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With Quantum of Solace coming out November 14th, Sony’s relationship with 007 is going to be paying dividends.

A limited edition licensed 007 products including a VAIO(R) notebook computer, a Reader Digital Book and Micro Vault(TM) USB storage media which will all be available in U.S. Sony Style retail stores and online at sonystyle.com.

An exclusive, limited edition VAIO TT notebook comes emblazoned with a 007 logo on the palm rest and a matching leather protection case. Only 100 units will be available and each unit will bear a serialized number.

The Special Edition Bond bundle for the Reader Digital Book features an embossed cover with a 007 logo and coupon codes for free downloads from the Sony eBook Store of Ian Fleming’s novels Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

An exclusive 007 USB Micro Vault, in 8 or 16GB capacities, comes pre- loaded with the Quantum of Solace movie trailer and bonus contents.

An Australian group of scientists led by Professor Derek Abbott from the University of Adelaid have invented the first remote-controlled key fob that allows men to control a valve that can switch their sperm flow on and off as required.

“Men want new contraceptive methods,” says Elaine Lissner, director of the non-profit Male Contraception Information Project in San Francisco. “A decade ago demand wasn’t there and it was assumed women wouldn’t trust men to take charge of birth control anyway. That has changed.”

The size of half a rice grain, the “fertility control micro-valve” is injected by a doctor into the vas deferens, the duct that carries sperm from the testes, a process that needs only a local anaesthetic. The valve can then open and close to control sperm flow out of the body.

Demand for the new valve has been unprecedented. “I’ve been inundated with inquiries from men from all over the world,” Professor Abbott says. The device will now need five years of animal trials before it can be used in human beings.

In five years, we might not be interested in the contraceptive, but there will be a whole new breed of men that will want to avoid getting a girl knocked up by any means necessary.

Source:  timesonline

Griffin’s been making accessories for Apple products for quite sometime, making them pretty good at what they do.  Hence the reason we chose their Clarifi case as our favorite iPhone case.  The built-in close-up lens really caught our eye and the fact that the shell’s not cheesy really helps.

Slide the Clarifi lens into place over the built-in lens of your iPhone. Your macro and close-up shots are instantly finer in detail, more accurate in color. With Clarifi’s lens, your iPhone can image an entire business card with astounding clarity. Slide the lens aside for normal photography. WIthout Clarifi, iPhone requires about 18 inches to focus properly. Slide Clarifi’s lens into place and you can move in to 4 inches for crisp detail and great pictures.

Available at GriffinTechnology.com

Price:  $34.99

gallery after the jump

Griffin Technology Clarifi iPhone case:

We thought this day would never come.  T-Mobile’s given an official date on when they’ll be showing off the highly-anticipated Google Phone.  T-Mobile USA is set to unveil it alongside Google next Tuesday at a news conference in New York.

The G1 phone, which is being manufactured by HTC, doesn’t hit stores until October, but T-Mobile’s ready to let loose about the Android-packed gadget.  We might even hear about the price (crosses fingers).  T-Mobile’s the first carrier to market the phone and expect others to follow suit.

They haven’t gotten as much exposure as they’d hoped but when you’re competing with Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry line, it’s a cold world out there.

Google’s not worried, though.  They want their services on all cell phones, including their ad services.  Of course Google’s already created the software to do that.  We’ve heard about the Android app store that will rival that of the iPhone.  Rumors are though that it won’t have Microsoft Exchange Server, which will make things a little tough for Google, if they want to enter the cell phone market with a full head of steam.

Google showed off the handset at a developer conference in London on Tuesday.  Next week, Google and T-Mobile should start to reveal whether Android will live up to the hype.

Source:  latimes

A team at Stanford University launched a four-foot-long helicopter that flies itself.  The helicopter performed flips, rolls, pirouettes, stall-turns, knife-edges, and an inverted hover over a filed, most things which we don’t know the technical meanings to.

So what’s so special about it?  Well for one, if the artificial intelligence is as good as it seems, then the programming can be mirrored on bigger helicopters and can be used to scout wildfires or even in the military.

The computer scientists at Stanford say that the helicopter taught itself to fly by watching aerobatics of a radio-controlled helicopter flown by a human.

These helicopters can fly maneuvers at the edge of what a helicopter is capable of,” said Adam Coates, a PhD student who worked on the project. The helicopters, which communicate with a ground-based computer that guides it, are still being developed.  It’s already being contacted to be used in surveillance and mapping applications, as well as investing wildfires and looking for land mines.

The cost is about $4,000 for each helicopter, which is kitted with a accelerometer, gyroscope and a magnetometer to determine its orientation and acceleration, and a GPS or two ground-based cameras to determine its location.

Rise of the machines.

Source:  ubergizmo

Here’s something those big corporates could never think of — a program to track your cell phone and secure all its data.  Maverick Mobile Solutions is an Indian company that makes mobile applications, games, and other services.  It’s got a new way to protect your data when your phone’s lost or stolen.  Maverick Secure Mobile encrypts your data, sends you a text message with the location of the phone, and our favorite part, plays an annoyingly loud siren to torture the thief.

The Maverick software is hidden on a phone, so a potential thief can’t tell whether or not your phone has it. You give the company a second phone number — your spouse’s or a friend’s, for example. As soon as a thief replaces your SIM card with his own, the phone encrypts all of your remaining data, like your phone book, photos or text messages, so the thief can’t see them. It also sends that data to your second phone so that you have it.

There’s more fun in this, too.  You can send text message commands that allow you to see the phone calls made and texts sent or received.  Spy Call even allows you to eavesdrop on the thief’s calls without him knowing.  “Brilliant!

The product’s in beta, but they’re working on a deal with Nokia that will bring the app to Nokia phones in the near future.

Source:  bits

HTC’s officially released the Touch Diamond for Sprint customers, and boy is it sexy.  It’s got a 2.8″ touch-screen that has great resolution and is easy to use.  It’s got all the essentials that you’d expect from Sprint – Sprint TV enabled, bluetooth, email, Sprint Music Store, and GPS enabled.  What’s even greater is that it has a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera that doubles as a camcorder with zoom.

With the touch of a finger, check your work and personal email, surf the web on the 2.8″ touch-screen and access your personal photos, videos and music stored on the 4GB of internal memory.

The phone’s available now at Sprint.com for $249.99 with a two-year contract and after a mail-in rebate that requires an Everything plan, Talk/Message/Data Share plan, Data Premier add-on or PRO Pack add-on. Get free shipping and free activation when you purchase a phone with a new line of service online!

Sprint.com

Last week, we reported that the Samsung Rugby was going to release today, and our sources were correct!  The phone’s available via ATT.com in an all black finish.  The price?  $129.99 with a two-year contract and a mail-in rebate.  Unfortunately, the tool box we unboxed the phone in will not be available.  Here’s what Samsung and AT&T have to say:

The Samsung Rugby(TM) is AT&T’s first rugged Mil-Spec device and it is the only rugged wireless phone that combines the convenience of Push to Talk (PTT) with Video Share Calling. It is ideal for businesses that employ on-site field services that need instant voice access. It is built tough to withstand harsh conditions of all on-site jobs. Certified to Military Standard MI-SID-810F, it will withstand dust, shock vibrations, rain, humidity, solar radiation and altitude and temperature extremes.

Check out our previous gallery and information we leaked last week about the phone.

It’s unfortunate to find out that people who don’t drive that much are still paying the same in auto coverage as people that drive more than them.  In order to save money on your auto insurance, would you be willing to give up your privacy and allow your insurance company to track your every move?

New gadgets installed in cars will be able to tell insurers how many miles drivers have logged, what times of the day they drive, and even how frequently they abruptly stop and start. Other incarnations of the technology involve GPS devices that can even tell insurers precisely where drivers have traveled, and if they obeyed local speed limits.

Progressive’s MyRate program has some benefits.  If you sign up, you get an immediate 5 to 10 percent discount and are promised up to 25 percent reduction in exchange for installing a small electronic device under the hood of their car. There’s no guarantee of additional savings: In some markets, Progressive says it could raise rates up to 9 percent for drivers who log too many miles or engage in other risky behavior.

Miles driven, abrupt stops and starts, and time of day are the three main things that Progressive cares about so as of now, the device does not have GPS capabilities (yet) due to growing privacy concerns by its customers.  Also, MyRate customers get access to a Web site that lets them monitor their mileage usage and other driving habits, and so far, customers are happy with the program.

So what about you?  Are you looking to save some money on your insurance?  If you’re in Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, Oregon, or good ol’ New Jersey, then head to Progressive and sign your life information away.

Source: msnbc

Sources close to AT&T are telling us that the Samsung Rugby that we unboxed last week is set to release on Monday, September 15th.  No word if the phone will come in the heavy-duty toolbox we showed off, but for the price, it’s still a pretty good deal.  MSRP is somewhere in the $300-$400 range, but with a two-year contract, you can pick one up for $129.  Nope, that’s the right price.

If you’re already a business customer, then you should contact your account rep for an even better deal.  These numbers have not yet been confirmed, but we like to think our sources are pretty good.

If you missed the unboxing ceremonies, then check that out HERE.  Is this phone up your alley?  Let us know!