Daily Bits – Page 27

White Google Nexus S in the Horizon!

July 8, 2023 by noemi

Take that Apple iPhone! Apple fanboys and fangirls have been waiting for what seems like forever for the white version of the iPhone, and it doesn’t seem like their yearning is going to get satisfied any time soon. In the meantime, the boys at Google (and Samsung) have been busy and are taking things one step further.

The online rumor mill is now abuzz with news about a white Google Nexus S. According to BestBoyZ, the white version just might be hitting the shelves in the very near future. The new Android phone from Google has been out in the United States and the United Kingdom for a while now. If you visit the Google Nexus S page, you’ll be redirected to Best Buy to purchase the phone. However, the only available model right now is the black one. With a new 2-year contract with T-Mobile, you can get the phone for only $199.99 (instead of $529.99).

So anyway, if a white phone is what you want, you might want to consider the Nexus S instead of waiting – indefinitely – for the white iPhone. I am not sure if the white version is going to be available worldwide or if it is only going to be released in Germany. The guys at BestBoyZ say that they have a “confidential and trusted” source. (I hope I got the words right as the site is in German and rely on Babelfish for translation accuracy.) They also say that the phone will come with Super AMOLED.

Without any further ado, here are the leaked photos.

Unfortunately, the front still comes in black, so the whole thing will not be white. Half white is better than no white at all?

Source: BestBoyZ

Perfect Valentine’s Gift: A Tweet-ring

July 8, 2023 by noemi

Not everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day, but for those of you who do, here is a great idea. We’ve seen just how technology has invaded our daily lives. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are being incorporated into t-shirts, shoes, and whatnot. You may, of course, opt to choose these items as your gift for your partner on Hearts’ Day, but why go the ordinary route when you can do something (relatively) unique?

This is where tweet-rings come into the picture. Some guys in The Netherlands have decided that some tweets are meant to last forever. Cheesiness overload, I know, but I guess they’re really targeting those who are in romantic bliss. In any case, they are offering a service wherein you can have your favorite tweet engraved on a ring. You can choose from stainless steel, silver, or titanium.

Following true Twitter tradition, the maximum number of characters is 140. They even make a concession for non-Twitter users. If you do not have a favorite tweet or you do not use Twitter at all, you can choose whatever text you want on the ring – as long as you are under the 140-character limit. (Nice of them, but it defeats the tweet-ring purpose, doesn’t it?)

Here are two sample rings.

Here is a tweet-ring “in action”.

They are both made of stainless steel – which is obviously the cheapest. I have to say that I like the idea of engraving a great tweet, but the problem is that I have more than one favorite tweet. At 89 euros a pop for a stainless steel ring, that’s going to be a bit pricey!

You can buy your tweet-rings from their web site.

Facebook Phone in the Works?

July 7, 2023 by noemi

Rumor has it that Facebook is trying to break into the mobile phone market. The news is not so new, as the rumor has been going around since last year. However, it is no secret that this market is booming in every location in the world. Mobile phone deals are all over the place, with telecommunications companies trying to catch the attention of the plethora of customers out there. Of course, Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies are going to give that piece of the pie a try!

Not too long ago, the Facebook CEO had tried to put the rumor to rest. Reeking of sarcasm, he went on about “novel” the idea was – of Facebook creating a mobile phone. While sarcasm may be enough for some people to shut up, there might be some truth in the speculation. Apparently, there have been some leaks providing more substantial information about Facebook’s mobile phone.

One of the most commonly cited sources for this rumor is Pocketnow, who reported specific details on a smartphone which they believe to be the first Facebook phone:

“An Android smartphone built to make messaging faster and smarter. It’s designed around the way people naturally communicate and has Facebook built into its core. The homescreen features multiple entry points to different Facebook functions, while a dynamic widget displays a feed of status updates, albums, videos and photos.”

Now one can say that just because the phone is supposed to have Facebook built into its core, it does not mean that it is going to be a Facebook phone. After all, everyone simply wants to use Facebook on their mobile devices. However, the manufacturer immediately went on the defensive and removed all references to Facebook after the rumors circulated; obviously in the hopes that the rumors will be dispelled. I say a little too late, buddies! I will not be surprised to see a Facebook phone of some sort as part of mobile phone deals before the end of this year. What’s your prediction?

A Look At Windows Phone 7

July 7, 2023 by Sinjin Sterling

Windows Phone 7 is the new operating system from Microsoft to replace the older Windows Mobile platform. It was launched recently in late 2010, entering a tough market already dominated by the Iphone and Android, however the initial sales and reception were strong.

Below is a visual look at what Windows Phone 7 brings.

Enjoy this great Infographic from our friends at Infographiclabs

A Whole New World of (Biotic) Games

July 7, 2023 by noemi

Just the other day, I had the chance to play World of Goo for the first time. Yes, I know that’s a really old game, but some of us have to work. 😉

Anyhow, the experience was a strange one as I didn’t immediately get the concept. Little blobs of black goo (sometimes white) bouncing around just didn’t tickle my fancy, so I didn’t really end up playing it for long. For those of you who are interested in this kind of gameplay – the weirder the better – then you will like these new “biotic” games.

A team in Stanford University led by Ingmar Riedel-Kruse have come up with a bunch of biotic games based on – surprise – biological processes. The main player is paramecia. Quick bio review: paramecium is a kind of unicellular ciliate protozoa. It moves – just like a caterpillar – because of the cilia covering it all over. Now do you see where this can go?

So the scientists had a lot of free time in their hands and decided to have some fun. The games they created are:
‘Enlightenment’, ‘Ciliaball’, ‘PAC-mecium’, ‘Microbash’, ‘Biotic Pinball’, ‘POND PONG’, ‘PolymerRace’, and ‘The Prisoner’s Smellemma’. I cannot even begin to imagine how these games will work, but here is a video that will aid your imagination in case you are in the same boat as I am.

Fancy a biotic game of Pac-Man or soccer? Maybe Ingmar and his team will play nice and let you have a go at their games. I think I will stick to my “traditional” games.