Gadgets

Fri
04
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

The Future of TV is XEL-1

Imagine a television set so thin that you could roll it up and carry it in your knapsack or briefcase. That kind of technology is not as far off as one might think. Sony is currently selling a concept television set in Japan that is about an eighth ... of an inch think, or just over 3 millimetres. The sets are intended to replace the back-lighting of typical LCD televisions which make up the perceived "bulky" frame. (Source: gizmodo.com ) The new televisions use a thin film that glows with colors and can even be viewed from the side. The Sony XEL-1 owes its saturated colors and super-slim frame ... (view more)

Fri
04
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

RIM Throws Competition 'Curve' Ball

Thought maybe that sleek 'n cute little iPhone from Apple would hurt sales of the efficient but not-so kitschy BlackBerry? Doesn't look like that's the case. According to third quarter sales, Research in Motion (the Waterloo-based maker of the ... BlackBerry) is reporting double its 2006 third quarter earnings. The statistics stem from numbers released last Thursday. Most surprising may be that BlackBerry subscriber accounts climbed an impressive 1.65 million over that third quarter, which ended back on December 1st. In addition to 3.9 million devices being shipped, it means Research in Motion ... (view more)

Wed
19
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Looking for Zune

The shortage of Microsoft's new 80GB Zune player this holiday season is not the result of overwhelming demand for the product. A report recently published by the market intelligence firm iSuppli indicates that popular retailers such as Amazon.com ... are either in short supply of the product or backordered. However, iSuppli is quick to dispel speculation that this shortage is a result of overwhelming demand for the Zune, which has been falsely accredited with outselling the various Apple iPod variants. (Source: isuppli.com ) Microsoft's MP3 player has been positively reviewed by a number of ... (view more)

Thu
13
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft Testing XP on $100 Laptops

Microsoft has announced they will soon be testing Windows XP on the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) "$100 laptop". It's all part of a project to produce computers so cheaply that it can be donated to children in the developing world. Despite the ... nickname, the machine currently costs $188 to produce. Known as the XO, it's designed to be sturdy enough to work under a variety of conditions such as in extremely warm or cold countries. (Source: laptopgiving.org ) James Utzschneider of Microsoft says he'll be meeting the team behind the XO this week. He says reports that Windows already works ... (view more)

Wed
12
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Google, Unicef and One Laptop Per Child Tell Our Stories

On Friday, Unicef, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), and Google announced a project to help create a greater understanding of different cultures and experiences through an online community. A new web site called "Our Stories" ( www.ourstories.org ) will ... serve as a vehicle to share the histories and identities of cultures around the world. Using OLPC's XO laptop and other devices, children will record the experiences of elders, friends and family members in their native language, and then upload them to the web where the stories will be accessible by clicking on a Google Map. "Information ... (view more)

Wed
05
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Japanese Robots Amaze The World

Japan recently held the largest robotics convention in its history, offering up a glimpse of the technological future. The convention boasted a wide assortment of technological wonders that included mechanical panda bears welcoming visitors, a robot ... capable of solving Rubik's cubes in a matter of minutes, and one of the most life-like human replicas specifically designed to advance the field of dentistry. The dental robot, intended for training future tooth-pullers, has realistic skin, eyes that narrow and a mouth full of scale-sized teeth. A sensor where nerve endings would typically be ... (view more)

Mon
03
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Amazon's Kindle: Read it and Weep?

In 1975, Rock Bottom Productions introduced a product called the Pet Rock. It was cute and it was novel. Pet Rocks sold for $3.95 each, were the rage for the 1975 Christmas season, and they made its developer, Gary Dahl, a millionaire. The following ... year, you couldn't give a Pet Rock away. On November 26, 2007, Newsweek announced Amazon's new wireless reading device: the Kindle. According to Amazon, when it was made available for sale, Amazon's complete stock sold out in 5-1/2 hours. (Source: www.newsweek.com ) Any way you look at it, the Kindle is a bold move by Amazon, and could change all ... (view more)

Wed
28
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

One Laptop Per Child Campaign Offers New Package for Kids, Hope For Linux

The One Laptop Per Child campaign is said to be one of the largest foreign relief efforts to be given no financial government assistance. The campaign hopes to put simple laptop computers in the hands of children from Third World countries. When I ... first reported about the OLPC project back in July, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) were embroiled in a battle to see which company would contribute most to the venture. All attention that had initially been focused on the campaign has since been put on the backburner as the nostalgia of charity wore off and profits continued to be the main ... (view more)

Mon
26
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

New Timex Watch iControls iPod

Timex has released their most technologically advanced product ever. In addition to the time and date features that have become standard on most modern wristwatches, the new Timex Ironman iControl has icons for pause/play, forward/reverse and ... volume. What are these new buttons for? The lightweight watch is designed to second as a wireless remote control for any iPod with a docking connector. The device comes with a small receiver that attaches directly to the iPod, allowing the user to control their tunes without having to manipulate the clickable wheel. There are no major configurations or ... (view more)

Tue
13
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

HP KO'd in Digital Camera Business

Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) is seeking to change its business model by getting rid of its digital camera manufacturing branch, which has been an integral part of the company since the early 1990s. The decision reflects the company's poor ... performance in this sector and a subsequent revision of its business strategy. In a recent announcement HP stated that it will dump responsibility for design, source and distribute digital cameras to an OEM partner, providing instead only HP branding on the devices manufactured by its partner. HP is seeking to accelerate its investment in the 'Print 2.0' ... (view more)

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