Samsung's harder better faster "blue phase" (not to copy Blu-ray, just named for the color observed during its development) LCD panel is the first to demonstrate image-driving speed of 240Hz, surpassing current twisted nematic, in-plane switching or vertical alignment technology. In the quest for smooth CRT-style motion Samsung follows DLP manufacturers that announced plans to cross the 240Hz barrier at CES by manufacturing a display that aligns its own layers, simplifying manufacturing and ensuring uniform brightness without the need for an overdrive circuit found in today's merely expletive-inducing 120Hz LCDs. Don't expect these to hit shelves before 2011, coming first in TVs "that require high-speed video reproduction" -- like the one you'll buy that has a much bigger number than your next door neighbor's latest HDTV. For now, the only place to see the future is this 15-inch model at the Society for Information Display 2008 show in LA May 18.

Solar-powered dresses are so two years ago. These days, dames in the know are all about that piezoelectric material, evidenced by the incredibly flashy Piezing. Dreamed up and designed by Amanda Parkes, this piece of garb is all set to steal the show at the 2ndSkin expo in San Francisco, and according to CNET, it features electricity-generating fabrics around the joints of the elbows and hips. When the wearer walks, bends or gets downright nasty on the dance floor, the mechanical stress conjures up energy which is stored as voltage in a built-in battery where it can presumably be used later for charging your favorite handheld gizmo. Sure gets our electrons flowing.

[Via textually, image courtesy of James Patten]
Read - 2ndSkin expo
Read - CNET article on Piezing

It's been a solid tick since we heard a peep from Motion Computing, but nearly a year after we first wrapped our paws around the firm's C5 medical tablet, the F5 has arrived. Granted, this bugger is more suited for service industries and field work than the ER, but its "semi-rugged" nature ensures that it'll get the job done almost anywhere. Packed within the IP54-compliant (read: dust, water, shock and temperature resistant) chassis is a 1.2GHz Intel Centrino U1400 processor, 10.4-inch XGA (1,024 x 768) View Anywhere display, 40GB HDD (optional 32GB SSD available), built-in 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth, WWAN (EV-DO) support and a 2-megapixel camera for good measure. Additionally, you'll spot an optional barcode reader, integrated RFID reader / passive tag, a biometric scanner, three USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, VGA output and a battery good for about 3.5 hours of usage. Unfortunately, such a well-spec'd Slate PC won't come cheap, as this creature will set you back a stiff $2,699 to $4,000 depending on configuration.

Update: Check out videos of the F5 surviving a brutal drop test and enjoying the rain after the jump.

Tokyo University engineer Tsuyoshi Horo has developed a novel system for controlling robots (or in this case, a moving stool) using a simple set of hand and body gestures. The researcher is utilizing a circular array of cameras to track and detect body movement within a controlled environment, and then translate those movements to actions for an automaton. The cameras are used to create a real-time, 3D, volumetric model of objects or people in the space, which is then converted into a psychedelic stack of virtual cubes which are read and processed as data. Viewed movement allows a user to control something like the direction of a bot simply by pointing which way they'd like it to go. Sure, that's all well and good, but we're more interested in getting ourselves Tron-ed into a highly complex Rubik's cube -- where do we sign up? Watch the videos after the break to see the system (and the blocks) in action.

[Via technabob]

You only thought light-up gear was so last century. As fate would have it, kids aren't tired of rockin' blinky apparel just yet, and Tomorrow Incorporated is looking to take advantage of the lingering fad. One-upping the LA Lights kicks that once ruled the hallways, the Britepack book bag ($39.99) sports a semi-circle of LEDs that light up in a pre-determined pattern each time a step is taken, and they automatically go dormant whenever it detects that class is in session (read: it's sitting idly). Apparently, these packs will even be available in wheeled (oh noes) and non-wheeled versions, and while a couple colors look to be available as we speak, you can look forward to a host of "add-on accessories" to land next year. As much as we'd like to think that these just won't take off, we doubt TI will have a tough time moving its inventory.

Now that the Wii's thoroughly indoctrinated everyone and their mothers (and grandmothers) into the joy of motion-sensitive gaming, it's only natural to ask what's next -- and a system of cheap accelerometers, gyroscopes, and ultrasonic sound emitters developed by a team at in Switzerland could provide some answers. The sensors are linked up and used like a rudimentary motion-capture suit -- only instead of needing a controlled environment and special cameras, microphones worn on the torso pick up beeps from the emitters to locate your limbs as you flail about. The system is flexible enough to be used during active sports like skiing or bicycling for more accurate motion capture or just to control video games, since no silly ping-pong ball suit is required. The team says the $3000 system is built from off the shelf parts, yet compares favorably to commercial mo-cap systems costing tens of thousands more -- and what's more, they expect the price to fall to "hundreds of dollars" soon. Excellent -- we were thinking it was about time to do some real damage in Wii Boxing. Check a vid of the system in action after the break.

Make no mistake about it, accelerometers have certainly been all the rage of late, and Freescale Semiconductor isn't missing its chance to cash in on the bonanza. The firm has recently announced what it calls the "world's thinnest 3-axis digital-output accelerometer" for use in motion-based user interfaces, and it checks in at around "77-percent smaller" than existing offerings. The MMA7450L is available in a 0.8-millimeter thin plastic land grid array, eliminates the need for a dedicated analog-to-digital converter, includes three g-select sensitivities, and is almost ready to rock in tomorrow's most diminutive controllers, handhelds, and mobile handsets. Currently, only major manufacturers are getting their hands around samples, but general availability of the $2.66 device (when you order 10,000, that is) is expected by Q3 of this year.

[Via TGDaily]

It's honestly not too often that these homegrown DIY efforts actually end up going big, but just as it was predicted, the tiltBoard 360 is legit. Talismoon has officially released the second generation of the tilt sensitivity add-in for the Xbox 360 controller, which is supposedly "easier to use" than Sony's SIXAXIS. The board comes pre-loaded with tiltTune technology, which purportedly allows gamers to adjust the tilt sensitivity, tweak the 0-degree point, invert the Y-axis, and even deactivate the tilt feature if you should desire. Unfortunately, this iteration is still not a simple drop-in mod, as you'll be busting out the soldering iron for no fewer than seven wires. Still, for those not afraid to their hands dirty, the next-gen tiltBoard 360 will be shipping later this month.

Providing a mighty blow to both "research studies" and the value of Ph.D degrees everywhere, the latest rubbish information to come flowing from the Mayo Clinic's research lab is as close to an insult to intelligence as you can get. While it may have been somewhat understood that television can act as a painkiller for children, and that wireless headsets actually don't improve driving safety, this obviousness of this one takes the literal cake. The study, which is proclaimed as the "first to scientifically measure the energy spent playing video games," proved that sitting around while gaming burned the same amount of energy as kicking back and watching the tube, but when engaged in a "camera-based activity" (Eye Toy?), the "energy expenditure tripled." It was also shown that walking on a treadmill while gaming it up also tripled the energy burned, but it showed a "fivefold increase for the mildly obese group" of participants. While these results may be miles away from shocking, the most depressing aspect of the entire study was the conclusion that the results were so awe-inspiring that "they warrant further studies in randomized trials." Now, who's paying for this hoopla again?

[Thanks, Mike]

While the PS4 might be "just around the corner," and Nintendo's Wiimote is sure to give you all the (potentially dangerous) controller flinging fits you can handle, it appears that Sony's giving the whole "controller innovation" thing another go. Sure, Sony's faced its fair share of lawsuits (hasn't everyone?), and had noticeable trouble with Dual Shock in particular, but the less-than-revolutionary SIXAXIS controller is apparently lacking a heavily-desired feature: motion tracking. We're fairly certain that Sony is watching its toes to make sure the next lawsuit to hit doesn't come from the big N, but its latest patent describes a "handheld controller having detectable elements for tracking purposes," which admittedly sounds awfully familiar. The design looks simply like a revamped version of the current SIXAXIS, with embedded LEDs on the front of the device and an "external camera (Sony's sensor bar patent?) to capture the movements" of the user. After combing through the patent jargon, there's little doubt that the goal here is to deliver a controller that allows gamers to maneuver and react with more than just button mashes, but whether or not this development will actually be realized (or if games / lawyers will end up supporting it) remains to be seen.

[Via Unwired View, thanks Staska]

Haven't you ever wanted an Etch A Sketch right there, on your DS? (We hadn't considered the possibility until today.) For $25, and some familiarity with homebrew apps, you can get a DS motion card, which includes a 3-axis accelerometer and a single-axis gyroscope. Apparently some folks have already cooked up some apps that will work with this card, including an Etch A Sketch-style application and two games. You can plunk down the cash for the pre-order, but if you want something a little more immediate, you could just buy a regular Etch A Sketch for far less, and not have to worry about all that homebrew stuff. Your call, though.

[Via DS Fanboy]

If Buffalo's disco mouse is just a tad too psychedelic for your tastes, and you've got a hankering for some Wiimote action just a few days early, the company's BOMU-W24A/BL "spatial mouse" should tide you over. Aside from sporting the usual assortment of mouse buttons and a scroll wheel, this critter boasts an internal gyro sensor that allows the cursor to move with the flick (or twist) of your wrist. In case all that twirling gets a bit tiresome, it also packs a standard optical sensor for "normal use," and offers six programmable buttons all around the enclosure. After a hard day's night of pointing it up, this wild child fits snuggly into the USB charging cradle, and can be picked up later this month for over half the price of a Wii itself, or ¥19,780 ($168).

[Via Akihabara News]