Posted Feb 28th 2008 5:26PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Displays, HDTV
While calling it the holy grail of 3D may be a stretch, there’s no denying that the technology has been largely held back and (rightfully) seen as a gimmick due to the whole “unsightly glasses” requirement. Granted, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of 3D being experienced sans goggles, but the newfangled agreement between Magnetic and NEC could deliver just that to a display near you very soon. Reportedly, the duo is off demonstrating a 57-inch Enabl3D display at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas, and while this iteration is admittedly aimed at commercial users, the promise of seeing imagery “pop more than a foot off the screen without the use of any special glasses” sure sounds intriguing. No word on when this stuff will be coming to everyday users, but don’t be shocked to see marketers coming up with new ways to grab your attention (and frighten the young) with this in the near future.
29
Feb
New Sony Vaio customizable laptops
Published in electronics
Sony Vaio laptops are always lust-worthy, with the exception of the wretched hard-to-use Vaio keyboards. Still, geeks will undoubtedly sneer at the girly new 15.4 in. Graphic Splash Expressions Collection Sony has just released.
One of this line’s most noteworthy features will also strike tekkies as embarrassingly girly: for an extra $25.50, your choice of custom fonts for the keyboard, including one script. (That one must be popular because it’s backordered.)
Shown, the Flora pattern; you can also select Leaf, appropriately very Japanese, and Victorian Lace, a stylized floral that looks a bit Japanese too. All patterns come in blue, pink, and basic black.
The entry-level configuration (Intel Core 2 Duo [2.1GHz], 2 GB memory, 120 GB hard drive, wireless and Bluetooth, plus Vista, Works, Quickbooks) is a pretty reasonable $1279. But you can go up and up to faster processors, 4 GB of memory, a 300 GB hard drive, Blu-ray, and so forth and so on. 2 lines of engraving, however, are free.
29
Feb
Robot Coupe Bread Slicer: I Have No Words.
Published in electronics
I know - this is another day of “wow that’s a gadget I would have never thought of” here at Coolest gadgets. You all will recall the friggin’ awesome Steak Toaster from last week (which is still the most awesome thing ever) - and now this week we have an innovation in bread slicing.
I know what you’re thinking - “bread slicing? Is that the best thing since sliced bread?” as you dissolve into giggles at your own cleverness. Again, some clever (but slightly twisted) individual took a look at his salad shooter, then at his baguette lying on the counter and though “dude, I need something to shoot sliced baguette!” Thus the Robot Coupe Bread Slicer was born.
Being neither a robot nor a coupe, the Robot Coupe Bread Slicer is a gleaming, stainless steel monolith that will tear through baguette like a hot knife through butter. The description from the seller’s website (spelling errors not corrected!):
Robot Coupe professional French bread slicer ideal for small catering companys baguette, sandwich shops, stainless steel blade cuts thickness 8mm to 80mm.
The bread slicer allows up to 180 bread slices per minute or 360 slices for baguette, from 8mm to 80mm thickness for the perfect cut quality. Ideal for sandwich shops or lunch van trade. Extremely safe and robust, simple to use, the TP 180 meets all the requiements of the catering market to answer to strickest hygiene standards.
I sincerely hope that English is this company’s second (or third) language - because some simple spell check could’ve caught that disaster of spelling.
Moving back to the Robot Coupe Bread Slicer, it’s pretty obvious that this is meant for professional use - or for the fanatical baguette lover or just for someone who just can’t get enough crostini. Now if this gadget lightly toasted the bread as it shoots out - that would be even more awesome. At a wallet-busting $2,700, you’d better be serious about baguette slicing to pick one up.
[Catering-Machines via Oh Gizmo!]
28
Feb
SanDisk Cruzer Tag USB Flash Drives
Published in electronics
Europe gets the SanDisk Cruzer Tag USB Flash Drives that will be available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities. While they perform rather admirably as a standard USB flash drive, what makes this batch stand out from the rest of the mediocre bunch would be its fashionable exterior. Each of these USB keys will ship with pre-loaded versions of Skype, McAfee Anti Virus and the SignupShield Password Manager. If you’re a USB flash drive collector, then you probably won’t go wrong with the Cruzer Tag.
28
Feb
Posted Feb 28th 2008 3:21PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: GPS
We’ve already seen GPS used to track elderly patients, but some student researchers now look to be taking the idea one step further, with them outfitting some nursing center patients’ walkers with a GPS system that helps guide them around. While the exact technical details are a bit unclear, the system apparently uses GPS when the patients are out and about, and relies on a WiFi-based system to direct ‘em around inside the nursing center itself. The entire system has also obviously been about as simplified as possible, with it boasting just five buttons and large arrows pointing the way to the patients’ destination. As a student project, however, it’s still quite a ways from gaining any widespread use, although it has apparently been at use at the one nursing center their testing it at for several months already. Let’s just hope folks don’t take to relying on it too much — we all know where that can lead.
[Thanks, Jack]
28
Feb
Honey, I shrunk the PicoZ MX-1
Published in electronics
Guess thin is in, and so are the general sizes of gadgets and gizmos to come. Toys aren’t exempt from this effect too, with the PicoZ MX-1 Extreme being a much smaller version of its big brother and prides itself in being the smallest remote control helicopter in the world.
Currently touted as the world’s smallest remote control chopper, this marvel of micro technology will flatter even the crummiest of pilots thanks to an auto stability system that makes woka-woka-ing around in tiddly rooms a doddle. Just like its bigger PicoZ siblings, the twin-channel Extreme has a crash-resistant polypropylene foam body and features super-wide infra-red control, a built-in lithium polymer battery and adjustable trim control - all this yet it weighs just 7 grams. It really is squintingly small. As ever, the transmitter doubles up as a charger and a normal charge of 20-25 minutes should give flight times of up to 10 minutes.
The PicoZ MX-1 Extreme can be yours (or your child’s, you big little boy, you) for £24.95.
28
Feb
Posted Feb 28th 2008 9:46AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: cellphones
We got wind of this in the early AM, but now it’s official: O2 is picking up the iPhone in Ireland, selling the 8 gigger for €399, and the 16GB for €499. Tariffs range from €45 for 175 minutes to €100 for 700 minutes, and all plans include 1GB of data. It sounds like quite the scam compared to O2’s iphone plans in the UK, but we’re going to just chalk it up to cultural differences not explored in Colin Farrell’s latest masterpiece, “In Bruges.”
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
28
Feb
Posted Feb 28th 2008 12:06PM by Paul Miller
Filed under: cellphones
Hold the presses: Apple may be releasing a new iphone this year… with 3G! Crazy, we know. The latest iteration of this rumor comes to us courtesy of UBS analysts, who say Infineon will likely be building chips for the phone — they’re powering the current iPhone, so no real surprise there. UBS is also betting on a mid-year 3G iPhone launch, and thinks that EDGE production will ramp down early so Apple gets a chance to clean out inventories. We’ve got a good feeling about this one, guys.
[Thanks, Tim G.]
28
Feb
USB Smart Privacy Mouse
Published in electronics
The Internet is meant to boost productivity at work, but many people tend to (ab)use it for their personal benefit, and often productivity suffers as office drones go to less than appropriate sites. Getting caught at work while surfing for melons of the fleshly variety can be embarrassing, which is why the USB Smart Privacy Mouse comes with a secret button that can be programmed to switch to a work-friendly window in a snap. $19.99 as a form of insurance against losing your job? Sounds pretty reasonable, but if you are wasting your time away at the office with less than savory sites, chances are you will be overlooked during promotion anyway as your performance won’t be up to par.
Product Page via TRFJ
