Gadgets Blog » Ritika Puri

Here’s a roundup of some of the loudest buzz on the web:

• A Verizon iPhone to hit the market? Rumor has it that a Verizon iPhone will be available to consumers as soon as January 2011. Two reports are powering this buzz: (1) AT&T’s quarterly filing, which details the company’s strategic plan to reduce dependency on a “single handset” and (1) Apple’s recent orders for Qualcomm CDMA chipsets “for a Verizon iPhone run in December.”
• Speaking of iPhones: Mark Papermaster, the exec. in charge of the iPhone, left Apple in the midst of the iPhone 4′s antenna problems. Those in the know-how are not authorized to provide additional details.
• ComScore released demographic information about the behavior of men and women online. Women are in the majority when it comes to social networking, email, and IM, and women over 55 are the largest demographic of online gamblers.
• An adjustable parking meter? The City of San Francisco will be installing parking meters that adjust their rates based on demand in order to control the city’s tough parking situation. The test-run will last for two years.

The answer:

The Z1 is considered to be the first modern computer. It was designed and built between 1935 and 1938 by Konrad Zuse, a German engineer. It was the first programmable machine that used Boolean logic & binary floating numbers, and it contained almost all the parts of a modern computer including a control unit and memory. The Z1 was privately financed by Zuse’s family.

The Specs:

• 64 words of 22 bits
• 1 Hz clock speed
• four basic operations – add subtract, multiply, divide
• It weighed 1,000
• It completed basic calculations in an average of 5 seconds. Multiplication problems took up to 10 seconds

Where Is It Now?

The Z1 was destroyed during World War II during the 1934 Allied air raids. A replica is on display at the German Museum of Technology in Berlin.

As a gadgets and technology aficionado, I’m glued to my smartphone and laptop. Both go where I go – I never know when I’ll need them, and I can’t stand to feel unplugged.

Even though my email accounts are 95% spam, I need to check them at least every hour. At any moment, someone – somewhere may try to reach me. Of course, they won’t call me – they know I’m probably multitasking.

When I was 13, while my friends were interested in art and poetry, I was into programming and web design. Little did I know how much these two “hobbies” would benefit me professionally – I just enjoyed the satisfaction of working through the challenge of creating something new.

Ten years later, I spent about ten hours a day – every day- in front of my computer. What I do to space out? Shop online…look for templates to build my new website…try to find cool open source programs.

A little while ago, I shamefully watched two full seasons of one of my favorite NBC shows Parks & Recreation. When the character Tom Haverford finalizes his divorce and moves out of his home, he introduces the show’s viewers to his cleaning companion: DJ Roomba. With a top-mounted iPod, he raps while he cleans. After DJ Roomba dies, he returns to the lives of Tom Haverford & co. covered in a sheet, as a ghost.

After recovering from watching 16 continuous hours of TV, I wondered: surely, Tom Haverford is not the only person with a DJ Roomba. In fact, someone even devoted a website to this very moment in Tom’s life. Apparently, it’s pretty simple to make your own DJ Roomba.

What other identities can you give this otherwise inconspicuous robot?

1. Your pet’s new best friend (or arch nemesis)

2. Thursday night pool champion

3. Creepy photographer

Who will your Roomba become?

In the last few weeks, the online media business has become a focal point of the public eye. Last week, Hulu announced the launch of their subscription based service, Hulu Plus. Days later, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement shut down a number of (illegal) free TV websites such as TVShack.net, PlanetMoviez.com, and Ninjavideo.net. According to The Los Angeles Times, more than 7 million people visited these websites per month.

Over the last five years with the increasing accessibility of broadband Internet, we’ve seen distinct shifts in the way that people watch TV. The days of channel surfing seem to be coming to an end for many consumers. Now, it’s all about pointing, clicking, and streaming.

Although laws, products, and business models are evolving with technology, it sometimes seems as though innovation isn’t happening quickly enough to meet consumer demands, as indicated by the 7 million people who visited illegal sites for streaming content.

Ten years ago, when I built my first desktop computer, we didn’t have many options when it came to aesthetics and style. Computers came in the shape of big rectangular boxes – and that was that. If we wanted to get creative, our options were…paint, see-through, and lights (if you really wanted to shell out the money). As much as I wanted a pretty computer, I didn’t think it was worth it to make the extra investment. Even though I was a web designer, I wasn’t an artist, and I was more concerned with my home-built computer’s functionality and speed.

Flash forward to the other day – I was browsing through an electronics store and found myself lost in the computer case aisle on the way to the restroom. I was wowed by all kinds of unique designs where style meets function meets retro throwbacks meets advanced technology. If you are building a computer, you have so many options no matter what inspires you – spaceships, toaster ovens, home stereos, bright lights, and so much more. Here are some affordable favorites that I’ve come across:

1. The Apevia Blue X-Cruisier with a clear side ($64.98)

This case is big enough to support all of your power-needs. With a front temperature gauge, you can easily monitor your energy usage while checking out all of the cool stuff that’s going on inside. You can even control your fan speed and volume for ultimate streamlined efficiency. Plus, everything inside is a bright blue.

2. Logisys Pre-Assembled Blue UV Reactive Acrylic Case ($72.18)

During the day, this beauty is completely clear, and at night, it’s bright blue. It’s a great option for both gamers and amateurs with some for all kinds of expansion (four 5.25-inch bays, two 3.5-inch bays, and six HDD bays).

3. CSX Custom Hand Painted Shag Wagon ($799.99)

No words.

In 2007, Indian automotive giant Tata Motors announced a partnership which could lead to the commercial production of Europe’s first compressed air car. Three years later, the idea has seemingly fallen off the radar. The MiniC.A.T sounds like a great idea, so where has it gone? Was it really just too good to be true?

The Specs & Numbers

The MiniC.A.T is a lightweight, zero-emissions, fiberglass vehicle that is fueled by compressed air and a 1 liter tank of vegetable oil. With one charge, the MiniC.A.T keeps drivers going for 10 hours or for 200-300 kilometers – numbers that are nearly double those of electric-powered cars.

While a gas car needs an oil change after 5,000 miles, the MiniC.A.T keeps going for 50,000 kilometers until it needs a new tank of vegetable oil. Recharging the car with compressed air would take between 2-3 minutes and cost approximately 1.5 Euros. If fueling stations are unavailable, the MiniC.A.T will come with an attached compressor that refills the tank within 4 hours.

In the world of technology and gadgets, a couple of important things happened this week (as they do every week). We all understand that it’s tough to stay in the loop about absolutely everything tech, so keep checking back with us to keep you in the know about the most important milestones from around the web. We’ll cover stories with economic importance, tech-forward thinking, and just plain cool ideas.

This week’s biggest themes – deals, data, & cell phone carrier competition:

I grew up in Silicon Valley and was lucky enough to meet some all-time amazing innovators. I grew up around the great minds that created the Internet as we know it today. Google and Apple? They both started in my backyard (figuratively speaking).

When I was young and living in the Bay Area, I took all of the creativity for granted. After all, when you’re ten – who cares? I just wanted to play video games and Barbies with friends. Then in high school, I just wanted to go shopping.

Now that I’m in the Internet industry, I’ve gained a new-found appreciation for the brilliance and innovation that surrounded me as I grew up, and I’ve finally been hit with the Silicon Valley creativity bug – I’m addicted to learning about all-things revolutionary. It’s amazing how the once-mundane parts of my life have suddenly become so inspiring.

Check out this ridiculously cool gadget: the SoloTrek XFV. This beauty was created by a close friend of mine’s father. Imagine a jet-pack flying machine that allows a uuser to -literally- fly over traffic. The device was powered by a jet pack (think: back pack helicopter), and it ran for two hours on gasoline. Talk about bringing imagination to reality: this is the ultimate gadgets story.

The SoloTrek took its first flight in 2001 and has continued to inspire aviation design ever since. If you want to check it out, the SoloTrek is on display at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California.

Want your own flying gadget? You could start with a helicopter toy. Maybe one day, you’ll see where your own imagination takes you.

I was reading CNET this morning, and rumor has it that Dell will be releasing two tablets that will compete very closely with the iPad. According to the news floating around the blogosphere, dell will be releasing a 7-inch and a 10-inch tablet as part of the Streak series. Dell announced the Streak 5 a little while ago (featured right), which competes with hand held Android devices. The Streak 7 and Streak 10 will compete with Apple’s iPad and cater to consumers who need more power, viewing room, and functionality while on the go. If you look at the Streak 7 and Streak 10 head-on, you’ll notice that it looks exactly like an iPad.

The Streak 7 will be available later in 2010, and the Streak 10 will be available in early 2011. Looks like the tablet market is going to get more competitive. I’m excited to see how tablet technology evolves!

Read the story, and see photos here.