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Targeted muscle reinnervation enables your brain to control prosthetic limb
2007-11-13 15:38:00
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets If you're suddenly overcome with an eerie feeling of déjà vu, fret not, as this idea has certainly been brainstormed before. As scientists aim to make prosthetic limbs more user-friendly, a certain physiatrist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and professor at Northwestern University has developed a technique that enables artificial arms to react directly to the brain's thoughts. The process, dubbed targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR), works by rewiring residual nerves that once carried information to the now-lost appendage to the chest; when the person thinks to move their arm, the chest muscle contracts, and with the help of an electromyogram (EMG), the signal is "directed to a microprocessor in the artificial arm which decodes the data and tells the arm what to do." Currently, "only" four movements are possible after the procedure, but studies are already in full swing to determine if TMR could be used to bless future patients with ...
More About: Control , Brain , Muscle , Limb , Prost

Infineon teams with Intel for high-density (HD) SIM cards
2007-11-13 15:17:00
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless After buddying up with IBM earlier this year on a 32-nanometer semiconductor, Infineon is now teaming with none other than Intel to produce high-density (HD) SIM cards. Announced today at the Cartes Trade Show in Paris, the agreement will spark a "strategic technology collaboration" which will see Infineon producing modular chip solutions while Intel offers up memory capacities from 4MB to 64MB. More specifically, a 32-bit security microcontroller will be provided by Infineon, while the partnership's other half throws in its "leading-edge flash memory technologies, capabilities and manufacturing." Apparently, the HD SIM will play nice with "data-intensive mobile applications, services and over-the-air downloads" which are likely to become more pervasive in the coming years, and current market research shows that these very devices will account for "six- to eight-percent of the total SIM card market in 2010." As for availability, look for samples to...
More About: Teams , High , Cards

Two-motor quadcore BEAM walker
2007-11-13 15:00:00
We've talked about bicore nervous net BEAM circuits in the pages of MAKE. This two motor walker uses four "neurons" in its brain and is therefore called a quadcore. It's basically two linked, oscillating signals that create a four-legged walking gate over the two motors. Two photodiodes make the walker light-seeking (or.. um .. shadow avoiding). 2 motor 4 leg shadow avoiding quadracore - [via] Link [Read this article] [Comment on this article]
More About: Motor , Beam , Walker

Soviet TV case mod: Be happy you?ve got today?s TVs
2007-11-13 14:45:00
Not too long ago, this Soviet -era wooden TV was the 1080p, 70-inch plasma of its day. Now it’s computer case mod, sitting casually atop your desk like a proud worker. Honor it. Case Mod: Soviet-Era Wooden TV [Boing Boing Gadgets]
More About: Today , Happy

Rumor: The Zune getting a Wi-Fi music store
2007-11-13 14:22:00
Microsoft is considering offering a true over-the-air music download service. The over-the-air service would result from the purchase of a French mobile music service called Musiwave. The technology would be implemented into “Microsoft?s more portable hardware and software services, including Windows Live, the Windows Mobile OS for smartphones, and the Zune media player.” Musiwave currently offers the ...
More About: Music , Rumor , Store

Symbian CEO: Android is just another Linux platform!
2007-11-13 08:47:00
The CEO of Symbian says he's already spoilt for choice with Linux -based cell phone platforms and that Google's Android software appears to be just another to add to the list. "One of the reactions is, it's another Linux platform," CEO Nigel Clifford said at a Tokyo news conference when asked about Google's new phone platform. "There's 10, 15, 20, maybe 25 different Linux platforms out there. It sometimes appears that Linux is fragmenting faster than it unifies." Symbian recognizes Google's commitment to "openness" and sees that as a good thing, Clifford said. "But I probably would say the... .. .
More About: Platform

Zune 2.0 update is ready for your first generation Zune
2007-11-13 08:47:00
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video Are you one of the many who snagged an el cheapo, first generation Zune 30GB off of Woot or a big box fire sale? Or -- gasp -- paid full price? Good, the moment you've been waiting for has arrived. (Well, almost.) All the new features and interface bumps of your second generation peers are just a click away -- as soon as Microsoft finishes updating the Zune site. Our update lasted just a few, pain-free minutes -- peep the results in the gallery below, including shots of the install and new software and side by side screens of Zune 1.0 vs 2.0 software. Oh, hint: the 2.0 updated Zune is brownie up on the left. Now scoot kid, and let us know how you fare with yours when you pop on the upgrade.P.S. -A note in advance about the name of the Zune: this is the same unit we tested at launch last year that gave us such an unbelievable headache and took about four hours to get installed right. Just happens that we never bothered to rename it from "o...
More About: Update , Generation , Ready , Generation Z

Garmin?s GPSMAP 5×15 and 4×10 units do GPS up large
2007-11-13 07:40:00
Filed under: Displays, GPS With these two screens it's more about potential than actual application: Garmin built these GPSMAP displays to tie in to the "Garmin Marine Network" and provide a large display to show GPS, radar, autopilot, weather, sonar and other miscellaneous boating info on an easy to read screen. The GPSMAP 5015 and 5215 (pictured) feature a 15-inch XGA touchscreen, while the 4010 and 4210 sport a 10.4-inch SVGA screen with a keypad and a set of soft keys for using all your onboard gizmos. Unfortunately, none of this will do you much good out of the water, but we've had it with these 7-inch nav units the industry keeps foisting upon us -- we're ready to do it up boat style. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Units , Large , Unit , Armin

Nokia?s Phone History Timeline
2007-11-13 06:44:00
Newlaunches provides us a picture that shows the 15 years line up of the Nokia . Click here to see a larger pic. Link Share This
More About: Phone , History , Timeline

Kiss me?you phone!
2007-11-13 06:40:00
?Kiss me? used to be a request made exclusively to overheated fools on behalf of love-starved counter parts in distress. But no more, you knaves out there who need to send kisses from a distance for whatever reasons your personal hygiene habits might justify, read on and learn more about the new KissPhone , the latest ...

Alltel to begin offering parental controls
2007-11-13 03:18:00
Alltel is preparing to launch a Pare nt al Controls feature that will allow parents to filter inappropriate web content from their children’s cell phones. The content filtering application will be available free of charge and cover content such as pornography, gambling, weapons and violence. The filtering service will be run by Bytemobile and rely on a ...
More About: Alltel , Offer , Erin

More reviews of the new Zunes
2007-11-13 02:42:00
For all you Zune fans out there - here are two more sets of reviews on the new second generation Microsoft Zune media players. There’s a common theme here folks - it looks like Microsoft actually has a winner with these new Zunes - especially the new 80GB Zune. Yet - it’s not all ...Technorati Tags: Microsoft Zune, Zune 2nd gen, Reviews , LaptopMag, PC World

New Shaft joystick for Wii invites penis jokes
2007-11-13 02:25:00
Back in the day, the NES Advantage was the arcade stick for the Nintendo. It mimicked the arcade-style controls almost perfectly, anyone who’s played the “arcade version” of TMNT knows that it was a lifesaver. Overline Gaming is bringing the idea back with the appropriately titled Shaft game controller, calling it the only arcade-type joystick for ...
More About: Jokes , Penis , Tick

The AT&T Tilt: A most expensive proposition
2007-11-13 02:04:00
The Tilt is a recently released smartphone from AT&T. For most of us, this refers to a new mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone and has nothing to do with intelligence. Even within the confines of this definition, the possibilities are endless with many twists, turns and idiosyncrasies intended to appeal ...
More About: Most Expensive , Prop , Position

iPhone firmware 1.1.2 hits iTunes
2007-11-13 02:02:00
Filed under: Cellphones It's already been available -- and hacked -- for a a few days now, but iPhone firmware 1.1.2 has finally reached iTunes, the natural home of all things iPhone. We honestly haven't noticed much more new since we started poking around -- the .m4r ringtone hack seems to be back, and custom ringtones are now broken out in their own list -- but we know you can't resist the siren call of the latest version number. Go on, you'll be fine -- and it's not like getting back to 1.1.1 is any great feat.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Itunes , Iphone , Firmware , Hits

PC Magazine reviews the new 2nd gen Zunes
2007-11-13 01:20:00
If at first you don’t succeed…. Yup - we’re referring to the second generation Microsoft Zune media players. PC Magazine has published their reviews of the new units and actually gave their "Editor’s Choice" award to the new 80GB Zune. They had this to say about the new 80GB Zune: The new Zune is trimmer, has ...Technorati Tags: Microsoft Zune, Microsoft, Zune second generation, Zune 80GB, Zune 8GB, Review, PC Magazine
More About: Reviews , Zunes

cre8txt keyboard translates SMS slang to English
2007-11-12 21:23:00
Filed under: PeripheralsGranted, it seems that we'll all be using SMS slang to condense our resumés in the not-too-distant future, but on the off chance that unadulterated English is still required in some facet of your life, the cre8txt keyboard will make things an awful lot easier. This gem plugs into one's PC via USB and actually translates texting jargon into words that Merriam-Webster would approve of, and in case that wasn't gimmicky enough, it also includes predictive text software to complete sentences before you can even think up your own endings. We still can't see such a device being worth the £49.99 ($105) asking price, but we're betting that our kids will view things differently. Oh, the humanity.[Via ShinyShiny] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Keyboard , Slang , Tran

Tested by Guinean schoolchildren, XO laptop makes a difference
2007-11-12 21:15:00
I’m in. This article from Laptop magazine showed me why the One Laptop Per Child XO laptop is worth all the hullabaloo. The magazine sent an XO laptop to a handler in Guin ea, who then showed it to grade school-aged kids. The kids, not jaded by megahertz races and touchscreens and format wars, readily took ...
More About: Difference , Tested , Diff

Ricoh Caplio R7 gets reviewed
2007-11-12 20:54:00
Filed under: Digital Cameras Rico h 's recently-released Caplio R7 digital camera certainly has the specs to get the job done and, judging from Photography Blog's new review, it looks like the camera as a whole stacks up pretty nicely as well. While it's apparently not a huge leap over the previous R6 model, the Photography Blog folks nonetheless found a few welcome improvements, including a four-way "joystick" that apparently works particularly well with the updated interface, and a new "vibration correction system" that should lead to some better pictures even in difficult shooting situations. Otherwise, it appears to be pretty much in line with the R6, including that same 7x wide-angle optical zoom lens, and the same speedy performance that Photography Blog says "easily beats the competition."  Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Envision introduces 24-inch G416 LCD monitor
2007-11-12 20:35:00
Filed under: DisplaysIn case Envi sion 's pair of LCD TVs didn't do much for you last month, the firm is hoping to garner your attention with a brand new (and relatively cheap) LCD monitor. The 24-inch G416 features a 1,900 x 1,200 resolution panel, five-millisecond response time, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness, DVI / VGA ports and 160-degree viewing angles. Yeah, sounds like a real yawner, but then again, it can be found right now for around $400 (give or take), so at least it won't break the bank, right? Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Monitor , Inch

Tomorrow?s Vista updates improve battery life, wireless
2007-11-12 20:31:00
I can hardly wait until tomorrow. That’s when Microsoft will release an update "that extends laptop battery life, improves the stability of wireless network connections, shortens recovery time after exiting hibernation or sleep, and deals with compatibility problems with some antivirus software." The wireless network connection issue, in particular, has been the bane of ...
More About: Life , Wireless , Battery , Vista , Updates

64GB SSD installed in a MacBook Pro
2007-11-12 20:24:00
Ryan Block has taken a Samsung 64GB FlashSSD drive that he received in a test unit and transplanted it into his MacBook Pro, making this possibly the first MBP with a solid-state-drive. This is really how everyone?s laptop experience should be: free from worries about platter scratches or head crashes from bumps or drops; silent, cool ...
More About: Macbook , Macbook Pro

Best Buy launching mobile stores with Carphone Warehouse
2007-11-12 16:01:00
Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse are partnering to launch mobile concept stores. The plan is to open 1,000 Best Buy Mobile stores by 2009. This announcement comes after a successful trial run of 13 locations within the New York City area. Most of the new stores will be locations within Best Buy and have about 800 ...
More About: Stores

Atari 2600 enters Strong National Museum of Play’s Hall of Fame
2007-11-12 15:34:00
Filed under: Gaming We know that the Atari 2600 doesn't really need more accolades, but it's always nice to see the system get propers from the man upstairs. In this particular case, the man upstairs happens to be the Strong National Museum of Play 's Toy Hall of Fame (that's a mouthful). To date, the museum has only added 38 toys to its list, so Atari's old pixel pusher joins the ranks of luminaries such as G.I. Joe, Barbie, the Slinky, Hula Hoops, and the Kite. In addition to being the newest entry, the console also has the distinction of being the most recently invented toy in the Hall of Fame, though we understand that claim was nearly edged out by Silly Putty. Congratulations, 2600, you've come a long way.[Via Next Generation] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: National Museum

Engadget takes Best Tech Blog for 4th year running in the 2007 Weblog Award
2007-11-12 15:12:00
Filed under: Meta For the fourth year running we're extremely honored that our faithful (and fanatical) readers came out in droves to ensure we were awarded Best Tech Blog in the annual Weblog Award s! Although at first we weren't immediately sure who actually took home the prize since there seemed to be some ballot stuffing (or at very least a number of huge offices all swarming to vote), the Weblog Awards team spent the weekend poring over the their server logs and proved without a doubt that the title once again lies with Engadget. Of course, the honor is actually all yours: you're the ones who support the site and voted for us. So here's to you -- and us. Together forever.-Your pals at Engadget Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
More About: Running

“Tommy Lee stabbed my Powerbook:� Real-life rock star tales
2007-11-12 15:09:00
When you’re navigating the rock and roll jungles with the wildest of rockers, your gear needs to be able to stand up to the elements. And to overzealous groupies. It’s a challenge that bestselling writer Anthony Bozza knows well. A former writer for Rolling Stone, Bozza was the first national journalist to cover Eminem. In addition ...
More About: Life , Rock Star , Rock , Star , Tales

LEGO Speakers
2007-11-12 15:00:00
This MacGyver wannabe fashioned a reportedly decent-sounding speaker from little more than a magnet, wire, a plastic cup and LEGO parts. How To Make a Speaker - [via] Link [Read this article] [Comment on this article]
More About: Speakers , Lego

Disney to re-enter mobile market
2007-11-12 14:59:00
Disney is planning to re-enter the mobile market, strangely their re-entry is being announced before they even officially shut down the first. This past September, Disney announced their plans to shut down Disney Mobile here in the US effective December 31, 2007. The re-entry will remain out of the US and launch in Japan only. Disney ...
More About: Disney , Market , Enter

The Unaired SNL iPhone Sketch
2007-11-12 10:01:00
This is one of the Apple iPhone appearances on Saturday Night Live. Continue reading to watch the video. Share This
More About: Iphone , Sketch , Etch

Review of Sidekick Slide Phone
2007-11-12 09:52:00
Here is the review of the Sidekick Slide mobile phone that comes loaded with a 1.3MP camera, QWERTY keypad, and microSD card slot. Watch the video review after the jump. Share This
More About: Phone , Review