Gadgets Base

Walter L. Wagner and Luis Sancho of Hawaii seem to have been smoking too much stuff lately. I’m saying this because on March 21, they filed a lawsuit in a district court in Honolulu, Hawaii against the European Center for Nuclear Research or CERN. This lawsuit seeks to place a temporary restraining order on CERN’s latest and greatest project ever: the Large Hadron Collider. And what is it that the L. H. C. does, you ask? Oh, nothing. It just recreates the Big Bang. You know, that awesome explosion that started the Universe?

For those that don’t know (or haven’t read Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons), a large hadron collider has the ability to supercharge protons up to seven trillion electron volts and then afterwards let them collide to recreate the energies and conditions resulting from a “Big Bang.” CERN aims to further understand these forces and presumably apply them for the good of mankind, but the two concerned complainants are worried about something else occurring in the aftermath: black holes that could quite possibly eat up the earth, and even the whole universe. What?

CERN says it has done a lot of previous testing and can attest to the L. H. C.’s complete harmlessness. And the Safety Assessment Group was even set up to do another anonymous review of the said project last year. But still, Wagner and Sancho won’t give up easily, even though the party they are trying to shut down is at least a few thousand miles away, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Now I know most people would have mixed views regarding this matter, but judging from the popularity of Sci-Fi pop culture movies and the like, I think more people would agree with the complainant’s arguments, at least at first. And from what most of us were taught back when we first learned of it, isn’t a Big Bang supposed to naturally cause a black hole to appear anyway? I’m no Physics major, but judging from the facts, I think it’s quite safe to say that there really will be a black hole after the blast. But then again, people at CERN say that there should be absolutely no cause for panic, as the large hadron collider is tested to be problem-free (both by in-house physicists and trusted third-party experts). But for now, no one can say for sure what the effects will be after this projects is initiated. Will a black hole grow and eat earth, or worse, the universe? Will the colliding particles release so much energy that will it tap the inner core and send all volcanoes across the world exploding? No one really knows. Maybe it will just turn out the lights.

Read [NY Times] Image [Valerio Mezzanotti for The New York Times]

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Said to replace the Treo 700wx is the new Treo 800w. No official word yet from Sprint as this is a mere speculation as only a release chart has already been leaked.

July is reportedly the release date of the long awaited Treo 800w, but let’s hope Sprint releases it as soon as possible. Rumored features include EvDO Rev A, Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6.0 and A-GPS among others. Camera and non-camera versions of the Treo are expected to become available.

Looks like the Treo 800w will the dethrone the 700w as Treo’s flagship Pocket PC with Windows Mobile Professional. Still only a rumor, there is a big chance that this could be true as Palm’s Ed Colligan recently stated that the company will be releasing their new smartphone line up before the end of summer.

Via [gadgets on the go]

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The Boy Genius is reporting that there is going to be a slight delay in the release of the much-awaited blackberry 9000, and will more likely be released around late May at best, and if not then June or possibly August. I know a lot of Palm users are already itching to get their hands on a new Blackberry device, but I’m afraid there’s nothing else for them to do but wait. The 6-month exclusive AT&T US contract speculation still lives, as well as a late May release date, but according to BGR’s sources, “the July / August release date might be accurate.” So if you’re a CrackBerry user yourself and are eagerly looking forward for this device, pull yourself together and tell yourself the wait isn’t that long. Practice Yoga or something to help you cool down. It’s just a few months. You’ll live.

Via [Boy Genius Report]

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The Dsus DS-400GB rear view camera is truly a thing of wonder - it looks like a standard rear view camera, but offers way much more functionality compared to the standard rear view mirror you get in your vehicle. Hailing all the way from the East (China), don’t be misled by the Dsus DS-400GB name given to the device. It is not an offshoot of Asus, and neither does it feature 400GB worth of storage space.

The Dsus DS-400GB itself comes with a video input that allows you to hook up a rear-mounted camera. This camera will kick in the moment the vehicle is put into reverse, switching from whatever current GPS information display to a live view of whatever’s located right behind your car. At last, you no longer need to rely on those reverse sensors when attempting to park and you will be able to park even in extremely tight spots without worrying about giving your car insurance agent a call due to a miscalculation.

Some of the specifications found on the Dsus DS-400GB include the following :-

• Samsung S3C2440A 400MHz processor
• Windows CE 4.2 operating system
• 4″ touch screen display at 480 x 272 resolution
• Rear view camera to prevent untoward accidents
• Bluetooth connectivity for hands free calling when driving
• Integrated speakers (a pair with each having 1 watt amplifiers)
• Audio and video playback
• SD memory card slot for expansion option
• SiRF Star III GPS chipset for navigation purposes

There is no word on how much RAM the Dsus DS-400GB comes with, and neither do we have any idea on just how much flash memory is available for your use before you augment it with an SD memory card. There is no word on pricing either, but I would say that this is a pretty handy device to have if you tend to back up into garbage bins and puppies. Just kidding about the latter

Source: Windows for Devices

Programming has never been my forte. While I can do enough HTML to put together a very basic website, however, I couldn’t code my way out of a wet paper bag. Now had this board game been out when I was younger, that might be a different story.

The C-jump Computer Programming Board Game teaches kids 11 and up the basics of C, C++ and Java coding. The “game helps to develop understanding of a complete computer program, formed by logical sequences of commands.”

Some people push their kids into singing or dancing when they are kids, so why not push them into programming? No word on pricing or availability.

Source: GearFuse

Gadget mavens Firebox has finally made available the Tengu USB desktop toy which is guaranteed to add a whole lot of excitement to your world. Perfect for folks who have very few or no friends at all, Tengu will be able to keep you company at the office by making different faces according to its mood. In addition, he isn’t as tone deaf as you might think despite the lack of biological ears - Tengu is smart enough (or at least he was programmed to be) to lip sync according to the music that is played, making it look as though he is singing his heart out with you as the only sad audience!

There are several innovative ways to interact with Tengu - you can choose to blow on his face to rouse him from his slumber, play your favorite tunes and see him join in on the fun, or even blow on the microphone to change his facial expression. I guess I’d wake up from my sweet dreams too if somebody was daft enough to blow on my face, but I sure as heck won’t be as forgiving as Tengu who lacks the limbs to retaliate after leaving some spittle on his face. I guess this highly interactive toy won’t make your bosses too happy, since it will most probably lower your productivity as you spend more and more time with it instead of churning out those numbers on a spreadsheet as required by the upper management.

I suppose for £19.95, there really isn’t much to ask from Tengu. So what if he can’t bring in the paper, transfer files from a memory card to your computer or speed up the time so that you can clock out and hit the local tavern for some winding down drinks. At least Tengu shares your musical preference without ending up being a critic like those nasty colleagues of yours, and best of all is you will be able to share your deepest, darkest secrets with him without having him ask you to shut up or charge you by the hour. Of course, should the situation actually whittle down to that, I’d strongly recommend you make an appointment with the nearest qualified shrink. Pronto.

I’ve never been much of a Star Trek fan, Star Wars was always more to my liking. I’ll admit that when I was younger I would watch reruns of the the original series when there was nothing on during Saturday afternoons. If you’re a bit more passionate about the show than I, you’ll love this new Tricorder replica.

This Star trek Mark IX Science Tricorder Replica is the most authentic replica ever made. It is cast from the same pattern used to create the original props from the TV series and made from die-cast metal and plastic. You’ll need to be quick to jump on this one though, it’s limited to only 2,000 pieces. A deep wallet will help you too, as one will set you back $349.99.

Source: GeekAlerts

How long does it take you to earn $10,000? For Charlie Miller, of Independent Security Evaluators and former NSA employee, it takes him about two minutes. Last Thursday, Miller won the PWN 2 OWN competition at the 2008 CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver, by successfully hacking a macbook air. In fact, Miller isn’t a newcomer. He is well-known as the first to successfully hack the iphone back a year ago.

The PWN 2 OWN contest involved a Sony Vaio, Fujitsu U810, and a MacBook Air that were up for grabs to the first person able to hack into one of the machines and read the contents of a file. On the first day of the contest, no one was able hack any of the computers when they were strictly limited to an over-the-network “0day” attack, which is a method of exploiting an unknown or undocumented software vulnerability. However, on the second day, the organizers relaxed the rules a bit and allowed the contestants to trick the “judges” into visiting a malicious website or open an email attachment. In about the time it takes you to microwave a Hot Pocket, Miller was able to successfully execute his code and seize control of the MacBook when the “target” visited his booby trapped website. With 20 onlookers cheering him on, he took home the prized $10,000 and the first of three laptop computers.

Unfortunately, a condition of the contest rules was that all winners be under an nondisclosure agreement until the contest sponsor, TippingPoint, has notified the vendors. So, Mr. Miller isn’t talking about how he did it, yet. However, TippingPoint has revealed the 0day attack used to control the MacBook Air was a Safari exploit; Apple has already began work on a patch.

Read [New York Times]

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AT&T has introduced their new mobile TV service called the AT&T Mobile TV with FLO. The new service from the two companies will according to the press release, feature high quality live programming. MediaFLO, still yet to be launched, is expected to be available in May. AT&T Mobile TV will also be featuring two channels exclusive for this mobile service, aside from the top channels like Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, NBC 2GO, CBS Mobile, Nickelodeon and NBC News2Go.

The only phones launched that will support MediaFLO will be the Samsung Access and LG Vu, both providing a clearer view of the TV as compared to other phones. This joint venture by FLO and AT&T plans on expanding the FLO TV service not only to AT&T subscribers but also to consumers in the US.

AT&T’s wireless unit’s vice president of Consumer Data, Mark Collins said in a statement:

“AT&T Mobile TV is a powerful new mobile entertainment offering, which will give our customers a formidable lineup of sports, news and primetime shows, including two channels exclusive available to AT&T customers.We are thrilled to team with MediaFLO USA to offer our customers an unmatched mobile entertainment experience that is changing the way we all look at TV.”

As of now, only the LG and Samsung phones support the new service but I am certain that it won’t be long until mobile TV becomes available to other phones and be included to their mobile TV line up.

Read [AT&T]

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Posted Mar 30th 2008 5:46AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops, Tablet PCsEver since Intel compared the criticality of its (still) forthcoming Silverthorne (which now goes by Atom, if you couldn’t guess) processor to the original Pentium last June, we’ve all wondered just how fantasmical our worlds would become when this thing finally dropped. Now, however, Tom’s Hardware has discovered that the release may actually do more for Intel than we geeks. After consulting a source it believes to be quite credible, it found that the CPU — which will likely sell for upwards of $30 at the low-end — will cost Intel just “$6 to $8, including production, packaging and shipping.” Without busting out the abacus, it’s still fairly easy to see how profitable said chips could be if Intel can move these at even a snail’s pace, but of course, we’d take the dollars and cents estimates with a grain of salt until they actually hit the market.

[Via Digg]