Gizmodo UK

Apple Says 'NO' To Fart Application For iPhone

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:00:58 GMT

The fart joke. We've all smiled at at least one or three of them in our time. You'd have to mising a funny bone not to have smirked a little at the cowboys eating beans round the campfire in Blazing Saddles. Hell, they've even traced the oldest fart joke back to 1900 B.C. - it's not very good, but I'm sure it had ancient Sumerians rolling in the dirt.

But, it seems, Apple doesn't get the long tradition of the fart joke and, as a ressult, iPhone users will not be getting the 'Pull My Finger' application on the App Store.

It doesn't take a huge amount of imagination to guess what the app does but Apple felt that it's not the type of app it wants iPhone users having. God forbid they'd have some fun. Apple told the developer:

"We've reviewed your application Pull My Finger. We have determined that this application is of limited utility to the broad iPhone and iPod touch user community, and will not be published to the App Store."

Like there aren't useless apps on the App Store already. You can support the Fart App on Youtube by leaving positive user comments, which the developer hopes will help sway Apple's fart-free policies.-Martin Lynch

[Macrumors]

Amateur Rapper Makes Large Hadron Collider A YouTube Hit

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:09:49 GMT

Who says geeks can't be cool outside of the science lab? The world's biggest experiment - the Large Hadron Collider - is set to be switched on this week and has found favour with the unlikeliest of supporters: rappers. Well, one at least.

The LHC is a 27km tunnel where atoms will be smashed together in an effort to explore many scientific secrets and theories, from why things weigh what they do, dark matter, gravity and other scientific holy grails.

It's taken 14 years to build but it took 23-year old Kate McAlpine just 40 minutes to sum up the purpose of the LHC in a groovy little rap song that's become an unlikely YouTube hit. Working in the press office for the LHC, Kate used her commute time to play around with the facts. Since then, she's an online starlet.

She says:

Sega Homestar EXTRA Planetarium Brings The Stars Indoors

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:55:35 GMT

There are other ways to view the stars than sitting outside in the cold. Sega already produces the Homestar series of planetarium projectors for the living room, but now it's upping the ante with the Homestar EXTRA, targeted more at commercial/educational institutions but also to those that have around £350-400 to spare when it launches in December.

First off, the EXTRA has 5 times the illumination of the Homestar Pro, which means you don't have to be sitting in the dark to see the galaxies of stars on your ceiling. They say it will work fine, even with some light in the room.

Not only that, we are talking about a serious increase in the number of stars and clusters on offer. The Pro came with a very respectable 10,000, but the EXTRA boasts from 45,000-120,000.

New Shots Of The New iPod nano [Whiff Of Forgery]

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:22:03 GMT

There's not long to go now before Apple fans get another dose of The Jobster [who's not actually dead] in action and rolling out new software and gadgets for the faithful.

A new iPod nano is on the cards and, if what has been leaked [or completely fabricated from absolutely no hard evidence] can be believed, then the above shot could be what the new one looks like.

Surround Sound For The Missus: JBL WEM-1 Wireless Expansion Kit

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:00:40 GMT

Anyone who hates wires or, has a partner who hates wires, will be happy to see the new On Air WEM-1 Wireless Expansion kit from JBL.

Apart from all its technical capabilities, it is 'Missus-Friendly', in that it will allow you to finally get the surround sound system into the living room without risk of divorce.

The WEM-1 in its simplest form adds wireless capability to any loudspeaker, eliminating the need to run speaker wires across a room, through walls, floors or ceilings. This is very handy if you want those extra surround speakers at the back off the room without any wires.

VIDEO: Forget Black Holes, It's The Meteors You Really Gotta Worry About

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:32 GMT

If you've been sat quivering under your desk since yesterday's prophecy of imminent doom then crawl out from your fortress of despair and start looking up at the skies.

The chances of tiny black holes devouring our planet are very slight, it's probably far more likely that we'll get hit by a meteor or other satellite that managed to slip through the net while some thick-glassed boffin was on a tea break.

OLPC Teams Up With Amazon To Boost XO Sales

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:53:51 GMT

There's nothing but respect here for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organisation and its aim to bring cheap computing to the needy but, it's fair to say that the project has been beset by problems.

After so-so sales to governments, the group is hoping to boost sales by teaming up with Amazon to sell its innovative XO laptop to consumers as part of the G1G1 (Give 1 Get 1). This allows consumers to buy one for charity and another for themselves.

G1G1 was originally run by OLPC itself but they made a mess of it, thanks to production problems, shortages and other issues that led many to cancel orders.

Sennheiser Releases New Bluetooth Headset For Modern Mobiles

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:04:20 GMT

With more and more people listening to music on their mobiles it's not surprising to see companies like Sennheiser coming up with stylish combo-devices like the MM-200.

The audio giant's latest addition to its Bluetooth headset range combines the powerful CX-400 in-ear buds (which cost £55 if you buy them separately) with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support that allows you to switch between audio playback and your phone at the touch of a button.

Circulation Booster Sorts Out DVT For The Lazy And Elderly

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:07:22 GMT

There's been a fair bit of talk around the subject of internet and technology addiction recently, and if you're one of those people who think you need help or simply can't imagine life without the wonderful web then this could be the device for you.

Sitting at your desk for too long, if you believe the hype, puts you at risk of more than just good old carpal tunnel syndrome, back pains and eyestrain.

UK Avoids Sony Laptop Disaster

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:34 GMT

Sony has been forced to recall more than 440,000 Vaio laptops due to wiring problems that could cause the laptops to get a little too hot to handle.

Thankfully, none of the laptops involved were sold in the UK but, according to the company, over 440,000 were sold in 48 countries around the globe, including 73,000 in the US and 67,000 in Japan. Sony has admitted that some people have been burned.

The recall involves 19 models in the new TZ family. These were manufactured between May last year and July 2008. The fault arises from wires which were mistakenly located too close to the hinge and could wear out quickly, as well as a dodgy circuit board that operates the screen.

Jerry Seinfeld + Bill Gates = Not Very Funny Ad

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:03:26 GMT

OK, we are not talking the Mac-PC ads here but you'd think that Jerry Seinfeld and the army of writers behind this new Microsoft ad campaign would be able to make something funnier than this first instalment. Even with Bill Gates in it, they should have been able to make something better.

Entitled 'Shoe Circus', we meet an unemployed Bill Gates shopping for shoes, where Jerry Seinfeld spots him and pops in to give him some shoe-buying/life advice. After 90 seconds you're still not sure what the hell is going on but things take a turn for the weirder with Bill G shaking his booty in the car park. Maybe it's true, retirement does make you crazy.

Up Close With Sony's Skinniest Bravia

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:00:33 GMT

Sony launched the super-skinny Bravia ZX1 TV this week at the IFA Show in Berlin and at 9.8mm deep, it really is something.

Check out the video above for a close-up of the ZX1 showing off its Keira Knightley waistline, thanks to side-mounted LED lighting arrays as opposed the the usual backlights on most LCD TVs.

Those looks are also helped by the Media Receiver, a box that you plug all your cables [consoles, set-top boxes etc.] into and which transmits the signal wirelessly to the TV in 'real time'.

Asus Pushing Smelly Laptops

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:35:30 GMT

When there's not much left you can shave off the thickness or price of a laptop, what do you do next? Asus, which has already just launched a Bamboo laptop, is now hoping to appeal to your sense of smell.

Asus unveiled a new twist this week at the Project 2008 event in Las Vegas with its F6V laptop, complete with a four different scents: floral, grass, ocean and cologne. At least this way if you don't have time to shower or, you're sweating out last night's beer bonanza, one of you will smell OK.

Blu-Ray Won't Last Five Years, Some May Consider Waiting It Out

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:00:12 GMT

Blu-ray may have won the HD war, but it may not be sitting on its throne for long if you believe what director of consumer electronics for Samsung UK Andy Griffiths has to say.

While it seems as though 2008 will be Blu-ray's year with sites like Lovefilm now adding this format to its mix, new formats and technologies are likely to mean that the HD discs, or even the optical disc in general, may well have a limited shelf life.

The End Is Nigh: This Time It's Not The Robots

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:00:34 GMT

September 10th, 2008 could go down in history as the day we destroyed the planet Earth. Or rather it won't as we'll all be dead, but if you believe scientists who are trying to pull the plug on an experiment that some call the 'Doomsday Test' this is a distinct possibility.

It involves using a £4.4billion 'atom-smasher' to try and recreate the chemical reactions that took place when the universe came into existence 14 billion years ago.

iTunes 8 On The Way, New Features Leaked

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:02:46 GMT

Hardcore Apple fans have to pretty much live their life under the shadow of iTunes, so most will be interested in the upcoming version 8 and what additional features it has to offer.

On the 9th of September Apple hosts its 'Lets Rock' event which is the official launch of the new software, but we've heard some leaked details that'll give you a taster of what you can expect to find.

Dell Mini 9 Arrives

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:00:02 GMT

As we reported yesterday, Dell was supposed to unveil its Asus Eee challenger today and here it is: the Dell Inspiron Mini 9.

On sale now, the little Netbook costs £299, including VAT and delivery, for the model running Windows XP Home. The model running Ubuntu 8.04 and an 'intuitive Dell-developed custom interface' will arrive in a few weeks for £269. No funky colours though, just serious Business Black.

The Mini 9 is shipping now in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany and Austria, with Spain and Italy to follow in October. It weighs just over 1Kg, has an 8.9in display and is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor.

Jump now for the full specs:

Xbox 360 Prices Slashed: Cheaper Than The Wii

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:00:34 GMT

When the console chips are down and folks are buying the fun, but not exactly powerful, Wii by the truckload, what do you do? Take a chainsaw to those prices is what you do.

Microsoft has knocked $50 off the cost of its Xbox 360 Arcade console in the US [arrgh] for now, something we caught whiff of last month.

At just $200 [around £100], it's $50 cheaper than the Wii and considerably cheaper than the PS3. Over here, the Arcade costs £150 and the Wii £180.

Microsoft is hoping to start a big rush for the console in the run up to Christmas, especially now that the price has slipped below the magic $200 mark. In a statement the company said:

Ghostbusters USB: Who You Gonna Call?

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:00:33 GMT

USB Flash drives are so common these days that it can be hard to differentiate one from the other. After all, just how many 2GB Flash drives from different vendors are out there? And, in the end, they are just used for storing stuff so there's not a whole lot of marketing potential to play with.

So, one day, someone at PNY had a brain wave:

"I know, we'll put a movie on the stick to make it stand out from the crowd. Hmm, now which one?

Deep Throat? Er, maybe not

Kramer Vs Kramer? Too sad, possibility of customers killing themselves.

Madonna's Swept Away? Hahahahahahahahahahaha

I know: Ghostbusters!"

Napbook: A Laptop Bag For Sleeping On The Job

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:00:16 GMT

You how it is. Airport lounge, flight cancelled, hard plastic seats and the prospect of facing 6 hours trying not kill someone else's noisy rugrats with just your laptop and your laptop bag for company.

Not the best sleeping partners in the world. However, if you happen to have the Napbook laptop bag, there's a really good chance that you'll get some badly needed 'Zzzzs'.

Space Invaders Keyboard: Bringing Back Fond/Hated Gaming Memories

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:35:05 GMT

I wasted many a frustrating hour playing Space Invaders as a kid [ahem, and young adult], with those annoying sound effects haunting my dreams for days at a time.

That's why I'm not sure about this retro keyboard. Yes, ElectroJoe's Bendiboard Retroboard Invaders keyboard [how many 'boards' was that?] is far cooler than the one I that got bundled with my new PC but I'm not sure if I could take all those little invaders on the keys, forcing me to type faster and faster, before they finally manage to escape - in ever more swiftly-moving horizontal lines - and take over my house.

Study Concludes PVRs Now One Of The Most Essential Everyday Items

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:00:47 GMT

Every now and again, though usually no more then once every three or four years, a new technology or development arrives that changes the way you live and makes you honestly wonder how we ever did without it.

Mobile phones and broadband are good examples from recent times and while we could feasibly live without such things it certainly wouldn't be easy.

A recent study commissioned by NDS has revealed that the latest of these 'world essentials' appears to be the PVR, or what us Brits might most commonly refer to as Sky+.

New Study Aid Could Help Encourage Under-12s To Learn

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:00:11 GMT

Gizmodo's elder statesmen may remember devices like Speak & Spell, from Texas Instruments.

It was aimed at children and was cutting edge technology at the time don't you know, but we haven't seen this particular market developing quite as much as you might think alongside improving technology.

Consumers Love Using The iPhone To Browse The Web

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:57:17 GMT

Despite recent reports that Apple got in trouble with the Advertising Standards Agency for misleading customers about the iPhone's web-browsing capabilities, most customers do seem happy to use it for surfing around.

The latest market share figures from web service company Net Applications show that use of the iPhone 3G's web functions has more than doubled since its release.

Dell Mini Inspiron Out Tomorrow

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Back at the tail-end of May, Michael Dell was spotted by our Gizmodo cousins walking around a US show with what looked to be a mini-Dell laptop/netbook/ Asus Eee Killer/Mobile Internet device (MID).

It confirmed plans for such a device a few days later but it's been all quiet on the netbook front since. But that will all change tomorrow as reports claim that's when Dell's Inspiron 910 finally arrives to give the Asus Eee 901 a run for its money.