Dixero - Technology Channel

Your fancy new iPhone OS 3. 0 starting to look a bit long in the tooth? Heads up, Apple's now sending out the beta OS 3. 1 and its SDK to the developer community to finagle with. We're still looking to see what's been changed here, so for now, if you're someone who needs the Latest and Greatest and happens to have the right access, download away!. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]. Filed under: Cellphones . iPhone OS 3. 1 beta now available for developer community originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments .

Well, iPhone OS 3. 1 Beta just went live on Apple's developer center and, as usual, it's a quest to figure out what has changed. Our lovely developer friends have already started tearing it apart in search of that hidden gem detailing the iPhone 4GFP (The FP stands for "Face punch"), and we're keeping tabs on what they find. Let us know what you uncover, and we'll add it to the list.

The Pirate Bay: Holes in the sale? Our own Doug Aamoth and JG Mason from Gadgetell. com discuss the recent sale of The Pirate Bay.

Like solar-powered air conditioners, this solar hand fan makes a lot of sense. Well, save for the part where you have to fan yourself. But it is a night light, which goes great with your ensemble if you're a southern belle who's also a robot. [ Lost Values via Fashioning Tech via MAKE ].

Batman normally likes to stretch his legs and have trunkspace for a few accidental dead bodies. But he might pilot an ATV powered by a jet engine on a weekend at the links. John Carnett modded brand new Polaris RZR 2-seater ATV with a grey market, 40-year-old turbine. The result is a 114db joystick-driven vehicle that spews out 1300°F exhaust to achieve around 60MPH. And it sounds glorious. Our only regret is that Carnett was too sane to take his jet ATV over any sweet jumps. Give him time, though. A guy who builds stuff like this has to be slipping a bit. [ PopSci ].

The 3. 1 version of the iPhone SDK is available now, bringing a couple new fixes like having the OS simulator "more closely matching the device. " There are also new Interface Builder, XCode and Dashcode changes. [ iPhone Developer ].

The Machinedrum is not something you can easily acquire. It's hard to find Elektron in your local drum machine shop - not that there are many drum machine shops out there but fortunately all their products can be ordered online - if the price isn't too steep for you. Anyway, I was eager to try this little beast out so let's see what it can do. The Machinedrum is a drum synthesizer with a small sample memory. It has 6 audio outputs and 2 inputs making it a device capable of serious routing and sound designing on stage or in studio. The heart of the machine is the 16 track sequencer which is very easy to use and unlike other devices out there it can in fact be used for live production. You get 64 step patterns out of the box - some are great, some are not - and 130 "machines" that are basically the sounds you can use and edit as you wish. Look and feel . It's a brick. I like the simple design and the square buttons although they are quite loud. The body is made of steel but the unit only weighs around 6 pounds.

There's not exactly much more details than the headline on this one, but China's official Xinhua news agency is reporting that the country is delaying its plans that would require that the so-called "Green Dam Youth Escort" internet filtering software be installed on all PCs sold in China. That requirement was set to go into effect on Wednesday but, as we have seen, it's caused no shortage of controversy during the lead up -- both because of the general nature of the software, and because of some piracy and security issues that could leave PCs with the software vulnerable to an attack. No word on a new date just yet, but it seems unlikely that the delay will be an indefinite one. [Thanks, James]. Filed under: Desktops , Laptops . China delays plan for mandatory "Green Dam" internet filter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments .

I'm no marketing wizard, but Guitar Hero Smash Hits could have been called Guitar Hero: Songs From The First Guitar Hero Games Before The Drums and Microphone Existed But Now You Can Play the Good Songs from Those Games on the Drums and Sing Too . Again, I'm no marketing wizard. And Guitar Hero Smash Hits isn't a bad game at all. It is what it is, though: a greatest hits game. If you've played all the Guitar Hero games before  World Tour and you're only interested in playing guitar, then you'll find little of value here. But if you liked all of the early songs and have always wished you could play the drumming and singing parts, then Smash Hits is worth a closer look. What's Inside? . Smash Hits features 48 songs from five earlier Guitar Hero games:  Guitar Hero ,  Guitar Hero II ,  Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s ,  Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and  Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. All the songs found on Smash Hits are the master tracks from the original bands, whereas some of them were professional recordings

Earlier this month, Google attempted to make a shot across Microsoft's bow with an Apps Sync for Outlook . Unfortunately for them, it completely fizzled when Microsoft made clear that the plugin disabled key Outlook functionality. Google admitted as much at the time. But today, they've announced that the issues have been fixed . Windows Desktop Search now works, and users can control how the archiving operates. For those who continued to use the completely dysfunctional version, Google will save you from yourself by automatically updating to the current release . Sponsor . The Problem. The most serious problem with the Google Apps Sync was that it interfered with Windows Desktop Search, making all Outlook data (not just what was synchronized with Gmail) completely inaccessible to indexing and thus making your email a complete quagmire. The Fix. To fix this, Google says they "worked closely with Microsoft," to make sure both the Desktop Search and the standard Outlook search play nicely with the plugin. In wha

This RainBrain smart shower controller from Hansgrohe seems like one of those things that you didn't think you needed, but once you try it you can never go back to what you had before. This thing controls music streamed wirelessly via Bluetooth, lighting in your shower and even (who'd have imagined) what kind of water is raining down on you. It even has a Scottish Shower mode, which I had to look up to find out that it meant alternating hot and cold water spray. [ Hansgrohe via Trendir via DVice ].

. We just had our hands on the upcoming GPS option for the Dell mini 10 (no hack involved ). The optional upgrade comes in the form of a mini-PCI module that includes a GPS chip. With this version, Dell also plans to deliver an HD display (1366x768) already present in the $449 Dell mini 10. Location-based software is also included with Loki , a software that can find your location based on surrounding WIFI networks, and most importantly, a desktop version of co-pilot live . Clearly, Dell's goal is not to replace your car's integrated navigation, or your handheld personal navigation device. Instead, Dell thinks that GPS/location based service is a long-term trend that the company should work on today, starting with early adopters who might already seek this particular option. Permalink: Dell Mini 10 GPS Option, Hands-On from Ubergizmo | Hot: Wii, PS3 and Natal Motion Sensing .

Here's a quick tip for you Mac users who are going to be downloading Firefox 3. 5 today. Give this optimized version , named Shiretoko, a try. It's only for Intel Macs, but it's supposed to speed up boot time and whatnot. I don't know, I use it (along with this icon pack ) and, all things being equal, I think it works just swell. So give it a shot!.

Well, we can think of at least one 13-year-old kid who'll welcome this next bit of gadget news: it looks like Sony's OLED Walkman is now on sale over at the Sony Style site. As previously guesstimated , the 16GB model is moving for a cool $299. 99, and the 32GB model is priced at $399. 99. Order today from Sony and it ships tomorrow, or order from Amazon and it ships on July 3rd. Either way, it's time to start counting out your pennies. Filed under: Portable Audio , Portable Video . Sony OLED Walkman on sale now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments .

The N97 might not be everyone's cup of tea , but if you're still tempted to pay the $700 entry fee, you could sweeten the deal by throwing in a free-ish laptop -- Dell's currently bundling the Vostro A860 with Nokia's latest for $730 after a discount coupon. Flip that sucker on eBay for anywhere close to its $379 list price plus some "handling fees" and you might just come close to paying a reasonable price for the N97. Well, sort of reasonable. Those still interested should hurry past the read link, as the full discount will only be available through tomorrow or until stocks last. Filed under: Cellphones , Laptops . Nokia N97 and Dell Vostro bundled for $730: make one mistake, get one free originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments .

Don't want to waste $37 to see Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen at the movie theater? Most critics wouldn't blame you although a lot of fans are enjoying the summer flick. But anyway, watch the video above and save yourself some cash. It tells the same story and has a perportionant amount of explosions.

Not to turn this into a secondary job board for Apple or anything, but they're opening up a position for a digital 3D modeler/CAD sculptor to create renderings of possible and future products. It's interesting because the turnover there for the position is really low, and it may be the only time you get a chance to get into that position for a few years. Plus, it pays quite a lot more than usual design jobs. [ Dezeen via Cultofmac ].

We caught Alienware's OptX AW2210 21. 5-inch gaming monitor a couple months back—it's part of Alienware's "more accessible" push, but it's got respectable specs, cramming in a 1920x1080 resolution with a supposed 80,000:1 contrast ratio for $299. You've also got dual HDMI ports, four USB ports and what has to be the most straightforward design of anything Alienware's every shipped, which is in and of itself an accomplishment. They're also selling what appears to be an Alienware-branded version of SteelSeries' nearly 2-year-old 5HV2 headset that they're calling TactX. And really, we're still using X for Xtreme? Mountain Dew is gross guys. ALIENWARE PUTS YOU IN THE GAME WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE ALIENWARE OPTX™AW2210 21. 5" FULL HD MONITOR AND ALIENWARE TACTX™ HEADSET. · Eye-catching Alienware OptX Monitor boasts 1080p HD, ultra-fast response time and features low-input lag. · New Alienware TactX Headphones single out in-game sounds for a truly immersive experience. · Together, the Alienware OptX AW2210 Moni

Here's a four-port USB hub from Elecom that comes with magnetic backing and hooks for easy mounting on most surfaces. It retails for $40. I want one. Don't you?. AudioCubes via OhGizmo .

This video purports to be of some unknown creatures in the sewers under Cameron Village in Raleigh, North Carolina. It's probably some early viral marketing for a movie. But! What if it isn't? Oh god, what if it isn't?? [ io9 ].