Jun 14

Airbus’ plane of the future will harvest energy from passengers, earn Agent Smith’s approval (video)

Posted in: augmented reality, AugmentedReality, concept, Today's Chili, Travel, video

Airbus has been consulting its crystal ball recently and its findings have now been shared with the world in the shape of a new concept plane. Looking entirely detached from the economic and physical realities we know today, this futuristic people carrier includes auto-morphing seats that adjust to your size and shape and also harvest excess heat you produce. How is this achieved? Smart materials is all we’re told, leaving us to use our imagination to fill in the gaping blanks. Eschewing the usual class system, this Airbus concept instead offers three functionally distinct areas: a Smart Tech Zone at the back is the closest to what we’re used to today, an Interaction Zone in the middle uses holograms to help you relax or conduct some mission-critical meetings in flight, and a Vitalising Zone up front is where more “bio-morphing” seats will provide you with massage or acupuncture treatments. The ceiling in that front part of the plane can also be turned transparent, letting you soak up the panorama (and get a good tan while you’re at it). You can see and hear more about it in the videos after the break.

Continue reading Airbus’ plane of the future will harvest energy from passengers, earn Agent Smith’s approval (video)

Airbus’ plane of the future will harvest energy from passengers, earn Agent Smith’s approval (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Aol Travel  |  sourceThe Daily Telegraph, Airbus  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 13

KinectShop concept is ready to televise your shopping revolution (video)

Posted in: augmented reality, AugmentedReality, concept, hack, hacking, kinect, retail, Today's Chili, video

Does anybody actually enjoy the laborious process of trying out clothes? The sheer physical effort, the risk of breaking a sweat… it’s just not for us. We’re much more comfortable with virtual reality fitting rooms, which is where Microsoft’s Kinect motion camera has found yet another raison for its etre. Razorfish, the folks who already impressed us with some neat Kinect hacking, now have a new shopping platform that’s said to actually wrap clothes around your frame and thereby provide a 3D preview of what you and they would look like together. The current iteration only shows some giddy ladies exploring the wide world of handbags, but they do look suitably impressed with the system. There are also sharing options via QR codes and NFC, plus the obligatory social networking tie-ins. Skip after the break to see the KinectShop on video.

Continue reading KinectShop concept is ready to televise your shopping revolution (video)

KinectShop concept is ready to televise your shopping revolution (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Fast Company  |  sourceEmerging Experiences  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 08

Dell’s prototype 7-inch tablet touts slide-out split QWERTY keyboard (update: just a concept)

Posted in: 7-inch, concept, slate, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili

Whoa. Every so often, a giant in Round Rock pokes it head up above water long enough to put forth a truly mesmerizing design, and while it’s no Adamo, this is most definitely the freshest take we’ve seen on tablets in a very, very long time. The gallery below showcases a prototype that’s lounging around within Dell’s top secret labs, a 7-inch slate that’s adorned with a slide-out keyboard. Said keyboard, however, is hardly typical — it’s rocking a split-key design that’s not at all dissimilar to the virtual layouts recently showcased within iOS 5 and Windows 8. So far as we can tell, the entire alphabet’s present and accounted for, and there’s a rear camera that’ll be more than happy to make your child’s next birthday party a bit more awkward. Outside of that, we’ve no other details to pore over, but it’s safe to say that we’ll be doing our darnedest to change that. Oh, and if you’re doubting that this thing has a future as a real-deal product, there’s a shot just south of these very words showcasing what looks to be a commercial / press render. Delicious.

Update: So it turns out that these photos were actually taken by Tweakers, who met up with the crew from Dell’s Austin Design Center to gaze upon this prototype tablet earlier this week. Tweakers says that the concept is about three to four years old, and it eventually led to the development of the eccentric Inspiron Duo. Unsurprisingly, Dell also confirmed to us that this device will never make it to the market; but of course, there’s still the Streak 10 Pro Android tablet to look forward to.

Dell’s prototype 7-inch tablet touts slide-out split QWERTY keyboard (update: just a concept) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTweakers  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 07

Flexible ‘Roll Me’ Computer Not for Swatting Flies

Posted in: concept, Miscellaneous, portable, Today's Chili

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Move aside slate tablets and sleek MacBook Air style ultraportables. The Roll Me could be the future of mobile computing.

Er, maybe.

Roll Me is comprised of a flexible, bendable e-paper-based display that can wrap around an oblong keyboard unit. The keyboard features a hollow center that acts as cooling system when the device is in use, and stores its flexible solar panel charger when not in use. Similarly to the display, the charger rolls up when it’s not juicing up the conceptual computer.

The cylindrical shape of the Roll Me looks like it’d be great for stuffing it in bags, backpacks or briefcases, rather than needing to be padded and protected in rectangular sleeves like many of today’s favorite portables.

But the flexible screen is probably best suited for reading on flat surfaces, since you’d need to hold the top edge of the display upright like you’re reading from a scroll. Not exactly the way I look to look when I’m reading on a mobile device.

Roll Me [Yanko Design]


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May 30

Intel’s convertible Keeley Lake concept laptop shows off Cedar Trail, we go hands-on (update: video)

Posted in: concept, hands-on, intel, intel atom, IntelAtom, Today's Chili, video
Just before Intel’s keynote at Computex, we decided to stop by at the chip maker’s busy booth to see what it has up its sleeves. Luckily, we spotted a couple of Keeley Lake proof-of-concept convertible laptops, which are here to demonstrate what can be achieved using Cedar Trail processors. As you can see, the 12.1-inch screen sits on a swivel hinge, thus allowing users transform this fairly slim laptop into a tablet within seconds. Oh, you can also use the built-in Wireless Display technology to stream some sweet HD action over the air, provided that you have compatible devices. Alas, Intel says there are no commercial plans for this particular device, so hopefully someone will pick up this design.

Update: We now have a quick video of Keeley Lake after the break. Enjoy!

Gallery: Intel’s convertible Keeley Lake concept laptop shows off Cedar Trail, we go hands-on

Continue reading Intel’s convertible Keeley Lake concept laptop shows off Cedar Trail, we go hands-on (update: video)

Intel’s convertible Keeley Lake concept laptop shows off Cedar Trail, we go hands-on (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 00:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 30

NutriSmart prototype embeds RFID tags directly within food, traces your lunch from start to finish (video)

Posted in: bluetooth, concept, prototype, Today's Chili, video

RFID tags are already used to trace everything from poker chips to hotel towels, but what if these little pellets were embedded directly within your lunch, providing everything you’d ever wanna know about that ham sandwich you’re about to beast? That’s the idea behind NutriSmart — a food tracking system that revolves around edible RFID tags. Developed by Hannes Harms, a design engineering student at the Royal College of Art in London, these little markers would allow consumers to trace the entire supply chain behind every item in their cupboard, while feeding valuable nutritional information to dieters or people with particularly dangerous food allergies. Kodak, as you may recall, came up with a similar idea a few years ago, though Harms’ prototype extends beyond the realm of medical monitoring. Properly equipped refrigerators, for example, would be able to alert users whenever their stock’s about to expire, simply by scanning the tags. The NutriSmart concept also calls for a smart plate, which Harms describes as an “invisible diet management system.” Just put your meal on the plate and an embedded reader will analyze your grub, tell you how many miles it traveled before arriving at your kitchen and transmit all of its history and caloric data to your phone, via Bluetooth. No word yet on what would happen to these tags post-digestion, though our inner 13-year-olds are giggling at the possibilities. Video after the break.

Continue reading NutriSmart prototype embeds RFID tags directly within food, traces your lunch from start to finish (video)

NutriSmart prototype embeds RFID tags directly within food, traces your lunch from start to finish (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 06:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceVimeo (HannesRemote)  | Email this | Comments

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May 20

Emoti-bots turn household objects into mopey machines (video)

Posted in: arduino, concept, household, robot, Robots, Today's Chili, video

Some emotional robots dip deep into the dark recesses of the uncanny valley, where our threshold for human mimicry resides. Emoti-bots on the other hand, manage to skip the creepy human-like pitfalls of other emo-machines, instead employing household objects to ape the most pathetic of human emotions — specifically dejection and insecurity. Sure it sounds sad, but the mechanized furniture designed by a pair of MFA students is actually quite clever. Using a hacked Roomba and an Arduino, the duo created a chair that reacts to your touch, and wanders aimlessly once your rump has disembarked. They’ve also employed Nitinol wires, a DC motor, and a proximity sensor to make a lamp that seems to tire with use. We prefer our lamps to look on the sunny side of life, but for those of you who like your fixtures forlorn, the Emoti-bots are now on display at Parsons in New York and can be found moping about in the video after the break.

Continue reading Emoti-bots turn household objects into mopey machines (video)

Emoti-bots turn household objects into mopey machines (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 06:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceEmoti-bots  | Email this | Comments

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May 19

E Ink shows concepts galore at SID 2011: snowboards, radios, thermostats, oh my!

Posted in: concept, e ink, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, hands-on, prototype, Today's Chili, video

E Ink’s 300ppi 9.7-inch panel — touting “laser print quality” and a ridiculous 2400 x 1650 screen resolution — was just the tip of the e-paper iceberg here at SID 2011. The aforesaid display isn’t shipping in any commercial products just yet, but given that OEMs are already accepting ’em, we were told to expect ultra-fine print devices in the not-too-distant future. The screen, which was jointly developed by Epson, truly did look astonishing up close, forcing us to get awkwardly close to see the pixels behind the pictures. Outside of that guy, though, the outfit’s booth was splattered with concepts — everything from an E Ink-infused snowboard (shown above) to a rugged radio. There was even a prototype sheet music reader (dreamed up by Lenart Studios) that looked downright outstanding, not to mention a thermostat that would have any Home Depot junkie swooning. Have a gander at the galleries below, and peek past the break for a brief video tour. Oh, and Burton — you should seriously get on this.

Gallery: E Ink snowboard concept eyes-on at SID 2011

Gallery: E Ink’s concept sheet music holder at SID 2011

Gallery: E Ink’s 9.7-inch 300ppi display at SID 2011

Continue reading E Ink shows concepts galore at SID 2011: snowboards, radios, thermostats, oh my!

E Ink shows concepts galore at SID 2011: snowboards, radios, thermostats, oh my! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 18

UDC shows off serpentine OLED lamp concept at SID 2011 (video)

Posted in: concept, hands-on, HandsOn, LED, light, OLED, Today's Chili, video

We’ve seen flexible OLEDs and OLED lighting solutions before, but none of them conjured our sweaty club-hopping fantasies quite like this concept from Universal Display Corporation (UDC). The flexible OLED makers weren’t particularly forthcoming on the specs for this color-changing apparatus, but we can tell you that it uncoils and recoils with the help of a motion sensor, and requires very little energy to power — note that tiny wire supplying 100 percent of the required juice. UDC used this flashy lamp specifically to show off its own brand of low-energy flexible white OLED lighting, which means you won’t see it popping up in B.E.D. anytime soon (if ever), but it certainly has us thinking of new ways to light up our nights. Gratuitous amounts of bouncing and beaming can be found after the break.

Gallery: UDC OLED lighting concept eyes-on at SID 2011

Continue reading UDC shows off serpentine OLED lamp concept at SID 2011 (video)

UDC shows off serpentine OLED lamp concept at SID 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 18

Samsung’s 10.1-inch plastic LCD showcased in concept laptop, tablet at SID 2011 (video)

Posted in: concept, hands-on, laptop, LCD, netbook, samsung, tablet, Today's Chili, video

Fumble your phone much? Samsung may have a solution for clumsy gadgeteers with screen shatter fears: a lightweight, ultra-durable, plastic LCD screen. Tucked into laptop and tablet concepts at SID 2011, this 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 wunderpanel could be the next innovation in durable mobile devices — cutting thickness by as much as two-thirds at one-fifth the weight of a glass LCD. Lighter, stronger devices sound awesome, but the tech has its drawbacks; it suffers from poor off-axis viewing angles, and the entire surface has a visible, but not entirely off-putting, wavy texture. Cracked LCD bending art enthusiasts can rest easy for awhile, there’s no word yet on pricing or availability; easy-to-bust displays aren’t going anywhere. Hit the gallery and the video (after the break) for an eyes-on look.

Gallery: Samsung’s 10.1-inch Plastic LCD prototype eyes-on at SID 2011

Continue reading Samsung’s 10.1-inch plastic LCD showcased in concept laptop, tablet at SID 2011 (video)

Samsung’s 10.1-inch plastic LCD showcased in concept laptop, tablet at SID 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 17:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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