If not sexy, then...practical.
(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)I've been looking forward to the Dell UltraSharp U2410 with as much (or more) anticipation as some of our most fervent readers.
I feel a lot of monitor enthusiasts were expecting perfection from this monitor, so I'll get this out of the way right now: It's not perfect.
This may seem more disappointing than with other monitors, but that's mostly because of the super high expectations the U2410 had pre-release.
The monitor includes a H-IPS panel, one of the newer iterations of IPS panel technology and one that I have little hands-on experience with. Some of the problems I encountered with the monitor could be inherent to the technology, but having not dealt with another H-IPS, I can't saw for certain.
Still, it earned our editor's choice, so it must have done something right. Right?!
So, the cat's out of the bag. The Dell UltraSharp U2410 isn't perfect; however, that doesn't mean it can't be perfect for you. Read the full review to determine if it is.
As always, new monitor reviews can always be found here.
Sleepboxes can be installed at train stations, airports, and shopping centers.
(Credit: Arch Group)With more devices dedicated to the sleep-deprived on the move, the Sleepbox is one concept I'm rooting for. It's probably not for the claustrophobic, given its box-like interior, but it draws inspiration from Japan's capsule hotels.
Parked along stretches of an airport, this private nap space would be a boon for Economy Class overnighters lacking access to a Business or First Class lounge with sleeping facilities. Not all of us plebs are that fortunate, and usually have to make do with stretching out on awkward plastic seats.
Russian architect team Arch Group, thinking out of the box, has attempted to make its Sleepbox as comfy and sanitary as possible. The bed comprises a soft, flexible strip of foamed polymer with a surface of pulp tissue. The sheets are changed via a roller-like conveyer belt system, similar to the roller seat covers in bathrooms.
There's also Wi-Fi, an LCD display, sockets for charging laptops and mobile devices, a storage area to stash your luggage, and an alarm for keeping tabs on your allotted nap time.
The plan is for travelers to rent these 6.5 foot by 4.5 foot by 7.5 foot Sleepboxes for 15-minute slots or longer. This sleeps one, and hopefully stays that way. More photos after the jump.
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(Credit:
CNET / Josh Lowensohn)
Ever wondered what some of the graphical differences are in games that make use of the newer hardware in the latest versions of Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch? So were we. That's why we put together a screenshot comparison gallery of 11 games, all of which are either packing extra OpenGL ES 2.0 goodies, or that more complicated graphics modes that run a whole lot better on the beefier hardware spec.
As for our testing, we ran each title on an iPhone 3G and a third-generation iPod Touch, the latter of which packs the faster innards required for some of the advanced OpenGL effects.
To our surprise, there were very few apps on the App Store that made use the new graphical spec, and even fewer that required a standalone version of that application to do so. However, many of the developers we talked with said that they were cooking up new titles that would be pushing these new devices a little further than what they had already created. That's good news for those with a newer iPhone or iPod Touch, but a definite thorn in the side of those who might not be able to play some of near-future App Store releases on their original iPhone or iPhone 3G.
Click on our slideshow link below to get started. We've also included links to each version of each app (in case there are variations), all of which open up in iTunes. Also, in case we missed any, feel free to leave them in the comments and we'll try to add them later.
See also:
The future of iPhone games
For games, no big rush to speedy iPhone 3GS
iPhone developer: 3G S graphics will be sooo much better than PSP's
After driving hundreds of cars to evaluate automotive technology, we've settled on our top 5 car technologies. Amongst the many, many features different automakers are making available, these are the ones we've found the most essential for every day use. Some of these technologies can be found on most new cars today, while others are rarer, only offered by a few automakers. Some of these technologies will keep you and other safer, some will save you money, and some will just keep you happy.
We have special guest Damian Koh from CNET Asia joining us on today's show. He answers our questions about the cell phone market in Asia, and surprisingly, he tells us he actually envies us for the phones that are available only in the U.S. We also discuss the Motorola Droid, Verizon's AT&T-bashing ads, Samsung's Bada, and more.
Listen now: Download today's podcastSubscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video)
News
Initial Motorola Droid sales look good
New Verizon ad calls iPhone 'misfit toy
Verizon reveals Casio G'zOne Brigade
T-Mobile to phase out MyFaves
Samsung launching its own mobile OS
Reviews and features
HTC Droid Eris
Nokia 3711
Samsung Flight
LG Chocolate Touch VX8575
Twitter Peek
RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700
Motorola Droid vs. iPhone 3GS prizefight
Upcoming reviews
Samsung Convoy
T-Mobile Tap
Samsung Mythic
Jabra Stone
Humans have a nasty habit of producing and accumulating garbage, but Gabriel Dishaw, a junk-metal genius from Carmel, Ind., turns trash into artwork. His most recent pieces were inspired by his love of Nike shoes, as he fashioned five different kicks, including dunks and high tops.
Dishaw's shoes are collages of otherwise potentially useless hardware salvaged from computers, typewriters, and metal scraps. His work is meticulous, as it takes him up to several weeks to complete one pair of shoes and an accompanying carrying case for storage.
Though the sculptures are aesthetic replicas of real Nike shoes, they are far from wearable. His latest pair, Blazer Pentium 1.0 (named for Intel chips), weighs 15 pounds--and we're guessing the shoes don't have arch support.
See our photo gallery of Gabriel Dishaw's Nike-inspired junk art.
Space-age design: The mPower Emergency Illuminator is set to hit stores in March, 2010.
(Credit: mPower)Flashlights are becoming more and more sophisticated, as well as rather expensive. Case in point: the upcoming mPower Emergency Illuminator, which made its press debut this week at an event in New York. Designed by the Porsche Design Studio to be "a stylish product with emergency utility, it will cost somewhere between $250 and $300 when it comes out in March of 2010.
Aside from the fetching design, the mPower Emergency Illuminator boasts some innovative battery technology. One battery "tube" stores two CR123 batteries, while the other has what's called an OnCommand Reserve Battery that the company says has a minimum 20-year shelf life and will deliver "power on command when and where you need it."
While the special reserve battery isn't rechargeable and will wear down if you use the flashlight a lot, it will never degrade just sitting around in its tube. In other words, you could never turn this torch on for years, and it would still work the moment you need it--according to mPower. Replacing the backup battery will cost you around $25, though that price may go up with inflation over the years.
It's also worth noting that the flashlight has a built-in USB port for charging cell phones and other gadgets. If there's juice available from the CR123 batteries, your device will draw power from them; if not, it will charge up via the backup battery.
Comments? Would you rather have this model or the battery-free LED quick charging flashlight from 5.11 Tactical?
Motorola Quantico
(Credit: Motorola)Motorola has released yet another rugged phone, and it's called the Quantico.
Like the Motorola Tundra, it won't win any design awards for its rough and tumble exterior. It's encased in a shell made of chrome, glass, and rubber that is military-certified to withstand a 30-minute dip in up to a meter of water, extreme pressure, temperature, dust, shock, vibration, and rain.
It also rocks GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, a speakerphone, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. No word on carriers just yet, but the tri-band CDMA spec gives us a pretty good hint it'll either go with Verizon, Sprint, or one of the regional carriers like Cricket and MetroPCS.
The $99 Chumby One ditches the plush look of the previous model and gets a performance boost.
(Credit: Chumby Industries)The Chumby One (which is technically Chumby No. 2) officially made its way into the manufacturer's online storefront Wednesday, priced at a tantalizing $99.
For those who didn't catch the Chumby phenomenon the first time around, the gist of the thing is a do-it-all, hardware host for Internet widgets. You can use it to check the weather, update your Facebook status, browse your photos on Flickr, tune in to Internet radio, play games, and more. The original Chumby was a blast (I still use one at home for listening to Pandora), but it was a bit of a rich-kid novelty at $179.
Chumby One represents a leaner, faster, cheaper take on the original. Aside from ditching the plush Italian leather and beanbag shape of the original for the clean lines of ABS plastic, the new Chumby benefits from a faster processor (454MHz), a built-in FM radio, a dedicated volume knob, 2GB of microSD memory, and a single USB 2.0 port. They've now made it portable, too, with an optional rechargeable lithium ion battery good for an hour of use.
Many features haven't changed, which is surprising when you consider the big price drop. You still get a relatively spacious 3.5-inch resistive LCD touch screen, a 3.5mm stereo output, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, accelerometer control, and an AC adapter. Let's hope you can still play Quake on it.
Also, is anybody else thinking this thing is just a camera away from working as a Skype video phone? Come on developers, there's a built-in microphone, a USB 2.0 port, a reasonably fast processor--make it happen, OK?
(Credit:
Hanaoka)
Japanese artist Hanaoka likes to cover objects in grass. Cars, business card holders, cufflinks, ashtrays, compact mirrors...you name it. He even blankets computer peripherals with the stuff.
To wit: the grass mouse pictured at right. Pair it with this grass cell phone and start the hose (or maybe that's not such a good idea).
Thanks to my ever-helpful co-worker/translator Takayuki Sakurai, I'm able to glean that Hanaoka has, in the past, made his verdant mouse available for purchase, though we're not seeing evidence that it's currently for sale. If you're liking the grass-on-all-things idea, however, the artist does sell a grass-covered badge for 300 yen (about $3.50) and a grass-covered cell phone strap for 700 yen (about $7.50).
Hanaoka donates 50 percent of his proceedings to a nonprofit called Shibafu Sprit, which aims to make Osaka-area schoolyards green (Shibafu is word for grass in Japanese).
We hear he's also been donating to the Chia Pet Rescue Foundation.
