We've seen dynamic contrast ratios on HDTVs climb as high as 2,000,000:1, but an in-house design from the famed Carl Zeiss blows that right out of the water. The powerdomeVELVET planetarium projector was obviously not designed with home cinema in mind, though the specifications are no less impressive. We've got a 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio, DLP / BrilliantColor technologies, a 1,200p native resolution and a DVI input. Not like you're actually considering one for your own domed theater, but it'll be available for a small fortune in Q1 2009.

[Via DVICE]

Was it really 2006 when Linux lovers were sinking their gums into Neuros Technology's OSD? Two years later, we're finally seeing shipment of the OSD 2.0, which diverts quite significantly from the original in terms of design and ups the ante by adding support for encoding high-definition video at 720p in MPEG-4 and D1 resolution in the H.264 format. It's built around a Texas Instruments Davinci-based CPU module and a mini-ITX motherboard / enclosure, but rather than just being a very hackable consumer product, this one is described as a "super-reference design" by CEO Joe Born. You'll likely remember the WhereverTV, which is of course based on the OSD 2.0, and the firm has already landed another partner for the box in Hupla. For the individuals who just want an undisturbed unit, you can latch on now for $250.

Whoa, Leica -- what got into you of late? Introducing three new cameras at once just not good enough? Evidently not, as the outfit better known for its retro-styled snappers has just produced an all new high-def projector, the 7.5-pound Pradovit D-1200. Taking a hint from projectiondesign's, um, design cues, this DLP beamer boasts a native 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, 1,400 ANSI lumens, a 2,500:1 contrast ratio and a VARIO-ELMARIT-P f/2.8-3.1/33-42 mm high-speed lens. You'll also find a 220-watt FusionPlus VIDI UHP lamp from Philips which is said to be good for around 3,000 hours, and as for ports, there's component, HDMI 1.3, DVI, composite, S-Video, VGA and Ethernet jacks. Mum's the word on a price, but it'll be available for those with thick wallets this November.

[Via LetsGoDigital]

Hard to believe that Jack Kilby's unsightly concoction (pictured above) turned 50 yesterday, but it's true. Half a century ago, Mr. Kilby crafted the integrated circuit, which ended up having a monumental impact on taking computers from warehouse-sized to, well, not-warehouse-sized. As the story goes, the very first microchip was demonstrated on the 12th of September in 1958, and it passed its first test: "producing a sine wave on an oscilloscope screen." Safe to say we all know how things progressed from there. Here's to you, IC -- and here's to 50 more.

[Via MAKE]

If your friends ever cracked a single joke on you for having a liquid-cooled gaming rig, watch real close and see if they don't end up swooning over this one. Taiwanese OEM / ODM supplier Chilin Technology has introduced the planet's first "lamp-free 1080p projector with liquid cooling" at this year's CEDIA Expo. The firm has partnered with Luminus Devices (for its PhlatLight LED) and Texas Instruments (for its 1080p DMD tech) in order to produce the device, which will boast 600 ANSI lumens, a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, 128% NTSC color gamut and a lamp good for around 50,000 hours (or, in Chillin's view, forever). As for a release date, we know it'll be demonstrated here in Denver, but there's no word on how quickly it'll begin shipping out to customers.

Be still our hearts! After months upon months (upon months) of waiting, the tight-knit team behind the ultra-potent Pandora gaming handheld has finally divulged the information we've been clamoring for: the ARM Cortex A8-powered device will begin shipping before Christmas 2008 for £199.99 in the UK. The first batch will consist of 3,000 units, and the team is hoping that all of those will be sold out before the first one leaves the dock. There's no word on how costly it'll be for Americans, though we're crossing our fingers that it'll sell for a few bucks less than the $360 we find when simply converting pounds to dollars.

[Thanks, Andri]

Our friends at Engadget Spanish got a look at Texas Instruments' DLP Pico projector, which both Optoma and Toshiba have expressed interest in. The little unit pumps out a WVGA (we think) 1000:1 image, which they found quite satisfactory, in addition to 0.5 watts of sound. The built-in battery should run the thing for a couple of hours. Action-packed video after the break, en español!

Delta Electronics might've jumped the gun a bit with its claim of firsties on Texas Instruments' new "PhlatLight" HD LED DLP projector tech. Delta hasn't brought even a prototype to IFA, but over at Texas Instruments there's a Vivitek version of the lamp-free projector tech, which TI claims will be the first to market sometime in Q4 of 2008. The specs they rattled off are undoubtedly impressive: 50% better color range, 500,000:1 contrast ratio, 30% less power draw, and of course 1080p to put a feather in the cap. In TI's darkened viewing room the image was certainly impressive, but we're guessing specs like these could carry over nicely into our less-than-ideal bedsheet setup back home.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Even though the product doesn't have any availability, pricing, or even a name yet, Delta Electronics is claiming to have the first full HD LED-based DLP projector, and is showing a demo unit at IFA and CEDIA. Using tech developed by TI and Luminus Devices, Delta says it's ready to go with a full-size 1080p projector with "PhlatLight" LEDs pumping out the lumens, which of course means an end to futzing around with burnt-out projector bulbs right in the middle of your feature presentation. No doubt, we're seeing LEDs show up in all manner of display devices, and if LED-lamped projector prices follow a trajectory like LED-backlit LCDs, we'd be happy campers indeed.

[Via About Projectors]

Read - Delta Electronics first LED HD projector
Read - Luminus and TI develop lamp-free tech

Texas Instruments has a lot to do with the original microchip, if for no other reason than being the employer of inventor Jack Kilby. Now, however, TI is looking to produce chips and other related gizmos that require an infinitesimally small amount of energy to operate. The overriding theme guiding the engineers is "energy scavenging," which alludes to grasping power from even the most unlikely of places -- vibrations from a bridge as cars pass over, capturing wasted exhaust from a car or bottling up all that frustration your sibling shows when you own him / her again in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The possibilities are just about endless, with networked battery-free smoke alarms, solar-powered mobiles and gaming laptops that feed off of extraordinarily focused brain waves in the mix. Okay, so that last one is still eons from reality, but at least we're headed in that direction.

Just what the world needs -- another pair of perfectly average projectors to choose from. Vivitek has boldly gone where so many others have gone before by introducing the D326MX (XGA) and D326WX (WXGA) projectors, both of which rely on Texas Instruments' DLP engine and boast rapid start-up / instant shutdown features, HDMI / component connectors, 2,600 ANSI lumens, a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, 5-segment color wheel and a 1-watt speaker for mind-blowing monaural sound. The units weigh in at just 3.2-pounds apiece, and both should be available now for $999 / $1,199 should you remember to look within the next 15 seconds. Full release after the break.

InfoComm is in full swing down in Vegas, and Texas Instruments isn't wasting any time showcasing its latest gear. First up is a prototype 1080p beamer hailed as the industry's first with a lamp-free design. Said unit also utilizes a PhlatLight LED light source and a BrilliantColor chipset, and if TI is to be believed, certain vendors will be shipping wares based on this stuff later this year. Moving on, we're being (re)treated to the planet's "first" 3D front projector (also known as the F10 AS3D), designed in cooperation with projectiondesign. Hidden beneath the big boys is the DLP Pico chipset for mobile applications, which will unsurprisingly pop up in pico projectors from companies like Optoma in late 2008 (Europe and Asia) / 2009 (the rest of us). Peek the full release after the break.

It's not like Acer's Gianfranco Lanci (shown right) was hurtin' for cash -- after all, the guy was (and still is) president of the company -- but there's just nothing quite like slapping "and CEO" on the end of said title. Approved by the outfit's Board of Directors today, Mr. Lanci has been promoted to Chairman, while the previous CEO, J.T. Wang, will serve as Acer Group CEO. From what we can tell, there's no hard feelings about any of the moves, and c'mon, it is nice to move from one corner office to another every now and then, you know?

[Via PCWorld]

Although Computex has largely delivered a slew of netbooks to digest, a handful of new pico projectors have also managed to get a little face time. The latest is Foxconn's PD-W1001, which features a 0.3-inch Texas Instruments DLP chip, WVGA (854 x 480) resolution and 25 Lm -- all within a 55- x 46- x 26-millimeter package that weighs just 65-grams. In its current form, we can't see this being much more than a novel concept, but when these critters start inching closer to 1080p, you can color us very much interested.

[Via AboutProjectors]

We should probably preface this by reiterating that when Sharp says "professional," it means precisely that. The firm's latest beamer -- the June-bound XG-P560W (or XG-P560WN sans lens) -- features a modest WXGA (1,280 x 800) resolution, but includes Texas Instruments' .65-inch 3-chip DLP technology along with Sharp's own CV-IC II System for smoothing jaggies and minimizing image noise. Additionally, it features a 1,800:1 contrast ratio, seven interchangeable lenses, a dual-lamp lighting system, DVI / HDMI inputs and a built-in Ethernet port for remote access and control. Remember that whole spill we made at the onset? Yeah, here's proof: $16,995 for the XG-P560W, $15,995 for the XG-P560WN.