Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 2.0 Desktop Speakers

For a few months, I’ve been thinking about purchasing a set desktop speakers for my Macbook Pro. I hate wires and clutter, so the only set that I was actually considering was LaCie’s Neil Poulton 2.0 speakers. And at $29.99, they’d be a pretty good deal. But now Bowers & Wilkins has something new tugging at my sleeve.

Just last week, British hi-fi loudspeaker company, Bowers & Wilkins, announced a brand new 2.0 set of desktop speakers, the MM-1. Designed around USB, these speakers will require only one physical cord connection (USB to your computer) which will provide both sound data and power.

Built with critically acclaimed B&W technologies such as Nautilus (TM) Tube Loaded tweeters and a brand new DSP dynamic EQ, the MM-1 will maximize bass output and provide a full range of sound without the need of a subwoofer. With an additional audio out jack passed through the DSP processor, any headphones plugged into the MM-1 will sound far superior than just over the standard PC audio out jack. But if all that still weren’t enough, the MM-1 comes supplied with a pebble remote control for tuning iTunes® or Windows Media Player on your Mac or PC.

The possible deal breaker? It’s rumored to cost around $500. But we can all dream, can’t we?

GrowFrame – Magnetic Modular Picture Framing

With the holidays approaching, I’ve been clearing out space on my wall for all the new photos I’m bound to take during the joyous season. But one of the things that has been worrying me is figuring out how exactly I’m going to arrange them. I’m a minimalist, so I need some sense of simplistic order in everything I do. With the GrowFrame system, I can accomplish that.

Originally I was thinking of sticking with a more traditional layout, like something The Picture Wall Company would make. But the average $350 cost is way above what I’d like to spend on such a project. Also it limits me to just the one configuration that I initially set.

GrowFrame changes all of that. With the GrowFrame system, you can snap together any kind of configuration you want, with room to easily expand or break apart. Not only is it a breeze to assemble, it’s also a cinch to hang. Check out how it works in this video:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5921661&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1

GrowFrame comes in two main sizes: 2.5″ x 2.5″ square ($11.95) and 4″ x 6″ standard ($19.95) sizes. And then there’s a “timelapse” version which you can extend to your hearts desire for any panoramic photos you’d like to add. With something this easy, I’m definitely adding it to my Christmas list.

FedEx SenseAware tracks more than just your package

As a long time online consumer, I’ve grown accustom to the long periods of waiting for my packages to arrive. Whether due to a slow eBay seller or a long cross country trek via UPS ground, the only form of relief offered to us has been the age old tracking number. Some of you may be more patient than I am, but with today’s technology the out-of-date tracking system is due for an upgrade. And FedEx is on it.

But before we take a look at their new system, we must first understand what it is that’s currently offered. USPS has their incredibly slow delivery confirmation service, which usually doesn’t update until after you’ve already received the package. UPS’s tracking service gives you an ETA of the package’s arrival, along with slightly better en route updates. Meanwhile FedEx, while a tad more costly, offers the best tracking with precise updates and accurate estimations.

Now FedEx is taking their excellent service one step further with a new sensor, dubbed SenseAware. This new sensor will allow customers to monitor in-transit conditions of their package during ground transportation. SenseAware can also provide users with precise temperature readings. the exact location of a shipment, the time a shipment is opened or exposed to light and real-time alerts and analytics between trusted parties regarding the above vital signs of a shipment.

Thanks to the built-in GPS sensor of SenseAware, users can login to the web-based platform to check the exact location of their package. For the last 12 months, it has been under beta testing with health care and life sciences organizations whom has reported great results. Official press release video below:

(via FedEx Citizenship Blog)

Torn Up by E-603

I’ve been listening to mashups ever since I heard DJ Z-Trip and DJ P’s 2001 album, Uneasy Listening. In my last post, I made a late discovery of Ethan Ward. Going by the name E-603, he simplifies what Girl Talk has made complex and somewhat difficult to swallow (for most people).

E-603 is an up and coming mashup artist that will never escape comparisons to Girl Talk. I’ve read a handful of reviews and the general consensus seems to be that E-603 puts on better live shows. The one gripe that most seem to have is that his mashups, although very well made, are practically reinterpretations of Girl Talk’s work. Using the same samples and syncing patterns, E-603’s tracks lack creativity and imagination. He has two albums out and both are released under the “pay what you want” policy.

Check out his music at his Myspace and Website.

E-603 (Ethan Ward):

OS Xbox Pro by Will Urbina

We’ve all seen our share of crazy case mods. But there comes a point when you’ve seen enough mods of people trying to stick a computer in a random appliance or piece of furniture. When I came across this OS Xbox Pro mod on Engadget, I thought it’d be no different. But watch the video for yourself, and be amazed.

Built by Will Urbina, the OS Xbox Pro is a hackintosh casemodded into an original Xbox dev kit, with some crazy hardware under the hood, including a pair of 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550s, an NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT card, 8GB of RAM, an 16GB solid state drive, and four traditional hard drives — one for Windows 7, one for Snow Leopard and Ubuntu installs, and the two other for his insane video editing.

Not only is the case mod masterfully planned and made, it’s beautifully and artfully documented and presented for us all to enjoy. As fan of mashups, I also have to add the genius of using E-603 and Girl Talk for background music of this ‘mashed together’ mod. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Well, perhaps a better website to house the project: OS Xbox Pro

Here’s a few shots of the final product:

Vers 1.5R Audio Sound System

There’s something about the texture and warmth of a nice wood sound system that resonates touches of class. In today’s growing market of iPod stereos, it’s a breath of fresh air to have some newcomers that fit in between the cheap plastic variety and the swank “I’ll never be able to afford one of those” B&W Zepplins. Though I’m about a year late, I’ve discovered Vers 1.5R system to be just that.

The Vers 1.5R ($200) is more than an alarm clock though; it’s an iPod dock, an AM/FM tuner, it has a 3.5mm AUX-out port for other MP3 players, and it’s all crammed neatly into a tiny package, complete with a 15-watt speaker.

Google Chrome OS Demo

On Thursday, Google’s Chrome OS made it’s public debut to the world. Rumors had been spreading for months leading up to the Sunnyvale event about what exactly it would entail, but now we know.

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks” and “most of the user experience takes place on the web.” That is, it’s “Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel” with the web as the platform. It runs on x86 processors (like your standard Core 2 Duo) and ARM processors (like inside every mobile smartphone). Underneath lies security architecture that’s completely redesigned to be virus-resistant and easy to update.

I’ve tested the developer build that was released to the net as a VMWare image, but it was really too early on to give it any real reviews. You’re better off just opening up your Chrome browser and imagining not being able to quit. There’s still a good year or so before anything starts getting finalized, so we’ll just have to sit back and wait.