Category: Cool

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From Engadget: E-Onkyo music service becomes first to offer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio

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Looking for something a little more than your average online music store has to offer? Then you may soon want to give Onkyo’s somewhat niche e-onkyo service some consideration. It’s set to be the first store to offer music in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 — something that will initially be limited to just 100 albums (heavy on the classical, from the looks of things) and require a compatible Onkyo receiver. Those downloads will also only be available in Japan initially (where they’re rolling out on May 30th), but Dolby says they’ll be available “elsewhere in the world” sometime this fall. Not surprisingly, that new option will demand a bit of a premium as well, with albums starting at Â¥3,000 (or about $35) and singles setting you back Â¥400 (or $5).

from Engadget

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From Engadget: HTC One X camera discovered to have remote shutter functionality with BT headsets

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Here’s something fun for HTC One X owners with a knack for Instagram photography. Recently discovered by ePrice on YouTube, the phone apparently features a remote shutter for its camera that’s activated with some Bluetooth headsets. As Droid Life mentions, it can take a certain button combinations to get it working, but it’s certainly intriguing for anyone wanting to rig this svelte slab of Ice Cream Sandwich to a tripod. You’ll find a video demo after the break, but hey, if you’ve got a headset lying around it might be worth a shot. Let us know your results in the comments!

 

from Engadget

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From The UberReview: ZBoard: Segway for Hipsters

Remember Segways? They were supposed to be transportation of the future, but now they’re just a silly trend we’ll laugh at in 10 years when we see them on VH1′s “I Love the ’00s.”  Segways were for rich yuppies, but the ZBoard ain’t your rich trustfund beneficiary’s skateboard. Electric skateboards are nothing new, but this one is weight-sensing, much like the Silly Seg. Kicking and Pushing is so Lupe Fiasco’s first single (you probably don’t get that reference), but with the ZBoard you won’t have to.

“To ride simply lean forward on the front footpad to accelerate and lean back on the rear footpad to brake.”

The Z has a top speed of 17 mph and can go 5-10 miles without needing to be re-charged. The boards start shipping this month so go click right here to get yourself one for $499, and/or check the video below.

[Source]

from The UberReview

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From Autoblog: Video: Japanese man makes the best Transformers model we’ve ever seen

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Michael Bay’s Transformers were true enough (for a Bay production, at least) to the original articles in their car and robot states, but their transforming sequences were epilepsy-inducing explosions of cranks and gears that made no sense at all. Admittedly, it didn’t stop us from enjoying the first movie.

But the work of a Japanese modeler is what we’ve been looking for: his Transformer takes us all the way back to the original eightes series when Bumblebee was a Volkswagen Beetle. This is version eight, fitted with 22 servo motors – it even throws punches and does a jig – and we’re told that version nine is on the way. We’d like to humbly request that all research on flying cars stops, and every resource be poured into a production version of this right now. Scroll downto check out the video.

 

from Autoblog

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From Droid Life: Nevada Gives Google License to Test Driverless Cars in Their State

Google isn’t giving up on their vision of seeing cars driving themselves and passengers in the near future. After Nevada passed legislation regarding the requirements for driverless cars, Google has been granted a license to test their new pet project out in the desert. There are a few rules however, to make sure that these Priuses (Prii, Prioria, Priores?) don’t go rogue and cause some major damage.

Nevada has said that if you want to test these cars you need to have an insurance bond of $1 million and that the testing time and area for these cars must be laid out thoroughly. Don’t expect to be driving down the highway and seeing one next to you in rush hour anytime soon. The cars even get their own license plate, featuring a red back with an infinity symbol on it. Nevada DMV Director Bruce Breslow says, ”I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the ‘car of the future.’” Anyone ready to give up their lead foot to let the car drive itself?

Via: Arstechnica

from Droid Life