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    Man builds Tardis wooden TARDIS replica and uses Augmented Reality to make it “bigger on the inside”

    Gadgets Team
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    Man builds Tardis wooden TARDIS replica and uses Augmented Reality to make it “bigger on the inside”

    If you’re a Doctor Who fan, chances are we’ve perked up your ears with the mere mention of TARDIS on the title up there. Well, you’re in for a bigger treat – former Tech Crunch writer Greg Kumparak just happens to be a huge fan of the series as well, and created a replica TARDIS (a vehicle used for time travel that looks like a 60’s British police call-box) out of wood. Of course, being the techie that he is, Greg didn’t stop there – he used the power of augmented reality to make his rendition stand out from the pack. You see, the interior of the TARDIS in the show was always bigger than what you initially saw, so Greg used Qualcomm’s augmented reality framework and made an app from scratch that would interpret the augmented reality pattern on the front door of the TARDIS. The result is pretty awesome – you owe it to yourself to check out the video link below.

     

     
    Source: Greg Kumparak (YouTube)

    AfterShokz Open-ear, bone-conduction Bluetooth headphones up for pre-order!

    Ren Alcantara
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    2
    AfterShokz Open-ear, bone-conduction Bluetooth headphones up for pre-order!

    AfterShokz, a company whose product is far more innovative then their spelling, is coming out with a pair of wireless bone-conduction headphones at CES next year. For those of you unfamiliar, bone conductive headphones don’t have the traditional scaled-down speaker innards of most headphones. They take the sound information and vibrate accordingly. When you sit them next to your ear, you won’t really hear a thing. Rest them on just in front of your ears, where they’re supposed to be, and the vibrations travel through your cheekbone, straight to the inner ear, bypassing the eardrum all together, and making music. This means the listener is free to hear all the other sounds outside, making it safer, and makes the headphones 100% compatible with hearing protection.

    The device, called the AfterShokz Bluez, uses widely-accepted Bluetooth wireless technology to interface with devices, and ensures broad compatibility with a host of players, mobile phones, and audio systems in the market today. The manufacturer’s website HERE has the product for pre-order for just under USD 100, so if you want to be on the bleeding edge of personal audio, hit the link and let them know you want one.

    German company makes 50kW drone and missile-shooting laser. Judgement Day edges nearer.

    Ren Alcantara
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    0
    German company makes 50kW drone and missile-shooting laser. Judgement Day edges nearer.

    Drones and missiles are pesky things. They are small, fly pretty fast and are almost impossible to shoot down with pretty much anything. German company Rheinmetall has found their one weakness, and it’s really cool: Lasers. The company has just released a 50kW laser system (up from the previous year’s 10kW) that punched a hole through a 15mm (about .6-inch) steel girder at a distance of a kilometer. The system uses a 30 and a 20kW laser that are both focused on the target in order to achieve the 50kW output. Researchers said that the technology could be scaled, and there was little in the way of coming up with a 100kW laser array in the future. The system included a tracking module that enabled it in tests to detect, track and destroy a roughly mortar-sized target travelling at 50 m/sec. It’s a very impressive demonstration of technology, and one that we can’t wait to see mounted on either a motorcycle, sports car or shark near us. Read the whole release HERE.

    Need For Speed Most Wanted for Android cuts price, now at $0.99 – probably the best looking racing game you can buy

    Gadgets Team
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    Need For Speed Most Wanted for Android cuts price, now at $0.99 – probably the best looking racing game you can buy

    If you’ve just bought a brand spanking new smartphone and are looking to see how far you can take it, you might want to download EA Games’ latest offering of their Need For Speed franchise for Android, Need For Speed Most Wanted. The game plays out much like the bigger version on consoles and PCs, which if you’re not familiar, takes you on several game modes in a fictional city.

    The game allows you to control over 40 of the world’s most exciting cars, and the graphics on this game is pretty mind blowing – possibly the prettiest we’ve ever seen for on the Android platform. Best of all, the game is only $0.99 now on Google Play, so you’ve officially run out of excuses not to buy this great game. You can grab the game from here.

    Huawei exec outs 6.1-inch Ascend Mate phablet

    Gadgets Team
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    Huawei exec outs 6.1-inch Ascend Mate phablet

    Things are getting slightly ridiculous up in phablet land, as Engadget has reported that a Huawei executive by the name of Richard Yu has flaunted their next phablet device, the Ascend Mate tot he masses and waiting tech media. The Ascend Mate is possibly the biggest phablet in existence today, and carries a gigantic 6.1-inch, 1080p display. Rumors are circulating that the Ascend Mate will sport a 1.8GHz HiSilicon K3V3 quad-core processor, along with a 4,000 mAh battery and an overall thickness of just 9.9mm. Although we’re not entirely convinced about how easy a 6.1-inch phablet is to use, we’re a bit excited to see the official unveil of the Ascend Mate next month during CES.

    Source: Sina Weibo via Engadget

    Star Trek game to be released in April 2013

    Gadgets Team
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    Star Trek game to be released in April 2013

    Feeling that the new Star Trek movie next year isn’t enough to satiate your geekery? Fret not, Trekkies. Namco Bandai has recently announced that the release date of the upcoming Star Trek game for consoles will be on April 23, 2013, which is less than a month before the movie hits the silver screen.

    The game, according to G4, bridges the gap between the events in the first Star Trek flick in 2009 and the follow-up film, Star Trek Into Darkness, which will come out in May 2013. Although, TG Daily reports that the  game is merely a “stand-alone” adventure.

    Namco Bandai has also announced the availability of a pre-order bonus called the Elite Office Pack, which contains exclusive items and costume packs for Captain Kirk and Spock, the playable characters in the co-op  game.

    The film’s Enterprise crew consisting of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Jon Cho and Anton Yelchin all provide their voices for the game.

    For more details and screenshots, head over to www.startrekgame.com. Watch the Gamer’s Day 2012 trailer below!

    Psy’s Gangnam Style is the first ever video in YouTube to hit 1 billion views

    Gadgets Team
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    Psy’s Gangnam Style is the first ever video in YouTube to hit 1 billion views

    Love it or hate it, Gangnam Style has become a phenomenal hit all over the world. Fans of the Korean singer Psy will be happy to know that the original video that started it all has managed to hit 1 billion views in YouTube as of writing, which makes it a first for the video sharing site. It still baffles us how exactly this happened, but hey, at least Psy will be happy. If you’re still not sick of that infernal song infiltrating every nook and cranny of society, you can hit up the original video here.

    TransPhone Pro takes a swipe at the smartphone/tablet hybrid concept, looks suspiciously like an Asus PadFone

    Gadgets Team
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    TransPhone Pro takes a swipe at the smartphone/tablet hybrid concept, looks suspiciously like an Asus PadFone

    One of the unique Android-powered devices that we’ve seen in the past year was ASUS’s PadFone, that tablet-dockin’ smartphone that had us fawning over it when we first saw it with our own eyes. It’s no surprise though that other companies are looking to try and replicate the somewhat limited success of the innovative device with their own interpretation, although we can’t really say that TransPhone’s offering improves on the formula. The TransPhone Pro is relatively smaller than the ASUS offering – 7-inch tablet that docks a 3.5-inch smartphone instead of a 10-inch tablet and 4.7-inch smartphone – with a slower dual-core 1GHz MediTek chip on-board. It’s definitely not going to be breaking any speed records, but for the $240 sticker that TransPhone is asking for, some may just take that plunge.

    Source: TransPhone

    Smart adds Windows Phone 8X by HTC and Nexus 4 to line-up, free at Plan 2000 and Plan 1500 respectively

    Gadgets Team
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    Smart adds Windows Phone 8X by HTC and Nexus 4 to line-up, free at Plan 2000 and Plan 1500 respectively

    Smart has just added two new smartphones to its lineup. This time ’round, the telco has added the Windows Phone 8X by HTC and the LG made Nexus 4 to their smartphone lineup. The Nexus 4 seems to be the cheaper of the two, although you will have to sign-up with Smart’s Plan 1500 to be able to get the device for free with a 30 month lock-in. If you don’t want to be locked in for 30 months, you will have to pony-up Php 4,000 up front to get the device. For the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, you’ll be getting it free at Plan 2000 with a 30 month lock-in. Just like the Nexus 4, same deal applies if you want to avail of the 24 month lock-in – you need to drop down Php 4,000 cash. If you don’t fancy handing over Php 2000 every month for the device, you can avail of the device at Plan 1500, although you will need to pay Php 8,000 up front for it. The device is free at Plan 3000, with a 24-month lock-in.

     

    Fuel up Christmas with Petron eFuel Cards

    Press Release
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    Fuel up Christmas with Petron eFuel Cards

    Want to give a gift that’s sure to be appreciated by friends, relatives, neighbors, employees, clients and business partners? Get them a prepaid Petron eFuel Card that they can use to pay for fuels, lubricants as well as other products and services at participating Petron stations nationwide.

    The Petron eFuel Card can be loaded with flexible denominations starting at P1,000.  The card load can be used as many times as needed, until the amount stored in the card is depleted.

    Once consumed, the Petron eFuel Card holder has the option to reload it at BPI ATMs and branches for the convenience of cash-less transactions. The Petron eFuel Card is transferable but not redeemable for cash or credit. Nor is it replaceable if lost or damaged.

    Petron has the largest retail network with more than 2,000 service stations bringing its superior automotive fuels closer to motorists. It remains at the forefront of fuels technology and continuously pioneers ground-breaking products formulated for the lifestyles of customers. Petron Blaze, for instance, is one of the few—if not the only—commercially available gasoline in the world with a 100-octane rating.

    Samsung Galaxy Grand official, cheaper alternative to Galaxy Note II?

    Gadgets Team
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    Samsung Galaxy Grand official, cheaper alternative to Galaxy Note II?

    Samsung has officially released the Galaxy Grand, a mid-tier device that the company hopes to fill the need of people wanting a large, 5-inch phablet without dropping a lot of cash. The Galaxy Grand sports a  5-inch 800 x 480 WVGA display that’s probably not the best in the world, and will be powered with Android 4.1.2 and an unspecified dual-core processor chugging along at 1.2GHz. While the skeptic in us feel that that’s not nearly enough processing power, Samsung says that the device is powerful enough to support the dual-viewing mode that we enjoyed with its bigger, Note II sibling. The Galaxy Grand will also have an 8-megapixel camera, along with a 720p capable front camera. The device apparently will be dual-SIM (or will have a dual-SIM variant) and will be hitting Asia and other markets soon. No word on pricing or availability as of yet.

    Source: Samsung

    BlackBerry Z10 leaks via promotional material

    Gadgets Team
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    BlackBerry Z10 leaks via promotional material

    There’s been a rash of BlackBerry 10 leaks in the previous days because of the looming January 30 release date for the new OS and devices, and the latest leak, courtesy of Unwired View, shows us what the new touch-enabled device will look like. The new device is dubbed as the BlackBerry Z10, and aside from the new form-factor and OS, RIM is also dropping their 4-numeral naming convention in favor of the easier-to-remember L-Series convention. Unfortunately not a lot can be gleaned from the leak – but we’re sure that RIM will be showing us everything we need to know once January 30 rolls around.

    Source: Unwired View

     

    LG overhauls Magic Remote, adds Siri-like voice recognition capabilities

    Gadgets Team
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    LG overhauls Magic Remote, adds Siri-like voice recognition capabilities

    One of the things that made LG’s smart TV offerings stand out from the pack was the company’s unique Magic Remote. Part Wii-controller, part remote, this particular device allowed users to go through menus, issue commands and change channels with a flick of the wrist and the occasional voice command. Today, the company has announced that it’s overhauled the device, and has added robust voice recognition to the fore that should give it better odds of recognizing verbal commands.

    “LG is committed to providing innovative home entertainment solutions and the Magic Remote is a key pillar of the CINEMA 3D Smart TV user experience,” said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of the LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. “Building on an already impressive feature set, the latest version boasts accurate lan-guage recognition and its gesture, wheel and point control options makes the Magic Remote stand out amongst its competition as a truly intuitive device.”

    The new remote also boasts new features, and LG now promises that the Magic Remote can now be able to control other appliances as well, such as set-top boxes, sound bars and Blu-ray players. Just how effective LG’s implementation on the new features is anyone’s guess, but if it improves the way we use our TVs (and other gadgets) and keeps our asses planted firmly in our couches (or beds, whatever the case maybe) we’re all for it.

     

    No, that eagle did not snatch that baby – animation students admit YouTube hoax

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    No, that eagle did not snatch that baby – animation students admit YouTube hoax

    There’s been quite a buzz about a this particular video going around YouTube lately. It depicts a golden eagle swooping in and picking up a child on the ground, and almost flying off with the hapless victim. Unfortunately, as awesome/slightly horrible as it is, it’s a hoax. A particularly well done hoax, but it’s no more real than Cthulhu himself. The deed was done by Normand Archambault, Loïc Mireault and Félix Marquis-Poulin, students at Centre NAD, in the production simulation workshop class of the Bachelors degree in 3D Animation and Digital Design. “Both the eagle and the kid were created in 3D animation” the school admitted, “and integrated in to the film afterwards.” The video in question has garnered 16 million views as of writing, which is pretty impressive if you think about it, even if the video was a fake. This bit of news should assuage jittery parents in Montreal looking up to the skies scanning for baby-snatching eagles.

    Source: Centre NAD

    THQ selling assets, files bankruptcy

    Gadgets Team
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    THQ selling assets, files bankruptcy

    Game developer and publisher THQ filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Clearlake Capital Group, a private equity firm. Clearlake will acquire substantially all of the assets of THQ’s operating business, including THQ’s four owned studios and games in development, and THQ’s stock on the NASDAQ exchange has been halted, with the company expecting to be delisted within nine calendar days.

    “The sale and filing are necessary next steps to complete THQ’s transformation and position the company for the future, as we remain confident in our existing pipeline of games, the strength of our studios and THQ’s deep bench of talent,” said THQ CEO Brian Farrell. THQ has developed games such as Saints Row and its sequels, Red Faction, Homefront and the WWE series of video games.

    THQ (the abbreviation for Toy Head Quarters) was founded by former LJN co-founder Jack Friedman in April 1990, and acquired numerous game developers in the 2000s. It also had licensing relationships with Disney/Pixar and Nickelodeon, developing and publishing games based on popular Disney and Nickelodeon shows and movies.

    Although THQ has chosen Clearlake Capital Group to purchase the company’s assets, it has positioned itself as a stalking horse bidder, which means although the company has chosen it to buy out its assets, it could also have other interested buyers.

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