Filed under: Laptops
Intel’s barely out the door with Centrino 2, but those in the know are already getting ready for Nehalem — so get used to hearing the “Calpella” codename a lot more, since it’s apparently what Intel is calling its next laptop platform. In addition to supporting WiMAX in addition to b/g/n WiFi, the new chipset rearranges things from Intel’s typical package, with the memory controller moving onto the CPU and a new integrated chipset called Ibex Peak-M handling many other duties. Like all processor / chipset roadmaps, this one is definitely still in flux — and it’s a Digitimes rumor, so expect things to significantly change by the time the first Nehalem laptops hit the street in the second half of 2009.
[Via The Inquirer]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Laptops
So far, Lenovo’s shotgun launch of its new ThinkPad T, SL, W, R, and X-series has been a lesson in retail clumsiness. It started yesterday with that 128GB SSD freebie and culminates (after several missteps in between) into a Canadian $200 for the 14.1-inch ThinkPad R400, uh, Eee PC killer. This is not just a simple typo mind you, the pricing issue is systemic as that baseline price increments as you adjust your options all the way to checkout. There’s no guarantee that they’ll honor your order of course, in fact they likely won’t. But at the very least, they should be paying our readers for doing the quality control they seem incapable of handling themselves.
P.S. While we have your attention Lenovo, how about axing those contrived “Sale” prices. You’re not fooling anyone.
[Thanks, Geoffrey A. and Rahul G.]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Look, we know it’s pointless and likely in violation of even the most rudimentary safety codes enacted since the Middle Ages. But there’s something about DIY hackery of that 500mA USB port that tugs at the little Erector Set cobbling kid in each of us. Just wire up an off-the-shelf pan with some insulated tungsten filament and you’ll be cooking an egg in about 7 minutes — you know, after an overnight pre-heat, presumably. Now prepare to have your noodle scrambled along with an egg in the video after the break.
[Thanks, Mira B.]
Continue reading Video: DIY USB pan cooks your egg faster than a cellphone
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Look, we know it’s pointless and likely in violation of even the most rudimentary safety codes enacted since the Middle Ages. But there’s something about DIY hackery of that 500mA USB port that tugs at the little Erector Set cobbling kid in each of us. Just wire up an off-the-shelf pan with some insulated tungsten filament and you’ll be cooking an egg in about 7 minutes — you know, after an overnight pre-heat, presumably. Now prepare to have your noodle scrambled along with an egg in the video after the break.
Continue reading DIY USB pan cooks your egg faster than a cellphone
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Wearables
Far from the first circuit-laden contact lens we’ve laid eyes on (ahem), researchers at UC Davis have more than bragging rights in mind with their “smart” contacts. The devices are infused with a “pattern of conductive silver wires, which could be used to measure pressure inside the eye.” The material, dubbed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), would boast antimicrobial properties and could enable scientists to better study glaucoma. How so? By sending pressure data to computers sans wires. Better still, the contacts also include the ability to automatically dispense medication into the eye, making this beneficial in more ways than one. The creators are expected to apply for approval to begin testing the lenses in humans here shortly, and barring any unforeseen (sorry, totally unintentional there) setbacks, we would hope these could be put to use within the next few years.
[Via medGadget]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Man, all these old camera rumors are just seeping out of the woodwork ahead of Photokina next month — now it’s the Nikon D90 getting the zombie rumor treatment. At least we’re getting specs this time around, and they’re not bad at all: 12 megapixels, Live View, video mode (necessitating a built-in mic), HDMI out, optional GPS, and a new 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens. Sure, it’s a worthy successor to the D80 — but we’ll believe it when we see it.
P.S.- Yes, that’s another old, probably Photoshopped image that’s been floating around, so don’t get crazy — like we said, these rumors aren’t exactly new.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Laptops
Lenovo’s S10 netbook might not be too daring in the design department, but it’s still a pretty classy piece of kit — mix that in with the $399 starting price point and Lenovo’s marketing muscle, and we’d say that these first hands-on shots are just a prelude of things to come. Tons more shots at the read link.
[Via jkkmobile]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Look, we know the appeal of the occasional Franzia stand or one-armed Rossi pull, but at some point you’ve got to put the 20/20 down and stop drinking like a hobo — and it sounds like a new device being developed in Spain might help you learn to appreciate some classy wine for once. The “electronic tongue,” as it’s called, features six sensors that can measure factors like acidity, sugar, and alcohol levels, and use them to determine the age and variety of the wine, just like NEC’s adorable little drink-bot. The tongue is supposed to be used to help wine industry officials assess wine quality in the field and detect frauds, but we’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a hit around snooty wine bars worldwide.
[Thanks, Yossi]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Desktops
Alright, so it won’t be a laptop, adorable, or have a cheeky Linux-based OS that’s eventually replaced by Windows, but unlike the OLPC or the too-good-to-be-true $10 laptop, the $12 PC currently being developed at MIT will probably hit its price target. The project, being spearheaded by Derek Lomas and Jesse Austin-Breneman, is centered around cheap Apple II-based machines currently on sale in India and other developing nations that plug into televisions, and the goal is to update the systems with more memory, web access through cellphone tethering and actual storage. Considering we’ve already seen Apple IIs updated with Bluetooth and USB, and the less-powerful Commodore 64 can be used at LAN parties, we’d say all that stands between this project and reality is manpower — any Apple II hackers out there ready to help?
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Sure, the Netherlands might be known for its windmills, but a group of scientists at the Delft University of Technology is aiming to harness the wind in a different way: by using kites to generate electricity. A recent test generated 10 kilowatts, or enough juice to power 10 homes, and the plan is to eventually send an array of kites called the Laddermill up to 30,000 feet in order to generate nearly 10 megawatts of power. Of course, that’s all in the future — for now, we’ve just got two dudes, a kite, and a pretty dry video after the break.
[Via Inhabitat]
Continue reading Dutch scientists develop kite power system with enough juice for 10 homes
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
