laser
Latest
Mitsubishi's Laser HDTV is named: LASERVUE?
News about Mitsubishi's laser TV may be short on specs and specifics, but it's already got plenty of naming options. Following up on earlier nomenclature rumors pointing towards LAZRTV, an anonymous tipster gave the heads up of yet another filing, dated January 24, attributed to Mitsubishi and attorney Ronald L. Taylor: LASERVUE. As far as we know, Motorola hasn't beaten them to the punch on this one, so maybe it will stick. According to the tip, an official announcement could be due the first week of April, so at least we'll have something to look forward to when our NCAA tournament brackets have long been torn up and discarded.
Northrop Grumman's laser system passes second major milestone
Last we heard from Northrop Grumman it was making some steady progress towards a weapons-grade laser system, and it now looks like that's even closer to becoming a reality, with the company announcing that the system has passed its second major milestone with flying colors. According to the company, the key "laser chain" component was demonstrated on December 20th, 2007, and actually exceeded all target requirements, including reaching a power of 15.3kW, a good deal above the 12.7kW they were aiming for. That component is just one part of the so-called Joint High-Powered Solid State Laser Phase 3 Program, which is designed to combine eight laser chains for a peak power level of 100kW, otherwise known as the level deemed necessary for weapons-grade laser systems. While there's still no indication as to when that might happen, Northrop Grumman has gone as far to say that, with this latest test, "the hardest part is over," so it looks like it might not be as far off as you might think.[Via The Register]
Guns don't kill people, terrible peripherals do
Even with its folding clutch and laser sight (requires 2 x AAA batteries, not included), the WiiMAX isn't impressing anyone. Actually, those two selling points only add on to our suspicions that this light gun was assembled out of whatever plastic bits were available in the factory. That front grip? Leftover umbrella handles. The attachable scope? Grabbed from a surplus of toilet paper holders. Is there even a purpose for that folding handle? How are you supposed to pull the Wii remote's trigger if you're holding onto the grip? And whose idea was it to price this crapcessory at $21.17? Bring a roll of TP past the break for more photos of the WiiMAX.
University of Michigan creates most intense laser in the universe
Rest assured, we've seen some wicked frickin' lasers in our day, but apparently, even the two-kilowatt rendition that heats coffee in mere seconds can't hold a candle ray of light to HERCULES. Intentionally named in all caps by University of Michigan gurus in order to highlight its awesomeness, said laser contains 300 terawatts of power (or 300 times the capacity of the entire US electricity grid) and could "help scientists develop better proton and electron beams for radiation treatment of cancer." Still, we can't help but conclude with UMich's own description of this masterpiece: "If you could hold a giant magnifying glass in space and focus all the sunlight shining toward Earth onto one grain of sand, that concentrated ray would approach the intensity of [HERCULES]." Damn.[Via Physorg]
A harp made from frickin' laser beams
Stephen Hobley just perfected his laser harp. The audio is adjusted by breaking the beam between the source and mirror array above. No, you can't buy it, but we expect it to appear with a Ukrainian dressed in animal skins at Eurovision 2008. Until then, you'll just have to watch the video after the break.[Thanks, Kevin P.]
Kaai and Soraa already working up Blu-ray successor?
Simmer down -- it's not like you haven't seen advancements in blue laser technology before, and even though the current format war may still be raging when either's successor rolls into town, Kaai and Soraa are already looking to the future. Reportedly, Khosla Ventures has invested in both of the aforementioned firms, and while company representatives aren't disclosing much at the moment, we do know that the duo is exploring ways to "exploit gallium nitride, which is also the basis for existing blue LEDs and blue lasers." Apparently, they'd like to concoct suitable replacements for conventional LEDs in the lighting market and make a showing in the optical data storage arena, too. But seriously, with 200GB Blu-ray discs, who needs to worry about the next best thing? [Image courtesy of DigitalHomeMag]
Mitsubishi LAZRTV and LAZRTELEVISION trademarks surface
Thanks to CES being over and all, the latest Mitsubishi trademarks to surface aren't at all surprising. Apparently, the company went ahead and locked down LAZR last November (um, okay?), and now it has given us two more hints as to what the sets may eventually be called. As of late last month, Mitsu has filed to protect the trademarks LAZRTV and LAZRTELEVISION, despite society's growing frustration with model names spelled with Caps Lock depressed and numerous vowels inexplicably missing. 'Course, only time will tell whether the firm will actually use these monikers when its Laser TVs are finally loosed, but we'll go ahead and credit Motorola for giving 'em the idea (in a roundabout way, at least) in the first place.[Via Trademork]Read - LAZR trademark filingRead - LAZRTV trademark filingRead - LAZRTELEVISION trademark filing
Researchers devise method for colorizing metals, alchemists swoon
Unfortunately, Dr. Chunlei Guo of the University of Rochester hasn't yet figured out how to turn scrap metals into gold, but he, along with Dr. Anatoliy Y. Vorobyev, has discovered how to colorize a variety of metals. By utilizing a "femtosecond laser processing technique," the duo has crafted a method for turning even aluminum into aluminum with an impeccable gold finish. Furthermore, they've also been successful in turning tungsten dark blue, leaving reason to believe that nearly any metal could be altered to appear as a different color. Ah, just imagine what these folks could do with your MacBook Pro.[Via The New York Times, thanks Jonathan]
Mitsubishi laser TV unveiled
Tonight at the Moon Room on the top floor of the The Palms Hotel & Casino overlooking Las Vegas, Mitsubishi unveiled its laser HDTV. As expected, Mitsubishi kicked off the event with a few execs expressing their love for lasers -- and Mitsubishi in general. They explained that Mitsubishi is a leader in laser technology and owns 75% of the led laser market, so bringing them together with big screen TVs made perfect sense. Then the event went from execs to night club as the curtain was dropped and there were three 65-inch laser HDTVs on display. At first glance the colors were sensational and the contrast was extremely intense; and although we were hard pressed to see anything that struck us as groundbreaking, we'll need to see this side by side with a traditional set to really know what we're looking at. Unfortunately, the event was short on details, such as price or availability, but during 2008 is the time frame Mitsubishi is aiming for.%Gallery-12994%
DLP evolving with new light sources
DLP is finding new life with the latest advances in illumination technology. We've already seen LED backlights, and now the technology is taking a page from the LCD world. Say "hello" to 240Hz display mode DLPs, with a 100% increase in motion reproduction -- diminishing returns for Hz increases, indeed. Working with LED manufacturer Luminus has produced contrast ratios of 500,000:1. But the ride doesn't stop there, as demonstrated by Mitsubishi's laser HDTV with a DLP heart. We'll be checking that one out, so stay tuned for the details.
A few laser etched Macs to ring out 2007
I have no problem admitting that I'm a sucker for a cool laser etched piece of tech. Our friends over at DVICE have gathered up a few great examples of what a laser can do to spiffy up your Apple product of choice (interestingly 8 out of 9 laptops in the post are Macs with the exception of an HP with My Little Pony etched on it).Check it out, and if you're interested in getting something like this on your MacBook head on over to Engrave Your Tech.No comment on the Barry Manilow etching pictured above.[via Funfurde]
Laser TVs delayed again, SED begins to get envious
It seems that SED's reign as the most perpetually delayed television technology in recent memory may be getting a run for its money, as the Laser TV sets we were totally expecting (ahem) by Christmas aren't making it onto Santa's sleigh after all. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, vice-president of Arasor Scott Wilkie admitted that the sets wouldn't be available by the year's end, but he unsurprisingly passed the blame onto "other key component manufacturers" that "haven't quite ramped up as fast as was expected." Still, Frank DeMartin, vice-president of marketing and product development at Mitsubishi Digital Electronics, supposedly stated that we could see some Laser TV-based announcement at CES 2008, but we wouldn't be shocked if it was simply an updated timetable and a subtle plea for patience. January's just around the bend -- hopefully this will get sorted out soon enough.
Automated paintball gun keeps the residence secure
Nah, it's not like tagging an intruder with shades of neon green, yellow and orange will do much to disable him / her, but it would probably make 'em think twice before going any further. 'Course, we're sure one could think of other uses for an automated paintball gun, and for those creative enough to agree, Team Cynergy has put together a videotaped how-to guide for building a laser-based motion detector and connecting it to your gun. We'll save the technicalities for those who dare to check out the near-10 minute clip posted after the break, but the long and short of it involves a Parralax BASIC Stamp 2 microcontroller, a red laser pointer, a servo and a good bit of tinkering (among other things). Besides, this is a lot less dangerous than that motion-activated BB rifle and laser-guided turret you built earlier this year, so why not flex some DIY muscle and give this endeavor a go?[Via HackedGadgets]
Hercules 400 laser makes you a man for a mere $3,000
We get it, lasers are awesome. You know, you can burn things and blind people and stuff, what's not to like? But at some point -- let's say the $3k mark, for the sake of argument -- you're just starting to look silly, that's all we're saying. The Hercules 400 Laser happens to hit just such a price point, with 400mW of power that's capable of burning through cardboard and thick plastic. Back in our day we had to use ingenuity and a magnifying glass to set things on fire, but we would've sold our family into slavery for a shot at one of these, so the point is kind of moot.[Via Uncrate; thanks Frank]
Pictures of Boeing's Humvee-mounted Laser Avenger
We heard about Boeing's tests of the Hummer-based Laser Avenger last month, but Popular Mechanics managed to score some pictures today, and...well, stay away from that truck. Interestingly, all that gear produces just a centimeters-wide beam, so it looks like our dreams of hand-held laser weapons might still be a ways off. Check the read link for more pics -- including one of the laser taking out a drone aircraft on the ground.
Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 v2.0 hits FCC
Microsoft looks to have a "v2.0" version of its Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 in the works -- if these recently-filed FCC docs have any semblance of truth. The new model looks to be toning down the odd tilt of the original, and tossing in an abudance of gold spray paint, but we're otherwise pretty short on facts for this one. Still, lasers. You can't go wrong with lasers.[Via istartedsomething]
Femtosecond laser pulses could safely destroy viruses, bacteria
The world is already well aware of just how potent (and useful) femtosecond lasers are, and a recent study conducted by a team of Arizona State University physicists explains how pulses could be used to dismantle viruses and bacteria without harming a single innocent cell. Rather than follow in the footsteps of indiscriminate laser treatment options, the group of Sun Devils reportedly figured out a way to "produce lethal vibrations in the protein coat of microorganisms," which has the potential to at least treat "blood-borne diseases such as AIDS and Hepatitis." The technique, dubbed ISRS (Impulsive Stimulated Raman Scattering), has shown to not harm healthy human cells while fighting the good fight against viral pathogens, and while there's no easy way to surmise how quickly we'll see this in action, we're gonna wait for a bit more proof before getting our hopes up.[Via Switched]
The Blu-ray Phaser defends dorks from the HD DVD borg
If the intersection of 1st and 1st in the East Village is the nexus of the universe, then this Blu-ray Laser Phaser is easily the nerdom equivalent. Kipkay -- already Internet-famous for his phone line and remote control hacks -- crosses a toy Star Trek phaser with the PlayStation 3's laser assembly for a weapon of retina sizzling proportions. Check the video after the break for all the hot dremeling action. [Via Blogmond]
Boeing demonstrates a Hummer-mounted laser weapon
We first heard of Boeing's plan to mount a laser on a Humvee in July, but we weren't expecting results so soon -- yet here we are just a few months later and the company is already blowing stuff up with a truck-based "directed energy weapon." The one-kilowatt laser is retrofitted on Boeing's existing Humvee-mounted Avenger missile system, and tests have already demonstrated its effectiveness at taking out IEDs from a safe distance. More excitingly for the boom-boom crowd, the Laser Avenger has also managed to eliminate grounded UAVs, and Boeing says it's working on being able to target low-flying drones as well. That's all well and good, but we just want to know: how is it at making popcorn?
PSP camera + lasers = awesome homebrew concept
If there's one thing that makes anything cooler, it's lasers. califrag from QJ has developed a proof of concept (seen above) that allows you to point a laser at the PSP screen and have the on-screen cursor follow your movement. Although it requires extra hardware, such as the PSP camera, the potential is really exciting: imagine a light gun game for your PSP, a painting application, or some DS-styled "pointing games." Once again, the homebrew community has thought up something truly innovative and surprising. [Via PSP Hacks]
