Technology Today

[CEATEC 2008] First of all, that media server is a concept – not a commercial product (how unlucky!). It was part of a Toshiba demo about how the telephone, the media server and a TV (with wireless HD) could interact. The media server automatically downloads media files design the cellphone as soon as the user drops […]

[CEATEC 2008] We’ve talked about the IOData mini (Bluetooth) keyboard back in May as it seemed to be a cool companion for your cellphone. However, there’s nothing like a good hands-on… In the real-world, the keyboard looks much better than in the product photos (err…). Take a look at the photo gallery and tell us whether […]

[CEATEC 2008] Toshiba was demonstrating its Cell TV, a television that has a Cell processor in it, the same architecture than the one used for Sony’s PlayStation 3 (but with less processing cores). The Processor can be used for many things, like running software (user-interface etc…), but what was demonstrated here was video-filtering quality. To […]

[CEATEC 2008] Enhanced Reality is Sony’s name for the image processing done by the new BRAVIA Engine 2 Pro (chip/algorithm/both). I’m not certain why Sony uses the word “pro” in a consumer device, but we looked at a side-by-side demo of the Sony X1 compared to an unknown LCD TV (that looked like a Sharp…). […]

[CEATEC 2008] The Sony ZX1 LCD TV attracts the attention, thanks to its nice design that is only 9.9mm thin (!). You can hang it on the wall and have sound coming out from the bar-shaped speaker, or put it on a stand and use the round base speaker which looks great too. In that […]

[CEATEC 2008] Touch-displays are all the rage today, and when it comes to touch panels, it’s hard to argue that a larger size does not translate in a better user experience. But what about that 72-inch display? It certain looks nice, although the user-interface is not as impressive as the one that we saw at NVISION recently. […]

[CEATEC 2008] 1SEG is a digital TV broadcasting standard that is in use in Japan and other Asian countries, but not in the U.S or in Europe (I think). Anyhow, I found that portable TV to be nicely designed. It actually looks better in reality than in the photo, but you get the view. Other […]

[CEATEC 2008] We’ve covered the GzOne since the very first model – released by KDDI in 2005. Since thereupon it has made its way to the U.S, although with a lesser user-interface (not Abode Flash-based), but the main point was that it was waterproof and shock-resistant. I spotted what seems to be the newer model […]

I have to confess that it’s really the stack of Hello Kitty stuff that caught my eye, but isn’t that Epson Endeavor home server cute? I know it’s mac-mini-ish, but I was just surprised to see Epson going into the Windows Home Server market (why not, after all?). that machine accepts a one 2.5” hard […]

[CEATEC 2008] The Softbank 922SH is a flip-phone that can be operated closed or open. Typically, you don’t need to open it to reply a shout. Just visit on the “answer” (green) button while closed. The minimalist external display provides adequate data to get by (messages, caller ID). When open, it has a full-QWERTY keyboard […]

[CEATEC 2008] We spotted that stereo-video demo just before going to lunch: using two consumer-level cameras (to simulate left+right eyes), Nedo can create a stereo image that looks better than anything that I’ve seen before, including the Terminator 3D stuff at Universal Studios. For one, the image is very stable (no flicker, or impression of flickering) […]

NTT DoCoMo has come up with that interesting view that consists of having a flip-phone that can split in two separate pieces. For example, you might want to talk and look at some info at the same moment. additionally, you could watch a movie on your phone and use the keyboard piece as a remote […]

[CEATEC 2008] Back in 2005, We fell in love with KDDI AU design project that seeks innovative designs from young industrial designers. that day too there are very creative designs that show what cellphones *could* look like. Obviously not all of them would form great products, but it’s interesting to see what designers can come […]

[CEATEC 2008] that prototype from Toshiba caught our attention as it has a “normal” size for a fuel-cell-powered device. We have been told that it has sufficient juice for 7 hours of talk instance, and can be easily refilled with liquid methanol (look at the photo gallery for more details). Obviously, it’s not a commercial […]

Hot off the heels of a new DS rumor, here we are with the possible new displays for the said DS Part Deux. Could it just be the larger screens that are the only upgraded feature, or will we see that form an assault on the iPhone with cellular capability? Would be interesting to see […]

Aigo has begun to ship its Atom-powered P8860 MID for $699, making it available for the first instance via official channels although the P8860 has been around on eBay for some duration already. Word has it that Aigo has already inked a deal with both Intel and Microsoft, which means Windows XP drivers will be […]

Don’t go around with that smug look on your face whether your TV has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio - Carl Zeiss’ powerdomeVELVET Planetarium Projector clearly outshines your TV thanks to its phenomenal 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio. The main reason behind that is, that device is meant to be used in planetariums and not your living room. […]

Solar-powered cars, yes. Solar-powered bikes? I don’t think that’s such a good view, since the entire bike would be too large for many society to wield. Just check out that monster of a bike - the Prometheus solar-powered motorcycle that has four huge solar panels to soak up the sun’s energy, translating it into electricity […]

Nissan has taken a leaf out of nature’s book with their new Biometric Car Robot Drive, featuring 300-degree vision via compound eyes and instantaneous reflexes just like bees. that allows the robot to navigate around obstacles, and will eventually translate that technology into a new generation of crash-avoidance systems in its cars, helping manufacture roads […]

Could that be it? The fastest Vaio UX490 in the world? Just take a look at the figures and see for yourself. The UX490 has not been overclocked, although its Intel Core 2 Solo 1.2GHz processor has been replaced by the Core 2 Duo U7600 ULV 1.2GHz processor instead, making the unit hit a whopping […]