Initial D Arcade Setup Uses Full Sized Cars

I’ll admit I’m pretty ignorant at what the anime series Initial D is actually about but I do know it involves cars and is ridiculously popular. So popular in fact that the Initial D arcade game apparently warrants the use of full sized cars mounted on motion simulators instead of a standard gaming cabinet.

The game/simulator can be found at the SEGA Joypolis in Odaiba (Tokyo), Japan and comes in three versions using the actual bodies of a Subaru Impreza WRX, a Toyota GT-APEX and a Mazda RX-7. The game itself plays out on a 90-inch monitor mounted in front of the vehicle and for only $5 (long gone are the days of 25 cent arcade machines) you can cruise around one of three different courses.

Unfortunately since I don’t have any plans to visit Japan in the near future I guess I’m just going to have to wait for the home version to be released.

[ Initial D Arcade Stage 4 Limited ] VIA [ Kotaku ]

Nightlighter Flashlight Illuminates Where You Are And Where You’re Going

They say if you build a better mouse trap the world will beat a path to your door but what if that happens at night or when the power’s out? Thankfully someone has built a better flashlight with the ‘oval’ that not only allows you to see what’s ahead when walking in the dark but it also illuminates the area just in front of you so you can avoid any tripping hazards.

This ingeniously designed flashlight contains two light sources that work together to provide you with the ultimate illumination. This dual-light flashlight emits a forward-facing, narrow-angle beam (uses a high output Luxeon one watt LED bulb) to light the path ahead of you. It also emits a downward-facing wide-angle beam (uses two ultra bright 5mm white LEDs) to light the ground. Using both of these light sources simultaneously enables you to feel safer while walking in the dark. You also have multiple lighting options available with the flashlights three-way switch: the front light on alone, both front and lower lights on, and lower lights only.

The oval design and built-in handle apparently also makes the flashlight more ergonomic and easier to carry for lengthy periods. Though I have to admit I’ve never really felt strained after using a traditional flashlight design for long periods. But maybe that’s just because my arms are like pythons.

The oval is powered by 3 AAA batteries and is currently available from firstSTREET for only $29.95.

[ Nightlighter Flashlight ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

Instant Ambiance, Just Add Water

The Healing Theater Umine uses LEDs to project blue and green beach-y images on your ceiling as it plays back digitally recorded sounds. If your Ariel the Mermaid fetish has become too passé, you can easily switch to several other settings, including a tropical rainforest, under the sea or you can even opt to play your own sounds with a media player and use the mottled colors as a backdrop.

You can also add a frosted dome to it, turning it from nifty full room lava lamp to dome lamp with music. The effect, like all other LED projects, requires a completely dark room. The Healing Theater Umine is available now for about $69.

[ Himeya Shop ] VIA [ technabob ]

Iris Identification For Cell Phones

Seeing who’s #1 on your girlfriend’s speed dial is about to become slightly more difficult: you’ll be needing one of her eyeballs. Oki Japan is introducing iris recognition software that’s compatible with any phone with at least a 1mp camera. It’s even available as an add-on for existing phones running Symbian or Windows Mobile. According to Oki, the chance of a false positive is a mere 0.00001% (1 in 100,000) with a 2mp camera, but I’m just as concerned about false negatives. How reliably does the phone unlock itself when you need it to? What about if it’s 3am and I’ve been binge drinking in a smoky nightclub and my eyes are all bloodshot? Will the phone recognize me so that I can drunk dial my ex-girlfriends? Clearly, extensive testing will be necessary before this program is ready for the market. Except it already is. In Japan, anyway.

[ Oki Iris Authentication (In Japanese) ] VIA [ Digital World Toyko ]

Celltray, First Instrument to Display Living Biological Cells

Nanopoint has come up with a genuine scientific breakthrough that is set to revolutionize research and medical diagnosis in a flash. The hype surrounds Nanopoint's cellTRAY, IDSA's 2007 Gold Winner in the medical category, which allows scientists to image living cells on a slide for the very first time.

The technology is a standard microscope slide with a twist; it incorporates an incubator to sustain the life of cells encapsulated within it. The viewable area is split into 7,614 wells, containing a liquid medium. The wells are linked by a micro fluidic channel system that is able to supply nutrients, reagents and remove toxic wastes that build up.

In the past biological researchers have relied upon using slides of preserved cells to make inferences about cellular processes. Put plainly, making deductions relied upon studying an "old photograph" of a system. Comparatively, the cellTRAY will be like making those same deductions using a time-delayed, video transmission. Scientific knowledge used to fill in the gaps of processes we did not completely understand; hopefully this will bring welcome light to the situation.

Having stared down many a crappy microscope for almost half a decade, as part of an education provided by University College London, it is clear to me that this sort of progress does not come often. The advancement that it offers will ease pioneering research and diagnostic efficiency the world over. It is very exciting, like being in bed with a girl; you thought it would never be possible, but now that it is, you just can't believe it. Let us hope UCL scrapes enough money together to buy some decent microscopes to see the revolution unfurl.

[Source: Medgadget]

Fujifilm Finepix Z100fd

Fujifilm has announced their new 8-megapixel camera the Finepix Z100fd with 5x optical zoom. This camera is equipped with face detection technology which focuses up to ten faces in a frame and automatic intelligent red-eye removal.

Finepix Z100fd features CCD-shift image stabilization, 54MB internal memory and XD-Picture card, SD and SDHC compatibility and ISO 100-1600 sensitivity at full resolution. It measures 92.0 x 55.7 x 19.8 mm and it’s powered by NP-45 Li-ion battery which is included in the package.

[Source: Digital Photography Review ]

Samsung develops world’s first LCD panel using DisplayPort

Samsung has developed the world’s first LCD panel using the next-generation video interface – DisplayPort. Sanctioned by VESA (the Video Electronics Standards Association), DisplayPort will serve as a replacement for DVI, LVDS and eventually VGA.

By using a transmission speed more than double that of today’s interfaces, Samsung’s new LCD only requires a single DisplayPort interface, instead of the two DVI (Digital Visual Interface) ports now used. For Samsung’s new 30-inch LCD, the DisplayPort interface transmits graphics data at a total data rate of 10.8Gbps. This speed enables 2560×1600 resolution without any color smear. In a joint undertaking with Genesis Microchip Inc. Samsung developed its 30” panel using a new four-lane, 2.7Gbps/lane interface chip.

The interface technology processes 2560×1600 pixels of graphics data at up to 10 bits of color depth or 1.07 billion colors, a feat that would normally require at least three DVI or four LVDS interface chips.Samsung’s new 30” LCD also offers the company’s proprietary Super Patterned Vertical Alignment (S-PVA) liquid crystal technology for 180° viewing angle, and 300nits brightness. Mass production of the Samsung 30-inch panel is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2008.

[Source: Fareastgizmos]

Toshiba’s UWB Wireless Laptop Dock

Hot on the heels of the wireless USB devices that hit this week is this ultra wide band port replicator dock for its slim R400.

It has two USB ports on the front, two on the back, minijack audio out, Ethernet, and a DVI output. It uses UWB to hit 400mbits across all those ports. It's $500, and again, only compatible with the Toshiba R400 laptop.

[Source: gizmodo]

MSI GX600 Gaming notebook

MSI has announced a new notebook for gamers the GX600, it features the company's proprietary Turbo Drive Engine Technology using which users can increase the speed of the CPU and system by 20% by simply pressing a silver button on the keyboard. The button doubles to battery saving mode where it reduces power consumption by 15%. The unit is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Intel PM965 Express chipset and upto 2GB DDR2 533/667 memory. Powering the graphics is Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT display adapter with 512MB memory. The GX600 has a 15.4-inch WSXGA+ display.Pricing and availability of the MSI GX600 is not known.

[Source: newlaunches]

Sony SZ Laptops Soft Launched

Sony is updating its SZ5 laptops to SZ6 designation. The laptops have Santa Rosa chips, 13-inch LED backlight LCDs, and up to 200GB hybrid HDDs (which have 256MB of flash).

[Source: Amazon via Laptoping]

Alesis iMultiMix 9R iPod mixer

The iMultiMix 9R is a rack-mounted tool for mixing and playback directly from an iPod. The video output endows the 9R for use in nearly any scene as the ideal audio and video playback device. It features 5 mic/line inputs, 3 band per channel EQ, Mic/line inputs, 48V phantom power, auxiliary sends and returns, band pass/reject, and composite video output plus iPod playback in a single, intuitive package. The system has the ability to playback music from the iPod and mix your live performances instantly. The added resolution of its 60mm faders insures clear indication of audio level every time.The Alesis iMultiMix 9R will be available in late 2007 for $399.
Key Features:
- Integrated Universal Dock for iPod
- Five high-gain mic/line preamps (XLR and ¼" balanced)
- 48V phantom power
- Aux sends and returns
- Three band per channel EQ with high/low shelving and mid band pass/reject

[Source: newlaunches]

Megatouch Gametime Brings The Pub Experience Home

These bartop arcade machines are usually relegated to pubs and greasy cafes where the selection of entertainment is limited at best. But apparently they’ve become popular enough to warrant a home version too and I’m sure kids will gladly put down their Wiimotes or 360 controllers to fight over who gets to play the Megatouch Gametime first.

In fact the system comes with 100 built-in games and who wouldn’t walk away from Grand Theft Auto for a chance to play titles like Strategy or Quiz & Word? On the plus side though the home version of the Megatouch Gametime offers similar network functionality as the pub versions and even allows you to surf the web and send emails as long as you have an existing broadband connection.

But what’s sure to guarantee the Megatouch Gametime’s runaway success is the $3,795 price tag at Frontgate.com. You read that right, this thing costs more than the Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 and PS3 put together.

[ Megatouch Gametime ]

Make Your Head Look Like Pac-Man

[Not sure what’s with the team’s obsession with Pac-Man lately. But heck, why not. -Ed.]

Plush-tastic PAC-MAN hat looks awesome and does very little else. It really just makes your head look like PAC-MAN. That’s it.

And I, for the first time in my life, am rendered speechless.

Available for 29.99$, imported from Japan and it says “NOT available to ship to addresses in Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania.”

Why on earth…?

[ clubNAMCO ] VIA [Boingboing ]

Fujifilm’s F50fd features 12MP

The F50fd camera from Fujifilm boasts of 12 megapixels but is encased in a very slim body. This 7th generation CCD sensor features a 3x zoom, face detection that can focus and expose correctly for 10 faces in frame, Automatic Red Eye Removal function, Dual Image Stabilization and ISO settings of up to ISO 6400.

Portrait Enhancer Mode, i-Flash Intelligent Flash, Full Manual Photographic Control, GUI Micro Thumbnail, Special Scene and Blog Modes and xD / SD / SD-HC Compatible slots are the other goodies bundled into the camera.The FinePix F50fd will debut in September 2007 at a retail price of $299.95.

[Source: newlaunches]

Sony GV-HD700E the world’s first HD Walkman

It is the World's first HD Video Walkman with pro features. So the next time you wanna check out those cheesy shots you took with your HDV or DV camcorder, you know what to do. The HD Video Walkman is Sony's portable solution for viewing HDV and DV tapes while you're on the move. It features a high quality 7-inch (16:9) widescreen LCD with resolution of 1,152K (800×480x3[RGB]) and has versatile interfaces including i.LINK and HDMI out. The GV-HD700E plays back HDV as well as miniDV tapes (SP and LP). It can double up as a back-up deck for professional videographers because it can record HDV1080i/DV signals from an external source. It's also the first Video Walkman supporting x.v.Colour. Any of the fourteen commonly used functions (including search, index mark and playback zoom) can be assigned to three function buttons.

The GV-HD700E can be used with InfoLITHIUM L and M Series batteries. It will be available throughout Europe from September 2007. the pricing is not known.

Key features:
- Format: HDV / DV SP / DV LP
- LCD panel: 7.0 inch (16:9 widescreen)
- Panel resolution: 1,152K dots 800(H) x 480(V) x 3RGB
- All-scan function
- User-assignable LCD setup profiles: 6 (settings for Brightness, Colour Level, Contrast, Sharpness, Colour, Phase)
Inputs:
- i.LINK (HDV/DV)
- Video (RCA x1)
- Audio (RCA x2)
- S-Video
Outputs:
- HDMI
- i.LINK (HDV/DV)
- Component HD/SD (Special D)
- Video/Audio/S Video (AV Multi-connector)
- USB
- Memory Stick Slot
- Headphone jack
- Stereo speaker
- Battery: InfoLITHIUM L / M series
- DC power in

[Source: newlaunches]

Toshiba Qosmio G45-Avg80 notebook

Toshiba doles out another notebook for the people always on a look out for more! The company has announced today that their Qosmio G45-Av680 notebook is the first shipping notebook in the U.S. With an HD DVD-R burner included. The notebook also has Dolby surround sound technology and full 1080p playback. It shines bright in glossy white with silver buttons. The native resolution for the 17” display is 1920 x 1200. A 1-bit digital amplifier is built-in to drown in the Dolby surround sound feature and a finger print reader is built-in for security as well. Read on for more techie specs…

It also sports the Intel PM965 chipset with a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 CPU, 2GB of RAM, two 160GB hard drives, a NVIDIA GForce 8600 GT with 512MB of RAM, 802.11a/g/n, Bluetooth, four Harmon Kardon speakers and built-in webcam. The icing on the cake is that all this extra cream for no extra greens ($3200) from Toshiba Direct.

[Via - Luxurylaunches]

Pantech C150 cameraphone

I always wonder why most of the cell phone companies only concentrate on the affluent class and churn out more stylish and even more expensive cell phones time after time. All of us cannot afford them. Some body needs to think about the ‘desires’ of the not-so-wealthy folks too. I guess Pantech has paid heed to my thoughts and come up with a stylish and smart Pantech C150. It is a good-looking low-end camera phone with a VGA camera, Bluetooth, Yahoo Mail, AOL, Windows Live Mail support, MP3 ringtones, picture and ringtone caller ID. The C150 contains a high contrast 128×160 pixel screen and measures 4.1 inches tall, 1.7 inches wide and .49 inches thick. This candy-bar is available in a chic white form factor and starting today, AT&T customers will be able to purchase the Pantech C150 camera phone.For what it’s worth, the C150 is a recipient of “a 2006 iF design award for international excellence in brand design.” I cannot believe it…….an award winning cell phone so reasonably priced.

[Source: Gizmodiva]

Sony NWD-B100 Walkman

Here’s Sony’s new walkman codenamed NWD-B100. It will goes to Europe first, featuring a 3-line color LCD, 1GB (NWD-B103 / B103F) or 2GB size (NWD-B105 / 105F) capacities, FM tuner and a voice recorder.It has 12 hours of battery life and support for MP3 and WMA playback. No words on pricing and availability.

[Source: Akihabaranews]

Control a Dead Frog via the Web

Art or science? That's the question you'll be asking yourself when you see this dead frog with a server embedded into its guts. Suspended in a clear glass of inert liquid, the frog has an Ethernet cable coming out of its insides, which in turn allows remote "visitors" to issue commands and make the frog twitch its muscles. It's definitely the most sadistic thing we've seen done to a frog since that Miss Piggy's S&M video.

[Source: BoingBoing]

The DirecTV Sat-Go

Here’s the world’s first portable satellite TV system and the ultimate tailgating accessory, the DirecTV Sat-Go. It comes in a briefcase-like design and features a 17-inch LCD screen, DirecTV Receiver, flat antenna, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. They also include you the AC/DC adaptors for home and car. The DirecTV Sat-Go is available for $1500.

• Unit Specs (Closed):
Width - 19.5″
Height - 5.1″
Depth - 19.5″ (with handle)
Weight - 27.2 lbs.
• Integrated 17-inch LCD monitor and satellite receiver with two speakers
• Compact and portable flat antenna and satellite receiver
• DIRECTV® programming accessed through a platform based on DIRECTV’s D11 set top box
• Small profile IR remote
• Component and composite A/V inputs
• Composite A/V out
• Satellite in connection
• Phone Jack
• USB connection
• AC and DC capable (cigarette lighter adapter included)
• Rechargeable, replaceable Li-ion battery ~ 1 hour usage

[Source: Uncrate]

Sony Hana, Lamp + MP3 Player = What?

After playing a little too much Viva Piñata, somebody at Sony decided to start mashing together random, seemingly incompatible product lines. The resulting mutation was the Hana, a standing lamp that also includes an MP3 player and full-length speakers. I guess they're targeting the "music lover who hates to listen in the dark and is too lazy to use more than one device at a time" market? No word on pricing, availability or Sony's plans to conquer the lucrative lamp market yet.

[Source: plasticbamboo]

25th Anniversary Casio G-Shock watch

Casio G-Shock watches do bring back old memories and to commemorate its 25th anniversary Casio Japan has announced four special edition models in white and gold color.

The design is the same as initial models from the early eighties. The LCD has a black background and displays the number in gold color. The watches will be available in Japan in exclusive boxes.

[Source: newlaunches]

DLink’s DUB-9240 Wireless USB Hub and Adapter

D-Link's DUB-9240 Wireless USB hub was announced today. For non-wireless USB equipped PCs (everything but the Lenovo T61 and Dell Inspiron 1720), the kit includes an adapter, called the DUB-1210. It operates with the four port hub (DUB-2240), which your devices connect to by cable, at the 3.4GHz to 4.5GHz range to reduce interference.

Connections are up to 480mbits per second, at 30 feet, USB2.0/1.1, and encrypted at AES-128. But as we've seen in the past, these things are never as reliable as the real wired deal. Plus, 30 feet is pretty short range. But I can see the convenience factor of not having to plug in your components every time you enter a room with a laptop, but only if your adapter is built inside. Oh, each adapter can address 3 hubs. This stuff will be available in Q4 for $220 for the hub and $120 for the adapter. Me? I'll stick with a $5 USB cable for now. For the record, IOGEAR has a comparable, and also USB-IF certified setup. Little details were available.

[Source: PC World]

Certified Wireless USB Takes Flight In Inspiron

Kiss your favorite cords goodbye, because Certified Wireless USB is throwing them out with the trash. Industry giants including Dell and IBM have come on board as early adopters of the new USB standard, which combines the data transfer rates of USB with the ease-of-use and cable-free nature of Bluetooth and WiFi. Dell is rolling out its new Inspiron 1720 next month, a mobile media notebook that includes a built-in Certified Wireless USB chip. In conjunction with new lines of CWUSB routers launched by D-Link and IOGear, the 1720 can connect with 127 other devices and swap data at a blistering 480Mb/s (at 3 meters; speeds fall to a respectable 110Mb/s at 10 meters).

The 17-inch Dell laptop is a media machine, sporting a high resolution UltraSharp display, 7.1 surround sound, a 2-megapixel webcam and a Blu-ray player to keep you entertained on the go. Continuing the wireless trend are the included Wireless-N card and mobile broadband capabilities. You can even drop nearly half a terabyte into these creatures (across two hard drives)! Shipping August 9th, the Inspiron 1720 can be yours for less than a grand (if you're willing to make some sacrifices).

The other major Certified Wireless USB notebook launch is the ThinkPad T61. A more modest offering than the Dell, it still manages to be a wireless beast with support for standard WiFi, Bluetooth and USB out of the box. A fingerprint scanner and unique shock absorbing roll cage keep your data safe and secure, though that data is limited to about 80 gigabytes on the top end. The 14.1-inch offering from Lenovo won't play your Blu-ray discs, but it will get your basic jobs done in a compact, wire-free way. Shipping now, the Thinkpad T61 starts around $1,500.

[Laptops That Don't Need USB Cables]

Pogue Reviews Waterproof Cams

Pogue takes a a few waterproof cams down to the local waterpark for testing and finds Sanyo's 6MP Xacti E1 to be of better image and video quality than the rest. I've always found the Xacti cam's nice, but the low light performance to be lacking. That doesn't matter when you're talking about beach and pool time, however. I believe its image quality is better than the other cams in this roundup, but it's only rated to 5 feet of depth.

He also tests two traditionally shaped 7MP cameras, the Optio W30 ($237) and Olympus's Stylus 770 SW ($270). The Olympus is a fully rugged setup, shock and extreme temperature resistant, good down to 33 feet of water; the Pentax is good for 10 feet at two hours. I've used the previous generation Pentax and loved it for hawaii conditions. But I did lose it on a reef and only then did I learn what Pogue points out: None of these damn things float.

[Source: NYTimes]

Try the $100 OLPC Operating System at Home

Thanks to the magic of VMWare and Parallels (which let you run other operating systems on top of your own), you can try the OLPC operating system without actually having to be a child in a Third World country. All you have to do is download a pre-configured image, change some settings, and you're set. Possible uses (besides as a prop when you play Angelina Jolie and the Adopted Child) are developing OLPC-specific software and web apps for the upcoming market.

[Source: UneasilySilence]

Japanese Alarm Clock Tailored To Commuters

Even if you don’t live in Japan it’s no secret the country has a pretty impressive rail system, particularly in the more crowded city centers where it’s a necessity for moving people around. The Yamanote Line is one of Tokyo’s busiest commuter lines and if you’re a daily passenger you might be interested in this Yamanote Alarm Clock.

The face of the clock has labels that correspond to the various stations on the line’s circular route and the hands of the clock point to where a train is at any given time. To make sure it’s always accurate the clock also gets continual updates via a radio broadcast system. As a final touch the alarms on the clock are actually the departure sounds heard throughout the various stations along the route. The subway where I live actually has a very similar system but instead of selling alarm clocks to keep track of the trains you can just ask and be ignored by one of the transit workers. Oh and from what I can tell they’ve also done away with the whole idea of a schedule or arriving on time.

The Yamanote Alarm Clock is available from Hobidas for about $65.

[ Yamanote Train Line Alarm Clock ] VIA [ TechChee ]

Touch Screen TV Remote Control Watch

A few years back Casio released a whole line of TV remote control watches but it seems the public wasn’t really in need of a remote with ridiculously tiny buttons they could wear 24/7. So while Casio has mostly given up on that idea there are still other companies keeping the dream alive.

The LKM TV12 watch comes to us from China and is supposedly compatible with all popular brands of TVs, satellite boxes, DVD players, laserdisc players and VCRs. It also uses a handy touch screen but given its minimal amount of real estate you’ll probably need to use a stylus or really sharp fingernail to hit the buttons. The watch of course also tells time, includes alarm and stopwatch functions and has a green back light.

The best feature though is that the LKM TV12 is currently available from DealExtreme for only $6.24 and even cheaper if you buy in bulk.

[ Touch Screen TV/DVD Remote Controller Wrist Watch ] VIA [ technabob ]

MiniCat Portable Sailboat

When you think about it any vehicle is technically ‘portable’ but this MiniCat sailboat can actually be disassembled and transported in a backpack. Now looking at the photos I wouldn’t want to undertake any long hikes while wearing the backpack but it’s at least small enough to fit in the trunk of most cars.

The MiniCat design is based on 2 inflatable pontoons and it’s engineered so that a single person can assemble / disassemble the craft without the need for tools in about 30 minutes. The whole thing weighs only about 35Kg and can actually support 2 riders while out on the water. But given the boat’s size I would restrict your outings to local rivers and lakes rather than undertaking that cruise to the Bahamas you’ve always dreamed of. Unless you of course that dream includes a harrowing rescue by the US Coast Guard, in that case go nuts.

The MiniCat is currently available from Firebox.com in three flavors. The Standard, Super and Sport models are mainly differentiated by the size and number of sails included and range in price from about $5,025 up to $5,640.

[ MiniCat ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

Digital Scale Keychain Not Just For Weighing Keys

Many analysts have predicted that in a few years MP3 players won’t exist because that functionality will be already built-in to every cellphone. So given the fact that every week there seems to be some new kind of technology squeezed down to the size of a keychain I predict that in 5 years all gadgets will be replaced with some sort of uber-keychain. Of course at that time keys will still be in existence otherwise there’d be no way to carry around this marvel of high-tech wizardry.

But at the moment we’re still making baby steps towards that ultimate goal and the latest gadget to get the ‘keychain-sized’ treatment is this digital scale. Just hold onto one end and attach your small item to be weighed (letters, coins, jewelry etc.) on the other and the small backlit LCD screen will display the weight in either grams, ounces, penny weights or grains.

So unless you’ve decided to wait for the uber-keychain I predicted you can get this Digital Scale Keychain from Things You Never Knew Existed for only $12.98.

[ Digital Scale Keychain ] VIA [ bookofjoe ]

+336+ SMS Mirror

By day, the +336+ SMS Mirror masquerades as a normal mirror. But by night (or whenever you decide to send it a message), the mirror turns into an SMS text display. The messages scroll across the mirror’s surface in luminous text, but only when someone is actually standing in front of the mirror. Only 20 of these are being produced, for the exorbitant price of $10,000 each. Looking at the product, I’m not really sure where that $10,000 is going, besides into the sticker that says “Limited Edition.”

Now, I’ve spent my entire Sunday afternoon trying to figure out why it’s called the +336+ mirror. In l337speak, “+336+” translates to “teegt,” which appears to be some sort of genetic protein… So maybe that’s not it. Area code 336 is in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but the design studio from whence it comes is in Paris, the designer himself lives in Rio, and he was born in Italy, so that’s probably not it either. The consecration of Pope Mark in the year 336? Highway 336 between Peoria and Macomb in Illinois? No, no, no. Sigh, I give up.

[ +336+ SMS Mirror ] VIA [ BLTD ]

Nostalgia Now: Pop-up Pirate USB Hub

Relive the best days of your childhood with fully functioning, USB powered, Pop-up Pirate game. Insert swords (complete with cheery tune) into the pirate’s barrel-home and wait for him to erupt. Pretend that he’s Johnny Depp and we can add a whole new layer of fun. Pretend he’s your boss and it gets even better.

Oh, and did I mention that he also doubles as a USB hub? USB 2.0, no less. That’s four USB 2.0 ports, located next to his USB-based power supply. Pretty nifty, if you ask us.

It’s $45 and is available for pre-order with stock expected August 10th.

[ Pop-up Pirate Game/USB Hub ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]

Swigz Dual-Chamber Sports Bottle Keeps Gin, Tonic Separate

If your exercise regime has you drinking a combination of liquids like Gatorade and water, Powerade and Red Bull, or the old G&T, the Swigz Dual-Chamber sports bottle can keep both liquids separate.

The two chambers are intertwined so keep the "bottleish" feel intact, and has two heads up top so you can drink without getting backwash into the other chamber. Or, if your date's feeling a bit germ-conscious, you can put the same liquid in both containers and share. Just try to remember which one you roofied.

[Source: Uncrate]

Xexoo iPod Shuffle

This iPod Shuffle is more expensive than the iPhone. Do you know why? That is because it’s from Xexoo of Germany, made of 18 carat gold and it’s going for $19,343 (14,000 Euros). If you got more $$$, you can also add in some diamonds. They also offer free replacement if your iPod Shuffle run into trouble. The Gold Shuffle is packed in a wooden box that comes in a piano style.

[Source: Ubergizmo]

Kids Use US-Donated Laptops To Surf The Porn, Of Course

The Third World shorties make me so proud. According to Reuters, "Nigerian schoolchildren who received laptops from a U.S. aid organization have used them to explore pornographic sites on the internet." The article says that the Nigerian government, who released the statement, felt the educational program had "gone awry" on account of the boobies, but did not say whether government officials were angry at the schoolchildren, angry with the US-based providers of laptops, or angry that they themselves did not have the necessary laptoppage to do some "exploring" of their own. Although the laptops were not the celebrated OLPCs that will soon be manufactured for distribution throughout the developing world, OLPC officials were asked about the porn-savviness of the upcoming $180 laptop.

[Source: gizmodo]

Concept: Nokia N98

This is not the real picture of Nokia N98 but a great photoshop work by the French, it’s just a concept. Here are the made specs from this N98, a 7.2 mega pixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, 5x optical zoom (20x with digital), 3.5″ inch touch screen, integrated GPS receiver, integrated TNT receiver (Télévision Numérique Terrestre - this is what French call digitally broadcast TV channels), Symbian S70 3rd edition, 3D graphics accelerator, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, video recording at 720×576 and 30fps and multimedia support. Great huh, wonder what’s the real specs are.

[Source: Navigadget]

New Crimson/Black DS Lite to be Bundled

Canadian online retailer Future Shop has started pre-orders for a Nintendo DS bundle which includes Brain Age 2 and a new crimson and black colored DS Lite. Since the only place this has popped up is Future Shop, we're not really sure if this is only for sale as a bundle or Canada-exclusive. The bundle, which sells for 159.99 CDN, will release on August 20.

[Source: Future Shop]

Kanguru’s Eco Drive is the World’s Most Energy Efficient

Kanguru claims that by reducing power consumption by up to 75%, it can both extend the life of your hard drive and be eco-conscious at the same time. The Eco Drive works by going into an idle mode after three seconds of inactivity, which has 80% of normal power consumption, and standby mode after three minutes of inactivity, which works at 10-20% of normal power consumption. And when you don't touch it for five minutes, it goes into power-down mode and uses 5-10% of the normal power. Even if you don't care about the environment (who does?), this is a good way to preserve your laptop's battery while you're on the go.

Samsung G600 Official Pictures

Finally, Samsung has released their official picture of their 5.0-megapixel phone G600. This slider comes with FM radio receiver, microSD card slot, FM Radio, Bluetooth connectivity and USB port.

Samsung G600 will be launched for Europe while others there’s no news yet. .

[Source: Slashphone]

Samsung’s SGH-730i (i-mode slider) coming to Europe

The SGH 730i slider, which is i-mode-ready, is coming soon to Europe. It swanks tri-band GSM capabilities, 176 x 220 display, 2-megapixel camera, and 80MB of internal memory with a microSD slot for expansion.

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The French and the Italians will be the lucky ones to sample this flavor first.Pricing and availability of the Samsung SGH-730i is not known yet.

[Source: newlaunches]

Computers That Fit in Your Pocket

Wired has a really awesome gallery of tiny, tiny computers. You can't help but love a full computer crammed into something the size of a box of matches, can you? Sure, some of these aren't really at that small (Mac Mini? Come on, dudes.), but there are some pretty awesome examples of wee 'puters in here. Although they did forget a pretty tiny computer that would have fit well on the list.The Gumstix Linux PCs and are, as the name states, about the size of a stick of gum but manage to function as full-out computers. They're a hell of a lot smaller than a Mac Mini to boot. But hey, one missing computer doesn't ruin the whole gallery, which you should definitely hop on over and check out.

[Source: WiredGumstix]

Colorware Colors Up iPhones in Style

Want your iPhone in a color other than silver? Apple can't help, but Colorware's got you covered. You saw what a good job they did on on Xbox 360, so there's no reason to think their quality will be anything but spectacular for the iPhone. You can send in your existing iPhone and have them color it up for $149, or buy a pre-colored 4GB for $649 and a 8GB for $749. Not a bad deal if you really want to get an even bigger head start on differentiating yourself from other cellphone users. But if you're being cheap, you can always get a $48 back replacement.

[Source: Colorware]

GE’s Universal Flip Phone RemotGE’s

We're not sure why you'd want a universal remote that actually has to flip open to use, but we're not going to tell you people how to live your lives. In the chance that you do, GE's $18.99 Flip Unviersal Remote has the standard power, channel and volume buttons on top, with the numbers, video modes and DVD playback buttons inside. Cool, yes, but not all that practical. Your kids will have fun using it as a Star Trek communicator though.

[Source: Coolest Gadgets]