Hasta La Gadget!

It’s hard to hold the designers of concept cars accountable — so few ever come close to seeing the light of day, and they are, after all — concepts. That said, the eRinGo car is one design we seriously hope never comes to fruition. A two-seater that’s capable of converting back and forth between one and three-wheeled driving, depending on the curves of the road ahead, the eRinGo looks like a half-crushed can of Heineken. Not a good thing, in our opinion. That said, we like the two steering wheel concept — wherein the passenger on either side can take over driving duties — great if your friends are the agreeable sort willing to hand over the keys at any moment. There isn’t much more meat as to how this dude would work, but that’s what your imagination is for, right? There’s one more shot of this bad, bad boy after the break.

Continue reading Three-wheeled eRinGo car concept: no thanks

Filed under: Transportation

Three-wheeled eRinGo car concept: no thanks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In case you missed it, Sony’s got a thing for 3D with big plans to push the technology into your living room next year. While the first application will be applied to the flat screen TV, Sony’s obviously thinking about other displays judging by this tiny prototype set for reveal at Tokyo’s Digital Content EXP0 2009 on Thursday. The 13 x 27-cm device packs a stereoscopic, 24-bit color image measuring just 96 × 128 pixels viewable at 360-degrees without special glasses. If the prototype ever hits the assembly line then Sony envisions its commercial use in digital signage or medical imaging — or as a 3D photo frame, television, house for your virtual pet, or visualizer to assist with web shopping in the home. We’ll be on-hand for the unveil on Thursday with live coverage and hands-on, check back then for more.

[Via Impress]

Filed under: Displays

Sony’s 360-degree 3D display prototype makes virtual pets more lifelike, expensive originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s always fun to see what big tech companies think the future will be like, and for Fujitsu the future is Frame Zero. It’s basically a system of bezel-free devices that can all wirelessly connect and share information, not at all unlike Microsoft’s Mobile Device Collaboration patent application we took a gander at last year. The concept video below shows both a sort of tiny mobile PC joining forces with an eminently breakable looking cellphone to share information cross-screens. But, it goes further, with talk of the larger of the two acting as a sort of alarm clock that, when you swat at it in the morning, checks your body temperature to determine how well you slept before barraging you with e-mails and financial reports. Just what you need first-thing in the morning.

Continue reading Fujitsu’s Frame Zero concept knows no boundaries, no bezels

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Tablet PCs, Wireless

Fujitsu’s Frame Zero concept knows no boundaries, no bezels originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let’s face, most technology these days focus on enhancing our ability to converse without having to physically be near any one another in any way, shape, or form. So it’s a bit refreshing to see ALPS try to bring back the personal with its Electric Field Communication model, which essentially takes the TransferJet idea one step further by using the human body as a transference medium between two devices. In the example we saw on the CEATEC floor, one person held a mockup cellphone displaying one of three images. The user held the phone in one hand, picked one of those images, and then placed his or her other hand against a computer panel, whereby that image was displayed on an overhead machine. The use we’re really excited for, and one that was proposed in video form only, was two people having devices pocketed and sharing data between the two via hand touching, E.T. style. There isn’t any direct product that’s reaching consumers with the technology yet, giving us plenty of time to ponder if cybercriminals will figure out a way to hack your mobile simply by bumping into you at the subway, an interesting new spin on the idea of catching a computer virus. A bit confused by what we’re talking about? There’s a helpful video for you just past the break.

Continue reading ALPS Electric Field Communication model finds logical purpose in tactile human interaction (video)

ALPS Electric Field Communication model finds logical purpose in tactile human interaction (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Being a Japanese carrier and all, it’s no shock to see KDDI with a large presence at CEATEC. What was surprising, however, was the cute little device you see pictured above. Showcased in an “early prototype” form, the recently introduced Polaris Robot looks eerily similar to Sony’s befuddling Rolly. Thankfully for KDDI (and all of humanity, really), this creature actually has a purpose. Packed with speakers, an array of wireless sensors and the ability to send video signals to your TV sans cables, the concept docking station is meant to stylishly hold your KDDI handset (lots of ’em will be compatible in due time) and beam a blown-up version of your phone’s UI onto your television or LCD monitor. The good news here is that the system actually displays a far more intuitive menu layout on the screen than what’s available on your dumbphone, enabling users to flip through schedules, photos, videos and playlists with ease. Technological details — as well as information surrounding price and release — were scant, but you can whet your appetite by peeking the video just past the break.

Continue reading KDDI Polaris Robot concept — it’s like Rolly, but with a purpose

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

KDDI Polaris Robot concept — it’s like Rolly, but with a purpose originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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