Sure, you probably waited longer than you should have to get the elusive white iPhone 4 . But, you know what’s better than a boring regular model? One with diamonds, crystals and pearls… of course! Known for its ridiculous custom mobile devices, Gresso may force you to refinance your house and hock a kidney to afford its latest creation, the Lady Blanche. A solid diamond-coated mineral glass backing, three independent Swiss clocks and pearl dials replace the usual body on this iced-out iPhone. If the $30k diamond model is a bit out of your price range, the much more affordable Swarovski crystal version will only set you back 7,000 bones. Release details are unclear at this point, but when they drop you better act fast — only 150 of these gems will be available. Heck, if you have that kind of cash lying around, just get the salesman to throw in one of these for your iPad, too. Gresso flaunts $30,000 white iPhone 4, holds more ice than a skating rink originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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First we had the spherical drone and now we have the spherical butler. Sanyo’s Mirai Sanzo robot won’t do housework unfortunately, but it will interpret your voice commands and relay them to your home automation system, just in case you happen to live in the type of wondrous abode depicted after the break. To fulfill its mission as a “communication robot,” the WiFi-connected 22cm helper comes with a touchscreen, touch sensors (for switching on and off) and voice recognition — all powered by an undisclosed version of Android. It can also show seven different emotions by glowing in various colors, making it about three times more expressive than some humans. Mirai Sanzo will be out in Japan any time now, and while we’re not sure of the price, we have tried to translate the name. We arrived at “Future Bob”, but we’re open to other suggestions. Continue reading Sanyo’s Mirai Sanzo robot brings the extra emotion your household craves Sanyo’s Mirai Sanzo robot brings the extra emotion your household craves originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung study finds no link between cancer and work conditions, might not be released in full
July 15, 2011 No Comment
Samsung has finally wrapped up that investigation into alleged cancer risks at its chip facilities, but it might not share the details with the rest of the world. In the study, which the company commissioned last year, researchers from US-based Environ International Corp. found that cancers affecting six semiconductor employees were unrelated to any chemicals they may have been exposed to on the job. Of those six workers, four have already died and five of the families are currently pressing charges. Last month, a South Korea court determined that two of the cases could be linked to toxic chemical exposure — a ruling that Environ’s report clearly contradicts. Samsung, however, is reluctant to disclose the results in full, for fear that doing so may reveal some proprietary information. Environ’s Paul Harper declined to say how much Samsung paid for the investigation, due to client confidentiality, while confirming that the research was carried out in consultation with a panel of independent experts. Semiconductor exec Kwon Oh-hyun, meanwhile, denied that the company commissioned the study in order to use it as evidence in the ongoing court case, in which Samsung isn’t even listed as a defendant. Samsung study finds no link between cancer and work conditions, might not be released in full originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Mashed Pixel’s Surc iPhone 4 case is finally ready take on the challenge of making Apple’s slab a universal remote now that it’s on sale for a mere $74.95. That’s pricier than the RedEye Mini Dongle but cheaper than the Peel receiver, and it does pull double duty as a protector. The built in MicroUSB hookup and included cable means it can stay on even while charging before jumping into action when the companion app is opened on the phone. It can be controlled via buttons, gestures or motion control, with plenty of programmability built in. The only downside we can find is that this is definitely a goner whenever you upgrade to Steve’s next iThing, and it means leaving the sweet, potentially reception-improving case you already picked out behind. Gallery: Surc iPhone 4 case / universal IR remote Surc combination iPhone 4 case and IR remote now shipping for $75 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Looks like Asus might be expanding its range of Linux-based netbooks for our delectation. In addition to the Meego and Ubuntu 10-inch models we’ve already seen, an Italian retailer is pushing a new 12-incher on pre-order that hasn’t yet crossed our path. The 1215P sports a 1.5GHz Intel N570 Atom dual-core processor and 2GB of memory for 280 Euros ($400). Judging from a certification page for the 1215P at Ubuntu.com , there’s a strong chance it’ll come with 10.10 Maverick Meerkat pre-installed, which happens to be one of our favorite animals. Sure, meerkats sometimes kill each others’ offspring, but they’re way friendlier than narwhals . [Thanks, Marco] Eee PC 1215P 12-incher spotted with mammalian Ubuntu originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Many analysts and market watchers were expecting a strong Q2 earnings report from Sony Ericsson today, but the company took them by surprise, posting a net loss of some €50 million (about $70.5 million), compared with a net gain of €12 million (around $17 million) at the same time last year. The manufacturer also sold only 7.6 million phones during the quarter, marking a 31 percent year-on-year decrease, while overall revenue fell from €1.76 billion (about $2.5 billion) last year to €1.19 billion (almost $1.7 billion) during Q2 2011. CEO Bert Nordberg attributed much of the decline to the Japanese earthquake, which disrupted the venture’s supply chain, resulting in the loss of around 1.5 million devices. The report comes after Sony Ericsson launched a widespread cost-cutting campaign and re-focused its efforts on smartphone production, which comprised more than 70 percent of all sales during Q2, compared with just 40 percent at the end of last year. For a more thorough breakdown, head past the break for the full press release. Continue reading Sony Ericsson posts surprising Q2 loss, blames Japanese earthquake Sony Ericsson posts surprising Q2 loss, blames Japanese earthquake originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 04:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Spazzi dancebot can’t teach you how to Dougie, but it’s got the robot on lock
July 15, 2011 No Comment
It looks like somebody’s got some competition. So, Spazzi’s probably not going to dethrone the reigning King of Cute, but judging from what we’ve seen of its moves, it could give Keepon some competition on the dance floor. This little, solenoid-packing robot, featured in the latest issue of Make , is actually kin to our boy Keepon, and uses an Arduino ( holla! ) to control the solenoid’s and springs that give it that special robot swag. If you’ve been pining after Keepon, and have some DIY skills, hop on past the source link for the full build, or just check out a video of Spazzi gettin’ its groove on after the break. Continue reading Spazzi dancebot can’t teach you how to Dougie, but it’s got the robot on lock Spazzi dancebot can’t teach you how to Dougie, but it’s got the robot on lock originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Pew pew. Those are the sounds we instantly hear whenever we come across Motorola’s Photon 4G . Sadly, the soon-to-be dual-core star of Sprint’s smartphone lineup won’t come pre-loaded with a laser soundboard on July 31st , but it can be pre-ordered now — for a significant markdown. All it takes is a quick internetting trip to either Wirefly or Walmart, where this WiMAX handset’s up for a $20 – $40 discount. It’s not a massive price chop on par with free , but it should move some yellow-tinged operator inventory. If walking the straight and narrow’s your bag, you could still always opt for the direct carrier two-year contract option — but why ? Hit the source to get yourself in line for this cut-rate beast. Motorola Photon 4G gets the bargain bin treatment at Wirefly, Walmart originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 02:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Robots for Humanity? That certainly doesn’t jibe with our notion of the upcoming cyborg apocalypse . And it shouldn’t, considering this joint effort’s noble aim is to assist the disabled with the everyday household chores most of us take for granted. The project, a collaboration between Willow Garage and Georgia Tech’s Healthcare Robotics Lab, has been working with stroke victim Henry Evans to develop custom UIs that give him mastery of the human-assistive PR2 robot. These tailor-made, head-tracking interfaces have allowed the mute quadriplegic to partially shave his face and even scratch a previously unreachable ten-year itch — all with the helping claw of the friendly bot. It’s a compassionate use of cybernetic tech we’re used to seeing come out of Japan , and a welcome assist for disabled communities everywhere. Click past the break for a video demo of Henry and his robotic pal. Continue reading Robots for Humanity help around the house, scratch your itch (video) Robots for Humanity help around the house, scratch your itch (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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New York’s boys in blue will soon be able to creep up on evildoers with even more subtlety, thanks to some new electrified vehicles the city unveiled yesterday. As part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s environmentally-friendly PlaNYC initiative, 70 new EVs have been added to the city’s fleet of public cars, in the hopes of lowering emissions and creating a “greener, greater New York City.” Joining the force are ten Ford Transit Connect cargo vans, ten Navi-star E-star trucks and a full 50 Chevy Volts — some of which will be used as NYPD squad cars. These newcomers will be shared among nine different departments, joining 360 other city plug-ins already purring their way across the five boroughs. Bloomberg is also working toward adding EVs to New York’s army of 13,000 taxis — which we’re totally cool with, as long as they’re not minivans . Zip past the break for a rather Homeric press release. Continue reading Chevy Volts invade NYC police fleet, give cops all new ways to taze bros Chevy Volts invade NYC police fleet, give cops all new ways to taze bros originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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