Tech Gadgets Reviews

If there was one thing that the 43-year old Chris Clark regretted not doing, it was not buying more domain names when he bought pizza.com in 1994. Clark who used to run a consultancy firm will become $2.6 million richer when the transaction for the purchase of pizza.com is completed in a couple of days from now.

Looking back 14 years ago, Clark, who lives in North Potomac, Maryland, did not think that he would be making a big amount of money from the domain name he purchased. He was just trying to attract a pizza company to his consultancy firm when he bought the domain back then. But after receiving no response from the pizza company, Clark still continued paying the annual renewal fee to keep the domain name.

Luck pushed his way when he heard about another person making $3 million for the domain vodka.com and so he tried his luck and opened up pizza.com up for auction. The bidding for pizza.com started at $100 and went up to $2.6 million after several days. That’s when Clark decided to accept the offer.

When asked by the Sun Baltimore News about how he felt on the sale of his domain name, Clark bewilderedly answered, “It’s crazy, it’s just crazy.” Well, who wouldn’t feel that way if you’re going to earn that much for a meagre investment?

Via [Gizmodo] Read [BBC News]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

A compilation of clips from associate professor Howie Choset’s lab. More details in my quick peek today at some CMU robotics projects, and this story from Tech Review.

Panasonic isn’t giving up on plasma screens just yet. With many shifting away from plasma TVs and embracing LCD, Panasonic is going small and will bring plasma screens to the cellphone. Wait. You’re thinking that a plasma display might burn a hole in your pocket? Nope. They will be both cool and cheap.

Mark Balsama spoke to the press on Tuesday and revealed a secret plot that rival’s Apple’s iphone obfuscation:

For nearly a decade, Panasonic’s engineers have been secretly working on a thin, lightweight low-voltage compact plasma display.

According to Balsama, not only will the screens “rival OLED displays for brightness, contrast and thinness”, they will also be cheaper. Now that the secret is out, Panasonic is moving fast. The mini plasma displays will start showing up in phones the fall.

Press release [PR Newswire]

Griffin’s new polycarbonate iphone case promises to not only protect your precious Stupendabrick but to boost the cell reception too. The ClearBoost makes the iPhone look quite ridiculous in the process, adding a retro-style external nub housing the antenna. Griffin seems to be suffering from some kind of “Emperor’s New Clothes” syndrome, as the product blurb claims the antenna is invisible:

This clever case conceals a built-in booster antenna.

[emphasis added]

If you want to make your beautiful glass and steel slab look like something used to read the gas meter, Griffin will sell you a ClearBoost for $30.

Product page [Griffin]

What’s the cheapest you can pay for an 8GB iPhone? If you’re in Germany, €99 ($155). To get that price, you’ll have to sign up for the €89 per month tariff, but for every tariff there is a discounted price for the iPhone itself. It’s almost like the good old days of sliding carrier subsidies. The breakdown:

Monthly Tariff (€)

iphone Price (€)

89

99

69

149

49

199

29

249

That low €29 tariff is also new, and terrible. After the introductory period, you’ll get a rather poor 100MB data allowance per month. Go over that and T-Mobile will sting you for 0.49 cents per MB.

This really does look like a fire sale. Combined with the handset shortages in the US, we should expect a 3G iPhone very soon indeed.

Press release [T-Mobile via Daring Fireball]

Posted Apr 4th 2008 3:07PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Household

We’ve seen plenty of houses of the future, but none quite like this so-called Bioscleave House by artists Madeline Gins and Arakawa, which promises to force people to “use their bodies in unexpected ways to maintain equilibrium.” Those equilibrium-inducing measures include, as you can see above, a vast undulating floor (somewhat curiously made of concrete), as well as off-kilter power outlets, walls painted in about 40 different colors, and windows of varying heights, all of which is designed to keep occupants and visitors “on guard” at all times. That equilibrium also comes at some risk, however, with visitors required to sign a waiver before they enter (children aren’t allowed in at all). What’s more, while they seem quite pleased with their creation, the artistic duo didn’t build the $2 million dollar house for themselves, and they’re now looking for someone else to call it home.

[Image courtesy Eric Striffler / The New York Times, thanks TSM]

Microsoft is going to add new features to the Live Search found on BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices, according to a keynote speech made by Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division, at CTIA wireless 2008.

One of the changes in the Live Search feature for BlackBerry devices is the addition of voice-enabled search, in which users will be able to talk at their phone to find businesses and get driving directions alongside results shown on interactive maps. On the other hand, Windows Mobile users will get the ability to view the addresses of contacts on a map, get directions and view custom maps of user-made locations and events. WinMo users will also be able to launch Web search directly from the client, and find Web pages, product comparisons, and other information on the Internet. Weather updates will also be included in the set of new features for Windows Mobile devices.

The updates for Windows Mobile are expected to be released by spring, while the blackberry update’s release date is still uncertain.

Read [CNET]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

This new Chinese PMP called the AOC X600, comes with a pretty unique feature which allows it to play RMVB files on the player itself, or you can use TV-Out option to play them on your big screen TV.

Aside from playing RMVB, it’s pretty much your average PMP, but it is actually pretty cheap considering what it comes with. Beginning with its screen, it sports a nice 3-inch display with a 400 x 240 resolution, and 16:10 aspect ratio. Additionally, it can also play FLV, AVI, MOV, ASF, MP4, WMV, 3GP, MGP, MP3, WMA, APE, FLAC lossless, and TXT files. No matter what audio or video format you have on your computer, you are almost guaranteed to be able to play it on the AOC X600. I think this PMP player looks really cool the way the whole device is basically the screen, kind of like the ipod Touch.

Unfortunately, no word on exact availability, but expect it to be only for sale in the Chinese market selling for 599 yuan (around $85).

Via [PMP Today]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Yes, it’s true. Internet telephony company Jajah is participating in the iPhone Developer Program. That means in addition to its existing web-only client, there will also be a native VoIP app for the iPhone this summer.

You can expect the new client to be available via the App Store, which is launching sometime in June.

If you recall, after a lot of speculation about what would and wouldn’t be allow to run on the iphone, Steve Jobs said VoIP would be permissible at the SDK roadmap event last March, but that mobile carrier networks were off limits.

The exact wording from the SDK agreement is as follows: "If an Application require or will have access to the carrier network, then additionally such Application: …May not have Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) functionality."

Pretty clear cut. Jajah is apparently adhering to this stipulation, which is almost certainly tied to the contracts Apple has with AT&T and other individual carriers in Europe. The compay says the new native app will either be free or a low-cost service, depending on the call destination or source. At the very least, it’s going a be a great option for jet-setters who want to avoid those ridiculous roaming charges.

When we first played with the Logitech diNovo Mini, we loved the concept and it looked like it solved all our Media Center remote issues as it features a mouse and a QWERTY keyboard in a small and elegant package that can actually stay on the living room table without looking bad. In this review we will give you our verdict about the strengths and the weaknesses of this device and we will tell you whether or not you should get one.

Installation

The diNovo Mini connects to the PC via Bluetooth. Even if your computer is equipped with a Bluetooth receiver, we recommend using the USB dongle that is provided in the box. It is easier because it is pre-paired with the remote, so upon connection, it will find the remote by itself, without requiring you to discover it “by hand”.

And voila! The remote should work, but if you want to customize additional shortcuts, you will have to install SetPoint, the software provided by Logitech.

Unlike infra-red (IR) remotes, the diNovo Mini does not need to be pointed at the receiver and does not stop working if something (or someone) is in the way. We tested at a distance of 7 yards (about 7 meters) and it worked fine.