The Energy Stream Radio&TV 120 has built-in Wi-Fi and can stream music from over 15,000 internet radio stations and over 2,000 internet TV channels. In addition, it’s can play a wide variety of audio and video formats through its internal speaker (or headphones) and its 2.4-inch LCD screen. It’s got 4GB of on-board storage, and can be expanded up to 16GB extra using a MicroSDHC card.

Energy Sistem hasn’t posted its dimensions or weight, but the entire device is clearly small enough to carry around in your backpack or bag, though it looks like it might be a little big to fit in your pocket.

If you’re interested in the Energy Stream Radio&TV 120, it sells for €89.90 (~$119 USD) over at Energy Sistem’s website.

Over the last decade or so, gaming has moved out of our living rooms, basements and dens, thanks to innovations in hardware and network infrastructure. No longer are we confined by the boundaries of the number of controllers one can connect to a console or the number of people you can fit on your couch.

My first experience with what might be called “social gaming” was with Quake on my PC. I was working at an Internet startup at the time, and a coworker mentioned that they were going to have an afternoon break where we’d meet up and play Team Deathmatch. It took me about a day before I was hooked. Even though we were all in cubicles in the same office, I was communicating and interacting with people that I would never have the reason to talk to on an everyday basis. For the first time in a long time, the idea of playing games with other people, even though I might not have had lots of gamer friends since I was a kid, became a reality.

Photo Credit: Will Merydith

Of course, Quake seems primitive by today’s standards, and there’s nothing quite like fragging your alien buddies in a round of Crysis 2 on one of today’s totally maxed out gaming PCs. Personally, I can’t wait to play it on that cool new Alienware Razer Blade laptop on a speedy wireless Internet connection.

Over the years, social interaction in games has evolved from its humble beginnings as a venue for taunting enemies in FPS games. Achievement and friends systems on game consoles and social networks have advanced social gaming to where it is today. So-called “gamification” rewards players with virtual trophies, prizes and leaderboards in exchange for achieving milestones in games. These badges of honor generally have no cash value, but the psychology behind them is pure genius.

People like to win and share their achievements with their friends and peers. With social games on platforms like Facebook, and a world that is connected virtually all the time, there’s a perfect storm which seems to have gathered. Not only do you have the opportunity to meet and interact with a seemingly infinite number of players at varied skill levels, but there’s an inherent sharing system built into the ecosystem. Sure, not all of your friends care that you just planted some new tomatoes in Farmville, but it still feels good to make it to that next level, and to let those who do care about the game know you’re a serious competitor. And the LEGO-like level-building tools in games have allowed users to get really creative and share their worlds for others to play in and enjoy.

Image Credit: Kevin Johnson

One of the coolest things about the tools being used to enable social gaming is that the basic infrastructure (the Internet), and platforms (i.e. Facebook, Google+), and delivery technologies (i.e. HTML5) are becoming ubiquitous across virtually all modern devices. Whether you’re on a laptop, netbook, smartphone or tablet, these games are starting to find their way to more and more players, no matter where they are. And it’s only a matter of time before these always-on connections will find their way into other consumer electronics. I can imagine a day in the not-too-distant future when your refrigerator and coffee maker will alert you when you lose your ranking on the Angry Birds 2013 leaderboard so you can jump online and reclaim your spot.

So how about you guys? Do you regularly play online and social games? What’s your favorite multiplayer game? What do you like most about it? Is it the game, the social interaction, or both?

This is the first post in Technabob’s Innovations Series, in partnership between Technabob and Intel®: Sponsors of Tomorrow. The Innovations Series is here to enlighten and stimulate discussion about technology and its impact on our everyday lives.

In addition to spreading out the Pop-Tart-cat-farting-a-rainbow across 4 magnets of his own, you’ll also get such classics as the Trollface, Rage Guy, Philosoraptor and Insanity Wolf among others. The set of sixteen magnets was made by BLEEbleeBLAHblooBLOO, and sells for $20 (USD) over on Etsy.

I only wish that he had included Business Cat and Pedobear in the set.

McGuire was spotted by detectives on the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement team and one of the detectives recognized McGuire. The detective followed McGuire into the Apple Store and watched as the man logged onto Facebook using the store demo computer. The detective then used a computer beside McGuire to log onto the Megan’s Law website.

On that site, the officer found details that clearly indicated accessing Facebook was a violation of McGuire’s parole. The officers waited for McGuire to leave the store and then arrested him outside. McGuire is now in the county jail without bail waiting for the next step, which sounds like prison.

[via Sanluisobispo.com]

Super WiFi is currently being developed at Rice University. The picture above shows Rice U grad student Ryan Guerra installing a Super WiFi antenna. As I mentioned above, the trick was to downshift the high frequency WiFi signal – which has trouble going through physical obstacles like walls and trees – to a lower frequency (and vacant) TV channel.

Eager to test it in real world conditions, Guerra tested Super WiFi in a house a mile away from the transmission tower of the home owner’s service provider. Whereas the traditional set up was “frustratingly intermittent” due to the trees and foliage surrounding the house, Super WiFi “has been quite stable, even with leafy trees and through bad weather, and has yet to show any interference or connection problems, even at a mile from the transmitter.”

Pictured above are most of the components needed to set up a Super Wifi connection – a UHF-band filter, a frequency translator, a PC motherboard and WiFi card, and a power supply. The crucial component here is the frequency translator, a prototype device made by Alcatel Lucent. It’s the one that does the downshifting of the signal.

Another benefit of the technology is that, like the TV broadcasts that it replaces, anyone in the path of the signal from a Super WiFi transmitter can take advantage of the connection. It’s very promising, although it’s far from being finalized and has a couple of weaknesses, including a significantly lower bandwidth and network congestion.

I hope that Guerra and his colleagues can fine tune Super WiFi. I think it’s a great and relatively cheap way of providing Internet access. Even if it doesn’t totally replace conventional transmission it could come in really hands in rural areas, field work and in emergency situations. Check out Ars Technica for more info.

[via GizmoWatch via SlashGear]

That one little cable was very important to much of her country and neighboring Armenia. As it turns out that cable carried about 90% of the Internet traffic in Armenia and the service was down for about 12 hours. The woman was arrested by police in the village of Ksani, and she was charged with damaging property and might face three years in prison.

A spokesman for the Georgian interior ministry said, “She found the cable while collecting scrap metal and cut it with a view to stealing it.” Apparently, the cable was well protected according to the owners Georgian Railway Telecom. I think protection was lax if an elderly retiree could find it and cut the cable.

[via Yahoo!News]

Or not. Actually the Tableau hides a scanner and a printer; the former is used to digitize what you want to send, and the latter prints what you receive.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

If the Tableau was real, I imagine it would be quite tedious to use it. Also if you receive a lot of stuff, you’ll run out of ink before you know it. Still, the concept is quite charming and magical. I can imagine myself sending secret messages from one Tableau to another. It kind of reminds me of the inter-universe typewriter in Fringe. Check out Kestner’s website for more info.

Granted, there are already a lot of establishments that provide Wi-Fi to travelers, but since this device is only about 2 inches long, half an inch thick and weighs a mere 35g, it’s no big deal to keep it in your bag at all times, for those instances when only a wired connection is available. Your only problem will be the Ethernet cable. The LAN-W150NRIP USB-powered router is already available on Logitec’s website for ¥3900 (appx. $49 USD). I’m not sure if it’s available outside of Japan though.

[via Akihabara News]

Fortunately, SelfControl can be set to only block access to certain websites or email. At least if you set it to allow email to go through, you can still tell your boss that your SelfControl is preventing you from working.

SelfControl was originally made for OS X only; you can download it for free at Steve Lambert’s website. A Linux version is being developed by a third party and is in version 0.9 as of this writing; download it here. Think you can improve Steve’s SelfControl? Get the code at github and mess with it.

[via Cool Tools]

The initial sets will come in four sizes, the 24-inch NSX-24GT1, 32-inch NSX-32GT1, 40-inch NSX-40GT1, and 46-inch NSX-46GT1. Each of the sets offers full Google TV support, which means access to web surfing, and tons of internet content. They’re all LCD sets with full 1080p resolution. And since each TV has built-in Wi-Fi, you can just plug-in and go, with no external box at all. Sony also announced a Blu-ray player with integrated Google TV, the NSZ-GT1.

For those of you living under a rock, Google TV will allow you to search both cable and satellite programming along with internet content in a single search interface. In addition to web browsing and viewing video, the TVs will have access to Android Market apps starting in early 2011. For now, you’ll have to settle for apps from Twitter, Napster, Pandora, Netflix and the NBA. Netflix and Pandora are the biggies for me. I sure wish my Apple TV supported Pandora, but I’m not holding my breath. Too much of a competitor for iTunes, methinks.

The sets also include a dual-view mode which lets you watch TV and surf the web at the same time. Each set also has plentiful USB and HDMI inputs (4 each) to provide connectivity and access to your other devices for content. Later this year, they’ll also be adding wireless control from “select” mobile phones (Android-based phones only).

The sets also ship with a backlit, full QWERTY remote, which runs on RF – so no line-of-sight is required, but it won’t control your IR or Bluetooth devices from what I can tell. I would have loved it if Sony at least thought about their own PS3 if nothing else here. TheDroidGuy grabbbed some footage from Sony’s press conference if you’re interested in checking out a product demo…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Prices are very reasonable, with the 24-inch selling for $599.99 (USD), the 30-inch at $799.99, the 40-inch at $999.99 and the 46-inch selling for $1399.99. While I suppose you could buy standalone sets for a couple hundred less these days, the idea that everything is neatly integrated is very appealing. If you already have a nice HDTV, you can grab the Google TV Blu-ray player for $399.99.

Sony expects all four sets and the Blu-ray to start shipping around October 16th. You can pre-order all of the sets over from Sony Style and you should start seeing them turn up at local stores like Best Buy in time for early holiday shopping.

Or maybe the boss needs to have a talk with the editor and teach him how to use the “Delete” key in addition to “Cut” and “Paste.”

[via Neatorama]

The LuminAR robotic lamp is pretty awesome because it can move around, and project information on any surface. The lightbulb module is basically a computer with an LCD pico-projector, allowing you to interact with apps and the Internet almost anywhere you can project light.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

It not only projects images, but allows you to tap and type. While I don’t know how necessary the robotic lamp really is, the fact that the LuminAR can be set into a standard lightbulb socket does look pretty cool.

[via DVice]

The hyperlinks lead to additional content like pictures, audio clips or even video. There are also other hyperlinks that lead to forums where you can discuss the book with fellow readers. Here’s a demo:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While the idea may not be mind-blowing, I still think it’s a neat concept. The content in the hyperlinks add to the experience but they’re not necessary, so you can still enjoy the book even when you don’t have your phone with you. However, as e-book readers and tablets become cheaper, I think that this concept will be swallowed whole by digital versions. But that’s just me. You can order Ubimark’s version of Around the World in 80 Days at createspace for $18 (USD).

[vis swissmiss]

Sony is airing the spot in the Washington D.C. and San Fransisco areas to get some buzz building for the recently released personal internet device.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While I really like the idea of using something like this as an alarm clock, I’ve always been worried that the brightness of an LCD screen would keep me from sleeping. Hmm, sleep or tech gadgets. That’s a tough one for me. I guess I’d have to go with the gadgets.

The Sony Dash is available over on Amazon for $199 if you care to check it out.

If you didn’t know about this, then you should most definitely go and change your privacy settings. Anyone, from potential employers, coworkers, to your girlfriend’s dad can find out what you’ve been saying if you’re not careful enough.

Today also marked the day that Facebook introduced new and easy to use privacy settings. At least that’s what the press release said. But honestly, people should be more careful with what they post if they really are worried about people finding out their personal info.

[via This Isn't Happiness]

Granted, it may have been Green’s “finicky” Internet connection that was the direct cause of his problem, but why should one’s enjoyment of a single-player game be dependent on another service (beyond electricity of course)? Green proposes alternative modes of verification, but unless people stop buying games with DRM, I doubt that EA would listen even to one of its own.

[via Ars Technica]

Basically the server(s) handling log ins for Assassin’s Creed 2 players crashed, and since the game is being constantly authenticated as it is played, it locked players out.  The official Assassin’s Creed forum is overflowing with hate, even from people who don’t actually own the game. I think the server is still down as of this writing. Someone is probably going to get fired for this, but if that happens the people who thought of this idea should get the boot as well. What now Ubisoft?

[via Joystiq]

Judge Oscar Magi (awesome last name btw) laid down the rule of the law on Google’s Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer David Drummond, along with former CFO George Reyes, and Global Privacy Counsel Peter Fleischer. Although none of them were involved in the uploading or production of the controversial video, the prosecutors claimed that Google should have noticed it and taken it down sooner because it quickly became one of the most popular videos at the time.

Google will of course appeal the decision, stating that it is a threat to “the principles of freedom on which the Internet was built.” My only question is, does Google even have the technology or manpower necessary to really screen the tens of thousands of videos uploaded to YouTube daily? I mean, do we even have the means to censor the massive content on the Web if we wanted to?

[via The Observer via Chip Chick]

I can’t read Italian, and the Google-translated version of the announcement on Wired Italy’s website is barely understandable, but it seems that – this is so damn strange, I can’t believe I’m writing this – in the unlikely event that the Internet wins the award, inventors Larry Roberts, Vinton Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee will be the ones to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in its behalf – the Internet has no hands, you see. What do you guys think?

Does our means of work, education, communication and entertainment deserve a Nobel Peace Prize? Why didn’t Wired Italy nominate Roberts, Cerf and Berners-Lee directly? Won’t it feel wrong to search for porn via a Nobel Peace Prize winner?

[via Forbes and Wired Italy]

The online account dependency will debut with the game The Settlers 7:

Your Internet connection. Is required. To play. This game. I’m not much of a PC gamer, and I don’t have the solution to piracy, but I think restrictions like this only serve to alienate customers and encourage pirates. With the exception of the PS3 (so far, Sony’s knocking on wood), no major video game system has escaped piracy, and I’m fairly sure that this measure can be circumvented.

A “self-professed pirate” has this to say to Ubisoft’s paying customers: “This is fine, I only have to access the Internet once to get Ubisoft games. You’re the ones paying for a broken copy.”

[via Gamespy & Ars Technica]