Pharaoh-themed iPod dock / coffee table launched

The coffee table that integrates some kind of media compatibility is not a new idea, but the Horus is one that takes iPod compatibility to a whole new and rather obscure level.

The table itself gets its ancient Egyptian look because it is held aloft by a large concrete pyramid, with the tip appearing to protrude through the glass surface to house the iPod Touch or iPhone of your choice.

The concrete is apparently some kind of high performance material and the speakers are integrated into it below the surface. There is a blue illumination that emits from the mid section where the glass seems to slice through the concrete pyramid, giving off a glow that is in keeping with the whole Apple aesthetic.

The concept for the Horus gestated in the mind of furniture stylist Stephanie Thivend and it is undoubtedly one of the most unique iPod docks ever to have been conceived. It looks paradoxically modern and retro at the same time and will probably never fit in with the standard decor of the average household, making it the kind of item only the wealthy and slightly batty will ever consider for their own homes.

There are many well known iPod dock / speaker sets which look rather odd but still attract positive attention. For example, the famous B&W Zeppelin iPod speaker system is notable not just for its wacky design, but also for its high price and impressive audio quality.

Details leaked on Nokia’s N8 smartphone

The Nokia N8 is set to be a big release for the Finnish manufacturer, as it is really in need of a smartphone that can compete with the devices launched by Apple and HTC. Now details about this upcoming handset have been made available online.

According to a comprehensive spec list, the N8 will have a 3.5 inch touch screen OLED display powered by capacitive technology, which has allowed Nokia to make it from premium-looking glass.

The N8 will have a 680MHz processor and 256MB of RAM to keep applications running and the monster 12 megapixel camera on the back makes it a true photographer’s dream.

The most significant feature of the N8 in the eyes of most is the inclusion of the Symbian 3 operating system, which will appear for the first time on this phone. Early reports suggest that this does not represent enough of an upgrade from the current Symbian platform and leaked images showing the home screen certainly bear this out.

Media playback should be well handled and it is compatible with high capacity microSD cards of up to 32GB in size. There are rumours that Nokia is planning to offer the Ovi Music service on the N8 and connectivity might include Wi-Fi, with GPS and 3G is also looking likely.

The technical stats of the Nokia N8 published by Unwired View show that the new smartphone is competent if not mind-blowing on paper. This could be a real problem for Nokia, as people are now looking for a revolution, not incremental evolution.

3D broadcasting investigated by Freesat

There is a chance that 3D content could be available to the British public on a subscription-free basis via Freesat, if the firm is able to get through its current investigations into bringing the technology to its users.

The managing director of Freesat, Emma Scott, recently said that she was greatly anticipating the opportunity to bring 3D films and programs to Freesat users in the future. She also revealed that there was currently an active investigation into whether it would be possible to offer 3D services in the future.

Current Freesat technology is apparently compatible with 3D signals, which means that anyone who owns a Freesat HD set top box may be able to enjoy free 3D content in the future as broadcasters adopt it and sales of 3D TVs reach suitably high levels.

At the moment the only broadcaster completely committed to 3D is Sky. Its 3D channel is launching for consumers in the near future and live sports are already shown in 3D in pubs around the UK.

Other UK broadcasters will probably wait and see whether Sky is able to make a success out of its first 3D channel after which many more 3D stations are likely to emerge, with Freesat bringing the technology to a broader audience.

Freesat has also commented on the threat posed by Freeview HD, which is bringing high definition channels to consumers via their existing aerials. It said that the arrival of Channel 4′s HD service would make it competitive with Freeview HD. As the level of competition in both HD and 3D technologies seems set to increase, consumers should find that the offerings become ever more competitive.

Solar-powered camcorder launched

The Jetyo HDV-T900 is notable for being one of the only camcorders for home users to feature an integrated solar panel to make holiday video capture a more environmentally-friendly process.

The camcorder itself is slightly weighed-down by the large solar cell attached to the device above the flip-out LCD viewfinder, but it is a small price to pay if you are truly concerned about the environmental impact of gadget use.

The camcorder captures video directly onto high capacity SD memory cards, although sadly the fixed zoom means that you might have to rely on digital rather than optical image enlargement, which will be a limitation for some.

There is currently no information as to how long the camcorder will take to charge up if you leave it lounging in the sunlight. The energy is used to juice up four standard AA batteries, which is good news if the day is overcast as you can always pop in some fresh units and continue shooting.

According to the calculations of industry observers, the 120mA solar cell would take an entire day to fully charge a single 2500mAh battery. This no doubt leads to the troubling suggestion that trickle-charging the camera will not only mean leaving it out in the sun for ages, but also potentially unattended whilst you go off gallivanting.

The idea behind the HDV-T900 camcorder is a noble one, but you will have to wait and see whether in practice it is a workable solution, or more trouble than it is worth. This is one area eco-friendly technology that will no doubt continue to evolve as photovoltaic cell technology evolves. But it is great to see the manufacturers starting to innovate.

Sony rolls out 3D gaming support with PS3 update

A new version of the PlayStation 3′s firmware has been launched in the US and according to the details it is the first to bring support for 3D gaming to the home console.

The PS3 3.30 System Software Update, as it is officially known, adds a few new features, but most importantly it is intended to prepare the PS3 for 3D video games in the future, although for the time being it will not actually allow for 3D action.

The update is notable for missing out on support for 3D Blu-Ray playback, which had been promised initially, so people with a desire to get their movies in 3D are not going to be catered to quite as yet.

Sony has confirmed that the PS3 will be ready for 3D games in time for the launch of its first batch of 3D TVs, which should be coming in the next few months.

As well as getting the PS3 ready for 3D support, the firmware update now lets gamers organise their trophies and achievements in a variety of different ways, including by the date upon which they were attained.

A variety of games have already been produced with 3D stereoscopic gaming in mind, including Batman: Arkham Asylum.

PS3 owners who complained when the previous version of the firmware got rid of the option to install an alternative operating system on the console are not going to find any solace in this new release, as Sony has stuck to its guns and kept Linux and any other software away from its big black box.

Free navigation from Google hits UK

Owners of smartphones based on Google’s Android operating system will be rejoicing at the news that a beta version of a brand new Google Maps, complete with voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, has made it across the Atlantic amid absolutely no fanfare.

The Google Maps Navigation app is in pre-release form and it first turned up in the US as version 4.1.1 at the beginning of April. Now the app has been proven to be working well on certain UK-owned Android smartphones.

The latest Google Maps Navigation app is ostensibly designed for use with phones running Android 2.1, but according to reports from the XDA Developers forum, phones with version 1.6 of Android onboard are also said to work well with the new app. This includes such behemoths as the recently released Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, which with a 4 inch screen is perfect sat nav replacement material.

Independent tests have confirmed that Google’s own Nexus One and its step-sibling the HTC Desire are both able to run the app in full. The Nexus One, being an official Google device, actually gets a couple of perks over the other Android phones, but all of these mobiles can reap the benefits of free navigation whether you are behind the wheel or on foot.

Nokia made history when it launched the first ever completely subscription-free turn-by-turn navigation app earlier in the year and other firms have been struggling to catch up. Google already launched its own free navigation app in the US, but international users had been left in the dark, until now.

Samsung promises cheaper Flash storage

South Korean manufacturer Samsung has beaten its rivals to the finishing line by becoming the world’s first firm to announce that it has perfected 20nm NAND Flash memory for storage, which it believes will bring down the price of SD memory cards whilst hugely increasing the storage capacity.

The manufacturing process behind the 20 nanometre Flash memory is slightly mind boggling and Toshiba has already been experimenting with 25nm and below for its own range of SD cards.

Samsung says that it will be using the new manufacturing process to develop SD cards with capacities ranging from 4GB to 64GB, although for the time being these will appear as embedded memory solutions rather than stand alone slot-in products as testing continues.

Samsung says that the cost of manufacturing these 20nm Flash cards is lower than for previous generations, which means that the cost of high capacity memory units will fall to new levels of affordability.

The new SD cards will be 30 per cent faster and more reliable than the already rock-solid 30nm technology that they replace. As a result read speeds of 20Mbps and write speeds of 10Mbps will be accessible to a mainstream audience when the new SD cards arrive.

Samsung is set to make the new Flash memory technology available on the commercial market before the end of 2010 and hopefully gadget manufacturers will begin to integrate it into their devices, or bundle the cards separately with retail packages to make sure that consumers everywhere can enjoy faster, cheaper memory.

Next iPhone snapped, captured and scrutinised

The next generation iPhone, which has variously been referred to as the HD and 4G, has been allegedly found lying about in a drinking establishment in the US and has since been confirmed as real.

Yesterday the internet was alive with news that leaked pictures showing a smartphone looking very much unlike Apple’s current iPhone 3G S, although these were initially dismissed as pictures of a fake iPhone manufactured in Japan.

Since then tech site Gizmodo got its hands on the ‘found’ iPhone and after poking it for a few hours decided to announce that the device is in fact a pre-release version of Apple’s next smartphone.

The most striking fact about the iPhone 4G/HD is that Apple has decided to scrap the curvy shell of the original in favour of something far squarer and slimmer. You might be forgiven for thinking that the device was made by HTC, which can only be a compliment to the Taiwanese manufacturer’s design credentials.

The prototype has been confirmed as running version 4.0 of the iPhone operating system, although sadly it seems that Apple enabled an automatic deletion of the phone’s memory from its Californian headquarters before any more information could be gleaned about the phone’s software.

The main points are these; the next iPhone will have a larger screen, a plastic shell trimmed with metal, 64GB of on-board storage space and a better camera with a forward-facing option for video calling. Apple has yet to comment on the pictures and videos posted of the new phone, but they may be silently cursing that one has slipped out into the public domain so early.

Gadget makes strawberries easier to eat

With the summer fast approaching and strawberry season tied into the Wimbledon competition, the arrival of the Stem Gem strawberry-beheading gadget will be music to the ears of many fruit fans and caterers alike.

Developed by Fire Box, the Stem Gem is a minor marvel that quickly snips off the annoying green bit from the top of your favourite strawberries without coming away with much of the succulent fruit itself.

The Stem Gem has a stainless steel three-pronged pincer at one end and a rubbery button at the other. Pressing the button causes the claw to close over the strawberry’s stem and you can then pull it out at the root with a little push and a twist.

The Stem Gem is not just limited to working with strawberries, as its manufacturer indicates that it works pretty well on tomatoes as well. It will probably be useful for any number of soft, sweet fruits which you typically have to decapitate before they can be eaten.

The Stem Gem will set you back about £6.99 and if you are particularly frugal with its use it should rapidly pay for itself with the amount of strawberry flesh that you will be saving. So whether you are a keen strawberry fan who likes to enjoy them on a warm summer’s day, or a professional chef looking to make the most of the summer and spend less time clipping your fruit, then the Stem Gem is probably a good purchase.

Millionaires’ mini-sub launched

A miniature submarine aimed at the super rich has arrived. The Nautilus VAS Luxury Submersible is packed full of the latest kit as well as some home comforts to keep the guests entertained.

Recently it seems as though everyone with a few hundred million in the bank is being enticed to take to the waves in some way or other. Richard Branson’s submersible plane turned up a few weeks back and now this far more sedate mode of underwater transport is offering an alternative look at life beneath the surface.

The Nautilus VAS is rather more traditional in its design than the other high-tech submersibles, looking akin to something from an old sci-fi movie rather than a multi-million pound plaything. In fact you might recognise the name as reminiscent of a vessel piloted by the fictional Captain Nemo.

The manufacturer behind the Nautilus VAS says that it has been made to a military standard on the outside, but inside they have crammed in a hi-fi system and a small bar area, which is distinctly opulent.

Both the front and sides of the Nautilus VAS are dotted with large, circular viewing ports, giving the occupants a good look at what is around them.

The Nautilus VAS is set to cost about £1.75 million, which is rather more than most people could ever hope to afford. But if you happen to consider this amount mere pocket change, then the romance and adventure of the underwater world can be yours to view at leisure as you sip on a martini and listen to some Sting.

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