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Konect USB watch concept is awe-inspiring, hard to tell time on (video)
We've seen some pretty interesting and insanely unique watches in our time, and just when we thought we'd seen it all, artist Olivier Demange whips up this timepiece concept -- dubbed Konect -- that packs a wide range of features and looks futuristic while doing so. Embedded in this Tron-esque gadget watch is a Bluetooth radio that'll act as a receiver -- yes, you can finally fulfill your lifelong dream of using your watch to communicate (only if you've strapped a paired BT headset to your skull). You'll also find proper controls for music playback, a button to answer and end calls, a removable USB stick, and well, a way to tell the time. Judging by the renders, we'd say finding out when it is might take more than a second or two, but you can be sure that we hope to see this thing on our wrists sometime. Check out the concept in video form below the fold -- and yes, we know, House!
LG Optimus 3D teased again, this time shows off its dual cameras (video)
We really should send a message to phone manufacturers and stop covering these tiny little leaks of controlled information, but when it's a phone with dual cameras and a 3D display we're talking about, we can't help it. Every minute detail must be digested and analyzed. There's a fast-moving video awaiting your Sherlockian wits after the break, or you can hit the source link for a gallery of screen captures that highlight the construction details of LG's upcoming Optimus 3D. Look for it to stop being a fancy render and become a corporeal entity at MWC early next week.
Metal Gear Solid 4 demonstrated on NGP
As if we didn't understand the implication the first time, Sony paraded Hideo Kojima out on stage -- this better be a Zone of the Enders game! -- to demonstrate ... right, of course: Metal Gear Solid 4 on the NGP. "There's no announcement of a new title today," Kojima confessed, "but I'd like to talk about the future perspective." We get it -- PS3 games can be exported to NGP -- and Kojima is envisioning a future in which games will be seamlessly transferred back-and-forth between the home console and portable unit. "This dream is going to come true in the near future," he pledged, "and right now I'm working on this project." "I can't disclose further information," Kojima added -- but that's what E3's for, right?
Triple-display Flip phone powers our dreams with Android (video)
This one's only a concept so don't get your hopes up, but we're loving the design here, called the Flip from designer Kristian Ulrich Larsen. It's a triple-display handset running stock Android that pops out like a tent, collapses into a standard (if curved) slate, and even folds out like a little book. Each screen is said to be Super AMOLED hiding behind Gorilla Glass, with steel mesh acting as hinges -- and there's a full QWERTY keyboard somewhere in there too. Is it magic? No, it's just a render, but we're hoping that something like this becomes rather more physical in the not too distant future. Until then, enjoy the dreamy video after the break. %Gallery-114639%
MSI WindPad tablet design concepts rendered, available in your choice of innie or outie
It's a bit odd to see a gadget go from sitting in your hand to sitting in the output file of some renderer but, if images uncovered by blogeee.net are as legit as they're said to be, MSI looks to be thinking a redesign for its upcoming WindPad tablet. Two different versions are shown, one with a chromed bezel that's not entirely unlike the one we played with previously, and another with what looks to be edges that are not convex but instead concave, which actually seems like it could be quite nice for carrying whilst sauntering about the penthouse. On the back is a raised black surface that surely can't be glass... right? Anyhow, there's no being sure of the legitimacy of these renders, but both look respectable enough to show up on this tablet whenever it shows up at retail, supposedly by the end of the year.
HTC Mondrian render teases AT&T U-verse Mobile for Windows Phone 7, looks fatter than last time
Not that the connection between AT&T and HTC's Mondrian WP7 handset was under much doubt anymore, but here's the first image purporting to show the carrier-branded version of the device. The render is provided by 911sniper, whose long and distinguished record of leaking legit HTC ROMs leads us to believe it is indeed the real deal. It's curious then to juxtapose the somewhat bulky Mondrian on show here against the press imagery recently unearthed by BestBoyZ -- are we still looking at the same device? Our eyeball geometry would suggest not. Anyway, there's not too long left to go until Microsoft tidies this alphabet soup of codenames up for us, and until then we suggest just enjoying that tantalizing tile titled AT&T U-verse Mobile. [Thanks, Kamal]
Icon iPhone battery pack combines visual bliss with bona fide utility
Oh, sure -- Mophie's Juice Pack Air may be quite the effective device when it comes to rejuvenating a dead iPhone, but what it sorely lacks is a dash of the atypical. Essential TPE has done the world one better with the introduction of The Icon, or what's better known as the most incredible iPhone battery pack in the history of iPhone battery packs. Put simply, this portable cell plugs directly into the Dock Connector of your 3G or 3GS (iPhone 4 compatibility remains unknown), and an EL indicator lights up to show you how much juice remains in the stick. According to the company, it'll provide an extra three hours of 3G talk time, up to 18 additional hours of audio playback and up to 5.5 hours of bonus web surfing. Currently, it looks as if the company is seeking a worldwide distribution partner, so if you're into distributing awesome wares, well... you know where to get your next fix.
Nokia C2 render spins QWERTY right round
Render plus logo does not a new phone make, but that didn't keep us from admiring the ridiculous form factor on this supposed Nokia C2. While the 'C' label puts the device squarely in dumbphone territory and the only specs available (320 x 240 display, 2 megapixel camera) don't belabor that point, split-horizontal keyboards have a special place in our heart, and we eagerly await their return. That said, Nokia better get cracking if they want to beat the MOTOSPLIT -- the way we see it, they're one whole leaked, possibly fake render behind the competition.
Conceptual 'CTRUS' football gets loaded with sensors, don't need no pump
We've heard of soccer balls that play a tune when kicked, sure, and we're pumped to see the World Cup in 3D, but it's not often that someone comes up with a serious technological makeover for the sport that's nearly as old as life itself. CTRUS, however, is just that -- a theoretical revolution in soccer that begins with the all-important ball. To start with, a reinforced elastic structure means that CTRUS doesn't require any air. (So long, pump.) Next, GPS and RFID chips keep track of the ball's position at all times, and tell it to light up in different colors when it scores a goal or is accomplice to a nefarious violation. (Farewell, referee.) Last but not least, the sphere itself will report back with accelerometers that measure the ball's kick force and travel speed, and a camera that could (with magical software stabilization, of course) actually film action from the ball's own POV. Sadly, the ball is just a concept from an undercover marketing agency, but since we're dreaming, we urge its creators to add a second camera. Just imagine just how immersive it would be to have your face booted in at 130km/h in glorious 3D. Or, just peek the concept videos after the break.
HTC Supersonic maybe rendered, matches up with leaks so far
Okay, look, we're not saying it's unpossible for someone with some incredible Illustrator skill to have thrown this together after seeing the supposed leak last night -- there are definitely plenty of talented people out there with far too much time on their hands. That being said, this matches up perfectly with everything we know and everything we've been told so far, so even if it is fake, it probably gives us some good insight into what Sprint's terrifying beast of a phone is going to look like up close. The Supersonic is said to have a 4.3-inch display and WiMAX alongside Sense -- so if it's all true, we strongly suggest other carriers be ready to step up their Android game. Any other leaks care to step forward today? [Thanks, Silver]
Motorola Shadow is Nexus Two with sliding QWERTY keyboard?
Fan-made render? Very possible, but we're intrigued by the notion. The gang at Mobile01 have laid out two more photos of what is being called the Motorola Shadow (not to be confused with the T-Mobile Shadow), which in a nutshell looks like Droid / Milestone with a white keyboard and wrist strap. Even more interesting is the assertion that this could be Google's next flagship device, here lovingly dubbed the Nexus Two. Now while there is no way to corroborate at this point, we could totally buy this as feasible. After all, what better way to complement the Nexus One slate than with one with physical QWERTY? And who better than the company whose Android 2.0 device increased the platform's mindshare at supersonic speeds, with a CEO willing to signify support even at the launch event for a competitor's product? Color us curious -- wrist strap-laden render after the break [Thanks, Serge]
iPhone 3G S is crazy fast at 3D compared to iPhone 3G
They didn't just slap an S on the back and call it a day, you know. Apple has improved the 3D performance on the 3G S by including a more powerful graphics processor. According to John Casasanta, the speed increase is up to four times that of the 3G. But don't take his word or these OpenGL ES speed tests as proof -- check out the video and see for yourself.On a related note, we hear that Apple has done "even more" than we can publicly disclose around speed improvements on the device. That could mean there are further software updates that may make the 3G S even faster. That's the kind of thing Apple loves to do, isn't it? Just look at the Snow Leopard marketing around it being lighter and more efficient. I've usually had (often temporary) system speed increases with updates as well, so here's hoping there's some unused horsepower under the hood just waiting to be unleashed.
Video: CTD's MID concept fits comfortably in freakishly large pockets
Sure, this isn't the sexiest MID render we've ever seen, but it does make for a fun little video. Cambridge Technology Development, known around MIT and environs for fluidic device design, CFD analysis, and a number of other things we know less than nothing about, have designed a collapsible, pocketable PC that they call the Dragonfly. This bad boy can take the form of a flip phone, a straight-up netbook, or it can lay flat, in "table mode," ideal for pen and touch input. Of course, this isn't a real device -- and there's no telling when or if it'll become available. But when it does, how about floating us a review unit? Check 'er out yourself after the break.
Drool-worthy MID concept stops us in our tracks
We see plenty of semi-yawn-inducing MIDs around the office here, and concepts are certainly a dime a dozen in this racket, but Jan Rytir's concept gave us pause. The hyper-hip look of the design makes it startling in a field not generally known for its sexiness, and the bottom rainbow colored tabs are just icing on that sexy, sexy cake. In this rendering, the whole package would measure 180 x 80 x 20mm, have a trackball on the right of the QWERTY slide out keyboard, and boast an Atom CPU, two USB ports and an SD card reader. Can somebody build this? Please? We promise: ravers everywhere will thank you. One more shot after the break[Via Slashgear]
Macworld 2009: solidThinking offers speed and simplicity -- for a price
solidThinking demonstrated its flagship 3D rendering application (of the same name) that simplifies the process for conceptualizing, revising and rendering for industrial designers. The application makes it very simple to start with a two-dimensional sketch and rapidly create a three-dimensional model of it. For instance, with two cross-sections, users can apply a contiguous skin to create a solid, and not just a series of disconnected surfaces. Users can dynamically edit the points that define the solid, as well, and solidThinking updates the object in real time. solidThinking also features the Construction Tree, a history-like area that remembers changes to a file. With the Construction Tree, minor changes to the same model can be contained within one file, and retain the surfaces and textures for the modified object. Entire objects can be replaced as well, while surface and deformation settings are retained. According to product specialist Darren Chilton, rendering is "stupid fast." A demonstration using a photorealistic model of a car took less than 30 seconds to render. solidThinking is very much a product for professionals, though, with licenses starting at $5,495 for a single computer. A USB dongle that can be moved from computer to computer (including PCs) is $6,000, and a network license for workgroups is $7,495. But, for those professionals who demand efficiency from their software, solidThinking is a strong candidate for those who want a quick, high-quality 3D concepting app. solidThinking is at booth 3320 in the North Hall at Macworld.
More of Motorola's 2009 Verizon lineup leaked
Apparently the Motorola leak-fest begun yesterday hasn't come to a halt. After witnessing some compelling renders of smartphones the company has headed to Verizon, we're now privy to a set of featurephone / dumbphone mockups -- all courtesy of the Boy Genius Report. The new images show off a device supposedly called the "Niagra" (pictured), a slider in the vein of yesterday's "Calgary" QWERTY phone, a dowdy looking number called the "Fairbanks" (a PTT device), and a clamshell called the "Harmony." The latter two phones could hardly stoke much excitement, but the Niagra definitely gives us some hope for Moto's big comeback. Now -- these will all be powered by Android, right?
A shinier WoW
WoW is a fairly good-looking game, especially when compared to some other MMOs, but let's face it: it hasn't had much of a change to its graphics quality since its release in 2004, and you can tell. To give you an idea of how pretty it could be, Youtube user qelss has rendered several models from WoW with more light and some additional filters; you can see one above, and more on his profile page. As MMO-Champion notes, these are fan-made and not previews of anything, but it's still fun to look at the gleaming swords and armor.[via MMO-Champion]
Self-balancing wheelchair wins Autodesk Inventor Student Design Contest
A group of Polish technical students won this year's Autodesk Inventor Student Design Contest with their design for a tricked-out self-balancing wheelchair. Functionality details are pretty light -- the site just says the chair uses "a gyroscope [to] remain vertical while only using two wheels" -- but there's no shortage of sweet gangsta lean or fly rims in the render. Screw the Autodesk competition -- these kids should've sent this design directly to Bad Boy.[Via MedGadget]
PSP phone resurfaces in design contest
Sony Ericsson recently held a contest for Chinese university students to design a new phone. One creative student decided to take the opportunity to render his idea about the rumored Ericsson PlayStation phone. This render features a UMD slot and a DS-inspired flip-top. This render is also shown to be slightly smaller, but thicker, than the PSP itself. What do you guys think about it? If it didn't cost a gazillion dollars, would you pick one up?[Thanks, christian! Via slashphone]
Lair off-screen trailer looked good at GDC
Stills and screenshots can only do so much to convey how good a game looks. Here's an off-screen video presentation of Lair recorded from GDC, showing off the Factor 5 game in action (or, should we say, motion).You might recognize some of the animation from videos seen elsewhere, but it was nice to catch the newer footage of a dragon wireframe model meticulously rendered with layers of musculature and skin, too.If that's not enough for ya, you can always just listen in to the audio, which features a young lady from Washington asking questions of a developer with the hope of getting hired. Consider this a lesson in networking.[Via GameBrink]
