Ceatec2010
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Murata's fatigue sensor demoed, coming soon to mobiles and handhelds near you
Need further confirmation that an IV drip of 5-Hour Energy is what your body really needs? Look no further than Murata's newfangled fatigue sensor. Demonstrated at CEATEC in front of thousands of jetlagged Americans, Europeans, Easter Islanders and Samoans, this compact device is built by "integrating a photoplethysmographic sensor, which measures a pulse and a blood oxygen saturation level, and electrodes that measure electrocardiogram (ECG)." We're told that the unit measures a fatigue degree (reported on a 1 to 100 scale) based on the "pulse, blood oxygen saturation level and electrocardiogram measured by the sensing parts," and while we're guessing the prototype will have to shrink significantly before it happens, the company seems focused on cramming this thing into cellphones and portable game consoles of the future.You know -- so Nintendo actually can know when you need to lay down the gaming and step outside for a bit.
TDK develops 1TB optical disc, leaves other optical storage feeling emasculated
We've heard about 1TB-sized optical discs in the past, but TDK has now revealed a 1TB monster of its own at CEATEC. Unlike existing Blu-rays which use four recording layers at most, TDK's creation features 16 layers on both sides of the disc, each capable of storing up to 32GB apiece. If you're keeping track of the optical storage arms race, that's seven more gigabytes per layer than Pioneer's 400GB and 500GB disc achievements made back in 2008. TDK's prototype also has the potential to leverage existing Blu-ray technologies, since it's made from a material already found in BDs and shares the same beam aperture. On the down side, the current version's recording layers measure 260μm -- that's more than twice as thick as its Blu-ray counterpart -- and causes aberrations in today's fat-layer-hating optical lenses. Outside of its Biggest Loser qualifications, though, TDK says "its commercialization depends on disc manufacturers." Considering the company has yet to sell the 10-layer 320GB discs revealed at CEATEC 2009, however, we're doubtful this 1TB improvement will hit stores anytime soon.
Pioneer's prototype laser HUD could help you drive home, connected to an Android smartphone (video)
Another year, another attempt to project light onto transparent screens, but Pioneer's Network Vision HUD is one of the cooler prototype heads-up displays we've seen. First off, it uses lasers to generate its ethereal navigation images -- lasers make everything better -- and second, it's presently sourcing that data from a Android smartphone, making it a fantastic potential addition to infotainment ideas like Nokia's Terminal Mode. Pioneer told Network World that it's planning to actually sell a version of the technology by 2012, but that it might be an aftermarket product rather than an integral part of your car's windshield. They are, of course, entertaining deep-pocketed auto manufacturers as well.
Sharp shows off 35mm thin BDXL recorder at CEATEC, world doesn't stop to wonder why
Thinness in a portable device is an attribute worth coveting. Thinness of yet another layer in your home entertainment center hoagie, however, is a little bit less attractive -- at least it is when it comes with a big compromise. Such is the case with Sharp's thinnest Blu-ray recorder, just 35mm thick yet capable of writing to BD-R discs or the newer, pricier, 100GB BDXL discs. So far so good, but rather sadly to make that magic happen in a package so svelte the company has had to ditch the internal HDD that's common in these devices, the idea being you'll just write to BDXL's instead. Even with a stack of re-writeables at your disposal that's going to be a lot less convenient and a lot more expensive than having a good 'ol pile of platters spinning inside. Of course, with no price or release date given, it's possible that this reduction of internal hardware also comes with a reduction in cost, but as we all know it's pretty rare that a skinnier device costs less than its bigger boned brethren.
Hitachi's MEMS display: big aspirations in a little prototype
We know the following to be true: microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology can foster some very inventive gadgetry, and it's a wonderful four-turn, 45-point Scrabble word (barring special tiles and presuming an abnormally-large board). That said, the MEMS display sector is still quite small and still a ways from reaching the market (hello, Mirasol), which makes every appearance a bit more interesting than the last. Hitachi's little showing caused quite the crowds at its CEATEC booth, with a pair of 2.5-inch QVGA prototypes built using Pixtronix's PerfectLight MEMS display tech within a LCD infrastructure. The color came through on the first screen, and animations was fairly fluid (with the exception of one or two brief moments of lag). The other display on hand was monochrome with a backlight that flickered on and off as a generic desk lamp shone directly onto it. It was still legible enough without the backlight, but it definitely took some straining. Pixtronix is promising 24-bit color depth, 170-degree viewing angles, and a 75 percent power reduction over equivalent LCD displays. As for Hitachi, the company reportedly plans to release displays in the 10-inch and under market by early 2012 -- so yes, in case you were wondering, these'll be back for next CEATEC, too. Enjoy the pictures below, so you have something to look back on. %Gallery-104599%
KDDI's 'smARt' television viewing concept links phones to consumerism at long last
Say you're watching a cooking show on television and you see some ketchup. Tasty, right? Salivating? Need some ketchup right this second? Look no further than KDDI's "smARt" television viewing concept, which uses your phone as a tool to get more information on stuff you're seeing on the boob tube in real time. Using an Android-powered Sharp IS01 to demonstrate, KDDI's crack team of presenters showed some delicious-looking food on screen then captured it with the phone's camera, which ultimately resulted in being redirected to a site where you could purchase a bottle of Hunt's for ¥650 (about $7.83). Of course, considering that TV itself can be interactive in a variety of ways, it seems a bit much to bother getting your phone involved while you're trying to zone out on the couch... but hey, whatever gets us to our Utopian dream of real-time ketchup purchases the fastest is where we want to be. Follow the break for video.
Giant touchscreen vending machine at CEATEC stares us down, offers us a frosty beverage
So we tracked down one of those crazy new touchscreen- and camera-enabled vending machines being deployed across Japan's mass transit stations at CEATEC today; one of their claims to fame is that they're WiMAX-enabled in order to receive ads and other high-bandwidth content, so local WiMAX provider UQ installed one of the units in its booth as a showcase of the kinds of wild and crazy things you can do with ludicrous speed. As much as we hate to admit it, we're pretty sure we'd be consuming more overpriced juice, soda, tea, coffee, and water if we had one of these near our homes -- seriously, how can you resist those cute rectangular eyes staring at you, slowly stealing your soul while asking you to "come by?" Of course, the scary part about that is that the machine really can see you -- it's got a camera right above the display that detects your presence, makes some snap judgments about you based on largely accurate stereotypes, and recommends certain beverages (though you're still free to choose whatever you like). The machine supports Suica payments -- a popular NFC system in these parts -- using either a Suica card or your appropriately-enabled phone, which makes blowing hundreds of yen on cans of Georgia Vintage coffee frighteningly simple. Follow the break for some video of the machine in action... or if you're planning a trip to Japan in the next couple years, expect to see these around town in some of the high-traffic train stations. %Gallery-104494%
Hitachi-LG unveils 2nd generation hybrid optical drive with flash-based storage to boot
The Hitachi-LG Data Storage joint venture has itself fostered yet another mixed product, combining both an optical disk drive and flash storage into a single form factor. The 2nd generation of its Hybrid Drive uses Micron's 25nm NAND flash memory in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB capacities (with those figures to rise in later iterations, naturally) and can be united with either DVD or Blu-ray players -- perfect for laptops and other portable devices with just one drive to spare. (The one stretched out on display, pictured above, was a 12.7mm slim DVD-RW tray type). Hitachi housed samples of the drive at its CEATEC booth and even showed off a few example products (first generation drive, too). Care to see what could be under the hood of a future purchase? Pictures below. %Gallery-104372%
Hitachi's 6.6-inch / 302ppi IPS panel gets eyes-on treatment, locks eyes with iPhone 4's retina display
Perhaps our eyes are just too untrained for such tasks, but we didn't much miss the 24ppi or so difference between the iPhone 4's retina display (326 ppi) and Hitachi's 6.6-inch IPS panel (302 ppi). The CEATEC prototype panel is just gorgeous and crystal clear (as much as Shakespeare and Kanji-laden articles can be, at least). Unfortunately, we couldn't find anyone to answer our questions as to when it might hit mass production, so for now, just enjoy the view. %Gallery-104498%
Sharp IS03 ASV display vs. iPhone 4 IPS display... fight!
Two 3.5-inch displays at 960 x 640 resolution, both equipped with fancy wide viewing angle technologies. Does the Sharp IS03's ASV get the nod over the iPhone 4's famously good IPS? After peeping them side by side, we're not sure any mere mortal could call it -- both look bright and ridiculously crisp from every conceivable vantage point and have roughly the same amount of gloss, though the IS03 has the advantage of a second always-on monochrome LCD strip. Regardless, we're just happy to see that we've got at least two suppliers of excellent 960 x 640 mobile displays in the industry now -- let's just hope they can keep up with demand. %Gallery-104499%
Sony slips out second generation TransferJet chip, partners begin to take notice
Bless its heart. Regardless of how loudly consumers yell, Sony can't seem to understand that creating proprietary formats that no other company has any interest in adopting isn't the brightest of ideas. The eventual fates of UMD, ATRAC, MiniDisc and countless others are proof of the outfit's ignorance, but somehow or another, it seem as if TransferJet has a modicum of a chance to gain some traction. Nearly a year after outing its first generation TransferJet chip, Sony is using CEATEC to spring its second generation one into action. From what we can tell, the primary addition to this chip is its native compatibility with USB 2.0 and PCI Express, with hardware and software improvements credited with an effective data transmission boost to somewhere north of 300Mbps. Potentially more interesting, however, is the lower power draw, which could lead to TransferJet embeds within smartphones, tablets, netbooks and other low-cost mobile computers. Across the pond(s) in Tokyo, Toshiba has been caught showing off a TransferJet SD card that could allow a potentially wider swath of devices to support Sony's wireless protocol, although the hardware typically has to be designed specifically to not interfere with the chip's ultra short-range transmissions, and software drivers have to be built as well -- not even all of Sony's new Cyber-shots support its existing TransferJet Memory Stick. We'll be digging for more details (ship date, price, etc.) just as soon as we can.
Panasonic MW-20 is a digital photo frame, iPhone / iPod touch stereo, and money burner all in one
If you're the sort who fancies a digital picture frame and a stereo dock for your iPhone, Panasonic's new MW-20 might just be the thing to converge and satiate those needs. The 9-inch frame can display pictures via SD card, 2GB internal memory, or an iPhone / iPod touch via the bundled dock -- and if you've got the device connected, you can also play music video via the frame's internal stereo speakers (there's no indication of any audio out for using your own speaker system, however). Additionally, the MW-10 successor has a touted 15 different display patterns, including some calendar and clock functionality. Pictures taken with a Lumix camera? The MW-20 has a function that'll group photos by style (i.e. all nighttime scenery). Look for it during your haze of Christmas shopping in late November for -- and here's the part that's gonna sting -- just one dollar shy of $250. Don't say we didn't warn you. Scenes from the CEATEC show floor below. %Gallery-104354%
Sharp Lynx SH-10B is a MIDdling Android smartphone we could get behind (video)
Sharp's NTT DoCoMo-living / Android-loving Lynx SH-10B isn't brand new by any stretch -- it hit local markets in late July, and earlier this year was released on KDDI as the ISO1 -- but this week's CEATEC would be the first time we've had a chance to play around with, and given the dearth of comparable US form factors, we couldn't resist. The 5-inch 960 x 480 resolution MID / smartphone sports a pretty snappy and easy-to-use keyboard and a responsive touchscreen. Unless you've already prepared for the likes of Dell's Streak, the Lynx isn't exactly pocketable, and by our estimates, it's about twice the thickness o the iPhone 4 when closed up. The customized UI (running over what we presume is Android 1.6) is pretty unique in design, although functionally there was some minor lag in change panels and opening panes. You know the drill: pics below. Enjoy! %Gallery-104379%
NTT DoCoMo's touchable 3D display prototype seamlessly integrates haptics, chameleons
Okay, that might not be a chameleon -- we're not the reptile experts we wish we were -- but NTT DoCoMo claims it is. Regardless, we were pretty impressed with this little setup NTT DoCoMo had going in the R&D (that is, not-for-production-just-yet) section of its CEATEC booth. The crown jewel of the setup is a small glasses-free 3D display -- obviously intended to mimic the size and style of display you'd see on a phone -- with stereoscopic cameras just above it to detect the presence and position of an attached stylus. As you move the stylus toward a point on the display, the cute little beast lashes its tongue out in the direction of the tip, and a surprisingly strong haptic kick is generated inside the stylus through an inductive coil to mimic the effect of the tongue hitting you. It's pretty obvious that something like this would have neat implications for mobile gaming... but like everything in NTT DoCoMo's R&D department, it's going to take a while to get to retail -- and even when it does, it'll very likely be Japan-only. Follow the break for video. %Gallery-104361%
Fujitsu's Windows 7 tablet concepts make cameo at CEATEC
While nowhere near as impressive (or as tangible / interactive) as its dual-touchscreen concept phone, Fujitsu's Windows 7 tablet prototypes are much more practical in design than some of its other concepts it's shown at CEATEC from years past. And yet, the pair of slates were still relegated to behind glass enclosures and just stickers for screens, which leaves us with little to say but a lot to show for it. So let's get in with the show: pictures below. %Gallery-104362%
Qi charger prototype from Sanyo and NTT DoCoMo seeks out, ruthlessly charges stuff
Wireless charging gear compatible with the Qi standard should be hitting shelves any minute now, but NTT DoCoMo's charging base at CEATEC has a completely unnecessary (and completely awesome) trick up its sleeve to set itself apart from the crowd. The prototype -- developed in concert with Sanyo and bearing the Eneloop brand -- gives you some visual indication that a compatible gadget has been detected by displaying a ring of blue LEDs that converges around the device to be charged once you set it down. It's a neat effect... and you can see it unfold on the video after the break. No indication on whether NTT DoCoMo will actually be bringing its own branded Qi charger to market, but clearly, these products are nearly production-ready. %Gallery-104373%
Hitachi's 6.6-inch IPS tablet display with amazing 302 ppi
What you're looking at is not just another display. This little beauty throws 1600 x 1200 pixels across a 6.6-inch transmissive IPS panel for an amazing 302 pixels per inch density. That's just shy of the 326 ppi density seen on Apple's 3.5-inch Retina Display (and now Sharp IS03) and blows away the 132 ppi density of the iPad's 10-inch 1024 x 768 IPS panel or 169 ppi density of the 7-inch 1024 x 600 pixel Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook. Even at that size, the panel still manages an 800:1 contrast ratio and 400 nits of brightness. Unfortunately, we don't have any word on when we can expect these to ship in volume, though we wouldn't mind seeing it show up in Apple's rumored 7-inch iPad -- anywhere, really. P.S. To fuel speculation, this Hitachi panel shares the same 4:3 aspect ratio as Apple's iPad. Just sayin'.
NTT DoCoMo's AR Walker is augmented reality at its finest (video)
Say you're in New York... or Tokyo. You have absolutely no idea where you are, where you need to go, or where the closest Starbucks is. Sure, you could look at the mapping app on your AGPS-equipped handset, but where's the sci-fi in that? Leave it to Japan's NTT DoCoMo (in partnership with Olympus) to whip up a wearable augmented reality solution that's nearly small enough (and reasonable-looking enough) for individuals with an ounce of self-respect to use, and we've had a chance to check it out here at CEATEC this week. Follow the break for impressions and video! %Gallery-104359%
NTT DoCoMo's ion-generating phone is literally a breath of fresh air
Sharp has been working on miniaturizing its so-called Plasmacluster line of ion-generating products as of late, most recently with the pocketable IG-CM1. Well, imagine if you took an IG-CM1 and duct-taped it to the back of a Japanese-style flip phone... what would you get? You'd get something like this concept being shown off at CEATEC, we think. Found in the booths of both Sharp and NTT DoCoMo, the basic idea is that the phone surrounds you with pleasant, invigorating ions while you chat away, repelling viruses and generally making you a better, happier, and healthier human being; in addition to the functional prototype, DoCoMo was also showing off totally fake (and considerably sexier) design concepts of how a personal ion generator / phone combo could look down the road. We're not aware of any commercialization plans here -- but considering that Plasmacluster technology comes pre-installed on some Toyota cars sold around the world, it's not a far leap to say that we could see it in a production phone, too. We suppose. %Gallery-104251%
Toshiba Regza GL1 3D preview: no frills, no glasses, some issues (video)
It's with some surprise that we pen, finger to key to screen, praise for a 3D display -- particularly one that is glasses-free (the staff is still a bit divided, for example, on Nintendo's 3DS screen). But here we go. Toshiba's 20-inch Regza 20GL1 3D set was on hand at CEATEC, and it's actually a set we could see ourselves comfortably watching for a given span of time. Viewing angles are none too shabby, the refresh rate doesn't visibly distract or inherently cause headaches, and at 720p, you can actually get an enjoyable image. The 56-inch concept conjured up a worthy picture as well, but then again, it's a prototype with no immediate purpose other than causing attendee awe at this point. If we had to fault it, we'd say that the viewing angles where you see two distinct perspectives (see the picture above for an example) are too wide, which means you'd have to be really careful about where you sit on the couch if you were to buy something like this for your den. Also on hand was a notebook, which at this point just didn't cut it. Perhaps it's just too early in development, but what was saw had minimal depth and an unfortunately low resolution / perceived refresh rate; when the video loop it was playing switched to the Windows 7 UI, it looked grainy and extremely difficult to read -- undoubtedly the side effect of trying to use a display designed for permanent 3D use in 2D mode. That leaves us to talk about 12-inch 12GL1, and what can we express other than disappointment? The 466 x 350 resolution (yes, that's less than standard definition) is just awful, you can lose the 3D effect moving marginally to the left or right, depth is not pronounced, and medium-to-fast pace footage just doesn't work. For all the warm-yet-cautious approval we give to the 20GL1, its little brother is quite the black sheep, especially at ¥120,000 ($1,443). Not that ¥240,000 for 20 inches is a bargain, but at least you're getting a quality screen... and for once, you don't actually need additional eyewear to enjoy it. Decidedly two-dimensional snapshots and video taken from an almost pitch-black showroom (i.e. very not optimal) can be found below. %Gallery-104266%
