Keepon finally gets a cheaper version

Keepon, the adorable bot meant to help autistic kids with its jovial dance moves, seems to finally be getting a cheaper version. The original cost $30,000 and did a lot more than dance. Actually, we got to play with it a little bit at CES a couple years ago. The commercial version most likely won’t have facial recognition or any of the other fancy features of the first one, but we hope it can dance well.  We’ve actually seen a couple home made versions and we’re hoping that the new one has some major hacking potential. The temptation to have one of these cute little bots around is made even stronger when you see that some of the money is going back into autism research.

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CES: Parrot’s AR Drone

We hadn’t been here long when we stumbled upon the Drone tent. The AR Drone is a wifi controlled quadcopter that has been making waves recently. We actually got to play with one a little bit. Well, sort of. There was too much interference inside for us to fly it manually, but we did smack it around a little bit while they told us about it. It was amazingly steady and strong while it tracked a target around the tent. Check back later for more videos and details.

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CES: RoBoard Robotic Hand

Today while walking around the booths, we saw a robot hand sitting out with a couple of exposed boards. This of course attracted our attention, and we thought we would share.

The hand is based on a RoBoard Vortex86DX board, which is an x86 control board. We even got the pinouts and datasheets, and we will post those later when we manage to get them uploaded.

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CES: USB 3.0 Behind the scenes

We know a couple of you have been asking about the tech behind the show, and we managed to spot an FPGA (in this case, the Xilinx Virtex 5) serving as the core of a demo between two SuperSpeed USB Solid State drives. It was used as both a USB 3.0 hub, as well as being used to time the file transfers and get accurate speed reports. The Hi Res Shot is also available.

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SparkFun’s Free Day is nearly upon us…

As I’m sure many of you already now, today is January 7th. While that might not have any real significance normally, today this means that our favorite hobby supplier, SparkFun, is giving away up to $100,000 of electronic goodness. We know we have our shopping carts filled to the brim, and we’re sure that most of you do too. With the start of Free Day being roughly 10 minutes away, we recommend that everyone man their shopping carts…. This should be interesting…

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CES update: January 6th, 2010

It’s just about time for CES (as we’ve mentioned once or twice), so we thought we would update you on our latest goals and ideas for the show.

This year [Caleb Kraft], [Nick Caiello], [James Munns], [Devlin Thyne], and [Brett Haddock] will be covering CES. We are currently looking for some good places to go if we get a chance to break away from the show, and while we won’t make any guarantees, we’d love to meet some of our readers! Please direct all ideas for your favorite eatery to our Contact Page. Keep an eye on our Twitter page (@hackaday) for CES updates and what your favorite writers are up to, where we are eating, and other possible chances to meet up with us.

We are also still looking for Las Vegas Hackerspaces to visit, so let us know and we would love to cover it!

Be sure to check out our updated interest list after the break, and keep sending in what you want to see!

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CES update: January 5, 2010

As you already know, we’ll be attending CES this year. We’re still looking for ideas on what you, our loyal readers, want to see. We’ve gotten some good feedback, and came up with some ideas of our own. Keep sending in your ideas. Remember, it doesn’t even have to do with CES. Are there any hacker groups in Vegas that we could meet with? Any locations of interest? Let us know.

So far, we have the following requests:

• Google Nexus
• Notion Ink tablet w/Pixel-Qi display
• Instinct Engineering – Suitcase XBOX 360, Fold out gaming couch
• Car that can drive itself (most likely Toyota or Honda)
• PSP 4000
• Transparent OLED display from Samsung
• Neuro/EEG Devices; Neurosky Booth

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Nokia PUSH competition update

A couple of readers weren’t too thrilled when the winners were announced a while back for the Nokia N900 competition. And to be honest, we even wondered on some ideas (like what does skateboarding have to do with hacking?) However, The teams have been hard at work and a picture video is starting to form for each. Check after the break for some video recaps.

[Thanks Matt]
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GSM Cracked

[Karsten Nohl], with a group of security researchers has broken the A5/1 Stream Cipher behind GSM. Their project web site discusses their work and provides slides(pdf) presented at 26C3. A5/1 has had known vulnerabilities for some time now and is scheduled to be phased out for the newer KASUMI or A5/3 block cipher. This should be an interesting time in the cell phone business.

Thanks to [Tyco] and [MashupMark] for pointing us to this story.

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Make Magazine – Open Source Hardware 2009

Former HaD’er [Phillip Torrone] has written an extensive collection of Open Source Hardware projects for Make Magazine. This impressive list covers over 125 projects and kits, broken into 19 categories including 3d Printing, Music, Robotics, and Wireless systems. A number of these projects have been either extensively detailed or mentioned on HaD, so there is bound to be something for everyone here.

[Phillip] is not only detailing these projects for people new to the Open Source Hardware movement, but is also calling for new and unheard of projects to be listed in places like this, as well as central locations such as the OSH Wikipedia page. We are sure that a number of HaD readers will be answer this challenge.

Thanks again to [Phillip] for sharing this with us.

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$100 free from your favorite hobby supplier!

We were wary at first when the email came in with the headline “SparkFun is having a free day” and figured surly this is in relation to recent events? But no, after 7 years of loyal customers, SparkFun is simply giving back to the community.

It’s interesting to think that without their services, we wouldn’t have some of the amazing hacks we introduce every day. Such as the DIY mood lamp, or Cell phone alt-variometer, or Arduino iPod remote control. And their free day will allow some disadvantaged hackers the ability to finally flex that muscle sitting between their shoulders. What do you plan to make?

Mark your calendars folks, On January the 7th 2010 SparkFun is giving every household a $100 (until they reach $100k), if that’s not an incentive to wake up early, what is?

As a side note, do you think we’ve had enough posts about SparkFun lately?

[Thanks Diego]

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SparkFun product used for immoral hacking

While we have our fun ethically hacking, its very easy to forget that sometimes our ideas could be used with malicious goals. Take for instance SparkFun’s BlueSMiRF – the device’s original intention is simply to act as a wireless serial cable replacement. After hackers discovered several PIN pads use a serial interface, they put one and one together to steal several hundreds of people’s personal bank accounts.

It seems SparkFun is getting a lot of heat lately, but we’re glad they stand up and address these issues. You can check out the original news clipping here.

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Annenberg Diamond Sells Big

Diamond dreams came true for one lucky bidder at the Christie's jewelry auction this week, with a final price tag soaring to millions above expectations!

The Annenberg Diamond was the centerpiece of Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction on Wednesday, and while the stone was estimated to sell for around $3 million when Jewelry.com last reported back in July, the real figure left the experts gasping, "What recession?".

The 32.01-carat D-flawless stone mounted in a ring by Manhattan jeweler David Webb, sold for $7.7 million, healthily above the estimate. In fact, the per-carat price of $240,000 set a new world record for a colorless diamond at auction.

The Annenberg is named after its previous owner, Leonore "Lee" Annenberg, who died in March at the age of 91. Annenberg purchased the ring for herself to mark her 90th birthday, Christie's said. It was delivered by armed guards to her Rancho Mirage home in California from the Beverly Hills jeweler's store.

Now THAT'S a right hand ring, ladies!

Christie's would not reveal the name of the phone bidder who can now add this 'little' walnut-sized gem to their jewelry box, but Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry at Christie's New York, expressed enthusiasm over the sale saying that for a time it was "as if the recession never happened."

Indeed.

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Diamonds and Gemstones Dazzle the Windy City

From the yellow Tiffany diamond to Elton John's Cartier diamond brooch, The Chicago Field Museum is making jewelry dreams come true with their latest diamond display.

Diamond wishes and gemstone dreams come true in Chicago this season as the Field Museum reopened their Grainger Hall of Gems with one whopper of a bling fest.

"We're calling October 'Rocktober,'" Anna Huntley, the museum's project manager told the Chicago Sun Times. "We're reopening the Grainger Hall today with a permanent exhibit ("Grainger Hall of Gems") that features a majority of gems that are new or have never been on display."

The touring "Nature of Diamonds" exhibit, here until next March 28, is museum's shining star with one of the world's largest yellow diamonds, a 128.54-carat gem, returning to the city for a third time. The famous diamond "...got more fabulous when Audrey Hepburn wore it (in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's) and it is a coup to have it here."

Hepburn isn't the only star to have worn some of the items on display. The exhibit also features a 1928 Cartier brooch once owned and worn by Elton John, a diamond-encrusted coronita worn by Salma Hayek and a bracelet owned by Joan Crawford. Not to mention one of the largest diamonds on record - the aptly named, 'Incomparable Diamond', weighing in at a whopping 407.48 carats!

Now that's rockin'.

Visit the museum's website for more diamond details, and be sure to browse Jewelry.com's Diamond Education center for an online diamond primer straight from the experts!

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Diamond Ring Lost in Halloween Candy

An Ohio woman accidentally handed out her three-stone diamond ring to trick or treaters. Yikes! See what other famous celeb lost their diamonds in an unfortunate 'ring toss'.

One lucky Ohio trick-or-treater may have more than just Snickers and Sweet Tarts at the bottom of their Halloween stash. Elizabeth Olson from Terrace Park, Ohio thinks she accidentally handed out her three-stone diamond anniversary ring along with the sweet stuff.

"I think that what happened is, I was tossing candy into pillow cases and buckets, that it just slid out, along with the treats," Olson told WLWT news. "The ring was pretty sentimental. It had three diamonds, and when (my husband) gave it to me, he said, 'One was for yesterday, one for today, and one for tomorrow'."

Despite her efforts to put out the word, the ring still hasn't turned up - but Olson is still hopeful.

"You're disappointed. It's not like I'm the first or last person that it has happened to. I just hope that it finds its way back."

And she's right. In fact, a huge star known for wearing lots of diamond ice recently lost a $20,000 ring while throwing out $100 bills to an eager New York City crowd. Visit our blog, The Jewelry Insider, to find out who.

And in the meantime, Elizabeth? You might want to troll our three-stone diamond coffers for a replacement ring from only the most trusted jewelry retailers out there. We'll keep our ring fingers crossed for you!

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Ivanka Trump's Wedding Ring Missing?

Diamond engagement rings the size of Ivanka Trump's are hard to miss - but somehow the big rock went missing on a very important day. Read more about the diamond no-show.

So Ivanka Trump has a lot on her plate - she's a newlywed, a budding real estate mogul, a jewelry maven and an author. But somehow the New York multi-tasker forgot the most important thing before her appearance on The View yesterday - her wedding ring!

Ivanka and her mother Ivana appeared on the show together, and the youngster was scolded by Barbara Walters, who was a guest at their nuptials a week ago Sunday and noticed the missing ring finger ice.

"I knew you'd call me on that," Ivanka said, laughing. "I was engaged for three months and then I've been married around eight days, so it's sitting on my bedside table. I forget about the hardware."

To be fair, this is certainly not a common occurrence. "This is only one of two times," said Trump, who also admitted to feeling 'a little bit naked' without her ring.

Elizabeth Hasslebeck advised that once she gets used to wearing a wedding band, "You just don't even take the ring off. You keep it on. It gets dirty...but in the newlywed stage, you clean it and take care of it."

Have any of you forgotten to wear your ring finger bling? How do you care for your diamonds? Weigh in on the Jewelry.com Facebook page and be sure to read up on all our Jewelry.com diamond care details to make sure your ice stays shiny and bright.

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Diamond Ring From 'The King'

Somebody's 'Blue Christmas' is about to get a lot brighter. Find out how you can own a diamond ring from Elvis Presley's personal jewelry box.

Are you so lonesome you could cry? Maybe a little diamond companionship from 'The King' himself would make you feel better.

On Decebmer 6^th, Affiliated Auctions in Tallahassee, Florida is putting a 10-carat diamond ring once owned by Elvis on the block.

The diamond dazzler was given to fan, Lloyd Perry, in Asheville, North Carolina at a concert in 1975. Elvis, known for his generosity, threw his guitar into the audience and both Perry and his neighbor caught it. Perry thoughtfully gave it up, but Elvis brought him on stage later in the show to give him his diamond ring for his generosity.

Not a bad consolation prize.

No word yet on the opening bid price, but the piece has a total of 19 four-prong set diamonds set in 14K yellow gold, weighing in at 27.2 grams - definitely something to get 'all shook up' about.

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Vivid Pink Diamond Could Fetch Millions

Got $5 to $7 million laying around? If so, get yourself to Hong Kong for Christie's 'Magnificent Jewels' auction where jaw-dropping pink, blue, red and yellow diamonds are all on parade.

Colored diamonds are all the rage these days - from pink diamonds to blue and even red. But Christie's is offering some of the most stunning colored diamonds on market for their 'Magnificent Jewels' auction in Hong Kong on December 1^st.

The show will feature more than 250 gemstones and jewels valued at over $33 million, including important diamonds, gemstones and jadeite jewels. Four featured items from a private collection are headlining the event, including the "The Vivid Pink," a 5-carat fancy vivid-pink diamond with potentially flawless clarity set in a ring by Graff ($5-$7 million); a Graff ring featuring a 9.03-carat oval-shaped fancy vivid-yellow diamond ($900k-$1.2 million); a 16.65-carat cushion-shaped Kashmir sapphire ring by Van Cleef & Arpels ($700k-$1 million); and "The Cartier Diamond Love Cuff," a custom, one-of-a-kind creation studded with high-quality diamonds.

Rare blue and red diamonds, Burmese sapphires and impressive jewels from Bulgari and Cartier will also be included in case the sticker shock from the big items gets to be too much.

Get those auction paddle hands ready - but if these prices aren't exactly in your wheelhouse, check out the many colored gemstone styles on Jewelry.com. The perfect excuse to get a head start on those holiday wish lists!

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Championship Ring Fever

From the LA Lakers to the World Series Champs, diamond rings aren't just for the ladies to flash. Check out championship ring styles guys like Kobe Bryant and A-Rod flaunt for being the best in the biz.

Show-stopping diamond rings are usually the domain of the Liz Taylors and Paris Hiltons of the world. But sports heroes get their fair share of bling to fling when they receive their championship rings after winning big.

Last month, the Los Angeles Lakers were presented with their whopping diamond rings created by celebrity jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills. The $30,000 jewel is made from 15kt gold to celebrate the team's 15^th championship win and sports 14 diamonds surrounding a center gold trophy.

The New York Yankees will have to wait a few months for their 27th World Series championship rings to arrive, but last year the Phillies got to bring home a bling fest worthy of the title - a 14-karat white gold ring with a whopping 103 diamonds, totaling 3.84 carats.

Unfortunately, some sports stars have resorted to auctioning or pawning off their championship bling due to the failing economy (Lenny Dykstra recently sold his 1986 World Series ring for $56,762.50 at an auction in Dallas), but most stars covet the diamond like it was one of their own children - unless you're Lakers Coach, Phil Jackson

"I don't think any of them are wearable..." Jackson said, calling them "too gaudy, too large. You can't shake hands with anybody."

We're sure we could find a few folks who would love to have that problem.

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Diamond Christmas Ornament Breaks Records

The most expensive Christmas ornament in the world makes a glittering debut. It's never too early to deck the halls with diamonds.

Santa, hold on to your floppy red hat. Diamonds and rubies are often found 'under' the tree, but one British jeweler completed his quest to put them 'on' the tree like never before.

Mark Hussey of Hallmark Jewelers had a vision about making the most expensive Christmas tree ornament in the world and after a year of trying came up with what record keepers say is the most expensive pine tree candy ever made.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the blingy bauble is made of 18kt white gold with over 500 diamonds orbited by two rings made of 188 rubies; it took over 130 hours just to set all the gems in the piece. The National Association of Goldsmiths independently valued the diamond decoration at a whopping $130,000.

As one could imagine, security is now ramped up at the family-friendly jewelry store with the ornament safely encased in a special container with an alarm that triggers smoke to fill the shop when tripped.

Santa? Meet James Bond.

If visions of diamonds dance in your head this time of year (and $130,000 is a 'little' more than your budget allows), check out our treasure trove of diamond jewelry from all the retailers you trust. Make those wish lists sparkle with savings and style this year.

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