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Olympus SP-570UZ Cursed with an ambiguous, alphanumeric moniker, the SP-570UZ (that’s one hell of a sexy name there, Olympus) is suffering an identity crisis. It lies in the nether region between point-and-click and DSLR, all the while suffering from a model number that screams "prosumer." Middle child though it is, the 570UZ takes the hand it has been dealt and makes the most of itself, turning out to be a fine and useful 10-megapixel digicam. The 570UZ makes a good shooter for the photo enthusiast who lacks experience yet has enough loot to drop on an entry level DSLR. You can start out relying on the auto settings (they won’t steer you wrong), and then explore the advanced functions as you build your skill using the thorough, 97-page (!) manual. (Read the full post about ‘Review: Olympus Hybrid Camera Makes a Big Splash Focusing Small’…)

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The Evil Mad Scientist’s Sawed-Off USB Key project is perfect for a rainy afternoon: It’s cheap, easy and you probably have all the parts you need lying around the house or office. The project page has a detailed step-by-step, but you can probably guess how it is made: You just hack off the end of a USB cable, slit open the plug and slide in the internals of a USB stick. It looks cool, and has obvious prank-appeal.

Here in Berlin it’s raining (again), so I’m off now to hunt through my junk box and make one of these.

Project page [Evil Mad Scientist via Make]

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by Darren Murph, posted Apr 16th 2008 at 5:38PM Aw yeah, Navigon’s latest widescreen navigators are finally being assigned tracking numbers, meaning that you can get your roadtrip on for just $299 (US-based 2100 Max) or $329 CAD (Canada-only 2120 Max). For those needing a refresher, you can look forward to 4.3-inches of turn-by-turn guidance, optional FreshMaps service, branded icons, a speed assistant, 2D / 3D imagery and an integrated logbook to keep tabs on your joyrides. (Read the full post about ‘Navigon’s 2100 Max and 2120 Max GPS units now shipping’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Apr 16th 2008 at 12:29PM Panny’s Lumix DMC-TZ50 isn’t brand new or anything — after all, we first caught wind of this WiFi-equipped point-and-shoot late last month in Japan. Nevertheless, Panasonic is now announcing that said camera will be heading Stateside with 802.11b/g capabilities, access to T-Mobile HotSpot service and the ability to upload photos directly to Google’s Picasa Web Albums — exactly like we saw at CES. Specs wise, you’ll find a 9.1-megapixel sensor, 10x optical zoom, 28mm wide-angle lens, 720p movie mode, SD expansion slot, video output, red-eye correction, optical image stabilization, the Venus Engine IV and a 3.0-inch lcd monitor to boot. (Read the full post about ‘Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-TZ50 gets official in US: Picasa / T-Mobile HotSpot-friendly’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Apr 16th 2008 at 11:09AM For those breaking into a sweat trying to decide whether or not the Nike+ SportBand is really worth your hard earned dollars / euros / pounds / Schrutebucks, simmer on down. The runners over at the Stuff offices have snapped one up and tossed out their two pence. Summarized as a “Nike+ipod system without music,” the unit was given fairly high marks all around. It was noted that calibration was highly recommended before taking on the London Marathon, but that setup was a real lesson in simplicity. Design wise, most everything was kosher save for the detachable face (Link USB drive) that may not fit perfectly in slim laptops sitting flush on a table and the non-backlit display that proved difficult to see at night. (Read the full post about ‘Nike+ SportBand gets reviewed’…)

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Popular BitTorrent tracker site The Pirate Bay (TPB) has decided to take action against the IFPI, the anti-piracy representative for the recording industry worldwide.

Back in February the IFPI took TPB to court and the judge ruled in favor of IFPI. What followed was the court ordering Danish ISP Tele2 to block access to TPB, which it did as it had little choice. The action forced TPB to register new domains and they managed to continue their service despite the block. Ironically, the action taken by the IFPI and the courts actually increased the traffic TPB got.

TPB has now filed a complaint against the IFPI and is demanding compensation for the time and inconvenience caused when ISP Tele2 was forced to block them.

(Read the full post about ‘The Pirate Bay demands compensation from IFPI’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Apr 16th 2008 at 4:00PM We applaud the effort, we really do, but even $499 for a projector touting a lowly 800 x 600 native resolution, 2,000:1 contrast ratio and 2,200 lumens is a tad steep in our eyes. Then again, you’ll likely find ViewSonic’s 5-pound PJ513DB marginally cheaper on the street, and of course, it’s quite obvious the outfit was aiming this one at those deep-pocketed boardroom bigwigs and district superintendents. Nevertheless, this DLP PJ promises to toss up a visible image even in well-lit rooms, and you’ll find composite / S-Video / component inputs ’round back to go along with the VGA in / out ports and the audio input. (Read the full post about ‘ViewSonic tries real hard with $499 PJ513DB projector’…)

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Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22nd and Verizon Wireless has decided to offer mobile users some tips on what they can do to help celebrate. The special day was created to give special attention to the Earth’s environment. More recently, the focus has been on what humans can do to reduce their damaging effects on it.

Verizon Wireless’ tips include:

1. Use paperless billing: this will eliminate the paper bill you receive each month. Instead, customers can access and pay their bill online. This saves paper and in turn will help reduce the need for trees.

2.

(Read the full post about ‘Verizon Wireless offers tips for Earth Day’…)

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The sheer genius behind this idea can clearly be seen in the handiwork, where an old PowerBook case is transformed into a desktop. Modder Richard Hunt decided that his beat up old PowerBook still had some mileage left in it, and decided to remove its innards and replace the insides with newer, faster parts. Heck, even the original notebook battery was retained, which means you have a somewhat integrated UPS to prevent your data from being wiped out in the event of a power failure. What are some of the other case mods you would like to see? (Read the full post about ‘PowerBook Ends Up As Desktop’…)

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BenQ today expands its Joybook R series lineup with the launch of Joybook R45. Meticulously designed and built, the BenQ Joybook R45’s leather-like finish with latch-free closure evokes a handsome leather-bound folio that enables the R45 to fit in with any personal accessories. The WLAN and power buttons are set in a stunning aluminum decorative strip with a striking crimson seam making the laptop the one that truly stands out from the rest. Powered by a 2.10 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the Joybook R45 features an extra-bright 14.1” widescreen display enhanced by the BenQ’s patented UltraVivid technology, an integrated 2-megapixel webcam for video calls. (Read the full post about ‘BenQ Joybook R45′…)

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