Hasta La Gadget!

Fans in the realm of science fiction, we play harbingers of good news today – delivering word that you can now bring the terror of early computing right to the comforts of your own home. Who knows, one of the $499.99 HAL 9000 Life-Size Replica could actually malfunction and be the malevolent ghost in the shell that scared the heck out of many all those years ago when they watched Space Odyssey? Touted to be the most accurate HAL 9000 replica ever created, it was constructed from the 1967 blueprints and image files.

The HAL 9000 Life-Size Replica might not usher the end of humanity, but what it does would no less send chills down the spines of those in the know. It can speak 15 different phrases, and respond to voice and most IR remotes, now how about that? The red LED eye will definitely be part of its physical make up, and it comes with a 2-minute auto-shutoff feature to save battery life.

[ HAL 9000 Life-Size Replica copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Remember the first time when you laid your eyes on the iPad with Retina Display? Surely the difference was obvious when you laid it side by side with the first generation iPad and the vanilla version of the iPad 2, but when it comes to resolution count and pixel density on tablets, Panasonic has got everyone beat this CES. Granted, toting around Panasonic’s 20” tablet is not going to be the most enjoyable of tasks for road warriors, but when you consider how it weighs as much as a standard notebook (not an Ultrabook, mind you) at just 2.4kg, you would sing a different tune and say that the 20” is a sheer marvel in engineering.

Just in case you were wondering what kind of resolution the 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel packs, we are talking about 4K (Ultra HD) resolution. If you were to whip your calculator out and perform some mathematical equations, your mind would be blown away – 4K resolution is more than four times the resolution of Full High Definition, and when you accompany that with a high precision digital pen, you have more or less got yourself a new winner here, hands down.

Just in case you were wondering what kind of resolution the 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel packs, we are talking about 4K (Ultra HD) resolution. If you were to whip your calculator out and perform some mathematical equations, your mind would be blown away – 4K resolution is more than four times the resolution of Full High Definition, and when you accompany that with a high precision digital pen, you have more or less got yourself a new winner here, hands down.

With a pixel density of 230 pixels per inch and a unique aspect ratio of 15:10, it is capable of displaying an A3-size paper in almost full size, and thanks to the unique pen peripheral that it comes with, it enables natural handwriting on the tablet. Surely one needs to fork out a handsome sum to bring this 20-inch 4k IPS Alpha LCD Panel home?

Press Release
[ Panasonic 20-inch Tablet with 20-inch 4k IPS Alpha LCD Panel copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

CES is a hotbed for technological innovations being announced, and LG has decided to grab the bull by its horns with the latest announcement of its OLED TV, coming in the form of the LG EA9800. The big question is this, just what makes the LG EA9800 so special from all of the other OLED TVs that are in the market? How about this answer for starters – it comes in a curved manner, boasting proprietary WRGB technology in an incredibly thin form factor so that your eyes will be treated to vivid picture quality which has been said to be practically indiscernible from colors which you find in nature.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, or so the adage goes, so how does the LG EA9800 OLED TV stack up when viewed? Since it carries the industry’s very first curved screen ergonomic design with full CINEMA 3D support, we do not really have any other benchmarks to fall back upon. Still, with a gentle inward flex, the entire screen surface is said to be equidistant from the viewer’s eyes, which in layman’s terms, would mean doing away with the issue of screen-edge visual distortion and detail loss.

Needless to say, something of this size and magnitude where technological advancements are concerned have yet to be priced, nor do we know whether LG intends to make it available to the consumer market this year or not. After all, many hardware manufacturers do take the opportunity at CES to gauge the temperature of consumers’ pockets before agreeing to a sticker price that everyone would be happy with.

Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG’s Home Entertainment Company, said, “LG is the first to launch the 55-inch OLED TV. We believe our new OLED TVs offer the ultimate viewing experience, surpassing anything seen before. The new curved model complements our core OLED TV family with a unique design that capitalizes on the thinness of the screen and the aesthetic beauty of OLED TV.”

Press Release
[ LG goes curvy with new OLED TV copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Unfortunately, we live in a world where natural disasters are a reality. Blizzards, tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes, torrential rains, tsunamis, floods. The list is intimidating. Preparedness remains about our only defense in many situations. Those living in the line of such disasters have become accustomed to preparing themselves with things like food, water and sandbags. Yet our technology keeps us connected to the world. Why sacrifice contact with the outside world when life gets turned upside down by mother nature?

GoalZero, innovators of portable power systems, showed off their upcoming Yeti 150 at CES yesterday. This easily portable gadget will give you 150 watt-hours of power – enough to run your laptop all week. Run or charge devices via outlet, DC power or USB. Or to be ultra-prepared, invest in the attachable 15-watt solar panel to fill up on power when other sources don’t exist. Wall charging takes about 4 hours and solar will take a good part of a sunny day. Being portable the Yeti 150 becomes not only a natural disaster savior, but perfect for camping, picnics or wherever power can’t reach. The Yeti 150 launches later this year at about $400 with the solar panels at $200. When nature strikes be prepared to stay connected to the outside world with a leader in portable and solar power.
[ Plenty of Portable Power copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Someone would have to sit down and do a really deep think through of existing road laws and regulations when self-driving cars become more and more commonplace. What happens when the data received by the vehicle is incorrect, and the car actually breaks the speed limit, all the while when you are sipping on your Starbucks mocha at the back seat, reading up on all that is happening in the world on a tablet? I suppose humanity will cross that particular bridge when they arrive at it, but otherwise, it remains something to chew over at this point in time. Toyota has already demonstrated a self-driving car over at CES 2013, although there are still some lengths to go before something like this is perfected for everyday and safe use.

The ride, a luxurious Lexus LS600, has been outfitted with its fair share of radars, cameras in addition to an array of sensors which enables it to be more than just cognizant of its immediate environment. Toyota is not the first to create a driverless car, as Internet search behemoth Google was first to do so, and has been behind the wheel (literally) since 2010, working on refining its technology. Needless to say, there is nothing quite like some competition behind you to spur you on to greater heights, and we as the consumer will only be able to say that we win out in the end.

The experimental car from Toyota is currently able to avoid collisions with pedestrians and other automobiles, where it will get up and about based on detailed electronic map data which is able to accurately perceive roadway information including traffic lanes and signals. I guess with this, you can truly drink those non-sobering beverages without having to worry about arriving at the destination while endangering the life of others on the road.

Source
[ Toyota demonstrates self-driving car at CES 2013 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]