All posts by Athol Courtenay

Writer, programmer, photographer and ponderer of sorts. Keeping IT interesting with a dry cool wit, this is tech but not as you know it. Technology, Science, Space, Humor, Computers, Consumer Electronics and more.
Console, Featured Article, Gadgets, Gaming, LivingRoom

Next Generation Nintendo Switch and NVIDIA Shield TV, Tegra X1 Brothers in Arms…

Pixel pushing powerhouse NVIDIA are well known for producing powerful video cards but they have another product that has been quietly selling by the millions for the last 4 years. The Tegra X1 SOC is that piece of silicon and it is the electronic brains inside two very impressive gadgets, the Nintendo Switch and the NVIDIA Shield TV.

First announced in 2015 the X1 is a mobile gaming powerhouse built onto a single tiny silicon chip. The X1 got its first big break in 2016 when Nintendo decided to use the chip in its new transforming console the Switch, which was subsequently launched March 2017. In the 2 years since the Switch has sold over 34 million units. At the same time NVIDIA has sold millions of their Shield TV’s.

Continue reading Next Generation Nintendo Switch and NVIDIA Shield TV, Tegra X1 Brothers in Arms… →
Gadgets, Mobile Phone, Product Review, Technology

Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 Smart Watch, Balanced Design and Smarts…

Here at Highpants we have been contemplating the purchase of a smart watch for a while now. However, until now we haven’t been able to find the right combination of looks and features that satisfied our desires and convinces us to pony up the dosh. That is until we stumbled upon the Diesel On Full Guard 2.5, a watch that had us slamming down our cold hard cash faster than gambler on a hot streak.

The Diesel design finally achieves a smart watch that looks just like an attractive watch. In a brutally rugged way it achieves what is arguably the best balance of design and smarts of any smart watch on the market. Even if smart watches are of no interest this watch gets the attention of watch fans with its chunky Industrial design and use of machined steel.

This especially applies to fans of Diesels traditional watches (non-smart), they will love what Fossil have achieved in gun metal grey steel. This is after-all a Fossil watch under the hood with Android Wear OS properly implemented. Fossil has gotten so good at this type of design that Google recently purchased the Fossil division responsible for producing the Diesel, Michael Corrs and Mont Blanc Wear OS watches.

The Smart Watch Dilemma

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Action, Automotive

Ken Block’s Gymkhana Ten, Tyre Shredding Madness…

Ken Block, the master of sideways madness has gathered his team of spanner wielding maniacs for Gymkhana Ten. To celebrate the release of this tenth Gymkhana the ‘The Hoonigans’ have assembled 10 extreme tyre slaying street racing machines. With so much horsepower assembled it should be no surprise that this epic Gymkhana video is also the longest so far at 19 minutes.

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Automotive, Cool

Tesla Roadster: 1.9 sec to 100Kph is Pure Insanity…

Due for release in 2020 Elon Musk’s second-generation Roadster is still a couple of years away from hitting the road but it already has chins wagging. The king of the funny wagging chins Jay Leno recently experienced the insane acceleration that 10,000-foot pounds of torque can produce, and his reaction was priceless.  Suffice as to say he went from curious to wanting one in under 1.9 seconds.

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Console, Gaming, Product Review

The Sony PlayStation Classic: the Retro Gaming Time Machine…

In the distant past of gaming, in a time before analogue sticks protruded prominently from our game controllers there existed a console that took the world by storm, the PlayStation. Today Sony has resurrected this gaming legend and gaven the world the PlayStation Classic, simultaneously giving the retro gaming world a huge shot in the arm.

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Science

MIT’s Ionic Wind Aircraft: Antigravity Technology or the Incredible Power of Electricity…

When I was a child I remember seeing advertisements for antigravity and UFO kits available via mail order. Advertised in the back of magazines these kits captured the imagination of many people for years. A simple search of YouTube will turn up dozens of examples of these types of devices in spooky action. With nothing more than the application of some electricity they will leap from the ground and sail through the air.

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Gaming

Red Alert Returns: Command & Conquer Remastered Anniversary Edition…

Real time strategy fans rejoice, one of the all time classic RTS games could be returning to the PC for your gaming pleasure. Command & Conquer is universally loved as one of the greatest RTS games of all time and a reboot may be in the works. EA game production manager Jim Vessella mentioned this weekend that EA have special plans for the franchise on its 25th anniversary. The original Command & Conquer blew peoples minds when it was first released on the 31st of August 1995. Now with its 25th birthday fast approaching the PC gaming community is waiting with bated breath to see what EA has in store.

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