JBL’s OnBeat speaker dock fits an iPhone, iPod, or even an iPad
Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.
JBL OnBeat Speaker Dock Works With iPhone, iPod and iPad
The OnBeat is JBL’s first iPad speaker dock, and it will be available in April for $150. Touted as a loudspeaker docking station, you can stream Netflix, chat on Skype, or watch YouTube using the dock, or just blast some music. A universal connector supports iDevice docking in landscape or portrait orientation, and an IR remote lets you control it from the comfort of the couch.
OnBeat [JBL via Engadget]
iPod Batteries In Short Supply After Factory Closure
The factory supplying a particular polymer used to make the iPod’s lithium-ion batteries was closed after Japan’s March 11 earthquake, now leading to tight supplies of the eponymous MP3 player. The company in charge of the factory, Kureha Corp., plans to move more of its factories overseas. Although the factory itself wasn’t overly damaged, the port nearby has sustained sever damage, inhibiting the delivery of necessary chemicals.
Chemical Reaction: iPod is Short Key Material [WSJ]
Cosmonaut Stylus Feels Like You’re Using a Dry Erase Marker
From the makers of the Glif comes the Cosmonaut, a stylus designed to make writing on a tablet less awkward. The makers felt that using a pen on a tablet felt unnatural; it was like writing on a dry erase board, not writing in a paper notebook. So, they developed a tablet that grips like a dry erase marker. You can donate to their Kickstarter campaign now. The Cosmonaut is expected to retail at $25.
The Cosmonaut [Kickstarter via Core77]
Nokia E6-00 Pics and Specs Leaked: Yep, It’s a Nokia Phone
A prototype Nokia E6-00 was found and has bared all on some Nokia forums. It’s got a VGA resolution capacitive touchscreen (small – under 3-inches) with a D-pad and a physical QWERTY keyboard situated underneath. An 8-megapixel rear camera supports 720p HD video recording. There’s no HDMI port, but it does include a microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a 2mm charging socket. It runs a new version of Symbian^3 that’s compatible with the 4:3 aspect ratio display.
Nokia E6-00 Most Detailed Leak [My Nokia Blog via Slashgear]
Quadrocopters Tossing and Catching a Ball to One Another
Those quadrotor drones never cease to amaze. In the latest video from the Flying Machine Arena, a Swiss Federal Institute of Technology research facility, a pair of quadrocopters (and sometimes a human) plays catch with one another. The video title says they are juggling, but they’re not really juggling.
Quadrocopter Ball Juggling [Adafruit via Makezine]
Remember Tamagotchis? They’re Back (in Japan) With Color Displays
Maybe you missed this trend, but back when I was in 5th or 6th grade, everyone had a Tamagotchi. It was a little palm sized, black and white screened gadget that you let you raise and take care of a virtual pet. Bandai has now released the Tamagotchi iD L, which is available in 6 colors, with 32 virtual characters. I’m not quite sure if today’s smartphone toting, Internet-savvy pre-teens and tweens will dig this little electronic toy of yesteryear… Perhaps that’s why they’re releasing it exclusively in Japan first.
Tamagotchi iD L [Japan Trend Shop via Chip Chick]
Nokia is slowly stepping away from Symbian. Nokia has stated that Symbian would be dropped, but the first step in the process is to end the open source version. Nokia has just released info that from now on until Nokia ends the use of Symbian, it will be closed source.
