by Matthew on March 10, 2010
iKat is quite a cool looking Augmented Reality application that requires no real-world prompt to function correctly. Normally when augmented reality is used a place card is held up with an image on it which the phone can then lock on to and replace with the 3D rendered model. In the case if the iKat it just takes a quick scan of what the camera is looking at and can figure out where to place the 3D object.
The iKat application is basically just a cat that walks across a keyboard when holding the phone up to it, but the idea behind it is really what we are interested in here.
“Based on Zenitum’s D-Track engine, we are working on markerless mobile augmented reality application, iKat. You are breeding a virtual kitten on the phone. The kitten can be mixed into real world using AR. Since no markers or image targets are needed, you need to recognize the space in front of the camera for creating the appropriate space for your kitten.”
[click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
This control pad is built to look just like a SNES pad from the 90s in that it’s the same shape, has the same D-pad, 4 coloured buttons on the front and the left and right shoulder buttons.
As well as having the regular buttons on the controller, Buffalo have also thrown in a couple of other buttons near the Start and Select buttons which are Turbo and Clear to allow some rapid fire to happen.
The controller measures 144 x 63 x 25mm and “looks” to be the same size as the original SNES controller although I haven’t looked up the measurements of the original controllers to verify. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
The Warpia Easy Dock is a USB gadget that allows you to connect your netbook or other similar device up to a desktop monitor. The device comes in two parts with one being the transmitter and the other being the receiver which is attached to a monitor or projector. The pair are able to transmit images with a resolution of up to 1400 x 1050 pixels making it ideal for presentations where wireless connectivity to a projector is needed.
The Warpia Easy Dock is compatible with various operating systems which includes Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
The Phantom HD Gold is a high speed digital video camera that carries a hefty price tag of $118,000 putting it in to the professional end of the market.
The camera has a resolution of 2,048 by 2,048 and at that high resolution it is capable of capturing video at 555 frames per second. Although high speed cameras are available for just a few hundred dollars that can capture at over 1,000 FPS, they certainly can’t do that at anywhere near the 2k by 2k resolution and often tend to drop down to double digit pixels.
This particular camera is also capable of capturing images up to 100,000 frames per second when the resolution is dialled right down to just 16 by 8 pixels. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
As the Apple iPad launch date draws nearer, more and more accessories are becoming available. The last one we mentioned just a few days ago was the Vers Wood iPad case. Next on the list is a case built by Quirky that is called the Quirky Cloak.
The Quirky Cloak is designed to look sleek and provide enough protection to keep your iPad safe within. It is built from non-slip rubber and has a durable plastic hinge on the edges.
The iPad slides in the top of the casing and once inside is held firmly by a friction grip. The Quirky Cloak is designed in a way that allows the iPad to sit on a surface in landscape mode, or stand up with a kick stand in portrait mode. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
We are now hearing that Streetfighter IV is now available for download to the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.
This amazing looking re-creation allows 8 playable characters to be used to fight against various opponents. As well as playing against the computer, a Bluetooth mode is also available allowing two iPhone’s or iPod touch devices to be connected together to battle against each other.
The game is available now from the iTunes store. See the video below to watch the game in action. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
There doesn’t seem to be a week pass where a new netbook is announced, especially with the likes of ASUS launching new Eee PC’s every week it seems. Pioneer are now launching their DreamBook Lite which has a 12.1 inch screen and runs either a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor or a slightly faster Intel Atom N470 running at 1.83GHz.
The 12.1 inch screen is LED which we should see benefit from that in terms of a clearer image. For connectivity it has Wireless that can connect up to 802.11b/g/n networks as well as a bunch of ports on the side including USB 2.0 and a wired LAN port.
The DreamBook Lite comes with a 4 cell battery although if you go for the optional 6 cell battery the netbook can achieve about 10 hours of usage between charges. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
Google [GOOG] have launched Google Apps Marketplace that integrates third-part cloud apps with Google Apps.
The Google Apps Marketplace offers products and services designed for Google users, including installable apps that integrate directly with Google Apps. Installable apps are easy to use because they include single sign-on, Google’s universal navigation, and some even include features that integrate with your domain’s data.
By integrating the applications together it allows you to directly access third-party applications from GMail for example. With various apps running such as contact sharing it can be just a matter of logging in to GMail, clicking the More tab, loading your listed 3rd party app and passing contacts quickly to another user. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
OWC have created a new portable harddrive that it claims to be the worlds first “quad interface”. The BUS powered drive can be connected to a PC using four methods which are eSATA, USB 2.0 and two Firewire 800 ports with support for Firewire 400.
The new drives come in several capacities which include a 1TB, 500GB, 200GB and a 640GB model. Some of the models run hard drives while others run SSDs. See the chart below along with pricing to see whats what. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
Hard drive manufacturers are about to change the format on new hard drive which will prevent older operating systems (such as Windows XP) from working. The new controller technology is increasing the byte sector size from what it is now (512 bytes) to somewhere in the region of 4K to allow the data that we currently have to day to work better.
The problem will only become apparent if you want to install Windows XP on a new hard drive. At this point it simply wont work.
The new hard drives are supposed to start being launched in 2011 at which point, you won’t be required to switch over as your XP machine will continue to work as normal… that is until the drive fails and you end up having to buy a new drive. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
If you are one of the unfortunate ones to be trapped in a car at some stage in your life then perhaps this tool could be a life saver depending on the situation. It’s called the ExiTool and attaches to a seatbelt which can be quickly detached if stuck in an awkward situation.
The device has a sharp blade within that can be used to slice open a seatbelt if needed. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
After about 4 months of waiting, MSI have now started to ship the MSI Wind U230 that we mentioned back in November 2009. The new netbook computer comes running an AMD processor and has a 12.1 inch HD LCD display.
The new MSI Wind U230 was designed to replace the U210 netbook that MSI say was a favourite among MSI users.
The Wind U230 weighs 3.3 pounds and comes in two different variates. The first is the U230-033 with the other model being the U230-040. Each of the models ship with 2GB of DDR2 memory along with a 6 cell battery and for the OS, each run Windows 7 Home Premium. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
Pentax have launched their latest digital SLR camera called the Pentax 645D. The 645D is a medium format camera that has a 40 megapixel CCD sensor along with a 3.0 inch LCD that can display 921k dots.
The new 645D is also compatible with existing 645 system lenses. By utilising such a large CCD sensor the camera is aimed at those who want to capture landscape and other outdoor subjects. The sensor measures 44mm x 33mm and uses PENTAXoriginal image-processing technology to process the images when captured to produce extra sharp and super high resolution images.
The camera it’s self is lightweight but built out of a magnesium-steel-alloy frame making it also durable. The LCD panel is also built using reinforced glass to help protect from weather, dust and knocks. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
Information has been found about the Dell Streak (previously called the Dell Mini 5). Although it has been called the Dell Streak, this could also be just an internal name given by Dell prior to launch.
The Streak has a 5 inch screen that has a WVGA resolution capable of displaying 800 x 480 pixels. A 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and a flash is also included along with a front facing camera allowing for video calls over Skype for example.
It appears from the image above that the Streak will come in a variety of colours as well as being able to use the Design Studio to get art work on the back cover too. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on March 10, 2010
Lenovo are launching a new tablet style netbook that has a 10.1 inch capacitive touchscreen (multitouch). The screen can be rotated 180 degrees turning the device in to a tablet and then back to a netbook.
Inside an Intel Atom N450 CPU is found that is clocked at 1.66GHz. Memory wise it has 2GB of DDR2 RAM and for storage a 320GB hard drive. The graphics are provided by the regular onboard Intel GMA 3150 chipset.
All the usual connectivity can be found inside too which includes wireless networking that can connect up to 802.11b/g and n networks. Bluetooth 2.1+EDR can also be found inside. [click to continue…]
