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Continue reading Flexio solar powered FM radio doubles as bookmark

Flexio solar powered FM radio doubles as bookmark originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite the distant memory that is film for most people, most DSLRs have plenty in common with their film-based ancestors, at least when it comes to form factor. Not this Nova DSLR concept. Conceived by Erin Fong, the idea is to allow for all sorts of hand holds thanks to the dual movable arms, and the controls at the fingertips seems surprisingly convenient. We’re sure there are all sorts of technical limitations holding something like this back, but after suffering severe kitted-out DSLR fatigue on multiple occasions, we could really get into something that makes a bit better use of how we regularly hold our non-imaging devices. Now if someone would just clean that lens already!

Continue reading Nova DSLR concept reminds us that cameras need not be boring

Nova DSLR concept reminds us that cameras need not be boring originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen some pretty tortuous fitness wares in our day, but few are as cringe-worthy as this. The conceptual Dancepants Kinetic Music Player is a rather vanilla looking pair of exercise pants, but the internal energy makers generate juice only when the wearer is in motion. In other words, kinetic energy is used to power the connected MP3 player, and so long as you keep hustling, the tunes will keep flowing. Not like you’ll really notice that Mambo #5 has stopped right in the middle of the bridge when you’re laying on the ground nursing a wicked cramp, but hey…

[Via Ecoterre]

Dancepants: the music stops when exhaustion sets in originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ll be honest — before today, we had never heard of Simon Aldous, but it sure seems as if he’s trying hard to get his name out there. Mr. Aldous, a group manager at Microsoft, recently sat down for a rather lengthy talk with PCR. Most of the back-and-forth revolved around receiving input from partners and other mildly boring topics, but one particular Q&A was pointed directly at the outfit’s newest operating system. When asked if Windows 7 was “really a much more agile operating system,” Simon made a deliberate decision to say the following:

“One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very graphical and easy to use. What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics.”

Of course, he followed that up by slamming OS X’s general stability, noting that Vista’s core technology — on which Win7 is built — is “far more stable than the current Mac platform.” We know we’re opening up a giant can here, but… um, thoughts?

Update: Microsoft has issued its response, and it’s none too happy, and apparently the Microsoft employee in question was “not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7.” From the official Windows Blog: “I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed.” We imagine there were lots of frowny faces around the office today.

[Via AppleInsider]

Filed under: Software

Microsoft group manager: Windows 7 borrowing ‘Mac look and feel’ (updated: Microsoft responds) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just yesterday the internets were buzzing with the latest design from Art Lebedev: the Rozetkus 3D; a standard outlet that pops out of the wall with a simple push to support multiple connections. Lebedev, you’ll recall, made quite a name for himself by taking the Optimus Maximus programmable OLED keyboard from art to part, so to speak. Since posting about the Rozetkus 3D we’ve been informed of another very similar design concept called the Letout Outlet. So similar, in fact, that it would appear that we’ve got a copycat on our hands. Unfortunately for our friends at Lebedev, designer Damjan Stankovic created his Letout Outlet concept in January of 2009 and was recognized with a prestigious reddot design award in the “domestic aid” category back in August. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and good artists copy while great artists steal, well, then congratulations to one and all. Unfortunately, only Damjan Stankovic will be on stage during the formal reddot awards ceremony on November 24th in Singapore.

Update: Artemy Lebedev has responded to our inquiry calling this a “funny (and unpleasant) coincidence.” Art tells us that his design shop’s Rozetkus 3D was first published in Lebedev’s internal idea-collecting intranet dubbed, The Brain, back in November 2006. He assures us that his art is prior, had no knowledge of Damjan’s work, and that no wrongdoing should be assumed by either party.

Read — Letout Outlet
Read — reddot list of winning concepts 2009 [Warning: Excel]

Filed under: Household

Art Lebedev’s Rozetkus 3D vs. Letout Outlet… Fight! (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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