The Impress concept refrigerator aims to reduce electricity consumption through selective cooling

If you live alone then well, it might be safe to assume that your fridge might not be as well-stocked compared to a family of four. Unfortunately our refrigerators can’t detect that which means that the same amount of electricity is consumed whether it is full or not. Well perhaps looking to solve that problem, industrial design student Ben de la Roche has come up with a concept refrigerator dubbed the Impress. His design was submitted to the 2012 Electrolux Design Lab competition and he will be presenting it to a panel of judges in Milan, Italy, come 25th of October.

So what exactly is the Impress refrigerator? Well like we said earlier, fridges don’t discriminate between a full one and an empty one that that’s what the Impress does. Thanks to its honeycomb design, it lets users slot in bottles, food, drinks and etc., with the fridge only cooling the items that have been slot in. This would apparently make it a pretty efficient fridge and apart from using less electricity, it also has the potential to use less harmful gases (CFCs) to keep items cold! We’re not sure if we’ll ever see the Impress be made a reality, but it certainly sounds like a pretty cool idea, right?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Impress Flexible Interactive Display, Muscle Suits make heavy lifting easier,

Muscle Suits make heavy lifting easier

[CEATEC 2012] While humans have been lifting heavy objects with the aid of machinery for many years now, it’s usually through someone sitting behind the controls of a machine. And even though they’re usually effective, such machines to can be imprecise or impractical in certain situations (i.e. lifting objects in small, enclosed areas). However, with all the advancements in technology, we’re getting closer to a solution that works in such situations – powered suits which provide extra strength and support for its wearers to lift heavy objects. At CEATEC 2012, we saw one such example of a suit.

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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Panasonic AX Series Windows 8 Ultrabook (gallery), CEATEC Innovation Awards 2012,

What If Your Boarding Gate Doubled As a Bomb Detector? [Airports]

Just when you thought you were free of airport security checkpoints once you reached your gate, Hitachi wants to make that the last line of defence for explosives detection. Working with the Nippon Signal Company and the University of Yamanashi it’s developed a high-speed gate detector that gives one last sniff for trouble as passengers board a plane. More »

CAMER:ing is a cool digital camera in a ring

In recent times, we have seen a number of really creative ideas on the cameras front. While vendors are pushing the limits of innovation by outing newer cameras, the designers are not less behind by upping the ante even further through their endless creativity.

The chief focus, right now, seems to equip the users with such cameras which are more hassle-free. Among these are wearable cameras which are fun to carry around, easy to snap with and are very useful in taking real-time on-the-go shots. Designer Jeon Yengwon has now come up with a really cool concept design for a camera which can be worn as a ring. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony RX1 FF camera changes spotted, Sky View camera can take beautiful aerial photographs,

Panasonic Smart Apps aim to make life easier

[CEATEC 2012] Thanks to all the advancements in technology, our daily lives are becoming more and more sophisticated. What we used to fantasized about has now turned into reality for a lot of us. While some of us are happy with what we have right now, companies aren’t stopping just yet. Panasonic has an idea of what it wants our lives to be like, and at CEATEC, the company unveiled its suite of Smart Apps and appliances. Smart Apps consists of an app that runs on an Android smartphone with NFC, and a whole bunch of home appliances that are designed to work with the app: washing machines, refrigerators, microwave ovens and more.
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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Panasonic shows off foldable Windows 8 Ultrabook, CEATEC Japan 2012 – Day 2 Round-up,

CEATEC 2012 wrap-up: concept cars, eye-tracking tech and motion sensors galore

DNP CEATEC 2012 wrapup concept cars, eyetracking tech and motion sensors galore

CEATEC, Japan’s largest annual electronics show, is winding down here on the outskirts of Tokyo. We’ve spent the past two days scouring the halls of the Makuhari Messe, digging up no shortage of concept cars, eye-tracking technologies and even the odd Windows 8 device. The star of the show may have been Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo, with its gaze-controlled prototypes and real-time translation app, but there were plenty of other gadgets on hand to peak our interest — even if many of them won’t make it to market anytime soon. Have a look for yourself by browsing our complete CEATEC 2012 coverage past the break.

Continue reading CEATEC 2012 wrap-up: concept cars, eye-tracking tech and motion sensors galore

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CEATEC 2012 wrap-up: concept cars, eye-tracking tech and motion sensors galore originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subliminal Flickering Extends TV Ads To Your Phone [Fujitsu]

The idea of an interactive TV experience where additional information about a show or a product could be simultaneously accessed on another device has been tossed around for a while. But Fujitsu’s new subliminal transmission technology might finally make it an easy and unobtrusive reality. More »

EcoCharge concept uses heat from metallic surfaces to charge your device

We’ve seen gadgets that can cook while doubling as a charger for your device, using the heat energy to power your phone. Unfortunately those gadgets-slash-chargers are one and the same device which means that it might not be very portable, or for the chefs out there, it might not be up to your standards. Well this EcoCharge system concept by Ardavan Mirhosseini looks like a portable system that will not only play nice with your cookware, but will work with any surface that can produce heat (i.e. home-heaters).

This is thanks to a flexible magnetic face that allows it to adhere to pretty much any metal surface. It will also come equipped with an OLED display that will communicate its conduction efficiency to let users know how efficiently their devices are being charged. Unfortunately this appears to be merely a concept, but who wouldn’t mind seeing it being made a reality?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Ventev EcoCHARGE Aims To Reduce Vampire Power Draw, Panasonic Smart Apps aim to make life easier,

Fujitsu Gaze Detection Technology lets you stare and use the PC

Fujitsu Gaze Detection[CEATEC 2012] If you have ever wished that you could stare at your screen all day while it finishes your work for you, it looks like we’re a step closer to that happening. The folks over at Fujitsu have come up with a new technology that can help turn your fantasy into a reality. Called Gaze Detection Technology, it will allow PC users to control some functions of the computer with the aid of their eyes. All they have to do is gaze in a certain direction, and the Gaze Detection sensor (made up of an infrared LED and a CMOS camera) can tell what you want to do. No more using the scrollwheel on your mouse or hitting the scroll keys on the keyboard while you’re browsing – just stare in the direction you want  the screen to scroll.

While not having to perform certain commands with your hands may seem trivial at first, the saved keystrokes and mouse movements can slowly add up overtime (assuming the Gaze Detection is used effectively by the user) and can save a lot of time in the long run. A pretty neat idea, though folks who tire out in front of their computers might do well to turn off the feature during those occasions, lest they accidentally shut down programs and lose their unsaved work because they looked down for too long (then again, it sounds like a good incentive to stay awake at work).

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Fujitsu phone scam detection technology to disrupt scammers, Fujitsu brings pet care to the cloud,

Nissan prototype NSC-2015 demonstrated at CEATEC

[CEATEC 2012] At CEATEC this year, Nissan unveiled its automated driving vehicle – the NSC-2015, an electric vehicle that can drive itself without anyone behind the wheel. It features a remote monitoring system that recognizes the surrounding environment through the use of an all-around view camera and 4G connectivity. Instead of only relying on GPS to pinpoint the car’s location, the cameras allow the car to recognize its surrounding environment – even when it is in an underground parking lot. As for the car’s automated functions, it can park itself right after the driver exits the vehicle. Saving time for the driver especially if he/she is in a rush for an appointment – not to mention the trouble of circling mall parking lots during a crowded weekend.

Drivers can also give the NSC-2015 instructions through an app on their smartphone – i.e. make the car start up and drive itself from the parking spot to you when you decide to go back home. The smartphone app also acts more than just “remote control” for the car – it can also give users a complete view around the car via its cameras. This useful feature lets drivers inspect their vehicles from afar when any warnings are given, and they can also sound the alarm if they don’t like what they see. No word on when we’ll see this technology on the streets, but let’s hope it won’t be too far away.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: NEC LED with built-in speaker gives you music from above, Fujitsu Gaze Detection Technology lets you stare and use the PC,