{ Technology }

Panasonic Ditches The Computer Monitor For Skype Video Conferencing

Finally, futuristic technologies are finally becoming more prominent in today’s gadgets. Saying that, this isn’t Avatar and we can’t scroll through the endless terrain of Pandora in beautiful 3D holograms, but it’s going to be nice to video chat (or video conference) on your TV. Read more

{ Technology }

Kent Displays Will Forever Change Your Gadgets With Reflex™

Kent Displays, a company who’s looking to introduce the world to customizable electronic skins, is using cholesteric liquid crystal display — or chLCD — to change the color of gadgets with the flick of a button. This technology is something I’ve heard of, but in a smaller proportion. The Science Channel’s look into the future laid out the path to color changeable cars, something I’m sure even the unenthusiastic car driver would be excited over. In the sporty mood during your lunch hour? Change the color of your car to red. Having a really bad day? Switch it over to black. It sounds futuristic, but the technology is already here. Read more

{ General, Technology }

7 HD Projectors + Old Buildings = Awesomeness

Ever wonder what seven high definition projectors and a couple of buildings could do to the nightly landscape? Then, by all means, have a watch:

The projection on the buildings where done by a company called Obscura Digital. These are the same people who used their high definition projectors at the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, earlier this year. They use patented technology that actually lays out the projection based on the architecture of the surface they’re projecting on. Pretty interesting stuff. If you get a chance, hit up the link above and watch the video on the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. It’s great stuff.

[via Gizmodo]

{ Featured, Technology }

Self-Healing Plastic Will Make Scratches Obsolete

What if all of our plastic gadgets and gizmos were all made with self-repairing or self-healing plastic? No more will our mobile phones, laptops, or any other device for that matter, have a hint of scratches on their surface. Lets take it one step further and think about it on our car. Can we say, “Fuck you and your key, Carrie Underwood?” Not yet, but soon you just may.Scientists around the country have been working on different scenarios on creating just that: self-healing plastic.

Ars Technica reports that in the latest issue of Science Magazine, “Biswajit Ghosh and Marek Urban from the University of Southern Mississippi present a new polymer design that can employ UV light from the Sun to activate a latent self-pair capacity.” Let me put that in Layman’s term for ya: Biswajit and Marek from USM created a plastic that can self-heal in the Sun. Neato? I sure think so.

Put on your “coke bottles,” boys and girls, because I’m about to get technical on your ass. Read more

{ Featured, Technology }

DealBot: Dell Crystal 22-inch Flat-screen Monitor On-Sale

As a wise Beyonce once said, “Let me upgrade you.” So, that’s what I plan on doing to you. A 22-inch Dell Crystal LCD Monitor can now be bought for only $499, whereas it was originally priced around a grand. This sleek, modern, monitor would look good just about anywhere. Hell, I’d even put it in my living room if they made a 42-inch one.

Dell Crystal won the 2008 CES Best of Innovations award with its sexy 22-inch WXGA display that features full detail in wide-screen 1680 x 1050 resolution. Yum. The Dell Crystal also features a built-in webcam, fully-integrated speakers,  the simplicity of only one cable and a 2000:1 contrast ration. Would you hold for a second while I go to the bathroom?

CNET gave this bad-boy a 3 out of 5, however, Dell’s customer rating system currently has it at a 4.2 out of 5. Not bad. And besides being an ultra-sexy monitor, that’s one hell of a deal for $499.

You can buy yours online over on Dell’s website. You’ve officially been upgraded. You may now pop your collar.

[via CrunchGear via GadgetReview]

{ Politics, Technology }

1.5 Gigapixel Obama Inauguration Picture

I know, I know. You’re sick of hearing about President Obama’s inauguration. Well, this is quite the neat story. There was a man named David Bergman who attended the inaguration and took 220 images with a Canon G10 mounted on a Gigapan panoramic imager system. View the entire image here.

Patched together, this 1.5 gigapixel image of President Barack Obama’s inauguration, can show detail far more than what meets the eye. Everyone needs to see it. I was able to find someone picking their nose, people bored out of their minds surfing the web on their cellphone, and of course, people yawning. Priceless.

[via CrunchGear]

{ Technology, Technology }

Holy Crap: Google’s Android Ported To Eee-PC

Yes, I said, “holy crap.” This has got to be huge. One of the most wealthiest, and nicest (might I add), companies in the world has a new direction: your laptop. Besides the fact that Android is now a mobile operating system that will soon be in Nokias, Motorolas, and more HTC’s, it can be ported over to be a fully-functioning computer operating system. Why is this such huge news? Let me take it straight from the horses mouth:

“Here’s the significance: Imagine the billion dollar market at stake here if Google can make good on this vision. Netbooks are basically small-scale PCs. For Silicon Valley myriad of software companies, it means a well-backed, open operating system that is open and ripe for exploitation for building upon. Now think of Chrome, Google’s web browser, and the richness it allows developers to build into the browser’s relationship with the desktop — all of this could usher in a new wave of more sophisticated web applications, cheaper and more dynamic to use. Ramifications abound: What does it mean for the stock price of Microsoft? Microsoft currently owns the vast majority of the desktop operating system market share? In recent weeks, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer repeatedly dismissed Android as competition to Windows Mobile.”

I can see this becoming huge in the fact that nearly everyone hates Microsoft’s Vista operating system. It’s almost like, we’re rebelling. I’m in that category and would rather go back to Windows XP if I had a copy of the OS available.

Awesomeness.

{ Technology, Technology }

Microsoft’s Windows 7 Makes Beta Debut

Developers around the world just got an end-of-the-year present from Microsoft: Windows 7 Beta 1. As thrilled as they must be, as a consumer, eh, not so much. I was very enthusiastic after I found out that Windows 7 would incorporate touch screen, but after viewing some of the images of Windows 7 (Beta 1), it just looks like a reworked Windows Vista. If you didn’t notice, my enthusiasm has gone out the window.

Granted some things have change, such as Windows 7′s task bar which at first glance look great for touch screen, however, reviews of Beta 1 from bloggers at ZDnet make it sound like this is an issue. They did say that everything else in the beta is working wonderfully and that this beta is by far one of the most complete they’ve ever seen, I’m just wondering why Microsoft chose to start working on a completely new OS that looks exactly like the one that came out a little over two years ago?

View larger images by clicking the ones below.

{ Technology, Technology }

Touch-Screen Notebooks To Be Next Big Thing?

You betcha. I predict that by the end of 2012, touch screen notebooks will be as popular as the iPhone. Why? Because of the iPhone; and, its wannabees. Furthermore, Microsoft’s Windows 7 will have it’s beta release in early 2009 giving professional developers a chance to see what a touch screen operating system is all about. Oh, and how to develop for it.

Read more

{ Technology }

Apple Hits 300 Million Downloads Through App Store

Good Lord, that’s a lot of downloads. On Friday, Apple announced that it had hit the 300 million download mark and it had an estimated 10,000 apps currently in the App Store. This may not sound that interesting at first glance, but think of it. Do you remember when the App Store first launched? You don’t? Well, it was only FIVE months ago. Oki doke… you add 400, subtract 10-to-the-fourth-power, multiply .00053; and, that’s an estimate of 2 million downloads a day.

Unfortunately they didn’t give the ration of paid versus free, but if you take half the downloads and guestimate that it was an average of $0.99, that’s $148 million in downloads.

Although the economy may be in a rutt, people are still buying iPhone applications. Looks like we should all just quit our job (since we’re going to lose it anyway, right?) and start making apps for the App Store!

Update: They’ve finally hit a BILLION.

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