Two cool things to check out

Verbatim Monster Battle
The Verbatim Championship is a contest of 'Media Monsters'. The site allows you to build animated monsters out of Verbatim office supplies and then battle them against other user creations. It's really fun - below is a photo of my Media Monster "PSY" celebrating a victory. Check out the site here.

Via Superpunch

Die Antwoord
I'll let you decide what to make of these guys. Check out their website here and give the video below a look.


Via BoingBoing

Kick arse Nexus One Unboxing

(via Engadget)

The latest gadget

This is the funniest thing I've seen in ages.


Onion via Gizmodo)

A bit of this and a bit of that

Here are a few cool things and a few not so cool things I think are worthy of a wider audience.

First up, the not so cool

1. In the spirit of Silights' new colour scheme, these headphones, which Gizmodo described as "one pacifier short of a personal rave."


2. The Trailer for Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li ... terrible.



3. Hokkaido Rice Pizza and the crazy shop girl who came screaming out of the restaurant to stop me taking a photo.


4. This sweatshirt. The accompanying article is hilarious, I recommend reading it. (Via Super Punch)

5. The John McCain toy I found in my local comic shop.


The cool

1. Graffiti Creator is totally cool. I used it to create the Silights header (the poor quality is due to my technical ineptitude and is no fault of Graffiti Creator).

2. Apple finally axes DRM. Read more about the MacWorld announcements at Gizmodo.

3. My new Nike ACG Storm-Fit jacket. So '08s and so cool. Well I think so anyway.


4. The MacBook Wheel. Thank you Onion News Network.


Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

5. These limited edition Obama action figures at Jailbreaktoys.com. (Via Super Punch)

Gmail Themes

Gmail has finally added a personalisation tool to its email service - themes. The function appears under Gmail's settings tab and lets you choose one of 30 themes.


Check out the Terminal theme, it's super cool.

(Google Operating System)

SiPhone

Enter the SiPhone. I know I've only had my HTC Diamond for 5 months, but the change had to made. It may be wasteful, but the Diamond's performance was just too sluggish and too limited.

I've had the SiPhone for two days and I can't understand how I lived without it. The interface is intuitive and quick. The usability is infinitely better than the Diamond's and I no longer have to carry my iPod in addition to my phone. I can't say enough good things about my new phone - I'm happy to give up the ability to cut and paste, in favour of a quick, intuitive interface.

The other big plus is the Apps Store. My pick of the apps to date include:

Fring - Messaging client, covers Google Talk, AIM, Skype, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Twitter
Remote - I love using this App even though it's unnessary in my tiny apartment
Shazam - Hold your phone to the air and have the song playing identified in a few seconds
Google Earth - The same amazing Earth touring app found on the desktop. The GPS locator function is especially cool.

PS, I have a used HTC Diamond looking for a new home.

SecondLight is amazing

The press release on Microsoft's SecondLight did not do it justice:

"The brainchild of Microsoft Researchers, SecondLight is a rear-projection technology that extends and enriches the Microsoft Surface device through the ability to project images both through and beyond the surface display, such as onto a translucent piece of plastic. With SecondLight, the translucent piece of plastic can also function as a “magic lens.” For instance, if it is” passed over an image displayed on the primary surface – suchas a car – it provides a view of the “inner workings” behind the image. In another application of this so-called “layering effect”, the transparency could register images of constellations when passed over a surface displaying the night sky. The technology also permits gesture-based interactions with the surface from farther away than rear- projected systems allow."

Trust me, watch the video.

(PCPro)

Microsoft hacks the Gibson

Microsoft has expanded its latest WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) initiative to China. The programme they are using turns the screen of computers running pirated Windows black every hour. Unsurprisingly, since a large number of Chinese computer users run unauthorized copies of Windows, they're fairly upset.

My favourtie quote in response to Microsoft's actions is from Dong Zhengwei, a lawyer from Beijing. Mr Zhengwei describes Microsoft as "biggest hackers in China". Big call.

For a change, I'm siding with Microsoft on this one.

(Reuters via Gizmodo)

MacBook Nano, iPhone Slate - NYT & Giz speculate

An unidentified Apple device has been detected in the traffic logs of some web sites. Check out the related articles by Gizmodo and NYT

Dork Talk

If you’re in the market for a clever, entertaining, informative and acerbic technology blog, look no further than Dork Talk. Dork Talk is a weekly column written by Stephen Fry for the Guardian.

Check out Dork Talk here.

(Guardian)

The case of the $3m overhead projector

During Tuesday night’s Presidential Debate, Senator McCain chastise Senator Obama over earmarks, in particular for an exorbitant earmark for an overhead projector.

“[Obama] voted for nearly a billion dollars in pork barrel earmark projects, including, by the way, $3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in Chicago, Illinois.”

That must be one hell of an overhead projector.

Fortunately, to save me and others from our curiosity, Gearlog did some investigating and found out that appropriation was requested by the Adler Planetarium to replace an awesome (but obsolete) 40-year old Zeiss Mark VI star projector with a newer model (pictured above).

Adler Planetarium Press Release: "The Adler's Zeiss Mark VI projector - not an overhead projector - is the instrument that re-creates the night sky in a dome theater, the quintessential planetarium experience. The Adler's projector is nearly 40 years old and is no longer supported with parts or service by the manufacturer. It is only the second planetarium projector in the Adler's 78 years of operation."

The earmark was not approved. McCain triumphs over science again!

(Gearlog via Gizmodo)

Turing test

The Guardian has an interesting article about six computers that are about to sit the exam of their lives - the Turing test.

In the 'Turing test' a machine seeks to fool judges into believing that it could be human. The test is performed by conducting a text-based conversation on any subject. If the computer's responses are indistinguishable from those of a human, it has passed the Turing test and can be said to be 'thinking'.

No machine has yet passed the test devised by Turing, but at 9am next Sunday, six computer programs will answer questions posed by human volunteers at the University of Reading in a bid to become the first recognised 'thinking' machine.

Professor Kevin Warwick, a cyberneticist at the university, said: 'I would say now that machines are conscious, but in a machine-like way, just as you see a bat or a rat is conscious like a bat or rat, which is different from a human. I think the reason Alan Turing set this game up was that maybe to him consciousness was not that important; it's more the appearance of it, and this test is an important aspect of appearance.'


I acknowledge that this is an interesting experiment and creating computers that can interact like a human has huge implications for technology - imagine having a conversation with your iPod about what song to listen to. That said, I think it is going a bit far to claim that if a computer passes the test it is in any way 'thinking'. I agree with Professor AC Grayling of Birkbeck College, University of London. "The test is misguided. Everyone thinks it's you pitting yourself against a computer and a human, but it's you pitting yourself against a computer and computer programmer. AI is an exciting subject, but the Turing test is pretty crude."

(Guardian)

Real life cellphone dragnet for nuclear devices

Researchers at Purdue University are working on technology that will turn every cellphone into a roaming nuclear weapon sniffer and are lobbying Congress to legally require cellphone users and carriers to participate. The Distributed Nuclear Detection by Ubiquitous Cellphone project would be kind of like the massive cellphone dragnet in The Dark Knight, but it would look for terrorists sneaking dirty bombs and nuclear weapons instead of the Joker.

Like the Batman system, the more phones on the ground, the better, since it would be able to triangulate the source of radiation more accurately. Phones closest to the deadly stuff as they pass by would give off stronger signals, pinpointing where it's at, or how it's moving in real time.

There are major civil rights issues associated with such a programme. Interestingly, in The Dark Knight, Lucius Fox initially refuses to use the dragnet and only agrees after being assured it will be destroyed after the Joker is found. This set-up allows Christopher Nolan to neatly sidestep the issue of Batman having a digital big- brother eye over everyone, which would have been repugnant to many viewers.

Ultimately, the programme is likely to take the form of a voluntary or paid-participation arrangement. I am more interested, however, in the debate around whether people’s privacy should be sacrificed in favor of state security. Let the public debate begin ...

(Newsweek via Gizmodo)

The best news I’ve heard all week!

I have just read on Gizmodo, and verified for myself, that the Hong Kong online Apple store is selling unlocked iPhone 3G - check it out here. Under the price of the iPhone, the following text appears: "iPhone 3G purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier. Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation."

Picture Gizmodo

The only reason I don’t currently own an iPhone is that I’m locked into a 2-year PCCW contract and, until now, you could only purchase an iPhone with a Hutchison plan. Does anyone want an old HTC Diamond?

(Gizmodo, Apple Store)

In China, iPhone 3G will be released without 3G or Wi-Fi

South China Morning Post today reported that, in China, the iPhone 3G will be released without 3G or Wi-Fi functionality ...

It's true, China Mobile has asked Apple to disable these two features. Disabling 3G is reasonable enough, China Mobile desn’t have a 3G network. I'll leave the reason why they're disabling Wi-Fi up to your imagination. Either way, it will turn the iPhone into an almost-useless shiny brick (perhaps this is the secret Project Brick Apple has been rumored to be working on?).

Picture: Gizmodo

(SCMP & Gizmodo)

iPhone and HTC Touch HD

Gizmodo has posted pictures of the new HTC Touch HD with the iPhone. The Touch HD is probably the first phone that can be placed next to the iPhone and not be shamed (I actually think it looks better than the iPhone).

General impressions of the Touch HD on the internets are that TouchFlo is super smooth, the screen is huge and the 5 mega-pixel camera handles low light pretty well. I’m currently using an HTC Diamond and my only complaint is that the interface is slow, particularly compared to the iPhone (2G or 3G version). If HTC has fixed the interface up, they could have a real contender on their hands.

Is this the long awaited “iPhone killer”? - Too early to judge I think. I await the HTC Touch HD with interest, particularly if I can run Android.

(Gizmodo)

Carwash for Shopping Carts

Sleepyanimal, who is clean freak, would love PureCart. PureCart is basically a carwash for shopping carts. The system uses a quick-drying sanitizing wash to clean and disinfect the carts inbetween uses. It’s perfect for the type of person who hates touching door-handles, uses wet-wipes before and after touching anything and wont use utensils if they’ve touched the tabletop in a restaurant. As far as I’m concerned, this gadget would just add one more irritating delay to supermarket shopping.

(Crazy Gadgets)

New Macbook?

According to Barron’s, Citigroup’s Richard Gardner has asserted in a research note that “field checks” have confirmed that shipments of new MacBooks have begun. Mr Gardner says the most distinctive features of the new MacBooks are “very thin aluminum casing, an LED-backlit display and an aggressive entry-level price point.”

I am very pleased to read this, as I am in the market for a new laptop. Hopefully, aggressive entry-level price point means the same thing to a research analyst from a large commercial bank as it does to me (though probably not). Currently price is the only thing stopping me from purchasing a new MacBook – it’s hard to justify the price of a MacBook when Lenovo and Asus have good products (X61 and Eee PC respectively) that are significantly cheaper.

Either way, I think I’ll delay my laptop purchase decision until early next month on the off-chance Mr Gardner is on the money with his statements.

(Barron's via Gizmodo)

Trading places

In keeping with my investment banking theme of the last few days: OObject has posted an excellent list of trading floors, including the mammoth UBS trading floor in Stamford Connecticut (above) and the futuristic glass enclosed cylinder trading room at the Tokyo Stock Exchange (below).

I’ve always been secretly covetous of the workstations that traders work at. There is something so impressive about the banks of computer screen, each filled with graphs and charts.

Hit this link for the full trading places list.