Unless we're mistaken, the last G-Pen device to come our direction courtesy of Genius was the M712 and M609, and at long last we've yet another to showcase. The G-Pen F-509 was designed for portable, in the car use, as it measures in at just 5.25- x 8.75-inches. Aside from sporting plenty of input real estate for that digital pen, it also features 26 programmable hot-keys for shortcuts of your choosing while the cordless pen touts a pair of buttons for controlling shapes and thickness. If the inner artist in you is just dying to wrap your arms around one, you can find it now for a buck oh nine.
[ Via: engadget ]
[ Tag: digital tablet, digital tablets, DigitalTablet, DigitalTablets, digitizer, e-pen, F-509, g-pen, G-Pen F-509, G-penF-509, Genius, KYE Systems, KyeSystems, tablet, wacom ]
Genius intros portable G-Pen F-509 digital tablet
Verizon Hub goes on sale for $199.99 on contract
We had a pretty good idea Verizon's Hub would be loosed on Super Bowl Sunday, and sure enough, the landline killing machine is now available for ordering. The device itself will run you $199.99 on a two-year contract (after all applicable rebates), and if you're still wondering whether or not this thing is even worth your time, why not have a look at our hands-on / impressions?
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: available, now available, NowAvailable, on sale, OnSale, phone, telephone, verizon, verizon hub, VerizonHub, VOIP ]
GestureTek brings 3D and gestures together for remote control
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ces, ces 2009, Ces2009, gesture, gesturetek, remote, remote control, RemoteControl ]
Panasonic debuts password-protected whiteboards
While Panasonic's two newest whiteboards lack those snazzy multitouch capabilities, they posses something only the true undercover FBI agent posing as a first grade teacher could appreciate. The film and steel boards look pretty traditional at first glance, but underneath of that plain jane facade is a highly advanced security system. You see, each board can accept passwords, which will in turn restrict the ability to transfer information from the board to USB flash memory. For those cleared for access, the whiteboards can transfer on-screen information to a PC via USB, though we suspect you'll have to handle the encryption on your end. 'Course, neither of these will run you cheap, but you know your underground supervisor won't mind shelling out upwards of two large to make sure schematics to rule the world aren't intercepted by meddling rivals.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: Panasonic, security, UB-2828C, UB-5838C, whiteboard ]
Bag TV debuts multimedia mistake
Hey guys: if you're dating the kind of girl who covets a seriously hideous $700 bag with a useless LCD, you should probably call it off.
[ Via: Red Ferret ]
[ Tag: bad ideas, BadIdeas, bag tv, BagTv, handbag, purse, purses, tv ]
- Morega's curious Qew may or may not eventually stream your media
- Nikon's D3X DSLR hits the scene in official fashion
Skull belt buckle LED "display" MP3 player wants to fight your battles for you
So, we're not going to say this is the greatest thing we've ever seen, because we've seen some pretty awesome things in our years and years of living on the edge, but it's pretty, uh... heavy metal. Regardless, the so-called "Punk Skull" belt buckle is one multi-talented reminder of Death: he holds up your pants, but can also play MP3s (1GB player included) or displays fascinatingly terrifying LED light patterns (LED module included) -- though sadly, not both at once. If that's not enough uses for you, the manufacturer suggests that the buckle is solid enough for you to use "as a handheld weapon," which is great, because we suspect that suddenly, a lot of people are going to start wanting to fight you. Available now for wholesale, we're pretty sure they'll be making their way to high-end retailers near you soon, and that they'll be horrifically affordable. A few more shots of the carnage after the break.
[ Via: Random Good Stuff ]
[ Tag: awesome, belt, belt buckle, belt buckles, BeltBuckle, BeltBuckles, death, led, led display, led lights, LedDisplay, LedLights, mp3 player, mp3 players, Mp3Player, Mp3Players, skull, skulls, weapons ]
- Hitachi demonstrates wireless HD camcorder transfer at CEATEC
- Casio EX-FH20 high-speed cam on sale now for $600
- Nissan readies pilot for road-cam / slip-hazard alert services
- Carl Zeiss combines spotting scope, digital camera with the PhotoScope 85 T* FL
- Sony's A900 reviewed: 'Highly recommended' but with caveats
- Nikon D90's 720p movie mode gets critiqued
Kids-on with the SMART Table
We got to play around with a SMART Table in a classroom full of lucky kids at Haines Elementary School in Chicago this morning, and we came away impressed with how much they loved it. The multitouch table is built on the same basic idea and hardware as Microsoft Surface -- Vista PC, XGA projector, infrared camera -- but it's a custom patented SMART design, not Surface lite or anything like that. That said, the multitouch system isn't quite as responsive as Surface, and the kid-proof plastic screen felt a little weird, but it certainly works well enough -- the Table recognizes up to 40 touches (enough for six kids to play comfortably, we were told) and we saw some interesting demos, ranging from the standard rotate / zoom photo app to painting and puzzle games. Teachers get admin access with a special USB key that enables them to manage apps, and there's an SDK in the works, so hopefully there'll be quite a few to manage. SMART says the Table should start shipping next spring for somewhere between $7,000 to $8,000 each -- obviously the company will be targeting school systems with its extensive SMART Board sales network, but well-off parents will be able to score one for their hopelessly spoiled darling children as well. Check a few vids of the table in action after the break.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: education, features, multitouch, smart, smart table, SmartTable, surface, table ]
Rohm brings super-bright OLED out of the shadows, literally
Kyoto-based company Rohm impressed us at last year's CEATEC with a mega-tiny OLED display but it didn't rest on its laurels. A larger prototype exhibited this year emitted ambient light at 3,000 to 4,000cd/m? and a brief flash at 100,000cd/m? -- that's respectively 10 and 250 times the brightness of a typical LCD display. But the impressive bit was this: nothing illuminated cast a shadow. Obviously a light like that is a poor match for a haunted house or romantic restaurant, but surgeons use shadowless lamps at the operating table, so there are applications. The short shelf life of OLED materials is still a nagging disadvantage, but as Dr. Eldon Tyrell would say: "the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and you have burned so very, very brightly." Then again, he was talking about cybernetic killing machines, so, maybe not such a great endorsement.
[Thanks, Erik]
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ceatec, japan, lamp, led, light, no shadow, oled, prototype, rohm, shadow ]
Microsoft Surface made pressure-sensitive with Wii Balance Board
So you've got a spare Microsoft Surface and Wii Balance Board laying around, whaddya do? Well, you could try stacking them on top of each other and hope that big-ass table doesn't crush your little plastic Nintendo toy, and with some code slapped on what you'd end up with is pressure-sensitive surface computing. This clever little concept was cooked up by Josh Santangelo from "Stimulant." In his demo, featured after the break, he rocks Surface from side to side while colored spots roll back and forth, using a physics engine he developed for MS Silverlight. It's a great start and we would love to see this resourceful hack put to good use -- beyond that of a totally awesome yet ridiculously expensive tilt-a-maze game, minus the maze.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: balance board, BalanceBoard, concept, josh santangelo, JoshSantangelo, microsoft, microsoft surface, MicrosoftSurface, nintendo, stimulant, surface, wii, wii balance board, wii fit, WiiBalanceBoard, WiiFit ]
Plastic Logic's e-reader vs Amazon Kindle... fight! (updated with video)
The kids at tgdaily have a hands-on video of Plastic Logic's biggie e-reader unveiled at DEMO earlier this week. With it, they've also nabbed a bit more information on this potential subscription-based, Kindle killer. The 7-mm thin reader connects via micro-USB to a PC to charge the unit or transfer documents. Documents can also be transferred over WiFi or Bluetooth (no cellular radio?) -- the reader can even communicate wirelessly with other readers to transfer documents. The 8.5- x 11-inch touchscreen allows for gesture control, as we heard, with the added bonus of quick and easy on-screen annotation of any supported media type such as Word docs, PowerPoint slides, or PDFs. Plastic Logic says they don't plan to compete with Kindle directly, instead, it's targeting business mobile professionals with "a lot of documents already," not those who will get all their content from the Amazon store.
Of course, a variety of leaks have already made it clear that Amazon's not exactly standing still with its Kindle reader with larger and more, eh hem, attractive models in the works. Sony, too, is planning a special Reader-based event next month. So... is 2009 shaping up to be the death of print? Oh hells no -- but it's certainly getting a lot more interesting.
Update: DEMO launch video showing a complete walkthough of a prototype device now posted after the break.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: amazon,e ink,e-reader,ebook,EInk,kindle,plastic logic,PlasticLogic ]
Plastic Logic finally ready to launch 'flexible' e-newspaper reader
Later today, Plastic Logic will be showing off its new e-newspaper reader (name, undecided) for the first time. The black and white, E Ink device features a wireless link to download content, room enough to store "hundreds of pages of newspapers, books, and documents," and a display more than twice the size of the wee Kindle while suffering just half the ugly. Better yet, the device is said to use "flexible, lightweight plastic" rather than glass resulting in a reader about one-third the thickness of the Kindle at about the same weight -- the reader itself (pictured left) looks rigid compared to that flexible display Plastic Logic has demonstrated in the past. Expected to go on sale during the first half of 2009 with more details, including which news organizations will feed information to the reader, promised for CES in January.
Update: Announced official with 8.5 x 11-inch display with gesture-based user interface and additional support for MS Office formats as well as PDF. Second picture added after the break.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: e book,e ink,ebook,EInk,kindle,newspaper,plastic logic,PlasticLogic ]
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
[ 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 ]
Scent-emitting advertising trial sniffs out suckers in Japan
Apparently July is a hot month for ad trials in Japan, as just weeks after a number of 65-inch digital posters were installed in a Tokyo train station, in flies word that yet another consumer-luring installation is being tested. Recruit and NTT Communications are delivering Scent-emitting LCD Display Systems to an underground mall in the heart of Japan, each of which rely on a 42-inch LCD and a scent-sprayer that emits delightful odors to correspond with the on-screen imagery. The goal is to attract onlookers and get them to grab a nearby coupon book, but considering that the experiment shuts down on August 1st, you should probably get your nose down there in a hurry if you're looking to score some savings.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ads,advertise,advertisement,advertising,digital signage,DigitalSignage,japan,ntt,ntt docomo,NttDocomo,recruit,scent,smell,smellvertising ]
Researchers boast of progress towards more efficient OLED lighting
We haven't seen all that many OLED lighting options, but a group of researchers from the University of Michigan and Princeton University say they could be on the verge of changing that situation, with them now boasting of a new breakthrough that could greatly increase the efficiency of OLEDs. The key to that, it seems, is a combination of an organic grid and some tiny dome-shaped micro lenses that guide the trapped light out of the devices. As the researchers point out, with current OLEDs, only 20% of the light generated is actually released, but they say this new method could boost the efficiency by a full 60%, or about 70 lumens per watt of power. Of course, they're also quick to point out that all of this is still quite a ways away from becoming practical for commercial purposes, although they seem to be optimistic that the eventual production cost for these new and improved OLEDs will be competitive with existing ones.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: oled,oled lighting,OledLighting,princeton,princeton university,PrincetonUniversity,university of michigan,UniversityOfMichigan ]
LED Painter lights up your walls with excess
While a spinning LED globe or an LED-adorned Roomba is all well and good for a few kicks, if you really want to turn your living room into a light show you may want to consider something like Brilldea's LED Painter system, which can apparently be put to use in a whole host of different applications, including the LED windows pictured above. At the heart of the system is a 16 channel RGB LED controller, which lets you connect up to 48 independent LEDs, and gives you the ability to daisy chain multiple boards together if you really want to blow things out. As you can see in the video after the break, the effects possible are fairly impressive, even if they're a bit lacking in the subtlety department.
[ Via: MAKE:Blog ]
[ Tag: brilldea,led,led lighting,led painter,LedLighting,LedPainter ]
Reflect table monitors converstaions with LEDs, shows who's all talky
There's always that guy (or girl) who dominates meetings, saying the same thing over and over again, or just repeats what others say. We all find it annoying, and we all wish there was some way to make that blabbermouth aware of his (or her) social transgressions. Enter the Reflect table. Reflect monitors conversations and visualizes -- literally -- who has the table using an array of color LEDs. Microphones listen to all the talk and show who is currently talking, who talks the most, and who's being left out. This could be great for business meetings to tone down the "thinking outside the box," but could also be a terrifying ordeal on a first date.
[ Via: MAKE ]
[ Tag: business, conversation, reflect, table, tables ]
Movie Gadget Friday: Sunshine
Ariel Waldman contributes Movie Gadget Friday, where she highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of cinema.
Last month on Movie Gadget Friday we reviewed the rough and rugged modified gadgets of the post-apocalyptic era in The Road Warrior. Shifting from stick shifts to spaceships, this week examines the pre-apocalyptic adventure of a team of astronauts tasked with re-igniting the sun by delivering a massive payload in Sunshine. Based in 2057, this near-futuristic film has heavy influence from 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: The Year We Make Contact. With relatively unexplained artificial gravity, inner-spaceship scooters and gold leaf heat-deflecting spacesuits, many of the gadgets and technology are taken for granted in this 2007 release.
3D Projection Cube
Structured as a small room on board Icarus II, the 3D projection deck serves as a way to boost astronauts' spirits and calculate routes. Translucent walls with embedded light-emitting cells make up the entire cube of a room, allowing for an interactive 3-dimensional experience without the need for external projectors. It's unseen yet as to if this experience requires the use of optical tracking cameras for a gestural user interface. Specific cells have the ability to toggle on or off depending on the specific need of the projection. While this gadget realistically blows away any CAVE we've seen (guesstimating these visuals to be upwards of 100 million pixels), the tactile-keyboard-loving-geek in us is still unrealistically holding out for a touchable hologram to toy with. More after the break.
Icarus II Operating System
Tasked with being the main support and operating system for all astronauts on board, the Icarus II OS serves as a massive multichannel control panel. The system has little-to-no artificial intelligence personality (besides a dispassionate female voice), but uses voice interaction as a standard communication protocol. In addition to the many basic operations of the Icarus II system, features included are surveillance systems, oxygen garden control, video recordings to be sent back to Earth via a communications array, and brightness control inside the observation deck to protect astronauts from suffering permanent eye damage when staring into the sun. The Icarus II OS also maintains automatic authority over any manual orders given by the crew in times of emergency.
Walkie Talkie Nano
With a size seemingly comparable to that of an iPod nano, this two-way radio is easily attached to a necklace for ease of use. The device is minimalistic on both design and features, requiring no push-to-talk interaction with the inclusion of VOX (voice operated switch) technology. An LED indicates current usage while the speaker allows for two-way radio communications with the Icarus II OS. We're assuming that this walkie talkie comes equipped with some killer range and (fingers crossed) decent battery life. The gadget is great for on-the-go commands to the spaceship, but little else, similar to the various other portable devices we see throughout the craft.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 3d,cave,features,Icarus II,IcarusIi,movie gadget friday,MovieGadgetFriday,projection,sunshine,vox,walkie talkie,WalkieTalkie ]
Tandberg E20 desktop videoconferencing phone says 'Me too!'
Tandberg looks to get a piece of the desktop videoconferencing market with its E20 desk phone. The company promises DVD-quality video (at 448P) in a fast, secure, and relatively affordable -- at least when compared to its massive telepresence systems -- package. The E20 is compatible with most IP phone and video services and also includes a 20kHz speaker phone, and -- perhaps most importantly -- a 10.6-inch widescreen LCD display with WXGA resolution. As far as speed, it's listed with SIP up to 1152 kbps. Priced at $1,499, Tandberg argues a couple of these are a lot cheaper than a business-class ticket for that meeting in Europe. Expect to see availability in early 2009.
[ Via: InformationWeek ]
[ Tag: e20,ip phone,IpPhone,tandberg,video phone,videoconferencing,VideoPhone ]