We’re excited to bring to you our special summer kids video miniseries, Sylvia’s Super Awesome Mini Maker Show! Subscribe to the MAKE Podcast in iTunes , download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube , Blip.tv , and Vimeo . Episode 1: Rockets By James (TechNinja) and Sylvia Did you know you could be a rocket scientist in just one day? Well, a hobby rocket scientist anyways! The field of hobby rocketry is huge, ranging from $5 mini starters to multi-thousand dollar custom-made giants that can fly thousands and thousands of feet.
Windows Phone 7: Five+ Devices and Realistic Expectations
As the Windows Phone 7 technical preview device makes the rounds of the blogs, I must admit I am becoming more hopeful as I listen to what Microsoft is saying and they way they are behaving. They have been making very clear that the software version that people are reviewing now is not the final version and that they are still taking feedback, carefully reading all reviews and working 26 hour days to improve the software.
Google’s Nexus One sold out on Google store, never to be replenished
It appears that the Google Nexus One Android smartphone has finally sold out on Google’s online store. As Google said recently, there will be no more direct Google sales of the Nexus One once the supply has dried up, and dried up it has. The Nexus One is still available from some carriers, such as Vodafone. Read the full story here.
Fujifilm shoots out five new cameras: F300EXR, Z800EXR, Z80, JX280 and S2800HD
What you just heard was the sound of five new FinePix cameras popping out of Fujifilm’s doors. Yippie! If all goes well, we’ll be seeing these SDHC -loving / xD -hating babies from late August. Let’s start working through the list: the 12 megapixel, 720p-video (24fps) F300EXR boasts auto-focus speeds that are “as good as” DSLRs , all thanks to the camera’s hybrid auto-focus system — a combination of Contrast AF (as used on most compacts) and Phase Detection AF (as found on most DSLRs).
35 Movies In Two Minutes: How Many Do You Recognize?
Click To Enlarge I’m not ashamed to admit that I missed several of the minimalist film references put together in this video by German design students Felix Meyer and Pascal Monaco. If you’re bored at work right now, you could waste several hours trying to figure them all out. (via /Film )
An interesting phone just showed up via a Best Buy employee. This is the Samsung Intensity II, it will run on Verizon’s network and is due to be released very soon. It will cost just $1 if you choose a new 2-year contract, or $249.99 if you go for the contract-less option. This is the successor to the original Samsung Intensity , and the similarities between the two are striking
HULC exo-skeleton ready for testing, set to hit the ground running next year (video)
Its lack of jetpacks means Heinlein’s visions of future warfare have still not come to pass, but we’re getting closer with word that Lockheed Martin’s Human Universal Load Carrier ( HULC ) exoskeleton is ready for military testing. Since last we heard of the thing it’s been “ruggedized” and made a little more battle-hardy, able to carry 200lbs plus its own 53lb heft without burdening the doughy soldier inside, demonstrated after the break
Here’s a clever idea I’d love to see liberated from its high-design context by the maker community: Sports equipment with integral POV displays. These ping pong paddles by Troika are an interesting start, but there’s all kinds of other onomatopoetic possibilities, like, say, baseball bats or tennis rackets that leave a glowing WHACK! in the air when you hit the ball. Personally, I want a set of boxing gloves that provide Batman-style comic book POW! and BAM! captions when I punch things. [via adafruit ] More: Interactive ping-pong table / virtual aquarium The Ping Pong Door Using a Ping Pong Paddle as a Sample Controller Read the Full Story
Rocket Car Aims To Reach 1,050 mph In 42 Seconds
The Bloodhound Education Programme, aiming to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics has created a rocket car that is aiming to achieve 1,050 mph in 42 seconds. The car has been under development for more than three years and is just now moving of the computer and into reality, to create a car that will travel faster than a speeding bullet. Check out the video after the jump. A 1:1 scale model of the rocket car was recently on show at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK for a week. The design and shape of the Bloodhound SSC is completely unique, being 13m long, and weighing close to 7 tonnes
Microsoft confirms Windows Phone 7 launch partners: HTC, Samsung, LG, Dell and Asus
We kind of already knew which hardware manufacturers plan to be the first to release Windows Phone 7 devices, but it’s good to see a confirmation from Microsoft . Greg Sullivan, the company’s senior product manager, has recently talked to Pocket-lint , saying that HTC , Samsung, LG, Dell and Asus will all have WP7 handsets at launch
Creative is expanding its Sound Blaster Wireless ecosystem with this single-piece speaker made of granite-rock. The aptly-named Wireless Rock Speaker can reportedly withstand moderate weather conditions so it’s safe to assume that they are waterproof. We are a little surprised that Creative comes up with these as the company traditionally hasn’t made anything suitable for outdoor use for extended period of time. The speaker itself is powered by a removable Li-ion battery which lasts up to 6 hours of continuous playback and which can be recharged on a cradle. For those of you wondering, the Rock Speaker isn’t Bluetooth
Is the end of unlimited data near? Verizon plans to introduce tiered pricing
I guess this one was sure to be coming, it was always just a matter of when. Following in the footsteps of its main competitor, AT&T, Verizon may switch its data plans to a tiered structure starting on July 29th. There’s no word on what size each bucket will have or what prices there will be, but expect something at least slightly resembling AT&T’s current $15 for 200MB, $25 for 2GB strategy.
Fits.me shape-shifter models the huge pectoral muscles men want, smaller ones they have (video)
While online shopping has taken over most facets of modern retail, buying clothes via the interwebs is something more of a hard sell. The Fits.me shape-shifting mannequin is here to make that a little easier — for men, anyway. Earlier this year the company created a robotic torso comprised of flexible panels that can shift between thousands of different shapes and sizes from small to extra large
T-Mobile to Launch HSPA+ Handset Later this Summer
T-Mobile recently said that it plans to introduce its first HSPA+ capable handset at some point this summer. T-Mobile said the device in question will be a smartphone, and that more details will become available in the coming weeks.
Baidu working on own mobile OS with help from ex-Googlers?
Reports in the Chinese media indicate that Baidu, the dominant search engine in China, may consider developing its own mobile operating system. The development would be led by former Google China employees, who have defected to Baidu amid the censorship controversy between the Chinese government and Google. There are very few details known at this point, but early reports seem to indicate that the OS will be open source. If so, this is clearly aimed to be a competitor to Google’s Android, which has been making significant progress in the Chinese market, even helped by the biggest Chinese mobile carriers . As more and more Android handsets are due to be released in China, Baidu saw the need for a mobile OS that would assure its growth in mobile search.
The HTC Wildfire has appeared in what seems to be a Bell promotional ad, so it looks like the carrier will launch the smartphone in Canada sometime soon. Apparently, the Wildfire should have been part of a Bell promotion between July 15 and July 18, though this has not happened – since the handset can’t be found anywhere at Bell. The Wildfire has some really nice features (including 3G, WiFi, GPS and 5MP autofocus camera), too bad its display is only a QVGA one at 3.2 inches. Anyway, there’s no word on when exactly Bell will introduce the handset, but if it does is soon enough it could become the first North American carrier to offer it. Bell has already released the HTC Legend , another Android 2.1 smartphone that’s not as expensive as the HTC Desire – which, by the way, has been announced by Telus recently.
Here’s something for all our crafty DIY readers out there that also happen to own a Kindle eBook reader. It’s an article with 10 Kindle cases that you can build for free . The article includes links and instructions to various cases, like the one shown here using an old pair of jeans to make a case. These ideas aren’t restricted to just the Kindle
Sony: One Million PSP Mini Downloads! Apple: 5 Million Doodle Jump SALES In Same Time!
Sony recently announced that they have now passed the 1 million downloaded PSP Minis mark worldwide, with this occurring just over 9 months since the service launched. The store now boasts more than 85 Minis titles, with most playable on both the PSP and PS3. The post notes the top 10 ‘most popular titles’: 1. Age of Zombies 2. Monopoly 3
Those of you with serious swaths of property may laugh at electric push mowers, but for home owners with small plots to tend, they can be great. The Bosch Rotak Li Series ($300-$540) makes them even better — for a price — by eliminating the pesky cord in exchange for a lithium-ion battery that’s good for cutting 3,300 square feet of grass per charge and can fully juice in an hour (or hit 80% in 30 minutes). Besides eliminating the safety hazard of running over the chord, the battery gives users the freedom to mow anywhere, and its electric motor also produces 10x less CO2 than comparable gas-powered models
Verizon Wireless Pushing Software Update to LG Ally
Verizon Wireless has indicated via its support pages that a software update is being distributed to the LG Ally Android phone. Firmware version VS740ZV8 helps improve the QWERTY keyboard’s performance; improves alerts; speeds the camera and message apps; adds …
Text’nDrive lets you hear, send emails while on the road
With more and more states cracking down on cell phone use while driving, it’s becoming tougher to get away with emailing when you’re on the road. Not that you should anyway. Distracted driving puts others at harm, nevermind yourself and anyone in the car with you.