Evsion Lab

iPhone Dev Team jailbreaks firmware 2.0… before it’s out

Posted by Joshua Topolsky under Engadget

Filed under: Cellphones

This is just getting silly, don’t you think? The iPhone Dev Team has once again proven their totally gnarly talents by freeing up the latest firmware before it’s even the latest firmware. Apple, here’s our suggestion — just let people do what they want with your devices, since they’re clearly going to do it anyway. That way, instead of making enemies, you’re making lifelong buddies. Reasonable, right? Steve, give us a call, we’re more than happy to riff on some ideas for playing nice with the end-user.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

 

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F-117 stealth fighters to make final flight no one will know about

Posted by Joshua Topolsky under Engadget

Filed under: Transportation

Air Force buffs, prepare to salute a true American hero as it makes it way into the annals of military history: the F-117 stealth fighter. The planes — one of the most enigmatic members of the military’s arsenal — will be making their final trip on April 21st from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico to Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada, the home of their first flight. The aircraft is being replaced by a newer model, the F-22 Raptor, and the government says it has no plans to bring the radar-dodging planes out of retirement. In all, there have only been 59 F-117s that have rolled off the assembly line, 37 of which have since been taken out of the skies, and another seven which have crashed. We’ll miss you, F-117, and all the totally awesome, completely secret stuff you did.

 

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Switched On: Zoombak puts your vehicle on the map

Posted by Ross Rubin under Engadget

Filed under: Features, GPS

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment.

As demonstrated by last year’s purchases of map providers Navteq and Tele Atlas, companies are betting big on the future of location-based services. Knowing, processing, and integrating the location of people and things can be a valuable bridge between the digital and physical worlds, but today most of the activity is in the simple direction of cars from a location to a destination.

Zoombak offers a portable unit about the size of a Zippo lighter that integrates a GPS receiver and cellular radio that reports back on its location when queried. The company offers the unit in two packages — one for use in vehicles and the other for use with dogs.

The receivers in both products are identical and the packages are distinguished by their included accessories: the one for pets includes a collar attachment. Unlike that of one competitor, PocketFinder, the Zoombak receiver is not waterproof, but the company offers tips on how to make it better withstand the elements.

Continue reading Switched On: Zoombak puts your vehicle on the map

 

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Lenovo’s ThinkVision L174 and L197 Wide monitors join the green parade

Posted by Darren Murph under Engadget

Filed under: Displays

Lenovo certainly hasn't been shy about its recent obsession with green wares, and apparently, it's unveiling two more LCD monitors to join the environmentally-friendly farm. Curiously enough, Lenovo spent so much time glorifying the low power consumption of the EPEAT Gold qualified L174 (17-inch) and L197 Wide (19-inch) monitors, that it completely failed to dish out even a lackluster specifications list. Apparently, it's hoping that you'll feel so convicted by this duo's attempt to go easy on Mother Earth that you'll just hand over your $239.99 / $259.99 without even concerning yourself with petty things like "resolution" and "response time." Oh, and that's the (likely similar looking) L194 pictured -- remember, focus on the green factor, people.

 

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German state after $92 million in subsidies, interest from Nokia

Posted by Darren Murph under Engadget

Filed under: Cellphones

Looks as if Nokia's going to be using a portion of that gigantic profit it raked in during Q4 to appease NRW.Bank -- unless a meeting it hopes to establish within the next few days changes matters, that is. Apparently, a German state has "asked" the handset maker to hand back government-issued subsidies (with interest, no less) that it received to build a cellphone factory in Bochum which it now plans to close. In sum, Nokia's looking at a tab of $92 million, as the folks in the industrial Ruhr region are none too pleased about what will likely result in the loss of some 2,300 jobs. Purportedly, the cash is due by March 31st, and if Nokia refuses to comply, the bank has stated that it will "take legal action to secure payment." Them's fightin' words there.

 

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German state after $92 million in subsidies, interest from Nokia

Posted by Darren Murph under Engadget

Filed under: Cellphones

Looks as if Nokia’s going to be using a portion of that gigantic profit it raked in during Q4 to appease NRW.Bank — unless a meeting it hopes to establish within the next few days changes matters, that is. Apparently, a German state has “asked” the handset maker to hand back government-issued subsidies (with interest, no less) that it received to build a cellphone factory in Bochum which it now plans to close. In sum, Nokia’s looking at a tab of $92 million, as the folks in the industrial Ruhr region are none too pleased about what will likely result in the loss of some 2,300 jobs. Purportedly, the cash is due by March 31st, and if Nokia refuses to comply, the bank has stated that it will “take legal action to secure payment.” Them’s fightin’ words there.

 

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Nokia’s N810 internet tablet gets a $90 price cut

Posted by Joshua Topolsky under Engadget

Filed under: Handhelds

If you’ve been looking for some kind of incentive to dip into the savings account and splurge on a new gadget, this may be music to your ears. Nokia has just lowered the price on its jack-of-all-trades N810 internet tablet, shaving $90 off the MSRP to bring it down to a highly affordable $389.99. Of course, you can probably find the WiFi-sportin’, QWERTY-havin’, GPS-rockin’ little guy slightly cheaper if you troll the internet (which we know you will). Before you lay down the cash, though, you might want to ask yourself this: does the price drop mean a new version is on the way, like, say… that WiMAX-equipped N830 we’ve been hearing about? It’s a tough call, but we know you’ll make the right decision.

[Thanks, Tony S.]

 

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Olympus skins up the Mju 1020

Posted by Nilay Patel under Engadget

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Olympus pushed out the Mju (that's the Stylus over here) 1020 in a lackluster pre-PMA update back in January, but the company is trying to spice up the 10.1 megapixel shooter with a trio of custom skins designed by Romanian artist Matei Apostolescu. The skins are bundled with a special white-bodied 1020 and are apparently available now, but you'll have to act fast -- only 5,000 are being produced. Check the other two designs after the break.

Continue reading Olympus skins up the Mju 1020

 

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Researchers create a nanobot-controlling “brain”

Posted by Nilay Patel under Engadget

Our inevitable incorporation into the gray goo inches ever closer today, as researchers in Japan have developed a chemical brain that can control up to eight nanomachines -- and one day could control thousands. The "brain" is actually a ring of 17 duroquinone molecules, which together measure just two nanometers across. Each molecule can be rotated to four different positions, controlled by the state of the center molecule. In tests, researchers were able to simultaneously control eight nanomachines using the brain, compelling them to dock and undock from the brain. The structure of the brain also means up to 4 billion possible configurations can be switched simply by manipulating one molecule, which may eventually give rise to computing applications -- but those are limited for now, since issuing instructions involves the use of scanning tunnel microscopy. That's a relief -- gray was never really our color anyway.

 

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Salmon sperm used to intensify LEDs, grossify everyone

Posted by Nilay Patel under Engadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

See, the problem with bioengineering isn't moral or ethical dilemmas, or even homicidal robo-droids enslaving humanity. It's that if you let researchers go wild, eventually they'll find a way to make LEDs out of salmon sperm, threatening the sanctity (and sperm-free-ness) of your entire gadget-based lifestyle. Yet that's exactly what Professor Andrew Steckl of the University of Cincinnati has managed to do, using the DNA found in salmon sperm to enhance the brightness of LEDs. The so-called BioLEDs are being developed in cooperation with the Air Force (yes, the Air Force -- they had a "good source" of salmon sperm, apparently) and they've been so successful that Steckl has been getting salmon sperm from researchers worldwide "wanting to see if their sperm is good enough." Steckl says that since salmon sperm is considered a waste product of the fishing industry, BioLEDs are particularly green -- kind of like our faces right now.

 

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Salmon sperm used to intensify LEDs, grossify everyone

Posted by Nilay Patel under Engadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/general_sciences/Salmon_sperm_used_to_intensify_LEDs’; See, the problem with bioengineering isn’t moral or ethical dilemmas, or even homicidal robo-droids enslaving humanity. It’s that if you let researchers go wild, eventually they’ll find a way to make LEDs out of salmon sperm, threatening the sanctity (and sperm-free-ness) of your entire gadget-based lifestyle. Yet that’s exactly what Professor Andrew Steckl of the University of Cincinnati has managed to do, using the DNA found in salmon sperm to enhance the brightness of LEDs. The so-called BioLEDs are being developed in cooperation with the Air Force (yes, the Air Force — they had a “good source” of salmon sperm, apparently) and they’ve been so successful that Steckl has been getting salmon sperm from researchers worldwide “wanting to see if their sperm is good enough.” Steckl says that since salmon sperm is considered a waste product of the fishing industry, BioLEDs are particularly green — kind of like our faces right now.

 

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New brain control development could help quadriplegics get around

Posted by Darren Murph under Engadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Sure, we've seen brain power used to give mobility back to the immobile, but a new development in Europe is one-upping current efforts by adding in a hint of artificial intelligence to the tried and true brain-computer interface. The MAIA BCI not only converts signals emitted by the brain into actions -- such moving a wheelchair forward -- it also thinks for itself when needed in order to assist the user in getting where he / she wants to go. Essentially, the individual need only think about going left or forward (for example), and the machine itself will automatically detect obstacles and potential barriers in order to move more efficiently. As it stands, there's still quite a bit of testing to be done before MAIA-based wheelchairs would be available to the public, but researchers are already hoping to integrate said technology into artificial limbs and the like.

[Via Physorg]

 

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HTC Advantage X7510 now up for pre-order

Posted by Donald Melanson under Engadget

Filed under: Handhelds

 

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Sanyo’s LP-XW60 LCD projector claims be to industry’s “smallest and lightest”

Posted by Darren Murph under Engadget

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

With all these projectors running around claiming to be the world's smallest, it's hard to say who's really being truthful anymore. Nevertheless, Sharp seems pretty confident that its 55- x 264- x 188-millimeter LP-XW60 LCD projector is in fact the most compact in its class. Whatever the case, there's no denying that thing is mighty small, and features wise, you find a 1,024 x 768 resolution, 400:1 contrast ratio, built-in one-watt speaker, 2,000 lumens, audio in / out and a VGA video output for good measure. We've no idea if this one will ever make it outside of Japan, but for those shacked up over there, get ready to grab one in late April for a staggeringly high ¥207,900 ($2,028).

[Via FarEastGizmos]

 

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Minority Report-like interface gets demoed at CeBIT

Posted by Donald Melanson under Engadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Continue reading Minority Report-like interface gets demoed at CeBIT

 

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Intel roadmap reveals 1.87GHz, dual-core Atom processors

Posted by Donald Melanson under Engadget

Filed under: Handhelds

Intel certainly hasn't been holding back on its near term plans for its MID-powering Atom processors, but the company has been a considerably more coy about anything beyond the initial 1.6GHz Atom 230 series processor. We now have a slightly better idea of what to expect from future MIDs, however, thanks to one of those always handy roadmaps that Notebook Italia has turned up. According to it, following Atom 230, Intel will dishing out two separate 1.87GHz processors, one of which will be a dual-core model, while the other will follow in the 230s footsteps with a 533MHz bus and 512KB of Level 2 cache memory. Unfortunately, there's no word as to when those processors will ship or how much they'll cost, but the roadmap does drop the tidbit that the 1.6GHz Atom 230 will cost just $29 in 1,000-unit quantities, which isn't too shabby at all.

[Via Electronista]

 

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