Apple Updates Trademark to Include Video Playback

Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Corporate News, Portable Audio / Video,

Apple has recently updated the full description of its iPod trademark to include the handling of video files.  The old trademark described iPods as “portable and handheld digital electronic devices for recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, and audio files.”  However, the new trademark, as of July 18th, tacks on a few words at the end so that it now reads, “…reviewing text, data, audio, image, and video files.”  This change could be seen as a direct confirmation of the much-rumored Video iPod, but may also simply be Apple hedging its bets for unspecified future expansion.  If I were Apple, I’d go ahead and change the trademark to finish with “…reviewing text, data, audio, image, video, brainwave, metabolic, and three-dimensional files, as well as any file leading to Apple’s ultimate world domination.”  Apple is just that hot right now.

Read More | Mac Rumors

Newer Technologies Upgrades 1G and 2G iPod Batteries

Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Accessories, Mods / Hacks, Portable Audio / Video,

For those of you still refusing to get rid of your old iPod, Newer Technologies has released its most powerful replacement battery kit to date for 1G and 2G models.  The battery, which comes with an installation kit and detailed instructions, is rated at 2200mAh, which is a 78% capacity jump from the batteries shipped with the original iPods.  The 2200mAh kit costs $34.95 and along with this newest release, the rest of the NuPower line of batteries has dropped by $10.

Read More | Newer Technologies

Stateside PSP Firmware 2.0 Upgrade Coming August 12th

Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Portable/Mobile, Wireless,

Sony has announced that the United States-specific upgrade to the PSP Firmware will become available August 12th.  The upgrade can either be directly installed using the PSP Network Update feature (which requires a 802.11b hotspot connection) or downloaded from http://us.playstation.com/psp and installed via USB.  Everything that was part of the Japanese release will be included in the American version, from the minor tweaks to the major features such as the web browser and photo sharing program.  Additionally, those early-adopters who couldn’t wait and have already installed the Japanese version can install the American version directly over the top of their previous upgrade, thus un-voiding the warranty on their PSP, which isn’t technically allowed to run “unauthorized software.” 
 
Read More | Sony’s PSP

Apple Releases Two Button Mighty Mouse

Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, PC / Laptop, Peripherals,

Apple today finally caved to it’s millions of users who make daily use of a two button mouse with OSX and introduced the Apple Mighty Mouse - along with some significant improvements to a normal mice of a non-mighty variety. The Mighty Mouse has the look and feel of a normal Apple mouse, but hidden touch sensors record the right and left click events from the mouse. The Mighty Mouse also features a touch sensitive ball at the top enabling scrolling in any dimension easily with the touch of a finger. Finally the Mighty Mouse is pressure sensitive meaning you can gently squeeze the entire mouse in your hand

has two side triggers to zoom in and out in applications such as Final Cut Pro or Photoshop or presumably navigate forward and back in a browser. The Mighty mouse will work with OS X 10.4.2 and above, as well as With Windows 2000, XP, and supposedly Vista. Years ago Microsoft “built a better mouse” when they introduced the scroll wheel - could this be yet another innovative step in the mouse world? I won’t know for sure until the one I just ordered to replace my Logitech MX900 Bluetooth two button mouse that I’ve been using with my Powerbook. What do you think?

Of course, this will change many opinions on why Apple made a one button mouse in the first place.

Read More | Apple Mighty Mouse

Scientists Implode Tuna Can Using 19 Million Amps of Electricity

Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Misc. Tech,

Last week, scientist in Nevada successfully tested the Atlas pulse-powered generator, designed to certify the power of nuclear weapons, by imploding a small aluminum cylinder using what amounts to about four times all the electrical power on Earth.  According to the press release, the Atlas will be used not only to crush tin cans, but to “characterize the behavior of materials at the extreme conditions in an exploding nuclear weapon.”  The ability to reproduce these types of experiments so efficiently will be a move toward advancing the science of nuclear weapons without resorting to underground nuclear explosions.  We should all keep our fingers crossed for a can-crushing home version.

Read More | National Nuclear Science Administration

Original Lightsaber Sells for $200,000

Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Accessories, Internet, Movies,

The original lightsaber prop used by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in 1977’s Star Wars grabbed a closing bid of over $200,000 at a recent auction of Hollywood memorabilia.  The auction, with both live and online bidders, took place in Beverly Hills, California, and featured 550 different movie props, some from the personal collection of Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz.  Despite being made up of only a metal tube and some rubber, the lightsaber sold for far more than the $60,000 to $80,000 that was expected.  Darth Vader’s original saber also sold, but for a much smaller sum of $118,000. 

Read More | Profiles in History

Nintendo Wi-Fi Theatrical Trailer Debuts

Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Driving, Portable/Mobile, Wireless,

Nintendo has chosen to begin the mainstream hype of its upcoming Wi-Fi service with a 1 minute trailer that will be run before copies of The Fantastic Four, The Dukes of Hazzard, Bad News Bears, Stealth, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Island.  The trailer, titled “The Sad, Agonizing Tale of Bhunvan Ganguly,” will run between July 29th and August 25th.  Rather than a detail-laden explosion, Nintendo has decided to employ some cinematic subtlety to generate interest.  However, the ad does feature footage of the online Mario Kart DS and stresses world-wide connectivity.  Be sure to catch the trailer on the big screen, or at online at the link below.
 
Read More | IGN

SCOTTeVEST Hidden Cargo Shorts Review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Wearables, Features, Product Reviews,

The folks over at SCOTTeVEST have come up with yet another piece of clothing aimed at making the tech life just a little bit easier to live. The TEC Hidden Cargo Shorts are perfect for the summer, but how well do they carry your gadgets? Find out in our review, after the jump.

Click to continue reading SCOTTeVEST Hidden Cargo Shorts Review

Busty Mousepads

Posted by Edwin Soto Categories: Accessories, PC / Laptop,

You want to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome? Gel mousepads are great for supporting that mouse hand, but we all know that boobs are softer, right?  Busty Mousepads even self-proclaim on their site that your male friends will feel and steal them, while your female friends will think you’re a perv.  I think this may help ease some internet pr0n tension for a one time fee of $19.95.

Read More | Busty Mousepads

Amtel Biometric FingerGear USB Flash Drive

Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, Peripherals,

Atmel has announced a new biometric flash drive today aimed at protecting your sensitive data. The FingerGear has a self cleaning fingerprint sensor that you swipe your finger over. The flash drive will feature a LCD display on the front to enable the operator to have a much more user-friendly experience.  When you swipe your finger software stored on the flash drive activates and authenticates the user thus enabling the flash drive to be mounted. Because all of the authentication technology is located on the drive itself this is host independent - and will work on Windows, Linux, OS X or any other USB host compliant operating system. As clunky looking as this flash drive is this Gear Live editor is very impressed that it can operate without using OS specific software on the host PC and in this day and age of increased security concerns I suspect biometrics are going to be creeping into more and more data storage mediums.

Read More | FingerGear via MacMinute