By Evan Ackerman

LG Objet 15″ AMOLED TV, 720p resolution, 0.85 millimeter thick (!) and super bright. It’ll be showing up in the US, but there’s no price or timeframe yet.

LG Prada cellphone controlled by matching watch via Bluetooth. 600 Euros for the phone, another 300 for the watch.

LG digital TV chip, watch DTV on your phone in realtime. Works in mobile devices without a significant cost increase, 4+ hour battery life in cellphones. Will be available in LG phones in September, after the US transitions to digital TV from analog.

By Andrew Liszewski

Softbank has finally released their 1-Seg TV Tuner accessory for the iPhone 3G, and DVICE has posted a first look at what they feel is now one of the best accessories for Apple’s phone. Unlike most add-ons, the Softbank tuner doesn’t attach to the iPhone like a sleeve, but is a separate device that’s styled to look like the phone itself. And while it connects to the iPhone via a sync cable, it actually transmits the 1-Seg TV signals it pulls in via wifi. So in order to actually watch TV with the iPhone, you need to be in range and connected to a wifi network.

Overall, DVICE was definitely impressed with the $108 (9,850 yen) accessory, though locating the accompanying software in the iPhone App Store was a chore unto itself, and they found that the tuner tended to drain the iPhone’s battery after just an hour of watching TV. So you better make sure there’s a power outlet nearby if you’re hoping to watch a movie with it. Oh, and you better hope you live in Japan as well.

[ DVICE - Softbank iPhone TV Tuner & Battery unboxing and hands-on ] & [ Softbank iPhone TV Tuner ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Listen, I like retro hardware as much as the next guy who has a closet full of old-school gadgets and electronics, but I also have a pretty strict budget when it comes to adding to my collection. So while this reproduction of a 1960′s era Doney TV that was originally designed by Richard Sapper and Marco Zanuso might be oozing with retro charm, I just can’t see myself dropping over $1,000 on a set that will probably not even work once the digital switchover is complete here. (The site claims that Brionvega has equipped the TV with the newest technology, but I somehow doubt that includes a digital tuner.) But if you’d rather spend your money on a 14 inch B&W CRT than a 40+ inch plasma or LCD model, the Doney TV is available from Connox for about $1,072. (Though they’re ‘out of stock’ at the moment.)

[ Brionvega Doney TV ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Jonathan Kimak

Although it’s a minor thing in the grand scheme of life, the remote losing power can be rather annoying. And despite our pressing the buttons harder, the channels eventually stop changing and we go looking for some fresh batteries. Now there’s a battery-free remote control that eliminates the need to ever get off our butts ever again.

Online store Gizoo sells a universal remote control that uses wind-up power to charge itself. 30 twists is enough to power the device for a week. For the serious couch-potato that could qualify as a weekly work-out.

The pirce is £19.95 ($38 US).

[ Wind-up Universal Remote ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

By Andrew Liszewski

As February 17, 2009 creeps closer and closer, many people are rushing out to upgrade their old analog TV sets with brand new digital HD models. Of course I have no problem with that, but did you realize that fancy new LCD monitor you bought for your PC can also serve as a high-def display? It probably won’t be able to tune in an over-the-air HD signal right out of the box, but that’s where the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick comes into play.

It’s a small USB dongle that connects to your PC or laptop and allows you to watch standard or high-def TV broadcasts alongside your spreadsheets and email. You can even use your PC as a PVR with the included software, which will take care of all that free hard drive space you have lying around. And if you find that clicking a mouse button takes away from your TV watching experience, it even includes a remote control for turning your workstation into a pseudo home theater. You can read my full review of the PCTV HD Pro Stick after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Andrew Liszewski

I guess my XEL-1 review unit from Sony must’ve gotten lost in the mail, but thankfully I was able to get some one-on-one time with the OLED TV at my local Sony store. Not surprisingly the display looks amazing, and is exactly what you’d expect with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. And even though it only has a native resolution of 960×540 pixels, you don’t really notice it since the display is just 11 inches in size. But am I tempted to take one home? Absolutely not.

As far as I’m concerned the XEL-1 is nothing more than a tech demo/marketing exercise. Sure, it’s cool that Sony was the first company to get an actual OLED TV to the market, but who’s going to pay $2,499.99 for a display that can’t even do 720P? Even the XEL-1′s design seems engineered to promote the technology first and foremost. By keeping all of the controls and connections in the base of the unit, it allowed them to make the actual OLED display remarkably thin. And it works, as that seems to be the biggest feature most people noticed as they walked past. But while OLED technology is definitely a viable contender when it comes to who will rule the flat screen market in the future, it’s probably a good idea to wait a few more years before making the investment.

By Andrew Liszewski

While video games have traditionally been a passive experience, the Wii changed things up by forcing players to get up and get active. Now I’m not saying that being forced to stand is a good thing, but games like Wii Tennis and Wii Bowling are considerably more fun when you’re not laying on the couch. And to make it easier to see your flat screen TV while standing, Thanko has created the ‘Electric Up and Down Big TV Stand’ which can be used to lift your display up to 130 cm.

It can be operated remotely with an included wireless and wired controller and it’s apparently able to lift displays that are up to 110 lbs in weight, which is pretty impressive. But like most things you’ll have to decide if the convenience and improved sight line when playing your Wii is worth the $675 price tag for the stand.

[ Thanko Electric Up and Down Big TV Stand ] VIA [ Digital World Tokyo ]

By Luke Anderson

Watching TV in bed seems like such a natural thing to do. I tend to turn on something rather random and set the sleep timer before I conk out, when I don’t read before bed that is. Since most people who watch TV in their bedroom do so from their bed, wouldn’t it make sense to have a TV built right into the bed frame? As long as it’s done right, I think it would be an excellent idea.

The Chicago bed from Mayflower Designs shows exactly how it should be done. Have a small LCD TV set in a rising stand at the foot of the bed. When not in use, it just retracts into the frame where it is out of sight. You can customize almost every detail of these beds from the upholstery to free standing ottomans and cabinets. This bit of luxury will no doubt set you back a hefty sum, though there’s no information currently regarding pricing.

[ Mayflower Designs ] VIA [ Born Rich ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Every homeowner has to make that tough decision between having the convenience of a TV in the bathroom, or the luxury of heated towels. But there’s finally been a breakthrough in bathroom appliance technology that now allows you to have both! That’s right, the Aquavision Towel Rail TV incorporates both a 17 inch waterproof LCD display and fully heated chrome rails to make your towels all toasty warm in the morning. What a time to be alive!

The TV also has a special finish so that when it’s turned off, it can be used as a bathroom mirror. There’s even a waterproof remote which I guess is an important feature if you’re planning on using it while taking a bath, or other activities.

Sadly though, like any piece of cutting-edge technology the Aquavision Towel Rail TV comes with a ridiculous price tag of just over $6,000 from High Tech Living. But not having to choose between warm towels or TV in the bath is a big step forward for mankind.

[ Aquavision Towel Rail TV ] VIA [ Home Improvement Ideas ]