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The OnePlus 11 Concept will feature a 'flowing back' with blue lighting
OnePlus has teased a more dramatic version of the OnePlus 11 Concept designed that features gaming PC-like LED lighting.
Amazon leaks new Kindle Paperwhite models on its own site
Amazon may be getting set to release a new version of its Paperwhite reader including a high-end "Signature Edition," according to new Amazon listings.
Algorithms transform Chicago scenes into trippy lobby art
Office lobbies are prime spots for corporations to make statements about their values and taste, yet "lobby art" is usually a shorthand way of saying "insipid crap." However, a studio called ESI Design has given a Chicago office building a much more interesting, experimental and local take on it. Called "Canvas," it's a 14- by 23-foot LED display installation that generates moving paintings based on video from the Chicago River and Navy Pier amusement park rides. "The daily motion of Chicago 'paints' the pictures into place at 515 North State," said ESI's Senior Designer Ed Purver.
LED lights could get better with self-assembling particles
LEDs have dramatically transformed the lighting world over the past few years, thanks to their increased efficiency and life-span over past technologies. But LEDs could see even more upgrades with perovskite particles, a self-assembling nanoscale material that could make them even more efficient and cheaper to produce, Physorg reports. Researchers have already shown how perovskites could improve solar cells, but until now it was difficult to create uniform films made out of the material.
ICYMI: Rock-like smartphone, stomach tap and more
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The FDA has just approved a device for obese people that is first surgically inserted into the stomach, then used like a tap after meals to drain up to a third of the food inside. The Runcible 'anti-smartphone' is going up for sale for $300, designed to not make a single noise except to notify you of incoming calls. It includes a camera, bluetooth and touchscreen, but still clearly resembles a rock on the back. And finally, It is this show's first birthday, so we are touching on a few of our favorite stories from the last year. If you'd like to check out a brief clip of the pigeon video out of New York, that's here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
ICYMI: How to banish drones, fast levitating train and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-150144{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-150144, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-150144{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-150144").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: A startup plans to detect and disable any drone flying within range of its proprietary system with a planned launch date later this year. The US Air Force beat its own magnetic levitation speed record at 633 miles per hour. Researchers developed e-skin that can track blood oxygen content and heart rate, displaying on LEDs. We are smitten with this commuter bike car from Sweden so please check it out. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
The scientists behind blue LEDs earn this year's Nobel Prize for physics
This year's Nobel Prize for physics was awarded for something quite useful to us all. While the honor typically goes to the likes of Higgs Boson research and other massively complex discoveries, a trio of Japanese scientists earned the award for work on blue LEDs. The third color of light emitting diodes can combine with red and green to create white light -- something you have have seen in those bright and efficient LED bulbs. Since the group developed the tech back in the 90s, companies packed blue-hued bits inside TVs and other displays, in addition to replacing energy-draining bulbs for a load of uses (traffic lights, car headlamps, etc.). Not only do white LED lamps/bulbs cut down on power use, but they also last longer than both incandescent and florescent options. What's more, that efficiency is constantly on the rise. [Photo credit: Jim R. Bounds/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Researchers beat fiber optic broadband speeds using visible LED light
High speed data is already being transmitted by visible light to the moon, so why not in your living room, too? After the Fraunhofer Institute showed off 3Gbps speeds with LED lights, researchers from five UK universities have managed to transmit data at 10Gbps using micro-LEDs with a technique they've coined "LiFi." The team was able to crack the barrier by combining 3.5Gbps streams in each of the red, green and blue frequencies that make up white light. Such a technique could one day work with existing light bulbs, promising higher speeds than current WiFi and increased security -- since visible light can't penetrate solid objects like walls. In addition, a single bulb could theoretically provide connectivity for up to four devices. For now, such devices are confined to the lab, but given the torrid pace of development, don't be surprised if your data connection is soon a click of the switch away.
Visualized: Cubesat micro-orbiters slip into space to flash Earth in Morse code
Japan's four-inch FITSAT-1 orbiters were released from Japan's Kibo laboratory on the ISS last week to (literally) start their world tour, and astronauts aboard the station captured the wee satellites being dwarfed by giant solar arrays and our own blue rock on their way to orbit. Soon they'll be writing "Hi this is Niwaka Japan" in Morse code using intense flashes of LED light, first to Japan and then across the globe, starting next month. To catch them floating away from the International Space Station's cozy confines, hit the source.
Japan's LED-stacked cubesat will burn Morse code into the heavens
If you thought cloud writing was cool, then how about a message from space burnt into the night sky? A group of unassuming cubesats recently left the comfort of the ISS and joined Earth's orbit -- among them was FITSAT-1 (aka Niwaka), a four-inch-cubed Japanese satellite covered in high-powered LEDs. Its mission is to broadcast the message "Hi this is Niwaka Japan" in Morse code, using bursts of intense light to draw dots and dashes across the heavens. FITSAT-1 was originally planned to appear only over Japan, but a flurry of interest means it'll be touring the globe, starting next month. It'll also find time for its studies, beaming VGA images snapped with an onboard camera back to Earth, to test a high-speed data transmitter. While its creator, Professor Takushi Tanaka, has said the Morse broadcast has "no practical aim," we think it would make a good emergency beacon for natural disasters (or, more worryingly, alien invasions). FITSAT-1 will try and fulfill all requests for appearances, but it can't control the weather, so you'd better hope for a clear night if it visits your part of the world. If you're as excited as we are to see it in action, bookmark the source links below, which should be updated with its orbit schedule in the near future. And, even if you don't speak Japanese, the video after the break will give you an idea of what to expect.
Acer breeds LEDs with lasers, new hybrid projector is born
Acer usually graces our pages for its pico projector range, but the company's taken a leaf out of the high-end book for its latest non-portable model, the K750 LED-laser hybrid. The world's first combo projector spits out 1080p, just as you would expect, at a contrast ratio of up to 100,000:1. Acer claims the color brightness, saturation and fidelity are significantly better than mercury lamps, and appears to be leaning towards the business and education markets, citing the K750's instant on / off capability to sway the productive types. If you fancy one of these in your house, however, better start saving your cash -- AVForums claims it'll be available in the UK later this month bearing a price tag of around £1,700 (approximately $2,650).
iHome iP76 LED color-changing speaker indulges your love for pretty colors
Music just isn't the same without a host of flashing colors to go with it, right? iHome, at least, seems to think so. Its first Glowtunes speaker tower, the new iP76, comes packed with LEDs in seven different hues that can fade, pulse or strobe as your playlist requires. The three-foot iP76 sports a dock for your iPhone or iPod and packs four speakers with Reson8 technology. There's also Bluetooth for streaming from other devices. The iP76 will go on sale for $200 in July. Already dreaming about all the sonic light shows you'll host? Jump past the break for some press info to tide you over.
Droplet and StackAR bring physical interface to virtual experiences, communicate through light (hands-on)
Light-based communication seems to wind throughout the MIT Media Lab -- it is a universal language, after all, since many devices output light, be it with a dedicated LED or a standard LCD, and have the capacity to view and interpret it. One such device, coined Droplet, essentially redirects light from one source to another, while also serving as a physical interface for tablet-based tasks. Rob Hemsley, a research assistant at the Media Lab, was on hand to demonstrate two of his projects. Droplet is a compact self-contained module with an integrated RGB LED, a photodiode and a CR1216 lithium coin battery -- which provides roughly one day of power in the gadget's current early prototype status. Today's demo used a computer-connected HDTV and a capacitive-touch-enabled tablet. Using the TV to pull up a custom Google Calendar module, Hemsley held the Droplet up to a defined area on the display, which then output a series of colors, transmitting data to the module. Then, that data was pushed to a tablet after placing the Droplet on the display, pulling up the same calendar appointment and providing a physical interface for adjusting the date and time, which is retained in the cloud and the module itself, which also outputs pulsing light as it counts down to the appointment time. StackAR, the second project, functions in much the same way, but instead of outputting a countdown indicator, it displays schematics for a LilyPad Arduino when placed on the tablet, identifying connectors based on a pre-selected program. The capacitive display can recognize orientation, letting you drop the controller in any position throughout the surface, then outputting a map to match. Like the Droplet, StackAR can also recognize light input, even letting you program the Arduino directly from the tablet by outputting light, effectively simplifying the interface creation process even further. You can also add software control to the board, which will work in conjunction with the hardware, bringing universal control interfaces to the otherwise space-limited Arduino. Both projects appear to have incredible potential, but they're clearly not ready for production just yet. For now, you can get a better feel for Droplet and StackAR in our hands-on video just past the break.
Neonode zForce uses infrared LEDs to measure pressure, replace capacitive touch (hands-on)
Smartphone fanatics may recall the Neonode N2 -- a rather unique recall-plagued feature phone that ultimately resulted in the demise of the company's handset arm. Neonode is still a major player in the portable device market, but may be more familiar to OEMs that employ its infrared LED-based touch technology, rather than consumers that utilize it in e-readers, with tablets soon joining the mix. zForce offers several advantages over its capacitive-based counterparts -- it's incredibly responsive and accurate, and can now measure the intensity (or pressure) of your touch, and not just position. There's also a built-in proximity sensor that can be added to any device for a few pennies, which is considerably less than traditional offerings. However, because Neonode uses an array of infrared LEDs and photodiodes, a raised bezel is required to accommodate the additional hardware, making it impossible to integrate a flush display.We went hands-on with an updated smartphone-sized embed of the company's zForce technology that not only works with any object, such as a finger, pen or a paint brush, but also recognizes both the pressure of your implement and also its size, so a larger paint brush has broader strokes than a smaller one, for example. Because the device can operate at 500Hz all the way up to 1,000Hz (refreshing 1,000 times per second), it appears to be incredibly responsive, with an almost unnoticeable delay between the time you touch the pad and when your input is displayed on the screen. A second demo unit, called Stargate, offers dual-layer touch with support for 3D control -- you can literally reach inside the unit to manipulate an object. There's no word on when this latest tech will make its way into devices, or how exactly we'll see it used, but you really need to see it in action to get a feel for how it works -- jump past the break for our video hands-on.%Gallery-149305%
Japanese 'Dream Project' looking to kill bugs with LEDs, harvest crops with robots
No, they aren't harvesting us just yet, but Japan is putting in place a plan that could see automated farms that feature robotic tractors for tilling earth and collecting crops while LEDs keep unwanted pests at bay. It's part of something called the "Dream Project," a four billion yen ($52 million) effort to reclaim some of the farmland that was affected by the March tsunami. An area in Miyagi prefecture, 200 miles north of Tokyo, has been identified and, if all goes according to plan, these machines could start roving in as little as six years. Harvesting tiberium could take a little longer.
Tiny infrared LEDs could find a home in ultra-thin multitouch screens
A company called Osram Opto Semiconductors has created a new infrared LED that can be used in conjunction with detectors to create ultra-thin touchscreens. We've seen infrared used in touchscreens before, most notably in Microsoft's Surface and recent e-readers from Barnes & Noble and Kobo. But, Osram's solution is complex enough to work in a multitouch tablet, while being as space-saving zForce. At only 0.45mm tall the diodes and sensors can easily be crammed into a bezel around a screen and sip just 35mW during regular use. Now the company just has to convince someone to put the tiny IREDs in their products.
Audi announces A2 electric concept car, uses lasers to ensure safety of future humans
Lasers make everything better, including (but not limited to): microphones, kidneys and Audi's electric A2 concept. This newest flight of fancy uses a laser diode as the rear fog lamp, which projects a red triangle onto the road to let other drivers know you're there. The German car-maker has tricked out the rest of the EV's lighting system as well by implementing matrix beam technology using LEDs and microreflectors -- giving it high resolution, non-glaring beams and intelligent tail lights that change in intensity based on weather conditions. Claiming other state-of-the-art features like gesture controls instead of keys, and brake lights that glow brighter the harder you press, it sounds like this would be a pretty sweet ride -- if it ever makes it to market. No word on the other, insignificant details (ya know, like what actually powers the thing) but there's plenty more about the car's lighting system in the PR after the break.
Rich Decibels Brainwave Disruptor scrambles your head, not your eggs
Child of the '80s? Then you'll most likely remember those notorious PSAs about your brain and eggs, and the dangers of turning yourself into an omelette. Yeah, well turn off your inner Nancy Reagan for a second because we've got an Arduino hack that should have you just saying yes. New Zealand artist Rich Decibels created a homebrew brain entrainment device that uses low frequency sound and light to induce different mental states. The mod pieces together an Arduino Uno with two separate interface boards -- one for pitch and separation controls, the other for LED and volume -- to deliver a combo of binaural beats (two slightly out of sync tones) and flashing headset-mounted lights that'll slow down those cerebral hertz cycles. If you happen to live in the land made famous by Frodo's Shire, you can check out the brain-slowing goods at Thistle Hall's Project Briefcase exhibition. Not a Kiwi? Then be sure to hit the source for an audio taste of this hacked head experience.
ZeroTouch 'optical multi-touch force field' makes a touchscreen out of just about anything
The rise of tablets and smartphones has made the touchscreen a rather ubiquitous interface, but they aren't everywhere quite yet. A group of students from Texas A&M intend to change that, however, with the invention of ZeroTouch: a seemingly empty picture frame that lets you turn any surface into an interactive touchscreen. It might not look like much, but ZeroTouch is packing a series of pulsing LEDs and infrared sensors that turn that blank space into a highly sensitive surface. Basically, the strategically placed LEDs cover the open area in a sheet of invisible light. When a hand or stylus enters the picture (or lack there of), those beams are interrupted, providing cues to a piece of software that tracks the object's movement -- and boom! You've got a touchscreen. Of course, this isn't the sort of thing that's going to make it to market anytime soon, but you can check out ZeroTouch rocking the rippling water effect in the video below.
Arbonata Light Table classes up LEDs and dining rooms
Here's a solution for adding a little techno-flare to your furniture that's a bit more subtle than cramming computer parts into a coffee table. The Arbonata Light Table, available from nKcharms at the source link, impregnates stylish slabs of wood with over 1,700 LEDs arranged in the shape of a tree. According to designer Dennis Vetu, it's some sort of metaphor for the circle of life -- as he explains on the Arbonata site, "tree becomes wood, becomes light." Artsy prattle aside, we couldn't imagine sitting down to a ramen dinner on a classier surface. If you're not partial to branches and leaves though, nKcharms will work with customers to create unique designs. We might just order one emblazoned with a glowing Engadget logo. Sadly, there's no price listed, but then again, if you have to ask.... Don't miss the gallery below. %Gallery-121968%