Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:09:47 GMT

Sound Blaster - for iTunes

Sound Blaster for iTunes from Creative Labs. Sounds like something we all want. I know I do.

It wirelessly streams your music to any room of your home where you have a Creative Wireless Receiver connected to speakers or the new GigaWorks T20W speakers, which have a receiver built right in. The Sound Blaster for iTunes transmitter (the USB device) will be $99, the Creative Wireless Receivers will be $69.99 and the GigaWorks T20Ws will be $129.99.( If you already own the Gigaworks speakers, as I do, you just need a Creative Wireless Receiver that you plug into your current speakers via line-out.) Available in the Spring. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:08:55 GMT

The Key To Success

The Key To Success."The Key To Success" designed by Sebastian Frith is awesome; simple yet useful. The design for sure is made for multiple uses, it can work as a spanner, a bottle opener and its also a keychain. A simple device which can be said to be a combination of different functions for different situations. Posted by: Venus      Read more     Source

January 15, 2009, 7:25 PM CT

Next generation cloak

A device that can bestow invisibility to an object by "cloaking" it from visual light is closer to reality. After being the first to demonstrate the feasibility of such a device by constructing a prototype in 2006, a team of Duke University engineers has produced a new type of cloaking device, which is significantly more sophisticated at cloaking in a broad range of frequencies.

The latest advance was made possible by the development of a new series of complex mathematical commands, known as algorithms, to guide the design and fabrication of exotic composite materials known as metamaterials. These materials can be engineered to have properties not easily found in natural materials, and can be used to form a variety of "cloaking" structures. These structures can guide electromagnetic waves around an object, only to have them emerge on the other side as if they had passed through an empty volume of space.

The results of the latest Duke experiments were published Jan. 16 in the journal Science First authors of the paper were Duke's Ruopeng Liu, who developed the algorithm, and Chunlin Li. David R. Smith, William Bevan Professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke, is the senior member of the research team.

Once the algorithm was developed, the latest cloaking device was completed from conception to fabrication in nine days, in comparison to the four months mandatory to create the original, and more rudimentary, device. This powerful new algorithm will make it possible to custom-design unique metamaterials with specific cloaking characteristics, the scientists said......... Posted by: Ryan      Read more         Source

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:41:43 GMT

Roku goes HD

Netflix has always been pretty damn cool in my eyes; streaming video content on demand, for a really reasonable price. The fact that with things like the xBox360 and now Roku, it is moving back to the television rather than the PC, is also excellent in my book. As much as I like watching things on demand on my PC, I'd rather watch them on demand on my television!

Roku's $99 box has just become even more attractive, with it's new firmware supporting HD Netflix streaming, where available.

Awesome? I think so! Posted by: Jordan Grodecki      Read more     Source

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:09:53 GMT

Roku hits back with HD Netflix

Sorta cross posting from the digital TV weblog, but this is just as relevant here in my opinion!

Netflix, while a wonderful service for the PC, has always been limited by being just that; a service for the PC. With the advent of the service on set top boxes like Roku and the xBox360, this limitation has vanished! I can finally watch on demand movies and television from Netflix, on my television. Just what I wanted!

If you are a 360 owner you have probably got accustomed to the HD content, but Roku owners have been left in the dark ages, with SD streaming being all that there is available; until now! The 1.5 firmware update for Roku enables HD streaming, just in time for Christmas! Posted by: Jordan Grodecki      Read more     Source

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:32:45 GMT

10 Offbeat Uses For A Digital Camera

How many times have you found new uses for things you've had for a while?

My hunch is that it's happened frequently but no one person can come up with all the good ideas and I found 10 prime ways to use your digital camera, most of which I'll be you never would have imagined.

These are 10 innovative uses for a digital camera that you need to know about.

Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere.

Photo Source:www.cockeyed.com Posted by: jim      Read more     Source

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:27:17 GMT

Fuji Will Release Digital 3D Camera Next Year

Here's something I came across entirely by luck while cruising the Fuji digital imaging website yesterday.

Sometime late next year Fujifilm plans to release a digital 3-D camera, and I, being a fan of 3-D imaging couldn't be happier.

I've dabbled with 3-D over the years and have had fairly good results with a variety of old and new 3-D cameras.

Those cameras use film, have 2 or more lenses and yield stereo slides, pairs of stereo prints to be viewed with a special viewer, or specially processed "lenticular" prints which allow 3-D images to be viewed directly without special viewers or glasses.

My 3-D or, "stereo", photographic pursuits include using what is probably the granddaddy of consumer level "lenticular" 3-D cameras, the venerable "Nimslo."

Lenticular prints are the easiest of all 3-D images to handle and Fuji's upcoming digital 3-D camera will utilize that system.

The necessary special print processing will be available at Fuji's 1 hour outlets.

3-D photography isn't for everyone but it still has large numbers of fans and more and more movies are being released in 3-D so there is a bit of a rebirth happening.

Check out this upcoming Fuji digital 3-D camera and see if it's for you.

Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere.

Photo Source:www.fujifilm.com Posted by: jim      Read more     Source

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:47:40 GMT

Dreidel, droidel, droidel, Happy Hanukah to all

Spell it Chanukah, Hanukah, or even Hanukkah. It"s the 8-day Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights. It usually falls in December and often overlaps with Christmas. This is one of those years. Chanukah begins at sundown December 21.

Among Chanukah traditions is a children"s toy: the four-sided top called the dreidel, which is used in a game and is the subject of a bouncy nonsense song.

The song says dreidels are made of clay, although they are usually made of wood. But detailed instructions for making a dreidel out of--wait for it--a cereal box can be found here. Here is the Star Wars site, which promotes everything connected with guess what movies, video games, and even--it was probably inevitable--a touring musical.

What does a dreidel have to do with Star Wars? The Star Wars dreidel is actually a droidel, so named because it melds R2D2 with the top. Marketing genius. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:32:54 GMT

String Of Pearls Trivet

String Of Pearls Trivet.A string of white porcelain pearls, designed to protect any table from hot pots, pans or plates, a good inch and a half away from the table top or tray surface. Not your typical little trivet or stand, but definitely an amazingly well working one. Costs $80. Posted by: Venus       Read more     Source

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:32:40 GMT

Mini Bubblegum - 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive

Ever since I glued rhinestones on my first BlackBerry, I''ve flaunted the fact that I''m a geek girl with style. (It was also handy as I worked at AOL at the time and at meetings you had to leave all communication devices outside on a table. Believe me, no one ever picked up mine by accident:)

So I actually love this bubble-gum pink portable hard drive by Simple Tech which boasts 250 GB! (You can also get it in other "flavors.")

What''s to love:

- Sleek design by Pininfarina
- Small, compact size
- Durable and made for travel
- Multiple colors and capacities to suit your style
- High speed USB 2.0 "Y" cable included provides power without extra cables
- Simple, automatic backups with Fabrik Local Backup
- Complete protection with Fabrik Ultimate Backup online service (2 GB free)
- Joggle digital content manager for easy tracking, sharing and publishing of photos, music, and videos
- Free technical support

If you feel like flaunting your inner stylish geek girl, it will cost you $85 at Amazon. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source