The next version of the Flip Mino Pocket Camcorder will have wireless capability ...

When Apple announced video capability in the iPod Nano and a video camcorder in the iPhone 3Gs, Cisco saw a dramatic increase in YouTube video uploads. And as such, they saw the handwriting on the wall. Sure, the Flip has the edge with HD, but to have an all in one solution with the iPhone has forced Cisco, the new owners of Flip Video, to get working on a response. And to that end, they’ve announced that the next model of the phenomenally successful Flip Video Pocket Camcorders will come with built in Wi-Fi. But that’s not all.

In addition to being able to transfer video wirelessly, new Flip models will also have double the onboard memory (although they should just bite the bullet and put in an SD card already) a larger screen which will slide up to reveal control buttons, and have the capability to not only upload to YouTube, but also direct Facebook uploads via the wireless connection.

The first model to get the Wi-Fi overhaul will probably be the MinoHD line and rumor has it we’ll see an actual mockup of it at CES this January.

You know, I rather like a feature war between Cisco and Apple brewing. It only means that the consumer will be the ultimate winners. Who knows, maybe we’ll see a new iPhone with HD capability …

Hat Tip – Mashable

The Guardian is aimed to satisfy the need of a more privacy aware society, realizing that the use of confidential information on our handhelds and laptops is increasing and must be guarded. The leading Microlouver privacy technology creates an invisible barrier for people wanting to sneak into your conversation, programs, etc. making The Guardian the perfect product for Executives, frequent flyers or any person exposed to high traffic areas.

The company’s long term vision is “to create an extensive network of distributors around the globe, whose aim is to help individuals as well as companies to secure sensitive information.” Good luck to them, we say – after all, identity theft being extremely common these days would surely benefit from something like this.

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Ubergizmo has a story about 27″ iMacs which are experiencing buggy hardware issues such as “erratic hard drive behavior,” buggy playback of flash video which cause the CPU to reach 105% of it’s capacity, and issues pertaining to bad operating system installation. Now I know that flash is a memory hog, but that’s ridiculous.

Stories began cropping up in Apple’s support forums where users have discovered that the issues begin to occur once the computer goes to sleep and then begins to wake up. Some have used workarounds like hitting the power button to sleep and then waking it up again. This apparently “calms” the CPU down and frees up resources.

But a better solution is to contact Apple immediately while users Apple Care warranty is still in force. Or return the iMac to the Apple Store for genius’ to either fix or replace.

Hat Tip – Ubergizmo

How is this possible? The spectators use computer tablets to design their “dream track”, and then get into a robotic carriage that uses virtual-reality technology for their pre-programmed ride. Users can even program the ride so it can be a bobsled ride or airplane ride.

This ride is very similar to CyberSpace Mountain, a ride that allows spectators to customize their virtual ride with drops, loops, and other stunts. I’m not certain how loops could work if the user selects the bobsled option on the Sum of All Thrills.

In short, it looks like it is a trend in amusement park rides to be more user-defined. After all, a spectator knows what to expect with a few rides. However, if the ride is different every time, then that will keep them coming back for more.

The Sum of All Thrills just opened at EPCOT in Orlando. I would have thought it would have opened earlier, to meet the summer rush, honestly.

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Study shows that HDTV quality can be subject to a placebo effect.

According to a recent study, most TV viewers can’t really tell when they’re watching hi-def video and when they aren’t. It further goes on to conclude that so long as they’re expecting HD, they think they’re watching HD.

The study took two groups of 30 people and showed them the same video clips on the same CRT television. One group knew it was standard definition TV, the other was told it was HD and that notion was backed up by the room being decorated with posters advertising HD TV, high quality cables coming out the back of the TV, and flyers detailing the benefits of the high definition signal they were about to experience.
In the end, it was the imagination of the viewers that filled in the missing pixels, leaving researchers to conclude that most people have no idea what the difference is between standard and high definition television.

To further support the lackluster differences, are the sales figures for Blu-ray which seem to be flat as viewers concluded that their standard definition DVDs appear to be “good enough” for enjoying their favorite movies and TV shows. So what’s fueling the HDTV land grab? Uncle Sam, no doubt, as the US government was wanting to transition to digital television in order to free up analog frequencies to sell to wireless communication companies.

More on the study can be found in the September issue of New Scientist Magazine.

Hat Tip – Gizmodo

Hologram technology takes the next responsive step ...

Ask any scientist working today, and they’ll tell you that Star Trek has had an amazing impact on their work. From scientists in Holland who have managed to transport photons of light across the room, to NASA rocket engineers working on the first steps to Warp drive. There’s even an Israeli group who have developed “shields” to protect tanks from incoming missiles. What could be next, you ask? How about Holograms.

Holograms are nothing new, sure. But now, Reuters reports that a group of Japanese scientists who have managed to great a hologram that responds to human touch. It’s an amazing breakthrough that not only allows for interactions for games, video conferencing and the like, but also design applications which could take technology to a whole new level.

The scientists use a combination of ultrasonic waves and Wii Controllers to write a software program which tracks movements and allows holograms to respond to touch.
How, we won’t have professional Moriarty attempting to take over the Enterprise any time soon. But this capability will certainly bring CAD applications – like those featured when Tony Stark built his suit in Ironman – to the next level.

Hat Tip – Switched

Source: Business Week

It would appear that USAA bank is removing any reason for me to go to the bank with an iPhone app that allows me to deposit my checks virtually. All I need to do is take a picture of the front of my check with the iPhone, then turn the check over and snap the back of it. Once I hit e-send, the money is in the bank.

Of course, I don’t have an iPhone, and that is the case for many others. Another limitation on this new paperless service is it is currently only available for active-duty military personnel. I guess that just makes sense, doesn’t it? How can someone stationed in Iraq make a run to the bank?

In case you are wondering, the user of this service is required to destroy the check or, if nothing else, write “VOID” on it. If it were me, I would check just to make certain that my funds made it to the bank before I do something like that.

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Wu Zhongyuan is a 20 year old farmer who, ever since he was a child, dreamed of not needing to climb mountains anymore. It would appear that he found his remedy by creating his own flying machine. Wu used principles that he learned in middle-school physics and other relevant knowledge by surfing the Internet on a mobile phone to create this helicopter.

The blades are made from Elm tree wood, and a motorcycle engine provides the power. The frame is reinforced with steel pipes, and he claims that his single-seat copter can fly up to 2,600 feet! Believe it or not, he assembled this DIY helicopter for just $1,600.

This is one of those stories that I really hope is not made up. After all, who hasn’t had a dream and desired that it take flight? Mr. Zhongyuan doesn’t sound like he had a major corporate sponsor, just vision and ingenuity.

Sadly, the Chinese government won’t let Wu fly. I’m pretty certain that the FAA probably wouldn’t let an American inventor fly their own helicopter either, but the fact that someone could do so much with so little just inspires me, really. Kind of makes you wonder what you are doing with your life, doesn’t it?

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You can watch a video of what they have done after the jump, but here is a quick summary. First, they used two Wiimotes (yes, Wiimotes) to track a holographic object in realtime and space. So when that hand that you see in the picture tries to dribble that tiny ball, it responds like a real superball would.

Ultrasounds are then given so the hand can actually “feel” the impact. Experiements have shown that the ultrasounds can disrupt things from a distance, and if focused properly, they can create a sense of touch. At the end of the video is that hand underneath some raindrops, and it can apparently “feel” them.

This is definitely one of those “this could change everything” technologies, but it is still in its fetal stage. In other words, don’t be dreaming about having your own holodeck from Star Trek TNG anytime soon. By the way, I believe that technology used energy and matter conversion.

Man, I am such a geek sometimes. I’ll prove it yet again by saying that this technology reminds me of a short-lived show called Automan. It was about a guy who created a holographic man who others could actually feel. He even had an Autocar and Autoplane which were also tangible holograms.

Yeah, we are a long way holograms that we can feel. I suppose if they had this touch holograms in Star Wars, then Luke Skywalker could have felt Princess Leia saying “help me Obi-Wan Kenobi”.

Oh, that is so wrong.

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I’m not saying that it was made with the hands of Angels and Demons, because hopefully they would make something better than that. No, it was made on Shapeways 3D fabrication service which allows “stainless steel printing”.

Of course, 3D printers are really nothing new. This is the first time one has been created that uses stainless steel instead of plastic. It manages to print metal objects layer upon layer, provided the proper shape is given with an 3D modeling program like CAD or CAM.

There is a lot of possibilities here. No more running to the hardware store to get screws, for example. I will digress with a personal example.

When I was in seventh grade, I was assigned by my Industrial Arts teacher to make a stainless steel sculpture of a whale. I had to go through a grueling process of carving it out of Styrofoam, burying it in dirt, and then the liquid metal was poured on it.

Sadly, the end result didn’t look like a whale at all, but a metal brick with boils. However, if I had this Shapeways 3D stainless steel printer, the only work would have been in the 3D modeling stage.

So Shapeways, let’s make certain that everyone has a 3D stainless steel printer. Because everyone needs something made that is made of metal.

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Acer to launch world's first Atom based Android Netbook

Since the launch of the Google G1 smart phone running Android, there has always been talk that Android could be a great mobile platform for small notebooks. And with the popularity of Netbooks being sky high – the most popular selling computers so far this year – there has been talk that sooner or later, there will be an Android driven netbook on the market. And it looks like Acer is goin’ for it in a huge way.

Scheduled to ship this fall, the Acer Android netbook will be based on the Aspire One with the Atom processor and 10 inch screen. Unveiled at the Computex Electronics show last June, Acer showed that not only can the Aspire run Android, but it can also run in a dual boot configuration with Windows XP. This can be especially advantageous until more Android based Netbook applications come online.

Acer is the first company to offer an Android based netbook running the Atom processor, and the advantage that Android has over a Windows configuration is it’s open source community development which would translate into a more affordable netbook.

No word on how much the Aspire Android will run, but it’ll be here this Fall.

Hat Tip – PC World

Jay Leno uses 3D gadgets to replace obsolete parts in his car collection.

Jay Leno is more than just a former host of the tonight show, or even a stand up comic. Jay is a car nut, and his has quite an impressive collection of automobiles from sports cars to trucks, to even tank like vehicles which are hybrids. But Jay also has some very old original automobiles with engines that have no replacement parts. And when one recently went down for good, it looked as if one of his cars would never run again. Then he got the idea to use a computer and 3D printer to make his own replacement parts. And it worked.

The part was a slide, or “D” vale from his 1907 White Steamer engine which had been used so much, that the metal had become porous, leaking oil and steam everywhere. Knowing that welding up any holes wouldn’t only do further damage, Leno and his mechanics used the NextEngine 3D scanner and Dimension 3D printer to scan the original part, make the necessary repairs digitally, and then simply reprint the part back. The Dimension 3D printer printed an exact copy of the part in plastic, which was then used to create a mold to recast the part back in it’s original form.

This 3D printer costs $15,000 and makes parts from plastic. But prices are starting to drop.

But parts aren’t the only thing. The printer means that obsolete tools used to work on the engines can also be fabricated digitally in the same fashion. These tools aren’t cheap, with the NextEngine scanner costing around $3K and the 3D printer running $15K. But it’s easy to envision services where it can be done far cheaper until the prices drop for every day use.

So, as time creates wider gaps between technology and real world use, gadgets like 3D scanners and printers are certain to close that gap to keep them running and in prime shape!

Hat Tip – Red Ferret

Sadly, Polymer Vision went bankrupt on July 7th, and they have recently laid off over 50 jobs at their Southampton location. I’m not certain that we have the economy to blame for all of this, as e-readers such as the Kindle and their recent versions have been dominating the e-reader market.

It is certain that the Readius, with its scrolling effect, would have made quite a splash on the e-reader users, but the price for it might be more than they would be willing to pay.

However, there is hope. Karl McGoldrick, President of Polymer Vision, says that he is not giving up, and that the product shall live on. He is looking for new investors, and he wants to “re-start and get our technology and product into the market, where it should be”.

Personally, I think there is a lesson to be learned from the Readius. That would be one of perseverance, of not quitting simply because the odds are against you. In the case of the Readius, I think the public might like this e-book reader, so don’t give up, Polymer Vision!

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If you’ve never heard of Kodachrome, you should know that it is a film that uses a fine grain and warm colors. There are several pictures taken with Kodachrome that are considered landmarks today. Some of you might remember a green-eyed Afghan refugee girl with a hypnotic gaze on the cover of a 1985 National Geographic. That was a Kodachrome pic, as was a very famous photo taken of the Kennedy assassination.

There is really only one reason why Kodak is discontinuing production of this historical film. Actually, it’s two reasons, but they both have the number one in them. Kodachrome film accounts for only 1 percent of still-photo sales, and there is only one photofinishing lab in the world that still processes Kodachrome.

Yeah, it makes a lot of business sense to cut this cord. However, I can’t help but think of the Kodachrome song by Paul Simon. Sorry, Paul, it appears that someone actually took your Kodachrome away, but at least it wasn’t your momma. I hope you still have that Nikon camera, because you’ll be taking your photograph of using different film.

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MLB at bat will stream live ball games to your iPhone or iPod. Batter up.

Major League Baseball has given the green light for an iPhone application which will allow live streaming of baseball games. Called MLB at bat, the application takes full advantage of the new streaming capability of the iPhone 3.0 software, will cost around $10 and will work on both the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Users will not only be able to watch live games, but also listen to the audio feed if they want to save on battery power (and a full nine innings will sure kill the battery long before the last out on video streaming), get Game day updates and in game video highlights.

Since the iPhone 3.0 update has been pushed out as of today, the application is available now – just in time for MLBs first live streaming game, the Chicago Cubs vs. the Chicago White Sox at 2:20pm eastern time as part of a double header which also includes the Detroit Tigers vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at 8:15pm ET.

But don’t look for the Dodgers or Yankees to be coming to an iPod near you soon, MLB wants to roll out streaming gradually by only broadcasting “out of market” games – i.e., Yankee fans don’t get the Yanks and Dodger fans don’t get Chavez Ravine.

Hat Tip – GadgeTell

The effort to keep business expenses low while trying to transition to a more green lifestyle has prompted a British super market to look to their parking lot to power their lights and run their cash register. And the idea may catch on for other power needs as well.

Sainsbury’s installed a new kinetic plating system in the parking lot lanes which generate power as a car drives over them. The way it works is that as a car moves over the plates, it’s hydraulic action turns a power generator creating up to 30 kilowatts of electricity. And apparently there’s enough flow through business that the energy generated is running the store’s power for lighting and cash transactions through their point of sale computer systems.

Additionally, Sainsbury is collecting rain water to use in the toilets, and larger floor to ceiling windows are making the interior brighter to lower needs for lighting. There are also plans of funneling unsold food to a biomass plant to generate further green power. But it’s the user of the kinetic plates that has the British government thinking similar technology can be harnessed to power street lights all over the city.

That’s an excellent example of how better ideas can not only save energy and better the environment, but create jobs for installing and maintaining it as it powers the system.

Hat Tip – The Guardian

The 3,800 foot long attraction is unique because it allows the user to select his or her personal soundtrack from many genres, then an individual song. I would hope that Universal would choose “Song 2” by Blur. Just listen to it, and you’ll see why it is perfect song for a roller coaster.

Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit also has a various LED flashing lights, and fourteen digital video cameras to capture the experience. I can’t help but wonder if the user has the option of getting a video clip of their experience after it is over.

As for the ride itself, it begins with a 167-foot vertical lift that the coaster car climbs in 16 seconds. There are also six “near miss encounters”, where the spectator’s roller coaster car will appear to collide with other cars going around the track. There are also many “Treble Clef” curves, like the one you see in the photo here.

So, if the family is headed to Orlando for summer vacation, you might want to stop by Universal Studios Orlando and be prepared to Rip, Ride, and Rockit. The ride is due to open sometime this summer, but I don’t have the exact date.

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It would appear that Systemax, the owner of CompUSA, has acquired Circuit City’s brand name on May 19th. It would also appear that the company wants to relaunch. At least the website aspect, for now.

If you go to the official website, you will see Gilbert Fiorentino, chief Executive of the Systemmax Technology Group tell all about it. Actually, the video is merely a placeholder “for a day or two” before they can get the official site in. So don’t be surprised if you go to circuitcity.com and find Circuit City completely up and running. If you want to see the video for yourself, I have it available here after the jump.

Fiorentino has promised that the site will be new, but it will still have a little of the old. Buzzwords such as “amazing pricing”, “same-day shipping”, and “world class customer service” are being thrown around.

By the way, did you know that Circuit City has been in business for 60 years? That’s what the placeholder website tells me. In all honesty, I didn’t even know we had consumer electronics for that long. I wonder if they meant to say that Systemax has been in the biz for 60 years, because this placeholder site also says that Systemax Inc. (NYSE: SYX) has been in business since 1949.

By the way, the video of Fiorentino comes to a weird end. It’s like he was going to say more, but then it quickly cuts to a conclusion.

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Anyway, the project is codenamed “xYz”. I am assuming the “X” comes from the Xbox 360 and the “Z” comes from the Zune. As for the “Y”, the answer to that is “because they can, and it would make money”.

Other facts are pretty sketchy at this point, but we do know that the xYz will come with a WVGA touchscreen. Assuming, of course, that it gets created.

Normally, I don’t report on something unless I have a viable source (or sources), but I am reporting on this to generate buzz. You see, I am hoping that all the chatter about this product will create a demand for an Xbox 360 Zune, and the company will make it to meet this demand. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?

Seriously, does anyone out there know if this is legit? If so, feel free to chime in with a comment.

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