Navy to Scrap $2.6 Billion Zumwalt Class Stealth Destroyers [Military]
One place where "if you build it, they will come" doesn't always apply is in military hardware. After constructing two Zumwalt class DD(X) stealth destroyers at $2.6 billion apiece, the Navy has scrapped its plan to build up the rest of its intended 313-ship fleet—turns out, the demand for a ship whose primary mission is to obliterate large land targets with guided artillery and Tomahawk missiles doesn't suit the smaller-scale anti-terror missions most of the armed forces are currently faced with. Now the Pentagon just has to decide what to do with the almost $1 trillion it just freed up in its budget. I'm sure they'll have no problem with that. [AP]
Nintendo’s Wii Classic Controller and GameCube GamePad Getting a Temporary Ban on Sales [Nintendo]
As a result of Nintendo's loss in court to a Texas-based company called Anascape, the judge ruled that all sales of the Wii Classic Controller and the GameCube controller need to be temporarily halted until funds can be placed into an escrow account. What's the impact on you, Joe or Dan Consumer? Starting today, July 23, all sales of those controllers AND GameCube systems will be placed on hold, meaning that you should really try and find a place to buy these accessories now if you need them soon. On the bright side, Nintendo's Nunchuck controller isn't affected by this ruling about analog sticks, so you're safe if you just want to play Wii games. [1up via Kotaku]
Make in Eureka Contest: Win an iPhone [Contests]
Who wants a free iPhone? All you need to do is enter our Made in Eureka contest, where you come up with your own best invention akin to the stuff on the Sci Fi show Eureka and show it to us.
One of the previous entries we've had came from Vic Soto and his iRing, which allows you to control your various Apple devices (iPhone, iPod, computer) directly from your hand. This is the kind of invention we're looking for—kinda out there, but definitely cool if it were real.
Send all entries in to contests@gizmodo.com with the subject "Made in Eureka". Winner gets an iPhone of your color choice. Mock up something that illustrates what your product is and what functions it has, plus shows it off in a nice way. Check out Vic's entry above for inspiration. And no, it doesn't have to be Apple-related. In fact, it's probably better if it's not.
Sponsored by Made in Eureka.
Eureka premieres Tuesday, July 29 at 9/8c only on Sci Fi.
Dealzmodo: $19 HDMI Graphics Card [Deals]
If you've been scouting for components to build a budget media center PC, this Asus ATI Radeon HD3450 is going for just $19 after a $10 mail-in rebate. (It usually runs about $50.) While not a gaming powerhouse, the card is DirectX 10.1-compatible, HDCP-compliant, capable of 1920x1200 resolution and happens to be a "champ with desktop video" according to CNET. The offer expires July 31. [NewBiiz via CNET]
Be Buried In an iPhone, Vista or Boobies-Inspired Coffin [Iphone Coffin]
A company called Creative Coffins offers a service where you can choose themed caskets designed however you like, leading the nerds at T3 to mock up some interesting with the concept. Would you want to be buried in an iPhone casket? A Vista casket? How about GTA4, Halo, or an SNES one with an eject button on the side? If these are too tasteless for you, you could easily design your own and have the company plaster it along the exterior. We'd probably choose the Goatse design as a metaphor for the gaping maw of hell we're undoubtedly headed for after making poop jokes on Giz for more than two years. [T3]
Lightning Review: Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Canceling Headphones [Review]
The Gadget: Sony's MDR-NC500D, the "world's first headphones with digital technology for noise canceling." These over the ear noise canceling headphones have three different environmental modes, a monitor mode, internal reachable battery and a case full of accessories and adapters.
The Price: $400.00
The Verdict: As with any expensive noise canceling headphones that are geared towards frequent flyers, comfort, sound quality, and noise canceling are all equally important when reviewing.
galleryPost('sonymdrnc500d4review', 4, '');
Comfort
Doesn't matter how great a pair of headphones sound, they must be comfortable to wear especially when they're canceling out noise on long haul flights. My first comfort impression: they're surprisingly light when wearing. Usually big over-the-ear headphones are uncomfortably heavy; but not these. The ear-cup padding is relatively thin and firm, but still comfortable. The padding on the top head strap has this same firm feel and is more than adequate. A month ago on a SF to Paris flight, I wore these headphones for a continuous 10 hours before I started to notice discomfort. So I can safely say they pass the comfort test.
Sound Quality
Now I'm no audiophile, but I do enjoy a crisp vibrant sound. It must be noted that these headphones always have the noise canceling feature on, so they aren't exactly like a pair of normal headphones. The overall sound quality is great, but it's not astonishing. With volume at medium level the depth is there with a clean undistorted sound. In the higher volume levels the headphones start to produce very light noise and some minimal distortion. But this is at very high levels which I couldn't handle for more than a few seconds. Even though the headphones are expensive, it's excusable that the sound quality wasn't amazing because the noise canceling totally makes up for it.
Noise Canceling
I'm still a bit confused to how this "digital technology for noise canceling" exactly works. But I do know it works very well. It's my understanding that it converts the analog signal digitally by using a digital processor, and then it can apply different environmental filters based on the surroundings. When you first turn the headphones on they use the standard non-environmently filtered noise canceling. This setting worked well, but by clicking the AI (artificial intelligence) button located right next to the power switch, the audio cut out for a second then came back even better. The AI NC mode uses an automatic environmental filter mode where it can detect the HZ range of noise and apply a filter to mask it. There are three different modes, one for a plane, one for a train/bus, and another for an office/study environment. I did play with the different manual modes for a bit but found that the automatic setting could choose the right one for me, so I had no need for the manual settings.
Once I figured out the AI NC feature I started to enjoy the headphones even more. I could barely hear the roar of the jet's engines, but at the same time I could slightly hear important outside sounds, like my girl friend asking me to get her ice cream. I tested the noise canceling against a pair of $200 JVC HA-NC250 on-the-ear noise canceling headphones. Compared to the JBLs, the Sonys were amazingly better. The JBLs let in more outside noise and had a slight distortion/buzz in sound. The Sony's clarity and overall enjoyment was much better.
Accessories
These headphones come with a huge carrying case that is packed full of accessories. The case is so big that it makes carrying it sort of a hassle, but it does have every accessory you could ever need. It's got an in-flight adapter, 1/4" stereo adapter, 2 3.5mm stereo cords, a charger, and even a AA battery powered adapter for when you run out of internal juice.
Final Verdict
I'm currently 30,000 feet above the Atlantic in a Boeing 747 and I can't hep but gush over these headphones. They're simply amazing. But are they worth the price? For most people I would say no way. I think these are only for those frequent flyers who are regularly taking flights longer than 5 hours. The $400 price tag can only be justified if the headphones are being used a few times a month and not just to block out sounds around the house.
CCTV Awesomeness: How to React When a Car Crashes Into You During Lunch [Close Calls]
Here's some of the sweetest CCTV footage we've seen in a while: this guy was just sitting at a table by the window of a diner in North Carolina, minding his own business, when a car smashed through the wall, ramming him into the counter. His reaction? First things first, he put his hat back on. Damn. He escaped with only some minor cuts and bruises but didn't get to finish his lunch.
newVideoPlayer("/Man_survives_US_diner_crash.flv", 506, 423,""); 
[BBC]
Shopping Cart Washing Machine Ensures at Least One Thing in the Grocery Store is Safe to Put in Your Mouth [Cleanliness]
Shopping carts are festering hotbeds of germs and disease, or so one would think seeing the expense Chevy Chase Supermarket has put into installing shopping car washing machines in their store.
The fancy new machine sprays down every cart in the store between uses with a peroxide solution that kills 99.9% of germs, leaving them clean enough to allow your baby to gum all over the handlebar. The carts dry after a few seconds, leaving them ready to use almost instantly after being cleaned.
"It kills all the nasty stuff, salmonella, staph, E. coli," said Bob Schwei, a technician with PureCart Systems, the Wisconsin-based manufacturer of the glossy white machine, which looks like an airport X-ray machine. "They're very popular in Korea — bird flu."
I wonder if the machine works on people? Seems more convenient than a shower. [Washington Post via Book of Joe]
Magic Tricycle: Chopper Meets Big Wheel [Motorcycles]
The Magic Tricycle (horrible name) concept is designed around a reasonable idea. On the highway, you may want to drive a car. So the Magic Tricycle (horrible name) road rages through traffic with three wheels. But when you just want to cruise around town, it transforms into motorcycle mode:
The designers claim that the top wheel adds stability to the 2-wheel mode, but we're not absolutely certain that we'd want more weight so high on the bike (then again, we're not engineers for a reason). And either way, it's a pretty neat idea—one the will lead many of us to promise, "No honey, we won't drive the car in motorcycle mode, we just always really wanted a three-wheeler..."
But before we'd even consider a purchase, they'd have to tweak the name "Magic Tricycle" (horrible). It's like Peter, Paul & Mary sodomized Harley Davidson. [Car Design News via DVICE]
Samsung Updates LED-Backlit LCD: Series 9 Expensive But Probably Worth It [Samsung]
Samsung's criticially acclaimed LED-backlit flagship LCD just got an overhaul: The all new Series 9 950 will come in 46-inch and 55-inch sizes, 120Hz motion-blur reduction and a whole bunch of eco-friendly attributes, like paint-free "Touch of Color" and absence of mercury and other toxic chemicals. They will range in price from $3,200 to $4,200, but if the reviews of their predecessor are any indicator, this will be one brag-worthy TV. More details and pics below.
Samsung Delivers 2nd Generation LED-Backlit LCD HDTV with New Series 9 LED LCD HDTV
Series 9 LED LCD HDTV Features Auto Motion Plus 120Hz™ and Ultra Clear Panel
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Samsung Electronics America Inc., a worldwide leader in innovation and HDTV technology, unveils the successor to the company's award-winning 81 Series LED LCD HDTV, with the launch of the new Series 9 LED LCD HDTV. The 2008 flagship Series 9, Samsung's 2nd generation LCD HDTV to use LED SmartLighting™ technology, offers consumers the powerful combination of LED and 120Hz technologies, resulting in a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for a crisp, full HD 1080p picture. The Series 9 is also distinguished by Samsung's new addition to the art-inspired ToC™ (Touch of Color™) design – an elegantly patterned bezel with charcoal gray accent. Beyond delivering a superior picture performance with craftsman-like design, the Series 9 gives consumers the freedom to easily access and manage nearly all forms of digital content via the TV through innovative features such as InfoLink™ and WiseLink™ Pro.
"Combining Samsung's LED SmartLighting and Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technologies in one high-performance LCD HDTV, the Series 9 LCD represents Samsung's continued focus on advancing the very highest picture quality available to consumers in the current HDTV market," said Jonas Tanenbaum, Vice President of LCD Television Marketing at Samsung Electronics America.
Superior Picture Quality
As Samsung's second generation LCD HDTV to use advanced LED SmartLighting with local dimming technology, the Series 9 LCD HDTV is able to achieve dramatic contrast levels and express "actual black levels" by completely shutting off a pixel's light source, eliminating the grayish black picture plaguing many LCD HDTVs. Conversely, groups of pixels can be locally controlled to produce more light increasing the brightness of the Series 9's picture when necessary.
Furthering the Series 9's ability to show deeper black levels, Samsung's improved Ultra Clear Panel technology eliminates ambient light reflection that may affect picture quality, ensuring perfect picture clarity even in bright viewing surroundings. By enhancing color reproduction level, Samsung's Ultra Clear Panel technology also lets consumers enjoy the detail and vibrancy of colors.
Adding to the superior picture quality in the Series 9 is Samsung's Auto Motion Plus 120Hz™ technology that reduces the motion blur caused by fast-paced content. It’s ideal for diehard sport fans, avid gamers, and movie mavens alike.
Connecting to Content
Always seeking ways to expand the possibilities of the HDTV, the Series 9 LED LCD also features Samsung's InfoLink™ RSS service, which gives touch-of-a-button access to news, weather, and stock quotes. The Series 9 also plays MP3 music, JPEG photos, and video files stored on memory drives, other digital devices, or PCs with Samsung's WiseLink™ Pro and DLNA technology.
In addition to WiseLink Pro where consumers can utilize the USB 2.0 access to display home movies and pictures, Samsung's Series 9 comes with internal flash memory pre-loaded with premium content giving consumers access to a vast library of digital content to enjoy, including high resolution artwork, cooking recipes, exercise routines, children's programming, and games.
Connecting to external components such as Blu-ray players and HD Camcorders is even easier as the Series 9 comes equipped with four (1 side, 3 rear) HDMI-CEC inputs to control the latest home theater products using a single remote.
ToC (Touch of Color) Design
Continuing Samsung's line of Touch of Color™ HDTV, the Series 9 strays from the traditional black, box-like bezel for an elegant charcoal gray bezel with a honey-comb pattern. To create this distinctive effect, Samsung uses dual-injection molding technology, a process commonly applied in the design of premium automobiles, to embed color within the material. This technology wraps the bezel with a translucent coating and controls the density of the transparent and opaque material used in the process, resulting in a subtle yet unique look with distinct gray and black gradation.
EnergyStar® Rated
Aligned with Samsung's efforts to combine technological advancement with environmental awareness, Samsung's Series 9 950 LCD features a unique “EnergySaving Mode” that ensures the HDTV is compliant with the EPA’s EnergyStar® rating system. By adjusting the HDTV’s backlight brightness with a low, medium, or high selection, power consumption is substantially decreased compared to similar 2007 models.
Additionally, because of the unique Touch of Color manufacturing process infuses color into the TV’s bezel without any painted on color, no VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) are emitted for lower CO2 emissions during production. By using LED backlighting rather than a traditional cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), the Series 9 950 is also mercury-free.
The Series 9 LED LCD HDTVs will be available in August in 46” class (45.9-inch measured diagonally) and the 55” class (54.9-inch measured diagonally) sizes. (Model numbers: LN46A950 and LN55A950).
Specifications
Series 9 950 LED LCD HDTV
Screen Sizes 46-inch (45.9-inch screen size) / 55-inch (54.6-inch screen size)
Resolution Full HD 1080p
Design* Touch of Color™ bezel design with charcoal gray accent
Video
* 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
* 4ms response time
* LED SmartLighting™ technology with local dimming
* Auto Motion Plus 120Hz™ technology
* UltraClear Panel
* Wide Color Enhancer 2
* DNIe™ Pro (Digital Natural Imaging engine) technologyAudio
* Down-firing speakers with integrated rear woofer
* 46-inch: 10-watts per channel, 2 channels55-inch: 15 watts per channel, 2 channels
* SRS TruSurround XT™
Features
* InfoLink™ RSS for one-touch, on-demand, onscreen access to news, weather, stock info
* Internal flash memory with pre-loaded Content Library
* WiseLink™ Pro (USB 2.0), with MPEG 4, XviD, MP3, JPEG decoders
* DLNA-CERTIFIED™
* Entertainment mode
* Built-in NTSC / ATSC / Clear QAM tuners
* Energy Star® compliantA/V Connections
* 4 HDMI (HDMI-CEC) version 1.3 inputs (3 rear, 1 side)
* 1 side USB 2.0 port (WiseLink™ Pro)
* 2 component inputs
* 1 composite input
* 1 S-Video input
* 1 PC input
* 1 Headphone jack
* 1 Ethernet connection (for InfoLink™, and DLNA connectivity only)Estimated Selling Price
* 45.9-inch: $3,199.99
* 54.6-inch: $4,199.99Availability August 2008
*Subject to change without notice.
Samsung MediaLive Streams Windows Media to Televisions [Medialive]
We first saw it back at CES branded as the Samsung Home Digital Media Adapter. Now it's been rebranded as MediaLive. Essentially a media streamer, the Samsung MediaLive connects to televisions via HDMI and can stream A/V from Windows systems including AC3, H.264, JPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, WMA, and WMV over LAN or Wi-Fi (up to the fast "n" standard). It also offers a direct internet connection to various services like MovieLink, XM Radio, and FOX Sports. Look for it this August for $200. galleryPost('medialive', 6, '');
Samsung's MediaLive: the Ultimate HDTV Accessory, Bringing Digital Content from the PC to the Big-Screen
Combines Microsoft's Extender for Windows Media Center Technology with Samsung High Design and Cutting-Edge Functionality for a New Era of Home Entertainment
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. —(Business Wire)— Jul. 23, 2008 Samsung Electronics America Inc., the leader in the U.S. digital television market, lets consumers view PC-content on a Samsung HDTV with the retail launch of the company's MediaLive adaptor. Samsung's MediaLive delivers digital content (including HD content) in real-time from Windows Media Center on a PC running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate operating systems to the big screen of a Samsung HDTV via a wireless or wired home network. From photos, music, feature films, home movies, and live and recorded TV programs, Samsung's MediaLive is the ideal plug-and-play complement to most 2008-model Samsung HDTVs."The PC is quickly becoming the hub for entertainment in the home and Samsung's MediaLive gives consumers the freedom to enjoy and manage movies, photos, and music on the bigger screen of an HDTV," said John Revie, Vice President of Visual Display Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "Samsung's MediaLive opens up a constantly expanding world of content for consumers, adding yet another connectivity option to the latest Samsung HDTVs."
Easily connected to an existing wireless or wired Internet connection, Samsung's MediaLive allows PCs running Windows Vista or Windows Vista Home Premium to stream a personal movie, photo, music, and video collection to any 2008-model Samsung HDTV in the home with an HDMI-CEC connection. With the ability to display content at up to Full HD resolution and support for a range of video, audio, and image codecs such as AC3, H.264, JPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, WMA, and WMV, consumers will be able to enjoy an impressive variety of video and audio files using Samsung's MediaLive. Instead of crowding around a 15-inch PC monitor to share their latest music or movies, users can transfer the same PC content in real-time and share it on a 50-inch HDTV with a group of friends. One PC can stream content to up-to five Samsung MediaLive boxes connected to a TV through a home network - providing total access to entertainment from most 2008-model Samsung HDTV's in the home.
Beyond streaming personal entertainment, Samsung's MediaLive gives consumers access to a wide range of entertainment options including online services such as Vongo, MovieLink, Showtime TV, XM Radio, and FOX Sports, as well as the ability to browse through top news stories from Reuters and NPR. Additionally, in the U.S., Windows Media Center features the Internet TV beta program, which offers access to viral videos, news stories, movie trailers, sports clips, cast interviews, movie concerts and more. For access to live and recorded TV through the Samsung MediaLive, a simple TV tuner can be connected to the PC, turning it into a powerful DVR with the ability to watch and record favorite television shows and movies. In conjunction with FOX Sports, consumers are able to access SportsLounge to quickly view up-to-date sports scores, statistics and schedules - a perfect tool for any fantasy sports fan.
"Microsoft is pleased to be working with an industry leader such as Samsung, which shares our commitment to expanding TV entertainment options through Windows Media Center," said Ron Pessner, General Manager of the Connected TV Division at Microsoft Corp. "We're seeing the industry recognize the value of delivering these types of integrated solutions that allow consumers to extend pictures, music and more from their Windows Vista Home Premium- or Ultimate-based PC to the TV."
Employing the simple-to-navigate user interface and integrated electronic program guide of Windows Media Center, content browsing and playback is easily controlled using the arrow and enter buttons available on either the included MediaLive Simple Remote, or the Samsung HDTV's remote control.
Using the included mounting bracket, the compact device can be easily mounted to the rear of select Samsung flat-panel TVs for a clutter-free home theater setup. Operational commands are sent to the MediaLive via the HDMI-CEC port for a high quality, single-cable connection to the HDTV. The device connects to a PC via a RJ45 connected LAN cable, or wirelessly through a built-in 802.11 a/b/g/n receiver.
The Samsung MediaLive will be available in August 2008. -0-
Specifications
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
MediaLive
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Online Content — Windows Media Center online media
content providers
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Audio — WMA, MP3, AC3
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Video — WMV, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264
— HDMI-CEC output
— Replay
— Down & Play of recorded TV program In
PC
— AV Streaming with PC (Server)
— AV Streaming with PC (Client) - WMV,
MPEG2 file Streaming
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Photo — JPEG
— Zoom in/out, Rotation
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Input and Output — DC Power
— USB 2.0 Slave
— USB 2.0 Host
— HDMI-CEC
— Ethernet (RJ45 LAN cable)
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Works With — 2008-model Samsung HDTVs 450 series
and higher, LCD, Plasma and DLP
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Dimension (W X H X D, mm) — 270 x 48 x 155
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Weight — 1.8 kg
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Estimated Selling Price $200
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Availability August 2008
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
*Subject to change without notice.
NES Buckle Guarantees Fun Everywhere, Except Your Groin [Nintendo]
The Nintendo Entertainment System Belt Buckle may be a) a real product, b) a completely stupid, far-fetched contraption, c) a way to cook your genitals or d) all of the above. Just attach it to your belt and be ready to play with it everywhere and/or be kicked by random people on the street. [NESBuckle]
Samsung 8 Series 850 and 860 Slim LCDs: 1.9 Inches Thick, with Ethernet and a “Touch of Color” [TVs]
Going for thin and pretty, Samsung launched its Series 8 LCDs—the 850 and 860 models—with new bodies that are just 1.9-inches thick at the middle, and thinner on the ends. The 120Hz sets also come with a "Touch of Color" thanks to injection molding—rose for the 850 and deep blue for the 860. A USB 2.0 jack lets you decode images and videos (including XviD and MPEG4) stored on hard drives or cameras. Connect the TV to your LAN via Ethernet or optional $35 wireless adapter, and you get access to DLNA content plus Samsung's new InfoLink RSS service, with news, stocks and weather info from USA Today, in "adjustable overlays". No word on when Giz would appear. Also, we're still waiting for the next gen LED backlit LCDs. Jump for more pics, plus specifications and pricing, which range from $2,700 to $3,500.
860 from the side:
850 from the side:
More Details on Samsung Series 7 Plasmas [Samsung Plasma]
We heard about 'em back at CES, but Samsung has released pricing and availability info on their upcoming Series 7 plasma line. The 1080p displays feature 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast, DNIe Pro image processing, Ethernet for their Infolink RSS and 4 HDMI ports. Available this August, they can be yours for $2,800 (50"), $4,500 (58") and $5,500 (63").
Samsung’s Series 7 Plasma HDTVs Expand the Horizons of Luxurious Home Theater Design and Multimedia Capability
Enhanced Connectivity and Superior Picture Performance Deliver a Premium Experience
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Samsung Electronics, the market leader in HDTV design and innovation, continues to deliver the ultimate form of "functional art" to consumers with the Series 7 Plasma HDTV featuring Samsung's ToC™ (Touch of Color™) designed bezel. Born from the craftsmanship behind delicately blown glass to the balanced beauty of a sunset, the ToC design features a hint of red color blended into a piano black bezel. In addition to boasting a cutting-edge design, the Series 7 Plasma HDTVs deliver a superior Full HD1080p picture with up to a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for crisp detail and vibrant colors, all supported by Samsung's Ultra FilterBright™ technology. For the home theater connoisseur, the Series 7 offers the option to calibrate the TV for both day-time and night-time viewing to ensure optimal picture quality in any setting.
“With the Series 7 plasma HDTV, Samsung looks to elevate consumers’ home theaters with a premier design and an encompassing viewing experience,” said Steve Panosian director of Visual Display Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “By combining superior connectivity and networking options with the latest audio-visual technologies, the Series 7 Plasma is certain to further refine most any home theater setup.”
Touch of Color™
Reflecting Samsung's mantra for design creativity, the Series 7 leaves the traditional look of HDTV design and employs the aesthetically pleasing ToC bezel. Samsung is the first manufacturer in the HDTV industry to use dual-injection molding technology which infuses color to the bezel rather than using spray paint. By controlling the density of the color injection, the resulting bezel shows a natural gradation from red to black color for a distinct yet elegant appearance.
Superior Picture Performance
The Full HD 1080p Series 7 features a dynamic contrast ratio of up to 1,000,000:1 for deeper blacks and purer whites onscreen. Samsung’s Ultra Filter Bright anti-glare technology keeps the picture clear and bright even in well-lit environments, while the next-generation DNIe™ Pro video processing and 18-bit Natural True Color ensure the subtle details are not sacrificed.
Day / Night Calibration Modes
For consumers looking for the ultimate home theater experience, the Samsung Series 7 Plasma HDTV features a professional day-time and night-time calibration mode for optimized viewing. The two special customization and enhancement modes can only be accessed once a professional calibrator makes the necessary adjustments and saves the picture settings made to match the ambient lighting in the room. Then the consumer can instantly select the saved picture settings, and experience the best possible HDTV viewing at any time of the day.
InfoLink™
The Series 7 Plasma HDTV features the one-button, on-demand InfoLink™ RSS service. Powered by content from USA Today, InfoLink instantly displays news, weather and stock information onscreen via adjustable overlays. As the ultimate form of luxury and convenience for the always-connected consumer, InfoLink allows users to view stock quotes from their personal portfolio and local weather information. There is no need to change the channel to get a five-day forecast of the weather or instant access to stock quotes and news once connected to a home network with Internet access.
Superior Connectivity
The Series 7 Plasma offers a host of connection options to enjoy a growing library of digital content. Simply plug a memory drive or digital camera in the side-mounted USB 2.0 port and WiseLink™ Pro turns the television into a jukebox or photo album. The TV recognizes not only MP3 and JPEG files but also XviD and MPEG4 files to enjoy video playback. In addition, it comes with a Digital Content Management feature that allows the user to sort images based on usual parameters like time and even more uncommon ones like color and composition. Additionally, the Series 7 Plasmas are compatible with DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) for easy connection to and content sharing with other DLNA-CERTIFIED™ products, such as a computer.
Recognizing that more consumers use their HDTV as the cornerstone of their home entertainment centers, Samsung also added enhanced connectivity to the Series 7 Plasma. Consumers can connect to, access, and manage more of the latest HD devices than ever before with a total of four HDMI 1.3 inputs (three at the rear, one on the side). Beyond their ability to handle the latest color and HD audio processing, all four connections include CEC networking, allowing control of multiple components using only the TV’s remote control.
The Samsung Series 7 Plasma HDTVs will be available in August in 50-inch, 58-inch and 63-inch screen sizes (model numbers: PN50A760, PN58A760 and PN63A760).
Wireless LinkStick Accessory
For added convenience, the Samsung Wireless LinkStick allows consumers to access the InfoLink feature on their Series 7 Plasma HDTV wirelessly. While a connection to the Internet via an appropriate modem and wireless router is still required, consumers will no longer need to run an Ethernet cable directly to their HDTV. The Wireless LinkStick (WIS-08BGX/XAA) is available now with an estimated selling price of $34.99.
Specifications
Series 7 760 Plasma HDTVs
Screen Sizes 50-inch / 58-inch / 63-inch
Resolution Full HD 1080p
Design Touch of Color™ narrow bezel design with Rose accents
Video* 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
* 1,300 cd/m2 brightness
* Natural True Color 18-bit processing
* Black in detail with Ultra Filter Bright anti-glare technology
* DNIe™ Pro (Digital Natural Imaging engine) technology
* Advanced false - contour reduction technologyAudio
* Down-firing speakers (20-watts x 2)
* SRS TruSurround XT™Features
* InfoLink™ RSS for one-touch, on-demand, onscreen access to the news, weather, stock info
* Internal flash memory with pre-loaded Content Library™
* WiseLink™ Pro (USB 2.0), with MPEG 4, XviD, MP3, JPEG decoders
* DLNA-CERTIFIED™
* Entertainment mode
* Built-in NTSC / ATSC / Clear QAM tuners
* Energy Star® compliantA/V Connections
* 4 HDMI (HDMI-CEC) version 1.3 inputs (3 rear, 1 side)
* 1 side USB 2.0 port (WiseLink™ Pro)
* 2 component inputs (rear)
* 2 composite inputs (1 rear, 1 side)
* 1 S-Video input (side)
* 1 PC input
* 1 Headphone jack
* 1 RS323C connection
* 1 Ethernet connection (for InfoLink™ RSS feature, and DLNA connectivity only)Estimated Selling Price
* 50-inch: $2,799.99
* 58-inch: $4,499.99
* 63-inch: $5,499.99Availability August 2008
Why We Still Need the iPhone App Black Market [IPhone Apps]
A year ago, we said that no iPhone SDK meant no killer apps. It came, and the apps are here in staggering numbers. But many of the amazing apps and concepts we grew to love as unofficial apps aren't here, and only about 100 of the 900+ apps in the official store are really useful or desirable—the rest are dupes or just bad. There are no less than five apps to turn my iPhone into a flashlight, yet I can't turn it into a 3G-powered Wi-Fi hotspot. Why? Because the SDK has more restrictions than Guantanamo—devs can't integrate with the OS and have to steer way, way clear of copyright and trademark issues—so the most innovative, game-changing apps might not ever make it to your squeaky clean iPhone. That's why we need more than Apple's official app store—we still need jailbreaking, Installer.app (now Cydia) and the best unauthorized third-party apps to make the iPhone an ultra-powerful open platform we really want. Here are the roadblocks:
Developers can’t touch or enhance iTunes or iPod functionality in any way, shape or form—they can’t even access your music directory, meaning you better like the way the iPod button works just the way it is. Don't expect any apps to use your wonderfully curated music library either.
Casualties: Instinctiv Shuffle, a smart shuffle application that learns your skipping behavior to figure what you actually wanna hear next. Tap Tap Revolution became the watered-down Tap Tap Revenge.
No processes can run in the background—apps have to completely quit when exited, completely contained in their little sandbox.
Casualties: IM is a popular example, but Apple’s upcoming push notifications will probably make them a moot rallying point. It also means that third-party copy-and-paste solutions won’t work, since you can’t move the text to another application. Also impossible is a fantasy app of ours, TrippWire, that would record phone conversations (all legal considerations aside).
Devs can't integrate apps or functions into the OS. Third-party apps will always be second-class citizens, and can't significantly alter iPhone functions, including accessing the calendar or SMS messaging or adding any content to the otherwise useless lock screen that appears when you wake up the phone.
Casualites: Intelliborn’s Mario Ciabarra lamented to us that the SDK actually doesn’t give you all the same APIs and tools as Apple, and is missing a whole bunch of critical ones that’d let you add content to the lock screen, access calendar events or mail, or change the way the iPhone responds to events, meaning there’s no way for him to build his app Intelliscreen (above) using the SDK. Instinctiv CEO Justin Smithline also told us that you simply "can't create a well-integrated app," like Instinctiv Shuffle. This set of restrictions "flies in the face" of Apple's own philosophy of the creating beautiful software with the best possible user experience, says Smithline.
Pirated games, movies or whatever are a no-no in the App Store, obviously.
Casualties: NES.app, or any emulator, really, dooming us to bloated, over-priced renditions of Tetris by videogame mega-publishers. Also off limits, a dedicated video streaming app for something like the old Stage6 or QuickSilverScreen, which traffics in content that’s, um, not legally spotless, to say the least.
A bit different than the piracy concern, apps using copyrights, trademarks or intellectual property of a major company are sticky, and the App Store will steer clear of them if they're not developed by the company itself.
Casualties: Apps like TiVoRemote would have to be developed by TiVo or else they'd have dicey prospects, at best. Basically anything involving a company’s intellectual property or trademarks from anyone but the company themselves. An app that'll stream movies from your Netflix "Watch Instantly" account by anybody but Netflix would be another obvious foul.
Devs don't have deep access to the hardware. Jonathan Zdziarski, creator of NES.app and author of a few iPhone books, told us "much of the lower-level functionality has been hidden" in the SDK so "if your application is going to meet the necessarily political requirements, these more powerful features are off-limits."
Casualties: Stuff like Camera Pro, which gives you a ridiculous amount of control over the camera, would have a hard time complying with SDK rules. More than that, Zdziarski says, Apple has "privatized" the CoreSurface framework, which is "making it very difficult for developers to write their own movie players, 2D games, and similar kinds of renderings," especially with performance approaching passable.
Apple's app review process is a complete mystery to developers and takes forever, which can affect app quality and horribly delays app updates.
Casualties: Aurora Feint's developers revealed to us, "How the whole review process [for applications] goes is unknown to us," and that Apple doesn't even tell developers how many times their app is downloaded—they’ve gotta figure it out by the size of the check or have the app report back. NetNewsWire's Brent Simmons related the cloak-and-dagger headaches to Wired, telling them that developers are "not supposed to discuss actually programming on the iPhone with anybody—even though that would raise the quality of the apps." Between July 11 and July 17, Simmons pumped out five updates to its application and none of them had showed up by the 17th.
Apple limits app testing to five devices, so there is basically is no beta testing.
Casualties: Us. We’re the beta testers. Aurora Feint’s developers told us that for app testing, “Apple requires special signing to be done that binds each app to a specific device for debugging purposes,” and it’s limited to five, so they "definitely had some people camping out in our offices" to test. Twitterific creator Craig Hockenberry notes that the iPhone app's crash report come to a dev in a form barely more comprehensible than Swahili, on top of lacking info about what's going on in the phone outside their app. And then, if you do have a fix, there's no way to test it, other than to release it out into the wild through the App Store, "the developer equivalent of playing Russian roulette."
On the upside, Apple appears to be launching a beta testing program soon that'll let devs test apps on up to 100 devices, which jibes with what Tapulous CEO Bart Decrem alluded to in a conversation with us. Hopefully it does roll out in the next couple days, as expected. But even then, putting beta software on a device will require the iPhone or iPod serial number, and will still have to snagged through the App Store.
Apple's number one priority is Apple.
Casualties: Basically anything that threatens any of the iPhone’s core functions or key profit centers. Opera told us they aren't developing for the iPhone because the SDK doesn't allow apps "that interpret code, which is essentially what the browser does." Mozilla CEO John Lilly is more acidic in this month’s Wired saying, “Apple makes it too hard” but they’re using “a business argument masquerading as a technological” one. Any formats not supported by Apple essentially don’t exist. AT&T has implied to us that it’s Apple that’s not allowing laptop tethering, though there’s obviously network considerations for the carrier, so we're reasonably, but not totally, sure. The NY Times makes it clear that distributors of free music or video will have it tough too, so don’t expect a MyWaves or a Hulu app until the rules get clearer. Steve Jobs told the NYT that this does represent a competitive threat. "We will compete” with developers’ apps, he said blatantly.
As anyone running the 2.0 software knows, there are definite stability issues, lending a lot of credence to Apple's sandbox for applications—could you imagine it being more unstable? On the other hand, the massive anticipation for the Pwnage 2.0 tool, the vast universe of applications we’re missing out on—not just pirated goodies, but honest-to-God mission-critical wares—shows the SDK clearly doesn't provide everything we need it to. And it might never. But the black market app economy can and does fill the void. Apple might seek to shut it down, but the iPhone's two-class app economy may prove to be its greatest strength.
George Lucas in Carbonite [Star Wars]
True story: George Lucas owed us some money and he wouldn't pay. So now we have the best office decoration ever. And until Carrie Fisher shows up in a metal choker and a bikini, we're not giving it back. Those are our terms, and before anyone tries anything funny, remember that like half the Gizmodo staff knows karate—or as we call it at the dojo, karaté. galleryPost("georgelucascarbonite", 4, ""); [flickr via Newlaunches]
Monitor Large Hadron Collider’s Magnet Temperatures With Real Time Status Website [Doomsday Watch, Sort Of]
Yeah, yeah, the Large Hadron Collider is in no real danger of accidentally opening up a black hole that swallows the world when it's finally fired up on August 7. We know. But still, we sometimes like to pretend it is, and this is where Cern's LHC cooldown status website comes in. Using it you can track the current temperatures of its 1600+ superconducting magnets in real time. But what should you be looking for?
To do their particle-colliding business, the LHC's magnets must be kept ultra-cool—close to absolute zero in fact, which is a frosty -459.67 degrees F. And by the looks of it, many of the magnets are near operating temperature already. To keep them that cold, liquid helium is used, which is only liquid at extremely low temperatures. The highest temperature scale on the status website only goes up to 100K (-279.67 degrees F), so we're not really watching for "meltdowns" in the strictest sense of the word. But if the temperatures start rising to near the top of the scale, you know something is afoot. No doomsday scenarious, but still, feel free to shout out SECTOR 7 ARC MAGNET TEMPERATURES RISING! [LHC Cooldown Status via Bad Astronomy]
Vizio’s VP505XVT 50-Inch 1080p Plasma TV Will Cost $1,600, Use Panasonic Panel [Vizio]
Part of Vizio's new XVT premium line, the 50-inch VP505XVT plasma known in a past life as the VP504F, actually uses Panasonic panels, meaning it'll have something in common with future versions of Pioneer's top-of-the-line Kuro sets. Yes, the plasma universe is collapsing upon itself as we speak, though for not that might not be a bad thing. And yeah, the 1080p set has Silicon Optix's HQV Reon processor. Here's what all you're getting for $1599 when this finally hits in mid-September:
Silicon Optix HQV video engine
HQV Advanced Noise Reduction
HQV evaluates noise over time, on a per-pixel basis
HD De-Interlacing
Converting 1080i interlaced to progressive
SD Scaling to HD
HQV advanced scaling creates 80% of the pixel while
keeping true to the source
FHD – 1920x1080
1200 Nits, 30,000:1 Contrast Ratio, 100,000 hours lifetime
178/178 Viewing Angle
PIP, POP
10 bit color panel and video processing, 24P Input
Rear Video inputs
2 HDMI 1.3
1 VGA with RCA Stereo Audio
2 Component with RCA Stereo Audio
2 Composite with RCA Stereo Audio
Side I/O
2 HDMI 1.3
Read Audio
SPDIF Digital Out –
5.1 for Tuner input
RCA Output
Audio Performance
2x10 Watt
SRS TruSurround HD
[Vizio]
Vizio Black Tie XVT 120Hz LCDs Out Soon; Wal-Mart Getting 120Hz By Next Year [Vizio]
Vizio's 120Hz LCD TVs from CES are not vapor, instead coalescing into very real products. The 47- and 42-inch sets—rebranded "Black Tie" as part of the company's new performance XVT line—will be available in just a couple weeks for $1,500 and $1,200 MSRP, at street prices of around 1,400 and $1,100 respectively. I checked them out—and they weren't bad.
Those prices Vizio quoted are reasonably solid, the company says, though not 100 super-duper percent, as the LCD market is the only thing more volatile than the stock market.
The bigger news, though, is that you'll see features like 120Hz trickle down from the high-end XVT line to the VW-class Wal-Mart sets in roughly 9-12 months. Yes, a year from now, you'll be able to buy a 120Hz Vizio LCD from Wally World, at God only knows how cheap a price. Vizio's competitors on the cheap TV scene really can't keep up.
Here are the updated specs for the XVT line:
Size
47 and 42” FHD LCD
Performance
Smooth Motion V-engine
Motion Estimation
Motion Compensation
Improved Noise Reduction
FHD – 1920x1080
PIP, POP
500 Nits, 5ms response, 6500:1 Contrast
178/178 Viewing Angle
10 Bit Color Depth – 1.07Billion Colors
24P Input Capability
Rear Video inputs
2 HDMI (5.1 Output Capable through SPDIF or Wireless)
1 VGA with RCA Stereo Audio
2 Component with RCA Stereo Audio
2 Composite with RCA Stereo Audio
Side I/O
2 HDMI (5.1 Output Capable through SPDIF or Wireless)
1 component with RCA Stereo Audio
1 Composite with RCA Stereo Audio
Read Audio
SPDIF Digital Out – Tuner input
RCA Output
ID
VIZIO Black Tie
Slim Bezel
Black
Audio Performance
3 Channel (L,C,R) 3x10 Watt
SRS TruSurround XT
5.1 Wireless (2.4GHz) upgradable with Dolby Pro Logic II
[Vizio]
Fornication on the Wii is Great for Parties (NSFW) [Wii Sex]
We've seen plenty of naked/half-naked/non-naked ladies playing the Wii, but you can't make a night out of just jubblies on the computer screen—not socially, at least. Dark Room Sex Game is an "erotic rhythm game without any visuals, played only by audio and haptic cues." The result is a quasi-sexual experience that's almost just as awkward as the real thing! See for yourself:
There's a lot of moaning in that clip, so heads up on the speakers Mr. Office Worker. Featuring up to 4-player support, the game is free to download in its Java code. But without proper precautions, it could cost you a lot more when the kid reaches college age. [Dark Room Sex via Maxconsole]
Why You Should Carry a Camcorder at All Times-Plus Infrared Goggles, Survival Kits, GPS, and Canned Burgers [Another One Bites The Dust]
Adam already pointed out the need to carry a camera with you at all times to catch amazing pictures. Now, here's one reason to always remember to carry a good videocamera. And survival kits and a GPS and armored suits and canned burgers and infrared goggles or a F-35 helmet. Unlike Lori Mehmen, however, these guys didn't take cover and just kept driving to this huge mother of all dust storms in Australia. Not as dangerous as a tornado, sure, but scary doesn't even start to describe it. [LiveLeak]
USB Watch is Deconstructed Electronic Geekiness In Action [USB]
This concept USB watch, dubbed "Timeless" is either a fabulously ironic piece of deconstructivist electronic art, or a geeky overload. Whichever way you look at it, it's kinda neat: basically it's a simple digital watch, with an internal battery that's charged when you plug it into a USB socket. And then the same USB socket plugs back into the watch face, secured with PCB mount-style latches, with the ribbon cable as a strap. It's a concept... but I could rattle off a pretty long list of people I know who'd probably love to own one. [DesignBrothers via CoolestGadgets] galleryPost('usbwatch', 3, '');
DIY Home Laser Show Reacts To Music, Probably Won’t Incinerate Your Eyes [Lasers]
For those of you who're into a little bit of creative electronics as well as fancying yourself as a bit of a mean DJ, this DIY laser light show may be just the thing to spice up your parties. Not only will the project spray laser light around (and who doesn't like laser light shows?) but it also reacts to music, so you'll have your own laser visualizer. Check out the video to see it in action.
Basically the light from a lab-style laser is reflected off a mirror mounted to a speaker membrane and then gets diffracted through a grating to create multiple beams. As the music drives the speaker, the mirror jitters and bingo! You've got a laser light show visualizer that makes your giant mirrorball seem even more passé than it already is. The whole thing has pretty detailed instructions so you can build your own... just don't use too powerful a laser source, eh? Those things can be dangerous. [Project page via Hacknmod]
Scientists Make First Paper-Based Transistor [Transistors]
A team at Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal have produced the world's first field-effect transistor based on paper. The paper layer acts as an "interstrate", with the actual FET components being fabricated onto both sides: so the paper holds the transistor together and acts as an insulator. Amazingly in tests the paper transistor performed better than amorphous silicon transistors and even approaches the performance of state-of-the-art oxide thin-film transistors. Why is this interesting news? Mainly since paper is a lower-cost substrate than silicon, so this invention opens the way for cheap, or even disposable, paper displays, smart labels, RFID technology... basically expect more ubiquitous technology integration in future products. [Physorg]
Sony, Sharp, Hitachi, Samsung and Motorola Agree on Amimon Whole-House Wireless HD Standard [Wireless HDMI]
Be happy: A new wireless HD video standard guarantees that major brands including Sony, Sharp, Hitachi, Samsung and Motorola will have interoperable wireless video streaming. Amimon—the chip makers behind the "video modem" wireless HD tech we've been seeing on and off for the last few years, and most recently in Belkin's Flywire—is announcing the WHDI consortium with the above members, formed to standardize their wireless HD spec and embed it in member companies' TVs, projectors and HD video sources. The result is a network of HD components, streaming uncompressed 1080p video not just through one room like competing UWB standards, but to and from any source to any TV in your entire home, with a range comparable to Wi-Fi. Pretty impressive stuff.
The change in range is due to the chunk of spectrum being used (5GHz for WHDI and anywhere from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz for UWB). UWB is a low-power, short-range broadcast because it has to play nice with the other protocols found on the wide breadth of spectrum it calls home. (For better or worse, Monster's wireless HD kit is wireless up until the point it needs to use your home's coax wiring to gain whole-house coverage).
WHDI, however, is camped out in a chunk of unlicensed 5GHz spectrum just like 802.11n Wi-Fi, meaning it must be able to tolerate the reasonable levels of interference only from other devices that use the same frequencies, and can broadcast at higher power levels than UWB—enough for a range of "over 100 feet." WirelessHD, a third major spec also funded by Samsung and Sony, plus Panasonic, Toshiba, LG and NEC, uses the 60GHz band, and apparently has problems unless the transmitter and receiver are within line-of-sight.
Components will be paired through menu systems using a pass-key, like Bluetooth. The spectrum can hold around six streams of 1080p video at a time, although real-world interference may vary. A likely scenario would be streaming from a WHDI cable box or Blu-ray player downstairs to 3 TVs throughout your house while still having room for HD gaming in the den.
The fact that a few heavies like Panasonic are still notably missing could mean another standards battle is on the horizon. While WirelessHD already claims a published 1.0 spec, and Monster's UWB product should be out by the fall, the WHDI spec is due to be finalized at the end of the year, with products hopefully popping up in time for CES '09. Stay tuned until then—as one format war ends, another begins.
Are Extra-Widescreen 2.35:1 TVs the Future? [Widescreen]
Over at Sound and Vision Mag they're asking exactly this question, and there's a lot of logic behind it. Current flat-screen TV tech favors the 16:9 (or 1.78:1) dimension ratio, but many movies are shot in Cinemascope 2.35:1, around 32% wider. That's why you still see letterboxing on your HDTV, or the frames are cropped to fit. High-end home theater projectors already cater for Cinemascope dimensions by using anamorphic lenses and some fancy processing to correct the image. So will next-gen home TVs end up wider too?
The experts Sound and Vision asked tended to think not, with both Toshiba and Sony confirming they had no plans in this direction. Partly it's a question of manufacturing: the tooling is set up for production of TVs in 16:9, which mainly concerns the production of LCD panels (or OLED panels that're in the pipeline), and changing that would be pretty expensive. As a Samsung expert points out this even affects things like the glass used for the panels: manufactures are used to particular dimensions and achieving a particular yield from a "mother" sheet of glass... changing the screen dimensions would involve adjusting all this production too. And of course there's all the tech involved in getting 2.35:1 images onto the screen in the first place: DVDs and BDs aren't that ratio, though you could achieve it by throwing away pixels.
But all of these problems are not insurmountable. And I, for one, would welcome the idea of a "full" widescreen TV sitting in my living room in four or five years time: maybe because I mainly watch movies rather than TV shows. What's your take on the idea, guys?
Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.
[Sound and Vision Mag]
San Francsico City Worker Hordes IT Passwords; Only Shares With Mayor Newsome [San Francisco]
After having seen The Dark Knight three times over the last weekend I can't help but think this would be a great scene for the next film (which had better not be called Caped Crusader): A city municipal worker in the IT department changes some very important passwords and refused to give them up, even after jailed. From his cell, he divulges the codes to just one man, the city mayor, in a secret meeting that even the DA and police don't know about. This actually happened this week in San Francisco. The IT tech, Terry Childs, wasn't up to any nefarious deeds, or so he says, he just didn't want his co-workers to mess up his huge system, and can anyone who's ever worked in IT blame him? [SFGate]
San Francisco’s Disgruntled IT Worker Shared the Secret Password With Mayor Newsom [San Francisco]
After having seen The Dark Knight three times over the last weekend I can't help but think this would be a great scene for the next film (which had better not be called Caped Crusader): A city municipal worker in the IT department changed some very important passwords and refused to give them up, even after jailed. Strangely, from his cell, he divulged the code to just one man, the city mayor, in a secret meeting that even the DA and police didn't know about. The IT tech, Terry Childs, wasn't up to any nefarious deeds, or so he says, he just didn't want his co-workers to mess up his huge system, and can anyone who's ever worked in IT blame him? [SFGate]
Microsoft: DirectX 11 To Use GPU For Parallel Processing [Directx]
DirectX 11 is coming, and it looks pretty awesome. Sure, you get advancements in shading and better support for multi-core machines, but what's really got our heads turning is the concept of letting programmers use the GPU in your video card to do some of the heavy lifting, meaning your graphics chip becomes a second, parallel processor. While the idea itself isn't new, this is the first we've heard of DirectX using such technology and we're sure it'll have PC gaming fanboys drooling when it rolls out, whenever that happens to be. [Joystique]
First Look At New Russian-Euro Lunar Capsule [Spacecraft]
Here it is, fellow space-geeks, the first official image of the new joint Russian-European manned spacecraft, and we'll be damned if it doesn't look like something out of the Ikea Kitchen Collection. It's made to ferry up to four people (cosmonauts or astronauts?) to the moon and back, with a two-stage orbiter-and-lander design much like the original American lunar missions. What's interesting is that the craft uses thrusters to slow its descent to the moon's surface as well as to launch itself off the surface. The Russians state that they expect a launch in 2018, though a launch could happen sooner if stock rockets currently available are modified, which sounds perfectly and totally safe to us. [BBC]