Developages - Development and Technology Blog

I was on the phone with TMC’s Verizon representative to discuss changing our mobile phone plans. The Verizon rep told me it was bad timing since their entire intranet ordering system had completely crashed as a result of the Blackberry Storm launch. TMC’s business Verizon rep couldn’t even make changes to our account as a result. Well, it certainly looks like the Storm is having a tremendously successful launch. Should the iPhone be worried?

Heck, hundreds of people lined up at Verizon Wireless stores today across the U.S. to buy the BlackBerry Storm, the first touch-screen phone from Research In Motion.

According to Reuters, more than 200 people had waited at a Verizon store in mid-town Manhattan but were turned away after it ran out of the new phones less than an hour after opening. The angry customers were seen wielding pitchforks and torches until the police came to restore order. No really…

Tags: blackberry storm, crash, mobile phone, Storm, Verizon

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Copyright VoIP & Gadgets Blog

Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Ruh roh. Seems that swanky new LCD on Sony’s PSP-3000 could be garnering more complaints than anything else. If you’ll recall, the aforesaid system was touted as having a brighter, better screen than the PSP-2000, but now the PlayStation forums are filling up with irate PSP-3000 buyers who are experiencing unexplained scanlines and totally peculiar interlacing problems. As you can see above, the 3000’s screen looks noticeably worse than that of the 2000, and while we always hope that these issues are contained, we have at least one Engadget staffer and a Joystiq comrade who can attest to this being real. SCEA has been contacted and is currently “looking into” the matter — we won’t dare say that r-word just yet, but this doesn’t look particularly good on the surface. We’ll keep you posted.

[Via Joystiq]

Update: A Japanese Sony Computer Entertainment representative has informed us that the interlacing-like lines are just “features″ of the new LCD, and currently, there are no plans to fix it with a future software update since it is in the hardware.

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Original post by Darren Murph

This is a really spooky looking fountain made from PVC pipe, expanding foam, and a Christmas tree stand. Be sure to click the “next″ links on the bottom of the site for all the details of the build.

How to: Skull fountain

DIY HALLOWEEN from MAKE & CRAFT!

It’s here!! DIY HALLOWEEN 2007 from the editors of MAKE and CRAFT brings you 40-plus DIY projects for the holiday that’s made for makers. From the craftiest costumes to amazing animated props and the latest in computer-controlled haunted house effects - Link.

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Original post by Marc de Vinck

Sam sent us this $2 Halloween project. Spaghetti + food coloring + detergent = good stuff for repulsing neighborhood costumed kids.

I think that a big bucket full of this would really give the trick-or-treaters a kick, especially if you’ve buried some decent goodies at the bottom. The texture is really gross and nothing like you’d expect from pasta. Get them to close their eyes and tell them that the treats are at buried in cats’ guts for extra squeals.

What no pearl onions?!? - $2 Halloween Project

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Original post by Collin Cunningham

Wow - I think strolling by Mark Gervais’ Hallowindow animation would definitely scare the heck out of me. Just watching the spiders in this clip was a lil’ trip to creep city (population: me).

He sells a DVD of the above sequence on his site for such decorative haunting, but one could do a lot with a projector hooked up to a video camera - perhaps a little face paint and a flashlight, and you could be host to a giant speaking head in your window, interacting realtime with incoming guests. freaky chic!

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Original post by Collin Cunningham

Wow - I think strolling by Mark Gervais’ Hallowindow animation would definitely scare the heck out of me. Just watching the spiders in this clip was a lil′ trip to creep city (population: me).

He sells a DVD of the above sequence on his site for such decorative haunting, but one could do a lot with a projector hooked up to a video camera - perhaps a little face paint and a flashlight, and you could be host to a giant speaking head in your window, interacting realtime with incoming guests. freaky chic!

Read more | Permalink | Comments |

Read more articles in Holiday projects |

Digg this!

Original post by Collin Cunningham

Wow - I think strolling by Mark Gervais′ Hallowindow animation would definitely scare the heck out of me. Just watching the spiders in this clip was a lil’ trip to creep city (population: me).

He sells a DVD of the above sequence on his site for such decorative haunting, but one could do a lot with a projector hooked up to a video camera - perhaps a little face paint and a flashlight, and you could be host to a giant speaking head in your window, interacting realtime with incoming guests. freaky chic!

Read more | Permalink | Comments |

Read more articles in Holiday projects |

Digg this!

Original post by Collin Cunningham

Wow - I think strolling by Mark Gervais′ Hallowindow animation would definitely scare the heck out of me. Just watching the spiders in this clip was a lil′ trip to creep city (population: me).

He sells a DVD of the above sequence on his site for such decorative haunting, but one could do a lot with a projector hooked up to a video camera - perhaps a little face paint and a flashlight, and you could be host to a giant speaking head in your window, interacting realtime with incoming guests. freaky chic!

Read more | Permalink | Comments |

Read more articles in Holiday projects |

Digg this!

Original post by Collin Cunningham

Wow - I think strolling by Mark Gervais’ Hallowindow animation would definitely scare the heck out of me. Just watching the spiders in this clip was a lil’ trip to creep city (population: me).

He sells a DVD of the above sequence on his site for such decorative haunting, but one could do a lot with a projector hooked up to a video camera - perhaps a little face paint and a flashlight, and you could be host to a giant speaking head in your window, interacting realtime with incoming guests. freaky chic!

Read more | Permalink | Comments |

Read more articles in Holiday projects |

Digg this!

Original post by Collin Cunningham

According to a report released last week by Nielsen, nearly one in five American households will not have a home phone line by the end of the year.

To many, I have a feeling that this is a surprising finding, but it shouldn′t be.

Landline home telephones are quickly becoming an unnecessary expense. What can one do on a landline phone that they can’t do with their cell phone?

It’s a little bit like that essential tool of the horse-drawn carriage age — the buggy whip. It used to be a big business, but don′t think you will find too many of them today.

Now what is going to happen to all of those telephone poles and wires some day when everything goes wireless? It will be good that we won’t be foresting new trees to turn into new poles, but what will become of all of the ones left standing? Will they become a ghost town-like image — although one seeming to have no beginning and no end — of a time gone by?

Good food for thought inspired by and article in Insurance &amp Technology.

Tags: cell phone, landline, nielsen

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Copyright VoIP &amp Gadgets Blog

Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Displays, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Remember that Freestyle Audio player that was supposed to blow folks away with its integrated color mirasol display? Yeah, that one that still hasn’t shipped? Qualcomm is apparently uninterested in that tiny little factoid, as it’s proudly pumping the MFM Pro headphones as the “second color mirasol-enabled design for the US market.” According to Jim Cathey, vice president of business development for Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, the deal with Skullcandy is being made to “move mirasol displays into the hands of more consumers,” but considering just how long we’ve been waiting for the aforementioned DAP, we’d say the burden of proof is squarely in its court. Oh, and the ship date for these cans? There isn′t one.

[Via Slashgear]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Storage

Funny that Toshiba is announcing a 240GB 1.8-inch drive just a day after Microsoft took the Zune to 120GB and the same day Apple dropped the iPod classic’s 160GB SKU — doesn’t seem like very many people need this much storage. Still, that’s a lot of bits in a tiny drive — and we’d bet that shoving one of these things in either an iPod or Zune wouldn’t be too hard, modders. Hint, hint.

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Transportation

Toyota hasn’t made a huge secret of its plans to develop and sell a plug-in version of the Prius, and it the wheels are turning a little faster than we’ve heard — fleet testing of plug-in models has been pushed up to early 2009, with the goal of having “several hundred″ on the road by the end of the year. Still no timetable for actual retail sales, so you’ll have to be a wheelman for a government or commercial fleet to get your hands on one — good thing all those modders have the rest of us covered.

[Via Autoblog Green]

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Transportation

General Motors has already gotten a bit of cash from the US Department of Energy to further the development of plug-in hybrids, and it now looks like it’s taking things one step further on another initiative, with it teaming up with the Electric Power Research Institute and 30 utilities in 37 states to produce a charging infrastructure for electric cars. Among other things, they’ll be working to develop an affordable, reliable electricity source that’s weather-proof and child-proof, which they say could be installed in places like public garages, curbside meters, or workplace parking lots. The utility companies, in particular, will also apparently be working to ensure that the grid doesn’t get overwhelmed during peak hours. All that, GM says, will be done by 2010, which just happens to coincide with the launch of its much-touted Volt hybrid.

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Now that you’ve had a little over a month to cram down popcorn while enjoying your shiny matte new Roku Netflix Player, we′re interested to find just how pleased (or displeased) you are with the $99 purchase. Has it lived up to your expectations? Is the quality sufficient for you? How does it look on your HDTV? Is wireless performance up to par, or were you practically forced to run an Ethernet cable all the way downstairs? We already know what the paid professionals said — we want the cold, hard facts straight from the users themselves. Let us have it comments below.

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Original post by Darren Murph