Digital Technology for Digital Living.
November 27, 2007
Helio adds TV Guide Mobile
TV Guide and mobile content provider Helio introduced a new service offering TV show information, program listings, search functions and daily recommendations to Helio users.
Text-based program alerts can be set to remind yourself and friends of what’s coming on the tube. TV Guide Mobile is available to Helio subscribers for $2.99/month, in addition to carrier data charges.
BeSocial: methodshop
methodshop | Comments (0) | Mobile Phone
TOYOTA ENGINEERS BUILD WORLDS BIGGEST PLAYSTATION
TOYOTA ENGINEERS BUILD WORLD’S BIGGEST “PLAYSTATION”
World-class driving simulator created to improve safety technology
Toyota has unveiled a massive driving simulator, designed to safely analyse driving characteristics and so develop improved active safety technology.
The driving simulator, located at Toyota’s Higashifuji Technical Centre in Japan, provides one of the world’s most-realistic simulated driving environments, allowing driving habits and reactions to be accurately gauged.
Key to this virtual reality is the use of a real car placed on a platform housed inside a 7.1-metre-diameter dome, the inside of which serves as a giant 360-degree video screen.
As the driver operates the vehicle, a tilt mechanism, vibration apparatus and other devices manipulate the dome, which can be moved around an area the equivalent of four tennis courts, under precision computer control.
The result is a true simulation of the actual sensation of driving, including a sense of speed, acceleration and riding comfort through turns and other driving manoeuvres. Sound effects make the experience even more real.
The driving simulator is no toy. It will mainly be used to analyse driving characteristics under such conditions as falling asleep at the wheel and drowsiness, glancing from side to side and not checking that the road is safe, fatigue or illness, as well as developing active safety technology for effectively reducing the number of accidents.
Toyota’s stated long term aim is to produce cars that never crash and the company plans to put the driving simulator to full use in advancing R&D, not only for on-board vehicle safety systems, but also for systems that support safe driving practices and integrate cars with the road infrastructure.
Driving Simulator Specifications
Dome size — Height: 4.5m; diameter: 7.1m
Dome mobility — Max. 35m lengthways, 20m sideways
Dome tilt — Max. 25 degrees
Level of vibration — Max. variation of 50mm up or down
Sensation of speed — Max. 0.5G
Turntable rotation — Max. 330 degrees in either direction
Rumours that Toyota engineers have plugged the latest version of Gran Turismo into the simulator are unconfirmed.
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | General
November 26, 2007
Overclocking Computer Commercial
Overclocking Computer Commercial
For you Nerds out there - Some guy building an overclocked computer
Funny Computer Overclocking Commercial - Watch more free videos
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | General
November 22, 2007
Hi-Tech Thanksgiving Turkey Help
Have a habit of getting yourself in to a jam when cooking Thanksgiving dinner (USA)?
When things go wrong in the kitchen, sometimes you probably feel like running down to the closest restaurant and asking for some professional advice. Actually physically busting into a restaurant kitchen may be a little extreme, but thanks to a few websites like ChefsLine.com and Chefs.com, experienced chefs are connecting with home cooks via email and instant-messaging.
This hi-tech cooking assistance fills a growing need that has boomed recently due to the popularity of hobby cooking. Food TV shows, podcasts like Stump The Chef, and web sites are inspiring more and more people to try their hand in the kitchen. The only problem is… the average person doesn’t really know how to cook anymore.
So the next time you are wondering how to cook a frozen turkey in one afternoon or why your flourless cake never cooked all the way through, professional help might be just one IM or email away. But before you start chatting with chefs online, you might want to brush up on your chatroom and IM lingo. Think I’m overreacting? Well, ROTFL TAFN NRN L8R! AAB!
BeSocial: flickr | methodshop
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
November 20, 2007
T Mobile Germany Has to sell iPhone without contract - Court Order
T Mobile Germany Has to sell iPhone without contract - Court Order
European wireless provider Vodafone on Monday obtained a Court order that requires rival T-Mobile Germany to sell Apple Inc.’s iPhone handset to Germans without a service plan.
The temporary injunction was handed down by a Hamburg court and requests a response from T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, within two weeks.
MORE INFORMATION:
T Mobile Germany Has to sell iPhone without contract - Court Order
A definitive ruling on the matter is expected within two weeks.
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | General
November 17, 2007
Formula Dremel Challenge
Formula Dremel Challenge
Hobby Car enthusiasts from around the UK battle it out to win tickets to the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, hosted by Chris Barrie.
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | General, Games
November 16, 2007
Spyker F1 Steering wheel | Formula One Car
Spyker F1 Steering wheel | Formula One Car
The Spyker team reveal the secrets behind the steering wheel.
I have to say - I had no idea how many controls there is on a F1 steering wheel.
Spyker F1 Steering wheel | Formula One Car
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | General
AMD launches the most powerful home gaming PC in the world
World’s Most Powerful Home Super Computer Unveiled
AMD launches the most powerful home gaming PC in the world, capable of delivering real time cinematic rendering of current-generation movie-quality CGI.
AMD launches the most powerful home gaming PC in the world
Powered by a series of new AMD chips the Quad Core Phenom CPU includes a set of four CPUs on one chip, and four Radeon HD 3000 graphics processors.
The CPU has the raw computing power of over 80 Sony PS3s, capable of delivering what many consider the holy grail of gaming experiences – real time cinematic rendering of current-generation movie-quality CGI – in essence, playing a movie as one would play a video game, with no degradation of quality.
To put the new PC into some perspective, Deep Blue, probably the most celebrated gaming computer ever built was constructed by IBM in 1997 to beat Gary Kasparov at chess. It cost millions of dollars to build and weighed 1.4 tonnes.
Exactly 10 years on, AMD are launching a home supercomputer that has the power of 200 Deep Blues (11 GigaFLOPs) but costs $2000 dollars. This kind of supercomputing power has traditionally been reserved exclusively for the most advanced scientists and research with multi-million dollar budgets putting massive supercomputing power well within the range of everyday people.
Gadgetman | Comments (2) | General
November 15, 2007
Wall Street Journal Hearts Digg
This morning The Wall Street Journal announced a new program that will enable its users to submit WSJ.com articles to Digg.com. This will also allow Digg users to view content previously only available to WSJ.com subscribers. Coincidentally, this news comes around the same time Rupert Murdoch suggested that he might take down the Wall Street Journal’s online subscription pay wall.
“The Wall Street Journal Online provides in-depth reporting, commentary and analysis on the most important economic and political issues of the day, and Digg users are enthusiastic consumers of news and information,” said Daniel Bernard, general manager of The Wall Street Journal Online. “We’re excited to partner with Digg to offer our users a way to share Journal articles directly from our site, as well as expose new audiences to our content on Digg.”
So what does this mean? Every article on The Wall Street Journal Online will now include a “Digg This” icon that enables users to Digg the article. Once someone Diggs a WSJ.com article, it will then be accessible to Digg.com users.
With approximately 25 million visitors a month, Digg has become the leading destination for people to discover and share the best content on the Web. From the largest online destinations to the most obscure blog, Digg surfaces the best content as voted on by the community.
Perhaps you’ll want to Digg this?
BeSocial: digg story | methodshop
methodshop | Comments (0) | General
November 13, 2007
U2 Previews New Tracks for Joshua Tree on iLike
U2 used iLike.com to post a video of Bono singing “Wave of Sorrow” while sitting on a couch. It’s a track that U2 demoed during sessions for The Joshua Tree in 1987. Just recently Bono laid down vocals for the song and it will be released for the first time next week on the remastered release of The Joshua Tree.
As Bono plays the track, he sings over it and talks listeners through the story of the song and explains the lyrics.
“Wave of Sorrow” is one of several rare and previously unreleased cuts which are featured on the bonus audio CD of the remastered deluxe and super deluxe versions of the remastered release of The Joshua Tree.
BeSocial: digg story | methodshop
methodshop | Comments (0) | Music
November 12, 2007
THE iPHONE IS LAUNCHED ACROSS THE UK
THE iPHONE IS LAUNCHED ACROSS THE UK
Ok, the USA has had the iPhone for some time - but it is new to the UK
What is widely tipped to be the year’s biggest product launch, the Apple iPhone went on sale in the UK 9th November giving people in the UK the first chance to get their hands on this highly anticipated product.
The iPhone combines three devices into one—a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod, and an Internet device—all based on Apple’s pioneering multi-touch interface and software. Already praised by technology journalists, some commentators have said the iPhone will have a profound change and effect on the mobile phone handset industry. O2 have been preparing themselves for the expected crowds at stores across the country and have hired and trained hundreds of iPhone specialists who will be in all 450 stores, giving live demonstrations to customers. The iPhone will only be available in the UK on the O2 network.
In the US, hundreds of people queued outside stores - some camping ahead for days – when the iPhone went on sale in June. 1.12 million of the handsets were sold within 74 days, making them one of the highest selling phones of all time.
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | Mobile Phone
Apple Mac v PCs adverts | Is The PC Dead?
Apple Mac -VS- PCs ads
A collection of the recent Apple Mac -VS- PCs ads - all together - clever marketing and quite funny ;-)
Screened in order;
Wall Street Journal, Network, iLife, Better, Restarting, Viruses, Work, Touché, Out of the Box, Trust Mac, Angel/Devil, Accident, Self Pity, Better Results, Counsellor
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | General
November 11, 2007
Bob Dylan’s 5 Best Albums
I was at my local bar the other night and someone asked me if I were ever to be stranded on a desert island and could only bring 5 Bob Dylan albums, which ones would I bring?
I couldn’t answer him right away, and not because I had already had a good buzz after drinking four bottles of Miller Lite (note: I’m a lightweight), I had to think about that for a while because I love Bob Dylan. Wait, let me rephrase that, I REALLY LOVE BOB DYLAN!
For anyone even remotely aware of American pop culture over the past 40 years, it would be tough to miss the direct impact and lasting influence of Dylan’s songs. I needed time to get back in touch with ALL things B-O-B!
After spending a WHOLE week revisiting all my Dylan CDs I compiled these 5 as the very ones I’d like to have with me if I were stranded on a desert island. And with this list I hope I can introduce the genius of Dylan to people walking around now who’ve never heard of the guy, or have no awareness of him beyond simple name recognition.
So if I was stranded on a desert island and could only have 5 Bob Dylan albums, which ones would I bring? Here’s my list: Bob Dylan’s 5 Best Albums.
BeSocial: digg story | methodshop
methodshop | Comments (0) | Music
November 01, 2007
The Technology Behind the First Live Broadcast from the North and South Poles
When considering some of the most extreme environments on the planet, surely Antarctica, one of the coldest, driest and windiest places on earth (average temp of -56º F) comes to mind. Now imagine trying to conduct a live TV broadcast there. Sounds crazy right? My Direct-TV dish can’t even get a clear signal when it’s raining outside let alone an Antarctic blizzard. But on Nov. 5th & 6th the Today show will try when Ann Curry and Matt Lauer report live from Antarctica and the North Pole in a segment the Today Show calls The Ends of the Earth. This will be the first live simultaneous broadcast in history from the top and bottom of the globe.
When facing some of planet’s harshest conditions, how do you even begin to coordinate a live TV shoot? Well, it might not seem like such an insurmountable feat when you consider that there are 1,000-4,000 people living and working in Antarctica on any given day (mostly scientists and their support staff). In fact, there are several year around permanent research stations in Antarctica. According to this article, the Today Show recruited the help of one such research station supported by the National Science Foundation. The NSF’s established base in Antarctica has advanced technological capabilities including a pre-set data circuit that show was able use for transmission. Using this system paired with a software program called Qvidium, there was no need for satellites. So no matter what the weather is like, NBC will still be able to broadcast live.
The actual equipment in use for this shoot is pretty straightforward. The shoot will be a single camera shot using the Ikegami HLV55 with it’s feed hooked up to a laptop computer that runs the Qvidium software to stream live video. The Qvidium system transports and/or captures live video feeds for IP networks, including High Definition video. It enables this high-quality video transport over unconditioned IP networks, including wireless links and the Internet. It can operate on a single path due to the limitations of bandwidth.
As far as other equipment, goes it was all very standard. Nothing special was used with regard to the microphones, batteries, or the like. It seems as though Antarctica is pretty advanced for a giant desert of ice, especially when considering the fact that NBC’s director of production operations was easily reached on his cell phone down there.
Ironically it looks like the biggest challenge of this shoot won’t be technology, but rather making sure that the production crew stay warm. Also, the Antarctic Boomerang won’t make it an easy trip home.
You can track Ann Curry’s progress online here: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/21487444
Brrrr voyage Ann!
[Sources: CaptClicker.com & Wikipedia]
methodshop | Comments (0) | Digital TV
The Carver, Amazing Dutch Engineering | The Bike That is a Car
The Carver, Amazing Dutch Engineering | The Bike That is a Car
IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS AND YOU LIKE BIKES AND CARS - THEN THIS IS A MUST WATCH VIDEO
The Carver. this is a car like motorcycle that can turn up to 45 degrees - WATCH AND SEE - Amazing Dutch Engineering
Gadgetman | Comments (1) | General
