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| Name: | Gizmodo |
| Description: | Gizmodo, the gadget guide. So much in love with shiny new toys, it's unnatural. |
| Site URL: | http://gizmodo.com |
| RSS feed URL: | http://www.gizmodo.com/index.rdf |
| Syndic8 ID: | 25992 |
| Language: | en |
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25 most recent entries:
Buy Your Own V22, Kinda: Bell 609 Civilian Tiltrotor Gets Rolled-Out [Tiltrotor] (Jul 17 2008 09:58 GMT)
Forget the improbable promises of the Falx tiltrotor: Bell aircraft has rolled out its 609 civilian tiltrotor for real. Looking and flying like a smaller cousin of the military V22 Osprey, also a Bell vehicle, the 609 will undoubtedly please millionaire business people since it can perform all the rooftop-landing duties of a normal helicopter, but flies twice as fast and can fly 9 passengers up to 25,000 feet altitude. Plus, it'd be undeniably cooler to turn up at your meetings in something that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi flick versus something that reminds people of Magnum, PI. From the sales pitch:
Sony and Others Form TransferJet Consortium to Make Short-Range Wireless Tech [Wireless] (Jul 17 2008 09:14 GMT)
Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba JVC, Kodak, Hitachi and a bunch more companies have today announced that they're forming the Transferjet consortium to develop an "interoperable wireless transfer technology." Sounding like a challenge to Bluetooth, Transferjet will apparently operate at a theoretical 560 Mbps rate. Plus it could allow pairing as simply as touching two devices together: your camera could display pics on TV simply by sitting it atop the screen. Sounds like a great consumer solution, but since the consortium has yet to define specs, it'll be a while until the project bears fruit.
Netherlands To Get World's Largest Indoor Golf Complex [Golf] (Jul 09 2008 04:40 GMT)
I play golf, but I hate the outdoors, so I'm going to move to the Netherlands, because they're on track to open this rad, giant, indoor golf course that I can play year round. Non-golfers won't understand what that means, but those of us in Seattle have a fairly short period that we actually get to go out and play, thus it's a crowded affair, making it very expensive. This magic land will have 34 indoor driving range berths, measure over 15,000 square feet, and feature weather-protected sand traps and water hazards. I'm hoping George Jetson attends the opening, because his handicap sucks. [Tuvie, via TechFresh]
Samsung's Two-Headed LCD Monitor Gets Reviewed [Two-headed Monitor] (Jul 09 2008 02:40 GMT)
There's something satisfying about having multiple monitors on your machines to keep things organized that you can't really describe. Samsung knows this but also knows that sometimes a full second monitor is overkill, thus the SyncMaster 2263. We've seen it before, but Wired has the first review we've seen up, and it's a a fairly neutral one. Highlights include the attractive finish and innovative design. The downsides include average performance and a high price.
Pioneer Going Blu-ray For Set-Top Recorders [Blu-ray Recorders, Pioneer, DVD, ] (Jul 09 2008 02:00 GMT)
Blu-ray set-top players are expected to be hot sellers this upcoming holiday season, but you might want to hold off until early next year when Pioneer and Sharp team up to bring Blu-ray recorders to living rooms in America. The partnership is hardly surprising—Sharp is part owner of Pioneer—and the recorders will launch in Japan this year and be shipped overseas next, with Europe and America likely being the first markets to get them. No word if they'll use those awesome new ultra-high-capacity disks we mentioned earlier, but not likely for this consumer-focused line.
iPhone 3G Reviews Are In [Iphone 3g Review] (Jul 09 2008 01:13 GMT)
The first iPhone 3G reviews have just hit, from Walt Mossberg of the WSJ and All Things D, Ed Baig from USA Today and David Pogue from the NYTimes. No one goes deep into the app store but here's what they think: Walt Mossberg of the WSJ has been testing it "for a couple of weeks" and sees that surfing on the faster 3G is between three and five times the speed of the original iPhone. However, Moss found that browsing on the 3G network drained his battery much faster than browsing on the original. Externally, he says the speaker was "much louder" (YES!
Packard Bell (!?) Launches Gaming Desktop Line [Packard Bell] (Jul 09 2008 01:12 GMT)
Packard Bell—previously referred to as Packard Hell and Packard Smell—is diving head-first into the gaming PC market with the ipower X2.0, a gaming rig that features full customization at a decent price. It's aimed squarely at offerings from Acer and Ares.
Nokia 8208 Two-way Slider Phone Looks Like N-Series, But Isn't Quite One [Cellphones] (Jul 09 2008 01:10 GMT)
Inadvertently posted to the Nokia site, the 8208 not only looks similar to the n96, the first non N-Series phone to feature a two-way slider. Part of Nokia's music phone push, the phone features the 0-9 keys below the screen, and music player controls above the screen. In addition, the CDMA phone has a 3 Megapixel camera and EVDO Rev.A. No word on release date or price.
Windows Media Center Update Might Get Partner Later In the Year [Media Center] (Jul 09 2008 01:00 GMT)
Windows Media Center still isn't what Microsoft wants it to be, but it has its fans, and its getting an update this month that they've been waiting for. Word is coming down, though, that this update isn't the one the users are lusting after, the one with H.264 and DirectTV tuner support. Instead it's a minor upgrade that adds things like international support. But fret not, users, as now it seems like there's another rumor flying around about another update later in the year which will add many requested features.
Nvidia Helping Modders Port PhysX Engine to ATI Radeon [Nvidia] (Jul 09 2008 00:30 GMT)
Remember those modders from NGOHQ who were swolling out ATI's Radeon graphics cards with Nvidia's PhysX physics engine? Surprise, Nvidia loves the idea of their physics engine running on rival ATI's graphics cards, so they're giving Eran Badit and his crew total support, with access to documentation, SDKs, hardware and actual engineers. AMD, on the other hand, isn't being so cooperative. Right now, Badit is chasing the goal of porting PhysX to the Radeon HD 4800, but ATI's not giving them any hardware yet, much less developer and PR support. Not totally surprising that ATI would stall, since porting their rival's physics engine to their cards is a definite poke at them and the Havok engine they license from Intel.
Boeing JHL-40 Heavy-Lift Rotorcraft Is Massive Floating Crane [Aircraft] (Jul 09 2008 00:00 GMT)
The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.This stunning aircraft?that looks straight out of a science-fiction movie in which the Nazis won WWII?is the Boeing SkyHook JHL-40. A heavy-lift rotorcraft designed to lift 40 tons, it can transport its cargo across 200 miles without refueling in adverse environments like the Arctic.
Meta: Artist Uses Old Macs as Canvases for Mac Fanboy Paintings [Art] (Jul 08 2008 23:40 GMT)
Instead of turning it into a jukebox, a jack-o-lantern, or worse, a web server hosting your text-only fan site, why not ship that old Mac of yours out to Melbourne, Australia where painter and street artist Satta van Daal will slap on some fanboy-approved Apple imagery as part of his iPaint myMac series. I'm actually a little surprised it's taken this long for me to see a Mac with Jobs and Woz's bearded mugs on it. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough. [Satta Van Daal via Team Teabag] galleryPost("stencilmacs", 4, "");
Hide Your Fancy Car Stereo Behind a Very Crappy Car Stereo [Car Audio] (Jul 08 2008 23:20 GMT)
So you got yourself a fancy new stereo for your car. It's all well and good while you're driving, but when you're out of the car you know damn well that it's a magnet for ne'er-do-wells who are just itching to take a crowbar to your window and forcibly remove your fancy apparatus from your dash. What to do? Simple: disguise it with a really crappy looking stereo faceplate, complete with a half a cassette sticking out.
Question of the Day: Are You Getting an iPhone 3G? [Question Of The Day] (Jul 08 2008 23:00 GMT)
Well if you didn't know it was iPhone week yet, you do now. This morning we saw a Portuguese phone get blurrily unboxed, followed by a US version just a few minutes ago. Unfortunately they're mere teases?since you've read our 3G survival guide, you'll know that your opportunity comes Friday. So the question on everyone's mind is?
Micro Satellites Geared Toward Private Sector Make Tin Foil Hats a Good Idea [Satellites] (Jul 08 2008 22:40 GMT)
The Guardian wrote a neat feature on Surrey Satellite Technologies, who are currently working on scaled down, fully functional satellites for commercial consumption that only cost 10 million dollars, only weigh 220 pounds, and only take 18 months to build. But when compared to full-sized satellites ($500m, 1000 kg) used by government agencies and large corporations, these micro-satellites are amazingly compact and cost effective. Surrey will be sending 5 of these into orbit on the back of an old soviet rocket in Kazhakstan. The "diminutive" satellite will be able to take photos for various applications, like surveying natural disasters, evaluating agricultural fraud, so on and so forth. However, the paranoid schizophrenic in me thinks it's really going to be used for personal world domination.
iPhone 3G First US Unboxing (Best Photos Yet) [IPhone 3G] (Jul 08 2008 22:33 GMT)
Boy Genius' unboxing of the iPhone 3G might not be the first in the world, but it is the first in the US, and damned if it isn't the best, with lots of clear, shiny shots. One problem: It's not activated, so they can't actually dive into the phone's functions. But it's not like there's a whole lotta surprise there. [BGR] galleryPost('3giphoneunbox', 6, '');
Zak Nudevest: A Transparent Lifejacket For Nudists [Safety First] (Jul 08 2008 22:20 GMT)
What are nudists to do when enjoying their favorite watersports? I mean, safety is one thing, but wearing a traditional lifejacket means unsightly tan lines and breasts yearning to be free. Fortunately a Korean company has manufactured a transparent lifejacket dubbed the "Zak Nudevest" that ensures buoyancy and exposure for the discerning naked consumer. I suppose that the jacket could also be used for clothed individuals that simply feel foolish wearing big, orange lifejackets?but that problem is not nearly as arousing.
How To Avoid the Upcoming Onslaught of iPhone/Apple Coverage [Applegasm] (Jul 08 2008 22:00 GMT)
Unless you've been in a coma for the last 2 months, discovered technology yesterday, or are just plain dumb, you've heard the iPhone 3G is coming out on Friday. We know some of you could care less about the nuanced intricacies of the iPhone, but it shouldn't be any shock that will be the focus of Gizmodo for the next few days. So we're just reminding you that you can avoid all such news by visiting http://www. gizmodo.
Gizmodo At E3 2008: What Do You Want To See? [E3 2008] (Jul 08 2008 21:40 GMT)
It's almost here. E3. The Entertainment Ere... Elephant...something to do with games.
Juicebar: A Super-Thin Disposable Cellphone Charger [Cellphones] (Jul 08 2008 21:20 GMT)
The British company behind the Juicebar are billing it as "the world's slimmest emergency phone charger." The device looks about as big as a cardboard coaster, but apparently it is capable of powering up a phone for up to 480 minutes of standby, or around 60 minutes of talk time depending on the device. Full charge is reached in about an hour, but you are free to talk anytime during that period. It also has a 5-year shelf life which the company has backed with a guarantee. Obviously, it makes more sense in the long term to have a rechargeable backup solution, but if you are caught in an emergency situation, dropping around $6 on a Juicebar seems like a decent option.
Wii Nunchuk Hacked for 3D Animation [Nintendo] (Jul 08 2008 21:00 GMT)
We've seem more than our fair share of fascinating Wiimote mods, but few involve the Wiimote's faithful, platonic sidekick, the Nunchuk. So one modder took the Nunchuk, hooked it up to his computer, converted the MIDI signal and piped the information into 3D Studio Max. The result is realtime, 3D motion capture of a quasi-phallic CG object. And when it's all said and done, who can really ask for anything more than that? [via Hack-a-Day]
Microsoft Spending $300+ Million To Tell Consumers Vista Doesn't Suck [Microsoft] (Jul 08 2008 20:50 GMT)
Hey Apple. Microsoft's seen those Get a Mac ads with J. Long and J. Hodgman. They're tired of that shit.
Fake Electric Chair Teaches Your Kids About the Fun of Executions [Executions] (Jul 08 2008 20:40 GMT)
Guys, isn't capital punishment hilarious? I mean, there's nothing funnier than the state putting someone to death for a crime they're pretty sure they committed even though there's always a margin of error and it's 100% certain that innocent people have been executed! LOL! For my next party, I'm getting the Shocker Chair, the only fake electric chair worth its weight! Experience the gruesome Shocker electric chair with 2,000 volts involved.
iPhone 3G Definitive Guide: How to Score One This Friday [Iphone 3g Survival Guide] (Jul 08 2008 20:00 GMT)
You're all set to get an iPhone 3G?you've done the research, you've picked a plan and you've even convinced the office you've got an 8am uh, sales call. Here's everything you need to know for launch day: Where to go, what to bring, the final word on in store-activation (you're not gonna like it), why you might be SOL if you want the mythical white iPhone (you're really not gonna like it) and more. First dilemma:
Space Shuttle Final Flight Programmed: May 31 2010 [To Infinity And Into Storage] (Jul 08 2008 20:00 GMT)
NASA has put a final date on the shuttle program: May 31 2010. That day, the shuttle will launch for the last time, putting an end to 29 years of amazing missions, two of them with tragic endings. The final will be STS-133, in which Endeavour "will carry critical spare components that will be placed on the outside of the station," including new communication antennas, a gas tank, spare parts for giant space robot Dextre, and the coolest of them all: "micrometeoroid debris shields.
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