It seems that iPod Touch and MS Zune will soon have a strong competitor. This one comes from Creative in the form of a wireless music player with Wi-Fi media sharing capabilities called the Zen X-Fi.
<-234x60 Half Banner - left->From what we can see in the pictures already circulating on the Net, the player features a chrome-and-black plastic look, with a nine-point directional pad. X-Fi will also come with an SD card slot and a built-in speaker.
The final specs are not known as of yet, but there’s s number of leaked specs that present the nine-point pad as an alternative way to type text in instant messaging programs such as Windows Live or Yahoo Messenger with the aid of a phone-style typing schema. The device will also use wireless data transfers to share media between home networked computers and access an Internet-based media pool, called a Public Home Server.
The player is named after Creative’s X-Fi audio technology, because it comes with some of the features found in the X-Fi audio cards. These include the restoration of lost data in compressed music files to create concert-like audio effects. In order to benefit from the X-fi technology, users can use the Crystalizer to make audio richer and clearer, and the Expand option which repositions the music to sound like it’s coming from in front of you, simulating listening to a live performance on stage.
Tom Jackson, one of our readers, came across this cool ladybug and thought it would be a good idea to share this with us. But that is no ordinary ladybug. We’re talking of a digital ladybug that knows quite a few tricks. On Tom’s behalf, I present to you the Micro SD Memory Card Reader Ladybug.
<-125x125 Button - right->This ladybug is pretty versatile as it integrates a mini 5pin data cable, a flash drive, a charger and a UV money detector light. It may not be as tiny as a real life ladybug, but the familiar shape pocket-size design allows you to take it wherever you please.
Check out the full specs:
• Read write flash card(TF Card): support high speed read write function from various digital appliances.
• Storage: can be functioned as smart USB drive, up to 4GB storage in TF(Micro SD) flash card mode.
• Data transfer: contains mini 5pin USB Data Cable with 420mm in length. It provides convenience for users to get connected to USB port of computers to perform communication, data transfer, as well as battery charging.
• Duel intellect charging: apply the technique of intellect IC which has been widely used in Li-ion battery field. Through the USB port of computer, users may execute high speed battery charging for digital products.
• Lightening/case note verify: with ultraviolet light function, which powered by its embeded li-ion battery, this USB drive can be acted as flash light or cash note verifier.
• Operating system supports: windows 98/ME/2000/XP, Linux Redhat, Linux Fedora, Mac 9.2 and Mac OS X or higher;
• Support USB 2.0 & 1.1 version, automatic setup and no drive is needed;
• Support hot-plug with USB specification.
• Support full speed 480Mbps, medium speed 12Mbps or low speed 1.5Mbps data transfer;
• Size of the Ladybug USB Charger: 6 x 3.9 x 1.3cm
• Weight: 47.6g
Want to buy one of these? Sourcingmap has it for $9.99 plus shipping. Thanks for sharing, Tom.
For those of you who think that man hasn’t the slightest chance against the forces of nature, check this one out. New Scientist is pleased to inform us that some ingenious guys came up with an artificial tornado device.
<-234x60 Half Banner - left->The giant “vortex engine” is specifically designed to harness waste heat from conventional power plants and turn it into additional energy. Well now, all this global warming is forcing people to come up with weird ideas like this recycling process implied by the vortex engine. Instead of recycling waste heat, maybe they should concentrate on implementing solar panels, wind turbines and other green solutions.
The artificial tornado device is Louis Michaud’s latest design. It is actually a circular wall 200 meters across and 100 meters high without a roof. Air carrying the waste heat would be blown in from vents on the sides, spinning around the walls into a vortex that transforms into something resembling a small scale tornado. Once started, the vortex would draw in more hot air from vents in the wall, pulling it past turbines and generating electricity.
Michaud estimates that a single vortex engine of this size would create a tornado about 50 meters in diameter that would be able to generate between 50 and 500 MW of electricity.
You just moved into a new big home, but you weren’t aware that the neighborhood is sort of weird, with all kinds of dubious persons going around your door, burglars and other annoying characters. First of all you have to increase your door security by employing a Digital Door Viewer.
This little gizmo is basically a door camcorder integrating a color LCD display that fits over your current peep hole and automatically records every visitor who triggers the motion sensor. See who’s at the door before you actually answer and open up.
An on-screen grid of video clips allows you to quickly find a previous recording, while straightforward navigation keys allow you to scroll through older recordings according to their time and date. The viewer comes with a patented mounting which is easy to install, while the internal memory is expandable up to 4GB with an SD card, providing 11 hours of recording.
It’s pretty convenient, because the viewer can record even when nobody’s home to answer the door. This way you know who wanted to pay you a visit, so you can act quickly and meet with them faster. Plus you can always capture evidence against bogus tradesman, anti-social behavior, problem neighbors, nuisance callers etc.
In case you want to order one of these, visit the Gizoo site.
I really dig the cool programs that let you create awesome music, but hardcore music makers still prefer to use the more traditional hardware equipment. Sequencers, drum machines, MIDI samplers, all that stuff that brought electronic music along since the ‘80s. I haven’t heard of Akai for quite some time now, but it looks like they specialize in sound-related hardware as of lately.
The new MPC5000 might be worth $3,5000, but it sure is the first MPC to permit eight-track streaming hard disk recording for real-time capture of individual tracks or even entire songs. It also provides a 20-voice, three-oscillator analog synthesizer with arpegiator, plus an improved sequencing engine with 960 PPQ resolution, pad and track muting and mixing, 64 continuous sample tracks and 12 Q-Link controllers.
Akai claims that MPC5000’s virtual analog synth eliminates the need for users to deal with connecting external analog synth modules or working with buggy software synthesizers. The eight-track, direct-to-disk recorder lets musicians produce complete songs and mix them down internally. An optional CD/DVD drive permits usage of audio on CD or DVD in songs, and also records compositions. More than 650MB of premium sounds from Loopmasters are included so that MPC5000 is ready to produce professional results immediately. Additionally, you get an 80GB hard drive and a software bundle that includes the Chop Shop sample-slicing suite.
