San Diego
Latest
UCSD's Squirrel puts pollution monitoring on your mobile
Giving an animal a phone to tote around and monitor pollution is one thing, but hooking up a critter to your cellphone sans wires sounds like a much more viable solution to keeping track of filthy surroundings. UC San Diego's Squirrel -- which sounds an awful lot like a project UC Berkeley was working on -- is a Bluetooth-enabled, palm-sized sensor that currently measures carbon monoxide and ozone, but eventually will be able to "sample nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide in the air, as well as temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity." After sampling, the device then utilizes a software application dubbed Acorn to allow the user to "see the current pollution alerts through a screensaver on the cellphone's display." Furthermore, the program can periodically upload the captured data to a public database operated by the "California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), which is funding Squirrel's development." Of course, cleaning up the mess that these monitors will inevitably find is an entirely different matter.[Via MedGadget]
Helio to open flagship store in Santa Monica
Phone-oriented flagship retail locations seem to be all the rage these days, but who would've thought MVNOs would be getting into the action? MySpace-friendly Helio looks to gain some additional visibility when it opens its first of five dedicated stores in Santa Monica this October. If the renderings hold true, we have to admit the place looks pretty nifty -- just add some hot new devices to match the decor and Helio may have a winner on their hands. Additional facilities will be opening in New York, Denver, San Diego, and Palo Alto through late '06 and early '07. Any love for the midwest, guys?
Future PSP plans revealed at Comic Con
You wouldn't necessarily think that San Diego's annual Comic Con would be a hotbed of videogame news, but this year's event proved different, as Sony revealed a number of exciting future plans for the PSP. At a seminar called PSP University (man, we sure wish we could have spent our college years at that institution), company execs confirmed that the portable console will indeed work as a remote for the PS3, and that the upcoming firmware update will support RSS video feeds for the built-in web browser. Furthermore, Sony is apparently in talks with wireless providers to provide more Nintendo DS / Wayport-like hotspots for online gaming, and is also looking at ways to bring downloadable movies to PSP owners -- which sounds to us like another foot in the grave for the almost-dead UMD. Not all the news here is good, however, as those folks expecting a Sony-branded keyboard for their console will likely be in for a disappointment; in fact, the company has no plans whatsoever to improve text entry on the PSP at all. Other new info centered around games and demos, and since that's not really our bag, we'll leave those details to other fine publications like Joystiq and PSP Fanboy.[Via PSP Fanboy]
New Justice For All interview, and the single greatest accessory of all time
Phoenix Wright: Justice For All is probably the most anticipated game for the collective DS Fanboy staff. As such, when an interview arises filled with such ambiguity and non-commital statements that would make the current presidency green with envy, we still post with glee, hanging on every word. Though the 1up.com interview fails to reveal much about gameplay, some interesting views on the game's creation process and audience differences are revealed. Certainly worth a read......but the real treat here, folks, is found on the second page of the interview. Those lucky enough to be attending the annual San Diego Comic-Con will not only be able to try out the English build of the game, but also have the ability to obtain a specialized DS stylus shaped like Phoenix Wright's finger. Move over, Power Glove. Stand aside, Rez Vibrator. This is the single greatest accessory in video gaming history. San..San Diegans? San Diegoans? San DiegAAAns. If you attend this event, do yourself a favor. Pick up a part of gaming history...and grab us a few, too.
Sony closing tube plant in San Diego
The flat panel business is booming and some people are going to be left out of the party. Sony is closing a 30 year old CRT plant in light of sagging sales. Sony still plans on employing 2,000 people at their headquarters, also located in San Diego, but 400 people will lose their jobs that work in the factory. This is the second US plant that Sony is going to close. In October, they announced that they were going to close their CRT plant near Pittsburgh, Penn. eliminating 275 jobs.
