TDK unveils 16.5GB mini Blu-ray discs at CEATEC

If you think those 50GB Blu-ray blanks are asking a bit much from the ole wallet, and haven't found a Blu-ray burner without all sorts of issues to begin with, TDK is moving forward anyway with its latest twist on Blu-ray technology.

It's only fitting that the same folks bringing us the 200GB variety have announced their plans to drop a smaller, more compact version, and that's precisely what happened at today's CEATEC festivities.

The 8-centimeter recordable disc handles 16.5GB on a single layer, and is being designed for next generation camcorders, such as the ones Hitachi's been showing off at the same show. Although nothing definitive has been said, the groundwork has apparently been laid for a dual-layer variety (that's 33GB for those still counting) to hit shelves in the even-more-distant future.
source: engadget.com

Philips Simplicity Event 2006 shows off conceptual shiny toys

Philips showed off its latest free-thinking ideas for its annual 'concepts' show at the ExCel Centre in London's docklands this week.

The venue changes every year, and so do the ideas in Philips' design labs, which can vary from the outlandish to the comparatively mundane.

From the fancy future stuff there was there few designs caught my eyes:

*Drag Draw A light-emitting 'pen' that can draw on any surface, including walls. A computer programme can also be used to animate the pics that have been drawn, and they can be 'erased' with the click of a button.

*Versa Tiles Like a Simon Says game that encourages kids to jump about rather than stare at a computer screen.

*In-form health monitor A device that records weight, body fat ratio, hydration levels body shape measurements etc, feeds them into a computer that doubles as a bathroom mirror and outlines your health regime for the day - everything from how much exercise to take to what you should eat.

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Fujitsu's Turn Table PC and Ultra Mobile debut at CEATEC

Fujitsu was starting to feel a little left out of all the CEATEC fun, what with its rivals demoing products left and right at the major Japanese expo going on this week in Chiba, just outside Tokyo.
We came across some snaps of what appears to be two concept devices, the "Turn Table PC," and the "Ultra Mobile," a slick-looking media player.

The Turn Table PC looks like it has a strange-looking lid along with a touch-sensitive backlit keyboard, which could mean that those filthy keyboard days are over. (However, these types of keyboards seem unlikely to take off, given that there's hardly any tactile feedback.) In addition, the Ultra Mobile seems to have a twistable case, revealing a mic and webcam, and at least a few USB ports on the left side.

Unfortunately details about these new products are on the sparse side, but we do hope that the Turn Table PC (peep it on the next page) has the option of being able to spin records so we can get our b-boy on.

Source: engadget.com

Nike and Apple team up

THE NIKE + iPod Sport Kit($29 direct) is just what the tech-loving runner has been waiting for.
It consists of a small plastic 2.4-GHz adapter for the Apple iPod nano (other iPod models aren’t supported) and a sensor that you put in your shoe. The sensor captures waveform data as you walk or run and transmits it to your iPod, where it is translated into distance travelled, speed, calories burned, and time elapsed. The sensor is designed for Nike’s new line of running shoes, which have a pocket for it in the left insole, but it works fine with any shoes.

You get voice feedback on your stats during your run, and you can choose a PowerSong that gives you a pick-me-up when you’re running out of gas. Each time you achieve a new personal best (such as longest distance), voices of celebrity athletes such as Lance Armstrong congratulate you. You can also sync your workout data at the Nike + Web site (nikeplus.com), where you can view your own stats as well as those of other Nike + iPod users. The site’s community and statistical features are amazing—not to mention motivating.

PROS: Fun to use. Easy to set up. Excellent community features.

CONS: Works only with the nano. iPod’s Select button can be difficult to find by feel, so either buy a Nike+ Sport Armband or get an adhesive felt patch for the button.

MBW-100: the Bluetooth-watch by Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson has announced the release of an interesting accessory for mobile phones – the Bluetooth Watch MBW-100. This is quite a stylish wrist-watch supporting Bluetooth 2.0 and some additional functions.

Its OLED LCD displays the info on the incoming call. You can decline the call by pressing a button. Besides you can operate the music playback on the phone (play, pause, next track), get the info on the incoming SMS and MMS and see the battery level. The watch will alarm the user when the watch is out of the Bluetooth-connection, so you’ll hardly lost your phone.
The MBW-100 is waterproof (up to 30 m deep, however there is no info on the dive time). The watch weighs 187.5 g. It can last for 7 days in the Bluetooth mode and 14 days in the analog watch mode on a single charge. The sales are scheduled for 4Q 2006. the recommended price makes up €300, i.e. about $380.

Nobu intros N8 touchscreen in-wall PC

Nobu just released a new inwall touchscreen computer that will be shipping by mid-December. The unit features a 1.0GHz fanless Intel processor, a revolutionary 4GB solid state disk drive and will retail for $3,625.

Here is an excerp from Nobu:

The new 8" panel is a fully functional inwall touchscreen PC with all necessary input/output ports to control any subsystem or automation hardware in your home or office. Our goal with the new design is to satisfy a large demand for a smaller inwall touchpanel as well as to create the most robust, powerful, and visually appealing touchscreen on the planet. We designed the N8 without a fan to eliminate noise and also to eliminate possible points of failure. In addition we will offer the high performance industrial Compact Flash and FiD hard drive as an alternative to a standard 5400RMP hard drive. The N8 is available in a few different configurations. It will be available with both a 600MHz fanless Intel Celeron M or 1.1GHz fanless LV Intel Pentium M processor. The N8 will be available with Windows XP Professional or without an operating system for special applications.

Specs:
- LV Intel Celeron M 1.0GHz Fanless Processor
- Intel 852GM + ICH4 Chipset
- 256 - 1GB DDR Memory
- HD: 4Gig Industrial iEDC (Embedded Disk Card)
- Wi-Fi 54 g/b (optional)
- Fast Ethernet port
- 2xCOM (2xRS232, 1xRS232/422/485)
- 1 PS/2 K/B +M
- Front panel 2W speakers and mic
- External Audio Line Out / Mic
- 3 x USB 2.0
- VGA out, Dualscreen CRT (15pin D-sub, max. resolution 2548x1536)
- Polyester laminate finger touchscreen
- LCD Display

Conclusions:
The point of this touchscreen in-wall Pc is simple: home automation.
You can control your house with it view security cameras, stream music basically anything you want.

written by Florin C.

High-tech paint locks out unwanted cellphone signals on demand

Playing to the backlash against ubiquitous communication, a company called Natural Nano is developing a special high-tech paint that locks out unwanted cell phone signals on demand. Newsday reports.

"NaturalNano has found a way to use nanotechnology to blend particles of copper into paint that can be brushed onto walls and effectively deflect radio signals.

NaturalNano will combine this signal-blocking paint scheme with a radio-filtering device that collects phone signals from outside a shielded space, allowing certain transmissions to proceed while blocking others.

It appears to be legal - jamming devices that emit radio signals to prevent cell phones are not - The radio filter would allow all emergency radio communications to pass through the shield With all other signals, like cell phones, the filter would act like a spigot to block or allow them to pass through—say, only during intermission."

Levi's RedWire DLX Jeans reviewed

CNET Asia has a review of this fall's geekiest fashion item/iPod accessory, Levi's new RedWire DLX Jeans.
You know, the ones with a sidepocket for carrying your iPod and a big white control pad on the pocket that lets the world know you've got some precious cargo on-board (in addition to pausing, skipping tracks, and raising or lowering the volume on your iPod).

Anyway, CNET Asia isn't super-enthusiastic in its review of the jeans, but they do dig the control pad, calling it "intuitive" and praising its hardiness.
What they weren't so impressed with were the Levi's-branded headphones that are included, but anyone expecting decent sound knows to upgrade those anyway, right?



Source: engadget

iPod Shuffle: twice as smaller

Apple has introduced an update of iPod shuffle. According to apple, iPod shuffle is the smallest digital audio player. It is almost twice as smaller against the previous version.

It features aluminum shell with the clip, so you can easily attach it to the clothes. Measuring 41x27.2x10.4 mm (with the clip) it weighs 16 g.

The new iPod shuffle will be available with 1GB only. It can play music for 12 hours on a single charge. The recommended price is $79, the release will take place in October.

Source: Helpero.