Bug Labs Open Source Do-It-Yourself Gadget Gets a Hacking I/O Module, Pricing [Gadgets]

Those Bug Labs open source modular gadgets—the ones that you can buy in pieces and build your own gadget with—have just gotten pricing and availability details. They're also announcing a Von Hippel module, which allows an I/O interface so you can "further" hack your BUG. If you buy the modules in the first 60 days, you'll get a discount off of the already fairly reasonable prices.

• BUGbase - $349 ($299 w/discount) • LCD module - $119 ($99 w/discount) • GPS module - $99 ($79 w/discount) • Camera module - $79 ($69 w/discount) • Motion detector / Accelerometer - $59 ($49 w/discount)

All these will be shipping in Q1 2008, and be served in a first come basis. No pricing yet on the Von Hippel unit (named after the MIT professor and author Eric Von Hippel).

Read More...

Summary only...

D-Link's DSM-210, a Fancy Internet and Widget Controlled Photo Frame [D-Link]

The Pitch: D-Link has announced the DSM-210 — a new high res 10-inch LCD photo frame that features a website and a drag-and-drop desktop widget to help users manage their photos and download RSS feeds. It also includes slots for USB and memory cards and Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectivity. Available Q1 of 2008 for $249. The Catch: Might want to wait for a review to find out if the process is really as easy as they make it seem.

D-LINK DEBUTS Wi-Fi INTERNET AND WIDGET CONTROLLED DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME

Frame Easily Managed Using Web or Drag and Drop Desktop Widget

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan. 6, 2008 - D-Link, the end-to-end networking solutions provider for consumer and business, today announced future release of a digital photo frame that enables users to quickly and easily manage content displayed using a convenient website or with a drag and drop desktop widget.

The D-Link® Internet Photo Frame (DSM-210) is easily managed using an intuitive website (dlink.framechannel.com), where users can organize photos online for display as well as remotely stream content such as weather, news, trivia and more using popular Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds.

With built-in wired and wireless adapters, the DSM-210 also gives users the choice to simply drag and drop digital photos into photo frames using a "widget" located on the computer desktop, which then automatically displays the photos as a slide show on the photo frame. The widget also allows a user to remotely manage a frame over the Internet using the same drag and drop method, making it the perfect gift for someone who is a novice computer user, letting the giver of the frame remotely manage the photos and content displayed.

Unlike traditional digital photo frames, this next-generation photo frame is designed to enhance the home entertainment experience by allowing users to view their favorite photos easily and conveniently virtually anywhere in the home or over the Internet - providing a high-resolution 10" LCD display connected over a wired or wireless home network.

The DSM-210 features a 16 x 9 inch screen and includes an interchangeable black or white frame. It contains slots for USB and common memory cards, and can be networked via an Ethernet connection or Wi-Fi. The digital photo frame is widget compatible and can connect directly to the PC or via Internet options. With a rechargeable battery and premium content available, the frame comes with a one-year subscription for basic Internet content. D-Link also plans to introduce custom skins, via a partnership with Skinit, to allow customers to personalize the outer portion frame to whatever color or pattern they choose.

Price and Availability The D-Link DSM-210 is expected to be available in Q1, 2008 through D-Link's network of retail outlets, value-added resellers, solution providers and distributors, or at the company's online store, www.dlinkshop.com, for the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $249.99.

Read More...

Summary only...

3M to showcase a micro-projector for handheld devices at CES

The idea of stuffing a tiny projector into a handheld device isn't a new one -- we've seen a couple different takes on the idea -- but it looks like it might be hitting the mainstream soon, as 3M has announced plans to demo a half-inch wide projection unit at CES that can put up a 40-inch image. The LCoS projector is about the size of a wireless headset, according to 3M, and tops out at VGA resolution -- which seems adequate, given the QVGA resolution of most handhelds. Apparently we'll be seeing devices with the projector built in later this year, and hopefully we'll get a chance to play with a couple at CES -- you'll know as soon as we do.

Read

Read More...

Summary only...

Hitachi to show off 1.5-inch thick plasma, .75-inch thick LCD prototypes at CES

Slimming down LCDs just wasn't enough, Hitachi will demo a 1.5-inch thick plasma HDTV at CES. Cutting more than a third of the thickness from previous displays, it ensures your screen will look as incredible from the side as it does the front. Also on display, but without concrete plans for release, are the "super" Ultra Thin LCD that's just .75-inches thick, a search technology for visual images, TV video sharing over the internet without a PC, a wireless video gateway and a prototype IPTV interface. Looking from the near future to the slightly further-off future, we'll get a look at it in Vegas. Check out a side profile of the skinny plasma after the break.

Continue reading Hitachi to show off 1.5-inch thick plasma, .75-inch thick LCD prototypes at CES

Read

Read More...

Summary only...

Hitachi Ultra Thin 1.5 LCD lineup headed for CES

Hitachi's not really reaching here in the naming department, but we sort of like the effect: the company's new Ultra Thin 1.5 LCDs are 1.5-inches thick (hence the name), and headed for Vegas. Coming in 32-inch, 37-inch and 42-inch sizes, the 1.5 line has been hanging out in Japan for a few months under the Wooo name (pictured), but CES will mark the design-centric LCDs' entrance into the States. The two larger sizes feature 1080p resolutions and 120Hz refresh rates, and all displays will be available in Q2 2008. It seems like the main tradeoff for the slimness and weight loss of this lineup is the lack of inputs -- the Director's and V Series only feature one HDMI plug and one D-Sub plug, while the S series includes a breakout box with three HDMI plugs and dual component inputs. Specs and model number breakdown is after the break.

Read

Read More...

Summary only...