Hasta La Gadget!

As fond as we are of the A-Class, it’s never been the best looking Benz in the bunch, but with the introduction of the new A-Class concept, it looks like that could soon change. One of the car’s designers describes it variously as sexy, expressive, and beautifully formed, and while we wouldn’t go quite that far, we have to say it’s not too shabby. The car sports some interesting looking LED headlights and an inverted mesh grill on the outside, and on the inside it’s packing a rather futuristic display, complete with a dash-mounted tablet and what looks to be an iPhone protruding from the center console. Now, there’s no guarantee that this thing will get the E-Cell treatment, or that all the bells and whistles will make it to production, but for now, it’s shaping up to be a rather stylish upgrade. For more Mercedes-Benz eye candy, check out the gallery below.

Mercedes-Benz debuts tablet-packing A-Class concept originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Logitec LAN-WH450N/GR wireless router is designed for 450 Mbps speeds

Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.

Is That a Mini Wind Turbine? Nope, It’s a Logitec Wireless Router
Logitec’s LAN-WH450N/GR wireless router definitely wins the title of “most uniquely designed router” in my book (at least for the moment). The turbine or fan looking contraption at the top does not in fact have anything to do with wind; it’s a tri-tenna that is supposed to help the router access speeds up to 450 Mbps, with compatible devices. Other than that, it’s basically your average wireless router. It’ll be available in Japan in mid-April.

Logitec Introduces 5 GHz 450 Mbps Wireless Router in Japan [Akihabara News via Oh Gizmo]

GFI Labs Admits Responsibility for False Positive Samsung Keylogger Incident
Samsung notebooks have not shipped with the Starlogger keylogger program installed and active. GFI Labs, an anti-spyware developer, confirmed in a blog post that their VIPRE software used a rare and very aggressive anti-spyware method that wrongly flagged the Slovenian language directionr, C:\WINDOWS\SL as Starlogger. That directory is the same one that Starlogger actually uses.

Samsung Laptops Do Not Have Keylogger [GFI Labs Blog via Crunchgear]

Google Cracking Down on “Willy-Nilly” Software Customization
Google is stepping in and beginning to regulate the user experience of Android devices more closel, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. They haven’t changed the game, but they have begun enforcing some Android distribution agreement rules so Google has the “final say” with regards to the way carriers and manufacturers adjust their code. This should help prevent fragmentation and assure a positive experience for the user.

Do Not Anger the Alpha Android [Businessweek via Android Guys]

NO Sign Puts Your Vice On Display
Trying to cut back? Slide your vice of choice—a bottle of whiskey, your iPod, a candy bar—under the elastic strap of the NO Sign and give yourself a constant reminder that it’s not allowed. I’m more of the “out of sight, out of mind” opinion, but perhaps for some, this could be a constant reminder that you have successfully abstained from that off-limits thing. Or you really need to.

NO Sign [Animica USA via Book of Joe]

Samsung Transparent Display Concept Becoming a Reality
Samsung has begun mass-producing transparent black-and-white and color LCDs, which have previously been shown off in prototype form. Calling it a “world’s first”, the 1,680 x 1,050 resolution 22-inch displays feature a 500:1 contrast ratio and use 90% less power than regular backlit LCD panels. The black-and-white models are over 20% see-through, while the color ones have a slightly lower 15% transparency. Transparent displays have “endless possibilities” for advertising, so we can look forward to seeing these guys plastered in malls and billboards in the future.

Samsung Electronics Becomes the World’s First in Mass Production of the Transparent LCD Panel [Samsung via Crunchgear]

The 8-Bit Pocket Camera App gives your photos a nostalgic, pixelated feel

8-Bit Pocket Camera App Wastes Your Smartphone’s Megapixels for Fun Photos
5-megapixel cameras, 8-megapixel cameras? Totally unnecessary—at least that’s what the makers of the 8-Bit Pocket Camera app want you to think. This $1 iOS app lets you take 200 x 200 tiffs reminiscent of the pictures (and quality) that the Game Boy Camera used to take back in the day (which were 128 x 112). The black and white pixilated pics you snap with this app can also be stylized, distorted, or enhanced with a border or different paper color, and will export as PNG files when emailed or posted online.

Recreate the Game Boy Camera with 8-Bit Pocket Camera App [Cult of Mac]

A Mouse That Doesn’t Click? My Ears Rejoice!
Click. Click click. Clickety clickclick click. For those who find themselves eternally irritated by the noise associated with every mouse button push, Nexus has a product for you: the Silent Mouse. It’s built with a patented switch that makes no sound when it’s clicked. The Silent Mouse is wireless, connecting to your notebook or PC via a nano receiver. It’s also got a button for selecting 1000 or 1600 DPI sensitivity, which is great for those who work on a large monitor.

Nexus Silent Mouse [Nexus via Slashgear]

Samsung Ships Notebooks With Keylogger Installed
The StarLogger keylogger program has been found preinstalled and active on two new Samsung laptops. The software logs every keystroke and takes screen caps, and can regularly email the data it collects without the user ever knowing this has been done. The affected laptops were purchased by Mohamed Hassan and detected when he installed security software. The first notebook that had the keylogger installed was eventually returned due to a driver issue; its replacement had the same keylogger program installed.

Samsung Installs Keylogger on its Laptop Computers [Network World via Geek.com]

Touchscreen Interface Simulates a Stretchy, Flexible Surface
Rather than just pinching to zoom and swiping to slide your position further along a screen, researchers at Osaka University have developed a touchscreen display that appears to flex, as if it were made of elastic material. So when you drag your finger to change what part of a map you’re viewing, for instance, the screen visually resists that movement, squishing and stretching the map’s proportions to keep your original position in perspective until you release your finger, almost like the map is printed on a sheet of rubber.

New Flex Touchscreen Interface Demonstrated Using Google Maps [Diginfo.tv via Crunchgear]

The PiCycle Electric Bike is Frowning at You
The PiCycle e-bike uses a 48V brushless DC motor to help power you up steep hills, across vast distances, or just on your daily commute. It can take you up to 20 miles without a single pedal on your part and reach speeds up to 30mph. Other featuers include an internal hub transmission, a beltdrive system, shifting on-the-fly, a suspension seat post, and hydraulic brakes. Its perfectly arched frame looks like a rainbow, or a frownie face.

PiCycle LTD Electric Bike [PiCycle via Uncrate]

Creative Coffee Table Is a Four-Person Pong Game
There’s no need for a coffee table in today’s world to be simply made of wood and just sit there. The coffee table is the perfect piece of furniture to transform into something interactive, like a four person game of pong played on a 30 x 30 matrix of red LEDs. Players use one of four knobs placed along each side to slide their bat left and right. The game can support up to 5 balls for more complicated play.

Super Pong Coffee Table [Instructables via Technabob]

We’ve seen some pretty ambitious hand warmers in our day, but this one takes the cake. Keyglove is an Open Source Hardware (OSHW) project that’s intended to eliminate those clunky keyboards and unmanageable mice from the computing process altogether, instead engaging a series of conductive sensors that, when touched together, mimic a keystroke. The mitt’s creator says the traditional mobile keyboard is “either too big to be portable, or too small to be easy to use,” adding that his solution would eventually become second nature just like touch typing. Keyglove is an Arduino and AVR-powered device that also incorporates an accelerometer to control mouse movements. It’s apparently fully customizable and allows for a total of 60 unique touch combinations — impressive, sure, but it took us long enough to figure out the home keys on the real thing. If you dream of a world full of one-handed typists, check out the video after the break, or follow the source link to find out how you can donate to the project.

Continue reading Keyglove ditches QWERTY for one-handed computer control (video)

Keyglove ditches QWERTY for one-handed computer control (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to an analyst, Apple could be working on a connected HDTV

Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.

Does Apple Have a Smart TV in the Works?
According to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty they do. She expects Apple to out a “Smart TV” with DVR, gaming, and FaceTime capabilities sometime in 2012 or 2013. Asian component suppliers suggest that they’re in the process of building a prototype. An Apple HDTV set could be capable of snagging a big portion of the connected television market; even if Apple only captured 1% of the TV market by 2013, they’d make about $4 billion in profits.

Analysts See Apple Branded Television Set in 2012 [9to5 Mac]

Anonymous FCC Agent About T-Mo/AT&T Merger: No Way
An unnamed FCC official said there’s “no way” the FCC would approve AT&T’s proposed buyout of T-Mobile. The agency hasn’t begun formally evaluating the proposal, but they plan to look at whether the merger is a benefit to the public. Similar deals have gone through in the past despite such warnings from agency officials.

AT&T Deal May Face ‘Steep Climb’ at FCC [WSJ]

XGear Smart Cover Enhancer Protects the Back of Your iPad 2
For those that want a bit more protection for their new tablet, the XGear Smart Cover Enhancer could be the answer. It is a thin protective case that snaps onto the back of the iPad. It’s easy to install and remove, and ensures your tablet won’t get nicked as it slides across a table or gets transported in a backpack. It’s available in black or clear for $35.

Smart Cover Enhancer Snap Case [XGear via Slashgear]

A Trump-Worthy iPad of Diamonds, Gold, and… T-Rex Bones?
Why settle for a regular old iPad 2 when you can get an $8 million 24 ct gold model? The “iPad 2 Gold History Edition” includes 53 flawless diamonds, a 24 ct Apple logo and 24 ct gold back weighing 2,000 grams (so much for the new iPad’s weight-loss). But that’s not all: the main front frame is made of Ammolite, the oldest rock in the world, with shaved in portions of a 65 million year old T-rex thighbone. It’s finished off with more diamonds inlaid on the front.

iPad 2 Gold History Edition [Stuart Hughes via Oh Gizmo]

Mobiado Concept Aston Marton Phone Is See-Through
The Mobiado CPT002 Aston Martin concept Android phone would feature a capacitive touchscreen on top of solid sapphire crystal. Platinum sidebabars would house the battery, SIM card, and electronics. Fancy! And of course, it’d have integration with your Aston Martin car—it would hook up to the display, showing parking spots, points of interest, automatically update social media sites with photos and stats when you’re on road trips (should you choose), and help control the responsiveness of the airbag and other safety deployments should a crash occur.

Mobiado CPT002 Aston Martin Concept Promises Transparent Touchscreen [Android Community]

Concept Pacifier Would Discretely Deliver Medicine To Your Baby
The Dr. Shuuuuuut pacifier seems like a pretty clever way to effectively deliver medicine to your sick wee one (and nope, my U key did not get stuck). There’s a special chamber within the pacifier that can hold a capsule of medicine. Place a capsule in and twist the cap to release the medicine. As junior sucks, very small amounts are slowly swallowed—theoretically, such small amounts they won’t even notice or taste it.

Dr. Shuuuuuut [Yanko Design]