Roberts may get ridiculed for its design cues, but one thing's for sure: it sticks to its guns. The latest patently ugly (but sort of cute) DAB radio to emerge from its lair is the solarDAB, which predictably gets energized by the sun. The unit packs a top-mounted solar panel along with a "level indicator on the display screen that shows the strength of the solar level being absorbed." Once the rechargeable batteries are fully juiced, said radio will blast out tunes for a whopping 27 hours. You should be able to secure one in a variety of colors here soon for £79.99 ($158).

[Via TechDigest]

Look folks, just because Dyson can build a motor with enough oomph to power a vehicle, that doesn't mean it's actually going to. At least that's the message a company spokesperson wants you to believe. Contrary to earlier reports, James Dyson is not looking to enter the electric automobile sector in any way, shape or fashion. Said spokesperson was quoted as saying that "James Dyson did say that [Dyson's] new digital motor could power a car, but it is not working on, and [we] have no plans to create an electric car." Okay, but can you at least make the Ball 2.0 street legal?

[Via AutoblogGreen, image courtesy of Telegraph]

Motorola so had this down pat last year, but we suppose O2 is just showcasing its pedal-powered charging system now that such devices are all the rage. Just days after we had a look at two unorthodox chargers from Orange, along comes rival O2 with a bicycle-related alternative. Reportedly, the eco-friendly device will be demonstrated at the O2 Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park, but unfortunately, each of the demo bikes will be stationary. Still no word on whether O2 has a mind to take this thing commercial, but for cyclists the world over, here's to hoping it does.

[Thanks, Adam]

We'll be straight with you: it's pretty hard to imagine what all will go down at ICA London just weeks from now. Apparently a host of bebopping robots will be on hand to pogo up and down to the melodic sounds of the Punk Voice Choir. Additionally, each night of Neurotic will see a pair of punk bands from across the UK, and the robots in question will reportedly be controlled by "a Neural Network modeled on the neurology of the human brain and educated in punk music." So yeah, if you're in the area July 3rd through 5th and feel like getting your face rocked by a bunch of bobbing bots, let us know just how radically it changes your life.

[Via MAKE]

Dyson (yes, that Dyson) could be looking to play a role in the next great electric automobile. Just let your brain simmer on that a moment, and see if you can stifle any forthcoming laughter. Believe it or not, the British inventor famous for his iconic vacuum designs is actually developing a "powerful lightweight motor that could enable electric cars to zoom along for hundreds of miles without causing pollution." In theory, the eventual vehicle would scoot about much quicker than the majority of sluggish electric vehicles and solar panels would be tacked on the roof for regeneration in sunlight. Of course, some analysts are suggesting that he continue to keep his innovative motors in household gizmos, and rather than strike out on his own to invent a new car, he could simply partner with an existing automaker and toss in his design genius to craft something that's not horrifically ugly. Sounds pretty good to us.

[Via Core77, image courtesy of Telegraph]

We've seen some pretty hot DAB radios make the scene, but consumers just haven't greeted the tech with any kind of enthusiasm -- which is why the UK's Digital Radio Working Group recently suggested that FM services be shut off starting in 2012, with complete shut-off to occur by 2020. According to the group's report, only 17.8 percent of radio listening is digital, and the chances of finding a DAB radio in a car (where 20 percent of all UK radio listening is done) is less than 1 in 200. The DRWG says that the switchover to DAB will take three steps: first, a commitment to the tech by the government and industry, with radios being made multiplatform and able to receive all the flavors of DAB; second, a massive promotional campaign; and third, switchoff of FM, which is optimistically scheduled to begin in 2012. That's certainly one way to get people to buy new radios -- but unlike the switch to digital TV, we don't see anyone being too put out by having to listen to their MP3 players in the car instead of FM radio.

While those of us here in America puff our chests out each time we waltz by that LCD-equipped centralpark Connection refrigerator, folks in the UK can get extra prideful courtesy of John Lewis. Although the integrated coffee machine, electric oven, steam oven and 19-inch HD-ready LCD TV can all be purchased separately, they're being (smartly) marketed together to create the "ultimate kitchen combo." The whole shebang will run you £2,246 ($4,363), and not surprisingly, it's the £699 ($1,358) tele that's likely to bring in the most profit. Meat-heads will agree to anything with pixels though, right?

[Via CNET]

This certainly won't be the first time ASUS has shipped an in-demand item elsewhere in the world while USers ponder the thought of importing, but apparently the outfit's potent G70 is now on sale in the UK. For those who missed it, this monstrosity features a 17-inch WUXGA / WXGA+ panel, an optional Core 2 Extreme processor, twin GeForce 8700M GT graphics cards, 1GB of RAM, an optional Blu-ray writer, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth / WiFi and oodles of LED accents. Word on the street has it going for around £1,999 ($3,948) well equipped, but those blokes across the pond aren't too worried about a US release date.

DVD rental kiosks have been lighting up pharmacies and supermarkets across the US, but it seems that UKers and Irish lads / dames will soon have the great, great privilege of interfacing with Movie Booths in the near future. This particular unit doesn't seem all too different from other variations we've seen, boasting a simple touchscreen display and a built-in android tasked with fetching your selected title and spitting it out for a nominal (read: undisclosed) fee. Apparently, trials have been deemed a success in outlets like Tesco, Centra and Applegreen, thus paving the way to see these pop up everywhere by the year's end. Any chance we'll see a Blu-ray Disc or two popped in there?

[Via Pocket-lint]

Need some way to express your adoration for Solid Snake when not inside the house? Then check out this limited edition piece, would you? The Metal Gear Solid 4 watch will reportedly arrive individually numbered from 1 to 500 alongside a "Konami certificate of authenticity approved by Hideo Kojima." You'll also get a nifty gift box to hold the water resistant timepiece in when it's not flanking your wrist, but only if you manage to score one before the legions of other hardcore fans do. Oddly enough, there's some sort of "pre-order" going on in the read link below, but we wouldn't count on that being the most reliable method for procuring the £99.99 ($197) device when it's released in October.

[Via TechDigest]

For those fortunate enough to be planning a trip to this year's Glastonbury, you can rest assured that forgetting your mobile charger won't be the worst thing that could possibly happen. Reportedly, Orange will erect a seven-meter high recharge Pod tent in which patrons can stop by and reinvigorate their winded handset. Said tent will boast 500-watt solar panels and a 500-watt wind turbine in order to generate electricity for the lifeless phones, and Orange is hoping to juice up 100 devices per hour. If only such conveniences were everywhere...

[Thanks, Adam]

For the love of all that's humane in this world, it's about time someone stepped up and put an end to this lunacy. Okay, so maybe that's overstating things a bit, but we're joyous nonetheless to hear that the Kent County Council in southeast England has "become one of the first in the UK to ban mosquito gadgets from its buildings." Here's a refresher: so-called mosquito tones are high-pitched frequencies that can only be heard by the younger sect (you know, those with outstanding hearing abilities). Apparently some businesses have been using said gizmos to keep kids from loitering and the like, but higher-ups in Kent feel this method of detraction isn't fair. If all goes to plan, councilors are hoping to ask the government to ban the devices altogether, but only time will tell if the notion will catch on elsewhere in the country.

[Via Digg]

Here in the US, we've heard some pretty terrifying experiences about selling modchips, but it seems as if higher-ups in the UK are being a bit more reasonable about the whole thing. Reportedly, UK-based MrModchips was cleared of all 26 counts against him for his role in importing and selling console modchips, as the Court of Appeal Criminal Division (Judge Justice Jacobs, in particular) ruled that said chips do not circumvent copyright protection. Better still, the defendant was "awarded full costs as a result of his successful appeal," and we can only assume he was smiling all the way out of the crowded courtroom. Chalk one up for the little guy.

[Via Slashdot]

Apple just announced that iTunes UK will finally make films available to British punters. Studios include 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Sony Pictures Television International and Lionsgate UK. At kickoff, about 700 films will be available to purchase or rent. Films cost £6.99 for purchased library titles and £10.99 for new releases. Rentals start at £2.49 for library titles and £3.49 for new releases -- "HD" titles for £4.49 without with an Apple TV prerequisite, apparently.

Update: Nope, after digging around the store it's clear that an Apple TV is still required for HD rentals. Picture proof after the break.

Update 2: The Canadian iTunes store is sporting films now as well. Come on Apple, Canada's not worthy of a press release? What's that aboot?

Update 3: Canadian press release now oot -- 1,200 films (not 700 in UK) now available for rent or purchase.

[Thanks, Nate and Zayn K.]

Though not the first stretched display we've seen per se, LG is taking widescreen to an entirely new plateau with its latest duo of monitors. Launched today in the UK, the 38-inch M3800S-BN and 29-inch M2900S-BN feature oddball resolutions like 1,366 x 398 and 1,366 x 480 (respectively) along with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 9-millisecond response time and a VGA input. Obviously geared for digital signage applications, both units can display imagery horizontally or vertically, and while price points weren't disclosed, we'll go ahead and assume that they'll be pegged for purchase on those business-centric credit cards (if you catch our drift).

[Via Pocket-lint]