Gizmo Watch

Polarisation is a major problem with LCDs as the picture is hardly visible when viewed from corners or difficult angles. The LCDs may have its days numbered for the Carbon Nano Tube has the potential to function as an incandescent display. Amazingly, the response time for CNT films are low with comparison to LCD and since there is no polarisation (almost non-polarised), difficult angles are also taken care of.

There are no complications involved as a simply addressed circuit converts the CNT film into a high-end incandescent display. This display only takes a millisecond to be heated and equal time to be cooled when the heating voltage is cut off. This speedy response time is a consequence of a combination of the ultra small heat capacity per unit area (HCPUA), large surface area and large radiation coefficient.

Each time iRobot pops up a creations, we’re floored. Latest from the mesmerizing warehouse is a small and sturdy robot christened the Ember. The microbot is specially designed to set up networks wirelessly for the military on the battlefield and is under the Pentagon’s contract that intends to develop small, automatically networking communications and surveillance robots.

Rugged enough to lure the confident marine to carry it to the warzone, the pocket-sized Ember with less than a pound weight, has reversible treads and two flippers on one end and a tiny camera and an antenna mount on the other side. The goal is actually to keep Ember in a feasible $100 price tag, so that these utility bots, which can reach places where it would be difficult to make without firing for the GIs, can be a possession of even the wannabe marines like me who can use the iRobot’s Ember for hosusehold security – hope it isn’t disgraced in the course.

Navigation of audio and video files on the iPod or other Apple products can be quite a cumbersome exercise if you do not have the right in-car devices to help the cause. Alpine has launched a Digital Media Station-the iXA-W404R 2-DIN iPod DMS- that makes navigation of audio and media files an entertaining option. You can scroll through your iPod using a double-action rotary button or a 4.3 inch QVGA touch screen. You get AM/FM options, a USB port and just about any Apple Device can be connected to this media station. For people who think the GPS is a necessity, this adaptation can be connected with the Alpine GPS Navigation system. The iXA-W404R 2-DIN iPod Digital Media Station comes with a price tag of 499.99 GBP.

Via: Zercustoms

Taking a leaf out of the much appreciated Transformers movie, a pair of innovative mice is on its way, which can transform itself into Grimlock and Trypticon transformers. So, if you want to let loose that kiddy side of yours, you’d have to spend about $60 for the pretty efficient 800 dpi three button laser mouse. With all abilities of laser mice, the Transforming Laser Mouse will make a perfect gift for your kid, who’s just growing up to be a robotic engineer, once they are made available sometime in September.

Via: LikeCool

Gone are the days when the latest release of World of War Craft was the most awaited thing among all video game fanatics. The modern era belongs to games that are only playable if you have a brain that can be focused at a single point. CES 2009 did show glimpses of such games and in just five months Amazon is taking pre-orders for the hot Mattel Mindflex game.

The game looks a child’s play till the time you’re not wearing its sensor incorporated headset. The game wants you to focus your attention on a small foam ball, the brain activity during which is mapped by a sensor that controls an air stream. Once the air stream is activated, the foam ball starts to levitate. The more you concentrate, the higher the ball rises and vice-versa. Once levitating, the user has to guide the ball through an obstacle course using a knob provided with the game. Video after the jump.

Reducing the weight of any vehicle, be it a roadster or a boat, has a dramatic influence on its fuel-efficiency. Carbon fiber has already shown its worth in racing cars and other vehicles that demand speed, efficiency and power at the same time, and now it’s turn of the watercrafts to witness the change. Zyvex Performance Materials (ZPM) has unveiled a new boat that has been made with the company’s carbon nanotube enhanced pre-impregnated fibers, which they call Arovex®.

540SE, as the boat has been entitled, is a 54-foot watercraft which weight just 8000 pounds. The company claims that the weight is about 75% less than other boats made from glass fiber composite materials. This reduction means that the boat needs just 25% horsepower than other boats of the same size. Zyvex states that the boat’s environmentally responsible specifications would lead to the development of a new category of boats, which are light in weight and require less fuel.

Given the ever evolving netbook market, Lenovo’s been off the scene for a while, what was cooking in silence may be evident from the fact that the maker’s delivered the world’s first Nvidia Ion chipset based netbook. Dubbed the IdeaPad S12 it’s also Lenovo’s first ever 12.1-inch netbook. Featuring a 1080p video playback facility VGA and HDMI outputs, the system is powered by an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor. Priced at $500 the Lenovo S12 supports 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a WXGA LED-backlit screen with 1280×800 resolutions, 160GB HDD, a 4-in-one card reader and a 3-cell battery (extendable to 6) with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and three USB 2.0 ports for connectivity. Compatible with Windows XP for OS, the netbook is also capable of Blu-ray playback and moderate gaming capabilities. So if wanna be in the race of the freaks with world’s first, be set with the cash towards the end of the summer, when the lappy could be made available.

Via: Lenovo/Gizmodo

I personally adore gadgets that despise wires and therefore the new offering from Elecom-Scope Node Wireless Mouse- is a personal favourite. It is all about rational designing and that is what the Elecom has brought into fray by designing a mouse that gives you a feel of holding a pen. The 3-button mouse (M-SN2DL) is compatible with PC and MAC (OSX 10.5). Available in three color choices, Black, Silver and Mat-Silver it relays a resolution of 1600dpi. It has an embedded laser sensor which is capable of achieving an amazing recognition rate in low-contrast situations in comparison with the optical mouse. This technology helps the movement of the cursor to parry with the movement of the mouse to the closest precision level. This mouse can run on standard AAA batteries and measures 75 x 110 x 38 mm.

Via: PCwatch

California Institute of Technology has patented a new camera technology to replace the current cameras on the insect-sized spy drones in the US military. Funded by NASA and Pentagon, these new micro-sized digital cameras using lesser energy, would be a revolutionary way to design the tiny surveillance drones of the military. The technology syncs all the components of a camera i.e. the sensors, circuits and microchips, on a single efficient chip, radio-controlled from about a km away and thus make for a better and effective low-power inclusion in the spy flyers.

Via: NewScientist/io9

Not many clocks can boast of an embedded GPS receiver but that is not just the only quality of the clock you see in the flick atop. A single look at the image does not reveal that it is indeed a clock but, you can have my word on it that it is one of the most accurate ones around, thanks to that GPS receiver. From the casing (fabricated in acrylic) to the six IN-14 tubes used, this Nixie Clock is for people who look for rarity and do not mind going to the extreme dumps to find a masterpiece such as this. Even though the base gives an impression of two pieces clubbed together, it is a singly etched support. The function buttons are on the rear, fixed in a rounded cut section. Regular features include a 12/24 format option, date, programmable daylight options and battery backup. The Nixie Clock could serve as one piece of décor good enough to make even your best pals envious. More images after the jump.