Gadgets posts

Having the latest shiny new gadget is something that many people strive for. They are the ones who are willing to wait in line, get test samples or beta invites for new technology, and generally consider last year’s model an abomination. They are the early adopters and there are distinct advantages to being one. There are, however, costs as well. This graphic by our friends at SocialCast explores those costs and shows how people who are getting the latest and greatest may be getting a little ripped off in the process. Being an early adopter is often a status symbol, and as with most status symbols,…

With all of the rumors and false sightings, we were starting to believe there was more myth and legend to it all than truth. Now, it seems that a credible source is declaring a month for launch of the magic beast known as iPhone 5. Just in time for the Christmas shopping spree (as if it needed the boost for sales) the iPhone will have its newest edition launching in October, 2011. Last week, Gizmodo reported that AT&T employees were barred from requesting vacation time the last 2 weeks of September, prompting the nature cry of, “It must be the iPhone launch!” John Paczkowski from AllThingsD received…

We’re not quite to the point where we can push a button and say, “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” Then again, we may not be as far off as most would believe. The amazing technology behind the 3D printer is mind-blowing. From scanning and understanding every aspect of a tool, even moving parts, all the way to the actual “printing” process are things that are clearly out of a science fiction book and not reality, and yet there it is. Watch the video. Be amazed. Dream about the future. …

For most things, when we lose them, we lose them. Depending on the value, we either replace it or put in an effort to find it. There’s not much that goes into it. Cell phones are different. There’s a process that has to happen when you lose one. It can cause emotional distress and create challenges in day-to-day life. This graphic by our friends at MyLookout breaks down the process and shows us what happens when phones are lost. Click to enlarge. …

As if they didn’t do a great job already of marketing each individual product they put out, Apple has stepped up their push in the phone market by appealing to those who already have iPads and Macs, as well as those who have friends who have iPhones, iPads, or Macs. “If you don’t have an iPhone…” is the concept and centers around Facetime, the iOS app that allows users to video conference through their mobile devices or computers. With Android phones moving up quickly in the marketplace, Apple is feeling the heat to be more than just the “cool” smartphone. They want to take back any marketshare they’re…

While rumors of an iPad 3 coming out later this year bouncing between yes, no, maybe, and we don’t know, the latest rumor seems to make a little more sense. An HD variation of the current iPad 2 is being considered as “likely” with double the current resolution of 1024×768. The idea is that it would be available as either a pro version or one that would allow HD mobile apps. The folks over at TechFast match our own speculations. Would it be useful? Maybe. Would it sell? Obviously. …

The last few months has seen mobile device payments skyrocket. As consumers move in droves to smartphones and companies create more “wallets” that use mobile screens and other technologies to register payments, the history of money appears to have a new chapter. Barter, coins, paper, plastic, and now smartphones – what’s next? This graphic by our friends at Gplus breaks down the direction and evolution of smart phone mobile payments and gives us a clear understanding of where the industry appears to be going. Click to enlarge. …

Our mobile devices have many uses to us, well beyond the talk and text functionality of the past. Millions of mobile apps are downloaded to smartphones and tablets every day. The types of apps we download are an indication of what uses we see for mobile devices. According to a recent study by Nielson, we want to have fun, know when it’s going to rain, monitor Facebook, and get directions. Over half of mobile device users have used apps for gaming, weather, social networking, and/or navigation in the last 30 days. Music, news, and entertainment follow. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that 93%…

There are two potential winners in South Korea’s recent announcement that they would be moving to a completely-digital curriculum model by 2015: students in the Asian country should win and the country’s homegrown tablet-maker Samsung is likely to win as well. The government has committed to spend $2.4 billion to buy the equipment and digitize all of the material. They intend to roll it out to elementary schools by 2014 and across the entire education system the following year. While there was no mention of Samsung, it is highly unlikely that the contract would go to any other company outside…

Have you ever been tempted to pull out the old Nintendo Entertainment System from the attic just to finish that one game you never got around to? Do you wonder what happened at the end of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game that you were going to get but ended up getting a Super Nintendo instead? Are you too young to look at the NES as an actual gaming platform, but rather a mere predecessor to the real platforms of today? If you meet any of these criteria, you may want to check out what happened at the end of 50 popular NES games. Thanks to TheFineBros, you can hear the final moments of these games in just over…