Gadgets Blog

Researchers are working on a solution for iPhone owners so they’ll no longer need to hunt-and-peck when using their keyboards.

University of Glasgow researchers are developing virtual buttons for iPhone that will allow users to feel the edge of each key. The virtual buttons utilize iphone’s vibrations to simulate the vibrations felt when typing on a physical keyboard. Hold your fingertip over a key and a wave of vibrations will trigger the feeling of a smooth, rounded button. Let go of the key and a different vibration pattern simulates a key snapping back into place.

The researchers hope the virtual-key software will increase typing accuracy on touch screens. While the software is currently being developed for iPhone, it can eventually be applied to other gadgets as well.

What a relief. The iPhone is pretty high tech, but looking at its keyboard while I type makes me feel like a Neanderthal. 

A trial version of the software is available at Google Code.

Researcher puts finger on virtual iPhone button [PhysOrg via Textually.org]

We’ve covered Ubuntu in the past, first in a rave by RickGeek and recently in a beta preview by Sal Cangeloso. After reading Sal’s impressions back in April, I downloaded the ISO and installed it on a spare machine I had lying around.

July 18th - July 24th

Contents

1

Geek Thoughts

2

This Week on Geek

3

Geek.com Web Picks

4

Don’t Forget About This

1

Geek Thoughts — Ubuntu on a laptop is great! We’ve covered Ubuntu in the past, first in a rave by RickGeek and recently in a beta preview by Sal Cangeloso. After reading Sal’s impressions back in April, I downloaded the ISO and installed it on a spare machine I had lying around. It was beta but it was impressive, as Sal had previously mentioned.Since April I’ve heard people occasionally singing the praises of Linux and specifically Ubuntu, but still didn’t pay much attention, nor ever use my installation of it. Enter Monday evening.

On Monday an older Toshiba Core Duo laptop was returned to me. The first thing I noticed when firing it up was that it was now loaded with spyware and malware. It had come back from a stay at my parents and my mother does a lot of online surveys, so you can imagine what the XP-based machine was now infested with.

A friend was doing something in Linux on his box and wanted me to test it out so I needed to setup a Linux environment. He was running Ubuntu and recommended I do the same, so I gave it a go, on my troubled Toshiba.

At first I debated if I should do a fresh install of XP first but then I realized that Ubuntu has a dual-boot installation option where it will basically install itself as if it’s the primary OS, and allow the user to choose which OS to run at the point of boot.

Long story short, I downloaded the latest version of Ubuntu from Ubuntu.com and then burned it to a CD. I was then greeted with a menu and a bunch of options, and chose to dual-boot, as I mentioned above. After install was complete I rebooted and chose Ubuntu as the boot selection. Then it completed the install and was ready for business.

If you haven’t used Ubuntu you MUST! First off, it was an insanely fast boot, especially compared to my infected version of Windows. Second, even though I work in the cloud, when I finally downloaded some applications directly to my laptop, a simply double-click on a Word document launched Open Office. Later, a click on a PDF launched a viewer. Same thing with taking screen shots, viewing images, and just about anything else you might want to do. Ubuntu comes fully loaded with alternatives to all of your Windows and Mac favorites.

I should also mention that all was not rosy. At first it didn’t see my wireless network. Navigating the drop down menu got me to where I needed to be and in seconds I was connected. This is not something that’s easy for a “newbie”, though. Also, when I downloaded and tried to install Skype I was greeted with a “missing dependency” type message. It took some googling but I finally found out that you need to add a repository to get Skype running. The funny thing is that I found this information on the help.ubuntu.com site. I guess I’m not used to the creator of the operating system actually having the solutions. Note to the Ubuntu guys: have a message that pops up instead of “dependency blah blah” that actually directs the user to the help.ubuntu.com site.

So far the experience is amazing. The only outstanding issue seems to be that my laptop won’t go into standby. I’m sure a bit more googling and I’ll have that problem solved, too.

Do you use Ubuntu? Share your experience at Joel@Geek.com

2

This Week on Geek — July 18th - July 24th
News
NASA may miss internal deadline to test moon capsule Iomega offers online and offline backup in one productHP puts data center in a PODToshiba sets new density record with 400 GB drive

Amazon.com launches Video on Demand service

UK Club gets dance floor that creates electricity

The computer mouse to be obsolete in 3-5 years?

Partial disk encryption not enough to keep some data secure

Yahoo! launches website about proxy battle

Nottingham University makes the Periodic Table fun

Music trojan infects when you play a song

Earth looks different 31 million miles away

1.4 billion of us surf the web

Yahoo! settles with Icahn over proxy contest

Help Michael Arrington build a sub-$200 tablet pc

studiVZ sued by Facebook for cloning website

XM Radio posts impressive subscriber gains

Large Hadron Collider soon to be colder than space

British SAS training dogs to make high altitude jumps

New banking trojan distributed via online videos

Server 2008 as a Vista alternative for workstations?

Japanese Sleipnir browser coming to the West

Universal sued by angry mother over YouTube video removal

TiVo turns remote into shopping device with Amazon’s help

SanDisk CEO blasts Vista’s shortcomings

Bypass a ringing phone and go directly to voicemail

Sophos claims Google Blogger hosts 2% of all malware

E-gold management trio plead guilty to money laundering charges

Cisco to acquire Pure Networks

Mayor convinces Childs to give San Francisco its network back
Chips
CherryPal’s 2W cloud-based PCReview: Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000GLFS Hard DriveTesting the Eee Box and ExpressGate Instant-On Desktop

Review: MSI Wind Notebook
Mobile
Verizon Wireless introduces mobile banking to blackberry users Motorola sues Michael Fenger for joining AppleKenyan teenager mods car for control via mobile phoneDrink down a virtual cold one with iBeer

Stream live video from your mobile phone with Qik

Blog to WordPress from your iPhone

Review: enV2 by LG from Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless announces net customer additions

AT&T’s navigation service goes international

Secure your data and recover your phone
Games
Gradius Rebirth coming to WiiWare KOTOR MMO is in developmentMirror’s Edge might make you sickWii hacks produce custom firmware & PSP emulation

World of Warcraft achievements confirmed

Ubisoft red-faced after No-CD crack found in Vegas 2 patch

Sonic to fight the Black Knight

Sony confirms games will use PSP GPS add-on

Games for Windows Live is now free

Developer Black Sea becomes a part of Crytek

Microsoft prices player-created XNA games

Comedy shorts from horror filmmakers coming to Xbox Live

Wii owners get Fujifilm photo service
Apple Lines still long for iPhone 3G and could be for 2-4 more weeksApple support might be the best I’ve seenUpdated notebooks on the way from Apple?

Apple investors worried about unhealthy looking Steve Jobs Why we still need to jailbreak the iphone

Walt Mossberg can’t recommend MobileMe gadgets
Increase productivity with Viewsonic’s 26-inch VP2650wbUK is full of overheating, electrocuting mains chargers Creative unveils ZEN Krystal with pedometerSeptember issue of Esquire to feature E Ink

Power your cell phone or PC with your windows

Miniature dragonfly cruises while shooting live video

New weapon system will let shooters adjust bullet velocity

Dark Knight pirates being hunted by Warner Bros.

Electronics giants sign-up for Wireless Home Digital Interface

3

Geek.com Web Picks Submit your favorite sites, articles, software picks, diversions,etc., to Joel@geek.com (mail
subject: Good Sites). Here are a couple of my faves: Just Flip it!If you have a co-worker or e-mail buddy that’s driving you nuts, get them back by using this handy website. The site will take whatever you type in and vertically flip it. It’s a great way to have the final word in an argument, too.

4

Don’t Forget About This Geek’s Sal Cangeloso recently had a tour of Panasonic’s Toughbook factory and design facility in Kobe, Japan, and managed to grab some great footage of the testing procedure that makes the Toughbook so tough. It’s a great look into how a laptop really gets tested, especially when you see the tester pour a bottle of water onto the laptop. It makes you cringe, but the laptop survives. As always, thanks for reading!Joel EvansJoel@Geek.com

Chief Geek

Geek.com

Geek.com never sends unsolicited email. You received this email because
our records indicate that you are a current subscriber on our site. Click
here to unsubscribe.

The world of online games has just gotten a little bit more crowded with Sony announcing the new DCU Universe Online that will hit the PS3 and PC platforms. You will be able to come up with your very own superhero/supervillian to go up against an opposite number from either camp, just to see whether you have what it takes to conjure the perfect archenemy. Jim Lee will function as the executive creative director for the game, and I love his artwork back in the X-Men days. There will be over 150 characters from the DC mythology available, and you will slowly work your character upwards with the ultimate goal of joining the Justice League or Legion of Doom, depending on your alignment.

Don’t you just love convergence devices? Here we have the Big Daddy Driver that doubles up as a weed whacker as well, but I don’t think the local golf club will take too kindly to you messing up their green during your more frustrated moments.

This may look like an ordinary driver but the Big Daddy Driver conceals a Secret Weapon – a Weed Whacker! That’s right, this novelty golf club transforms into a battery powered weed whacker that actually cuts the grass. Is your ball stuck in the rough? No problem! With the Big Daddy Driver you can cut around it to create an easier shot. Of course the Big Daddy Driver is only permitted during recreational play but the fun and laughter you get while using it is priceless! And it’s not just for the golf course. The Big Daddy Driver makes lawn & garden work at home much more enjoyable. The Big Daddy Driver – The Funniest Golf Gift Ever!

The Big Daddy Driver is currently on sale for $49.95, which is a $10 discount off it’s normal price.

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment

The word pannier comes from the French for bread basket, panier, itself from pain (bread). Further back, we had the Latin pānārium. Now we use it almost exclusively to refer to the useful bags slung beside the wheels of our bikes. They keep the weight, and therefore the centre of gravity, low, so the bike remains stable even under load.

Yesterday, in preparation for an upcoming trip, I bought a set of Ortlieb Back Roller Plus panniers. At €110 ($170), they weren’t cheap, but they come with a five year guarantee and I know owners who have had them for what seems like forever. So, it’s a set of bags that hang of the back of the bike. What’s so special about these? Features, of course. Read on to find out just what neat little tricks are hidden inside.

The German made Ortliebs are fashioned from Cordura fabric. As you can see in the picture, I have an older model which has a rubberized fabric instead (which to my eyes looks way better). The bags have a roll down top instead of a zipper and once rolled down (with the aid of a stiff plastic strip inside on lip), they can be clipped shut. In this state they are waterproof, and will even float. If you actually submerge them, water will get in, but that’s pretty unlikely. In the picture you can see the rolled and unrolled states. Hanging from the front is the detachable shoulder strap, which makes these good for grocery shopping, too.

Round the back are the fittings. At the top are the hooks which grip the rear carrier, and below is a little plastic widget that grabs the carrier’s down-bar to stop it flapping around. These are adjustable, as we shall see in a moment. First, close-ups:

The lower part is adjustable by hand. It simply unscrews and you slide it into place. The actual lever-arm clicks into position every 15 degrees. With this, you can make it fit pretty much any rack. The top hooks need a tool, although the newer models don’t. I have an older one…

… seen here being adjusted with my trusty new Topeak Hexus. Once they are in place, you can see how the bag fits onto the bike:

The best, and most gimmicky part of the Roller Pluses is the locking mechanism. The sequence above shows how it works: The hook surrounds the bar so it can’t jump off. By pulling on the carrying strap, the jaws open (and they are jaws. Look at it. It has the face of a bird). This is great when pulling it off, but if the bag is empty, you’ll need two hands to actually put the bag on the bike. The weight of an empty bag (1.85 lbs each) isn’t enough to pull the jaws open.

The last detail on the outside is this hook, near the bottom of the bag. When riding, it provides a place to hook the shoulder strap to stop it ending up in the spokes. What it’s really for, though, is to attach another optional bag on top.

Here’s the inside shot. All models of the Back Roller bags since 2007 have an internal pocket. In fact, it’s a double pocket, one mesh and one soft fabric. These will stop your keys ending up at the bottom of the bag.

The bags only come in pairs, which partly explains the highish price. But then, I’m not expecting to ever buy panniers again. In use, they slip on and off easily, but when in place, stay locked pretty solid. The roll top takes a little getting used to: it’s certainly not as quick as a zipper. It does mean, though, that the bag can be resized to fit any load, minimizing movement inside. I also like the shoulder straps, although both the strap and the shoulder grip are a little thin for more than short trips (or light loads).

As ever, the proof will be in the use. The upcoming trip will take care of that, but first, a visit to the liquor store. If these things can take a full load of beer (10.5 gallons), then I’ll be happy.

Product page [Ortlieb]

Philips certainly has bigger fish to fry, although it is commendable that the company has taken some time out to come up with LED candles that feature color-changing capability. Known as the Imageo Wax Candle, the LEDs within are powered by a small battery (how else since you don’t see any solar panels attached to it…), lasting way longer than a regular wax candle and offering a gamut of colors. Oh yeah, you also lower the risk of burning down your own home while you’re at it.

Cisco has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Pure Networks.

Pure Networks and Cisco are no strangers since the company provides the software infrastructure and tools used for the Linksys Easy Link Advisor (LELA). Cisco believes that the acquisition of Pure Networks will provide the company a fully integrated home networking-management solution, which will result in new applications for setting up networks within the home or office.

Cisco will pay US$120 million to purchase all outstanding shares of Pure Networks stock. The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of Cisco’s 2009 fiscal year pending closing conditions. Pure Networks’ employees are expected to join Linksys under Cisco’s ownership and for now will remain in Seattle where Pure is currently based.

Cisco was clearly impressed by what Pure Networks had to offer in brain power and intellectual assets. The acquisition will no doubt strengthen Linksys as a company and as a brand. Most of all, the new acquisition further bolsters Cisco’s position in the consumer market.

Read more at the Cisco press release.

Gizmodo has a fantastic piece on why we still need to have an iPhone App Black Market. It goes into detail about jailbroken applications that are missing in the App Store, and will probably never appear, due to Apple’s restrictions on what developers can access and/or create and distribute.

As an App Store frequent user I completely agree with what Gizmodo is saying. Gone are some of the more impressive applications that I’ve enjoyed in the past and instead most either don’t exist officially or are watered down versions of the original.

The article also goes on to mention how developers have no idea how many times their applications are downloaded and how even when they push out updates, they don’t seem to be making it to the App Store.

It’s a great read and brings up a number of points that I hope Apple takes to heart. We also have our list of cons associated with the iphone 3G, and they don’t seem to be going away any time soon.

Read more at Gizmodo.

Korean PC manufacturer Ripple has released a new mini desktop PC, dubbed the Mini Chocolate PC. Ripple’s new mini computing machine is powered by a 1.6GHz Atom processor and is loaded with 2GB of RAM, four USB ports, two SATA sockets and an IDE socket. You can also plug-in additional optical drive in its extra slot.

Measuring only 15 x 210 x 80mm and looking a lot like the mac mini, Ripple’s Mini Chocolate PC is now available in Korea market for 209,000 Korean won (around $200 US). It may a good alternative to the Eee Box if you’re not an Asus fan, but over all nothing special considering the optical drive is an extra add-on and it is limited to just a wired Ethernet connection.

As of now, Ripple has not announced whether the Chocolate Mini will be available outside the Korean market.

Via [Engadget]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

If you are not an Apple fanboy and you prefer to  divert from the norm (hahahah, is Apple the norm nowadays?!), you can check out Creative’s new addition to their mp3 player family: the Zen Mosaic.

Some people hate the way it looks, I personally think it’s uhm, adorably different from most mp3 players, hehehe.

Features:

• Can store photos and play videos
• 1.8 inch display
• Available in 2, 4 and 8GB capacity
• FM tuner
• Voice recorder
• Built-in speakers
• 32 hours of battery life

Available in pink, black and silver.

Will be available in Singapore by August. No idea when it will come to US shores. Hmm.

Read official press release here!

[ Image source from Engadget ]

Tags: Creative mp3 player, Creative Zen Mosaic