Author: Stuart Dredge
Gemma Atkinson deploys chest in support of motion-sensing mobile game
Cor, I’d like to motion sense those, eh? She can power up my handset any day. I’d like to interfere with her back-end cellular roaming infrastructure… Okay, I’m not cut out for that job on Nuts magazine after all.
Arcade Fire and Radiohead top Hype Machine Zeitgeist charts
If you want to know the best bands, albums and songs of 2007, you don’t need to ask a journalist any more. They’ll just say Arcade Fire or Radiohead, in any case. No, what you want to do is ask more than 600 MP3 bloggers, since they’re the new online tastemakers deciding what’s hot and what’s not in the music world.
The hot new thing in Second Life? Bouncy breasts
It's not unreasonable to assume that whenever you meet someone in a virtual world or MMO with enormous, gravity-defying breasts, they're probably a man in real-life. But it seems that in Second Life, female users are flocking to a virtual store called Smashing Prims that's selling realistically bouncing breasts for their avatars.
Is it me, or are electronic dictionaries just small laptops?
We don’t go a bundle on e-dictionaries here in the UK, mainly because we have a long and noble tradition of spelling words however the hell we want – and if it matches the official definition, it’s a bonus. That, and the fact that we don’t have room for any more gadgets in our pockets.
Analyst suggests Motorola may stop making mobile phones
What? Surely there’s mileage in making another 17 versions of the RAZR before that happens?! But yes, Nomura International analyst Richard Windsor has written a research note saying that Motorola may exit the handset market in favour of becoming an “enterprise and government company”.
Radio-controlled sperm taps could replace vasectomies
The battle to prevent men from spreading their seed like dogs on heat goes on. Scientists in Australia have developed a high-tech replacement for the vasectomy. It’s a radio-controlled implant that acts as a valve inside your sperm ducts, opening and closing according to preference.
Nokia signs up with WWF and promises energy savings
Nokia has been shouting loud in recent months about its eco-friendly credentials, and its latest initiative looks set to win it more fans in the green movement. It’s joined the WWF’s Climate Savers scheme, and promised a raft of energy-saving improvements in years to come.
The Global Reader is the latest attempt to put e-books on phones
Dedicated e-book readers like Amazon’s Kindle are one thing, but reading books on your mobile phone? It’s a dubious idea. The screen’s just too small to comfortably read that many words in one go. However, several firms have tried, with the latest being Macmillan Publishing Solutions.
MidemNet 2008: Brit digital music firms 7digital and We7 get funding
UK digital music store 7digital has announced that it’s raised £4.25 million from VC firms, as part of its efforts to continue developing its service and expand to new countries, such as the US.
MidemNet 2008: Qtrax launch crashes as major labels deny deals
Call me a fusspot, but if I was launching a high-profile new music service in front of the entire music industry, I’d make darn sure I had signed’n’sealed contracts from all the labels I was announcing were taking part. Sadly, it seems Qtrax didn’t have the same view.
