iPhone 3G and firmware 2.0 - one week later

We know it's been a whirlwind week of either: a) patiently sitting outside your local Apple store, b) losing touch with family, friends, and significant others while buried knee-deep in your new phone / firmware, or c) desperately trying to ignore the iPhone. But it's time to come up for air and take stock. We're all aware that things didn't go quite as planned with Apple's trifecta (iPhone 3G, firmware 2.0, MobileMe) launch last week, and we're just starting to see the fallout from last Friday's debacle.
The most prevalent complaint we've been hearing from users concerns ongoing issues with the phone's new firmware, which has delivered on a lot of its promises, yet is also exhibiting frustrating bugs that make us think this one needed a little more time in the oven. In particular, we've experienced -- and have been assailed with reports about -- painful lag times when typing, as well as choppy, clunky behavior while scrolling through or searching contacts, calls which can't be answered, and even outright crashes while receiving a call. Some owners have encountered repeated forced quits while trying to use the App Store, while a group of our editors vented about an SMS issue which not only grinds the phone's performance to a halt, but makes the keyboard inaccessible altogether.
When you toss in problems other users are having with email, MobileMe syncing, and assorted minor kinks (trouble rotating Safari anyone?), it seems obvious that there's cruft beneath this firmware creating hiccups in usability. Coupled with 3G reception concerns, the company's continuing struggle to get MobileMe working as advertised, and rumors that 2.0.1 is already in the works, you get the impression that everyone is looking for a little relief here... Apple and its customers alike.

Rinspeed’s Zero-Emission World Debut at the Geneva Motor Show - a Green “Fish” with Q-Factor

Thirty years after the movie thriller ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ hit the silver screen “sQuba” is the first car that can actually ‘fly’ under water.
“Dive it again, James!” If the situation gets too hot for the secret agent he’ll go underground - or under water. So demonstrated impressively by Roger Moore in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me” in 1977 when he dove below the waves in a sleek vehicle that moments before seemed to be an ordinary car. The only problem: The scene never really took place; it was an animation.

With the “sQuba,” the world’s first real submersible car, the movie fake now becomes reality for visitors of the Geneva Motor Show (March 6th - 16th, 2008). Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht (52) is known for his extraordinary automotive creations. The acknowledged James Bond enthusiast and Swiss automobile visionary kept revisiting this scene in his mind over and over: “For three decades I have tried to imagine how it might be possible to build a car that can fly under water. Now we have made this dream come true.”

And it is this submerged stabile flight at a depth of 10 meters that sets the “sQuba” apart from military vehicles. While the latter can go under water, they are limited to driving slowly over the submerged ground. Rinderknecht: “It is undoubtedly not an easy task to make a car watertight and pressure resistant enough to be maneuverable under water. The real challenge however was to create a submersible car that moves like a fish in water.”

It also had to be a sports car that was converted into a diving dream in the facilities of Swiss engineering specialist Esoro. In a first step the combustion engine was removed and replaced by several electric motors. Three motors are located in the rear. One provides propulsion on land, the other two drive the screws for underwater motoring. They are supported by two powerful Seabob jet drives in the front, which ‘breathe’ through special rotating louvers from HS Genion (for opening and closing the water intake). The rotating outlet jets were designed to be extremely light yet twist resistant by using high-tech nano materials, so-called Carbon Nano Tubes.

Photos Video Download

More : http://www.rinspeed.com/pages/cars/squba/pre-squba.htm

Voz Sports unveils Bluetooth Frequency watch, Multy LYNK helmet

Bluetooth watches and Bluetooth helmets — been there, done that on both points. Still, Voz Sports is keeping our attention with its attention to detail on the Multy LYNK helmet and Sports Frequency wristwatch (shown after the jump). As for the latter, you can expect a black (2GB) or red (1GB) face, Bluetooth v1.2, a waterproof casing, included earbuds and USB 2.0 connectivity. Checking out the headgear, you’ll likely appreciate the “voice-activated, wireless two-way radio communication via 14 FRS channels with 38 privacy codes,” Bluetooth v1.2, its NOAA weather receiver, noise-canceling microphone, waterproof stereo speakers and AA battery operation. Each device is set to ship on April 1 (no joke!) for $249.95 and $299.95, respectively.

Nokia’s 7900 Crystal Prism could be worse

Eww, it’s back. Nokia’s 7900 Crystal Prism is now really, extra-super official with a scheduled Q1 2008 launch for €375 (before taxes and subsidies). Besides sporting a slight redesign from that earlier pic, we now know that the 7900 packs WCDMA 2100/850 in addition to those quad-GSM bands, 2-inch OLED, and 2 megapixel CMOS camera. But really, this one’s all about the look created by designer Frédérique Daubal. Yeah, us neither. “Renowned” enough for Nokia though, just not the 9.4 million pages of Wikipedia. See her “dress for tired people” after the break to see where this could have gone.

Nikon’s Coolpix L18 for 8 megapixel point and shooting

Last up for Nikon this morning is their L18 compact point and shoot camera. Pretty decent, but standard specs here: 8 megapixel sensor, 3x Zoom-NIKKOR lens, 3.0-inch LCD, anti-shake AE (adjusts shutter speeds and ISO), face detection, and automatic red-eye correction. It also boasts a “TV quality” movie mode which we’re assuming means VGA. Available this March for $140 in ruby red or navy blue.

Nikon announces D60 and lenses to boot

Okay, this Nikon DSLR isn’t full-frame either, but their new low-ender is now (officially) the D60, which enters the scene with a 10.2 megapixel sensor, 2.5-inch LCD (nope, not live-view), SDHC, vibration sensor cleaning, and an even smaller body than the D40x. Nikon claims February (but also March) shipment, with no price yet given.

Chinavasion’s do-it-all handheld doubles as solar charger

Yeah, we’ve seen solar chargers crammed into some fairly interesting places, and the latest questionable call comes from who else but Chinavasion. The CVEAB-S828-2 handheld features 2GB of internal memory, a media player, 3.5-inch display, integrated LED flashlight (saywha?) and of course, pre-installed emulators for NES and Game Boy titles. Beyond all that, users can crack this bad boy open, lay it out to bake, and watch it magically recharge its own batteries courtesy of the internal solar panels. And if for whatever reason that’s still not enough to draw you in, it can also recharge other gizmos attached via USB when parked under the sunlight. Still, we wouldn’t believe for a minute that this thing will actually work precisely as advertised, but those with oodles of faith can take the plunge for $123.32.