RFID-enabled vending machine ditches coinage, gets Mario Bros. tone

A Twitter-enabled kitty door it is not, but this RFID-equipped soda machine is by far one of the most practical DIY projects we've seen in sometime. A Canadian tinkerer picked up this pop pusher a few years back, and has been using it to sling drinks in his building ever since. Unfortunately, finding the right change to feed the machine proved an issue for his neighbors, so he did what any logical hacker would do, and built in a contactless payment system. Using an Arduino, an Ethernet shield, an LCD screen, and an RFID reader, he created a system that allows customers to swipe a card and easily add funds from an online account. Best of all, every time you press that little blue button you get a Mario Bros. sample. Big ups, PopCARD. Video after the break.

Read More

Motorola NYXboard surfaces from the dead, XBMC reclaims it (update)

Seven months ago, Motorola unveiled a dual-sided, QWERTY-laden TV remote control: the NYXboard. It was never heard from again. Today, we've learned why -- the open-source community will be selling a version specially redesigned to control your XBMC rig. The folks at Pulse-Eight -- a startup with roots in the XBMC community dedicated to designing hardware -- tell us they actually talked Motorola out of bundling the remote with set-top-boxes in favor of a nefarious plan. Simply put, they want you to be able to purchase an IR and RF remote that natively supports XBMC for a penny under $60 this June.

While we don't have any real pictures of the unit quite yet -- just the renders you see above and below -- developers say it will work with installations on Mac, Windows, Linux and the original Apple TV on day one, and will actually turn off the side of the remote that's face down to avoid accidental inputs. You'll find the NYXboard up for pre-order now at our source link, with the first shipments slated for around June 27th. Then again, you might want to wait, as we're told there are more surprises in store: a second version that can control the Apple TV 2, and a secret method which would allow the remotes to control your home entertainment center without pesky line-of-sight infrared. The best laid plans and all that... but it sounds like Logitech's Harmony may finally get some competition.

Update: The situation's a bit tricky, but the XBMC Foundation (a non-profit entity) wants you to know that hardware vendor Pulse-Eight (a for-profit venture) isn't actually part of their group -- Pulse-Eight was founded by an XBMC team member and produces hardware targeted at the XBMC community, but apparently isn't funded by (nor directs funding towards) the XBMC foundation itself.

Read More

Keyport ships Mini-LED, offers Slide in four splendiferous new hues

It ain't a mind-bending concept, but the Keyport Slide solves a problem that far too many humans have. Put simply, this multi-key tool allows users to store both key imprints and digital files in a single device, and for those on the hunt for something to match their Sunday best... well, look no further. The outfit has just introduced a foursome of new Slide colors: Gunmetal, Zircon Gold, Copper, and Champagne. Starter bundles are still listed at $79, and if you believe the outfit's CEO, there's "much more on the horizon." You know, like the initial shipments of its $10 Mini-LED, which was also revealed today. Tap that source link if you're gushing with joy (and we know you are).

Read More

Creative’s 7-inch ZiiO tablet gets Froyo this Friday

If you happen to be one of the handful of Creative ZiiO tablet users, then we have good news for you: come Friday, the 7-incher will be the first of the Ziio duo to receive its Froyo update, whereas its 10-inch sibling’s expected to follow suit by April. So what’s new? Well, the list includes greater language support, new passcode options, the ability to install apps onto external storage, and a text-to-speech engine. Once available, you can obtain the update from either Creative’s website or the tablets’ ZiiO Space portal; but by all means, feel free to butter up the folks over at xda-developers to slap some Honeycomb onto these ZiiOs instead.

Read More

Google TV Remote app now available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

After debuting it on the Android platform in December, the Google TV team has finally released a version of the official remote app for iOS. The interface and features appear to be the same with one key difference, currently the iOS version doesn't support sharing web pages from mobile to the screen, but everything else like voice search is here and accounted for. It's good for the team to finally get the long promised app out, but more interesting now is the question of which features will be included in the second generation of Google TV hardware once manufacturers like Vizio, Toshiba and Samsung join the mix, hopefully putting the two handed/keyboard kludginess of the past behind us. Check after the break for the YouTube demo, or just grab the free app via the QR code on the official blog or iTunes.

Read More

OnStar's aftermarket mirror to be called OnStar FMV, gets a new microphone

When General Motors used CES to launch a mirror with a blue button that would work in any car it was called, quite simply, "retail product." Perhaps realizing that such a sweepingly vague name for the company's assault on every car every manufactured might lead to a bit of confusion, GM has now decided to call the mirror OnStar FMV. FMV, which stands for "For My Vehicle" and not "Full Motion Video," will act like a hands-free device and allows you to get other blue button functionality, including turn-by-turn directions and emergency assistance. Since CES the mirror has been augmented with an external microphone, but the price stays the same: $299 when it launches this summer -- plus $100 for installation and $18.95 per month or $199 yearly to make use of OnStar services. Blue buttons don't come cheap, son.

Read More

Creative Mobile Phone Cases for Girls

Read More

Android 52% faster than iPhone in browsing speed

Update (10:45pm): As pointed out by our readers' comments, there seems to be an inherent flaw to the way iPhones were benchmarked. Apple claims the embedded browser environment that was used for this test doesn't have all of the Mobile Safari's performance optimizations that include JavaScript, asynchronous page-loading and HTML5 caching.

- Original story is below -
The largest-ever research study of smartphone browser performance, with over 45,000 measurements on the latest iPhone and Android devices, has found that Android was 52 percent faster than the iPhone, on average. The purpose was to determine which of the two leading smart phone vendors has the fastest browser, according to Blaze.

Android finished loading a webpage faster on 84 percent of the 1000 Websites tested. The study also found that the despite significant JavaScript performance gains in the latest Apple iOS 4.3 release and Google Android 2.3 releases, these improvement made no measurable improvement on the actual page load times of the sites tested.

The study used real phones on real-world websites to make the measurements. Past studies have often used fabricated benchmark sites or manual measurements on a small number of sites. The company developed custom apps for the mobile devices (iPhone 4 with iOS 4.2, iPhone 4 with iOS 4.2, Galaxy S with Android 2.2, and Nexus S with Android 2.3), which loaded a page on demand and measured how long it took.

"We were very surprised by the results", Guy Podjarny, Blaze CTO and co-founder, said in a statement. "We assumed that it would be closer race and that the latest JavaScript speed improvements would have a more material impact on performance. The fact that Android beat iPhone by such a large margin was not expected".

Read More

Is your iPad 2 backlight bleeding?

Now that many of you have collected and used your second generation iPad tablets for a few hours, we're starting to see the inevitable reports of defects. Thus far, two issues have bubbled to the surface. The first issue -- yellow spots beneath the LCD glass -- is reminiscent of the same fresh-from-the-factory iPhone 4 issue that resolved itself just as soon as the bonding agent used for the LCD glass had time to evaporate. The second issue, which is being conflated with the first, is characterized by light bleeding through from the outer edges of the LCD panel. The bleeding is most noticeable when watching a dark scene in a movie or using an app with a black background as demonstrated in the picture above and video embedded after the break. For those affected, the issue can be minimized or exacerbated by adjusting the brightness in settings. So what say you dear reader, are you also a bleeder?

Read More

Sony Xperia Play hits the UK on March 31st, thumbsticks coming never

Readers in the British Empire get ready for Sony Ericsson's biggest UK marketing campaign ever. That's in the lead-up to the release of the Xperia Play, a phone that we've been hearing about for so long that we'd need some pretty shocking commercials to get us all excited again. You may feel differently, though, so mark your calendars for March 31st. That's the end of the month and falls in nicely with the "late March" word we'd heard for elsewhere in the world, though that is awfully late. As to where you can buy it, it's said that "all the mobile operators and retailers" will have it, so you shouldn't have to wander too far. And, with six games pre-installed, you should even be reasonably well equipped to kill the rest of that Thursday.

Read More

iPad 2 launch day: everything you need to know

You know what tomorrow is right? Yep, Friday, but it's also iPad 2 launch day! After months of rumors and a pretty impressive launch event, Apple's releasing the second iteration of its popular tablet. Yes, it's true, in a lot of ways the iPad 2 is a lot like the first iPad, so many of you should be old pros at this, but if you happen to be a first timer or you simply just need a refresher, we've broken down everything you need to know about getting your own "magical" tablet. We've also put together a short list of things to do with it as soon as you've gotten it out of the box.

Read More

Elfoid is the human-shaped phone from Japan that tickles when it rings

The Telenoid R1 achieved a new level of creepiness on the Japanese robotic front -- quite an achievement given the country's long history of oddball automated creations. Elfoid takes the cake, though. Developed at Osaka University and with help from NTT DoCoMo, Elfoid looks just like the Telenoid and, indeed, does much the same thing: giving you a human(ish) silhouette to talk to. This one, though, is designed to be stuffed in your pocket. It's basically a cellphone shaped like a vaguely human torso and head. You put it in your pocket and it tickles you when it rings. You talk into its belly and it speaks to you in response, playing the voice of whoever's on the other line through its face. It also moves and gesticulates to make you think that you're actually holding not Elfoid but that person you're conversing with. It's an odd concept, but holding a doll to your head still beats side talkin' on N-Gage.

Read More

Researchers find flaws in neodymium magnet crystalline structure, still in love with its personality

Given China's status as the worlds largest producer of rare earths and its recent proclivity for reducing exports of the stuff, everyone else is looking for ways to reduce dependency on rare earths or optimize the use of these sought-after elements. Well, neodymium is one of those rare earths, and a team from St. Pölten University in Austria recently discovered "disturbances in the crystalline structure in neodymium magnets" that weaken their magnetic fields -- and consequently the efficacy of all those electric motors and hard drives that utilize such magnets. For now, research is ongoing to fully understand the properties of neodymium and other rare earths so that their use can be "optimized." We aren't exactly sure how we'll benefit from all this optimization, but we hope it means cheaper and more powerful gadgets, TVs, and cars for all of us.

Read More

Comcast releases Xfinity TV remote control app for Android devices

After debuting on the iPad and iPhone, Comcast has finally released its Xfinity TV app for Android. Right now it only supports basic features like remote controlling cable boxes, scheduling DVR recordings and searching the VOD library but other features like video streaming to the app and tuning to VOD on the TV will be add later, just like on iOS. Unfortunately right now it's optimized for phones, according to the notes it should work on tablets too but official support isn't ready yet. Features on their way to both platforms include recommendations and better filtering of watchlists and personalized TV listings. Other than having to turn our cable box off and on at first, we got it to work without a hitch, for now it's at least one more option to use a cool new device when you can't find the regular remote -- have you looked on top of the refrigerator?

Gallery: Xfinity TV app for Android

Read More

Saab shows off Android-based IQon in-car infotainment system

It may not be the first to produce an Android-based in-car infotainment system, but Saab is diving headlong into the fray with its new IQon platform that it's just unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. It not only packs the usual navigation and entertainment features, but is tied into a network of sensors in the car that measure everything from vehicle speed to inside and outside temperatures to the position of the sun. While that's fairly impressive on its own, Saab is also going the extra mile and making all of that information to third-party developers though an API, which they'll be able to use to produce their own applications -- which will (you guessed it) be made available through Saab's own app store. Unfortunately, it's not clear when the new system will actually be available to consumers, but Saab is already using it in a fleet of test cars, and it's now showing it off in its new PhoeniX concept car in Geneva. Head on past the break for a brief teaser video.

Read More

FAA approves iPads for pilots' electronic charts

- From the earliest days of aviation, pilots have relied upon paper maps to help find their way. Even in an era of GPS and advanced avionics, you still see pilots lugging around 20 pounds or more of charts.
But those days are numbered, because maps are giving way to iPads.
The Federal Aviation Administration is allowing charter company Executive Jet Management to use Apple's tablet as an approved alternative to paper charts. The authorization follows three months of rigorous testing and evaluation of the iPad and Mobile TC, a map app developed by aviation chartmaker Jeppesen.
The latest decision applies only to Executive Jet Management, but it has implications for all of aviation. By allowing the company's pilots to use the Apple iPad as a primary source of information, the FAA is acknowledging the potential for consumer tablets to become avionics instruments.
The iPad has been popular with pilots of all types since its introduction last year. But until now, it could not be used in place of traditional paper charts or FAA-approved devices such as more expensive, purpose-built electronic flight bags. The iPad was OK for reference, but not as a pilot's sole source of information. The new FAA authorization changes all that.
To receive FAA authorization, Jeppesen and Executive Jet Management went through a rigorous approval process. It included rapid-decompression testing from a simulated altitude of 51,000 feet and ensuring the tablet will not interfere with critical navigation or electronic equipment.
Executive Jet tested the iPad and Mobile TC in 10 aircraft flown by 55 pilots during 250 flights.
The first thought many pilots, not to mention passengers, may have is: What happens if the iPad or the app crashes?
Jeff Buhl, Jeppesen's product manager for the Mobile TC app, says the Apple iOS operating system and the app proved "extremely stable" during testing. In the "unlikely" event of a software crash, he says, it takes but a moment to get them running again.
"The recovery time for an application crashing or the OS crashing is extremely rapid," Buhl says.
During the evaluation period with the FAA, the production app did not crash. But even if it did, Buhl says it's ready to go again "in 4-6 seconds from re-launch to previous state."
The FAA says each individual operator -- in this case Executive Jet Management -- must develop specific procedures for dealing with system or software crashes and other issues. Under the authorization, Executive Jet Management will require a second approved electronic device, which most likely will be another iPad, in the cockpit.
Pilots may get magic fingers to keep them alert
Although this authorization applies to just one company, it is a milestone for all operators, including major airlines, because it opens the door for them to embrace the iPad. Though any company wishing to follow Executive Jet's lead will have to endure equally rigorous scrutiny by the FAA.
Agency spokesman Les Dorr says the process is no different from what is required for any other electronic device used to display navigation information.
"As far as the iPad is concerned, we do that on a case-by-case basis when an airline applies to be able to use it," Dorr says.
The FAA is already seeing more requests to use the iPad in the cockpit. Alaska Airlines began testing the iPad back in November and there are about 100 pilots currently evaluating the device according to spokeswoman Marianne Lindsey.
She says in addition to the convenience, there is a practical weight-saving aspect to using the iPad as well, "it's replaced about 25 pounds of manuals and charts."
Jeppesen's director of portfolio management, Tim Huegel, says several carriers are looking into using the iPad and TC Mobile, and with the FAA granting one approval, it should become increasingly easy for others to follow Executive Jet's lead.
"We'll be able to reuse a lot of the documentation and the lessons learned working with Executive Jet Management to help our commercial customers as they now begin to pursue FAA authorization," he says.
The charts available with Mobile TC include charts for visual flight rules and for instrument flight rules, which are more commonly used by commercial operators. The app only shows an electronic version of the paper charts Jeppesen has been producing for years, but Huegel says future versions could incorporate the iPad's GPS capability.
He sees a day when tablets provide "door-to-door management" of a pilot's information, from crew scheduling to weather information to navigation charts.

Read More

AdvanceTC's 4.8-inch tabletphone runs Windows 7 on a 1.6GHz Atom CPU

It may not sound like the most practical combination, but we've got to hand it to AdvanceTC -- it's shoehorned telephony into a Windows 7 tablet, fulfilling our dark desire for a spiritual successor to the xpPhone. Yes, that's not Windows Phone 7 you're looking at above, but rather full desktop Windows running on a sizable quad-band GSM brick, whose insides hold a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and a chunky 3200mAh battery to power the whole thing. Calls are handled via AdvanceTC's custom UI layer and there's some software trickery to keep that battery in check, as the device can automatically wake from sleep when it detects an incoming call or text message. We doubt we'd much enjoy navigating Windows 7 on a screen that small, but AdvanceTC also gives the Atrix a nod, claiming that the device can act like a full nettop PC when connected to an HDMI dock. We'll let you know if the company gives us a price, release date, or any indication that it will actually hit retail at all.

Read More

T-Mobile continues campaign against iPhone 4 with new 'State of the Smartphone' infographic

T-Mobile cares about you. It cares so much that it's spending all its advertising dollars lately making sure you know full well that the iPhone 4 can't do "4G" the way its own phones can. The latest salvo in this crusade of enlightenment includes the above graphs showing just how much faster and further your money can go if you ride along on the Magenta network. It conveniently ignores the fact that AT&T and Verizon offer other phones besides Apple's iPhone, some of which can handle speeds above the 3G threshold, but such is the price you pay when you want to have a really pretty and eye-catching chart. Hit the source link to soak up more of T-Mobile's priceless wisdom.

Read More

Mobile Phone & Clock In One!

Smartphones have totally dominated the mobile phone arena today. Various models, sizes and magnificent features have graced the planet bringing us to ask – What’s next? With such tremendous advancement in technology some people are thinking of going unique and peculiar. To achieve this, sometimes that means going back in time.

Celcius X VI II that is – Celcius 10 6 2 for those who forget the “Old” Roman Numeral System, has introduced the LeDIX mobile phone. It’s quite significant first because it costs a fortune to have one and second because of its clock. What’s so extraordinary about it? This phone has a real-life “tik-tok” fully working mechanical clock embedded on its front flap.

Before we get ahead of ourselves let’s take a look what LeDIX is capable of. The mobile phone weighs 245g (quite heavy due to mechanical components of the watch) and due to its Titanium alloy casing. It has a total of roughly 600 mechanical parts – 330 of which were dedicated for watch movement. It has a battery compartment that is intended to be used by the mobile phone and can last up to 3.5 Hours of talk time.

Read More

Google releases Android 3.0 SDK preview

Google has released a platform preview for Android 3.0 (codenamed Honeycomb) and an updated set of SDK tools. The new version includes a refined UI framework for large-screen devices plus various tablet-centric tweaks, as well as a new animation framework, support HTTP Live Streaming, multi-core processors, high-quality 2D and 3D graphics, Bluetooth A2DP, and HSP. There's also encrypted storage, password expiration, and e-mail.



The new Honeycomb UI stretches the system bar at the bottom of larger displays and gives global status info. A top action bar now allows you to manage your apps. The browser has received multiple tab support, support for Chrome bookmark syncing, multitouch support for JavaScript and plugins, and automatic-sign-on for Google websites.

Remember, this is just the software side of the puzzle. The first Android 3.0 device, the Motorola Xoom, will be launching next month. Throughout this year, many more are expected to ship.

Earlier this month, Google released a promotional video for Android 3.0. Now developers are finally able to play with what they saw. Even users can go see what's new over on the "Android 3.0 Platform Highlights" webpage at Android Developers.

Read More