A memo from Steve Jobs was sent to all Apple employees today, stating that Jobs will take a medical leave of absence so that the CEO can “focus on [his] health.” Full details below. More »
Remember when the UK started distributing free laptops to poor schoolchildren in order to encourage them to get online? Well, a new, more frugal government is now in charge, and while the original scheme has been scrapped, today we’re hearing of alternative plans to help economically disadvantaged people leap onto the worldwide surfer’s web. The coalition government intends to offer £98 ($156) computers — which include an LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse, warranty, and a dedicated helpline — paired with subsidized £9 ($14) per month internet connections in its effort to show that the web doesn’t have to seem (or be) unaffordable. The cheapest machines will be refurbished units running open-source Linux distros, meaning that if this Race Online 2012 trial turns out well, we could see a whole new group of Linux loyalists rising up. The more the merrier!
UK aims to improve access to technology, internet with £98 Linux PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Eschenbach’s magnifying glass almost offers pinch-to-zoom for print. The meatspace multi-touch magnifier sits on top of a book or newspaper and lets you zoom from 2.2x to 3.4x with a simple twist, just like zooming a camera lens.
The German-made Menas Zoom works by changing the distance between two lens elements. The glass also gives the “light accumulating effect of a reading stone,” which gives a nice bright image. And because the loupe-like design keeps it a constant distance from the paper, you don’t need to focus.
I find myself relying on digital comforts more and more as I use paper less and less. I’ve caught myself trying to scroll newspaper articles, and swiping restaurant menus to turn the pages. As more of these things move from dead trees to the screen, the text-zooming advantages will be available to more partially-sighted people than ever. Until then, the Menas Zoom is a fine alternative. £87, or $138.
Menas Zoom product page [ProIdee via the Giz]
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Over the past year or so it’s become clear that there is a cure for the CrackBerry addict. For many it’s called the iPhone, for others it’s Android, while still others are getting their kicks from other platforms. IT departments worldwide are relaxing their rules and getting a little smartphone agnostic and now it sounds like RIM is thinking about finding a way to reel those newly straight-edged users back into their former habits. RIM Vice President Pete Devenyi had this to say on the subject:
BlackBerry is and will continue to be dominant in most corporations, [but] it’s not going to be the only device given the fact that consumers have the choice to bring in their own devices and IT departments are often letting them in. So there’s a question there. Do those corporations have to manage those devices differently or is there the possibility that RIM might extend capabilities to make it easier for those corporations to manage those devices as well? … If the right thing to do is to extend a subset of those [BlackBerry] capabilities to be able to manage other devices, it’s worthy of a conversation
Right now he’s just talking about device management, but if this goes forward it could be a sign of a willingness for RIM to move some of its proprietary services to other devices. BBM on Android and iPhone? We know a few people getting positively giddy at that (highly speculative) prospect.
RIM extending tools to other smartphone platforms, going cross-platform? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Surly’s new Troll frame-set is built for anything – almost literally. The 4130 CroMoly steel mountain-bike frame has enough options and add-ons to make it suitable for anything from mountain-biking through commuting to hauling cargo.
The first thing you’ll notice is the rear dropouts, which are horizontal and rear-facing like track-ends. This makes the frame good for fixed-gear and single-speed setups, although a derailleur hanger and a mounting-slot for a Rohloff hub mean gears are in, too.
The bumps and nodules around the frame allow fixing of fenders, brakes, water-bottle cages and racks, along with lots of cable-routing, and the sloping top-tube gives clearance to stand even with the fat tires you can fit on there (up to 26 x 2.7-inch).
With all these pimples and dimples, the Troll isn’t the prettiest bike (just like its namesake) but it sure is practical. Price TBA, available this month.
Troll frame [Surly via Urban Velo]
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That’s all we know for now, folks. Apple’s CEO is taking a medical leave from work, his second in as many years, with Tim Cook filling his role during that time. In an email to the Apple team, Steve Jobs says he’ll be on leave to “focus on [his] health,” though he will retain the position of CEO and will remain involved in the major strategic decisions — Tim Cook will be picking up the slack on day-to-day operations. No further details have been provided, save for Steve expressing his love for Apple and wish to return to his duties as soon as he can. See his email missive in full after the break.
Steve Jobs takes medical leave from Apple, Tim Cook taking over daily operations in his absence originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Oh, man. What is it about clever stationery that gets us geeks in such a froth? Pens, notepads and even – yes – paperclips are all enough to awaken a desire normally only stirred by a hot new slab of electronics from Apple or Art Lebedev.
Thus, I am far too excited by these hanger-shaped paperclips, called “PhotoHangers.” In shape, they’re like regular paperclips combined with coat-hangers. In practice, you combine them with pushpins and you have yourself an instant photo-gallery.
It would also be a great way to keep bunches of paper neatly filed, but close to hand. I say “would”, as these are clearly priced to be fancy display hooks and not practical office stationery: you’ll pay a crazy $9.50 for just seven of the things. That’s $1.36 each. Still, it has inspired me to roll my own. Surely a plain but oversized paperclip could do the same thing without modification?
PhotoHanger product page [Arango via Oh Gizmo]
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The company’s first UHS-I-compliant card has, for the moment, the fastest specs available. And the price to match.
This is the cutest thing you’ll see today. The Fuzzy Wuzzy is a felt camera case that looks just like a little camera. The big blanket-stitches make it even more endearing, and if you don’t have a camera small enough to fit in (it works great with compacts like the Canon S95), you can always use it to carry a phone, or even photo accessories.
The Fuzzy Wuzzy looks like a little plush Leica, and closes with a Velcro fastening to save scratches. Felt is a great material for protective cases. I have made bags with it in the past and found that it repels splashes, offers great impact-protection for its weight and thickness and it is slippery, meaning you can slide the camera in easily.
Best of all, Photojojo only wants $15 for it. That’s probably cheaper than you could make it for yourself.
Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Camera Case [Photojojo]
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Tailgating on the highway is a pretty dangerous thing and, in some cases, can be a ticketable offense. In the future, though, it could be a way to ease traffic congestion and to boost fuel mileage on highways. In this guise it’s called platooning, something that we saw GM’s crazy futuristic EN-V doing when we took it for a spin out in Vegas. Volvo is getting in on the game too, participating in the European Safe Road Trains for the Environment Project, or SARTRE. It’s a research program looking into a standard way to have “trains” of autonomous cars that can follow each other on the highway. A professional leads the way and other cars communicate with each other, enabling the drivers in those following cars to simply kick back and read the paper if they like. This is a project that could be seen on the road in as few as 10 years, but we’re thinking by then people might need to find something else to read.
Gallery: Volvo platooning
Continue reading Volvo’s platooning SARTRE cars drive themselves, dabble in existentialism (video)
Volvo’s platooning SARTRE cars drive themselves, dabble in existentialism (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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