Pregnancy suit for men (and the curious)

For expectant mothers, being pregnant may seem a rather lonely and isolating experience especially when the father can never fully understand, empathize, or appreciate the miracle (as well as the hardship) moving about and growing inside of them. But now, would-be fathers and even young girls who are simply curious can also share in mommy’s 9-month endeavor… all in just 2-minutes.
Takuya Iwamoto from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology created a virtual pregnancy outfit that simulates the interior kicking and wriggling experienced by expectant mothers. It also has an interactive feature that shows the virtual fetus on a video screen responding when the wearer’s tummy is stroked. The dress can replicate the nine-month pregnancy experience in a span of two minutes. The tool simulates the weight, temperature, movement and heartbeat of a fetus.
To mimic the fetus, it contains a 4-litre bag filled with warm water. Kicking movement is recreated with a lining of 45 balloons that expand and contract. It also has an interactive feature that shows the virtual fetus on a video screen responding when the wearer’s tummy is stroked.

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Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tabs launched; we go hands-on

We’ve just come from the A-Venue hall in Makati for Samsung’s launch of the Galaxy S II. While we’ve seen the Galaxy S II several times before, this is the first time we’ve managed to hold and use the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9.

The Galaxy S II is a 4.3-inch Android 2.3 smartphone that uses a dual-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor. The display is a Super AMOLED plus deal that’s extremely bright and nice to use. The Galaxy S II is slimmer than its predecessor clocking in at 8.49mm. Samsung’s touting the voice recognition tech that’s inside the Galaxy S II, but until we’ve used it ourselves (the venue was pretty noisy during the event, so testing it was a bit difficult) we’re going to remain skeptical . The whole thing is extremely responsive and quick, which to be honest isn’t much of a surprise – this is a Samsung device after all. And if Globe is to be believed, the Galaxy S II is able to use the telco’s newly minted HSPA+ network, meaning it’s able to surf the web significantly faster than current smartphones. Naturally, Samsung’s TouchWiz UI overlay makes an appearance, which isn’t surprising at this point.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 is the company’s latest foray into the tablet scene. Both sport Android Honeycomb 3.1, and both uses dual-core NVIDIA Tegra processors.

Samsung’s TouchWiz makes an appearance here, although at this point we’re not sure if an entirely new overlay, or just a new theme with a couple of widgets thrown in for good measure, though we’re leaning on the latter. The devices feel light without feeling cheap, and build quality is spot on.

There will be keyboards available for both the 10.1 and the 8.9. Speaking of keyboards, there apparently will be two types – one is designed for your desk, while the other doubles as a nice carrying case.

There’s a 3-megapixel camera on the back, along with a 2-megapixel camera on the front for some sweet, video chat action.

We asked Samsung about their plans for an LTE offering of the Galaxy S II (there is a version of the S II for LTE out in the wild, after all) – alas the Samsung execs were pretty tight lipped about their partnership with Smart, though they haven’t ruled anything out.
Try as we might, there’s still no official word on the prices of the Galaxy Tabs, or when it’s officially going to be available. The Samsung Galaxy S II is already heading to the hands of Globe customers and the unlocked, retail versions will retail for Php 29,990. Samsung is giving discounts to people who preorder the unit – hit up this link. Hopefully we’ll be able to snag units for our own review.

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Cinemagraphs: Pictures that [literally] move

A colleague of mine recently asked me to look at his desktop picture once. But he didn’t want me to just look at it (as I figured it was probably just another hot picture of Chuck Bass of Gossip Girl), he asked me to stare at it for awhile. And then, it moved. And I thought that was the coolest thing and strangest thing ever.
Now they say that a picture can be worth a thousand words. But if the picture “moved,” perhaps it’s safe to say that that picture can be worth millions. NYC-based innovators Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg might have realized this themselves as they turn their fashion photography into what they’ve dubbed as “cinemagraphs.”
Working with high-fashion names such as Tiffany’s and Christian Louboutin, Jamie and Kevin have created a whole new style of art for digital ads. By creating sensations in movement and subtlety, they are able to achieve and elicit a somewhat measure of awe and surprise that goes beyond the viewer’s first look.
Source: Tumblr

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Panasonic unveils new MFT system

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Gadgets Magazine is proud to be an invited guest to Panasonic Asia Pacific’s Lumix G Seminar. The upcoming micro system cameras, the G3 and GF3, were unveiled and we were able to experience its power and quality first-hand during our day one of our shooting tour.

 

Stay tuned as more information will come. So far, we are absolutely amazed.

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Microsoft works with modders, offers unlocked WP7 via ChevronWP7 labs

Sony and Apple, listen up. This is how you score massive street cred with developers. Microsoft has thrown its weight to support ChevronWP7, group of programmers that essentially jailbreak Windows Phone 7, allowing other users to load homebrewed applications with Microsoft’s approval. The only cost is a minimal fee via PayPal. It comes as no surprise as Microsoft has traditionally been very accommodating with hackers and modders that play with their hardware, judging from the variety of Kinect hacks in the wild. Kudos to you, Microsoft.
Source: ChevronWP7 labs

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Samsung is the Smart TV for Europe, so says consumer groups

Seems like consumer electronic giant Samsung has picked up another feather for their hat, as their Full HD 3D Smart TV has been chosen as the No.1 product by multiple consumer groups in Europe. Which?—the largest and most trusted consumer group in the UK, which has a circulation of  550,000 their Which? Magazine — posted the review results of 2011 TV models conducted between April and May, in which (haha, get it?) the Samsung 55-inch D8000 and 46-inch D7000 received 76 and 75 scores respectively, compared to other TVs that were only given scores in the 60 range. Meanwhile, a French consumer union, UFC (Union Federale des Consommateurs), highly commended Samsung TV’s top-class quality as well in its official consumer guide magazine, Que Choisir. Finally, Consumentenbond highly praised their Smart TV and 3D features, wide viewing angles, built-in HD tuner, ease of use, and functionality. Of course, Samsung was understandably stoked about the accolades. “It has a significant meaning that Samsung TV’s superiority is recognized by consumer groups in Europe where consumer interests are always put first,” said Ilkyung Simon Sung, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

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Defiance blends PC and console MMO experience with TV show

The upcoming PC/console game Defiance is a mash-up of ideas. It’s a third person shooter MMO that will also come with it’s own TV show courtesy of SyFy. The whole thing is extremely ambitious, and we’re excited to see it all come together. Created in collaboration with the SyFy network, the idea is that events in the game will influence the show and vice-versa. Both the game and the TV show will be set in a post-apocalyptic version of earth, with the game itself being set in the city of San Francisco, while the show will take place in St. Louis. Arstechnica has the whole lowdown on the ambitious project, and the gamer in us really wants this project to take off and succeed. Read more about the game in the link below.
Source: Arstechnica

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Father creates adventure game with daughter, is unbearably adorable

Here’s an awesome story to cap off your father’s day weekend – an indie game developer took his daughter to TOJam, a three-day Toronto independent game jam to make a game with him. The result was a cute adventure game called Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure. While the father, Ryan Henson Creighton did all the coding for the game, his daughter Cassie, wrote all the titles, and recorded the voice of the main character. She also designed some of the puzzles and created the NPCs for the game. Ryan actually talks about the whole creative process in his blog post, and to be hones it was pretty damn cool of him to do something like this for his daughter. I mean, don’t we all wish we could have made a game when we were five years old? We’ve linked the game below if you’d want to try it for yourself.
Source: Untold Entertainment, Ponycorns.com

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PlayStation Chief: “no discussion of a next generation PlayStation for quite some time”

It seems that the PS3 will have to soldier on before it’s successor is announced. In an interview with Forbes, Sony PlayStation head honcho Jack Tretton stated that gamers will not likely see the next iteration of the PlayStation. The PlayStation Chief says that “PlayStation 3 is really just hitting its stride. And technologically, I don’t think it’s possible to provide any advancement beyond what we have. What we’ve seen from the competition is trying to add features that already exist in PlayStation 3.” That last quip may have been directed at the Nintendo and the recently launched Wii U,which some believe will be more powerful than the existing PS3. He also adds that, “We invested heavily in that, we rolled a very heavy rock up a steep hill, through the launch period. But now I think that all pays off, and we’ve got a long run way behind it.”
It’ll be interesting to see this play out, as Sony’s longtime console rival, Microsoft, is rumored to be planning to release the successor to the XBOX360 at next year’s E3.
Source: Forbes

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PasswordCard makes it easy to create secure, hardened passwords

With all the security breaches lately, it’s hard not to get worried about someone being able to get to your password. One main issue is the recycling of passwords. It’s a basic no-no when it comes to online security, and it all boils down to one thing – convenience. It’s hard to keep track of multiple passwords at once. You could write all your passwords in a piece of paper and tuck it into your wallet, but that introduces its own set of problems. The PasswordCard helps you solve that particular dilemma. It’s a credit card-sized card you keep in your wallet, that has a unique grid of random letters and digits on it. The rows have different colors, and the columns different symbols.  All you do is remember a combination of a symbol and a color, and then read the letters and digits from there. Each card is created randomly giving you that extra layer of security.
So what if a thief manages to nab your wallet? Well, for one they’d have a hard time trying to guess your password with all that gibberish. Two, is that you can still recreate that same card on the site with the simple code on the bottom.
Source: PasswordCard

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USB Pot charges your devices over fire; makes camping fun again

There’s nothing worse than going camping and finding out you forgot to charge your phone, especially when you realize you went too far in the trail and are stuck in the middle of nowhere. Now you can charge your phone even if you’re roughing it via the Hatsuden-Nabe, a pot that’s able to charge your phone by using the heat generated by a fire. Manufactured by the TES NewEnergyCorporation, the pot is able to charge a device like an iPhone in 3-5 hours. Isn’t that just awesome?
Via: CrunchGear

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Before there was the wall post, there was the Post-it.

Since it’s Friday and we’ve got the long weekend ahead of us, I thought I’d share a little feel-good video to help remind us “digital age folk” that for all of the tablets, notebooks, smartphones, and all of the other technological gadgetry and advances we have in order to communicate easily and effectively readily available to us, that the language of love can still be just as easily and effectively expressed with just a pen and a post-it.
The Jubilee Project first created Love Language to raise awareness for The American Society for Deaf Children. This is the Love Language remake which captures the lives of two people who meet coincidentally on a bench and showcases a type of love that unfolds in three days using only written messages via Post-it notes.
Sporting earphones, the girl is seemingly preoccupied with her “music” and her notebook while the boy seated beside her begins to show a growing and persistent interest. He begins with passing her a note on sticky paper after which she responds using the same pad of sticky paper and thus a conversation ensues. After the third day, the girl offers to share her music with the boy and gives him her earphones. When the boy realizes that he hears nothing, she reveals (in sign language) that she is deaf after which the boy responds, “You’re still beautiful.”

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New Razer Orochi mouse launched, gives mobile gamers an unfair advantage

While not a lot of us game on the go, there seems to be enough individuals who partake in some sweet, sweet, mobile pwning for Razer to make the Orochi. Now Razer’s original mobile gaming mouse has been updated and now sports a nice black chrome finish in addition to Razer’s gaming pedigree.

The Orochi is a wireless mouse, although it can also plug into your PC via a gold plated USB connector if things get really serious. All the features you’d expect from a Razer mouse is still there, including a 4000dpi 3G Laser sensor, On-The-Fly Sensitivity adjustment and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity.

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Samsung offering discounts for the Galaxy S II

Samsung’s about to launch their newest superphone, the Galaxy S II on July 2. If you’re the sort who really, really want to have it but balk at the price, then you’re in luck. Samsung is offering more than Php 6,000 discount values for the Galaxy S II – all you need to do is hit up the link we’ve embedded below anytime during the period of June 24, 2011 12:01AM to June 30, 2011 11:59PM and reserve your own. There’s only going to be 300 units available for the promo, so it’d be best if you bookmark that link and stay awake a wee bit later on the 24th.
Link: www.samsung.com/ph/SII
Edit: We took a closer look at the official email, and it seems that the discount is in discount values, and not an actual cash discount (but that can still be in the cards). Our apologies for the confusion. The Galaxy S II will retail for Php 29,990.
Edit: We’ve finally got confirmation from Samsung – people who manage to reserve their units will get a Php 3,000 discount off the sticker price of Php 29,990, plus Php 3,000-worth of add-ons, which includes vehicle kit and casing.

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Capture panoramic video with your iPhone

Panoramic videos might be one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in quite a long time. It essentially allows users to shoot everything within visible range in its surroundings in a continuous horizontal loop. Once the video is posted up onto YouTube or other similar sites, users can actually interact with the video with their mouse pointers.
Originally only available for DSLRS, this technology will soon be possible on your iPhone.
Meet the GoPano micro (pictured above), designed by Pittsburgh inventors at EyeSee360. The device essentially attaches to the iPhone’s lens with the help of a specially built case. Once the device is in secured, all users have to do is hit “record” and everything will be shot in full panoramic perspective. GoPano is currently still a project looking for funding.

Users can alternatively turn to the Dot (pictured above) by Korgeto, another Panoramic attachment that fastens to the iPhone’s lens similar to the GoPano. Unlike its counterpart however, a Dot-equipped phone must be held in a horizontal orientation during shooting (as seen in the photo below), meaning that users can’t really preview what’s being shot until after. While it might seem disadvantageous, it does have its benefits as well since it allows users to place their phones on a flat surface for hands-free operation.

The Dot is slated to be available by August, retailing for roughly $98 (approx Php 4,250) but is available for preorders. The GoPano micro is targeted at $80 (Php 3,470) with no announced release date yet.

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Smart fires up 4G LTE network in Manila – let the 4G wars commence

Smart Communications, Inc. has started up its first LTE (Long Term Evolution) network in Metro Manila at the company’s Annual General Meeting in Makati yesterday. LTE is billed as one of the fastest 4G technology currently available, with download speeds of up to 70Mbps. Smart did an initial test in Boracay earlier this year, and the results have been positive (at least, from what we’ve heard).
“Everyone wanted to experience downloading movies in minutes and streaming in High Definition, and now here it is” said PLDT and Smart Technology Head Rolando G. Peña. “Soon, we will bring the same breakneck connection speeds to cities and municipalities all over the Philippines.”
If you remember, Globe has rolled out their own 4G offering, though through the slower HSDPA+ tech (for now), with plans to upgrade later on. This means when Smart starts rolling out packages and phones that use LTE, their subscribers will have an enormous speed advantage over Globe users.
Details like pricing, area availability and units are still scarce, however. We’ll update you guys as soon as we have more info.

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Review: ASUS N53SV

Desktop replacements have always been my laptop of choice. You can have all the skinny ultraportables and all the netbooks you want, I’m sticking with the notebook heavy-hitters. Sure, they’re significantly heavier than your typical notebook and you’re probably be working more muscle groups when you start lugging them around, but their higher number-crunching abilities and graphic processing prowess more than make up for their weight. The Asus N53SV is such a notebook.

The N53V is an example of Asus’ typical approach to making notebooks. The overall color scheme is a tasteful dark grey, with a bit of surface gradations that look similar to brushed aluminum across the lid. Unfortunately, the lid isn’t made of metal, but it’s a nice effect nonetheless.

There’s a large speaker grille near the top of the keyboard where the hinge is. Right below the speaker grille are shortcut buttons for a number of different things, including the power management key (which is also boots the Express Gate Cloud OS) and volume controls.

The keyboard is nice and big, and comes with a keypad on the right. The keys have enough travel and are extremely easy to use. The wrist rest has this nice, faux wood grain effect going on. The touchpad is the right size, though the mouse buttons use the single bar config without separators, which annoyed me to no end.

The left side of the notebook housed the HDMI and Ethernet port, along with 2 USB ports and an SD card slot.

The right side housed the optical drive, headphone and mic jacks and 2 more USB ports.

Hardware-wise, the N53SV is powered by an Intel Core i7-2630QM running at 2GHz, 4GB worth of DDR3 memory and the most important bit – an NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M graphics card. The N53SV is also armed with a built-in GPU courtesy of the Intel HD 3000 graphics that the machine switches to when you’re in power saver.

With such massive hardware, it wasn’t a big surprise that the N53SV managed to run my games without any problems, specifically my newest MMOG addiction World of Tanks. The combination of the Core i7 processor with the burly GT 540M GPU meant that the notebook is able to handle most mainstream and a few hardcore games at decent resolutions.
Another feature that Asus is touting with the N53SV is the Bang and Olufsen audio that’s integrated into the device, and with good reason – as the sound was definitely better than some of the other notebooks I’ve heard, and the N53SV is pretty damn loud, if anything.
Of course all that processing power comes at a price, namely decreased battery life. It’s pretty much the same for the N53SV, with the notebook on high performance the battery only lasted for about an hour and a half off the plug. It was only slightly better with powersaving on, at about 2 ½ hours.
But mobility isn’t the point of the N53SV. Processing power is, and that’s where the notebook excels. The Asus N53SV is a great buy for anyone looking for a notebook with a little bit of extra oomph in it. Unfortunately, the N53SV won’t be officially carried by Asus locally, so finding it is going to be a bit of a challenge. Thankfully there’s an alternative – a more compact and affordable version, the N43SL that will retail for 39,995.
What’s Hot:
Excellent audio
Powerful processor
Can handle mainstream and a bit of hardcore games

What’s Not:
Battery life is woefully low

Bottomline:
The N53SV is a great buy for people looking for a powerful notebook, that is if you can find it.
Buy meter: 8.5

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Comcast and Skype: Video call with your TV

If you can watch videos on your phone, it’s only right that a TV can take video calls. The wait for that possibility is over. Thanks to a strategic partnership between Comcast and Skype, Comcast subscribers can now make high-definition quality video calls through their televisions.  You can also receive Skype video calls from family  and friends, be it from their home TV, PC, smartphone or tablet. For this to happen, you’ll need Skype software, a video camera, an adaptor box, and a specially-designed remote control which will enable customers to make and receive video or audio calls and text messages. Customers will also be able to access mobile features conveniently through Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile app.
Here are a few things customers will be able to do through this offering:

• Make and receive Skype video and audio calls, or send instant messages via Skype on a television while watching their favorite TV show at the same time, and accept incoming calls during a TV show with the help of Caller ID.
• Make and receive video and audio calls, or send instant messages via Skype on a compatible mobile phone or tablet.
• Import friends to their address book from their Facebook, Outlook, Gmail and smartphone contact lists, find them on Skype and see when contacts are online and available to talk.

Personally, I don’t think I’d want anyone calling me up on my TV while I’m watching Law & Order. But that’s just me.
Source: Comcast

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Intel’s interactive Escape video is a fun, novel way of pimping Sandybridge

We’ve previously shared Intel’s first Escape video that shows off what their second generation Core i processors could do for you, but the prolific chip maker decided it wasn’t enough and made a second one with a difference – this one’s interactive. You’re not going to see Heavy Rain-esque levels of interactivity here, but it’s a new and novel way of showing people what their Sandybridge processors can do. The video makes use of your Facebook account and puts you in the center stage of the whole escape, with two of your friends (that you select) making a cameo. Hit on up the link below to go to Intel’s YouTube page to play the game.
Source: YouTube (Intel)

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Sony launches Music Unlimited

Yet another cloud-based music service has been launched, and this time its by Sony.
Dubbed as Music Unlimited for Android phones, users are granted unlimited subscriptions and their own personal library. Created with the help of Qriocity, the app is available on the Android Market for free, with an online database of over 7 million tracks that can streamed via Wi-Fi and/or 3G. Users can also upload their own tracks onto the cloud and stream them from their wireless capable devices.
Subscriptions offered come in two plans, a Basic ad-free version ($3.99 or Php 240) and a Premium ($9.99 or Php 700) which offers playlist creations and access to personalized radio channels. For those that are wary to drop money right away, they can avail of a 30-day trial account.
For more information, visit Qriocity’s official web page.



Source: Qriocity – Music

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HTC Sensation and Wildfire S launched, we have piccies and prices

HTC has just officially launched its new smartphones – the Sensation and the Wildfire S in Republic located in Pasay tonight. The two new smartphones are aimed at strengthening the already impressive range of HTC devices in the market.

Like the HTC Desire S before it, the HTC Sensation is made from a single block of aluminium. This 4.3-inch beauty is powered by a Qualcomm dual core processor that runs at 1.2 GHz.

As you can see here, the size of the unit is pretty impressive. The device also feels extremely well built, and the weight just felt right in my hands. The device will have a suggested retail price of Php 31,990.

The HTC Wildfire on the other hand, is a smartphone designed for the mid-market. It sports a 3.2-inch screen, and apparently will be available in different colors.

It’ll be powered by a 600 MHz processor. To be honest it felt a bit light and small to me, but seeing as I don’t have issues with 4.3-inch screens due to my large hands, this may be a personal thing. The Wildfire S will retail for Php 15,500.
We’ll have a review up as soon as we have the units.

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LulzSec at it again, hacked game developer Bethesda and Senate website

LulzSec, the hacking group behind the recent breach for a porn website is at it again, and now they’ve set their sights a bit higher up the food chain. Recently they’ve managed to break into game developer Bethesda and, believe it or not, the website for the United States Senate. Bethesda says on their official blog that “a hacker group attempted an unlawful intrusion of our websites to gain access to data. We believe we have taken appropriate action to protect our data against these attacks. While no personal financial information or credit card data was obtained, the hackers may have gained access to some user names, email addresses, and/or passwords.” The group has taken credit for the attack, and has released some of the information to prove that they’ve actually done what they said they’ve done, stopping short of giving away the information of 200000+ Brink user accounts. “We actually like this company and would like for them to speed up the production of Skyrim, so we’ll give them one less thing to worry about,” said the group on the press release they published on their site.
Their hack of the United States Senate site however, wasn’t as friendly. The release they published for that little act reads like a major challenge to the superpower. “We don’t like the US government very much. Their boats are weak, their lulz are low, and their sites aren’t very secure. In an attempt to help them fix their issues, we’ve decided to donate additional lulz in the form of owning them some more!  This is a small, just-for-kicks release of some internal data from Senate.gov – is this an act of war, gentlemen? Problem?” If you’d recall, the Pentagon recently concluded that could be considered an act of war. There’s still no official response out of the White House, but at this point in time it’s probably safe to say that the group is treading in really dangerous waters.
Source: Lulzsec (1), Lulzsec (2), Bethesda

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Get your game on with NBA 3-on-3 Philippines presented by Sprite

The season may be over but basketball fans can still enjoy their favorite game (and even meet some of their favorite basketball stars) in a 3-on-3 game that will sure ease the pains of those who are still hung over from the summer vacay.

The first-ever NBA 3-on-3 Philippines presented by Sprite will take place in Manila at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall from July 1-3. The event combines exciting on-court competition with authentic NBA entertainment and experiences for fans.
The NBA 3-on-3 Philippines 2011 presented by Sprite will provide youth with an opportunity to hone their skills and compete amongst their peers. The competition is open to boys and girls ages 11-19, with an open division for men. Registration is a first come first serve basis and runs until June 28. Information on the event is available at www.nba3on3.com/Philippines.
To enhance fan experience, NBA Legend Horace Grant, a four-time NBA Champion (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 with Chicago, 2000-01 with L.A. Lakers) and an NBA All-Star in 1994, will make appearances and interact with fans through clinics and community events. Current All-Stars and legends from the
All participants of the NBA 3-on-3 Philippines 2011 presented by Sprite will receive a jersey and NBA sling bag, with early registrants (those who sign up before June 10) receiving a signed photograph of NBA Legend Horace Grant. There will be prizes for the winner of each division.
For more information about the NBA 3-on-3 Philippines 2011 presented by Sprite and chances to win daily quiz prizes, please log on to www.nba3on3.com/Philippines. Fans can also get updates on the event by following the NBA on twitter at www.twitter.com/NBA_Philippines and through Facebook at www.facebook.com/nba.

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