Apple has gathered gadget bloggers and tech journalists to unveil an update to the iPhone. Gizmodo , GDGT , and Engadget have boots on the ground and/or liveblogs in the ether (some are covering remotely). Ars Technica and MacWorld liveblogs are down at the time of this blog post. Oh, wait, Gizmodo and GDGT liveblogs are down intermittently too. Geez.

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Exciting Silicon Valley startup to launch new ‘telecommunications’ device

There comes a time in every young man’s life when he receives his first soldering iron . To me, that day feels like it was just yesterday. “That was yesterday — you f***ing stole it out of my toolbox .” Haha — finders keepers! About 1983, when I was fifteen, I dropped my dad’s red Bakelite soldering gun and broke the casing. Of course he was upset, so I did my best to “fix it.” So I took my original Star Wars Han Solo pistol and gutted it to hold the soldering gun components. I even ran the lightbulb up into the scope on top. The button on the handle worked well for the trigger switch. Ten years later, when the old house was sold, the gun wound up in my belongings. To this day, when an underpowered iron just won’t do, I pull out the “Han Solderer” and get the job done. Half of me likes the mod, the other half is ill over the fact that I gutted my vintage Star Wars toy. What’s done is done. Sure you gutted your vintage Star Wars toy, but you made it even better . Just like I did with this gutted deer carcass. See? Before it was just a deer. But now — now it’s a gutted deer carcass sleeping bag . Tauntaun tie-in? I think so! A picture of what the original 1977 Blaster toy looked like before modification after the jump.

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Now You’re Soldering Solo Style!: Vintage Han Solo Blaster Toy Modded Into Soldering Iron

This is a video showcasing Youtube user MyMagicPudding’s (JELLY GW IS JELLY ABOUT YOUR PUDDING) homemade Pip-Boy 3000 from the Fallout franchise made out of a smartphone and a bunch of other electronics . It’s super impressive and all but 1. the lights at the bottom don’t function as buttons and 2. it has so many wires and stuff hanging out the back it won’t fit on an arm anymore. The first I could live without but the second — that’s a deal-breaker. I like your necklace. That? That was an ice breaker. *block, uppercut, pile-drive* C-C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER! Hit the jump for a video demo.

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Guy Crafts Impressive Fallout Pip-Boy IRL

Filed under: Gadgets , Etc. , Tech , Volkswagen Vehicle infotainment systems, those all-inclusive interfaces controlling the myriad electronics on today’s modern cars and trucks, can make or break the driving experience. CNET is offering us a sneak-peek at Volkswagen’s latest iteration from the company’s Electronic Research Laboratory (ERL). Developed with Intel, the new system uses Global Open Research Infotainment Architecture, or GLORIA. Most systems today us a joystick-like device, touch screen, or hard buttons on the edge of the display (or a combination of the three) to control the inputs. Volkswagen’s new GLORIA system takes it one step further by making Apple iPhone-like “gesture control” possible. This means that users are able to navigate quickly by simply tracing single letters across the pressure-sensitive display. Another unique feature may allow users to import third-party widgets for the system, much like consumers currently load apps from iTunes onto their iPhones. As cool as it sounds, GLORIA is still under development and she isn’t expected to see showrooms for a few more years. [Source: CNET , Photo by CNET] REPORT: Volkswagen’s next-gen nav system to get Apple iPhone-like gestures originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 May 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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REPORT: Volkswagen’s next-gen nav system to get Apple iPhone-like gestures

Filed under: Gadgets , CES , I.C.E. , Ford Click the image above to view a video of the new SYNC system after the jump At the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ) Ford announced that three new features would be included on the next iteration of the SYNC system: traffic data, GPS-guided directions and the ability to snag information from the web through the user’s data/GPS/Bluetooth-enabled smartphone to display or read weather conditions, sports scores and other information through the stereo. On May 26th, the upgrade will be made available to all current 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury owners (you download the update to your PC, then transfer it to the SYNC system through a thumb drive) and all new 2010 models will be equipped with the upgrade from the factory. But as Ford CEO Alan Mulally promised, there’s more on the way. Ford and Microsoft plan to continually update SYNC, and according to Charlotte Fisher from Ford’s Design and Technology team, “every six to eight to twelve months we’ll be delivering new services.” One of the possible features Ford could include on future iterations of SYNC is streaming internet radio, and Fisher confirmed that Ford is currently “talking with Pandora .” Can you say XM-killer? Hit the jump to watch a video of the new system in action. Continue reading Future Ford SYNC upgrade could include Pandora streaming Future Ford SYNC upgrade could include Pandora streaming originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 May 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Future Ford SYNC upgrade could include Pandora streaming

Filed under: Gadgets , Tech , Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MEC) wants to be able to offer a 1 DIN Blu-ray DVD player in the 2009 fiscal year. The unit, 1/3 the size of an at-home Blue-ray player, will not only fit in a standard dash slot but will also play BD-ROM, BD-R, and BD-RE discs. MEC says the kit is expected to go along with in-car navigation systems, but since it runs on Linux it remains to be seen how - and who - will be integrating it with the Windows CE that generally runs navigation software. If and when they do get it to work, they want to bundle it with a TV tuner that can display digital terrestrial broadcasts at up to 120 mph. Because when you’ve finished watching Transformers 2 at illegal speeds, you’ll need something to do… other than drive… [Source: Tech On via Engadget ] Mitsubishi unveils in-dash Blu Ray player originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read ?|? Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Mitsubishi unveils in-dash Blu Ray player