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NanoPass needles set to vaccinate sans pain
Given the choice, even we'd take the pills over the vaccination, but a new Israeli startup is hoping to ease the fears so commonly associated with needles. NanoPass Technologies is working to develop its "proprietary intradermal drug delivery technology," which supposedly deliver injections without the painful side effects by actually not reaching the nerve endings of the skin. Based on MicroPyramids, which are manufactured by MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), the pure silicone crystals are used in extremely diminutive microneedles for intradermal injections, and the tip of the device measures less than one-micrometer in diameter. The company touts its pain-free technology (sound familiar?) as a breakthrough that is "non-intimitdating," which should reduce the likelihood of fainting both youngsters (okay, and adults) face when dealing with needles, and is even said to be easier to administer. Unfortunately, we've got no good news proclaiming that these will be replacing intramuscular and subcutaneous methods later this week, but the $6.5 million in funding that the company has acquired should go pretty far is helping its cause. [Via MedGadget]
Medis Technologies unveils portable fuel cell power pack
Yeah, we won't even need fuel cells as soon as EEStor's miracle-working ultracapacitor-based battery system starts powering the world at large, but until then, we're still fielding applications for alternative sources of juice. Medis Technologies has introduced a fuel cell for your pocket, which provides auxiliary power for cellphones, DAPs / PMPs, PDAs, digicams, and pretty much anything else that relies on an internal, rechargeable battery. Touted as being "years ahead of its time," this self-proclaimed must-have gadget works off a Direct Liquid Fuel Cell (DLFC), and can supposedly provide up to 30 hours of talk time to any mobile, and between 60 and 80 hours of playback time for your iPod. Of course, there are no hard details promising us when we'll see this portable power unit, nor any indication of how expensive it'll be when it finally lands, but if lofty life claims turn out to be true, it might not be too shabby.[Via PocketPCThoughts]
ZINK bringing printers to your handheld gadgetry
Although you probably haven't shaken a Polaroid picture in quite some time, a bit of that allure is reportedly headed to your handhelds, as Massachusetts-based ZINK looks to deliver a pocket-sized printer that can be "embedded in any device" and shoot out photos sans ink. The sensational sounding product will initially be used to print 2- x 3-inch color photographs, and interestingly enough, won't require a single drop of liquid to form the images. In ZINK's system (another pic after the break), "images are created when a heated printer head comes into contact with a sheet of specialized paper," which is actually a polymer containing three crystalline layers. Varying temperatures and pressure points create the pixels of color, and just in case you figure out your latest printout doesn't showcase your eye color as well as you'd hoped, it's recyclable. The company's first offerings will likely be offered in a $99 standalone format or as a $199 camera / printer hybrid, while the snazzy paper will run you $19.95 for a pack of one hundred, but we're definitely holding off on this here invention until we see just how impressive (or not) the printed results actually are. [Warning: PDF read link][Via CNET]
Skype founders to try online video distribution with Joost
Chances are that anyone remotely in the loop these days would be familiar with "Kazaa" and "Skype," but only time will tell if folks warm up to "Joost." The duo who founded one of the most popular P2P networks as well as a mainstay in every VoIP conversation are finally naming (and launching) its video distribution service, aiming to "cheaply and efficiently distribute high-quality video over the internet" via the same P2P technology that has treated them so well thus far. Unfortunately for them, the road from here is quite rocky, especially when you consider the already well-established iTunes Movie Store, YouTube, and the variety of download-to-burn services currently available. Additionally, Joost has yet to nail down any "marquee partnerships with top film or TV producers," which will almost certainly make gaining marketshare an all but impossible chore. The one thing this rendition has going for it, however, is the general experience in comparison to other alternatives, as reports liken it to a "TiVo-like layout" that gives users next to total control over the content at hand. The company has stated that it will support itself with internet ads that behave like television commercials, which presumably won't come as any shock to consumers partaking in what Joost has to offer. Unfortunately, there's no hard details on when the newfound service will go live nor about what content will be served up, but regardless, a little more competition (and a little less dictatorship) in online video distribution is more than welcome.
Vizio readies its sub-$2000 47-inch 1080p LCD TV
Ah Vizio, at it again with the low-cost offerings (which Sony doesn't appreciate very much). While we're sure more than a few folks are kicking back and gazing at their recently-purchased $1,000 42-inch PDP, the firm has divulged that come next February, we can all expect a 47-inch LCD HDTV to hit Sam's Club, Costco, and potentially other big box retailers for "less than $2,000." Oh, and it sports 1080p, too. The firm's CEO declared that current 1080p sets in the $3,000+ range simply "aren't affordable," and is hoping the Super Bowl rush to pick up an HDTV before the big game will boost sales of its undercutting set. An analyst noted that Vizio's offerings didn't "have all the extra features" that other manufactures typically include, and that it didn't feature "the best picture quality," but admitted that it was a bargain and "a good value" nonetheless. So if you know that aging set will need replacing come Super Bowl Sunday, and you've only got about two large to throw down, Vizio should be able to fit the bill quite nicely.
The sounds of startup
Excerpted from the Cheap Ass Gamer podcast, CheapyD has some fun with the three latest consoles adapting Name That Tune into Name That Console: The Next Generation. Can you pick out the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 based on startup and fan noise? We'll give you a hint, the one that sounds like a vacuum isn't the PS3.[Image from Killer List of Videogames. We didn't remember a Name That Tune arcade game.]
MicroDisplay planning to shake up 1080p LCoS HDTV market
We're all about driving down prices, thus we're all about MicroDisplay's apparent plans to break the LCoS market wide open when it starts throwing down at CES. The Silicon Valley startup has hopes to deliver "50-inch plus" LCoS sets to "major big box retailers" under "major CE brand names" soon after unveiling its product line in just about a month. The firm is banking on the skyrocketing HD sales, not to mention the phasing out of CRT-based sets, to propel its single-chip sets atop the market. By developing self-proclaimed "unique and proprietary 1080p LCoS digital projection imaging devices," the company is aiming to mass produce a 50-inch model with a lightning quick response time for "under $1,500." Taking a note from Philips' single-chip motif, the sets would eventually range from 50- to 62-inches, with most sets hitting retails floors "around summer 2007."
The Bottoms Up intros Hygienic Automatic Toilet Seat
Storming into the oh-so-competitive world of highly advanced toilet seats is The Bottoms Up company, which has just unveiled its first (and only) product -- the Hygienic Automatic Toilet Seat. Unlike some snazzy editions which sport automatic jets, this version's claim to fame is its fully automatic, battery-powered lifting functionality that enables mysophobic individuals to use the restroom without laying a finger on the seat. Apparently, a sensor detects your "intentions" when approaching, and instinctively lifts the appropriate seat(s) to keep your hands away from the potentially germ-ridden area. The company is primarily marketing the product to women "suffering with dirty and open toilet seats" around the house, as well as public businesses who'd like to maintain a clean (ahem) reputation. Unfortunately, there's no promised release date or estimated price, so you're stuck using the tried and true "manual method" for the time being.
Wii box back claims console comes with startup disc
This snapshot of the back of the Wii box, found at an EB Games, has the whole of the Nintendo-lovin' internet collectively stroking their chin and raising a single eyebrow in silent contemplation. Some think this "startup disc" is none other than Wii Sports, while others claim it to be a disc controlling the OS of the system. Some have said it is none other than the Opera browser, however we feel that is likely untrue.What do you guys think?[Via Joystiq]
AppleScripts to set startup disk between Windows and Mac OS X
If you're living in a Boot Camp world and have a need for changing your startup disk from time to time, enterprising TUAW reader David B. has written a couple of AppleScript apps with your name on them. Boot (Camp) Sargent beta 0.1 is actually two scripts: the first to set your startup disk to Windows (*shudder*), while the other resets to Mac OS X. In this fast-paced, multiple OS world we live in, little apps that save a few clicks can make all the difference.Boot (Camp) Sargent is available at the first Google Pages site that I've ever seen used to promote or offer anything like this. Extra points for the tag line, "because holding down the Option key during startup is too hard", since I've actually heard people say that on the job in the past.
TUAW Tip: keyboard shortcuts during Mac OS X startup
For today's TUAW Tip, I thought I'd cover some of the basic essentials for starting up your Mac, especially for recent switchers who feel naked and lost without their BIOS. I compiled the list I have here from Magical Macintosh Key Sequences (which Dave mentioned last September), Apple's own keyboard shortcut documentation and personal experience: X during startup - Force Mac OS X startup option - (eventually) brings up a screen with startup volume choices Option-Command-Shift-Delete - Bypass primary startup volume and seek a different startup volume (such as a CD or external disk) C - Start up from a CD that has a system folder N - Attempt to start up from a compatible network server (NetBoot) T - Start up in FireWire Target Disk mode (very handy for plugging your Mac into another as an external hard drive) Shift - start up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items and non-essential kernel extension files (Mac OS X 10.2 and later) Command-V - Start up in Verbose mode. Command-S - Start up in Single-User mode cmd-opt-p-r - Zap PRAM. Hold down until second chime. cmd-opt-n-v - Clear NV RAM. Similar to reset-all in Open Firmware. cmd-opt-o-f - Boot into open firmware hold mouse click - force eject a CD/DVD While this by no means is a definitive list (and I'm not sure if every one transfers over to the new Intel Macs), it should get you started with what your Mac is capable of on startup. Feel free to add your own in the comments. One word of caution, however: some of these shortcuts aren't meant to be used on a daily basis. For example, Apple doesn't recommend (and neither do I) that you use the Zap PRAM or Clear NV RAM shortcuts any old time your Mac starts acting funny; those are mainly for situation-specific troubleshooting circumstances.
