Joel Johnson

Modern Mechanix Round-Up

Over at Modern Mechanix today we have this cool looking remote controlled train from 1936, a tiny portable typewriter (the Mac Book Air of it's day), a 1933 roundup of mechanical gadgets for busy housewives and learned that too much nudism is not all it's cracked up to be. Also from 1933 is this great Modern Mechanix article about the makeup artists who worked on old monster movies, including Frankenstein.  Did you know that man has a strange inner power? Let Yogi Alpha and his magic finger help dig it out.

Today we also rolled out a new site design with a few new features that should make it a lot easier to navigate our archives.  Check it out and let us know what you think.

Joel Johnson

Patent Reveals the Possibilities of Laptop Multitouch

MacRumors has uncovered a intriguing patent application from Apple describing some of their possible planned multi-touch interface additions to OS X. Combinations include four finger taps to reveal Exposé, thumb-and-finger combinations, and even a way to recognize the pinky at the bottom of a fist for some sort of club-handed command. (I'm guessing why-you-little-Ctrl-Z.)

Whether or not we'll see any of this stuff on current-generation hardware (besides the Macbook Air) is anyone's guess. I think it's at least possible these upgrades could be done in software, despite some debate on whether or not the chipset powering the trackpads could handle it. I base this purely from the increased size of the trackpads from the PowerBook to MacBook. Surely they wouldn't have nearly doubled in size just for two-fingered scrolling?

Apple Depicts Advanced Multitouch Gesturing Control Panel in Mac OS X [MacRumors.com]

Joel Johnson

N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25: Fully Automatic NERF Cannon

This new Nerf "N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25" is a fully automatic belt-fed dart gun, powered by six D batteries. (I can't think of the last time I used D batteries.) It's only forty bucks, too. This will be mine when it launches this Fall.

Nerf Vulcan EBF-25: Fully Automatic Toy Dart Gun Rambo Junior's Weapon of Choice [Gizmodo]

Joel Johnson

MAKE Is All Over Toy Fair '08

PT is over on the MAKE blog doing a great job with actual hands-on reports of cool stuff from the New York Toy Fair. Tons and tons of science-oriented toys and project kits. I figure the intersection between BBG readers and MAKE readers is pretty large, but just in case, it bears mentioning that my handier cousin is doing yeoman's work.

Toy Fair '08 Coverage [Blog.Makezine.com]

Joel Johnson

HP UMPC 2133 Looks Like 12-Inch Powerbook Reborn

While it could be a fake, Engadget has gotten these images of the HP UMPC 2133, or as I like to call it "What I really hoped the Macbook Air would be." 8.9-inch display, nearly full-sized QWERTY keyboard, ExpressCard slot—all in a 2.5-pound package. It's enough to make me consider switching to Windows on my portables.

As Engadget notes, it's amusing how the solution to the UMPC-class computers' lack of keyboard input turns out to be...a keyboard.

HP's UMPC 2133 revealed [Engadget]

Joel Johnson

Morning Tech Deals Highlights

• Windows Development Software – Microsoft is giving away a free set of Visual Studio '08 Pro, Server '03, SQL Server, Expression Studio, Game Studio 2.0 and more to college/graduate students. [Slickdeals]

• Rackmount Server – Refurbished IBM eServer (Dul Opteron 2GHz) for $235, shipped. Oh, 1U servers, why must you be so lovely? [Dealnews]

• USB Hard Drive – Western Digital MyBook 500GB USB 2.0 external drive for $80, in-store pick-up at Circuit City only. (Check for stock availability online.) [Dealnews]

• Surround Speakers – Today's Woot! is a pair of Klipsch Synergy Series SS.5 Surround Sound Speakers for $95, shipped.

Joel Johnson

Toys 'R' Us to Eliminate PVC, Ni-Cad Batteries from Toys

In an email sent by Toys 'R' Us Chairman and CEO Gerald L Storch:

We have instructed manufacturers to immediately take steps to eliminate the use of nickel-cadmium batteries from all items manufactured exclusively for Toys“R”Us, Inc. This process is expected to be complete by the end of 2008.

The PVC and phthalates elimination I understand, but what's the problem with ni-cad batteries? Are they toxic in ways that other batteries are not?

Full press release after the jump, if you're interested.

Previously • Toys 'R' Us Accepting Any Recalled Toy [BBG]

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