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Man, 3.5-inch disks. I still can’t believe that just a decade after the demise of the floppy, a pocket-sized iPod Nano can hold than 11,378 times more data than a single 3.5-inch disk. How far we’ve come. Still, there was something so tactile about working with floppies back in the day, so I sorta miss them.
Now you can bring…
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October 22nd, 2008
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: computing geek art + craft retro
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The new ITIS desk lamp from Artemide provides dramatic LED illumination in a slick modern package. Thanks to its amazingly flexible adjustable design, the fixture easily takes on a variety of different looks.
Designer Naoto Fukasawa actually took home the coveted Red Dot Design Award for his UFO-like lamp design, which provides both direct and diffused illumination from a low-energy…
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May 12th, 2008
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: design
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ThinkGeek recently announced their latest electronic gadget, a device that can easily convert your old Betamax Tapes to brand-spankin’-new HD-DVD discs.
While it won’t handle transfers of DIVX, MiniDisc or SelectaVision Videodiscs, the BetaMaxHD will convert between two of the most undoubtedly out-of-fashion consumer media formats money can (or can’t) buy.
I’m not sure how I missed this one back…
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April 8th, 2008
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: gadgets just plain fun video
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While I’m not a huge fan of many of those old full-motion-video (FMV) games, I have to keep a place in my heart for Space Ace, a surprisingly entertaining FMV laserdisc-based game created by some of the industry’s most respected animators.
While the game has been resurrected numerous times on everything from CD-ROM to DVD to PC, this is the…
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February 6th, 2008
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: retro video video games
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Sony today announced a Blu-ray add-on drive for computers that breaks the $200 price barrier. The new BDU-X10S drive connects to your PC using a Serial ATA connection, adding high-definition movie playback to your desktop or HTPC.
The player includes CyberLink’s PowerDVD BD Edition, providing playback of Blu-ray discs on your computer screen. In addition to store-bought Blu-ray movies, the…
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January 6th, 2008
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: computing home entertainment video
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This gorgeous new watch from Seiko Japan uses a series of spinning aluminum discs to display the current time.
Unlike some of the more cryptic modern watches coming out of Japan these days, the Seiko Discus is actually quite easy to read. A set of three numbered discs continuously rotate to display hours, minutes and seconds. The wheels are are…
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December 30th, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: design timepieces
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According to this ad circular that’s floating around the web, your friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart will be flooding the market with super discounted Toshiba high definition DVD players.
After dropping the price on Toshiba’s HD-A2 HD DVD player to $199, there’s now an ad that shows an unbelievable price of $98.87. I’m sure this is a loss-leader for Wally World, but…
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November 1st, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: technology video
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I’ve pretty much weened myself off of compact discs since my very first iPod, but for those of you who still enjoy your music in a flat, round format, here’s a unique CD player to listen to your oldies on.
The Cathay PK-24 desktop stereo looks like a miniature grand piano, but when you pop its lid, there’s a CD…
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October 31st, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: gadgets just plain fun
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Architect Laurinda Spear created the design for this analog watch that uses a series of turning discs instead of traditional hands. The timepiece’s three independently revolving rings are used to display hours, minutes and seconds. A gap in each ring indicates the current time.
According to the artist, the rings that surround the Free Time watch signify “The cycle of…
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October 16th, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: design timepieces
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By now, we’ve all heard plenty about Blu-Ray, HD DVD and the so-called HD “format wars”. Now a little upstart disc format known as HD VMD has started to ship their very first players for less than half (correction: now just a little bit less than) the price of the cheapest standalone Blu-Ray and HD DVD machines. Just this week, the…
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October 8th, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: home entertainment video
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In my travels, I’ve seen a few clocks made from old hard drives. They’re typically made by stripping out the guts of an old hard drive, slapping a cheap $2 clock mechanism through the platters, then call it a day. On the other hand, here’s a hard disk based clock hack that really is an engineering marvel.
A couple of…
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September 16th, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: computing hacks + mods timepieces
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Artist Daniel Rozin has been creating mind-blowing interactive artworks, combining computers, video cameras and mixed media since 1999. One of his more recent works was this hybrid digital/analog mirror which reflects images from passers-by using a huge grid of rotating circles.
Daniel’s Circles Mirror is an amazing combination of mechanical and digital technologies. By using a radial gradient from black…
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July 9th, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: design digital imaging interactive just plain fun
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Electronics manufacturer Sharp has revealed their first Blu-ray high definition video disc player. The BD-HP20S is expected to hit stores towards the end of this year and looks like a pretty nice player overall.
The BD-HP20S will feature full 1080p resolution with 24 frame-per-second playback, which is ideal since most movies are shot at 24fps. The player will also have…
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July 6th, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: home entertainment video
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While digital players have put a major dent in the CD business, there’s something about having your tunes stored on something a little more tangible.
To shake the old CD up a bit, the designers of Poland’s Baba Akcja have taken the boring round disc and turned it into something far more visually interesting.
The discs were designed to symbolize…
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July 1st, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: design just plain fun
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Much of the industry is already saying that Blu-ray is winning the high-def format wars, so it’s actually surprising to hear that the Blu-ray Disc Association is hedging their bets even more by giving away free discs with the purchase of their players.
That’s right. Starting on July 1 and running through September 30, purchase a Blu-ray player and you’ll…
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June 27th, 2007
stumble it! digg it!
author: technabob
filed under: video
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