Panasonic's latest 103-inch 1080p plasma: step aside oil barons, this one's headed home

Hard to believe but Panasonic just introduced its third generation 103-inch plasma just in time for IFA. Model TH-103PZ800 adds a few more HDMI (4x 1080/24p) jacks with Deep Color and x.v.Color support, a smattering of tuners, a 10,000:1 contrast, and VIERA Link compatibility to ease the connectivity of all your like-minded, Panny gear. In fact, this set looks primed for home-use, not just the businesses and trust-funders targeted by Panny's previous monster sets. Ready for order on August 26th (shipping in September for Japan) for ?5.6 million or a bit more than $50k -- a steep, $20k price drop since February. But at 7-feet wide and nearly 6-feet tall you'll be paying a bit extra for professional installation to keep this 756-pound (343-kg) beast off your toes and out of your milkshake.

[ Via: Impress ]
[ Tag: 103-inch,deep color,DeepColor,hdmi,ifa,panasonic,pdp,plasma,TH-103PZ800,viera link,VieraLink,x.v.color ]

IOGEAR's Wireless USB to VGA kit extends your monitor sans wires

Wireless VGA? Been there, done that. Wireless USB to VGA? Hello, IOGEAR. Said outfit has just revealed the world's first Wireless USB to VGA kit that enables users to extend or clone their desktop to another monitor sans wires. Certified by the USB-IF, this unit enables any machine with a spare USB port to stream video to a TV or projector with resolutions as high as 720p. So long as your USB dongle is plugged into your machine and the VGA adapter is connected to a display, you'll be good to go within a 30-foot radius. According to IOGEAR, the product is only compatible with Windows XP 32-bit or Vista 32- / 64-bit, but those with no qualms about that can grab one next month for $229.95. Full release after the jump.
Update: IOGEAR pinged us to say that it's still waiting on USB-IF approval, though that should hopefully go down soon.
IOGEAR to Debut Industry-First Wireless USB to VGA Kit that Streams PC Content to An Alternate In-Room Display

Allows users to view spreadsheets and photos wirelessly on a larger screen
Irvine, CA – August 25, 2008 – Consumers who desire a simple way to view content on a bigger screen can now extend or clone their desktop to their HDTV or projector and enjoy increased visibility by utilizing IOGEAR's Wireless USB to VGA Kit, certified by the USB Implementers Forum. The product is the first of its kind to receive certification in the US, which guarantees that a device is backward- and forward-compliant with previous and future USB technology.
The Wireless USB to VGA Kit provides HD video streaming between a PC and TV or projector up to 720p within a 30-foot in-room range. Users can edit grids and documents, view photos or browse the Internet on their HDTV's big screen, without any cable clutter. Consumers can also utilize a TV's picture-in-picture function to multitask, such as watching a football game while viewing a Fantasy Football grid on the same screen. The Kit consists of one Wireless USB adapter to connect to a laptop or desktop and one wireless VGA adapter to plug into a VGA display.
The product is an ideal solution for surfaces that are difficult to wire, such as marble and fireplaces. By communicating between devices wirelessly and eliminating material waste, the Wireless USB to VGA Kit is an eco-conscious choice for users who want an environmentally-friendly way to streamline entertainment and work spaces.
"At IOGEAR, we strive to bring the most innovative products to market to meet the demands of consumers," said Miranda Su, executive vice president of IOGEAR. "Our new Wireless USB to VGA Kit eliminates the hassle of multiple tangled wires, providing wireless communication between popular home and office devices."
The Wireless USB to VGA Kit is compatible with Windowsпѓ’ XP 32-bit (Service Pack 2) or Vista (32-/64-bit) operating systems. The product will be available in September 2008 for $229.95 (MSRP) from all major catalog and online resellers, as well as select retail outlets.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: extender, iogear, usb-if, vga, w usb, wireless usb, Wireless USB to VGA, WirelessUsb, WirelessUsbToVga, WUsb ]

Acer's G24 gaming monitor with world's best contrast

Clearly, Acer's G24 monitor is the only monitor capable of matching your high-performance Predator gaming rig. It's orange... or "metallic copper" if you work in Acer's arts and charts department. Bounced around trade shows for the last month, the 24-inch LCD is now officially featuring a proclaimed 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio which, according to a Acer, is a world's first for monitors. Now the specs: 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, 2-ms response, 400-nit brightness, and a host of Acer image tweaking and color management tech meant to brighten images and avoid ambient light reflection. Around back you'll find PC-friendly DVI and game-console/Blu-ray friendly HDMI too. Unfortunately, it's dateless and priceless just like Britney's little sister.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: acer,best,contrast ratio,ContrastRatio,g24,lcd ]

BenQ debuts high-contrast 22-, 24-inch LCD monitors

BenQ just let loose a pair of 16:9 LCDs earlier this month, but it looks like it's intent on keeping all its widescreen aspect ratio bases covered, with it now trotting out two new, more conventional 16:10 models. Those include the 22-inch G2200WT and 24-inch G2400WT, which boast 2,500:1 and 4,000:1 contrast ratios, respectively, along with both DVI and VGA ports. The 24-incher also takes things one step further with an HDMI input, as well as a headphone jack to take advantage of the audio pass through. No word on a release 'round these parts, unfortunately, but those in the UK can apparently grab 'em this month for ?180 and ?318, or roughly $334 and $590.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: benq,g2200wt,g2400wt,lcd,lcd monitor,LcdMonitor ]

Fuchitek reveals PEP01 pico projector

We've seen one pico projector after another emerge, but we're getting pretty antsy as we wait for one to ship en masse to North America. Call it a hunch, but we highly doubt Fuchitek's PEP01 will be the first to fly stateside. The handheld beamer measures in at just 11.5- x 5- x 2.2-centimeters and features a 640 x 480 native resolution, 80:1 contrast ratio, support for NTSC / PAL, composite input and a battery life of around 40 minutes. Per usual, there's no indication of when Fuchitek plans on releasing it (let alone a price), so we suppose we'll spend yet another night holding the PLC-XL50 up with our hands and pretending that everything's kosher.

[ Via: Pocket-lint ]
[ Tag: Fuchitek Corporation,FuchitekCorporation,Fuchiview,mini projector,MiniProjector,PEP01,Pico projector,PicoProjector,pocket projector,PocketProjector,projector ]

Animated Waterdrop Sculpture May Amaze, Make You Seasick [Art]

Less spine-tinglingly freaky than the eerie-eyeballed Opto-Isolator animated sculpture, the upcoming Waterdrop sculpture by HГ©ctor Serrano Studio for Roca may have a different side-effect: seasickness. It's made of hundreds of moving vertical bars, each with a glowing tip, driven by motors to mimic in large scale the surface of a puddle after a water drop impact. Imagine: a darkened room with the repeating oscillations of a huge simulated sea surface. At the very least, it may make you wonder where the bathrooms are. On show at 100% Design London from 18 September. And if you can't make it, there's a video of the effect at the Waterdrop link.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Mitsubishi unveils MZW / MX / MXW series of LCD HDTVs

Barely a month after Mitsubishi launched its iSP 149 series of LCD HDTVs, the company is trotting out three new lineups over in Japan. The higher-end MZW series includes the 46-inch LCD-46MZW200 (?400,000; $3,643) and 40-inch LCD-40MZW200 (?300,000; $2,732), both of which pack a 1080p 10-bit Diamond panel, 120Hz technology and an October 21st release date. For those with tighter spaces (and smaller budgets), the MX / MXW series spans from 19- (?100,000; $910) to 42-inches (?280,000; $2,550), with the most expensive sets offering a Full HD display and the lesser ones topping out at 1,366 x 768. Oh, and it looks as if Funai won't be the only one delivering a Blu-ray / LCD combo, as Mitsu's already working up a concept. Peruse the links below for all the machine translated nitty-gritty.

[ Via: Impress ]
[ Tag: combo,DIAMOND,hdtv,japan,lcd,lcd blu-ray combo,lcd hdtv,lcd tv,LCD-19ATL20,LCD-26MX20,LCD-32MX11,LCD-37MXW200,LCD-40MZW200,LCD-42MXW200,LCD-46MZW200,LcdBlu-rayCombo,LcdHdtv,LcdTv,mitsubishi,MXW series,MxwSeries,MZW series,MzwSeries ]

Philips readying ultrathin 42-inch Essence TV for IFA debut?

Let's be honest -- it's been quite awhile since Philips has been seen as a big-shot in the world of HDTVs. Evidently the company is aiming to change all that in just a few weeks, as a fresh rumor puts a stunning new set on display at IFA. Reportedly, the lightweight 42-inch Essence TV will boast a 38-millimeter depth and will be made for wall hanging. Regrettably, that's all the details that have seeped out thus far, but we'll be finding out just how much truth there is to all of this in a fortnight.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: aurea,Essence TV,EssenceTv,Frame,hdtv,IFA,lcd,lcd hdtv,lcd tv,LcdHdtv,LcdTv,Philips,rumor ]

AOC's new Envision Series of HD LCDs for small spaces

Are you a tech-savvy urban dweller? AOC would like to have a word. The budget TV builder has a trio of new HD "Envision" LCDs in miniscule sizes ranging from 19-inches to 32-inches. The L19W861 starts 'em out at $299 and is designed to double as a computer monitor with its 1440 x 900 resolution. The 26-inch L26W861 and 32-inch L32W861 both sport a less exciting 1366 x 768 resolution, but equally compelling price points at $499 and $599, respectively. All three displays offer HDMI, PC input with audio and ATSC / Clear QAM tuners.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: aoc,envision,l19w861,l26w861,l32w861,lcd ]

Funai (Sylvania, Symphonic and Emerson) Will Sell HDTVs With Blu-rays In 'Em [HDTV]

Funai, whose subsidiaries are more familiar to us as Sylvania, Symphonic and Emerson, is planning on selling LCD HDTVs with Blu-rays on-board starting summer 2009. The company's previous successes in recent years with combo units (TVs with VCRs and TVs with DVDs) totaled up 40% and 20% of their sales in the US respectively. So how much will this low-end brand charge you for the all-in-one experience? CrunchGear says the target price for a 42-inch will be between $1100 and $1300. Keep in mind that's a price for something launching a year from now. [CrunchGear] Update: Funai also took over the Phlips TV brand in the US, which means you might be seeing this under their name as well.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

LED Floor Captures Digital Footprints [Sensacell]

As part of the 2008 World Expo, interactive floor designer Sensacell has built a 250 square foot installation from 1000 of their LED panels. Covered in strong, architectural glass, the floor responds to pressure by lighting up. And while that alone doesn't sound all that exciting, the system tracks the pressure over time, allowing users to create a transient series of footprints that, I dunno, looks all futuristic...like the Sahara in the year 2832 when man has used all the sand to make those bottled sculptures you see at the mall. Check out the clip:

The purpose, of course, is to remind the public of our ecological footprint (but instruct us to keep buying those floors that so necessarily light up!).

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Willcom's D4 gets reviewed

Jenn from Pocketables has gotten her hands on the diminutive Willcom D4 and given it an ultra-thorough review -- and we've got the details. While she praises the general speed of the device, screen resolution and brightness, and comfort of holding the D4, her reactions to the touchpad and keyboard are less than enthusiastic. Adding insult to apparent injury, it seems that the battery life leaves quite a bit to be desired (unless you're employing the extended battery pack), the video playback is choppy with most codecs, and the non-standard headphone jack is deeply, deeply annoying. The conclusion? Willcom's miniature needs "Help to achieve its potential," which is probably not what most potential buyers of the $1500 device want to hear. Of course, you should explore the whole review -- and its handsome photos -- so hit the read link for more.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: atom,d4,intel,mid,mobile internet device,MobileInternetDevice,sharp,vista,willcom,willcom d4,WillcomD4 ]

51-card NVIDIA folding rig can crank out 265,200 points / day

Sure, it's all well and good to play around with the Folding@Home client on toys like the PS3, but if you're really serious about out-nerding the rest of the pack, you need big-boy hardware, like this 51-card NVIDIA-based rig built by nitteo of the overclock.net forums. That's 51 8800-series GPUs on 13 MSI P6N Diamond mobos, enough for an estimated 265,200 folding points per day when they all go online -- and we're guessing that number will go up when that new CUDA-based folding client released yesterday is installed. Now let's just hope all those cards can stand the heat, hmm? More pics at the read link -- and remember, we're always down for more help on the Engadget Folding@Home team!

[ Via: x64bit.net ]
[ Tag: 8800,cuda,folding at home,folding farm,FoldingAtHome,FoldingFarm,nvidia ]

Fujitsu Siemens ships world's first zero-watt monitor

It's been a solid tick since we've seen a new monitor from Fujitsu Siemens, but apparently it's been spending a lot of time on its SCENICVIEW Premium Line ECO range. Announced today, the 20-inch P20W-5 ECO and the 22-inch P22W-5 ECO are being hailed as the planet's first to feature power supplies that "automatically switch off completely in power-save mode." The whole zero-watt bit comes from their ability to suck down precisely no power when not in use, while the majority of LCDs continue to draw slivers of energy even in standby. Furthermore, the new devices include the DisplayView AutoBright functionality, which automatically adjusts brightness "in harmony with ambient light" in order to net even greater power savings. Both screens are available now in Europe starting at €419 ($625), though 24- and 26-inch models are arriving next month.

[ Via: BIOS ]
[ Tag: eco-friendly,europe,Fujitsu,Fujitsu Siemens,FujitsuSiemens,green,lcd,lcd monitor,LcdMonitor,monitor,P20W-5 ECO,P20w-5Eco,P22W-5 ECO,P22w-5Eco,SCENICVIEW,Siemens,zero-watt monitor,Zero-wattMonitor ]

Video: Sensacell's interactive floor shows trail of LED footprints

Far from being the first LED-infused floor we've seen hipsters and hippies break dance and boogie down on (respectively), Sensacell's latest contraption still manages to stand out by bringing back memories of when mouse trails really were the coolest thing about an operating system. Flashbacks aside, the installation -- which is currently at the entrance to the Comunitat Valenciana in Spain -- possesses over 1,000 interactive modules, each of which include capacitive sensors and a LED lighting system. The integrated tech enables it to recognize when someone is walking over it and consequently light up as if to leave an eye-catching LED trail of their path. Can you imagine how many hours days you could entertain an ageless kid with this? Video after the jump.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: club,dance,dancing,floor,green,HSI64-36-W,interactive,interactive floor,InteractiveFloor,LED,light,lighting,night club,NightClub,Sensacell,sensor,sensors,video ]

Sony's XEL-1 OLED TV landing in Europe in 2009? Too little, too late.

Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports this morning that Sony plans to sell its 11-inch XEL-1 OLED TV in Europe in 2009. That dovetails nicely with a two-week old statement by a Sony representative who said, "I'd be very surprised if this hasn't arrived in the UK by 2009." Us too, after all, it's been on sale in Japan since December of 2007 and was recently caught slumming the big box outlets in the US. It only seems natural then, that Sony would ramp production to the point that by 2009 they could meet the minimal, European demand for a $2,500-ish TV measuring just 11-inches -- million:1 contrast or not. Still, it's all a bit late if you ask us (you did right?) seeing as how Sony plans to be producing medium to large OLED panels as early as April 2009.

[ Via: AVING ]
[ Tag: europe,oled,rumor,sony,xel-1 ]

BenQ debuts a pair of 18.5-inch 16:9 LCDs, but not for you

We're having a hard time getting stoked about this whole 16:9 trend: the market adoption rate and consumer embrace is uncannily similar to 16:10, which makes us fear some impending heretofore unknown aspect ratio that will hit the scene in a few years and draw money directly out of our wallets for unneeded upgrades. Phew, it was good to get that off our chest. All of that naturally doesn't mean we can't be terribly jealous as Asia, Europe and Latin America get to eat up these new 18.5-inch 16:9 LCDs from BenQ, the high-end E900HD (pictured) and the simpler G900HD, while us North Americans have to sit around staring at our way-too-tall LCDs. BenQ also snubbed us on that 21.5-inch E2200HDA, so we're starting to notice a trend here. These new displays run a 1366 x 768 resolution, and feature an energy-saving backlight system, 10:000:1 dynamic ratios, 5ms response times, while the E900HD offers aesthetic improvements, speakers and a headphone jack. No price just yet, but these should be out this month.

[ Via: Electronista ]
[ Tag: 169,benq,e900hd,g900hd,lcd ]

Man inexplicably brings touchscreen to the PSP

A certain jube808 has launched a quixotic quest to add a myriad of features to the PSP that he believes should've been there from the start, including beefed up battery life, a better control pad, and touchscreen support. Think what you will of his aims, he certainly seems to have some hardware chops, as he's got a touchscreen up and running on the handheld. So far he's just got a proof of concept keyboard, which works with a finger or a stylus, but the hope is to provide full touchscreen support for homebrew gaming. Let us know how that goes, jube. Videos are after the break.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: hack,jube808,mod,psp,touchscreen ]

Seiko Epson's 500ppi 3D display for phones: how dense is dense enough?

Not that we're complaining, it's just that human eyes usually can't discern denser than 300ppi, and few interfaces are built to take advantage of... ah, who are we kidding? This is awesome. Seiko Epson has built a 2.57-inch 3D display for phones that runs at an astounding XGA resolution, and should be ready for commercial applications in two years. There's a special lenticular lens on top of the pixels to allow you to view images from multiple angles, which usually means a hit to the pixel density, but obviously this display can handle a bit of that.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 3d display, 3dDisplay, display, seiko epson, SeikoEpson, xga ]

Apple Cinema Displays To Get LED Refresh? [Rumor]

Macrumors is reporting that new Cinema Displays are coming from Apple that will bring LED backlights to the whole line, which is in sync with the company's plan to ditch fluorescent backlights entirely. The tipster is seeing Macworld in January as a likely time for them to pop up. They haven't been updated in any large fashion since 2004, so this doesn't seem that out of the question. HDMI please? [Mac Rumors]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]