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Netflix to charge "premium" for renting Blu-ray Discs
Whoa boy, we can't imagine this going over well with the Blu-ray junkies in attendance. On a conference call held earlier today, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made mention that it planned on instituting a "modest monthly premium" to its normal subscription rate for folks who rented BDs. Of course, the move only makes perfect sense -- after all, the discs do cost more, and according to Mr. Hastings, "consumers are used to paying more for high-definition content." Unfortunately, we're not sure if the price hike (exactly how much has yet to be disclosed) will apply flatly to every single Blu-ray renter or if the premium will be applied in a tiered fashion based on how heavily you rent HD media versus traditional DVDs. With the change slated to occur "later this year," though, we won't be wondering for long.[Via CNET, image courtesy of WorkItMom]
blueLounge's The Sanctuary keeps your gadgets encased, charged
We'll be honest -- we weren't exactly feeling blueLounge's grossly overpriced SpaceStation, but its boldly-named The Sanctuary actually strikes us as quite useful. The gadget organizer allows technophiles to stuff their handhelds into this black or white container for easy carriage / storage, and moreover, it includes a built-in panel of labeled plugs in order to connect all your gizmos to power at once. The unit comes with a dozen connectors for the most popular items around, but since it's universal, your options are bordering on limitless. Heck, there's even a USB port thrown in to charge any oddball device you may have laying around. Yeah, $129.95 is still a touch steep, but for the avid traveler who can never find room for 12 or so AC adapters in that carry-on bag, it's probably well worth the cost.[Via iLounge] %Gallery-20427%
UCLA researchers create self-healing, power-generating artificial muscle
We've seen self-healing materials and artificial arms, but a team of researchers hailing from UCLA have taken two fabulous ideas and wed them together to create "an artificial muscle that heals itself and generates electricity." Put simply, the contracting / expanding of the material can generate a small electric current, which can be "captured and used to power another expansion or stored in a battery." The scientists have relied on carbon nanotubes as electrodes rather than metal-based films that typically fail after extended usage, and in an ideal world, the research could eventually lead to (more) walking robots and highly advanced prosthetics. Integrate an AC adapter in there and we're sold.[Via CNET]
Playing with your mouse
Lots of us purchase these nifty mice from the local computer store. Be they a fancy new Logitech mouse with a dozen keys placed strategically around the unit, or a slick new beauty from Apple, the mouse is a strategic part of your game play.At least, it should be.All too often people don't utilize what they have in front of them. Today we're going to look at how you can increase your game play by using your mouse more effectively. In particular, the buttons.However before we look into buttoning strategies, lets just quickly cover moving with the mouse. It's pretty simple, right? Push both buttons down, move forward. Right click and hold to turn your character. Left click and hold to look around without moving. Mike Schramm covered this in a post about a month and a half back, and it's a pretty good read for those interested more in the topic of mouse moving.So now that that's out of the way, let's look at basic mouse buttoning techniques. I own two Logitech MX5000 cordless optical mice. They work very well and have a battery life of a couple days; but even then I recharge them both every night just so I don't have disaster strike me in the middle of a raid when the battery goes out.
Researchers hope to charge up gadgetry with body heat
We've heard of firms tinkering with the idea of converting excess heat directly to energy, and apparently, a team of scientists from the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley have done just that. Oddly enough, the researchers admit that they're still unclear on how their findings actually work, but they've nevertheless discovered how to increase the conversion efficiency of converting waste heat to energy "by a factor of 100." The authors of the report suggest that clothing constructed of material embedded with thermoelectric modules could one day "recharge mobile electronic devices off the heat of one's body," and while we're certainly stoked about the idea, we're already conjuring up awful images in our minds about what this garb will actually look like.[Via textually, image courtesy of FourEyesJokeShop]
Associate producer with EA Mythic Josh Drescher talks Warhammer Online
The tantalizing drip-feed of information on Warhammer Online continues. One of EA Mythic's associate producers, Josh Drescher, recently gave his time for an interview and answered some good questions for the fans. There are a couple of things that he had to decline commenting on due to marketing plans, but for the most part, he provided very interesting answers to the questions posed.Among other things he mentioned, he confirmed that there will be NPCs involved with RvR, to prevent situations where there is a completely unguarded territory up for capturing when there are no players about to help defend. He comments on WAR's answer to a "charge" type ability for melee classes (designed to assist these classes in closing the distance on a target) and says that instead of a charge akin to World of Warcraft's for example, which basically teleports you right up to the target with zero player control, theirs will be like a secondary sprint that makes you move a bit faster than your prey while you retain complete control over movement.Another pertinent portion of the interview is Drescher's commentary on equipment and balancing. He is asked whether players will be required to raid end-game bosses over and over to obtain the best gear and keep up in RvR. His reply is two-fold; firstly, the very best gear will be obtained from city siege and capture (with other good gear being rewarded upon completing specific tasks and quests), and secondly, gear will not be the most important factor in RvR success. The link below will take you through to the full interview and the rest of Drescher's answers.[Via MMOsite]
DS Daily: Charge!
One of the first things most people notice when going from a DS Phat to a Lite is how seldom the newer model requires charging. If there's any one benefit between models, it's the battery life. Unsurprisingly, we play a lot of DS around here (at DS Fanboy? You don't say!), and not having to charge as often is just awesome. Still, this blogger, at least, plugs it in once or twice a week, just to keep that green light glowing.How often do you charge your DS? If you upgraded models, do you notice the difference?
Charge your USB gadgets by breathing
USB devices do everything these days, including charge your gadgets with only the power provided by your breathing: specifically, the act of moving one's chest in and out. Just in case you thought this required sticking a gadget down your throat, see the image above and note that it's attached to the outside of the model's chest. The instructions for building your own breathing powered USB charger are over at instructables, and the kit only requires simple equipment like a spare CD drive, some elastic bands, and an electric circuit. You've got all that lying around, ain't ya? Well then, stick it all together and get breathing. Unfortunately, it only produces around 5 volts, so you'll have to breath a lot whole lot to get any meaningful charging time from this invention. And don't even think about attaching it to the cat.[Via Gadgets-Weblog]
30-year battery may be too good to be true
According to reports, a team of scientists have developed a battery which uses "betavoltaic" cells to keep chugging along for up to 30 years without the need for a recharge. If you believe what they say (and that's a big "if"), the battery uses a non-nuclear form of radioactive material as the basis for power, and that material gives off energy as it decays. Apparently, the batteries are small and thin, and when they've cashed in their energy-producing chips, they're totally non-toxic and inert. Sound too good to be true? Well you're not alone. Rupert Goodwins, of ZDNet, cleanly separates the wheat from the chaff by pointing out a number of problems with claims being made over the batteries, pretty much dashing any real hopes that these things will end up in your next laptop. Raining on the parade, Mr. Goodwins says that the atomic structure of the cells tends to fall apart when hit with high energy electrons, the "inert" battery would still be toxic should its housing ever crack, conversion efficiency would be 25-percent (an abysmal number, which also means 75-percent is heat), and finally, the cells would weigh something like 72-times more than conventional batteries. Guess we'll get back to watching the Orbo progress.Read -- Scientists Invent 30 Year Continuous Power Laptop BatteryRead -- Radioactive laptops? Perhaps not...
Homebrew lets you play while USB charging
The biggest flaws of the PSP-2000's USB charging feature is the inability to use the system whilst charging. Well, that's no longer a problem with a new homebrew plug-in from N00bz. The PSP Slim USB Charger plug-in will allow you to charge the battery AND use the system at the same time -- an obvious feature for the system to support. There are a few questions on whether or not USB can deliver enough voltage to make that possible, but user comments on N00bz's website seem rather glowing. Yet another great product from the homebrew scene. Hopefully, we'll see this feature find its way into official firmware before long.
Seiko Epson, Murata team up on contactless quick charger
Not even a week after startup WiPower boasted about its breakthrough in wireless power, Murata and Seiko Epson have announced plans to "jointly development a non-contact quick charging system." Reportedly, the technology "leverages electromagnetic induction," and both the charging stand and a given mobile device would be "respectively equipped with coils that generate power." As for the production, it sounds like Seiko Epson will hone in on the "transmitting side, or primary side," while Murata "will be involved in the production of the rechargeable Li-ion." The overriding goal is to recharge a handset "in about 10 to 15 minutes in a non-contact manner," which would purportedly push power transmission efficiency from current levels of 30- to 50-percent to nearly 70-percent. Oh, and we've already been assured that these "will not generate heat."
Apple wants your iPod to stop charging for thieves
Hey, it's no shocker that Apple's iPod is a coveted item even for those who acquire their wares in less than legal manners, but a recent patent application from Apple shows that someone at Cupertino cares about you rightful owners out there. Essentially, the technology would invoke a "guardian" recharge circuit, which would disable any further charging if the computer (or "other recharger") it was paired with was of the unauthorized variety. According to Apple, this type of limitation would "serve as a deterrent to theft," and while we can only assume that it would be applied first to the iPhone and iPod, the application does insinuate that other handheld, rechargeable devices could eventually benefit from the invention.[Via Slashdot]
Belkin unveils new Power Dock AV, iPod charging accessories
Not too long after Belkin threw its name in the iPhone accessory hat, the company has now introduced a number of replacement iPod docks and charging kits. The $49.99 F8Z126 Power Dock AV is essentially a basic silver iPod dock that sports USB connectivity and AV output in order to pipe multimedia to your television set, while the vanilla $34.99 F8Z122 Power Dock strips itself of any video exporting abilities. On the charging side, the $34.99 F8Z152 Charging Kit for iPod consists of an AC outlet to dock connector cable, USB cable, and a cigarette adapter for road trippin', while the $24.99 F8Z121 Power Adapter for iPod offers up just the AC adapter for those strange moments when you can't seem to locate a spare USB port. All four units should be available any moment here in the US, while launches in Asia, Europe, and Australia will be following soon.
Yes, a Car Lighter Adapter for the Wii
Just when you think accessory manufacturers have hit rock bottom with the dozens of inane products already on store shelves, they take a step to the side and reveal a previously hidden trapdoor that peers into an untapped abyss of bad ideas. We laughed nervously when Dragon Electronics described its sensor bar stand as perfect for automobile use, letting it pass as an off-color joke, but the same company is now advertising a Wii Car Lighter Adapter. You know, so you can play Wii Sports while driving.We're not going to stop you from "pimping your ride" or whatever it is that kids are doing nowadays to waste their parents' money; just don't be surprised when your mangled body is laid out on asphalt, covered in broken glass and blood, and we're sorting through the wreckage to grab whatever's left of your console.So what's next on the suicidal accessory list? A mini-float to keep your Wii and its wires above water while you take a bath? Or a convenient, automatic device that twists the cord of your nunchuck into a noose, tightening its length around your neck as the tips of your toes struggle to grip the unsteady surface of a wobbly chair?Look past the post break for the Car Lighter Adapter's fact sheet, but be careful not to let yourself slip.
callpod's Chargepod juices up six of your handheld gizmos
While there's a plethora of atypical options out there for charging up your gadgetry, oftentimes the need to charge up a number of items simultaneously leaves one frustrated by a lack of AC outlets or the brutal realization that you're cellphone charger is a thousand miles away. callpod's Chargepod isn't reinventing the charging wheel or anything, but its portable nature lends itself to the gadget-strapped road warrior who can leave six charging dongles plugged into the device itself and juice up half a dozen peripherals (presumably via USB) with a single power outlet. Notably, this rendition isn't designed to charge up laptops or your electric car, but the company does state that a second version is in the works to handle more demanding applications. The Chargepod can be snapped up now sans adapters for $49.95, and while this should be self-explanatory, feel free to click through for a demonstration if you're somehow still miffed.
Breath powered USB generator does charging on the go
Hey, we're tired of waiting for wireless charging solutions to actually hit the market just as much as the next guy (or gal), but one inventive soul took that frustration out on a swank DIY project that elicits energy from simply breathing. We've seen the use of hot air in powering gadgets before, but this homegrown USB charger was assembled by simply using "parts scavenged from an old CD-ROM drive, a basic electronic circuit, and a few rubber bands." The chest-worn device was intended to output around one-watt for charging a cellphone, which could purportedly juice it up in just under three hours, but unfortunately for us all, this seemingly brilliant device only mustered about 50mW of energy. Of course, that's still getting somewhere, but we're not exactly keen on wearing this thing around for an entire day in order to add a few battery bars to our mobile. Nevertheless, the creator doesn't look to be giving up on it so soon, and hopefully v2 will allow our breath to add new life to our lappies or electric cars, eh?[Via Slashgear]
Rechargeable Controller Grip
Fire Bird's rechargeable grip combines the functions of a Wii remote charging dock and a controller frame accessory. The product seemed silly to us at first, but we suppose that something like this could be useful when we're playing Virtual Console releases or games that require us to hold the remote sideways like Excite Truck. Having a convenient way to recharge the battery via USB will also come in handy for future marathon sessions with Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn when Nintendo brings the time-consuming SRPG stateside.SuccessHK no longer has the rechargeable controller grip in stock, but there are still a few listed on eBay for about $9.99 ($8.00 shipping). One strange thing to note about the packaging is its Wii Sports branding. Having your remote locked into the plastic frame would make playing any of the Wii Sports' games awkward. Check out that Wii logo too! The last two letters look more like a u-umlaut than lowercase i's. Head past the post break for a larger shot of the grip![Via DCEmu]
Nyko Wii-charge station now available
We've been waiting a while for this Wii-charge station to save us from the Wiimotes vampiric treatment of batteries and now she's out. Nyko's charge station is currently a Gamestop exclusive and will be available at other retailers mid-April. Apparently this is a good deal for Gamestop because currently the item is on back order online and isn't in stock with the random selection of stores we contacted.We attempted to find out from Mad Catz and Joytech when their charge station will be out, but we haven't received word from either company. For right now it looks like Nyko can roll around in their mountains of cash, happy in the knowledge that they have pwned the market. All we can say is that the Nyko recharge station does exactly what it's supposed to. The NiMH batteries stay charged as long as they find their way back to the cradle every few days and the rubber backing is a nice touch. The Wiimotes now have a nice little home instead of lying about. The station retails for $29.99 and if you're a consistent Wii user, you've paid that much in batteries already. No word yet of a first-party Nintendo charge station.
Power your PSP with a trio of AAA batteries
For those of you who just can't get enough playtime with your ever lovin' PlayStation Portable, and have a knack for running low on juice while not even remotely close to an AC outlet or recharging venue, here's a mod that can offer you some battery powered backup for your handheld Sony. Not at all for the faint of heart or the novices in the house, this battery hack joins the incredibly long list of hackerations that we've seen come the PSP's way, and while it takes a bit more effort than just picking up the X2, we're sure the bragging rights alone make it worthwhile. The crafty gurus over at Acidmods have apparently found a way to gut, re-wire, and completely transform your average PSP battery pack into a vessel that can hold a trio of AAA cells in order to power your bantam machine. Admittedly, this ranks pretty far right on the DIY difficulty scale, so we wouldn't recommend risking your life on this one unless you know quite a few tricks of the trade, but if you've nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon than create a battery pack out of a battery pack, the read link is waiting for your attention.[Via PSPFanboy]
Nokia triumphantly enters 21st century, offers USB charging
We kid, we kid; with devices like the N95 kicking around, Nokia came into the 21st century long ago. But only now offering USB charging cables? Really? Better late than never, we suppose. Look for the CA-100 to recharge models with 2 millimeter jacks, while the CA-70 will replenish older 3.5 millimeter handsets. No official word on availability, but these can't possibly be too hard to produce.[Via Tech Digest]
