Archive for November 25th, 2009

Will this be the Google search page’s new look?

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Will this be the Google search page's new look?

Google is being pretty quiet about it, but the top search engine on the net may make some small changes to its winning formula. Granted, Google is always rolling out little tweaks — safe search, for instance, can be turned off without going into the search settings, just like it used to be. Why is that handy? Well, you see kids, when — uh — let’s just move on!

The changes here will be more than cosmetic, though there are some of those, too. Bigger, gaudy buttons are the simplest alteration. The largest is the now-included sidebar, which takes the links up top and turns them into a more visible list of options. For people unfamiliar with Google’s many features, it’s a smart move as it’s way more user friendly. For the rest of us, I prefer the simplicity of the old setup — Google’s minimalism has always tickled all the right spots — but I can deal.

Of course, true to Google’s “betas forever” policy, you may be waiting a long time to see the change, and it may end up looking entirely different. Click on the image below for a larger view: Google-search-redesigned-2.jpg

Want to see it for yourself? Head on over to Blogoscoped — it’s as easy as pasting a javascript into your adress bar (you may need to log out of Gmail, Wave or what-have-you first, however.)

Via WebMonkey

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First intercontinental jetpack flight aborted

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First intercontinental jetpack flight aborted

We love jetpacks, but they have issues — one of them being their relatively short range. Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy, known to the world as the non-superhero Jetman, got a reminder about those limits earlier today when he was forced to splash down into the Mediterranean Sea during an attempt to perform the first intercontinental jetpack flight. Both jet and man are apparently OK.

Rossy had seemingly figured everything out. His plan was to fly from Africa to Europe, rocketing from Tangier in Morocco to Tarifa in Spain, which is roughly a 23-mile journey — just a mile longer than his previous flight over the English Channel. Plus he started the stunt by jumping out of a plane, meaning he didn’t need to expend the fuel it takes to get aloft.

Still, we have to give him kudos for attempting such a daredevil maneuver. Rocketing over the Mediterranean at 130 mph with a jet engine strapped to your back is just a cool thing to do, wherever you land. Rossy is said to be planning another attempt in the New Year.

Via The Telegraph

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Talking Luggage Locator makes the busiest travel day of the year even more annoying

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Talking Luggage Locator makes the busiest travel day of the year even more annoying

Here’s one thing we’re thankful for: we’re not flying anywhere today, the busiest travel day of the year. Let’s just hope this Talking Luggage Locator doesn’t become too popular, or waiting for luggage will become even more annoying than it is now.

Imagine every bag on the carousel shouting each of its owners’ prerecorded messages, blinking its six red, green, and blue LEDs. If it didn’t make all that noise, those LEDs, actuated by a remote that you keep with you, might actually be a great idea. Or you could save your $14.98 and put an odd-colored ribbon on the handle of your suitcase.

Things You Never Knew Existed, via Oh Gizmo

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Mercedes and Renault Working on New Small Car Platform

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According to a report from Autocar UK, Renault and Mercedes are teaming up to design a new, modular small car platform that will form the basis for a new Smart Car, a new Renault City car and the upcoming Renault Twizy EV. In addition, the two companies are jointly developing new engine platforms to power these vehicles—well, the gas versions anyway.

Read more of this story »

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Sensaware transmits real-time package location, accelerometer data

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Sensaware transmits real-time package location, accelerometer data

Another package plopped onto our doorstep with a thud today, making us wonder, what else happened to that unfortunate box on its way from there to here? FedEx cares about things like that, too, so it rolled out Sensaware, a connected sensor that gives you real time accelerometer data to detect drops or jostling, exact location info within a few feet, and even reports the temperature and whether the contents have been exposed to light.

It’ll be used first by the medical industry, where price is apparently no object, especially in the United States. But this sophisticated Sensaware tattletale isn’t outrageously expensive — using one of these BlackBerry-sized sensors costs $120 a month. It’s packed with tech, including a GPS receiver, accelerometer, cellular transmitter, and a light sensor, and its data can be accessed via the web.

Sensaware will be especially useful for shipping donated organs and surgical supplies, showing doctors exactly when shipments will arrive so they can prepare for surgery. They’ll also be assured of the organ’s condition and treatment in transit. Once the price comes down, the rest of us will be able to watch our Christmas cookies make their trip from mom’s house, confident they’ll arrive fresh and unbroken.

Via Fast Company

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Xbox 360 Elegant Edition classes up your game console

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Xbox 360 Elegant Edition classes up your game console

The Xbox 360 is a marvel of modern technology, yes, but why does it have to look like such a…toy? If you’ve always wanted your favorite game console to blend in better with your big-boy home theater gear, you’ll love this XB Elegant Edition casemod for the Xbox 360.

Designed by Sweden’s Industri Repro, the XBEEE completely redesigns the Xbox 360 to make it look like a sleek, rectangular piece of equipment. I kind of love it. Do I love it enough to recase my current Xbox? No. But hey, Microsoft, take some notes for the Xbox 720.

Xbox Scene via Technabob

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Yoomi baby bottle heats milk up at the push of a button

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Yoomi baby bottle heats milk up at the push of a button

Having to heat up a bottle in the middle of the night has got to be a real pain. I wouldn’t know, but I can imagine. The Yoomi self-heating baby bottle makes those late night feeding sessions a bit easier.

The Yoomi has a heating element inside, and to warm it up you just hit a button. In a couple minutes, the milk will be nice and warm. It’s not truly self-heating; it needs to be “recharged” in boiling water for 25 minutes. But it retains that energy for use later, which is what makes all the difference.

GizmoWatch via Coolest Gadgets

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Climate Change a Threat to Russian Oil Wealth

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Two million square miles of permafrost—an area two-thirds the size of the United States has now thawed since the beginning of the 20th century. And all that thawing permafrost is costing the Russian oil and gas industry billions of dollars to repair damaged pipelines and infrastructure as global warming changes the face of western Siberia.

The energy program head of Greenpeace in Russia, Vladimir Chuprov, after interviewing experts at Gazprom, concluded, “For Russia, the biggest threat of the permafrost melt is to oil and gas company infrastructure.” (from Carbon-Based)

Thawing permafrost presents even more of a threat: it could release frozen methane deposits and causing runaway global warming, mass-extinctions, and huge amounts of economic damage to global infrastructure and economic well being. In addition to Gazprom’s, that is.

Read more of this story »

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TOPIO ping pong robot intimidates with abs and shades

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TOPIO ping pong robot intimidates with abs and shades

Sure, building a robot that plays ping pong is in itself an impressive feat. But building a ping pong playing robot that looks this downright badass? That’s taking things to the next level. Just look at this thing! It has huge muscles and defined abs, and he wears sunglasses inside! He’s like a robot from the Jersey shore. I love it.

Pink Tentacle via Gizmodo

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Amazon updates Kindle software

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Amazon updates Kindle software

Amazon rolls out an update for the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX this morning, adding welcome improvements to the company’s newest e-readers.

  • Built-in PDF reader, eliminating the need to convert those documents to Amazon’s proprietary format.
  • Manually rotate the screen from portrait to landscape view.
  • Battery now lasts 85% longer between charges.
  • On the Kindle DX, there’s better cropping of PDF files and you can view pages for 20 minutes before the Kindle DX switches into screensaver mode.

We installed the version 2.3 update on our Kindle 2, and here are our impressions:

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Prince (Many Tears Animal Rescue, fostered Vale of Glamorgan)

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Prince is an 8 year old cocker spaniel who is an ex stud dog. He’s in a foster home at the moment and quickly learning the delights of domestic living. Now he would love to have a place to call his own. He’d need to live with another dog or dogs as this is all he has been used to.

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Pepsi (Ark, Lincolnshire Coast)

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Pepsi is a beautiful GSD girl who, through no fault of her own needs a new forever home where she can get all the love and attention she deserves. She loves people, is good with children and fine with larger dogs. If you love GSDs, maybe Pepsi might be the dog for you.

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Nemo (Ruff Luck Rescue, Birmingham)

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Nemo is a lovely 10 year old Sprollie boy who is hoping someone out there will take him home and love him for the rest of his days. He has a lovely temperament and gets on well with other dogs.

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Giving a Kindle? Check out these 8 other e-readers first

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Giving a Kindle? Check out these 8 other e-readers first

The Amazon Kindle is on several gadget gift lists this year, and why not? After all, it’s a sleekly thin e-reader, has a nice price (now $259 — with no monthly subscriptions or contracts, thank you very much), its wireless service just went global, and there’s nothing else like it, right?

Not so fast. Before you pop that Kindle in your shopping cart, take a look at some of the many other e-readers out there. There are actually a lot more than you might think, and each one has something it does better than the Kindle. Continue e-reading for more.

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Morris (Ruff Luck Rescue, Birmingham)

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Morris would be a great family dog. He’s a 9 year old crossbreed and he sounds as though he’s great to have around. He likes children and other dogs and he has basic training. What more could you ask?

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Sandy (Erin Hounds, fostered North Wales)

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Sandy’s racing days are over and he’d love to go from racing hound to sofa hound. Can you give this beautiful boy the chance to experience home comforts for the rest of his life. He’s a sweet lad, happy and outgoing and would happily live with other dogs.

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First Else smartphone takes a bow in London

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The world of smartphones just got a little more interesting, kiddos. Latest model on the block goes by the name of First Else and is abso-spazzo-lutely aimed at toppling what parent company (once upon a time called Emblaze, now renamed Else) sees as the market leaders: the Android phones; and, of course, the iPhone. With the same processor as the iPhone 3GS, Motorola Droid and Palm Pre, which means it’s gotta be fast, the First Else also boasts a 5-megapixel camera which, they claim will shoot 480p video at 30 frames per second, and a battery that will give an hour’s extra juice than that of the iPhone.

Whatever First Else has got under the bonnet (its own-brand Else Intuition OS is based on a hitherto rarely-seen Linux mobile platform) it’s pretty damn impressive — not to mention futuristic. According to Engadget, who had a good old fiddle at its London launch yesterday, the phone’s menu interface, sPlay, is visually smart and the touchscreen is ultra responsive. Expect it to launch in the second quarter of 2010, and bossman Pete, if you’re reading this, can I be the first to review it, please?

Via Engadget

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Teddy (Irish Retriever Rescue, fostered Midlands)

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This big cuddly boy is Teddy, a 7 year old golden retriever. He’s having a great time in his foster home but would love somewhere to call his own. He’s fine with other dogs, cats and probably other livestock and will be a great companion for some lucky person.

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Man creates DIY James Bond-style robotic lock

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Gadget wiz Michael Krumpus built himself a robotic deadbolt to seal his home lab. It’s the kind of thing you’d imagine protecting James Bond’s vault of gadgets at MI6 HQ, though it’s decidedly less sightly than a slick movie prop.

His inspiration? The inner workings of a CD player he was tearing down. He slapped a keypad, LEDs, Arduino circuit board and a few other doodads to the assembly and all at once he had himself a robotic lock.

Check it out in the video above. (Note: his spoken commands are not controlling the lock. “While recording, I gave instructions to my son to lock and unlock using the keypad off camera,” he says.)

Nootropic Design, via CrunchGear

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Holly (Irish Retreiver Rescue, fostered Bristol)

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Holly could make a perfect addition to your family. She’s an 8 year old Golden Retriever with a fabulous temperament. She gets on well with other dogs and is used to children. Find out more about her now before the rush starts!

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NEXTAGE robot designed to upstage human factory workers

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NEXTAGE robot designed to upstage human factory workers

The latest in human unemployment technology will be revealed this week at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. The new robot from Kawada is called NEXTAGE and has the ability to seamlessly work side by side with humans.

The humanoid robot is equipped with special sensors that allow it to remain mindful of humans in its vicinity, particularly in a production line environment. You can see video of the NEXTAGE robot in action here.

Via Impress Watch

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