Tech news briefly
Sirius XM Adapter: The new XM Snap! device, launching in October, will give Sirius subscribers the ability to turn any car radio into a satellite radio receiver. The price? 59.99 for a gadget that plugs into your cigarette adapter. It’ll even display the artist and song, just like a real satellite radio.
Space Hotel: Energia, the lead contractor on the International Space Station, wants to make a private space station that will house up to seven billionaires I mean, people. The hotel isn’t expected before 2016, but the company has already released some ideas. Think: four rooms. Celebrity chefs. Most importantly, actual showers, as opposed to the tourists who’ve already gone up and used no-rinse soap at the ISS.
Las Vegas hotel “death ray”: It’s something straight out of James Bond: a mirrored hotel which roasts its guests. The Vdara Hotel is constructed in such a way that sunlight on the south side is reflected off into an area directly below right where the pool is. Guests have already complained of being cooked (well, more-so than in normal tanning) and the hotel is working to remedy the problem.
Blackberry tablet: RIM will be releasing its first Blackberry tablet, the PlayBook, in early 2011. It features a new operating system (appropriately titled the Blackberry Tablet OS) and will have Flash compatibility. With a 7-inch LCD screen, 1 GB RAM, and HDMI video, the tablet has the makings of an iPad competitor, but we’ll reserve judgment for now.