Arguably, the best part about camping is the escape from eye-scorching computer screens and carpal tunnel-inducing keyboards. But hey, Orange knows it’s hard to get away. The company’s Glastonbury Solar Concept Tent uses photovoltaic fabric to charge a flexible LCD screen and wireless Internet, presumably provided by a 3G data subscription. But that’s not all: “Glo-cation” technology allows campers to find their site via SMS messaging or RFID signal, lighting up the shelter like a beacon. Winter campers will delight in a ground sheet that heats automatically when temperatures fall below a certain level. Roughing it, this is not. [Orange via Gizmodo]
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The iPod Mini is an outdated model, so it’s only fitting that Jozaeh’s MP3 player is encased in the wood of a stately old Australian red cedar tree. Camphor Laurel comprises the click wheel, and brass plates and screws hold everything together. Says the creator: “I was given a new iPod Mini for Christmas and I just couldn’t leave my trusty old mini to sit unused somewhere.” Sounds like it was his first stab at a wooden iPod mod, and we say he did an admirable job. Sadly, it’s only a matter of time before the battery kicks the bucket and this wooden iPod becomes a true antique. [Flickr via BB Gadgets]
Road warriors know that toting a laptop bag can be a tedious game of switching shoulders to prevent fatigue. Depending on how you look at it, Hard Graft’s 2UNFOLD laptop bag, with its eight possible configurations, is either a blessing or a curse. The Italian leather bag has a strap for slinging 17-inch laptops over one or both shoulders and a fastener to hold that strap down when using handles instead. For laptops 13 inches and smaller, part of the bag can be folded over to a courier style, with either leather or canvas exposed. With the strap tucked away, this smaller configuration becomes a clutch that tucks under the forearm. The 2UNFOLD costs 349 Euros (roughly $483) direct from Hard Graft. [Hard Graft via BB Gadgets]
Yesterday’s announcement from Apple might’ve damped Palm’s parade, but at least the Pre and exclusive carrier Sprint had a wild weekend. Sprint Nextel says it broke its single day and single weekend sales records thanks to the new smartphone, though it’s not offering specific figures. Analysts guess that between 50,000 and 100,000 Pres were sold. If that’s the case, it’s easy to see why Sprint is staying silent on the numbers: Apple sold one million iPhone 3G phones in its debut weekend. If Palm is really supposed to rival the iPhone, it will probably want to avoid direct sales comparisons. Supply shortages will make it even harder for the Pre to catch up, but a sell-out’s a sell-out, right? [via CNet]
You just knew something iPhone-related was going to happen at Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference today. The reality doesn’t quite match the rumors we saw last month, but there’s a surprisingly high ratio of information that was on the mark. With an extra “S” for “speed,” the iPhone 3GS runs up to two times faster than its predecessor and holds either 16 GB or 32 GB compared to the 8 GB iPhone 3G. Battery life has grown, but not by 50 percent, and there is indeed a built-in compass and a glowing Apple logo on the back. Best of all, the new iPhone shoots and edits video and has improved camera features such as touchscreen autofocus and autoexposure. Voice commands are now possible as well. What didn’t pan out? The OLED screen and the FM transmitter. Maybe next time. For now, the 16 GB and 32 GB models will cost $199 and $299 respectively when they go on sale June 19. Also, the old iPhone 3G gets a price cut to $99 today. [Apple]
The first step in any emergency is to stay calm, but that might not be so easy when you’re literally floating out in space. To alleviate this concern, astronauts on the International Space Station tested new Russian-made suits with mini-computers embedded into the life support. In the case of a malfunction, the astronaut is notified, then given instructions on how to proceed via an LCD screen on the suit’s right breast pocket. That’s a lot better than simply memorizing a contingency plan and trying to remember it when your life is on the line. The Orlan-MK suits were used during installation of three antennas on an auto-docking system. Fortunately, there weren’t any malfunctions. [via UPI]
Who started this meme of calling government heads “czars?” Are they aware that this term primarily defines pre-revolution Russian emperors? Anyhow, President Barack Obama is picking someone of this caliber to lord over cyberspace. This person will report to both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council. Though it’s not clear exactly what the job will entail, the cyber czar will be responsible for fending off computer attacks on the US. There also seems to be an educational role to the job, as government officials are growing worried about phishing scams and other attacks that can compromise national security. The czar’s first decree: You shall not open suspicious e-mails from the Nigerian Royal Family. [via AP]
It’s certainly possible to drop a few Benjamins on a compact digital camera, loaded with unnecessary features, but when it’s time to just take pictures, simplicity is king. That’s why the Canon PowerShot A480 is getting positive reviews despite its lack of frills and decidedly unstylish design. PCWorld says the A480 is “dead-simple,” while Photography blog calls it a “cheap, well-made, straight-forward compact camera.” It’s a 10-megapixel point-and-shoot with 3.3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. The DIGIC III image processor offers face detection, motion detection and red-eye correction, along with 15 shooting modes, and that’s about it. A few different colors are available, but you’re not impressing anyone. Amazon’s got it for $105. [via Thaindian News]
Dude, you’re gettin’ a downturn. Dell’s income fell 63 percent in Q1, from $784 million to $290 million. Stocks are slightly above analyst expectations, but revenue is slightly below. Chairman and CEO Michael Dell speaks of a “powerful replacement cycle, with virtualization and managed services playing larger roles in what customers want and Dell provides.” That’s corporate jargon for “people are doing everything on the Internet and no longer want to pay for products they don’t need.” Revenue even dropped in the “mobile products” category, which includes laptops, even as laptop shipments rose 32 percent. That’s the netbook craze you’re seeing right there. The plan is to improve profit margins over time — though it’s not clear how — and get into more retail stores. [via ComputerWorld]
