By Evan Ackerman

Google has announced the development of an operating system (totally separate from Android) called Chrome OS, designed to be a fast, lightweight, kinda web-based system for mobile computing that we should see showing up netbooks in the second half of 2010. Chrome OS will leverage Google’s experience with cloud-based computing by heavily integrating the operating system with the web browser in much the same way that Google Applications currently do. If you’ve ever used Google Docs, for example, you’ve got the functionality of a word processing application, except it’s running in a browser environment.

There are certainly going to be many advantages to this approach, one of which is a start-up time of “a few seconds” from off (or some approximation thereof) to the internet. Applications will operate more like browser plug-ins, making them easy to develop and distribute and streamlining cross-platform compatibility. And thanks to the cloud, my guess is that nearly everything you do on your computer running Chrome OS will live, to some extent, on a Google server somewhere, safe and accessible and benevolently monitored.

It’s not likely that Chrome OS will offer much in the way of competition to Windows, and in a way, they’re not really comparable operating systems. For many people, all that they use Windows for is internet and email and probably some media, and in that case, the fact that Windows is Windows is largely irrelevant: it’s just the thing that runs the web browser. Chrome OS has a chance to be great at this, since what it really is is a web browser, as long as it stays true to what it should be, and doesn’t get bogged down with what it isn’t.

Details from Google, after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

By Andrew Liszewski

I doubt anyone will realize this innocuous-looking keychain is actually capable of recording 640×480, 29fps videos or 1280×960 stills while it’s hanging from your keys. But something tells me they might get suspicious when you’re constantly holding it at weird angles trying to get the lens pointed in the right direction. The keychain’s got 4GB of internal memory, which is enough to store 65 minutes of video or about 3,000 photos from the 1.3MP CMOS sensor, and it charges and syncs to your PC via a simple USB cable. However, I think the $177 price tag from Geek Stuff 4 U is a bit steep.

[ Key Holder Spy Camera ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m sure the website for this USB-powered chainsaw known as the i.Saw is a parody, or some attempt to trick those gadget blogs who’ll post anything, but it’s convincing enough to warrant at least a mention. So there, I’ve mentioned it. $59.95 available for pre-order now with an estimated ship date of September.

Now who’s clever enough to figure out what this is really about?

[ i.Saw ] VIA [ Wired Gadget Lab ]

By Andrew Liszewski

My general lack of music knowledge makes karaoke an uninteresting prospect for me, but applying the same general concept to movies? Now you’ve got my attention. Yoostar does just that and uses a special piece of software as well as a webcam and portable greenscreen to turn your PC or laptop into an easy to use compositing suite. You simply select a role from one of the included movie scenes, shoot your part and I assume the software does the rest to insert you into your favorite flick.

When it’s released in August Yoostar will come with a selection of famous movie scenes to choose from, though I have to wonder if there are many movie buffs who’ve been dying to recreate Harrison Ford’s role in Witness? But over time new scenes and roles will be released, and you can request scenes from your favorite movies on the Yoostar website. The kit is available for pre-order now with an MSRP of $169.95, and probably due to copyright issues will only be available in the U.S.

[ Yoostar ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

YouTube and other video sharing sites have made finding and watching clips of men getting hit in the groin by footballs extremely easy for everyone from kids to grandparents. But it was a company called Pure Digital that made capturing hilarious clips like that just as easy for anyone capable of pushing a button. Their Flip line of digital camcorders are known for being as easy to use as it gets, and with the addition of the MinoHD and the UltraHD pictured above, creating HD content is just as simple.

I spent a few weeks playing around with the Flip UltraHD and while I was initially worried that I would be frustrated by such a simple device, I actually walked away appreciating its simplicity. So if you’ve been looking for a way to shoot HD video that’s as easy, if not easier, than a point & shoot still camera, you’ll want to check out my full review of the Flip UltraHD after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

There are any number of potentially useful and/or incredibly stupid light-up USB accessories that owe their glowyness to various flavorings of LEDs. That’s cool, I’m down with that, I like the futuristic look as much as the next geek. But retro is rapidly becoming the new futuristic, and this USB light fits the bill neatly with a light bulb that is, in fact, a light bulb. You know, the old school vacuum + filament + heat + inefficiency + if it breaks you have to clean up really carefully or you’ll get shards of glass in your feet kind. Numerous disadvantages aside, the one redeeming factor if incandescent bulbs is present in this USB powered version… Namely, the ability to cast a warm and pleasing glow, which (I imagine) provides a nice counterpoint to the inevitably harsh and unyielding photons that are being pumped out by whatever device this little lamp is plugged into.

For about $14, you get the lamp plus two spare bulbs, one of them frosted (if you’re into that kind of thing). Each bulb should last about 300 hours, giving you decades (well, 0.01 decade) of pleasing illumination, and a replacement set of three is only about $6. It all can be yours, from where else but Japan.

[ JTT (Translated) ] VIA [ New Launches ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I don’t know about you, but I find this kind of sad. I think at some point everyone daydreams about catching the winning touchdown at the Superbowl, or accepting the Oscar for best performance, but in reality that’s just not going to happen for most of us.

But something tells me this Box of Applause just doesn’t provide the same thrill you’d get from an audience full of your jealous appreciative peers, or a stadium full of rabid fans. Even though opening the lid on this handsome wooden box does greet you with the sounds of cheering and clapping from an enthusiastic crowd, it probably comes across as a really depressing consolation prize for life.

$24.95 from SkyMall.

[ Box of Applause ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

As a kid I never had the patience to solve a Rubik’s Cube, perhaps now that I’m a bit older and wiser I might be up to the challenge. Of course that thing is old news, what with the Rubik’s 360 coming out soon.

This sphere actually contains two other plastic spheres with small holes in them. There are six small colored balls inside of these, which you are to navigate successfully to their similarly-colored outer dome compartments. Once there, you have to keep them from falling out while trapping the other balls in place. Of course the most frustrating part is that you can’t just remove the stickers and place them back in the correct order. You should be able to pick one of these up in the UK starting next week for around $15. No word yet on when we’ll see them over here.

[ Amazon ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Back before the iPhone 3G was released I was content with just an iPod Touch. Sure, the lack of internet access was a bit of a drag when I wasn’t hooked up to a Wi-Fi connection. But what really baffled me was the lack of a camera. It just seems like it would have been so easy to include, since the iPhone has one. Well it’s about time for Apple to refresh the Touch, and it looks like a camera might finally be on the spec list.

Sure, rumors can come from nowhere, but apparently one accessory maker has shown a new iPod Touch case with a hole in the back, exactly where a camera would be. Even more interesting is that another maker has shown an iPod Nano case with a similar camera hole.

[ Uxsight ] VIA [ MacRumors ]