Hasta La Gadget!

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute — partnered with project HYPOLED — have created an OLED mini projector prototype for mobile phones. Unlike many previous iterations of similar technologies, this new prototype doesn’t need an additional illumination system, instead relying on a lens system to project images produced by an OLED onto a screen or wall — making it both smaller and more energy efficient. The prototype currently displays a monochrome image with a brightness of 10,000 candelas per square meter, and color images with a brightness of about half of that. The lenses are also made of glass at this point, though cheaper and simpler plastic ones are in the works. No word on when we might see these prototypes hitting the streets in actual projector phones, though.

[Via Gizmag]

Filed under: Displays

OLED mini projector prototype for mobile phones using a series of lenses developed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A new video that surfaced briefly promises that CrunchPad, the inexpensive tablet from Web 2.0 personality Michael Arrington, will be ready this year “for sure.”

The video, which has since been removed from YouTube’s site, showed the unboxing of a CrunchPad that looked very similar to the photographs of the device that were out in April.

“This was not a sanctioned or official video, nor is it even very interesting. It’s just the last prototype being taken out of its box,”  wrote Arrington. “It’s certainly not the launch prototype, which doesn’t actually exist yet.”

Arrington first wrote about the idea of a tablet in June last year. He talked of a touchscreen device that would run Firefox and maybe Skype on top of a Linux kernel. The tablet would have low end hardware, a single power button, a headphone jack, a built in camera for video, low end speakers and a microphone. The CrunchPad would also come with Wi-Fi, 512 MB of memory, 4 GB solid state hard drive and no keyboard. All this for a promised price tag of $200.

The latest video was shot at a TechCrunch party last week and showed CrunchPad partner Fusion Garage doing the unboxing, says Arrington on his blog. Beyond the candy colored packing and a rather slick-looking device, the latest peek didn’t offer anything new.

But it has led to questions about whether the CrunchPad can live up to its $200 billing. Based on its specs and overall production, it could end up being priced closer to $400, says James Kendrick at the jkOnTheRun blog. And we are inclined to agree. Though the CrunchPad promises low end hardware and a Linux-based kernel, the touchscreen display, the Wi-Fi chips and solid state hard drive should all add up to a much higher price point that what Arrington is willing to let on.

Another problem that the CrunchPad doesn’t seem to have solved yet. Messy fingerprints on the screen. The unboxing video showed a device whose screen was smudged with grubby fingers.

See also:
Web 2.0 Mogul Michael Arrington Creates New Web Tablet

Photo: Crunchpad Prototype

We’re kinda-sorta coming around on the MIDs now that we’ve gotten a chance to play with Moblin 2.0, but it’ll take some great hardware to really convince us (or hell, anyone) — like this promising first Moorestown reference design from Elektrobit. Yeah, it’s not quite the amazing mockup device that Intel’s been showing off for a couple years, but it’s still pretty attractive, and it’s actually pretty small at just a half-inch thick with a four-inch HD screen. You’re also looking at HDMI out, either WiMAX or 3G mobile broadband, and voice capability. Sadly, none of this will ship until Intel delivers the Mooretown chips, so we won’t be able to do anything except sniff vapor until 2010.

[Via Linux Devices]

Filed under: Handhelds

Elektrobit Moorestown MID reference design is more like it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In case you missed it yesterday, video of Sony’s PS3 motion controller prototype has made its way to YouTube. It’s not an ordinary Wiimote, it’s not as mind blowing as Microsoft’s Natal, it’s, well… it’s something in between. And it’s not available until 2010 so this is as close as you’ll get for awhile.

Continue reading Video: Sony’s PS3 motion controller in action

Filed under: Gaming

Video: Sony’s PS3 motion controller in action originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s no doubt that Sony has a 400-disc Blu-ray Mega Changer on the cooker — heck, we saw the thing last year at CEDIA — but up until now, there’s been no indication of its nearness to market. According to a vague Swiss product page and a report from Sony Insider, however, the launch date is indeed drawing near. If hunches prove legitimate, the BDP-CX7000ES will allow 400 of your favorite BD flicks to sit within a single console, and we’ve every reason to believe that this one will support BD-Live and actually load films with some amount of haste. You know, very much unlike the 200-disc HES-V1000 that’s already out there. As of now, it’s looking like the unit will run right around $2,300, placing it squarely in rarefied air and ostensibly out of reach for the vast majority of home theater junkies.

[Via Sony Insider]

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Sony’s 400-disc BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray Mega Changer reportedly coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 04:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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