Yell, UK based local search widget coming to Samsung touchscreen devices

Are you the type that likes to mix it up a bit? Or, do you happen have a photographic memory that sadly is constantly exposed meaning you often forget important details such as the number or address of a particular business? UK users of Samsung touchscreen mobile phones have a new friend in Yell, a local business search service. The people behind Yell recently tied the knot on a new UK partnership that will bring information on over 2 million local businesses to many Samsung touchscreen devices. While previously the service was available on their website, Yell.com, today marks the first time Samsung touchscreen users can download the service as a widget from the Samsung Widget Gallery. If you happen to already use a Samsung Jet (S800), Samsung Tocco Ultra (S8300) or Samsung Beat DJ (M7600), the Yell widget is pre-installed from the factory. According to Yell, they have plans to expand pre-installed options to many more future handsets.

I personally love the idea of local search services as they are a big help, however, in my small northern Indiana town I already know everything that’s around. Because of the fact that I don’t reside in the UK or use a Samsung touchscreen device, I can’t give the Yell widget a test drive — at least not in this form. There are however are many variations of this type of yellow page service for other countries/devices which I’ve already tested and been very pleased with. Though again, small town syndrome hampers any real enjoyment I could be getting. Oh, almost forgot, the most impressive feature of all the Yell widgets/apps is that they are available to users for the low price of FREE.

Perhaps some helpful UK reader would care to chime in on the Samsung widget and give us some input?

• Press Release

• Check phone compatibility for other YellowMobile.com services

MP3 Grenade: Explosive sound in a tiny package

Out of all the mods I can think of that involve taking a gadget and stuffing it inside the carcass of something else, the MP3 Grenade is by far my new favorite. The MP3 player grenade is as one would expect, a tiny MP3 player (in this case a 2GB Sansa Clip) stuffed inside the hollowed out case of an older military grenade. While this is certainly a feat of gadget modding, I highly suggest you leave this beaut at home when flying home for Christmas. Something tells me TSA won’t be so fond…

Another pic inside.

AMD upping the ante: 6 cores are better than 4

The processor race and its ever ongoing back and forth tussle between AMD and Intel is about to get a new addition sure to bring many more heated battles. Following on the heels of AMD’s server based 6-core processors, the consumer market is next in AMD’s crosshairs with the company’s announcement of a 6-core party starter unleashing number crunching madness on the consumer market come 2010. The new hotness will come with the “Thuban” moniker attached. Weird names I know but it is what it is folks. Usually, such new fangled tech means leaving older, loved, and used components and systems behind. Not so says AMD as the Thuban 6 barrel blaster will fully backwards compatible with AM3 and AM2+ motherboards. *Joy* As far as the dirty specs go, Thuban will feature:

• Size: 45nm

• Controller: DDR3

• Cache: 3MB/L2 6MB/L3

AMD hasn’t confirmed it yet, but there is a high possibility the 6-core Thuban’s will take on the more consumer friendly name of “Phenom II X6″. Is your custom rig looking like it needs a tune up come next year? Balls in your court Intel…

Engadget > Maximum PC

Projectors bringing “Rave Room” to a humble abode near you

Flashy lights, fog machines, techno music, and bodies everywhere — a good old fashioned rave. Want your own? Take a look at the picture of the room above. Using several strategically positioned projectors and some clever programming and a technique called “deskewing”, the rave room above can take shape. The multi-colored look and animation that has been described as “Pac-Man”-like definitely makes for an interesting twist on your average, boring, boxy room. However, just think about how cool it would be for actual lights to be installed in the walls and do away with the projectors all together. While more normal style lighting would be expensive and take up too much space, the OLED’s of tomorrow could certainly power and illuminate such a room. Projectors today, OLED’s tomorrow. Oh future grace us with your presence. Take something trippy and hop on in for an outta’ this world experience captured on video…

Senators, AT&T come down on proposed Net Neutrality bill

Net Neutrality as any geeks battle cry in this age of ever increasing digital walls, unfair business practices, and innovation stifling bills abound. So it comes with no surprise that many a geek were ecstatic when FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed new net neutrality rules that stated the internet and the pipes that flow to and fro should be unbiased. That is, internet providers both wired and wireless can’t discriminate between what can and can’t move between said pipes. As expected, there are opponents. Several Republican senators such as Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R. Texas), John Thune (R., S.D.), Sam Brownback (R., Kan.), David Vitter (R., La.), Jim DeMint (R., S.C.), and John Ensign (R., Nev.) immediately moved forward stating their disapproval and general concern that an open internet will somehow “impede investment and innovation”. (Read: we’re getting mad $$ from various companies in this market…don’t touch our dollars yo). Such bias and mindless responses are common from government as 99% of these so called “servants of the public” are anything but as they don’t have a clue about anything digital nor do they care about anything but their own pockets. Not to mention, anyone who falls with this BS excuse for not keeping the internet unbiased and open is just as stupid themselves. Moving on, AT&T (surprise surprise) had something negative to add as well saying:

(We) AT&T would be very disappointed if [the FCC] has already drawn a conclusion to regulate wireless services despite the absence of any compelling evidence of problems or abuse that would warrant government intervention

AT&T’s statements can be immediately discredited. Really. Empty promises and continual disappointment highlights their existence. Again, AT&T is probably supporting several if not all of these senators with a few dollars. Whats sad is that this grand government we have is so full of one sided people taking bribes from big corporations turning them into nothing more than an extension of those respective companies. It’s not right but there isn’t any hope of change anytime soon. So we must continue on voicing our disapproval.

Of course, if these companies wouldn’t have spent the last decade sitting on their asses and instead actually over built their networks, they’d be in a much better position now. To fight against an open and freely flowing internet is against everything that the internet was intended for. What exactly is the internet? **See “Internet Manifesto far right and slightly down

Digital Daily

YouTube app/icon getting pushed to Verizon Storm owners

Have a thing for skateboarding dogs, fart lighting frat boys, and zany cats? YouTube has long been your go to haven for such videos. BlackBerry Storm owners on Verizon’s network while able to manually download the YouTube app for sometime will now be greeted by a new YouTube icon on their desktop giving them a friendly reminder. The first time you click on the link you’ll notice that it is merely a shortcut to download the actual app. After which the “icon” will launch an actual app. If you could care less about mobile video or you don’t like YouTube for some weird reason, contentment is just one hidden icon away. For the rest of you, how do you like it? Is there anything the parties involved could do to make the app better?

CrackBerry

Rolodex powered by Nokia N900

Competition is a good thing, right?  It can helps spur inovation or lead to the bastardization of existing technologies in the pursuit of all things new and cutting edge.  With the Nokia PUSH N900 compaign , it is starting to seem we are finding both some cool cutting edge stuff  yet retro.  Case in point: The Rolodex done N900 style courtesy of the fine people at Tinker.it.

What the folks at Tinker.it did was take a Rolodex and hook it up to the N900 with Arduino and Bluetooth.  As the Rolodex is spun, the Arduino tracks the position of the wheel  and Bluetooths that specific position to the N900.  Now each person is marked with a specific position so when the information is Bluetoothed over from the Arduino to the N900, the Python script uses the loaded library to pull the contact up as if someone had manually gone there.  Once the touchscreen is activated on the phone, a call is placed.  It is just that cool

Check out this and other N900 hacks at Tinker.it