Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by Dixie

Apple Peel 520 2nd Generation Release Date Announc

Dixie — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:43:38 +0800

After months of rumors Yosion have finally announced the expected release date of the 2nd generation of the Apple Peel 520, their popular iPod Touch transforming device. At the beginning of January they told us of their plans to release a second generation of the popular device, and have been slowly torturing fans with photos and short video clips. With some key features added, the Peel 520 is now better than ever.
The first generation Apple Peel 520 won us over the with the ability to transform your iTouch in to an iPhone, but one thing was missing, mobile internet. The engineers at Yosion have remedied this and a few other issues, and the the latest generation allows you to connect to the web via a 3G network. Best of all the new Peel can be used as a mobile hotspot, allowing you to connect up to 2 more devices to your 3G network. Other awesome added features include a vibration motor *sweeet* and Caller ID and FM Radio.
It looks we can expect a late March release of the 2nd generation Apple Peel 520 according to Yosion (ie: sometime next week, and supposedly March 28th. Thanks Michael!), but I have no idea how long it will take for these devices to make their way West (ie: Europe, and the US). The price doesn’t seem to be set in stone, but it seems like we’re looking at a RMB 598 price tag (~US$ 91) for the release. I’m hoping to be able to get my hands-on one of these awesome devices and test it out on my 3rd gen iPod Touch, so stay tuned.
I’ll keep my eye on places where you’ll be able to pick yours up, so don’t forget to follow us on Twitter@GadgetsRepublic!
Also please don’t forget to enter our us and win contest, for a Chance to WIN A FREE OUKU TAB! - GadgetsRepublic

http://gadgetsrepublic.com/apple-peel-520-...nnounced-videos

EvoMouse: Any Flat Surface Is Now Your Multitouch

Dixie — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:39:47 +0800

We've seen virtual keyboards before, but not many virtual trackpads, if any in the consumer space. EvoMouse is here to change that, bundling their input device in the cutest piece of plastic possible.
Essentially, you place the toy dog on the surface of your choosing, and its eyes beam out two infrared beams which track your finger movements. You can click, double-click, right click, drag, drop, pinch and swipe your way around a computer desktop. And if you're in need of a keyboard, EvoMouse will project one of those for you as well.
The device can connect via Bluetooth or USB, and works with Windows, Blackberry, Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms. Pricing and availability details are still scarce, however.
- via Gizmodo

http://gizmodo.com/#!5782668/evomouse-...itouch-trackpad

To Kindle or not to Kindle (now, that is!)

Dixie — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:02:00 +0800

Have been contemplating on buying a Kindle for about half a year now, but kinda put it off, cause I still have some actual books to finish and wanted to wait till I’d go traveling. I heard the Kindle 4 might come out early summer this year.. but I’ve only heard some vague humors. Who knows more?

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones

Dixie — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:22:42 +0800

I’ve been looking into the Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones after stumbling upon them at BestBuy. I thought it’s possible to use these wireless, cause they work on batteries and have a separate wire. After googling this I found some conflicting results that you have to use a separate device or not… So.. does anyone know whether I can use the headphones wirelessly?

BigDog’s Creators Get DARPA Grant To Build A Fast

Dixie — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:47:06 +0800

Remember BigDog from Boston Dynamics? Ha, how could you forget, it haunts our dreams at night (well at least mine anyways). And now the creators have been awarded a grant from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to build 'Cheetah', a smaller, faster-than-human version capable of hunting. Basically, a fully-functional killer version of this guy. Greaaaaaaaat. *jams a porkchop between your buttcheeks*
As the name implies, Cheetah is designed to be a four-legged robot with a flexible spine and articulated head (and potentially a tail) that runs faster than the fastest human. In addition to raw speed, Cheetah's makers promise that it will have the agility to make tight turns so that it can "zigzag to chase and evade" and be able to stop on a dime.

Aside from its unspecified military applications, Cheetah's makers see it galloping to the rescue and building a brave new future in the fields of "emergency response, firefighting, advanced agriculture and vehicular travel."
So -- is anybody here still convinced the robot apocalypse is just a make-believe story I tell my dogs before bed so they don't get off the couch in the middle of the night? If so, raise your hand. Skynet -- please take all these @$$holes first and give the rest of us a fighting chance. Now -- who knows the best way to kill a robotic cheetah? *pointing* You, with the glasses. "With kindness?" Yeaaaaaaaah, you try that. Then, while it's busy tearing all your limbs off, I'll shoot it with a rocket launcher. ROCKET LAUNCHER, MORON, ROCKET LAUNCHER WAS THE ANSWER. - Geekologie

http://www.geekologie.com/2011/02/bigdogs_...t_darpa_gra.php

We Dare: A Kinky Sexy Wii Game Just For Adults

Dixie — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:54:07 +0800

This is hanky panky with a spanky for sure. Having a Wii game for adults only that is kinda kinky is fun. However, having to watch this super cheesy promotional video about it is not so fun.
It seems Wii has grown up a lot since the days of Super Mario now that there is a racy adult party game called “We Dare.” Of course parents everywhere are freaked out because they don’t want their kids playing this. I have a possible solution for that. If you don’t want your kids to play this game, then don’t buy it. Simple as that. Will they see it at their friend’s house? Maybe, but that’s a whole other article.
If you live in the United States, you won’t have to worry about this at all because there is no way in hell this game is coming here to the land of conservatives. The more I watch this, I wonder if this game will really encourage gameplay or foreplay. Hmm… I get it that it’s a sassy sexy controversial thing; however, what’s up with this video? Kissing the Wii remote? That guy is spanking that girl on her back, not even her butt. Cheesy video aside, I like the fact that Wii is redefining itself a little. Change is good, and after this, they won’t be thought of as just a gaming console for kids anymore, that’s for sure.
I guess the ultimate question is this: Is offering kinky challenges through a Wii game such a bad thing? Is it really going to further corrupt the children of today? I suppose the fact they put an “age 12+” rating on this makes it questionable. What do you think? This will be released in Europe next month, and I have no doubt we’ll hear more about it. - BitRebels

http://www.bitrebels.com/entertainment-2/w...ust-for-adults/

RIM, Bank of America partnering up for Mobile Wall

Dixie — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:55:56 +0800

We've known for some time that RIM is going all-in on NFC (isn't everyone?), but we didn't realize they were going retroactive, too. A NFC payment trial coming up involving RIM and Bank of America will allow selected testers to get an NFC-capable back for their Curve 8520 or 8530, Tour 9630, or Bold 9000, 9650, or 9700 -- in other words, most of the company's portrait QWERTY models from the last couple years. You'll also need an active Bank of America account, at which point you'll be able to tap your 'Berry on NFC terminals to get your pay on. The trial starts this spring; no word on when it might be open to everyone. - Engadget

Twitter updates Android app, we go hands-on in mor

Dixie — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:54:48 +0800

If you're an avid Twitter user and an avid Android smartphone user, you've been waiting for this day. The day where those developers at Twitter's headquarters man up and release a Twitter app that can seriously compete with the likes of TweetDeck, Twidroid, and HootSuite. Well, fellow tweeters, it appears that time has come -- the official Twitter Android 2.0 app just hit the Market and it includes a pretty drastic UI overhaul, some bug fixes, and a few more key features.

Naturally, we hit the update button as soon as it popped up on our Droid 2 Global, and we have to say the first thing we noticed was the speed increase -- our feed loaded quickly and jumping over to the different columns was snappy. Speaking of those columns, Twitter wiped the previous, overly-cutesy main homepage for four tabs that run along the top of the screen -- there's your regular feed, mentions, direct messages, and lists. It feels more like the iOS app, which definitely isn't a bad thing. You can still pull-to-refresh and swipe left or right over a particular tweet to respond, retweet, or favorite it. So, what's the best improvement? Besides the tidied up interface, we have to say it's the auto-complete for usernames -- punch in the @ symbol and start typing a name and you'll get a list of suggested names. Twitter's also improved the search functionality, but we'd suggest checking that out yourself. It won't cost you a penny, we just hope you're running Android 2.1 or higher. Nope, not even Twitter is safe from the evils of fragmentation. - Engadget

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/twitter...e-than-140-cha/

We Didn’t Have That When I Was A Kid! : WoW In-Gam

Dixie — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 21:01:29 +0800

This is allegedly an actual screenshot from a kid who sent the World of Warcraft in-game customer support a calculus problem he needed to finish before he could get his game on (but you were already playing!), and the response he received. Now I failed the everliving shit out of Calculus so I don't know if the answer is right or not, but I do know at least dude here has a scapegoat if he has to write his answer on the chalkboard in front of the whole class.
Teacher: What do you mean 'this is all World of Warcraft Customer Support's fault'? Are you insinuating you didn't work the problem yourself?
Student: Oh she-she. PENIS OUR TEACHER DREW A PENIS ON MY LAST TEST!
Teacher: Excuse me?! That was a 100.
Student: IT WAS A SLOPPY COCK AND BALLS AND YOU KNOW IT!
WoW Customer Support Does Your Math Homework [escapistmagazine]
– Geekologie

http://www.geekologie.com/2011/02/we_didnt..._when_i_was.php

Travel charger

Dixie — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 14:48:19 +0800

Next month I’m flying out to Asia where I’ll travel mostly by train. I’m looking for a good travel power charger to charge my phone with. Something powerful, but cheap…

Your Next Magic Mouse Could Have A Built-in Displa

Dixie — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:57:38 +0800

A patent application doesn't guarantee that an idea will turn into reality, but a recently published Apple patent application definitely has everyone daydreaming anyway. It suggests that Apple's exploring the concept of a Magic Mouse with a built-in display.
Actually, the patent application discusses a Magic Mouse with either an "an OLED or specialized display surface made of collimated optical glass that contains a unique magnifying capability." This means that the gadget could either serve as a really expensive magnifying glass or as a customizable mouse with virtual buttons. [Patently Apple viaSlashGear] - Gizmodo

http://gizmodo.com/5739377/your-next-magic...uilt+in-display

Party favors for geeks!

Dixie — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 19:20:50 +0800

I’m helping my best friend to organize his wedding and I’m in charge of the gift bags. My friend and his fiancé are both social media/tech geeks, so I’m putting together a bag with favors every geek would appreciate. I found a couple things and I was wondering what would be more appealing for guests. Solar power charger or smart phone stand? (and if anyone has a good suggestion, please let me know)

Upgrade Android 1.6 to 2.3

Dixie — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:41:26 +0800

Hello guys! I’m looking for some help here: I got a T-Mobile G1 – the first Android device ever – which still runs Android 1.6. I’d like to upgrade it to Gingerbread. Has anyone had experience with upgrading to Android 2.3? And what possible problems might I run into?

Humanoid bot Romeo will provide love

Dixie — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:05:39 +0800

In the not-too-distant future, your aging parents may be reciting "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" in times of need.
Aldebaran Robotics, a Parisian company known for creating the pint-sized Nao robot, is working with major French research organizations on a new assisted-living humanoid bot named Romeo.
Set to debut in prototype form late next year, Romeo is a 4.5 foot, 88-pound autonomous companion that aims to assist the elderly and disabled with daily activities. The robot with the romantic-hero moniker could do things like keep tabs on owners' health and summon medical assistance if something appears to go wrong; keep track of small objects such as eyeglasses and remote controls; and help with tasks like taking out the trash, opening and closing doors, or fetching a snack from the fridge.
Romeo has an intuitive computer-human interface based on gesture and voice control. As far as we can tell, though, it does not recite lovestruck Shakespearean sonnets.
Still, even Shakespeare's Juliet might shed the Capulet name for Romeo's "four-vertebra backbone, articulated feet, partially soft torso, and composite leg exoskeleton." Aldebaran also boasts that Romeo has 37 degrees of freedom, and is enhanced with sensors in the eyes, feet, and backbone.
(Rodolphe Gelin, head of cooperative projects at Aldebaran and one of the engineers leading the development of Romeo, goes into more technical detail in this IEEE Spectrum interview).
Romeo will carry a hefty price tag of 250,000 euros ($327,500) when it becomes initially available to project partners and university researchers. Albebaran plans to offer an improved version for hospitals and nursing homes, and eventually roll out the robot to consumers.
Romeo wouldn't be the first humanoid robot designed to keep the elderly company. Others include Robovie R3, a half-size humanoid designed to assist the elderly and disabled in everyday tasks like grocery shopping and navigating train stations.
And Robosoft has delivered Kompai R&D robots for trials with older people people living alone in their own homes, living in residential care homes, and living at home but attending day care.
While it remains to be seen how seniors will get along with these robots, I envy those who get to be tucked in by Romeo. Perhaps the affable bot will purr: "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." – via CNET

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China turns phone booths into Wi-Fi hotspots

Dixie — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:41:46 +0800

Probably is better to have WiFi everywhere as you have your smartphone or other gadgets with you on the street, which you can browse the web anytime, and China intends to achieve it. The country began to work with their telephone booths to turn them into Wi-Fi hotspots, like what Hong Kong did.
It would be a great news for those who live in China. In some research stated, telephone booth gets less than one person to use it in a day, this is really wasting resource while maintaining the service regularly.
Besides telephone booth, Chinese telecom operators are trying to setup hotspots in restaurants, hotels, sport facilities, and so on. Seemingly to turn every city in China into a giant Wi-Fi network for fast internet connection if the idea is implemented.- Via M.I.C. Gadget
Possible solution for the rest of the world?

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The MobileRyder takes phone sex a step further

Dixie — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:48:27 +0800

I don’t really know what to say about this, what they’re calling the world’s first sex toy for mobile phones. It goes by the name MobileRyder and its… well… can you guess? I had to pixelate the picture, but… that dark part on the left is your iPhone, and that pink part coming up from it is… a male… member. This toy is meant by the creators to be both a fashionable cover for your iPhone and to be used in combination with FaceTime, sexting, or video chatting.
This iPhone accessory is also supposed to be used alongside the FaceTime community Visual Friend, and is made with high quality medical grade silicone. The cover part is made from high quality Polycarbonate, and the piece is 7 and ½ inches long and 1 and ½ inches in diameter. It costs… oh come on… $69, and they remind you on the purchase page that when you have to clean it off, you’re supposed to remove your phone before you do so. Water kills electronics!
Check out the full press release below:
NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — MobileRyder Inc. today announced release of MobileRyder, the world’s first game changing sex toy. MobileRyder is a phone cover that fits the iPhone 4 and other upcoming phone models. It brings a whole new dimension to texting and video chatting.
MobileRyder gives those who participate in texting and video chat a safe way to enjoy chatting and flirting while still experiencing a blissful experience.
“What is the point of texting and video chatting on your iPhone 4 without the full experience?”
MobileRyder is brought to you by the same company that brought you the popular dating site www.VisualFriend.com. VisualFriend.com is a Face Time (the iPhone 4 video chat feature) Community and a free dating site which launched in August 2010. It already has thousands of users and hundreds more are signing up each day. This is not your typical dating or friendship website! VisualFriend.com doesn’t ask boring profile questions. Instead, the questions are fun, different, and things you really want to know about a friend.
Register for a free account at VisualFriend.com. From there, finding friends and flirting is easy, just search the posted pictures and choose only the ones that attract you. It is simple, easy, and fast.
Whether you are looking to flirt, find a date, or just find some Face Time friends, VisualFriend.com is the community you want to be part of. If you enjoy flirting on VisualFriend.com, just imagine where MobileRyder will take you!
MobileRyder is available on www.MobileRyder.com for $69.00 with free shipping available. Made with high quality medical grade silicone and high quality PC (Polycarbonate), this enables the product to be cleaned easy. MobileRyder is a pleasurable 7 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. It is available in black, white, and green. Don’t let this adult toy pass you by! – Via SlashGear

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Google Latitude vs Find My iPhone

Dixie — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:30:34 +0800

Although I was a bit bummed that I couldn’t seem to install Find My Iphone on my 3GS, my brother told me I basically could just register for it on an iPad and still use the MobileMe service. Now Google Latitude has been released and to me it seems to have the same function. I don’t quite get what the differences are yet, maybe anyone of you can shed some light on this?

The Kinect Presents: Virtual Sex Games :O

Dixie — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:23:46 +0800

A smut-peddling software company is hard(!) at work developing the first virtual sex games to make use of the XBox Kinect motion-control system. That's a screenshot of Captain Blurryface Embarrassedtoplay demoing the system there. Oh come on, there's no shame in virtual-sexin'! Yes, yes there is too. It's actually all shame.
The demo comes from ThriXXX software, a maker of 3D role-playing sex simulation games, which said in a statement today that "the open-sourcing of device drivers for Kinect have enabled the...device to be used directly from connected PCs operating on Windows 7...The Kinect interface provides another exciting interface option for users of the sex simulation software to control the experience in extraordinary new ways. Controller-free is the next generation of game user interfaces, allowing users to use gestures, spoken commands, or objects to control in-game action that creates a completely new sex game activity and magical experience."
"Magical experience", right. Because there's nothing more magical than having your roommate come home to you virtual-f***ing the sofa THAT HE PAID FOR. That's just a good way to get kicked out of an apartment. Also, tearing up the floor to install an indoor pool. Whatever you slumlord, that was about to be a luxury unit. – via Geekologie

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All these watches are confusing me!

Dixie — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:55:30 +0800

So I get that hipsters and geeks like their think designy and all, but I don’t get what’s with all the releases of ‘gadget watches’ lately… See here the Swap Rebel: an actual phone watch that retails for about 300 dollars. What do we need this for if all geeks already own a smart phone – be it either a Droid or iPhone.

Then, we have this Slap wrist band, where you can put your iPod Nano in. Are you guys serious? Who wants to walk with earphones attached to their wrists anyways??? Good thing it’s by far not as expensive as the Swap Rebel, this one is just 25 dollars… But still. Would you buy this?

App that tracks your car if it gets stolen

Dixie — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:18:20 +0800

We smell a Hasbro lawsuit coming with this one, but for now AutoBot is a funky name for a potentially great iPhone and Android app. Working in concert with a Bluetooth OBD-II dongle (not unlike the Superchips Vivid), it lets you diagnose engine troubles, keep track of maintenance, and locate your car via GPS coordinates -- useful for when some Decepticon tries to make off with your ride or when you're simply running low on energon and can't remember where you parked. It can even be configured to automatically send a text to loved ones should you get into an accident, specifying your GPS coordinates and ruining any hope of hitting the body shop before dad finds out. The Mavizon-developed app recently won a startup competition at i-Stage 2010 and sadly isn't slated to be available until 2012, but we should be getting an early look at CES. When it does ship it'll cost $300 for the hardware and the software, though an extra fee will be required if you want to banish pop-up ads back to Cybertron.- Engadget

: http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/21/autobot..._campaign=frmkt