The Current Buzz - Tech

TiVo HD XL DVR hands-on at CEDIA

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Well, what can we say? Here we have a TiVo HD with a subtle “XL” logo there on the bottom left, a more capacious hard drive and a Series 3 remote. That being the case, at least the one parked at CEDIA was outstandingly shiny — seriously, check it out over at Engadget HD.

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Samsung courts Sandisk, promises mercy

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

Samsung is reportedly looking into the acquisition of SanDisk Corp. A union of two Flash memory giants sure to get the attention Toshiba (SanDisk’s partner-in-NAND) and that of anti-trusters from Korea to Intel. To makes matters even more interesting, Seagate was also courting SanDisk whose stock price has plummeted from to just over per share since this time last year. Hey investors, sounds like an ideal premise for a bidding war to us. Then again, we only took Econ101 to sit in a room with real live girls.

In a comment on this market rumor and speculation, SanDisk just issued the following statement:

“SanDisk periodically has conversations with multiple parties, including Samsung, regarding a variety of potential business opportunities. We evaluate all of these opportunities, but maintain a policy of not commenting on market rumors or speculation.”

[Thanks, Genesis]

Read — Samsung’s advances
Read — SanDisk’s response

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Sony’s WiFi-enabled VAIO CP1 hands-on

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays

Sony’s VAIO CP1 looked mighty sexy in the press shots, but trust us when we say it’s even more stunning in person. We still think it’s overpriced at 0, but this WiFi-enabled frame was showing off all of its sides (RSS reader, split-screen Picasa viewing, music player) at CEDIA. Take a look at this fine piece of technological goodness in the gallery below.

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Canon starts teaser campaign, evolved 5D expected

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

[Thanks, Andrew]

Continue reading Canon starts teaser campaign, evolved 5D expected

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Sony reveals MS PRO-HG Duo HX, pushes the limit on flash card naming schemes

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

Filed under: Storage

Hey Sony, since you’re so in love with tacking on random letters and such to your flash memory line, how’s about we toss three capital consonants in your direction capped off with a lovely question mark? In a move that is depressingly not at all surprising, Sony has introduced the Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX, that latest in a long, long line of proprietary Memory Stick products that it insists on producing. These are supposedly “ideal for high performance digital cameras and HD camcorders,” and they rely on an 8-bit parallel interface to achieve whatever level of performance they’re capable of. Weirdly, Sony only quotes transfer speeds (a maximum of 20MB/sec read and 15MB/sec write) when the card is used in conjunction with the bundled MSAC-UAH1 USB adapter, but anywho, they’ll be available in 4GB / 8GB flavors this October for those who care.

[Thanks, Rob]

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Miraculous radio-controlled milking-machine of 1931

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

With only a five-foot length of copper, it was possible for the farmer of 1931 to milk his cows by radio control!

THERE seems to be no end to the versatility of radio in these days of electrical and mechanical miracles—not even cows and street cars are immune to the influences of its radiations. As a curtain raiser at the annual radio show held recently in St. Louis, a street car was operated from a distance by a mere man with a radio transmitter in his hand, and a Holstein cow was made to dispense her milk by the medium of radio waves, whether she liked it or not.

The mechanism of the trolley car and the mechanism of the milking machine were hooked up to a specially constructed radio receiver using only a five-foot length of copper pipe as an antenna. At a distance stood the operator, holding a portable radio transmitter using a similar antenna, as shown in the accompanying photos. When the key was pressed at the transmitter, the distant receiver in both cases set the machines to operating.

Radio Milks Cows, Runs Street Cars (Feb, 1931)

Space Invaders flexible keyboard

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

The Bendiboard Retro is a flexible, machine-washable keyboard that comes embossed with Space Invaders (or, if you must, a Union Jack). Bendiboard Retro (via Wonderland)

Place-settings that look like model-kits

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

Artist Demelza Hill created this model-car-kit-esque set of fine dining cutlery, intended to reinforce the “correct use of cutlery.”

Snap and Dine is a single use three-course table setting that integrates disposable cutlery with traditional silverware. The portable lunch setting expands the possibilities of eating outdoors in style whilst reinforcing the correct use of cutlery, which has been lost over time. This is achieved through the decorative qualities and formal setting which both are a visual reference to fine dinning. This product is fun and interactive whilst raising the standards of current eating on the go habits.

Snap and Dine (via Make)

Amazon will sell OLPC laptops

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

Starting in November, Amazon will sell the One Laptop Per Child XO laptop, a marvel of engineering and pedagogy, on a “give one, get one” basis: every XO you buy will also pay for one to be given to a kid in the developing world:

This year, OLPC teamed up with a Web retailer instead of running the program itself, said Matt Keller, director of Europe, Middle East and Africa at OLPC.

Amazon.com will start selling XO laptops under the Give One, Get One program in late November. Sales will likely extend through the end of December.

Amazon to sell OLPC XO laptops in November

Michael Moore’s next movie will be a free download

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Fun Tech | No Comments

Michael Moore will make his next movie available as a free download at the same time as it is in cinemas. I downloaded Sicko free and then paid to see it at the Cinerama Dome in LA again. Smart. (Let’s just hope that Moore’s smart enough to dodge DRM and other evil crap in the download).

I’ve been trying to get a review copy of his next book out of his publishers, but no luck. Guess I’ll just have to buy it when it hits shelves here in London.

The film, “Slacker Uprising,” follows Moore’s 62-city tour during the 2004 election to rally young voters. It will be available for three weeks as a free download to North American residents, beginning Sept. 23. An official announcement of the film is planned for Friday.

Moore said he considered releasing “Slacker Uprising” theatrically as “Michael Moore’s big election year movie” as he did with 2004’s “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which was highly critical of President Bush.

Instead, Moore opted for a symbol of gratitude to his fans as he approaches the 20th anniversary of his first film, 1989’s “Roger & Me.”

“I thought it’d be a nice way to celebrate my 20th year of doing this,” Moore said. “And also help get out the vote for November. I’ve been thinking about what I want to do to help with the election this year.”

Michael Moore to release new film online for free (via The Long Tail)