Since I have gigantic wax-magnet ear canals, I’m probably the wrong market for these Klipsch IMAGE in-ear earphones. They’re the smallest, lightest in-ear buds you can get (claim by Klipsch so far unverified), but will cost you $349 for the pleasure of having a pair made out of aluminum and copper. We’re not sure how well Klipsch’s speaker experience will translate into making earbuds, but even if they sound mediocre, you’ll be able to prevent them from being stuck inside your ear with the locking rings. [Klipsch]
The “Super Tiny Micro SD Card Reader” gets about as small as physically possible to read Micro SD and and T-Flash media, while still connecting to a normal USB 2.0 port. At a mere 25.5 x 12 x 4.5 mm, the reader is dwarfed by keys—I mean, just look at that picture—unless Brando is using the old “big key trick” again.
TDC’s new OV6920 CameraChip is the world’s smallest CMOS chip at just 1/18-inch (1.4mm). This means that the attached camera setup is just 3.2mm in total size—or in layman’s terms—never change outside of your own bedroom again.
Shooting at a low resolution of 328 x 250, the chip is configurable for NTSC output and can automatically control color saturation, exposure and gain. Sipping from a low 3.3V DC power supply, the chip will be useful in low power applications—from medical pills to spy gear to toys. While the practical applications for tiny cameras are limitless, technological breakthroughs like this just reinforce the inevitable future: We will all be on camera all the time…and that Futurama’s fabled UltraPorn is on its way. [TDC via therawfeed]
A steam-powered mechanical computer designed two centuries ago by British inventor Charles Burbage has been the inspiration for an energy-efficient nano computer. The tiny, ultra-robust device is the brainchild of a team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison who say that their machine, which could go boldly to places where silicon chips fear to tread such as car engines, would be constructed from nanometer-sized components just billionths of a meter wide. If successful, the technology could be used for anything from toys and domestic appliances through to military defense systems.
Cell phone chatrooms and blogs have been discussing the merits of Samsung’s P-520, alongside a couple of photos. This is largely seen as the Korean company’s version of the iPhone (it’s EDGE-supporting, after all) but whether its UI will be as revolutionary as Jobs’ baby is still unknown. Maybe it’s more Prada than jesusPhone – what do you think?
