Friday, July 12, 2013

JVC launches flagship BlackSapphire XL 3D HDTV line with Netflix, Slingbox client

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/12/jvc-launches-flagship-blacksapphire-xl-hdtv-line/

JVC launches flagship BlackSapphire XL HDTV line with builtin WiFi, passive 3D

JVC's been trying to get back into the HDTV game via its recent partnership with Vizio maker Amtran, and just took another big step by unveiling the flagship BlackSapphire SL series. The new models boast high-end touches like tiny bezels, ultra-thin profiles and an edge-lit LED "adaptive backlight." You'll also get built-in WiFi, SmartTV with apps like Netflix, Pandora and a Slingbox client, Xinema-Sound audio with simulated surround-sound, and passive 3D with four sets of included glasses. Interestingly, JVC decided to launch the series with rather small 42-inch and 47-inch models, though Amtran told CNET that larger sizes are also in the works. Also unusual in a flagship is three-digit pricing: $799 for the smaller SL42B-C and $899 for the SL47B-C. Considering the sticker shock we've had lately, however, we're all for keeping things small in that regard. Both models will be up for grabs later this summer.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: CNET

Read More...

These Synthesia Glasses Help Blind People âSeeâ Via Sonar

Source: http://gizmodo.com/these-synthesia-glasses-help-blind-people-see-via-son-745027691

These Synthesia Glasses Help Blind People “See” Via Sonar

People who have been blind since a young age can sometimes learn to develop a sort of low-grade echolocation. This technique, used by the likes of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Milsap, and Ben Underwood, works much the same way as it does in bats and dolphins. But people who have just recently lost their sight can't harness this ability innately. They need the vOICe to do it for them.

Invented by Dr. Peter B.L. Meijer, Principal Scientist at the Netherland's Hemics BV in 1982, the vOICe (as in "Oh, I See") is what's known as a sensory substitution device (SSDs). SSDs instigate a mechanical synthesia—transforming visual information into audible representations—in order to overcome a lost sensory ability. The image below is that of Dr. Meijer mid-conversion.

These Synthesia Glasses Help Blind People “See” Via Sonar

The vOICe consists of a glasses-mounted camera for collecting visual data, a backpack-carried laptop running the conversion software, and headphones to project the converted sound into the patient's ears, scanning left to right like a sonar sweep. While Meijer did come up with the idea in the early '80s it wasn't until nearly two decades later in 1998 that the necessary components had shrunk to portable sizes and even that used a desktop webcam—which was quickly replaced with a pair of those "spy" sunglasses you find in Skymall. The system still uses spy glasses, though users can also download the software to their smartphone and use its camera instead.

As the vOICe website explains:

The vOICe converts images captured by a camera into "soundscapes" delivered to the user through headphones at a default rate of one soundscape per second. Each soundscape is a left to right scan of the visual scene with frequency representing the image's vertical axis and loudness representing brightness... The user therefore experiences a series of "snapshots" passing from the left to the right ear.

Some studies have suggested that the brain adapts to the long-term use of these devices, rewiring itself to "see" sounds, like Daredevil. Claire Cheskin, a long-time user of the vOICe, told New Scientist that she can interpret full images roughly akin to her lost sight just by listening. "I've sailed across the English Channel and across the North Sea, sometimes using the vOICe to spot landmarks," she said. "The lights on the land were faint but the vOICe could pick them up." What's more, some skilled users able to do the same without the aid of the SSD. The next step will, obviously, be Geordi LaForge-style visors. [PopSci - SeeingWithSound 1, 2, 3 - Images: Seeing With Sound, diagram (below): New Scientist]

These Synthesia Glasses Help Blind People “See” Via Sonar

Read More...

Pixar-Inspired Animation Explains the NSA Perfectly

Source: http://gizmodo.com/pixar-inspired-animation-explains-the-nsa-perfectly-755320033

The NSA is creepy as hell. Luckily, the Internet found a way to make the whole spying-on-you clusterdiddle fun with a poignant animation that channels the playful Pixar Lamp of yore. Adorbz.

In the animation above, you'll see our old friend the lamp, except this time he's a security camera and the word on the screen is USA. The story proceeds as we know it will. The security camera bounces on the "U" in USA until he accidentally crushes it. When the camera turns to look at us in shame, the "USA" now reads "NSA". It's just as clever as it is depressing T_T

It appears the animation originated on Reddit, with user joystick354 suggesting the concept in storyboard-form. From there, skilled user Sqorck jumped into action, animating the concept from start to finish. He even made an alternate take (below) that has a more unsettling ending, which suggests the invisibility of the NSA's persistent spying. Well done, everybody!

[Reddit via Twitter]

Read More...

Intel-powered ZTE Geek arrives in China on July 25th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/12/zte-geek-intel-clover-trail-china/

Intelpowered ZTE Geek arrives in China on July 25th

When we first caught a glimpse of the ZTE Geek in Beijing, it was merely an awkwardly named prototype. Now, it looks like the smartphone with "Intel Inside" will soon be ready for primetime -- in China, anyway. It boasts the same Clover Trail+ processor as the Lenovo K900, but with pared-down features that help it achieve a lower price point. The phone's outfitted with Android (Jelly Bean), a 5-inch 1,080 x 720 pixel display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1-megapixel front cam, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage space. Clearly, it's not the most tricked-out phone there is, but its price might entice people to try it out. The ZTE Geek will make an exclusive arrival at Jingdong Mall on July 25th, where it'll retail for ¥1,888 ($307). If you despise cables and your wallet can take a hit, you can also get one bundled with a wireless charging kit for ¥2,288 ($372).

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: Engadget Chinese (translated)

Source: ZTE (Sina Weibo)

Read More...

Bremont's Codebreaker Watch Pays Homage to WWII's Enigma Crackers

Source: http://gizmodo.com/bremonts-codebreaker-watch-pays-homage-to-wwiis-enigm-745738355

Bremont's Codebreaker Watch Pays Homage to WWII's Enigma Crackers

The allied victory in World War II can be as much credited to the brave men and women who fought with weapons as it can the scientists and mathematicians who successfully broke the secret codes used by the Germans, including the famous Enigma machine. And Bremont is commemorating that accomplishment with a limited edition timepiece called the Codebreaker that incorporates elements of Britain's code-breaking efforts.

During the war, a facility called Bletchley Park was converted into the allies code-breaking HQ, and Bremont's watch actually incorporates elements from that now historical landmark. The Codebreaker's crown is inlayed with pine taken from Hut 6, the building where Alan Turing cracked the Enigma machine, and the watch's automatic movement's counterbalance is made from parts of an actual Enigma device.

Available in just 240 pieces with a steel finish, and 50 crafted from rose gold, even the limited edition numbering appearing on the side of the watch is fashioned from actual printed punchcards used during the war. So as you can expect, the watch doesn't come cheap. The steel version comes in at just under $19,000, while the rose gold option is a bit more pricey at $34,000. But all of the proceeds are being donated by Bremont towards the restoration and preservation of Bletchley Park, so at least your small fortune is going to a good cause. [Bremont via Gear Patrol]

Read More...

Transit Times in NYC, Visualized

Source: http://gizmodo.com/transit-times-in-nyc-visualized-752731586

Transit Times in NYC, Visualized

As cities grow and populations expand, people move further and further away from the center. That's definitely happened in New York—and this visualization shows how the shift to more distant neighbourhoods affects travel time.

The interactive maps lets you click on a location and then gives a color-coded insight into transit times across the entire city. It's a little like Trulia's Google Maps mash up—in fact it almost certainly shares some data sources with it—though it collapses data down instead of giving results by transport type. And it looks prettier, too. [WNYC via Flowing Data]

Read More...

LG's 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs go on sale in the US for $5,999 and $7,999

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/11/lgs-55-and-65-inch-4k-tvs-go-on-sale-in-the-us-for-5-999-and/

LG's 55 and 65inch 4K TVs go on sale in the US for $5,999 and $7,999

Thought Samsung had the US market for 65-inch Ultra HD televisions cornered? Think again. Hot on the heels of its competitor, LG has announced that its 55- and 65-inch UHD sets will sell for $5,999 and $7,999, respectively. They also pack a new feature -- a powered 4.1 channel speaker bar that appears / disappears beneath the front lip of the TV. The prices aren't chump change by any stretch of the imagination, but they're certainly more affordable than LG's last UHD TV: an 84-inch monster that sold for a staggering $19,999. Still, getting your hands on one isn't easy -- like its 84-inch set, LG's latest screens are making their debut exclusively in southern California, and will eventually roll out to stores nationwide. Sure, driving out to Santa Monica to pick up a new TV might not be convenient, but at least it's closer than South Korea -- if you're not in the US, the company expects to roll them out in the UK, Russia and Australia soon. Check out the company's official announcement after the break.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Read More...

Google's Alfred service shutting down on July 19th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/11/google-alfred-closing/

Google's Alfred service shutting down on July 19th

Google's not done shuttering wares this month, apparently, as the local recommendation service Alfred is headed for the digital cemetery on July 19th. The app issued a warning to its users, spotted by TechCrunch, announcing its impending death and warning users to request data through the feedback tool should they wish to use it post-July 19th.

Mountain View purchased Clever Sense, the company that created Alfred, back in late 2011. The team responsible has since moved on, internally, to other projects (CEO Babak Pahlavan, for instance, is now part of Google's Analytics division). Apparently their baby couldn't escape Google's ever-looming axe, and it joins Latitude in the most recent round of service cuts.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: TechCrunch

Read More...

Thursday, July 11, 2013

drag2share: How Nokia's Radical New Zoom Tech Works

source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/vip/~3/UNXkxl3gZz0/how-nokias-radical-new-zoom-tech-works-744505287

Nokia's new Lumia 1020 comes with a host of features you might not be used to on a humble smartphone. And one of the most intriguing is the Lumia's radical new approach to zoom. Here's how it works.

Because the Lumia 1020 shoots so many pixels on the 41MP sensor, it doesn't have to lose any actual "pixels" when it zooms in. It can go to 6x zoom by just cropping down on the original image taken (sort of like how the D4's 1080p crop mode works).

The way to think of it is that the full, unzoomed images actually throw out a bunch of data. You know how Apple's retina method sends four pixels to populate what used to be one pixel? The PureView sensor, more or less, does the same thing, so it's sending that "retina" packet to a non-retina screen. But that data's all there, and so you can "zoom" in and access the data that would have been lost otherwise. The 1020 saves the "oversampled," smaller image (which has lost some data), but also saves the full file so you can zoom all around the image and zoom wherever you want later on.

Here's a quick look at how that "dual-capture" method—the 5MP oversampled image and the full file—breaks down in action:

How Nokia's Radical New Zoom Tech Works

What's it all going to mean for your photos? More control, mostly. A chance to frame your shot just right after you've already taken it, without losing all the important sharpness and detail that you want. It's a handy innovation, and one that might just win you over to Windows Phone once and for all.!

Read More...

ATLAS: Probably the Most Advanced Humanoid Yet, Definitely Terrifying

Source: http://gizmodo.com/atlas-probably-the-most-advanced-humanoid-yet-definit-745900003

ATLAS: Probably the Most Advanced Humanoid Yet, Definitely Terrifying

As impressed by we all were by Petman, DARPA and Boston Dynamics' remarkably agile and nimble humanoid, it's about to get upstaged by the company's latest and greatest robot creation: ATLAS. Designed to compete in DARPA's upcoming Robotics Challenge, we actually already got a glimpse of ATLAS' impressive skills back when it was just a prototype, but as it nears completion we're now seeing just how damn impressive it really is.

Not only does it keep its balance and remain standing after being hit by a 20-pound wrecking ball, ATLAS also tackles a treadmill with ease, staying on two feet while two-by-fours and other obstacles are tossed in its path. Is it time to be really impressed, or really scared?

Read More...

Google Drive makes it easy to email spreadsheets, copy/paste your heart away

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/11/google-drive-copy-paste/

DNP Google Drive copypaste

Google Drive updates might be few and far in between, but they usually add welcome changes to the service -- take for example its recently improved copy/paste function. You can now paste tables from spreadsheets into Gmail with their formatting intact, and it doesn't even matter what browser you use. Chrome users get a bit of extra, of course, like bringing shapes from drawings into presentations and copying slides from one presentation to another. While minor at best, these upgrades do make it easier to share data from Drive -- when it's online, anyway.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Google Drive (Google+)

Read More...

Samsung's 65-, 55-inch Ultra HDTVs will ship to the US in August

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/10/samsung-65-55-inch-4k-tv/

After releasing its massive 85-inch UHD TV with a stunning $39,999 price in the US earlier this year, Samsung is ready to follow up with a few models that are more easily attainable. The 65- and 55-inch F9000 UHD TVs will carry US pricetags of $7,499 and $5,499, respectively, with pre-orders starting July 21st and shipments expected in early August. Samsung just began delivering these in its home country, and others like Sony, LG, Sharp and Toshiba are starting to offer 4K TVs in smaller sizes (not to mention value priced contenders like Seiki.) The F9000 series includes all of Samsung's latest features like 3D, Micro Dimming Ultimate LED display, Wi-Fi and an embedded camera, plus support for Evolution Kit upgrades the company claims will let it keep pace with any future UHD standards.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Read More...

LG Display shows off 2.2mm thick 'world's slimmest' 1080p LCD for smartphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/10/lg-display-thinnest-full-hd-smartphone-lcd/

LG Display shows off 22mm thick 'world's slimmest' 1080p LCD screen for smartphones

As smartphones continue to get thinner and thinner, LG Display is continually doing its part to shave off a few millimeters. Its latest introduction is this "world's slimmest full HD panel for smartphones", measuring at 5.2-inches diagonally, it's just 2.2mm thick and has a 2.3mm bezel. To get there, LG's display arm has pioneered new technology including "Advanced One-Glass-Solution" that puts dual flexible circuits between the panel and touch film, with 30 percent fewer lines on the panel. It also points out that every one of its pixels consists of RGB subpixels -- more shots fired at pentile screens -- and that it's capable of 535 nits of brightness, more than all current 1080p mobile LCDs. That should be an improvement over the Zerogap Touch technology it was so proud of in the original Optimus G and hey, look at that -- it's arriving just in time for the Optimus G2.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: LG Display

Read More...

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Tiny Sticker-Like Sensors Will Let You Monitor Everything, Everywhere

Source: http://gizmodo.com/tiny-sticker-like-sensors-will-let-you-monitor-everythi-733444895

Tiny Sticker-Like Sensors Will Let You Monitor Everything, Everywhere

Environmental sensors are used everywhere from heavy industry to UAVs hunting the troposphere for water vapor. The new postage-stamp sized, self-powered, flexible wireless sensor unveiled today by Japan's Green Sensor Network Laboratories could make home applications a breeze, letting you measure the humidity of your greenhouse or make sure your pipes don't burst in a winter freeze.

The sensor, about as thick as a credit card, has a three-layer construction composed of a microprocessor, a flexible antenna, and a power-generating semiconductor nanofiber. The flexible construction allows the sensor to be attached to surfaces like a sticker, and once deployed, data is transmitted wirelessly. The sensor can be configured to monitor things like temperature, CO2, infrared light or dust levels, and at under $10 a piece, you could network a whole gang of them for highly-detailed data. Current prototypes generate about 80% of the electricity needed, but the research team intends the sensors to be self-powered by launch time.

So whether you're planning on measuring industrial smog output or you just want to see how hot your apartment gets during a summer workday, these sensor-stickers could someday let you put a gauge on pretty much anything, though we're not sure when they might reach production. [PhysOrg]

Read More...

LG Optimus G Pro Value Pack now rolling out to AT&T subscribers (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/10/lg-optimus-g-pro-value-pack-rolling-out-to-att-subscribers/

LG Optimus G Pro Value Pack

American LG Optimus G Pro owners no longer have to look on with envy as their Korean friends take advantage of the Value Pack: the update is now available to AT&T subscribers over the air. As in other countries, the upgrade brings Smart Video to pause playback when looking away, a Dual Camera mode for photo shoots and Pause & Resume Recording for Vine-like video cuts. LG has also upgraded the Quick Remote for better Smart TV control, added emoticons to its messaging apps and opened up customization of the home button's LED alerts. The Value Pack isn't the same as getting a G2, but it will help the G Pro keep up with the Joneses.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Source: AT&T

Read More...

This Painting Robot Constantly Adjusts Its Style to Create Masterpieces

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-painting-robot-constantly-adjusts-its-style-to-cre-731305977

E-David isn't the first industrial robotic arm that's been re-programmed to paint. There have been many similar creations before it, but they've all worked sort of like elaborate photocopiers, perfectly recreating a digital image stored in memory. What sets e-David apart is that it's the first robot painter that constantly adapts its technique and brush strokes as it works based on what it's seeing through a camera pointed at its canvas.

Robot arms are designed and built to perfectly reproduce the same movements again and again, so in the past it's been hard to classify what a robot painter produces as 'art' since technically it's just reproducing a digital image. But using the feed from a camera, the software that powers e-David continually analyzes the paint strokes that have been added, deciding where to put the next stroke based on where shade or light needs to be added to perfect its masterpiece.

This Painting Robot Constantly Adjusts Its Style to Create Masterpieces

And with 24 shades and five different brushes at its disposal, e-David has created some stunning pieces so far. Because the robot hasn't spent much time exploring the real world, it still needs to be fed an image to use as inspiration for its creations. But thanks to its unique artistic approach, the results are always unique—to the point where we wouldn't be surprised to see e-David get its own gallery showing, or eventually go crazy and cut off one of its microphones. [The Creators Project via Notcot]

This Painting Robot Constantly Adjusts Its Style to Create Masterpieces

Read More...

Outbound calls from desktop Gmail are back, with free calling to the US and Canada

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/09/outbound-calls-from-desktop-gmail-are-back-with-free-calling-to/

Image

Today Google has brought back the ability to make phone calls from desktop Gmail, Google+ and via its Chrome extension, and also announced that calls to the US and Canada are free (from countries where Hangouts calling is available. The feature disappeared when Google introduced its new Hangouts setup, but a post on the Gmail blog claims that now it's better than ever. According to the company, "Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice," with making and receiving calls just the beginning. For now, users can enjoy new features like adding multiple phone numbers and video participants to the same call, and using sound effects from the Google Effects app. Current Hangouts users should see a new phone icon in Gmail, or a "call a phone" menu item in Google+ and the Chrome extension.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Gmail Blog

Read More...

Murchison Widefield Array goes live, will study the sun, space junk, the early universe and more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/09/murchison-widefield-array-goes-live/

Murchison Widefield Array goes live, will study the sun, space junk, the early universe and more

We hope IBM's hardware is ready to chew through the feast of data it's going to receive, as the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope is officially open for business science. Located in the outback on the same site as the Australia SKA Pathfinder, it's one of three "precursor" programs that'll help steer future development of the extra powerful Square Kilometer Array. The MWA low-frequency telescope has plenty of work to be getting on with, and some of its first tasks include gazing into the sun to observe solar flares, storms and other activity, as well as scanning the Milky Way for the likes of "black holes and exploding stars." It'll also look into the tracking of hazardous space garbage using FM radio waves that are lost to the void, and explore the early life of the universe as far back as 13 billion years. According to Curtin Un! iversity 's Professor Tingay, the MWA's commendable work ethic (read: data quality) means we could see initial results from some of these projects "in as little as three months' time."

Filed under: ,

Comments

Read More...

Researchers say new development could give artificial skin a wider range of senses

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/09/artificial-skin-range-of-senses/

Researchers say new development could give artificial skin a wider range of senses

We've seen a number of efforts to build a better artificial skin, or "e-skin," over the years, and a team of researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology now say they've made a breakthrough that could lead to some of the most sensitive e-skin yet. The key development is a new type of flexible sensor that would not only allow the artificial skin to detect touch, but humidity and temperature as well. Those sensors are comprised of gold-based nanoparticles that are just five to eight nanometers in diameter and laid on top of a substrate -- in their research, the scientists used PET, the type of plastic you'd normally find in soda bottles. That substrate conducts electricity differently depending on the way it is bent, which means researchers can adjust its sensitivity just by increasing its thickness. As you might expect, this is all still in the early stages, but the researchers see plenty of possibilities for the future, from bringing a sense of touch to artificial limbs to using the same technology to monitor stress on bridges.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: PhysOrg

Source: American Technion Society

Read More...

Tuesday, July 09, 2013

A Hotel Full of Secret Rooms Invites an Epic Game of Hide-and-Seek

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-hotel-full-of-secret-rooms-invites-an-epic-game-of-hi-718156776

A Hotel Full of Secret Rooms Invites an Epic Game of Hide-and-Seek

The Suitcase House Hotel is the perfect place to hide out. It has an entire network of rooms hidden beneath the floorboards, like an architectural Swiss Army knife. Check out these amazing hiding places—or, as the hotel probably refers to them, the places where you brush your teeth and sleep.

A Hotel Full of Secret Rooms Invites an Epic Game of Hide-and-Seek

Created by Hong Kong-based architect Gary Chang, the beautiful fortress is nestled in the hills near the Great Wall. The long, narrow Chinese hotel uses space in really interesting, unconventional way, with a series of undetectable compartments hidden under notched floorboards that open to reveal different programs. Pull up one of the convertible pieces, and you'll find sinks and a bathroom. Remove another, and there's a library and a study. Another conceals a sleeping chamber, and another, a sauna. These pneumatically-assisted panels make the space infinitely configurable for events and lodgings. This diagram shows the different ways in which you could change up the suitcase house:

A Hotel Full of Secret Rooms Invites an Epic Game of Hide-and-Seek

So while your conventional hotel uses regular old vertical doors as entrances to rooms, the Suitcase House has its doors located horizontally on the floor. It would definitely make for a competitive game of hide-and-seek. [DesignBoom]

A Hotel Full of Secret Rooms Invites an Epic Game of Hide-and-Seek

Read More...

A Terrifying Staircase To Nowhere Provides Dizzying Views Of the Alps

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-terrifying-staircase-to-nowhere-provides-dizzying-vie-719205070

A Terrifying Staircase To Nowhere Provides Dizzying Views Of the Alps

Apparently, stunning views of one of the most picturesque mountain ranges in the world aren't enough for visitors of the Dachstein Glacier resort in Austria. So the facility has installed a 14-step 'staircase to nothing' leading to a glass-bottomed viewing platform that juts out from the side of the glacier, and a 328-foot suspension bridge that hangs 1,300 feet over the mountains.

Although awe-inspiring, neither attraction is designed for the faint of heart. However, if you've ever dreamed of scaling a mountain but barely have enough upper body strength to put on a warm jacket, this is the closest you'll get to the stunning views enjoyed by mountaineers—unless they eventually install a staircase on Everest. [Der Dachstein via Spiegel Online]

A Terrifying Staircase To Nowhere Provides Dizzying Views Of the Alps

A Terrifying Staircase To Nowhere Provides Dizzying Views Of the Alps

Images by Dachstein and Spiegel Online

Read More...

Monday, July 08, 2013

A Magical Window That Blocks Noise But Lets Breezes Pass Through

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-magical-window-that-blocks-noise-but-lets-breezes-pas-703615179

A Magical Window That Blocks Noise But Lets Breezes Pass Through

It's a warm summer night in the city, but instead of sleeping with the windows open to let a breeze in, you've got them all closed to keep your bedroom quiet. It's a 'lesser of two evils' decision that people living in crowded urban centers might soon not have to make. Researchers in South Korea have developed a remarkable new type of window that dampens sound while still allowing air to pass right on through.

Developed by Seong-Hyun Lee at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials and Sang-Hoon Kima at the South Korea Mokpo National Maritime University, the nitty-gritty of how the window works is detailed here. But in layman's terms, the windows are made up of two plates of transparent acrylic sitting 40mm apart that work as a resonance chamber, diminishing the energy of sound waves passing through. And to maximize the window's efficiency, it's perforated with 50mm holes that allow more sound to enter and get trapped, without obstructing breezes.

The exact science of how the windows work is of course far more elaborate and worth a read if you've got a few moments, but in testing it's been found to reduce sounds by an impressive 20 to 30 decibels—enough to turn a traffic-filled street into a sleep-friendly murmur—across various frequency ranges depending on the size of the perforations.

So in addition to soundproofing and cooling an office or a home, in theory, the materials could even be used to make ultra-quiet fans or other hardware. [Cornell University via MIT Technology Review]

A Magical Window That Blocks Noise But Lets Breezes Pass Through

Image by Stockelements/Shutterstock

Read More...

Garmin's $130 smartphone HUD limits distractions with line-of-sight directions

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/08/garmin-head-up-display/

Garmin's $130 smartphone HUD limits distractions with lineofsight directions

We've become so dependent on GPS that a three-minute drive often means frequent glances at an in-car navigation companion. But taking your eyes off the road can be very dangerous, even if it's only for a moment. If you're fortunate enough to have one, a head-up display will let you get to your destination efficiently and safely, and Garmin's got a new aftermarket solution to keep you cruising on the cheap. The company's new HUD projects bright directions onto a transparent film mounted on your windshield, serving up guidance within your regular line of sight. The simple interface displays your current speed and the speed limit, turn arrows, the distance until your next turn and an ETA. The Garmin HUD is compatible with Bluetooth-equipped smartphones running Garmin StreetPilot and Navigon apps. It's expected in stores this summer with a MSRP of $129.99.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Read More...