Seems like Apple is not giving up on alternative control methods: They have just updated their March Wiimote-like controller patent, so that means they may still working on it. Or maybe not. A remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system is provided. The wand may be operative to control the movement of a cursor displayed on screen by the position and orientation at which the wand is held. As the user moves the wand, the on-screen cursor may move. The user may use the wand to control a plurality of operations and applications that may be available from the media system, including for example zoom operations, a keyboard application, an image application, an illustration application, and a media application. I wish they fixed Apple TV instead, so it could play any media, and not only iTunes-branded stuff. Actually, if I were Apple, I will forget about wands and license Microsoft Natal to integrate it in all their computers, especially the iMac. [MacRumors] Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at < moc.odomzig@susej > moc.odomzig@susej
Every little boy wants to race in the F1 at some point, but does he want to spend $191,500 on a simulator? Cruden's Hexatech simulator can be fully customized for the real F1, NASCAR or WRC experience. All of the features, including the chassis, wheelbase and track, tire and suspension, engine, gearbox, differentials, aero loading, aero draft, steering, brakes and ABS can be adapted for your personal use, with each simulator coming with three 42-inch TV screens for the racing to be projected onto. Cruden is claiming it'll last 10 - 15 years, which works out to around $19,150 a year—surely you can spare that from your annual salary? [Cruden via Autoblog] Send an email to Kat Hannaford, the author of this post, at < moc.odomzig@drofannahk > moc.odomzig@drofannahk
Made from a WWII German fighter plane and Yamaha Wild Star motorbike, this sidecar bike looks like a less-colorful Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. [Henrik Toth via LikeCool] Send an email to Kat Hannaford, the author of this post, at < moc.odomzig@drofannahk > moc.odomzig@drofannahk
You've heard of resistive touchscreens, and hopefully you've been fortunate enough to own a capacitive touchscreen phone. But have you heard of Interpolating Force-Sensitive Resistance, or I.F.S.R touchscreen technology? Touchco hopes you soon will. A bunch of scientists at New York University's Media Research Lab have grouped together to form Touchco, which is working on the aforementioned I.F.S.R technology. They want to create touchscreens which are even more multi-touch enabled than we've seen so far, capable of receiving simultaneous touch inputs. Apparently these touchscreens can be produced very cheaply, with Touchco hoping to sell them for $10 a square foot. As you can see from the photo above, these touchscreens are very flexible, and don't require much power—making them ideal for ereaders, laptops and netbooks. [NYT Bits blog] Send an email to Kat Hannaford, the author of this post, at < moc.odomzig@drofannahk > moc.odomzig@drofannahk
This is probably a typical Monday in a Tennessee Walmart, but most of us wouldn't expect a guy to nonchalantly walk past a greeter with $2000 worth of stolen electronics. And you definitely wouldn't expect what happens next. So an off duty police officer, Josh Wright, notices this guy, Joseph Anthony Hill, and his wife, Lisa Hill, trying to force their way past a greeter with "a cart full of TVs and a computer." The officer flashes his badge, Joseph Hill claims its a fake, and continues his attempt to escape from the store. That doesn't work out so well as Hill was promptly tackled and arrested. Now here's where it gets weird. After watching her husband get arrested, Lisa Hill fakes a heart attack and amnesia, claiming that she did not know who her husband was. A witness spoke up and refuted that claim stating that the couple had been together in the store. Lisa Hill then flew into a rage and attacked the witness in the parking lot, but the witness soon gained the upper hand after stabbing Hill in the arm with a pocket knife. The Hills were eventually hauled off to prison and, most certainly, to hillbilly infamy. [Al via Fark] Send an email to Sean Fallon, the author of this post, at < moc.odomzig@naes > moc.odomzig@naes
That crazy spike? That's tracking the deluge of apps downloaded by (new) iPod touch owners on Christmas day. The ensuing drop? That's when (new) iPod touch owners realized that eight farting apps was the threshold of the human spirit. [TechCrunch] Send an email to Mark Wilson, the author of this post, at < moc.odomzig@kram > moc.odomzig@kram
Huh. Last Thursday, DARPA announced a workshop for Transformer. That is, their flying car program. "The objective of the Transformer (TX) program is to demonstrate a one- to four-person transportation vehicle that can drive and fly, thus enabling the warfighter to avoid water, difficult terrain, and road obstructions as well as IED and ambush threats" Sounds like something as small as a Jeep, but as easy to shoot out of the sky as a Helicopter. The Sphere goes on to recount the not-so-brief history of failed and embarrassing flying cars. We'll see what some government money does for the situation, but I think they've got it wrong: instead of making cars fly, how about they put road going wheels on jets? [Gov via Sphere, above, the Moller Flying Car] Send an email to the author of this post at < moc.odomzig@malb > moc.odomzig@malb
According to a legit-looking leak, HP is releasing 14 and 17-inch versions of their Envy laptops. And from what we can tell, even the 17-inch Envy will exclude an integrated optical drive. And if that's the case, I have no issue, since it'd be better to use that space to squeeze in a larger battery anyway. The 15's stock battery life was horrid. [HP Fansite via Engadget] Send an email to Mark Wilson, the author of this post, at < moc.odomzig@kram > moc.odomzig@kram
The TSA hasn't explained jack. But we found this audio of a pilot explaining the new in-flight security arrangements. Based on that, and what else we know, here's an unofficial guide to travel in the age of the underwear bomb. Duh: Get To the Airport Early No one knows what the hell is going on. Some places are reporting that British Airways became the first airline to impose a one carry on bag only rule, to help make the other thing we heard rumors of—mandatory bag searches and secondary pat downs for every passenger flying internationally into the US—go quicker. No word if they're talking about the "personal item" that goes along with the already standard "one bag", but it's safer to assume so. Otherwise, why would they restate the restriction? BA says they'll waive the check in fee, so that's good news. The bad news is that at any time, any other airline can decide to pick up and follow suit, so be prepared to check in a carry on bag (I.E. don't carry on fragile stuff that you can't shove all into one bag.) Oh! More confirmation just this second from Kotaku's chief, Brian Crecente who is flying back from Australia right this moment with some very whiny kids (not his) a few rows away: We had a second screening at the gate. Hands on thorough check of every bag. Also asked me to open my laptops, but not to turn it on. Then did a metal detector sweep of everyone and very quick pat down. Male security guards for men, women for women. His captain said that there would be some security procedures they'd have to follow that "won't hurt" but are "slightly unusual." Will They Search Your Underwear or Crotch For Air Safety? No word on crotch pat downs, yet. UPDATE: It appears that the pat downs focus on the "torso" and "upper legs". Upper legs not quite the crotch. I'm torn. I'm happy to retain my security screening virginity, but Hhow will they find the rest of the underwear bombs without going all the way? Be Ready For Anything, Especially Surprises We have heard that only international flights entering the US are going to be going through these pains. But we've seen other data to the contrary, and again, we don't have official word about which flights will
