Nanosys and LG Innotek agree deal for newfangled LED-backlit displays

For the nitty gritty of how Nanosys’ proprietary LED backlighting technology works, check out our earlier coverage here — what you really need to know is that the company promises a significantly wider color gamut from its displays, while reducing power consumption by up to 50 percent. Quantum dot LEDs have shown their faces before, but now there’s the big hulking heft of LG Innotek — LG’s component manufacturing arm — behind what Nanosys is offering, which indicates we might actually see the release of nanotech-infused displays within the first half of this year as promised. The early focus appears to be on mobile phones, which gives us yet another next-gen feature to add to our list of requirements for our next phone. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Nanosys and LG Innotek agree deal for newfangled LED-backlit displays

Nanosys and LG Innotek agree deal for newfangled LED-backlit displays originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Siemens gurus hit 500Mbps with white LED lights, dare you to blink

You know what’s better than wireless power? Nothing, frankly. You know what comes darn close? Wicked fast transmissions through thin air. Researchers from Siemens have just shattered their own record for wireless data transfer using white LED light, hitting a whopping 500Mbps while working in collaboration with the Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin. The old record sat at “just” 200Mbps, but the new speeds are helping to take Visible Light Communication from a hopeful technology to a serious contender in the space. These same researchers were also able to show that a system using up to five LEDs is capable of beaming out data over long distances at up to 100Mbps. We’re told that the IEEE has been toiling tirelessly since 2007 to standardize activities in this field, and while a late 2010 completion date is currently being penciled in, we’re not holding our breath. Anyone remember how long it took 802.11n to escape “draft?”

Continue reading Siemens gurus hit 500Mbps with white LED lights, dare you to blink

Siemens gurus hit 500Mbps with white LED lights, dare you to blink originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Light Blue Optics unveils Light Touch: a 10-inch touchscreen pico projector based on lasers (video)

They promised us a device in 2010 and sure enough, Light Blue Optics just announced Light Touch. As the name implies, LBO’s product is a laser projector that turns any flat surface into an auto-focused and image-adjusted 10-inch touchscreen with WVGA resolution thanks to its laser- (not LED) based pico projection engine dubbed HLP (holographic laser projection) and infrared touch-sensing system. Light Touch runs Adobe Flash Lite 3.1 and includes WiFi and Bluetooth radios, 2GB of on-board storage (with microSD slot for up to 32GB more), and a battery capable of about 2-hours worth of runtime. We’ll be getting up close and personal with the mini projector here at CES so until then, feast your eyes on the simulated demo and usage scenarios after the break.

Continue reading Light Blue Optics unveils Light Touch: a 10-inch touchscreen pico projector based on lasers (video)

Light Blue Optics unveils Light Touch: a 10-inch touchscreen pico projector based on lasers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Klipsch LightSpeaker makes whole home audio as simple as screwing in a light bulb (hands-on)

When we walked the sound-filled halls of Klipsch’s Indianapolis headquarters last month, the company insisted that it was always looking at possible expansions into new markets. Today at CES, it’s proving that those words aren’t being uttered carelessly. The all-new LightSpeaker is a unique and potentially game-changing device in the whole home audio market, as unlike similar contraptions, this one requires no external wiring or power. The device is designed to fit into normal 5- to 6-inch light recesses, which enables existing homeowners to easily retrofit these into their ceilings and walls. We were granted some hands-on time with the light, and put simply, you just screw it into a conventional fixture, dial up the desired zone on the bundled remote, and listen. A full-range driver sits just beneath the LED light, and it receives signals via a 2.4GHz base station that can be plugged into just about any source.

Klipsch plans to ship these soon in two main packages: a kit that includes a base station and two LightSpeakers for around $600 and a single LightSpeaker by its lonesome for around $250. The bundled controller allows users to control two zones and two sources, and you can also adjust lighting brightness and volume via the main station or the smaller remote. Each zone can easily support four LightSpeakers, and when we asked if these could withstand the elements, we were told that they’d do fine in a covered patio but probably not within an unshielded pool deck. In other words, some humidity shouldn’t be an issue, but you probably wouldn’t want ‘em to get rained on all night. We also wouldn’t be surprised to see a bundle in the future that includes a wireless subwoofer to really round out the audio, but don’t say you heard it from us. Peek the gallery for a closer look!

Continue reading Klipsch LightSpeaker makes whole home audio as simple as screwing in a light bulb (hands-on)

Klipsch LightSpeaker makes whole home audio as simple as screwing in a light bulb (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LED traffic lights don’t melt snow, do cause accidents

A number of cold weather American states are reporting their dismay at finding out that LED traffic lights are so energy efficient that they do not produce enough excess heat to dissipate any snow that covers them. It turns out, perhaps in an homage to bad engineering everywhere, that the inefficiency of incandescent light bulbs was previously relied upon to keep traffic signals unimpeded. The new LEDs do not achieve the same effect, which has resulted in a few accidents and even a death being blamed on obstructed traffic lights. Feel free to apply palm to face now. It’s not all gloomy, though, as the majority of people are said to treat a dysfunctional traffic light as a stop sign (how clever of them), and a tech fix is being worked on as we speak.

LED traffic lights don’t melt snow, do cause accidents originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LAb[au]’s f5×5x5 framework sculpture mesmerizes on video

It’s been nearly three full years since we’ve seen anything hot and fresh from LAb[au], but thankfully, said drought is decidedly over. By using a combination of aluminum, Plexiglas, LED lights, determination, wit, stepper motors, critical thinking and IR tracking technologies, the f5×5x5 sculpture was created. Dubbed a “kinetic and luminous framework,” the installation is part of a larger ‘16n’ project designed to confront architectural problems (like congestion and flows) with spatial sensing technologies. We know, that’s all pretty deep — but if you’re just lookin’ for a good time, we’d recommend heading past the break, mashing play and dropping your kudos in comments.

Continue reading LAb[au]’s f5×5x5 framework sculpture mesmerizes on video

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

LAb[au]’s f5×5x5 framework sculpture mesmerizes on video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Light Peak supplier says mass production to start early 2010

The more we hear about Intel’s Light Peak optical interconnect, the more it seems like Intel was playing it way too cool at IDF — Foci Fiber Optic Communication, which supplied the gear used during that Hackintosh demo, told CNET today that pilot manufacturing runs of Light Peak equipment are scheduled for November, with mass production to start in early 2010. That’s right on track with what we’ve seen and been told about Apple and Intel’s plans for the tech, which forecast a line of back-to-school Macs featuring Light Peak in the fall of 2010. And, well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but Intel was pretty high on Light Peak for devices that needed maximum connectivity in the smallest amount of space, like an iPhone — or, say, a tablet. Quite a nice little package of rumors, don’t you think? Okay, we’ll calm down now.

Filed under: Peripherals

Light Peak supplier says mass production to start early 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony America abandons UMD-to-PSP Go "good will" program, offers 225 games at full retail price instead

You know that UMD-to-PSP Go conversion program? Ain’t gonna happen. The “good will” program that would have provided free (or at least heavily discounted) digital copies of games already purchased on UMD discs has been scrapped. A spokesman for SCEA said, “We were evaluating a UMD conversion program, but due to legal and technical reasons we will not be offering the program at this time.” Adding insult to injury, the PSP Go Rewards program offering 3 free games to European UMD owners will not be offered in the US. That’s the bad news. The not so bad news is that 16,000 pieces of digital content will be available for the US PSP Go launch on October 1st. These include 225 downloadable games (full PSP titles, PSN exclusives, UMD legacy titles, and Minis), 2,300 films, and 13,300 television episodes. Still, not quite the “at least 300″ digital games we were expecting. So US PSP owners, still planning to “upgrade?”

Read — UMD-to-PSP Go program scrapped
Read — 225 games at US launch

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Sony America abandons UMD-to-PSP Go “good will” program, offers 225 games at full retail price instead originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple about to unveil refreshed plastic MacBooks?

The white plastic MacBook has been looking pretty lonely at the bottom of Apple’s lineup ever since all the unibodies went Pro, but we’d been hearing Apple had some grand plans for the low-end — and now AppleInsider says revised MacBooks in a thinner, sleeker shell have hit manufacturing and could launch “in the coming weeks” alongside that rumored iMac refresh. AI also says there are hints at a new-school integrated battery and a white plastic case, but we’ll see what happens — anyone think Apple might cut prices below $999?

Filed under: Laptops

Apple about to unveil refreshed plastic MacBooks? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miruko wearable gaming eyeball robot turns the creep factor up significantly

Miruko is the creepiest gaming device we’ve seen in a while — but it’s also downright awesome. A robotic interface boasting WiFi and a built-in camera, it’s designed to be worn and used in augmented reality, real life gaming situations, able to detect things — like monsters — that are invisible to the human eye. Once the robot detects the presence of said monster (or zombie), it fixes its gaze on the object, allowing the gamer to follow its line of sight and then.. you know, destroy it — using an iPhone camera. It’s also capable of locating and locking in on specific objects and faces, making it really useful in hunting down whatever imaginary creatures that have been following you lately. Check the coolness in the video after the break, but keep in mind — we’ve been able to see the invisible monsters all along.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

Continue reading Miruko wearable gaming eyeball robot turns the creep factor up significantly

Filed under: Gaming, Robots

Miruko wearable gaming eyeball robot turns the creep factor up significantly originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer’s Ion-boasting Aspire Revo nettop now shipping from Newegg

It’s been a bit of a wait, but nettop enthusiasts are sure to be happy to hear this one. Acer’s NVIDIA Ion-powered Aspire Revo is now shipping from Newegg. The nettop — which boasts a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home Edition — got itself a pretty solid review from Engadget back in April, though we did have some gripes about the CPU. It runs $199.99.

[Thanks, Kevin]

Filed under: Desktops

Acer’s Ion-boasting Aspire Revo nettop now shipping from Newegg originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Garmin-ASUS nuvifone G60 to run $300?

While several shipping dates have come and gone, we’re still hopeful of seeing Garmin’s nuvifone in the flesh and on the street at some point in the future. If you’ve forgotten (and nobody would really blame you), the HSDPA, quad-band handset will boast GPS (of course), WiFi, Bluetooth, plus a full browser. The G60’s been available in Asia for some time now, and while a confirmed US launch has been much anticipated, no pricing has ever been announced. Rumors now abound that the device will carry a $300 price tag on contract, running about $550 without. Of course, it is just a rumor — and one that we hope is off base, too.

[Via Navigadget]

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

Rumor: Garmin-ASUS nuvifone G60 to run $300? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel unveils Light Peak 10Gbps optical interconnect for mobile devices

USB 3.0 might be one of the big stories here at IDF, but Intel just showed off a glimpse of the future: Light Peak, an optical interconnect for mobile devices that can run as fast as 10Gbps. That’s fast enough to do everything from storage to displays to networking, and it can maintain those speeds over 100-meter runs, which is pretty astounding. Intel says the idea is to drastically reduce the number of connectors on mobile devices, which should allow them to get even smaller — but the demo was on a huge Frankenrig, so don’t expect to see Light Peak devices shipping any time soon.

Update: We just snapped a quick pic of the connector — it’s a connector, that’s for sure. Check it after the break.

Continue reading Intel unveils Light Peak 10Gbps optical interconnect for mobile devices

Filed under: Peripherals

Intel unveils Light Peak 10Gbps optical interconnect for mobile devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs

Rivalries. Controversy. Government intervention. The life of a light bulb isn’t easy these days, and it looks like things are about to get even more complicated. While CFLs and LEDs may now be fighting it out to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs, Seattle-based Vu1 Corporation says it has developed a new type of bulb that’s better than either of ‘em, and could hit the market by mid-2010. Making use of ESL technology (or electron stimulated luminescence), the new bulbs seem to be the cure-all many folks have been looking for, with them promising to provide a more natural light than CFLs or LEDs, turn on as quickly as an incandescent bulb, and eliminate some of the pesky problems associated with CFLs (like their use of mercury). According to the company, they’ll also be about as efficient as CFLs, although they will cost about $20 a pop to begin with, which Vu1 says is comparable to a dimmable CFL reflector bulb. Some bold claims to be sure — claims made even bolder by the must-see “documentary” after the break.

Continue reading Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs

Filed under: Household

Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brando credit card light bulb fills the void in your wallet… not your heart

Tailored to fit inside a vacant credit card slot — let’s face it, we’ve all got a bit more room in our wallets these days — Brando’s latest offering is an unfolding LED light tastefully shaped like a bulb. You might point out the irony of replacing cold hard cash with a cute yet limited trinket, but do you really expect such subtlety to stop the company that brought you the sliced bread wrist rest? We’ll let you to come up with viable justifications for its existence, but do yourself the favor of going past the break for a snap of the little wonder flicked on, while we decide whether to file it under pointless sophistication or sophisticated pointlessness.

Continue reading Brando credit card light bulb fills the void in your wallet… not your heart

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Brando credit card light bulb fills the void in your wallet… not your heart originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LEDSAUR Tyrannosaurus Rex desk lamp makes chewing through paperwork less monotonous

Filed under: Household

LEDSAUR Tyrannosaurus Rex desk lamp makes chewing through paperwork less monotonous originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG’s BL40 "Chocolate" phone sashays its way through new ad

We’ve already gotten a pretty good look at LG’s stylish new BL40 phone (also simply known the new “Chocolate”) courtesy of some official shots, but no phone launch would be complete without an over the top ad, and LG’s naturally got that covered as well. As you can see for yourself after the break, the 4-inch, 800 pixel wide display is one of the main selling points here, and if that’s not enough for you, we hear you can even use it to output full HD video to a TV. Unfortunately, there’s still no word as to when it’ll be release ’round these parts, although there’s at least some indication that it could be making its North American debut on Telus.

Continue reading LG’s BL40 “Chocolate” phone sashays its way through new ad

Filed under: Cellphones

LG’s BL40 “Chocolate” phone sashays its way through new ad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips HF3490 Wake-up Light is also a bedside lamp, iPod dock

Did you know that waking up by natural light is a lot less stressful than doing it with sound? Yes, apparently your toast tastes better too. Philips has long been a proponent of light alarms and, in an effort to stay hip with the kids, it’s added a detachable iPod / iPhone dock to its latest offering. The HF3490 might never serve as your music station, but it tries hard, bringing an FM radio and some soothing sounds along. With 30 different levels of brightness and a “dusk simulator,” this device has enough tweaking options to ensure you wake up just the way nature intended — with birds chirping and soft sunlight on your pillow, all simulated by futuristically ugly electronics. If you can get over the $199 price, you can pre-order one for delivery on August 22.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Filed under: Household

Philips HF3490 Wake-up Light is also a bedside lamp, iPod dock originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Universal mirrors: more useful, less fun than carnival mirrors

You know those invisibility cloaks scientists have been struggling to master for decades? This here is said cloak’s perfect opposite, and it’s bending our minds in ways you can hardly fathom. Ulf Leonhardt, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, has worked with a brilliant team of scientists in order to construct what he calls a universal mirror, or if we’re being proper, an omnidirectional retroreflector. Unlike conventional mirrors which simply reflect objects at 90 degrees, this concoction reflects objects back at any angle. In other words, a device such as this would make aircraft, boats and satellites entirely easier to track with radar, but it’ll have to mature quite a bit before it’s ready for that kind of action. The current build is just a single centimeter high and ten centimeters in diameter, and as with invisibility cloaks, the main ingredient here is metamaterials that we won’t pretend to fully understand. Just one word of caution, boffins — don’t let Geek Squad get ahold of this stuff.

[Image courtesy of Barbara Rich, thanks JR]

Filed under: Science

Universal mirrors: more useful, less fun than carnival mirrors originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eternaleds debuts world’s first liquid-cooled LED light bulb

We know you probably wouldn’t answer “What’s the perfect companion to a liquid-cooled PC?” with “a liquid-cooled light bulb,” but amazingly enough, that’s a viable answer starting today. Eternaleds is stepping up big with planet’s first liquid-cooled LED bulb, the HydraLux-4, which will arrive in warm white and daylight white and should save you bundles on your energy bill over the next score. The company asserts that these bulbs produce “360 degree lighting” and can emit the same amount of illumination as a 25W incandescent with just 4W of energy. Each bulb is rated for 35,000 hours of use, and considering that a single one costs only $1.75 per year to run (at eight hours per day), we suppose the stiff $34.99 sticker is somewhat warranted.

Filed under: Household

Eternaleds debuts world’s first liquid-cooled LED light bulb originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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