THE MOBILE HORNET … for those who get turned on by mobile devices

Apple is going very big with their planned opening of the first Apple Store in Australia on Thursday 19 June at 6 pm.

They have stretched a “coming soon” sign across the  facade of a nearly-completed office complex in the heart of the Sydney CBD. It says: “Drop in soon. Apple Store, Sydney”. It features the distinctive Apple logo and a swirling motif showing iPod-like devices.

The actual store will be at 77 King Street and, each of the three levels of the building that were leased will have a floor space of about 445 square metres.

2 other smaller Apple Stores - one in Sydney’s North Shore suburb of Chatswood and the other in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre - are also under development and will probably open after the main Sydney store throws open its doors.

I wonder whether there will be people who will camp outside, the day before the opening like what had happened in the Apple Store in Boston.

Mix FM DJ Pietro should have a look at this:

Penang, Malaysia is the home base of The Mobile Hornet.  Never knew it is also the home base for the first Mobile D.J. on WHEELCHAIR.

Mobile DJ Ismail Clement Abdullah, suffers from motor neuron disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig. He was struck by this neuro-degenerative disease in 2005 which robbed him of his speech and use of arms and legs.

On most nights you can see him cruising the streets of Georgetown (Penang) on his modified automatic wheelchair to play songs for people in return for a RM2.00 (US$0.63) donation for each song requested. 

The next time you are at Penang, drop by Penang Road and respond to his request (which is painted on his mobile machine) “Would you like to request songs & make an honest contribution.” He is usually playing songs for customers of the famed Hameed Soup side-walk cafe.  He has a good collection of songs from oldies to the latest and you can have it in English, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai too.  The sound system is pretty good.  I made a couple of requests and in no time it was belting out an oldie ”Endless Love” and also Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls”.

HELL HATH NO FURY BUT A WOMAN SCORNED !

As reported in Engadget:

” It’s a crazy, mixed-up world we live in. If we aren’t worrying about global warming or peace in the middle east, we have to be on the lookout for scorned women setting large quantities of mobile devices on fire. A certain Mrs. Wang is guilty of that latter offense. The 37-year-old Chinese woman wasn’t particularly stoked about her husband walking out on their marriage, so she did the only reasonable thing that presented itself: rounded up the entire stock of more than 400 phones the couple had at their joint-owned cellphone shop, and set the entire lot ablaze — inside her home. The collection was valued at roughly 300,000 yuan, about $42,000 US. You might want to take this time to inform your significant other how sane, rational and sexy he or she is, while simultaneously removing all lighter fluid from your home. No gadget is safe! “

If you are a PDA buff and you happens to be in Penang, Malaysia, on Fridaya 22 Feb 08 then make yourself free to attend the popular BEAMFEST. 

IT’S FREE! ALL ARE WELCOME.

The Mobile Hornet has arranged some FREEBIES from HTC and O2/MWG as giveaways for those attending the event.  More details can be found by clicking onto the image below:

 LITHIUM BATTERIES BAN !

The 1st of January 2008 saw the introduction of the new ruling that could affect travelers who carry portable electronics on flights. The new regulations limit the amount of lithium in luggage and carry-on items — specifically with regards to lithium in batteries. As reported in SafeTravel.dot.gov :

Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the spare lithium batteries you carry with you in case the battery in a device runs low:

• Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
• You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
• You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!
• Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.

The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:

• Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.
• You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are shown below.
• For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.
• Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!

Examples of extended-life rechargeable lithium batteries (more than 8 but not more than 25 grams of equivalent lithium content):

	130 watt-hour “universal” lithium ion battery
	160 watt-hour lithium ion battery for professional audio/visual equipment
GUIDE TO RULES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2008 Type Of Battery/Batteries In Checked Baggage In Carry-On Baggage: Lithium Metal Battery, Installed in a Device (up to 2 grams lithium) Permitted 1 Recommended 1 Spare Lithium Metal Battery (Not Installed In a Device) (up to 2 grams lithium)(up to 2 grams lithium) Forbidden Permitted in carry-on baggage 2 Lithium Metal Battery, Spare or Installed(over 2 grams lithium) Forbidden Forbidden Lithium-Ion Battery Installed in a Device(up to 8 grams lithium equivalent content) Permitted 1 Recommended 1 Spare Lithium-Ion Battery (Not Installed in a Device)(up to 8 grams lithium equivalent content) Forbidden Permitted in carry-on baggage 2 “Special Case”Up to 2 Lithium-Ion Batteries, Spare or Installed(between 8 and 25 grams aggregate lithium equivalent content) Spare Batteries: Forbidden!Installed in Devices: Permitted 1 Spare Batteries: Permitted 2Installed in Devices: Permitted 1 1. Although you may carry some devices and installed batteries in checked baggage, carrying them in carry-on baggage, when practicable, is preferred. Whether in checked or carry-on baggage, ensure that devices remain switched off, either by built-in switch/trigger locks, by taping the activation switch in the “off” postion, or by other appropriate measures. 2. Be sure to take protective measures to prevent against short-circuits. See our spare battery tips and how-to pages.

When I first saw the Jurassic Park movie, I was fascinated about the technology used to give us such a realistic insight of the Jurassic era.

The extravagant, oil-rich City of Dubai (part of the United Arab Emirates or UAE) is building the world’s largest dinosaur theme park. Dubbed (or “Dubiad”) Restless Planet, this domed play land promises to take visitors back at least 100 million years to a time when dinosaurs roamed freely.

Imagine going back 100 million years or more… to feel the power of the cosmic forces that helped shape our planet, and come face to face with giant dinosaurs. Restless Planet is a unique electronic media and natural history experience… where visitors enter a prehistoric world.

Restless Planet offers the world’s ultimate theme ride back into the mists of time – through the state-of-the-art electronics of today. Here, in the glittering new City of Arabia, you are transported back millions of years into the prehistoric kingdom of the dinosaurs. The world-renowned Natural History Museum of London has drawn on the elite of science, entertainment and technology expertise to realise the dream of bringing these giant creatures and the mysteries of the nature of our planet to life.

Along with the acclaimed dinosaur authority Jack Horner, Tokyo-based animatronics team Kokoro have recreated the real life creatures of the Jurassic era, the visitor experience is designed by international theme park specialists Jack Rouse Associates and is enclosed by a 75-metre dome, designed by international specialists firm RH Architects.

Gathered from the latest research available, the creators of the Restless Planet transport you into an age where earth-shattering events impacted the world. From earthquakes, eruptions and meteor strikes, the evolving shape of our planet will come alive before your eyes.

Step back in time to when our Earth was young. Feel your heart race as you travel through a Jurassic landscape alongside gigantic dinosaurs. Restless Planet is a unique, world-class natural history phenomenon, designed to draw tourists and investment and put Dubai into the scientific spotlight on the international stage.

A first of its kind in the world, Restless Planet will respond to breaking dinosaur discoveries through an ongoing programme of exhibits, announcements and events. No visit to Dubai will be complete without the thrill of stepping into our primitive world. Real natural history and entertainment – more exciting and authentic than ever before, and an attraction for all ages.

Restless Planet’s animatronic dinosaurs have been created by combining the latest scientific research and cutting edge design.

ITRI releases Ch-LCD display based on roll-to-roll manufacturing

Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) recently demonstrated a monochrome Ch-LCD flexible display which is built on a plastic substrate and is based on roll-to-roll manufacturing. The width of the display is 3.5-inches and the length of the display can be produced in any size. The product is ideal for large-size public displays, the institute noted.

Source: Digitimes

With yet again a World’s first milestone, Polymer Vision presented the Readius® fully functional prototype (above) in late summer 2005. The Readius® successfully established the capability and integration possibilities of rollable displays for the mobile market.

Through the financial investment of Technology Capital SA and subsequent spin out from Philips Electronics,the independent company Polymer Vision Ltd was founded in 2006.

Polymer Vision announced the world’s first rollable display enabled commercial product (below) in 2007.

While smaller than a typical mobile phone, the latest version of the Readius® features a large 5-inch display that can simply be stored away after use. Its monochrome reflective display with 16 grey levels enables comfortable reading, even in bright sunlight. The exceptional battery life, combined with built in wireless connectivity, make the Readius® the ideal personal information companion for people on the move.

Polymer Vision, has just announced that it has its production facilities up and running and its first rollable displays have made it off the assembly line. And they’re not leaving it at that. Polymer Vision’s first product, the 3G-enabled Readius, is supposed to be available before the end of the year.