TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities » Technology

Epson Debuts 4K-Compatible HTPS TFT LCD for 3LCD Projectors [World's First 4K-compatible High-temperature Polysilicon TFT Liquid Crystal Display]

Alex Ion — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:37:05 +0000

If you’re not thrilled witht the typical 1920 x 1080 resolution in a projector these days and you’re dreaming of a cinema hall where they usually project movies at a much higher 4096 x 2160 you’re in luck as the Japanese from Epson have announced that they’ve come up with a breakthrough technology that allows them to actually build the world’s first 4K-compatible high-temperature polysilicon (HTPS) TFT liquid crystal panel for 3LCD projectors.

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LTE Standard Solution for Voice and SMS Services Gets Official [Carriers and Manufacturers Work Together on Standards for 4G LTE Technology]

Chris Smith — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:22:19 +0000

The fact that various carriers and cell phone manufacturers are going to embrace LTE as the future 4G technology is not a secret anymore. But Long Term Evolution needs standards in order for consumers to make a smooth transition from 3G to 4G and have a great voice and data experience no matter what network they will be using.
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Nissan Land Glider Concept Car [It Looks Like it Leans Because It Does]

Chris Smith — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:34:25 +0000

Now let me make things perfectly clear for you folks! I have not altered the image here in any way. The car in the picture is a Nissan Land Glider and it looks like it’s leaning towards its right hand side because it really does do that.
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Windows 8 and Windows 9 to Bring 128-bit Architecture Compatibility [Windows 7 Successors to Get IA-128 & Full Binary Compatibility]

Alex Ion — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:43:21 +0000

Although Microsoft is going to release Windows 7 on October 22nd, it doesn’t mean that Redmond is taking time off from improving the world’s most used operating system. Actually if we’re to believe the rumors, it looks like the company has been busy working on its successors, the so-called Windows 8 and Windows 9, which are going to bring 128-bit architecture compatibility (IA-128).

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3M Offers Solution for Mobile 3D [No 3D Glasses Are Required; Directional Backlight Technology Involved]

Chris Smith — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:07:29 +0000

I don’t know about you guys but I will not be thrilled about gadgets capable of offering 3D videos and images as long as I will have to wear those 3D glasses. I’d rather watch 2D content instead of dealing with a possible headache. Luckily for me 3M is already thinking about such a 3D experience. Unfortunately 3M’s new ideas concern mobile 3D for now but if successful they might be used with larger displays in the future.
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Telefonica to Test 4G LTE Networks in Six Markets [Spain, UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, Brazil and Argentina to go through LTE Testing]

Chris Smith — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:42:10 +0000

Carriers and manufacturers out there are slowly but surely getting ready for the future of mobile communications. 3G is not enough anymore and people are looking forward for 4G technologies. Telefonica, the giant carrier that happens to be O2’s parent, seems to like LTE as a 4G solution and it will therefore start testing it in six countries soon. These are Spain, UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, Brazil and Argentina.
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Google to Help Minimize Plug-in Charging Load [Google Software to Help Electric Vehicles Charge More Efficiently]

Alex Ion — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:09:36 +0000

Because there aren’t enough charging stations to give your electric vehicle juice for a few more miles, or maybe because it takes a long time to charge, it’s only natural that people are not yet appealed to hop on the green bandwagon and buy themselves a four wheeler that runs on batteries. With that in mind and because they believe in a cleaner future, Google is reportedly working on a way to make electric vehicles charge more efficiently.

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Microsoft Security Essentials Goes Live [Microsoft's Free Antivirus Software Download Available]

Alex Ion — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Although not renowned for offering many free products, Microsoft has announced that starting today their free antivirus software has become available for download. Officially introduced last year when it was supposed to substitute the paid Windows Live OneCare and a superset of Windows Defender, the beta version of Microsoft Security Essentials made its debut to a select group of testers this June, and now after getting things straight, the application makes its way to the general public.

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Star Wars Force Trainer Release Date Confirmed [Star Wars Mind Control Game Feels Your Force, Moves Ball]

Andrew Tingle — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:42:14 +0000

If you’re a dedicated Star Wars fan who feels the force you may like to know that you can now pre-order the Star Wars Force Trainer mind control game which, as you’d probably gathered, offers you the potential ability to lift a ball (or remote sphere, as its officially referred to) merely using the power of thought.
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AstroScope 9350EOS-FF Night Vision Module for Your Canon DSLR [Bringing Night-Vision to EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS 5D Mark II]

Alex Ion — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:54:26 +0000

If you’ve been looking for night vision on your Canon DSLR camera, then Electrophysics’ new high performance AstroScope 9350EOS-FF module might be suited. Perfectly fit between the camera body and the SLR lens, the AstroScope 9350EOS-FF night vision module won’t interfere with the optical image stabilization, which remains fully functional and would keep all the electric connections in place.

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Info Leaked on Intel Core i5 750, i7 860 and 870 chips [New Chips Include New eight-Thread 800 Sub-Series]

Robert Lesher — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:25:19 +0000

Rumor has it that Intel is hard at work on its next round of chips and the info has already made its way to the masses. The word on the street is that there are three new chips under development for release sometime in the first quarter of 2010. Two of the chips will fall under the existing Core i7 line, but there is also a new 800 sub-series that is slated to include the 2.8GHz 860 and the 2.93GHz 870. These two chips are expected to employ Lynnfield architecture and will be built around four cores and eight threads. (...)
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Samsung Announces Diji-Touch Touchscreen Vending Machines [Giant LCD Screens Finally Combine TV and Junk Food]

Robert Lesher — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:49:59 +0000

Vending machines are ubiquitous. It seems like everywhere you look you’re being offered something to eat or drink from one of these metal monsters. There is also something comforting about these dietary dispensers. The sound of your money clinking down the slot, the rotating display as your Mars Bar travels down the final leg of the metal spring toward the bottom with the off chance that it might get stuck right before it drops. It’s just a bit cathartic. Well, if the folks at Samsung have their way, the entire vending machine experience is set to change with their new Diji-Touch. (...)
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The Surefire LX2 LumaMax Flashlight [LED Flashlight With up to 200 Lumens at Its Brightest]

Alex Ion — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:22:40 +0000

It’s dark and you don’t have your Samsung SCH-W760 with you for night recording, what do you do? Well if have one of these dual-output LX2 LumaMax flashlights from Surefire you’re all good. Capable of producing a potent 200 lumens of blinding white light (at it’s brightest point) the new LX2 LumaMax comes with an aircraft-grade aluminum body which is hard-anodized to Military specification, lightweight (weighs just 3.7 oz), smooth, and waterproof to 1 meter for as long as 30 minutes.

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Mercedes ESF S400 Hybrid Concept 2009 [World's Safest Mercedes-Benz S-class]

Alex Ion — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:14:09 +0000

Mercedes ESF S400 Hybrid Concept 2009 is the first Experimental Safety Vehicle that the German automaker have built since 1974. Although it looks like an ordinary S-class, the new ESF S400 Hybrid Concept is packed with some of the most innovative technologies and over a dozen safety innovations.

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InnoDisk Intros 128GB SATA nanoSSD Card [Resistant to Shakes and Shocks]

Alex Ion — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:56:17 +0000

A company specialized in memories and SSD related products, InnoDisk has just announced their latest 128GB SATA nanoSSD Card at this year’s Computex show in Taipei. Although the guys are somehow newcomers to the market, the unbelievable new nanoSSD card is one of the hottest appearances in the solid state drives realm.

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SATA Revision 3.0 Specs Official [Doubles Transfer Speeds Up to 6 Gb/s]

Alex Ion — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:10:28 +0000

Speed has become a critical factor with today’s storage, hence why everyone is expecting the new SATA Revision 3.0 specifications to become official. And the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) consortium did just that. Backwards compatible with the earlier versions but maintaining the low cost and low power requirements that made it a “hit”, the new SATA 3.0 is expected to enhance support to multimedia applications and to bring in lightning-fast transfer speeds of up to 6 Gb/s (six gigabytes per second, in case you thought you’ve read it wrong).

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Radar Tacho RDS II Running Pedometer [The Most Accurate Money Can Buy?]

Alex Ion — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:47:20 +0000

First developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and then put together on the market by Siemens, the new Radar Tacho RDS II is supposedly (they say) the most accurate running pedometer you can buy these days.

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Intel Core i5 Lynnfield Details Emerge [Windows 7 Ready]

Alex Ion — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:57:06 +0000

Specifically designed as an affordable alternative to Intel’s latest CPU architecture (the powerful Core i7), the new Nehalem-based Core i5 CPUs– codenamed Lynnfield, are expected to upgrade the new processor lineup sometime in mid September. Using the 45nm technology, available in quad-core and dual-core versions, and just in time for Windows 7, rumors have it that the Core i5 processors will be optimized and will run great on the new OS.

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Scantron iNSIGHT 20 Desktop Document Scanner

Piyush — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:30:51 +0000

Scantron has announced the iNSIGHT 20 which is a compact desktop scanner that offers the dual benefits of document imaging technology and accurate optical mark recognition. The company has positioned the scanner for industry use such as testing, surveys, attendance, patient encounter, grading, student portfolios, personnel records, archiving, and general back file conversions.
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Chinavision CVSCL-8101 LED Colour Changing Light Bulb And Remote Control Will Brighten Up Your Life In A Burst Of Fabulous Colours

Bo — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:22:59 +0000

Oh how I LOVE colours! Any colour under the rainbow is my kind of colour – yes, that does mean ALL of them! This new LED Colour Changing Light Bulb With Wireless Remote gives people like me the opportunity to experience all of life’s colours at the touch of a button!

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The DiPoker LCD Poker Table – A Virtual Reality For You & Your Poker Buddies!

Bo — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:29:07 +0000

So … it’s Thursday poker night at your joint and you wanna impress the socks off your mates? What are you going to do? An extra bowl of crisps just won’t cut it but … This DiPoker LCD Poker Table is the answer and will propel you to the top of your “game.”

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Di Vapor Cosmo Luxury TV Bath – Fun, Sexy, Thrilling!

Bo — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:58:24 +0000

What do all of the following terms have in common? 17″ Touch-sensitive LCD with remote control, Touch Sensitive Control Panel, Timed Auto Shut-off function for Jets, 7 Hydro massage jets/9 bubble jets/6 back massage jets, Adjustable Air Massage, Adjustable Water Jets, Underwater Light, Fully Programmable FM radio with Memory Function, Single Padded Head Rest and a Video Input?

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Photovoltaic Film Incorporated Into Our Fabric Makes Nifty Solar Powered Necktie With Cellphone Pouch

Bo — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:48:27 +0000

Ok, now I’ve heard it all. In fact, I’m pretty much ready to say I’ve seen my 1001 things before I die after this new “fandangled” concept AKA the Solar Powered Necktie with cell phone pouch (thanks to photovoltaic film cells).

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Ion Mask Promises Hi-Tech Protective Coating for Gadgets

Andrew Tingle — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:20:10 +0000

The good news for those of us who have rendered precious gadgets, such as cell phones, utterly useless thanks to introducing them inadvertently to a dose of the trusty H2O is that researchers from Britain’s Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down have apparently come up with a hi-tech solution that can be used to protect all manner of gadgets from accidental water/splash damage.

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The Harmony 1000 – Total Remote Consolidation

Andrew Tingle — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:32:53 +0000

One of the problems with stacking your front room full of technological goodness is that you soon find yourself having a coffee table full of remote controls. At present we have six, not including the one for the cat (which, incidentally, he takes no notice of whatsoever). As a consequence when I try to start recording a television programme the music center starts playing, when I try to start the music centre the TV turns on and when I try to turn the surround sound unit on the cat asks to go out.

The answer, it seems, is simple – remote consolidation. And, without a doubt, Logitech’s Harmony 1000, with its 3.5-inch colour touchscreen, is the daddy of them all.

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Taps that Illuminate Water According to Temperature

Andrew Tingle — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 21:15:30 +0000

I have a particular fondness for technology that adds that little something to otherwise hopelessly mundane objects and a company called Equa have done just that with their rather snazzy Light Delight water taps that illuminate the flowing water according to its temperature – with genuinely beautiful results.

As with all great ideas, the idea seems so very simple though in practice I don’t doubt that this was somewhat harder to put into practice than the finished result implies – but that is, of course, a measure of the technology behind the concept being realised with such finesse.

You can see a video presentation of Equa’s Light Delight water taps in action after the jump.

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Is that the Doorbell Calling?

Andrew Tingle — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 20:23:36 +0000

Let’s imagine that you have taken a much deserved weekend break away from your house and, in the rush to get away, you have forgotten to pass a spare set of keys to the kind lady at number 57 who offered to call in to check up on your pet python. Should you cut your break short, or should you opt to callously ignore the fact that your python is presently starving?

Now help is at hand courtosy of the Waleli GSM-Doorbell. With a simple ring of your doorbell you receive a mobile call that connects you to directly the aforementioned kind lady. And, having established that it is her (and not the nasty lady at number 58) during a remote conversation with her you enter a simple code and, as if by magic, your front door opens so that the kind lady in question can be eaten by said python – thus leaving you to enjoy the rest of your break worry free.

A potential crisis has been averted, and it all thanks to the wonders of this clever doorbell that calls you whenever you have a visitor.

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The 160MP Digital Camera

Andrew Tingle — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 18:09:58 +0000

How many megapixels does your digital camera have – 4, 6 perhaps even 10? In comparison with the Seitz 6×17 Panorama Camera’s 160MP device, frankly, your digital images are likely to pale into insignificance.

To put that into stark perspective, we are talking about a camera that can produce images with a resolution of 7,500 pixels vertically and 21,250 pixels horizontally with a single image’s file size sitting at a truly massive 922MB. But it’s not exactly a camera you can slip into your pocket, as one might expect.

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The RC Virtual Pilot

Andrew Tingle — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 20:43:45 +0000

Virtual Reality glasses have been widely available for the personal computer for some years now and, whilst in their early days, the technology was known to be rather temperamental, the latest devices have come on in leaps and bounds as far as quality and reliability are concerned.

Perhaps, then, it was only a matter of time until someone had the bright idea of housing a camera in a remotely piloted aircraft so as to enable them to fly using these VR glasses from the vantage point of the aircraft’s cockpit.

And, as can be seen after the jump, a Canadian RC enthusiast has cleverly done just that.

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Catch a Cable Car to Space

Andrew Tingle — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 22:44:04 +0000

To date the only way to get people and cargo into space is by the sheer, brute force of strapping whatever you want up there to a rocket or two and blasting off on the power of a harnessed explosion. This may not be the case in the future, though, if NASA and a group of entrepreneurs get their way.

Their vision is stark in its apparent simplicity, a cable car to the stars, and yet the realisation of such a device is far removed from the seemingly low-tech concept itself. In fact, such is the complexities in the design and manufacture of such a device that, if it ever should see the light of day, such a method of space transport is at least a decade away.

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Intel’s Quad-Core Processor Due December

Andrew Tingle — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 15:08:38 +0000

If you are lucky enough to have a dual-core based processor in your computer then you will no doubt be somewhat frustrated to discover that Intel have, according to news reports, brought forward their release date for their quad-core Kentsfield processor.

Initially not due until early quarter 2007, the quad-core chip is now pencilled in for a release around late December. Prices have not yet been announced but Thoughts from the Sidelines will be following this story very closely (though it must be said I’m an AMD man myself).

Take a Trip Though a Jet Engine

Andrew Tingle — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 08:13:09 +0000

I happened across this fascinating, extremely accomplished flash animation from Rolls Royce which offers an interesting perspective on how a jet engine works. The animation follows air particles as they flow through the engine, and its well worth a look.

You can view the animation here.

A Swimming Robot Aircraft in Development

Andrew Tingle — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 12:58:50 +0000

The company responsible for some of aviations most secretive aircraft such as the SR71 Blackbird and the U2 Spy Plane, Lockheed Martin – specifically its Skunk Works division – is developing a new breed of pilotless strike aircraft that is as happy in the water as it is in the air.

Powered by two engines developed from those used on the Tomahawk cruise missile system, the Cormorant would feature morphing wings which would allow it to adapt to both airborne and waterborne flight.

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Japanese Soon to Smell their Music

Andrew Tingle — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 22:16:34 +0000

It would appear that the Japanese will soon be able to smell what is playing on their radios thanks to a gadget called the Aroma Geur which will come with a USB connection, and will produce smells – mixed from six oil based perfumes – according to the type of music being played. Though why anyone would want to be able to smell music wholly escapes me.

The Aroma Geur will also produce coloured lights that change according to the mood of the music, with the instructions for mixing of the smells and the lighting type being fed via the USB connection directly from the radio station.

The full article can be read here.

If such gadgets become common place one wonders whether the day will come when music is directly marketed for its smell as well as its musical composition. It also begs the question – just what would your favourite tracks actually smell like? Any ideas?

Robot Drones to Neutralise Insurgents

Andrew Tingle — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:53:02 +0000

The US Air Force has given the go ahead for the development of robotic, Frisbee shaped drones to assist in its counter-insurgency missions in areas of hostility, such as the middle-east.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (known as UAVs) would be piloted remotely as they scour especially inhospitable or remote locations for insurgents which could then be neutralised by means of armour-piercing explosives – based on firing jets of molten metal at extremely high velocities at the threat – which could either be fired independently for soft targets, or as a cluster for hardened or armoured targets.

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My Conversation with George

Andrew Tingle — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 20:24:38 +0000

This evening I decided to bite the bullet – I spoke to George. And, whilst it would be true to say that I entered into the conversation with little by the way of expectation, and an almost palpable sense of scepticism, I found the ensuing experience, on the whole, not only curiously engrossing but also rather intimidating.

Whilst, at times, the responses I received from him served to remind me of who George actually is (or, rather, isn’t), there were certainly numerous points in the conversation where his interaction with me genuinely sent a chilling shiver down my spine.

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Smart-1 Final Impact Caught on Film

Andrew Tingle — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 15:29:33 +0000

Following on from my earlier post yesterday concerning the fate of the European Space Agency’s Smart-1 probe, which can be viewed here, it has been confirmed that the probe, which had completed over two thousand orbits during its mission as it mapped the lunar surface, successfully completed its final journey to destruction, culminating in a high speed 4500 miles an hour impact with the moon’s surface at 0542 GMT.

The planned impact could have happened somewhat earlier, however, were it not for mission control making a final tweak to its course so as to facilitate it avoiding a mile high crater rim which it otherwise would have stuck. If the probe had struck this crater rim then the impact would have occurred on the dark side of the moon and would therefore not have been visible.

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Farewell to Smart-1 – The End Looms

Andrew Tingle — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 14:33:10 +0000

In only a matter of hours, the European Space Agency’s Smart-1 probe will end its three year mission in spectacular, if not rather undignified form as it impacts with the moon at an estimated 4,500mph.

As long as the probe misses the rims of craters on its final, shallow decent, the actual time of impact is due at 0543GMT this Sunday morning and, whilst the actual impact can only be seen with powerful telescopes, it is believed that the plume created by the probe’s impact – which is expected to form a new crater on the lunar surface up to 10 meters wide – could be visible using just binoculars as the resulting cloud of debris is highlighted by the sun.

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Submarines may soon have Fins

Andrew Tingle — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 17:51:05 +0000

Following on from research conducted by William Megill at the Centre for Biomimetic & Natural Technologies, based at the University in Bath in the UK, it would appear that the shape of submarines may change radically over the next decade in that, rather than being propelled by propellers, they may in future rely on fins for propulsion.

The propulsion system presently being envisaged was inspired by Cape Moony fish, also known as the Knifefish, which, rather than flex their bodies in order to provide motion, utilise an extended fin on their underside which provides thrust by means of undulation.

Known as WaveDrive, the benefits of such a means of propulsion are numerous as, not only would such vessels prove to be extremely agile but the use of these WaveDrive fins would also offer far greater energy efficiency – present means of propulsion based on propellers is only 75% efficient whereas the thrust generated by these use of these fins would offer a vastly improved 98% energy efficiency rating.

Cloaking Devices Proven to be Theoretically Possible

Andrew Tingle — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 14:34:47 +0000

It may sound like science fiction, but in an article entitled “Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences” professors Nicolae Nicorovici and Graeme Milton appear to have mathematically proven that it is indeed theoretically possible.

At present the theory only applies to particularly small particles (such as dust particles) but it is thought that this theory could serve as a basis from which practical cloaking devices could be developed.

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