Gadgets and New Technologies

In my personal opinion there are still many questions, but it’s now being reported that Apple is buying PA Semi, makers of a version of IBM’s PowerPC processor (the kind Apple just ditched to switch to Intel in 2006), not for their current chipmaking abilities, but rather for their engineering talent.

The article linked below hints that PA Semi (short for Palo Alto Semiconductor) has been in Apple’s sights for a while now, even before Apple made the switch to Intel’s Core architecture. It’s even suggested that had PA Semi’s PWRficient processor been ready sooner, Apple would’ve used it.

(Read the full post about ‘Mystery of why Apple buying PA Semi revealed, partly’…)

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In the UK, the BBC iPlayer is huge. Instant on, decent quality and free. In the first three months of the service, 42 million shows have been streamed or downloaded. So many, in fact, that British ISPs want the Beeb to cough up some cash to pay the bandwidth bills. One of the problems with the iPlayer, for non-British residents at least, is that it is only available in the UK. I’m on a fleeting visit to Blighty right now, so I thought I’d test the service out. I decided on Dr. Who, possibly the best thing from the BBC since, erm, the original Doctor Who. I pitted the iPlayer against my usual method of watching Brit TV; BitTorrent. Specifically, isohunt.com and the quite excellent software client Transmission. (Read the full post about ‘Test: BBC iPlayer vs BitTorrent’…)

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iRiver looks set to introduce some class into its new players - the E150 and E200, doing away with its traditional plastic chassis. The E100’s unimpressive LCD screen will also be upgraded to a much brighter version in the new model, and the two mini speakers on the E100’s behind will be dropped. I suppose that is good for the general peace in a train, but teenagers who want to let the whole world know what they’re listening to will have to get a pair of external speakers instead. The E150/E200 will be out sometime this summer, but there is no exact word on pricing and availability as at press time. (Read the full post about ‘iRiver Introduces Aluminum With New E150/E200′…)

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by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 24th 2008 at 3:57PM We’re not ones to peer too deeply into the Apple crystal ball, but Geeksugar says that spec-bumped iMacs are due on Tuesday, and the timing seems about right. Nothing major, apparently, just a speed bump and some bigger hard drives, but prices should stay the same. It’s still just a rumor, of course, but Geeksugar was right on the money about that MacBook / MacBook Pro bump last time around, apart from saying that multitouch trackpads would hit all of Apple’s portables. (Read the full post about ‘Updated iMacs coming next week?’…)

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Nespresso Magimix You can have this for ?99.95 (Read the full post about ‘Nespresso Magimix’…)

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»» Coolest gadgets has a new look !! Pacemaker Portable DJ System Measure more accurately with the Scale Spoon Is that a Keyboard on your pants, or… Kensington Ci70 keyboard has USB 2.0 ports Dueling Space Marines Copter Set Flat toaster makes for dangerous mornings Jt Baby USB flash drive Optibike OB1 electric bicycle VTech launches latest phone systems Wireless Digital Rain Gauge Another glyph gallery Buffalo LinkStation Mini RC Jump Jet takes off Legend of Zelda Sound Drop Keychains Iomega ScreenPlay HD Multimedia Drive hits the market Thumbnail gallery plugin by SoftSift

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Getting the perfect soft boiled egg is a culinary skill that not many possess, but thankfully we have egg boilers to make this scientific task a snap. The Vitantonia Egg Boiler is an automatic device with simple settings as well as attachments for breakfast made to order. Setting it up is a snap, featuring On/Off, 10 minutes for soft boiled, 15 for hard-boiled, accompanied by a special tray for making three perfect poached eggs. At $50, it makes your mornings less hectic as you will be able to pop in up to 7 eggs at any one time. (Read the full post about ‘Vitantonia Egg Boiler’…)

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If you’re extremely meticulous about what goes into your mouth, then the Spoon Scales would be the perfect dining room gadget for you. This spoon features a built-in scale that will be able to detect the weight of anything (preferably food) between 0.1 to 300 grams, and is accurate to 1/10th of a gram. An integrated LCD display shows the current weight, and you can toggle switch to ounces if you aren’t too comfortable with the metric system. The Spoon Scale is made out of ABS plastic, while it’s handle uses stainless steel for a more classy approach. Pro-idee is selling the Spoon Scale for $35. (Read the full post about ‘Spoon Scales for Weight Watchers’…)

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by Donald Melanson, posted Apr 24th 2008 at 1:12PM Arthur C. Clarke’s ideas have had a tendency of becoming a reality in the past, and it looks like that’s now happening yet again, in this case with a little help from the folks at DARPA. As New Scientist reports, the prolific agency is currently working on a new weapon system that bears a striking resembles to the Stiletto weapon in Clarke’s 1955 novel Earthlight. (Read the full post about ‘DARPA turns Arthur C. Clarke’s Stiletto into MAHEM’…)

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