Hasta La Gadget!

Your next external hard drive and NAS device can be completely wireless – except for power, of course. The LaCie Wireless Space is designed to look good, back up your data, and even be the heart of your home network if you need it to be; it comes in 1TB and 2TB models and features an 802.11 b/g/n router built-in as well as three gigabit Ethernet ports for high-speed data transfer. The Wireless Space can also act as a NAS, media server, or network extender once it’s configured, and has a pair of USB 2.0 ports that can be connected to printers for wireless printing or additional external drives to create a pool of storage. The Wireless Space will be available in October if you’re interested, with the 1TB model shipping for $229 and the 2TB model for $399 retail price. 

There are more iPhone cases on the market than anyone really needs, but if you have an Android phone, and recent studies show that the likelihood you do is growing all the time, you’ll probably want a case to protect your investment too. Seidio has long been known for its wide variety of cases that support dozens of manufacturers, and now they’ve released the new Innocase Rugged for the Motorola Droid X, one of the first high-impact cases for Motorola’s new flagship Android phone.

The Innocase Rugged comes with a screen protector to keep your Droid X’s display safe from scratches and cracks.  Once the screen protector is applied, you can attach the Rugged Skin and Rugged Skeleton, the two parts that make up the case. The Skin covers the ports completely, and covers buttons with soft molding that allows you to continue to use them even while covered. The Skin also has a flexible camera cover that keeps dirt and dust out of the lens when not in use but slides open when you want to take photos or video. The Skeleton fits snugly over the skin and serves as a rigid plastic outer shell that protects your Droid X from falls and jolts. The Innocase Rugged can be purchased as a combo with a holster now for $49.95 retail.  

For less than a third of the price of the cheapest iPad, you can buy Barnes and Noble’s adorably-named, but often ignored e-reader: The Nook. One aspect of The Nook that is often overlooked is the fact that the little sucker is Android-powered. That’s open-source Android-powered. Which, if you think about it, kind of makes The Nook the very first Android-based tablets (or tablet-like gizmos) that the nerdosphere has been buzz–buzzing about.

Of course, The Nook’s scope is a far cry from heavy-duty tablet territory–it’s designed for basic e-reading first and foremost. However, with a few slight “adjustments” you can pimp your Nook with additional functionality such as a Pandora and Twitter app. For free.

Hackers had previously developed a method to RoboCop-up the humble e-reader that required performing some open-Nook surgery. However this newest non-invasive technique can all be accomplished with a spare microSD card and some simple software fanoogling. All under a half hour.

Note: this will definitely void your B&N warranty. However if you’re looking for a simple e-reader that will perform basic web functions without being forced to sacrifice food, rent, inoculations, etc. this may be a handy alternative.

Directions over at NookDevs.

hat tip to popsci

MIT’s Media Lab creates all sorts of neat stuff. Futuristic robot sort of stuff. Jetsons stuff. And now the program is combining the technology of the future with a cue from the past when they premiere their first opera, Death and the Powers.

The one-act opera, which was 10 years in the making, will make its premiere September 24-26 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Composer and Media Lab professor Tod Machover, who has created technology-infused instruments for Yo-Yo Ma and Prince, conceptualized Death and the Powers as a way for technology and music to compliment each other. The production features a human cast alongside an animated multi-media set design which includes nine life-sized singing “OperaBots.”

The story is straight Singularity mythology. (If you didn’t know, The Singularity is the hip new geek religion, if you’re reading GearLog, you’d probably be interested in joining our cult. It’s run by Google. Really.) Death is the tale of a plucky mad scientist who uploads his memories and personality into “The System.” The actor portraying the scientist disappears after the first scene and is thereafter represented by various robots, lights, and assorted fixtures that make-up the on-stage “System.” Off-stage, the singer’s performance is captured by software that monitor’s his volume and pitch, as well muscle tension and breathing patterns and reflect those attributes into on-stage mechanisms of The System. Machover doves this use of technology as “disembodied performance.” It’s like if T-Pain had an unlimited budget and a dedicated staff of research grads.

It sounds amazing. I can’t wait to check it out. It’s going to be the Avatar of the opera world. In the meantime, I hope Professor Machover will next use technology to improve upon ballet, which is awful. Just awful.

Some video of the production after the jump.

There’s no shortage of iPhone cases on the market, but not all of them bring the same sense of style to the table as ElementCase‘s unique designs. The company recently announced the ION 3, a durable case with soft silicon rubber bumpers and corners on the sides and a smooth carbon fiber backplate designed to keep the phone safe and protected during regular use. The case is removable and has openings cut out of the top, back, and sides for the camera, headphone port and power button, dock connector, and volume control buttons. iPhone 3G and 3Gs versions of the ION 3 are available now, and iPhone 4 versions will be available next month, with all three models starting at $59.95.

ElementCase also unveiled the Formula 3, a three-part case with a carbon fiber backplate that connects to and is sandwiched between two end-pieces made of durable black polycarbonate. The two end-pieces attach to the central piece and create a full wrap-around case that will stay in place during use. The Formula 3 also has ports cut out for accessibility, and the corners of the case are flared so your iPhone can rest on a surface without being in full contact with its face or back. The Formula 3 is currently only available for the iPhone 3G and 3Gs, starting at $59.95 retail.