Archive for August, 2009

Arkeg: An arcade game with a keg built in

Posted in Games by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2009

Arkeg: An arcade game with a keg built inWhat are the two greatest things ever? Games and booze that’s what. What you are looking at is man’s best friend and I’m not talking about a dog. The Arkeg is an arcade game with a keg built in. It holds a 5-gallon keg and a PC that comes pre-loaded with 104 classic games.

Drink up my friends until up is down and down is up on that joystick. You’ll be blitzed by the light of a 24-inch screen, with a 2.1 sound system and a powered sub, along with two arcade controllers and a trackball.

We don’t know what it is, but we want one

Posted in Apple by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2009

We don't know what it is, but we want oneWe have almost zero info on this beauty, but it has us drooling like a rabid dog. It’s a little touchscreen device that’s running Android and looks like it’s about 4.5 inches by 4 inches, like a larger version of the iPhone. Looks like it has two buttons on the top of the device and SD storage.

It may be a prototype. We don’t know who makes it or if it will even be for sale. Hopefully we’ll learn more about this device soon. If it’s real and the price is good, this could be a pretty neat open-source tablet. It’s sexy no?

Safaricom launches solar-powered mobile phone

Posted in Mobile Phones by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2009

Safaricom launches solar-powered mobile phone Safaricom out of Kenya has rolled out its latest solar-powered cellphone dubbed the Simu ya Solar. The handset was constructed using recycled materials, while an integrated solar panel makes sure that your phone always have some spare juice.

This one is great for users who are in rural areas where electricity is hard to find and sunlight is plentiful. Another benefit for those users is that even if they do have access to electricity, they will save money by letting the sun do it’s thing rather than charging it and wasting resources.

All Area Shaver for the Sasquatch in you

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2009

All Area Shaver for the Sasquatch in youDesigner Jonas Buck shows us this All Area shaver concept complete with some images of Ken dolls to show off just which hair on your body stays and which hair goes. If you are a caveman or Bigfoot, you now have one tool for all your hair.

The dots on the ken dolls(not shown) are placed strategically on the bodies at selected areas, representing survey results from 13 students from both genders. The question is this. Where should a male shave? All the typical areas have been dotted, which is why this shaver is called the All Area. Because it’s versatile. Sometimes it will function as a trimmer and with length attachments it can be used on longer hair.

K-9 Calming Vest

Posted in Pets by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2009

K-9 Calming VestFrom the pic it looks like Fido is wearing a bulletproof vest, but this is actually a K-9 Calming Vest that keeps your furry friend feeling safe and secure under stressful conditions. Apparently it will sooth any anxiety they may be feeling while wearing it, while scamming you out of your hard earned dough.

It will stop them from running under the bed to hide during such stressful things as fireworks or thunder for instance. It costs $36 and comes in various sizes. If you buy one let me know. I have a bridge to sell you too.

Suzuki Neutron 701 MNI Netbook

Posted in Netbook by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2009

Suzuki Neutron 701 MNI NetbookWhen you think Suzuki, you think motorcycles. This is a different Suzuki. They’ve created a new budget netbook dubbed the Neutron 701 MNI. It will make you so happy you’ll be doing the Neutron dance. It features a 7.1 inch display that also functions as a touchscreen.

The netbook works as a tablet PC and has a screen that swivels. Under the hood it has an Atom Z520 processor, up to 4GB of RAM, 3 USB ports, a VGA output, Express Card slot, WiFi at b/g speeds, Bluetooth, 1.3 Megapixl camera, 56k Modem for some reason and a 5 in 1 card reader.

Land Meter dashboard inclinometer from UxSight

Posted in Automotive by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2009

Land Meter dashboard inclinometer from UxSightUxSight has a new device called the Land Meter that will let you know exactly how your car or truck is tilting. It gets power straight from your cigarette lighter and the Land Meter sits on your dashboard so that you will always know what kind of incline you are on.

The Land Meter measures just 124mm x 57mm x 80mm and sticks to your dashboard using a self-adhesive bottom, so it won’t off on a steep incline. It costs £12 and is probably great for off-roaders.

Verbatim InSight USB drives display name and free space

Posted in USB by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2009

Verbatim InSight USB drives display name and free spaceVerbatim has announced its new line of InSight portable USB hard drives. The storage devices weigh less than 6 ounces and are only 6 inches in length. They are also “sleek” and “durable” sporting a “piano black” finish.

The drives are available in 320GB or 500GB sizes. The most interesting feature is the Always On display, which lives up to its name by being always on, displays the drive name and available free space, even when it isn’t connected to the computer.

IBM researchers use DNA to design circuit boards

Posted in IBM by Shane McGlaun on August 17th, 2009

ibmdnacircuit-sbIn humans, DNA hold all the information about the body that holds all of the information about the person. DNA is so specific to the person that it is used by law enforcement to catch criminals and solve crimes. Researchers at IBM have found another use for DNA.

The company and other researchers have been looking for ways to get the build process used for microprocessors below 22nm. IBM is using DNA molecules as a scaffold for a new class of transistors that use carbon nanotubes or silicon nanawories.

Class action suit over Madden NFL gets green light

Posted in EA by Shane McGlaun on August 17th, 2009

madden10cover-sbThe biggest game that EA sells has to be Madden NFL. The game is responsible for a huge chunk of the revenues that EA generates each year and it the most popular NFL football game going. EA Sports has the exclusive agreement to design and sell video games that are NFL based.

A U.S. district judge has denied the motion to dismiss a class-action suit against EA alleging unlawful and anticompetitive agreements in place with major football bodies. These exclusive agreements have stifled competition and allowed EA to up the price on its Madden NFL game by 70% according to the suit.

Maxitweet breaks 140 character Twitter limit

Posted in twitter by Shane McGlaun on August 17th, 2009

maxitweet-sbOne of the big things that bothers many people about using Twitter is the 140-character limit for posts on the service. It can be very hard to say all you want to say in a single tweet thanks to the character limit.

A new service called Maxitweet has devised a way to allow Twitter users to get more characters within the 140-character limit. The company has discovered that using Unicode characters to represent one or more letters the limit can be pushed.

Logitech unveils G27 racing wheel

Posted in Logitech by Shane McGlaun on August 17th, 2009

logitechg27-sbWhen Logitech unveiled its G25 racing wheel, I was one of the first in line to get the thing. I love my G25 and I still use it frequently on my PS3 for playing racing and driving games. Today Logitech has announced a new high-end racing wheel to replace the G25.

The new Logitech G27 looks a lot like the G25 and offers dual force feedback motors and a mechanism with helical gearing. The wheel also features an RPM/shift indicator LEDs and has 16 programmable buttons and a D-pad.

HTC Leo smartphone details

Posted in HTC by Conner Flynn on August 16th, 2009

HTC Leo smartphone detailsWe have some more details on HTC’s upcoming high end smartphone, the HTC Leo, including some new pictures. Here’s the skinny: The HTC Leo runs a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, is only 11mm thin, features a 4.3 inch screen, and will run Windows Mobile 6.5, as well as sporting a 5 megapixel camera with built in auto focus and a 2 LED flash.

Some other specs include HSDPA connectivity, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1. No word on pricing or an exact launch date, but we are looking at September or October.

Alien Hanging Lamp is not in good taste

Posted in Lamps by Conner Flynn on August 16th, 2009

Alien Hanging Lamp is not in good tasteThis Alien hanging lamp is pretty creepy. Is it an alien disguised as sperm, or sperm disguised as an alien. Either way, it isn’t a clever disguise. Who wants to sit at a table under sperm suspended from the ceiling? No one wants a sperm attack when eating a little dinner or just chillin’ with friends.

The lamp is described like so. It’s “organic shape is reminiscent of a strange, otherworldly creature sliding down a rope, gently and almost weightlessly radiating a warm and graceful light”. Whatevs. Call it what you want. This is dinner by spermlight. If you dig the design, these will cost you a totally reasonable $529.

BrainPort lets the blind see with their tongue

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on August 16th, 2009

BrainPort lets the blind see with their tongueWe’ve seen many devices to help the blind, but this is one of the coolest. BrainPort was first introduced in 2006. The idea was that it would allow users to regain some vision via a camera and electrical impulses sent to the tongue. Now we learn that the device may actually be available commercially very soon.

The BrainPort decodes signals from a camera on your head and transforms them into electrical impulses that hit your tongue, but gently, not joltingly. The impulses are then experienced as spatial awareness and even give one the ability to read text. Pretty amazing stuff.