Sunday, June 08, 2008

Concept Phone Charges Self With The Rays Of The Sun [Cellphones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/306842096/concept-phone-charges-self-with-the-rays-of-the-sun


Another day, another concept phone. This Eclipse Intuit, by Eddie Goh, features a touch keypad with tactile feedback, 5 megapixel camera with built-in photo editing software, a giant touchscreen and a chemical-based thin solar skin that will charge the battery when exposed to light.

It sounds all well and good, except how often does anyone keep their phone out in the open gathering sunlight? Usually if I'm out and about, my cell stays firmly in the depths of my handbag or in my back pocket and, last time I checked, sunlight doesn't reach there. I guess this phone is going to stay a concept. [Yanko Design]


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Artist Repairs Walls In Italy With Lego Bricks [Legos]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/306894372/artist-repairs-walls-in-italy-with-lego-bricks

In an art stunt that Jesus is sure to love, artist and lego enthusiast Jan Vormann went around the quiet little town of Bocchignano, Italy filling its decrepit walls with lego pieces.

The work was done as part of an Italian group project "20 Eventi." A group of artists developed projects in the Sabina region to create a open-air museum that spans four villages. [Boing Boing]

GALLERY


END


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Shuttle D10 Media Server With a 7-Inch Touchscreen [PCs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/306534226/shuttle-d10-media-server-with-a-7+inch-touchscreen

Here's a small form factor PC by Shuttle meant to function as a media server. What's clever is the 7-inch touchscreen and I hope some general UI for getting around your files and programs. I've stashed a Shuttle box or two in a closet, and it fit great but using a keyboard and mouse in the closet is rough. So is planting a monitor between your shirts and pants. So this is a nice idea. (Please ignore the photoshopped floating screenshots to the sides of the LCD.) [Shuttle]


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Interactive Timeline of Apple Announcements (With Video) [Apple]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/307037869/interactive-timeline-of-apple-announcements-with-video

We know the iPhone is going to be center stage on Monday. But maybe you don't want a new iPhone, you want one more thing. Cult of Mac has convenient interactive timeline of big announcements from every Stevenote (with video!) so you can figure out what's more likely than not, using history as a guide.

Definitely watch the original iPod announcement, which is kind of surreal—no applause or cheering in a crappy beige auditorium, waiting 10 minutes before you see it—and then check out the iPhone one. Gods aren't born overnight, but they can be fashioned over the course of 6 years, apparently. [Cult of Mac]


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Battlemodo of Highest Res Video Goggles: Zeiss Cinemizer vs. Myvu Crystal [Review]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/307073303/battlemodo-of-highest-res-video-goggles-zeiss-cinemizer-vs-myvu-crystal

Despite the stigma, I've always wanted a pair of video goggles. I never did mind the nerd factor accompanying any piece of gear, at least not after admiring sci fi heroes like Cyclops of the X-men and Geordi from ST:TNG. But they've never been cheap or high-res enough until now. The Zeiss Cinemizer ($400) and the Myvu Crystal ($300) both do 640x480 resolution, which is best in class. And so today I'll try to figure out which one is better headset. During it all, I will suspend all disbelief when it comes to the practicality of wearing a second screen for your video iPod on your face. I mean, what are you really saving here but neck cramps?

Visual Quality
I watched lots of snowboarding videos on both setups. Both sets have the same resolution, but the screens look bigger and with less ambient light and distracting reflection in the Zeiss. It's supposed to simulate a 45 inch screen at 6 feet away, but all I know is that it's a lot more in your face than the Myvu. The Zeiss and Myvu's brightness, contrast and black levels were on par with each other. I do wish they came in 16:9 versions, but the 4:3 ratio is probably more practical. There's a 3D setting on the Zeiss, which is to be used with clips provided on their website, but as most content isn't 3D, it didn't factor into my testing. Update: Eyestrain isn't bad at all at the 30 minute mark, but I'll do some more testing today to make sure.

Comfort
The Zeiss has adjustable head pieces, and a large and narrow nose piece. It's a much heavier set up, however, and so the Myvu is much more comfortable, with its adjustable nosepiece. I'd be more likely to use the Myvu out of the house, given their weight.

Audio
The Zeiss has mounted earbuds on adjustable plastic sticks that don't actually interface directly with your canals. (They float over them.) The Myvu's buds go into your ears, isolate a lot more sound and produce better audio, although the dangly wires add to the clutter.

Jordie Factor
The Cinemizers are far uglier than the lighter Myvu Crystals, partially from the bulging faux-eye pieces packed with the eyesight correcting diopter glass (+/-3.5D) and knobs, partially from just being too damn far apart. The Myvus are also a lot easier to walk around with, as you can see easily above and below the screen making driving with these a lot safer. (I kid!)

Controls
The Zeiss has a really nice rubber remote with contrast/brightness settings, volume, FF/RW, Play/Pause buttons and a nice clip. That leads to the battery dock, which holds the iPod and has a power button. The Myvu's controller has individual brightness and contrast settings, plus volume, but no navigation.

Compatibility and cabling
The Zeiss comes with a number of click in plastic holders for the touch, 3G Nano, Classic 80gb, 5th gen 60/80GB iPod, and Classic 160GB. There's no case for an iPhone the Classic 160 fit fine. There's a 1/8th inch jack for audio/video input, but a cable is not included. The Myvu comes in iPod or universal kits, but the universal kit excludes the iPod dock connection. The universal kit has adapters for regular composite jacks, Zune, Gigabeat, Archos, and 5th gen video iPods. The Myvu's cabling is also a mess, since you've got a separate battery/remote jack which interfaces with the iPod through another cable. The Zeiss's design bundles the battery with the already bulky iPod and so the only spare part is a remote. Very nice.

Battery Life
Both claim 4 hours of life. It's worth noting that other headsets from Myvu with 320 pixel wide images can do 10 hours of battery life. Both charge via USB, with the Zeiss charging a minimum of 2.5 hours and the Myvu finishing in 4 to 12 hours. (Rated.)

Accessories/Extras
The Zeiss has a really nice case, while the Myvu has a mere bag.

If visual quality is your ultimate requirement, and you're married to an iPod, the Zeiss makes better sense. But the Myvu's ability to play with other video sources out of the box and its $100 cheaper price tag make it a little bit better for the general buyer. Both will give you a charisma penalty of 3-4 points, but you know, we don't care about that kind of thing around here.

Suspension of disbelief off: I guess there's a bigger question here of whether or not any of us need such a set up. I can imagine using one on a plane so I don't have to drain my iPhone's battery displaying a 3 hour movie on the 3.5 inch LCD; instead, I can avoid neck cramps and stare wherever my anatomy feels I will be most comfortable. Likewise in bed or on a couch. A few years ago, the quality was worse and these headsets were closer to $500. From here, at $300, I guess those limited scenarios are a decent value. Ultimately, most of you who decide to take such an advanced plunge will be doing it to bleed at the edge. What's nice is that going forward these things can only get better and cheaper, and I hope, less imposing to wear. [Zeiss and Myvu]


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