Gadgets Connect

Our favorite storage appliance named Drobo now comes with an SDK that will let third parties develop applications that might include BitTorrent Clients, FTP clients, Media Center streaming apps and so on… now we don’t know fore sure what will come out of this, but what we do know is that it is now *possible*. If you don’t know what Drobo is: it’s a storage box that can receive up to four heterogeneous hard drives. It will use some space to replicate the data (in case a drive dies). Users can replace drives at any time and Drobo will reconfigure itself to take advantage of the new space. It packs a lot of smartness and is basically a mini Linux computer. (Read the full post about ‘Drobo Opens Up with its SDK, BitTorrent Client and Streaming Media Applications to Follow?’…)

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Not long ago we heard that the OpenMoko FreeRunner was just about ready to hit the market, in fact it was expected to be clearing customs as of July 1. Well, July is here and OpenMoko has announced that the FreeRunner will be available for order beginning on July 4, and that the shipping will begin just a few days later on July 7. The FreeRunner will feature a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, GPRS 2.6G, 128MB WSDRAM, and 256MB NAND flash. It will be available with support for both the 850Mhz and 900Mhz tri-band GSM networks and is going to retail for $399. Product [OpenMoko] Via [EngadgetMobile] Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! (Read the full post about ‘OpenMoko FreeRunner available for order July 4′…)

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Yesterday we reported that Microsoft could be acquiring Powerset in the coming months. Well, just a day later and Microsoft has officially confirmed the acquisition of Powerset.

According to Microsoft, it bought Powerset because it was impressed with the people there, but also because they share a vision to take search to the next level by understanding the intent and meaning behind people’s search terms. By joining forces with Powerset, Microsoft hopes to improve its understanding of users’ intent behind their searches and provide an improved user experience, instead of just running a straight query on the keywords used and forcing users to click through numerous results to find what they want.

Powerset is also excited about the acquisition.

(Read the full post about ‘Microsoft confirms purchase of Powerset for $100 million’…)

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The Bracketron Nav-Mat GPS dash mount is a good alternative for those who are looking for a GPS mount to replace their suction cup mounts as the latter is prohibited in some areas. It is easy to install as it requires no tools for installation (no drilling involved!) but instead, has a non-slip base made out of a bean bag for stability as it moulds to the surface of the dashboard and a non-slip base to keep it from sliding off making it hassle free for consumers who do not want to go through the trouble of finding ways to install their suction cup GPS mounts because of a non-stick surface on the dashboard or not having a convenient location of securing it. (Read the full post about ‘Bracketron Nav-Mat GPS Dash Mount’…)

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Almost everybody has played air guitar one way or the other; especially while watching some rock band’s music video, but what about an Air Piano? Omer Yosha has created the Air Piano, which is an electronic piano of sorts, but allows users to play it without physically touching the piano itself. The Air Piano uses infrared technology to detect the user’s hand movements over it, and plays the appropriate note based on where the movement came from, including the height. The Air Piano is even able to detect if the hand is hovering over the same spot, and will sustain the note. The height factor comes into play when users want to change octaves, either by raising their hand higher, or lower, which is very intuitive. (Read the full post about ‘Air Piano’…)

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Transfer your domain to Go Daddy for as little as $6.99 and get a free 1-year extension plus guaranteed renewal pricing!  GoDaddy.com makes transferring easy and offers loads of extras including: hosting, a 5-page site builder, Complete Email, total DNS control and much more! ALL for as low as $6.99! What are you waiting for? Plus as a Gadgetell reader, enter code Gadget1 when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com. Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! (Read the full post about ‘Advertorial: Did you know that on July 1, Yahoo domain renewal pricing increased to $34.95 per year’…)

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Remember those pig earbuds only being sold in Japan? Well now we have our own pig themed speakers and they can’t have them. Although, likely they probably have their own and got them before us. In my head though, it’s that we get them all to ourselves. These little speakers are of course in true piggy form and are powered by USB. It’s an individual speaker, the type you tote around with you to plug in your ipod at random locations. If pretty pink pigs aren’t your thing, they also have a black as well as a white one. All three have cute little silver spots to top it off. Since they are just cheap USB speakers they won’t be good for any audiophiles. (Read the full post about ‘The USB Piggy Speakers are anything but dull’…)

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For people who like to take stealth shots of things from a distance, the Prowler Stealth Cam might just be the thing. This device is designed for hardcore hunters, and sports a 5 Megapixel camera for daytime shots, along with a 2 Megapixel infrared-capable cam for black and white shots in the night. This device is set to shoot on motion, and features an SD card slot, 42 infrared emitters which are good for up to 50 feet, and has time, date, moon phase and temperature stamp on each photo, along with a video setting which is adjustable from 5 to 90 seconds. Tags: cellphone, gaming, digital, AAC (Read the full post about ‘Spyshots with the Prowler Stealth Cam’…)

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With the number of secure services we access over the Internet rapidly growing, the number of login details and passwords we have to remember is expanding to match. How many of us have forgotten passwords or rely on a small set and reuse to ensure we are never left locked out?

Scientists at Newcastle University, England, may have come up with a simple solution. Instead of having to remember loads of passwords, they want us to doodle a little drawing to act as a security check.

The system is called Background Draw-a-Secret (BDAS) and works by recording how you draw the doodle that becomes your password.

(Read the full post about ‘Scientists in the UK replace passwords with doodles’…)

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(Image courtesy of Gizmodo) Tuning dials?!?! We don’t need no stinking tuning dials! At least that is what designer Mikael Silvanto must have been thinking when he came up with the Aivan concept AM/FM radio. Looking more like a slide rule than a radio, the caliper style Aivan radio tunes-in stations by sliding the entire radio unit up and down the tuning scale which also doubles as the radio’s stand. Unfortunately, this is no information as to when, or if, the Aivan concept radio will actually hit the market. But if you’re the type of person that believes in the “more is more” philosophy of style, you can’t do much better to show your taste than having a radio like this sitting on your desk or table. (Read the full post about ‘Aivan concept radio slides into tune’…)

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