Seagate Technology PLC (NASDAQ:STX) today announced the launch of a new ultra-slim external hard drive that holds 500GB of data while only being 7mm thick.  The steel drive will be available in mid to late January at a MSRP of $99.99, and pre-orders can be made now at Seagate.com and Amazon.com.

The portable hard drive looks like a stylized 2.5” notebook hard drive with a smooth finished steel case. The Seagate Seven’s case is made entirely of steel to give it structural integrity while allowing it to be as thin as possible, with the added bonus of looking pretty stunning as well.  The 500GB capacity is held in the drive that is an amazing 7mm thick, really showing just how far hard drive technology has come these last few years.  The industrial design of the drive is very nice and evokes a lot of memories of bare hard drives that Seagate has been producing for years, 35 years in fact.  The drive will make for a nice addition to users who want to back up their files and take the data with them in a small package.  Notebook users will appreciate that they can store more data with the added plus of the drive barely adding any weight to the notebook bag.  The drive features a low profile motor technology that includes extreme gyro handling capabilities ensuring that the drive operates safely in a variety of environmental factors.

The MSRP of the Seagate Seven is $99.99 for the 500GB drive, equating to just 20 cents per Gigabyte of Storage. The drive will be widely available in mid to late January.  The Seagate Seven though can already be pre-ordered for those who want to get their orders secured.  The preorders can be made at Seagate.com and Amazon.com.

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Schiit Audio, a US manufacturer of high end headphone amps, DACs, and preamps rolled out its newest creation today: the new “Fulla”.  The Fulla is a USB dongle DAC/AMP is an inexpensive high quality way for users to upgrade their audio from their computers or portable devices.

Schiit Audio is a good-humored US manufacturer of high end audio components which prides itself.  As such it tries to reduce costs for consumers by selling direct and cutting dealers out of the equation.  Yesterday the company introduced the Fulla USB DAC/Amp via its Facebook page.

The $79 Fulla is one of the company’s most affordable items and combines its experience with their previous DACs and Amps.  The dongle is plug and play with both PC and Mac computers that have a USB port, without the need for any additional drivers to be installed.  The Fulla can also be used with Android devices that support USB host function and allow USB DACs.

The Fulla employs a CM6631 USB 2.0 receiver and a very high quality AK4396 digital to analog converter, which is commonly found in equipment much more pricey than the Fulla.  The gain stage uses thin-film resistors and film capacitors that filters and boosts the output, up to 300mw into 32ohms.  Schiit Audio states that the Fulla would be great for IEM (in-ear monitor) usage due to the very low noise floor and low ouput impedence.

The Fulla is covered by a 1 year limited warranty that covers both parts and labor.  Schiit Audio also says that if in the situation where the user does not like the Fulla that they can send it back for a refund, minus a 15% restocking fee.  The customer has 15 days in which to decide to send it back for a refund.

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Well, it appears that Nokia isn’t interested in letting the brand die after the company sold its mobile division to Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) for a sum of $7.2 billion, which many called undervalued. What was left of Nokia is now known as NSN and now that Microsoft is killing the Nokia name brand for phones and simply calling them Microsoft Lumia phones, Nokia still has the rights and ownership of the Nokia brand name. As such, they’ve decided to do something with it and have been hinting for some time that they might make a device.

The 7.9″ Nokia N1 harkens back to the days of when Nokia had phones like the Nokia N8 and Nokia N9 before their genius management decided to go to Windows Phone and then sell the whole division to Microsoft. Anyways, the N1 may be a sign of the brand’s rebirth but not a complete rebirth, because the reality is that this device is a bizarre lovechild as a result of Foxconn (TPE:2354) and Nokia’s relationship. According to The Verge, this device’s design, user interface and brand name are licensed to Foxconn who then manufactures the device and probably takes in all the profits as well. So, it isn’t quite clear if this is really a Nokia device or a Foxconn device or some weird amalgamation of the two. Either way, the end result is an Apple iPad looking device that features an Intel Moorefield Z3580 SoC and USB Type-C connector which should allow for some awesome functionality thanks to DisplayPort and MHL Alt Mode which could theoretically be available on this device.

Additionally, the Nokia N1 has the Z Launcher from Nokia which is Nokia’s own take on the Android OS launcher and will ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop in addition to having USB Type-C reversible USB connector capability.

Nokia N1 Z Launcher

The Nokia N1 itself sports a 2048×1536 resolution on the 7.9″ display, which makes it quite competitive with other tablets and has an 8 megapixel main camera as well as a 5 megapixel front-facing camera. The main camera is only capable of 1080P video, meaning that the resolution of the tablet’s display is greater than the camera’s capability. Perhaps higher-end versions of Nokia’s tablets will have higher resolution displays (on larger models) and with better cameras, even though I personally don’t care much for tablet photography or videography.

Nokia N1 Battery

The tablet also has 2GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage standard, which makes it a great value at $249, which is the expected sale price when the Nokia N1 goes for sale next year around the Chinese New Year time frame. One thing that some people also may have missed is that Nokia and Foxconn actually opted for a higher quality audio processor with the Wolfson DAC, specifically the Wolfson WM8958E, independent audio codec. It does, however, have a fairly small 18.5 Wh (5300 mAh) rechargeable LiPo battery (3.7 V) which means that you probably can’t expect much battery life out of this thing compared to an iPad, unless Intel, Nokia and Foxconn have managed to do some power management wizardry. Not to mention, this is the highest clocked processor from Intel’s 22nm family of mobile SoCs, so nobody really expects fantastic battery life.

It will also, amazingly enough, have dual band MIMO 802.11/a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi connectivity, which would make it one of the better connected tablets out there, even though AC should really be the standard on all mobile devices nowadays. Oh yeah, and in true Nokia spirit, the whole body is made of anodized aluminum (yes, like the iPad). Honestly, the similarities between this tablet and the iPad are striking, but there’s also no doubt that a lot of people would happily buy an iPad clone that runs Android. Especially if it really does end up selling for $249.

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Instructables.com is a site that has user created guides that can teach you how to make things.  They have all different kinds of projects that people submit, from baking cookies to making a carbon fiber violin.  Currently they have two contests going on, which are Halloween costumes and Halloween Props.  I have combed through the entries to find some of the best that I could find.  The best stuff ranges from a fast and easy to sew Brain Slug from Futurama, to cosplay outfits that likely took months of tedious research and building.  The list is in no particular order, these seem like a good assortment that has something for everyone.

Futurama Brain Slug

A very simple and easy to assemble costume as it is only a headband with an easy to sew brain slug.  If you are a fan of Futurama this will be a worthwhile use of an hour of time.  Please just make sure that you have enough brain activity so that the Brain Slug won’t die.  This is likely less than $7 in supplies if you already have a sewing machine and the tools to make it.  The end result looks great for the small amount of work that has to go into the project.  If you make one post your

Sauron Cosplay

Here we have a pretty epic Sauron cosplay that must have taken a long time to make and research.  The details given are pretty sparse, but there are some good pictures of the outfit while it was in progress and the individual parts.  It is neat to know that this outfit was built entirely from scratch.

Awesome Mix – Guardians of the Galaxy

If you are looking to complete your Star-Lord cosplay or costume then an Awesome Mix Vol. 1 mix tape is what you need for your Sony TPS-L2 Walkman.  This Instructable gives you a template for creating your own cassette, its a very simple project but the end result sure looks good.

Borderlands Psycho Bandit Buzz Axe prop

This is an amazing piece of work that definitely shows the dedication that the builder had.  The build is well documented and shows the evolution of the design into the final product.  I for one would love to be as creative as the person who did this, but I will have to get my satisfaction from looking at these kinds of build logs.

I Am Groot

Here is an amazing example of what people can do when they really want to re-create something.  This is one of the best Groot costumes that I have seen thus far, and I can only imagine people are already working on more elaborate Groot creations.

Back to the Future: Doc Brown’s Mind Reading Helmet

This is a really fun creation as it really does a good job with capturing the original look.  I am very impressed with this person’s work and I plan to try my hand at making this for next Halloween.  I feel that I can do so since the creator did a wonderful job with the build log. While working on learning electronics with Make: Electronics I hope to create a more elaborate lighting system.

Warhammer 40K Power Fist

This is a truly amazing piece of engineering with a decent amount of 3D printed parts and the fist is impressive by itself, but when you see the full outfit being “floored” is an understatement.  The amount of work that is put into this is downright mind-boggling.  The creator said this was the first thing that he had created with 3D modeling that was his own creation, which he no doubt nailed.

Dead Space: Isaac Clarke Level 3 Suit

This is another cosplay that was taken to the Nth degree with the work,  The dedication to this build is incredible as it is visible in the log that this is something that took a lot of time and hours upon hours of construction.  The end product looks insanely good and even better than the original reference material from the game.

PIXAR Lamp Costume 

This is a great build that is definitely unique with the idea and creation.  While the log is not that in depth what the pictures show is really all that needs to be seen to appreciate such a project.  This would be a great costume to make for a small child since it could be scaled to size easily.

Pumpkin Batteries

This is another take on the old go to experiment with citrus or potatoes.  This would make a great family project for young children or even those you at heart.  This could even make a cool project for something to take to the office and have on a desk, such as a pumpkin clock for the holidays.

Glowing Treasure Chest

This is a fun project that would not only be useful for Halloween, but the whole year.  This is a simple modification of a chest with a bit of electronics.  The log goes over this very nicely and will help even a beginner complete the electronics.

Borderlands Assault Rifle 

This is an amazing re-creation of a Dahl assault rifle from the Borderlands game.  The you creator that made this said that he spent approximately 300 hours creating this piece.  The hard work sure shows through with the amazing weathering job that was done to the finish.  As someone who is a fan of Borderlands I must say I want something like this to mount on my office wall… Some day it will happen.

Portal Gun

This is an amazing build that uses electronics integrated with the prop to really bring the creation to life.  This looks amazing, and it is a great replica of Portal’s portal gun.  The build log is very detailed and was built from the ground up with a very keen attention to detail.

Arc Reactor Shirt

For those a bit more comfortable with electronics, this Arc Reactor shirt should be an excellent project.  This would be an easy way to make a Tony Stark costume for a child as well, it would just need to be sized down a little bit.  It would also be an easy project to do with a younger person who is interested in learning about electronics since it only needs very basic soldering skills.

Autobot Fury: The Transforming Costume

Transforming costumes have recently been a hit with all the Transformers movies that have come out.  Though very unweildy this is ideally something to take to a function since it will not travel well.  This is a very cool costume choice that will no doubt be a challenge to try and replicate since part of the challenge is that your body needs to transform with the costume.  Maybe a little yoga is a good thing to do while you are planning your own Transformer costume.

Go forth and create

Hopefully seeing some of these amazing creations will have stirred your interest in finding a project to do on Instructables.  I personally have been inspired to try and build a new chicken coop for my acreage as I found a few ideas that suite my needs.  These Halloween ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you can do with the site.  If you have ever thought of turning your old microwave into an arc welder then you will be happy to know you can even find that on the site.

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Many electronic devices come out of Taiwan. Success has been fleeting for several Asian-based manufacturers. Recently HTC said they see their second quarter returning positive numbers, but with declining revenue. Samsung, albeit troubled by the court loss to Apple, has been outselling HTC products. The company thinks its HTC One’s redesign will boast sales.

An Android alternative to Apple’s iOS, the G1, aka HTC Dream, gave HTC a head start a few years back which was soon eclipsed by Samsung’s entry into the Android market. The Galaxy series made a large footprint in the smartphone arena. Lately, HTC has had problems with their supply chain. Part of their realignment plan is to outsource product to contract manufacturers. Another bullet in the plan is a lowering of prices.

As in any industry, money talks and executives walk. Scott Croyle, Senior VP of Design is the latest to walk. After a five year stint with HTC, he is taking his Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Texas to greener pastures, although he will still be “advising” on some HTC projects. It will be interesting to see where his philosophy of giving designers creative license to build unique and emotion evoking devices leads.
Jonah Becker who has worked closely with Croyle as Associate VP is expected to fill the vacated slot. Becker was trained in Industrial Design at the California College of the Arts (also known as Cal Arts).

Jonah Becker replaces Croyle at HTC

Announcing another change, HTC said: “Drew Bamford will lead HTC Creative Labs and focus on innovative new products and user experience strategies.” Additionally, HTC reported stronger than expected earnings based on HTC One M8 sales being stronger than expected. And, HTC plans to significantly step up their advertising push with the M8 as they’ve already successfully sold 500,000 units of the M8, according to Reuters, not just that, but the HTC One M8 is selling better than its predecessor, the M7 which we reviewed. In fact, today only, HTC is offering the new HTC One M8 for $100 off (on-contract) so that you can buy the One M8 for $100 on-contract with a new 2-year agreement.

We’ll keep an eye on HTC to see if these changes cause an uptick in their popularity and their bottom line.

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