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This is the world's smallest and happiest snowman
The holiday season gets bigger and more hectic every year -- and maybe you're looking for a smaller, more adorable way to celebrate. Here's one: the world's smallest snowman. This microscopic frosty was built by the nanofabrication lab at London's Western University. He's adorable, but you'll need an electron microscope to see him in person: according to the lab's Tumblr page, the snowman stands at just three microns tall, or about 0.003mm. For comparison, a human hair is about 75 microns thick (0.075mm).
The world's smallest radio works through tiny diamond flaws
Researchers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have made the world's tiniest radio receiver through an assembly of atomic-level defects inside pink diamonds. The radio receiver can withstand harsh environments, high temperatures and could even be embedded in humans thanks to its biocompatibility. The team was still able to play music through the receiver at around 660 Fahrenheit, which be perfect for when the sun eventually eats the solar system.
Two megapixel mini-camera measures in at under a cubic inch, weighs under an ounce
Remember that one-inch Chobi Cam One spotted in Japan earlier this year? Well, its tiny self has now reappeared on US shores, ready to be lost in a sofa or coat pocket near you. Unimaginatively titled "The World's Smallest Camera," it's priced at $99.95 and packs a petite, two megapixel autofocus sensor capable of recording VGA video. Resembling a Lego Man's DSLR, storage is done on a microSD card, though you're more likely to run out of battery juice than space -- the battery will give a maximum of 30 minutes use from one hour's charge. "The world's smallest" are words we hear a lot at Engadget, and we're inclined to agree with CNET that JTT's previous camera, the Chobi Cam, is actually smaller by volume. The Chobi Cam One arrived with extra detachable lenses, but there's no word yet on whether these add-ons will appear in Hammacher Schlemmer's online store -- not that we really want to be lugging around a whole bunch of tiny lenses with us.
Quantum effect transistor is the world's smallest, hopes to make a big impact
What's better than billions of transistors? Billions of miniature two-nanometer ones, leaving room for billions more. A team of researchers accomplished just that, using quantum mechanics to shrink these semiconductors -- and set a new size record in the process -- while also managing to keep them operating at room temperature (note: that photo above is from a different team's study). The team of South Korean, Japanese, and British researchers at Chungbuk National University expect them to "enhance the capabilities of mobile electronic devices" -- a mighty vague claim if ever there was one. Not one for modesty, lead researcher Choi Jung-bum proclaims that it "effectively changes the paradigm of such devices." With no word on mass production, though, we'll just have to wait and see for ourselves how big of an impact these lilliputian circuits will have. [Thanks, Rohit; image credit: University of South Wales]
World's smallest Donkey Kong cabinet delivers authentic arcade experience for tiny fingers (video)
This, friends, is a work of art. Above is a stunning, fully-functional recreation of the original Donkey Kong arcade cabinet -- and it's only 8.25 inches tall. The accomplished modder Bender posted his handiwork on the Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum and it's sure to wow even the most cynical of folks. At the heart of this build is a hacked up GamePark GP2X Wiz running MAME, but it's the attention to detail, including the printed vinyl decals and light-up marquee, that really pull this (supposedly world's smallest) 1/8 scale project together. Check out the gallery below and the pair of lengthy demo videos after the break. En garde Mr. Heck! %Gallery-122811% [Thanks, Brian]
IBM shows off 155GHz graphene transistor in the name of DARPA research
IBM might be cautious about touting graphene as a a silicon killer, but that hasn't stopped it from pushing the production of ever faster graphene transistors. With the recent demonstration of a 155GHz graphene transistor, the firm successfully outdid its previous record-setting efforts, which produced a cut-off frequency of 100GHz. What's more, the thing is also IBM's smallest to date, with a gate length of 40 nanometers; that's 200 nanometers less than the 100GHz iteration. This smaller, faster transistor was produced as part of a DARPA research project that aims to develop high-performance RF (radio frequency) transistors. So, no, we probably won't be seeing the things in our PCs anytime soon, but it looks like they could be right at home in war machines of the future.
Ortustech unveils world's smallest Full HD display, puts Retina to shame
Ever heard of Ortustech? Probably not. But you have heard of Casio, right? Ortustech is a joint venture between Casio Computer and Toppan Printing to develop small and medium sized displays. Today, the company is announcing a doozy with its 4.8-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel HAST (Hyper Amorphous Silicon TFT) LCD with 160-degree viewing angle, 16.8 million colors, and a pixel density of 458ppi. Amazing when you compare that to the lauded 326ppi of iPhone 4's Retina display. However, it still pales in comparison to that little 546ppi panel Casio announced back in 2008 which we still haven't seen put into a consumer product. Doesn't bode well for this one being made available anywhere other than the trade show circuit.
Sony outs world's first 16.41 megapixel cellphone sensor
Uh, wow, guess the megapixel race isn't over. Sony just announced the world's first 16.41 megapixel CMOS sensor for mobile phones putting today's 12 megapixel units to shame. The 1/2.8-inch back-illuminated Exmor R model IMX081PQ sensor packs an industry smallest 1.12μm unit cell size and is capable of shooting 1080p at 30fps or 720p at 60fps. Sony claims to have solved some of the issues related to those incredibly small pixel sizes by implementing a unique formation of photo diodes to achieve a sensor with high resolution, high sensitivity, and low noise. Expect it to begin sampling in January 2011 for ¥2,500 (about $30) per or ¥12,000 (about $145) when packaged with a 10.5 x 10.5 x 7.9 mm IU081F autofocus lens module that ships in March -- prices that will come down dramatically when purchased in bulk. A second, 1/3.2-inch 8.13 megapixel IMX105PQ sensor with IU105F2 lens module (pictured on the right) will be out in April for a lot less.
LaCie embraces USB 3.0 with world's smallest hug, 'world's smallest' HDDs
LaCie's bringing its monkey out to play again today, announcing a USB 3.0 version of the Rikiki and a new Minimus portable hard drive. Both come in slick aluminum enclosures, with the Rikiki looking unchanged from its predecessor, but of course inside they pack the extra vroom vroom of the latest USB spec. Unlike Iomega, LaCie isn't shy about price premiums here, as the Rikiki USB 3.0 model costs $100 for 500GB (versus $85 for the 2.0 SKU) and the Minimus offers a terabyte in exchange for $130. Both will have larger options as well, a 1TB Rikiki and a 2TB Minimus -- with correspondingly elevated levies, we're sure.%Gallery-101772%%Gallery-101773%
OmniVision announces 'world's smallest' 1080p camera module
Well, Samsung's had a nice one-month run, but it looks like there's a new company to claim the title of world's smallest 1080p camera -- OmniVision's just announced an in-bezel solution of its own with a z-height a full one millimeter smaller (3.5 mm compared to Samsung's 4.5 mm). To achieve that feat, OmniVision used its own 1.4 micron OmniBSI backside illumination technology, which the company says also helps to give its new OV2720 CMOS sensor low-light performance double that of similar-sized VGA sensors. Still no word on any specific products that will use the camera, but OmniVision says it's ideal for everything from netbooks to standalone webcams, and it's already slated to go into mass production this June. Full press release is after the break.
N64Mini makes claim to 'world's smallest' portable N64, is still rather husky (video)
The N64 has been dead for two Nintendo console iterations now, but the dream for the portable version the company never created still lives on. We've seen plenty of homemade creations, but the latest from modder Zenloc claims to be the world's smallest at 120 x 200 x 50mm. As it turns out it isn't, the Retro 64 mod from earlier this summer is slightly smaller, but you'd need particularly large pantaloons to mistake either as pocket-sized. Sadly this one has ditched its D-pad in the quest to shave off a few inches, but we think it otherwise looks quite nice, and the modder hopes you will too, as he's put the thing on eBay -- humorously listed as "refurbished."
'Wink' USB flash drive: perfect for hockey moms, lipstick-laden pigs
Active Media Products isn't one to shy away from mildly ludicrous USB flash drive designs, but it may want to snag a lawyer on retainer for this one. Granted, there's at least a sliver of a chance that Sarah Palin was actually notified that her image would be used to market AMP's new "Wink" USB flash drive, but chances are she's being rudely introduced to the sobering truth just as we are. Hailed as the planet's smallest 16GB thumb drive, this waterproof slab of memory is also available in a few smaller sizes for those unconcerned with gaining political clout. It measures in at just 1.2- x 0.5- x 0.1-inches, or just marginally smaller than Little Diomede island (which you actually can see Russia from, amazingly enough). It's available now to inspire and encourage starting at $7.95 (2GB), though that 16 gigger we mentioned earlier will set you back $37.95. P.S. - We didn't Photoshop this image, this is seriously Active Media Products' pitch for this product.
Planet's smallest model train set revealed to macro lenses, microscopes (video)
New Jersey's own David Smith is enjoying his 15 minutes right about now, as the world is finally talking about his model train set. You see, this model train set isn't just any model train set. No -- it's probably the world's smallest, most ridiculous and most awesome all at once (all at once). The so-called James River Branch community has been in the works for months on end, and the $11 working locomotive is 35,200 times smaller than a real one. Of course, the moving trains are really just attached to the top of a rotating tube, but you can certainly pretend you never heard that spoiler if you'd like. Check the video after the break -- the kid in you will thank us.
Sony develops "world's smallest" HD camera module
The tiny HD hits keep coming today -- first we saw eASIC's $5 integrated H.264 codec chip, and now Sony's crowing about the new MCB1172 HD camera module it claims is the "world's smallest." There's some pretty impressive tech packed into that tiny package: you're looking at an 8.3 megapixel sensor that can shoot 720p/30 video with image stabilization, face detection, high-ISO mode, and 120fps slow motion. Not bad for a piece smaller than a quarter -- hopefully we'll see this thing pop up all over soon.
AEE boasts that its new "Mini DV" camera is the "world's smallest"
AEE Wireless' new "Mini DV" camera may or may not actually be the "world's smallest" video camera (alright, it's probably not), but it certainly has a strong claim to the title of least imaginatively-named, and it is, in fact, pretty darn small. What's more, unlike some other world's smallest cameras, this one is actually a full-fledged consumer device, including some controls, a built-in lithium-ion battery, a USB connection, and a microSD card slot, which handles all of the storage duties as the company has ditched any internal memory to keep the size down. You'll even get some full 640 x 480, 30 fps video out of the thing, plus some 2-megapixel JPEG images. Interestingly, while an official price is a bit hard to come by, a number of online retailers already seem to be offering the camera for between $85 and $159.
World's smallest working fuel cell has high potential, low voltage
University of Illinois researchers have developed what they claim is the world's smallest working fuel cell, and it's certainly a good bit tinier than anything we've seen. The itty-bitty battery measures 3 mm x 3 mm x 1 mm and is comprised of just four layers: a water reservoir, a thin membrane, a chamber of metal hydride, and an assembly of electrodes. It can produce 0.7 volts and a 0.1 milliamp current for about 30 hours, with a newer model boasting similar voltage and 1 milliamp of current. That's not gonna juice your BlackBerry anytime soon, but scientists suggest it could be used for simple electronics and microbots. As for future application, we're hoping one day can power a fingernail-sized smartphone.[Via Register Hardware]
Researchers develop world's smallest ultra-wideband antenna
It's hard to say if ultra-wideband (UWB) will catch on (or get squashed by WHDI) in the wireless HD realm, but the applications for UWB outside of your living room are still many. Researchers at Virginia Tech have reportedly "developed an efficient compact ultra-wideband antenna (CUA) for a range of home, automotive, medical, and military applications," and according to inventory Taeyoung Yang, it has "achieved a near optimal performance for size and bandwidth." Better still, the design is said to be "cheap and simple to produce," which makes us hopeful for embedded wireless devices (receivers, STBs, Blu-ray players, etc.) sooner rather than later. We can't say for sure if this stuff is any closer to taking off in the mainstream, but at least we're making progress somewhere.
Sharp trumpets world's thinnest 5-megapixel CMOS sensor
Every so often, we catch Sharp tooting its own horn in regard to sensor size. Needless to say, small is most certainly superior in this discussion, and the aforesaid outfit is patting itself on the back once more for the RJ63SC100. This 5-megapixel CMOS sensor is said to be the industry's thinnest at 9.5- x 9.5- x 6.6-millimeters, and it should fit snugly inside the already cramped innards of tomorrow's cellphones just fine. Samples are slated to ship out at the end of May for ¥10,000 ($96) a pop, while commercial production should get going a month later.[Via Impress]
Brando offers world's smallest wireless mouse, "probably"
Brando has never been one to let facts or practicality get in the way of a new product offering, and it's staying true to form with its latest mouse, which it boldly proclaims is "probably the world's smallest 2.4GHz wireless mouse." Apart from that rather dubious claim to fame, the mouse looks to be a pretty standard optical number, with it boasting a switchable 400 / 800 / 1600 dpi, a promised 70 hours of continuous use on a charge, and a range of about 23 feet. If that sounds like it'll get the job done for ya, you can order one now in your choice of black or silver for $29.
Toshiba to showcase "world's smallest HDTV camera" at NAB
Granted, Toshiba Imaging's IK-HD1 3CCD HDTV Camera may not matter much to the consumer as-is, but we're all about the progress. Ready to make its grand, er, wee entrance at NAB Show later this month, the aforementioned unit touts the planet's "smallest" HD camera head (1.6-inches; 2.3-ounces), which should give program producers in tight spots one less reason to not capture content in high-def. In that vein, Tosh even notes that its ability to capture at 1,920 x 1,080 at 30fps makes it "highly suitable for reality TV (you getting this, producers?), specialty broadcast, sports, news and commercials." We know, this totally opens the door for an HD version of Punk'd, but hey, you can't win 'em all.[Via Engadget Spanish]
