Sonos PLAY:3 Streaming Music Speaker Launched

After making it’s way successfully through the FCC the new Sonos Play 3 streaming music speaker has this week been officially launched. The Sonos Play 3 is the smallest streaming music player in the Sonos range and measures just 5.2 x 10.6 x 6.3 inch. Yet packs in three speakers in the form of a single tweeter and two mids, each with its own Class-D digital amp, and supported by a passive, rear-firing bass radiator.

The Sonos Play 3, as with other Sonos gear has been designed to provide an easy way to streaming music from the Internet or your local storage solutions and fully supports Spotify, which has finally just been launched in the US.

The Sonos Play 3 is now available for $299 and comes complete with a remote control. It can easily be paired with the Sonos Dock, and used with the Sonso Bridge network adapter to easily connect to your home network for $49.

OnStar FMV Mirror Hits Best Buy Pre-Order

I mentioned back in January that OnStar was moving to an accessory option that would work for just about any car rather than a GM only service. To get OnStar into the vehicles the driver needed to buy the mirror packing the tech inside. Best Buy has announced that it is pre-ordering the OnStar FMV or For My Vehicle mirror right now.

The mirror can be pre-ordered for $299.99 and installation will cost another $75. The service the mirror needs to work starts at $18.95 monthly or $199 per year. I would assume that amount to be only for basic services like turn-by-turn directions and automatic calls to 911 in an accident.

The mirror has GPS tech and accelerometers inside to call for help in an accident and tell the responders where you are. The mirror won’t be able to offer the other features that GM cars give like automatic door unlocking. It can help find your vehicle if it is stolen. The mirror also supports Bluetooth calls and you can use it to make phone calls using OnStar as well.

Robot Band Covers “The Beautiful People”

A funky robot band called the End of Life, or EOL for short has been recorded playing a cover of Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People”. The ELO band consists of a robotic cello, electric guitar, drummer, together with a scanner.

Watch the video after the jump to watch how well the robot band performs the cover, however no information has been released as yet regarding tour dates.

The video took around two months to record and program the instruments and its creator says that there might be another video in the making detailing the circuits, parts and tools which were used to construct these amazing musical robots.

SHOWWX+ Pocket Pico Projector Now Supports HDM

If you are looking for a pocket sized pico projector, the Microvision SHOWWX+ might be worth a good look as the company has now upgraded their pocket sized pico projector to support HDMI connectivity. The non-HDMI version of the SHOWWX+ was released in November 2010 and was designed to provide a convenient pocket presentation device by linking to mobile devices.The new version is now equipped with HDMI and is still the same pocket size and can project an image up to 8 ft wide and is compatible with tablet and smartphones wich run iOS and Android, together with a few Nokia devices.

The mini pico projector can connect to devices with HDMI port or MHL-HDMI adaptor support ing 480p video and is compatible with Apple direct connect component cable – iPhone, iPad, and iPod (TV-Out applications).

On a full charge the SHOWWX+ Pocket Pico Projector can run for 2 hours continually and measures just 60 ( W) × 118 ( H) × 14 mm ( D) and is available to pre-order for $370.

Oh The Humanity! Hilarious Water Jet Pack Fail Leaves You In Stitches (Video)

The setting is a Fox 5 San Diego morning newscast featuring this dude on a water-powered jetpack. The good stuff happens at the 0:08 mark when the expected aero-stunt gets off to a lousy start. How lousy? You’ll have to watch it yerself. See the video after the jump.

Here it is!

But like all true adventurers, not even a surprise submersion could dampen his spirit. See him soar!

The best part for us was when it cued to the studio anchors, who both looked like they could hardly get a word out. Priceless.

Aha! If we’re not mistaken, the grinning fail guy is strapped onto a variant of the JetLev that first came to our attention earlier this year.

Designer Builds See Through Bubble For Antiseptic Nature Views

The thinking behind this transparent ‘bubble hut’ suggests a return to nature, but actually achieves the opposite. As creations by French designer Pierre Stephan Dumas, the bubble line includes variants for every conceivable outdoor environment, be it a tranquil lakeside or a forest clearing. Problem is, why the insulation?

But as pure design, however, this is golden. The supposed features are impressive too. Noise cancellation and air renewal keep the interior fresh and comfy, with none of those odious nature odors. There’s ample space for nice furniture as well, though how you fit a large bed through its opening is a mystery.

These igloo-shaped abodes do present a problem though. If you’re already outdoors, why shield yourself from nature? The designer claims staying inside such bubbles prevents humans from negatively utilizing the natural environment around them. What’s wrong with taking advantage of nature for your own comfort? It’s not as if a few campers with sleeping bags will wreck an ecosystem in a couple of nights. (Unless of course the same campers dump toxic waste in a nearby water source, tsk tsk.)

So maybe these novelties are better in the manicured confines of say, hotel resorts, public parks, and tranquil nature spaces inside cities. If so, then they are good ideas made real.

If you think this is grand, each bubble variant costs $10,987.

Android Powered Mirai Sano Robot Controls Your House

But will it control you? We can’t tell. Judging by its name alone, the Sanyo-made Mirai is the latest uber-gadget that uses Android OS, which is another boost for the Google guys as they now possess the technology to control the future. It’s Japan only though.

Anyway, as illustrated above, the Mirai Sano is a robot that keeps your house in order. Think minutely adjusted temperature, air conditioning, and kitchen appliances.

Of course, while the gadget inclined may embrace the Mirai warmly, it does inspire reservations. Reservations such as: why allow an autonomous appliance to run your house?

Also, it might inspire more than a few psychological horror movies about humans oppressed by their household AI. Wasn’t there a Simpsons episode along these lines? If we remember correctly, Pierce Brosnan was voicing the evil robot.

A while back, some anonymous commenter posted something along the lines of ‘I always knew Google will be the real Skynet.’ How true, how true.

Moving on, the Mirai Sano hits Japanese retail outlets on Friday. It looks affordable too.