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Daily iPhone App: Jool turns the world of endless runners upside down
Jool (stylized as JOOL on the App Store) is one of the most inventive games I've seen in a long while. It's an endless running game, which in itself is not inventive. And unfortunately, the game isn't all that intriguing -- you basically just run as a character horizontally along the screen, jumping up and falling down a series of platforms while trying to collect all sorts of crazy objects. But here's the inventive part: When your character finally falls off of the bottom of the screen, you can flip the iPhone upside down, and your character will automatically flip into a different character running the opposite way, giving you a chance to keep your run going. It's a wild little gimmick, and it's crazy to see in action -- just when you think your character is done for, you can instead flip the phone over and keep going. There are a few other gameplay elements, like bombs that will propel you forward, and occasional goals for certain items to collect, but that "flip" is the wildest thing, a really crazy idea that's implemented in a wild way. Unfortunately, the rest of the game isn't nearly as impressive: There's a very weird "loading" feature that makes you just sit there and do nothing while files download when the game first loads up, and the graphics are more goofy and confusing than really supportive of the gameplay. But Jool, in all of its awkward weirdness (the game was made by four artists from Berlin, if that explains their somewhat twisted sensibility) is worth a try just for that strange flipping feature, probably the most inventive way I've seen the iPhone's accelerometer used. It's available for 99 cents from the App Store now.
Ibis hotels to have robots paint art while they track your sleep: no, that's not creepy at all (video)
First they invaded our factories, and now it's our hotel rooms. Is nowhere safe from the robots? In truth, Ibis' upcoming Sleep Art project is very slick, even if it smacks of robot voyeurism. Ibis hotels in Berlin, London and Paris will let 40 successful applicants sleep on beds that each have 80 sensors translating movements, sound and temperature into truly unique acrylic paintings by robotic arms connected through WiFi. You don't have to worry that the machines are literally watching you sleep -- there's no cameras or other visual records of the night's tossing and turning, apart from the abstract lines on the canvas. All the same, if you succeed in landing a stay in one of the Sleep Art hotel rooms between October 13th and November 23rd, you're a brave person. We all know how this ends.
What can you say to Siri in iOS 6: the international edition
Last year, Steve Sande and I put together a "What can you say to Siri" post that proved to be hugely popular. We'd been working on "Talking to Siri: Learning the Language of Apple's Intelligent Assistant", which we initially self-pubbed as an e-book, and then later moved to QUE publishing. This year, we followed up that post with an iOS 6 version of "What can you say to Siri", which we published on Friday. A number of people pinged me asking if I wouldn't mind offering some internationalized versions of the list. In that spirit, here are lists for German, Japanese, and French. German NACH KONTAKTEN FRAGEN Was ist Christians Adresse? Was ist die Telefonnummer von Diana Pelzl? Wann ist der Geburtstag meiner Frau? Zeige die private E-Mail-Adresse von Susanne Wie ist die Geschäftsadresse von meinem Bruder? KONTAKTE SUCHEN Zeige Tobias Appel Suche Personen mit dem Namen Pelzl Wo ist Christian Wilde? BEZIEHUNGEN Meine Mutter ist Diana Pelzl Christian Wilde ist mein Bruder Rufe meinen Bruder im Geschäft an VERANSTALTUNGEN HINZUFÜGEN Termin um 9 einrichten Erstelle eine Besprechung mit Christian um 9 Uhr Neues Treffen mit Georg am Donnerstag um 12 Uhr Plane eine Besprechung wegen Urlaub morgen früh um 9 Uhr Neuer Termin mit Diana Pelzl Freitag um 15 Uhr Erstelle eine Planbesprechung heute um 8:30 Uhr im Tagungsraum VERANSTALTUNGEN ÄNDERN Verschiebe meine Besprechung von 15 Uhr auf 16:30 Uhr Verschiebe meinen Termin mit Herrn Wilde auf nächsten Montag um 9 Uhr morgens Füge Georg zu meinem Termin heute um 9 Uhr hinzu Sage meinen Termin zum Thema Urlaub ab NACH VERANSTALTUNGEN FRAGEN Wie beschäftigt bin ich den Rest des Tages? Was steht am Freitag in meinem Kalender? Wann ist mein nächster Termin? Wann ist die Besprechung mit Christian? Wo ist meine nächste Besprechung? WECKER Wecke mich um 7 Uhr Stelle einen Wecker für 6:30 Uhr morgens Wecke mich in einer halben Stunde Ändere meinen Wecker von 6:30 Uhr auf 6:45 Uhr Schalte meinen Wecker für 6:30 Uhr aus Lösche meinen Wecker für 7:30 WELTZEITUHR Wie spät ist es? Wie viel Uhr ist es in Berlin? Welches Datum ist heute? Welches Datum ist diesen Samstag? TIMER Stelle den Timer auf 10 Minuten Zeige den Timer Halte den Timer an Stelle den Timer wieder an Setze den Timer zurück Stopp E-MAIL SENDEN Emaile Georg wegen Reise Sende eine E-Mail an Susanne wegen Planänderung Neue E-Mail an Diana Pelzl Schicke eine E-Mail an Vater wegen der Überweisung Sende eine E-Mail an Herrn Wilde mit dem Inhalt danke ich habe die Formulare erhalten Eine E-Mail an Georg und Tobias senden mit Betreff ich hatte heute viel Spaß E-MAIL ABRUFEN Rufe E-Mails ab Gibt es heute neue E-Mails von Christian? Zeige neue E-Mails zum Mietvertrag Zeige die E-Mail von Georg von gestern AUF E-MAIL ANTWORTEN Antworte liebe Diana bitte entschuldige die späte Zahlung Rufe ihn im Geschäft an FINDMYFRIENDS Wo ist Tobias? Wo ist meine Schwester? Ist meine Frau zu Hause? Wo sind alle meine Freunde? Wer ist hier? Wer ist in der Nähe? NACHRICHTEN SENDEN Sage Diana ich bin gleich da Sende eine Nachricht an Tobias Appel Sende eine Nachricht an Georg und sage wie wärs mit morgen Sage Susanne die Vorstellung war klasse Schicke eine Nachricht an Dianas Handy und sage ich komme heute später Sende eine Nachricht an 0401270043 SMS an Tobias und Georg wo seid ihr? BENACHRICHTIGUNGEN VORLESEN Lies meine neuen Nachrichten vor Lies sie noch einmal vor AUF NACHRICHTEN ANTWORTEN Antworte das sind tolle Neuigkeiten Sag ihm ich bin in 10 Minuten dort Ruf sie an MUSIC Spiele The Light of the Sun Leg Trouble auf Zufällige Wiedergabe von Taking back Sunday Spiele Alicia Keys Spiele klassische Musik Spiele meinen Party-Mix Gib meine Wiedergabeliste für unterwegs zufällig wieder Abspielen Pause Überspringen NOTES Notiere 12 Euro für Pizza Notiz hör dir das neue Album von Alicia Keys an Suche meine Restaurantnotiz Erstelle eine Notiz Kinderbücher Füge Max und Moritz zu meiner Notiz Kinderbücher hinzu PHONE Rufe Tobias an Wähle die Handynummer von Susanne Ring Rufe Diana auf ihrer Geschäftsnummer an 040 1270043 anrufen Rufe zuhause an Starte einen FaceTime-Anruf mit Georg REMINDERS Erinnere mich Mama anrufen Erinnere mich daran Mama anrufen wenn ich nach Hause komme Denke dran Schirm mitnehmen Erinnere mich morgen früh um 6 daran Medizin nehmen Erinnere mich dran Blumen abholen wenn ich hier weg gehe Erinnere mich daran Tobias anrufen wenn ich das Büro verlasse Neue Erinnerung für 18 Uhr Bericht fertigstellen STOCKS Was kostet die Apple-Aktie? Wie ist das Kurs-Gewinn-Verhältnis von Apple? Wie ist der Schlusskurs von Yahoo heute? Wie steht der Dow Jones heute? Wie sehen die Börsen aus? Wie steht der DAX? WEATHER Wie wird das Wetter heute? Wie wird das Wetter morgen? Wird es in Detmold diese Woche regnen? Zeige die Vorhersage für Berlin für nächste Woche Wie ist die Vorhersage für den Abend? Wie ist im Moment das Wetter in Frankfurt? Wie heiß wird es an diesem Wochenende in München? Was wird die Höchsttemperatur am Donnerstag in Heidelberg sein? Wie ist die Außentemperatur? Ist es windig heute? Wann geht in Paris die Sonne auf? WEBSEARCH Suche im Internet nach Sylt Suche vegetarische Nudelrezepte Suche im Internet nach Flugpreisen Google nach dreißigjähriger Krieg Suche auf Wikipedia nach Konrad Adenauer Suche im Web nach Weltmeisterschaft Bing-Suche nach Alicia Keys Japanese Section: 連絡先の情報を調べる 斎藤君の住所は? 江川さんの電話番号を教えて 妻の誕生日はいつ? 恵美ちゃんの自宅メールアドレスを表示して 弟の勤務先の住所は? Section: 連絡先を検索する 渡部克也を表示 竹林という名前の人を探して 一井良夫って誰だっけ? Section: 関係者 私のことは小林さんと呼んで 小澤恵美が私の母です 弟の職場に電話をかける Section: 予定を追加する 9時に会議を設定 9時に佐藤君との会議を入れる 正午に愛ちゃんと待ち合わせ 明日の朝9時に人事採用についての会議をセッティング 金曜3時に斎藤康則さんに会う 金曜日の6時半から新宿で歓迎会を開催 Section: 予定を変更する 午後3時からの会議を4時半に変更 歯医者の予約を水曜の午前9時に変更 この会議に溝上を追加 予算審査会議をキャンセル Section: 予定を確認する 今日のこの後の予定は? 金曜日の予定は? 次の約束の時間は? 山口さんに会うのはいつ? 次の会議の場所は? Section: アラーム 明日朝7時に起こして 午前6時半にアラームをセット 8時間後に起こして 6時半のアラームを6時45分に変更 6時30分のアラームをオフにして 7時30分のアラームを削除 Section: 時計 今何時? ベルリンは何時? 今日は何日? 来週の土曜日は何日? Section: タイマー 10分タイマーをセット タイマーを表示 タイマーを一時停止 再開 タイマーをリセット 止めて Section: メールを送信する 真由美に旅行についてメール 幸恵ちゃんに予定変更とメールして 山口さんにメールを送って お父さんに仕送りの件でメール 高橋先生にお祝いありがとうございましたとメール 恵美と大輔に昨日のパーティというメールを送る Section: メールを確認する メールをチェック 今日佐藤さんからメール来た? 賃貸契約に関する新着メールを表示 渡部から昨日来たメールを見せて Section: メールに返信する このメールに支払いが遅れて申し訳ありませんと返信 その人に電話して Section: FINDMYFRIENDS 賢は今どこにいる? 妹の現在地を教えて 奥さんは今家にいる? 友達全員の居場所を教えて この辺に誰かいる? 誰か近くにいる? Section: メッセージを送信する 克也君にすぐ行きますと伝えて 溝上雄大さんにメッセージを送る 良夫に明日はどうですかというメッセージを送信 真由美に最高のショーでしたと伝える 浩の携帯に少し遅れますというメッセージを送って 0312341234にメッセージを送信 斎藤と高橋に今どこにいるとメッセージ Section: メッセージを読み上げる 新着メッセージを読み上げて もう一度読んで Section: メッセージに返信する 素敵なお知らせありがとうと返信 その人に10分で着きますって伝えて 彼女に電話して Section: MUSIC Light of the Sunを再生 Troubleを再生 Taking Back Sundayをシャッフル再生 Alicia Keysの曲をかける ブルースを再生 パーティーミックスを再生 ロードトリッププレイリストを再生 再生 一時停止 スキップ Section: NOTES 今日のランチ代は980円とメモ Alicia Keysの新譜をチェックとメモして レストランに関するメモを検索 読書リストというメモを作成 トム・ソーヤーの冒険を読書リストというメモに追加 Section: PHONE 康則君に電話 竹林さんの携帯に電話 恵美ちゃんの職場に電話 0312341234に電話をかける 家に電話して 真由美とFaceTime Section: REMINDERS 母に電話するのをリマインド 家に着いたら母さんに電話をするのを思い出させて 傘を持っていくのをリマインドして 明日の朝6時に薬を飲むのを思い出させて ここを出るときに智に電話をするようにリマインドして 6時にレポートのことを思い出させて Section: STOCKS Appleの株価は? AppleのPERを教えて Yahooの今日の終値はいくら? 日経平均の調子は? 今日の株式市場は? 現在のダウ平均は? Section: WEATHER 今日の天気は? 明日の天気を調べて 今週、東京は雨が降りそう? 大阪の来週の天気予報を教えて 今夜の天気予報は? 名古屋の今の天気は? 今週末、沖縄は暑くなる? 福岡の木曜日の最高気温は? 外の気温は? パリの日の出は何時? Section: WEBSEARCH ボラボラ島をWebで検索 ベジタリアンパスタのレシピを検索して 一番お得なプロバイダをWebで調べて 米英戦争をGoogleで検索 Wikipediaで伊藤博文のことを調べる ワールドカップのニュースを探して Alicia KeysをBingで調べる French QUESTIONS SUR LES CONTACTS Quel est le numéro d'Alex ? Quand est la date d'anniversaire de ma femme ? Affiche l'adresse email personnelle de Stéphanie Où habite Alexandre ? RECHERCHE DE CONTACTS Affiche Alexandre Moha Trouve les personnes appelées Druon Qui est Philippe Pollet ? RELATIONS Philippe Pollet est mon frère Appelle mon frère à son bureau AJOUT D'ÉVÉNEMENTS Programme une réunion à 9h Prévois une réunion avec Philippe à 9h Programme un rendez-vous chez le dentiste lundi prochain à 8h Prévois une réunion sur le recrutement demain matin à 9h Nouveau rendez-vous avec Stéphanie Baroux à 15h Prévois une réunion de planning à 8h30 aujourd'hui dans la salle de conférence MODIFICATION D'ÉVÉNEMENTS Déplace ma réunion de 15h pour 16h30 Décale mon prochain rendez-vous Ajoute Florence à ma réunion avec Alexandre Annule la réunion de révision du budget QUESTIONS SUR LES ÉVÉNEMENTS À quoi ressemble le reste de ma journée ? Qu'est-ce que j'ai de prévu vendredi ? Quand est mon prochain rendez-vous ? Quand est-ce que je vois Philippe ? Où se trouve ma prochaine réunion ? ALARME Réveille-moi demain matin à 7h Mets un réveil pour 6h30 tous les matins Réveille-moi dans 8 heures Éteins mon réveil de 6h30 Supprime mon réveil de 7h30 Éteins tous mes réveils HORLOGE Quelle heure est-il ? Quelle heure est-il à Berlin ? Quel jour tombe le 1er mai ? Quelle est la date d'aujourd'hui ? MINUTEUR Règle le minuteur sur 10 minutes Affiche le minuteur Mets en pause le minuteur Reprends Réinitialise le minuteur Arrête-le ENVOI D'EMAILS Envoie un email à Florence à propos du voyage Envoie un email à Stéphanie sur le changement de programme Nouveau mail à Stéphanie Baroux Envoie un email à Papa à propos du chèque de loyer Envoie un email à Florence avec Sortie cinéma comme objet Envoyer un email à Florence Baroux pour lui dire que j'ai reçu les formulaires Envoie un email à Florence et Alexandre objet Sortie cinéma contenu Voilà un film génial CONSULTATION D'EMAILS Montre-moi mes emails Est-ce que j'ai reçu des emails de Philippe aujourd'hui Affiche les nouveaux courriers concernant le bail Affiche l'email de Florence reçu hier RÉPONSE À DES EMAILS Réponds Chère Stéphanie désolé pour le retard de ce paiement Réponds-lui que tout va pour le mieux FINDMYFRIENDS Où se trouve Philippe ? Où se trouve ma sœur ? Où se trouvent tous mes amis ? Qui est ici ? ENVOI DE MESSAGES Dis à Philippe que j'arrive Envoie un message à Alexandre Moha Envoie un SMS à Florence disant Pourquoi pas demain ? Dis à Stéphanie que le spectacle était super Envoie un message à Florence sur son portable disant que je serai en retard Envoie un message au 01 41 68 22 30 Envoie par texto à Alexandre et Florence Où êtes vous ? CONSULTATION DES NOUVEAUX MESSAGES Lis mes nouveaux messages Relis RÉPONSE À DES MESSAGES Réponds c'est une excellente nouvelle Dis-lui que je serai là dans 10 minutes MUSIC Écouter Light of the Sun Joue Trouble Jouer Taking Back Sunday en aléatoire Mets Alicia Keys Joue ma liste de lecture Soirée Mets de la musique rock Lecture aléatoire de ma liste de lecture Voyage Lecture Pause Suivant NOTES Note que j'ai dépensé 12€ pour le déjeuner Prendre en note Écouter le nouvel album d'Alicia Keys Trouve ma note sur les restaurants Crée une note Liste de livres à lire PHONE Appelle Alexandre Appelle Florence Druon sur son portable Appelle Florence sur son téléphone professionnel Appelle le 01 41 68 22 30 Passe un coup de fil à la maison Lance un appel FaceTime avec Stéphanie REMINDERS Rappelle-moi d'appeler maman Rappelle-moi d'appeler ma mère quand j'arrive chez moi Rappelle-moi de prendre un parapluie Rappelle-moi de prendre mes médicaments demain matin à 6h Fais-moi penser à aller chercher des fleurs en partant Fais-moi penser à appeler Alexandre quand je pars d'ici Me rappeler de terminer le rapport avant 6h Ne pas oublier que le gâteau est cuit dans 20 minutes STOCKS Quel est le cours de l'action Apple ? Quelle est la capitalisation boursière d'Apple ? Quel était le prix à l'ouverture pour Yahoo aujourd'hui ? Compare Apple et Yahoo Est-ce que l'action Apple est en hausse ? Comment se porte le CAC 40 ? WEATHER Quel temps fera-t-il demain ? Quel temps est prévu pour aujourd'hui ? Est-ce qu'il va pleuvoir à Lyon cette semaine ? Regarde les prévisions météo de la semaine prochaine à Lorient Quelles sont les prévisions pour ce soir ? Quel temps fait-il à Biarritz en ce moment ? Est-ce qu'il va faire chaud à Montpellier ce week-end ? Quelle sera la température maximale à Lille jeudi ? Quelle température fait-il dehors ? Est-ce qu'il y a beaucoup de vent ? À quelle heure se lève le soleil à Paris ? WEBSEARCH Recherche Bora Bora sur le Web Recherche sur le Web les meilleurs tarifs pour Internet Recherche la guerre de 1870 sur Google Recherche le Général de Gaulle sur Wikipédia Recherche Alicia Keys sur Bing
IFA 2012 wrap-up: Galaxy Note II, 84-inch 4K TVs, Windows 8 convertibles and much more
Europe's premier consumer electronics trade show has further cemented its status on the industry's radar, thanks in no small part to Samsung, Sony and a shocking number of 84-inch 4K TVs. Since Wednesday, we've welcomed a brand new Galaxy Note, a healthy heaping of smaller mobile phones, a few cameras (including that Android stunner) and enough laptops and tablets to keep us computing well into the fall. From your perspective, the show ran silky smooth, though Berlin's mobile data plague continued to take its toll on our productivity, while the Messe's absolutely insane sprawl left us with a few well-worn shoes. As always, we still had a blast bringing you all the latest gear as it hit the floor, and German hospitality (and beer) made the setbacks a bit more bearable. Since there's oh so much to get through, we're sorting out our grouping of news and hands-ons from major manufacturers, followed by some smaller device makers and a few one-hit wonders -- all tidied up just past the break.%Gallery-164013%
Visualized: Samsung's human, Galaxy Note-powered taxi
That's the last time we take a taxi in Berlin. After a fairly harrowing journey across the city to tonight's Samsung IFA event, we reached our destination and spotted a clearly superior mode of transportation: a fleet of pedal-powered cabs sporting Galaxy Note 10.1s in the back. Of course, we probably would have spent more time admiring the glory that is Berlin, rather than the 10-inch screen, but it's nice to have the option there when we need it.%Gallery-163795%
Samsung Unpacked at IFA 2012: watch it online now
Couldn't make it out to Berlin for Samsung's Unpacked event? No worries -- Sammy has re-packed its deluge of tablets, phones and Android-powered cameras for your viewing pleasure. Go ahead and relive Sammy's self-proclaimed magic at the outfit's Facebook page or with the embedded video after the break.
Samsung introduces ATIV Tab: a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet
Samsung's busy cranking out its fall lineup here in Berlin, and among the new entries is the ATIV Tab, a Windows RT-packing cousin of the Galaxy Note 10.1. The new 10.1-inch slate isn't quite as aggressive as its Android counterpart and centers on a 1,366 x 768 display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 5MP rear camera paired with a 1.9MP front-facing cam, and ports for micro-HDMI as well as USB. Dimensionally, the tablet is as light and skinny as you'd hope: it weighs 20.1 ounces (570g) and measures a slim 8.9mm thick. The 32GB and 64GB storage options aren't shockers given the extra space Windows and the bundled copy of Office 2013 Home and Student 2013 will demand, but there's a treat for long-haul users in the battery -- it's been upgraded from the 7,000maH pack of the Note 10.1 to an ample 8,200mAh unit. Samsung hasn't handed out launch details, but it's safe to say that the ATIV Tab won't arrive any sooner than October 26th. Check out all of our IFA 2012 coverage at our event hub! Brad Molen contributed to this post.
We're live from IFA 2012 in Berlin!
Have you ever visited a state fair in the US? Picture the fairgrounds -- perhaps enlarged several fold -- filled to the brim with ultra-slim televisions, giant smartphones, tablets, laptops and enough washers and dryers to keep the entire population of Germany's wardrobe squeaky clean. That's IFA. There may not be any deep-fried Oreos at this Messe (though you will find plenty of Brezels and Bier), but there's more than enough to keep us entertained for a full week, and then some. The fun kicks off tomorrow afternoon with Sony's annual press conference, followed by Samsung Unpacked where we expect to see a Galaxy S III-like successor to last year's blockbuster Note. Then chaos ensues, when the two dozen exhibition halls open to the public, and tens of thousands of curious consumers mix with industry reps and journalists, pushing and shoving their way to the hottest gadgets from every category, be it high-end home theater or personal grooming (read: electric toothbrush/water flosser duos). Rest assured that we'll focus our efforts on the former, and you can stay on top of all the news as it happens using our "ifa2012" tag.
Arduino GSM/GPRS Shield gets helping hand from Telefonica for data, remote control
Arduino devices have had the option of a GSM linkup for awhile, but getting that cellular link to truly strut its stuff hasn't always been easy, even for those of us who'd be inclined to program an Arduino in the first place. Enter Telefonica, which wants to be the backbone of your internet of things. It's backing a new version of the GSM/GPRS Shield add-on (shown here) by offering both the expected machine-to-machine SIMs for the cellular connection as well as freshly added remote control of the board through the carrier's BlueVia pages. The Shield itself is getting a quiet upgrade in the process -- the software both takes up a smaller footprint and can now talk to the world in the background while the Arduino keeps on keepin' on. If you happen to be in Berlin, the new Shield is making the rounds at Campus Party workshops until April 25th. Neither side has said how readily available the new part will be available after that; for now, you can familiarize yourself with the current technology at the source link.
Save the date: Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012 IFA event set for August 29th
You know it's nearly time for IFA 2012 when Samsung starts sending out the Mobile Unpacked invites. The event, famous for launching the phablet-defining Galaxy Note just one year ago, is scheduled to take place on August 29th and should see the official unveiling of that smartphone inbetweener's successor. Though leaked details of a Note sequel have been scarce, we do have one slight indicator of what's to come: benchmarks for a mysterious GT-N7100. If those test results are to be believed, we could be in store for a device refresh that packs the same processing powers of the Galaxy S III -- quad-core Exynos bumped to 1.6GHz and Mali 400 GPU -- along with the OEM's bevy of Smart functions and, most notably, a stylus upgrade. Of course, the company could very well have other surprises up its sleeve, but given its penchant for extensive security measures, we'll just have to wait to find out.
Insert Coin: Berlin Boombox recyclable cardboard stereo (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. It's been years since we've spotted a proper handle-sporting boombox on this side of the equator (in public, at least), but we're decidedly impressed with this unique Kickstarter creation, dubbed the Berlin Boombox. Constructed nearly entirely of cardboard, save for some metal- and plastic-based essentials, the speaker rig ships disassembled in a flat cardboard box. Getting the Boombox up and running shouldn't require much effort, however -- the designer states that you won't need any tools during the quick assembly process. After you're done, you can connect the setup to any source with a 3.5mm headphone jack, then control volume with the large aluminum power/volume knob. The Berlin Boombox also ships with four AA batteries, though it's not clear how many hours of music you'll be able to pipe through the speakers with that initial set of cells. We also can't speak to sound quality, though there is a free custom sound profile available for iOS devices -- audio "will be remastered in real-time to use the full potential of the Berlin Boombox." You can pre-order your own with a $50 pledge, saving you 9 bucks off the estimated retail price. There's also a "limited edition" two-tone box, available with a $100 pledge, while $250 will net you a custom-designed model, which can also be paired with a dinner and tour of Berlin with the inventor if you're willing to fork over $500 or more. There's just shy of two weeks left during the funding period -- you'll need to provide that financial support before noon on April 25th. The project is on track to meet its $14,000 funding goal, however, so it's fairly safe to say that you'll be able to snag one of these cardboard contraptions even if you aren't ready to take the plunge just yet. Jump past the break to see the Berlin Boombox in action, and to catch up with our last Insert Coin project: The PowerPot.
Ski helmet charges iPods, iPhone and other mobile devices
A team of German researchers is working on technology that could let you ski all day without worrying about your smartphone battery, says a report in GlobalPost. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin, TEXSYS and the Technical University in Berlin have created a solar helmet that charges your mobile device while you ski. The helmet has a curved solar panel skin, integrated headphones and a microphone so you can use your phone or mp3 player on the slopes. They've also designed a special set of gloves that can control your mobile device. Though it might not appeal to your casual, recreational skier, this solar system could be useful for adventurers who need extra juice for a long day mountaineering as well as mountain rescue teams who would appreciate the always-on communication.
Hackers planning homespun anti-censorship satellite internet
SOPA is making ordinary, decent internet users mad as hell, and they're not gonna take it anymore. Hacker attendees of Berlin's Chaos Communication Congress are cooking up a plan to launch a series of homemade satellites as the backbone of an "uncensorable (sic) internet in space." Like all good ideas, there's a few hurdles to overcome first: objects in lower-Earth orbit circle the earth every 90 minutes, useless for a broadband satellite that needs to remain geostationary. Instead, a terrestrial network of base stations will have to be installed in order to remain in constant contact as it spins past, at the cost of €100 ($130) per unit. The conference also stated a desire to get an amateur astronaut onto the moon within 23 years, which we'd love to see, assuming there's still a rocket fuel store on eBay.
Job listing points to future Berlin Apple Store
Last January we heard that Apple intents to build a new Apple Store in the Kurfürstendamm section of Berlin, several job listings have appeared on Apple's German jobs site. As noted by ifoAppleStore, the listings don't outright confirm the future Berlin location, but construction at an historic theater at Kurfürstendamm 26 suggest Apple is behind the renovation. The building dates to 1913 and survived the rampant bombings of Berlin in World War II. The theatre inside was renovated in the 1940's while the exterior features the original Doric columns. Besides the location and historic status, Kurfürstendamm 26 also has the floor space Apple values in flagship stores. The building has three levels with the ground and second floors measuring 7,000 square-feet each. The third floor has 10,000 square-feet of space while the basement has another 9,600 square-feet, which could be used for offices and inventory storage. Based on the construction, ifoAppleStore surmises the store could be open by mid-2012.
IFA 2011 wrap-up
As with the end of any massive and absolutely chaotic consumer electronics trade show, it's with mixed emotions that we pack up our gear and prepare to depart IFA. We hope you've enjoyed our countless news stories, hands-ons, and liveblogs -- all neatly organized just after the break (so you can count, if you really want). But now it's time to say goodbye to Berlin -- until next year, at least. We've also organized a small sampling of photos that didn't really have another home here, but should give you an idea of just how huge and diverse this show really is. Click on through to the gallery below, and jump past the break for a roundup of all our IFA 2011 coverage. Wiedersehen!%Gallery-132611%
The coolest thing I saw at IFA: LG's passive clip-on 3D glasses
Berlin's Internationalen Funkausstellung is by no means an unexciting consumer electronics show. Sure, there aren't nearly as many new gadgets to play with as you'll find at even the tamest year of CES, but there's still plenty else around to leave almost any tech buff feeling full. Still, this year's most exciting gadget -- to me, at least -- wasn't a new tablet, or cell phone, or even that Android-controlled robotic vacuum. No, the highlight of my week was these clip-on 3D glasses, which LG reps handed out to every interested spectator as they entered the company's booth. These dead-simple, yet completely life-changing specs were almost certainly overlooked by the 20/20 vision-abled, but for folks like me who can't stand sliding one pair of glasses over another just to watch Kung Fu Panda in three dimensions, those clip-ons you see above are the absolute best swag I could ever hope to find. There's really not much to them. The 3D experience was identical to what you'll get with traditional passive glasses -- these simply clip on top of your eyeglasses, rather than resting on their own. They also offer UV protection, and "communicate seamlessly with the TV." Well alright then. While attendees could get their own pair for free at IFA, you can also find these online for about 20 bucks -- sold as the LG AG-F220. I'd like to see them become much more widely available, and more affordable as well. So listen up, Hollywood: if you ever again want me to hand over five extra bucks at the box office to watch an animated bear kick his furry paw directly toward my temple, these better be waiting on the other side of the ticket scan.
Toshiba's rumored ultra-thin tablet plays peek-a-boo at IFA?
Well, would you look at that? It appears someone just can't manage to stay out of our field of vision. The shot you see above is apparently the same ultra-thin tablet we ran across two days ago in what appeared to be leaked renders. Now, it's reportedly peeking out of a booth at IFA. From what we (and now you) can see, it's running Android and sporting a front facing camera. Rumor has it, the slate will also carry a TI OMAP4460 dual-core 1.5GHz processor, micro-USB, micro HDMI and microSD slots. Of course, we'll just have to wait see if things shake out, but we'll be here at IFA trying our damndest to get this skinny sucker to come out of hiding.
We're live from IFA 2011!
Guten tag, Berlin! We'll be sending you live updates from the German capital all this week as we explore IFA, the country's absolutely monstrous consumer electronics trade show. This year, 3D, smartphones and Android tablets are all the rage, and we're expecting a generous spattering of product announcements in the days to come. So pack up the laptop, head over to your local biergarten and grab a brezel and brat as you sit back and enjoy the slew of hands-ons and liveblogs that'll be hitting the site later this week. And you may want to cancel those weekend plans as well -- we'll be posting gadgets directly from the show floor all day Friday and Saturday. Danke schön! Protip: Use our "ifa2011" tag to see this week's hottest IFA news!
Toshiba rumored to be announcing ultra-thin tablet at IFA after chunky Thrive did anything but
With a tablet market dominated by the svelte iPad 2, a device with a "chunky design" isn't bound to Thrive. According to Notebook Italia, Toshiba's expected to announce a new ultra-thin tablet at IFA this week, swapping full-size USB and HDMI ports for micro-USB, micro HDMI, and microSD slots in order to shave off a few millimeters from last year's model, leaving the new device with a sleeker, much more appealing design. The rumored slate is expected to ship with a TI OMAP4460 dual-core 1.5GHz processor, an edge-to-edge screen, and a brushed-metal housing. Other specs, including Android version and screen size are a bit thin at this point, but we should have only a few more days to wait before Toshiba's new tab makes its glorious IFA debut in Berlin. [Thanks, Marco]
Time Out offering free iPhone city travel guides until May 2
Time Out is offering a selection of its popular city guides for iPhone for free until May 2. Cities the guides cover include Melborne, London, Paris, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Sydney and Zagreb. Each guide allows you to navigate a city's tourist spots, nightlife and restaurants easily. As with all Time Out guides, they are written by locals so that you're sure to get the best information available. Grab the guides while they're free. Normal pricing is US$4.99 per app. You can download them all here. Thanks to reader Greg for the tip.
