Apr 16
Those who thought the world was safe from arcade claw machines gobbling up our youth, take heed. The ravenous mechanical creatures have struck again, this time claiming a three-year-old Nebraskan boy.
Jan 17
The History of the Human Cannonball
Posted in: Today's Chili
Whenever there is a list released of the world’s most dangerous jobs, tree loggers, steelworkers, electrical power-line installers, and fisherman usually are the professions that populate the list. But none of those things are nearly as dangerous as being propelled out of a long cylinder tube, flown through the air completely untethered, and attempting to land safely on the ground. As you’ll soon see, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently listed logging as the most dangerous job in America at 127.8 deaths per 100,000… well, let’s just say that’s laughable compared to the death rates of the human cannonballers.
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Apr 30
A Columbus, Ohio woman found that her HTC Evo Shift had branded her after overheating while it was under her waistband. The woman, Jennifer Grago, reported that she was using the phone’s FM radio while she did yard work.
“I didn’t have pockets so I just put the phone in the band of my sweats. Seemed like an alright option… I felt my phone getting warm so I moved it and trucked on. Figured sweatpants and 70 some degrees was a factor. Went to move it again and it hurt like a #%&@! and skin with it. I swear to god I almost passed out,” she wrote.
Best Buy, where she purchased the phone, told her that phones need “correct ventilation” and should be placed in form-fitting casing.
The phone left a clear outline of the casing on her skin. Phones, which are in essence compact radios, can easily overheat for various reasons but for a device to overheat so egregiously is frightening. Any phone, in the right conditions, can overheat. However, in this case, the device battery was faulty, a problem that was came to light when the FM radio app was running for too long. Devices like the iPhone can overheat when radio-heavy apps like Maps and Pandora run too long but they rarely get hot enough to burn skin. The Evo Shift is two years old and is currently available for free with contract on Sprint’s network.
Jan 20
The Antarctic? The top of Mount Everest? The bottom of the ocean? In the middle of your parent’s kitchen during a political argument on any given holiday? All good guesses, but none are quite right. Between environmental hazards, plagues, and other human beings, the world is a dangerous place, sure. But what locale takes the proverbial death cake? More like “what one doesn’t?” Vsauce explains. [Vsauce] More »
Aug 18
Fisker completes investigation of latest Karma hybrid EV fire, issues vehicle-wide cooling fan recall
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Recall Fisker’s latest fiery episode last week that left the front left quarter panel of a Karma hybrid EV burnt to a crisp in a Woodside, California parking lot? As promised, the company has completed its investigation with Pacific Rim Investigative Services Group into the scene, reporting that it’s “located the ignition source to the left front of the Karma, forward of the wheel, where the low temperature cooling fan is located.” As such, Fisker has decided to issue a full-on recall of the unit, although it’s currently unclear if this and it affects all Karmas on the road. That said, Fisker is also stressing “that the incident was not caused by the Lithium-ion battery pack, new technology components, engine component packaging or unique exhaust routing of the Fisker Karma” — naturally, the usual suspects for these types of accidents that keep plaguing the fledgling automaker. At least its new CEO Tony Posawatz is extremely qualified to handle the task at hand — after all, a few weeks ago he was Volt-maker, GM’s, Vehicle Line Director. Hit up the press release after the break for details about the investigation and its findings.
Update: When asked about whether the recall affects all Karma models currently on the road, a representative simply (and promptly) replied to us stating, “yes” — well then.
Filed under: Transportation
Fisker completes investigation of latest Karma hybrid EV fire, issues vehicle-wide cooling fan recall originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Aug 2012 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug 13
Fisker’s inability to catch a break is matched only by its vehicles’ worrying reliability record. The company has issued another statement after a parked, thankfully empty Karma EV opted for some self-immolation in a Californian parking lot last Friday. It currently doesn’t believe the cause was its (previously recalled) Lithium-ion battery, exhaust routing or electrical components, having learned that the ignition zone was outside the engine compartment, in front of the driver’s side front tire. We’ve got the full text after the break, meanwhile we’re considering doing a lot more walking.
Continue reading Fisker issues second statement about self-combusting Karma
Filed under: Transportation
Fisker issues second statement about self-combusting Karma originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jun 29
“We’re missing a nut,” says a bemused Matt Hershenson, former Danger founder and now Google’s director of hardware for Android, pointing at a vacant spot on an exploded photo of the Nexus Q. Its parts are strewn out across a white background, perfectly arranged in a linear pattern that starkly contrasts with the spherical nature of the thing. “Wow, you’re right,” agrees Joe Britt, engineering director at Google and another former Danger founder. “It’s like the illuminators, you know, the monks who used to draw up the codexes.” Hershenson picks up the reference without missing a beat: “Everybody needs to make at least one mistake. Nothing can be perfect.”
That goes against everything else we’ve been learning from the pair, who spend 45 minutes walking us through every detail of what went into the development of the new Nexus Q. They worked hand-in-hand with engineers and designers and materials experts, ensuring everything from the bearings to the LEDs were, well, perfect. But there is one thing, something larger, that many have said is a crucial flaw in this illuminated device: pricing. Will people pay $299 for a high-concept, low-functionality social media streamer? Join us after the break for how the Q came to be, and why Britt and Hershenson think it will be a success.
Gallery: Nexus Q hands-on
Continue reading Cracking the Nexus Q, Google’s 25-watt amplified obsession
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Cracking the Nexus Q, Google’s 25-watt amplified obsession originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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