MyTunes mini-amp

Red5 are taking pre-orders for this very cute little amp/speaker combo. It probably looks a lot better than it sounds, but at £20 the only thing I would criticise is the omission of an '11' position on the volume knob.
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RepRap 3D printer

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

The Replicating Rapid-prototyper (RepRap) was created by scientists from the University of Bath and is essentially a printer that’s able to build 3D plastic objects, such as door handles. It uses a technique called “additive fabrication” to 'print' thin layers of molten plastic which then solidify. Spray another layer on top of the first, then more layers, and you can make useful objects.

RepRap has even been used to create another version of itself, essentially seeing the original, or parent, machine create a so-called child version. Although 3D printers aren’t a new concept, the team claims that RepRap is the first such machine able to ‘print’ itself.

The researchers based RepRap on open source software and published tutorials online that describe the machine’s design process. Using its plans, the Bath University team claims a motivated amateur could build themselves a RepRap for around £300.

“If the design of an existing object doesn't quite suit their needs, [users] can easily redesign it on their PC and print that out. They can also print out extra RepRap printers to give to their friends,” added Bowyer.
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HTC Touch Pro

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

Touchscreen typing isn’t for everybody, so HTC has remodelled its new Touch Diamond handset to create one that also has a slide-out Qwerty keyboard.

A 3.2-megapixel camera is built into the talker, with pictures, videos and music all be stored on Micro SD memory cards. Bluetooth’s also on board if you want to send snaps to a nearby pal. Or, you can just sit on the sofa and surf the web without firing up your laptop because the Touch Pro supports 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and HSDPA downloads of up 7.2Mb/s.

If you’re out and about and suddenly find yourself in an unknown location, then the phone also features both GPS and Assisted GPS to help you get back on track.

HTC’s Touch Pro will be available in Europe in the late summer. A price hasn’t been tapped out yet.
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Roman candles

Shakespeare's Den reports: [edited]

Do as the Romans do and conquer your birthday with elegance and grace!

The Roman Numeral Birthday Candles will give your cake a regal ambience. You just might want to whip out your togas and laurel wreaths after witnessing these silver candles in their all their illuminated majesty!
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Watchmen

Watchmen was originally published by DC Comics in 1986 as a limited-edition 12-issue series. It was later republished as a trade paperback. It is regularly credited with inaugrating the concept of the graphic novel. It even made Time Magazine's 2005 list of 'The 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present'.

The story is set in an alternative universe where the USA and Russia are on the verge of nuclear war. We are introduced to a number of superheroes, one of who has been murdered. In this universe, superheroes are fallible and disturbingly ordinary people. The fact that you are thinking 'So what?' is a tribute to the influence of the book on contemporary superhero literature.

It is a dark, brooding, magnificent work. Over 20 years after its publication it remains one of the best graphic novels ever produced. Read it before the movie is released so you can bore people with your own personal 'compare/contrast' trivia. And if you've already read it, whet your appetite with a visit to the Watchmen movie Flickr site.
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Photoshop Forensics

If you're interested in digital imagery, Scientific American have an excellent article on how experts detect 'doctored' images.
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iClooly

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

A Japanese manufacturer has designed a dock that gives the iPod Touch the appearance of a miniature iMac. The iClooly allows the iPod touch to rotate 90°, enabling you to use the music and movie gadget in either a portrait or landscape orientation.
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For twins who have everything

Uncommon Goods reports: [edited]

Whether they're identical or fraternal, twins are just as competitive as all pairs of siblings. The most common contest between twins? Who's older?

Set the record straight early on with these First Born and Runner Up one-pieces for newborn twins. The pair of outfits is the perfect gift for parents of newborn twins, and will go far to mitigate future confusion.

Sold as a set. $40.00.

via swissmiss
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Oleophilic nanowires

New Scientist reports: [edited]

Researchers led by Francesco Stellacci at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, US, made membranes of tangled manganese oxide nanowires around 50 micrometres thick – about a quarter of the thickness of normal office paper.

The tiny wires are first suspended in liquid, before being strained out into flat sheets. "It's very similar to the process that makes paper," Stellacci says.

The manganese oxide nanowires are normally very attractive to water. However, adding a silicon coating switches the material to being strongly water repellent. It also becomes able to guzzle oil. Tests showed the material can suck up 20 times its weight in motor oil, and 10 times its weight in gasoline.

"Our material can be left in water a month or two, and when you take it out it's still dry," Stellacci says. "But if that water contains some hydrophobic [oily] contaminants they will get absorbed."

But Lahann points out that manganese oxide may not be the best material for real-world applications because it could be toxic. He says, though, that the new material "clearly provides a blueprint that can guide the design of future nanomaterials for environmental applications."
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London, Lincoln, London 01-06-08

LONDON to LINCOLN
Tell Him - Vonda Shepard
La la Song - The Kissaway Trail
We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off - Jermaine Stewart
The Land Of Make Believe - Bucks Fizz
Starfish & Coffee - Soulwax
Jive Talkin´ - Bee Gees
Somebody like you - Keith Urban
Autumn Song - Manic Street Preachers
Best Of My Love - Emotions
Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation
My Guy - Mary Wells
I'm Shakin' - Rooney
Around the World (Radio) - Daft Punk
Jupiter & Teardrop - Grant Lee Buffalo
Young Love (Ft Laura Marling) - Mystery Jets
Don't sleep in the Subway - Petula Clark
Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
Hands Up - Ottawan
Bones - The Killers
The Race - Cajun Dance Party
You To Me Are Everything - The Real Thing
Rockaria - Electric Light Orchestra
If You Can't Give Me Love - Suzi Quatro
Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan
Beautiful Life (Single Version) - Ace of Base
Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips
Voyage Voyage - Robert Miles & Patricia Kaas
You are everywhere - Michelle Branch
He Said He Loved Me - Reverend and the Makers
Give It Up - K.C. & The Sunshine Band
Please Forgive Me - David Gray
Maddening Shroud - Frou Frou (Imogen Heap vocals)
It’s In His Kiss - Vonda Shepard
I Drove All Night - Cyndi Lauper
Give Me Back My Heart - Dollar
Heaven On The 7th Floor - Paul Nicholas
Hourglass - Squeeze
Ding A Dong - Teach In
Guys Do It All the Time - Mindy McCready
Driving In My Car - Madness
I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman
Renaissance Kid - The Golden Virgins
Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix) - The Prodigy

LINCOLN to LONDON
Your Sweet 666 - H.I.M. (His Infernal Majesty)
Eloïse - Claude François
Amazing Grace - The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Big Sleep - Simple Minds
Hello - Evanescence
Mandela Day - Simple Minds
Buffalo Stance - Neneh Cherry
Machine Gun - Jimi Hendrix
Bridge To Nowhere - The Like
Layna - Gallagher & Lyle
Lawyers, Guns and Money - Warren Zevon
Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Theme For A Rolling Stone - The Andrew Oldham Orchestra
These Things Take Time - The Smiths
Mean To Me - Crowded House
My Man - They Might Be Giants (TMBG)
The Shadowlands - Ryan Adams
Big House - Caitlin Cary And Thad Cockrell
Black Earth - Black Earth
The Last Waltz - Engelbert Humperdinck
Little Things In Life - Green On Red
Enjoy The Ride - Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder
You Little Fool - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Down the Line - Jerry Lee Lewis
Mr Ambulance Driver - The Flaming Lips
Free World - Kirsty MacColl
Just Another Day - Brian Eno
Books And Water - Ian Dury & The Blockheads
Great Houses of New York - Hem
Evergreen - The Fiery Furnaces
My Shit's F**ked Up - Warren Zevon
History - Mai Tai
The Heart Of Rock & Roll - Huey Lewis & The News
Jack - Big Boy Tomato
Lovely To See You - Various Artists
Speak - Nickel Creek
Warm Love (Live) - Van Morrison
Center Of The Sun (Solarstone's Chilled Out Remix) - Conjure
Nothing But The Same Old Story - Paul Brady
Comanche - The Revels
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Ubik - the movie

Slashdot reports: [edited]

Could this be the new Blade Runner? SFFMedia reports that Celluloid Dreams has obtained the movie rights to Philip K. Dick's science fiction masterpiece 'Ubik'.

First published in 1969, Ubik's central character is Joe Chip, a technician for a telepathic organization that employs people with the ability to block certain psychic powers so they can secure other people's privacy. In the novel, the dead are kept in 'half-life,' a form of cryogenic suspension, with limited consciousness and communication ability.

A mystical substance called Ubik, available in spray-can form, is the only thing stopping reality from disintegrating before Joe's eyes. It'll be hard to film, but fantastic if they get it right!
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Samsung SGH-L870

Expansys have Samsung's latest slider available for pre-order. As someone who admires Samsung's engineering, but hates their software, their latest offering it intriguing because it is running the latest incarnation of the Symbian 9 operating system with the S60 3.2 interface (think Nokia E- and N- series).

In fact, it looks a lot like a brushed-aluminium Nokia E65 with stereo Bluetooth, an FM radio and an improved camera, but lacking WiFi. If it were just a bit thinner and lighter (at 113g and 102 x 50 x 13.5mm it is no thinner or lighter than the E65) it would be on my 'to look at' list.
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London, Lincoln, London 31-05-08

LONDON to LINCOLN
Zombie For Love - Green On Red
One Day In Your Life - Michael Jackson
I Blinked Once - Steve Forbert
Now Always and Forever - Gay Dad
So Good to Be Back Home Again - The Tourists
Drive Away Slow - Abi Tapia
Capturing Moods - Rilo Kiley
Hopeless - The Wrens
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) - Eurythmics
For the Turnstiles - Neil Young
Catfish Blues - R.L. Burnside
Bitter - This Mortal Coil
Love Is A Treasure - Lizzy
So This Is Goodbye - Stina Nordenstam
My Baby Walked Off - Howlin' Wolf
Year Of The Cat - Al Stewart
Calling Out Your Name - Rich Mullins
Bloody Dub - Stiff Little Fingers
Man Has To Struggle - Van Morrison
The New Face Of Zero And One - The New Pornographers
She's So Modern - Boomtown Rats
True Love Is Hard to Find - Toots & The Maytals (w/Bonnie Raitt)
Story Of My Life - Loretta Lynn
In My Bones - Groove Armada
Stronger - Kasey Chambers
Church On White - Stephen Malkmus
Playboy - Hot Chip
If the Kids Are United - Sham 69
Night Of The Living Baseheads - Public Enemy
The Embers Of Eden - Bruce Cockburn
Sweet And Tender Hooligan - The Smiths
I Gave It Up (When I Fell In Love) - Luther Vandross
Three Questions - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
What You Waiting For? (Elevator Mix) - Gwen Stefani

LINCOLN to LONDON
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere - Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett
Born to Hum - Erin McKeown
You Don't Love Me (No No No) - Dawn Penn
Bandages - Hot Hot Heat
Justified and Ancient - KLF & Tammy Wynette
Alarm Clock - The Rumble Strips
Smile (Radio Edit) - Lily Allen
Michael (Jump In) - No More Kings
Can't Stop Movin' (Radio Edit) - Sonny J
Valerie - Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse
Since U Been Song - Kelly Clarkson v. Blur
School's Out - Megadeath
My Favourite Things - Julie Andrews
She's a maniac - Michael Sembello
Girlshapedlovedrug - Gomez
Wilbury Twist - Traveling Wilburys
Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
Make Mistakes (Radio Edit) - Infadels
DVNO (Radio Edit) - Justice
Bunsen Burner - John Otway
Why Can't I? - Liz Phair
I'm Good. I'm Gone. - Lykke Li
You're a Star - Josie and the Pussycats
Are You Gonna Be My Girl (alt) - Jet
Queen of the World - Ida Maria
It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything - The Faces
You Are The Life Inside Of Me - Paul Young & The Q-Tips
After Hours (Radio Mix) - We Are Scientists
Private Number - Judy Clay & William Bell
Two Doors Down - Mystery Jets
Let's Dance To Joy Division - The Wombats
The Size of a Cow - Wonder Stuff
I'm Like A Bird - Nelly Furtado
White Wedding - Billy Idol
Emily Kane - Art Brut
Echo Beach - Gabriella Cilmi
Idlewild Blues - Outkast
Space And The Woods (Radio Edit) - Late Of The Pier
Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas
The Dark of the Matinée - Franz Ferdinand
Girl You Know It's True - Milli Vanilli
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Audica MPS-1

I got an email from bigpockets.com on Tuesday advertising the Audica MPS-1. I'd read reviews on it before and they were all very positive (if you're interested, just Google 'Audica MPS-1 review'). But at £250 it wasn't an 'impulse buy'. However, the BigPockets offer was (is) £89.99, including delivery. So, I ordered one.

It's broadcasting my iPod's 'audiophile' playlist at the moment, and I am very, very impressed. It doesn't have a sub-woofer, so if you're into dub reggae or you want something that will keep a party going, then the Logitech Z-2300 is probably a better bet. However, the sound quality of the Audica is more natural, involving and plenty loud enough to fill a large room.

I'm not sure how many BigPockets have in stock, but if you're in the market for a sub-£100 iPod amp/speaker combo, this one is worth a look/listen.

Now I've just got to work out who I'm going to give this one to.
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j-robot

Wired has a superb gallery of vintage japanese robot toys from a Seattle-based exhibition.
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Dell to release Eee PC competitor

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

Pictures of Dell’s upcoming Eee PC look-a-like have been revealed, rumoured to be called the Mini Inspiron.

According to Gizmodo, Michael Dell has since told the news site that the upcoming small form factor PC has been designed as a low-cost notebook for developing countries.

The PC being held by Michael Dell had three USB ports, a memory card reader and Ethernet connection.
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Fujifilm Finepix Z200fd

Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

Fujifilm have announced the launch of the 10 megapixel FinePix Z200fd. 134g. 92 x 55.7 x 20mm. 5x optical zoom. Face detection technology and dual image stabilisation. Available August.
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Plustech Oy Walking Machine

defensetech.org reports: [edited]

In the works for a decade and a half, the Plustech Oy Walking Machine is supposed to be an eco-friendly, log-hauling monstrosity; its six massive legs spreads the weight of the machine evenly, the company claims, to minimize any impact on the forest soil.

"Depending on the terrain, the ground pressure can be adjusted by changing the machine’s six 'shoes,'" according to Plustech Oy. "When the machine confronts obstacles, it simply steps over them... avoiding significant ground disturbance and minimizing damage to tree roots.
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Free font

FontShop has a free download of the semi-bold version of Dutch designer Fred Smeijers' Fresco typeface (registration required).
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2009 Yamaha V-Max

Motor Cycle News reports: [edited]

This is the first official picture of Yamaha's 2009 V-Max. Although details are sketchy, we're expecting the new Yamaha V-Max to be the world's fastest accelerating production motorcycle, regaining the title its forerunner held when it was launched back in 1984.

A standing quarter mile in under 10 seconds is expected, thanks to a massive V-four engine, expected to be at least 1800cc, and more than 200bhp.

Thanks to Aaron for the link