Hasta La Gadget!

Linux has developed a reputation for running on just about anything. If proposed changes to the 3.8 kernel take effect, we’ll have to add an “almost” disclaimer. The OS’ maintainers expect to drop support for Intel’s i386 architecture with the new release, noting that there’s “quite a bit of complexity” that could be lifted by swinging the focus to (much) newer chips. Don’t expect Torvalds to have much nostalgia for i386 despite basing much of his early work on it, either, as he’s bidding “good riddance” to the legacy code. We can’t blame the Linux collective for wanting to drop support for 27-year-old silicon that’s well out of fashion, even in embedded components; you’ll just have to forgive us if we shed a tear for that retro gaming PC which finally fell off the update bandwagon.

[Image credit: Konstantin Lanzet, Wikipedia]

Filed under: Software

Comments

Via: ZDNet, Extremetech

Source: Kernel.org, Gmane.org

You know what they say – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The thing is, how do you really know whether a particular thing is broken or not when the wheels of imagination and innovation have stopped spinning a long, long time ago? Do you think that there are far better alternatives to the modern day handcuffs, perhaps one that is energy based like how we have seen in some science fiction movies? Of course, what we are asking for is not for security companies or the research arm of the military to come up with a new kind of handcuff that “reinvents the wheel”, but rather, an improvement on the current design. Basically, handcuffs are steel restraints at the moment, but the future might just usher in a high-tech pair that delivers electric shocks.

Yes sir, watch prisoners toe the line even more if U.S. Patent Application 20120298119, Scottsdale Inventions, LLC of Paradise Valley, Arizona, were to roll off the production lines of a factory somewhere in the world. Basically, this pair of high-tech handcuffs will work like an electric eel, delivering electrical shocks to prisoners via an incorporated Taser-like system that is connected to wireless controls and sophisticated sensors.

You could say that the Scottsdale cuffs are somewhat like a combination of invisible fences and training collars that see action when training dogs. The canine versions do provide a mild joy buzzer of a shock, but the cuffs that is meant to be worn by prisoners could actually deliver a shock that is powerful enough to immobilize a prisoner. They will be built based on the principle of the Taser, which relies on electrodes to administer high-voltage, low amperage shocks that are capable of disrupting a person’s voluntary nervous system.

Well, this particular idea could eventually be extended to see action in an ankle cuff, restraining belt, straitjacket, harness, facial restraint, helmet or neck collar, which means being a prisoner is no longer any fun – not that it was in the first place anyway, and it will certainly make those bad boys behind bars have second thoughts about throwing their weight around.

Source
[ Handcuffs that shocks prisoners copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Want to stream HD video to your TV from more devices? So does the outfit behind the Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) standard. AMIMON wants to see its technology integrated into third party chipsets, and is now licensing its intellectual property to other companies. The IP up for lease promises low power, low latency two-way data links that work in parallel with video. CEO Ram Ofir hopes the technology will be adopted in mobile, automotive, camera and defense markets. “This license complements AMIMON’s current product offerings for the WHDI and AMIMON Professional markets,” he said. “We believe that by opening up our IP, we enhance the global ecosystem for wireless High-Definition connectivity and create new options for consumers and new business opportunities for manufacturers.” Read on for the official press release and a quick peek at AMIMON’s CES demo plans.

Continue reading AMIMON now licensing its technology to third parties, wants to see WHDI in more devices

Filed under: Misc, Wireless

Comments

We first saw the Samsung ATIV S during IFA 2012, and in November its release date was bumped ahead to later in the year, with estimates for shipping falling sometime in January 2013. Now the phone is finally available, launching with three major Canadian carriers. Those in Canada can grab the ATIV S for as little as $29.99, depending on contract terms.

The phone is now available via TELUS, Bell, and Rogers. Telus Mobility is offering the handset for $29.99 with a 3-year contract, or for $650 without a contract. Bell is more expensive at $99.95 with a 3-year contract, but cheaper sans contract at $599.95. Finally there’s Rogers, which is offering the ATIV S at $79.99 with a 3-year contract and $599.95 without a contract.

The handset can be ordered online now, but may not be available from brick-and-mortar retailers. For now, the supplies are limited, so if you’ve been pining for the ATIV S, don’t delay, especially given the upcoming holiday. The ATIV S was Samsung’s first announced Windows Phone smartphone, and has been eagerly anticipated.

The ATIV S features a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display, which places it as nice companion for the mega-popular Galaxy S III, which sold over 30 million units as of the beginning of November. Inside you’ll find a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM. There’s an 8-megapixel rear camera as well. The phone went up for pre-order in the UK last month, and is slated for launch there in the next couple weeks.

[via Mobile Syrup]

Samsung ATIV S smartphone launched in Canada is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The folks over at NASA know how to work hard and play hard. NASA’s latest project isn’t a probe or a satellite, instead, it is a quirky educational parody of Psy’s Gangnam Style. The main goal of the project is to inform the public about the amazing work going on at NASA and the Johnson Space Center. As seen above, the nearly 4-minute video is entitled “NASA Johnson Style,” and it is basically a volunteer outreach video project created by the students of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

NASA says that the lyrics and scenes in the video have been re-imagined. Unfortunately, Psy isn’t the star of the video, but NASA did a good job of picking the best guy to do the horse dancing. Instead of featuring the Gangnam District in Korea, the video was shot inside NASA’s mission control center were advanced flight simulators and rockets are hosted. One section of the quirky song goes, Science everywhere. As we engineer the marvels that fly though the air.”

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Arriving On PSN And Xbox LIVE In January, Samsung Galaxy Commercial Enters Mrs. Claus Onto Naughty List,