Hasta La Gadget!

More and more cars offer integrated Bluetooth from the factory, but absolutely none offer an integrated Juha Kankkunen. The four-time World Rally Champion isn’t even an option at any manufacturer that we know of, but regardless of make and model you can add a little Bluetooth integration with Nokia‘s CarKit CK-200. It’s a display that sits on your dashboard and connects to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, and through the wireless controller that clips onto your steering wheel (at right above) you can navigate contacts, make calls, and even scroll through text messages. We’re not so sure about the texting part, but it should be a great way to enable hands-free calling from one device and Bluetooth music streaming from another at the same time, if that’s your thing. Not sold? The video after the break of Kankkunen doing his thing in a rally-prepped VW while taking calls will make you a convert. You know what they say: if it’s good enough for Juha, it’s good enough for you-a.

Continue reading Flying Finn Juha Kankkunen demonstrates Nokia’s Car Kit CK-200 (video)

Flying Finn Juha Kankkunen demonstrates Nokia’s Car Kit CK-200 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 May 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The pinnacle of 3D-based content? Glasses-free, of course, and Fraunhofer has reached that level for static images — and it plans to use it for advertising, of course. The company is talking up its new 3D posters that rely on 250,000 lenses embedded in a grooved sheet, each lens with a 2mm diameter. The effect is said to be similar to those simple “3D” lenticular postcards and cereal boxes we’ve all seen, but Fraunhofer promises that improved accuracy used in manufacturing here will make the resulting images far clearer, enabling the effect to be clearly seen on these five meter posters even from across the street. That’s good, because when was the last time you walked up to a billboard to get a closer look?

Fraunhofer’s 3D posters make your fish-based advertising really pop originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 May 2010 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’d have been hard to imagine and understand “Lost” 15 years ago. Its apparently unlimited hyperlinked stories and easter eggs, connected to a gazillion fan files, is only possible because of technology. Amelia Beamer describes the hypertext labyrinth behind it. More »

If your Bell-supplied Mi-Fi cellular Wi-Fi modem died yesterday, here’s why: The batteries in some MiFi 2372 units are swelling and causing malfunctions. Bell Canada is recalling units (an envelope is likely already on its way to you) to replace both battery and battery cover.

This will take from six to eight weeks, so in the meantime you’ll be given a Novatel U998 Turbo Stick – a USB 3G dongle – to tide you over (not so good if you’re using the MiFi with a non-USB equipped gadget, like an iPad or iPod Touch).

So why did your MiFi stop working? After all, your battery appears still be at its normal, non-swollen size. Well Bell, in order to keep you from using the modem, has reached into your device from afar and remotely disabled it. Between 10PM and 11.59PM Eastern on May 3rd (last night), all units were killed.

Although the recall notice doesn’t spell it out, we’re pretty sure that swelling batteries are a precursor to exploding batteries, and this is why Bell has gone in so hard. Sorry, Canadians. There is a bright side, though: Y’all don’t yet have the iPad, so at least you’re not losing connectivity there.

Bell Novatel MiFi 2372 “battery may swell” [Mobile Syrup via Engadget]