R2-D2 Projector
This is an actual working R2-D2 projector and DVD player made by the guys at Nikko. Setting you back ¥388,500 ($3,000) this little robot is a 1/2 scale DLP projector with a slot-loading DVD player, 1,800:1 contrast, 1,500 lumen brightness, and resolution of 1024×768 pixels… not that anybody buying this would particularly care about the specifications.
SOURCE: Impress
360-degree 3D display
The Telexistence Wide-angle Immersive STEReoscope (TWISTER) is a goggle-free panoramic display aimed to ‘immerse viewers in a 3D video environment.’ Developed by a team at the University of Toyko, TWISTER is being hailed as the ‘world's first full-color 360-degree 3D display that does not require viewers to wear special glasses,’ and it's finally coming together after a decade of work. Within the cylindrical, rotating device, you'll find some 50,000 LEDs that give off the illusion of a three-dimensional object without any ocular aids. Moreover, the team is already looking into the possibility of adding 3D videophone technology to spruce up video telephony, but we'd be totally content with a couple rounds of Halo in this thing.
SOURCE: PinkTentacle
Get in Shape
I thought I'd point out the new Power Plate my5 fitness machine which uses so-called ‘Acceleration Training’ to give a full body workout in a few minutes. 10 minutes on the Power Plate is seemingly equivalent to 60 minutes' conventional exercise. As well as reducing cellulite and accellerating metabolisms, there are a number of claimed health benefits.
It works through transferring vibrations to the muscles in the body causing them to contract in a reflex action – a method used to train astronauts by developing their muscles and helping them to get used to unusual stresses and strains their bodies would be exposed to in space. Different parts of the body are put in contact with the platform in various exercise positions ranging from squats, lunges and push-ups to abdominal crunches, tricep dips or bicep curls, and a pose is held for up to 60 seconds.
The my5 comes with a remote control, is available in a few colours, and retails for £3,500. The original Power Plate my3 machine has been reduced from £2000 to £1000. Both models are available from John Lewis, Selfridges, Harrods or PowerPlate.com
Review: Sony K550i
The good: 2.0 megapixel camera with Autofocus function, A2DP,
The bad: Grainy digital images, uses Memory Stick Micro
Shockgadgets verdict: Putting aside the disappointing performance of the camera this neat and attractive handset is very user-friendly - packed with features it's pretty good value for money.
Full Review
Sony Ericsson launched a glut of new phones earlier in the year in an effort to appeal to a much broader audience - the result was the launch of two Cyber-shot-branded handsets - theK550i and K810i. We have the lower spec K550i to play with this time round and we are expecting a great deal from the camera totting phone even if it is the lower spec of the two…
iPhone Release Date Confirmed
The adequately-long-awaited Apple iPhone has had its US release date confirmed at 29th June by a TV advert shown last night. The $600 multi-touch gesture-based PDA still requires a two-year contract from Cingular. The advert featured a map search for ’seafood’, resulting in ringing the Pacific Catch restaurant. Their number shows up in the advert, and many nerds viewers bombarded the restaurant with calls after the commercial aired.
<br clear=’both’>
VIA's Miniature Motherboard
The VIA EPIA PX10000 Pico-ITX motherboard standard is the smallest regular commercial motherboard available. Its obvious tiny size will allow it to fit in tiny boxes - think small SSD hard drives too. The low power requirements (max of 16-Watts) are also very attractive to manufacturers. Unfortunately, the 1GHz CPU isn't the most capable, so hi-definition video (above 1024×768) simply isn't possible - thus ruling out this motherboard for HD TV applications. There is a lack of cases for motherboards of this size, and manufacturers aren't willing to create them for the limited market (which may be limited due to the lack of cases…). There are also no central Linux drivers provided. With these issues and limitations, it is unlikely that the Pico-ITX platform will spark general market appeal, but that probably wasn't the point of it.
Read: Review
MP100 Portable DVD Player
From Mustek comes the MP100 portable DVD player, the big brother of the MP80D that I reviewed earlier, another straight-forward but well-conceived machine.
The main controls on the machine itself are simple and allow for easy navigation through DVD menus with little hassle, this is something I've come to know and love from Mustek. Simplicity. The controls themselves are well flushed with the surface of the player, but not so much so as they would become difficult to operate and irritating. They work fine and each is clearly labelled with its function.
The player itself is reasonably sized and lightweight, but bigger than past models. The LCD screen is a nice large 10-inch which takes up a good amount of the lid of the player. Definitely a decent size in my opinion, it allows for good solo viewing and also gives you a good view if you have multiple people watching. Also due to its widescreen proportions you don't get the letterbox effect splashed across your films. The screen is both hinged to fold down, like a laptop, but also on a swivel hinge which lets it fold round to allow you to simply just have the screen visible. This is very useful during car journey which lets you simply hang the screen on the back of a car headrest with the provided sling. This does give the impression that the MP100 was designed with keeping the kids quiet in the back of the car… Read more
Intel's prototype thinnest laptop
Zima Designs, sponsored by Intel, have shown off their specifications for a new ‘Metro’ laptop, dubbed the world's thinnest at 0.7-inches and lightest at 2.2-pounds. The external e-ink display and always-on Internet connectivity may be pretty high-tech, but Intel may also be heading towards the female market - one corner it hasn't cornered yet. Intel is hopeful that it could begin manufacture later this year, although we know the consequences of repeated delays all too well.
Read: BusinessWeek
Touch me…
Size really does matter as manufacturers look for new and innovative ways to loosen Apples strangle hold on the MP3 player market. The latest is the announcement from LG of the ultra-stylish MFFM37, their first touch-screen video player.
Chic and compact, the LG MFFM37 made in light-weight aluminium measures just 51.5mm wide, 90mm long and 9.9mm thick is available in 2Gb and 4Gb options.
The MP3 player has an easy-to-use touch screen, which features a customisable and interactive interface on a 2.4inch LCD display. With LG's Mobile XD Engine built-in the player claims to offer a better viewing experience.
Order your Optimus
The (long long) long-awaited Optimus keyboard is finally available to pre-order from Art Lebedev. Back to its original 113-key layout, it can be yours in December for $1564.37 (about £700, which works out at $13.84 per key). Only 200 will be made in the first batch, so act quick if you want one.
Also at the below links are some decent images of the finally-built keyboard. We can see it has USB output, two USB input ports as well as an SD card slot for saving the keyboard layouts. Also provided is a K-Lock for security - you wouldn't want a $1500 keyboard to go walkabouts in the office, would you?
Link: Art Lebedev