Hasta La Gadget!

Remember that day when Emblaze wowed the world with its First Else “death of main menu” smartphone? What a shame, eh? While it’s unlikely that said Linux handset will ever be resurrected, there’s a small chance that bits of its legacy will be passed onto other products. For instance, a recent LinkedIn newsletter led us to Itai Vonshak, who was one of the main engineers behind the architecture that powered the First Else’s brilliant, mesmerizing UI. Now, according to his profile, our man has recently moved into HP / Palm’s comfy little house to do UX strategy. Whether this means webOS will get a slice of that Minority Report action, we don’t know; but it’ll be interesting to see what Vonshak will surprise us with at the HP / Palm event next month. For now, there’s a hands-on video of the First Else after the break for old time’s sake.

Continue reading Emblaze First Else UX engineer embraced by HP / Palm, magic ensues

Emblaze First Else UX engineer embraced by HP / Palm, magic ensues originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla may be best known for its upcoming electric sports cars, the sleek Tesla Roadster and Model S, but the manufacturer is also looking at releasing a pair of more family friendly electric vehicles over the next few years.

At a recent investor summit in California, CEO Elon Musk announced that both an SUV and another mid-range vehicle are in the works. The SUV, currently called the Model X, is actually due to be released at the end of this year, though no other details were revealed. Additionally, in the next four years the company hopes to release a sub-$30,000 electric car, though, again, details are non-existent.

A $30,000 car would be a significant achievement for Tesla, who’s line-up currently consists of very expensive vehicles. Both versions of the Roadster are above the $100,000 range, while the Model S is expected to cost just below $60,000 when it’s available next year.

Via PlugInCars.com

The sun is good for a lot of things, namely providing warmth and energy. But it’s easy to forget that it also produces light. But a new lamp created by Igland Design instead harnesses that light.

Though, calling the Pure Sun a lamp might be a bit of a stretch. It features no electrical components, not even a light bulb. Instead, it’s a table with a piece of mirror inside, which can be angled to reflect the light of the sun, providing an instant light source. The catch is, since it’s completely electronic-free, all of the mirror tilting will need to be done by hand. It’s an interesting idea, though we’re not entirely sure just how useful it is. If it’s already sunny enough that you can reflect the sun’s rays, do you really need a light on? And what good is a lamp that you can’t use at night?

Even if you are interested in the Pure Sun table, it doesn’t look like it’s currently available to purchase.

Via Fast Company

Just shy of a month after it launched on the PlayStation 3 and days after debuting on Boxee’s Box, the new Vudu 2.0 interface is live on most TVs and Blu-ray players with access to the service. Check out our earlier gallery if you’re not familiar with the new look, it should be identical across the lineup (sans-Move support of course) with recommendations, enhanced sharing options and optimized for HD. For now it looks like the Yahoo! Widgets based Samsung and Vizio versions are the only ones still lagging but they’re on deck for an update “soon.”

Vudu 2.0 interface moves beyond PS3 & Boxee Box, now available on most TVs, Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The ALCATROCK vintage dress shop in Ebisu has business cards that took some thought.

The wash tag is sewn (not glued) to the card, and clearly states its love of all things girly. Check out their online shop, though apparently I’m not allowed in.