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The NBA earlier this week unveiled a new game ball which will be put into use for the 2006-2007 season. This new ball, designed by Spalding, “features a new design and a new material that together offer better grip, feel, and consistency than the current leather ball.”
The new Spalding NBA basketball, said the NBA, is the first marked change to the ball in over 35 years. It makes use of special Spalding ball technology and is “comprised of two interlocking, cross-shaped panels rather than the eight oblong panels found on traditional basketballs…the material is a microfiber composite with moisture management that provides superior grip and feel throughout the course of a game. Additionally, the new composite material eliminates the need for a break-in period.”
The ball has already seen game play, being used in the NBA Development League as well as in activities during NBA All-Star 2006 in Houston, Texas.
Read More 
| NBA Press Release
Bleeding Edge Byte 016: E3 Table Scraps: Smart Brain Games
Posted by Chris Cardinal Categories: Design, Features, Misc. Tech, Peripherals, Video Games, Videocasts,
Deep in the bowels of Kentia Hall, camera jockey Nate True and I found this interesting booth. The Brain Games concept allows you to connect a few diodes to your skull that it uses to monitor your brain’s stress level and affect your controller’s accuracy. Calm down and focus, and your controller works flawlessly. Find yourself distracted, and you’ll notice sluggish, well, distracted control. I know there’s always a lot of “stress” associated with the hustle and bustle of E3 and interviews and such, and it was a bit difficult to control, but I could swear there were times where I was “thinking” as calm as possible, and still noticed a bit of an encumberence on my controller.
Watch me demo the unit! Watch me ask all the tough questions! Watch me butcher the man’s name! Watch how stupid I look in a visor! All this and more. It’s almost worth it.
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There’s another new player today in the market for those looking for a universal rechargeable battery to power all of their various mobile devices. Two new devices from Tekkon – the myPower All MP3400 (19V) and MP3300 (14V) – look to be available now.
The myPower All MP3400, priced at $159.95, powers a mobile device such as a laptop or portable DVD player while at the same time recharging that device’s battery. Examples provided by Tekkon of this product’s extended battery life include “up to seven hours of extra play time on a portable DVD player, up to 5,500 extra photographs, or up to 14 hours of recording time on a digital camcorder.”
The myPower All battery connects to the power jack of a portable device, with compatibility with a wide array of personal electronics being provided via eight adapters which come included. Additional adapters are available for a fee.
Read More | Tekkon Product Page
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Can technology really help reduce stress? A company called Quantum Intech, through its Heartmath subsidiary, is out today with a device they claim does just that. Meet the emWave Personal Stress Reliever.
The idea behind the emWave Personal Stress Reliever is to help shift its user into a high performance state called coherence, which Quantum Intech says “helps the heart, brain, and nervous, hormonal, and immune systems work with more harmony and efficiency.” The device works by detecting a pulse from a thumb or ear via a sensor. This pulse is converted to “real-time displays of coherence levels through two colorful light panels”.
The emWave reportedly includes “techniques to help the user increase coherence levels and sharpen their ability to transform stress on-demand.” The cost of this little wonder device? $199.99. That should be enough to stress you out right there.
Read More | emWave Product Page
There are those among us who just can’t get enough of Spinal Tap, particularly the Stonehenge sequence. For those people, we present the Stonehenge watch. Flip open the lid, erect the gnomon (that’s something you don’t read every day), orient yourself using the included compass, and let the shadows tell you the time. Or just flip it over and look at the analog watch dial on the back.
Impress your friends, confuse your enemies! With this watch, some glittery eyeshadow, and a custom amplifier that goes to eleven, you’re sure to be a shoe-in for the Spinal Tap tribute band now forming in your neighborhood.
Read More | Stonehenge Watch
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is lucky. If he’s working on a track at his home studio and he needs a particular sound, he can just go grab another guitar, plug in, and another classic track is born. Those of us for whom money is still an issue have it a little tougher. Sure, we know that “Sweet Child O’ Mine” should only be played on a Les Paul (or a copy, like Slash used), but there’s only room for a couple of guitars in the back of the Civic, and if the song has to be played on a Strat, then so be it.
No more excuses! For the cost of a decent Stratocaster or half of a Les Paul, guitar players can have access to classic sounds from both of these instruments, as well as from banjos, sitars, resonators, and several acoustic guitars. The Variax carefully models the waveforms of classic instruments to product their sounds faithfully, and all of the sounds are just a knob twist away. Finally, guitarists can leave their vintage instruments at home and still be prepared for any musical need that may arise.
Read More | Line 6
So you’ve got a rather drab looking deck that needs a little pizazz? Why not try some nice deck lights? Even though their illumination can be a bit meager, they do provide safety, and even a touch of class. Now, before you run out and buy whatever is on hand at your local home improvement store, be aware that not any old deck light will do. Nope, being the ultimate consumer of gadgets and tech items that you are, something a little different is in order. Something like the Aurelle LED Deck Lights from Philips.
The Aurelle lights come in a convenient ten-pack, and are available in your choice of either brilliant white or soft blue LED lighting. The kit contains just about everything needed for installation, minus the tools, and even includes a remote control.
Street pricing for the lights is quite respectable at $100 USD.
Read More | Philips via Uncrate
Recharge Your Portable Devices From An Airplane Headphone Jack
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Misc. Tech, USB,
For those of us relegated to economy class when we fly, there really aren’t very many options for recharging our portable electronic devices. Inflight Power is out to change that with their USB Power Unit that draws power from an airplane’s headphone jack.
The 12 ounce device works by storing energy from the headphone jack and relaying that energy to the USB connector. The device uses a trickle charger which takes 3-5 minutes to fully charge. Once charged, it holds enough energy to power a connected device for about one minute and then the cycle starts over again. Over 700 devices are supported with different tips that attach to the USB port.
This really would have come in handy during my flight to/from E3 last month, and its small size makes it perfect for tossing into one’s bag of gear.
The Power Unit is available for $34.99 USD, but odds are you’ll need some extra connectors as well. Inflight uses Gomadic’s TipExchange technology and for $54.99 USD you receive the Gomadic adapter, plus one tip of your choice. Additional tips sell for $6.99 USD.
Read More | Inflight Power via Daily Tech
While we’re no experts on golf, it does appear that golfers do love their gadgets. The Ballfinder SCOUT we spoke of in May makes it easy to locate your wayward golf balls and prior to that was the Soldius Solar Golf Bag whose main feature is the ability to charge up your gadgets on the go. Now comes the X1R Remote Caddie from Stewart Golf.
The X1R is a remote controlled bag carrier that obligingly goes wherever you direct, and doesn’t require a gratuity as a motivator. This allows you to get in a bit of exercise while strolling along with the X1R, but saves you from the grunt work of actually lugging your clubs around. Granted, it’s not as much fun as madly careening around the course in a golf cart, but may possibly generate just as much conversation. On a functionality note, the rechargeable batteries provide plenty of power for more than 18 holes of golf, regardless of the terrain encountered.
The X1R Remote Caddie is available for $1,995 USD. If the standard model isn’t enough and you want a little more bling for your bag’s ride, the X1R Special Edition is what you’re looking for. The X1R SE can be customized with special paint, imprints, logos and even custom wheels.
Read More 
| Stewart Golf via Uncrate
The Bleeding Edge 015: Seattle Mind Camp, Melting Hard Drives, Sparky Is Turned Into A Borg
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Features, Misc. Tech, Mods / Hacks, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Videocasts,
In this special episode of The Bleeding Edge, we take a look at Gear Live’s latest Mind Camp event. Held semi-annually in Seattle, Mind Camp is a gathering featuring some of the smartest tech geeks around. Here is what we have for you:
- How Sparky Became A Dancing Borg
- Bre Pettis Interview, Maker Faire
- Michael Kaltschnee Interview, Hacking Netflix
- Amal Graafstra Interview, RFID Implants
- Breakin’ Stuff: Melting Hard Drives (Literally) with The Shmoo Group‘s Pablos
- What Is Mind Camp?
- Andru Gets A Mind Camp Massage
- Mind Camp 2.0 Video Montage
Best part for me? The massage. Hurt so good, and had me feeling like a new man. One note - the Xbox 360 contest that we mention in this episode is now over, and the winner will be announced shortly.
Here’s how to get the show:
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IMPORTANT: We are surveying the viewers of our show to see what it is that people like, and more importantly, what they don’t like. It is anonymous, and just takes a couple of minutes. If you have the time, we would appreciate it! As always, feel free to let us know what you think in the comments.
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