Panasonic is no stranger to the rugged gadget game, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the company’s newest wireless speaker is another toughie. Called the SC-NT10, the 4W compact device houses two teensy full-range speakers and a passive radiator. The company claims its “quad proof” design can take on dust, splashes of water, intense heat or freezing cold and drops from as high as 30 inches. Other features include NFC for quick Bluetooth pairing, a 3.5mm jack, and up to eight hours of battery life. It won’t ship until this fall (estimated date is sometime in August), but it’s currently available for preorder for $100 each. If you find that price too steep for a hockey puck-sized speaker, you can check out SC-NT10’s less edgy but cheaper cousin.
At the beginning of this month, Thanko, whose interesting and unique goods are often featured on AkihabaraNews, finally opened their global online shopping site called “Raremonoshop.jp” for overseas customers.
With the launching of the site, they are currently offering a special 10% discount for all purchases worth 50 USD or more through July 31.
Visit Raremonoshop.jp and you can actually buy their funny goods including the necktie with a fan to cool you down or the self-shot stick to take a great photo of yourself, etc.
Acer reportedly plans to replace the first-gen Iconia W3, the first 8.1-inch Windows 8 tablet, with an updated version that could address screen complaints, potentially arriving as soon as September this year. The new model is expected to hit stores by the end of this quarter, Acer Netherlands spokesperson Star Swank told Tweakers, and be thinner and lighter than the current Iconia W3.
Although Acer didn’t confirm it, the most important change is believed to be in the screen technology. The current Iconia W3 uses a TN-LCD panel which, as we noted in our review, supports only limited viewing angles, meaning as soon as you start to use the tablet off-center the image quality plummets.
On the updated model, however, there’s a switch to IPS instead, which would deliver considerably greater viewing angles. It’s the same display technology as Apple uses on the iPad and Samsung uses on the Nexus 10, both of which have been praised for their screen quality.
Acer wouldn’t confirm the IPS switch, but according to TabletGuide the company has been receiving complaints from retailers about the existing screen. In fact, the concerns are so great that some Dutch retailers have reportedly threatened to remove the W3 from store shelves.
The decision to go for a TN-LCD screen was presumably one made with budget in mind, given that Acer has been pushing the Iconia W3 as a cheap Windows 8 option. The tablet runs Microsoft’s full OS – rather than Windows RT – on an Intel Atom 1.5GHz Z2760 processor with 2GB of memory, and in the US it’s priced from $379.99.
People close to me are well aware that I’m someone who likes a good laugh. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to get a rise out of people, and sometimes that means buying something silly, for no other reason that this. Well if you’re anything like me, then I might have just the clock for you.
If you’ve ever stopped by a small mom-and-pop shop around lunchtime, then you’ve probably encountered a sign with a clock face on it, telling you what time they’ll be back from lunch. These things have been around for ages, and don’t really provide any humor. Until you turn it into a clock, that is.
The idea behind the Will Return Clock is that you’ll set it to be ahead by a few minutes, or even an hour. Then, set it outside your office, or hang it on your door. If you have some sort of hidden camera, that will help. People will come up to your door, and realize that you’re going to be gone for just a bit, only to return and find out that you’re still going to be gone…for the exact same amount of time. Watch and see how many times it takes them to figure out that according to the clock, you’re never coming back! This silly clock will only cost you around $14, and should provide a few good laughs.
While the Google Maps update for iOS is barely out of the cellophane, Mountain View’s keeping up the momentum with a matching SDK revision. Version 1.4 of the developer kit for iOS maps allows app makers to hook into some of the new features, and bring them right into their own creations. Now, you’ll be able to add Street View imagery — with optional markers — from over 50 countries (including recently added landmarks), introduce floor plans, and benefit from the more neutral maps design. There’s a slew of bug fixes too, which can be found at the source. Want the info from developer relations at Google Maps directly? Then, head past the break for the video walkthrough.
The new Google Maps for iOS has been launched, including a dedicated iPad version and support for the live traffic reports and new search features that Android users have been enjoying since last week. The updated v2.0 software, a free download from the App Store, means an end to running Google Maps for iPhone in 2x mode on the iPad, with a new UI to make the most of the larger display of the iPad and iPad mini.
That includes spreading the new Explore interface across the display, and giving more room to results cards so that you can compare more at any one time. There are Explore categories for eating, drinking, shopping, entertainment, and places to stay.
Meanwhile, there’s also a new navigation system, which now includes live incident reports on your route. That includes data on road closures, ongoing construction, and accidents, and you can now tap on the section of road causing delays to see details of the problem.
Voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation is supported, as is scheduling information for various public transportation options. Those preferring to go by bike also get voice-guided navigation for “more than 330,000 miles of trails, paths, and bike lanes around the world.”
Zagat reviews and a 5-star rating system for locations are included, and just as in the Android app, Google can now pin brand offers directly to the map itself, so that users can see what’s available nearby.
Although Google isn’t mentioning it directly, we tried the “OK Maps” offline caching Easter Egg that was initially included on the Android version – zoom to the area you want to access offline, then type “OK Maps” into the search box – and it still works. No telling whether Google will include a more easily-accessed option, as it did after Android users complained vocally.
Logitech has just launched their Z600 Bluetooth computer speakers that have been designed to match the distinct “aluminum” color of Apple products. Obviously, it also works (in a radius of 10 yards) with PCs, smartphones, headphones and any other device […]
This robot is being developed to automate the management of laboratory animal colonies used by pharmaceutical companies and research institutions, primarily those that raise from 10,000 to 30,000 mice or rats. It’s currently under development by Nikkyo Technos and Yaskawa Electric.
“The biggest problem in raising animals is that diseases can spread from people to the animals. If that happens, all the animals have to be killed and replaced with new ones. So, infection by people must be prevented. By managing animals using robots in an enclosed space, it’s basically possible to eliminate the spread of diseases from animals to people or from people to animals.”
This six-axis, vertical, multi-jointed robot can mimic the motions of a human. It can change cage sheets, top up the food, and change the water. Taking out cages, changing sheets, and topping up food are each done with separate tools, which the robot picks up in turn. In this model, the amount of food remaining isn’t taken into account. But in the next model, a camera will be used to see how much food is left, so the robot can add the right amount.
“Mice, especially, are nervous animals, so the robot handles the cages gently. These tasks account for about 80% of the work involved with lab animals. So, our aim is to automate the hard, dirty, and dangerous task of dealing with so much dust and droppings.”
This robot also can also work in coordination with a robot that carries cages from the rack to the workbench, and a monitoring system for the animal facility. In this way, it can automate all aspects of animal raising, from surveillance to care.
“The animals can be monitored with cameras 24/7. So, people can check their own cages from the monitoring station. The animals’ body temperature can also be managed. It takes about two hours for the cages to come back from the lab, but data can be viewed directly from a PC in the monitoring room. So, people can see the cages they want right away, wherever they are.”
“Doing this work with robots makes it much faster, so lots of cages can be handled in a short time. Also, using cameras to monitor food and water is safer and more reliable than having people do it. We’d like to complete the system this year, and next year, we’d like to produce several sets, so we can make at least a provisional start.”
This content is provided by DigInfo.tv, AkihabaraNews Official Partner.
Here’s some double-edged news, the significance of which depends on whether you just bought an Acer Iconia W3 or were holding off for something with better components. Acer spokeswoman Sterre Swank, quoted by Tweakers.net, has revealed that a successor to the pioneering eight-inch Windows 8 tablet will be out in September with a thinner, lighter build and possibly an upgraded IPS display. In other words, the existing model could be made obsolete within a few months of being on the market, and we’re seeking confirmation of this directly from Acer.
Switching the display would certainly solve one the most serious gripes we raised in our review, but we don’t know yet if there’ll be an impact on the price tag, which stands at $380 for the W3. Also, as we get closer to the end of this year, it makes more sense to wait for Windows 8 tablets with next-gen Atom processors (known as Bay Trail), as the current Clover Trail chips are already straining under the weight of existing desktop applications.
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