Cool toys and Gadgets

FROM APPLETELL - The MPTVOutWindow class in the iPhone 2.2 software allows developers to output the iPhone’s screen to a larger screen, such as a TV, thereby taking advantage of its speakers and size. MORE »

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Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, HDTV, Computers, Desktops, Laptops, Gadgets / Other, Gaming, Console

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, it’s time we enjoy those gadgets that we bought, whether it be a brand new HDTV, gaming system, MP3 player, or computer.  Of course for us techie people, we like to see how this year compares with previous years in terms of money spent.  With the economy in a slump, experts predicted this shopping season to be down, but Cyber Monday managed to persuade many consumers to open their wallets, punch in their credit card number, and eagerly await their arrival of their new gadget(s).

Statistically speaking, last year on Cyber Monday had bought in $733 million in revenue, and this year bought in a 15% increase - an astonishing $846 million spent, stated ComScore in a report.  This came as a relief to many retail stores because sales had dropped by 2% or $12 billion from November 1 to Cyber Monday of this year as compared to last year. 

Gian Fulgoni, Chairman of ComScore, had this to say about why Cyber Monday prospered:

“With Cyber Monday promotions beginning in earnest over the Thanksgiving weekend, consumers have finally begun to open their wallets, setting off a streak of four consecutive days of extremely strong growth.  This is an extremely encouraging development for retailers, and we can but hope that their aggressive discounting has still left room for profits.“

A bit of bad news - when retails formally announce their profits, it is expected to overall be down from last year, even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday both did exceptionally well In addition, it could be the overall worst holiday season in terms of profit in decades.  I noticed, and you might have as well, there are many more commercials and advertisements with deals in effort to promote the holiday season.  Also, holiday music that usually starts after Thanksgiving, I was hearing it on the radio a week before Thanksgiving, probably in efforts to make people spend more.

Cyber Monday has become especially big in the last few years because Americans are finding they can get as good as and in some cases better deals than on Black Friday.  All they have to do is click a buttons buttons, type in a few numbers, and let the website and its employees do the rest. 

Now, the big question that remains is how well will retailers do in the coming weeks.  Of course, it was nice to see this big shopping spree from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, but I don’t think customers are ready to splurge yet with the state of this economy. 

Read [Los Angeles Times]

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It seems you will soon be able to enjoy vastly improved Bluetooth speeds by the middle of next year. According the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, the 10x and 100x Bluetooth standards will be released by mid-2009.

The 10x standard is intended for WLAN. This will allow for much improved transfer rates for data up to 30Mbps. On the other hand, 100x, will boost Bluetooth to USB level speeds, which clock in at around 300Mbps.

Bluetooth 2.0 right now is only capable of 3Mbps. So, these new standards would be a vast improvement. What do they mean, exactly? Well, Bluetooth speeds such as these should make video streaming wirelessly and printing from mobile devices a breeze. It is believed that the 10x standard will appear first in handsets that currently have Wi-Fi modules. However, the 100x standard will not be able to be used until more handsets feature UWB radios.

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The JukeBrick is a concept that aims to revolutionize portable music, you know should it ever actually exist. It’s a portable audio player, it also doubles as a performer as well. You see, when JukeBricks get together, they each become individual performers, and you are can listen to individual instruments or even vocals since sound sources can be identified via Music 2.0 technology.

Connecting two or more JukeBricks will extend the screen size, add speakers and you have 3-way or even 4-way channel surround sound speakers. It may just take this kind of radical thinking to put the iPod in it’s place one day.

For now however, it sadly remains just a concept.

[Yanko]

The Sanyo R227 Internet Radio was announced in October for release in Canada, but we just learned the device will be available for US customers very soon. This is great news for those looking for more ways to access their favorite Internet radio stations while not hunkered over their computers.

The R227 connects to the Internet by means of a Wi-Fi module or an Ethernet connection. It can also access wireless networks that are secure by entering in a passkey. You can search for radio stations online from all over the world to pinpoint the tunes you want to hear.

Since there are no fees, this device makes for a comparable alternative to satellite radio stations. It supports all sorts of formats including AIFF, MP3, AAC, WMA and WAV. Plus, with 8 pre-set stations, you can keep track of your favorites. And for those times a Wi-Fi signal or an Internet connection in general is not available, the device includes a digital FM stereo receiver and you can connect an MP3 player to it for output over a home theater system. Other features include the ability to share music over a network, an alarm clock, a web interface, and two speakers with 2W RMS. You will be able to get your hands on Sanyo R227 Internet Radio in January for $169.99.

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It is no secret that many companies are working to reveal their own version of Android phone. However, one Aussie company beats everyone with their Kogan Agora phone, making it the second official Android phone. The phone will come in two variants – Basic and Pro which more or less looks like a design mixture of Samsung’s Blackjack and Motorola Q.

Anyways, Kogan is now taking up pre-orders but the phone will be shipped at the end of January next year. Good thing about this phone is that it will be sold unlocked and international buyers could also pre-order it albeit coughing up extra for the shipping charges.

Kogan Agora will sell for AU$299 (US$193) and Agora Pro for AU$399 (US$257).

Full Specifications:

Operating System: Android
Google Mobile Functions: Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Talk, Google Calendar
Display: 2.5-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 262K QVGA (320 X 240 pixel) resolution
Device Control: 5-Way Central Navigation Key
Keyboard: QWERTY keyboard
Keyboard backlighting
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Audio: Built-in microphone and speaker, Headphone output
Ring tone formats: MIDI, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, PCM
Video: MPEG2 H263, H264, MPEG4, AVI
Mail attachment formats support: JPEG,GIF,WBMP,MIDI,AMR,MP3,WAV
Dimensions (HxWxD): 108 mm x 64 mm x 14.8 mm
Weight: 130g
Battery: 1300 mAh Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Talk Time: Up to 400 minutes
Standby Time: Up to 300 hours
Processor: 624 MHz
Memory: 256 MB On-board + 128 MB Flash
microSD card expansion slot
Network: UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Pro Features:
GPS
Wi-Fi b/g
2 megapixel camera

Kogan Agora Basic
Kogan Agora Pro

[Via DVICE]

There's a section of freeway near my house that goes through the wetlands on the edge of a lake. There's a lot of wildlife there that you can see as you're passing; turtles and ducks, and sometimes huge herons. It feels really magical to see the herons - they're so majestic and I'm always amazed they can live right next to all that traffic. Gerry Wykes writes one of my favorite nature blogs, Naturespeak. He recently posted this incredible video of a heron stalking carp in Lake Erie. If you look at the heron's legs, you'll see they barely disturb the water.

The final "carpe" is achieved with a lightening speed extension of the long neck. The moment is so fast that it is hard to see - you see the before and the immediately after, but not the in-between. My shot freezes one of these plunges at the moment the water blanket was lifted and the heron's head sliced under the surface. It is difficult to appreciate the shear patience and stalking skill that led up to this point.

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The MAKE/CDM/Etsy sonic fun-derland event returns - this time @ our new location, Third Ward in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY! Kicking off the new monthly schedule, the first meet-up will be Thursday, Dec. 11th. Peter of CDM gives details -

Bonus – Make Your Own Beep-It Optical Theremin. For the cost of parts (about $10), Mike Una is giving a workshop – no experience required, and you’ll leave with your own Beep-It. (Space is limited!)

Double Bonus – You! We’re looking for hardware and software projects to share.

Not in New York? Stay tuned – we’ll have some ways to join up live online with both the CDM community and the Etsy community.

If you are in New York:

Directions to the Space

Party: 7-10p, 12/11 (snacks/drinks + lots of sounds for everyone, from non-musicians to hardcore musical hackers!)

Make Your Own Beep-It Workshop: 7:30-8:30p (arrive promptly!)

Here’s what the event is about, as described by, well, me:

Part party, part mixer, part Science Fair, and part performance, this is an informal chance for geeksters and the geek-curious to come together, relax, and discover new sounds. The evening is a gathering of inventors of circuit-bent toys, custom software and patches, interactive digital & visual instruments, custom electronics, electricity-powered noisemakers, DIY robots and new acoustic instruments. And it’s open to everyone from hard-core hackers & newcomers to music lovers who want to learn about the DIY music scene.

And here’s a big bonus: if you liked Michael Una’s Beep-It DIY optical Theremin, as debuted here, you can make your own for the low, low price of parts: about ten bucks.

Michael Una will demonstrate his optical theremin synthesizer Beep-it and conduct a workshop wherein attendees will build their own optical theremin. The basics of analog synthesis will be discussed. No skill level is required- all tools and parts will be provided by the participation fee.

Pay for your parts by Wednesday 12/10, and reserve your spot at the workshop, at EventBrite:
http://beepit.eventbrite.com/

Logo design by the amazing creator of the CDM logos and endless musical posters, Nat aka onetonnemusic.

See you next week, in New York or online!

We welcome people showing up with gear and creations at the last minute – bring cables, an extension cord, and (if you’ve got it) small speakers / headphones / PA (though we’ll do our best to provide some sound). But it does help to know who’s coming if you want to give us some advance warning, and we can help publicize your work in advance.

Head over to Create Digital Music to fill out the project submission form. I'm quite psyched for this - it's been a while since the last event and this one looks to be fully awesome!

More:

Beep-It optical theremin

Handmade Music Night photos

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FROM APPLETELL - One of the smallest iPod speaker systems I’ve tried out recently is the eFizz Travel Mobile Station for iPod from Ewoo.  Although it certainly delivers on portability, it misses the mark on audio. MORE »

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