Archive for the ‘Audio’ Category

Dolphin-Inspired Personal Submarine

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

The premise of Innerspace Productions’ Seabreacher? A personal sub in itself is already cool, but what about a personal sub that supposedly can jump, dive, and roll like a real dolphin?

Images!





Video!

Quick facts:

  • This is nothing new; the product FAQ cites experience based on 10 years of use
  • A promise top speed of 40mph on the surface and 20mph underwater
  • Price is $48,000 for the basic model, while all the bells and whistles can be had for $68,000
  • Inner Space ships all over the world, through 20-foot shipping containers, for around $3000 to $6000 depending on location
  • Max depth is 5 feet
  • Positively buoyant; unless something’s actively dragging the Seabreacher down, it will float to the surface automatically
  • Cockpit and engine bay are kept watertight with pneumatic, inflatable seals
  • Launchable on regular boat ramps, the Seabreacher comes with its own custom boat cart

The Best Rally Video Ever

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

So Ken Block the rally driver is known for the views he scores on YouTube. So what happens when he enjoys the support of BBC’s Top Gear? A really well-edited and polished video, of something called Gymkhana, full of slow-mo goodness:

I know Block just started participating in the World Rally Championship, but why only now? What, did he have to develop his skills at Rally America or something, before going to the big leagues? This driver has props, and the unsophisticated rally fan in me thinks he can give Sébastien Loeb a run for the money.

Courtesy Ken Block RacingCourtesy Ken Block Racing

The course is actually within an operating airport in South California, the Inyokern airport. Fittingly, it used be a very old drag strip (second oldest until it was closed down apparently), until the killjoys at the FAA decided that racing cars beside planes went against some rules.

Apple Disables Pre-iTunes Sync

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

When the Palm Pre debuted, many made noise over its ability to sync with iTunes. The talk mainly centered on how Palm figured this out, and what actions Apple would take.

palm-pre-sync-itunes

So it comes as no surprise that the latest iTunes update basically “disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre.” Palm’s reaction to this isn’t clear yet, but here are some possibilities:

Palm Sues Apple. Given Apple’s dominance of the portable music industry, could Palm’s lawyers argue that Apple is being anti-competitive?

Someone hacks iTunes to restore Pre compatibility. Or simply comes out with a program that fools any version of iTunes into accepting non-iPods for syncing. You know it’s going to happen, especially if the Pre was able to re-motivate the Palm faithful.

Apple Sues Palm. So the iTunes+iPod ecosystem is a closed, proprietary setup. Which Palm tried to violate. There should be a legal liability or two somewhere there, and Apple could imply industrial espionage at the very least, especially since a former Apple executive was responsible for the Pre’s creation.

PowrAmid: Funny But Useful Form Factor

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

The name “PowrAmid” is cringeworthy, and its shape is unorthodox at best, but there’s a method to the madness: here’s a power “strip” that truly supports multiple power adapters!

Courtesy Kreative PowerCourtesy Kreative Power

Any avid gadget user knows how bulky gadget plugs are nowadays, especially since manufacturers integrate more hardware within the plug itself. (Worst offenders: cell phones, speakers, and Apple laptops without the power cord extender) So it’s hard to maximize a typical power strip, as those bulky plugs rudely violate the personal space of adjacent sockets.

The PowrAmid addresses this problem somewhat by orienting the sockets in a circular fashion, providing some angular clearance that allows plugs to go all the way in, while leaving some space for equally bulky counterparts.

Courtesy Kreative PowerCourtesy Kreative Power

Another benefit? The PowrAmid is also relatively compact, taking up less space than the traditional strip configuration. This also means it’s a perfect desk ornament, allowing users to keep their cords’ slacks bundled up while plugging things in. Integrated surge protection and a power switch cover just add to the list of potential pluses.