Devices Site

Posted Feb 2nd 2008 6:31PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Solar’s had a pretty rough time breaking the ~40% efficiency level over the years, but Idaho National Laboratory researchers have apparently developed a nano-antenna array capable of collecting power not from photonic energy as is done today, but from infrared energy that could be harvested in any weather (or even at night). The cell production process is even supposed to be ridiculously cheap compared to making standard silicon photovoltaic cells, but, as always, there’s a rub. The grid collects its oscillating IR energy at ten thousand billion times per second, which is proving to be a challenge to the nerds behind the tech, who are working on a way to convert that to the 50-60Hz power that the world uses. So yeah, it might be a few more years before this one pans out (if it does pan out).

[Via EcoGeek]

Posted Feb 2nd 2008 5:32PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: GPS
Mio’s apparently got two new units, um, moving through the FCC: the Moov and Moov XL, which will feature Bluetooth, a new UI, and a 3.5 and 4.3-inch displays, respectively. We’ll let you know when they go legit.

Scotty Pro Charger

You can have this for ?49.95

With the AppleTV “take 2” still not available, Vudu seems to be willing to put up a strong fight to remain in the market. It was just last week that Vudu lowered their price by 25% and have now added more HD content.

A new update, that will bring the software to version 1.2 will add about 80 more movies and also adds an on-screen broadband instant-HD indicator. The movies are priced starting at $4 each, which is comparable to the AppleTV pricing. The indicator will help the instant start movies by giving users an alert as to whether or not their current broadband speed will be able to handle the movie without any delays in watching. It also has a recommendation option that will help you choose the best movies based on your broadband speed. Like other competing services, the eventual winner will come down to who has the better user experience and more available content.

Read [Wired]

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Dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease is a terrible thing to witness on a loved one. Scientists from the University of Sunderland in the U.K. claim they have the answer to the problem.

The answer comes in form of a hat which is to be worn for ten minutes everyday. Creators claim that the hat bathes the brain in infrared light which, in turn, stimulates growth of brain cells. This new technology, if successful, could not only slow down rate of dementia but even, to a certain extent, reverse it. Critics express their doubts at the hat’s efficacy and underlying mechanism. According to the Health Blog in WSJ, however, there is a possibility that that this might just be true, although studies on infrared have only focused on strokes before.

The scientists who came up with the device have already performed lab experiments although it would take more time for this new technology to be confirmed as true and viable. We could only wait and see.

Posted Feb 2nd 2008 12:24PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Details are still fuzzy at this point, but according to an e-mail received by numerous tipsters, Microsoft is indeed offering up a free copy of Vista in exchange for their privacy. Yeah, even though it claimed otherwise late last year. According to the note, Redmond is viewing these folks as “registered members” of the Windows Feedback Program, and if they keep their guard down for the remainder of a three month period, they will seemingly receive a copy of its latest OS gratis. So, any others out there finding an unexpected message from the Big M regarding said offer? Let us know in comments below, particularly if you get any free wares or previously analyzed keylogging reports.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Posted Feb 2nd 2008 9:58AM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Peripherals
Finally, a mouse just for you. Thanks to the folks at Lite-On, you’ll never have to suffer the debilitating discomfort of an unshapely mouse ever again. The Moldable Mouse will make all your bad memories of ill-fitting input devices float away, using a lightweight modeling clay combined with a nylon and polyurethane fabric to make up its surface. Once you’re palming your new best friend, you can shape its contours to whatever form you desire, though we’re pretty sure making a perfect cube will present a challenge. The “stick-on” buttons and scroll-wheel can be added to any location you like, and communicate via RFID. The thing won a Red Dot design award and everything… but coming soon? Probably not.

[Via Wired]

Canon HV30 Camcorder is one of the revolutionary collections of Canon’s greatest camcorder product series. The major point concerning in Canon HV30 Camcorder is its HD 3-CCD image sensor at its core and its better video quality, even under low-lighting conditions. Its new 30p recording feature has pronounced better online video production supporting a halfway house between full 60i and 24p recordings. The miniDV solution of Canon HV30 Camcorder has profound effect on tape offering upgraded pros than DVD like better image compression via HDV, instant archiving and a higher drop-resistance.

Moreover, due to its SD card, experience of capturing still photo is also enjoyable. Its LCD screen undoubtedly falls under mentionable attribute for a wider acceptance angle and decreased solarisation problems.

Further, Canon HV30 Camcorder is up in market with few more features like 30p model and both automatic and manual control options. With the battery life of one hour, this easy to carry camcorder is gaining the attention of any kind of buyer.

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Posted Feb 2nd 2008 5:51AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Household
Frankly, we’re not totally sure we actually long to “create a physical link between our virtual and real identities” — you know, we like to keep that stuff pushed far, far away from the forefront of our minds — but if we ever have a change of heart, it seems the Wable will be right there waiting. This unique “table,” as it were, sports four bars that raise and lower automatically based on the activity from web applications such as Plazes, Flickr and Last.fm. Beyond that, it doesn’t seem to add too much more value to one’s life, but if it’s the simple things that keep you smiling, check out a remarkably unremarkable video of it after the jump.

[Via Core77]

Garmin is now releasing a phone of all things (Garmin is a GPS company). The Nuvifone will feature a cool interface, a 3.5 inch touchscreen display, High Speed 3G access, Google Local search, and geotagging capability with the camera. No word on pricing or availability.
[Source]