Next generation of smartphones arrives

Next generation of smartphones arrives

We’re sick of the iPhone, too. Despite antenna issues, Draconian app store rules and an engineered inability to run Flash content, Apple’s flagship smartphone has done to the smartphone market what the Romans once did to Europe.
The good news: Now a marauding horde of smartphone manufacturers under the flag of Google Android are back for their turf, and they’re not just cobbling together iPhone-wannabes anymore. From the world’s first dual-screen smartphone to a phone with all the processing power of a laptop – and a dock that turns it into one – these next-generation smartphones will all bring something totally unique to the battlefield when they arrive soon.

LG Optimus 2x

The pitch: Two is always better than one, which makes the LG Optimus 2x, the world’s first dual-core smartphone, quite a catch. Nvidia’s hotrod Tegra 2 processor enables rich gaming, fluid multitasking and even 1080p video capture. With the HDMI output, you can hook it up to your TV and watch movies on the big screen, in 1080p.
Skeptic’s slant: Apps have to be specially developed to take advantage of the dual-core design, which means few of them will really tap into what the Optimus 2x can do at launch.
Availability: Rumors have the Optimus 2x launching in late March or early April, but LG will launch the Optimus 2x as a “world phone.” That means it won’t be showing up at the store down the street with a hefty subsidy like phones that carriers officially adopt – you’ll have to snag it online, without a contract, for a hefty sum.

Motorola Atrix 4G

The pitch: Plug Motorola’s Atrix 4G into its optional dock and the humble smartphone becomes a 13-inch notebook, giving you a full-size screen, keyboard, and even a separate battery to charge the phone as it sits.
Skeptic’s slant: The optional laptop dock will cost you $500, and because it doesn’t run Windows 7, it does a lot less than a $350 netbook would.
Availability: AT&T will open the Atrix 4G for preorder on February 13, and begin shipping units March 6 or earlier. The phone itself runs for $199 with a two-year contract.

Kyocera Echo

The pitch: When the Echo’s little 3.5-inch touchscreen starts to feel a little cramped, slide it apart and a second identical screen rises up to meet it, providing a combined 4.7 inches of glowing LCD. The two screens allow you to browse side-by-side websites, read an e-mail in one screen while you reply in another, and even play games like The Sims where one screen acts as a controller, similar to the Nintendo DS.
Skeptic’s slant: Not many apps will work with the dual-screen functionality right off the bat, and running two screens at once will cost you big time on battery life.
Availability: Sprint will offer the Echo for preorder within the next few weeks for $199 with contract, but it won’t begin shipping until spring.

Samsung Infuse 4G

The pitch: With a whopping 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus Screen and a body as deep as a pencil, the Infuse 4G will be both the largest and thinnest phone in AT&T’s portfolio. Thanks to HSPA+ 4G, it will also be one of the fastest on the network. And did we mention it shoots 1080p video?
Skeptic’s slant: Sprint’s 4.3-inch EVO 4G already dropped jaws (and stretched pockets) with its screen size. Is a 4.5-inch screen on a phone really practical?
Availability: Samsung’s Infuse 4G will arrive in the second quarter of 2011 exclusively on AT&T.

HTC ThunderBolt

The pitch: Verizon’s first 4G LTE handset will also be the first to support Skype-to-Skype video – with or without Wi-Fi. No more clambering around to find a hotspot when you want to videoconference, and being limited to friends with Facetime. It packs the same jumbo-sized 4.3-inch LCD and 8-megapixel camera as Sprint’s EVO 4G.
Skeptic’s slant: It’s warmed-over EVO 4G on Verizon. On second thought, maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.
Availability: Rumors once pointed to a Valentine’s Day release, but the latest leaked documents now show “no ETA.”

Most Provocative X-Rays Pinup Calendar

“Miss September” wears stiletto heels as she strikes a pose for the Eizo X-ray pinup calendar.

It seems there is always someone thinking up new ways to shock us. This year’s pin-up calendar features X-rayed not X-rated girls. Yes, you heard me right. Bizarre but true. This 2010 pin-up calendar is the weird brain child of a German advertising agency called Butter. The idea was to promote Eizo’s high-precision displays for medical imaging so they used X-rays to shoot the pin-up models.
The Butter Agency declares that “pin-ups are more often found in auto garages rather than in medical offices.” I’ll say. “Eizo breaks this taboo,” Butter boasts. “This pinup calendar shows absolutely every detail.”

Their ad promotion made quite a splash on the Coloribus ad archive recently. Ever since these bizarre pin-up photos have been making their rounds on the Internet like the bizarre version of a Playboy centerfold.
Apparently, this calendar is a promotion only kind of thing and is not available as an actual calendar though certainly plenty of guys have tried to procure one. When several emailed the company: “Sorry, you can’t get it here. However, we appreciate the impact it has had on Eizo’s U.S. brand recognition,” the company wrote back.
What’s next? First we have skeletal thin fashion models because of eating disorders and the beauty world’s pressure to be too thin. Now we are gonna X-ray them too for display as pin-ups?

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10 Most Incredible Earth Scars

Mirny Mine Image: Zhivun

With explosions and massive machines scraping into the earth’s crust like a bad case of scabies, it’s small wonder open cast mining has made what many see as an unpleasant impact on the planet’s surface. The face of the earth is beleaguered with giant scars, scoured out in our ongoing bid to the plunder the planet of its natural resources. We’ve selected 10 of the holes most needing a bit of environmental ointment – where rehabilitation of the land could take some time.

10. Kalgoorlie Super Pit

 

Image: Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines via ABC

Kalgoorlie Super Pit is what it says on the tin. Irishman Paddy Hannan first saw the glimmer of gold here back in 1893, and this gigantic pockmark in Western Australia is now its continent’s largest open cut gold mine at 3.5 km long, 1.5 km wide and 360 m deep. It’s huge. And it’s growing. At least, that is, until 2017 when it is expected to cease being productive.

Threatening to devour the town: The Super Pit, Kalgoorlie 

  

Image: The Super Pit

While the Super Pit has the pull of a benign black hole for tourists into good hole-some fun, air pollution, water usage, noise and vibration issues and mining waste are all bones of contention for local residents. Still, as well as coughing up almost 30 tonnes of gold each year, the pit provides work and silver for around 550 employees.

9. The Big Hole, South Africa

  

Image: johnbullas

Another open pit whose name leaves little to the imagination, the Big Hole in Kimberly, South Africa, is said to be the largest hole excavated by hand – despite recent claims that the nearby Jagersfontein Mine holds the some might say dubious title. While it was closed in 1914, during its 43-year lifetime, the 50,000 workers who broke their backs using picks and shovels shifted 22.5 million tonnes of earth, yielding almost 3 tonnes of diamonds for their jolly bosses, the de Beer brothers.

Water-filled earth wound: The Big Hole, Kimberley

  

Image: Irene2005

The Big Hole is 463 metres wide and was dug to a depth of 240 m – though infilling and water-accumulation have left just 175 m of the hole visible. It’s now a show mine complete with a restored old town. Quaint.

8. Diavik Diamond Mine

  

Image: johnbullas

Diavik Diamond Mine is located in Canada’s charmingly named North Slave Region – hopefully no reflection on the way the 700 workers here are treated. This is an open cast mine like no other. Gouged into a 20 square km island, 220 km from the Arctic Circle, there are particularly jaw-dropping views of this cold spot when the surrounding waters freeze over.

Snow hole: The Diavik Mine encircled by ice

  

Image: johnbullas

Connected by a treacherous ice road, this remote mine takes some getting to and so even has its own airport big enough to accommodate Boeing 747s. With a lifespan of 16 to 22 years, the owners will be happy as long as this yawning hole continues to throw up 8 million carats (1600 kg) of diamonds a year.

7. Ekati Diamond Mine, Canada

  

Image: All About Rocks

Another giant crater in the grizzled face of Canada, the Ekati Diamond Mine is North America’s first commercial diamond mine – having opened in 1998 – and those still dazzled by diamond rush fever no doubt hope it won’t be the last. It’s actually only a stone’s throw from the Diavic Mine just 20 km closer to the Arctic Circle – ensuring things here stay colder than a penguin’s pecker.

Iced up: The Ekati Mine in freezing winter temperatures

  

Image: whutch1 via Weather Underground

Like its brethren blemish in Diavic, the Ekati Mine is accessed by hair-raising ice roads and got its 15 minutes of fame on The History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers programme. Darned crazy canucks? Driven mad perhaps by the 40 million plus carats (8,000 kg) of diamonds the steady scouring has so far produced.

6. Grasberg Mine, Indonesia

  

Image: Alfindra Primaldhi

Opened in 1973, Indonesia’s Grasberg Mine is the world’s biggest gold mine and third largest copper mine. This industrial eyesore in the mountains of Papua employs a staggering 19,500 workers but is majority owned by smiling US subsidiaries. Built with permission it was not really the Indonesian government’s to give, the mine was attacked by the rebel Free Papua Movement in 1977.

Putting things in scale: Astronaut photo of the Grasberg Mine

  

Image: NASA

These days, steep aerial tramways ferry equipment and people in and out. In 2006, the mine coughed up 610,800 tonnes of copper and 58 tonnes of gold, but it doesn’t take much digging to find environmental controversy surrounding the site, with water contamination and landslides heading the list of concerns. Contentious.

5. Chuquicamata, Chile

  

Image: Luiswtc73

Chuquicamata in Chile is a colossus of a mine that has churned up a record total of 29 million tonnes of copper. Despite almost 100 years of intensive exploitation, it remains among the largest known copper resources, and its open pit is one of the biggest at a whopping great 4.3 km long, 3 km wide and over 850 m deep.

Strangely beautiful sight: Chuquicamata Mine from high in the air

  

Image: Owen Cliffe

Copper has been mined for centuries at Chuquicamata, as shown by the 1898 discovery of a mummy dated around 550 AD found trapped in an ancient mine shaft by a cave-in. A great influx of miners was sucked in by ‘Red Gold Fever’ after the War of the Pacific, when at one stage the area was covered with unruly mining camps where alcohol, gambling, prostitution and even murder were rife. Yee-haw.

4. Escondida, Chile

  

Image: Minera Escondida

The Minera Escondida Mining Co. runs twin open pit mines cut into the skin of the copper capital of the world that is Chile. Construction began in 1990, and this sucker recently overtook Chuquicamata as the world’s largest annual copper producer, with its 2007 yield of 1.48 million tonnes worth US$ 10.12 billion – a whole lot of dollar.

Escondida from space: The mine is at the bottom of the picture

  

Image: PD-USGOV-NASA

Environmental impact aside, Escondida has become a key part of the Chilean economy and employs some 2,951 people directly. A strike in 2006 broke out because workers felt they were not sharing in the super high profits being made on the back of record copper prices. After wrangling for pay demands, the union briefly blockaded the road to the mine. Testy stuff.

3. Udachnaya Diamond Mine, Russia

  

Image: Alexander Stepanov

Like the Sarlacc Pit on Steroids, the Udachnaya Mine in Russia is a gigantic open-pit diamond mine that plunges more than 600 metres into the earth’s crust. Yep, it’s one heck of a hole. Located in Russia’s vast but sparsely populated Sakha Republic, just outside the Arctic circle, it seems that mining for these precious stones demands a good set of thermal undies.

Into the depths: The Udachnanyay Mine from its southern side

  

Image: Russian Author

The nearby settlement of Udachny was named after the diamond deposit, which was discovered in 1955 just days after the Mir (below). The Udachnaya pipe is controlled by Alrosa, Russia’s largest diamond company, which boasts that it plans to halt open-pit mining in favour of underground mining in 2010. Glad to hear it.

2. Mirny Diamond Mine, Russia

  

Image: USMRA

Siberia’s Mir Diamond Mine comes close to taking the cake as numero holie. The largest open diamond mine in the world, this Russian monster has a surface diameter of 1.2 km and is 525 m deep. The size of the hole is such that wind currents inside cause a downdraft that has resulted in helicopters being sucked in and crashing. Good to know the area above it is now a no-fly zone.

Earth vortex: The Mir looks as if it might suck in houses as well as helicopters

  

Image: USMRA

After its discovery in 1955, workers at the Mir had to endure incredibly harsh temperatures that froze the ground and everything else in the winter, making car tires and steel shatter. The mine ceased operations in 2001, having produced 10 million carats (2 tonnes) of diamond per year at its peak. Our survey says: ka-bling.

1. Bingham Canyon Mine, USA

  

Image: johnbullas

So here it is, the carbuncle supremo, Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, the world’s biggest manmade pit. This mammoth mine measures 4 km wide and drops a stomach-churning 1.2 km into the ground, the result of extraction begun in 1863. The ore-inspiring fruits of its labour include more than 17 million tonnes of copper and 715 tonnes of gold – a mental load of metal.

The biggest yet: Bingham Canyon Mine laid bare

Image: Elmhurst

In the early 1900s, mining camps lined the steep canyon walls, but several of these were swallowed up by the ever-expanding mine. Now it employs 1,400 people and 50,000 tonnes of material are removed from it each day. What’s more, this giant earth scar and National Historic Landmark is growing – and will continue to until at least 2013.

20 Amazing Water Resistant Gadgets

Bubble O Seven – The Amphibious Car

Inspired by the James Bond Film “The Spy Who Loved Me”, the SQuba is an amphibious car designed by Frank Rinderknecht. The SQuba will operate like a boat if driven into the water, and is propelled along the surface by two propellers on either side of its license plate.

To submerge the vehicle, the driver opens a door to let water flood the passenger compartment. Once underwater, the SQuba uses a third engine to suck in water through the car’s front grille and pushes it out through two side jet vents.

The vents enable the car to manuevre underwater. The Lotus Elise-based SQuba is not for sale, but cost £750,000 to be built by Mr Rinderknecht’s company Rinspeed. It will go on show at next month’s motor show in Geneva, Switzerland.


The Linde Werdelin – Dive Computer

 

Here’s another James Bond inspired gadget: The Linde Werdelin Sea Instrument Dive Computer. Ever since Sean Connery wore a Rolex Submariner for the role of James Bond in 1962, the public imagination has been captivated by watches capable of enduring the most extreme of conditions such as submersion, pressure and shock.

The Linde Werdelin Dive Computer brings the diving watch into the 21st century; it is packed with a full suite of diving sensors that guage depth, orientation, direction, and of course, time.

The watch uses the Buhlmann’s algorithm to compute how much time the diver needs to safely surface, and has 128MB of inbuilt flash memory to log up to 60 hours worth of dive data for later analysis. All this high-tech wizardry doesn’t come cheap though, with the standard unit costing US$3069 or the 18karat gold version costing US$45,542.

Aquasonic – Underwater Loudspeakers

  

These are Aqua-Sonic Underwater speakers, thats right, full-range speakers that function underwater! They were originally developed for use by marine biologists, olympic swim teams and the US Navy, however, they’ve since been commercialised for the audiohydrophile in you!

The speakers can either be mounted into the pool wall or simply placed at the bottom with a cord running to the surface for the audio-input. These aquatic buzzers are available for $595.

SwiMP3 Player – Groove as you swim

 

This underwater MP3 player lets you listen to your favourite tunes during a monotonous pool workout. The unit attaches neatly to your goggle-straps and uses bone-conduction to deliver sound to your ears.

The bone-conduction pads rest on your cheeks and vibrate the sound into your head, thus allowing you to avoid sticking ear buds in your ears or the hassle of donning watertight headphones. Users report that the sound quality is about the same as regular ear buds.

This aquatic jukebox will set you back by about $140.


Digital Camera Swim Mask – World’s First Underwater Camera-Goggles

 

The Digital Camera Swim Mask is made by Hammacher and Schlemmer and is an entry-level underwater digital camera. It is equipped with a 5 megapixel CCD and is usable till a depth of 15 feet.

The mask’s eyepieces are made from tempered glass that have integrated crosshairs, allowing you to properly frame your aquatic subjects. The downside is that the mask has only 16MB of internal flash memory, however a microSD card slot allows you to expand its memory capacity.

The Camera Swim Mask would set you back by about $99

Sentry Safe – Water Resistant Hard Disk Enclosure

  

The Sentry Safe is the world’s first waterproof and fire resistant hard drive. The drive comes in a range of capacities, from 80GB to 120GB and finally 250GB.

It connects to your PC or laptop via highspeed USB and the internal hard drive is actually a One-Touch Maxtor drive. Cost: $351.

Panasonic Toughbook – Withstands Falls, Hot Coffee & the Pet

  

The Panasonic Toughbook is a laptop computer created for extreme environments. The system is designed to withstand vibration, drops, spills, extreme temperature, and other rough handling.

While originally targeted at military, law enforcement, and heavy industrial users, Panasonic has made this notebook available for purchase by the general public.

Their latest model, the CF-F8 will be available soon at $2544.

 H2O Audio Surge – Water Resistant Ear Phones

 

These waterproof headphones are aptly named the H2O Audio Surge. These state of the art headphones will be allowing high quality sound to surge into your eardrums whilst keeping the water out.

A pair currently costs just $59.99, very good value for money


Garmin Forerunner – Water Resistant GPS Watch

The Forerunner GPS Watch is built specifically for athletic activities such as running, jogging and mountain climbing. It is equipped with a high-sensitivity GPS receiver as well as a wireless heart rate monitor.

The GPS antenna is inside the watch-strap, providing for quick acquisition times as well as improved satellite tracking whilst in wooded/urban environments. Cost: $300

 Hydropak – World’s First Portable Fuel Cell

  

The HydroPak is the world’s first commercially available fuel cell. The system consists of a fuel cell and water-activated power-cartridge. Insert a hydrogen cartridge and add water, and the fuel cell would be sufficient to recharge your laptop computer between 8 and 10 times.

In addition, the HydroPak is designed with a common AC outlet as well as x2 USB connectors, allowing you to connect/charge a variety of appliances such as lights, television sets as well as communication systems.

The unit will cost $400 dollars when released, and each disposable cartridge would cost about $20.

Voltaic Systems – Solar Briefcase

  

The Solar Briefcase is Voltaic System’s latest solar charging system with a capacity large enough to recharge a laptop. On a sunny day, the briefcase’s panels can provide up to 14.7 watts of electricity. The briefcase also has an internal battery to store charge when it is not needed.

Price, $600, available in 4 different colors.

Sangean Shower Radio – Music in Your Shower

  

The Sangean Shower Radio is the perfect companion for your shower cubicle. It is water resistant, and features an AM/FM Tuner with built a LCD Display, lamp and digital clock/timer.

It costs about $60. Unfortunately it still does not regulate water temperature

Tear Drop iPod Speakers – Encapsulate your iPod in a Waterproof Case

  

The Tear Drop iPod Speakers are another accessory for use in the bathroom. Battery operated and water resistant protection for your iPod, they’re the hottest gift in Japan right now. 

Tiki Speakers – Water Resistant Outdoor Speakers

  

These pool side speakers are carved in traditional polynesian ‘tiki’ designs and encased in a weather resistant shell. A perfect addition for that last pool party before summer ends! Price: $149.95

Solar Roll – Compact Water Resistant Solar Charger

  

The SolarRoll is a 58-inch long roll-up solar panel that can be used to power a variety of gadgets from satellite phones, laptops, GPS devices and video cameras.

Originally designed for serious outdoorsmen, they now come in various sizes for the general public. The starting price is $295 for their basic model.

Sunbrite 46inch 4610HD Outdoor TV – All Weather Viewing

  

The 4610HD is Sunbrite’s first high-definition outdoor LCD television. The aluminium exterior is corrosion resistant and powder-coated.

Additional features include a baffled and filtered dual-fan airflow system, an internal thermostatically controlled heater and a water tight cable entry system. It can operate from -24 to 122 degrees celsius at 1920 x 1080 resolution with a 2000:1 contrast ratio.

The screen itself is protected by an anti-reflective, impact and scratch resistant window. Currently available for $5495.

Pico-C 8GB Thumbdrive – World’s Smallest Waterproof Thumbdrive

  

This 8GB thumbdrive is as small as a quarter and is also waterproof – so no worries if you accidentally drop it in your martini..

It’s so light that some have suggested that they’d make good earrings for you geeky girlfriend. Price: $22.50

 NU Wireless TV – A Portable Water Resistant TV

  

If you’re not game for a $5000 dollar 42 incher, the NU Wireless TV is a cheaper $1280 alternative as your wet and wild companion.

It’s fully water resistant, so you can splash water on it, leave it in the rain or use it in near your kitchen sink.

Further more, it is battery powered and can function for 2.5 hours non-stop before needing a recharge.

Fujitsu F705i – World’s Slimmest Waterproof Phone

  

The F705i is the world’s slimmest waterproof 3G cellphone; it can withstand submersion in 1 meter of water for about 30 minutes.

Other features include a 1.3MP camera and Super Clear Voice/Mike Technology which automatically adjusts the volume in response to ambient noise levels. The unit has dimensions of 106×49×13.7mm, weighs in at 111g and will deliver 170-minutes of talk time, or 100-minutes of video calling, on a single charge.

Pricing unavailable.

Golden Shellback – Waterproof Coating
 

 

And finally, the Ring to Rule “Ahem” I mean Coating to RULE THEM ALL!… The Golden Shellback Waterproof Coating! Basically you send your gadget to these guys and for about $30 to $80 (depending on gadget size) they will coat it inside and out with the Golden Shelly.

What does that do for you? Well it CONVERTS any gadget you have into a waterproof one, its absolutely amazing! *Subliminal Message: All your waterproof gadgets are belong to us!