It looks as though chip maker AMD will finally get the investigation that it’s wished for as the Federal Trade commision has officially launched an antitrust investigation on rival company Intel. The major accusation of the case is that Intel uses unfair pricing practices to keep their products nearly exclusive in the marketplace. As a result of the probe, the FTC has subpoenaed Intel, AMD and other chip competitors in order to get at the truth of the matter.

Certainly the result of this FTC investigation could change the landscape of processor manufacturers forever. We will be watching the case and let you know if any further developments happen.

Read more at Engadget.

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These days, nary an emotion is shared without the aid of an emoticon. It’s just the way things are becoming. We’d much rather type our emotion then show it face to face. We’re somehow less vulnerable when we have a display separating us from our true feelings.

The future of human emotion might be in a state of evolution. Technology could forever change the way we process our feelings. Our lowest lows and our highest highs. The Mask Of Emotion exchanges facial expressions for digital emotions. If you weren’t easy to read before, now people should have no problems discerning your emotion.

Designed by the Digital Media Design Department at Hongik University in Korea, the Mask Of Emotion mimics your facial expressions and translates them into LED pixel emoticons. If you frown, the mask changes the LED design to a slanted frown as it sees fit. Designed to hide emotion and spark public response, the Mask of Emotion fills us with scary thoughts about the future of human emotional communication.

Will technology dull the human emotional spirit? Or possibly make us immune to public displays of emotion? Well, we wouldn’t go that far just yet. But the future of human psycology in relation to technology is such an interesting fact to contemplate.

Design Page via MAKE

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I used to do a lot of international travel and as a result have tried a number of low-end and very high-end noise canceling headphones. For some reason when wearing them I always get nauseous, so as a result I have had to instead endure the roar of engines, and conversations of those nearby. Either that or I’ve cranked up my traditional headphones in hopes that they would block out the noise around me.

I thought that the nauseous feeling was just something that came along with noise canceling headphones for me, but that changed when I tried the Clear Harmony Active Noise Canceling Headphones from Able Planet Inc. To my surprise, once I turned them on, not only was the noise around me blocked out, but I felt perfectly fine. That was reason enough to go for the Clear Harmony brand, but I still wanted to put the headphones’ sound quality to the test.

Before I talk about the sound quality, I want to take a moment to describe what’s “in the box”. The Clear Harmony Active Noise Canceling Headphones come in a carrying case and ship with a five foot cord, and two adapters for different audio devices (dual-pin airline adapter; 1/4 inch stereo adapter). The headphones themselves feature an in-line volume control and full-size ear cups with soft cushions. The coolest part about the headphones is that they swivel to not only adjust on your ears, but also fold flat to fit perfectly in the carrying case.

It takes just two AA batteries to get the headphones humming, but they were actually comfortable enough that I found myself just leaving them on my ears, with the power off and no audio source playing.

As for the sound, the quality comes from Able Planet’s proprietary Linx Audio technology. It “creates high frequency harmonics that enhance sound quality and speech clarity of difficult to hear words or notes, and increase the perception of loudness without increasing volume.” What that means is that you can listen to your music at a lower volume, and still enjoy the richness of the highs, the heart pounding bass, and even hear spoken words with more clarity. Linx Audio actually does a lot more, too. I did notice the intense bass, but found the highs were clipped a lot of the time. Not being an audiophile, this didn’t really bother me that much and a quick adjustment on my mp3 player’s EQ fixed the clipping, so I’m not sure if it’s an issue with the player or the headphones.

I mentioned above that I took these on a road test. In my case I was flying from Providence to Seattle, with one stop over. Because the headphones fold into the carrying case, it was easy to take them on board and put them in the seat back in front of me. Once we took off, I fired them up and the roaring of the engines disappeared as I settled in and watched movies I had ripped for the trtip. I then played some podcasts, including NBC’s Nightly News, and enjoyed some Jazz and New Age music. As you can see, I tested with a wide range of audio styles and the headphones performed exceptionally in all instances.

The final test still occurs everyday and that’s tuning out the noise around me. I work from home and have a three month old and a three-and-a-half year old. I’m happy to report that the Clear Harmony headphones also cancel out cries, yells, screams, and just about anything else my kids can dish out.

Read more about the Clear Harmony Active Noise Canceling Headphones at Able Planet.

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With the official launch not scheduled until June 20, it seems Sprint would like everyone that may be interested ready and able to use the Instinct as soon as it hits their hands. In order to help potential users they have released a collection of how-to style videos on YouTube. The videos cover topics that include Shooting & Sending Video, Live Search, Favorites, Speech To Action Button and of course The Basics.

Watch [YouTube]

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I just love wireless technology - it frees us from the shackles of being limited by messy cables, and most of the time these wires and cables seem to have a life of their own, getting all messed and tangled up when left alone. Of course, wireless technology does have its limitations as well in terms of signal strength the further you are away from the source/base station, but at least it adds a much neater perspective on an overall level, and this is exactly what VUDU aims to achieve with their new VUDU Wireless Kit. This new wireless solution allows consumers to enjoy their VUDU set top box anywhere in their home without the need for pesky Ethernet cables.

According to Patrick Cosson, VP of Marketing for VUDU, “Following the rapid success and strong following we’ve already achieved for the VUDU box, we’re now taking the next step to offer even greater convenience to video fans. Our customers have been asking for a wireless solution, and we’ve responded with a hassle-free and secure solution that does not require complicated configuration. VUDU users can now enjoy the ultimate viewing experience in any room in the house, no matter where their broadband connection enters their home.” Guess the folks at VUDU really take customer feedback into consideration and do something about it, eh?

The VUDU Wireless Kit takes a plug-and-play approach, making it a snap to start your very own wireless network that is dedicated to the VUDU set top box. This arrangement will do away with the constraints of physical cables and complicated wireless configurations, leaving you more time to enjoy the movies you have downloaded. All you need to do is plug the wireless base station into the existing broadband router, while the receiver ends up in the VUDU box, creating a dedicated and secure 802.11g Wi-Fi network. The wireless kit won’t shortchange you, as it supports the full range of VUDU functionality, including instant-on for HD content (depending on your bandwidth). Interested parties can pick up the VUDU Wireless Kit for $79, and if you haven’t jumped onto the VUDU bandwagon just yet, the entire wireless bundle including both the VUDU box and the VUDU Wireless Kit is also available for $349.

Press Release

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Now here’s a safe game of darts that you can engage it - the OgoSport CopterDart Game. Perfect for those sunny summer days in your very own backyard or at the park, darts that are made up of foam and plastic will ensure there won’t be any serious injuries resulting from a wayward throw.

This target game—similar to horseshoes and lawn darts—uses soft foam darts whose “wings” have a propeller-like spinning motion and simulate a helicopter landing! Who can come closest to the target? Who has the keenest aim and the most accurate throw? Everyone will want a turn at CopterDart! This family-fun game is easy to play. Just launch the target into the yard like a flying disk, then try to make a “bulls-eye” with the darts. The foam wings create a spinning motion that causes the dart to “helicopter” to the ground. Easy to pack—enjoy a game at the lake, campground, park or beach. Can be played indoors. Includes target, four darts, carrying case. Ages 6 and up.

Get in some family time together this summer with the OgoSport CopterDart Game for $29.95 a set. You won’t regret it, trust me.

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With the official launch not scheduled until June 20, it seems Sprint would like everyone that may be interested ready and able to use the Instinct as soon as it hits their hands. In order to help potential users they have released a collection of how-to style videos on YouTube. The videos cover topics that include Shooting & Sending Video, Live Search, Favorites, Speech To Action Button and of course The Basics.

Watch [YouTube]

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Finally, there’s a cheaper way to visit Walt Disney World and you won’t need to worry about plane tickets or fueling up your car. You don’t even need to buy tickets to enter the park. Now I’m not talking about smuggling yourself on to a plane or a bus and then sneaking into one of the parks, rather you can now visit Walt Disney World in 3D on Google Earth.

Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, made a special guest appearance on the Google Blog to inform Google Earth users that the four parks of Walt Disney World are now now available in 3D. In addition to the four parks, 20 of Disney’s Resort hotels are also featured. The Walt Disney World in 3D project came out of a meeting between Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, and Rasulo during a recent meeting in which they discussed ways the two companies to work together toward Disney’s goal of focusing on technology.

I have to admit. I’m one of those freaks that try to go to Disney World every year. That’s why I think it’s a safe bet to say that my kids are going to love being able to travel through Disney World virtually. It was a nice touch that they also included Disney’s Resorts since those who have stayed at one of these resorts sometimes enjoy them as much as the parks.

Read more from the Google Blog.

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Most of us tend to have a desk full of chargers adding to the clutter, and this unsightly view is definitely not something we like to see but the rigors of everyday life seem to leave us too drained to do anything about it. The Sanctuary Charging Haven ought to change all that, offering a much neater solution when it comes to keeping your plethora of devices juiced up.

A charging station designed for daily use at the bedside table, kitchen counter, office desk, etc, The Sanctuary performs its functions with ease and elegance. The Sanctuary never truly reveals its multi-purpose electronic capabilities so the user develops an emotional attachment, as it becomes personalized and integral to one’s daily routine. The Sanctuary is a beautiful, simple solution to a real everyday problem. A place to put the multitude of personal items we all carry around so they are easily located again when later needed and, always fully charged. The simple and compact design conceals a universal charger compatible with over 1500 electronic devices from most major brands and a USB port allowing hundreds more electronic devices to be charged using just The Sanctuary. Now you can charge your cell phone, PDA, blackberry, ipod, mp3 player, and Bluetooth headset simultaneously in one location.

You will have to fork out $99.99 for the Sanctuary Charging Haven from ThinkGeek.

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Eagle eyed Mac owner Jozen spotted some possible pointers to wireless synching between Macs and iPhones. Hidden inside the CoreTypes bundle are icons for the iPhone and the ipod Touch. So what? So this is where Apple keeps all the networking icons which appear in the Finder’s sidebar (including the infamous Blue Screen of Death PC icon).

Jozen, and also Gizmodo, speculate that this could mean wireless transfer of music between the iphone and iTunes. More likely is that this means we’ll finally get some kind of disk mode for the iPhone. After all, those icons don’t only appear for wireless shares, but network shares, too.

iPhone to recieve Bonjour Syncing/ Wifi Networking [Top Tech Pro via Gizmodo]

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