Gizmodo

DARPA Stops Trying Not to Be Terrifying, Funds Chainsaw-Wielding, Flesh-Eating Robot [Robots]

John Herrman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0400

You don't have to be tinfoil underwear type to get uneasy about some of the bizarre projects that DARPA throws its weight behind. But the organic matter-consuming EATR robot? Oh. God.

The defense research agency has announced they'll be funding the EATR project—which stands for Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot—which aims to build a lumbering mechanical creature that lives off of flesh, both plant and animal:

EATR is an autonomous robotic platform able to perform long-range, long-endurance military missions without the need for manual or conventional re-fueling. The patent pending robotic system can find, ingest and extract energy from biomass in the environment, as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, diesel, propane and solar) when suitable.

It's actually a steam-powered machine, which employs a biomass furnace that can be fed by all manner of organic materials, to be harvested with its "gripper" claw and chainsaw.

The EATR's ideal source of fuel would probably be foliage, not humans, but there are just too many red flags here. Claws? Chainsaws? "Organic matter" and "biomass" euphemisms? Not to mention this is the second death-powered machine we've seen in as many weeks. The project is set to be completed in about 90 days, so enjoy the next three months, folks. [Register via Switched]

Palm Pre Successfully Hacked to Run on Verizon, Mostly [Pre]

matt buchanan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:40:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Cleanser here got the Palm Pre to run on Verizon's network. Impressive! Except that data doesn't work. Guess you'll have to wait 6 more months (or more) after all. [Pre Central]

This Laptop Thief Has Balls Of Steel [Laptops]

Sean Fallon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:20:00 -0400

According to a police report, 19-year old Jesse Phoutthaphaphone...pppppthft was sitting by a cracked window in his home, typing on MySpace when a thief suddenly popped in the window and stole the laptop right out of his hands.

"I was typing and all of the sudden just woosh! I was like oh, what the hell?" Phoutthaphaphone said.

"This is clearly a real desperate act, I mean he (the suspect) stole the computer out of his hands while he's in his house," Minneapolis Police Sgt. Jesse Garcia explained.

"He was probably just creeping right here, I was typing, and then all of the sudden he just yanked it," the victim remarked. He only saw the suspect's hands; then saw his back as he ran around the corner of his home.

Pppppppthfaftpatphthftyaphone chased after the suspect, eventually cornering him in a nearby garage. The homeowner saw the commotion and jumped in to help—eventually they were both able to pin down the thief until the police arrived. Naturally, he incident described as both "bold and bizarre" has left authorities baffled. [Kare11 via Twitter / Image via Slashdot]

Sheet Music for Amazon Kindle DX Gets Rid of the, Um, Sheet [Kindle]

matt buchanan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:00:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Good idea or terrible idea? Sheet music on the Kindle. The catalog has 20,000 titles and they're cheap, about $3. Or you can always read a bunch of law textbooks. Fun! [Amazon via Gadget Lab]

The Solution to the Energy Crisis: Urine [Science]

Adam Frucci — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:40:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Did you know that urine has properties that make it a great source of energy? That's right: peeing in your gas tank might actually do something in the not too distant future.

Gerardine Botte, an Ohio University professor, sees the liquid as a solution thanks to the particular composition of its major component, urea. Its make-up, a 2-to-1 ratio of hydrogen and nitrogen, is convenient because hydrogen can be extracted from nitrogen using much less electricity than that needed to, say, pull apart hydrogen and oxygen. (It's a matter of 0.037 Volts versus 1.23 Volts, if you really need to know.)

They're still working on the logistics of it, but I look forward to the day when I'll be using a toilet that powers the phone I'm using while sitting on it with my own emissions. The future is at hand! [Discovery via PopSci]

$300 Virtual On Joysticks Are Faithful to the Original [Gaming]

Adam Frucci — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:20:00 -0400

You could buy the $15 Xbox Live Arcade game Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram and play it with a regular controller. Or you could cowboy the fuck up and buy Hori's $323 dual joystick controller designed specifically for Virtual On.

This is the second design of these sticks, redesigned after fans complained that the first ones weren't faithful enough to the Dreamcast original. And if any company needs to listen to the whines of fanboys, it's a high-end Japanese peripheral company that makes $300 controllers designed for $15 games. [Insert Credit via Kotaku]

The Max Launch Abort System Launch Makes Me Want to Be an Astronaut Again [Space]

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0400

Looks like Flash Gordon came to Virginia this Wednesday. Here you have images and video of the spectacular Max Launch Abort System in action. Sadly, the spiffy spacecraft won't be in Orion. Maybe they can send me one to test.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

MLAS—named after Maxime Faget, the designer for the Aerial Capsule Emergency Separation Device in the Mercury program—is an alternative abort launch system concept developed by a team of NASA engineers, working in parallel with the Constellation program team. It won't replace the Orion abort system, however, but according to NASA this concept has serious potential for future missions:

MLAS is of potential interest because it is theorized to have aerodynamic performance benefits, weight savings and be relatively simple in some spacecraft applications. Much of the potential gains would be accomplished by eliminating the launch abort tower, which also means eliminating the attitude control motors.

[NASA]

BlackBerry Onyx Loses a Trackball, Gains a Trackpad [Rumor]

John Herrman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:41:30 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.The leaked-to-all-hell BlackBerry Onyx may have undergone one last change before heading to manufacture: judging by this shot nabbed by BlackBerry Underground, it'll have a Curve 8520-esque optical trackpad—not a trackball.

This feature has been a persistent rumor since the original Onyx shots hit the web, though the fact that it contradicted the actual photos of the device didn't bode well for its credibility.

In the context of early reactions to the Onyx leak, this apparent late change makes a lot of sense: the handset was characterized as a best-of-all-worlds device, keeping all the best features of non-touch BlackBerrys without sacrificing compactness. Grabbing the optical trackpad from the 8520, then, is an obvious move. [BlackBerry Underground via BGR]

Android, Chrome OS Relationship Confusing Everyone, Including Google [Google]

John Herrman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:19:42 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Just as companies were starting to get serious about installing Android, a mobile Linux OS, on netbooks, Google announces Chrome, a netbook Linux OS. The relationship between the two OSes is already getting tense, or at the very least, awkward.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt is now admitting that it took him quite a while to warm to the idea of Chrome the browser, even longer to come to terms with the possibility of Chrome the OS, and in both cases only after Larry Page Sergey Brin literally nerded him into submission:

I just gave up, but there is no question I am hugely supportive of Chrome and Chrome OS. They are game-changers. They change the way you think about your computer.

Meanwhile, Android's perceived role in the world was expanding. After all this soul-searching, though, Schmidt must have a clear vision of parallel, non-conflicting roles for Android and Chrome OS, right?:

Although it appears they are two separate projects, there's a great deal of commonality. Eventually they may merge even closer."

This is somewhere between "oops!" and "I have no idea."

But hold on! There could be a third way! Digitimes is reporting that Intel is in talks with Google to help adapt Android for use in MIDs, the so-far ill-fated bridge devices between netbooks and smartphones. Technologically, this seems like a reasonable secondary use for Android. Commercially, though, MIDs are something of a ghetto; a category broached by few manufacturers, and unfamiliar (or unattractive) to most customers.

The most obvious conclusion to all this is for Android (and Android enthusiasts) to narrow ambitions and focus on what we know it's good at: cellphones, and possibly portable media players. This is something that will probably happen organically, but only after a few more news cycles worth of bewildering quotes and announcements from Google, which we will gleefully document. [WSJ, Digitimes]

Nintendo on the Wii Vitality Sensor: You Just Don't Understand [Nintendo]

John Herrman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:58:45 -0400

The Wii Vitality Sensor was met with a very harsh, possibly unfair reception when it was announced at E3. Now, Nintendo is getting a little defensive about their upcoming ~~medical instrument~~ game peripheral.

Nintendo's North American President Reggie Fils-Aime explained that the Vitality Sensor is just the latest in a chain of products that are first misunderstood and ridiculed, gaining acceptance after having a chance to prove themselves, like the DS, or the Wii, or the Balance Board. Pretty much everything, actually:

[We] probably had a very similar conversation when we first showed the Nintendo DS: how is it going to work, why a touch screen, voice activation—I don't get it. We probably had a similar conversation about the Wii Remote: how is this going to work, how is it going to work with the games that I want to play—I don't get it. Now I'm hearing something similar for the Wii Vitality Sensor. And all I can tell you is, with the game developers that we have, we will bring forth an experience that you will say, "Wow, I get it."

There were surely plenty of folks who ridiculed the DS and Wiimote concepts, but they were shouted down by the rational majority who could easily see how a touchscreen handheld or a console motion controller could be awesome.

And besides, most interested people do have specific ideas in mind for the Vitality Sensor, which is precisely why they're not excited. It's not the nobody "gets" the product; it's that gamers are lamenting the Wii's accelerating change from a fun console to some kind of distinctly un-fun health device.

Of course Nintendo could blow us all away with some new kind of clever biometric game integration, akin to their previous attempt at a heartrate sensor (except hopefully better), but if they want us to expect—and get excited about—anything beyond Wii Fit II, we're going to need a little more information—games, clues, or frankly, anything at all. [Fast Company via TechRadar]

Olympus Stop Motion E-P1 Ad Concept Is Clever (Also, Stolen) [Advertising]

John Herrman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:40:42 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.The Olympus Pen E-P1 is a beautiful Micro Four Thirds tribute the famous Pen half-frame SLR of the 1960s, so it's only appropriate that the most distinctive part of their advertising campaign is, well, inspired by a previous work.

Above, you see Olympus' "The PEN Story," a charming collection of some 9600 prints strung together in stop motion animation. From the video's YouTube description:

This is the PEN Story in stop motion. We shot 60.000 pictures, developed 9.600 prints and shot over 1.800 pictures again. No post production! Thanks to all the stop motion artists who inspired us. We hope you enjoy :-) Song & Lyrics by Johannes Stankowski
Produced and Arranged by Michael Kadelbach.

Thanks all around! Thanks for everyone! Now watch this, posted months before the E-P1 was even announced:

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
That's "Stop motion with wolf and pig," a video made by this Japanese fellow. The aesthetic similarities are obvious, but forgivable. The conceptual similarities? Not so much. Our tipster:

From the beginning with opening envelope, to the stairs, trains, swimming, the whole thing is a complete rip off. Kind of crosses the line between inspiration and theft. Unless they hired him to do it, which seems unlikely.

That Olympus didn't directly thank Mr. Wolf 'n Pig doesn't take away from the fact that their video is equally—if not more—technically impressive than the one that inspired it, but it couldn't hurt to at least acknowledge the poor kid's work a little more directly. [Thanks, Nick B! <— (see, that wasn't so bad!)]

Microsoft Silverlight Now Supports GPU Video Acceleration [Microsoft]

John Herrman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:05:04 -0400

Download links are live for the latest version of Microsoft's softly maligned not-Flash plugin, and they come bearing gifts. Ars breaks the new features down:

• Media: GPU hardware acceleration, new codec support (H.264, AAC, MPEG-4), raw bitstream Audio/Video API, and improved logging for media analytics
• Graphics: GPU Acceleration and hardware compositing, perspective 3D, bitmap and pixel API, pixel shader effects, and Deep Zoom improvements
• Application development: Deep linking, navigation and SEO, improved text quality, multi-touch support, 60+ controls available, and library caching support
• Data: Data-binding improvements, validation error templates, server data push improvements, binary XML networking support, and multi-tier REST data support

That first one is far and away the most important, since high-bitrate HD streaming is well on its way to becoming the de facto standard for online video, and Flash kinda sucks at it. I still notice fairly high CPU utilization running their test video, but the instant skipping feature is definitely impressive. [Ars]

OCZ Sabre OLED Keyboard (Unofficial Codename: Optimus Budgetus) Priced at $135 [Keyboards]

John Herrman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:40:46 -0400

The OCZ Sabre asked us to compromise, featuring a sharply limited number of display-integrated keys, so we asked it to do the same: dip below $200, or else. Today, ZipZoomFly is listing the Sabre at a reasonable $135.00.

For comparison, ThinkGeek sells the Optimus Maximus, the great grandpappy of the OLED-in-a-key concept, for a staggering $1600. Obviously, the OCZ doesn't match up to Art Lebedev's Cheeto-resistant masterpeice—fewer keys, limited colors, plainer styling—but come on, is it really 8.5% the keyboard the Optimus is?

The item isn't listed as shipping yet, though OCZ says they're on their way to retailers. [ZipZoomFly—Thanks, Justin!]

The Beginner's Guide to Google Voice [Guides]

Dan Nosowitz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:00:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Confused by all the number-changing, grouping, re-routing, and transcribing going on in Google Voice? Head over to Lifehacker to check out their excellent guide to all things Google Voice. [Lifehacker]

Amazing Music Video Is an International Webcam Collage [MUSIC VIDEOS]

Dan Nosowitz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:30:00 -0400

Well, isn't this heartwarming and adorable. Japanese band Sour had fans use webcams in intricate, unexpected ways to create this lo-fi music video for their song "Hibi no Neiro." We promise you'll crack a small, satisfied smile. [Vimeo, thanks Jack!]

Altoids Tin Catapult Will Make You Feel, and Act, 10 Years Old Again [DIY]

Dan Nosowitz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0400

Here's an Instructables to bring back the obnoxious kid that lives not so far down in all of us: Learn how to turn one of those miniature Altoids tins into a tiny catapult. It'll be fun for nobody but you.

We like Instructables like this one because not everyone has a damn laser cutter lying around, and this one only requires materials you've likely got lying around anyway (coat hanger, rubber band, spoon, etc.). The creator promises it'll only take about 10 minutes, and we promise it'll be fun for at least 11. [Instructables]

Beware, Criminals: Japanese Police Now Equipped With Chintzy, Inaccurate Paintball Guns [Weaponry]

Dan Nosowitz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:30:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Paintball guns for police sort of make sense, if you live in a country of incredibly timid criminals. But why do the guns have to look like they were bought at the dollar store?

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.The plasticky firearms feature a laser sight but it doesn't seem much help, since those demonstrating the "color ball launchers" can't quite hit their slow-moving example targets. I mean, we've got non-lethal weapons in the States too, like beanbag launchers, rubber bullets and pellets, but they're called "non-lethal" because they'll only barely not kill you. These paintball guns would probably be approved by our FCC for use by children under the age of twelve. So you're welcome, criminals of Japan. Just wear an old shirt when you commit crimes and you'll have nothing to worry about. [Japan Probe]

WebOS 1.1 Update With More Apps Hitting Palm Pre Soon? [Palm Pre]

Adrian Covert — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.So says Pre Central, who received an apparent internal memo from a tipster indicating webOS 1.1 should hit the Pre in the next 30 days. The update is expected include with improved Exchange handling, beefed up security, and more apps.

The Exchange improvements seem to indicate that the phone would be able to do remote wipes from IT, required pin codes, remote wipes after a certain number of failed pin entries, and auto lock. This would seem to be setting the Pre up for more widespread enterprise adoption.

As for the mention of more apps, no one is sure whether that means more bundled apps on the phone, or more app store offerings. But maybe that means a dedicated Facebook app is finally on the way? And for the love of God, NO MORE NASCAR APPS. [Pre Central via Boy Genius Report]

How The F*ck Did We Get Here? [Image Cache]

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:45:00 -0400

I'm sure that Philippe Kahn—who has been telling us the adventures of his Pegasus Raceboat—will have a precise and logical answer. The rest of us are allowed to say any stupid thing we want.

Sprint to Require WiFi on All Future Phones We Care About [Sprint]

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:30:00 -0400

While announcing the company's intention to release an updated version of the BlackBerry Tour with WiFi next year, a Sprint spokesman let slip that WiFi will also be present "in all its major devices going forward." Big win!

We're still annoyed with current-gen or even last-gen smartphones that are lacking WiFi (which leads to a general annoyance with Verizon), so we're glad to hear a major player is embracing it for the foreseeable future. Said the spokesman, "It is now a requirement for all our PDA equipment suppliers to include WiFi," which is a pretty firm commitment. What do you think, readers? Is WiFi a dealbreaker in a smartphone purchase? [Fierce Wireless via Engadget]

Remainders - Things We Didn't Post [Remainders]

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:00:00 -0400

DIY haunted greenhouse...WiMax for Vaio P? WiNot?...Bodhisattva, let me take you by the hand...More MacBook Pro hard drive mayhem...

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Legend has it that, in the days following the Civil War, old glass negatives of forgotten soldiers were sold cheap to farmers to build greenhouses. As the light struck the frames, the faces of the dead would appear on the leaves of the plants and on all of the other surfaces of the interior. No one is sure if these were ever really built, but an artist and a class at Rensselaer Polytechnic did build one, using 100-year-old glass negative mugshots of crooks. In this haunted house, it's not so much the nighttime that's scary, but boy does it get creeeeeeee-py when the sun comes up. Pico-projected 12-megapixel digital mugshots of modern day criminals surely wouldn't have the same effect, but we'd have written that up for sure. [Make]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Observers have discovered a Vaio P ad that shows the semi-pocket friendly laptop with a WiMax option. That sounds nice, considering we've felt the raw power of WiMax at upwards of 12Mbps. But as a Japan-only offering, and with Clearwire/Sprint's WiMax only just now going live in its fourth US city, all it does now is make us feel the raw power of jealousy. We certainly doubt that WiMax is the big upsell for October's Super P. [Pocketables via BBG]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Recently we encountered Odin, a gold-painted Buddha phone with a virtual instant shrine; today, another Buddhist phonemaker one upped its rival with the C91, a phone that is, in effect, a Buddhist shrine. Its circular shape reminds the holder that the world is unending and ever-connected, while its dual-SIM slots represent the duality of self and other. That reminds me, did you hear what the Buddhist monk said to the hot-dog vendor? "Make me one with everything." [2dayBlog via SlipperyBrick via UberGizmo]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
How's that new MacBook Pro holding up? Good? Yeah, you sprung for that 7200rpm drive, didn't you? Well be on the listen for some unpleasant clicks and beeps. People are reporting that their 7200 is acting funny, some say a result of the shock-protection system inside the drive that may well be redundant anyway. Nobody's reporting any massive data loss or machine implosions, but we didn't want you caught unawares, now that you spent all that extra money. And yeah, this is different than that other MacBook Pro drive issue. [MacNN]

Google's CEO Is Using a BLACKBERRY?! [Smartphones]

Adrian Covert — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:45:55 -0400

Here's a photo of Google CEO Eric Schmidt snapping a pic—with a BLACKBERRY. I know drug dealers are advised not to get high on their supply, but for the rest of the world, I believe it's strongly encouraged.

BusinessInsider posted the incriminating AP pic of the Silicon Valley exec on a busisness retreat out in Idaho. I mean, he didn't even try to hide the Blackberry logo.

I know Android isn't designed around enterprise, and that Schmidt is a big shot businessman and needs a Blackberry for RIM's push email, and scheduling, and collaborations, and synergizing with other execs. But this is FRIKKIN GOOGLE we're talking about. I'd sooner expect him carrying an iPhone—he is, after all, on the board.

You're telling me that the CEO can't get his code monkeys to create some custom Android software that connects to a special server and does everything a BlackBerry can? And it doesn't seem like a one night stand either—the ratty Google sticker on the back of the phone (presumably a Curve 8900) seems to indicate the thing gets some serious usage.

Could you imagine El Jobso (or Phil Schiller, for that matter), toting around an HTC Touch Pro 2? And I'll give you one guess what Roger McNamee and Jon Rubinstein are using (three letters...starts with P, ends with E). Tsk, tsk. Do better, Mr. Schmidt. [Business Insider via CNN via Engadget]

Netbook Cover Fashions Itself in the Likeness of an NES Controller [NetBooks]

Adrian Covert — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:40:00 -0400

Handcrafts made to look like old pieces of Nintendo hardware are great. Which is why this Netbook cover, received as a gift by Flickr user Mendicon, speaks for itself. But I think this could be even better.

How, you ask? Consider the shape of the NES controller, and think about which netbook best resembles it—yep, the Sony Vaio P. Crank out one of these covers for that oblong netbook, and all 10 Vaio P owners might be ordering one. Hell, I'd consider buying a Vaio P just to have one of those covers. Actually, not really. That was a lie. Sorry. [Flickr via In Blog We Trust]

Jay Leno Uses 3D Printer to Replace Rare Old Car Parts [3D Printing]

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:20:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.What do you do when you have a passion for rare old cars and one irreplaceable part breaks? If you are a stand-up comedian who looks like a T-Mobile Android G1, you scan it and print a new one.

That's exactly what Jay Leno does: He scans the part in a NextEngine 3D Scanner in about 20 minutes at a 160,000 dots per inch resolution. Then he prints the resulting 3D model in plastic using a Dimension 3D Printer. It takes three hours to get the plastic model, which then he uses it to create a mold that will produce the actual car piece in metal.

You can read more about the process in Jay's own words at Popular Mechanics. [Popular Mechanics]

MacBook Users Rejoice: The Kanex Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Includes USB Audio [Accessories]

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:00:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Frustratingly, Mini DisplayPort doesn't include audio, so to get sound when outputting to an HDTV using HDMI, you'd need to use yet another cable. This adapter uses USB for audio, so you get the full A/V with just one cable.

Though HDMI is capable of handling both audio and video, the Mini DisplayPort on MacBooks is not—a definite source of annoyance for MacBook users. The Kanex adapter gets sound from USB, like one of those teeny external sound cards, and merges it into the video it gets from Mini DisplayPort, so on the other end, your HDTV gets both audio and video from HDMI, up to 1080p resolution. It's a simple solution, though of course not as elegant as if Apple would just put a damn HDMI-out in their MacBooks, so if you're showing a lot of HD video content, this could be a real life-saver.

The clumsily (if descriptively) named "Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter with USB digital audio" from Kanex (a line from Apogee, makers of various high-end A/V products) will be available this August for an undisclosed price. [Press Release]

Video of Weaponized RC Plane Shooting Fireworks [DIY]

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:40:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.To celebrate Independence Day, some guys thought that shooting fireworks from RC planes—using an electrical firing system—was a great safe idea. Judging by the music, however, it seems they were celebrating Hitler's invasion of Poland. [Hacked Gadgets]

Citizen Engineer Releases a Comic All About SIM Hacking (and Tosses in a SIM Reader for Good Measure) [Open Source]

Adrian Covert — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:20:00 -0400

Phil Torrone and Limor Freid of Adafruit Industries have a video project called Citizen Engineer, where they aim to educate and entertain when it comes to various aspects of open source hacking. Now they've released a comic to go with it.

The inaugural book essentially mimics the video, but also happens to come complete with functioning QR code trickery and a SIM reader that you can use for fun (maybe profit?). The set costs $35 (purchasable here), but if you like, you can also print it out yourself. The downside is that you might not get the same, high quality look and you definitely won't get a SIM reader. But then again you save $35. [Citizen Engineer]

Suge Knight Light Dangles Your Nightmares Out the Window [Death Row Records]

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:00:00 -0400

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.For those times when you feel like a simple night light isn't enough to scare off your nighttime demons, who better to help than the scariest man in hip-hop? [YouTube]

There's Finally a Use For the Caps Lock Key [Software]

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:40:00 -0400

Billy Mays may be dead but his spirit will live in your PC with the Billy Mays Caps Lock! The Billy Mays Caps Lock will make Billy say something whenever you press caps lock! Yes, that's right! And there's more!

Whenever you run the Billy Mays Caps Lock program, Billy will speak one of his trademark phrases. But that's not all. If you order it right now, we'll double the value! You will get the Billy Mays Caps Lock program and a Billy Mays icon in your system tray. When you are done using the Billy Mays Caps Lock program, just click on the Billy Mays icon and select Exit. And that's not all!

What if you don't want to exit the Billy Mays Caps Lock program but you want to temporarily use the actual caps lock key instead of having Billy Mays tell you how he will make your whites whiter? You got it! For the same price, our Billy Mays Caps Lock program includes a special mode that will activate the caps lock whenever you hit the shift key at the same time!

What is the price for the Billy Mays Caps Lock? That's the best part: It's completely free! Just click on the link and download it!

Seriously, like Rosa told me today: "Oh! There's finally a use for the caps lock key." Someone make a Mac version of this, pronto. [John Haller—Thanks Rosa]

Rumor: Windows 7 Family Pack Will Offer Three Licenses for $137 [Windows 7]

Adrian Covert — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:29:58 -0400

Prices for the Windows 7 Family Pack have apparently leaked, according to ZDNet, and the multi-user bundle will net you three copies of Windows 7 for $137. Also revealed were prices for the Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade products.

These prices aren't 100 percent confirmed, and no one knows certain when these products will ship. But the speculation is that upgrading from Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium will cost $82, while upgrading from Home Premium to Professional or Ultimate will cost $91 or $138, respectively.

Is your head spinning yet? Good. Because you should also know that Microsoft plans to run a pre-release promotion to lower both the Home Premium and Ultimate upgrade prices to $49 and $99, respectively. OK, done. Phew. [ZDNet via Electronista]

Apple Mini Keyboard Wallpaper [Downloads]

Jason Chen — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:20:00 -0400

This Apple Mini Keyboard by philipskillern isn't just a logical progression of the hardware line, it's fancy looking too. Download the wallpaper yourself in various sizes. [Deviantart]

How to: Make a Fisheye DSLR Lens for $16 [DIY]

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0400

Over at Instructables, user Banjomaster shows how to make a fisheye lens for his Nikon D90 for just $16, with the help of one of those wide-angle doorway peephole lenses.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.It looks like a pretty simple mod, both in materials required and construction method: It only needs a couple pieces of particle board, the aforementioned peephole lens, the spare lens shield that came with his camera, and of course some duct tape. The only possible caveat: The replacement wide-angle lens is significantly smaller than the camera's lens, so there's a circle around all of the shots. On the other hand, it's sort of cool; it makes everything look like you shot it through a hotel door. Check it out, we're sure it can be modified for other makes and models of DSLR. [Instructables]

Future iPhones May Recognize Objects, Faces, Alter Your Voice [Apple]

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:40:00 -0400

If this load of recently filed Apple patents become a reality, your iPhone may become a perfect tool for spies soon, with real world object identification, faces recognition, voice alteration, and text filtering, among other things:

• Real world object identification: This function will let you point at any object and obtain information about it after the iPhone recognizes, using either the object itself—like a painting—RFID tags, or barcode scanning. Alternatively, you can just search the object up in Google. It's not like it's hard to read a tag or enter a name.

• Face detection and recognition: Similar to the face recognition feature in iPhoto, this can be used for security access. In other words: We are doomed.

• Text message filtering: If you are offended by the cursing in my twitters and SMS, the new filtering system will save your ears from bleeding, you **************** *******.

• Smarter text messaging: There are two patents about this. One allows you to check if text messages fail to reach someone in a group. The other informs you if you have received any messages (mail, text, or voicemails) from someone before you try to contact them, just in case you have received what you wanted before initiating the contact. Paranoids and control freaks rejoice.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

• Voice changer: Since I sounds like Daffy Duck, this is my favorite new feature by far. Now I would be able to sound like Sean Connery in every single call. Or, apparently, Oprah. I can go either way. [USPTO patent on object recognition, USPTO patent on face recognition, USPTO patent on SMS via Unwired Review]

Guess What? It's a New Snow Leopard Build [Snow Leopard]

Jason Chen — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:36:21 -0400

Build 10A402 of Snow Leopard just got pushed out to developers, and we'll post what's new in a second. Go ahead and download via Software Update now. [Thanks Chrisdazzo!]

Macrumors says there are speed fixes, battery improvements, third party system pref panes, dock menu changes and expose for multiple monitor fixes.

Oversized Solar-Powered LED Flowers Make For an Ostentatious Lawn [Image Cache]

Jason Chen — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:20:00 -0400

Converting things that are out in the sun to run off solar power makes a lot of sense, like lawn ornaments, these flowers or air conditioning units. Zambonis? Less so. [OGE Gallery via Mocoloco via BBG]

Canon Launches 5 New Printers, We Like the One That Comes in a Bucket [Canon]

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:00:00 -0400

Canon, as is their wont, let loose with a bunch of new all-in-ones, laser and photo printers, and this time, we're digging two of them: The WiFi- and USB-enabled MP560, pictured, and the CP790, which comes packaged in a bucket.

The Pixma MP560, that pretty guy up top, is a compact all-in-one with WiFi, two-sided printing and a USB slot to plug in an external drive in addition to the plethora of memory card slots common to all Canon printers. It claims a speed of 6 color images per minute, which is pretty solid for a printer this size, and will retail for about $150. The Pixma MP490 is pretty much a crappier version of the MP560, without the WiFi or USB, and will go for $50 less.

The SELPHY CP790 is a little portable photo printer with a 3-inch LCD that comes in its own bucket (Canon calls it a basket, but they're not fooling us). The bucket includes space for paper, extra ink, a battery, that kind of thing, and the printer itself features some nice extras like face detection and brightness correction. It'll retail for $180.

The other two are small business-class laser printers and don't look particularly exciting. But we're digging the printer-in-a-bucket: We love any gadget that can be used either as intended or to make sand castles. [Canon: CP790, MP560]

Bossa Nova Penbo: The "First Real Robot for Girls" Is a Pink, Waddling Penguin With a Baby [Robots]

matt buchanan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:40:00 -0400

The adorable pink counterpart to Prime-8, Penbo is supposedly the "first real robot for girls." It uses the same locomotion tech derived from the buggy RHex robot, but cutified so it waddles:

And yes, it has a baby. Called Bebe. Cute overload, for sure. Unlike Prime-8, it's not strictly remote-controlled—it responds to touch and voice and...the baby, which is the closest thing it has to a remote control, since it'll summon Penbo and interact and play games with it. Penbo responds differently to different color babies—there are 4 colors, each with around 21 features.

But really, the best feature is the Penbo dance, which you can see in the video above: Put two together and they waddlewaddlewaddle. Which is how I guess they make more babies.

Penbo will hit QVC with Prime-8 on July 25, then Amazon later on, for $80.

BOSSA NOVA ROBOTICS,
A SPINOFF FROM CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY'S ROBOTICS INSTITUTE,
RETURNS TO CAMPUS TO UNVEIL ITS FIRST LINE OF PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT ROBOTS

Affordable Robots Feature Revolutionary 'Ani-Motion' Technology And Encourage Interactive Play

PITTSBURGH - July 9, 2009 - After four years of development, Bossa Nova Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based, robotics company and spinoff from Carnegie Mellon University's (CMU) Robotics Institute, today unveiled its first line of personal entertainment robots. Combining the magic of agile robots with a rich play experience, Bossa Nova presented two interactive and enriching biped robots modeled after the way kids play: Prime-8, a fast-paced gorilla robot, and Penbo, an adorable penguin with baby robot.
Bossa Nova's launch comes on the heels of the opening of Carnegie Science Center's roboworld™, the world's largest permanent robotics exhibition, and further establishes Pittsburgh's position as the nation's hub for robotics education, research and development. Penbo and Prime-8 will be used in roboworld's innovative Robot Workshop to help visitors understand the many uses of robotic technology beyond familiar industrial environments and experience the many ways robots are already in their homes.
Bossa Nova's robots evolved from RHex, a fast-moving, agile, hexapod robot which was developed from 1999 to 2004 as a collaboration between the CMU Robotics Institute and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). RHex provided the platform for Bossa Nova's 'Ani-Motion' robotic technology - a revolutionary lifelike robotic mechanism loosely based on animalistic locomotion. With a vision to bring personal robots to every home, Bossa Nova spent four years further developing the RHex technology to make it affordable and capable of age-appropriate, robot-human interactivity.
Underlining Bossa Nova's research and product development is the Japan Robotics Association's forecast that the market for personal and lifestyle robots will grow to $15 billion by 2015. According to United States ABI Research, approximately 75% of the market is attributed to entertainment robotics with the majority of sales driven by children's robots.
"The technology behind Prime-8 and Penbo has only previously been seen in multi-million dollar research projects," said Sarjoun Skaff, CEO, Bossa Nova, Ph.D Robotics, CMU. "To make this kind of technology available to children is unprecedented and what we've seen in all of our focus groups is that both kids and adults are impressed by Penbo and Prime-8's technology and lifelike movements."
Continued Skaff, "Children's robotics is just the start, in the future we envisage creating Bossa Nova robots that will change the way we work, play, learn and stay safe."
Not your primitive primate, Prime-8 mimics the way boys play. Prime-8's intense interactivity is powered by a battery of sensors that allow him to respond to people and his environment. Outbound sight and sound sensors help Prime-8 maneuver around obstacles, respond to questions with grunts and growls, and express himself. A fast-paced, powerful and fun gorilla robot with a strong personality, his personality radically transforms from a friendly, funny gorilla with warm blue eyes to a ‘Gone Bananas!' robot, beating the floor and roaring from the top of his lungs, with circuits crackling and furious red eyes.
On the other end of the robot spectrum is Penbo, an adorable interactive and waddling penguin robot who surprises little girls when she lays an egg. When the egg is opened, out comes Bebe - a tiny baby penguin that will chirp and communicate with its mother. Penbo is aware of her surroundings, loves to dance, plays games and talks with Baby in Penguish, her own language; she responds to touch with blinking eyes, flapping wings, and cooing sounds and is a perfect robot companion for little girls to nurture.
Prime-8 will be available to consumers for the first time on QVC on July 25. Penbo will make her consumer debut on QVC in mid-August. Both products will be available online on August 1st and on shelves at retailers nationwide for the holiday season.

About Bossa Nova Robotics
Bossa Nova Robotics has been redefining the robotics industry since 2005. A spinoff from Carnegie Mellon University's Robotic Institute, Bossa Nova creates enriching entertainment experiences by combining the magic of agile robots with the power of play. Based in the nation's robotics capital, Pittsburgh, PA, the Company designs and manufactures personal robots for consumer use. Bossa Nova was created based on a dream that kids everywhere would one day have an opportunity to interact with a new generation of toy robots. Unlike anything on the market, Bossa Nova's robots showcase a new relationship between technology and toys. Kids love Bossa Nova's robots because they're exciting and funny; parents love them because they have a family-friendly play pattern. In the coming years, Bossa Nova will apply its robotics expertise to security, health, education and home care markets. For more information about Bossa Nova Robotics, please visit www.bnconcepts.com.

Google Chrome OS Screenshots Are Fake, Just Like We Thought [Google Chrome OS]

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:21:00 -0400

John Herrman was pretty skeptical of the Chrome OS screenshots we saw this morning, and as it turns out, rightly so; their creator has piped up and admitted their falsity.

Here's the creator's explanation, in his own (poorly written) words. It was all just a prank, for some unknown reason!

I am sorry if you beleived it. It was a really bad attempt. You all are smart people. I never planned on it getting this big. But it did. (Come one, I know the Google logo. I am actually a graphic designer, I just wanted to see reactions if it was a crappy back.)

Oh, right, I also DO know CSS and HTML. Just clarifying that. I never was going to let this go on longer than 12 hours.

We're mostly just disappointed, since a more professional mockup would've been so much harder to disprove. Couldn't he have waited one day and gotten the damn Google colors right? [Faker's Blog via PC Mag]

Sony's Planning a Vaio P Mark 2 Super Portable in October? [Unconfirmed]

Jason Chen — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:20:00 -0400

TechRadar reports that there will be a "range" of Vaio Ps, Sony's super tiny and super expensive laptop coming later this year.

We recently got a minor spec bump in the original line, making the Vaio P as fast as normal netbooks. No other details on what the new machines will have, however. [TechRadar]

The iSaw USB Chainsaw Was a Hoax with a Message [Pranks]

Adam Frucci — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 -0400

Remember the iSaw from a couple days ago? Unsurprisingly, it wasn't real. But the cause that it was created to support is one we can definitely get behind.

Here's the email people who placed "pre-orders" received:

Hello.
We love that you liked the i.Saw enough to pre-order.

Truth is, you already own a chainsaw. Your keyboard.

Help save more trees by cutting down on unnecessary printing. Download PaperCut, a free application that plays the sound of a chainsaw each time you press Ctrl-P.

Available for Mac and PC.

Thanks for the support. Help spread the buzz, if you will :)

PaperCut Team
(formerly known as i.Saw Team)

This is my kind of prank: it was clever, harmless and didn't disrupt anyone trying to do their jobs or harass anyone. Instead, it gave us a fun diversion with the goal of having us pause and thing about an issue with real merit. Good on you, PaperCut. Those douches at PETA could learn a thing or two from you. [PaperCut]