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Paul Lester
Phase One announces 645DF medium format camera
By Paul Lester
17:51 September 30, 2009 PDT
Danish firm Phase One, a leading digital imaging technology company, has unveiled the most recent result of its partnership with Japanese camera manufacturer Mamiya, boasting that its medium format 645DF can claim a number of unique benefits. Read More
Pump off the jam with the Onis ultrasonic dishwasher
By Paul Lester
17:12 September 30, 2009 PDT
The fight for more environmentally-friendly ways of living continues and this time household appliances are getting a boost from innovative French manufacturer De Dietrich, which has come up with an efficient new way to clean the dishes - less power, recycled water and detergent-free. Read More
Intel predicts optical future for consumer gadgets with 10Gb/s Light Peak interface
By Paul Lester
06:44 September 28, 2009 PDT
Though it may not make it into everyone’s ‘top ten’ list of most desirable technological developments, replacing the spaghetti-junction of wires that typically gathers behind a desk or workspace would undoubtedly be a welcome advance. Wireless peripherals are helping the situation somewhat and wireless power will be a massive boon once perfected but, in the meantime, we’re looking to technologies like optical cables to handle high-volume data transfer. Intel’s recent research in this area should be of particular interest, since it’s designed to replace or augment connections used in consumer-based electronics, such as USB2.0, HDMI, Firewire, DVI and the like. Read More
Lotus leaf inspires dust-busting shield for space gear
By Paul Lester
16:56 September 27, 2009 PDT
Finding inspiration from nature in order to refine and advance modern technologies is nothing new; Mercedes’ bionic car was an interesting example and we’ve also seen a new ‘smart fabric’ based on the design of pine cones. Perhaps one of the most inspiring species, certainly in the plant world, is the lotus, which has already contributed to the development of fog-free windscreens and other surfaces along with improving the efficiency of solar cells. Now NASA is looking to the Lotus Leaf to develop a non-stick surface for use on spaceflight equipment. Read More
The stylish and versatile all-new Ford C-MAX range
By Paul Lester
17:23 September 21, 2009 PDT
It’s not all glitz and glamor at the Frankfurt Motor Show this year and rather sensibly many manufacturers are focusing on practicality and economy as well as style and finesse. Ford is traditionally a safe bet when it comes to family-oriented motors and has introduced a new two-model C-MAX compact MAV (Multi-activity vehicle) range, which made its global debut at the show. Read More
BBC to sell 'Project Canvas' web-based TV concept around the world
By Paul Lester
17:12 September 16, 2009 PDT
Those outside of the UK may not be overly familiar with the BBC iPlayer, a streaming web-based TV service for the British institution’s range of channels that has seen burgeoning success and spawned a number of terrestrial and satellite-based rivals. It’s also worth summarising the aim of Project Canvas, a venture by the broadcasting giant that looks to bring a similar streaming service to the home and will notably look to incorporate other channels, on-demand services and web-based content from sites such as YouTube, Flickr and Facebook, as well as built-in PVR functionality though a set-top box connected to a TV. Read More
Viewsonic announce MovieBook VDP400/500 HD PMPs
By Paul Lester
16:56 September 16, 2009 PDT
The PMP market has received a bit of a boost recently and, following our early glimpse of i-Station’s T4 HD, a rather unlikely contender in Viewsonic is looking to take a slice of a market that is traditionally dominated by rivals such as Archos and Cowon. Read More
VW enters the home power market
By Paul Lester
21:28 September 15, 2009 PDT
Volkswagen has recently announced a rather ambitious project that, for a change, has nothing to do with cars. Teaming up with regenerative-power company Lichtblick, it aims to install 100,000 co-generation power units in Germany as part of a concept called ‘SchwarmStrom’ which, literally translated, means ‘swarm power’. Successful application would allow Germany to abandon the use of nuclear and coal power stations and provide adequate backup to renewable energy sources, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 60%. Read More
The Polaris mobile handset robot
By Paul Lester
17:34 September 10, 2009 PDT
Despite having limited success in other countries, Japan enjoys nothing more than coming up with progressively weird and wacky designs for robots, and it doesn’t seem to matter whether they have any real practical application.The latest entry into this category is the Polaris mobile phone robot, a spherical, mobile device designed to house a handset that, when not docked, will be busy recording data based on a user’s day-to-day activity. Read More
Asus to release world’s cheapest eBook reader
By Paul Lester
17:01 September 10, 2009 PDT
Despite being around since the mid-nineties, eBooks have never really taken off and this is mainly down to the fact that eBook readers, which have been available for about a decade, have proven prohibitively expensive and barely more convenient than lugging around a couple paperbacks. Sony and BeBook have seen relative success in recent times, along with the Amazon Kindle, but a new competitor in the form of Asus could be set to breathe new life into the market. Read More
LG’s Roboking robotic vacuum cleaner gets smarter
By Paul Lester
11:18 September 10, 2009 PDT
Ever since Electrolux introduced the couch-potato to the Tribolite, vacuum cleaner manufacturers have been coming up with progressively smarter, more efficient ways to automate this common chore. iRobot has been busy refining the Roomba and Dyson came up with something that looks more at home on the battlefield in the DC06, but this time it’s LG’s chance to get involved and the new Roboking promises intelligent cleaning using a range of advanced sensors. Read More
McLaren MP4-12C delivers jaw-dropping looks, performance and economy
By Paul Lester
22:26 September 9, 2009 PDT
Supercars are 20 to the dozen these days and it takes something pretty special to elicit that all-important ‘wow’ factor from a modern production car. McLaren is one manufacturer who is most certainly capable of such feats of design and engineering, and while it’s debatable as to whether the original F1 will ever be usurped in terms of pure aggression and innovation, subsequent models suggest that it hasn’t lost its edge when it comes to jaw-dropping new designs. This claim is underlined with the release of the new MP4-12C, a car that most should agree from an aesthetics standpoint hits the ‘goldilocks zone’ between the sublime and the ridiculous. Read More
Sony's answer to the Flip: the MHS-PM1 Mobile HD Snap Camera
By Paul Lester
15:51 September 8, 2009 PDT
Those who subscribe to the theory that we’re part of the ‘YouTube generation’ will be more than aware of how important it is for budding directors/rubber-neckers to have a video camera on them at all times, and if your mobile phone isn’t up to the task there are a range of portable offerings available that are designed for just such a purpose. Perhaps the most famous of these is Pure Digital’s Flip, which got rave reviews on release and is many a teenager’s tool of choice when it comes to capturing those unforgettable moments. Now it has a serious rival from Sony. Read More
Quirky ideas: Scratch-n-scroll mouse-pad allows you to write with your finger
By Paul Lester
15:37 September 8, 2009 PDT
Older Gizmag readers may remember the Etch A Sketch, a child’s doodling utensil that used aluminium powder and a glass screen to draw horizontal and vertical lines and the Magna Doodle, a similar product that used a magnetic drawing board. A cheap and cheerful version of the latter, often called the ‘magic slate’, consisted of a pad and stylus that allowed scribbles to be erased by lifting off and replacing a film of plastic. This concept has now been rather cleverly turned into a Mouse Pad called the Scratch-n-Scroll. Read More
i-Station T4 HD PMP offers 1080p playback
By Paul Lester
16:17 September 7, 2009 PDT
Despite some impressive entries from companies like Archos, Cowon and most recently Viewsonic we’re still looking for what is arguably the Portable Media Player to end all PMPs – an iPod for the widescreen video market, if you will. While waiting for Apple to get its act together with its own tablet-style device our heads were turned at this year’s IFA by i-Station’s latest effort in this market, the T4 HD. Read More
Elonex introduces radical new motion-sensing TV Games Dock for the iPod
By Paul Lester
21:35 September 6, 2009 PDT
When it comes to over-saturated markets in gadget circles, the iPod Dock surely wins hands-down. The massive range of varied designs for a product that’s primarily intended to port audio or video to another source is staggering, but Elonex is about to buck this trend with something truly innovative. Its iGAME dock may not look too inspiring at first glance and, indeed, it's capable of handling music, videos, podcasts and video podcasts in the usual way. What makes it special is that it’s primarily a games console, or more specifically a TV Games Dock, designed to utilise the advantages of Apple’s newest players. Read More
Nokia unveils sleek X-series range with two new models
By Paul Lester
04:07 September 6, 2009 PDT
Nokia's recently announced ‘X-series’, which currently consists of the X3 and X6, looks to build on the success of the XpressMusic series with some funky new styling and a healthy set of features. Read More
The Samsung HZ25W 12.5MP camera with 24x Mega-Zoom
By Paul Lester
19:32 September 3, 2009 PDT
Recent developments in the digital camera market have given amateur photographers that require a decent optical zoom some reasonably priced point-and-shoot alternatives. Following announcements earlier this year by Kodak and Olympus, Samsung has released its own model - the HZ25W, a 12.5MP, 24x optical zoom camera that sports the most powerful lens ever offered on a Samsung compact digital model. Read More
Oshkosh demonstrates TerraMax autonomous vehicle system
By Paul Lester
18:27 September 3, 2009 PDT
The ability of military vehicles to better protect occupants with modern designs and high-tech materials has become an increasing priority and UK firm Amsafe has already seen success with its Tarian armor plating in the U.S. Oshkosh Defense, part of the U.S. Marine Corp’s MRAP (Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected) program, is also heavily involved and a recently-announced armor system took an alternative approach with an emphasis on mobility. Development of its new TerraMax vehicles seems almost flawless in its potential, however, at least in protecting the lives of the soldiers on board because, put simply, there aren’t any. Read More
Build a lunar lander and win $1 million
By Paul Lester
17:38 September 1, 2009 PDT
The X-Prize foundation, who teamed up with Google in 2007 to create the USD$30 million Google Lunar X Prize competition, has recorded plenty of interest. Since Odyssey Moon’s registration, a further ten parties moved swiftly to take up the gauntlet last year. Read More
Incentivizing the masses - free music drives phone usage
By Paul Lester
14:44 August 30, 2009 PDT
Ever since services like the original Napster brought free (albeit illegal) music downloads to the world, the music industry has been quick to point the finger at pirates but slow to realize that digital content is clearly the way forwards. Since then, download services such as iTunes and streaming services like Spotify have introduced new business models to the masses and Orange is the latest to come up with an innovative new way to listen to tunes on the move. Read More
Minx 18V speedboat claims Corvette performance at a Camry price
By Paul Lester
18:07 August 24, 2009 PDT
If your idea of a day out on the high seas is a gentle sail around the harbor, a few cold beers and perhaps a spot of fishing, then the Minx Model 18V Powerboat is not for you. We’ve already seen PWCs like the Samba hit 65mph but the Minx 18V, described as a ‘supercar for the water’, can reach speeds of up to 80mph (75mph without modification) and claims to be 15-20mph faster than any stock PWC or mainstream jet boat. Read More
Portable USB drive and solar charger boosts gadgets on the move
By Paul Lester
17:40 August 23, 2009 PDT
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that gets a decent amount of sun every year, investing in a solar charger to give portable devices a boost when out and about would be a wise idea and Korean company Zyrus has come up with something tidy and practical enough to hold genuine appeal. Read More
NASA confirms building blocks of life found on comets
By Paul Lester
18:40 August 19, 2009 PDT
Fresh evidence has been revealed to support the theory that life on Earth began in space. NASA’s Stardust probe, a specially-designed comet ‘chaser’, successfully collected particles shed from Comet Wild 2 in 2004, and NASA scientists have since confirmed for the first time that amino acids can indeed be found on these extraterrestrial bodies. Read More
PrimeSense paints future of home-tech interaction
By Paul Lester
19:21 August 17, 2009 PDT
Nintendo certainly created a stir when it introduced motion-sensing controls to the video game industry, but subsequent developments that are no more than a year or two from fruition are already threatening to confine this relatively new technology to the proverbial scrap-heap. The latest of these is PrimeSense, a 3D camera that allows devices like televisions to ‘see a view of the surrounding area’ by scanning a room to determine who is present through a combination of shape recognition and thermal imaging. Read More
John Wassner
- November 27, 2009 @ 01:40 UTC
