by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
For years, gamers have been playing flight simulation games like the Flight Simulator with a keyboard and a mouse. Sure, you can purchase a joystick for a little bit of added realism, but is that joystick really a ?stick? so to speak?
All of that is about to change with a new series of MetalStrike joysticks. There are three of them: the MetalStrike FF, the MetalStrike Pro, and the MetalSrike 3D. As you can see from this picture of the MetalStrike FF, it really looks like the controls that you would find on an F-22.
All of these controllers have 13 programmable buttons, an eight-way POV switch, and even a turbo function for autorepeat. These controllers also have a four axis design for rudder, aileron, elevator, throttle, and other controls.
These controllers will feel real in more ways than one. The MetalStrike FF has a force feedback function, so it will vibrate when the user is playing his or her favorite flying and shooting game. The MetalStrike Pro also has some vibration thing going on for gaming, but the MetalStrike 3D has no such feedback.
Metalstrike?s three new controllers are available right away. The MetalStrike FF is about $69.99, the MetalStrike Pro for $39.99, and the MetalStrike 3D for about $26.99.
Source
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
There?s nothing that I love more than writing about futuristic concept technology that everyone needs in the present. So naturally, I admire this Ring ID, for lack of a better name. It doesn?t look like designer Hideaki Matsui has officially named his concept product yet, but it is the concept and not a name that has already sold me.
Here?s how it works, you have a ring that you program your personal information on, such as your email address, website, or your phone number and address if you want to get really personal.
Here?s the really cool part: you shake hands with someone else who is wearing the Ring ID, and now you have his or her information, as the rings will automatically download it. Then you can download the new info onto your computer on your Contacts list, and the other person also has your information.
This would have helped me out a lot at the last conference that I went to. As much as I like collecting all those business cards, they do occasionally get lost in the shuffle. Best of all, if I wanted to change the information on the ring, I could just hook it up to the computer. No more printing off new cards all the time.
Well, the Ring ID is still concept, but hey, I would love one of these.
Source
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
Some of you may need to pull your mind out of the gutter when you hear the word ?hardcore?, but Hardcore Computer is a custom designer and manufacturer of high-performance computer systems.
Hardcore Computer?s newest product, the Reactor, is quite unique as all of the heat producing components, such as the CPU, motherboard, video card, memory and power supplies, are immersed in a custom dielectric fluid called Core Coolant. This gives the Reactor a cool look of a fish tank that is like no other.
So besides the Core Coolant, what else is inside the Reactor? How about a choice of Core 2 Extreme processors, 8GB of DDR3 memory, and an option of up to three GeForce GTX 280 GPUs.
Other features include optional, dual, and diversity Wi-Fi antennas. a CMOS battery and BIOS reset switch, full-throttle processing, HD/3D realism, Creative Labs X-Fi, and a 7.1 channel Dolby digital surround sound.
Yes, the Reactor should be probably popular with the gamers, as well as anyone who needs a lot of memory to run their business. Supposedly, upgrades are easy, despite the fluid immersion of the major components. Careful it doesn?t leak out, now.
The price of the Hardcore Reactor is quite high at $4,500, and some of higher-end models will fall a little under $10K.
Source
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
Not everyone can shelter their laptop from all kinds of hazardous conditions. Sometimes it’s absolutely necessary to have it in places that might not be the best for it. Well at times like that the best you can do is try to find equipment to put it in that might be better to keep it safe. After all a dead laptop means you have to spend more cash to replace it, plus if you didn’t back up your files you just lost a bunch of material. Well this messenger bag is meant to help you keep your laptop safe and whatever else you might put inside of it.
It is 100% waterproof, and that doesn’t mean douse the bag with water and it’s safe, but your laptop is not. It protects the inside by using a roll top closure. The inside walls are heavily padded and the logo is made of reflective material. It can protect the contents from dust, sand, dirt and water. It is only suitable for quick submersion, so you can’t sink it to the bottom of the ocean for a few days and expect it to come out of the water fine. It will fit up to a 17inch laptop and will cost you £39.99 or about $68.
Source: ChipChick
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
The Google Android open-source website is now open, less than a year after announcing the android operating system. If you go to the site you will see that it includes of course the Android source code, project list, how to contribute, feature descriptions and information guide as to who can have what role in a project.
So just as the T-Mobile G1 is about to launch into the market, (officially launching tomorrow in the UK) the outside developers will be busy developing on the open-source Android site and all contributing to the development of the T-Mobile G1 making it a strong competitor in the smartphone market.
Whereas most of Google competitors charge for the code, Google are offering the Code freely, for developers to modify and be distributed by anyone. Open-source is considered a powerful tool to help a broader agenda although it?s not thought of as a one stop shop for a thriving company.
Top technology companies such as Apple, Oracle and IBM have subsidised open source projects.
Source: cnet
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
This is what we would call a shambles on the Google Android G1 Phone front, of course we would retract that name if something is done about what you are about to read.
The Google (GOOG) G1 (GPhone) which is the first ever Android-powered smartphone is pretty impressive to say the least and of course goes on sale tomorrow (October 22), the phone?s web-browser is much faster than that of the Apple iPhone 3G which means so far so good, but the Apple iPhone is best when it comes to apps whereas the G1 Phone lacks in this department.
AlleyInsider have published a list of the names they found, the kind of big-name software companies that you will find on the G1 Android Phone, we will give you the names for now and if you want to know more about each of these names then please visit the source link below.
These are the better named apps for the G1 phone:
? imeem’s mobile Internet radio service
? MySpace mobile
? Shazam
? Accuweather
? The Weather Channel
These are the ones that are missing still (see why we say shambles):
? Facebook
? Last.fm
? Pandora
? AOL
? Radio, etc
? Games from major publishers like Electronic Arts, Sega etc
Only time will tell, but we can see more apps coming, it seems they want to get as many of these handset sold tomorrow smoothly, which tells us apps are the least of their problems.
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
Now this is pretty cool what CNET have done, we would have done something similar if we had our hands on the T-Mobile G1.
The video below is an iPhone 3G Vs T-mobile G1 speed test, basically both phones are put on the table and both phones will open CNET?s website using each phones browser. Obviously the Apple iPhone 3G uses Safari browser and the T-mobile G1 uses Google?s own browser.
Now obviously dependant on where you are in the world the times would fluctuate, but in this case the two phones are sitting side by side getting the same 3G coverage, this means it is a pretty fair test. The video shown below shows a very good result, the iPhone 3G opens the website up fully in 30 seconds, whereas the T-mobile G1 does the same thing in only a mere 22 seconds, that means the G1 is an astonishing 8 seconds faster than Apple?s smartphone.
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
Not one to be left out, Hewlett-Packard are joining the smartphone race with two new smartphones to be sold through Vodafone, HP?s iPAQ Data Messenger and Voice Messenger phones will be sold in the UK through Vodafone?s business channels, the rest of Europe will have to wait to see if they will be getting the HP iPAQ?s.
The details are still pretty sketchy, but we do know that you will be able to buy the phones from the HP website, and you will probably be paying around 549 euro?s ($725) for the iPAQ Data Messenger and 449 euro?s for the iPAQ voice messenger.
If we take a closer look at Vodafones HP iPAQ Data Messenger first thing that I am impressed with is the full sliding QWERTY keyboard and 2.8inch touchsceen, With the iPAQ Voice messenger not really pulling any punches with me with only a 2.4 inch screen and no touchscreen.
Everything else on both devices are pretty similar, HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, fast downloads, you have the ability to take great shots with the 3.1 megapixel camera and has a storage microSD slot for up to 8GB and both models use the Windows Mobile 6.1
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
Research in Motion (RIM) the people behind BlackBerry has just revealed new details on the all new version of its Blackberry Enterprise Server platform.
This was all mentioned at the recent Blackberry Developers Conference in Santa Clara, California, this conference has over 900 delegates from around the world, so that tells you it was an important one. Anyway the all new mobile integration platform will be called the Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) 5 or codenamed Argon will be released on 31st March 2009.
Alan Panezic, Blackberry Software vice-president of software product management said “With this release we are focusing more on easier messaging and collaboration and developing a wider ecosystem of Blackberry developers and software suppliers. We also want to further mobilise key business processes for customers.”
They want to deliver to all areas so RIM has focused on much easier deploy and management methods of users connected by the system. There is multi-level and multi-tiered group support, which will allow such administrators to finely tune which applications and services users can get access to from their organisation while on the move. For more information please visit source links below, and then tell us what you think about the all new RIM Blackberry Enterprise Server platform.
by Techno Witch on October 21, 2008
Love it or hate it, and most love it; the Apple iPhone 3G isn?t quite as perfect as Steve Jobs or everyone else wants it to be. Customer feedback has now gone public on Please Fix the iPhone. Please Fix the iPhone is a website which allows Apple iPhone owners, and anyone else who likes too, list what they feel needs fixing on the Apple iPhone.
Visitors to Please Fix the iPhone are also allowed to vote on what they feel about which features require fixing on the Apple iPhone by Apple, and the feature which receives the most votes gets bumped further up the list.
At present the most requested moans and fixes are: in order of urgency, Copy and Paste ? Landscape view in emails ? the ability to hide unwanted icons ? to use the Apple iPhone as a 3G modem for the Apple MacBook ? and for Apple to make Flash work on the iPhone.
So there you go Mr. Jobs, a new Christmas Wish List for you to ponder on.