Motorola Atrix - mobile phone/desktop revolution

Watch the video and marvel:


Then read more about it from Engadget and Tech Republic.

Kinect: 1 step closer to virtual interface frm Minority Report

Kinect modders have been making the news on gadget blogs with all their latest hacks on Microsoft's latest add-on for their Xbox gaming console. The latest of which is the ability to wave your hands and interact with Windows 7 and the internet browser. This puts us one step closer to the virtual reality desktop interface we saw in the Tom Cruise movie Minority Report. I won't be surprised to see virtual projection screens being used with the Kinect tech soon. If that's the case, and if MS has a strong patent on their tech ... BUY MORE MICROSOFT SHARES NOW!

DepthJS from Fluid Interfaces on Vimeo.

Read more from the link here.

Why Windows Phone 7 will make Android seem more chaotic

Here's a good comparative analysis by Wired Gadget Lab. With the first Windows Phone 7 handsets expected out in November, we get to see why a Windows phone might be a better buy over an Android.

It IS still rather early to say if WP7 phones will actually pose a significant enough threat to iOS and Android, considering the spectacular failure of the Microsoft Kin phones. The verdict is yet to be made.

Evolution Robotics' Mint Floor Cleaning Robot

Check out this in-depth review of Evolution Robotics' Mint Floor Cleaning Robot here.

This device is NOT a vacuum cleaning robot, so its biggest selling point would be that it is silent. There are a few "downgrades" from features that the Roomba or Neato XV-11 robots have, but the reviewer feels that maintenance of all three units amount to the same anyway. Another point I didn't like was the need to buy additional "North-Star" guidance units for the Mint to clean multiple rooms effectively.

However, the lower cost price (possibly moot after additional North-Star units) and silence of the cleaning process, together with the ability to choose wet or dry sweeping methods make this device a comparable contender for your money.

Via Wired Gadget Lab.

Review: Neato XV-11

The Neato XV-11 was mentioned some months back as having the a laser-guided room mapping system that doesn't rely on bumping into objects to find them.

Engadget got their hands on a review unit and did a comparison with a Roomba. The results were positive for the Neato, being a more efficient and precise cleaning robot that hardly bumps into objects. It does costs over USD$400 however.

Read the full review here at Engadget.

GPS-Controlled Camera Copter provides endless opportunities!

This is one amazing camera platform!

Canon 5D Mark II Aerial Drone - Autonomous GPS Position Hold from perspectiveAerials on Vimeo.

Say you are on the ground at a natural disaster site (or perhaps BP’s heavies are trying to prevent you from grabbing your shot). You fire up the four-rotor copter and fly your camera into position. Hit a switch and the GPS-control kicks in. Combined with the inherent stability of a quadrocopter and its gyroscopes, the platform stays exactly where it is, even in wind.

The photographer can now drop the remote and concentrate on taking photos or video. A live video-feed is sent back from the camera to an 8-inch LCD-screen for composition, and a three-axis gimbal, controlled by another remote, allows the camera to be swung independently into position. This allows the photographer to capture shots otherwise impossible to get, or too dangerous to shoot by hand. It could also give amazing perspectives on sports games (although we guess it could all be brought down by an unlucky football).

And when you’re done, you just hit the “home” button and the camera will fly itself right back to you. But there’s more: Are you an indie-filmmaker looking to add some expensive looking boom-shots and fly-bys to your movie?

From Wired Gadget Lab

Check out the full article at Wired Gadget Labs for the 2nd video that demonstrates some of the image stabilization technology used to keep the DSLR steady!

Complicated Machinery explained in GIFs

This series of animated GIFs that show how certain machinery works. Fascinating! From World of Technology blog, via Wired Gadget Lab.

Solar Bike Charges Itself While You Work

This concept sound like a really great idea, especially for places that get a lot of sun. A bike that can charge its own battery just by leaving it in the sun! Engadget emphasizes its low rolling-resistance wheels, technology borrowed from creator Mr. Yamawaki's Minerva rover.

Read more at Engadget.

This should hopefully come at a friendlier price than the German-made US$80,000 carbon fibre and leather Blacktrail electric bicycle?

Back To The Future Hoverboard is real!

Some guy created the Back to Future hoverboard! How awesome is that? The stuff of my pre-teen dreams!

Check it out on video, via Engadget.

ICD's Tegra 2 Gemini Tablet

We have to keep our eyes on this tablet. Specs wise, it seems to better the iPad, and even boasts Flash compatibility. Its not in production yet, and we'll have to wait a while more for them to iron out all the kinks. Meanwhile, here's Engadget's thoughts on it (via Stuff.tv).

Honda U3-X Personal Mobility Device

Here's an alternative to the Segway - the Honda U3-X Personal Mobility Device! Its basically a moving futuristic stump with a seat affixed to it. The user directs movement by gently leaning in the direction he wants to go. It even strafes!

From the video in Engadget, I can already imagine future office workers moving around in seats that use this technology.. and I can see the seats getting bigger, and the office workers getting more out of shape.. But still, this is awesome tech!

Read more (and watch the video) from Engadget.

Review: iPad by Engadget

Ok. It rocks. For a device that is trying to create a niche out of nothing, this device has all the bells and whistles (except Flash). It works as an eReader, a picture gallery viewer, and you can even watch movies on it (just not Youtube Flash types). It's light, its sleek, and you have an innate desire for it just because its from Apple.

What more need I say? The statistics here already spell out that 300,000 iPad purchases were made on the April 3rd launch day. Read the full article here to satisfy your heebie-jeebies.

One downside to the fray to be added here - iPad apps prices aren't very friendly at the moment, costing generally twice as much as iPhone apps. Read more from Engadget.

If consumer purchases of the iPad doesn't skyrocket, coming up with other uses for the device will. People have been dreaming of using such a touch device for medical and other usage for years. This article (by Wired Gadget Lab) highlights how a college is purchasing at least 2400 units in order to see how the iPad can revamp education. Already simply taking the physical weight of the device vs several heavy textbooks will make children's schoolbags much lighter.

And of course - A REALLY GOOD USE for the iPad! =D by WGL.

Well, we can always hope that the HP Slate will provide a little competition with full Windows 7 usage on the 8.9" screen I suppose.

Review: FusionGarage's JooJoo by Engadget

From this article, I get the impression that the FusionGarage JooJoo tablet is quite a disappointment software-wise. Especially since its coming off the heels of the lofty Apple iPad. To make matters worse, the vaunted Flash ability is, right now, more of a sham, since they can't even get Youtube to work natively, having to implement a hack in order to view videos from that site. Admittedly, Adobe and FG will be working on this so there's some hope of it eventually working. But considering how the iPad already works right out of the box, and is priced within the same range, I wouldn't vote for the JooJoo over an iPad.

That's IF you can list a number of reasons why you even need an iPad..



Read the full article here.

10 Surprising things about the iPad

Now that the iPad is in some people's hands, here's an interesting list of 10 things that this writer found surprising about the device.

1) It Screams - its really fast to open apps and what not.

2) Its heavier than I thought it would be - speaks for itself.

4) Virtual QWERTY isn't as bad as I feared - you can actually type well on it, just let the auto-correction do its thing.

Read the rest of the list at Yahoo!.

Also, here's Engadget's review on the iPad.

iPhone's LCD screen beats Nexus One's OLED

According to a firm that does calibration and optimization of displays, the iPhone's LCD screen actually beats the Nexus One's OLED screen.

“The high resolution, high pixel density OLED display on the Nexus One is beautiful, even stunning on first view, but there are lots of issues, problems and artifacts lurking just below the surface,” Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate on the company’s blog.

Read more at Wired Gadget Lab.

3-D Filming Setup on the cheap!

A simple and cheap solution to home-made 3-D movies has been put forth by Weber State University:

.. a pair of Kodak Zx1 pocket HD cameras... simply bolted to a piece of L-shaped aluminum bar by machine screws spaced at 6.5cm to more or less equate to the distance between your eye holes. It's an elegantly simple solution and, at just $250, a deliciously cheap one too -- especially considering those cameras are over $100 each.

Click here for more details, via Engadget.

New Lithium-Ion batteries to last 20 years

Eamax, a company in Osaka has come up with a battery that could potentially endure 20 years of regular use, that's 10,000 charges! If the cost is decent, which it could be, considering the process used, this could potentially ruin the general purpose batteries and their relevant holding companies.

The secret to the long-lasting lithium-ion? In current designs, the tin that's used for the battery's negative electrode weakens through continual charging and recharging. The new design, however, calls for tin-coated resin that stabilizes the electrode and prevents deterioration.

Read more from Engadget.

Apple iPad Video via Engadget

And its out.. the long-awaited iPad. Find out more here.
IMHO, its a stupid name, has limited functions. Let's wait for the next iteration of this, or see what better offerings the competitors have (there are already more compelling options out there). This is simply another lifestyle gadget thrown out by Apple attempting to ensnare the masses into an "exclusive" must-buy kinda mode, with a SIM card that no provider currently uses. Find out more about the SIM card here.

Having said that, my experience with the iPhone reveals that its the Apps that maketh the phone. And so will the Apps maketh the Pad. This remains to be seen, but I'm betting on a positive in the next few months. US$12-15 e-books isn't too bad either (although long-term reading on a non-e-ink screen may not be the best idea).

Here's Engadget's video anyway:


An alternative view from Wired Gadget Lab suggests readers of Wired.com are not entirely won over by the hype and functionalities of the iPad. Find out more here.

And just for laughs, here's the Internet's best period-related iPad jokes from Jezebel.com.

The rise of EVIL cameras

EVIL = "Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens"
This article from WGL argues why the Evil cameras will soon replace DSLRs.
Read more here.

The next fad? Wheel Skates

Testing 1st samples from new moulds in Sydney & China from Chariot Skates on Vimeo.

Maybe its possible to negotiate bumps better due to the larger wheel. Seems you can still move in wet grass where its near impossible for normal in-line skates. My question is, how do you stop on those things? And when will you be able to get over the embarrassment of wearing something as silly-looking as that?

From WGL.