Category: Lifestyle (Page 20 of 20)

      Your Ears Aren’t In Control

      September 30, 2009 /

      Sony Ericsson earbud guy.As predicted, Sony Ericsson’s great announcement for September 21st was underwhelming; it was so underwhelming, in fact, that I forgot all about it. I didn’t even think to look for it until today when I saw a drawing that vaguely resembled the creepy dude from the original website.

      So what was the big announcement? Earbuds controlled by your ears! If it sounds confusing, that’s because it is. One big confused mess that reminds me just how out of touch tech companies can be. The new headphones, called the MH907, work by sensing how many buds are in your ears. Plug in two headphones and your music starts playing. Unplug one to pause your music. If you get a phone call you can take out both earbuds and then plug one back in to answer. To hang up, pull an earbud out, then put both earbuds in to start the music back up.

      I think everyone has the same question here: why invent a product that requires a string of gestures to replace one-click functionality. You know what I do if I’m listening to music on my phone and I need to pickup an incoming call? I press “Answer Call.” Just once. To start my music back up, I press “Play.” That’s it. No plugging and unplugging. No pointless ad campaign to point out a worthless product. Just one of those button things we’ve been hearing about for so many years.

      Audio, Lifestyle, Mobile

      T-Mobile Sidekick Gets Facebook And Twitter

      September 5, 2009 /

      Twitter on the Sidekick. T-Mobile’s Sidekick got the smartphone treatment today with the addition of Facebook and Twitter applications to the Sidekick Download Catalog. As one of the most prominent phones to implement a full keyboard and some proprietary messaging features, it’s really been a long time coming. The applications work with the Sidekick 2008, the Sidekick LX, and the Sidekick Slide.

      The Facebook application is free but the Twitter app will run you $2 a month. I gotta say, $24 a year for Twitter use seems a little out of hand. It’s also strange considering the Sidekick 2009 comes pre-packaged with free apps for both Facebook and Twitter. Was Twitter really that much harder to integrate into the old phones than Facebook? Did they just not have as much developer support? Is the app just that cool?

      If you have an older Sidekick and the time to drop a comment, let us know. This is a strange one.

      Lifestyle, Mobile, News

      Canadian Man Selling Homemade Jet Pack

      August 31, 2009 /

      Canadian man's homemade jet pack.If you’ve got $2500 dollars (I’m assuming Canadian) and feel like making a really poor decision, there’s a Canadian man you need to meet. Though he remains unnamed, he would still like to sell you his homemade jet pack, but you better be willing to part with some cash.

      The man put an ad up on UsedVictoria.com, where he hopes to sell the jet pack for the aforementioned $2500. What do you get for your hard earned cash? Why not let the man tell his own story. The copy from the ad reads as follows:

      Handcrafted by myself Using Car and Airplane parts. I spent 15 years as a mechanic. Can Use for 2 High Jumps 10 feet in the air with a safe landing before overheating, takes about an hour to cool down after that.

      weighs 53lbs, approx Camping backback in size , dull grey in color.

      serious buyers only can test out on my property and of course watch me first for safety reasons and training.

      At the very least your $2500 will get you the chance at seeing a man blow himself into tiny pieces. You better hurry, though. The offer’s only good through September 28th!

      Lifestyle

      I Want This Temp Controlled Coffee Mug NOW

      August 21, 2009 /

      The perfect coffee mug.The thermos concept isn’t really anything new. You surround a liquid with an insulator of some sort and it either keeps your hot stuff hot or it keeps your cold stuff cold. German researchers have taken that idea to a whole new level, though, with the ability to keep a beverage, like your morning coffee, at your ideal temperature.

      The concept came to Klaus Sedlbauer, head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, at a Christmas market in Rosenheim. Sedlbauer said his mulled wine was always either too hot or too cold, and never at that perfect drinking temp. I have the same problem with Starbucks coffee. The stuff comes out nuclear, remains that way for a solid 7-8 minutes, and then plummets to lukewarm it what seems to be a 30-second window.

      Sedlbauer and his colleague Herbert Sinnesbichler thought to put something called Phase Change Material (PCM) to the task. PCM is a special material capable of absorbing and maintaining heat or cold for extended periods of time. The substance is wax-like, melting when it warms to retain heat. As it cools, it turns back into the waxy material. Applied to a coffee mug, it works just like a thermos, but with the ability to fine tune your results. Different PCMs retain heat at different levels, so just pick the PCM that corresponds to the temp you want and you’re all set.

      “Warm drinks, like coffee or tea, are best enjoyed at 58 degrees Celsius (136.4 degrees Fahrenheit),” Sedlbauer explains. “In order to reach and maintain this temperature, we fill the mug with a type of PCM that becomes a liquid at exactly 58 degrees Celsius.” The liquid then retains that heat until the liquid starts to cool down, at which point the PCM releases its heat to keep your coffee hot. “Under ideal circumstances the optimal temperature can be maintained for 20-30 minutes,” according to Sedlbauer.

      The two researchers are still looking for a production partner, but expect their mugs to be available as early as the end of the year. Sounds like production can’t be too tough. Hopefully the price will reflect ease of production.

      Source: Spiegel

      Lifestyle

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