Sunday, October 04, 2009

Sleek Privacy: Ruckstuhl Acoustic Panel [Office]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/W-3S28gO7nY/sleek-privacy-ruckstuhl-acoustic-panel

According to Jason, the Ruckstuhl Acoustic Panel "is just the thing you need in the library so you won't have to stare at the homeless guy beating off across from you." Well, I got news for you, Mr. Chen.

First, the place you go to with the homeless guy is not a library, and second, the Ruckstuhl Acoustic Panel looks like a better fit for a couple of desks in open office or a home office. This, in fact, looks exactly like my home office, with two iMac 24s facing each other (except the Macs don't run Windows here):

The Ruckstuhl Acoustic Panel is made of 100% wool felt, and comes in various colors. It even comes with a magnet holder accessory, so you can put things on it. [Ruckstuhl via Unplggd]




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Acer's Android Netbook Arriving In Time For the Eggnog, Chrome OS Not So Much [NetBooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yVf1OJ2j534/acers-android-netbook-arriving-in-time-for-the-eggnog-chrome-os-not-so-much

There isn't a lack of Android MIDs and smartphones these days, and soon there will be an Android netbook on the market. Acer will release its dual-boot Android, Windows XP Aspire One in time for the holidays.

The Android has been out of the bag on the Aspire One, but now we know that you should be able to purchase it by November. It probably won't be all that much cheaper than the current 10-inch Aspire One (which goes for about $350) since it still runs Windows and will have comparable specs.

And while Chrome OS has been rumored to hit some Chinese netbooks as early as next month, that is surely not the case for the major netbook manufacturers. Acer, Lenovo and MSI all report that they have no plans to bring Chrome OS netbooks to market in the near future. That makes sense to us, since Google originally said it wouldn't be released until the second half of 2010. In the meantime we will be living with a crapload of Android (especially on Acer phones). [Acer]




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Now Available [Now Available]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/4HSRWalpFes/now-available

Mini DisplayPort to DVI, that's easy. But what if you need to go the opposite way? You long to connect your DVI graphics card to that alluring Cinema Display's Mini DisplayPort input. "Impossible!" you cry. It was. Until now.

• OK, so the reality of the situation might not be that exciting. All the Atlona DVI to Mini DisplayPort does is, well, convert a DVI signal to Mini DisplayPort. It's the first converter to accomplish the feat, though. For some users, especially laptop owners stuck with DVI out in their chassis, that's probably a big deal. Other than that, there's not much to write about. The converter supports resolutions up to 1920x1200, and it maintains HDCP information through the conversion. Hopefully that means there won't be any lockout issues now that iTunes is an HDCP curmudgeon. The fact that it's the first makes it pricey, but if it does what you need it to, you can grab the converter from Atlona for $179. [Press Release via Engadget]




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Elite Military Hacker Squad Would Stop Wars With Bits, Not Bombs [Cybersecurity]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/CrWbslKywho/elite-military-hacker-squad-would-stop-wars-with-bits-not-bombs

Efforts to drag our military's cybersecurity into the 21st century are well underway, but John Arquilla, professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, wants more: A preemptive international hacker force, which would cripple enemies before they even become a problem.

Existing plans for a new online defense strategy don't seem particularly bad, except for that first part: defense plans. The professor's idea is to deploy a much more proactive attack strategy:

[Arquilla would] like the US military's coders to team up with network specialists abroad to form a global geek squad. Together, they could launch preemptive online strikes to head off real-world battles.

Armies (even guerrilla armies) are so dependent on digital communications these days that a well-placed network hit could hobble their forces. Do these cyberattacks right-and openly-and the belligerents will think twice before starting trouble. Arquilla calls his plan "a nonlethal way to deter lethal conflict."

The strategy makes the assumption that digital communications are completely vital to enemies big and small, which is generally true, and putting cyberwar directly before more traditional measures like sanctions could have a huge effect: If guerrilla groups can't organize, they won't be too effective; if governments can't use their vital defense networks, they're basically toothless. Wired's posted a few scenarios of how this could actually out, and even if they ! sound a little naive—they do—they're satisfying cinematic, for whatever that's worth. [Wired]




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Insanely Rich People Get New Insanely Awesome and Shiny Flying Toy [Airplanes]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/n725QG9uHXE/insanely-rich-people-get-new-insanely-awesome-and-shiny-flying-toy

You saw the 3D images more than a year ago, and here's the real thing: The all new, amazing, and near-supersonic Gulfstream 650. The cockpit, with four 14-inch multifunction LCDs with enhanced vision display, looks even cooler than the renderings:

The new Gulfstream 650 can take you anywhere in a 8,000 miles radius at Mach 0.925 and 41,000 feet. It is powered by dual Dual Rolls-Roice BR725 engines, which makes it 33% quieter, emitting 5% fewer NOx emissions and 10% less smoke than its predecessor.

The G650 also has the latest in electronics, with fly-by-wire controls and large multifunction screens that can combine real time video, night vision, and 3D renderings for military-grade visuals. Yes, that splash you heard was Larry Ellison, Al Gore, and John Travolta getting wet. [Flight Global with photos by Jon Ostrower]




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