They gang over at iFixit has been very busy of late tearing apart new gadgets. Recently, they tore apart a new iPad mini and a Microsoft Surface tablet to see what’s on the inside. The latest device to get the teardown treatment is the newest iPad 4 that debuted with the iPad mini.
As expected, the tablet has a dual-core A6X processor with a quad-core GPU. It uses a 9.7-inch LCD with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. It comes with 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB of storage and has a five-megapixel rear camera. One major difference between the latest generation of the iPad in the iPad 3 from seven months ago is the smaller Lightning connector on the new tablet.
The teardown also confirms that LG is manufacturing the display for the latest generation iPad, at least in the one torn down here. Apple is known to use multiple display providers to meet demand. The battery is the same unit in the new iPad as it was in the previous version. Overall, iFixit says the new iPad 4 isn’t any more repairable than the previous model, receiving only 2 out of 10 score – with 10 being the easiest to repair.
After having played around with a couple of wireless speakers, I have to admit that I like them. The wireless JBL SoundFly is somewhat diminutive, but it packs enough power to let you listen to your music in almost any room.
The speaker plugs into a power outlet and it packs 20W of power. It’s Wi-Fi-enabled and AirPlay-compatible, but it can also link up with three other units in order to give you a full-on home audio experience. The SoundFly comes in two versions. The Air works with iOS devices, and the BT is a Bluetooth model. These speakers plug in directly into an outlet, which is good and bad since you don’t have to worry about battery power, but that limits portability.
The SoundFly Air is available right now and costs $199(USD), while the Bluetooth version will cost $179 when it’s available.
Whoever invented pencils didn’t really think things through. Everything’s all good at the start, but what happens when the pencil gets too short and stubby that you can’t really use it to write comfortably?
That’s where the folks behind the Sprout Pencil come in.
You see, the Sprout is no ordinary pencil. Embedded on the end where the eraser is supposed to be is a seed capsule instead. So when the pencil gets too short for comfort, you can just stick the stub into a pot of soil or compost and water it to grow your own little plant.
The Sprouts come in many different varieties, including some of your favorite herbs and vegetables. You can leave the pencil in the soil to serve as a planting marker or you can throw it out if you want to.
Sprout was launched on Kickstarter last September. It exceeded the funding goal that was set and is currently in production. If you missed it then, don’t worry, because the team behind it are getting ready to offer Sprout for sale online and in stores.
I’m sure everyone is familiar with skydiving, but I’m not sure everyone is familiar with a wingsuit. If you have seen the movie Transformers 3, you might remember the soldiers in the flick jumping out of an airplane wearing black suits that allow them to glide rather than simply float to the ground. The atuntmen performing that stunt in the movie were actually from the Red Bull Air Force.
Some of those same daredevils recently took a trip to Malaysia where they jumped out of an airplane and used their wingsuits to fly around some of the most iconic landmarks in the country. The stuntmen flew their wingsuits so close to the KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur that look like they were going to hit it in the video. They also flew by the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.
That particular building has two identical towers standing side-by-side with a sky bridge connecting them. The building has been in several movies so you have likely seen it before. The two men who flew between the towers were traveling at about 120 mph. Check out the video to see the daredevils in action. This isn’t quite as cool as the Red Bull sponsored Felix Baumgartner 120,000+ foot skydive, but the wingsuits pretty amazing nonetheless.
It seems there’s always a better iPhone case around the corner… While I don’t think I have that many iPhone cases, I do have about 8 and unlike some people boast that their iPhones are naked, and without protection, I like to have my iPhone nicely protected, so that I can sell it when I eventually upgrade. That being said, using a rubber band as simple iPhone grip is definitely a cool idea.
If you like the naked iPhone look, but still want to get a better grip on yours, then check out what Instructables user timwikander came up with. You can basically use any thick rubber band and stretch it out around your iPhone, without sacrificing much in looks. While he reports that he was able to drill in a couple of holes to get access to the ports, I think it’s probably better just to remove it when you need access. That way, the rubber band remains tight and secure, no matter what.
If you can find some transparent, thick rubber bands, it might look really good too.
We’ve seen a lot of notable applications of 3D printing technology, but this one has to be the most cutting edge of them all. Some companies have made considerable progress in special 3D printers and ink. Instead of printing replicas, food or gadgets, they print living tissue.
The screenshot above is from a presentation made by Andras Forgacs at a conference held by The Economist. Forgacs is the co-founder of Organovo, one of the companies who are looking into 3D printing live tissue, which is now being called bioprinting. Forgacs implies that Organovo is interested in using bioprinting to help pharmaceutical companies reduce costs in developing drugs. Listen to Forgacs explain bioprinting in a nutshell in the video below, courtesy of Fora.tv:
As noted by the Wall Street Journal, researchers and “bioengineers” in various academic institutions have also been experimenting with bioprinting. Some have been able to print blood vessels, while others are making a portable printer designed to print tissue directly to a wound to make it heal faster.
All of these experts hope that someday they will get to the next level and print entire organs. Perhaps by then we can “map” the organs of other people, then copy and print those templates. Want to be smarter? Download a template of Stephen Hawking’s brain, print it then have it transplanted on your noggin. Want to be stronger? Download and print Lebron James’ physique. Want to be braver? Download and print the heart of a champ. Or not.
The god of thunder is always up for a drink, so he’s offered up his hammer to anyone who wants to get hammered. Unlike the mythical crusher, you only need a modicum of strength to lift this Mjölnir.
Note that the lead picture on Fancy – shown below – is misleading, as it’s entirely different from the one that’s actually being sold. Thanks to Redditor bobdobbsjr’s sleuthing, we can assume that the bottle opener shown below appears to be a custom job – or at least a Photoshopped image – by Anthony Petrie, who appears to have modded a toy replica of Mjölnir.
The custom hammer is clearly better, but as far as I know it’s not for sale.
Perhaps only Anthony is worthy of wielding his bottle opener. The rest of us can order the smaller Mjölnir bottle opener from ThinkGeek for $18 (USD). Then get this whiskey if you want to go the extra mile.
Do you hate how the letters are arranged on all of the keyboards that are currently on the market? If your fingers never really got used to how the keys were arranged, then you’d better hope that this concept design called the ‘Puzzle Keyboard’ gets picked up someday.
It’s basically a modular keyboard where each key can be separated from the other. You can take the whole thing apart and re-arrange it from scratch to construct your own keyboard with the letters positioned exactly where you want them.
The Puzzle Keyboard was designed by Wan Fu Chuna and won a Red Dot design award in the Interaction and Communication category.
Our friends over at TechBargains.com compiled a list of daily deals and we wanted to share them to help you save money.
Keep in mind that as with any true deal, the products are limited quantity and can sell out quickly – so don’t hesitate to check them out now. Also if you’re looking to buy a product from a specific store, you save money with updated and verified coupon codes here.
Nothing helps accentuate a woman’s curves more than corsets. Recently, more and more geek-themed corsets are getting made to the delight of hot female nerds and non-nerds everywhere. Alien and Doctor Who have had their turns with the Facehugger corset and TARDIS corset, respectively.
Now it’s time for the force of the Star Wars corsets to be reckoned with.
Halloween will certainly be over by the time you get these corsets in the mail, but who ever said they were only for Halloween? Bring them out for cosplays, lace up for parties and other special occasions, and wear them whenever you want to feel pretty and geeky at the same time.
The Boba Fett corset on the right can also be for a Rogue-themed costume if you’re planning to cosplay some X-Men at your next con.
These corsets (and a whole lot of other designs) are available from the Damsel in this Dress Etsy shop.
Our friends over at 
Halloween will certainly be over by the time you get these corsets in the mail, but who ever said they were only for Halloween? Bring them out for cosplays, lace up for parties and other special occasions, and wear them whenever you want to feel pretty and geeky at the same time.
