Inspired by Gizmodo's Addy's post on a man and his "love" of robots, the guy at SlashDong decided to take a Fleshlight and make it into an input device for his computer. The whole setup costs about $100ish, and consists of a cap replacement for the Fleshlight, a control box, a rubber tube, and a USB cable. Oh, and an actual sex game to use it with. You didn''t think you could use this to Photoshop, did you?

The end result, after programming the computer to think that this makeshift device is a mouse, is that you can use your wang to simulate having sex with a woman on screen. Of course, it''s an incredibly ugly woman with 1995-era graphics, but it corresponds to your penile motions. Is this a revolution in sexual computing? Are we going to see more of these devices in the future? We think yes

[Slashdong (NSFW)] via [Gizmodo]

Today Canon has announced updates to their XL H1 1080i Pro HD camcorder, splitting the line into two offerings: the XL H1S and XL H1A, a more simplistic XL H1A will be offered at a retail price of just $5,999 this July—several thousand less that we saw the original XL H1 priced for. And the H1 classic XL H1S, available this June, will run $8,999.

Updates look to be disappointingly minor, with more studio output options, expanded image control, Speedlite shoe mount, and the ability to record external in XLR mics at the same time. The spec-similar 20X HD zoom lens has also seen an update for improved manual controls/ergonomics. But the biggest component, the three 1/3 inch, 1.67 Megapixel CCD Image Sensors along with Canon''s proprietary DIGIC DVII HD Image Processor—seems to be a complete rehash of the XL H1—a camera that''s now over two years old.

Oh, and the bonus for forking over $3,000 more for the XL H1S?
"The XL H1S model provides expanded connectivity by incorporating HD-SDI (SMPTE 299M)/SD-SDI (SMPTE272M) output with embedded audio and time code, providing a raw, uncompressed 1.485 Gbps signal for demanding live production environments, SMPTE Time Code input and output terminals, and a Genlock output terminal for multi-camera shooting situations."

[Free Wi-Fi/Hotspot Finder] via [Lifehacker]

Freeware app Outlook on the Desktop embeds the Outlook calendar directly into your desktop. Outlook on the Desktop creates a semi transparent layer that pins the Outlook Calendar on the desktop at all times. The premise is to mimic the real life paper calendaring system — you know the really big calendar you used to keep on your desk. Also, since it uses Outlook, you have full access to all of Outlook''s functionality. Outlook on the Desktop requires .NET 2.0. If you do not have it installed, the program''s setup will install it for you. Outlook on the Desktop is a free download for Windows only.

[Embed Outlook to Your Desktop] via [Lifehacker]

Adobe Media Player is a free video streaming application that runs on the Adobe Air platform. What it is is a desktop content delivery vehicle for “Adobe TV”, which comprises a number of licensed networks and channels offers content creators the opportunity publish their videos. Content is managed within the app so that it is saved and be accessed offline, and a range of video resolutions (480i, 720p, and 1080p) are supported.

This is Adobe’s foray into the content streaming market, competing with the likes of Miro, Joost, and a few dozen others that have mushroomed over the past few months (see this posting).

With all these streaming video services popping up its hard to see why a user would favor any particular one over the others. I think I am a typical user in that I personally would seek out YouTube first and foremost whenever I am seeking video content, but Adobe Media Player is distinct from YouTube in a number of ways, although it is not really differentiated from the many other desktop content management/delivery platforms. Here are more notes on this program:

• The content: the video content offered is licensed from a number of networks such as CBS, MTV, PBS and others, such that you are able to watch older episodes of CSI for example.
• Finding what you seek: although the videos are sorted into subject categories as well as networks, I got a feeling that the complete unpredictability of the kind of programming that is offered will make it unlikely that I or a user like me would be turning to Adobe Media Player to watch video content. Unless the user has the time and inclination to simply browse what’s on offer, in which case he/she might find some gems. The search box, unfortunately, offers search within episodes but not across networks.
• The user experience: the program feels like a very sleek iTunes or Podcasting client for videos. It actually looks and feels good, very responsive and intuitive, making navigating through the program quite a pleasant experience. The option to bookmark favorite channels is quite convenient.

[Streaming Video From Adobe Media Player] via [Freewaregenius.com]