Engadget

BoEye MID700 unveiled with Android OS, vaguely familiar form factor

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 11th 2009 at 4:31PM

BoEye -- a company we've seen from time to time in the eBook reader space -- has been recently spotted at Dubai's GITEX with its own take on the Android MID. Aside from some obvious (and, quite frankly, tedious) comparisons to the mythical Apple Tablet, we don't have too much to report: some excessively iPhone-esque features, including silver bevel, capacitive glass touchschreen, and that familiar solitary button on the bottom of the screen; a front-facing webcam; and, of course, that open source OS you crave. If you ask us, our favorite part of the affair is the rumored sub-$300 price tag -- makes this one well worth keeping an eye on, at any rate. One more pic after the break.

[Via Red Ferret]

Continue reading BoEye MID700 unveiled with Android OS, vaguely familiar form factor

Lucid's GPU-mixing HYDRA Engine gets previewed, shows real promise

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 11th 2009 at 1:14PM

After a bit of a delay Lucid is back on our radar -- and we're pleased to say that the company's technology for combining multiple GPUs seems to be well on course. Indeed, a few HYDRA 200 units appear to be out and about, with preliminary tests showering love on the device. When the kids at Hot Hardware put theirs through its paces they encountered drivers issues (not surprising for something still in development) but still reported running a mixed ATI / NVIDIA combo for "impressive scaling" most of the time, peaking at 85% in dual-GPU mode. And PC Perspective also had positive things to say, with the HYDRA pushing performance "up by 83% -- definitely a competitive solution to SLI!" But that ain't all -- for the real nitty gritty you'll have to check out the links below.

Read - PC Perspective's Lucid HYDRA 200 Multi-GPU Technology Performance Preview
Read - Hot Hardware: Lucid Hydra 200 Multi-GPU Performance Revealed

SmartPill evaluates, evacuates your GI tract

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 11th 2009 at 11:04AM

We've seen a number of medical manufacturers with a common goal: getting you to swallow microprocessor-filled horse pills for things like cauterizing small, internal wounds and dispensing drugs -- and now you can add the "evaluation of constipation" to the list! SmartPill is designed to cruise the GI tract, where it measures temperature and pH, provides temporal-spacial analysis, and differentiates between normal and abnormal transit times -- you know, "the usual." The data from the pill is transmitted to a receiver for later analysis by your doctor. As for what happens to the pill itself, we'll let you use your imagination. This one should be available for shipment in January 2010. PR after the break. And please: keep the comments classy.

[Via MedGadget]

Continue reading SmartPill evaluates, evacuates your GI tract

Withings WiFi Body Scale integrates Twitter, launches in the US

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 11th 2009 at 12:20AM

You know that friend -- we all have one -- that bores you with incessant tweets regarding his weight, his caloric intake, number of miles jogged, so on and so forth? Well, don't let him get a hold on this: finally available in the US, the WiFi Body Scale by Withings has received a bit of an upgrade, with its web app now offering Twitter integration. Not only does this bad boy register your weight, body fat, and BMI, but you can now configure it to send your stats to "the Twitter" either daily, weekly, monthly, or each and every time you weigh -- and your followers will start dropping faster than even you could imagine. But don't take our word for it! As our man Cedric Hutchings (the company's general manager) states, "adding this social functionality makes the WiFi scale by Withings the first true flagship of the Internet of Objects." Right. He might have added that the company's given "fail whale" an entirely new meaning. Yours for $159. PR after the break.

Continue reading Withings WiFi Body Scale integrates Twitter, launches in the US

NSF backs development of laser-guided robot wheelchairs

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 10th 2009 at 3:54PM

It's been well over a year since we last saw the laser-guided, self-docking wheelchair developed by folks at Lehigh University, and now the team is back with an altogether more ambitious project. According to associate professor John Spletzer, the recipient of a five-year CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, the goal is to "extend the autonomy of the wheelchair so it can navigate completely in an urban setting and take you wherever you need to go." This will be done by equipping robotic chairs with laser and camera sensors (which the team developed for the 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge) as well as exhaustive, Google Street View-esque maps of the city where they will be operating. Of course, these guys will be operating in a busy urban environment, so in addition to large-scale 3D maps, they must be equipped with motion planning features for operating in dense crowds and a changing environment. It's too soon yet to say when these things might become available commercially, but if you're a resident of the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, PA, you might have your chance to test one soon enough.

[Via PhysOrg]

Esquire's Augmented Reality issue goes on sale, and we have video to prove it

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 10th 2009 at 1:19PM

The Augmented Reality issue of Esquire has hit the newsstands, and our fears have come true: when this magazine comes in contact with your webcam, Robert Downey Jr. is unleashed! Aside from dangerous levels of the Academy Award-winning actor, however, the video (after the break) really highlights how silly the whole affair is: While AR has been implemented to great effect for a number of different applications, delivering video content that could just as easily been delivered without waving a magazine in front of your computer definitely crosses the line into gimmick territory. Still, the magazine's design team did pull all the stops -- so if you're curious to see what you'd get for your hard-earned dollar, check out that video walkthrough after the break.

Continue reading Esquire's Augmented Reality issue goes on sale, and we have video to prove it

Sparkz projector / dock for iPhone displays your videos, empties your wallet (video)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 10th 2009 at 11:04AM

If you're in the market for an Apple handheld-friendly pico projector, you're in luck. Sparkz is a bulbous white dock that will play nice with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPod video, as well as your favorite A/V and VGA sources. Featuring 640 x 480 resolution, a 60-inch viewing area, and stereo speakers, it can be yours for the low, low price of -- $495? Well, it will charge your iPhone. And it does come with a tripod. And, to be honest, a 60-inch viewing area is none too shabby. If you think it's worth it, by all means hit that read link and snatch one up. In the meantime, we'll content ourselves with watching the video of the thing in action. It's after the break, and it's free.

Continue reading Sparkz projector / dock for iPhone displays your videos, empties your wallet (video)

Dell Mini 9 modded into motion sensitive, touchscreen tablet (video)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 10th 2009 at 1:33AM

True, this ain't the first Dell Mini tablet hack we've laid eyes on -- but what we do have here is a pretty sweet mod by MyDellMini forum member "rock99rock" (must be his confirmation name). In addition to replacing his Dell Mini 9 display with a touchscreen kit, our man re-jiggered an ActionXL motion sensing controller to allow the screen to rotate as you rotate the device. Not bad, eh? Hit that read link for some real radical instrucciones -- but not before checking out the enthralling video after the break.

[Via Liliputing]

Continue reading Dell Mini 9 modded into motion sensitive, touchscreen tablet (video)

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXL: HTC Hero gets iPhone flair

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 9th 2009 at 4:44PM

It's just like the old riddle: what looks like a Hero, thinks it's an iPhone, and does double-duty as an old-school FM handheld? Why, it's the TVG3 -- and when combined with some prototypical shanzhai flair, its (con)fusion of attributes from all over the cellphone space make this one a stunning exemplar of KIRFness. Behold! 3.2-inch touchscreen, G-sensor (aka gyroscope), dual sims, Bluetooth, WiFi, built-in TV tuner, HTC looks and an almost-iPhone UI: not bad for $130, eh? In case you won't be in Shenzhen any time soon, you can get a closer look after the break.

[Thanks, Jules H]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCXL: HTC Hero gets iPhone flair

Litl Easel Webbook gets the extensive hands-on treatment (video)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 9th 2009 at 2:19PM

Wait a minute -- you say you've been longing to get your hands on an overpriced netbook that you can use upside-down? Well, kids, the time is drawing nigh. Mere days after the Litl Easel Webbook went official we've become privy to a lengthy video of the bad boy in action. Indeed, things are as you expected: a 1.6GHz Atom-based machine running a proprietary web-optimized OS, this guy has been specially designed, in the words of the company's CEO, to do away with "the computery stuff." To that end, users will see no icons or folders in the desktop. Such tried-and-true stalwarts of computer interface design have been eschewed for "web cards." Indeed, you won't be able to overlap or resize windows at all, at all: unless you're in easel mode, in which case you scroll through cards one at a time with a wheel. But there's more! Users may "liberate the photo" in a manner not unlike a digiframe the fraction of the cost, thanks to the device's integration with several photo-sharing services (including Shutterfly and Flickr). Still curious? I bet you are. Hit up the video after the break and prepare to have all of your dreams fulfilled (well, maybe not).

Continue reading Litl Easel Webbook gets the extensive hands-on treatment (video)

New iMac and MacBook touchscreens debut, thanks to Troll Touch

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 9th 2009 at 11:04AM

Troll Touch -- the fun little company with the unfortunate name -- have announced more of their award-winning analog resistive touch kits for 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs as well as unibody MacBooks. Prices for the iMac kits themselves start at $1099, or you can order new machines with the kits pre-installed starting at $2299. For laptop owners, your touchscreen kits start at $699. Not cheap at all, but you know what the song says: You've got to pay the troll's toll. Delivery slated to begin before December 1, 2009. If you've never seen a video of someone using a touchscreen, you're in for a treat -- we included one after the break. You're welcome.

Read - iMac touchscreens
Read - MacBook touchscreens

Continue reading New iMac and MacBook touchscreens debut, thanks to Troll Touch

Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 7th 2009 at 4:44AM

Safa is a Korean firm that has put out quite a few forgettable DAPs in its day, and while this one isn't going to win any awards for technological advancement, it does look like "fun," for whatever that's worth. The Xing LED is a none-too-shabby 12mm thin and boasts 12 hours of playback time on a single charge. The company fails to mention little things like storage capacity and file format support, but that ain't why we're here: the face of the device features 27 LEDs that can be either programed to display the icon of your choice or used for a rousing game of Rock / Paper / Scissors. Sort of makes that Zune HD of yours look like overkill, eh? Price and availability yet to be announced.

[Via PMP Today]

Continue reading Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution

Make your own Bluetooth Star Trek Communicator (video)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 6th 2009 at 5:21PM

If you're looking for a project for the weekend and the Knock Lock seems a little naff, why not try building your own Bluetooth Star Trek communicator? This is definitely not a project for the faint of heart -- expect to custom cut a circuit-board, drill some holes, add a serial port, a Bluetooth module, and a microcontroller. That said, when it's all said and done you'll be placing (and answering) calls the same way they do in the 23rd century: by speaking through a small, distorted speaker. If this is your thing, hit up that read link to get the full step-by-step. But before you go that route, be sure to peep the video demo after the break.

Continue reading Make your own Bluetooth Star Trek Communicator (video)

U.S. Army and EnerDel team up for electric-hybrid Humvee

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 6th 2009 at 3:46PM

EnerDel, who we last saw soaking up some of that Joe Biden stimulus money, is teaming up with the U.S. Army to develop a battery solution for a hybrid Humvee. Of course, your High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle is by its nature very large and very heavy -- great for dropping out of airplanes, perhaps, but not so great a candidate for electric power. Two of the company's battery chemistries will tested in the program, including lithium-manganese spinel (for extending electric vehicle range and electronic systems runtime) and lithium-titanate system (for the hard acceleration and braking required). In addition to "extreme performance simulations" that re-create battlefield conditions, a hybrid vehicle can also sport a "stealth" mode, which kills the diesel generator altogether, allowing the vehicle to run silently with a low thermal signature. And if that weren't enough, the vehicle is also being designed to perform as a highly portable, temporary power plant for field hospitals or command posts. The program is expected to last eighteen months. PR after the break.

[Via CNET]

Continue reading U.S. Army and EnerDel team up for electric-hybrid Humvee

Sony and Atracsys develop 3D interface for ORs, sci-fi franchises (video)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 6th 2009 at 11:37AM

You know what the world needs? Another company peddling their take on the touch interface as being "just like Minority Report!" Sun, Raytheon, Oblong -- it's a pretty obvious press hook (as well as a pretty awesome area of research), but every once in a while some such technology does come around that begs for a closer look. A collaboration between Sony Europe and Atracsys (a Swiss company specializing in optical tracking) ICU is a dual camera-based system that tracks and analyzes body movements in three dimensions, in real-time. Initially designed for use with a computer in a sterile operating theater, the interface not only notices subtle changes in the position of your body, arm, hand, or finger position, but it's also determine rough age, sex, or facial expression of the user. We're guessing that this bad boy has some novel gaming potential as well (count on the folks at Engadget to bring everything down to their level)! PR / videos after the break.

Continue reading Sony and Atracsys develop 3D interface for ORs, sci-fi franchises (video)

Sensium wireless digital band-aid begins clinical trials

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 6th 2009 at 6:49AM

It hasn't been a year since it was first announced, and now clinical trials have begun for Sensium. Billed as a "digital plaster," the thin patch contains a power source and sensors for monitoring heart rate, temperature, and perspiration -- all of which can then be sent to your doctor via smartphone / PDA. Sure, it might not have the inherent drama of the rack of loud, blinking machines we're used to seeing in ICUs, but on the other hand it is cheap, disposable, and has a battery life of several days. The device is based on the company's AMx semiconductor IP platform for Body Area Networks, so if you work at a hospital or are a supplier for a large medical concern, hit the read link to see if you can get in on the clinical trials. If not, we're sure that Adafruit will figure out how to build one with an Arduino any day now. PR after the break.

[Via Popgadget]

Continue reading Sensium wireless digital band-aid begins clinical trials

Acer Liquid handled, evaluated, 'not too shabby'

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 5th 2009 at 7:38PM

Looks like quite a few folks have got their hands on the Acer Liquid as of late, and lucky for us they've been rather loose-lipped with their thoughts on the subject. As suspected, the handset is running a 1GHz Snapdragon that's been under-clocked to 768MHz. And it looks like Acer didn't go crazy with the User Experience either, pretty much staying true to its Google Android 1.6 roots, albeit with a number of additions, including: social networking integration (Facebook and Flickr contacts and photo sharing), nemoPlayer for multimedia files, DataViz for Microsoft Exchange support, and the Spinlets music streaming service. In addition, Acer has redesigned some of the widgets, including the clock and the task manager, which now includes a preview of open apps. All-in-all, it seems to be a pretty solid Android handset with a few useful additions -- but as always, the verdict is out until we get our hands on one. In the meantime, hit up the read links below for a generous helping of screenshots, hands-on pics, and impressions.

[Via JK On The Run]

Read - PREVIEW: Acer Liquid Android 1.6 WVGA Touchscreen Smartphone
Read - Acer A1, Screenshot and Interface

Comcast announces new bandwidth throttling scheme (update: old news)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 5th 2009 at 3:58PM

Comcast customers have been no stranger to bandwidth shenanigans over the years, from the whole torrent filtering mess to the 250GB monthly cap. Now the company is back with a new data throttling scheme intended to put the kibosh on excessive traffic during those times when the network is already being overwhelmed. The two-tiered system is put on alert if either more than 70 percent of your max bandwidth (downstream or upstream) is used for more than 15 minutes or if your particular Cable Modem Termination System gets congested and it decides that you're partially responsible. Should you run afoul of the traffic warden, expect to find yourself down-throttled for at least 15 minutes, or until your average bandwidth utilization rate drops below 50 per cent for 15 minutes. If there is no congestion, however, you shouldn't notice any difference whatsoever -- unless, of course, John McCain gets his way. Warning: PDF read link.

[Via Slashdot]

Update: Due to crossed wires when researching this piece, we mistakenly reported that this policy was new. It is not. In fact, the throttling detailed above has been in effect for nearly a year.

Mavizen's electric bike hits 130 MPH, ships with Linux and WiFi

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 5th 2009 at 1:49PM

Mavizen, the manufacturing arm of the TTXGP (the Time Trials Xtreme Grand Prix -- a race for zero-emissions motorcycles) has just announced the TTX02 at this year's SEMA. A shining example of "EVs as consumer electronics" (the buzz-concept going 'round the electric vehicle scene) this guy is being billed not as a bike, but as a development platform -- shipping not only with a chassis and drivetrain, but with an open source Linux OS, web server, USB-based system bus, and WiFi connectivity. If you're looking to give the gang from Mission Motors a run for their money at the next TTXGP, hit the read link -- about $41,000 will get you in the game. Videos after the break.

[Via Asphalt & Rubber]

Continue reading Mavizen's electric bike hits 130 MPH, ships with Linux and WiFi

'Secret Knock' Door Lock defends home from rhythmically-impaired perps (video)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 4th 2009 at 8:14PM

The Arduino board has been the engine of many wild and wacky projects over the years, from bakery tweeting to various musical instruments. For its next trick, our man Steve Hoefer has taken his microcontroller and, along with a piezoelectric speaker, a gear reduction motor, and some PVC pipe, programmed it to listen for a preset sequence of knocks -- a secret knock, if you will -- and unlock the deadbolt upon hearing the right combination. Although this might not be the security system you want to put in place for your home, this definitely looks like a fun weekend project. Check out the read link for instructions and schematics, but not before you see the video of the thing in action. It's after the break.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]

Continue reading 'Secret Knock' Door Lock defends home from rhythmically-impaired perps (video)

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