Engadget is reporting that mobile user interface designer Matias Duarte, the man who created the highly successful Sidekick and Helio UI / user experiences, left Helio in 2007 and quietly went to work for Palm. Not only did he switch companies, he took his entire design team with him. Their mission? To create the linux-based, much anticipated Palm OS Mark II codenamed Nova. His new title is apparently Senior Director, Human Interface and User Experience, which sounds both important and vague as all good titles should. Engadget contacted Palm, and the company confirmed that Duarte is indeed an employee there now.

What does this mean? Well, first of all if Duarte and his A-Team only came into the project in 2007 it means that likely a few Nova UIs have already been created and scrapped since Palm started work on this project back in, oh, 1956. It could also mean that up until 2007 most of the work was on the Linux based guts of the OS and not so much on the UI. Either way, the past is past and all that should matter to the company is the 2009 roll out of the new Palm OS. I think Duarte’s involvement is an excellent sign that Palm is fully committed to bringing the best people on board for Nova and understand that these days, it is all about the UI. Duarte’s work for Sidekick was highly innovative and definitely blazed a trail that most mobile OS’s have followed since. It also means that it seems Palm gets that this OS may very well make or break the company. They can only take so many Foleos.

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Mini-Notebook, UMPC, Netbook, MID…we all knew that eventually the market would dictate which of these forms would succeed and which would fail. Rumbles in the industry are indicating that may be happening sooner rather then later.

Over the weekend, DigiTimes reported that PC vendors and resellers are feeling decidedly queasy about Intel’s heavy push behind it’s line of MID platforms, and quietly expressing that fact to Intel. The more optimistic amongst them feel that at the very least, MIDs won’t hit the big time until Q4 09, rather than Q1 09 as Intel is predicting. They feel (and I believe accurately) that the wave of new UMPC/Netbook models and the quiet recession in the worldwide economy will hamper the MID (Mobile Internet Device) form. Most pundits define MIDs as slate style, touch screen mobile PCs, with or without a sliding keyboard.

Vendors see the MID form being squeezed between miniature laptops forms (UMPC/Netbook) on one side and smartphones on the other. It certainly doesn’t help that recent releases in the MID space by Gigabyte and Lenovo are not cutting much ice in the marketplace while major UMPC releases keep coming through the summer/fall from MSi, Asus, Acer and Dell (among others). When back to school shoppers are outfitting high school/college students, small, cheap device in a conventional laptop form looks like a tool while the sexier MIDs look like flashy toys.

It is essential that Intel get their vast reseller/vendor channels behind MIDs if they hope the form to succeed against the intense competition in the mobile computer space. Vendors however are reluctant to waste holiday shelf space on products that won’t sell, especially in challenging economic times.

Personally I love the MID form, with it’s ability to be used as both a tablet and a more standard computer. However, I would not be at all surprised if MIDs aren’t able to catch the same fire that UMPCs are bottling as they are being embraced by mainstream tech buyers. MIDs also seem to have trouble getting down to the low prices that are helping to drive UMPCs.

What do you think? Do you see MIDs fading away altogether or into a niche market as stores are innundated with miniature laptops or will they rally once people get tired of “toy” laptops?

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Section: Video, Content, Computers, Security, Software / Applications, Web, Downloads, Web Apps, Websites, Online Music/Video, Features, Announcements

In an attempt to be more proactive rather than simply reactive, the MPAA has recently approved the DreamStream system and its 2048-bit “military strength” anti-piracy encryption technology to protect content streamed to viewers online.

First introduced to the MPAA in March of 2008 by Laura Tunberg, MGM’s former vice president of intellectual property enforcement, it was since reviewed by the MPAA and found it to be a viable means for securing digital content. Chief development officer for DreamStream, Ulf Diebel, is excited by this acknowledgment of their product.

“We are very excited to have the MPAA stand behind our technology.”

Diebel also went on to say that, “their recommendation is not something that Hollywood will take lightly.” Diebel makes some bold claims. He says that with DreamStream, digital content can finally be distributed without fear of piracy. That in fact, they make it impossible for movies to be digitally pirated. He says their technology can give back both property rights as well as the commercial success of music and video recordings with a solution “that benefits both producers and consumers.” Not so sure all those folks busy pirating would agree with that statement.

What makes DreamStream so different from other systems out there is that it operates via online streaming instead of file downloads. Because of this, any content that is purchased can’t be stored on a users’ hard disk, which takes away the opportunity to copy or redistribute files. And since the files don’t have to be downloaded, the system is able to transmit media files a significantly higher qualities than anything currently being offered by DS competitors.  For example, even with only a 4Mbps Internet connection, Dreamstream’s system can provide HD quality content to consumers. And because it is streaming digital, there is no download or processing delays.

“Pirates are not just found in the movies anymore. Today’s pirate is a twelve-year-old sitting on a couch in Hong Kong. Or, worse yet, an unmanned fleet of Xbox’s all aimed at your server. Hacker attempts are no longer measured in how many per day but how many per second. It is just a matter of time until the pirate comes aboard your ship and breaks into the treasure chest.  Unless they cannot see the ship. With DreamStream, your digital information is invisible. Your treasure chest is secured, and the key to it is encrypted with a 2048 bit encryption. Yes, a true digital fortress. A fortress that fits on a very small chip or hard drive!”

Although DreamStream brags that its unpublished encryption has never been compromised by hackers or digital pirates, I really don’t see that this is going to be a forever “brag card.” Give it some time, and that twelve-year-old on his couch will find a way to hack the code. These things always have a workaround and to think otherwise is simply being naive.

Read [PRWeb]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops

Similar to the recent announcement of the Eee PC 904, this has come with little excitement. However the Eee PC 900 is now available for pre-order online.

The Eee PC 900 features the 8.9-inch display, an Intel Celeron 900Mhz processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB SSD. The 900 also includes the now standard Eee PC features which include a 1.3-megapixel webcam, built-in card reader and Wi-Fi.

The Eee PC 900 is available in black or white and offers the option to have either Linux or Windows XP installed. The Linux version is priced at $399 and the Windows XP version is $449.

Product [Excaliber PC] Via [jkkmobile]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

FROM GAMERTELL - A group of Drexel students has put together a PC game ith special headgear that uses the brain’s concentration levels to move the avatar.
MORE »

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Mobile

Another newly leaked Sony Ericsson handset, this time it is the successor to the W580, which is dubbed the W595 and comes with a codename of Linda has just surfaced courtesy of Le Journal du Geek.

The W595 is a slider style Walkman handset and will feature an FM radio, the Walkman 3 player and will be running the A2 software platform. Similar to some other recent Sony Ericsson handsets the W595 will include Google Maps pre-installed and also have a 3-dimensional accelerometer.

While SE has been quite on the release date for the W595, it is rumored to be announced during July. Aside from the model pictured, it is also expected that it will be available in a red and white colored model.

Read [Le Journal du Geek] Via [se-nse]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The first product based on ATI’s new XGP technology, allowing a laptop to connect to an external GPU for better graphics is apparently about to hit the market. Fujitsu Siemens is preparing an XGP device called the Lasso designed to be used with their Amilo laptops.

The Lasso runs an M88 mobile version of the RV670-based GPU (another RV670 GPU is the HD 3800) and supports PCIe 8X.

No benchmarks or screencaps/videos of the Lasso in action yet, but you can see some photos of the device at Fudzilla along with some ATI Catalyst Control screens.

If this device can be used with other laptops than the Amilo line, WANT!

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The geniuses at Boy Genius have gotten ahold of a brand new Motorola Q9 variant , codenamed Napoleon, intended for Verizon in the US and the international market with the following specs:

• CDMA EV-DO Rev. A with full GSM world roaming capabilities (including U.S. 850MHz/1900MHz bands)
• Fingerprint scanner
• Windows Mobile 6.1
• 2 megapixel camera with flash
• Stereo speakers
• 320×240 resolution screen
• Wi-Fi
• 1500mAh battery.

Looking at the picture I can’t say I love the blue color, but the other features are more than intriguing, especially the fingerprint scanner for keypad locking and the WiFi. No word on bluetooth but I assume it comes internal.

Since my normal phone provider is a CDMA network, if they end up dropping the original Q for the Q9 Napoleon (oh pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease) then blue or not, you are looking at my next phone.

Look at more great pictures at Boy Genius.

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It appears that no one at Asus has even so much as heard of an NDA or a confidential roadmap, as they are springing new product leaks faster than the USS Minnow with Gilligan at the helm. Let’s look at a quick rundown of new Eees being sold, confirmed or rumored just over the last few days, little buddies.

* The Eee 904 has been confirmed by Asus with the following specs:

• List price: @ $533
• Release date: Mid July
• CPU: 900MHz Celeron M chip currently
• Operating System: Windows XP
• Chassis: 10 inch
• Display: 8.9 inch 1024 x 600 pixel
• Storage: 80GB HDD
• RAM: 1GB
• Weight: 1.4kg / 3.1lb

* 3G Eee’s are on the horizon in two different flavors; WiMax for the US and HSDPA/HSUPA for Europe. Both would be designed to be bundled with service contracts from SPs. The Euro version may be out as early as September.

* Amazon is now taking preorders for the Eee 901/1000/1000h. Pricing is as follows:

• Eee PC 1000 with an 40GB SSD, 10.2 inch display and Linux - $699.
• Eee PC 1000H with an 80GB hard drive, 10.2 inch display and Windows XP - $649.
• Eee PC 901 with an 8.9 inch display and Windows XP (12G SSD) or Linux (20G SSD) - $599.

*  According to jkkmobile a version of the Eee 900 with a 16GB flash SSD (running XP or GNU Linux) has been snuck out with no fanfare whatsoever. It is already available in some places online for $399.

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Related Articles at Mobility Site:

• No related posts

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops

Asus has officially unveiled their latest netbook in the Eee PC lineup, the Eee PC 904, however although it is expected to be available soon, they have not announced a specific date.

The 904, seems at least to me, just another small notebook to wear the Eee brand. The specs are pretty much what we have been seeing before and nothing really stands out all that much. The Eee PC 904 will feature an 8.9-inch display with a 1024 x 600 resolution, 900MHz Celeron M processor, 1GB of RAM, 80GB hard drive and running Windows XP.

There is one nicer feature on the 904, and that is the keyboard, which is the slightly larger layout that is taken from the Eee PC 1000.

The Eee PC 904 will retail for £269 (around $535 US) and will be available in mid-July.

Via [TechRadar]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

My friend DavoMrMac has a very nice mini review of his new Advent 4211 UMPC over at Geekanoids. The Advent 4211 is a UK only rebadging of the MSi Wind sold exclusively through the PC World chain. Apparently there are no alterations to the unit at all save for a quick logo change from MSi to Advent…plus it seems the Advent is far easier to get a hold of than the Wind.

He is very very happy with the unit overall, especially the screen as he makes clear in his summery:

In use the screen is very crisp and clear. The backlighting seems very even and the brightness is pretty darn impressive. Normally my experience of PC laptops is that the screen never goes as bright as I would like. The Advent 4211 is the first that I have to say I am happy with. A white page is as it should be, white and not grey. After an hours use, the system is running very quietly. I created a restore backup following the instructions, using an SD card. This tooks about 12 minutes, and I suggest you do the same, as it means you have a copy of all the drivers you need too. Overall, the Advent 4211 has impressed. The trackpad is a little small, but again you will get used to it. If you need something really portable thought, then pop into a PC World and take a look. You will be surprised at what £279 gets you.

However, don’t be TOO surprised at what 279 Pounds gets you, as DavoMrMac posted the following postscript to the Pocketables forum, along with more praise for the screen, keyboard and overall weight/size of the device:

Well, after 24 hours I noticed a problem with the screen, a big cluster of glowing red pixels, plus a scuff mark which I had not noticed before, so it went back today. No more stock, so I am waiting for another to be delivered Monday.

We will have to see if more such QA problems come to light as more units are shipped in the coming weeks.

View a slideshow of the Advent after the jump.

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Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous

The retro styled 8-bit graphic watch could perhaps be a watch only for the true geek, well that is if they are not already wearing something with a calculator on their wrist.

The retro watch is dubbed the Icon Watch, and was originally designed back in 2005 by a Japanese design firm, however it just recently became available for purchase. The Icon Watch has a polyurethane band, ABS and stainless steel body and is available in black or white.

While exact time would be a difficult thing to offer from this watch it does have a certain appeal to it. I was actually considering a purchase, and then I saw that it was retailing for $75. Not to mention, thanks to always carrying a cellphone with the time on it, I have not worn a watch regularly for a few years now.

Product [MoMA] Via [Oh! Gizmo]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Software / Applications

Android first sprung up on the Nokia N810 internet tablet a few months back, however the install process was a little more challenging. Well as technology goes, things generally have a way of becoming easier with some time and that certainly applies to completing the Android installation process on the N810.

Now its as simple as three easy steps.

1. Download “android.img.bz2” to the memory card in your tablet. That file can be found here or here.

2. Download and install the “android-installer.deb” file. That can be found here or here.

3. Reboot your N810.

Once the reboot is complete, you will have the ability to run and check out Android. The start up for Android can be found in the extra’s menu.

Almost makes me wish I had an N810 to check it out. That said, we have not tested this personally, so I would recommend any important files be backed up first, just in case.

Via [Mobile Computer]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The new version of 2009 BMW 7 series is powered by the same twin-turbo 4.4L V8 engine that produces 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. The car accelerates from 0 to 62mph in six seconds. [AutoBlog]

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Imaging, Accessories, Web, Downloads, Websites

For many people just getting into digital photography, the world of photo editing can seem a tad overwhelming. Hewlett Packard offers some help in the foray through the forest of editing your precious snapshots and helping you turn them into all they can be, even if it didn’t happen exactly the way you wanted right from the camera.

The Adobe Photoshop program, a perennial favorite among many photographers is rather tried and true. It’s used by everyone from magazine layout staff and professionals to the Joe Schmoe who captured his son playing flag football at the weekend game. However, if you are first wading into the waters of photo editing...granted, the program may seem a little daunting, especially for those not familiar with any kind of editing or publishing software.

The capabilities of Photoshop are amazingly wide-ranged. You can do the simple crop/adjust color/brightness/contrast etc, all the way to applying different photo filters to your pictures after you shoot them. Layer photos, create collages, Photoshop even offers something called “PS Actions” which is just full of nifty little photo tricks. And the best thing about taking the free online course is that you don’t have to figure out all the buttons on your own. You have an instructor walking you through it showing you how to use the program’s features.

Right now, HP is offering a totally free class on Adobe Photoshop.  Enrollment runs from July 4 through July 31, and the class ends August 8, 2008. Previous students ranked the course 4 out of 5 stars. You can sign up for the course by going to the HP website.

Read [HP]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Quadrotors have been in existence for a long time now and are way cooler than your normal looking helicopters. The second-gen of quadrotors are small, agile and can be flown indoors and outdoors. Research projects that are being undertaken to develop the control systems of quadrotors are several and are being undertaken at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Stanford, MIT, to name a few. Among these The Stanford Testbed of Autonomous Rotorcraft for Multi-Agent Control (STARMAC) is a “multi vehicle test bed used to demonstrate new concepts in multi-agent control on a real-world platform.”

Working with six quadrotor vehicles, STARMAC is all about trying to improve the control thereon and strategies that these vehicles can execute online. The vehicles being used are small, light and low cost, and yes, they look your proverbial cool. These are easy to maintain, are equally adept at flying indoors and outdoors, and have sufficient computing resources for independent operations. STARMAC started out with an off-the-shelf four-rotor helicopter and transformed it into vehicle (STARMAC II) improving up on every minute detail.

DraganFlyer IV was the original - Starmac I – vehicle. Almost incapable of being controlled except until major onboard modifications, this one represented a major challenge for the researchers. To redesign it for STARMAC goals a complete overhaul of frame and onboard electronics was undertaken. During testing in the fall of 2004, four major deficiencies were observed and work was undertaken to remove them, ultimately leading to development of STARMAC II vehicles.

STARMAC II sees improvements in: Thrust Capabilities, On-board Computation Resources, Communication Reliability and Bandwidth, and Position Measurement Accuracy. You can read the details regarding the exact improvements in each of these thrust areas here. STARMAC II platform has been tested successfully and at least five more vehicles are being built to expand the fleet. STARMAC’s results augur well for these wonderful looking machines that are advantageous in several real-life scenarios.

Via

Dubbed as the Hole Phone, this concept phone was designed by Chi Shing Lo, a student at the UK’s De Montfort University. The handset comes with a hole which doubles up as a view finder when used as a camera, a charging point which uses inductive charging technology, and also for transferring data. [Tuvie via Upcoming Cell Phones]

Cirrus, a small jet plane, took off it’s first flight on July 3rd and maneuvered the skies for good long forty-five minutes; what distinguishes this 4 seater, general purpose aviation aircraft from others of it’s kind is it’s inbuilt parachute-based security equipment that safely grounds the entire body of the plane during an airborne crisis. To balance the weight of the entire aircraft, the parachute needs to be quite huge in its diameter. With an inflated parachute, Cirrus touches the ground at 17 miles an hour and uses its unique landing gear as a shock absorber. The parachute can be operated by pulling a lever and shoots off from the rear end of the fuselage through a rocket and opens up at a safe distance. Three straps connect the parachute to the plane. This form of equipment works fine for smaller aircrafts but, unfortunately, aren’t the solution in case of mightier planes like Boeings. Take a look at the video for an idea.

Source: Newscientist

It is probably safe to say that most of the world uses Outlook. As Windows Mobilers, we use it on our handhelds as well. So, what happens on the desktop usually carries over to the handset. Accordingly, I would like to tell you about an application that I recently discovered that I think will make your life easie It’s called SimplyFile.

SimplyFile has the ability to direct messages to the proper category file in one click. It’s much faster than dragging and dropping, and way faster than setting up rules. I never did like the rules route because it requires that you check each folder for new mail, and if you have a lot of folders forgetaboutit.

Over time, I’m sure that most of us start developing a huge hierarchy of folders congratulating ourselves on getting organized. But things tend to pile up, and it gets to be a chore putting every message in its proper place. Enter SimplyFile to save the day.

Basically, SimplyFile is a trainable filing clerk. The more you use it the smarter it gets. All you have to do is click on an email, and it intuitively sends it to the proper folder. If it guesses incorrectly, there is a drop down box containing all your folders, and you can just click on the right one. This is how you train it. Next time it will probably guess the right destination.

But, SimplyFile does much more than stuff incoming mail into the right pigeon holes. Have you ever wished you could get all your emails together in one place, both ingoing and outgoing for a particular category? SimplyFile will do that for you without having to go to the Sent folder to drag them over, a laborious task that I reckon few of us bother with.

It will convert messages into Tasks and Appointments with a single click. It will transform HTML into text.

SimplyFile has a small footprint at only 495 KB. It will not force you to change the way you do email; it stays in the background unobtrusively until you call on its powers. It doesn’t slow Outlook down, and it doesn’t require setting up complex rules. It just works.

However, it does have a strange propensity to disappear from the Outlook toolbar and will not reappear until you close and reopen Outlook. There seems to be no explanation for this strange behavior.

SimplyFile works on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista with Outlook 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, 2007 SP1; it does not work with Outlook Express.

I am pleased to give SimplyFile a very high recommendation. I consider myself lucky to have discovered it, and I think you will too. Now, life without SimplyFile would be like trading in a Ferrari for a horse and buggy.

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Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops

Gigabyte has just released the M912V notebook in Taiwan. This tablet style notebook features a touch sensitive swivel LCD panel with a 1280x768 resolution, a 160GB 2.5-inch SATA hard drive,1GB of RAM, an express card slot, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, Wi-Fi, and even has an option for built-in HSDPA support.

The M912V would have been a good competitor to most of the netbooks around if not for its high price. This M912V is expected to retail for around $890 and it will come pre-installed with Windows Vista. Unfortunately for us, there are no words yet as to whether the M912V would be released internationally.

Via [Akihabara News]

Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Here are two videos I found of the WILLCOM D4 made by Sharp and already being sold in Japan.

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If you are a new owner of an apple iPhone, than you have probably not let your new cell phone leave your hands for several days.  This is to be expected, however, many people have questions concerning their new iPhone and its compatibility with other electronic devices, especially those within the Apple product family.  Perhaps the most widely asked question about the new iPhone’s is whether or not they are compatible with other iPod accessories?  While many people may think that they wouldn’t be compatible, they are greatly mistaking.

All of the iPhone’s are compatible with most iPod accessories, thus making your iPhone even more convenient and user friendly.  But another question that many people still have is what exact iPod accessories can you use with your new iPhone?  Of course, many people love to use their iPods not only for personal music enjoyment, but also to feel a party with their favorite tunes.  And if you no longer carry around your iPod, but rather your iPhone, you may be worried that you aren’t going to be able to connect your iPhone to the speaker system your iPod used to connect with.  Yet, with all it’s amazing glory, the iPhone has the same connectivity port as the iPhone, thus it will connect seamlessly to any iPod speaker systems as well as car docks.

Of course, there are some accessories that have been altered to better fit the iPhone.  You are able to use standard headphones with the iPhone, however, if a call comes through, than you may experience slight difficulty taking the headphones out and answering the phone.  This is why Apple has made a set of headphones that are designed to work seamlessly with the iPhone.  These amazing headphones provide you with excellent sound quality, however, they also have a microphone built into the cord, thus when you receive a phone call, your song is paused and you are able to answer the phone, as well as end the call, by clicking a small button on the microphone.  Another great feature about these headphones is the fact that you are able to hear your friends through more than one ear, which is a very unique, and interesting, experience.

Another reason why this iPhone headphone set is such a great accessory for your product is because it provides you with safety.  How many times have you been driving throughout traffic only to miss your exit or almost hit another vehicle because you were focused on holding your cell phone?  While it is advised that you never drive while talking on your phone, for working professionals, and those with a booming social life, this is not a possibility.  Thus, you need a product that allows you to have both hands on the steering wheel, as well as the freedom t move your head back and forth to view all traffic around you.

With the iPhone headphones, you are able to keep your conversations moving forward, without having to worry about holding your cell phone.  The added benefit of this is great because not  only will you be able to talk with your business partners, or friends, in true stereo, but you are also able to focus completely on the road and not on holding your cell phone.

While I have a tendency to go on about gadgets that make life more liveable, I find there is also a place in everyone’s heart for gadgets that are as useful as a Sat Nav on a train. Keeping on this theme, meet the highly impractical Sat Nag. No, it’s not a direction provider for your horse, it is in fact far less helpful than that.

The Sat Nag gives your driving experience that bit of humanity that normal Sat Navs lack. It satirises directional commands, and gives voice to what the person sitting next to you on the passenger side is really thinking. Instead of turning left in 50 metres, expect to be told things such as:

“I know you’re a man, but it’s been 35 minutes now, so can you please admit you’re lost and ask someone the way?” and;

“In 100 metres turn left. No right, err, no left. Sorry, I never can tell my left from my right.”

The Sat Nag features no GPS technology and no direction-giving capabilities, though it does have a holographic screen, featuring roads such as Backseat Drive, Whiny Lane and Earache Avenue. No, unfortunately it won’t find your nearest High Street- meaning that as good as it is, it will never replace your wife.

This is a really fun device which every car needs, just to remind you to have a laugh after that taxi cut you off at the last lane merge. Priced at £7.99 it’s a good deal cheaper than traditional Sat Navs, and will provide you with potentially hours of entertainment if it doesn’t drive you up the wall first!

Shop for it

Available at IWOOT for £7.99 - here*

Section: Video, HDTV, Gadgets / Other, Green, Household

Sharp is harnessing the power of the sun to create an energy-efficient and environment-friendly LCD TV. In the forthcoming G8 Summit, the Japanese TV manufacturer will show off a prototype of its 26-inch LCD TV using solar panel as its main source of energy.

Sharp claims this new technology reduces annual energy consumption by about 75% compared to the existing 26-inch LCD TVs available in the market today. Moreover, the new triple-junction thin-film solar module technology is free of toxic materials. Not to mention that using solar panel reduces fossil fuel consumption.

While the company’s main objective is to provide TV to approximately 6 billion people on earth with scarce or no electricity, this prototype is also relevant to all of us in the face of mounting increase in gas prices and our fondness for supporting “green” products.

No word yet on the availability or pricing of this solar-powered LCD TV. I’m hoping this socially responsible product will be affordable to the developing countries considering its objective.

Via [CrunchGear]

Full Story » | Written by Leo Blanco for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Email / IM, Mobile

Recently, we reported on how the OpenTable Beta version has made it possible to set up a reservation at your nearest restaurant, however it would appear that restaurant reservations aren’t the only thing that have been updated for mobile technology.

Police departments in Boston, Cincinnati, and 100 other communities have adopted a text message tip-line. So if someone sees a crime being committed, all it would take is a dropped line to alert the authorities. 

So far, this new department system has produced “great drug information, specific times, dates, names of suspects, locations, pick-up times, and license plate numbers”. 

Boston Police Crime Stoppers commander Michael Charbonnier has been quoted saying “it’s obvious that the future of communication is texting.” I think this man has a point, but I believe that texting is already in our present.  After all, some of these teenagers can text-type with one hand faster than I can type with two. 

In other words, I think it is high time that a system like this for text-messaging was established for law enforcement.  I mean, all it would take some anonymous text tip such as “drugs n car, lic plate 456 AUJ” to bring someone to justice.

Unfortunately, the cops on the other end might not be able to read text-speech that many of these teens are using these days. 

Via [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Mark Rollins for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Imaging, Web, Websites, Online Music/Video, Google

Google is getting ready to launch their Street View technology in the UK, and it isn’t being met with open arms. Although the mapping tool is already in place in some major US cities, folks in the UK are protesting the implementation on their turf.  Street View works by taking photos of, logically enough, streets to match maps. However the photos also include any people on those streets. This is where the problems come in for the UK folk. They feel this is a blatant disregard for privacy; and that permission should be granted by any individual photographed since the pictures are being used in a commercial regard. 

Personally, I don’t see how Google is getting away with this. As a freelance photographer myself, I know that any photographs that I take (even in a public setting) must have release forms signed by each recognizable person in the photo, if I am to be using them in any way for profit. (They even consider a person to be “recognizable” if the photo only shows the back of them for the record.) Apparently, Privacy International, a UK rights group, agrees. They believe the technology clearly breaks data protection laws. 

According to Simon Davis of the group, “In our view they need a person’s consent if they make use of a person’s face for commercial ends”.

Google has already had people in the United States complaining about their images being used as well. Google says they did remove the photos upon written request. (Amazing that they need to be asked to remove them, yet not to take them). Google also said they have begun to trial “face blurring technology”, by using an algorithm that detects human faces in photographs. However, Privacy International is having a hard time believing too much in this technology. They’ve written and asked for some more technical information on the system, and say if they don’t hear back in seven days they will ask the UK Commissioner to block the Street View tool from being used. The only response they’ve received to date from Google is a snide comment to look more closely at their blogs and that it isn’t ready to be deployed yet.

Google, on the other hand, maintains that they are complying with all local laws. Too bad people aren’t really keen on believing every word flowing out of Google’s mouth these days regarding protecting privacy. Let’s review, we had the promise made by Google to the FTC during the Doubleclick acquisition that “crumbling cookies” would be developed. No proof that this has happened yet. Then we had them promise a “privacy dashboard” to help consumers understand the functionality of their user settings in response to concerns expressed at the time of the 2007 internet privacy rankings. Nope. Hasn’t shown up either. And last, the latest fiasco with YouTube, where Google may be handing over the personal information of anyone that viewed any videos on the YouTube site to Viacom. Granted, this was due to a recent judge ruling; but members are certainly not taking this invasion well either.

It seems for all of Google wanting to claim being “for the planet” as of late, it’s a lot of “for the Google.”

Via [BBCNews]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous, Imaging, Camcorders

A Japanese accessory manufacturer has added a unique twist on an ordinary household gadget, the flashlight. They have added a 300,000 pixel CMOS camera and microphone. Carrot Systems created this so-called AD-1500 flashlight to enable security personnel and crime fighters to record the actual events as they happen.

All activities are recorded in MP4 format and it automatically switches to infra-red mode when used at night or in dark areas. The AD-1500 can only cover a distance of up to 4 meters but I think this is enough to capture evidence and actual events in real time. However, internal memory is limited to only 128MB.

This innovative approach to ordinary gadget makes sense. It would be nice though if this could automatically stream the footage online for archiving purposes. Well, that’s looking forward I guess.

Unfortunately, its price of approximately $800 limits its potential, at least for the everyday consumer.

Via [CrunchGear]

Full Story » | Written by Leo Blanco for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Web, Downloads, Web Browsers

Mozilla is growing, and it seems that in addition to the recent world record, which was set for the software downloads in a 24 hour time period, they have also risen to 19.03% of the market share. Mozilla saw an increase from 18.41% up to 19.03% from the end of May to the end of June.

Of course, Firefox may be seeing an increase, which is at least partially due to the recent release of Firefox 3, but Internet Explorer still remains on top with a whopping 73.01%.

On the other hand, some are saying that because of the auto-update features within Firefox, that those users are amongst the most users with up to date versions of their browser installed. Firefox was noted as having 83% of their users with an up to date software version, as compared to just 63.3% of Safari users, 56.1% of Opera users and IE having just 47.6% of users with the latest and most stable version.

Read [Yahoo! News]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Haven’t caught all of the Gadgetell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Slimbus: The future of public transportation
  “ With the absurd increase in gasoline prices almost every week, more and more people will be forced to use buses and other modes of public transportation. Now, here is a very interesting futuristic concept – the Slimbus.  Intended for…” MORE »
• The touchscreen Motorola Blaze for Verizon shows its face
  “ The touchscreen based devices just keep coming, and seem to be getting more and more interesting. The latest to hit the open, or at least leaked status is the Motorola Blaze, which seems to be a mix-match…” MORE »
• Asus to introduce the Eee PC 904, 905?
  “ Asus has yet to even get the Eee PC 901 or the 1000H into the US market, however the latest rumor has them working on getting an Eee PC 904 and 905 ready. The new 904 and…” MORE »
• BlackBerry Bold for Rogers gets a release date
  “ The BlackBerry Bold is having it’s trouble with a US release date, AT&T has been rumored to have pushed it’s launch into August, but it is right on track with…” MORE »
• Creative’s Wi-Fi enabled Zen X-Fi PMP revealed?
  “ Still missing is the official announcement from Creative, however epiZENter is claiming the above picture of the Creative ZEN X-Fi is the real deal. Based on the image, all we can do is hope that it really is true,…” MORE »
• Leaked training documents for Sprint’s Treo 800w
  “ Yet another leak surrounding the upcoming Treo 800w for Sprint. This time thankfully its not some more blurry camera phone style images, but instead something much more useful, what appears to be the official training…” MORE »
• Blackberry Thunder now officially called Blackberry 9500
  “ The Blackberry Thunder which we reported before as RIM’s newest Blackberry device now has an official name, the Blackberry 9500. And like we told you, it shall be officially carried with Verizon as a lifetime exclusive offering…” MORE »
• Verizon’s leaked release schedule for 2008
  “ Earlier today we saw what AT&T has in store for use device-wise for the remainder of 2008 and now it is Verizon’s turn, and it looks just as exciting as the AT&T lineup.  Beginning in August, it looks like we can expect…” MORE »
• Princeton will soon offer Kindle edition textbooks
  “ Princeton University has become the latest to announce that they have plans to begin offering Kindle editions of their textbooks. Joining other universities such as Yale, Oxford, and UC Berkeley the Princeton textbooks will be available beginning in the fall semester.  While…” MORE »
• Nikon D3, D300 see firmware fixes
  “ Good news for those not quite ready to take the plunge to purchase the new Nikon D700, but tiring of some of the problems they may have been experiencing with their D3 or D300; Nikon has made some more adjustments.…” MORE »

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: News, Web, Websites, Online Music/Video

Keeping in mind that there are just some things that you should not do. Take “throwing a baby” for example, but assuming you felt the need to do such a crazy thing, then why would you feel the need to not only record it, but also post the video to a popular site as YouTube. Its almost like asking to get in trouble, isn’t it?

The latest teen did just that, he had his friend film himself throwing a baby, well not actually throwing, but sort of launching it. The 16-year old placed the baby on a large inflatable pillow and then jumped on it to send the baby flying across the room. The teens then posted the video online and it was later found by one of the students teachers, who promptly called the police. The 16-year old has since been charged with felony cruelty to a child, and according to Sheriff Harold Breeden;

“It’s not going to be funny when the judge gets through with him.”

Could not have said it any better myself, lets just hope the judge does not go easy, because it was also noted that this particular teen “has never been in trouble before.”

While some people feel that YouTube is a least partially responsible for these acts, personally I am glad YouTube and similar site are around. Its hard to imagine that someone who is dumb enough to do something like this would have not done it in the first place, at least with sites like YouTube and the Internet in general it makes it a little easier on law enforcements ability to catch these stupid criminals.

As expected this video has since been removed from YouTube, but if you click the read link below, you can see the original news clip that covered this story. I will however caution you, its not pleasant to watch.

Read [14 WFIE] Via [Switched]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous, Imaging

Those that have seen the Harry Potter movies may remember his magic cloak that enabled him to be invisible from those around him. Sounds a bit fantastical and far-fetched doesn’t it? Well, the future may be closer than you think.

The ability to hide something from sight, is usually accomplished by using what is known as a superlens. This type of lens contains a negative refraction index, the “refraction” part obviously meaning bending. In this case it allows it to bend electromagnetic waves back upon themselves. So, as a result, the object appears “invisible.” Voila! No bulky cloak even needed.

Although superlensing isn’t exactly yet feasible for making something huge like a military warship invisible, there is still promise for more standard large objects. This is being done using copper-based meta-materials to create a type of cloaking cylinder.  Work is also being done on the lenses by Graeme Millton, of the University of Utah, who is currently working in mathematical models for the superlenses. 

“We’ve seen it numerically—not in practice, but we’ve got a theoretical proof that collections of particles become invisible,” said Milton of their superlens work.

The meta-material cylinder which is being worked on at Duke University is different from the lens at Utah in that it causes microwaves to be bent around itself rather than reflected. Its cylinder has patterns invisible to the naked eye on its surface, which act to redirect the waves striking it, instead of allowing them to bounce off.

The Duke cylinder still needs work because there is still distortion which is visible in microwave images, however there are clearly implications for some real applications. Initiate...Stealth Mode.

Via [DailyTech]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Web, Websites

With the deal closed on the Dictionary.com purchase, Ask.com has now become, at least according to comScore, the ninth-largest web property. The all-cash deal originally began back in mid-May and had Ask.com purchasing Lexico Publishing Group LLC. The web properties that were included were Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com and Reference.com.

Ask.com is reporting that this will give them an increase of around 15 million additional users on a month basis, which would put them up to a monthly audience of around 145 million. Terms of the acquisition, such as how much was paid were not disclosed.

Read [Reuters]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

FROM APPLETELL - Maverick Software has announced its line of iPhone and iPod Touch games that will be available through Apple’s App Store. All these games are built from the ground up and are fully native to the iPod Touch and iPhone. With four new games, this company really wants to make an… MORE »

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

Some more information has been leaking about in regards to the upcoming BlackBerry Kickstart and thankfully this time it was not another set of blurry images. Instead its some speculation based on just how much RIM is planning to charge for this little clamshell BlackBerry.

We have already heard that it was headed to T-Mobile and it looks like it will land there in September, but the latest information is calling for this to be a very affordable handset. Coming in at just $49.99 with a two-year agreement. Which assuming this is accurate would have it even less expensive than the popular and low-cost Palm Centro. At that price I think that RIM could have a winner on their hands.

Via [CrackBerry] Image [http://blog.berryshack.com/blog/content/new-leaked-blackberry-kickstart-pictures]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

It looks like Verizon will be introducing a third variety in their Q9 lineup, and as of now its being code named “Napoleon.” It does however have something special in store for worldwide business travelers as it will not only offer CDMA EV-DO Rev. A support but it will also include full GSM support, meaning you can take and use this worldwide.

The Q9 Napoleon will be running Windows Mobile 6.1 and feature a 320 x 240 display, 2-megapixel camera with flash, Wi-Fi, stereo speakers and ship with a 1500mAh battery. In addition to the added support on the inside, the new world edition Q9 has also gotten a little face lift with a new shiny bezel around the edges.

Also, just good measure they have included a fingerprint scanner on the back, I guess when traveling worldwide you should never have your data unsecured.

As of now, no pricing or release information has been let loose, but as usual we will keep you posted when we find something out.

Via [BGR]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video

There have been some invitations flying around from the good guys at Archos, inviting websites to their press event on July 10 in London. On the invitation, it says that there will be an “exciting announcement.” Such a phrase has led to the reports of a new Archos 6th generation portable media player with 3G connectivity. Around this same time last year, Archos has announced the availability of its 5th generation of players.

If Archos does announce a new PMP with 3G connectivity, it will certainly give them an edge in the market, as they can compete with Apple and Microsoft for the top spot. UK’s managing director of Archos, Tony Limrick, is set to deliver the good news. Hopefully, Archos does announce new 3G capable PMP’s as that would also surely please many current Archos fans. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Read [DAPreview] Via [PMP Today]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for