iPhone SDK Downloads Top 100,000: ”

CUPERTINO, California—March 12, 2008—Apple® today announced that more than 100,000 iPhone™ developers have downloaded the beta iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) in the first four days since its launch on March 6. The iPhone SDK provides developers with the same rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and tools that Apple uses to create its native applications for iPhone and iPod® touch.

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(Via MacMegasite.)

RFID Reader to Locate Passive Tags To Within Six Inches: ”

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Photo: midnightcomm/Flickr

Sunnyvale startup Wirama announced that they’ve finished the most precise RFID reader available yet, with the ability to locate passive RFID tags to within 6 inches (through the EPC Class 1 Gen 2 standard).’ Up to now, only the most expensive RFID readers could locate a precise passive tag at that accuracy and used (wasteful) batteries for power. This means that the ability to track inventory through an RFID system will soon lower the entry costs into the tech, likely replacing barcodes, and may allow small businesses to save cash by keeping precise, real-time track of their wares.

As long as it doesn’t lead to a crunchy, RFID-filled strawberry that will stick to the insides of my stomach, remotely track my whereabouts throughout the world, and lead to a vast history bank sorting my directional choices like a lab rat, it seems like a cool breakthrough.

At the moment, the reading range of the software algorithm within RFID tags is about 15 feet, long enough for your own version of Michael Scott to read your emails and know when you’re going to the bathroom too much.’

A couple of months ago, Rob Beschizza talked about the use of short-range-capable RFID badges to track attendees at CES 2008 and decided he was fine with it.

Source: Wirama

Photo (right):’ Chaparral [Kendra]/Flickr

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(Via Wired: Gadget Lab.)

Apple patent hints at Surface-like research: ”

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Come one, come all, and let us once again look into the hazy crystal ball that is the United States Patent and Trademark Office database. What’s this, here? A newly published patent filing hinting that Apple is working on Surface-like interfaces? Close your eyes and let your wildest fanboy fantasies unfold — yeah, it’s yet another incredibly dry Apple patent filing, we’re just trying to spice things up a bit. The latest details a larger touch system than we’ve previously seen from Cupertino, designed to be used by two hands at once and supporting different actions depending on the location of your palms. Since the details are mostly to do with the actual touch interactions and not direct applications, this is basically a nerd Rorscharch test — we see, oh, a touchscreen iMac, maybe, or possibly a large, lap-based tablet. Or is that a giant Cintiq-like display? Too bad, your time’s up — Ms. Cleo doesn’t do free.

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(Via Engadget.)

I-O Data’s USB-to-DVI adapter plays nice with Aero: ”

Filed under: Displays

USB-to-DVI adapters have certainly progressed a good ways over the years, and I-O Data’s ain’t too shabby, either. The external graphics dongle supports resolutions up to 1,680 x 1,050, measures in at 57- x 85- x 22-millimeters and even plays nice with Vista’s Aero Glass interface. Unfortunately, it’s not so compatible with Open GL or HDCP. That’s a little too hamstrung for our ¥14,600 ($135), but to each their own.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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(Via Engadget.)

Banksy in New York: “Travel: Audio slideshow: Take a good look around the Manhattan hotel where the artist left his early mark”

(Via Guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk.)

Video of Nerf Gun Turned Gears of War Lancer: “This is what Nerf guns should look like!!”

(Via Digg.)

Lip Splitting, Face Slashing Engagement Ring Says “I Love You”: ”

Forget the traditional jewelry weapon of choice, the sovereign ring. Next to the Killer Diamond Engagement Ring, it looks like a Nerf gun. This concept, from Tobias Wong, takes the diamond and reverses it in its setting, leaving the pointy and extremely sharp side facing out.

Apparently the ring will ‘cut skin down to the bone’ and is the perfect gift for a loved one.

It’s romantic because it means, ‘Will you marry me’ but it also means, ‘I can’t always be there to protect you so if some jerk won’t stop bothering you, puncture him with this.’

A beautiful sentiment. Also useful for vandalism (scratch tagging and car ‘keying’).

Product page [Yanko via BoingBoing]

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(Via Wired: Gadget Lab.)

Reviewed: FastMac MacBook Pro Battery: “It may seem like an odd thing to review, but you’d have a hard time getting much done if you didn’t have a good power supply. And if a Mac portable is your machine of choice, your productivity hinges on your battery.

A new writer here at MacMerc.com, Jordan Satok, has put the FastMac MacBook Pro Battery through its paces and has posted his findings.

[read more at MacMerc.com]

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(Via MacMerc.com.)

Touchpad turns your iPhone into a remote trackpad: ”

Filed under: Cellphones

Just when you think you’ve seen the iPhone perform its last magic trick (making you eggs benedict, solving the inverse Galois problem, a brief appearance on Dancing With the Stars) something like this comes along to make your jaw drop just a little bit more. Touchpad for the iPhone is built on top of VNsea, but instead of allowing you to navigate your desktop on the device, it becomes what is essentially a wireless, remote trackpad, which gives you direct access to your system as if you were using a mouse or touch device for input. It sounds interesting in description, but looks amazing in execution — check the video after the break to see what it does, then go get the app loaded up and try it yourself.

Continue reading Touchpad turns your iPhone into a remote trackpad

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(Via Engadget.)

Anxiety – task management app