If you have downloaded the iPad SDK, you can use it to access the Safari browser. Or you just can watch this video. It's similar to the iPhone's, adding the new user interface elements of the iPad. [9-to-5mac]
If you don't quite think you have what it takes to GoPro, now you have another option: GoBandit. This waterproof, GPS-enabled videocam can capture your finest moments in HD and then overlay the footage with location, speed, and altitude data.
In addition to capturing 720p video, you can set the GoBandit to take 5 megapixel snapshots every 2 or 5 seconds. All these extreme memories are recorded onto 2GB of internal memory, expandable by an SDHC card.
The GoBandit's most attractive feature, though, is its ability to augment your video with information on your activity—so when you tell your friend, "I swear I was flying down that hill at 35 MPH," you'll have some hard evidence to back it up.
The GoBandit is currently available for preorder in the UK for $470, though apparently the bandits are hoping to hit a $389 pricepoint when the camera comes stateside. [GoBandit via Engadget]
Apple's corporate headquarters, PR megamachine and primary customer base are in the US. Their products, on the other hand, come directly from Chinese hardware manufacturers. Like Apple, they're good at keeping secrets. Unlike Apple, they're sometimes violent about it.
In writing an exposé on Apple's supply chain, Reuters' reporters fleshed out what we already know: There's an immense pressure on companies under contract with Apple not to leak any information about forthcoming products; said companies have shady labor histories; working for one of these companies frankly sounds terrifying.
We touched on these problems when Foxconn was accused of driving an employee to suicide over an iPhone prototype leak last year, but at the time, our picture of Foxconn was patched together from a pile of second and third-hand reports, conflicting local news stories, and PR spin. To date, there hasn't been a better illustration of the problem than this
Tipped by a worker outside the Longhua complex that a nearby Foxconn plant was manufacturing parts for Apple too, our correspondent hopped in a taxi for a visit to the facility in Guanlan, which makes products for a range of companies.
As he stood on the public road taking photos of the front gate and security checkpoint, a guard shouted. The reporter continued snapping photos before jumping into a waiting taxi. The guard blocked the vehicle and ordered the driver to stop, threatening to strip him of his taxi license.
The correspondent got out and insisted he was within his rights as he was on the main road. The guard grabbed his arm. A second guard ran over, and with a crowd of Foxconn workers watching, they tried dragging him into the factory.
The reporter asked to be let go. When that didn't happen, he jerked himself free and started walking off. The older guard kicked him in the leg, while the second threatened to hit him again if he moved. A few minutes later, a Foxconn security car came along but the reporter refused to board it. He called the police instead.
After the authorities arrived and mediated, the guards apologized and the matter was settled. The reporter left without filing a complaint, though the police gave him the option of doing so.
"You're free to do what you want," the policeman explained, "But this is Foxconn and they have a special status here. Please understand."
So, let's get this straight: If you, a reporter, take pictures of the outside of a Foxconn factory, you can dragged, kicked, threatened, and reminded of how ominously "special" Foxconn's relationship with Apple makes them. (PS: Omigod, have you heard about the new iPad!?)
For Apple, this could mean two things: That they long ago entered into business with a company that's predisposed to violent enforcement of security policy; or that their extreme demands for secrecy, and extreme value to Foxconn, have driven the company to become this way.
In neither situation can you call Apple the culprit. In both, though, they're at the very least silently complicit. [Reuters via Business Insider]
First, Nokia successfully got the ITC to investigate Apple over patent infringement claims. Now the regulatory body has taken Kodak's complaint seriously enough investigate RIM and Apple. Again. The stakes? A possible ban on US iPhone and BlackBerry imports.
In announcing that they'd investigate the complaint, the ITC made it clear that they weren't taking sides... yet. But before you dismiss Kodak out of hand for being rabble-rousers, it's worth noting that they've won similar judgments recently against both Samsung and Sun Microsystems.
Will we actually see the iPhone and BlackBerry banned from US stores? Highly doubtful. This will end the way these things always end: vast amounts of money changing hands. But with two simultaneous ITC investigations and countless lawsuits, the regulatory heat's been turned up at Cupertino. And a loss in either the Nokia or Kodak case could hit Apple's reputation even harder than its checkbook. [USITC via CNET]
If your children are a bit too at ease with insects, grabbing ants or putting ladybugs into their tiny chocolate-ringed mouths as they are wont to do, introduce your little ones to bugs' terrifying, too-fast-to-keep-track-of nature with HexBug Nano Newtons.
We're not unfamiliar with HexBug's line of robotic creepy crawlies, including crabs, ants, worms and more—but the new Nano Newton might be the creepiest of the bunch. Whereas the other ones are big enough in size that they are discernible as harmless plastic imitations of the real thing, the Newtons are so tiny that at first glance they could just as well be radioactive cockroaches. And they act like it.
The Nano Newtons doesn't so much move as they freak the fuck out, skidding around on their miniature rubber feet and bumping into things like real cockroaches would—if you gave them each a human-sized cup of coffee. They can even flip themselves over if they end up on their backs. Here is a whole intrusion of the Newtons, thankfully contained beneath plastic in a maze:
See?! Icky.
The first Nanos were out last year, but the Newtons come in collectible test tube packages with various different genetic "mutations" (read: colors). They're available to teach your kids the important, lifelong lesson of insect-fear at Toys R Us or HexBug's website for $9.99, along with special collectors cases and modular habitats if you really grow fond of your microbots. [HexBug]
Toy Fair is the annual event where we get to completely regress back to childhood and check out all of the awesome toys coming out for the rest of the year. And well, we love toys.
Perhaps fearing more budget cuts by Obama, NASA has launched their new experimental Moonage Daydream space shuttle by surprise. It will complete a two-week mission inspired by David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust period. NASA will also launch a new Mars rover:
Called the Leper Messiah, NASA's new rover will carry a new instrument to measure sunlight on Mars' surface, to check if it's "enough to snow white tan", the Onion's Science and Technology reports.
NASA's Moonage Daydream will study "paranoia, decadence, and the fluidity of sexual identity in a zero-gravity environment." No word on astroturf smoking effects. I can't wait for the five-member crew to report their discoveries. Godspeed Maj. Tom Louis, Maj. Tom Greely, Maj. Tom Ohweiler, Maj. Thomas Sinclair, and Maj. Tom Keenan! [The Onion]
LCD displays aren't exactly made for the outdoors. You have to squint, tilt the screen, and adjust the brightness to decipher anything in bright sunlight. But with NEC's new color-compensation chip that will hopefully be an issue of the past.
Apparently the chip identifies colors which are "problematic" in outdoor light conditions (such as beige or yellow) and adjusts the contrast accordingly to make them easier to view. There's no word on when the technology will be integrated into our cellphones, but I hope that it's soon because between Florida and California, I keep finding myself in bright sunny places. [CrunchGear]
That's what legendary designer Dieter Rams had to say when a journalist suggested that Jonathan Ive was ripping off his designs. I have to agree with—in my opinion—the best industrial designer of the 20th Century, Jobs, and Picasso:
If you happen to be in London, don't forget to go to the Design Museum and experience Dieter Rams' original work and his 10 Principles for Good Design first hand. [The Local's Interview and Design Museum]
Hardware manufacturer NEC has built a chipset which could allow USB 3.0 to reach speeds of up to 16Gbps. In comparison, the fastest technology hitting the production lines right now is Intel's Light Peak, "which could provide as much as 10Gbps by the end of this year."
It will take some time before this chipset is accepted as part of a standard, so for now we'll have to be content with USB 3.0's 5Gbps specs. [Electronista]
The Four Works Workstation is a very fancy chair designed for working from home. It's got everything you need to do so efficiently save a toilet under the seat so you never have to stand up.
The Four Works features a fold-out laptop stand, cabinet space for peripherals, a spot for the requisite mug of cofee and a nook for your keys and phone.
But really, it just looks classy, if a bit impractical. I mean, sure, it's nice to have it all in one space, but I'm not sure it does anything a, you know, desk doesn't do. But for those completely desk-averse, here you go. [Four Design via Materialicious via Unplggd]
This magic SIM card from SK Telecom is a long way off from being commercially viable. But so help me, when someone stuffs this much information into a single SIM, I'm going to stand up and take notice.
Packed into this protoype are a processor, memory, 1GB flash storage, and Android OS. That's enough to keep your entire mobile world into one SIM, making switching phones the simplest thing in the world. You could also use it to easily switch off information between your handset and your netbook.
Of course, it also means that losing your phone would come with its own additional host of problems. Though by the time this would actually be available, it's likely that all your most important stuff would be in the cloud anyway.
I'm looking at you, AT&T SIM in my phone. I'm looking at you with equal parts pity and regret. [PC World via Engadget]
Ron and Amy Jo Proctor at Weber State Universe 3D have created a "low cost apparatus for capturing stereoscopic video". I was sold at apparatus and the total cost: Only $250. Here's the shopping list.
• 2x Kodak Zx1 Digital Camcorders
• L-Shaped Extruded Aluminum
• 2x 1/4" Nylon Washers
• 3x 1/4-20 Wingnuts
• 2x 1/4-20 Panhead Machine Screws
• Tripod with Quick Release Shoe
That's it. Put everything together as shown in their page, and create 3D videos like this:
For the Avatar bit, just apply generous blue powder all over your body. All of it. [Savi]
Most of the time, we want a level of exposure in our photos that preserves color and detail. But who says that photography needs to be about color and detail? Which brings us to this week's Shooting Challenge...
Allow too much light through your lens for too long to take artistic advantage of clipping, the phenomenon of blown-out highlights that look like nothing but white. While almost any RAW photo can be tweaked to overexposed levels, as usual, we'd like you to create your image in-camera as much as possible. But if you'd like to preserve some of the photo's contrast, then we won't consider this Photoshop tutorial to be complete cheating.
I actually haven't come across an excellent tutorial on this one (drop any links in the comments if you have), though obviously, longer shutter speeds and open apertures will capture more light. And the more light, the more clipping. Most any automatic mode just will not do.
1. Submissions need to be your own.
2. Photos need to be taken the week of the contest. (No portfolio linking or it spoils the "challenge" part.)
3. Explain, briefly, the equipment, settings and technique used to snag the shot.
4. Email submissions to contests@gizmodo.com.
5. Include 800px wide image AND 2560x1600 sized in email. (The 800px image is the one judged, so feel free to crop/alter the image for wallpaper-sized dimensions.)
Send your best entries by Sunday, February 21st at 6PM Eastern to contests@gizmodo.com with "Blow Out" in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs or GIFs, and use a FirstnameLastname.jpg (800px) and FirstnameLastnameWALLPAPER.jpg (2560px) naming conventions. Include your shooting summary (camera, lens, ISO, etc) in the body of the email.
[Lead photo by ljmacphee on flickr via digitalphotographyschool]
The Wave UFO appears to be the first gesture-controlled...err...R/C vehicle. DVICE explains how you steer its flight:
Wave UFO Controlled By Gestures, Not Convenient, Well-Vetted Remotes
...start the motor and hold your hand underneath as it begins to hover. As you move your hand laterally to the ground, the UFO moves with you. Make an upward toss gesture, and up the UFO goes. The more violent the motion, the higher it flies. Make a diagonal toss gesture, and you can push it toward a buddy, who can "catch it" over his hand and toss it back (or not).
Sounds neat, but here's what I'd call the real-world usage scenario:
...start the motor and hold your hand underneath as it begins to launch unpredictably into the air. Quickly dodge out of the way as the UFO spirals, possibly while flaming, at you or a loved one (protip: protect your eyes, they are remarkably sensitive to ballistic attack). If you're lucky enough to get three or more feet away from the UFO, don't move. It might not see you, and the slightest motion could trigger a second onrush. Continue to stay calm for up to 1-2 hours as the battery pack runs out. And always remember those who gave their lives that day so that you could live.
Look for the Wave UFO for $25 this spring. [DVICE]
Unlike Robert Downey Jr.'s take on Iron Man, this version, remote controlled by a wrist-mounted repulsor gauntlet, apparently does not like cameras. It shot me.
It moves pretty quick across obstacle-free surfaces, but it's a bit too clunky for a real roller derby. It's $50, which is pricey, but it does shoot missiles at people.
Toy Fair is the annual event where we get to completely regress back to childhood and check out all of the awesome toys coming out for the rest of the year. And well, we love toys.
Deep in my heart I always wanted a Snuggie or a Slanket, but my innate aversion to these naff devices from hell always stopped me. Not anymore, thanks to these cool full body blanket designs by Icelandic designers Vík Prjónsdóttir.
Yes, I can most definitely do this. I imagine myself in that red and yellow one, standing on my sofa, waxing lyrical on fate, love, and the tragedy that it is when I want to have cereal in the morning and there's no milk left and I'm trapped in the house thanks to the snow blizzard fiercely blowing outside. [Vík Prjónsdóttir via Cool Hunting]
Kaspersky Labs, a cybersecurity group based in Russia, was recently awarded the patent for a hardware antivirus device that aims to keep your computer secure by attaching directly to the disk drive, below rootkit access.
Software can always be compromised, and solution proposed by the mad geniuses at Kaspersky is to put an antivirus system deeper in your computer than your infected software can reach. Here's the device, as explained the abstract for the patent:
An anti-virus (AV) system based on a hardware-implemented AV module for curing infected computer systems and a method for updating AV databases for effective curing of the computer system. The hardware-based AV system is located between a PC and a disk device. The hardware-based AV system can be implemented as a separate device or it can be integrated into a disk controller. An update method of the AV databases uses a two-phase approach. First, the updates are transferred to from a trusted utility to an update sector of the AV system. Then, the updates are verified within the AV system and the AV databases are updated. The AV system has its own CPU and memory and can be used in combination with AV application.
As some people are pointing out, the device's lack of network access means that it has to be updated via some software, somewhere on your machine, which ostensibly is just as susceptible to attack as anything else.
Still, the idea of putting a teeny tiny shield right at the heart of my computer definitely makes me feel safer from viruses. And it would also probably be a lot less annoying than my current AV software. [PC Mag via CrunchGear]
Remember those coverage maps hovering above people's heads in Verizon's "there's a map for that" commercials? What if they existed in the real world? This man decided to find out.
Helmet hair and crappy reception. Poor guy. [Media Bistro]
When Matt volunteered to apear on Canadian TV, he thought he was going to talk about Windows Phone 7—you know, explain the design philosophy, Microsoft's market position, lay out the competitive landscape. And for a while, that's what he did. Then things got weird.
Michael: Thanks, Matt. Our guest has been Matt Buchanan, Contributing Editor at Gizmodo.
Susan: I can see why you have a man crush on him.
Michael: He knows his stuff
Susan: He's kind of cute
Michael: You think he's cute do you?
Susan: I do.
Matt: I can still hear you.
Michael: Oh.
Michael: ...
Susan: Michael?
Michael: ...
Matt: I should go.
Michael: WAIT!
Susan: It's too late, Michael. He's gone.
To be continued...
UPDATE: Looks like they cut the end of the clip for some reason, from "man crush" to "I do." Canadaaaa!!!
In today's Remainders: the truth. These entries get to the heart of the following matters: free speech on Facebook; what everyone's Buzzing about on Google Buzz; the nature of infographics; and where we stand in Dante's Internet Hell.
Freedom of Facebook
Back in 2007, a high school student in Miami created a Facebook group titled, "Ms. Sarah Phelps is the worst teacher I've ever met." The school did not like this and suspended the student. Since then, they've been fighting back and forth in court, the female student suing the school to expunge the suspension and the school trying to stop her effort to do so. Today, a judge ruled that the student's Facebook posting is protected by the First Amendment, which seems like a no-brainer to me, especially considering the relative tameness of the initial barb (as someone who has written some weird stuff on RateMyProfessor, I've followed this case closely). On a serious note, it's nice to see the law shifting to keep up with the times. Angry Facebookers, post away! [CNN]
The Internet
If the Internet is Hell, you might as well figure out where you stand. Full version here
Buzz Off
The funny dudes at Upright Citizens Brigade put together this funny video on Google Buzz's defining feature: its ability to confuse. If over the past few days you've asked, "Wha...?," "Why...?," or "How...?" in relation to Google's new social media service, then give this a watch. As they say, misery loves company. [UCB Comedy]
Important Infographic
What do we have here? A very important infographic, showing some very important trends. Note the normally undiscussed social and political issues it illuminates. It's amazing to see this data visually, for a change—it really gives you perspective on things. For more insight on this matter, be sure to check out the full size version. [Digg]
