If you didn’t already know, the Mars Phoenix mission came to a close yesterday.  You may remember the Mars Phoenix as the robot that found water on Mars over the summer.  When the Phoenix outlived the original estimates, those in charge pushed it a little further until it finally stopped communicating with Earth yesterday.  Normally this might make an interesting story about the fact that it died, but would really only depress those that were involved.

This time was a bit different, though.  The Mars Phoenix was giving updates through its time through Twitter.  Through Twitter the Phoenix told us how its mission was going, when he went into safe mode, instances when its solar panels were blocked by a sandstorm, and even answered questions that other users posed.

(Read the full post about ‘Mars Pheonix’s journey comes to a depressing end’…)

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Based on the looks of the T-Mobile HTC G1, the first phone to run Google’s Android operating system, we may all have suspected this. But here’s the proof. The G1 costs about $144 to build compared to Apple iPhone’s $160, based on a virtual tear down by research firm iSuppli. The estimate includes only component and material costs for the G1 and doesn’t account for other expenses such as software, research and development, manufacturing and accessories. The most costly segment of the G1 is the baseband at $29, or nearly 20% of the total cost. The baseband employs a combination of an ARM11 microprocessor for multimedia applications and an ARM7 core for modem functions, says iSuppli. (Read the full post about ‘T-Mobile G1 Cheaper to Build Than An iPhone’…)

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We all know that toddlers are a handful, especially when you go outdoors and want to perform your chores, only to be distracted by Junior as he prepares to do something mischievous just to attract your attention. Well, they too have a tendency to wander off without noticing you, leading to an extremely distressful situation. With the Wristlet concept, at least you are able to keep track of them as it enables parents to send messages, alarms and even graphic symbols to its solar-powered display - best use this with kids who can already read and are semi-independent. Hopefully pink isn’t the only color of choice as that’ll turn off plenty of boys. (Read the full post about ‘Wristlet Concept Helps Parents Keep Tabs On Toddlers’…)

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Take a gander at this oddly wide airplane with the three engines in back. This could be the method of air travel by the year 2030. NASA has recently started a little pet project, cooperating with engineers from MIT to create planes that are more fuel-efficient, quieter, not to mention environmentally friendly. All I can say is “It’s About Time!” I’ve been hearing so much about how our cars need to become hybrids or electric, and they need to be cleaner for Mother Earth, but very little has been said about those jumbo jets. I mean, they are one of the least-fuel efficient vehicles that we have, and they are as loud as…well, a jetplane. (Read the full post about ‘The Shape of Planes to Come?’…)

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These motorcycles made out of watch parts are really cool: You can see more here: National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors - Motorcycles I love watches, so a little part of me cringes when I see this sort of thing. There used to be a beautifully functioning watch that made up that motorcycle. It makes me sad to think of all the dead watches that were sacrificed to make these. I know watches die of their own accord, but it almost feels like a coat made out of the fur of a beloved pet. (Read the full post about ‘Motorcycles Made Out of Watch Parts’…)

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No doubt that the ipod is the undisputed portable media player at the moment (and has been for a long time now, with its position well-cemented), but that does not mean other players in the arena cannot try to usurp the top dog with their devices. Ainol has recently released its V3000 portable media player, and this model ain’t too shabby once you are able to get past the fact that it is one of the lesser known portable media players out there. Just don’t be disappointed that whispers of Bluetooth connectivity, Wi-Fi support and GPS are just that – rumors. On a side note, I wonder whether Will Smith gets any royalties for his mug from I, Robot, being splashed on the box. (Read the full post about ‘Ainol V3000 Portable Media Player Review’…)

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ComputerWorld reviews the Motorola Motozine ZN5 and writes, “As a camera, I loved the ZN5. I liked the mechanics of it: sliding down the cover to expose both the lens and built-in flash, watching the camera functions come on while deactivating the phone capabilities (something Motorola likes to call ModeShift Technology). Turning the phone on its side moves the dedicated shutter button into position at the top right. The switch that controls the volume in handset mode can then be used for the digital zoom, which, although it displays with poor resolution in the phone’s window, actually offered excellent results.” Read more about the Motorola Motozine ZN5. (Read the full post about ‘Motorola Motozine ZN5 Review - ComputerWorld’…)

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We live in a rather hermetic world, you and me. The gadget blogger is so drenched in new technology that we forget how these wonderful toys are used in the real world. And you, loyal reader, are obviously far above the norm when it comes to matters of technology.

I was reminded of this when I passed my old iPod Touch onto the Lady a few weeks ago. She’s no technophobe. In fact, quite the opposite. She not only gets (and laughs at) nerd jokes, she actually makes them. And after moving onto her second Mac, she’s totally at home with such geeky things as setting manual IP addresses and BitTorrent.

So I expected her to be all over the Touch.

(Read the full post about ‘It Makes a Great Alarm Clock: How a Non-Geek Uses an iPod Touch’…)

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Panasonic has their range of Toughbooks, and NEC proves that it can mix it up with the best of them with their new Versa N1100 notebook. This magnesium alloy-based notebook can survive even with a 150kg weight sitting right smack on top of it for…five seconds. Not too sure whether it can hold up after that, but at least that ought to give you enough time to shout your displeasure as your overweight colleague realizes he is sitting on a notebook instead of a hard cushion. Other tests involved NEC dropping the netbook onto wooden floors, iron plates and concrete surfaces without suffering any internal damage. (Read the full post about ‘NEC Gets Tough With Versa N1100 Notebook’…)

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There is nothing like a pleasant scent to help lift your spirits, and why settle for expensive burners when you have one non-flammable USB Aroma Diffuser right smack in the middle of your desk? All you need to do is place a few drops of your favorite fragrant oil and you’re good to go - hopefully the rest of your cubicle mates don’t have a sinus problem with your choice of scent. Just in case there isn’t any USB port available, there is always the old standby of two AA batteries to help power this $25 device.

Tags: gadgets, electronic toys, TV, tests

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