Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard debuting at WWDC?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Rumors, Software,

So, word on the street now is that Apple will be unveiling Mac OS X 10.5.6

10.6 in a mere five days at WWDC. Based on the fact that Steve Jobs said that they wanted to get back on track to releasing just about yearly, I started asking people if they thought the successor to Leopard would show up next week, and they all scoffed as if I were some sort of lunatic. Well, now with the reports that TUAW and Ars have receive, it appears that my hunch was correct. Oh, and what will the successor be named? We all know Apple likes to stick with the cats for OS X, and it appears that this time it is going to be “Snow Leopard.” You see, this release is all about tightening up speed, stability, and security - not so much about dazzling new features like Time Machine. See? They want to take Leopard, and make it white as snow. That’s almost as cute as an iPod nano…

We look to Monday to see what Steve brings us.

Read More | TUAW

John LeSieur Zac Browser for Autistic Kids

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, Internet, PC / Laptop, Science, Software,

John LeSieur’s grandson has autism and couldn’t get into computers. Because the man works in software and couldn’t find something already available, he created the Zac Browser, named for the boy. The browser consists of hand-picked free websites such as those with educational games, music, videos, and such images as a virtual aquarium. Extraneous keyboard buttons that would be confusing have been disabled. Not only was it welcomed by Zac, John is offering his program free of charge to other parents of autistic children. Our props for another fine effort from someone who could, and did.

Read More | Examiner

USB Starfish Speaker

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, USB, Music, Portable Audio / Video,

If you drooled at the thought of owning your own Private Ocean, then you might want more water-related accessories such as this USB Starfish Speaker to go with your MP3 player. At a mini-size of 85 x 85 x 50mm and a weight of only 70g, it features a Blue LED indicator, has a rechargeable Li-ion battery that needs charging for at least two hours, and an on/off switch. It also features non-slip arms in case it wants to escape off your desk. The speaker comes with USB charging and audio input cables and is available for a mere $12.00.

(Thanks, Fanny)

Read More | gadget4all

Honlai Technology MP100 Mini-Projector

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech,

Honlai Technology has unveiled its latest MP100 Mini-Projector. The LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology claims an image capacity of 5 to 37 inches from its 5W LED. It also features a contrast ratio of ~200:1 and brightness of about 10 to 15 lumens. Palmsize, we figure it would be great for traveling, especially if you are doing a presentation at a sci-fi convention. Contact Honlai for a price.

Read More | Oh Gizmo

iCooly iPod Touch Stand

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Misc. Tech, Portable Audio / Video,

We found another useless gadget for your iPod touch (8/16/32GB) that will at least be a nice accessory to place next to your iMac or, if you don’t have one, look almost as cool. The adjustable iCooly has a small slot on its side to attach your dock connector and headphones. At a size of 115 × 100 × 45mm and made of aluminum and resin, it weighs about 55g. You can get a mini-holder of your own for ¥4,980 (~$47.00.)

Read More | DVICE

ASUS Mini PC Nova Lite PX24

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies, Music, PC / Laptop,

ASUS’s new offering for home entertainment is the Mini PC Nova Lite PX24. The supposedly world’s smallest mini-PC has a built-in independent graphics card, hi-fi speakers with Dolby digital Life/DTS Connect, and is energy efficient. At a size of 242 x 184 x 51mm and a weight of 1.5kg, it supports HD1080i/1080p and is packed with Windows Vista Home Premium as well as Intel CPU. For more fun, utilize its Media Center for photographs, video, and broadcasting music. Contact ASUS for pricing.

Read More | ASUS

JVC-Victor HP-S150 Headphones

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Portable Audio / Video,

JVC-Victor has unveiled their HP-S150 Headphones with a frequency response of 12Hz to 23000Hz, a sensitivity level of 105dB, and an impedance of 32 ohms. Made of metal with molded stereo earpads to cut back on distortion and external sounds, the phones have 1.2m cords with gold-plated stereo mini-plugs and are available in red, blue, white, and black. Weighing only 68g, look for them to arrive sometime this July.

Read More | JVC-Victor (translated) via Akihabara News

Pacmba Chomps Down

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smart Home, Mods / Hacks, Video Games, Videos, Wireless / WiFi,

What do you get when you cross a Roomba with Pac-man? In Ron Tajima’s case, you get a Pacmba (don’t ask us how to pronounce it.) He took his droid vacuum, tacked on a board with 448 LEDs, and added a Bluetooth remote with circuit driver. Of course, he had to have something for the little guy to chomp on. This is Ron’s second foray into hacking his Roomba. We cannot wait to see what he will come up with next.

Read More | BotJunkie

Flame Walks Like a Human

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science,

ASIMO eat your heart out. Flame is now the most advanced walking robot to date. Created by Dutch PhD student Daan Hobbelen of TU Delft, his bot is both stable and energy efficient. To accomplish his objective, he studied how people walked for the first time. He then gave Flame seven motors and a balance mechanism created with stability algorithms. Daan is hoping that the technology will be used to help treat those with walking disabilities.

Read More | Physorg

Whistle-and-Find Your Remote

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Misc. Tech,

We used to have a remote control that beeped when it was lost, but we figured that was an oxymoron, because how would it know? However, if you tend to lose yours, you can use the Whistle-and-Find to retrieve the lost gadgets. It comes with 3 caddies that you attach to your remotes and, of course, the whistle. At a price of $16.99, we were thinking we would love to have one for our car keys, our IDs, our cat, our kids…..

Read More | 1 of a Kind Stuff