Its Electronica

There’s a great line in Apollo 13 where the character of Gene Kranz yells out “I don’t care about what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do!” So when some enterprising geek comes along and creates and application that turns an iPhone or iTouch into a piano, how can we not scream “encore!?”

Taking advantage of the iPhone and ipod Touch’s multi touch interface, the iAno virtual piano application turns a “jailbroken” iPhone into a four octave keyboard with realistic piano sampling sounds. The keys on the keyboard even animate on touch and up to give keys can be pressed at any one time. On screen navigation allows users to easily move up and down the scales by octave or partial octave.

And what’s really cool is that it can play in concert with the iphone/iPod’s mp3 player.

But make no mistake, users who are chomping at the bit to use this great application will have to first “jailbreak” their phone (and all that implies) so that third party applications can be installed. But the good news is that Apple recently announced a third party application development kit which could mean that iAno will become a hot application in the open, for all to enjoy.

Really cool video of the iAno in action here.

Hat tip: Technobob

There’s a great debate in the Bar-b-que world that meat only tastes better when cooked over an open flame, and even more so when cooked with charcoal (I prefer Applewood, actually). But historically sspeaking, the charcoal grill has been more of an exercise in frustration for backyard warriors only seeking to start the flame, much less cook on it. The 60 second charcoal starter from Hammacher changes all that.

It looks more like a lightsaber than a charcoal lighter (although I bet Luke Skywalker could light one lickety split), but instead of light plasma, it uses hot air heated to nearly 1300 degrees Fahrenheit. The wand is buryed inside the pile of coal to heat until the briquettes begin to spark. Then, the wand is removed and continues to heat the pile until the fire starts. The result is a cleaner flame that doesn’t rely on the dangers of BBQ gas that can be overused and start a serious fire.
The 60 second charcoal starter is powered by 110 AC, so the wand won’t be used on any backpacking trips anytime soon. But road warriors with an RV or generator with an electrical outlet will be able to enjoy fire for cooking as long as they have a decent extension cord.

Cost is is around $80 from Hammacher.

Hat Tip: DVIce.

Posted Feb 16th 2008 11:43AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Gaming

Select owners of Guitar Hero III for Wii have been moshing uncontrollably as best they can in mono for months on end, but it seems as if Activision has finally got its interconnects sorted and will start issuing replacement discs. According to direct end-user reports and the (admittedly blurry) shots in the gallery below, the firm is now dishing out pre-paid envelopes in which customers have to ship back their faulty GH III disc and wait “3 to 4 weeks” before getting a new, stereo-enabled one free of charge. Live sans your favorite game for a month, or keep rockin’ in the monaural world? Tough call, indeed.

[Thanks, Sam K.]

Gallery: Activision cranks up Wii Guitar Hero III disc replacement program

If you want to wake up to the beeping of a boring alarm clock, then go ahead and pass this post over. But if you like waking up to an alarm clock with panache, read on…

When we say flying alarm clock, we meant FLYING alarm clock. This device is equipped with a flying propeller which actually sets off into the air on the time you set it.

And here’s the deal: the alarm won’t turn off until you replace the propeller back. Good choice for someone who wants a bit of a morning exercise, isn’t it?

via

I can imagine them as a tool for pranksters. But really, everyone can have a bit of fun every now and then, and these Echo Bots sure can do the trick.

Presenting Mel and Belle (decide which one is which), the two Echo Bots you can use to play tricks on unsuspecting passersby. Record anything you want on the Echo Bot — your voice, a TV commercial, your mum in the middle of nagging — as long as you get those juicy ten seconds in. With their three legs made of bendable material, you can leave or twist the Echo Bot anywhere you like, where it will repeat your recording like a parrot the moment it detects movement within 1 metre of its image sensor located in its single eye.

via

Griffin EarThumps Headphones - Black

EarThumps are earbuds that are designed to isolate your listening experience from outside sound by fitting comfortably inside the ears, to deliver rich, crystal clear audio. Buying an ipod is an investment worth protecting! …one that deserves to reach its full audio potential. Griffin EarThumps deliver clean transparent atmospheric highs, and deep bass. EarThumps increase your iPod listening experience by an order of magnitude and come in either Status Symbol White or Undercover Black, to match the newer iPods. Features:Designed specifically for use with iPod Exceptional noise isolation Greater sound output and enhanced bass Lightweight (0.4 ounces/12 grams) Three different-sized silicone inserts for secure fit and maximum comfort Neodymium dynamic micro-drivers Includes nylon zippered carrying case

Technorati Tags: Headphones

The AT&T branded Centro has not officially been announced yet, but that is not stopping at least one AT&T retail store from selling the phone anyway. A lucky user over on the Treo Central Forums was able to make the purchase at a Denver retail store. What else is there to do after you purchase an unreleased and unannounced phone, unbox it and post the pictures. We can only assume that the official release will come Tuesday February 19, unless you are also lucky enough to get yours early. As you can also see from the above image, the Centro appears to be running the phone app from the Treo 680. Looking good.

Read [Flickr] Via [Treo Central Forums]

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Stuff reviews the Palm Treo 500v and writes, “The phone quality was very good with both ends of the connection sounding crisp and clear using both the device and the supplied headset. Photos taken on the 2 MP camera are of similar quality to other 2 MP phones. The only major negative I had is the battery life as I found it needed to be recharged every 2 days or so with reasonable use.”

Read more about the Palm Treo 500v.

We all know about microscopes from the biology classes or other places. They are bulky metal tools, created for magnifying something very small. The most unpleasant thing about them is that they are not portable, they are big, and it is hard to capture magnified image. Of course, there exist highly functional electronic microscopes, but they are very expensive. Portable and not so expensive version of electronic microscope could be very useful in biological laboratories or in small researches, when it is unnecessary to buy expensive fully functional electronic ones.

The Digital Mobile Microscope (FUN-300) is a gadget that comes not only for entertainment (it is interesting to look at usual things in unusual way, many dreamed about something similar in childhood), but also for small researches and educational purposes. It is so small and portable, even can be compared in size with a mobile phone or mp3 player, and can be easily kept in a pocket. Bright 1.8 inched LCD screen, showing 65k of colors, will show magnified image from a 640 x 480 VGA camera. Levels of magnification are between 5x to 90x. There are four image effects, such as gray, emboss and inverse. However, the most interesting function is split screen photo, which makes possible to compare different images from different parts of object. This gadget is powered by three AAA batteries or it can be powered via USB if desired.

Digital Mobile Microscope can greatly help in wide area of activities. For example, in counterfeit revealing - expertise can be done at place, without necessity of using laboratories for simple examination. It can be used even as a good gift to the student, because with this digital help it will be much more comfortable and interesting to explore our world, even its smallest parts. Price for this interesting device is 199 dollars.

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How many times we thought that it is the worst day in our life, when we suddenly poured red wine on the new white shirt or dress? These stains are so hard to clean, and if your clothing is sensitive to detergents, only dry-cleaning will help. However, as the technologies develop, we can see that many problems that troubled generations before are solved. Today, the nanoparticles can help us do all the small or dirty work - and stain removing is one of them!

Scientists from Organic Chemistry at the Faculty of Science of Monash University had made a very interesting and useful invention - a nanoparticle coating that removes most types of stains from fabric each time you spoil it! To become “self-cleaning”, fabric must be prepared with a nanoparticle coating composed from anatase titanium dioxide - substance that is known to destroy stains, dirt and harmful microorganisms when exposed to sunlight.
One of the experiments, done in the lab, was pouring red wine on a white fabric, both on coated one and on usual unprepared one. Uncoated fabric was deeply stained after 20 hours, but coated exemplar showed almost no signs of red stain - without any actions from human side! All job is done by nanoparticles that work quietly but thoroughly.

No research can be done without problems, and one of the main challenges that scientists faced was how to bind the keratin to the titanium dioxide. It is hard to apply a ceramic inorganic material to organic fibers, such as wool, silk or hemp. Scientists admit it, but say that this limitation will be cleared soon.

The best part of it is that this coating does not alter the fabrics texture and feel, so a silk tie would still feel silky. It can be permanently bonded to fiber and will remain even after a harsh washing. So once coated shirt will be self-cleaning as long as you wear it.

This invention will be a blessing for all homemakers and moms whose children manage to get dirty after being left alone for a mere five minutes. If this concept gets mass-produced, we will no longer need detergents anymore! Moreover, no washing machines either.

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