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Filed under: Cellphones

We′re not planning on seeing any sort of confirmation from Sprint on this, but word on the street has it that the carrier has actually halted shipments of the LG Rumor to its retail outlets. Apparently, the handset has a “known issue where certain sets of key presses during startup can trigger a complete erasure of the phone’s firmware.” Purportedly, the device cannot be restored once triggered save for at the factory, but LG is hard at work creating an updated firmware that “removes the code from being accessible.” Once that’s completed and approved, existing users can expect an over-the-air download to be made available, and users to-be can expect the mobiles to start showing back up with the update already loaded on.

[Via PhoneScoop]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Gaming

Controller abuse has always been a mainstay of the video gaming existence — no need to blame your thumbs when there’s this hunk of plastic to chuck at the floor — but who knew Nintendo was working such violence into its own official support curriculum? Wired’s Russ Neumeier gave Nintendo support a ring when one of his Wiimotes stopped sensing motion and none of the usual fixes seemed to work. After explaining his situation, the Nintendo rep asked Russ smack the controller into his hand, button side down, two or three times. After being assured that she wasn’t kidding, Russ did as he was told and was awarded with a fully functional Wiimote. We could see why Nintendo wouldn’t go shouting about this “fix″ on its official support literature, but it has us wondering if “blow into the cartridge, whack side of NES, insert cartridge, repeat” was the Nintendo-approved method all along.

 

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Original post by Paul Miller

arbourp writes to mention that hackers Michael Steil and Felix Domke have demonstrated a way to hack the Wii that makes running homebrew code much easier. “The hack advances the possibility of running homebrew code with access to full system resources on the device, not just programs that Nintendo has sanctioned. Such games might be developed to run from a DVD drive, at least in theory. No such games are available as yet and Nintendo may respond by attempting to revoke compromised encryption keys. However history shows such countermeasures are likely to ultimately prove futile.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Original post by ScuttleMonkey

Filed under: Transportation

Anyone can claim to be a friend of the environment while proudly jaunting about in a sporty Tesla, so what really separates the hardcore greens from the Hollywood posers is the willingness to shell out nearly twenty-five grand for a no-frills, no hype (and no doors?) solar-powered runabout. It must be this dedicated demographic that a team of builders and racers from Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences are targeting with the vehicle you see above, which is based on their successful design that ranked second of fifty cars in the latest Australian World Solar Challenge. Unlike their single-passenger, 145kph (90mph) race car, however, the multi-seat commercial ride is speculated to max out at around 70kph (43mph); fine for short city commutes, but not really practical for road trips (and with the three-hour battery, forget about cruising around much at night). Still, those ready to fork over an estimated 800,000 New Taiwanese Dollars ($24,617) for a vehicle that only a short-sighted mother could love should be able to order one as early as next year — probably not tomorrow, though.

[Via The Raw Feed]

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Original post by Evan Blass

eldavojohn writes to mention that LinuxPlanet has a brief discussion on what 2008 may hold for FOSS. The list includes thoughts on KDE 4, OOXML, DRM, and 3-D desktops. What boons for FOSS are you looking forward to in 2008?

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Original post by ScuttleMonkey

Filed under: Cellphones

It probably doesn’t come as much of a shock to you that plenty of texting goes down midnight-ish tonight, and naturally the carriers are gearing up for just such an onslaught. Palm isn′t so optimistic about the proceedings: according to a study it commissioned in the UK with lpsos MORI, 70% of people who send messages at midnight experience a delay in delivery, with places like London experience 77% delays, and 23% of Britons waiting over six hours for their text messages to arrive. Palm suggests an IM or email might be in order, and smartphone users will have better luck getting their messages delivered over the comparably unclogged data networks. Verizon seems more excited about the prospect, expecting the 284 million text messages sent last year on its network between 12pm New Years Eve and 4am New Years Day to rise to 300 million. Telstra expects to process more than 53 million messages across Australia, and will have a “small army” of techs on hand to monitor network performance. Canadians are expected to send 50 million texts this year, according to Virgin Mobile Canada, with the average canadian sending two text messages each — double that of last year. However and wherever you party, stay safe out there — friends don′t let friends drink and text their estranged exes.

Read - Palm study warns of delays
Read - Verizon predicts 300 million
Read - Canada doubles in texts
Read - Telstra’s small army in Australia

 

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Cellphones

With a red Centro already out the door, it’s certainly possible (even likely) that Palm has a pink one all lined up to follow suit, but we’ll still have to treat this latest pic with the usual grain of salt until we hear something official from the company itself. If SprintUsers forum member TheRobin is to be believed, however, the image above is in fact the real pink Centro, which has been rumored to be on track for a release on Sprint sometime in January of February. If that is indeed the case, we should be able to put all these rumors to rest soon enough.

[Via Gadgets on the Go]

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Original post by Donald Melanson

An anonymous reader writes “The effects of mobile phone radiation on sleep were studied in Sweden in a laboratory experiment where subjects were exposed either to 884 MHz GSM radiation or placebo. The study finds that compared to placebo, in the radiation-exposed subjects there was a prolonged latency to reach the first cycle of deep sleep (stage 3). The amount of stage 4 sleep was also decreased. Moreover, participants that otherwise have no self-reported symptoms related to mobile phone use, appear to have more headaches during actual radiofrequency exposure as compared to sham exposure.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Original post by CmdrTaco

Filed under: Cellphones

Plenty of waterproof phones and other small weatherproof devices have made it off the assembly lines and into our clumsy clutches, but P2i, a small spinoff company using tech originated within the Defence Science and Technology Lab in England, could be bringing waterproof gadgets to the masses. The Ion-Mask is a special invisible coating that is chemically bonded to the device and repels water. It should allow waterproofing to make it into devices that are too small for the seals that are usually used to do the trick. Devices can have joins and gaps coated for a general level of water repellence, or have individual components treated for even more protection. The tech was originally designed to repel toxic vapors and liquids from soldier uniforms, and could also be making its way into athletic shoes. Three leading phone makers are apparently in discussions over using the tech in upcoming phones.

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We haven’t yet heard of any problems with the RFID tags increasingly being used to monitor inmates in prisons, but it looks like the electronic tags used to keep watch on early release offenders are decidedly less reliable, at least according to a recent investigation into the matter in Scotland. As The Scotsman reports, out of a total of 987 tagging orders issued, there were 285 incidents where the tags failed, with dead batteries the biggest culprit. That rather obvious problem accounted for 185 of the cases, with damage to the unit by the offender, problems with the black box in the offender’s home, and a weak signal rounding out the technical difficulties. That, as you might have guessed, has lead some to question the Scottish government’s practice of relying on electronic tags to monitor early release offenders, but the government seems to be sticking to its guns, with a spokesman saying that “a breach does not necessarily equate to reoffending,” although, as the Scotsman reports, it did recently scrap a plan to tag suspects who were allowed out on bail.

[Photo courtesy of The Daily Mail]

 

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Original post by Donald Melanson

sheldie writes “The probability of asteroid 2007 WD5 impacting Mars has been revised following further observations. The chance of impact has increased from 1.3% to 3.9%” This is a follow-up to earlier coverage of this asteroid from last week.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Original post by CmdrTaco

Filed under: GPS

Raytel is bringing a new GPS navigator to CES 2008 next week in Vegas, but decided to share the details a few days early. The EGO Drive sports a 4.3-inch touchscreen with stylus, 3D maps, voice recognition and multiple user profiles, but where it really shines is in phone compatibility. Bluetooth features include hands-free calls, text-to-speech SMS reading, phone voice commands, A2DP and AVRCP audio streaming, and DSP tech for cutting down on noise and echos while you’re zooming along. There’s also an external knob for operating the unit without taking your eyes off the road. Media support is plentiful, and you can augment built-in memory with SD cards. No word on price or availability just yet.

[Via NaviGadget]

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Portable Audio

So we’re starting to realize how Best Buy is pulling in record profits while the rest of the industry crashes and burns: it’s the little things, you see. For instance, the ubiquitous big box retailer is offering a $50 pre-paid Sirius gift card on its online site for the bargain price of only $55; a $5 markup for a little voucher whose “holiday version” can be purchased three lines below for the normal price — that is, if it wasn’t somehow sold out online. (How hard is it to print up a new batch of those things, anyway?) The distraught customer could head to Best Buy’s XM section, where $55 gift cards only cost $55, or he or she could simply click over to rival Circuit City, where not only does the same $50 card actually cost $50, it’s available immediately and not backordered one to two weeks.

[Via Orbitcast]

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Original post by Evan Blass

Filed under: Portable Video

Reports keep on pouring in with promises of juicy info on Apple’s upcoming video rental service for iTunes. The latest news comes from Variety, and claims that the rentals will last a mere 24 hours before becoming unplayable, but it’s unclear if that includes multiple plays within the 24 hour window. Prices will start at $2 but range all the way up to $5. Variety also syncs with previous reports stating that Disney and Fox are the only studios confirmed so far for rentals, with Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount as candidates and Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. as perennial holdouts.

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Original post by Paul Miller

DirecTV, my satellite TV provider, recently changed the firmware on my two DirecTV Plus DVR boxes and totally hosed the ability to fast forward easily. I noticed this on my upstairs receiver about 2 weeks ago. Basically, with the DirecTV Plus DVD receiver you can press the Fast Forward button up to 3 times to fast forward (2x, 3x, 4x). The problem is the damn Fast Forward Correction. If I have it on high-speed fast forward 4x, and then click Play where I want it to stop, the Fast Forward Correction rewinds the video to where it "thinks" I wanted to stop. It winds up rewinding so far back, sometimes it even rewinds to a point in the video that is BEFORE where I initiated the fast forward. What the heck?

I try again, the same thing happens, and I wind up going BACKWARDS in time, not forward. I thought my receiver was on the fritz so I rebooted it, but no nice. A few days later I went downstairs to watch TV and the wacky fast forward bug was happening on that receiver as well. I pretty much have to use 2x or 3x fast-forward now since 4x is useless. I suppose I could use the 4x FFW, but I’d have to overshoot whatever TV program I am watching, which goes against every fiber of my fast forward finger. My finger - make that thumb - has years of training in the old method.

DirecTV "espouses" this feature on their website when they write, "Fast-forwarded too far? Fast Forward Correction takes you to where you really wanted to stop". Yeah, right. Can I sue for false advertising? Losing the ability to FFW is really starting to tick me off.

Now in theory, the Fast Forward Correction is a great idea. After all, with the video fast forwarding so fast, it is impossible to stop exactly at the point where you see a scene where you want to stop. However, since I′ve used DirecTV for awhile, so I′m pretty nimble at pressing the Play button at the right time. I might overshoot the video a little, but then I just press the Back button (left arrow) which rewinds a few seconds (8s I believe) at a time. Yes, I know I can press the Skip button (right arrow) which will FFW 30s at a time. But it doesn′t instantly "skip" or jump 30s - it actually fasts forwards through the video at about 2x speed. So using the skip button isn′t an option to quickly FFW through several commercials. Fast forwarding at high speed is the best option on DirecTV receivers.

Further, I’m pretty good at guessing exactly when I want to stop even before seeing the scene on the TV. For instance, say I′m watching The Biggest Loser and it cuts to commercial. I press the Fast Forward button quickly 3 times to reach warp 4x fast forward speed, I wait about 5.5s and hit Play and I’m usually right where the commercials end. If I undershoot I press the Skip button (30s forward) and if I overshoot, I press Back (8s rewind).

There was always a slight rewind auto-correction but DirecTV must have really cranked up the dial on the latest firmware download. Last time I checked, TiVo PVRs allow users to manually select the exact number of seconds for autocorrection, but unfortunately, DirecTV and TiVo parted ways in 2005 and DirecTV developed their own PVR. Alas, DirecTV has "locked" most of the customizable features, such as autocorrection in their DVR boxes.

There is a glimmer of hope however, with Ars Technica reporting that Liberty Media, the new owners of DirecTV, are big fans of TiVo and have been collaborating with TiVo. Maybe I′ll be able to trade in my current DVR/PVR sometime in 2008 for a TiVo model. Then it will truly be a Happy New Year!

Tags: DirecTV, DirecTV Plus DVR, fast forward problem, receiver, rewind, satellite, TV

Original post by Eric