Daily Digest

It’s Official: The Canon 5D Mk II Will with a smaller market share and simpler guts than most
Turn Us All Into Professional common Linux distros, has even less to worry about
Cinematographers [Canon 5D Mark II] mdash; which is why it’s completely absurd for SMo-
bile systems to release VirusGuard, the first antivirus
Yeah, sure, it was cool to see a professional photog- software for the mobile platform. The software claims
rapher spin HD video gold from the Canon 5D Mark to be able to scan devices and their memory cards for
II. But that guy is famous, had a mountain of equip- over 400 types of known malware, none of which, as
ment, a crew, and a freaking helicopter. Not so for the far as I can tell, are harmful to Android phones. Now,
humble photographer and videographer at Akihabara it’s not impossible that dangerous malware could find
News, who took the 5D, a few days and a laptop to its way to you G1 in the future mdash; in fact,Android
shoot and splice together this stunningly beautiful five has already experienced one security scare mdash; but
minute video. The results are spectacular, and really installing a piece of software that scans your device for
drive home the point that with this 2700 camera, any- Windows Mobile virii won’t do anything to stop minor
one with an eye for shooting and a laptop can create exploits like that, which can be quickly and effectively
a cinematographic masterpiece. There is a discernible patched anyway. Of course, all this security talk could
and annoying shake in some shots, but nothing that just be there to provide parents with excuse fodder to
couldn’t be remedied with a little jury rigging. Make install this on their child’s G1 mdash; it also moni-
sure to enable the HD and smoothing options in the em- tors voice and text communications. Anyway, Virus-
bed, and check out the second half of the video for more Guard is already available on Handango, but will make
evidence that the 5D’s low-light capabilities are com- its Marketplace debut when Google finally enables its
pletely unreal. Another lesson learned from this video: payment system in Q1 of 2009. You misguided peace
even the most amazing shots can be ruined by unset- of mind will cost a whole 10, by the way. [Android
tling facial hair. Deal with it, Monsieur Akihabara. Community via Slashphone]
[Akihabara News]

Sony Ericsson MBS-900 Bluetooth

i-Sobot Tiny Humanoid Robot Now Just Speaker [Speakers]
Tiny 100[I − sobot]
iSobot may no longer be the world’s smallest bipedal We hate to tempt you with UK-only products, but
humanoid robot, but it’s still amazing, and it’s had the Sony Ericsson Wireless Home Audio System was
an amazing price cut too: Last year when it debuted just too tempting to pass up. Featuring a monochrome
it was over 300, now it’s just 100. At that price you OLED display with touch controls, the system can sync
could practically afford a small army of them, give them with select Sony Ericsson products to stream Bluetooth
a suitable evil make-over and re-enact the Orc battle A2DP and AVRCP. In other words, it can play your
scene from the end of Lord of the Rings on your dining phone’s music while the cellphone works as a remote.
table. Or something. [Hammacher via BotJunkie] To get a better sense of scale, the systems’s diameter is
just shy of eight inches. It packs a 2.1 speaker system
(2x10W and 20W subwoofer) that can play audio from
FM or 3.5mm jack when your phone isn’t around. It
also doubles as a speaker phone that auto-mutes as calls
Oh Thank Goodness, Someone Made an
come in. There’s no price yet, but you can look to
Antivirus App For Android [Android]
import the MBS-900 early next year. And if you’re
interested in more UK-only gear, hit up Sony Ericsson
Ask an avid desktop Linux user if he or she (ok, he)
to read about the new W705 Walkman phone. [Sony
uses an antivirus solution, and he won’t give you an an-
Ericsson via engadget]
swer, he’ll give you a sermon. And while his zeal might
be inappropriate, his sentiment will be largely correct:
Linux really doesn’t need antivirus software. Android,

1
Lightning Review: Babaka Massage available mostly on DirectTV, Dish and FiOS and on a
Glasses (Verdict: Face Ticklingly few cable companies as an add-on. So if you’re a regu-
Weird) [Review] lar ol’ cable subscriber, your Sprint phone is probably
the only way to see these games. Full list of compatible
The Gadget: Microcomputer Massage Glasses. Avail- phones can be found here: [NFL on Sprint, WSJ]
able as a freebie if you get China-based company Babaka’s
posture harness (more on that later)... or about 10 if
you choose to buy one yourself. The Price: 10 The Ver-
dict: So apparently these things are supposed to help EOps i24R3 Wireless Gesture-Control
relax your eyes after hours of staring at a computer. iPhone Speaker is Quite Beautiful,
As a blogger, I’m always looking for things to keep my Actually [Speakers]
eyesight from getting worse... but the benefits of this
product seem a little dubious. After wearing it for a Just unveiled at Tokyo Designer’s Week, EOps i24R3
couple of seconds, my face started to go numb and I is probably the best-looking speaker system for the
could feel my contacts drying out. I’m still trying to iPod/iPhone I think I’ve seen. Plus it’s jammed-full
blink moisture back into them. These feelers stimulate of wirelessness, so the iPod-dock, woofer-equipped base
the pressure points around your eyes. The Chinese are station is paired with two or more (up to eight) remote
really big on acupressure. I love acupressure too, but stereo speakers. And in the true spirit of iPhoneness
this machine feels less health massage and more sen- it’s gesture controlledmdash; touch-free gestures too:
sual massage, if you get my drift. Especially since you you just wiggle your hand in front of the base station
can set it to cycle through three modes continuous vi- and control volume and equalizer functions. gallery-
bration, slow pulse vibration and fast pulse vibration. Post(’i24R3’, 3, ”); The satellite speakers are gesture-
Hmmmm. Oh, and the back brace. My parents insisted controlled too... which inescapably brings to mind a
I get one to remind myself to sit up straight while I’m passage from the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy about
working. It kind of works... mostly because every time motion-control, which saves ”a lot of muscular expen-
I start to slouch, it cuts off my circulation and I get diture of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriat-
light headed. Better posture through oxygen depriva- ingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same”
tion FTW! [Babaka’s site. Chinese only.] thing. There is a full-function RF-remote control as an
alternative though. Plus there’s a wireless dongle to let
you stream music from a Mac or PC. Here’s designer
Michael Young demonstrating the unit:It’s due on the
NES Air Max Sneakers Are Dignified shelves in early 2009, but with all that 2.4GHz wire-
Even If Geriatric [Shoes] lessness and sleek design, don’t expect the price to be
cheap. [EOpstech via Core77]
They aren’t exactly what we pictured, but we can’t
deny that Nintendo and Nike’s dual venture NES Air
Max sneakers do invoke fond memories of the drab Nin-
tendo Entertainment System. Featuring two tones of Ruh-Roh: BlackBerry Storm Hit by
gray and a stripe of muted reddishness, only the keen Delays [Unconfirmed]
sneaker aficionado will know notice the subtle refer-
ence to the Start button, but anyone who doesn’t get it Man, this is scarily familiar territory for RIM. Mul-
might not be worth talking to anyway. Available now, tiple reports say that BlackBerry Storm release date
our guess is that collectors will gobble stock quickly if is slipping. Sources tell RBC Capital Markets ana-
they’re not already gone. [kicksonfire via Kotaku] lyst Mike Abramsky that the Storm is still undergo-
ing certification at Verizon, pushing its launch back to
late this monthmdash;or even later. Notably, Verizon
hasn’t announced a date yet, even though we’re already
Live NFL Games Broadcast To Sprint a week into November. While there’s no reason (yet) to
Phones Starting Tonight [Cellphones] think the delay will be nearly as egregious as the Bold,
Boy Genius points out that Vodafone has already gen-
This evening’s Browns/Broncos game will be the tly nudged its Nov. 14 date back to the 18th for pre-
first to be broadcast live for the first time over the orders, and their forums are lit up with whispers of a
Sprint network. It’s one of eight games that will be delay. These aren’t new rumors either. If at all pos-
pushed out live to Sprint fans, but the catch is, it’s only sible, Verizon will launch the Storm by Black Friday,
games that are being broadcast on the NFL Network, and we think there’s a good chance they will. Just
the league’s own network that the cable companies love don’t expect it too long before then. [Boy Genius]
to hate carries a handful of games exclusively, and is

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Housefly-Driven Robot Arm Artist from a somewhat boring ”normal” static one into a dy-
Makes Art Like You’d Imagine [Fly Art] namic view that recreates the feeling of being in an au-
ditorium, baseball park or movie theater. It could even
Picture tracing a housefly’s skittering, random path track the viewer’s eye movements to calculate their in-
as it dots about your home with a trail of ink: That’s tended gaze and overlay fake audiences in front of the
kind of what this cooky art installation evokes. It’s ”screen” with accompanying audio effects. You know,
a robot arm connected to a sensor chamber that has crumpling sweet packets and the like. Lovely. [Electro-
some kind of fly-enticing power. When a fly is inside nista]
the chamber, the arm jerks spasmodically in time to
the fly’s movements, and traces a beautifully chaotic
drawing on a huge reel of paper. When the fly leaves,
the paper scrolls, so the artwork is constantly evolving. Japanese Umbrella Is One Huge
It’s clever stuff by artist David Bowen, and if you’re Speaker [Singin’ In The Rain]
having[DWBowen]
Japanese researchers in Japan have developed a clever
way to turn an entire umbrella into one giant speaker.
Made of bamboo and paper, the Oto-Shigure uses a
built-in amplifier connected to four tiny vibrating mo-
Datamore Port Adds Lambo Doors to tors located on the tips of the umbrella. And before
Your Hard Drive [Peripherals] you imagine the streets of Tokyo turned into one giant
cacophony of sounds, the cool thing about this inven-
Most hard drive enclosures aren’t winning any beauty tion is that the music can’t be heard by anyone ex-
contests, but at least the Datamore Port is putting on cept the person under the umbrella: As you can see
some lipstick, tightening the girdle and giving it her all. in the graphic, its design produces a three-dimensional
This USB or eSATA enclosure for SATA drives features sound bubble in the area right in the center of the Oto-
that moving while standing still look along with a hot Shigure. The inventors, Yusuke Kamiyama and Mai
rear gull-wing door. Bonus shot: Unfortunately, the Tanaka, are now showing the prototype and, if there’s
Datamore Port is a Korea-only product that’s priceless enough interest, they plan to sell it for just 100. [Pink
at the moment. But it’s best our hard drive enclosures Tentacle]
don’t have such interesting moving parts because we’d
compulsively yank the drive at the wrong time and kill
all of our data within a week. [akihabara news]
iPhone 2.2 Screenshots Show Full
Podcast Interface, Polished Store App
[Apple]
Dealzmodo: Acer Aspire One Priced at
350, T oo[Deals] New screenshots of the new iPhone operating sys-
Earlier this week we spotted the MSI Wind with its tem update keep leaking from obscure European sites,
price reduced to 350 at Best Buy. Not to be outdone, where they have no respect for NDAs and cheddar cheese.
Acer’s equally impressive Aspire One netbook is 350 as These ones reveal the fully polished over-the-air pod-
well over at New Egg. So which 1.6GHz Atom system cast interface. We got a glimpse of it beforein the
should you buy? Your call. They’re both at the top of iPhone OS 2.2 rumor round-upbut these show the whole
their class, just note that the Wind’s screen is 1-inch whole thing, including the downloading process over
bigger while the Aspire One is spec’d at half a pound the 3G network. There’s a catch, however. gallery-
lighter. [New Egg via dealnews] Post(’ipodpodcasts’, 3, ”); Apple has established that
the podcasts can’t be bigger than 10 MBytes, which will
be fine for most. Still, it looks like this is the closest
thing to ”live” content iPhone users are going to get.
The App Store looks sightly different, although know-
Apple Patents Head-Tracking ing Apple’s graphical interface guidelines, I doubt they
Auditorium-Effect Wearable Display will put ugly icons from other apps in the store cate-
[Apple Patents] gories, so these are probably placeholder. [Schimanke
via Apple Insider]
Apple’s patents are nothing if not copious, and oc-
casionally confusing: this new one is in the latter cat-
egory. It’s for a goggle-like display system with an
in-built head tracking system that changes the display Roy Blunt, GOP’s 2 House Leader,
Steps Down

3
 WASHINGTON mdash; Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, to spare. The drop-dead gorgeous WinMo 6.1 handset
the No. 2 Republican in the House, announced Thurs- can be procured right now for pound;514.99 (821) sans
day that he is stepping aside after Democrats added contract, but if you’re a North American mulling an im-
to their numbers in Congress and captured the White port, you should obviously tack on a few more bills to
House. that. You’re still mulling, aren’t you?[Via MoDaCo]HTC’s
Blunt said he had long ago decided that if Repub- Touch HD now available for 514.99 originally appeared
licans did not reclaim the majority in Tuesday’s elec- on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please
tions, he would step down from the difficult job of shep- see our terms for use of feeds.Readnbsp;|nbsp;Permalinknbsp;|nbsp;E
herding votes. ”Ten years of asking people to do some thisnbsp;|nbsp;Comments
things they don’t want to do is a long time,” Blunt, 58,
told reporters Thursday morning. ”I can tell you more
problems about more members of Congress than you’ll
ever want to hear; I can tell you more reasons not to Working replica Nautilus sub
do something than you’ll ever want to hear.”
Blunt was elevated into leadership by former whip
and majority leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and was
schooled in the hardball tactics employed when DeLay
was a driving force in running the House.
Blunt’s move avoids a difficult intraparty battle with Windows 7 Preview Boots 20
protege Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican who’s al- Microsoft says that ”a very good system
ready campaigning for the job of Republican whip. boots in under 15 seconds,” and while
Blunt says it’s time for a new generation of Repub- the early-release Windows 7 Preview
licans to assume leadership roles. Cantor is 45.
”We’re in a totally new environment now,” Blunt
doesn’t deliver a sub-15 second boot
said. ”We need to find a new way forward.” time, it does start 20 faster than
Blunt also said he was impressed with the campaign Windows Vista on my computer. The
of Barack Obama and that it would be a mistake for Re- only way to truly compare boot-up
publicans to assume that Democrats would overreach times between operating systems is to
now that they will control both the White House and try them out on the same exact
Congress for the first time in 16 years.
Meanwhile, conservative Indiana Rep. Mike Pence
hardware, and as of today I’m
has been recruited by GOP Leader John Boehner of triple-booting XP, Vista, and the
Ohio to serve as chairman of the Republican confer- Windows 7 Preview on a newly-built
ence, the No. 3 leadership post vacated by Florida Rep. PC. The results? Windows 7 boots
Adam Putnam on election night. much faster than Windows
Boehner will remain as GOP leader despite the dis- Vistamdash;but surprisingly, no faster
appointing results on Election Day. He is also expected
on Thursday to endorse Texas Rep. Pete Sessions to
than Windows XP. Here are my exact
take over the GOP’s House campaign operation. numbers, machine specs, and caveats.
Associated Press Writer Laurie Kellman contributed table.comparison \1 border-width: 1px
to this report. 1px 1px 1px; border-spacing: 2px;
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Is Stealth Startup Fruugo Stumbling
Right Before Launch Day? background-color: white; \1
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Filed under: CellphonesIt’s not apt to ever go on
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sliver of a chance), but HTC’s Touch HD is now on sale 1px 1px; padding: 1px 1px 1px 1px;
for fortunate Britons with a fair amount of poundage border-style: inset inset inset inset;

4
border-color: gray gray gray gray; Windows 7, it’s very probable that
background-color: white; Win7 will be even faster than XP in its
-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 0px 0px; final releases. On a related note, only 23
\1 table.comparison td.has \1 of you said your computer boots up in
background-color:8EBB8E; \1 under 30 seconds, so it sounds like
table.comparison td.label \1 ”faster boot time” might be one of the
font-weight:bold;text-align:center; \1 less sexy but much-appreciated features
The hardware: My test system has an coming in Windows 7.
Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at
3.16GHz with 4GB of RAM. The only
difference between XP, Vista, and the
Windows 7 Preview is that Win7 is Roy Blunt, GOP’s 2 House Leader,
installed on an IDE hard drive, and XP Steps Down
and Vista are booting from SATA WASHINGTON mdash; Missouri Rep.
drives. That puts Win7 at a slight Roy Blunt, the No. 2 Republican in the
disadvantage because IDE drives are House, announced Thursday that he is
not as performant as SATA. Also: the stepping aside after Democrats added
version of Windows 7 that I’m using is to their numbers in Congress and
the Preview release from last month’s captured the White House.
PDC conference, an incomplete, Blunt said he had long ago decided that
earlier-than-beta, for-testers-only if Republicans did not reclaim the
edition. One can only assume it will get majority in Tuesday’s elections, he
better (read:faster) in the final release. would step down from the difficult job
The test: Since I’m triple-booting the of shepherding votes. ”Ten years of
three operating systems, I used a simple asking people to do some things they
handheld timer to get my numbers, don’t want to do is a long time,” Blunt,
starting at the ”Choose your operating 58, told reporters Thursday morning. ”I
system” screen (which comes after the can tell you more problems about more
BIOS startup) and ending at the user members of Congress than you’ll ever
login screen. These tests do not include want to hear; I can tell you more
the amount of time it takes to load the reasons not to do something than you’ll
user’s desktop, because that depends ever want to hear.”
entirely on what’s in your Windows Blunt was elevated into leadership by
startup. This is simple, pure, operating former whip and majority leader Tom
system boot heremdash;no desktop or DeLay, R-Texas, and was schooled in
BIOS involved. Here are my final the hardball tactics employed when
numbers from starting the three DeLay was a driving force in running
operating systems on the same box and the House.
timing them: Operating System Time Blunt’s move avoids a difficult
to reach user login prompt Windows 7 intraparty battle with protege Eric
Ultimate (Preview, PDC edition) 27 Cantor, a Virginia Republican who’s
seconds Windows Vista Ultimate 34 already campaigning for the job of
seconds Windows XP Professional 27 Republican whip.
seconds Final result: The Windows 7 Blunt says it’s time for a new
Preview boots 20.6 faster than generation of Republicans to assume
Windows Vista, but in exactly the same leadership roles. Cantor is 45.
amount of time as Windows XP. ”We’re in a totally new environment
Because of the slower IDE drive on my now,” Blunt said. ”We need to find a
test system, and the preview status of new way forward.”

5
Blunt also said he was impressed with
the campaign of Barack Obama and
that it would be a mistake for
Republicans to assume that Democrats
would overreach now that they will
control both the White House and
Congress for the first time in 16 years.
Meanwhile, conservative Indiana Rep.
Mike Pence has been recruited by GOP
Leader John Boehner of Ohio to serve
as chairman of the Republican
conference, the No. 3 leadership post
vacated by Florida Rep. Adam Putnam
on election night.
Boehner will remain as GOP leader
despite the disappointing results on
Election Day. He is also expected on
Thursday to endorse Texas Rep. Pete
Sessions to take over the GOP’s House
campaign operation.
Associated Press Writer Laurie Kellman
contributed to this report.