Jan 13
As a kid at my local county fair, I used to ride a roller coaster that rumbled around a circular track as songs like Foreigner’s Urgent blasted through a set of giant speakers. More »
Jan 13
The company teams up with Japanese broadcasters to launch Japan’s first 3D TV series, a drama about air traffic controllers called “Tokyo Control.”
Jan 13
Wikipedia celebrates 10th anniversary, co-founder Jimmy Wales opines on app stores
Posted in: app, Apple, application, apps, free, itunes, Online, Today's Chili
Did you know that Wikipedia is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week? It is, on January 15th! It’s hard to believe that the ‘edited by the everyman’ encyclopedia has been around that long… or maybe we’re just getting old. Either way, co-founder of the site (and man of many personal appeals) Jimmy Wales took the opportunity to answer some questions about the past, present and future of Wikipedia, and, when asked about the growing prevalence of mobile apps and app stores, well, Wales had plenty to say, including that models such as the iTunes app store can represent a dangerous “chokepoint” and that they could be “a threat to a diverse and open ecosystem.” He also added that mobile devices are owned by people, and those people should control their own devices. We can see where Jimmy’s coming from in some ways — apps are a wholly new, untested way of ingesting content, but we have a hard time swallowing wholesale that the app store model could threaten internet freedom more than an issue such as net neutrality. But you know, if you ask us nicely, Jimmy, we might just take your word for it. Hit up the ‘more coverage’ link to check out a video of Jimmy Wales waxing philosophical about the birthday celebration.
Wikipedia celebrates 10th anniversary, co-founder Jimmy Wales opines on app stores originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Jan 13
We’re always looking at cool new ways to carry around water here at Gearlog, and this design by Mathieu Lehanneur might just be the coolest yet. It’s an expandable canteen inspired by human cells.
The canteen is designed sort of like side bag, with a hard top that can hold items and features a shoulder strap. The interesting part, though, is the expandable tube at the bottom, which can hold up to 1.5 liters of water. But for people travelling who need to carry more than that, the tubes can be joined together to create easy-to-carry water tubes that can hold between four and eight liters. The canteen, which has been dubbed the Pumpkin concept, has actually already been sold and distributed through much of the third-world.
Via Fast Company
Jan 13
Pioneer engineers Android-powered cyclocomputer, might remind Landis to stop doping
Posted in: Android, bike, Google, GoogleAndroid, gps, nav, navigation, sensor, Today's Chili, video
Think Android has reached its limit when it comes to applications? Think again. Pioneer has conjured up a new cyclocomputer, and compared to the antediluvian rivals available on the market today, this one looks like a bona fide supercomputer. It’s designed for mounting on the bike’s handlebars, where riders can then see speed, cadence, heart rate, and power at a glance. The device is engineered to play nice with the ANT+ wireless specification, and it can also pull data from optional crank sensors that can be installed to monitor one’s pedaling force. Furthermore, it’s equipped with GPS, and we’re guessing it’s a prime candidate for running Google’s own My Tracks app. There’s no time table for release, but we’re guessing the International Cycling Union will have one out in no time… one that continuously tests riders for illicit substances, of course. Video’s after the break, if you’re down for more.
Continue reading Pioneer engineers Android-powered cyclocomputer, might remind Landis to stop doping
Pioneer engineers Android-powered cyclocomputer, might remind Landis to stop doping originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jan 13
Scientists have long used a simple technique to follow the lives of specific penguins: placing a band around their flipper, thus making them easy to spot. But it turns out those simple bands actual harm the birds, reducing their lifespan and even diminishing the number of offspring they produce.
A study took place over ten years, and looked at a group of 100 King penguins — half of which had a flipper band, half of which had been outfitted with an implanted transponder. After a decade, 18 of the transponder penguins were still alive, while just 10 of the banded penguins survived. The penguins with the bands also arrived to breeding grounds much later and took longer to find food, thus leading to a reduced number of chicks.
The reason for the issues is most likely that the bands cause drag, reducing the penguins swimming abilities. They also make the birds more visible to predators.
“I would say no [it is not ethical],” French researcher Claire Saraux told the BBC. “The exception would be using them only on land, and that probably won’t be a problem so long as you take them off the birds before they go to sea – and that could still be useful, because I can tell you that when you go into a colony of 50,000 penguins to find yours, it’s not easy.”
Jan 13
Akai SynthStation49 dock / giant keyboard combo is less portable than its predecessor
Posted in: accessories, Apple, ipad, iPhone, keyboard, Music, Today's Chili
You may or may not be familiar with Akai‘s previous iPad dock / keyboard combo, the SynthStation. The thing is, the original SynthStation’s keyboard was miniature, and the dock was designed for the iPhone — presumably so that it was simultaneously portable. Well, the new Akai SynthStation49 adds a full keyboard, though it obviously loses that portability. Regardless, the SynthStation49 packs nine MPC-style pads, dedicated pitch and mod wheels, and transport controls. The internal audio boasts 1/4-inch outputs, and the hardware is MIDI supporting, so you can use the keyboard as a MIDI input device. This one is currently awaiting certification from Apple, so we can’t say when it’ll be released, nor do we have pricing. Hit up the source link for more details.
Akai SynthStation49 dock / giant keyboard combo is less portable than its predecessor originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jan 13
RIM’s WebWorks SDK: make apps compatible with both PlayBook and BlackBerry 6
Posted in: BlackBerry, blackberry playbook, BlackberryPlaybook, playbook, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, sdk, Today's Chili
RIM’s adding yet more incentive for developers to give its PlayBook tablet a chance. The company’s just launched a beta of WebWorks SDK, a collection of tools that lets you package up your web applications, with access to the hardware capabilities, as apps compatible with both the PlayBook and BlackBerry 6 smartphone devices. RIM also released a handful of new SDKs and extended the free PlayBook offer to March 15th. If you’re the sort who dreams in binary, hit up the relevant links below.
RIM’s WebWorks SDK: make apps compatible with both PlayBook and BlackBerry 6 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Jan 13
Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari is a celebration of extreme self-indulgence
Posted in: cellphone, expensive, luxury, phone, Today's Chili
International jet-set elite, your new phone is here! That’s right, Vertu and Ferrari have teamed up yet again to produce the phone that serves two important purposes: showing the world that you own a Ferrari, and showing the world that you don’t need a phone that does much besides receiving calls from your accountant. Essentially the recently announced Ascent refresh, this bad boy features a 2-inch QVGA sapphire crystal display and quadband 3G. The case itself is constructed from forged titanium with a matte black PVD finish and the same hand stitched leather as the interior of the car it’s inspired by. But you better be fast! Only 2,011 will be made. (Get it?) Hit the source link to order three or four for yourself.
[Thanks, James]
Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari is a celebration of extreme self-indulgence originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Jan 13
Judging from its patent activity, Apple is keen on using small solar panels to charge its portable electronics.
Originally posted at Green Tech
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