FocuSoft Tech Blog |
- Packard Bell debuts updated ixtreme desktop PC
- How would you change Sony’s OLED Walkman?
- Watch and Learn: F/A-18 F Super Hornet Built From Ground Up [Airplanes]
- Guy Builds Fully-Functional 1/32 Scale Nautilus from Scratch
- Will it Blend? Money Clip
- Einstein robot learns to smile, teaches us how to feel
- T-Mobile UK’s Calling the HTC Hero the G2 [G2]
- Confirmed: Pandora Raises A Huge Round, Post Streaming Rate Agreement
- Just Don’t Drop It in the Toilet [Image Cache]
- SuperFan, taking affinities further
| Packard Bell debuts updated ixtreme desktop PC Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:11 AM PDT
 Packard Bell already rolled out its updated line of imedia desktop PCs earlier this month, and it’s now done the same with its higher-end “ixtreme” desktop, which gets some upgraded specs and a sleek new look. While that exterior is certainly a step up for Packard Bell, it’s not quite as eye-catching as the specs, which include your choice of Core i7, Core 2 Quad, or AMD Phenom II X4 processors, up to 12GB of DDR3 memory, a max 3TB of storage space, your choice of a few NVIDIA graphics options (including the 1GB GeForce GTS 250), an optional Blu-ray combo drive, and ten USB ports for anything that won’t fit inside. No word on a release ’round here, of course, but folks in the UK will be able to pick this one up this month with a starting price of
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| How would you change Sony’s OLED Walkman? Posted: 10 Jul 2009 10:42 PM PDT
 Sony’s OLED Walkman is something else. Literally. In many ways, it’s Sony’s first formidable iPod rival to emerge in quite some time, and with its striking OLED panel, tastefully appointed graphite casing and absolutely amazing audio quality, it’s certainly worth a look. For those of you around the world that have picked one up, we’re curious to see if you think you made the right decision. For many, anything sans an Apple logo is the right choice, but we’re wondering if the UI, design and value here were up to snuff in your mind. Are you digging the overall look and feel? Do you mind not having an App Store? Are you floored with audio / video performance? Have at it in comments below — don’t hold back now, okay? Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video How would you change Sony’s OLED Walkman? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Watch and Learn: F/A-18 F Super Hornet Built From Ground Up [Airplanes] Posted: 10 Jul 2009 07:00 PM PDT
Funny to me how much the beginning of the process is all about straight lines, while the latter half is all curves. Also funny to me how few women work in the field of airplane assembly. Must be a dude thing. [LiveLeak]
More here:
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| Guy Builds Fully-Functional 1/32 Scale Nautilus from Scratch Posted: 10 Jul 2009 07:00 PM PDT
 Built by Bob Martin, this 1/32 scale Nautilus replica not only looks incredible, but is fully-functional. It was custom built from scratch and took approximately three years to complete. The body is constructed of plywood and based on Tor Jensen’s blueprints. Continue reading to see it in-action and for more pictures. View original here:
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| Posted: 10 Jul 2009 06:59 PM PDT
 Well, it just so happens that Blendtec master Tom Dickson “saw this money clip trying to be blended on TV and wanted to take on the challenge.” Continue reading to see if it blends. Here is the original:
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| Einstein robot learns to smile, teaches us how to feel Posted: 10 Jul 2009 06:36 PM PDT
 By now, you’re no doubt well acquainted with the Albert Hubo Einstein robot developed by the mad scientists at KAIST, but some researchers at the University of California, San Diego has also been working on their own Einstein bot for the past little while, and they’ve now managed to teach it some new tricks. While the bot has previously been able to display a full range of expressions through some pre-programmed facial movements, it’s now able to teach itself how to smile or display other emotions thanks to a new trial-and-error technique dubbed “body babble.” That apparently works by comparing Einstein’s attempts at an expression with some facial recognition software, which provides Al with some positive feedback each time he manages an actual expression. Did we mention there’s a video? Check it out after the break. [Via Switched] Continue reading Einstein robot learns to smile, teaches us how to feel Filed under: Robots Einstein robot learns to smile, teaches us how to feel originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| T-Mobile UK’s Calling the HTC Hero the G2 [G2] Posted: 10 Jul 2009 06:30 PM PDT
T-Mobile US’s decision not to launch the HTC Hero isn’t going to stop T-Mobile UK, which is going to go ahead and release the updated Android phone under the G2 label. The obvious question is what the T-Mobile US will call the G2. Obviously not the Hero, but maybe the upcoming keyboarded version that we’ve been hearing about? [Android Community via Into Mobile via Mobile Crunch]
Read the original here:
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| Confirmed: Pandora Raises A Huge Round, Post Streaming Rate Agreement Posted: 10 Jul 2009 06:18 PM PDT
Pandora is being mum on the huge number, but is saying that Greylock Partners led the round and that Greylock partner David Sze will be joining Pandora’s board. Greylock joins existing investors Crosslink Capital, Walden Venture Capital, Labrador Ventures, King Street Capital, Hearst Corporation, DBL Investors, and Selby Ventures in the funding. Assuming the $35 million is correct, that’s a huge numer and actually more than all of Pandora’s previous rounds combined. Pandora had previously raised slightly over $20 million, but the last round was in 2005. But this new funding comes when Pandora expects to be profitable by next year, and is coming off its best quarter in terms of ad sales yet. “New funds will be used toward the continued growth and development of Pandora” is all the company will say on how they plan to use this large chunk of change. This is no doubt a case of investors hopping on board now that the skies seem clear for Pandora. It’s one of the most popular streaming radio services, and the fact that it looks on the verge of making money is a good sign. [photo: flickr/dan4th] Information provided by CrunchBase Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors See original here:
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| Just Don’t Drop It in the Toilet [Image Cache] Posted: 10 Jul 2009 06:00 PM PDT |
| SuperFan, taking affinities further Posted: 10 Jul 2009 05:31 PM PDT
Created by the team that developed Tickle.com (the source of many an online personality test), SuperFan plans to make money by selling credits that its members can use to control fan pages and targeted advertisements. More interesting to me, though, is how SuperFan functions as an overlay onto YouTube (and, eventually, other online video sites). Most of the items in SuperFan's inventory of user likes and dislikes include links to images and YouTube videos posted by users. In other words, the site acts as a collection of favorites. “We really want this to be driven by the fans,” said Rick Marini, the site's founder and chief executive. That's a bit different from social-media sites such as TVLoop and First on Mars, where users' likes and dislikes can help guide others to choice nuggets within the vast amount of content available. SuperFan moves in the other direction, starting from scratch and offering only the material that's drawn a reaction (good or bad) from its members. It also helps users discover content in more indirect ways than other social-media sites. For example, you might track down the members who share your love of death metal or Jonathan Lethem (or both!) to see what movies or TV shows they recommend. My guess is, that's a technique better suited for those with eclectic tastes. SuperFan will probably have to attract far more users to become a compelling media portal. But Marini seems to believe that the site's main appeal will be the platform it provides for declaiming one's loyalties. “Everything that defines who you are, you can express on the site,” he said. It takes more time to do that than some people may want to invest, and the process of suggesting a favorite not already in SuperFan's database is laborious. In fact, the site reviews the new nominees to make sure they might appeal to other users, too. “We want to include those people, those bands” that users suggest, Marini said, “but I don't want to put in 'I'm a fan of my cat.' That's not interesting to the community. There is a gray area we have to get through each day on what makes the cut.” That strikes me as both arbitrary and not particularly effective at weeding out the things the site really should be concerned about, namely, marketers creating bogus users to pump up their clients. Each item has a “SuperFan” who controls some elements of its fan page. To become a SuperFan, you have to either claim that spot before anyone else does or spend SuperFan credits to buy your way to the top of the heap. The site awards credits for creating or uploading content, but it also sells them. Those sales will be the site's main revenue stream, Marini said. It also hopes to command higher-than-average rates from advertisers because of its ability to target their pitches. According to Marini, SuperFan can offer advertisers a more complete profile of its users than other social networks “because we know everything you love in life.” He added that the company won't share personally identifiable information with advertisers; instead, it will put their pitches in front of users who match the profiles they're interested in. Still, the more accurate the targeting, the more unsettling the practice may be to users. There's also a limit to how narrow advertisers want to make their pitches; at some point, targeting yields an audience that's just too small to be interesting. – Jon Healey Healey writes editorials for The Times' Opinion Manufacturing Division. Read the original post:
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![58e12c5454uild 2.jpg Watch and Learn: F/A 18 F Super Hornet Built From Ground Up [Airplanes]](http://www.focusoft.biz/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/58e12c5454uild_2.jpg.jpg "Watch and Learn: F/A 18 F Super Hornet Built From Ground Up [Airplanes]")
Solid as it looks 
With its potential troubles behind it, having ![b51b5b8232laptop.jpg Just Dont Drop It in the Toilet [Image Cache]](http://www.focusoft.biz/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/b51b5b8232laptop.jpg.jpg "Just Dont Drop It in the Toilet [Image Cache]")
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