Hasta La Gadget!

In this day and age where people can get most things done instantly thanks to technological developments, you’d think that they’d have done something to make home decorating (or redecorating) quicker and less of a pain.

Designers Kim Kwang-hyun, Roh Ga-young, Kim Su-hyun, and Shin Jun-won thought about it, and they decided that something like the Freenter is something that people would need to make the process easier.

Their Freenter envisions a handheld “free printer” that lets users print on virtually any surface in an instant. They don’t expound on the technology behind the concept, but the design is fairly simple. The printer looks like a tablet of sorts with a surface where you can draw, doodle, type, or insert images and patterns of your desired wallpaper design.

Enter the command to print and press the printer onto the wall or surface that you want to print on – and presto! Instant wallpaper.

What do you think? Would you be able to print over old designs when you want to redecorate?

[via Yanko Design]

While many of us already have tablets like the iPad, the futuristic vision of people walking around with digital notebooks taking notes with a stylus never really came to be. With Sony’s upcoming E-Ink tablet, this could finally be a reality.

Currently being shown in prototype form, the new tablet features a large 13.3″ (A4 Size) drawing surface, and is ridiculously thin. In fact, it’s just 6.8mm thick (almost 30% thinner than a current-gen iPad). The tablet features a 1600×1200 resolution screen, using E-Ink’s new Mobius screen technology. This new tech sandwiches the electrostatic film between plastic layers instead of glass, which cuts down on thickness and weight, and makes the display material flexible. In addition, Sony says the plastic screen will be more durable than glass versions – though I have to wonder how long well it will hold up to stylus pressure over time.

Photo: DigInfo

The display is designed for taking notes, data entry, and creative tasks. While the black and white display isn’t as responsive as LCD screens, it’s definitely faster than other electrostatic screens, with exceptional battery life. In fact, Sony says the tablet can go up to three weeks without a recharge. Another benefit of course is the ease of reading the screen in daylight and workplace lighting.

Sony plans on releasing a commercial version of the tablet at some point later this year.

[via DigInfo & New Launches]

We’ve already seen a handful of concept videos – some legit, some humorous – about the real world use cases of Google Glass. Digital creative agency Playground Inc. illustrates more practical applications of the much hyped augmented reality headset in its own concept video. They also have good news and bad news.

Like any other computer, the functionality of Google Glass is as dependent on its software as it is on its silly-looking hardware. The video below focuses entirely on apps, from simple ones like a map and a barcode scanner to fancier ones like an emergency service hotline and a guitar tutor.

What you saw are just mockups, but the good news is that according to Playground Inc., each and every single one of those apps could be made today. Put another way: what you just saw wasn’t a vision of the future. It’s a window to a parallel present.

The bad news? Playground Inc. says that there are two things that make it virtually impossible to implement these apps – the Glass’ battery and its API. I’d add a third: try filling a street, a room or even just an elevator with people using Google Glass. See how that works out. Seriously though I highly recommend you read Playground Inc.’s blog for more on the agency’s thoughts on Glass.

[via Say OMG]

I’ve seen some offbeat projects turn up on Kickstarter over the years, but a project that’s there now called Glowing Plants is one of the strangest. You can probably figure out what the project is about simply from the name. The people behind the project want to create plants that glow to provide natural lighting with no electricity.

That sounds like something right out of Avatar. Exactly how the people are genetically creating glowing plants is rather difficult to describe. All you really need to know is that if you choose to back the project over on Kickstarter, you can get seeds to grow your own glowing plants.

The project was initially seeking to raise only $65,000(USD). With 28 days left to go, the project has blown through its goal, raising over $295,000 to date.

A pledge of $40 or more will get you your own package of glowing plant seeds. The specific plant is an Arabidopsis. A $150 pledge will land you an already growing plant. If at least $400,000 is raised, people who pledge $150 or more will get you a glowing rose as well. If you pledge $250 or more, you can get your own DIY kit allowing you to make any of your plants at home glow.

If you have been dreaming about flying around in your own Star Trek style shuttlecraft, that day is almost upon us. Terrafugia has unveiled a concept for a flying car that lot like a shuttlecraft that has the Enterprise’s warp nacelles. However, those nacelles have propellers.

This flying car is called the TF-X and is a hybrid gas-electric flying car. Twin 600 horsepower electric propeller pods and a 300 horsepower engine handle the transition from vertical takeoff to a maximum cruising speed of 200 miles per hour. It has a 500 mile range.

It is capable of both driving and landing itself. Terrafugia says that “you always have the final say if its safe to land.” Well, that’s encouraging.

The TF-X is fully capable of handling the entire landing process without you. But if it is about to kill you, it’s nice to know that you get the final say. It’s definitely an interesting design and we would love to see it in the skies.

[via Like Cool]