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Tiny geolocators track birds flying 1,600 miles across the Atlantic
It's easy to prove that big birds like gulls will cross oceans when they migrate, but tiny birds are another matter -- the trackers you need are usually enormous in comparison. The Vermont Center for Ecostudies wasn't daunted, though. It successfully tested extra-small geolocators on blackpoll warblers, migratory songbirds that are too small and light (0.4oz) to shoulder previous sensors. The newer device weighs just 0.02oz, and is no bigger than a dime. As you can see above, it was more of a minor inconvenience than a heavy burden.
Your BioShock Infinite Songbird plushie is on the way
Remember those BioShock Infinite-based Songbird plushies? The ones that were available for pre-order in May, and stood at seven inches tall with 14-inch wingspans? Irrational Games tells Joystiq that the plushies started shipping as of yesterday, so those pre-ordered songbirds will fly to their new homes soon. Irrational Games also notes that all new purchases will ship in one or two business days. The $55 songbird plushies are still in stock, available through the developer's store.
BioShock Infinite Songbird plushies now up for pre-order
Is your tower loft/prison missing that certain something? Irrational Games hopes a Songbird plushie, now available for pre-order through the BioShock Infinite developer's web store, will fill that need. The plush Songbird is sits seven inches tall, has a wingspan of 14 inches and is made of metal, wire and polyester. Each Songbird costs $55 and will take flight from Irrational's warehouse and ship out to customers in September. The Songbird is the bodyguard of Elizabeth, the coin-flinging counterpart to game protagonist Booker DeWitt. If you're looking for other ways to express your love of BioShock Infinite, you could also print out some different cover art, get a new ringtone or head down to your local buffet.
BioShock Infinite gameplay trailer is its own beast
This BioShock Infinite "Beast of America" trailer shows off the streets of Columbia and demonstrates Elizabeth's helpful ways in combat.As the first trailer for the game seen in months, this video was the result of a community vote on the game's official Facebook page. BioShock Infinite is slated to launch on February 26, 2013 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
BioShock Infinite holds elections for its next trailer, political tactics ensue
Irrational Games is back with more BioShock Infinite goodness, after taking a hiatus starting with the delay in May. After refraining from showing any new footage for four months, Irrational is almost ready to reveal a new trailer, as chosen by fans. Well, fans who "Like" the BioShock Facebook page.After liking the page, fans get to choose if they want Elizabeth or Songbird to star in the next trailer, which will drop in 10 days, according to the countdown clock. When Irrational announced its assets break, it noted "the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box." With a February release date encroaching, this trailer launch looks promising.
Philips GoGear Connect is a legitimate Android-based iPod touch competitor (updated)
For all its success, the iPod touch has few dedicated media player competitors capable of matching its big-touchscreen, WiFi, and voluminous App Store. Until today. Philips just went official with its GoGear Connect featuring the full suite of Google Mobile applications pre-installed with access to the Android Market for pretty much everything else. Spec-wize we're looking at a 3.2-inch display, WiFi, sound isolating earphones, built-in camera, and microSD slot. Sorry, no mention of the Android OS version though we've seen it listed at retailers with 2.1. Syncing your music is done over Bluetooth or a USB tether to your PC with Philips' Songbird providing the software assist. The MP4 player also supports Maps and location-based services -- presumably accomplished with the help of Skyhook and not via a GPS radio (though the Philips post is tagged "GPS"). Look for the GoGear Connect to land in Western Europe, China, and yes, the US, starting in late October with the price pegged at €249 (about $315) for the 16GB model. Update: Philips got back to us with additional specs: on-board GPS and compass; 480 x 320 pixel LCD display; and support for .mp3, .wma, .m4a (AAC), .ogg, and .flac audio; .wmv, .mp4 (MPEG4 and H264 up to 720p), .avi (MPEG4 up to 720p) video; and JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF images. Oh, and it's definitely Andriod 2.1.
GoGear Muse refresh sports touchscreen, Songbird media player, HDMI output
Looks like the Android-powered Connect isn't the only bit of GoGear news coming out of the armed Philips compound as of late. The Pocket-lint gang have got their hands on a refresh of the GoGear Muse and we should say that the thing looks pretty sweet. In addition to a rare new modern interface solution called "touchscreen," this bad boy eschews Windows Media Player in favor of the open source Songbird player, and sports an FM radio, iPlayer, Audible, FLAC, and APE support. As for video playback, the device's 3.2-inch display is complimented by a 720p HDMI out. Look for this bad boy in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB sizes; all models include a 32GB microSD slot. We're still holding out on the definitive word regarding price, but apparently Philips is estimating something in the £100 - £120 ($155 - $185) range.
Songbird takes flight in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
It's been quite some time since we last heard anything on the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 front, aside from a trailer loosed at last month's NY Comic Con. Today, however, Marvel has revealed a new character in "Songbird," an ex-female wrestler turned supervillain turned superheroine, whose main superpower is -- and we're not kidding -- "enhanced vocal cords." Pictured above, Songbird "fuses" with Iron Man to produce ... what precisely, we're not sure ... though Marvel's Steve Nelson assures us that "fusions are BIG," (his caps, not ours). Mr. Nelson continues on the Marvel website, saying, "Songbird solidifies sound waves into objects, which she can use for a number of purposes on the battlefield ... one of our concept artists, Dave Phillips, came up with a really stunning piece of art for her 'wings,' and we ended up basing the look of her powers largely on that." Looks as though Songbird will not only be able to solidify sound waves and toss 'em at foes but also do so while flying high above their heads. Who knew strong vocal cords could do so much?For more on MUA2, check out our (limited, we know) gallery below and the most recent trailer, after the break.%Gallery-48082%
Songbird intros $79 disposable flexfit hearing aid
Though not quite as inexpensive as the SolarAid, Songbird Hearing's $79 flexfit is still much, much cheaper than most professional hearing aids. Designed for spendthrifts dealing with "mild to moderate hearing loss," the flexfit is disposable in nature and requires no doctors visit for fitting. In fact, it can actually be ordered directly online (right now) or by phone and can be "easily adjusted to fit almost anyone without the need for a hearing exam." Also of note, the built-in battery is good for 400 hours of active use, which should last most infrequent users two to six months. Got all that, or were we typing too quietly?
Songbird for OS X coming soon
Songbird, the open source music player based on Firefox, will be available for OS X sometime this week (there is no hard release date, though there is some info in the post which suggests this week, but if it doesn't come out this week don't blame me). This player emphasizes interacting with websites (it is basically Firefox with a number of music playback features) to get your music. Competition is good for users, so let's hope that Songbird is a solid alternative for iTunes.
