Tag Archives: technology

After 30 years and 200 million units, Sony has announced the end of its iconic cassette Walkman. In other news, Sony was still making the Walkman. The Sony Discman, inexplicably, continues to live. I remember thinking the Walkman was overpriced and always getting cheapo knockoffs which would fall apart within a few months. I finally caved when that super-fly bright …

Today they dance, tomorrow they come for you in your sleep.

On Wednesday the Senate approved a bill requiring TV stations and cable networks to keep the audio volume of commercials at the same level of the shows they interrupt. The House has passed a similar bill already. Correcting sound levels is more complicated than using the remote control. The television shows and ads come from a variety of sources, from …

“As a band we’ve been trying to string together these moments, the kind of moments I’ve had as a music fan that have blown my mind. That’s not happening when you’re texting or checking your fucking fantasy league stats. I personally think you should be too high to operate a machine at our concerts.” – Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson, …

Google is set to launch a music service expected to compete with industry pioneer iTunes. Google is in talks with music labels on plans for a download store and a digital song locker that would allow its mobile users to play songs wherever they are as it steps up its rivalry with Apple, according to people familiar with the matter. …

Want, want, want. (Tipped by JMG reader Daddy Ray)

A “mosquito” device has been installed at the Chinatown entrance to DC’s Metro system in hopes that its shrill tone will drive away lingering teenagers. The sound is only audible to young people. Similar devices have been installed in Britain with the same purpose of discouraging young people from congregating outside shops. According to Councilmember Jack Evans, the founder of …

Nice work Oracle, especially the bit about jerking off to a photo of Bill Gates. But you could have at least given a hat tip to Sun Microsystem. UPDATE: OK, so it’s not from Oracle.

For those who insist that the entire world know their precise whereabouts at every single moment. Do not get.

The incidence of partial hearing loss among teenagers is soaring, according to a just-released study out of Massachusetts. And experts are naturally pointing to the iPod and similar devices. The study of thousands of 12 to 19-year-olds found the number of them suffering from partial hearing loss jumped by 30 per cent between the early 1990 s and 2005-06. The …

The photographer granted the final roll of Kodachrome has turned in his film. What should a photographer shoot when he’s entrusted with the very last roll of Kodachrome? Steve McCurry took aim at the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Terminal and a few human icons, too. Paul Simon, the crooner synonymous with the fabled film’s richly saturated colors, shied away. But …

For beating off at the office? How is this any better than regular webcam sites?

As part of a plan to relieve street congestion, China is planning to build huge articulated buses which passengers cars can drive under. Via Engadget: Despite the silly picture and the eccentric “3D Express Coach” branding, this cunning project by Shenzhen Huashi Future Car-Parking Equipment actually makes sense. The idea is to make use of the space between regular-size cars …

According to the American Registry for Internet Numbers, we’ll run out of internet addresses in about a year. The main reason for the concern? There’s an explosion of data about to happen to the Web – thanks largely to sensor data, smart grids, RFID and other Internet of Things data. Other reasons include the increase in mobile devices connecting to …

Finland has become the first country in the world to make broadband internet access a legal right. From 1 July every Finn will have the right to access to a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection. Finland has vowed to connect everyone to a 100Mbps connection by 2015. In the UK the government has promised a minimum connection of at …

Motorized gyroscopically balanced unicycles. For when the Segway isn’t dorky enough. (Tipped by JMG reader Merv)

When you invite a bunch of journalists to witness your new automatic collision prevention braking system, you should probably have the bugs worked out first.

$150 with a USB port for analog to digital recording. Get one here (when they become available.)