Digital World Tokyo | Peripherals

Buckyballs power tiny fuel-cell powerhouse

Fri, 09 May 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Exotic molecules like carbon buckyballs may soon become part of our everyday lives if the latest prototype fuel cell from Sony ever makes it to the stores. The six-fuel-cell system Sony recently showed at the Small Fuel Cells 2008 exhibition in Atlanta has at its core an electrolyte membrane based on buckminsterfullerenes (to give them their proper name) and a platinum catalyst. While the science probably matters little to the man in the street, what does ring bells is the ability of the latest prototype to generate three times more energy than its gooey 2005 predecessor. The 5 x 3 x 2cm unit goes to work on a single milliliter of methanol, producing 1.1 watt hours of energy from the fuel. In its demonstration Sony used 10ml of the volatile liquid to power a mobile phone with a TV tuner running for 14 hours. Better still, in combination with a lithium-polymer rechargeable battery, the tiny device can produce a steady 3W output by alternating supplying just power when it's needed most with charging the battery during quiet periods of energy demand from whatever needs the juice. Whenever the buckyball system does make it to market, Sony claims it will be smaller still, so we fully expect to see it inside phones, rather than attached to them as in the demo. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Panasonic photo printer grabs still shots from high-def video

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:50:00 GMT

Panasonic Japan has come up with an intriguing solution to a problem no one knew we had - a device that can grab and print stills from a high-definition video file. The ¥23,000 ($215) KX-PX30 looks like a standard dye-sub photo printer with the usual array of SD card and USB ports and a little 3.6-inch color LCD for seeing what's going on before printing. However, it's actually the world's first that can handle both older MPEG videos and AVCHD high-def flicks. Connect a source containing an AVCHD video and the PX30 can grab individual frames from it at half-second intervals. From there it's just a case of picking which you like and printing them out at 300dpi. The Panasonic blurb says postcard-sized prints take 48 seconds and larger ones a full minute, which is par for the course. Naturally, the PX30 can hook up to a PC and can print boring old still images as well. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Panasonic photo printer grabs still shots from high-def video

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:50:00 GMT

Bone conduction goes wireless with Bluetooth headset

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:46:01 GMT

We've seen a few bone-conduction devices before, including a cellphone, a sports headband and an industrial safety helmet, but this is definitely the first we've come across that sends the good vibes by Bluetooth. The wireless Sound Leaf Plus arrives in Japan from NTT DoCoMo next February for around ¥13,000 ($115) and is an upgrade to last year's wired model. As with other bone-conduction gear, the point of the Sound Leaf is to circumvent the outer ear and deliver the vibrations that sound is made of from the phone, through the bones of the skull and thence to the inner ear. Apparently, it's useful in noisy environments like building sites or bars on Friday nights. The new 45g model runs on two AAA batteries for about 15 hours a pop and has a flip for taking and ending calls that has a microphone on the end. DoCoMo has thoughtfully engineered in a softer vibration pad so as not to jiggle the bones of the cranium excessively and the whole thing even vibrates in your pocket when a call arrives - whodathunk it? (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Bone conduction goes wireless with Bluetooth headset

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:46:01 GMT

Levitating keyboard uses magnets to float keys

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:58:00 GMT

Until Apple stuck a magnetic holder for its multimedia remote control on the side of the most recent iMacs, it was generally accepted that magnets should be kept well away from computer screens. Now that's no longer a consideration, we're starting to see more magnetised material in peripherals, such as this first magnetic keyboard. The blandly named Magnet Keyboard comes from Korea's Embotec and, thankfully, they seem to have put a bit more though into its workings than its name. In place of the switches or springs found in most normal keyboards, the new rack uses magnetism to cushion the keys by levitating them upwards and away from the contacts that register keystrokes. Embotec says the technique is actually better for the hands than current keyboards, as it can adjust the strength of the magnetic field - and hence the cushioning effect - according to how hard the keys are being struck. Apparently, even gamers are likely to approve of the new, responsive keyboard when it is released in South Korea shortly. There's no word on pricing or overseas sales yet, nor can we link you directly to the keyboard on Embotec's website. Like most Korean firms, they're addicted to Flash, so there's no deep linking, but we're sure you can find your way around the English links there. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Levitating keyboard uses magnets to float keys

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 02:58:00 GMT

Sanyo projector shows full-size pics from just 8cm

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:49:01 GMT

Projectors aren't always the most exciting gadgets we come across in our line of work, but Sanyo's latest effort really raises the bar by opening up entirely new areas for projector deployment. The ¥600,000 LP-XL50's party piece is its ability to project large images of up to 80 inches onto a surface from just 8cm away. Anyone who's ever been to school will realize this means an end to the old schoolroom scenario of teacher being blinded by laser-strength light while trying to point out detail on a projected image as kids sneak out the back. On top of that, the XL50 can also project either vertically or horizontally, meaning it could even be fixed to the top of a screen and still project onto it or onto floors, tabletops or any flat surface at all. Sanyo predicts that the 1024 x 768 resolution device will open up a realm of new uses, including projecting moving images from above onto a school floor for interactive learning, displaying advertising on ceilings or windows and even as a tool for architects or town planners to study plans on a collaborative work surface. Incidentally, that top pic from Sanyo showing the projector in action actually includes a Google Maps view of DWT HQ here in Kunitachi Other functions of note are a vibration-sensitive anti-theft alarm, a quick cool-down routine and a hue adjustment mode that allows images projected onto non-white surfaces - including the greener variety of blackboards - to be displayed correctly. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Sanyo projector shows full-size pics from just 8cm

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:49:01 GMT

Speedy card readers reach ExpressCard slot

Mon, 07 May 2007 09:06:00 GMT

This is a first - a budget multi-format memory card reader that fits into the increasingly popular ExpressCard slot now found on many laptops. The tiny 16g ExpressCard 34 device comes from Greenhouse Japan and will be available there from the end of this month. The ¥2,880 outlay will net shoppers there the GH-EX25AD card and the ability to read a variety of memory cards at speeds far faster than possible using the PCMCIA/PC card standard that ExpressCards are gradually replacing. SD/SDHC, MMC, xD and all flavors of Memory Stick fit the bill nicely. The transfer speed tops out at 480 Mbps, which is ten times the rate of the older format. Although it might not be a big deal when handling documents and photos, the massive amounts of, for example, video data filling SDHC cards these days make such speedy card readers a wise investment. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Speedy card readers reach ExpressCard slot

Sun, 06 May 2007 17:06:00 GMT

Buffalo’s stylish Skype speakerphone on the cheap

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:28:00 GMT

Headsets for making internet telephone calls, particularly for Skype, are ten-a-penny, but there aren't a great number of speakerphones and certainly none is as stylish or cheap as the latest from Buffalo Japan. For ¥9,800, Tokyo businesses operating on a shoestring can avail themselves of Buffalo's elegant BSKP-CU202/SV. As with most products from the firm, the naming is a mess, yet the functionality is anything but. The desk-phone needs no drivers, simply plugging into a USB port. As it's bus-powered, there's no need for an AC adapter either. In addition, a total audio output of 6W through three channels makes the setup a reasonable speaker system for most machines. Lastly, with both echo- and noise-canceling circuitry installed, the CU202 should put paid to those annoying quality problems that dog Skype and its 171 million users worldwide. Oh, and we should probably point out that there's absolutely no reason not to plug in and fire up an alternative/better VoIP app, such as Gizmo. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Buffalo’s stylish Skype speakerphone on the cheap

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:28:00 GMT

1-seg wonder: Japan’s mobile digital TV

Mon, 08 May 2006 12:22:00 GMT

Since April Fool's Day this year most of Japan has been able to enjoy digital TV broadcasts created specifically for mobile devices, particularly for cellphones. The new service has been branded "1-seg" for a very good reason. The bandwidth occupied by one regular broadcast digital channel has been divided into 13 parts in much the same way as is practised around the world. However, one segment (1-seg) of each digi channel in Japan is used for exclusively mobile content. Currently, there are seven such dedicated TV channels under the 1-seg banner. At a recent test viewing I was pleasantly surprised to find an image quality that is much better than mobile analog TV. The video format is H.264, the size of the image is 320 x 160 dots and the signal broadcasts 15 frames per second. Moreover, the mobile phone screen can be split to view TV, subtitles and data streams, such as news tickers, separately. Up to 30 minutes of programming can be recorded and stored in the phones. Before launch the development of the chips needed to handle the reception and conversion of the digital broadcast signals took a long time. The challenges were centered on resolving the heat and power consumption problems associated with packaging these smart technologies on a single chip small enough to fit in a phone. As for the cellphones currently available, au and DoCoMo have launched three 1-seg phones between them. DoCoMo introduced the P901iTV by Panasonic, while au sells two phones, the W41H from Hitachi and Sanyo's W33SA. In June, Vodafone will introduce the V905SH 1-seg phone from Sharp. On the downside, this digital TV functionality comes with a weight premium: generally the phones weigh around 150g. Also, the batteries are good for only three hours of TV watching, which is borderline acceptable. Away from cellphones, another target market for mobile TV is the in-car addict. Car navigation units in Japan have large screens and viewing analog TV is already a highly popular activity for those millions of Japanese enjoying their weekends in traffic jams. Adding 1-seg to the mix already looks like a winner. Whatever the viewing platform, digital broadcasting also has a few small problems before it gains widespread acceptance. Flipping between channels is slower than with analog TV, plus processing of the broadcast signals takes a few seconds. This might not sound like a problem but try watching live sports in the neighborhood of an analog TV or radio showing the action real-time. Will mobile TV become a success? Content must be adapted for the smaller screens of mobile phones and the programs must be shorter to keep viewers' attention. In the all-important financial realm, 1-seg will be a good medium for commercials and infomercials, as additional information on products or services can be send through the data channel. By clicking a link, the viewer can browse to advertisers' websites and start shopping right away. Eventually, sporting events will also be highly popular on 1-seg, allowing viewers to browse for stats and background information. Lastly, it's only a matter of time before the interactive elements, such as voting, we already associate with regular digital television hits the small screen, providing a whole new way to waste time on the go. — Arjen van Blokland

1-seg wonder: Japan’s mobile digital TV

Sun, 07 May 2006 20:22:00 GMT

Since April Fool's Day this year most of Japan has been able to enjoy digital TV broadcasts created specifically for mobile devices, particularly for cellphones. The new service has been branded "1-seg�? for a very good reason. The bandwidth occupied by one regular broadcast digital channel has been divided into 13 parts in much the same way as is practised around the world. However, one segment (1-seg) of each digi channel in Japan is used for exclusively mobile content. Currently, there are seven such dedicated TV channels under the 1-seg banner. At a recent test viewing I was pleasantly surprised to find an image quality that is much better than mobile analog TV. The video format is H.264, the size of the image is 320 x 160 dots and the signal broadcasts 15 frames per second. Moreover, the mobile phone screen can be split to view TV, subtitles and data streams, such as news tickers, separately. Up to 30 minutes of programming can be recorded and stored in the phones. Before launch the development of the chips needed to handle the reception and conversion of the digital broadcast signals took a long time. The challenges were centered on resolving the heat and power consumption problems associated with packaging these smart technologies on a single chip small enough to fit in a phone. As for the cellphones currently available, au and DoCoMo have launched three 1-seg phones between them. DoCoMo introduced the P901iTV by Panasonic, while au sells two phones, the W41H from Hitachi and Sanyo's W33SA. In June, Vodafone will introduce the V905SH 1-seg phone from Sharp. On the downside, this digital TV functionality comes with a weight premium: generally the phones weigh around 150g. Also, the batteries are good for only three hours of TV watching, which is borderline acceptable. Away from cellphones, another target market for mobile TV is the in-car addict. Car navigation units in Japan have large screens and viewing analog TV is already a highly popular activity for those millions of Japanese enjoying their weekends in traffic jams. Adding 1-seg to the mix already looks like a winner. Whatever the viewing platform, digital broadcasting also has a few small problems before it gains widespread acceptance. Flipping between channels is slower than with analog TV, plus processing of the broadcast signals takes a few seconds. This might not sound like a problem but try watching live sports in the neighborhood of an analog TV or radio showing the action real-time. Will mobile TV become a success? Content must be adapted for the smaller screens of mobile phones and the programs must be shorter to keep viewers' attention. In the all-important financial realm, 1-seg will be a good medium for commercials and infomercials, as additional information on products or services can be send through the data channel. By clicking a link, the viewer can browse to advertisers' websites and start shopping right away. Eventually, sporting events will also be highly popular on 1-seg, allowing viewers to browse for stats and background information. Lastly, it's only a matter of time before the interactive elements, such as voting, we already associate with regular digital television hits the small screen, providing a whole new way to waste time on the go. — Arjen van Blokland