China's global navigation satellite system, Compass, will provide regional service in 2011 with a constellation of 12 satellites, a navigation industry insider said Thursday. China aims to make Compass a navigation satellite system of 35 satellites by 2020, which can offer global service. Compass, or Beidou (Big Dipper) in Chinese, is expected to rival the US-developed GPS, the EU's GPS and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System, earlier reports said.

via chinadaily.com.cn

With the abundance of gadgets people have these days, it’s no wonder you have more items than USB ports. That’s why the USB hub was invented. And if you’re going to get a USB hub, why not get one that’s in the shape of an octopus. The Octopus USB Hub features four separate USB ports, one on the end of each of the hub’s “tentacles.” Really, this is pretty practical, and you don’t have to worry about your gizmos being cluttered all together on your desk. The arms look to be pretty long and will keep your items at a decent distance from each other.

via slashgear.com

Molex has introduced an HDMI Type D (Micro) connector, supporting the HDMI Licensing Committee standard, which is aimed at digital interfaces in consumer electronic products. The HDMI Type D (Micro) connector is a miniaturised connector for high definition video and images from mobile devices to flat panel screens. The connector, which meets all the electrical and mechanical specifications of the HDMI Specification 1.4, will provide significant benefits to the digital still camera and mobile device markets.

via electronicsweekly.com

Just because it's summer doesn't mean nothing is happening in the gaming world. Here's a look at some of the items making news these days. Rumor mill, speculation
Gamers hoping to hear about a possible PlayStation 3 price cut can look elsewhere, well kind of. Economic Daily News reported on a rumor of a slimmer PS3 due out perhaps by August. The report states a Taiwanese manufacturer has procured a production project for an upcoming hardware variation of the PS3. The report said the new version will be lighter and slimmer.

via newsherald.com

Features 4.1 Effective Megapixel Carl Zeis s® Vario-Tessar® lens 3x Optical Zoom, up to 10x Smart Zoom, 6x Precision Digital Zoom Quick Operation (Start-up 1.9 sec, Shutter Time Lag 0.42 sec, Shutter Release Lag 0.008 sec) Stamina Battery Life (approx 240 shots by CIPA standard).

via cdfreaks.com

RUMOURS HAVE IT that Microsoft will offer Windows 7 on USB thumb drives. The report surfaced at Cnet, which heard the news from one of its sources close to the Vole, apparently, who may or may not have heard it from a bloke down the pub. The thought is that doing so will enable netbook owners to upgrade their machines, but it will break the tradition that only allowed Voleware to be distributed on DVDs or through downloads.

via theinquirer.net

It’s important to stay up with technology — just ask the gunmen who police say stole two Shawnee vehicles. About 11 p.m. Sunday, two men pulled guns on a couple standing at a driveway on the 7200 block of South Millen Road, police said. The men demanded keys to a pickup and an SUV in the garage and drove both away. The pickup, however, had a GPS device, and police found the vehicles in Kansas City within 90 minutes.

via kansascity.com

Samsung WB500 digital camera review : Samsung did not really stand out during Photokina 2008. For Samsung, this huge 2-year event, giving the visitor the opportunity to smell, taste and see photography all around, seemed to be a show where only the Samsung prototype camera (now called Samsung WB500) was showcased. Surprising at the very least; while Samsung considers itself a strong market conqueror. Six months later, during PMA 2009 in Las Vegas, I did not only come across a full version of the prototype in question.

via letsgodigital.org

Brand Obama is really going places. The latest product to sport Obama name is a usb flash drive. Active Media Product's latest product not only offers decent 8gigs of storage, but also comes loaded with President Obama’s Inaugural Address. Another interesting thing about this drive is that it features a chrome plated steel pivot-style lid that is adorned with a holographic image of the President.

via pclaunches.com

Taking a decent camera around water is always a nerve wrecking idea. Unfortunately, if you don’t take a camera, you might miss out on a lot of pictures you wish you had captured. Be it of cool underwater shots, the kids playing in the sand or various other activities while you’re near or in the water. With this AgfaPhoto camera you could get all of those pictures and not have to worry about ruining your camera.

via coolest-gadgets.com

Unlike the fake old renditions of chairs with ejection facilities that didn’t really work, the F-4 Phantom Ejection Seat is an office chair that lives up to its name. Although it looks link an executioner’s mount, the seat does well to gel with the modern day office décor. The chair has a powder-coated, custom fabricated aluminum base and double wheel casters. It is also available in colors other than the red shown here. It can get you out of any sticky situation by flinging you out with a mere pull of a lever.

via newlaunches.com

We suspected this before, but now we've got a confirmation in the form of a pre-order page: Verizon is getting the BlackBerry Tour on July 12th, at a $200 price point. Now, Verizon users, go forth and pre-order.

via gizmodo.com

Looking for an ultraportable mobile machine to hit the road with? Check out the upcoming Samsung N510 netbook computer. Like recently released Ion-based netbooks, the N510 is a 11.6incher machine relying on Ion chipset for improved graphics. The Samsung N510 also features an Intel Atom N280 processor (1.66GHz), 1GB RAM, 160GB hard disk drive, 11.6" widescreen display (1366 x 768 resolution), card reader, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth, and Windows XP. Expect official announcement later this week.

via pclaunches.com

Pocket projectors are all the rage now, the ability to use a projector the size of an iPod to display information on a wall is a godsend for the business set, who look to expand the ability to make presentations without having to travel with expensive projectors or having to customize their presentations to what equipment is available. But while getting more popular, projectors like the PICO and the Mili Pro - which can connect to an iPhone or iPod Touch - are still in their infancy.

via coolest-gadgets.com

Baupiloten is a group of students from an architectural college affiliated to Berlin Technical University. This group has given Carl Bolle Elementary school a touch of their architectural expertise that has helped children, bridge the gap between learning and enjoying themselves. There are a number of improvements to the school that have been introduced to the structure and design of the school by the Baupiloten.

via newlaunches.com