This and that | Ripple's Web

The logo says just Xbox, but this is the new Xbox One.

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)

Gamers desperate to splash out on Microsoft’s blocky new Xbox One console needn’t wait until Christmas, as U.K. retailers have already started taking preorders for the upcoming gaming gadget.

Green-hued tech retailer Zavvi is asking for a whopping 400 pounds ($608) for the
Xbox One, which was revealed Tuesday at a bespoke Microsoft shindig.

That’s a very high price, even for a new console, though Zavvi’s ‘price promise‘ policy should mean that if the price comes down before the console goes on sale, you’ll only end up paying the final price.

Zavvi’s also pegged the Xbox One as having a November 30 release date. I suspect that could be subject to change, but feels about right — Microsoft promised that the console would be out this year, and it’ll want to ensure its new toy is lining shop shelves in time for the annual Christmas spend-a-thon.

Read more
of “Xbox One pegged for 30 November, with £400 pre-order” at CNET UK.

We take a first look at the Xbox One (pictures)

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If Earth had rings, Congress would have even more glory to bask in, according to this Ron Miller illustration.

(Credit:
Ron Miller)

The sunsets would be impossibly beautiful. The evening sky would glitter with a thousand silver arcs. If Earth had rings like Saturn, you’d only have to look up to get a spectacular show.

Veteran astronomy artist Ron Miller has created some stunning views of what our skies would look like if Earth were a ringed planet, and they make me want to launch a Kickstarter campaign to make it happen.

In a recent article for sci-fi blog io9, Miller presented his wild visions of a ringed Earth and what the sky would look like from various places on our planet.

He notes that Earth did have a ring long ago. It was the result of a cataclysmic planetary crash that precipitated the formation of the moon.

Earth: If you like it, put a ring on it (pictures)

Saturn’s existing rings did not form moons because the material lies within its Roche limit. That’s the radius within which orbiting bodies will generally disintegrate under gravitational stress. What if the material that went into our moon had been within Earth’s Roche limit? Miller’s visions are a possible answer.

Miller, a former art director at the National Air Space Museum’s Albert Einstein Planetarium, has produced illustrations that have graced nearly every publication with cool science ideas, from Scientific American to Starlog. He has also designed U.S. postage stamps, translated works by Jules Verne, and worked as a production illustrator on “Dune” and “Total Recall.”

He has authored numerous books, including “The Dream Machines,” a comprehensive history of manned spacecraft, and has illustrated dozens of covers for fantasy and science fiction books.

“I am an astronomical illustrator by profession and have always had a special fondness for Saturn,” Miller tells CNET.

“I was looking through some of my old space books and ran across an illustration of what Saturn’s rings might look like from London if the earth possessed the rings, which had been done in the late 1920s.

“It started me thinking that this might make an interesting series of pictures, showing what the rings would look like from different latitudes.”

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Microsoft’s Xbox One.

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)

Xbox 360 owners who have a Live Gold membership will be able to use it on the Xbox One as well.

Phil Harrison, a corporate VP with Microsoft, confirmed to video game blog site Polygon that the same Gold membership will apply to both systems.
Xbox Live Gold sbscribers who buy an Xbox One won’t have to ante up for yet another subscription.

Plus, that same single membership can be shared by multiple people, according to Microsoft’s Ben Kilgore. Each user will still have access to their own settings and customizations.

“We want to make sure that you and your son both have your own account,” Kilgore told Polygon, using the example of a father and son sharing the same Live Gold membership. “We want you log in to get your stuff, and when he logs in to get his stuff. On that console, if you have Gold, he can use Gold as well.”

Xbox Live Gold memberships offer a host of features, including online multiplayer games, free game demos, access to the Web via Internet Explorer, and movies and TV shows via services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus. The current membership costs $9.99 for 1 month, $24.99 for 3 months, and $59.99 for 12 months.

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Ericsson had on display a window with a transparent antenna built in, allowing for superior indoor coverage.

(Credit:
Roger Cheng/CNET)

LAS VEGAS — Windows that only let in sunlight and provide a view to the outside world? That’s so yesterday’s news.

Ericsson believes it can do more with windows, and it had on display here a few windows enhanced with different modifications. One had a transparent cellular antenna embedded in the glass, potentially improving smartphone reception. Another was outfitted with infrared sensors around the frame, allowing it to detect swipes and taps.

The exhibit, part of CTIA 2013, and titled “Windows of Opportunity,” showcases these “smart windows” as research concepts. Ericsson doesn’t plan to get into the window glass business, but it is hoping other companies are inspired enough to take the technology and build practical products with it.

When looking at how to provide a closer connection to the consumer, Ericsson settled on windows as something that’s universal to virtually every building.

“We looked at how we could use the most common element around us,” said Keith Shank, director of the company’s advanced technology labs.

The antenna-embedded window offers many opportunities to boost reception in buildings, homes, and even trains. Ericsson offered up another window with a clear Faraday Cage built on one side, which traps the cellular signal. The idea would be for buildings to have a similar structure around their windows, trapping the improved cellular signal within the building and boosting the coverage.

By holding up a white paper towel behind the glass, you can faintly see the outline of the embedded antenna.

(Credit:
Roger Cheng/CNET)

Likewise, a train could be outfitted with this, so each passenger’s smartphone could be picked up by the antenna built into the windows above their seat. Shank said it could improve capacity and reception dramatically.

Ericsson’s touch-screen window was an ordinary pane of glass with IR sensors built all around it in the frame. Tapping the window at a certain spot turned a light bulb on, while tapping another spot triggered a fan. By swiping down the center, you could start playing music, and adjust the volume with another swipe.

Ericsson regularly introduces these new kinds of whiz-bang features, including one product that actually used the human body to connect two devices. But the company largely just files a patent on the technology and looks to license it to enterprising companies.

Ericsson director Keith Shank demonstrates the potential touch-screen capabilities of a regular window.

(Credit:
Roger Cheng/CNET)

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The Lightning connector version of the Logitech Wired Keyboard will ship in August (click image to enlarge).

(Credit:
Logitech)

We review a lot of wireless Bluetooth keyboards and keyboard cases for iPads and other tablets, but we’ve yet to review a wired keyboard for the iPad. It comes as little surprise then that Logitech, which makes plenty of Bluetooth keyboards, has unveiled the Wired Keyboard for iPad, which it dubs “the first iPad keyboard made specially for the classroom environment.”

The keyboard will come in a Lightning connector or 30-pin connector versions and have an MSRP of $59.99. The Lightning version is due to ship in August; the 30-pin version will ship in October.

Why go wired? Well, it makes the keyboard very easy to connect. Logitech says it’s a challenge for teachers to simultaneously pair multiple iPads with multiple wireless Bluetooth keyboards in the classroom. With a wired keyboard, kids can connect without any help.

Logitech says the keyboard is “spill-resistant” and has full-size keys along with
iPad shortcut keys for such functions as copy and paste, Siri, app switching, and an integrated Home button. Hopefully, schools will get a nice discount if they buy multiple keyboards.

The keyboard has an MSRP of $59.99 and is spill-resistant (click image to enlarge).

(Credit:
Logitech)

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Where do you stand?

(Credit:
Image by Christopher MacManus/James Martin)

What’s hotter — the Xbox One or the PlayStation 4?

This year kicked off a new chapter in gaming history as Microsoft and Sony revealed their next-generation consoles, which are destined to rule living rooms (and hands) around the world. Of course, Nintendo also had its fun with the
Wii U, but hard-core gamers don’t seem to really be jumping on the device.

Today’s Xbox One announcement gave everyone a solid look at the upcoming console, which features many hardware specifications similar to the PlayStation 4. We’ve stacked the Xbox One vs. the PlayStation 4 against each other in a handy chart. Hardware aside, the two systems will offer a unique spin on cutting-edge entertainment experiences, social sharing, and extraordinary games with astonishing graphics.

Without pricing, finer details, and precise dates for their respective launches, some of you may not know which console you’ll want to buy next. Others may stick with the brand they already use, while some may switch allegiances and start anew.

Regardless, with today’s hubbub now giving us a better view of the gaming horizon, some gamers may have made a decision as to which console they’ll want to spend the next few years playing. Let us know where you stand in our poll.

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The F-35B has both power and finesse.

(Credit:
Lockheed Martin)

The latest round of cutting-edge aerospace technology feels very Zen to me. Much like SpaceX’s Grasshopper Vertical Takeoff Vertical Landing vehicle, this Lockheed Martin F-35B jet is capable of vertical take-offs and landings and appears to hover in the air in a sort of meditative state that seems odd for a military fighter.

The first vertical take-off and landing test of the production model was successfully conducted earlier this month and captured in the official video below.

The trade-off for the ability to combine fighter jet awesomeness with the versatility of a helicopter is that the F-35B can’t carry as much fuel or arms, meaning it can only be used for relatively short trips.

An earlier version of the jet in use by the Marines performed its first vertical landing in March.

Due to shifting budgets and other troubles, it’s not yet clear where the F-35Bs may end up, but the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.K.’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and the Italian Navy are among those that have considered purchasing the cool hover jets at one point or another.

See her in action below.

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Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One on Tuesday.

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)

Fears of a death spiral for used games with the Xbox One may be a little premature.

A Microsoft spokesman confirmed to CNET that Microsoft will support used games with its new console, though it declined to provide much information at this time.

“We are designing
Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games,” the spokesman said. “We’ll have more details to share later.”

What we do know is that users have to install games from a disc onto the console’s hard drive to access the information. Users can then play that game whenever they like without using the disc, but the action also limits how often that disc can be shared. If the install disc is used on another console, there will be a small fee for doing so.

While that doesn’t mean the outright death of secondhand games, it could put a damper on the market. It’s unclear how much the second installation fee will cost and how many additional accounts are allowed. It’s also unclear if people can easily share games with friends or roommates and what the resale process will be like. Gamers who use a game for a couple weeks or months and then trade it in may find that much more difficult with the Xbox One.

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(Credit:
Burj Al Arab)

It’s the most golden hotel perk since gold-bar vending machines: gold iPads.

As if the Rolls Royce and helicopter services weren’t enough, guests at Dubai’s opulent Burj Al Arab now have access to gold-plated iPads.

The 24-karat
tablets are engraved with the property’s logo on the back, which also features a black Apple logo. Ironically enough, the hotel chain’s slogan is “Stay different.”

The iPads, meant to act as “virtual concierges,” are loaded with Interactive Customer Experience (ICE) software that gives guests information on services such as dining options at the landmark property.

The iPads were produced by Gold Co. of London, which made a 24-karat rose-gold
iPad for the hotel last October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“The Gold Co. London 24-carat gold iPad is the ultimate in luxury accessories, hence we wanted it to be paired with Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel,” Amjad Ali, CEO of Gold Co. London, said in a release. “The symmetry is obvious, as both the gold iPad and the hotel are unique in terms of extraordinary quality and design.”

The glittering iPads will be on sale for about $10,200 in the hotel’s boutique, which also sells a gold iPad mini, gold
iPhone 5, and gold BlackBerry Q10.

Gold Co. of London has produced a number of eye-popping uber-luxurious gadgets with the yellow metal. Check them out in the gallery below.

Golden gadgets galore from Gold Co. (pictures)

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(Credit:
DC)

Web site Comics Alliance, a three-time winner of the Eisner award — went mysteriously silent toward the end of April, to the distress and consternation of comics fans.

No word — official or otherwise — was heard from either parent company AOL or any of the Comics Alliance staff members. However, the lack of updates on the site since April 29, where it usually updated several times a day, seemed to confirm that Comics Alliance was being shelved and archived. This apparent move was puzzling, as the site was not losing money; quite the contrary, in fact.

A new post on the Web site, however, seems to indicate that perhaps the whole thing was merely a hiatus. Titled “;)” (the wink emoticon), the post is a series of panels from Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” showing Superman hearing Batman’s heartbeat after the latter has faked his own death.

Although we don’t know why the Web site would fake us out, we bet its return is going to be something great — even if it’s just Comics Alliance back on our daily RSS feeds. Stay tuned.

(Source: Crave Australia)

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