Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve just discovered these funny TV ads for Wacoal’s LaLan bras which have become quite a talking-point in Japan.

Like that other hit, UNIQLO’s UNIQLOCK, the Uwasa no Ribbon Bra (literally “rumor ribbon bra”) commercials feature a slightly surreal, addictive-to-watch dance, and of course — in a very Japanese way — charmingly cute models. The number of synchronized dancers and their nationalities varies a bit but there is usually two or three, and often in some incongruous location like a just-too-cluttered living room or fairy tale-style theater.

With singers including Haigou Meiko and Eri Umehara, the songs have also proved popular for their bizarre lyrics and slightly retro pop feel. “I will protect your bust” is just one of the gems! Much like Japan’s hilariously blunt and entertaining itchy groin commercials, somehow I just can’t picture a bra ad like this in other countries.

This seems to be the most recent addition to the series and is probably my personal favorite.

We don’t know much about it yet, but it’s looking like we might be getting a taste of 3D on the go after all at CES. We’d hoped it would be with Nintendo’s 3DS, but that report turned out to be a bust, and now LG is apparently going to pick up the slack with a new mobile digital TV that has a 3D display. We know virtually nothing about the set at this point, but we’re thinking it will be glasses-free and are speculating that, after its appearance in Vegas next week, it’ll never be seen in the US again.

LG looks set to unveil mobile 3DTV at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember at Google I/O this year when Google showed off “something beyond Froyo” in the music realm? The demo included an all-new music player (boy, wouldn’t that be nice!), along with magical features that let you push web-purchased songs to your device, and allowed you to browse your PC’s music library from your phone as if it was on the device itself. Well, none of that showed up in Gingerbread, unfortunately, but the new music player itself has just leaked out. It’s super buggy, and of course doesn’t have any of those fancy wireless features we’re waiting on, but it could offer a bit of a glimpse into 3.0, at least as far as UI tweaks go.

The differences seem minimal but aesthetically pleasing, with blurred background images behind frosted glass widgets as far as the eye can see. One important thing to note is that there is a menu button on the top right, at least in some views, and we went back and watched Andy Rubin’s tablet time at D: there’s clearly the same menu button on each app. [Suspenseful strings begin to play]. It seems Google might be getting rid of its hardware buttons entirely, or at least making menu functionality a more obvious part of its relevant applications, instead of the “surprise!” button it currently represents. There are also points in the video where tapping the application’s icon in the top left takes you to the “home” of the app, and we also found similar icons on the top left of each application Andy demoed at D — and we’re guessing they have the same functionality. Check out a video after the break, or hit up the source link to grab the APK… if you dare.

[Thanks, Andre]

Continue reading Google’s next Android Music app leaks out, gives hints of a 3.0 UI overhaul

Google’s next Android Music app leaks out, gives hints of a 3.0 UI overhaul originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As you probably know, we’re big fans of DSLR video around here at Engadget. From shooting product demos, to producing the Engadget Show, if we shot the video, it was likely done with one of these single-lens cameras: they’re convenient and capable of beautiful moving images but often leave much to be desired by way of form factor when it comes to video. While Canon and Nikon are slapping on articulating LCDs and calling it a day, Panasonic has upped the ante with its new AG-AF100 camera. Teased way back in April, Panny just dropped a press release announcing that its newest piece of video hardware is now being delivered, making a nice late holiday gift for any wannabe filmmakers that you really, really like.

Basically, the AF100 is what happens when you stuff the innards of a DLSR into the body of a video camera and slap some interchangeable lenses in front of it. Listing at $4,995, the AF100 rocks a Micro Four Thirds sensor that records to dual SD cards in AVCHD and outputs 8-bit uncompressed 4:2:2 video to an external recorder via an HD-SDI connection. It also attempts to solve the audio issues plaguing DSLR video shooting (namely, the difficulty of getting pro-level audio to play nice with a camera designed only for imaging) with its two phantom-powered XLR audio inputs and built-in stereo microphone. Panasonic is also claiming to have lessened aliasing and the dreaded “jellycam” found in DSLR video with an optical low pass filter and faster scanning, while still boasting the wide viewing angle and shallow depth of field that movie-makers (and Vimeo users) know and love to death.

We’ll be doing a full review of the AF100 as soon as we can get our hands on it; in the meantime, head on past the break for the full PR.

Continue reading Panasonic AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera ships today, right on schedule

Panasonic AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera ships today, right on schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We may still not have an official price for the Nintendo 3DS, but it looks like you can now at least count on yet another unique gaming experience not found on other handheld systems. Konami recently announced that its “Project Loveplus” dating simulator for the system will not only take advantage of the system’s 3D capabilities, but that it will also include a so-called “boyfriend lock” that uses facial recognition to prevent any virtual cheating. Apparently, if someone else picks up your 3DS and tries to play the game, your virtual girlfriend will act confused and respond with phrases like “who are you?” — which, incidentally, is a question you might also want to ask yourself before looking for ways to import the game from Japan (yeah, don’t count on this one being released over here).

Continue reading Konami’s 3DS dating simulator uses facial recognition to block virtual cheating

Konami’s 3DS dating simulator uses facial recognition to block virtual cheating originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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