Gadgety News

Hello there.

Just lie back on the couch.

Comfy?

I’ll need you to be totally open with me.

Ok?

Now, can you honestly tell me, do you:

• Spend 6 hours online a day?
• Yearn to get back online when you’re off-line?
• Feel distress (mental or physical) when disconnected from the interweblogosphere?
• Have trouble concentrating or sleeping?

Did you answer “Yes”?

Good! That means you’re part of this modern world where people are loving the connectivity that the shiny gadgets bring

Sorry - I meant to say it’s bad!

Well, according to Beijing’s Military General Hospital, you have a treatable illness and you need therapy NOW!

Hang on though - looking at their diagnostic guidelines; they are pretty vague to say the least.

Phwew!!!!  No need for that lovely padded cell just yet………..well, as far as my online addiction presence is concerned anyhoooo

Lifehacker via Tech Radar

Pic Credit

I have a deep respect for Razer and am a big fan of their gaming mice and they’ve unveiled a new model at The Games Convention in Leipzig (home of my favourite goth festival) yesterday.  But it aint a mouse! 

Named the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, the company has turned away from the input peripheral and this time created a 7.1 surround sound gaming headset. 

It utilises military grade audio technology which was originally developed for fighter pilots who needed precise audio warnings for incoming missiles.

The Razer Megalodon, say the makers, is powered by the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, which has the ability to process audio algorithms up to 800% faster than traditional HRTF virtual surround sound technologies for gamers who need that kind of detail.

According to the Razer, “gamers looking for an in-game advantage will be able to listen to the positional cues emitted by the Razer Megalodon and hear incoming threats before the threat can actually be seen onscreen”.

The desk-based control pod is connected to the headset via a braided cable and comes in a glossy piano black finish with a rotating dial adjustment for volume, mic, bass and positional sound. The pod allows gamers to switch between 2.0 stereo and 7.1 surround sound, even controlling which speakers gamers prefer to use in the 7.1 environment.

The new headset will cost around 139.99 euros when it launches later this month.

Razer has also announced the Razer Moray In-Ear Noise Isolating Gaming Earphones today at Games Convention designed for mobile gaming and any MP3 player. It will cost 29.99 euros

Here’s a phone for you outdoorsy, living life to the max, extreme adrenaline junky types!

Alternatively it would suit those that buy diver’s watches and never go swimming or own 4×4’s and think off-roading is parking half on the pavement.

The G’zOne Boulder clamshell cell phone from Verizon Wireless will take pretty much everything you throw at it, or drop it in to.

It has been built to military specifications to 810F standards for water, shock and dust resistance; immersion, vibration, salt fog, humidity, solar radiation, altitude and extremes of low and high temperature storage.

In addition, the G’zOne Boulder enables customers to access Verizon Wireless’ Push to Talk service via Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) network…….nope, me niether………

You will be able to choose from black and silver or orange colours.  No, there’s no plans for a pink one! :p

Here’s the specs on parade:

• Flashlight
• Electronic compass
• VZ Navigator-capable - audible maps, turn-by-turn directions and location information to more than 14 million points of interest that customers can share with others
• Field Force Manager-capable - a resource management tool that provides businesses with the ability to locate, monitor and communicate with their mobile field workers
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• V CAST Music with Rhapsody-capable
• Built-in music player
• microSDHC memory card slot
• Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity
• Advanced speech recognition with dedicated voice dial key
• Alarm clock, calculator, calendar, stop watch, countdown, timer, world clock
• Voice commands
• Speakerphone with dedicated speakerphone key
• Bilingual interface - English and Spanish language
• Phonebook with up to 500 entries with multiple contacts
• Hearing aid compatibility = M4/T4
• Internal 2″ 240 x 320 65k color TFT display
• External 1.2″ 96 x 96 Mono STN display

All present and correct methinks.

The Police riding mountain bikes.

The Police on roller blades.

The Police riding scooters.

Now, none of the above really strikes fear into me, a law abiding citizen. 

So I’m guessing that hardened criminals would just point and laugh at that selection quite openly.

Until, that is, they realise that the scooter is the Lamperd Less Lethal’s new T3 Mobile Defender.

The scootery transport comes equipped with a high powered air gun that is considered non-lethal in a body shot, but could potentially kill someone if they were to take a synthetic bullet to the head.

To avoid killing anyone by accident the gun has a holographic sight system to ensure accuracy.

“An eyepiece shows a red target dot, and then transmits an image of the target to a monitor, which relays the information to the gun.”

According to creator Barry Lamperd, if the holographic sight is on target, you can’t miss.

Now, the Americans coined the phrase “friendly fire” so let’s hope that the targetting is that good as it’s due to be rolled out to the US military and then to the police forces for crowd control.

Say farewell to the F-117 stealth fighter.

They will all be making their final trip on April 21st from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico to Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada, the home of their first flight.

The aircraft is being replaced by a newer model, the F-22 Raptor, and the government says it has no plans to bring the radar-dodging planes out of retirement.

There has only ever been 59 F-117s, 37 of which have already been taken out of the skies and another seven which have crashed.  OOooopsy!

Good bye Stealthy.  We’ll all miss you - Whatever it was that you did.