World Luxury Item

LG Swift Available from Alltel Wireless

MobileWhack.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:11:35 +0000

Alltel subscribers watch out! There's a new phone in town. The LG Swift is a new flip phone filled with multimedia features and applications on the go. The phone is available in Alltel retail stores and online and it will cost $49.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate with a two-year agreement.

The Swift has a new keypad featuring Fastap Press-to-Experience keys which will give you six raised one-touch access Quick Keys with a traditional numeric keypad. The phone is also customized to be used with Alltel Navigation, Alltel Shop, Email, Alarm Clock and Image Library.

Alltel Wireless' vice president of device strategy Brian Ullem says:

The LG Swift is an innovative phone that helps our customers explore and enjoy Alltel's most popular data features. The introduction of Fastap Press-to-Experience keys enables us to delivers information and entertainment to our customers faster than ever before.

The Swift has a dual speaker system with stereo sound, Bluetooth, a 1.3 MP camera with multi-shot and video capabilities, one-touch speakerphone and support for memory upgrade. What do you think?

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via Press

Nokia Wahoo Coming from AT&T?

MobileWhack.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:10:17 +0000

Nokia Wahoo is a totally different Nokia device. It's no candybar and no slider but it's a flip phone with a half QWERTY keyboard. The handset will get you quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Dual-band UMTS/HSDPA, a 2.0 megapixel camera with flahs, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and two displays. A 2.2 inch internal screen with a 240x320 resolution, a 1.36 inch external screen with a 128 x 160 resolution.

There's no release date yet but people say the Wahoo is coming from AT&T. Need a price for this Nokia people!

Is the Nokia E63 the New Nokia E71 but Better?

MobileWhack.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:08:56 +0000

The Nokia E63 has just been announced by Nokia. Deja-vu feeling coming yet? Yes sure it's similar in design to the E71 but it's something totally new.

If you don't want a BlackBerry to play with but you'd like that BlackBerry feeling, then you absolutely need an E series smartphone. The E63 sports the same full QWERTY keyboard which provides that full support for your SMS and email needs. The E63 will be available soon and it will cost just 199 Euro before future subsidies and of course, taxes.

Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President of Nokia says:

Our research shows that people want a device that deals with both their personal and professional lives, but helps them to separate the two. When someone sits down at lunch, they want to update their social network or browse their personal email account and they don't want work getting in the way of that. It's another great case of technology adapting to the people that use it. The Nokia E63 is a new proposition for Eseries - a messaging device where people will be just as involved in their social network as they are in their business network.

Let's look at the specs now. There's WiFi support, fast access to Mail for Exchange, support for Files on Ovi and access to 1GB of online file storage for free. Nokia Music Store comes also with the E63 and there's a 3.5 mm audio jack for your musical pleasure. The built-in camera will get you lots of photos and videos to share with your friends.

Want more? More specs and a release date? Well stick with us 'cause we do to, and we will surely find out more!

via Press

Samsung U440 Gets the FCC Treatment

MobileWhack.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:07:00 +0000

The Samsung U440 or the Cleo has just arrived at the FCC. That means the phone will arrive in the USA besides Canada. The Cleo will arrive from Verizon Wireless in the near future, as soon as the FCC will approve it. And a quick reminder, the Cleo will bring you a QWERTY keyboard, a 1.3 megapixel camera, A2DP stereo Bluetooth and up to 8GB of storage space. Want it?
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Game of Life kit is suitable for framing…

MAKE Magazine: Electronics — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:00:28 +0000

Funnypolynomial framed up the Game of Life kit, nice! via Ladyada.

I've been fascinated by Life since I first read of it in Scientific American, many years ago (October 1970!). The Maker Shed store had a couple of sales so I bought a total of 6 Game of Life boards. I assembled them as a 2x3 panel and used cables to join the edges. I mounted them in a simple frame. I'm moving back to New Zealand soon, this will be my last project in the Bay Area!

Funky Laptop Cases Featured on Gizmodo

Lydia — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:43:30 +0000

Looking for a cozy place to put your laptop to bed? Try the Napbook laptop case on for size. This handmade, plush laptop case features plenty of padding to keep your prized possession safe from the bumps and bruises of travel, and when nap-time is neigh, just rest your head and get some shuteye. The Napbook is designed by Hafsteinn Juliusson via Gizmodo For the laptopper with a sense of humor, the My Document laptop sleeve will get a snicker or two. Designed to accommodate 15.4-inch laptops, this witty laptop sleeve will be your fave laptop accessory. The My Document laptop sleeve, made in Taiwan, is now available in the U.S. at a retail price of $29.99 through ThinkGeek. via Gizmodo

Best MoCo Architecture This Week

Harry — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:52:25 +0000

This week's picks:

+ dRN Arquitectos' 140 sq. meter Los Canteros Mountain Refuge at Arch Daily, "For designing this contemporary mountain refuge we proposed a monolithic volume of stone that partially fills the void left by the existing containment walls. Window openings are minimal and were placed so as to illuminate specific acts, or to frame certain parts of the surrounding landscape, keeping away the sight of the neighbours.".

+ Johnston Marklee & Associates' Sale house at Arch Daily, "The modestly scaled 2-4-6-8 House characterizes the type of early commissions that launched a generation of Los Angeles architects. The massing concept of the Sale House originated from a Morphosis drawing that multiplied 2-4-6-8 as identical quadruplets.".

+ KWK PROMES' OUTrial House at Arch Daily, "A green clearing surrounded by forest was the only context for the proposed small house. Hence the idea to 'carve out' a piece of the grass-covered site, move it up and treat it as the roofing to arrange all the required functions underneath.".

+ Replinger Hossner Architects' EB1 Home at Arch Daily, "This contemporary modern house by Replinger Hossner Architects is up for sale in Seattle, WA. Amazing views and good interior spaces.".

+ Alphaville's House Twisted at What We Do Is Secret, "built on a narrow and irregular plot of land surrounded by tradesman's houses. Like W-Window House, the house is steel frame construction and sheet metal cladding. This one 'maneuvers' horizontally while the other one rises vertically - same materials, different approaches.". See the House Twisted interior here.

+ Alphaville's W-Window House in Kyoto at What We Do Is Secret, "designed and built by the husband and wife team of architects (Alphaville) Kentaro Takeguchi and Asako Yamamoto as their residence.". See the W-Window House exterior here.

+ Jarmund / Vigsnæs AS Architects' Farm house inspired by a barn nearby "Both in terms of organization, and by usage of the old wooden cladding for the new house. The continuous band of windows allows for a varied story of light and view throughout the day". At Below The Clouds.

+ Takeshi Hosaka Architects' Garden House "merges indoor with outdoor, incorporating an enclosed, two-story courtyard within the confines of the perimeter walls.". Via sub-studio design blog and CoolBoom.

+ Marmol Radziner Prefab's RINCON 5 at Jetson Green, "RINCON is the moniker for their latest modular series, a line of homes that can double as a small prefab dwelling or ancillary living structure, you name it. The name is inspired by the Spanish word for "nook" -- an apt description for this little accessory structure. The largest model in the series is RINCON 5, and it's a 660 sf model with full kitchen, living room, bedroom, and deck area.".

+ Tezuka Architects' Big Window House at rolu|design.

+ The Tom Kundig: Prototypes and Moving Parts video via AMNP.

Bottle cooler with light

jp6212 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:58:18 +0000

Designed by Jorge Nàjera for exquisite events and parties, this sleek illuminating champagne bucket is the bottle cooler to impress. Also perfect to spend a pleasant evening with someone special. All you need is ice and a few bottles of your favorite wines. Price is £275.

Notorious Crackhouse at 474 Greene Avenue Up In Flames

Brownstoner — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:07:15 +0000

Sad and disturbing news this morning from Bedford Stuyvesant. The beautiful brownstone at 474 Greene Avenue between Bedford and Nostrand was gutted by a fire in the early morning hours today, the result of a raucous all-night party gone terribly wrong. According to an email we received from a block resident, who fell asleep finally at 4:30 a.m. only to be awakened by the sound of shattering glass at 6:15 am., the building "is a well known crack house that has been in operation for at least 3 years." A group of neighbors has been trying to work with community leaders, the NYPD and DA Charles Hynes for much of that time to no avail. There have been daily calls to the NYPD but concerned residents "have been told repeatedly that it is near impossible to shut down." The photo, at right, from Property Shark, shows the house pre-fire with windows and doors covered in sheets to keep out unwanted eyes. "Clearly we are all in immediate danger when people are living without electricity, using candles and making crack and NO ONE in the NYC system can close down the house," writes the tipster. "That fire was big and we were all in danger this morning." We've seen the same thing on the corner of Grand and Putnam where law enforcement officials know what's going on but are hamstrung by laws that make it close to impossible to arrest and successfully convict members of the drug trade. GMAP P*Shark

Update: Here are a couple of photos from a few minutes ago. Send more photos or comments to brownstoner@brownstoner.com.

Mint-powered Google Phone

MAKE Magazine: Electronics — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:05:06 +0000

Have a G1 Android Google phone? If you want to get hours and hours of extra talk, stand by, web and video time the do-it-yourself open source MintyBoost charger works great with it! via Ladyada.

More:

Mac and T-Mobile G1 (Google Android) phone syncing.
Android Proxy App - Use your Android G1 for net access.
"Upgraded" G1 headset - use whatever earbuds you want...
24 hours of Android.