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Say hello to the latest reason to get excited if you own an iPhone.

Using the handsets accelerometer and connecting via Wi-Fi you can fly the Parrot AR.Drone!

As if that wasn’t cool enough it has two on-board cameras that beam a pilots-eye view right to your phones screen.

This means that you don’t need to see the craft in order to pilot it – the great outdoor beckons!

If you do loose connection then autopilot kicks in to gently land the drone.

If you’d rather stay in the safety of home then you can use the included foam propeller hubs to avoid injuring pets, loved ones and decor.

Now for the best bit! Yup, it gets better!

The AR part of the name stands for the very 2010 Augmented-reality.

This enables you to create race circuits around your area that are superimposed onto the iPhones display as well as giving you a variety of games that involve shooting robots, dodging lasers and dog-fighting with another chopper.

Being AR there’s every chance that you could fly against anyone, anywhere in the world!

No doubt developers will be working on something seeing as Parrot has also released an API (Application Programming Interface) for the little blighter.

Parrot say that the AR.Drone is “affordable” but that’s the only hint on pricing at the moment. It’s due for release later this year and you can sign up for email updates at the Parrot Web site.

Check out the vid below and prepare to want!

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wolfram_1Wolfram—the magical search engine that will channel all kinds of groovy data to give you fatabulous answers is planned for release this month.

Stephen Wolfram, creator of Mathematica, gave a webcast about Wolfram|Alpha at Harvard this week (why not check out Bobbie Johnson of the Guardian’s piece, First look: Wolfram Alpha shows itself in public)?

There’s also Stephen Wolfram discusses Wolfram|Alpha: Computational Knowledge Engine, which is around 2 hours long….. so if you’re on a train journey………

The blurb says:

There’s been great anticipation around Stephen Wolfram’s ambitious project to create a comprehensive “computational knowledge engine.”

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University will host a sneak preview of the Wolfram|Alpha system including a discussion of its underlying technology and implications.

Participants will include Wolfram|Alpha founder Stephen Wolfram and Professor of Law Jonathan Zittrain.

Stephen Wolfram is the creator of Mathematica, the author of A New Kind of Science, and now the creator of Wolfram|Alpha. He is the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research.

It’s clearly going to be a useful tool, rather than a search engine — as Wolfram says, “we’re trying to compute things — and I can imagine using it. But I can’t see it replacing Google for all day use, and any “Google killer” talk seems way over the top”.

Also,  in an email sent to me yesterday from Wolfram|Alpha are a couple of bonus bits:

Want to know what truly sets Wolfram|Alpha apart? Theodore Gray shares “The Secret behind the Computational Engine in Wolfram|Alpha” in today’s Wolfram|Alpha Blog post, now available at:

http://blog.wolframalpha.com/2009/05/01/the-secret-behind-the-computational-engine-in-wolframalpha

Also new in the Wolfram|Alpha Blog is a look behind the scenes at one of our many pre-launch projects with a fun video we’re calling “Rack ‘n’ Roll.” We hope you’ll check it out here:

http://blog.wolframalpha.com/2009/04/30/rack-n-roll

If that’s not enough…..how about the video below?

So – do you think that this will be a Google challenger, if not a killer?

Do you think that you’re more likely to use Wolfram|Alpha than Google once it’s unleashed?

Let me know in the comments below :)

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NES Styled Mouse – Retro Awesomeness in Your Hand

April 30, 2009 Click to read more →
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I just had to share this thing of beauty with you all
I’m a sucker for retro looks and this totally awesome NES Controller mouse that was sent into Technabob by one of their readers is a killer!
I’d love to have one of these and would even consider buying an extra one to use [...]

Blaze Soft Wii Sports Pack – Swing it Like You Just Don’t Care

April 29, 2009 Click to read more →
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Blaze has just announced their new “soft and safe” sports pack for the Nintendo Wii.
Yeah, I know the pic is a blatent render!
For any of you out there that has suffered “Wiidamage” to family, friends, yourselves or, indeed, your decor you’ll be able to appreciate this need.
Each pack contains a soft foam golf [...]

Transforming Spin Vehicle – Kid or Adult Prepare to WANT

February 27, 2009 Click to read more →

How much would do I want one of these when I was a kid now!!??!!
Matias Conti designed this Transformable Spin Vehicle concept with rotating components so it can transform from an upright tricycle to a lower-rider lightcycle-style cruiser.
Depending how you shape your ride you’ll apparently get a different…well…..ride.
So, I take it that you can choose one version for that [...]

Zoybar – Modular Guitar Kit – Build Your Axe

November 24, 2008 Click to read more →

I play in a variety of bands and projects with an equally ecclectic range of styles.  I could be playing out-and-out pop one day and then a few days later playing Drum and Bass and then covering an Iron Maiden set.
It would be great to have the choice of set-ups, necks and pickups for each gig.
That [...]