iriver Spinn gets the hands-on treatment

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We just caught sight of a video of iriver's sleek new Spinn media player the other day, but if you've been hankering for an even closer look at the device, you can now hit up Crave's UK site for a thorough hands-on look at it. That includes, as you can see, a comparison with a slew of other devices (the Spinn is the shining beacon of silver in the middle), as well as some pics that give a better indication of the device's fit and finish (and unfortunately non-standard USB connector). What's more, while they're reserving final judgment for their full review, the folks at Crave certainly seem to be impressed with the unit, saying that AMOLED screen is "unbelievably crisp," and that the player itself is "well worth the excitement."

[Thanks, Andew]
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New robotic arm promises to mind Newton’s third law

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Don't you hate it how simply moving a robotic arm in a microgravity environment can produce enough negative reaction forces to alter a spacecraft's orientation? Well, a group of researchers from Cornell University have now devised a new type of robot arm that they say could make that pesky problem a thing of the past. To do that, they've employed a device known as a control-moment gyroscope (or CMG) instead of a motor to control the arm's joints, which not only reduces the amount energy requied to move the arm, but lets it move faster as well. As you can see above, they've already tested the arm on board NASA's famous Vomit Comet, but there's no indication just yet as to when or if the arm will actually see action in space.
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SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta — without Clip+Sling

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SlingPlayer 2.0 was announced way back at CES 2007 (and, uh, re-announced this year) and it looks you'll finally be able to get a taste, public beta style -- but only a taste, since it's missing its most hyped feature, Clip+Sling. If you'll recall, C+S was supposed to let you nab up to 5 minutes of content and share it online with your friends, but it looks like only the local DVR features have made the cut, so while we're still excited about the new 60-minute buffer and EPG, it's not all we've been promised. On the bright side, the holdup isn't technical, it's legal, so once all the appropriate networkd partnerships and contracts have been signed, you'll be clipping and slinging like there's no tomorrow. Other minor changes include a tweaked UI (skin support has been dropped) and (finally!) the death of Slingbox Finder IDs in favor of user accounts. Windows-only for now, with a video demo after the break -- let us know how you're doing in comments!

Read - Slingcommunity announcement
Read - Dave Zatz's take

Continue reading SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta -- without Clip+Sling

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Posted by Nilay Patel 07.Aug.08 Laptops Read more Comments (0)

How to get the most out of the 2008 Olympic Games

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The 2008 Beijing Olympics -- the first covered entirely in high definition, with super slow-motion cameras and 3,600 hours of coverage, online and on TV -- approach. Think you're ready to get the most out of the Games, and maybe, just maybe catch the event you actually want to watch live as it happens? Head over to Engadget HD and get the full rundown on the different ways the Games are coming home and how to take advantage of them all.
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Posted by Richard Lawler 07.Aug.08 Laptops Read more Comments (0)

ASUS Vito W1 wireless mouse keeps watch on your heart rate

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Watches that monitor your heart rate may be commonplace these days (because, you know, they're actually useful), but a mouse that keep watch on your ticker -- well, that's something you don't see everyday. ASUS seems to think that's a shame, however, and it's set out to rectify things somewhat with its new heart-monitoring Vito W1 wireless mouse. Apart from an apparently really simple heart-monitoring application that comes with it though, this one looks to be about as standard as wireless mice get, with it boasting a 1,200 dpi resolution, a 2.4GHz USB receiver, five programmable buttons and not much else. No word on a price just yet, nor is there any indication of a planned release 'round these parts.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]
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InPhase Technologies finally delivers… layoffs

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We've been hearing about InPhase Technologies' Tapestry 300GB holographic storage disks since 2005, but we've never actually seen the product in action, even though the company has been promising ship dates the whole time -- and now it looks like we might never get the chance, as the company has apparently laid off "roughly half" of its workforce. The cuts are reportedly blamed on CEO Nelson Diaz refusing to listen to roadmaps from his engineers and setting unrealistic schedules -- hmm, you think that might be a problem after nearly three years of missed launch dates? There's still a chance we'll actually see these things make it out of the labs, but we're not holding out hope -- and we've got a feeling physical media might actually be dead when that happens.

[Thanks, Meno]
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ZMP sells bi-ped robot source code to spur development, uprising

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Tokyo-based ZMP has already teamed up with a consortium of other Japanese companies to take on the encroaching robot threat from South Korea, and it's now taken another step to spur on development and released the source code to its nuvo series of robots. Unfortunately, it's not going the open source route, with interested researchers and mad scientists instead required to dole out ¥257,250 (or $2,355) for a package that includes a nuvo robot, the source code, an electrical circuit diagram, three days of training, and an ID to give you access to the nuvo community. You'll also have to sign a non disclosure agreement with ZMP, and if you're not one of the first fifty to sign up, you're out of luck for now. Not exactly casting the widest of nets, but those looking for less expensive, more open robot platforms to play with certainly have plenty of other options to consider.
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60GB Xbox 360 has minor heat-related changes, no need to worry

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While some may understandably be concerned that Microsoft may have taken its cost-cutting measures a bit too far with its new 60GB Xbox 360, our pal Ben Heck has cracked one of the new models open and found that there's apparently nothing to be worried about. In fact, while the console packs the same 65nm CPU and heatsink seen in the most recent SKUs, and the same old "super" GPU heatsink, it ditches the bottom-mounted memory chips that have been commonplace until now, which some claim to have been the source of a few heat problems. Ben Heck also notes that if you want to make sure you have a 65nm CPU, you can just check out the power supply, which should be marked 175 watts, while any future model with a 65nm GPU would likely be 140 or 150 watts.
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Nokia N85 hits FCC in two flavors, one with just a touch of North American 3G

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We're still trying to figure out exactly how Nokia intends to position the N85 slider in its Nseries lineup, and frankly, the FCC documentation that's been outed for it isn't helping much. Seems there are two versions of the thing: one with no 3G -- likely for China -- and another with WCDMA on the 900, 1900, and 2100MHz frequencies. That little dose of 1900 in there will be enough to give owners partial access to 3G while out 'n about in the colonies, but by and large, the phone appears destined for Europe where 2100 (and to a lesser extent, 900) is the name of the game. Both do quadband EDGE, so at the very least, you'll be able to roam the better part of the globe and get some semblance of coverage -- just don't expect it to be particularly speedy everywhere you go. To be fair, Espoo's been getting pretty good about crafting special versions of its hottest handsets that are ripe for North American use, so we're not giving up hope just yet that there's a third version floating out there.

[Via Cell Phone Signal]
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Posted by Chris Ziegler 07.Aug.08 Laptops Read more Comments (0)

Daan air purifier kills the unbearable stench of rotting fish in style

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Finally, purifying the air in your home doesn't have to make your pad look like it was ripped from the pages of the SkyMall catalog. A Korean company called Daan has introduced a new purifier that gets the job done while actually looking somewhat stylish. The devices suck up dust and cat hair in a 161 sq. ft. space, but are modular in nature, allowing you to stack multiple units on a stand for cleaning larger spaces (they can also be separated and moved to smaller rooms). Home electronics-maker Coway will apparently manufacture the device, but we don't have a word on street date or price. Sure, they may still be killing you slowly, but at least they'll look good while doing it.

[Thanks, Tony]
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