Not being exactly equipped to pass judgment on this fine piece of furniture, perhaps I should leave it to you lot in the comments.
So this is why the Novint Falcon force feedback controller was delayed so long? So they could work out the Fleshlight integration? All is understood and forgiven, Novint.
Remember those old Bluetooth laser keyboards from a few years back that projected a laser image on the desk that you could type on? Celluon’s releasing a new version of that old device, but this time it’s connected over USB instead of Bluetooth. Still compatible with Windows Mobiles, Palm OS, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows 2000/XP/Vista though. Of course, you’re still typing onto a desk without any kind of “give,” which means painful fingers just like the old version.
Apparently, We All Exist Only in a Computer Simulation in the Future. Bummer.
14 Aug
Posted by admin as game
According to Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom, the chances are pretty good that we’re currently existing not in the “real world,” but instead are a vast computer simulation created by a future, further advanced version of ourselves. Yeah, crazy, I know. Basically, he argues that because computing power will advance to the point where a system could be built that could simulate every brain on earth, future “posthumans” could set up an “ancestor simulator” that would be indistinguishable from real life for the inhabitants.
I’m totally not stoned enough for this to really blow my mind, but it’s a really interesting theory. While Bostrom thinks there’s a 20% chance of our entire world being a computer simulation, John Tierney of the New York Times thinks the odds are closer to even. But hey, even if it’s true and this is really all happening in some future nerd’s PC, it’s not so bad, is it? As long as the computer doesn’t overheat; that’d be a really lame way to go.
Do you keep revving up your Apple II to check your email, update your contacts and sync your mobile phone only to discover that you can’t get Bluetooth up and running because the computer is actually from 1978? Well don’t worry, because thanks to a very clever man who goes by the name Vinchysky, you can now utilize the a custom-designed disk controller card to interface with all your Bluetooth (and USB) capable devices. The ingenious design takes advantage of the card by bussing data from the single USB port (with attached Bluetooth dongle) to a CF card wired to the controller, thereby allowing information to be swapped on the card and disk images to be executed wirelessly. The card will be available in the near future for $160, plus an additional $10 for the dongle. If you really want to get a scope of what went into this hack, direct your browser and be awed by the results of three years’ hard work.
Yamaha announces feature-packed RX-Z11 home theater receiver
14 Aug
Posted by admin as Home Entertainment
Normally home theater receivers aren’t considered anything special, content to switch inputs and power speakers, letting the plasma flat-panel take all the glory. But Yamaha has thrown all the goodies and features into the RX-Z11 receiver, with THX Ultra2 Plus certification for quality assurance, five HDMI 1.3a inputs and two outputs, four component inputs and two outs, and support for five audio and two video zones. It also supports the newest audio codecs, including Dolby TrueHD, and DTS Master Audio. To finish off the features, the receiver also supports terrestrial HD and XM satellite radio, network capabilities and internet radio, and includes an iPod dock for external media. The RX-Z11 comes out in November, for an undisclosed (but surely expensive) price.
Although the most recent hunch about a handset release did indeed prove true, we’re not so sure about these HTC claims. DigiTimes has it that High Tech Computer is “expected to launch its second touchscreen-controlled smartphone supporting a 3.5G standard perhaps as soon as September,” and while it didn’t confirm, the site did insinuate that the mobile in question is the P5500 “Nike.” Additionally, the rumors suggested that the phone will be “built using a CPU from Samsung and chipsets from Qualcomm,” while also supporting W-CDMA. Of note, these same “sources” claimed that a device codenamed Vogue would be hitting North, Central, and South American shores, and we certainly can’t find any room to argue with that.
Just over a fortnight after the TabletKiosk’s Sahara i440D Slate PC began shipping out to interested buyers, the niche machine has now been reviewed and benchmarked for those still mulling a purchase. The folks over at TabletPCReview noted that this machine was a breeze to tote around, had a solid feel, sported a satisfactory (though not awe-inspiring) display, and performed sufficiently enough for those not looking to actually replace their (likely more robust) laptop. Additionally, the pen functionality was highly praised as was the respectable array of ports, but the amount of noise and heat that this bad boy emitted was a slight turn-off. Still, the Sahara i440D benchmarked well against similar alternatives, and while we wouldn’t recommend 3D gaming or motion picture rendering on it, it seems like a solid choice for those in the market. Check out a videoed extension of the review after the jump.
Nah, Next Safety’s approach to curbing smoking isn’t nearly as fun as puffing on Golden Dragon’s Ruyan e-cigarettes, but it just might do the trick. Reportedly, this North Carolina-based startup plans to bring a “nicotine-delivery product” to market which would actually “deliver nicotine to the brain faster and safer than cigarettes,” all while protecting children and nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. Interestingly, the pulmonary drug-deliverer (which works similarly to a medical inhaler) is said to provide “a stronger kick” than smoking, but actually administers a smaller amount of nicotine to the body than your average Marlboro. Currently, the firm is hoping to release it into less restricted overseas markets by the year’s end, but analysts here in America are questioning its ability to pass through all the red tape required for it to hit our shelves.
We can’t stress our “don’t try this at home” attitude strongly enough towards readers over this piece of robot hackery from the 5Voltcore collective, called the knife.hand.chop.bot. The basic premise is this: the robot plays a game of “Mumblety-Peg,” a test of courage wherein a blade is brought down between your fingers at an ever increasing pace. Of course, we’ve all played a round or two of this game with friends, but it’s unlikely that many of us have allowed a bot to play, much less do all the shot-calling. The system manages to avoid slicing fingers due to signals it receives from an onboard sensor which guides the knife, however, it also utilizes contact sensors underneath the user’s hand, which can detect moisture (aka “nervous sweat”). The sweat triggers “stressful” sounds via closure of the contacts, and can have an adverse effect on the accuracy of the aiming mechanism, thus increasing your stress, thus causing you to sweat, thus throwing off the aim, thus… well, we’re just going to keep our mitts off of the thing. Check the video after the break to see what all the sweating is about.