The iPhone Dev Team have released a beta version of redsn0w, their free tool to jailbreak an iPod touch 2G. Currently it requires running from the command line, but the team are working on including it in their GUI applications. The redsn0w beta is available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux systems. While it will “simplify the jailbreaking” the team do suggest that those users not comfortable with using the command line should wait until a GUI tool – which is more straightforward, and has less chance of novice users accidentally bricking their PMP – is available.
Source: SlashGear
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Cyberdyne Corporation of Japan, in conjunction with Daiwa House, has begun mass production of a cybernetic bodysuit that augments body movement and increases user strength by up to tenfold.
The HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) suit works by detecting faint bioelectrical signals using pads placed on specific areas of the body. The pads move the HAL suit accordingly.
Source: Hplus Magazine
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That’s what you could be getting if you decide to share your earphones with someone else. Earphones are a breeding ground for bacteria and could lead to painful ear infections, experts say. Doctors have long warned that listening to music at high volumes on earbud could lead to hearing loss but now they claim the earpieces are also rife with germs.
Source: Daily Express
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Amazon’s Kindle 2 is slimmer, faster and has longer battery life than its predecessor. But the newly launched e-book reader falls short when it comes to how well it displays text, say some users. “When you read a lot of text on the screen, the contrast on the text drops as the font size gets smaller, which is the exact opposite of what the reader wants,” says Ted Inoue, a Kindle 2 owner from Pennsylvania who has extensively analyzed the issue. A comparison picture and more info after the jump.
Source: Wired
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Japan’s AOpen on Friday announced the upcoming release of its latest small form factor media PC, the XC Encore OE700. To keep the PC quiet, AOpen used its Smart Anti-Vibration System (SAVS) to ensure the hard drives stay quiet. Sound that is created is muted thanks to the case’s design, called Smart Noise Suppression System (SNSS). An unusual vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) on the front face lets users check on the operation of the PC at a glance.
Source: Electronista
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CoolIris has updated its plug-in that is designed to improve the way web browsers display pictures, video and other digital content. The new version offers enhanced support for Facebook galleries, new ease-of-use improvements and options to add metadata to photos and videos. For the first time, users can also display images stored on their hard drives.
Source: Electronista
Download: CoolIris For Windows
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iSuppli, which does research on the PMP market, have looked deep into what makes an iPod Shuffle 3G and found out that all told, the parts and packaging are only worth $21.77 (Rs 1,100 approx). The new iPod Shuffle is the most profitable Apple device yet…
Source: PMPToday
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A new version of Bluetooth is set to come out later this month that will allow users to quickly and easily transfer large multimedia files, like a DVD or hundreds of photos, over a wireless connection, reports mobile-tech-today.com. With these capabilities, you can imagine a host of new reasons to use Bluetooth, including connecting a mobile device to a TV, a computer monitor, or speakers to stream video, music, or other large files. More on how it works after the jump…
Source: MoCoNews
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Lately, Sony has taken a Skittles-esque liking for more PSP colors. Japan just got the new Carnival set and a lilac system is heading to North America soon. And, as it would appear, a lime green PSP is also in the works. According to Chinese website VGSky.com, the lime green PSP-3000 model pictured above was produced in a Sony factory in China. It’s currently unknown whether this specific color is being mass-produced or just a prototype. Japan already has 12 different PSP color variants released on the market.
Source: Joystiq

The CUBE B52HD has the added attraction of being an iPod Touch clone. Whereas the 8GB iTOOS HD player sells for 599 yuan, which is really cheap in US money, the B52HD PMP will save you 100 yuan more. That’s a jaw-dropping $73 for an 8GB high-definition portable media player!
Source: PMP Today
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Yahoo Japan Corp this fall will enter the business of distributing content via electronic billboards located in train stations and other facilities that offer information based on who is walking past. The company is teaming with Comel Co., a firm that installs and operates electronic billboards. Cameras mounted on Comel’s billboards will photograph passersby and characteristics such as sex and age group will be determined using facial analysis technology from NEC Soft Ltd.
Source: Trading Market

US military brainiacs have notified the boffinry community that they need a new miracle material called “Power Skin”, which would “harvest” energy from its surroundings and also be strong enough to make robots out of. The Power Skin notion comes of course from DARPA, the Pentagon techwar shop where they’re not at home to Mister Practical; but where rooms are always kept prepared for Mister Unfeasible and his old chum Mister Cockup.
Source: The Register
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So this is why Gran Turismo hasn’t come out for PSP: Sony has a much better idea for “realistic” PSP racing. Siliconera found a patent filed by SCEE for a remote-controlled car that uses the PSP as an interface. The car is equipped with a camera that feeds video back to the PSP. One possible application: “a user may control the car… so as to spy on their friends… then upload the stored video images to a website.”
Source: Joystiq
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A seafaring band of scientists, engineers and yachtsmen with an obsession for Jules Verne and clean energy are building what they call the largest solar boat in the world, a $13 million catamaran they hope will take them around the world next year.
Source: Wired
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Asus has spent the bulk of its time pumping out all sorts of new GPUs. However, it’s going back to its roots – and by that, we mean, back to the notebook arena. The outfit’s P Series, which was just showcased at CeBIT in Germany last month, will soon be equipped with Intel’s own Anti-Theft Technology in an effort to curb the growing theft of laptop computers. Not surprisingly, Asus is aiming this at businesses, business users and everyday consumers that tend to travel often.
Source: Hot Hardware
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The unfinished workprint of ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ that leaked just a few days ago has already made its way to the computers of more than a million BitTorrent users. Unsurprisingly, the film leads our weekly chart of the ten most downloaded movies on BitTorrent. x-men origins wolverineLess than a week after 20th Century Fox’s ‘upcoming’ blockbuster first appeared online, and three long weeks before the official premiere in the movie theaters, over a million people have already downloaded X-Men Origins: Wolverine via BitTorrent.
Source: Torrent Freak
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With 62.5lb/ft of torque and 31bhp, the 2009 Zero S electric supermoto can reach a top speed of 60mph, while its 4kWh battery gives it a range of 60 miles and a recharge time of less than 4 hours. $9950.00 plus another $500 to be shipped to your door within the continental US, the first production models are slated to begin shipping in the middle of May. Video, features and full specifications after the jump.
Source: Hell For Real Magazine
Web link: Zero
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In one month, a Cheyenne teenager sent 10,000 text messages and received about the same — all while her family’s plan did not include texting. That means the family’s provider — Verizon — charged them for each incoming and outgoing text message. The girl’s parents, Gregg and Jaylene Christoffersen, thought texting had been disabled, so one can imagine their surprise when they got the monthly phone bill and it asked for $4,756.25. “It just hit us like a rock, like you’re stepping into a bus,” Gregg Christoffersen said. The bill was legit.
Source: Denver Post
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If you believed the golden age of steam was in the dim and distant past, think again. This streamlined British supercar that went on a test run at a military airstrip near Chichester last week is about to attempt to smash one of the world’s most enduring records, the highest speed for a steam-driven car. Known as the ‘World’s Fastest Kettle’, the car is being shipped to America where driver Charles Burnett III will make the record attempt across a dried-up lake bed in the Mojave Desert of Southern California in early June.
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The Nielsen group has released a new report on usage of the three major consoles. Coming as little surprise, Nielsen’s study has placed Wii in dead last, with the average player using the console 6.8 percent of the time during Nielsen’s study in December, 2008. During that same period, those involved in the study played Xbox 360 10.2 percent and PS3 10.6 percent — nearly double the Wii average. Clearly, the average gamer doesn’t have the endurance necessary for long-term waggling.
Source: Joystiq
Full Report Here
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