tech.nocr.at » design

FlipIt – Never Hog An Outlet Again

Frank — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:02:25 +0000

If you spend any time in hotel rooms then already you know how vauable a resource and outlet can be. If you don’t carry a power bar around with you your gadgets have to compete for the one or two outlets that may be free in your room. Nothing is more annoying that swapping around plugs just to make sure you charge up all of your gadgets.

FlipIt is a brilliant design to help you with just that. The idea it quite simple, a normal plug slips through the slots in the FlipIt, allowing both cords to be connected at the same time and using up only one outlet.

Currently they only offer a USB charging device, but hopefully we will see universal AC cords with this brilliant design at the end so we can charge our laptops or other devices.

For $15 you really can’t go wrong, head on over to their site to order one.

FlipIt – Never Hog An Outlet Again originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/21. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

AA Battery / USB Flash Drive

Frank — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 05:48:10 +0000

Are they batteries or are they USB flash drives? OR are they both? These clever batteries also double as USB flash drives. The neat thing is that they charge the battery side of the mutant while using the flash drive.

Now, the next time you need a flash drive you can reach for your batteries or the next time you need some batteries you can reach for your flash drives. I know, it’s like a modern day Spork!

At this point these are nothing more than a concept, a good one at that, but still a concept.

[Link via Yanko Design]

AA Battery / USB Flash Drive originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

CO2 Powered Nerf Gun

Frank — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:24:53 +0000

Instructables hacker Philysteak527 modified a Nerf gun, making it semi-automatic thanks to the modern marvel of compressed air. This mod isn’t for the faint of heart since it involves the design and manufacture of a bolt-action the fit’s the specific gun you are using.

Philysteak527 used some polyoxymethylene plastic and a CNC lathe to create the parts needed for the bolt. Toss in some brass fittings, a solenoid, tubing, and some electronics and your set. Check out the footage of it in action after the break. You will definitely be the big boy in the school yard with this. You might very well have the SWAT team called in as well.

[Link to Semi-Automatic NERF Longshot]

CO2 Powered Nerf Gun originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/05. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Fling iPad Joystick

Frank — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:54:30 +0000

It’s no surprise that the iPad has taken off as a mobile gaming platform. The only downside to all that mobile gaming is the lack of a physical joystick. Virtual on-screen keyboards are okay for certain games but if you are into any type of sports or driving games using the virtual joystick can be a major pain. Ten One Designs aims to change all that with Fling, a tactile game controller for the iPad

You simply stick it onto the screen of your iPad using its removable suction cups, and you end up with a real analog stick. It’s made our of transparent flexible resin so you can see through it, accept when you are using your thumb on it but the same can be said for the virtual joystick.

The unit will run you about $25 and comes with its own microfiber case that can be used to clean the screen. Ten One is accepting pre-orders of the Fling starting January 6th.

[Ten One Desgins' Fling]

Fling iPad Joystick originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/04. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Control Your TV From Your Phone

Frank — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 06:23:50 +0000

Sure, you can control modern day video equipment like you Slingbox or satellite receiver via the web, but what if you have some old school gear that can only accept commands via good old fashioned Infa-Red? Instructables hacker nmcclana has put together a small embedded web server that transmits IR signals (Video after the break).

The Web Clicker, as it’s called, uses a Propeller Platform USB and E-Net Module and can play back any recorded IR command via an AJAX web interface. The unit is small, sleek and uses next to no power. You can purchase most of the componets pre-built or you can live on the wild side and download the PCB designs and etch the boards yourself.

This can be used to control anything that accepts and IR signal, not just a TV or DVR. You could add IR modules to just about anything these days so this project would be great for home automation.

[Link to Instructables]

Control Your TV From Your Phone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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PS3 Private Key Hacked

Frank — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:11:08 +0000

During the Chaos Communications Conference 27C3, hackers calling themselves failOverflow gave a presentation in which they claim to have the private key used by Sony to authorize code to run on the PS3. This essentially would give full control of PS3 systems without the need of a USB device

The group plans to show off a demo tomorrow at the conference and they say they will explain more about their discovery when their website launches. This hack isn’t designed for piracy but to enable software to be authorized to run on the PS3. Essentially this would open up the homebrew market and allow Linux to run on the PS3 regardless of firmware version.

PS3 Private Key Hacked originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/12/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

DIY: Word Clock

Frank — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 20:17:35 +0000

Have you looked at the qlocktwo word clock yet? It’s a sleek time piece that displays the time using words. The only problem with it is that it costs well over $1000, not really an affordable way to tell time.

scottbez1 put together an affordable version of the qlocktwo by using an Arduino and a whole bunch of LED’s. The whole thing should cost you just under $70 and the full build plan is up on Instrctables.

Inspired by drj113′s great instructable on making a word clock , I wanted to make my own. After seeing the (extremely overpriced) commercial “qlocktwo” word clock, I decided to borrow its smooth glossy black design while basing the innards of my clock on drj113′s design.

[Link to Sleek word clock]

DIY: Word Clock originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/12/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Nano Watch

Frank — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:05:11 +0000

You knew it was bound to happen. Ever since Apple announced the new redesigned iPod nano everyone has been referring to it as a watch and now you can turn it into one. I’ve been using the new nano for about a week now and love it. It’s perfect for the gym and it really motivates you to reaching that 10,000 step-a-day goal, and with this wrist watch band from Incipio this might make the perfect all the time watch.

Keep in mind that you will have to change your ipod daily and be okay with hitting the sleep button every time you want to check the time. If your okay with all that then you can pick them up in a variety of colours for $24.99 and they should be ready to ship sometime in October.

[Incipio Linq Nano Watch Case]

Nano Watch originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/14. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Heat-Seeking Nerf Gun

Frank — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:38:29 +0000

The awesome heat-seeking Nerf gun won Make’s Gadget Freak Design Contest. The mod consists of a Nerf Vulcan Blaster hooked up to a few Devantech TPA81 Thermal Sensors and is controlled by an ATMega 168 processor.

The unit acts exactly as it should, it tracks you via your heat signature and fires nerf bullets at you. No word yet on whether chaffs/flares will work to confuse it, but one thing is for sure, the Disintegrator Rubber Band Gatling Gun could use this heat-seeking mod.

Currently you can’t buy the mod at your local Toy’s R Us, but you can head on over to the creators website and build your own.

Heat-Seeking Nerf Gun originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/04. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Steampunk Optimus Prime

Frank — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:47:59 +0000

As someone who grew up in the 80′s there is nothing more I love than some good old 80′s cartoons like G.I. Joe and Transformers. As an older fellow I also have a great appreciation for modern geeky art like steampunk creations. What happens when I find someone who mashed the two together? I run out and try to purchase it.

The Encline Design team did just that, created a very detailed steampunk version of the famous Autobots leader Optimus Prime, best of all is the fact it transformers into a steam engine.

The paint scheme looks awesome; while still maintaining Optimus’s Red and Blue, they managed to add just the amount of buff to it to make it realistic to the steampunk style.

Make sure to check out their site for some more picture and some other great steampunk designs.

Steampunk Optimus Prime originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/01. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Leaked iPod Touch Video

Frank — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:38:20 +0000

We are only a few days away from Apple’s press event where it’s rumoured we’ll see an new iTV product and new iPod touch’s. Since it’s right around the corner the leaks just seem to be flying around.

At first glance the above picture might look like the front and back of an iPhone 4. but according to SmartPhoneMedic.com it’s the front and back from a 4th-gen iPod touch. If you belive the rumour then we now know that the new touch’s will have a retina display and glass back much like the iPhone 4 does.

A visual inspection reveals it to have the same fused design as on the iPhone 4, which naturally invites speculation that the retina display will be pulling some PMP duty as well.

Check the video out after the break and decide for yourself. Let us know in the comments what you think.

Leaked iPod Touch Video originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/08/26. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Cup Communicator

Frank — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:19:19 +0000

When I was a kid you communicated with two tin cans connected with a string, and that was the early 80′s for God’s sake. If you want to relive your childhood with a modern twist (some of us supres our childhood memories of have a Sega system while everyone else had moved on to the NES) then check out these walkie talkies that are designed to look like paper cups connected by string.

The design of the Cup Communicator is focused on the gesture of use and the relationship between the users and object. I aim to explore the potential of the product as a medium for interaction and reassess the way we use technology.
The form and function of the Cup Communicator refer to the ‘two-cans and string’ children’s toy and the physical factors involved with that device. This typology and its associations remind us of the magic and playfulness of our first communication devices.

Not exactly the form you’d want for this type of function, but it will definitely turn heads.

[Link to Cup Communicator]

Cup Communicator originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/12. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

mPower Illuminator: A $250 Flashlight

Frank — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:59:06 +0000

You might be wondering why you would spend $250 on a flashlight, especially since you can pick up a cheap one at a dollar store for, well, a dollar. There are two reasons you would do so. One would be because you are filthy rich and really don’t care how much you spend and Two, hmmmm, well you decide for yourself.

The mPower Emergency Illuminator was designed by the Porsche Design Studio (so far not worth the $250).
It comes with what the company calls “groundbreaking battery technology”. The unit has dual battery barrel’s. One barrel holds you run-of-the-mill batteries and the other holds the “mPower Reserve Battery” that has a minimum shelf life of 20 years from activation. The user chooses when and where to active it. (still can’t see why I would pay $250)
A built in USB port for charging other gadgets (Maybe. Actually, nope. Still not worth it)

So as you can see, you’ll have to be filthy rich to justify this purchase, or just an idiot.

[Via DVICE]

mPower Illuminator: A $250 Flashlight originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/12. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

NCube: Portable Gamecube Goodness

Frank — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:46:38 +0000

I’ve seen my fair share of portable Gamecube systems, but this has got to be one of the slickest I have ever see.

Designed and hacked together by a Ben Heck apprentice, the NCube is a beautiful creation. The case is a seriously modded Datamax Kid’s Delight and the screen is an unmodded Zenith PSone display. The unit also has a 2-way switch so you can choose to run off batteries or AC, a memory card slot and a rear-mounted disc drive.

You can read up on the 90 hour journey to create this or just skip right down to the end of this article to see it in action.

[Link to NCube Design]

NCube: Portable Gamecube Goodness originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/12. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

A Cell Phone For Grama

Frank — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:07:55 +0000

With the massive amount of multi-function “smart” phones out there people tend to loose the focus of what cell phones actually are; phones.

My mother couldn’t care less if her phone plays mp3′s or if it’s got a twitter client. All she wants is a phone and a super easy one to boot. As she starts to approach her twilight years (still love you mom), this generic brand mobile phone with oversize butons with a screen that can be read from across the room might just be perfect for her.

The oginal idea was to design a phone for seniors who aren’t very tech savvy, but you can also use it if all you want is a really simple cell phone.

The 6380 Senior Mobile Phone does actually carry a few handy features, including a flashlight, a massive “SOS” button on the back the can auto dial a pre-set number and emit a loud warning tone (if you think pocket dialing people is bad, just imagine this in your pocket), a phone book, SMS messaging, a calendar, alarm clock and an FM radio. The display is kept to a bare minimum with a massive font and, ready for this, a whopping 128×60 screen resolution.

The 6380 only works in the 900/1800 GSM bands, so it will work everywhere except for North America (sorry mom). If it’ll work on your home network, expect to pay $74.99 for one.

[Link to 6380 Seniors Mobile]

A Cell Phone For Grama originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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DIY: Digital Mixtape

Frank — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:36:01 +0000

Remember the good old days? When you wanted to impress a girl you’d spend all night creating her a mixtape? No, you don’t? Maybe I’m just old.

Justin Cole wanted to relive the good old days while still using modern day technology so he decided to mash together a digital tape adapter and a flash drive.

My new design uses a small mp3 player that I disassembled and placed inside a cassette tape adapter for an iPod. This allows for mp3′s to be played back through a tapedeck. This has all of the ease and technology of an mp3 player with the retro coolness of a mix tape.

[Link to Digital Mixtape]

DIY: Digital Mixtape originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/05. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Mr. Wake – The Uncatchable Alarm Clock

Frank — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:23:00 +0000

The snooze button on my alarm clock has to be the most worn out button by far. I admit it, I am an alarm clock abuser. I tend to beat the crap out of the time telling device every time that annoying buzzer goes off. Now if I had me Mr. Wake which was designed by Vadim Ryazanov of Let’s Make Robots, I would actually have to get my ass out of bed to silence it.

Mr. Wake’s job is to protect the snooze button from abusers like me. By using a homebrew IR sensor to detect anything near it, the robot takes off if you try to even get close to it. Plus, what can be cooler than having a robot that not only wakes your ass up, but has it’s frame made out of heat formed pens. Awesome. Check out the video after the break of it in action.

Mr. Wake – The Uncatchable Alarm Clock originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/30. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Sucker Alert: $1200 Mouse

Frank — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:36:45 +0000

Don’t get me wrong, a good solid mouse it a must, especially if your a hardcore gamer, but $1200? I don’t think so. The ID Mouse from Intelligent design looks great and I’m sure it’s comfortable (at $1200 no wonder they won’t send us a review unit), but the last thing I want to do is spend more money on a mouse than I did on the whole fracking computer.

I’d be afraid to actually use this thing. It would sit behind glass, just for show. Plus, look at that finish, imagine all of the finger prints and smudges that would hold. Hey, if you have more money than you know what to do with go nuts, not me, this coming from the same guy who purchased his wife a $900 purse from Coach.

[Link to ID Mouse]

Sucker Alert: $1200 Mouse originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/27. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Open Source DS Bluetooth Adapter

Frank — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:58:31 +0000

Gordan Savicic and Gottfried Haider of DSbrut have just released their open source bluetooth adapter for the Nintendo DS. The adapter will allow the DS to interface to other bluetooth devices like GPS units and keyboards. This should really open up the homebrew scene.

Almost two years in the making, we’re happy to finally release our DS Bluetooth adapter. The tiny Slot-1 cartridge allows you to hook up the Nintendo DS wirelessly with other devices such as GPS-receivers, robots and so forth. Today we’re making all materials of the project openly available, including the schematics and a GPL-licensed software library for the Nintendo DS, because we believe in open hardware design and want to encourage collaboration in the hardware hacking community.
In our design, we use a tiny ATmega168 microcontroller to make the Nintendo DS speak to the RN-41 Bluetooth SMD module by Roving Networks. Using this piece of hardware the Nintendo DS can scan its neighbourhood and establish connections to other Bluetooth devices (supporting SPP). The module can also be remotely connected to, allowing for a range of interesting applications. We also developed a software library for the Nintendo DS, making it easy to use this new Bluetooth interface.

[Link to Open Source Bluetooth DS Adapter]

Open Source DS Bluetooth Adapter originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/20. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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UPDATE – Beatles Make It Into Rock Band

Ryan Yewell — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:35:40 +0000

At the time of this post, further details were yet to be announced, but it appears official, Viacom and MTV Networks (owners of “Rock Band”) have licensed Beatle songs for their Rock Band game.

This is a pretty big deal, since even major players like iTunes don’t even have Beatle songs yet. In fact, no subscription/download service has landed the Beatles yet, so this is a first. I’d say this is just another sign that gaming is becoming a big deal.

Rock Band and Guitar Hero are currently battling it out in your living room and on your entertainment consoles, so this could help cement Rock Band as the winner, we’ll just have to wait and see.

As mentioned, I’ll have more details later today on as many of the specifics as I can (i.e. what songs, if they will be downloadable, or a stand-alone disc, etc.) At that time there should be official press releases from both MTV and the Beatles record label.

UPDATE: As promised, here are some more details on the Beatles Rock Band deal.

First and foremost (and maybe obvious), this project has the full blessing of, and input from, surviving members Ringo Star and Paul McCartney, as well as from Yoko Ono (on behalf of John Lennon) and Olivia Harrison (on behalf of George Harrison). Hopefully that means great vibes/design all around for when you’re playing Beatles music on your plastic instruments in front of your TV.

Also, the Beatles music will be in a stand-alone game (not via downloadable content, at least not for now) and most likely won’t be in your hands until sometime late 2009 (i.e. just in time the holiday season, surprised?)

The official press release states “the game will be an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles”.

So, it appears the game will span the entire Beatles legacy, taking select songs from start to finish. As a bit of a side note, it looks like the music created by the members of the Beatles when they went into their solo careers will not be in the game, so no “Imagine” for us… At least not this time around. For those keeping score, the Beatles disbanded in 1970… Wow, nearly 40 years ago.

With all the hype, and legacy, that is the Beatles, I really hope Harmonix makes something at least borderline bleeding edge, because just slapping a coat of paint that is the Beatles onto a game design that is a few years old won’t do this project justice. We’ll all just have to wait to see how it turns out.

UPDATE – Beatles Make It Into Rock Band originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/31. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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E3 Revamp

Ryan Yewell — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:30:24 +0000

Well, it’s official. This year’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) will try and recapture some of the glory days before it was drastically downsized/neutered in 2007. If you were to talk to most industry professionals, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who actually like the redesigned format of the the last two E3′s, which is probably the main reason for this re-redesign.

The official press release of the upcoming E3 2009 states:

changes include increased booth sizes, increased qualified audiences, and an intensified focus on reinforcing the high-octane growth, innovation, and capitivating entertainment that are driving the computer and video game industry.

More details will be released in the coming weeks. The event will take place June 2-4, 2009, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For more info, go to www.e3expo.com.

Who knows, maybe this will be the start of the return to E3′s glory years, but many think those days are gone forever.

E3 Revamp originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/23. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Rock Band Smoke And Light Kit

Frank — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:19:05 +0000

Do you think that you are a? Play Rock Band day and night? Why not add to your experience with the Rock band smoke and light kit. Alright, so I agree with you, this is a stupid idea, but then again stupid people buy stupid things. Performance Designed Products will soon be selling a smoke and light effects kit that will synchronize with the music from Rock Band. Not too much more info but it seems that the kit is only available to Xbox 360 owners.

You can pre-order it right now from Amazon for $99.99 as it won’t clutter store shelves until November 11th. rockstar

Rock Band Smoke And Light Kit originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/14. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Bong Or Bowl?

Frank — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:40:24 +0000

I know that this isn’t exactly a gadget, but tell me this isn’t the weirdest looking throne you have ever seen. Some Russians decided to have a bathroom design contest (who the hell holds a contest for bathroom design?) and this is what they came up with this toilet, named “Mrs. Hudosn”, maybe it’s a lost in translation thing. I’m not sure if you are suppose to smoke it or sit on it.

[Via Yanko]

Bong Or Bowl? originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/09. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

California Scientists Design Working Tricorder

Frank — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:28:58 +0000

Scientists at the University of California have created what just might be a working tricorder like the ones used in the Star Trek TV series. They aren’t actually calling it a tricorder, but the Universal Detector is a catchy name never-the-less (and one that will avoid a lawsuit).

The device would use nano-technology to figure out what kind of contaminants are present on any surface that you point the device at. Essentially you should be able to point this thing at anything and figure out what it’s made of. The idea uses a back plate that is filled with nanoscale holes. When placed on a surface the back plate is zapped with laser light and the surface plasmons that form emit light with a frequency related to the materials touching the plate. The only problem is that, the device, while sound in theory, will need a system that can decode the light signatures it produces.

If your not willing to wait for this to hit the market than you could always get this tricorder that will run on your iPhone.

California Scientists Design Working Tricorder originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/28. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Jerry And Bill Get The Axe

Frank — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:25:36 +0000

Farewell Jerry and Bill, we barely knew thee. Just when I was actually getting analytical and trying to break down the hidden messages in the ads, Microsoft goes and pulls the plug on the whole $300 million campaign. Microsoft has decided to go with a slightly different advertising campaign. In place of Jerry and Bill they will be taking a direct shot at the Apple “I’m a Mac” ads with a Microsoft engineer who resembles John Hodgman.

The Hodgman look-a-like will greet you and say “Hello, I’m a PC, and I’ve been made into a stereotype”. What will come next is a collection of everyday PC users from fashion designers to celebrities who will talk about how much they like using computers that run Microsoft operating systems and software (I bet none of them have ever used Vista).

I’m no fan of Microsoft, but one thing the Jerry and Bill ads were doing was creating a buzz again about Microsoft. It got me talking, and I hate Windows. Now I know why I don’t like Microsoft, just as they get a good thing going, they go and screw it all up.

Jerry And Bill Get The Axe originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/18. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

OS X Mod-Chip EFi-X Spotted In The Wild

Frank — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 02:57:02 +0000

Looks like the EFiX USB dongle that is suppose to relive all of the hackintosh headaches isn’t living up to expectations. The EFiX is designed to let you install and run OS X unmodified on x86 hardware, not any hardware, but the hardware that EFiX claims is compatible. You should even be able to run OS X updates without fear of breaking your system.

The product has been delayed several times, but now seems to be shipping in select European countries (no luck in North America just yet). The hackintosh community is up in arms since they claim that the device uses technology that has been developed by the community. Let’s not even go into the legal issue of this either.

There have been some reports in the InsanelyMac forums of users with both success and failure (both on unsupported hardware), but I’m sure as these things ship more and more people will be piping in with their results. If the device works as it claims, it could be a cool way to building a fast and cheap dual boot system without the limitations of Apple hardware.

OS X Mod-Chip EFi-X Spotted In The Wild originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/12. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

iPhone Document Scanner

Frank — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:15:35 +0000

Here’s a neat cardboard iPhone document scanner rig. Cincinnati design student Kyle A Koch designed this cleaver contraption that suspends your iPhone just the right height to have it snap shots of paper documents, essentially turning the whole thing into a document scanner, sort of.

Now that we can snap stills of our hardcopies why can’t someone just create a barcode scanner for the iPhone. We have Delicious Library for the Mac that already does something similar, what is so hard about it?

[Link to Cardboard iPhone Rig]

iPhone Document Scanner originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

DIY: RC Helicopter

Frank — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:37:03 +0000

Building your own RC helicopter sounds like a hard tasl, but thanks to Ben Hui it’s as simple as building a few parts and following a step-by-step set of instructions.

Flying RC helicopter is really very exhilarating. Their versatility gives a RC pilot a complete access to the three-dimensional space in such a way that no other machines can! I have played RC helicopter for more than one year but still find that I have just learnt a few tricks that it can perform. There are generally two micro-helicopters ( indoor ) in the RC market. I have already planned to buy one of them as they can fly inside the living room and even take off on ours hand. Unlike those operated by gas, these electric helicopters are very clean and give out no terrible noise at all. In one nightfall, I visited a web site, which is about how to make a hand made RC helicopter. I was totally impressed and started designing my own helicopter.

[Link to Ben Hui's tips on building an RC helicopter]

DIY: RC Helicopter originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

iPod Fridge

Frank — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:27:03 +0000

Many people have tried to capalize on the iPod fame with various adapters, docks, and cases, but a fridge with an iPod dock, tell me it isn’t so. Slovenian appliance manufacture Gorenje has designed this combination fridge-freezer with a built-in iPod dock, including speakers. Allowing you to listed to music or podcasts while cooking.

They launched their product at the 2008 IFA fair in Germany this weekend and there is no information yet on availability or pricing, but you can be sure that this will be a hot item with people who have to much money and no idea what to do with it.

iPod Fridge originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Design An OS for $20-$100

Frank — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:21:16 +0000

I’m not one for ridiculously funny things, but this ad that I spotted on Get A Coder has got to be one of the most pathetically funny requests I have ever seen.

I need someone to program me a new OS (Operasting System) that looks different than Ms Windows XP etc. but has the same style. It does not need to run on a mac but all the other PCs. It’s supposed to have a stylish look with clear edges etc. And ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE JUST A REDESIGNED WINDOWS as I’m going to sell that operating system later on.
These are some important points :
It should have ALL THE FEATURES that Windows Xp Professional has.
ALL the files that run on Windows XP ust also run on the BlueOrb OS.
It must have a very user-friendly interface (like MS WINDOWS XP)
When it gets Installed, the user needs to insert a serial number.
It HAS to be HACKER SAFE!
It must be quick and good looking.

To top it all off his budget is $20-$100. If you interested in building this OS place a bid on his job bid page

Design An OS for $20-$100 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

How To: Make A Water Gun Alarm Clock

Frank — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:20:07 +0000

Having trouble waking up in the morning? If you are anything like me then anything short of an earthquake just doesn’t cut it. I know that shooting yourself with a water gun to wake you up might not be the smartest of ideas, but then again you could always keep some soap near the bed and shower at the same time.

To build your very own Water Gun Alarm Clock you will need the following …

battery operated alarm clock
motorized water gun
some 16 gauge wire
wire strippers
voltage relay switch
breadboard circuit
soldering gun

You could really clean this design up if you have some soldering skills by soldering the wires right to the relay switch, but you have to have some nimble hands to make sure you don’t short anything out.

How To: Make A Water Gun Alarm Clock originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/31. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

© tech.nocr.at 2008 | Permalink | 2 Comments | Read more in Hacking And Security | Explore more in: ac, alarm, alarm clock, arm, avi, battery, circuit, clock, design, ds, ea, follow, gun, hack, hacking, id, ir, irc, lock, make, motorized, rc, ring, rip, switch, tag, time, tor, ui, volta, water, water gun, wire | Add to del.icio.us | Stumble it | Reddit

Skype With Style

Frank — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:45:26 +0000

Using VOIP has become quite easy, so much so that my mother has dropped her landline and gone strictly VOIP. Now more and more people are adopting VOIP, microphones and headsets are a way of the past. Take the Tatung VOIP handset, it features bluetooth, WIFI and has a touchpad design.

It’s currently only a prototype, but if this hits mass production I can see it becoming one hot item.

Skype With Style originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/28. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Portable Theater

Frank — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:54:20 +0000

The Portable PC Theater is a beautiful design by South Korean industrial designer Jin Woo Han. It consists of a computer and an LCD projector, all in one. This is perfect for people like me who spend a long time on the road and in hotels, who would want to watch a video on a laptop when you can point this masterpiece at a white wall in your room and have your very own theater.

No word yet on this idea hitting the market, but if it does I would pick one up.

Portable Theater originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/27. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Mac Mini Mods

Frank — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:11:20 +0000

Japanese modder Hideo Takano has designed 7 sweet Mac Mini casemods. Each mod is quite clean and looks slick. I personally love the Mac Mini Pro

It’s a dead ringer for it’s bigger brother. What about the Logo block? I just wish we could stack them and build a massive cluster.

You can head on over to Mac Mod Lab to see all of the creations, btw, the site’s in Japanese only.

Mac Mini Mods originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/22. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Copy-And-Paste On An iPhone

Frank — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:11:33 +0000

It’s really amazing how Apple designed such an amazing product like the iPhone and left out one of the most useful and basic features, cut and paste.

OpenClip is an open-source project dedicated to brining cut and paste functionality to the iPhone. Apple should count themselves luck since all of the fanboys are doing the work for them.

Copy-And-Paste On An iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/20. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Freedom Stick – Freedom From Firewalls

Frank — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:13:42 +0000

The Freedom Stick is exactly what it’s name implies, freedom form firewalls that are placed in countries like Chine or the one in Italy that has been erected to block p2p users from the Pirate Bay.

The project has been brought forward by the CCC (Chaos Computer Club) and is basically a version of TOR and Firefox that can run on a USB stick. The aim is to provide every internet user with the opportunity to surf the Net without fearing censorship or prosecution.

It was designed with ease of use in mind and can easily be run by people with little or no computer skill. Download the archive for the CCC’s Chinese Wall page and unpack the contents to a USB key. If you have autostart enabled the system will launch the Vidalia Control Panel and Firefox which will allow any user to sure the net using the anonymity of the TOR network.

Freedom Stick – Freedom From Firewalls originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Dev Kit For Your HP 20b Calculator

Frank — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:58:33 +0000

Yes, you heard me, a dev kit for a calculator. I’m sure that only financial nerd have the HP 20b calculator in their arsenal of financial tools, but until know all you could do with it was, uhmm, calculate. Now that HP has released a dev kit that the say is “designed for developers who want to re-purpose the HP 20b and reuse the platform for other purposes.”

The HP 20b comes with an Atmel 30MHz, low-poer AT91SAM7L128 ARM7 System on chip processor and has a bootloader and JTAG interface to allow user applications to be written and downloaded.

As of the time of writing I haven’t seen any examples yet of the HP 20b being re-purposed, but there is an HP-20b Repurposing Project wiki already up and running that includes specs of the calculators hardware, what tools you will need to tinker with the unit and a handful of downloadable software demos.

Maybe someone could turn this into a Twiiter client.

Dev Kit For Your HP 20b Calculator originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/18. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

NES PC Casemod

Frank — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:20:18 +0000

Here’s another NES mod, not quite like the “Wii in an NES” mod that we featured a few days ago, but this “PC in an NES” mod is a stealthy and slick one never-the-less. At first glance you would see nothing more than the beloved 8-bit gaming system some of us grew up with, but under the hood you will find a fully functional Windows PC load with emulators so that you can play original NES games and games from other consoles.

The modded console hides a four-port USB hub that snaps cleanly to the original NES expansion port on the bottom, allowing for a variety on non-NES controllers to be connected as well as having the original NES controller ports rewired to work with the PC’s USB system. To really keep this modded system truly old school, the unit can only be connected via composite video, maintaining that old-school blurry image that concealed some of the graphic flaws of older games.

To get an idea what went on with the design, you can read up on the mod here.

NES PC Casemod originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/17. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Split Keyboard

Frank — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:16:20 +0000

A keyboard with a built in Wacom, awesome. Alright, so it’s not exactly a Wacom that sits nestled between the QWERTY and YUIOP keys, but it does act as an independant desktop display with pen-based input capabilities.

According to the manufacture, the design is “said to provide benefit in keeping your wrists in a more neutral position, so why not take advantage of that empty space between the QWERT and the YUIOP to get some more work done.”

Although the patents for the technology date all the way back to 1994 to 1997, the guys over at Ergonomic Keyboards now say “Shipping in 2008″ on their website, which coincidently looks like it was built sometime between 1994 and 1997

Split Keyboard originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/15. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Lian Li’s Xbox 360 Case

Frank — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:37:24 +0000

Sick and tired of the heat issue in your Xbox 360 that cases the evil red ring of death? Why not jam your 360 internals in one of these beautiful Lian Li cases specifically designed for the 360. The custom case, which will run you $150, promises silent vibration-free operation and a cooler running gaming experience.

The Lian Li PC-XB01 is shipping now and should be at your favorite Lian Li distributor.

Lian Li’s Xbox 360 Case originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/14. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Homebrew Flashlight As Powerful As A Star

Frank — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:50:39 +0000

Interested in lighting up your own soccer field? Why not send morse code to any visiting aliens with The “MaxBlaster”. A 38 million candle power flashlight that is just as powerful as a miniature star when seen from a distance. Dutch optics engineer Ralf Ottow started the project by taking apart a commercial flashlight, inserting a mercury arc bulb, and added a custom designed reflector to the mix. I’m no engineer, but I’m sure this puppy will blind you or at the very least burn you if you get too close.

If you interested as to how Ralf went about building this flashlight on steroids you can visit this link on Popular Science that will explain everything.

Homebrew Flashlight As Powerful As A Star originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/11. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

USB Drive Watch

Frank — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:18:47 +0000

What better way to make sure you take that USB drive with you than have it also be your watch, unless you also forget you watch all the time, then your screwed. The Timeless Watch, which was designed by Ondrej Vaclavik, seamlessly integrates a hidden USB drive that also serves as the watch’s clasp. Perfect for getting your data across the border and through the TSA.

The watch is lightweight and requires no batteries as it charges up via USB. It’s not available for sale just yet and we have no word on how big the drive will be, but I guess you could always build your own from some spare parts.

You can see more pictures of the unit over at Ondrej Vaclavik’s site.

USB Drive Watch originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/08. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Rumour – Is This The New MacBook?

Frank — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:57:17 +0000

Could these really be the leaked pictures of a redesigned MacBook? My guess is no, but after all of the hoopla with the photos of the new nano that rolled around last year this might actually be true.

Mac accessories store AppleOwner.com and a Taiwanese site called apple.pro are both showing these allegedly leaked photos, which really don’t show off any detail.

Check out the pics for yourself and decided if you think these are real or fake.

Rumour – Is This The New MacBook? originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/05. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

DYI Chromakey Screen

Frank — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:22:08 +0000

One of the most difficult things about getting really clean chromakeys is making sure that your green/blue screen is nice and smooth and free of wrinkles.

Here’s a how-to for building a nice green/blue screen for chromakey effects. The design uses fabric ties for a nice taught trampoline like look.

Link to Cheap Portable Chromakey Screen

DYI Chromakey Screen originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/06/26. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

PSP Phone Mock-Up

Frank — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:02:37 +0000

The PSP might just have some life in it. Although this is nothing more than a mock-up of what a PSP Phone might look like, the designer behind it just might have something. We have seen failed portable gaming unit with cell phone capabilities in the past, and most of them have failed. What if you have an established gaming system, like the PSP, and add a cell phone to it? Multiplayer gaming no matter where you are? Iâ€™d hate to see the bill for a long gaming session, but you can imagine the possibilities when you started to think about it.

PSP Phone Mock-Up originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/18. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

A Pen That Sends SMSs For You

Frank — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:02:18 +0000

Writing out an SMS message can be painful at best, especially if your on a cellphone that doesn’t have a qwerty keyboard. Predictable text is great, but you still take forever trying to get your message across in 150 characters or less.

This is why the D-Scribe is such a great invention. It’s a pen that digitizes what you write, converts it to plain text and sends it off as a text message. No more thumb cramping and no more funny word choices from poorly designed predictable text systems.

Unfortunately it’s only a concept at this point, but if someone actually produces this i’d own 3 of them.

[Via Yanko Design]

A Pen That Sends SMSs For You originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/14. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Apple Entering The Gaming Market?

Frank — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:38:31 +0000

On February 5th of this year, Apple filed to protect and amend their trademark in relation to â€œhand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer gamesâ€.

Click here to view the trademark application

Could this mean that Apple is getting into the handheld gaming business or is this a simple extension of their patent to cover gaming on their iPods? Remember that Apple posted a job in September of last year for a â€œGame Producer/Designerâ€. This too might just be for the iPod line of games, or it might be their continuing effort to take over the world.

Apple Entering The Gaming Market? originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/12. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Build Your Own Witness Camera

Frank — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:39:08 +0000

Looking to beef up security around the house or office? Looking to catch them kids who are messing up the front of the house? Why not build your very own Witness Camera?

“The Witness Camera is a combination of a VGA CMOS camera, a passive-infrared movement sensor, a 1 GB SD-card (or bigger), and an AVR Mega32 microcontroller implementing a solid-state time-lapse recorder. It is a compact, complete, self-contained surveillance system designed with home users in mind. It can be installed in minutes wherever there is a mains plug, and it is affordable because of it is built using an handful of inexpensive parts.”

[Link via Make]

Build Your Own Witness Camera originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/08. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

How To Make A Jib

Frank — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:26:33 +0000

Joren has slapped together a great DIY article for all of you aspiring directors on building your very own low cost jib arm.

â€œI don’t know if the proper name is jib arm, boom, or crane. Like everything else in the world, there are at least three names for this. The basis for this design is a four-link system so no matter what the angle of the actual arm is at, the camera “basket,” as I call it, is always parallel with the ground. However, I designed a way to tilt the camera up and down, so you can get bird’s eye shots that change to be low angle shots, etc. Basically, I tried to anticipate any need I might have of a jib arm and make it as versatile as possible.â€

Link to making your own jib

How To Make A Jib originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Make Your Own Nintendo DS Games

Frank — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:02:20 +0000

I probably spend more time with my DS than I do with any other gaming handheld I own. Itâ€™s quick, fun, and also easy to put down and pick up later if I have to. Now you can take all of the fun of the DS and apply your own games to it.

XtenDS allows anyone to design their own â€œhomebrewâ€ games using a very easy GUI. The software includes support for sound effects, sprites, music, backgrounds, menus, and a fully working collision system. Using an advanced scripting language you might just make the next big hit.

The only downside is that you will need to have a homebrew cartridge to play your games (or an emulator on your PC).

So if you have an idea brewing for the next big hit what are you waiting for? I need some new games to play.

Make Your Own Nintendo DS Games originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/01. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Nikon D60 Leak

Frank — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:17:28 +0000

Since the arrival of the interweb itâ€™s pretty hard to keep a secret, unless your Apple of course who threatens their employes so that any leak is quashed. Either that or they sick their insanely huge team of lawyers on you that you just give up.

Nikon is set to release itâ€™s new D60 DSLR at PMA. The D60 features a similar body design to the D40, a 10.2 megapixel sensor, Nikons famous 3D colour matrix metering system, active D lighting for adjustable shadow detail, and some form of dust prevention that chambers the air sway from the imagining sensor.

I love my old D70. Maybe itâ€™s time to invest in the D40!

Nikon D60 Leak originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/28. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

PSP To Get A Keyboard

Frank — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:55:15 +0000

Sony is just on a roll, First the announce Skype for the PSP then a GPS unit and now a Keyboard. We’ve all seen third party keyboards for the PSP, but it now appears that Sony is crafting their own first-party keyboard. Gamespot reports that the design hasn’t been finalized yet (the image above is a well crafted fake), but that the keyboard should arrive in the middle of 2009.

This is great news for the hombrew community since creating homebrew apps that require input was painful since you were required to use the onscreen keyboard with the keypad and buttons. We might very well see an IRC client for the PSP that is actually usable.

PSP To Get A Keyboard originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/08. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Business Card That Calls For You

Frank — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:30:49 +0000

Tom Ward who designs electronics for a living wanted to create a lasting impression on people who he meets so why not create a business card that dials his number for you?

To use the card you simply hold the corner, which contains a small speaker over the phone’s mouthpiece. The card then emits a series of DTMF audio tones to dial the number for you.

Although a single card might not be that cheap you can get you costs down to about $2 a card if you produce them in large batches. At $2 a card you might not hand your card out to each person you meet, but if you want a lasting impression then it would make quite an impact.

Tom posted a very detailed step by step of this process over on Instructables. I wonder what they would say at airport security when you passed your card through the X-Ray.

Business Card That Calls For You originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/07. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Windows Mobile 7 Details Leaked

Frank — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:35:07 +0000

InsideMicosoft just got a massive scoop on Windows Mobile 7 which is due out in 2009. There have been some leaks of Windows Mobile 6.1 floating around the net, this isn’t it, this is the next full release of Windows Mobile that will fix a whole slew of issues that have been plaguing the platform.

Looks like the new V7 will be brining multi-touch touch screen gestures (including flicking, drawing, and swiping. Ala iPhone), motion gestures (shaking, flipping, etc. Again ala iPhone), a Windows Vista-esque design, better navigation and a desktop like IE browser.

Guess Microsoft has caught on to the iPhone craze.

Windows Mobile 7 Details Leaked originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/07. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Neuros OSD – Hack Away

Frank — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:11:46 +0000

The Chicago based company Neuros Technology International has created a very unique product. The Neuros OSD (for open source device) is a versatile media recorder that, by using a memory card or a USB drive can record video from multiple sources that is then stored in MPEG-4 format.

The OSD has not only open hardware, but also open software: it is based on the Linux operating system. Neuros Technology encourages hacking of the device; it has contests with cash rewards for new applications for the OSD. One winner, for instance, designed a program that lets people use it to watch YouTube on their televisions.

A company that will sell me a product that I can hack without them being upset? Where do I sign up!

It’s what the AppleTV should have been. I hope that Apple and Sony are listening.

Neuros OSD – Hack Away originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

© tech.nocr.at 2008 | Permalink | One Comment | Read more in Gadgets | Explore more in: ac, apple, appletv, car, cash, cat, contest, design, drive, ds, dvr, ea, hack, hacking, id, ir, linux, memory card, neuros, open, open source, os, osd, pen, rc, rod, sony, technology, tor, tube, usb, video, watch, youtube | Add to del.icio.us | Stumble it | Reddit

XBMC Coming To The Mac

Frank — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 22:20:01 +0000

Everyone’s favorite media center software for the Xbox, Xbox Media Center (or XBMC), is coming for Leopard. XBMC is designed to run on the original Microsoft Xbox console and it’s got one of the best media center interfaces around (I have 2 original Xbox’s at home to do just that, run XBMC).

The guys over at XBMC have been working to get the software ported over to Linux, and if it can work on Linux it should be able to work in Leopard. Elan over on the XBMC forums thought so, so he hacked together a close-to-working version on XBMC on Leopard. No final releases have ben built yet but I can smell me some XBMC on my mac any day now.

XBMC Coming To The Mac originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/04. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Cinema Display Dock Patent

Frank — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:47:03 +0000

Looks like the guys over at Gizmodo have dug up a brand new patent from Apple that shows off yet another truly innovative design from the company. The patent application describes a modified Cinema Display with a slot that would house a portable computer (maybe the new slimmed down MacBook everyone’s been talking about?). The key to the patent is the idea that the laptop would be concealed by the Cinema display once docked.

It’s yet another brilliant design concept form the minds at Apple. If we don’t get a new ultra slim laptop at this years MacWorld the thickness of this design is going to be huge, but on the flip side it removes the need for a docking station and extra wiring. I want one.

Cinema Display Dock Patent originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/03. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Build your own Bullet Time Rig

Frank — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:11:39 +0000

Graffiti Research Lab has posted a set of step by step instructions on how to make your very own bullet time rig ala la Matrix on Instructables. They designed it for a Hip Hop video (Link to video)

Now it’s not cheap, you still need to have over 20 cameras to make it work, but if you really want to pull it off, this is the perfect way to do it for as little money as possible.

Build your own Bullet Time Rig originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Modbooks begins shipping

Frank — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:38:44 +0000

The first fully functional Apple-authorized tablet Mac, the Modbook from Axiotron, which is highly anticipated will begin to ship soon. The Modbook integrates a Wacom digitized pen-sensitive LCD slate style display making it easy for designer and artists to preform all of their work with ease. The Modbook will come preloaded with Leopard and will be powered by either a 2GHz or 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Other goodies include an iSight camera, an integrated 24x DVD combo drive, and built in GPS. With a 13.3″ display and higher contrast ratio people will be able to see the screen from virtually anywhere.

The unit will retail for $2,290US.

Modbooks begins shipping originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/01. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Blackberrys new angular design

Frank — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 03:57:01 +0000

Looks like someone at RIM is trying to get us all to learn yet another new keyboard layout. As if the Half-Qwerty system that the blessed Perl came to offer it looks like a new angular design will keep all of us thumb typers guessing.

A new patent filed by the company reveals the weird angular keypad that it claims will make inputing text easier. The patent also reveals that this might well become an onscreen keyboard of the touchscreen BlackBerry. Ohh Joy.

Blackberrys new angular design originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/12/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Webstatistics 2.0

Frank — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Are you a web designer? Do you own a web site? Well if you are a stats junkie like the rest of us, here is the site for you: http://www.xinureturns.com/

As the site says, it’s “Page Rank and much more”. It would be a bit much to list everything that this site looks up about your URL, so you are just going to have to click the link and find out for yourself.

Another nice link to have is : http://www.unofficialseoblog.com/top-10-must-have-seo-firefox-extensions/2662/

Webstatistics 2.0 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/10/03. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Apple’s collapsible connection patent

Frank — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Apple is expected to introduce a widescreen ultra-portable laptop in the coming months. A new design patent has revealed that it may contain a c collapsible connection receptacle on the back to house all of the I/O ports.

Under the design proposal, the ports maintain their original form whether the connection system is in an open or closed position. When the connection system swings to the closed position, the ports also swing with it such that they are flush with the mobile device.

At some point later this year or in the early New Year, Apple is expected to introduce its first ultra-portable notebook in quite some time. Rumor is that it will lack an optical drive, include on-board NAND flash, and have a 13-inch widescreen LED backlit display.

Apple’s collapsible connection patent originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/08/16. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Nmap 127.0.0.1: Flash style

Frank — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

A design flaw found in ActionScript (Flash) has been allowed the scanning hosts via trial and error. Whenever a port is queried by Flash that isn’t open, it responds with a “SecurityErrotEvent” instantly. But, when a port is open, it doesn’t get that response for an extended period of time, while it waits for a reply to

“policy-file-request”. PoC can be viewed at the below address. Now the question is: What ELSE can you do with this information once you have this ability. I’ll leave that up to the color of your hat.

scan.flashsec.org/

Nmap 127.0.0.1: Flash style originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/08/13. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

UNI – The Modular Computer

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Richard Choi had developed a modular computer concept called UNI. In UNI, every important functional part of the PC is separated and broken up into individual modules. Whenever you want to upgrade your computer all you have to do is buy the required module and plug it in.

The designer has also named each module with an easy to understand name. For example, the â€œThinkâ€ module is where the processor resides. While the â€œStoreâ€ module houses the hard drive.

I love the idea of easy and simple upgrading, but with me leaving my power supply to my laptop at home at least 3 or 4 times a month I can only imagine how many times I’d leave the “Input” or “Store” module behind.

UNI – The Modular Computer originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

How To: Build a USB Laser Air Purifier

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Here’s something for all the cleanliness freaks roaming the Internet, a USB powered air purifier using 4 lasers. You’ll need a mini DVD disk, a PC fan, USB cable, and some laser pointers. The idea behind the design is that laser destroys the bacteria in the air. If that doesn’t work it at least makes a really cool desk lamp.

How To: Build a USB Laser Air Purifier originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Golden Disk – Just don’t drop it

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Have designers really come to the end of their creativity? I mean, we have seen Prada Cell Phones and diamond encrusted iPod‘s, now a external disk unit that actually contains gold?

Ora-Ito, designing brain child behind the LaCie golden disk which is a 500GB storage unit says that the silhouette of the device has been inspired by flowing golden liquid. I’m sure it will be a focal point, but I’d be scarred as hell if someone stole it!

No pricing yet, but i’m sure it will cost a mint (no pun intended).

Golden Disk – Just don’t drop it originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Worlds Smallest 1080p Camcorder – Sanyo DMX-HD1000

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

It’s amazing how quickly technology moves, I remember not to long ago lunging a massive JVC camcorder that recorded stuff on VHS tapes, now Sanyo has introduced the worlds smallest 1080p camcorder, the DMX-HD1000. Recording video at 1080p at 60 fps it is using the magic of MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoding to make it all happen, the DMX-HD100 fits perfectly in your hand. It’s got a nice 10x optical zoom lens, a fold-out 2.7 inch viewfinder, and a nice clean design to it. The only downside to this unit is that it records on to a 8GB SHDC memory card, and recording at 1080p it will only give you about 80 minutes of video.

It will hit the shelves in Japan sometime this September and will retail for about $1000 USD. Expect to see it in North America in either late 07 or early 08.

Worlds Smallest 1080p Camcorder – Sanyo DMX-HD1000 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Red One: Out the door this Friday

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

The much-anticipated Red One video camera will begin to ship the initial 25 units this Friday. They cost a cool $17,000 each, but with an 11.4 megapixel sensor and the ability to capture up to 60 fps, double that of high end HD camcorders, $17,000 isn’t that bad a deal.

The modular based design works in its favor as well, enabling users to add different rigs, lenses, and other accessories according to your needs – allowing you to capture images in a lower quality. Currently, directors such as Peter Jackson and Steven Soderbergh are already using it.

If you want to purchase one for us to use on Digital Underground.tv, please feel free to do so.

Red One: Out the door this Friday originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Bluetoothbrush concept

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I’m surprised that this concept hasn’t hit the market sooner. Erik Hernandez and Kevin O’Leary designed a Bluetooth-powered electric toothbrush, which features a hands free design.

I’m not quite sure if you’re supposed to chat with other Bluetoothbrush users who are around you or not. I’m sure that the unit will have some serious water resistance applied to it.

[Via UberGizmo]

Bluetoothbrush concept originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

DigialDJ’in – Denon’s DN-HC4500

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Many moons ago I spinned a few records on some old Technics 1200′s. When I saw this bad boy I just had to jump on it.

Goodbye vinyl, Hello MacBook. Denon unveils the DN-HC4500 Media Player and Controller, â€œfirst USB / MIDI audio interface designed exclusively for computer performance club and mobile DJs.â€ No longer will we be forced to have various computer parts (or entire computers) spliced into our decks. The DN-HC4500 features both PC and Mac support, 24-bit processing, BU4500 drive support, real time displays, touch-sensitive jog discs (for all your scratching needs), and comes integrated with Reflex LE software. And it looks sexy. Incredibly so.

$540 USD for this puppy, but it sure beats having to spend all the cash on records.

DigialDJ’in – Denon’s DN-HC4500 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Xbox Mini

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I’ll give Sony some credit, the slim PS2 was a great addition to their line. They dropped quite a bit of bulk and weight from the original PS2. Now some guy over on the Xbox-Scene forums started to work on what will hopefully one day be the finest Xbox casemod of all time. The Xbox Mini case that he fabricated is a thing of beauty, reducing the ugly black behemoth that was the original Xbox into a tiny little package.

It’s unclear if and when he’ll finish this project, but hopefully he will. If only Microsoft had designed something like this and released a low-cost Xbox Mini when the Xbox 360 came out, they might have taken some business away from the Wii.

Xbox Mini originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Nintendo Necklace: Girl Gaming Style

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

It’s so easy to find gaming gear that is created for us dudes so it’s nice to see something developed for the women who love gaming. One side provides a feminine cheery blossom design, but when flipped over you can show your true gaming spirit with an image of the classic Nintendo NES controller.

Michigan artist Sarah Lynne handcrafts these gems. She uses aluminum, wire, paper and paint to craft these beautiful pieces. They are followed up with a highly polished resin glaze that takes protect the design.

You can find her Nintendo necklace (and many other original pieces over on Etsy for about $45.

Nintendo Necklace: Girl Gaming Style originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Xbox 360 or X-Game 360?

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

You’ve got to hand it to these guy who come up with these knocks offs. Check out these slightly familiar video game consoles on sale down in Mexico, how many people would actually be fooled by these?.

I’m not sure whether I like better, the X-Game 360 or the PowerStation 2. These cheap packaging copies are clearly designed to fool some unsuspecting buyer into thinking they’re getting a great deal on a real console. Instead, they’ll be sorely disappointed when they open the box to discover some 8-bit NES clone wrapped in sheep’s clothing. (Unless you’re like me and like playing old NES games).

The good news is that those prices aren’t in US Dollars, they’re Mexican Pesos (that $ symbol threw me off too). So anybody who does end up buying one of these will only be out around 25 bucks. Probably cheaper than buying an NES on ebay and paying for the shipping!

Xbox 360 or X-Game 360? originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Flip Screen for your PS3, why?

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Nevover Electronics has introduced a 7â€ flip screen for the PS3. It’s designed to mount on the top of the console and provide a 7â€ TFT LCD screen for playing games and viewing videos. The resolution on it is a mere 234 x 480 so you can forget viewing any cool 1080p hi-def stuff on it.

I’m not quite sure why anyone would actually want this. As it stands the PS3 is already over priced and if you do own one I’m sure you want to take advantageous of 1080p content. Plus, the PS3 weighs in at over 11 pounds so it’s not like you could lug the unit around easily. Still, if your a PS3 junkie, I guess this is your only option for the road.

Flip Screen for your PS3, why? originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

New slick PSP

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve never been a big fan boy of Sony products. One Sony toy that I own that I have a hard time going without is my PSP. During the Sony media day Sony announced a new revamped PSP, let’s call it Rev 2.0

The unit looks almost identical to the original model with some serious new features.

Repositioned speakers (above the directional pad and the triangle)
Power button has been moved to avoid accidental shutdowns via your hand
The unit is 33% lighter
A new video out port (tre cool)
The UMD slot has been redesigned to open wider

Sony also announced that the PSP would receive an update soon to enhance its connectivity with the Playstation store, including the ability to download PSOne games without the need for a PS3

Now if Sony would only take a page from Apple’s book and back off from homebrew development, they would sell many more units.

Look out for the revamped PSP to hit store shelves real soon.

New slick PSP originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

TV out locked on iPod classic and iPod nano

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I wonder if Apple is taking a page from Sony on this one. It seems that Apple has redesigned the TV out functionality of the new iPod classic and Nanos so that they no longer work with older third-party TV out cables and docks. The new classics and nanos require an Apple authentication chip in the dock or cable to unlock the TV out settings. The chips are only made available to official third party suppliers (remember, Apple gets 30% of all third-party sales on authorized products).

Looks like when the AV cables for the new iPods hit the shelves they will run you about $49, until then I guess we are all stuck.

[Via iLounge]

TV out locked on iPod classic and iPod nano originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Multi-Touch Macbook

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Patent filings usually aren’t that big a deal, but when Apple steps up to the plate with goofy and innovative designs people generally pay attention.

The latest filing for Apple to become public is the “Wide touchpad on a portable computer” (It’s a continuation of an earlier patent filed in early 2004). Much like the iPhone, touchpad computing might just be around the corner for your next MacBook.

Special sensors will determine the positioning of the hands and fingers relative to the touchpad and software will figure out your intentions:

Whether you are just typing and the touchpad should be disabled,
Are you using a finger to move the cursor and other fingers are just accidentally resting on a touchpad
Are you trying to manipulate objects on the screen with several fingers and Multi-Touch should be enabled
Etc;

With the success of the iPhone touch screen keyboard this might be a great advancement in the way we use our computers. Imagine being able to switch keyboard layouts on the fly, or the ability to switch to software keyboard shortcuts right on the display. Only time will tell.

Multi-Touch Macbook originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Please let there be a .mac update

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Could it finally be? Has Apple finally listened to it legions of fanboys & fangirls and given us a much anticipated update to the great, yet featureless .mac service? If you’re like me and use this service heavily to sync your contacts, calendar, and email accounts across multiple Mac’s you’ve also been dying for this. When I logged into my .mac account earlier today i spotted a little note posted on the main page of the .mac service might give us some insight into tomorrow’s special Apple event.

“Due to scheduled maintenance, .Mac members might be intermittently unable to access some .Mac services from 10 AM to 12 PM PDT on 08/07/2007. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

I’m hoping we see some more functionality. Maybe some more space or the ability to use a much more robust webmail interface (with support for our own imap accounts, not just our .mac account.)

Looks like they might be tweaking the system just before Apple hits the stage tomorrow. Either that or they have sent all us bloggers into a tail spin.

Other rumored updates include…

Upgraded iMac’s with a flashier design
New Mac Minis with a smaller form factor and bigger Hard Drives.

Please let there be a .mac update originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.