Gizmo Watch

If you thought it was only laptops and PCs reigning at CES this year, we have here a sign and language translator to change the course. The Pocket Sign Language Translator from Krown translates text messages into sign language. Housing a neat 320 x 240 pixel touchscreen display, this gadget from Krown plays a sign video of more than 3,500 English words. The display features the words being acted out in sign language, thereby making it a perfect communication device for those relying on sign language to communicate. And of course, if you’re a nomadic commuter, this $200 Sign Language Translator could be a life saver, if ever you were ever lost amid the remotest of tribes.

ASUS has unveiled a new contender in the Eee PC clan; the multi-touch- enabled Eee PC T91. The fascinating little touchscreen netbook boasts a 8.9-inch LED backlit convertible display, and weighs in at just 2lbs. There is no real word on the actual specifications of memory and storage capacity, neither there is anything known about the T91’s availability and pricing, but the netbook will be powered by a highly efficient Intel Atom processor and will have an optional TV tuner and built-in GPS.

Via: T3

In Steve Jobs’ absence, when all were wondering what Phil Schiller would have in his keynote, the official consent on the availability of Apple’s high-end 17-inch MacBook Pro did give in the requisite respite. We had been living on the rumor, since the day there were reports floated about the 17-inch MacBook Pro in a unibody construction making its way to the MacWorld Expo.

Integrated with a non-removable battery that allows for a longer backup, approx. 8hrs, finally we have the 17-inch MacBook Pro (touted the thinnest 17-inch notebook in the world) featuring a matte screen with a 1900 x 1200 LED backlit display. For the features, the MacBook Pro uses a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, 320GB Hard Drive, Nvidia GeForce 9400M and supports a 700:1 contrast ratio. The 17-inch MacBook Pro will start at $2799 and will start shipping around the end of the month.

Via: AppleInsider

Gone are the days of bulky gadgets; thin is the way in. It’s not only the TVs and display screens that are adorning the thinnest skins, but even the portables are being slotted in there. Following the path of Samsung’s 6.5mm HDTV to the CES, is Samsung’s slimmest Blu-ray player. Catch the glimpse of the officially released images of the 39mm (1.5-inch) thick player, which the maker’s claim is the thinnest Blu-ray player in the world.

With the induction of the BDP4600, we sense a battle in the calling amid all the manufacturers who would wish to scale down their Blu-ray players to this skinny measurement. It is still to only the thickness because there are no specs available, supporting which we could make other claims, but we will definitely follow the show to make obvious that which is concealed inside the beautiful machine.

Via: EngadgetHD

The meadows of thin and flexible displays get a much needed boost with every demonstration of a flexible OLED display. And what better a place than CES 2009 to make that difference. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Universal Display has announced that it will exhibit a new kind of a wrist-worn flexible OLED communication device at Digital Experience 2009, an event which forms part of the Consumer Electronics Show.

This wrist-worn flexible AMOLED communication device is fabricated on metal foil, and is made in support from the U.S. Department of Defense. The prototype device, based on a four-inch flexible OLED display, will be significantly energy saving, and the flexibility of the display will make it rugged and highly portable while displaying awesome images with wide viewing angles. What is the gadgetry where we would see this? Perhaps CES is the best place to know this.

Via: OLED Display
[Thanks Erik Strasser for the tip]

UnitedKey’s OLED keyboard is simple to look at, nine large monochromatic moddable keys at the left, each with a 64×64 resolution. This OLED keyboard is similar to the much popular Optimus Maximus, with the difference that the Maximus provides a full range of colors as compared to the monochromatic yellow on the UnitedKey, but this one scores an advantage in having “layer commands” for the computer.

The Layer commands work well with applications, as you use a particular application with a key, a sub-grid can be built for tasks related to that particular applications. As an example, once in Gmail, you can create a sub-grid of nine keys with Gmail-related tasks. The only problem is that creating these layers can be painfully time consuming. Apparently, the $260 keyboard doesn’t work well with Windows Vista, either.

Via: Wired

Of all the things people do, someone actually found the time to build this weird robotic hand that can actually “play” the piano, or just a few keys to be exact. The mechanical hand is capable of playing pre-recorded music from its speakers, moving its fingers along with the tune. At the end of the act, the hand couldn’t care less if there’s no applause; it has pre-recorded fake applause to go along as well. That’s one self-sufficient musician. The hand costs $13 and requires two AA batteries to function.

Via: BotJunkie

Relieving themselves is one of the problems astronauts face in space, and since every little detail should be worked out well before we go to the Star Wars age, scientists are working to find ways to deal with this “shitty situation.” Japanese scientists have apparently devised a solution in the form of a portable toilet. Astronauts are supposed to wear these diaper-like devices around their waste at all times, and sensors in the toilets spring into action as soon as they detect that the user is about to relieve himself/herself.

The sensors then activate a suction unit that channels the waste into containers using tubes, and wash and dry the user after each use. Unwanted odors and sounds are also taken care of. There could be some use of these toilets on the ground, especially for medical patients.

Via: PinkTentacle

The sole purpose of USB flash drives has come a long way, amid the data storage and transfer having harmonized just well of late. With the introduction of SanDisk’s Ultra Backup USB Flash Drive, which is the first in the world with a backup system on a push of a button, the USBs have found a new dimension altogether.

Available in capacities from 8GB to 64GB, the USB Drives customize the files and folders that you need saved on the press of a button. And for the useless heads, who neither can save the data nor would be concerned enough to press the button, the set and forget option does their chore. The SanDisk’s Ultra Backup USB Drives have password protection and also features 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The drives will be made available in April, with a 64GB costing $199.

Via: LaptopMag

In the fast moving world, where transformation is the only right way to go, HP has worked upon the Mini 2133 notebook, to neatly coat it in aluminum. The incarnation with a whole lot of new specs and solid frame, is the Mini 2140, aimed essentially at business heads.

Weighing in at about 2.6 pounds, the Mini 2140 runs on a 1.6GHz Atom processor, has a 10-inch screen in hi-def at 1366 x 768 and in standard at 1024 x 567 resolutions, with an LED backlight. In spite of the miniature size, the keyboard of the Mini 2140 is almost the size of a regular notebook, while the hard drives are 80GB or 160GB. The package in a super-cool aluminum makeover would cost $499 when the notebook is available toward the end of January.

Via: Dvice