by Donald Melanson, posted Jul 9th 2008 at 1:32PM We’ve seen multi-platform console mods before, but none quite like this whimsical creation by one “Bacteria,” which effectively turns each console into a cartridge that can be swapped out at will. That was apparently done to make the system portable although, as is often the case, “portable” can be a matter of opinion. It also falls a bit short on the “multi-platform” part of the equation, as Bacteria has so far only managed to turn an N64 into a cartridge, but he promises to create carts for plenty of other systems in the next few months, including the SNES, GameCube, playstation and, yes, even the Jaguar. (Read the full post about ‘Multi-platform console mod defies practicality, in a good way’…)
by Darren Murph, posted Jul 9th 2008 at 10:19AM While Panny’s Toughbook CF-U1 looks mighty novel, is it really worth the cost to have it added to your gadget collection? For those who’ve never quite been able to wrap their noodle around the whole UMPC concept, TrustedReviews bets that you’ll be able to overlook this one without losing any sleep. All in all, the CF-U1 seemed to make the best of an awkward situation by excelling at tasks that would likely take place in everyday field work, but the average joe / jane may want to see one in person before buying blind. Yeah, hot-swappable batteries, an Atom CPU and a full QWERTY keypad are lovely additions, but if you’ve never needed a UMPC before (let alone one built for extreme scenarios), you aren’t apt to gain a whole lot from owning this one. (Read the full post about ‘Panasonic’s Toughbook CF-U1 gets reviewed’…)
Have you been a victim of the Steampunk craze yet? Maybe most of the designs seems a little to unworldly to you. How about something with a bit more of a terrestrial edge that still holds onto the Steampunk values of design? Mark Melchior has designed a musical instrument gadget that might be right up your alley. These Cigar Box Guitars are not as extreme as some of the other Steampunk designs, but are clearly hinged on the influence from Victorian era and antique ascetic. Mark “Doc-o-rock” Melchior has 20 years of guitar building experience under his belt and started building these Cigar Box Guitars, taking a shift from his usual traditionally built instruments. (Read the full post about ‘Cigar Box Steampunk Guitars’…)
For those who don’t know what a UAV is, it’s an acronym for Unmanned Air Vehicle. Stuff like the predator drones have been under development by the military for years, and have only recently been recently put into service. One that has been recently under development is the DevilRay, which has some interesting design with its down-curled wingtips. These propeller-driven flying wings use some sort of “inverse capped helix winglets” that somehow take advantage of the wingtip wind vortexes that form during flight, and can somehow provide stabilization. The wing design isn’t the only feature that makes the DevilRay unique. Apparently, this thing is able to go up to power lines, and then latch onto it using electromagnetic induction. Then it sucks the power off the line like a leech, and so it can stay aloft almost indefinitely. So, if you are in a nation hostile to another country, keep your eyes on your power lines. You never know what type of electronic parasite might be hovering over it. The designers of this UAV are planning to test out the “piggybacking” feature sometime this month. Via [Gizmodo] Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! (Read the full post about ‘Devil Ray unmanned air vehicle can do some great tricks’…)
Bicycle technology continues to evolve and this year, we set out to find what new and/or interesting technology is being used to aid these athletes in pushing their bikes faster. The answers may surprise you. With a field of competitors with no stand out favorites, this year is surely anyone’s race. Here is the tech that got us excited: E-Dura Ace shifters: while not totally new (we’ve seen iterations for 3 years now) Shimano’s luxury shifters are getting some play by top riders. Most recently on Gerolsteiner’s time trial bike, these shifters allow electronic push button shifting. Normal shifters are mechanical and push or pull a cable connected to the derrailluer to shift the gears. Electronic shifters have been pedaled for years by companies like Mavic, but have not caught on mainstream. Worries of interference such as the guy in front of you shifting causing your gear to intercept the signal and you shift, are the oft cited complaints. (Read the full post about ‘Gadgetell’s Tech on de Tour: Bicycle’s gone wild. Part 1′…)
LG Electronics recently unveiled two of its most durably-designed monitors to date. Protected with an extra-thick, hard-glass screen, the LG L42PP series has been designed specifically for usage in high traffic settings such as public libraries, schools, internet cafes and airports.
The LG L42PP monitors come with the tempered glass which covers the LCD panel has a 7H hardness rating whereas most monitors have an acrylic material with a hardness level of 2H or less.
The L1942PP and the L1742PP LCD Monitors have a 19″ and 17″ screen respectively and an aspect ratio of 5:4.
(Read the full post about ‘LG L42PP Series Durably-Designed Monitors’…)
Considering how much gas prices have been going up, it is no surprise that alternative energy cars are starting to make some serious headway in the international auto market. Not only are the hybrid electric/gas cars becoming more and more common, but some designers are experimenting with solar panels on automobiles. A recent development by a Swiss company named Mindset AG has put solar panels on their prototype model, the Six50. The designer, Mura Guntak, expects this car to run 62 miles per charge. The car itself is a 2+2 seater, and is about 13 feet long. Not only that, it can also go 0-60 in about 7 seconds. It seems obvious to put solar panels on a car, but I have heard that sticking solar panels on a car doesn’t improve the fuel efficiency all that much. I have also heard that Prius has modified one of their with solar panels, but those are only to power the air conditioner. Perhaps Mindset AG will have greatly improved automotive solar power by then. As for now, the company plans to build about ten thousand of the Six50 cars by the year 2009. You should about able to purchase one for about $78,000. Via [DVICE] Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! (Read the full post about ‘Mindset AG unveil the hybrid, solar powered Six50 auto’…)
Sometime in the not-so-distant future, graphic displays for computers, cell phones, and other devices may be something that is generated directly to your eye. No–you don’t have to worry about giving up your natural eyes for cybernetic replacement implants, unless you want that sort of thing. But rather contact lenses can be equipped with tiny circuitry that will include tiny light emitting devices. Babak Parviz, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, has laid the groundwork for such a future and has developed a method to assemble tiny electronic circuits onto contact lenses. The method called “self assembly,” can integrate these electronic circuits onto glass or polymers. (Read the full post about ‘Contact lenses created with embedded circuits’…)
Volkswagen does not aim to rest on its laurels, and know that concept designs are the way to move forward in the current day and age. After all, you can’t remain in the same place for long without growing, right? This concept car that you see here won’t be able to sprout wings and take to the skies, but it does offer a smartness level that is unprecedented to date (of course, otherwise it wouldn’t be a concept, would it?). The Volkswagen concept is able to interact with traffic lights, park by itself and change colors (to suit your mood, I presume) at your whim and fancy. I won’t hold my breath though as such a concept might not even appear when 2028 rolls around - not to mention the lack of available gas by then. (Read the full post about ‘Volkswagen Concept Vehicles’…)
With the popularity of video uploading sites such as YouTube, it is not surprising that camcorder manufacturers has been constantly ensuring that they offer something new for the consumers. This might be what Samsung had in mind when it launched its new compact digital camcorder, the SC-MX20. The SC-MX20 is a feature-packed camcorder boasting a 680K pixel CCD sensor which gives out a 720 x 480 resolution, a Schneider lens with 34x optical zoom and noise reduction technology, and Samsung’s Advanced Image Stabilization technology, a 2.7-inch LCD, memory card slot for SD/SDHC, USB 2.0, 3-hours of battery life, aspect ratio 4:3 & 16:9, innovative swivel grip. And of course, the YouTube recording mode. (Read the full post about ‘Samsung unveils the SC-MX20; another YouTube enabled camcorder’…)
