Gish is a ball of tar with eyes that you can make jump, stick, slide, and push. It looks like your average platform puzzle game, but Gish's abilities combined with a physics engine make for a unique game. A cute visual style and some funny characters to boot. That's right, I said cute. You want to make something of it?
It was a finalist at the 2004 Independent Games Festival (well, along with 110 other games, but I swear it's good). Check out the 8MB at the bottom of the linked page and try it for yourself.
Read - Gish [Chronic Logic]
It doesn't have a built-in camera (there will be a camera accessory), but if that's OK by you, the Philips 650 has a 8.5 hour talk/5 week standby battery. The tri-band phone has a 16-bit 128x160 screen, a WAP 2.0 browser, Java, and external Caller ID.
No announcements as to which carriers will have the phone nor how much it will cost. Look for it in the fall.
Read - Philips 650 Claims 5 Week Standby [InfoSync World]
Now it's a little bit easier to film your own remake of that one John Ritter movie where he had a beard. Popsicles with translucent hollow handles into which a run-of-the-mill Glo-Stick has been inserted are now available at 7-11.
Read - Glowing Popsicles [Mavromatic]
DVDs that contain standard-definition video can soon look a little bit nicer on HDTVs thanks to a chip from Zoran that was announced today but has been in the hands of OEMs since earlier this year.
The chip takes standard-def video and does some filtering on it, and the result is high-def, perhaps a tad fuzzy, video. Zoran also has a chip that converts standard video into progressive scan, and they plan to integrate the two together sometime. Though it seems that there's nothing preventing DVD player manufacturers from using both the chips in concert.
Read - Zoran Upscaler Chip Bridges HD DVD Gap [ExtremeTech]
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Continuing the parade of things that you can't actually get yet: As they say: "Small, cheap, and good: pick two."
But no! Or so says the University of Houston, who have claimed to developed a small, cheap, and good fuel cell using thin film solid oxides.
Small: a fuel cell with the volume of four sugar cubes can power a laptop computer; one the size of two soda cans can power a house.
Cheap: does not use the ultra-pure and exotic materials of standard fuel cells.
Good: thin film solid oxides have a 60-70% efficiency, and run at half the temperature of normal solid oxide fuel cells, at a mere 450 to 500 degrees Celsius.
Wow! I can't wait to put a tiny 500°C battery in my lap.
Read - 'Cool' Fuel Cells Could Revolutionize Earth's Energy Resources [EurakAlert!]
No, it's not a wireless device killed in Vietnam and re-animated to fight terrorists. Jean Claude Van Damme is not involved in any way. It's just a funny looking thing that has six modes of operation: Access Point, Access Point Client, Broadband Gateway, Wireless Client, Wireless Ethernet Adapter, and Wireless Bridge Link. It supports 802.11g and costs two c's.
Read - Product Page [Compex]
The Fraunhofer Institute for Media Technology is in L.A. right now, with their lab coats and clipboards and everything, to demonstrate a new audio technology called Iosono that will bring realism to new heights.
The C|Net article features a description of technology, as well as the mixing console used to encode the audio, which uses "a light pen to let a sound engineer specify exactly where he or she wants the sound to seem to be coming from...the software makes the calculations on the back end". The decoding software is set up for the shape and speaker layout of the room its placed in.
The advantage of all the expensive processing hardware and numerous speakers required for an Iosono set up will be the elimination of sweet spots in the listening room— every person in the room will be able to enjoy the effect that the sound engineer has designed.
Two researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a process to coat cotton clothing and textiles with titanium dioxide so that, when exposed to sunlight or artificial UV, the "dirt, pollutants and micro-organisms" that have collected on the treated fabric will be broken down and presumably fly right off into the air, and only some of it will go up your nose.
One of the researchers, Dr. Xin, says the self-cleaning clothes are ideal for people who lack the time to wash their clothes, like "military people", or hikers, or people who have to take care of the meddlesome Dr. Benton Quest and that infuriating tow-headed boy of his before they ruin everything.
Hello again, Gizmodeans and Gizmodettes. As Joel said, I'm here to take over for the day. As he didn't say, I am so very not good at gadget news. I've been searching all morning for gadget news, and everything I find has already been on Gizmodo for days or weeks on end.
So here is the first of the many really uninteresting things I've found that seem to be new: Pedestrian turn signals (spotted on The Red Ferret Journal). They fit behind your ear and are wired to a little controller that lets you turn one or both of them on. I have no idea if they even blink. Sorry.
At the end of the day, I'll link to a really cool game that I think you'll all like, but until then, please don't yell at Joel when I link to stupid things like this and cool things that have already been on Gizmodo. I'm using the convenient Search box at the top of the site, but who truly knows what V770s, S320s, and SXRDs lurk in the heart of the Big G? Well, besides all of you and none of me.
Read - Pedestrian Turn Signals [Baron Bob]
Sponsors have made it possible for me to blow off the rest of the day to go to the Tribal-Wars LAN party/underage drinking competition in Chantilly, Maryland. They've also made it possible for our pal Matthew Gallant to come on board for the rest of the day to give us a little weekend gaming flavor. If you'd like to advertise on Gizmodo we do allow you to pay by the bottle.
This week's sponsors include:
• CollectiveGood.com - Mobile Phone Recycling "Help the environment and your favorite charity"
• Roku HD 1000 "Get more out of your high-def TV"
• Griffin iTrip mini "FM Transmitter for iPod mini"
Secom has introduced the "Secom Robot X," a six-wheeled security robot. Although it doesn't have any guns (this is Japan we're talking about here), it does have a 24km range, 360 degree cameras, and even a smokescreen. Since the robot can be controlled remotely "in times of emergency," I suggest you buy two and live out your sweaty cop-on-cop fantasies. Other features intended to scare off the baddies are flashing red and blue lights (uh oh), and a microphone/speaker so that you can perhaps yell intruders off your property (I called it "New Freeland"). Prices begin at around $3,000 per month; According to Secom, this is cheaper than what it costs to hire real security.
Read - Translated Article [TechJapan via PCWatch]
And speaking of WIRELESS JAPAN 2004, the high-technology product show that is going on in (surprise!) Japan, Gizmodo buddy Gonzague-Alexandre Gay took a stroll through the conference and came back with some fantastic pictures (and commentary, too, if you can read French). There's just too much to describe, really, with swoopy, transparent cellphone concepts, new PDAs, and tiny LCD displays galore.
Read - Wireless Watch 2004 Pictures (French) [SorobanGeeks]
Related
WIRELESS JAPAN 2004 Day 2 Coverage [Gizmodo]
Not more than a week after the world saw the first 6.75MB/sec (45x) CompactFlash cards, Green House Corporation introduces their 12MB/sec (80x) cards. (All RAW, all the time, punk.) If you feel like spending nearly $5,400 on a single piece of equipment small enough to be flushed down the toilet, Green House can also fulfill your wildest dreams; the cards go up to 6GB capacities.
Read - Press Release (Japanese) [Green-HouseJP via TechJapan]
Read - Product Page (Japanese)
Korean MP3 fabricator iRiver has announced a new flash-memory-based pendant-style player with a 16-shade OLED display. Dubbed the N10 (INTENZ!), the unit will be offered in 128MB, 256MB, and 512MB options. Apparently, the N10 already sells in Europe for around $360 (yeah, no way, right?). Flash players are extremely neat in function and size, but pricing like that is just painful.
Read - Product Page (Korean) [iRiverKR via I4U]
My German is iffy -- it's mostly really just a funny voice I make -- but I think most of these notebook computer design concepts on PC-Welt are pretty self-explanatory. They don't all look practical (I'm looking at you, strange Klingon-looking battle laptop), but if you like to reminded just how many roll-up screens and interestingly-folded laptops we have (Answer: One million zeros) there's a lot of fun stuff to check out. I've been told the first page is the winner of the competition, while the second page is all the runners-up. (Thanks, Thien!)
Read - The Winner [PCWelt]
Read - Runners-Up [PCWelt]
Coverage of the WIRELESS JAPAN 2004 convention continues over at TechJapan. Highlights from day 2 include a compact wireless optical connection module (capable of 1.25Gbps throughput, no less), Panasonic's sick and twisted vision of the future of cellular phones, and the new "MOPASS card," combining removable media and IC card into one. Also covered in the article is NEC's "internet for people who drive too fast," a high speed IP handover system allowing for vehicles moving at up to 300km per hour to sustain 100kbps transfer rates, Renesas' "SH-Mobile3" 3D accelerator for phones, and the Mobile Content Awards 2004. Read - WIRELESS JAPAN 2004, Day 2 [TechJapan via K-Tai Watch]
So when Jason Striegel told me he had custom-converted a Gundam figure into a two-port miniature USB hub, I thought, "Wow, that's great. I can use superglue, too, pal." What I didn't realize is that he'd completely removed the innards of the USB and integrated them attractively into the model as whole, making the empty USB ports at the bottom cosmetically double as exhaust ports for the Gundam's new USB jetpack. That makes me a jerk and his custom hub awesome.
Read - Making the USB Gundam [VirtuOffice]
Related
Gundam USB Flash Drives [Gizmodo]
HandtopHQ review the Sony VAIO U50 mini PC, the little 900MHz computer stuffed into a black, paperback-sized slab. He's a little more positive about it than I was, claiming that anyone who can afford one will probably want to use it as an entertainment device, a function at which it excels. I say that's a cop out argument and the thing is still too expensive to warrant the sort of rough handling a portable media device (full-blown computer or not) is going to get.
Read - U50 review [Handtops]
Related
Sony VAIO U50 Review: Awful Laptop, Great PDA [Gizmodo]
Kyocera isn't the only camera company taking hot fashion tips from Apple's iPod mini. Adesso has a new line of new cameras that seem to match, at least superficially, the green, pink, and blue colors of the mini. However, in an interesting break from Kyocera's form, the Adesso cameras seem to be exceptionally, well, crappy, with the high end model rolling in with a 1.3-megapixel sensor. I guess hoping for an LCD on the back of these is asking too much, huh? I think this is one time when following the 'smaller is better' ethic is probably a misstep.
Even worse? They're not even out. (Thanks, Justin!)
Read - Product Page [Adesso]
Related
Kyocera Releases iPod mini-Matching Cameras [Gizmodo]
Fresh from their success in creating the Three Year Indestructible Sandwich, the US Army's Soldier System Center in Natick, Massachusetts has created a pouch filled with chicken and rice that can be rehydrated with a soldier's own urine. Or the urine of their crushed enemies. Anything really, even the muddiest swamp water, as the pouch uses a special filter that uses osmosis to remove 99.9-percent of bacteria and toxic chemicals from the water used to rehydrate the food (Now with 0.1-percent Deadly Toxins!). Of course, regular, non-lethal water should be used in optimal situations, but engineers involved with the project reassure us that short term usage probably won't cause any long-term kidney damage (unless your buddy kicks you in the side to get enough fluid to reconstitute his peaches).
You don't want to know what has to be done to make the Tootsie Roll chewy again.
Read - Army rations rehydrated by urine [NewScientist via DefenseTech]
In his email signature, Glenn Fleishman calls himself an unsolicited pundit -- and he's not lying. He'll send you a five page screed on the latest Wi-Fi news, dropping unexpected science out of the ether, and every single time you'll come away smarter than you started. Fortunately, he doesn't limit his insight to email, instead writing for a variety of outlets including the Seattle Times and his own technology weblog, Wi-Fi Networking News. When we solicited him about his gadget bag, Glenn graciously provided in spades, even in the eve of the birth of his son. Thanks Glenn, and congratulations to you and your wife! After the first cut, may your son's life always be wireless.
Wireless. Sure. What a dream. I make most of my living writing about wireless technology, primarily Wi-Fi. So why is my traveling bag full of wires? Is it because Bluetooth turned out to be weaker and more confusing than planned? Is it because I have too much equipment that doesn't use standards? These are the questions I ask when I look at my regular traveling kit, and I have no good answers, just more wires.
[MORE]
Reader Nick Osinski writes in to say that Amazon is finally shipping the $250 Philips Key019 Key Ring Camcorder, the flash drive-cum-video cam-cum-MP3 player that happens to have a really slick little integrated LCD display. I like the Key019 a lot, in concept at least, but be forewarned that it's a lot bigger than it looks when photographed alone. When they say "half the size of a mobile phone" they aren't kidding.
Read - Philips Key019 Key Ring Camcorder [Amazon]
Related
Flash Drives with Cameras: LipStick 5in1 and JetFlash DSC [Gizmodo]
Philips KEY019 Shipping With 0.16 Inch LCD [Gizmodo]
Tiny new camcorder from Philips [Gizmodo]
If you've always wanted to own a rickety, in-need-of-welding jet-powered go-kart, you sadly just missed you chance, as this New Zealand-based auction for just that very thing closed last night. With such reassuring features as "no brakes," "need of further repairs," and "flame-throwing afterburner," (Safety first!), let's hope the new owner takes up the seller's option of a complete rebuild and re-tune for the extra $250NZ. (Thanks, Ross!)
Read - Go-karts Jet-powered unique design 2001 [TradeMeNZ]
Let me say, I was very disappointed to discover that the "LCD ViewMaster" had nothing to do with little red stereoscopic toys, but my ultimate sadness was somewhat mitigated by the fact that the device is actually a robotesque arm (another favorite) for mounting monitors. Crafted from solid aluminum, the adjustable screen mount from Abbiecomp looks like a decent piece of kit, with super-easy positioning options and cable pass-throughs that make uncluttering your actual desktop effortless. In my dream desk setup, I've got dozens of various-sized flat panel monitors suspended from the ceiling and walls and desk by adjustable arms just like these. At around $330 a pop, though, I think this nasty old 19-inch CRT will have to suffice for a little longer.
Read - Abbiecomp LCD ViewMaster - Adjustable Screen Mount [TrustedReviews]
Update: Reader Bruce Hallberg sends this cool photo of the get-up used to take the 3D pictures for the original ViewMaster toys.
Look - David Berg, long time View-Master photographer [Yahoo]
Dell's newest Axim Pocket PCs (the X30 series) are really nice -- they don't have the very top-end features out there, but they are a really good value -- and Dell is putting out some fun and useful accessories, like this Bluetooth GPS packages with GPS receiver and software (read: maps). PDA Buyer's Guide has a good review of the $250 peripheral, and while there's maybe not a ton of new information for GPS devotees, if you've already gotten an X30 and have been curious about What GPS Can Do For You, it's a perfectly adequate launching point. Do bear in mind, though, that there's nothing stopping you from using one of the surfeit of Bluetooth GPS options out there with your Axim (most of which seem to be made by the same manufacturer, even).
Read - Dell Bluetooth GPS Navigation System [PDABuyersGuide]
Related
Mobile Crossing Bluetooth GPS Reviewed [Gizmodo]
Toshiba's new laptops have a neat trick: each Qosmio Centrino-based notebook comes with a WiFi TV Router (either in a bundle or as an option) that will stream TV wireless to the laptop (and still provide wireless internet, natch). As a singular feature, it's maybe not so mind-boggling, but I'm much more down for a laptop that doubles as a wireless TV than a standalone wireless TV. Japan-only for the moment, but with the serious US presence that Toshiba has in the laptop market, I'd expect to see a similar offering here before too long.
Read - Press Release (Japanese) [Toshiba via SorobanGeeks]
Related
Casio XFER XF-1000 WiFi TV [Gizmodo]
Sony's LocationFree TV Hands-On [Gizmodo]
Update: The Register has a good story on the Qosmio, as well.
Read - Toshiba touts Qosmio notebook as media centre [TheRegister]
Cut-rate computer parts vendor ECS (known in the build-your-own PC world as makers of decent, if spartan motherboards and the like) has unveiled a new all-in-one PC to the Singapore market, branded as the Everex CE PC. It's not built by ECS (if that makes you feel any better about its build quality), but instead manufactured by FIC and is (reportedly) the first Singapore-released PC to run Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 (hard to believe, but it's possible, I suppose). The 17-inch integrated PC is priced at around $3,700, which is ridiculous. It is sort of nice looking, though.
Read - ECS Introduces Consumer Electronics PC [Forture-GRP]
Update: The US price will actually be around US$2,150. That's not nearly as ridiculous (if still spendy).
Update Update: I thought that bastard looked familiar. Buy a similar refurbished unit from Gateway for $1,300. (Thanks, Other Joel!)
Read - Remanufactured Gateway 610XL Media Center PC [Gateway]
Hoping to cash in on the iPod mini craze (and you know, I've heard more stupid ideas before), Kyocera is selling five new color-matched versions of the four-megapixel Finecam SL400R cameras. Color-matched, that is, to the iPod mini. And while I'm sure they'll be super hot (at least to those fashion-forward iPod adopters), getting one into the States may not be so easy -- the cameras will only be available in Apple's Ginza store and the online Apple Store (but for Japan-shipping only? Unknown!) (Thanks, Jon!)
Read - Kyocera offers iPod Mini-matching digicams [TheRegister]
Related
Two new 4 megapixel digital cameras from Kyocera [Gizmodo]
Fourth Gen iPod on Apple Store [Gizmodo]
iPod Mini Shipping Internationally July 24th [TreoCentral]
After we mentioned that bottlecap tripod a couple days ago, a few of your wrote in with your own DIY projects, and they were all very nice and stuff but posting news is hard work and we sort of, you know, forgot. But then Jake Ludington sent us this very well put together HOWTO this morning, and then we forgotted less. And it's probably the best DIY version we've yet seen; the addition of the washer would seem to add a lot of extra stability. (Thanks to everyone who sent in their versions!)
Read - Stuck on You [IDFuel]
Related
Bottle Cap Tripod [Gizmodo]
IDFuel has nice introduction to those substance most often needed after dropping a gadget to the floor (as opposed to the substance that caused you to drop it): glue. The trick to glue, of course, is to discover what types of surfaces you will be adhering together; after that, all you need is some deft swearing and some luck. I would also toss in to the mix a favorite link of mine, "This to That.com," a simple webform that helps you pick what adhesive to use to glue two different (or the same, I guess) surfaces together.
Read - Stuck on You [IDFuel]
Read - This to That (Glue Advice) [ThisToThat]
Gadget Madness reviews the Talking Toonies Handsfree Teddy Bear, a Teddy Ruxpin-like device that for $45 turns your cell phone into an anthropomorphous Bad Trip Bear. But before you shell out the cheddz to make the Toonie Bear your own, be sure to doublecheck that your phone is supported -- not all are. After that, though, you're golden. It even had "nice soft plush 'fur' and had a sturdy feel," they say (and don't forget the moving mouth that you control). You could, you know, get to know each other.
Read - Review: Talking Toonies Handsfree Teddy Bear [GadgetMadness]
WIRELESS WATCH 2004 is going on in Japan until Friday, and there are plenty of new product demonstrations as well as those currently in development on display. This year's hot sheet includes NTT DoCoMo's "UbiButton," a device similar in form factor to a wristwatch. By detecting the shock waves in the arm created by a simple snapping of the fingers, a switch is flipped that can, for example, turn a light on and off. In other words, DoCoMo has glorified The Clapper to now be called The Snapper. Actually, I know a couple people that can't snap their fingers...what the hell are they supposed to do? [Uhm, clap? - ed] Other highlights from the convention included a working model of a Bluetooth pen, and DDI Pocket's "Jacketphone," a SD card sized PHS module. TechJapan has full Day 1 coverage, with pretty pictures.
Read - WIRELESS JAPAN 2004, Day 1 [TechJapan]
Related
Nokia's Bluetooth digital pen [Gizmodo]
Bring out your inner mecha pilot with IO Data Device's new "Gundam EasyDisk" series of USB memory drives. The 128MB drives are available in two variations; some support USB 2.0, some do not. I can already hear the anime forums debating over why IO Data chose Zeong instead of Guncannon to be USB 2.0. It will perhaps always be a mystery.
It gets even more worse terrible fantastic inside, with battle action screensavers and everything.
[MORE]
I never thought I'd say this, but this portable DVD player from RCA is really hot. It's a tablet-style player, which may or may not float your boat (some people don't like having to hold a player in their hands), but since RCA is using a laptop DVD drive, the entire thing ends up being very svelte -- only 1-inch deep, even with a 3-hour rechargeable battery (can you mix hours and depth? You can today.) You pay for svelteness with real American dollars, though, to the tune of 300 to 400 bucks.
Read - Tablet-Style 7” Portable DVD Player [Mavromatic]
Update: Apparently RCA is rebranding a player originally released by Coby. (Thanks, everybody!)
Read - Product Page [CobyUSA]
Although Küppersbusch makes a variety of glass ceramic cooking surfaces, the flush-fitting honeycomb cooktops clearly take the cake. Up to six seperate hexagonal "cooking zones" can be individually operated via a single control panel stone, or can be combined in pairs to form three larger cooking surfaces. Küppersbusch suggests 28 different possible layouts for installing the cooking surfaces, all of which must be integrated in a custom fitting (up to you to provide). Of course, the future of cooking doesn't come cheap -- prices start at $550 per zone, while the control unit will set you back $1,750. (Thanks, JP!)
Read - Product Page [KuppersbuschUSA]
Toy Tent is an online store that specializes in antique and collectible toys, including a fantastic collection of "space toys," like toy rocketships and tin UFOs, ray guns, and of course, robots. The prices vary wildly (we are talking about antiques, after all), but just browsing through the product catalog will produce lots of little squeals and giggles and claps. (Be sure to check out the Jupiter Spacecraft. I actually considered dropping $275 for a tin spaceship.)
Read - Home Page [ToyTent via WeMakeMoneyNotArt]
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