Gadgets Blog » 2008 » February

A quick recap of gadget news and blogs around the Net:

• Check out the sleek iView monitor - Yanko
• More than meets the eye: RoboScooter transforms! - AutoBlogGreen
• Can’t get the real thing? Get robotic hunting trophies! - France Cadet
• Heat suit makes you sleep - Wired
• Sony VAIO comes out with a new look - Popgadget
• Microsoft cuts Vista prices - Gizmodo via News.com
• NASA plans to crash stuff into moon. Our money hard at work - Gizmodo
• Doomsday is near. Army orders 24 new Sentry Bots - Engadget

And in Smarter Gadgets we talked about:

• Save 30% off a Customized HP Pavilion Tx100z Laptop
• The 2 GB Apple iPod Shuffle Released Today
• Save 15% off All Dell XPS 720 H2C Desktop Purchases
• Hans Solo Desk to Hold My Pens and Paper
• Abilene Christian to Start Handing out iPhones to Students
• Can a Gatling Gun Cut Down a Tree?

Fifty rounds a second.

Three thousand rounds a minute.

That’s how fast the Dillion M-134 minigun, mini-gatling gun, can spit out bullets.

Why is this relevant? Because when you start counting the seconds, you can count how many bullets cut down this tree, as the guys from Mythbusters have demonstrated.

I don’t know what’s more fun to watch. The tree tumbling and catching fire or watching a chick in a dress fire a high-powered weapon.

Source: Gizmodo via LiveLeak

Starting this fall, Abilene Christian University will be the first institution of higher learning to hand out iPhones or iPod Touches to incoming freshman to help enhance their learning experience.

According to ACU, Apple has already started to work with Abilene Christian University on handing out iPhones to incoming freshman starting this fall. The iPhone or the iPod Touch would allow students to receive homework alerts, answer in-class surveys and quizzes, check account balances, make payments and much more. This new program will definitely help to solve any communication issues that students encounter with contacting their professors or adjusting to college life.

It looks like Apple and AT&T have worked themselves into another market that seemingly no one else is yet to compete with. What I want to know is how they expect the students to actually pay attention in class and not watch YouTube videos all day?

Here is a video from ACU to help show you how the iPhone will be implemented into the students’ life.

YouTube - Watch 

To read more about this new iPhone program at ACU, click here.

Source: ACU News

In my plots to take over the world, I only demanded one thing. A shark tank.

But now that has changed.

I want a shark tank AND this Hans Solo carbonite desk!

Yes it may be a bit creepy and yes, it may scare the little children, but I don’t care. My happiness is worth more.

This was a customized desk and only one was made, but to read more about it and to make one for yourself, click here.

I’m actually curious how much a thing like this costs. I wonder how many allowances it would take for me to save up and build one?

Hmm.

Source: Gizmodo

Looking for a high performance desktop that it’ll take your gaming experience to a level like never before? We have a great suggestion for you.

Now this desktop is special. And with all things that are special and extreme, they come with a more than special price tag. But don’t be scared off just yet, because we have a nice little deal for you.

Right now at Dell.com, you can save 15% off any Dell XPS 720 H2C desktop purchases. That’s right, it’s not limited to a certain price range or terms, it’s ANY purchase of this model.

For instance, check out this XPS 720 H2C desktop:

• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (3.46 GHz)
• 2GB² Corsair Dominator DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz OC’d to 1066MHz-2 DIMMs
• Windows XP Media Center
• 16X CD/DVD Burner
• And much more

Now although the starting price for this XPS model is $3,454, we’ll help you reduce that by 15%.

Just enter in the coupon code 81SM094V4158BC during checkout and the discount is applied instantly.

The only downside of this deal is that it EXPIRES TODAY.

To go to Dell.com and see this Dell XPS model, click here.

If you’ve held out on getting an iPod Shuffle, then your wait has now been rewarded.

Apple is now shipping out the new 2GB iPod Shuffle as of today and it’s a very affordable $69.00. Only $20 more than the 1 GB version and you’re able to store up to 500 songs, whereas the 1 GB holds about 240.

Twenty bucks can get you a long way when you’re bored on the bike at the gym.

To go to the Apple Store, click here.

Source: Engadget

This affordable laptop just got more affordable with our coupon.

Right now at the HP Store you can 30% off the purchase of a customized HP Pavilion Tx100z laptop. A significant savings when your starting price for this notebook is $899. But look at what it comes with before the add-ons:

• A versatile and convertible 12.1″ display that twists and turns for your viewing pleasure
• Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
  
• No more passwords, unlock your notebook with fingerprint security
• A 200 GB hard drive
• HP QuickPlay 3.0 that allows you to also watch Internet TV
• And much more.

Just enter in this coupon code, NB1003, during checkout and instantly save.

This offer ends TOMORROW, February 26th.

To go to the HP Store, click here.

A quick recap of gadget news and blogs around the Net:

• Star Trek Tour coming to a town near you - MSN
• Momenta PC that straps to your neck - NextGen
• Digital tattoo monitors health and creeps me out - Engadget
• Turn your iPhone into a boombox - LiveSpeakR
• iPhone touchpad turns into a wireless mouse - Gizmodo

YouTube - Watch 

And in Smarter Gadgets we talked about:

• A Cigar that is Not a Real Cigar
• Save $400 on All Dell Inspiron Laptops $1299 and Over
• U.S. Navy Shoots Down Spy Satellite
• Loremo Car Can Get you Hundreds of Miles on 2 Gallons
  

Put in two gallons, and drive 300 miles.

Yes, you read that right. A car that is able to drive 300 miles on only a couple gallons of fuel. Well, it’s diesel instead of gas, but who cares!

The German made Loremo can drive between 130 to 150 miles a gallon and the car does it by cutting back on everything else. It is built to reduce on drag, weight and even the side-opening doors!

Think this car is just an idea? Think again.

It’s going to go into production next year in Europe and will be a very affordable $22,000 or 15,000 euros.

Source: MSN

Despite some critics who thought they couldn’t do it, the U.S. Navy shot down their dead spy satellite last night that was hovering over the Pacific.

The plan was simple. Wait for the sky to clear up and launch a missile into the atmosphere to destroy it. The thing was only traveling at a modest 17,000 mph and hovered 153 miles above the Earth.

For those of you who haven’t been paying much attention, the government had lost control of its spy satellite that was launched back in December of 2006. Not only did they not want the sophisticated and secret imaging sensor to fall into the wrong hands, among other information, the satellite was carrying about 1,000 pounds of frozen, toxic hydrazine propellant. In other words, really bad stuff.

The government is still tracking the debris up there, but they said we have nothing to worry about. But if some camera or a roll of film falls on your head, you might want to call someone.

If want to learn more about the satellite, here’s a man in a funny suit, with a lot of badges, to explain.

Source: CNN, Gizmodo, MSNBC

Video Source: LiveLeak