Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

Oh Microsoft Surface, why do you have to be so sexy, and yet so unattainable? If you’ve ever played with a Surface table (at an AT&T retail store, maybe) you know exactly what I’m talking about, and if you’ve never seen one, just watch the demo and you’ll get the idea. No matter how sexy it is, though, the price tag of $10k+ is a bit of a turn-off.

A recent Microsoft market research survey asked participants what they’d think about the following device, called “Oahu:”

Oahu is a flat screen that sits horizontally like a table top. You can interact with Oahu by touching the screen, instead of using a mouse, and more than one person can interact with Oahu at the same time. You and others can move objects on the screen with your hands and touch icons to open up programs, games, or music. People using the device can also use their fingertips to expand and shrink objects on the screen. The screen recognizes people’s hand movements and touches and reacts accordingly. You can bring up an on-screen keyboard to input information.

More info, including a price that’s borderline affordable, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

We gave NeuroSky’s mind reading hardware a try at GameDev earlier this year, and here at CTIA NeuroSky has their latest OEM product just about ready to go.

The NeuroSky MindSet is a light weight, over-ear headset. It’s got a built-in rechargeable (via USB) lithium battery pack, and is completely wireless, able to stream music from any Bluetooth source. It’s also able to control compatible music players wirelessly, which is kind of neat, as well as acting as a Bluetooth headset with its integrated mini-mic. The exciting part is the little thingy that sits up by your forehead, reading your brain waves with the help of a few other sensors in the ear pieces. The headset is able to monitor your stress levels and attention levels, and uses this data to interact with a few different cell phone games.

That’s not all it can do, though… More after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Luke Anderson

I remember back when FireWire was first introduced (yes, it’s actually called IEEE 1394, but I’m an old-school Mac guy, so it’s FireWire) and it had some incredible speed to it. Of course USB 2.0 eventually came along and became the more widely used standard. FireWire 800 came out a little while later, but despite its faster speed, never really caught on. Don’t count the standard out though, as a newer, faster version is coming this fall.

The newer FireWire spec is rated at transfer speeds of up to 3.2Gbit/s, which is a considerable jump. It is expected to be compatible with previous standards, something that likely contributed to the lack of interest in FireWire 800. Unfortunately with USB 3.0 on the way with 4.8Gbit/s, it faces some serious competition.

VIA [ Gearlog ]

By Evan Ackerman

Metaphorically, the internet may be a series of tubes. But in reality, it’s a bundle of wires. Wired (heh) got a look inside the world’s densest Meet Me Room at One Wilshire Boulevard in downtown LA. If somebody were to trip over an extension cord in this room, “most of California and parts of the rest of the world [including most of the Pacific Rim] would not be able to connect to the internet.” A Meet Me Room connects (among other things) different internet service providers to each other… If it weren’t for rooms like these, you’d only be able to view sites hosted by your ISP. This room interconnects over 260 ISPs, and that means a lot of cables, and a major headache for the poor guy who has to keep track of them all.

[ Wired ]

By Luke Anderson

I’ve really never put much thought into how I store my DVDs and CDs. Movies are stored in their original boxes in cabinets sitting in my living room. Most CDs are either strewn about on my desk or arranged neatly in binders. Unfortunately none of these methods is all that great for long term disc storge.

Mitsubishi has created the ARLEDIA DVD-R discs that are said to have twice the life expectancy of regular DVDs. They accomplish this by using a gold and silver reflective film which prevents oxidation. No word on pricing or availability.

[ Impress ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By Evan Ackerman

There were a lot of peripherals kicking around the Game Developer’s Conference expo floor, but most of them, however cool they might be, are just faster or better or fancier reincarnations of existing technology. The biggest wow factor as far as gaming interfaces goes was something I wouldn’t have even considered to be a viable technology, until I tried it out for myself today: brain-controlled gaming.

There were, in fact, two companies that I saw today offering brain interfaces for gaming. Both Emotiv Systems and NeuroSky were showing off wearable brainwave sensors, designed to pick up the faint electrical signals that your neurons emit whenever they’re busy. It’s the exact same thing as an electroencephalograph machine, just simpler and without the conductive goo or the metal pins in your scalp. These interfaces can’t tell exactly what you’re thinking, but they can make educated guesses about the type of thinking you’re doing. I know, it sounds like it could never really be anything more than a gimmick, but the thing is, it totally works, and it’s an entirely new gaming experience. Read more after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Luke Anderson

I’ve been saying for a while now that I’d love to switch the main hard drive in my PC to a SSD drive. There are two very obvious reasons why I haven’t taken the plunge yet. Namely, they aren’t very large, and you pay an arm and a leg for what little you do get. BiTMICRO is looking to change both of those things with a new drive that they’ll be unveiling this week at CES.

Their new SSD will be sporting a whopping 832GB of storage space. That’s a huge leap from the 64GB drives that we’ve been seeing lately. What’s even better is that they’re using a new proprietary technology called MLC which they promise will bring the price down below the market average. We’ll look forward to hearing more about this later in the week.

VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By David Ponce

The guys at Gizmodo are in Dubai for an air show, and spotted this bit of news. Sheikh Rashid, the ruler of Dubai, just purchased the first unit of the Aerion Supersonic Business Jet. And some jet! Even at $80,000,000 the bird seems to be worth every penny. It’s able to sprint up to 1.6 Mach, and cruise at 1.5 Mach where allowed, which is pretty much only over oceans. At this speed though, an Atlantic crossing is done in just two hours. Over land, it can fly along at 0.98Mach in the USA (due to regulations) at a similar cost-per-mile than competing subsonic private jets; in other parts of the world, where regulations only require no sonic boom to reach ground, it can speed up to 1.1 Mach without a boom. Its twin Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines produce 19,600 pounds of thrust and it has a ceiling of 51,000 feet.

Expect delivery around 2014, and if you’re serious about getting one, you can leave a $250,000 deposit now. Then, you can call me and buy me lunch, you rich bastard.

More pictures, and video after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

By David Ponce

For what it’s worth, you gotta give it to GM for getting their feet wet in the green sector. They’re doing a pretty good job too, what with the 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line SUV receiving a 25mpg rating in the city, and 32mpg on the highway. That’s 585miles on a tank of gas and it the best highway mileage for any SUV. The kicker? An MSRP of less than $25k. We’re telling you about this because we’re impressed with the technology that’s gone behind this effort:

The Vue Green Line’s hybrid system combines sophisticated controls with a precise electric motor/generator mated to the 2.4-liter, 172-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and a modified automatic transmission. The system delivers fuel economy gains through advanced engine control algorithms including early fuel cut-off during deceleration, optimized transmission shift controls and by smoothly stopping the engine at idle. The system also features regenerative braking to capture electrical energy during braking, electric power assist during acceleration, low-rolling resistance tires and improved aerodynamics.

Roundtrip from LA to Vegas on one tank of gas in an SUV, for under $25k? Not too shabby.

[ Press Release ]