At Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, Steve Jobs introduced a brand-new iPhone: the iPhone 3G.

Features include:

• 3G speed ( 3x faster internet connection)

• Built-in GPS (with live tracking, no turn by turn)

• Thinner design

• Cheaper ($199 for 8GB, $299 for 16GB)

• Microsoft Exchange support (push e-mail, contacts, etc. with ActiveSync)

• Available July 11

Jobs also introduced MobileMe, a service that syncs any change you make on one device with all your other devices. For example, if you change a contact or a calendar date on your iPhone, that change will be immediately reflected on your two other laptops.

Finally, Jobs said that they will be showing some new features of 10.6 Snow Leopard, a new version of Apple’s operating system that is in the works. Developers will get a peak later today at WWDC.

Personally, I think the new iPhone looks pretty slick. However, I was hoping there would be some more significant features than just 3G and GPS. If you are as nerdy as me, you know that the internet predicted those features in the next iPhone long ago. Will the new iPhone cause me to purchase a new one right away? Probably not. Will it help Apple sell more iPhones? With the cheaper price, definitely.

[image via Apple]

By sucking on the juice of just one of these berries, your taste buds will be transformed for about an hour. The result is that normally mild or sour-tasting foods will taste sweet. Eating a lemon tastes like eating a piece of candy. Drinking a Guinness tastes like sucking down a chocolate shake.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the fruit works its magic “by binding to taste buds and altering the tongue’s so-called sweet receptors to activate when sour foods are eaten.”

A recent New York Times article suggests “flavor tripping parties” are beginning to catch on. Guests are given a piece of this “miracle fruit” and then invited to taste everything from grapefruit to radishes. What happens if you drip some hot sauce in your mouth? Well, it apparently tastes like doughnut glaze according to one party-goer.

The downside? The berries cost about $2 each. Not that expensive if you want just one, but pretty pricey for the college student in large quantities. While the berry is not FDA-approved, it’s still legal to grow and sell in the States because it’s a fresh fruit. It doesn’t appear to have any side effects, either. I really want to try one now. But at the same time, it would make taking shots a lot easier. Probably not a good thing on this campus.

Check out the NYTimes video here.

Oh, and this is my last post of the year. See you in the fall!

[Photo via Flickr]

GrandCentral was founded back in 2005 and it was acquired by Google soon after. It’s by no means a new service. According to its Web site, its mission is not to “replace your phone… [but] just link them together and help them do more.” And they do that by giving you a brand new number from any area code in the United States… for free.

But what else can GrandCentral let you do?

• Record and store phone calls right onto the Internet

• Have one number ring multiple phones simultaneously

• Personalize voicemail greetings by caller

• Listen in on a voicemail in progress before you take the call

• Switch phones (cell to landline, etc.) in the middle of call without interruption

• Add a WebCall button to a website for people to call you instantly

But the first reason is why I think it’s great for Medill kids. If you’re on the phone conducting an interview, you simply hit “4″ on your phone and voila, the call starts being recorded. Both parties will then hear a message from GrandCentral notifying them that call recording has begun. When you’re done, you simply log-on to your GrandCentral account and you can download the conversation as a MP3 file and edit away. Here’s a sample of the sound quality:

Best of all, GrandCentral is a free service at the moment. The downside is that they’re still in beta testing. This means that in order to get an account you must either know someone who uses the service or sign-up for the waiting list on GrandCentral’s site. But with technology this easy to use, I think Medill should invest some cash in the company and get every Medill kid an account. It’s so Medill 20/20, right?

Pooping is actually quite a complex process. On Earth, gravity is what makes it all possible. But in space, you really don’t have that luxury.

On early spaceflights, astronauts would use, according to MSNBC, “bags with sticky openings” that would catch an astronaut’s floating fecal matter. Today, astronauts use a complex contraption that uses a series of fans to make up for the lack of gravity.

However, MSNBC is reporting that the astronauts aboard the International Space Station are having a problem with the fans in the toliet. Apparently, they’ve just stopped working. And while NASA tried to give the astronauts some fixes, they don’t appear to be working either. There is a temporary toliet in their transport ship, but — as it was only intented for quick trips — it has a limited capacity. It looks like they’re going to have to start crossing their legs or start using those old-fashioned bags.

[via MSNBC, photo via Flickr]

According to Electro Plankton, Apple designer Jonathan Ive, the man behind the iconic designs of the iPod, the iPhone and the iMac, designed the charcter of Eve in the upcoming Disney/Pixar joint, Wall-E. And if you take a good look at Eve, you can definitely tell her all-white design is Apple-esque.

Recently, I just finished reading David A. Price’s The Pixar Touch, a book that takes a really interesting look at how Pixar was created. Did you know it started out as a computer hardware company? But if the book taught me anything, it was that if I want to be a Hollywood CEO, I need to start being a complete asshole. Check it out if you have the time.

[via Electro Plankton]

If you use Netflix, rejoice. The DVDs-in-your-mailbox rental service just got a little more convenient. For $99, you can purchase Roku’s Netflix Player on which you can view all the “Watch Now” movies and TV shows on your tube. Previously, Netflix’s “Watch Now” option was only available for PC user. Unless you hooked up your computer to your television, it was pretty hard to view one of these films on your home theatre set-up. The best part? There’s no monthly fee. If you have an Netflix unlimited plan (the plans that start at $8.99/month and up), you’re all set. Just plug Roku in.

I think this is a big jump for Netflix. I’ve always wanted to use the “Watch Now” feature on my Netflix account, but was unable to because I use a Mac. And no, I wasn’t planning on loading Windows on it just to use it. But now for just $99, I watch these films right on my TV without having to wait for a Netflix mailer.

Some critics, such as those over at Seeking Alpha, criticize Roku’s Player for its limited titles and the fact that you’ll just have to add another box to your living room. Granted, Netflix doesn’t have all the latest titles as “Watch Nows.” But I’m perfectly happy watching older films and catching up on the first few seasons of Heroes on my Roku.

Overall, most critics are giving it praise. Wired even called it “just shy of totally amazing.”

And hell, Netflix even has plans to upgrade everyone’s Roku through a software download so it can support HD content with 5.1 stereo surround. What’s not to like? I’m sure more titles will be added to the “Watch Now” feature in the near future.

Bye, bye Apple TV and Vudu. Netflix seems to have got it right yet again. Now I just need to wait for my Roku to come in the mail.

In case you haven’t been keeping up with the Internets lately, a video recently surfaced that featured Bill O’Reilly flipping out on an early ’90s clip of Inside Edition. Shortly after that, Stephen Colbert parodied the video on The Colbert Report to much hilarity. The O’Reilly video has quickly become an Internet meme to the point where when Internet commenters are fed up with something, they simply state, “Fuck it! We’re doin’ it live!”

But the coup de grace really comes in the form of a dance remix. In my mind, this is the video to end all O’Reilly videos.

While I’ve seen the Star Wars movies, I wouldn’t call myself a know-it-all. For example, I definitely wouldn’t have my wedding themed after them. They’re just movies like any other.

Sports, at times, are also a mystery for me. I’ll go see the Cubs or the Bears play in Chicago, but I wouldn’t plan my day around when their games are going to be broadcast on TV. And I’m definitely not going to memorize the number of RBIs that Barry Bonds has. Why wait around for halftime to make myself a sandwich when I could be doing more productive things with my life. Sleeping, for instance, readily springs to my mind.

If, like me, you don’t necessarily fall directly on one side or the other, you probably find yourself surrounded by the nerds of both camps. Which side is worse? As the video reveals: both.

Remember when Disney used to release great entertainment? I know they have their Pixar thing, but that’s not really the same thing. Now, they seem to love movies like The Game Plan and this little gem coming out September 26th, Beverly Hills Chihuahua. What’s the market for this thing? It’s going to scare the little ones and be way too over the top for the adults.

C’mon Disney, you can’t live on Pixar alone.

Earlier this week, the Apple Store UK sold out of iPhones. Now, the Apple Store US is also out of stock. Apple rarely runs out of stock on their gadgets. And if you look at the site, there isn’t even a way to pre-order one for when the next shipment comes in. Does this mean a new (possibly 3G) iPhone is on the way? Let’s hope so.

The world’s first digital camera, released in 1975 by Kodak, was a pocket-sized device that consumers could carry around in their pockets. Just kidding. It was freakin’ huge. I mean, look at the guy holding that thing. It looks like he’s having his prostate checked.

The camera, which recorded images onto a standard cassette tape, took about 23 seconds to capture one photo. Once taken, the photos could only be viewed on a television. No print-outs for you!

[TechEBlog via GeeksAreSexy]

If you’re familiar with Blade Runner, you might start seeing that dystopian world start coming to life. Sonny Astani, a Los Angeles real estate developer, plans on erecting two fourteen-story buildings that will feature hundreds of rows of LEDs. Don’t worry, Astani assures us that the residents of these buildings will see be able to see out their windows as the LED rows will be spaced six inches apart.

Six inches apart? That’s it? I feel like that would still block my view there, Astani. You better be planning on giving me a damn good discount for that. I could see this working in Vegas, but not in the million dollar condos of LA. Blade Runner’s dystopia looks cool, but is certainly not a place I’d want to live. Oh, capitalism.

[io9 via Gizmodo]

We all know what happens when you stuff a pack of Mentos into 2-liter of Diet Coke. But what happens when you do that same thing in slow-mo!? Pretty much the same thing, but it makes it a lot cooler to watch.

This video was shot at 1200fps using a new Casio SLR. In order to shoot film that fast, they must have had a ton of light on that Diet Coke bottle.

Oh, and yes, I’m still alive after my RIAA ordeal. More on that later.

[via Gizmodo]

I got an e-mail today from Northwestern’s Judicial Affairs office saying I need to come speak with them about my internet usage.

Ryan,

I have received a complaint from the RIAA alleging that you engaged in illegal transmission of copyrighted files. You need to come in and meet with me regarding this complaint. Please call the number contained in my auto-signature below and ask my assistant to put you on my schedule.

I’ve had some friends who have had the same issue with Northwestern’s Judicial Affairs Office. In their case, however, their Net IDs were shut down for a period of time. I guess I’m lucky because this hasn’t happened just yet. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Gakutensoku, as the robot is known, was built in 1928 in honor of Emperor Showa of Japan. And with the use of a $200,00 computer, Asia’s oldest robot has recently been brought back to life.

At 80-years-old, this robot should be well in his grave by now. There’s something about reviving a human-like robot that seems just wrong. It would be like taking Walt Disney’s head out of cryonics, giving him a new body and letting him build a new theme park. It just wouldn’t be the same. But just like an 80-year-old, the only thing Gakutensoku can do is tilt his head, blink, smile and puff up his chest. He’s not even useful.

Check out the video only if you want to have nightmares for the next 6 months.

[via Gizmodo]