Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

They’re about as far from myths as you can get, but MythBuster Jamie Hyneman nonetheless took it upon himself to explore seven tech headaches that many of you are likely all too familiar with in the latest issue of Popular Mechanics, and he’s offered a few suggestions on how companies could fix ‘em. Those headaches include the ever-popular cordless tools with endless varieties of battery packs and chargers (which he suggests should be replaced by stackable 6-volt modules), fancy flashlights that use pricey batteries (which he thinks we’d be better off without), and cars with obnoxious electronics and near-impenetrable encasements. Of course, cellphones and their myriad of charges and connectors aren’t spared either, although Hyneman sees some hope in the Open Mobile Terminal Platform that aims to make micro-USB the standard, and, as you might have guessed, he pays particular notice to computers that come pre-loaded with scores of unnecessary software. On that last note, he also offers some action consumers can take themselves: switch to Ubuntu.

[Thanks, Niall]

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Wireless

The FCC is on a roll this morning. It appears RIM has a Bluetooth music streaming device in the works, the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway, and the device just got the A-OK from the FCC. The unit works pretty much exactly like you’d expect: you just pair your BlackBerry device with the Gateway, plug some speakers into the 3.5mm jack, and you’re off to the races. Music is in stereo, and while we’re guessing that means A2DP, there’s nothing in the user manual that indicates this is compatible with other types of phones. While RIM has been leaning this way for a while, it’s still odd to see the company produce something so overtly media-oriented, but we guess we’re just old fogies like that. No word on price or a release date.

[Via BlackBerry Cool]

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Original post by Paul Miller

Accenture’s research labs in Nice, France, Tuesday showed off an application that enables a cell phone to act as a thin client to massive compute power (well, a Windows XP laptop, anyway) essentially transforming it into a CELL PHONE SUPERCOMPUTER. The picture shows part of the demo where the phone’s camera snaps a photo of a cheap print of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, and the system recognized the painting, and returned information about it from a database. I want one.

Original post by Mike

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Here’s one that needs little explanation: one pedal activates Star Power, the other one fiddles with the whammy bar. That keeps your arms and fingers free to Guitar Hero, and since the React Standalone Pedal is wireless and works with any PS2 guitar, you shouldn’t have too much hassle tossing this on to your garishly patterned carpet and proceeding to rock. It’s available now for $25.

[Via Joystiq]

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Original post by Paul Miller

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV wrote — where else? — in a blog that American troops, including those in war zones, should be ALLOWED TO BLOG and post photos and videos. Currently the Pentagon blocks YouTube and major blogs. But Caldwell says that policy kills an opportunity for the public to get a more balanced picture of the military. He blogged:

“The public has a voracious appetite for the sensational, the graphic and the shocking. We all have a difficult time taking our eyes off the train wreck in progress – it is human nature…When our Soldiers tell/share their stories, it has an overwhelmingly positive effect.”

Original post by Mike

Filed under: Gaming

We’re pretty certain middle schoolers across the world have sketched this exact console 10,000 times, but that still doesn’t make it right.

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Misc

There was a brief, tense pause in the bidding this morning, but some anonymous giant telecom company (Google, perhaps?) has just pushed the price of the 700MHz C-block over the FCC’s reserve price of $4.6B — and the rest of us straight into the promised land of open access. Yep, January 31, 2008, Round 17 will be the day to remember — to think it was all a dream, we used to read Free Spectrum magazine.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Verizon Wireless, GSM, EV-DO, CDMA

The 8800 series is perhaps the most uptight, business-oriented model currently in RIM’s lineup, owing in no small part to the fact that it lacks a camera altogether. Seems a bit strange then to launch the 8830 in a shockingly casual, let-your-hair-down shade of red — but hey, we’re glad they’ve taken the plunge, and we imagine it’ll actually sell quite well against the original silver. Verizon’s red 8830 features the same specs as its blander brother, including GSM / GPRS on the 900 and 1800MHz bands for international roaming and EV-DO for when you’re on home turf. Look for it to hit Verizon’s online store tomorrow for $299.99 on contract after rebate.

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Original post by Chris Ziegler