Archive for September 7th, 2007
A wheel chair being developed by Ambient will allow users to control its movement with just their thoughts — a breakthrough device that could be a huge help for the paralyzed. Called the Audeo, the chair works by intercepting brain signals sent to your larynx and decoding them to match previously recorded words, such as “forward,” “back,” or “fire laser.”
Luckily, there is no complex cyborg-like surgery involved, as the device works by using a sensor-covered neckband to detect the brain signals and wirelessly transmit them to a nearby computer for processing. Theoretically, the signals can also be sent to a speech synthesizer, allowing a paralyzed user to speak with all the intensity and creepiness of Stephen Hawking. Pretty amazing in its simplicity, I’m curious to see how accurate this thing is and that it won’t be sending our handicapped flying backwards into traffic. [Ambient via SciFi]


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If there’s one thing better than a new iPod and/or iPhone it’s the new iPod and/or iPhone caged, networked and ready to do your bidding. The iPort in-wall dock is essentially a pretty box that you can hang on a wall that will allow you to fully control your iPod or iPhone from anywhere in your house — as long as your entire house is networked. The gadget is slick, I’ll give it that, but $200 dollars for the one-way unit is a bit steep — even if your iPhone rebate does buy half of it. By the way, there’s also a two-way $800 dollar version, you know, if you’ve completely lost your mind. [MediaMentalism via MobileMentalism]


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Looks like the secret phone being unveiled at Palm’s European event next week is the Windows Mobile-based Gandolf, which should be a Vodaphone exclusive. [Boy Genius Report]


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In the dick contest that is CEDIA, the little screens sometimes get overlooked. But we didn’t miss the LC-19D44U, a 19-incher AQUOS from Sharp that shows that size doesn’t always matter. Destined for kitchens and equipped with one of the sharpest screens we saw, it was the only brand new TV set introduced by the company here at CEDIA. It’s the first 16×9 set this small made by Sharp, and even though it’s just 720p, it’s packing lots of pixels into a small space.
Space saving is a recurring theme with this model, too, with its magnetic-backed remote control that sticks to the TV’s base when you’re not using it. We saw another model in white that’s just about the same but not AQUOS branded, and doesn’t have that clever magnetic-backed remote or the carrying handle in the back.
These tiny TVs look great, their price is right, and might be popular with those who need a TV blaring at them wherever they are. The LC-19D44U will retail for $649 and ships in October.


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Do you know what time it is? It’s ass kicking time, and this Batman Collapsible Desk Clock is just the thing for criminals to know that Batman’s working 24 hours a day. $45 gets you the clock, which is also collapsible, and probably means you can easily stick it into your pocket and throw it at any co-workers who violate your personal space. I’m Batman. [Skymall via Popgadget via Shiny Shiny]


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Growing up I loved making shadow puppets, but regardless of how awesome I thought they were, no one could decipher my genius. Enter Shadow Monsters. This game (is it really considered a game?) takes your shadowy creations and digitally alters them onto a projection screen. It can even tell that you are trying to open and close your monsters “mouth” and will let out a big ol’ burp. Classy. [Kotaku]


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Word on the street is that the video out function on the new line of iPods is locked if used in conjunction with old video cables and docks from third parties. Apparently, the new iPods will only work with cables featuring Apple’s authentication chip (read: official first party products and a handful of third party), leaving long time video iPod owners in a bind if they have iPod video gear lying around.
In a week where Apple hasn’t made the most popular decisions(iPhone price cut HELLO), this probably won’t gain them any cool points. No official statement has been issued by Apple, so it’s tough to say there is a good reason for this, or if it is just an oversight. Either way, it’s a tough pill to swallow for those who shelled out a lot of money for old video gear and now want a new iPod. [iLounge]


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We kid about Professional TV watchers, because if there were such things they would use this rack-mounted two-tuner HD monster. We laid our hands on this baby, liking most of it and loathing some.
It has twice the capacity of the TiVo-less HR20, bringing 100 hours of HD and 400 hours of SD video to the festivities. We liked the pretty black design of the HR21, and the touchwheel-shaped control wheel up front looked nice but felt a bit cheap.
Although there’s still no TiVo on board despite the renewed agreement between the two companies, we were impressed with the snappy response of its user interface. But it’s ugly like most other b-grade non-TiVo DVR interfaces. Meh. And look at that tacky remote, looking more like a kid’s toy from Fisher Price than a pro-installed remote control.
Another pro-install innovation is the optical HDMI, where you plug an HDMI cable into an black box that turns those signals into optical impulses, transmitting them over fiber optic cable to another black box that turns them back into HDMI signals. Neat. And hey, it still does HD!


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Posted by: in Mobile Phones
Filed under: Cellphones
Ruh roh, did RIM have another widespread BlackBerry outage? Reports are popping up all across the internets that since as early as this morning BlackBerry users were unable to get their email on T-Mobile or AT&T, and possibly other carriers as well. From the sound of things though, Jim Basille’s prayers to the fair and equitable Gods of Push Email were answered, as RIM issued the following statement:
“Some customers using BlackBerry Internet Service experienced a delay this afternoon in sending or receiving email. The issue has since been resolved and no messages were lost. RIM continues to investigate the matter. Service for BlackBerry Enterprise Server customers was not impacted. RIM apologizes to customers for any inconvenience.”
Oh great, just put many a young, connected couples’ relationships in harm’s way — please RIM, won’t you think of the yet-unconcieved children?
P.S. -If you’re (still) having problems, sound off in comments! Let us know where you’re at, who your carrier is, etc.
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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