It would be an understatement to say that Apple’s Mac Pro workstation was getting a little long in the tooth. As of summer 2012, it was missing Apple’s own Thunderbolt ports, not to mention 802.11n WiFi. Finally, though, Apple released an updated …
Cid, the CyanogenMod mascot.
(Credit: CyanogenMod)
CyanogenMod, a version of Android popular among those unhappy with the operating system that came with their phones, has now been installed more than 10 million times.
That’s according to the CyanogenMod statistics site, which tracks installations. CyanogenMod got its start as an enthusiast project built from Google’s Android Open Source Project — the public releases of Android’s source code, updated each time Google releases a new version of the OS.
Now, though, Cyanogen is a company with venture capital, and it’s getting more attention with Oppo N1 phone support and employee hiring.
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Finding a message in a bottle in a remote part of the world is something that you might think would only happen in a work of fiction. However, that is … Continue reading
We’ve seen a way to play drums using normal objects and even a steering wheel. DrumPants takes on the final frontier: you. Despite its misleading name, DrumPants are not actually pants or even restricted to pants. They’re wearable drum pads that attach to clothing and other objects using velcro.
Each kit comes with two drum pad strips, two pedal strips i.e. foot sensors and a control box, which seems small enough to fit in your back pocket. The foot sensors are wired to the two strips, which are in turn wired to the control box. The box has more than a hundred built-in sounds, including other instruments such as synthesizers, guitars and pianos.
Pledge at least $99 (USD) on Kickstarter to get a DrumPants kit as a reward. As hinted at in the video above, DrumPants can be connected to other music apps. It can even be used to emulate keyboard strokes, meaning you can use them to control even non-music software. If you’re interested in these additional functions, make sure to get the kit that comes with a Bluetooth adapter so you can interact with your computer wirelessly. Check out DrumPants’ YouTube page for more demos of the kit.
Have you ever heard of the Handheld Group before? Neither have I, but we do know that they are a fast-growing manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, PDAs and smartphones, and they have begun to ship the Nautiz X1 to those who want a functional device, and yet is able to live up to the different kinds of knocks and drops that are associated with the careless and butterfingers. In fact, the Nautiz X1 has been described to be the “toughest enterprise smartphone in the world”, which is certainly a tall order to live up to, bearing traits of being waterproof, dustproof, shock-resistant and the ability to handle extreme temperatures, without sacrificing on looks since it is also slim, lightweight and smartly designed to handle both work and play.
The first batches of the Nautiz X1 is said to hav completely sold out already, where it will feature an IP67 ingress protection rating, which translates to it being fully dust- as well as waterproof. Not only that, it is capable of withstanding immersion in water, and will also be able to live up to the stringent MIL-STD-810G military test standards which allows it to endure humidity, vibration, shock and extreme high and low temperatures.
Product Manager Johan Hed of Handheld Group, said, “As a company specializing in rugged computers, we know our customers expect all our products to be built rugged from the inside out. The Nautiz X1 is no exception – it comes with the reliability and sturdiness of an ultra-rugged computer. People are increasingly using their smartphones all the time, everywhere, and they’re expecting mobility and connectivity anytime, anywhere, and in all environments and weather conditions. The Nautiz X1 ultra-rugged smartphone is a natural choice, as it’s built to survive these challenges.”
It will tip the scales at an extremely lightweight 6.3 ounces, sporting a 4″ special sunlight-readable capacitive touchscreen and ultra-durable Gorilla Glass. It will be powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor, accompanid by 1GB RAM, has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, a 5-megapixel camera at the back alongside Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 as the mobile operating system, but seriously, how many people or businesses use the latter these days?
Product Page
[ NAUTIZ X1 ultra rugged smartphone begins to ship copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
The San Francisco Chronicle put out a special Batkid edition.
(Credit: San Francisco Chronicle)
The past year has been a collection of geeky surprises, ranging from the Ben Affleck-as-Batman announcement to an actual running car crafted from little plastic Lego bricks. Plus, who could have predicted Bill Nye’s stint on the dance floor of “Dancing with the Stars?”
One of the most memorable moments happened when a 5-year-old cancer patient named Miles donned a black superhero suit and became Batkid for a day as throngs of well-wishers lined San Francisco streets to support him. It was a spectacular Make-A-Wish achievement featuring real-life superheroes and an outpouring of global love.
What was your favorite geek happening from the past year? Did it make our list? Check out our choices and share yours in the comments.
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The island of California. A huge triangle of land called Florida. A great ocean that cut down from the Arctic into the Midwest. As the New World came into focus beginning in the 17th century, explorers and cartographers struggled to measure a massive expanse of land that would take centuries to accurately map.
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Celebrations in China begin end with a bang thanks to the extravagant use of fireworks. Trouble is, excessive use of fireworks exacerbates the country’s infamous air pollution and choking smog. Since trying to change China’s traditional love of fireworks hasn’t been successful, one fireworks manufacturer is trying to change their fireworks instead.
(Credit: Samsung)
Those of you who buy a Samsung smart TV in 2014 should find it easier to flip channels, open apps, and run other tasks.
Samsung has fine-tuned its voice interaction service, which helps you control the TV through natural language voice commands. As one example, the current crop of Samsung smart TVs force you to utter two commands to change the channel: “Channel Change” and “Channel Number.” Next year’s sets will require you to simply speak the channel number.
You’ll also be able to use voice shortcuts to open a Web site or app, according to Samsung. And when you search by voice for certain information, such as weather, stock prices, and sports scores, a window will pop up with search results. The voice feature itself will expand to 12 more markets next year for a total of 23 countries.
Samsung’s 2014 smart TVs will also incorporate finger gestures. You’ll be able to change the channel, control the volume, stop the video, and return to the previous screen by moving your fingers.
“Samsung’s 2014 Smart TV models deliver significantly improved voice interaction and motion control features so that our consumers will be able to enjoy our Smart TV more intuitively,” Kyungshik Lee, senior vice president of Samsung’s service strategy team of visual display business, said in a statement. “We will continue to develop content that integra… [Read more]
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In April of 2012, NASA offered up a video that recreated the very first Earthrise as photographed when astronauts were orbiting the moon in 1968. The first video recreation used … Continue reading
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