Jul 20

Electromagnetic invisibility a precursor to the real thing?

Posted in: medical, Today's Chili

This could either be that one giant leap, or just another in a long sequence of multidirectional small steps on the Quixotic quest for undetectability. So-called dc metamaterials are the chief culprit for inciting our interest anew, as researchers from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona have found a way to use them to render metallic objects invisible to low frequency electromagnetic waves. Composed of irregular networks of superconductors, the metamaterials are capable of granting superpowers altering the magnetic field of materials, and in theory, this advance could aid magnetic imaging in medical settings and also help cloak military vessels from magnetic detection. Of course, there’s still the whole “oh, now we need a working prototype” conundrum, but hey, at least we’ve got the gears turning in the right direction.

[Via PhysOrg]

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Electromagnetic invisibility a precursor to the real thing? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Robot Doraemon travels back in time to shame Japanese children to success

Posted in: Japan, robot, Today's Chili, toy

If you’re one of those nerds, you’re probably quite stoked at the prospect of a real, honest-to-goodness Doraemon in your living room. And even if not, surely we can all agree that this guy is pretty damn cute, right? This ear-less, time travelin’ cat features motion, light, heat, and sound sensors that let it react to its environment with a whole slew of facial features and vocal mannerisms that mean nothing to us, seeing as how it’s communicating in Japanese. This guy is available from Bandai, starting September 3rd — in the meantime, check out a few pics snapped at the Tokyo Toy Show below.

Gallery: Robot Doraemon travels back in time to shame Japanese children to success

[Via Tokyo Mango]

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Robot Doraemon travels back in time to shame Japanese children to success originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Kingston unveils 256GB thumb drive for well-heeled memory fiends

Posted in: flash, flash drive, FlashDrive, Today's Chili, usb, usb drive, UsbDrive

We’re sure that it’s only a matter of moments before a 256GB thumb drive this bulky is something of a joke — hell, it wasn’t so terribly long ago that cramming 256MB into something this size was an accomplishment. That said, if you’re a netbook user looking for a storage bump, it looks like Kingston’s got your back: this guy boasts transfer rates of up to 20 MB/sec. read and 10 MB/sec. write, and for all of you Vista fans, supports Windows ReadyBoost. Now, for the bad news: only available in Europe and the UK, and custom made upon your order (presumably after the check clears) this modern technological marvel will run you £565.67 ($924).

[Via TBreak]

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Kingston unveils 256GB thumb drive for well-heeled memory fiends originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Japanese phones suffer from ‘Galapagos Syndrome’ — are too complex to survive abroad

Posted in: Japan, Sharp, smartphone, Today's Chili
While Americans are pining for smartphones even though they don’t have any idea how to use the things, in Japan people not only pocket far more advanced cellys than here, but use them productively. More than twice as many people use smartphones there than do in the States (despite less than half the population), but the companies making those phones have been hopeless when it comes to catering to the international mobile space. The problem is largely design, whether it be clunky user experiences, a complete inability to sync with PCs (fughettabout Macs), or bulky clamshell exteriors enclosing more widgets than that dusty Radio Shack down the road. Companies like NEC and Sharp previously took pride in their quirky mobiles, but, with the JDM handset market shrinking rapidly, most are looking to inject some Western sensibility into their Eastern handsets in the hopes of finding success in foreign lands. Evolve or die is the word, meaning next year we might just find something headed our way from those annual showcase teasers.

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Japanese phones suffer from ‘Galapagos Syndrome’ — are too complex to survive abroad originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Man Sues Apple Over Threatening Mafia iPod Message

Posted in: Apple, Today's Chili

Is Apple in cahoots with the mafia? Gregory McKenna thinks so. The Missouri man is suing Apple over claims that the the mafia is using the company’s popular MP3 players to send him threatening messages.

CNET got a hold of the court documents, which explain,

The alleged motive for the threats was that the Mafia wanted McKenna to work as a fashion model for them at a New York modeling agency. McKenna said he called local police and the FBI field office, but allegedly nothing was done. This allegedly allowed the Mafia members to “stalk, threaten, attempt rape, and kidnap” him.

McKenna claims that the threats are coming from two devices–an iPod Mini and an iPod Shuffle purchase via eBay. The auction site was not targeted in the suit.

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Jul 20

Company Sues Apple, Microsoft, Cowon, iRiver, Everyone Else

Posted in: Apple, Microsoft, MP3 Digital Audio, patents, Today's Chili

If you’re going to file a lawsuit, why not go for the gold? That seems to be the strategy behind a recent suit filed Tsera LLC in a Texas court. The small company is taking on Apple, Microsoft, Cowon, iRiver, Bang & Olufsen, Philips, and more–20 companies in all, including a Chinese company that manufacturers iPhone knockoffs.

The suit stems from a 2003 patent, which, according to Apple Insider, “recognizes different swipe movements on a touchpad without having to provide visual feedback or to look at the player to understand what’s taking place.” Tsera is seeking “enhanced” damages from Apple.

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Jul 20

Report: Toshiba to Intro Blu-Ray Player Before End of Year

Posted in: sony, Today's Chili, Toshiba

Toshiba took a licking in the latest format wars. The company put up a good fight with HD-DVD, but ultimately it just couldn’t stand up to Sony’s Blu-ray barrage. That fight seems like ancient history now, yet in all that time the company still hasn’t seen fit to swallow its pride and introduce a Blu-ray player of its own. If report are to be believed, however, Toshiba is set to take its first stab in the space by the end of the year with the BD 18.

Samsung started producing Blu-ray players back in January 2006 via Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Korea (TSST Korea)–a partnership between the electronic giants. Toshiba gave up the HD-DVD fight in February 2008. Analysts expect the company to embrace Sony’s technology while there’s still space left in the market.

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Jul 20

HP’s ProBook 4310s ultraportable now on sale, starts at $799

Posted in: HP, now available, NowAvailable, on sale, OnSale, sale, Today's Chili, ultraportable

We got a chance to toy with HP’s latest “pro-level” ultraportable at the tail end of last month, and while it proved to be a bit chunky, the specs list is hard to argue with. Available now for those with at least $799 (plus applicable taxes), the ProBook 4310s can be ordered up with your choice of Core 2 Duo processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 160/250/320/500GB SATA II hard drive, optional Blu-ray drive, a 13.3-inch LED-backlit HD display (matte or glossy), an optional ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 GPU, three USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI / VGA outputs, an ExpressCard socket and even a Gobi mobile broadband module if you’d like. Now that you’re drooling at the thought of having one in your lap, good luck avoiding the read link for long.

[Thanks, Michael]

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HP’s ProBook 4310s ultraportable now on sale, starts at $799 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Lexar Media issues 64GB, 128GB and 256GB Crucial M225 SSDs

Posted in: price, pricing, solid state drive, SolidStateDrive, SSD, storage, Today's Chili

It’s been a long, long while since we’ve seen a new Crucial-branded SSD, but we’d argue that Lexar Media couldn’t have picked a better time to end the hiatus. The M225 solid state drive family is the fastest, most capacious Crucial SSD line to date, and while they still lag behind OCZ’s new Vertex Turbo SSD drives, they don’t lag by much. The 2.5-inch SATA units can hit read speeds of up to 250MBps and write speeds of up to 200MBps, and the whole lot features MLC NAND flash memory and a SATA 2.0 (3Gbps) interface. Available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models, the trio is also fully compatible with the Crucial SK01 external drive storage kit, and unlike so many competitors, Lexar decided to go rouge and actually announce prices for the now-available units: $169.99, $329.99 and $599.99 in order of mention. Not too shabby, wouldn’t you agree?

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Lexar Media issues 64GB, 128GB and 256GB Crucial M225 SSDs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Dark Knight Motorcycle Suit for Bondage-Loving Bikers

Posted in: Apparel, Today's Chili

tdk_promoEver taken your car or motorcycle for a spin and pretended that you’re Batman, racing through the dark streets of Gotham to release your anger by beating petty criminals to pulp? Then we may be able to interest you in the Dark Knight Leather Motorcycle Suit, an officially licensed replica of Batman’s S&M getup from the last two movies.

This suit is tailor-made for our own Brian X. Chen, who splits his days equally between personality-building activities: Kittens (shows sensitive side), work (what better place to practise your Twittering skills?) and searching the internet for leather biker boots ([redacted]). Chen would appreciate the cordura and spandex base, the removable body-armor and the molded leather and Kevlar sections. And it isn’t just the kinky boots he so craves: the suit is made up of jacket, pants, boots and gloves.

The suit isn’t on sale yet, but you can be it will be rather costly. Hopefully Brian will have some cash left over for a pointy-eared helmet and a nerdy utility belt.

Product page [Universal Designs via Geekologie]


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