Life Gadgets | tech gadget update

Jul 18 2008

Dangers of hype: $650 empty iPhone box sold on eBay

Posted by: admin in Life Gadgets

In a not-too-surprising turn of events, someone has taken upon himself to purchase the new iPhone 3G, and then turn around and sell (some of) it on eBay. Figuring the hype would shoot up the bid, they were right, and the auction completed off at $650.00 with a ton of bidding. Well, now that its […]

In a not-too-surprising turn of events, someone has taken upon himself to purchase the new iPhone 3G, and then turn around and sell (some of) it on eBay. Figuring the hype would shoot up the bid, they were right, and the auction finished off at $650.00 with a ton of bidding. Well, now that its over, the winning bidder is the proud owner of an “iPhone 3G Black 16 GB Box and Instructions”.

Ah, the smell of the weak feeding upon the weak.

No iPhone is included as the auction was for just the box and instructions. I don’t know who was thinking what with this auction, but I’m sure this transaction will never be consummated. When the winner highest bidder realized that they weren’t going to get an iPhone, I would assume they weren’t in a rush to pony up the cash. Especially since the auction doesn’t bother to say that there’s no iPhone included. Unless of course, they actually did want a $650 box, in which case I’ve nothing more to say.

eBay via GearDiary

Jul 18 2008

Pyramid Head coming soon to your favorite platform, Personal computer included

Posted by: admin in Life Gadgets

I’m not sure whether to jump for joy or cower in abject terror. Pyramid Head, the enigmatic and utterly terrifying boss-monster from Silent Hill, is making another appearance, this time in the new Silent Hill: Homecoming. The game will be coming out on 360, PS3, and PC (simultaneity unconfirmed) and will doubtless be another pants-moistening romp […]

I’m not sure whether to jump for joy or cower in abject terror. Pyramid Head, the enigmatic and utterly terrifying boss-monster from Silent Hill, is making another appearance, this time in the new Silent Hill: Homecoming.

The game will be coming out on 360, PS3, and Personal computer (simultaneity unconfirmed) and will doubtless be another pants-moistening romp through the titular town, encountering various beasties representative of unresolved psychological conflicts. I’m looking forward to it.

Jul 18 2008

E3 2008: Singularity teaser trailer from Activision, Raven

Posted by: admin in Life Gadgets

No clue what this game is about, but it looks interesting.

Jul 18 2008

Viva la Revolucion: Broadband to Cuba in 2010

Posted by: admin in Life Gadgets

Cuba is set to get broadband internet access in the year 2010 and you can sure as hell bet that CrunchGear will more than happy to provide Cubans everywhere with half-cocked news and reviews that might or may not pertain to the world of technology. Apparently, some documents have been leaked (site is currently down, unfortunately) […]

cuba

Cuba is set to get broadband internet access in the year 2010 and you can sure as hell bet that CrunchGear will more than happy to provide Cubans everywhere with half-cocked news and reviews that might or might not pertain to the world of technology.

Apparently, some documents have been leaked (site is currently down, unfortunately) detailing an undersea cable to be stretched between Cuba and Venezuela as a workaround to that pesky trade embargo that Uncle Sam’s handed down to our friends off the southern tip of Florida. Talking of Florida, it’d be a lot easier and cheaper to stretch a cable from there to Cuba but, again, they’re in cahoots with the Soviets and they like communism and we don’t trade with communist countries except for China, Vietnam, and most of the others.

According to InformationWeek, “the Cuban government has estimated a Havana-Florida cable would cost $500,000” and it’s unknown how much the way-longer cable from Venezuela will cost. The leaked documents state that the new cable will be able to handle data, video, and VoIP services, though. You’ll recall that computers came to Cuba earlier this year along with cell phones. So things are looking up!

Jul 16 2008

iPhone App Store: Where is your god now, open source fanbois?

Posted by: admin in Life Gadgets

Sure you only use Linux and GPL. Sure you’re down with LAMP and know Perl. Why, then, did you buy an iPhone? As Nik at TCIT points out, the App Store is so enmeshed in DRM and shut source policies that you basically can’t give away your software without Apple’s permission. Apple has wrapped the iPhone […]

Sure you only use Linux and GPL. Sure you’re down with LAMP and know Perl. Why, then, did you purchase an iPhone? As Nik at TCIT points out, the App Store is so enmeshed in DRM and shut source policies that you basically cannot give away your software without Apple’s permission.

Apple has wrapped the iPhone SDK in enough licensing, security controls and right management that it would make the Microsoft Active Desktop team blush. The phone and platform that is certain to soon take second spot behind Symbian in the smart phone market is also the most restricted and closed. Applications can only be installed from a single source, iTunes, and open source applications and distribution is near impossible. How do you install an iPhone application without iTunes? Where are the community recommends arguing for a standard interface, openess and free code?

Now Apple is planning to offer special methods for creating and uploading apps to iPhones for educational and non-profit institutions but you still have to use iTunes to pop those files onto your phone. Nik posits that Apple might, some day, release all applications via the App Store, allowing Apple to become a “gatekeeper.” It will also kill our first-born sons and make them into beef jerky.

I for one welcome our glossy masters. Given the difficulty of downloading mobile applications in the past - multiple sites, odd billing systems, inability to browse big collections efficiently - the App Store is a godsend. Sure it runs through iTunes, but I’m willing to accept a tiny control for a streamlined and efficient method for app transmission.

Nik also discusses the openness of the kernel:

It should be very possible to attach a easy BSD license to code, and if a big company utilizes the effort from others in a way that’s unacceptable - the market should be able to sort that out, we simply wont buy it. The community needs to do more than just wear their support for openess and standards on their sleeves (and on their laptops). The problem with Apple is that the blind demand is driven by a distorted reality, so those same developers who poured thousands of hours into the BSD kernel now turn around and buy an iPhone running that code, but it is now tied up in DRM, licenses and restrictions placed there by others.

Now that’s a good point and one I’ll not refute.

Jul 16 2008

Pretend you live in a video game with giant Nintendo graphics on your walls

Posted by: admin in Life Gadgets

Marathon gaming sessions that go late into the night inevitably continue to play out after my head hits the pillow. My eyeballs that had been subjected to an onslaught of graphic eye-candy just can’t seem to stop seeing explosions, skateboards, or worse, huge non-stationary mushrooms. In a collision of worlds, now it seems, that if […]

Marathon gaming sessions that go late into the night inevitably continue to play out after my head hits the pillow. My eyeballs that had been subjected to an onslaught of graphic eye-candy just can’t seem to halt seeing explosions, skateboards, or worse, big non-stationary mushrooms. In a collision of worlds, now it seems, that if I wanted to I could further blur my reality by sticking these large graphics right on my walls.

I’m not sure waking up from tormented pixelated fantasies to find physical manifestations of my nightmares is such a good thing. While it is true I’ve thought about how cool it would be to actually be in a video game, I don’t think I want to go there just yet. But hey, now you can.

Jul 15 2008

‘Starpex’ full-size wood guitar controller for PS2/PS3

Posted by: admin in Life Gadgets

If you find yourself feeling like half a man while using the sorta-cheap standard-issue Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars BUT you don’t think you’re quite ready for the responsibility of owning and learning to play a real guitar, here’s a nice tiny baby-step along your path to self-realization. It’s a real-feeling, full-size guitar for […]

starpex

If you find yourself feeling like half a man while using the sorta-cheap standard-issue Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars BUT you don’t think you’re quite ready for the responsibility of owning and learning to play a real guitar, here’s a nice little baby-step along your path to self-realization. It’s a real-feeling, full-size guitar for Guitar Hero and/or Rock Band (the PS2 or PS3 versions only).

It’s called the “Starpex” – huh? — and it features “an instrument-quality, high-gloss lacquered finish with a hardwood body, neck, and headstock handcrafted by a leading guitar manufacturer giving the authentic guitar experience that Guitar Hero and Rock Band enthusiasts crave.”

guitar over player blowup

This thing actually looks pretty cool. There’s a well-placed Star Power/Overdrive button next to the enhanced strum bar and a built-in tilt sensor which grants players to activate Star Power or Overdrive just by tipping the guitar up and down and back and forth just like real rock stars. The 10 fret buttons are also high quality, with “optimal button travel for enhanced feel, reduced fatigue, and higher score potential.”

Finally, the guitar features a modular design, so you’ll be able to customize it in the future with new guitar bodies, pick guards, and so forth. The Starpex will cost $179.99 and will be available in late August at various electronics retailers.

Full press release:

Peak Products Unleashes Starpex™, the First-Ever Full-Size, Wood, Playstation®2 and Playstation 3 Guitar Controller with the Authentic Look and Feel of a Real Guitar

For those about to rock…Peak salutes you!

Boston, MA– July 16th, 2008 - Peak Products, a gaming peripheral company dedicated to providing the best in instrument quality gaming controllers, announces Starpex, the first-ever full-size, wood, PS2™ / PS3™ Guitar controller with the look and feel of an actual guitar. Starpex boasts an instrument-quality, high-gloss lacquered finish with a hardwood body, neck, and headstock handcrafted by a leading guitar manufacturer giving the authentic guitar experience that Guitar Hero™ and Rock Band™ enthusiasts crave. Other unique features include…

Full Guitar Hero and Rockband Functionality for PS2 and PS3 – Starpex is compatible with both PS2 and PS3, and grants users to experience the full list of game play features in both Guitar Hero and Rockband, including toggle effects switch and solo button functionality.

Very special Speed Star Power / Overdrive Button provides the fastest and most accurate access to Star Power and Overdrive. Additionally, built in tilt sensor technology allows users to access Star Power and Overdrive in a more traditional way.

Optimized Whammy Bar maximizes comfort, provides superior feel, reduces fatigue and provides a higher level of durability.

High Quality Ten Fret Button Design features optimal button travel for enhanced feel, reduced fatigue, and higher score potential. Ten fret buttons means that players have the option of using traditionally positioned fret buttons, or rock out with solo buttons high up on the neck which also provide critical soloing abilities in Rockband.

Enhanced Strum Bar gives the perfect balance of tactile and audible feedback to maximize enjoyment and scoring.

Connectivity Options – Dual wired / wireless capabilities allow players to use a 15’ wired cable or a 2.4 Ghz wireless connection (both included).

Forward - Thinking Compatibility – Starpex’s modular design allows users to easily separate the electronic components from the body of the guitar which will grant for further customization including new guitar bodies, pick guards, and more.

“With well over 11 million duplicates of Guitar Hero/Rock Band sold on the PlayStation consoles, we see a tremendous opportunity in bringing Starpex to market” states Jamie Leece, Vice President for Peak Products. “Never before have Guitar Hero/Rock Band enthusiasts been able to shred with a hardwood, handcrafted authentic guitar controller that’s built with the look and feel of a real guitar. This will change the way the games are played.”

The Starpex will be available in Circuit City and various retailers with an MSRP of $179.95 in late August. For more information on Peak Products, please visit www.Go-Peak.com coming on line in August

Jul 15 2008

No lights or camera, just (laser) action for new Radiohead video

Posted by: admin in Life Gadgets

Without the use of any cameras or lights, Radiohead has created a new video for its song “House of Cards”. Wispy points of light capture the ephemeral nature of a party scene as the scanner makes its way through a crowd, eventually ending up outside. Two different scanning systems enable the director, James Frost, to […]

Without the use of any cameras or lights, Radiohead has created a new video for its song “House of Cards”.

Wispy points of light capture the ephemeral nature of a celebration scene as the scanner makes its way through a crowd, eventually ending up outside. Two different scanning systems enable the director, James Frost, to capture the images as they progress from faces to houses in a neighborhood at the end of the cul-de-sac.

In a refreshing merge of tech and no-tech, the making-of video shows the crew physically breaking up the image, by placing various objects in-between the scanner and the subject. A pane of glass with water dripping down it breaks up the image, while another effect is created by waving bits of mirror. The result is an image with a distorted data stream further enhancing the distinctive look.

Check it all out here.