Thursday, October 23, 2008

Samsung Drops GPS, Slider Symbian Smartphones

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5066286/samsung-drops-gps-slider-symbian-smartphones

Samsung is still supporting another, non-Google open operating system for mobiles, showing off a couple of Symbian-based smartphones at a recent event in London. The Samsung I7110 doubles as a phone and a navigation device, while the Samsung L870 is being marketed as a fashion slider.

The I7110 comes with a GPS navigation program with geo-tagging, pedestrian and driving navigators. It also packs a 5MP camera, multiple codec support, 50MB of internal memory (expandable up to 16GB with a microSD slot), and an FM transmitter to push music and driving instructions through an in car radio.

Meanwhile, the L870 comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a 3MP camera, FM radio, a music player, Bluetooth, and 100MB of internal memory (expandable up to 4GB). Instead of navigation programs, the slider has a more traditional set of smartphone software—push email, document viewers and the like. Prices weren't available yet for either phone.

With Extensive Product Portfolio

Samsung offers a variety of Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show 2008

The Smartphone Show, London, UK, October 21 2008 - Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile phones and telecom systems, showcases an extensive portfolio of Symbian smartphones at this year's Smartphone Show (Oct. 21~22) in London, United Kingdom.

Samsung sees a great growth potential in the open Operating System based smartphone market, and has invested a lot of R&D and marketing resources in this market for past several years. Consequently, Samsung plans to offer a wider range of open OS mobiles this year, demonstrating significant progres! s in ope n OS and smartphone technology. Your browser may not support display of this image., the ultimate mobile entertainer with an 8-megapixel camera and Symbian OS, was recently launched and extremely well received by users and industry professionals all around the world.

Geesung Choi, President of Samsung's Telecommunications Business, said: "I'm sure that we will see more and more demand for smartphones with open Operating Systems thanks to the increasing need for flexibility and customization on mobiles, and the introduction of various mobile applications. Samsung's new Symbian OS-based smartphones such as Your browser may not support display of this image. shows our strategic focus on the open OS phone market."

"We will reinforce our open OS and smartphone leadership not only by providing more products, but also by opening our new developers collaboration program 'Samsung Mobile Innovator'." He concluded.

At this year's Smartphone Show, Mr.Ho-Soo Lee, Executive Vice President of Mobile Solution Centre, Telecommunication Business of Samsung Electronics, will deliver the keynote speech, 'Eight Reasons to Innov8,' on Tuesday, October 21.

Samsung's newly announced Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show include:

Samsung I7110

As a mobile navigator, the I7110 boasts advanced GPS navigation with geo-tagging, pedestrian navigation and driving navigation. The I7110's AMOLED LCD screen provides sharp and vivid image even in daylight for perfect pedestrian navigation in the palm of your hand. Through its FM transmitter, the I7110 enables its users to receive the voice guides on the move by transmitting to an in car radio.

With Samsung I7110, users will be able to enjoy a 5 Megapixel camera with Auto focus and LED flash. It also comes with the latest digital camera features including smile shot and blink shot functions. The I7110 also provides advanced video recording and play features, supporting multi-codec files to enable its users to! easily transfer without the hassle of converting files. It features 50MB of internal memory with micro SD slot, allowing users to store and enjoy various contents on the device up to 16GB.

To offer seamless connectivity, the I7110 comes with HSDPA connectivity and Wi-Fi connectivity. For easier web browsing, the phone also provides an 8-way optical mouse. The I7110 supports a 1200mAh battery that delivers 11 hours of talk time, meaning this slim and stylish smartphone offers long lasting multimedia experience.

Samsung L870

Like a fine tailored suit, the L870 is encased in a magnificent stainless steel body softly brushed with an elegant hairline pattern, and a 13.5mm slim and sleek outline, which can perfectly complement every outfit and style.

Leveraging the capabilities of S60 platform, L870 brings full connectivity that surpasses expectations for a handset device. The applications and features of S60 software are not only easy to learn and use, but also enable maximum productivity. A high speed internet browser provides access to more than 6,000 open applications which are compatible with L870 so users can customize the device for their individual needs.

L870 features many useful Samsung pre-installed applications such as an advanced task manager Checkit, PIMs (Personal information manager) homescreen, Team manager and business card recognition function. With these applications, users will experience a better time and life managing experience than ever.

L870 boasts many other latest applications and interfaces. A creative user interface (UI) features three different themes, and a 2.4-inch QVGA TFT display, a 3-megapixel camera, FM radio with RDS, music player and Bluetooth v.2.0 supports are all embedded within L870 for satisfying visual and audio entertainment needs.

Samsung I7110 Specifications:

Network HSDPA 3.6 Mbps (900/2100), EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900)
OS Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
Display 2.6" 262K QVGA AMOLED Camera 5 Megapixel CMOS with AF and LED Flash, Smile Shot, Blink Shot
Video Video Player (DivX / H.263 / H.264 / WMV / MP4, RV)
VGA 30 fps / QVGA 120fps Video recording
H.263+AMR NB
Audio FM Radio with RDS DNSe 2.0
Music Player (MP3/ AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+ / WMA / RealAudio)
Value-added Features GPS Navigation: Pedestrian & Driving, Geo-tagging
Optical Mouse, Accelerometer, FM Transmitter
Embedded 3D Games : FIFA 2008, Asphalt
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)
Connectivity Bluetooth v2.0 / USB v2.0 / Wi-Fi
Memory 50MB User Memory + External Memory slot (up to 16GB)
Size 118 x 52 x 12.9 mm
Battery 1200 mAh
Talk time: up to 11 hrs/ 6 hrs (EDGE/WCDMA)
Stand-by time: up to 427 / 451 hrs (EDGE/WCDMA )

* Notice: Pedestrian map is available currently in only 10 cities in
Western Europe.

(Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Milan,
Munich, Paris, Rome)

Samsung L870 Specifications:

Standard HSDPA (2100MHz) 3.6Mbps + EDGE/GPRS 900/1800/1900
Display 2.4" QVGA 16M Color TFT
Camera 3-Megapixel Camera
OS Symbian 9.3 S60 3.2
Features New Thematic UI, Quick Office document viewer
Push Email (Visto, Seven, Intellysync, Good)
Advanced PIM Applications
Music Player (MP3, AAC, AAC+, RA, AMR, WMA)
Video Player (H.263 + AMR, MPEG4, Real One, WMV)
FM Radio (RDS) Bluetooth v.2.0 EDR USB 2.0 (Full Speed)
Memory 100MB internal memory + Micro SD up to 4GB
Size 103.5 x 50.5 x 13.5mm

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Posted by Augustine at 11:15 AM

Scientists Discover New State of Matter, Could Be Used To Upgrade Microchips

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5067499/scientists-discover-new-state-of-matter-could-be-used-to-upgrade-microchips

McGill University researchers have discovered a new state of matter to go along with good ol' solid, liquid, gas, plasma and a handful of quantum states—it's called a quasi-three-dimensional electron crystal. While the name sounds like something that would sap Superman's powers, this new state of matter could be used to fabricate modern transistors and continue Moore's Law... possibly indefinitely.

The quasi-three-dimensional electron crystals were discovered in a device scientists cooled at ultra-low temperatures – roughly 100 times colder than intergalactic space. They then exposed it to the most powerful magnetic fields possible on Earth, which made it "pop" from a 2D electron system to a semi-3D one. It could also help improve transistors, allowing for greater density on a single microchip. Looks like Gordon Moore can rest assure that his law won't be broken for another long while. [Science Blog]

(Note: That's not a picture of the new state of matter, by the way.)

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Posted by Augustine at 11:14 AM

Samsung INNOV8: 8MP Cameraphone With a Digital Photo Frame Mode

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5066288/samsung-innov8-8mp-cameraphone-with-a-digital-photo-frame-mode

Samsung also included this puntastic entry into its offerings at London's Smartphone Show. The INNOV8, Samsung's first 8MP camera phone, comes with a 2.8-inch 16 million color LCD, 8GB or 16GB of flash memory (with an eternal SD card slot), an optical mouse, HSDPA and WiFi connectivity and a GPS navigation and geo-tagging service. The camera part of the mobile utilizes smile shot, blink shot and face recognition, and you'll also get a couple media editing programs thrown in for good measure. No word yet on price or availability, or whether the lens is good enough to make the 8MP sensor worth it.

Samsung Reinforces Its Leadership In Smartphone Market

With Extensive Product Portfolio

Samsung offers a variety of Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show 2008

The Smartphone Show, London, UK, October 21 2008 - Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile phones and telecom systems, showcases an extensive portfolio of Symbian smartphones at this year's Smartphone Show (Oct. 21~22) in London, United Kingdom.

Samsung sees a great growth potential in the open Operating System based smartphone market, and has invested a lot of R&D and marketing resources in this market for past several years. Consequently, Samsung plans to offer a wider range of open OS mobiles this year, demonstrating significant progress in open OS and smartphone technology. Your browser may not support display of this image., the ultimate mobile entertainer with an 8-megapixel camera and Symbian OS, was recently launched and extremely well received by users and industry professionals all around the world.

Geesung Choi, President of Samsung's Telecommunications Business, said: "I'm sure that we will see more and more demand for smartpho! nes with open Operating Systems thanks to the increasing need for flexibility and customization on mobiles, and the introduction of various mobile applications. Samsung's new Symbian OS-based smartphones such as Your browser may not support display of this image. shows our strategic focus on the open OS phone market."

"We will reinforce our open OS and smartphone leadership not only by providing more products, but also by opening our new developers collaboration program 'Samsung Mobile Innovator'." He concluded.

At this year's Smartphone Show, Mr.Ho-Soo Lee, Executive Vice President of Mobile Solution Centre, Telecommunication Business of Samsung Electronics, will deliver the keynote speech, 'Eight Reasons to Innov8,' on Tuesday, October 21.

Samsung's newly announced Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show include:

Samsung INNOV8

Recognized as Samsung's first ever 8-megapixel camera phone, the
Samsung INNOV8 is perfect for users for capturing and storing precious
memories in style. It comes with the Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition
Feature Pack 2, which helps users to easily download various
ready-made applications for Symbian mobiles.

Using the latest in imaging applications such as smile shot, blink
shot and face recognition, memorable moments can be stored at the
highest quality. Users can enjoy personalizing and editing their
photos, videos and music with Movie Maker and Story Board
applications. The handset also acts as a digital photo frame, allowing
users to display their favorite images. A 1200mAh battery provides a
long enough battery life to enjoy all the multimedia experience
without worrying about limits on size and time.

Samsung INNOV8's crystal clear 2.8" 16M color LCD, is perfectly
designed to provide users with the best possible photography, video
and gaming experience on-the-go. The 8GB or 16GB Flash memory and
external memory slot up to ! addition al 16GB provides sufficient
contents storage.

Samsung INNOV8 offers the best ever mobile web browsing experience.
With an optical mouse and 4-way navigation key, users can enjoy
PC-like browsing experience. The 7.2 Mbps HSDPA high speed Internet
and WiFi connection deliver a convenient and seamless internet
experience wherever users are. The phone is equipped with A GPS
technology, offering navigation and geo-tagging service.

Samsung INNOV8 Specifications:

Network HSDPA 7.2 Mbps (900/2100), EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900)
OS Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
Display 2.8" QVGA 16M TFT LCD
Camera 8 Megapixel CMOS with AF and Dual Power LED
Smart Reader, Image Stabilizer, Auto-Panorama Shot, Smile Shot,
Blink Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), Face Detection
Video Video Player (DivX / H.263 / H.264 / WMV / MP4)
QVGA 120 fps Video recording, VGA 30 fps recording
Video Editing
Audio FM Radio with RDS
DNSe 2.0
Music Player (MP3/ AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+ / WMA / AMR/ RealAudio)
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP)
3.5pi output
Value-added Features A-GPS
Optical Mouse, Accelerometer
Embedded 3D Games : FIFA 2008, Asphalt
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)
Connectivity Bluetooth 2.0 / USB 2.0 / Wi-Fi
Memory 8GB / 16GB Flash + External Memory slot : microSDHC™ (up to 16GB)
Size 106.5 x 53.9 x 17.2 mm
Battery 1200 mAh
Talk time: up to 300 / 510 min (3G/2.5G)
Stand-by time: up to 330 / 310 hrs (3G/2.5G)

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Posted by Augustine at 11:14 AM

Hardcore Computer bringing oil submersion cooling to the masses

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/427483847/

Filed under:

Hardcore Computer bringing oil submersion cooling to the masses
Dousing your gaming rig in oil is a technique we've seen from custom shops before, but not quite like the offerings from Minnesota-based start-up Hardcore Computer. Its Reactor line of submerged gaming rigs, shipping to real, live customers in about a month, use custom enclosures to dunk everything from the CPU to the SSDs in a blue-dyed, non-conductive concoction that we hope is mineral oil (it doesn't break down and go rancid like canola). A pump circulates the liquid through a side-mounted radiator for cooling while all the wet components slide out of the top for potentially mess-free maintenance. You can get your choice of Core 2 Extreme processors, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, and even three GeForce GTX 280 GPUs stacked right on top of each other if you have the bank. Prices start at about $4,500, which isn't as bad for a crazy setup like this, with a well-spec'd, triple-SLI machine coming in just under $10k. We'd certainly call that hardcore -- despite the gushy center.

Update: It looks like Maximum PC spent some time soaking in this one and posted some early impressions and a bunch more pics. As it turns out the goo inside isn't blue after all; it's just lit-up that way.

[Thanks, Havok and Jamie]
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Posted by Augustine at 10:26 AM

Google opens the floodgates, open-sources Android

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/427551927/

Filed under: ,


Making good on a promise it made at the very beginning, Google has today announced that the source code underpinning its Android platform for mobile devices is available for free to anyone who wants a crack at it. The code is being provided through the newly-announced Android Open Source Project, which will give the public at large the opportunity to make contributions to the platform's all-important core -- a first for a mobile operating system with true mass-market appeal. Theoretically, the move should position Android to benefit from a fairly democratic, speedy evolution, and it'll also give anyone with a few spare chips lying around the chance to build a smartphone of their own without shelling out a dime in licensing fees. We're really looking forward to seeing Android pop up on a whole bunch of devices for which it was never intended -- but we have to admit, in a sick, totally twisted sort of way, we're looking forward to some truly deranged individual porting Windows Mobile to the G1, too.
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Posted by Augustine at 10:26 AM

AT&T's Samsung Epix now epically official

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/427656021/

Filed under: ,


It's already been floating around for a day or two, but Samsung and AT&T have decided to go ahead and follow up their latest WinMo smartphone's release to stores with... oh, you know, some actual press material. The i907 Epix rundown goes something like this: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, 3.6Mbps HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2-megapixel cam, AGPS with AT&T Navigator, Video Share support, 320 x 320 2.5-inch touchscreen display, and one of those crazy "optical mice" for on-screen navigation when using the touchscreen itself is just too much trouble. Get it now (or yesterday, if you were really on the ball) for $99.99 on a two-year contract.
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Posted by Augustine at 10:26 AM

Fuze turns up on AT&T's website, again

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/427754295/

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The Fuze, otherwise known as the HTC Touch Pro, first turned up briefly on AT&T's website more than a month ago only to be abruptly pulled down, but it's now finally made a reappearance, and it's apparently staying for good this time. As you might expect, however, there's not exactly anything new to be found, with AT&T's description of the device identical to the one it first put up, but if you had any doubts that the device was in fact headed to AT&T, and that it would indeed be called the Fuze, you can now safely put those to rest. Now, about that release date...

[Thanks, Steve]
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Posted by Augustine at 10:25 AM

DroboApps go live, they grow up so fast

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/427754294/

Filed under:

Data Robotics launched the Drobo dev program in beta back in July, and it looks like things have worked out swimmingly -- the company just officially launched the first set of DroboApps, including an iTunes server, DLNA server, BitTorrent client, and FTP server. Over 100 developers have joined the Drobo Developer Connection, and there are more than 20 apps available now -- a number Data Robotics expects to grow quickly. You'll need a DroboShare NAS adapter to take advantage of the new apps, of course -- a $199 toll we'd like to see integrated into a future unit. We'll see how it goes, though -- we see a lot of potential in this sort of NAS / server hybrid.
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Posted by Augustine at 10:25 AM

Motorola Aura: The Phone that Thinks It's a Watch [Cellphones]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/427641019/motorola-aura-the-phone-that-thinks-its-a-watch

Love it or hate it, you have to respect Motorola for loosening the reins of design and announcing the premium Aura handset. (UPDATE: we knew it created déjà vu for some reason!) Inspired by high end watches, the phone's switch blade design alone is driven by over 200 parts—130 of them ball bearings used to open the handset up to an estimated 100,000 times before failure.

The display is the product of fine crafting as well. Just 1.55-inches in diameter, this "word's first" circular cellphone screen features 16 million colors and 300 dpi clarity, plus it's coated with 62-carat sapphire crystal to prevent scratching.

Internally, the phone is quad band with GPRS and EDGE featuring 7.3 hours of talk time, 2GB of internal memory, AGPS and 2MP camera. And when it goes on sale December 4th, it'll carry the hefty pricetag of $2,000 (which, to be fair, is actually far less than a premium watch). See more pretty pictures over at Motorola's site. [Motorola]


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Posted by Augustine at 10:18 AM

NYC Buses Testing Digital Ads That Change Depending on Location [GPS]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/427798075/nyc-buses-testing-digital-ads-that-change-depending-on-location

Creative marketing minds have developed a plan to use GPS to deliver neighborhood-specific digital advertising on the side of buses in NYC. Apparently, the ads run like TV commercials and they have begun airing on a single Manhattan route with expansion to 200 buses planned for Q1 of next year. Obviously, targeted advertising is the name of the game, so I wouldn't be surprised to find GPS systems like this one popping up in major cities across the country in the very near future. [WCBSTV]


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Posted by Augustine at 10:17 AM

Hands On Casio's EX-FH20, the "Budget" Super-Slow-Mo Cam [Digital Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/427943781/hands-on-casios-ex+fh20-the-budget-super+slow+mo-cam

Maybe you didn't even realize that the hallowed Exilim EX-F1 super-slow-mo cam got a little brother, the new $600 EX-FH20. We finally got to check it out today and it's definitely a winner. Slightly slimmer than it's pricier counterpart, it also has a cleaner UI making it easier for a novice to use. 1000fps slo-mo video looked great, and the 40fps burst mode worked well, prerecording images in order to capture the perfect moment, even if you have a slow trigger finger. It even has a slight bump in the megapixel department, 9.1MP to the EX-F1's 6.0MP. The EX-FH20 is just hitting stores, so check the gallery to see how it measures up to the EX-F1. And of course stay tuned for our full review.


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Posted by Augustine at 10:15 AM

Hands On Asus Eee S101, Just as Slim and Air-y in Person [NetBooks]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/427993913/hands-on-asus-eee-s101-just-as-slim-and-air+y-in-person

We took a look at Asus's Eee S101 today, and as predicted, it's the prettiest looking netbook we've seen since the birth of the category.

It's 2.2 lbs., extremely light and thin, and the chrome finish on the trackpad area is much better looking than the generic plastic of similar models. The 10.2-inch matte screen is compact without straining your eyes, and the keyboard feels bigger than the original Eee's (that or my fingers have gotten smaller to accommodate this segment of the PC industry). The only thing painfully tacky in the S101 is a Swarovski crystal accent on the hinge, but it isn't very obvious until you glance at it.

At $700, it's not exactly cheap for an Atom-powered laptop running Windows XP off of a 16GB SSD, and that's the only configuration you can order up. Still, in addition to its good looks, it's got more inputs than a new MacBook: 3 USBs, a 4-in-1 card reader and VGA video out. It'll arrive in copper brown and graphite; too bad that the champagne paint job, in the Continental's opinion the best suited to accompany the Swarovski accents, won't make it to the US. [Asus]


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Posted by Augustine at 10:15 AM

DroboApps Make Your Drobo Smarter and More Useful [Storage]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/428061981/droboapps-make-your-drobo-smarter-and-more-useful

If you have a Drobo, the storage robot that takes care of your hard drives so you don't have to worry about reliability—or so they say—you will be interested in the new applications for the platform. Called DroboApps, they will convert your Drobo into a web server, an iTunes media server, a BitTorrent client, or an FTP server. [Drobo via CrunchGear]


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Posted by Augustine at 10:14 AM

Super Skinny OLED Display Is Thinner Than a Sheet of Paper [Oled]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/428084965/super-skinny-oled-display-is-thinner-than-a-sheet-of-paper

If you thought OLEDs were thin already, researchers at the Universal Display Corporation (whose factory we visited last year) have made a flexible display that's positively anorexic. The ultra-thin metal foil screen is less than 50 micrometers thin, which means it's even thinner than a sheet of A4 paper. The UDC folks also claimed that their new invention exceeds the industrial target of 1,000 hours and the lifetime of conventionally sealed glass packaged OLEDs.

The researchers said they were able to get better lifetime ratings after identifying a flexible, highly impermeable barrier layer, which helps keep the OLED screen from degrading because of oxygen and water. Flexible, amazingly thin and with a very decent lifespan? It sounds like we're two steps closer to handing out Young Lady's Illustrated Primers. [AVS Symposium via Slashgear]


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Posted by Augustine at 10:14 AM

Stantum "True Multitouch" Lets You Use ALL Your Fingers [Multitouch]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/428172906/stantum-true-multitouch-lets-you-use-all-your-fingers

In case the two-finger multitouch seen on the new Macbook Pro and Fujitsu's upcoming notebook wasn't enough for you, French tech company Stantum recently showed off a ten-finger technology that it's calling "true multitouch." On Stantum's 15.4-inch screen, you can use as many points as you want to control the screen. Judging by the smears in the picture, a lot of people found that appealing and took advantage of their chance to feel the new technology up. [Electric Pig]


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Posted by Augustine at 10:11 AM

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