Hasta La Gadget!

Good luck keeping up with the ever changing specs on the latest HDTVs, but as the numbers get more impressive, are the displays actually improving in any noticeable way? Dr. Raymond Soneira , president of DisplayMate, goes about breaking down many of the more often misused and misleading technical buzzwords in an article on MaximumPC. If you’re wondering how manufacturers have advanced contrast ratios from thousands, to millions, to unlimited over the space of just a few years, there’s a breakdown of what “dynamic contrast ratio” actually measures and why it’s worth ignoring — unless you watch your TV when it’s only displaying one color at a time. When it comes to colors colors, some of the most scathing words were pointed towards Sharp’s Quattron quad-pixel technology, which “can only decrease picture quality and accuracy!”

Whether you believe the good Dr., a glistening review or Cmdr. Sulu, the factual heat burned hottest during a test of motion blur compared on LCDs, LED LCDs, plasmas and even a pro CRT. While additional motion processing and upgraded internals on newer HDTVs can help in many other ways, viewers couldn’t detect any blur caused by a display even on an old 60Hz set, despite newer and faster 120Hz, 240Hz and 600Hz (plasma) sets claiming their technology helped them eliminate it. You’ll need a minute to read through for the full details but it’s a good, and unfortunately necessary, reminder to keep your eyes on the display and not just the spec sheet (just make sure you’re getting a proper look that represents the way you watch TV at home first.)

HDTV tests pit fantasy land specs against real world performance — guess what happens originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 May 2010 01:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week Inhabitat saw the light as we showcased an array of exciting developments in energy-efficient illumination. First off, Philips dazzled attendees at this year’s Lightfair expo as they unveiled the EnduraLED — the world’s first LED replacement for those ubiquitous energy-sucking 60 watt incandescent bulbs. We were also excited to see the unveiling of the SolPix – a giant energy generating LED wall that doubles as solar shade and can be installed as high-tech building cladding. And if you think energy-efficient lighting isn’t easy on the eyes, check out this beautiful LED flower that soaks up sun during the day and blooms at night.

We also looked at several incredible (and insane) futuristic modes of transportation – for starters, how about an electric zip-line backpack that shoots you through city streets? We were also impressed by the Cell, a shape-shifting electric vehicle concept that comes complete with its own car-sharing transit system. And if soaring through the skies is more your style, check out these self-sufficient airships that harness solar energy to generate biofuel.

Wearable tech saw several developments as well – this week we looked at the ultra-efficient 3d printers that created Iron Man’s suit of armor. In other news, your next trip to the doctor could merit more than a single shot in the arm – researchers are developing a new type of “prescription” tattoo that keeps tabs on glucose levels using infra-red ink.

Finally, we saw several remarkable inventions that stand to change how we combat climate change and construct our built environment. This week Bill Gates unveiled plans to invest in the development of a fleet of seawater-spraying mist machines that could combat climate change by creating sunlight-reflecting clouds, and we looked at a new type of biologically crafted brick that can be “grown” from a combination of sand, bacteria, and urine.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: LED lights, biofuel airplanes, and prescription tattoos originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 May 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slowly but surely, LED light bulbs have been getting brighter and more efficient, but price has always been a major factor staying their adoption. Back in 2007, a single 308 lumen bulb cost $65, and the more things changed, the more they’ve stayed the same. Now, out of the blue, The Home Depot has stepped forward with a cost-effective alternative. For $20, the new EcoSmart LED bulb promises a 429 lumen, 40W equivalent with a 50,000 hour expected lifetime, making it cheaper and nearly as powerful as the 450 lumen, $40-50 design industry heavyweight GE unveiled last month. Best of all, it’s already available for purchase (though backordered) at our source link. Honestly, we’re starting to wonder what the catch is. PR after the break.

Continue reading The Home Depot takes LED lighting mainstream with $20 bulbs

The Home Depot takes LED lighting mainstream with $20 bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 03:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Proving that there’s not a huge difference between sports geeks and comic nerds, Roundtable Concepts of Lake Mary, Florida has adapted its line of instant-image HDTVs for the Florida college football fan. The novelty about these TVs is that during the 8 seconds that the set is warming up, they display the college football logo of your choice. That logo is also printed on the set’s casing. The company previously partnered with Marvel Comics to create a similar line showing the comic publisher’s greatest heroes.

The officially licensed college LCD sets come in 32-, 42-, and 55-inch sizes, while the LED sets are available at 40- and 46-inches. Models are currently available for the Florida Gators, Miami Hurricanes, Florida State Seminoles, and University of Central Florida Knights. The company is offering the same buy-one-get-one deal that it offers with the comic-themed TVs. 

Anyone opposed to another Android packing TV announced by a foreign manufacturer of questionable validity? We figured you weren’t, so say hello to GPNC Korea’s television running Android 1.5 on a 833 Mhz ARM Cortex A8 chip. While it’s claiming NTSC and ATSC support among other broadcast standards, the USA doesn’t appear to have made the cut for availability, with 10 different countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Australia and Dubai. Practically identical to People of Lava’s effort, it is slated for 42-, 47- and 55-inch LED-backlit versions with no real price or date, and even this promo pic looks very familiar. GPNC managed to keep the screen clear of error messages this time, but its website is flagged by Google as “dangerous” so we’d probably wait for something more official before making any attempts to preorder. At this rate, these TVs will be as ubiquitous as Android/ARM tablets before long — let’s hope Sony and Intel spill the details on those Google TV plans sooner rather than later.

GPNC Korea announces the first me-too Android HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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