Electronics
Wireless HDMI solution from Gefen
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Cords and wires are the bane of any technophile’s existence. They are a pain to set up and inevitably form an unruly tangle that's just plain messy. The introduction of HDMI went a long way to reducing the unsightly clutter running from behind the lounge room AV set up by combining high definition sound and video in one convenient cable. But now connectivity solutions company Gefen has gone one step further with their Wireless for HDMI Extender, which comprises a local sender unit which is paired to a receiver unit at a remote location. Read More
Garmin GPSMAP 600 series: one for the road... and the sea
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Garmin has combined elements of marine GPS navigation with a touchscreen user interface derived from the nüvi line of automotive units for its latest multi-functional offering - the GPSMAP 600 series. The GPSMAP 640 and GPSMAP 620 (which is designed for markets outside the US) both feature a ruggedized, waterproof 5.2” WVGA touchscreen display and come preloaded with both street maps and marine charts. Read More
Zoombak upgrades interactive mapping capabilities
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Zoombak has added Microsoft Virtual Earth online mapping to its Assisted-GPS Locator range, enabling street-level and aerial views in addition to standard map navigation. The new functionality of is available to existing customers without any upgrade to hardware or service agreements. Read More
eBook reader with mulitple formats from BeBook
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Dutch-based BeBook has launched its portable eReader in the UK, offering compatibility with over 20 eBook formats and a large choice of online stores from which to buy eBooks. The eReader incorporates Vizplex technology and precise one-handed navigation to help users enjoy their library of best sellers, cult classics or the latest magazines. Read More
USB-enabled smart transit card to trial in France
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Smart cards that combine RFID contactless transaction capability with USB connectivity will be trialed by French public transportation company SNCF according to a report from RFID Journal. As well as working with existing RFID transaction infrastructure, Neowave's Weneo smart cards enable users to purchase tickets from a PC at home using the USB connection... and it's also a handy 4GB portable data storage device. Read More
Sony's high-speed Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX
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Sony is releasing the Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX this October, in 4GB and 8GB capacity. The memory card has a reading speed of 20MB/s and a writing speed of 15MB/s - and when used with the supplied USB adaptor, it transfers data one third faster than the Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark 2). Read More
SanDisk SDHC cards reach record-setting 30MB/s transfer speed
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New cards in the SanDisk Extreme III SDHC line have set a transfer speed record of 30 megabytes per second – 50% faster than the company's 20MB/s cards. The SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s Edition SDHCcards will hit shelves in September, for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of US$64.99 for the 4GB model, $109.99 for the 8GB model, and $179.99 for the 16GB model. Read More
Gearing up for the 2008 IFA
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One of the world's biggest consumer electronics fests gets underway in Berlin this Friday and IFA organizers promise an even bigger event this year - 122,000 square meters of display space and 1,245 exhibitors including 807 from 63 countries abroad (almost twice the number of countries represented last year) and more gear on display including for the first time, domestic home appliances. Gizmag will again be there to bring you the best of the show - stay tuned in coming days. Read More
Intel researchers working to commercialize wireless power sources
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Drawing on significant 2007 work by MIT, Intel researchers are hoping to "cut the final cord" and do away with power cords using wireless electricity transmission pioneered by Nikolas Tesla more than 100 years ago. Read More
TouchKit: the open source, multi-touch screen developer's kit
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The Apple iPhone has given us a tiny glimpse of the huge potential of multi-touch screens as a next-gen super-interactive computer interface. And while we wait for Microsoft Surface to get its act together as a consumer product, a cheap and simple kit has just been launched that allows open source developers to experiment and build applications in C++ using a full multi-touch screen interface. Read More
Electrical rubber could be used as synthetic skin for robots
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Scientists at the University of Tokyo have created a material with the texture and flexibility of rubber, but possessing more than 570 times the electrical conductivity. Made by grinding carbon nanotubes with an ionic liquid and adding it to rubber, the material could be used to make intelligent steering wheels and mattresses, stretchable television displays, or sensitive e-skin for robots. Read More
Yet another flat panel display technology from Sony
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July 14, 2008 Sony’s XEL-1 OLED television hasn’t yet had its first birthday and the company is already planning a successor. Digital World Tokyo is reporting Sony affiliate Field Emission Technologies (FET), which Sony currently owns just under 40 percent of after spinning the company off at the end of 2006, is planning to begin mass production of Field Emission Display (FED) panels by the end of 2009. Read More
Sony’s DVDirect DVD Recorder
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The Sony VRDMC3 DVDirect DVD Recorder does just what its name suggests – it records to DVDs directly from other sources, and it does so without the need for a PC. The VRDMC3 can record from just about any source such as camcorders, DVDs or VCRs, thanks to the provided USB, Firewire, S-Video and composite inputs. In addition to video, still images can be copied directly from memory card to DVD as a slideshow or for photo storage by using the built-in 5-in-1 card reader. PictBridge compatibility allows the unit to interface directly with a printer and images can be previewed using the 2.5-inch colour LCD that sits on top of the unit. Once selections have been made they can be copied to disc using the large "record" located just below the screen. Read More
Firebox VHS to digital video converter
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When a new technology usurps a previous one there are often casualties. With the downfall of VHS the casualties were the stacks and stacks of VHS cassettes people had collected over the 30 year period when VHS ruled the Earth. Of course there’s no need to say goodbye to those precious magnetic memories with a range of digital converting options available - but possibly none as easy as that provided by the imaginatively titled USB VHS Converter. Just connect the machine to a PC, pop a tape in the machine, select your desired output format and press play. Read More
Nyko PS3 Media Hub with USB ports
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July 7, 2008 When Sony cut the price of their PS3 console in late 2007 they also cut a few features including backwards compatibility with many PS2 titles, memory card reader, and a couple of USB ports. Gaming peripherals manufacturer, Nyko Technologies, has addressed two of these three losses with their Media Hub for the PlayStation 3. The Media Hub attaches to any available USB port and provides three additional USB connections as well as a media card reader that supports SD cards and Memory Sticks. The unit is designed to match the color and shape of the PS3, is compatible with all versions of the PS3 and snaps into position so it can be used with the PS3 in either the horizontal or vertical position. Now if only they could come up with a $20 USB device to give the PS3 back its backwards compatibility they’d be sure to make many a console owner happy. Read More
TrueTouch touchscreen solution
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Cypress Semiconductor Corp. has launched the TrueTouch touchscreen, a single-chip model that can interpret up to 10 inputs from all areas of the screen simultaneously. The “multi-touch all point” feature could be used for inputting multiple locations into a GPS, gaming, keyboard implementations, or the efficient adjustment of sound and video settings. Read More
Roadrunner: supercomputer breaks petaflop barrier
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June 17, 2008 A collaboration between IBM and the Los Alamos National Laboratory has resulted in the world's fastest supercomputer. Roadrunner can run at speeds above the "petaflop barrier" of 1,000 trillion operations per second, making it twice as fast as IBM's Blue Gene/L™ and opening up an era of science at a previously unseen scale. Read More
Sharp shows new displays for rugged industrial applications
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May 23, 2008 In more news to come out of the Society for Information Display’s (SID’s) 2008 International Symposium, Seminar, and Exhibition, Sharp announced the availability of two new rugged TFT LCD panels. The 5.7-inch and 8.4-inch TFT-LCDs are VGA panel displays designed to suit a variety of applications, including point-of-purchase screens, VoIP products, medical equipment, test and measurement equipment. Read More
Flexible, lightweight, 1-millimeter thick, 125-inch plasma display
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May 19, 2008 There’s at least one reason to look forward to the InfoComm 2008 conference in Las Vegas this June with next-generation large-screen display manufacturer Shinoda Plasma announcing plans to exhibit a flexible, 1-millimeter thick, 125-inch film-type prototype display that can be used as a curved or wrap-around screen. At a low-key unveiling on May 15, Shinoda Plasma announced plans to exhibit the 3 x 1 meter, (9 feet 10-inches x 3 feet 3-inches) plasma tube array (PTA) display, which consists of 3 seamlessly integrated 1 x 1 meter square sub-modules and offers a resolution of 960 x 360 and weighs in at 3.6 kilograms (8 lbs), or about 10 times less than a conventional plasma display. At the unveiling Shinodo Plasma also confirmed their intent to begin small-scale production of a 150-inch (3 x 2 meter) version this autumn. While digital signage and advertising applications are sure to be the main uses for the ultrathin displays, there are sure to be plenty of people wanting a display or two for the walls at home to avoid painting. Read More
E Ink's paper-thin display cells
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May 12, 2008 Responsible for the first consumer application of an electronic paper display module when it teamed up with Sony to release the LIBRI e-Book reader in 2004, E Ink has now announced availability of its next generation segmented display cells (SDC). The new SDCs are 40% thinner with a wider operational temperature range and increased flexibility for repetitive 3-D bends or 2-D conformable solutions. Read More
Each frame a 35-megapixel photo: JVC develops next-gen Super Hi-Vision
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May 9, 2008 1080p high definition might be well and good for your average lounge room TV screen, but cinema projectors need to offer something vastly more impressive if the movies are going to continue to offer a bigger, clearer and more impressive viewing experience than your average cashed-up punter can now get at home. The new ultra-high res standard would now appear to be set with Super Hi-Vision: 7,680 pixels across by 4,320 pixels high (approximately 32-megapixel images) - and JVC have now released a display device capable of showing 35 megapixels at once. The 8K4K JVC D-ILA (Direct-Drive Image Light Amplifier) has a resolution more than 17 times the level of standard HDTV, and is now the highest-resolution projection display device on the planet. Read More
Apple to acquire chip design company
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April 24, 2008 In an intriguing piece of news reported by Forbes.com, Apple looks set to buy microprocessor design outfit PA Semi for an (unconfirmed) $278 million. Apple, which also released its quarterly earnings today, has declined to comment on the strategy underlying the move but already speculation is rife on whether the company will begin producing its own chips for the iPhone. Read More
Delta's new energy efficient, high brightness LED lamps
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April 10, 2008 The world’s largest lighting and building display exhibition, Light+Building 2008 in Frankfurt, continues to produce more bright ideas with Delta Electronics, Inc. announcing it has developed an advanced, energy-saving High Brightness 5W/9W/12W LED Lamp, which is 100% compatible with current sockets (E27) and is similar in appearance to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) of the same wattage. The lamp is easily installed and readily replaces CFL and incandescent lamps. Advantages of the Delta High Brightness LED Lamp include: power-saving, excellent thermal dissipation & color rendering index (CRI), high efficiency, and long life. Of special note is the lamp's outstanding energy-efficiency, especially at lower environment temperatures. Read More
Innovative 12 outlet powerstrip with surge protection
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April 8, 2008 Powerstrips have a design that seems to have been set in stone since the outset, but this offering from Tributaries not only looks like a powerstrip with attitude, it also comes with a host of features. Designed to easily accommodate wall-wart type power supplies, the T12 features 12 AC outlets, 8 of which can be rotated 90°. The remaining four fixed outlets have safety shutters and, for ease of use, the T12 has a resettable circuit breaker built in to the Power push-button. A red “PROTECTED” LED illuminates when the internal surge protection is functioning correctly while a 2nd blue “GROUNDED” LED illuminates when the outlet, into which the T12 is connected, is properly grounded. Read More
Bluelounge introduces convenient portable electronics charging solution
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April 3, 2008 Most of us have a convenient nook where keys, wallets and other everyday essentials can be stored and located when coming and going from the home or office. These days, mobile phones and portable electronics devices are an important part of this equation, and that's where this simple solution from design studio Bluelounge comes in. The Sanctuary combines a place to throw your loose change with a multi-point charging station for a large range consumer electronics devices so that not only can you find you mobile phone, but it's also on charge. Read More
Infinity unveils new range of premium automotive loudspeakers
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April 1, 2008 The new Kappa® loudspeakers from high-performance audio specialist Infinity incorporate several new technologies designed to bring the best of home theater sound to the car. These include reduced impedance to maximize the power available from all amplifiers and head units, plus an in-built distortion-reducing motor that promises clean, crisp bass at all power levels. Read More
Hitachi's new lithium ion-powered drill
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Hitachi's new 10.8-Volt Lithium Ion Micro Driver Drill has 88 in/lbs of turning torque, and the 1.5Ah HXP battery can drive 130 3-inch screws into wood with one charge. Read More
myGreenElectronics: website initiative to reduce impact of electronics
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March 18, 2008 Promoting the four R’s of green electronic use (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse and Rethink), the ‘myGreenElectronics’ website is dedicated to minimizing the impact consumer electronics have on the environment. A simple, clean design, myGreenElectronics provides basic information to help consumers on their path to thinking, buying and acting ‘green’. Read More
GE demonstrates newspaper printing-like process for OLED manufacture
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March 12, 2008 OLED (organic light-emitting diode) is touted as the technology of the future for lighting products, with emerging applications in fields ranging from touchscreens, televisions and electronic paper displays to interior lighting, keyboards and even reprogrammable camera lenses. The prospect of widespread commercialization of OLED systems has been given a boost with news that GE's research arm has demonstrated the world’s first roll-to-roll manufacturing process for OLED lighting devices, a breakthrough that promises to cut production costs in areas such as organic photovoltaics
as well as flexible displays and other OLED products. Read More
Kingston adds 16GB model to SDHC Memory Card line
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March 10, 2008 Kingston has doubled its the capacity of what was previously its largest SDHC offering by announcing a 16GB SDHC Flash memory card with minimum transfer rates of 4MB per second. Read More
Iona Cube Wi-Fi internet radio
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March 7, 2008 The Iona Cube concept design from Cambridge Consultants is a low-cost, Wi-Fi enabled Internet radio that provides a novel, simplified interface through which users can access up to 10,000 internet radio stations.
Snowflake Technologies releases prototype vein recognition security system
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March 4, 2008 As security of personal information becomes more important, new technologies are emerging in the fight for privacy protection, fraud prevention and increased security. One of these is vein pattern recognition, and biometric company Snowflake Technologies has just released a prototype identity verification system based on this technology. Read More
Able Planet's Clear Voice VoIP Headset
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March 4, 2008 Able Planet has incorporated its active noise canceling technology into a VoIP headset. Read More
New digital display solutions from Samsung and NEC
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February 28, 2008 Samsung has expanded its line of digital signage solutions with the massive 82in SyncMaster 820DXn and NEC has unveiled a new 52-inch HD LCD based on a professional-grade panel. Read More
Toshiba and SanDisk to expand NAND Flash Memory production
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February 25, 2008 Toshiba Corporation and SanDisk have announced the signing of a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a new production joint venture and construct a new 300 millimeter (mm) wafer fabrication facility (fab), in Japan to meet the anticipated future demand for NAND flash memory. This latest announcement underscores the commitment of Toshiba and SanDisk to the rapidly expanding market for NAND Flash memory, which has become the storage technology of choice for a growing number of consumer and computing devices, including memory cards. Read More
