Swiss Propeller Fans You have to hand it to the Swiss, they may have the sense of humour of a cumquat, but when it comes to economical and ergonomic design, they really do know what they're doing. You can have this for ?110.00 Tags: gadgets, home cinema, mobiles, tech (Read the full post about ‘Swiss Propeller Fans’…)
With scientists now saying there’s a 99 percent chance "the big one" will finally hit California sometime during the next 30 years, seismologists are scrambling to come up with new ways to detect and analyze quakes as soon as they happen. One team of researchers is now hoping to employ the distributed computing approach to detection and create a giant, low-cost tremor-sensing network that takes advantage of the motion sensors that may already be in your laptop. The Quake Catcher Network, while not replacing the slew of sophisticated seismometers are already in place in California, will "fill in the gaps," Paul Davis, a professor of geology at UCLA, told Technology Review. (Read the full post about ‘Turn Your MacBook Into a Seismometer’…)
Once upon a time, in the dark ages of the internet, you had to actually visit a web site in in order to check in on what was new. Those days are long over and there are a number of ways to follow your favorite sites without ever having to log on. Of course, we love it when people stop by, read the articles, and leave their thoughts in the comments, but we realize people are busy and are looking for different ways to get their tech information. So here you go: how to read Geek.com… 1. RSS This is probably the best way to read Geek that does not include logging onto the site. Using RSS and a feed reader you can get access to every Geek article or read just specific topics. (Read the full post about ‘How to read Geek.com’…)
Photo [mikelao26 via Flickr] Modern interface designers hate you. With few exceptions, the modern gadget is as impossible to navigate as were the seas before the sextant and the marine chronometer. The reason? The internal functions bear no relationship to anything we might encounter in the real world, so arbitrary abstractions are needed to bridge the gap between microchip and brain. Add to this the fact that the UI is often an afterthought in most devices and you end up with something like the RAZR, hated far and wide for its labyrinthine control layout. It wasn’t always this way. Perhaps if today’s designers payed a little attention to the past they might come up with something a little easier to love, and a little less frustrating to use. (Read the full post about ‘History’s 5 Best Interface Designs’…)
Electronic Arts quietly announced last week that it had sold 100 million copies of The Sims. The franchise has since spiraled off with add-on packs and Online versions, but that first edition, released in 2000 is now the highest selling game in history.
The concept of these life simulating games is exceedingly strange to me, especially the ones that aren’t even multiplayer. Nevertheless, I guess if it keeps kids off the streets playing inside, instead of outside in a gang, then it can’t be all bad.
Nevertheless, I feel as though there is something inherently wrong with games like this and Second Life.
(Read the full post about ‘The Sims sells 100 million copies’…)
It’s always interesting to see how different people have their offices set up. Some, like myself are proud of their technology, and aren’t afraid to show it off. Others prefer to keep the tech to a minimum in their work area. They prefer to keep family photos and other important items on their desk. These Photo Frame Speakers are perfect for such people. Whether you use a desktop or laptop PC, it’s nice to have a pair of external speakers on your desk. Unfortunately it is generally difficult to disguise or hide them away. These speakers, however, also act as a 4”x6” photo frame. Mind you, those are for actual photographs, not digital photos. (Read the full post about ‘Hide your speakers behind a pair of picture frames’…)
by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 6:42PM Michael Dell spoke at Fortune’s Brainstorm:Green conference today, and he took the wraps off this funky bamboo-encased eco-PC concept. Said to be Dell’s smallest-ever computer, the machine is 81 percent smaller than a standard desktop and uses 70 percent less power. There’s no word on what’s inside yet, but Dell says the machine is due to be released later this year, and should cost between $500 and $700. Hit the read link for a couple more shots, and check out a render after the break. (Read the full post about ‘Dell unveils tiny bamboo-cased eco-computer concept’…)
The Sci-Fi channel’s gadget blog, Dvice is running a great article on how you can be ‘greener’ without spending a ton of money. Many of the 10 entries almost deserve their own write-up and we plan to do just that. Among the top 10 are suggestions like putting an end to junk mail, using reusable shopping bags, riding shared vans and/or carpooling, e-cycling (c’mon geeks!), and even using your urine as a fertilizer for your plants. While I hardly consider myself a fanatic when it comes to the environment, each passing day has me feeling that we’re going to experience some really horrible things on our planet, not that those things aren’t happening already, but it’s not something that gets quite enough media attention and so it’s not high enough in the public’s awareness (yet). (Read the full post about ‘10 under-$50 ways to be green’…)
Tude Beams It can be perilous to expose one’s softer side whilst amongst friends. For example by stroking a small kitten. Or by commenting on how pretty the flowers are looking that day. Your friends may not understand your comments and may laugh. See price Tags: M4A, consumer technology, amps, mobile devices (Read the full post about ‘Tude Beams’…)
Almost all tape measures are pretty normal, meaning they are old-school, but that is when the this Voice Recording Tape Measure joins the party. As the name suggests, you can do a couple of voice recordings while measuring stuff, so there is no need for the pen + paper combo. The only problem seems to be the (small) memory that can only hold 20 seconds of audio content. To help you out doing exact measurements, there is a LED light located in front of the device. It works with 4 LR44 batteries, which are included in the price - 10. (Read the full post about ‘Voice Recording Tape Measure’…)
