Gizmag: Electronics

The lamp that runs on free electricity – from the phone socket

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:54:51 +1100

If you’re looking to shave every last cent off your next electricity bill then this gooseneck lamp is for you. The lamp is so energy efficient its eight white LED lights are powered by the trickle of electricity flowing from a RJ11 socket – or garden-variety telephone socket. This means that, even if you’ve fallen behind on your electricity bill and the power has been cut off, you can still enjoy some late night reading...

Tags: Electricity, Lamp, LED, Phone

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Ideum’s 86 inch multi-touch table explores the electromagnetic spectrum

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:47:12 +1100

One area of real potential for multi-touch technology is in touch-sensitive tables. Some may remember Microsoft’s Surface display, and innovative designs like the ROSIE coffee table. Ideum’s ultra-wide alternative takes a slightly different approach though, as it is able to create digital representations of images across the electromagnetic spectrum...

Tags: Digital, Electromagnetic, Images, Interface, multi-touch, Touch

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Tilera unveils Tile GX100, the 100-core general purpose processor

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:31:21 +1100

If you thought Intel's plans to embed eight cores in its high-end processors were a bit too out there, you'll find that the latest processor developed by semiconductor start-up Tilera is even more of an extreme. Packing 100 1.25GHz to 1.5GHz cores on a single chip, the Gx100 brings parallel processing to the extreme thanks to a new architecture that minimizes the bus bottleneck in today's multi-core processors...

Tags: Architecture, Design, Intel, Processor

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Xerox develops silver ink to usher in new era of low cost printable electronics

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:35:22 +1100

Silicon is the main substrate used for the integrated circuits found in almost all electronic equipment available today. However, silicon could soon be replaced by plastic, film or even fabrics, with Xerox scientists developing a low-temperature silver ink that they say paves the way for the commercialization and low-cost manufacture of printable electronics. This process will offer manufacturers an inexpensive way to add “intelligence” or computing power to a wide range of surfaces to produce things like electronic clothing and cheap games...

Tags: Cheap, Circuit, Electronic, Electronics, Flexible, Inks, Printable Electronics, Xerox

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Steuart’s Patent vacuum tank regulator – the timepiece to beat in the early 20th Century

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:02:16 +1100

The second in our series of interviews with Michael Bennet-Levy looks at the Steuart’s Patent vacuum tank regulator – a clock produced in 1923 that its makers, J & D Meek, claimed was accurate to “better than a second a year.” If true this would have made it the most accurate timekeeper in the world prior to the invention of Caesium clocks in the mid 1950s. The essence of the Steuart regulator is that the electric motor drives the clock and the pendulum governs and corrects the speed of the motor. Neither is connected. Ideal for telescopes (because it doesn't tick), the clock was used as a stand-in for Big Ben during WWII and in the opinion of the Scientific American it marked “the most important development in clock-making which has taken place in modern times.” ..

Tags: Clock, Electric, Patent, Vacuum

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Barnes & Noble Nook e-Book reader announced

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:44:13 +1000

The world's largest bookseller, Barnes & Noble, has confirmed it is to enter the e-Reader market with a device called the nook. Powered by Android 1.5 and sporting the now familiar e-Ink text display, the nook also benefits from a 3.5-inch color touchscreen interface for library browsing and book ordering. It allows wireless access to over a million eBooks, magazines and newspapers and purchases can be shared with friends...

Tags: Android, Color, Connectivity, E-book, E-reader, Touchscreen

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REVIEW: Mobiu Smart Key offers secure, remote data access on the move

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:00:30 +1000

USB keys are a boon to those who need to carry data around with them, and with capacities always on the rise it’s becoming more and more likely that sensitive data will be stored on what is, at the end of the day, an inherently losable little gadget. Various security measures are now available that bring more to the table than standard encryption, but it’s not often we see something as all-encompassing as Mobiu’s Smart Key. We took the 1GB version of the secure Flash drive for a spin to see what it has to offer...

Tags: Backup, Encryption, Flash drive, Review, Security, USB

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Next-generation TMOS displays closer to mass production

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:26:48 +1000

Uni-Pixel, a company based in Woodlands, Texas, has announced it is about to start mass production of a thin-film to be used in time-multiplexed optical shutter (TMOS) displays, a next-generation display technology that exploits retinal persistence in the human eye and promises significantly better performance than CRT, LCD and OLED displays with, among other things, great durability and dramatically improved energy efficiency...

Tags: Display, LCD, OLED, Thin-film, TMOS

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VIDEO: Sony crash tests PS3 into Bravia LCD TV at 50mph

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:58:53 +1000

What’s more fun than watching a brand new out-of-the-box PS3 slim-line console slam into a fully-functional Sony Bravia 46-inch LCD TV at 80kmh (50mph)? Well, not a lot, really, unless you get to watch it happen three times. Gizmag was one of only two media outlets invited by Sony Australia to witness the stunt at a vehicle safety testing facility in Melbourne, Victoria. The event was aimed at promoting a forthcoming advertising campaign – buy a Sony Bravia and get a PS3 thrown in free (though not as literally as the ones I witnessed)...

Tags: Bravia, Crash, Impact, LCD, PS3, Sony

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Tag it: real-time location monitoring with the T301W Wi-Fi tag from Ekahau

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:15:55 +1000

If you need to keep track of customers, workers or even your kids, but don't fancy the idea of implanting a chip, then the familiar form offered by Ekahau's T301W may be of interest. The unobtrusive watch-like wristband tag enables real-time location monitoring over a Wi-Fi network. It's accurate to within a few feet, allows for simple two-way communication and, being waterproof, can be safely disinfected for re-use...

Tags: Alert, Monitoring, Safety, Security, Technology, Tracking, Wifi

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4x, 8x, huh? How much power do Lithium batteries actually have?

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:36:18 +1000

These days, if you go looking for batteries you're likely to find a range of products with some fairly bold claims on their packaging. Standard AA alkaline batteries are the least expensive and have been around for decades, but now there's a bunch of other choices for single use batteries that are marketed as better choices for "digital" devices than the "copper top" or store branded staples we've used for years. Among the newest of these is Energizer's Advanced Lithium and Ultimate Lithium single use batteries...

Tags: Batteries, Energizer, Energy, rechargeable batteries

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SanDisk ships world’s first 64Gb X4 NAND flash memory cards

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:34:37 +1000

SanDisk Corporation has begun shipping 64Gb flash memory cards based on the company’s advanced X4 flash memory technology. Five years in the making, X4 (4-bits-per-cell) technology holds twice as many bits in each cell as conventional multi-level cell (MLC) NAND memory chips. Based on 43nm process technology, the 64Gb NAND flash chip is the highest-density single-die memory device in the world to enter production. SanDisk is shipping 8GB and 16GB SDHC cards as well as 8GB and 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo cards with X4 technology. ..

Tags: 64GB, Memory, Memory card, Sandisk, SDHC

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World’s first commercial application of DSSC solar technology is in the bag

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:54:01 +1000

The first commercial shipment of low-light, ultra thin, solar cell technology called DSSC (dye-sensitized solar cells), created by G24 Innovations, has been sent to Hong Kong-based consumer electronics bag manufacturer, Mascotte Industrial Associates for use in backpacks and bags. Ideal for clothing and portable applications, DSSCs are less than 1mm thick, inexpensive, don’t contain silicon or cadmium and can even operate indoors, making them ideal for powering cell telephones, cameras and portable electronics. The company says DSSCs also can be embedded into tent material to power LED lighting systems for camping...

Tags: Backpack, Cells, Consumer Electronics, Dssc, G24i, Mascotte, Photovoltaic, Renewable Energy, Solar

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New high energy, high reliability lithium-ion battery module from Panasonic

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:51:20 +1000

Lithium-ion based batteries have found widespread popularity in all kinds of consumer electronics thanks to their high energy-to-weight ratios, lack of memory effect, and slow discharge when not in use. These attributes have also made them attractive to the burgeoning areas of battery-powered cars and storage of energy generated by home-use photovoltaic (PV) systems and fuel cells. This rise in popularity, and the increase in storage systems using lithium-ion batteries, has also led to a demand for systems with higher capacity, output, reliability, safety and improved cost performance. Now Panasonic says it has developed a 1.5 kWh battery module that meets these demands...

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Become a human antenna with your own carpet radio

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:29:41 +1000

When I was young I had a tall, wiry friend we nicknamed ‘the Human Antenna’. Now anyone, regardless of height, can rival my friend just by walking on a unique carpet recently created by Swiss designer Florian Kräutli. The carpet appears to be a typical modern rug and would look at home in most abodes, except that is has one unusual hi-tech feature - this white carpet is also a radio. ..

Tags: Antenna, Carpet, Home, Human, Radio

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New advances in excitonics promise faster computers

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:44:34 +1000

Much of today's research in electronics is geared towards obtaining faster computing and higher communication speeds. Researchers at UC San Diego are no exception, and have recently announced they have made another important step towards achieving exciton-based computation at room temperatures. Excitonics exploits the unique properties of excitons instead of the usual electrons, and promises much faster performance by interfacing more naturally with optical communications such as fiber optics...

Tags: Communications, Computer, Electronics, Excitonics, Excitons, Laser, LED, Optical, Research

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Hercules offers a new angle on webcams

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:24:58 +1000

Computer electronics manufacturer Hercules offers a new angle on webcams for people who have trouble seeing eye-to-eye in video chat sessions. The Dualpix HD720p is a high-def webcam that shoots 720p and features an autofocus lens and built-in microphone. The Dualpix is adjustable on two axes, so you can place it where you want on the sides or top of your notebook computer or monitor, in order to better look the camera directly "in the eye"...

Tags: Dualpix, HD, Hercules, Skype, USB, webcam

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Silicon nanotubes could increase li-ion battery capacity 10X

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:21:53 +1000

In news that could greatly extend the range of electric cars, researchers have shown that replacing the conventional graphite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries with silicon nanotubes can produce a battery that can store ten times more charge. The researchers developed a silicon anode that, aside from extending the range of electric cars, could also make gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles more efficient by allowing them to run in electric mode for longer periods...

Tags: Batteries, Battery, Charging, Electric vehicle, Hybrid, Li-ion, Lithium-ion, Nanotubes, Recharging, Research, Stanford University

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Time to connect with the iXP3 Internet Messaging Clock

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:15:17 +1000

When communicating via the typed word, sometimes a text or regular instant message just won’t do the trick. Here to take personal communication to a quirky new level is the iXP3 Instant Messaging Clock, which, through a simple Internet connection, changes from a mild-mannered clock to a personal messaging device that projects messages in the air. ..

Tags: Clock, Device, Display, Innovatoys, Internet, LED, Personal, Time, Toys

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Nachteule makes night-time reading more 'enlightening'

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:14:12 +1000

Reading at night can be problematic. Firstly, there can be arguments in bed between partners – one who wants to sleep with the light off, the other who wants to read with a light on. Then there’s the issue of inadequate bedside lighting or the shadows on your pages cast by an overhead light. Well, if you wear glasses, the Nachteule (night owl) light may help solve your night-time reading problems. ..

Tags: LED, Light, Nachteule, Night, Night-time, Personal, Reading

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Samsung releases P410M and A600 projectors

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:42:57 +1000

Samsung recently added two new projectors to its lineup, both featuring high image quality and a wide range of connectivity capabilities at a very interesting price. The very portable P410M is compact and lightweight, with direct USB connectivity for games and devices, while the high-end A600 offers full HD 1080p video suitable for home theater projection...

Tags: Blu-ray, Display, Image, LED, Portable, Projector, Samsung

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A colorful way to take note - the USB Moody Card Reader with Erasable Memo Pad

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:07:17 +1000

Ever found yourself staring wistfully into the distance while waiting for your memory card content to upload, only be struck with an ingenious brainwave and find there’s not a pen or paper in sight to jot it down with? Well, so you're ready whenever inspiration strikes, Brando has released the USB Moody Card Reader with Erasable Memo Pad. ..

Tags: Brando, Erasable, Lighting, Memo, Memory card, Moody, Reader, USB

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Algae used to create a quick-charge, lightweight battery

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:21:20 +1000

Algae blooms are unpleasant and unpredictable phenomena that arise quickly and strike seas and oceans, often causing serious problems to local ecosystems. But, in an effort to try and find a use for such algae, a research team from Uppsala University, Sweden, has recently managed to design a record-breaking "green" lightweight battery that is incredibly easy to produce and might just even out the environmental consequences of these blooms...

Tags: Algae, Batteries, Battery, Coating, Electronics, Environmental, Lithium-ion, Polymer, Research, University, Uppsala

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Close shave with Thanko USB Electric Razor

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:04:39 +1000

Got a last-minute hot date? Meeting with the boss? Getting snide comments about your ‘porn star mustache’? Or just couldn’t be bothered? Whatever your reason for needing a quick shave at work, the Thanko USB Electric Razor is your savior. Just plug it into the USB port on your computer, and whiskers-be-gone. And if your monitor’s nice and shiny, who needs a mirror?..

Tags: Computer, Electric, Laptop, Razor, Thanko, USB

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USB Posture Alert Reminder will set you on the straight and narrow

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:25:19 +1000

As a person who isn’t getting any younger - and finds himself behind a desk for most of the day - I am starting to appreciate the advice of teachers and parents imploring me to sit up straight. Now that my school days are behind me and I live alone, my back is constantly reminding me that there’s no one left to admonish me for my terrible posture. The USB Posture Alert Reminder could be just what I need to get my spine back on the straight and narrow...

Tags: Alert, Back, LED, Monitor, Posture, Straight, USB

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