Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Saturday, February 09, 2008

XEL-1: Sony's First OLED TV Reviewed by Sound and Vision (The Bastards) [HDTVs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/231863178/xel+1-sonys-first-oled-tv-reviewed-by-sound-and-vision-the-bastards

I can't say I'm not jealous that Al at Sound and Vision for getting first domestic review of the upcoming Sony 11-inch OLED TV. The set has one of the highest price/size ratios ever, but it also pulls off one of the highest performances of any modern TV, too. Here are the particulars, in case you have an extra $2500 to blow on a TV that'll look huge in your daughter's doll house.

• The TV has two HDMI ports
• It's not quite HD, with a res of half of 1080p (960x540, although it will of course accept HD resolutions, and that is enough for an 11-incher.)
• 3mm thick on the main screen unit, about the same as three credit cards!
• The base unit contains the ports and upward firing speakers aiming through an aluminum grill.
• There is a USB port for media modules; right now there is a web content streamer, but DVD and wireless HDMI modules are coming.
• The remote is slim and controls a cross media bar interface like that on the PS3.
• The set is terrible in direct lighting because of a highly reflective screen.
• Visual quality was on par with the best plasmas and LCDs, and surpassed many sets in contrast and shadow detail.

[Sound and Vision]

WildCharge Releases iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry Pearl/8800 Wireless Charging Adapters [Gadgets]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/231956520/wildcharge-releases-iphone-ipod-blackberry-pearl8800-wireless-charging-adapters

Wildcharge, the device that lets you wirelessly charge your RAZR, has just released new adapters for the iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry 8800 and 2nd Gen iPod Nano. It still works the same: put the adapter on the back of your phone, place your phone onto the charging pad and wait for the juice to flow. No pricing information on this quite yet, but the old RAZR chargers were $34 (or $89 for the pad and the charger together). [WildCharge]

Nokia trial turns N95s into traffic sensing tools

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/232062742/

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Transportation

Sure, we've seen cellphones intermingle with traffic data before, but Nokia's looking to up the ante in a big way by utilizing a large network of GPS-enabled handsets to actually predict traffic patterns and help you avoid congestion before you even leave for that afternoon appointment. In a recent trial involving 100 volunteer drivers (and an equal amount of N95s), the handset maker teamed up with UC Berkeley to test the effectiveness of using a device most people already own (read: cellphones) to beam out traffic data rather than installing permanent sensors in roadways. Eventually, Nokia hopes to expand the experiment to over 1,000 folks, and just in case you privacy junkies can already feel your heart racing, you can rest assured that all "personal identifying information" was stripped before being sent back for analysis.

Read - Nokia turns people into traffic sensors
Read - Video: Nokia test drives traffic monitoring system

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Friday, February 08, 2008

Eee PC Has A Kindle Mode? [Asus]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/231974126/eee-pc-has-a-kindle-mode

Got a desire for the sold out Amazon Kindle? If you do your probably out of luck on actually getting one anytime soon. The next best thing might actually be an Eee PC in "Kindle" mode. By using FBReader in fullscreen and portrait mode, an Eeeph forum member turned his Eee into a Kindle imitator. Since FBReader is a free e-book reader for Unix and Windows computers this little Kindle tweak shouldn't be too hard to get you a multi-function e-reader out the popular Eee PC. [Eeeph via EeeUser]

Military-grade gel-based liquid bandages approved by the FDA

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/231805864/

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Spray-on liquid bandages aren't a new idea by any means, but a company called BioCure has just received FDA approval for a gel-based version designed to treat combat wounds. Developed in conjunction with Rutgers University and the Army, the GelSpray Liquid Bandage is applied with a dual syringe that combines two different polymers that combine into a gel, spreading to cover and protect the wound. The gel only sticks to intact skin, not the wound itself, and it's hard enough to resist abrasion. BioCure is already talking about medicated versions that will treat infection and stop severe bleeding, and the prospect of civilian applications are also on the table -- but no dates have been given, sadly.

[Via Medgadget]

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