New Kit Enables 3D Photos From Your Existing Digital Camera
Mission3-D has announced Photo3-D, which is a $129 hardware/software kit that enables you to take 3D pictures with your existing digital camera. The system enables you to take two pictures of the same object at the same time using from slightly different angles, then the software combines and colors the pictures so it looks 3D when viewed with the included glasses.
Carnegie Mellon's SOS Camera Watch web site (no, it's not about a new gadget for your wrist) gives you web access to public security cameras. It's reality TV for paranoid geeks with time to burn. There are currently 600 cams online. Soon there will be 6,000.
The Taipei Times reports that China has launched a systematic information warfare campaign against Taiwan, spreading Trojan-horse programs in order to gain access to government computers.
Suspected Terrorists Steal Australian Security Mainframes
Two men dressed like computer technicians socially engineered their way into the intelligence center at the Sydney airport, and walked out with two of the government's mainframes on trolleys. Australian security agents are now conducting "damage audits" to find out what al-Qaeda or Jemaah Islamiah may now know about Australian counter-terrorism efforts.
High-Tech Harassment System to Keep Indian Train Drivers Awake
Indian Railways plans to introduce a safety system that monitors whether or not drivers fiddle with knobs and controls. If they go 30 seconds without doing so, the system assumes the driver has fallen asleep and an alarm sounds. If they don't touch something quick, the brakes go on. The state-run company also plans a new GPS-based anti-collision system.
Engineers John Madden and Joseph Yan from the University of British Columbia plan to create a military bug robot for search-and-rescue missions in hazardous areas. The digital dragonfly would flap its wings like a real bug, weigh about as much as a dime and generate its own electricity. They hope to build swarms of these bugs within five years, which will give us all time to put better screens on our windows and invent an effective robot bug repellent.
The Recording Industry Association of America plans to announce an amnesty program that will let copyright infringers off the hook if they promise to delete all their music files and change their wicked ways. The RIAA is asking for -- get this -- a notarized amnesty form to be sent to them with a copy of your driver's license. The "offer" only applies to those who haven't yet been subpoenaed. It's hard to imagine how much further out of touch with reality they could possibly be...
Samsung to Sell Video Camera with Built-In Hard Disk
Samsung showed off a $700 video camera with a built-in hard disc drive (HDD) at the German Internationale Funkausstellung 2003 consumer electronics show in Germany. The company plans a December release. The camera can record SDTV-quality-like video to its 1-inch, 1.5 gigabyte hard drive. The 350,000-pixel CCD supports still images, MPEG4, MP3 audio data, and other video formats.
Sony Erricsson to Sell Cell Phone Controlled Bluetooth Toy Car
The Bluetooth CAR-100 is a tiny racecar that can be controlled with a Sony Ericsson mobile phone. The car has two gears and can be navigated from up to 32 feet distance with a phone's keypad or joystick. The car will be available in Q4 '03.
The Aquada was unveiled in London today, and goes on sale next year. Unlike other amphibious cars, the $235,000 Aquada looks like a hot sports car, will actually be available for sale to the public, and goes 48 mph -- on the water!
mQuery has created a software utility that turns your cell phone into a landline. Called Cicero, the software may be launched in the first quarter of 2004. Cicero uses the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi feature of a cell phone to connect to a landline, enabling cheaper calls and zero minutes on your bill when you're near a connection.
The Pentagon plans to test an anti-missile laser beam in 2005, according to AviationWeek. The test will be conducted from a special 747 outfitted with a high-power laser.
The End is Near: CDs, DVDs to Die Painful Death Like LPs
The distribution of music and movies will go online, effectively killing CD and DVD distribution, according to a new report from Forrester. The report predicts that in five years, 33 percent of music sales will come from downloads and that by 2005 15 percent of movie rentals will happen through video-on-demand services. Eventually, disks will be rendered obsolete altogether, according to the report.
Singaporeans caught sending text messages on their mobile phones while driving face a fine of up to 1,000 Singapore dollars (US$570) and six months in jail, police said Tuesday.
Sharp has created the smallest ever 1.1 megapixel camera module for mobile phones and PDAs. Called the LZ0P3721 CCD 1.1, the module is just 9.7mm thick. The CCD is just 1/4 inch across. The company will ship to gadget makers starting in September.
Game Maker Tries to Attract Girl Gamers With Calorie-Counting Game
Sony plans to sell its EyeToy Playstation 2 camera in the U.S. and Asia in time for the holiday season after hot sales in Europe. One EyeToy game, called EyeToy: Groove, requires the player to make shapes using arms and legs to music. The camera watches the player's movements and calculates calories burned, awarding points for pounds shed. Girls: It really doesn't get anymore condescending than this.
Researchers from Uppsala University and the firm Chromogenics Sweden AB have created a helmet that 
Indian Railways plans to introduce a safety system that 
The Office of Naval Research next month will unveil a 
I told you 
The Bluetooth CAR-100 is a tiny racecar that can be controlled with a Sony Ericsson mobile phone. The car has two gears and can be navigated from up to 32 feet distance with a phone's keypad or joystick. The car will be available in Q4 '03. 
The Aquada was unveiled in London today, and goes on sale next year. Unlike other amphibious cars, the $235,000 Aquada looks like a hot sports car, will actually be available for sale to the public, and goes 
Sharp has created the smallest ever 1.1 megapixel camera module for mobile phones and PDAs. Called the LZ0P3721 CCD 1.1, the module is just 9.7mm thick. The CCD is just 1/4 inch across. The company will ship to gadget makers starting in September. 
