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It hasn’t even been two months since Microsoft loosed its Surface SDK, and already we’re seeing new and improved (or is it just one or the other?) uses of the giant multitouch display. In a presumed attempt to keep savvy shoppers off of those message boards and in the dealership, BMW has developed a promotional video showcasing the so-called Product Navigator. Said device reminds us an awful lot of that fictional computer seen the recent “Twins” Volkswagen commercial, though it actually enables prospective customers to develop their next whip rather than taking their John Hancock and doing the hard work itself. Personally, we’d rather spend our time on the track in Spartanburg deciding which model suits us best, but to each his / her own, we guess. Vid’s after the break.

[Via Autoblog]

Continue reading BMW Product Navigator: create your next Bimmer on a Surface

Filed under: Displays, Transportation

BMW Product Navigator: create your next Bimmer on a Surface originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a quick outting in its own mag, Nikon has gone and gotten all officially official on the D3X. The big boy DSLR sports a bone-crushing 24.5-megapixel CMOS FX format sensor, full resolution shooting at 5 FPS, ISO from 100-1600 (expandable to 50-6400), TIFF, JPEG or NEF (RAW) file formats up to 138MB, and a newly updated EXPEED image processing system. The top-tier digicam won’t come super cheap, hitting shelves at $7,999.95 — but if you need something like this, money probably isn’t much of an issue. The camera goes on sale this December, so you might want to get the piggy banks out. Check the gallery below for a full look at the magic.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Nikon’s D3X DSLR hits the scene in official fashion originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Imagine a sniper who is able to change the course of the bullet fired in mid-air before it hits its target - that’s what Pentagon is working on, dumping nearly $22 million to Darpa to find out. Dubbed EXACTO (EXtreme ACcuracy Tasked Ordnance), this project will “provide a dramatic new capability to the U.S. military” if it is successful. Guess snipers no longer need to be at the top of their game in order to hit the target, and experience won’t count as much anymore with such technology. It still makes me wonder just how fast the reflexes of the sniper must be to fire a bullet and quickly navigate it before it reaches the target - after all, you don’t have that many milliseconds to react. According to Darpa, the EXACTO should contain a “next-gen scope, a guidance system that provides information to direct the projectile,” an “actively-controlled .50 caliber projectile that uses this information for real time directional flight control,” and a rifle.

Permalink: EXACTO Project Features Guided Bullet Technology from Ubergizmo (US, FR) | Good deals | Hot: Storm Review

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Those who do not have the budget to bring home a Nokia N96 can always settle for something more affordable, like the N85. The latter handset is up for pre-order at Amazon, and has a listed stock-in date of December 6th. This 5 megapixel phone retail for $556, although Amazon did list down its price as $1,200. Time to bust out that credit card if you want to bring home this puppy in time for the holidays!

Permalink: Nokia N85 NAM Ships From Next Week Onwards from Ubergizmo (US, FR) | Good deals | Hot: Storm Review

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Before December 1st is officially upon us, make sure you didn’t miss any of November’s greatest hits:

• How to Burn Any Video File to a Playable Video DVD
  “With your BitTorrent addiction in full swing, you’ve filled hard drives with media but can’t seem to figure out how to burn any of the videos you downloaded to a DVD.”
• Customize Your Own Killer “Enigma” Desktop
  “Windows desktop tweaker extraordinaire and Lifehacker reader Kaelri—who brought us the gorgeous Lightning at Sunset desktop and then showed us how to do it ourselves—is back, this time with a fresh new desktop he calls ‘Enigma.’”
• Is Your Printer Wasting Your Ink and Money?
  “Everyone’s been there: You just bought an expensive ink cartridge for your printer, you use it for a while, and then suddenly—much sooner than seems reasonable—your printer tells you that you’re either low on or out of ink.”
• The Complete Guide to Speeding Up Your PC’s Startup
  “You just hit the power button your PC, and now you’ve got enough time to brew a fresh pot of coffee for the entire office—because that’s how long it takes for your computer to go from ‘on’ to ‘ready to work.’”
• Top 10 Things to Look Forward to in Windows 7
  “While the next iteration of the ubiquitous Microsoft desktop operating system, Windows 7, isn’t a dramatic overhaul of its predecessor Windows Vista, it does fix several sore spots and add a few welcome features.”
• Get Windows 7’s Best Features Right Now
  “If you’re tired of hearing about Windows 7’s upcoming features while you sit and stare at your aging XP or Vista desktop, take solace in a few free apps and themes that can give you a taste right now.”
• Free Software We’re Most Thankful For
  “Dear free software developers: Before we American nerds sit down to our turkey and mashed potatoes today, know that your creations are at the top of the list of things we’re most thankful for.”
• Five Best Desktop Customization Tools
  “It’s crazy to think that an operating system can fit every user’s needs out of the box, even if we are just talking about looks.”
• Five Best Remote Desktop Tools
  “Whether you want quick access to your home computer from anywhere in the world or you’re the go-to IT person for your friends and family, remote desktop applications are a godsend.”
• Top 10 Online Freebies and Deals
  “Unless you’re a financial Jedi Knight or economic Sith Lord, you probably don’t have a ton of control over our turbulent economy. What you can reign over is your spending and saving—and when you know where they are, you can take advantage of deep discounts and general freebies across the web.”

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Logic3’s latest offering that won’t break the bank comes in the form of the £69 i-Station25. What makes this iPod/iPhone dock stand apart from the rest is the inclusion of accelerometers that allow you to use it either vertically or horizontally, as and when the situation requires. This means you can view video content in landscape format, allowing the accelerometers’ position to adjust the speaker output so that proper left/right adio separation can be achieved. According to Logic3, this cuts down on noise distortion as well. The i-Station25 also comes with a video out function for the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Nano 3G and 4G, iPod classic and the iPod Touch 1G and 2G, and also stereo line-in. Each purchase comes with a remote control, and you can choose to power the i-Station25 with a quartet of AA batteries (expensive in the long run) or rely on an AC adapter instead.

Permalink: Logic3 i-Station25 Speaker Dock from Ubergizmo (US, FR) | Good deals | Hot: Storm Review

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If you’re a fan of the ultra thin All-Ett but you’re on a budget, all you need to do is score a free USPS Tyvek mailing pouch and grab a pair of scissors. Over at the DIY site Instructables there is a tutorial on turning those extremely durable Tyvek pouches into equally as durable wallets. The end result is definitely more attractive than you’d assume a folded up mailing pouch would be. Additionally if you’re a fan of the Hipster PDA it makes a perfect cover for your stack of 3×5 cards. If you have trouble finding a USPS mailing pouch, any Tyvek mailing pouch will do although it may require slight modification to the folds in the tutorial. For other wallet related goodness check out our wallet hacks roundup.

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Energy Sistem has a couple more portable media players (PMPs) for the masses - the 4040 Touch and 5020. Both models improve upon their predecessors where styling is concerned, where the former will come with a 2.8″ touchscreen display with MPEG4, MP3, WMA , WAV, TXT, JPG and BMP support and an integrated FM tuner. With Microsoft’s PlayFX audio system, you can be sure to experience thumpin’ audio no matter where you go. The 16GB model will retail for 120 Euros. As for the 5020 and 5021 systems, these will share a similar display size, although it has the added advantage of direct support for DivX, XviD, FLV, RM and RMVB file formats. Available in black and red colors, the 5020 and 5021 will retail for 85 Euros a pop.

Permalink: Energy Sistem 4040 Touch And 5020 PMPs from Ubergizmo (US, FR) | Good deals | Hot: Storm Review

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Plants are living things too, you know, and it does matter that they reside in the right kind of soil under optimal conditions to bloom. Well, there are tools in the past to help us monitor plants’ health, but we can never have too many of those around, right? The Breathing Pot concept helps you connect emotionally to your plants by expanding and contracting to simulate breathing - you can be sure that when the breathing stops, you’d best pour some water into the pot and place it under sunlight. At least there is no CPR involved, so you don’t have to soil your lips with fertilizer.

Permalink: Breathing Pot For A More Interactive Plant from Ubergizmo (US, FR) | Good deals | Hot: Storm Review

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The human brain never ceases to amaze me, and this time round one of its latest antics would include playing Guitar Hero 3 using drumsticks. This custom set up consists of a MIDI controller designed to play as though you were drumming, and you can’t get any nerdier than this. It doesn’t hurt that he’s pretty good with drums as well, so take five and check out the video above before the work week starts.

Permalink: Guitar Hero 3 Played Using Drumsticks from Ubergizmo (US, FR) | Good deals | Hot: Storm Review

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