The Hot Cold Mug looks like your ordinary black mug with the word “cold” written in white. However, once you fill the Hot Cold Mug with a hot liquid, the mug suddenly changes color from black to white with the word “hot” written in black. Pretty cool, right? I don’t know why anyone would wanna by one of these, unless you plan on showing them off to your office mates. At $25 a pop, I think I’ll pass. Plus, I always know whether I’m drinking something hot or cold. I don’t need a mug telling me. I’m no idiot…
By attaching two small electrical devices to a bicycle’s wheel spokes, JoyRider is capable of measuring the rotational speed of the wheel to emit LED lights creating the illusion of a smiley face as the wheel rotates.
JoyRider was designed by Moritz Waldemeyer. It was sold for £2000 ($3,972 USD) at a charity auction.
The USB Frame Grabbers, from Epiphan Systems, are meant for those moments where you need to capture and record the stuff that happens on your screen. Available in four different models, all of them are USB 2.0 compatible, VGA input, and measure 80 mm x 54 mm x 23 mm. All models are compatible with Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.
Four models are:
VGA2USB:
* Resolution: VESA modes up to 2048 x 1536 (Interlaced)
* Frames Per Second:
640×480 (29.0 fps)
1024×768 (10.0 fps)
1280×1024 (5.6 fps)
1600×1200 (4.3 fps)
2048×1536 (2.0 fps)
VGA2USB LR
* Resolution: VESA modes up to 1280 x 1024 (Progressive)
* Frames Per Second:
640×480 (30.0 fps)
1024×768 (30.0 fps)
1280×1024 (30.0 fps)
VGA2USB HR
* Resolution: VESA modes up to 1600 x 1200 (Progressive)
* Frames Per Second:
640×480 (30.0 fps)
1024×768 (30.0 fps)
1280×1024 (30.0 fps)
1600×1200 (30.0 fps)
VGA2USB Pro
* Resolution: VESA modes up to 2048 x 2048 (Progressive up to 2048 x 1536; Interlaced 2048 x 2048)
* Frames Per Second:
640×480 (30.0 fps)
1024×768 (30.0 fps)
1280×1024 (30.0 fps)
1600×1200 (30.0 fps)
2048×1536 (30.0 fps)
2048×2048 (15.0 fps)
The VGA2USB, VGA2USB LR, VGA2USB HR, and VGA2USB Pro costs $299.95, $799.95, $1,600, $2,000 respectively. I’m unsure if their features justify their price gaps but these should get the job done. If you need to record a DVI source, Epiphan Systems does have a DVI version, the DVI2USB.
Olympus has announced its newest digital SLR camera, the E-420. Measuring 5.1″ x 3.6″ x 2.1″, Olympus is claiming that the E-420 is the smallest and lightest DSLR in the world. According to Olympus, their newest camera is 20 to 40 percent lighter than their competitions’ offerings. The E-420 features 10-megapixels, 2.7-inch LCD, fast On-Screen Autofocus, Face Detection, Shadow Adjustment Technology, and Perfect Shot Preview.
* On-Screen Autofocus works as seamlessly as a point-and-shoot to display subjects in focus on the LCD the instant the shutter is pressed half way.
* Face Detection Technology targets and locks on up to eight faces to ensure they are in focus and crystal clear for amazing portraits.
* Shadow Adjustment Technology captures detail in the bright areas of a frame and opens up detail in the shadows that other cameras would render too dark or underexposed.
* Perfect Shot Preview enables you to view and select your favorite effect right on the LCD, and see how the image will look before you even capture it, so you know that what you see is what you get.
The folks at CrunchGear got a little hands-on action:
The Olympus E-420 should hit stores in May 2008. Price tag is $499 for the body and an additional $100 for the 14-42mm starter lens.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 made a big splash when it hit the market. It is supposed to be the thinnest and lightest ThinkPad notebook ever. Inevitably, it is being compared to Apple’s MacBook Air. While the X300 is nowhere near as thin as the MacBook Air, it is still pretty light weighing at most 3.5 pounds (depending on how you configure it). In addition, the ThinkPad X300 isn’t a stripped down notebook like the MacBook Air. The X300 includes an optical drive while maintaining its slim figure. Some say the X300 is therefore more ‘real-world usable’, than the MacBookAir.
Specs:
* Intel Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz, 4MB L2, 800MHz FSB
* 13.3 WXGA+ TFT (LED backlight) display
* Intel Graphics Media Adapter X3100
* Up to 4 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
* DVD burner
* 64 GB SSD
* Bluetooth 2.0
* Wi-Fi, 802.11n
* three USB ports, VGA output, Ethernet
* Built-in camera
* starts at 2.93 pounds
* Dimensions: 12.4″ x 9.1″ x 0.73″ - 0.92″ (less than 0.73” at its thinnest)
Good:
+ light weight, but solid build quality (magnesium casing)
+ feels like a standard notebook, not stripped down
+ the display, which is LED backlit, is nice and clear
+ built-in speakers are nice and loud
+ quiet hard drive, thanks to SSD
Bad:
- expensive
- no option for a traditional large hard drive. 64 GB SSD is the only storage option.
- poor battery life (little over 2 hours)
- graphics performance is laughable
- no PC card slot or SD slot
- no FireWire port
The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 is for those looking for a full featured thin and light weight notebook. While it may not be as thin (or sexy looking) as the MacBook Air, you’ll surely be more productive with the X300. The ThinkPad X300 starts at around $2,400 and can quickly approach $3,000 depending on how it is configured.
There are tons of portable printers out in the market right now, but none compare to the
“Trak” concept. The Trak seems no wider than a standard laptop and can even be attached to one, as shown in the image. It’s ultra compact with a detachable printer head, this thing will ‘almost’ fit in your pocket. It is USB powered. The concept also seems to only support standard size paper. The Track also doesn’t have a paper feeder, so it might be a hassle printing multiple pages. The price you pay for mobility?
The Naja King is a media device holder that only supports two devices, both of which are from Apple: the iPhone and iPod Touch. Made from steel, the Naja King features a flexible arm that you can bend to the desired contortion. The head can also rotate 360-degrees so you can swivel the device while it is being held. The stand also sports a rubber grip so your precious ‘Apple toy’ doesn’t slip out of the holder.
You can pre-order the Naja King for $39.99 at Thought Out. It starts shipping on April 1.
Update: The Scion Hako has been unveiled. Read here.
Let’s face it. The Scion tC is easily the best looking Scion car to date. The xA, xB, and xD are just plain fugly. So, it is a surprise to see Toyota replacing the well-selling tC with the Scion Hako. Unfortunately, no information was released except the teaser image above. The Hako is being designed by Tokyo Design Division. Their aim is to make a “sporty interpretation of the box concept.”
That doesn’t sound good. If the Hako ends up looking like an xB with ‘fast and furious’ parts slapped on, count me out.
