Porsche beautifies the Boxster
 Porsche AG has announced the SportDesign add-on body kit for its popular Boxster, making the company the latest automaker to try to capture a bigger share of the burgeoning aftermarket for auto upgrades and accessories. The factory SportDesign option package includes a front spoiler, a redesigned automatically extending rear spoiler, and a modified rear fascia with integrated diffuser.
Porsche claims reduced aero lift front and rear, without an increase in drag, with the possible exception of the nearly $4,900 price tag (in Germany) for the factory-installed option. A do-it-yourself kit is also available for customers who already have their Boxster sitting in the driveway. No word on U.S. prices yet, but the package will be available through Porsche dealers worldwide.
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Hapland 3 another part of a flash series
 Hapland 3 is the newest game in the popular Flash series, and puzzle fans won't be disappointed. It's bigger, tougher, and even the artwork has taken a big step forward. If you get stumped and need a walkthrough, head over to the comments at Jay is Games. Read more..!
Crysis direct-feed GDC trailer: it's hot
 Folks expecting a prettier version of Far Cry with CryTek's new Cry Engine 2 can now gape in awe at what's possible with Crysis, the company's next-gen shooter for EA. If nothing's changed about the FPS gameplay presented, we can look forward to some of the most realistically rendered in-game foliage ever, as well as a buggy boss who will most likely make another appearance at E3. Read more..!
Oblivion: let the modding begin!
 There is already an extensive library of Oblivion mods at Planet The Elder Scrolls to satisfy even the most discriminating fan. You can try the new Champion and Wanderer classes, hire specialized mages and mercs to travel with you, and if you like Boromir, you can even make Martin look like Sean Bean. Read more..!
Converting Quicktime videos to AVI
 RAD Video Tools converts a Quicktime video into a Windows-native AVI file simply and free-ly. Pain in the Tech offer a very nice walk-through explaining how to go about converting that pesky Quicktime video into an AVI file using RAD Video Tools. As they mention, this utility has capabilities far beyond simply converting videos, but if you're looking for a free way to do some difficult conversions, have a look at this one. Read more..!
Unofficial patches fix Internet Explorer vulnerability
 Two companies have released their own unofficial patches for the newly-disclosed Internet Explorer vulnerability that is rapidly being exploited in the wild. Security firms eEye and Determina have both announced the availability of unofficial hotfixes they're touting as temporary solutions until Microsoft gets its act together. Both companies have released the source code of their patches for review, but installing either is still an at-your-own-risk undertaking. eEye's information and download page can be found here, and Determina's here. Read more..!
Zone out with BrainWave Generator
 BrainWave Generator is a Windows shareware app (30 day trial after which you pay $40) that plays specific sound frequencies to each of your ears, which will "take you to the state of mind you want." At least, that's what the BrainWave Generator web site says. Among the laundry list of possible uses claimed by the BrainWave Generator are: * Relaxation and meditation by entraining your brain into desired states * Enhancement of learning capabilities (super learning) * Sleep induction (for treating insomnia or just for falling asleep quicker) * Focusing attention and enhancing awareness * Alleviation of headaches and migraines, as well as other pain * Preparation for stressful situations * Self hypnosis and/or subliminal programming You can also save the audio output from the BrainWave Generator and take it with you on your iPod. Read more..!
Open source graphics app Xara Xtreme available
 Graphics company Xara's planned to open the source code of their flagship product Xara Xtreme and bring it to Linux and Mac OS X. And as of last week, the full source code is available under the GPL, paving the way for anyone to run the full-featured vector graphics suite for free, assuming they run Linux or OS X. Xara still plans to make money by selling the Windows version and a commercial version for Linux or Mac if the demand exists. Head over to Xara's open source site for videos, screenshots, FAQS, and of course the download. Read more..!
Office 2007 interface preview video
 If you want a better idea of what using Office's new interface is really like, I recommend this streaming preview video (direct link to WMV stream) that Microsoft has put together. It's a 13-minute marketing piece so be prepared for some awkward scripted dialogue from Real Microsoft Employees (Dear Product Manager Julie Larson-Green: The camera is over here. Please look at it.), and unless you're a corporate executive you'll probably get the gist of it in the first five minutes. Read more..!
 The latest Japanese-inspired numeric logic game downloadable version, and perhaps most refined, is Sudoku Companion from Verek. A Macintosh app that will help you solve Sudoku puzzles or generate your own, ranging in difficulty from Easy to Fiendish to Insane. You can save your favorite puzzles and print them out, too. Also, for those of you with the new MacsIntel, you'll be happy to know that Sudoku Companion is a universal binary, so it will cruise right along on your newer hardware. Read more..!
Free desktop wallpapers from Wikipedia
 Head on over to Wikipedia, they have a page there dedicated to featured desktop backgrounds filled with gorgeous photographs that are perfect for use on your desktop. Most of the images there will likely make your co-workers think you're smart, too, since being Wikipedia, the photos have a very science and nature theme to them. Read more..!
Hex Fiend: Free hex editor for OS X
 Hex Fiend's developer (who goes by the name of "ridiculous_fish") describes it as "a fast and clever free hex editor for Mac OS X." Hex editors tend to be fairly bare-bones affair, but Hex Fiend has some nice features, like the ability to insert, delete, and rearrange data, a data inspector that lets you view data as integers, floating point, signed or unsigned, big or little endian, and so on, and capacity for huge files. And it's free. Read more..!
WoW v1.10 -- now with weather!
 The latest update introduced to World of Warcraft is highlighted by the addition of weather effects to 11 areas, rare 'epic' gear, and new high-level instances. Other changes include the conversion of quest experience to gold for players maxed-out at level 60 and flight path tweaks. GameSpot has posted the full patch details for your perusal. The update weighs in at 368.3 MB. Read more..!
So how much does Microsoft lose per 360 sold?
 A monthly software chart and report from Portelligent, Inc. In light of Microsoft's recent announcement to triple the Xbox 360 shipments, has unearthed this "Quick Turn Teardown" on an Core System at launch. Portelligent estimates that a Core System cost Microsoft $310 to produce. However, the press releases errors in Samsung's SDRAM size noting 64MB (the console has 512MB of RAM), if accurate, though, that means Microsoft is losing very little per unit sold, and just one game purchased (even Geometry Wars) makes the console profitable. As time passes, the parts used to make the console will become less expensive, and Microsoft will have no problem making frequent price drops while still turning a profit.
Epobirs writes, "This means when Microsoft gets a major revision of the chipset at the 65 nm process node it could possibly break even on console after a reduction of the retail price. Not only would the cost of the silicon go down considerably but also the reduction in power draw and cooling needs would allow for cost reductions in those components as well. (Whether they'd choose to produce a smaller version of the 360 is another issue. They might save that for 45 or 32 nm.)"
Even if the Xbox 360 fails to overtake Sony's PlayStation 3 in market share, the console could end up being a financial success for Microsoft, much in the way Nintendo can claim a profit for every GameCube sold (despite being 3rd place in worldwide console sales).
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BUSlink's 64GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive PRO 2 Series
 Not sure when BUSlink launched a 64GB -- that's gigabyte, yes -- flash drive, but it's right there on their site, available for purchase at $5,000. They've also got a 32GB and 16GB drive for $1,500. Read more..!
Moog Products launches $1,500 Little Phatty analog synth
 Moog Products has just announced a portable analog synthsethizer, which pays tribute to the company's founder, and will finally bring professional quality synths down to prices that amateurs can afford. This tribute edition "Little Phatty," has a reasonable $1,475 price tag, and Little Phatty features a 37-note keyboard, 2 ultra-stable oscillators, a Moog low pass ladder filter, and 4-stage analog envelope generators, all wrapped up in an attractive package. Initially Moog Products will only be releasing 1,200 special edition Little Phattys, which come with decorative side panels, the signature plate that you see above, a CD-ROM of the Bob Moog Memorial Celebration Service, and a special poster for your studio to inspire you as you lay down those crazy electronic tracks. Read more..!
How-To add an external GPS antenna
 GPS is a nifty piece of technology that needs a clear view of the sky being satellite based, so using your handheld unit can be a problem when the roof of your car is blocking signal reception. The obvious answer is to add an external antenna, however many GPS units lack external antenna jacks. If you crack open any GPS unit, you can extend the wire between the antenna and the internal antenna, but with a little bit of hacking. Find out how in this how to.
To complete this project, you need:
* A suitable GPS receiver
* 26 gauge wire (0.4mm thick)
* 100pF or 47pf ceramic capacitor
* Active external GPS antenna
* BNC panel mount connector (may vary, get one to match connector for the antenna)
* 1/8 inch mini jacks or similar for power and serial output (optional)
* Tools: Soldering iron, pliers, wire strippers, drill
Picked up a cheap GPS device made for the Palm III and used the instructions from Walter at radiohound.com to remove the 12 channel GPS board from the unit. It's just a matter of disassembling it and moving a few components around. The result is a stand alone GPS card. Power it up and it starts spitting out NMEA sentences via the serial port.
The GPS board lacks a backup battery (for faster acquisition) and support for an external antenna. By adding a power injector circuit, we can use a standard external active antenna. To make life easier, we used an antenna that accepts 5-12 volts DC. The GPS board we used accepts 4-16 volts DC. If your hardware needs a lower voltage like 3-5 volts DC, you'll need a power regulator to get power from your car. Scored a pair of 100pF capacitors, and a male BNC panel mount connector from RadioShack. The 3/32 inch drill bits (you only need one) came from Sears and the antenna from eBay.
How it works
Satellites orbiting the earth transmit radio signals the GPS antenna receives (active antennas amplify the signal a bit) and sends it down the line to the receiver. The power injector sends power up the antenna cable to the antenna.
The Power Injector
The power injector is a simple circuit resembling a sound-crossover you'd find in a set of speakers. The coil is a small inductor that acts as a low pass filter. It keeps the GPS frequencies from the power supply, and keeps interfering signals from the power supply out of the GPS while allowing the DC voltage to pass through. The capacitor acts as a high pass filter. It allows the GPS signals to pass while blocking the DC voltage from entering the GPS receiver. Make the coil from scratch, with a capacitor that is either a 47pF or 100pF capacitor.
Building the coil
To make the coil, take a piece of 26 gauge wire that's about .4mm thick. The digital caliper was oscillating between .39 and .40 mm.
Then wind the 26 gauge wire around a 3/32 inch drill bit six complete turns. It's easiest to wind it, squash it together and then evenly separate it using your fingernails.
Case modding
Mount the hardware inside a tin can. First to drill the large hole for the BNC connector, start with a small drill bit and work your way up in size. Use four or five bits to drill the hole.
Building
Finishing up the job use a couple lines of hot glue provide a simple insulator to keep the board from shorting on the bottom of the tin. The coil is connected to the power pin on the GPS board. The capacitor runs to the signal line of the coax to the board. The shielding is soldered to the outer tab of the BNC connector..
Performance
The mods results are the lock speed of the GPS card decreased to a consistent 60 seconds, down from over two minutes. And the extra shielding helped along with the now externally mounted antenna.
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A night vision spy car for your little James Bond in training
 Now you can buy a night vision spy RC car off the shelf -- or at least, will be able to buy one this holiday season -- for somewhere between $100 and $160. The Spy Video Car, made by Wild Planet, includes an adjustable top-mounted video camera that transmits images wirelessly to a head mounted display. Wild Planet is also introducing some Digital Spy Camera sunglasses and an Alarm Kit to round out your little spy's arsenal, or to buffer your own home security. Read more..!
Safa T1000 MP3 player with e-wallet
 South Korea's Safa T1000 has a built in T-Money card, which can be used for purchases at participating institutions. As with other near-field payment systems, you can just wave your DAP in the general direction of the payment terminal for it to register. Read more..!
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-Lytir1
