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Google and Ford want to bring small radar to more devices
Google and Ford are partners in a new standard that could bring radar to more devices for touch-free control and health tracking.
Bitcoin is worth more than ever, but it's losing clout
To say that Bitcoin has had a roller coaster ride would be an understatement. Between regulatory hurdles, heists and its all-too-common use in online crime, it's sometimes a surprise the cryptocurrency has survived. However, it's faring well -- so well, in fact, that the value of a coin just topped $2,000 US for the first time. While it's mostly a symbolic milestone, it reflects confidence stemming from regulation (particularly in big Bitcoin markets like China and Japan) and a rapid rise that saw its value soar hundreds of dollars in a matter of weeks.
Shift's debit card lets you pay with both real and virtual money
Part of the challenge of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies has simply been the need to juggle different apps and cards to use every payment option at your disposal. Wouldn't it be nice if one card could handle everything? You might just get your wish. Shift Payments is testing a new debit card that can switch between real and virtual money on the spot, such as through an app; you could pay for morning coffee with Bitcoin and after-work groceries using real cash. Loyalty card support is in the works, too.
Microsoft is building a foot-controlled infotainment platform
Here's something we didn't expect: Microsoft is developing a projector-based infotainment system that you manipulate with your feet. Really. We found Microsoft's Project Ripple at the Augmented World Expo, but it seemed better suited to the local mall. The company admits it's similar, but told me that what we see in public today isn't living up to its potential. Project Ripple just might.
Musubo's stylish iPhone cases bring fun and flair to a crowded market
In my daily work for TUAW I see a lot of iPhone cases. For the most part, it's hard to distinguish one from the other, so when Musubo offered to send me a set of their new iPhone 4/4S cases I took a quick look at them first. It's a good thing I did, because what I found was a set of fun and stylish cases that really stand out from the crowd. Read along as I review this set of cases, and then enter our giveaway for a chance to win one of these five cool iPhone cases. MatchBook Pro The first of the cases, and the one that originally caught my eye, is the MatchBook Pro (US$34.99). It's cleverly designed to look like an open book of matches, and the matches actually fold out into a built-in video stand for your iPhone. The hard case is made of polycarbonate for protection, while the "matches" are made of a silicone rubber. The MatchBook Pro comes in five different color combinations, with the cases available in black, red, white, a golden yellow, and a grassy green. The "matches" vary in color depending on the case color. It's hard not to like a case with a name that's also a play on "MacBook Pro". Rubber Band The next unique case from Musubo is the Rubber Band ($29.99). As the name implies, the Rubber Band makes your protected iPhone look as if it has been wrapped with a box of rubber bands. The Rubber Band is nice and grippable, and comes in a variety of colors -- yellow, light blue, blue, black, green, orange, red, pink, and magenta. If you're a fan of the Rubber Band but would like a video stand, don't worry -- Musubo includes one in the box. It's quite clever (see below), and included with every one of these cases with the exception of the MatchBook Pro. Ripple This case gets its name from the gentle ripple pattern that extends out from the camera cutout. The Ripple ($29.99) is made of TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) for protection, and the pattern provides a nice surface for gripping. The Ripple comes in black, light green, dark green, red, yellow, purple, magenta and midnight blue. Retro The Retro ($34.99) uses a glossy polycarbonate exterior designed to look like an old microphone, with a soft silicone interior to cradle the iPhone. Perhaps the most effective case color for the Retro is silver, since it really accentuates the mic-like design. The other colors include black, red, blue, white and yellow. Sneaker The innovative Sneaker ($34.99) uses a soft TPU bumper in one color, then includes two different colored "soles" that snap into the back of the case. The soles are patterned like the bottom of a sneaker, hence the name. With the black bumper you get the choice of black and white soles, red and yellow soles, or lime and purple soles; with the white bumper, Musubo provides the choice of either rose pink and baby blue or brown and olive soles. Note that there are three more case designs -- the Sexy ($24.99), the Eden ($34.99), and the Double-X ($29.99) -- that aren't covered in this review or giveaway, but can be viewed on the Musubo website. Giveaway So now here's your chance to win one of these five innovative and fun iPhone 4/4S cases. All you need to do to enter is fill out the entry form completely and press submit. We'll pick five random winners, and you'll each get one of the Musubo cases. We can't guarantee that you'll get the one you want, but we'll try to match up the winners with the cases if we can. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before May 11, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. Five winners will be selected and each will receive a Musubo iPhone 4/4S case valued at either $29.99 or $34.99. We cannot guarantee that the winners will receive their choice of a case. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Good luck! Loading...
Ripple updates its Look nettop with Fusion E-Series chip, leaves its handsome design alone
We don't cover nettops a whole lot around these parts, but we were powerless not to gawk when Ripple Korea unveiled the Look, a shapely nettop with a slick paintjob to match. At the time, it packed a dual-core Atom processor and integrated Intel graphics, in keeping with nettops' reputation for not being the most powerful PCs on the shelf. The next generation might be a bit more capable, though -- Ripple just refreshed it with an AMD Fusion E-350 ("Zacate") chip, which means you can almost certainly expect a bump in graphics performance this go 'round. Other than that, the specs haven't changed much: like the previous generation, it comes with 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. No word on pricing, though if the Fusion version is like its Atom-powered predecessor, you'll have your best chances of nabbing one if you make the pilgrimage to Seoul.
Acer releases Aspire One 722 netbook, tries to make molded plastic happen
It looks like that funky Acer netbook with the dented lid that we spied at MWC wasn't a one-off. The company just released the Aspire One 722, an 11-inch mini with the same aesthetic (and a likely successor to the 721). Like the D257 we saw in Barcelona, its lid is made of molded plastic, sculpted to resemble a series of ripples. Spec-wise, it has the same innards as the more staid-looking Aspire One 522, pairing AMD's netbook-class 1GHz C-50 Ontario processor with Radeon HD 6250 graphics. But the 722 improves on the 10-inch 522 with higher 1366 x 768 resolution, two speakers instead of one, and rated battery life of up to seven hours -- a boost over the 522's six-hour max. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for now you can content yourself with some official press shots.
Ripple unleashes dashingly handsome LOOK on unsuspecting nettop crowd
With its shapely curves and dramatic paintwork, the Ripple LOOK makes a wonderful first impression. Though not a candidate for being either the smallest or thinnest mini PC around, it's definitely one of the best looking nettops we've seen. Specs are par for the course -- dual core Atom 330, 2GB RAM, 320GB storage and Intel GMA950 graphics -- but you really don't buy devices like these for their power. Then again, we won't be buying this at all unless it does the unthinkable and finds a reseller outside Korea, where the lucky locals can have it for $321. A couple more glamor shots await after the break to soothe your heavy heart.
Electricity used to age wine, does nothing for Mad Dog 20/20
Amongst the snooty winemaking set the idea of using tech to aid the vinification process has always been controversial, so if you're one of those types, we're guessing you are not going to care for this tale at all. According to the Telegraph, chemists at the South China University of Technology have been pumping rough wine through a pipe wired with titanium electrodes, artificially "aging" it as much as twenty years. The team ran a three month old cabernet sauvignon through the process for various lengths of time, subjecting the results to a blind test with 12 experienced wine tasters. Apparently, applying 600 volts per centimeter for three minutes was found to leave the swill "well balanced and harmonious, with a nose of an aged wine." We suppose this is all well and good, but to be honest, ever since they stopped making Ripple we really haven't been in the mood.
Ripple rolls out Atom-based Mini Chocolate desktop
Atom-based desktops still aren't nearly as plentiful as Atom-based netbooks, but that equation looks to be slowly changing, with Korea's Ripple only the latest to join the fray with its new "Mini Chocolate" desktop. This one packs the usual 1.6GHz Atom processor into its Mini-ITX form factor, along with support for up to 2GB of RAM, four USB ports, two SATA sockets, and a single IDE socket, plus room for a slot-loading optical drive, which you'll have to supply yourself (along with most of the other components). As you can see above, you can also get it in your choice of three colors, with each setting you back 209,000 Korean won, or just about $200.
RippleNote's T8100 tablet looks good converted
We'll hand it to 'em -- we've yet to see a RippleNote emerge from South Korea that we didn't think was at least marginally good looking, and the Ripple Tablet T8100 most certainly keeps the streak alive. Boasting a 12.1-inch 1,280 x 800 resolution touch panel, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 120GB SATA hard drive, DVD writer and a 2.1GHz T8100 (surprised?) processor, this beauty can act as a traditional laptop or convert into a tablet should the mood strike you. As for ports, you'll find a trio of USB 2.0 connectors, built-in Ethernet, VGA, 4-pin FireWire, ExpressCard and audio in / out. Mum's the word on a price at the moment, but expect it to pop up 'round Seoul anytime.[Via AVING]
Pixel Lab unveils 17-inch RippleNote PLK570 gaming laptop
Earlier this month, we caught wind of a unique new laptop from Korea's own Pixel Lab, and while it's easy to see how the lid design could be a love / hate affair, we've great news for those leaning towards the latter. Apparently, the firm is rolling out another in the RippleNote lineup, this time with a top that exemplifies smoothness. The 17-inch PLK570 rocks some pretty decent hardware too, including a WXGA+ (1,440 x 900) panel, a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA's GeForce 8700M GT, 160GB 7,200RPM SATA drive, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, gigabit Ethernet and WiFi to boot. Furthermore, you'll find niceties such as Bluetooth, a multicard reader, DVI / S-Video outputs, FireWire and audio in / out ports. We're still not convinced it's worth the ???2.3 million ($2,466) asking price, but we'll leave that one up to you.[Via MobileWhack]
The Grove glass staircase rippling
An ifoAppleStore tipster has taken a few pictures (one seen at the right) of the 'rippling' that is happening on two of the panels of the glass staircase in the Grove (that's the Apple store in LA). This isn't structural damage, meaning that the staircase is still as safe as ever, it just doesn't look as pretty.I wonder how long it'll take Apple to replace those rippled panels (and how much it'll cost them).Oh, and in case you were wondering, it is a slow news day.
