Archive for: October 3, 2009

ElectronLuv amplifiers are vacuum tube designs. (Credit: ElectronLuv) For over 10 years ElectronLuv has been producing custom amplifiers and high-end components. I think they’re awesome-looking things, and I love that they’re built to order. In a way ElectronLuv’s design ethos reminds me of the “American Chopper” TV series where they custom build high-end motorcycles to order. But in this case it’s stereo pre- and power amplifiers, guitar amplifiers, turntables, and horn speakers designed to meet ElectronLuv’s customers’ desires. ElectronLuv also makes custom guitar amplifiers. (Credit: ElectronLuv) Some might call it steampunk or retro chic, but I think ElectronLuv products are unique and represent the best of American high-end audio. ElectronLuv’s Josh Stippich needs three to six months to design and build each of his one-of-a-kind products. In the early design stages Stippich sends his customers drawings to get feedback so he can give them exactly what they want. … Originally posted at The Audiophiliac

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Gorgeous amplifiers, made in Utah

You know that old Motorola Razr that’s been sitting in your nightstand for the last year? If you live near Omaha, Neb., you can march up to the EcoATM at the Nebraska Furniture Mart , toss it in, and automatically get an in-store trade-up coupon or gift card. The self-serve e-cycling station electronically inspects phones, assigns them real-time secondary market value, and provides in-store payment–if the handset still has any monetary worth. If not, consumers can choose to assign the device to the recycle bin, and then it’s on its way to getting recycled or refurbished. (Credit: EcoATM) The kiosk at the Omaha store is the first such station to be installed by San Diego-based start-up EcoATM, and it’s serving as a test case in advance of a scheduled larger rollout. The company, formerly called ReMobile, declared the Nebraska machine an immediate success when it went into operation September 21–both in the number of recycled devices collected and the trade-up purchases. On its first day, 23 phones went into the recycle bin. In addition, “the EcoATM at NFM bought back over $100 in phones on day two, including a perfect BlackBerry Curve,” Twittered EcoATM’s Eric Rosser , who said in an interview he thinks retailers will appreciate the automation of the EcoATM and consumers will value the speed and convenience. The company plans to install kiosks at wireless stores and big-box retailers in San Diego, Texas, Washington state, and Vermont this quarter, Rosser said, with a “massive rollout” set for the second quarter of next year. Eventually the EcoATMs should be able to recognize other gadgets, such as MP3 players, digital cameras, notebooks, printers, and storage devices. The machines rely on a camera-based system to detect signs of wear such as cracked screens, missing keys, and scuff marks, and ...

By Andrew Liszewski I can’t say I ever thought I’d see much innovation when it came to bicycle training wheels, but that’s exactly what the creators of the Gyrowheel have managed to do. The wheel replaces a bike’s standard front wheel and features a battery powered spinning disc inside that creates a “gyroscopic precession” force which automatically stabilizes the bike. And not only does it prevent a bike from wobbling or falling over, but according to the company it also teaches better riding techniques. I know the idea might sound a bit skeptical, but seeing the Gyrowheel balance all by itself when placed on the ground in this video (courtesy of Bikecommuters.com ) was enough to convince me the concept has merit. A kid-sized 12-inch version of the Gyrowheel should be available for purchase in the U.S. by December 1, while a 16-inch version should be available by Spring 2010. [ Gyrowheel ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

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Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Training Wheel

At the Pacific Pinball Expo in San Rafael, players of all ages can try their hands at nearly 400 different pinball machines. The expo runs through the weekend at the Marin County Civic Center. (Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET) SAN RAFAEL, California–You might not think of pinball as an educational tool, but to some devotees of the age-old arcade favorite, that’s exactly what they can be. That’s because pinball machines have been around for decades, and often have themes representative of the era in which they were built. And this weekend, visitors to the Pacific Pinball Expo here, an event billed as the “world’s largest” pinball show, can see history on display in bright lights and enhanced with familiar bells and whistles, things like the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, the first man on the moon, contemporary music from the 1950s and much more. At the expo, which opened Friday at the Marin County Civic Center here (admission is $25 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under), visitors can see more than 350 machines from as early as the 1920s, and with names like “Wild West,” “Quartette,” “Dragonette, “4-Belles” and much more. And the mission statement of the Pacific Pinball Museum , which is behind the expo, is as follows: “To inspire an interest in science, art and history through pinball and to preserve and promote this important part of American culture.” … Originally posted at Geek Gestalt

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For the love of pinball

This week we were all over the place on Crave. We had some DIY hacks to create your own Street View experience (again, we’re not sure why you’d want to, but hey, go for it). We talked about a hybrid cellular/satellite phone that’s on its way …

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What we Craved this week: Pulsing brains, in 3D!

Photo c/o Reuters The Philippines has been hit by the recent Typhoon Ondoy, twice the amount of rainfall than hurricane Katrina. Over 80% of the Metro Manila had been submerged in water. Since Sunday, numerous companies and NGO’s and volunteers have been helping with relief goods. Nokia has been active in the relief efforts by sending out over 150 phones to the affected areas and rescue centers so that victims and volunteers can use them to communicate with loved ones. Nokia Philippines has also released charging stations usually found in malls to help keep the juice flowing in affected areas that have lost power. Post from: Cellphone9

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Nokia donates phones and charging stations

(Credit: Nissan) Nissan has developed a mini robotic car that can move autonomously in groups while avoiding crashing into obstacles (including other cars). The Eporo , Nissan says, is the first robot car designed to move in a group by sharing its position and other information. The aim is to incorporate …

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Nissan’s robot cars mimic fish to avoid crashing

Like most editors at CNET, I often receive questions from CNET readers about specific problems. Here are a few that were brought up to me in the last month. It's probably time I went wireless myself. (Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET) Q : My laptop’s Wireless-N adapter only caps at 130Mbps even though my D-Link DIR-855 can offer 300Mbps speeds. What can I do to boost the wireless speed of the laptop? A : That might already be the best you can get. Wireless-N (802.11n) comes in different “tiers” with different amounts of streams (also referred to as antennae). Each stream offers a throughput speed up to 150Mbps. While most routers are dual-stream and cap at 300Mbps (future ones can even support multistream, offering speeds up to 450Mbps or even 600Mbps), a lot of adapters built in to laptop and notebook computers to conserve the battery life use the single-stream standard. This means they cap at 150Mbps (which translates into something around 130Mbps, which is plenty fast, by the way). Also note that the throughput decreases as you increase the range. Generally the optimal range for the Wireless-N is between 15 feet and 70 feet away. Q : Does my laptop have to have a dual-band adapter to take advantage of dual-band routers, such as the Linksys WRT610n , the Apple Airport Extreme or the D-Link DIR-825 ? A: No, it doesn’t matter how many bands an adapter supports; wireless networking devices only connect to one another in one band at a time. …

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Ask the Editors: Why does my laptop’s Wireless-N speed cap at 130Mbps?

Getting the raw end of the contest deal, looking for some Fringe-Be-Gone, and seeing geometrically. Listen now: Download today’s podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio) EPISODE 64 … Originally posted at Indecent Exposure Podcast

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Indecent Exposure 64: Incongruous expressions

(Credit: EA Sports) EA Sports is one of the few game companies that’s managed to successfully charge $9.99 for a game in Apple’s App Store. Madden NFL 10 , priced at 10 bucks, remains a top seller, and now FIFA Soccer 10 has hit the App Store for $… Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

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EA’s FIFA Soccer 10 hits the iPhone

A newly revealed patent application and a new burst of rumors are providing more support to reports that Apple is planning a groundbreaking tablet computer. The application describes new forms of multi-touch interaction, and the rumors describe secret talks that Apple is having with newspaper and textbook publishers. According to a report Wednesday in the tech blog Gizmodo, Apple is currently “aiming to redefine print” and is in the process of negotiating content with publishers for a new device. Various industry observers have predicted that Apple will release a tablet computer later this year or in early 2010. ‘A Killer App’ The blog quoted sources connected to The New York Times as saying that Apple approached that paper in June, and a textbook publishing source reported that McGraw Hill and Oberlin Press are getting ready to offer textbooks on iTunes. In addition, Gizmodo reported, magazine executives have been visiting the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., to discuss the future of interactive publishing. Sarah Rotman Epps, a media analyst with industry research firm Forrester, said there “absolutely” is an opening in the publishing market for Apple to create a groundbreaking device, not unlike the opening in the music market that resulted in iTunes. “If Apple launches a touchscreen device,” she said, “it could very well be a killer application for interactive reading material.” Epps said the distinction is whether digital publishing means “providing a convenient substitute for print,” such as Amazon’s Kindle offers, or if it means “reinventing reading,” with new experiences that are not possible with the Kindle. Patent Application Epps pointed out that novels don’t need video, color or interactivity, but magazines and textbooks could certainly benefit. She noted that content providers, such as Simon and Schuster and Disney, are beginning to explore ways to distribute existing books through ...

Nearly two months after being sued for removing electronic books from Kindle owners’ devices without their knowledge, Amazon has agreed to a settlement. The Internet retailer will pony up $150,000 to settle the class-action suit. The first complaint filed against Amazon came from 17-year-old Justin Gawronski. The high-school student from Michigan sued after Amazon erased copies of author George Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 along with notes on the book from his Kindle in July. The lawsuit also claimed that Amazon had never told customers it had the right or ability to remotely delete content bought through the Kindle Store. Ulterior Motive Antoine Bruguier, an engineer and Kindle owner from California, became a co-plaintiff in the case against Amazon. The suit sought unspecified damages for each buyer as well as a ban on future deletions. Amazon apologized for removing the electronic books but cited copyright issues involving pirated books. Amazon also issued refunds to buyers of the e-books. KamberEdelson, the Chicago law firm that brought the class-action suit, said that isn’t the only reason for pulling the e-books. “It turns out Amazon did this because it had wanted to sell more expensive versions of the books,” attorneys at KamberEdelson said on their Web site. “The digitization of books offers new opportunities for access, but also new risks of censorship and control,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Case Almost Settled Gawronski and other Kindle readers got what they wanted — sort of. Amazon agreed that it will no longer remotely delete books from U.S. users’ Kindle e-book readers except in some specific situations. “Current and future Kindle owners will be able to purchase e-books with greater confidence and have rights to that content,” said attorney Michael Aschenbrener of KamberEdelson. “It lays out clearly the specific ...