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Dell's latest tablet is designed for war zones
If your typical day involves saving someone's life or trekking around a glacier, a regular tablet may be a bit... dainty. That's why Dell has just buttressed its Rugged series with a brand new model, the Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet. The company is pitching it as an extreme tablet, saying it's "designed for performance and reliability in the harshest conditions." Specifically, it'll handle spills, mud, dust and sand, drops from over four feet, temperatures between -20 and 145 degrees F and even an "explosive atmosphere." As such, Dell sees it as ideal for the military, emergency response crews, industrial work and adventuring.
Nokia stops selling Lumia 2520 tablet over electrical shock concerns
Nokia has issued a product advisory for certain Lumia 2520 chargers and has temporarily suspended sales of the Windows tablet in the UK and parts of Europe. The notice applies to its Europe- and UK-only AC-300 charger, along with the 2520 travel charger accessory, which is also available in the US. Use of those products should be discontinued immediately due to a shock hazard, though Nokia said that no incidents have been reported yet. 30,000 chargers are affected in total, but only 600 of the travel accessories were sold in the US. That means you're free to use the tablet stateside (without the travel charger, of course). But if you're located in the UK and certain other European countries, your Lumia 2520 will have to go on ice pending a fix. More information and updates are available from Nokia right here.
The Nexus Telegraph: Surprise! WildStar!
You might have noticed that there was an omission in last week's installment of The Nexus Telegraph. Every week I let you lovely people know what I'm going to be writing about next week, and when I can, the week after that. Last week I completely omitted what I'd be discussing in my next WildStar column, leaving you with no idea what I'd talk about today. Surprise! Yes, that was the thematic link. It seemed clever to me. One of the big elements that WildStar is embracing thus far is that trick of surprising the player. It's a tricky thing to pull off in an MMO because the entire genre is built around understanding and minimizing surprises as much as you can. So let's take a look at some of the game's approaches to surprise and how the game manages to create more surprises by giving you fewer surprises in some areas. Yeah, it's that sort of thing.
French hackers connect a shock collar to a Sega Genesis, let obscenities fly (video)
There are masochists, and then there are masochists. We'd have to put French hackers Dyak and Furrtek in the latter category. The two ingenious and self destructive modders tweaked the beloved Sega Genesis to send signals to a pair of controllers any time the player takes damage. That signal doesn't produce rumbles or blinking lights, however, it's passed through a port to a shock collar meant for dogs. That's right, every time you get hit, you get zapped. The jolt of electricity you receive is hardly deadly, but it's certainly not pleasant, as you can tell from the barrage of obscenities bleeped out of the above video. The hack isn't exactly easy but, if you're bold, and don't mind a bit of pain, you'll find full details of the mod at the source link.
Fujifilm FinePix XP170 camera rebuffs water, dust and cold, cuddles up with iOS and Android (video)
Fujifilm's latest rugged point-and-shoot has pulled together some pretty standard specs with some more contemporary connectivity features, all in a hardy shell. The 14-megapixel CMOS sensor is paired with 5x zoom lens, while the rubberized lug is capable of 1080p video, and can increase video capture up to 240 fps at 320 x 240 resolution. Available in blue or orange, the device should survive up to 10 meters of water, a two meter drop and still work at -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). We're not sure if that's all at once. Sharing with mobile devices requires Fujifilm's own Android or iOS app and some semblance of a WiFi signal. The FinePix XP170 will sidle up into stores next month for $280, but until then, Fujifilm's got a video to demo those new wireless transfer functions -- if that's your thing, you can check it out right after the break.
Scientists find less damaging defibrillation method, heart tissue relieved
Good news, aging Earthlings: a team of researchers have found a way to shock a coding patient's heart, while leaving other organs and tissues undamaged from the defibrillator. The device send a single high voltage pulse of electrical energy to a patient's chest in order to fix an irregular or nonexistent heart beat; traditionally, what often results is damage to point of contact and surrounding skin cells, muscles and tissues, but a team of whiz kids have seemingly figured out a way to dodge the dreadfulness. Led by scientists Stefan Luther and Flavio Fenton, the team claims that by using a series of five pulses of less potent shocks (instead of a single concentrated charge), docs can see an 84 percent reduction in damaging power. This new technology -- coined low-energy antifibrillation pacing (LEAP) -- can also be used in implanted defibrillators, not just the well-known flappy paddles. Due to the relatively low emissions, both the patient and such implants have extended lives. And that, friends, is good for us all -- given the impending Robot Apocalypse, we'll be needing those extra years just to hold down the fort.
Itronix GD2000: a rugged handheld for your skydiving, bullet-dodging, building-scaling lifestyle
Taking a break from BASE jumping to shop for your next rugged computer? If you can't wait for Panasonic's Android Toughbook slate, consider the just-announced General Dynamics Itronix GD2000. The PR mavens promise this handheld performs like a full-sized notebook, thanks to an Intel Core Solo processor. Weighing in at 2.4 pounds, this beast can run for six hours on a lithium-ion battery; it also boasts a sun-friendly 5.6-inch, 1024 x 600 LED touchscreen. Fully integrated satellite GPS will help you reach your top secret rendezvous point, and WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity will keep your Twitter feed updated along the way. But how rugged is it really, you ask? The case is Ingress Protection (IP) 54 rated, the company answers, meaning your new purchase is protected from dust and splashing water. When you're ready to build your own – maybe upgrading the standard 64GB SATA drive and adding cellular networking – prices start at $4,900.
Oxford neuroscientists shock the parietal lobe, improve math scores
We always knew that the willy-nilly application of electricity (or, for that matter, radiation) endowed the person on the receiving end with super powers, but neuroscientists at Oxford have taken our misguided notion one step further. The researchers were looking into dyscalculia, a rare impairment related to dyslexia that creates an innate difficulty in understanding mathematics, when they came up with an idea that, to us, seems totally obvious: a very low level (one thousandth of an amp) electrical stimulus across the parietal lobe. So far, the study has been limited to fifteen right-handed students but the results have been pretty interesting. When the current flowed from the right to the left, subjects' ability to solve various mathematical puzzles were improved -- for up to six months after the treatment. However, if the electricity was sent the other way, the effect was reversed and the volunteers' scores were on par with a six year old. "Much more research is needed before we can even start thinking of this kind of electrical stimulation as a treatment," said Oxford's Dr. Cohen Kadosh. "However, we are extremely excited by the potential of our findings and are now looking into the underlying brain changes."
Rugged Notebooks hatches Eagle series for 'demanding' work environments
Rugged Notebooks has just launched a new series of ruggedized laptops called the Eagle Series. As one would expect, these laptops are meant to sustain drops, spill and shocks, meeting the FBI's guidelines user-authentication guidelines for computers accessing National Crime Information Center (NCIC) data, though you pay for that in the weight of the beast: the Eagle weighs in at a hefty five and a half pounds. Specwise, the 14.1-incher boasts a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Dup CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, and HDMI out standard. Options include dual RAID 0/1 hard drives, 3G, GPS, touchscreen, a webcam, and Windows XP or Windows 7 operating systems. The Eagle Series is available now and prices start at $1,695. Full press release is after the break.
Mattel Mindflex hack shocks you into serenity
Okay, we're in love with this delightfully evil Mattel Mindflex hack, which delivers an electric shock if you don't remain calm, but we have to wonder: wouldn't this thing be amazing if you hooked it up in reverse and punished not thinking enough? Video after the break.
Nokia initiates shocking charger recall program (update: affects 14 million)
New Nokia owners take notice: Espoo just launched an "exchange program" for certain Nokia-branded chargers. According to the world's largest handset maker:"We have determined that the plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially posing an electric shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket."The chargers affected are models AC-3E and AC-3U, manufactured between June 15 and August 9, 2009, and model AC-4U, manufactured between April 13 and October 25, 2009. Fortunately, Nokia provides a website that removes all the guesswork from obtaining your free replacement.Update: Gulp, looks like we're talking about 14 million defective chargers. Show full PR text NOKIA PRESS RELEASE November 9, 2009 Nokia initiates charger exchange program Espoo, Finland - Nokia today initiated a charger exchange program, in which consumers owning certain Nokia-branded chargers manufactured by a third-party supplier are recommended to exchange these chargers for free replacements. During a routine quality control process, Nokia identified a potential product quality issue with certain chargers manufactured by one of its third-party suppliers. The plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially posing an electrical shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket. Nokia is not aware of any incidents or injuries related to these chargers. Only a limited number of chargers of certain model types manufactured by a single third-party supplier during a specific time period are within the scope of the exchange program. They are the AC-3E and AC-3U models, manufactured between June 15, 2009 and August 9, 2009; and the AC-4U model, manufactured between April 13, 2009 and October 25, 2009. For more information, including how consumers can check to see if their chargers are part of this exchange program, Nokia has established a website. Consumers are asked to visit http://chargerexchange.nokia.com or their local Nokia website. Nokia recommends consumers with chargers within the scope of this exchange program to stop using the charger and exchange it for a free replacement.
Getac 9213 "business rugged" laptop tones down the toughness, the ugly
Looking for something a little tougher than your average notebook yet a little less fugly than your typical Toughbook? Getac's 9213 is a "business rugged" device that sports a full magnesium alloy chassis, a spill-resistant keyboard and touchpad, and a 13.3-inch WXGA display. With a 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn-class ULV processor, 3GB of RAM, a shock-mounted HDD (up to 250GB), and a battery life of up to eight hours, this guy shouldn't be slouch as far as performance goes -- and if that weren't enough you can swap out the optical drive for a second battery (extending its life another fifty percent or so). As you'd imagine, the connectivity options here include draft-n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and an optional 3.75G HSUPA module. Man, we can't wait to put this bad boy through one of our sadistic torture tests! Available now with an MSRP of $1,799.
GETAC's ultra-rugged V100 gets upgrades for performance, not looks
For those of you in need of a PC capable of operating in extreme conditions (anyone reading this from a mine shaft or a bunker, for instance). Getac's battle-tested and war-weary V100 convertible tablet PC has received several key upgrades, including a bump in processing power to a 1.4 GHz Intel Penryn, a front side bus increased from 533 MHz to 800 MHz, a RAM increase (bringing the total up to 4GB), and a max capacity increase from 250GB to 320GB. If that weren't enough, this bad boy now supports draft 802.11n WiFi, and lastly (but not leastly) a new UL 1604 certification (optional) ensures safe, spark-free use of the device in potentially explosive environments. Yes, that's right -- you'll soon be able to read The Onion from the shop floor at the TNT factory. No definite prices or release dates yet, but if this is up your alley you can keep an eye on your usual sources. Full PR after the break.
Build Shop: Shaman 18/43/0
Today on Build Shop, we're going to take a look at a Shaman build that's a little different from the usual since we've already covered the basic cookie-cutter specs of Elemental, Enhancement, and Mike Schramm's personal variant of Restoration. The Enhancement spec that we'll tinker with will try to focus on the built-in synergy between some Elemental and Enhancement talents, as opposed to the more familiar complement of Restoration talents. This Enhancement build is focused on dealing damage, with less focus on the raid or party utility that Restoration talents provide. You can take a quick look at the build here.Shock and aweFor optimum DPS, an Enhancement Shaman's spell cycle should be punctuated by shocks, which are instant cast damage-dealing spells that don't interfere with a Shaman's swing timer. The biggest problem with utilizing shocks as part of an offensive spell cycle is the prohibitive mana cost, which can make a dent on an Enhancement Shaman's relatively low mana pool. To alleviate this , we take 5/5 Convection from the first tier of the Elemental tree, which reduces the cost of Lightning and Shock spells by 10%.
Device converts controller rumble to electric shocks
"How much better would games such as Mortal Kombat or Streetfighter [sic] be if you were ELECTROCUTED each time you were hit!" No, that's not a rhetorical question (though our answer would be "not at all better") ... it's the web site introduction to the Mindwire V5, a new British product that replaces those annoyingly rough rumbling controller sensation with a series of gentle, soothing electric shocks. Ahhh, bliss.Using a special controller converter (pictured) and a series of five adhesive pads, the V5 sends force-feedback activated shocks that the web site compares to those of a muscle toning machine. While the device will work with practically any game, the site recommends using it to enhance fighters and first-person shooters (just be sure to stay away from Rez)Though the site advertises plenty of safety features, the litany of warnings makes us worry about how safe this device actually is. It's probably moot for us, though --- at £99 (about $196), this one is only for well-off masochists.Also see: Military sim "shoots" back[Via Pocket Lint, Thanks Foolio]
Shark Shield experiences epic fail, gets chomped by great white in test
As we're certain you know by now, there are fails, and then there are epic fails. This case most definitely falls into the latter category, as Sea Change's shark-deterrent system (affectionately dubbed Shark Shield) was actually bit into by a great white when tested off the coast of South Africa. Reportedly, the device sends out electronic fields that are meant to deter sharks from coming near surfers, but according to the company's CEO, the botched trial was "due to a problem with the electrode's configuration." Furthermore, he noted that the thing is only "guaranteed to work when it's stationary, not when it's surfing in the wave or paddling." Needless to say, the effectiveness of these type devices have now been called into question, and regardless of whether this thing actually works as advertised, the lack of total protection -- you know, while actually surfing -- is enough to make us steer clear.[Via UberReview]
Strike gold with this new SHOCK! shell
If gold is your thing -- your luster of choice, you might say -- then NDS Central's latest addition to its SHOCK! series of replacement DS Lite cases is just what you need. Unlike the Phantom Hourglass edition DSes, these Magnum Gold shells reportedly contain real gold, having actually gone through the gold-plating process. The online shop plans to release its Magnum Golds early next year and is already accepting preorders for the cases for $59.90.If you're going to spend that much cash modifying your DS to show off your rapper status, why not go all out and glue on some gaudy rhinestones? While you're at it, you should have the system engraved with big script letters: "Doing It Big." When people ask what exactly it is that you're "doing big," you can tell them that it's your bad taste.
Gifts for us (or people like us)
Gaming sites are inundated with holiday gift guides at the end of the year, listing the best and most popular games that everyone pretty much already has (or knows about). Well, we're not going in for that this year. Our gift guide will help you find the best gifts in categories the other sites won't cover -- because we just made them up. Of course we recommend buying DS games and accessories for everyone on your shopping list -- whether they want them or not. But, ironically, the hardest people to give the gift of DS are the people who love the DS the most -- people who live the DS. In a word, us. Game bloggers. Well, not us specifically, but people like us who are far too enthusiastic about the Nintendo DS. We're so nuts about the DS that we devote most of our lives to talking about it. We know pretty much everything out there, and we spend entirely too much time building our collections. We're emblematic of exactly the kind of brutally insane people for whom it's nearly impossible to shop. That's why we've put together this handy guide to the kind of stuff we would love, but wouldn't necessarily think to buy ourselves. Not because we want you to buy gifts for us, although we certainly won't stop you if you think we deserve a little token of appreciation. See what we did there? We've given you the gift of an obvious opening through which to insult us! 'Tis the season!
Free Radical implementing overtime pay ... seriously
The notion of paying overtime is absurd for many employees and observers in the gaming industry, but Free Radical (Haze) tells Develop magazine that they're looking to change perceptions of working in the industry by offering overtime pay to employees. Steve Ellis of Free Radical says the days of "bonuses that pay off your mortgage are long gone" and that they've "decided to start paying people for the work that they do -- even when that work is outside their normal hours."Ellis says that the industry as a whole will eventually go this way, but they prefer to do it sooner rather than later. Although there are so many companies who are guilty of not paying their employees for working extra hours, EA gets picked on more often than not because of the infamous EA Spouse saga. Of course EA's image has changed recently to become a great place to work according to Fortune Magazine. Now please pardon us while we check with our local priest to make sure there wasn't an update on Hell freezing over we missed.
Sensor-laden helmets could measure shock from explosions
While we've seen lots of research revolve around battlefield-ready vests, new sensor-studded helmets could be headed to Iraq in order to "measure the shock from explosive devices." Due to mounting concern and a thirst for knowledge about traumatic brain injury (TBI), the US Army awarded Simbex -- the same company involved with Virginia Tech's data gathering helmets -- a contract to further develop technology for use in combat headgear. Furthermore, the firm hopes to "develop an automatic data-collation system" that could potentially relay information to bases or medics via RFID. It was noted, too, that the Army plans on testing Simbex's design along with "several alternative technologies," and the method that proves most useful could be deployed "as early as December of this year."
