The Ducati Z770 - Ducati Branded Goodness

Engadget has details of a Ducati themed Sony Ericsson Z770. Combining two of the world’s greatest toys (although, of course, a motorbike is far from being a toy) the Z770 remodel is due for release in Italy in June and represents a refreshing step towards motorbike themed goods instead of all the Ferrari and Porsche based gear.

The Z770 flip phone isn’t anything particularly innovative on its own. It claims to offer easy setup for email and other web based applications and enables users that want to connect and communicate to do so without having to go all out and buy a budget breaking smartphone. Red, black, and gold versions are already available on the market.

The Ducati Z770 joins a roster of Ducati branded goods including an entire range of Ducati memory cards and USB memory sticks from Sandisk. Plus, of course there’s a range of clothing and, I believe, a few Ducati branded motorbikes also available.

The branding on the Z770 isn’t exactly subtle with a go-fsater stripe, Ducati motorbike, and the Ducati logo sprawled all over the phone. The question is, will it be purchased by those that already have the full collection of motorbike and protective clothing or by those that wish they had the full line?

Little Blue Robot Climbs The Grand Canyon

We seem to have a bit of a thing for robots at the moment. We brought you details of ApriAlpha (the ultra intelligent robot from Toshiba) as well as a DVD projecting R2-D2 (the ultra expensive, though cool, DVD projector from Nikkon. Thanks to Gizmodo we’ve now got the robot that climbed the Grand Canyon.

Apparently, it’s some kind of stunt to promote the new Evolta battery from Panasonic, but we just like the little blue dude on a rope. For the sake of clarity though, the Evolta battery is an extra-long life AA alkaline battery that is designed to last. The Evolta Robot, the flag flyer for the new Panasonic batteries, scaled a cliff more than 500m high in the Grand Canyon.

The batteries are only available in Japan which is probably the only place you can find a robot that will climb up the Grand Canyon (apart from at the Grand Canyon) as well. They have entered the Guiness Book of Records for being the longest lasting batteries in the world. The Evolta bunny… sorry, robot made it to the top in 6 hours 45 minutes and was still running sweet when he got to the top.

The Toshiba ApriAlpha Robot

Toshiba is quite an advanced producer of robots and robotic equipment. Among their more recent prototype innovations is the ApriAlpha robot. Dubbed as the little home helper it can perform a substantial number of tasks to ensure the homeowner has an easy, comfortable, safe, and secure home life. Controlling home devices and appliances is only a small part of what it does, but it looks a cool feature.

ApriAlpha will learn infrared controls. As an infrared signal passes by, the robot will enquire as to what just happened and store the data. Once it has learned functions you can then use these functions by giving the appropriate voice command so you can control your television and other home appliances using nothing but your mouth.

Image recognition allows ApriAlpha to recognise people that give it commands while motion sensing and capture, as well as communicative processes, allow it to record images and send them to the homeowner. The speech synthesis capabilities could also give ApriAlpha the ability to read out emails, read the news headlines and weather forecasts, and much more.

The ApriAlpha is still only a prototype and is joined by ApriAttenda, a life support robot, in being the future of Toshiba Robotics.

The Solar Apple

Gizmodo reports that Apple has applied for patents concerning the use of solar panels to charge their mobile devices. Gadgets are gradually turning to using solar in order to recharge their power – we reported last week on a solar charger for £25 but very few actually come with solar panels already fitted.

The patents apparently also show that Apple intend to use the technology in a unique manner by placing the cells behind the LCD screen enabling them to continue offering the same, or similar, designs and forms to those already offered. One of the biggest hurdles faced by manufacturers is how to add a comparatively cumbersome solar panel to a mobile device.

It’s not the first time this technology has been considered – Motorola filed for similar patents 7 years ago, although nothing has come of that yet. If the technology does work and Apple is able to create devices that can be recharged using solar energy, the approach is likely to be similar to some of the more useful chargers offering the choice of standard recharging (via a docking station or USB port) for when the weather is really pants, or using solar during ideal conditions or when you’re stuck.

Solar panels do represent a challenge because they need to be prominent in their inclusion so that they are exposed to sunlight, but they can be easily damaged or broken through less than severe usage.

Next up is the mobile wind turbine – at least, we hope it isn’t a mobile bio-fuel cell.

19 New NTT Docomo Handsets

The Japanese aren’t exactly famed for doing things in small measures when it comes to technology. While the rest of the world waits with baited breath for the next release of the iPhone, the Japanese manufacturer NTT Docomo has announced 19 new handsets showcasing some incredible and ingenious features. They’re not exactly hanging around with release dates either.

The all-round 906i releases, of which there are 8 in total, include 1-seg mobile TV, improved GPS performance, 3G roaming, mobile credit card facilities, and voice to text translations in three languages. The first five of these handsets are due for release between 1st and 5th June with the remainder coming throughout the rest of the month.

The 706i series has 11 new entries. Again, all include 1-seg mobile TV but has some fantastic additions including the world’s slimmest 1-seg phone, a waterproof 1-seg phone, and a mobile phone that monitors your dietary and health condition. The release of the 706i series handsets is slightly more staggered from June to September but remarkable nonetheless.

The contrast in UK and Japanese releases is somewhat staggering. We wait anxiously for the probable (though not guaranteed) release of a single phone while the Japanese are being treated to 19 innovative new handsets.

R2-D2 DVD Projector

Aside from being based on one of the greatest movie characters of all time, the R2-D2 movie projector represents a serious piece of home entertainment kit. Artoo combines the features of a DVD projector with a DVD and CD player and an iPod docking station. It also offers an integrated speaker system with 2 10W speakers, a fully featured remote control designed like the Millenium Falcon, and sound and light effects similar to those belonging to the “real” R2-D2.

The Millenium Falcon remote control can be used to move Artoo in any direction and will even tilt his head backwards and move his legs so that you have complete control of where to project your DVD images.

Clearly the Artoo isn’t likely to appeal to anybody but the most ardent of Star Wars fans especially with a price tag of nearly £2,500 attached to it. However, when you actually consider the equipment you’re getting the price tag isn’t as high as it perhaps could have been. DVD projectors certainly aren’t the cheapest home cinema accessory.

Next, we just need to find a life size model of C3P0 holding a white projector screen and it would be the Star War fanatic’s idea of heaven. One point of note is that Nikkon (the manufacturers) are “only” planning to create and release 4,000 of these in the UK so you may need to order soon to avoid disappointment.

New Nokia Maps Features

Nokia Maps has proven to be a successful addition to many of the more powerful handsets. The navigation software, in its latest incarnation as Nokia Maps 2.0, has recently been through the Beta testing stag already soliciting nearly quarter of a million downloads since its initial announcement in February of this year.

Nokia Maps 2.0 is now out of Beta and ready for general release to any compatible Nokia handset owner. New features make the software look pretty impressive, and it goes much further than being just a navigational tool including such things as interactive city tours, regional guides, and enhanced car and pedestrian navigation features. Read more

You’re A Selfish Bunch Of Surfers

According to a report by the BBC on research by Jakob Nielsen, the leading light in research into online habits, surfers have become selfish, impatient, and increasingly sceptical of advertising and promotions. We have essentially streamlined our surfing and information gathering processes and have learned to ignore the ploys that websites use to persuade us to linger longer on a website.

Approximately 75% of us achieve what we set out to do when we first open our browser, a figure which has increased from 60% in 1999. While this is partially down to better website and software design, it is largely because we are more understanding of the way the Internet in general, and websites work. As such we can quickly find the site we want, complete the desired action, and leave again.

Nielsen also stated that we still regularly fail to find what we are looking for using search engines, even using Google. He hypothesises that any site wanting to be more successful than Google simply has to make the search process a more successful one.

Search engines have become more sophisticated, more intelligent if you like, in the way that they collect and index data but it can still take several searches to find the actual information needed. As we continue to evolve into Internet gurus this is also likely to improve, though, because we will learn how to manipulate the search engine indexes to our own ends when conducting any search.

Clocky – The Alarm Clock That Runs Away

The early morning sun is beating through the curtains that offer little respite against the bright rays. The alarm is beeping coquettishly in an attempt to rouse you from your slumber and gently coax you to waken. Like every morning you reach over to hit the snooze button, but where the alarm usually sits is nothing but space. You grope around a little more but find nothing while the almost friendly beeping continues to trespass on your sleepy state.

Begrudgingly you pry your eyes open searching for the reason that your sacred snooze button has been taken from you. In the peripheral of your vision you catch the fleeting glimpse of a small white object disappearing behind the cupboard. Slowly, information begins to seep into the conscious section of your brain as you’re forced to exit the comfortable confines of slumber.

Forcing your still tired limbs from your bed, you head for the back of the cupboard and the source of those happy little beeps. But, alas, as you reach the source it quickly turns heel and heads toward the bathroom. Now completely bereft of sleep you manage to catch the Clocky as it beeps once more happy in the knowledge that it’s performed its morning routine to the greatest effect.

Protect Your Personal Information With The USB Bouncer

Desktop and PC security have become the biggest concerns many computer users. Whether you have your own home office or are concerned over the security of the information stored on your work computer, finding a way to effectively guard the information is vital. As well as paying for rootkit detection, antispyware, anti-virus, and regular backups you might want to consider the USB Bouncer.

Plug the Bouncer into your USB port and set it running whever you’re away from your workspace. The motion sensor protection will activate whenever somebody walks too close to your computer. When this happens, the Bouncer will politely but firmly ask the potential intruder to leave the area using phrases like “You’re not welcome here” and “You’re cruising for a bruising!” The whole motion sensor USB Bouncer can actually be operated using batteries, rather than plugging it into your computer.

OK, so in reality, it’s not particularly likely to actually do any good but the Bouncer strikes an imposing figure on any desk and in any circumstances. Personal security for less than a tenner is difficult to come by for most of us, but it doesn’t have to be a dream any longer.

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