Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Is your Force on the blink? Can′t you sense people desperately trying to contact you? Having trouble catching those vital calls or texts because it’s just too damn noisy? Then what you need is little spinning heads from Star Wars with lights attached. Huh? Meet the Star Wars Phone Flashers, small key ring thingies inside of which is the head of Darth Vader or a Stormtrooper. Said heads spin and lights flash whenever a call or text comes in so that even while you’re in the middle of assaulting the Death Star, you can talk to Mom. The indignity of it all. You can see how far… …the Empire has fallen with these products. If it wasn′t for goofy Skywalker & Co. the makers of these tasteless little devices would have been undergoing a very slow and horrible death in the belly of the Sarlacc. Frankly, I can′t see them working, especially if you’ve attached one to your belt or to your phone, which is in your pocket. Maybe, if you used it as a nose-ring… Yours for a £5 here, rebel scum. Martin Lynch star wars gadget

Original post by nafiz

Seeing as Apple is so concerned about only ‘worthy′ applications being developed and offered through its App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch, we present the Sonic Lighter by Smule. Yep, it looks like it says, a lighter on the iPhone. Maybe we can combine this with the banned Fart App and get this party off to an explosive start. You can drag your finger through the flame and distrort it when the vertical flaming gets boring. Still, if you’re one of those who brings Bic Lighters to concerts and waves them around, Sonic Lighter could make you stand out because, while it might seem totally pointless, it has the ability to light up other iPhones nearby. Check out the video after the jump to see how. Hell, Smule’s site even has what it calls a World Wide Ignition Map that tracks other users and their recently lit flames around the globe. At least you’ll be able to tell where Aerosmith is playing. Yours for 99c.-Martin Lynch [Slippery Brick] iphone apple software

Original post by nafiz

After a couple of false starts, Sony′s interesting news service Life With PlayStation service has gone live for Ṕ owners connected to the Net. This is a worldwide launch so everyone should be able access the ‘lifestyle service’ offering news and information from around the globe from the XMB. Fronting the application is a satellite based shot of our lovely planet where the LIVE CHANNEL service offers news on a ‘place’ and ‘time’ basis, meaning you can choose a major city and see the latest news there. This is what you can expect:Some of the live content includes cloud imagery (provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center), along with weather information (provided by The Weather Channel), news headlines (provided by Google News(TM)), and live camera images (partially provided by The Earth Television Network) of nearly 60 cities around the globe. Through LIVE CHANNEL, Ṕ users will be able to enjoy worldwide news and live information free of charge. Check out the video below to see what the key features of Life With PlayStation are. You can also pat yourself on the back as you’ll be helping out the worthy Folding@Home project which uses spare Ṕ [and PC] power to carry out massive processing via a distributed network into cures for many diseases.-Martin Lynch console pҁ news

Original post by nafiz

Blu-ray movies might be beautiful to look at but they are still too expensive and, sadly, it looks like that’s how it’s going to stay for some time. According to the head of the Blu-ray Association (BDA) there’s no way that prices [of players and movies] will drop anytime soon because - and here’s the rub - we′re not buying enough of them. Chief party-pooper and BDA Chairman, Andy Parsons, commented at a recent NPD event: “There’s not enough market [volume] to lower the price. Prices will go down but, what people overlook is that you need a marketplace first before you start cutting prices. If there’s not enough awareness about [the technology] then low prices are besides the point.” Frankly, while I appreciate the economic logic of this, I can’t help but smell a little Eau De Bullshit. Blu-ray players have been knocking around for a couple of years now and are still vastly overpriced in the UK and Europe. Prices are falling at a snail’s pace for both players and movies. If Sony can produce a top Blu-ray player inside a reasonably priced games console like the PS3 then why can’t it [and Samsung and Panasonic etc] just make cheaper Blu-ray players? This market needs a few decent sub-£150 Blu-ray players and cheaper movies to create mainstream interest and the conditions needed to sustain longer term price reductions. Unless Blu-ray wants to end up as the next LaserDisc that is, and everyone opts for downloads.-Martin Lynch [TVpredictions] blu-ray movies

Original post by nafiz

I’d like to argue that there′s some great storage/technological reason for planning to buy the forthcoming TrekStor USB CO stick but there isn′t. In fact, I’d have to say that I’d mostly be buying it for the Can Opener on one end. TrekStor obviously knows its market and I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit to spending copious amounts of time trying to find bottle openers or my elusive Swiiss Army knife. Since I always seem to have a USB stick in my pockets though, it makes sense that my next one has a tool for the beer in-built. The CO comes housed in solid, brushed aluminium and in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities. The USB 2.0 stick is expected to ship next month with prices quoted at ranging from £6 to £40. Considering much [OK, some] of what I store on sticks is work-stuff, can I claim this on expenses?-Martin Lynch [TrekStor] storage fun gadget

It all started a few days ago when a scanned page from a forthcoming Woolworths catalogue showed cheaper Xbox 360s and now, in uncharacteristic fashion, Microsoft has confirmed that European Xbox 360 price cuts are imminent. From September 19, the Arcade unit drops to £129.99, the Premium version with 60GB hard disk drive drops to £169 and the top of the line Elite with 120GB HDD costs £229. As we pointed out yesterday, that makes the Arcade and Premium Xbox 360s cheaper than the Wii. Let’s hope Nintendo takes note. Overall, gamers can expect to save £30 on each console if they hold off until the end of the week.Microsoft introduced price cuts in the US a few weeks ago and saw sales rocket by up to 100% at some key retailers as a result. No doubt, Microsoft is hoping that this cut will help regenerate 360 sales in Europe, especially now that it is being outsold by the PS3. -Martin Lynch [Gamesindustry.biz] Microsoft xbox consoles

Original post by nafiz

The second expansion pack for the ridiculously successful World Of Warcraft online game, Wrath of the Lich King, has finally been given a release date for Europe and the US: Nov 13. The first trailer has been around for more than a year but, as usual, Blizzard has taken its own sweet time about following up the first expansion, The Burning Crusade. Still, when you have more than 10 million gamers paying you around £10 a month, you afford to be cocky and, to be fair, take time to get it right. Wrath of the Lich King opens up the “cold, forbidding continent of Northrend”, and gives you a chance to go up against Lich King Arthas from the Warcraft 3 series. The Level Cap will jump from 70 to 80, there’s lots of new beasties, and you get the chance to play as a Death Knight - the game’s first Hero Class. There’s also a new achievement system, expanded player-vs.-player combat options, siege weapons and destructible buildings. “We’re looking forward to launching Wrath of the Lich King and finally giving World of Warcraft players a chance to take on Arthas and his minions,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Until then, we’ll continue to refine and playtest the expansion content to make sure it provides a highly polished and entertaining experience.” The Burning Crusade sold 2.4 million copies in its first 24 hours, making it the fastest selling PC title of all time. Will Wrath of The Lich pull off something similar? Probably. Check out the new cinematic trailer below.-Martin Lynch games warcraft

Original post by nafiz

The one thing many gaming peripherals companies are trying to do is to make the gaming experience more immersive. From lighting and sound to mind-controlled games and force-feedback vests, everyone is hoping to break into the mainstream with something that brings games to life by upping the sensory ante. The Cocoon proposes a big leap indeed but, it will not be for everyone since this thing will probably cost more than your house.It’s a virtual reality (VR) pod designed for many uses, including games, with full 3D sound, a wrap-around surround display and a software interface a la Minority Report, whereby your gestures amd movements control what is being watched or played. The motion-sensing control system was developed by MIT boffin, John Underkoffler and uses sensors in the floors along with many motion sensing cameras to translate your movements into commands and actions in a game. The Cocoon will be built by NAU and is being pushed towards businesses or as entertainment/work/relaxation devices for airports and other public spaces. Users can choose from different types of seating, create a workspace, carry out video calls and access the Net too. The prototype is due out at a airport near you by the end of next year.-Martin Lynch [Cocoon]

Original post by nafiz

If the iPhone isn’t stylish enough for you and you really want to show up all your other plain iPhone friends, then dig deep into to your wallets and get yourself one of these Black diamond 3G iPhone 16GB ones instead. For those of you for whom the iPhone is already too expensive then I suggest looking away now. Handcrafted by UK company Continental, this iPhone is bedecked in “top quality V̿ black & white diamonds” and, to be frank, it looks so much better than some of the OTT gaudy diamond-encrusted tat we see lot of here on Gizmodo UK. In addition, the company says the iPhone underneath all those girl’s best friends is “unlocked for any network” which is just as well really since you’ll be paying £3,599 for the honour. [Continental via Bornrich] iphone apple bling

Original post by nafiz

You just can’t get the staff these days. Or, in our case, these are the kind of retail staff we love. It seems Woolworth’s is about to mirror the generous US price cuts Microsoft made on the Xbox 360 in the UK, thanks to an employee scan of its upcoming retail catalogue. Either Woolies is going out on a retail limb here or they’ve been given the royal nod by Microsoft that price cuts are imminent. According to the scanned page Arcade will sell for £129.99, the Premium or Core for £169.99 and the Xbox 360 Elite for £229.99. Right now, that compares with £159.99, £199.99 and £259.99, respectively. That makes the Arcade and Premium Xbox 360s cheaper than the Wii.In other words, if you want to save £30 on each of them, just hang tight for another few weeks. Considering that the US price cuts resulted in Xbox 360 sales jumping by 100% with many retailers, Microsoft might just be thinking it can do the same here. Let’s hope so.-Martin Lynch [Engadget] Microsoft XBox consoles

Original post by nafiz

The problem with designer watches is that they are too damned expensive but now, design hotshot Philippe Starck, has created something a little bit different with a price tag that most will find acceptable. Meet the Crystal Clear Watch, with its big fat ruby red face, LCD time display and cool stainless steel bezel to show it all off to good effect. The strap comes in either black or white polyurethane, it’s water resistant, has a hidden clasp and we like it a lot. We like it even more because it’s priced at around £70 and is due to start selling at the end of next month here. Hell, that would hardly buy you a round of cocktails in one of his uber-chic designer hotels. I’ll have the watch, a six-pack and a kebab, please. Classy, that’s us.-Martin Lynch [Technabob] warch design gadget

Original post by nafiz

We all know that Philips pretty much leads the way when it comes to innovative lighting solutions and glowing TVs but now the company is aiming to bring some of its tech wizardry to the sex toy arena. Specifically the Warm Intimate Massager, described as a ergonomically shaped vibrating device to get folk in the mood. Or, for her to finish the job you fell asleep during. The device is the first small step into this arena for Philips and, considering that it’s about to go on sale in Boots, Selfridges and Amazon.com, it’s a potentially huge step that could take sex toys out of the grotty, black-fronted porn stores and into the living room. It’s also a big risk.As you can imagine, this is a minefield that Philips has carefully considered and is hoping its tastefully constructed advertising push will keep the mainstream consumers on its side. The devices - there are two - are aimed at middle class couples who are all up for a bit of massaging but are put off by the typical sex toys and their outlets. The devices are non-penetrative, which Philips hopes will soften any outcry and help sell the product to the masses along with their face creams and nail polish. The Warm Intimate Massager and Dual Intimate Massager [double rubbing action] cost £60 and £90, respectively. Sadly, unlike Philips’ super-cool Aurea TV, they don’t glow. Not even a little bit. Check out a video of the devices from the gals at Shiny Shiny below.-Martin Lynch sex philips toy

Original post by nafiz

We try to avoid most of the gadget destruction videos because, well, most of them are crap and we kinda like gadgets. Even the old ones that don′t really work anymore and take up space in the corner gathering dust and spiders. The above one though is almost arty in the way that this owner despatches a dead MacBook Pro. We even have a soulful piano score to accompany the slo-mo destruction of what was once a well-loved companion. Maybe be this could be the new Microsoft ad.I realise that certain Apple fans may have to be resuscitated, while others look away in horror, but we’ve been assured by the maker - who does eerily resemble Cousin It with an axe - that recycling and harvesting parts was not really an option. Why? Because this poor MacBook had been puked on, comprehensively. Just thinking of what lay secreted under those keys is enough to sanction video death by axe.-Martin Lynch [Slow Motion] laptop apple video

Original post by nafiz

Thousands of the nation’s richest gadget owners have had their Internet nicked, literally, after a gang of thieves raided a nearby BT exchange. The thieves hit the BT exchange in Mayfair, London and made off with £2 million in servers, network cards and routers, leaving thousands of homes and businesses in the Internet dark. No buying the world’s smallest diamond-encrusted handgun this week then. BT is still working to get things back online. The irony is that some believe the raiders used the paparazzi scrum at a nearby 40th birthday bash for director Guy Ritchie [Snatch and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels], who dragged Madonna along for the knees up, as the cover they needed to break into the BT premises. Of course, it could have just been a coincidence but where′s the fun in that?-Martin Lynch [Times] internet crime movies

Original post by nafiz

While you’re out there in the garden, doing your best Monty Don impression, laying paving slabs and flashing your builders crack to shocked neighbours, it’s good to have some company. As most builders will tell you, there’s nothing better than a little radio to keep you company as you drink lots of tea and scoff Kit Kats for 8 hours. Intempo’s twist is a little portable DAB radio called the WorkMate, designed to be rugged and appeal to the nation’s weekend DIY horde. It sports a splash-proof rubberised finish in case of little accidents and comes in black with ‘zest orange accents’, presumably to make it feel at home with your other tools. It only costs £40, can be powered off the mains or 4 AA batteries and will scan and automatically tune in up to 20 presets. “WorkMate will be at home alongside your tool kit for all those DIY jobs or perfect for any outside sport, such as boating or fishing. It’s the perfect gift for dads and granddads so they can tune into talkSPORT while washing the car or gardening,” said Katie Richards, Marketing Manager at Intempo. I feel a pergola coming on.-Martin Lynch radio DAB music

Original post by nafiz