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Feb 06

Peacock feathers form basis for reflective displays, could bring color to e-readers soon

Structural color — that’s engineer speak for a reflective display that mimics iridescence. And tech of that very sort could be trickling down into future generations of e-readers, thanks to current research by the University of Michigan. Using the “refined hairline grooves” of a peacock as a template, a research team led by Professor Jay Guo has found success in creating a prototype of one such high-res display by crafting nanoscale metallic grooves on silver-plated glass. Using the CMY color model (cyan, magenta and yellow) as its basis, the team was able to produce blues with a groove measuring 170 x 40 nanometers, reds at 60 nanometers wide and yellows at a width of 90 nanometers — all with reflected sunlight and unaffected by viewing angles. At the moment, only static images can be reproduced, but Guo and his crew hope to add moving images to the format soon. If and when this reflective display makes it to market, you can surely expect e-reader battery life to go even more of a distance.

Filed under: Displays

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Source: University of Michigan

Feb 05

Overkill, Thy Name Is This Tiny, Tablet-Cleaning, Roomba-Like Robot

Posted in: Today's Chili

We all hate using a smartphone or tablet when the screen’s covered in greasy fingerprints. But it’s a situation that’s easy to solve with nothing but a shirt sleeve, or if you’re particularly anal, a microfiber cloth. What the world doesn’t need is a tiny Roomba-like cleaning device designed specifically for cleaning fingerprints, but apparently Takara Tomy didn’t get that memo. More »

Feb 01

VESA outs latest DisplayPort Dual-Mode 1.1 standard with 4K HDMI support

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As manufacturers ramp up the pixels for TVs, that tech will soon trickle over to the computer side of things. As such, the VESA standard body’s just announced a new DisplayPort version that’ll work with the highest HDMI 1.4a resolutions like Ultra HD (4k), 3D 1080p60 and 1080p with deep (billions or more) colors. It’ll be able to output those modes through a new DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, version 1.1, once new graphics cards and devices arrive “later this year” with the standard, according to VESA. As it stands, DisplayPort Dual-Mode already supports all those resolutions natively (and more), including UltraHD at 60Hz or even four simultaneous 1080p60 monitors. However, the new standard, along with a compliant adapter, will let you drive HDMI 1.4 TVs or displays using a single cable at the higher resolutions (if supported) — rather than the 1080p60 it was limited to before. If you need a higher res version of things, check the PR after the break.

Filed under: Desktops, Displays, Laptops, HD

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Via: AV Watch (translated)

Feb 01

Panasonic remembers how to make money, reports $667 million profit last quarter

Posted in: Today's Chili

Just as Sharp offered a slightly more hopeful glimpse at its balance sheet this morning, so too does Panasonic have something worth celebrating: a net profit of 61.4 billion yen ($667 million) in the last three months of 2012. Much of this profit stems from a weaker yen and previous cost-cutting exercises, however, rather than any surge in demand for Panny products — in fact, underlying sales continued to slip, with cameras, TVs and Blu-ray recorders proving especially hard to shift. Nevertheless, compared to the meager $164 million Panasonic made at the start of 2012, or the ego-crushing $2.1 billion net loss it suffered in the last three months of 2011, no one in that big HQ is likely to be complaining.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

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Source: Yahoo (AP), Panasonic (PDF)

Feb 01

Sharp manages an operating profit in Q3, but forecast remains cloudy

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It’s been a while since we had any good financial news for Sharp, so we’ll start there. On an operating basis, Reuters and Nikkei report it managed to turn a profit for the October to December quarter of 2.6 billion yen ($28.5 million) — more than analysts had predicted — despite still recording a net loss of $398 million. That’s not so bad when you consider the massive losses of a year ago, although questions raised last fall about the company’s viability still remain. We’ll see if a slew of new devices and partnership with Qualcomm are what the doctor ordered — hopefully the #1 manufacturer of 60-inch and above HDTVs in 2012 can continue on long enough to put its 8K Super Hi-Vision TV in our living rooms.

Filed under: Displays, HD, Mobile

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Source: Reuters, Nikkei

Jan 29

Sony unveils Laser Light Source Projector, claims brightest output in the class

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Sony doesn’t always break ground on new technology, but it tends to go big when it does. The company’s new installation-grade Laser Light Source Projector (similar to the VPL-FH36 you see here) serves as a textbook example. While it’s far from the world’s first laser projector, it’s reportedly the first with a 3LCD laser — enough to put its 4,000-lumen brightness toward the front of the pack, and help with visibility in less-than-dark boardrooms. Details are scant beyond the projection system itself, although Sony does tout a presentation-friendly 1,920 x 1,200 resolution as well as a picture muting option that gets the show started quickly. We do know that the well-lit output will be tough to miss when the Laser Light Source Projector hits classes and offices in the summer.

Show full PR text

Sony reveals its first Laser Light Source Projector at ISE 2013

Basingstoke, January 29, 2013: Sony has today announced at ISE 2013 that it is launching its next generation WUXGA installation projector with Laser Light Source Technology. This ground-breaking product from Sony will be the world’s first 3LCD laser, 4,000 lumens WUXGA (1920 x 1200) projector, making it the brightest projector of its kind and a first for the industry.

This new addition to Sony’s installation projector line-up follows the award winning and popular design of the VPL-FH31 and VPL-FH36 models, part of the F series which is widely considered to be the top product within its category in Europe. The chassis is designed for optimum flexibility with a clean white finish designed to blend in with its environment.

The Laser Light Source Projector is free from the worry of lamp change with its increased durability and low total cost of ownership (TCO). With newly developed BrightEra[TM] 3LCD technology, the projector has up to 20,000 hours maintenance free time depending on the projector’s environment and setup conditions. This feature, based on market feedback, is especially important in the corporate and education sectors where the projector is used for extended periods of time.

“This announcement marks an exciting shift in the market. Sony’s pioneering technology delivers on the promises made to our key partners to produce innovative products that perform and exceed market demands. Installation projectors not only have to reproduce the highest quality images but also be relatively maintenance free and eco-friendly. The Laser Light Source Projector delivers on all accounts being mercury free, offering an incredible brightness of 4,000 lumens,” said Robert Meakin, Business and Education Product Manager, Sony Professional Solutions Europe.

Based on Sony’s Laser Light Source Technology, the projector incorporates lasers, rather than LEDs, to achieve optimum brightness. The white light, like traditional UHP light sources, is directed into the 3LCD engine to deliver incredible picture quality. As a result, the Laser Light Source Projector has substantially brighter images, better contrast ratios and outstanding colour stability.

The projector also features a picture muting mode which allows the user to quickly start the presentation once the mute mode has been turned off. This feature enables the smooth presentation of images with high colour reproduction. The Laser Light Source Projector also delivers amazing installation flexibility as it is tilt free with an efficient portrait mode to ensure the projector is entirely user friendly for both corporate and education markets.

Filed under: Displays, HD, Sony

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Source: Sony

Jan 24

Pebble smartwatch unboxing (video)

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It’s here! After nine months of waiting and a whopping 31 project updates, our very first Pebble smartwatch has finally arrived. Despite all of the excitement surrounding this device, the unboxing itself was rather anticlimactic — there’s nothing but a watch and USB cable inside, and the box took all of 10 seconds to open, despite an unexpected cardboard zipper failure. The packaging is very similar to what Amazon uses to ship its Kindles, and we definitely don’t mind the no-frills design, especially considering that it’s efficient, made from recycled materials and dead-simple to open. If you’re a Pebble backer, your device is coming soon, if it hasn’t arrived already — that doesn’t mean you can’t unbox one with us, though. There’s a gallery below, followed by a quick video after the break.

Gallery: Pebble smartwatch unboxing

Filed under: Displays, Wearables, Wireless, Mobile

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Jan 24

Google patent application reveals Glass-like device with bone-conduction audio

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As we’ve heard before, Google’s Glass project features are “still in flux” — could one be a bone-conduction speaker? It very well may, at least according to a US patent application published today. The gadget, described as a “wearable computing device with indirect bone-conduction speaker,” appears to be similar in structure to Glass. It includes “at least once vibration transducer,” so it’s possible that this HMD implementation wouldn’t offer stereo sound. This audio solution does seem within reach — Panasonic had functional bone-conduction headphones at CES, and while they weren’t quite loud enough to provide an earbud-like experience, they did indeed work. As with any patent application, the document confirms only that Google was considering such a technology, not that it’ll actually ship a similar device. So, if you’ve decided that your portable audio future will be headphone-free, you might want to keep an eye on Panasonic’s solution, instead.

Filed under: Displays, Portable Audio/Video, Wearables, Mobile, Google

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Source: USPTO

Jan 22

Netflix streaming most dominant on HDTVs, more than double PC and tablets

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As it turns out, the general public — even us heathens who’ve cut the cord — like watching video content on televisions rather than monitors. A stat chart culled from The NPD Group’s, “Connected Intelligence Report, Application & Convergence” revealed the latest US-centric news on Netflix Instant usage; it puts HDTV use far above that of more traditional platforms like PCs and laptops. Averaged across age groups, 40 percent of people using Netflix Instant in the US are doing so on HDTVs, while just 14 percent are going through computers (both desktops and laptops). That’s not just Smart TVs, but also, “another device connected to the TV” — so that’s game consoles, streaming boxes, and software level built-in streaming.

A mere 13 percent are using the service on tablets, and a paltry 8 percent are streaming on smartphones (a stat David Lynch would assuredly relish). Unsurprisingly, users are primarily of the younger variety: over 50 percent of 18 to 25-year-olds make up the HDTV statistic, and that group makes up nearly a full quarter of PC folks. Of course, none of this is a huge surprise to anyone that’s ever tried comfortably watching anything longer than a few minutes on a 13-inch laptop screen. Check out the full chart just below.

Netflix streaming most dominant on HDTVs, more than double PC and tablets

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Displays, Home Entertainment, Laptops, Tablets, Internet, Software, HD, Mobile

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Source: The NPD Group

Jan 21

Slickdeals’ best in tech for January 21st: 55-inch Panasonic Viera 3D HDTV and Lumix DMC-GF5

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Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we’ll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You’ll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won’t stick around long.

Does the start of another week have you feelin’ a bit down? Perhaps we can help. On today’s list of discounted tech, a Panasonic Viera plasma 3D HDTV and Lumix DMC-GF5 both grab a spot alongside a 17-inch Lenovo notebook, 32GB memory card and a 24-inch ASUS display. Take a gander past the break for all the crucial details, but you’ll want to act fast as these links aren’t likely to offer their wares for long.