Trek
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iPhone 5 camera tested in Iceland shows low-light photo comparison to 4S
If you're looking for a real-world comparison of the iPhone 5's camera versus the 4S, check out this series of photos on TREK. Photog Austin Mann took some 5's to Iceland to test them out. Low-light photos look great and show considerably less noise than the 4S. It's probably not as great at Nokia's upcoming Lumia 920, but we'll wait for Engadget to test the 920 head-to-head. Mann also tested the iOS 6 panorama feature, noting how fast and easy it is to use. Perhaps most intriguing: the iPhone 5 fared well in durability. From Mann: "Late September in Iceland is not a friendly place for any electronics... this is a time that puts your gear to the test whether you like it or not. Just in the last two days of shooting here, I've had my iPhone 5 covered in water from shooting near a waterfall and Jordan has dropped his directly in the mud. Both seem to be working fine." That's good news to someone who dropped his 4S the first week he got it. I can't wait for my 5 to arrive this Friday.
Norway's Zero team crosses Europe in hydrogen cars without a backup
It's not quite a trip around the world, but a trek that Norway's Zero team recently undertook in a pair of hydrogen-fueled cars is certainly an impressive enough feat in its own right. Late last month, they drove two Hyundai Ix35 FCEVs from Oslo to Monte Carlo (admittedly one of the easier ways to technically "cross Europe"), relying solely on the existing hydrogen refueling infrastructure -- that's as opposed to other trips that brought along fuel trucks as backup. As the team explains, the key to the trip was some careful planning at the outset, but they apparently still wound up cutting it close a few times, and were forced to put their hypermiling skills to the test. Not surprisingly, they found that the hydrogen infrastructure still needs to be considerably improved for such trips to become commonplace, but they seem hopeful that things could soon improve.
Panasonic's Evolta robot finishes 500-kilometer trek ahead of schedule
It may just be an elaborate stunt to promote batteries, but it's hard not to get a little caught up in Evolta's 500-kilometer trek from Tokyo to Kyoto, which finally came to an end this week after two months on the road -- ahead of schedule, no less. Aided by a team of "Evolta Sisters," the pint-sized robot hauled a dozen AA Evolta batteries in a cart the whole way, and guided itself by following an infrared signal from a device pushed in front of it -- a few other ground rules also allowed it to be carried up stairs, and the bot didn't walk at night or in the rain. Even still, 500 kilometers is 500 kilometers (or 317 miles, if you prefer), and that's a long way for any robot to walk. Head on past the break for a video recounting some of the journey.
Found Footage: Captain iPod T. Shuffle takes on Kindle Noonien Singh
When it comes to screen pathos, nobody does it better than Shatner and Montelban in the classic confrontation Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. Now the twisted minds at the SciFi Network's Dvice blog have taken a wonderful cinematic moment, full of overwrought line readings, and handed it over to the voice-synthesis capabilities of the Amazon Kindle 2 and the iPod shuffle via Talking Gadget Theater. "Buried alive... buried alive..."This isn't the first screen collaboration for the two gadgets; they also did a rendition of the interrogation scene from Blade Runner -- clip in the 2nd half of this post.Now, if we can get the iPod shuffle to convincingly say "I'd like to thank the members of the Academy," we'll be on to something.
Podcast interviews two Star Trek Online guys, gets lots of new info
Star Trek gaming podcast Hailing Frequency interviewed Cryptic Studios Chief Creative Officer Jack Emmert in the wake of the big Las Vegas unveiling of Star Trek Online. The two part interview is available in both audio and video, and it's one of the best sources of details beyond the unveiling video itself at this point.There are a lot of reveals and hints in the interview. Some examples of interview topics: post-launch plans for user-generated content, an economy without a monetary currency, and details about starship combat. Emmert speculates that cross-platform play and non-region-specific servers are possible, but that no final determinations have been made. Listen to the interview for more!Hailing Frequency also spoke with STO's new community manager, JR Sutich, who is better known to folks in the MMO community as Razor. He was a regular writer at WarCry before he started with Cryptic. That interview, also available in both audio and video, deals exclusively with the game's community and forums.
Trek Stop: a vending machine for skinny people
Fat kids want cake, skinny kids abstain, right? Whatever philosophy you subscribe to, chances are you'll only see the world's fittest stopping by a Trek Stop. This curious vending machine is currently parked in Madison, Wisconsin and enables cyclists to nab spare parts (an extra tube, patch kit, water bottle, etc.) or healthy snacks while rolling by. As for installation? Prepare to get greasy.[Via AutoblogGreen]
The bicycle-powered supercomputer
In an attempt to illustrate the low power requirements of its latest Linux-based supercomputer, a company called SiCortex put together a demonstration showing the massive number-cruncher performing billions of calculations per-second while a team of between eight to ten bicyclists pedaled to keep it going. The NextFest presentation was a ploy to showcase the small power consumption of the new machine, and to point out that energy conservation for both system power and cooling are major issues facing manufacturers and end-users. As the custom Trek bikes churned out 260-watts of power each, Dr. John Mucci -- the company's CEO -- said, "Ten years ago, this analysis was impossible on even the biggest computers, and now it's being done on a bicycle powered machine," then added, "Ten years from now, we'll probably be doing it right down at the docks as they unload the ships." Which sounds kind of weird, but isn't.[Via I4U]
New trailer for Star Trek: Tactical Assault
A new trailer for Star Trek: Tactical Assault has hit the net. As you may already know, the Star Trek franchise was recently taken over by Bethesda (those guys who did that Elder Scrolls game) and this title is their first entry into the series. While the title has received far more press and raised eyebrows alike on the major consoles and PC, that's not to say that the DS version is without its appeal. On the DS, the game is to feature 2 full campaigns to play through, as well as the usual real-time strategy and tactics elements accompanying a title with such a ... well, title. The game is to feature head-to-head multiplayer (sorry, no Wi-Fi connect), five playable races (Romulan Warbird FTW) and a skirmish mode. Star Trek: Tactical Assault is to release this Fall.
