GadgetsLoverz: Jul 15, 2010

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Ericsson estimates mobile lines have hit 5 billion, gives shout out to China and India for the help

Ericsson -- one of the world's top-tier infrastructure suppliers for mobile networks -- has crunched some numbers recently, figuring the five billionth cellphone line came into existence last Wednesday, July 8, largely from major surges in uptake in emerging markets like China and India.

Look, we get it. There's a problem with the iPhone's antenna.

Enphase Energy has some pretty interesting tech for you to consider if you're thinking about going theLarry Hagman-esque solar power route (as opposed to the Barbara Eden veil-and-pantaloons route).

We've been assuming that the next iPod touch will get in on Apple's FaceTime video-calling action, but the open question has been how calls will actually be initiated without phone numbers, and BGR's saying it has the scoop: it's going to be based on email addresses.

We've all waited close to two years for this day to come, and now that it has, just a single question remains: "Does your credit card have the space?" Sigma's SD15 -- which is outfitted with a 14 megapixel Foveon X3 sensor, 3-inch LCD, True II processor, an ISO range from 50 to 3,200 extended) and support for SD / SDHC cards -- is now available to order on American soil.

Marketing managers, you best take a seat.

Apricorn specializes in the fine art of making people believe their data is worth stealing and charging them for the privilege of protecting it.

Buffalo's LT-V100 Media Theater streams every format under the sun at 1080p

If for some reason none of the media streamers on the market at the moment have suited your particular tastes, perhaps Buffalo's new LT-V100 Link Theater is just right.

We're not sure what tea they're being served in the Far East these days, but the peeps at Lenovo have somehow convinced themselves to let go of the legendary 13-inch ThinkPad X301 and replace it with the 14-inch T410s by the end of the year.

Oil Leak Could Transform Repairmen Into Superheroes

For the first time in our nation's history, our hopes and dreams and economic fate rest, not on a warrior or a politician or an astronaut, but on a team of repairmen.

Thieves Steal Thousands of Laptops From Government Contractor Over Nine Hour Period

You'd think a facility belonging to a private contractor working for the U.S. Special Operations Command would be well-secured, but seven thieves managed to park two semitrailer trucks next to it and spend nine hours loading them up with laptops.

Valcucine Logica Kitchen Will Brighten Up Any Underground Bunker

Italian haute kitchen design company Valcucine have debuted their 'New Logica' series of ergonomic, adaptable kitchen fixtures. Each of the kitchen's various shelves, drawers, and racks are placed within quick reach and easily rearrangeable.

How To Make A 3D Paper-Clone of Yourself for Under

There are situations in life that call for a clone. But unless you're a mad scientist with a secret lab in your basement, a 3D paper-clone like this is the closest you'll ever get to pulling off that insurance scam.

40-Foot Optimus Prime Transforms Beijing Skyline

Visitors to China's Green Dream Park—not far from the 2008 Olympics' "Bird's Nest" stadium—are currently being greeted by a 40-foot tall, six ton Optimus Prime made from five truckloads of car and truck spare parts. Take that,Gundam.

My Cinderella Would Wear These Fiber Optic Heels

Italian designer Francesca Castagnacci made a pair of heels fit for any girl—or at least any girl who's serious about her bandwidth. They're made from strands of fiber optics as thin as human hair and lit by a LED.

Recycled Island: A Colorful Paradise Made From Garbage

The resourceful Dutch want to turn the Pacific Garbage Patch into a tropical destination. The idea is to recycle the plastic waste floating in our oceans into building materials for an habitable, self-sustaining island.

Big mystery holding back practical superconductors may have been solved

Superconductors carry electric current with no energy loss. They could revolutionize our electrical grid, but they only work at impractically low temperatures. We just figured out a key reason why – and possibly got a lot closer to room-temperature superconductors.

A Sink For Those High On Style And Short On Space

The Parentheses sink combines style and functionality with a sink and chair design combo. Would be even better if storage was offered beneath the chair, but I guess that would hurt the cool factor.

Human Trials Next for Darpa’s Mind-Controlled Artificial Arm

Pentagon-backed scientists are getting ready to test thought-controlled prosthetic arms on human subjects, by rewiring their brains to fully integrate the artificial limbs.

Dell M11xR2 Review: The World's Smallest Gaming Laptop Goes i7

With the M11x, Dell and Alienware gave the world the smallest gaming laptop, and we liked it a lot. So why change it? To include the two things we've all been waiting for: Optimus and i5/i7 CPUs.

Logitech Z506 Surround Sound Speaker System Is Only

If you're in the market for a 5.1 sound system, the Logitech Z506 sounds like it could be a decent deal at only $99. There aren't too many details aside from the price though:

Smart Helmet Provides Injury Awareness on the Slopes

The only thing worse than embarrassing yourself while skiing or snowboarding is messing up your cranium in the process. Enter the Head Impact Detection and Alert System, a sophisticated helmet that both detects and signals brain injuries as they occur.

Miyamoto: Nintendo's Next Wii Won't Be 3D

Nintendo went all in on motion control, and now the rest of the industry isfollowing their lead. But according to Mario mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto, the company doesn't think it's quite time for them to jump into the third dimension.

The Facebook Fuss, Entertainingly Explained

There's been a lot written about Facebook privacy concerns, so much so that you'd be forgiven for abandoning hope of keeping track of it all. But this video by Casey Neistat sums it up pretty well, and entertainingly.

Apple Tried To Buy Palm Before HP Won The Bidding War, And RIM Completely Blew The Deal

The race to buy Palmearlier this year was fast and hot, with the company's bankers contacting 16 companies about the deal, including five serious potential suitors.

18th-Century Ship Exhumed at World Trade Center Site

Earlier this week, workers excavating the site of the future World Trade Center unearthed an ancient wooden plank. Then another. Then an entire row, comprising what remains of a 30-foot long wood-hulled vessel, over 200 years old.

This Electric Motorcycle Can Reach a 100 Miles Per Hour

Brammo's new electric motorcycle, the Empulse, is the big brother bike to the Brammo Enertia. Compared to other electric motorcycles, it's faster, lasts longer and still surprisingly affordable. Not to mention that it actually looks like a motorcycle.

This is Rex. Not the man, he's called Hayden—Rex is short for Robotic Exoskeleton, and it's the name of the robotic pants Hayden's wearing. Robotic pants that let him walk for the first time in five years.

Woz's iPhone 4 Antenna Solution: Double Fisting

At this point, we've seen all sorts of crazy ideas for fixing the iPhone 4's antenna problems, from strapping it with a rubberband to covering it with nail polish. Steve Wozniak's solution: just carry another phone.

Review: Herman Miller Envelop Reclining Desk

The Herman Miller Embody chair is the best we've sat on, but its creators wanted a companion desk so your entire working experience comfortable. The desk wraps around your body like a blanket. A hard, wooden blanket.

Britain's Train Expert Unveils His Next Transportation Icon

Paul Priestman, designer of Britain's widely-used Virgin Pendolino train cars, thinks his country is in need of a new transportation icon, one that upholds the legacy of the Rolls Royce and the Concorde. His vision? The double-decker Mercury train.

Dashboard Redesign Coming in November? [Update]

The Xbox 360 dashboard, the user interface for Microsoft's gaming console, looks like it may be getting a slight polish in November when the company launches their Xbox Live Gold Family plan.

Scientists Discover the First Planet With a Tail

Scientists have discovered the first cometary planet, one with a huge tail, a stream of gas being ripped off by solar winds at 22,000 miles per hour. This jovian world is located 153 light-years from Earth.

Dipped in clarified cyborg testosterone as it comes off the assembly line, the Droid X is sci-fi machismo congealed into a phone. Yet it's gelded by steroidal software—a fussy, awkward android with acne the size of asteroids.

HP's original vision: tablets of every OS flavor, led by the (since deceased) Windows 7 Slatebut complemented by Android and webOS devices. Today it turns out there can only be one. And it's not named after dessert.

There's no special engineering going on here, just an Andriod app and an extreme case of cleverness.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy S, you can download Samsung's custom Android app called Road SMS. It's a simple text messaging program, but instead of the dull metallic backdrop of your average mobile OS, Road SMS pipes a live video feed from the rear of the phone behind the UI.

Video game consoles are illegal in China. Ironically, the Wii, the PS3 and the Xbox 360 are Chinese made. And there is a flourishing PC gaming culture. There has to be a reason for this ban. Turns out, there is.

A Business Card Transformer Turns Into A Plane, Boat Or Car

Tamiya, a Japanese model kit maker, has a business card that's really a plastic transformer. As in, you can build a toy plane, boat, or car from the pieces on the card. Hopefully you'll remember their contact info afterward.

Tag Heuer's Squadra Night Vision Glasses Are For Alpha Eyeballs Only

Tag Heuer, best known for their fancy, manly watches, also makes fancy, manly eyewear, and the Squadra night vision glasses are their newest pair. They have titanium arms, high-contrast lenses, and make all the other spectacles nearby feel kinda wimpy.

Help! Teens Are Using Digital Drugs to Get High

Kids around the country are getting high on the internet, thanks to MP3s that induce a state of ecstasy. And it could be a gateway drug leading teens to real world narcotics.

These days, just about every business with any kind of online presence has a Facebook page. Social media for your business is such a great way to connect with customers and manage service, vendor, and colleague relationships – all for free – that it’s really a no-brainer. B