Gizmophobe Technology & Gaming

Talkatoo helps parents separated as kids go to school for the first time

Alan — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:18:09 +0000

For many parents, separation anxiety can be a problem when their children go to school in the day. When children go off to school for the first time, it can be sad for some parents to not have their children with them throughout the day.

On many mornings, as lunches are made and bags are packed, parents can experience this separation anxiety, especially for those with children who have not gone to school before.

Some parents wish that they could talk to their children throughout the day, or even leave them with a simple message. Many mothers and fathers feel the same way, and even more so if their children are entering their first year of school.

Sheila Wright, a parent from Bloomfield Hills, has experienced this first-hand, stating that leaving their kids was a “tug on the heartstrings”. She would often leave notes in her children’s lunch boxes, but one morning, she decided to go even further by creating the Talkatoo.
The Talkatoo is a small device that will allow parents with separation anxiety to record a message of up to 30 seconds for their children. Children can listen to the message throughout the day, and the message can be erased and recorded over at any time. Psychologists have praised the device, saying that it is a good alternative to a lunch box note, which can be positive for parents who are concerned about being separated with their child. However, if severe cases of separation anxiety occur, parents should look to receive help from a counselor or a teacher.

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Sony Clock Radio XDR-DS12iP – with iPod Dock

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:09:12 +0000

Sony are luanching a new clock radio (XDR-DS12iP) which will let you start your day with either stereo sound from your iPod/iPhone or crystal clear sparkling DAB radio broadcasts. You can dock your iPod or iPhone and the XDR-DS12iP will trickle charge while you enjoy your favourite music and video content. When morning comes, the Sony clock radio offers a dual alarm function giving you the choice of waking up to music from your iPod or iPhone, radio or buzzer.

Key features include:

Compact clock radio/speaker dock for iPod/iPhone
Powerful 3.5W + 3.5W stereo sound with MEGA BASS and MEGA Xpand
Future-proofed DAB+/DAB/FM radio tuner
Charges iPod/iPhone
Dual alarm lets you wake to iPod tunes, radio or buzzer
Supplied remote

The XDR-DS12iP makes a future-proof investment for digital radio fans. Anticipating the UK launch of higher-quality DAB+ broadcasts, the receiver is compatible with DAB+ as well as current DAB transmissions. The stereo sound quality from iPod or digital radio sources is clear and powerful. Conveniently-sited buttons enable MEGA BASS and MEGA Xpand for rich, room-filling sound with extended low frequencies.

The iPod speaker dock is supplied with a handy remote that lets you adjust volume and control the music function of your iPod. There’s also a sleep timer function, giving the option to doze off while enjoying your favourite sounds.

The new XDR-DS12iP iPod speaker dock/clock radio is compatible with iPhone 3GS and most of all iPod models. It is available in the UK only from September 2010.

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Apple does not want their phones ranked for greenness

Alan — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:24:35 +0000

Apple has refused to allow their iPhones to be part of the first UK ranking scheme for mobiles. The scheme assigns mobile phones a ranking between zero and five based on their affect on the environment during manufacturing and production.

O2 is responsible for launching the new rating system and many major mobile manufacturers including Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Nokia have agreed to take part. According to O2, 93% of the mobiles available on the open market fall under coverage.

Each mobile is assigned a value based on the impact of their raw materials on the environment, packaging, their long term potential, the manufacturing process, their potential to recycle, and energy efficiency.

A spokeswoman for Apple declined to explain why the company will not participate in the new labelling scheme, but did mention that the company reported its environmental aspects online.

Other leading mobile manufacturers such as Nokia also publish reports online about their environmental factors and have still agreed to take place in the ranking scheme.

Next year, RIM, which produces the BlackBerry has also agreed to join into the scheme.

IT Sector analyst for Greenpeace International, Gary Cook, stated that transparency has also been a key issue for any consumer electronic company because they often believe that too much information will tip off their competitors. He added that Apple is also known to lag behind other companies in transparency but added that lately they have taken steps to take toxic chemicals out of their products.

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HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S comparison

Alan — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:47:42 +0000

Both the HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S smartphones are competing for control of the Android-powered market. They are perhaps the most popular Android devices that can be found on the market today.

Interestingly, we have a case of two phones with the same OS competing against each other. Here is a detailed look at each of the two phones to see which one is better for consumers.

The HTC desire ships with Android 2.2 and users currently on a variety of networks can upgrade their phones to the newest version if they own the phone. The Samsung Galaxy S however will not be getting Android 2.2 until September.

In terms of the two phones’ interface, HTC has made a fantastic UI with the HTC Sense. It looks very attractive and there is a great selection of widgets and detail. On the other hand, Samsung offers its customized TouchWiz 3.0 skin for the Android OS. It has some neat features and overall it is quite attractive and useful.

Samsung’s phone also has four hotkeys that are at the bottom of its screen. This is similar to the iPhone, and unfortunately, the HTC Sense UI does not have this. TouchWiz 3.0 definitely works as a decent UI.

However, compared to the HTC Sense, it is somewhat lacking in features and attractiveness. In the future, it is hard to say which phone will come out victorious, especially if Samsung is able to improve their interface. Either way, however, you will be getting a great product.

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Wales going mobile phone over landline

Alan — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:05:50 +0000

New research from Wales discovered that more homes in the country have only mobile phones compared to other regions of the UK.

However, instead of perceiving this as a sign that Wales may be slowly becoming a digital nation, study analysts instead perceive it as a sign that people that live in deprived homes prefer the pay as you go mobile option over facing a regular landline charge.

The UK average for mobile only homes is 14%, while in Wales the average of mobile only homes is 19% according to an Ofcom Communications Market Report.

Ofcom representative, Rhodri Williams, stated that while there are many middle class people who decide that it is time to choose either a mobile of a landline and choose the mobile, but majorities of the people in Wales who choose mobile only are low income.

Communications Consumer Panel member Kim Brook stated that there is still a lot of work that needs completed before the UK can be classified as a broadband nation. She added that many people in Wales are still missing out on the economic and social benefits that can be gleamed from an online presence due to the fact they have limited access to regular broadband services.

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Yell’s 3D photo-realistic maps

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:08:11 +0000

Yell.com, the online version of the Yellow Pages directory, have announced the launch of some pretty amazing three dimensional maps that enable users to fly around their city like a superhero.

Introudced in the UK first, the photo-realistic 3D maps have been produced from actual film footage shot from light aeroplanes using sophisticated aerospace technology, which was then merged with other film taken from ground level. The maps are free to use, and you can preview them on the video below.

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Tea bag gadget for purifying drinking water

Alan — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:59:04 +0000

South African scientists have figured out a way to purify water simply by using a sachet that is shaped like a tea bag. This sachet however is not intended to flavour the water, but instead to filter out bacteria, absorb toxins, and ultimately clean the water.

The bag easily slides into the neck of a water bottle and was created by scientists at the South Africa Stellenbosch University in order to aid communities that do not have water purification facilities to protect them from impure water and bacteria.

The bags are made out of the same material that tea bags are, but instead of tea materials the bags contain antimicrobial fibres that are not visible to the eye that are able to filter out microbes and contaminants. The bags also contain granules of activated carbon that destroy bacteria. Each nano-fiber is about 1% of a human hair in width.

Marelize Botes, one of the researchers on the project, stated that one sachet has the potential to clean out a litre of water and make it practically the same quality as a bottle of water.

Each bag is only good for one use, after which it should be thrown away and a new bag should be placed into the water bottle. The bags are biodegradable and only take three to four days to disintegrate and the materials packed into the bags are non-toxic.

The South African Bureau of Standards is still testing the filter, but early testing by the research team was successful.

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Samsung Galaxy Player pictures surface

Alan — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:28:13 +0000

Pictures are beginning to circulate around the web of the new Samsung Galaxy Player which is rumoured to be the Korean company’s response to the iPod touch media player.

The new Galaxy which has been assigned the model number of YP-MB2 is said to be shaped much like the Galaxy S its parent mobile model.

This is fitting given the fact that the Galaxy S mobile is one of the best on the mobile market for playing media files so it is perfectly sensible that Samsung would choose to extend it into a full-fledged personal media playing device.

Thus, it is only reasonable to assume that the key aspects of the mobile will be part of the Player as well such as the 1GHz processor, 4 inch Super AMOLED screen, Android OS, and full Wi-FI connectivity.

The main differences will be the fact that camera is only going to be a 3MP instead of Samsung’s standard 5MP or 8MP cameras and the back of the mobile is going to come in white instead of black.

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Ace Combat Assault Horizon – Sneak preview of Namco Bandai’s game coming to consoles in 2011

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:44:33 +0000

Not out until next year, however NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe kicks the tyres, lights the fires and makes its peace with terra firma for the announcement of ACE COMBAT ASSAULT HORIZON, coming 2011 to Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3. Never before has aerial combat been so fast, so in-your-face and so vicious. It’s time to set the sky on fire. And we have a sneak preview for you.

The demanding Project Aces development team at NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. in Japan weren’t satisfied. They wanted more from the series. They wanted planes that tore apart limb from limb right in front of your face, spewing their oil lifeblood across the sky. They wanted to scrape the streets and dodge the steel skyscrapers of real world cities at blistering speeds, in an enthralling war drama that spanned the globe with a web of intrigue. They wanted players to pick up the controller and become deadly combat pilots in seconds, pulling off breathtaking kills at impossible speeds, and doing battle online in a multiplayer sky littered with fiery supersonic debris. What they wanted was steel carnage in the sky.

The result is not a sequel in the multi-million selling smash hit ACE COMBAT series, but a complete rebirth, a phoenix from the ashes flying at three times the speed of sound. The Project Aces team is building ACE COMBAT ASSAULT HORIZON from the ground up, with new technology fuelling their passionately realised vision of a game that puts players in the dark heart of the fight like no aerial combat game has done before.

“For us, this is a rebirth of the Ace Combat series, and a chance for us to take the series in a completely new direction,” said Kazutoki Kono, Producer at Project Aces, NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. “We’re confident that we’re going to create a new kind of action shooting (high-speed and destruction) experience with ACE COMBAT ASSAULT HORIZON, and we’re pouring passion, vision and skill into making a game like no other. We want to bring players closer than ever to the action so they feel the energy surge through them with every shot fired.”

ACE COMBAT ASSAULT HORIZON for Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 is scheduled to launch across EMEA and Asia Pacific in 2011.

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Kindle may not be Amazons only gadget project

Alan — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 05:16:25 +0000

Earlier reports have already hinted at colour options for upcoming models of the Kindle, but the company still claims that the invention of a colour Kindle is still a long way away. The Kindle was the first attempt by Amazon to get into the hardware market, and it turned out to be a great leap given it has the largest share of the eBook market, is still a top selling device, and has helped Amazon launch a book revolution.

The question is that if Amazon could do it once, what is stopping them from trying to do it again. Many people including employees of Amazon are now asking that very question with rumours that product under wraps in the Amazon lab is not a Kindle but something that has similar aspects to the Kindle.

While it is known that a colour version of the Kindle is in the works in the lab, there is a rumour that Amazon may be working no other prototype gadgets as well.

Other sources believe that researchers in the lab are looking at gadgets that could sell well on the market with one source saying that the new product is a ‘means to an end.’ Thus, Amazon may be hard at work that would make getting content over the digital network much easier. Other rumours are that Amazon thought about creating a cell phone or a music player but decided the market is already too competitive for successful entry.

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