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Power Strip-like USB Hub

Posted: 03 Aug 2010 04:42 AM PDT

A power strip-like USB hub with four ports than can be turned on or off individually? That, and another version with seven ports, is what Japanese accessory maker Elecom announced [JP] today.

The power strip USB hub can also be attached to a magnetic surface (see picture below). It also comes with a bunch of stickers (in English) to help you identify which USB port is powering which device.

It’s already on sale in Japan (in black and silver), but specialized online store Geek Stuff 4 U is offering it to everyone living outside Japan for $40.70 (the version with seven ports (AC) costs $106.15).

Video: Solar-powered Electric Bike

Posted: 03 Aug 2010 03:03 AM PDT

We’ve covered quite a few electric bikes over the last years, but this new model developed by a Japanese company called Hama Zero (no website) offers a new twist. Their “Solar Bike Fujin” is an electric bike that’s powered by electricity generated by an on-board solar panel. The bike can be used on public roads (at least in Japan) and boasts an assisted travel range of 220km on a single charge.

All you need is a home power socket, with Hama Zero saying one charge costs around $0.02 (if you use just solar power, there are obviously no costs involved at all). Powered by a 940W/h lithium-ion battery, the Fujin reaches a top speed of 72km/h.

The bike weighs 42kg, including the solar panel that’s placed in a box in the back.

This video, produced by our friends over at DigInfoNews in Tokyo, provides more insight:

Daily Crunch: Gator Vs. Stapler Edition

Posted: 03 Aug 2010 12:00 AM PDT

Two New Casio Point And Shoots For Your Enjoyment

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 07:50 PM PDT


I feel like Casio has been coasting since they released the FC-100 and FS-10. That miniaturization of their famous high-speed imaging device was a serious boon to consumers, and to be honest, I still don’t see any reason to recommend another “vanilla” point and shoot over the FC-100. This pair of new ones doesn’t offer much except for small size, but let’s go through the numbers just to be sure.

The EX-S200 and EX-Z800 are more or less the same camera with slightly different bodies. They share all the following characteristics:

  • 14 megapixels, 1/2.3″ CCD sensor
  • 2.7″ 480×320 LCD
  • Video: 640×480/30fps or 720p/20fps (useless)
  • 27mm lens (35mm equivalent) with 4x optical zoom (F/3.2-F/5.9)
  • 6x “super resolution” zoom (optimized digital zoom, don’t use it)
  • CCD-shift image stabilization
  • Nearly identical scene modes and “best shot” modes

They differ, as I said, primarily in body style and dimensions. The EX-S200, top, is slightly smaller and lighter, though both are very compact. The EX-Z800, below, has a high-speed USB port, which would be very handy.

I can’t say these are very exciting cameras, though I’m sure they produce perfectly good images. I’m telling you, go for the FC-100.

ex-s200_2 EX-Z800_BE_f_le EX-Z800_PK_b ex_s200_1

[via DPReview]

Take A Sneak Peek At Nikon’s EVIL Patent

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 07:00 PM PDT

Not to be outdone by the other camera manufacturers, Nikon has been working on an EVIL camera (Canon is already evil, so they haven’t come out with one yet), and we’re finally getting a peek at it. Admittedly, the peek is line drawing and technical specs from a patent application, but it is a peek none the less. Nikon Rumors found the patent applications while looking at Japan’s online patent office, so make sure you allow for some possible translation errors. Check out the details after the jump.

  • Patent Publication No.2010-161569

    • published 2010/07/22
    filled 2009/01/07

  • Problems

    • At the time of lens desorption, useless thing invades the camera inside.

  • Conventional technology and problems

    • It make a protective cover.
    A lens end may come in contact with the protective cover.

  • A patent of Nikon

    • A Imaging Box
    Sealing up space
    It is formed by protective cover and OLPF, image sensor.
    Rubber and resin are used for a connection of protective cover and imaging box.
    Rubber and the resin are form of ring.
    It possesses a sensor detecting lens desorption.
    At the time of lens desorption, protective cover is pushed inside.

  • The embodiment of the patent

    • EVF
    It does not have a mechanical shutter(only use an electronic shutter).


DLC Is Here To Stay: 20 Million Call Of Duty Map Packs Sold

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 06:30 PM PDT


If anyone wants to know where to find me, I’ll be in my cave, banging two rocks together. That seems to be the only place for me, since I can’t seem to wrap my head around DLC as a good thing — yet millions have decided to shell out, just recently passing the 20,000,000 sold mark for the Call Of Duty franchise.

Congratulations all around, I guess, as they have clearly put out a highly successful (and very fun) product, but I still feel like DLC being co-developed with a game is kind of like robbing the gamer before he’s even paid his money.

Behold The Lightbulb Computer

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Pico computing is nothing new, but this takes it to a whole new level. This particular set up uses a light bulb socket as a mount (but not as a source of power). Conceived, designed, and produced by some students at MIT, this computer uses a pico projector to put a touch display on any surface. The students mounted the computer on a motorized arm, allowing it to track movements. Most people wouldn’t need the arm, but imagine being able to put a touch surface in your kitchen, or garage. At any rate, it’s worth your time to check out the video after the jump.

[via Hack A Day]

You Will Be Punched With An Alligator

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 04:30 PM PDT


Looking to bling yourself out a bit? Maybe something in a sterling silver animal-based mini knuckle duster? Only $79. You will be feared.

[via NoPuedoCreer and The Daily What]

There, I Fixed It: Apple Store iPhone 4 Jailbreak Edition

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 04:00 PM PDT

Please, won’t someone think of all the poor Apple store employees who have to restore these things every night?

Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

Saab To Jump Into Electric Game With 2011 Test EVs

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 04:00 PM PDT


Saab, not exactly the first company I think of when I think of cutting edge electric vehicles, is determined not to be left behind by the electric renaissance that’s starting… any time now, just wait for it. They’re rolling out a test fleet of EVs based on the upcoming 9-3 model, but wouldn’t give a date for actual production. Chances are it’ll be quite a while.

They’re working with American battery producers and Swedish engine designers to “electrify” (electrificate?) portions of the fleet as well as putting out an all-electric one at some point in the future. Sounds good to me.

Surprise! Details Of New OQO Model 03 UMPC Released

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 03:43 PM PDT


That’s odd, I could have sworn that a few months ago, we wrote that OQO was officially shutting down, and its new line of Windows-running mega-handhelds would be lost forever. Oh right, we did.

Yet now we hear tell of a Model 03 (last we saw was the 2+) with a similar body but improved specs (4.8″ screen, Atom Z550, 128GB SSD) — for the low, low price of $4700. Woo!

[via SlashGear]

Giveaway: Win a Cadence 4-bit Binary Watch

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 03:30 PM PDT

Here’s your chance to win a Cadence 4-bit binary watch of your very own. We published our review of the 4-bit this weekend, and it’s a great watch, and a good value to begin with. Now it’s an even better deal, because you can win one for free! To win, all you have to do is go to the Cadence website, and then sign up for their newsletter. The contest ends on the 9th, and Cadence will announce the winner on the 11th.


Digital Storm Offering 3-Screen 3D-Ready Gaming PC – But Is It Worth It?

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 03:00 PM PDT


So Digital Storm is offering (along with other high-end gaming PC makers soon, if not already) pre-built systems with triple-monitor setups using 3D-ready displays and everything already set up to blast you with 3D content from all sides. It’s expensive as hell, but it will work, and 3D gaming is pretty awesome. Should you be tempted?

Nah. While you can always wait a little longer and get a better deal, that applies especially to 3D. The 3D thing will soon stop being a premium (3D-ready is a buzzword people are charging for) and start being standard. Drivers and hardware costs will go down, and you’ll be able to do this for a lot cheaper.

Not to mention, multi-monitor setups right now are troublesome because not all games support them, and most importantly, look at those fat bezels! Give it a little time and LCD-makers will make thin- or no-bezel LCDs one of the foci, and you’ll get some truly multi-monitor-capable displays.

TL;DR: just chill, things will be way better and way cheaper soon.

Connecticut Attorney General Wants To Make Sure Amazon, Apple Aren’t Cutting Sweetheart Deals With E-Book Publishers

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 02:30 PM PDT

The Connecticut attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, has opened up an investigation into whether or not the deals Amazon and Apple have cut with publishers for the sale of e-books have violated any sort of rules of regulations. The fear is that the deals Amazon and Apple have worked out with top publishers may lock out other companies from entering the e-book business.

Blumenthal said that Apple and Amazon's "most favored nation" deals with publishers like Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins could block others (think Barnes & Noble, Borders, Sony, etc.) from being able to properly compete on an even keel.

He continued:

The e-book market is set to explode—with analysts predicting that e-book readers will be among the holiday season’s biggest electronics gifts—warranting prompt review of the potential anti-consumer impacts. This restriction blocks cheaper and competitive prices for consumers.

Is there anything to the complaint? Well, that's why there will be an investigation.

Highly Sculpted Mouse Fits Your Hand Exactly, Or That’s The Plan Anyway

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT


There are, as I have had many opportunities to observe, several approaches to “fitting” a mouse. You’ve got the “universal,” which has a sort of generally pleasing shape, like the SteelSeries Xai. You’ve got the highly-sculpted ones, which have individual grooves for your thumb and a sort of lopsided profile. A good recent example would be the Cyber Snipa Silencer. Then you have the middle road with sculpted, but still generalized, shapes, like the Razer Death Adder and Mamba.

But this thing goes beyond sculpting. It’s like the bottom half of a glove.

The G50 Vanguard is still a concept, and I’m afraid it might have to stay that way. The trouble with the sculpted style is that it rarely fits your hand exactly, and of course it’s completely incompatible with some mousing styles. I tend to grip the mouse lightly like a puck and move it around with small wrist and finger movements. I wouldn’t be able to do that with the G50 Vanguard because in order to operate it, I have to have my hand flat on it, totally splayed out, and move it almost entirely with my wrist. I’d never go for it.

Ultimately that’s the problem with the sculpted style, and the G50, while it may be the final form of said style, also embodies its flaws more than any other. If a tool doesn’t allow for some wiggle room in how you use it, then you either have to change the way you use it or get another tool.

[via Dvice]

Anti-Blur System For Cameras Tracks Minute Camera Movements During Shots

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 01:00 PM PDT


This is a cool idea, though it’s obviously still in the prototype phase right now. This Microsoft Research project took a DSLR (a Canon 1D mk III if you must know) and modified it with some easily-acquired gyros and accelerometers. These are keyed into the camera’s shutter mechanism so they can record the camera’s slight movements during an exposure. These movements are then used as fuel for a deblurring algorithm that actually seems to do a pretty good job.

They say this is the first method that uses a triple-gyro, triple-axis accelerometer setup to capture camera movement. It seems you can get much better results when you solve for roll as well as simple image translation.

Before (click for large):

After:

The results are pretty impressive, but obviously not perfect — just better than what’s out there. You can see artifacts in high-contrast areas and there’s a curious optical effect on the whole thing, but the fact is it’s genuinely sharper and more clear than the source image.

Their mod is pretty bulky right now, since it’s just a lab version, but I’m guessing something like this could be integrated with a camera fairly easily. I mean, for image stabilization these days, everything is focused on moving the sensor or adjusting the image in-lens; tracking camera movements minutely (it could be included in EXIF) and passing that information to an optional deblur filter could be helpful.

My question is this: why do they need a 1D with L glass to test this?

Video: The Oregon Trail – Official Trailer

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 12:30 PM PDT

“They’ll learn quickly the trail is no game, *dramatic pause* it’s survival.” Yep, it’s based on the original game and nope, it’s not real. Just a faux trailer made for your amusement.

Ustream Vows To Stop UFC Streamers, Makes It Easier For Copyright Owners To File Complaints

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 12:00 PM PDT

A few days ago we learned that the UFC had subpoenaed Ustream.tv and Justin.tv for the information of people who had ilegally streamed pay-per-view events. Having spoken to these people in the past, I knew they weren't sitting around in their offices, rubbing their hands together as intellectual property was being violated all over the place. No, these are legitimate businesses looking to cooperate with companies like UFC whenever necessary.

Ustream has released a statement saying exactly what you'd expect it to say:

Ustream was subpoenaed by UFC via Zuffa earlier this year to provide identifiable information on certain broadcasters, which Ustream fully complied with in a timely manner. Ustream continues to work cohesively with our premium content partners to prevent piracy, including UFC to legally stream officially-sanctioned UFC events. As part of our continued efforts to ensure strong content protection for our partners, we also recently updated our copyright protection tools to enable copyright holders to easily and quickly monitor, and take down infringing content on Ustream.

One thing is for sure: you do not want to mess with Zuffa's legal department. Those guys don't mess around, and nor should they.

The big test for the stream police will be this Saturday night, as Anderson Silva looks to defend his Middleweight Championship against former WCW tryout guy Chael Sonnen at UFC 117. I sincerely hope Silva wins decisively. He's a great heel, managed by an even greater heel manager in Ed Soares.

UPDATE Check the comments for Livestream’s point of view. But again, the time to check is on Saturday night. I”ll be looking around for streams and will report back. Fun~!


Three Years Later, Who Owns The Rights To Radiohead’s In Rainbows?

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 11:30 AM PDT

Famous rock band Radiohead released an album a few years ago called In Rainbows. The band initially released the album online for free. Well, not for "free," per se, but you were given the option to pay whatever you wanted. That promotion only lasted a little while, as the band later teamed up with traditional record labels (like Warner and Sony) to release a physical album.

Here we are, almost three years later (good God, three years…), and the RIAA and IFPI are now issuing takedown requests to sites that are offering the album online for free. Think Blogger sites and the like.

The question becomes, how does the RIAA and IFPI know that the editions of the album being offered online for free today are the editions that they own the rights to? What if some enterprising youngster downloaded the album for free back in 2007, and now wants to offer it on his or her blog for all the world to download?

How would that even work in court, I wonder? "Your honor, I downloaded the album for free, legally, and then put a copy of it on my Web site. Is that a crime?"

Maybe, I don't know. I don't remember the terms under which Radiohead released the album online.

It's basically a question of, is the RIAA (and IFPI) trying to protect something it doesn't even have the rights to?

Mm.

Giveaway: Grip-It Controller Covers

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Grip-It: Some sort of rubber analog stick condoms for the Dual Shock and Xbox controller that claim to reduce slippage. They just came in the mail and I would rather pass them along than put ‘em on my controllers that get used once every six months. Click through for the standard contest rules.

  • Leave one comment below about — I don’t know — favorite video game console of all time
  • Only one comment per person and yes, we do check
  • Use a valid email address so I can contact you
  • Winner must have a US or Canadian shipping address
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