We’ve been following Plastic Logic’s potential Kindle-killing e-reader device this week, and the guys over at TGDaily are adding to the intrigue with video of it. Speaking with a company rep, they found out that the device is less than 7mm thin and charges/connects to PCs with a miniUSB connector.
Garmin’s had a tiny stylistic brain-fart with some new Nuvi GPSs. Imagine a cheesy glimmering gadget suckered-on to your windshield, sending glittering—and distracting—shafts of light into your car… that’s kind of what you’ve got in the “light rose” and “black diamond” editions of the Nuvi 250 and 760. They’re covered in coloured faux-diamonds. Yuck. The red, white and blue editions (also new) we can appreciate. But in a few years, in a look back at recent gadget history, crystal-covered GPS units will be consigned to the “what the hell were they thinking?” category. [Aving via Navigadget] galleryPost('garminstyle', 3, '');
Tonchidot’s Sekai Camera is the killer iPhone application I was looking for: just point your camera anywhere around you to have instant feedback about whatever is on your screen. Directions, reviews, messages, offers, and any tag you can imagine will appear floating in front of you, adding a graphic overlay to the world.
Hitachi became the latest company to enter the online search arena, unveiling a “similar image search” engine called GazoPa at TechCrunch50. Unlike regular image search services, GazoPa relies on characteristics such as similar colours and shapes rather than traditional metadata. We’re not sure why Hitachi, better known as a hardware company, would dabble in something like image searching, but GazoPa seems like an interesting concept if it works as well as it does in the video.
Pioneer introduced two new plasma TVs with panels designed for incredibly deep blacks at an industry event in Tokyo. Are these the same Kuro gen 2 panels that are currently shipping in the US? Or are they the even better ones we saw in prototype form at CES? The guys at Akihabara News were able to check out the company’s new 60-inch and 50-inch sets at Tokyo’s Miyako Hotel. Pioneer said that the black levels were five times deeper than its previous KURO panels. How black? When you turn out the lights, you can’t tell where the TV ends and the rest of the room begins.
Samsung’s Highnote slider phone is another Sprint exclusive with a hidden speaker that reveals itself when you slide the phone face down. Even in the middle of a press event, you could hear the speaker at work, and for what it was, it didn’t sound excessively tinny or distorted. galleryPost('highnotehands', 3, '');
The first thing that stands out about Sprint’s exclusive LG Lotus is it’s shape. Few, if any, flip phones possess a square shape a full QWERTY keyboard in a true clamshell design. The hardware design was inspired by makeup accessories every woman on the planet carries around, but despite its target audience, the Lotus hardware is nice hardware for anyone who make text messages their priority. galleryPost('lotushands', 3, '');
In case you don’t feel like waiting an extra month for a WiFi-enabled BlackBerry, AT&T will release the titanium variant of the BlackBerry Curve 8320 on Tuesday, September 23. According to the people at BlackBerry News, the new Curve will run OS 4.5 and cost US$200 on a 2-year contract, with a US$100 mail-in rebate if you subscribe to a data plan. Sure, the Bold, which has GPS and 3G along with WiFi, is coming in October, but its’ also a good US$200 more. [BlackBerry News]
Now not only can you get Sony’s OLED TV for the bargain bin price of US$1,748, you’ll also soon be able to make that 11-inch hunk of visual sexiness completely wireless. Sony recently revealed a completely cordless version of the XEL-1 with an integrated HDTV tuner, a battery, and a wall mount. No specific information about the timing and price of the “I’ve got no strings” version, but Sony promises it’ll be out “soon.” [AV Watch via Engadget]
Are you the dictator of a country that’s desperate to seem powerful to its neighbours, but not quite rich enough to afford the armaments it wants? Take a page from the Fortitude South and buy these inflatable versions of scary military equipment! Trick foreign satellites and spy planes into thinking you’re a viable threat–just take each balloon tank to an empty field, blow it up to size and watch the foreign media go crazy! [English Russia]
