Archive for February 6th, 2008

Tau Ceramica Diet Floor

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

I’m not certain who would want a floor that would talk to them, but a Spanish ceramics company known as Tau Ceramica has created one.

Inventor Pep Torres has created the Diet Floor, specific ceramic tiles that are weight sensitive and have a CPU for different parameters. These two features work together with the speakers in order to tell loiterers what’s up.

For example, if you put them by the refrigerator, it will detect someone standing in front of it and will say a few choice phrases like “Keep your diet in mind before you snack”, or something. I have no idea if those voice files come with the Diet Floor, or are programmed by the user, and I’m not certain which would have more of an effect on the hearer.

The Diet Floor can also be programmed for a different type of environment, such as the office. For example, it can detect whether employees are spending far too much time in front of the watercooler. It will then respond with something like: “Hey, the company is not paying you to stand around”.

No word on a pricing or availability date, but I will have to say that this could easily be the wave of the future. For example, you could be in a restaurant, and the specialized tiles would say “Please wait to be seated” the moment you walk in the door. Then it can tell you the special of the day, or something.

Yes, the Diet Floor may soon be everywhere, tell us where to go and what to do. Oh man, this is beginning to sound like a really bad sci-fi story.

Source

Nokia E90 Communicator Review - Wired

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Wired reviews the Nokia E90 Communicator and writes, “No, it’s not going to tuck you into bed at night, and we’re guessing it won’t get you chicks either (really though, what gadget does?) but the E90 is definitely a good choice for those who want laptop functionality dressed up in the guise of a cell phone.”

Read more about the Nokia E90 Communicator.

Samsung’s 3D-capable PN42A450P plasma display hitting the States in March

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Posted Feb 6th 2008 2:57PM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment
Spotted at CES and out this month in Korea, Samsung’s 3D-capable plasma is going to be making an appearance Stateside in March. The 42-inch and 50-inch PN42A450P TVs use the TriDef 3D tech from DDD Group, which costs $200 for two pairs of 3D glasses and the TriDef 3D software. Samsung’s calling this the “world’s first 3D-ready flat-panel HDTV,” but didn’t leave out the other fixins like a 15,000:1 contrast ratio, 18-bit color processing and three HDMI-CEC plugs. No word on cost, but you can’t put a pricetag on those migraines.

Windows 7 video explained, its almost all Vista

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Remember that Windows 7 video, the one that looked strangely like Vista. Well it turns out it pretty much was Vista, at least in the design. It seems the video that was taken was of Windows 7 Milestone 1 which is actually not a standalone OS, but actually requires Vista to run. According to TG Daily Windows 7 Milestone 1 gets installed on top Vista and SP1 is required. So with that the icons and functionality remain the same as Vista currently is. Basically Windows 7 M1 currently is the foundation of what could possibly be a “new and much leaner kernel” and without Vista would as of now just be a basic UI and raw code. So it seems like we are still going to have to wait before we can get a good look at what Windows 7 will actually look like.

Via [tg daily]

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ViewPlus intros upgraded IVEO hands-on learning system

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Posted Feb 6th 2008 1:04PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Misc. GadgetsIt won’t give you the non-stop learning of something like LeapFrog’s handhelds, but ViewPlus seems to think its new and improved IVEO system has its share of knowledge to spread nonetheless, although all that learning doesn’t exactly come cheap. Coming in at just under $600 for the basic kit, the system is centered around the IVEO touchpad (available in two different sizes), which can accommodate special tactile templates or custom templates made with the IVEO Creator software (available at an added cost). Those, in turn, interact with the IVEO Viewer software, which pumps out sound clips and other information about the items the user touches. While the company obviously thinks that makes the system ideal for all students, they say its also particularly well-suited to those people with visual or learning disabilities, and it even includes an output for a Braille display. If that sounds like the tool for you, you can grab the whole bundle now for $1,300, with additional curriculum packs for biology, math, health and geography coming soon.

VIC Ltd rolls out NaviSurfer II in-car PC

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Posted Feb 6th 2008 2:59PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Transportation It’s not quite as sleek as some in-car PCs, but VIC Ltd’s new NaviSurfer II looks like it’ll at least get the job done with minimal hassle, and at a relatively reasonable price to boot. Despite appearances above, however, this one is a bring-your-own-OS deal (supporting Windows or Linux), and you’ll need provide own USB or Bluetooth add-ons if you want to make good on the company’s claims that it’ll double as GPS unit. But still, for between $578 and $656, you’ll get a flip-out 7-inch touchscreen, along with a 1.0GHz or 1.3GHz processor of an unspecified sort, 256MB or 512MB of RAM, and a 40GB, 80GB, or 120GB hard drive. Not exactly enough for some Crysis tailgate parties to be sure, but likely more than enough to handle your basic computing and media playback needs.

[Via Technabob]

Digital SLR cameras: Before you buy

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008


Photo: Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom LensPrice: $2,479.95 and ranked 5/5 stars with 51 customer reviews!

Back in December 2007, I made my first post about a mid-range Digital SLR camera that I had just purchased - the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. (scroll mid-way down the gift guide to read).

In advance of posting about a new group of wonderful long-lensed SLR’s arriving to market in the next few weeks, I wanted to guide you towards a wonderful article recently written by Mike Davidison, CEO of Newsvine, “A Rookie Guide to Digital SLR Cameras.”

Mike dives right in and explains the query that so many of us reach after owning a number of pocket-fitting 7-10 megapixel cameras, “What’s the story with the SLR?” Why would I want to own such a big bulky camera? And, make that serious of an investment? And, if I do, when is the right time?

As you look forward to my upcoming series of posts on these bulky, sexy, snapping, shooting, SLRs in the coming weeks, take a moment to get a better understanding of what’s behind the technology and how it applies or doesn’t apply to your own photographic needs.

Visit Mike’s post over at his blog: mikeindustries.com.

Nokia now offering the N82 in black

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Nokia has added the N82 to their website in a nice new color, black. While its a nice handset to see offered, its not the 3G capable model that many are hoping for. The newly colored N82 is listed on the Nokia website and is retailing for $629, but will not be available until after February 12, 2008, so you still have a few days to wait. The Nokia N82 features a 5 megapixel that has a xenon flash, microSD storage, FM radio, GPS, Wi-Fi and HSDPA.

Keep reading for a few more pics of the black Nokia N82…

Read [Nokia N82] Via [Engadget Mobile]

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Fujifilm’s Z10fd and Z100fd cameras get totally rockin’ firmware update

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Posted Feb 6th 2008 10:14AM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Digital Cameras
For those of you who’ve recently dropped some dough on a new Fujifilm Z10fd or Z100fd, you’ve got some firmware to update. The company issued a couple of fixes today which tweak minor features on the cameras — though we’re sure a few folks will be happy to get them. The updates boost the startup speed in both models when using xD cards, enable camera-to-computer transfer with higher capacity media in the Z10fd, and adjust the underwater white balance on the Z100fd. Hit the read links, and begin your magical journey to freshness.

[Via Digital Photography Review]

Read - FinePix Z10fd Firmware (camera control software) Update Ver.1.01
Read - FinePix Z100fd Firmware (camera control software) Update Ver.1.01

Dell XPS 730 H2C spotted in the wild

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Posted Feb 6th 2008 9:01AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming
Ever since that XPS 630 went all mid-level on us we’ve been on the hunt for a new gamer desktop heartthrob, and it looks like we’ve found one in the XPS 730 H2C from Dell. This one was semi-announced at CES, and the official image (along with a shot of the innards) is after the break, but a friendly tipster just hooked us up with some spy sots from what we can only assume are the bowels of Dell. The desktop looks to be a worthy successor to the XPS 720, if perhaps a notch down in sexy, uses DDR3 memory, and is “at least” triple SLI ready. Obviously the H2C cooling will be a big draw for overclockers, but we’re most excited about all those drive bays in front: floppy RAID here we come! No other specs or release info is available at the moment, but we’re sure it’ll spill out of Dell soon enough.

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