My X News

NanoLight – the world’s most Energy Efficient Light Bulb

2013-01-14T09:12:00.001-08:00

Why use any old lightbulb when there’s the NanoLight! Using only 12 watts of electricity, the NanoLight generates over 1600 lumens, equivalent to a 100W incandescent lightbulb.

There are plenty of 20-60W Equivalent LED light bulbs in the market today, but the selection for 75-100W equivalents is still quite rare. To most light bulb manufacturers high efficiency and cost effective light bulb production is still uncharted territory.

The NanoLight takes energy efficient lighting to a whole new level by offering a lightbulb far more efficient than any existing LED bulb. It is a true breakthrough for LED Lighting technology.

Your environmentally friendly home can now be brighter and more energy efficient than ever before. For the amount of energy that it uses, the NanoLight produces more light visible to the human eye than any other white light bulb available on the market.

The brightness of a bulb is measured in lumens; which is a measure of the total visible light emitted by a source. Below is a comparison of the amount of lumens per watt the NanoLight provides compared to other light bulbs on the market.

Microsoft Surface Phone Concept has a 5 Inch Display, Even Has a Keyboard (Video)

2013-01-14T04:10:00.003-08:00

Created by Techradar, this Microsoft Surface Phone concept features some high end specs and it’s basically a smaller Surface Tablet, since it even has that cool keyboard. The device packs a 5 inch 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED+ screen and runs a hybrid between Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8.

This handset has a full USB 3.0 port, a 12 megapixel camera with “ultra bright” flash and a kickass kickstand, shown in the video below. The mini touch cover here is the keyboard we were mentioned before and it certainly looks cool, although we’re not exactly sure how functional it is on a phone. If I’m allowed to speculate on other features of the device, well, it may have 2 GB of RAM, a quad core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, LTE, NFC and a magnesium alloy case, since we’re keeping the resemblance with the Surface tablet.

I’ve heard a rumor at some point that Windows Phone 9 will actually be a combo between Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, so maybe this is supposed to be a WP9 flagship device. I would also add a special Skype camera on board, activated by the double press of the camera key on the device, to instantly start video chatting. How cool would that be?

[via Techradar]

Tethercell wants to re-imagine batteries

2013-01-14T03:58:00.001-08:00

Tethercell’s ”re-imagining” of your run-of-the-mill AA battery, is more of a remote-controlled battery and is currently seeking funding on Indiegogo. Of course, we wouldn’t write it up if there wasn’t an app, and with the app there’s actually quite a lot of cool stuff you can do with the Tethercell. I saw a prototype at the annual Showstoppers event (held during CES), and it worked well and looked like a winner — if it gets funded, of course.

Besides a simple remote control, the Tethercell can be programmed to turn on or off at certain times, control several devices at once, and even warn you when batteries are getting low.

The Tethercell hardware (still in prototype phase) is clever, as you take a AA battery out of a device, put a AAA battery in the Tethercell, and because it is the size of a AA, you can simply drop it in and it works. Even if you have multiple batteries, it fits just fine.

But first the inventors need to get funding, and they are asking for $59,000 to get started. Each Tethercell should cost about $30, and I was told buying more would make them cheaper per unit. While it’s not a real product yet, Tethercell has so far been one of the cooler items I’ve seen at CES this year.

JVC Kenwood to Sell System Streaming Soothing Sounds of a Japanese Forest

2013-01-14T03:43:00.001-08:00

JVC Kenwood Corp. said that next spring it will begin selling a system designed to deliver the soothing sounds of the forest streamed over the Internet in real time. The company will be involved in all aspects of the system from setting up source equipment to collect the sounds of various forests, to coordinating the delivery of the forest content across the Internet, to delivering unique speaker systems in the homes of end users with technology to receive and play the environmental sounds.
How does it work?…

The heart of the system is a speaker system constructed of natural woods such as oak or Japanese cyprus. JVC Kenwood is working with a company called Oak Village Co., a furniture manufacturer, who will manufacture the boxes in such a manner that they will offer consumers a natural wood fragrance and feel.
Wireless technology built-in….

Bluetooth technology is built into the speaker system in order to wirelessly receive the streamed signal from the consumers Internet connected network. The signal will originate from a recording setup that JVC Kenwood will set-up in conjunction with various local authorities’ forestry areas.

According to a report by the Nikkei, JVC Kenwood is targeting the system at consumers, schools, and hospitals. Those wishing to experience the soothing environmental sounds of the forest will be able to purchase the systems in furniture stores or home interior stores – a new distribution network for the company. The system is expected to sell for around ¥100,000 (about $1,270) and there may be a small additional charge for the “forest content.”
A wide selection of forests…

Initially, JVC Kenwood has partnered with the village of Morotsuka (Miyazaki Prefecture) to set up a recording system in their local forest. Eventually, the company plans to be teaming up with other municipal governments, colleges, and other non-profit organizations to expand content collection from other forests around the country.

There is no word if the company intends to offer the systems in export markets such as the United States.

Flying object in the shape of plate over Mexico, January 11 (video)

2013-01-14T01:12:00.002-08:00

Flying object clearly rectangular was captured on January 11 in Mexico City (Mexico).

JBL Charge and JBL OnBeat Rumble on display

2013-01-14T00:50:00.002-08:00

This room-rattling loudspeaker for the iPhone 5, iPad mini, and fourth-generation iPad will be unveiled at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show. The Rumble speaker dock pumps out 50 watts of power with booming bass, thanks to an oversized, down-firing subwoofer.

The JBL OnBeat Rumble includes HARMAN’s exclusive TrueStream™ technology to guarantee the highest-quality sound when streaming audio from an Apple product or another smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth® connection. The forceful speaker dock combines a 4-1/2-inch (114-milllimeter) subwoofer with proprietary Slipstream port technology to deliver pounding bass with low distortion, so there is no unwanted boominess to the sound whether the music source is docked or streamed. The loudspeaker charges Apple Lightning products when they are docked.

For more fun, a DJ mixer app lets iPhone and iPad users scratch, stream and mix their favorite playlists for a music party.
The JBL OnBeat Rumble speaker dock has a suggested retail price of $399 and will be available this spring.

The cylindrical JBL Charge features a built-in bass port and digital sound processing to create room-filling lows combined with accentuated highs. The JBL Charge is a stereo speaker with two 1-5/8-inch (40-millimeter) full-range drivers and a 2 x 5-watt amplifier. A built-in 6000mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery provides 12 hours of playback from a single charge, making the JBL Charge ideal for beach parties, family camping trips, neighborhood picnics and everyday use around the house.

The portable stereo speaker was built for durability and active lifestyles, as it features a rugged exterior and grille, plus rubber end rings and a rubber cap for the USB port. A visible LED light informs users when the battery needs to be recharged as well as when the speaker is in Bluetooth listening or pairing mode. The JBL Charge also includes a standard 1/8-inch (3.5-millimeter) stereo mini jack to use with older devices not equipped with Bluetooth technology, and it ships with a Neoprene carrying pouch. It will be available in several colors, including black, blue and green.

The JBL Charge has a suggested retail price of $149 and will be available from select retailers or JBL.com during the first quarter of 2013.
If you’ll be at CES anytime between January 8-11 and want to check out JBL’s new lineup, visit the HARMAN booth in the Central Hall, booth number 10431.

Dell Project Ophelia: Android on a Dongle Just Needs a Monitor

2013-01-14T00:39:00.001-08:00

Dell appears to be making another run at the Android market, but this time not in the form of its mobile business. Instead, they are creating a dongle that has Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Loaded on it named Project Ophelia.

Dell claims to give you fast access to personal content with Ophelia by simply attaching it to a TV or display. While there are already dongles that provide an Android experience on a larger display, not all of them are back up by Dell’s Wyse Cloud Client. The system is being marketed as both a device for work and entertainment.

Some noteable features listed in the press release are:
Flexibly powered zero-battery device gets power from the attached display monitor via its MHL interface to the monitor’s MHL port, or separately via its own USB interface. No batteries to charge or change.
Remembers settings for each individual to enhance usability.
Enables instant and secure access to your personal cloud, entertainment, work content and applications wherever there is an available capable display (using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse), including a wide variety of Dell flat-panel displays.
Compatible with many existing Dell Wyse thin clients and software products.
Integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth facilitates access and communication.
Built on the Android 4 OS to support Web browsing, social networking, media playback and Android Apps with a possibility to extend to other services.
Securely connects to Windows desktops and applications running on back-end systems from all leading infrastructure providers including Citrix, Microsoft and VMware.

Dell’s Project Ophelia is set to be released the first part of this year. We have no idea on the price of the unit at this time, but based on redundant technology, I would hope the price is relatively low.
Would you pick up one of these? What are some applications you can think of this would be perfect for?

[ source ]

Genius Showcasing New Ring Mouse 2 And Ring Presenter At CES

2013-01-14T00:26:00.005-08:00

Peripheral and accessory maker Genius has this week announced they will be showcasing a number of new Windows 8 and gaming peripherals at next years CES exhibition in January.

Together with a newly updated Ring Mouse version 2.0, and a new Windows 8 touch gesture mouse in the form of the Touch Mouse 6000 which has been designed to enable users to tap, swipe and zoom right on the mouse surface providing full use of the new Microsoft Windows 8 interface.

“One of the world’s first in-air mice, Ring Mouse 2 re-imagines the computer mouse and provides a new way to surf the web with a unique, flexible rubber design that fits securely on your finger or store it in your pocket when not in use. Ring Mouse 2 gives business travelers, education users, and i-users a convenient way to click, drag and 4-way scroll on their PC or Mac.”

Unfortunately no information on pricing or worldwide availability has been released as yet by Genius, but as soon as information comes to light we will keep you updated as always.

ZTE Nubia Z7 Ups The Phablet Size Ante

2013-01-14T00:14:00.000-08:00

So you think that the Huawei Ascend Mate is the large screen champion in the world of smartphones, with its 6.1” display? It looks like the Ascend Mate is not going to remain pretty on its perch for too long, considering the kind of rumors that we have heard on the grapevine. Apparently, there will be a new king of the hill in the form of the ZTE Nubia Z7 that is rumored to come with an even larger display – all 6.3” of it, running an 8-core processor under the hood to boot.

Yes sir, GizChina is behind this seemingly improbable smartphone, where the new ZTE flagship is known as the Nubia Z7. Right now, the Nubia Z5 is ZTE’s flagship, sporting a Full HD 5” display, a 13-megapixel camera and a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, so we would not be surprised to hear that a possible ZTE Nubia Z7 would up the ante even further. The thing is, just when will the phablet cross over to tablet territory?

It is said that the ZTE Nubia Z7’s 6.3” display will come with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, accompanied by a Mali-T658 GPU, a 16-megapixel camera, 4,000mAh battery, sport 128GB of internal memory and Android 5.0 in tow. Come on, those specifications do seem to border on the ridiculous at this point in time, especially the 128GB internal memory bit.

Chisel 5 iPhone Dock

2013-01-13T23:31:00.001-08:00

I wish it wasn’t two days after Christmas, because the Chisel 5 is the iPhone 5 dock I want. Designed by iSkelter, it’s just a slab of beautiful bambo, carved out to perfectly ensconce the iPhone 5 and prop it up in landscape or portrait mode with the Lightning cable snaking through.

The futuristic Water Purifier System

2013-01-13T23:22:00.003-08:00

Bobble and their fraternity have brought in a new kind of water consumption consciousness. A new perspective in this line is the Vitamin WaterWater Purifier System. It basically combines the system of dispensing Vitamin Water along with tumbler sterilization. So all you need to do is place the bottle in its place and let the appliance do its work.

Designer: Yena Lee

The Point MkII Evolution luxury glass speaker gets a makeover

2013-01-13T23:12:00.002-08:00

At the CES 2013 in Las Vegas, Swedish high-end audio manufacturer PERFECT8 Technologies will be introducing the redesigned, ultra high-end “The Point MkII Evolution” glass loudspeakers.

The redesigned luxury glass speaker feature a brand new custom air motion transducer optimized for dipole applications, which accounts for higher resolution and micro detail, thereby offering stunning imaging and realism. It also boasts a smaller subwoofer enclosure without making any compromise with the low frequency response.

The 10″ drivers complement the performance of the dipole panel with deep, extended and ultra controlled bass. The same has been achieved with record low mechanical losses, decreased distortion, increased excursion and ultra-stiff aluminum cones driven by an oversized 22 lbs magnet. The drivers get their juice from DSP-controlled class D amps that blend seamlessly into the glass subwoofer enclosure.

There is no word on pricing as of now, but if you are interested, be ready to spend some good bucks to own this beautiful glass loudspeaker. Do check out our list of some of the most expensive speakers for the affluent audiophiles.

Detective Sherlock Holmes Museum (19 pics)

2013-01-13T22:49:00.002-08:00

The most popular detective in the world is Sherlock Holmes.
Let's take a walk in the museum, which is located in 221b, Baker street.
This address was often mentioned in the story, but it appeared in London only after publication.

1. Subway.

2. A monument to the great detective.

3. It is located next to the famous wax museum of Madame Tussauds.

7. Here he wrote his letters.

9. On the plate there is a cut off finger from the story "Engineer's Thumb."

16. Rose Spencer from the story The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax.

17. Hound of the Baskervilles. She looks cute.

18. The main enemy of Sherlock - Professor Moriarty.

The Craziest USB Stick Ever (2 pics)

2013-01-13T22:34:00.003-08:00

This USB stick can be easily caller the weirdest and craziest one.
But the idea is very creative.

Xi3 Z3RO Pro Computer can be used by three users simultaneously

2013-01-12T12:23:00.001-08:00

Keeping in mind the growing need for energy efficient computers that can perform at their peak, Xi3 have released Z3RO Pro Computer which minimizes your power bills by almost 95 percent per user. The computer can be shared with three users simultaneously significantly reducing power usage (operating at 1 watt) which can account for huge savings when used in business organizations.

It is based on the new x86-based Xi3 Computer Architecture and the Z3RO module allows for separate session of operating system on Xi3 Modular Computer. The computer has very small foot-print and has a minimum running life of 6-10 years.

It is ultra-light-weight at 11.52 ounces and has a small form factor measuring 4.9375×3.625×1.6875 inches. Shown-off at the CES 2013 trade show the Z3RO Pro Computer has a dual-core 64-bit, x86-based processor running at 1.65 GHz, integrated graphics processor having 80 graphics cores, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 1 TB internal solid-state SSD storage, two display ports having resolutions 2560×1600 and 1GB Ethernet port. The starting price of Z3RO Pro Computer is going to be $400 and you can check out more details on their product page.

10 Innovative Pieces of Technology That Failed Miserably

2013-01-12T09:31:00.002-08:00

Ever since Zeus invented technology (that’s what happened, right?) mankind has been constantly inventing. Some creations – like the iPod or the electric nose hair trimmer – become so ingrained into our everyday lives we can’t imagine a world without them. Others, meanwhile, are… these. Some inventions, no matter how brilliant, are mostly remembered for failing incredibly hard.

10
Intellivision

The Mattel Intellivision was a home game console released in 1979. Development began less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor / arch-nemesis, the Atari 2600. It had graphics and sound capabilities that put the 2600 to shame, but that was only the beginning of its innovations. Intellivision was the first 16-bit gaming system, the first to feature voice synthesis, and easily the first to feature downloadable games via cable.

But poor marketing, along with a poorly designed non-ergonomic 16-direction control pad lead to Mattel selling only 3 million units over its lifetime. Not bad, you say? The underpowered Atari machine sold ten times that number. In 1983, the video game market crashed – only to be revived by the Nintendo NES, a system with all of the Mattel’s innovations but none of its shortcomings.

9
Laserdisc

The first digital home video format was introduced in 1978, known as Laserdisc or “DiscoVision” because this was the ’70s. Brought to market just two years after the introduction of videocassettes, this high-capacity digital storage format meant video and audio quality far exceeding any VCR. Compact Discs, still four years down the road, were based on this technology. Laserdiscs boasted extremely sharp images – the likes of which had not yet been seen on home video – as well as digital surround sound.

Unfortunately, the discs were heavy and easily damaged, and the players quite loud compared to VCRs. There was no recording capability, and the discs and their players were super expensive. VCRs reigned supreme until the advent of the DVD, which was a kind of mini Laserdisc.

8
Cinerama

The very first widescreen projection format, Cinerama, made IMAX look like a wussy. Projecting a Cinerama film meant projecting three synchronized 35mm projectors simultaneously onto a gigantic curved screen. While technically challenging to present and requiring a skilled projectionist (or three), the results were visually astounding and far ahead of any other method of the time.

Did we say “technically challenging”? We meant “damn near impossible.” Projecting three films with perfect synchronization is every bit as hard as it sounds, and there was no means of automation. The projectionists just had to be that good. Plus, very few theaters were willing to make the necessary and expensive modifications. As a result, only a couple of dozen films ever used the format.

7
Betamax

As the other home videocassette format, Beta is synonymous with “also-ran.” Sony’s format offered much smaller, more durable cassettes and better resolution than JVC’s competing VHS format. Betamax even beat VHS to the US and Japan markets by over a year. So what went wrong?

The “format wars” between Beta and VHS (see: Sony and everyone else) are the stuff of tech legend. Sony misjudged the home video market in a number of ways, but the most likely cause of Beta’s failure was Sony’s reluctance to license its technology. JVC had no such qualms, resulting in a wide array of manufacturers selling VHS machines much more cheaply than Betamax. Also, Beta machines could initially only record for 60 minutes, compared to the 3 hours of VHS. VHS wins…

6
Quadrophonic Sound

Simply put, Quad would now be called 4.0 surround sound. Like stereo, but… twice as much. It was intended to replicate the experience of live sound on speakers, which it did. Debuting in 1971, several quad vinyl records were released in differing (and incompatible) formats. Played on the right system, the “3-D audio” result was pretty spectacular.

But there are about a billion ways to produce quadraphonic sound, and no single format was ever agreed upon. Dolby surround sound, which does pretty much the same thing, was standardized and eclipsed quad quite quickly. Of course, surround is primarily used for movies. For listening to music, most people think stereo is just fine.

5
QR Codes

Look familiar? That is a QR code, short for “Quick Response”, and they’ve been popping up all over the place for the last ten years or so. Storefronts, packaging… you probably have one tattooed on your butt. They’re like barcodes on crack; they serve the same purpose (as barcodes), but hold a lot more information. They were originally used to track parts during manufacture by the auto industry, but what fun is that when they can be used in advertising?

The problem is, nobody knows what the hell to do with them. PR for the QR was severely lacking. A recent study showed that about 80% of college students, that most tech-savvy of demographics, have no idea what to do with a QR code. Hint: scan them with some third party app on your smart phone.

And once we do figure it out, what’s our reward? Why, intrusive, in-your-face advertising, of course… what tech-savvy consumers love most of all. I have no idea what went wrong.

4
Digital Audio Tape (DAT)

DATs were introduced in 1987. They were tiny little cassettes that record digitally at CD quality or better, meant to replace standard cassette tapes. They were far superior to cassettes, more durable and portable than even CDs, capable of 16-bit sampling and widely varying recording lengths. Why, they’re the Superformat of the future! And since the music industry is never scared of new technology, we can’t figure out why – oh, wait.

The failure of DAT as a format for selling music was (of course) mainly due to piracy concerns. Music industry types were concerned that piracy would skyrocket with a high fidelity, recordable medium – and effectively buried the technology for consumer use. This paved the way for all-digital formats like mp3, which of course are much easier to pirate. Great job, music industry!

3
Virtual Reality

As seen in every ’90s sci-fi movie, fully immersive 3-D computer generated imagery is essentially virtual reality. Even in the early ’90s, companies like the cleverly-named Virtuality were releasing VR arcade games like “Dactyl Nightmare” that placed you right inside the cheesy, blocky action.

The technology simply wasn’t advanced enough to meet the vision, and attempts at true VR were underwhelming to say the least. While technology has obviously come a long way, we’re still pretty damn far off from having a real-life Holodeck which – let’s face it – is what we all really want.

2
The Apple Newton PDA

Long before Apple released the iPod and began dominating mobile devices up one side and down the other, there was this 1993 ill-advised attempt at that market. The Apple Newton was essentially the father of all PDAs, and was innovative in many ways, but was ultimately a spectacular failure.

The Apple Newton PDA never quite caught on due to a hugely inaccurate handwriting recognition system and an exorbitant price tag, not to mention that it looks like a Commodore 64 mated with a tape recorder. The 1995 debut of the smaller, cheaper and more functional Palm Pilot was the final nail in its coffin. The Newton was discontinued in 1998.

1
DIVX

In its first incarnation, DIVX will likely go down as one of the biggest tech flops of all. Its innovation was in catering to those who wanted a way to “rent” movies digitally (you know, like everyone does now), but the way it was implemented was a misstep, in the same way that falling down the stairs is a misstep.

Piloted by electronics retailer Circuit City, the idea was simple enough. You rent a disc, watch it for two days then throw it away. Simple, right? Except that it was like a DVD without all the features, required a separate player that consumers had to buy, and the video rental industry fought against it tooth and nail.

By the time Netflix and Blockbuster came along to make digital rentals simple, DIVX was but a memory, having been sold only between 1998 and 1999. Its legacy lives on in annoying, unnecessary software constantly trying to get you to download it for some reason.

Tari Nakagawa's Necro Nymphys

2013-01-12T06:06:00.003-08:00

Close to such-sculpture dolls beauty does not die a natural death. And, looking at the cost of necro-nymphs die rather a desire to buy myself one of them, because Tari Nakagawa's dolls are very much expensive and are instances of the stick.

Sony Officially Unveils Formidable iPhone Rival – the 1080p Xperia Z

2013-01-12T04:57:00.002-08:00

We’re barely a few days into 2013 but that hasn’t stopped smartphones from being announced. Sony has just announced its first quad-core smartphone at its CES press conference in Las Vegas: the Xperia Z. It is the company’s new flagship Android phone featuring a 5-inch full HD 1080p display, a 13-megapixel camera and comes wrapped in a water and dust-resistant finish. The company will be hoping this new Android flagship can deliver the scalps of high-end rival devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and Apple’s iPhone 5

Is It Water proof?
One of the most notable features of Sony’s new Xperia Z smartphone is that it will work under water for up to 30 minutes. You don’t have to worry about Sony’s newest flagship smartphone getting wet in a rainstorm. In fact the Android handset is both dust and water resistant — IP55 and IP57, specifically — and can survive the rain or even an accidental swim in your local pool. You can take it into shower and answer calls. And you can use in the bathtub for video watching also.

A Fantastic Camera?
Sony spent a lot of time bragging about its new 13-megapixel rear camera with “Exmor RS” built in. This technology will help when you’re taking pictures at night or in dim conditions. The 13-megapixel camera betters the offers from the iPhone and Galaxy as well as the Nokia Lumia and HTC One, offering HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging during video recording, a feature the company claims is a maiden in the smartphone market.

Design:
The 4G handset has a symmetrical, rectangular slab design with clean lines and flat glass panes to front and back, coupled with blunted edges and minimally rounded corners.

Display:
A full HD screen (1920 x 1080) is complemented by a pixel density of 443 pi, making the Xperia Z ideal for watching films and TV programmes on the go.

Measurement:
The Xperia Z’s rather sizeable screen belies the device’s relatively light weight of 146g, and at 7.9mm thick, is slightly thicker than the iPhone 5 but considerably slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Processor:
The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, has 2GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of internal memory. There’s also a microSD card slot for extra storage.

OS:
Running on the slightly dated Android 4.1 Jellybean, the phone has nevertheless been slated to receive an update for Android 4.2 and the next installment of the platform which has been codenamed Key Lime Pie. Sony has wisely opted for a slimmed down user interface, getting rid of some of the widgets and functions that cluttered previous smartphone offerings.

Battery:
One of the more impressive features is the inclusion of a battery maximizing option, called Battery Stamina Mode. The feature prevents applications from running when the screen is locked, therefore saving power of the 2330mAh battery and apparently improving standby time “by at least four times”.

Price and Availability:
Coming in three different colours – black, white and purple – the Xperia Z is still some way off being market ready but has been tentatively earmarked for release in March of this year, with an estimated retail price of around £450. The phone is initially expected to be available to Western Europe and is coming to Australia in March.

Sony has struggled in the past to match the smartphones churned out by its rivals, the Xperia Z is being regarded as the company’s flagship, and you won’t have to worry about taking your phone out when it’s raining. What are your first impressions of Sony’s fresh new devices this year? Is it something you’d be interested in or is it not your style?

Catmoji Is A Social Network For The Internet's Most Cat-Crazed

2013-01-12T03:07:00.001-08:00

The Pinterest-style "catmunity" is a cat-lady paradise of photos, videos, and GIFs.
Cat ladies and men of the Internet: You no longer have to spend hours sifting through YouTube, Imgur, Lolcats, or Tumblr for your daily fix of kitty magic. Now, there's Catmoji, a Pinterest-style social network solely dedicated to cat pictures, videos, and GIFs for the Internet's, um, purrverts.

Users of the self-titled "catmunity" can create profiles--with their own catvatars, of course--and browse images by what's popular or recent, but also by mood, such as "cute" or "sad."

Programmer Matthew Phiong and designer Koekoe Loo Wan Koe say they created Catmoji "because the Internet love cats and we want to make the Internet a better and happier place with cats."

Considering the Internet's obsession with all things cat, it's hard to believe a cats-only social network wasn't around before now, though Catroulette got close.
The site is currently invite-only, but you can request one here.

Pebble E-Ink Smartwatch

2013-01-12T01:54:00.004-08:00

We've been waiting on this one for a long, long time: Pebble is, in our opinion, the first smartwatch worth owning. Rather than being its own standalone device, Pebble talks to your iOS or Android smartphone via bluetooth to keep tabs on all sorts of stuff, feeding you caller ID, SMS/email, and alerts (Facebook, Twitter, calendar, etc), while letting you control your music or other integrated apps at the same time.

Pebble also supports its own apps which so far include a bike computer and golf rangefinder, both making use of your smartphone's GPS. Other features include a monochrome e-ink display, vibration motor for silent notifications and a 3-axis accelerometer, encapsulated in a scratch-resistant, anti-glare plastic casing and a surprisingly reasonable price. Phew, we haven't had that much to write about a product since... well, ever.

Touch Tape Measure is an electronic tape with flexible thread

2013-01-12T01:46:00.000-08:00

Most of us have gone through the trouble of measuring furniture items and accessories by those clumsy household measuring tapes. Some of them are inconveniently made of rolling plastic and even some are dangerously crafted from sharp edged steel.

Taking all of these measuring predicaments into account, two professors Yang Ming-Chin and Chen Hsin-I from the National Taipei University of Technology have contrived the Touch Tape Measure, an ‘electronic’ tape for accurate assessment of dimensions.

Comprising of a circular form with an OLED panel, this tape design totally eschews those unwieldy plastic or steel calibrated strips. In fact, the device takes advantage of its digital bearing to integrate a fully flexible thread without minuscule calibrations. This adjustable thread can even be easily wound around irregular or circular objects, with the correct measurement being displayed (in mm) by the OLED panel.

The advantages of the Touch Tape however doesn’t stop at being only able to measure dimensions of asymmetrical items. The illuminated OLED panel also allows us to conduct our measuring operations in the dark. Moreover, the degree of functionality is improved through various small features of the tape. One of these attributes is the small suction cup fixed at one end of the thread, which attaches the flexible string with the object.

Celebrity Babies Whose First Pics Sold for Millions

2013-01-12T01:35:00.002-08:00

The oddest news we read this morning was Kanye West and Kim Kardashian turning down a $3 million offer for the exclusive release of their baby’s pictures to an undisclosed international tabloid. While Miss Kardashian’s never known to pass up a quick buck, this purple moon had us reminiscing over all those celebrity couples that raked in the millions signing on for the photo-op

$6 million was the asking price for Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s adorable two. Max and Emme have People magazine to thank for their very own first million dollar paycheck.

Enter OK! magazine, yet another tabloid that recognises an opportunity before the celeb baby is born. Baby boy to Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves, Levi’s first shots made his parents richer by $3 million.

Bet Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman splurged on some fancy nursery digs for son Max after People magazine’s $1.5 million arrived in their bank account.

Son of Cash Warren and Jessica Alba, adorable Honor Marie Warren made a $1.5 million splash on the cover of OK! magazine.

RØDE iXY: A new compact mic that hooks seamlessly into your iPhone for on-the-go recording

2013-01-12T00:51:00.003-08:00

At CES this week RØDE announced a new product to their lineup, the iPhone-compatible iXY microphone. This miniature stereo microphone snaps into your iPhone's docking port and using RØDE's Rec app let's you capture high quality audio directly to your device.

Every year we see innovative tools emerge for a wide array of media professionals. The RØDE iXY has very clear applications across several disciplines. Many of the press images show the recorder sitting in a hot shoe mount atop a DSLR. While a handy concept for run-and-gun shoots or recording on-the-street interviews, we wish there was XLR compatibility to support professional level production. That being said, the device captures HD quality audio with a resolution of 25-Bits / 96kHz (the highest quality of any iPhone microphone available)—extremely impressive for a device that fits easily in the palm of your hand. With a sturdy carrying case that would be equally comfortable in your jacket pocket or a backpack, the iXY has enormous promise for recording lectures, concerts, interviews and seems like an exceptional tool for traveling journalists.

Several accessories are said to be in the pipeline, and an iPhone 5 upgrade is in the works. In the meantime Apple's Lightning to 30-pin adapter works like a charm. The iXY will sell for $199 from the RØDE store and ships in January 2013, the RØDE Rec app is available at the App Store.

NUU Splash, the waterproof Bluetooth speaker

2013-01-11T14:04:00.003-08:00

I do wonder sometimes when a particular device such as a speaker is waterproof, how would it affect the way that you use other devices connected to it? Case in point, CES 2013 saw the announcement of the NUU Splash Bluetooth speaker that is clearly waterproof, helping you enjoy your favorite tunes the next time there is a poolside or beach party, but have you ever gave thought to the device streaming music to it?

Is your smartphone or portable media player waterproof? Sure, this would mean additional expenditure on your part to purchase a waterproof case, but surely there are no waterproof notebooks out there – at least, not yet.

I guess this means I will just concentrate on sharing with you what the NUU Splash portable waterproof wireless speaker offers, and you will have to make the decision as to whether to bring one home or not when available.

It has an integrated microphone and will work with all Bluetooth devices, manufactured using aircraft-grade aluminum for lightweight toughness and is IP55 certified against dust and low pressure water jets. Accessing volume and track selection controls are a snap, and it even functions as a speakerphone if you desire it to. The NUU Splash has been rated to last for up to 10 hours of continuous playback, or 240 hours on standby. You can choose from green, blue, gray, red and black colors at $99 a pop.

Nokia Windows Phone Slider Design by Yanhan Li

2013-01-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

Yanhan Li Designer believes that the Nokia company, STARTING UP smartphones Lumia new generation, a few lost his trademark style, yielding the latest market trends. So he introduced his own version of the Finnish mobile phone in the style of the previous generation devices, the smartphone is made in the form factor side slider.

Despite the somewhat dated look of the smartphone, it boasts advanced technical characteristics, in particular, the large-format 4.5-inch display in a transparent box. Because the Nokia Lumia is running the new Windows Phone 8, it is logical to assume that there is a minimum of dual core processor series Qualcomm Snapdragon S4.

Under the display are placed in four-row keyboard, advancing the display somewhat lifted, making you more comfortable. Present and the camera, as it should any self-respecting smartphone Nokia, it is made by technology PureView, sensor resolution of 10 megapixels, Carl Zeiss optics is present and dual xenon flash. Nokia company should seriously consider issuing similar product.