Friday, September 5, 2008
Screens
MultiTouch Cell Can Play Tom Cruise as Big as You’d Like
11:45PM Mark Wilson | MultiTouch, the company, not the technology, has developed the MultiTouch Cell, a multitouch LCD display that’s modular (meaning that many LCDs can assemble to make one big LCD). Beyond expandability, the screens are quite advanced, supporting multiple users and recognising fingers in relationship to the hand as opposed to independent points (which allows for more complex interactions). The tech is still quite pricey—the 32″ display runs US$7,000 with the 1080p 46″ version reaching US$15,000—but it takes a lot of resources to be a non-crazy version of Tom Cruise. Read on for a pretty fantastic clip of the MultiTouch Cell in use. More »
Computers
Amazon to Sell OLPC in November, Including Dual-Boot XP Model
11:30PM Kit Eaton | From November you’ll be able to buy the OLPC in its classic “buy one for the price of two” offer from Amazon, which should be a smoother way of distributing the device than when the OLPC was originally on sale from the source. This new Give 1 Get 1 program will also cover the Windows XP version, now that Microsoft have finalised it, as well as the Sugar OS version. One thing remains unknown: pricing. The previous G1G1 program went to US residents for US$398, but maybe this time it’ll be a little closer to the fabled US$100 price tag. [Electronista and BBC] More »
Gadgets
Addy Changes the World One Bag at a Time
11:15PM Jesus Diaz | Remember the video above, with our very own and beloved Addy Dugdale cursing and tearing apart Sharp’s IFA 2007 sharp-as-knives gigantic swag bags? Well, I’m happy to report that Addy changed the world that day, once and forever. I witnessed the consequences of her actions at IFA 2008: More »
Computers
Asus N10, An Eee with Some Oomph
10:45PM Mark Wilson | While Asus has gone a little Netbook-nuts, their recently leaked N10 is actually a promising revision on the genre dominated by clones. The 1.6Ghz Atom, 10.2″ screen and 2GB of RAM—that’s all pretty standard stuff. But three things other than its draft n Wi-Fi and face/thumb recognition have us interested in the N10. First, it’s got HDMI-out. And with its small footprint, one can easily imagine hooking this little laptop up to their TV. Second, it’s loaded with high quality Altec Lansing speakers. Third, Asus netbooks are finally dealing with that whole lack of graphics card issue. More »
Hardware
Intel’s Atom Roadmap Revealed: Next Gen ‘Pineview’ Chips Due Fall 2009
10:15PM Kit Eaton | Yesterday it was AMD, and today PC Watch has got hold of Intel’s Atom roadmap: looks like the next-generation of chips, dubbed “Pineview,” will hit in Q3 of next year. The 45nm processors will follow the route taken by the current gen, using hyperthreading to double up single and dual processor cores so that the OS sees them as dual-core and quad-cores. The microarchitecture is an update on the current Silverthorne system: like the bigger Nehalem chips, it ditches the idea of a frontside bus, instead using a Direct Media Interface to connect to I-O chips. It’ll also integrate graphics core and memory manager right into the chip packaging. Wonder what AMD will come up with to counter that? [PCWatch via RegHardware] More »
Gadgets
R2-D2 Alarm Clock Requires X-Wing Bedsheets
10:07PM Jesus Diaz | I hate, hate, alarm clocks. Especially after going out and having way too many straight bourbons. Like yesterday. But I digress. This R2-D2 Alarm Clock will wake you up with real R2 squeeks and electrobabbles. And while it doesn’t have the same power as the much-lusted-after R2-D2 video projector, it projects the time on the wall, too, using lasers, or tractor beams, or probably just LEDs. [Wesco via Toyology] More »
Phones
Samsung A837 Mil-Spec Mobile Phone Has a Tough Box Too
9:31PM Kit Eaton | We brought you leaked photos and some basic specs on Samsung’s upcoming toughened A837 mobile phone last week, but the enterprising chaps over at Por Homme have somehow got hold of one and unboxed it. They also revealed more detail on the toughness of the device: it’s hardened to meet MIL-STD-810F standards for dust, shock, vibration, rain, altitude, solar radiation and temperature. Sounds like it’ll be good for most work environments then, especially since the case is hardened to resist physical damage too. Check out the gallery and see the “cute” tough toolbox the phone came in. More »
Phones
Mio Leap K1 GPS Mobile Phone Reveals Its Dual-Sided Strangeness
8:30PM Kit Eaton | The two gadgets in that image aren’t a separate mobile phone and GPS navigator, oh no, they’re something far stranger: a dual-sided gizmo dubbed the Leap K1. From Mio (recently in the news with its Knight Rider themed GPS) the device is a quad-band phone with 2-megapixel cam and Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, that also does both GPS and AGPS navigation: you simply have to flip the phone over. A Chinese site has got their hands on one and unboxed it, and you know what? It’s actually an attractive piece of kit. We’ll have to wait to see if its price is equally attractive, and there’s no info on when it’ll be released. What’s your take on this, guys… weird or weirdly useful? [Mobile01 via Navigadget] More »
Phones
Prada II Full Specs Leak Online
8:01PM Kit Eaton | The last we heard of the upgrade to LG’s Prada phone, the Prada II, was a grainy photo and some speculative specifications. Now over at Boy Genius Report they’ve been given a run-down on the full specs of the phone from a source they trust. The rumoured 5-megapixel camera is indeed there, with flash and VGA video capability. 850MHz/2100MHz HSDPA’s there too, as is the 3-inch screen. Read on for more. More »
Cameras
