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  • Solar iPhone? Probably not

    by 
    Erica Sadun
    Erica Sadun
    05.29.2008

    TUAW reader Maaz sent in this link to a Forbes story about a possible solar-powered iPhone. We recently posted about Apple's new Solar Energy patent so it's not a big jump to start seeing articles speculating on how that new technology will be used and expressed in Apple's product line. I have nothing against solar power--the Sun is the source of most of the Earth's human-usable energy but I'm not sure that the iPhone is a particularly good match to solar refueling. As the Forbes article points out, the iPhone is small and is built to radiate light from a large part of its surface, not collect it. Unlike low-powered calculators, the iPhone is a pretty power-hungry device and is going to get hungrier if the (likely) move to 3G occurs. And what the Forbes article does not point out and should be highlighted is that for the most part, iPhones live in our pants, which isn't a very sunny place (for most people). So do the math. Small surface + pants-based existence means a Solar-powered iPhone is not very likely to debut.

  • Nintendo's Wii continues to be a smash with seniors

    by 
    Joshua Topolsky
    Joshua Topolsky
    09.14.2007

    We know that Nintendo's Wii has been a massive hit with families, but we've also noticed a growing trend with the physically-interactive game system that is honestly a bit of a surprise -- apparently, senior citizens can't put their Wiimotes down. Similar to stories we've seen before, the UK's gossip rag The Sun is reporting that seniors at the Sunrise Home in Birmingham, UK, have taken to the console like super-old fish to water. The pensioners at the institution have been engaging in knock-down, drag-out contests in Wii Sports -- playing tennis, boxing, and bowling with a cut-throat competitiveness not seen since the Dark Ages. Barrie Edgar, 88, one of the home's residents said, "It's great fun. We've only had it a few days but we can't put it down." Mr. Edgar then glanced at Tilda Montgomery, another Sunrise Home occupant and exclaimed, "Prepare to be pwned, you old bird."[Thanks, Arnar]