Wacom Inkling

Wacom reports:

Inkling, a new digital sketch pen that captures a digital likeness of your work while you sketch with its ballpoint tip on any sketchbook or standard piece of paper.

Designed for rough concepting and creative brainstorming, Inkling bridges the gap between paper sketching and digital drawing by giving users at the front end of the creative process a way to rough-out ideas with real ink on paper and capture their concepts digitally so that they can be later refined on their computer.

Inkling even allows users to create layers in the digital file while sketching on paper in the following creative software applications: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Autodesk Sketchbook Pro.

£149.99, available October 2011.
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iPhone concept video

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JPEGmini

JPEGmini reports: [edited]

JPEGmini is a photo optimization technology that reduces the file size of photos by up to 5x, while preserving the resolution and quality of the original photos.

JPEGmini files are optimized JPEG files, whose parameters have been tuned to significantly reduce the file size without affecting perceptual quality.

You can upload your photos to our online service, and download the optimized JPEGmini photos. Single photos do not require registration, and batch uploading full photo albums requires free registration, and there is currently no limit on the amount of photos you can process.
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London/Nottingham/Lincoln/London - 27/28-08-11

All the Way from Memphis - Mott The Hoople
American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
American Idiot - Green Day
Arts & Crafts - Red Light Company
Astounded - Bran Van 3000
Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan
Believe (rhythm promo) - Cher
Better Off Without You - Summer Camp
Blackout - Anna Calvi
Blood Sugar - Pendulum
Blue Monday-88 - New Order
Boten Anna - Basshunter
The Boys Of Summer - The Ataris
The Boys of Summer - DJ Sammy
Brother Louie - Modern Talking
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Call it Love - Poco
Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn
Carry on Wayward Son - Kansas
Coconut (put the lime in the) - Harry Nilsson
Common People - William Shatner
Crazy Horses - The Osmonds
Creep - Radiohead
The Crunch - Rah Band
Dignity - Deacon Blue
Don't Let The Man Get You Down - Fatboy Slim
Don't Look Back Into The Sun - The Libertines
Don't You Want Me - Human League
Don't You Want Me (12 inch Dance Mix) - Human League
Down In Mexico - The Coasters
Drop the Pressure - Mylo
Ecstasy (DDR mix) - DJ Sasha & John Digweed
Every Beat of my heart - Railway Children
Everyday I Love You Less And Less - Kaiser Chiefs
Fell In Love With A Girl - The White Stripes
Freeker by the Speaker - Keller Williams
Get Out Of This House - Shawn Colvin
Get Stoned - Hinder
Getting Away With It - Electronic
Gold Canary - Cloud Control
A Good Man Is Hard To Kill - Beulah
The Great Escape - We Are Scientists
Groove Is In The Heart - Dee Lite
The Haircut - The Waifs
Half Moon Street - Pete and the Pirates
Hold Tight - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
Hole In My Shoe - Traffic
House Arrest - KRUSH
Crush On You - The Jets
Cuddly Toy - Harry Nilsson
Cuddly Toy - Roachford
Toxic Milkshake - Kelis vs. Britney Spears
Hey Ya - Outkast
Helena Beat - Foster the People
Break Ya Neck - Busta Rhymes
I Should've Known - Aimee Mann
If Ever I Stray - Frank Turner
If I Should Fall From Grace With God - The Pogues
Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
Invaders Must Die - The Prodigy
Jeepster - T. Rex
Joy Division Oven Gloves - Half Man Half Biscuit
Just Like Paradise - David Lee Roth
Kim & Jessie - M83
Kiss Me Deadly - Lita Ford
Knock On Wood - Amii Stewart
La Primavera - Sash!
The Legend Of Xanadu - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
Let Your Shoulder Fall - Matthew Jay
Let's Dance To Joy Division - The Wombats
Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Love Will Always Make You Cry - After The Fire
The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) - Joe Tex
Make Me Smile (Come up and see me) - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Money - The Drums
More More More - Andrea True Connection
More Than A Feeling - Boston
Move any Mountain (Progen '91) - The Shamen
Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield
My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars
No Children - The Mountain Goats
No Tikkle - Elephant Man
North Country Boy - The Charlatans
Omen - The Prodigy
Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations
Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic feat. Felly
Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
Ramp! (The Logical Song) - Scooter
Reggae Fever - Steel Pulse
Return Of Django - The Upsetters
Rhythm Is a Dancer - Snap!
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Adobe Muse

Adobe reports: [edited]

Create websites as easily as you create layouts for print. You can design and publish original HTML pages to the latest web standards without writing code. Now in beta, Muse makes it a snap to produce unique, professional websites.

Free to download and use until the end of 2011.
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Steve Jobs resigns

BBC reports: [edited]

Apple founder Steve Jobs has resigned as chief executive of the technology giant and will be replaced by its chief operating officer Tim Cook. The Silicon Valley legend will become chairman of the firm.

In a short letter to the board of Apple, Mr Jobs wrote:

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's chief executive, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as chief executive of Apple.

"I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role."

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: It will be interesting to see whether this development will bring significant changes within Apple, and to its future stategies. My best guess is no. Steve has been planning his exit since being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, and will remain actively involved in shaping the vision of the company as long as he is physically and mentally able to.
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Metal Art Warriors

Red 5 reports: [edited]

Based on characters from iconic action movies these 2ft figures are made from recycled car and bike parts.

Price: £199.95
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Garuda Warrior Wasp

New Scientist reports: [edited]

If someone had made a horror movie about alien wasps and hired H.R. Giger to do the designs, the resulting monsters might have looked something like this. But this 'warrior wasp' is real: it lives on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, and it is 4 centimetres long.

Its mandibles are so large that they cross over to the other side of the head when closed - they're longer, in fact, than the wasp's front legs making it difficult to understand how they are able to walk.

Lynn Kimsey of the University of California, Davis discovered the mighty insect during a recent expedition to the Mekongga Mountains of Sulawesi. She plans to name it "Garuda", after a mythic figure who was part-human, part-eagle.

These are not biggest wasps in the world. That accolade goes to the tarantula hawk, which regularly clock in at over 6 centimetres, and - as the name suggests - hunt tarantulas.

Image: Kathy Keatley Garvey
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Air Swimmers

HELO TC iPhone/iPod touch-controlled Helicopter

Griffin Technology reports: [edited]

HELO TC, the touch-controlled RC helicopter you control with your iPhone, iPod touch (or iPad). Download the free HELO TC app onto your iOS device, load your device into HELO TC's Flight Deck and you're ready to fly in either of two ways:

Touch Control: Use a virtual joystick on your Multi-Touch display to maneuver the chopper.

Tilt to Steer: Tilt your iOS device to move the chopper forward, backward, and side to side.


Use the app to record and store up to three Flight Plans so you, or another pilot, can easily repeat a favorite flight pattern. Make up routes among the furniture, missions to fly, obstacles to avoid, goals to achieve, and replay them later with your friends.

HELO TC comes complete with a precision twin-rotor remote-controlled helicopter and Flight Deck. The Flight Deck plugs into your iOS device's headphone jack and translates your commands into infrared signals that beam to the helicopter.

HELO TC's intuitive, easy-to-learn controls and twin-rotor design make for stable, controlled flight. And the HELO TC app provides features not available with other RC helicopters, such as Auto Land so you can bring HELO TC down for a safe landing with just a tap of the Multi-Touch display.

Price: $49.99
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IngoFonts

IngoFonts produces a wide range of commercial typefaces, including the impressively authentic Biro Script.

One of the unique features of the IngoFont website is that all the typefaces can be downloaded free. The catch being that the free version only provides uppercase and lowercase from A to Z. However, this does provide the opportunity to try the typeface out before deciding to shell out for the full commercial version.

For a PDF of their type specimen brochure, click here
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Breakfast Express

Reikokaneko+ reports: [edited]

On board the Breakfast Express, three carriages link together by hidden magnets so the entire train can be wheeled along. The 'carriages' are sold separately and consist of an eggcup, toast rack and salt & pepper cellar.

Price: £19.95 per item.
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Superb trailer for Deus Ex, Human Revolution.

For the official website, click here.

Thanks to Brook for the link
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Panasonic DMC-GF3

Digital Photography Review have published an in-depth review of Panasonic's latest Micro Four Thirds 'compact'.

Excerpts from conclusion:

"The GF3 is a satisfying camera to use that is small and light enough to carry around all day. Its 12MP Micro Four Thirds sensor, though showing its age, is capable of producing lovely images that will be a revelation to users migrating from compact sensors."

"When used in full auto mode, the GF3's autofocus and metering system do an admirable job under a wide range of conditions of producing a pleasing image. On-camera dials and buttons are pared down to the bare essentials, but advanced shooting controls are easily accessible via Panasonic's well-implemented touchscreen interface."

"We like the GF3, but it isn't perfect. It misses out on a silver award by a whisker, due to its aging 12MP sensor, and some questionable design decisions as regards flash and lens mount position. Both issues have the potential to annoy all users, regardless of their experience or their expectations."
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World War II in Photos

The Atlantic is posting a 20 Part Retrospective featuring high-resolution images chronicling the events preceding, during and after World War II.
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Using the iPhone in photojournalism

What I See Now has interviewed Teru Kuwayama, a photojournalist who uses an iPhone as his main camera. Excerpts follow:

What made you decide to use the iPhone rather than a more traditional camera to capture images?

I wanted to demonstrate that it isn’t about technology, and that journalism (whatever that means anymore) doesn’t require 'professional' gear. That said, I’ve been pretty amazed at how well the iPhone works as a camera, it might be the best piece of gear I’ve ever used.

What do you like about the iPhone camera?

The touchscreen design makes it more dustproof than any professional camera I know of, and it’s certainly the most discreet camera I’ve ever used. Most of the Marines I’m with have never seen me holding a 'camera' and probably don’t even know I’m a photographer. With a pocket-sized backup cell, I’ve got enough battery power to operate for a week, and after three months of using it as my primary camera, I’ve barely made a dent in the hard drive. Throw in audio, video, geotagging, and apps that do 90% of the 'darkroom' work — for someone coming from the analog world, it’s somewhere between science fiction and magic.

via Simon Jenkins
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Mark Noad redesigns Tube Map

Noad has updated the London Underground map, attempting to improve its geographical accuracy while maintaining its visual simplicity.

For Mark Noad's website click here

For a discussion of its design click here

Alps FLGS3 lens

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

A components manufacturer claims to have made the industry's smallest aspherical glass lens which has potential to kit-out smartphones with built-in projectors.

The Alps FLGS3 lens measures up at less than one cubic millimetre – Aspherical glass tech is already utilised in underwater cabling and base stations, as well as some handheld projectors. However, the lenses have never been this small, and now the company is looking to hit the world of consumer appliances, with its sights firmly set on the smartphone industry.
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Punchfork

Punchfork reports: [edited]

Punchfork makes it easier to find the best new recipes. We use conversations on social networks to bring you high quality recipes that passionate cooks are talking about right now.

via Kottke

Pro-Jump EXO Pro

Ghostbikes.com reports: [edited]

The Pro-Jump Exo Pro Range is new for 2011 with a radical design that has been meticulously tested for over a year by the leading Powerbocking Clubs in the UK.

They allow you to jump up to 8ft vertically, and run at speeds of over 25 MPH.

Price: £210
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Mobile phone photography tips

The Next Web has a helpful article on how to make the most of your mobile phone's camera.
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Can-Am Roadster RS

Can-Am reports: [edited]

Nothing you’ve experienced prepares you for the thrill of hitting the open road astride a Can-Am Spyder roadster.

There’s nothing ordinary about the way it looks. Or the way it rides, for that matter. You gas, it comes to life. You steer, it reacts and adapts. With its Rotax 990 V-Twin engine and unique, three-wheeled stance, the Can-Am Spyder roadster offers a bold, new way to experience open-road freedom.

Price: £15,000
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Aviary

Stuck without a photo-editing app, but have access to the 'net? Aviary allows you to perform a wide range of photo-editing within your web browser.

For more information about how to use it, click here.
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