Interactive Map of Afghanistan for iPad. Image By/Used Courtesy Of Development Seed GPS maps for smartphones generally require a fairly high-speed wireless internet connection, consume significant processor resources, and are optimized for driving. But what if your 3G connection is unreliable or unavailable, and you still need to get from point A to point B — perhaps on foot? Last week, I spoke with Eric Gunderson and Ian Cairns at Development... 

Arc Touch Mouse Promotional Photo from Microsoft.com Microsoft has made two new controllers — one for your computer, one for your XBox 360 — that can switch into different shapes depending on your needs or preferences. The well-leaked, much-anticipated Arc Touch Mouse is shipping now; the new wireless XBox Play and Charge kit will be out stateside in November. Exactly a month ago, Microsoft Hardware teased their new mouse on Twitter... 

Just when you thought the only differences between the iPhone 4 and the iPod Touch were the size and the phone, a closer look reveals that the Touch actually has a different camera. Apple’s specifications page for the Touch lists a resolution of 960-by-720 pixels for the rear camera, which is roughly one megapixel. That’s several steps below the 5-megapixel camera seen in the iPhone 4. Then again, the iPod Touch is about one millimeter... 

Promotional Image from Apple.com. There’s a lot to say about the new Apple TV that Steve Jobs presented today. But I’m not going to talk about the tiny little box. I’m not going to talk about your TV either, much. Instead, I’m going to talk about that remote. Mostly, I’m going to talk more about the things that aren’t on it than the things that are. The first iteration of Apple TV had the same little white... 

I love the surprised-looking faces on this otherwise sinister crucifix-shaped surge-protecting power-strip. I imagine thrusting it into the face of a passing vampire (who one of my stupid flat-mates has guilelessly invited in) and seeing both hysterical fear and mild fondness battling in his yellowing, undead eyes. I also imagine dragging all my cord-tangled gadgets across the room to do it, but still, at least I’m safe. And that’s... 

Apple late this afternoon announced plans to live stream its Wednesday music event, where many expect the company to introduce upgrades for the iPod and Apple TV. The stream will only be viewable to Apple customers. In a press bulletin, Apple said it would be streaming its event using “Apple’s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards,” even though the viewing requires a Mac running Snow Leopard, or... 

Britvic has installed vending machines across the UK which dispenses free drinks to those who can prove their intelligence via a series of tests The “smart” vending machines, which promote a brand of flavoured spring water called  Juicy Drench , have touch-screens programmed with games that test mental agility. The idea is to reinforce the message that our brains perform best when they are hydrated. Although presumably that means... 

The Swimsense from Finis is like a bike computer for swimmers, only instead of counting wheel-revolutions, it counts strokes. The new wrist-mounted computer is waterproof (of course) and contains a motion detector which detects “stroke types, records the number of laps swum, total distance, calories burned, lap time, pace and stroke count.” Phew. The smart part is that motion-sensor, which uses accelerometers to detect what kind…  Read More →

The clickety-clack of manual typewriters have long been replaced by PC keyboards and even that is now disappearing with touchscreens. But for those nostalgic about old-school manual typewriters, a hack lets you update and make them compatible with PCs. Jack Zylkin worked for nine months to create the design and schematics for a USB-based typewriter that can replace the keyboard on your PC. “Typewriters are a lasting marvel of classic engineering... 

If you want to know just how fast you can go on your vintage fixed-gear conversion, but can’t bear to put an ugly plastic computer onto your beautifully curated bike, this concept bicycle speedometer could be right up your bike-lane. It comes from Estonian designers Redfish Creative and, despite some flaws, looks pretty gorgeous. The computer works just like any other wireless bike-computer, with a fork-mounted sensor that detects a spoke-mounted... 

Limor Fried’s MintyBoost project is a great example of DIY and commercial tech working together. Take an Altoids tin, a couple of AA batteries, and some very smart hackery, and you’ve got a lightweight USB charger that you can use to charge/run your handheld iWhatever, or almost any other phone, camera, or small device that can take a charge off USB power. About a month ago, she released this video outlining the Apple hackery needed... 

Electronic waste can sometimes find a surprising second lease on life, as designer Tina Sparkles has proved by making a dress using recycled wires. “I read how e-waste is being shipped to developing countries and how people are melting it at homes there,” says Sparkles. “And I was inspired to create something that could recycle some of the materials.” The dress called ‘Systems Supernova’ was shown earlier... 

If you love Nokia hardware but wish for a better operating system, consider what some enthusiastic developers have done. As part of a project called NITDroid , the developers have created a compatible version of the Android operating system for Nokia’s internet tablets. The result is a device that has the body of Nokia and the brains of Android. “Nokia’s hardware is fantastic but their software is suboptimal, slow, buggy and... 

The Gadget Lab crew kicks off this week’s podcast with a look at Dylan Tweney’s ugly new kicks, a pair of surf shoes made of recycled soda bottles. They cost $70. Seriously.                     Moving on from cheesy hippy apparel, Brian X. Chen shares the news of an upcoming Apple press conference , where we can expect new iPods, a major iTunes upgrade (streaming!) and maybe a do-over of the Apple TV. Apple’s competitors... 

The kids may be ditching wristwatches for time-telling smartphones, but manufacturers and designers still have some tricks just-barely-up-their-long-sleeves. The trick seems to be making watches more like smartphones by packing in extra functions or forgoing utility altogether for pure aesthetics or prestige. Now, I can’t really read the spiral watch in the video above, but I appreciate the beauty and concept of the thing. The designer,...