate canal type headphone from Pioneer [Akihabara News via CrunchGear]

Joel Johnson

QUIDs: Loose Change for Zero-G Pockets

It's all a goofy-ass gimmick to promote a foreign exchange company, but a group of "scientists" has developed QUIDs—Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denominations—rounded polymer chits to be used for transactions "in space."

"None of the existing payment systems we use on earth - like cash, credit or debit cards - could be used in space," said Professor George Fraser from the University of Leicester.
"Anything with sharp edges, like coins, would be a risk to astronauts while the chips and magnetic strips used in our cards on Earth would be damaged beyond repair by cosmic radiation," he added. ... "In the fullness of time we will have to adopt a universal currency if we are going to carry out serious commerce in space. It's an interesting initiative."

[Redacted] said: "It's only a matter of time before people will be walking up to our shops and asking for Quids for their two weeks in a space hotel."

New currency for space travellers [BBC] (Thanks, Sandra!)

Joel Johnson

Blowing Out the Dust: Afternoon Edition

• Palm Nukem Forever – Palm CEO Ed Colligan admits the Linux-based Palm OS update won't be available until late 2008. [Phonescoop] The Kicker: Shares are down on profit reports. Forbes]

• I Heard That – Verizon subscribers can switch calling plans without being forced to extend their contract. [CNN Money/PR Newswire]

• EU SKU Revue – Sony announced new, cheaper Playstation 3 model in Europe. Matching North American product likely. [Kotaku]

• Bungie Jumps – Halo creator Bungie splits from Microsoft, remains friendly. [Reuters]

Joel Johnson

Ridgid SeeSnake micro Inspection Camera

The Ridgid SeeSnake micro places a camera at the end of a 3-foot flexible cable and displays the video on a built-in 2.4-inch screen. By buying extensions the cable can be lengthened up to 30 feet and will remain fully waterproof up to 10. Various attachments can be placed on the end, including a small mirror, a hook, and a magnet.

It's $240. Use code "COURIC" for a 0% discount.

Product Page [Ridgid.com via Gearlog]

Joel Johnson

Video: One Lucky Halo Grenade

From the guy who did it and uploaded it:

I BlackShadowMist pull off one of the luckiest sticks in Halo 3 history, which boils down to total insanity. A Cross-Map, off wall, air lift, sticky. With 99.999% of luck involved. Cannot reattempt and succeed

My WiLL Be Done [MigPro] (Thanks, Brett!)

Joel Johnson

Wi-Fi Detecting Light-Up T-Shirt

Just when I was about to finally remove all the ultra-nerdy t-shirts from my wardrobe—no cartoon characters; no slogans—Thinkgeek cooks up this "Wi-Fi Detector Shirt," which actually displays the signal from 802.11b/g with glowing bars on the front. It's only $30, but I don't think I could ever wear it in public.

I'm asking too much, I know, but how awesome would it be if it had an extra signifier for open networks?

Product Page [Thinkgeek.com via Gizmodo]

Joel Johnson

Belkin x Razer n52te Speed Pad PC Gaming Thingy

Belkin and gaming peripherals company Razer have teamed up to release the "n52te SpeedPad," one of those strange power-gamer devices created for the hard core PC gamer who never chats during the game to his friends. It's got all the typical stuff, including programmable keys. It'll be available next month for $70.

I've always found these things to be appealing in a way, but odd. I don't find using a full-sized keyboard especially onerous when gaming, nor do I think that giving a slight ergonomic tweak to the position of the buttons and such really helps all that much. And again, while voice chat is becoming more common, supplanting typing mid-game, there are still plenty of times when I need to hit some strange key in a game to activate an uncommonly used function.

Does anybody use one of these type of controllers and love it? I'm actually sort of looking at these things, because I'm thinking about moving my gaming/media PC off my desk into a corner, ditching my office chair for a couch. Right now, my planned solution is craft something like the Phantom Lapboard to rest on my lap.

Product Page/Press Release [Belkin via Oh Gizmo!]

Joel Johnson

Samsung x Armani Phone Has Some Good Tricks; Update: "Rape"?

Co-branded "fashion phones" have typically been a snooze (discounting the shock to the senses one gets when looking at their price), all fancy materials but no fancy brains. It's much harder for a no-name Chinese company to clone gold than software, although I'm sure they'll figure that out in time.

The new "Armani Phone," built by Samsung and dominated by an iPhone-like touchscreen, includes two software features that will, for a short time, set it apart. A "rape alarm" can be activated by pressing the volume control four times, causing the phone to automatically text message up to five preprogrammed numbers. Those contacted can in turn activate the phone's GPS tracking module.

Thankfully, I can't find any specific reference from Samsung or Armani describing this function as a "rape alarm," a term that seems somehow insulting, as the only reason a person would need to use this function is if they were raped, or that the fashionable are more likely to be sexually attacked than those less stylish. (I'm not making a joke here, should you not be laughing; just noting a weird turn of phrase from the news.)

The other feature of note helps locate stolen phones:

The £375 Armani phone also has its own kind of Lojack in the event it is lost or stolen. If the SIM card is removed and replaced with a new one, a text message containing the phone number associated with the new SIM card is secretly sent out to three preprogrammed numbers.

Armani Phone Combats Rape and Theft [Switched.com]

Update: This "rape" alarm thing is really sticking in my craw.

I can't find any official references to either the term or the functionality in Samsung or Armani press releases. (I've put out a request to Samsung for clarification.) As far as I can tell, the term first used by the Daily Mail in a caption.

I may be bristling too much, but this is strange on many levels.

• The phone, while a "fashion" device, is not necessarily being marketed only to women. The Daily Mail story referenced the first two pre-orders coming from Spike Lee and Samuel L. Jackson, for instance. There is also nothing overtly feminine about its design.

• An "I'm in danger" alert could be useful in a variety of situations, not just rape.

• This may say more about my connotive instincts about the word rape than others', but it seems like the term and the scenario it implies presumes the phone will be used by women—and that women are more likely to be raped than men (which seems to be true by a factor of 10). To presume that the most common attack on women is rape, however, smacks of fear mongering (if the term was used by Samsung/Armani) or misogyny (if it originated with the press).

• The alert feature, if it even exists, is not an inherently effective rape deterrent, certainly no more effective at preventing rape than it could be at preventing other kinds of attack.

None of this has to do with questioning the overall merit of the alert feature. If it worked reliable, it could clearly be a useful tool for those in danger. (User interface implementation and false alarms aside.) It's just strange that so many people are using what appears to be such an inaccurate and emotionally volatile word.

Joel Johnson

The Price of Copyright Infringement: $9,250 Per Song

Capitol Records v. Jammie Thomas, a federal trial about file-sharing, completed yesterday in Capitol's favor. Jammie Thomas must pay $222,000 for download 24 songs, or $9,250 per song.

And so it begins.

Farhad "Machinist" Manjoo has some analysis, including this ominous warning: "The worst possible outcome -- a fine too high to bear, but likely too low to cause much effort at reforming copyright laws."

Defendant owes $222,000 for illegal downloading [Machinist.Salon.com]

Joel Johnson

Norton Fighter, the Japanese Anti-Virus Superhero

Norton's new campaign in Japan includes the new "Norton Fighter" character fighting ninja-like virus bad guys. More than just commercials, they're running little skits in Akihabara. Unlike American costumed marketing weirdoes, these guys actually get into it, creating something between Power Rangers and interpretive dance.

Japan Probe, bless them, shot a lot of video of the campaign, including the live sketch embedded above.

Norton Fighter: The Antivirus Superhero [JapanProbe.com]

Joel Johnson

Tacky Glass Toilet Dioramas

Glass toilets, thank god, aren't completely glass—the bowl remains opaque. The tanks, however, are see-through, the better to be filled with leaping fish, buddhas, and lighthouse scenes. Prices run in the low- to mid-hundreds. Please don't buy these.

Product Page [GlassToilets.com via Red Ferret]

Joel Johnson

Yamaha YSP-500: Even Smaller Sound Projector

Japan-only for now, the latest Yahama Digital Sound Projector, the YSP-500, puts 18 carefully positioned speakers in a box 24-inches wide. Previous sound projectors from Yamaha, which do an able job of emulating surround sound out of a single box, have been around 40-inches.

It's $650 in Japan. North American release may happen, but it probably depends on the response Yamaha has had to the bigger models. I haven't had one in my home for long-term use, but I really like the concept, as I'm starting to value perfect 3D placement of sound in home theater less than ease of installation.

yamaha ysp-500: virtual surround gets downsized [Technabob]

Joel Johnson

Nike Amp+ iPod Remote Watch

I really like the look of the new "Amp+ Sport Remote Control" watch from Nike, which integrates with the Nike+ iPod Nano wireless receiver and training module. The LED grid is showing playback control feedback in the picture, but also displays the time.

The only place I run is to the bodega to get more cigarettes—I exercise, actually, but just loathe running; Plus: Bad knees!—but if I were a yogger I'd find the whole Nike+ iPod package irresistible. And it's even affordable at $80. At that price it's almost worth just buying the watch for general purpose use. (Of course, you'd also need to buy the $30 Sport Kit. And an iPod Nano.)

Nike's Amp+ watch: hearts your heart and iPod, too [Engadget]

Joel Johnson

Pilgrim on Open Gadgets, Apple and "Twisted Wish Fulfillment"

Before the iPhone came out, I wrote a piece saying that the only way to send a message to Apple that you wanted an open phone with third-party application support was not to buy one. Then, a day after the iPhone was released, I bought one. (And then donated some cash to the EFF out of guilt.)

I still really like the iPhone. I still genuinely think we have a right, perhaps not just as customers, but as members of a society that has chosen to recognize the ownership of material goods, to expect to be able to do what we want with hardware we own (while not expecting the support of companies that may not share the same principles). But Mark Pilgrim, writing about Apple, the iPhone, and the relationship Apple has with its customers, makes some very noteworthy points:

My current theory is that it's some twisted form of wish fulfillment. "I wish this company understood the value of openness, but they don't, so I'm going to keep buying their closed, crippled shit until they get it." Yeah, let me know how that works out for you. And while you were waiting breathlessly for them to "get it," Apple locked out third-party videos. And third-party hardware. And third-party ringtones, applications, and carriers. ProsperityOpenness is just around the corner!

You can publicly shame a successful company into making small concessions, but on the whole it's money that speaks the loudest. At the end of the day, the general public has a lot more market influence than we nerds. Maybe it's more productive to put all the effort expending to keeping Apple in check towards creating competitive solutions that address our smaller market's needs.*

If Wishes Were iPhones [DiveIntoMark.org via Daring Fireball]

Bonus Link: The iPhone Freedom Fighters [Slate]

* Yes, I think it's weird that I just grew a two-foot beard, too.

Joel Johnson

Apple Keyboards New Anti-Jab Protection

Apparently the new Apple keyboards attempt to mitigate accidental CAPS LOCK strikes by ignoring short key presses. Smart—I'm sure we'll see that in most new keyboards soon.

Jonathan Rentzsch tells his tale of discovery:

But I did notice something odd. I rarely use the Caps Lock key, but often accidently bang it, missing the left Shift key. I would feel the mistake while typing, but then I'd look down and see Caps Lock hadn't been engaged after all. Oh, I must have just imagined my mis-strike.

Over the next few weeks, this kept happening to the point where I started questioning reality. I was positive I hit it. This required scientifical investigation.

apple's antiCAPSLOCK [Rentzsch.com via Daring Fireball]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Refurbished Zune 30 for $105 at Woot. This is a special deal, not the typical daily Woot deal. And a good deal, too, considering that the Zune 30 will be able to be updated to the same firmware as the Zune "2" models. [Woot]

• Lots of cheap toys at Amazon, some up to 75% off. More pre-Xmas clearance. Don't buy junk, please. Do buy "Scrabble: Junior Edition" for $5. [Slickdeals]

• Unlocked Nokia N95 Smartphone for $580, shipped, after rebate. Yes, that's actually considered a good deal for this phone. [Dealnews]

• Craftsman 26-Gallon Wheeled Vertical Air Compressor (2HP) for $180. You'll want to do an in-store pick-up at Sears. The shipping is nuts. [Dealnews]

• Today's actual Woot! is a Woot off! Go Go Go!

Joel Johnson

Video: From the Bros. That Brought You Overdrift: Assassinz!

Every day a new Duncan Bros. short hits the web is a holiday. This one even has gadgets, if you can accept dual Desert Eagle nunchucks as a gadget. (I do!)

Previously: • Video: The Inassailable Awesomeness of Overdrift [BBG]
• Video: Overdrift: Stage 2 Teaser [BBG]

Joel Johnson

1955 Huffy Radio Bike

Image: kayakbiker

First released in 1955, the Huffy Radio Bike featured a real, working AM radio inside its body, powered by batteries held in a rear rack carrier, with signals received by an antenna wired inside the frame.

From a contemporary ad in Boys Life: "Not a toy. Powerful radio has lock, sensitive tuner, volume control, clear-tone speaker. The bike's a beauty; streamlined design, gearshift, new easy-pedal tires."

Huffy later made strap-on plastic models for other bike models, but they just aren't the same.

More Pictures [Nostalgic.net]

Previously: Cy-Fi: Wireless iPod Speakers for Bicycles [BBG]

Joel Johnson

Planar's Transparent and Segment Electroluminescent "TASEL" Displays

It's rare that I get pitches from electronics components vendors and even more rare for me to post them, but these "TASEL" displays from Planar have some nifty potential uses. They're transparent, for one, but can also be crafted in curved shapes. You could even drill through the glass for mounting.

Bear in mind, these aren't LCD replacements. The electroluminescent markings can be turned on and off, actually quite a bit like old LCD displays like those in watches or cheap handheld games. But by breaking up the EL segments and controlling them properly, it would still be easy to make gauges and other useful widgets.

Anyway, if you're building a new skyscraper or the world's most space aged Barcalounger or something, use one of these panels.

Product Page [Planar]

Joel Johnson

Lobie Gel Earbud Cushions

These strange little fetuses are "Lobies," plastic gel clips that go around your ear and can hold most common earbud designs. I'm not sure it that's a good thing or not, comfort aside, since many earbuds are designed to only be loud enough when they're actually in your ear, but they're only going to be $12, so I'm sure they'll work well enough for some. If there's one thing that almost everyone can agree on it's that earbuds, despite being the bundled headphone included with pretty much every type of gadget, actually sort of suck.

Yes, they come in colors other than placenta pink.

Product Page [MyLobie.com via Macworld via Gadget Lab]

Joel Johnson

Hacoa DIY Wooden Keyboard Kit

Hacoa, a Japanese brand that sells $435 wooden keyboards, will soon be releasing a DIY kit that will save you a little money. The new "Ki-Board DIY Kit" is $300, but includes a partially-routered board, all the parts you'll need to create the board, and even tools. If only it were wireless!

Yamaguchi Kougei, the wood products and lacquerware dealer based in Fukui prefecture that created the Hacoa brand, typically crafts each keyboard by hand in a labor-intensive process that allows them to complete one keyboard per day. The slow production process makes it difficult for the company to fill large orders and prompts them to charge around 50,000 yen ($435) per keyboard. However, Hacoa's new "Ki-Board DIY Kit" (ki, which sounds like "key," means "tree" or "wood" in Japanese) aims to lighten the company's labor load -- and boost production and lower prices -- by letting the purchaser do some of the cutting and assembling at home.

DIY wooden keyboard kit [Pink Tentacle]

Joel Johnson

"Streamgarden" Hydroponics Kit from Green Fortune

This "Streamgarden" counter-top hydroponics kit is cute, having used an AeroGrow for several months that uses a related technique ("aeroponics"), I tend to think you'd be better off just buying a few cheap plastic pots and some soil and doing it the old fashioned way. The idea of only having to water once per week is nice as first, but you soon discover you have to give periodic maintenance to the water chambers to prevent mold, not to mention paying for the electricity to run them.

Growing plants in soil isn't hard—it was probably the very first thing we learned to do as a species on our way to civilization—and paying $150 for some pots isn't as trouble-free as it may first seem. Save the hydro/aeroponics for Epcot and missions to Mars. It may be slightly easier to get plants to grow inside with hydroponic systems (and lamps, which the Streamgarden does not include like the AeroGrow), but when you're ready to transfer the plants into bigger containers, you'll have a much greater success rate with soil. (Although hardy plants, like peppers, can sometimes survive a transplant from aeroponic environment to soil.)

Green Fortune's Streamgarden [Apartment Therapy]

Joel Johnson

Video: Proto-Cookie Monster Eats a Gadget

Watch as this Muppet—surely a precursor to Sesame Street's Cookie Monster—devours a toothsome talking gadget with his mouth full of fangs. Considering the punchline, this could be the origin story that explains why CM didn't have teeth!

[via Core77]

Joel Johnson

Euricase Multimedia Ring Box: Powerpoint Presentations are Forever

Trusting in a gadget during one of the defining moments of your life might be risky, but if you want your marriage proposal to include a multimedia presentation, the "Euricase" with built-in LCD screen and speaker that can play video and display pictures, is the right ring box for the job. I want to pooh-pooh the whole concept, but it's not super expensive—$250—and in the hands of a talented suitor could be part of a fun experience, showing pictures from your courtship while playing the song to which you first danced.

Okay, no, that sounds horrible. If you're geeky enough to buy this box, you should probably hire someone with more taste to help you put together the presentation. And keep it short! Don't make your partner wait until a commercial break to say yes.

Product Page [Euricase.com via Oh Gizmo!]

Joel Johnson

iPod Deathclock Calculator

While it's a marketing tool for a company that sells replacement iPod batteries, the "iPod Deathclock" is an amusing way to guesstimate how much life your current iPod has left. They even try to factor in the number of times you've dropped it, your daily use patterns, etc., although with any of the Flash-based models, the only real factor would be the battery. By plugging in your serial number, though, they can tell you exactly when your iPod was manufactured, which is sort of interesting.

Of course if you really wanted to zazz things up, you could put Dethklok on your iPod.

iPod Death Clock [iPodMechanic.com via Lifehacker]

Joel Johnson

Replug Adds "MagSafe" to Any Audio MiniJack

Here's a shrewd bit of engineering: the "Replug" is a two-part device that adds an easy, tension- and magnetic-based release to any standard 3.5mm miniJack plug. Once the Replug is in place, any dangerous level of tension will cause the Replug to pop off of the jack stud, saving stress on the jack itself.

Price isn't announced yet—they aren't going on sale until "Fall," but I dig the idea.

Product Page [Replug.com via Oh Gizmo! via Crunchgear]

Joel Johnson

Krill Electronic Glow Sticks Reviewed (Verdict: For Some, a Good Solution)

Daniel Rutter has reviewed the "Krill electronic glow sticks," electro-luminescent tubes that emulate chemical glo-sticks, but are powered by batteries. As per usual, reading one of Dan's meticulous reviews of products others might glide right past is rustic delight, a surprise pat of butter in the middle of a slice of cornbread. (Perhaps "rustic" implies something slip-shod, which Dan's work is not. How about "artisanal"?)

Even my old dim AA stick - an "Original" model, as opposed to the much brighter "Extreme" version - is a heck of a lot better than nothing if you needed to find your way in the dark. Its light output is similar to that of the backlight on many small mobile phones, and heaven knows enough people have used those as flashlights in a pinch.

The approximate illumination threshold for human colour vision - which doesn't really matter when your light source only has one colour in it, but stay with me here - is about one lux. The minimum illumination level for any kind of useful vision at all, for normal adult humans whose eyes have adjusted to the dark, is about 0.1 lux. You'll probably still be able to grope your way around with less than 0.1 lux - if you've got decent night vision, even the 0.001 lux of a clear moonless night is better than nothing - but 0.1 lux is a