halo posts
By its very nature, stereo Bluetooth gear is never going to look quite as cool as its wired equivalent -- but if we look back on the early days, we're making progress. Jabra's new over-the-ear HALO should appeal to some with its relatively convenient folding design, and as an added bonus, it kinda looks like you're wearing a futuristic hair beret when you slip it on. How can you argue with that? Following an announcement earlier this year, the HALO's now available at Best Buy locations for $130 promising 8 hours of music playback, 13 days of standby, seamless transition between calls and tunes, and an innovative corded mode with a 3.5mm jack. It's tough to say whether you'll get odd stares wearing these day in and day out -- but if you're not willing to find out the answer to that the hard way, we certainly are. Selfless, we know.
Halo LED spraycan lets you make grafitti the cheap, legal way
If you're down with the latest freshness, like we know you are, you'll already be aware of light writing and the radical imagery that can be created through the use of long camera exposures and stop motion animation. Well, get ready to do your thing with even more style, thanks to the Halo LED spraycan -- a DIY project by Aissa Logerot -- which not only looks like the primary tool of al fresco art, it even recharges itself when shaken. While not quite as sophisticated as the Light Lane, this definitely makes our list of light-based paraphernalia we'd like to see more of. You'll find a few more shots after the break, plus a video of a well-known ad campaign featuring the light writing technique.
[Via Cool Hunting]
[Via Cool Hunting]
Halo 3: ODST's limited edition 360 controller

Life-sized Tachikoma loose on the streets of Tokyo (update: video!)

You know, we see a lot of kick-ass vehicles 'round Engadget HQ, so it's easy to grow a little jaded. Who can forget that Batman Tumbler we saw tearing up the asphalt last summer? Or the Halo Warthog -- complete with UN Space Command BDUs? Sure, either of those would make for a fun-filled weekend (or a lifetime of weekends), but what about something a little more suited to urban environs? Next time you're in Tokyo, make sure you look up a gentleman named San Kougei, who put together a joystick-piloted replica Tachikoma (of Ghost In The Shell fame). Who knows? Maybe he'll even let you take it for a spin. We're looking forward to seeing some YouTube video of this bad boy, but in the meantime we present you with one more pic (after the break).
Update: Video found... from 2006. Hey, it's new to (most of) you!
[Via Tokyo Mango]
Update: Video found... from 2006. Hey, it's new to (most of) you!
[Via Tokyo Mango]
Jabra intros HALO stereo Bluetooth headset, SP200 speakerphone
Jabra's making the wireless music game just a little bit more interesting today with the announcement of its stereo Bluetooth HALO headphones, featuring six hours of playback time on a single charge, AVRCP support, Jabra's Noise Blackout circuitry for improved clarity when making calls, and micro-USB charging. Conveniently, the HALO folds for storage, which also toggles the set's power. Staying in the Bluetooth theme, the company is also showing off its SP200 speakerphone -- a great way to avoid the fuzz, we figure -- with 10 hours of talk time, 23 days of standby, and active noise reduction. The HALO hits in May for $129.99; the SP200, meanwhile, gets real in April for $59.99.
Hello Kitty Xbox 360 dazzles while you frag

Read - Hello Kitty mod
Read - Go Go Sonic mod
Read - Halo Wars mod
Read - Chocobo racing mod
Real life Halo Warthog goes for a test drive

One lucky writer over at OXM got his hands on a working Warthog -- yes, of Halo fame -- and he was good enough to snap some pics for us, even though we suspect that he's actually rubbing 'em in our faces. Because seriously, this is one helluva ride. And seriously, we're like totally jealous. Based on a Nissan Patrol 4x4 truck platform and built for Peter Jackson's abandoned Halo film, this is not a prop -- rather, its a fully working beast. The six-cylinder, diesel, automatic bad boy sports full four-wheel drive, a custom chassis, and for the lucky driver they do have a set or two of United Nations Space Command Marine armor available. This vehicle is currently billeted in New Zealand, so if you're in the area stop in and ask for a ride. What could it hurt? And tell 'em Engadget sent you. More pics after the break.
High voltage "antivirus" halo protects your laptop, keeps you vigilant
Here at Engadget HQ, we have a certain respect for tesla-based DIY endeavors. That being said, we still can't fathom who in their right mind would actually fling sparks around their laptop just to feel a little closer to that WoW raid. Nevertheless, the High voltage "antivirus" protection project claims to play nice with Macs or PCs and utilizes a ZVS flyback supply driving a 4-stage CW multiplier. According to the mad scientist who arranged this thing, the shot on the right was taken by a camera forced to hold its shutter open for ten seconds before capturing, and he even took a number of shots (check 'em all in the read link) to defuse the "Photoshopped!1one!" arguments. If you can't sense the fear in our fingertips, trust us, it's there.
HP expands telepresence offerings with Halo Collaboration Center

Read - HP Introduces New Halo Telepresence Product, Marquee Customer Wins
Read - HP and Marriott International Form Alliance to Open "Public Access" Halo Telepresence Rooms
Bungie to bring justice to Xbox 360 repair mishap
After Nathaniel's nostalgic Xbox 360 was quite literally wiped clean when sent in for repair, we had a sneaking suspicion the powers that be would make sure things were rectified. Thankfully, the bigwigs at Bungie are already conjuring up a solution that it hopes will "come very close" to acting as a replacement. According to Bungie community director Brian Jarrard, his team is "rallying to help fix this unfortunate situation," and while no details beyond that have been divulged, we can't help but suspect that the resolution to all of this will be more than satisfactory.
[Thanks, Steve]
[Thanks, Steve]
Samsung Silencio vacuum looks like that Master Chief guy
It takes a lot to differentiate a given vacuum cleaner in today's high-tech world of Dysons and Roombas, so kudos to Samsung for attempting to appeal to the gaming crowd by designing a model shaped like a popular Xbox character. The Silencio SC9540 packs in all the high-end features you'd expect from a TV manufacturer making vacuums -- cyclonic suction, HEPA filter, super-special silver nanoparticle coating -- yet really stands out due to its rather striking resemblance to that dude from the Halo games. Samsung's Master Chief vacuum cleaner: Kills dirt. Dead. With a plasma rifle.
[Via Slashgear]
[Via Slashgear]
GM says its new Hummer HX concept is inspired by ATVs, not Halo
It sure didn't take long for folks to jump to conclusions about the inspiration behind GM's new Hummer HX concept vehicle but -- surprise, surprise -- the company's now denying that any such influence exists. According to GM design director Carl Zipfel, the HX wasn't modeled on Halo's Warthog but on "modern-day ATVs" -- even though he freely admits that both he and several of the vehicle's designers play Halo. Of course, it's entirely possible that they're just saying that now that they've realized they'd already been outdone by Chrysler in the subconscious Halo-imitation department.
[Via Digg]
[Via Digg]
GM's Hummer HX: where Halo and E85 meet
We're guessing some nasty memos have been getting passed around at Hummer headquarters lately since consumers have been going ga-ga over fuel efficient vehicles. Something along those lines may explain a concept vehicle introduced by the company at this year's Detroit Auto Show: a smaller, lighter, and E85-capable new SUV dubbed the Hummer HX. GM CEO Rick Wagoner lauded the domestically-produced ethanol-based fuel used in the new design, which rings a number of Halo bells, not unlike the Jeep Renegade concept we've seen recently. The sport-utility rocks a slew of unique features, including an armored underbelly, customizable LED displays, removable fender flares and roof, and lack of a radio or CD player (it's only got an iPod dock). Of course, the car is just for show right now -- but maybe it's a sign that the age of fuel-guzzling Hummers is coming to a close... nah, probably not.
Chrysler's Jeep Renegade concept is pure Halo
Let's face it, car designers need to look deeper for next-generation designs these days. In a more carefree time, you could put two nasty, rectangular hunks of metal on top of one another, stick on a few over-sized tires, mount a faux-wood steering wheel to the dash, and call it a Ford. These days, it's a buyer's market -- and you need to step up your game. Enter Chrysler's Jeep Renegade 2008 concept, a design boosted directly from the collective unconscious (namely, the minds of Halo players everywhere) that looks like a tank, yet runs on a lithium ion-powered electron motor and a small Bluetec diesel generator, giving this never-to-be a combined 110 MPG range. Roof mounted gatling gun and Covenant-destroying missiles not included.
Mimoco reveals Halo Mimobot flash drives
Since we tend to concentrate on hardware on this little blog, you may not have realized that there's a rather seminal event occurring on the software side of things that has gamers pretty giddy, namely the release of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. And what better way to display your fandom than with a Master Chief Mimobot USB 2.0 flash drive from Mimoco, a 1GB ($50), 2GB ($70), or 4GB ($110) piece limited to 5,000 units (3,000 each for the Red and Blue Spartan editions, pictured after the break) and pre-loaded with all sorts of swag sure to fill the emptiness in your life once you've completed the trilogy. Pre-orders have already started, so if you missed out on the last batch of space odyssey-themed paraphernalia, you'll probably wanna reserve one well before the official October 18th release at E for All.
[Via Gearlog]
[Via Gearlog]

























