All these upcoming NFC-equipped smartphones wouldn’t be worth much without places to use them, so it’s good to hear LG’s announcement this week that it’s working on providing the infrastructure for contactless payments. The Korean company has set its sights on Europe, where it’s conducting beta testing of point-of-sale technology that will facilitate paying for goods and services by swiping your phone near an NFC sensor. We’re not told whether that phone would necessarily have to be built by LG, though we imagine the company would be well served by including as many devices as possible and just taking its slice of the profits. Whatever LG does, it’s looking increasingly safe to assume that having NFC on your phone will be a legitimate asset in the coming months (and not just if you live in Japan).
I’m all about creating new sports. When we were kids my siblings and I were particularly adept at re-appropriating sports equipment for new athletic endeavors, not unlike Calvin did with his greatest creation, Calvinball! So while this new take on racquet sports is probably going to take a while to catch on, I applaud the creators of 360ball for trying something new.
I’m not going to go into too much detail about how the game is played, the overly dramatic video I’ve included below, which makes 360ball seem like a gift from the heavens, does a far better job at illustrating how a match unfolds. But the CliffsNotes version is that after a serve the other player or team is allowed to touch the ball twice before bouncing it off a special plate in the middle of the court, returning it to the other team. If a player is hit or the ball hits the ground, the other team gets a point. It sounds simple enough, but when you watch it being played you can see there’s a lot of room for strategy.
Now obviously 360ball requires a special circular court to be played in. So unfortunately you can’t really use an existing Squash, Racquetball or Tennis court which is going to be a bit of a stumbling block preventing it from catching on quickly. But the first official permanent court has already been installed in Knysna, South Africa where the game was invented, and when you think about it playing in a circular court has a lot of advantages. Both players or teams are constantly moving around its circumference so neither side really has an advantage when it comes to wind or sun, while spectators are able to sit all the way around with everyone having the exact same view of the court. And as a big fan of Squash, I think it just looks really fun!
Did I fire 29 bullets or 30? When you’re in the middle of a shoot-out, that can be an important thing to know. Granted, the only time most of us really care about that sort of thing is when we’re playing an FPS. However, if you’re a gun aficionado, then you might find this little device to be of interest. It clips onto your firearm of choice and counts the number of shots fired.
The custom gadget uses a rather simple way of counting shots. Rather than keeping track of the bullets themselves, it uses an accelerometer to measure the gun’s recoil. Since different guns are going to have a different amount of recoil, this can be adjusted. Also adjustable is the counter itself, since you may have larger or smaller magazines. The device was originally made as a one-off project, but the creator is now working to put it into production, so you may be able to purchase one of these in the future.
Now-pulled Picasa shots already told us that Nokia’s upcoming E6-00 would likely be sporting an 8 megapixel camera, but now we’ve got another scrap of evidence that points to a notable feature: an honest-to-goodness 640 x 480 display, which would be a small upgrade from the 640 x 360 “nHD” resolution Espoo’s used on some of its high-end models as of late. The information comes to us via an official user agent profile for the device that’s up on Nokia’s site, so it’s just about as official as it gets; there was also a Wi-Fi Alliance certification online at some point, though it’s since been pulled. Needless to say, it seems the odds are at least decent that we could see this launch at MWC in a few days — especially since the company has finally scheduled a press event there.
CALIFORNIA, USA (AVING) — Autodesk announced that its new Autodesk TinkerBox App for iPad, a free game designed to playfully spark teens’ interest in mechanical engineering, is available on the App Store. The app allows players to experience the fun and excitement of invention, while gaining confidence in their ability to excel in engineering.
To solve the challenging mechanical puzzles and physics problems presented in Autodesk TinkerBox, players insert gadgets, assemble components and test their inventions. Completing each challenge inspires players to create more and increasingly complex innovations. The game’s Invent mode enables players to design their own contraptions and share them with friends.
TEXAS, USA (AVING) — USAA, a financial services provider focused on serving the military and their families, has released the industry’s first tablet application allowing members to manage their banking, insurance, and investment accounts. Members can manage their financial accounts and consume helpful financial advice, all in one place.
With the USAA App for iPad, USAA members can manage a wide range of financial transactions such as paying bills, transferring funds, placing trades, getting real-time stock quotes and viewing their insurance policies. Members can also add or replace a car on their policy and request an auto insurance ID card. In addition the app delivers free financial advice in the form of stories and videos customized for an optimal…
NEW YORK, USA (AVING) — LeCroy Corporation, a leading supplier of oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers and serial data test solutions, today announced the launch of WaveRunner 6 Zi, its newest mid-range oscilloscope series. The new platform is the latest design in a comprehensive rollout of technology-leading products that LeCroy initiated in the fall of 2010.
“LeCroy’s first WaveRunner oscilloscopes originated more than a decade ago and represent the most important business contributor in our product portfolio,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Reslewic. “WaveRunners are designed to deliver exceptional value to our mid-range customers and, as a result, make up the largest single component of our oscilloscope sales. Each new WaveRunner…
CALIFORNIA, USA (AVING) — GoPro today announced the availability of the LCD BacPac, a detachable LCD screen for the company’s HD HERO camera. The LCD BacPac represents the first in a line of expansion modules to be released for the HD HERO camera.
The LCD BacPac is a detachable LCD screen for the 1080p HD HERO camera. It attaches to the camera via the HERO Port™ – a small expansion port located on the back of the camera. As a removable accessory, the LCD BacPac keeps the HD HERO camera as small and light as possible, yet provides the convenience of an LCD screen when attached.
Acclaimed by industry professionals and consumers alike for its broadcast quality HD video capture and unrivaled versatility, the HD HERO camera now benefits from the e…
SAN FRANCISCO, USA (AVING) — InformationWeek, the leading IT brand focused on the business value of technology, today announced the launch of its InformationWeek Select App, available on iTunes, Apple’s App Store.
For the first time, business technology executives can access hand-picked InformationWeek news, analysis, and opinion stories anytime, anywhere using an iPad. InformationWeek’s iPad app, called InformationWeek Select, provides a daily dose of information hand-selected by its award-winning team of editors. Designed as a lightweight portal to efficiently deliver critical IT-related information to business technology executives, the app features content across relevant categories, including Software, Security, Cloud, and Mobility, as well a…
The LG G-Slate that was introduced to the world at CES (then seemingly disappeared) has been further detailed by T-Mobile. The impressive Honeycomb-based tablet will be a direct competitor to the Motorola XOOM when it’s made available this spring.
On-board the device will boast a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor which will power Android 3.0 Honeycomb, 32GB of internal storage, gyroscope and an accelerometer. The main feature of the device will be its set of on-board cameras. On the back, the tablet sports stereoscopic rear-facing cameras – one of these will serve as a 5MP still camera with flash for capturing shots with the device. On the front you’ll find a 2MP camera for video chat over T-Mobile’s HSPA+ and WiFi networks. Also supported is the output of 1080p video playback from its built-in HDMI port.
The device will ship “this spring,” but pricing has yet to be determined. But, if we know anything about tablets, we can expect it to be somewhere near the Motorola XOOM.
