M&Soft launches 7-inch Mappy AP1 PND in South Korea

M&Soft’s Mappy navigation software seems well established in Korea, and now the company has decided to offer its own hardware for it in the shape of a 7-inch SiRF-based touchscreen device. Of course, it wouldn’t be a South Korean PND if it didn’t include a DMB digital TV tuner, video and audio playback, and a photo / text viewer, but the company’s gone one better by offering the elaborate, gimmicky GUI you see above. Pricing is pretty decent too, set at 349,000 KRW ($283) with a 4GB SDHC card, or 399,000 KRW ($323) for an 8GB unit. The AP in the model name stands for “Absolute Pride” — sure, make your jokes, but maybe it’s that wise-guy sense of humor keeping this sort of tech away from Western shores.

Toyota’s humanoid robot was born to run

We essentially can’t get enough of advanced robots doing things that look human — probably in the same way we can’t get enough of pretending our dog understands English. Anthropomorphism aside, Toyota’s humanoid running robot is really impressive. It’s got a super impressive sense of balance, and he’s quite fast on his feet — running at an average of 7 km an hour (yes, that’s faster than ASIMO can run), too. We can say with 100 percent certainty that we’d like to hang out with this guy — check out the video after the break.

TASER X3 video hands-on: watch out, baddies

Like most rational human beings, we have a healthy fear of guns. We’ve never shot a man in Reno (just to watch him die), and we’re even unlikely to tase a bro in Atlantic City, just to observe him become temporarily incapacitated. Still, the appeal of a “non-lethal” deterrent is understandable (and certainly preferable to the alternative variety), and TASER has made some big additions to its new TASER X3 triple-shot weapon — things that serve to make it safer for parties on both sides of the barrel. Check out a video of us handling (and firing!) this beast after the break, along with a few tidbits we picked up from the TASER folks that should provide a small amount of comfort for the TASER-averse.

LG’s BL40 “Chocolate” phone sashays its way through new ad

We’ve already gotten a pretty good look at LG’s stylish new BL40 phone (also simply known the new “Chocolate”) courtesy of some official shots, but no phone launch would be complete without an over the top ad, and LG’s naturally got that covered as well. As you can see for yourself after the break, the 4-inch, 800 pixel wide display is one of the main selling points here, and if that’s not enough for you, we hear you can even use it to output full HD video to a TV. Unfortunately, there’s still no word as to when it’ll be release ’round these parts, although there’s at least some indication that it could be making its North American debut on Telus.

OLPC’s XO Laptop – G1G1 v2

Wow that is an ugly title.  Let’s dissect it a little.  OLPC is the One Laptop Per Child non-profit organization that’s goal is to spread computing and learning with computers to children across the planet.  The XO Laptop is the small green and white, ruggedized computer that the OLPC uses to help fulfill this mission.

G1G1 v2 stands for Give One , Get One and v2 is version 2, since this is the second holiday season where OLPC is using their marketing muscle philanthropically inviting you to help, with a unique program.  Donate $399 via Amazon.com and an XO Laptop will be shipped to you and another XO Laptop will be shipped to a child in a country somewhere in the world.

Techlife has been using our XO Laptop for over a year now and the machine has been a big hit.  We have let various children bang on it and even loaned it out and the excitement was overwhelming.

The Techlife Gift Guide has brought you the Metrokane Corkscrew, the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard, the Tent Cot, Wired Magazine, a Skull Bowling Ball, Lego Batman, Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones, a remote controlled helicopter and the Ironman DVD.

The G1G1 program is the ultimate in tech goodness.

Goodness is in the cool laptop you will get to play with and share with a child locally.  More importantly, there are countless children who with some small aid from YOU can make a difference in the world starting today.  Economic hardship in our life is one thing, like going to Starbucks once a day or dropping the movie package from your pay-tv package.

Techlife rarely asks for anything, and now we are.  Please consider this program.  Read up on the machine and learn about it.  Then help a child.  It’s what the holidays are all about. You could always give a velociraptor in the OVPC project instead.

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