Digital Photo Frame Watch, it's a watch and a photo frame

 

Finally, you can throw out that slide carousel you've kept strapped to your wrist for the last two decades and replace it with the absolute latest in cutting edge digital photo frame technology. Introducing the aptly titled Digital Photo Frame Watch, whose packaging promises "It's a real watch." But wait, it gets better. This "real watch" stores 140 pictures in its copious 2MB of internal memory, all for playback on its no doubt gorgeous OLED color display. This is the future, folks. It's here. We've seen it. And it shows pictures.

Read more

Android hacked to run on real hardware

 

Google told us that we wouldn't see any Android devices until the end of the year, but a funny thing happens when you put up the entire SDK and an emulator for a platform -- all them crazy hackers start hacking. Apparently Android was natively booted on a Freescale-based dev board called the Armadillo 500 back in November, but the floodgates were really opened when a Hungarian group called Eu.Edge discovered that basically any device with an ARMv5TE chip could run Google's baby. Armed (heh!) with that information, tinkerers around the world have gotten a variety of Sharp devices running Android: the SL-C760, C3000M, SL-C3000 series, and the SL-6000 have all been confirmed running the OS. Hopefully that means we'll be seeing a lot more unofficial Android devices soon -- check a couple videos after the break.
Read - Overview of Android hacks
Read - Instructions on booting the Sharp Zaurus SL-C760
Read - Instructions on booting the Sharp SL-C3000 series

 

Read more

Virtual Banking Banned in Second Life

Linden Lab has announced that virtual banking within Second Life is to be banned effective January 22 after receiving multiple complaints by Second Life residents scammed by bank operators.

Banking and associated services have become popular in Second Life over the last two years, with many offering ponzi style interest schemes that usually sounded too good to be true. Ginko Financial was the best known failure amongst Second Life banks, owing 200 million Linden ($750,000) to depositors when it declared itself insolvent in August 2007.

In a post on the Second Life blog, Ken Linden said that as well as not being able to provide protection to Second Life users with these banks running, their legality under law is also questionable. The decision is unlikely to affect virtual stock exchanges but may affect groups such as Second Life credit card provider Metacard, who also previously offered bank services as well.

Second Life banks are experiencing a run on their funds as customers seek to get their money before the ban comes in place. Companies such as JT Financial have been inundated by customers wanting to know what is going on. Screen shot of the JT Financial crisis meeting below.

Banking joins bestiality and gambling on the banned in Second Life list.

jtf.jpg

Read more

Skype comes to PSP

Culver City (CA) - PSP owners will finally make good use out of the system's voice-over IP functionality, with the official addition of a custom version of the online calling service Skype.

With the next scheduled firmware update, users will be able to download a completely functional version of Skype for the PSP.  In addition to making phone calls to existing Skype users, PSP owners will be able to manage their contacts list, see who's online and who's not, make and calls to/from actual telephone numbers, and have complete access to Skype account settings.
According to Sony, this functionality only works properly with the newer slim version of the PSP, further creating obsolescence for the original model.
The firmware update is slated for the end of this month.  A Skype icon will be added to the "Network" category of the PSP's Xross Media Bar.  Users will also be able to create a Skype account directly from the portable system.  The feature will require a nominal download, so a Memory Stick will be needed to access the program.

Read more