No High Speed Connection what would you do

post from Gizmos for Geeks on 13 April 2008 10:10:47 PM. © Gizmos for Geeks

Friday morning my DSL provider decided (or maybe the decision was made for them) to go out of business with no warning. I’ve had dreams, well nightmares really, about just such an incident occurring and was in true denial Friday night through Sunday morning. Until Sunday afternoon, the only Internet connections I had [...]

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APRIL prize draw - and correction to the 1st
April weekly update!

post from GadgetSpeak - Member reviews, blogs and forums on 13 April 2008 09:03:00 PM. © GadgetSpeak - Member reviews, blogs and forums

We have a great prize draw this month for members in the form of a Brennan JB7 media juke box (thank you to for providing this excellent product!). This is stand-alone unit with an internal 40G byte hard disk and integral 60W[...]

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Tech Tour in the Silicon Valley for French
Start-ups: apply!

post from Ubergizmo on 13 April 2008 06:31:25 PM. © Ubergizmo

The French Embassy and UbiFrance are sponsoring a neat program that helps French Start ups to meet leading global tech companies and expose them to the Silicon Valley?s ecosystem.

French Startups must apply by April 14th to be considered for the Tech Tour. 9 well-established US companies will select the 10 French Finalist who will then, travel to the U.S. for a week of training on how to break into the American market. The program includes a cocktail party at the French Consulate, then then one-on-one interviews with leading companies, analysts and editors, an all day conference of company/media/analyst panels and then ending with a cocktail party Silicon Valley style.

The 10 US companies include, Ebay, HP, Cisco, Google, Microsoft, AT&T, Intel, Symantec and Sun.

To apply click hereTo know more check out the blog and the program description here (in French)

If you know a French Start Up which would benefits from this, please email this article or post on your blog. Thanks!

Permalink | Comment | Uberbargain | Uberphones

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french_startups_apply.html

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I4U Review Round-up: Ugobe Pleo, Panasonic
DMC-L10, Asus EN9800GX2 Top

post from I4U News on 13 April 2008 01:00:00 PM. © I4U News

Last week we reviewed everything from a robot dino, over a SLR camera to an overclocked graphics card. Shane's verdict on the Ugobe Pleo dino robot is very positive: "If you are looking for a way to get out of getting your kids a dog or cat, you ...

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football table design by GRO design

post from Ployer on 13 April 2008 12:58:00 PM. © Ployer

GRO design and TIM model makers, both from Eindhoven, The Netherlands, have teamed up once more to present a self-initiated design project - a football table.

As an object the football table has lacked serious design attention in
recent years. While new football stadiums built in recent years have a
strong architectural and sculptural beauty, football tables remain less
desirable objects as their cost-driven appearance no longer fits in with
the designed landscape of modern interiors.

'11' breaks with this tradition by creating atmosphere through form,
colour, material and subtle use of light, bringing a heightened sense of
drama and excitement to the game. The table's flowing lines express the
dynamic aspect of football, while reducing unnecessary detail to allow the
raw energy of the game to come to the fore.

"For many of us, table football is a game that is close to our hearts,
holding cherished memories of our childhood and youth. Its popularity also
reflects the passion and love that millions of people around the world
share for 'the beautiful game' of football"

Find out more at: www.11thegame.com

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football table design

post from Ployer on 13 April 2008 12:58:00 PM. © Ployer

GRO design and TIM model makers, both from Eindhoven, The Netherlands, have teamed up once more to present a self-initiated design project - a football table.

Find out more at: www.11thegame.com

Read The Full Article:
http://ployer.com/archives/2008/04/football_table_design_by_gro_design.php

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Porsche Design White

post from Ployer on 13 April 2008 12:51:00 PM. © Ployer

Porsche Design is presenting a white collection from May 2008 in Porsche Design Stores. The collection's distinction lies in the way it combines the color white with materials that impart a technical look, such as aluminum, titanium and stainless steel. As well as a mobile phone, the collection includes a jacket, sunglasses and a writing implement, as well as leather goods, jewelery and lighters.

"The typical color of Porsche Design is black," explains Roland Heiler, Managing Director of Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See, Austria. "The color white, on the other hand, stands for purity and also has the property that it highlights the shape of the product. These characteristics also make white an excellent medium for our minimalist design language." The mobile phone, which in a combination of aluminum and black has already been singled out for a number of awards, is now available in a variant of aluminum and white. It is distinguished by a fingerprint sensor for user identification, and by its unique production method, in which the mobile phone is milled out of a solid aluminum block. The attractive P'3140 writing tool also incorporates an innovative Shake technology: just a flick of the wrist and the lead comes and the pen is ready for use.

The men's collection includes the sporting jacket, with a lining featuring the typical Porsche Design stripes. The legendary collection of Porsche Design sunglasses is represented by the model P'8458, with its unusual combination of white plastic applications and classic titanium.

The leather goods of the white collection convince by their clear-cut lines. Accents are set by the matt gleam of the trolley case's aluminum handles and the briefcase's hand-brushed fastenings. In addition, the collection includes a combined laptop-and-document case, a wallet and a cowhide credit card case.

The white collection lighter P'3633 has a patented nozzle for safe use in stormy weather. As well as this variant, there is a distinctive lighter with striking hexagonal screws in the outer casing.

The stainless steel cufflinks have inlays of white precious stones. A bracelet of woven calf leather with an elegant magnetic catch is also among the jewellery offered by Porsche Design. A key ring and a money clip round off the collection.

Porsche Design is a global luxury men's brand and is determined by engineered products. Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche established the Porsche Design brand in 1972, whose products are attracting consumers with their technical innovation and represent functionality and timelessness in its purest form. Porsche Design products are sold in own retail and franchise stores, shop-in-shops, upmarket department stores and exclusive specialist stores.

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Ricoh R8

Ricoh, the Japanese digital camera manufacturer, has announced the R8, a compact digital camera. Features include a 2.7-inch LCD screen, a 10 megapixel CCD, sleek exterior emphasising simple, functional design, and Smooth Imaging Engine III processing for high-quality, low noise pictures.

Ricoh R8, £249.99 inc. VAT, in silver, black and two-tone.

Website
http://www.ricoh.com

Ricoh Co., Ltd. (president and CEO: Shiro Kondo) has developed and introduced the new R8 compact digital camera featuring a 7.1x optical wide-angle zoom lens (28-200 mm in 35 mm focal length), a high-resolution 10 megapixel CCD, and enhanced photography functions.
The new R8 combines a new 10 megapixel CCD with the popular Smooth Imaging EngineIII image processing engine of earlier models, to take high-definition photography to a higher level.
The R8 also offers various other enhanced capabilities for fun and easy photography, such as a large 2.7-inch, 460,000-pixel HVGA LCD and the same 1:1 aspect square format photography function that has proven extremely popular on Ricoh's Caplio GX100 (launched April 2007) and GR DIGITALII (launched November 2007) models.
In addition to the specification improvements, the R8 has also undergone a complete redesign. This new model combines ease of use and technical specification in a body that is contemporary and stylish and has been designed based on the concept " a tool you will want to use every day".
In creating the R8 as a tool for taking photographs, great care has been given not only to styling and coloring but also to its operability, portability, comfort in hand, and its solid, high-quality feel.
Main features of the new R8
1. High-picture quality, low-noise photography is achieved with the high-resolution 10 megapixel CCD and the Smooth Imaging EngineIII image processing engine.
* An effective 10 megapixel CCD has been newly installed. Working together with the popular image processing engine Smooth Imaging Engine III, this new CCD makes possible high-quality images that have both high-resolution and low noise.
2. High-resolution 2.7-inch, 460,000-pixel HVGA LCD
* The new 2.7-inch, 460,000-pixel high-resolution LCD has a wide viewing angle and high contrast for distinct, easy viewing even outdoors. When thumbnail images are displayed, even the small 1/20 size images are clearly reproduced.
3. Based on the "a tool you will want to use every day" concept, the R8 has been given a totally new design emphasizing its beauty as a photographic tool.
* Styling that intensifies a simple, functional beauty and eliminates design frills. A rubber grip that fits well in the hand and is easy to hold, an easy-to-operate mode dial. The many features of the R8 combine to achieve both functional beauty and ease of use.
* In addition to its compact pocket size, the mounting of two strap eyelets has further increased portability.
* The R8's solid, high-quality feel has been further enhanced by the top cover emphasizing a solid, metal feel; the lens barrel end and rings finished with metal spin processing, and the spin processed mode dial and release button.
4. Ricoh's original double retracting lens system has made it possible to equip the R8 with a 7.1x wide-angle zoom lens for a body with both operability and portability.
* Measuring only 22.6 mm at the thinnest point, the body features a 7.1x fully retractable wide-angle zoom lens with a 28-200 mm range.
5. Expanded shooting functions for richly expressive photographs.
(1) Square format photography
The R8 has a shooting function for an image size aspect ratio of 1:1. This square format photography has proved very popular on Ricoh's Caplio GX100 (launched April 2007) and GR DIGITALII (launched November 22, 2007) models. The resulting composition has quite a different feel from the standard rectangular vertical or horizontal format. This format can also be quite convenient for blog photographs.
(2) Expanded functionality for the ADJ. (Adjust) button
Already given enhanced usability in the Caplio R7 (launched September 2007), the ADJ. (Adjust) button has further evolved in the R8. Integrating the ADJ. (Adjust) button functions with those previously controlled by the cross-key has made menu operations even faster and simpler.
(3) Fix minimum aperture function provided
When the fix minimum aperture function is on, shooting is done at the smallest aperture, which gives a deep depth of field in the resulting photograph.
(4) AF/AE Target shift functions provided
Enhanced capabilities have been given to the AF target shift function which was previously only available for macro photography. While shooting, it is possible to shift the target for AF or AE or both without moving the camera.
(5) Zoom lever usability improved
With zoom lever operation it is possible to switch between two zoom speeds. This enables the full capabilities of the 28-200 mm 7.1x wide-angle zoom lens to be utilized.
6. Enhanced image editing functions enable images to be manipulated in the camera.
(1) Image brightness and contrast correction (level compensation)
Still image brightness and contrast can be corrected with either auto or manual modes, with the corrected image being recorded in the camera. With manual correction, the image is corrected by adjusting the histogram.
(2) Image color tone correction (white balance compensation)
By adjusting green, magenta, blue, and amber tones, still image color tone can be corrected, with the corrected image being recorded in the camera.
(3) Trimming of still images
Still images can be trimmed and the resulting image saved in a separate file. This is convenient when doing direct printing with PictBridge, etc.
7. Dual vibration correction functions, macro functions, and face recognition mode are provided.
* The R8 contains Ricoh's original CCD-shift vibration correction function which compensates for camera shake when it is detected. This reduces the blurring that tends to occur in situations such as telephoto and macro photography.
* Ricoh's popular and powerful macro functions are included, enabling shooting of objects as close as 1 cm with wide macro and as close as 25 cm with telemacro.
* Face recognition mode automatically identifies faces in a scene and optimizes focus, exposure, and white balance for the faces.

Read The Full Article:
http://ployer.com/archives/2008/04/ricoh_r8.php

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robotic spy plane "the bat"

The University of Michigan College of Engineering has been awarded a five-year Army contract to develop a six-inch robotic spy plane modeled after a bat that would gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time.

The micro-aerial vehicle dubbed "the bat," would have tiny cameras for stereo vision, an array of mini microphones that could home in on sounds from different directions, and small detectors for nuclear radiation and poisonous gases.

Low-power miniaturized radar and a very sensitive navigation system would help the bat find its way at night. Energy scavenging from solar, wind, vibration and other sources would recharge the bat's lithium battery. The aircraft would use radio to send signals back to troops.

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http://ployer.com/archives/2008/04/robotic_spy_plane_the_bat.php

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TAG Heuer Meridiist

According to insider sources, the above is a first look at TAG Heuer's mobile phone; the Meridiist. The phone features a sapphire crystal display, 2-megapixel cam, 1.9 inch QVGA display and Bluetooth.

Price ?3,400 to ?3,900.

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http://ployer.com/archives/2008/04/tag_heuer_meridiist.php

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