Motivated by a supercharged Chevrolet LS1 V8 (providing 450 hp in its most conservative state of tune) routed through a six-speed Getrag manual, the carbon fiber/kevlar-bodied Redback Spyder racer can accommodate two occupants. Enshrouded in Momo-trimmed comfort, would-be racers will find themselves surrounded by a steel and aluminum semi-monocoque spaceframe, kept on the ground via double-wishbones front and rear, with inboard-mounted shocks. Weight? 2,000-2,200 lbs. (depending on the options selected) -- a suitably light, yet rigid frame for mixing it up with the Radical SR3s and Nobles of the trackday world. Asking price is $250K AU, or just under $190,000 USD.
The latest UK's Entertainment PC's Fidelity-T has some impressive features, including an HD tuner, 3GHz P4, storage capacities of up to 2TB and a dual-layer burner. But $7,400 (that's for the 2TB version; you can get a 300GB version for a mere $5,300)? That's almost double the price of VoodooPC's Aria, which we thought was a little humble at $4,000, and which has most of the same features, plus a touchscreen LCD. Still, we imagine EPC will sell a few of these; and at that price, they should only need to sell a few to be a fairly successful little company.
Xbox Resource Center has a slick guide to getting MythTV, the open source PVR software, running on your big black xbox. Of course, the Xbox has neither a TV tuner nor the horsepower to encode video at a reasonable rate, so you're actually going to set it up as a front-end to a copy of MythTV running on your tuner-equipped PC. It's fairly straightforward, but will get you up to your elbows in Linux terminals and assumes you already have a mod chip in your Xbox.
A hunt-and-click Flash puzzler where you get three challenges. In the first you have to, free a balloon. In the second you have to cross a gorge to get to a door. In the third, you have to find your way to the roof. You do so by clicking on different objects in the correct sequence.
DS2Key, Sypherce's first contribution to the DS homebrew scene, is an application that converts your DS into a PC gamepad. Keyboard commands mapped to the DS buttons are transmitted via a WiFi signal to the PC. DS2Key is a convenient solution for all of your 8- and 16-bit emulation needs.
Casio announced their new 6 megapixel digital camera, the notably small Exilim EX-Z600, which features a 2.7-inch display, 3x optical zoom, and "anti-shake" DSP (which uses high ISO settings to avoid blurring, but somehow doesn't sound nearly as reassuring as proper OIS). Should be out soon.
German gaming mag, GameStar, snagged an exclusive interview with the CryTek team to discuss their upcoming title, Crysis. Built using the stunning capabilities of the Cry-Engine 2, Crysis is being billed as the first DirectX 10-enabled game for Windows Vista. Crysis will exploit features like "dynamic day/night cycle, fully interactive environments, sunrays and diffuse transmission, real time soft shadows, soft particles, interactive/destructible environments, volumetric clouds, and advanced shader technology." Crysis is currently slated for a Q4 2006 release.
How to connect Google Talk to AIM, MSN, and Yahoo!
Recently Google enabled "federation" with other servers in googletalk, the main effect is you can now talk to users on other Jabber servers. As a side effect, it's also possible to sign into AIM, MSN Messenger, or Yahoo! IM and talk to your buddies, all from within Google Talk. BigBlueBall has a tutorial on getting it working. It takes a bit of fiddling—basically you have to use another Jabber client to set up connections to special Jabber servers that talk to other services like AIM—but once you're finished it's easy to add new contacts on AIM, MSN, or Yahoo! to your Google Talk contact list.
The Trendir's Hansgrohe Downpour Air Royale is as wide as your shoulders. The showerhead is a 14-inch circle with 225 spray channel. It also has an air injection feature that makes the shower feel more like a gentle rain than a water assault. And it even self-cleans. The showerhead sells for around $980 and is available next month.
The apparel maker Dunhill currently have two cases up for sale, the Motorities and the Confidential; both crafted in quality fabric and leather. Couldn't find a price for the Confidential, but if the £85 tag on the more basic Motorities is any hint, expect to spend as much for it as you would the PSP to put in it.
A total of seven markets will have high-def locals by February 1st, all of which will use MPEG-4 compression. By the end of the season year, 50 local markets will have high-def availability.
If you're not interested in purchasing new equipment, leasing options for the new MPEG-4 receivers will be available. The ViP 221 lease is expected to cost just $49.99, while the ViP 622 can be borrowed for $299.
Essentially a dance MMOG, Audition is more akin to Space Channel 5 than DDR. Inputting an arrow sequence on the keyboard executes a dance move. In order to perform the move perfectly, players must hit the space bar in time with the fourth beat of the music track.
Audition features several gameplay modes and even an online mall where players can purchase new gear, dance moves, and songs. (Note: you must use Internet Explorer to play)
Adobe released Acrobat 3D, a new version of their PDF authoring software aimed at the manufacturing sector. Acrobat 3D has all the features of Acrobat 7.0 Pro, plus it allows the user to import 3D models from major CAD packages into PDF files that can be viewed by anyone using the free Adobe Reader 7.0. If you have Reader 7.0 installed, you can check out a demo document here. Acrobat 3D costs $995 per copy.
ExtremeTech is running an article that poses the question, "What if I wanted to build a solid Winows Vista machine today?", and a good summary of the kind of power you're going to need in a machine when Vista is released less than a year from now. They give four different configurations, from the basic office machine to the high-end gaming machine, and they end up ranging from just over $1,000 to nearly $3,000.
PC Magazine is running a solid round-up of four Windows BitTorrent clients: BitTorrent (the official client), Azureus, BitPump, and uTorrent. They all get high marks, but Azureus and uTorrent just barely outshow the competition. It's followed up with a (very) short Q&A with BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen.
Option HSDPA card adds 1.8Mbps wireless to laptops
The new card can achieve transfer rates of 1.8Mbps on HSDPA networks, and can fall back to UMTS and GPRS/EDGE if no HSDPA network is available. If you want to use one right now, though, you'd better be prepared to move to Austria, where Mobilkom Austria wil become one of the first carriers to support the new HSDPA network.
It's an extension for Firefox that lets you save your scroll position in any document, even plain text files. It implements its own hierarchical bookmark manager in your context menu.
H&R Block is taking a cue from AOL. In major computer magazines this month, H&R Block is providing free CD-ROMs of its TaxCut tax software to readers. The CDs were spotted in PC Magazine and PC World. The same program costs $10 on TaxCut's Web site, so it's a pretty good deal. It's the federal version only, so H&R Block still can make money from you when you buy a state version (if your state has an income tax, that is). You just peel the plastic coating off and insert the CD into your Windows computers and it begins installing.
Sanyo Virus Washer claims to wipe bugs out of the air
Sanyo's Virus Washer, is claimed to kill airborne bugs via an "alpha electrolytic water disinfectant system." Basically a humidifier coupled with an ionizer.
These aren't just simulated fireplaces; they give you real flames, powered by liquid fuel. If you want to add a fireplace to a room with the ease of hanging a picture, this looks like it'll suffice.
Sony Online Entertainment's MMOFPS title, PlanetSide, will soon feature a free-to-play service alongside its existing subscribers. Currently scheduled for Valentine's Day, the "Fodder Program" will allow free players full access to the game, but impose limits on their BattleRank and CommandRank, restricting their arsenal.
Also planned to kick off at the same time is an improved training system for new players, meaning that newbies should be able to jump into battle within a few minutes. SOE may be anticipating competition from the upcoming MMOFPS Huxley, or trying to attract new players in hopes of revitalising the game--but a free service should benefit anyone wishing to try out a new genre of MMO.
The new Panasonic DMC-FZ7 ups to six megapixels, with Mega OIS (optical image stabilization), 12x optical zoom, and a 2.5-inch display. Expect to see it in March for $399.
GM reveals more Camaro concept gestation shots, video of unveiling
The sketches and development shots that the General just released provide an interesting glimpse into the development process of a show car, including clay modeling and interior bucks. What's more, GM has compiled some desktop wallpaper and a streaming video of the concept's introduction. Catch them both here.
The team is working on something new due for an April release. It's called Defcon, and it's a mixture of Missile Command with Wargames with Risk with Darwinia. It looks pretty cool.
The boys over at Eurogamer have managed to bag an interview with one of the creative chaps on the team, and his revelations about the game are rather interesting. Go check out the interview, here's an excerpt:
"Yeah, we're very excited by Office Mode. The basic idea is that a group of work-mates can start the game up in the morning in Office Mode, playing over their local area network. The game takes place entirely in real-time (you can quite easily end the world with nuclear conflict in eight hours) and each player controls one territory, e.g. North America or Russia. You can hit the Panic key (press escape twice) which immediately removes the game from the screen and places a discreet icon in your system tray. That icon changes when important things happen - for example if you detect some nuclear launches the icon will flash as a Nuke for a few seconds. Because everything is taking place in real-time you've got at least 30 minutes before those nukes land, so you've got plenty of time to respond without interfering with your real work too much."
All of the fashion and purse blogs and magazines have been speculating on whether this is the bag to unseat the Chloe Paddington and the Balenciega bags as the must-have. The B bag has two curvy buckled flaps on the front and a variety of strap styles, fabrics and embroidered details are available. The bags range in price from around $1300 to over $5000.
The latest tool to emerge from the home brew community is a program called DS2Key (for Nintendo DS), which features a "Wardriving" app (using the DSWifi programming library by Stephen Stair) that displays the SSID, WEP status, MAC addresses, and signal strength for whatever WLANs happen to be broadcasting nearby. Auto-refresh means that while you're driving around, looking to help your neighbors beef up their network security (i.e. "it's not a virus, it's a proof-of-concept"), DS2Key automatically updates all pertinent info.
Aximsite "rookie" kryten007 wanted a Bluetooth controller for his PDA but was unhappy with the fit of the only commercial model available, the GamePad. Instead of modding the GamePad itself, kryten007 ripped the guts out and inserted them into a hollowed-out $3 Playstation controller. After a bit of wiring hassle (something about the GamePad lacking a "common ground") he was able to make everything work properly and attach it to his Axim x50 using modified, spring-loaded mechanical pencils. The end result works wonders in the homebrew comps.
S.T. Dupont's Vertigo II collection is an updated version of the first Vertigo Collection which was made back in 1996. The new collection features a geometric pattern done in Chinese lacquer. There will be 350 fountain pens, 350 rollerball pens and 300 Line 2 lighters created. The lighter has a list price of $990 and can be found along with both pens at Fountain Pen Hospital.
IGN talks with peripheral maker NubyTech, known for its acclaimed Resident Evil chainsaw controllers. The interview looks into how third-party accessory manufacturers might be affected by Nintendo's Revolution console. From the article: "... because one of the features of the Revolution will be to download previous content that Nintendo released back in the 8-bit/16-bit days, there is the opportunity to work with a retro-based controller. That is in the mind of other third party manufactures too..."
It is interesting to note that they may yet have a backup plan to capitalize on Blu-ray's success should HD DVD not be the chosen format in tomorrow's next-gen optical format war. TG Daily notes that Toshiba's and Samsung's supposedly independent joint venture operation by the name of TSST (Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology) running since 2004, will be manufacturing some of the first Blu-ray recorder devices to hit the market (and already put out one of the first slimline HD DVD devices). Apparently Toshiba owns 51% of the manufacturing company and Samsung the other 49%.
A recent interview between GameWatch and the developers over at Square may have led to some interesting information being revealed. GamersReport has translated a portion of the interview and believes that Grandia DS is in development.
Watch: NINTENDO DS "Animal Crosing" and "Mario Kart" after all existence thinks 2005 year as a casual entertainment to be large. Everyone can play online with Wi-Fi easily and easily. What impression do you have for this though an online market where one million is exceeded in one night comes suddenly by the wham if a dramatic expression is done?
Mr. Morishita: We feel the chance very much. Because it is contents that we offer, any hardware is good. In game arts also developing the software of the DS really, and we think that you may offer DS contents like mini-bar John and the anecdote etc. of "Grandia" though we are temporary to the last stories. Such our environment is a story that is terrible and glad. I want to welcome this environment obediently.
This is certainly an "entertaining" translation, but is it evidence of Grandia DS? Give it the benefit of the doubt for now.
The system is actually a do-it-yourself kit for Vespa Stella and P-series models that includes an amp, two 4-inch Alpine speakers, replacement glovebox door with pre-cut holes, and a cradle/connector for hooking up your 'pod or other DAP. Costs $300 installation not include.
The Iwod G10 is a smallish Game Boy-looking PMP that performs all of the usual multimedia functions, but whose real draw is a bulit-in NES emulator. That's right, along with supporting your MP3, WMA, FLAC, MPEG-4, and AVI files, the Iwod also lets you load up NES ROMs on SD cards. Gameplay occurs on a 320 x 240 2.5-inch LCD or on a regular TV thanks to the video out jack, and battery life is said to be around 10 hours. If you're in China, you can get it for $147.
-Lytir1
