Archives for May 2006
Fighting the fps war
Damian Koh | May 19, 2006
Dust from the resolution war between manufacturers has barely settled and now another storm is brewing. Could that be a competition of which camera has the most frames-per-second rate?
According to Michael Kanellos from CNET News.com, Micron Technology is coming out with an imaging chip for compact digicams that will allow users to fire away 10 8-megapixel shots a second, or 30 2-megapixel pictures a second.
However, this 8-megapixel chip won't see the light of day until the first half of 2007; and it'll be some time before competition appears. In addition to a high-speed burst rate, this new chip is also capable of capturing video in 720p format--the entry-level version of high definition.
What we'd really like to see is the employment of this chip on digital SLRs.
Sonic Teenager Deterrent
Juniper Foo | May 19, 2006
This seems like something right out of a comic book. But it's for real, and you're going to love the sound of it--a sonic deterrent that repels that portion of the demographics which thrives on being whinny and grating to adult nerves. That's right, we're talking bratty teens under 20. Nicknamed the mosquito, the gadget, invented by Briton Howard Stapleton, apparently emits a shrill noise audible only to this particular age group. Adults lose that ability as they age. The noise is annoying enough to have teens clutch their ears and move away from the source, and is said to sound like a demented insect or a very badly played violin. Quick, someone send this to Supernanny.
Via Ananova
Price: £622 (US$1,100)
Availability: At Compound Security Systems
Device: Security device
Basic specs: 80-decibel bursts of pulsing sounds at up to 16khz
World Cup fever in your pocket
Edvarcl Heng | May 18, 2006
Television manufacturers are eagerly rubbing their mitts as they anticipate their wares flying off the shelves. And that's for TVs both large and small. iriver has just come up with the B10 portable TV, a T-DMB number with a 2.2-inch display.
By the way, a little sauerkraut just told us that Germany is going to have T-DMB network of its own, so B10-toting fans in Germany will never miss a single goal while huddling in the toilet queue.
Weighing only 77g, it leaves plenty of space for the chilidogs, and with 3 hours of playtime, that's enough for almost two whole soccer matches, minus the extra time. Priced at 129,000 KRW (US$136). Available only in South Korea.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 72.9 x 48 x 17.1mm
- Weight: 76g
- Display: 2.2-inch QVGA TFT LCD
- FM tuner
- Built-in lithium polymer battery
- FM S/R ratio: 60dB
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Pioneer ships first Blu-ray computer drive
Darius Chang | May 18, 2006
Pioneer Electronics
announced today that it is shipping a Blu-ray
computer drive, the industry's first. The BDR-101A uses blue laser
technology to burn up to 25GB of data onto a single-layer Blu-ray disc.
It ships with Roxio Blu-ray Disc software and blank TDK Blu-ray discs.
As
expected, the BDR-101A write speeds are slow when writing
to BD-R and BD-RE (rewritable): 2x. What's surprising is its slow DVD
write speeds: 8x to single-layer -R and +R; 4x to -RW and +RW; 2.4x to
double-layer +R; and 2x to double-layer -R. As soon as we can get our
hands on a unit, we will test it and let you know how it performs.
Thinking
about getting one? Hope you have US$1,000 (S$1579.95) to spare,
because this drive ain't cheap. Also expensive are the Blu-ray discs. A
quick search on the Internet showed TDK BD-R discs for about US$18
(S$28.44) apiece
and BD-RE discs for about US$20 (S$31.60) apiece. Yikes!
Hidden Wall Outlet Mini Wall Safe
Juniper Foo | May 18, 2006
First things first. Are you handy with a drill and saw or liable to leave gaping holes in your lovely wall trying to slot in this otherwise nifty hidden wall safe? The retailer clearly left that itty bit out. But if you're a regular DIY Dirty Dan, this ordinary-looking socket is the last place a thief will look to for hidden valuables. That said, it's not going to be a huge loss since this mini safe will be a tight squeeze for anything larger than a wad of cash.
Via Fosfor Gadgets
Price: US$9.95
Availability: Check it out here
Device: Mini safe
Basic specs: N.A.
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