No doubt, you've seen Orion when stargazing. A spot on his belt that's sometimes mistaken for a star is really the Orion Nebula. Here's an ever-so-better better view, thanks to the 67-megapixel, infrared-sensitive VISTA telescope. [Full 341MB Version via Wired]
The Keyboard Purse is cute enough, and for $40, it's a reasonably priced purchase. Now if only you could actually type on the thing, I'd reclassify it as a manbag in a heartbeat. [Neatorama]
An editorial in today's Wall Street Journal argues that Apple's love of strategy has overclouded its passion for products. Is Holman Jenkins right that Apple is the new Microsoft, and iTunes is the new Windows?
Obviously, the companies are so inherently different both culturally and strategically that it's easy to dismiss Jenkins' claim out of hand. But there's at least one strong point here: Apple's refusal to incorporate Flash may hamper the iPhone's capabilities, but it forces users to go to iTunes for content they could otherwise get for free on Hulu. As Jenkins says:
Here's the bigger worry. Apple may be succumbing to the seductive temptations of "network effects," in which the all-consuming goal becomes getting its mobile devices into more and more hands simply for the purpose of locking more and more users into iTunes.
But has the focus on getting those mobile devices into more and more hands resulted in lower quality products? That's the real issue, and I think the answer has to be no. Jenkins holds the iPad up as proof of an "increasingly junky" device, but I can't think of anyone who's actually had a hands-on with it who didn't think it had serious potential.
Is there a chance that Apple will fall off like Microsoft did in the past? Sure. They've got a closed ecosystem, and they've shown a willingness to protect that at the cost of consumer benefit. But until that one example starts showing itself to be a systemic problem, it's far too early for this comparison to hold water. [WSJ]
Today—and to us—the HTC Scorpion exists but a couple of lines of code in a purported leaked Android build. But one day, this 1.5GHz, Android 2.2 handset could be the phone that makes your Nexus One look old.
AndroidSpin's got an alleged build script for an Android 2.2 build—that's FRE65C, or Froyo, in case you were wondering—with an ARM Cortex processor clocked at 1.5GHz, to the Nexus One's 1Ghz. As with desktop and laptop processors, frequency is far from the be-all, end-all indicator of performance, but still—that's a 150% of the Snapdragon that's in today's top-end phones. Update: Oh! And evidently, there are traces of WiMax in here.
Combined with the rumored specs of the first wave of Windows Mobile 7 phones, this leak points to a serious cellphone spec war brewing on the horizon, the likes of which we haven't seen since consumers stopped lusting over Windows Mobile 6.x handsets. And this time around, with software capable of actually using whatever ridiculous hardware companies like HTC come up with, the fight could be spectacular. [AndroidSpin via BGR]
A Winnipeg man has been dumped by his girlfriend of two and a half years, after she found his phone riddled with sext messages. Only problem? He didn't write any of them. Virgin Mobile did.
Apparently the cheeky monkeys over at Virgin Mobile had pre-loaded a number of suggestive text messages into at least one Samsung model, ranging from the relatively innocuous "Be there soon" to the crystal clear "Booty call." When the wrongly accused man's girlfriend found them, she naturally assumed she was a cuckolded Canuck.
The dumpee, identified only as "Darren P," called Virgin Mobile to complain, and was told to put it in writing. So it sounds like if any action is going to be taken, it'll be a while.
It's not clear yet if he's reconciled with his ex after these revelations came to light. But even if she comes crawling back, make sure to think it over, Darren P. She was looking through your phone! She thought you actually used the phrase "booty call" to make a booty call! Surely there are other fish in the frozen tundra of Winnipeg. [Metro UK via The DW]
Most solar backpacks have disappointingly miniature solar panels, sewn in shamefully, adorning nothing. But new bags from Neon Green take the precise opposite approach, ripping open eyelids of every person in sight through the sheer, humbling power of green energy.
The Soular Powers packs from Neon Green aren't quite fully cooked—we don't know prices or availability, making their casually announced line a bit tough to follow. But they're bold, practical and, above all else, unabashedly solar.
We believe the lead shot is the Capsoul, a 3-in-1 backpack. Its solar panel is removable, and the entire bag can be reconfigured to both a smaller shoulder bag and carrying case.
There's also the Piggy Back, which is much smaller, and can attach to your existing bag. Neon Green promises 11.1 volts from the Piggy Back in full sunlight, which we assume means the Capsoul produces even more power.
We'll keep an eye out for an actual release. Until then, check out Neon Green's existing line here: [Scratch Tracks via ChipChick]
Google Buzz is actually slightly more insane on Android phones and iPhone than the desktop: There's a revamped, Buzzier Google homepage; you can post entirely using your voice; and a new version of Google Maps eats Yelp's lunch.
There's three components to mobile: A new mobile Google homepage with automatic geo-location and Buzz integration; a web app for Android phones and iPhone located here with full, incredible speech-to-text powers; and a new version of Google Maps that tightly bundles location with Buzz.
In fact, location is the true killer feature here. While it lacks the gaming component of Foursquare, it's central to the mobile version of Buzz. As another layer in Maps, you can see what people are Buzzing about all around you, and add to the conversation. Also, Google's Places database has been updated to integrate Buzz, which seems to take a chunk out of Yelp.
Google has just announced the name for their rumored new service. It's part of Gmail and called Google Buzz. And it'll be live TODAY by 2PM Eastern.
Used on a PC, Buzz reminds us of an RSS combined with all of your social networking—all within the existing Gmail infrastructure. Buzz's five key features include:
• Automatic friends lists (friends are added automatically who you have emailed them on Gmail)
• "Rich fast sharing" combines sources like Picasa and Twitter into a single feed, and it includes full-sized photo browsing
• Public and private sharing (swap between family and friends)
• Inbox integration (instead of emailing you with updates, like Facebook might, Buzz features emails that update dynamically with all Buzz thread content, like the photo viewer we mentioned above)
• "Recommended Buzz" puts friend-of-friend content into your stream, even if you're not acquainted. Recommendations learn over time with your feedback.
Of course, Buzz also works on mobiles. Google is slowly introducing those features now. Buzz works right from Google.com on Android and iPhone browsers, and it locates your position from a one button press. From here, Buzz can tailor your feed to their information on things like businesses and restaurants. More on mobile Buzz here.
Also, you can follow the latest updates in our Google Buzz liveblog, going on now.
I'm not sure how I feel about these tower skin concepts, which can turn ugly buildings into modern icons. A lot of the post-war buildings aren't the nicest-looking, but as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Architectural company LAVA believes ugly buildings should have a shot at happiness, with these tower skins acting like a "transparent cocoon" made from mesh textile, capable of being lit up in the evening for maximum attention. They'd supposedly generate energy with the addition of photovoltaic cells, collect rain water and improve ventilation for the buildings.
I'm sure the tower skins will stay firmly in "concept land," but the designs are on display in Sydney until the 28th of March for anyone wanting a gander. [LAVA Design Boom]
We're covering Google's mysterious, bizarrely secret product unveiling(s) live right here—and things are kicking off right now. Is Google just going all Twittery, or are they going to surprise us?
1:15: Google's Bradley Horowitz is on stage, and he's talking in broad terms about "sharing", and things like that! Sounds like Twitter, in the context of rumors. WIthout the rumors, it sounds a little like nothing.
1:19: Ah! There it is. "Google Buzz." It's built into Gmail, and Google's Todd Jackson is jumping on stage to talk about it.
1:21: Ok, this is what the WSJ was talking about: It's a system of "social updates" that leverages your Google contacts. It can auto-follow, sort of like how Gmail automatically adds contacts. You can publish private or public updates.
1:25: Here's what it looks like: 
It's a bit like Twitter, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of character limit. And you can share anything, like photos and video.
1:28: The Buzz timeline has all kinds of media support, including a cool automatic photo album thing. Using this looks a lot like using Twitter through an advanced client—you know how Tweetie or Tweetdeck lets you preview stuff without changing windows? The experience is a lot like that.
1:30: Haha, people have figured out the demo computer's email address, and they're spamming the inbox. Awesome. 
1:33: Inbox integration is exactly what it sounds like—by @ing a comment on a Buzz link to one of your contacts, it will show up in their Gmail inbox. Google says obliquely that "the @ response has become very popular on the internet", without mentioning Twitter at all. This is funny, see, because Buzz is a flaming cannonball aimed directly at Twitter's heart.
1:35: Gmail's "Just the Good Stuff" feature highlights popular content, so you can discover new Buzz folks to follow, I guess. Trending topics, anyone?
1:36: And yes, there are going to be mobile apps. But first, a speech.
1:38: Buzz will include geolocation on smartphones, to give conversations and content "context."
1:40: Ok, here's how Buzz on mobile will work: You can simply go to Google's homepage on a supported smartphone, and click the little Buzz icon on the top right corner, next to the services list. It'll poll your GPS, Wi-Fi network or cell towers and instead of tagging your post with lat/long coordinates, it'll approximate your location with something like "Highpoint Mall" or "Yoni's Adult Megaempornium." It's geotagging in English instead of numbers, basically.
1:42: The service shows up as an web app in a tab, like Gmail or Google Voice. From the looks of it, and because of the geolocation features, I think this web app is going to be specific to iPhone, Android and Pre—it's leveraging some serious WebKit/HTML5 features here.
1:44: Oh! And it's going to be rolled into Google Maps, too, so you can see who's Buzzing around you, and update your Buzz from within the app. Google's building this into existing software, it seems, instead of rolling it out as a new, standalone app.
1:49: They're rolling video now, and I'll say this much: This makes sense. Status updates feel at home nested inside services people already use, like Gmail, and while the enforced brevity of Twitter has its upsides, Buzz makes Twitter's lack of media support look kind of stubborn. Plus, with Maps, Places, Gmail, Picasa, Google Reader and the 16273 other GProducts in Google Labs, these status updates have a lot more context, and a lot more to draw on. Then again, Facebook status updates have pleeeenty of context, and who the hell wants to use those?
1:51: Buzz is going live in a few minutes (2:00EST), but just for select journos. It'll go live for other soon after, but I'm not sure when.
The military currently trains its soldiers using PCs, but they were interested in switching to the Xbox 360 for a number of reasons. Unfortunately, Microsoft was not too interested in helping them out.
According to Danger Room, Microsoft refused to sell consoles to Roger Smith, chief technology officer for PEO STRI, the Army command responsible for purchasing training equipment. Why wouldn't Microsoft sell them consoles? Well, according to Smith, three reasons:
* Microsoft was afraid that the military would buy up lots of Xbox 360s, but would buy only one game for each of them, so MS wouldn't make much money off of the games.
* that a big military purchase would create a shortage of Xbox 360s.
* that if the Xbox became an Army training device, it would taint its reputation. Microsoft was concerned that "do we want the Xbox 360 to be seen as having the flavor of a weapon? Do we want Mom and Dad knowing that their kid is buying the same game console as the military trains the SEALs and Rangers on?" Smith told me during an interview for Training & Simulation Journal.
When asked about this, a Microsoft rep claimed to have no knowledge of that conversation and suggested the Army uses the XNA Game Studio development tools. Sure, Microsoft. But they didn't say they were opposed to working with the Army.
But at this point, Smith doesn't seem so interested anymore, saying he'd "be happy to reopen these discussions if Microsoft is interested in selling these products to our community."
A weird situation all around. The soldiers just want Xboxes! Come on guys, let's work this out. [Danger Room]
Netgear and Ericsson have been tinkering away on a joint project, the fruits of which have weaned today—the MBRN3300E 3G mobile broadband router.
It's essentially a router which uses 3G WAN in addition to 802.11n wireless and four ethernet LAN ports for 270Mbps connectivity, so there's plenty o' choice for internet users whether they're in their houses or on the road (with 3G connection).
It's available now, although Netgear hasn't confirmed for just how much. [Netgear]
While this is really just a Honda ad, I had to share its charms with you. Because not only is the alleged Alec probably the most promising mind of his generation; he's likely husky and rejected by his peers. [Jalopnik]
CGChannel uncovered this fantastic '80s vintage documentary that details the three-month process behind HBO's iconic pre-movie intro. Grit your teeth past the corny "Illusion!" song. It's worth it to see how special FX were made "with computers" before CG. [CGChannel]
A shocking revelation from the Warner Bros. earnings call this morning: Since they bumped prices on a bunch of iTunes tracks, digital sales growth has slowed down! It grew 10 percent in the fall quarter, but now it's slowed to growing just 5 percent this past quarter, which means they're piling up less money—digital revenue grew less than half as much, 8 percent, versus 20 percent a year ago.
The prudent point in this for book publishers, as Peter Kafka notes, is that raising prices like they wish might slow growth down more than they think. The price difference between a $10 book and a $15 book is a gaping maw, so I wouldn't be surprised to see people react that much more vehemently. But we'll see—maybe people will pay more for fancy ebooks. [MediaMemo]
After the rumored iMac 27 global shipment halt, reader Adam Pattee has sent us confirmation that his unit—purchased on January 29—is now shipping. Apple says his iMac will arrive on February 16. Updated.
Update: Adam says that his Mac will arrive on the 11: Apple upgraded his shipment method for free.
Did you get a notification too? Write to submissions@gizmodo.com.
Most of the gamers I knew stuck with XP during the Vista's time because it drained precious CPU cycles, but that's not the case here: Steam's released their latest stats on Windows usage, Windows 7 has already blown past Vista.
The stats break down this away: 42.78 percent on XP, 28.53 percent on Windows 7, and 27.91 percent on Vista. Consider that Vista's been out 3 years, and Windows 7's been out for 3 months. Also worth pointing out is that Windows 7 installs are 64-bit by a 2-to-1 margin, which as Ars notes, is now the most popular flavor of Windows on Steam short of XP 32-bit.
The gaming population on Steam isn't necessarily representative of Moms and Dads buying computers, but the fact that the deeply suspicious PC gaming community has picked up Windows 7 in droves does say something. [Steam via Ars, Neowin]
There was a time, before Avatar, when 3D meant crummy virtual gaming. A recent patent granted to Apple shows they are (or were) considering a 3D virtual Apple Store—a more welcoming way to shop for Apple products.
It doesn't sound very "Apple," when they normally favor start minimalism over cheesy big-headed virtual characters, but as you can see from the diagram above, they are obviously considering the idea of a store you can walk through and browse the products in, with the outside elements portrayed by falling rain/sunshine etc.
The patent was first filed in 2006 by Apple, so I'm hoping they just got swept up in the Second Life craze and have forgotten all about some naff virtual world where you can exchange 17 green and red apples for the latest Miley Cyrus song. [Patently Apple]
Texas Instruments says that their WiLink 7.0 is the first chip with four wireless radios in one: FM transmission and reception, GPS, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. What does this mean for you, gadget lovers? In theory, a wholalot goodness.
Texas Instruments claims that mobile gadgets using this chip would be able to do all those four functions for less money—30 percent less—in less space—50 percent—and consuming less energy than the current alternatives. [PR Newswire]
There's nothing fancy about this idea for a home theater, but it's a very clever way to save space in a small house, using the dead space under the stairs to store a ton of tech gear.
The setup was built by Jason Swell, who thought that this was the best way to place his 50-inch Samsung HLR5078W DLP projection television, along with a Dual-Core Mac Mini, Series 2 Tivo, and Comcast HD STB. And rightly so, because it not only saves space, but places the screen at a good distance to watch from the sofas.
The stair hides even more high tech stuff behind that screen: A 1-terabyte hard drive array, an audio amplifier, the 30Mb/s FIOS connection, an EyeTV 500 HD tuner, and a UPS unit. In fact, he uses five tuners and he is able to record three shows concurrently while watching a fourth. [Flickr via Unplggd]
