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USB drive goes missing with Japan-US troop deployment maps

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 2nd 2008 at 9:03PM

Before you start having a complete panic attack, let us inform you that this whole fiasco actually took place last year, but as these things have a way of going, it's just now coming to light. Reportedly, a 33-year-old captain in the Ground Self-Defense Force ganked a USB flash drive (along with ¥2,000 [$19] and a ¥10,000 [$94] airline coupon) and proceeded to "dump it." Aside from the laughably small amount of cash and prizes this guy accepted, the unfortunate part of all this is what resided on the flash drive: troop deployment maps used in Japan-US military exercises. Worse still, we get the idea that said USB key is still out there somewhere undiscovered (or unrevealed), so if you happen upon one with all sorts of undecipherable schematics on there, now you know what's up.

[Via The Register, image courtesy of University of Texas]

MSV shows off L-Series satellite phone prototype

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 4th 2008 at 2:00PM

On a typical day, anything shown off at CTIA with a "coming in 2010" sticker would cause some serious unrest, but given that we've already found that LTE is eons (or so it feels) away, we're just taking things in stride. The MSV prototype shown above will purportedly become a proud member of the L-Series, and its satellite / cellular hybrid system will enable it to play nice on traditional cell bands as well as snag sat coverage anywhere in North America. Apparently the firm is planning on shooting up a pair of birds in 2009 as well as landing a deal with an undisclosed US carrier, and the 0.6-inch thick unit itself should feature a 480 x 320 multi-touch screen, WiFi and an integrated camera. No word on a price just yet, but feel free to check back in a few years.

Submerged camera holds functional memory card two years after accident

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 17th 2007 at 9:17AM

After capsizing in the partially frozen waters at Kejimkujik National Park, the Collins family was far too busy being alive to worry over a silly sunken camera. As fate would have it, the ole Canon Powershot that was lost eventually turned up, as a park maintenance worker managed to spot the device sitting aimlessly upon a rock. Granted, the body was in fairly deplorable shape after braving the elements for two solid years, but the memory card tucked within seemed to be relatively unharmed. Upon testing it out, the employee found some 300 pictures taken on the day in which Mr. & Mrs. Collins nearly perished, and apparently, the card was still in tact enough to be read. Eventually, the couple managed to pick up the camera / card and bring home those slightly eerie memories, but no one ever found the loner who snapped up the couple's misplaced cellphone and ran up calls to Zimbabwe 'til the battery died.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

New chip curbs misplaced cellphone syndrome

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 26th 2007 at 10:24PM

Those who are contemplating some type of bizarre surgery to ensure your dear cellphone stays permanently attached to your person should probably hold off, as a couple of companies are teaming up to curb the oh-so-typical problem of misplacing one's handset. New Japan Radio Co. and Superwave Corporation have reportedly joined forces to "develop a chip that uses weak radio waves to communicate with mobile phones, paving the way for devices that tell users when a handset is misplaced." Supposedly, the chip would communicate with one's phone "every few seconds," and if you bolted from the subway sans your cellphone, a sound or vibration would apparently be there to alert you of your mistake. Hold tight folks, the firms have plans to distribute samples to manufacturers this October. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

[Image courtesy of GLIRC]

Lost islanders snag an iPhone before the street date?

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 20th 2007 at 8:26AM

If you're one of the many former Lost fans whose interest slowly faded after the show became predominantly filled with mind-numbing flashbacks, all while the writers attempted to string us all along until the next commercial break, we're right there with you -- but for the folks still hangin' in there to catch the 10PM broadcasts, last night's episode was a treat. Thanks to the wonders of DVR, an eagle-eyed viewer noticed that the "satellite phone" discovered on the island seemed a bit too modern for the circumstances, and upon closer review, an actual iPhone was unearthed. Hidden beneath a makeshift enclosure sat an iPhone interface, complete with an OS X Home icon, which leads us to wonder if the entire show isn't based in the future. Regardless, the islanders no longer have reason to whine about being stranded, as we're fairly confident there would be quite a manhunt going on if they offered up the pre-release iPhone in exchange for a boat ride home.

[Via TUAW]

Dandella handheld GPS devices simplify navigation

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 16th 2007 at 8:25PM

The methods available to track your youngsters are growing by the week it seems, but for those looking to acquire a less voyeuristic (and likely more effective) way of tracking down your wandering kids, Dandella's for you. Taking home the gold at the International Design Competition Osaka, the dandelion-inspired GPS sticks come with a flower pot vase that syncs with your computer in order to select a "home" point in which the device continually seeks to be near. Designers Yong-kai Tan and Priscilla Lui's invention was spurned by the need to "simply find someone" if you get detached in a busy theme park or office building, and if each stick is programmed to find one another, even a child should be able to walk in the direction that the flexible, LED lit tip points. Additionally, it packs built-in Bluetooth in order to sync with mobile devices or other wireless computers, and gets powered by an integrated Li-ion battery. Now, how in the world do we choose just one location? Decisions, decisions.

[Via PopGadget]