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Filed under: Robots

Wondering just how we mere mortals were going to even give a robot enough smarts to completely overtake our societies? Oddly enough, some of that artificial brain power could come from studying the way fruit flies, um, fly. A completely bizarre flight simulator at Caltech actually plays “scenes” that flys react to, and considering that the fly is constantly held, researchers can closely examine how the insect attempts to navigate away from lines, blobs and all manners of incoming obstacles. Those working with the installation suggest that these studies could one day help autonomous robots function better, potentially taking some of the load off of our human workforce. We know, you’ve got three bold letters and a question mark running through your noggin right now — just hit the read link to see what it’s all about.

[Thanks, Dave]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Not unlike the early colorized versions of the original Zune before it, the red Zune 80 looks like it should finally be ready to make its un-tattooed retail sales debut . If you’ve been considering getting loud and/or proud with your next Zune, call ahead to your local gadget stock keeper and see if they’re in.

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Filed under: HDTV

Oh, shoplifters of the world — you’re not going to unite and take over with these kinds of tactics. A Kirksville, MO. man was arrested on Thursday for trying to boost a $517 Viore (yeah) LCD television by swapping the UPC tag with one from a $3.16 bottle of water. Apparently, cashiers weren’t fooled by the admittedly paper-thin maneuver, and after four swipe attempts, a replaced paper spool, and one PA announcement for a store manager to come to register 14, they had the super-genius switcher thrown in the big house. If convicted, the man faces up to seven years in prison plus a hefty fine… and the lifelong shame of having tried to pull this stunt off.

[Via Fark]

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Filed under: Gaming

It’s taken a few years, but lightning’s struck twice for Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division (the portion of the company responsible for Zune, Windows Mobile, and Xbox). The operating profit of $89 million that E&D drew is just a drop in MSFT's far, far larger fiscal bucket, but unless business turns sour, from here on out it looks like the group making all the fun stuff in Redmond is no longer in the business of losing cash hand over fist.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

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Filed under: Peripherals

Maybe we’re confused, but we were under the impression that the oft-delayed, mist-like device known as the Phantom Lapboard had been released to the public. Apparently, we were mistaken. Regardless, Maximum PC has gotten a thorough, in-depth look at the $130 pivoting keyboard / mouse / mousepad combo. We won’t bore you with the details of their encounter with this beast — which they claim is due in June now — though we can tell you that they complain of a “wimpy” left mouse click, which frankly is a deal-breaker for 4/16ths of the Engadget editorial staff. The other 12/16ths don’t like it because they had a bad experience with a matte black keyboard once.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

NVIDIA’s been on a hyper-competitive tear lately, and while the latest rumor isn’t quite on par with Roy Taylor saying that the Intel CPU is “dead,” it reinforces the company’s new win-at-all-costs attitude. Seems ATI’s upcoming RV770-based Radeon HD 4800 might threaten NVIDIA’s dominance of the high-end graphics market, and that’s just not acceptable — so the company is planning on pushing up the release of the GeForce 9900 to July. That’s one billion transistors and GDDR3 memory, if you haven’t been memorizing rumored graphic card specs — we’re guessing that blue screen of death will render mighty fast on that rig.

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Filed under: Gaming

As we’re all too well aware, Mario Kart can be serious business for some folks, and Mario Kart Wii will certainly be no exception, which makes the right choice of controller all the more important. Thankfully, our pals at Joystiq have now come through with a meticulous comparison of all five driving options at your disposal. That includes the Wiimote on its own, the Wiimote with Wii Wheel, the Wiimote / nunchuk combo, the Classic Controller, and the tried and true GameCube controller. Somewhat surprisingly, while the GameCube Controller and Classic Controller each helped to put in some solid times, Joystiq actually found the WIimote / nunchuck combo to the best all around option, with it faring particularly well when using a bike. Lagging far behind, however, was the solo Wiimote (which they recommend to avoid at all costs), although the addition of the Wii Wheel did apparently did help to make things a bit more manageable. Hit up the link below for the full rundown.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Considering that Samsung’s YP-P2 just might be the most updated PMP of all time, we’re guessing that a lot of things that users would have changed just months ago have already been done by the powers that be. That being said, we critical gadget owners are never truly satisfied at heart, so we’re curious to know how you’d spin the forthcoming firmware update(s). Or would you focus your attention on external matters, instead? We know you’ve had ample time to fool around with one of Sammy’s most prized media players ever, so don’t be shy down there in comments, alright? Who knows — your recommendations could be front and center in the next Blue Wave.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Alright, we’re loving this new hyper-aggressive, sorta-nasty version of NVIDIA. Not only has CEO Jen Hsun-Huang promised to “open a can of whoop-ass” on Intel, the company has been touting its new sub-$45 integrated platform as far superior to Celeron-based systems, and now we’ve got VP of Content Relations Roy Taylor sending out emails saying that “a war has started” and pronouncing the Intel CPU “dead.” Roy says Intel is “panicking” because CPUs have “run out of steam,” and that they “no longer make anything run faster.” According to Roy — whose nickname is “Big Pipe,” no joke — the only thing that needs to get faster is the GPU, and NVIDIA’s going to make it happen. That’s some brash talk, all around — let’s hope NVIDIA’s ready when Intel brings Nehalem out to play. Check out the whole email at the read link.

[Via TGDaily]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Let’s preface this by saying that we honestly have no idea what’s going on with the hot BlackBerry 9000, but Fortune is reporting that it's delayed due to either a) AT&T concerns over call quality; b) AT&T concerns over launching a 3G Blackberry and the 3G iPhone at the same time or; c) or something else entirely. That's news to our homeboy Boy Genius, who thinks Fortune needs to start double-checking its model numbers and code names before it starts rumor-mongering, and points out that he's been on top of power-management-related 9000 delays for a while now. Testy! We're a little more inclined to trust BGR on this stuff — the man's got a point when he says he's gotten pre-release versions of every RIM device since the Pearl 8100, and if the 9000's faster processor and 3G are indeed causing power problems, he's likely to notice. Let's just hope this all gets sorted soon — we're ready to move on up.

Read - Fortune: “Delay seen for RIM’s new Blackberry”
Read - BGR: “Cleaning up those BlackBerry rumors”

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Filed under: Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Portable Video

Got yourself an Archos TV+? How’s about a WiFi-enabled 605 / 705 PMP? Even if you’re sadly answering “no” to the latter question, folks with a Windows or Windows Mobile-based machine can still get in on the placeshifting action, as Archos has just announced a swank new TV+ plug-in that brings Slingbox capabilities to those devices. The May-bound TVportation application, which will be available gratis for those who register their Archos TV+ on the firm’s website (it’s $49.99 otherwise), simply enables users to control their set-top-box from anywhere where WiFi is accessible, giving users the ability to watch live TV on their handheld. Sure, it’s more of the same, but for the Archos faithful who refuse to trade in their 605 / 705, it’s a dream come true. Check out a lengthy demonstration vid after the break. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Thanks, Charbax]

Continue reading Archos TV+ TVportation plug-in shifts your TV to 605 / 705 PMP

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Filed under: Laptops

Just in case you need 500 pixels or more to really determine whether something is sexy or not, MSI has finally put together a sweet pack of press shots that really do the Wind justice. Needless to say, we’d be mighty hesitant to start bangin’ out the 42nd page of our dissertation with grease-covered digits on this beauty. Did someone say high maintenance? Hit the read link for lots more looks.

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Filed under: Cellphones

So we’ve got it on authority that the second-gen iPhone is already well into testing, and numerous units are floating around in super secret pockets. A trusted source got a chance to check one out, here’s what we’ve heard.

• The first thing people will notice: the 2nd gen iPhone will be about the same size and shape as the first gen.
• It will, of course, have 3G. And proper GPS!
• The most noticeable physical difference is back of the phone is no longer metal — the whole thing is glossy black, from top to bottom. The volume buttons are now chrome.
• Because it’s got a little less metal to deal with, it doesn’t have quite as many angular edges. The battery is (still) not removable.
• The phone itself will be slightly thicker than the first gen device.
• The headphone jack will no longer be recessed, and will finally be flush with the body.
• The device itself uses roughly the same size and resolution screen as the first generation product.
• No solid word on battery life or storage capacity.

It could ship (or be introduced) as early as July — but it’s worth noting that none of this is necessarily finalized, and any of it could change between now and its introduction. You really never know with Apple!

[Image via iPod Observer]

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