Sep 24

NTT DOCOMO’s Touch Wood mockups make naughty puns easy

Posted in: ceatec, olympus, prototype, Sharp, Today's Chili

We’re still not entirely sold on the intersection of gadgets and wood. Nevertheless, companies keep pumping out the concepts in response to our greener times. Here’s NTT DOCOMO’s effort using surplus wood leftover from Pacific culling operations. The Touch Wood prototype was developed in tandem with Sharp and Olympus and is based on the SH-04A slider. A Touch Wood mockup (pictured above) resembling a more feminine bean was also announced. In either case, the Touch Wood body is made of cypress without adding any artificial coloring or paint. And by using Olympus’ 3D compression molding technique, they’ve manage to maintain the kind of durability, and resistance to water, insects, and mildew that you’d expect from, well, a tree. With any luck, these handsets will be on exhibit in October at the ITU Telecom World and CEATEC Japan shows… touch wood. SH-04A prototype pictured after the break.

[Thanks, Stop Spamming]

Continue reading NTT DOCOMO’s Touch Wood mockups make naughty puns easy

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NTT DOCOMO’s Touch Wood mockups make naughty puns easy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 24

Digi-Diana: Lomo Lens Adapter for Canon, Nikon DSLRs

Posted in: Today's Chili

diana-lomo-slr

If the roll-your-own Digital Holga is too rich for you (and at $3,000 and up to take some blurred photos it certainly should be), then you might try Lomo’s ready-made solution for its other medium format camera, the Diana F+.

The Diana F+ SLR adaptors are simple rings that attach to Nikon and Canon SLR cameras and let you use them with the low-quality Diana lenses. Why bother? Because the happy accidents you get using crappy glass or plastic lenses are impossible, or at least too long-winded, to reproduce digitally. And unlike the rather more specialized (and splendid) Lensbaby series, these are so dirt cheap that it is almost silly not to buy them. The adapter is a mere $12, and the lenses start at $40. That’s a lot, lot less than you’d pay for a single (proper) fisheye lens.

Actually, I’m sold. As soon as the local Lomo store re-opens after today’s holiday, I’m going to pick one up.

Product page [Lomo]
Store page [Lomo]

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Sep 24

Video: Windows 7 launch party parody is bleeping genius

Posted in: Microsoft, Today's Chili, video, windows 7, Windows7

So by now you all know about Microsoft’s painful, cringe-inducing Windows 7 party idea, and the accompanying goodie packs. What you might not have known is that Redmond also put together a ‘Hosting Your Party’ instructional video that blends all the worst parts of infomercials and cooking programs into one giant melange of awkward acting. Well, Cabel Sasser — founder of Mac software maker Panic Inc — has remixed said video, and the result is nothing short of a triumph. Journey past the break to see what we mean.

[Via Mashable]

Continue reading Video: Windows 7 launch party parody is bleeping genius

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Video: Windows 7 launch party parody is bleeping genius originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 24

Google Sponsors Photoshop Compatibility on Linux

Posted in: Freeware, Google, Linux, photoshop, Software, Today's Chili

This article was written on February 18, 2008 by CyberNet.

photoshop wine

Google is once again showing their support for the open source community by sponsoring improvements to Wine. Wine, for those of you unfamiliar, is a free tool available for Linux which lets you run some Windows applications without needing to run Windows in a virtual machine. I think Wine says it the best: “Think of Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows programs.“

There’s no word on how much money Google has thrown at the Wine developers, but it must be a considerable amount since a lot of fixes have been checked in to the software to get Photoshop CS2 already working. As of right now Photoshop CS3 doesn’t even install, but with Google’s virtually bottomless pocketbook that should definitely be on the horizon.

As with most things running on Wine there are some known issues with Photoshop , but the fact that these improvements are being offered for free is a huge plus. After all, if Google wasn’t sponsoring the improvements they would probably be part of the paid-only CrossOver Linux which is created by the same developers.

So kudos to Google for providing some financial backing to the open source community!

Google Open Source Blog [via APC / image via LinuxScrew]

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Sep 24

Magnetic Bike Pedals Work With Any Shoes

Posted in: Apparel, Miscellaneous, Today's Chili

pedal mag

Three weeks ago we showed you Mavic’s magnetic shoe/bike pedal combo, which drew some interesting comments about their efficacy. Reader Reubennz:

If it’s strong enough to hold the foot in place through the second part of the rotation how do you ever release from the pedal? If the magnet is weak enough to release straight up then it could never allow any kind of power advantage.

We agree, and we see the exact same problem with this version from Proton Locks. While it has a big advantage over the Mavic EZ-Ride pedals in that it comes with magnetic plates to bolt onto your own shoes, rather than requiring you buy a specially made pair, it still suffers from a lack of locking. Toe clips and clip-less pedals are meant to keep you foot on the pedal however hard you pull, for maximum power transfer. As Reubennz points out, if the magnets could do that, you’d never be able to remove your feet.

The Proton pedals have another disadvantage. They cost $145 for the mini pedals and $165 for the full-sized, against just $60 for the Mavics. On the other hand, you don’t have to drop another $90 on the Mavic-compatible shoes. Me? I’ll stick with my regular sneakers and cheap cage/strap setup.

Product page [Proton Locks via Cyclelicious]

Magnetic Bike Pedals Stick to Your Feet


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Sep 24

UNIQLO Shoes Debuts in Japan

Posted in: Fashion, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, retail, Today's Chili

They’ve got the jeans and the t-shirts down-pat, so naturally UNIQLO wants to complete the wardrobe from head to toes, and we’re not just talking socks. Last week UNIQLO announced their new UNIQLO Shoes line, affordable basic shoes ranging from $20~50 a pair.

uniqlo-shoes-womens

This is a natural progression of course, but selling the same limited selection of shoes to all of Japan is very different from basics like t-shirts and socks. The design is simple and the prices reasonable, and we’re assuming good things about the quality as well, but shoes have a different influence on people’s fashion lives.

uniqlo-shoes-mens

What would be especially interesting is if they started to take the limited edition route as they did with their UT brand, bringing in all sorts of designers and collaborators to create mass-market goods with niche appeal. Sneaker and t-shirt culture go hand-in-hand, so it would be a shame not to use plain UNIQLO shoes as a canvas for creative types to work with.

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Sep 24

TomTom iPhone Car Kit up for £100 UK pre-order, includes navigation app

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, navigation, on sale, OnSale, Today's Chili, tomtom

The TomTom iPhone Car Kit has just gone up for pre-order on the Apple UK store — we presume it will go global in the hours to come. It’ll cost 5 pence shy of £100 and ships in 2-3 weeks with the dock and adhesive disk in the box. Better yet, for that price you also get the £60 navigation app for the UK/Ireland. Then there’s this little note:

“The Car Kit dock is compatible with all iPhone models, but the Car Kit app only works with iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G”

So what about the iPod touch compatibility as claimed in the TomTom FAQ? Or is that just a gaming device now?

Update: Just hit mainland Europe for €99,95.

Update 2: Oops! Looks like the page was pulled — back to waiting! See the original after the break.

[Via Recombu]

Continue reading TomTom iPhone Car Kit up for £100 UK pre-order, includes navigation app

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TomTom iPhone Car Kit up for £100 UK pre-order, includes navigation app originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 24

Moviewedge, A Plush Friend For Your iPhone

Posted in: Accessories and Peripherals, Today's Chili

moviewedge

The Moviewedge is not, as I first thought upon reading the rather juicy name, a chunky media viewer, or even a small prop to hold your eyes open during the penultimate 15 minutes of Blade Runner. It is a beanbag in the shape of a wedge, with a plush lip at the front, and it is the perfect place to rest a tired iPod, cellphone or other movie-playing device.

It’s probably a little chunky for the minimalist traveler, but we like it anyway. The bag will sit on an airline seat-tray or your knee, just as happily, and just as steadily. The single best feature is the micro-fiber material which forms the skin, perfect to quickly polish away greasy smears from grubby thumbs. And finally, the combination of soft body and hard, shiny screen reminds of of the Chumby, only this is actually useful.

Product page [Moviewedge. Thanks, Brad!]


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Sep 24

Palm Pre coming to the UK and Ireland October 16, Germany October 13, all O2 exclusives

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, exclusive, germany, o2, palm, palm pre, PalmPre, pre, Today's Chili, uk

It might be about four months late, but the UK is finally getting its slice of the tasty new Palm pie. There’ll be no shortage of outlets to buy this from, with the Carphone Warehouse, Phones4U and O2’s online shop all stocked up, but the carrier options are limited to just one. You’ll find tables of UK and Ireland pricing after the break, and you’ll be happy to know that the Pre can be had for free on two-year contracts charging £34.26 per month, which come with “unlimited” mobile data and free access to the BT OpenZone WiFi service.

[Thanks, Andrew]

Update: Good news for our Teutonic brethren, as O2 Germany has also let slip news of the Pre hitting Deutschland Continue reading Palm Pre coming to the UK and Ireland October 16, Germany October 13, all O2 exclusives

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Palm Pre coming to the UK and Ireland October 16, Germany October 13, all O2 exclusives originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 24

PSP Go Converter gives you a more well-rounded portable with support for last-gen’s peripherals

Posted in: bluetooth, camera, gps, psp, sony, Today's Chili

Honestly, when we first heard the phrase “PSP Go Converter,” we were really hoping it something to do with that UMD-to-digital good will program we heard about back at E3 — but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, the attachment lets you utilize accessories so far only compatible with last-gen PSPs, such as the 1Seg tuner, GPS receiver, and camera — and if that’s not your thing, we’re sure it makes the device a tad more aerodynamic, as well. Sony also announced a number of other accessories, including a bluetooth stereo headset. Full press release and pics from the show floor just below.

Gallery: PSP Go Converter gives you a more well-rounded portable with support for last-gen’s peripherals

Show full PR text
SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES PERIPHERALS FOR PSP(R) (PLAYSTATION(R)PORTABLE)GO

Expands the Entertainment World of PSPgo with Attractive Peripheral and Accessory Line-up

Tokyo, September 24, 2009 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) announced today that it will release Bluetooth(R) Stereo Head-set Receiver and Converter Cable Adaptor for PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable)go (PSP-N1000) on December 24, 2009, in Japan, at a recommended retail price of 4,980 yen and 1,980 yen (both including tax), respectively. These peripherals will also become available in North America, Europe/PAL territories and Asian countries and regions beginning January 2010*1.

Bluetooth Stereo Head-set Receiver

With a sleek design that matches perfectly with PSPgo, users will be able to enjoy a variety of entertainment content sounds comfortably through the Bluetooth wireless technology with the combination of commercially available head-phone and head-set. The Bluetooth Stereo Head-set Receiver pairs easily with PSPgo by simply holding the power button of the receiver, and operation buttons on the receiver will also enable users to instantly play, stop, pause, forward, rewind, and adjust the volume of music and videos. Additionally, the receiver can be paired with up to eight Bluetooth devices by using the Multi Pairing Feature.

Converter Cable Adaptor

With the new Converter Cable Adaptor*2, PSPgo users will be able to utilize the existing peripherals for PSP such as 1Seg Tuner*3, GPS Receiver and Camera designed for PSP-1000, 2000 and 3000 series on the PSPgo system that adopts Multi use connector.

Additional peripherals and accessories will be released for PSPgo in conjunction with PSPgo launch in Japan to enhance its portability and convenience of users’ use, including:

  • AC Adaptor 2,100 yen (including tax)
  • USB Cable 1,575 yen (including tax)
  • AV Cable 2,200 yen (including tax)
  • D-Terminal AV Cable 2,800 yen (including tax)
  • Component AV Cable 3,000 yen (including tax)
  • Cradle 4,800 yen (including tax)
  • Accessory Pack 6,000 yen (including tax)
  • Display Protection Film 800 yen (including tax)
  • Privacy Film 1,000 yen (including tax)
  • Pouch & Hand Strap (Black/White) 1,000 yen (including tax)/each
  • PSPgo Pouch (Black/Grey) 1,600 yen (including tax)/each
  • PSPgo Leather Case & Hand Strap 4,200 yen (including tax)
  • Car Adaptor 1,980 yen (including tax)

SCE will continue to further expand the PlayStation platforms with these new peripheral and accessory line-up with introducing the new PSP line-up, PSPgo.

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PSP Go Converter gives you a more well-rounded portable with support for last-gen’s peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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