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DIY Mini IR Theremin: Weee-ooo-ooo!

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:36 AM PDT

This DIY Theremin project uses infrared sensors and visible light to create what amounts to clever little audio projector. The closer your hand is to the light source the higher the tone and with a little practice you, too, can create the jarring, objectionable sound of the theremin in your own home or jail cell.

The full specs and ingredients are below, so get cracking. It requires some breadboarding and an understanding of microcontrollers, but you can probably handle it.

Project Page


Virgin Mobile To Switch Up Plan Prices, Drop $10 Monthly BlackBerry Fee?

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 05:03 PM PDT

Earlier today we received word from a tipster that Virgin Mobile will be switching up its plan rates in the near future, likely sometime this month.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

Boost Mobile To Nab The BlackBerry Style 9670 (RIM’s Crazy Huge Flip Phone) This Month

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 05:02 PM PDT

Have you always wanted to rock RIM’s wonky-lookin’ BlackBerry Style 9670, but weren’t sure enough about the big ol’ clamshell form factor to lock into a contract? Good news: It’s going pre-paid.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch, where we find it hilarious that RIM decided to call this phone the “Style”. MORE LIEK THE BLACKBERRY FASHION FAUX-PAS AMIRITE??? >>

16GB Xoom Drops To $499

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 04:06 PM PDT

Are you still pining for a Xoom? Shame on you. But really, who am I to judge? Have I not made mistakes of my own? For instance, every time I order a shot of Fireball. No one wants to kiss that mouth. But I digress. You were looking for a Xoom, yes? I can’t interest you in the slimmer Galaxy Tab 10.1, or the upcoming 8.9? No? Not an inexpensive Acer, or even a Nook Color? No?

All right then, if you must. At least now you can get one for under five hundy. The 16GB wi-fi version (you don’t want 3G, come on) is now available for the lowish price of $499. Is it worth it? Look, that’s for you to decide, I don’t want to hurt your feelings.

Giant VR Helmet Is Very 90s, Yet Way Cooler

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 03:40 PM PDT


You might remember trying on one of these big-ass VR helmets ten or fifteen years ago, maybe at a big arcade or some sort of tech show. They were pretty cool, but were mainly used for plain orientation of the head in the game; you had joysticks for controls and so on. This “Immersive Digital Entertainment” system from Crescent, shown at a recent VR trade show, takes things a bit further.

The helmet is a VR display, of course, but you move around in a motion-capture area, and the helmet, gun, and all the rest are rigged up to be tracked by computers in real time. It’s a bit like the way they animate games and movies like Avatar, but in real time.

There’s more information here if you can read Japanese, but you can get the gist from the video above. Pretty cool, though obviously still a bit janky (and impractical for home use).

[via Akihabara News]

Sony S1 And S2 Go Wild On Video In Italy

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 02:40 PM PDT


Anyone speak Italian? Eh, I think you get the gist from watching. These two videos show the elusive (though decreasingly so) S1 and S2 tablets we heard about from Sony back in April. You can see the Playstation Suite with games and movie trailers in one, and the other gives a slightly blurry tour of the hardware itself, which is actually welcome given the lack of comparators we’ve had for these things.

Here’s the interface (lots of Italian):

And here’s the hardware:

They look nice, but we definitely need to get our own before passing judgment.

[via Notebook Italia and Laptop]

Video: Robot Mimics Snail Style For Omnidirectional Movement

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 02:10 PM PDT


Biomimetic robots are nothing new (snakebot, ro-bat, shark-tail wave harvester), but as there is a great variety of animals to mimic, there’s no shortage of interesting takes on the idea. This one, from Chuo University’s Biomechatronics Lab (how I would love to work at a place with a name like that), uses the movement principle favored by the common snail. They call it “galloping,” but I don’t think that’s accurate, as far as the idiom goes.

What they mean when they say galloping is moving the front part of the body up first, establishing traction there, and then using that as an anchor to pull the rest of the body forwards. I suppose that, when you think about it, that’s actually what horses do too. Anyway, this thing moves slowly but very surely, because at every stage in its movement, it has lots of contact with the surface and tons of grip.

This high level of stability and ease of movement means variants of this could be used in factories and hospitals, where safety and stability are a priority, and speed is just something the night crew takes to stay awake. Too much?

[via IEEE Spectrum and Treehugger]

Exec Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud After Spilling Apple’s Secrets

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 01:51 PM PDT

If I can steal a quote from Mr. Shimoon, Apple has long been "crazy" about keeping new products a secret. Analysts love to throw out prediction after prediction, but when we get down to the truth of the matter, none of us knows anything about Apple's secrets until Jobs himself wants us to. That is, except for component suppliers and their employees, one of which today pleaded guilty to leaking Apple's trade secrets regarding the iPhone and iPad.

Walter Shimoon, ex-employee at one of Apple's component suppliers Flextronics, had access to unannounced information back in 2009 and decided that sharing is caring. He then relayed said secrets to New York-based Kingdom Ridge Capital, a hedge fund. Most of what Shimoon spilled was related to quarterly sales figures, specifically that he leaked the data two and a half weeks before it was released to the public, but he also threw out some juicy tidbits about the iPhone 4 and the (then unannounced) iPad.

The FBI bugged Shimoon's phones, so we're lucky enough to see just what was said between the devious Shimoon and Kingdom Ridge Capital:

The iPhone 4:

Shimoon promised that Apple was "coming out next year" with a new iPhone that's "gonna have two cameras" […] "It'll be a neat phone because it's gonna have a five-megapixel auto-focus camera and it will have a VGA forward-facing videoconferencing camera."

Just eight months after this conversation, Steve Jobs got on stage holding an iPhone 4 and showed us FaceTime with its "VGA forward-facing videoconferencing camera."

The iPad (then unannounced):

"They [Apple] have a code name for something new … It's … It's totally … It's a new category altogether… It doesn't have a camera, what I figured out. So I speculated that it's probably a reader. Something like that. Um, let me tell you, it's a very secretive program. It's called K, K48. That's the internal name. So, you can get, at Apple you can get fired for saying K48. That's how crazy they are about it."

This time, Shimoon cut it a bit closer. "K48" was announced just four months later.

We're not quite sure why Shimoon doesn't speak in complete sentences, although it could be the excitement of underhandedly profiting $560,000 in October of 2009 for his company. Either way, we're glad he fessed up to his crimes, including two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of security fraud. Sentencing won’t begin until 2013, so that leaves you plenty of time to read the indictment in its entirety, which was leaked by the Wall Street Journal.

[via NYT]

Nintendo To Bring Pokemon To iOS And Android This Summer

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 01:44 PM PDT

Hey You, Pokédork!

The every-geek’s guilty-pleasure license is coming to iOS and Android. Surprise! Nintendo has — quite understandably, really — avoided building games or apps for iOS or Android, focusing all of their portable efforts on their own DS platform.

Alas, there’s a catch. Prep yourself for a bit of bubble-bursting, then join us behind the jump.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch if you want to be the very best, like no one ever was >>

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim To Get Proper PC Version

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 12:10 PM PDT


Some Skyrim developers have been answering questions in the Elder Scrolls forums, and have confirmed that Skyrim will indeed get true PC optimizations, and should be free of the kind of console holdovers that plagued Crysis 2. Not that every game doing it right needs a post here, but after playing what I could of Dungeon Siege 3, I’m really glad to see a developer making more than a token effort towards a PC version.

The devs said there would be major graphics upgrades available for PC gamers, and we’ll have a proper high-res interface, quicksaves, and other interface tweaks. Perhaps most importantly, they assured fans that mod support was high priority; after all, part of the reason Oblivion and Morrowind have enjoyed such long-lasting popularity is the wealth of improvements, maps, items, and other mod fodder.

Compare to Dungeon Siege 3, where they couldn’t be bothered to even add keyboard config and mouse support appeared to be an afterthought. Looks like the PC will be home to the “definitive” version of Skyrim, which is, of course, as it should be.

The Droid Bionic Might Finally Be “Coming Soon”, For Real

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 11:45 AM PDT

When Verizon and Motorola announced the Droid Bionic back at CES, we swooned a little. Dual-core, 512 MB of ram, LTE support, on a 4.3″ display? Yes please!

Then months passed.

Then it was supposedly canceled.

Then it was un-canceled, but taken back to the drawing board for some redesigns. Oh, then they redesigned it again. They’re purportedly on their third revision at this point, and… It looks like they might actually release it soon!

Read the rest at MobileCrunch, because this is where I’d normally make a joke comparing this phone to Duke Nukem Forever but Gearbox had to go and ruin our fun by actually releasing the damn thing >>

Europe Launching Gigapixel Probe To Map Milky Way

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 11:32 AM PDT


We’ve come to love the fantastic and sublime images of space taken from such satellites as the Hubble, but the truth is that the technology that created those images is incredibly out of date. And while you can’t argue with the results, it has gotten to the point where the sensitivity, angle of view, and data collection rate just need to be moved up to 21st-century standards. The European Space Agency (ESA) is happy to bring space into the gigapixel era, and they’re packing a monster camera array onto their Gaia astrometry platform.

The mission of Gaia is accurate mapping of the entire Milky Way galaxy, and they plan to chart the positions of a billion stars about seventy times each over the next five years. The result will be (they hope) a more accurate and precise three-dimensional map of the galaxy. They’ll also pick up innumerable minor bodies (i.e. asteroid, planets, and so on) and will collect a ton of other useful miscellaneous space data.

The camera itself is actually over a hundred individual sensors put into an array — which makes sense, as a single gigapixel sensor would likely be far too small and pixel-dense to be of any use in this situation. The 102 sensors are 4.7×6.0cm each, and arranged in a large 1.0×0.5m field, and four more are used for quality checks.

The precision of the camera is pretty insane. It can resolve items of magnitude 15, which is 4000 times dimmer than what can be seen with the naked eye, down to 24 microarcseconds. To give you an idea of how powerful that is, if the Gaia array was on Earth, it could measure the thumbnails of a person standing on the moon. It will produce a huge amount of data, but its transmitter will be able to maintain a multi-megabit connection to its base station here on the ground even at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers.

There’s a ton (or tonne, I suppose) more information at the ESA’s Gaia site, and some other links at Network World.

Toyota Joins Linux Foundation

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 11:30 AM PDT


The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux, announced yesterday that Toyota is its newest Gold-level member. This is a pretty interesting development for both organizations. From the official press release: “Toyota is joining The Linux Foundation as a Gold member to maximize its own investment in Linux while fostering open innovation throughout the automotive ecosystem.” The continued proliferation of Linux into products across all markets means that it’s more and more likely that a mostly off-the-shelf system can be quickly tweaked for your specific industry. By supporting the Linux Foundation financially, Toyota and other members help ensure that development continues on the Linux core, atop of which they can add their own special sauce.

Toyota Joins Linux Foundation

Toyota looks towards open innovation and collaboration to help transform auto industry

SAN FRANCISCO, July 5, 2011 – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, today announced that Toyota is its newest member.

A major shift is underway in the automotive industry. Carmakers are using new technologies to deliver on consumer expectations for the same connectivity in their cars as they've come to expect in their homes and offices. From dashboard computing to In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI)jim, automobiles are becoming the latest wireless devices – on wheels.

The Linux operating system is providing a common platform that helps connect the world's network of devices, including cars. As an open source operating system, it provides automakers and their partners the flexibility they require to bring to market the latest technology features quickly.

Toyota is joining The Linux Foundation as a Gold member to maximize its own investment in Linux while fostering open innovation throughout the automotive ecosystem.

"Linux gives us the flexibility and technology maturity we require to evolve our In-Vehicle-Infotainment and communications systems to address the expectations of our customers," said Kenichi Murata, Project General Manager, Electronics Development Div. 1, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION. "The Linux Foundation provides us with a neutral forum in which we can collaborate with the world's leading technology companies on open innovation that accelerates that evolution."

"We are very pleased to welcome Toyota to The Linux Foundation. The company's leadership and proven innovation will bring important contributions to the advancement of Linux," said Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. 'Toyota's investment in Linux is a testament to the ubiquity of the operating system and its ability to support the latest market requirements."


Effectology: Paranormal Spooooky Sounds

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 10:57 AM PDT

Our buddy Bill Ruppert just shared another Effectology video with us, this time creating spooky sounds from the haunted house. The effects he creates here are pretty wild including Alien Bells and an X-Files whistle, all built on effects pedals and a standard git-fiddle.

He notes that the original X-Files theme came from a E-mu Proteus/2 synthesizer, something that would probably be laughed off a rack today.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer To Keynote CES (Again) In 2012

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 10:50 AM PDT

Microsoft head honcho Steve Ballmer will return to CES in January 2012, kicking off the consumer technology tradeshow with a preshow keynote, the fourth time he’ll be taking the stage to do so.

"We are pleased to welcome Microsoft back to the CES keynote stage," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which owns and produces CES.

Read more…


Analyst Predicts Higher-Res “iPad 2 Plus” Will Launch In Late 2011

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT

Word on the street, specifically Wall St., is that Apple has an "iPad 2 Plus" in the works, with plans to ship in late 2011. Go ahead and grab a salt-shaker now, because despite the truckload of congruent predictions, I still don't quite buy it. FBR Capital Markets' Craig Berger claimed earlier today that Apple has asked for component suppliers' quotes to build the iPad 2 Plus, which is supposedly a "marginally different device."

Screen resolution is the big adjustment here, with Berger relaying a possible shift to around 250-300 pixels per inch. The iPad 2 currently has a resolution of 132ppi, while the iPhone 4 display touts 326ppi. Other enhancements are about as uncertain as the validity of this rumor.

In spite of my cynicism, I'm not going to completely rule it out. Berger isn't the only analyst who sees an iPad 2 Plus as a possibility. Last month, the Economic Daily out of Taiwan claimed Apple would have a higher-res iPad out by the fourth quarter. DigiTimes also relayed news that component suppliers were gearing up for iPad 3 and iPhone 5 production. Most poignantly, Cult of Mac claimed to have an actual Apple employee with knowledge of the situation, who stated that an iPad 3 would launch later in the year.

On the other hand, plenty of analysts agree that it's simply too soon to launch an iPad successor, especially given the ridiculous success that the iPad 2 continues to enjoy. Even Berger himself admits that the iPad 2 Plus isn’t exactly a sure thing. “While we find this new commentary interesting, we await more confirming data points from other supply chain contacts before fully believing a new iPad device is coming in 2011,” he added. Plus, analysts say things. Just a couple weeks ago, a Deutsche Bank analyst by the name of Chris Whitmore predicted that Apple would launch, not one, but two iPhone models in September. I don't know about you, but it sounds like malarkey to me.

[via IBT]

Pioneer Announces Car Navigation System Specifically Designed For Electric Vehicles

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 09:17 AM PDT

First an Augmented Reality-based car navigation system, now a model that’s specifically designed for electric vehicles: Pioneer has today announced [JP] the AVIC-ZH09-MEV, which doubles as a multimedia entertainment system and comes with a number of functions that are supposed to make the lives of EV drivers easier. According to Pioneer, it’s the first car navigation system of its kind.

Pioneer says their device can help drivers to extend battery life by taking into account factors like wind resistance, power left, and the amount of power that can be generated through decelerating when displaying routes. It also shows how much energy you are using with your driving style and indicates the nearest charging stations, too.

The device features a 7-inch screen with VGA resolution and LED backlight, an 80GB HDD, a TV tuner, a CD/DVD player, Bluetooth, a USB port, an SD card slot, and 50W×4ch speakers.

Pioneer plans to roll out the AVIC-ZH09-MEV in Japan this month (price: $3,045).

Could You Do Linus Torvalds’ Job?

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT


Linus Torvalds leads the largest software development project in the world. Thousands of people across the globe contribute to what started out as his little research project. Individuals and multi-national corporations have opinions on where Linux should go next, and it’s ultimately Linus’ job to shepherd all those (sometimes competing) interests. The Linux Foundation is running a fun little Facebook quiz “Could You Do Linus Torvalds’ Job?” It’s five simple questions, and you get 25% off the cost of LinuxCon registration just for taking it!

I took the quiz and got three out of five questions correct. “Linus Stalker. You know enough to be scary. Maybe you stalk LKML and know what Git is, but you have work to do on understanding the man behind the kernel.” I do, in fact, know what Git is — I’ve even used it! — but I haven’t read the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML) in a very long time. Take the quiz and share your results in the comments to see how you compare to other CrunchGear readers! Who can get a perfect score? Who gets a big goose egg?

The “Could You Do Linus Torvalds' Job?” Quiz will be live throughout the summer. When you arrive at LinuxCon, the badge you earn online will be waiting for you at the registration desk. Slap it on, and wear it with pride (or shame)!

Via Android 2.1: Panasonic Adds Web Browsing To Their Japanese Mini TVs

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 08:13 AM PDT

Japan is probably one of the biggest markets for portable TVs in the world, but because the digital standard used in those devices (1Seg) has only been adopted by Japan and a few South American countries so far, I usually don’t cover new models coming out. But Panasonic’s SV-ME970, announced [JP] today, is different: it has Android 2.1 on board and lets users surf the web.

The 7-inch device still looks like a typical Japanese portable TV and comes with a 800×480 touchscreen, 4GB of internal memory, an SDXC slot, a USB port, DLNA support, IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, 300mW×2ch speakers, and YouTube connectivity.

The TV is waterproof up to 1m depth and also lets you play music (MP3/AAC/WMA) and view pictures (JPEG).

Panasonic will start selling the SV-ME970 in Japan on July 30 (price: $555).

China Close To Allowing Freer Access To Console Games

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 07:50 AM PDT

China has always, as Kotaku writes, “cockblocked” consoles. The reasons are manifold, but the official party line is that a ban on consoles will prevent kids from poisoning their minds with video games and gaming. Considering the market is huge in China, fat lot of good the ban did but that’s how things break down.

Now, however, Lenovo is skirting the ban by selling a home entertainment device called the iSec. The iSec is described as having Kinect-like controls and, if that’s the case, could the real Kinect, PS3, and Wii arrive on China’s shores (legally, and not in the grey market) sooner than later?

“Somehow they’re getting away with this where the other console companies are not,” Lisa Cosmas Hanson of game consultants Niko Partners told Reuters. “Let’s say you’re touting this product as a competitor to the Kinect, then why doesn’t Kinect qualify?”

The decision to allow Lenovo to sell the iSec smacks of protectionism but could lead to wider availability of consoles and titles in the China. Considering the original ban cannot be maintained thanks to illicit sales of consoles and software, it’s only a matter of time before the Great Console Wall crumbles.

via Reuters via Kotaku


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