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    Team Fortress 2 now free to play forever

    Gadgets Team
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    Team Fortress 2 now free to play forever

    Excellent gameplay, constant updates and balance fixes and tasty DLCs (downloadable content) are just a few things that has made Team Fortress 2 a multiplayer staple for most online gamers since its release 2007, and now gamers can add another feature – it’s free to play, forever. Yes, Team Fortress 2 is now a free-to-play game, so if you’re one of the few people who’ve always wanted to try Valve’s amazing multiplayer masterpiece (but was just too cheap to pony up the dough), you can now head on over here to grab it. Naturally you will need Valve’s digital content distribution system, Steam to download it.  Valve will now earn money from the game via in-game micro transactions from items, and knowing Valve and their zealous approach to in-game balance, the items won’t give players an edge over other players. Fair warning though – it’s a hefty, 10GB download (pretty impressive for such an old game), but trust us, it’s worth it. We’ve also embedded the latest chapter of Valve’s “Meet the” series below for your enjoyment.

    Going Green: Turn magazines into walls.

    Gadgets Team
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    Going Green: Turn magazines into walls.

    Back then, old magazines and back issues made great recycled materials for collages and other geeky art stuff. But now, better ways to reuse, reduce, and recycle them are becoming more and more pertinent as more people become environmentally-conscious due to the adverse effects on the ecological footprint.

    Extreme Office Makeover from Oktavilla on Vimeo.

    Despite the urgency to find better solutions to go green, this does not mean we can’t think of fun and quirky ideas. And one such idea is from Elding Oscarson, who took stacks of recycled magazines and turned them into office walls of graphic design agency, Oktavilla in Stockholm. The magazines looked like glossy, thick bricks that were just absolutely colorful and awe-inspiring.

    So I suggest you keep your copies of GADGETS MAGAZINE. Because who knows? You may have the urge to turn your wall into a work of functional art.

     

    Source: Curbly

    Meet the first programmable iPad pedalboard (for guitarists)

    Gadgets Team
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    Meet the first programmable iPad pedalboard (for guitarists)

     

    This is the DigiTech iPB-10, the first fully programmable pedalboard that utilizes the touch-power of Apple’s iPad.  Essentially, this device provides guitarists the ability to create and program their dream effects rig, which is fully capable for live performances due to its solid build, high-def processing and zero latency.

    Used in conjunction with DigiTech’s iPB-Nexus app, users can pick from 87 pedals, 54 amps and 26 cabinets, which they can drag/drop and rearrange to their heart’s content. The iPad docks into the pedalboard (as seen in the photo above), so users can still browse through their saved presets by touch, or by stomping on the foot switches during a performance.

     

    Shipping in this month of June, the suggested retail price is roughly Php 30,366 ($699.95).

    Nokia “unveils” first Windows Phone 7 device, codenamed “Sea Ray”

    Gadgets Team
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    Nokia “unveils” first Windows Phone 7 device, codenamed “Sea Ray”

    You just gotta love reporters who don’t follow instructions. In a private event where Nokia CEO Stephen Elop gave a talk to reporters, the Nokia head honcho gave selected media a sneak peek into the first device of the company running Windows Phone 7 with strict instructions not to photograph or record it. Naturally the reporters then promptly ignored him and took videos and pictures of the new device. Eerily similar to the just released Nokia N9 device unveiled earlier this week, the new device seems like a good match of the excellent hardware we saw on the N9 combined with some of the more distinct features of Windows Phone 7. More importantly, the device tells us that Nokia probably  has smartphones in its HQ running Windows Phone 7, and that it won’t be long until we see full fledged retail units with Phone 7 running. We’ve embedded a short snippet of the presentation below, and you can go to Technet.nu for the whole shebang.

    Source: Technet.nu

    Nanotechnology will soon be able to power your devices forever

    Gadgets Team
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    Nanotechnology will soon be able to power your devices forever

    What if it was possible to charge your phone, tablet or notebook by just tapping on the top of the device? Or if your iPod could take its charge from the impact of your shoes on the floor? That’s the potential ramifications of the work being done by researchers at the RMIT University in Melbourne who have, for the first time characterized the ability of piezoelectric thin films to turn mechanical pressure into electricity. The work combines two technologies – piezoelectrics and thin film technology to fuel devices of the future. Lead co-author Dr Madhu Bhaskaran paints a pretty awesome picture of the future of the technology. “The power of piezoelectrics could be integrated into running shoes to charge mobile phones, enable laptops to be powered through typing or even used to convert blood pressure into a power source for pacemakers – essentially creating an everlasting battery. The concept of energy harvesting using piezoelectric nanomaterials has been demonstrated but the realisation of these structures can be complex and they are poorly suited to mass fabrication. Our study focused on thin film coatings because we believe they hold the only practical possibility of integrating piezoelectrics into existing electronic technology.” You better start collecting chargers for your devices folks, because if this tech manages to pan out, those things will become relics in no time flat.

    Source: Physorg

    Japanese pop idol is pretty, talented, and not real

    Gadgets Team
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    Japanese pop idol is pretty, talented, and not real

    Aimi Eguchi is the latest teen pop sensation in the all-girl group AKB 48. After an airing of a candy commercial for Ezaki Glico, a Japanese candy company, she became an instant hit with the fans of the group. There’s just one hitch though – she’s not real.

    Created by combining all the best traits of six of the 61 members of the group (it’s a big all-girl group apparently), Aimi Eguchi is naturally a stunning looker. To further enhance the illusion, a profile of Aimi was created on the band’s website, which, among other things, claimed she was a 16-year-old girl from Saitama. In addition, Eguchi had also been featured in a magazine, complete with faked photos and biodata. This clever bit of counterfugue makes us wonder about the viability of virtual idols – because according to the reports, this little stunt managed to fool a lot of the band’s fans into thinking she was real. It probably won’t be long before we see virtual boy or girl bands popping up everywhere. We’ve embedded the commercial she appeared in below.

    Source: Channel News Asia

    Lytro’s camera lets you re-focus images after they’ve been taken

    Gadgets Team
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    Lytro’s camera lets you re-focus images after they’ve been taken

    How would you like to fix the focus on your photographs after they have been taken?

    A company called Lytro, has been able to do just that. The company has created a light field sensor which basically catches all available light within view of the camera.

    What does this mean? You can re-focus your images after they are taken!

    Never again will you have to slap yourself in the face out of frustration because what could have been a great shot was out of focus. Lytro promises that once your images are on a computer or smartphone, you will be able to adjust the focus point on any part of the photograph!

    For more info and to try out what the Lytro camera is capable of, go here.

    You may also visit Lytro’s official website if you wish to make a reservation.

     

    Source: PopPhoto and AllThingsD

     

    PS: Thanks to Jude, our Art Director for pointing this out

    Scientists create cells that emit laser light, next stop, Cyclops’ eyes?

    Gadgets Team
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    Scientists create cells that emit laser light, next stop, Cyclops’ eyes?

    In a fascinating (and terrifying) turn of events, scientists from Harvard University has created the first living laser. The scientists, professor Seok-Hyun Yun and colleague Malte Gather has managed to create a biological equivalents to the gain medium, one of the main components of any laser. For the gain medium, the team used green fluorescent protein (GFP), the same protein that’s used by jellyfish to glow in the dark. After creating a genetically engineered human embryonic kidney cell to produce GFP, the team placed the cell between two mirrors and ran a beam of light through the cell that subsequently produced a visible laser beam. The beam only lasted for a few nanoseconds, but it was easily detectable and carried useful information on the properties of the cell.

    The possibilities of a cell that’s able to produce laser beams are enormous. Scientists can use the technique to create cells that lase a tumor from the inside out, for example, without having to resort to invasive procedures. And you never know, we might all be retrofitted with laser eyes in the future.

    Source: Wired

    Romain Jerome: Space Invaders Watch

    Gadgets Team
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    Romain Jerome: Space Invaders Watch

    A celebration of history on the wrist – that is what RJ-Romain Jerome strives to achieve with every timepiece. Working behind the concept “DNA of famous legends,” RJ showcases both famous as well as infamous events of mankind and immortalizes them onto the wrist.

    Now for those 80s gamers at heart, you may be interested in the Romain Jerome Space Invaders Collection – a luxurious and iconic watch that’s both quirky and definitely exclusive. Released in 1978, Space Invaders became one of the first shooting games to gain massive success. Now, the pixilated alien invader remains a pop culture icon.

    RJ collaborated with the TAITO Corporation for the said collection in the hopes to create a two 78-piece limited series.

     

    Source: Romain Jerome

    Panasonic set to release a new lens

    Gadgets Team
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    Panasonic set to release a new lens

    If you aren’t excited about the upcoming release of the Lumix G3 and GF3 just yet, maybe this will fuel your lust.

    Panasonic will soon release a Leica DG Summilux 25mm f1.4, which is a perfect addition to their growing number of lenses.

    This wide lens features an aperture that is perfect for portraits and night shots, which other manufacturers seem to lack in their current mirrorless line. I was personally able to test this lens out for a few hours, and I must say that the images resulting from its optics are crisp and clear.

    The following  photos were taken with the G3 + 25mm f.14, at the Saa Paper and Umbrella Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand:

    It begs the question: What’s Next? A Panel On The Future

    Gadgets Team
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    It begs the question: What’s Next? A Panel On The Future

    Allison Mooney, Head of Trends & Insights, Marketing for Google, Ayesha Khanna, Managing Partner of the Hybrid Reality Institute, Greg Lindsay, Journalist for Fast Company and Katherine Moriwaki, Assistant Professor of Media Design at Parsons School of Design make up the panel of experts discussing  people’s relationship with technology now and where that’s headed.

    Ayesha Khanna begins the discussion by raising a most important point: “I don’t think we can understand our relationship with technology or what’s coming next without taking a big step back.”

     

    PSFK CONFERENCE NYC 2011: What’s Next? A Panel On The Future from Piers Fawkes on Vimeo.

     

    So what’s next?

    The proliferation and access to simple components and electronics in order for people to build tool kits for each other, for their friends, for other people who would actually like to make technology projects.

    Seamless urban mobility.

    More fun and interesting things from people.

    Robots.

    Here’s to a long and prosperous future.

     

    Source: PSFK

    Project Zomboid promises zombies, survival and your death

    Gadgets Team
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    Project Zomboid promises zombies, survival and your death

    One of the things I really liked about ANC’s The Walking Dead was the whole inescapable reality of the zombie apocalypse – it’s more about survival and the human condition rather than the zombies that threatened the character’s lives. There was no chosen one, no cure and no escape – just constant death and the struggle to survive. That portrayal of the zombie apocalypse has been absent from games – until I stumbled into Project Zomboid. The game is different in that death is inescapable – you ARE going to die sooner or later – its the things you do before your death that matters. Right now the game is in it’s alpha stages and will be released Minecraft style , meaning it’s not complete, and the developers are still planning and implementing a lot of features as the days and months roll by.

    The graphics are a throwback to isometric games of old (like XCOM if any of you guys can remember that far back) and puts a big emphasis on survival and not combat. But that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a lot of combat – this wouldn’t be a proper zombie game if you couldn’t bash a few zack skulls, after all – it just means that you’ll have to be very selective of who, and when, you fight. There’s a good crafting system in place, as well as a day/night and hunger cycle. There’s a playable demo available that paints a pretty good picture of where the game is going, and we’ve linked it below so you guys can try the game out. If you like the game, you can support the devs by ponying up the £5.00 (Php 352) for it.

    Source: Project Zomboid

     

     

    Background check company stores public social data up to seven years

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Background check company stores public social data up to seven years

    Kids these days post all kinds of things on their Facebook accounts. While it might be hilarious to post funny but politically incorrect pictures or go on racist rants for the benefit of your friends, these actions may have some very real consequences down the line, like you not being able to get a job. The FCC just gave the green light to a background check company that screens job applicants based on their internet postings, including all relevant social media (Twitter, Facebook and the like). The difference is that once researched, the company stores that data for seven years. Admittedly, Social Intelligence, the company that does the check, will not make the information available other than to the company that requests for the background check. What that means is that every time a potential employer asks for a background check, the company will start from scratch – so if you’ve managed to delete the offending content associated to your account, you’re free and clear.

    We’ve always thought that what you post on the internet is an extension of who you are, and companies like Social Intelligence is proving just that. While all of this is happening on the other side of the world, it’s not far-fetched to think that this kind of background check will happen here – who is to say that the multinational company that hires you won’t be using a service like this? So the next time you post that politically incorrect rant about whatever, take a deep breath and think it through. It may be the reason why you’re turned down in the future.

    Source: Forbes

    Scientists expands rat’s brains, might lead to a cure for neural degenerative diseases

    Gadgets Team
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    Scientists expands rat’s brains, might lead to a cure for neural degenerative diseases

    Wouldn’t it be cool if we could just insert a chip in our heads that suddenly allowed us to pilot a helicopter like Trinity did in the Matrix? Well, that’s not a far-off possibility. Scientists have now developed a prosthetic chip that allows rats to suddenly learn a specific behavior with a mere flick of a switch. All of this extremely fascinating (and slightly disturbing) experiments is the work of Theodore Berger of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. According to him, it’s pretty straightforward. “Flip the switch on, and the rats remember. Flip it off, and the rats forget.” The chip allows rats to enhance and expand their learning abilities, and stores all of this learned actions in the device. Aside from the possibility of creating devices that allow humans to learn, stuff, on the fly, the work being done by Berger and his team may lead to cures for people who have Alzheimers, suffered strokes and other diseases that affect the brain.

    Via: Gizmodo

    Source: PR Newswire

     

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