ASUS Designo MS Series LCD Monitors Introduced

ASUS today came out with a new LCD monitor series. Dubbed as the Designo MS, the newest Asus LCD monitor family features five monitors. The Designo MS is an ultra-slim (16.5mm Profile) family consisting of MS246 (23.6") / 236 (23") / 227 (22") / 226 (21.5") / 202 (20") LCD displays, each boasting "exceptional style and picture quality". Asus reports, the design concept behind the Designo MS Series is inspired by the binary state, incorporating a series of contrasting elements like the numbers 1 and 0, straight lines and circles, and black and white into an ultra-slim monitor with a 16.5mm profile. The unique spherical ring stand features Ergo-Fit Technology that lets users adjust the monitor's tilt angle with just one finger.

Lady Gaga earphones are definitely not the prettiest

Dr. Dre and Monster have announced the launch of their latest in-ear earphones which are being promoted by singer Lady Gaga. The earphones have a special design which would not appeal to many and even if it does then there is the price tag of $ 100 to $ 150.

iRiver Story an uber cool e-book reader

The Amazon Kindle sure has some competition first it was Sony, Asus and now iRiver is the latest entrant to grab some market share. Aptly named 'Story' it packs in a 6 inch screen powered by E-ink technology, QWERTY keyboard, 2GB onboard memory, SD card slot, speakerphone, microphone and compatibility with MP3, WMA, OGG, PDF, EPUB, TXT, PPT, DOC, XLS, ZIP formats. The battery is good for viewing 9000 pages of text or listening to 20 hours of audio. The iRiver Story measures 127×203,5×9,4mm, weighs 284 grams and will be available from September 16 in Asia for $280.

Navy scientists develop underwater laser communication technology

A better tool for underwater acoustics has been developed by the researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory. The new system will use laser light to create sound underwater from a distance. If this works properly then the floating buoys will be a thing of the past if planes will have to communicate with submarines. Well how is this done? Well, for efficiently converting light into sound, light has to be concentrated to ionize a small amount of water which will absorb the laser energy and superheat. This will result in a small explosion of steam which is capable of generation atleast 220 decibel pulse of sound. Wow!
[Slashdot]

Samsung Armani W820/8200 makes Korean appearance

The gold trimmed slider W820/8200 is a testimony to Samsung’s continued partnership with fashion designer Armani. The phone has a 3.1 inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen display, HSDPA, T-DMB, Bluetooth, 5MP primary camera and a secondary front facing camera for video calling. It will be launching in Korea in the near future. No news on the price and the launch date but I am pretty sure how much the price is going to be. Hopefully Samsung releases one for the common pocket without the gold trim.
[Boygeniusreport]

Peregrine gaming glove turns your hand into a controller

This was seen at the Arcade Expo in Seattle. The controls of the Peregrine gaming glove are a little bit complex and attacks are often performed by hitting certain keys simultaneously. Sometimes by having a hot key on the glove would give the player an excellent advantage. What I meant to say is that the glove could in future become an alternative to the gaming keyboard. So if you want to do some extensive damage in Warcraft, you would need a mouse in one hand and the Peregrine Gaming Glove on the other. There is no information about the availability but it should cost around $129.95 when available.

Hooked to World of Warcraft forever? Spend $14,000 to get off the addiction

Washington State's ReSTART clinic is a rehab center that aims to help World of Warcraft players to get rid of their addiction to the game which might not be good news for Blizzard and it will cost you only $14,000! I just love the way these experts make money out of these World of Warcraft addicts. The center offers a 45-day program that employs a cold-turkey approach to help people get away from pathological computer use. It does not restrict to gaming itself but also includes other forms of addiction like video games, texting, social networks, online auctions and other technological time-killers. Whether such programs work in the long run remains to be seen.
[Destructoid]

Timetable adds more ‘visuals’ to meeting tables

A fantastic idea by Wieden + Kennedy has given some hope to all those dragged executives who face a lifetime of meetings. Besides snoring through the whole dragged explanation about what caused the economic slide last quarter, they have come out with a new design for a meeting table that has 10 RGB LED panels that broadly divide the meeting into 10 sections. Each panel lights up and plays a sound, thus determining every tenth of the meeting. The panels are sequentially switched off as time passes by.

LG’s first Android phone will have 5 MP camera, 3G

Keeping alive the hopes of an Android offering from their garage, LG drives forth their first venture with a bit of veil still hanging over it. Besides the pseudo name, ‘Etna’, and the bunch of tempting specs we don’t have too much to lean back on for more on this one. It’s a QWERTY slider with a 5 megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G. The other suspects make it into the spec sheet comfortably. The keypad looks good and so does the 3 inch touchscreen. Fans will still have the mystery of the GW880 in mind as they hope for another Android wonder.

HTC Tattoo is anything but a needle impression

When you name something ‘tattoo’ you can well expect sharp edges or sweet, aesthetic design to be the driving force in its appearance. However, HTC think completely otherwise, atleast as far as design is concerned. Their new offering a. k. a. the Tattoo is sleeker than anything they’ve offered before. The buttons are placed gently along the palm area of the phone and the circular trackball (is it?) gives a serene impression on first look. The specs include 3.2 megapixel, 3.5 mm headset jack and a microSD expansion slot. The HTC Tattoo should be expected by October this year in Europe.
[Crunchgear]

Soak in Nirvana Bathtub and float in galaxy

Bathtubs come in many shapes and sizes, tagged with haunting price tags. Red Diamondtub is too gaudy for my taste and why would I need a Bullet proof tub? But I certainly am dreaming about soaking in the Nirvana Bathtub. Shaped out of i-Crylic, a translucent acrylic layer, it features 360 LED lights that glow to mesmerize all. Such an illumination fitting renders chromotherapy too. Designed and manufactured by Bangkok based Bathroom Design, it is also a winner of Product Design Award at Red Dot 2009. And it not only boasts of looks to kill but also claims to save 60% water than its counterparts. Ergonomically shaped, it appears to be made out of single piece. Also the control system is discreetly integrated beneath the bathtub to avoid any disturbance in its seamless form.

The ring shaped ORB Bluetooth headset

The ORB Bluetooth headset is designed and developed by Hybratech and Absolutely New. When you look at it first it will look like a ring but by giving it a simple twist it turns into a Bluetooth headset. There are two models available the standard model and the deluxe edition. The deluxe edition boasts of Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode that shows off the caller id as well as calendar reminders and also features voice-to-text for communication purposes without having to remove the ring from the finger. Both the models are waterproof and come with a range of 30 feet. It also comes in different sizes ranging from small to extra large. It will be arriving next year at a price of $129 for the standard edition and $175 for the deluxe edition.

Philips SPM9800 - A wired Bluetooth mouse

Philips SPM9800 is an odd ball. It is a mouse equipped with Bluetooth technology but also has a USB cord cleverly hidden under it. The mouse has Philip's proprietary 360°TouchControl technology with which it can work even when there is no surface. It is available in select European markets for around $80.

The next generation Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwig

A Merc is always a class apart. Yup! No doubt about it! And getting back to it, Mercedez-Benz has spilled the beans on the highly-anticipated, mouth-drooling SLS AMG which is going to take the iconic 300SL Gullwig to the next generation. At the first look, it has a retro-inspired shape but does contain unique design elements. To start with, you can choose from nine different paint shades including two matte finishes. The head lamps and taillights are LED so that means your beauty is visible at all times for the public to drool on. The cockpit of the car is airplane-inspired. Nappa leather, real metal trims and optional real carbon fiber helps to set the interior apart from the traditional offerings and Mercedes-Benz will be offering you five interior shades to choose from for personalizing the interior. The gullwing doors, a direct link to the 300SL, swing up 70 degrees to allow for access to the interior.

Medion Life S47000 is a digital HD sports camcorder

If you’re an outdoor person, you will definitely love to carry around one of the Medion Life S47000 digital high definition camcorder. It is splash resistant and hooks on to your belt too. You can record video with 720p quality H.264 videos but you have only 90 MB to store it on. So use it wisely. But all is not lost because it has a SD/SDHC slot for that extra memory. The screen is 2 inches wide and the build quality is tough enough to handle the extremes of sports. You can purchase it online for 99 Euros or US $ 164 approximately.
[Gearlive]

Regina a robot that lifts people at the hospital

The advancement of robotics can be seen only in one country and that is Japan. A local company Japan Logic Machine has created 'Regina' a health care robot. The specialty of this robot is that it can lift people as heavy as 200 kg. This robot outperforms its existing peers who can lift only up to 80 kg. The robot is almost in the final stages and will be shipped to Japanese Medical institutions by the fall of 2010. One Regina robot can cost anywhere between $60,000 – 80,000.

AFGT gaming device is one step ahead of Project Natal

Using tactility to enhance gaming experience is what AFGT gaming device is all about. It is made up of sensitive silicon that mimics the terrain in a virtual world and allows the gamer to feel through the environment. This is achieved by the individual silicon air pockets laid underneath and each of them is connected to air pressure actuator that changes the air pressure in each packet. Unfortunately still a concept but maybe this is something the folks at Nintendo are looking for?

Acoustic Research’s Xsight Touch and Xsight Color Universal remotes

The Xsight Touch model has a 2.2 inch color touchscreen and also slider control for navigation and the Xsight Color gets only a 2.2 inch color display screen with hard keys and toggle bars. The Xsight Touch is capable of controlling 18 devices and has built-in RF for controlling RF-enabled components with 433.92 MHz capability. Only IR operations can be done with the Xsight Color and can control only 15 devices. The Touch and the Color is priced at $249.99 and $179.99 respectively.
[iTechnews

Swedish clock displays time as well as your energy usage

We seen quite a few gadgets that display energy usage at your home. But most of them are in numbers which dont make sense immediately. But wouldn’t it be nice if it was displayed in some visual way so that it would actually keep your energy usage down. The Energy Aware Clock is designed by Swedish designers Loove Broms, Karin Ehrnberger, Sara Ilstedt, Erika Lundell and Jin Moen. That is a lot of brains for a clock-cum-energy usage displayer. The basic design of the clock will let you know how much energy is being used by simply visualizing that consumption on the clock’s face and that too automatically in real time. Numbers always don’t show how much electricity is being wasted but with this clock it will show you with a pattern. The larger it becomes, the more electricity you are using. The EA Clock is currently on display at the Visual Voltage exhibition at Design Vlaanderen in Brussels. The clock tells the time by using the energy usage graphic

USB Mosquito repellant

Here is something really weird and I have no idea if this will work also. It is the USB powered mosquito repellent dongle. It is similar to the other electronic pest deterrents by generating a repellent field that is sensitive for some insects. The manufacturer also claims that by plugging this into any USB socket, it is capable of repelling most of the flying insects. Costing only $6, you could keep one around if you ever encounter such an incident.
[Everything USB]

Pictures and video of Samsung i5700 Galaxy Lite

Samsung is flaunting its latest Android phone called the i5700 Galaxy Lite. Its pictures and videos reveal the colorful body of the phone with a spacious AMOLED screen adorning the front and the well placed, large buttons on the lower end. It’s got the expected ‘home’ button that takes you to the home screen of the Android OS. Other features include a 3.2 mp camera (without flash) and a gigabyte of internal memory.

Palm Pixi announced!

Get a grip of all the great phones that are coming out into the open and that too with pictures and video clips of them. Take the Palm Pixi for instance. It’s here with an elaborate show of all the awesome things that come with it like the 2.6 inch display screen, QWERTY keypad and sleek chassis. Other features include Wi-fi, 8GB of storage, 3.5 mm jack, GPS and Exchange support. The Pixi is customizable to some degree.

Human Universal Load Carrier exoskeleton

The Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) exoskeleton doesn’t have just that awesome anagram for a name, it’s also an escape from all the heavy manual work that we’re condemned to sometimes. The sad part is that those who could really use this would never be able to afford it. Armed with lightweight hydraulics that make up the legs and a powerful titanium structure that can haul up a 200 lb backpack, the HULC is a fine example of our attempts to being superman. The downside is that the battery charge runs out faster if you’re running. However, walking at 4 kmph will keep the battery beating for 5 hours.

iida Polaris is a phone-cum-doc-cum-robot

Making a complete encapsulation of all the phones and robots we have seen in the past, bringing them together and getting a smart docking solution for a phone that’s smart enough is what the iida Polaris robot is all about. Developed by Flower Robotics, the robot ‘learns’ how to respond to your ever changing physical conditions and accordingly suggests exercises, recipes and medical advice. Over a period of time the robot learns more about you. What’s more is that the robot houses a phone as well. So maybe he would suggest a call to a loved one when you’re low. It's all Japanese. Nice.

Video: Hard Rock Cafe Vegas Strip gets ginormous interactive Rock Wall

We didn't think too much of Obscura Digital's multi-touch hologram when we spotted it last August, but evidently the company has been working overtime in order to outfit Hard Rock's newest cafe with a monstrous interactive video wall. Hard Rock Cafe Vegas Strip is the chain's second venue in Sin City, but it's far and away the one to hit if you're a self-proclaimed nerd. Aside from having access to a number of Microsoft Surface-based installations, you'll also spend a good bit of time navigating the Rock Wall. The 18- x 4-foot touch wall (video after the break) enables up to six guests to simultaneously surf through the outfit's expansive memorabilia collection, with options to zoom and flick through oodles of images. Obscura claims that it just might be the world's highest resolution interactive display available to the public, with a trio of HD projectors beaming the content from behind the glass. Not like you really needed another excuse to add one more HRC shirt / pin / glass to your collection, but feel free to express your gratitude in comments below

Microsoft and Tesco strike up 'virtual DVD' partnership

Starting this autumn -- which is sort of like now -- Tesco stores in the UK will be offering "virtual DVDs" to customers who purchase certain home video titles. Promising no less than a "DVD-equivalent" experience, the new service will be replete with all the menus, copyright warnings and extra bits you'd find on the disc itself, plus additional exclusive content and movie viewing parties with online chat. We're not entirely sure films need all the added interactivity Microsoft has cooked up, but ambitions are to expand the bonus content and to offer the service in other markets "eventually." And hey, seeing as it's based on Silverlight, all that good stuff will be available on Mac too.

Grant Fidelity's $3,200 Impression II weds CD player, tube amp and overkill

See that? That's a $3,200 CD player, which will be impossible to justify for pretty much anyone not featured on Joan Rivers' newest TV show. Designed and produced by Grant Fidelity, the CD-1000 Impression II packs a high-end Sanyo CD drive, tube analog output, tube headphone amplifier and a rather basic display screen, while the "anti-vibration aluminum chassis" tries as hard as it can to look both unorthodox and absurdly expensive. It's hard to say if your burnt MP3 discs will actually sound better on this thing (okay, so they won't), but at least you can rest easy knowing that shipping on this 50 pound beast is completely gratis.[Via OhGizmo]

ASUS gets classy with sleek UL series laptop range

If ASUS' N61 / N71 laptops were just too -- shall we say, glamorous -- for you, how's about the ultra-classy UL lineup? Short for UnLimited possibilities (groan), the UL series offers up a variety of models, all of which rely on Intel's CULV platform for juice and can squeeze up to 12 hours of claimed battery life thanks to having both discrete and integrated graphics onboard. The 1-inch thin machines arrive in either black or brushed aluminum, with room for up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, a dual-layer DVD burner, a Core 2 Duo CPU and hard drives as large as 500GB. Both 14- and 15.6-inch models are available, though your guess is as good as ours when it comes to pricing and availability.[Via HotHardware]

Philips sticks to its guns with 16GB GoGear Muse PMP

Think you've seen this one before? Close, but no cigar. Philips' GoGear Muse doesn't deviate much from the path that has been chosen for it (and fittingly so, might we add), boasting a predictably glossy motif, 16GB of internal storage space and a 3-inch display. As it overtakes the Opus for the company's top-of-the-line player, it also gains support for BMP, GIF, PNG, OGG, APE, Real Video and Real Audio formats, and just in case you're curious, it'll also handle those ultra-rare "MP3" things as well. Philips asserts that users could see up to 25 hours of audio playback on a single charge, while watching Family Guy re-runs could suck it dry in just 5 hours. As with pretty much everything else that Philips produces these days, it'll first hit Singapore for S$349 (or around $244 in Greenbacks), with only a faint chance of ever seeing significant action here in North America. One more look is after the break.[Via CNET]

Archos 9pctablet hands-on

We wouldn't want to jump to conclusions, but Archos might just be onto something with its upcoming 9pctablet, which is due to launch alongside Windows 7. The Windows 7 bit isn't an accident, since it's really the first OS from Microsoft that makes it conceivable to use much of the OS with a finger, rather than the stylus. It's not all there, of course: Archos had to build its own touchscreen keyboard to replace Microsoft's woefully inadequate implementation, and there's an optical mouse sensor on the side of the display and a stylus buried within to pick up the slack. Overall the hardware seems very solid and astonishingly dense, and despite the recent advancements we've seen in thin and light laptops, it's pretty incredible that Archos has a full Atom-based PC running inside this thin, fanless slab. What wasn't so incredible was the resistive touchscreen, at least on the unit we were playing with. Our touches kept getting misread inexplicably as an inch below where we were tapping, and it didn't feel like a "light touch" resistive model at all -- no confusing what we felt with capacitive, though perhaps we got a faulty unit. This is probably a scenario where resistive makes sense, but we'd say Archos has a lot of work to do on the drivers or **something to make this more usable. The good news is that there will be an optional, super-slim external keyboard, which should make input on the 9 a bit less of a chore.

Leica gets official with M9 and X1 cameras, hands-on ensue

No surprises here (at all), but Leica's 09/09/09 event has just led to the formal unveiling of the full-frame, 18 megapixel M9 rangefinder and the compact X1. The former (which is shipping now) supports all Leica M lenses and ships with a "newly developed glass sensor cover designed to guarantee the suppression of the infrared portion of the light spectrum." There's also a quick-access ISO adjustment button alongside a few other hotkeys, a full metal housing, Kodak-sourced CCD, a fresh microprocessor-controlled shutter (which is supposedly "near silent") and a staggering £4,850 ($8,004) price tag. As for the X1, you'll find a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C), a fixed-mount Leica Elmarit 1:2.8/24mm lens, numerous "auto" modes for the newbies in attendance, a maximum ISO of 3200, 2.7-inch rear LCD and a Live View function that replaces the optical viewfinder. Expect to hear more regarding price when the January 2010 ship date nears, but for now, feel free to peruse the hands-on galleries linked below.

Altec Lansing's InMotion Classic has good looks, bad price

There's a certain low-profile shindig going on today, and in its honor we thought we'd show off a new accessory you might need for your brand new something or other. Altec Lansing has updated its InMotion line of iPod / iPhone docks with the Classic, which takes the iM600, washes off most of the ugly, slaps on a multifunctional handle, and asks for the same $149 MSRP. An auxiliary input, FM tuner and rechargeable battery make it decently versatile, while the remote and the "cubby hole" for its storage score cuteness points aplenty. Unfortunately for Altec, the "cute" price range doesn't quite extend to the heights of its asking price, so it'll be down to sound quality to deliver the final verdict.

Zero Creative's 71-inch 3D LCD will make environmentalists weep

As Sony's notoriously power-thirsty PS3 receives a major boost in efficiency, you might think the age of the gluttonous gadget is at an end. Zero Creative, however, is here to show us that some manufacturers just aren't interested in being green. The company has created a 71-inch version of its xyZ (not xYz) lineup, a 3D LCD that sucks down an impressive 1 kilowatt when turned on. Given your average eco-friendly display tends to require something like 20 to 50 watts to bring you an image, that's quite an energy premium to pay -- and that's on top of the €70,000 price tag (about $100,000). Of course, what those eco-friendly LCDs can't do is give you a 3D image without glasses, a feature that is the very specialty of the commercially-minded xyZ lineup. An inability to display anything in plain 'ol 2D is something of a shortcoming, but we're told switchable versions are coming -- as is an even bigger, 100-inch screen that will ship with a dedicated coal-fired power plant

Sony's MDR-DS7100 7.1 channel cans cut the cord

Big, comfy, over-the-ear headphones will never go out of style if we have anything to say about it, but we could do without the thick, coiled cords that usually come with them. Sony's latest ditches the tether in favor of a 2.4GHz wireless system, capable of receiving 7.1 channels at a range of about 100-feet -- all without a single tap into your central nervous system. The broadcasting will be handled by what looks to be a the same bulky base station we saw in the MDR-DS7000, but the new 7100 offers a larger 50mm driver and 13 hours of battery life; a 30 percent boost. No word on pricing for when these ship in October, but the previous model is available for around $250, so we don't expect 'em to break the bank.

Last minute Apple rumor roundup: iPhone HD video out, no new iPod touch?

Okay, we're in the final countdown to Apple's Only Rock and Roll event, and some interesting bits of info have hit the wires while we're waiting. First, AppleInsider claims a "historically reliable source" has leaked the entire new lineup of iPods, complete with model numbers, and it's somewhat surprising if true: not only do capacities remain the same apart from a 160GB iPod classic, the iPod touch is absent from the list -- leading some to believe its upgrade has been delayed due to rumored technical issues with the camera module. AI also says the nano is getting "significant changes" to Nike+, but doesn't go into further detail.There's also been an interesting press release this morning from Harmon Kardon, which is touting that its new Bridge III iPod / iPhone dock and AVR 2600 and 3600 receivers can "play back HD video from iPod or iPhone products." Seeing as there's no (official) way to even get HD video onto an iPod or iPhone right now, that seems to indicate there's a change a-comin' -- and seeing as we've already gotten the iPhone 3GS to play back 1080p video, the addition of HD video support to at least some of the i-line seems like a no-brainer. We'll see what's true and what's just wishful thinking soon enough -- the liveblog starts in just a little bit!Update: And just in case you couldn't get enough sketchy cases, Cygnett has some listed on its site that seem to show a new nano screen size, as well as a new touch with a camera. Things are definitely heating up, stay tuned.

IOGEAR unveils new HDMI Control Center for well-heeled A/V fiends

Sure, for some folks a simple 4-port HDMI extender is all that's needed, but you're not playing around, are you? If "overkill" is the only way that you roll, check out IOGEAR's latest: the HDMI Control Center includes a wireless keyboard with built-in laser trackball, supports 1080p (1920 x 1200) and HDMI 1.3, is HDCP compliant, rocks Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Support, and ships for the princely sum of $499.95. Definitely not for the weak-willed. PR after the break.

OLPC's XO Generation 1.5 Laptop handled, speed tested - on video!

The lucky kids at the OLPC Learning Club DC got paid a visit by a man sporting a beefed up XO 1.5 laptop recently and was kind enough to put on a little show for the group. Featuring a VIA C7-M 1GHz variable speed processor, the update to the classic XO machine promises full screen video playback, faster eToys and scratch animation, more storage for a larger offline library, better image capture and remixing, and an all-around better Java experience. In an admittedly unscientific (but still pretty sweet) side by side comparison, the XO 1.5 (left) was able to boot up and launch eToys (a real memory hog) before the XO 1.0 had booted up all the way -- this despite the fact that the 1.5 was started a little later, and that the 1.0 is overclocked to 500MHz. We're looking forward to seeing more red hot XO 1.5 action as the release date grows nigh -- in the meantime, the video below will have to tide us over. Enjoy!

Microsoft's Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000: barely thicker than a stack of hundies

It'd be downright appalling to ever tote around a keyboard that's thicker than your current laptop, and you can bet the suits in Redmond recognize that. To that end, Microsoft has introduced this ultraslim Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, which is just barely thicker than an AAA battery at the rear. Naturally, the curved board gets even thinner as it slopes toward the front, though it's the optional number pad that really steals the show in terms of cuteness. The BT-only device utilizes a so-called Comfort Curve design to keep your wrists from cramping up after a few lines of text, and if you're interested in claiming one as your own, get ready to shell out $89.95 when it ships next month. Oh, and as for that number pad? $44.95. Yeah, ouch.[Via HotHardware]

Motorola i856 debuted

The Motorola i856 is the first slider cellphone with a Boost push-to-talk service. But when you look at the rest of the features, it is more or same like an entry level phone as it comes with a 1.3 MP camera, stereo Bluetooth connectivity, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm audio jack. I would say a normal phone and you can get it if you are interested at a price of $170. This could have the same build quality of other Motorola phones if they haven’t compromised on that yet.
[Ubergizmo]

Sony Bravia HDTVs with three tuners

The new range of Bravia HDTVs for Europe was introduced by Sony – the V5800, W5800 and the Z5800. All the mentioned series come with three tuners for receiving (DVB-S2), over-the-air terrestrial (DVB-T) and also cable (DVB-C) channels in standard or high definition mode. What is the best part of this? You don’t require different set-top boxes. The output is at 1080p and also has CI+ slot for cards for the subscription channels. All of them come with light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the backlight depending on ambient light to save energy. Four HDMI inputs and a USB port for viewing photos or videos are common to all three of them. It is DLNA compatible, which means you can stream content from your PC, PS3 or any other networked devices. All three have the same contrast ratio at 100,000:1. The only difference is that the V5800 has a traditional 60Hz display panel where as W5800 and Z5800 comes with 100Hz and 200Hz respectively.
[Electronista]

Sony’s ICF-CL75iP

Sony ICF-CL75iP comes with 7 inches color WVGA, 1GB internal memory, Retractable iPhone/iPod dock, Audio and video playback support and integrated FM/AM radio. You have to the option to select your favorite tunes to wake you up by using the radio or nature sounds or a 10-second voice recording. No new still on when the release date and the price could be around $150.
[Ubergizmo]

Sony launches Limited edition Gran Turismo pack for PSP

The limited edition Gran Turismo pack for the PSP was launched by Sony. This special run comes with a UMD-based PSP-3000 in silver with a copy of the racing game, a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo, and also download codes for the in-game version of the white Corvette ZR1 that you will see on the cover along with a free movie from Sony's PSN video store and 10 songs from its Mac- and PC-ready Music Pass service. All this for $200 and will be available from October 20th onwards which is few weeks after the release of the stand-alone game on October 1st.
[Electronista]

Creative Zen X-Fi 2 available with 32 GB, enhanced audio for $399

Creative Zen has brought out the ever formidable Zen that’s always looking promising with a few tweaks here and there with each new version. This one’s called the X-Fi 2 and derives its name from the X-Fi audio enhancing technology that has been added to the player. Besides the quality of audio output, it also provides support for numerous file formats such as WMV9, MPEG4-SP, DivX** 4/5, XviD, MP3, WMA(DRM9), Audible4, AAC, FLAC and it can also read JPEG and BMP images. It will be available in three versions 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB. Other features include microSD expansion, built-in speaker, microphone, FM, preloaded tracks, synch support with MS-Outlook for contact information and a very spacious 3 inch TFT touch screen.

Japan wants a 1GW Solar Station in space!

They’re done all they can to show that the tiny cranium that man has been blessed with is capable of more things that even the Gods of Greece thought about. So we have this cool solar space station that will generate about 1GW power. Thanks to a joint venture by Mitsubishi Electric Corp and IHI Corp, this may well seem to be a reality in the near future. What’s more is that they have the backing of almost a dozen more companies who share the excitement of realizing this dream venture. So far the project has got an approval for just 200 MW power purchase from state regulators.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is officially announced, finally

Coming in from the era of blueprints, pictures and sightings, the XPERIA X2 has come a long way and behold we have an official announcement to set everything else as insignificant. The phone will run on Windows Mobile 6.5 (which explains the possible time we can expect it in stores). Besides this it will also have a 3.2 inch WVGA screen, QWERTY, HSPDA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a lot many goodies, just as we had expected. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one and go clickety-clack with the 8.1 megapixel shooter.

Mint Select digital talking dumbbells

Gymming can be fun, if you have fun items to gym with. Mint Select felt the same and they introduced to the world – the Digital Talking Dumbbell system. It is apparently similar to the Nike+ system with Wii elements. What it does is, register repetition, speed and posture while you are exercising. It has an internal speaker which motivates users to meet specific exercise goals with voice feedback. Then this data will be sent to the computer through Wi-fi. Also, it has a charging cradle dock also stores away additional weights. This is like electronic devices can tell you how to live and how to have a control over yourselves. It is good in most ways but can be in some. But who cares, talking dumbbells! How amazing is that?

Gresso Grand Monaco USB drives for racing geeks

Close on heels of Gresso’s Formula 1 race inspired cell phones come the Grand Monaco flash drives. A part of the Gresso’s Grand Monaco Collection, these flash drives also derive their form and status from the racing world. F1 and/or Gresso fans can pick from any of the two models - Double Security and Classic. Crafted out of tough yet light weight titanium superalloy, the case is further toughened with high-tech ceramic. And since carbon is touted to be the gold/platinum for the racing world, these drives too sport carbon inserts. Double Security USB is designed to include two independent data sources. For $500, it has two flash drives with 32 GB memory capacity each. While the Classic sports a slim square shape and supports 32 GB $200. Via Luxurylaunches

Augmented lenses provide more than just the vision

Given the technology in its entirety we can say that it isn’t going to make it to the common man’s eyeballs anytime soon, but with all the wonders of a contact lens that provides you with analytical information, you can well hope for one soon. Hoping isn’t a sin after all. After watching Doomsday I was pretty bowled over by the concept of an eye that could see things and figure out additional details about it. For instance, your eye functions like one of those all knowing monitors in the FBI offices. ‘Augmented lenses’ is the new term haunting the dreams of our future and for good measure. To sum up all the tiny things that will be accommodated in these lenses we have a prototype that shows single-crystal silicon components, compound-semiconductor components, radio chips, miniscule antennae and an LED or two. Neat setup.

Star Wars in the West Coast - Photoshop at its best

We have seen Death Star blasting the USS Enterprise into oblivion when it entered imperial controlled San Francisco. Mike Horn, a Photoshop guru and the guy who created the video shows his love for the wars by photoshopping personal photos and Star Wars images.
(More images after the jump)

Toshiba JournE Touch a high-end MID

Toshiba has announced the JournE a touch screen tablet PC at the IFA. The high-end Mobile Internet Device (MID) packs in a 7 inch touchscreen supporting a resolution of 800×480 pixels, full HD output via HDMI out, 1 GB internal memory, SDHC memory slot and Wi-Fi. The unit is powered by Windows CE 6.0 Pro and has applications for direct access to Flickr, Live Messenger, Facebook, Picasa etc. The JournE's has a mediocre battery which is good enough for 7 hours of music playback and 2 hours of web browsing. It is scheduled to hit stores by the end of this year, Toshiba is still mum on the pricing.
[Akihabaranews]