Lapka for iPhone: five sensors to measure the world, inspired by NASA and Yves Saint Laurent
A small Russian hardware startup brings ‘luxury tools’ to your phone
(via wildcat2030)
![Does the iPad finally have a formidable foe?
How Microsoft Surface Tablets Work:
In 2000, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates took the stage at the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas, Nev. A theater filled with computer industry experts watched as Gates made some big declarations. Among them, he proclaimed the era of the browser had come to an end. He also said that server-based computing — what we now think of as cloud computing — was a dead-end. And he impressed the crowd by unveiling a prototype model of a tablet PC [source: Arar].
It turns out that Gates was a little off target with his announcements. Web browsers and cloud-based computing have become intrinsic parts of our computing experience. We’ve got browsers on computers, smartphones,tablets, e-readers and televisions. And as for the tablet PC — the public wasn’t interested.
The story changed a decade later. In January of 2010, Steve Jobs announced the iPad, Apple’s tablet device. Jobs succeeded where Gates had failed — he energized not only the industry experts, but the general consumer. Suddenly, tablets had become a big story.
But what about the company that introduced its first PC-based tablet to great acclaim back in 2000? Microsoft had no answer to the iPad. Other companies launched tablet devices — some running a version of Windows with Microsoft’s support — to try and compete with the Apple juggernaut. It wasn’t until 2012 that Microsoft introduced updated tablets. The new line of devices took its name from a previous Microsoft product: The Surface.
What powers the Surface? What sets it apart from other tablets? And can Microsoft make up for lost time and carve out a space in the tablet market?
Read on…](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7eyyyfOdE1rpdglno1_r1_400.jpg)
Does the iPad finally have a formidable foe?
How Microsoft Surface Tablets Work:
In 2000, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates took the stage at the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas, Nev. A theater filled with computer industry experts watched as Gates made some big declarations. Among them, he proclaimed the era of the browser had come to an end. He also said that server-based computing — what we now think of as cloud computing — was a dead-end. And he impressed the crowd by unveiling a prototype model of a tablet PC [source: Arar].
It turns out that Gates was a little off target with his announcements. Web browsers and cloud-based computing have become intrinsic parts of our computing experience. We’ve got browsers on computers, smartphones,tablets, e-readers and televisions. And as for the tablet PC — the public wasn’t interested.
The story changed a decade later. In January of 2010, Steve Jobs announced the iPad, Apple’s tablet device. Jobs succeeded where Gates had failed — he energized not only the industry experts, but the general consumer. Suddenly, tablets had become a big story.
But what about the company that introduced its first PC-based tablet to great acclaim back in 2000? Microsoft had no answer to the iPad. Other companies launched tablet devices — some running a version of Windows with Microsoft’s support — to try and compete with the Apple juggernaut. It wasn’t until 2012 that Microsoft introduced updated tablets. The new line of devices took its name from a previous Microsoft product: The Surface.
What powers the Surface? What sets it apart from other tablets? And can Microsoft make up for lost time and carve out a space in the tablet market?
There are thousands of apps for the iPhone, and they let you do everything from play games to keep up with stock prices. Some of them are real head-scratchers, though. Do you use any of these weird apps?
Pictured above: iSteam, Rotary Dialer, and Zit Picker…yep.
The Nintendo 3DS is a handheld gaming device that incorporates 3-D graphics without requiring special glasses. We’ve taken apart one to show you what’s inside this game system!
10 Sci-fi Gadgets We Wish Actually Existed
Apart from deep social commentary, science fiction has given us other gifts: amazing inventions that we’d love to possess. Some gadgets from science fiction became reality. “Star Trek” introduced the concept of a universal translator — a gadget capable of making communication possible across language barriers. Today, you can use a smartphone and Google Translate to have a conversation with someone else even if you don’t share a common language. There are thousands of examples of real-world gadgets and inventions that were once just the stuff of dreams.
But not all gizmos and doodads from sci-fi are available at the local retail store. We’re going to take a look at 10 gadgets introduced in sci-fi that we’re just dying to get our hands on.
Photo ”The Airboard” courtesy Arbortech Industries
10 Gadgets That Will Make Dad’s Day
How many neckties does a dad need? I’m certain even Socrates himself posed a similar question, possibly rhetorically and definitely in Greek. Shopping for dad can be a real head scratcher, particularly if you want to avoid the stereotypical tie present.
Thank goodness for technology! Today, there are gadgets that appeal to all sorts of dads. Chef dads, sports dads and geek dads can all appreciate the right type of gadget. The new challenge isn’t looking for an alternative to the tie — it’s narrowing down all the options out there.
That’s where we come in. We’ve put together this list of gadgets, gizmos and thingamajigs that will bring a big smile to any dad’s face. For Father’s Day 2012, we’ve got your back. Let’s get started!
