These noise-cancelling headphones from Hitachi Maxell are unlike many previous similar types since they don't require separate power. Instead they connect to iPods via the dock connector, and can suck on the batteries through there. They do manage about 20dB of noise canceling with an "Active Noise Rejection" system, but the design is curiously crippling: they can only connect to iPods (4th gen or later) and the iPod touches and not the iPhone. And draw power from there means you'll get reduced battery life, which may be as much as 50%. And the iPod's volume control doesn't work, so you have to use the slider on the headphones. Weird, but these HP-NC20.IPs are only about $80 in Japan, so you may still be tempted. [AVWatch]

According to the MIT Technology Review, Adobe is working with mobile processor manufacturer ARM on optimizing Flash Player 10 and AIR for ARM processors. Why does this matter? Because ARM processors are found in 90% of mobile phones (iPhone and G1 included), not to mention set top boxes, PMPs, and gaming devices (like the Nintendo DS). And how will they do it? Adobe and ARM say they have three main areas they're working on to improve the mobile flash experience.

First, they're customizing the compiler specifically for the ARMv6 and ARMv7 processors, which will help speed up and smooth out communications between the processor and the app. Second, they're going to take advantage of the graphics subprocessors found in some ARM chips. Flash on desktops isn't optimized for any sort of graphics processor, but taking advantage of this on a mobile platform will not only help with the workload, but it will improve battery life at the same time. Lastly, they're making video compression and decompression better suited for the processors, so that it requires less horsepower.

It should come as no huge surprise that Adobe says Flash 10 will be running on ARM devices by next year, considering that they already announced plans for the software on the iPhone and G1. It will not only make it easier to view sites with rich web content, but it will also be easier to view and upload flash videos, and run flash-based apps. [MIT Technology Review]

The release of the OpenTable iPhone app and the TiVo partnership with Dominos Pizza got me thinking about whether or not less interaction with human beings in these situations is a good thing. I mean, in the case of OpenTable why call up and make reservations when you can press a few buttons and schedule it online? They even have that section where you can make asinine requests to the Maitre

After a small delay, Google released their new and improved Google Mobile for iPhone app yesterday. We gave you our one-word review, but now it's time for a closer look at Google's impressive new voice recognition search app—the one that's going to make typing to search on your phone a thing of the past.

How It Works

How It Really Works

The videos above certainly make the search-by-voice Google Mobile seem incredible, but anything can look good in a video. The real test is how it works in practice.

Lucky for us, the voice-recognition capabilities of are uncannily good. I won't say you'll never get a bum match—see, for example, how TechCrunch's Michael Arrington's search for "How big is a giant squid?" was interpreted as "public citizen times square", or alternately, how my initial voice search for "Lifehacker" was interpreted as "Flight Tracker" (my second try worked, for what it's worth). For the most common searches—and even many uncommon searches, for that matter—you may be surprised at just how well it works.

Much to my satisfaction, the search results now appear in an iPhone-optimized format similar to the new mobile Safari layout. That means you'll also get quick access to phone numbers and directions when applicable to your search.

Any Downsides?

My biggest disappointment is the new Apps tab, which contains links to open any of a handful of Google Apps, still has to launch mobile Safari rather than opening the apps directly inside the Google Mobile app, so it's still not the one-stop Google shop that it could be. (Apparently there are limitations placed on what an application-embedded browser can do versus what mobile Safari can do.)

Now that you've had the chance to play with it for a day, let's hear what you think of the new Google Mobile app in the comments.

Jason, last week everything went kind of crazy with the dogs and work, and my machines.

Noah is going to work for Fast Company, Lisa went to Tokyo for NPR work and left me to watch the new puppy, go to puppy school and get him neutered and pick up poo and pee at all hours of the day/night. In the middle of the night, he was trying to take his cone thing off to lick his stitches and realized I had to go get a bigger one from the vet at 2am. (I call him captain radar when he wears it.) Doesn't sound that bad a few days later, but then the Mac fried its HDD with no warning or clicking. Probably the logic board. One HDD swap and Time Machine/Capsule restore later and I've got zero data loss. (I set mine to back up at 1am every night, using Time Machine Editor.) I consider that my lucky break of the week. Lisa's RAM fried too, when she got back, the symptom being repeat kernel panics. Maybe it was the full moon.

Here are my favorite posts from this week so far:

• 10 Gadgets That Have No Business Using a Jet Engine
• What it Feels Like to Drive a Tesla Roadster
• At Gizmodo Gallery: Ancient Apple Phone Prototypes From Frog Design
• Google's iPhone Voice Search Mobile App Now Available
• 30 Mars Phoenix Discoveries NASA Will Never Show the World

Times may be hard economically, but you don't need to give your electronics-DIY enthusiast friend a naff present, thanks to MAKE's sub-$20 Electronics Gift Guide. In fact, some of the items listed are so neat I'm tempted to gift a couple to myself right now... There's a DIY battery-powered USB charger kit good for iPhones, a tiny persistence-of-vision LED display, solar-powered theremin and more. My personal fave is the Drawdio music-making pencil. There're a few LED decoration projects there too: I think my Christmas tree may end up glittering with some DIY LED goodness this year. [Makezine]